HALF-LIFE: ALYXXX VR
The day has been long and uneventful. Before everything changed, you thought the arrival of the Combine would mean something awful and cataclysmic, with days full of panic and fear. You had been ready for every day to be a nightmare, but what you hadn't prepared for was just how boring and mundane the days could get. There were days when it was easy to forget that the Earth was even under interplanetary control. You are Alyx Vance, a young woman and daughter of a scientist and freedom fighter by the name of Eli. You, your father, and all of your fellow resistance members are responsible for the safety and protection of Black Mesa East, a large laboratory inside a larger lakeside complex that serves as your base of operations.
"Hey Alyx, wanna do something?" The guy sitting next to you asks.
You and John have been sitting in the same place all morning, watching monitors that show no signs of changing. Both of you have the unglamorous but important task of keeping watch over the compound, ready to sound the alarm if you spot any suspicious activity. The last five hours, however, have made you doubt the chances of anything noteworthy taking place in the immediate future.
"Like what?" You ask, pretty much open to any suggestions on how to pass the time.
"Well," He pauses, looking in your general direction but not directly at you. "We could always fool around a bit."
Although you're caught slightly off-guard by the proposal, you're flattered, and you aren't that surprised. You and John have been working with each other for the past few months, and you've enjoyed each other's company whenever a quiet moment has presented itself. While you aren't best friends exactly there has been pretty clear flirting from both of you, even if the vast majority of it seemed to be the innocent, playful kind. Now though, some of those previous interactions have gained fresh context. You give him a scanning look, looking over his messy, ear-length dark hair, smooth jawline and freshly shaven stubble. Ultimately, you feel comfortable with him, and you know that even if you turn him down your working relationship shouldn't become much more awkward.
"Okay, sure," You agree, smiling.
"Yeah?" He asks, seeming a bit surprised himself. "Cool."
Your eyes fall back to the glowing monitor. "...Then again, we still have a job here. I know it's boring, but..."
"Oh, don't worry about that," John says, trying to contain the subtle notes of triumph in his voice. "Ryan owes me a favor."
~~~
You and John are standing over his roommate's bed, the man beneath the covers sheltered substantially from the world outside with fortifications of blankets and a pillow held defensively over his head, his body contorted beneath the sheets in a way that doesn't look particularly comfortable.
"Ryan, get up. It's one-thirty," John says impatiently. You've known Ryan for almost as long as you've known his roommate, and he's a decent guy. You haven't worked with him much, but on slow days you've sat with him and John outside while the two of you watch him smoke and listen to him talk about the childhood fishing trips he went on with his dad, before the Combine came. He can be a little bristly when he's in a bad mood, but most of the time you like him just fine.
Ryan stirs and opens his eyes groggily, staring back at him. "...What's going on?"
"Hey Ryan..." John stalls, looking at you. "Remember that favor you owe me?"
By this point Ryan has lifted himself partially off the bed, looking back and forth at the two of you through crusty, half-open eyes.
"Could you cover our shift for us in the surveillance room?"
Ryan rubs his eyes, blinks several times and reaches over to his dresser. "Why?" He asks, putting his glasses on.
"Does that matter?" John asks defensively. "Me and Alyx just want to...take a break. We've been working all morning."
Ryan looks back at you. "Oh, okay. Gross. And I don't mean you, Alyx, I mean him. Or...both of you, maybe. But I do owe you John, so...fine."
"You're a man of your word," John says, helping him to his feet. "Thanks."
"Yeah, thank you," You agree. "You're a good sport, Ryan."
Ryan stretches and yawns, then grabs a pair of jeans slung over a chair. "Whatever." He takes his time putting them on and then shuffles out of the room. Before he closes the door he pauses and looks back over his shoulder.
"Just...not on my bed, okay?" He asks, sounding somewhat exasperated. "Think you can manage that?"
"Of course man, no worries," John says, giving him an informal yet respectful two finger salute. Ryan nods in solemn acknowledgement.
Once he's disappeared down the hall, the door closed behind him, you turn to John. "So...what do you wanna do first?" You ask. "I kinda...don't wanna do anything that could even possibly get me pregnant."
"Hmmm, okay," John pauses, looking down at the floor and appearing to ponder things for a moment. "Well...you could sit on the bed, get comfortable, and after we kiss a little bit I could go down on you?"
Your cheeks feel warm as an invigorating shiver washes over you.
"Okay," You nod, sitting on his bed. All of a sudden, you hear familiar, thunderous footfalls coming down the hall. "Oh no..." You mutter, putting a hand to your head.
John frowns, his reaction fairly similar to yours. His expression is not one of fear, but of annoyance.
You stand and open the door to find a hulking, mechanical beast making its way down the hallway at a jaunty clip. It gallops towards you like an overgrown, eight foot tall canine.
"I think Dog wants to play," You say, sighing heavily.
You leave the threshold of the room and Dog comes to a sliding halt in front of you. The sound of harshly scraping metal fills the hall. Your father built Dog when you were just a little girl, to be your friend, your companion, and your protector. Dog is pretty good at his specific purpose, but a lot of the time he just acts like a real dog...despite not looking at all like one. You lovingly pet his angular, inhuman face with both hands and kiss him on his metal head, unable to stay annoyed at him for any significant length of time. You aren't the most enthusiastic about seeing him right now, but Dog doesn't know any better.
"Hey boy," You say, pressing your head against his. "I know you wanna play, but I'm...a little busy right now, with a friend of mine. Why don't you go play outside? I'll come see you later."
"Hey Dog," John says, stepping close to the two of you and adding his own hand to your petting. "Remember me?"
Dog looks in John's direction, but it's hard to tell if there's any recognition there. He certainly appreciates the additional affection if nothing else. Dog nuzzles his metallic face against your soft human one and then abruptly turns and lumbers away, leaving you and John to watch him go as the sound of his crashing footfalls slowly fade.
"Well, always nice to see Dog," John says, arms folded approvingly.
"Most of the time I would agree," You say. "Though I can't say he didn't kill the mood a little." You laugh and shake your head.
You step back into the room with John, who closes the door after you. "Well, why don't I see if we can fix that?" He asks slyly.
Smiling, you sit back down on the bed and take off your beat-up brown jacket. Then you unzip your gray hoodie, leaving nothing but your brown sports bra to cover your bare skin. You put both of the discarded garments on the bed beside you, then lift your arms up to meet him when John leans in to kiss you. You grab his head and pull his face against your lips, your fingers curling in his dark tangles of hair, his stubble somewhat abrasive against your cheeks. He kisses you tenderly for a moment longer, then raises up to kiss you on the forehead, just below your headband. He kisses you on the chin briefly before moving to your neck. You breathe softly and feel your nipples hardening as he plants his lips delicately upon your skin, his scratchy shaven face irritating but tantalizing in its tactile nature. His kisses continue down your neck and along the bony parts of your shoulders, and you feel the space between your legs getting hotter and damper as he goes. Your breathing quickens slightly and you feel the hot clamminess of sweat that isn't there yet.
John grabs the hem of your bra and lifts it carefully up and over your breasts and sensitive nipples, letting it settle back into place just below your shoulders. He leans in and gives one of your stiffened nubs a lick.
