Work Text:
You hadn’t meant to stop here. Just walking, paperwork half-forgotten in your arms, until your eyes snagged on a familiar face.
Your face.
There it was, smiling awkwardly in glossy print, framed in polished wood as if it belonged beside everyone else who’d been honored before. The caption underneath was simple: employee of the month. Your name bolded.
However, that wall was something you usually passed without thought, a little gallery of smiles belonging to others, the competent ones, the ones who always seemed to know what they were doing.
For a long moment, you just stood there, staring. The idea refused to fit into your head. Nothing you’d done lately felt worth notice, let alone this. Of all people, you, the one who spent half your days convinced you were one misplaced cable away from being fired.
The sudden voice broke you out of your daze. Mike, another stagehand, had wandered down the hall with a bundle of cables slung over one arm. He leaned to look at the photo, then clapped a heavy hand on your shoulder.
“Not bad. Guess the boss likes you. Don’t look so shocked, though!” then he was gone before you could answer, leaving you staring at the glass frame in silence again.
Or so you thought.
It was almost easier to doubt it when you were alone. Easier to think it was a mistake, or a joke, or maybe you’d simply imagined the whole thing. But then came the weight of broad hands on your shoulders, followed by the soft flicker of a screen edging into your peripheral vision.
“There you are!” Tenna’s voice, bright as ever, sounded right beside your ear.
His massive frame loomed behind you, both of your reflections caught in the glass.
“Would you look at that! That’s my best worker right there. So official. Ooh, it looks so good on you!”
You kept staring at your own face in the frame, feeling oddly small beneath it.
Too much and too sudden. You wanted to ask why you, or tell him he’d made a mistake. But all you could do was get confused, unsure what to say, glancing between the photograph and his bright grin.
“I, uh. I wasn’t expecting—“
“Don’t give me that lost look, starshine,” Tenna leaned close enough that the edge of his screen brushed your cheek, like a nuzzle. “this is a good thing! You should be proud.”
You felt like you were about to wake up and find out this whole thing was a prank.
“I— i don’t know why you picked me, to be honest,” you managed at last. “It doesn’t make sense.”
“What d’you mean? Course it makes sense! You’ve been working your socks off! You think nobody sees that? I see that.” his plug-tail, which had been swaying in a hopeful arc, slowed and drooped a little. “I think you’re wonderful. I wanted everyone to know.”
You swallowed. “still feels weird.”
Tenna let out a laugh, his tail flicked behind him, brushing the floor like a happy dog’s wag. “Weird good, though, right? Like. . . like you’re on TV! Except it’s a photo. Of you. Being awesome!”
He was trying so hard, like a puppy bringing you a stick, and all you could do was stand there, frozen in your awkwardness. Damn, this TV was so sweet, and you felt like the biggest jerk for not knowing how to take it.
You couldn’t help it, a smile tugged at your mouth, even through the confusion. He was just so earnest.
Tenna squeezed your shoulders, leaning his screen closer to the frame as if comparing. “Yup. Matches perfectly. My star employee, front and center. Oh, you didn’t even notice how much you shine, huh?”
To him, it seemed obvious enough, you had worked hard, he had noticed, and this was the natural result. He said it like it was the simplest truth in the world. Maybe it was, if you looked at it through his eyes instead of your own.
The rest of the day passed in a haze that hardly felt like work at all, mostly because Tenna had apparently decided that your award was a holiday to celebrate. In his mind, your recognition was his personal festival, and his idea of celebrating was relentless affection.
Although you tried to shrug it off, muttering that you probably didn’t deserve it, your TV seemed determined to prove otherwise in his own way.
You tried to laugh it off, of course, but he never let you drift too far from the glow of his attention. At lunch, Tenna appeared with a plate already made for you. Later, he insisted you take a break, tugging you into a quiet corner of the studio just to hold you for a minute.
Each time he passed you backstage, he stopped. Sometimes it was only a quick kiss on your cheek, a careless peck accompanied by a triumphant ding! on his screen. Other times, it was a full embrace, his screen flashing little hearts, pink and red across the glass. You laughed, embarrassed, trying to squirm away before anyone noticed. But Tenna only squeezed tighter, plug-tail wagging like a happy pup.
And when he wasn’t kissing you, he was touching you. In a way, comparing him to a dog wasn’t wrong. Everywhere you went, your television followed, finding some excuse to touch you again. A palm on your shoulder here, a gentle squeeze there.
You would call it another physical challenge.
You felt foolish for wanting him so badly it hurt. The want was dizzying, cruel even. You could feel it in the pit of your stomach. Fuck, fuck, fuck. You could've let Tenna take you right there, pressed against the wall under that photo, if not for the weight of all those dumb insecurities.
In quieter moments backstage, he’d tip your chin up with a fingertip, leaning close until the static buzzed warm against your cheek. A quick kiss, or sometimes several in succession, until your lips tingled and you had to pull back with flustered protests. Yet Tenna found your shyness as precious as anything else about you.
And when the stage finally emptied, the TV host found other ways to press his love into you, pulling you into shadowed corners, against walls, slipping between your legs with the eagerness of someone who’d been waiting all day for this excuse. His kisses turned messier then, needy, antennas twitching so wildly you had to steady them with your hands. That only made him whine into your mouth about how much he loved you.
A brush of his fingers met your hands shoved stubbornly into pockets. A whispered suggestion about what you could do on his office couch after hours, met with a flustered shake of your head.
You couldn’t tell if Tenna was genuinely that desperate or if he just thought you deserved to be overwhelmed with love until you believed it. Probably both.
Still, even touching him in response, you kept thinking of your photo on the wall, and how wrong it looked to see your smile immortalized there. How undeserving you felt of the title best anything. That’s why each time Tenna pressed himself closer, you found yourself whispering excuses, someone might hear, or i don’t look good enough right now.
By the time you both made it back to your place, the day felt heavier than your briefcase. Tenna didn’t say much while unlocking the door, just held it open for you, gentle as ever, and you slipped past him, set the briefcase by the wall, pretending to fuss with your coat, not finding the courage to look at your TV.
You loosened your tie, it had felt like a leash all day, as you just stood there for a while, staring at nothing, waiting for your pulse to calm.
Tenna noticed, of course he did. You could feel him watching you from the corner of his vision. His antennas drooped to mirror his guilt.
He sounded uncertain when he finally spoke. “Hey, uh. . . i think i got a little carried away today.” a weak laugh buzzed through the speakers. “with the, uh, hugs, and— everything. I just wanted to make sure you knew how proud i am of you. Guess i went overboard. I'm so sorry, i just love you too much and i wanted you to know that.”
Your throat tightened.
No, Tenna, no, no, no.
How do you even explain to this TV that none of it is his fault? That it wasn’t about not wanting the same thing, you just hadn’t figured out how to hold it. All that love piled up in you until it hurt to breathe.
“No.” you responded sharply and it startled both of you. God, why was this so hard? He was your boyfriend. You'd done this before. But wanting it out loud felt like standing naked under stage lights.
You coughed, more to clear the panic than your throat, tugging at your loosened tie. The sound made him look up, screen flickering with worry.
“Uh, i know i was weird about it all day, but i wasn't— i didn't want you to stop, i just didn't know how to— I just,” your eyes darted anywhere but him. “you said earlier you wanted to. . . celebrate, right? And i kept saying no, or changing the subject, or pretending i didn't hear you, but i wasn't trying to reject you or anything, i swear. I just didn't know how to say yes when everyone else was around, and i felt stupid because you were being so sweet and i kept thinking maybe i didn't deserve it, or maybe i was reading too much into things, and—“
Tenna interrupted. “wait, so you're trying to say that—“
You squeezed your eyes shut. Why were words so impossible?
“I said i want. I just— i didn't know how to tell you that i wanted it too without sounding desperate or needy or like i was making it all about me when it's supposed to be about both of us, and i thought maybe if i waited until we were alone it would be easier to say, but now i'm here and i still don't know how to—“
“Hey, hey, hey, hun,” his thumbs rubbed small circles against your collar. “breathe for me, starshine, you're okay.”
You dragged in a breath and forced yourself to look at him.
“I want you,” you managed. “i wanted you all day, i just didn't know how to ask when everyone was around, and i felt stupid because you were being so nice and patient with me and i kept overthinking everything. And i know that sounds ridiculous but i do want this. I want you to celebrate with me, or whatever you want to call it, i just— i want you, okay? I've wanted you for so long and i didn't think you'd actually want me back, and now that you do i don't know what to do with it except mess it up apparently—“
You cut yourself off, face burning.
Tenna had gone very still.
“You're not just saying that because you think i wanna hear it, right? Because i need you to be honest with me right now, love.”
The question caught you off-guard. “What?”
“I pushed a lot today,” Tenna's hands slipped down to your elbows, and you realised they were trembling slightly. “kissing you in the hallway, pulling you aside every chance i got— i couldn't help myself and maybe that was selfish. Maybe you feel like you have to say yes now because i'm your boss and your boyfriend and i was all over you, and i don't— i don't want you to feel like you owe me this. I don't want you to think you have to go along with it just because i want it, because that's not what this is supposed to be. It's supposed to be about us, not just me taking what i want from—“
“Tenna—“
“And i don't want you to feel obligated, starshine, i really don't! If you're not actually into this, if you're just trying to make me happy—“
“Im not,” you interrupted, forcing yourself to meet his screen even though your heart was racing. “i'm not just saying it!”
Tenna stared at you, lost between hope and doubt. He'd spent all day trying to make you feel worthy and now he was terrified he'd pushed too hard.
You pursed your lips, trying to find the right words. Suddenly your gaze fell on his forearms.
Holy shit, when had he rolled his sleeves up? You could see the cables underneath where the fabric bunched at his elbows. Your fingers twitched. God, you wanted to touch them. Wanted to trace the lines of them until you'd mapped every inch.
“I mean it, Tenna, i know i'm weird about. . . everything. About compliments and people looking at me and asking for things. But i'm not lying about this.” you tugged at your tie again, a nervous habit. “You looked really good today. Like. Really good. I kept staring at you and i felt like such a creep, i just didn't know how to say it without sounding desperate or—“
“You think you're desperate?” Tenna’s screen had brightened. “baby, i've been losing my mind all day. Do you have any idea what you do to me?”
Your face burned hotter. “Still. I want this. I want you. I'm just really bad at showing it.”
Oh, darling, for Tenna you looked like every fantasy he'd never let himself fully indulge in. His starlight, standing there with that tie hanging loose and crooked around your neck, collar slightly rumpled.
So gorgeous.
His little starshine, all buttoned up and proper in your work clothes, falling apart at the seams just from looking at him.
“Okay,” Tenna's hands slid down to catch yours, stopping your nervous fidgeting with the tie. “okay, but i need you to promise me something.”
“Promise?”
“Pinky promise,” Tenna held up one hand, extending his pinky toward you with all the seriousness of a sacred oath. “promise me you actually want this. That you're not doing it because you think you owe me, or because i'm your boss, or because you feel bad about being shy all day. Promise me this is what you want.’
Fuck. He was so earnest. Asking for a pinky promise like you were kids on a playground instead of adults about to—
God, he's cute.
The thought struck you with enough force to make you smile, just a little, and you lifted your own hand to hook your pinky around his. His finger dwarfed yours, and you held on tight.
“I promise, i want this. I want you.”
His screen flashed so bright you had to squint, and then he was pulling you close, both hands cupping your face as he leaned down to kiss you, and immediately bonged his nose against your forehead with an audible thunk.
“Ow!”
“Oh my god.”
You both froze, then started laughing at the same time. Tenna's antennas drooped sheepishly as he rubbed his screen where his nose had connected, and you pressed a hand over your forehead even though it didn't really hurt.
“I'm so sorry,” the TV giggled. “i got too excited.”
“You bonked me!”
“I know, I know, i'm an idiot!”
”Your nose is like a whole extra limb,” you were grinning now.
“It's not that bad!”
”Tenna, you could use it as a weapon.”
“Okay, rude!”
You were both still giggling when Tenna tried again, slower this time, tilting his screen at a more careful angle. His nose bumped gently against your cheek as he found the right position, and then his screen pressed to your lips, warm and buzzing with static.
The kiss was soft at first, like he was still asking permission. But when you made a small sound and leaned into him, finally reaching up to touch those exposed cables on his forearms, Tenna made a strangled noise against your mouth and kissed you harder.
Then again. And again.
Small kisses peppered across your lips and your cheeks. Tenna's big hands sliding from your face to your neck to your shoulders, wanting to touch all of you at once.
“Been thinking about this,” you heard him groan between kisses. “all day. Every time you looked away from me and every time you got all flustered. Wanted to just kiss you until you believed me.”
Your fingers traced the cables on his forearms, and his whole body shuddered. “Believed what?”
“That you're perfect, that you earned that picture on the wall.”
You didn't know what to say to that, so you just kissed your TV again.
Tenna's hands found your waist, pulling you flush against him. The contact didn’t rush straight into anything. It could have, Tenna’s always been the kind of man to get lost in need, but he held himself back, drawing it out, because he knew you needed to be coaxed out of your own head before you could let yourself fall apart in his arms.
“C'mere,” he murmured, walking you backward until your legs hit the couch. You sat without thinking, and he followed you down, kneeling between your thighs with his hands sliding up and down in slow strokes. “that okay?”
You nodded, unable to form words, and his screen brightened with approval as he smiled wider.
“Good. That's good, starshine.” his thumbs rubbed lazy circles into the fabric of your slacks, warming the skin underneath. “been wanting to touch you all day. You know that? Every time you bent over i thought i was gonna lose my mind.”
Heat flooded your cheeks again, and you fought the urge to hide. “I wasn't, i was just working—“
“I know.” Tenna sounded delighted by this. “You were just doing your job. Being good at your job. Which is exactly why you're employee of the month, by the way.”
You groaned, looking away. “Please don't.”
“Nope, too late, we're talking about it.” his fingers found the knot of your tie, the one you'd already loosened, and he pulled it free completely, letting it slither to the floor. Then he started on your shirt buttons, one at a time, maddeningly slow. “you wanna know what you did to earn that picture on the wall?”
“I still think it was a mistake,” you mumbled half-hiding behind your hands.
“Wasn't a mistake. First of all,” he got the first button undone, leaned forward to press a kiss to the exposed skin. “you reorganised the entire prop storage last month. By yourself! Didn't ask for help, didn't complain, Just did it. You know how much time that saved us during the last three shoots?”
“Anyone could've—“
“But anyone didn't.” another button, another kiss. “second, you're the only person who actually listens when i talk about lighting angles. Everyone else just nods and ignores me, but you ask questions. you care about making the show look good.”
Your hands dropped from your face, gripping his shoulders instead just to have something to hold onto. “That's basic, though.”
“Third,” he continued, ignoring your protest as he worked your shirt open. “you stayed late every single night last week to help paint sets. It wasn't in your job description. Nobody asked you to. You just saw we needed help and you stayed without a second thought.”
“Tenna,” your voice cracked.
“Fourth,” his screen was so close now, warm against your collarbone as he mouthed at your skin between words. “you make the best coffee in the break room and you always make enough for everyone. Fifth, you caught that cable malfunction before the live shoot last Tuesday. Could've been a disaster. You saved us.”
“I just noticed—“
“Yeah, you notice everything, sugar. That's my whole point.” his hands spread your shirt open, smoothing over your sides. “you work harder than anyone else on that stage and you act like you're barely doing the minimum. Drives me crazy.”
You shook your head, fingers digging into his shoulders. ”i'm not, you're exaggerating!”
“Name one thing i said that wasn't true.” his voice went firmer, cutting clean through your protests. “c'mon, starshine. One thing.”
Only silence answered him. Because Tenna wasn't wrong, you had done those things, but they felt so small, so obvious. Wasn't that just what you were supposed to do?
“See? You can't. Because i'm right. Because you're good at this, at your job, at being part of the crew. Everyone sees it except you.”
“I just don't feel like i'm doing anything special.”
“That's because you're doing it,” his hands cupped your face, tilting you up until you had no choice but to meet his screen. “you think it's normal because it comes easy to you. But sweetheart, most people don't work like you do. Most people don't care like you do.”
“What if i mess up next month? What if i can't keep up and you realize—“
“Then you mess up and we fix it. But that doesn't erase everything you've already done.” his thumbs stroked your cheeks, so gentle. “why is it so hard for you to believe you're good at this?”
Pretty good trick question, one you never really had an answer for. Or maybe too many. All those years spent feeling like you were bluffing your way through it, hoping no one looked close enough to notice.
“I don't know, i just don't trust it when good things happen. It always feels temporary, like it's gonna get taken away.”
Tenna's screen dimmed, going soft and aching. “Oh, my love. Nothing's getting taken away, i promise you. You earned this. You earn it every single day just by being you.”
You looked on the verge of tears.
“What if,” the TV host said again, worried, still holding your face. “what if you just let yourself have this? just for tonight, stop waiting for the other shoe to drop and let yourself believe me when i say you deserve good things. Can you do that? Can you try?”
You nodded even though it felt impossible. “Okay. Okay, ill try, Tenna.”
“Thats my superstar,” he kissed you again, deeper this time, letting his hands slide your shirt off your shoulders. “gonna make you feel so good. Gonna show you exactly what i think of my best employee.”
His fingers found the button of your slacks next, and you tensed automatically. Tenna paused, looking up at you with a question in the tilt of his screen.
“Still with me, love?”
You nodded, not trusting your voice, and he smiled.
“Good. I'm gonna take such good care of you, i promise. Gonna make you feel so wanted you won't be able to doubt it anymore.”
And fuck, he meant it. The proof of this was how slowly he eased your slacks down, taking his time, pressing soft kisses to each new bit of skin he revealed, your hip, the inside of your thigh, your knee.
Oh, you were beautiful like this.
Tenna couldn't stop staring, cataloging every detail. His little star, half-dressed and trembling on the couch, looking at him like you still couldn't quite believe this was real. Like you were waiting for him to realize his mistake and take it all back.
As if he ever could.
You were shy and uncertain even now, even after everything you'd said. It made him want to wrap you up and never let go, spend hours proving to you that you were safe here, wanted here.
His long fingers traced up your inner thigh, testing, and you gasped at the contact. So responsive already. It made his cock twitch.
“That's it,” he watched your face as he touched you, working you open so gently despite how badly he wanted to rush. “don't think, honey, just let me make you feel good. You deserve to feel good.”
You bit your lip, trying to stay quiet, but when his fingers found the right spot you couldn't help the sound that escaped, small, needy, embarrassed all at once. Immediately your hands flew up to cover your face, muffling the next moan against your palms.
Holy shit, this was mortifying. The sounds you were making were so much louder than you meant them to be, echoing in the quiet apartment.
What if the neighbors heard through the walls? What if you sounded ridiculous? What if Tenna thought you were too much?
“Hey, no, no, no,” Tenna’s free hand came up to tug gently at your wrists. “none of that, baby, let me hear you.”
You shook your head, face burning hot behind your hands, and he made a soft disagreeing sound.
“Starshine. Look at me.” when you didn't listen, he stilled his fingers completely, making you whine in frustrated protest. “C’mon. Hands down so i can see that pretty face.“
Ugh.
Not wanting to argue when you were this desperate, you lowered them slowly, and Tenna's screen brightened the moment he saw your face flushed, eyes glassy and unfocused, lips parted.
“There you are. God, you're so pretty like this. You know that? You sound so fucking pretty when you let yourself feel it.”
“It's embarrassing.”
“It's not, my love.” he curled his fingers and you gasped, back arching. “it's beautiful. You're beautiful. I love hearing what i do to you, love knowing i'm making you feel this good.”
The television wanted to record every second of this, commit it all to memory. Especially the way your fingers clutched desperately at the couch cushions when he hit that perfect spot inside you, the breathy little “oh” that escaped when he added another finger and stretched you wider. You were so desperate to be good for him even now, even like this.
His perfect little star.
Tenna worked you open thoroughly, learning every sound you made and cataloging every spot that made you shake. And god, you were so responsive, hips rocking up into his hand even as you bit your lip and tried your hardest to muffle your moans.
“Don't hide from me,” "he asked again, pressing reverent kisses along your throat. “I wanna hear everything.”
And despite every instinct screaming that you should be quieter, more controlled and less needy, it felt good. So fucking good you thought you might dissolve into nothing but sensation and heat. Tenna's fingers knew exactly how to move, when to press deep and when to ease off, when to curl just right.
“Yeah, just like that, doing so good for me. Taking my fingers so well, such a good fucking thing.”
The praise shouldn't have affected you this much but it did, made everything feel ten times more intense, made you arch into his touch and forget why you were supposed to be ashamed of wanting this.
Tenna's fingers curled again, harder this time, and you cried out sharp and desperate, back bowing off the couch, trying to push his fingers deeper.
“Tenna,” you gasped out, clutching at his shoulders. “Tenna, i—“
“What, love? Tell me what you need."
It took everything in you to admit it. “Want you. Want you inside, i'm ready.”
“You sure? We can wait if you need more time, i don't mind.”
“No, please, i'm sure. I want you so bad it hurts.”
He pulled his fingers out, and you whimpered at the sudden emptiness, but Tenna made up for it right away, kissing you again.
Then he pulled back and started working at his own clothes, tail wagging behind him in barely-contained excitement. You watched him through half-lidded eyes, feeling suddenly too exposed with your shirt gone and the cool air hitting your bare skin.
“Wait,” you looked around. “Can you— Can you give me my shirt from the floor? Please?”
Tenna paused mid-button, glancing down at the crumpled fabric near the couch, then seemed to make a decision. His fingers went to his own shirt buttons instead, popping them open one by one.
Finally, he shrugged the shirt off and held it out to you.
This is what you least expected, but still.
You took it with trembling hands, noticing how hot the fabric felt against your palms, and when you brought it closer you could smell him on it. You slipped it on and it swallowed you whole, shoulders drooping halfway down your arms, sleeves dangling well past your fingertips. You had to roll them up three times just to free your hands.
Tenna looked like he'd been struck by lightning.
His little darling, drowning in his shirt, swimming in fabric that still carried his warmth and scent, looking up at him with those wide uncertain eyes.
It made his hands shake when he reached out.
“Oh. Oh, fuck, starshine.”
You glanced up at him, confused by the intensity in his voice, and found his screen glowing bright pink.
“You look so good in my clothes. So fucking good i can barely think straight. C'mere. Please, baby, c'mere right now.”
Tenna cupped your face gently, and positioned himself between your legs. The first press inside made you both gasp, you at the stretch and fullness, him at the tight warmth surrounding his cock. You immediately buried your face in his neck, arms wrapping tight around his shoulders as he rocked deeper.
“I've got you,” he whispered, fighting to keep his voice steady even as your tightness around his cock threatened to unravel him completely. His hand slid up to cradle the back of your head, fingers threading through your hair, holding you close. “just like that, starshine.”
You clung to him desperately, face buried against the warm buzz of his screen as he thrusted into you carefully.
“Oh, so good,” Tenna breathed against your ear. “you feel incredible, taking me so well, baby. Knew you would.”
You whimpered into his neck and his grip tightened protectively, one hand still cradling your head while the other gripped your hip.
“Tenna,” you were barely able to form words around the sensation of him filling you so completely. “so deep, oh, fuck.”
“Yes, i know. I know, sweetheart, but we'll take it slow just like we did before, okay? Nice and easy. You're safe with me, i promise.”
Tenna kept the pace unhurried, letting you adjust to his cock. This was his favorite part, honestly, not just the overwhelming physical pleasure but the trust. His shy little star letting him this close, letting him inside your body, letting him take care of you when you spent so much time convinced you didn't deserve to be cared for at all.
“Been thinking about this,” he admitted between thrusts, “all day watching you work around the studio in those clothes,” his hips rolled deeper and you gasped again, nails scraping against the metal plating of his back. “wanted to bend you over the sound booth. Would you let me do that sometime, my star?”
Fuck, you were grateful Tenna liked to talk so much during sex. At least it meant you could focus on his gorgeous trembling voice instead of your own embarrassing sounds, and as a bonus you got to hear the way his words stuttered with every thrust.
“Holy shit, Tenna, fuckkk,” your voice muffled against his shoulder. “You can't just— You can't say things like that—“
“Why not? i m-mean it.” he picked up the pace slightly, and the sounds of slapping spread through the room. “My employee of the month, so professional and good during the day, and then after everyone leaves,” he groaned when you tightened involuntarily around him. “You like that idea, don't you? Oh sweetheart, i could make you feel so good right there in my office, bend you over my desk and reward you properly for all that hard work. Show you exactly how much i appreciate everything you do.”
God, your TV babbling like this, words and whines tumbling out uncontrolled with every thrust, it shouldn't surprise you anymore. You'd been dating him long enough to know he couldn't keep quiet even during sex, maybe especially during sex when his filters completely dissolved. But fuck if you didn't love it anyway, the way he couldn't stop talking and stop praising you, how his voice went high and staticky when he got close.
Trembling against him, you felt overwhelmed by the filthy images he was painting in your head, by the way he kept connecting your work ethic to pleasure, kept insisting that being good at your job and being desired by him weren't mutually exclusive. Like both things could be true at the same time. Like you could be competent and wanted.
“Gonna think about this every time i see you backstage now. Every time you walk past wearing that tie and those slacks that fit you so perfectly.”
The praise mixed with the pleasure until you couldn’t separate them, couldn’t do anything but hold on and let him make love to you, consuming you.
“I love you,“ you gasped against his neck suddenly. “love you so much, Tenna.”
His whole body went rigid.
You wanted to say more, to tell him you loved TV too because you knew how much it meant to him, but for reasons known only to you, you couldn't find the confidence to say this phrase. Maybe later, at a coffee break, when you had more words and less overwhelming sensation.
But Tenna didn't need more than what you'd already given him.
Hearing those three words from his shy little star, the one who could barely accept a simple compliment without spiraling into self-doubt, that was the whole world condensed into three syllables.
His screen went completely black.
“Say it again, please.”
“I— oh fuck!” your eyes went wide with shock when Tenna suddenly lifted you off the couch, large hands gripping firmly under your thighs as he held you against him, using the new angle to drive impossibly deeper. “I love you! Tenna, i love you so much, oh fuck.”
“I love you too,” he moaned brokenly, moving faster now, desperate and uncoordinated. “love you, love you so fucking much, my star, my perfect thing, i love you,” his voice glitched hard, distorting with static, “l-love you—“
Dizzy and shaking, you clung tighter, let your TV move your body however he needed, let him use you to chase his pleasure.
It sparked in your chest first, a hot tightening coil that spread downward through your stomach and pooled low in your hips. Every muscle clenched, your heartbeat thundering so loud in your ears it drowned out everything else except Tenna's voice.
Pleasure was building too fast, way too fast considering he'd only just filled you, but you couldn't help it, it coiled tighter with every thrust, and you kissed whatever part of Tenna's screen you could reach.
“Oh, Tenna, i'm—“ you choked out the warning, but it melted into a moan when his cock slammed right into that sensitive spot again. “i'm getting close, i'm gonna— i can't hold it—“
“Me too, sugar. Fuck, can't hold back anymore.”
Tenna whined as he buried himself deeper into your body, losing himself completely in the way you felt. His pace grew so fast you could barely keep up. You even felt drops of his saliva hit your face, but you couldn’t be bothered to wipe them away. Above you, his screen went black except for his mouth, stretched into a wide grin that showed sharp fangs and a long, trembling tongue. The sight made you laugh fondly. What a dumb TV he turned into whenever you let him inside you, drooling and wagging his tail.
“Can i finish inside? Please, my love, need you to let me—“
Smiling, you reached up to cup his screen, holding his face between your palms even though your arms felt weak, you still tried to focus your vision on him through the haze of pleasure. But your legs were shaking so badly you could barely keep yourself upright in his grip, thighs quivering uncontrollably against his sides.
“Yes, Tenna, of course. Just like always, you never have to ask.“
“Thank you,” he gasped, and you watched his screen flicker with colors.
Without thinking, your hand slid down between your bodies to find the dial on his chest plate, that sensitive little knob you'd learned drove him absolutely insane when touched. The moment your fingers made contact, turning it just slightly, Tenna let out a whine that made your whole body clench.
“Oh fuck, starshine, yes, just like that,” his hips stuttered, rhythm falling apart completely. “don't stop, please don't stop.”
You kept your fingers on the dial, adjusting it in small increments, feeling the vibrations travel through his whole frame as he fell apart, cumming with a broken moan of your name as he spilled inside you. The feeling sent you tumbling right after him, pleasure crashing through you in waves so intense you forgot how to breathe.
Tenna buried his face against your neck, still moving in shallow thrusts as he held you so damn tight you almost warned him. But you clung back just as desperately, riding it out together, drawing it out for as long as possible.
When you finally came down you were boneless.
“Can i stay inside? Just for a bit? I know it's weird, but i don't wanna leave you. Well, your body.”
You couldn't help the surprised laugh that bubbled up. “I was literally about to ask you the same thing.”
“Yeah?” Tenna sounded so relieved it made your chest ache. “oh, thank god!”
“Yeah, baby. Stay as long as you want.”
Your TV made a happy sound and carefully maneuvered you both back down onto the couch. His shirt that you were wearing had ridden up during everything, and he tugged it back down gently, making sure you were covered and comfortable.
You curled against his chest, so fucking tired, but satisfied, tracing lazy circles on his screen with your fingertips.
“Hey, can you pull up my cartoon?”
“Oh, the usual?”
“Mhm,” you smiled, already feeling drowsy and content. “wanna watch it with you. Always feels better when we do this after.”
“Anything for you, my star.” Tenna's screen flickered, loading up the familiar opening theme, and you felt his hand come up to stroke through your hair. “comfiest seat in the house, right here.”
You nestled closer with a tired little sigh, watching the show while his hands massaged your thighs and tired muscles, working out the tension in your body. It was sweet, attentive, exactly the kind of aftercare Tenna always insisted on.
The post-orgasm haze made everything feel so floaty, you could've fallen asleep right there.
But suddenly you felt his palm press against your stomach, right where a small bulge showed as he was still buried deep inside you, making your belly curve slightly outward.
“Tenna? Hey. You know exactly what you’re doing right now, you big dog.”
However, Tenna, being the good actor he was, pretended to be innocent. “I have no idea what you mean! I’m merely ensuring my best employee is fully relaxed. A good boss looks after their star performer’s muscular well-being.”
You lifted your hips. “Uh-huh. And is the continued attention being paid to this particular area also for muscular well-being? Because i’m starting to think you deserve a write-up for misappropriation of company time.”
Tenna clicked his tongue. You were worth the reprimand, though.
“Aghh, sorry,” he said quickly, but his hand didn't move. If anything his thumb stroked across the slight swell there. “sorry, sweetheart, i just— you can still see it. Where i was. Where i still am, kind of, and it's,” his voice went quieter, embarrassed. “it's really doing something for me.”
Despite your exhaustion, you still smiled. “Are you seriously getting turned on again just from looking at your own handiwork?”
“Maybe.”
“Tenna.”
“I can't help it!” his screen flushed darker pink , what interrupted your cartoon, and he pressed his face against your shoulder to hide. “you're still full of me and i can see it and you're wearing my shirt and you smell like me and— and i'm a pervert, okay? I'm being a total pervert about you right now and i can't stop!”
Laughing, you stroked his antennas like you would a gentle puppy, then pulled your TV closer, pressing him against your chest.
“Just watch the cartoon with me, you menace.”
You thought about your photo on that wall again, but now it didn’t feel so unreal. Maybe, if Tenna saw something good in you, it was really there.