Together.

Yes, Perceptor liked the sound of that. It was right. Rung would help him, help him fix himself. Help him to learn how to truly shut out what everyone thought of him, instead of play at it with the mask he tried to wear now.

Help him not be lonely.

It was hard, though. Rung... He trusted Rung, but he'd trusted others in the past, only to have them abandon him, too. He hesitated, not pulling away, not resisting, but not really giving in. The insistence of the hands cradling his face were all that kept him from pulling away.

He didn't want to withdraw, though. He wanted to simply curl up and let Rung make everything better, make him feel, make him not feel. But... that probably wasn't how this was supposed to work, was it? He didn't know; Perceptor had never, not until now, ever sought help like this.

But the kiss... felt so nice. He'd missed that. Missed how good it felt, how much it made him feel wanted. That's all he'd ever really wanted... someone to want him, not his science, or his skills, or later, his gun, but him with all his foibles and quirks and failings.

He shivered under the kiss, his dim optics dazed as he blinked up at Rung, lost and confused.