#so I guess she's following the same rules as her Outie does technically

[victorluvsalice]

Valicer Multiamory Month, Day Five: Cuddles (Severance AU)

We're at Day Five of Multiamory Month (by @polyamships), and today's prompt is the simple "Cuddles!" :) Which means we're heading back to the "I Owe My Soul To The Company Store" Severance AU verse for a fic about Alice discovering a rather interesting difference between herself and her Innie when it comes to touch. Hope you like!

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Alice had never thought that she could be a cuddler. Even before the fire, as an innocent and well-loved child, she’d disliked being touched by anyone she didn’t know very well (AKA, anyone who wasn’t her parents or Lizzie). And after the fire – well. The intrusive poking and prodding and general manhandling that had defined her time in Rutledge Psychiatric had more or less killed her desire to touch or be touched at all. Another person’s skin against hers felt like an assault no matter the reason – an invasion to be repelled. And so she’d drifted through life an island unto herself, disdaining all physical contact with others unless it was absolutely necessary. Never considering for a moment that things could be any different.

And then the Severance Anniversary Party had happened. Leading to her surprise trip to the Severed Floor with Victor and Smiler, and the discovery that her Innie was a person and not just a work-happy drone, and their flight from the premises with a USB full of stolen security camera footage. And when they’d played it back to learn more about their separated selves, she’d been shocked to see herself not only casually chatting with Victor and Smiler, but touching them as well. Shaking hands, rubbing shoulders, straight-up hugging them. And the trend had continued in the videos the Innies made for them so they could carry on something resembling a conversation – her other self always keeping as close to Victor and Smiler’s other selves as she possibly could. And Alice had realized that – despite all the confusion and upset and a million other emotions whirling around in her brain regarding the whole fucked-up situation – she didn’t actually mind it as much as she thought she would have. It seemed there was a cuddler in her after all.

Well – for Victor and Smiler, anyway.