Work Text:
The annual Sciencepalooza Expo was in full swing and academics from all the STEM branches were gathered together to showcase inventions and scientific findings that could revolutionize society. “C’mon girls. Our table should be right..about..here!” A tall man with warm eyes wheeled his wagon over as 3 little girls floated beside him and in no time flat, had his table set up. “Professor, we’re going to go exploring.” Blossom said as Bubbles and Buttercup were looking around mildly interested. “Alright but be careful alright?” Utonium chuckled and turned his back to straighten up his display that was slightly crooked. “We certainly missed you last year Utonium. Your theory on genetically modified bio-organics 2 years ago was most enlightening.” A familiar voice drawled which made the younger man turn around to come face to face with Membrane. “I- I was planning on attending but things came up. You know how it is with monsters attacking the city seemingly every other week.” Utonium laughed, hoping his face wasn’t red from how flustered he was as he took in the slightly older scientist.
Membrane only hummed and chanced a glance at his display, eyebrows raised at his observation. “Mind transfer? Improbable but not impossible, although there are many factors that could go wrong, but I trust you know what you’re doing.” He mused and gestured to his table across from Utonium’s where a small device was blinking rhythmically. “I myself am working on a way to detect non-Terran lifeforms but as of now, I feel like I’m missing a specific component and, as much as I loathe to admit it, I am unsure of what it is.” Utonium raised a brow as if to ask “May I?” and at the nod, goes over and observes the device closely as well as the sketches in a binder Membrane pulled out from his bag and starts to scribble in his own journal, muttering to himself about various formulas and other technical jargon as Membrane watches with a hidden smile, always finding it a pleasure to see Utonium hard at work.
“From my math and general observations, it appears the current crystal you are using reads non Terran lifeforms just fine, it just loses the transfer from crystal to node somewhere in the middle, so you either have to find a better conductor to bridge that gap or rewire the entire device.” He concluded, turning to face his colleague and yeeping when he saw how close their faces were and he could’ve sworn he saw faint hints of red on the other’s cheeks. “A conductor of course! How could I have missed such a simple solution?” he crooned and reached out to run a thumb over Utonium’s reddened cheek and smirked internally when the younger slightly leaned into the touch, eyes growing half lidded. “Perhaps you would not mind joining me later and we can discuss more in detail your findings, hmm?”
Utonium would deny to his dying breath that he certainly did NOT let out a whimper when Membrane brushed their lips together with a secret smile and wink and when he went back to his table to help steady his shaky legs, he felt a folded up paper in his lab coat and watched Membrane secure his items and vanish into the crowd and let out a secret smile of his own, easily fielding questions from his daughters.