It was a strange thing to think about, a machine loving a human being.

Blues had never really felt comfortable around humans, always feeling out of place whenever he had he had to pick up supplies. The first few months of being paraded around science conferences and exhibitions made him wary of crowds, of being out in the open. He hated being watched, constantly poked and prodded at like a piece of meat, hated how people were only interested in the potential inherent in his existence, ignoring the soul within the machine.

At least, he hoped he had a soul.

He had only ever known four humans that believed that he, along with the other Robot Masters, could be more than machines. Two of course, were his creators, his "fathers" Dr. Light and Dr. Wily. It had always been Light's dream to bridge the gap between humans and machines, and while he believed he still had a long way to go before fully realizing his goal, felt that the Robot Masters showed that it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility. His love for Rock, Roll, and the rest of the Light Numbers proved that, at least in Blue's eyes.

For all his flaws, Dr. Wily at least accepted that his Masters, be they his own designs or those he stole and reprogrammed, had the potential to do great things beyond anything mere humans could ever hope to accomplish. That sort of thinking was probably why he had kept Blues' personality intact when he replaced his core and installed the arm cannon. Not that Blues liked to linger too heavily on that part of his life. Thinking back on his time as Breakman was always painful as he thought of the things he had been forced to do.

The other two humans, he had only met after years of living on the outskirts of humanity and his encounter with Wily, but they struck him as people who could be trusted. Dr. Sergei Cossack was without a doubt one of the more interesting scientists he had ever met. The creator of nine robot masters of his own that, while not quite as advanced as Light's models, were still capable of pushing the boundaries of their own programming and he did his best to encourage their growth. He was a family man, through and through, and was more than willing to expand the definition to include non-organics.

The final human wasn't a scientist like her father, but instead someone who had been raised alongside robots and considered them brothers. Perhaps more than anyone else, Kalinka Cossack could appreciate just how human the robot masters were becoming, How human he was. Even if she still had some issues with her family, she was willing to give them a chance. That was more than most other humans would be willing to consider.

Knowing that didn't make recognizing the obvious any easier though.

Kalinka had always worn her heart on her sleeve. He was well aware of the way she'd been looking at him. While not entirely unexpected, the change in the nature of her feelings worried him immensely for a number of reasons. It wasn't that he was entirely opposed to pursing a relationship with her. He was certainly fond of her and enjoyed the time he spent with her.

No, what held him back was the simple fact that no matter how human his thoughts and feelings were, he was still a just a machine. And there were things machines, no matter how much they wanted to, couldn't give to humans.

It would be easier to let her down gently, to break her heart now before she wasted her youth pining away after something he could never give to her.

Easier, perhaps, if he hadn't already promised her a piece of his heart. A promise made in the heat of the moment, yet no less meaningful. It came from the heart after all, and perhaps from something deeper.

Blues knew he couldn't love Kalinka, not in the way she deserved to be loved.

But even if he didn't have a soul, if his humanity was just quirk of his programming, he could still be there for her, whenever she needed him.

And maybe, just maybe, that could be enough for the both of them.