(1)
Emil stared at the package. The gigantic square box reached up to his thigh. He traced his fingers along the rim. The box stirred.
He retrieved his hand quickly and gasped. The brown wrapper tore itself off. The item within ripped open the box and leapt out.
Emil staggered back.
It was a boy with choppy auburn hair, thin pink lips and an ashen face. His eyes were shades of brown and amber. Dull. Lifeless. He wore a black-and-white laced maid dress, his hair adorned by a pair of cat ears.
"Yo!" He posed. Emil took another step back.
"What the hell is this?"
"This is Leon 2.0, the latest model from Honda Technology Ltd. I have been sent here to serve you. Nice to meet you, my new master."
The android jumped out of the box briskly and fell on one knee. He grabbed Emil's hand and kissed it.
"From now on, please command me whichever way you please. I shall make your dreams come true."
"Is this a joke?" Emil withdrew his hand instantly and raced towards the other side of the living room.
The android didn't budge. He turned his head and stared curiously at Emil.
"Don't come near me, you freak!" Emil cried, "I am not amused! Who're you! Come out this instant! Stop pranking me!"
Silence.
The android tilted his head and took a step forward. His high heels made a small screech on the floor.
"Stop fucking with me! This is not funny!" Emil yelled.
"Are you okay, sir?" Leon 2.0 approached him. Emil gasped and ran over to the door. He opened it and pointed outside.
"Get out of my house! Leave before I call for help!" Emil hollered.
The android spent a couple of seconds registering his speech and responded with a shrug.
"Nah, can't do so, sir." Leon 2.0 shook his head. "If you kick me out, I will burn down this house."
"What?"
He closed his eyes and scanned over his data, "I am programmed specifically to serve you, Emil Steilsson. I shall follow all your commands provided that I stay beside you. I cannot leave until the goal is accomplished."
"What goal? Who the hell sent you? What the fuck is going on?"
"Pardon me, sir. I am afraid I cannot answer these questions," Leon 2.0 said monotonously. "I suggest you keep me unless you want me to exhibit self-explosion and burn down this house."
Emil's face paled. He fainted.
oOo
"Master? Master? Are you alright?"
Emil groaned and propped himself up. He smacked away the android's hand and crawled towards the coffee table.
He grabbed the phone and dialled the first number that came into his mind.
"Don't 'hi' me, Lukas! You know what you've done! Don't fucking mess around, please! This is not funny! What? What do you mean you don't know what I'm talking about? The package, damn it! I got that awful stuff you sent me! And he's just threatened to burn down my house! Oh my gosh! What? You didn't…what? You didn't send it? Then who sent me that fucking weird android? Holy shit!"
Emil hung up and dialled another number.
"Mathias! Now answer me honestly! Did you fucking send me a package that contains an android? Huh? Hello? Can you hear me? Have you been out drinking with Gilbert and Antonio again? Geez, answer me! Was that android sent by you or…No? Are you sure? Hey, wait-"
Emil growled and punched another series of numbers. He called Tino and Berwald. Both revealed that they had nothing to do with the mysterious package. The boy grunted in frustration and turned the torn box upside down.
"Hello? Is this Honda Technology Ltd.? May I speak to the manager please? Hi, this is Emil Steilsson. I've received a mysterious package this morning and it contains one of your products. Yes, yes, I'll be glad to provide the details."
Emil frowned and walked over to Leon 2.0. The android blinked inquisitively at his master. Emil paced around Leon 2.0 and examined him. No matter from which angle he looked, that face was so flawless and familiar. He couldn't resist the urge to pinch him. The soft textures of the skin convinced him that this was indeed a masterpiece, if Honda products weren't already close to perfection.
"Hi, yes, I'm here. He…um…I can't see the barcode, sorry."
Emil furrowed his brows and checked the neck. He rolled up Leon 2.0's sleeves. His white, smooth arms lay bare in sight. Reluctantly, Emil bent down and peeked into his skirt. He blushed and stumbled back.
"Gosh, that's too real. Oops, sorry, I mean, I still can't find any barcodes on him. I can't even find the switch. Like I said, he appeared out of nowhere and then jumped out of the box himself! What do you mean he's not manufactured in your company? He said he came from Honda Technology Ltd! Hey! Let me speak to the manager, now! Excuse me, why would I be telling a lie here? I'm saying, I received a weird android who threatened to burn down my house if I refuse to let him stay! And he looks so much like…like…hello? Hello?"
Emil tossed the phone to the couch and growled.
"Looks like you can't get rid of me for the time being."
Emil raised his eyebrows and glanced at the android. The sneer rang in the air but Leon 2.0 kept his lips puckered. His face was stoic like a plain sheet.
"Really." Emil sighed and walked towards the android. "What's up with that ridiculous outfit and all? Are you a maid or something?"
"My previous master ordered me to dress this way. He said you would find it enticing."
Emil wanted to scream. Or even better, punch someone in the face right now.
He pinched himself. It hurt.
"Oh God, tell me this is just a dream."
Emil shut his eyes and flopped down on the couch.
"Who's your previous master? Is he the one who sent you to me?"
"His identity is to remain anonymous at the moment." Leon 2.0 reported, "And to your second question, it is a 'yes'."
"The reason?"
"You will find out very soon."
"Damn robot."
(2)
He still couldn't figure out who was malicious enough to pull this prank on him. He had interrogated everyone he suspected of the deed but all of them were just as confused as him. Lukas and Mathias dropped by right away. They spent the entire day checking out the android, even going as far as to undress him to look for the switch. Leon 2.0 had responded with a condescending smile. They had come to a conclusion that this android was different from the other models on the current market. He was perfectly delineated and intelligent. He could even demonstrate mild emotions.
"So, you can't track down who sent you this?" Mathias frowned.
"No, and he won't tell." Emil glimpsed Leon 2.0. The android was clutching a broom sweeping the floor. His dress accentuated his slender curves.
"I didn't know you have a maid fetish." Lukas smirked.
"What? No!" Emil exclaimed. His face reddened. "That's his default outfit! Geez, I told you its' absurd!"
"If he hadn't appeared, you wouldn't even have given us a call. Do you know it's been a year since you last let us into your house?" Lukas said.
Emil turned away and looked out of the window.
"I don't think this is an accident." Mathias smiled. "Someone might've set this up, but I see it more as a fate."
oOo
Leon 2.0 cleared the table and went back into the kitchen. Emil kept assigning chores to distract him. The android didn't talk much. When he did talk, he sounded like Leon.
Of course, he would sound like him. He was created based on Leon. They shared the same look. The same physique. The same voice. Even the daily routines were meticulously copied. Everything he did was a painful reflection. Like the way he would add excessive milk into tea. The way he would carelessly mix the dark and bright clothes into the washing machine. The way he would react mirthfully to the colour of red and fire.
He could play the piano and the violin like an expert. He couldn't tolerate darkness and had to keep the lights on at night. He would cuddle the stuffed panda when he slept.
Every act was crafted faultlessly. So faultlessly that it haunted Emil.
Emil stepped into the kitchen and leant against the door frame.
Leon 2.0 closed the tap. He dried the last dish and put it back into the cabinet. He turned slowly to face his master.
"Do you want something, sir?"
"I suppose there's no way I can make you leave?"
The android shook his head firmly.
"Right then, come with me." Emil nodded and beckoned to the android. "I need to talk to you."
Leon 2.0 dried his hands with the towel and followed Emil out of the kitchen. The Icelandic boy led his robotic companion upstairs and into a spare bedroom.
"I don't know when you're going to achieve your goal and finally leave me in peace, but for the time being, I don't want to look like a ruthless person. You kinda act differently from those androids I see on the streets. You can sleep in here if you want. This is your temporary room," Emil explained and walked into the room. It had a single bed near the window, an ordinary desk and a small closet. "When you're here, I also want you to follow my rules. Breakfast at eight. Lunch at twelve. Dinner at six. I sleep early and when I sleep, you don't make a noise, clear?"
The android nodded, "Any other commands, sir?"
"You're actually doing fine with all the meals and chores. I don't want you to call me 'sir' though. Emil. My name is Emil."
"Emil," Leon 2.0 repeated.
Emil froze. The familiar voice echoed. He fought the urge to caress those innocent cheeks and kiss them.
"Good." Emil strode out of the room and dragged the android with him. "Now, let's fix your clothing."
"You don't like the way I'm dressed?".
"Please, how are you going to do the shopping in that dress? People will think I'm a creep!" Emil rolled his eyes and led the android into his room. He dug into his wardrobe and pulled out a set of new clothes. He tossed Leon 2.0 a plain blue T-shirt and a pair of black jeans.
"Shall I keep the cat ears?"
"No!" Emil yelped.
"Oh, okay. I think they look good on me though."
"You're just as narcissistic as him." Emil snorted.
Leon 2.0 shrugged and didn't say anything.
(3)
Three weeks and four days. Emil counted.
Leon 2.0 never ate. His counterparts fed on electricity and oil. But he was different. He fed on solar energy. He was also capable of decoding human emotions and complex implicatures. Sarcasm. Humour. Insinuations. What remained incomprehensible to the majority of androids and cyborgs appeared conceivable to him.
"What're you doing?" Emil snarled, standing at the door of the storage room.
Leon 2.0 spun around with a cloth in his hand. The room was filled with antique furniture and décor. The corners were stacked with old paintings, documents and certificates. In the middle of the room stood a painting stand. The half-finished portrait was veiled by a layer of dust.
"You're a brilliant painter, Emil," the android said.
Emil scowled and stomped towards Leon 2.0. He snatched the white cloth from him and covered the portrait.
"Didn't I tell you not to come into this room? Go! Get out of here!" Emil bawled.
"The boy in that portrait," Leon 2.0 mumbled. "Is that me?"
"It's not you!" Emil glared at the android and shoved him hard. The android tumbled back and fell on the floor.
"You're not him! You can't be him! You will never be him! So stop mimicking him!" Emil bellowed and trod out of the house.
oOo
Dinner was fried rice with prawns. How he missed the dish. The android sat across him and observed as he ate. He wondered how he could cook without being able to taste. Emil stopped eating and glanced up.
"Is the dish not to your liking?" Leon 2.0 inquired.
Emil shook his head and took another bite. "It's good."
"I apologise deeply for intruding your storage room this afternoon. I was, like, only planning to clean the room. I did not realise my act would offend you this much." The android lowered his head.
"Don't worry about it," Emil said. "I sort of over-reacted."
"Are you a painter?"
"I was," Emil answered indifferently.
"Here is a letter I collected for you today."
Leon 2.0 rose from his seat and walked towards the table. He took the envelope and handed it to Emil.
"It's a letter from the Art Studio."
"Dump it," Emil ordered and handed the unopened letter back to Leon 2.0. "Next time, you don't even have to show me. Just dump it."
The android nodded and threw the letter into the dustbin.
"May I, though, know why?"
"Because I don't go there anymore," Emil said calmly and took a sip of his wine.
"Are you hurt?" Emil asked. "I pushed you pretty hard. Did any parts of you get broken?"
"No, I'm perfectly fine," Leon 2.0 said.
"Good." Emil nodded.
oOo
Emil went back to the storage room. He uncovered the portrait. Leon's brown orbs stared back at him. He ran his fingers along the outline of his jaw and the vague sketches of his dark curls. Behind the boy was an explosion of vivid colours. The fireworks were half painted. The crimson remained clear. The boy wore a burgundy duangua with black piping and oversized sleeves. A mild smile sprawled on his gorgeous face.
Emil bit his lips and lifted the portrait off the stand. He shut his eyes and hugged it close to his chest. The figure in the painting though would never feel the beating of his shattered heart.
He walked back to his bedroom. Leon 2.0 stood with a cup of hot cocoa.
"I've been told that you can't sleep without drinking it." The android smiled faintly, which startled Emil quite a bit.
"Thanks."
He took the cup and put it on the nightstand.
The android stepped forward and kissed his forehead.
"Good night, Emil."
The voice brought a ting of warmth to his heart.
Emil stiffened on the spot. Leon 2.0's soft lips lingered. How he missed the tenderness.
He couldn't sleep that night.
His mind was full of Leon. Everything about him.
(4)
It was a late summer afternoon. Scotching hot. The heat was subsuming him. Emil brushed the bangs off to one side and curled a strand of his wet hair behind his left ear. The air conditioner was broken in the Art Studio. Worse still, his instructor, Feliciano, was nowhere to be seen. But then again, he was always late to class. Other times, he was caught flirting with the German restaurant owner across the street. Emil was always punctual. He would start his work early. Never once missed a lesson.
He stepped into the room. An Asian boy around seventeen perched on one of those high chairs. He was holding a brush in his hand and tracing paint on the canvas. Emil immediately blanched. He dashed towards the boy and snatched the brush.
"What're you doing to my painting?" he yelped, seething with fury. He had never seen someone presumptuous enough to ruin someone's artwork.
"Oh, is this, like, your work?"
The Asian boy stood up. He was slightly shorter than Emil but his ego was probably twice larger. He tilted his head to one side and shrugged.
"Yes, and who the hell are you!" Emil interrogated, hands on his hips.
"Me?" The boy raised his rather bushy eyebrows. "You don't know me?"
"You think you're a pop star or something?" Emil rolled his eyes and grunted.
Their first encounter surely wasn't pleasant.
The boy burst into laughter. Emil stared at him in awe.
"I added some shades to the mountain. The colour isn't vivid enough, in my opinion."
Emil glimpsed the modified painting. He couldn't deny the mild addition of shades did make the hill stand out more scintillatingly but still...
"Ve~ You're always so early, Emil."
The Italian waltzed into the room with a slice of pizza. "I thought the Art Studio is closed today~ It's a holiday."
"What? Really?" Emil blinked. He glanced at the grinning Asian boy.
"Oh, you're also here, Leon!"
The Italian beamed with his half-opened lids, a goofy smile on his face. "Aren't you supposed to be on the next floor shooting? Arthur and Yao are looking for you!"
"I took a break myself and thought I might come here to admire your students' work," Leon smirked and jammed his hands into his pockets.
"So, what do you think?" Feliciano chuckled.
"Good." Leon sneered. "Would be even better if they're humble enough to accept others' opinions."
Emil gritted his teeth and glared at the Asian boy.
"See ya later, Icey."
"But I don't want to see you again!" Emil yelled after Leon.
They did, however, meet each other again.
Leon returned the next day to sit for the class. He came very often during his break to tease Emil. The Icelandic boy soon learnt that the Asian boy was actually an amateur actor working for the Art Studio. He also worked part-time as a drama and performative art tutor in a local primary school. They basically attended the same art college but had never bumped into each other in the neighbourhood.
Emil hated his guts, of course. He needed not be told that his artworks contained insufficiencies. Leon loved to bring up his flaws though, just to irritate him on purpose. Feliciano called this an act of flirting. One day, as if pestering Emil in the arts room wasn't enough, Leon offered him out on a date.
"Can you stop coming around and bothering me in class?" Emil frowned. He ignored the heat creeping through his cheeks when the other boy leant close to him. Leon always sat next to him and watched him paint. As he painted, he would comment here and there like he was a master artist.
"No, can't do." Leon giggled and inched closer to Emil. "Do you know-" the boy paused and whispered into Emil's ear. "You look really cute when you blush?"
Emil blushed deeper and glared at the Asian boy.
"That's pretty enough! Stop messing around."
"Wanna, like, go on a date with me, hottie?"
"S-Stop calling me that!"
"Icey, you always act so cold to me but I know you enjoy my company."
"No!"
"I'll finish work at two." Leon winked and leapt off the chair. "Will be waiting for you at the café down the street."
He never spared Emil a chance to reject him. After their first date came the second, and then the third, the fourth…
Every time the Asian would ask him out bluntly and before Emil could voice his objection, he would settle the date details and rendered him speechless.
When he finally realised what was going on, it had already been months since they met. He held no immunity against Leon. And he wondered if it was because this was the first time someone ever confessed so blatantly to him.
(5)
Leon 2.0 flipped the bacon on the pan. Emil watched his back. The laced apron wrapped around his slender waist. He had once held that waist. Their first time was a messy but memorable one. They went out drinking in the night club. In the sea of wiggling bodies, Leon dragged him out and swirled him in a half-drunken state. He had never done that sort of things. And maybe precisely because a lot of stuff Leon coaxed him into doing was such brand new experiences for him, he found them irresistible and thrilling. Leon made the first move. He reciprocated giddily. Dancing. Grinding. Caressing. Whispers. Soft touches. Little pecks here and there. Emil wasn't even sure at that point if they were considered dating, but they had certainly gone out more than enough times to qualify as an official couple.
They ended up in bed. Emil remembered the hangover afterwards. He forgot who seduced who first but that didn't really matter. They were both drunk. Blame Leon, indeed. Who proposed drinking when he couldn't stand a glass of liquor? The body underneath the usually dazzling outfit though was captivating. Slightly tanned. Slender. The small abs.
And he remembered the first joke Leon pulled the next morning.
"How am I, like, supposed to walk now?"
He had responded with a proud giggle.
The second time was during a sleepover party at Yong Soo's place. They had a costume play. Leon got dared to wear a maid dress. It actually turned out better than expected. They waged a pillow fight before locking themselves in one of the guest rooms and making out. He pinned the Asian down on the floor and ripped open his dress. Cross-dressing's fault this time. Damn it. He actually got twice as aroused watching Leon swing his hip in a fucking dress. The blowjob sent him to heaven. It was then he realised Leon's lips were not only talented in spilling spiteful words.
The third time was on a hill. They went hiking. The two idiots forgot to check the weather and ended up seeking shelter from a sudden storm in an abandoned hut. They stripped themselves and hung their clothes. The cold forced them to huddle together and courtesy of Leon, foreplays ensued. Emil wouldn't say sex on a damp wooden floor was appealing but Leon's erotic expression that night compensated for everything. When the rain finally stopped, their bodies were still tangled in one corner.
"Emil."
Emil looked up and clamped his legs together. Shit! Shit! Shit!
The android put the plate on the table and smiled, "Aren't you going to eat the breakfast?"
"Yes, yes, of course." Emil looked away to hide his blush. He couldn't believe he actually got turned on reminiscing. To make things worse, he got aroused checking out the android.
How sinister.
"Shall I help?"
"What?"
Leon 2.0 pointed to the tent forming in Emil's pants. The Icelandic boy widened his eyes and rolled off his chair.
"I can help." The android stood up and smiled confidently. "It'll feel awful if you don't tend to it."
He couldn't help moaning when those lips wrapped around him. They weren't as cold as he had predicted. He lost it when he caught the glint in the android's eyes. The erotic expression. The way he worked his tongue skilfully from head to base. There was every piece of evidence that he was well-trained. Programmed to achieve the task with the highest level of imitation.
Emil groaned. He clasped the android's hair and shoved his shaft deeper down the throat. The only difference was that Leon would gag but the android didn't. Emil shut his eyes and let the pleasure wash over his mind.
(6)
They proposed to each other on their graduation day. Emil was having his first collection of works displayed in the art gallery. He had just gotten a job offer from a local renowned art institution and was racing to Leon with the news. The Asian boy took him to a grand seaside hotel for celebration. They had been dating for five years. They didn't realise then, that they had both prepared the rings. Halfway through dinner, they got on one knee simultaneously and held out a box. The embarrassment was unforgettable. People's laughter blended with their blessings. The two boys blushed immensely as they exchanged the rings and slid them on each other's fingers.
Their wedding took place on his twenty-second birthday. He walked down the aisle in a plain white suit. Leon wore a black one. Their family and friends were all there. Everyone witnessed their vow. Their kiss. Their smile.
Emil had never felt more blissful than the moment Leon held his hand and led him out of the church. The sun greeted them. They thought of the future ahead.
oOo
Emil picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Ve! It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Feliciano?"
"Thank goodness, Emil! I thought you would never ever appear again! I've just got your reply. You'll be coming to the gathering this evening, right?"
"What…are you talking about?"
"The Annual Arts Festival! We'll be holding a reunion party! Everyone will be coming! We can talk about your artworks! It's been so long! Another contest is coming up and I really think you're a suitable candidate! I've already recommended you to the organisation!"
Emil frowned. Leon 2.0 stood silently in one corner.
"I'll talk to you later, Feli," Emil growled and hung up. He stomped towards the android and grasped his collar.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" He bellowed and raised his fist.
"You hacked into my mail account?" Emil cried, "You told them I'd join their fucking gathering? What the fuck?"
"They want you to be there."
"You don't know anything!" Emil screamed and punched the android in the face. "Stop poking your nose into my business, you sickening thing!"
Emil grabbed the android and dragged him upstairs. He flung open a random door and shoved him inside.
"Don't fucking let me see you again!"
He slammed the door shut and locked it.
Leon 2.0 scanned the room. He couldn't see a thing. Pitch black. He reached out his hands and touched the door.
"I'm sorry, Emil," he muttered. "Please let me out. I can't live without the light."
Emil didn't reply. He left the android in the room and plodded downstairs.
He didn't know it would hurt that much to lash out at a lifeless creature.
oOo
"Emil! It's been so long since we last saw you!"
Emil squirmed in his classmates' hugs. Everyone had come to the party. His friends. His schoolmates. His past colleagues. Everyone thought he wouldn't make it. He hadn't shown up for three years straight. So long they had all given up on him practically.
"Emil!"
He turned. A girl with wavy brown hair and a flower clip stepped up to him with a faint smile.
"It's so nice to see you again." Gently, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Yes, it's been a while, Mei."He nodded and returned the hug.
"You haven't contacted us for three years da-ze!" Yong Soo croaked, "We all thought you've left the town or something!"
"No." Emil chuckled. "I'm still here."
"Are you still working for that institution?"
Emil shook his head.
"What have you been doing lately?" Yong Soo asked.
"Nothing much, really."
Mei and Yong Soo exchanged a glance.
"Do you know that an international contest is coming up? Mr. Vagas wants you to try it out."
"I haven't been painting for a while," Emil said.
"Emil, are you still…" Mei paused and fidgeted with her hands. She didn't have the courage to bring up her cousin's name. The Icelandic boy had gotten much thinner and paler than she last saw him. After the funeral, he had simply disappeared. Nobody could reach him anymore.
"Emil," Feliciano butted in, opening his eyes wide for once. "The theme this year is 'Missing You'. I really think you should consider painting again. He wouldn't want you to give up too if he were here."
(7)
Tears had never been saltier. Life was never sweet on his part. Emil ran home. He stormed upstairs and unlocked the door. Leon 2.0 lay motionless on the floor. His eyes stared hollowly ahead.
"Leon." Emil frowned and scurried towards the android. He held body and shook it. "Leon!"
The android didn't respond. Emil sobbed and ran to switch on the lights. He held the body tightly in his arms, regretting every minute he had shouted at and mistreated this lifeless companion.
It took hours for Leon 2.0 to regenerate.
"Please, wake up..."
Tears cascaded down Emil's cheeks. He had lost him once. He didn't want to lose him twice.
"I will love you, cherish you and honour you all the days of my life."
"I promise to stay with you, forever in my life. Be it filled with happiness or sorrow, laughter or tears, pain or sickness."
"Why would you break your vow?" Emil cried.
"Why are you crying?"
The android raised his hand to fondle the tear-drenched cheek.
"Damn it…Leon, what the hell do you want from me!" Emil wailed.
Their marriage lasted for three beautiful years. The news attacked them like a bomb. It was so sudden Emil thought God was playing a prank on them. When Leon's coughing fits wouldn't stop, he took his lover to the hospital. It didn't get any better though. Everything shattered.
He blamed himself, of course. If he had noticed something was wrong with Leon earlier, he wouldn't have ended up with the last phase. Nothing much could be done except counting down the days he had left in this world. The coughs soon came with blood. Leon stayed in the ward most of the time. He had hidden the fact that his lungs were never good to begin with from Emil. And he regretted it. He had inadvertently involved his lover in this suffrage.
He loved him so much. He wished he could have stood by him till the very end.
"Please don't cry," Leon 2.0 muttered and stroked the boy's back gently.
"Will you help me finish the portrait?" Emil wept and tightened his hug around the android.
"Yes."
oOo
Emil got the portrait out of the storage room. He gestured Leon 2.0 to sit in a chair. He had to dig around for hours in search for his abandoned brushes and paints. He couldn't take his eyes off a particular drop of crimson on the background. It had faded into dark brown, blended with the rest of the fireworks.
He remembered that day he brought the painting to the ward. He showed it to Leon. His grin was so wide and beautiful.
"Do you, like, think you can finish it before I leave?" Leon had asked.
Emil had cried. He couldn't stop his tears. His hands trembled whenever he picked up the brush again. He wouldn't want to finish the portrait. He knew if he finished it, Leon would be gone.
That day, Leon coughed holding onto the portrait. A drop of his blood sputtered onto the canvas. Emil grabbed his hand and wept until his coughing subsided. When the Asian boy lay back down, he shut his eyes and muttered how much he didn't want to let Emil go.
"I wish I could have you forever," he had admitted with a genuine smile. Emil wiped the tears off his face and held Leon's palm to his cheek. "I wish, Emil, I could stick to the vow I made in our wedding. I'm so sorry it's come to this."
"You'll be alright, trust me." Emil swallowed his sobs and smiled.
"Remember the first time we met? You were, like, so annoyed I thought I wouldn't have a chance with you."
"You were acting like total jerk back there."
"But I got you in the end." Leon snickered. "Although now I, like, wish I hadn't." The boy squeezed his partner's hand and smiled, "Because you deserve someone better."
oOo
Emil finished the last stroke. It had been three years since he let go of Leon's hand. He had wailed like a manic. He had flailed his arms deliriously refusing to let go of the body. They had to drag him out of the ward. Lukas and Mathias had been there. He remembered crying in their arms until his eyes were swollen and dry. The portrait was never complete. After Leon's funeral, he never stepped out of the house again. The house they had shared together. The house they had once called home and considered starting a family.
Something glittery caught his eyes. Emil stared at the android.. He stood up and gasped.
Uncanny.
Leon 2.0 looked up, unaware of the trails of liquids trickling down his cheeks. Emil walked towards him and touched them. They were wet and warm. They were real.
"You…You're crying?" Emil blinked in astonishment. The android frowned and rubbed his own cheeks.
"Oh yea…I am."
His eyes fixated on Emil.
"Emil, why do people cry?"
"They cry because they're sad," Emil replied. He stood over the android and hugged him, pressing his head against his chest.
"My previous master has never told me," Leon 2.0 muttered, "that sadness causes your chest to ache. When I look at you, I want to cry. I don't know why, Emil."
"You're a really strange android," Emil commented.
"I've been told that I'm special."
"Yes, you are."
(8)
"So, I heard from Feliciano that your portrait won the contest and gets shipped around the world in different galleries," Lukas said.
"Yes…" Emil nodded.
"That's impressive."
Lukas couldn't help peeking at the android sitting on the couch. Leon 2.0 stared back with a cordial smile.
"We thought you would never get over it."
"I still haven't gotten over it, actually." Emil smiled and stirred his coffee. "But it's getting better, I swear."
"Psst," Mathias whispered and eyed the android suspiciously. "Are you sure you're keeping that thing?"
"It's not a 'thing'." Emil pouted. "He has a name, you know."
"Emil, don't tell me you're treating him as his substitute…" Lukas cocked his eyebrows.
"No, they look the same, but they are different."
"When I first saw him, I thought Leon's come back alive!" Mathias exclaimed. Lukas smacked him upside the head.
"It feels like he's alive, but he isn't." Emil chuckled. "And I guess I've finally figured out his trick."
oOo
The night he submitted the portrait, the android showed him his memories.
Leon 2.0 held out his hands. Emil took them and closed his eyes. Images started flowing into his mind.
"Kiku Honda," the android explained, "is my creator."
Emil nodded. The flashbacks started playing in his head. Kiku was Leon's half-brother. He had seen him several times. They had never really communicated with each other except on his wedding day, where Kiku gave the couple his words of blessings and an enormous gift.
"He created me, but the one who requested for me to be made is Leon Wang," the android continued, "your spouse."
Emil snapped open his eyes and stared at the android.
"He is." Leon 2.0 stopped the flashbacks and returned Emil's glance, "also my previous master."
"He didn't want you to stop painting because of him. He wanted you to move on. I came here to assist you. He wanted you to finish the portrait and keep up with your dreams."
"Is this…really what he said?" Emil gasped, his eyes brimming with tears.
"Yes, and now the goal has been accomplished," Leon 2.0 said. "You can either switch me off or keep me."
"What?"
"So, what is your decision?"
"Damn it!" Emil cried, "Did he send you here to render me only two fucking options?"
"Because you need to know that I am not him." Leon 2.0 shook his head in dismay. "I can learn to be him. But I'm not quite an ordinary android. I am cloned after him. Although I contain his memories, I can't mimic all his personalities. Also, I've discovered that our feelings towards you aren't exactly the same."
"How do you feel then," Emil asked. "About me."
"I am not entirely sure. This is one thing I cannot answer with certainty." Leon 2.0 pointed to his chest. "However, it aches here whenever I see you cry. I am not supposed to feel so much pain and sadness but I do. Strange. I want to stay beside you. Not because my previous master has ordered me to. But because I really want to."
Emil covered his mouth and snivelled. The android took a step forward and fondle Emil's face.
"And if you would allow me." Leon 2.0 smiled and planted a soft kiss on Emil's forehead. "I would love to fulfil the vow in his place. To love you. To cherish you. To honour you for the rest of my life."
"Stay…" Emil cried and hugged the body before him tightly. "Stay with me. Don't ever leave me again."
oOo
"Emil," Leon cooed.
"Don't move! I'm sketching your face," Emil hissed and popped his head out from behind the canvas. The ward reeked of bleach and medicine. Leon's scrawny face shone in the sunlight.
"I want to give you a gift." Leon giggled and stifled a cough. "I hope it can help you when I'm not around."
"What gift?" Emil held back his tears and dipped the tip of the brush into the paint. He didn't want to imagine what life would be like without Leon. He didn't dare to.
"Not now." the Asian boy smiled reassuringly. "You'll receive it in due course."