"Do you like dogs, Theta?"
The AI manifested in his armoured form above his assigned freelancer's shoulder, head tilted a slight as he considered North's question.
"Dogs?" He repeated in his boyish voice, "I dunno. I've never really seen one before."
North only nodded, and uttered a short 'hm' to the response.
He was currently seated on the edge of an unmade bed, sans armour. The dorm has been silent for a while, so Theta was caught off guard with the suddenness with which the man's voice filled it. North bringing up random topics like this wasn't strange, but to say nothing after wasn't like him. North wasn't the type of guy to start a conversation and then let it drop.
Theta could tell the man was thinking about something. Without the ever present helmet to shield his expression, the younger could see a look of remembrance on his face. There was a distant smile that he wore, through which he let out a deep exhale as he leaned his with his elbows on his knees.
Theta waited another moment before speaking up again, "Why? Uh, do you ask, I mean?"
"Oh... Just wondering. I used to own a Yorkie- my sister and I did."
The bicoloured boy moved to a sitting in a crisscross position. Being nothing more than a holographic projection, he didn't actually need to sit, but it was something the AI did when he knew North was about to go off on another retelling of some memory. It happened a lot; Theta liked to hear stories from when the freelancer was young.
"His name was Dizzy," North continued with a chuckle, "because whenever he got excited about something, he'd run around and around until he couldn't take five steps without falling over.
"South always said he was the dumbest dog she'd seen, but... I don't know; I liked him. He was a good dog." The far away look returned to his face then, and Theta couldn't quite tell if it was with sadness or otherwise that a smile was turned his way.
The AI shifted curiously from where is form sat hovering in the air. Silence fell over the two once more, before Theta ventured to ask where to dog was now.
"Had to leave him with some friends. He's getting taken care of," North's gaze fell to his lap. His voice was low and comforting, like he was trying to reassure of something. To who and for what, Theta couldn't figure out.
"Can I see him someday?" The AI's question came with a child's bluntness. There was little chance of him ever getting to see that dog, or even that the dog was still alive. It been years since North and his sister had left him, and the dog had been old even then.
Theta didn't know this of course. Although a high ops program, his thought process was still very much like a child's. To North, he basically was a child. A highly advanced program yes, but also a child with whom he'd been entrusted.
It was weird, the way he treated his AI. He always respected him for his ability, but the relationship he held with Theta was more fatherly than the way his teammates handled their own.
His voice was gentle when he spoke again, raising his eyes to the other with a nod. "Yeah, kiddo. I'll let you meet him someday."
/AN: After the latest episode, I just really wanted to write something with Theta and dogs. This came out sadder than I intended it too...
I would like to thank my beta, magicisintheair, who just recently made an account here. She's new to posting, but her work is amazing! Check her out if you can (: /