Prove It

Part 1:

Melissa turned over the small hairpin as it rested at the centre of her palm, poking and prodding at it like a child who disliked the meal put before him. It was quite simple in design, nothing flashy or obnoxious, and Melissa knew its function, but by the placement of the object upon her hand, her attention was drawn to the flesh of her palm. Smooth, white and featureless. Continuing to push the hairpin about, causing an expression to rise to her face that would, for the moment, please the giver of the gift, Melissa looked up at her fingers, and again, the skin was smooth, white and featureless.

"Melissa?" spoke the voice of the giver, Madeline Bergman, the softness of her tone sweet to the ear, "do you like it?"

Melissa looked up from the hairpin, her gaze sweeping up to take in the woman who had called her "friend". Her eyes glittered with sincerity and were coloured a warm brown; her smile, though small, reached her eyes with ease, altering the shape of her cheeks subtly so that the corners of her lips – glistening faintly in the light of the room with the moisture of lip balm – were pulled slightly upward, creating an image to which Melissa had assigned properties tied to intentions such as the offering of comfort or proposing a new phase in the relationship "friendship".

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's a hairpin, Melissa", Madeline explained, reaching forward and taking a lock of her hair between her fingertips; "I thought it would look good on you".

"Oh", Melissa acknowledged, looking down at her palm as Madeline gathered several of her locks together. After a moment, she tipped her hand, slowly, and the hairpin fell to the floor with a clatter. Madeline paused, and for a time both of them looked down at the small object.

"Melissa?"

"I don't want it", she said, lifting a hand to claim back her hair from Madeline's possession.

"Melissa?" Madeline said again, preceded by a moment of hesitation.

"It doesn't prove anything", Melissa said, sitting completely still and upright, hands folded into her lap, "it doesn't mean anything".

"Melissa, what do you mean?" Madeline asked, moving to crouch at Melissa's side, an expression of concern on her face that Melissa didn't see because she faced straight ahead, keeping her eyes fixed upon the far wall. But she could detect the difference in Madeline's tone, the pitch, volume and the stress patterns in her voice.

"What am I?" she asked.

"Melissa, you're my friend and a valued member on board this ship", Madeline replied.

"Incorrect. What am I?" Melissa asked again.

"Melissa", Madeline gave a shaky laugh, "don't you consider me a friend? I know I do of you, and everyone here values your importance as a friend".

"Incorrect. What am I?"

"Melissa, please –!"

"I am a machine", Melissa spoke over Madeline, "given this human shape for the completion and sustainment of a single purpose which, as I calculate is often the case, I will soon outgrow and my function deemed unnecessary in the wake of a more efficient system. I have been granted with emotions, though these are really only the products of carefully measured and controlled chemical reactions, each programmed to activate in a vast number of scenarios which provide sensory stimuli, and all this to maintain for as long as necessary the illusion that I am 'a valued member on board this ship'. As to whether the relationship you claim to share with me is in fact verifiable in its truth, the object which you have presented to me proves nothing. I lack. I am incomplete. I am not human".

Silence filled the room. Melissa continued to gaze at the wall ahead, hands sitting atop each other in her lap.

"In…incomplete?"

"Look at me", Melissa said, turning to face Madeline. "What do you see?"

"I see a young woman", Madeline answered, hurrying to take this opportunity, "a beautiful young woman who –"

"Incorrect. I am female, "Melissa interrupted, "given this form to satisfy a specific purpose. These features and the shape of this body indicate visually that I am of the gender known as female. However, I cannot call myself a 'woman', for I cannot feel in that specific manner the way in which you or any other woman on board could. Clearly, this function was deemed unnecessary in my design and purpose, thus I lack. I am incomplete".

Madeline, after a moment of remaining open-mouthed, shook her head in confusion. Her eyes were full and moist at their corners, pleading with Melissa.

"I don't understand, Melissa", she said, a faint tremor detected in her voice; she reached forward and took one of Melissa's hands between her own, "I don't…I-Melissa, help me, please".

"It's simple", Melissa said, her tone and expression remaining fixed despite the physical contact and the intentions and emotions implied by Madeline's actions, "you disagree with everything I have stated up to this point, I gather".

"Of course, Melissa", Madeline stressed. "You're a wonderful woman, a good friend. You are human".

"Then", Melissa said, "prove it".

"How can I?" Madeline said at once, "name it, Melissa, and I'll do it for you".

"Kiss me".

Silence filled the room. Madeline crouched at her side, eyes wide as the hands that held Melissa's grew limp.

"…kiss you?"

"I can feel, or to be more accurate, have feelings simulated for me – and I have experienced each of them in some measure, all except pleasure".

"But-but surely in meetings, when someone agrees with your suggestions and ideas, doesn't that feel good?"

"It is satisfying", Madeline admitted, "but it will not make me a woman; mere agreement does not suggest that I am human".

"But", Madeline said, laughing shakily, "how could a kiss –?"

"Madeline, I thought you said you would do anything?" Melissa asked. Madeline looked away, a slight flush coming to her cheeks as she cast her eyes to the floor.

"But-I'm…I'm not-I mean I haven't…I'm…"

"A good and valued friend?" Madeline looked up, meeting Melissa's gaze as the colouring of her cheeks became more prominent.

"Just…just a kiss?" she asked. Melissa smiled for the first time since Madeline had entered the room and nodded.

The two leaned forwards toward each other. Locks of hair fell into Melissa's face but she tucked them neatly behind her ear; Madeline stuttered hesitantly as they neared and the moment of very personal physical contact approached, but finally, they met. Madeline pushed her lips briefly against Melissa's, almost flinching when the contact was felt, her face flushing as she pulled away. Melissa lingered there, eyes half-closed as she brought a fingertip to her lips.

"Was-was…how was that?" Madeline asked with a tremulous voice that was pitched higher than usual. Melissa didn't answer immediately, looking down at the fingertip she had touched to her lips.

"Madeline", she spoke in a low voice, "I am tired of the false smiles and the insincere pats on the back; I'm tired of the condescending glares whenever I correct someone or offer an idea to a discussion. I want to be treated equally, fairly". She looked up at Madeline now, "every Metroid on board this vessel…they answer to me, I alone. If you can't even pretend to try and help me feel human", she said, rising to her feet above Madeline's crouched form, "I'll show you that I can become a monster instead".

"No, no – Melissa, I'm sorry", Madeline pleaded, rising to her feet with her hands held out before, "this is new to me, that's all…I want to help you. I do".

"Let's try again, then", Melissa said, the dark tint that had risen briefly to her eyes melting away.

"I'm not sure how to do this", Madeline said, fidgeting with her hands as they approached each other again, "I haven't…well, I suppose I have now…"

Melissa didn't respond, only offering her hand which Madeline was once again hesitant in accepting, though when she did, Melissa drew her close, their bodies coming together in a loose hug. Melissa, her arms looped around Madeline's neck, whispered softly in her ear.

"Do this for me, Madeline. Just a kiss…I'll ask nothing more from you".

Madeline's intake of breath was audible as Melissa drew back and their cheeks touched, the feel of soft skin a gentle sensation; they faced each other for a few moments, Melissa offering her that same smile. When she had been pulled into the hug, she had found her arms at Melissa's waist; unable to stave off the inevitable any longer, she clenched her eyes shut and with a great, shuddering breath, leaned forward.

It was soft, so soft, an incomparable sensation that was only heightened by the gentle warmth held within those lips. They touched lightly, once, twice, thrice, and now there was the factor of taste: they tasted sweet, those lips, sweet and slightly moist, and as now they touched and remained for a little longer, the tips of tongues began to flit forwards, stealing a quick taste of the other before slipping back into their dark, warm abodes and savouring that indescribable sweetness. Their lips moved against each other now, exploring the shape of the other's mouth, heads tilting ever so slighter to accommodate a deeper kiss. They touched lightly once again, and again, that beautiful sound of moist lips joining and parting in the same moment the only thing that was to be heard. But that sweet taste was too wonderful to be deprived of and those lips joined in the deepest kiss yet.

Melissa, hungry, breached Madeline's mouth with an eager tongue, and that was when she snapped out of the almost dream-like state she had sunken into.

"S-sorry", Madeline yelped as she pulled away with a jerk, Melissa's arms falling from her shoulders, "I-I", she stuttered, only able to hold Melissa's gaze for a moment before her eyes darted everywhere else, "I've got to go – meeting…uhm, late – yes, see you!" She backed away from Melissa, waving awkwardly as she turned towards the door and almost walking into the frame on her swift exit. Melissa watched her leave with a smile that was tainted with dangerous undertones; bringing a finger to her lips, she then dipped the tip upon her tongue, uttering a quiet appreciative moan as she detected hints of cherry.

A/N: So, unless I'm mistaken, this will be the first MBxMB on the 'Troid board? Quite a surprise actually, I'd assumed that with the release of M:OM there'd be a flood of lemonz, esp. since OMG HUMAN WOMANZ (caps). Well anyway, this will be a three-parter, hope you like. I'd say R/R, but I know that you'll just read this and be like *meh* no sex, I'll hold off, might fave tho :)