Title: Sad, Bad Advertising
Day/Theme: 9th September/"The new exotic"
Series: Chobits
Character/Pairing: Hideki/Chii
Rating: PG
The persocom in the shop window was "New! Exotic!" and Hideki slowed his steps to look at her. Neon arrows pointed to her, highlighting her – and her assets – as the persocom to have. Hideki felt suddenly depressed, and turned away. Maybe somebody nice would buy her.
When he reached the apartment he shared with Chii, she jumped down from the rafters and threw her arms around him. She pressed her face against his chest and then pulled back.
"Hideki is sad," she said with utter certainty. "Why is Hideki sad?"
"I'm all right," he told her, but his shoulders were already slumping in response to her big-eyed, serious expression. "I saw this persocom in a shop. There was loads of advertising, and I thought – eh, it doesn't matter."
"Advertising?" Chii asked, her head tilted to one side.
"Yeah – erm, they had signs up saying all the things she could do and how gorgeous she was and all that stuff." Hideki stopped, remembering. A cool hand slipped into his.
"Would Hideki like Chii to be like that?"
Hideki stared at her for a moment and then hugged her tightly. "No," he said, his voice muffled in her hair. "I want Chii to be Chii."
"Chii wants to be Chii, too," she said and lifted her head to smile at him. "But then why is Hideki sad?"
Hideki exhaled a bit. "I don't know." Chii looked at him questioningly, and he tried to explain, stumbling over his words. "She – I thought, they're hyping her up as this fantastic, wonderful persocom – but they're acting like she's just a robot…I mean…whoever buys her isn't going – they might not – I was worried about her. I mean, Yuzuki and you were both made by people who really wanted you, a-and I don't think Sumomo did too badly, with Shimbo, but what about all the others? The ones whose owners don't love them and throw them out when they get a better model? So – um – I was worried about her." He looked anxiously at Chii to see if she understood.
She nodded thoughtfully and Hideki's heart lightened a little. "Hideki is kind."
Hideki shook his head, blushing. "Not really – I – " but Chii interrupted, gazing curiously at Hideki.
"Is that why Hideki is still a virgin?"
His cheeks were on fire, he knew. He pushed Chii away and covered his face with his hands. "No! I mean, yes, you could say that, but no! That's not why!" He peered out from between his fingers. Chii was nodding again, completely willing to accept his answer as gospel truth. Hideki pulled his hands away from his face and put them on her shoulders. "I'm a virgin because I love Chii," he said, and Chii nestled into him. They fitted together perfectly.