The Trick

Written by Franki Lew

Genre: Romance

Oneshot

1 and "9" belong to Shane Acker and focus features. Pro. belongs to me.

Declaimer:

For those of you that know me on DeviantArt you might know that I've created separate universes for my prequel works regarding young 1, 2, and my OC Pro. (a traumatized female prototype stitchpunk) Well you FF-only people are finally getting a little peek into the stories. This is the first ever alternate 9 fic I've written for Fan Fiction exclusively. My longer "canon" work entitled The Prototype is also on this site, which explains the character a bit more.

In this particular AU, 1, 2, and Pro. are out on the road trying to get away from humans and war as much as they can (near the end of Prototype they do this, so it's sort of a "sequel" in that aspect). Having made a temporary hide-out with 2, 1 gets started on designing features on his ideal home but gets distracted when Pro. helps him.

Sorry for 1's incredible OOCness. I make him such a wuss ^^; I also apologize for the sloppy writing since I edited and uploaded the story late at night when I'm tired and don't catch a lot of mistakes.

It was a quiet afternoon, not unlike any other in the bleak hideout the three of us shared. I had finished my daily routine and with nothing standing in my way I decided to start on my long delayed project. Normally I would ask 2 if he'd help me but he was probably out getting chased by something at the cost of scrap metal. I walked out of the dormitory chamber and into our supply pantry. Everything there was 2's, minus a few sleeping supplies.

"He's got to keep ink around here somewhere," I said ruffling through some fabric.

"What are you looking for 1?" said a voice from behind. Shocked at first, I hit my head on the shelf above me. I turned around to see a female dressed in light blue and big cracked eyes hovering over me.

"Nothing Pro," I said. "Just ink."

"Oh here you go," she said pulling an ink vile out from 2's mess of needles and threads. "Will this work?"

I snagged it from her and stiffened my chest. Hopefully she didn't hear any of that. I stood up, thanked her for the vile, and walked away with a few scarps of paper in my arms.

I wanted this place to look more professional. I was tired of living 2's lifestyle of supplies all over the floor. I wanted a place where I, a mastermind of tracking, could live in peace. I wanted rein over our growing population to go down as our history's golden age.

Once I reached the entrance of the dorm I noticed I was being followed. Pro. was roughly seven inches behind me. Her smile was wide and eager as it always.

"Yes?" I asked rather then shooing her off. That probably wouldn't help any way knowing Pro.

"Do you need anything at all? Cause I have nothing around here to do," Pro. said.

As much as she gets on my nerves I do like Pro's company. She, unlike 2, knew how to be quite. Besides I wouldn't have her do much.

"Alright you can help if you'd like to." Pro. squealed and ran in headfirst.

"Oh 1! Thank you so much!"

"Now Pro before you get all settled I-" Pro. turned around, probably to talk to me when she hit her face in my chest knocking the vile of ink out of my hands, over her waist, and onto the floor.

"I'm so sorry," I said embarrassed. I usually didn't say that but the slow dripping of liquid off Pro's knees told me to apologize as humbly as possible.

"Oh it's nothing," Pro. said. "I'm sure it'll come off. Besides if it stains I know I look good in black." Pro. picked up a cloth and slowly began moving it up and down her waist and thighs, gently removing any exes ink. Her brown burlap looking more moist then usual from the liquid. Suddenly she looked up at me.

"What?"

"Ugh…nothing…" I said, back turned, my head on my desk. Now that I knew I had been staring at her that whole time I felt horribly ashamed.

Pro. stood back up and held my shoulders. "You seem a little tense 1, are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes! I-I'm fine…" I said making her lean back.

"You don't need to be so rude about it," Pro. said. "I was just asking a question."

She then made that usual sulk with her eyes. Though rugged and fairly unattractive, those eyes expressed a lot of emotion. The light coming into the room always made them seem brighter then they really were. "S-sorry…" I said quietly.

"If you say your not tense 1, your not tense."

Why must she speak like that? I don't know her true intentions but Pro. always had this sympathetic tone in her voice, as if she was trying to get me to feel sorry for her.

It fascinated me, drew me to her, why is it that she never put up a fight with me? Not that I'd like her to but she rarely ever got upset.

Yet whenever I'd get angry she'd pull that 'optic trick' and make me regret my actions instantly. And there I'd be, a noble leader subdued by a wretch we found on the streets one day and took in. It's one thing to be controlled but when it's Pro. there's a whole new level of pathetic opened.

"Pro I really am sorry," I said with the power of a whipped dog in my voice.

"No 1. You don't need to keep apologizing. It's just ink," she said. "Shouldn't you be working anyway?"

"Oh right." I said so distracted by Pro. that I forgot why I retrieved the ink in the first place.

For the longest time, my only priority was blueprinting. Designing and remodeling is easy in it's beginning stages. I had no problem thinking just what equipment we needed and how we'd get it. I waited no time when an idea came about and would write side notes next to the illustrations. This way I could tell what we needed. Every now and then I'd step outside the room to see if the blueprints fit just what the notes detailed. 2 would be the one to construct half of the assignments. Or at least I trust him to, he likes building after all.

All the while I was working on these plans Pro. would sit and wait for me to finish. For the longest time she'd pester me by asking what I was up to. I'd respond with a one or two word sentence then go back to writing. If she went on I'd give as many hints as possible that I did not want to talk. Eventually she lay reclined over a mattress, like a mutt waiting to be taken out.

I finished the first blueprint and held it up triumphantly. It does me good to know I'm not only a strategist but an artist as well. My pictures are always beautifully sketched.

"There we go," I said laying it flat against a wall.

"Did you finish already?" Pro. asked.

"Yes as a matter of fact I have."

"Oh that's great! Can you describe what it looks like?" Pro. said hopping up like a child.

"Not now Pro I just finished." I only needed to turn my head just slightly to see her 'trick' again. This time she smiled with a glisten to her face. I put my hand over my waist, feeling something clank in my circuitry. My hands felt like they were burning on my own fabric.

"1?" Pro. asked, her optics still shining.

"Stop doing that!" I said.

"Doing what?" she asked surprised.

"That…thing with your eyes," I said backing away, falling over several items in the process.

"What thing with my eyes?" Pro. asked. "Are-are they ugly or something? Do you not like them? Tell me, I wouldn't know."

Great. Now she was confronting me. I had no idea what to say so I just stood against a wall and tried to calm down.

"Your not acting yourself today 1," Pro. said taking my arm. "Maybe you should stop working."

I sighed still not feeling any better answered, "perhaps." Pro. lead me over to the mattress we all slept on. She sat me down on her side and felt my forehead. "Do you need anything?"

"No," I said. "I'm just having a conflicting dilemma at the moment."

"You can tell me about it if you'd like," Pro. said. I stared out of the corner of my optic to see the rim of her dark eyes shining once again and shook my head. Confused as I was I knew why I felt a certain way around Pro.

"I don't think so Pro. It's complicated."

Pro. looked down at her hands. "Well when you change you mind you can tell me." She then moved closer to me and grinned. I knew what she was up to. "You know I'd rarely ever talk about my problems either." Ah, yes. Whenever she can Pro. tries to make me feel better via a past experience of hers. I don't speak it, but I really wish she wouldn't do this.

"You remember? All those nights waking up in fear of the images in my head, never telling either of you boys what they were. Then I did and the nightmares decreased by fifty percent. I realized then that companions are meant for many things not just company."

Before I had the chance to respond Pro. wrapped her arms around my waist and sat on my leg, "besides, you're the most open 1. No other person could truly say such ravenous banter in your manner."

She chuckled and I laughed with her, in a playful way. I rarely liked being poked fun at but if it was harmless enough I'd laugh along.

"That's why you're the only one I can trust isn't it?" I said lifting her head up by the chin.

"I'm sure there's more then one reason." Pro. smiled and pulled down her hood exposing her bare head. I knew she couldn't understand through description but I constantly say she looks most appealing with her hood down. I can't describe it myself, I just feel as though she looks better without anything blocking her face.

As usual she nuzzled her eyes against mine making me tremble.

Her eyes, to my knowledge at least, were closed. I knew deep down there was a cost to pay but that was shadowed by Pro's warm smile and the fleeting moments of silence. If 2 happened to come back, I'd throw him out. I didn't grab her or pull her close it was just one quick advance of the head. Soft as her particular burlap was, Pro's mouth was still rough against mine. Needless to say that didn't stop me from enjoying the feeling…for roughly three seconds.

Once my vision de-blurred and I realized what I had done my face shot up with heat. Pro. pulled away before I did, gasping for breath even though I knew for a fact that it wasn't that long a kiss.

Her dark eyes gave me a surprised look that showed no amount of affection.

"Pro I am so sorry," I said scratching my neck vigorously. "That-that wasn't suppose to happen."

"1-" Pro. said silencing me. She opened her mouth as if to say something but nothing came out. Instead she rose from the mattress and put up her hood. "I need to leave," she said in a mili-second.

"Pro listen-" I said putting out my arm as she ran for the entrance.

"No!" she yelled back at me stumbling over several papers in the process.

Once I heard her scampering die down the true guilt sat in. I covered my ashamed face with my hands.

What was going through my head at that second? I should have listened to that warning in my head! Why did I think that was a good idea?

More then that, while Pro. might not be the best at seeing, she always told me I was appealing. Yet the brief look in her eyes was pure disgust and I could tell. Was Pro. really just being polite? Am I really so grotesque looking not even a blind could kiss me?

All heat that built up in my chest was flushed out I a matter of minutes, aside from the embarrassment that is. Now everything felt very cold, like there was a draft in my chest. It hurt to see Pro, my 'true friend', run off in disgust from a simple kiss.

I bent down to pick up the papers she had so graciously knocked over. One of them being my newly finished blueprint. Even the accomplishments that had nothing to do with Pro. wreaked of her rejection. The ink had been smeared and half off the page had been crumpled by Pro's foot. I didn't feel like going after her for it, especially now. It wouldn't help anything. I was careful not to let her see any of the plans. The first blueprint was for the private quarters I wanted since the day we founded the hideout. Before calling it a finished project I re-named the page 'Our personal quarters'.

Ironically it was the very quote that had been smeared off the rest of the paper.