A/N: I'm going to be honest, I was nervous about this story because I've been having a hard time working through writer's block lately, so the last thing I expected was such a warm reception from so many of you. Thank you for all the kind comments and the suggestions. I want to extend a special thank you to OerbayunFang for the lovely compliment on my writing and for pointing out some very important lore information that I will be implementing into the previous chapter when I go back to edit it later. This information mainly had to do with how money works within this universe which is helpful because this particular chapter deals with that a great deal, so thank you very much!

Secondary note: I'm really glad you guys enjoyed the first chapter and I hope you will like this one just as much despite it being a tiny bit longer than the previous one. Turns out that the whole story may be a bit longer than I first predicted, which is good because more content for 2B and 9S is always a plus. (Those two are just too adorable!)

Disclaimer: I do not own the brilliant work that is NieR: Automata. It is proudly owned by Yoko Taro, Platinum Games, and Square Enix. Please support the official release. And no this is not an abridged series. However, this chapter will be a bit more humorous. Enjoy!

The following day was another slow day for YoRHa Units 2B and 9S.

Actually, to put it more bluntly, it was worse than slow. It was agonizing boredom.

Well, at least for one of the two units.

"Operator, are you absolutely certain there is no assignment from the Commander...or anyone? Anyone at all?"

Though not prone to showcasing any emotion whatsoever on most occasions, it was clear to 9S that he was beginning to wear down his operator's last nerve.

"Unit 9S, frequent repetition of known information is counterproductive and a waste of energy."

"Yeah, yeah, I get that, but..."

"As stated countless times before, the Commander has not issued any further orders for units 9S and 2B; therefore, your mission is to gather data and assist the resistance forces if there is a need to do so. Have I made myself perfectly clear now?"

9S let out a long sigh. "Yes."

"No other information is available. Operator 21O out."

The scanner unit attempted speaking, but the connection cut off long before he could.

"Ugh! You have got to be kidding!"

2B, with her arms crossed in front of her chest, casually leaned against the side of the access point in the resistance camp and watched her companion pace back and forth. Clearly the shorter android still needed to work on his whining habits even though he was trying his very best to tough out the restlessness overwhelming him for her sake.

Unfortunately, he wasn't fooling anyone-least of all, 2B.

Exhaling a sigh, the more mature android placed her hand on 9S' shoulder, halting his frenetic movements. "Perhaps we should just rest today."

He nodded, though a scowl was still very evident on his face. "I guess that's all we can do. Although..." The scowl transformed into a more thoughtful expression. "This may be a good chance for the two of us to upgrade our equipment and enhance the capabilities of our plug-in chips. Our pods could use a tune up too."

"Do we have enough funds for that?"

"Oh, yeah, we have plenty from all the different side missions we've been doing."

2B turned her attention toward the camp's exit. "Well then, if that's the case, do all the upgrading you can."

She started to leave, but 9S tugged at the edge of her sleeve, stopping her from moving.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"No one needs anything here," she explained. "So I'm going to check in with Pascal and see if he or the villagers have anything for us to take care of."

"Oh...then shouldn't I go with you?"

"No. I'll manage fine on my own for the time being," she told him as he slowly released his hold on her sleeve. "After all, you have business to take care of here, right?"

Pouting in a most miserable fashion, 9S let out a small sigh. "Yeah, I guess."

2B suddenly had the urge to pat him on the head but was quick to suppress it since she was absolutely certain her comrade wouldn't appreciate the gesture, so instead she offered a kind smile and a hesitant wave before turning her back.

"He really is hopeless sometimes," she thought, fighting against another smile as the noise of the resistance camp faded behind her. She seemed to be doing that more and more these days.

"Pod."

The small robot hovering next to her halted the same moment she did. "

"Stay here with 9S and get some maintenance."

"Negative," Pod 042 responded, his small robotic arms moving up and down while he spoke. "Traveling alone through the city is not recommended."

Placing a gloved hand on her hip, the female android gave a quick rebuttal. "I am more than capable of handling a few machines on my own. An upgrade to your current system will provide greater ease in future missions, so it is in my best interest for you take advantage of this opportunity."

Pod 042 stayed quiet for a short moment.

"Very well. Reasoning from Unit 2B accepted. Do you wish to temporarily transfer control of my systems to Unit 9S?"

"I do," she answered, walking into the clearing in front of them. A few machines were close by, but none of them seemed to be paying her any attention at the moment. "Tell 9S I'll be back soon."

"Affirmative."

"And tell him one other thing for me..."

The pod assigned to 2B traveled back into the camp. He found 9S shortly after entering and quickly relayed 2B's message to him.

9S groaned.

"I...don't whine..."

Pod 153 hovered closer to Pod 042. "I disagree. Unit 9S seems to enjoy relaying negative commentary to any available to hear it."

"That is an accurate conjecture, Pod 153."

"Thank you, Pod 042."

9S felt something akin to a vein pulsating inside of his skull in a very unpleasant manner. "She wants me to stop complaining yet leaves me with these two." Exhaling, the scanner unit decided to repurpose his energy into maintenance for himself and the two pods with him.

He steered most of his concentration toward fusing a few of the chips he and 2B had gathered. These chips they had found were primarily geared toward emergency restoration during battle and increasing evade range. He also needed to purchase some extra storage for them too.

At the maintenance station, he went about fusing the appropriate chips so they would take up less space, bought two plus 8 storage chips, had one of them installed into his system along with a few hacking chips he had on hand.

The remaining storage chip and the emergency heal chip were items he decided to keep on his person until 2B returned. Since he was assigned to handle her maintenance, he usually took care of installing whatever chips she needed.

Taking care of that, he took a look at the raw materials collected in the hopes of upgrading 2B's pod and his own.

Unfortunately...

"Sorry, that isn't enough to give both of these guys a singular upgrade."

9S felt another sigh bubble inside of his throat, but suppressed it in honor of 2B's secondary chiding of him. "Is that so?"

"On the bright side, if I repurpose some of the items, I can give one of your pods a double boost," the kind maintenance android stated.

"Just one, huh?"

She nodded, her artificial amber gaze full of warmth and friendliness. "So, which one would you like me to upgrade?"

He pointed to 2B's pod without a second of hesitation. "This one will do."

Pod 042 moved his arms about as if he were puzzled. "Are you certain of this choice? Tactical Support Unit 153, assigned to YoRHa Unit 9S, will be at a disadvantage in future missions where stronger enemies are present. Proposal: Gather more materials before purchasing maintenance."

"That would probably be the more logical idea," 9S admitted. "But I rather not wait on this. 2B will put the upgrades to good use, and...I want her to have them."

The maintenance shop owner was practically beaming from ear to ear at his words. "Awww, that's so sweet! You must really care a lot about Miss 2B."

"Yeah, more than she knows," 9S replied, withdrawing the items he needed to pay for the double enhancement of 2B's pod before what he said registered in his own mind.

"I uh...mean...she's a valued comrade," he supplied, handing the shop owner a machine core from the last Goliath class machine they had faced.

The shop owner chuckled as she took his payment for the services. "Alright then, let's get this guy tuned up."

It took twenty minutes for Pod 042's upgrades to install. During that time, 9S took some time to visit the supply shop to see if he had any new plug-in chips as well as buy a couple restorative items. You could never have too many of those.

The time went by quickly and after a wave goodbye to the supply shop owner, he collected 2B's pod from the maintenance area. Once again he waved his thanks to the owner, then turned on his heel toward the entrance to the camp.

"May as well meet up with 2B," he thought to himself. "She's taking a little too long to get back."

Of course, 9S' decision was met with some scrutiny.

"Proposal: Unit 9S should stay at the resistance camp until Unit 2B returns."

"Pod 042 is in agreement with Pod 153. Unit 9S should remain at the resistance camp."

These two were a riot. Really. 9S just loved having both of them in his ear.

"I am perfectly capable of traveling from point A to point B without trouble," he stated, his tone surprisingly neutral for how irritated he was. "If an enemy shows up, I'll hack into its system and shut it down."

"Unit 9S may become overwhelmed by hostile machine lifeforms exceeding a certain numerical value..."

While Pod 153 was still talking, a sharp, blaring noise shot through the quiet atmosphere of the city, startling 9S into a quick combative stance as he examined the area around him, readying himself for anything...

Anything except for what ended up happening.

"WHOA!"

The scanner model turned around with his hand on the hilt of his golden blade, but the sight that befell him rendered him speechless and motionless.

A giant red and blue vehicle was hurdling through the sky straight at him, its invasive musical theme screaming through the whole city.

Unsure of how to respond, 9S simply stepped out of the way and with disbelief in his expression, watched the vehicle and its odd passenger bounce along the pavement.

Eventually it stopped, landing right side up believe it or not.

The driver, an odd looking head with a very creepy smile moaned out softly in pain.

"Ouch...that hurt."

9S stood completely still, his mouth slightly ajar in astonishment.

"Correction," Pod 153 stated. "It only takes one, peaceful, indistinguishable lifeform to overwhelm Unit 9S."

Picking up his jaw from the ground, the scanner model took a slow step toward the vehicle housing the strange head.

Whatever the thing happened to be shifted its gaze toward the android. "Oh! It's you!"

"I..."

"..."

9S couldn't say any more than that.

"Sorry I got startled and ran away...or rolled away rather."

The scanner model wracked his memory circuits for a moment, briefly recollecting the strange head and how he and 2B had been aiming to kill it when they first saw it.

He was still contemplating the option honestly.

"I'm Emil by the way," the smiling creature stated. "Come see my wares. I've got the best prices around."

"Proposal: Unit 9S should take a look at Emil's items."

9S glanced between the pods on either side of him. "Are you two crazy!?"

"Negative," they both replied. "Our logic circuits are perfectly functional."

Truth be told, the android wanted nothing more than to turn in the other direction and just pretend this randomness had never happened. That was the most sound idea in his mind; however, at the continuous prompting from the two pods along with Emil's joyful begging, 9S found himself unable to refuse.

One look wouldn't kill him...hopefully.

"I have the best items around," Emil boasted in a child-like manner. "Take your pick."

Finally out of whatever stupor Emil's presence had put him in, 9S examined the different items in this shop's stock with a critical eye. Most of the objects for sale were things he and 2B had found throughout their travels, although there were some useful items present, items not so easily found. In specific, he noted a vast amount of Titanium Alloy, which he knew 2B needed to upgrade her two swords, Virtuous Contract and Virtuous Treaty. Realizing this, he stocked up on the substance and from there noted something else he knew 2B needed for one of the weapons she kept on hand. He bought that item in excess, just as he had with the Titanium Alloy.

He would have continued from there, but thankfully he noticed how his shared funds with 2B were beginning to take a dive.

"Better stop while I'm ahead," he said aloud, chuckling a bit to himself.

"Are you sure?" Emil asked. "I have one more thing here that I think you'd really like. Here, let me show it to you."

"Oh, no, I really..."

The words died on his tongue.

"So? What do you think of it?"

9S stared at the item Emil offered to him.

"Pretty, right?"

The android reached toward the object, his fingertips barely brushing against it.

"It's more than that," he thought. "It's exactly what she wanted."

YoRHa Unit 2B departed from the machine village in quiet sorrow around midday, her hidden gaze on the bracelet of violet flowers encircling her wrist. The children living there wove the tiny plants together, then presented it to her with words of thanks for helping their friends and families.

The simple gesture of gratitude was touching, so much so that the android noted the beginnings of tears from beneath the fabric covering her eyes.

And so, with a smile and a promise to come back to the village soon, 2B left.

Now she finds herself in the outskirts of the ruined human city, unable to move forward.

She loved the gift. The sentiment behind it was nice, but...

"What am I doing?"

2B killed several machine lifeforms of the same size and shape as the children who meticulously crafted the bracelet on her wrist. She would kill more of them tomorrow...perhaps even later today.

This fact made the burden on her shoulders feel heavier.

Instead of allowing the village to continue existing, she should have eradicated it, dismantled it, destroyed it...something...anything...

Machines are the enemy. 2B knows there is no escaping that truth, but each time she enters the village, she entertains the idea of an eventual peace, allows her walls to crumble little by little.

When did she start caring about them?

When did taking out machines actively trying to destroy her begin to weigh down on her conscience?

Machines are the enemy, and yet...she has gained appreciation from them, respect even.

Is it a sign to have hope in? Will the number of peaceful machine lifeforms increase? Will the centuries old war end through simple surrender. Would the androids who had fought and survived through countless years of agony be able to accept it?

"No."

The history between android and machine is far too bloody...too chaotic to be undone through such simple means.

Though an expert at concealing her emotions, 2B couldn't block them out entirely. As a soldier, her duty is to fight on regardless of whatever heartache consumes her, but...

"Don't think about it. Not now."

2B would follow orders and complete the missions assigned to her without complaint; moreover, one day she would cease to feel anything regarding the tasks she had to complete. Though perpetually trapped in a never-ending cycle, she would fight on. She had to.

Gratitude and appreciation aren't a necessary component to that end.

However, 2B kept the bracelet around her wrist and the ribbon in her hair anyway.

Foolish or not, the items represented something she wanted to believe in.

Working on auto-pilot, the female android walked in the direction of the resistance camp at a leisurely pace as a means to collect the plethora of unorganized thoughts tumbling chaotically through her mind.

Unfortunately, an image of 9S appeared before her unexpectedly when she neared the clearing below the entrance to the resistance camp. She came to a stop a long ways off, watching him lift his shrouded gaze to the sky above, almost as if he were appreciating the color of the sky for the first time.

Terrible memories long since locked away came to the forefront in those seconds of observing him in an abrupt manner, stealing away air she had been about to inhale.

Don't cry, 2B. It's not...your fault. I was...too curious for my own good I guess.

She could hear laughter in her mind, a sound laced in grief and physical torment.

But more powerful than the melancholy chill the memories brought were the multitude of smiles she had seen on his face, the look of admiration and respect in his eyes as she...

"Hey! 2B!"

2B immediately schooled her features into a nonchalant mask. "What are you doing out here?"

"About to come looking for you actually," he answered, his voice reflecting his change in mood. He was happy about something, but 2B couldn't guess what, and right now, she really didn't care to know.

Right now it was difficult to keep her own emotions in check.

"Anyway, I have a surprise for you," 9S was saying.

"Control of Tactical Unit 042 transferred to YoRHa Unit 2B."

She acknowledged the return of her pod with a nod. "What is it, 9S?"

The scanner model brought one of his hands to his chin, clearly pondering some things to himself. "Well...several things actually, now that I think about it."

He spoke the words quickly, perhaps even a bit awkwardly. 2B noted the mannerisms detachedly as she had numerous times before.

"Pod 042 has been enhanced on a major scale," he continued, not realizing that she had already picked up on this and on the fact his pod hadn't received so much as a clean-up job.

"Did you not upgrade your own pod?" she asked.

"Oh, that? Well..." he paused, his focus on the robot hovering next to him. "I didn't have enough materials to update both of our pods at once, so I decided to put what we had toward enhancing yours to the fullest. After all, you're in more direct contact with the enemy when we fight. The extra projectile range from 042 should benefit us greatly."

2B started to chide him, but 9S bulldozed right over her words with his own.

He was no good at hiding his emotions.

"I also stocked up on some Titanium Alloy so you could enhance your swords," he told her, his hands shuffling through his pockets. "Oh, and I'll need to install this extra storage chip to your system later. You'll be able to activate those extra plug-in chips we found."

"I hope that's the last of the surprises," 2B muttered, glad to be able to focus on something aside from her old memories. "I hope you used some of our funds to upgrade your own equipment or at least get some maintenance."

9S outright laughed at her. "Yeah, I got everything I needed. In fact, your final surprise is something for both of us."

The female android let out another sigh, not even paying attention as he reached into the small bag he was carrying with him. "9S, wasting our funds on trivial items is not..."

"Oh, give it a rest will you." Without another word he quickly let the bag fall from the item he now held in both his hands.

The color of the object stole her attention, and for a few seconds she lost herself in the glow of its hue.

"What is this?"

9S grinned at her question. "It's a dress from the old world," he answered, sounding more lively than she had ever heard him. "Emil told me its the very last of its kind. He called it a sundress."

"A sundress?"

"Females of the human species used to wear them for casual outings in favorable weather conditions," Pod 153 stated.

2B continued to stare at the dress, hesitant to say or do anything. It was definitely something to behold with its scoop-neck, short-sleeved design that narrowed at the waist then spiraled out into soft pleats in a similar manner to the skirt of the uniform she was already wearing, though not as stiff. The article of clothing was also in astonishingly good condition considering its age and the obvious wear on the seams along the hemline.

With a hesitant hand she touched the fabric as it moved with the breeze, finally registering how the dress matched the ribbon in her hair perfectly.

"So, what do you think?"

The female android barely heard his question, for a sensation of drowning suddenly overloaded her senses. Acting on instinct, she recoiled from the dress as if it had burned her.

9S tilted his head in clear confusion. "What? Isn't this what you wanted?"

2B still couldn't answer.

Don't cry, 2B. Please...I don't blame you for any of it. I promise you I don't.

Her hands curled into tight fists involuntarily. "He always does this. Every time."

"Okay...are you even listening anymore?"

She wasn't. Something inside was definitely malfunctioning, preventing her from being able to think coherently.

Fearful that it might be the beginnings of a logic virus, 2B took a step back, further distancing herself from 9S and the relic he held in his hands.

"2B?"

"I'm fine," she told him, uncertain of whether that was the truth or not, but forcing out words seemed to help with the strange sensation swelling in her chest...

So she forced out more.

"I just think you wasted our funds."

The scowl that overtook his features immediately informed her of the ill choice in words. Even the tone of her voice had been wrong somehow. She meant to be nonchalant about it, but instead the words came out angrily, almost as if she thought he had done something wrong.

While this wasn't the case, 9S was sure to misunderstand.

"Okay, what is your problem?" he asked, clearly aggravated.

"Gifts are a useless ritual," she replied immediately, mechanically.

9S scoffed, sounding almost amused with her statement. "Funny. You seemed to completely forget that yesterday when those machines gave you that ribbon you're wearing and what about that bracelet on your wrist, huh?"

She removed the ribbon and tore off the bracelet without a second thought. "They gave these to me as payment for our..."

"No, the black pearls and extra plug-in chips we received were payments, 2B," 9S interrupted, kneeling to pick up the bag he had dropped. With a sigh of exasperation he tossed the dress he bought back into it. "Just be honest with me, alright. You don't have a problem with gifts. You just have a problem with me."

Though desperate to deny his claim, the female android kept her mouth shut. She couldn't allow herself to get close to him. Not again.

The continuous cycle of life and death required detachment, but 9S made the task impossible. From the time they had truly met till now, he fought his way into her heart and each time he found a way to break it.

This time she wouldn't allow it. This time she would protect herself from pain.

This time...she would leave her own emotions to rot along with the memories she could never escape.

"Go back to the resistance camp," she ordered coldly, turning away from him. Her decision made, she walked off without turning back. He didn't pursue her, didn't even attempt to reach out to her.

Even now, he was still giving her what she needed.

Because 2B knew he wanted to follow. She knew he wanted, maybe even needed an explanation, but he wouldn't ask her for one.

She also knew he would sacrifice everything for her because he had done so over and over again.

A/N: Oh conflict, that terrible thing that must happen sometimes for a budding relationship to blossom into a beautiful lunar tear. And to think, this one started out so light and fluffy too. Anyway, thank you all again for coming down to read my story. It is greatly appreciated. If you enjoyed it, please tell me so. Also, constructive criticism is very helpful and so are any general tips for keeping 9S and 2B in character or anything else with the lore that could be off in some way. (Like with Emil. I had no idea how to describe him. Like at all. My brain failed me.) I want to make sure I'm doing the best job I can on this, so please feel free to point out any issues you find.

Secondary end snippet: After I found out about this world's barter system where monetary value is written as G (hence the reason I initially thought it was Gil). I heard the following snippet in my head:

2B: Do we have enough funds for the items we need?

9S: Oh yeah, we have plenty of G's.

Seriously...while it would have been super funny to write it like this...to me, 9S would have randomly sounded like a pimp daddy and well...then the dialogue would have ended up like this...

2B: Do we have enough funds for the items we need?

9S: Oh yeah, we have plenty of G's girl. I'll buy you all the diamond rings and you'll be my main squeeze. What'cha say doll?

2B: (O_O)

Although, considering how 2B, Operator 21O, and A2 (after receiving 2B's memories midway through the game) all have feelings for him in one way or another...he could have a future in it. XD (I'm kidding.) Still though, picture it. Pimp daddy 9S. Give him a super fancy cheetah print suit and a black fedora. With the blindfold and a really fancy cane, he could totally pull it off...in a ridiculous "no way he could actually pull it off" sort of way. Anyway, enough of my craziness. You guys have a nice day!