A/N: Well... not much has happened recently. There is no news to report... I am just in a write-y mood. So write I shall!

But before all this business goes down, I wanted to thank all my readers!
So- here goes.

Thank you all so much to everyone who has read my story! I really appreciate it and I hope you continue to read this! The only reason I'm continuing this is because of you guys; so give yourselves a round of applause! That's right, pat yourselves on the back! Or have your other personality do it. You decide.

What... you don't have another personality?
Don't worry, you soon will.

But seriously; thank you guys so much!
I love you all! :)

[{Chapter 8}]

Axel never came back downstairs. He was too ashamed. He couldn't show his face, not yet.

ROX-S sat in the kitchen on the cold linoleum, trying to process what had happened. Had he done something wrong? Why had Axel run away? He silently sat there; staring at the floor, wishing something would happen. Anything. He just wanted to think about something else. But even as he stood up and walked to his room, he couldn't stop his mind from wandering back to Axel. Somewhere deep in the recesses of his neural-processors, he wanted to understand. He wanted to know what had suddenly come over Axel, and why. But he could never understand; he wasn't accustomed to solving moral problems such as this. It confused him even more.

Axel buried his face in his pillow, wanting to drown out the world. Why was he hiding like this? He was a man, damn it! But for some reason he couldn't confront ROX-S. It was almost painful, having to see him everyday but never be able to touch him. He was so damn tempting; he drove Axel mad with desire. But why... why had he done this to himself? He could have made ROX-S completely unappealing. He could not have given him such attractive features, yet in the process he felt he had to. Axel wanted ROX-S to be the picture of perfect... to over-achieve where so many others (even himself) had failed.

But his passion was still wrong. There was no denying that; and it was unfair to both him and ROX-S.

Oh how he loathed himself.

(xXx)
Axel woke late that night to a sharp knocking on his door.

"Mmnn... what...?" He said sleepily.

ROX-S gently pushed open Axel's door, letting a curtain of light cut through the darkness of his room.

"I... I couldn't sleep." ROX-S muttered, timidly.

Axel sat up in bed, studying the android. That was strange... he was programmed to always be able to fall asleep; like an instinct. Maybe he had over-stimulated the blonde's processors. It was a good possibility, because when that happens then things don't work right; like when you have too many windows open on a computer. Axel just had to calm him down somehow. Distract him.

"Well... how about I read you a story?"

"Read a... story?"

"Yeah, to help you fall asleep."

"...But how will that help me fall asleep?" ROX-S questioned.

Axel couldn't help but smile at the android's adorable, blatant ignorance. "Just trust me."

He threw the blankets off himself and put a hand on ROX-S's back as he guided him back to his room.

"Now get under the covers... get nice and cozy." Axel said soothingly.

"Okay." ROX-S complied as he snuggled into his bed.

Axel browsed his huge shelf of books. The room ROX-S slept in was once a home library, but had been re-purposed to accommodate guests. Since ROX-S was technically a guest, this had become his room.

Axel searched for a book to read to ROX-S, but his heart slowly sunk as he realized that most of the books he owned were thick, scientific textbooks.

Then he remembered that he had a children's book downstairs; the one he kept in with his all his other keepsakes.

"I'll be right back." Axel said.

(xXx)
Axel pulled out the musty box from underneath the closet stairs, being careful not to knock anything over. He took off the lid and peered inside, instantly washed over by nostalgia.

He found his plastic, chrome-painted gun he had always carried around as a kid; feeling like he could take on the world. He took out his favorite blanket from when he was very small; the one his father had given him before he left.

His father... he had hardly known the man. All his mom had told him was that he was a scientist, and left so he could travel the world and discover new things. He decided that he wanted to follow in his footsteps; to travel the world too, and maybe find him. Ask him why he never came back. Axel realized now how foolish he had been...

He blindly reached inside the box, feeling for the book. He just wanted to close the lid on his pitiful, worthless memories. Suddenly his hand brushed against something unfamiliar... something paper. He grabbed it and pulled it out of the box. It was his award from the science fair he had gone to when he was ten. In bold, colorful, letters it read:

GOOD EFFORT!

Then underneath that was the (obviously) photocopied signature of the principal.

The memory of it was a painful reminder that he was no good. He wasn't even sure why he kept it. But he remembered, he should have gotten the first place ribbon... and all he got was this shitty, generic piece of paper. It had crushed his self-confidence, and his mother hadn't helped...

(flashback)

"Mom... I'm home..." Axel sniffled, wiping away a tear.

"Yeah." She answered un-aknowledgingly. She was sitting in the living room, watching TV with that same bored expression she always had.

Axel stood in front of the TV, making his presence obvious.

Her attention seemed to snap to him, but then slowly fade. Like she was focused on him, but not quite registering that he was there. She seemed hazy and far away, and distracted by something far off in the distance. But what was new?

"O-Oh yeah... how was the science thing?"

Axel wiped a tear from his cheek, and held up the disgraceful paper for his mother to see.

"I didn't even get a place. I worked so hard... I pored my heart and soul into my project... and yet I still got rejected!" He was yelling now, fed up with himself and the world.

No one really paid any attention to Axel. He was always that one kid who sat way in the back, and no one seemed to know his name. He was always reading books on neurology or psychology or some other type of brain science. He was fascinated by it.

But sometimes, he would lose himself in a good adventure novel. One of bravery and excitement and captivating discoveries. Often; he would imagine his father as the protagonist of the story, and he would insert himself by his side. He could be his father's trusty companion, his sidekick. And his father was always proud.

But now - as he stood in front of his mother - he felt nothing but shame. He had wanted her to be proud. He had wanted her to say 'I thought you did a good job' or 'at least you tried' or something along the lines of encouraging, but all she did was narrow her eyes and say,
"That's not surprising. You're trying to be like your father. He was a worthless piece of shit who left us and never amounted to anything. He said he had to go 'follow his dreams'... but now he's probably selling drugs, and sure as hell not paying child support."

Axel started to tear up again. What was she saying? The thought of his father being the lowly scum his mother portrayed him to be was too much to bear.

"No! You're wrong! He's a great scientist - no - father, and would be proud of me no matter what I wanted to do! Unlike you!... I... I...
I hate you!" He screamed all of his hate and rage into her face, and for once her eyes showed some emotion... she looked hurt.

But that quickly faded as she reverted back to her cold, stark personality. Axel wouldn't be able to break her that easily. "You can believe what you want; but take a long, hard look at that paper. That's the damn fruit of your labor. You don't want to end up chasing a dead-end dream and throwing your life away. But I guess that's where you're headed."

"I can become whatever I want!" he yelled, "And I'll find Father! I'll find him and then we'll go on all sorts of adventures together!"

His mother looked momentarily sad.

"...Go upstairs."

"But-"

"GO, upstairs. I don't want to hear anymore of this crap."

Axel huffed and turned on his heel, feeling frustrated and alone as he went up to his room to cry.

(end flashback)

Axel shook his head.

It upset him just thinking about it; how his mother had no faith in him. She had given up on her only son, and herself. It made him feel sick.

And where was his father now? Was he still traveling the world, or was that a lie in the first place?

(xXx)
"I found it." Axel said as he entered the room.

"Okay..." ROX-S answered as he laid there, his cerulean eyes looking sleepy.

Axel turned off the bright overhead light, but kept on the soft glow of one of the desk lamps and sat down on the edge of ROX-S's bed. He looked at the book titled, 'How Do You Know?"

It had been Axel's favorite book as a child.

The cover depicted a furry-looking rabbit laying in bed with his mother pulling the blankets up to his chin. He opened up the book and started reading:

"Mother, are you sure I won't have nightmares tonight?"

"Yes I'm sure, you needn't worry about fright."

"But how do you know?"

"Haven't I already told you so? I said that I'm sure and my promise I'll keep, I promise I'm here - even as you sleep."

"But mother, what if monsters are after me?"

"I swear that I'll protect you - don't get panicked - you needn't be."

"But how do you know?"

"Haven't I already told you so? I said that I swear and this you shouldn't forget, I am guarding you - so do not fret."

"But what if I'm sad and I can't fall asleep?"

"I'm always here for you, you won't cry or weep."

"But how do you know?"

"Haven't I already told you so? I love you with all of my heart - and that's true. But of course this you already knew."

"...Goodnight mother - I'll see you soon."

"Goodnight my angel, claim your sleep in the rays of the moon."
...

Axel closed the book as he looked over to ROX-S. He was sleeping now, and his face looked peaceful.

Axel had been thinking that he felt like the mother from the story... he only wanted to protect the fragile blonde from the corruption of the outside world. He didn't want to expose ROX-S to the harsh reality of this life.

But how long would that last? How long could he shelter him?

And how long could he push back his desires?

A/N: I think this is the longest chapter I've written. Wow! Wasn't expecting that. Or maybe it just seemed long. I dunno. It's late. O_O

I got to go all Dr. Seuss in this chapter, haha. Hope it wasn't TOO bad.

I'm glad I could include some of Axel's history in here - there will be more fleshing out of that premise soon.

Also, I think that Axel and ROX-S's relationship can only go uphill, while Axel's feelings will only become increasingly dark, confusing, and foreboding. I feel bad that it has to be that way, but he probably just feels that it can't be!

But of course we ALL know that they are so meant for each other, whether one of them is an android or not is irrelevant! Love is universal! Right? Am I right?

I'm right.

So I guess we'll see how this little thingy turns out.

Death-chan, signing off.