Sitting on top of a building close to the Resistance Camp, 9S huffed, there he found himself, alone again. Well, he supposed that alone wasn't correct, as Pod 153 hovered close to him, he was however missing the presence of another android.
2B.
She was okay and fine, and that was good, it was the fact that lately she's been ditching him too much, or so he felt, for the presence of yet another Yorha.
A2.
He was fine with her spending time with A2 if he had to be honest, he knew that in the time 2B had been spending in her head she'd developed affection for her as much as she had for him. He had been the one suggesting she'd go to see her at times, he and A2 still weren't comfortable around each other so the woman didn't like to hang around the camp too much, so he made the decision to allow 2B to stay with her when she wanted, not like 2B would have ever liked if he forbid her to see the other woman.
The problem was that lately she'd been staying with her much more than with him. And he did not like that one bit.
Was he being jealous? Perhaps. He knew now that A2 was not the person he thought she was, that in the end 2B was still here because she kept her data safe, however it didn't change the fact that part of him still saw her like the ruthless killer that ended 2B's life.
That part of him still resented her, and he couldn't shake that off, even if he saw that A2 bore no ill will towards either of them, though she still kept her guard up whenever he was close, and with a good reason he supposed. He certainly didn't make a good first impression on her for sure.
He just couldn't wrap his head around as to why 2B liked so much to spend time with A2 than him, what did she have to offer her that he didn't have?
He didn't even know where the couple usually met and ran off to either, though he could track them down with his Pod, since Pods could track down black box signals, it shouldn't be hard to find two Yorha signals since they were the only ones left, and one was himself.
He could ask Pod 153 to do just that, however something told him that 2B wouldn't like him to intrude in her affairs with A2, whatever they were, or maybe she would understand. But he was scared, and curious a bit too, after all it was the nature of a Scanner.
Perhaps he was just afraid that 2B would disappear again and never come back to him.
Yes, that must have been it.
With a sigh he did ask his Pod to tell him where they were, he needed to put his heart, well black box, at peace, and see for himself with his own two eyes what happened between the two woman and figure out why 2B was ditching him so often, little he cared if he may not like what he could see.
Apparently at the moment the two were hiding away in the forest, not sure if they were out in the open or not though, anything could be.
He tried his best to not overthink what could be happening over there, so far from any other android, but eventually he failed.
He pictured various scenarios, perhaps the two would have just been talking, or maybe they could have been fighting and training together, the world was no longer in danger yet they both were still combat androids, maybe they needed to blow some steam off…
9S felt his face heat up at what he just thought of, because in fact, there were other ways to do just what he said, to relieve stress. What if he caught them doing just that?
No it couldn't be, 2B wasn't a pervert or anything, but, could he trust A2 to keep her hands to herself? Not really. This said, 2B was really pretty so in truth could he blame A2 for it? He supposed not, though he did want to keep some part of 2B for himself only.
There it was that jealousy again, okay, maybe it was stronger than he'd want to admit.
He shook his head from bad thoughts, yes, he was jealous, but in the end what he cared for was that 2B was alive and healthy, and happy too, and if being with A2 did make her happy then he should be content as well.
He was getting closer to them, they hadn't moved from their spot, and if Pod 042 alerted them of him arriving, they didn't make a move to leave, perhaps then there was nothing to fear.
And there was a chance that what they could be doing wouldn't be unpleasant for him to see. He doubted that if they were up to anything intimate they would have wanted him to witness that.
In fact, it wasn't anything that he expected at all.
There was 2B leaning against a tree, watching as her Pod floated around in the waters of the nearby river, and A2, she lying down with her head on 2B's legs, and he wondered if she was asleep or simply just resting there.
He also couldn't help but notice the way 2B held one of her hands over the one A2 had resting on her own stomach, they weren't entwined with one another though.
2B finally seemed to notice his presence as he walked out of the bushes, she didn't say anything, she just motioned him to be quiet, answering his previous question that indeed yes, A2 was sleeping.
Wordlessly 2B motioned for him to join her in sitting at her other side, so that if anything should happen, she'd be between them and they wouldn't harm each other, not that he wanted to anymore, especially with A2 being so vulnerable before him.
As he sat, a realization dawned upon him.
A2 never let her guard down with anyone, perhaps some around Anemone whenever she was at the camp, but something told him that his presence there still put her on edge and didn't allow her to relax fully.
Yet she was lying here with 2B completely exposed, a person that could easily kill her, an Executioner like many others that had chased and hurt her for years, not that there was any need for that now. Still, she lied there seemingly without a care in the world.
A2 trusted 2B, completely.
Also there was the fact that 2B didn't seem mad in the slightest that he found them, perhaps she knew he would have tried eventually? It wasn't a secret that he had a hard time staying away from her, be it fear or whatever else.
"She's just fallen into rest mode." he heard 2B whisper.
He just nodded at her, not quite knowing what to say. With a move of his hand he allowed his Pod to join hers in fishing.
"I'm trying to get her to care for herself, slowly." he watched as 2B ran her thumb over A2's hand. "This is the most I could get her to do, she still refuses maintenance and anything else."
Just now his keen senses picked up the louder hum of a black box, louder than how his or 2B's one had ever been, he only assumed it being A2's.
Still he refrained from saying anything in that regard, there was no way that A2 would ever trust him to hack into her anytime soon, if not ever. Even if he could and wanted to be useful, with Devola and Popola gone, he was the closest thing to a healer type there could be.
He got startled a second, when A2 shifted from her sleep that he thought she noticed him and would attack, however she just curled up on herself, and the noises she made after were nothing comforting, nor anything he thought he'd ever hear from her.
They were pitiful and sad cries.
In this moment he felt bad for saying bad things about her before.
He silently watched as 2B moved to shift her closer and wrap an arm around her, one hand holding one of A2's and the other moving to stroke her cheek, whispering soothing words to her.
It seemed to calm her down again for the time being.
"She has nightmares, all the time…" 2B told him, still giving her attention to A2.
"When I was nothing but mere data living in her head, I'd try to help her and physically destroy the harmful data. I'd speak to her and even for a little, she'd be calm." she explained. "She used to exhaust herself so much that her logic systems couldn't form dream data to avoid these nightmares, it didn't always work, and I am trying to break her out of this habit."
2B glanced at the Pods happily racing in the river.
"Pod suggested that my presence next to her could help her just like it did when I was with her, something about her being less stressed if I'm around. I didn't want to leave you alone this much but lately she's been slipping into her old ways of living again." she cradled A2 even closer.
"I won't pretend that I can fix what Yorha has done to her, but I want to try and make it better if I can. She's been alone and abandoned for so long, and I refuse to let it be that way again. I want her to know that there is someone that cares for her in this world."
9S could only nod to her.
"I see. I'm sorry I was just jealous, you just wanted to help her out and I've been a dumb child." he sighed.
In the end, A2 wasn't any different from him, lonely and hurt, and looking for love just as much as he was.
"Us three, we're the same in the end. We've been used and cast aside like tools, like our existence meant nothing, she's helped me realize it, and now that we're alive again, I want our lives to be worth something, at least for each other."
"That is one good thing to do, if no one else will love us, we can love each other." 9S glanced at the still sleeping woman, her face looked almost serene now. "Including A2 of course."
He saw 2B stroke her cheek, A2 didn't even stir. "I'm glad you're willing to give her a chance."
"I still don't understand her, but I realize I have been unfair to both of you… I should have had more faith…" he rubbed his head, getting up from where he was sitting. "I should go before she wakes, I doubt she'd be happy to see me, especially not so close."
"But…" 2B tried to protest but he was already walking away.
Or he would have if it wasn't for a hand grabbing his leg, stopping him from doing just that, he thought he'd see 2B's white gloves, but instead he saw A2's carbon plated one. He resorted to all his willpower to just not turn on her.
"Stay." she demanded, and despite the tiredness of her tone, it didn't leave much room to argue.
9S looked at 2B who looked back just as equally confused.
"It took all of my goodwill to say that, so don't make me change idea and sit back down." she continued.
"Are you sure A2?" 2B asked what he also meant to ask.
"I can try to tolerate him for a while." she replied, nuzzling further on 2B's leg. "Besides, you wouldn't want to make each other sad, do you now? It's clear you both want to stay close, I'd say I'd leave myself, but I'm afraid 2B wouldn't let me, so you might have to deal with a third wheel."
"Right, you're not leaving from here until you're properly rested." 2B pulled her closer, and A2 just snorted.
"Well you heard A2, she's fine with you staying." however despite 2B's words 9S was still considering leaving them be.
"Come on kid, don't make her sad." A2 spoke again, despite the calmness there was a sort of threatening feeling behind the words. So A2 did truly care whether he made 2B sad or not, just like him.
Maybe they were indeed more alike than he ever thought of.
Regardless, he sat back down at 2B's other side, as he did she wrapped an arm around him, something she rarely did. "Besides, I have an arm for each of you, and neither is leaving them anytime soon."
9S just chuckled at her, wrapping his own arm around her shoulders while A2 put her own arm on top of 2B's one.
"Wasn't planning on it."