The apartment is quiet.

It has been about a week since the day that teal-headed man forced his way in, and it has stretched on as if it were decades. At least, in Len's constantly whirring mind, it has seemed like such a very long time.

Especially because after that, Rin became part of the silence.

He still replays that scene in his head- the feeling of tangling his hand hard into Mikuo's hair, the way his body had moved as if turning off his programming of his own volition. He had felt a sense of bloodlust, and a bright new feeling that had overtaken any of his regular thought processes; a fury unbridled. A rage that spoke volumes all its own. It was something he knows he never was taught in his software. For most androids they're programmed with a de-escalation module that is supposed to keep them from malfunctioning and losing control. Not a single one is trained to fight back or harm, but…

Something happened to him when he heard her screams. The sight of her lying prone with that- he hesitates to call Mikuo a human being- set him on fire so fast that he was more than willing to tear him to bits right then and there. His need and desire to protect her was stronger than any set of code. It drowned him in what he could only call a series of truly realistic emotions.

It dawns on him now how poorly those decisions were made in the end. The look of fear strict across Rin's already stressed features that day haunts him even now- it's why he was able to stop himself from crushing Mikuo's skull against the floor. He had to stop and look at his own hands afterward and see what he had done in her name.

An android can't kill. Any single one that shows violence is quickly decommissioned. It's been a rule since they were created; the moment there's signs of anything out of order or not part of their default settings, they're immediately swept off to be destroyed. It was hard-coded into him to be as docile as possible, and yet…

At that moment he had no control. His restraints were gone. Like a leash being removed, he was free to make that decision to choke Mikuo, and he had almost gone through with it. Yet it had cost him Rin's faith in him, or so it seems.

She's hardly spoken more than five words to him since she had crumbled in the kitchen that day. He still recalls how her small frame had shaken so violently with sobs, the tears staining his shirt.

Not long after that, her sickness overcame her and she was forced to return to bed. Still banned from her room despite her acceptance of their relationship, she forbade him from joining her, and he had no choice but to linger outside her bedroom waiting for her call. She never did, however; the rest of her illness spell was spent huddled in her bed, and if she needed anything, she refused to ask him for it. The progress he had thought he'd made before was erased as quickly as that, and she still won't meet his eyes.

He's sure, as much as his own actions had frightened her, that what Mikuo had done too still was affecting her emotions. As an android he wasn't instructed on how to handle physical assault from another human save for calling the authorities, yet with no phone other than Rin's, he was unable. The only person he overheard her speaking to, whilst she was trapped in her room, was the familiar tone of the person she called her friend, Miku. That conversation was not a happy one.

He had been sitting outside, leaned against the wall beside her doorframe, and had heard RIn's soft-spoken, tearful words, muffled yet just audible enough for his honed hearing to catch. It was a thankful change from the cries, but still brought him sadness as he could catch snippets of the tealettes words, the confusion, the higher tones of horror and disbelief. It seemed at the time that when Rin explained it, it took just a moment for Miku to believe her, as if she was prepared for something like this, and yet there was still something under that tone he recognized, as he had heard it in Rin's more than once. A deep type of sadness and regret.

Miku had been calling since, trying to reach Rin, but after that single phone call Rin had hidden her phone away, ignoring every ring and refusing to leave the apartment after she was well. He would acknowledge her at every turn, but she still seemed too distant to reach out, and it felt… painful. Like he had failed her.

Then Miku's calls stopped, and rin grew even more depressed, and he had no clue what to do to make her feel better. What do you do to help fix what someone else has broken? All he wants to do is be there for her, and that's what he does even if she doesn't want to see his face. He needs her to feel safe with him, and if he can't even do that, then what good is he to her? An android is their owner's companion through everything, and all he's done has made her feel worse.

These feelings of resentment toward Mikuo and his own self doubt are so unfathomable that he's confusing himself. He never had these… emotions when he woke under Rin's touch and now suddenly they're pouring in from every interaction. Hatred, anger, happiness, sadness, love… True, unfaltering love. He's not supposed to feel these so rawly, is he? Is this how every android is? Surely he can't be faulty. This must be how it is for others.

That question kept him pondering day and night that full well, until finally, as another day threatens to pass them both by unproductively, he decided to make some use of himself. He can't just sit here and feel sorry for Rin. He has to do something else.

"...Rin?"

His voice breaks the tense silence, trying to reach her even though her door is closed shut on him. He gently taps the wood, unsure if she's even awake.

After no answer, he taps again. "I plan to go get some groceries since we're running low. Do you need anything in particular?"

It's still. Then he heard it- a single, soft word almost inaudible. "...Coffee."

It allows him to breathe a sigh of relief; at least she's up and functional today. If only he could hold her again.

"Okay. I'll be sure to get you your favorite," he promises, and with that, he proceeds out the door, entering the bright midday sun.

The weather is dark and cloudy, hinting at the chances of rain. It sets a tone of gloom about the places, and he walks forward, beginning his trek to the store.

As he wanders, his mind does as well, running back to his odd notions as an android. Wondering if all androids are the same still filters through his perfectly logical thinking, causing him even more distress than before. If only he had answers, as his inner manual says nothing about feeling so strongly. Sure, he's allowed to have very limited emotions as they wouldn't function well without them, but this is… this is different? Or is it? Has he been a model with expanded limitations?

Somehow, he finds his feet moving a new direction, the opposite of the store and toward less familiar territory. Thankfully, his inner GPS is well modeled, and it immediately tells him exactly where to go, remembering the address from the time that Rin had mentioned visiting it and sending mail to her best friend as a silly christmas gift.

His trusted device easily leads him where he needs, and quickly he finds himself standing in front of a sprawling home, a wide three story light blue house with a picket white fence. He reaches out and raps three times upon the door, then waits.

It takes a second, but then the door opens and Kaito reveals himself. He's dressed in a pressed white shirt and blue slacks, his blue mop of hair shaggy as always. He meets Len's gaze and nods his head.

"Hello, Len," he says lightly. "How may I help you? Is miss Rin not with you?"

Her name stings him a tad, but he shakes his head. "I am afraid that I… I was sent here in her stead. May I come in?"

Kaito tilts his head to the side. "Allow me to ask my mistress first."

He closes the door and Len waits patiently outside a bit more. It doesn't take much longer, as the door flings open and reveals the sea-colored twintails of Miku herself.

He's never seen her look quite so frazzled, especially when she lays her tired eyes upon him. She's applied a thin layer of makeup but it does nothing to hide the dark bags under her eyes and the stress written across her pale face. Her bright blue-green eyes are dark, yet she still plasters a weary smile on her face upon seeing Len— though it lasts only for a second.

"Len," she breathes, taking him in. "I- I wasn't expecting you! Come in, please."

He does as she asks, and she welcomes him into a wide, mahogany hallway. There are mannequins in embroidered gowns lining it all the way down to where he spots a spiral staircase and a foyer.

She leads him down the hall and into the open room. It's a vaulted ceiling, the walls painted in shades of deep blue and white. She sits him down on her brown leather couch and happily sits into the matching chair in front of his, clasping her hands together. She's dressed in a thin white blouse and a short red skirt, and she crosses her legs tightly as she searches his expression. He blankly stares back.

"So, um… why are you here?" she asks him lightly, almost nervous.

"I… well, I wanted to speak with Kaito, actually," he says, and her eyes lose a bit of their usual glint.

"Oh. I was hoping you were here to tell me Rin was feeling better," she says sadly, placing her head in one hand and closing her eyes tightly. "I thought she sent you?"

He comes up with an excuse on the fly, the words slipping out of his mouth easily. "She did. She didn't want me at the apartment with her right now, and told me to spend some time out. So I came here to converse with Kaito."

Miku sighs deeply. "Oh. Is she… Is she okay?"

Len can't offer her pleasant lies this time, and shakes his head. "I am… afraid not. After what your brother did-"

"Please don't say it!"

Her outburst startles him, and he blinks at her. She's fierce now, her expression filled with anger.

"That- That bastard," she curses harshly, her hands balling into fists, the material of her skirt gripped tight between her fingers. "I knew he wasn't all there in the head, but I never thought he would-! To Rin, of all people, either, I… I can't ever forgive him. I won't forgive him."

He pauses. Her words feel strange to him, different than the scripts he's been fed. "...Isn't he your brother?" he asks her with confusion. "Are you not going to defend him?"

She gapes at him, ready to spit something angry, but then a realization dawns across her face.

"No, of course not," she answers, frowning. "He may be my brother, but family or not, what he did was unforgivable. You may not understand this fully as an android, and- haha, I don't know why I'm even explaining it, but humans can do horrible things even to the people close to them. They shouldn't be allowed to do it again."

Miku glances to the side, her perfectly trimmed bangs falling just over her eyes. "I used to forgive him for many things. As my brother, I couldn't tell him I hated him for being a terrible human being, but… This was the last straw. This was going too far, doing too much, and I… I still don't know how to handle it. He even lives with me, but he hasn't dared to show his face since he attacked Rin. I wouldn't let him take two steps onto my lawn without having Kaito throw him out. He's never welcome here again."

Miku's expression is dark and bitter, and she rubs the side of her face with exhaustion.

"...I'm sorry about what he did. I'm so sorry for Rin. She goes through so much already, and now this. I can't believe I had no idea he would do this." Miku bites her cheek. "I feel like I almost blame myself for this. But- anyway. I'm sure you don't want to hear about this."

In a way, Len does, because seeing this look of disgust and sadness written over the tealette makes his empathetic program raise its head. He wants to offer her comfort like he does Rin, but not quite in the same way. In a friendly way, like he could cheer her up. But he's not sure what could make her feel better. Miku isn't Rin, and doesn't work the same way; he's not customized to fit her needs like he is with Rin. Kaito would be better suited to it, yet…

"...I don't think Rin blames you, Miku."

Miku pauses, and looks up at him, eyes heavy and yet prodding. "What did you say?"

Len allows himself to speak, shaking his head. "She cares about you greatly. I saw how she was when she called you that day. It was important to her even in her time of need to let you know what was going on."

Miku flicks her bangs out of her face and frowns further. "I don't think you quite understand how people work, Len. You don't just feel angry and hurt toward one person most of the time. It spreads out to others too. I know she was upset with me too, that day, including the fact she's been ignoring all my calls. I feel like I'm bothering her now."

"I may not be fluent in human chemistries," Len responds firmly, "but I am absolutely sure of what I know about Rin. I believe that what she needs right now is for you to stay by her side too."

She's quiet then, and she eyes him thoughtfully.

"...I wonder, sometimes, why you talk the way you do," she comments oddly, tilting her head to the side. "You act so… weird sometimes."

A siren signal flares in the back of Len's mind, and he narrows his gaze in confusion. "Excuse me? Did I say something wrong?"

"No. Not wrong, anyway," she corrects, before looking to the side. "It's just that sometimes you say things that make you feel like… well, it's silly, but you act more human than most androids, I guess. You have much more fluid mannerisms. Even my Kaito doesn't really respond the same way as you do. What programming did Rin buy when she purchased you?"

For some reason the question seems pointed, and for the first time, Len hesitates before answering. "I'm model CV-02. I'm a recent lineup, but I'm not one of the popular varieties. My model line creation date was exactly one year, six months, and three weeks prior to today."

"Interesting. My Kaito is model KS-00, and was released just a year before you. How can you be so much more advanced and yet be an unpopular line?" Miku continues to grill him. "Or was it something that was made by Rin's specifications?"

"I am unable to disclose my specifics under my copyright agreement."

She lets out a soft chuckle. "Ah, I see. You're not going to tell me."

"I apologize."

Before she can inquire further, her cellphone begins to jingle at her side. Reluctantly picking it up, she goes into a full business mode on a whim, replacing the tiredness she had just a moment before.

"It seems I have to take this. I'll send Kaito in to talk with you while I'm gone, then."

Gently sweeping herself up, she presses a button and begins to chime into the phone before she's even managed to leave the room.

Len sits by himself for a little while, waiting for the blue-haired man to make his appearance. He considers the things Miku had said, trying to compute it in a way that makes perfect logic- but it doesn't no matter how he rearranges it.

Humans are unpredictable creatures. It's ingrained in himself that he can't understand every waking thought for them, because they aren't programmed with a default set of skills, likes, and dislikes like he is. The things that make him himself are things that Rin gave to him. Rin shaped him into being who he is right now- into being 'Len'. From his name down to his looks, including his mannerisms and tastes.

"I apologize for the wait, Len."

It's then that Kaito makes his appearance, peering around the side of a nearby door and smiling his way. Len stands up reflexively.

"Oh. It isn't a problem."

"I am actually getting ready to begin dinner for my mistress. Would you care to join me while we talk?"

Len blinks, but then nods. "Of course."

Following the bluenet through the door and into the expansive kitchen, Len finds himself admiring the style within. Every surface is stainless steel or white marble, in dimmed gray-blue tones. There is a dual sink and every appliance he can possibly think of- oven, air fryer, food processor, toaster, espresso machine. The size of the kitchen itself could house a full team of top chefs, he's certain. He nearly feels envious that Rin is not able to have such a wonderful setup, as he could make her any number of wonderful meals with it. He knows that she adores oranges, perhaps one day he could make her an orange chiffon cake….

Laying across the island counter in the center of the kitchen is a filleted salmon across a bed of lettuce and decorated with lemon. There is a tossed salad in a large bowl beside it, and an assortment of dressing for both. Yellow rice seems to be cooking upon the stove, and the scent of many spices fills the room. There seems to be enough food littering the counters to feed a small army, but it all must be solely for Miku.

"Did you make all this?" Len asks the other android, and Kaito nods.

"I did. I was programmed with an excellent sense for cooking, so I make every meal for Mistress Miku." Kaito stills. "Apologies. She's requested I call her Miku. I have to override my software for it, yet it slips out occasionally."

"This is all very impressive," Len notes, moving to check the other lidded pot beside the rice. Some type of tomato bisque? "Do you enjoy cooking?"

Kaito looks at Len with a raised brow. "Not particularly. It is simply my duty as her android."

Len turns around and leans against the counter. "She must appreciate it though, right?"

"I would assume so, though she does correct me if I make something she despises. It is rare, however; she is very particular and I have most information about her tastes and needs as it is."

Len frowns, watching Kaito fret over the perfect salmon under his fingertips. Some questions rise to his throat, and he decides to address them right now. They burn at the back of his mind, making him wonder why it presses at him so much.

"Kaito, how do you feel about Miku?"

This earns him another odd look. "What do you mean?"

"Do you love her?" His choice of words are brusque, and it shows- yet this time the other android seems unfazed.

"Of course. I could not be by her side if I was not infatuated with her."

His response is measured and not at all what Len had expected. There's something missing from every syllable, a sense of truth. Like he's forced to say it and not like he's truly feeling it. That air of genuinity isn't there.

"Do you think that.. If given the choice, if you weren't programmed to love her, would you still?"

This time the question is abrupt, like Len is searching for something. He isn't sure why, but it feels important to know. Like he's trying to confirm something. It stings within his chest.

Kaito shakes his head and Len watches his expression for any sign whatsoever of what he himself has been feeling. There's nothing there; it's a perfect poker face just like usual.

"If it was not in my programming, no," Kaito replies. "Yet that is impossible regardless. We aren't made to do things outside of our preplanned design. We wouldn't exist if human beings didn't need us."

The reassurance that Len was looking for, the heart in the tone was waiting in vain for, isn't there. Instead he's met with blankness and indifference. Those feelings that Len battles with aren't hidden behind Kaito's eyes, and all that lies there is empty obedience.

Kaito doesn't have these same urges. The same desire to protect, to cherish, to keep close like he does. They aren't there. How can he not feel anything when he says these things?

Why can't I make this make sense to him? Am I speaking nonsense after all?

"Why are you asking these questions?" Kaito pipes up, while Len grips tight to the countertop. "Has something happened?"

A knot builds within Len's chest. He has this feeling that if he lets on to what he's thinking, it will end poorly for him. If Kaito isn't like him, then that means that revealing these feelings may get reported to someone via their inner connections. If this isn't what a normal android feels, then that means he isn't normal.

If he isn't normal, what does that mean for him? For his future? What does that mean for Rin?

"No, no reason," Len replies, shaking his head. "I was only inquiring about it because I heard someone else mentioning some kind of… sentience, in an android. Is that not strange?"

Kaito returns to his salmon. "It's impossible, not strange."

"Are you sure?" Len argues. "What if it were?"

"It is absolutely impossible," the bluenet returns without flinching at his raised voice. "We are not built that way. If it were to happen, it would be a flaw. Lies told by humans in their times of need when they seek reassurance that they are choosing the right thing- and if an android plays to their fantasy, they are doing their job and nothing else. That is the only possibility."

It can't be. Kaito speaks with no room for further debate, but he finds himself biting back words to refute him. He wants to express how he feels, what Rin makes him feel every time he's with her, and explain how different it is from just a line of code teaching you how to act. There's a pang of sorrow for Kaito that he can't understand something so important.

Staring holes into the top of Kaito's head, Len doesn't know what to do to convince him otherwise. There isn't anything, is there? All he has is his own experiences, and that's nothing in the face of stone-cold logic. He can't say anything to change Kaito's own coding. It gives him an innate sense of loneliness; he can't be the only one, can he?

I have always ignored these confusing notions, but now I can't deny them. I can't deny that how I feel isn't the same for them.

Len finds himself looking toward the floor, trying to sort through the mess of thoughts he's suddenly dealing with. Nothing he's said has elicited any kind of emotion from Kaito, only the regulated responses they were told to say.

If that's the case, then…

Len suddenly reaches up to touch his chest. A blooming, ice cold feeling has spread from his core outward, filling him with a new emotion he's never yet faced. This time he knows this can't be normal for things like him.

He's not like the other androids. Despite his genetic makeup being the same, and his mechanical body preventing him from being able to breathe the same or eat, and his lack of a heartbeat, he is sentient. He has these feelings that other androids do not. His feelings for Rin,a s overpowering as they have been, have always been channeled outward in his words, his actions. He has never once doubted that, if he were to lose his programming entirely, he would still love her. Even if that were part of his software, even if all these thoughts are just results of his eccentric customized personality, this can't all be lies, can it?

And this feeling, right now… Standing in Miku's kitchen, feeling this dread filling his entire body, it can only be one thing.

Len is afraid.