Disclaimer: The usual, I don't own anyting about this, except the order of the words.
Fic I wrote a while ago, late, late at night on no sleep. The song within is what inspired me. I know it is badly OOC, but I had fun with it, so like my second grade teacher told me, that is what is important. -- Anyhow, enjoy, or not, but please R&R.
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Walking briskly down the hall, Allen tried to steel himself for the day ahead; "I will ask her to coffee today." He informed himself.
He had been pacing the same hall outside the lab on the Damerung for the last fifteen minutes, telling himself the same thing over and over again.
"Allen?" asked a small female voice, "are you ok?"
Jumping nearly two feet in the air and letting out a shrill squeal, Allen whipped around to find MOMO standing calmly with her hands clasped in front of her.
Catching his breath, "It's just you MOMO" he sighed.
"Yeah, I am ok, just glad it was you and not Shi…" he said cutting off the obvious name.
"You should just ask her out Allen," MOMO said innocently. "The worst that can happen is she says no, and you can move on."
"Easy enough for you to say," Allen whimpered meekly. "You don't know how it is."
Somehow her already large expressive eyes got even bigger as she seemed to be holding something in. "I don't know how it is!" she exclaimed laughing.
"Do you even realize how many times I have tried to tell Jr I like him? That boy is as dense as the Durandal's hull."
"Well, yea, I noticed but…" Allen tried to explain.
Trying not to lose control of her giggles, MOMO said, "Between Shion and Jr, this universe is never going to populate. Trust me, just ask her out I doubt she will even notice."
"I have tried but she always…" he stammered out.
Skipping away joyfully, MOMO called over her shoulder, "Just ask her Allen, if not for your sanity then for ours!"
Allen stood there dumbfounded at what the usually modest young girl had lambasted him with.
"She is right though," he thought, "Shion is as thickheaded as Jr, but at least MOMO can make him blush once in a while."
Taking a deep breath and composing himself, Allen turned around and with all the self-confidence he could muster; strode through the lab doors and into…hell.
Not only was the lab busier than usual, but also the last person in the world he wanted to see was talking to Shion. Miyuki.
Hiya Allen!" Miyuki announced, catching him coming from the corner of her eye. "Kinda late aren't you?"
"I had some business to take care of." Allen replied coolly, for once in his life.
"Please," he thought, "don't let Miyuki stay to long! Although I think she lost some weight…."
"Oh hi Allen," Shion said in passing. "I didn't see you come in."
"Of course not, why would you?" came to the hopeless young mans lips. But what came out was much different. "Ummm, yea, well I had to do some stuff so that's why I am late."
"mmhhmm" murmured Shion as she studied her connection gear intently.
"So Allen," asked one of the techs named Blanch. "Are you ready for KOS-MOS to wake up for her monthly inspection?"
"urgh!" grunted Allen, "that's today isn't it. Yea let me get my station booted up."
Moping over to his spot Allen couldn't help but notice the shapely curves of Miyuki's body. "Gah! What am I doing!" he asked himself shivering.
While he turned his computer warmed up, Shion strolled over to KOS-MOS's bed and began tinkering with it in preparation.
After a couple of minutes, Allen announced that everything was online and active.
"Ok, let's wake her up." Said Shion excitedly.
Even though this was now routine, the room was full of expectation and excitement. Even Miyuki was quite.
Soon the sounds of the locks disengaging filled the room, though there was no fanfare like the first time; everyone agreed the symphony was just too much, after the lid rose, KOS-MOS leapt neatly from the bed to an "at-attention" position.
"Good morning KOS-MOS" said Shion.
"Good morning Shion," answered the android. "why is there a 10.431 rise in personnel present?"
"Oh that's nothing," replied Shion briskly, "a few people came by to visit is all, no need to worry."
"Of course Shion, shall we being the maintenance?" asked KOS-MOS, prompt as ever.
"Yes," said the Chief. "Allen please start the scans."
As Allen's fingers quickly flew over the keyboard, his pinkie unknowingly slipped and added a personal file to KOS-MOS's sub-routines.
After the scans, Allen sat back while Shion asked the android a number of questions.
Feeling a poke in his ribs, Allen turned to his left to find Miyuki squatting mere inches from him. He was momentarily struck dumb by the ample amount of cleavage showing from his particular angle.
"Duh…Miyuki, what do you want?" he asked quickly, trying to recover and hoping she hadn't noticed his leer.
"So are you ever going to ask Shion out or what?" she asked for the millionth time.
Sighing deeply, Allen explained again, "It's not like that, ok? She is just…..aw screw it, maybe someday."
Shocked by his sudden honesty, Miyuki rocked back on her heels nearly falling over except for Allen's hands catching her just under her armpits.
"Thanks Allen," she said, sitting back up." I don't want to look like a fool. Hey, why are you sweating, are you hot or something?" she asked.
Not wanting to give away that oddly enough it was her making him sweat, he simply said, "yes."
"Oh, ok." The Vector employee said suspiciously. "So you think you will actually ask her out?"
"I don't know," he said in a whisper. "She never pays any attention to me except to ask me to do something work related, so whats' the point?"
"I think you should just do it, get it over with and you will see she does care for you." Miyuki stated strongly.
"There just never seems to be the right time," he started, when suddenly; the lights went out; KOS-MOS's eyes turning into shining spotlights and focused on Allen.
"What the…." Could be heard around the room. Except for Shion, who asked," Allen, what is going on?"
Before Allen could reply, the blue-haired android's mouth dropped open and began pouring forth a heavy guitar riff and drum beat.
Unable to hear him over the piercing music, no one heard Allen mutter, "Oh god, how did that get in there!"
Knowing there was no way to explain it, Allen glanced at Miyuki and said," I guess this is the right time."
Stepping into the center of the room, KOS-MOS's eyes following him; Allen began singing in a luscious deep baritone voice:
Since the moment I spotted you,
Like walking around with little wings on my shoes,
My stomach's filled with the butterflies,
Ooh, and it's all right,
Bouncing round from cloud to cloud,
I'd got the feeling like I'm never gonna come down,
If I'd said I didn't like it then you'd know I lied,
Everytime I try to talk to you,
I get tongue-tied,
It turns out that everything I say to you,
Comes out wrong and never comes out right.
So I'll say why don't you and I,
Get together and take on the world and be together forever,
Heads we will, Tails we'll try again,
So I'll say why don't you and I,
Hold each other and fly to the moon and straight on to heaven,
Cause without you they're never gonna let me in.
When's this fever going to break?
I think I've handled more than any man can take,
I'm like a love-sick puppy chasing you around,
Ooh, and it's all right,
Bouncing round from cloud to cloud,
I got the feeling like I'm never gonna come down,
If I'd said I didn't like it then you'd know I lied.
Everytime I try to talk to you,
I get tongue-tied,
It turns out that everything I say to you,
Comes out wrong and never comes out right.
So I'll say why don't you and I,
Get together and take on the world and be together forever,
Heads we will, Tails we'll try again,
So I'll say why don't you and I,
Get together and fly to the moon and straight on to heaven,
Cause without you they're never gonna let me in.
Slowly I begin to realize,
This is never going to end
Right about the same time you walk by,
And I say 'Oh here we go again.
Throughout the song Allen had strutted around the room, always keeping eye contact with Shion, and on the last cord, taking her hand in his as he knelt in from of her as the lights came back on.
"I don't know of any better way to say it Shion." He said plainly, but confidently.
Shion looked shocked, her eyes the size of saucers, her legs and arms trembling.
The whole room was completely silent, waiting for her answer. Everyone's hopes and dreams on the cusp of coming true for these two star-crossed lovers.
"What the hell was that Allen!"? Shion yelled. "Did you put that in KOS-MOS? Do you know what you could have done to her!"?
Obviously looking stunned, Allen stood up and backed up a few steps.
"What were you trying to do? Shion asked him. "What was that supposed to mean?"
A collective, "are you kidding me" went up around the room in everyone's mind.
"You just don't get it, do you?" Allen asked sadly.
"Get what?" Shion exclaimed.
At that moment, KOS-MOS blinked, her eyes back to the normal red and spoke the line of the century. "Shion, there is a 97.989 chance you are too thickheaded to understand what has taken place. Your chances of becoming a old maid are…..98.999"
Dumbfounded, Shion could only gape in wonder at the android, not even noticing Allen striding across the room to Miyuki.
Taking the now thunderstruck girl by the hand Allen said, "Come on Miyuki, let go get some coffee."
Looking up at this new, self-assured Allen in complete awe and adoration, she could only nod as they walked out of the lab.