Chapter four, finally. OMG, I am sorry. I haven't abandoned it I swear. I found this chapter wrote down while I was rummaging thru a notebook. I had forgotten I had even wrote it. Anyway, it sorta breaks the story's flow, as it's kinda deep. But, the story itself will get a little deeper as we deal with robot/human love, and even male/male love in general. Or, well, Leela deals with it.
Suspicions
Chapter fourFry had been acting strange. Distant. Bender noticed. It was nearing the end of their Saturday. A day when Leela had suggested they get their fill of 'fun'. But Bender's tempature gauge told him that the room temp had dropped ten degrees below average.
So he braved confronting Fry against the voices in his programming telling him not to.
"Fry, what's eating you?" Bender asked entering the kitchen, Fry was prowling through the refrigerator. "I don't claim to understand squishy human emotion... so?"
"Nothing, Bender, I'm just great." Fry replied bitterly. He slammed the frige, popped the top on his Slurm, sipping up the fizz that came out of the top. He glared at the automaton as he exited the kitchen.
"Oh." Bender slouched down as low as his spinal cord rod would allow him to. Slowly he followed the noticeably agitated delivery boy.
"Why do you call me that?" Fry asked stopping and turning to face Bender.
Bender stopped and looked at Fry, "What?"
"Meatbag, skintube, tub sock, porkpie, wiggles?" Fry threw around a few suggestions of annoying names Bender liked to refer to him as.
"I dunno, I call everybody that." The robot 'shrugged'.
"You call everybody 'wiggles'?" Fry crossed his arms and raised an eye to the robot.
"No. That was just a little pet name." Bender smiled trying to be cute.
"That's all I really am to you anyways. A dumb pet?"
"Well, so, what's wrong with that? You're my pet." Bender stated.
"People don't have sex with their pets, Bender." Fry pointed out.
"I'm not a 'people', I'm a robot." Bender countered.
"I know, quit reminding me." Fry plopped down on the couch and propped his arm up on the couch arm, resting his head on his fist.
"Is this because I don't wanna tell those other jerkwads we share space with about us?" Bender asked sitting beside him, facing Fry's way.
"No, may as well keep us in the closet since I already live in your's." Fry huffed sarcastically.
"Fry, c'mon. We'll tell those chumps when they're ready." Bender begged.
"When's that gonnna be? Ohhh, maybe... never?" Fry crossed his arms.
Bender sighed and gazed around the room. "This isn't easy for either of us, Fry."
"Why should it be? My whole life up until this point has been sacrifice. How should any romantic relationship I'm in be any different?" Fry got up and walked out the door.
--
"Coming, I'm coming. Hold on a sec." Leela shouted feeling her way to the door.
Nibbler jumped up and down attempting to warn her of the potted plant she was about to run into. Too late. She tripped over the plant falling flat on her face.
"Oww, stupid..." She howled in frustration, "Nibbler, why didn't you tell me there was something in front of me?" She asked turning onto her butt and rubbing her head.
The plant laid on its side, dirt spilled out onto the carpet. Nibbler folded his arms and grumbled something in that pet babbish talk Leela was accustomed to. The sound of someone beating on the door made Leela remember that, uh.. someone was beating on the door. Leela got up and felt her way to the door, laying hands on it searching for the lock. She located it and turned it, then found the knob, turning it and opening the door.
"Who is it? I can't see you. So if it's a burglar, I warn you, I have a giant, ferocious, man-eating serpent locked up in the kitchen and he will tear you to shreds." Leela threatened.
"It's just me, Leela." Fry's voice soothed her tension.
"Oh, hi, Fry. What brings you here?" Leela greeted, happy to have someone she knew and could trust in her presence.
"Uhh.. do you really have a giant, ferocious, man-eating serpent in your kitchen?" Fry asked peering in that general direction.
"Locked up in the kitchen." Leela corrected, "And no, I don't. I'm just having a hard time with.. this. Nibbler's been no help." Leela scolded.
Nibbler rolled all three of his eyes and sighed.
"Sorry about this whole thing, Leela. I feel like this is my fault, I can't stress enough.."
"Fry, it's okay, really. It's not your fault.. these things happen." Leela lied.
Fry looked at her, he knew she was lying. He didn't have to be a genius to know that.
"So, what brings you here?" Leela asked once more.
"Oh, it's kinda complicated." Fry gazed down at his shoes, turning one in on its side.
"Well, you wanna come in and talk about it." Leela offered, holding the door open wider to let Fry pass.
Fry smiled and came in. Leela shut the door behind him and locked it. Can't be to careful. Fry fell down on the couch and began twiddling his thumbs. Leela felt her way over to it the couch, feeling to make sure she didn't sit in Fry's lap. Fry looked up at the blind, one-eyed mutant with concern.
"So, you getting around okay?" He asked thoughtful.
"No, this really sucks." Leela replied truthfully.
Fry knew it was true because the room looked like shit. Not really like his and Bender's apartment, just a little messy. The plant laid desecrated, the coffee table laid broken on it's side, some 'Cosmoaliens', that had been on top of it, were spilled out onto the floor. Fry then noticed it was sort of dark in the room. Made sense, why do you need light when you can't freaking see?
"So, what's on your mind, Fry?" Leela broke the silence.
"Oh, it's just Bender." Fry sighed.
"What.. about Bender?" Leela asked.
"Well, you're the only one I can talk to seeing how you're the only one who knows." Fry said sadly. "Bender doesn't want to tell anyone."
"Yeah, I kinda figured that." Leela replied smiling weakly. "Do you want to tell anyone?"
"I dunno, I hate sneaking around. It's not that I wanna shout it from the roof-tops like it's this big deal, it's not a big deal or anything. I just.. we're not doing anything wrong. I don't wanna act like if anyone figures it out that we should be ashamed, like we're commiting a crime. I don't want to sneak around at work and around our friends and co-workers." Fry confessed.
"I understand, Fry."
"I can't make Bender understand. He doesn't even want to discuss it." Fry ran his hands through his hair, and rested his head in his hands. It was all so confusing.
"Bender never has been good with his feelings." Leela stated the oh-so-obvious.
"Yeah.. so, what would you do if it was you in this situation?" Fry asked. He raised his head and looked up at her. Her head was turned to the direction of his voice. Well, it was off a few centimeters, but at least she was listening.
"I've never been in this type of situation before, Fry." Leela confessed.
"What if you were?"
"Like how do you mean? Like if I dated a fembot?" Leela inquired.
"Okay." Fry's head was starting to hurt.
"Well, if I loved her, I wouldn't care what people thought, or really if they knew or not. It's really none of their damn business."
"I'm not saying it is. I'm just saying I don't want.. I'm sick of walking around on egg shells at work." Fry was even more conflicted by the nature of his situation, and the conversation that was getting him no where.
"Why do you have to, just be casual. If they find out.. don't act like it's a big deal and no one will think it is." Leela shrugged.
"Bender is the one who wants us to walk around on egg shells, not me. He's the one who cares that someone might find out. Not me, no siree." Fry shook his head.
"I see." Now, Leela was confused.
"You going blind when you found out didn't help my cause either." Fry's voice sounded doleful.
"Fry, I didn't go blind because I now know that you two are.. together." Leela swallowed. She was starting to feel thirsty.
"Yeah, like I believe that one. I'm not that stupid, Leela." Fry folded his arms.
Leela sat and pondered that one. Did it bother her so bad that her two friends were together. And why exactly would it? Was it becasue they were her friends and she felt out of the loop because she had no one. Or, was it because they were guys, or that one was a robot and the other man. Leela never thought of herself as homophobic, or even robophobic, but accepting that there are robots and people who were robosexuals, or romosexual, or homosexual, was one thing. It's a different story when the robosexuals were her two best friends.
"Leela, are you okay?" Fry said unnerved by the silence.
"Huh?" She was more confused, "I'm fine.. I'm just tired, and my head sorta hurts. I'll be okay."
"Well, thanks for listening... I guess. I need to get back, Bender likes when I'm home for dinner on time." Fry's stomach turned at the thought of Bender's cooking.
"I'll apologize in advance." Leela stifled a chuckle.
"Yeah, at least he tries. He's getting better. It doesn't nearly kill me like it used too." Fry sighed.
"Why do you eat it. Even you aren't.. even you can see that it's hazardous. I don't see why Bender doesn't see it." Leela didn't add 'Unless, Bender really is trying to kill you.'
Fry shrugged, "He means well. I don't want to hurt his feelings."
"You really do care about him, don't you?"
"See you later, Leela. Lock this door." Fry patted her shoulder avoiding the question and with that he left.
Nibbler cuddled up in his bed, with as many unsettling thoughts as Leela had herself.
Okay, that was really, dramatic. But, I guess it doesn't all have to be flaming toilet humor. It wrote itself this way. I can't, and I refuse to argue with the voices in my head about how a chapter should be written.
I know I said there would be a thing on Robot Procreation at the end of this chapter, but I've been sooo lazy, and I haven't done it. Next chapter definately. Love you all!!! Thank U for reading, and please review!!!!
Wait! Wait! I will now take this time to annoy everyone by thanking the following; Endless C-- yes, I thought the phonebook part was funny too :) SeventhSINwrath, Mattie Scary, DarkAngel10003, CrystalMask-- Leela is severely unimpulsive, isn't she? and KnucklesRedFury207.2. Actually, I was thinking that Leela going blind thanks to finding Fry and Bender, was kinda like that 'King of the Hill' episode where Hank caught his mom and her Jewish boyfriend in the act and went blind b/c of psychological issues-- whoa, big words... Leela's case is sorta like that-- and I will deal more with it later.