More Than Just a Bio-Machine
By Eule Vix
Disclaimer: I do not own Welcome to Night Vale nor do not make money off of this fic.
Chapter 4: Dirty Secrets
The drag to her office had been utterly too long, or maybe it hadn't been long enough. She didn't know when the tears had started to fall, but for once she was grateful that her reputation caused many to run in the opposite direction. She wasn't sure she would hold back from trying to expand her collection some more, and besides the halls were looking a bit dry as of late.
But she was side tracking. Maybe that was a good thing because it was just the pure exhaustion from the day that was stopping her from being wracked by sobs.
He wouldn't want that, he would never have wanted that. He would have wanted her to smile, even if it wasn't to be productive, he would want her to smile.
She sauntered over to her desk, placing the box down, the burn of her muscles being relieved and instead replaced with the ache of over use. She place a note on the box, indicating for her PA to place the newly acquired resources to be properly stored later in her privet freezer, before she sat down for the first time that day. She relaxed into the chair hands cross in her lap as she wondered if she might go home. Wondering if this time she might be able to actually fall asleep.
[+]-[+]-[+]
It was mid-summer in the year of 2011, and in a matter of four short years she had accomplished so much. She had been promoted twice more, now a manager apart of the third level division, right below the Program Directors. Now she was going to celebrate. She hadn't before, seeing that though they were important promotions, none were this close to the long desired position she wanted, the one that she had dreamed of after only a few years in the orphanage. She was so close she could near taste the blood of the Vice President on her lips; or maybe that was the residual from her most recent promotion, she wasn't entirely sure.
But tonight was a night to celebrate, to jump and sing in the approved Strex songs and dances and there was only one person she wanted to do this with; only one who she deemed good enough to be in her company.
It was still an hour before Daniel would show up, on time by the minute as always. He was never late, he was always punctual, he was after all perfect. She busied herself over the stove multitasking a variety of foods in the pots and pans that each covered a burner. Some was for Daniel, his diet being a very strict cooked mass of specific edible chemicals and oils, and the rest was for Lauren herself. She didn't usually cook, finding it tiresome and tedious when only cooking for one, but tonight was an exception and she was glad to do it; anything to repay Daniel for his continued friendship. Anything to keep him smiling.
As she loomed over the stove she reminisced on the days past, of the people she had met, deals she had struck, and one person in particular who had been giving her interesting side glances as they both past each other down the halls. She was glad to be in her own house, it was almost a year ago that she had bought it and though it had taken some getting used to she found it nice to finally be able to have some privacy to herself and her thoughts. She let her mind wander into dangerous places, areas that at work she dare not think of.
She had to stop herself when she felt a lump in her throat. She wanted to tell someone about it, but she didn't feel that even Daniel might be safe enough for a secret like that.
The time passed and just as the clock struck 8, there came a rap at her door. She hurried to the door, immediately wrapping her arms around the much taller bio-machine nearly crushing the flowers he had grasped in his hand.
"Daniel! So glad you could make it!" She held him at arm's length and looked him up and down. All she could think was that he looked absolutely dashing. She was surprised no one had jumped on taking up the poor man's time with how much of a looker he was. She was secretly glad though, it would mean that she would see less of her friend if so. For now she was glad they were both single, that doing dinners like this would appease the higher ups and keep the ever watchful eyes of the Smiling God appeased.
"As am I Lauren. May I come in? The life signs of the flowers seem to be dwindling…"
"Oh! Yes, of course here Daniel." She ran into the kitchen and grabbed a large pitcher she had. She hadn't thought to buy a flower vase when she had moved in and made a mental note to buy one for any possible later dates they might share. She filled the pitcher with water and eased the yellow sunflowers out of Daniel's hand and into the makeshift vase. She stepped back and eyed the bouquet, idling wondering how he knew what her favorite flowers were. She decided they were too pretty to leave sitting on the counter of the kitchen and moved them to the coffee table in the living room, the dining table already too crowded with food for it to be anything but a distraction.
"There." She cooed, touching the pale yellow petals, the artificial red veins of the flower off-setting and making the whole of the flower seem brighter. It reminded her of Strex, of the delicate beauty that was the blood and sweat and viscera of its employees put into full bloom, achieving all that they could. She loved sunflowers as much as she loved Strex. She pulled away from them though and put her attention back to Daniel, who had taken to awkwardly standing near the door, fidgeting with something in his pocket. She guided him to the table making small talk about work and the most recent layoff of firing she had to conduct as the two started to serve themselves.
It was half way through the meal when Lauren became complete sure there was something wrong with Daniel.
He was usually smug, would talk of procedures she had not thought of, and new ways of conducting business. But today he was quite, only the light hum of his electrical components could be heard between her sentences. She could feel her fingers twitch with a need to grab him by the shoulders and demand that he tell her what was plaguing him, with promises that the problem would then be soon alleviated. She held back though, knowing that she could get him to tell her his problems anyway. Like her he had always been alone, she knew that from when she had attacked the two girls. They had developed a friendship of shared lunches when no one else would and talked of projects when all partners feared being in the same room. If there was anything she could do to repay him for his companionship over so many lonely years, to tell him of how he had many times been her only string to dangle from so many times, she would.
"Daniel," There was a sudden whirl of fans as though he had been in some slightly powered down mode, his head jerked up to look Lauren in the eyes. "If there's something ailing you, keeping you from your full working potential, you can tell me you know that." He was quiet, and eyed Lauren carefully, his eyes focusing and refocusing.
"I can't do that Lauren."
"Why not?" She could feel her anxiety start to build. What would be important to detrimental that would keep Daniel from being honest with her? Had she done something wrong, had she hurt him somehow? Did she let go of a new friend of his without knowing?
"I don't want you to be hurt." The voices in her head quelled, their interest now peeked instead of left to ravage at herself.
"Hurt me?" She started to fear the worst, she trusted Daniel but who was to say that he would never want to have a promotion as well. He had been stuck as an Inter Leader since she had known him. She had on many occasions petitioned for him to receive his own promotion, but they had always been declined; the statements saying that he was a bio-machine and he was where he belonged. The idea never occurred to her that he might have been planning to wait till she got high enough to take her place, to take his promotion into his own hands.
"Yes. What I have gotten myself into is a most…unsettling problem. Not one approved by Strex." She let out a breath she had been holding. She was relieved her worst nightmare was not coming to reality and would instead stay in her fevered dreams as it had for years. So it was just a secret, Lauren could handle secrets.
"Well Daniel," she placed her silverware down on the table and laced her fingers together, resting her head against them. "what if I told you I have a unsettling problem as well." He raised an eye brow, his face became more lax, his fans could be heard whirling away. "What if we made a trade Daniel?" she did her best to stay calm, but the slightest creep of giddy excitement could be heard in her voice. For so long had she wanted, needed, to tell someone her secret.
He nodded and she told him of the girl in the hall way and the long held stares and slight winks from around corners. When she was done he placed a hand on his forehead as he burst into laughter. She couldn't help but feel ruffled. She had just shared her most intimate of secrets and her only friend was laughing at her! She crossed her arms and scowled at him.
"Please tell what is so funny Daniel? I would love to know." He did his best to regain his composure, the giggles slowly subsiding.
"By the Smiling God…" He removed his hand from his face, and that smile, that wonderful bright shining smile was graced on his face as he looked at her. She couldn't stay mad at him.
"Lauren," he started, he reached across the table, standing up to be able to grab both her hands in his, and the most pure joy could be heard in his voice. "Lauren! His name is Kevin."