"I'm always surprised by how sturdy you combat models can be." Devola playfully teased the silver-haired android as she took another sip of her vodka, the alcohol burning her throat with its familiar heat, before pouring a bit over A2's leg wound, the former soldier not even flinching at the burning sensation it caused.
"It really is. Most androids would be complaining and whining at even the most superficial wounds. You really are quite tough, A2." Popola shared her sister's sentiment as she skillfully sewed up the gaping wounds on A2's leg, the artificial skin sure to do its job and leave nary a blemish once the day has passed.
"They build them tough up at YoRHa." Devola giggled to herself as she handed a roll of bandages to her sister, her cheeks flushing slightly from the alcohol coursing through her system.
Shaking her head at her twins irresponsible antics, Popola finished patching up the stoic android's leg, carefully wrapping up A2's injured thigh. Throughout the whole procedure, A2 had remained eerily quiet, not reacting a single comment the twins made or the curious looks the male scanner model was giving her, just staring ahead with an intense glare.
The former YoRHa soldier's system was buzzing with barely restrained anger, her steely gaze centered squarely on the conversing pair of Leah and the battle android, 2B. The short-haired android was smiling brightly as the human spoke excitedly, her arms dancing around animatedly as she told some kind of story. 2B's blue eyes were shining with mirth and admiration for the last surviving human, the YoRHa soldier's having removed their blindfolds to make interaction with the brown-haired girl easier. Bringing her fist up to her mouth, the bandage Devola had wrapped around her arm clearly visible, 2B giggled merrily at something Leah had said, a wide smile beaming on the human girl's face.
A2 couldn't comprehend why the sight of Leah interacting with another android was aggravating her so, her black box burning painfully in her chest as she looked at the happy expression on the human girls' face. She wasn't mad at Leah, she had no reason to be, but for some reason seeing her enjoying her time with the YoRHa soldier was making A2 feel miserable. Tearing her gaze away from the painful sight, A2 stared sadly at the ground, her long hair covering her somber features.
Unbeknownst to the dejected android, her inner turmoil was witnessed by a certain pair of twins and the scanner model android, each of them staring at A2 with a knowing look. While Devola and Popola were greatly amused by the combat models jealous anger, the redheaded sisters giggling silently at how adorable it was, 9S only looked between the affected group with renewed confusion.
The curious scanner model had wished to ask the human a bunch of questions, his mind overflowing with nearly endless queries for the brown-haired girl, but 2B had tasked him with keeping an eye on the former YoRHa fugitive. Her instructions were to make sure A2 was properly taken care of and also to secretly monitor her for any possible hostile intent. While her glare was indeed hostile, her steel eyes piercing the air like fine daggers, it was mainly directed toward his female companion without any intent of causing bodily harm to the short-haired android. It seemed more pained, almost envious.
Emotions were a tricky thing for androids, YoRHa having expressly forbidden them amongst teammates and fellow soldiers, but ever the curious one, 9S was able to quickly puzzle out what the former YoRHa android was feeling. The combat android was showing clear signs of jealousy and possessiveness toward the brown-haired girl. A2 wanted Leah's attention all to herself.
"So, what is YoRHa all about?" Leah stared up at the gothically dressed android, her green eyes shining with curiosity into 2B's icy blue ones. "I mean, why were they created?"
Ever since returning to camp, Leah had been conversing with the short-haired android, trying her best to distract herself from the worry gnawing at the back of her mind. Devola and Popola had rushed to their side as soon as they had entered the central courtyard of the camp, the redheaded sisters immediately directing their attention to the damaged androids.
Leah had begged them to find medical attention for her injured savior, relief washing over her when they informed her that they were the primary medical providers in the resistance, the pair directing 9S to bring the injured A2 to a series of hospital beds that were cordoned off at the back of the courtyard.
Leah had wanted to follow after the pair, worried about A2's well being, but Devola had informed her that it would be best to let Popola do her work in peace, the redheaded android giving her an apologetic look as she grabbed a roll of bandages to patch up 2B's injured arm. While upset at not being able to be there for her savior, Leah knew Devola was right and that her nervous hovering would only make things worse.
So that's how she found herself here, talking to an android who not too long ago had been in fierce combat with her silver-haired companion. While initially wary of the YoRHa soldier, both because of A2's obvious hatred of the group as well as their less than stellar first meeting, Leah had to admit that 2B was a very respectful and thoughtful android at her core. 2B had treated her with nothing but kindness since establishing their truce, seeming to be truly remorseful for her actions. And while she might come off as a bit stiff and serious on the surface, hints of a playful and caring side would show themselves the more they talked.
"YoRHa was created with the express purpose to preserve and protect mankind. We seek to reconquer the earth so that the Council of Humanity stationed on the moon can return to earth safely. Our hope is that our efforts will let humanity thrive again and that we may live beside them someday. YoRHa's slogan after all is: 'For the Glory of Mankind'."
2B's answer was unsurprisingly strong and militaristic, almost like it had been drilled into her over many years if not directly programmed by command. But Leah could feel the conviction behind her words, the tone in 2B's voice lighting up as she spoke of their wish to live amongst the humans, a small sparkle coming to her uncovered blue eyes. Though something 2B had said nagged at the back of her mind.
"Are there really people on the moon?" Leah furrowed her brow in confusion at that newly acquired information, remembering A2 having mentioned something similar a while ago though she had claimed it was all a lie. Leah had never heard about any such survival plan during her time, though it was not beyond the realm of possibility. Leah still had her misgiving about it though. A2 had seemed really mad about it.
"Yes. Our commands come directly from them. The Commander is in charge of daily activities and our general battle plans though. It was a big surprise to find a living human here on earth, but I would be lying if I said it was any less wonderful meeting you."
A small, almost imperceptible, smile curled at the corner of the short-haired androids lips, her hands demurely placed in front of her as she stared affectionately into Leah's eyes. The battle android knew she was breaking many of YoRHa's no emotion rules, but she couldn't help the happiness that was welling up inside her.
All the fighting, all the sacrifices she and her fellow soldiers had made over the years, all the pain she had to endure, had not been in vain. Leah was living proof that what their lives had meaning after all. It also helped that Leah was a truly charming and kind-hearted girl. 2B felt a burning need to protect this human flood her black box, to make sure no harm comes to her, though a small part of her hoped to someday be worthy enough to be called a friend.
"I do have one question, but I don't want to seem rude." 2B silently urged her to speak her mind, a small giggle escaping her lips at the human's shy blush as she awkwardly scratched her cheek. Charming, indeed. "Why do you wear a dress like that?"
"Is there something unconventional about my attire?" 2B grabbed the edge of her dress as she held the skirt up partially to inspect it for any abnormalities, the battle android finding nothing out of the ordinary about her dress. "This is standard combat attire issued by YoRHa command."
A small blush began burning on the human's cheeks, 2B's action inadvertently exposing the leotard underneath, the only reason it wasn't any worse was because of her time with A2 had partially desensitized her to such revealing sights. That didn't mean she still wasn't embarrassed by it, the brown-haired girl shyly averting her gaze from the revealing sight.
"I-it's just," swallowing harshly, Leah shook her head to rid herself of the annoying stutter and the last little bit of heat burning her cheeks, "dresses like that, in my time at least, were more for special fashion events, though probably not as revealing."
"Fascinating." The Type-B model android stared at her dress with renewed interest, the girl's explanation making her look at everything with a new perspective. What else that they had seen as normal was considered odd by the time-traveling human?
"If it is not too much trouble. May I ask you questions about the past?" A small smile came to her lips at 2B's overly formal request, finding it amusing how similar yet different the two silver-haired women were from each other. Nodding happily in response, Leah continued her conversation with the YoRHa soldier, unaware that they were being watched by a group of curious androids.
A2 watched the pair's interactions with increasing agitation, her gaze never wavering from the human girls' face as she cheerfully interacted with their former enemy, the smile on 2B's face only angering her more. The long-haired android could recognize that smile anywhere, full of adoration and commitment. It is after all the same one she gets when she is talking to Leah. A small, metallic creak of protest emanated from her side as her hand clenched the frame of the bed roughly, the trio surrounding her giving her a curious look.
The combat androids body jolted a bit when she saw 2B lift her skirt, a streak of fear running down her spine at the thought of the battle android having a concealed weapon. Instead, all she did was stare at her dress intently, a questioning look in her blue eyes. What A2 saw next though caused a dead weight to settle in her stomach, a strong falling sensation overtaking her body.
A small blush had spread on Leah's cheeks when she got a glimpse beneath 2B's skirt, the human girl's reaction clearly displaying a sense of attraction to the android's body. A2 placed her hands softly over her stomach as she lowered her head to avoid the painful sight in front of her, a feeling of emptiness spreading out like cold tendrils through her body. What was going on?
"You ok, A2?" Slowly turning her head to the concerned voice, staring into the clear green eyes of the straight-haired twin as Popola placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Despite the tender gesture, the coldness in A2's core did not wane as she shook her head to the negative.
"It seems 2B's interaction with the human is causing you distress." 9S's voice cut in unannounced, the former YoRHa soldier glaring at the scanner model who was standing at the edge of her bed, his hand stroking his chin contemplatively. "Maybe you wish it was you in her spot."
"Aw, that's cute." The redheaded twins began giggling to themselves after 9S's deduction, the pair having come to the same conclusion earlier, Devola laughing a bit harder due to her state of inebriation.
A2 could feel a bit of rage bubbling within, the cold sensation never lessening as she glared at the dirt beneath her. What did they mean by that? Of course, she wanted to be near Leah. She had to protect her, especially from a YoRHa soldier that was just going to use her as they did with everyone else. But something inside A2 told her that was wrong, that it was different, but for the life of her she couldn't figure it out which only fueled her rage more.
"Hey, is she ok?" A2 flinched at the new voice, recognizing the soft voice of the last-surviving human as a pair of footsteps approached her bed. Raising her head slightly, the combat android could make out the strange ripped pants of her human companion, her eyes narrowing slightly when she saw the heeled boots of 2B right beside her.
"She'll be just fine." Popola smirked as she gently patted A2's thigh, earning a slight growl from the former YoRHa soldier, continuing to work on the smaller injuries on the android's body. "It will be all better by tomorrow."
"Oh, that's a relief. I'm glad you're going to be ok." Despite her anger, A2 couldn't help but feel a small flutter in her black box at the human girl's reaction, Leah's concern for her well being touching her deeply. But A2 still couldn't look at her, the pain still blanketing her in a shell of isolation, keeping her gaze fixated squarely on the ground below. An awkward silence permeated the air as the combat android ignored Leah's words, everyone staring at A2 with varying levels of confusion.
"Hey, A2?" The combat android stiffened when she felt the warm touch of Leah's palm on her shoulder, her body reacting instinctively and shrugging off the human's hand, A2's black box clenching at the brown-haired girl's small gasp of shock. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine." A2 replied harshly, whipping her head to the side to shoot a stern glare at the time-traveling human as her gray-blue eyes flashed with warning, the words escaping her lips before she had time to think. Pulling her hand back sharply, Leah's whole body flinching at the sharp edge in A2's voice, her green eyes shining with fear and hurt as she took a nervous step back.
A2's blue eyes widened in shock at the look in Leah's eyes, the pain glistening off of those emerald orbs making her body feel like it was drenched in freezing water as her mind screamed angrily at her for what she had done. Seeing the human's features twisted in pain, a pain she had caused, made A2 want to retch at the horrible feeling coursing through her system.
The former YoRHa soldier opened her mouth slightly, wanting desperately to apologize to the saddened girl, to beg and plead for forgiveness for her actions, but the words became stuck in her throat and refused to come out. The confusion and turmoil in A2's system were causing her mind to go haywire, thoughts and emotions running through it at rapid speed, making it impossible for the former YoRHa soldier to figure out what was going on. In the end, all A2 could do was turn her head away in shame, her teeth clenching angrily as she cursed herself for her emotional incompetence.
An uncomfortable silence settled over the group, none of them quite sure how to handle what had just happened. Devola and Popola exchanged worried glances with each other, the twins hating to see the human girl in pain, their hearts going out to the confused combat android as well, the two of them quite familiar with the kind of distress A2 was going through. Nodding toward her wild-haired sister, Popola finished wrapping up the last of the silver-haired woman's injuries, securing the bandages tightly before pulling her chair away slightly from the distressed A2.
"Hey, Leah." Lifting her head slightly, her blue eyes covered by the silver veil of her bangs, A2 stared curiously at the wavy-haired twin. "Can you help me bring A2 to your room? She needs to recuperate."
Furrowing her eyebrow in confusion, the No. 2 android tried to figure out what Devola could possibly be planning. They both knew A2 didn't need any help, her system having already begun its healing process, meaning she could resume her regular activities right away. Walking to her side, Devola lifted one of A2's arms over her shoulder and hefted her into a standing position, giving the combat android a subtle wink before turning toward the time-traveling human.
"Huh? Um, yeah." A small pang of guilt coursed through A2's system at the brown-haired girls subdued response, fully aware that she was the cause of Leah's current emotional pain. And yet, she was still coming to help her, lifting the other arm over her shoulder as she grunted slightly at the silver-haired androids weight.
The trio slowly made their way toward the room A2 and Leah shared, the YoRHa soldiers watching the events with varying levels of confusion as Popola silently prayed that the pair can successfully make up, the straight-haired twin not wishing any more pain upon her kind and especially not toward the kind-hearted human.
As they neared the entrance, A2 glanced at the young human with remorse glistening in her steel blue eyes, but Leah failed to notice as she stared forlornly into the distance.
The bathroom door clicked close behind her as Leah wrung out the last excess droplets of water out of the towel in her hand, the padding of her bare feet on the cool ground echoing almost ominously through the pairs makeshift bedroom.
A2 was currently lying on the solitary bed in the room, her arm resting over her eyes as she lay facing the ceiling, pure exhaustion radiating off of her body. As Leah made her way to the android's bedside, she couldn't help the uneasy feeling that was building up in her stomach, placing a gentle hand over the exposed skin of her tummy to try and quell the fear that was bubbling up inside her.
Leah knew that the silver-haired woman would never harm her, despite their short time together she had proven time and again that the human's safety was her top priority and that despite her tough exterior she was a caring soul. But when she had snapped at her, the angry stare that was usually reserved for machines and people that had betrayed her now directed toward her, Leah couldn't help the twinge of fear that had shot through her.
Looking at her now, completely relaxed and vulnerable, Leah was once again reminded of the A2 she had gotten to know over the last couple of days. But what had happened to make the usually stoic and reserved android react like that? Whatever it was, Leah hoped she could help with it.
Carefully lowering herself onto the edge of the bed, Leah gently grabbed a hold of A2's wrist and moved the arm that was resting over her eyes to her side, uncovering the combat android's beautiful features, her gray-blue eyes shining with sadness.
Placing the wet towel delicately against A2's cheek, Leah began to slowly clean the year's worth of dirt from the silver-haired woman's face, making sure to be as careful and gentle as possible. The seconds slowly ticked by as Leah continued her task, the pale white skin slowly shining through the layers of grit and grime that had accumulated over years of neglect, the androids steel-blue gaze never wavering from the time-traveling humans.
Staring into the combat android's eyes, Leah could sense how apologetic A2 was for what happened earlier. It was as if she was silently pleading for forgiveness, something which made the brown-haired girl smile softly. She knew A2 wasn't a bad person. After removing the last speck of dirt on A2's forehead, the android's unblemished skin now radiating brilliantly, Leah placed the used towel aside before turning back to the reclining android.
"A2, what's wrong?" Leah calmly asked the No. 2 model android, taking a stay strand of silver hair between her fingers and gently running her fingers through its silky softness, her voice thick with worry. "You seemed very angry earlier."
At first, A2 said nothing, the former YoRHa soldier merely closed her eyes, her body slowly relaxing as she took a deep soothing breath. Leah continued to play with the androids smooth locks, her fingers slowly traveling up its impressive length as if unaware of what she was doing, content to give A2 as much time as she needed.
"Honestly, I don't know." The long-haired woman's voice came out as barely a whisper, almost like a satisfied purr as her head slowly leaned toward the human's gentle touch. "I don't know what I am feeling."
"I'm always here to listen." Removing her fingers from between the long, silvery strands, Leah started to gently stroke the top of A2's head. "I might be able to help."
"When you were talking to that battle android," A2 responded after a short silence, a slight edge of worry and anger now evident in her voice, "it….upset me."
"It was as if just seeing you talk to her was burning me up inside." A2 gently placed her hand over where her black box was located, lightly gripping the skin as if in pain. "It felt, wrong. Like I shouldn't, or didn't, want to see that. It made me angry. But more than anything it worried me. She's clearly very skilled and one of the newest models YoRHa has produced. She could protect you just as well as I ever could."
Letting her arm fall back to her side, A2 averted her eyes from the human girl, staring at the blank wall next to her bed.
"I didn't want to be replaced."
Stopping in mid-stroke, eyes widening dramatically, Leah stared down at the reclined android in panic as her heart beat rapidly in her chest, the blood pumping in her ears drowning out the world in a fuzz of white noise. A dark, crimson blush flared up on her cheeks, her hands trembling slightly as she pulled it away from the top of A2's head.
'No. No, that can't be right.' Shaking her head slightly, her short brown hair bouncing gently with her movements, Leah tried to rationalize what she had just heard. Because if her guess of what A2 was feeling was right, then it would cause a dramatic shift in their relationship.
'Is…is A2 interested in me romantically?'
The thought seemed absurd to the time-traveling human, despite everything A2 having described and the way she was acting being textbook signs of jealousy. Could androids feel those kinds of emotions? Everything Leah had seen up till then proved androids were just as complex and emotional as humans, they clearly seemed capable of feeling love.
'But, why me?' Clenching her eyes shut, Leah tried to push those thoughts out of her mind, not wanting to deal with worries of self-worth on top of what she had just learned. Taking deep breaths, Leah decided to bury it all in the deep recesses of her mind, the thought of A2 having feelings for her scaring her. Not because it sounded bad but because it almost sounded…nice.
"Do you know what's wrong with me?" Leah was pulled out of her inner turmoil by the android's soft voice, those brilliant gray-blue eyes locked on hers once again, confusion and worry painting her features.
"A2," Smiling at the worried android, her hand resuming its previous actions, Leah let her earlier fears wash away, deciding her care for A2 was more important, "you don't have to ever worry about being replaced. You're my friend, not a thing to throw away. I'd never want to be rid of you. You are too important to me, A2."
A simply beautiful smile curled on A2's lips at the brown-haired girl's words, her body relaxing as she tilted her head slightly to the side, her eyes fluttering closed.
"Thank you."
Leah continued to gently run her fingers through A2's hair, watching the slow rise and fall of the android's chest as she drifted to sleep. Smiling fondly at the combat android, Leah couldn't help but smile at how peaceful she looked.
A/N: Sleepy Androids need head pats.
Big revelation(at least for Leah) this chapter. I think due to her time in YoRHa and years of living with only anger has made A2 a little ignorant when it comes to emotions. But I'm sure she'll be able to figure it out eventually, hehe.
I once again have to say thank you for everyone's continued support and for anyone who has given my story a look. So many wonderful people have contacted me and left reviews. I feel truly blessed and just want you all to know how much I appreciate and love you. Keep your chins up, things will get better if we support each other!