"...What is this?"
It's nearly 1pm, but the scent of eggs sizzling on the stove is wafting through the air as if she's inside a cozy diner— but Rin lives alone, and knowing that makes the fact that no one should be cooking a frightening feeling in the pit of her stomach (amidst the growl of hunger.)
So, to walk outside of her bedroom to witness a fair-headed android at the kitchen counter, back turned to her, is like an electric shock to her system. Her restless night had led to her actually forgetting about the previous night's events… Or at least, she had blissfully been unaware for just a few precious minutes.
Even stranger still is the fact that her small, two-person table off in the corner of her small dining area has been decorated pristinely as if awaiting some elegant meal. A blue tablecloth she had forgotten she'd even owned is laid across the top of the wooden top, and there is a tall glass and candle in the center, alongside a folded napkin and silverware already put out for one person. The smell of food cooking is stronger now, the savory, buttery scent filling her nose and causing her stomach to let out an embarrassing wail.
It's why she couldn't keep the outburst inside, because it takes her aback to see something so strange that her mouth moves without her consent. It alerts the boy to her presence, however, and he turns to look at her.
"Ah, Mistress," he says in greeting, bowing his head to her gently while not taking his hands off the pan in front of him. "Good morning. Please, take a seat, your breakfast will be prepared in just a moment."
Uh… okay.
"You're… making breakfast right now? It's the middle of the afternoon," Rin points out, trying to work past her dry throat and ignore his use of that awful name again.
"I waited for you to wake up, but since I am not allowed in your bedroom to wake you earlier I simply waited until I felt that my preparation would wake you," he explains, turning his full attention back to the task at hand. "I hope that is alright."
Blinking a few times, Rin's roused stomach prevents her from questioning him any further, and she silently takes her place at the place set for her. It feels unnatural and awkward to sit in such a fancy setting, not to mention she's not sure how to address what happened the previous night.
She'd really torn into him. Android or not, she feels like she reprimanded a puppy, and the need to apologize bubbles at her lips waiting to be released. Why bother, when he doesn't understand apologies? But…
She's only had him a few hours, but already it feels like she never should've committed to it. The dream of having one and what it entailed was a fantasy at the time; 'Perfect android boy that you can sleep with and not have to deal with human emotional backlash! Get yours today with free shipping!'
...Right. She must've been drinking the night she ordered him. Now that she thinks about it…
"Here you go."
Taken from her train of thought, Rin's eyes fly to the cream ceramic plate laid carefully in front of her in perfect center, a dish of perfectly sunny-side up eggs and two slim pieces of crisp bacon, alongside a freshly buttered golden piece of toast. The sight instantly sets her mouth watering, and she's reminded that the last time she'd had a homemade breakfast that wasn't just a bowl of instant oatmeal was a long while ago.
"...Thank you," she murmurs, as he pours her a glass of cold orange juice. "You didn't have to cook, though…"
"It is my duty to provide for you physically in all ways, Mistress," Len responds with a curt bow her way. "This is nothing."
...Oh. I keep forgetting that he's not a real person.
It's easy to forget, honestly; his hair, his face, his body shape and movements could pass as any human being. The only thing that could differentiate him is the way he speaks, and the peek of a tattoo on the back of his neck she can hardly see past his collar.
It must be his manufacture number.
Rin glances back to the steaming food and digs in, cutting into the soft egg and quickly inhaling a bite of it and closing her eyes, humming in pleasure. It's a tad unseasoned, (considering androids don't eat, she's not surprised he didn't check it,) but it's cooked absolutely perfect.
He idly stands beside her, hovering over her while she's eating, and she can't help but glance at him uncomfortably while trying to enjoy the meal.
Can't he… do something else besides stare at me?
"Um… You can sit down," she tells him awkwardly.
"As you wish."
He moves the chair in front of her to sit cross legged, primly sitting with enviably straight posture. It's still a little odd, but much better than dealing with eyes above her head while she's trying to eat.
"You don't have to ask my permission, Len," she sighs, not sure how to approach the situation.
"I don't want to misstep and make you angry," he answers quickly, shaking his head. "I know that I made you uncomfortable and upset last night, and I apologize sincerely for that."
Rin nearly drops her fork. Why is he apologizing, and why does he sound almost… genuinely regretful about it?
"...It's okay," she responds, trying to find her will to pick her silverware back up and finish while treading carefully through her words. "I… I'm just not used to, y'know… you."
"I understand, yet… Am I not what you purchased?" he asks pointedly, and she nearly chokes on her egg. "I am to be at your every beck and call, sexually and otherwise, yet you do not seem to want me to perform my duties."
Hastily swallowing and deciding that as tasty as the food is, Len might end up causing her to die on the spot if she keeps eating during this conversation, she pushes the plate away from her with a sigh.
"You're… You misunderstand," she argues flimsily, standing up while he gazes at her intently. "It just takes getting used to, okay? You're an android so you can't understand how I feel, anyway."
Picking up the dish and turning her back on him, she walks into the kitchen and places it in the sink, starting to wash it off while fuming internally. He has audacity far stronger than she could've expected from someone who isn't even human, but perhaps that's just how androids are? Direct, no real understanding of shame or embarrassment… How could she begin to explain that to him?
When she ordered an android, her loneliness had been at an all time high, amongst other things. Her moment of weakness resulted in having what equals a sexual servant in her home now… And, not exactly being the most experienced considering what human relationships are like now, it's not surprising that with the prospect of intimacy so close and available, it scares her.
You don't find many human relationships like they used to be anymore. The world's really changed in the last decade. Long term dating, marriage, all of it has nearly been completely replaced. You're more likely to find a one night stand or a quick fling than anything substantial— it's why androids became so popular in the first place. And those just… aren't for me.
Suddenly arms snake around her, pinning her in place and taking the dish right out of her hands she had been aimlessly scrubbing. Rin becomes a stiff rock between the long limbs as it begins washing off the suds.
"You could have asked me to clean this, Mistress," Len says matter-of-factly, his velvet voice right by her ear and instantly raising goosebumps. Yet her mouth twists into a distasteful frown all the same.
Shaking her head, she faces the heart of the problem right then and there. Willing her bravery, she turns around in his hold to become face to face with the boy. Their chests graze, and his blank, if semi-smug, expression is right in front of hers. His breath brushes her cheeks via the proximity, and it's almost enough to make her lose her fire.
Almost.
"I told you to stop calling me that." Rin's voice is ice cold as she glares at him, trying to hold her ground.
The sound of the running water stops, and the arms around her close in instantly, as if reflexive. She's pressed into his chest then, the space between them disappearing entirely as he leans over her. She can feel his hands splayed against the small of her back, and the cold edge of the counter biting into her skin.
She's effectively trapped in his embrace.
"I can't call you by anything else until you tell me what you want," Len responds in a quiet tone, his sapphire blue eyes boring straight into hers unrelentingly. "Why do you despise that name so much?"
Throat suddenly dry, Rin is left staring into those azure pools of light. So lively, and yet missing a key component to being truly alive. The light in his eyes still shines just as bright as anyone else's though, and it throws off her ability to counter his words for a moment. Her tongue ties in knots as she tries to reply,
"...Rin," she finally manages, and he raises a brow. At this point their noses are almost touching. "My name is Rin. Don't call me anything else."
Before another word can be spoken, the sound of a familiar anime tune rings through the room. Blinking in surprise, the two of them turn their heads in the direction it comes from, and Rin breathes a sigh of relief when she realizes it's her phone.
"...I better get that," she says, pressing a hand against his chest and creating distance. He complies easily, his arms dropping to his sides as he steps away from her. The way she runs to catch her phone before the call ends could qualify her for a marathon sprint, honestly, but right now she'd do anything to get away from that situation.
His eyes are dangerous, she's decided.
Glancing at the caller ID, Rin hits the answer button and raises the device to her ear, closing her eyes in relief.
"Hey, Miku."
"Don't 'hey' me!" The voice on the other end, high and sweet, scolds her. "I expected a call from you yesterday."
"I know, I know. I lost track of time," she explains, unbothered by the chiding tone in her friend's voice. "He arrived late, so I kinda went to bed right after…"
"Wait— waitwaitwait. You already slept with him?! How was it? Was it amazing?!"
"No!" Rin can't help the way her voice rises, and she cringes at the following silence. "Miku, really? It's only been half a day!"
"You better fill me in on everything! How about coffee, my treat? I wanna see him! You were so vague about what he looks like, I wanna get a good look at my best friend's new roommate~."
The singsong excitement in the tealette's voice is unmistakable, and Rin sighs, knowing she won't win a fight or be allowed to refuse. Miku is adamant that way, she's found.
"Alright. Alright," she relents. "I'll meet you."
"You know where, sugar," Miku chimes. "See you soon!"
Beep. The phone goes to dial tone right after.
Rin glances at Len, who has been patiently watching her for the past few minutes, and she bites her lower lip.
"...Come on," she mumbles.
"We're going to see Miku."
.x.X.x.
The city streets are bustling as always.
The cool leather of the booth seat is a welcoming difference to the blistering heat outside, the sunlight warming the formica tabletop all the same through the wide window. The soft, barely audible notes of popular music fill the large room of people, the chatter of the midday rush drowning it out except in the furthest reaches of the cafe. The sweet yellow and white checkered walls that radiate a calming coziness is a drastic change from the outside world, where the colors turn to drab chrome and muted shades. The streets are busy, which is no surprise in a city this large. Traffic is congested even outside the window, and the wide sidewalks are littered with people going about their daily lives— people, as well as androids. Not that she can tell who is who.
Fingers tapping against the table, Rin sips at her strawberry milkshake, trying not to keep casting side glances at the male beside her. Miku is late, but that's common enough for her. Fashionably late, but always arrives with a smile. This time, though, Rin is irked by the endearing trait only because it means she's left alone with her android where everyone can stare at them.
Well… At least, it feels like everyone is staring. Though, it could be that he's just a strikingly handsome man, considering the looks he's getting from others in the cafe who keep averting their eyes whenever she catches them.
The only ones not trying to catch a glimpse of him must be androids, she notes, since half the populace inside seem to be trained on the table or draped around the person beside them. If she was pressed to choose human from robot, though, she'd never be able to tell the difference even with extensively examining them.
Yet here she is, keeping a wide berth between herself and Len. The empty bench space is a testament to her own discomfort, even though he had insisted on sitting beside her. She has to hold back the stupid urge to ask him if he'd like anything to drink or eat; he may look real, but he doesn't require the same things she does.
Really, just a glorified sex doll, she muses silently, her eyes glued to him once again.
Surprisingly, though, he's not looking back at her. Instead, his gaze is trained out the window, as if he's… people watching, as funny as that sounds. Maybe he's just collecting data on human behavior or something. Is that something they do to act more like us?
"Rin!"
Jolted in surprise, Rin feels a pair of slim arms wrap around her even though she makes no move to get up out of the bench. The overwhelming smell of melon perfume instantly permeates the air, and bright teal hair falls into Rin's eyes in messy curls.
"...Hey, Miku," Rin replies, stiff as a board until she's released by the other girl. Her best friend simply smiles.
Sliding into the seat across from her, the blue-haired woman adjusts her lime-green dotted dress, fixing the petticoat. Her soft, dainty features are curved into an easy-going expression, her lips decorated a glossy pink and black mascara giving her a more accentuated appearance. Her slender figure sits primly against the seat, and her gorgeous long hair waves down her back naturally, catching the light.
Rin has always been a tad envious of how pretty her friend is, but she's also just surprised that someone who could be a runway model chooses to spend so much time with her. Four years they'd been friends, but it still leaves her wondering now and then.
"You really gotta stop ignoring my calls, Rin," Miku pouts at her. "What if it had been a serious problem?"
"It's never a serious problem, Miku," Rin rolls her eyes. "You always call for the same reasons."
"Because I seriously, and I mean very seriously, need you to wear some of my dresses for me!" The girl whines a bit, but then shrugs her shoulders. "You turn me down almost all the time now, it's so hurtful, Rin…"
If she could send her gaze into the depths of her own skull in response, she would've by now. Before Rin can dedicate herself to trying it, however, Miku snaps her fingers and motions to something next to her.
"Kaito, sweetheart," Miku calls happily. "Would you be a darling and get me a glass of ice tea with a lemon wedge?"
Having almost completely missed him before, Rin's eyes are suddenly filled with blue hair and a masculine figure decked in a casual white button-down and black slacks, bowing beside her. She hadn't even noticed him standing right by her until he made himself seen. When he straightens back up, she catches sight of glittering, dashing aqua eyes and a white smile most would kill for.
"Of course, my love," he replies, and he's gone without another word. It's not obvious at first, but since this isn't the first time seeing him, Rin recognizes the telltale signs of his robotics. His motions, while fluid and gentlemanly, had been just the slightest bit off. Miku's loyal subservient boytoy, a few models behind Len.
Miku's had Kaito for almost a year now, she recalls. They get along really well, or so it always seems like, even if she does kinda treat him like a personal slave sometimes… Glad I'm not the only one she forces clothes onto.
"Oh! Is this it? Is this your model?!"
Rin is drawn to the situation at hand, and leans back as the tealette has pushed herself across the table to stare directly at Len, examining him from head to toe with a keen, prying eye. He simply stares back at her, expressionless— and she squeals.
"He's adorable! Just your type, I think!" Miku exclaims.
"A pleasure to meet you." Len responds to her with a well-mannered bow of his head.
Inhaling softly, Rin stirs her straw through her shake absently and trying not to glance to her right where she can feel Len's gaze on her. "...I guess."
"Strong jaw, cute button nose, a killer bod… Maybe I could make some clothes for him too, if you like. On the house… or in exchange for your killer bod," the girl continues jokingly, settling back into her seat and grinning ear-to-ear. "If you two would model for me, I'd happily give you some of my passion projects…"
"Ah, yes, how could I refuse such a stellar opportunity?" Rin says dryly.
Kaito returns in that instance, setting Miku's ice tea down in front of her. She quickly swings up out of the booth, ignoring the jibe from her blonde friend, and plants a solid kiss on him, before pushing him into the corner of the booth and scrambling back into place with an arm wrapped around his waist. Rin watches the exchange with semi-curiosity, kinda astounded by the ease with which Miku treats him so fondly even though she's seen it numerous times before.
It really is hard to wrap my mind around it when I see it so openly. Kaito could pass as a living being beyond easily. It's a little scary, if I'm honest.
"How are you and Kaito?" Rin asks, and her friend blushes.
"Oh, wonderful as always. I really do think he was the best purchase for me," Miku gushes, rubbing her cheek against the man's shoulder. He reaches up and pats her silken hair, and she glows.
"I think I was meant for you all along," Kaito replies to her, kissing the top of her head.
"Isn't that the point?" she laughs.
Wrapping her arm through his, she shrugs her shoulders at Rin, completely oblivious to the rest of the world other than her and her personal bubble.
I wonder how they can exude bliss like that without even trying?
"This kind of happiness is why I recommended having one to you," her friend says as if reading her mind, giving her a thumbs up. "How are you liking it so far?"
Rin nearly chokes on her drink, and clearing her throat, she glances away. It suddenly feels like three pairs of eyes are on her, and her discomfort grows.
"...it's alright," she mumbles.
Finally, the tealette seems to catch on that something's up. Straightening in her seat, she peers at Rin, and then to Len, in confusion.
"...Do you not like it?" she asks directly, cutting to the chase.
"It's not that, I just…" Struggling for the words, Rin's fingers grip tight into her shirt hem.
A slender hand suddenly appears in her vision, pressing to the back of her own, and she whips her head aside to stare at Len in disbelief. He's gazing straight at her, but written in his eyes is what seems to be… some kind of empathy? What the hell?
The gesture is so unexpected that she yanks her hand away, and he withdraws while Miku watches the entire exchange. Her eyes narrow instantly, noting the distance between them and how fast Rin jumped away.
"...You say that, but it kinda looks like you're… afraid of him," she admits. "It's still early to regret buying him when you haven't even tried him out to his full potential yet, but if it doesn't work out… Well, you could always try and return him…"
Slamming a palm down on the tabletop involuntarily and causing the drinks on the table to rattle dangerously, rin stares at her, frowning.
"...When I ordered Len, it was a rash decision, Miku," she says quietly. "I'm… I'm not returning him yet. I just need more time to decide if it's… for me, is all. You know I'm not really the kind of person for companionship like this. I just need more time."
The tealette's eyes burn a hole through her, undeterred by Rin's actions, and then she sighs, blowing a tuft of her soft bangs out of her face.
"I knew you'd have trouble getting used to it. You just have to open up a little. He's not going to bite you— unless you're into that. Just relax and help him get to know you and what you like better. It only took a few days for me and Kaito to hit it off and really vibe together, maybe all you need is a push in the right direction."
Feeling a headache coming on, Rin shakes her head and rises from the table.
"...I'm tired, Miku," she says, as the three of them look to her. "I'm going home."
"Already? I just got here," Miku protests. "I'm sorry if I said something that you didn't like, but c'mon, Rin."
"You didn't," she says, gathering up her purse and frowning. "You didn't, okay, I'm just… I'm tired, Miku. I need to get some sleep. We'll meet up later or something— I already ate recently anyway, so I wasn't hungry to begin with. I need to go home."
A certain understanding dawns on her friend's face, before she nods her head and exhales loudly.
"...Okay. Just, listen to me, Rin," she presses, as the blonde reluctantly waits. "Right now you might be unsure, but I'm serious when I say you need to give it some time. Don't decide right away that you hate this and can't deal with it. You called him Len, right? Well, Len is literally built for you. He's your perfect match, and I want you to give him an honest trial before you send him off to be scrapped, okay?"
Miku's honest words ring in her head, and she only heavily nods, the headache growing stronger in the back of her mind.
Giving him more time seems like an impossibility.
"...Okay. I'll see you Miku," she relents, and the tealette flashes her a bright smile anyway, as Kaito waves to her.
"Alright, see you. Answer my call next time, dammit, or I'll show up at your house. Love you, Rin."
Finally, a chance to breathe. She nods, throwing her hand out as she makes her retreat with Len right behind her.
"Love you."
.x.X.x.
The bus ride home is loud and threatens to tip her over with every pothole, but Rin's mind is clouded with uninterrupted thoughts.
She sits beside Len in the seat all the way in the back, dead center of the aisle. There's plenty of space for her to move to one side, or for him to slide if she asks. But she prevents herself from uttering the words she desperately wants to.
Instead, she glances at him, his eyes focused elsewhere, and thinks about what Miku said earlier.
What she had spoke was nothing but the truth, honestly. Rin's already subconsciously written him off as a stranger and just something she has to deal with now, like a problem of her own making. The reality of it now is that even if she does regret him, she's stuck with him unless she wants to get rid of him permanently. The catch to creating your own android custom-made is that once you don't want it anymore, it becomes nothing but scrap metal. And, well… As much as he makes her uncomfortable, she doesn't want to sentence him to destruction. At least not yet.
The whole point of buying him was to get in that relationship experience she's been sorely missing, to erase that sense of loneliness. It would be unfair to already make up her mind, but it's more difficult than she thought to even acknowledge him as her own.
"...Is something on your mind?"
Len's voice breaks her train of thought, and she turns a vivid red as he meets her gaze.
"No, nothing," she mumbles, folding her hands in her lap.
"I see. I should apologize for misbehaving in the cafe," he continues. "I acted without permission again."
To hear him apologize like that… Somehow, it makes her chest tighten with remorse.
"It's… It's alright. I reacted too strongly to it. I didn't mean to, just… I wasn't ready," she mumbles under her breath, feeling more and more embarrassed.
"It's my nature to offer my physical touch for you. If you truly want me to stop offering that, you can rework my processes and programming in order to alter me to your preferences." His voice is calm, collected, as if he isn't talking about her completely changing his behavior. She stares at him in disbelief.
The possibility is there. But…
"...I don't want to," she finally says after a long heartbeat of silence, and he raises a brow. She's having trouble keeping his gaze. "I don't want to do that to you."
A flash of something crosses his face before melting away.
"...Why?" he asks her as if truly curious.
That tightness becomes stronger, clenching down on her heart.
"...I don't know."
The answer is unclear; and as they ride along in the silence that falls, she can't figure it out to save her life. Yet, as she mulls it over and the ride threatens to toss them into each other with every bump in the road, she doesn't prevent him from sitting close enough to brush his thigh against hers, able to steady her if she's unbalanced.
The closeness isn't exactly wonderful, but…
...It's not awful, either.
A/N: Hey guys. Sorry this took so long.
Updates aren't exactly going to be super super quick or anything. It's... a certain kind of process writing this out. but I'm outlining the plot and kinda seeing where this is taking me, so please bear with me.
Having said that... Thank you, to the people who came out of the woodwork the last few days, to show support for this fic. I really was ready to let it kinda die, but you've revived me. Y'all reminded me why i do this.
Thank you. I'll be here no matter what.
~I own nothing but a human heart and cheerful disposition~