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It’s nearly midnight, and yet Shuichi has no intention to sleep anytime soon. He’s pouring over a casefile, his notebook open beside it with numerous observations jotted down. This assignment isn’t due for another two weeks, but it’s not something he can merely throw together in a night or two. Detective work takes time, and this case study from his professor is no exception.
Shuichi has just set his pen down and is reaching for a glass of water when he hears a sharp knock at his dorm room door. He pauses, drink still clutched in his hand while he stares wide-eyed at the door. It’s late – far past their dormitory’s curfew. No one should be out at this hour, and yet someone has decided that they need him.
He begins to consider who it might be, when a familiar voice rises from the other side of the door. “Hello? Shuichi? Are you in there?”
He doesn’t need to consider any longer. Shuichi rises from his desk, crosses towards the door, and opens it to find a rather pale-looking Kiibo staring back at him.
“Kiibo?” Shuichi says, eyes wide. “Is everything okay?”
“N-Not really,” Kiibo replies. “Can I come in?”
Shuichi doesn't hesitate. He opens the door wider, and Kiibo stumbles into the room. He seems unsteady on his feet, and Shuichi instinctively moves to help prop him up.
“You should sit down,” he suggests, guiding Kiibo towards the bed. Kiibo nods, following without complaint. Shuichi gently helps him sit then takes a step back.
Kiibo’s face is definitely more pale than Shuichi has ever seen it, and his green lights have turned almost a yellow colour instead. There’s something off about him, Shuichi can easily deduce that. The problem now is figuring out what.
“I apologize for barging in at such a late hour,” Kiibo says, his hands curling into Shuichi’s bedsheets. “But I need your assistance!”
“You don’t have to apologize,” Shuichi quickly assures him. “You’re my friend. Of course I’ll help you.”
Kiibo seems to try and smile, but his expression appears delayed. “Shuichi,” he says after a long moment. “I fear I may have caught a virus.”
“A virus?” Shuichi echoes. “Like–”
“Not that kind of virus!” Kiibo cuts in. “I assure you, Professor Idabashi made sure that I am equipped with the highest possible security defenses.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“What I mean is,” Kiibo continues, shaking his head, “I think I’m sick.”
Shuichi bites his tongue to keep his first question at bay – can robots even get sick? Instead, he presses on to his next question.
“I’m sorry to hear that, Kiibo, but shouldn’t Miu–”
“If you’ll recall, Miu is away for her internship with the Towa Group for the week. She won’t be back for another four days.”
“Oh,” Shuichi says, his neck flushing. “Right.”
“Obviously, with Miu out of the picture, I saw it only fitting to come to you for assistance.”
“But… What about Chihiro? Or Kazuichi?” They were both upperclassmen, with much more experience with this sort of thing than him. “Wouldn’t you rather they–”
“N-No!” Keebo cuts in. His face is no longer pale. Instead it carries a blue tinge to it, one that Shuichi has seen countless times before but never quite understood the meaning of. “I hardly know them,” Kiibo continues, glancing at the floor. “I would much prefer to have my maintenance performed by someone that I trust.”
Shuichi feels a flush creep up his neck and into his cheeks. It’s true, he and Kiibo are close. He enjoys spending time with Kiibo, a friend who is much more calming than the rambunctious Kaito or the endlessly extroverted Kaede. When Shuichi wants some peace, Kiibo is the friend to turn to. They’ve shared a number of wonderful afternoons together, sitting in comfortable silence while they each work on their own assignments.
“I’m glad you trust me, Kiibo, but I’m still not sure–”
“Please!” Kiibo looks up at him with eyes that are wide and watery, practically begging Shuichi to help him. Shuichi feels his heart lurch. He’s always been a people pleaser – it’s practically impossible for him to say no to someone in need.
Shuichi sighs. There’s no point in arguing. If Kiibo truly trusts him as much as he says he does, then perhaps Shuichi needs to trust in himself as well. “Alright,” he relents, taking a seat beside Kiibo.
Kiibo releases a small huff of air from his mouth compartment, his lips turning upwards into a grateful smile. “Thank you, Shuichi.” His smile is soft and encouraging, and Shuichi finds himself smiling back. “I believe one of my internal wires may have become tangled. If they are not properly aligned, then my cooling processors will fail to work causing me to overheat!”
Much like a fever, Shuichi supposes, although this can’t be treated with chicken noodle soup. It would certainly explain why Kiibo looks so off, his face an abnormal colour and his legs unable to properly support his weight.
“Does it hurt?” Shuichi finds himself asking.
Kiibo takes a moment to consider the question. “I… I don’t really know,” he admits. “I was not given pain receptors the same as humans. I know when something is putting strain on my hardware, which makes it more difficult for me to function. Right now, I can feel that my processors are not running at their proper capacity, and I feel much more warm than usual.”
“It’s not completely unlike feeling hurt,” Shuichi remarks. “And I don’t want you to feel any discomfort, Kiibo.”
They don’t often talk about Kiibo and his body like this. Shuichi knows that it is a sore subject, especially with the teasing he is forced to endure at the hands of people like Kokichi who refuse to even try and understand. Miu is the one that Kiibo typically confides in when it comes to these things, and Shuichi has never wanted to press out of fear of making Kiibo uncomfortable.
But Miu isn’t here, and Shuichi needs to know all that he can to help Kiibo in the best way possible. Besides, he’s a detective; it’s in his nature to be curious.
Kiibo’s face seems to be wearing that same blue hue from earlier. Shuichi wonders if this is another side effect of his wires being tangled. “Yes, well…” Kiibo mumbles, idly rubbing his hands together. “That’s very kind of you, Shuichi.”
“We should get you fixed up,” Shuichi says, the lingering blue tint to Kiibo’s cheeks beginning to fill his heart with worry. “What do you need me to do?”
“Oh… Well…” Kiibo stares down at his hands, which he continues to wring. “It’s… a little embarrassing?”
“Embarrassing?” Shuichi parrots. “What do you mean?”
“All of my wires are… inside,” Kiibo replies. “So you’ll need to… open me up to attempt to fix the issue.”
Shuichi’s neck heats with a flush. He knows that Kiibo is a robot. He has never once doubted the fact that his friend is a machine, made up of thousands of little parts working together in tandem. He understands, on a certain level, that Kiibo’s parts are just like what Shuihi may find if he lifted the hood of a car or took apart a coffee maker.
But the idea of Kiibo opening his front compartment to actually display all of those parts? It feels… different. Perhaps almost intimate. The closest thing, surely, that Kiibo can get to stripping himself bare and showing off his nude form.
“Oh,” Shuichi replies, gaze now focused on his own hands. “Right.”
“This is why I normally only trust Miu with my maintenance!” Kiibo explains. “She has seen me enough times that it is no longer embarrassing! But if I were to approach someone else…”
Shuichi can only imagine. It would be like standing naked in front of one of their upperclassmen. The thought alone fills him with a sense of dread. He couldn’t dare ask that of Kiibo, even if it is true that the others have much more technical knowledge than he does.
“I understand,” Shuichi says after a long pause. “I’m glad to know that you trust me enough to help you with this, Kiibo.”
“I know that you won’t laugh at me,” Kiibo whispers.
This warms Shuichi’s heart. He knows that he’s not perfect – he’s been on the receiving end of his fair share of robophobia accusations from Kiibo, the same as anyone else – but he’s always trying. Not just to be a good friend to Kiibo, but to be a better friend. To learn from his mistakes, and to become the sort of anchor that Kiibo needs in times like this.
“Let’s get you comfortable,” Shuichi says, finally bringing his eyes back to Kiibo’s face. Is it his imagination, or is it even paler than before? “I promise I’ll go slow, and I’ll follow your every instruction.”
Kiibo smiles. “Thank you, Shuichi.” He extends a hand and Shuichi takes it, entwining his fingers with Kiibo’s warm metal appendages. He gives a soft squeeze, even if he’s unsure if Kiibo can feel such gentle sensations.
Shuichi places his other hand against Kiibo’s back and carefully guides him down onto the bed. He keeps his eyes on Kiibo’s face the entire time, searching for any sign that his condition might be worsening. Kiibo, for his part, keeps his eyes screwed shut out of embarrassment.
Once he is comfortably reclined on the bed, Shuichi places a hand against Kiibo’s chest plate. “Now what?” he asks.
“You’ll need to remove my armor,” Kiibo says, eyes still shut, “and then I can… expose myself for you.”
The sentence sends a small chill down Shuichi’s spine. He nods, despite the fact that Kiibo cannot see him, and runs his hand gently across Kiibo’s torso. “These buttons here?” he asks.
“Yes,” Kiibo mumbles.
Shuichi gently presses each of the four buttons that run down Kiibo’s front. They click into place, their light growing dim. Finally, pressing the last button causes the armor to hiss softly and unlock. Shuichi reaches with careful hands to gently pry the armor apart, exposing pale skin beneath that Shuichi has never seen before. A line runs down the middle of Kiibo’s chest, a door to his inner compartment on either side.
They sit in silence for a long moment. Kiibo’s lower lip trembles, but Shuichi says nothing. He understands how important a moment this must be, and he only wants Kiibo to continue when he’s ready.
Finally, Kiibo gives his head a tiny, almost imperceptible, nod. “Alright,” he says. His voice is soft, not unlike that of a scared little boy. Shuichi finds Kiibo’s hand again, holding it in an attempt to help steady him. Kiibo’s lip ceases its trembling. He releases a long woosh of air from his mouth, then opens his chest compartment.
Shuichi finds himself leaning in close. He’s like a moth, drawn towards the flame that is the inner workings of Kiibo. Wires of various sizes and colours fill the internal compartment, hooked up to other pieces of hardware that Shuichi couldn’t even begin to name. He sees a motherboard and a cooling fan, and other pieces that he can only imagine would glitter in the sunlight.
He longs to touch it.
“P-Please!” Kiibo squeaks, his eyes still screwed tight. “Don’t stare!”
“I wasn't staring!” Shuichi promises, which isn’t exactly the truth. He’s not staring at Kiibo in the way that Kiibo might think he is. Instead Shuichi is watching him with a careful and curious eye, longing to know more about what exactly makes Kiibo tick.
Kiibo peeks one cautious eye open, his gaze falling on Shuichi’s face. Shuichi offers him a reassuring smile, and squeezes his hand. Kiibo nods his head slowly, then dares to open his other eye. They’re staring directly at each other now, Kiibo reclined on the bed and Shuichi hovering over his open chest compartment.
“Shuichi,” Kiibo says, his voice soft.
“I’m here,” Shuichi says. “What do you need me to do?”
Kiibo takes a long pause, staring at Shuichi with unblinking eyes. He feels somewhat uncomfortable under the effects of Kiibo’s gaze, like Shuichi is the one that is on full display. “My cooling components are towards the back. There should be a blue wire running from my internal fan to the motherboard.”
Shuichi leans closer. He can see at least three blue wires, each a slightly different shade. “Uh… Is it light blue?” he asks. “Or turquoise?”
Kiibo hesitates. “I… I don’t know,” he admits. “Miu understands this body more than I do. I’ve never tried to… explore it myself.”
Exploring his body… Is that really what Shuichi is about to do? When Kiibo says it like that it sounds so… intimate. So wholly different than simply a friend helping to recalibrate his other friend’s internal components.
“So it could be any of these blue wires,” Shuichi mutters. “Can I…?” He trails off, hands hovering just above the opening to Kiibo’s wires.
“Yes,” Kiibo says. “Please.”
Shuichi nods. He struggles to swallow. His throat feels so dry. Part of him is afraid of what he might do – if he pulls the wrong wire, will anyone be able to fix Kiibo? Yet another part of him feels alive, his fingers trembling with excitement as he sucks in a deep breath and reaches for the first blue wire.
Something in Kiibo’s neck releases a high-pitched beep. “Not that one,” Kiibo hisses, brows furrowed.
“Sorry!” Shuichi says, face flushing as he releases his hold on the wire. “That was the turquoise one.”
“That must control the text output on my armor plating,” Kiibo surmises. “It would be best not to touch that one while my armor is still online.”
“Sorry,” Shuichi repeats. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“No,” Kiibo replies, “although it reminded me a bit of that time Kokichi won a hand buzzer at the arcade.”
Shuichi cracks a smile. He can recall that all too well. Kokichi had been enamored with the cheap toy, wearing it around for a solid week and buzzing as many people as possible. Shuichi had been hit more than once, and while the sensation had been odd it hadn’t exactly been unpleasant.
“Let’s try another wire,” Shuichi decides, digging deeper inside Kiibo’s open compartment. “There’s a light blue one back here. I might need to move a couple of the other wires out of the way to really–”
His hand brushes against a pink wire, and Kiibo releases a sound that Shuichi has never heard before. It’s a mix between a whine and a whimper, between pain and pleasure. Shuichi quickly jerks his hand away.
He glances up at Kiibo, a look of concern on his face. Kiibo’s face, however, is completely blue, and he refuses to look Shuichi in the eye.
“Are you–” Shuichi begins.
“I’m sorry!” Kiibo cuts in. “I–! I’ve never done that before! I swear, I had no idea that there was anything in my hardware that could make me–!” He trails off, frantically shaking his head. “Shuichi, I’m so sorry! This is so embarrassing!”
The situation might be considered awkward, but Shuichi would never dare to call it embarrassing. On the contrary, he’s fascinated by Kiibo. And more than that, he’s fascinated by the sound he was able to draw out of Kiibo. Is this another part of his programming, built into him with the love and care of Professor Isabashi? Or is this something else – something more carnal, more human, that proves Kiibo is more than just a heartless machine?
“You have nothing to apologize for,” Shuichi assures him. “I’m sorry if I startled you.”
“It wasn’t that!” Kiibo replies. “I merely… I’ve never felt anything like that before.”
Shuichi watches Kiibo for a moment, considering his next move. They can move past this, pretend like it never happened, and Shuichi can carefully adjust Kiibo’s cooling system.
Or they can move forward, and Shuichi can feed the curiosity that continues to rear its head within him.
“Did it… feel good?” Shuichi asks.
Kiibo hesitates for a second, then nods his head.
“Can I… touch it again?” Shuichi asks.
Again, Kiibo nods his head. This time, however, there is not a single moment of hesitation.
Shuichi exhales softly, trying to calm the excited thumping of his heart. He leans close, seeking out that pink wire once more. He lays a single finger against it, testing its sensitivity.
Kiibo says nothing.
Shuichi runs his finger gently along the wire, and Kiibo hums softly.
“How does that feel?” he asks.
“Good,” Kiibo replies.
Shuichi pinches the wire between his thumb and index finger, gently rolling it. Kiibo hums, harder this time, his sounds nearly slipping into the territory of a moan.
Shuichi can feel himself beginning to grow hard. His face flushes, but he tries not to think about it.
He leans closer, trying to distract his mind fully with his work. He slides his fingers up and down the pink wire, and Kiibo gasps. His mechanical hand curls into the sheets of Shuichi’s bed, grasping desperately.
“You’ve never done this before?” Shuichi asks, peering up at Kiibo.
“No,” Kiibo responds. “I’ve never… I never knew…”
He sounds positively breathless, which shouldn’t be possible considering he doesn’t actually need air to breathe. The idea that Shuichi is able to do this, able to make Kiibo act in a way that seems altogether incongruent with being a robot, only turns him on even more.
“Is this what humans might consider… making love?” Kiibo asks, eyes shifting to meet Shuichi’s gaze.
“Oh,” he says, cheeks hot, ceasing his careful stroke of Kiibo’s wire. “I… I guess I wouldn’t really know.”
“You’ve never made love before, Shuichi?” Kiibo asks.
“No,” he replies. “I’ve… I’ve kissed a few people, but I’ve never…”
“I’ve read about the concept of love making. Miu leant me a number of very informative books on the topic.”
Shuichi is afraid to even think about what sort of dirty magazines Miu has been slipping to Kiibo under the guise of ‘education’.
“I’ve often wanted to know more about the topic and how it relates to my classmates, but it hardly seemed like the proper sort of conversation to engage in!”
“Yeah,” Shuichi replies, “Tenko might have tried to completely disassemble you if she knew you were even thinking it.”
“Precisely,” Kiibo agrees. “Although we are all adults, after all, and love making is an important part of most adults’ lives.” Kiibo pauses for a moment. He reaches towards Shuichi, laying a gentle hand upon his thigh. “I’m glad that my first experience with making love could be with you, Shuichi.”
He takes a long moment to mull over the implication of Kiibo’s words. If this is truly the closest thing that Kiibo can experience to sex, and if neither of them have ever had sex before… Does that mean that Shuichi is losing his virginity to Kiibo?
The thought sends an unfamiliar surge through his body, a shiver down his spine that seems to run straight into his dick.
He doesn’t waste a single moment. He returns his attention to Kiibo’s wire, fingers working much more frantically than before.
“Sh–Shuichi!” Kiibo gasps, sinking into the mattress.
He continues to work the pink wire with one hand, while he brings his other hand in to explore the other components inside. He’s careful to avoid the turquoise wire from before, instead wrapping his hands around a small collection of red wires. He gives them a gentle tug, and the sound that Kiibo emits is something Shuichi only thought was possible in dirty movies.
“Shuichi,” Kiibo moans, head lolling to the side. “It feels so good!”
“Good,” Shuichi whispers, grip tightening on the red wires. He pinches the pink wire between his fingers and gently rolls, and Kiibo squirms on the bed beneath him.
Shuichi’s cock aches for friction, and without much thought, he finds his hips bucking forwards, rolling against Kiibo’s armored thigh.
“Shuichi!” Kiibo gasps, looking at him with wide eyes. “Is this what they call ‘dry humping’?”
“Kiibo,” Shuichi groans, trying not to let the robot’s curiosity ruin the mood. Eager to try and keep him quiet, Shuichi tugs gently on the pink wire.
Kiibo’s eyes flicker, blue and yellow flashing in quick succession, and his grip on the bed sheets tightens. He releases an almost hypnotic humming sound, his body vibrating slightly. The sensation is incredible on Shuichi’s dick, causing him to gasp as he continues rutting against Kiibo’s leg.
“Please, Shuichi,” Kiibo hisses, his eyes screwed shut. “I want more.”
“M-More?” Shuichi asks. He’s still not totally sure what he’s doing, his hands moving inside Kiibo almost blindly. He’s been utilizing luck more than anything else, slowly coming to understand what makes Kiibo feel good through trial and error. He doesn’t want to make a wrong step, to play with a wire that might kill the mood entirely; or worse. Sweat beads on his forehead as he rocks against Kiibo’s thigh. “I don’t want to hurt you, Kiibo,” he mumbles.
“You could never hurt me, Shuichi,” Kiibo whispers. “I promise.”
Shuichi feels his heart lurch – although whether that’s due to Kiibo’s words or the pressure of Kiibo’s leg against his erection is anyone’s guess.
“Please,” Kiibo continues, and he’s practically begging now. “I need more. I– I need your mouth, Shuichi.”
Shuichi’s thrusts immediately stop, his cheeks deepening with a blush. “M-My mouth?” he asks.
“I– I saw it in one of Miu’s books. Use of the mouth in sexual situations is supposed to be incredibly erotic. I– I want to feel your mouth.” Kiibo opens his eyes. They’re half-lidded, and darker than normal, and Shuichi feels something burning deep within him as their gazes meet. “I want to feel you, Shuichi.”
That look alone is enough to make him throw caution to the wind. He leans forward without hesitation, tongue poking out between his lips to explore within Kiibo’s mechanical body. He licks carefully first at one of Kiibo’s motherboards. A slight electric shock vibrates through his tongue, coursing through his entire body and ending at his dick. Shuichi shudders.
“K–Keep going,” Kiibo mumbles above him, one hand moving upwards to tangle in Shuichi’s hair.
He obliges. His mouth continues to explore, feeling at wires and cool metal. Kiibo releases a small whine, his grip on Shuichi’s hair tightening. Shuichi groans against Kiibo’s wiring, and his hips again jerk upwards to find purchase on his leg. His breath is warm against Kiibo’s inner components, his tongue swirling tentatively around one of his wires.
“Y-Yes!” Kiibo gasps. “There! Please, Shuichi, right there!”
Eager to please, Shuichi continues to lap at the wire. He licks down it, from one end to the other, tongue even stopping to lap curiously at the point where the wire connects into Kiibo’s motherboard. Beneath him Kiibo almost seems to shudder, his form vibrating softly again and providing Shuichi much-needed stimulation against his now-aching cock.
Kiibo’s body seems to warm under Shuichi’s touch, one hand still exploring his pink wire while his tongue licks at anything and everything that it can reach. Kiibo moans, pushing Shuichi’s head further into his body. Shuichi, for his part, is beginning to lose focus, his orgasm building as his hips rock faster and faster against Kiibo’s thigh.
He captures one of Kiibo’s wires in his mouth, surrounding it in a hot and wet embrace. He sucks, hard and fast, as the pressure within him finally builds to a peak and he tips over the edge, coming with a sharp exhale and a shudder into his pants.
He hardly has a chance to be embarrassed, or to even come down from his orgasm. Kiibo is now pawing helplessly at his back, murmuring a string of unrelated words as he seems to be tipping towards the closest thing a robot can experience to a climax.
Shuichi continues sucking on the wire, his other hand rolling the pink wire between his thumb and forefinger. Kiibo’s body vibrates harder, faster. His whole form seems to be overheating, and for a moment Shuichi wonders if he’s going to break him.
And then, suddenly, it all stops. Kiibo has fallen silent, his grip on Shuichi’s hair limp. Shuichi looks up slowly to find that Kiibo’s eyes are now a deep shade of blue, unreadable white text scrolling across them.
Kiibo has blue-screened.
Shuichi stares for a long moment, trying to process what he’s looking at. He’s never been very computer-savvy but he’s always thought that blue-screening means a fatal error. His heart hammers in his chest. Has he killed Kiibo?
But before he can fully devolve into panicking, Kiibo emits a small chirping sound, and his eyes fade from deep blue to their much more familiar blue-green.
Shuichi doesn’t hesitate for a moment. He throws himself towards Kiibo, capturing his lips in a kiss. It’s a mixture of relief, and attraction, and a fitting end to everything they’ve just experienced together.
“Sh–Shuichi!” Kiibo gasps as he pulls away. “Did you just kiss me?”
“I did,” Shuichi replies, his face flushed. “Is that alright with you, Kiibo?”
Kiibo’s own face turns blue with embarrassment. “It’s more than alright, Shuichi,” he agrees, pulling him closer for another. His hand comes up to cradle Shuichi’s cheek and he leans into the touch. His hand is a comfort. Despite everything, Kiibo feels warm. Incredibly warm, actually. Almost… hot?
“Kiibo!” Shuichi cries, pulling away from the kiss. “You’re burning up!”
Kiibo gasps, eyes wide. “My cooling fans!” he says. “We never performed my maintenance!”
Shuichi tries to bite back a laugh, but he can’t help himself. It bursts out of him, eyes crinkling in the corners with amusement. The whole reason that they’d opened Kiibo up was to fix him, and yet it had only taken a moment or two for them to devolve into sex.
“This isn’t a laughing matter!” Kiibo insists, although he, too, seems to be trying to fight back amusement at the whole situation. “Shuichi, please! I– I don’t know what will occur if I overheat!”
“Relax,” Shuichi whispers, bringing a soothing hand up to Kiibo’s hair. “I should be able to figure this out in only a minute or two.”
Kiibo instantly melts into Shuichi’s touch, pressing himself closer to the palm of Shuichi’s hand. He gently pets Kiibo’s hair, his other hand making quick work of Kiibo’s inner components. At one point he accidentally touches Kiibo’s pink wire – the very one that started this entire thing – and Kiibo whimpers.
“Did I hurt you?” Shuichi asks, fingers pressing gently into Kiibo’s scalp.
“It feels… sensitive,” Kiibo whispers.
Shuichi nods, careful not to touch the wire again as he finally straightens out Kiibo’s cooling system. A fan kicks on, and a burst of air seems to exhale from every inch of Kiibo. He leans back into the pillow, eyes closing. “Yes,” he whispers. “I feel much better. Thank you, Shuichi.”
“I should be thanking you,” Shuichi replies, sitting up. “That was… All of that was incredible, Kiibo.”
“R-Really?” Kiibo asks, wide-eyed. “I’ve always been curious about human sexual intercourse but I never thought that it was something I could experience! I know I’m incredibly different from any other partner that you may have–”
“Of course you are,” Shuichi cuts in. “Because you’re you. You’re different from anyone else I’ve ever met. You’re one of the most special people that I know, Kiibo.”
Kiibo blushes. “That means a lot coming from you, Shuichi,” he says.
“I wouldn’t have wanted to have this experience with anyone else,” Shuichi whispers, lacing his fingers together with Kiibo’s and giving a gentle squeeze.
If he had tear ducts, Kiibo looks like he might be using them to cry. As it stands, his eyes have morphed into something watery, and his lips are upturned into one of the softest smiles that Shuichi has ever seen.
“I should clean myself up,” Shuichi says, rising reluctantly from the bed. “Feel free to put your armour back together.”
“Actually, I think I’ll keep it off. If… If you don’t mind.”
Shuichi smiles. “Not at all.”
It takes some time to clean up the mess he’s made of his pants; to throw everything to laundry and to change into a new pair of sleep clothes. By the time he returns to the bed, Kiibo has powered down. He lies there, still, the only sign of life a faint buzzing.
Shuichi watches him for a long time. Kiibo looks so peaceful – so beautiful – there.
He hopes that robots can dream. He hopes that Kiibo can dream of him.