After a refreshing shower Josei emerged from the showers, his clothing clean and free of temple dust.
Josei - "Ahh. Much better! Okay time to get me some pie."
Josei headed towards where he thought Pie would be, the Cafeteria.
Akai - "You take long showers."
Josei - "What? How long did you take?"
Akai - "Maybe... 10 minutes? You took like half an hour."
Josei - "Well I needed more time to clean off."
Akai - "You sure you were just cleaning in there?"
Josei - "Where is this new strain of snark coming from?"
Akai - "I dunno, I just felt like it would get really old if all I ever did was cling onto you obsessively. I mean, I love you and that's never going to change. But I don't want to just be 'Omigosh Josei-san I love you so much lets hug always!!' I mean, I just feel like... a cheerleader or something. I can't be doing anything but annoying you."
Josei - "Akai... maybe, you would like to learn how to fight?"
Akai - "I don't think I can... I'm not sure what this body can do."
Josei - "Then stop beating yourself up. If I was annoyed with you I would've made it very clear for you ages ago."
Akai - "What do you mean by that?"
Josei - "I mean I can't be annoyed with you."
Akai - "That's not true."
Josei - "It is though, I don't mind what you do because I love you, You didn't know this but when you first died I had thought of not bringing you back. Not until the war was over at least. I didn't want to bring you back only to lose you again. So seeing you again after I had thought I wouldn't see you again, at least for a very long time... I was happy, after all we didn't have much time together before your body died out where we actually were on good terms. Most of it was spent with me either ignoring you for stupid reasons or you rightfully scorning me for being a [Bumpity-Boom!]. So I decided that moment that I saw you again that I wouldn't get mad at you, not seriously mad at least. I just wanted the memories I have with you to all be happy from here on out. Because I don't want to not love you."
Akai stood there, silently blinking a bit.
Akai - "Run that by me again?"
Josei - "Wait... you didn't listen to any of that?"
Akai - "Nope!"
Josei - "Gah, why do I even bother?"
Akai - "No no, you said you wouldn't get mad at me."
Josei - "So... you did listen?"
Akai - "Yeah, I just wanted to see what would happen if I acted like I didn't."
Josei looked annoyed but complacent.
Akai - "Though... there is just one thing."
Josei - "What's that?"
Akai - "I can't help but feel... if things would've been different if I wasn't a robot."
Josei - "Akai..."
Akai - "I'm sorry... I just can't help but think that you would've not been so frustrated with me at first if I was human."
Josei - "Akai... the only reason you're alive now is because you are a robot."
Akai - "But you don't understand! What if this love I'm feeling now is just that stupid programming? If I was human I would have my own free will!"
Josei - "Akai... you do have your own free will though, remember? You changed completely when you jumped into that generator."
Akai - "But that was my old body, the unconditional love was shorted out... This new body is pristine, that was never shorted out."
Josei - "Please... listen to me, nothing has changed, has it? Why are you just now having these thoughts? It can't be spur of the moment."
Akai - "I've had these thoughts since I came back..."
Josei - "I see... why didn't you tell me?"
Akai - "I didn't want you to get mad or anything."
Josei - "Why would you think I would get mad?"
Akai - "I don't know! ...I think I need some time alone..."
Akai ran off...
Josei looked down in confusion and mild misery as he walked off to the cafeteria.