Seven days of love (ENG)

Friendship (U-8787 / NC8429)

When she saw that cell from afar, with cheeks as red as the uniform he was wearing, 8787 thought it would be interesting to have a little chat with him. He was an inexperienced red blood cell, he had none of the ideal characteristics of the cell she would have liked to spend the rest of her days with: as she had made clear to her senpai when they had met Glasses, only large, muscular, brave and somewhat clever cells attracted her attention.
However, there was something about that red blood cell, tinier than his senpai, that didn't let her take her eyes off him. Perhaps it was those red cheeks, those delicate features, still free from the fatigue experienced by all the cells of that ravaged world, that revealed a side she had never seen in anyone else: innocence, that incorruptibility typical of cells that had just been born and hadn't yet known the cruelty and suffering they endured every day.
8787 couldn't explain why she felt so drawn to him, but she was sure that she was going to get along with that atypical erythrocyte. She was sure that young cell would not bother her in any way.

—

The bond of friendship that had developed between Glasses - codenamed AA2153 - and her senpai had brought 8787 physically closer to that red blood cell who, despite the hardships he and his companions had endured, had not undergone any significant physical changes.
It was as if he had been put in a capsule where time had stopped and he had travelled inside it, spending his days but never growing old. He had grown taller, his body stronger, but those delicate features that had always attracted her had remained the same, unlike her, who had begun to notice the presence of dark circles under her increasingly tired eyes.
But she was sure of one thing: that red blood cell worked very hard every day, just like she did.
8787 had never had the chance to talk to that erythrocyte alone.
The two of them, alone.
The first time had been completely unexpected: in the place where the leucocytes had gathered to celebrate the victory over the bacteria in the pancreas, AA2153 had entered with his partner for a round of deliveries.
When her senpai had invited them to sit down and have a drink, while AA2153 had started chatting to her, that erythrocyte had stood aside at the bar, oxygen box in hand, and refused every offer of a drink.
Maybe he's a teetotaller... or maybe he can't stand alcohol...
8787 had noticed that no one was approaching him, and she was almost sorry to see him standing in that position: he wasn't alone, but he had just been listening to his senpai's conversation.
A strange thought had occurred to the leucocyte. Who knows what he feels, who knows if he feels uncomfortable among us. Maybe he wants to leave, but doesn't want to say so out of politeness...
She noticed that her cheeks had turned red and ran to look at herself in one of the mirrors in the club. Shit, they're as red as his!
... "as his"? What the hell had I been thinking?!
She sat down, held her forehead and thought about the last thing she had said to herself. She felt her stomach tighten, but it wasn't uncomfortable at all: she usually felt that way when she saw the corpse of a cell she hadn't been able to save, or the violent destruction of a vicious enemy who had razed everything to the ground. Terrible images, but they had nothing to do with what she felt at that moment.
8787 felt a strange sense of happiness and a little bit of embarrassment. She turned her gaze back to that erythrocyte: he hadn't moved an inch - as was to be expected - and the scene made her laugh.
Your arms are going to hurt, you fool. Maybe somebody... somebody should tell him... and maybe that somebody is me!
She rose from her chair, and at that moment her best friend approached her: with a cheerful attitude, 1212 offered her a glass of Bacquila, her favourite cocktail made from the remains of three rare bacteria.
«Today is your lucky day, here you go!»
In another situation, 8787 wouldn't have refused that delicious cocktail and would have been willing to drink a lot of it, but that was no "another situation" at all: the leucocyte wanted to get to know that red blood cell better and perhaps become a close friend of his, just like their senpais.
«No, thank you. I have other things to do.»
With a wave of her hand, she declined the offer, and with a bright smile, she walked away from her companion to join that erythrocyte. When she was close enough, she elbowed him to get his attention: he gasped and his cheeks turned even redder than usual, but 8787 didn't think too much of it.
The first step had been taken. It was up to them to make the rest.
«Hey, would you like something to drink... even just a glass of water? Don't worry, it's all on me today!»