𝚒‎ ‎ ‎ 𝚊𝚖 ‎ ‎ ‎‎ 𝚖𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚎

𝚊‎ ‎ 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚕𝚔‎ ‎ 𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎‎ ‎ (𝚎𝚙𝚒𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚞𝚎)

Axis kept his attention on the country roads ahead of him as he drove. Ariel sat in the passenger seat of the car; her knees close to her chest and her ears pinned back as she stared out of the passenger window as they drove through the countryside. By now, the city of Anthropolis was dozens upon dozens of miles behind them and they were on their way to start their new lives. Axis, now operating with only one eye, did his best to keep his eye peeled out for any dirt road that broke off from the road they were on. Ariel then slowly turned her attention over to Axis, observing him as he locked in on the road ahead. The events that happened back in the hotel room hours ago still replayed in her mind. She kept thinking about the things Roman said in regard to Axis and her. She remembered how Roman said that Axis only "thought" that he "loved" her. But she too realized that Axis was an android that were incapable of emotions. Despite this, Axis had shown her nothing but kindness to her. If he was incapable of love, then why would he have done any of the things he had done? 

"Axis?" Ariel then softly asked, her ears perking up a bit as she glanced over to the android. 

"Yes?" Axis replied after a moment, almost as if he was lost in thought himself. 

"...what went through your mind the first moment you saw me?" She then asked. 

Axis was shocked by the question. "Why do you ask?" 

"I can't help but remember what Roman said..." She replied. "...that you only think that you love me." 

Axis was at a loss for words. He never expected Ariel to question his motives for all the things that he did over the past few days. Even he had no explanation for the things he had felt in regard to Ariel because he had no definition for them. 

"...that was one thing he was right about. I have no definition for the word, 'love'." Axis said, turning his gaze at Ariel for a moment. 

"Well... love is when you care deeply about someone... and you always want the best for them." Ariel explained, her eyes softening as she stared at the android. "Love is always being there for someone and helping them in their time of need. Love is protecting the ones you care about and wanting to always be with them..." 

Axis listened to Ariel as she explained as he glanced out to the road ahead. Could this explain how Axis felt in regard to Ariel? Was this the unknown feeling of connection and the sparks he felt within himself called "love"? 

"Axis?" She then asked, leaning in her seat towards the android. 

"Yes?" Axis replied, glancing back over to Ariel. 

"...do you love me?" She then asked. 

"It... It appears that my motives meet the required criteria to the definition of the word 'love'." Axis replied. 

Ariel then smiles warmly to Axis before leaning across her seat and brings her face to the side of his muzzle, planting a kiss upon it. Axis looked to her, feeling the sparks and the connection once again. So, this was love?

Ariel then leans back in her seat. "You saved me that night... and you chose to protect me and have been nothing but kind and loving to me... I owe you my life. And I love you for that." Ariel then said, reaching her hand across the console of the car and faces the palm of her hand up to him. Axis glanced down at her hand for a moment before then reaching his other hand down, placing his palm in her hand. Ariel then interlocks her fingers within his. 

"You might be an android... but you have a loving heart." Ariel said, smiling warmly to Axis. And although Axis could not smile back, he once again did his best to reciprocate this by gently tightening his fingers around Ariel's hand. The two glance back to the road once again just as Axis finally spots a dirt road that broke off from the backroad they were on. Axis then brought his foot to the brake of the car and slows down, turning onto the dirt road. As he did, the car gently bumped and vibrated as Axis drove down the dirt road, searching for any clearing. Eventually, Axis spots the entrance to a clearing and lightly taps the accelerator of the car, driving into it. 

Ariel glanced out of the windows of the car, curious as to why they were pulling off. Axis then drives around to the opposite end of the clearing and stops the car, bringing it into park and shuts off the engine. Ariel observed Axis as he reached into the pocket of his combat jeans, taking out the bloody dog tag from his pocket and observes it for a moment. Ariel lowers her ears softly as she saw the dog tags, being reminded once again of what happened. Axis then reaches for the handle of the driver door and pops it open before stepping out of the car and proceeds to walk around to the trunk of the car. Ariel then opens her door as well, the sound of the wind rushing through the forest and the sound of birds chirping filled her ears. Axis walks around to the trunk of the car and pops open the trunk with the backup key. Ariel watched as Axis reached inside the trunk and pulls out a collapsable shovel from the cargo bag and walks towards the center of the clearing. Axis extends out the shovel to its fullest before he then drives the spade into the ground. Ariel walked around the hood of the car, watching as Axis began to dig a hole. 

After a minute, Axis then drives the shovel into the earth next to the hole and kneels down beside it, holding the dog tags in his hand. Axis stared down at the tag, reading the information upon it. Ariel approached Axis' side as he stared down at the dog tag, placing her hand upon his knee. 

"I'm really sorry, Axis..." Ariel said softly, her ears pinning back. 

"Do not be." Axis said, glancing over to Ariel. "You did what you had to do. Roman was simply too caught up in his own ideals to see your value and worth. I did not want what happened to happen, but he did not leave you or I any alternative." 

"I know... but I still feel bad... things didn't have to end that way." Ariel said, turning her glance over to the small grave. 

"I know, Ariel." Axis said, glancing back to the dog tags. "I did see Roman as my brother in arms. I do wish that he could have seen your value just as much as I do." 

 Ariel then glanced back to Axis and smiled warmly to him, inching closer to him and places her head upon his shoulder for a moment. After a minute of staring at the dog tag, Axis then reaches down and places the tag within the grave before rising up to his feet with Ariel doing the same. Axis reaches for the shovel and removes it from the earth before driving the spade into the pile of dirt and begins to fill in the grave. 

Axis taps the earth of the grave, leveling it out with the spade. After a moment, he brings the shovel back to his side and glances over to Ariel. The anthro glanced back to Axis, their gazes locking. Axis then holds his hand out to Ariel. She smiles warmly to Axis before taking his hand in hers, their fingers interlocking as they strolled back towards the car. They break the hold as Axis strolled to the trunk and breaks down the shovel, placing it back into the trunk as Ariel returns to the front passenger seat of the car. Axis shuts the door of the trunk before walking back to the driver side and climbs in, restarting the engine. He shuts his driver door before beginning to drive the car out of the clearing and back out onto the dirt road.