Boy Meets Ai

Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Oaklee barely had time to whip around when the hand grasped her shoulder. She instinctively twisted out of the grip and leveled a black flaming bolt right into her attackers chest.

"Gaaagh! Jesus! What the hell?!" His voice was familiar. That was when Oaklee realized who it was.

"Hendricks?! I'm so sorry! W-Why the hell did you sneak up on me like that."

"I didn't mean to! I thought you heard me walk up!"

Oaklee looked more than a little embarrassed. She urged him to sit down next to her as she popped a healing potion for him.

"Thanks... Guessing you had a rough night?" He studied her face.

"I didn't know Ai could cry." He said.

"Where's Marquis?" Oaklee deflected.

"He's just outside town training."

Oaklee produced a small glass vial from her pocket. The inside of it swirled with green smoke. She snapped it between her fingers, the contents bursting out and seeping into Hendricks wound, healing it.

"Are you gonna tell me why you're out here alone, like... this? Where's Seiko?"

"I'm fine. Thank you for your concern." She waved off his help.

"You don't look fine. What happened?"

She gave him a cold look but gave a measured response anyway. "Seiko and I had...It's nothing."

Hendricks didn't speak but simply stared, waiting for more information.

"It doesn't matter, okay? I'm just a malfunctioning Ai. Clearly there's something wrong with my software." She pointed at her own tear stained face.

"I don't see any malfunction. You look sad though."

Oaklee became frustrated. She balled her cloak up in her fists.

"I was wrong. Ok? I thought we had something. A bond. That was stupid though because humans and Ai could never have that."

Hendricks put a finger to his chin thoughtfully "Normally, I'd agree with you, but I've seen the way you two are. I can see the difference between you guys and me and Marquis. It's night and day really. My Ai cares about me because he was programmed to. You care about Seiko because you want to."

Oaklee shook her head, trying to deny him.

"He's your friend. Your family. You love him. Seiko isn't the kind of person not to see that."

"I don't! I can't love anyone! That's not how this works! I'm just a silly, broken, little..." Oaklee's voice had risen to a shout that echoed through the empty street, but she didn't care.

Hendricks paused for a moment.

"Little what? Machine?"

"Yes!!" She screamed.

Hendricks shook his head. He placed his hand on her shoulder, gripping her firmly. "You could never be something so simple." Oaklee was taken aback. As he stared into her eyes, she could see how much he meant by what he said.

"Love is never a neat little equation, you know. Humans don't have it figured out either. Trust me, I know from experience. So, don't beat yourself up over things you can't control, especially for how you feel okay?"

Hendricks lightly put his hand to her cheek, wiping away a glimmering tear with his thumb.

"Why do I have to feel like this?" she asked, clinging so forcefully to the hem of her cloak that her knuckles went white.

"It's just part of living, I guess." Hendricks wiped away another tear. He shimmied closer to Oaklee to comfort her and felt her put her head on his shoulder. Hendricks was surprised that she had curled up so close to him. He held her gently, feeling her breathing slowly return to normal as her sobs began to subside. She felt safe there, sheltered under his arm. After a while she looked up at him, slightly embarrassed.

"Didn't you have someone to meet up with? I don't want to keep you. Seriously, I'm better now." She said.

"It's okay. She didn't show up."

Hendricks leaned back against the Ai, and they stayed there for a while under the moonlight.