Could I love you?

Kind hearts

Max looks around, taking in his surroundings.
"Hey there," Olive laughs. He smiles at her, though it is weak. "Hello, Olive.."
"Why so glum?" Sophia asks, though it is clearly rhetorical. A taunt, almost.
I glare at her. Max is confused, and I watch as his gaze lowers to the floor. With a sigh, I take his hand, pulling him over to one of the bars.

"We don't have any comfortable places for you.. I'm sorry."
He shrugs, grasping the bar and hoisting himself up. I see him cringe. The metal is rusted, and digs into his exposed skin.
I realize how he has been clothed.
Hanning's made him wear inappropriately short garments. His legs are barely covered.

The metal could cut him, but the floor is positively filthy. Bugs crawl and writhe on the wooden beams.
I sigh, leaping onto the thin bar. I'm stabilized immediately. Balance isn't a worry.
I ask my question, hesitant for his own sake, and he pauses.
Within seconds, Max is sitting on my lap, curling into me like a feline.

He is surprisingly light. It makes me sad, but his comfortability with this is pleasing. Max's gentle hands are cupped over my shoulders, and he's resting his head in the crook of my neck.
I can feel him breathing softly, shifting in my lap ever so slightly. It creates a strange sensation for me. I feel ashamed the moment I analyze it.
Sophia picks up what I'm feeling, and casts me a glance so chilled I feel that she could singlehandedly bring on winter.
This isn't all. She sends me a message. The three little words are repeated over and over, cluttering both of my open screens.

'You sick bastard'

I glare at her, and nearly lose focus. For a split second, I felt as if I'd lose my balance.
Olive slides off her bar, landing on the floor with a loud clunk. She then pulls Sophia, who can do little to protest, into her arms. "We'll be going then, see you later.."

I sigh as they leave. The sliding door shuts, automatically locking. Only androids can trigger a lock. What are they doing?
Max presses closer, sliding his delicate arms around my waist. He is shaky. I can feel his body twitch every little while.
He's pressing his lips to my jaw, hugging this carbon form tightly. I don't understand why he shows me so much affection. I nearly sent him to Ivan. I thought of leaving him there- simply following orders. I considered hurting him again for my own sake.

You sick bastard

I'm a machine. I'm not even supposed to care. However.. Things have gotten strange. He's awakened new feelings. Not even two minutes ago I experienced what is called "arousal" for the first time in my life. He made me feel sad. He made me feel love.
I really am sick. Maybe a virus has attacked my brain.

"Thank you, Cecil.." Max says quietly. There is a strange edge to his voice. I can pick it up easily. My lenses shift, adjusting for some reason. The lighting hasn't changed, and besides, I'm used to the flickering. Why is my body changing? I can feel the water inside of me move faster, rushing through the thin tubes I consider veins.
I nod, rubbing Max's back gently in an attempt to soothe him. He smiles and nestles into my chest.

"I love you so much.."
His voice is too soft. His body is too shaky. His speech and motor control is off. Dopamine is being released into his body at an importunate rate. He is in a state of shock, I realize. He's having a bad reaction. Something inside of him is going wrong. It's like the time I gave him too many pills.
Max kisses my neck gently. I feel his tongue slide down my carbon skin, and that's where I draw the line.

I take his face into my hands with great care, and his chestnut eyes flick up to my blue ones. His cheeks are flushed, and something I've seen from only Hanning is a clear component in his expression. Lust.
However, with him, it's different. It's actually attractive, and doesn't make me cringe. This human is enticing, and I have thought about him in a certain light, but this isn't okay.