Let's Take This Step Together

Let's Go To The Basement

Fry and Bender reached the creaky wooden stairs of the dark basement.

"Ok, I don't think you can get down these stairs." Fry said to Bender. "How are we gonna do this?"

Bender pondered for a moment. "How about we count to three, then I jump into your arms?"

Fry groaned. "You should've just stayed in the lab."

Bender crossed his arms. "You don't understand! There's something important I need to tell you, and I want some privacy."

The human sighed. "Fine. If you say so." Fry slowly let go of Bender, taking extra care to make sure he wouldn't fall over, then opened his arms. "Okay, on a count of three, you jump and I'll catch you."

"One..."

"Two..."

"Now!"

Bender jumped slightly off the ground, and Fry managed to catch him. He stumbled backwards a bit, but he caught himself on the railing.

"Jeez, you're stronger than I thought." Bender commented. "I'm 40% titanium. How did you get so strong?"

Fry blushed. "I've been doing stuff like this all month. I've been carrying your body around." Fry looked away out of embarrassment. "I know that sounds creepy, but I got super lonely."

Bender was dumbfounded, and looked at him in disbelief. "Fry, you don't gotta feel bad about that. I would've done the same thing. Granted, your body would be dead by the time a month passed...but that's not important! If you had a robot body, I would do the same!"

Fry smiled, charmed by Benders sincerity. "Thanks, buddy." He kissed Benders mouthplate, electricity dancing between them.

Fry then pulled away and cautiously took a step down the stairs, creaking echoing throughout the basement in the process.

"I can't see anything."

"Here, let me help you out."

Bender lit up one of his optics, using it as a flashlight. They saw the floor of the basement, and near the back wall was a small, worn box simply labeled "Benberz stUff"

"Jeez, when did you write that? Kindergarten?" Fry laughed.

"Shaddup," Replied Bender, "They gave me this box when I was made. That was before kindergarten."

They both giggled, and they trudged the last few steps of the staircase. Bender shined his light around the room, and Fry felt him jump a little.

"What's up?" Fry asked, concerned.

Bender pointed to a figure in the corner of the room. It was an old man lazily flipping through an adult magazine.

"Scruffy!" Fry scolded. "Can't we get some alone time here?!"

"Never 'preciated 'round here." Scruffy mumbled.

He grabbed the magazine and walked up the stairs to the main floor. Finally, Bender and Fry were alone.

"So what was it you wanted to tell me?" Fry asked curiously.

Bender lowered his head and looked at the ground. "W-Well...I love you." Bender said sharply. "I know you already knew that, I mean, you're my boyfriend after all...but I though you needed to hear it again. I love you so, so much."

This time it was Bender who initiated the kiss. "Thanks for sticking by me all this time."

Fry felt tears welling up in his eyes. "Of course! Why wouldn't I?"

He tightly hugged Bender even closer to him. "Now let's go replace your arm and your leg."

Fry gently set Bender down onto the cold wooden floor of the basement and opened the worn down box. The box was filled with various components of an average Bending unit- optics, visors, foot cups- the usual stuff.

Fry stuck his hand into the box and pulled out what they needed; an arm and a leg. Literally.

"Here they are," Muttered Fry. "Lemme just stick these back on."

As Fry was reattatching Benders limbs, he thought of the day he and Bender first met.

Fry was already encouraging and invigorating Bender from the very first day they knew each other. Fry taught Bender to think outside his own programing on that day.

The same exact feeling was present as Fry was switching Benders limbs out. Pride, comfort, trust; it was all so familiar.

And with one last 'clunk!', Benders appendages looked as good as new.

"Thanks, Fry. Lemme try this out."

Before Fry could stop him, he was already up, and stumbling around like a drunk toddler. Fry quickly grabbed Benders shoulders before he could fall over.

"Slow down," Fry calmly whispered, "Your gyro-thingy is broken, whatever it is. But you can't walk around without it. I still gotta guide you around until it's fixed."

"Oh." Bender said, simply. "Well, can we take the rest of the day off? I wanna spend time with you, meatbag."

Fry gave Bender a sympathetic smile. "Yeah. Yeah we can."