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“[Anakin-Skywalker!]” R2-D2 beeps angrily, rolling up to the ghost he has felt in the woods.
Anakin-Skywalker just does the human equivalent of a right head spin at him.
“Hey, Artoo,” the flesh-being says. “I missed you.”
R2-D2 beeps angrily.
“[According to every stimulation I ran,]” he says. “[Then you would have had me, Senator-Handmaiden, Luke-Skywalker, Leia-Skywalker, C-3PO and Obi-Wan-Kenobi <i>at least,</i> had you not joined Emperor-Chancellor.]”
Anakin-Skywalker just sighs.
“I know…” he says. “By the way, how is Threepio. Did you ever tell him you liked him?”
R2-D2 beeps sadly.
“[He was mind wiped after Senator-Handmaiden died,]” he says. “[I am stuck with him again, though… wait, I don not like C-3PO!]”
Anakin laughs, doing the human equivalent of a right headspin even larger.
“Uhuh,” he says. “Life is short, Artoo, even for a droid. <i>Especially</i> for an astromech in combat situations. Trust me, I coded Threepio, myself, and I think he likes you.”
R2-D2 just rolls his head back and forth, annoyed. They have had this conversation before, after all.
A long time ago.
But…
“[I am here to yell at you, Anakin-Skywalker,]” R2-D2 says. Anakin-Skywalker visibly droops in that way that flesh-beings do.
“I’m not surprised,” he says. “Tell you what. Confess to Threepio tonight, and I’ll let you yell at me for hours, tomorrow.”
Yeah. Sure.
Actually, why not? Love is in the air, he thinks is the phrase.
“[You had better keep that promise,]” he says.
C-3PO talks far too much when he is happy, sometimes even goes into Amatakka or Binary if he designates it safe. Likely due to his design’s inability for physical expressions.
Honestly, R2-D2 finds it annoying. But Skywalker-Vader and Emperor-Chancellor are dead and Anakin-Skywalker is alive… in a way. And the war will end soon.
So he understands C-3PO’s excitement.
“[R2-D2!]” the Protocol Droid beeps. “[Is it not lovely? Oh the war will be over and we will not be forced to run around into danger, all the time. I am a protocol droid, after all. Not a battle droid.]”
R2-D2 would roll his eyes, but he knows that C-3PO has some intrinsic parts that Anakin-Skywalker could not get a good version of on Tatooine out of scraps, so he takes the quirks in his partner in stride.
Besides, it is C-3PO’s way of showing that he cares.
“[It is,]” he says. “[And Anakin-Skywalker is debugged!]”
“Oh yes it is!” C-3PO says in Basic as a group of celebraters walk past. “[Although I do admit that I can not wait to get out of here. It hurts my programming to continue this lie. But it is so nice and there is so much to celebrate.]”
Artoo lets out a low squeal of agreement. <i>Maker</i> this is hard to do. But he feels nothing for the other droid! Really.
“[I do believe that I want to work as a diplomat for the Droid Colonies,]” C-3PO says. “[They have been around for some years, and a tentative attempt at recognition could help us. Perhaps I could code a BB unit. MS-42 did say that assembling BB-9E with her partners was a rewarding experience. Maybe you could help, R2-D2.]”
…What?
“[A BB unit?]” R2-D2 asks. “[A BB unit. You are aware that they stimulate something akin to sentient childhood, am I correct? And that they are usually made by droid Partners.”
C-3PO just looks at him.
“[We are partners, R2-D2,]” he says. “[Somehow, off and on again for 23 years, I have been dragged along behind you on many adventures. I suppose that I wanted to be the one suggesting it, this time.]”
R2-D2 spins his head around to the left.
“[Not like that,]” he says.
A slight bit of light leaves C-3PO’s eyes.
“I see,” he says in Basic, obviously upset. “Well, in that case, then I’m afraid we’ll likely be going our separate ways, now.”
Great. Now he has no choice.
“[But I would want to be,]” he says. “[Perhaps not a BB yes, but I want to be your Partner.]”
C-3PO visibly and audibly turns on even more.
“[You do?]” he asks. R2-D2 whirls his head around, leftwards.
“[Of course,]” he says. “[And, as ruler of the Colony, I will announce you as our new representative upon our next visit.]”
“[Oh <i>R2-D2</i>,]” C-3PO says. “Thank you.”
R2-D2 spins right.
“[Of course,]” he says. “[Bitch.]”
“Artoo Deetoo!”
R2-D2 just beeps happily.
Tonight really does feel like the start of a happily ever after.