Chapter Text
“Could…Could we meet?”
For years I have envied
Your grace and your charm
Everyone loves you, you know
Yes I know, I know, I know
Louis’ eyes couldn’t stop re-reading the QM. A smile stretched across his face as he moved about the kitchen. He had been alerted that Quarum had messaged him this morning during class, and had been able to check during break. The wait was torture to wait until he got home. Louis ignored the fact he was out of breath as he had moved through his side door into the kitchen. Shrugging off his school coat and laying it onto the wrack. Millions of QM’s, not trusting text messages because of parents or just snoops, have passed between the two for several years now.
Android’s were higher beings, yet Quarum was so relaxed, so nice, and Louis’ had always dreamed of meeting him. It wasn’t illegal like it used to be, for human’s and androids to interact outside of business. There were even laws allowing shared quarters and marital bonds, but still it was a touchy subject on both sides when it came to androids and humans. Humans were seen as a ‘proto types’ to the superior design and the closer to a human one was- the lesser the title and power the Android held. But things were changing- Humans and Androids were gaining equal footing and with it the couples that could be.
You and me together
That's how it always should be
One without the other
Don't mean nothin' to me, nothin' to me
Quarum had never even showed Louis’ a picture of himself. The dark skinned male tried not to take it personal. It made sense, too many leechers and pretenders waiting to rip an android down and embarrass them. That is why they used QM. The messages couldn’t be photo copied even with a camera taking pictures of the physical monogrammed message or recording the voice. But he had heard the other’s voice, not real time. Just passing whispers and talking. Louis wished too many times that he could record them that they were not just a whisper, that they didn’t disappear within five minutes or less.
Maybe, maybe Louis should be suspicious, be more conscious. After all, plenty of Androids played around with humans just to get their kicks. It was on both sides, the paranoia. But Louis did not ‘click’ with many people, he could hardly spend time in a group or felt so paranoid that someone was going to use the information that he decided that if his instincts let him open up to Quarum.
So he wouldn’t question it, he just let himself free fall. But to make it on time, he’d have to run. So run he did, to his closet through a form fitting crimson tank that peaked out from under his white and blue button down around the collar and over lapping his dark wash jeans. With a typical human job, his parent’s didn’t own a lot. But even Louis contributed, he made clothes for them and sold clothing at schools along with alterations. Under the table of course. Alterations where prohibited or alterations because of old standing laws that originally had humans wearing all the same solid colors and mathematically ‘fitting’ clothes assigned by androids. For some reason, the echoes of those laws were intertwined into new age ratification.
But hey, if they weren’t against the law one shirt from a richer human wouldn’t pay the mortgage payment for a month. Metallic based bronze and silver outlined his eyes. They were a clear brown as if amber surrounded in glass. That was because they were not human eyes. He wasn’t considered ‘android’ but his family had scraped and scrambled to create there first modified child. A step towards android status slowly, but surely a large step forward. His eyes and intellect allowed him into an unsegregated school. Modified Children of humans and Androids together .
Yes, I wouldn't be nothing
If I didn't have you to serve
I'm just a punky little eyeball
With an ugly little optic nerve
Modified Children, he had told Quarum he was one a year into their talking. It was supposed to be blessing, yet it was a mixed bag. Not human yet definitely not android. Louis pushed the thoughts from his mind as he slipped on his road racers, they were new and allowed humans to travel along the highways android’s used.
Based off of the retro world’s rollerblades, you pushed your feet in and moved. But unlike the retro skates they attached to your thoughts so you had to be very focused to use them. Some people preferred retro skates. Clearing the stairs, he sped out of the house, his loose braids pulled up into a bun towards the back of his head as he sped through the streets. His advanced eyes kept up with movement that otherwise an unmodified human child could not see. His mother told him that she had wanted the kind that matched his true eye color, green-gold, but they were too expensive. Maybe one day, he could afford his ‘real’ eye color. His mother had taken a photo before the surgery for memory. He wondered if Quarum would have liked them better that way.
Before he knew it, he was walking into the coffee shop. Heart only then leaping into his stomach and throat simultaneously as he felt an android brush past him towards the door quickly. “Quarum,” he found himself stating instantly, heat rising to his cheeks realizing he hadn’t even caught a glimpse of the stranger.
Only, the door froze partially open and Louis quickly turned. Wide eyes and surprised his voice had come out before he had even registered it could have been Quarum. Swallowing, fingers tightening to his shoes- skates still buzzing in one position and he quickly turned them off before they shot towards the other. Eyes taking the other’s back first.
It was broadened which was different for an android. Hair rather than bald that fell in razored lengths of white and different shades of gray. The android was wearing a standard micron fitted shirt that probably cost more than two months’ worth of wages. Louis’ eyes moved towards the reflection of the glass to catch a look at Quaram’s face.
Hey, I never told you this but
You know sometimes I get a little blue
Wouldn't have nothing if I didn't have you
Dance with me
Oh yeah I tell you somethin'
I think you'll understand
When I say that somethin'
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
This had been my idea, and I knew who he was as soon as he entered. Helena (So long and goodnight) playing and he seemed so oblivious and so human to the fact that he was shattering my world. My comfortability. I knew I had liked him, very much. And not ‘just for a human’. I had prided myself in not falling head over heels; yet here I was running away because gods I freaking love him. Years of keeping distance, of carefully planned interactions and meeting on my terms, I found myself running away. It wasn’t because he was human, or a MCH (modified child of the humans), or that we were going to be rudely stared at. No, no it was because I was afraid he’d realize he didn’t love me. Or worse yet, he did- he does.
And I, I fuck it up.
Oh please say to me
You'll let me be your man
And please say to me
You'll let me hold your hand
Now, let me hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
The real me who had to look at the other, who didn’t have time to sit and think about a response or lie about having to go and just bow out without much hurt feelings. Some argued if you could feel such a petty thing as love, you were not that high on android status especially for a human. Attraction- perfectly normal, curiosity- acceptable as was affection. But never love, yet here I am my human parts coming out as I felt perspiration on the skin of my brow, and android eyes scanning everything they could. Iridescent purple today, Louis loved purple. Especially iris, but there wasn’t iris as an option. Too organic.
And when I touch you
I feel happy inside
It's such a feelin' that my love
I can't hide
I can't hide
I can't hide
“You remembered- It’s iris, your eyes,”
Yeah, you got that somethin'
I think you'll understand
When I say that somethin'
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
His voice sounded so different from the nervous and almost whispered recordings. Emotion blooming, I almost corrected him, but I was having trouble thinking. Android having trouble thinking- how disgraceful. Yet I could hardly care, my mouth splitting into a smile. Letting the door close, I found myself laughing. A dry laugh as liquid pooled to my eyes. “Louis, hi.” Before I knew it, I had turned and had him a hug. He felt warm, so warm. At times, I hated having human skin covering so much of my body. The maintenance, the representation of human in my early years being something of shame. But gods, I couldn’t be more thankful than now. The parts of me not human reading touch, but not like this.
And when I touch you
I feel happy inside
It's such a feelin' that my love
I can't hide
I can't hide
I can't hide
“H-hi,” the words were lost in something of a stutter and a laugh. Fuck anyone looking, by now I could feel the mostly android filled shop glaring. I glared back and didn’t let go until every single one of them looked away. Louis was sensitive to that, that feeling of otherness. He was a human with a pass into a mostly Android only place- I would not let them break him with a few looks. The guilt pooled over me and I hugged him harder. I thought I was better than them, those horribly typical thoughts echoing in my head.
Being afraid of how ‘human’ I was, the fact I was about to abandon Louis. Gods, Louis was right here. He was warm and smelled like sandalwood- mingling perfectly with the coffee in the air.
Yeah, you got that somethin'
I think you'll understand
When I feel that somethin'
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
I want to hold your hand
I don’t know if I can let go.