Work Text:
Date stared down at Aiba’s body with tears running down his face. It was just supposed to be an easy, routine investigation. There was supposed to be little to no risk. Still, there was no reason for Date to let his guard down so completely. He shook his head. He should have been paying attention to his surroundings. He should have listened to Aiba when she tried to stop him from opening the door without a thought. It’s your fault you fucking idiot. He just hadn’t expected there to be armed men on the other side. He definitely hadn’t expected Aiba to literally jump in front of a bullet for him.
Date had somehow managed to put himself together for long enough to deal with the men. There were three of them and without the element of surprise they had been surprisingly easy to take care of. If it hadn’t been for his own lack of awareness, this would have gone smoothly. Instead, he had lost his partner to some absolutely worthless goons. After they were dealt with, Date had picked up Aiba’s body and carried her into the other room. The situation didn’t really sink in until he set her down on the bed of the apartment they had been investigating.
“Aiba?” He managed to get out. “You’re ok right? You have to be okay. I can’t do this again.” His voice was shaking as his mind wandered to the last time he’d lost her. He had been a complete disaster afterwards and it felt like a miracle that he’d gotten her back the first time. Thinking about all of this wasn’t helping. He had to focus and see if there was anything he could do right now.
He waited a beat for her to open her eyes and immediately start going at him for being so reckless. She remained motionless and didn’t say a word. The lack of response sent him spiraling and he finally noticed that he was only seeing out of his right eye. The Aiball had also stopped working when she had been shot which meant this had to be real. It wasn’t just her android body that had been damaged. Aiba was really gone and he had to deal with that fact all over again and it was Date’s fault.
Date stood there staring at her for much longer then he should have. He couldn’t think, let alone speak. It crashed over him in waves, somehow almost worse than the first time he lost her because this time he had an actual body to remind him of his failure. He knew he had to do something but he was frozen in place. All he could think about was her. She was everything to him and now she was gone.
After what felt like an eternity, Date finally regained enough of his senses to realize that he needed to call someone. He needed to call ABIS and report on the situation and he had already wasted too much time. He needed to call Mizuki and warn her that Aiba wasn’t coming home with him. More than anything he needed to get out of this apartment.
He closed his eye and let out a deep breath. “Aiba? Call Boss.”
There was no answer and then it hit him all over again. He didn’t have a phone. He couldn’t call anyone or do anything on his own. He was completely alone again and he hated all of this so much. Another round of sobs overtook him as he contemplated life without his partner.
He sat down on the bed next to her and ran his shaking hand through her hair. It had baffled him when Aiba had explained how Pewter had managed to get it to feel like actual human hair and honestly he had forgotten the specifics by this point. Regardless, she had claimed that she liked it when either Date or Mizuki played with her hair. Date had felt weird about it and only really indulged her with a headpat here and there, but Mizuki loved to braid her hair or just help her brush it. Date felt a small pang of regret at the memory. He should have indulged her more when he had the chance. It didn’t matter anymore. He just felt the need to be close to her right now for as long as he could. He desperately wished he could go back and undo all of this. He wished he had listened to her.
“Why would you do that?” Date whispered. “I’m not worth all of that. Especially without you.” He was telling the truth. He was nothing without Aiba. He didn’t want to be anything without Aiba.
After a few minutes more, Date stood up and ran a hand through his hair. He needed to think. He needed to go outside where he could clear his head and concentrate for a bit. He could and almost certainly would fall apart later. Right now he needed to get his shit together. He glanced down at Aiba one more time and realized that he just couldn’t bring himself to leave her.
He was trying to find the resolve to leave the room and look for a phone when suddenly he felt the Aiball pop out of his eye socket. He stared down as Aiba stood in front of him looking down at her android body. His eyesight had kicked in again in his left eye and he could see Aiba’s android body again but from her Aiball forms perspective.
“I really liked that body,” Aiba let out a sigh. “It was so good to have everyone else see me and to actually be able to do something for once. I really hope Pewter can fix it.”
Date stared at her, disbelief coloring his expression.
When Date didn’t respond for long enough, Aiba turned around to look at him. It was the first time Date had gotten a look at himself since this mess started and it wasn’t a pretty picture. Date wasn’t a pretty crier.
“Date?” Aiba asked, her voice soft. It took her a moment to realize what was going on and then she let out a sigh. “I’m fine, Date. My android body was badly damaged and the shock that accompanied it took down my connection for a short period of time, but there was no damage to this form at all.”
Date let out a short laugh as relief started to spread through him. “You’re really ok? I didn’t get you killed?”
“You did not.” Aiba answered. “We will need to see about getting the android body repaired though, I do not want to give that up.”
Date closed his eyes and tried to process this new revelation. That had been too close and it couldn’t happen again. The guilt was still eating him up inside and it had been too close a call. What if it happened again? What if next time she was really gone for good?
“Aiba, why the hell did you do that?” Date nearly screamed the words as all the emotions he’d been fighting with bubbled to the surface.
“What do you mean?”
“Why the hell did you jump in front of that bullet for me? I’m not worth your life and we both know it.” He reiterated the thought that had plagued him earlier.
Aiba considered him for a moment before answering. “That is nonsense. First of all, I was never in any actual danger. Even if the Aiball form was the version that got destroyed I would be fine. Second, even if it would have actually killed me I still would have done it. You are more than worth it, Date.”
Date stared at her. She was wrong, but that was irrelevant. He would do his best to never put her in that situation again. He had already lost her once and had come far too close to doing it again. The tears started coming again, he was unable to stop them.
“Date,” Aiba called out his name softly. She turned to look at her body once more before climbing back up into his eye socket. She projected the image of her human form. “I think this conversation will be easier this way,” she explained. “I’m sorry I was down for a while and couldn’t let you know what was happening, but I promise you I’m okay. There’s no need for tears.”
The tears kept coming regardless and Date shook his head. “That was too close, Aiba. I can’t lose you.”
Aiba gave him a gentle smile. “You won’t. I’m not keen on leaving you either,” she reassured him.
Date nodded, some many thoughts and feelings fighting for control. “Aiba, I–” his throat felt tight suddenly. There were so many things that needed to be said– so many things he would regret not saying if he had really lost her– but he couldn’t get the words out.
Aiba’s expression stayed impossibly soft as she smiled knowingly at him. “I know Date. The feeling is mutual.” She responded to the words he didn’t say.
Date shook his head. Of course she knew. There was no one that knew him better than she did. He wasn’t even sure that there were words that would quite encapsulate his feelings in the first place. That was fine. She understood anyway.
Date smiled at her, the tears finally starting to slow. It was going to be alright. He would make sure to not let this happen ever again. They would get through this. He let out a deep breath. “Let’s go ahead and call Boss and Pewter. We have to report this and get your body fixed.”
He bent down and picked the body up extremely gently. A small pang of guilt still hit him, but he dismissed it and walked towards the exit.