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The pair spent a lot of their time in silence. Not from fear nor lack of conversation, however. Both simply valued taking time to just think. While often a strength, it was also one of Mirage's worst weaknesses.
She had a tendency, V2 had noticed, to spiral in her own mind. One bad thing leading to another leading to another no matter how little logical sense each step made. It was an issue they hadn't fully determined a resolution to, other than simply talking about it when Mirage felt she could.
"Hey, V2?" Mirage broke their mutual silence as they mindlessly walked the winding and twisting paths of the neighborhood. The red machine responded simply by looking up. "Do you ever think about immortality? Or just living forever?" V2 looked away, directly ahead as it normally did.
"Yes, but rarely."
"I don't... wanna live forever."
"That is understandable. However, why is this a concern?"
"Well... I dunno. I guess I can't remember ever not being here. So maybe I'll be alive here forever? Maybe I'm not real and I'll never die."
"You are real, Mirage. You know that."
"Yeah, yeah. I know. Still doesn't stop me from being fucking scared. Living forever... seems like a kinda punishment."
"Perhaps. However you have no idea if you even will. Is it worth the time to worry about something that may never happen?"
"I just... I cant help it. I cant stop thinking about... what if you die and I can't? What if its just me forever after this?"
"What if I will also be here eternally? What if we are here together forever?"
"So why? Why bother with anything? Whats the point? What if.... What if..." Mirages head fell into her hands as V2 thought for a moment, considering a response, before simply putting its arm around Mirage. Almost immediately she collapsed over into its shoulder, releasing a cry that made V2 shudder. It had never heard her so... externally distressed before. It hated it. It wanted to help her feel better but it didn't know how. Instead, it just held her, its arm around her pulling her tight into its body as a reassurance.
"There is no universal point. You-" V2 began to speak finally, but was quickly interrupted.
"Shhh. Please. J-just... don't talk..." Her abruptness and abrasive tone caught V2 off guard. It barely processed what she said as she continued to sniffle as if holding back more crying.
"I apolog-" Once again cut off.
"V2. Please..." V2 chose to stay quiet after that. Eventually Mirage laid down on the metal bench they had stopped at, head resting in V2's lap. Its hand sat on her arm, thumb moving up and down slowly to let her know it was still there for her. She rested there, crying as much a V-model was physically capable.
It was a while that the pair sat like that. Time moved onwards without them, and the sun lowered behind a wall of houses in front of them. V2 occasionally became worried Mirage had fallen asleep, but a sniffle would prove that wrong. A few more minutes passed after that before Mirage finally sat up.
"V... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you."
"Accepted and forgiven."
"I love you."
"I love you too. We should also begin making our way home. It is getting darker and I would like to be home before it is too dark for you to see."
"V2?" Mirage didn't move when V2 stood up. It turned and looked at her as she spoke. "What do you think?" It barely hesitated to respond to her already knowing what it thought.
"I believe it does not matter. Enjoy what we have, Mirage. If we live to be 5000 years old and forget everything from the here and now, we make new memories."
"What if I lose you?"
"Then you will move on and find other ways to be happy, I hope. I should not be your sole source of happiness in existence." Mirage hung her head at this response, kicking at a small rock on the concrete. She said nothing as she stood up beside V2 and grabbed its hand. Neither said anything as they both walked the rest of the way to their shared apartment hand-in-hand. Neither slept as they spent the entire night recalling memories together. Enjoying what they had while they had it.
Memories of fishing, hikes, games, walks, dances, and all kinds of dates. Boring errands that turned into laughing fits so hard Mirage fell over. Memories of V2 collapsing from a joint failure and Mirage being there instantly to help it up. Memories of Mirage panicking over school work and V2 helping her through it. Their caring first touch and sleepless nights in which V2 suffered silently its own memories and Mirage did all she could to comfort it.
They cuddled all night as they talked more and more. They laughed and hugged with each memory until Mirage finally managed to fall asleep. Upon realizing, V2 would have smiled to itself if it could. It wrapped its arm around her and held her as she laid there.
"Good night again, sweet dreamer."