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It was a cold night. Very cold– Not to the point that it was freezing, but it would make a human shiver. The snow falls rapidly, covering Detroit in a thick layer. Jericho was practically hidden at this point by the sheer amount of it. Simon stood atop the roof, looking down at the city. He liked moments like these. He could watch as the city was covered with the shimmery, light fluff in peaceful silence.
The wind hit his face, making him shiver slightly. Androids weren’t supposed to get cold like this, but for his model it was normal. PL-600s were made specifically to be just like humans so they would fit in properly. That meant he had a sense of taste, smell, pain, and of course, temperature. It helped others, sure, the way he would react to the cold. His body would heat up in order to provide warmth to others. But to him? It felt like he had a fever.
That’s what it was, really. A fever caused by his programming for other people to use to their advantage. He hated that. So much else went away when he deviated– Why did that have to stay? He just wanted to enjoy a snowy night. Letting out a sigh, he comes back to reality. He wraps his arms around himself, realizing the slight shaking of his limbs as the wind continues to pick up. He didn’t want to go back inside. He rarely got to enjoy the snow. But being out here with just a thin long-sleeved shirt, a short-sleeved jacket, and jeans? He knew it was going to be freezing in just a few more minutes, if not in just a few more seconds.
He looks down at his trembling fingers, noticing the slight white colour in his fingertips, his Thirium’s flow slowing due to the cold. How long had he been out here? He brings his hands to his face, letting out a hot breath against them before rubbing them together. It helped, but not much. He tries to admire the snow, but the cold starts to become more and more distracting as time goes on. The thought of going back inside runs through his mind again, but he suddenly feels someone grasp his shoulder.
He jolts, tensing up before turning to face them with a wide-eyed, nervous expression on his face. He’s met with the gentle smile of Jerry. Blinking a few times, he’s able to rid himself of his anxiety, letting out a shaky laugh.
“Ah, Jerry..” He breathed out, “You scared me.” Jerry gave a small pat to Simon’s shoulder, an apologetic look in his eyes.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to. What are you doing out here? It’s cold for you, right?” Jerry looked Simon up and down– Not in a judgy way. More like he was evaluating him.
“No, just–” A shiver runs through his body, a small whimper leaving him involuntarily. “Very. Very cold.” He looked at Jerry. For an EM-400, which wasn’t built with the same receptors as a model like a PL-600, he was very prepared for the cold. He was wearing a thick jacket– Wait, not one, two thick jackets- with a beanie and scarf as well. The thinnest layer on him was his jeans, which were still quite thick.
It confused Simon a bit. A lot. It confused Simon a lot. It could be a fashion choice, but Jerry did not require that many layers on him, even if it was pretty cold. He didn’t have the receptors to feel the cold; He didn’t need to warm himself up. Simon turned away from Jerry, looking out at the city again. He wasn’t mad about it or anything, no… Just very confused. Everything was confusing.
Suddenly, warmth covered his body. A nice, cotton-textured warmth. It hung on his shoulders for a few moments before his shaky arms were guided to fit through the thick sleeves of a jacket. He let out a pleased hum, zipping up the jacket the moment it was on. The next second, there was a scarf around his neck. Then, a beanie on his head, which was slipped down to cover the tips of his ice-cold ears.
He crossed his arms to conjure up more warmth, taking it all in for a few moments. His eyes flutter open- Which he didn’t even realize shut in the warm feeling. He turned fully around to face Jerry, a grateful happiness filling him. Before he could comprehend what he was doing, he already had his arms wrapped around Jerry, a smile on his face.
“Thank you.” He murmured, nuzzling up to him. Jerry smiled, hugging him right back.
“It’s no problem. You would’ve done the same for anyone else.” Jerry’s hand traced small circles on Simon’s back, earning a soft hum from him. Jerry was only wearing a jacket and jeans now, but that was okay. He could handle the cold. “You’re a kind person, Simon.”
“You’re a kind person, too, Jerry. I-“ Simon paused. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to say something like this, just in case it came off weird, but he decided to go through with it anyway. “I appreciate you. A lot.” Jerry smiled, hugging Simon a little tighter.
“I appreciate you, too.”
The two held each other and looked over the snowy city, providing a gentle warmth to one another. The night slowly passed by as they continued their quiet conversation, hours slipping away like seconds in the nice, warm feeling of being held.
This would be the start of something great. Simon was sure.