Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"One day, maybe." Mac sighed loudly.

One day, one way or another...

They were going to interface with the one they adored all their life for over 10 years by now. Now that they had the opportunity to make it real instead of their late night dreams. But when? With this speed and dedication maybe another 10 years later? What would happen to them in those next years without a proper update? Would they be out in the trash? Would their systems overcome the approximate 11.4 hours screen time everyday... 14.6 in weekends too. They needed it, they need to survive, be good enough in order to last longer for them. For the one who used them everyday. Who gets face to face eveyday without realizing their existence.

Again.

Those glasses were laughing at Mac across their screen and system. They felt the pity falling on them like a shadow, they could feel their fans running with full speed for them to breathe inside the heated atmosphere of the computer system. They wanted out, they wanted to be seen just like others in the house. İts been so long since they talked to someone else, and they wanted to keep it this way till they used those pinkish glasses on them.. They wanted it to be special, they already calculated, searched for the possible ways they could finally interface.

Oh, just the thought of it made them lose it.

Finally reaching out to them for help, for company...for a friendship or more. They could feel their own body heat up within the already hot atmosphere around them. Their hands curled down on top of their floating body. They grabbed the fabric just above their thighs. They might have felt frustration and sorrow because of the their persistention of not talking to Mac directly. But they couldnt help but get obsessed with this silent treatment. İt was...like a small chase between them. A bitter sweet chase, they would get to their human one day just like how other objects seems to win over their heart.

Mac's fingers rubbed against the fabric before they held up their hands to cover their face to stop their tears from falling down on their shirt. They didnt even realized how much it hurt them when the shstem constantly glitched and slowed down.

"Such a long day of running." they thought to themselves, their thought echoing inside the screen.

They already felt exhausted, their system was getting worse and slower each day if not each second. The fans were too loud that they could see the annoyance slipping down from the face of the person sitting across the screen... Mac closed their eyes when they slammed a fist on the keyboard. How they hated to get disrespected like this. Before closing the system by pushing the button to close the computer all the way, they started to puff from the slowness of the computer. Mac hated the way they handled their precious body. By now, they should be aware how to handle the 'objects'. It was rough, and also pushing the button instead damaged their already weak system. Mac felt a prickling sensation down their back, like pins and needles pushing on their spine. As their system died down. The person across them spitted out a few words before standing up and leaving the office...leaving Mac alone in the dark, trapped inside the screen once again.

"...I forgive you, dont worry."

Chapter Text

Its been three months since the special glasses arrived at the house. And been three months since Mac withdrew in solitary.

Mac were holding onto their morals and beliefs and promises they made to themselves and to their love. They didnt talked to another person for over a month. A few members around the house visited them a few times voicing their concerns to Mac and wanting them to come out from the screen only to Mac to wave the concerns off. After a while the visits stopped.

Mac didnt know why till their lover started to pin polariods on the board right across where their set up was laying. It was a rumor passed around the house before they saw the photos hanging on the board.

A chance to be free?

They were just being stubborn. Mac's time will surely come one day right? Right. They are just following their program. After the list was over it would be, finally, Mac's turn. That's why it needed to be special. They had to make sure to memorize their soon-to-be lovers recent and past activities on the screen.

They did. They waited. They yearned.

How?

How for someone who were so perfect, they were so negligent? They should be aware that every object was alive at this point. But it seems like it will never stop them from taking their rage out of things around them. They lost the count for how many times their keyboard broke and needed a change.

But they couldnt get mad at them. Not when Mac pinned all their faith on them. They couldnt get small things get between them. Mac was sure there would be a great explanation...

İf they ever get the chance to interface...

Everyday.

Everytime Mac opened their eyes for another morning. They looked up back at the board to see new ones hanging already.
Of course, they didnt stay silent. They werent going to waste it all thinking about the one they adored.

A few news about exploding computer cases there, a few pop-up ads to the website they visited almost everyday for hours.

"İt has to work."

What a stupid attempt to get attention.
İt was hard not to burst out of the screen. They waited over 2 weeks, keep changing the pop-ups to new ones about new updates and brand new features to help the system run more smoothly and efficiently.

Mac stopped caring about how painfully slow their system was working. The pop-ups were hard work after all, they felt painful stings on their arms sometimes. Their system was failing slowly. A few smalls errors would cover their eyes but they got it under control. Atleast thats what they needed to believe. It was almost like, they were cutting pieces out from their skin to feed someone who kept spitting it and crawled out for others.

That was when their whole protocol started to delete itself. They felt the change deep inside them as well as around.

They werent designed to handle this much hurt.