Chapter Text
She was a 17 year old girl, stuck in a prosthetic woman body for the rest of her life. She actually could have requested a younger body type, to match her “real” age, but she didn't do it. Why would she ask for a younger, smaller, more fragile looking body if she will go to war and fight men (and cyborgs, and robots) for living. So she just accepted herself. Looking at the mirror, her beautifully mature “face” is the first thing she sees everyday. She likes her eyes more than everything else her prosthetic body could offer. The deep red with black ring.
That day, after a particularly hard training session, she was walking home from the military base when she saw him. A young man, or, she corrected herself, a boy her age. He was crouching down in front of a flower pot, whispering something while moving his hand closer between the pots. And for a moment she just stared, until she noticed a ginger fluffy ball emerged from behind the pot.
She thought she squealed mutedly, but it didn't seem that way because the fluffy ball hissed and scratched the boy's hand before disappearing into the dark. She was stunned, embarrassed and awkwardly stood in her place when the boy stood up and looked at her. She expected him to yell at her, or maybe give her a side eye before leaving, but the boy smiled. A genuine, sweet smile, that makes his eyes turn into two adorable lines.
“Sorry,” she said, a little bit confused because that wasn't the reaction she was expecting. She looked at the boy's hand. A dribble of blood flowing on his knuckles. “I didn't mean to scare him.”
“Oh, she's fine,” the boy waving his hand comforting her. “She is usually a scaredy baby. She'll be fine.”
“Oh. Okay.” She stood still, absent mindedly staring at the boy. Then she remembered she was on the way home, and she was actually tired. But going to an empty home all by herself suddenly doesn't feel tempting.
“Why are you alone?”
“Huh?” She finally blinked, and the boy smiled again.
“A girl walking alone at night is not safe.”
He said a girl, she thought, and she felt her “heart” beat a little bit faster. But she accepted the challenge. “And it's okay if a boy like you wanders alone at night? Feeding stray cats in the dark?”
The boy grinned, puffing his chest. “I'm no longer a boy. I'm a man now. I was even accepted into the military.”
“How old are you?”
“19.” The boy walked to the closest light pole and waved his hand to invite her closer. “You can see me clearly under the lamp.”
Without any doubts she approached him. She stood in front of him under the light, waiting for him to say something.
He stared at her eyes for a moment, before looking at her hands. “You're young. But you're fully prosthetic?”
“Yeah. Since I was 6 years old,” she blurted out without thinking, and internally slapped herself on the face. Why did she tell him that?
“Oh.” The boy looked a bit shocked, but he smiled again. “So you're a girl then. Should I take you home?”
“Why?”
The boy's cheeks visibly reddened, and he bowed his head apologetically. “Actually that was just a bad pick up line. The truth is, I'm curious about you and your full prosthetic body.”
“Fair enough.” She said, and the boy straightened back. “Actually I'm curious about you and your fully organic body.”
“Really?” The boy's eyes widened and he looked at his own body. “But my body is boring. And easily bleed.”
“My body can feel pain and bleed too,” she said with a smile. “But I can switch off the senses so I won't feel anything.”
“You can switch the senses off? Just on the skin or your heart feelings too?”
She pondered for a moment before answering. “I don't think my heart ever feels anything on an everyday basis. So, I think the switch is for the skin touch–”
Before she could finish her speech, the boy gently grabbed her hands and pressed her palms on his cheeks. With a grin he asked, “so, do you feel something now?”
“I– uh– umm, hot?” She stuttered, and pulled her hands away from the boy. “Uhhh, your cheeks are hot.” The boy smiled shyly, swaying his body like a child.
“I don't have any switches.” The boy smiled at her with red cheeks. “So I always can feel, heart or skin, and I am really bad at hiding my feelings.”
“Hmm. I can see that.”
The boy giggled. “Oh. You said you were curious about an organic body? Do you want to touch my hands?” He extended his hands with an expectant look on his face.
“Can I… touch your face again?”
With his eyes wide open, he nodded. He let his arms rested on his sides and closed his eyes.
After making sure her sense switch was on, she took a step closer and gently mapping his face with her forefinger. He stood still when she mapped his forehead, brows, and eyes, but when her finger grazed his nose, he giggled, and when she touched his lips, he opened his eyes. She didn't realize when she took another step closer, because now they were literally standing eye to eye.
“Am I supposed to close my eyes all the time?”
She took a step back, chuckled awkwardly. “Sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable.”
“I'm definitely uncomfortable,” he said dramatically, but smiling. “But I like the feeling.”
“Oh. Good. Then, goodnight.” She quickly walked past him, but before she got too far, she could hear his voice.
“Next time we meet, let's do the opposite!”