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It took long enough for Tenna to wake up that he had a realization. His screen clicked on, but his vision came in slowly, the edges distorted and obscured by a thin layer of static. It used to be alarming. Now, he was used to it.
"Are you awake?" Battat asked, sliding his hand into Tenna's.
Tenna's speakers were spotty at best, and shaking his head made him dizzy, so he squeezed Battat's hand once for No. His joints protested the movement, but he wanted to hold Battat's hand as much as possible.
"Very funny," Battat muttered dryly. "Feeling good enough to get up today?"
Tenna considered. His whole body ached, but that was nothing new. There was an incredibly sharp pain in his neck, but... He remembered. He definitely wanted to go outside today.
Two squeezes. Yes.
"Must be a good day," Battat commented, "if you're strong enough for squeezes."
Tenna probably should just be doing taps, but he was stubborn. It had to be a good day. He would make it a good day. He needed things to be as easy for Battat as possible.
Yes.
He watched through the film of static as Battat positioned his wheelchair. It was a big, unwieldy thing with bizarrely low handles and mirrors to help Battat see around his bulk. He was sure it looked incredibly silly for Battat to push, but when he'd asked if Battat felt ridiculous, he had just said, "Don't be stupid."
Tenna wished badly that he would be able to help Battat get him into the chair, or at least change his size so it would be easier, but he could only move his right arm, and he hadn't been able to change sizes in years. It used to take about twenty minutes to get him out of bed, and when he'd complained about how long it was taking, Battat had snapped, "I guess I should just leave you to rot in bed then!" They hadn't spoken for hours; both too stubborn to back down.
As much as Tenna was glad they were past that, he almost missed it. He missed when Battat would talk back to him, but now he was endlessly patient. It was sweet, but he worried Battat was being stretched thin with no outlet for his frustrations.
Battat had gotten pretty adept at moving him quickly, and he was surprisingly strong for someone so small, so it was only a couple minutes before Tenna was situated comfortably.
The ache in his neck came back with a vengeance, and his head swung to the side, static blanking out his vision, and a garbled whine of pain escaping his speakers.
"Fuck!" Battat hissed. "I'm so sorry. Shit!"
His fingers pressed along Tenna's neck, feeling for damage.
"Something must have snapped while you were sleeping," he murmured, more to himself than Tenna. "I should have noticed that. Just give me a minute."
The initial pain from the movement had already faded, and Tenna wished he could tell Battat not to bother. It was just unnecessary effort that would put more of a burden on Battat. It wasn't like any repairs he made were going to matter tomorrow. After all, Tenna had already realized that today was his last day.
"You better not be feeling guilty," Battat said.
He had gotten oddly good at guessing Tenna's moods, even if he was wrong about the reason for them.
Tenna remembered when he could still speak, he'd apologized for how much work Battat had to put into taking care of him.
"You listen to me," Battat had said, placing both hands on his casing. "Every day with you is a blessing, okay? You are not a burden. And if you're worried about me working too hard, I'll get plenty of rest when you're gone."
Tenna had laughed at that.
Battat didn't make those jokes anymore. It was probably too real for him.
"How's that?" Battat asked, bringing him back to the present.
Tenna turned his head back and forth gingerly. It was back to normal.
"Good?" Battat pressed.
Yes.
"Okay, great," he muttered. "God, you're freezing."
He grabbed a couple of the fluffiest blankets and carefully wrapped them around Tenna, leaving his good arm free and covering his lap. With that done, he wheeled Tenna out to the kitchen and began digging around in the fridge.
"I'm gonna need more groceries soon," he grumbled.
Birdsong prompted Tenna to look outside. There was a little black and white bird sitting on the feeder. The markings of its feathers made it look like it was scowling. He huffed and was surprised when a laugh emitted from his speakers.
Battat looked up in shock. "Something funny?" he asked, setting his knife down and coming around the corner to look where Tenna was looking.
He huffed, putting a hand on his hip. "I bet you think it looks just like me."
Yes.
"Hilarious," he said sarcastically, doing nothing to hide the faint smile on his lips.
He returned to counter, dumping half of whatever concoction he was making into the blender and putting the other half in a bowl for himself.
"Here," he said, holding a spoon up to Tenna's screen.
When had that happened? Just as quickly, Tenna dismissed the thought. It wasn't worth thinking about too much. Little blips in memory were nothing unusual.
He looked at Battat blankly. He wasn't really hungry, and displaying his face seemed like too much effort.
"C'mon, Tenna," Battat huffed. "You gotta eat something. Don't make me dump this in your tank. You know I can, but I don't think either of us wants that."
That was true. Battat had needed to pry open his tank more than once, but it was a difficult task, and it felt uncomfortable to have anything go straight into it, no matter how blended it was. He didn't really want to fight with Battat today anyway.
Reluctantly, he allowed Battat to feed him. It was just as well, he supposed. Battat deserved to see his face instead of a blank, fuzzy screen.
"Thank you," Battat murmured. "Is it good?"
Yes. Or good enough as it could be. Most things tasted the same now.
Battat ate his own food quickly and stood up to stretch.
"I was thinking we could go out to the park for a bit," he said hopefully. "The weather's pretty nice, and most people will be at work or school, so it should be pretty empty."
That sounded nice. He wanted to look at some flowers.
"Or," Battat started, "I know you turned down any visitors last week, but if you changed your mind, I'm sure they would jump at the chance to see you."
Tenna frowned. He wasn't so sure about that. It was kinda awkward being around other people who weren't used to communicating with him. And he wasn't fond of seeing how sad they were when they looked at him. He didn't really feel sad, so what did they have to be sad about? If anything, they should be grateful. Without Battat's gentle care, he would have run out of steam years ago.
"What do you think?" Battat asked. "Do you want any visitors?"
No.
"I don't really want to see them either," he muttered conspiratorially. "It's much more fun without them. The park then?"
Yes.
Though, usually Battat would wash him off and help him into fresh clothes. These ones didn't seem dirty, but—
"You wanted me to wash you last night, remember?" Battat said gently.
He didn't, but then, there were a lot of things he didn't remember lately. It was like the only things he could reliably remember were his own mistakes.
He pushed the thought out of his mind. Today was going to be a good day.
The walk to the park was mostly uneventful, except when the wheelchair got stuck on a rock. Battat muttered a few curses before picking it up and hurling it into the street.
As promised, the park was abandoned. Tenna was glad for it. Battat looked the same as he had the day they met; Pippins were sturdy little things, after all. But Tenna was old and beaten down, no matter how lovingly Battat repaired him. He was mostly past feeling self-conscious about it, but he knew it upset Battat when people addressed it.
Tenna tilted his screen up, relishing the gentle breeze. Battat panted for breath, and Tenna caught his sleeve in concern.
"I'm fine," Battat assured. "You're still really heavy, you know?"
Tenna was aware. He didn't even have the strength to move himself anymore.
"Augh, no, I— Don't feel bad about it, okay?" Battat said, running a hand over his head. "I'm happy to take you outside."
Tenna didn't doubt it. He looked over at the flowers lining the path. Even blurry, they were so beautiful. Pink, yellow, white... he wished he could remember the names.
"Here," Battat said, wheeling him over to a bench under the shade and sitting heavily on it. "Nice, isn't it?"
The bush by the bench was dropping from the weight of the deep pink flowers covering it. From this distance, he could...
He reached down and plucked a flower, feeling a surge of triumph at the movement. The breeze passed over him, and he shivered, dropping the flower. Well, that was disappointing.
"God, I'm an idiot," Battat muttered. "You'd be better off in the sun, huh?"
He stooped down to pick up the flower and moved the wheelchair.
"Is this better?" he asked.
Yes. The sun seeped into his metal, bringing back a fraction of the warmth he used to naturally produce.
"Actually," Battat murmured, "I don't think they'll miss a small handful of flowers, do you?"
Tenna frowned in confusion.
"Let's pick a couple more," Battat suggested. "We can put them in a vase."
Yes. He wouldn't get to enjoy them later, but at least Battat would have something pretty to look at.
"Alright, we shouldn't take too many though. As usual, we'll do one for the first option and two for the second," Battat said.
He brought Tenna farther down the path, closer to the flower patches.
"This dark pink or this light one?" he asked, gesturing to each.
Light pink.
Battat plucked the flower and moved on to the next. "Orange or yellow?"
Orange.
They moved along the path, collecting a small handful of seven flowers. Battat added his first one to the collection and wrapped a couple long blades of grass around it and tied a crude knot.
"Here you are," he said, presenting it to Tenna.
Tenna held it up, examining the flowers up close. It wasn't the prettiest bouquet in the world, but he couldn't bring himself to care. It was a bouquet from Battat, and that made it special. He breathed in. It smelled heavenly.
Battat's expression wobbled, and tears pricked the corners of his eyes. Tenna looked at him curiously.
"Sorry," Battat sniffed, wiping away a tear that slid down his cheek. "It's just— You're blooming."
He was? He hadn't noticed.
He suddenly felt that if today was his last day, he wanted to tell Battat one last time.
"I-I..." his speakers sputtered uselessly. "I l-l—"
He huffed in frustration. For the hundred-thousandth time, he cursed his lack of control over his own body. He remembered the fit he'd thrown when not even Battat's best efforts could let him move his left arm. It seemed so childish compared to what he was dealing with now. At least then he'd still been able to walk and speak.
He set the bouquet in his lap and held out his hand. Battat immediately placed his hand in Tenna's.
Three squeezes. I love you.
"I love you too," Battat whispered.
Tenna's fingers twitched. He wanted to hold Battat's face like he used to, but it was like all the strength had been sapped out of him. Luckily, Battat was good at reading him. He lifted Tenna's hand to his cheek, and Tenna stroked his cheek with his thumb, wiping away a couple stray tears. He shivered, and they both looked up to see a large cloud passing over the sun.
"Hm," Battat grumbled. "Looks like it might rain soon. Damn weather people."
Tenna didn't mind. He already got what he wanted out of this.
Battat pushed him home as quickly as possible, but as they approached the driveway, raindrops sprinkled down on them, sinking into Tenna's blankets and sliding off his casing. Once they were inside, Battat hurriedly dried him and the chair off and peeled away the wet blankets.
"Shit," he muttered. "I should have invested in a warming cabinet, huh?"
Tenna's antenna flicked off a stray droplet. A dryer worked just as well in his opinion, but Battat was always trying to think of new ways to make thing easier for both of them.
"Will you be okay if I run these downstairs?" he asked, turning the heat up.
Yes.
Battat kissed his casing. "I'll just be a minute."
"Which one?" he asked. "Jazz or disco?"
Tenna looked around in confusion. Why were they suddenly in the living room? How much had he missed?
"Memory lapse?" Battat asked, sensing his distress.
Yes.
Battat ran a hand soothingly over his casing. "We went to the park and picked some flowers, but then it started to rain."
Yes. He remembered all that.
"So I threw your blankets in the dryer and got a vase for the bouquet," Battat continued patiently. "Then I had some lunch. You weren't hungry, but you gave your opinion on my grocery order. Then I grabbed your blankets and helped you onto the couch, and you wanted to listen to music."
That was news to him, but music sounded nice. Maybe with a bit of reading too.
"Do you still want to?" Battat asked.
Yes.
"Jazz or disco?" Battat repeated.
Jazz. It would pair well with the mystery novel they were reading.
Battat put the record on, and Tenna pointed weakly at the book.
"Oh, I see what you did there," Battat said. "Good thinking."
He grabbed the book and curled up on the couch next to him. Tenna hoped they would finish before he had to go to sleep. He really wanted to know who the killer was.
The rain and the record provided a great atmosphere for the story. Battat was an excellent narrator as always, putting on all sorts of voices and really getting into the characters. He grinned in satisfaction every time Tenna's speakers spat out a shaky laugh.
Despite his best efforts, Tenna felt himself getting drowsy. It was only early afternoon, but he normally found himself falling asleep around five o'clock. Battat would usually lie with him until he fell asleep, but after that? Tenna had no idea what Battat did in those extra hours, and that was fine by him. Battat deserved to have a little time to himself. Still, he was a little alarmed he felt so tired already.
He tried his best to listen to Battat's spirited description of the detective chasing after a shadow that seemed to be the culprit, but in the next moment, he was sitting across from Battat at a restaurant. Battat was dressed more sharply than usual, but he was fidgeting nervously and picking at his food.
Ah, Tenna remembered this. It was the night Battat proposed to him.
"What's wrong?" Tenna asked. "You look like you're gonna be sick."
Battat grimaced and shoved a forkful of pasta into his mouth. "I'm fine," he grumbled. "See?"
Tenna looked at him doubtfully.
"It's just a bit hot in here," Battat insisted. "Actually, how about we get out of here?"
"You don't want the rest of that?" Tenna asked, gesturing to his plate.
"Nope," Battat said, flagging down a waiter, who brought their check over.
Tenna pulled out his wallet and jumped in surprise when Battat yanked it out of his hands and yelped, "No! I'm paying!"
The waiter looked between them hesitantly.
"I'm paying," Battat said calmly, as if he hadn't flung himself across the table.
The moment the waiter was gone, Tenna snorted out a laugh. Battat hung his head in shame, handing his wallet back.
"I can't believe you did that," Tenna snickered.
"I invited you out; I should pay," Battat muttered petulantly.
Tenna was perfectly okay with paying, but he knew Battat could be even more stubborn than him, so he decided to drop it.
Battat insisted on a nice stroll, and Tenna had no objections. The city was much prettier at night with all the flashing signs in his opinion. Battat guided their walk down to the city park, a quiet area that was less "park" and more "public art installation." Still, it was nice.
Tenna squatted down to get a closer look at some of the flowers. They were tulips in a variety of colors. He wondered how much it would cost to get his own. He'd always thought about getting more into gardening, but there wasn't any time in his busy schedule. Maybe when he retired.
"What do you think this is supposed to be?" Battat asked, gesturing at a statue.
Tenna tilted his head thoughtfully. "Huh... I guess an angel or something? Maybe a bird."
Battat squinted his eyes and leaned closer to read the plaque. "Seems like 'angel' was right," he muttered. "I don't really get the point of these. Why not just make it obvious?"
"Wouldn't all art look the same then?" Tenna said. "I like getting a look at how other people picture things. Even if it doesn't make much sense to me."
Battat hummed. "I guess you're right."
The restaurant on the other side of the street starting playing a slow tune. Tenna swayed in one spot, feeling the music. Battat hopped onto the edge of a fountain and held up a hand.
"Dance with me?" he asked.
Tenna smiled and slipped his hand into Battat's. The fountain only added a couple feet to Battat's height, but they made it work. They circled around the fountain, adding in a couple careful twirls. Tenna dipped Battat over the edge of the fountain, and Battat closed his eyes, trusting Tenna completely. It filled his chest with warmth, and he leaned down, pressing their lips together. Battat hummed into the kiss, sliding his hand up Tenna's arm and shoulder onto his casing. They broke apart as the song ended, and Tenna carefully righted Battat, making sure his feet were firmly planted on the stone edge.
"We should probably head home," Tenna said, moving to pull away. "We have an early start tomorrow."
"W-wait!" Battat said, clutching his arms. "I-I—"
He knelt down, fishing in his pocket before pulling out a ring box.
"Tenna, I— You're the most spectacular person I've ever met, and I-I had a whole speech, but I can't remember any of it now. U-umm, I feel like I've flubbed every part of this, but I have to at least ask. Would you do me the honor of spending the rest of your life with me?" he asked, before a grimace crossed over his face.
Tenna gaped at him. If he had a list of things he'd never expected to experience more than once, a proposal would probably be on top.
"Shit, you're right," Battat muttered. "That was awful. I'll just—"
He moved to stand before tripping over his own feet and falling into the fountain.
Tenna suppressed the urge to laugh and hauled him out of the water. "Oh my god, are you okay?" he asked, pulling his handkerchief out of his pocket and drying Battat's face off.
"Just kill me," Battat grumbled. "Throw me back in and hold me down."
"No, no," Tenna said frantically. "I was going to say yes!"
"No, you weren't," Battat huffed. "This whole night has been so unromantic."
Tenna held Battat's head in his hands and squatted down to be closer to his eye-level. "I was," he insisted. "If you really think you can handle me, I'd be lucky to have you."
"I've done a pretty good job so far," Battat muttered.
"You have," Tenna agreed. "You said the rest of my life?"
"Pippins have a longer lifespan than CRTs," Battat explained. "So it's more likely I'll outlive you."
"Oh, is that so?" Tenna said.
"How about you marry me and find out?" Battat challenged.
Tenna snorted. "Is that a threat?"
"Hardly. I'll take such good care of you, you'll live even longer than you should," Battat promised.
"Okay, I think you're getting ahead of yourself," Tenna laughed. "How about I marry you because I love you?"
Battat flushed. "I— Yeah, that works too." He patted his pockets. "Shit, I dropped the ring. God, this must be the worst proposal ever."
He knelt down and hunched over the water, digging around the coins for a few minutes before triumphantly holding the ring over his head.
"I got it!" he exclaimed, grinning up at Tenna. "I got it."
Tenna held out his hand, and Battat shakily put it on. It fit perfectly.
Battat laughed in relief. "At least I got that part right."
"I don't know," Tenna hummed. "I thought the whole thing was charming." He picked Battat up and held him to his chest. "Let's go home now. I have some ideas I want to run by you."
"Tenna!" Battat squeaked. "Put me down! I'm all wet!"
"Not yet," Tenna snickered.
Battat flushed. Tenna never got tired of seeing that.
"Besides, a little water won't kill me," he added.
"Tenna!" Battat shouted. "Hey! Hey, come on! This isn't funny! Please wake up!"
Tenna groggily looked over at Battat. Oh right. They were on the couch.
"Thank god," Battat breathed. "You scared me."
Tenna looked down at the book.
"I'm on the last chapter," Battat said apologetically. "I didn't realize you were asleep. Do you want me to go back?"
Tenna considered. He was a little sad he'd missed the climax, but he got to relive a treasured memory, so he couldn't be too upset.
No. It wouldn't be fair to make Battat redo all of that.
Battat hesitated. "I'll go back one chapter."
Tenna listened carefully. If this was Battat's last performance for him, he had to make sure Battat knew it was appreciated. It turned out Battat's prediction of the culprit was correct, a fact he was entirely too smug about. Tenna managed to stay awake through the end, but his vision was flickering, and his arm hurt, and he was just so tired.
"Did you like it?" Battat asked eagerly.
Yes.
"I think it might be one of my new favorites," Battat continued. "What did you like better, the characters or the story?"
Tenna pressed their joined hands into Battat's chest.
"Me?" Battat asked in bafflement.
Yes.
He flushed that pretty shade of green. "You charmer. Do you want a snack or anything?"
No. He just wanted to lie in bed with Battat curled up against him.
"Okay. You know, with the rain earlier, you might not even need a washing," Battat joked.
Tenna was sure he'd fall asleep any minute now, and he'd much prefer to spend his last waking moments in comfort. Thankfully, Battat didn't seem to want to do it tonight either.
Before he knew it, Battat was crawling over him, helping him get in a comfortable position. He hopped out of bed to draw the curtains and pulled on his pajamas, turning the nightstand light off before slipping under the covers next to Tenna.
"Did you have a good day?" Battat asked, running a hand over his casing.
Yes. It was way too short, but he already knew that was going to happen. It was as good as it could be, he supposed.
He felt like he should be scared. If he had been ten years younger, he would be terrified. Now though, he felt mostly at peace. This wasn't a bad way to go. Battat was still so beautiful.
He had to try again.
"B-b—" his speakers cut out.
He frowned in determination. He had to do this.
"Tenna?" Battat asked worriedly.
"Ba-attat," he managed. "I l-love you."
A thrill shot through him. He did it!
Battat sobbed. "I love you too, Tenna. I love you."
Tenna was totally drained. His screen flickered. He wished he could kiss Battat the way he deserved, but some dreams weren't meant to be. He clacked his screen gently against Battat's head. Battat laughed and cradled his casing in his hands, placing a soft kiss on his screen.
I love you.
"I love you too," Battat breathed. "It's okay. You can rest now."
Tenna gazed at Battat's face for another minute, but exhaustion quickly overtook him. He wrapped his good arm around Battat as well as he could and allowed his screen to turn off.