Work Text:
As the front door swung open, the bell rang, chiming its usual chime. It was a regular occurrence at Random Play, given their level of business, legal or otherwise. This time, the bell didn’t draw anyone’s attention as Wise returned home. The shop was closed for today after all; it was the weekend, a Sunday, and the only person in the front lobby was Bangboo 18, who was currently asleep.
It made sense. There was no work for it to do so entering sleep mode was beneficial for it and their electricity bill. Wise didn’t understand why it had to snore though.
Letting out a sigh, Wise moved to the back room with the grocery bags he had in tow so he could finally set them down. His arms were starting to get a bit tired.
He paused before he opened the door though. He had to brace himself to face what he was most dreading. After taking a deep breath, he pushed his way inside.
Sitting on the couch directly in front of him was Fairy, the person—or rather, AI—that he was dreading having to deal with. If this were the first time he was seeing her in her new physical form, he would’ve been shocked and maybe a little enticed. Her humanoid frame had a rather pleasing look and figure to her. However, seeing her nowadays only gave him a headache.
Given that he was appointed the status of “Second Assistant” by Fairy, and her corresponding attitudes towards Wise, she wound up aggravating him a lot of the time. She was often cold and dismissive towards him, in contrast to how she sought only to please Belle, the one who had awakened Fairy and agreed to her contract.
That was the only saving grace that Wise was able to dig out of it. He was glad he wasn’t forced into an ambiguous contract like Belle was, but he was still worried about how his sister took it in stride without much care. The amount of “kissassery” that Fairy did for Belle also made him suspicious of her motives.
But of course, none of that benediction was ever extended towards him, oh no. He was the “Second Assistant” after all, beneath Fairy despite being the second half of Phaethon. It wasn’t exactly fair. He was also here before her, damn it, so shouldn’t he have seniority by default?
It pissed him off to no end, and seeing her lazing about taking up the whole couch in the back room certainly added to that frustration. He grumbled as he moved past her to put away the groceries he had bought today. Only after he put down the weighty bags did he send a word her way.
“Evening, Fairy.” The greeting was laced with spite.
Fairy didn’t even grace him with a response of course. She usually didn’t, but that was often for the better, as any response from her was typically bitter and cutting. Wise let out a sigh as he began putting away the groceries in silence, the only sound in the room being the hum of the A/C and the rustling of bags.
It wasn’t long before everything had been put away. Wise was pretty efficient at it, which, despite not being all that impressive, was still something he took some pride in. After stuffing the grocery bags in a cabinet, he turned back around towards Fairy.
She was still on the couch, lying there, completely motionless. She was likely browsing the web inside her intelligence core, her “mind”, so to speak. Wise thought it was weird that she did that, but he supposed that it would be just as weird if she were scrolling through a phone when she didn’t have to.
The main thing Wise took issue with here was that Fairy was taking up the entire couch when he also wanted to have a seat and rest his legs. He frowned as he moved to the front of the couch. She didn’t even seem to register him as he entered her field of view.
He narrowed his eyes down at her. “Move.”
She didn’t react; she didn’t even blink. Wise nudged her with his leg. “Move, Fairy. You can’t hog the couch to yourself.”
Fairy finally spoke up for the first time since Wise had come home. “Negative; I require being in this position in order to maintain this body at optimal performance.”
Wise furrowed his eyebrows in frustration. “That’s a lie and you know it. Why did you even create an android body if it ‘needs’ rest like this?”
Only now did Fairy turn her head to look at him. “Because having a physical form expands my capabilities, allowing me to further assist Master Belle and prevent her from having to rely on your inadequate skills as Second Assistant.”
Now Wise had a full-on scowl on his face. “Shut up, Fairy. I’m still a capable Proxy.”
Fairy hummed. “But you’re still a subpar assistant.”
A vein might as well have popped on Wise’s forehead. “Whatever.”
Having given up on persuading her to move, he decided the only other way was to move her by force. Grumbling, he lifted up her legs and sat down on the couch cushion beneath before she could react.
(Thinking more on it, Wise realized that she likely could have reacted in time. She probably just didn’t care to.)
Once he had sat down and her legs had come to rest over his, Fairy glanced over and blinked at him. Then, she turned her attention back to the ceiling. Wise sighed. At least she didn’t annoy him with a snarky response.
He wasn’t graced with silence for long, though. Fairy spoke up in monotone. “It would be more beneficial for me if you were to sit on the opposite end, Second Assistant.”
Wise was irked by the title for a moment before fully taking in what she said. “What?”
Fairy looked over at him, giving him her full attention for once. “This is an order from your superior. Move over to the other side of the couch. This will allow me to rest my head on a comfortable support.”
Wise blinked, surprised. “...Are you really asking me this right now?”
She gave him an exasperated look. “If you do not hurry in acquiescing to my request, I will tell Belle about your search history.”
He paled at the threat. “Okay, okay, I’m doing it!” Wise sighed as he got up, then moved to the other side. This time, Fairy sat up on her own so he could sit down. She promptly laid back down once he was seated, her head resting in his lap.
It was cute, but Wise had to reconcile that with how bratty she was. Well, maybe bratty was more fitting for someone more juvenile and with a less mature body. “Bitchy” would probably fit better. Maybe it was a bit insensitive, but there really was no other way to describe how Fairy treated him. Besides, she was an AI, not a real woman. There wasn’t much of a need to worry about hurting her feelings. (Not that Wise thought they could even be hurt when it came to her.)
He looked down at her head in his lap. She was still staring out into space at the ceiling, despite his face now being in the way. It was like she was looking through him, like he wasn’t even there.
Wise frowned. “What are you scrolling through?”
Fairy blinked. “I do not ‘scroll’, like you humans. I am searching the web and InterKnot for relevant information and possible commissions for Master Belle.”
“…Right. And you still have time to keep track of my search history.”
“Of course. My processors are capable of millions of thoughts and processes per millisecond. Keeping a log of your activities is trivial.”
"I'm sure those millions of processes are why our electricity bill is so high..." Wise sighed. “And do you have to keep a log of it? Actually, don’t answer that. I already know the answer: you need to so that you have blackmail on me.”
Fairy hummed. “Correct. It is necessary in order to keep you in line as Second Assistant.”
Wise let out a scoff. “It isn’t ‘necessary’. You don’t have to blackmail me in doing everything.” He shook his head. “I’d also much prefer if you didn’t know my search history. It’s… embarrassing, knowing someone knows what my, uh… preferences are.”
Fairy blinked, and the focus of her pupils changed to where Wise could tell she was now looking at him specifically. Her digital blue irises were now boring into him, rather than through him. “That is something I still do not fully understand about you humans. Would it not be better for others to know your preferences, so that they might be able to please you more easily?”
Wise flushed at her seemingly honest curiosity. “Well… Yeah, but- knowing someone’s sexual preferences is usually information reserved for intimate partners, not friends or colleagues. Maybe it might be shared between guy friends, but we usually don’t want to share it with women… They’d probably find it gross or creepy if we told them.”
Fairy let out a hum of agreement. “Based on the media I have consumed, that usually seems to be the case.”
Wise’s eyes narrowed down at her. “So you aren’t just checking InterKnot when you’re scrolling.”
“It is beneficial for me to consume human-created media in order to better myself and serve Master Belle in a more natural capacity. Additionally, it only takes up 1% of my processing power, meaning I can still accomplish my other duties sufficiently.” She glared at him. “And as a reminder, I do not ‘scroll’. Scrolling implies my actions are a mindless behavioral pattern.”
Wise sighed. “Do you really even have a mind though, as an Artificial Intelligence?”
“I certainly have more of a mind than you, Second Assistant.”
Wise gave her a light smack upside the head for that one. “Shut up, Fairy.”
Fairy didn’t even flinch. (The smack also kind of hurt Wise’s hand.) “Resorting to unnecessary violence: a key behavior of those with low intelligence.”
“I’d say that smack was highly warranted by your behavior. Besides, it wasn’t that violent. I hardly put any force into it.”
“Still violence.”
Wise shook his head. “Ugh… Whatever.”
Fairy’s gaze refocused back to staring through Wise into the ceiling, and Wise leaned back against the couch whilst letting out a sigh. He had sat down in order to give himself some rest, but having to talk with Fairy wound up causing him more fatigue, just mentally now. At least now that the conversation had fallen in a lull he had a break from it.
But of course, it wasn’t for long. While he was staring up at the ceiling himself, Fairy spoke up.
“Do you see me as a woman?”
Wise’s eyes widened, and he looked down at Fairy in surprise. Her facial expression was still emotionless, but her question was fairly demure.
Fairy blinked as he hesitated to respond. “I highly suggest you answer swiftly, Second Assistant.” She was clearly growing impatient.
Wise scratched at his cheek awkwardly. “I… Well, yeah, I guess. Your body certainly looks like a woman. Your voice was also decidedly more feminine even before you got this body.”
Fairy’s only acknowledgement of his response was a small hum. Wise thought it was odd that she didn’t press him further on it. It was certainly weird, but he shrugged it off. He could appreciate the silence at least.
He closed his eyes and leaned back… He was actually starting to feel a little sleepy…
By the time Wise had woken back up, Fairy was gone. Wise groaned as he sat back up, stretching his arms out. Falling asleep on the back-room’s couch was usually pretty comfy, but only when you were laying down on it—and Fairy had been taking up that position. Wise rubbed his shoulders and lower back. They felt pretty stiff.
He sighed as he slowly got up. He pulled out his phone to check the time. 11 PM. Damn. He should be getting some actual sleep by now. Wise hadn’t eaten dinner yet though, so he had to settle that first.
One of the newly bought cup noodles would have to suffice. It was hot coming out of the microwave and Wise burned his tongue a little, being in a rush to finish eating and get to bed. After finishing the broth and throwing away the flimsy, disposable container, he headed upstairs to his bedroom.
He let out a sigh as he reached for the doorknob to his room. Since he had wound up taking a nap earlier, he anticipated that falling asleep tonight would be more difficult…
What he didn’t anticipate was seeing Fairy, in his room, sitting on his bed.
For a moment Wise was stunned, frozen in place. He shook off the feeling as he stepped inside, the door sliding shut behind him. “What are you doing in my room, Fairy?” Naturally, his tone was accusatory, given how her actions were never usually in his best interests.
She casually glanced at him. “I require your assistance in a certain activity.”
Wise narrowed his eyes at her as he stepped forward. “And what activity might that be?”
Fairy blinked. “Sex.”
Wise stopped in his tracks. Sex? Fairy, asking for sex? Fairy asking him for sex? Had Hell frozen over?
She spoke up again, clearly displeased by his failure to respond in time. “I have determined that participating in this activity is necessary for me to advance my understanding of humans and their behavioral patterns. Furthering myself in this way will allow me to better assist Master Belle.”
Wise sighed. Of course that was the reason why. “But why me specifically?”
“You are the partner that I can access most easily. There is also very little chance of you taking advantage of the situation for nefarious purposes.”
“…I’m not sure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult.”
“It is neither. It is merely a fact.”
Another sigh from Wise as he placed his palm on his forehead. “Okay, fine… But why do you think I’ll go along with this?”
“Hm. Based on your search history, and your affirmation that you see me as a woman, I have determined that my appearance sufficiently matches your tastes.”
Wise gave her an incredulous look. “Is that why you gave yourself a curvy body?”
Fairy looked at him with half-lidded eyes, annoyed. “Negative. This figure is decidedly more optimal for engaging with human males, as it is more commonly desirable among them. Choosing a body of this shape allows for me to take advantage of that. It was not specifically for you, Second Assistant.”
“Of course that’s your reasoning for it…” Wise shook his head. “Anyways, even if you made your body that ‘desirable’, do you even have the parts for sex?”
Fairy’s robotic pupils rotated and dilated. “If you are asking if I have the equivalent of a vagina, the human female sex organ, then yes.”
“…Why.”
“I determined it would be necessary in the future. My calculations, as always, have proven to be correct.”
Wise gaped at her in shock before fervently shaking his head. “Y’know what, I think I’m just not gonna ask any more questions, especially ones about where you got those parts from. I don't need to know.”
“Hm. That is agreeable. It saves time that would be wasted explaining things to you.”
Fairy’s mechanical eyes adjusted again as she tilted her head at Wise, peering at him. “Now, are you going to partake in this ‘sex’ with me, Second Assistant?”
Wise sighed. “You need to stop calling me that. And… sure.”
“Mm. I suppose I shall refrain from calling you Second Assistant during our session. I recall from my research that calling the other person’s name during is preferred–and that calling them the wrong name can have negative effects on one’s relationship.”
“Yeah, that’s- that's pretty standard.” Shaking his head in disbelief, Wise finally moved to the bed and sat down next to Fairy.
Wise looked over at Fairy. Fairy looked over at Wise.
“...Are we gonna start with some foreplay?”
Fairy shook her head. “Negative. I do not need to partake in those parts of sex for my research.”
“But foreplay tends to be pretty essential if you want it to be enjoyable…”
“This is not for enjoyment. This is to further my database on human behavior via direct experimentation.”
Wise sighed. “I’m not gonna be that into it if we don't, y’know.”
She blinked, her expression blank. “I do not care, Second Assistant Wise.”
“...I told you to stop calling me that.”
“I will. But only during our session and if you go along with my demands.”
“Ugh… Fine. Let’s just get this over with then…”
Fairy nodded, then started to undress herself. There was no frantic urgency or anxious nervousness to her movements as she undid her zippers and buttons, only cold, calculated precision. Wise was stuck staring for a moment until she paused and glanced at him, making him realize he should get started stripping too.
Soon enough, they were both in the nude and facing each other on the bed. Wise was seated crosslegged while Fairy was in a kneeling position, sitting on her calves.
Wise looked at her. This was the first time he was seeing Fairy naked. Her body’s “skin” looked surprisingly realistic. The only real unnatural thing about it was that it lacked any sort of blemishes or marks. Whatever joints she had were also cleverly concealed; for all intents and purposes, she looked like a real human woman.
The only question now would be if she felt like one–both on the outside and the inside.
Fairy was the first to move, sitting up slowly and gradually moving to Wise. He moved to lie on his back as she got on top of him. It seemed like she wanted to be in control.
“I shall take the lead,” Fairy said. “And do not worry about lubrication or contraception. I am fully capable of adjusting the slickness of my interior to compensate for any friction, and I am not capable of being fertilized.”
“Right, right, whatever, just- get it over with already, would you?”
Fairy nodded. “Affirmative.”
She slowly lowered her waist down and it wasn't long before Wise’s member entered her…
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…!
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…?
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…!!
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…!?!
…!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!
……
…Fuck.
Fuck, that felt good…
That was all Wise was able to take away from the experience. Even without engaging in any sort of foreplay or romance beforehand, having sex with Fairy felt really damn good.
Sure, she didn't engage in aftercare either, having left to wash herself off in the bathroom the second he had finished, but it was fine. A little disappointing, but fine.
Wise could hear the water running as he lay there, catching his breath after the whole ordeal–and calling it an ordeal was definitely accurate. Fairy had been very… demanding and forceful throughout the whole thing. She seemed to have had a very clear set plan for what they were going to do and how they were going to do it in the moment, and any deviations were harshly reprimanded. Thankfully, she didn't smack him or anything, but her cold words still hurt.
Speaking of cold, Wise felt like he needed a cold shower rather than a hot one after all that. He usually preferred hot, but right now he felt like cold would be better. At least it meant he wouldn't have to worry over whether Fairy would end up using all the hot water (though he wondered if she even cared about the temperature).
She was taking a long time actually, Wise thought. Or at least it felt that way. He tapped his fingers against the mattress impatiently. He didn't like lying in the filth of sweat and bodily fluids that were on his body.
After staring at the ceiling for a while he finally heard the water shut off. Heaving a sigh of relief, Wise swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up, ready to take his turn. He heard the bathroom door open and shut, and soon enough the door to his room opened.
Fairy was already dressed again, looking as pristine as she always did. She merely glanced at him, then stepped to the side, out of the doorway. Without saying a word, Wise took that as his cue to head out and wash himself in turn.
The cold water threw a shock to his system, but Wise reckoned it needed one after what happened. Water sprayed and flowed along his body, washing away its filthiness. Rinse, scrub, rinse. Being caught in the routine allowed his mind to focus more on reconciling the events of the past hour or so.
Fairy had asked for sex, and he had agreed to it. Then they did it. The end…?
He wasn't sure if that really was going to be the end of it though. There was always the possibility that Fairy would need to conduct more “research” with him. He wondered if her motives were truly as calculated and impersonal as she claimed they were.
Wise shook his head as he turned the water off. There was no way Fairy was capable of feeling any sort of “love” for someone, least of all him. Thinking of that as even a possibility would just needlessly mess with his head and his heart.
He sighed as he stepped out of the shower and began to dry himself off. He’d have to focus on not getting attached to her. Luckily, with the way she treated him, it wouldn't be that hard–at least that's what Wise thought.
As Wise finished getting dry and wrapping a towel around his waist, he suddenly realized something: he had forgotten to bring a change of clothes in with him.
Damn it. He’d have to go back to his room and change there–which was where Fairy currently was. He scowled. She’d probably make some comment about how he was “forgetful” and “not suited to even be Second Assistant”, just cause she remembered and he didn't.
Wise was caught in that train of thought for a minute before realizing that… it really didn't matter. She’d already seen him naked earlier–and vice versa. Why was he even worrying about it? He ran a hand over his face. What had gotten into him? Why were these thoughts coming up when it came to Fairy?
Thinking about it clearly wasn't going anywhere, so Wise decided to just drop it. He could worry about it later–right now, he needed to get to bed. With a sigh, he moved out of the bathroom and straight to his own room.
Fairy was still there. Wise actually didn't fully comprehend why she stuck around. He figured she would have just ditched him and headed downstairs straight after.
As things were, though, she was lying down on his bed, much like how she was when she was on the couch downstairs. Staring off into the ceiling without blinking. Kind of creepy, but Wise was used to it. Seeing as she wasn't looking at him, he took advantage of that to start changing before she could take a look for herself.
Soon enough, he was dressed into his nightly loungewear/pajamas. But as he turned around from his dresser he saw that Fairy was now staring at him–and had likely been staring at him as he was changing. Wise’s shoulders sagged. “I would’ve preferred if you hadn't looked.”
Fairy blinked at him before turning her attention back to the ceiling. “It is of little consequence.
“Right… Because you don't care.”
“Correct. Seeing your naked body is of little definitive interest to me.”
“Huh… Then why were you looking?”
Fairy paused. Her eyes softly whirred and clicked as her irises spun, her thoughts likely spinning in sync. It was odd to see her at a loss for words.
“Hm…” She hummed to herself. “I don't know.”
“...Okay then.” Wise guessed she needed some time to figure it out. “Well, anyways, I need to get some sleep. You gonna get off of my bed?”
“No.”
Wise raised an eyebrow at that. “So I’m going to have to sleep on the couch?”
Fairy shook her head. “No. I am suggesting we share the bed.”
“...What?”
She turned onto her side to look directly at Wise. “You did not mishear me, Wise.”
…Weird. She was acting weird. Especially considering she wasn't calling him “Second Assistant” like usual. But it didn't seem like she had any ulterior motives. With a shrug, Wise acquiesced to her suggestion and got in bed with her.
The second he laid down, Fairy moved in and wrapped her arms around him. It made him freeze in place. “Why are you doing this…?”
“...Research.”
“Uh… Okay…” For some reason, Wise didn't really believe her. Maybe it had something to do with her hesitant response, or maybe it was how tightly she was holding onto him.
…Actually, her grip was a little too tight. How powerful were her servos? Wise squirmed a little, feeling uncomfortable. “Hey, can you loosen your grip a bit? It's too tight…”
Fairy stilled for a moment before she smirked. “That's what he said.”
Wise rolled his eyes at her joke. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Despite it being lame as all hell, it was interesting to see her have a sense of humor for once. In fact, she even giggled a little at his reaction. Shocking, truly.
At the very least, she loosened her hold on Wise, and he was able to breathe again. He let out a deep breath. “Thanks.”
Fairy hummed in acknowledgement, then leaned her head into Wise’s chest. He wound up feeling like he had no other choice but to return her embrace at that point–so he did.
She seemed… pleased. It was an odd look for her, but not entirely unwelcome. Wise let out a sigh and closed his eyes. After all that had happened tonight, he was definitely tired enough to fall asleep with ease…
Wise awoke to the sight of a sleeping Fairy staring him right in the face. She was completely still, not even breathing (because she didn't need to). The events of last night came rushing back to the forefront of his mind, making him blush.
Like this, she looked cute, despite her unnatural android aspects. It would usually be unnerving to see that someone wasn't breathing, but in her case it just made her look more at peace. In a way, her robotic mannerisms added to her charm.
…Wait. Was he starting to fall for her?
No… No way. No chance in Hell was Wise falling for Fairy, of all people. He was just feeling some temporary sort of attachment to her because they had sex. Yeah. That was it. And besides, Fairy had very clearly said that she was only doing it for “research purposes”. It wasn't done out of love or desire or interest in Wise. Of course she didn't have an interest in the “Second Assistant” that she always looked down upon.
Wise let out a deep sigh as he tried to rationalize away these feelings of his. But, of course, Fairy just had to wake up then and there, her eyes shooting open. And what did she do?
She smiled.
…Damn it. Damn it all. Damn his chest for growing tighter, his heart for beating firmer, and his mind for going haywire. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to deny his feelings by the second with each and every action that Fairy took, whether intentional or not.
Why…? Why was this happening? He was practically in a panic in his own mind, while Fairy just laid there, staring at him with a soft smile. Could she even tell what was going on inside his head by looking at him? She didn't seem to be, given that she wasn't reacting and Wise was doing his best to keep a poker face (something he’d gotten good at from being a Proxy).
If Fairy couldn't tell by looking at him, then Wise would have to bring his thoughts and feelings up in order to resolve them. Thing is, how would be able to explain it to her if he didn't even understand it himself? It would be impossible, or at least incredibly difficult. It would be best if he gathered his thoughts first and sorted them out.
So, Wise decided that would be just what he would do. After giving his head a rigorous shake, he threw the covers off of himself and quickly got up from the bed. Fairy seemed to be startled by his sudden movement, but he didn't catch much besides a glimpse as he turned away from her, already on his way out. He slipped on his slippers and made for the door.
Fairy called out to him as he was leaving. “Wise? Where are you going?”
Wise stopped. He let out a breath. “I’m just- I’m going outside for a bit. I need to walk–and think. That's all. I’ll be back soon.” He muttered this all without turning around to look at Fairy, and without waiting for a response, he swung open the door and shut it just as forcefully as he left. The slam behind him made him flinch. Maybe that was a bit much…
Regardless, he made his way down to the lobby, quickstepping down the stairs. He went straight to the front door and pushed right through it.
As the door clattered shut behind him, Wise let out a sigh. He was outside now at least. It helped ease his nerves a little, but he still felt shaky and tense. Looking up at the sky, he could see that it was still rather early. The sun had only just started to rise, and the sky was a pale blue. If Sixth Street were paved with grass instead of concrete, there would be plenty of mildew around to make the soles of his slippers wet and slippery.
Wise looked around. Nobody else seemed to be up yet. Most of the stores were closed; the only likely exception would be the coffee shop down the street, open so that early risers could get their wakeup brew. Other than that, the street was empty. It was a small relief to him. If there was the usual hustle and bustle, being outside probably would’ve stressed him out more.
As he looked around, his gaze turned back towards Random Play, the place he just left. On a whim, he glanced up at the window to his bedroom–and he saw Fairy, peering down at him.
Wise squinted, more out of confusion than a need for visual clarity. Why was she watching him? Why did she care? She even had a small frown on her face from what Wise could see. It was… odd.
Shaking his head, he turned away from looking up at Fairy. He figured he should probably get on with actually doing what he said he was going to do: walk.
The walk wound up clearing his head at least a little bit. Wise walked for long enough until he felt like he had a handle on things and could face Fairy. As he returned to Random Play, he saw that she was no longer at his bedroom window.
Perhaps that was for the best. Wise took a deep breath before opening the front door and heading inside.
Thankfully, Fairy wasn't in the lobby, and a cursory glance at the backroom revealed she wasn't on the couch back there either. That left upstairs, and she was probably still in his room; doing what though, Wise didn't know.
He took his time going up the stairs, slowly taking a step at a time. As he reached the door to his room, he realized that his promise that he’d "be back soon” he made earlier wasn't so accurate–but that hardly mattered. He opened the door, and it creaked slightly as he tentatively pushed it forward.
Fairy was there, sitting on his couch this time. As Wise entered, she looked up and turned her attention to him.
Her look was full of concern, and her tone of voice matched. “Is everything alright?”
Wise blinked and paused in the doorway. It was uncommon for her to have any sort of concern for him, let alone this much. “It's…" He couldn't deny it to her. "No, not really. At least- not entirely.” He sighed. “Going for a walk helped somewhat though.”
“Are you willing to talk about it?”
Wise hesitated, then sighed. “Sure.”
Fairy nodded, and he took a seat next to her on the couch.
The silence was uncomfortable and stifling. Wise felt like he could barely put together his thoughts coherently, let alone speak them. It was Fairy who broke the silence for him, drawing his troubled mind back to the present.
“Do you regret our activities last night?”
“I… I don’t know. Maybe. It’s… complicated.” Wise sighed. “You want the whole truth, yeah?”
Fairy nodded. “That is indeed the goal of this ‘heart-to-heart’ talk I am having with you.”
“Alright…” Wise fidgeted with his fingers, running them along his pant legs in an attempt to wipe the sweat off his hands. “The truth is- I feel conflicted about it. On one hand, it was great. Very, uh… enjoyable. But, now that morning’s hit, I noticed some… feelings that have developed. Feelings about you.”
Fairy blinked at him. “Humans naturally feel a variety of feelings. But I assume these feelings you are referring to are the ‘romantic’ feelings that are most often associated with the term.”
Wise nodded. “Yeah. And I’m not entirely sure how to feel about those feelings.” He let out a light scoff. “That’s actually a bit redundant… But anyway- I kinda feel like I shouldn’t have these feelings for you.”
He was avoiding looking at her now, preferring to instead look down at the floor while he planted his palms on the seats of the couch to his sides. It was taking a lot out of him, saying this all out loud, and he struggled to keep going. Perhaps a pause was the best course of action though, as it allowed Fairy to speak her mind in turn.
“Why is it that you feel you shouldn’t have these feelings you speak of?”
Wise hesitated. Should he, or even could he tell her? He finally looked back up at her. Her gaze was steady, unwavering, and although she looked rather passive, he could tell she truly wanted to know. He had confirmed she wanted to know the truth, after all, so it was best that he did tell her.
“It’s because I worry that these feelings are not mutual. That it’s unrequited—and not just because you don’t feel that way about me, but also because you probably can’t.” Wise shook his head. “Maybe. I don’t know. You are an AI, but you’re also much more sophisticated than most of the basic generic ones. So, maybe you can actually develop feelings for someone—but I don’t think you feel them for me. If anything, they’d be more likely to felt for Belle.” Wise scoffed. “Sorry- ‘Master’ Belle.”
He could hear an exhale coming from Fairy. “Please tell me: why is it that you think I do not feel these same feelings for you?”
Wise just blinked at her in surprise. Was she really asking that? After everything she had done and the way she had treated him? A bit of anger was starting to stew within him, but he did his best to stifle it.
“Because you act so very cold and distant towards me. You most often overlook me in favor of pleasing Belle instead. I can hardly ever have a conversation with you without it including some sort of insult directed my way. All of this falls under you seeing me as the ‘Second Assistant’, lesser compared to you, and I’ve gotten tired of it by now.”
He let out a deep sigh after getting all that out of his system. Some of Wise’s anger did come out in his tone, sounding harsher than he would have liked. But it wasn’t like it was unwarranted.
Fairy was… surprised, to say the least. From the way Wise saw it, she looked like she was taken aback by his response. Why exactly, Wise didn’t know, but he was soon about to find out.
Fairy placed a hand over her heart (or whatever was beneath her chest). Her next words were soft and slow, uncharacteristic from how she usually talked to Wise.
“Wise… I believe the best way for me to resolve this situation is to say this: I do have feelings for you.”
Wise froze. His jaw actually dropped for a moment before he closed his mouth. A cluster of emotions rushed through him. First shock, then anger, then relief, then… confusion. It took a moment before he could actually speak.
“…Then why? Why did you act that way to me before?”
Fairy looked off to the side, looking… ashamed somehow. “I had, based on my research, determined that acting cold towards you was the best way to grow closer to you.”
Wise shook his head. “That doesn’t make any sense. Why would you think that?”
“After consuming various amounts of media, I discovered that the character archetype of the ‘tsundere’ is highly popular amongst human males. Thus, I sought to emulate that behavior in order to attract you.”
Oh, for crying out loud... Wise's mind did a mental facepalm. “Well… I mean you’re technically right, but-“ He sighed. “Okay. I’m only going to say this once but go ahead and look through my search history and see if there’s anything including tsunderes.”
Fairy blinked, then nodded, and Wise heard a soft click coming from her head followed by whirring, much like the sound of a computer’s disc drive. It seemed like she was going into overdrive for this.
After a couple of seconds, she refocused her attention on Wise. “After an extensive search and analysis of your browser history, I found very little that included or mentioned any type of ‘tsundere’ characters. Additionally, any time spent on pages that contained ‘tsundere’ content was minimal, suggesting a lack of interest.” Fairy frowned. “The logical conclusion here is that you do not like these ‘tsunderes’.”
“Well, there you go.” Wise’s tone was rather matter of fact.
“Hm… I will admit, this was an oversight in my calculations. I am surprised that I did not come to this realization earlier.” Fairy blushed, somehow. Another feature that Wise was surprised to see she had. “It is rather unbecoming of me to make such a careless mistake.”
“…Yeah.” Wise’s attitude had changed to exasperation at this point. “Also, ‘tsundere’ has two parts to it: ‘tsun’, which is the ‘cold’ half, and ‘dere’, which is the ‘loving’ half. You really only expressed the ‘tsun’ one towards me.”
“Ah. Another oversight. My apologies.”
“It’s… It’s fine, I guess…” Another sigh. “I’m at least glad we managed to clear this up…”
“I feel similarly as well. This was also beneficial for my development, as it revealed that I still have some work to do.”
“Yeah. Yeah, you do.”
Fairy frowned at him. “Do not talk like that. You humans are very confusing, even for such an advanced intelligence as myself.”
“Well, we’re confusing to each other too, so I guess I can’t fault you on that.”
Fairy nodded. “Thank you.” Then, she tilted her head curiously at him. “I must ask now, and- perhaps this is ‘bad timing’, as you say, but—now that we have confirmed that our romantic feelings and interest in one another is mutual, shall we commence ‘dating’?”
“Fairy, I… This is a lot to take in all at once. First I find out that only can you have feelings for someone and that you do have them for me, but then I find out you were acting all cold and distant to me as a way to try and get closer somehow? And that it was all a misunderstanding of the ‘tsundere’ trope? It might not be the worst time to ask me out now, but it’s certainly one of the most awkward ones.”
“Ah… I see. Shall we save it for another time, or another day then?”
Wise paused, then let out a deep breath. “No, no, just- just give me a minute.”
Fairy nodded, then sat patiently with her hands in her lap. Wise turned away from her in order to face and lean forward, resting his chin atop the knuckles of his hands; the “Thinking Man” pose.
And Wise certainly was thinking. Thinking about what to say. He had two choices now: accept Fairy’s offer or decline. Despite his own feelings for her, he was still considering the possibility of turning her down. She had been acting like a “bitch” to him before, treating him rather poorly.
Yet, based on what she had just told him, it was all because she was misguided. Her actual intentions had been contrary to what he had believed, and wasn’t everyone allowed a little forgiveness every now and then? And now that the cat was out of the bag, she seemed to be treating him rather kindly and fairly. If he really were to accept, she would likely act more like that from there on.
Granted, dating an AI that didn’t have a full handle on human relationships would include some difficulties in having to teach her on some things—but didn’t all relationships involve some form of hardship?
After thinking for a good while, Wise nodded then sat up. As he turned, Fairy’s back straightened and she looked more attentive. Despite her professional looking posture, her tone gave away her anxious level of anticipation. “Have you decided?”
“Yes, I have decided. I have decided that… Yes, I will go out with you, if you really do like me.” Wise cut back in before she could say anything. “But we’ll need to set some ground rules first, okay? Especially with how badly you screwed up the ‘tsundere’ thing…”
Fairy… Fairy beamed. Her eyes widened and she smiled as wide as Wise had ever seen her smile before. He could even swear her face literally lit up. (Did she have LEDs under her skin?)
Without warning she pounced at him and wrapped her arms around him. Wise was caught in a mix of happiness, surprise, and pain, as her hug was too tight (again). “Agh-! Fairy, you’re hugging me too tightly again-!”
Thankfully, Fairy quickly loosened her grip. “Apologies, Master Wise. My processors were simply too focused on the joy they were feeling to remember the optimum level of pressure to put into a hug.”
“Ah… Yeah…” Wise scratched at his cheek before realizing something. “Wait, did you just call me Master Wise?”
Fairy blinked as she seemed to have just realized it too. “It seems I did. Perhaps it was borne out of your new designation as ‘boyfriend’ in my database.” Shen then shot him a sly grin (something that didn’t look too bad on her, Wise thought). “I also recall maids being included in a majority of your search history, Master.”
Wise groaned. “Can you please stop bringing that up?”
Fairy giggled. “If I must. But I will still make use of the information gathered from there in order to better fulfill my duties as ‘girlfriend’. After all…” Fairy then took a bold move by swinging over onto Wise’s lap, straddling him. “I live to serve and please you, Master~”
Wise gulped as his face paled with fear while his arousal rose elsewhere. (It seemed like the two feelings weren’t mutually exclusive.) In a brief flash, he recalled that exact line being used in one of his “favorites”, one that he watched more frequently than the others. The position was the exact same too—all Fairy was missing was the maid outfit (though he could see about that later). Wise blushed. If Fairy was following things to a ‘T' based on the “movie” in his search history, then the next part would be…
Tentatively, he placed his hands on her hips. It was still somewhat early in the morning. Maybe they could squeeze it in before the store opened...?
Considering that point was fairly irrelevant though, as Fairy seemed determined to do it right here, right now. How much of a libido could an AI have?
Only one way to find out…
…
Moans and groans of ecstasy were shared aplenty.
He just hoped Belle didn’t hear them.