“I really didn’t think we’d be going out this early!” DH said once they and TO were in the vehicle and headed to the entertainment district. “If I had, I wouldn’t have gone out, and I wouldn’t have stayed out for so long!”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were going out?” TO said. It had been an awful surprise to wake up first thing in the morning to see DH gone, leaving behind only the smell of lavender on the sheets and fading body heat. Of course, a quick message on their communicator told them that DH was just fine, but those moments of panic and horror drew out with agonizing slowness. In the moments that hid between waking and sleeping, TO thought that DH had been taken away, that Kei had told Ark-1 what they saw and that somehow Ark-1 had come to Arkane and took DH away. Even when TO knew that wasn’t the case, they still worried about all the awful things that could happen to DH if they were out on their own.
They stayed anxious and stressed until DH got back.
“I told you why… It was for a surprise!” DH. they frowned, and looked away, “I’m sorry… I just-” They sighed, “If you don’t want to… if I ruined this already, we don’t have to do this.”
TO cursed themself. They wanted to make this perfect; they wanted to make this special for DH and if they were angry, then DH would know, and it would ruin the day! The last thing they wanted was for DH to feel bad about going out.
“I want to do this.” TO said, reaching out and putting their hand over DH’s. “I really do, I was just worried about you.”
“I thought I’d be back before you woke up, but things took longer-”
TO leaned in, pulled DH towards them, and kissed them on the lips to stop their words. DH stiffened, but after a moment kissed back.
“You never kissed me in the vehicle before.” DH said, shifting their head to rest their cheek against TO’s “I thought maybe you were worried about surveillance?”
“I checked that the first day.” TO said, “We’ve just been busy. Every time we’ve gone somewhere I had to do work, to do research on something, or look up something.” They nuzzled against DH’s cheek. “We’ve been very busy.”
“No work today?”
TO smiled, “No work today.” They said, “Today I-” Their ears dipped down, the words on their lips filling them with shame despite being unspoken. “Today… I am nothing but your mate. Your partner. That’s all I want to be today.”
DH smiled, leaned forward, and kissed them, trailing their lips from TO’s mouth to the tendons that ran down along their neck while one hand went up to TO’s ear. TO gave a soft gasp of surprise as DH gently pushed them against the wall, continuing their kissing.
Private vehicles seemed excessive to TO. The resources and money put into maintaining roads for private use, as well as public parking spaces and regulations, was far more wasteful in their mind than simply putting half those resources into a public transport system that worked well.
Today, It thrilled TO to have private civilian transportation, and despite how awkward it felt to them to be doing this while flying above the city, they were grateful for the distraction from the guilt and shame that radiated from what they had originally intended to say; Today, I’m not a synth.
How could they want to be anything but a synth?
======
They wore their normal uniforms under their armor when they went to the vehicle, but intended to get changed once they stopped in the entertainment district to ensure that the armor didn’t damage their nicer clothes before their date.
“Can you dress first and then get out?” DH said, their ears low and blue, “Then I’ll get dressed.”
“There’s room enough for us to both get dressed.” TO said as they pulled out the bag with their nice clothes in it. “And it would be faster that way-”
“Please?” DH said, their ears twitching. TO gave them a confused look.
“Since when are you shy about changing around me?”
“I’m not! Just… Please? It’s part of the surprise.”
TO gave a soft smile, then pulled on their outfit and got out of the vehicle to let DH prepare for their surprise. “Alright.” They said before they let the door close, “try to hurry though.”
The waiting bay in the parking building was quiet and pleasantly dim, so TO kept their sunglasses off. The sky was overcast, so they knew that they likely wouldn’t need their glasses at all, so long as it stayed dim and pleasant, which was a relief for TO as bright sunshine gave them headaches sometimes, even when they wore eye protection.
As they waited, they caught their reflection in the shiny black surface of the vehicle. They didn’t think they’d feel comfortable wearing a dress, and they didn’t care so much about clothing as DH did, but they did like how the sleeker dresses created such a simple, elegant silhouette. When they had trouble choosing something, they explained their struggle with the shopkeeper, who was more than happy to help them find something that they actually liked the look of, and which felt comfortable. They left the shop with a thick belted black half skirt which was to be worn over a tight emerald romper with a halter top. It was simple and comfortable, reminding them of the uniform they wore as a trainee, but looked so much more elegant and sleek. The skirt could come off easily if necessary. They didn’t wear heels like DH did, but their knee-high boots were still very shiny and black and had silver clasps up along the front.
When they saw themself back when they first tried it on, home when they unpacked it, and even now as they looked at their distorted reflection, they wondered if this was really and truly them. Did their silhouette look so fluid in the eyes of others? Was their skin that bright against the darker colors?
DH took a long time getting ready. TO even knocked on the window to check and make sure that they were fine, but got only a muffled reply saying that they were ok, and to just give them a little more time. Worry ran through TO; what if something was actually wrong? Well, if something was, then DH would tell them, right? What if they took so long, they didn’t have time to do everything they wanted to?
They hadn’t told DH all their plans, hoping to leave most of the day as a surprise. TO wondered now if maybe that was a bad idea. They were about to knock again, to suggest that they needed to hurry, when DH stepped out of the vehicle.
The way DH looked still TO’s breath in their lungs.
The dress they wore was fairly simple; a long black halter dress with a long slit up their leg, lace tights, and simple shoes with a low heel, but it was the jewelry they wore that surprised TO. They had a band around their head made of a woven silver chain and decorated with tiny purple gems. They had matching purple gems stuck along the edge of their ears. DH applied eyeliner, drawing on the suggestion of eyelashes in the outer corner of their eyes, and they also used lipstick in a deep purple color.
“... it’s too much?” DH said, putting their hand back on the door of the vehicle, “I’m sorry. I-. well it’s a fancy restaurant, and when I went out, I told the salesperson where we were going… She suggested this-”
“... You did the makeup yourself?” TO asked, their voice soft as they took a step forward.
DH’s ears flushed deep blue, and they turned around. “I’ll wash it off. I didn’t think… It was stupid-”
TO took DH by the arm and turned them around to get a closer look at their eyes, which were made to look even bigger from the makeup. They wondered if they simply had not noticed how soft DH’s lips were before, or if it was an illusion of the makeup? Their deeply flushed ears, long and soft and beautiful already, seemed even longer and bigger with the gems that caught and reflected the light. TO only just stopped themself from kissing at DH’s ears, kissing instead just before their ear flicked out from their head.
“You’re beautiful.” TO whispered. DH’s ear twitched as TO whispered into it, and they pulled away, a gentle hand on TO’s chest.
“... SO, was it worth going out today? It was worth waiting for me while I got ready?”
TO kissed DH gently on the corner of their lips, careful not to smudge their makeup. “So long as you’re happy, it’s already worth it.”
======
A hundred people with different tastes and preferences could go to the entertainment district and easily find a dozen things to do to occupy their time. There were restaurants of every type, gaming centers, clubs, bars, cafes, as well as several theaters, cinemas, shows, and museums. There were even performers on the streets - licensed by the city, sub-licensed by the district management, and approved by the merchants council- who made sure that no moment in the district was quiet and dull.
It had been TO’s original plan to get here early and walk about the district for a while with DH as they enjoyed the shows, taking in the cornucopia of sights and sounds which would all be new to the two of them. Lendulin had suggested that to start.
They couldn’t do that now; they had gotten here late, so they had to make a call and change some plans while DH was dressing.
When they stepped from the parking building and onto the street, there was a type of carriage being pulled by a mechanism that looked like seahorses drifting through waves; in truth, they were simply running along on wheels under the machine, but they were designed in such a way that they moved as though swimming through water. The carriage itself was shaped like an upside down conch shell in iridescent colors and wide, silver tinted windows so they could look out without being watched themself.
DH froze when they saw it, looking around as though trying to figure out what it was here for. They were still looking around as the AI that drove the whole thing stepped down from their seat behind the sea horses, a box in its arms. It looked from TO to DH, then its mechanical features formed a smile.
“Are you the one known as DH?” It asked as it looked over DH.
“I... yes?” They took a step back, their hand taking TO’s hand as though they were preparing to run away with them.
The AI set the box down, opened it, and pulled another smaller box from the inside, as well as a bouquet of glowing light blue flowers.
“A gift, from TO to their beloved, DH. They wish to tell you they hope your first date on Arkane will be everything you hope it might be.” They passed the items to DH, who cradled it all in one arm, still looking dazed and very confused. The AI turned, headed to the carriage, and opened the door to allow TO and DH to enter.
DH stared at the AI for a few minutes more before they turned to TO, juggling their gifts in their hand. They didn’t speak, but TO felt their own ears warm up by how DH was looking at them; their eyes wide, their flushed ears low.
“... I did some research.” TO muttered, looking away, “If we’re doing this; if we’re making this a proper, civilian style date, then I want it to be a proper experience. You know… chocolate and flowers and everything.” Their research, of course, had been from Lendulin. The carriage, the flowers, and the chocolate were all her ideas.
“Many people might find it cheesy, and maybe even too much?” she admitted when she dreamily told TO her idea, “But… I think DH might like it. You’ll know best; they’re your mate.”
“Is it too much?” TO asked, suddenly worried that it was; that the amount of attention they drew from the civilians would throw and upset DH. TO themself was regretting this; there were too many eyes on them, too many people watching them. The sudden, irrational fear came to them that someone might find out; that someone might tell one of their superiors about them, and have them separated sooner than later. Nobody knew who they were, of course… Except the insurgency.
What if the insurgency sent word? TO knew this was a crazy idea, that the insurgency wouldn’t contact Ark-1, wouldn’t know to contact them, and even if they did, Ark-1 wouldn’t believe them.
Why were they so afraid then?
TO looked back at DH to take their attention away from the surrounding people, but say to their horror that there were tears in DH’s eyes. “I'm sorry!” TO said quickly, “It’s too much. I’ll send the carriage away, and -”
“Don’t you dare.” DH said, reaching a hand up to gently wipe away a tear before it hit their eyeliner, “Don’t you dare. I’m not sad, I just…” They sniffled, “I didn’t think.. I didn’t imagine that you’d do all this for me.”
“I’d do anything for you; you know that.”
They could still feel the eyes of people around them, although most people were doing nothing more than glancing at the carriage. Many people seemed to go about their business as though this was a commonplace situation, despite that, TO felt like everyone was staring at them.
“Come on.” TO said, “Let’s get in… I have some more surprises for you.”
