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Akira walked into one of the three bedrooms. It was Benji�s parents� old room and it looked like an adult room. There wasn�t much in the room. The bed, small bedside table with the lamp and the dresser that probably still had his parents clothes in it. The chair in the room was one Tekk� had taken from the kitchen about a month before and her vest was thrown across it. Akira smiled faintly as he closed the door and walked over to the side of the bed. He sat down to take off his boots, trying not to wake Tekk� when he heard her voice. �Sometimes you act like a little kid, why?�
�Well we all can�t be grown up like you and Seid�.� He replied calmly. �Besides you have your times when you act just like me.�
She sat up, snapping at him. �I didn�t say to get defensive on me! I just asked a simple question Akira. God.� She crossed her arms. �What were you three talking about out there?�
�How we were going to get into the base tomorrow.� Akira turned and looked at Tekk�. �We have no idea how we�re gonna do it so we decided to postpone the operation till we can really think of something good. Until then we are just going to keep killing teenagers.� He laughed as he climbed under the covers next to Tekk�. �Ya know what Tek?�
�No what?� she looked down at him as he crossed his arms behind his head.
�I think tomorrow I�m going to bring my katana with me. I haven�t used that in a while. It would be good for me to get the practice in besides just using the pistols all the time.�
�So you�ll leave them here tomorrow?�
�No, but I�m not going to use them unless I have to. I move fast enough; they couldn�t possibly hit me.�
�We�ll see.� She lied back down and pulled the blanket up around her chin, letting the small amounts of fear she had come up and out to the surface.
Akira rolled over to face her. �You okay Tek?�
Yeah,� she nodded. �Why wouldn�t I be?�
Akira put his hand on her stomach and moved closer to her. �You just seem to be acting a little different today. What�s on your mind?�
Tekk� sighed and rolled over to face Akira. �Nothing. Well�something�I don�t know.�
�Is it one of us? Something�s wrong here? I know you don�t really like Benji that much. I don�t blame you. The way he�s always watching you. Pisses me right off.�
�Can I hit him?� Both laughed at that. �No, seriously; can I hit him? I can�t stand it either. What�s he watching? Like he�s never seen a girl before.�
�True, but he�s never seen a cybernetic female that looked like you do. And con-sidering the fact that all three of us are part machine that means that our body structure is flawless. Think about it. The Human male, don�t they look for the most flawless female they can find?�
�I guess so,� Tekk� said quietly. �So why does it have to be me?�
�You�re guess is as good as mine.�
�I still want to hit him.�
�Then hit him, I can�t stop you; can I?�
�No, probably not. Nobody has been able to stop me before except myself. Well, maybe the scientists, but they had this really weird thing that dropped you. They did it to Seid� right in front of me. Pressed a button and bang, he was out cold on the floor. Never even touched him.� She cocked her head. �I�m still trying to figure that one out. Seid� explained it to me, but I still think he was lying to me about it.�
�Oh boy, there you go again. Rambling about things that have nothing to do with the conversation. That�s one thing I like about you.�
�Oh?� Tekk� arced an eyebrow. �And what�s something else?�
�Oh, nothing.� Akira rolled over. �Good night Tek.�
�Ah, no,� she grabbed his shoulder and tried to pull him back. �You did this just the other night. What do you mean? Talk to me.�
�That for two.� Akira didn�t move. �You won�t let anybody go to sleep until you get the answers you�re looking for. And three�� he stopped.
�And three?� Tekk� repeated and sat back as Akira rolled over.
�Three? Um�let�s see. Three? Hmm.�
�There is no three is there?�
�Oh, yeah, there is. I�m just trying to figure out how I want to go about doing this so I�m alive to think about it in the morning.�
�I won�t kill you, I promise. Beat you up a bit, maybe, but you�ll live for sure.�
Akira laughed. �I�m trying to be serious here. Tekk� I like you, you know that. Hell, so does Seid� and Benji. All I�m trying to say is that I�d�I�d like to take our friendship one step further. Do you understand what I�m saying?�
Tekk� blinked. �I think so. I mean I hope so. I�ve never had to deal with this be-fore. No one�s ever cared about me or anything. You, and Seid�, even though he�ll never admit it, are the only people who care about me. So yeah, I guess I would too.�
Akira sighed. �You missed it. You had it, but you lost it.�
�Huh?� she sat up. �Then just tell me. What are you trying to say?�
�I want to turn our friendship into a relationship.�
Tekk�s face dropped. �A�you want to what? But Akira, I don�t know the first thing about being in a relationship. I�ve had to be on my own all the time!�
�Calm down. I do, I went to school and saw this all the time.� He paused. �So does that mean you will?�
�Will what?�
�Oh boy. This is going to take a while, I can tell.�
�No, I understand. Yeah, Akira, I trust you. I know you or Seid� won�t hurt me or try not to. I understand completely what you�re saying�I think. Either way you can teach me as we go along, right?� She smiled faintly.
Akira smiled. �Right, Tek, now you�re getting it. I�ll make a normal teen out of you yet.�
�Is that a good thing?�
�Yes, Tekk�, it is. Relax.� He took a deep breath. �Tek, I got one other thing I want to ask you.�
�What?� she asked quietly.
Akira paused for a second. �Would it be alright if I kissed you?�
�Kissed? No one�s ever asked me that before. I guess so. I�m not even sure I know what it is.�
�Can I show you then?� Akira turned, leaning up on his elbow.
Tekk� nodded. �I already told you I trusted you Akira. I meant it.�
�I know.� He whispered with a nod. Akira brought his hand up to Tekk�s neck and pulled her down a little bit as he pressed his lips to hers for the first time. He�d wanted to do it for weeks now and now he had the chance to finally do it. Tekk� didn�t fight him, but didn�t respond at first either. Akira figured she wouldn�t, but after a second he felt her move and felt her hand on his shoulder.
The kiss was sweet but awkward as any first kiss would be. It didn�t last long as Tekk� pulled away to look at Akira stunned. �What�d you do that for?�
�What? You said I could kiss you!� he sat up to look her in the face.
�Oh,� she dropped her shoulders ever so slightly. �I�m sorry. I guess I thought it was something different.� She shrugged. �I really am as sheltered as you say I am, huh?�
�I can see that.� Akira ignored her remark about what he had said the week before. �Don�t worry about it Tekk�. You�ll learn and I�ll teach you. Is that a deal?�
�Will you still speak in that what ever you speak in?�
�Japanese? Hai, Tekk�, if you want me to.�
�Yeah,� Tekk� nodded. �I like it when you do that. Like when you start swearing and yelling at the Special Forces and that time the guy knew what you said�� she trailed off into a laugh.
�Yes, Tek, now calm down. Lie down and let�s go to sleep, alright?�
She lied down next to Akira and nodded. �What else can you show me about this relationship thing?�
He laughed. �Tekk� you wait, I can show you all kinds of things.�