Jongin opened the door to an obviously lethargic Yixing as he yawned with his greeting.

"What’s wrong with you?" Jongin asked.

"I didn’t go to bed until like three hours ago. I had to do some work at the lab," Yixing mumbled as he slinked into the apartment. "Hello. D.O." He said to the android that stood in the kitchen. 
Jongin and Yixing dropped down on the sofa.

"Why did you want to meet if you didn’t sleep, hyung?"

"I wanted to check on D.O. And ask you something."

"I’m not taking another one of those on as a roommate," Jongin said pointing to D.O. as he placed groceries away.

"Has he been a problem?"

"No. Not a big one," Jongin lifted his coffee mug to his lips to sip the warm black drink.

"I need to know, Kai. He’s the prototype. If he has a glitch, I need to see how to fix it."

"After threatening to take a screwdriver to him for the sixth time for barging into the bathroom, he got the message. He’s become a good assistant."

"One, that’s excellent coming from a person who said he didn’t need any help," Jongin chuckled before taking another sip of coffee. "And two, if you ever think of taking my creation apart, I will show you why I’m not just the best dancer but the best fighter from Changsa," Jongin could do nothing but laugh at his hyung.

When they first met, the language was a barrier with Yixing’s Mandarin and Jongin’s Korean but they spoke in harmony when they danced together. Bonding over different routines and musical artists, Jongin considered Lay Hyung one of his best friends.

"Okay, hyung. So what did you want to ask me?"

"Remember that collection you took about three years ago? By Han River at night?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I have this buddy from Canada, Wu YiFan, but everyone calls him Kris. He’s opening up a gallery here in Seoul and I told him about your photos."

"Hyung, why did you do that?"

"Because he promised me some tteokbokki. Why else? Your photos are good!"

"No."

"Kai, come on! They are good. Do you really think people buy some of these rags to read Oh Sehun’s articles? No! They look at your pictures.They’re looking at your art. It was the same with your dancing," Jongin caressed the coffee mug in his hand. The liquid was still hot, almost burning his finger tips through the mug but he kept holding it. Hundreds of people told him and Yixing how much they loved watching them dance and called what they did an art but Jongin never saw it that way. He was living when he danced. Nothing mattered, nothing could affect him, and nothing could bring him down from the high he felt when he danced. Until the accident. 

"No," Jongin stood and took the mug into the kitchen. D.O had left and was sitting next to Yixing on the sofa. 
Jongin placed the mug on the counter and turned back to the two of them. His fingertips still burned from the heat of the mug.

"Kai…"

"I’ve given up the spotlight, hyung. There’s nothing I can gain from this and I don’t need your help.”

“You said a similar things about something else a few weeks ago,” Yixing smirked. Jongin’s eyes shifted from his hyung to D.O on side of him, blinking rapidly trying to understand what was going on. The mechanical man wasn’t something he needed in his life but with him there, it got a little easier.

“Just make a portfolio and think about it,” Yixing said standing. “I have to give Kris an answer by the end of the week. Bye, D.O.”

“Bye, Lay,” D.O said with a smile and a small wave. Yixing pointed to Jongin as a reminder before he left again for the day. Jongin sighed as he reached for his mug of coffee. The heat had left the ceramic mug. He was quick to dump the contents down the drain and look back to his companion.

“You have no scheduled appointments today,” D.O. said moving toward Jongin who went about making a cup of tea.

“I know.”

“Will you be working on editing again?” Jongin knew D.O. was watching him move about the organized kitchen to make a cup of tea that he wasn’t really going to drink.

“Maybe.”

“I believe that art offer that Lay offered you would be beneficial for you and for Mr. Wu.”

“You believe?” Jongin glanced at him.

“The probability of success is-”

“Yesh!” Jongin held up his hand. “Don’t care about probability or math or whatever. I’m not doing it.” 
Jongin placed a kettle on the stove and the flames to heat the water.

“You may not but just so you know your photographs would be considered aesthetically pleasurable, many which contain what people look for which is the golden ratio which is-”

“You keep talking! Stop.”

“I was looking at your past photographs and…” D.O. moved back into the living room, toward the large bookshelf that rested against the wall.

“Wait, you touched my stuff?”

“I was organizing and I saw the photos,” D.O. continued toward bookshelf, pulling one of the large binders down.

“Don’t touch my stuff!”

“There’s a few photos here that I think will-”

“DON’T TOUCH MY STUFF!” Jongin rushed over and grabbed hold of the binder. Tugging on it, Jongin realized that the mechanical man had a vise grip on it.

“Let it go,” Jongin’s tone was even but grating. Jongin pulled again, feeling D.O. pull back. “Let it go!”

The two struggled over the book. Jongin saw the hard look in D.O.’s silver eyes as he glared at him.

“I said LET IT GO!” Jongin placed his hand against D.O. and pushed.

Jongin's fingers lost their grip on the binder as he pushed on the firm chest before him. The binder slipped from his hands, still gripped in D.O.’s grasp. Jongin saw as the bright white in D.O.'s eyes grew in fear as he began to fall backwards. 
Jongin screamed as D.O.’s head slammed against the corner of the coffee table.

“D.O.!” Jongin rushed to his side, grabbing his shoulders and shaking.

“D.O.! D.O., are you okay? D.-”

The gash was deep on side of his head. Blood did not run but the shine of metal and the tangle of wires jumped out at Jongin. The flesh laid open, as wires - like veins - reaching out as what looked like sparks lit the small space that was now revealed.

“D.O.-ya! D.O.! Are you okay? Wake up. Wake up, D.O.-ya! D.O.!”

~~~~~

“Yah! I could kill you for this, Kai!” Yixing growled as he held the soldering tool to D.O.’s head.

“I’m sorry, hyung. I’m really sorry. I’m sorry. Is he going to be okay?”

“You better hope so,” Yixing muttered. Jongin huffed a sigh as he plopped onto the sofa, his head in hands.

“I’m sorry…”Yixing glanced over his shoulder as he continued to work.

“Did he walk in on you changing or something?” Jongin remained silent. The anger and distraught he felt overcame his thoughts. All he wanted was for D.O. to be okay. “Okay. Let’s see.” 

The familiar whirring and clicking caused Jongin’s breath to hitch, watching the bright wide eyes open.

“Hello, Lay,” The cheerful voice said.

“D.O.!” Jongin jumped up. The machine smiled as he looked at him. Jongin felt his heart skip a beat as he looked at the smile.

“Hello, Kai.”

“Okay. D.O.?” Yixing held up his index finger. D.O. did the same. Yixing placed a wired clipped onto the finger, connecting back to the laptop that sat on-side of him. “Run diagnostic check.”

D.O. beeped in agreement. Yixing stood and walked to Jongin, wrapping his arm around his neck. 

“Yah, I don’t come to your apartment and smash your cameras or shred your pictures. Can you not destroy my life’s work?”

“Did I break him? I thought he was okay.”

“He probably he is, but when I say he’s a prototype, I mean he’s one of a kind. One of a Kind!”

“I said I was sorry,” Yixing waved away the apology. Looking over, The open binder with the black and white photos caught his attention.

“Oh! Are you rethinking Kris’s offer?” Jongin followed his gaze. All he could think about was how D.O. fell and the second his head struck the table. The sound frightened him but nothing more than the blank stare D.O. had as he laid unresponsive to Jongin’s cries. In the minutes before Yixing came back, Jongin was scared. Though D.O. had been an annoyance, somewhere in his mind, he needed him in his life.

“Kai-ya?” Jongin looked back at his hyung. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I mean…I was thinking about it.”

“Really? Awesome! Just make up the portfolio and I’ll get it to him.”

“Diagnostic complete,” Yixing turned and took the clip from D.O.’s finger and packed up.

“Is he okay?”

“I have to get this back to the lab but he should be,” Yixing slung his backpack onto his back. “Now, D.O., don’t go hitting your head on anything else, okay?”

“Okay,” Yixing threw a sneer at Jongin before leaving again. Jongin stepped toward D.O., sitting on the table in front of him.

“D.O., are you okay?”

“I seem to be. My diagnostic check will provide a prognosis if not.”

“I’m really sorry if I hurt, I mean, damaged you.”

“I know,” His smile was warm and inviting. “Kai wouldn’t hurt someone he cares about.” 

Jongin moaned and tossed and turned. The nightmare had returned. As the car began to spin in his mind, he screamed. Though he screamed in his dream, a shout was all he produced as he shot up in his bed. Jongin gasped for breaths as he looked about his dark room. Jongin lifted his hand to wipe his forehead but found it full. As his eyes adjusted, the sleeping figure of D.O. sat in a chair on the side of his bed, his hand clasped around Jongin’s. He started to pull away but found something stopped him. He wanted to hold on for a long as he could, to the comfort, to security, to D.O.

Jongin only really wanted one thing in life, to dance. Once he lost that, his drive to keep anything and anyone in his life started to dwindle. His friends slowly left, his family gave up comforting him. He wanted to be alone and he had it. But having this machine appear in his life, he felt the drive again. The drive to do something, to make contact with others. He started hanging out with Lay hyung and even Oh Sehun more. He wasn’t a social butterfly but he was breaking out of the glass prison he placed himself in.

Jongin slid down his bed, so that his face was with D.O.’s. The pale, translucent skin glowed in the darkness. He looked like an angel sleeping. Jongin moved closer, to see his lashes as they rested on his round cheeks and his lips, resting on his arm that stretched to hold Jongin’s hand. Jongin knew his body would be in pain from the awkward position, but he wanted to watch D.O., his new angel, sleeping and hoped to meet him in dreamland so that he would be safe.