Jongin tighten his grip on the slender waist of D.O. If a fire surrounded the bed at that moment, he would want to die holding onto to D.O. He only had a few days left with the person who had become a structured figure in his life and he wanted it to last just a minute longer.

“Kai-sshi, you have a photoshoot appointment in an hour,” Jongin snuggled closer, pressing his body onto the smaller man’s back. The coolness of D.O . was a stark contrast to the warmth of Jongin which Jongin liked.

“Kai-sshi, if you don’t get up now and get ready-”

“Shut up, D.O,” Jongin mumbled into the nape of D.O’s neck. The mechanical man followed the order and remained silent which made Jongin smile. The hour came and passed as Jongin remained holding tight to his new love.

The moment was only broken by the loud ringing of Jongin’s phone. Jongin groaned as he pulled away from D.O. and saw Yixing’s name on the screen.

“What is it, hyung?”

“Oh, just calling to see how you’re doing and to see if you had a concussion from falling a few days ago.”

“The doctors cleared me with no head injury,” Jongin scrunched his eyebrows. Yixing knew that he didn’t have anything wrong.

“Oh! Just wondering since you skipped out on an appointment with two buddies of mine I made for you two months ago. Luhan and Minseok, remember them and their cafe?”

Jongin cursed under his breath. He remembered the appointment, thanks to D.O., but he forgot that it was a favor called in by his hyung.

“Lay hyung, I-”

“Where’s D.O.? He should have reminded you,” Jongin turned his head to see D.O. sitting up in the bed watching him. Jongin could do nothing but smile as he saw the android sitting crosslegged with his hands in his lap.

“D.O. is…cleaning up the kitchen,” D.O furrowed his brow and cocked his head at Jongin’s answer. “I was working on some editing and let the time slip by. I’m sorry, hyung.”

Yixing sighed over the line. Jongin could just imagine him rubbing his forehead.

“Alright. I’ll call them and ask to reschedule for some time after opening night. You won’t skip out on that, will you?”
“Of course not, hyung. Kris seems like a guy who knows people who you don’t want to piss off.”

“He doesn’t. He’s like a big doofus,” Jongin stifled a chuckle. “Just don’t skip on this. I promise that this show will be the best thing to happen for you.”

“Alright, hyung. Talk to you later,” Jongin ended the call and stared at the ceiling.

“Should I go and clean the kitchen, since you told Lay that I was?” Jongin chuckled before he pulled D.O. back into his arms, settling his warm body once again against D.O.’s. Before Jongin could get anymore comfortable, his phone vibrated.

Jongin groaned as he reached for the phone and went to the text message that came in.

I’ll be picking D.O. up Thursday. Don’t damage him anymore before than. - Yixing

Jongin gripped the phone, fighting the urge to chuck it across the room. Two days. That was all he had left to hold onto the best thing to happen to him.

The days weren’t long. Jongin continued to skip appointments, one with a chicken shop that he had done business with before and a travel agency that heard about him through Sehun. It was how he got most of his business, word of mouth. He apologized, claiming preoccupation with other business, and rescheduled but the appointments were the farthest things from his mind. They moved from the bed (D.O. stating that it was unhealthy for Jongin to stay in bed for so long).

They stayed in the apartment. Jongin took up the task of teaching D.O. all that he knew about photography and editing. The types of lenses he uses, the filters he applies, effects that he hopes to create with each photograph taken. He repeats every step he takes, making sure D.O. understands it.

“Kai, you do realize that I can remember everything if you show me or tell me once? Plus Lay is-”

“Now, you have to make sure the saturation isn’t too much or the photo will look fake and messy. Got that?” Jongin kept his hand moving and his eyes on the screen. D.O. replied, holding back his comment. Jongin knew that D.O. was leaving but he didn’t want it to be real.

As D.O. started to make tea for Jongin, the four note tone of the door code being enter rung. The opened to D.O.’s surprise, Jongin still with his back turned and his eyes glued to his computer screen.

“Oh! Hello, Lay,” Yixing looked at D.O. and then to Jongin.

“Hyung, what have I told you about coming in without telling me? I gave you my code-” Jongin was pulled from his seat. Yixing dragged him to the sofa, throwing him into the cushions.

“What the hell?”

“I should ask you that! Four of your clients have called me and asked why they had to reschedule. They want to know how long you’ll be busy getting ready for this art show of yours. I’m not your assistant, Jongin!”

Jongin sat up straighter on the sofa as he glared at his hyung.

“I can explain.”

“Please do because from my understanding, Kris is doing most of the work right now. You just have to show up Saturday for final inspection and the show is Sunday. What are you so busy with?”

“Things,” Jongin mumbled. Yixing caught the twitching of his eyes as Jongin glanced over at D.O.

“When I asked you that night if you had fallen in love with D.O., you were serious?” Yixing whispered, hoping the android wouldn’t hear. Jongin his lips before nibbling on his bottom one.

“Kai! He’s a robot! You can’t be in love with a robot!”

“Says who?” Jongin shouted back at his hyung.

“Logic! He emotes what I tell him to. He thinks what you want him to think. He isn’t a conscious being.”

“No. He understands me and he-”

“Kai,” Yixing grabbed Jongin’s shoulders. “I don’t know if it’s because of the years you’ve been alone or you’ve really lost it but listen to me. You can’t love him. He won’t love you back. He can’t.”

Jongin looked from Yixing to the doe-eyed bot that he just wanted to hold and love and never let go. A glint of metal shone in his pupils, breaking Jongin’s fantasy. Jongin felt his heart sink past his stomach as it fell to the floor and shattered. What his hyung said was right. He couldn’t love a robot because D.O. wouldn’t truly care about him.

Jongin pulled away from Yixing and made his way into his bedroom, shutting and locking the door.

“I’ll come back tomorrow, Kai!” Yixing shouted to the door. “Don’t do anything stupid.” Yixing turned and stared at D.O.

“Keep him alive until I come tomorrow,” D.O. whirred and clicked as he registered the command and agreed with a nod.

Night fell over the city, with the street sounds filtering into the apartment. Jongin finally emerged from his room to the dark apartment.

“D.O.? D.O., come and…” Jongin stopped as he spotted the box that the android had first arrived in laying in the middle of the floor. Jongin approached it carefully, seeing D.O. resting in the box like the first day. Jongin started to reach down to touch behind his head, to start him again but stopped as his eyes noticed a note on D.O.’s chest. Jongin picked it up and read:

Kai,

I’ve enjoyed being your assistant for the past two months. I’ve learned a lot from you and your world. You are a special kind of person whose life is best seen through a camera lens. You have been through so much but you have wonderful people in your life that understand you, like Lay. I wish I could stay but I must follow Lay’s command. Which is why I’ve shut myself off.

You have asked much of me in these past few weeks, but I must ask a favor of you. Do not turn me back on. Sadness does not suit you anymore. I ask that you don’t turn my power on again because I don’t want to see you hurt anymore.

Yixing will be here in the morning to pick me up and take me back to the lab. He asked me to take care of you until the last minute. I’m sorry I could not complete this last task.

It has been a pleasure getting to know you, Kim Jongin. Thank you and goodbye.

D.O.

Jongin fell to the ground next to the box, tears teetering in his eyes. He looked at D.O., his peaceful face glowing in the dark room.

“What gives you the right to tell me not to turn you back on?” Jongin growled. “You follow my order. If I want you to stay, you stay. You hear me?”

Jongin reached for D.O.’s ear but stopped, his hand trembling as the hot tears streamed down his face. He knew turning D.O. back on would do nothing. He would still be gone once the sun rose, once Yixing came to the apartment. Jongin had been living in a fantasy world for the past two months and it was now time to wake up. He had to go back to real life, back to his old life, back to his old self. He was afraid.

A/N: There will be another part! The Finale is coming!