FINALLY! I have one!! XDDD
And it has Romac in it. X3
~~
…I knew I had to do it,
And he wouldn't understand.
So hard to see myself without him,
I felt a piece of my heart break,
But when you're standing at a crossroad,
There's a choice you gotta make.~Carrie Underwood,
Starts With GoodbyeThis guy could not hold my jock-sweat.~Will Ferrell,
Blades of GloryMira made her way back through the station, humming to herself.
She’d just been about to leave for the night when he communicator went off – it was XR, saying he had a surprise for her and telling her to meet him in the break room.
She chewed her lip as she walked, trying to figure out what this surprise could be. Whatever it was, he’d seemed pretty excited about it…
“Mira!”
She looked up sharply. Buzz was striding towards her, his brow furrowed and his lips drawn into a frown.
She blinked. He’d been in a perfectly good mood when she’d last seen him – what had him all worked up?
“Mira, you have a… visitor. He’s waiting in the break room.”
The break room? She felt kind of foolish for thinking it, but still… Was this some sort of setup XR had roped Buzz into? It’d certainly account for the latter’s sour mood… “Is it… XR?”
Buzz’s frown deepened. “Why would XR need to visit you? He sees you every day.”
Mira pursed her lips. Buzz never had seemed to warm up completely to the idea of her and XR. He wasn’t okay with it, but the way he tried to act like he was – it was frustrating.
“Yes, he does,” she replied coolly.
His eyes narrowed slightly – he looked like he was about to say something, but then thought better of it and let it go. He nodded and turned away, leaving her alone and confused as she continued on her way.
So, someone was waiting for her in the break room. Someone besides XR. But who would visit her? Her father? Maybe… but Buzz wouldn’t be upset about him… unless her dad had been particularly insensitive… But why…
She shook her head. She was nearing the break room; she’d find out soon enough. She turned the corner and stepped through the doorway.
Her jaw hit the floor.
It’d been years since that last time they’d seen each other. Space travel had been good to him, she noted faintly – he looked better than ever. Healthy and strong, and… ridiculously attractive. He stared back at her with the adorable little half-smirk she’d come to know so well. He leaned casually against the table in the middle of the room, his ankles crossed, his thumbs jammed into his belt loops.
For a moment she seriously considered the possibility that this was a dream. This could not be happening –
he could not be
here, not
NOW…And then he spoke.
“Hey Mira.”
Romac’s voice sent chills down her spine. Deeper and huskier than she remembered, it nevertheless made her feel like she was back on Tangea, in the depths of the Surface’s forest, young and vulnerable and completely in love.
Her breath caught in her throat.
He pushed away from the table and sauntered towards her. She stood rooted to the spot, unable to move, unable to speak, transfixed by his sudden appearance.
He came closer (too close, a faint alarm bell sounded in the back of her mind), stopping just before her, grinning broadly. The scent of the Surface lingered around him, a scent that triggered so many memories, so many powerful feelings… It was overwhelming and she swayed slightly.
He seemed to notice – his smile broadened. “It’s been too long,” he whispered, his voice wistful and longing at the same time, and he stepped forward and put his arms around her.
The touch seemed to unlock her mind and her senses rushed back to her; she was thinking clearly and alarm bells were pealing. This was not good, this was
not good… She put her hands on his chest and tried to push him away but he was stronger, much stronger, and she couldn’t ghost away, she remembered suddenly, and he was pulling her
closer…“Romac, wait!” she gasped.
Her voice was too high-pitched and panicky to be her own, and he drew back slightly, blinking at her in confusion. But his composure quickly returned and the grin reappeared as he leaned in again, one hand rising to the back of her neck, pulling her forward.
“Wait for what?” His voice was soft and smooth, and his face was TOO CLOSE and getting closer…
“There’s someone else!!”Time seemed to stand still. His demeanor changed in an instant; his eyes widened, his smile vanished. His whole body stiffened. She watched him carefully as he absorbed this news, her heart pounding, her hands pushing against his chest as she prayed he’d snap out of this soon, before someone came in and saw them like this…
Understanding flickered in his eyes as realization finally seemed to set in. He released her, slowly, letting his fingers slip through her hair as he pulled away from her, taking two deliberate steps back. She let out a sigh of relief. She’d forgotten just how strong he was, especially without her powers… Strange, but that had never made her feel endangered before now…
“There’s someone else,” he repeated slowly. His face was set with a kind of forced acceptance.
She hung her head as guilt bloomed in her stomach. She’d honestly never imagined herself in this position. Ever! Romac had been out of her life for so long now – he’d been pushed to the back of her mind.
“I’m so sorry you had to find out this way,” she mumbled. Sorry he had to find out AT ALL. After being gone for
so long, he chose NOW to show up. Of course she remembered him promising he’d be back for her, but… jeez, could his timing have
been any worse?
“Does he make you happy?”
She looked up sharply. His jaw was squared, his fists clenched, as if he was holding himself back, yet his eyes were wide and searching, and in them she saw genuine hope that what he was asking would be affirmed. Her throat felt suddenly tight – she’d forgotten how sweet he’d always been, how he’d always made her well-being his first priority. She swallowed. This was
so hard…
“Yes, he really does,” she said earnestly. She
was happy with XR. She really was. And she didn’t want to jeopardize that.
His expression softened slightly, his posture relaxed, and he nodded. “That’s all I need to know.”
She bit her lip. “Romac, I really am sorry, I-”
He held up one hand. “Don’t be. I knew this wasn’t going to be easy. We’ve both changed.”
She nodded, unable to think of anything else to say. An uneasy silence fell over them as she waited, unsure how to proceed, unsure what he’d do next.
“Well, guess I’d better be going,” he said suddenly.
There was a sort of restrained sadness in his voice and she flinched, looking away from him. “Yeah, I… I guess…”
He came closer once more and she tensed, but he merely placed one hand on her shoulder – his gaze was intense as he said, slowly, “And listen, if anything should change…”
She shivered. He never had been one to give up. “Y-you’ll be the first to know,” she stammered weakly. It was all she could think to say.
He nodded, releasing her shoulder and taking a step back. “Goodbye, Mira.”
She opened her mouth to say something, maybe wish him the best in anything he went on to do…
But she never got that far.
“Hey Sweetie! Guess what? I got tickets to that show you’ve been wanting to…”
The eager, metallic voice trailed off, leaving behind an incredibly awkward silence. Mira turned slowly to see XR in the doorway, frozen in place, one hand in the air, clutching a pair of tickets. His mouth hung open and his eyes were wide and staring, flicking back and forth between the two of them. She willed her voice to work, to say something,
anything, before something disastrous…
“Him? You’re blowing me off for
this guy?!”…could happen.
She turned back to her ex, holding her hands out defensively. “Romac, wait, just listen…”
“Buzz I could understand! Even the big guy,
maybe, but
him?”“You don’t understand…”
“He’s not even
real, Mira!”
“HEY!” XR finally spoke up. Mira spun around; he’s snapped out of his shock and was scowling up at Romac, brow furrowed and hands on his ‘hips.’ “I am SO real! I’m real as any other sentient lifeform, I’ll tell you that!”
Romac put a hand to his forehead, squeezing his eyes shut. “Oh, you’ve
got to be kidding me.”
“Hey, I may not be organic, but I still have feelings!” XR cried, putting one hand over his ‘heart’ as his lower lip jutted out.
Romac lowered his hand, visibly calmer – in a way – and she noticed that the smirk was back, but nowhere near as friendly, and a cold fury was building in his eyes. “Falling for a robot,” he scoffed. “You always were one to be
different, weren’t you Mira?”
Guilt turned to anger and she glared at him, her hands clenching into fists. “That’s not fair…”
“Wow, you really have changed, haven’t you?”
“Romac, stop it!”Silence followed her outburst. Mira continued to glower at Romac, who stared coldly back. XR had been stunned back into stillness.
It was Romac who spoke first. “Look me up if you ever decide you want actually emotion again.”
And he crossed the room swiftly, shoving XR aside (and prompting another “HEY!”) as he headed out the door.
XR took a moment to steady himself, then turned wide-eyed to Mira. “Whoa, where did
he come from? What was he even
doing here?”
Mira shook her head, staring after Romac. No, she wasn’t going to leave things like that. Not after all they’d been through.
“XR, wait here,” she said as she darted into the hall. Glancing around, she spotted him, and dashed off after him. “Romac! Romac,
wait!”He spun around, and his voice was as harsh as his eyes. “For
what?”She met his gaze unflinchingly. “Romac, you’re not being fair. You don’t know XR like I do. He’s one of my closest friends, he-“
“He’s a
robot, Mira! He can’t feel!”
“You don’t
know him!” she cried. “He does have feeling, I know he does! I can sense it! I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true, I can feel it, and I know that he cares about me, I know that-”
“You can’t honestly expect me to believe that?!”
“Yes, I do! You don’t have to like him, you don’t have to be okay with us, but don’t think for one second that I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m happy with him, isn’t that what matters?”
Romac clutched his forehead, scowling deeply. “He’s a ROBOT!”
“That doesn’t matter!” she shouted furiously. “You of all people should know that kind of thing isn’t important to me! I thought you knew me better than that!”
His hands lowered, slowly, and the look he gave her then was an odd mix of frustration, hurt, and sadness. “I guess I don’t know you as well as I thought I did.”
Something in his voice put a cap on her anger and her features softened. “Romac, I’m still the same person, just… different… I mean-” she shook her head. “I mean… I may have changed, but I still care about the same things-”
“Apparently you don’t,” he snapped, frowning.
“That’s
not true, I’ll always remember you, I just-”
“You just don’t feel for me anymore the way I still feel about you.”
How was he
so good at making her feel guilty? “Romac, please, you don’t understand…”
“You’re right, I don’t. I’m sorry Mira, but I just don’t understand how you could be with someone like that.” He paused, staring intently into her eyes, and for a moment he looked as though he was searching for something he couldn’t find. “I can’t understand this. And nothing you say is going to change that. And so I’ll say goodbye, Princess.”
She was suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of urgency, that this could very well be the last time she saw him – her first love, of course she still cared about him – and she just couldn’t end things like this. “No – Romac, wait, please don’t go like this…”
He shook his head, turning away. “I can’t understand this.”
“Please, just
try…!”“I can’t.” He paused again, then he said softly “As long as you’re happy. That’s what’s important.” But he didn’t sound like he meant it. No, not at all.
And then he just left. She didn’t go after him; she couldn’t, not when he wouldn’t even listen.
She stood there for a moment, completely overwhelmed in the aftermath of everything. His sudden appearance, his sudden departure… Her first love was gone, she suddenly realized, gone completely from her life… And it was suddenly as if something was missing, like there was some hole in her life, some void… At least before, she realized, their goodbye had not bee absolute. She hadn’t exactly been holding her breath waiting, but at least the possibility was there. Now, it seemed, even that was gone.
As if on autopilot, her feet just carried her back into the break room, past a stunned XR, and over to the small table. She felt herself collapse into a chair and buried her face in her hands.
It wasn’t long before she heard his treads, then his voice, down by her side. “Mira? Mira, are you okay?”
She nodded. She couldn’t talk any more.
There was silence for a moment, before he said timidly “Should I… d’you want me to leave?”
She looked up sharply. That was the last thing she wanted. She needed him to be there, she realized suddenly – needed him, because he understood her.
She shook her head, reaching one arm out to him. He took her hand without hesitation, climbing up into the seat next to her and wrapping his arms around her waist, curling into her side. He was so warm, his touch was comforting somehow… She leaned her head against his helmet.
They stayed that ways for a minute, sitting together in silence.
“I’m sorry, Mira,” he finally said. And he sounded sincere.
She winced, suddenly remembering her earlier close call and counting her lucky stars that he hadn’t walked in any sooner.
“You don’t have to be sorry,” she said, putting her arms around his shoulders and drawing him closer. “You didn’t do anything.”
“I know,” he whispered. “I’m still sorry.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, clinging to him. What a mess she felt like right now… and she thought this was going to be a quiet evening…
Her eyes opened – she sat back as she remembered… “So – y-you said you had tickets?”
He looked up at her, eyes wide and sad. “Mira, really, we don’t have to do this right now…”
She shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I think it’s just what I need right now.” And she made a sorry attempt to smile.
His expression relaxed slightly, and a hint of his previous enthusiasm returned as he reached into his storage compartment, withdrawing two slips of paper. “Yeah… I got tickets to that concert you’ve been wanting to go see.”
He held them out and she took them, her eyes widening. “But… this was supposed to be sold out! How – how did you…?”
He shrugged lightly, though he looked rather pleased with himself. “I have ways.”
She glanced back over the tickets, still in disbelief… How in the world had he ever…
“So… are you excited?”
She looked up. He was watching her anxiously, gauging her reaction, his eyes wide and hopeful. Her chest constricted… He was so sweet, unbelievably sweet. How could anyone not see how much he cared?
“Oh, of course, this is… wow, this is so cool… Thanks, XR.” And she pulled him into a hug.
He held her close, resting his head against her shoulder, and she reflected on the fact that a robot was hugging her. A robot. Was hugging her. By all means, it should feel weird. But it didn’t feel weird, it felt… good, it felt right…
He pulled back slightly, staring excitedly up at her. “So, Saturday night, then?”
She smiled back at him, genuinely this time. “Can’t wait.”
~~
Okay, so, this is an idea that’s just been floating around on my laptop for a while now- for the longest time it was full of gaps, but then the other night I sat down and crapped out three pages straight. Six once I typed it up. I’ll never understand how my mind works.
This was actually inspired by a comment made on the boards a while back,
here, thought it had interesting potential; I wanted to open this up to the boards and see if anyone had any ideas where it could go.
So if you wanna take it, go ahead. Take it and make it your own. You can do anything you want with it. And I mean anything. You could make it a Big Mac. Heck, you could even make it a Beer if you wanted to. The only thing I ask is that if you use it, please credit me, maybe link back here or something.
And also, this is the first time I’ve ever written Romac, so if anyone has any critique I’d appreciate it. …It doesn’t have to be about just him, I'll take critique about anything. X3
Oh – and if you do take it, you don’t have to use those quotes. I just stuck them on for fun. XD
So… yeah. Take it and run with it!
