Big O Fan Fiction ❯ First Aid ❯ Chapter 1

"Damn it!" Roger looked at the small paper cut on his finger. So the cut was small, it still hurt like hell.

"It's impolite to swear in mixed company Roger." Dorothy's voice came from behind the piano. She had been sitting there for hours, not playing a note, simply sitting.

"You and Norman aren't exactly what I'd call mixed. I mean, you live here."

Dorothy pierced him with a fleeting wither glance, "You are a louse Roger Smith."

"Ah yes, R. Dorothy Waynewright's trademark insult. Honestly Dorothy, isn't there anything else you could call me? Jerk maybe? Pervert would be a nice change."

"You are a louse Roger Smith. No more, no less. Why use a different word when a perfect one has already been applied?"

Roger looked at her oddly before putting his finger to his mouth and sucking on it gently, "Weave it to an andwowd to think of dis wongically."

"Roger, what are you doing?" Dorothy rose and stalked toward him slowly. She stopped in front of the couch he sat on and lay her accusing eyes on him, "You are no child, so why are you sucking on your finger like that?"

"Cuz it husst, dat's why."

"But Roger, why not apply first aid to it. I doubt sucking on your finger stops the pain."

He lowered his injured limb from his lips and smiled, "That's right, you don't understand do you? It's a human habit. When pain is felt, if possible, you try to stop it. Even if it's temporary, it's better than taking the time to fix it."

"I still do not understand."

"I guess you could say that it's kinda like immediate medical attention just, ya know, without the medical part."

"So sucking on a part that hurts makes it stop hurting?"

Roger mind ran through a mental checklist of cases. It took all his power not to burst into a bright red.

"Roger?"

"I-i-it's not quite like that. It's just one way for that circumstance…it doesn't apply for all injuries."

"I see." They stood and sat in silence for a moment and his eyes met hers.

A moment passed, and Dorothy's mouth opened a bit, "Roger…could you tell me a way to cure a pain right now?"

Roger looked surprised and faltered, "Pain? What pain could you, an android of all people, possibly feel?"

She crept closer to him, standing very near him, "I have a pain Roger. A pain that haunts me, a pain which I don't know how to get rid of."

"And…where is that?" He gulped nervously. She was getting closer. Soon, she too sat on the couch he was on. She crawl between his legs and laid one hand on his chest.

She pointed to the middle of her chest with her other hand, making him gulp again. "It hurts right there Roger. Norman says that is where my heart is. What can I do to make it stop hurting at this moment Roger?"

Roger looked to his own hands, just to see he was trembling. What was she doing to him? How was she doing it to him? Even Angel could not shake the rock that were his emotions, so what was this android doing to him that caused him to be so shaken?

"It aches Roger," she said quietly, "My whole self aches for this thing my heart pains for. How can I stop it?"

What could he tell her? How could he make the ache, both his and hers, stop with a simply gesture? 'Yes, there is a way. One simple thing that would stop all this."

But could he do it? It was risky, he knew that, but so was piloting Big O. But this, this could ruin his life, or make it worth living. Could he do it? 'Aww, the hell with it.'

He settled a hand on her waist and held her close to him. Reaching a finger under her chin, he lifted her face to look into her eyes and slowly, he brought his face lower till it was just a hair away from Dorothy's. "I don't know what the hell I'm doing, but dammit I don't care," he mumbled softly.

He captured Dorothy's lips as his heartbeat skipped dangerously. Her lips were so soft, so inviting, so different from what he had expected. They were like a forbidden fruit that he had been denied for so long. Dorothy shifted and brought her hand to either side of his face and responded gently.

It was no means a rough passionate kiss. In fact, it was barely a kiss at all, but it was one. All their emotions, were finally showing themselves. Angel could never make him feel this way. 'Like she's gonna get the chance.'

Roger began to feel her pull back and allowed her to end the kiss. She fell against his chest carefully.

"Roger." She muttered, almost sleepily.

"Did that stop the hurt Dorothy?"

Wrapped in Roger's embrace, so warm even her cold metal frame felt it, for the first time in months, her heart no longer felt the pain it had so long endured.

"Dorothy?"

"Yes. I don't hurt anymore."

Roger smiled and buried his nose into her shoulder, taking in the scent of lilac that covered here clothing. "I'm glad," came his muffled response.

"Thank you Roger."

"Anytime."

Dorothy melted into his embrace, and they sat there in silence for a moment, simply enjoying each others presence.

Dorothy smiled into his chest, "Roger?"

"Hmmm?"

"You lied."

He pulled up from her shoulder quickly, "What do you mean I lied? About what?"

"You said you couldn't cure all things by sucking on them."

FIN