015.

                                    

                                          
━━
the strength of distance 
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A few weeks went by where San and Yeosang spent their days filled in awkward glances blanketed in uncomfortable silence. 
                          
Yeosang still tried its best to interact with San. It tried talking to the boy and joining him regularly when he watched tv, although, San would remain as a fair distance, silent as ever. 
                          
Eventually, it got the point where San had offered to sleep in the couch because he was so afraid of being near Yeosang. It hurt, the android had to admit it. But something about the situation told it that this would simply take time. 
                          
One night however it was really cold and even Yeosang found itself turning on its heater to keep warm. It feared that maybe San would be cold too and snuck out of the bedroom, into the living room to check up on him. 
                          
Just as predicted, San lay there shivering under his covers. 
                          
Yeosang couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. It quietly stalked closer, pulling the covers off San's trembling body and slowly manoeuvring its arms under San's neck and the pits of his knees. After a few seconds Yeosang lifted San's body and walked him back to the bedroom. 
                          
Yeosang felt bad for lifting him. It knew San didn't want it to touch him but Yeosang felt like it had to. It silently told itself that this was okay and that carrying San was health-related because it didn't want San to wake up cold. 
                          
Once inside the bedroom, Yeosang carefully placed San under the blanket. It was smiling the whole time, fighting back a giggle when the boy subconsciously clung to its arm. 
                          
Yeosang had to fight the urge to stoop down as give San a goodnight kiss like they used to do, but it didn't. With a sigh, the android retreated back out to the living room and onto the couch. 
                          
It turned on the tv to distract itself and heaved a large sigh. It wanted things to go back to the way they were. But for that to work Yeosang needed help. And it knew there was really only one person it could get help from. 
                          
All Yeosang had to do to talk to him was steal a computer. 
                          
✆
                          
"You know this is the first time I'm seeing despite being the one that bought you," the boy chuckled through the screen. 
                          
Yeosang found itself smiling at the sound. It's ears missing the sweet sounds of laughter so desperately, even if it wasn't San's. 
                          
"I can see that you're distressed so I'm afraid to ask why you're calling me." 
                          
Yeosang let out a small sigh, not knowing exactly how to start, or better yet what exactly it was he was asking of San's brother. 
                          
"I- I need your help. . . with San." 
                          
Now it was Jongho's turn to let out a sigh, "What did he do now?" 
                          
"What do you mean now?" 
                          
There was a short pause. Jongho running his hands through his hair as he thought of ways to explain it all to the android. 
                          
"Well, as you can probably tell, my brother doesn't have many friends."
                          
"Well of course he doesn't. He lives isolated from the world. In order to make friends one needs to be social and around other people."