#project follower

[mariestherapeutics]

@forexcapism tagged me to make an aesthetic moodboard! Not sure if this counts lol but I’ve been meaning to make these... It’s moodboards for the Project Follower scenarios! I have more stocked up but I’m gonna wait to post the rest for another time. Hopefully this suffices!

Victims:

@dandelionder, @pebble-xo, @ceeisinthehouse, @laineylovegirl, and @oh-beyond (if you guys haven’t already done it!)

[mariestherapeutics]

Title: Progress Report Characters: Minseok/Aamna Genre: Instructor!AU?, Fluff Word Count: 3,912 A/N: For @awesomeaamna. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Look, Aamna, I get that you're still upset, but just consider it?" You scoff at your friend, still unable to believe she'd even suggest this. "It's just an eight week class! Every Saturday at 7:00 PM. You're off of work by then, and this schedule works perfect for you!"

"Perfect, except for the entire subject!" You snap back at her, and she purses her lips at you disapprovingly.

"You're the one who said you wanted my help with this, and this is my help." She tells you, thrusting the uniform into your arms. You gawk at it in disbelief, tossing it onto your bed and sighing.

"But a class? For this?" You shake your head, covering your face when you feel it redden. "No, it's too embarrassing. It's basically broadcasting my problems."

"Yeah, and every one else in there has the same problem," She pauses. "That, or they're looking for a hook-up."

"Great." You groan.

"Try it, please?" She asks, grabbing your wrists and pulling them away from your face. "One day, try one day there, it's just yoga, how bad can it be?" She asks you, and you frown at her.

"I bend too much and fall over. It's not news to people when they hear I hurt myself by being clumsy." You say, and she rolls her eyes at your petty arguments.

"Aamna," She repeats, and you sigh again. "Just once."

You know she's just trying to help you, but this really did feel over the top. But, maybe she's right about this one. If it's a class, what's better than learning how to do what you want? "Fine."

"I expect a full progress report when I come back from my business trip!" She demands. With a sigh, you wonder if attending this program is really worth making your friend satisfied.

"Welcome everyone, I'm glad to see you've arrived." You were the first to get here, which enabled you to choose the best spot of the lesson. You rolled out your yoga mat in the front, where the instructor would be, and changed into your uniform soon after.

Since then, more than a few people have showed up, surprising you. You guess your friend was right about one thing; you not being the only one with this problem.

"Before we start this, I just want you to all to know that," The man pauses, looking you all in the eye. In the short moment, you take the chance to analyze him.

He's definitely young, maybe a little older than you, but young, and it shows. Even though his sleeves are down, you can see the muscles on his arms move with every hand gesture. His dark eyes have a special almond shape to them, that feel piercing when looking directly at you, but somehow charming. "Having what you have, there is nothing wrong with it."

The words catch you, and everyone, by surprise, making you all double take. The man smiles, as if he were expecting this reaction, and continues on after sitting down in his chair.

"Some of you are here because you want to show off the things you'll learn in this class," He muses, motioning to one half of the room. "While some of you are here because someone left you." He waves to the other half, and you close in on yourself, feeling exposed for being in the front. Maybe you should have chosen another seat.

"My point is that, like I said, there's nothing wrong with having a small sex drive." The instructor says bluntly. "In fact, many people are like you. It's normal, and entirely malleable for change. Change is what this session is for, so if you still want to be here, then stay. For those of you who don't, the door is on the left." He says politely, pointing in the direction.

It shocked you when this many people showed up, but it shocks you more when nearly two thirds of the class decides to pack up and leave. The instructor sits patiently until everyone who wanted to go exits the room, and stands up again when no one else moves.

He smiles, clasping his hands together in front of him and saying, "Let's get started, then, shall we?" He bends down and turns on some slow music from under his seat, before straightening and casually strolling across the room. "Since you all stayed, I'm assuming you want a higher sex drive. For what reason, I'm not entitled to ask." He rambles. You can't help but notice how his butt looks firm in his tight pants.

"By the time these eight weeks are over, if you didn't have a sex drive to begin with, I assure you that you'll be excited and ready to go." The words, though intended to be inspiring, worked for everyone but you. When the man turns back around, he catches your unsure gaze, and holds it. "We'll start with simple stretches."

You, and every other person, sit down on your mats and spread your legs like instructed. The teacher then has you reach with your hand until your fingers touch your toes. You hear some pained noises behind you, but you accomplish the task easily. You work out regularly, so stretching isn't hard for you.

He leads you all through a number of different warm ups, until finally the real yoga begins. He's looking at you again, and you don't know why, until he asks, "What's your name?"

"Um... Aamna."

"Could you help me with this first step? I'd like a partner, to make it easier to demonstrate." Feeling put on the stop, you feel obligated to listen and stand readily next to him on your mat. "Call me Minseok, we're all friends here." He tells everyone, but he's still looking at you. "Thank you Aamna, for volunteering."

"Uh-huh." You mutter, and you feel his hand rest on your waist.

"Having sexual intercourse is an intimate act between two lovers, so everything we do here after warm-ups will be with a partner." He makes a mental count of the people in the room as they pair up, and when no one is left, he looks at you playfully. "Looks like you're the odd one out." He winks.

You're not sure how to respond, but you don't have the time to react because he starts the exercise. "We'll bend back first, holding our partner up so they don't fall." He looks at you expectantly, and you comply. Your hair falls down your back and he holds you firmly against his side, as promised. Halfway bent, you have no choice but to breathe more shallowly.

"Wrap your closest leg around their waist, like so," Minseok, without warning you, grips your thigh with his free hand and lifts it up, causing you to gasp softly. Naturally, it bends around the crevice of his waist, and it's honestly a little hard to hold at your angle. It's not like you're directly in front of him, but your hip is joined to the side of his. You have to really bend your leg to wrap it all the way around.

"Make sure you're steady," He warns everyone. "And then lean over them, so that you're both stretching together." He explains, lowering his upper body over yours. When you're looking at him wide-eyed, he whispers, "Good job so far."

"Now hold." It's already hard staying in the position for a minute, but you all stay this way for another three. By the time he pulls you back up carefully, your legs and stomach are aching. "Bring it back, guys." He instructs, and you watch the people listen to him. "Next, we'll be doing..."

The rest of the lesson goes on like the first exercise. Everything, as Minseok said, felt intimate to you. You were mostly embarrassed, but throughout the class he'd whisper things to you like the first time. "You're a natural." Is the last thing he said.

Once it's 8:30 PM, the lesson ends and everyone packs up their things. The pairs who partnered up are chummy now that they've had such vulnerable exposure with one another, and you catch a glimpse of them leaving together as you roll up your own yoga mat.

"Thanks for helping me today, Aamna." You hear behind you, and when you peer over your shoulder, you find Minseok sitting his chair again. "I think it's safe for me to label our first day as a success. What do you think?" He chuckles, and you find yourself trying to remember the sound of it.

"Depends on what you're talking about." You reply, standing up with your bag slung over your shoulder. "The lesson, I agree went well. But my sex drive? It's still zero." You say shamelessly.

Minseok nods, not surprised. "There's a reason why it's an eight week course." He infers, standing up and striding to you. "It can take a week, or the full two months, but it'll change if you keep coming." He says. "You'll be back next week, right?" He asks, and you swear you hear the hint of hope in his voice.

"Um.. I'll think about it." You answer honestly, not wanting to make any promises.

"Good." He says acceptingly, and he walks you to the door. "I hope to see you then."

You really didn't want to go again, because somewhere in yourself, you'd be admitting that you needed this class. And, well, when next Saturday rolled around, you went anyways.

First to arrive again, you were quick to notice Minseok this time, setting up the stereo underneath his chair. You decide not to announce yourself, but he seems to know your presence anyways.

"Aamna," He greets without looking, and you startle, dropping your yoga mat. He turns around at the noise, before apologizing. "I didn't mean to surprise you." He says, but you wave it off quietly, not wanting to start off on a bad note. "Glad you're back." He says sincerely, and you appreciate his easygoingness as a teacher.

"Right." You say awkwardly, softly, but he hears you anyways. He smiles at your timid nature, dropping down his mat parallel to yours. "Um, can I ask you something?" You say, before you lose your nerve.

"How I knew it was you?" He questions, and you pause.

"Well, that, and another." You say.

"Oh," He laughs nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "I honestly just guessed. Wishful thinking, you know?" He says, and it's the first time you've seen him flustered. It's kind of cute. "What was your other question?"

"You've taught this course before, right?" You ask, and he nods. "How do you... Um, like... How...?" You aren't sure how to word it, and immediately regret your brashness when your face gets hot. "I mean, how do you demonstrate it so many times and... don't you...?"

He barks out a laugh, shocking you, before grinning and shaking his head. "Are you asking me how I teach it without getting a boner?" When you nod in embarrassment, he laughs again. "It's simple, Aamna." He shrugs, glancing away. "I'm not sexually attracted to any of my students, so I don't get worked up."

"That's fair." You say, not knowing how else to react. You weren't expecting such a genuine response, either, so you appreciate his honesty.

"Not normally, anyways." He adds, and you're about to question his meaning, when you hear the door open, and one of the pairs from yesterday enter together this time. "Welcome, guys. Thanks for coming back." Minseok leaves your side to greet them, and you're left wondering if his statement implied something more.

"Now bend your partner back slowly," He says, politely keeping his gaze averted from yours as he leans you down. "Now hold," He's having you all repeat the same poses from the first day to get comfortable with the stretches, and already, you feel the exercises working for you.

That, or you never knew what being horny was like.

Suddenly, his hand on your lower back is so noticeable, the way it grips you firmly and holds you securely against his hip. Or the muscle in his thigh that flexes when you lift your leg around his waist to keep you both balanced. Or maybe, it's the way he steals glances at you in the mirror when he thinks you're not paying attention, but suddenly, everything about this course is making your stomach churn warmly.

If you're like this on the second day, what kind of fiend are you going to be at the end of the eight weeks?

The position is a lot easier to hold the second time, you note, so you know not the blame the ache in your abdomen on the pose. Your cheeks get hot, and not because the angle makes it harder to breathe.

What is wrong with you?

"Good job guys," Minseok says proudly, smiling at his students. "Now, move over your partner slowly--"

You yelp, losing your balance and slipping down. With his strong grip, though, you barely fall an inch. "I'm sorry--" You exclaim, red-faced and flustered. "I'm sorry," You repeat. "I-I can't--" You push yourself away from him, and he lets go of you with wide eyes. "Bye." You say, turning heel and running out the door.

"Aamna?" At 8:30 PM, you hear the bustling sound of your yoga-mates exiting the classroom, but made no attempt to look at them as they walk by. You ran to the end of the hall, taking a seat at the bench there to breathe.

You don't know what got over you, but when he started moving closer to you, all you wanted to do was kiss him. That's not normal, right? You almost did it, if you hadn't have slipped.

"Aamna, there you are! I was afraid you left." Minseok says in relief, jogging up to you and you turn away from him self-consciously. You're afraid he'll see what you're feeling in your eyes, how you can't seem to tie it down and hold it in. "I brought your things." He says gently, placing them on the bench beside you. When you say nothing, he asks, "What happened back there?"

"I don't know." You admit shakily, looking up at him. "I just--" You swallow, feeling your face get hot for no reason. What are you supposed to say? I felt like kissing you so I ran.

Suddenly, he smiles, and the way he does it makes you uncomfortable. "Is class working out for you?" He asks suggestively, and your lips part in shock. He shrugs, sitting down on the other side of your things and saying, "I mean, it's not unheard of to learn this fast--"

"I didn't learn." You cut him off, then shake your head. "I mean, I don't think that's it." You look away from him, unable to watch his reaction while you confess this. "I... I think it's you."

You wait for him to say something in disgust, judgment or wrath, but it never comes. When you look back at him, he's smiling sadly. "Maybe it's not." He says, and you blink at him in confusion. "The positions are performed to replicate sexual acts and stimulate your body, Aamna. I don't think I have anything to do with it."

"No, you do," You insist, red-faced but you don't care anymore. How can he possibly tell you it's not him? You know you're body! "It's not like I'm a virgin. I've had sex lots of time with my ex--" You stop, shutting your mouth. Then, deciding that you don't care about that either, you say, "I've never felt the need to get off by him, which was why I started taking your class."

Minseok seems genuinely (and pleasantly) surprised with this information. "So... if I may ask, I'm attractive to you?" The bluntness makes you cough in disbelief.

"I-I guess so." You answer, red-faced.

"Would it make you feel any better if I said the same?"

"H-Huh?!" You stammer. You were sure it wasn't possible, but your face feels even hotter than before. "Can you even say that?"

"What do you mean?" He asks, flustered by your off-put reaction. In a short moment of clarity, you notice his face is red, too.

"I'm your student..!" You whisper, like someone could overhear, though everyone has already left.

"Well, we're both consenting adults." He points out lamely. "We can make our own decisions. And, technically, we're not in class anymore, so I'm just Minseok."

An awkward silence passes between the two of you, before you sigh and cover your face with your hands. "How do I come to class anymore..?" You ask no one in particular.

"Are you embarrassed?" He asks quietly, and you peek at him through your fingers.

"Yes!" You exclaim truthfully, and he smiles in amusement.

"I mean, does this really change anything between us?" He asks. "We know that we're attracted to one another, big deal." He shrugs reassuringly. "Besides, didn't I say from the beginning that there's nothing wrong with having no sex drive?"

Now that you think about it... "How come you think that?" You can't help but ask. You're curious because, how can someone possibly be fine with no sex drive when their lover expects it?

"I don't mean to sound accusatory, but sex isn't everything in a relationship." When you open your mouth in shock, he hastily continues, making sure you know he's not accusing you. "I just mean that, low sex drive means more time to long night talks and cuddling, am I right? What's wrong with that?"

Your lips spread slightly at the cuteness of his statement. "Nothing, you're right." Why did you let your ex bother you so much? If he really loved you, how could he expect something from you that you couldn't produce? Actually, did you even ever really love him? If you did, wouldn't you be attracted to him sexually? Maybe it's just Minseok...

The thought of him brings you from your thoughts, and he's still grinning at you. "My point is, you can stop taking my class because there's nothing wrong with you. That way, I can take you on a date without people asking me uncomfortable questions like, 'Isn't she your student.'" Kind, understanding, patient, smooth, sexy and accepting. What more could this man be?

"I'm going to confess this now before I'm too shy," You pause, thinking about how to word it. He blinks in anticipation, wondering what you'll tell him. "But I ran out because I was afraid I might kiss you." When he's reduced to a silent, red-faced mess, you groan and turn away. "Aaaaand the embarrassment kicks in."

"I'm glad you didn't," He says, and for a half a second, you feel offended, until he continues, "Kissing is an intimate thing, and should be private between the two people." When you look at him and he blushes, he adds, "At least, the first one should be."

"With the risk of sounding creepy," You start, blood pumping hot and heart racing fast. "We're alone right now." You say hopefully.

It takes a moment for your words to kick in, but when it does, he drops his jaw in surprise. "Aamna," He utters in playful shock. "I think we should start with a date."

Mortified by your blunder, you stutter, "N-No, you're so r-right!" You smack your face lightly, hating yourself for getting in this predicament. "Let's date first--"

"I'm just kidding." He chuckles, making your throat close up. How embarrassing can you get? "Come here," He says gently, but it's more of an offer than a demand. Hesitantly, you inch closer, and he leans close enough press his lips softly on yours.

He lifts a hand to carefully rest on your cheek, tilting your head questioningly, before you take initiative and slide your arms around his neck.

"Mm..!" He exclaims, but confidently uses his other hand to hold your waist. Just like your first lesson, his palms are firm and sure on your hip, but this time it feels more intense (on your part).

When you finally pull back, you're not sure whether to feel proud of yourself or ashamed. You moved on him too fast! But now you know your sex drive exists...

"How about that date on Friday?" He quips, seemingly ignorant of your mindful quarries. "Are you free?"

"Mm-hmm." You nod slightly, still in a haze from the amazing feeling of his lips. When he notices you staring at them, he laughs and shakes his head.

"Uh-uh, if you want more, then you're going to have to be my girlfriend." He declares, setting the first rule.

"Right." You agree, releasing his neck bashfully and kicking yourself for being so shameless. "I'm free next Friday." With a joyful grin, he picks up your things and says, "I'll walk you to your car."

"Oh, I actually live in the apartment complex next door." You tell him when he reaches the stairs. "But a walk home is always welcome."

"Really?" He asks, eyes widening adorably. "Me, too! What floor?"

"Three..." You say warily, squinting your eyes at him. "Don't tell me you're..."

"You live right below me! How did we never meet before now?" He chuckles, and you internally sigh. Ah, the downside to this man. "Sorry for the constant blast of music, it's my roommates. They're all boys, see." He explains as you head down stairs. You cross the parking lot as he says, "They're a hassle to handle."

"I can imagine." You say honestly, and he gives you a sympathetic smile.

"You kind of are, too." He admits, and you blink at him in surprise.

"What's that supposed to mean?" You ask.

"I don't know what to do with you, Aamna. I meet you twice and suddenly I'm head over heels for you." His words make a new wave of blood rush to your face, and you gently hit his arm in embarrassment.

"Oh, hush."

"So, how'd it go?" Your friend asks you when you finally get to meet up with her in person. "It's been five weeks since I suggested it, please tell me you actually went. I want a full report!" She hopes, clasping her hands together.

"Of course I went, I said I would," You say nonchalantly, enjoying the way she desperately looks at you for more. "It was fine." You shrug indifferently.

"Fine? That's all? Where's the juicy stuff? The, 'I had a cute classmate that really turned me on' or 'Now my sex drive is so high I'm ready for action'--"

"Shut up! It's nothing like that!" You cut her off, red-faced and flustered. "Nothing interesting happened, so I stopped going after the second week." You huff, and her shoulders sag in disappointment. "But..." You continue, giving her a shy, sideways glance. "I-- I am dating the instructor now."

She gawks at you like you're kidding, and when she realizes you're not, she barks a laugh. "No way!" She exclaims. "You're going to tell me exactly how this happened."

"Yeah, right!" You reply, gritting your teeth bashfully. "I would, but..." Even you have a hard time remembering it without losing your cool. How would you be retelling the entire story?

"I at least have to meet him, then." She says finally, smiling triumphantly. "I want to know what your type is. You know, besides asshole." She teases.

"I'm sure you'll be ecstatic." You say sardonically.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A/N: Thanks so much for always being supportive of me! >///< I really enjoy talking to you (sorry for being the more inactive end of the convos) and am grateful for everything you've done for me (even the things you didn't realize you were doing for me). When I look back at our old messages, I'm really touched by everything you've said to me.

I hope you enjoyed this scenario and remember, if you're unsatisfied with it or anything I included, please tell me so I can re-write it until you ARE satisfied. I owe you a lot for everything you've done, so no matter how long it takes, I'll keep writing until you're happy! ^u^

[mariestherapeutics]

Involuntary - For @jongdaes-biceps​. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     It was unfair, you think as you watch your best friend, Tiffany, walk into the party with her date. It was unfair that she could say her date was him because he didn't even like her. He couldn't like her, he was a robot. They didn't do things like have crushes, get angry, get sad, like a date should.. yet your best friend seemed so happy with her purchase from years back.

     "It's the modern lifestyle, Mary," She tells you. "Someday you'll get one too." You didn't know that day was today.

     "Mary!!" Tiffany rushes to you after pushing out the stragglers of your party guests. Her mechanical boyfriend - Yixing, she called him - was smiling behind her. "I've got a surprise for you.~" You feel a slight trickle of uneasiness settle in the pit of your stomach because Tiffany tended to get a little over the top when she had "surprises". But you shrug, smiling in spite of it.

     "Really?" You ask, nudging Tiffany's shoulder. "Is it that new model of the phone I've been looking at?" Tiffany grins, taking your arm.

     "I think you'll like it." She didn't answer the question, but you didn't think much of it. Until Tiffany brought you to her house. There, in the middle of her living room, was a tall, slim box. That was definitely not the newest model of the phone you've been wanting.

     "What."

     "Happy birthday!!" She giggles, offering her hand to Yixing. He takes it. "Go ahead and open it up!" Unsure of what else to do, you oblige and peel away the neatly taped wrapping paper. Big letters gradually reveal themselves until you can make out the words "AI 2097".

     "You did not get me an android."

     "Oh, I so got you an android. And it was on sale for a really cheap price!" When you give her an incredulous look, Tiffany ushers you to hurry up. "Before I fall asleep, please!"

     You finally get all of the wrapping paper out of the way and you carefully untie the safety ropes. You didn't understand why there were safety ropes until you pulled the last one loose.

     The box had a door, and that door swings open and you aren't prepared for the immense weight that crashes into you. It knocks you over and you gasp as you fall to the ground, a body trapping you against the floor.

     Tiffany didn't seem too worried about it, instead rushing over to check if you ruined her birthday gift. Tiffany sighs in relief.

     "Don't scare me like that.." She mumbles, helping you out from under the android. It unnerved you, seeing a lifeless vessel in the middle of the room, but Tiffany doesn't let you ponder on it for long. "Go ahead, turn him on."

     "I don't even know where the 'on' button is." You confess, bending over to check him out.  Tiffany crouches next to the pile of metal.

     "Me neither, actually. I'm not used to this model's design." She motions for Yixing to come over, beckoning him with a hand and he's at her side in a heart beat. "Can you find out where his power button is?"

     "Sure." It was still weird, but Tiffany looked so natural with him by her side that you almost forgot he was a robot - sometimes. He turns the body over and glances at the two of them. "Look away."

     "Why?" You don't get your question answered because he doesn't hesitate to rip open the shirt of the man on the floor. "Whoa, what are you doing?!?!" Tiffany looks at you expectantly.

     "He's finding the 'on' button, duh." Your mind swirled with thoughts, trying to come up with a reason for him to have to strip this thing of its clothes. When her robots' hands wander a little further south, you look away and groan in disgust. "He told you to look away." You hear Tiffany say.

     "Oh, shut up." You mumble.

     "I found it." Yixing says, a hint of pride in his voice. When you turn and look this time, the android on the floor opens its eyes. Before it could see Yixing, he jerks away from its peripheral vision and grabs hold of your arm, pulling you towards it.

     "What--"

     "Your android needs to see you, so it knows who its owner is." Tiffany clarifies. Before you can say you don't want to own anyone, she pushes your face down so it's right above the android's.

     You didn't mean to stay in that position after she removed her hand, but when the android's eyes switched from the ceiling to your eyes, it captivated you. Even though it was just a hunk of metal, you could swear there was some person in there - someone who could actually be human. It must be a new design, to get it to seem more real.

     "Good evening, Beautiful." You barely register the words until Tiffany squeals.

     "He works!!" The android beneath you smiles. You jerk away, realizing your position and you stare at him in awe as he sits upright. Tiffany hugs Yixing excitedly and extends her hand to the robot. "Hi! I'm Tiffany. I'm Mary's best friend."

     The android in front of you smiles - charmingly, might you add - and shakes her hand. "Any friend of Mary is my friend, too. I'm Jongdae." You blink in confusion and look at Tiffany.

     "Did it just call me 'beautiful'?" She pouts, smacking your arm.

     "His name is Jongdae, and yes, he did." You look at Jongdae. He was still smiling.

     "Will I always have the privilege of waking up to your face?" He asked, looking absolutely genuine. You flush, embarrassed by this thing's forwardness and turn back on Tiffany.

     "I told you not to get me one of these things." You tell her angrily. "They serve me no purpose, and I'm not so desperate to pretend one is my lover."

     To your surprise - and relief - she didn't take offense. "Give him a try, Mary. Just ONE week, and if you still feel that way, then I'll take him back. Okay?"

     "Fine." You stand up, Jongdae following suite, and you shoo Tiffany and Yixing away. "Out! It's late, and I don't want you getting fined for being out after curfew again." Tiffany grumbles all the way to the door.

     "Everyone who stayed at the party is going to be fined anyways." She says.

     "Only if they get caught." You say.

     "Goodnight, Jongdae!~" Tiffany coos. You shut the door.

     Sighing in relief, you lean against it and stare at Jongdae, who had willingly followed you to the door. "Hi."

     "Hello." He smiles.

     "Why are you here?" You ask. More towards yourself than to him, though.

     "To be with you." He replies immediately. When you don't comment, he says, "Should I go?"

     "No," You shake your head. "Come with me, I'll show you your room." Luckily, you had a spare room that you always used as a guest room (more like a room for Tiffany since she came over so much), but now you had a purpose for it. "You can sleep here. The bathroom is down the hall, and if you need me, I'm right next door." You start to leave, but he touches your arm, causing you to stop.

     "We're not sharing a room?" Jongdae asks, tilting his head. You blush at the idea, frustrated, and shake your head.

     "No, we're not dating." You tell him firmly.

     "Then will you date me?"

     Oh my gosh.

     This thing will not relent.

     "Look, I need time to.. to think about things, alright?" You sigh, rubbing your temples. "Just sleep in this room and I'll sleep in mine." Without another word, he nods and enters the bedroom.

     Relieved, you go to your room and lock your door.

     You felt a little childish for doubting a piece of machinery, but that was a chance you didn't want to take.

     Flopping onto your bed, you fall into a deep slumber.

     Soft, gentle movements slowly awakened you. Something warm was moving your hair out of your face, but you were too drowsy and stupor to have rational thought.

     Instinctively, your cold body reaches out to hold the warm thing.

     Your fingers brushed through strands of hair, and when you lightly scratched the scalp of it, a small purring noise was made. Maybe it was your cat.

     But...

     ...you didn't have a cat.

     You finally open your eyes as the lethargy leaves you and is frantically replaced with fear. You sit up in a panic, earning a yelp from--

     "What are you doing in my room." You suppress a shriek, settling on scooting as far as you can from the android.

     "You said I couldn't sleep with you." He says, looking at you sadly. "So I waited until sunrise and came in, but you were still asleep."

     You stare at him blankly, then bury your face in your hands. What have you gotten yourself into?

     "Are you mad at me?" He asks, his voice sounding sadder and sadder. You sigh and look pointedly at him.

     "No, I'm not mad at you." Before he could smile, you add. "But I am upset." He frowns again. "You can't just come into my bedroom whenever you want-- How did you get in my bedroom?"

     "I'm an android. We have neat gadgets installed in us. Do you wanna see?" He looked a little proud, but you shake your head.

     "I don't care." You tell him honestly. "Just don't do it again."

     He looked a little despondent, but quickly covered it up with a mischievous smile.

     "Before I came here, I made you something downstairs." He says excitedly. "Will you come see it?"

     Unsure of what to do, you agree and let him pull you downstairs. Before you're even at the bottom, you can smell something mouth-watering.

     "What is that?" You ask. He looks at you over his shoulder and grins.

     "I made breakfast."

     "Huh."

     One day of surprises turned into many days of surprises; Jongdae wouldn't stop trying to impress you. On Tuesday, you came home to him knitting you a white scarf. Yesterday, he gave you a surprise massage after you left the bathroom (you were going to stop him, but his dexterous fingers hit that sensitive spot under your shoulder blade and you melted).

     Today, Jongdae smiles at you when you come home. Suspicious, but anticipating what he had up his sleeve, you merely lift a brow at him in response.

     "I have something for you." He says, pulling an arm from behind his back. In his hand was a beautiful bouquet, full of your favorite flowers.

     You can't help the genuine smile that crosses your face. "Thank you, Jongdae." You tell him, bringing them to your nose.

     Even though the gift wasn't as detailed as the other two, it was still just as thoughtful.

     When you look him in the eye, you can see he's elated. You didn't thank him for his other gifts (because you didn't want him to give any to you), but this time you did.

     "I'm so happy!" He exclaims, his eyes turning into beaming crescents. You can't help but smile back.

     Jongdae seemed so innocent (save for his bedroom expeditions at midnight) and genuine, you felt him growing on you.

     Without saying anything, he brings his other hand out from his back and reveals a thin silver necklace. A music note hangs delicately at the bottom.

     "Oh, Jongdae.." You say, covering your mouth. You almost felt bad, now. He was spending money (where did he even get the money) and time on you, and you hadn't gotten him anything yourself.

     "Let me put it on you." He smiles - well, he was already smiling, so he smiles more - and the corners of his lips curl up.

     Wordlessly, you unravel the knitted scarf from around your neck and move your hair to the side. You turn around to make it easier for him.

     His hands appear in your peripheral vision and disappear as your feel the necklace lay on your clavicles. His fingers brush your neck gently, moving dexterously to clip the chain around your neck.

     You hadn't acknowledged it before (since you never had the chance) but the warmth radiating from Jongdae's body was predominant. You couldn't not notice it.

     He was a robot, and he had body heat. Weird.

     Instead of moving away from you, like you thought he would, he steps closer, resting his palms on your forearms and leaning in close.

     His lips hover closely to your ear as he whispers, "I knew it would look good on you."

     Before you can stop yourself, you blush madly and your heart beats faster.

     Did a robot just flatter you?

     When you don't move away (like you were both expecting) Jongdae moves closer and hugs you from behind, sliding his arms around your waist and pressing his nose in the crevice of your neck.

     Instinctively, your shoulders tense and your hands fly to his to remove, but something in you stops and you just stand there nervously.

     "I won't hurt you, Mary." He whispers. "I'm here for you."

     You weren't sure why, but those words touched your heart more than you'd ever admit (especially to Tiffany - she'd probably tell you she told you so, that a robot could be sentient) and you relax against your will.

     How did Jongdae manage to make you feel this in three days? When no other males could do it in a month? You try to blame it on the ownership thing Tiffany and Yixing were talking about, but you felt as if it were something more than that. That it was really Jongdae, and he could have chosen to act differently if he wanted.

     If he wanted. Listen to yourself. You're starting to sound like Tiffany. As far as you knew, robots couldn't have real feelings.

     But you hadn't heard anything about a new version either... where did Tiffany go to find such suspicious deals?

     You let Jongdae sleep in your room tonight, only if he promised not to do anything weird. He was smiling so brightly, you thought he was the sun.

     You didn't see the smile leave his face as you climbed into bed after him (he had rushed there when you said "you can sleep with--") and pull up the covers.

     He smiles at you, his robotic eyes looking more human than you were comfortable with (again).

     "No weird things, okay?" You remind him. He laughs, nodding his head.

     "I won't hurt you, Mary." He said those words earlier, but they still had the same effect. You closed your eyes and pretended that you weren't blushing.

     What were you going to do with him? Tiffany promised she'd take him away if you didn't want him after a week, but you found yourself childishly wanting his attention and his affection.

     It didn't make sense, it was like you were having a silly middle school crush - but it was still there.

     You open your eyes, and Jongdae's still staring at you.

     "Don't stare at me. It's creepy." You say.

     He closes his eyes obediantly. "But you're beautiful when you sleep." He says softly.

     "Jongdae," You say suddenly, and he opens his eyes. "Why do you say things like that?" He blinks at you.

     "Because that's how I feel." He tells you. You shake your head at him.

     "But you don't feel, Jongdae. You compute." His face crinkles, and for the first time since you've met him, he didn't seem happy.

     "I do feel, Mary." He insists.

     "No, you don't. You can't, because you're a robot." Jongdae sits up, pulling the blankets with him. He stares down at you, upset.

     "I can feel, Mary." He says. "I can."

     He slips out of the bed and leaves the room, closing the door. You hear his bedroom door open and close and you realize what you've done.

     The sheets suddenly felt cold and you tried to wrap yourself in them to retrieve the warmth again, but it didn't work. There was no way he could feel, it wasn't possible. Technology hasn't reached that far yet, has it?

     You felt bad when you remember his expression.

     But you didn't go to him.

     It was Saturday, and Jongdae still hasn't been acting the same. Sure, he still smiles and welcomes you when you come home, but he isn't trailing behind you like goldfish poop anymore.

     You've been avoiding him too, if you were honest. You didn't know how to smooth things over after crinkling them so badly, so you pushed it aside until you had to deal with it.

     But tomorrow, Tiffany was coming to whisk him away.

     You felt as if Jongdae would let her if things didn't change.

     Before you even realized it, you walked into the living room. (Which was Jongdae's favorite place to mope.) (Yes, he was moping. You could tell.)

     Jongdae either doesn't notice you or he pretends that he doesn't, and you walk until you find yourself on the couch next to him. He looks up at you.

     "I'm sorry." You say, even though you don't know why. Maybe he did feel. But that's so bizarre. You didn't believe that even Yixing could feel - and sometimes it really seemed like it.

     Jongdae stares, his expression blank. "I forgive you." He replies.

     "Do you really?" You ask.

     "Yes."

     "Why?"

     Jongdae looks down, his eyelashes a beautiful brown. He was dressed rather fancily right now; a multi-designed button down shirt with a white coat over it, and a small black bow tie was fastened around his neck to finish it off.

     He breathes in (did robots need to breathe?) and exhales slowly. "I forgive you. I forgive you because I feel it." He says, touching his chest.

     "'It'?" You repeat gently.

     "I feel my love for you, Mary." He says, looking you in the eye again. "I love you, and I'm not mad at you. I can't be mad at you, because I love you." He grabs your hand and puts it where his was, gripping it tight. "I know I don't have a heartbeat, or a heart, but I do feel." He lets go of your hand, then takes it again and holds it against his cheek. "I don't know how, but I feel."

     And like that, you realized that he couldn't be lying. All the signs were there, you just ignored them. You wouldn't allow them to be signs.

     Every smile, every laugh, every hug, every word from him has been genuine. All those times you saw something in his eyes, and you rationalized it as design, were his emotions.

     Jongdae could feel, but you didn't let him.

     "I'm sorry," You say, your face feeling wet. "I'm so sorry." You cup his face with your other hand, and he watches you, mesmerized.

     He touches your face, wiping at it. You realize he was wiping away your tears.

     "I'm sorry, Jongdae." You express, hanging your head as low as you felt.

     "I said I forgave you." He frets, lifting your face. "You're forgiven." You sit there, regaining your composure until you can finally lift your head again. Jongdae waits for you, his embrace soft, caring, real.

     "Will you stay with me?" You ask him. "Or do you want to go with Tiffany?" You tell yourself that you could handle either answer.

     "I'm going to stay with you." He reassures, and you feel a deluge of relief. "I'll stay with you forever."

     "I told you." Tiffany smirks at you and you blush.

     "Shut up." Yixing and Jongdae were chatting, getting to know each other. You explained everything that happened to Tiffany, and she didn't look surprised.

     "Wait, you knew he could feel things?" You gawk at her in disbelief.

     She shrugs. "I got him from the same place I got Yixing." Yixing smiles in your guys' direction when he hears his name.

     "Yixing can feel too?" Oh no, all those times you bluntly called him a human impersonator. Tiffany seems to recognize your feelings and squints at you playfully.

     "Yeah, that's right. I'll let you know that Yixing didn't feel so good about himself whenever you said those things." She says, making you feel worse. "But I'll let it slide." She informs.

     "Because I know they can feel now?" You ask.

     "No, because Yixing feels better after a little... special treatment." You stick your finger in your mouth and pretend to gag, making Tiffany burst out laughing.

     "You're disgusting."

     "One day, you'll be doing it with Jongdae." You smack her arm because she says it loudly, and you think the boys overheard.

     "I hate you." You tell her.

     "But you're stuck with me." She grins.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A/N: I really hope you enjoyed this scenario, Mary! c: If not, you can always tell me and I'll keep rewriting until you're satisfied, okay? Thanks for being patient with me. :)