A New Home #2 (Mae <3)

"That's very thoughtful of you." Mae said, returning Charles loving smile with one of her own. Quite close to what she had imagined his answer would've been. They were getting to know eachother quite well by now. "I'm really glad you're doing this for me, Charles." The android might've been awkward most of the time, but at least his love and care for her was genuine. And for Mae, that was enough. "So, for how long have you been planning this?" She asked curiously. When it came to Charles, anything was within the realm of possibility.

"Look at them. They're so jealous of you." Mae whispered in Charles ear, barely suppressing the urge to giggle. "Don't worry... They won't do anything to hurt me. Not when you're with me." Charles made her feel safer... He would be there to protect her from anything or anyone wishing to harm her. Or at least... that's what Mae felt. Might not actually be true, but she can always hope. "Hehe, thanks." As long as he didn't resort to physical violence, it should be fine... Right?

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"No fair!" Mae would reply, pouting slightly. Mostly for fun though. If he didn't want to reveal to her where he had gotten the tickets, that was fine. She could still have some fun with it though. After they had picked a movie, Mae was graciously led to her seat by Charles. The girl would sit down, and hold Charles hand once they both sat down. "Thank you." She would say, giggling cutely. The movie began shortly after, the lights dimming out. As she watched the movie, Mae couldn't help but shed a few tears when a paticularly emotional scene was playing out. Half way through, she would lean her head on Charles Shoulder, holding his hand the entire run-time.

"Well... That certainly was something else... It was good, and quite touching, might I add." Mae said as the two left the cinema. "What did you think?" How would he answer her? Honestly, it seemed like the movie had left Charles more confused than anything. "Alright... Now then. Where to next? What could you possibly have in store for me next~?"

Charles smiled sheepishly at Mae's next question. Another one he hadn't anticipated. Honestly, he hadn't been planning this for quite some time, just ever since Mae moved over to his place. Or was he already considering it before that? Anyhow, he had plenty of time at night to jot everything down. Nights were plain and boring since Mae was asleep then. He never had anything to do at night. At the time, he didn't know when exactly the date would play out, but he decided on the day they finished the renovations after some thinking. "It wasn't long. I had more than enough time though." He blinked and shifted his look forward. But he was still doing a good job, right? The date hadn't even started yet, although he got everything ready, he still had this tiny speck of worry all would collapse. Did he rush the date? He maybe should've waited a bit longer before deciding to do it, just to make sure everything would go alright? Nah, as long as he was with Mae, it would be okay.

He had no idea why they would be jealous at him, though. Eh, Mae knew people better than he did, so she could probably judge them better. Still, kind of wasn't his problem they were jealous... Why did the acknowledgement make his heart bounce regardless?

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Mae's tended embrace and the weight of her head against his shoulder made the trip to the cinema that much better. Who cares about the movie, he had Mae to hug him all day thanks to it! She seemed to like the movie, as after they've left the theatre, she exclaimed just that. He didn't get it, though, and wasn't following it, so he could just nod and smile at her remark. When she posed yet another irregular question, his smile twitched for a moment. She wasn't following the script! The subliminal messaging he tried on her yesterday night while she was sleeping wasn't working as the internet told him it would! Okay yeah, he was desperate to make the date as best as he could. It wasn't like he did any harm... He just like her... Welp, he shook his head to straighten his thoughts. "It was... good, I guess..." He answered her shily, looking up as he did so. "Oh right, where to next!" He looke at his watch. Hmm, it still wasn't exactly dinner time yet. Well, it was planned not to be. What worried him was that the old man hadn't paged him ever since the last time in the apartment building. He should have contacted him with new information already!!! If he messes up something... ugh! Anyways, Charles decided to take Mae on a walk through a nearby park...

The two really stood out of the crowd around them with their fancy attire. It was kind of funny, they probably didn't even have to wear these clothes now, they could've just put them on when they got home before dinner. It was one lapsus on his part, nothing major. The looks, however, weren't all too pleasant to the android. He just didn't enjoy the fact people were staring at him and Mae.

"After the walk, it's time for dinner." He smiled at her. "You're gonna love the dinner and what comes after." He winked at her, just as he planned to in his notebook. The leaves on the surrounding trees rustled in the faint wind. The lush treetop painted the sun's light a viridian green. It was truly serene in the park. By that time, they have already gotten away from the more busy park roads and were on their own, give or take a passerby or two. "It's quite nice here, isn't it?" He suddenly asked. "Just the two of us... It would be nice if it could stay that way." How do you respond to the forest and the sweet talk, Mae Mae?

Times were moving on fast it seemed. As the two reached the park, Mae took a look around the place. She had gone here quite frequently as of late. Maybe it was because of Traeh, or something else, she wouldn't really know, but the place certainly held a sense of serenity unlike any other place. Not only that, it was a pretty romantic spot, now that she thought about it. "Wait... You're takinng me to dinner? Like... A fancy one? Oooh, that's so sweet of you." Mae gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, needing to stand on her toes to reach high enough. "There's even more?" Mae was at a loss for once. He did all of this... for her? "Charles..." She would say with a wide smile on her face.

"It is really peaceful here, yeah." Mae said quietly, listening to the birds chirping in the trees. "That would be wonderful. It's quite baffling how it's so peaceful here despite it being in the middle of a big city. It's incredible how much the trees and the natural atmosphere does." She did appreachiate everything Charles had done so far. And considering there was more to come, Mae kept up her warm and loving smile for a really long while... "Can we stay here... just a bit longer?"

Old Music:

"Well, sort of a fancy one. A-anywas, you'll see!" He answered her. "And yes, there's more." He was happy when he saw her smile. She was enjoying herself and she was gonna keep enjoying herself all day! "Mae. Hey hey, don't get all emotional here! Save it for the dinner." He titled his head and smiled cheerfully, taking her along deeper into the park... Ooooh, his lines were so so good!!!

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"We can stay here as long as you'd like." Charles continued reciting his sugar-coated words. His methods might've appeared wrong to someone on the outside, but he still spoke the words with utmost care and his new tender tinge of emotion. Whoever understood that would've also understood he only meant the best for Mae. What was it that Mae wanted to do there, though? He knew he said he wanted it to stay that way, but they were on a tight schedule! Well, it was probably okay as long as there's still no notice from the old man. Until he pages Charles, the couple can only try and delay their departure for dinner.

"Ooooh!" A fancy resturant eh? Honestly, anything would do for Mae. She wasn't picky when it came to stuff like this. And besides, how could she complain? Charles did all this for her! Which was the best part about it all. "Hehehe... What a nice suprise this turned out to be. Thanks, yet again." He certainly had planned this thoroughly, which made it all the better for her. He really did care about her... "Y-yeah. You're right." She would nod slowly.

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"Well... I just want to spend some time with you, that's all." She said timidly. "Since... well, you're waiting for something aren't you?" Mae asked with a smile. Was it the manager? Probably, has he was the only one Mae knew which Charles would ask for help with this kind of stuff... Although, She didn't know how close Jack and Charles were, but considering the formers... inexperience with this kind of stuff, Mae strongly doubted it was the Red Ranger he was waiting for...

After a short walk, Mae found a bench overlooking a small pond in the park. The sun's rays reflected off of it's surface beautifully. The girl would give Charles a slight tug on his sleeve before pointing towards the bench. "Wanna sit down a bit?" She would ask. If he said yes, then the two would sit down next to eachother on the bench. If not, then they would continue on their little walk through the park. "Do you remember the promise I made to you back at that run-down shop a few months ago? Do you have any leads as to how we're gonna go about finding your past? After all, I'm supposed to help you with that." She really hadn't talked about this much since, but Mae wasn't going to break her promise to Charles. Mae looked at him, slightly worried. "I dunno if it's a good time to bring it up, but... if it's still bothering you, I'll help you find it."

"Uhm, well yeah." Charles answered the girl, barely keeping his worrisome nature in check. Seriously, what was taking the manager so long. Plus, now it has begun to show on the outside, he must've semed really tense or something. He felt on the edge of a twitching seizure. If the old man ended up screwing something up... "But, but let's just keep doing our thing... I'm sure everything we'll be ready soon..." He raised his hands in defeat. Luckily, he had planned for such a turn of events... Sure, he hoped it wouldn't come to that, but he had enough money in his wallet to take Mae into some reastaurant and just pretend it was the plan all along. But sheesh, this was stressful...

Mae led them over to a bench in the park. It overlooked a beautiful small pond. It was a calm haven in the heart of a bristling city. "Sure." He sat down, helping her sit next to him without getting her dress all tangled up and stuff.

And then Mae brought up something Charles had long since forgotten all about. The shop... her parents. All events of that day, he suddenly recalled all of them... And he couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. Eheheh, he acted completely silly back then! It really was embarrassing! But it didn't really bother him. Past was something long gone and he had been focusing more on the present and the future lately. He would've been fine if he never recalled any of his past, that was how he truly felt about things. After a moment of silence it took him to process everything, he mustered up the will to speak. "Y-you still remember that?" He asked her. He probably looked really embarrassed at the moment. He didn't want her remembering his old shenanigans... He had gotten everything sorted out now. She should've focused on the new Charles! The Charles that was meant to be! "A-anyways... It's not bothering me..." He really wanted to tell her to forget all about it, but it didn't seem like a good move. She was gonna keep asking about it regardless. Instead, he carried the conversation on, hoping  the talk about his past would just well... become past. "S-so, what was up with the case of your parents? Have you found out anything new?" He mumbled. "I-I mean, you're more important to me than me. If we are going to take care of anything, I really want to take care of your problems first."

"Just relax, okay...?" Mae said in a calm tone, taking Charles' hand. She seemed to be quite stressed out... Was there something wrong? "Everything will go just fine... Or are you nervous because you're dating a pretty girl?" Would that be a valid reason? Maybe. Even so, it wasn't her intention to get him nervous. If he was stressed out over something, Mae would want to help him regain his composure. After all... She cared about him. And stress doesn't do anyone any favors, robot or not.

"I do... And I haven't forgotten the promise I made that day either..." Mae looked at him with a sort of serious expression. "Well... I'm not gonna go off and break a promise I made..." Regardless of what happened. "But let's save that for another, more appropriate time..." And with that, she dropped the subject of Charles' past. "Not yet, I'm afraid..." Mae's facial expression turned a bit somber. "With everything that's been going on recently, I haven't really had any time to dedicate to finding them..." And who could blame her? With the recent events, Mae had hardly any space to even sing, let alone go searching for her parents... Maybe she should focus on that once this is all over... "Really? I'm that important to you?" Mae asked nervously, blushing.

"You know... It's quite romantic here, isn't it?" Mae leaned her head on Charles shoulder, looking at the sunset. "I could sit here forever, watching the sunset like this with you... It's... nice." She closed her eyes, and Charles could hear her breathing got a bit more calm. She really felt at peace here. "I really needed this... After all the stress and worry I've been dealing with lately..." What do you do now, Charles?

"Eeeeh!" Charles jumped up in his seat. W-what was this now about dating a pretty girl! Well yeah, Mae was pretty and all that stuff and they were dating, but he was never nervous because of that. Especially now that he had everything planned out. She must've been teasing him to ease him up a bit. "Hehe, thanks." He smirked. "Let's wait a bit more but then I'm gonna have to call the old man. He should have called already."

Ah, good, she must have noticed he wasn't comfortable with the subject and followed his lead when he began talking about her parents. With all the Persona and Angels stuff, it was no wonder Mae had no time. "I-I see. Well, I'm sure something will pop up eventually..." He got all flustered again when she asked the question. She even blushed! Was that a normal reaction? She has been blushing after they had started dating. Hopefully it wasn't a disease. Though he mostly said what he said in order to drive the attention from his past, it was kinda true, he supposed. He wasn't good with the emotional stuff... B-but he liked her! "Y-yeah, of course! We'll focus on your case first! I-I mean, what kind of a boyfriend would I be if I put my own happines in front of my girlfriend's, right!" He tried to sound all mighty and manly as he spoke. It didn't quite work, but he was satisified anyways.

When Mae leaned her head against Charles, she would be able to feel him stiffen up a bit. "R-right!" He answered her, looking at the sun-the big, orange ball of gas at the horizon, slowly descenting into darkness. He had no opinion on it. It was just a normal, everyday occurence, but Mae seemed to find it beautiful, so he supposed he should start considering the sunsets as... beautiful as well. After a few moments, his shoulders would loosen up. He must've stiffened when she unexpectedly leaned against him. Soon enough, his head would lean against her, slowly and a bit reluctantly... "Mae... I-"

*beep beep*

Charles straightened himself up the moment he heard the sound. He didn't recognize it as the sound of his pager, but his hand still swiftly moved into his pocket to grab the device. As expected, the pager was silent. He stared for a moment at it in confusion, trying to figure out what was going on when he turned to Mae.

It was... her cellphone? But who was calling?

"Oh, the manager? Alright." Mae would have figured as much. After all, Charles seemed to trust him with a lot of things. Of course he would lean on his support this time around as well. "What's with that reaction? I was just curious, that's all." She giggled happily. Charles was taking this very well, all things considered, which she was happy for. "No problem."

"I hope so too." Mae said. With everything that was going on, it saddened her a bit that her reason for being here in the first place had been set aside in favor of her dealing with the task at hand. Saving Azores and securing a future for herself was a top priority. Besides... She wasn't doing this just for herself anymore. She wanted Charles to be safe as well. "Just because I'm your girlfriend doesn't mean you have set your own happiness aside. I want you to be happy with me." She smiled at him warmly. "But if you insist... I guess I really can't argue against it." His selflessness was a really good feature of his. At least when it came to her. Would he do that for anyone else? Maybe, maybe not. But right now, it really didn't matter. What happened next was a little poorly timed. Mae really wanted to hear the rest of what Charles had to say... but fate had other plans it would seem...

"H-huh? My Cellphone?" Mae sat up, looking at her cellphone buzzing. "Who wants to talk to me at this time of day?" She gave Charles a confused look before answering the call. "H-Hello? This is Mae Iharu. Who am I speaking with?" She asked, her confusion being quite obvious in her tone of voice.

There would be a small pause after Mae picked up the phone and answered it. The buzzing silence would stretch for several moments which seemed like hours. Something would definitely feel wrong. If Mae were to listen closely, she would be able to hear footsteps on the other side of the line coming somewhere from the background. Hurried footsteps and lots of them. A beeping sound could also be heard, some sort of machine, probably. The man on the other side broke the silence by coughing violently before clearing his throat and speaking up in a voice forced to sound as natural as possible, but it was clear the man had to endure pain just to be able to speak to her like that. "Oh, Mae, it's you." The manager said. "Ah, it's me, Mr. Old Man Manager. Heheh." Noticing her confusion, he added the last part. "Anyways, thank goodness you answered, I was afraid Charlie would be the one to pick up the phone."

At the same time, Charles would lean closer to Mae, curious as to what the phone call was about. "Mae?" He asked her, but Mae wouldn't be able to keep focus on Charles as he coughing on the other side of the line continued.

"Is that Charlie with you there?" He asked her, his voice growing in volume and losing some of its stability. "That's not good! Mae, can you get some *cough* distance between you tw-" He continued coughing. "I *cough* need to speak to you privately. Charlie mustn't know what's wrong and what happened. He couldn't handle it."

Why would the manager call HER instead of Charles? Mae had an obviously puzzled expression on her face as she listened to what he had to say. "Charles... Mind if I get some privacy?" She asked him politely. "Trust me, it won't be long alright?" A reassuring smile made it's way across her face, while she awaited for Charles to give her some breathing room.

"What's wrong?" Mae asked him, worriedly. His coughing didn't exactly ease her worries. "Is there anything I can help you with?" She would occasionally give Charles an apologetic look before returning her attention to the manager. Why did this have to happen now? Everything was going so well... Oh, poor Charles... But she would make the best of the situation... She didn't... want to ruin his bliss and happiness right now... Would she be forced to? She certainly hoped not... Ugh... "Are you going to be okay?"

"H- Alright..." Charles replied, still confused by the whole phone situation. Who was calling Mae, and why wouldn't she let him know? He followed her with his eyes as she backed away from him, the confused look plastered all across his face despite Mae's reassuring smile.

"You got him to stay put, didn't you?" The old man chuckled, this time, his smile hadn't been disturbed by a coffing fit. "He's sweet, that's for sure. Don't ya think, eh Mae? *cough*" He paused for a moment. "I didn't want any of you to know, but... I have been sick for quite a long time now." The manager's voice was stern and stable now. He must've ben trying his best not to cough again as to not make Mae worry even more. He knew they were on a date and that he was probably ruining it, but his time was drawing short with each new breath. He needed to tell someone... "And unfortunately, it's not a treatable disease, eheh... But don't worry about me, lass, I'm a tough bloke, I'll last a while longer... It is Charlie who I'm worried about and I don't want him to know this, at least not yet... A-anyhoo, I have something I need to get off my back before I die, a secret of sorts... But this isn't the appropriate time or place. For now, I just wanted to let you know that I am at the hospital and that you two loveys should go to a restaurant or something... Gao has been taken care of by a vet friend, so dontcha worry, she put up a fight though, the feisty critter, ehehe. Just tell Charlie I messed up, he's gonna be all angry after hearing that, but he's not gonna wanna let you down and he'll try his best to make this evening work out regardless. He loves you very much, he never loved any... real person that much before. We should end this conversation now, I need to get checked up. I'll call you again..." The connection would end after that final message and Mae would be left along with a beeping telephone pressed against her ear and a weighing request of the dying manager. Would she be able to lie to Charles?

Mae sat there in complete silence while listening to what the manager was saying. She really was at a loss for words... These news came as a shock, even to her, who barely knew him. Charles had known the manager for quite some time now... He certainly wouldn't take these news well... But Mae couldn't lie to him... She just couldn't. "I... I'm sorry... But what you're asking of me is... Impossible. I can't..." She looked at Charles in the distance, pausing for a second. Yeah... There was no way she could do that... "I can't lie to him... I just... can't." She honestly didn't know what to do... "What do I do...?" She was about to ask him, but the phone call ended before she could even open her mouth. Mae sat there, as she looked at Charles with a mortified expression on her face. Why did this have to happen now...?

"...?" Charles not even once let his eyes slip off of Mae's posture. Not even when she glanced over at him or put away her phone and gave him that... look. For the first time in his life, he felt an icy, tingling sensation creep down his spine as he gazed at Mae. Chills ran down his spine and he flinched. There was something wrong. Something was terribly wrong.

Making his decision in a fraction of a second, Charles got up and ran over to Mae, grabbing her in an embrace, pulling her tightly against his chest with a worried expression plastered across his face. "Mae?" He asked silently, loosening the hug and looking straight into her eyes. "Who... was on the phone?" Something told him he would be better off not knowing, but a part of him had to find out. He hoped it was about Mae's parents or something, he really did, but out of selfish reasons. He didn't want it to be about him. "I-it's about your parents, isn't it? They found them, didn't they? Tell me it was about your parents! Mae?"

"C-Charles..." Mae began, hugging him tighter back, refusing to loosen up. "It... Was the manager..." Her voice was raspy to a degree. She honestly didn't know if she was doing the right thing or not... But she couldn't lie to Charles... "He's... Really sick. He's been hospitalized. Apparently he's hidden this from you for a very long time, but from... what I've gathered... He's... He's..." Mae struggled to get her point across. It wasn't like her to be this lost... But considering the circumstances, who could blame her?

"He's dying, C-Charles... I'm so sorry..." What a lovely day this turned out to be, eh? "He didn't want me to tell you this... but I can't..." She sobbed lightly between each word now... Tears had begun rolling down her cheeks. Mae was afraid of how this would affect Charles. She really didn't want to tell him... But she couldn't lie to him either... "I can't lie to you! P-Please... Don't hate me for this..." Her voice started trembling. The weight of all this was soul-crushing... Why today? Why did he have to tell her now...? "I'm s-so sorry..."