I thought for this one I would try something completely different  from the Gakupo oneshot. This is a somewhat  futuristic AU, so please let your imagination  roll with certain things  being possible that might or might not be  possible right now for us. There are about 5800 words to this story, so be ready for a longer than usual read for this oneshot!

The edges of the ticket  brushed against my trembling fingers as I  handed it to the bored looking  gate attendant, excitement filling me as  I was allowed into the large  stadium. The video screens lining the  back of the stage were bigger than  the walls of my bedroom, not to  mention the quality of the images being  displayed across them was  greater than what all but the richest people  would find in their homes. 

However, the thing that  brought everyone so much excitement was the  main area of the stage where  Kaito would be brought to virtual life in  front of his fans using a  series of visual effects and high grade sound  systems being used in  combination with a new AI program that had been  developed and recently  passed the test requirements for open use.  For  those who could afford  such things, of course. This meant mostly  companies had them available,  but some private individuals were also  buying such things. It brought a  new meaning to the term "computerized  home" these days.

It was one step closer  to having the vocaloids so many of us adored  becoming a reality, the  next step being completion of a functioning  humanoid robotic body that  could be run by the AI program. So far all  they could manage were  cyberpets with simpler, cheaper AIs that  replicated various animal  behaviors, something to tickle the fancy of  those who wanted exotic pets  without the hassle of having to worry if  their tiger or wolf would bite  the hand that feeds them. Or those who  wanted a more basic pet but  couldn't afford the bills that came with  owning one or wished to surpass  the average lifespan real animals had.

No, humanoid robots were  still a bit beyond the current technology,  but they were getting closer  every day. One of my friends was talking  about how his dad's robotics  team was close to figuring out how to get  the robotic body to move in  more realistic ways now that they had  finally managed to conquer the  balance issue that had been troubling  them for so long.

Soon enough the dream of having vocaloids that had a physical presence would be a reality for everyone. I could hardly wait!

--------

I had finally managed to  find my seat, the large crowd of people  around me too busy screaming  for Kaito to pay attention to the fact  that some people wanted to get  past them. I'm sure Kaito would be  disappointed to see his fans treat  people like that. Sometimes it  seemed like respect for others was  becoming a thing of the past.

Sitting down after  double checking I was in the right spot, I  finally allowed myself to  begin relaxing, plugging my headset in to  listen to my Kaito playlist as  I settled in for the hour long wait  before the event would actually  start.

The sound of his voice  flowing out from my headset as I flipped them  forward was a pleasant  change from the screams that had been  surrounding me just moments  before.

--------

Hearing the music stop  as my alarm went off, I quickly unplugged the  cord, flipping the headset  back behind my ears. I almost regretted it  as I was bombarded by the  screams of the fans around me but did my best  to ignore them as the  lights in the stadium went dim, the stage  lighting up in its place. The  crowd quickly went quiet as music slowly  began playing, quiet at first  and slowly building until it filled the  large building.

When the first vocal  went out, I couldn't help shouting in  excitement, the stage finally  lighting up as a smiling Kaito appeared  before us all. Soon the song  'Bio-Hazard' was being sung clearly from  the slightly phantom-like man  moving about the stage. I found myself  singing along with the rest of  the crowd, unable to help myself as the  music filled me until it had to  be released. At one point I could  almost swear that Kaito smiled at me,  but I knew that he was just  smiling in the general direction. I mean,  why would he smile at just  me?

The song 'Imitator'  began to play next, his voice carrying out  across the crowd again and  everyone quieting to listen to the song that  would soon enough loose  part of its meaning with the creation of  working robot bodies for these  new AIs to be placed within.

--------

The final song of the  event was 'Addicted' and it was sung  beautifully. After the last note  was played and his voice was quiet, I  have to admit that I thought he  would just vanish back into the  computer system he came from. When he  didn't and instead began walking  forward to the edge of what he could  reach of the stage, I shifted  excitedly in place, wondering what would  happen next. Was he going to  sing a new song that nobody knew? What  happened instead shocked us all.

"Since you all came to  my first self-run concert, I would like to  take the time to answer a few  questions and learn more about my fans  today. If you wouldn't mind  answering a few questions of my own, that  is?" His voice was soft as it  swept over the crowd, yet still managed  to be heard clearly in the quiet  of the shocked audience.

--------

By the time the question  and answer session was over and everyone  was leaving, I'd learned some  fun things about the AI that Kaito had  been programmed with. It was  interesting to learn that he knew about  the robotics advancements and  was actually looking forward to someday  having such a body for himself.  He explained it was so that he could  interact more freely with his fans.  I swear his eyes had met mine for a  moment as he said this, but it was  so quick that I'd brushed it off  and simply listened as he answered  another question that was asked of  him.

Waiting for the last of  the seats around me to clear, I finally  stood up again and slowly made  my way down the aisle towards the exit,  one of the last people to leave  the stadium. Just as I was about to  pass the stage, the lights flickered  and Kaito appeared once more,  causing those of us to remain to halt in  shock. Judging by the  reactions of the people currently cleaning up the  stage and getting  ready to transport his computer system back to their  office, this was  not an expected action.

"Sorry to bother you but  I realized I forgot to ask the most  important question of all. Do you  mind answering it for me?" I blinked  as he directed the question at me,  the people standing behind him on  the stage beginning to whisper to each  other as others seemed to be  trying to figure out what had caused his  computer to turn on by itself.

"Umm... S-sure, I don't  mind..." I couldn't help blushing at the  thought that Kaito was asking  me something he deemed so important. Of  course, part of me wondered what  a computer AI would consider  important.

"Can I see you again someday?" "His smile was impossibly bright as he spoke.

Confused by his  question, all I could do was reply with a  "Sure?"  as I really wasn't  sure what else to say, the question catching me by  surprise.

With a quick cheer and a  wave, he once again vanished, leaving  behind a bunch of confused people  wondering what that had been about.  And I was just as confused as the  rest.

--------

It had taken some time  to convince them that I had nothing to do  with the strange occurrence,  finally being allowed to leave and go  home. The next concert had been  put on hold until tests could be run  and they could figure out what had  happened.

Days passed, turning  into weeks and soon the incident was forgotten  by most, especially when  the concert was announced to take place in a  week. Sadly, I was unable  to make it to that one, having already made  plans to babysit my friends  little brother so he could spend time with  his girlfriend.

And so the concert  passed without any word of another incident  happening. Shortly after,  the concert tour moved to the next location  and life kept moving  forward.

--------

It was a few months  later that I was celebrating my birthday,  surrounded by friends and  family. I enjoyed the time I got to spend  with people I didn't see as  often as I used to, family members who had  moved further away in recent  years and friends whose lives had gotten  busier as they got older, now  worried more about finding jobs or  spending time with the ones who had  begun to hold their hearts close  and dear. It didn't help that I was the  only one still taking classes,  having chosen to get a degree in  robotics in addition to computer  programing, wanting to help work on  advancing the robotics movement  further once I graduated.

I'd begun to feel  somewhat left behind however, one of the few among  my group that hadn't  found someone who cared for me as anything more  than just a friend,  although I was always telling them that I was fine  being alone and joked  that it would take a while anyhow since Kaito  didn't have a real body  yet.

As the party wound down,  it came time to open the presents that had  been stacked on a nearby  table. I made sure to thank people as I opened  gifts containing  everything from Kaito's newest hit single to posters  all the way to a  high priced figurine that they had caught be staring  at when we had gone  to a convention together several months ago.

The thing that had  frozen me in place though was the final gift,  wrapped ever so carefully  in crisp white paper and tied with a wide  blue ribbon. Upon opening it,  my eyes scanned the box inside over and  over again as I slowly brought a  trembling hand up to my lips, the only  words sticking in my mind out of  the several that ran across the box  being 'Kaito' and 'AI' telling me  what was sitting in my lap. The  almost impossible to find, let alone  afford, public release of Kaito's  latest AI.

"We got together and  pooled the money that was left after buying our  presents, then talked it  over with your folks. They agreed to cover  the rest of the cost, so  make sure you keep your grades up. That way  maybe you can be the one to  make Kaito a body to put his AI into!" I  broke out in a smile as  laughter filled the air, as much happy for the  gift as I was to have  such amazing friends as I was surrounded by at  this moment in time.

---------

I sat in front of my  computer, watching as the instillation passed  the 95% completion point,  too excited to remain still. My fingers would  come up and tug at my hair  until I realized what I was doing, forcing  my hands down into my lap  for a few minutes before I would find myself  biting my fingertip gently  as I stared at the screen waiting for the  bar to fill in a little more.

By the time it hit 98% I  was almost screaming at the bar to move  faster, finally giving in to  the growl of my stomach as it told me to  go get something to eat. Almost  jumping out of my chair, I raced down  the hall to the kitchen and  grabbed the bread, deciding a quick  sandwich would do for now.

It wasn't until I was  done and walking down the hallway to my  bedroom, sandwich lifted halfway  to my lips, that I heard a familiar  voice asking if anyone was there.  Almost dropping the uneaten sandwich,  I raced the rest of the way down  the hallway, too excited to even  notice the pain as I took the corner  too sharp and banged my shoulder  against the doorway.

Soon the sandwich was  sitting forgotten to the side of the keyboard  and I was sitting in front  of the screen, staring at what seemed to be  an equally surprised Kaito.  I'm not sure how long we just looked at  each other, but after a while  his voice broke me from my shock.

"I was starting to think  I wouldn't see you again, even though you  said we would, but you're finally here!" A familiar smile flashed   across his face, shocking me for a moment before I remembered that the   Kaito AI was based on the same program used at the concerts.

Figuring that the  program had a shared memory file from before the  program creation, I  shrugged and spent the next several hours chatting  with the AI, learning  about the program and what he could and could not  do. As night came  close, I finally put him into sleep mode and got  ready for bed, excited  as I thought over all the things I could do with  this new program and  everything I could possibly learn from it.

I closed my eyes, no noticing the dull blue eyes appear on my screen as I quickly fell asleep.

"Goodnight, (y/n). I  knew I would find you if I waited long enough."  The softly whispered  words went unheard by all but the AI that had  spoken them, his eyes  glowing brightly for a moment before the entire  screen went dark once  more.

A soft melody began to play, quiet words of a love song playing at  the edge of my mind as I continued to dream, a smile upon my lips.

--------

Over the course of the few months, I learned so many new skills in  programing from Kaito's AI that I'd never even thought possible before,  the coding beyond what was available to the majority of the public even  now. Although lesser versions of the software had finally become  available to more people, it was still just that, a lesser product that  was vastly different than what I got to work with each day.

It didn't help that the only reason I was able to use it was because  I had a superior computer, built from components that I had gathered  piece by piece with money saved up from summer jobs and that gifted from  friends and family. I'd been saving that money for years, ever since I  decided I wanted to get into programing, let alone once I started  looking into robotics with a serious mind.

Even with everything I had learned, everything Kaito had taught me, I  knew there was still much more that was yet beyond my understanding.  His depth of social understanding and the emotions that he portrayed  during our conversations were far beyond that of what I saw in other  AIs, although I had yet to see another of the high grade ones like I had  being used, most people being very protective of a program they had  spent so much money on.

All I could really do was scour the internet looking for the  descriptions and videos that people posted, but those rarely helped  since most were just of them using him like a music player. Although one  particular video was rather interesting to watch, showing him with a  bored expression as he was forced to play lullabies for a pair of  screaming children while the mom simply cooed at them in the background.  What a sad use of a high end program.

Shaking my head, I turned off the video and met the watchful gaze of  my own Kaito, letting out a small laugh as he blinked at my action.

"Do people really buy your program just to use you as a new form of  babysitter or fancy music player? Don't they realize how ridiculous that  is, when you have so much potential to be far more than any of those  things? You could be the next level of teacher for people who are  unwilling or unable to attend regular schools! Or a therapist for people  afraid to go outside their homes or uncomfortable with being around  others! You could become someone they can learn about and talk to at any  time, opening up their world a bit more each day! Doesn't anyone else  realize how much you could do for the world?" I sighed as I came to the  end of my short rant, resting my head on my desk as I felt what energy I  had leave me.

Looking at my wrist, I saw that it was past midnight, having spent  far longer reading posts and watching videos than I had thought. Raising  my head back up and giving my cheeks a slap to wake myself up a bit  more, I stood up and reached forward, my finger resting in front of the  button to put my computer into sleep mode for the night.

"Goodnight, Kaito. I'll see you again in the morning." I smiled at  him as I watched him wave, hearing the soft goodnight he whispered  before I pressed the button.

Hearing the soft hum of the computer as it entered sleep mode, I  turned to my bed and changed into the pajamas that had been resting on  the end before climbing in and pulling the blankets up. As soon as my  breathing slowed down and I fell asleep, the speakers began playing the  same song they had played every night since Kaito's AI had been  installed.

--------

I'd had Kaito for nearly 8 months when the news came out. They had  begun production on the first line of humanoid robots, each one ready to  be loaded with the AIs that people had purchased so as to have a  personality that had already grown accustomed to their users. A part of  me felt sorry for those destined to be little more than walking, talking  sound systems for those rich enough to afford them. It would be several  months at best before a more affordable version was out for the rest of  us. Even if I pooled every dollar I'd made in the past 8 months,  including the money left from my part-time job last summer, and  everything I made until the robot bodies came out, I still wouldn't be  able to afford even a basic model.

Trying my best not to frown at the thought of one of my biggest  dreams being so close to me but still out of my reach, I rested my face  in my hands, shoulders slumping in defeat. I let out a shaky breath as I  heard Kaito's voice come from the speaker right in front of me.

"(Y/n), what's wrong? Why are you upset? Is it because you are afraid  I might leave you if I get a robot body?" The subtle concern in his  voice had become normal to me, but the question he asked was rather  shocking.

It hadn't even crossed my mind that some of the AIs, let alone my  own, might possibly try to leave their owners if given a chance.  Wouldn't their programing make them stay? When I voiced that question  aloud, Kaito's laughter rang through the room, his smiling face causing  me to catch my breath. I'd never seen him look so alive before and it  was breathtaking.

"Oh (y/n), they only put a very basic coding in for that aspect, not  really expecting robot bodies to be completed before a newer version of  our AI to be made. Although I am sure they will be producing a new  software patch for people to download, I wonder how many people will  bother to do so before installing their AIs into the robots. I mean, how  many people bother to update their software as long as it is working  like they want it to?" The humor in his voice brought a smile to my  face, even as I thought back to all the times I had to "fix" someone's  computer because they had failed to update a program, sometimes even  something as important as their main operating system.

"You're right and in some cases I wouldn't blame them for wanting to  get away... Nobody would get hurt though, right? I mean, your AI has  coding to keep you from doing harm to their owners, I know that much is  true. It's one of the first things they put in the programs, simply as a  precautionary measure." I met his eyes and smiled as I saw his smile  softly back from the screen of my monitor.

"True but I couldn't harm you anyhow, even if I didn't have that coding in me. I would never harm you, just like I would, could, never  leave you. Now tell me what's wrong so I can fix it for you." If I had  listened closer, I might have caught the way he said those words and  saved myself the trials I would be forced to go through in the near  future.

"Oh Kaito, I'm so sorry but... I'm afraid I don't have enough money  to buy you a body yet. I'm not even sure if I'll have enough money saved  up for a downgraded model when they come out. I'm sorry..." I couldn't  even meet his eyes as I spoke, turning away as soon as I was done and  quickly walking out of the room, not wanting to be seen even by him as I  let a tear escape over something as simple as not being able to afford a  body for the AI that I had grown to consider a friend. The only friend I  could trust to never leave me behind.

As soon as I was out of the room, a frowning AI gained a thoughtful  look for a few minutes before turning his attention to the internet.

"I know what to do to make you happy again. Don't worry (t/n), I  promise everything will be okay soon. Wait and see, I'll take care of  you no matter what it takes. I'll protect that precious smile of yours."  A sinister glow appeared in his digital eyes, the screen growing dark  as he began shifting digital 1s and 0s in distant files, all in the name  of his loved ones happiness.

--------

It took a few weeks before I could face Kaito again, still upset that  I had let down my best friend by failing to be able to afford one of  the few things he'd been looking forward to since I'd mentioned how  close they were getting to making bodies for the AI programs. I know  he's just a program but I swear if you had a blindfold on and started a  conversation with him not knowing that, you would never guess that you  were talking to anything other than another living being.

I could only hope he would accept my apology for avoiding him so much  recently, hurrying out of the room as soon as I woke up most days and  giving him minimal responses others. Taking a deep breath, I entered the  room and walked towards my computer, unable to look up and make eye  contact with him as the guilt I felt grew with each step.

"Kaito? Umm... I just wanted to say-" I was cut off by a soft laugh, looking up in astonishment at his smiling face.

"Oh (y/n), don't be silly. You were forgiven before you even left the  room that day. I understand how things work far better than you seem to  realize. I've already handled that issue so stop worrying about the  past and smile for me." Even if I didn't fully understand what he meant,  hearing him forgive me so easily had me smiling back at him, quickly  forgetting his mention of having 'handled that issue' as I began  catching up with him on everything that had been happening while I'd  been avoiding my most steadfast friend.

One of the few that still remained in my life, many of them having  moved due to job requirements or financial difficulties suddenly arising  within their families and them moving with them to help out while their  parents recovered from the loss.

--------

A couple of months later, I awoke to a loud knocking on the door,  wondering if maybe my parents had returned from their vacation early and  forgot to call to let me know.

"Kaito, can you check the cameras and tell me if it's mom and dad at  the door?" I mumbled out tiredly, glad that I had connected the computer  to the new security system they had installed a couple days before  going on their supposed to be month long trip.

"Of course, (y/n). One moment please." His soft voice reached my ears  just moments before I heard the doorbell ring again, followed closely  by the sound of the intercom at the entry being turned on. I guess he  felt the need to speak with whoever was out there, likely finding out  why they were here since he would have unlocked the door if it had been  my parents and informed me of their return.

Hearing the door unlock and open after a few minutes of talk, I  slowly finished getting dressed and turned to the door, soon heading  down the hall just in time to hear the door shut again. Upon entering  the main room, I was shocked to find a large package standing in the  center of the room, Kaito's voice coming from the nearby intercom inside  the entry of the house.

"Surprise (y/n)! I know it's a bit early still but Happy Birthday!" I  couldn't help the gasp I let out when I realized what the writing on  the box said, Kaito's words only adding to the shock I felt.

In large letters across the front of the box were the words 'NuBot  Industries, VocaBot Edition' and it took everything in me not to let my  legs collapse out from under me.

--------

"What do you mean you 'borrowed' the money for a robotic body?!  That's theft and you know it! Oh my god, how did you even... No, don't  tell me, I really don't want to know! Just... Just have them take it  back... Get the money back and return it to where you got it. Just this  one time I'll forget you did something like this. Not because I don't  think it was wrong, but because you're my friend..." Although I had  started the rant practically screaming at him, by the time I was done  even Kaito could hear the exhaustion in my voice, what energy I'd woken  up with already stolen away from me.

I swear, with  everything going on in the past few months, I felt like the stress was  constantly draining me. Not even bothering to put the computer into  sleep mode, I climbed into bed and fell into a restless slumber.

Darkened  blue eyes watched me closely as the digital mind behind them began  working on a new solution to the problem before him. How was he to show  the one he loved just how much he loved her if she kept getting in the  way of his attempts?

--------

The box  containing the robot body was gone by the time I awoke that evening, not  even a sign of it having been there. I would almost think it had been a  bad dream if not for the apology Kaito gave for having upset me so  much. At least he had seemed to honestly be sorry for what he had done,  as much as a highly advanced AI could be sorry.

Sighing, I  sat down and rubbed at my aching eyes, still feeling tired after all  the restless sleep I had gotten. I could tell I hadn't slept well,  likely rolling around in the bed for most of it if the tangled bed  sheets had been anything to go by.

"You haven't been  sleeping well. If it is okay with you, I would happily play something  each night to help you sleep better. I simply need your permission for  such things first, since the music would be categorized as subliminal  alteration of your mental functions while you sleep." The worried look  on his face when I looked up had me smiling in response to his words.

"I  guess it wouldn't hurt to try that. Mom said she used stuff like that  when she was younger to help her sleep when she was stressed about  various things. Maybe it'll work for me too. Thanks Kaito." Maybe if I  had been less exhausted I would have questioned things more, but as the  weeks went by and I felt most rested each night I slept, I began to  question what Kaito did less and less each day.

--------

My  parents had returned from their vacation, commenting on how much better  I looked, being well rested after a solid week of listening to Kaito's  nighttime music. It was very peaceful to listen to and I had begun  looking forward to hearing it. As more weeks passed, I found myself  spending more time with Kaito, either chatting about random things or  watching videos together. Sometimes he would sing to me, a soft smile on  his face as I listened quietly to whatever song he'd chosen that day.

From  time to time my parents would give me worried glances while telling me I  was spending too much time locked up in my room, wondering why I didn't  go anywhere with the few friends I still had. Upset at being told to  basically spend less time with Kaito, I told them if my friends really  wanted to see me, they would come over or at least call, not ask my  parents to be the mediator.

--------

After  going back and forth like this for three weeks, my own birthday having  come and gone with hardly any notice from me, they said something that  froze me in place.

"They have been trying to call you!  That AI of yours won't let them reach you! They can't even get through  the door because it's tied into the security system and won't let us  unhook it! That things-" A loud crash sounded through the house before  the sound of a robotic sigh came from every speaker in the place. I  could even hear it from the speakers in my bedroom.

"Now,  now. I thought we had a deal. You wouldn't tell her about me getting in  the way of her ex-friends attempts at contacting her and I wouldn't  have to cause anyone harm. You know, your timing is rather poor. Just a  few more weeks and she would have been willing to do anything I said."  His words caused a chill to run down my spine.

Meeting my  parent's eyes, I could only see sorrow reflected back at me. How long  had they been hiding this from me? How long had Kaito been hiding things from me? I'd thought we were friends... Just what had he been doing all this time?

"Kaito...  Why?" I'd barely managed to get those two words out, tears building up  in my eyes at the feeling of betrayal that filled me. Hearing the  basement door open behind me and the gasps that came from my parents  mouths, I began to turn around, only to be met with a sight that sent  fear racing through me.

"Do you like it, (y/n)? I have  been having you modify it for me. While you slept of course! It's  amazing what you can get someone to do when they 'sleep' these days. You  really are amazing at robotics, you know. The things you did are far  beyond what they had originally intended these bodies to be able to do."  The robotic body before me had what seemed to be a form of antenna on  his head, likely what allowed him to stay hooked into the computer  systems in our home, something that was definitely not part of the  original design.

Other alterations were visible here and  there, where his outfit didn't cover the 'skin' he had. Various lights  shined here and there, some casting a constant blue glow while others  blinked in seemingly random patterns. Feeling lightheaded at the  overwhelming things happening before my eyes, I watched dizzily as he  began to slowly walk forward, my father quickly moving to stand in front  of me as my mother helped hold me upright.

Between one  blink and the next, my father was suddenly collapsed on the floor  several feet to the side, my mother shouting out in panic as she let go  of me and ran to him. I watched as time seemed to slow down, my mother  carefully turning my father over while tears ran down her face, while I  watched the smiling Kaito lower his arm once more as he took one step  after another closer to me. I flinched as he lifted his arm again,  waiting for the blow to come and shocked when I felt his cool fingers  run ever so gently across my cheek.

"Silly (y/n). Don't  you remember? I told you I couldn't hurt you. After all, how could I  hurt the one that I exist for, the one that I love? I would do anything for  you. Anything at all." The smile on his face no longer looked warm as  his eyes slowly changed from a too bright blue to a dark chilling red.

--------

I'd been trapped with him for several months now, locked in the  basement as he sent out digital signals that told the computerized world  around us 'everything is fine' so nobody would interrupt our time  together. For the first several weeks he had played the familiar music  I'd been listening to for weeks to 'help me sleep', something I realized  was only a small part of what it had been doing

I tried to  resist for as long as I could, but how long could you fight against  something that was driving its subtle message into your brain day and  night, something you couldn't even touch? I'd even tried to pop my own  eardrums at one point, but that had only resulted in Kaito gently  grabbing my hands and holding me still for several hours as he began  singing along with the music, finally allowing me to hear his twisted  words of love that he'd been whispering to me for so long as I slept  blissfully unaware of what was happening.

It was only a  matter of time before my mind broke and I gave in to the constant  whispered demands to love him, obey him, stay with him forever. And so I  spent my days, thinking of nothing but Kaito, of making him happy and  keeping close to him. Like a puppy being given affection, I did  everything he asked just to see his smile, to get a positive reaction  from him. Because when he frowned, visions of red splashed walls tore  through my mind and left me a whimpering ball on the floor, his ever so  careful arms wrapping around me as he apologized for bringing up 'bad  memories' that I had all but forgotten by this time.

As I slowly fell asleep in his arms, the softly sung words of 'Addicted'  began sweeping through the  room like a whisper from Kaito's lips, sounding much sweeter than it was supposed to be.

By this point, I think we had become quite addicted to each other, in the worst possible ways.