There was something distinctly horrible about waking up, or rather, waking up knowing that the day ahead was going to be full of tasks and moments that would rather be avoided. Onora's eyes opened and she registered that in the night she had done some scooting and fidgeting, she had fallen asleep wrapped up in Walter's arms. His chest made for a brilliant pillow, and she fell asleep listening to the dull thudding of his heart; the fact that he had a heart caused her to be only a little miffed, but then she suspected it was yet another thing to try and make Walter, and all other android synthetics to fit in, to be slightly more relatable to humans. Regardless of this, his heart had steadily beaten away and when she timed her breathing with it, she fell asleep. It was lulling her to sleep, and she couldn't resist.

She hadn't woken up in the night, and she had woken up still in Walter's arms. Only this time she was looking towards the window, the curtains still drawn, but fractured pale light could be seen coming through. It was morning, but early morning, which meant that no one else was likely to be awake. Onora didn't know if that was a small slice of good fortune, or not. A part of her had hoped that with everyone being asleep, no one would come for Walter. She presumed that by seeing everyone up and about, whoever would take him away would appear, and then she wouldn't see him for ages. Her heart actually hurt a little at that, and Walter must have noticed something differ with her because his arms tightened and pulled her nearer. He was laying behind her, one arm under the pillows supporting her head, the other across her waist. Onora's hands were linked with his, one hand was under the pillow and resting against his hand, the other was tightly entwined with his.

He was awake, of course he was awake, he never slept or rested. Which meant that he could probably guess she was awake, yet didn't immediately press for a conversation, which was quite usual and common for him. Unless immediately addressed Walter would usually stay silent. She slowly shut her eyes, thinking of all the little things she liked about Walter was depressing her; it wasn't until the likelihood of him being gone had appeared did she truly realise how close, and how she felt for him.

And she did feel for him. Onora wasn't certain what that feeling was, but it was definitely a strong one. She frowned lightly as she lifted her head from the pillow, she looked slowly over her shoulder to see Walter already looking at her with clear blue eyes. His hand unhooked from hers and rested against her cheek when she slowly turned to face him. He looked over her upset expression and sighed, Onora couldn't help but note how it sounded like a defeated sigh. She bit the inside of her cheek, was he not expecting her to be sad so soon? Wait until he was gone, and then become sad and mournful?

"The time will go fast." Walter said, eventually breaking the silence between them. Onora shook her head, Walter frowned, of course she would disagree with him. "You have training to finish, that'll take up time. Weapons training. Mission reports and specifics, meetings. The time will be eaten up with a lot of little things."

"That's..." Pragmatic, she wanted to say, but didn't. "That's not going to take long." She said instead, realising that was stupid, it sounded stupid. Walter just looked at her, clearly knowing she wanted to say something else. "These moments won't happen! I mean, of course they won't, you aren't going to be here. But...but you take up so much of my spare time, Walter, I don't know what I'll do without you." He looked at her sympathetically then, Onora just sighed and shut her eyes. She didn't quite know what else to blurt out, while still being a little groggy from sleep.

"You'll make more friends," Walter said slowly, watching as she opened her eyes and looked upwards at him. He smiled gently, "Maybe not so much with the security team."

"Ledward you mean?" Onora pressed with a growing smile.

Walter's eyes narrowed, "He has designs set for you, that maybe it would be best to avoid; to put distance between you and he."

"I think we all know his designs, Walter. Don't you worry, I'll be keeping clear." Onora said with a sure nod, he didn't even need to say a word, distance sounded good there. Frowning she eyed him suspiciously, Walter just frowned. He didn't seem too keen on being looked at like that and was about to ask what was wrong, before she spoke again; "You sound jealous."

Walter's eyes widened and blinked slowly at that. Even the frown which was so prominent was gone and replaced by a mask of nothingness. He seemed temporarily lost in his thoughts, he was motionless, even stopping the function of breathing along with blinking. Sure, he didn't need either, but at least with both things he didn't look so...otherworldly. No, like this without anything at all made Walter look too much like a corpse, and Onora didn't like it. She sat up and pressed against his shoulders, shaking him a little even while he fell to his back. She ran her hands down his chest, his heart was still beating. She frowned down at him when he suddenly tilted his head, blinked and even took in a lungful of air.

"What was that about?!" Onora shouted, sounding truly freaked out and worried. "Don't do that again! I thought you had broke. I presume you can break?"

"Everything breaks." Walter said decisively. He glanced down at his chest where her hands still remained, he flicked his eyes back up at her. Onora was still leaning over him, honestly more on him really. She still had a worried expression on her face, "Jealousy." Walter said the word quietly, Onora just tilted her head. "I would be worried of Ledward, if your attention diverted to him at all. But it doesn't, which means you have no interest; be it friendship or other, you are not interested in the slightest. But this also means that your attention lays elsewhere, and that is with me, I believe. Daniels suggested something yesterday which I chose not to register, rather chose to answer with something else."

"And that was...what?"

"I told her of us falling out, like I explained. And when I was carrying you back she just said something that would insinuate something. You two, she said. Us two what? I had decided to think, yet answered her honestly and said we were friends again. But I do not believe this is what she was looking for as an answer. Nor do I think we are friends. We are something other than friends, are we not?" Walter asked, watching as Onora listened to him intently. Not interrupting for a second, her expressions changed throughout him speaking. From thoughtful to saddened, to blank and curious. "Or do friends share beds and kiss like we have? I do not see how that would be possible, how it would be possible to continue on normally if so. People are confusing, a little strange if this is customary." Walter admitted, small frown appearing as he just laid looking up at her. The light from outside was growing stronger which made it bounce off her hair a little, the blonde becoming brighter and more prominent in the new day light. He reached a hand up from the bed where both hands just rested motionless, and tucked her hair behind her ear. It had been draping over her shoulder, cascading almost like a golden waterfall which sectioned them off from one side of the room. He kept his hand in her hair, remembering how soft it felt under his palm and the colour of it while she leaned against his hand more. The pressure was reassuring and comforting for the both of them it seemed. Onora let out a sigh and settled back down, and Walter allowed her to basically end up more on him. The extra weight didn't affect him, and he could tell this was something to do with him leaving. She was probably remembering what it was like to just have moments like this with him.

"Can we be together?" Onora asked eventually, her fingers stopped tracing his collarbones from over his top. Walter lifted his head from the pillow and looked down at her. She moved away from his chest and simply looked down at him. She bit her lip gently, only to have his hand reach up and gently pull her lip free of her teeth. He just gave a scolding look, clearly wishing to state she'd hurt herself.

"We are together."

"No, Walter, I mean...can we be together." She said with more emphasis, her eyes even flicking to the door and at the sleeping couples who were still fast asleep in their rooms. It seemed to register then, what exactly it was she was referring to.

Walter pushed himself up, which meant that she moved too. Though she didn't move far, she stayed in his lap, hands holding onto his shoulders loosely. "The relationship between human and synthetic is a strained one at the best of times. I am here to serve, you are here to order. That is how it should be. Yet, with you, whatever line there should've been has been crossed. Same with the others, they look at me like a friend, not a servant. You, you are different." Walter said while cupping her face and turning it gently to see it from both sides, he smoothed his thumbs under her eyes and felt her eyelashes brush against them when she blinked. So soft and fragile really, like most living things. He doubted she even knew that, to him she was as fragile as what a newborn would be to her and other humans.

"And I look at you how, exactly?" Onora was rather unaware that she gave Walter any looks. This was complete news to her.

Walter smiled, "Like I am loved." He said gently and quietly while keeping her face looking at him. He watched her eyes widen and cheeks turn hot under his hands, clearly blushing, but she didn't speak. She didn't deny this fact, rebuttal in the slightest was missing in action. She just sat, in his lap, hands on his shoulders staring away. It was Walter's turn to worry then, her lack of movement and outward signs were worrying. His eyes flickered over her, a hand even going to her neck to check her pulse. He stopped and looked back to her though when she held his hand and pulled it away.

"Is that what it is?" Onora asked quietly.

"You do not know the emotion?" Walter inquired curiously.

Onora opened her mouth, only to shut it again. She sat for a quiet moment before looking downwards. "I suppose, really, that would make two of us." She joked quietly, earning a nod from Walter. "I keep saying I am fond of you, and I care. But that doesn't seem enough."

"I've never been loved."

Onora looked at him sadly, "Then I will love you." She said with a small smile growing, Walter's eyes widened. He didn't quite understand what the prospect of this meant, or what implications came with it, but he didn't particularly care right now. He bundled her up in his arms and pulled her close, Onora was more than happy to comply. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face against his neck.

"Then we are together." He whispered to her, brushing hair over her back and keeping a hand on her head. "We will be ridiculed, mocked and joked about."

"Throughout my life, and my career I have had such treatment." Onora said while pulling away from him, she kept her arms around his shoulders so really the distance was quiet minimal.

Walter frowned and shook his head, something she said disagreed with him clearly. "This is different. These people, you cannot simply walk away from and hope they forget what has been seen or said. We are to be with them. To live with them. To work alongside them. If they find fault, or trouble in what we are-"

"Then I can tell them where to go, Walter." Onora laughed quietly, "I am not being mocked or joked about or to about how I feel about someone else." She said in a strong voice and a frown firmly in place. Walter just looked at her, she was so stern and serious about the matter. He couldn't think to disagree with her on this. He didn't wish to state that some people might see him more of something than someone. But he admired her, her spirit and defiance. "We live in a time when anyone, can be anything they choose. Lope and Hallett are together, being gay, or lesbian, or even transgender is seen as rather normal old world problems now. How people react is different, and sometimes harsh, as you say. But that doesn't change a damn thing. You are what you are, and no amount of belittling or horrible words will ever change that, Walter, do you understand? If you do not believe in what you are, or what you stand for, then it just shows that really...you are living a lie to yourself. You cannot force yourself to be something, or someone you're not. You're synthetic, I am human, you struggle to understand emotions at the best of times, and I am perhaps a little off kilter sometimes. We are both alive, and we both have the ability to feel. So what's so wrong about feeling for each other? Because you and I will expire at different times? Because humans should stick with being with humans? I cannot and will not believe that you were merely created, put on this planet, to follow whims of people, Walter." Onora said strongly while looking at him with a serious expression to match her tone, Walter sat, and listened and didn't interrupt. She was perhaps the only one present who thought so in depth about him and his existence and presence. "You might be slightly more clinical when compared to old models, Walter. But really, deep down, you're the same." Onora said in a calmer tone while running her hands through his hair and purposely ruffling it. The ever neat brunette locks instantly stuck up, he looked unamused and took to patting the spiked up hair back down while she quietly laughed. "It'll make it harder, you know?" Walter placed his hands back on her hips with a perplexed look. "Leaving. It'll be harder now."

"How?"

Onora sighed heavily, and leaned forwards again. She rested her hands against his chest while her head came to lean against his shoulder. She trailed a hand up to play with the ends of his hair as he stayed sitting upright. "Because leaving someone you love behind hurts."

"Distance makes the heart grow fonder." Walter replied within moments, making Onora laugh, she couldn't help it. He honestly seemed to have an answer for everything thrown his way. She looked up at him with a smile, Walter just smiled back. "Is that not how the saying goes?"

"It is." She conceded with a nod, might as well give him the answer he was looking for. Even though both knew it was correct. The amount of information in his head, it was unlikely he'd bypass or miss something so readily available. He gave a sure nod at that, only to have his head gently pulled down so she could kiss him. "Can we say our byes now?" She asked quietly, "Because honestly, if I have to do it in front of everyone...I think I might genuinely cry."

"Good bye." Walter said, frank as ever. Onora rolled her eyes, "What?"

"You can definitely do better than that." Onora said while simply, and shamelessly sitting and cupping his face and pulling it against hers. She kissed him rather fiercely, literally as if she would never get to have the chance again. Be fair, for a possible month or so, she wouldn't be able to. Not that they spent a whole lot of time kissing, but it was a little gesture, or major now, that she knew she would miss. Whatever they had programmed into Walter for his romantic setting, it was certainly something. He eagerly kissed her back, hand tangling in her hair and holding on gently to tilt her head a little to deepen the already rather deep kiss. Onora wondered if really, the setting was made to combat and hand out the same reactions which were being sent its way. She was a little uncertain honestly, how much of it was genuinely Walter and not a programmed reaction. By the fact that his other hand tightened on her hip and pulled her close, she was certain that wasn't programmed. Mainly because how would a program have foresight to know that what she wanted right now was to feel him so close to her? It wouldn't. There would always be a fifty-fifty chance that his reactions were based on a system, but she couldn't spend her time deliberating over stuff like that; not when truthfully, deep down, she didn't give a shit. That deducted nothing from Walter. Nothing at all. Because he wasn't just something which reacted and dealt with whatever situation was to hand, he was much more than that. He cared, he had humour - if not in need of serious work - he had interests; he liked to read, he liked to talk, he seemed to take pleasure in making food for her, the little odd things which made Walter so much more of a person than a machine; Walter wasn't here to serve, to fulfil purposes, or even to set a standard, Onora believed that Walter was here to enjoy what life he had, just like anyone else.

----

(A/N: Sorry for delay. Life and work. Sheesh. But I return...to anyone still reading this? Hah. Hopefully I'll reappear again soon!)