#039 - Script - Aiba/Jun
Title: Script
Pairing/Group: Aiba Masaki/Matsumoto Jun
Rating: G
Summary: Aiba is Purple's Handler (a.k.a Dollhouse AU where Jun is an Active.
A.N.
- the lines blockquoted in the middle and some titles are from the show itself. (Script
- Written for the jun-exchange community for kitkaos
- special thanks to Eri for editing this eons ago!
/*the first flower is green*/
The first time that Aiba met him was when he was lying on that white chair, looking spaced out and the only words that were thrown his way when he walked into the room was:
"You're handsome." And when that made Aiba smile, the man added. "I like your smile."
"His name is Purple." Nino introduced, although he still seemed mad at Aiba for signing up for the Dollhouse without notifying him.
"Hi." Purple said, beaming at him although the smile felt weirdly out of place on his strikingly handsome face.
"Now in order for this to work you need to hold his hand and read this script as I start the bonding program.
"Bonding program?"
"To make Purple trust you completely no matter what."
"And he would? He doesn't even know me…" But when he saw Nino glare he just said: "Not that I was doubting you of all people but-okay." Aiba wiped his hand and held Purple's hand - his Active's hand.
"Before we start this, I just want you to know all about me. My name is Aiba, Aiba Masaki." Aiba looked into Purple's eyes as he started babbling about who he was before Nino stopped him.
"The eye contact is great but everything you need to say is written in this paper" Nino raised his eyebrow and handed him the paper and everything written in that sheet made him more nervous.
Aiba gulped as he read the words of vows that would be exchanged between him and this stranger.
This was his reality now.
"Ready?" Nino asked and he could only nod because he didn't think anything could make him ready for being entrusted by someone else's life.
But that's what he was now: Aiba was Purple's handler.
Everything's going to be all right.
/*imprint #0409: Momo*/
Aiba, at the beginning of Purple's engagement, was ecstatic and a bit intrigued with how Nino could program someone to be okay with being a pet by just putting him in a chair (Nino wouldn't let him see the specifics of his work).
But when said person was suddenly in front of him, being adorable by placing his hand (paw) on Aiba's hand and blinking at him like he's Aiba's most important thing in the world, Aiba no longer found the idea of Purple being a pet interesting. Nino on the other hand found it hilarious when Aiba recounted the episode without forgetting to mention that his heart skipped a beat or two the entire time.
"That's what Actives do and the fact that you're charmed by him just certifies that he is very effective" Nino told him after he finished laughing at him "which is due to my brilliance, of course."
Aiba was thinking that he hoped it really was just because of Nino's genius that he felt entranced at that certain situation.
/*glasses*/
"Nino, he's not near-sighted, is he?" Aiba asked through the phone.
"Who? Purple? He's near-sighted now that this client called-wait a second-Ikuta Toma has an eyeglasses fetish."
"You could do that?" Aiba asked, unbelieving.
"Don't worry, it's not permanent. I just did my magic on his brain and fooled him into thinking that it can't see clearly without a pair of eyeglasses."
"Why would you do that?"
"It's my prerogative to give a legitimate reason for Purple to want to wear the glasses at all times. Why are you even worrying about that?" Nino asked.
Aiba just hurriedly snapped his own phone shut to avoid answering the question for now.
Usually, Aiba would be curious about how programming someone works and would rather be holed in with Nino to conduct experiments (just not on living things) but at the moment his question wasn't even prompted by his natural scientific curiosity.
It was prompted by how handsome Purple was with his black-rimmed eyeglasses.
"Is there something bothering you?" Purple inquired snapping him back into the reality that he still had to give Purple a lift to the library.
"Nothing. Come on, let me help you with those books."
"Thank you." He showed a gentle smile that Aiba literally buckled his knees because of it.
"Are you okay?" Purple asked as he helped Aiba.
Aiba wasn't sure if he was.
/*the third flower is yellow*/
"You never told me why you wanted to be here. It's really not like you to…agree with all these things." Nino talked to him when he had the day off.
Aiba shrugged. "I originally wanted to be a doll but I didn't qualify because of my birthmark."
"Why are you here?" Nino tried again.
"I needed the money," Aiba answered since he knew that lying to his best friend was useless. "My dad's restaurant is going down, my family is in debt…I just figured that if I could trade five years of my life for my family's financial security, I would do it. This facility denied me, I think you know why and I'm not blaming you." Aiba said while Nino looked a bit guilty.
"But then the same Dollhouse offered me more than the amount of what a person in here could make if I become a handler instead," Aiba continued, "and because of my numerous martial art skills, they said they would hire me as long as I keep my distance."
"And that's precisely why I don't want you here: you can't keep your distance to anyone no matter what. I don't even know if you know how." Nino expressed his concern.
Nobody said anything for a while but when they were about to leave the, Nino tapped on his shoulder to make him turn.
"Just be careful." Nino softly warned. "Actives may seem attractive and adorable but at the end of the day, that's all they are: Actives, living marionettes who would one day get their life back and forget all about this."
/*imprint #1021: Domyouji*/
Of all the imprints that Purple had, Aiba still couldn't figure out why this imprint was the most popular. Granted, the character had a popular manga, anime, and a drama as a background and Purple do look like the main male lead so much that he could pull it off and make all those Makino Tsukushi wannabes spend their money to stage their dream episodes but even with this Oguri Shun guy who wants to act as the Hanazawa Rui? Aiba couldn't understand people with money sometimes.
Aiba couldn't really imagine why anyone would really like the over-the-top curly hair, the thick eyebrows, and the arrogant attitude…
"Hey! What are you spacing out for? Hurry up or I'm going to fire you if I miss my treatment." A curly mop of hair greeted Aiba and it was all he could do to compose himself.
"Yes, Young Master." Aiba tried so hard to stifle his laugh. Handsome people could still look silly sometimes.
"If I find out that you're laughing at me again, I'm seriously gonna kick your ass." Domyouji threatened.
Again?
"But it's my first day here." Aiba answered, confused. He always read his role for an assignment thrice when he was scolded once for getting the venue for an engagement wrong once and it clearly said that he was a beginner in the file.
It seemed to confuse Purple as well as he just turned silent before he grabbed Aiba by the hand to sit beside him.
"W-w-what?!"
"Are you sure I haven't met you before?" Domyouji stared at him, his wrist still gripped tightly.
Aiba took a moment to reply as he forced himself to think of anything other than the hand that was holding him. "I think I would remember if I met you earlier, Young Master. You are the heir of the Domyouji Corporation."
"Right." Domyouji released his grip only to entwine their fingers.
"Y-Young Master?" Aiba panicked.
"Shut up. I like you here. I don't know why but I like you right here. You're not allowed to leave my side unless I said so, understood?"
Aiba could only nod at Domyouji because even if there were warning signals in his head, it also didn't change the fact that he didn't mind everything.
(And maybe if he was being honest, he liked it.)
"We'd be at your mansion to begin your treatment shortly, Young Master." Aiba broke the silence.
Domyouji didn't speak a word after that but kept on holding Aiba's hand up until he was escorted to the elevator. Aiba just blamed Domyouji's personality on the incident.
/*imprint #0401: Sawada Shin*/
"Those thugs we're crazy!" Aiba said when they were finally safe as he touched the graze on his face. "That really hurt!"
"Yeah." Sawada was still trying to regain his breathing as they rode the van. "Good thing Yankumi was holding the guys off for me to go to my treatment. Are you sure she's gonna be okay?"
"She is. You know how strong she is by now, don't you?"
"Yeah, that's my woman." Sawada was looking from afar now, probably remembering the woman he loved and it made Aiba look away.
"You're weak though." Sawada touched Aiba's bruised lip and it made him jump. "I think we need to get that fixed. Sawada kept on staring and never stopped touching his face as he checked for other wounds. It only made Aiba hyperaware of everything: the other man's fiery touch, the gaze, the droplets of sweat that he could feel forming on his own forehead and his own heartbeat racing.
He didn't even make a single comment after Sawada left him and went inside the elevator.
Now that you're here
/*secure*/
Aiba kept mummed about a lot of things that he witnessed inside the Dollhouse but he couldn't help but be concerned with this.
"Why is he with Red again? He's always eating with Red."
Dr. Ohno blinked a few times before he followed where Aiba was glaring.
"You're right. They are."
"They always take their yoga classes together too. They even shower together! Is that normal?"
"You do know that we have a huge communal shower room right?" Dr. Ohno confirmed with Aiba before he chuckled. "Don't worry." Dr. Ohno said as he arranged his medical tools. "It's perfectly normal to be with familiar faces. They may be in their most vulnerable state but they're still biological beings. The instinct to go with whoever makes them comfortable and safe is embedded in them too."
"…Red makes him feel safe?" Aiba said feeling insecure all of the sudden.
Dr. Ohno stopped and turned to face Aiba "You're his handler, nothing would make Purple trust anyone more."
"But that's programmed."
"Do you know how Purple treated his previous handlers?" Dr. Ohno asked and Aiba shook his head. "He was still trusting them like Nino's program was telling him to, but it was more…removed. It was different with you though. The Purple inside this Dollhouse smiled more often since he met you. That wasn't programmed either."
Aiba couldn't contain his giddiness after that even though he knew that being special wasn't really looked upon here.
"Aiba-kun, maybe it was too late to warn you to not give your heart out to him, but save something for yourself."
Aiba was thinking if it was so wrong to care for the person who entrusted his life to him blindly.
/*sunshine*/
"Hello, Purple." Aiba greeted Purple while the latter was busy coloring his painting. "What are you working on?"
Purple looked into his eyes before he smiled - a vacant, easy one like the other ones in this facility were using. "This reminds me of you."
"What does?"
And then Purple motioned him to come take a look on what he was working on as he continued to smear hues of yellows on his canvas.
"The sunshine," Purple started. "It reminds me of you." And when Aiba beamed at that, Purple noticed and added: "I like your smile."
"You said that to me before too. On the day we first met." Aiba recounted although Purple couldn't possibly remember.
Purple brought the canvas next to Aiba's face and smiled - a real smile before he continued: "I like your smile."
He didn't know if the camera on this Dollhouse was getting this but he hoped to keep this moment a private one, even if he had no right to do so.
Because at the moment he was compared to the sunshine and was shown a full-blown smile was the moment that he realized that maybe…
He was in love.
/*cook*/
Wash, chop, mix - for some reason all these necessary elementary cooking techniques that would look boring on anyone else looked beautiful on Purple. It seemed like cooking was natural to him and it didn't seem out of place like most of his personality imprints.
Aiba wondered briefly if this was what the past Purple was like before he even became Purple. Maybe he'd happily cook for his special someone and dial that person just to give a flimsy excuse that he cooked more than he could eat just so he could invite that person to his home. Or maybe he would invite that person to cook something together just for fun, and no matter how good the food's taste turned out he would always say that they should practice more. Or maybe-
"Watch out!" Purple warned and before he could process what Purple was warning for he already touched the scorching cauldron without even noticing that he was moving towards it.
Purple immediately grabbed his injured hand and put it under the running water.
"And you told me you would help me set up the dinner." Purple was looking at his injury quite seriously and the fact that he was being cared for made him smile.
"Sorry." Aiba apologized without meaning it because this was the domestic bliss that he was daydreaming about earlier.
"It's fine. Most of the dishes are done now anyway." Purple said.
And then reality came crashing down as the doorbell rang and the Purple who was finishing the dinner table arrangement became nervous because he had to be his best in front of his client.
"Are you sure I look okay? Is everything perfect? Because I don't think Kiko-san would say yes to my proposal unless-"
"You're perfect." Aiba plastered a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Now go, don't make her wait outside your apartment."
"What about you?" Purple worried. "What about your burns?"
"It's not serious. It would heal."
As Purple nodded and approached his front door, Aiba exited through the back and only hoped that the same applies to his heart.
Do you trust me?
/*confirm exit?*/
Nino was mad when he learned of the news last but he understood. Aiba would bet that Nino already knew why (with or without Dr. Ohno's input about the issue) but quitting was far better than being fired or worse, being killed. He could always get his money somewhere without any complications to his morals and lately, to his feelings.
Because he could dig for other reasons all he want but the truth was, the moment he anticipated Purple's engagements for some borrowed time with him was the moment that he realized that he was no different from the clients that rendered their services. None of the personas that Purple took was real and he still fell for each and every one of them, even in his blank slate.
And the painful reality was Aiba's feelings towards Purple was true despite of it all.
/*glitch*/
When Nino called him in the midst of his part-time job to tell him that Purple might have been glitching, he sprinted to the Dollhouse.
"He could be sent to the Attic if this continues…"
The Attic was the place where they send the defective ones, the ones who cannot be wiped, imprinted, or even function to their former, real selves. No one ever saw what's inside aside from the people behind the facility but it was a known fact inside that no one sent in the Attic made it out.
Aiba couldn't let Purple go there.
"No! No! No!" Aiba could hear Purple's cries as he approached the room where Purple was. He was still lying in the chair where they were usually imprinted with an assortment of personalities, held by some binds while a lady was standing over him holding his fisted hand and tried to look in his eyes as she recited the lines.
"Everything's going to be-"
"NO!" Purple cried and tried to get out of his binds but he was too weak in his state.
"Can't you wipe him first?" Aiba asked Nino.
"Any more wipes and he's truly going to be sent to the Attic. I can't understand why he refuses to bond with anyone else. The program is perfect."
"Can I try talking with him?" Aiba asked.
"Be my guest. Ishihara-san, you may leave now. Sorry for the inconvenience and I trust that you'd keep quiet about this?" Nino spoke. The lady only nodded as she stared at them before he left.
"Can we remove his binds?" and when Nino looked wary he added, "Please? He's too weak to try to fight and escape anyway."
Purple was still crying while Aiba was removing his binds from behind the chair but when he went in front of Purple, the latter calmed a bit.
"I try to be my best." Purple sobbed. "I t-try to be my best. Am I not my best?"
Aiba cupped Purple's face as he said, "Everything's going to be all right."
"Now that you're here." Purple automatically answered.
Purple surged into Aiba's chest as the former was now crying out of relief while Aiba cradled him in his arms, trying to calm him.
"You're here." Aiba heard him whisper.
"I'm here." He said. "I'm right here."
/*remember*/
One month: that was the timeline that the Dollhouse gave them to sort all their clientele, apologize and perform last engagements to end Purple's contract. Nino gave an excuse that he made an error from the previous bonding program causing Purple to not recognize anyone else as a handler. And while Nino was reprimanded as he refused to cause more damage when asked to fix the issue and some of his perks were temporarily revoked, they didn't (or more like couldn't) fire the brain behind the Dollhouse's core: the Imprinting Program.
Aiba was there again for a month to assist Purple but somehow everything was different. Ever since the incident, Purple was more clingy when his memories were wiped, his other personas more assertive and possessive of him, and all in all, he could sense the fear that was emanating from Purple although he was fairly sure that Purple was unconscious of it.
Purple won't remember, he told himself over and over. When Purple stopped being Purple, he won't remember anything from what he had done to whom he had been with - including Aiba.
Yet whenever Purple smiled at him and held his hand like he was afraid to let go, Aiba couldn't help but hope.
With my life.
Jun
Six months, three part-time jobs and one strong espresso later, Aiba found himself working in a cat café as a barista and so far, it was one of the greatest things that ever happened to his life.
Now if someone handsome would only come up to him who looked like Purple (whose hair was now brown) and say…
"I know this is a weird thing to say to a barista but have I met you before somewhere?"
Okay, Aiba needed to work out the details because that sounded awkward and awfully real…
Aiba blinked and pinched his cheek before he realized that no, he wasn't daydreaming and yes, this person, unless he had a twin, was the previous Purple.
"I'm sorry. That sounded really creepy, didn't it? I wasn't suppose to scare you but you really seem familiar-"
"What's your order?"
"A tall Café Americano."
"Name please?"
"But cafes in Japan don't usually ask for names…"
Aiba sighed before he repeated again "Your name, please?" and hoping that this time, the guy would get the clue.
"Matsumoto Jun."
"Jun-kun," Aiba tried it and already, it sounded better than Purple. "That would be 430 yen. I'd personally bring you your order so we could chat."
"Could you do that during working hours?" Jun asked, his eyebrow raising like he was disapproving of Aiba's unprofessional attitude even if he was the one who asked Aiba first.
"Yeah." Aiba beamed. "Everything's gonna be all right."
Pairing/Group: Aiba Masaki/Matsumoto Jun
Rating: G
Summary: Aiba is Purple's Handler (a.k.a Dollhouse AU where Jun is an Active.
A.N.
- the lines blockquoted in the middle and some titles are from the show itself. (Script
- Written for the jun-exchange community for kitkaos
- special thanks to Eri for editing this eons ago!
/*the first flower is green*/
The first time that Aiba met him was when he was lying on that white chair, looking spaced out and the only words that were thrown his way when he walked into the room was:
"You're handsome." And when that made Aiba smile, the man added. "I like your smile."
"His name is Purple." Nino introduced, although he still seemed mad at Aiba for signing up for the Dollhouse without notifying him.
"Hi." Purple said, beaming at him although the smile felt weirdly out of place on his strikingly handsome face.
"Now in order for this to work you need to hold his hand and read this script as I start the bonding program.
"Bonding program?"
"To make Purple trust you completely no matter what."
"And he would? He doesn't even know me…" But when he saw Nino glare he just said: "Not that I was doubting you of all people but-okay." Aiba wiped his hand and held Purple's hand - his Active's hand.
"Before we start this, I just want you to know all about me. My name is Aiba, Aiba Masaki." Aiba looked into Purple's eyes as he started babbling about who he was before Nino stopped him.
"The eye contact is great but everything you need to say is written in this paper" Nino raised his eyebrow and handed him the paper and everything written in that sheet made him more nervous.
Aiba gulped as he read the words of vows that would be exchanged between him and this stranger.
This was his reality now.
"Ready?" Nino asked and he could only nod because he didn't think anything could make him ready for being entrusted by someone else's life.
But that's what he was now: Aiba was Purple's handler.
Everything's going to be all right.
/*imprint #0409: Momo*/
Aiba, at the beginning of Purple's engagement, was ecstatic and a bit intrigued with how Nino could program someone to be okay with being a pet by just putting him in a chair (Nino wouldn't let him see the specifics of his work).
But when said person was suddenly in front of him, being adorable by placing his hand (paw) on Aiba's hand and blinking at him like he's Aiba's most important thing in the world, Aiba no longer found the idea of Purple being a pet interesting. Nino on the other hand found it hilarious when Aiba recounted the episode without forgetting to mention that his heart skipped a beat or two the entire time.
"That's what Actives do and the fact that you're charmed by him just certifies that he is very effective" Nino told him after he finished laughing at him "which is due to my brilliance, of course."
Aiba was thinking that he hoped it really was just because of Nino's genius that he felt entranced at that certain situation.
/*glasses*/
"Nino, he's not near-sighted, is he?" Aiba asked through the phone.
"Who? Purple? He's near-sighted now that this client called-wait a second-Ikuta Toma has an eyeglasses fetish."
"You could do that?" Aiba asked, unbelieving.
"Don't worry, it's not permanent. I just did my magic on his brain and fooled him into thinking that it can't see clearly without a pair of eyeglasses."
"Why would you do that?"
"It's my prerogative to give a legitimate reason for Purple to want to wear the glasses at all times. Why are you even worrying about that?" Nino asked.
Aiba just hurriedly snapped his own phone shut to avoid answering the question for now.
Usually, Aiba would be curious about how programming someone works and would rather be holed in with Nino to conduct experiments (just not on living things) but at the moment his question wasn't even prompted by his natural scientific curiosity.
It was prompted by how handsome Purple was with his black-rimmed eyeglasses.
"Is there something bothering you?" Purple inquired snapping him back into the reality that he still had to give Purple a lift to the library.
"Nothing. Come on, let me help you with those books."
"Thank you." He showed a gentle smile that Aiba literally buckled his knees because of it.
"Are you okay?" Purple asked as he helped Aiba.
Aiba wasn't sure if he was.
/*the third flower is yellow*/
"You never told me why you wanted to be here. It's really not like you to…agree with all these things." Nino talked to him when he had the day off.
Aiba shrugged. "I originally wanted to be a doll but I didn't qualify because of my birthmark."
"Why are you here?" Nino tried again.
"I needed the money," Aiba answered since he knew that lying to his best friend was useless. "My dad's restaurant is going down, my family is in debt…I just figured that if I could trade five years of my life for my family's financial security, I would do it. This facility denied me, I think you know why and I'm not blaming you." Aiba said while Nino looked a bit guilty.
"But then the same Dollhouse offered me more than the amount of what a person in here could make if I become a handler instead," Aiba continued, "and because of my numerous martial art skills, they said they would hire me as long as I keep my distance."
"And that's precisely why I don't want you here: you can't keep your distance to anyone no matter what. I don't even know if you know how." Nino expressed his concern.
Nobody said anything for a while but when they were about to leave the, Nino tapped on his shoulder to make him turn.
"Just be careful." Nino softly warned. "Actives may seem attractive and adorable but at the end of the day, that's all they are: Actives, living marionettes who would one day get their life back and forget all about this."
/*imprint #1021: Domyouji*/
Of all the imprints that Purple had, Aiba still couldn't figure out why this imprint was the most popular. Granted, the character had a popular manga, anime, and a drama as a background and Purple do look like the main male lead so much that he could pull it off and make all those Makino Tsukushi wannabes spend their money to stage their dream episodes but even with this Oguri Shun guy who wants to act as the Hanazawa Rui? Aiba couldn't understand people with money sometimes.
Aiba couldn't really imagine why anyone would really like the over-the-top curly hair, the thick eyebrows, and the arrogant attitude…
"Hey! What are you spacing out for? Hurry up or I'm going to fire you if I miss my treatment." A curly mop of hair greeted Aiba and it was all he could do to compose himself.
"Yes, Young Master." Aiba tried so hard to stifle his laugh. Handsome people could still look silly sometimes.
"If I find out that you're laughing at me again, I'm seriously gonna kick your ass." Domyouji threatened.
Again?
"But it's my first day here." Aiba answered, confused. He always read his role for an assignment thrice when he was scolded once for getting the venue for an engagement wrong once and it clearly said that he was a beginner in the file.
It seemed to confuse Purple as well as he just turned silent before he grabbed Aiba by the hand to sit beside him.
"W-w-what?!"
"Are you sure I haven't met you before?" Domyouji stared at him, his wrist still gripped tightly.
Aiba took a moment to reply as he forced himself to think of anything other than the hand that was holding him. "I think I would remember if I met you earlier, Young Master. You are the heir of the Domyouji Corporation."
"Right." Domyouji released his grip only to entwine their fingers.
"Y-Young Master?" Aiba panicked.
"Shut up. I like you here. I don't know why but I like you right here. You're not allowed to leave my side unless I said so, understood?"
Aiba could only nod at Domyouji because even if there were warning signals in his head, it also didn't change the fact that he didn't mind everything.
(And maybe if he was being honest, he liked it.)
"We'd be at your mansion to begin your treatment shortly, Young Master." Aiba broke the silence.
Domyouji didn't speak a word after that but kept on holding Aiba's hand up until he was escorted to the elevator. Aiba just blamed Domyouji's personality on the incident.
/*imprint #0401: Sawada Shin*/
"Those thugs we're crazy!" Aiba said when they were finally safe as he touched the graze on his face. "That really hurt!"
"Yeah." Sawada was still trying to regain his breathing as they rode the van. "Good thing Yankumi was holding the guys off for me to go to my treatment. Are you sure she's gonna be okay?"
"She is. You know how strong she is by now, don't you?"
"Yeah, that's my woman." Sawada was looking from afar now, probably remembering the woman he loved and it made Aiba look away.
"You're weak though." Sawada touched Aiba's bruised lip and it made him jump. "I think we need to get that fixed. Sawada kept on staring and never stopped touching his face as he checked for other wounds. It only made Aiba hyperaware of everything: the other man's fiery touch, the gaze, the droplets of sweat that he could feel forming on his own forehead and his own heartbeat racing.
He didn't even make a single comment after Sawada left him and went inside the elevator.
Now that you're here
/*secure*/
Aiba kept mummed about a lot of things that he witnessed inside the Dollhouse but he couldn't help but be concerned with this.
"Why is he with Red again? He's always eating with Red."
Dr. Ohno blinked a few times before he followed where Aiba was glaring.
"You're right. They are."
"They always take their yoga classes together too. They even shower together! Is that normal?"
"You do know that we have a huge communal shower room right?" Dr. Ohno confirmed with Aiba before he chuckled. "Don't worry." Dr. Ohno said as he arranged his medical tools. "It's perfectly normal to be with familiar faces. They may be in their most vulnerable state but they're still biological beings. The instinct to go with whoever makes them comfortable and safe is embedded in them too."
"…Red makes him feel safe?" Aiba said feeling insecure all of the sudden.
Dr. Ohno stopped and turned to face Aiba "You're his handler, nothing would make Purple trust anyone more."
"But that's programmed."
"Do you know how Purple treated his previous handlers?" Dr. Ohno asked and Aiba shook his head. "He was still trusting them like Nino's program was telling him to, but it was more…removed. It was different with you though. The Purple inside this Dollhouse smiled more often since he met you. That wasn't programmed either."
Aiba couldn't contain his giddiness after that even though he knew that being special wasn't really looked upon here.
"Aiba-kun, maybe it was too late to warn you to not give your heart out to him, but save something for yourself."
Aiba was thinking if it was so wrong to care for the person who entrusted his life to him blindly.
/*sunshine*/
"Hello, Purple." Aiba greeted Purple while the latter was busy coloring his painting. "What are you working on?"
Purple looked into his eyes before he smiled - a vacant, easy one like the other ones in this facility were using. "This reminds me of you."
"What does?"
And then Purple motioned him to come take a look on what he was working on as he continued to smear hues of yellows on his canvas.
"The sunshine," Purple started. "It reminds me of you." And when Aiba beamed at that, Purple noticed and added: "I like your smile."
"You said that to me before too. On the day we first met." Aiba recounted although Purple couldn't possibly remember.
Purple brought the canvas next to Aiba's face and smiled - a real smile before he continued: "I like your smile."
He didn't know if the camera on this Dollhouse was getting this but he hoped to keep this moment a private one, even if he had no right to do so.
Because at the moment he was compared to the sunshine and was shown a full-blown smile was the moment that he realized that maybe…
He was in love.
/*cook*/
Wash, chop, mix - for some reason all these necessary elementary cooking techniques that would look boring on anyone else looked beautiful on Purple. It seemed like cooking was natural to him and it didn't seem out of place like most of his personality imprints.
Aiba wondered briefly if this was what the past Purple was like before he even became Purple. Maybe he'd happily cook for his special someone and dial that person just to give a flimsy excuse that he cooked more than he could eat just so he could invite that person to his home. Or maybe he would invite that person to cook something together just for fun, and no matter how good the food's taste turned out he would always say that they should practice more. Or maybe-
"Watch out!" Purple warned and before he could process what Purple was warning for he already touched the scorching cauldron without even noticing that he was moving towards it.
Purple immediately grabbed his injured hand and put it under the running water.
"And you told me you would help me set up the dinner." Purple was looking at his injury quite seriously and the fact that he was being cared for made him smile.
"Sorry." Aiba apologized without meaning it because this was the domestic bliss that he was daydreaming about earlier.
"It's fine. Most of the dishes are done now anyway." Purple said.
And then reality came crashing down as the doorbell rang and the Purple who was finishing the dinner table arrangement became nervous because he had to be his best in front of his client.
"Are you sure I look okay? Is everything perfect? Because I don't think Kiko-san would say yes to my proposal unless-"
"You're perfect." Aiba plastered a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Now go, don't make her wait outside your apartment."
"What about you?" Purple worried. "What about your burns?"
"It's not serious. It would heal."
As Purple nodded and approached his front door, Aiba exited through the back and only hoped that the same applies to his heart.
Do you trust me?
/*confirm exit?*/
Nino was mad when he learned of the news last but he understood. Aiba would bet that Nino already knew why (with or without Dr. Ohno's input about the issue) but quitting was far better than being fired or worse, being killed. He could always get his money somewhere without any complications to his morals and lately, to his feelings.
Because he could dig for other reasons all he want but the truth was, the moment he anticipated Purple's engagements for some borrowed time with him was the moment that he realized that he was no different from the clients that rendered their services. None of the personas that Purple took was real and he still fell for each and every one of them, even in his blank slate.
And the painful reality was Aiba's feelings towards Purple was true despite of it all.
/*glitch*/
When Nino called him in the midst of his part-time job to tell him that Purple might have been glitching, he sprinted to the Dollhouse.
"He could be sent to the Attic if this continues…"
The Attic was the place where they send the defective ones, the ones who cannot be wiped, imprinted, or even function to their former, real selves. No one ever saw what's inside aside from the people behind the facility but it was a known fact inside that no one sent in the Attic made it out.
Aiba couldn't let Purple go there.
"No! No! No!" Aiba could hear Purple's cries as he approached the room where Purple was. He was still lying in the chair where they were usually imprinted with an assortment of personalities, held by some binds while a lady was standing over him holding his fisted hand and tried to look in his eyes as she recited the lines.
"Everything's going to be-"
"NO!" Purple cried and tried to get out of his binds but he was too weak in his state.
"Can't you wipe him first?" Aiba asked Nino.
"Any more wipes and he's truly going to be sent to the Attic. I can't understand why he refuses to bond with anyone else. The program is perfect."
"Can I try talking with him?" Aiba asked.
"Be my guest. Ishihara-san, you may leave now. Sorry for the inconvenience and I trust that you'd keep quiet about this?" Nino spoke. The lady only nodded as she stared at them before he left.
"Can we remove his binds?" and when Nino looked wary he added, "Please? He's too weak to try to fight and escape anyway."
Purple was still crying while Aiba was removing his binds from behind the chair but when he went in front of Purple, the latter calmed a bit.
"I try to be my best." Purple sobbed. "I t-try to be my best. Am I not my best?"
Aiba cupped Purple's face as he said, "Everything's going to be all right."
"Now that you're here." Purple automatically answered.
Purple surged into Aiba's chest as the former was now crying out of relief while Aiba cradled him in his arms, trying to calm him.
"You're here." Aiba heard him whisper.
"I'm here." He said. "I'm right here."
/*remember*/
One month: that was the timeline that the Dollhouse gave them to sort all their clientele, apologize and perform last engagements to end Purple's contract. Nino gave an excuse that he made an error from the previous bonding program causing Purple to not recognize anyone else as a handler. And while Nino was reprimanded as he refused to cause more damage when asked to fix the issue and some of his perks were temporarily revoked, they didn't (or more like couldn't) fire the brain behind the Dollhouse's core: the Imprinting Program.
Aiba was there again for a month to assist Purple but somehow everything was different. Ever since the incident, Purple was more clingy when his memories were wiped, his other personas more assertive and possessive of him, and all in all, he could sense the fear that was emanating from Purple although he was fairly sure that Purple was unconscious of it.
Purple won't remember, he told himself over and over. When Purple stopped being Purple, he won't remember anything from what he had done to whom he had been with - including Aiba.
Yet whenever Purple smiled at him and held his hand like he was afraid to let go, Aiba couldn't help but hope.
With my life.
Jun
Six months, three part-time jobs and one strong espresso later, Aiba found himself working in a cat café as a barista and so far, it was one of the greatest things that ever happened to his life.
Now if someone handsome would only come up to him who looked like Purple (whose hair was now brown) and say…
"I know this is a weird thing to say to a barista but have I met you before somewhere?"
Okay, Aiba needed to work out the details because that sounded awkward and awfully real…
Aiba blinked and pinched his cheek before he realized that no, he wasn't daydreaming and yes, this person, unless he had a twin, was the previous Purple.
"I'm sorry. That sounded really creepy, didn't it? I wasn't suppose to scare you but you really seem familiar-"
"What's your order?"
"A tall Café Americano."
"Name please?"
"But cafes in Japan don't usually ask for names…"
Aiba sighed before he repeated again "Your name, please?" and hoping that this time, the guy would get the clue.
"Matsumoto Jun."
"Jun-kun," Aiba tried it and already, it sounded better than Purple. "That would be 430 yen. I'd personally bring you your order so we could chat."
"Could you do that during working hours?" Jun asked, his eyebrow raising like he was disapproving of Aiba's unprofessional attitude even if he was the one who asked Aiba first.
"Yeah." Aiba beamed. "Everything's gonna be all right."