Work Text:
"Excuse me, is the charger free?"
K31T6 looks up at the man standing beside him, tilting his head at the little smile he offers him. He has a robotic prosthesis as right arm, hanging limp on his side. K31T6 figures he needs it for it.
"I'm afraid I am still using it," he says, "I apologize."
K31T6 looks down, expecting the man to get upset. K31T6 is taking longer to charge than he's used to. He doesn't like it, doesn't like being in stand by, waiting for his body to recharge to function properly.
It shouldn't be like this. He's not some out-dated model.
"Don't worry," the man says, seating down on the empty seat beside K31T6. "My arm can wait."
K31T6 frowns, not expecting him to be okay with it or to even seat beside him as if willing to make K31T6 company.
Other people would snap at him for hogging the public charge cord, or walk away cursing K31T6 under his breath, something about robots pretending they have the same rights humans do.
But the man doesn't look bothered by it, waiting patiently for K31T6 to finish recharging.
"For some reason, it seems to take me longer to recharge," K31T6 tries to justify himself, not knowing if that's why the man is waiting beside him. It's better if K31T6 lets him know it's going to be a while.
"Happens to us all," the man says, offering K31T6 another smile, "No need to apologise. We are worth waiting for."
K31T6 stares at him for a long while, more than he needs for his data base to memorize the man's features.
He is handsome, with salt and pepper hair, silver eyes and strong jawline. There's a scar across his nose, and K31T6 has a sudden need trace it. The man smiles when he catches him staring and K31T6 feels the polymer on his face heating up.
It's not normal — and it's not like K31T6 has always been a normal robot — but he knows the fluttery code that writes itself on his interface it's not supposed to exist.
"I'm Shiro," the man says, grabbing his right robot wrist with his left hand and offering it to K31T6.
K31T6 can't keep the fake muscles around his mouth under his control. It must be the low battery.
"K31T6," he introduces himself, taking Shiro's limp hand, and Shiro tilts his head, eyes watchful.
"Keith," he says and K31T6 mind glitches a bit. He likes it.