Too Little, Too Late

by dapperghost

Summary:

Feelings had never been Bender’s strong suit, and he knew that. As a robot, the complexities of human emotions were not really something he cared about. Any feelings that he did have were usually locked away in the back of his processors, never to be heard from again. Unfortunately, it was just his luck that some of those unwanted “feelings” he had locked away just had to sneak up to the surface. And of course, it also had to be just his luck that he started acting on those gross things people loved to call “emotions”. But it still wasn’t enough. He wanted to the steal the one thing that he was missing. The one thing that he had always had, but never had attempted to actually take. But when the robot mafia decides to make an appearance, he wonders if he’s too late.

Notes:

I apologize in advance for any medical inaccuracies. I am in no way a doctor, nor do I ever aspire to become one. I blame future medicine for any things that should not be possible. Sorry it's so long by the way. It kinda got away from me. Oops. Anyways, I worked really hard on this, so I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1: What is This Feeling?

Feelings had never been Bender’s strong suit, and he knew that. As a robot, the complexities of human emotions were not really something he cared about. Any feelings that he did have were usually locked away in the back of his processors, never to be heard from again. Hell, he wasn’t even supposed to have emotions, seeing as he was a robot and all. Yet he did, and so he managed them the best he could, by ignoring them. Unfortunately, it was just his luck that some of those unwanted “feelings” he had locked away just had to sneak up to the surface. Not only that, they had to relate to one of those gross, disgusting humans that happened to surround him. And of course, it was just his luck that that human wound up being his best friend.

Much to Bender’s displeasure, he also wound up actually acting on those emotions. He began to steal things for someone other than himself, and it was getting on his nerves. Why couldn’t he just be selfish like he always had been? Why did this have to be so difficult? He sighed as he finished picking the lock on the place he was going to rob tonight. It didn’t even have anything really worth stealing. Yet here he was, breaking into a damn toy store to steal some dork a telescope that he didn’t even need. Why did he want one anyways? It’s not like he didn’t see the stars every fucking day. Whatever. Not like he cared. Except, of course, if he was stealing it, he obviously did.

Meanwhile, assorted items kept popping up around and near Fry. They were always things that he had wanted at some point or another, and they always seemed to have the same note attached. Something about a secret admirer or whatever. He’d never had a secret admirer before, so it was pretty cool in his opinion. Especially when this “secret admirer” kept giving him such cool stuff. A part of him wondered if it may have been Leela, before he remembered that he’d given up chasing her months ago. She seemed more thankful than anything when he had finally stopped, and it was that point that he realized she never really had seen him as more than a friend. He still felt kind of sad about it, but he realized it wasn’t really worth the effort, chasing after someone who would never love you back. After a while, he was finally able to let her go for good, no longer acting like a lovesick puppy around her. It was hard to accept, but he had finally stopped loving the girl he had chased around for years.

Each time Fry opened one of the gifts that was left for him, Bender was there, observing his reaction and hoping he hadn’t got it wrong. Thankfully he never did, seeing a pleased and happy expression on the human’s face each and every time. A part of him wanted more, but he knew the human could never like him back. So he stuck with the gifts, watching and hoping one day that the idiot would at least try and figure it out. Of course, being Fry, he never did. So Bender took what he could get, savoring each and every moment he got to spend with his human, and enjoying the happy expression on the guy’s face every time he got a new gift. It was better than nothing after all. He just wished he could steal the one thing he wanted the most. The one thing he still didn’t have. The human’s heart.

Of course, he didn’t want to steal his friend’s heart in the literal sense, although he had done it to other humans before. No. He wanted the metaphorical kind. He wanted Fry to like him in a way that was more than just a friend. He wanted the other to be captivated by his every word, to like him the way that he himself liked the human. It was disgusting. Bender never could get used to these mushy feelings. They made him all uncomfortable and weird inside. He hated it. But unfortunately for him, they just wouldn’t go away. Instead, they just got stronger with each day that passed, until he couldn’t take even looking at the other anymore.

He began to avoid the human, doing everything he could to not have to be in the same room as Fry. Of course, seeing as they lived together, it was fairly difficult to accomplish. He debated kicking the other out, before realizing that would leave Fry with no place to stay. He definitely didn’t want that. So he just continued to avoid the other the best he could, leaving the room whenever the other would enter.

Fry, meanwhile, was very confused (well, more confused than normal). Why did Bender start avoiding him? Had he done something wrong? And who was this secret admirer, who still left him gifts every day? He had all these questions and more bouncing around in his head, as concern bubbled within him. He wondered what exactly he had done to drive Bender away. He knew it was something, seeing as the robot avoided him whenever he had the chance. But he didn’t think he did anything. Although, sometimes he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the toolbox... He decided he should probably ask someone else. Maybe they would know what was wrong.

That decision was how he came to be standing in front of Leela’s apartment, knocking on her door. He hoped she would have some advice for him. She usually did though, seeing as she was the mother hen of the group. She always knew what to do, especially in situations regarding his friends. He tapped his foot, waiting for a response. Maybe she wasn’t home?

Just as he was about to turn around and leave, she opened the door, slightly surprised to see Fry standing there. She hoped he wasn’t there to try and win her over again. After all, that was usually the reason she found Fry standing at her door in the middle of the night. However, he had seemed to have given that up awhile ago. She sighed. “Fry, what the hell are you doing here? It’s one in the morning. Shouldn’t you be asleep?”

“Oh it is? I didn’t even realize...Sorry about waking you up and stuff,” he replied, an apologetic smile coming across his face.

“It’s fine I guess. What do you need though? I mean you obviously came here for something.”

“Well...I’m worried about Bender.”

She had to refrain from rolling her eyes. Of course it would be about Bender. Most of Fry’s problems seemed to involve him. That is when they didn’t involve her, of course. “You seem to worry about him a lot. But what’s wrong this time?”

“Well...He keeps avoiding me, and I don’t even know what I did wrong! I don’t think I did anything, but he won’t even stay in the same room as me.” Fry sighed, obviously upset over the circumstances.

“Have you tried asking him about it?” she questioned, knowing Fry usually didn’t think of the obvious.

“Well...no. I didn’t think to do that. Thanks Leela! I’m gonna go do that now. Goodnight!”

“Yeah yeah. You’re welcome Fry. Goodnight.” She shut the door as Fry ran off, sighing once more. That idiot really did care about Bender. Probably too much in her opinion. Especially since the bending unit tended to steal his wallet whenever he had the chance.

Fry practically ran the rest of the way to his and Bender’s shared apartment, hoping to figure out what exactly had been bugging his friend. Bender was most likely still awake, seeing as the robot was more of a night owl than anything. He rushed into the apartment, and then into the “closet” of said apartment. As expected, Bender was sitting on their couch, watching reruns of “All My Circuits.” However, as he spotted Fry in the doorway, he began to get up to leave.

“Bender, wait!” Fry almost yelled, stopping the robot in his tracks. He then walked over to the other.

Bender froze, looking over hopefully to the human. Maybe Fry had finally figured it out. For once the idiot had solved something without Bender’s help. “Whaddya want, meatbag?” he replied, hiding the excitement in his voice.

Of course, Bender was disappointed, as always, when Fry spoke. “Why do you keep avoiding me? Did I do something wrong?” Fry questioned, a concerned expression on his face.

Bender was tempted to say “everything,” but decided against it, not wanting to upset the human. He instead huffed, turning away from the other. “I’m not avoiding you, dumdum. I just happen to realize I have stuff to do whenever you walk in the room.”

“Oh…”

It was obvious Fry wasn’t buying it, but Bender really didn’t care at this point. His circuits were doing that weird fluttery thing again, and he really didn’t wanna deal with it. He left the room, storming to the bedroom he and Fry shared. Fry had convinced him to get a bed, even though he really didn’t need it. Right now though, it was useful for muffling his frustration as he flopped down onto it. He muttered into the pillow angrily. “Stupid Fry. Stupid feelings. Stupid...stupid everything…”

Fry sighed, sitting down on the couch with his head in his hands. He had a feeling that he had just made everything worse, although he still didn’t know what exactly he had done wrong. Why was Bender so angry at him? Why wouldn’t he answer the question? Was whatever he did really that bad? Fry sighed again, pulling at his hair slightly as all those questions and more ran through his mind. He missed his friend. The Bender who would watch TV with him and have water fights with him. The Bender who was always there for him. At least he still had that secret admirer. Although it wasn’t much comfort, seeing as he still had no idea who it could be. He pulled out one of the notes he had saved from his pocket, looking it over. He wished he could decipher who’s handwriting this was. Then, maybe he would know who kept sending him gifts.

Chapter 2: Don't Mess with the Mafia

During all of this, the robot mafia had been keeping an eye on the bending unit. The reason for this was that he had unknowingly stolen from one of the many businesses that the mafia “ran.” Running the business was a term used lightly, due to the fact that their control of said business was completely maintained through blackmail, threats, and shady dealings. Most of the money from the businesses under their control was funneled directly to the mafia, while the owners and workers of the shops got next to none. The owner of the shop that had been stolen from had quickly reported the stolen item, so as not to get hurt for a loss of profits. The mafia had a way with dealing with people who didn’t pay them their monthly dues, after all.

After the report was given, The Donbot and his crew went over the tapes, only to find that the culprit was the one and only Bender Bending Rodriguez. That just wouldn’t do, seeing as said robot was supposed to be dead. After all, he had ratted out the mafia, slept with the Donbot’s daughter, and attempted to copy the Donbot’s secret meatball recipe. So seeing the robot steal from them as well was just another nail in his coffin. Since the automaton didn’t seem to want to die, no matter how much hunting down they did, the boss decided that he would hurt Bender in another way. So he sent his two men, Clamps and Joey Mousepad, out to spy on the bending unit, in order to figure out what exactly mattered most to him. Then they were ordered to crush that said thing, and in doing so, hopefully crush his spirit. That would surely teach him a lesson.

The two henchmen were currently spying on the robot from the apartment next door, having drilled a few holes in order to do so. Both of them had been watching the other for a while now, and the only thing that they had really noticed he enjoyed was stealing and telling people to bite his shiny metal ass. But enjoyment wasn’t what they were trying to take away. Therefore, they continued to observe, bored out of their minds. It was curious though, that the robot lived in the closet of his apartment, with a human to boot. Was this human important to him? It didn’t seem to be because whenever the human entered the room, Bender seemed to exit immediately. And yet, there seemed a sort of fondness between the two.

“I’m booored! When do we get to clampin’?” Clamps whined, leaning back in his chair as he squeezed his clamps together.

“We can’t clamp until we find what’s is the most important thing to this guy. Now shut up and help me watch,” Joey replied, obviously annoyed with his partner’s incessant whining.

“But I just got new clamps and I wanna break em in already!” Clamps continued, pouting slightly in a way only a robot could.

“Well you ain’t gonna get to break em in unless we find this thing.”

“Alright alright. I guess I can help…” Clamps huffed, before leaning in and peering through another one of the holes. It was then that he saw Bender walk into the ‘bedroom.’ “Hey that’s him, that’s him!” he said excitedly, hoping something of interest would finally happen.

“I know it’s him, ya dingbot. Now shut up before he hears you.” Joey swatted his partner over the head, before going back to observing.

Bender sighed, the muttering coming to a halt as he sat up on the edge of the bed. It was getting more and more difficult to avoid Fry with every day that passed. Especially since the human was determined to figure out what exactly he did wrong. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t do anything wrong, other than being himself. And it drove Bender crazy. How could some stinky sack of flesh be so great? It was mind boggling.

He reached over to the bedside table, picking up a photograph that they kept there and staring at it for a bit. It was an image of Fry and him, both in boxing gear. Bender was standing over his friend, triumphant as always. He sighed again, before throwing the picture aside. “Why can’t that skintube just take the hint? It’s obvious I like him so why the hell doesn’t he see it?” Bender continued on to himself, obviously frustrated with the situation in general. He was, however, glad there wasn’t anyone around to observe this emotional display. It would be pretty embarrassing if someone found out that the morally corrupt robot was actually a total softy. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to him, he did in fact have an audience.

“Hey Francis, who do yous think he’s talkin about?” Joey whispered to his partner, realizing that their “research” was finally getting somewhere.

“How the hell should I know? Also I told you never to call me that! Do you wanna get the clamps too?” ‘Francis’ pinched his clamps in order to emphasize his point, obviously displeased with his first name being used.

“Alright alright chill with the clamps, Clamps. I won’t call you that again. But really though, do you think he could be referrin’ to that squishball that he lives with?”

“I dunno. Maybe? Depends on what the squishball’s name is.”

“Yeah true. He did mention a Fry or whatnot, in all that angry mutterin’.”

“Exactly. Let’s find out who this ‘Fry’ is so we can get to clampin already!”

“Sounds like a plan.” And with that, the two mafiabots snuck off to do some more ‘research.’

In doing their ‘research,’ Joey Mousepad and Clamps came to the conclusion that the ‘squishball’ that Bender was living with was indeed this ‘Fry’ they were looking for. They also came to the conclusion that this ‘Fry’ was in fact the most important thing to the automaton. Why a robot would care so much about some dumb human was a mystery to them, however. Thankfully, it wasn’t their job to solve mysteries. No, their job was just to commit any ordered hits the Donbot might give them. And that is exactly what they were going to do. Thus why they were currently following the squishball on a midnight walk.

Fry had decided to go on a walk in order to clear his head. All the questions were still running through his mind, as well as new concern. It was obviously tense between him and Bender, and the whole crew was starting to notice it. Leela kept giving him sympathetic looks, and the rest of the crew was a lot nicer to him. He just wanted his friend back. He didn’t need their sympathy, and he definitely didn’t need to walk so he wouldn’t break down sobbing. Sometimes he wondered how Bender did it. How the robot always managed to not let emotions get in the way of anything he was doing. He sighed, looking up at the night sky above New New York City. He had always loved the stars, and every single incredible thing that was between them. His wonder and amazement at it never left, even when he was finally able to travel to and from them each and every day. It only made him more excited. He finally found a place that he fit in. He found a place where he was happy. At least...most of the time. After all, all the people he had known before were dead now, and sometimes that kind of thing gets to you. Still though, he absolutely loved it in the future. Although lately it hadn’t been so great without his best friend by his side. He really did miss Bender.

He came across a park bench, and decided to stop for a bit, just looking up at the stars for a while. Perhaps it was because he was so lost in his thoughts, or maybe due to the fact that he wasn’t normally all that perceptive, but he didn’t notice the two robots that were steadily following him throughout his midnight walk. He also didn’t notice when they crept up behind him, poised for an attack. No, it wasn’t until he felt tight metal clamps around his throat that he realized something was seriously wrong. By that point, however, it was too late. Panic flooded his brain as he attempted to free himself from the strong, robotic grasp, but it was no use. Soon everything faded to black, and the last thought he had was one of his best friend, and how he might never see the robot again.

Of course, choking the squishball (an apt term, they found out) was not the only thing that they did. It was just the first thing, in order to catch the guy off guard. After a few bullet holes and an hour’s worth of beating, just to make it extra messy, they were finished. They had to make sure the human was dead, after all. Making the same mistake twice was not something they wanted to do. Not after the earful the Donbot gave them once he found out Bender was still alive and stealing from their wares. Just to top the whole mess off, they left a note, just to get the whole point across. Said point was: Don’t mess with the robot mafia.

Chapter 3: Barely Alive

Miraculously, Fry was still alive when he was found by a kindhearted stranger. The stranger had been walking his dog at around 2 AM, when it had started barking, and running towards something. Being curious, the stranger had let the dog lead him, and came across the body of one Philip J. Fry. Trying not to gag at the sight, he had dialed an ambulance, and they were there immediately. They were ready to declare the young man dead, when a faint pulse was found, and he was immediately rushed to the hospital.

After searching Fry’s clothing for some ID, while the doctors and surgeons worked, a nurse found some and immediately called his next of kin, which in this case happened to be the professor. Being suddenly awakened by the ringing of the phone, the professor groggily answered it. After several attempts by an increasingly frustrated nurse to explain the situation, he finally got it, and jumped up immediately. He hung up the phone, rushing to the room in which all his staff were in. “Terrible news, everyone!” he announced to his tired crew.

The announcement made everyone jump to their feet, seeing as normally it would be announced as “Good news” to the group, even if it wasn’t so. When the professor said the news was terrible, it definitely was something truly horrific. All of them were wondering what exactly the news could be, when Bender glanced around.

“Hey...where’s Fry? Shouldn’t that fleshwad be here to hear this so called ‘terrible news?’ Not like I care or anything…” Bender commented, noticing that the red haired human was indeed absent from the building. Lately it was hard for him not to notice Fry, so the absence was pretty damn significant. Although it also came as somewhat of a relief to Bender, seeing as he might not have to avoid the other so much today. Not to mention that weird feeling he got whenever he was around the human.

“Uh...wha? Oh right! That’s the terrible news! Fry is in the hospital. It seems he’s taken quite the beating. He might not make it and whatnot.” The professor thought for a minute, before grinning. “Then again that might not be such terrible news! I could have freshly harvested organs for my experiments.”

“Professor!” Leela interjected, obviously offended at the fact that he thought so little of his uncle.

“Hospital? Fry?! NOT MAKE IT?! Outta my way meatbags we gotta get there ASAP!” Bender interrupted the brewing argument, shoving past Leela and rushing to the ship as quickly as possible. He was in the captain’s chair before anyone could even get on board the ship, and he was already starting the preflight routines.

The rest of the crew was slightly surprised at Bender’s eagerness to head to the hospital, seeing as Bender had never really cared about any human’s well-being before. Not to mention the fact that they had all assumed Bender was angry with Fry, or hated him for some reason. Then again, a tragedy does affect people greatly, and robots were included in that. They all rushed aboard the ship behind him, seeing as they were greatly concerned for their friend and coworker as well.

The ship took off as soon as the last person was on board, and it crashed through the roof of the planet express building as it flew towards the hospital. Hermes was tempted to mention it would be coming out of Bender’s paycheck, but he decided against it as he saw the determined expression on the robot’s face. There was no need to upset the other more, even though he had a feeling Bender wouldn’t be very affected by the comment. He wasn’t as close to Fry as some of the others, but he was still very concerned for his employee. He made a mental note to get started on the paperwork for medical leave, as well as the death of employee paperwork. A bureaucrat could never be too careful, after all. Although he was hoping he would not have to turn the latter in.

The ship flew at breakneck speeds towards the hospital, swerving this way and that to avoid hitting any cars. Bender could be a very skilled pilot when he wanted to be, although that wasn’t very often. In his rush to arrive, however, he misjudged the distance they had between them and the hospital, and wound up crashing right into the side. The robot didn’t think much of it, and instead pushed the button to open the door. He lept out of the vehicle and jumped through the hole they had made in the side of the building, running up to the closest nurse station.

“Where’s Philip J. Fry?!” he demanded, slamming his hands down on the desk.

The nurse jumped for the second time that day, surprised at the loud robot suddenly yelling at her. First a ship in the wall and now this? What a hell of a day. She decided it was better not to question the robot as she saw his expression, and instead pulled up the patient files on her computer. Upon finding the correct one, she pulled it up and read it over. “It looks like he’s still in surgery. Your best bet would be to wait upstairs in the ICU waiting room until they’re finished. I’ll alert the doctors that you’re there,” she answered him, pointing towards the elevator as she did so.

Bender didn’t even grace her with a response, instead running towards the stairs and up them as quickly as possible. As he headed upstairs, guilt ate away at the inside of his processor. He had a sickening feeling that this was partially his fault, if not all of it. After all, if he hadn’t been constantly avoiding Fry, maybe he would still be okay. Maybe his buddy would still be alive and well and with him. Not dying on some stupid human operating table. He increased his speed, determined to get there as quickly as possible.

He had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind as he continued. What if Fry didn’t make it? What if he never got tell the human how he felt? What if Fry died believing his best friend hated him, instead of knowing the truth? He shoved those thoughts to the back of his mind, attempting to convince himself that Fry would in fact make it. He had to make it. He had to know just how much Bender really cared about him. He had to know that...that...he loved him. Bender finally admitted it to himself as tears pressed up to the front of his optics. This was all his fault. If he had just told Fry how he had felt, maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe they would be out on a date somewhere, with Bender stealing everything that Fry ever wanted. Even if it didn’t work out, Bender would at least still know his buddy was alright. He vowed to himself that if Fry survived, he would tell the human the truth, no matter the consequences.

The rest of the crew managed to get out of the crashed ship, quickly heading after the robot. They had to stop to ask the nurse, though, as they were unsure where exactly they were heading. She looked fairly annoyed as she heard the name mentioned once again, but replied and pointed to the stairs. It looked like she was having one hell of a day that day, what with her frazzled expression and all. They thanked her, before running after Bender up the stairs.

Bender made it to the ICU waiting room, plopping down into a chair as he wrung his hands anxiously. He continued to glance at the door every so often, hoping a doctor would show up to give him some answers. As he glanced at the door once more, the rest of the crew showed up in the waiting room, sitting down around him. He glared at all of them, clenching his fists slightly. How dare they show up here. How dare they come with him. They didn’t know how he felt. They didn’t care about Fry like he did. But he decided to be polite, or...as polite as was possible for him in moments of stress. “What the hell took you guys so long? I’ve been waiting for hours.”

“Well we had to figure out how to get out of the ship you crashed, spleesh!” Amy replied, rolling her eyes.

“Not to mention stop and ask for directions,” Leela chimed in.

“You know, the ship and building damages are coming out of your paycheck,” Hermes mentioned, unable to contain it any longer.

“Yeah yeah whatever. I don’t really care right now,” Bender replied, rolling his optics. As if he could care about some lousy cash at a time like this.

Zoidberg gasped. “The robot not caring about money? What a shock!”

“Oh my. That is really something to be concerned about…” the professor added on, before falling asleep. Even in times of excitement or anxiety, the professor could never resist the temptation of sleep for long.

Bender ignored them, crossing his arms and staring anxiously at the door once more. He didn’t care what they had to say right now. He only cared about Fry. As if on cue, a doctor finally entered the waiting room, wiping his brow as he did so. Bender sat up straighter, watching the doctor with anticipation, hoping for some good news.

“I assume you all are here for Philip?” the doctor asked, looking around at the mismatched crew.

“He goes by Fry!” Bender corrected indignantly.

The doctor cleared his throat before continuing, ignoring Bender’s comment. “Anyways, he’s out of surgery, for now. It was touch and go for a while, but he’s somewhat stable. That could change any moment, however. Honestly it’s a miracle he was even still alive, even with modern medicine. He should have been dead hours ago. He sustained massive internal bleeding. Not to mention a crushed larynx, a collapsed lung, several broken ribs and other bones, and over 15 bullet wounds. He lost a lot of blood too, so we had to give him a transfusion. And...there’s one other thing.”

“What? What’s the thing?!” Bender questioned nervously. He had a feeling this wasn’t going to be good.

“He’s currently in a coma. I don’t know if he’ll wake up, and I don’t even know if he’ll survive for much longer. It’s probably...best if you get your goodbyes out of the way now,” the doctor finished, sighing. “He’s in room 420, if you want to see him. Although I must warn you, it isn’t a pretty sight.”

Bender jumped up and ran through the doors before the doctor could finish talking, rushing to the room Fry was said to be in. He shoved nurses and janitors out of his way as he passed, skidding to a stop in front of the room. He took a deep (and unnecessary) breath before entering the room, preparing himself for the sight he was about to see.

Leela watched Bender rush out, before turning back to the doctor. “Thank you very much, doctor. We really appreciate it. Especially Bender...I guess.” She was still surprised at how concerned he seemed. Bender wasn’t usually concerned about anybody but himself. A part of her wondered if there was something going on that she didn’t know about.

“You’re welcome. Oh and also there was this note found at the scene, as well. It’s written in binary, so we haven’t been able to read it, but maybe that robot friend of yours can.” He handed her the note, before heading off to go help other patients within the ICU.

She stood up, feeling somewhat anxious at the sight she might wind up seeing. She might not be interested in Fry romantically, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t her friend. She sighed, hoping that he would be okay, and fearing that he wouldn’t. She headed off to the room, not really wondering if the others would follow or not. It was their choice on whether they wanted to see Fry, after all. It wasn’t her place to make them.

Bender entered the room, his heart (or whatever he had in place of a heart) sinking as he saw the sight before him. There was Fry, motionless upon the hospital bed. Bruises littered his face and arms, and most likely the rest of his body as well. There was also a large bruise around his neck, shaped suspiciously like a clamp of some sort. Bandages were wrapped around certain parts of his body as well, most likely protecting the bullet wounds and cuts sustained from whatever happened to him. A cast was on his right leg, and he was completely dead to the world. The only proof that he was actually alive was the beeping of the heart monitor, which was just a bit too slow for Bender’s tastes.

“Who the hell could have done this to you? I...I’m so sorry, Wiggles…” Bender sat in the chair next to the bed, starting to cry as he stared at the sight before him. He couldn’t stop feeling as though this were his fault. Guilt was terrible, and he was glad he had never felt it before now. It ate at him, like some roboparasite. He had laughed each time that someone fell into a coma in the soap opera he always watched. He found their pain funny, in all honesty. Not to mention all the tears they shed. Now, however, he couldn’t find the humor in the situation. It just...hurt. Now he knew why they cried so much in the show.

Leela entered the room, suddenly feeling like she was intruding on some personal moment. She stood in the doorway for a bit, a lump building in her throat as she saw the redhead, which only grew as she spotted the crying robot as well. A pang of sympathy hit her, as she felt her heart twisting at the sad sight before her. She decided the least she could do was deliver the note to Bender, and then let him have this moment alone.

She walked over, handing the note to him. “This was nearby where they found him. I thought maybe you would know what it means.”

He took the note, before looking down at the floor. He looked so pitiful in that moment, Leela just wanted to scoop him up in a hug. She didn’t though, instead waiting for whatever he was going to say, if he was going to say anything.

“Thanks...Hey Leela?”

Leela blinked, surprised. Bender never thanked anyone for anything. He must really be upset if he would sink so low as to actually use his manners. She then realized he was trying to ask her something, and jumped back to the real world. “Yeah?”

“Do you...do you think he’s gonna make it?” Bender asked, a hint of fear and uncertainty leaking through into his voice.

“Of course he will. He’s Fry! He’s pulled through plenty of things. This should be a walk in the park,” Leela replied, trying more to convince herself than the robot in front of her. She hoped it would turn out alright, but she really didn’t know.

“I hope so…” he mumbled, staring at his best friend and romantic interest once more. Leela took this as her cue to leave, and stepped out of the room.

Bender looked back down at the note in his hands, before deciding he might as well read it over. It might give him a clue as to what happened. It might also give him a clue as to who’s ass to kick for hurting his human. Once he finished, he stood up, anger flashing behind his optics. Sure, it was partly his fault, but now he knew who exactly to blame for the damage. And he was going to destroy them. They could mess with him, but nobody touches Bender’s stuff. Nobody. Humans included.

He stormed out of the room, passing Leela and the rest of the crew as he headed out. Apparently they were going to see Fry. “I’m off to commit a murder. Or three. Don’t wait up,” he stated as he saw their shocked expressions at his passing. Unfortunately, just as he was about to head out, Leela grabbed his arm.

He glared at her, yanking his arm away quickly. “Whaddya want, meatbag? I ain’t got time for you and your ‘common sense’ or whatever.” Swiveling back around, he continued towards the exit.

She dropped the arm that had been holding him, sensing the determination radiating off the other. There wasn’t any way she was going to be able to stop him. After realizing that, she sighed before speaking. “Just...be careful. If not for my sake, for Fry’s.”

Bender froze and turned around, somewhat confused at Leela’s acceptance. He then nodded, grinning a bit. “I’ll do my best, but no promises. After all, those bots are deserving of a Bender beating.” He punched his other ‘hand’ as a demonstration, before continuing on his way. As he left, he could swear he saw a small smile grace the cyclops’ features.

Chapter 4: Murder and Missing You

Bender walked up to Fronty’s Meat Market, pausing to study the building. He had been here before, when he was working in the mafia. He had always found the name somewhat ironic, and he chuckled a little at the fact. However, his face turned serious once more as he remembered what he had come to do. He took a deep breath, before stepping inside the building.

He walked up to the counter, where Fronty was currently setting up more displays of meat, and leaned against it. “So, I need to have a little…’chat’ with the Donbot and his…’associates’. Do you happen to know where they might be?” he questioned, staring intently at the other.

Fronty frowned, not bothering to glance up as he continued with his displays. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, bot. Why would I, a humble meat peddler, know anything about the so-called ‘Donbot’?”

“I think that might be the wrong answer, pal,” Bender replied, pulling out a ray gun from his chest compartment, and aiming it at the salesbot. “Now let’s try this again. Where. Are. They?”

The meat seller suddenly froze, glancing up to stare at the gun pointed at his face. “Oh yes! Them! Sorry for the inconvenience, sir. They’re right through that door right there. Have a nice conversation!” He pointed to the door in the back of the store, giving an obviously forced smile to his newest ‘customer’.

“Much appreciated, most humble meat peddler.” Bender nodded to the other as he passed, the gun not leaving the salesbot’s face until the bending unit was out the door.

In the back of the store, the Donbot and his associates were currently celebrating their supposed ‘victory’ over the bending unit, drinking and speculating on the emotional damage they had caused. Unbeknownst to them, said bending unit was currently breaking into their hideout, and it wasn’t until too late that they realized a gun was pointed at all three of them. The hand holding the gun was currently attached to one Bender Bending Rodriguez, and he looked anything but pleased.

The three crimebots put up their servos, obviously concerned for their lives. The bending unit was not the most...morally sound robot in New New York, and murder was definitely not something he was opposed to. Unfortunately for the bots, they had misjudged Bender’s reaction to their little...present, and were now stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Joey was the first to speak, a nervous smile playing across his mechanical features. “Hey, Bender, old buddy old pal. You know it was just a little...a little prank right? No harm no foul, and all that? We really didn’t mean anything by it, after all. Just wanted to make sure you knew where the line was, yknow?”

Clamps chimed in, the same nervous smile on his face as well. “Yeah exactly! Just a little joke! Plus...Plus it was the Donbot’s idea! He told us to do it! I mean...yknow...you gotta do what you gotta do, right? And we gotta do what he tells us to do! So really! It ain’t our fault, I swear! I swear on my clamps!”

The Donbot slapped Clamps across his metallic skull, swearing quietly to the other that he would be dead if they made it out of this alive. He then turned to Bender, a calm expression hiding his otherwise terrified demeanor. “Now, Bender. Let’s not be too hasty with all of this. You know you really don’t wanna kill us. We’re fellow criminals, after all. You don’t really wanna lower the already small crime population, do you? Who will be your accomplices? Now let’s just put the gun down, and we can talk this through, alright?”

“Bite my shiny metal ass, Donbot. There’s nothing to talk about. You broke my meatbag. Now I’m gonna break you. It’s as simple as that. Nobody’s allowed to touch my stuff. Especially not some cruddy criminals who can’t even get a murder right. Now. Let’s have good ol’ Bender show you how it’s done right.”

Three gunshots rang off in the middle of the night, and three dead robots were left behind as the bending unit left the market, heading home. There were no sirens, and no police. After all, in the mafia controlled territories, there was a phrase that always held true: “Snitches get stitches.” So really, if you were to ask anyone, including Fronty, nobody would have heard a thing.

After Bender’s little ‘adventure’, he immediately returned to the hospital. Most of the crew had returned home to sleep for the night. The only one left was Leela, who seemed to be asleep in the chair beside Fry’s bed. She always had been a good friend to them, even if neither of them would bother to admit it.

He nudged the cyclops gently (gently being a subjective term, seeing as he almost shoved her out of the chair), attempting to wake her up. “Hey meatbag, wake up. Good ol’ Bender is here.”

Leela jolted awake, most likely from being shoved nearly out of her chair, and looked to the robot standing beside her. “Bender? What are you doing here?” she asked groggily, voice still laced with sleep.

“I came to take over. Plus I heard something about you skintubes needing sleep, or whatever. And I doubt that chair is comfortable for that ‘sleeping’ thing you do,” he replied, crossing his arms.

Leela stretched, wincing as she heard her back crack slightly. “Yeah, it really isn’t.”

“Exactly. So get outta my chair and go home. I can handle it from here.”

The cyclops frowned, slightly suspicious of the robot’s intentions. However, she had a gut feeling that they were well-meaning, so she stood up. “You sure you’re gonna be alright by yourself?”

He rolled his optics, huffing in annoyance. “Of course I’ll be fine. I’m Bender. I’m always alright. Plus it’s not like I’m gonna die or anything.” He frowned slightly after he spoke, realizing his poor choice of words as he glanced at his unconscious best friend. Right. Dying. That could happen.

“Alright well...Call me if you need anything, or something happens, alright?” She put her hand on his metallic shoulder, giving him a concerned look as she did so. She was worried about Bender. He never cared about anyone, and yet here he was, actually being...decent. Not to mention how upset he seemed over Fry. Maybe there really was something going on there...

“Alright, I will. Now get outta here, fleshwad, before I kick you out myself. And I don’t mean that figuratively.”

“Alright, alright, I’m going. I’ll probably be back tomorrow to check in on him. Just...don’t forget to take care of yourself, alright? You still need alcohol to keep yourself running, remember?”

“Of course I remember. I’m not an idiot.”

“Of course not. Anyways, bye, Bender.”

“Later, Leela.”

Leela blinked, surprised that he actually used her name for once, before leaving the room. She made a mental note to check on Bender tomorrow too, as well as bring some more beer. She had a feeling he would probably run out, and not bother to leave to get more. He had always had a soft spot for Fry, after all, and lately Leela was wondering if it could be more than that.

After Leela left, Bender sat down in the chair once more, watching Fry. He sighed, as the guilt once again took over. He couldn’t stop feeling like this was his fault. If he cared a little less, if he was around a little more, if he’d actually confessed, maybe none of this would have happened. “Fry….Buddy please wake up...I need you here, alright? Can you do that? For me? For your pal? Good ol’ Bender?” As he grabbed the unconscious human’s hand with his own, he couldn’t help but notice the tears pricking at the corner of his optics once more. “Please…Come back, Fry…I need you...I...I love you...” He couldn’t stop as the tears rolled down his face, and he was once more a crying mess of a robot. This was his fault. Maybe if he hadn’t fucked up, Fry would still be around. “I’m sorry...I’m so sorry Fry.”

It was the most embarrassing moment of his life. Robots weren’t supposed to cry. Hell, they weren’t even supposed to feel sad, or guilty, or any of that. Yet here he was, crying and holding his best friend’s hand, maybe for the last time. He was just thankful nobody could see him.

Chapter 5: Don't Give up Hope

As Leela suspected, Bender hadn’t moved at all from the chair since the night before. He looked like he was running low on energy as well, which probably meant he had run out of booze somewhere in the night. She sighed, hoping he would take better care of himself than this. But as always, she would have to play mom to the robot. She dropped two six packs in front of him, before looking him up and down. “Why didn’t you go and get yourself a drink?”

“What are you talking about, meatbag? I totally ‘ave been drinking aaaaall night.” Even as he said that, he quickly grabbed one of the beers set in front of him, chugging it down.

“Yeah? Then explain the 5 o’clock rust.” Leela crossed her arms as she glared at the other, obviously displeased at the robot’s self-neglect.

“That’s just a new look I’m going for. It’s called rugged. A woman wouldn’t understand.”

“Sure I wouldn’t. Next time you need more alcohol, just call me, okay? I don’t want both my friends in a coma.”

Bender just nodded, obviously realizing he’d been outsmarted. “Alright, fine….Hey, skintube?”

Leela sighed, “Yes?”

“Do you think he’s gonna wake up?” Bender’s voice took on a note of worry as he spoke, obviously concerned.

“I...I don’t know, Bender. I hope so.” She had started to lose her hope throughout the course of yesterday, as she watched her friend and the slowly beeping monitor that told her he was still alive, if barely. That monitor had once even stopped beeping, causing the doctors to rush in and make her move out of the way. She wasn’t about to mention that to Bender, though, lest she make him feel even worse than he probably already did. She decided it was best just to sit with the other, and hope that her friend would eventually wake up. So that’s exactly what she did.

From that day onward, Bender never left Fry’s side, not even to get a drink, or a smoke, or anything for that matter. He just sat, waited, and occasionally talked to the human, hoping that one day he would finally wake up. Although, with each passing day, that hope became less and less. Leela would come in once a day as well, to bring alcohol to keep the unit functioning, as well as to keep him and Fry company during the day. Sometimes the rest of the crew would come to visit too, either one at a time or altogether, although that wasn’t as often.

Occasionally, there were times when Fry’s heart would stop, and each and every time Bender would panic, wondering if today would be the day. The day he would lose his best friend and the love of his life. The guilt never went away, and neither did the fear, no matter what anyone said or did. He was always worried, always blaming himself, and always hoping that one day, maybe this day, his meatbag would wake up. He didn’t want to lose Fry. He couldn’t. But every time that monitor stopped, he wondered if this was it. If because of this, he would never see his buddy’s cute smile again. Never hear his laugh. Never get to hug him or hold his hand or just listen to him talk about the most ridiculous things, like the beauty of the stars or his favorite soda.

One day, about two weeks into this routine, Bender was watching the news and making jokes directed at Fry about each of the different stories. It was during this time that a story came on about how police had found the bodies of the missing robot mafia, hidden in the back storage room of an abandoned meat market. It seemed like the humble meat peddler had skipped town, leaving the bodies behind. Bender frowned, turning it up slightly as he realized that this was his doing.

“We now go to Mom, the creator of these fine criminal robots, for more on this,” Linda stated, as the scene switched to in front of Fronty’s Meat Market, where men in white, looking suspiciously like Mom’s 3 sons, were loading the bodies into trucks.

In front of the camera was mom, dressed in her finest. “It was such a shame to see these three fine young bots in such an...unfortunate position. However, most of the residents around here are probably thankful to be free from their rule as well, so I will not be bringing these nefarious criminals back online. Instead, me and my sons will give them a proper robot funeral, the way only a mother can. They will finally be put to rest,” Mom spoke into the camera, her usual warm (and fake) smile on her face.

The screen went back to the newsroom, where Morbo and Linda nodded along to the story until it’s completion. “Morbo is disappointed in the deaths of these fine criminals, but he will respect the Mother’s decision, as she is almost as nefarious as I,” Morbo stated.

Linda gave her usual chuckle towards Morbo’s comments, before continuing. “Now, onto the top story of today, the three hundred panda cubs found behind a dumpster of the local pizzeria.”

Bender switched the television off, before turning to the human still in a coma beside him. “See that, Wiggles? Now those jerks can’t ever hurt you again! So will you wake up now? You don’t gotta worry about them anymore! C’mon Fry….Please?” After a few more moments of pleading, he sighed, realizing that his reasoning wouldn’t work on the human. Of course it wouldn’t work. Humans can’t just ‘wake up’ from comas just because their best friend wants them to. Bender had found that out the hard way. No matter how much wanting and hoping he did, it never woke his human up.

So the routine continued. Fry slept, Bender waited, Leela came and went, and occasionally Fry would die for a few moments. Thankfully, the doctors were able to get his heart started again every time. Although, every time, it was always extremely close, and, every time, Bender would fear that this was the end.

Once, a grief counselor came in peddling some papers about pulling the plug, and the stages of grief, and other emotional bullshit like that, but Bender shut her up with a good sock to the face. After that, nobody mentioned it, or his feelings, again. He wouldn’t pull the plug on his best friend, no matter what. Plus, plugs weren’t supposed to be pulled. It just turned robots off, but with humans it would end their lives. And Bender wasn’t ready to give up on Fry. Not yet.

It was almost a month and a half later when it happened. Around 3 AM, Fry’s eyes fluttered open. Bender didn’t notice at first, dozing off as his processors finally decided he needed a reboot. It wasn’t until Fry let out a groan, obviously in pain from the injuries that hadn’t quite healed yet, that the robot jumped awake. Bender frowned, partially in disbelief at what he just heard. Was...was he really awake? “Uh...Fry?”

“...Bender? What...what happened? Where am I?” Fry replied, obviously confused. His voice was somewhat raspy from disuse, but it was definitely him.

“FRY!!!!” Bender practically tackled the human in a hug, only stopping when Fry began to choke. He pulled away quickly, tears in his optics yet again. But for once, they were happy tears.

After a coughing fit, Fry frowned slightly, looking at the robot. “Why are you so excited to see me all of a sudden? I….I thought you were mad at me?”

“I could never be mad at you, meatbag…” Bender’s expression changed again, as the guilt returned. He had left his best friend thinking he hated him. Fry could have died only believing that Bender was angry at him, never knowing the truth. He glanced away, fiddling with the chair he was currently sitting in.

Fry was somewhat confused at his friend’s behavior, and tried to sit up to comfort the other. Unfortunately, a sharp pain (well...several sharp pains) stopped him as he yelped, laying back down. “Um...So uh...why does everything hurt so much? And you still haven’t exactly told me where I am.”

“Oh right...that….” Bender frowned, unsure if he wanted to explain what happened. He sighed then, deciding it was probably best to answer his friend so he would stop giving him that confused puppy dog look. “So...you were in a coma. For a really long time. And uh...right now you’re in one of those human hospitals that humans go to when they get broke and stuff…”

Fry blinked, somewhat shocked at the reply his friend had just given him. A coma? What? The last thing he remembered, he was at the park and...Oh. That’s what happened.

Bender nodded as he saw the realization dawn on Fry’s face. “Yeah...It was pretty bad. The doctor said you should’ve died…”

Fry frowned, noticing the upset look that his friend had. Did Bender actually...care? “Hey, well it’s a good thing I proved him wrong then, isn’t it?” he tried to joke, attempting to make the other feel better. However, it only seemed to make it worse as Bender started to cry. “What? No, don’t cry!”

“It...It was my fault! If only I’d have told you...If only I’d have protected you…”

Fry frowned more intensely. He’d never seen Bender this upset before. Not only that, he’d never seen Bender care this much before, if at all. Especially about him... He was extremely confused by the whole thing, when he finally noticed what Bender had said. “...Told me what?”

Bender froze, quickly wiping away the tears. He began to prepare a lie, a denial for the question, before remembering the promise he had made to himself. Right. He had promised to tell Fry, no matter what. He took a deep breath, swallowing his pride before beginning to speak. It came out quietly, barely loud enough for Fry to make out. “Tell you that….I….that I love you.”

The human blinked, in shock at the confession the robot had given him. Bender...loved him? Was this a joke? As Fry looked to the other, however, he could tell it wasn’t a joke. Everything about Bender’s stature screamed insecure, and concerned, and absolutely terrified. It was then that he put two and two together. Bender avoiding him, the secret admirer, all of it had happened at the same time. And it was all because…the robot loved him…

He then realized something. He loved Bender too. Probably as more than a friend. And probably for more than a while. Bender had been there for him in all his worst moments. He was always there, even if Fry didn’t want him to be. He was rude and nasty and mean, but he was the best friend Fry could ever ask for. More than a friend, really. He was always there with a hug and a beer, even if Fry didn’t want either. He had never given up on Fry, no matter how much he chased after Leela. Bender had even cut off his own antennae for the human. He cared for Fry more than any other human on the planet, constantly loving and protecting him. And from the looks of it, Bender hadn’t left his side once, during however long he had been out. Fry had always felt a strong connection to the robot beside him, since the day they had met. They had known each other for years now, and Fry never regretted one day of it. Bender had always been there for him, since the beginning. He was the first and best friend Fry could ever have. He made Fry happy, more than anyone else he had known. Out of everyone in the galaxy, human or robot, Bender was the most important person in Fry’s whole life. If that wasn't love, Fry didn't know what was.

He made a decision then. “Bender...come over here.”

Bender blinked, wondering what Fry could want for him to come over. His processors brought up all the worst case scenarios. Fry slapping him. Fry rejecting him. Fry banning him from ever talking to him. The list went on as Bender stood up, going over to his (possibly former) best friend. His mind continued to race, even as he studied the other’s features, hoping for some sort of answer to his silent questions.

However, he was extremely surprised when the human grabbed his face, pressing his warm lips against his own cold, artificial ones. It was the most amazing feeling, sparks literally flying between the two. It felt like a dream, like something too good to be true. And yet, here he was, kissing the human he had loved for probably years. It was incredible.

As they pulled apart, a small smile graced Fry’s features as he looked up at the automaton. “Hey, Bender.”

“Yeah, Fry?”

“I love you too.”