Servo

“You’re doing it again.”

She looked up from her book. “What?” And then she noticed her left hand. Her fingers were bending and flexing without her conscious thought, moving so slowly that the she could hear the whirring of motors within. “Is it that loud? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

He smiled and shook his head. “I can only hear it because it’s so quiet in here. Fire’s died,” he added, using his chin to point to the glowing coals.

“Hey…” He wiggled his fingers to pull her attention away from the fireplace. “You’re still doing it.”

“Oh!” She put down the book and turned her eyes to focus on her hand. Inhaling slowly, she consciously took control of the servos, gears and motors in her cybernetic hand. Her fingers closed naturally into her palm as she exhaled. She held it away from her body and turned it this way and that, as if to admire the smoothness of her skin. “That shouldn’t happen. I’ve got to practice more.”

“I don’t know,” he said, reaching across the space between their armchairs to catch her extended arm. He gently ran his index finger down the inside of her arm, until she giggled and squirmed in her chair. “It’s sort of fascinating to watch.” Pulling her towards him, he leaned over and kissed her palm. “Personally, I’m simply glad it’s here.”

-Fin-

Untitled

follow-up to this previously posted flashfic.  Written for my friend, Elise, because she wanted a sequel.

It takes everything she has not to run. She refuses to run—though everything within her wants to. Her heart is pounding and she can feel sweat on her upper lip. She'd gotten the last word in, and there was no way she'd ruin it by running.

Except...except you were supposed to flee temptation, weren't you?

A surreptitious glance behind her showed that he had moved on. She sighed, relieved. The next moment she was kicking herself. What if he hadn't moved on? What then?