Glitch (boyxboy/android)

Chapter 23: Exposure

"I'm sorry I broke you!"

☆

The hour was past 1030 PM when Leo entered his bedroom, returning from his shift at the diner. He sees Enzo fast asleep on his bed, hugging a pillow, with Jojo staring blankly at the laptop, his eyes slightly watery from overtiredness. "I guess you've had no success then." Leo says, dropping his bag on the floor by his bed and sitting crossed legged beside Jojo. 

"Mmm yes...and no." Jojo replies, still tapping away at the laptop keys...."The download, the original one does not exist now, or at least the website I got it from doesn't, but I have managed to find this patching program."

"Patching program? What's that? Leo asks, leaning in to Jojo a little to look at the screen, though in truth, he hadn't a clue about what he was looking at. 

"Well, it kind of papers over the cracks in a way. Basically it will stop the tutor from doing that jerking thing it was doing, but it might make it a bit unpredictable." Jojo stops tapping the keys and looks at Leo. "It's gonna take a few days to get it done completely, but I'll keep trying ok?" 

Leo sighs heavily. "Ok, I guess I'll just have to see what happens." He looks up at The PT. "Will it still remember me?" 

"Try it now." Jojo says, gesturing to Leo to have a go. 

Leo stands up and pulls out the laptop cord, then places his hand on The PT's. He holds a breath, a little apprehensive as to what will happen. 

The PT awakens and looks at Leo. It appears normal. "Good evening Leo, do you wish to study or maybe practise making out again?" Leo's eyes widened in surprise and embarrassment. He cannot silence The PT fast enough, hurriedly scrabbling for the palm, but The PT isn't co-operating, moving its hand out of the way each time Leo tries to make contact. "Ah Leo you can't silence me now. All you need to do is love yourself." 

"Just shut up and keep still!" Leo complains, still trying to silence the tutor. 

The commotion stirs Enzo on the bed who rolls onto his back to see Leo and The PT having a mini scrap. "What's going on?"

The PT now looks at Enzo, pushing Leo to one side and making its way to sit on the end of the bed. "Good evening Enzo, do you wish that pillow to be Jojo? I believe you do." It wiggles its synthetic eyebrows at Enzo.

"What? Who told you?" Enzo says in a panic as he hurries to a sitting position. 

"What's he saying Enzo?" Jojo says nervously. The PT now shoots its head around while Jojo sits on the floor. 

"You are yet to touch my hand, pretty boy." 

"My God! Someone turn it off!" Enzo says, voice a little raised as he holds his hands to his head in embarrassment. 

Jojo hurriedly puts the laptop down and wrestles the The PT to the bed, just about managing to straddle its hips and raise its palms over its head. "Leo touch his hand...quickly!" 

Leo heads over and places his palm on the The PTs restrained hand, the tutor finally stills.

The bedroom again goes very quiet, with all three guys feeling a little awkward about the possible secrets and revelations which had unwittingly been uncovered. 

"So..." Jojo begins, getting himself up off the The PT. "You want me to be that pillow huh?" He looks at Enzo, who was presently clutching his legs in a tight ball. 

"I...I don't know what it's talking about." Enzo begins. 

"It sees these kinds of things." Leo interrupts. "It can read body language."

Enzo looks at his own feet, tucked in front of him. His vision was only interrupted by a hand being offered to him. He looks up to see Jojo smiling down at him. "Do...um...do you wanna go talk about this in your room?" He says, his voice for some reason dropping an octave. 

"Maybe...Yeah." Enzo replies, taking the hand and letting Jojo pull him to standing from the bed. 

They are inches from Leo's bedroom door, when Enzo stops in his tracks. He turns and looks at Leo, eyebrows furrowed. "Hang on a minute...did the The PT ask you if you wanted to make out?" 

"No." Leo tries to shut him down. "You must have heard something else."

"No, I definitely heard that. What was it? Ah yeah. Do you wanna study or make out...again." Enzo starts to open his mouth in shock. "You've been fooling around with your tutor!" 

"Come on Enzo!" Jojo pulls Enzo hard by the arm, through the doorway before Leo may do something he regrets, leaving him alone with The PT sprawled out on his bed. 

Leo heads over and tries to pull The PT to standing the best he can, wanting to maneuver it to the corner of the room. He is having to bear hug it in the process. As he tries to lift it up, two arms suddenly wrap around his back, causing Leo to still, his eyes widen. "Hey...." Leo hears a whisper pass over his hair. "Hey it's me."

Leo becomes parlayed, afraid to move, in case he upsets the moment. "Cameron?" 

There's no reply.

"I'm sorry I broke you." Leo says softly.

The hands of his tutor move slowly on Leo's back, making Leo want to snuggle in further to the embrace.

"Jojo says it will take a few days, but he will fix you." Leo sighs, the hug feeling so cosy, that he wouldn't mind staying in it forever.