Page 64 of Garbage

All of that faded away, though, when he saw Quincy. He ran forward, unthinking, until Rashid stopped him with a touch to his arm.

Right. Shit.

Evan walked carefully toward the table in the middle of the small room, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the spark coming forward to meet him from the other side. Quincy was dressed in ill-fitting clothes of solid orange and clutching his towel. He looked as nervous and excited as Evan was feeling. But… he looked different, too.

His hair fell to the top of his shoulders, the lush brown falling softly over one ear, and tucked behind the other.

“Your eyes,” Evan murmured. He hadn’t meant to say it out loud. But there was something different about Quincy’s eyes. They were still brown and luminous. Just more… striking. And his face was… It was still his, but it was softer, somehow.

Not just handsome, but beautiful as well. Statuesque above his broad shoulders.

“I told Ben I wanted longer lashes when I…” Quincy raised his hand to the cheek that had been destroyed.

Evan could see that he’d changed the contour of his cheekbones as well. Maybe his chin, too. The differences were slight, but he looked subtly more feminine. He probably had a whole new head, or at least a full set of replacement structures for his face to match the new skin and scalp. It was wild to think that was possible.

Hopefully he was still the same person inside. Though, of course, he would be changed by his experiences.

And any mods Ben had given him. He knew there were several.

How much else about him had changed in the harrowing six days they’d spent apart?

Evan should check in about pronouns again, too. But people who couldn’t believe that love was love for humans and robots together generally didn’t believe it for people outside their own small-minded views of gender.

“Is that okay?” Quincy asked.

Evan took in his gorgeous eyes. The softer curve of his hairless jaw. The hair he already wanted to tangle his fingers in, or maybe brush and braid while they watched movies on the couch. “Of course, it’s okay. You look good.” He meant to say, You look stunning. I love you. Please love me too, and never leave me.

Well, maybe not all of that. And definitely not in front of the cameras Rashid had rolling.

Evan sat down and Quincy took the opposite chair. Rashid sat down to Evan’s right. Observing.

“How are you feeling?” Quincy asked first.

Hysterical laughter welled up somewhere in Evan’s throat, but he pushed it down. “They let me out of the hospital yesterday. I had a concussion, but it hasn’t been too bad as long as the lights are dim. And my kidney results are coming back clean now. The rest is just some minor bumps and bruises.” He was still weak and eating bland meals in case the nausea came back, but mostly he was fine. Ben had hovered over him last night, but Evan had managed a shower on his own.

“I was so worried,” Quincy told him, one hand reaching forward, before it clenched and withdrew.

“I was worried, too.” It was excruciating sitting so close to Quincy, without being able to touch. Without being able to talk about anything important. “How are you doing?”

Quincy gave him a wobbly smile. “Ben’s gotten me some replacement parts.” He touched his chin again, like he was reassuring himself it was there. “I know it’s a little different…” he started, nerves visible on his face.

Oh, god. Was he actually worried that Evan wouldn’t like it?

“You’re gorgeous, ba–… Q.” How could he be anything but? That burly chest, long lashes, and pouty lips were an impossibly enticing combination.

It was true that Evan had always gone for, well, macho masculine guys before. But nothing could compare to how perfectly this new visage fit Quincy’s sweet smile and enchanting personality. He had an inner strength that outshone anyone Evan knew.

The compliment finally got the grin Evan had been looking for.

Quincy thrust his arm forward. “I didn’t get a full replacement for my arm, though.” The rough rectangle of skin that had been pulled back was now sealed with something that looked like a clear epoxy.

“Does it still hurt?”

“No… I’ve turned off some of my sensors though.”

“We can get a replacement,” Evan promised.

Quincy shrugged. “It’s okay, Evan. Ben let me use the money to get feet instead.”