EXECUTE!

                                 as soon as protoman kissed him, megaman completely lost his train of thought. he was certain then he’d been rambling, as he often did when he was excited. he tried to tone it down, especially when they started dating, because he didn’t want protoman to feel as if megaman dominated their conversations, but -- “ ... what? ”

                                   “ you have. you’ve made me the proudest big brother, lan. ” it’s times like these hub is grateful that he was gifted one of the more powerful copybots. he hates that it’s at iris’ and colonel’s expense, but he’s grateful to them nonetheless. because he can cup lan’s cheeks in his hands and feel the warmth of his skin and know what it’s like to touch a human being again. 

                   megaman’s reaction made protoman start to think he was the one malfunctioning. but he supposed he was also stumbling over his words. this was just what it was like when you felt so strongly about someone. it was a powerful, overwhelming, intense feeling. a feeling completely new to him. he never would have expected to fall in love, yet here he was.

                    “i am very sure. i now know what this is. my feelings toward you…” he loved megaman. he was in love with megaman. he would not doubt his own feelings. he smiled, before he continued to speak, “i do not wish to be with anyone else. i only want to be with you. there is no one better than you.” no one was nearly as amazing as megaman. no one could ever compare to him in protoman’s eyes. 

                   “you are the only one i want by my side.” while it wasn’t the first time he had said things like this, he felt embarrassed now. this situation may be the death of him, but he had to let megaman know how he felt. that he truly meant what he was saying.

                    “i…i love you megaman. you are not forcing me into anything. i may never have realized what these feelings really were if not for you.” or it would have taken significantly longer for him to figure them out. it was better that megaman told him. he laid his helmet against megaman’s, looking into his eyes as he spoke, “i want to stay by your side. i want to be with you…if you’ll have me.” 

                                    it felt like time stopped when protoman replied. he didn’t think protoman would ever say anything like this to him, let alone anyone at all. for protoman to find out what love was, and to quickly admit that that was what he felt about megaman ... it was so like him, but so surprising at the same time. he felt like he might overheat if protoman kept talking, but at the same time, he didn’t want him to stop. 

                                                    “ protoman ... you ... ” he still couldn’t wrap his head around it. he could only keep thinking that this was impossible, there was no way protoman had feelings for megaman of all people. it felt like a dream, but it was real. he could only stare at protoman’s face as he gently laid his helmet against megaman’s. even if megaman couldn’t see protoman’s eyes despite being so close, he still felt as though protoman could see through his soul. which was as scary of a thought as it was wonderful. 

                                                    “ how could i say no to that? i was the one who confessed first, after all. ” megaman smiled slightly, feeling that fluttering giddiness in his chest he felt whenever he got to spend time with protoman -- except, this time, it wouldn’t be followed by dread. it was only joy and love. 

                                   only in the dead of night would megaman talk about these things, when lan was fast asleep, and megaman made sure to turn the speakers down so lan couldn’t hear him. but even then, he only spoke about it when he had to -- when his dad or mom brought it up, but even then, it wasn’t often ( and never was it about his feelings ). so the thoughts laid in the recesses of his mind, waiting until everything was quiet and megaman was alone before they finally engulfed him. he couldn’t escape unless he forced himself into sleep mode, and even then, he had dreams. no, memories. memories that didn’t belong to him-- no, memories that shouldn’t belong to him. 

                                                 “ ... when i ... was created, i wasn’t created to be a navi. well, of course i was, because lan was going to need a navi eventually, but ... no, that’s not it at all. my programming is just the body. i was meant to be the incarnation of their son. ” of course, protoman already knew that. he was there when lan’s dad told lan about hub.

                     “how…you’ve felt about me?” so megaman really did understand what was going on. protoman wasn’t malfunctioning at all. this was an emotional issue… such things weren’t his forte. that was probably why he had written all of this off as a virus. it also explained why enzan was not concerned about the situation. everything was starting to make sense now. everything was clicking into place now that megaman explained it. “this is…how it feels to be in love?”

                     now that he thought about it,megaman occupied his thoughts often. there were countless times where he had found himself thinking of him and when he could see him again. when they were apart, he felt lonely. he had missed megaman when he and enzan had gone away to college. he often thought of megaman’s smile and how it lit up his face, shining bright like the sun. and he caught himself thinking about the feeling of megaman’s hand in his own and how they fit together perfectly. megaman was constantly on his mind. now he felt embarrassed.

                       “i…i understand.” he nodded, taking a step closer to megaman. he could see how nervous he was. gently, protoman pulled one of megaman’s hands into two of his own. “i…have never been the best at this sort of thing. and with this feeling especially. i have never felt this way toward anyone before.” all of this was new to him.

                        protoman squeezed megaman’s hand before he continued, “i…i like you as well, megaman. as more than a friend.” of course megaman had figured this out already, but protoman felt it was right to reiterate it himself. “you were my first ally, my first friend, and now…the first person i feel this way toward. my first…l-love.” he stumbled over the word, feeling his face grow even hotter than before. “perhaps…it isn’t all that surprising after all. since it is you.”

                                 megaman’s eyes snapped up when he heard protoman’s response. is this how it feels to be in love? megaman wished he could say it that easily. he could barely handle saying he liked protoman in that way, despite how obvious it was. though he hoped he wasn’t forcing any feelings onto protoman. it was obvious protoman didn’t know a thing about romance and he didn’t want protoman thinking he liked megaman like that when he didn’t-- more than that, he hoped that maybe protoman did like him and not just the attention. 

                                                 protoman took megaman’s hand in his own and if megaman had a heart, it’d be pounding like crazy. he understood why protoman would think this was a virus. these feelings were overwhelming. he was barely processing any of protoman’s words, could only focus on their hands together. both of protoman’s hands were around his, and his hands gently squeezed megaman’s, and megaman was sure protoman was trying to kill him. he wouldn’t be surprised if his hp was actually dropping from this interaction. 

                                                “ wha ... huh ... ? ” he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. protoman loved him? there was no way this was real. protoman didn’t even know what love felt like until a few moments ago, and megaman was afraid that maybe he’d lead him astray. he didn’t want to make protoman feel something he didn’t feel, and he was so worried about this because he really couldn’t believe protoman could ever like-- could ever love him. but protoman said it was because it was him -- “ huh ... ? ”

                 was it because of megaman? “i’m not sure, but that would be quite strange. unless you too are infected with something.” as far as protoman knew, there were no problems with megaman currently. he seemed to be in top form. he doesn’t appear to be infected in any way…

                 “i would have thought that as well. when i explained what was happening, enzan-sama only laughed. i do not understand what he found so humorous…” he was confused by all of this. he just wanted to figure out what was wrong with him.

                  “ah–” when he felt megaman grab his hand, he froze up. there was that strange feeling again. surely, it was the virus. his cheeks reddened and he felt like his systems were overloading. “y–…yes…like that.” why had a simple touch triggered the virus? he didn’t understand. “it is…quite strong.” he felt overpowered. but even if the touch was the cause of him “malfunctioning”, he didn’t want to pull his hand away from megaman’s. why was that? “i…do not understand what has happened to me.”

@hubstyled (continued from here)

                                  megaman could picture that conversation in his head. he didn’t think enzan had much romantic knowledge ( if this could be considered that ), but at the same time, enzan did know protoman better than anyone else. enough to have his code memorized. if anyone knew what was wrong with protoman, it would be enzan. and he chose to just laugh it off, and not explain anything. to leave it to megaman, whose crush on protoman could be blatantly obvious by anyone who wasn’t oblivious. 

                                                 “ about that ... i ... don’t think it’s a virus. which is why enzan wasn’t worried about it. ” he felt his face getting hotter by the second. it was all he could do to keep from running away or just shooting himself in the face to get the topic off of this. “ i - in fact, i know it’s not a virus because -- ” 

                                                because ... he knew exactly how to finish that sentence, but he faltered, gaze falling to the ground. he hated this. he hated this so much. he wished he could’ve told protoman by his own choice, but at the same time, he knew he never would, because he didn’t think protoman would ever realize what his feelings were -- if he even had them. though it sounded like he did. which frankly was unbelievable. for a moment, megaman considered that protoman might actually have a virus -- but he knew that wasn’t true, even if it was one impacting his emotion data, because if it was, enzan would have detected and removed it right away. 

                                 a virus? this whole situation was odd. why would protoman go to megaman about a virus? and such a strange virus at that ... it didn’t sound like a virus at all ... rather, it sounded like an emotional issue. protoman wasn’t really the type to be outwardly emotional, though ... but maybe that was the problem. 

                                              he felt his face heat up when protoman mentioned the incidents that caused the ‘ malfunction. ’ when megaman had hugged him ... protoman malfunctioned? was it ... “ i - is it me, then ... ? ” he hadn’t meant to say that out loud. he felt more and more flustered as he kept thinking about it. “ wouldn’t enzan do something if you had a virus ... ? ” when protoman had been deleted in the past, enzan’s first priority had been getting protoman back. besides, enzan had even mentioned having protoman’s entire code memorized. wouldn’t he be aware of a problem even if the pet itself didn’t detect it? 

                    protoman hadn’t expected megaman to start rambling like he did, but he didn’t mind it. there was something endearing about it. he let him talk, waiting until he was done to answer. "no, i haven’t. i don’t explore many places outside of investigations.” he never saw the point in doing so. in his down time, he just stayed in enzan’s pet. he never had the urge to go anywhere, however the idea of going there with megaman interested him. 

                      “it seems you know a lot about this area then. i’ve heard of cyber coffee, but never bought any.” he had wondered about it. however, since it didn’t pertain to their mission back then, protoman had no time to stop and get any. now he had the chance to go back and have some. “i would like that. and if i do not win, perhaps you will get the prize.” 

                         he found himself thinking about what else he would see in central area. what other things would megaman show him? this would be quite a day indeed. he was looking forward to seeing everything and spending this time with his ally. a tiny smile graced his lips. “i think i will enjoy my time there since i am with you.”

                               protoman was surprisingly open to megaman’s suggestion. then again, he didn’t know if he should be surprised or not -- protoman really never had the chance to do things like this, so megaman didn’t know what his preferences were outside of his job. which was sad, given they’d known each other for so long now, and they’ve connected so well. megaman supposed this was his opportunity to learn more about him.

                                            “ hehe, you think so? if i have your blessing, then i really do have a chance! ” he couldn’t help feeling excited now, and definitely couldn’t help the grin stretching across his face. not that he wanted it to stop. without thinking, he grabbed protoman’s hands. megaman glanced over to the side of enzan’s homepage, over to the shortcut to lan’s homepage. they had linked their homepages together once enzan left for university so that they could stay connected easier. now it was finally getting some use. “ lan created a shortcut on his homepage to central area while we were living in central town, so we can go from there! ” 

                   “well i’m glad both of you are alright.” it was relieving to hear that nothing had happened. “hang out…i see.” he had never been asked to do this. he never had any friends before megaman came into his life. these were all new experience for him. 

                    “that’s fine. i like being with you.” he and megman always got along so it would be nice to spend time with him like this. doing something outside of netbattling would be interesting. plus, he wanted to make the most of his time here. “i’d like to spend more time with you. is there anything you have in mind?” 

                              i like being with you. megaman had a feeling protoman didn’t even get what he was talking about, but just with those words, megaman felt so relieved. despite how well they got along, megaman was still afraid of annoying protoman or being a bother. sure, he had said he was free now that enzan was on a break, but he was too used to inviting protoman to things only to leave ( whether intentional or not ) embarrassed.

                                          “ oh ... i’m glad! ” he couldn’t help the smile that stretched across his face. he had hung out with roll, gutsman, and glide before, as well as other members of the former team protoman when they had the time, but never protoman ( despite knowing him for almost as long as the former ). 

                               “ a ... mission? ” he grinned, mostly out of nerves. of course this wasn’t going to be easy. protoman had never been in any situation like this, he never had a necessity for it. megaman was beginning to second guess himself, but he couldn’t say this was a mission. “ no, not quite ... ”

                                             ah, and he ended up making protoman worry on top of that ... this was getting pretty awkward. well, at least to megaman. protoman probably didn’t realize what was happening here. which made this even worse. he probably didn’t even want to do something like this ... even if megaman said it was just a casual thing, but it was too late to go back now, and it was certainly not the first time megaman looked stupid in front of protoman. 

                                hub had been talking a bit, mostly about nothing, so he noticed when protoman had just started staring at him. at first he thought he was just listening to him, but he could tell that that wasn’t it. that something was on his mind. “ ... hey, what’s wro-- ”

                                            ah. without warning, protoman pulled him into a hug. well, it barely counted as a hug to most people since he was holding onto megaman so loosely, but from protoman, it was a hug. he didn’t have any time to feel embarrassed about it, though, because it was followed by a statement that made megaman’s non-existent heart break. i’m going to miss you. megaman was certain protoman hadn’t said that to anyone before. but ... to say it like that, right now, all of a sudden ...

                  “you didn’t make me uncomfortable. it was…” when he tried to explain it, he found himself at a loss for words. it was what? what was he trying to say? he felt like his systems were overloading trying to find the correct term. what had he been feeling? nervous? anxious? he supposed those words fit, but it wasn’t exactly what he was looking for. 

                   “i…cannot define what it was, but it wasn’t bad. perhaps it is because i haven’t gotten a hug in quite some time.” could he have glitched as a result of that? that was possible. he would talk with enzan about it later. he may be able to figure out what had happened. “you haven’t done anything wrong either, megaman.” he didn’t want him to blame himself. 

                     when he pulled his hand away, protoman found himself feeling sad. once again, he was confused. it shouldn’t matter that megaman let go, so why was he bothered by it? when he saw megaman start to cry, he reached up to hold his face in his hands and rest his helmet against megaman’s. he felt that strange feeling once more–a flutter in his chest–but he did his best to ignore it. “you don’t need to apologize. i…i missed you as well. fighting without you…it was very different. i was used to you always being at my side. being able to see you again…it makes me happy too. there was nothing wrong with what you did. i mean it.” 

                                he felt a bit better hearing protoman say he wasn’t uncomfortable. in fact ... maybe he liked it? or maybe that was wishful thinking. but megaman had learned protoman’s mannerisms over the years and that was what it sounded like he was trying to say. even if protoman himself didn’t know what he was trying to say. normally, megaman would’ve teased him about it, but he was still afraid of overstepping a boundary or risking protoman figuring out megaman’s feelings that went far beyond an alliance. 

                                              “ that’s a relief ... the last thing i want is to harm your or your reputation - ”

                                             just as he said that, he felt protoman’s hands on his face and his helmet against his. his eyes snapped up, surprised that protoman had acted so intimately all of a sudden. he felt the familiar feeling of his breath being taken from him, and his heart pounding in his chest -- but he didn’t have a heart anymore. 

                                             no, this was fine. everything was fine. protoman was saying things that at one time he thought he’d never hear from him. he spoke so softly, with such warmth in his voice that he was sure only few people knew. they were so close, they could kiss. if megaman moved just a few centimeters closer, their lips would meet. he had to hold back the urge with all his might, and in that attempt, he pulled protoman close to hug him tightly ( the very thing he’d been upset about only a few minutes prior ). 

                                            “ i was lonely ... ” he mumbled onto protoman’s chest. he hadn’t realized it, but he was. sure, he had dozens of friends, but it was different. even if he and protoman didn’t really get to spend much time together unless it was because of work, megaman still treasured the time they spent together. ah, he really had to pull himself together. how much more pathetic could he get?