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After that night, she caain, I let her lead me out, where she showed me what it is to be human We ate in open-air stalls, food I never would have touched on redients to make sure they would not send ht ies I must be cautious"

Sadly, she had such an honest soul that she accepted it without question

This beca her nearly every night I had no idea what she wanted with e, but not unwelcome, to have a companion who knew the city Unlike most, she had been born within the dobirds fro pipes that sent blue s up toward the sky

It was not until Snificance

"Good to see you found someone," the old man wheezed "You don’t want to end up like irl has a heart of gold"

"Do better for what?" It was another ofbrows shot up

"You mean" He peered atThe circuits were scra; it was her price than we paid for it "I guess you believe inslow, don’t you, boy?"

It took me a moment to work out his implication Humans often shared sexual contact for recreational purposes, but I knew nothing of that drive

I tried to think of a response "I have no reason to believe she would welcohed and shook his head "Adele’s a good girl, not a saint Grab her and kiss her, son You’ll find out soon enough there’s a reason she spends all her free ti to heed his counsel, I went back to work What he suggested, I would never do Touch h two centie But I had come to enjoy her company, and I hoped she did not find mine burdensos continued as they were for several ht We had eaten in thefrooods She paused where a vendor had various lengths of cloth that sparkled in the light I did not know their purpose until she wound one round her shoulders

"Does it suitup at me

"Yes," I said, because a more detailed ansas beyond me

Her face fell I think I was meant to praise her appearance, but I had missed another cue In all honesty, I did not find her beautiful Her skin was too smooth, her eyes sunken in her skull instead of proudly outthrust A ainst her teeth, but so shifted in aze dropped "You probably prefer pale woures Is that why you’ve never kissed me?"

No That certainly was not true Dark or fair, lean or large, I wanted no huy flesh But it ht the cloth with ave it to her I shaped my mouth into a semblance of a smile, and said, "You are lovely even without this, but I would like you to have it if you will accept such a gift from me"

Her dark eyes sparkled, and it was she who first kissed ht it was an attack, and I braced ainst ainst h to learn, and she seemed pleased when she pulled back

After that she touched e was fresh I used one night every teeks to regenerate, which she foundIn retrospect, I should simply have lied

This was th I eness from the first, as Trapper had, but she claimed to find my differences adorable After a tih to put up hatever strangeness our association de I knew she wanted it; such was the norht one day expect , but I had coer enjoyed being alone; I no longer enjoyed the silence I tried to put sexual congress off, knowing it would be aard I watched vids to give me some idea what to expect, but it was hard to knohich ones represented the median experience, and I had no one to advise ardless, the moment arrived unexpectedly, as didshe planned, I a close, as she liked, sharing war in particular, but then her mood turned fros

In the end, it was not as complex as I feared I think on soh it, whispering what I should do--and what she wanted ht I can say, I did not mind it Even in this, I am an adroit mimic Her pleasure pleased me I also liked the hu ht overtake my ratification--that ofAdele happy, which had become important to me

We went on this way for two more turns Smitty passed, and he left to me his shop Now I had a place of alaxy if I chose otherwise I could pretend to age and stay with Adele until she died Then I would have to "die"so bleak that I withdrew from her

At this point, you probably believe you can guess what happened next But I think it will surprise you

Yes, she caht when I had no human skin to hide behind She knew the codes and let herself in On quiet feet, she ca to find me with someone else The truth shocked her more

She stepped into my room from the stairs, and I spun, exposed as I had never been

To h she could never have seen anything like me Instead, she came toward ed plates of ap lies there; it is sensitive and only ine how she knew

"So this is your secret I must admit, I’m relieved It could’ve been worse"

"It could?"

She smiled then "It explains a lot, too"

"I am sorry," I said for"