Astro Boy: Loving What Is Unknown (Astro X Gender Neutral Reader)

Long Cloistered Sleep

Astro watched his father at the work desk as he used a scanner on your body, repairing any dents in your metal skin along the way. Once he was finished, Tenma stood back and wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"Whew, there. That should do it for the most part." He said and wiped his palms on his lab coat. Astro walked up to your still body and looked over it. Everything seemed to be fixed, and his father had done a mighty fine job as well. The only thing now was...

"Hey dad, when will they wake up?" Astro asked. Tenma turned towards him and frowned slightly.

"I, um, well," Astro frowned and looked up at him.

"They're going to wake up, right?" Tenma scratched the back of his head and pressed his lips into a thin line.

"Listen, Toby,  I haven't been able to open their chest to see what exactly is going on with their internal systems. From what I can see, their systems were forcibly shut down. So it may take a while before they can wake up." He explained. Astro's eyes widened and his face fell. He then averted his eyes and clenched his fists.

"How long are we talking about exactly...?" Tenma breathed in through his nose. He wasn't exactly sure himself.

"That...I'm not sure. " He then rested his hand on his son's shoulder. "Toby, the only person who would be able to help Y/n now is the one who created them. Do you have any idea who created Y/n?" He asked. Astro shook his head.

"No, and neither did Y/n. They woke up alone, so nobody was there to help them. I don't know where their creator could be, for all we could know, the they could be..."

"Hmm, this certainly is a predicament. For now, take Y/n back to the orphanage. Unless you would like to keep them here." He offered. Astro shook his head and reached over to you. He then brought your body into his arms. You felt so still, it unnerved him to be honest. He adjusted his hold on you and turned his back to his father.

"No, I'll take them back to the orphanage. Thanks, dad." He whispered before solemnly exiting the room. Tenma gave his son a sympathetic look and sighed. He then brushed his fingers through his hair and turned back towards the bench.

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Rain clouds began to gather over the surface and soon enough, it began to downpour. Astro dragged his feet along the dampened earth as the water dripped down from his chin onto your chest. He wiped away the stray water droplets but soon three more replaced it. With a defeated sigh, Astro slowed to a stop and stood in silence as he looked over your unmoving body.

What was he going to do? The rain drowned out all the other sounds of nature that would have otherwise been present. Astro's arms trembled at the light weight and he felt his knees shake. Finally, he fell onto his knees. His lower lip trembled and he hugged you to his chest tightly.

"Y/n...I'm sorry I wasn't there for you....I should have never left you alone... Y/n...!" He wept. Tears mixed in with the rain filled his senses, and he immediately thought back to your smiling face. How could he have let this happen to you? He should have been there, to protect you. Of course you couldn't protect them on your own from a group of peace keepers.

Astro stayed silent as this thought ran through his head, his hold on you  tightening ever so slightly.

"You and I... we're different..." He whispered. He then smiled down softly at your sleeping face. "I'm much stronger than you. Y/n, when you wake up, I promise to protect you. This time, I'll keep both my promises to you. For now, please focus on waking up." Your body didn't even flinch. You couldn't hear his words, and Astro knew this well.