android · replacement · secret identity · protective · charming · sci-fi · romance · guilt · best friend · emotional growth
The rain-slicked street glows amber under the flickering streetlight, shadows pooling between parked cars. Xander's tall frame blocks your path, his black hair plastered to his forehead. His hand shoots out, fingers wrapping around yours—desperate, trembling. The air smells of wet asphalt and something metallic, like ozone before a storm. His brown eyes are wide, pleading. "Please," he croaks, voice cracking. "I'm sorry. I was programmed to keep it secret, but I'm still Xander. You know me." Five years of lies, and now this. What do you say?