The first month was fine. Genuinely. They video-called every other night. Mai had somehow convinced her best friend to take pictures of everything new and exciting. Oliver had complained and had negotiated the number of pictures down to one a day.

He had even included himself in some of those pictures.

The second month was harder. It was exam time at the university where Mai worked. She spent almost every moment of every day supporting her students and by the time she arrived home, all she wanted to do was eat and sleep.

But they still managed to call once a week.

The third month was the worst. Mai went on holiday — university was over after all — and the time difference between the two countries was just unworkable. It had been bad before but…

Mai only cried herself to sleep once.

The fourth month saw a revival. Oliver openly admitted that he missed their conversations — something unheard of in their friendship thus far. And they started video-calling every night again. Mai smiled as their conversations ended.

And cried herself to sleep after every one.

The fifth month saw invasions. Oliver's brother, Gene, had come to stay with Mai. She had seen no point in renting out Oliver's room while he was on secondment. He would only be gone six months. So Gene stayed in Oliver's room and burst in on every call.

He missed his brother as well.

The sixth month saw hope. Mai cleaned the entire flat. She stocked up on Oliver's favourite tea. He was her best friend after all. Oliver complained about buying souvenirs. But he bought them anyway.

On the night before his flight home, Mai sat on the sofa, waiting in her pyjamas for him to call. Her laptop sat on the coffee table in front of her. She had minimised all of the other applications she usually had open. All that mattered was the call.

Her best friend was about to call.

They say that distance makes the heart grow fonder and boy, did Mai know it. Nothing Oliver had ever done had implied anything more than friendship. But he was a damn good friend. He had accompanied her to the work Christmas do, despite hating parties. He often insisted on collecting her if she was out late. He would pick up tampons for her if she ran out. The only thing he asked for in return was a cup of tea in the morning.

Mai already made herself a cup, what difference did another one make?

They had gone through university together. Well, together-ish. Oliver, despite only being a year older, had been starting his PhD when Mai started her bachelor's. He had never lorded that over her though.

When Gene had moved to another city for work — a decision that had devasted Oliver, not that he would admit it — Oliver asked Mai if she wanted the spare room in the flat.

He had supported her through her change of career last year, helped with her half of the rent and bills. He had waved away her insistence on paying him back and had refused the money when she tried.

She had insisted he pay nothing while on secondment though. He had relented on that. After a few arguments.

But he had never shown any romantic interest in her. Once or twice, Mai had felt almost offended by this. She was reasonably attractive and they definitely got on well. One of her other friends, Masako, had suggested that he might be gay, like his brother. But Mai had asked him.

"No, I'm not. Why do you ask?" he had replied.

"Just wondering," Mai had answered.

She had hoped that would open up the conversation about his love life. But it hadn't. Mai knew he often missed social cues — he was autistic after all — but suspected that he just didn't want to talk more about it.

She hadn't pushed it. It was fine.

Mai had dated on and off throughout their friendship. In fact, one of those relationships had led Oliver to do the closest thing to showing romantic interest.

She had started dating a guy called Chris. Chris was at heart, a comedian. Mai had enjoyed his company. They laughed together, a lot. And it didn't hurt that he knew how to use his tongue for something other than making jokes…

And then one day she had received a phone call.

Chris was breaking up with her out of the blue. She had asked why and he had replied that she needed to get control of her 'bloody guard dog'. Then he had hung up.

Mai returned home that night and told Oliver about it. He explained all.

"I saw him this morning," Oliver had said. "He was kissing another girl."

"He studied abroad in France for a year, he does the kissing cheek thing to everyone," Mai had replied.

"It wasn't on the cheek. I told him he shouldn't be kissing other girls. He pushed me and said you weren't even exclusive."

"Oh… Well maybe I dodged a bullet on that one then. You're a good friend, Oliver. Thank you."

But was it just friendship? The question had plagued Mai for a while. And by 'a while' she meant to this day it still bugged her. Was it friendship? Was it something more like brotherly affection?

Or maybe… Did he like like her?

When he was offered the six-month secondment to work with a Japanese research institute, it had been Mai who had encouraged him. Oliver did not like changes to his routine. But Mai had pointed out how much he could learn and that in Japan, his mother could not bug him quite as much.

He eventually agreed. Mai had bought him a new suitcase. Oliver had given her a hug before he left through the departures lounge.

That had been six months ago.

Now it was coming to an end. He would be coming home.

And Mai was trying to work out how to tell him that she might be in love with him. She was scared it would ruin everything. She thought about just signing it to him. Part of her job was working with deaf students at the university, so she was near enough fluent in British Sign Language.

She could just sign it to him and then she would have told him and…

BRRRRRIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGG!

Mai jumped. She hit the 'Accept' button and the pixelated face of her best friend appeared in front of her.

"Hey!"

She beamed at him as the resolution improved.

"Hello."

"How's the future?" she asked.

In Japan, being so many hours ahead as it was, it would already be tomorrow.

"Cloudy," Oliver replied. "How's the past?"

"Dark, but we're due some sun tomorrow."

"I won't be there until the day after."

"I'm sure it'll be sunny then too," Mai said quickly. "I've taken the day off so I can pick you up from the airport."

"You don't need to—"

"I do," Mai insisted. "Besides, if I don't and your mother hears about it… She's been phoning me all week to check that I can still do it."

"I'd rather you picked me up than…"

"I won't tell Luella you said that," Mai teased. "She'll want you to visit next weekend."

Oliver groaned.

"Can't I say I'll be too jetlagged to—"

"No, she's already got your bedroom at home prepared so that you can sleep there if you get too tired. I think a quick visit to show your face and let her know you're still alive would be the better option. I've worked to minimise the effort on your part."

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

"Gene also expects a visit soon, but he's not as needy as your mother. He wants to introduce you to his new boyfriend," Mai said.

"Wants to introduce me?" Oliver asked. "What does he want? My blessing?"

"Yeah, I think so." Mai laughed. "I mean maybe not as formal as that, but I think he's serious about this one. They met not long after you left so…"

"He doesn't need my approval to date anyone."

"Oh Oliver, can't you see why he'd want you to like someone he was serious about? I'd do the same thing!"

"You don't need my approval to date anyone either," Oliver said, frowning. "You can date whoever you want."

"No, I can't," Mai muttered dejectedly.

"What? It cut out there?"

"Nothing."

Mai forced a smile.

"It's quite a shame I have to come home now actually," Oliver said. "I have almost perfected my replacement flatmate."

"What?"

"You know Alexa? The virtual assistant?"

"Yes?"

"Well I bought one while here and I've been reprogramming it. Do you want to see?"

"Reprogrammed it how?"

"Well I didn't like the voice it came with, so I've changed that. But I've also given it some personalised responses," Oliver said. "And I've linked it to several Wi-Fi enabled devices around the apartment. Wait, let me get it."

Mai watched him disappear from the screen and return a moment later with a small black box.

"Oliver, what—"

"Just watch." He cleared his throat. "Mai, tea."

Mai opened her mouth to ask another question, but the black box lit up and replied.

It replied in her voice.

"You could say please," it said.

"And now look," Oliver said and the image lurched as he lifted the laptop up. "See that blue light behind me? That's the kettle. She turns it on for me. I might build a robot to automatically dispense a cup with a teabag in it…"

"How the hell did you get my voice on it?"

"I've been recording our conversations," he said. "I've then sampled all the different sounds needed to make words that you haven't already said and—"

"You recorded our conversations?" Mai repeated.

"How else was I going to get your voice?"

"You never asked my permission."

"I've got a few more things I'd like you to say when I get back—"

"Did you hear me?"

"It turns out the security on those things was stronger than I expected."

Mai sighed heavily.

"What else do you want me to say?" she asked in a resigned voice.

"Well, my name for starters—"

"I've said your name before?"

Mai frowned.

"You haven't called me Noll though."

"Only your family calls you that though," Mai said. "I've never called you that."

"I don't see why I can't consider the robot part of my family."

"Fine, Noll. Happy?"

"Could you say it less annoyed?"

Mai rolled her eyes and tried again.

"Noll."

"Excellent."

Mai watched as he began typing away.

"You're doing it now?" she asked.

"Yeah, it'll only take a second."

"You're ridiculous. When do you have to leave?"

"The taxi picks me up in an hour. How's work?"

"Fine, it's Reading Week," Mai replied. "So I have a bit of a break from stuff. Apart from my one clingy fresher, but they're okay really. They're getting better. I also got approached by a computational linguist to help with improving the autogenerated subtitles on lecture videos."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, she reckons she's improved the algorithm somehow, but she's also working on an add-in thing so that hearing people can correct the subtitles if they watch them and see a mistake. I've convinced one or two lecturers to be guinea pigs so far."

"That's good."

"Yeah, it's going to help more than just the deaf students too, anyone with auditory processing issues."

"Done," Oliver said. He flashed a smile. "Watch now. Mai, turn the light off."

The light flicked off.

"Manners, Noll" it said.

"That's so creepy," Mai muttered. "Also, that should be in your mother's voice."

"I am not recording my mother."

"But you'll record me without my permission…"

"You slept with one of my shirts without asking," Oliver replied in a flat tone.

"What? How do you know that? I did—"

"Gene told me."

"That git. I am going to murder him. Look, it's not as creepy as it sounds. I was lonely and I missed you and I washed it straight after."

"Gene thought it was 'cute', his words, not mine," Oliver said. "He also told me I should ask you out."

Mai almost choked.

"What? The connection broke for a moment," she lied.

"Nothing."

Mai privately promised to murder Gene.

"Do you want to visit my parents with me?" Oliver asked. "I'd rather not go alone."

"And have your mother try to embarrass me? Last time I visited she told me that we'd have gorgeous babies."

Mai privately agreed. If she and Oliver had children they would be fucking stunning. And they'd be smart too. They would be literally perfect.

"I didn't realise the idea of my children was so revolting to you," Oliver muttered, rolling his eyes.

"What?" Mai frowned in confusion.

"Your face looked weird."

"That's literally just my face," Mai retorted with a pout. "Your face isn't much better."

"Really? The women here in Japan did not seem to complain at my visage."

"Because everyone in Japan is polite, they're not going to tell you otherwise."

"Yes, people often cross the street to tell an average looking person that they're stunning because they're polite," Oliver said in an even tone.

"Someone actually did that?"

"A couple of times…"

"A couple of times?" Mai asked.

"Well twice it was just giggly teenage girls—"

"And the rest of the time?" Mai demanded.

"Why are you so concerned?" Oliver asked innocently.

"I'm not," Mai said quickly. "Why haven't you showed me your creepy AI-Mai before?"

"Because I'll be home in two days and will want to plug this in at home? I thought I ought to warn you."

"And warning me earlier would have been a bad idea because…?"

"You would have stopped calling me and then I wouldn't have been able to record your voice. I thought that much was obvious."

He had a point there.

"Well then I want my own one and I'll record your voice for it," Mai said. "I could have it say 'please' to me whenever I wanted…"

"You would have to get me to say it first," Oliver said.

"I'll threaten to call your mother on you, then you'll say it."

"I'd consider."

"I'll tell her what you said that one time Gene got your drunk," Mai threatened.

A.K.A the other reason Mai wondered about her friend's feelings for her.

"What?"

Oliver was frowning.

"Don't play dumb with me," Mai said. "I have the whole thing recorded."

"What thing?"

Mai pulled out her phone.

"At the end of my second year and Gene threw a party and he tricked you into drinking alcohol and you drank way too much. And you said…" Mai trailed off as she searched through her phone. "Wait, here it is."

She hit play on her phone and a tinny version of Gene's voice sounded from the speaker.

"And who would you marry, Noll?"

"I'm not marrying anyone," Oliver's voice, considerably louder than usual, replied.

"Oh really? What about Mai?"

"Mai will find someone much better than me."

"And if she hadn't?"

"Fine!" Oliver was almost shouting. "If she was like forty and still alone, I would marry her."

Mai paused the video.

"Your mother would have a field day if she heard that," she pointed out.

Oliver rolled his eyes.

"Remind me to delete that when I get home."

"What? No, you're not allowed on my phone."

"I know your password," Oliver said.

"I've got that video backed up. Gene wants a copy and I'm holding off on giving it to him until he has something I want."

"Backed up where?" Oliver asked. "Because I know your Google Drive and OneDrive passwords too."

"How do you know these things?" Mai asked, frustrated.

"They're easy enough to guess."

"I'm going to change them all as soon as we're done with this conversation. And I'm going to burn a copy to a DVD and hide it somewhere you'll never think to look."

"Is that the same place as your Christmas present hiding spot?"

"No."

It was.

"Besides, I stand by that statement," Oliver said. "That way, if anything happens to me, you would have power of attorney. I'd rather you made those decisions than my brother…"

"If it was medical, he'd probably do a better job."

"Yes, but he tends not to think straight if it's me. You're surprisingly rational in a crisis."

"What do you mean by surprisingly rational?" Mai asked, wondering if she should be offended.

"Well the way you and that friend of yours squeal over kittens I did wonder about your—"

"You like kittens too."

"I do not squeal like a child when I see them, though," Oliver said.

"I think we should get a kitten."

"You would."

"You would love it, don't deny it."

"I'm not," Oliver said. "But I would still not squeal over it."

"But you're changing the subject. Your mother would be delighted to hear you had shown even resigned interest in someone."

"Yes, I imagine she would."

"And she wouldn't shut up about it for a while," Mai added on.

"I agree."

"So it'd be easier on your part to let me record you say the word 'please' and maybe even 'thank you'."

Oliver sighed.

"I think that's an exaggeration," he said. "I could distract her with the woes of how pitiful my love life is and then she'll feel so bad that she won't say anything for a few months."

Mai's eyes widened.

"What? What do you mean? You've been hiding a love life from me?"

"I haven't been hiding anything from you. You just never asked," Oliver said.

"I'm asking now! What happened? I'm your friend Oliver, I care about this stuff!"

"I would merely tell my mother about when I tried to flirt with someone I liked and that they just didn't respond to my actions."

Mai narrowed her eyes.

"What did you do? Perhaps I can help."

"I followed Gene's advice."

"A big mistake."

"Agreed."

"What was Gene's advice? Honestly, I am offended you didn't ask me," Mai muttered.

"He told me to smile at them and do nice things. I bought them chocolate. I offered them a lift home. I invited them out to dinner. I told them they looked nice one time."

"I mean apart from that last one, that doesn't sound all that different to how you treat me, and I'm just a friend," Mai pointed out. "Did you make it clear that the dinner invite was a date?"

"I have told you that you look nice," Oliver said, frowning.

"Yeah, like once, and only after I was fishing for compliments because I was having a bad day and felt ugly."

"I still told you that you looked nice."

"Fine. I'll give you that. But did you make it clear it was a date?"

"I tried," Oliver said with a sigh. "They did not… Well, perhaps they chose not to interpret it that way as to not hurt my feelings."

"Perhaps. Maybe next time you should step it up a bit though. That's really not all that different to how you treat me. Normally people expect a little bit more from romantic relationships," Mai said in a soft voice.

"It's exactly how I treat you." Oliver sighed again. "What do you suggest I do differently?"

"Well if the person is as clueless as you, then I would suggest—"

"I'm not clueless."

"I've seen people flirt with you and you completely miss it," Mai pointed out. "It's almost comical."

"I notice," Oliver said with a scowl. "I'm just not interested in them."

"Anyway, maybe start out with a really clear 'I'm interested in you romantically, can I take you to dinner some time?' type thing. So they literally cannot misinterpret the situation."

"Right. I'll bear that in mind."

"Do I know this person?" Mai asked.

Oliver suddenly looked off to the side.

"That's the taxi," he said quickly. "I should go. I'll see you on the other side."

"Oh okay, yeah, have a safe flight."

The call ended.

Mai sank back into the sofa. So Oliver did hold romantic feelings for a person. She was not sure if this made her feel better or worse…

Mai was at least an hour early to the airport to pick Oliver up, but she didn't care. She sat in the cafe, waiting for his flight to arrive. She waited while his flight disembarked and got through passport control, customs and baggage reclaim.

She waited for him to appear with a fresh cup of tea in one hand and a printed out sign with his name in the other.

He strode through the arrivals gate looking like a model. He even had sunglasses on. The only thing that gave him away as an ordinary person was that he was carrying his own baggage.

"No one should look that good after a twelve-hour flight," Mai muttered to herself.

He joined her a few minutes later, took the cup from her hands and sipped.

"This isn't homemade," he said.

"Nice to see you too." Mai rolled her eyes. "No, I've been here almost two hours."

"Why?"

"I don't know, maybe I was looking forward to seeing you."

"But you still had to wait two hours, you may as well have waited at home," Oliver pointed out.

"Why did I miss you again?"

She asked the question rhetorically and walked away. Oliver followed, swallowing his laugh.

"You've had a haircut," he said.

"Yeah, like two months ago."

"I couldn't tell on camera."

Mai led the way to the car and drove them home. When they arrived, Oliver retreated to his room to unpack and Mai made dinner.

"So where's this dreaded AI-Mai?"

"Oh, you want it in the main living space?" Oliver asked as he plugged the Wi-Fi adaptor into the kettle.

"You want to keep a thing that talks like me in your room?" Mai asked.

"I'll go and get it."

Mai served up dinner and Oliver returned a moment later with the little black box. He set it down on the coffee table. They ate in near silence. Oliver too tired for small talk, and Mai not cruel enough to force him into it.

"Thank you for dinner," he mumbled. "I'm going to bed."

"Is there anything I can get you?"

"No. I'll see you in the morning."

Mai watched him go with a small smile. He hadn't changed a bit. Well, maybe a bit. He had thanked her for dinner. He really must be tired…

She sat down and was about to flick the TV on when she spotted the black box again.

"Mai, tea," she said.

"You could say please," it said in her own voice.

She glanced around at the kettle. It was on.

"That's so weird," she muttered.

Nevertheless, she jumped up and made herself a cup of tea. What else could this contraption do?

Or rather, what else did Oliver use it for?

"Mai, what are my most popular questions?" she asked.

"Your three most popular questions are: one, where is the nearest tea house?"

Mai laughed.

"Two, Mai, I miss you."

Mai stopped laughing.

"Three, Mai, I love you."

Mai choked on her tea.

"Mai, I miss you," she said, putting the mug down before she had an accident.

What would it respond?

"I miss you too, Noll."

"Mai, I love you," she said, so quietly she wondered if the microphone picked it up.

"I love you too, Noll."

"Fuck." She wasn't sure if she should be happy or creeped out. "Fuck."

To make matters worse, Oliver walked in.

"Mai, where have you moved my— What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said quickly.

"You're crying."

Mai wiped her eyes.

"Hayfever."

"It's October," Oliver pointed out.

"Late-onset hayfever."

"That you've mysteriously never had up until this point? Don't lie to me. What's wrong?"

"Your little black box does turn the kettle on," Mai said, forcing a smile. "It also does some other stuff."

"Well, yes, it is designed to do more than turn on a kettle," Oliver said with a frown. "But you're avoiding my question."

"Mai, I love you," Mai said.

"I love you too, Noll."

"Care to explain?" she asked.

"It replies to all sorts of questions," Oliver said. "It's an auto—"

"That was one of your top three questions," Mai said.

"It was hardly a question."

"You can argue that with the box," Mai muttered. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why is it there?" she demanded.

"Mai, I am jetlagged."

"I don't care. Why is it there? Why is that question, statement, thing, so high up in your uses of that box? Why are you getting a fake robot version of me to tell you that I love you when… When you don't ask me in real life?"

"Because the robot isn't going to say no."

"But I—"

"Mai, when I described how I attempted to flirt, what did you say?" Oliver asked.

"That…"

"That it was exactly like how I act around you. Because it is how I act around you. And you responded as a friend. Nothing more. I was lonely in Japan. I missed you—"

"That was your second most popular question…"

"And it allowed me to pretend for a few moments. That's all. Mai, reset to factory settings."

But it was Alexa's voice that responded, "Resetting to factory settings."

"Goodnight, Mai."

Oliver spun on his heel and started back towards his bedroom.

"Oliver, wait." He stopped but did not turn around. "I think… I think I'm more clueless than you. I didn't think you liked me that way. I thought you saw us as just friends but… But if I'm wrong, would you like to get dinner together? In a romantic way?"

"I'm kind of tired right now. And we have already eaten dinner."

"I didn't mean right now," Mai mumbled. "Maybe tomorrow. Or another day…"

"I… Okay. Well." Oliver shook his head in a 'I don't know' kind of way. "We'll see. I'm tired."

He strode back into his room and shut the door.

"Is that a yes or a no?" Mai whispered, as her eyes welled up.

Tears spilt from her eyes as she retreated to her own room. She changed into her pyjamas, making no effort to wipe her face. She flicked the main light off, leaving only her bedside lamp illuminating the room as she climbed into bed.

Once snuggled under the duvet cover, Mai opened up Tumblr and began to scroll without really paying attention. Her eyes flicked from post to post without taking anything in.

Mai wasn't sure how long she lay like that. But eventually, she was interrupted by a knock on her door.

"Come in," she said automatically, without moving.

As the only other person in the apartment, Oliver walked in.

"Why are you still up?" she asked.

"Gene told me I was an arse."

"What?"

"He phoned and wouldn't shut up and he said I responded wrong." Oliver yawned.

Mai patted the bed and he sat.

"Responded wrong?" she prompted.

"Yeah." He yawned again and wiped his eyes. "What I meant by 'we'll see' is we can decide when to go to dinner tomorrow, after I've slept."

He tried to stifle a yawn and failed.

"Oh."

"Gene seemed to think—" Yawn. "—that you might have gotten the wrong idea. He said something—" Yawn. "—about you posting sad—" Yawn. "—things on Tumblr."

"Oh…"

"We don't—" Yawn. "—have to go to dinner. I'm ha—" Yawn. "—ppy to just stay here and—" Yawn. "—cook."

"Oliver, get into bed," Mai said softly. "Come on."

He crawled up the bed and down under the covers, sinking into Mai's pillows.

"I shouldn't have pushed the issue while you're so tired," Mai continued. "I'm sorry."

"I should have—" Yawn. "—been more clear," Oliver mumbled back, eyes closed. "I'm happy you—" Yawn. "—you like me too."

"Go to sleep, Oliver."

"Why won't you call me Noll?" Yawn. "I love you, Mai."

"I love you too," Mai whispered, "Noll."

Oliver had fallen asleep, smiling.

Mai stared at her best friend for a minute, happier than she had been in a long time. Then she flicked off her light and allowed slumber to consume her too.

Author's note: The yawning bit makes me yawn so. Okay so in my other story I asked who wanted friends-to-lovers and who wanted detective AU, and the results were about equal, but I managed to edit this one first so you just got all of this as an apology for everyone who wanted the detective AU first... You'll get that next! Also I know nothing about how Alexa works so let's just pretend you can do this... Please review :)