Arin was sitting on her bed hugging her pillow, her legs criss - crossed. There was only one thing on her mind ever since Dennis and her had gotten back from the date - the kiss.
She didnât know where had the courage come from. It pretty much disappeared as soon as sheâd realized what sheâd done ; she started to panic, he wasnât kissing back and sheâd just managed to embarrass herself even more !
But, just as she was about to pull away and run off, he kissed back. Heâd probably been taken aback by her sudden move so heâd been unable to respond so quickly.
Her heart started to beat fast inside her chest when he not only kissed back but also pulled her closer by her waist. She felt butterflies, something she hadnât felt in a long time. She couldnât even recall when had been the last time sheâd been kissed so tenderly, all of the kisses sheâd received werenât even kisses, more like slobbery bites.
Dennis âs kiss was a nice change. It seemed as if he was actually putting effort into it, as if he wanted to make it good considering it was their first kiss.
Her heart fluttered from just recalling that moment. She couldnât contain a smile from forming on her lips as she thought about it. Like a teenager, she squirmed and giggled to herself, burying her head into the pillow at how silly she was acting. It was so weird, she felt awkward being a grown woman and acting like that. In her defense, sheâd never gotten the chance to act so when the time was right so she was more or less making up for it.
She didnât mind, though. She wanted to make up for all the lost time, do everything she didnât get to do when the time had been right.
But, sheâd do that later. For the time being, she just wanted to reminisce about the kiss a little bit more. Her fingers outlined her lips, it was where his had been. She could still feel them very vividly. Another set of giggles escaped her at the thought of what had happened afterwards ...
After what felt like a whole eternity - even though only a few seconds had passed - she pulled away, looking down again to hide the blush that had crept on her face.
â Iâm sorry, â she mumbled, biting her lip to stop a smile threatening to spill the secret that she actually had no regrets.
â Iâm not. â
She looked up at him, now completely reassured he wouldnât deny her goofy smile. She could tell he wasnât feeling awkward, or was hiding it so well with the bright smile. Though, she wasnât worried ; sheâd seen the exact smile whenever he was genuinely smiling, like when he saw a funny picture on his phone or when she said something so stupid only she could think of it.
â Now weâre both messy ! â he noted with a small chuckle, trying to light up the atmosphere. The moment was too perfect to be ruined by awkwardness. As she looked up at him, she saw what heâd been referring to : her red lipstick on his lips.
â Thatâs on me too ~ â she hummed sheepishly, but he stopped her from subconsciously making things awkward again by smudging it even more and putting some on his shirt as well.
â Now weâre even. This is on me. â
Thinking about it with hindsight, she couldnât help but feel so thankful for him. He always managed to make things better, what was especially useful to someone prone to making mistakes. He always managed to calm her down if she was feeling anxious ; he knew exactly what to say to make her feel better and everything he did, he did it in the right moment.
She was thankful for being approached by Mr. White. She was thankful Mr. White had managed to talk her into taking Dennis in, for she wouldnât be able to be who she was without him. Now that he was there, she couldnât imagine her life without him nor could she believe sheâd lived so long without him. Only now could she see what a great impact heâd had on her life and maybe, she was starting to embrace it. Only maybe, against all odds, she was starting to grow attached to him. Only maybe, breaking all of the laws in the process, she was starting to grow feelings for him. A robot.
In the room nearby, the boy was having similar thoughts. He was sitting on the couch, holding the pig toy and thinking, a smile on his lips as he did. He couldnât believe something such had happened - heâd been kissed by a girl he was bound to for the whole eternity. He was programmed to only see one certain person theyâd be spending their life with and when the human died, the robot did with them. It was the law, every individual had their own personalized robot.
Though, that kind of depressing thought hadnât crossed Dennis âs mind. If he had a heart, itâd be racing inside his cold metal chest. He was absolutely overjoyed !
But, he couldnât be thrilled for long. There were some haunting thoughts he just couldnât get rid of, numerous â what ifs â and different imaginary possibilities. The most important one of them all was the one heâd been bothered with his whole existence : could it be possible he actually something for her too ?
Thinking about it further, he could actually tell heâd changed ever since the kiss had happened. His usual cold metal frame was starting to feel warm on him, as if the metal had melted away. His usual occasional sharp movements that could have eventually given away his true identity have calmed down and gotten more human - like. It was as if a little bit of her had transferred onto him with that brief touch of their lips.
He glanced in the direction of the room. He knew heâd promised to give her some alone time to think about everything that had happened, but he just couldnât stay away from her. As if something from inside was pushing him to her. He wanted to hold her and kiss her, make her feel like the most loved girl in the world, what she truly deserved.
He couldnât hold back. He knocked on the door and after having to wait for a couple of seconds, the door opened and Arin let him in.
â Hey, â he greeted, looking at her with nothing but adoration in his eyes.
â Hey ~ â she hummed back and got on her tiptoes again to give him a small peck on the lips. Now that she was allowed to kiss him, sheâd use every second to do so.
He took the opportunity to deepen the kiss and pull her closer by her waist so she was completely leaning on him, his back against the wall.
It was yet another gentle but passionate kiss thatâd leave everyone breathless and wanting more. The two werenât an exception either. Every time they kissed, Arin could feel a wave of electricity run down her spine. Every time their lips brushed against each otherâs, she could feel herself getting weaker and weaker until she completely melted into him.
â Can we ⦠Go all the way tonight ? â she asked, her breath uneven after the kiss and her eyes glued to the ground from embarrassment.
Dennis certainly didnât know how to answer that. Of course he wanted it, but he was scared ; scared heâd hurt her as his most feared assumption. After all, he was strong, he was artificial. Though, he recalled Mr. White âs words when heâd once asked him if robots were allowed to make love and heâd said yes. He explained to him that it was one of their roles in the relationship too and they were already programmed to be able to pleasure their owners the best way they could, even better than an average human could. The unethical part was them disrespecting the privacy while doing research what did a specific human like most. But, Arin didnât have to know he already knew everything about her.
The problem in his case was Arin. Dennis recalled Mr. white explaining to her what Daniel had been doing to her, harassing her and using her everyday, sometimes even more than once a day and without her agreement. Thus, it was important for Dennis to be slow and careful, make sure he got her full consent and when he got it, he had to be careful not to go overboard.
He cupped her chin and raised her head to force her into eye contact. Only so could he be certain she was serious. â Are you sure itâs not too early ? â
Her only response was yet another kiss. She wanted to use the time she was courageous to do as she wanted, to live through everything sheâd missed, such as making love to someone with actual emotions present. She knew Dennis wasnât like Daniel, she trusted him. Even with her life if necessary.
Slowly, he started moving her backwards until the back of her legs hit the bed, making them both fall on the fresh sheets.
In the meantime, red lights were flashing in the white rooms of The owner, Mr. White had received an alarming message from his controlling, main computer that every and each of his robots was connected to so they could be monitored.
â Sir, thereâs something wrong with Dennis, â one of the computer science geniuses that worked in the lab announced in a worried tone. The old man just stroked his beard as he read what was written on the screen.
It was a new situation for him too, he had absolutely no idea what was going on. Not once had something such happened !
â What seems to be the problem, Martin ? â
â It says here that the robot is experiencing some glitches. Iâm not sure whatâs happening ! â the panicked man answered.
â Check his location and other vital information, â the older man ordered.
â Heâs in Arin âs flat and there arenât any problems with anything besides this one glitch. â
Mr. White narrowed his eyes at the screen. There was an outline of a robot, Dennis to be precise, every part of his body was glowing green, indicating there were no problems, except his chest area that was flashing red. The white walls surrounding the two mean as well as their faces were lit with the red warning sign.
What could it mean ?