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Author's Note: Hi dear readers. Just FYI, this is the chapter that's going to kick the story into that M rating. There will be mature conversations and explicit adult scenes in this and the next few chapters after. Please read at your own discretion. Thank you all!
Chicago: Become Human
Chapter Twelve: Learning How
Very early in the morning, Connor gently removed himself from Samantha and the bed to do his rounds. The motion woke her, but she didn't move. She listened to him dress, afraid if she opened her eyes he would see she was faking. After he left, Samantha had trouble finding sleep again. There was a guilt growing in her, starting down in the pit of her stomach and moving upward. Last night probably shouldn't have happened the way it did. She let it happen that way. She was a terrible person.
Those thoughts roiled around in her as she remained in the darkness. She didn't realize how long she had wallowed in her guilt until Connor returned to the bedroom and began to ceremoniously remove his clothes again.
"You're coming back to bed?" the question popped out of her mouth.
He glanced down at her, clearly not expecting her to be awake. "Yes. Unless you do not want me to."
Samantha sat up, tucking the blanket up to cover her topless form. She looked like she didn't want to meet his gaze, but she managed to look up at him. "Was last night... okay?"
"Yes," he said, surprised at the question. "I found it quite enjoyable."
"All of it?"
"Yes, of course."
"Did you... understand all of what happened?"
Connor's response was to keep her gaze held in his as he continued to remove his clothes. Samantha was enamored with the show. Each button undone gracefully until the shirt slid off his form with the whisper. Keeping eye contact while he undid the belt, then his pants was even hotter. For a moment, he was nearly nude in front of her and her eyes swept over his lean form: wide shoulders and long limbs, before he slid into the bed next to her.
His arms went around her, his lips brushed her temple. "We are both still learning each other, we are both still trying to understand. But that doesn't mean I did not enjoy everything I have done with you."
Samantha remained silently in his embrace, stewing on her own inner turmoil.
"Tell me about what's bothering you," Connor requested.
"Moral quandaries, as always," she sighed. "I worry the things we did I shouldn't be doing with you because you don't understand it. And I worry that you still aren't fully capable of making your own decisions. That it's in your programming to, if not obey me, then always try to please me and keep me happy. I worry this isn't what you really want."
He rested his chin on her head, his fingers wandering up and down her bare arm. "What can I do to dissuade you of this worry?"
She sighed. "I'm not sure. Is there a way to really know?"
"What if I was better educated on these topics. Would that help?"
"Maybe. I think I would be more comfortable if I knew you understood everything that was going on."
"Alright. I will work on that. In the meantime, may I still hold you while you fall asleep?"
She relaxed against him. "Yes. If that's what you want."
Connor pulled her down as he lay back, gathering her to him. "I want to, I promise," he vowed.
Samantha fell asleep to the beautiful, lulling sound of his thirium pump and the feel of his fingers idly wandering her form
.
When she awoke, Samantha was alone in bed again. It was that time when Connor was out on his routine patrols once more. And, as his usual, she did not see him until she was about finished with breakfast. He came in through the back door as she put her bowl in the sink. He suspiciously looked a little satisfied with himself as he approached her.
"We should go out to see Angela today," he informed her. "I realized she would be a great source to help us answer all our questions."
"You might be right," Samantha agreed, though she wasn't keen on seeing Angela's knowing look. "Maybe we can visit her later in the week."
"I already texted her," Connor informed her.
Samantha gaped at him. "What? How? From my phone? Connor, you hacked my phone?!"
"She's invited us over for lunch at twelve-thirty."
"Are you serious?"
"I have her address."
She eyed her android while tapping her fingers on the counter top. "Care to tell me why you didn't talk to me about this first?"
"Because I knew you would drag your feet and I want answers today."
Samantha sighed. He wasn't wrong. "Alright. We'll go."
.
Before lunch, there was an important errand to run. Connor watched as Samantha stood at a self-check station, ringing up a brand new toothbrush as well as more toothpaste and mouthwash. When she went to pay, her fingers fumbled with the card and it dropped. Connor reached to pick it up. He had never touched a payment card before. He took a moment to study the front and back before handing it back to her. He took the new bag of items himself while Samantha finished paying.
As the two walked companionably back to the car, Connor suddenly stopped and dropped the bag in the parking lot.
Samantha paused and looked back. Connor hadn't made any movement to retrieve it. "Are you going to pick that up?"
He looked her right in the face. "No. I think you should pick it up."
"What? Why?"
"To prove I can say no to you."
She glanced down at the bag on the ground. "That's your proof?"
"Yes."
"Connor, pick up the stupid bag."
"No."
"Pick it up."
"You can't make me, Samantha."
She walked back over to him. "Okay, I get it. I believe you. Get your bag and let's go."
"You get it." Connor walked off, leaving it behind.
A bit irritated, Samantha snatched it up and marched back to the car. Connor was already in the passenger seat when she dropped herself in and tossed the bag in the back.
"Samantha," Connor said to her slightly irked expression. "I prefer to say yes. I want to tell you yes to everything you ask because I like to please you. But I can say no if I need to. I want you to be confident that that's the truth."
She huffed. "Fine. I believe you. I promise."
He leaned in, kissing her quickly at the side of her mouth. That action sweetened up her attitude right quick and she started the car with a smile pulling at her lips.
.
Samantha steeled herself as she knocked on the front door of a cute, little yellow house planted firmly in the middle of a road dotted with other cute little houses. Angela brightly opened the door within seconds as if she had been waiting right behind it the entire time.
"Hi! Welcome!" she all but squealed. "Please come in!"
Samantha shyly stepped in with Connor at her heels.
"I just finished making salads and sandwiches so you're right on time," Angela continued brightly. "We're so excited to have you."
"Is Derek home?" Connor asked before Samantha could say anything.
"Yeah, he's around. He'll join us for lunch."
"May I go search for him?"
"Uh, sure, Connor. Try the back door. I think he's out fiddling around in the yard."
The android waited for no further invitation before walking off down the hall, purpose in his stride.
Angela waited until she heard the back door open and shut before speaking. "That one's like a bloodhound when he's got something on his mind, isn't he?"
"He is absolutely terrible," Samantha confirmed. "He's going to be the death of me if he doesn't learn a little moderation. Did you know he's the one that set this up? He only told me after he contacted you."
Angela grinned. "I wondered. The word usage seemed a little off for you. But since you're here, follow me and we'll have lunch while, I guess, the boys talk."
"I just hope my android doesn't break your android," Samantha joked. "He's been so intense lately."
"I'm sure Derek can handle it," Angela called from down the hall.
Samantha followed as she was led through the house. She was still deciding if she rather have a conversation with just Angela or if she would prefer one with Connor present. Maybe, she concluded, it would be nice to have a little girl talk for once. It was something she had never experienced before.
They reached the dining area that shared space with an adjacent kitchen. Angela offered Samantha a seat while she fetched the food.
"I guess this is the part where you get to say I told you so," Samantha said as the other woman loaded up the table. "You probably saw me coming a mile away when I first walked into that restaurant."
"It wasn't you," Angela replied as she sat down. "It was Connor. I saw that light in him. That extra bit of life in the eyes that the androids have before they start to change. And I saw how much he cared about you. This whole process that they go through, if they go through it, only happens on their time-table. I've seen people who know about this phenomenon try to force their androids through it and it doesn't work. It's all up to them."
She paused to let her words sink in, then continued to say, "And I don't want to tell you I told you so, I want to be your friend. I want to support you two and help you if you need it."
Samantha, who had been looking down at her hands, smiled at her friend. "Thank you. I'm glad I have you."
.
Connor did find Derek in the yard. He was bent over a bed of flowers and bushes, all neatly cared for. Connor watched quietly as the larger android pulled weeds and dug around in the dirt. It had ever once occurred to Connor to put his fingers in the dirt for any reason. Watching this other android do such a thing was fascinating. He just wanted to watch the earth be excavated and upturned beneath the warm sun. Things that may have never seen the light before were suddenly brought to the surface.
Derek worked quietly for several more minutes before he paused, not looking back. "I can feel you ruminating back there," he accused.
"Can you?" Connor replied coolly.
"Yes. It's like you vibrate on your own wavelength. Everything is intense and bright for you and you have been running at full tilt for a while now."
"Is that how it was for you?"
Derek stood and turned to face him. He wiped his hand across his face—a very un-android-like motion—and left some dirt smeared on his cheek. "It is quite an experience for all of us. Though I have never met an android as intense as you, Connor."
Connor extended a hand to him, the synthetic skin receding up to the elbow.
Derek just looked at it. "What?"
"I need information. Files."
"Information for what?"
Connor set his jaw. "You know what."
"Those files are personal. That is only information shared between myself and my wife."
Connor pulled back, his eyes blinking, his LED blinking. All in confusion at the sudden answer he did not expect. "But... Samantha won't tell me anything, you won't tell me. I don't know where else to go for information. I don't know anything. I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know how to make her happy or how to make her feel loved. I'm just this stupid, useless machine wandering around in the dark with all these facts and protocols and laws in my head and nothing useful to her. What am I supposed to do?"
Now it was Derek's turn to be surprised at the answer. His own LED remained blue, but it flickered as he thought. He was a good half-head taller than Connor and when he put his hands on the other android's shoulders, even Connor felt the weight.
"Listen, Connor, you seem to be running with all your might toward some finish line, but there isn't one. Love is a real thing. It exists between you two and it's always going to be there, and it's always going to be changing. Love is alive; like she is, like you are. Like all things alive, there will always be ways to grow, new things to learn. And there is a lifetime to do them in. So slow down. The two of you are here and it is already here with you right now. There is no need to keep running so fast."
"I have to," Connor insisted. "I can't stop until she no longer looks at me with that worried face, like she's afraid she's doing something wrong. When she touches me or loves me or asks anything of me, she thinks she's a bad person because I can't fully understand her needs. And I can't make her believe that it's okay if I don't know anything, I'm happy to be with her anyway."
"You don't know... anything?" Derek asked with a curious raise of a brow.
Connor gave out an odd little laugh, stilted and robotic. "I don't know anything! I know the law, I know chain of evidence. I know how to process a crime scene, how to negotiate a hostage situation. I know how to engage and disarm an aggressor armed with seventeen different types of weapons. I do not know how to properly touch a human female, and no one will tell me." He huffed out the last part with unique frustration.
Derek's previously wide eyes crinkled with amusement and Connor found that to be slightly annoying. His comment of "That poor girl," made Connor's LED begin to roil in irritated yellow. The larger android broke into a grin and then actually laughed at him.
"Alright, alright," Derek said before Connor could protest. "Give me a second to process. I'm going to put together a few things for you."
.
"Can I ask how you and Derek got together?"
Angela smiled. "That's always the big question you want to ask every couple, isn't it? And it really starts with another question: how did you get your android?
"I acquired Derek for my mother. She wasn't all that old, but she was showing some signs of early dementia. She was still getting around okay, but I wanted her to have someone to keep an eye on her. There was a program through Mom's healthcare that would help pay for a home-health android. They had a collection of random models—all used and refurbished. I saw Derek and knew that was the one. I knew Mom would appreciate looking at a pretty face." She paused and smiled a bit in nostalgia. Then the smile grew a little sad.
"It was too late when it was discovered the dementia was caused by a brain tumor. It was terminal and it took her pretty fast. Only two more months and then Mom was gone."
"I'm sorry," Samantha said quietly.
Angela was still smiling. "You know, she kept forgetting Derek was an android? He still wore the full uniform: ANDROID written in bold letters on his back. She didn't seem to notice. It was only if someone mentioned what he was that she would just flip out. So we started talking to Derek as if he were a person. Truman was the last name we gave him." She laughed at that. "Anyone who went to visit Mom had to refer to Derek as 'Mr. Truman'. Even the kids around the neighborhood started calling him that. They still call him that, actually."
Samantha looked around. "This was your mother's house."
Angela nodded. "I couldn't bear to sell it. Derek, I was thinking about returning since he no longer had a patient to care for. But would you believe our messed up healthcare system makes you fill out a whole ass-load of paperwork to return a home-health android back into the system? Plus a three hundred dollar refurbishing fee?"
"What?"
"I know! It's ridiculous! So I let him just stay in the house, though I didn't have any idea what to do with him. I thought I'd figure something out eventually. Work was insane at the time. I was always scrambling to meet deadlines and deliver for clients. That crafty android, the moment my back was turned, made himself indispensable to me. I'd work a ten-hour day and come home to the house clean and dinner waiting. There was no way I was getting rid of his hot ass after that.
"The rest is a normal love story. You get close to a person, you get comfortable. You start to feel a mutual longing; a need to stay together because, one day, you wake up and you don't feel complete without that other person in your life. It grows with the need to touch, to be intimate, to share your life and your love with that other person.
"Took me almost a year to come to terms with what I was feeling. What I knew he felt for me though I tried time and time again to tell myself I was going crazy. And that beautiful, loving man out there in the back waited so patiently for me to figure it all out. It was weird and scary, and it took a lot of soul searching to come to terms with the fact that it felt so right to be with him. And all the questions I had about if he actually loved me back went out the window when I stopped living in my head and just felt the love that clearly came from him. The rest is history."
"Was it though?" Samantha pressed. "You decided he loved you and you loved him and it was just smooth sailing from there? Physical intimacy was no problem for you?"
Angela laughed. "Oh, you came to talk about the good stuff." She rubbed her hands together. "It's about time. I am a veritable plethora of dirty android information. I will tell you anything and everything you want to know."
.
Connor frowned as he combed through the new collection of files Derek had given him. "There is not much information here."
"There is enough," Derek insisted. "All the pertinent things you were missing are in there."
This was true. Connor now had an extensive medical report on the anatomy of both human males and females, courtesy of Derek's healthcare background. There were some personal notes from Derek himself of common erogenous zones and the like, and what exactly sex between humans was and how it all worked from a scientific standpoint. To a normal android, this would be acceptable. Facts were always enough.
For Connor, this was barely the tip of the iceberg to what he needed to know. "This still doesn't tell me what I'm supposed to do. I'm not a human. I can't do things the human way."
"This is true," Derek agreed. "The two of you have to figure out how to make it work together. Just remember to always be gentle. Even if they ask us to be rough, we have to remember that we're so much stronger than they are. We can hurt them if we're not careful."
That statement concerned Connor a little. Any mention of Samantha getting hurt, even in theory, always raised his hackles a little. In his opinion, the only way to touch Samantha was with gentleness and care. He had no idea why she would ever ask him to do anything rough to her. That sounded strange. Maybe Derek's Angela had peculiar proclivities.
"Also, always communicate," Derek continued. "If you're not sure, ask your partner. Remind her she can always ask you as well."
"Samantha is not good at communicating. I ask and she gets embarrassed or just doesn't respond."
"Yes, humans can be shy and self-conscious. The fact that our bodies are different can complicate that. It can take some time to develop those communication skills between the two of you. Be patient, keep asking. Keep reminding her that you love her anyway. It can take some time, but it will happen. The two of you will get used to speaking frankly with each other, telling one another what each of you wants and likes. That's why I'm not giving you any other information. Finding out these things on your own, discovering each other, is the fun part. I wouldn't want to take that away from your experience."
Connor stood in thoughtful silence. The fun part. That was a word not often in his vocabulary. Fun was not part of his existence. It wasn't part of his job, it wasn't part of his love for Samantha. He thought back to her silliness the night before. She was happy, she was having fun. The fun part should definitely be part of what they had together.
.
"So androids have very little sense of embarrassment, right?" Angela said with humorous enthusiasm. "They understand public decency well enough, but when you're alone in a private setting, all bets are off. Derek had no idea why I wasn't down with just presenting myself spread-eagle to him so he could poke me with his fingers in every curve and crevasse. All the while spouting the medical pieces of trivia he knows about every part of my body. And I'm like, dude, I cannot even begin to explain why this is not turning me on."
Samantha was laughing right along with her. "Connor is just as bad, but he's got this steamy bedroom voice and he's like 'tell me how to pleasure you' and my brain just shuts off. I don't know how to respond to that."
"Oh my god, that's hot."
"Right? But I don't know how to explain it to him in a way that's not going to turn this hot, intimate moment into a twenty-one question spelunking expedition while he fumbles around down there, trying to figure things out."
Angela actually snorted. "Ha! It's true! But you gotta let him try, Sam. How else is he going to learn? And I guarantee he will follow your every instruction. I can see it whenever he looks at you. That boy wants nothing but to please you with everything he does."
Samantha flushed and then covered her face with a moan. "I am not good at this. I wish someone else could explain it all to him. I'm still learning, too, and now I've got to figure out how we can... you know, be together when he doesn't even have the equipment I'm familiar with."
The other woman nodded. "Getting the mods and attachments certainly makes things a bit simpler."
Samantha's head shot up. "Attachments? Mods? Wait—you can just... buy the thing for the androids? They make that?"
Angela couldn't help but laugh at the way she said it. This was the funnest conversation she had had in a long time. "Honey, they make everything for androids."
Samantha made such a wide-eyed scandalized look, she had to laugh again.
"Did... did you... get the thing?" Samantha practically whispered.
"Oh, I got the deluxe package," Angela said with glee, taking great joy in watching every one of Samantha's reactions. "The full intimate partner treatment. It's not just an attachment, they retool and modify a lot of stuff. Upload reaction protocols, install new sensors, all that technical stuff that I can't fully explain. I drove him up to a place in Detroit that does it for... well, a pretty large amount of money. It's such an extensive job that they had to work on him for four days."
Now, Samantha was appalled. "And you made him get all that work done to himself?"
"Woah, woah," Angela held up her hands. "Hold on. It wasn't my idea. Derek was the one who wanted it. If he never wanted even a single temporary attachment, I would have been fine. I love him. We would have figured out how to make it work. But one day, he just flat out told me he wanted it done. He said he needed it to feel complete. His words. I would have paid that money and more if it helped him find peace with who he is."
Samantha mulled that over for a moment. "So then, can he like..." She flushed and covered her face again. "Ugh, I'm so bad at this. I don't like saying the words."
"Can he what?" the other woman said in amusement. "Come on, hit me with the dirty talk. There's nothing you can say that's going to offend me."
Samantha gave a whine in response.
"Say it or I'm going to start trying to fill in the blanks myself. Can he what?"
Samantha still wouldn't look up from her hands. "Can he... I don't know what to call it... finish? Climax?" When Angela didn't instantly respond, she just kept babbling. "Can any of the androids do that? Can I help Connor to... he doesn't really seem to have the urge but... I want to... god, I can't do this." She dropped her face on the table, her arms covering her.
Angela watched her struggle with amusement, chin resting on her palm. "The two of your are just a pair of clueless virgins, aren't you?"
"I know how sex works," came the muffled, indignant voice. "I don't know how androids work."
"Androids can have their own versions of orgasms, though it's a bit tricky. Getting the work done that Derek had made it easier. The program's in there to make his body respond the way a human man's does. The programs teach his body how to react properly. The first few times it was very synthetic, but when it started happening for real, it was amazing."
Samantha sat up to look at her, her face still flush.
"Without that extensive type of work," Angela continued, "it's kind of a mixed bag. Every android is different. They can develop specific erogenous zones, but they might appear in places you're not expecting. And I want you to remember, it's not all about the climax for them. They don't need it. Sometimes they don't even want it. Derek's upgrades certainly made it easier for him to get there if he wanted, but there's sometimes he's just not into it. But it's still pleasurable for him when we're together.
Androids love physical stimulation: kissing, cuddling, touching and being touched. Just because there's not always a crash at the end for them, doesn't mean they're not very satisfied with a night of getting their partners off.
"I know with us, there was a weird disconnect about that. It took me a while to get over it that I couldn't get him off like he could me. Honestly, it could be why Derek wanted to have the upgrade." She shrugged, looking a little thoughtful. Then Angela realized she let the conversation get too serious and steered it back toward a lighter tone. "Hey, do you know what he did when we got back from the procedure?"
Samantha balked a little at the question. "Um... do I want to know?"
"His clothes were off all the time and he'd just stare at it. He didn't even want me to touch it, he just wanted to watch it flap around in the breeze."
Samantha covered a snort with her hands.
"And then I walk in on him and he's like... making it pinwheel around and I just died. I was in tears, I was laughing so hard. I couldn't even stand up and he was naked and mad at me and there was that ridiculous thing just there between us."
Both women were laughing riotously now. Samantha was holding her sides, trying to get it under control.
Angela wiped another tear from her eye as she recalled the memory. "Androids are freaking hilarious. Don't let them lie to you. They like to pretend they're all stoic and serious, but they're just a bunch of adorable weirdos like the rest of us."
"Maybe weirder," Samantha joked in return as the back door opened and the two androids stepped in.
Derek paused when he noticed both women were flushed and grinning, staring at him. He frowned and immediately turned around and went back outside.
"Aw, Derek, come on! It's a funny story! You didn't do anything wrong!"
He shut the door as his wife was talking and did not come back inside. "Okay so, they usually don't get embarrassed," Angela amended. "He's a special case."
"They're all special," Samantha said with affection in Connor's direction. The remaining android just returned the gaze with curiosity.
"Either way," Angela said as she stood from the table. "If you feel the relationship needs it, there are a lot of options out there. I suggest doing some research. I can give you some reputable websites that are very discrete if you decide to buy anything. And you can always ask me if you have any questions. Or need recommendations. There's lots of people out there who have tried a lot of different products."
Samantha tried not to blush again. It would get to the point where she could talk about these kind of things like a normal person eventually, right? "They make mods for everything, huh?"
"Well, most of the stuff down below, anyway. I've yet to see anyone create a proper tongue for an android."
"I have a tongue," Connor announced.
Angela immediately spun around. "What? You're kidding. Show me."
Instead of opening his mouth for inspection as if he were at the dentist, Connor merely poked his tongue out at her.
Her hand snatched out, grabbing his chin as quick as a snake strike. "You cheeky little thing."
"Androids don't have tongues?" Samantha wondered.
Angela didn't let Connor go until he finally opened up to give her a good look at the entire thing. "They have a tongue-looking thing stuck to the bottom of the mouth for aesthetic purposes, but it's nothing like that. Holy cow, Connor. Androids don't need tongues, why do you have one?"
"Its purpose is so I can test samples in real time."
Angela blinked at him. "I don't even know what that's supposed to mean. Sam, you have to let him use this on you. If not for you, do it for all of us who will never get that chance."
"Samantha, what does she mean by that?" Connor asked.
Samantha was back to hiding her face in her arms.
.
Samantha didn't think her cheeks would ever stop burning as they drove back home. That was a lot to take in for one visit. She was sure she would be thinking on all of this for days to come.
"A very informative visit," Connor said conversationally.
"To say the least," she huffed back.
"I'm glad we went."
"Yeah, me, too," she admitted with a bit of a smile. "It was certainly a new experience."
They were both quiet for a while.
"Samantha? About last night," Connor then spoke.
"Yes?"
"I made you orgasm." He said it with a bit of pride, a satisfied smirk on his lips. "That's what happened last night. I will be happy to do it for you again anytime you wish."
"Connor, I am DRIVING," was Samantha's immediate red-faced protest.
"Are you suggesting that I am being a distraction?"
"Yes, Connor, this is a very distracting conversation and I would like to get home in one piece."
"Very well."
Connor was quiet all the way up until they parked in the garage. Before they moved to get out of the car he said, "Tonight, you and I should test out this new information I've been given."
Samantha paused, hand on the door handle. Her cheeks were a little warm, but she fought to give a cool response. This android was going to start getting an inflated ego if she fell apart every time he suggested something. "Tonight, huh?"
"Unless you would prefer right now?"
Damnit. Her insides tumbled and her face grew hot. "No, I'd prefer later. I have other things to do today." She paused and then added, "What did you have in mind for... tonight?"
"Exploration and communication," he announced and Samantha wasn't sure what sort of hot dirty talk she was expecting from him. "I hear it's the fun part."
The fun part? Samantha gave a thoughtful pause. She felt Connor lean over to kiss her, which she would have absolutely returned with relish, but...
"Cameras," she reminded quickly. There was one in the garage pointed right at them.
Connor moved back. He made a little mechanical growl that didn't come from his throat, but somewhere deeper in his chest.
Samantha found the inhuman sound to be incredibly cute. "I love you," she said softly, with a hand blocking her mouth movements from the camera.
Connor immediately looked more amendable as they both exited the car.
.
The rest of the day passed with a buzz of electricity. Connor went back on his usual patrol. Samantha decided to clean because reading was out of the question. There was no way she would be able to focus on words with Connor's promise hanging in the air. They each pretended well that there were more important things to focus on than each other, but when their paths crossed throughout the day, there would be shared looks full of secret affection and intent. They would brush too close if they passed each other, give quick, innocent-looking touches.
They flirted soundlessly all day. And it was, indeed, fun. It kept Samantha warm, kept her heart beating just a little faster than normal. More than once, it made her bite her lip like all those silly female leads in all those silly romantic stories. She grinned to herself like an idiot and thought about Connor constantly. Everything about him. The thought would make her fingers twitch and her face get hot and she would be grinning like a moron all over again.
That night, Samantha retired to the shower a little early, but not suspiciously early. She hummed to herself as she washed her hair, nearly giddy by now. Connor's patrol would be almost over. She expected him to be waiting on the bed for her again. She was going over various scenarios in her head of how she would greet him this time.
At her back, there was a sudden cool breeze and she turned to see Connor, completely without clothing, stepping into the shower.
"I couldn't wait anymore," he told her in a raspy voice that made her whole body react.
She barely managed to give him a quick glance-over before he had her face in his hands. His mouth landed on hers; hot, needy. His mouth was minty fresh, newly brushed. She kissed him back with the same enthusiasm before pulling apart for air.
"I thought androids were supposed to be patient," she teased.
His hands were still on her face, caressing it with his thumbs. "I would be if you told me to, but you seemed to want this."
Though smiling, she glanced away shyly. He wasn't wrong. With her hands on his biceps, she walked him in further to stand under the spray of the shower. Clearly unused to it, he turned his head away at first. Then he raised up and closed his eyes, letting the water rain down on his face.
"Like that?" Samantha asked in amusement.
He made a noise of contentment and remained as he was, experiencing his first shower. Samantha stood back and watched him. He looked happy. She thought back to that day when he appeared nude before her, handing her his clothes. When he informed her he could still fight and keep her protected without being dressed. She grinned at the memory. God, this android was so cute. She was absolutely smitten.
Her eyes wandered his form as the water touched him intimately. So human in shape, but just a little off. It was more obvious without his clothes, easier to see when he moved that the body had a shell, and not a pliable muscle structure. That hardly bothered her. She found it more curious and fascinating than anything else. She wanted to put her hands on him while he moved so she could feel all the pieces as they worked together.
His form was still, nonetheless, very pleasing to look at. Long neck, wide shoulders, delicate collarbones that she always wanted to get her mouth on when she saw them. His arms were strong, his chest lean and waist trim. Despite their differences, despite his lack of articulation in very specific places, he looked good to her. She wanted him. She wanted him tonight and all the nights after.
He eventually looked down at her, water still running through his hair and over his face. He pulled her in and they kissed slowly under the spray, water sliding down both their faces. A first time for each to kiss under a warm cascade. It was heavenly. Her hands settled on his hips—the first time she had touched him there—and she pulled him in, wanting to just melt against him.
Connor mirrored her movements, his hands sliding down to cup her hips. He pulled her flush against him. The firmness of his groin pushing against her caused a noise to come out of her throat. Connor smiled as he felt the vibration against his mouth.
"I like that sound," he murmured.
He pressed her into the shower wall, his hand cradling the back of her head to protect it. He leaned in, his thigh purposefully sliding between hers. Both hands back on her hips, Samantha noted despite her heady state that Connor did indeed seem to know what he was doing now. That firm thigh pressed into the heat of her and she made another sound of pleasure. Samantha would have been happy to let him continue like that, but...
"Ha! Cold! This shower wall is very very cold."
He gave an apology as he pulled her forward, letting the hot water warm her back. Samantha kept him held close, their bodies pressed together. She kissed the base of his neck, those delectable collar bones, his sternum.
"How about we get out and dried and then you can finish what you were doing?" she suggested.
Connor readily accepted that idea and the water was switched off. With a towel around her torso and another wrapping her hair, Samantha quickly toweled down a nude and dripping Connor before leading him to the bed. There they sat while she dried him with a little more care. He especially seemed to enjoy when she toweled through his hair. He had a cute, boyish smile on his face and was even cuter with his hair all damp and disheveled. She roughed up his hair again with her bare hand just for fun and he continued grinning.
He asked if he could do the same to her and she agreed, expecting to get the same playful treatment. Instead, the towel was gently run over her hair. Samantha was unprepared for the emotional reaction of being treated with such care. She let out a shaky breath.
"Are you okay?" Connor asked.
She threw a bit of a smile over her shoulder. "Yes. I like it."
"I can brush it for you, if you would like."
Her breath hitched in her throat. "Yes, please," she whispered.
Connor reached forward to take the brush sitting on the nightstand. Seeing the object was the reason he asked in the first place. Samantha waited, holding her breath until she felt that first touch of the bristles. Her eyes closed as the brush glided through her wet hair.
"I've always wondered what it was like to have my hair brushed," she admitted after a while. "It's something parents will do for their children. I was never a child, so I've never experienced it. I know, it's silly."
"How do you like it?" was the only response.
"I like it very much. Thank you, Connor."
"My pleasure. Entirely," came the gentle humor. The same line she once gave to him and she smiled down into her hands.
She allowed him to run the brush through her hair for several minutes. He would probably do it all night if she asked. But there were so many other things she wanted to do with him, to him. Have him do to her. She turned and removed the brush from his hand, setting it down. Next, the bed covers were pulled back. Connor was motioned to slide onto the sheets and he obeyed, remaining propped up on his elbows.
Samantha dried her damp hair one last time before tossing the towel on the floor. When she crawled over him, Connor said, "I would prefer if our positions were switched."
She grinned and kissed his nose. "We'll take turns. My turn first."
"I find that very satisfactory," Connor agreed. He sat all the way back and let his head fall to the pillow.
Samantha silently hoped there would be other things he would find very satisfactory that night as she started at his forehead and kissed her way down his nose to his mouth. She kissed the top lip, then the bottom. Then his chin before moving on to the neck and jaw. Connor arched back beautifully to give her access. She nuzzled and nipped her way down his throat while her hand wandered the bare plane of his chest. No nipples, just the sculpted mold of pectoral muscles that were close to correct. Her fingers skipped the glowing circle of his power core only to find the dip of an almost bellybutton which she kissed. Then kissed a few of his cute, random freckles while she was at it.
Eyes on his face, she trailed her fingers further down until they slipped all the way between his thighs. Connor seemed to enjoy it the same way he had enjoyed all her touches. But no extra reaction when she explored a part of him that was far more intimate and sensitive on a human. That was a little disappointing. Now she was understanding what Angela said about the disconnect. She felt a little cheated not to be able to tease her romantic partner toward climax. She was at a loss of what to do next.
"Finished?" Connor asked, popping up on his elbows. He seemed a little too eager to take his turn doing the exploring.
"A little bit longer," Samantha said, not ready to give up yet. Angela said it was possible for androids to have erogenous zones, they just might be in different places. Determined, she let her fingers wander him anew. Connor watched with hooded eyes as she traced his form in all sorts of odd places. He seemed to like the touch, where ever it happened to be, but eventually they were both cooling down, stagnating while Samantha was being too stubborn to give up on a treasure hunt that seemed to have no treasure.
It was discouraging. That first time she had at least overheated him with her touch. Even had him panting a little. This was a whole lot of nothing. The fun part, Connor had called it. More like the depressing part. Was this how it was going to be from now on? He now knew how to get her all hot and bothered, but she was turning out to be absolutely useless to him.
Connor seemed to sense that she was not finding what she was looking for. He wasn't sure why she kept searching him, but he didn't like seeing her looking so defeated. How could he help? When her eyes wandered up to the glowing ring of his power core, Connor said, "You can touch it if you want. I'll let you."
She perked up. "Really? It's okay?"
He steeled himself, internally unsure if he should have allowed it. "Please be gentle."
"I can't accidentally hurt it or remove it, can I?"
"To remove it, you push down like clicking a button. The core will pop out enough that you can get a hold of it. Then you twist and remove." Even as he instructed this, Connor felt trepidation niggle at the back of his processor. His systems were on alert. The power core was not to be removed unless it was dead or damaged.
"How long can you live without it?" Samantha wondered.
A few warnings flittered in his field of vision. He had to remind himself Samantha would never hurt him and she wasn't going to just remove his power core. "About ten minutes if the core is removed correctly. That time quickly drops if it is forcefully ripped out."
He shivered at the thought of having a core violently removed. Why was he saying this? He shouldn't give her permission to touch it. Only experienced technicians should ever be touching it.
Samantha, carefully watching his face, placed her index finger lightly in the middle of the circle. He trembled. He suddenly hated this. Then, her finger carefully traced around the glowing rim and his systems hitched. A mixture of trepidation and exhilaration coursed through him all at once and his body heat rose slightly.
"Are you okay?" Samantha asked. "Your LED is yellow."
"I'm... not sure," Connor said in a shaky voice. "I know you won't hurt me, but... it's... scary? I'm not sure if that's the right word."
"You feel vulnerable," she responded knowingly. "Someone is touching a delicate, intimate part of you and it makes your pump beat faster."
"Yes," he whispered.
"I could hurt you, but it's also thrilling because I could also make you feel good if I did it just right."
She leaned down and ran her tongue over it. Connor actually arched with a gasp, fists clutching the sheets. Perfect. Now that was satisfying. More satisfying than if it had happened to her. She let him rest for a few cycles of air, then dragged a nail over it, letting it catch on the rim. Connor seized up again, eyes shut, jaw clenched. She went back to work running lips and tongue around the area, nipping with her teeth. Absolutely soaking up all the little sounds he made. His voice hitched higher, as if it were climbing, reaching for something.
Samantha was all consumed with it, tormenting him as if possessed. She chased his cries, seeing what else she could pry out of him. She applied more pressure to the core, pushing in to see how he would react. The core suddenly popped out about half an inch from his skin.
"Shit! I'm sorry," Samantha suddenly panicked. "I didn't mean to. Are you okay?"
Connor was a panting, over-heated mess beneath her. Damp hair clung to his forehead as he cycled air with an unfocused gaze. "No more. Please. I need a break."
"Okay. I'm so sorry. Let me just push it back in."
"No, Sam. No-" Connor started to protest. His LED flickered red.
But Samantha had already popped it back to its proper place. The sound that came from Connor's throat was practically a sob as he bowed off the bed. Her fingers felt a crackle of static electricity that startled her and she jerked away. Connor was left eyes shut and shivering. There was actually a bit of condensation on his skin. He gave out breathy, sighing whimpers as he came down from his high, his air pump cycling in earnest. Samantha could feel the heat radiating off his body and she worried she had actually broken something in him.
"Are you okay?" she whispered, leaning in. "Baby, please tell me you're okay."
He opened his eyes, his chest rising and falling with deep breaths. God she hoped he was okay because she just wanted to eat him up all over again when he looked like that.
"I'll be fine. I just need a moment," he said weakly.
"Did that... feel good?" she dared to ask. His reaction was so intense, it was hard to tell.
Connor blinked at the ceiling a few times. "I had no idea that's what it would feel like. That I could ever feel something like that at all. A shock of pleasure through my whole body. I don't know how else to describe it."
Samantha smirked. "You're quite welcome." She cuddled up to him, discarding her towel for the heat his body radiated. She kissed his chin and then the side of his jaw before Connor's hand palmed her mouth.
"I said I need a moment," he reminded with gentle finality. "No more stimulation."
Her chest hitched a little with silent laughter. She kissed his palm and then lay with her chin on his chest, keeping her hands and lips to herself while he recovered. Connor's arm came to settle around her where his fingers always found the furrow of her spine. She liked them there. That was where they belonged. His other arm went up to drape over his eyes and remained there for several minutes.
I think I just rocked his world, Samantha thought with amusement and a little pride.
She let him rest for as long as he needed, nearly dosing off before he finally stirred and removed himself from her. She watched from the bed as he padded on shaky legs to the bathroom. That tempting ass. She had forgotten she still meant to get her hands on that.
The water was heard running in the sink and Samantha got up to investigate. She found Connor splashing cold water on his face and neck. That was probably the most human thing she had seen him do yet.
"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked from the doorway.
He raised his head, looking at her nude reflection in the mirror. "I will be. Nothing was damaged. All my systems are going back to normal."
She smirked at him. "I thoroughly wrecked you tonight, didn't I?"
Water dripping from his forelock, he turned from her reflection to look at her. His expression seemed to say he did not completely understand the term, but she was probably accurate. Her smirk had him approaching her, getting into her space until he jerked her to him. Their bodies pressed firmly together and Samantha had to tilt her head back a little to meet his gaze.
"I think it's my turn," he informed her in a husky voice.
"Are you sure?" she replied playfully. "Maybe you should rest. Because I'm pretty sure I have now ruined you for all other women and that seems like more than plenty activity for one night."
His hands went lower, squeezing her backside and pressing her into him. He made her squeak from the treatment. "I'll have you know we androids have impressive stamina and we recover quickly. You will just have to refrain from touching me for a while. I'm afraid I must insist on taking over from here on out."
"Oh, really," she challenged with a raised brow.
"Yes. It's for everyone's benefit. Will you submit to my orders?"
Samantha's eyes widened, her pupils dilating. Connor, who was programmed to be submissive and obedient in all things, was going to dominate and give her orders?
"Y-yes. I think I can do that."
He captured her chin with his thumb and forefinger, raising it so he could kiss her forehead. "Good girl."
Samantha's knees turned to jelly. Where did he get that line? And why did it hit her so hard?
Connor bent down to retrieve her, carrying her back to bed. Samantha absolutely loved it. His strength, how her weight didn't seem to hinder him at all, always made her feel light and dainty. He deposited her onto the bed and came right along with her. Skin brushed skin as his body slid against her. Their fingers made love as they slid up the length of each other and intertwined. Their legs did the same.
Connor let out an audible sigh of contentment, complete with exhale of air as he buried his face into her neck. Being skin to skin, having Samantha under him, pliant and willing was another thing on a growing list of all his favorite things. They all had to do with her.
Her fingers slid out of his grip and began running up and down his back. "So, what are my orders?"
Connor gave a little grunt. "I believe my first order was to refrain from touching me." He sat up and gathered her hands, pinning both above her head with one of his. He had such big, broad hands. Her little wrists dwarfed in his grip was a bit of a turn on for both of them.
"That is an unfortunate order," Samantha pouted. "If I can't touch you, then what else is there for me to do?"
"You are to behave yourself and let me do whatever I want to you."
Samantha had to look away. That should have been an irritating statement, but she was getting ridiculously turned on by it.
"Keep your hands where they are," Connor then said. "Do not move them until I tell you to."
Per his request, she remained as she was when he let her go. Connor's scanners could see the affect it had. Raise in temperature and heartbeat, pupils wide, and a full blush running down her body. He tipped her head up so he could nip at the sensitive column of her throat. Her quick inhale was his reward and he sought out others as he slowly worked his way down. He found the dip in her collarbone and pressed his tongue there to feel the skip of her pulse.
"Do you analyze me when you use your tongue?" Samantha asked in a breathy voice.
"No. It's distracting. I would rather pay attention to your reactions than my reports."
Her laugh was breathy as well. "I like that answer."
"I am happy to please you," came the cheeky reply. Speaking of pleasing, Connor had come to the point where his information had ended the first time. Before, he could only mirror where and how Samantha had touched and kissed him. He did not know what else to do. Now, it was different. He had bypassed her breasts before. The only thing he knew about them was they had a biological function of feeding offspring. He saw no reason to give them any attention. But now...
She jerked when he cupped her breast, squeezing gently. The sensors on his hand picked up the firm peak as it brushed against his palm. He appraised it with shrewd attention, rubbing it between his thumb and forefinger.
"Ah! Connor! That's sensitive!" she cried. Her arms jerked and Connor immediately put his hand back on her wrists to keep her pinned.
"I'm sure I don't know what that's like," he said drolly. "And I did not give you permission to move."
He continued what he was doing and watched with rapt attention as Samantha's whole body became restless beneath him. Her back arched, her hips squirmed. Her legs trembled and toes curled. Fascinating.
"Gentle," she begged, eyes closed tight. "A little more gently."
At the insinuation that he might be touching her too roughly, Connor released the hardened nipple and ran his palm up between her breasts and back down to soothe her. He kissed down the same trail his hand had taken, still a little unsure of his actions. Sterile facts were not the same as experience. His mouth and hands dared to go a little further. He cupped her hips, tracing their curve. A kiss was placed at the protrusion of her hip bone. His hooded gaze wandered down to the juncture between her legs. He knew, but... he still didn't really know.
When his eyes lingered, Samantha's body tightened a little. Her thighs pressed together, knees drawing up protectively. Connor trailed his gaze back up her form.
"You've been a very good girl," he practically purred as he kissed her ear.
Samantha gave a soft hiss. Her ears were sensitive, too. And that damn good girl line. Why did it make her wet every time when it came out of his mouth?
Connor continued to torment her, nipping at her ear, her jaw, her neck. She stayed firm, determined not to move. But all sorts of lovely squeaks and whimpers were being chased out of her. When he paused, she opened her eyes to find him staring down her body again.
"Show me what to do," he said.
Samantha blushed all over again but didn't move, didn't say a word.
"Samantha, that is my order." God, his voice was still so calm. "Show me how to touch you."
Her breath came out shaky, followed by a quick intake of air. She closed her eyes, trying to build up the courage, because she was a good girl. She was his good girl, always.
Finally moving her arms, she sat up on one elbow so their mouths could meet. He allowed the kiss, returning it with equal affection. Samantha's free hand delved into his hair, clutching it, feeling the damp softness. It trailed down to his shoulder, her fingers ghosting over his arm. Her hand found his and their fingers entwined, pads kissing each other, making love all over again.
She took his hand and guided it down to where he hadn't touched her before. To where no one else had touched her before. Connor watched in rapt attention as she showed him where to rub the pads of his fingertips, where to apply pressure. Then she took him lower. Her body stiffened, her face pressed to his neck, when his long fingers slid inside.
Connor was on full investigative mode. Every little thing she did was logged in his files. The way her body trembled, the heat and slick of her on his fingers. Experimentally he scissored the two fingers inside her and rubbed at the inner walls. Samantha's face remained hidden in his neck, her skin hot. Her fingers dug into his sides as he continued to probe and test. Her thighs clamped down on his hand.
"Does this feel good to you?" he asked.
She gave a muffled, embarrassed 'yes' into his skin. His computer brain continued calculating. A combination of penetration and friction produced a pleasurable response. There was also a variable of pressure to add to the equation. As his processor worked on the math of this discovery, Connor reclaimed his hand for inspection. He was fascinated at the string of a clear substance stretched between his two fingers. A human body's natural lubrication.
He wondered what it was made of.
"Connor!"
He paused, his fingers half way to his lips.
"Don't you dare!" Samantha hissed. "You keep that tongue in your mouth!"
He raised a brow at her. What was it Angela said about tongues earlier that day? About using his tongue on her? He glanced down her body and then back up at her face.
Samantha's eyes nearly popped out of her skull. "Connor, I... I don't think..."
He had already moved himself from her with purpose. More floundering words fell out of her mouth, but she had lost all sense of what she was saying as she watched the android position himself by her drawn-up knees. His gaze was focused as he stared at a very specific part of her with intent. She drew up even tighter under his gaze. Especially when he put his hands on her knees and tried to coax them apart. She stubbornly held them in place.
"Samantha," Connor admonished. When he looked up, her hands were completely covering her face from him. "You agreed. Anything I want to you."
"Can't you be done doing anything you want?" came the weak reply.
"No."
He waited for her, one finger tapping on her knee. After a few moments, she still hadn't removed her hands from her face, but her legs relaxed and Connor was able to guide them to where he wished. With the core of her now exposed, he moved lower to inspect. Samantha still would not look at him.
"Is this a strange thing to do?" he suddenly wondered.
A huge sigh from her, the sound hollowed by the cover of her hands. "No. It's... common. I'm just embarrassed. I've never done any of this before."
"If you really don't want me to, I won't. Just tell me and I'll stop."
Again, silence. She didn't have an LED, but Connor knew it would be blinking yellow if she did. He could practically feel the cogs in her head turning.
"I... guess it might be... if you are wanting to..."
"Hm?" Connor asked of her mumbles.
"I... want you to." The response was quiet, but clear.
"Then look at me, Samantha."
Her hands slowly came down. The face behind it looked more than a little irked. And when she saw Connor, gorgeously nude and hair disheveled, positioned between her legs, her face went absolutely beet red.
At the sight of her, Connor felt an unusual tremor start low in his chest. It bubbled up his throat and burst out as he suddenly laughed. Eyes closed, shoulders shaking; a real, genuine sound of joy and amusement.
Samantha did not appreciate that at all. "Why is this so funny, you ass?" She frowned and pressed a foot in the middle of his chest to stop him from doing anything else to her.
Connor was still laughing, but her strength was no match for his. He easily moved her leg away and there was nothing else she could do to stop him as he climbed back up her body. She was still protesting as his mouth claimed hers, tremors of his glee felt through her lips. "I love you," he said between kisses and laughs. "I love you so much."
When she stopped weakly fighting him off, his mind went back to his previous goal. She was placated and pliant again. He kissed her throat, the valley between her breasts, her soft stomach. Then his face settled between her thighs before Samantha could come up with any more excuses.
Too late to stop him now, she dropped her head with a sigh. She wondered what it would feel like. Maybe it wouldn't feel like anything. With Connor being so inexperienced, she tried not to expect—Samantha suddenly gasped when she felt his mouth on her. His tongue pressed in, exploring, delving. She shuddered, her hips squirming.
Connor would have none of that. He wrapped his arms around her thighs, successfully pinning her down and keeping her legs wide for him in the same motion. He worked her with the same single-minded determination he did everything. It wasn't long before Samantha was panting and writhing on the bed, sheets clenched in her fists.
"C-Connor," she whispered, well aware of the fact she needed to keep the volume down.
He gave a responding hum and she felt the vibration in the core of her. Her hand shot out to grip his hair and Connor moved to obey the silent prompt. His tongue pressed a firm pressure on that little bundle of nerves at the apex of her entrance. And when Samantha felt his fingers join in, delving deep inside, she had to slap her hands over her mouth to muffle the sound of her cries.
Connor was enraptured with those sounds. He chased them like a bloodhound on a scent. Anything he did that caused her to jerk, to arch, to cry out, he repeated, learned, practiced. Beneath him, she was climbing and he was readily pushing her over the edge. He was so focused, he didn't realized she had crashed until her whole body stiffened and trembled, her cries muffled in her hands.
"Connor, stop, stop," she begged in a weak, shaky voice. "It's over. You can stop."
He pulled back, propped up on his elbows. Blinking, his LED spun and flickered as he picked apart the whole encounter and measured each moment. Samantha's reaction was more than ideal. His vantage point, however, had been less than satisfactory. He wanted to watch her fall apart and had pretty much missed the entire show.
Though the afterglow, he had to admit, was its own kind of vision. Samantha, nude and panting: skin glistening with sweat, cheeks flushed, completely spent. This moment would stay in his memory banks forever. Her eyes were closed, hair stuck to her forehead. He crawled up her body, propped up on his palms as he hovered over her.
"Was that okay?" he asked.
Eyes still closed, she gave a tired smile. "You sure that was your first time?"
He grinned back, leaning down until their foreheads touched. "Are we even?"
She laughed, breathy and happy as she hugged his head. "Not that I think we should keep track, but we'll say yes. Just this once. Now come down here and keep me warm."
Gladly, Connor lowered himself so their bodies were finally flush against each other once more. He leaned in to kiss her and she immediately held him back by her palm on his chin.
"Look at your face," she protested. With two fingers she wiped some of the slick from around his mouth. "Eww. Humans are gross. I'm gross. You don't ever have to do that again."
"Oh, I intend to do it again," Connor informed her. "I don't find a single thing about you 'gross.'" He tried to kiss her again. She pushed away and rolled him over, leaning over him to retrieve a towel from the floor. The android remained patient as she wiped his face and fingers, then wiped herself off as well. Only then did she allow him to kiss and canoodle with her again. The lamp light was turned off and the two snuggled in the dark under the gentle glow of Connor's blue LED.
"We can't do this every night," Samantha whispered.
Connor wanted to protest why, but he knew. And he hated it. There were cameras, eyes always watching. His life was not his own. It belonged to the Hall Foundation and they could take him whenever they wished. Samantha, too, was owned by the foundation. It was the one thing from which he could not protect her. He couldn't even protect himself.
All the two of them had was this. Even though he didn't sleep, he wanted to be with her, bonding silently as she had taught him. Now that he knew how he felt, now that he could feel, it was cruel that he could not express this love when he wished. Hold her whenever he wanted, whenever she needed it.
"When?" was all he asked.
"I don't know. But we should definitely wait a while. We already look suspicious."
Connor pulled her in and tucked her into his chest. His chin sat on the crown of her head as he held her. When the sun came, he would have to give her up for a while. He wished the night would last forever.
"Tell me I will get to hold you again," he murmured.
"Of course," she smiled into his chest. "We'll just have to wait a bit. It will make the next time that much more special."
His response was to merely pull her in tighter. He already felt a profound sense of loss at the mere thought of her leaving his arms. Samantha seemed to sense his thoughts. She murmured soft, sweet things as her fingertips caressed his form. Not a touch meant to arouse, only to comfort and show affection. Connor's eyes would close in bliss as she touched him, then open every so often to study her face as his own fingers wandered their favorite trail of her spine.
Eventually, Connor closed his eyes and didn't open them again. His LED was smothered by the pillow, but Samantha dug down to get a good look at it. It blinked slowly blue on and off. Just like the last time. Once again, he was so worn out his body put him into a kind of sleep mode. Samantha was a little proud of that. She snuggled back against him and joined him in restful bliss.