—"the vital force or impulse of life."

.x.X.x.

Rin never thought she'd square off against a box.

Here she stands, her fingers nervously twitching at her sides, eyes warily flickering across the empty room as if checking for curious eyes. Of course there's no one in her home but her- her, and this large, unlabelled box placed sideways on the floor at her feet, thrown at the base of the couch just a few minutes before.

The blonde plucks at the hem of her shirt, reaching up to knock back her loose bangs that keep falling in her eyes. She's never felt this uncertain before, and that's saying something. She's always prepared for her day-to-day life, but this… this is an irregular variable. Even if she did, in some way, sign up for this new development, she wasn't expecting it to show up a day after ordering it.

She's nearly afraid to touch it, as if the cardboard will spring to life at the merest of feather-light contact. Already she's beginning to regret her decision to buy the thing.

Squaring her shoulders, the young woman bites her lip and forces herself to gather her bravery. It's stupid to be scared of an inanimate object- oh, but it isn't inanimate at all.

She clenches her fists, shaking her head at herself.

The box has been cut open, but she hasn't actually opened it to behold its contents. Something has helf her back, but the more she stands here staring it down, the sillier she feels. After all, she spent most of her life savings on it; why shouldn't she at least look upon it?

Of course, at the time she bought her, she had to have not been thinking clearly. Otherwise she probably wouldn't have invested in such an- an extravagant 'gift' to herself.

Well… it's a bit too late now, isn't it? Might as well stop beating around the bush.

Rin gently gets on her knees, her carpet rough against her bare skin. With somewhat shaky fingers, she slips the tips under the lid of the box and peels it up, raising it to peer inside.

She gasps.

Laying completely still within its wooden confines, nestled in a mass of foam peanuts, is what looks like a sleeping boy. He is astonishing to behold; his body is slender and toned, tinted the faintest of tan, reminiscent of a younger male's build but also masculine in some way. His skin is unmarred, perfect as it dips into the cotton white of his plain button-down shirt and peeks out with his sculpted, thin hands. His lower half is clad in loose-fitting pale trousers to match, the cloth hiding away the figure underneath. But what really captures her eyes is his face.

Perfectly round, jutting into a slight angular point at his chin. A button nose, and soft-looking lips that look as if they could easily break into a smile at any given moment. High cheekbones, framed by golden hair that reaches his shoulders. She resists the urge to brush away the limp strands.

Seeing this body lying here, you might've thought it a corpse- but Rin knows better.

This person, lying stiff as a board, not showing any signs of life, not breathing or shifting, is what is known as a 'Vocaloid'. A brand of highly-sought-after, expensive humanoid androids, meant to be a realistic companion 'for lovely, lonely women of all ages', as the ad had said.

There was a variety of reasons as to why she bought the creature before her, but those barely cross her mind as instead her gaze catches on something sharply white sticking out of the collar of his shirt.

Ah, instructions, maybe…?

Tentatively she reaches out, barely rustling the boy's prone form as she retrieves the paper. With curiosity she opens the half-folded slip, blinking at it.

'To turn on unit, press lips to forehead.'

It takes her a moment to process, before she glances at the immobile being. She has to… kiss him? On the forehead?

Well, that's… better than what she expected, maybe.

However, the thought doesn't comfort her as she moves over him, positioning herself above the inanimate male. For a minute she can only stare down at him, intimidated by his handsome features. It feels wrong for her to do this, even if he's just an android- like she's invading his space.

Steeling herself, the red-faced blonde lowers her head, closes her eyes, and softly presses her lips against the cool surface of his skin. When she does, she catches a whiff of his scent- somewhat metallic, and yet more along the lines of spice.

It really does… feel real.

In the next second, something triggers. The place her lips touch turns unbelievably warm in a simple instant- and then something grabs her, crushing her down against his chest like a powerless ragdoll before she can dare struggle. Something hot latches down on her neck, and she realizes he's moving beneath her, his head tilting while his mouth finds purchase in the tender skin of her throat.

"A-a-ah!" She cries out in shock, her voice somewhat strangled as he pins her against his chest, leaving trailing kisses over her relentlessly. "S-stop-!" Her mind floods with awful thoughts, such as 'what if he's malfunctioning? What if he rips me apart? What if I become a slave to the inhuman race?'

(Nothing sane, of course- but what else are you to think when you're trapped in the embrace of a robot?)

Preventing her escape, she suddenly finds herself hoisted into the air. How he managed to stand up and get out of the box is beyond her, but she doesn't dwell on it for long. In a single flash, she feels her back make contact with the flexible cushions of her loveseat, her legs tangled up in his. She's in panic mode now, but before she can scream, her wrists are pressed down into the couch beneath her- and she makes eye contact with the terrifying android.

Eyes the color of vivid sapphires grace hers. He stares back at her, hovering mere inches from her face, her frantic pants not fazing him in the least. He is bigger than her, even though his body had seemed smaller wrapped in the box's packaging peanuts. The bangs she'd wanted to brush away earlier now hang over his eyes, leaving his handsome face in shadow.

Though he had seemed human before, something about his expression sharply reminds her that he isn't. His lips are pressed together, and- hell, did he unbutton half his shirt in those few seconds he was moving her here?!

Yet, in his eyes- there's some kind of light there, something shining in the chiseled azure of his iris that unmistakably draws her in.

"Hello," he speaks in a silky tone. His voice is melodic, not high-pitched but not gravelly, reminding her of warm honey. He doesn't flinch as he gazes down at her, while her heart thunders loudly in her chest with adrenaline. He's breathing now, unlike before- and warm air brushes her cheeks from his proximity.

"I am CV-02. You may name me whatever you please, but that isn't important. Allow me to get straight to the point. Tell me, mistress- how would you like me to treat you tonight?"

There is nothing but seriousness in his tone as the blond male stares at her.

Her heart is trapped in her throat, lodged firmly so that she can barely make out words. Her entire body is shaking. She wasn't expecting this to be what the android was like. Somehow she expected it to be less methodical, more mechanical and surreal, not- not like she's about to be molested by it. They did say this was their newest model of which limited copies were made, which is why she'd gotten this particular one, so he might not be perfect; but, still, what's with this entire scenario?

"W-what?" she squeaks in an embarrassingly shrill voice. "What do you mean-?"

He takes a moment to consider how best to answer her, before lowering his head and beginning to shower her neck in kisses like before.

"In what way will I best be of service to you?" he clarifies. "Would you prefer me to be rough and forceful, and have my way with you," his lips suck harshly on her neck, eliciting a sharp cry. "Or would you rather I be soft and gentle, slow to pleasure you?"

He grows a bit less eager, yet still keeps to his matter-of-fact voice even while his hand releases her wrist to slip underneath her tanktop, fingertips tracing up her torso and cresting his mouth down her collarbone with ease. "If you so desire, you may also take control of the situation and dominate me. If you're uncertain what you want, I am obligated to test various techniques and discover what best suits your taste."

Everything's moving so fast that she feels as if she's living in some fantasy of hers. Nonetheless, when he manages to reach her bra with the edge of his hand, her entire body jerks into retaliation. She's definitely, definitely, not ready for this.

"I- I don't want anything! I- I want you to stop!" Her hand clamps down on his under her shirt to halt his progression, while she squirms underneath him, trying to wedge herself free.

The boy's face finally takes on a more human, and less predatory, expression- confusion.

"What's wrong?" He asks, pausing to look at her once more, gauging her expression. "Have I done something you don't like?"

If he wasn't acting so sincere, she'd laugh about the puppy dog eyes he's turned on; but under him in such a compromising position, she's left with embarrassment and unease.

Pushing at his hands and finding the effort futile under his inhuman grip, she shakes her head wildly back and forth.

"No! It's not that, but I'm— I'm not ready to go this far with anyone I've just met!" she says, her voice rising to a shrill pitch involuntarily. "You might be just an android, but you're not allowed to force yourself on me like this!"

As if she's mentioned some key word, the grip he has on her immediately slackens. He withdraws both hands and straightens up, leaving her prone against her couch and staring up at his slim figure. His shirt is haphazardly strung along his chest, half off, and his hair mussed as if he's been rolling around in bed all morning.

Surprising to her, he looks ashamed as he puts out a hand to help her up. Gingerly she takes it, the cool feeling of his palm odd within hers as she lifts to her feet, coming unnecessarily close to him and taking a purposeful step back.

"My apologies," he says, his voice falling into his melodic melancholy tone. "If you want to, you may reprogram me any way you please if I'm dissatisfactory."

Her head is spinning, honestly. There's so much to unpack here, and she doesn't even know where to start with it. The last few moments are a blur, and his constant barrages of words aren't helping her piece together what's happened.

Well, if nothing else, the android works. It's functioning properly, maybe a little too properly. But…. reprogramming it seems a bit harsh so suddenly.

Maybe it just needs a bit of getting used to. That might be the answer. Maybe just trying to adjust to it will help her absorb the new addition to her household.

God, I still can't believe I forked over so much money for one of these…

Wiping away the thought, she meets the android's gaze and frowns.

"No, I won't do that, not yet anyway. Um… What did you say your name was?"

"CV-02 is my official name, or if you prefer my manufacturer name, it's 86753-"

"Stop right there," she interrupts, already grimacing at the infodump. "I'm not going to just call you C-whatever."

"You may name me whatever you wish and I'll log it into my databank," the blond tells her, standing perfectly still before her and bowing his head, his bangs gently falling forward. "I am yours to personalize, after all."

The way it words that sentence sends chills creeping up her spine, but she tries to shake it off and ignore it. Technically it's right.

It's kinda like naming a pet, right? But naming a fully grown human being is a little… off, in its own way. Er, could it even be called that? Ah, her head is starting to spin worse now...

He waits patiently for her as she ponders her choices, and Rin feels a tad uncomfortable under his unwavering stare. Finally she spews out the first name that comes to mind, in exasperation.

"Len," she decides. "Your name is Len."

"Len," he repeats, his voice taking an inhuman tone right off the bat and his eyes losing their brightness for a minute. She's startled by how fast his expression changes from lively and active, to dull and, well— robotic. He processes a minute, before returning to his previous state as if nothing had happened.

"That name has been recoded over my original title," he tells her proudly. "I am now Len, your own personal partner for your every need. Mistress, allow me to take great care of you in every way you wish."

With a burst of air between her lips, she closes her eyes and allows her heartbeat to slow. Okay. Okay.

Step one. You're at step one.

...How many steps will it take before this feels normal?

Will it feel normal?

"Well, Len," she says, reopening her eyes and casting a glance his direction. "For now, let's… Let's work on figuring out our home arrangements."

He tilts his head. "Arrangements?"

"Yeah. You know… like where you'll sleep, or stay when I'm not around," she explains.

His expression twists in incomprehension.

"I do not require sleep, but it is part of my instructions to reside within your bed."

Her heartbeat triples back up at the mere mention, and she can only allow herself the overwhelming feeling of anxiety that lurks over her head.

Oh, this entire thing is going to be a bit of work.

"We'll see about that, Len."

.x.X.x.

The first night with him is awkward.

Being used to a household of solitude and quiet means that a new presence feels unwelcome and anxiety inducing. Thankfully she just lives in a little apartment, so it's not as if she's afraid of him popping out of the shadows to scare her from the next room over, but it's the premise that there's an entirely different person within her household that leaves her feeling… odd.

It's been awhile since she had anyone in her home.

Years, in fact.

After firmly making sure that he was situated in her living room and wouldn't be going anywhere else (which took quite a minute, since he seemed adamant about staying as close to her as possible,) she took his rather large instruction manual and adjourned to her room. Even with the sense of having walls between her and his presence outside, she's still acutely aware of him being just beyond her door.

It's nearly 2AM now, she groggily realizes, her tired eyes catching a small glimpse of the clock on her bedside table. Her lamp seems to hurt every time she even peers that direction, meaning she's sorely lacking the sleep she desperately needs, but she's been trying to absorb every tidbit of info inside the manual for him. After all, it's not exactly a common thing to have a living robot in your home.

Yet she's just too exhausted to keep going through it. Already she's made herself comfortable within her mountain of pillows, and the manual slips from her grasp to the table with an ungraceful thud. Sighing, she pulls her comforter up over her shoulders and snaps the light off with a flick of her wrist, curling deep into her nest of warmth and trying not to think too much.

Even though she really can't quite process the mistake she's made.

When she bought it- er, Len- she wasn't thinking clearly for multiple reasons. In her desperation for something, anything, she had purchased him, and now she's paying the metaphysical price. Is there a return policy? Granted she had him custom made to her preferences, too, which means they probably won't let her take him back. God, what has she done?

Ugh… Her head hurts even thinking about it anymore. Pressing her face into the fluffy shelter of her pillow, she pushes aside the thought of him.

It's too late at night to deal with any of this right now, honestly. Tomorrow… Tomorrow I'll figure it out.

Rin's drowsiness washes over her like a tidal wave, the ordeal with the android seeming to have sucked out all the energy she'd had through the day. Her blankets welcome her into their embrace, and in moments she scrapes the edge of unconsciousness, her body softly easing into the comfort of her cozy mattress.

That is, until she realizes something is a bit off, and her sleepy mind jolts awake again as something slides itself across her ribcage, snaking around her and tugging her in close to a much firmer wall. Her eyes snap open in the darkness, but she's shocked into stillness for a moment as the creature nuzzles itself into her hair.

"W-Who-?"

Her confused rasp cuts off when it dawns on her that the android boy must have snuck into her room. She's momentarily helpless as his arm tightens against the material of her big t-shirt, his fingers sliding gently under the hem and dancing up to splay against her torso. Just the act of it sends her reeling, flames licking under the surface of her skin.

"Len, l-let go of me!" she manages, face turning bright red while reaching down to push at his arm. "What are you doing?"

"Cuddling you," he answers, somehow matter-of-fact yet in a low undertone, sending a shiver through her spine. "It's part of my programming to make sure you're as comfortable as possible in my presence. Am I holding you too tightly, mistress?"

"I told you to stay in the other room! Don't touch me like this!" Her protest sounds shrill in the night air, yet she's glad she can't see his face. She'd be at risk of getting lost in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I tried to. But I'm programmed to stay by your side, and in your room at night."

At this, she forces herself to turn around in his hold. Surprisingly he doesn't put up much resistance, allowing her to spin around to face him. When she does, her eyes go wide in horror.

"Y-You're… You're not… wearing anything," she gasps.

His entire nude body is out in the open for her to see. His skin is a pleasant light tan, and his chest is sculpted firm yet slender, radiating the energy of an athletic twenty-year old. Her blankets were pushed away by his body, and before she can help herself, her eyes scan down his body, settling firmly on the sight of something she'd never seen in person before and causing her to yelp in embarrassment. Rin quickly hides her face down in the pillow while slamming her palms against his chest.

"Why- where are your clothes?!" she demands, confusing the android with her violent reaction. "Get- Get out of my bed, you pervert!"

Her protest ends up with her somehow managing to push the boy right off the bed. His body makes a loud thud against her floor, his foot tangling in her blanket and pulling it down with him. Sitting upright with her legs underneath her, panting heavily, she covers her face and motions vigorously toward the door.

"Do you prefer I wear clothes in bed with you, Mistress? I can't perform certain sexual acts if clothed," he explains, unfazed by her, and she shrieks.

"Of course I prefer you wear clothes, Len! I don't plan on sleeping with you at all, especially considering you're such a damn pervert! You can't just get into my bed not wearing anything!"

Her heart is pounding so hard in her chest that she can't breathe.

There's a ponderous look on his handsome face, and as he picks himself up off the floor and removes the blanket from its knot around his legs, she throws a pillow at him to cover himself with. He holds the fluffy object in a loose grip, tilting his head at her.

"Mistress, are you a virgin?"

The color absolutely drains from her face, and she gapes open-mouthed at his emotionless question. Her stunned silence seems to answer the question for him, however.

"So you are. I'll keep this in my databanks so I know how to properly treat you during your first time."

"Stop! Stop, stop, stop!" Her head is spinning, and she glances at the clock in exasperation. 2:36AM, too damn late for this shit.

"Stop asking such personal questions, stop being so damn aloof, and for God's sake, stop calling me 'mistress'!" Her voice breaks slightly at the end of her rant. "Now get out of my room so I can get some sleep. I'll deal with you in the morning!"

"...Have I made you upset?" It dawns on him, it seems, staring at her heaving visage and scarlet cheeks. "I'm sorry, I had no intention of—"

"Just… please let me sleep. Please." Rin rubs her temple, still gesturing toward the door hurriedly. "Don't come in my room unless I give you permission ever again. Ever."

"...Yes, as you wish," he answers, his head bowing a bit. If she weren't so angry and mortified, she'd note how he almost sounded sheepish. But androids can't express human emotion, she knows that, so it's silly to even think that way. God, it's so late…

"I'm sorry." He offers her a small bow before turning and walking out of her bedroom, showing her an unfortunately glorious view of his backside before she turns her eyes the opposite direction in shame.

It isn't until the door clicks shut that she lets out a long, trapped sigh, the tension finally leaving her shoulders. Her fingers grip tight into the hem of her shirt, and she moves to untangle her blankets for the heap on the floor. Holding the fabric tight in hand, her eyes slide to the door, and she bites the inside of her cheek hard enough to taste blood.

What kind of mistake have I made…?

A/N: Yeah so hi guys. Been awhile. Please don't let me post this and never continue it, I really love this idea but the motivation is hard to keep. This story is also going to be much more mature than you're used to seeing from me, but it's time for me to grow up and admit that I want to tackle subject themes like these every once in awhile.

Get ready for an unnecessarily bumpy ride, my dudes. I missed y'all.

I hope you're taking care.

~I own nothing except frazzled feelings and the fantasy of android lovers~