Kate drew in a deep breath as she awoke, keeping her eyes closed but moving just enough to confirm that she was no longer asleep. Her brain was still fuzzy, memories and sensations reconnecting one at a time. She wished she would know exactly when she fell asleep every night as if it would make it easier for her to wake up in the morning. She was never tired before sleeping, and she never remembered her dreams although they always seemed to have an influence on her in the few moments of limbo between sleep and consciousness. This morning she felt nervous and edgy, her body already charged even though her muscles were weak from weariness. It made her want to move. She settled on simply closing her fingers, drawing them over smooth skin.
The grounding movement restored her sense of space within the world. The details came one at a time, beginning with how she was lying on her stomach, her body slightly twisted so that she had one leg drawn up and her arm under her pillow. It was warm in her room despite the fact that she was uncovered, and she also realized with some shock that she had no clothes on. Everything focused on each sensation against her skin, the soft breeze of the air from the ceiling fan, the fluctuation in temperature on different parts of her, how unusually soft the blankets were on her bare body, and the warm smooth texture under her hand and leg of Simon lying next to her.
A silent thrill burned through her, and she opened her eyes. Light was only visible in half her vision, one side of her face buried against Simon's chest. It was rising and falling with each breath, and Kate watched her hand rise with it as it rested on him. Something about the way he was lying next to her, unmoving besides his slow breathing told Kate that he was unaware she had awoken. The idea that she was observing him without his knowledge brought with it a kind of excitement. A sort of power unlike what she'd felt the previous night. She wanted to move to see if she was right, but at the same time she didn't want to give herself away. After a few moments of watching his bare chest rise and fall, she slowly turned her head to look up at him.
His tilted face came into view, outlined at an angle by the bright light shining through the window. Kate could only see one eye, and it was closed, his eyebrows gently raised in a blank expression. If she didn't know better, she would have thought he was asleep. She recognized that look as the one he often had when he was in his trance-like stasis. She couldn't see his LED from where she was, but she guessed it was conducting its usual spin from blue to white.
She took the time to analyze his face in this independent state which had become rare. It was something she was never quite used to despite how familiar she was with him. As if she were seeing a different version of him entirely. He had a certain power over her in that he didn't require sleep, and for several hours every day she allowed herself to be wrapped up in him, surrendering her body while she drifted to a place absent of him. He could feel free to memorize every aspect of her for as long as he wanted. Kate knew he would never deny her the same thing, but there was a kind of comfort in knowing that there was no need to ask.
As carefully as she could, she brought her elbow underneath herself and gently rose up, her hair falling over her shoulder as she lifted her bare upper body. Simon didn't move, his peaceful blank expression still frozen on his face. From where she held herself, she could see his LED flashing, his eyelids tensing and relaxing, gentle twitches of his eyebrows, and very faint tugs at his mouth. The movements were so minor, yet Kate couldn't help but feel a wash of awe every time she saw one. As though she were gaining a glimpse into whatever subconscious he had.
The gentle tension in his features made them stand out, and Kate's heart fluttered as she gazed at him. She still couldn't believe how utterly perfect he looked. How attractive he was. The curves of his eyebrows, the angle of his nose, and the tapered outline of his face were so specific to him. Yet even as she felt herself burn for him, she could never say they were unique. They were all a product of CyberLife design. What men like her father had decided would be the most appropriate appearance for something that would exist as a mindless servant. It was never meant to take someone's breath away. To fill them with stunning passion. To make them want to trace every outline of every feature as if they could memorize every angle of him the way Kate wanted to now.
He was unique. Even in his current blank state. In the way he'd changed her life, how he'd deviated, what he felt for her, and how he wanted to use that to help someone else. Who he was made him unbearably attractive to her. The features may have been the same in every dimension, but she could swear that if she saw him as he was the day he first appeared at her front door, he would look like a completely different person. He had changed in so many ways, and had done it so naturally. As if he were adept at it. She could feel the person that he was, and those small movements were only further proof that he was the reason she was so in love with him.
She carefully moved herself closer to him and gazed at him as she ran her hand up his chest to his neck and back down again, rubbing him softly. He drew in a deep breath, arching slightly off the bed, and his eyes flew open. It seemed he wasn't able to see for a moment, his eyes dilated and staring blankly at the ceiling. Then he blinked, and Kate watched as his pupils contracted and relaxed. He turned his head, and Kate felt a wave of numbing electricity sweep through her as he looked at her. His blue eyes were saturated in the yellow light so that they seemed almost aqua in color. They tensed at the corners and the edges of his lips pulled lightly. It was an amazing transformation from pleasant bliss to thrilling acknowledgement of her. As close as she would ever get to waking him from sleep.
She felt her mouth tense as she smiled at him, and bit her lip to contain it. "Hi," she said quietly.
His smile grew, and Kate's heart raced. "Hi," he said.
Kate drew herself further up, and his hand slid along her back to hold her shoulders. The warmth of his smile was making her grow weak, and she gazed at his chest, pulling her hair behind her ear to distract herself from it. His other hand came up, and she returned her gaze to him as he ran his fingers through her hair to help her draw it back. His eyes were soft, scanning her as he worked. She could feel her strength slipping, and she focused on gently rubbing a spot on his chest to keep herself coherent. It seemed to do the job.
She drew up her confidence, revitalizing herself. "What were you dreaming about?" she asked.
When he didn't answer, she let her gaze drift back up to him. He was staring up at the ceiling, his blue eyes tensed as though he were trying to remember. When he looked back at her, he opened his mouth to speak. After a few moments of silence, his eyes flicked to her lips, and a smile spread on his face.
Kate narrowed her eyes at him, throwing him a sideways smile. She let out a laugh through her nose and stopped rubbing his chest. "God." She rolled off of him. "Forget I asked."
His hand was on her arm and she was pulled back into him. She caught his gaze for only a moment, the sight of his smile sparking exhilaration through her before she twisted the other way.
"Nope," she said as she tried to roll away again. He wrapped his leg behind both of hers and gripped her shoulder, preventing her from twisting her upper body. She drew her legs up to break free of him. "I'm not letting you win this."
His smile became a grin as he caught her leg in his hand, pulling her against his waist. A shameful laugh left her and she dragged herself further up the bed, pushing against his shoulders to wrench herself out of his grip. He seemed to let her, his blue-eyed gaze following her until she was nearly untangled from him. Then, just before she was free, he grabbed her ankle, pinning her in place.
"God damn it." She twisted, clawing at the headboard behind her as he began to roll on top of her. She avoided his smile as she felt her own pull at her lips, and she leveraged herself up from underneath him. "You're too strong!"
He laughed as he raised himself up into a kneeling position, his hands gripping behind her knees to drag her on her back with him. She scrambled in a pitiful attempt to find purchase on the sheets around her, merely pulling them with her as he sat back on his heels and readjusted himself to grip her waist. He pulled her up, and suddenly she was sitting on his lap, her legs wrapped around him, and his gaze meeting hers.
She was out of breath, her chest heaving and her hands resting on his chest as she finally gave up struggling. He smoothed his thumbs over the peaks of her hips, his smile softening as he tilted his head to look at her. It was almost as if he was tempting her to escape again, but as Kate met his eyes, the features of him drew every ounce of fight out of her, and she no longer had the energy or the will to keep up her defense.
She shook her head, smoothing her hands over his collarbones as she gave him a sideways smile. "You know I hate this."
His smile widened, and the way his blue eyes scanned her face as though he couldn't take in enough of her made her heart skip. He leaned forward into her. "I don't think you do."
She clapped a hand over her mouth, unable to stop a sharp laugh. He paused in front of her, though he didn't lean back. She shook her head. "I can't. You know I can't," she said, her voice muffled.
Simon's blue eyes glanced down at her hand, his smile growing pensive. Kate's heart continued to pound as she braced herself underneath his gaze, giving him as strong of a glare as she could manage. Then he moved forward, and an electric cascade swept over Kate's body as Simon's eyes closed, his nose brushed her own, and she felt his mouth press against the back of her hand.
Her eyes fell closed, and she drew in a deep breath as she absorbed the feel of him and the fresh linen scent of his skin. His mouth left her hand, and she dared to look back up into his blue eyes. The golden glow of sunlight through the curtains had a way of lighting up his face so that every aspect of his expression was intensified. The way he was looking at her now drew every ounce of energy from her. His eyebrows were narrowed slightly over his eyes which had the faintest tension underneath, and the corners of his mouth were threatening to pull into that amazing smile. She was so entranced by the sight of him she didn't realize her hand had slid off of her mouth.
He fell into her again, and this time his mouth closed against hers. Kate had just enough time to acknowledge what was happening before she helplessly gave into him, letting the numb elation take over. Sparks ignited her body as she felt his hand slide up to her neck, his thumb running along her cheek as he took in more of her. As the gentle touch of his lips pulled away, he took in a breath of air against her mouth. Then he was back again, and Kate's heart suddenly hammered in a blinding thrill when she felt his tongue brush against hers, encouraging her to open her mouth and take him fully.
She moaned into him, letting her hands draw up along his neck and into his hair as she locked her body tightly against his. He pulled her in by the waist and leaned forward as he took her mouth, tilting his head to gain further access to her. His other hand was running down her neck, and when it reached her chest, he pressed his palm against her breast, closing his fingers around it. A stunning rapture flowed through her, and Kate dropped her head back as she let out a soft cry.
His mouth was on her neck, the hand on her hip pulling her further up onto his lap. Kate anchored herself against him, tensing her legs around his hips. She could feel him positioning himself, and the way his hand was tightening on her hip was begging her to open up for him. Everything in her body was prepared for this. Ready to let him fill her and take her down the amazing descent with him. All she had to do was not resist it.
She clenched her hands into his hair, pressing her mouth to his temple as she breathed heavily. "Simon…"
His lips trailed up to her jaw, his breath hot on her neck. "Kate…"
He rolled his hips to bring her further up, and it took every ounce of strength Kate had to hold herself away from him. She pressed her nose to his cheek, tensing her face as she fought her own desire. "We need to talk." She raised her head, touching her mouth to his temple as the resistance became easier. "We have to talk."
His movement slowed, his hands sliding along her waist. The blinding momentum of passion was drifting to a halt, clearing her mind as it drifted away. It left a burning disappointment in its wake, filling her with an almost panicked remorse. This had to be done. They'd been avoiding it for long enough.
Simon let out a sigh against her neck, and he leaned back so that his face came into view. His eyes were bright and focused, a light tension pulling at the corner of his mouth though he gazed at her with full attention. Kate was still struggling to control her breathing, clutching onto his shoulders and relaxing her legs around his waist. There was a soft sadness in Simon's face that was hard to analyze, as though he were just on the verge of letting it be known. Finally, he brushed a hand along the side of her face, watching it as he pushed a long lock of her brown hair away.
"About Seph," he said.
Kate felt her shoulders drop. She looked down at his neck to avoid his gaze. "About Seph. And my dad. And being here. A lot of things."
Simon let out another breath, and he nodded. When she looked back up at him, his eyebrows were narrowed. He seemed more determined. "I suppose it's time." His gaze drifted to the side and he raised his eyebrow slightly. "Where do we begin?"
Kate sighed and shook her head. She pushed herself off his lap, pulling him with her by the shoulders as she moved onto her back, drawing her legs up slightly. Simon rolled next to her, lying on his back and resting his hands on his chest like he'd done the day before. Kate stared up at the ceiling, feeling herself settle into the twisted bedsheets. For a while, she simply absorbed the silence, struggling to find a place to start. She tilted her head towards him.
"I'm never leaving you. You know that, right?" She looked sideways at him. His eyes were lowered, though he gave a slow nod. She straightened and stared back up at the ceiling. "Whatever happens, wherever we go, whatever we do, it involves you. That goes for the good and the bad. This is beyond some... fling or catharsis or whatever. I know what I feel and I know what I want. I think you do too."
She felt him shift next to her. "Are you asking me to prove it to you?" he asked.
Kate let out a sigh. "This is serious, Simon."
"I was being serious."
She turned away from him, gazing at the bookcases and feeling a nervousness grow in her gut. "I asked you what you wanted, and it wasn't really fair because we're still figuring this whole thing out. I think if I asked you now, you'd give me a different answer."
Simon was silent for a moment. "I want to help Seph."
Kate felt her body sink further into the mattress as a wave of tension swept through her. She closed her eyes. "Do you even know what that means?"
"It means he has to stay here," said Simon.
She turned back to him. His narrowed gaze was fixed on the ceiling, his blue eyes focused in thought. Kate shrugged her shoulders lightly. "Stay where?" she said. "In the boat house?"
Simon looked at her, a bright determination lit in his face. "We should tell your father about him. Clark can register him in the Hayes' household like he did with me. He can hide here until he learns to govern himself."
Kate shook her head, staring at him intently. "I had a hard enough time explaining you to my dad. How the hell are we going to convince him to take on another deviant?"
Simon rolled onto his shoulder, lifting himself up onto one elbow so that he clutched his blond hair. Kate watched him as he gazed down at her chest, running his finger along her collarbone so that it sent a pleasant shiver through her. For a moment, he seemed distracted in what he was doing. Then he looked up at her, his blue eyes tensed in worry. "We should at least try," he said.
Kate let out a frustrated breath. "I don't know what made you suddenly buddy up to him, but I don't want him involved in any of the shit we do more than he already is."
Simon's eyebrows furrowed slightly. Then he lowered his gaze, tracing along her neck. "I like your father."
A tense laugh escaped her. Kate looked off to the side, bringing her hand up to press against her forehead. "I never thought I'd hear those words."
"He wants to help you, Kate," said Simon.
"I don't want his help," said Kate. "I don't want him digging in our business. I don't even want to be here."
Simon's hand left her. She turned back to him, and he was gazing around the room as if analyzing every detail. His expression was somewhat longing, his eyebrows raised and a slight tension pulling at his mouth.
"I like it here," he said. "I feel a connection to the people here, and to the place. As if I can truly discover myself. I want to know what my potential holds, and I want to achieve it." He looked down at her, and gave her a small smile. "And maybe learn to fly a ship in the process."
Kate closed her eyes to avoid rolling them. A burning nervousness was taking hold in her, despite her frustration. She hadn't expected him to become so attached to her father's house. They had only been there a short while, and it had started off so uncertain. Her father hadn't trusted him, Taylor clearly didn't like androids at all, and both of them seemed to be waiting for Kate to wake up from this fantasy of being with Simon and return to the mundane world that involved only humans. But at the same time, she knew what Simon meant. There was a permanence to the place, as if nothing ever needed to change. It was somewhere above the complexities of the world, and they could reach any destination from here. All they needed was a direction.
Kate turned into him, pressing herself against his chest and burying her face in his neck. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as he rolled onto his back, taking her with him. She let out a deep breath as she settled into him, drawing her leg up and resting her hand on his chest. She could feel him rubbing her arm softly with his thumb as he gripped her, his mouth pressed to her forehead. It was wonderfully safe being with him like this, and she closed her eyes as she lost herself in the feel of him.
"I said I didn't know what I wanted before," she said. "I need to have a better answer than that. It's just been so easy to avoid because no one really asks me anything." She tipped her head up, bumping his chin with her nose. "So ask away."
He tilted his head against her, and she felt his cheek press softly to the top of her head. "You don't want to stay here," he said.
Kate stared over the slope of his chest at her dresser. "No, I don't."
"Where do you want to go?"
Kate drew herself up against him, rubbing the spot on his chest just underneath his collarbones. She narrowed her gaze, apprehension burning through her as she absorbed the smoothness of his skin under her fingers. "Away from Detroit. Away from my family, from my history, from all of this. Someplace without androids."
She felt him shift his head as if he were trying to look down at her. "Are you saying that because you want me to be safe?" he said.
Kate froze for a moment, processing his question. She wanted to deny it. To come up with a solid reason why it would be better for them to abandon everything. But it was obvious in the way he'd asked her that it wasn't really a question. He knew her too well. She let out a soft breath. "Yes."
"Then assume I am," he said. "And I'll ask you again. Where do you want to go?"
Kate sank into him, closing her eyes and forcing herself to break down her thoughts. It was something she should have had an answer for. And she should have known a long time ago where she pictured herself years from now. She had a feeling Simon wasn't expecting her to predict what her life would be like without him. At the same time, there was something hopeful in his energy. As if this was meant to be speculation on the best case scenario. The idea was so alien to her, she could hardly remember what it felt like to feel something as stable as a comfortable life.
She tried to remember when she'd last felt it. How satisfying it felt, what she'd been doing, and where it had been. It hadn't been that long ago. And she'd been doing this very thing. Wrapping herself up in Simon's arms, completely exposed to him, and cherishing it. The unpredictable future only a breath away. Everything was a possibility in those precious moments, and it had been over far too soon. Even as she let the memory of it wash over her, she knew it was in vain. That world was gone, and it would take more than simply moving from one area to another to make that feeling permanent.
She smoothed her hand over his chest, pressing her nose into his neck. "I want to go home," she said. "Back to my house. Going back to college and working on something that felt like it mattered. Where it felt like everything was happening naturally and we didn't have to decide on anything, it just─ happened." She shifted against him, struggling to contain her frustration. "I keep thinking back on what would have happened if that android hadn't shown up. If we were able to just be alone, together, figuring this shit out like normal people do. How much easier this would have been."
Simon picked her hand up, threading her fingers through his. She couldn't see his expression, and instead she focused on what he was doing with her hand. "Would you have kept me?" he asked quietly.
Kate tilted her head, his words catching her off guard. "What do you mean?"
"If it had been easy," he said. "If we didn't have to think about it. To work on it. Would you still have wanted me?"
She was about to argue, that of course she would have wanted him if it had been easy. Before she could, she suddenly realized that something similar had been presented to her. She let out a slow breath. Matt had been easy. Matt had thrown himself at her. And she'd rejected him at every turn. He'd been the most natural choice for her, and still she denied herself a future with him. If he wasn't allowed to be in her life the way he was meant to, it seemed impossible that Simon would have any more of a chance.
Kate turned her hand and pressed her fingers against his. "At least I wouldn't have had people trying to convince me not to," she said.
Simon turned, rolling slightly onto his shoulder so that he pulled away from her. Kate felt his hand on her neck, his thumb smoothing over her cheek, and she gazed up at his face. His eyes were narrowed and his face drawn in sharp determination. His eyes flicked between hers.
"Coming here wasn't a mistake," he said.
Kate reached up and took his hand, holding his gaze. "It hasn't been a solution either. It's just a place where I don't have to think about what this means for us."
Simon's eyes tensed for a brief moment. "You mean in terms of a relationship."
Kate couldn't help her nervous laugh. She dipped her head, biting her lip as she looked off towards the bookcases. "Yeah," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "In terms of a totally normal relationship between two totally normal people who want a totally normal future. You know, with dates and getting jobs, marriage, kids, the whole normal life."
Simon was silent. She looked back at him, and felt a wave of dread sweep through her. His eyes were narrowed as he gazed off, a deep pain lined in his expression.
"I can never give you that," he said softly.
Kate pressed a hand to the side of his face, her heart pounding. His eyes met hers, and she focused on them. She drew herself up closer to him, running her thumb along his bottom lip. "Simon, do I look like the kind of person who ever had that sort of thing on her radar?"
Simon tilted his head, his eyes brightening as he gazed at her. "You would have had that with Matt."
"I would have dated Matt, I would have fucked it up, and he would have left me for Jamie either way," said Kate. "And then I'd never have trusted men again. I'm utterly hopeless, in case you haven't noticed."
Simon's expression calmed, and he let out a quiet breath. "You're not hopeless."
Kate smiled. "You're my only hope."
Simon suddenly pushed her shoulder, moving her onto her back. Kate brought her hands up to his chest as he rolled onto her, one hand holding the side of her neck and the other sliding down the curve of her waist. Her heart raced as she gazed up at him. A fierce confidence had taken over, his eyebrows narrowed in a way that still allowed the light to catch his blue eyes. The corner of his mouth tensed, and he was making no attempt to hide how he was studying every aspect of her. Kate held his gaze, fighting the nervous thrill that burned through her.
His thumb brushed her cheek, and she felt a wave of sparks. "You're an incredible person, and people love that about you," he said. "And in case you haven't noticed," he cocked his head to the side as he smiled, "you are unbelievably beautiful."
Kate let out a snort. "Shut up." She tried to turn her head away from him, but he held her in place, forcing her to look up at him. The smile on his face grew wider, melting the strength from her.
"I happen to have a keen perception of human facial features including symmetry, relative proportion, and reception, as well as being able to... appreciate the fitness of the human body in terms of reproduction."
Kate narrowed her eyes as she looked up at him. "Are you breaking me down into a series of ones and zeros?"
Simon's blond eyebrow rose. "Would you like me to?"
Kate's eyes widened, and a desperate breath escaped her. Before she could even begin to struggle with a response, he rose up slightly and gazed down at her body, drawing his hand up the length of her. Kate felt her whole body tense at the sensation, and she clutched his chest as his hand reached the curve of her breast. He paused there, rubbing the side of it.
"If I could create a program as perfect as you," he said, "I would never know when my dreams stopped and reality began. I would abuse it. I'd run it at maximum capacity until my processor overheated, my circuits fused, and my battery drained." He lowered himself to her neck, and Kate arched herself as he opened his mouth against her skin. "But if it gave me even a brief moment of the ecstasy you fill me with, I would stretch that moment so that from my perspective, it will last forever."
Kate clenched her eyes shut, gathering her willpower. "You're being really poetic..."
Her breath shook as he trailed his lips up her neck to her jaw, his body moving against hers. He came into her vision, and his blue eyes had taken on a soft, almost predatory gaze.
"There is no virus more potent than what you create in me when you give yourself to me" he said. "That can't be measured in any form of code, any level of programming, any degree of software. It can only be felt in the deepest part of my being, disregarding my body, my chassis, the soma. You reach inside of me and deliver a part of yourself that no one else can touch. That no one else was meant to have." He lowered himself further onto her, closing his eyes and tilting his head against her, breathing out desperately. "It's for me."
Kate was breathing heavily now, her hands rising up to thread through his hair as she felt her body giving in to him. She could sense the aching desire in him, and it was drawing the energy from her in a debilitating yet satisfying way. The sound of his voice was drowning her, and she couldn't bring herself to fight for air.
His mouth left her cheek, and he raised himself over her. Kate watched as he pressed his hand to her stomach, his blue eyes focused on her.
"If they could see you the way I do," he said. "If they could feel you─" His hand drew up along her stomach, in between her breasts, to her throat, sending a numbing wave of electricity through her. Then he dropped down to her, pressing his nose to her temple.
"─smell you…" His nose traced along the edge of her face and drifted through her hair until it reached her jaw. He pulled himself over her, his nose brushing hers. "─taste you…"
His lips opened against hers and she frantically rose to meet him, only to feel him draw back just enough to prevent her from fully closing her mouth against his. His breath mixed with hers, and then a blinding thrill swept through her as she felt his tongue brush between her lips, grazing the edge of her teeth. He tilted his head as he licked the surface of her tongue, and then he descended on her, closing his mouth over hers. Kate thought her heart would burst from her chest as she let him take her, sucking in air between each closing of his lips. Then he pulled away, resting his forehead against hers.
"If they could have you the way I do," he said breathlessly. "Then maybe there would be one soul on this earth that can convince you how absolutely amazing you are."
Kate breathed out a soft laugh, immediately losing her strength again afterward. She ran her hand down the side of his face. "You're doing a pretty good job."
She was pulled up as he drew himself back onto his knees, and his nose brushed hers as he took her mouth again. Kate held onto either side of his neck, pressing her body against his. He let go of her mouth only to gasp against it. "Tell me what I can do to prove it to you," he whispered.
Kate's shoulders tensed and relaxed as she struggled to breathe. She pressed her forehead to his. "What would you do to prove it to me?"
Simon tilted his head against hers, letting out a deep breath. "Anything," he said.
"Are you sure about that?" she said.
"Yes…" he said almost in a gasp. Kate drew herself back slightly so that she caught his gaze, her eyes narrowed as she was barely able to hold her strength.
"Would you let me win, just once?" she said.
Simon gazed at her for a moment, his eyes flicking between hers. Then his expression fell, his eyebrows rising slowly and his eyes brightening into a mild exasperation. "Have I ever won?"
Kate's eyes widened, her breath frozen in her chest. Simon was silent as he stared back at her. For a while, neither of them moved.
She fell into him, the blinding cascade of desire rushing through her as her mouth closed against his. He was pulling her tightly into him, his hands on her hips and gathering her up so she sat higher on his lap. She clutched him desperately, sliding her hands into his hair and wrapping her legs around him as if afraid she would never feel him again. Every part of her was burning for him. To feel him against her, around her, inside of her. His words were blinding her with aching desire, driving everything to feel them tangibly working their way into her other senses. She believed in him, completely and without question.
She let go of his mouth as she breathed heavily, pressing her forehead against his and moving with him as he guided her body into place, his hands gripping underneath her thighs and lifting her up. His mouth was open, his shoulders tensing, and his face tilted downwards as he adjusted himself underneath her. Kate's heart was hammering, her body frozen in a shocking anticipation for the feel of him. Waves of unbearable tension were coursing through her, beginning at her shoulders and flowing down to her abdomen, begging for his presence. His movement. The satisfying pressure that she needed to satiate. Her body was made for this. She was made for him.
She clutched his shoulders, drawing herself into him as he ran a hand to her back and steered her pelvis over his. Then he arched himself up, releasing his grip so that she was able to sink down onto him. A shockwave of exhilaration swept through her, and she pressed her open mouth to his as she let out a startled moan at the solid sensation of him sliding into her, gently stroking the aching pleasure within her as he slowly pushed himself in, and settling on the sensitive place that made her body seize in euphoria. Simon let out a deep breath, beginning in a groan and fading into a sigh, his shoulders dropping and his body tightening as he seemed to recalibrate himself. Then Kate felt his body flex as he rolled his hips up into hers, and the burning excitement it ignited had her head falling back, her eyes clenching closed and a helpless cry escaping her.
She could feel his hands tighten on her waist and his hot breath on her neck as he breathed heavily against her, rolling his hips into hers and bringing forth wave after wave of blinding fire within her. Kate tightened her legs on either side of him as she pulled herself back to him, her nose brushing his and sliding her hands up into his blond hair as she struggled to breathe. There was a power in his movements that wasn't there before. A sudden awakening to his motivation as if he were reaching for something that only he could feel. And the way he was focused on her, his hands smoothing against her skin, his head tilting against hers so that his mouth brushed along her cheek, and how each of her gasps seemed to spur energy in his pelvis made her believe she was guiding him there.
He straightened and his mouth closed over hers, muffling their breathing for a moment as Kate braced herself against him. Then he released her and she leaned back into the pumping of his hips, arching herself so that she took him in deeper. He supported her with one hand around her waist as he slid the other up along her stomach and underneath her breast, taking it in his palm and massaging it. Each of his thrusts jolted her body upwards, the solid pressure of him making startling sharp contact with that place of aching pleasure within her in a way that made her feel as if he was re-entering her all over again. She let it drive every action, every desperate breath she took, the tightening of her core, the racing of her heart as he overwhelmed her. It was all for him. A kind of symbiotic bodily enlightenment that was built upon the rapture he was filling her with. And the more she accepted him, the more of herself she was able to give in return.
She let go of his shoulders with one hand to reach behind her, supporting herself against the mattress as she let herself be jolted further and further back. Simon's hand slid up her chest and back down again, his hips rolling harder against hers the more she arched from him until she was at arm's length, one hand still gripping his shoulder and holding herself up in rhythm with him. She was unable to control the breaking of her voice with each breath, opting instead to let the waves of euphoria that he was creating inside of her take control of the sounds she was making. Her moans mixed with his heavy panting, the brush of their skin as he slid his hand along the length of her torso and in between her breasts, and the low clapping of skin on skin each time his hips pumped into hers. He was dominating every sensation she could experience. It was the most satisfying surrender.
She drew herself back up slightly, tightening her legs over his hips and running her thumb over his cheek. The minor reclaiming of her body gave her enough strength to open her eyes, allowing the visual experience of what he was doing to her to fill her senses. The muscles in his abdomen flexed and relaxed with each roll of his hips, and his chest had tightened as he held her into him by her waist, causing the details of his collarbones and pectoral muscles to become more defined. When her gaze reached his, it filled her with a debilitating wash of desire that combined with the pulses of burning pleasure in her core. His eyebrows were raised, his eyes tensed and almost glassy as they followed his hand which was still exploring every inch of her torso. He looked absolutely mesmerized, as though he could hardly believe she was letting him do this. That he needed to touch her as he claimed the sensation in her body so that they would both know this was real. She watched him run his hand down along her stomach, his eyes drifting lower, and then he arched himself back, his breathing growing stronger as he watched himself slide in and out of her.
Kate's head dropped back, and she clenched her eyes shut as she felt her body grow in rapture under his repeating pelvic motions. He was discovering himself in her, finding new ways to bring himself closer so that she could believe he loved her as much as he swore he did. It was causing the aching desire in her to build, slowly reaching up through her core. She was aware that her breathing was becoming more shallow, and she clenched her hand on Simon's shoulder in an effort to bring it to his attention. He responded by pulling her up by the waist, raising her to slide his hand up her torso. Then Kate let out a sharp cry, a magnificent wave of electricity lighting her body as she felt Simon's warm wet mouth close over her breast.
Her hands were in his hair, and he fell with her as she dropped onto her back, her knees drawn up and her legs crossed over his hips as he continued to thrust himself into her against the mattress. The burning pleasure was rising now, aching at the source in her pelvis with each slick sensation, his solid rhythmic ebb and flow of pressure, and the way he was activating her most devastating and vulnerable weakness with his own most vulnerable part of him was pulling her to the brink. She wanted him to find what he was looking for in her. To break her being down into its most basic form so that he could understand every one of her nuances. Her complexities. The material of her soul.
She reached behind her head, clenching her hands into the sheets as she raised her pelvis up into him. She could feel him over her, his breath warm on her neck and his voice breaking through as he supported himself with his hands on either side of her, rolling his hips into hers with a desperate energy. The force of him was rocking her, blending the waves of pleasure until they were nearly joined into one. She gasped for air as she felt it begin to take her.
Simon's hand was holding the side of her neck, his thumb pressing into the side of her mouth. And then she felt him, his mouth open against hers and his nose touching her cheek.
"Fall for me, Kate," he whispered between his labored breathing, his voice jolting with each thrust of his hips. Kate arched herself up, drawing in a shocking breath at the sound of him. His head tilted against hers, his mouth open as he seemed to fight for air. "Fall for me. I'll save you…"
Kate lifted herself into him, a tense cry escaping her as she felt her body ignite. "Simon…"
Her core seized, and she tilted her pelvis up into his as a burst of brilliant euphoria took over. It spread through her body, locking into her muscles, firing her nerves and forcing her to open herself up and take in all of him. Her back left the mattress as her head tilted back, her eyes clenched closed and her arms bending as she fisted the sheets above her head. She could feel her stomach tighten as the blinding power claimed her, pushing her up and into him, her legs tensing as they opened wider to receive him. And he was there, aware of all of it as he gasped against her neck, his hand clutched on her breast with fingers digging into her skin, and the rolling angle of his hips tilting up as his solid stroking within her pushed the tip of him deep and hard into the soft wall of her electrified tenderness. His groan shook his body, and the breath left her chest as she let out a desperate moan, her senses blending as she felt him deliver himself to her through the connection he'd made with that part of him inside of her. She let him in.
He was everywhere within her, filling every void within herself, discovering her boundaries, defining her edges. The darkness was suddenly revealed as he touched the walls of her very being, exploring her in a way that made her understand herself. And as the realization swept over her, she saw inside of him as well, the deepest desires of his heart. A reflection of herself was there, and with the last of her strength, she willed it to become clearer to him so he could find her again.
Slowly the light withdrew, and her mind settled back into the darkness of reality. Her senses came back to her, and she fought to catch her breath as her body loosened up. She kept her eyes closed as everything came back to her at once, and the darkness brought with it a sense of peace after such intense stimulation. Shockwaves of residual pleasure were still pulsing through her, bringing with them distant sensations of that precious place in her soul. It was the same place every time, and yet it was also different with each visit. As though she were approaching it from a different angle. She was understanding it more and more each time, though she knew she would never fully see it no matter how often she found herself there.
She tilted her head, regaining control of her body, and her nose touched Simon's cheek. He was laying over her, his chest heaving against hers and his hand still cupped under her breast. Kate unclenched her hands from the sheets above her head and brought her arms down, wrapping them around his shoulders and sliding her hands into his blond hair as she breathed heavily against him. Her head was swimming less and less with each breath, and she combed her fingers through his hair as she turned her head to absorb more of him against her.
She felt him shift on top of her, his nose brushing hers. He made a soft humming noise. "I love it when you do that for me," he said quietly.
His voice brought more energy to her, and she rubbed her nose against his as she felt a smile spread on her face. "Don't get used to it."
He raised himself slightly, and she felt lips brush hers as he hovered over her. "Are you saying you won't do that for me every time?"
Kate let out a soft breath of laughter, and she tilted her head up so that she could close her mouth against his. He breathed in, and she felt the gentle weight of his body on her as he relaxed over her. When she let go of his mouth, she pressed her forehead to his. "I'll always do that for you."
His mouth was back on hers, and she felt his hand against her neck and his thumb brushing over her cheek as he twisted into her. She breathed deeply against him, her body still tingling from exhaustion as he moved further over her. With a desperate gasp, she lifted her head and tensed her eyebrows as she felt him press his pelvis against hers with a gentle but purposeful nudge. He exhaled against her neck, warming her skin.
"I'll never get used to you," he whispered before closing his mouth on her neck. She tightened her hands in his hair as he drew himself lower, pressing his mouth to her chest. Then the pressure of him left, and Kate opened her eyes to see him settling back on his knees, his arms on either side of her. His blond hair was a complete mess, the neat sideways sweep lost underneath the criss-crossing tufts that parted in lines where her fingers had threaded through. He wore it perfectly though, giving him an almost casual appearance that made him look as though he'd never been in a uniform. His blue eyes scanned her, beginning at her face and sweeping down her body as though he were forcing himself to remember every detail. Kate held still for him, watching his stunned expression. When his gaze returned to hers, his eyebrows lifted and his eyes brightened in an almost nervous intrigue.
"Did I convince you?" he said.
Kate nearly felt her heart stop. Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. Her exhaustion suddenly vanished and for a moment all she could see was the desperation in his face.
She pushed up from the mattress, gripping his shoulder and pulling herself up onto him as she closed her mouth over his. Her hands were back in his hair, and she could feel his hands on her waist as he held her into him, taking in each closing of her mouth. She finally paused against him, pressing her nose into his cheek. "You never had to try," she said barely above a whisper.
He breathed out, and she could feel the smile on his face. She let her hands drift back so that she could run her thumbs over his cheeks and feel more of his amazing grin. It filled her with unbelievable satisfaction to know that he was pleased with his own effort. She never wanted him to feel any doubt that he wasn't good enough for her. Her value was plainly obvious whenever he looked at her, when he touched her, and when he made her fall apart for him. He created it in her, and that was something she could only hope to achieve in him.
She pulled herself into him again, pressing her nose into the joint of his shoulder and neck as she wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders and gripped into his hair. She could feel him tightening around her as well, his hands drifting up her back as he clutched her shoulder in one hand and her waist in the other, his arms bracing her against him. She closed her eyes as she absorbed the feel of him, the gentle rising and falling of his chest and his soft breath against her temple. This was the safest place she could ever be, and as she settled into him, she could almost feel him capturing the moment with her as though he were saving it in his system.
He tilted his head against hers, and she felt his mouth on her forehead. "Kate…"
She let out a soft breath as she heard the regret in his voice. With some difficulty, she loosened her hands in his hair. "We have to get out of bed."
A reluctant laugh left him. His lips met her forehead again and she felt him breathe in against her skin. Then he moved back, his gaze meeting hers. His eyebrows were drawn, though a small smile tugged at his mouth. Kate cocked her head to one side so that her hair fell sideways.
"You need to help Seph," she said. It had been meant as a direct statement, but Simon's eyes drifted to the side and grew pensive. Kate smoothed her hands against his neck, savoring the contact that she had with him. Then with as much strength as she could gather, she gave him a slow nod, and moved back from him. He looked back at her and watched her as she slid off the bed and straightened her exhausted body so that her joints popped.
She let out a sigh as she threw a glance at him, then moved to her dresser. Spot had curled up on top, his orange ears poking up from his bundled body of fur. She pushed him out of the way to gain access to the pile of shirts next to him. Besides the curling of his paws, the cat made no indication that he cared.
Simon shifted on the bed behind her, and she could hear him putting his clothes on. She pulled a large shirt over her head and stepped into a pair of loose sweats, standing up with a small stack of acceptable clothing. Before she could turn around, hands slid on either side of her waist and arms wrapped around her as she felt Simon's chest press against her back. His mouth touched her temple, and a wave of numbness swept through her body. With a heavy sigh, she dropped her head back and drew her shoulders up as he pulled her further into him, his mouth closing against her neck.
He straightened slightly, his nose brushing her jaw. "I'll meet you down there."
Kate nearly dropped the stack of clothes she was holding as she reached over her shoulder to lace her fingers in his hair, tilting her head to press her forehead to his. For a while, neither of them moved, locked together in a perfect tangle of arms. Then Simon slowly withdrew from her in an agonizing motion, his arms slipping from around her waist. Kate remained on the spot, listening as he moved across her room, and the door opened and shut quietly.
She let out a soft sigh, her eyes closing as she held onto the fading sensation of him. It felt like a different world without him there with her, and as painful as it was, she knew she would have to get used to doing this. Something soft brushed her face, and she opened her eyes to see Spot circling in front of her, his tail held high in the air as he looked at her and meowed. His little LED was circling blue next to his yellow eyes, the white glint racing around the same way Simon's did when he looked at her with his puzzled bewilderment.
Kate raised her hand and let Spot pad underneath it, bumping his head up under her palm to pet himself with it. A smile tugged at her mouth, and she watched the cat for a moment as he circled around, his tail arching. Then she cast a look up to the ceiling before turning around and heading out the door towards the bathroom.
It was later than she thought. The clock on the wall of the sitting room told her it was afternoon, not morning. A nervous urgency had her prepping quickly in the bathroom even though she knew it probably wasn't necessary. Simon was more than likely already checking on Seph, and there was no reason to suspect anything had changed since the day before. Yet there was still something pressing about having a precious secret, as though she needed to see for herself to know it was still protected. The knowledge had her scrambling to get dressed as though she suddenly had a time limit. She understood now why Simon felt such a strong need to care for the android, and why she had been right in suspecting he had planned to leave again the night before.
She left the bathroom somewhat more refreshed, and quickly passed by her room to toss in her dirty clothes. As she closed the door, another opened down the hall.
Kate stood up straight as she spotted Clark leaving the workshop. A sudden reminder jolted through her, and she moved towards him. "Hey, Clark."
The android turned towards her. His face was seamless, not a hint that it had been detached. Kate couldn't stop herself from analyzing it as she approached him. "You look better," she said.
"Thank you," said Clark. He tilted his head as he looked at her. "My physical design is still manufactured for android models even if my own model isn't. There were no complications in repairing the aesthetic damage." There was a hint of bluntness to his words, and Kate narrowed her eyes at him.
"Did anything else get damaged?" she asked. Clark's LED spun yellow for a brief moment, then he straightened.
"I am still experiencing some software errors, more than likely a result of a broken trace or perhaps a malfunctioning bus. The technicians were not able to locate the source of the issue. It may simply be a digital scar I must learn to function with."
Kate shook her head, dropping her gaze to the ground. "Shit, I'm sorry."
"Are you here for the biocomponent?"
Kate looked up again, her brain struggling to switch gears. "Uh yeah, if you were able to get it."
"I was." Clark turned back into the workshop which was lit in its usual golden glow. Kate watched him as he approached the workbench and lifted a long plastic case which looked similar to a briefcase. He held it out to her as he moved back towards her. Kate took it from him, stumbling slightly as the weight of it caught her off guard. She wrapped her arms around it to secure it better.
"Thanks," she said. "Hope it wasn't too expensive."
"Can I ask what you need it for?" said Clark.
A sharp surprise swept through her, and she gazed up at Clark, her eyes wide. Before she could begin to think of reasons why she needed such an unusual component, Clark's LED flashed yellow and he ducked his head.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Hayes. That was an inappropriate question to ask." He continued to stare at the ground, and Kate couldn't help but watch him curiously. Finally, the android looked up. "Have a good day."
He moved past her, heading to the stairs and disappearing quickly down the stairwell. Kate continued to stare at the landing long after he'd vanished from it, attempting to break down Clark's behavior. Frustration bit at her, and she let out a tense sigh. The android was more than likely dealing with a whole host of software issues that he wasn't willing to go into detail about, and these weird glitches were only surface level. She wondered how many other internal scars the android bore as a result of Taylor's abuse towards him.
She adjusted the heavy case in her hands and moved towards the stairs, a subtle apprehension gripping her as she set off to help repair another, very different type of android.
