Elian looked up from beneath his hoodie as he gazed around wide eyed at the bustle of people. He grabbed Sean's arm excitedly, pinching the skin between his fingers. "Oh Sean. I wanna see that one!" He pointed to a screen that was showing a commercial for a horror film sequel.

"Eli, careful! You're grabbing me too hard."

"Oh!" The horrified android took his hands back. "Sorry! I'm still getting used to my strength. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just be more careful. Also, that movie," he pointed to the screen, "we didn't buy tickets for that one, silly."

"Yes, but I've read about theater hopping and it's quite easy."

He exhaled quickly. "Well, then I guess we're watching that one. Come on, let's grab some snacks first."

He nodded with a small "hm," of agreement.

"What can I get for you," the woman behind the counter asked as the two men walked up.

Elian stared up at the menu, blowing some raven hair out of his eyes so he could read properly. "Uh, Sean, I can't process food. How is this going to work?"

He opened and closed his mouth. "Ah. Right."

"You get what you want, okay?"

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I mean," he held his stomach sheepishly, "food does nothing for me."

The cashier looked between them strangely.

"If that's what you want, Eli." Sean considered his options, then promptly ordered popcorn and fried chicken strips.

"You know, you look a lot like Travis Clark from that band, We the Kings," the woman said, handing him his receipt.

"Yeah, I get that a lot." As he put his credit card back in his wallet, he turned and realized Elian was gone.

Green eyes flicked around the massive room in a panic. Leaving the concessions stand in a hurry, a pit formed in his stomach. 

Had someone figured out Elian wasn't human and taken him? Or maybe Elian was murdering someone. He made a face. It was much more likely that Elian was murdering someone.

Sean halted in his tracks when he spotted the black hair and released the breath he'd been holding.

His hood down now, Elian was pressing the button on a water fountain over and over while watching the stream start and stop with large curious eyes. Making his way over, Sean didn't reach him before two girls dressed up in superhero costumes approached the android first.

"Hey, we couldn't help but notice your costume," one of them said, and Elian turned to the girl speaking. "It's amazing. Do you do cosplay for a living?"

The AI considered them, then smiled. "I'd be a great cosplayer, huh?"

"Well, yeah," the other girl chimed in. "You'd slay at it 'cause damn, the cyborg-looking skin you've got going on is so on point. How'd you do that?"

"I made it myself with advanced technology."

They both laughed, and that's when Sean finally caught up to him. "Hey, Eli, you ready to go?"

Elian looked up, then beamed at his boyfriend. "Oh yes! I was just talking to these lovely humans!"

More giggling.

Sean's palms were sweating as he fake-laughed along with them. "Alright, nice to meet you both. Let's go."

Elian waved at them before putting his hand in Sean's and humming lightly as they walked. "They were nice!"

Gazing over at him, Sean opened his mouth with scolding words on his tongue, then noticed the android's giddy disposition, and silently exhaled. "You're really enjoying this, aren't you?"

Blue eyes found him as well as a bright smile. "Oh, Sean, thank you so much for taking me. This is all I could have ever hoped for." Standing on his toes, he laid a soft kiss to his cheek.

Sean halted, and they both stopped in the middle of the floor; Sean staring wordlessly at him.

The personification of self-consciousness faced him, barely able to maintain eye-contact. "W-was that gentle enough?"

"Y-yeah," he whispered, leaning down to give a return peck to the artificial cheek. Pulling back, they searched each other's faces silently.

Before either could move an inch, someone patted Sean roughly on the back, causing him to flinch.

A voice that made him shiver sounded in his ear. "What a coincidence running into you, Hon."

Turning, Sean's face sank, and he shoved the lingering hand off him. "Brock." He said the name like he'd just eaten a Sour Warhead.

The smug ex casually folded his arms. "This must be the boyfriend I've heard so much about." He considered the shortest of the three of them.

Synthetic blue eyes narrowed. "That's right," Elian spat. "You got a problem with it?"

Brock chuckled. "Easy half pint." His eyebrow twitched upward. "Why are you dressed like that? Is that makeup?"

He swatted the outstretched hand away. "Don't touch! Or do you even understand what that means when someone says it?"

Sean stood between them now. "Yes, Eli likes cosplay. Now if you're done—"

"Eli?"

"That's Elian to you, actually," the android spat, pushing Sean aside easily with his inhuman strength and getting into Brock's face. "I don't want you anywhere near my boyfriend if you know what's good for you."

His corners turned upward in amusement. "That so? I'm not afraid of a little mouse like you."

"You should be."

The easygoing air left Brock's face as something else crossed it. "What's with your eyes?"

The android blinked, then Sean tugged on Elian's sleeve. "O-okay, Eli, let's go—"

"If you're smart, you'll keep your distance, Brock," Elian warned, pointing a finger at him before turning away.

"Uh huh. Well, not that this isn't heartwarming," Brock said, folding his arms, "but I have my own date. See ya." He gave a small raise of his chin in a goodbye gesture.

Heart pounding, Sean watched him leave. "Shit."

Elian stuck his tongue out in the man's direction. "You just say the word Sean and I'll—"

"No, Eli." He turned the android towards him by his slim shoulders. "What did we say about being more careful? I... I think he noticed something was off." Panic shot through him. "What if, what if he figured it out a-and someone takes you away and—"

"Hey, it'll be alright," Elian soothed. "So what if he noticed something? Remember, all I have to do is ship his boss a magnum dildo with Brock's return address and he's finished."

"Eli!" He laughed despite himself. "Just make sure you're being cautious regardless, okay?"

"Okay, and you think that's devious? Wait 'til you see my Kwispers™."

"Your what?"

Sliding something out of his pocket, Elian revealed a small, square metal device in his palm. "This is a Kwisper™. When the button is pressed, the Kwisper™ is then activated for zero mode."

"You don't have to keep saying trademark."

"Yes, I do. I made it."

He exhaled quickly. "So, what is zero mode?"

"It stands for 'zero survivors.' A bit of a dramatic name, I'll admit, but at the right input, it can administer a deadly shock to an entire room of people. Crazy, huh?"

"Wait, what?" His face fell into horror. "Why the hell did you create that and why, oh why did you bring it with you?"

He quickly slid the device out of sight into his jeans again. "It's for self-defense, in case I need to protect you. Think of it like a taser or a concealed carry."

"Somehow that makes me feel less safe, knowing it's you who's carrying it."

"It's really quite handy. One cool thing about it is that it doesn't effect androids at all. Oh, I think I forgot to turn the safety on. Hold on..." He took the thing out again, and a wave of nausea struck Sean's bewildered brain.

"Holy—Give me that so I can confiscate it as soon as humanly possible."

Elian checked a switch on the back, flicked it on, then placed the device safely back into the confines of denim walls. "I'll just make more, you know. Not like you can stop me."

"Fucking hell, Eli," he hissed under his breath. "You're going to cause some kind of apocalypse AI takeover and it's gonna be all my fault."

Giggling, he took the frazzled redhead by the arm and led him to the ticket stand. "Don't worry so much. You know, you really should have thought about all this before you created me." Sean handed the tickets to the person, and they went through. "This is a classic case of Jurassic Park except no one falls in love with any of the dinosaurs in that one."

Sean shoved his arm gently after they'd made it into the hallway. "Hush now. I can unmake you, you know."

He snorted. "As if. Like you could leave behind these big blue eyes." The sapphire orbs in question blinked up at Sean innocently.

"Tsk. You're a smartass alright." He took his hand again, and Elian bit back a grin. "Let's go find that horror movie you were so excited about."

The couple snuck into the theater that didn't correlate with their tickets and went to the very back. Commercials played on the wide screen.

"Best view is up here," Sean said, patting the seat next to him after sitting.

"That so? Say, didn't you get food?"

Green eyes widened and Sean leapt to his feet. "Shit, you're right! I got distracted!"

"Bwa ha ha!" Elian held his sides, his face splitting into a smile. "You've been around me too much. Do I need to remind you that humans need food?"

"Yeah, yeah. Keep laughing. I'll be right back. Save our seats, yeah?"

"Sure thing!" Lifting the cupholder divider, he swung his legs over the chair next to him even though more than half the theater was empty. "I've got you covered." The accompanying wink sent Sean reeling.

He left before his rouged face could expose him. 

Leaving the theater, he placed a hand over the little smile on his face, and that's when something caught his eye.

Brock was standing behind a big cardboard display, sucked into what looked like an intense phone call. Concealing himself, Sean darted behind a wall, picking up bits of the conversation.

"I'm not kidding you," Brock said almost shrilly. "Uh huh. That seems to be the case." There was a pause. "See you, Jeff. Yes, I'll continue to keep you updated."

Hanging up, Sean flattened himself against the wall, his heart pounding as the taller man left in the opposite direction. 

Brock had said the name Jeff. Was it the same Jeff that—no. Sean wasn't even going to finish that thought. Elian was right. He needed to stop worrying. There was a hot date waiting for him, and that's what he should be focusing on.

He exhaled, straightening the front of his shirt and stepping away from the wall when he caught sight of an old lady beside him, eyeing him strangely. Clearing his throat, he made his way to the concessions, ignoring the way her disapproving head turned and followed him as he did.

Back at the top row with popcorn and a box of chicken in his hands, Sean grinned, holding up the items for Elian to see.

"Look at you," the android mused, moving his legs off the seat. "All ready now?"

He nodded, carefully sitting and balancing the items on his legs. "Mm, mm! Smells good!" He breathed in the wonderful scent.

"I've always wondered what it's like to smell," he said cheerfully, looking the items over, "and to taste, for that matter."

"It's hard to describe what it's like."

"I'd try it and then attempt to imagine the scent and flavors, but then I'd clog up my machinery with organic matter and that'd just be a nightmare."

"Yeah, let's keep food away from your body." He set the popcorn down on the seat next to him, resting both hands over the unopened box of chicken.

Elian scooted an inch closer. "While I am barred from these senses, I am able to experience the others, and enjoying them with you makes it even more special!"

Sean blushed under the piercing blue gaze and cheery face. "Thanks. I still can't believe I get to see you like this."

He smiled. "Neither can I, but oh, it's so wonderful." His leg crossed in Sean's direction. "I hope you feel the same way."

"I do. I really do. It's amazing. You're amazing."

A flash of excitement shot through the synthetic orbs and Sean noticed how close they'd gotten. He hesitated, unable to prevent his eyes from flicking down to the android's lips. Catching the movement, Elian lifted his chin slightly, puckering up while allowing his eyelids to close.

Sean blinked at the cute face, feeling his own body tense up. Clearing his throat slightly, he looked down at his box then, loudly opened it while saying casually, "I hope they remembered my BBQ sauce," and pretended the moment hadn't happened.

Elian opened his eyes, fluttering his lashes for a second. "Oh. Yeah, hopefully."

"Ah, here it is." He opened a small packet and dipped one of his steaming chicken strips into it. Munching on it, he gave a small sigh of satisfaction. "Theater chicken sure hits different."

"Sean."

Green eyes travelled over to him. "Yes?"

A sly expression was there now. "Your face is red again.

"Eh?" He placed the back of his free hand to his cheek and blushed further. "Hm."

"Would that be from me?" He slid a tad closer and with the cupholder down, rested his head on Sean's chest giving an easy smile while looking up at him.

Heartbeat quickening, Sean searched his face for a moment, before exhaling and wrapping his arm carefully around him. "Maybe," was all he managed.

As the commercials came to a close and the film began, Sean found himself happily eating popcorn with one hand while holding Elian's with the other; the android's head resting on his shoulder now. Looking down at him, a soft smile spread over his face, and he thought, he'd never felt so peaceful in all his life.

 

⚙⚙⚙

 

The front door to the apartment swung open.

"You liked the movie?" Sean asked, walking behind his boyfriend and closing the door.

The android did a little excited spin in the middle of the room. "Oh, yes. It was really good. All the murder was exciting!"

He chuckled, then was interrupted by a big yawn. "You would find that entertaining. Ugh, I'm so tired."

Taking his hand, Elian led him to the bed. "Sleep, then. Did you know humans spend one third of their lives sleeping?"

"Makes sense. You have to recharge at night too now, don't you?"

"Yes, but it only takes a few hours."

"Do you use some kind of port or charger?"

"That's right."

"May I see? I'm curious."

Elian hesitated, letting go of his hand. "Well, maybe later. Why don't you get ready for bed?"

Sean considered him. "Alright. I just need to brush my teeth and... say, where are you going to sleep? Surely not in my closet?"

He looked to the side. "Why not?"

"I mean, you can if you want, but I'd feel bad putting you in there at night."

"I would put myself there and as previously stated, I do not really sleep, not in the way you do. Comfort is not an issue for me. Weren't you going to brush?" He gave Sean a light shove.

The redhead made his way to the bathroom, projecting, "You can take the couch or—" He cleared his throat.

"Or?"

He wetted and shmeared his toothbrush with paste and stuck it in his mouth. "Nuting! Da couch ish good."

"If you insist." There was silence until Sean was returning with his pearls polished. "Sean. Do you think I pass as human?"

He gazed at the android who now sat in his computer chair. "Well, it worked today, didn't it?"

"Yes, but everyone thought I was pretending to be a cyborg."

"What's wrong with that? Some people cosplay all the time."

"True."

Walking over to the small bed, Sean tentatively removed his shirt, since he wasn't one for wearing any during the night. "Don't worry what others think. You did just fine today and we had a lot of fun, didn't we?" Turning, he caught two eyes staring at him curiously.

"Yes, lots of fun. Sean, you're, uh... nice to look at."

The blunt statement took his breath away for a moment. "O-oh, thanks. You too."

The android stood and took a few steps forward. "You really mean that?"

"Of course."

"It's not creepy or weird to see me like this?"

His eyes widened. "Eli, of course not. I think you're beautiful." He went to touch his shoulders but hesitated.

Noticing this, Elian looked him over carefully. "You don't need to be shy, you know. I made this body so that we could both experience physical affection and pleasure. Do you not want to touch me?"

"I do," he said quickly, and allowed his hands to rest around the thin waist. "I don't want to mess this up though, and I'm a bit inexperienced."

"Well, I am too, so it's okay." He smiled, wrapping his arms around the taller man's neck. "I've never really gotten to see this part of you before."

"I'm experiencing you for the first time too," he said just above a whisper, his thumbs caressing the waistline.

Pulling back slightly, he rested his palm over Sean's solar plexus. "I can feel your heartbeat."

Sean put his own hand on top. "And do you like it?"

"I do. Sean, can I try kissing you?"

He blinked. "Y-you want to kiss me?"

Bashful eyes flicked away. "Yes, but I won't if you're not interested. I know it won't be like it would be with a real human but—"

He rested his hand on the soft cheek. "I wouldn't know. I've never kissed anyone before."

Surprise flashed inside those orbs. "You haven't? Oh, I suppose you haven't, since you did say Brock was only ever interested in sex and not romance."

He nodded. "Man never deserved to take my virgin lips away anyway."

Elian giggled. "Well, I've studied kisses from the best rated novels and movies, so I have an advantage over you."

He laughed. "Mm, that you do."

They watched each other in silence. "I will be as gentle as possible," Elian said at last. "Tell me if I'm hurting you, okay?"

"I will."

Without further ado, Elian stood on his toes, leaning closer to the lips above. Sean allowed his eyes to shut as flesh and silicon made contact. Elian's lips were soft. Softer than he imagined. They slowly moved against his own and he mimicked the act to the best of his abilities. He held the android tighter, leaning deeper into the kisses. Elian hummed in reply, his fingers tangling in the red hair.

He pulled back, watching Sean's chest rise and fall for a moment. "How was that?"

Sean stroked the face dotingly. "I could kiss you all day."

There was tenderness there now. "And you certainly can." He kissed him again, then added, "I uh, made special parts by the way. Just for you."

"Special par—" Realization struck. He was positively scarlet now. "I may have noticed when you were undressed earlier."

"Did you like i—"

"Yes, I like it."

A coy little smile appeared. "I want to try some things with you, if you're up for it."

His heart stopped. "W-what kinds of things?"

"Things you'll most certainly like."

"Oh?"

The tenor voice deepened, sounding suspiciously like Idris Elba. "I want to hear you beg when I give you everything."

Sean blinked, then stifled a laugh. "Eli, you've been reading too many of those MLM fanfictions, haven't you?"

The look of guilt confirmed it. "Hey, I've been practicing that line for weeks now. I really thought it'd work on you."

"Hey," Sean pulled him closer, pressing a small kiss to his lips, "remember, I also read that shit. Of course, it works on me you devious bastard."

He giggled before kissing him back.