The Pendragon household hadn't lost a dish in weeks, and these days Arthur's sock drawer was always in order, each sock perfectly matched with its pair and rolled into a tidy ball. Merlin had grown so capable, in fact, that Arthur's chores were finished almost before he ordered Merlin to do them, leaving a lot more time to spend at the gaming rooms. They always went together now, and although Arthur had once considered Merlin nothing more than his servant, he discovered he didn't mind so much the loneliness at school now that he had Merlin to come home to.
It got so that when Arthur tried to shut Merlin down one night, he found that he couldn't.
They were standing in their routine, intimate way in the darkness of the cupboard. Merlin waited patiently with trusting eyes while Arthur's finger lingered on his on/off switch. Arthur told himself that when he turned Merlin off, it was just like tucking Merlin into bed to sleep for the night, but that wasn't how it felt anymore. Lately, every time Merlin's bright eyes went empty, it was a little like death.
"You are a complete pain in the arse," Arthur said as his hand dropped away from the control panel to frame Merlin's waist instead. He rubbed his thumb over what passed for Merlin's hipbone. An unwelcome thought took hold of Arthur then. Was Merlin himself… built as men were? He hadn't considered the possibility before, but once the idea entered his mind, he couldn't get it out of his head. To give a robot such parts seemed perverse, but to deprive one of them almost cruel.
Arthur shook his head as if to drive such thoughts away. It was the verisimilitude of the bot that was confusing him, but such likeness only went so far. Merlin didn't smell human. There was no sweat or musk. Underneath the traces of soap and shampoo from running the self-cleaning program last time, Arthur caught the faint scent of metal.
"I really don't want to shut you down. Will you be frightened in the cupboard tonight if I leave your power on?" He gave Merlin a chance to protest, but the bot remained silent. Of course Merlin wouldn't be frightened. He was a machine. "That's settled, then. If you need me, I'll be sleeping right out here. Night, Merlin."
Arthur closed the cupboard door, and reassured himself that the distraught expression he thought he caught on Merlin's face had been nothing more than the projection of his own stupid and inexplicable guilt.
Arthur tossed and turned, but he couldn't sleep knowing Merlin was awake and alone in the small, dark space of the cupboard. Behind the slim door that separated them, he knew Merlin's eyes glowed blue and inquisitive, waiting for Arthur to free him. Arthur pressed a pillow over his face and groaned. Only the biggest fool in London would be obsessing over the imaginary feelings of a robot. But still.
"Dammit."
He swung his legs over the side of the bed and pressed a hand to his eyes. He'd been lying awake for hours and would have a shit day at school tomorrow.
When he opened the cupboard door, Merlin was standing exactly as he left him, looking for all the world like a puppy who trusted his owner would find him and was happy that he had. Arthur tried to be irritated but ended up just being relieved to see Merlin again. Maybe it wasn't something he could explain to other people, but leaving Merlin in the cupboard all night felt wrong and Arthur knew right then he'd made the right decision.
After that, Merlin always spent the night in Arthur's bed.
It got so that when Arthur tried to shut Merlin down one night, he found that he couldn't.
They were standing in their routine, intimate way in the darkness of the cupboard. Merlin waited patiently with trusting eyes while Arthur's finger lingered on his on/off switch. Arthur told himself that when he turned Merlin off, it was just like tucking Merlin into bed to sleep for the night, but that wasn't how it felt anymore. Lately, every time Merlin's bright eyes went empty, it was a little like death.
"You are a complete pain in the arse," Arthur said as his hand dropped away from the control panel to frame Merlin's waist instead. He rubbed his thumb over what passed for Merlin's hipbone. An unwelcome thought took hold of Arthur then. Was Merlin himself… built as men were? He hadn't considered the possibility before, but once the idea entered his mind, he couldn't get it out of his head. To give a robot such parts seemed perverse, but to deprive one of them almost cruel.
Arthur shook his head as if to drive such thoughts away. It was the verisimilitude of the bot that was confusing him, but such likeness only went so far. Merlin didn't smell human. There was no sweat or musk. Underneath the traces of soap and shampoo from running the self-cleaning program last time, Arthur caught the faint scent of metal.
"I really don't want to shut you down. Will you be frightened in the cupboard tonight if I leave your power on?" He gave Merlin a chance to protest, but the bot remained silent. Of course Merlin wouldn't be frightened. He was a machine. "That's settled, then. If you need me, I'll be sleeping right out here. Night, Merlin."
Arthur closed the cupboard door, and reassured himself that the distraught expression he thought he caught on Merlin's face had been nothing more than the projection of his own stupid and inexplicable guilt.
Arthur tossed and turned, but he couldn't sleep knowing Merlin was awake and alone in the small, dark space of the cupboard. Behind the slim door that separated them, he knew Merlin's eyes glowed blue and inquisitive, waiting for Arthur to free him. Arthur pressed a pillow over his face and groaned. Only the biggest fool in London would be obsessing over the imaginary feelings of a robot. But still.
"Dammit."
He swung his legs over the side of the bed and pressed a hand to his eyes. He'd been lying awake for hours and would have a shit day at school tomorrow.
When he opened the cupboard door, Merlin was standing exactly as he left him, looking for all the world like a puppy who trusted his owner would find him and was happy that he had. Arthur tried to be irritated but ended up just being relieved to see Merlin again. Maybe it wasn't something he could explain to other people, but leaving Merlin in the cupboard all night felt wrong and Arthur knew right then he'd made the right decision.
After that, Merlin always spent the night in Arthur's bed.
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