Fanfiction: Almost Human - Falling Further (Chapter 7)
Title: Falling Further
Sequel to: I'll Catch You As You Fall
Author: Serena-chan ( hourglass244)
Fandom: Almost Human
Pairing: Dorian/John Kennex
Rating: NC-17/Explicit
Warnings: Um, robot/human sex?
Spoilers: None
Summary: Takes place immediately following "I'll Catch You As You Fall." You probably should read that first, or this won't make much sense.
Chapter Summary: The boys finally have a meeting with Rudy.
Previous chapters: Chapter 1 ~ Chapter 2 ~ Chapter 3 ~ Chapter 4 ~ Chapter 5 ~ Chapter 6
John sat, perched awkwardly on the edge of one of Rudy's tables and watched as Dorian was put into stasis so the scientist could run a full diagnostic. He'd listened, face burning, as Dorian had described the strange urges and visual images he'd been assaulted with and tried not to meet Rudy's shocked gaze while the DRN had been describing their various sexual trysts. His whole body was humming with anxiety and nerves as the same question kept repeating itself in his mind.
What happens now?
When Rudy removed the program would Dorian even still want to look at him? What if he was disgusted and decided that he wanted a new partner? John wasn't sure he'd be able to cope with that, and it wasn't just that he'd be partnered with an MX. He wasn't sure he'd be able to go in to the precinct every day, and see Dorian working with someone else. It would kill him.
Why had he ever let himself get in this deep? He should have driven Dorian straight back to Rudy that early morning he'd shown up at his door. Hell, he should have dragged the DRN back to the lab that first time in the warehouse.
Now he had all these feelings swimming in his chest that he didn't know how to deal with. Even if Dorian wasn't angry and still wanted to work with him, it would be awkward as hell, and Dorian would probably be able to tell that John was still feeling something for him with just a simple scan of his vitals. The detective didn't know if he could cope with looks of pity from his partner, either, and the rejection speech that would surely follow.
He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Either way he was fucked.
Still, there was a tiny little glimmer of hope in the back of his mind; hope that Dorian might have enjoyed what they'd done. Perhaps he'd even want to continue things between them?
John told that part of himself firmly to shut up. He's never been that lucky. More often than not, things in life tended to have the worst possible outcome, and he shouldn't expect anything different.
"Nearly finished," Rudy said cheerfully, making John jump. He'd almost forgotten that the scientist was there. He watched with baited breath as Rudy unhooked the cables from the back of Dorian's neck. The DRN opened his eyes, and sat up. He looked confused.
"Did you fix it?" he asked.
"Well, the thing is..." Rudy rubbed the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable. "There just wasn't anything to fix. The program has completely left your system, and from my analysis of the machine and the diagnostics I ran, it's been out of your system since the first time. The program was written to purge itself from you as soon as it ran its course, leaving no trace behind."
"That's not possible!" Dorian protested. "It must be hidden somewhere deep. I told you, it's been popping up at random intervals and--"
"Look," Rudy cut him off. "I'm good at what I do, yeah? And I can promise you that it's gone. What you've been experiencing... Dorian, it's normal, okay? Everyone has thoughts and impulses that they have trouble regulating. It's basic human arousal."
"It's not normal," Dorian insisted. "It shuts down parts of my program. All my sub-programing stops. When it happens, it's all I can think about. I'm not able to regulate it."
Rudy sighed deeply, a deep flush of embarrassment coloring his cheeks. "Dorian, you're made to be as human as possible. What you're going through... Well, all humans experience it - usually during puberty. We have images in our heads, brought on by sexual attraction. Men get erections that won't go away unless, uh, 'attended to.' We learn to deal with them. Try playing unpleasant images in your head. When I get a little excited at inappropriate times, I think of the time I walked in on my grandmother in the shower. That stops it pretty quickly, let me tell you."
"But my sub-programing--"
"Shuts down on purpose," the scientist insisted. "Humans aren't thinking about anything else while they're having sex. They're experiencing it."
Dorian folded his arms, looking belligerent. "So you're telling me that sexbots aren't in complete control during their encounters?"
"They are," Rudy agreed, "but you're not a sexbot. You're a DRN. While sexbots do share some of your interface in that they're able to bond with and relate to their clients, they're still in the business of having sex. It's their job, like being a police officer is yours. They wouldn't be very good at their jobs if they reacted in the same way humans do to sex. You're made to feel and experience things the way humans do, especially when it's something that doesn't have anything to do with your job, like sex."
Dorian stared at him a moment before putting his head in his hands, the picture of mortified despair. John saw Rudy glance between the two of them, shifting awkwardly on his feet.
"Who's hungry?" he asked suddenly. "I'm just going to pop out and get some lunch. Can I get anyone anything? John?"
"I'm good," John said, unable to take his eyes off his partner. Rudy beat a hasty retreat as the detective walked slowly around the examination table to stand next to Dorian.
"John," the DRN said miserably, his voice muffled in his hands. "I'm so, so sorry."
"Hey, it's alright," the detective rushed to reassure him.
"No, it's not," Dorian insisted, finally uncovering his face, but still unable to meet his partner's eyes. "What I asked of you..."
"It's fine - "
"It's inexcusable - "
"Dorian!" John shouted. "Look, I liked it, too, okay?"
The detective shoved his hands in his jacket pocked, and suddenly found the floor fascinating. There was a few moments of heavy silence in which John could feel Dorian's gaze trained on him.
"Would you maybe, I dunno, like to go see a movie sometime, or...something," he finished lamely. When he chanced a look up at his partner's face, John saw blue lights flashing quickly across his cheek.
"Are you... You're not asking me on a date, are you?" Dorian said, finally.
John squared his shoulders resolutely. "You know what? Yeah, I am."
"Oh." Dorian looked away, but there was a pleased smile beginning to curl at his lips. "I think... I think I'd like that."
"Yeah?" John could feel the beginnings of a grin on his own face.
"Yeah," Dorian agreed, meeting his eyes once more.
John had the sudden urge to kiss the soft, shy smile off his partner's face, and realized that he probably would be allowed. So he did, cupping the DRN's face with his palm and moving in slowly to give him a chance to change his mind.
It was a warm, chaste kiss but held the promise of so much more. When they finally broke apart, John smiled grimly at his partner.
"I'm not very good at this sort of thing," he felt the need to warn him.
"That's okay, man," Dorian reassured him. "We'll take it a day at a time."
A/N: Thank you guys for sticking with me through this. Please review!
Sequel to: I'll Catch You As You Fall
Author: Serena-chan ( hourglass244)
Fandom: Almost Human
Pairing: Dorian/John Kennex
Rating: NC-17/Explicit
Warnings: Um, robot/human sex?
Spoilers: None
Summary: Takes place immediately following "I'll Catch You As You Fall." You probably should read that first, or this won't make much sense.
Chapter Summary: The boys finally have a meeting with Rudy.
Previous chapters: Chapter 1 ~ Chapter 2 ~ Chapter 3 ~ Chapter 4 ~ Chapter 5 ~ Chapter 6
John sat, perched awkwardly on the edge of one of Rudy's tables and watched as Dorian was put into stasis so the scientist could run a full diagnostic. He'd listened, face burning, as Dorian had described the strange urges and visual images he'd been assaulted with and tried not to meet Rudy's shocked gaze while the DRN had been describing their various sexual trysts. His whole body was humming with anxiety and nerves as the same question kept repeating itself in his mind.
What happens now?
When Rudy removed the program would Dorian even still want to look at him? What if he was disgusted and decided that he wanted a new partner? John wasn't sure he'd be able to cope with that, and it wasn't just that he'd be partnered with an MX. He wasn't sure he'd be able to go in to the precinct every day, and see Dorian working with someone else. It would kill him.
Why had he ever let himself get in this deep? He should have driven Dorian straight back to Rudy that early morning he'd shown up at his door. Hell, he should have dragged the DRN back to the lab that first time in the warehouse.
Now he had all these feelings swimming in his chest that he didn't know how to deal with. Even if Dorian wasn't angry and still wanted to work with him, it would be awkward as hell, and Dorian would probably be able to tell that John was still feeling something for him with just a simple scan of his vitals. The detective didn't know if he could cope with looks of pity from his partner, either, and the rejection speech that would surely follow.
He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Either way he was fucked.
Still, there was a tiny little glimmer of hope in the back of his mind; hope that Dorian might have enjoyed what they'd done. Perhaps he'd even want to continue things between them?
John told that part of himself firmly to shut up. He's never been that lucky. More often than not, things in life tended to have the worst possible outcome, and he shouldn't expect anything different.
"Nearly finished," Rudy said cheerfully, making John jump. He'd almost forgotten that the scientist was there. He watched with baited breath as Rudy unhooked the cables from the back of Dorian's neck. The DRN opened his eyes, and sat up. He looked confused.
"Did you fix it?" he asked.
"Well, the thing is..." Rudy rubbed the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable. "There just wasn't anything to fix. The program has completely left your system, and from my analysis of the machine and the diagnostics I ran, it's been out of your system since the first time. The program was written to purge itself from you as soon as it ran its course, leaving no trace behind."
"That's not possible!" Dorian protested. "It must be hidden somewhere deep. I told you, it's been popping up at random intervals and--"
"Look," Rudy cut him off. "I'm good at what I do, yeah? And I can promise you that it's gone. What you've been experiencing... Dorian, it's normal, okay? Everyone has thoughts and impulses that they have trouble regulating. It's basic human arousal."
"It's not normal," Dorian insisted. "It shuts down parts of my program. All my sub-programing stops. When it happens, it's all I can think about. I'm not able to regulate it."
Rudy sighed deeply, a deep flush of embarrassment coloring his cheeks. "Dorian, you're made to be as human as possible. What you're going through... Well, all humans experience it - usually during puberty. We have images in our heads, brought on by sexual attraction. Men get erections that won't go away unless, uh, 'attended to.' We learn to deal with them. Try playing unpleasant images in your head. When I get a little excited at inappropriate times, I think of the time I walked in on my grandmother in the shower. That stops it pretty quickly, let me tell you."
"But my sub-programing--"
"Shuts down on purpose," the scientist insisted. "Humans aren't thinking about anything else while they're having sex. They're experiencing it."
Dorian folded his arms, looking belligerent. "So you're telling me that sexbots aren't in complete control during their encounters?"
"They are," Rudy agreed, "but you're not a sexbot. You're a DRN. While sexbots do share some of your interface in that they're able to bond with and relate to their clients, they're still in the business of having sex. It's their job, like being a police officer is yours. They wouldn't be very good at their jobs if they reacted in the same way humans do to sex. You're made to feel and experience things the way humans do, especially when it's something that doesn't have anything to do with your job, like sex."
Dorian stared at him a moment before putting his head in his hands, the picture of mortified despair. John saw Rudy glance between the two of them, shifting awkwardly on his feet.
"Who's hungry?" he asked suddenly. "I'm just going to pop out and get some lunch. Can I get anyone anything? John?"
"I'm good," John said, unable to take his eyes off his partner. Rudy beat a hasty retreat as the detective walked slowly around the examination table to stand next to Dorian.
"John," the DRN said miserably, his voice muffled in his hands. "I'm so, so sorry."
"Hey, it's alright," the detective rushed to reassure him.
"No, it's not," Dorian insisted, finally uncovering his face, but still unable to meet his partner's eyes. "What I asked of you..."
"It's fine - "
"It's inexcusable - "
"Dorian!" John shouted. "Look, I liked it, too, okay?"
The detective shoved his hands in his jacket pocked, and suddenly found the floor fascinating. There was a few moments of heavy silence in which John could feel Dorian's gaze trained on him.
"Would you maybe, I dunno, like to go see a movie sometime, or...something," he finished lamely. When he chanced a look up at his partner's face, John saw blue lights flashing quickly across his cheek.
"Are you... You're not asking me on a date, are you?" Dorian said, finally.
John squared his shoulders resolutely. "You know what? Yeah, I am."
"Oh." Dorian looked away, but there was a pleased smile beginning to curl at his lips. "I think... I think I'd like that."
"Yeah?" John could feel the beginnings of a grin on his own face.
"Yeah," Dorian agreed, meeting his eyes once more.
John had the sudden urge to kiss the soft, shy smile off his partner's face, and realized that he probably would be allowed. So he did, cupping the DRN's face with his palm and moving in slowly to give him a chance to change his mind.
It was a warm, chaste kiss but held the promise of so much more. When they finally broke apart, John smiled grimly at his partner.
"I'm not very good at this sort of thing," he felt the need to warn him.
"That's okay, man," Dorian reassured him. "We'll take it a day at a time."
A/N: Thank you guys for sticking with me through this. Please review!