[Fic] M.E.R.L.I.N. 1/4 (+epilogue), (NC-17, Arthur/Merlin, AU)
So, I have decided to post the first chapter to my fic today, even though the epilogue isn't completely done yet. Still, I have a good feeling that I will get it done this weekend. So here's the first part. Hope you all enjoy! :)
M.E.R.L.I.N.
Part 1/4
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin, (background Gwaine/Elena and Lancelot/Gwen)
Rated: NC-17 over-all (later parts will be more like NC-15 or Hard R)
Warnings & contents: sci-fi/futuristic AU, sex with a robot, language, somewhat Hurt/Comfort, mild angst, minor character death in later chapters.
Notes: Not sure where this idea came from, but the first grains of it might have been when I was thinking about the scene from Heavy Metal (the movie) where a woman was explaining to a robot why they couldn't go steady.
Summary: Captain Arthur Pendragon mail orders for a companion robot to keep him company and provide him with sex while he's exploring the galaxy for unknown worlds; he didn't plan on getting MERLIN.
Disclaimer: the characters within do not belong to me, but Shine and the BBC (and the original Arthurian myth authors).
**
Mechanical
Emulated
Robot(-ic)
Lad (/Lass)
Into
Nymphomania
That was what was written precisely on the side of the crate when it arrived. Arthur was livid. He did not order a MERLIN, but a GWEN (Gorgeous Woman-bot Emulating Nymphomania). Now he'd have to go through the necessary paperwork to get this robot returned and then the other one-GWEN-wouldn't get to his Starship until about six to eight months, if there was no complications, and he didn't think he could wait that long.
Captain Arthur London Pendragon had been in space for nearly his entire life (born on board the floating space station Camelot Starfleet Enterprises but had taken Uni classes on Earth), and he'd been captain of his vessel, Excalibur, since he was sixteen. He was almost twenty-eight now, and when he ordered for his companion robot he didn't think much on it other than relieving his boredom and sexual needs. He wanted more than just his hand and the entire galaxy worth of porno for stimulation.
It was often lonely out there in space. His mission was to help Camelot Enterprises locate new worlds and possibly new life. So far, in the known history of the human race, there had been over a hundred new planets discovered (that could easily sustain life) but only one other humanoid species had been found. If Arthur remembered his ancient history well, there had been a huge, complex battle between Earth's humans and the other planet's (located in the constellation of Aries) beings that'd been named Areslans by humans but later discovered were actually called Jinns. They looked almost identical to Earthlings that at times it was hard to tell they were aliens if put in a crowd on Earth (if they were the same skin tone, that was; normally they had blue or pink skin).
Almost fifteen years later after the galactic war started, they'd finally made peace with them. Since then, they (the Earthlings) had been desperate to find other planets with other human-like beings. Arthur had no idea why, since the last time they made contact with an alien race they had a galactic war that killed trillions of their kind and nearly made them an endangered species. Homo sapiens were a strange breed.
So here he was, a captain of his own vessel, with nary another human on board, searching a part of space that was unknown to the Camelot Starfleet, making charts and maps and collecting data. He was alone in the mission, as per rules after proving himself and getting his captaincy (he was supposed to get his own crew after this mission was complete - if he chose to continue with his life on Excalibur), and had been since sixteen. He hadn't found so much as an alien germ.
Sometimes he wished he hadn't earned his rise.
Now he was stuck with this… MERLIN. Still, Arthur Pendragon was like most human beings of his era: moderately bisexual (or pansexual, as many liked to call themselves during this space age). He swung more on one side of the sexual spectrum than the other, though; meaning he was usually more interested in the female sex. But there had been plenty of times when he found the male body most pleasant to the eye (and in his imagination while wanking), so it wasn't like he couldn't make it work with a male bot; he just would've rather had the GWEN.
Furious that they got his order wrong, Arthur was about to fill out a complaint form when the door to the crate swung open on its own. It usually meant that the MERLIN was fully functional already and was ready to serve.
Arthur froze the second the MERLIN came out, pen poised in the ready position and clipboard in his other hand. The MERLIN series wasn't what he had expected. He'd heard they were doing marvelous things with robots' features and coloring but he had no idea they'd achieved such lifelike structures. This model had the usual latex, synthetic skin, which was milky-smooth and nearly flawless (except for the occassional freckle or beauty mark added on for realism), but the bot also had raven dark hair, large and expressive blue eyes, long eyelashes, large-ish ears, a perfect red mouth, and a sinewy, lanky body that moved almost cat-like when it walked. The clothing the MERLIN was wearing wasn't even that extraordinary either: just the normal, average clothes that people wore during that time and age, which included blue jeans and a stylish brown jacket. Arthur was so transfixed that he hadn't realized the MERLIN bot stopped five inches from him and stared back.
He'd been shaken out of his thoughts when the robot finally spoke, which was odd because the last he knew of companion robots they normally didn't speak unless spoken to.
"Hello, Captain Arthur Pendragon. I am MERLIN, the Mechanical Emulated Robotic Lad that is Into Nymphomania. I am fully functional and ready to serve you in all ways imaginable. I am, what my maker had called, the perfect companion and servant, and I am yours to command."
The only thing that flew out of Arthur's shocked mouth was, "You spoke first."
The MERLIN ducked his head and shuffled a toe on the ground, emulating embarrassment. A robot, embarrassed? Now Arthur had seen everything!
"I apologize, sir, but you were in a daze and I thought it best if I said something first or we might have been standing here for hours before you got your human brain to fully function again."
"Cheeky, too," Arthur snorted. He tapped the end of his pen on the clipboard that was still in his hand and thought about what to do. "But at least you're not too hard on the eyes."
"I am pleased you find my appearance to be gratifying. I also apologize for sounding cheeky, but I am what you humans call a prototype."
"Oh, lovely," Arthur rolled his eyes. He finally got his feet to move, turning back toward Excalibur's bridge to check their position and the other things he needed to check to make sure the ship was still in working order, while he quickly scribbled on his clipboard. He still felt the need to send a complaint. "I'm a captain of a Camelot Starfleet vessel, been in outer space for more than twelve years, and they send me a prototype! Am I not as important as they think I am?"
"You are very important, sir," the MERLIN said, following Arthur back to the bridge. "One of the main reasons they sent me was because I am a prototype. They know of your merits and knowledge in the field of robotics and knew you would be capable of handling one of the prototypes that had been built, and that you would give a most accurate report of my operations in full details. I am more than just a companion and sex emulator, sir. I have also been programmed to take on some of the more difficult functions of the ship."
Arthur stopped in front of the door and spun round to face MERLIN, surprised. The MERLIN almost collided with Arthur but was able to back-up in time, albeit a little wobbily as if it were about to fall over.
"You-you can do maintenance on a Starfleet ship?"
"Affirmative, sir." Here, the MERLIN smiled a little, almost as if it was pleased, and Arthur found he rather liked that smile. It looked so human. "I am also able to distinguish human emotions and reactions to other stimuli. It is a high function on most sex bots, but was discovered to be a good addition in robots that help the upkeep on starships. I am programmed to know what you feel and how things affect you so that I may be most capable of handling any situation you-we-find ourselves in."
Arthur goggled at the robot. He couldn't come up with a response to that at the moment, so he turned and walked through the sliding door and onto the bridge. MERLIN had, without a doubt, followed him in.
Arthur sat in his captain's chair. He liked sitting here when he had a lot of things on his mind, or when he just liked to relax and contemplate his next destination. The MERLIN immediately went about checking and re-checking all the ship's instruments and then the maps Arthur had been charting. Arthur didn't want to say anything for fear that it might come out as arrogant or angry. The MERLIN was sure to pick up on it and most likely offer sex to help him relax. His head was too full of questions and confusion to be in the mood for sex, and with a male robot no less.
When the MERLIN finished his, more than likely, automatic diagnostic of the ship and its charts, it sat in the navigator's seat one tier down from Arthur's chair.
"Everything is functioning properly, Captain," MERLIN said as it flipped and hit buttons and switches. "I am steering the ship now toward one of the final clusters of stars not registered on the star chart."
"Ah… good," Arthur said. He sighed. He really can't get angry at MERLIN for doing what he'd been programmed to do. "Thank you, MERLIN. Please leave me alone now."
"I sense confusion, irritation, and tension from you, sir," MERLIN said, turning in his chair to look up at Arthur. "I suggest you get some rest. You may feel better afterwards."
"Are you sure it isn't sex I need?" Arthur snapped. He stood from his seat and quickly made his way to the exit.
Before Arthur reached the door, he heard MERLIN reply with, "Your emotional condition would make you reject any stimuli I would give you at the present time-"
When the door slid shut behind him, Arthur let out a long breath, closed his eyes, and leaned his head back against the door. It was going to be a long ten months.
**
It didn't take long for Arthur to crumble.
Even though the MERLIN was right in almost everything he suggested, he wasn't about to admit it. It was selfish of him, and a bit arrogant, he knew, but he also knew that MERLIN knew that pride was one of his weaknesses. MERLIN didn't bring it up, seeing how he could sense it, and knew it was something he could not broach just yet. But almost a week after the MERLIN had arrived, Arthur felt the buddings of sexual need floating to the surface once more. It was harder (no pun intended) to keep his erection in check. MERLIN, naturally, sensed it, but kept wisely silent.
It was when Arthur was getting ready for bed, MERLIN turning back the bed sheets, when he actually did something about it. Or, more like, MERLIN sensed Arthur was ready and offered his services.
"Sir," it said, as Arthur pulled on his sleep pants, facing away, "I am fully efficient in all manners of sexual intercourse, including with men. My programs include all sorts of foreplay and kinks, and if there is anything you do not enjoy, do not hesitate to tell me. I am fully equipped with all manners of lubrications as well, if you are so inclined to go in that direction tonight."
Arthur felt a full-body flush, his nape and ears hot, merely from what MERLIN had said. It had been an awful long time since he'd had any kind of one-on-one sex with anyone. Even though MERLIN was clearly a robot it was better than nothing, and it was one of the main reasons why he ordered for the sex robot in the first place. There was no one else on board the ship, so why was he so embarrassed? It was probably his self-conscious awareness that it would be his first time with someone-or rather something-that wasn't female.
"I fully comprehend," MERLIN continued, "that if you are embarrassed by having sex with me for the first time, you may want to start off with something small. We could just rub our sexual appendages together or I could take your erect penis into my mouth. I have a suction that rivals any Hoover or vacuum cleaner ever invented…"
"Yes, fine," Arthur said tersely, wanting to get on with it already. "We'll do that. Lights off," he instructed Excalibur, and the lights automatically shut off. Arthur knew just where his bed was, which was only a couple feet away, and easily found it. Once under the covers, he slipped his sleep pants off, tossed them on the floor, and looked up.
MERLIN's eyes were glowing like the numbers on an old alarm clock. It was so eerily blue and bright that it lit up nearly all of MERLIN's face and neck, and some of his upper chest. The MERLIN was naked, at least from what Arthur could tell. He felt his erection twitch as MERLIN came closer, those glowing eyes staring right at him.
"Bloody hell, MERLIN-" Arthur gasped.
"Your exclamation of shock suggests you approve of how I look. This is an above average response-"
"Shut up and get between my legs!"
"Yes, sir," MERLIN said. It obeyed, and Arthur was startled to find that the MERLIN wasn't cold at all, like the other robots Arthur had worked with before becoming captain of the Excalibur. No, MERLIN was very warm, as was the glow coming from his-its-eyes.
"MERLIN, you're-"
"Warm? Yes, sir. I have an inward generator that makes heat and a regulating system connected to that that helps control the heat. As is my programming, it is capable of reaching a certain temperature; especially while performing sex. It is to help make sex most enjoyable and as real as possible-"
"All right, I get it. Now then, you said something about your mouth on my dick?"
"I can get straight to that, sir, or would you prefer a little kissing beforehand? Most humans like to get a little intimate in that area for comfort reasons and-"
Arthur cut him off with a kiss, and MERLIN was clearly programmed to be a great kisser as well, he found. It wasn't overly sloppy, but wet enough so they could kiss in the way Arthur found enjoyable, open and with tongue. Arthur could tell immediately that MERLIN's tongue wasn't human, but it hardly mattered. The feel of MERLIN on top of him, kissing him like this, hands roaming and hips gyrating, was the best thing he'd felt in years. There was no squeaking or creaking of any kind, from MERLIN or from his state-of-the-art cloud bed.
"Shall I trail a straight line of kisses down to your erect penis, sir?" MERLIN said, tone almost flat but with slight emotion behind it.
"Yes, please," Arthur moaned. "And call me Arthur for now."
"Yes, Arthur," MERLIN said, smiling softly. "It is understood that while becoming intimate with someone in bed, humans like to hear their first names spoken, which in turn-"
"Less babble, more sex," Arthur demanded.
MERLIN obeyed, slowly moving down Arthur's body, kissing and sucking on the way, and in just the right way. Arthur moaned as MERLIN grazed a nipple, and the moment MERLIN located the head of his cock, MERLIN teasingly lapped and kissed it before slowly going down on him. Arthur arched his back and whimpered. He hadn't felt such wonderful, wet suction on his cock in so long, and it was all he could do not to come right away. He wanted this to last more than at least five minutes.
Arthur had kept his eyes shut most of the time, but when he opened them finally, out of shock at the feel of MERLIN cupping his balls, he was startled by how MERLIN's eyes were still glowing. They were dimmed a bit, because his eyelids were halfway closed, but it was still a little eerie.
"Could you… either keep your eyes closed or maybe turn the blue light off? It's a little distracting."
"I shall turn them off," MERLIN said, and did so. "I can still see in the dark with my infra-red sensors-"
"Okay, okay, don't go into scientific details. It's a turn-off."
"I apologize, Arthur, sir."
Arthur sighed and settled back more into his pillow. He shifted his body to be more comfortable, and after a few more wonderful pulls from MERLIN's mouth, he threaded his fingers through MERLIN's surprisingly soft hair. MERLIN's throat then vibrated, as if humming in pleasure from Arthur's touch, and Arthur lost it. Shuddering, he came down MERLIN's gaping throat.
As he slowly came down from the orgasmic high, chest rising and falling, and MERLIN resting his face against his stomach (Arthur's fingers still in those soft locks), he wondered just where in MERLIN's robotic body his semen would end up.
**
Three days later, the post finally arrived.
It was normal for letters and packages to arrive months after being sent, he was in outer space after all, and e-mail took less time but still had to travel. So getting letters from family and friends after such a long wait wasn't so surprising. What was surprising, however, was his robot companion getting mail.
"To M.E.R.L.I.N. friend on the Excalibur Starship," Arthur read aloud, shocked. "From G.W.A.I.N.E. on Camelot Enterprises." He looked over at MERLIN in shock and then waved the letter in its face. "What's this all about then?"
MERLIN ducked his head in embarrassment, something Arthur was getting accustomed to, even though he knew he shouldn't. "It is a friend-comrade robot called GWAINE. I met him during my first few days after being booted up and trying out my functions and appendages."
"And what does G.W.A.I.N.E. stand for exactly? Is it another prototype like you?"
"Yes, sir," MERLIN answered. "Except not as new a model as me. His name stands for Gorgeous Working And Intergalactic Nymphomania Emulator. He is the second in his series."
"What's the first in his series?" Arthur dared to ask. His curiosity seemed to be transmitting just fine to MERLIN because MERLIN answered him with a cheeky grin.
"Gorgeous Automaton Worker And Intergalactic Nymphomaniac."
Arthur handed over the letter, putting the rest of his curiosity aside for now, and opened a letter addressed to himself. It was from a friend he'd made while attending University. They were both interested in the space program and wanted to explore the stars and work with everything that had to do with space, space travel, and even robots.
Leon Knight was a good man, full of honour, pride, dignity, curiosity, and hope. He was much like Arthur, which was probably why they clicked. They'd both promised to keep in touch, and Leon's letter wasn't the first in their correspondence. The last letter he'd received, Leon had told him that he was finally getting married to his long-time girlfriend of so many years, and that he'd wished Arthur could be there. Of course, being stuck in space made it a mite difficult to attend.
Leon's newest letter explained to him how the wedding went, what happened during the wedding, and afterwards. Weddings were no longer the norm when it came to staying with the person you loved, but still considered a binding contract and that if you broke that contract it was up to the individuals on what to do. Anyone could get married, no matter their gender, ethnic, colour, or whatever. A person could even get married to a space alien, if the alien's parents agreed to it. Arthur remembered the news report of the first Earthling and Areslan wedding. It was a very controversial thing in the beginning, but now it wasn't a big deal. Nothing surprised him anymore.
He looked up from his letter to see a smile on MERLIN's face. Curiosity struck him again.
"So, what does GWAINE say?" he asked.
"It is in code," MERLIN said. "It is in all ones and zeroes. You would not be able to understand it. I could translate it for you if you wish."
"Please do," Arthur said.
MERLIN nodded and obeyed. "GWAINE says he has been given to a human, like I had, and the human's name is Elena. GWAINE says that she is very sweet, but a little clumsy at times. He has had to clean up after her a lot, but they get on well. He says the sex is most adequate and that Elena has as many as five orgasms in one night-"
"Yes, thank you, MERLIN. I don't need to know their personal sex life. It's nice, though, to know you have a friend among your fellow robots." Arthur patted a warm hand onto MERLIN's shoulder. "Well done."
"It is not unheard of, sir," MERLIN said, ducking his head again. "It is surprisingly most satisfying, though, to have a friend within the same robot clan that's from the same maker."
Arthur didn't know why he did it, but out of impulse he leaned forward and planted a soft kiss to MERLIN's cheek. MERLIN beamed even more from that, warmth flooding his face. "You did not have to do that, sir-"
"What else does your friend say?" Arthur asked, trying to cover his own embarrassment. He didn't want to look too deep into what he'd just done.
"He says that they-the Camelot Enterprises-are working on improving my model, and are thinking about calling it something else, but they may just keep the name MERLIN. It is quite the popular name for boys now on Earth."
Arthur felt proud, and happy, suddenly, to have the first prototype of the MERLIN series. He wasn't sure if he'd ever replace MERLIN with any other.
"Would the newer model look just like you?"
"It is possible," MERLIN said. "They are also working on a female version and thinking of calling it FREYA. If they do then that means, in human lingo, she would be my sister."
"And what would FREYA stand for, do you think?"
"Possibly: Female Romantic (or Randy) Emulated Young Automaton. Then again, I could be mistaken. It is not often that I am wrong, but sometimes I am unable to read exactly what is on the minds of humans-"
Arthur interrupted MERLIN before he got too far into his technical speech. "Let's hope that you will one day be a brother then, MERLIN. One of us shouldn't be an only child."
"Indeed, sir." MERLIN beamed again. It was so lovely Arthur just had to kiss him, and on the lips this time.
**
Arthur really should have expected it, but like the human that he was that erred often, he didn't. The realization of how he felt hit him like a ton of… well, something very heavy.
It happened almost right after they finished having sex for the who-knew-how-many times. Arthur was wet and open, on his knees and spread comfortably across his bed sheet, face planted into his cloud pillow; MERLIN was on top, thrusting in precise precision, pushing all of Arthur's buttons exactly how he liked it. The moment he felt MERLIN's sticky, wet substance that passed as semen fill his arse, he came, arse clenching around MERLIN's thick and long synthetic cock. When MERLIN removed his retractable sexual appendage from him, fluid escaped Arthur's red, beaten hole. Arthur moaned into his pillow and lay still to bask in the aftermath.
That was when realization had struck: he was falling for his own robot. As idiotic as it was, it wasn't anything new. He'd known many others on Earth that devoted themselves to their mechanical companions, even to go as far as almost marrying them. Arthur wasn't sure if it was legal to marry your robot yet, but the time he'd been away-given that time moved a bit slower here in space-he wouldn't be a bit surprised that some people had been given the right to do so (and that it was possibly legal now).
That didn't mean he'd marry MERLIN. Just because he was growing more attached to him didn't mean a thing. It was likely thanks to all the sex they'd been having, that was all. MERLIN was programmed to provide wonderful sex, and he was letting his emotions run away with him.
"I sense you are very pleased with our coupling that time, sir-Arthur," MERLIN said, lying beside him. Arthur automatically turned and pulled MERLIN close, resting his forehead in the crook of MERLIN's neck. MERLIN put his arms around him, as if in a habitual gesture. It must be in his programming to cuddle, if the human partner desired it.
"Yes, indeed…" Arthur sighed. "I'm very pleased and well-sated. Thank you, Merl."
MERLIN tittered, which he usually did whenever Arthur called him by his pet name. Arthur was growing to love that little laugh.
"I am pleased that you are pleased, Arthur. When should I make your dinner? You will take a nap, as you normally do after having intense sexual intercourse. I could tidy up while you sleep, and then perform maintenance on the ship before making your food."
"Sounds wonderful, Merlin. Thanks."
"My pleasure, sir," MERLIN said softly. "I will also check on the post."
"Mmm," Arthur said, acknowledging and agreeing with his statement. His last thoughts before falling asleep were of Merlin, and in his dream Merlin was a real human being, capable of all the human emotions and able to bleed actual blood when he pricks his finger on the sewing needle. Merlin's expressive, surprised eyes in the dream caused a warm, fluttering feeling in the pit of his stomach and he smiled in his sleep.
When he woke up, he smelt food cooking in the kitchen. His stomach growled, indicating that he was indeed hungry, so he got out of bed and put his dressing gown on.
The smell of frying (imitation) meat wafted to his nose, making his mouth water. When he came into the kitchen he saw MERLIN at the stove, serving up his plate. The juice maker on the other side was automatically squeezing his juice and the other was pouring fresh water. There were even vegetables and fruit served, as his diet had dictated.
"Evening, Merl," Arthur said, sitting at his usual place at the table. "That smells divine."
"Thank you, sir," MERLIN grinned. He finished fixing his plate with the right amount required, and came over and set it down in front of him. "Here's your food. Enjoy, sir."
"I will, thanks," Arthur said, and tucked in. MERLIN brought over his glasses of water and juice. He then picked out a dessert, as if to tempt him, to place in front of his dinner plate. It was his favorite: cherry cheesecake.
"Little tease," Arthur said. MERLIN blushed prettily, eyes bright.
"I'm only trying to make you happy, sir."
"You make me very happy, MERLIN." Arthur didn't think he'd ever felt this happy before in all his life.
"I'm glad, sir. I'm also glad that you're in a good mood… what is it, sir?" he asked, because Arthur was staring at him oddly.
"You-you used contractions. You never used to do that before; you'd always say the entire word, never abbreviating them like humans do."
"Oh," MERLIN said, ducking his head, and his face was going quite red now. He'd never seen MERLIN blush so hard before!
"What's the reason, I wonder," Arthur said, staring hard at MERLIN. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not angry with you. I rather like that you're speaking more like a human being."
"That… pleases you, sir?"
"It does. It would also please me if you stuck to using just my name."
"Oh, but-but that would be rude…"
"Not if I ask you," Arthur urged. "Please, Merl? I think it's about time we got past the honorifics now, don't you? We've been shagging for almost two months now."
"If that's what you wish of me, sir-er, Arthur." MERLIN blushed again. "And we've been shagging because I am programmed to-"
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Arthur interrupted. "It's just one of those human things, you see."
"Yes…" MERLIN started, but then cut himself off before he continued his sentence. His eyes glanced over to the doorway leading to MERLIN's room and then he went back to his normal duties.
MERLIN had his own room, courtesy of Arthur. He knew that MERLIN didn't need sleep, but he still powered down from time to time to save on energy, and he had slowly been accumulating his own belongings like any normal human would (Arthur had even discovered that MERLIN had a space rock collection; a rock from each planet they'd orbited and collected samples from, if it had a rocky surface that was). He needed a place for all his stuff, so Arthur gave him a room. When Merlin had looked toward his room, it made Arthur wonder if Merlin needed to power down for a bit or if he got something in the post that he hadn't told Arthur about yet.
"Was there anything in the post?" he dared to ask.
Merlin looked shifty, which again was odd for him. It was very hard for Merlin to lie as well, so Merlin offered a small "yes" but continued with his chores without interruption.
Arthur studied him after that. Merlin did not look like he normally did: confident, at ease, graceful, meticulous. He looked almost edgy, anxious, and even a bit impatient. It was incredible how much Arthur had learned to read Merlin's moods almost as well as Merlin could read his.
"Was there something important that came in the post, then? Did you get something from GWAINE?"
Merlin nodded this time, his eyes staying on his work. Now he knew something was up, especially when Merlin wouldn't meet his eyes or even speak out loud.
"All right, tell me," Arthur demanded. "What did you get?"
Merlin looked almost embarrassed, as if robots shouldn't be allowed to receive more mail than their masters. But then he quietly answered, "It's-it was a present."
"He sent you something? That was nice of him," Arthur said. Merlin nodded. "So, what did he get you?"
"I will show you if you really wish to know."
"I do," Arthur said.
MERLIN looked a tad worried, and hopefully that didn't mean anything except that Merlin was only worried about receiving something instead of Arthur.
He followed Merlin to his room the minute he'd finished his meal. When Merlin opened the door and brought him to look at his present, he wouldn't look at Arthur. He just hung his head as if expecting to be shut down and reprogrammed.
"A plant?" Arthur gasped. It was rare, and difficult, to send a plant through space. Usually by the time it arrived it was dead. This one had somehow miraculously stayed alive, and there were even pink flowers blooming on it.
"Please, sir," MERLIN said, and it was never good when Merlin started using honorifics again. "Please don't take it away. It means a lot to me that I now have my very own plant to take care of. Robots aren't normally allowed to look after plants, if they're not gardener bots. They're only to look after the people they're assigned to. GWAINE knows that I've always wanted a plant to care for; that is why he and Elena sent me one. I don't know if they had forgotten about you and what your reaction to it would be, but it means that much more to me that they are forgetful in their kindness. Please, sir, please do not destroy the plant."
Arthur heaved a big sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. MERLIN was giving him the puppy dog eyes, even if that wasn't what Merlin usually called it (Merlin called it his pleading, desperate eyes, but it still looked like puppy dog eyes to Arthur), and it was so hard to say no to Merlin whenever he did it. Arthur understood how much the plant meant to Merlin, but the rules stated that no plant or animal was allowed on board. He couldn't remember the particulars, but it had something to do with oxygen intake and water consumption, and all those other minor things that really added up. A plant (or animal) took away resources from the human, and on his mission of exploration it was a giant no-no. What if they did find another planet similar to Earth? They couldn't introduce a foreign object, if what they learned on Earth taught them anything.
Which was why Arthur had been so lonely and in need of someone. Not just because of his libido, of course, but that was one of the main reasons why he ordered for a robot. A robot didn't use up human resources, except maybe electricity, but that wasn't hard to find in space. All Arthur needed to do was get close to one of the suns or large stars to power up his generator (and back-up generators) using its light, and bob's your uncle. A robot didn't need food or water or vitamins or-much of anything. They were, more or less, a walking and talking computer (and also, in Merlin's sense, a life-like blow-up doll with sexual attachments).
But obviously this MERLIN prototype needed something else to care for besides Arthur. The plant was like a pet, but he didn't know if he should allow Merlin to keep it. He could get into serious trouble with Headquarters.
"It's against the rules," Arthur said slowly, watching Merlin's reaction.
"I know," Merlin said quietly, eyes fixed on his shoes. He was not arguing which, of course, meant Arthur was right. They had argued only twice since they'd known each other, and Arthur had been in the wrong both times because of his pride and hating admitting he was wrong on something.
"We could get into serious trouble-" Arthur started, but stopped when Merlin looked at him. It was hard to look away, and he felt his resolve crumble. MERLIN was his servant, his robot, and he could easily order him to destroy the plant, but he just couldn't do it. His stupid human emotions were playing havoc on him.
Finally, he sighed and said, "Fine then. Keep it. Just remember that it's your responsibility."
Merlin beamed then, brighter than he'd ever seen on Merlin, and it caused a funny, happy feeling within his stomach.
"Thank you, Arthur!" Merlin hugged him, shocking Arthur into hugging back. Such emotions in a robot like this were rare. He must make a report on it.
**
Merlin let Arthur fuck him in any way he wanted, possibly in gratitude for allowing him to keep the plant. Merlin was already slick and soft, like any other sex bot, and Arthur slid in with only a couple thrusts. He stilled his hips; just the feel of Merlin around his cock was excruciating torture. The softness of his insides, the perfect friction, and the rhythmic pulse beating in time with Merlin's mechanical heart (for realism, of course)-it was all too much. Arthur fucked him slow and shallow at first, but was overcome within a few minutes. He deepened his thrusts and rolled his hips, the pressure and sensations perfect around his cock.
He wanted it to last but his climax was coming up faster than he'd hoped. He pumped with elongated strokes, from tip to base, pushing deeper every time. As he neared completion, Arthur lowered his head down to capture Merlin's lips and they kissed messy and wild, and Arthur's hips stuttered.
He came harder than he ever thought possible, filling Merlin's robotic body with his human seed. He never did get to ask where it all went, but he was too sated to care.
***
Part two
M.E.R.L.I.N.
Part 1/4
Pairings: Arthur/Merlin, (background Gwaine/Elena and Lancelot/Gwen)
Rated: NC-17 over-all (later parts will be more like NC-15 or Hard R)
Warnings & contents: sci-fi/futuristic AU, sex with a robot, language, somewhat Hurt/Comfort, mild angst, minor character death in later chapters.
Notes: Not sure where this idea came from, but the first grains of it might have been when I was thinking about the scene from Heavy Metal (the movie) where a woman was explaining to a robot why they couldn't go steady.
Summary: Captain Arthur Pendragon mail orders for a companion robot to keep him company and provide him with sex while he's exploring the galaxy for unknown worlds; he didn't plan on getting MERLIN.
Disclaimer: the characters within do not belong to me, but Shine and the BBC (and the original Arthurian myth authors).
**
Mechanical
Emulated
Robot(-ic)
Lad (/Lass)
Into
Nymphomania
That was what was written precisely on the side of the crate when it arrived. Arthur was livid. He did not order a MERLIN, but a GWEN (Gorgeous Woman-bot Emulating Nymphomania). Now he'd have to go through the necessary paperwork to get this robot returned and then the other one-GWEN-wouldn't get to his Starship until about six to eight months, if there was no complications, and he didn't think he could wait that long.
Captain Arthur London Pendragon had been in space for nearly his entire life (born on board the floating space station Camelot Starfleet Enterprises but had taken Uni classes on Earth), and he'd been captain of his vessel, Excalibur, since he was sixteen. He was almost twenty-eight now, and when he ordered for his companion robot he didn't think much on it other than relieving his boredom and sexual needs. He wanted more than just his hand and the entire galaxy worth of porno for stimulation.
It was often lonely out there in space. His mission was to help Camelot Enterprises locate new worlds and possibly new life. So far, in the known history of the human race, there had been over a hundred new planets discovered (that could easily sustain life) but only one other humanoid species had been found. If Arthur remembered his ancient history well, there had been a huge, complex battle between Earth's humans and the other planet's (located in the constellation of Aries) beings that'd been named Areslans by humans but later discovered were actually called Jinns. They looked almost identical to Earthlings that at times it was hard to tell they were aliens if put in a crowd on Earth (if they were the same skin tone, that was; normally they had blue or pink skin).
Almost fifteen years later after the galactic war started, they'd finally made peace with them. Since then, they (the Earthlings) had been desperate to find other planets with other human-like beings. Arthur had no idea why, since the last time they made contact with an alien race they had a galactic war that killed trillions of their kind and nearly made them an endangered species. Homo sapiens were a strange breed.
So here he was, a captain of his own vessel, with nary another human on board, searching a part of space that was unknown to the Camelot Starfleet, making charts and maps and collecting data. He was alone in the mission, as per rules after proving himself and getting his captaincy (he was supposed to get his own crew after this mission was complete - if he chose to continue with his life on Excalibur), and had been since sixteen. He hadn't found so much as an alien germ.
Sometimes he wished he hadn't earned his rise.
Now he was stuck with this… MERLIN. Still, Arthur Pendragon was like most human beings of his era: moderately bisexual (or pansexual, as many liked to call themselves during this space age). He swung more on one side of the sexual spectrum than the other, though; meaning he was usually more interested in the female sex. But there had been plenty of times when he found the male body most pleasant to the eye (and in his imagination while wanking), so it wasn't like he couldn't make it work with a male bot; he just would've rather had the GWEN.
Furious that they got his order wrong, Arthur was about to fill out a complaint form when the door to the crate swung open on its own. It usually meant that the MERLIN was fully functional already and was ready to serve.
Arthur froze the second the MERLIN came out, pen poised in the ready position and clipboard in his other hand. The MERLIN series wasn't what he had expected. He'd heard they were doing marvelous things with robots' features and coloring but he had no idea they'd achieved such lifelike structures. This model had the usual latex, synthetic skin, which was milky-smooth and nearly flawless (except for the occassional freckle or beauty mark added on for realism), but the bot also had raven dark hair, large and expressive blue eyes, long eyelashes, large-ish ears, a perfect red mouth, and a sinewy, lanky body that moved almost cat-like when it walked. The clothing the MERLIN was wearing wasn't even that extraordinary either: just the normal, average clothes that people wore during that time and age, which included blue jeans and a stylish brown jacket. Arthur was so transfixed that he hadn't realized the MERLIN bot stopped five inches from him and stared back.
He'd been shaken out of his thoughts when the robot finally spoke, which was odd because the last he knew of companion robots they normally didn't speak unless spoken to.
"Hello, Captain Arthur Pendragon. I am MERLIN, the Mechanical Emulated Robotic Lad that is Into Nymphomania. I am fully functional and ready to serve you in all ways imaginable. I am, what my maker had called, the perfect companion and servant, and I am yours to command."
The only thing that flew out of Arthur's shocked mouth was, "You spoke first."
The MERLIN ducked his head and shuffled a toe on the ground, emulating embarrassment. A robot, embarrassed? Now Arthur had seen everything!
"I apologize, sir, but you were in a daze and I thought it best if I said something first or we might have been standing here for hours before you got your human brain to fully function again."
"Cheeky, too," Arthur snorted. He tapped the end of his pen on the clipboard that was still in his hand and thought about what to do. "But at least you're not too hard on the eyes."
"I am pleased you find my appearance to be gratifying. I also apologize for sounding cheeky, but I am what you humans call a prototype."
"Oh, lovely," Arthur rolled his eyes. He finally got his feet to move, turning back toward Excalibur's bridge to check their position and the other things he needed to check to make sure the ship was still in working order, while he quickly scribbled on his clipboard. He still felt the need to send a complaint. "I'm a captain of a Camelot Starfleet vessel, been in outer space for more than twelve years, and they send me a prototype! Am I not as important as they think I am?"
"You are very important, sir," the MERLIN said, following Arthur back to the bridge. "One of the main reasons they sent me was because I am a prototype. They know of your merits and knowledge in the field of robotics and knew you would be capable of handling one of the prototypes that had been built, and that you would give a most accurate report of my operations in full details. I am more than just a companion and sex emulator, sir. I have also been programmed to take on some of the more difficult functions of the ship."
Arthur stopped in front of the door and spun round to face MERLIN, surprised. The MERLIN almost collided with Arthur but was able to back-up in time, albeit a little wobbily as if it were about to fall over.
"You-you can do maintenance on a Starfleet ship?"
"Affirmative, sir." Here, the MERLIN smiled a little, almost as if it was pleased, and Arthur found he rather liked that smile. It looked so human. "I am also able to distinguish human emotions and reactions to other stimuli. It is a high function on most sex bots, but was discovered to be a good addition in robots that help the upkeep on starships. I am programmed to know what you feel and how things affect you so that I may be most capable of handling any situation you-we-find ourselves in."
Arthur goggled at the robot. He couldn't come up with a response to that at the moment, so he turned and walked through the sliding door and onto the bridge. MERLIN had, without a doubt, followed him in.
Arthur sat in his captain's chair. He liked sitting here when he had a lot of things on his mind, or when he just liked to relax and contemplate his next destination. The MERLIN immediately went about checking and re-checking all the ship's instruments and then the maps Arthur had been charting. Arthur didn't want to say anything for fear that it might come out as arrogant or angry. The MERLIN was sure to pick up on it and most likely offer sex to help him relax. His head was too full of questions and confusion to be in the mood for sex, and with a male robot no less.
When the MERLIN finished his, more than likely, automatic diagnostic of the ship and its charts, it sat in the navigator's seat one tier down from Arthur's chair.
"Everything is functioning properly, Captain," MERLIN said as it flipped and hit buttons and switches. "I am steering the ship now toward one of the final clusters of stars not registered on the star chart."
"Ah… good," Arthur said. He sighed. He really can't get angry at MERLIN for doing what he'd been programmed to do. "Thank you, MERLIN. Please leave me alone now."
"I sense confusion, irritation, and tension from you, sir," MERLIN said, turning in his chair to look up at Arthur. "I suggest you get some rest. You may feel better afterwards."
"Are you sure it isn't sex I need?" Arthur snapped. He stood from his seat and quickly made his way to the exit.
Before Arthur reached the door, he heard MERLIN reply with, "Your emotional condition would make you reject any stimuli I would give you at the present time-"
When the door slid shut behind him, Arthur let out a long breath, closed his eyes, and leaned his head back against the door. It was going to be a long ten months.
**
It didn't take long for Arthur to crumble.
Even though the MERLIN was right in almost everything he suggested, he wasn't about to admit it. It was selfish of him, and a bit arrogant, he knew, but he also knew that MERLIN knew that pride was one of his weaknesses. MERLIN didn't bring it up, seeing how he could sense it, and knew it was something he could not broach just yet. But almost a week after the MERLIN had arrived, Arthur felt the buddings of sexual need floating to the surface once more. It was harder (no pun intended) to keep his erection in check. MERLIN, naturally, sensed it, but kept wisely silent.
It was when Arthur was getting ready for bed, MERLIN turning back the bed sheets, when he actually did something about it. Or, more like, MERLIN sensed Arthur was ready and offered his services.
"Sir," it said, as Arthur pulled on his sleep pants, facing away, "I am fully efficient in all manners of sexual intercourse, including with men. My programs include all sorts of foreplay and kinks, and if there is anything you do not enjoy, do not hesitate to tell me. I am fully equipped with all manners of lubrications as well, if you are so inclined to go in that direction tonight."
Arthur felt a full-body flush, his nape and ears hot, merely from what MERLIN had said. It had been an awful long time since he'd had any kind of one-on-one sex with anyone. Even though MERLIN was clearly a robot it was better than nothing, and it was one of the main reasons why he ordered for the sex robot in the first place. There was no one else on board the ship, so why was he so embarrassed? It was probably his self-conscious awareness that it would be his first time with someone-or rather something-that wasn't female.
"I fully comprehend," MERLIN continued, "that if you are embarrassed by having sex with me for the first time, you may want to start off with something small. We could just rub our sexual appendages together or I could take your erect penis into my mouth. I have a suction that rivals any Hoover or vacuum cleaner ever invented…"
"Yes, fine," Arthur said tersely, wanting to get on with it already. "We'll do that. Lights off," he instructed Excalibur, and the lights automatically shut off. Arthur knew just where his bed was, which was only a couple feet away, and easily found it. Once under the covers, he slipped his sleep pants off, tossed them on the floor, and looked up.
MERLIN's eyes were glowing like the numbers on an old alarm clock. It was so eerily blue and bright that it lit up nearly all of MERLIN's face and neck, and some of his upper chest. The MERLIN was naked, at least from what Arthur could tell. He felt his erection twitch as MERLIN came closer, those glowing eyes staring right at him.
"Bloody hell, MERLIN-" Arthur gasped.
"Your exclamation of shock suggests you approve of how I look. This is an above average response-"
"Shut up and get between my legs!"
"Yes, sir," MERLIN said. It obeyed, and Arthur was startled to find that the MERLIN wasn't cold at all, like the other robots Arthur had worked with before becoming captain of the Excalibur. No, MERLIN was very warm, as was the glow coming from his-its-eyes.
"MERLIN, you're-"
"Warm? Yes, sir. I have an inward generator that makes heat and a regulating system connected to that that helps control the heat. As is my programming, it is capable of reaching a certain temperature; especially while performing sex. It is to help make sex most enjoyable and as real as possible-"
"All right, I get it. Now then, you said something about your mouth on my dick?"
"I can get straight to that, sir, or would you prefer a little kissing beforehand? Most humans like to get a little intimate in that area for comfort reasons and-"
Arthur cut him off with a kiss, and MERLIN was clearly programmed to be a great kisser as well, he found. It wasn't overly sloppy, but wet enough so they could kiss in the way Arthur found enjoyable, open and with tongue. Arthur could tell immediately that MERLIN's tongue wasn't human, but it hardly mattered. The feel of MERLIN on top of him, kissing him like this, hands roaming and hips gyrating, was the best thing he'd felt in years. There was no squeaking or creaking of any kind, from MERLIN or from his state-of-the-art cloud bed.
"Shall I trail a straight line of kisses down to your erect penis, sir?" MERLIN said, tone almost flat but with slight emotion behind it.
"Yes, please," Arthur moaned. "And call me Arthur for now."
"Yes, Arthur," MERLIN said, smiling softly. "It is understood that while becoming intimate with someone in bed, humans like to hear their first names spoken, which in turn-"
"Less babble, more sex," Arthur demanded.
MERLIN obeyed, slowly moving down Arthur's body, kissing and sucking on the way, and in just the right way. Arthur moaned as MERLIN grazed a nipple, and the moment MERLIN located the head of his cock, MERLIN teasingly lapped and kissed it before slowly going down on him. Arthur arched his back and whimpered. He hadn't felt such wonderful, wet suction on his cock in so long, and it was all he could do not to come right away. He wanted this to last more than at least five minutes.
Arthur had kept his eyes shut most of the time, but when he opened them finally, out of shock at the feel of MERLIN cupping his balls, he was startled by how MERLIN's eyes were still glowing. They were dimmed a bit, because his eyelids were halfway closed, but it was still a little eerie.
"Could you… either keep your eyes closed or maybe turn the blue light off? It's a little distracting."
"I shall turn them off," MERLIN said, and did so. "I can still see in the dark with my infra-red sensors-"
"Okay, okay, don't go into scientific details. It's a turn-off."
"I apologize, Arthur, sir."
Arthur sighed and settled back more into his pillow. He shifted his body to be more comfortable, and after a few more wonderful pulls from MERLIN's mouth, he threaded his fingers through MERLIN's surprisingly soft hair. MERLIN's throat then vibrated, as if humming in pleasure from Arthur's touch, and Arthur lost it. Shuddering, he came down MERLIN's gaping throat.
As he slowly came down from the orgasmic high, chest rising and falling, and MERLIN resting his face against his stomach (Arthur's fingers still in those soft locks), he wondered just where in MERLIN's robotic body his semen would end up.
**
Three days later, the post finally arrived.
It was normal for letters and packages to arrive months after being sent, he was in outer space after all, and e-mail took less time but still had to travel. So getting letters from family and friends after such a long wait wasn't so surprising. What was surprising, however, was his robot companion getting mail.
"To M.E.R.L.I.N. friend on the Excalibur Starship," Arthur read aloud, shocked. "From G.W.A.I.N.E. on Camelot Enterprises." He looked over at MERLIN in shock and then waved the letter in its face. "What's this all about then?"
MERLIN ducked his head in embarrassment, something Arthur was getting accustomed to, even though he knew he shouldn't. "It is a friend-comrade robot called GWAINE. I met him during my first few days after being booted up and trying out my functions and appendages."
"And what does G.W.A.I.N.E. stand for exactly? Is it another prototype like you?"
"Yes, sir," MERLIN answered. "Except not as new a model as me. His name stands for Gorgeous Working And Intergalactic Nymphomania Emulator. He is the second in his series."
"What's the first in his series?" Arthur dared to ask. His curiosity seemed to be transmitting just fine to MERLIN because MERLIN answered him with a cheeky grin.
"Gorgeous Automaton Worker And Intergalactic Nymphomaniac."
Arthur handed over the letter, putting the rest of his curiosity aside for now, and opened a letter addressed to himself. It was from a friend he'd made while attending University. They were both interested in the space program and wanted to explore the stars and work with everything that had to do with space, space travel, and even robots.
Leon Knight was a good man, full of honour, pride, dignity, curiosity, and hope. He was much like Arthur, which was probably why they clicked. They'd both promised to keep in touch, and Leon's letter wasn't the first in their correspondence. The last letter he'd received, Leon had told him that he was finally getting married to his long-time girlfriend of so many years, and that he'd wished Arthur could be there. Of course, being stuck in space made it a mite difficult to attend.
Leon's newest letter explained to him how the wedding went, what happened during the wedding, and afterwards. Weddings were no longer the norm when it came to staying with the person you loved, but still considered a binding contract and that if you broke that contract it was up to the individuals on what to do. Anyone could get married, no matter their gender, ethnic, colour, or whatever. A person could even get married to a space alien, if the alien's parents agreed to it. Arthur remembered the news report of the first Earthling and Areslan wedding. It was a very controversial thing in the beginning, but now it wasn't a big deal. Nothing surprised him anymore.
He looked up from his letter to see a smile on MERLIN's face. Curiosity struck him again.
"So, what does GWAINE say?" he asked.
"It is in code," MERLIN said. "It is in all ones and zeroes. You would not be able to understand it. I could translate it for you if you wish."
"Please do," Arthur said.
MERLIN nodded and obeyed. "GWAINE says he has been given to a human, like I had, and the human's name is Elena. GWAINE says that she is very sweet, but a little clumsy at times. He has had to clean up after her a lot, but they get on well. He says the sex is most adequate and that Elena has as many as five orgasms in one night-"
"Yes, thank you, MERLIN. I don't need to know their personal sex life. It's nice, though, to know you have a friend among your fellow robots." Arthur patted a warm hand onto MERLIN's shoulder. "Well done."
"It is not unheard of, sir," MERLIN said, ducking his head again. "It is surprisingly most satisfying, though, to have a friend within the same robot clan that's from the same maker."
Arthur didn't know why he did it, but out of impulse he leaned forward and planted a soft kiss to MERLIN's cheek. MERLIN beamed even more from that, warmth flooding his face. "You did not have to do that, sir-"
"What else does your friend say?" Arthur asked, trying to cover his own embarrassment. He didn't want to look too deep into what he'd just done.
"He says that they-the Camelot Enterprises-are working on improving my model, and are thinking about calling it something else, but they may just keep the name MERLIN. It is quite the popular name for boys now on Earth."
Arthur felt proud, and happy, suddenly, to have the first prototype of the MERLIN series. He wasn't sure if he'd ever replace MERLIN with any other.
"Would the newer model look just like you?"
"It is possible," MERLIN said. "They are also working on a female version and thinking of calling it FREYA. If they do then that means, in human lingo, she would be my sister."
"And what would FREYA stand for, do you think?"
"Possibly: Female Romantic (or Randy) Emulated Young Automaton. Then again, I could be mistaken. It is not often that I am wrong, but sometimes I am unable to read exactly what is on the minds of humans-"
Arthur interrupted MERLIN before he got too far into his technical speech. "Let's hope that you will one day be a brother then, MERLIN. One of us shouldn't be an only child."
"Indeed, sir." MERLIN beamed again. It was so lovely Arthur just had to kiss him, and on the lips this time.
**
Arthur really should have expected it, but like the human that he was that erred often, he didn't. The realization of how he felt hit him like a ton of… well, something very heavy.
It happened almost right after they finished having sex for the who-knew-how-many times. Arthur was wet and open, on his knees and spread comfortably across his bed sheet, face planted into his cloud pillow; MERLIN was on top, thrusting in precise precision, pushing all of Arthur's buttons exactly how he liked it. The moment he felt MERLIN's sticky, wet substance that passed as semen fill his arse, he came, arse clenching around MERLIN's thick and long synthetic cock. When MERLIN removed his retractable sexual appendage from him, fluid escaped Arthur's red, beaten hole. Arthur moaned into his pillow and lay still to bask in the aftermath.
That was when realization had struck: he was falling for his own robot. As idiotic as it was, it wasn't anything new. He'd known many others on Earth that devoted themselves to their mechanical companions, even to go as far as almost marrying them. Arthur wasn't sure if it was legal to marry your robot yet, but the time he'd been away-given that time moved a bit slower here in space-he wouldn't be a bit surprised that some people had been given the right to do so (and that it was possibly legal now).
That didn't mean he'd marry MERLIN. Just because he was growing more attached to him didn't mean a thing. It was likely thanks to all the sex they'd been having, that was all. MERLIN was programmed to provide wonderful sex, and he was letting his emotions run away with him.
"I sense you are very pleased with our coupling that time, sir-Arthur," MERLIN said, lying beside him. Arthur automatically turned and pulled MERLIN close, resting his forehead in the crook of MERLIN's neck. MERLIN put his arms around him, as if in a habitual gesture. It must be in his programming to cuddle, if the human partner desired it.
"Yes, indeed…" Arthur sighed. "I'm very pleased and well-sated. Thank you, Merl."
MERLIN tittered, which he usually did whenever Arthur called him by his pet name. Arthur was growing to love that little laugh.
"I am pleased that you are pleased, Arthur. When should I make your dinner? You will take a nap, as you normally do after having intense sexual intercourse. I could tidy up while you sleep, and then perform maintenance on the ship before making your food."
"Sounds wonderful, Merlin. Thanks."
"My pleasure, sir," MERLIN said softly. "I will also check on the post."
"Mmm," Arthur said, acknowledging and agreeing with his statement. His last thoughts before falling asleep were of Merlin, and in his dream Merlin was a real human being, capable of all the human emotions and able to bleed actual blood when he pricks his finger on the sewing needle. Merlin's expressive, surprised eyes in the dream caused a warm, fluttering feeling in the pit of his stomach and he smiled in his sleep.
When he woke up, he smelt food cooking in the kitchen. His stomach growled, indicating that he was indeed hungry, so he got out of bed and put his dressing gown on.
The smell of frying (imitation) meat wafted to his nose, making his mouth water. When he came into the kitchen he saw MERLIN at the stove, serving up his plate. The juice maker on the other side was automatically squeezing his juice and the other was pouring fresh water. There were even vegetables and fruit served, as his diet had dictated.
"Evening, Merl," Arthur said, sitting at his usual place at the table. "That smells divine."
"Thank you, sir," MERLIN grinned. He finished fixing his plate with the right amount required, and came over and set it down in front of him. "Here's your food. Enjoy, sir."
"I will, thanks," Arthur said, and tucked in. MERLIN brought over his glasses of water and juice. He then picked out a dessert, as if to tempt him, to place in front of his dinner plate. It was his favorite: cherry cheesecake.
"Little tease," Arthur said. MERLIN blushed prettily, eyes bright.
"I'm only trying to make you happy, sir."
"You make me very happy, MERLIN." Arthur didn't think he'd ever felt this happy before in all his life.
"I'm glad, sir. I'm also glad that you're in a good mood… what is it, sir?" he asked, because Arthur was staring at him oddly.
"You-you used contractions. You never used to do that before; you'd always say the entire word, never abbreviating them like humans do."
"Oh," MERLIN said, ducking his head, and his face was going quite red now. He'd never seen MERLIN blush so hard before!
"What's the reason, I wonder," Arthur said, staring hard at MERLIN. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not angry with you. I rather like that you're speaking more like a human being."
"That… pleases you, sir?"
"It does. It would also please me if you stuck to using just my name."
"Oh, but-but that would be rude…"
"Not if I ask you," Arthur urged. "Please, Merl? I think it's about time we got past the honorifics now, don't you? We've been shagging for almost two months now."
"If that's what you wish of me, sir-er, Arthur." MERLIN blushed again. "And we've been shagging because I am programmed to-"
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Arthur interrupted. "It's just one of those human things, you see."
"Yes…" MERLIN started, but then cut himself off before he continued his sentence. His eyes glanced over to the doorway leading to MERLIN's room and then he went back to his normal duties.
MERLIN had his own room, courtesy of Arthur. He knew that MERLIN didn't need sleep, but he still powered down from time to time to save on energy, and he had slowly been accumulating his own belongings like any normal human would (Arthur had even discovered that MERLIN had a space rock collection; a rock from each planet they'd orbited and collected samples from, if it had a rocky surface that was). He needed a place for all his stuff, so Arthur gave him a room. When Merlin had looked toward his room, it made Arthur wonder if Merlin needed to power down for a bit or if he got something in the post that he hadn't told Arthur about yet.
"Was there anything in the post?" he dared to ask.
Merlin looked shifty, which again was odd for him. It was very hard for Merlin to lie as well, so Merlin offered a small "yes" but continued with his chores without interruption.
Arthur studied him after that. Merlin did not look like he normally did: confident, at ease, graceful, meticulous. He looked almost edgy, anxious, and even a bit impatient. It was incredible how much Arthur had learned to read Merlin's moods almost as well as Merlin could read his.
"Was there something important that came in the post, then? Did you get something from GWAINE?"
Merlin nodded this time, his eyes staying on his work. Now he knew something was up, especially when Merlin wouldn't meet his eyes or even speak out loud.
"All right, tell me," Arthur demanded. "What did you get?"
Merlin looked almost embarrassed, as if robots shouldn't be allowed to receive more mail than their masters. But then he quietly answered, "It's-it was a present."
"He sent you something? That was nice of him," Arthur said. Merlin nodded. "So, what did he get you?"
"I will show you if you really wish to know."
"I do," Arthur said.
MERLIN looked a tad worried, and hopefully that didn't mean anything except that Merlin was only worried about receiving something instead of Arthur.
He followed Merlin to his room the minute he'd finished his meal. When Merlin opened the door and brought him to look at his present, he wouldn't look at Arthur. He just hung his head as if expecting to be shut down and reprogrammed.
"A plant?" Arthur gasped. It was rare, and difficult, to send a plant through space. Usually by the time it arrived it was dead. This one had somehow miraculously stayed alive, and there were even pink flowers blooming on it.
"Please, sir," MERLIN said, and it was never good when Merlin started using honorifics again. "Please don't take it away. It means a lot to me that I now have my very own plant to take care of. Robots aren't normally allowed to look after plants, if they're not gardener bots. They're only to look after the people they're assigned to. GWAINE knows that I've always wanted a plant to care for; that is why he and Elena sent me one. I don't know if they had forgotten about you and what your reaction to it would be, but it means that much more to me that they are forgetful in their kindness. Please, sir, please do not destroy the plant."
Arthur heaved a big sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. MERLIN was giving him the puppy dog eyes, even if that wasn't what Merlin usually called it (Merlin called it his pleading, desperate eyes, but it still looked like puppy dog eyes to Arthur), and it was so hard to say no to Merlin whenever he did it. Arthur understood how much the plant meant to Merlin, but the rules stated that no plant or animal was allowed on board. He couldn't remember the particulars, but it had something to do with oxygen intake and water consumption, and all those other minor things that really added up. A plant (or animal) took away resources from the human, and on his mission of exploration it was a giant no-no. What if they did find another planet similar to Earth? They couldn't introduce a foreign object, if what they learned on Earth taught them anything.
Which was why Arthur had been so lonely and in need of someone. Not just because of his libido, of course, but that was one of the main reasons why he ordered for a robot. A robot didn't use up human resources, except maybe electricity, but that wasn't hard to find in space. All Arthur needed to do was get close to one of the suns or large stars to power up his generator (and back-up generators) using its light, and bob's your uncle. A robot didn't need food or water or vitamins or-much of anything. They were, more or less, a walking and talking computer (and also, in Merlin's sense, a life-like blow-up doll with sexual attachments).
But obviously this MERLIN prototype needed something else to care for besides Arthur. The plant was like a pet, but he didn't know if he should allow Merlin to keep it. He could get into serious trouble with Headquarters.
"It's against the rules," Arthur said slowly, watching Merlin's reaction.
"I know," Merlin said quietly, eyes fixed on his shoes. He was not arguing which, of course, meant Arthur was right. They had argued only twice since they'd known each other, and Arthur had been in the wrong both times because of his pride and hating admitting he was wrong on something.
"We could get into serious trouble-" Arthur started, but stopped when Merlin looked at him. It was hard to look away, and he felt his resolve crumble. MERLIN was his servant, his robot, and he could easily order him to destroy the plant, but he just couldn't do it. His stupid human emotions were playing havoc on him.
Finally, he sighed and said, "Fine then. Keep it. Just remember that it's your responsibility."
Merlin beamed then, brighter than he'd ever seen on Merlin, and it caused a funny, happy feeling within his stomach.
"Thank you, Arthur!" Merlin hugged him, shocking Arthur into hugging back. Such emotions in a robot like this were rare. He must make a report on it.
**
Merlin let Arthur fuck him in any way he wanted, possibly in gratitude for allowing him to keep the plant. Merlin was already slick and soft, like any other sex bot, and Arthur slid in with only a couple thrusts. He stilled his hips; just the feel of Merlin around his cock was excruciating torture. The softness of his insides, the perfect friction, and the rhythmic pulse beating in time with Merlin's mechanical heart (for realism, of course)-it was all too much. Arthur fucked him slow and shallow at first, but was overcome within a few minutes. He deepened his thrusts and rolled his hips, the pressure and sensations perfect around his cock.
He wanted it to last but his climax was coming up faster than he'd hoped. He pumped with elongated strokes, from tip to base, pushing deeper every time. As he neared completion, Arthur lowered his head down to capture Merlin's lips and they kissed messy and wild, and Arthur's hips stuttered.
He came harder than he ever thought possible, filling Merlin's robotic body with his human seed. He never did get to ask where it all went, but he was too sated to care.
***
Part two