David / Walter / Reader - Part 4
You woke up quite late in the morning because you had told David as well as Walter that you were going to take a couple of days off from your duties. You had not really slept that well because you had thought about what David had said and even tried to fulfill his request without any success, which had then frustrated you even more. You were sad that you felt so… un-alive even though everything was supposed to be well but previous night had clearly showed that you had some issues that needed to be taken care of soon or otherwise there was a serious risk of getting depressed.
You got dressed and left your room, went to get some breakfast, but you had to eat alone since both, David and Walter had already eaten. Maybe it was good because you were not that interested in seeing David… since he would surely just ask you if you had done what he had ordered, like he had authority over you, you to and if your efforts had led into success. But then again, David had your medical results and you were anxious to find out whether there was something wrong or not. Most likely there was nothing wrong and the whole checkup had been unnecessary and overreaction from David’s part. You ate and then went to see David at the medical laboratory where he was writing his reports about the physical examination.
- So, the results, David? you asked immediately when you entered the room.
- You show me yours, I’ll show you mine. David smirked and leaned back in his chair. He was holding the tablet-devise in his hand and glancing at the screen every once in a while; he most likely was reading something, maybe he was reading your test results.
- Fine. I tried… didn’t happen. you admitted and folded your arms defiantly.
- Hm, we shall do something about that soon. David replied and shifted his gaze from the screen to you. He looked thoughtful and serious which made you feel slightly guilty for questioning his diagnosis and cure-suggestions so bluntly.
- It is not a big deal. you commented and sighed. You did not want to admit that you were disappointed at yourself and therefore you wanted to claim that it was fine… that you did not need that part of you into your life anyway, but you knew that it was a lie. When you had been together with your ex, back on Earth, you had had a very satisfying sex life but it had all changed when you had been forced to tell the man that your relationship with him was over. You had convinced yourself that you did not need love and being in an intimate relationship was just an unnecessary distraction and a generally overrated thing while there still had been a voice inside your head telling you that you were lonely and missed being cared for.
- Now, your turn. you stated with a firm expression on your face. David glanced at his tablet and answered
- Everything is fine. You are perfectly healthy-
- Like I said. you stated with a victorious tone and smirked at him because you had been right and he had been wrong.
- Which means that this is a mental problem. David continued and shook his head.
- Awesome. you mumbled with a sarcastic tone because mental issues were always a bit trickier; there was no treatment or pill that you could have taken just to make the problem go away. Of course you could relieve the symptoms, like the incapability of sleeping well, with medication but then again if you did not deal with the mental problem, which was the feeling of loneliness, then you would be forced to eat the pills for the rest of your life, which was a bloody-long time, considering the fact that you did not really age. David explained the test results to you in more detail; he told you that he couldn’t find anything wrong and when he had compared the current results to the ones that had been taken on the space station about a year ago, there were no significant changes, if something, you were now actually healthier because you were eating better, getting fresh air and vitamin-D from the sunlight. The only result that was raising alarms in David’s mind was the amount of stress hormone in your body and the lack of sleep was making it only worse.
- I shall need to run some tests still, but they can wait a couple of days. David stated and put the tablet back on the table. You nodded and processed the results in your mind. You were silent for a moment and then asked
- And my headaches?
- Most likely caused by lack of sleep and bad circulation in your neck… David replied, put his hands on his lap and paused. You kept nodding your head as you listened to David talking but he had a feeling that you were not really getting his point. He cleared his throat and added
- Which is caused by stiff muscles in your upper back and shoulders-
- I need a massage. you stated and shrugged your shoulders casually.
- Yes, that you need… but you also need to remember to stretch after training… as well as after working many hours in a bad position. David stated and stood up. He walked around a little and stopped when you said
- Yeah-
- Yeah-yeah? he asked sarcastically because he had heard you saying “yeah-yeah” many times before but you had never really done anything about it nevertheless. You chuckled a little because you knew that David was right; you had said that many times before just to get him off your back for a moment.
- I will tell Walter to make sure that you’ll stretch properly. He is your trainer, is he not? David said and turned to look at you. It was important to keep in great shape on Gaia because you had to survive there with David and Walter, with limited supplies and without any backup help. It did not meant that you had to be thin or anything but you had to be capable of running more than fifty meters without getting exhausted; you never knew what happened and even though you had been trained for basic combat and you knew how to defend yourself in the case of emergency, your best defense still was running away as fast as possible. Besides, when you were healthy you had a better resistance for different deceases and illnesses.
- Yes, he is. Anything else? you asked with a neutral, yet polite tone.
- Not right now. David replied while staring at some papers, most likely some other test results from the experiments that you and him had run at the research laboratory, which was the place where you usually worked when you analyzed the samples that you had gathered from your expeditions, it was your realm while in the medical laboratory David was the one in charge, it was his kingdom.
- Great. you said with a cheerful tone and walked to the door. You were about to open it with your ID-badge when David said “one thing, (Y/N)”. You sighed because he had a habit of waiting that you were leaving and then he still had that one thing to add. “What?” you asked with a deep, annoyed sigh.
- Have a great day and relax. David said with a smile on his face.
- Thank you, David. you replied and wished him a lovely day as well.
You spent the day just walking around and reading your favorite book by the lake. It was a gorgeous day, warm, sunny and there was not even strong wind, just a light breeze. This day reminded you about your first day on Gaia, when you had stepped into the sunlight for the first time after leaving Earth but this time you did not feel overwhelmed by your memories… not by the same memories at least. You lay on the grass and listened to the sound of gentle waves splashing to the shore until you drifted away and fell asleep for a couple of hours. When you finally woke up you were hungry and you decided to go and make yourself some lunch.
Even thought you were taking a day off, David and Walter were still going by their routine, busy with their duties. They never got tired and that was the reason why they were perfect for this mission… and perfect for companions. Even David had not had an attitude for a long time and you suspected that it was due to the fact that you let him do his thing and he let you do your thing. You helped each other and respected each other and there was a certain mutual understanding on the authority, which was you, although no one ever said aloud; the guys knew that you ran the show and you knew that you needed them to run the show.
You ate a quick lunch and then visited your room to change your clothes into a swimming suit. You wanted to take a quick swim, work on your tan a bit more and then cook a dinner for your companions because you had all this time in your hands but nothing to do really. It was the downside of living on Gaia; there was not much to do by yourself if you were not working. There were no shopping centers or museums, no clubs or amusement parks… so during the times when David and Walter were working and you were not, which was very rare by the way, you easily got bored.
You took a swim, bathed in the sunlight and when the sun started to go down you visited the garden, gathered some vegetables for the dinner and returned into the facility. You changed your swimming suit into normal, warm clothes because you were feeling a bit chilly after the swim, and headed into the kitchen to prepare dinner. You wokked the vegetables with herbs and added some lentils as well as kidney beans for protein, made a spicy tomato sauce and boiled some rice to serve it with. When the sun went down behind the horizon your companions returned from their duties and you all gathered around the dinner table. You had already set the table and lifted the wok pan as well as the pot that was filled with rice on the table. You, Walter and David ate in silence this time and even though you tried to come up with stimulating topics for dinner conversation, the chatter always died out and left you with silence.
You cleaned the kitchen and then went into your own room to wait for Walter to summon you for the stargazing. The reason why there had not been conversation during the dinner was that Walter had been quite nervous and David was filled with anticipation as well; he was nervous for Walter because he knew how big thing this was for him. Besides this night marked the beginning for a new chapter in your lives, well if everything went well, and change was always very exciting, even for the androids.
After an hour there was a knock on the door. You put your shoes as well as your jacket on and met Walter at the door. He smiled at you shyly and offered you his arm which you took gladly. You and he walked slowly in silence a bit further away from the camp to a spot where there were no lights to ruin the view to the sky. Walter had put a blanket on the grass and you noticed a basket on the ground waiting for him and you. Walter helped you to sit and sat down with you, handed you a glass and poured you a glass of wine.
You drank the wine, ate some slices of apple that Walter had taken for you and him and then you both lay down to stare at the stars. You talked about the mysteries of space, the beginning of the universe and named constellations because no one had named them yet. You lay on the blanket side by side, sometimes glancing at the other when the other was not watching. You smiled as you thought that it was possible that Walter liked you… or even if he did not like-like you he still cared enough to take you out like this and even arranged a picnic.
- Are you happy? Walter asked suddenly. He turned his head to look at you with a concerned look on his face. You groaned and sat up.
- Not you too, Walter! you stated and sighed. Walter sat up as well and looked at you with a confused expression on his face. You rubbed your arms a little because it was getting a bit chilly and continued
- It is quite enough that David is asking whether I am pleasuring myself-
- Is he? Walter asked with a baffled tone. In his opinion it was a very private topic and even though David was your physician, he was in Walter’s opinion stepping over a line if he asked such things.
- Didn’t you know? you asked with an equally baffled tone. You had assumed that David and Walter talked about everything, including topics that concerned your private things, like health and such.
- Whatever you talk with David in that medical laboratory is between you and him. Walter stated with a calm, friendly tone. You turned your gaze elsewhere and sighed.
- Between the doctor and the patient. he added and put his hand on your shoulder. “Oh” you commented and smiled at him as an apology. You did not want to be rude towards Walter because he had not deserved it, no, Walter was always very polite and courteous… kind and loyal. He did not step over boundaries and he never challenged your authority. You did not care why that was, whether it was just programmed or not, because every detail made Walter… well… Walter. So similar with David but still so different.
- So are you? he asked and then added “happy?” just to make sure that you understood that he was not trying to pry about your personal things.
- Yeah… Why are you asking? you asked curiously… although you knew that you were partially lying when you said that you were that you were happy. You were happy now, here and now with Walter but generally speaking it was a more complicated question to be answered. Walter still kept his hand on your shoulder and stated
- Well, lately you-
- Ah, yeah… Well, the truth to be told, I haven’t been as happy as I could have… been. you replied. There was no point to lie about it because even Walter had noticed.
- I have noticed… and I have been worried… As your friend… and- Walter stated and paused. He felt his courage crumbling down just as he was going to confess his feelings towards you. “What?” you asked a couple of times because Walter removed his hand from your shoulder and stood up. You stood up as well and tried to gain eye contact with him even though the starlight was all the light you had. Finally Walter took a deep breath and turned to look at you, took your hands and squeezed them softly.
- I… am hoping to become more than a friend to you. he confessed with a nervous tone.
- You do? you asked with a surprised voice. You were not used to hearing Walter who usually was so firm and assertive in the friendliest way being so shy and nervous now.
- Yes. I have… feelings for you. Walter continued and lifted your hands onto his lips, pressed soft kisses on your knuckles and inhaled deeply as he formed his thoughts into words and phrases. You waited silently because you had a feeling that it was not easy for him to talk about… feelings… considering that he was an android and having genuine feelings was generally speaking a rather ridiculous thought, or it had been. If someone had told you a couple of years ago you would have scoffed and laughed your ass off. Now however you were stargazing with a true gentleman who happened to be a synthetic companion with programmed personality… but he was behaving like any man who was about to confess his feelings to the one that he loved.
- First I assumed that those feelings are nothing but loyalty, dedication and duty… Something that has been programmed in me. Walter explained. You made a barely audible “uh-uh?” comment and waited him to continue because you assumed that he wanted to carry on and explain more.
- But I have realized that my feelings towards you are much… much more personal. Walter added with a slightly shaky tone. You swallowed once and gasped “oh?” because you were getting rendered speechless. Sure you had hoped that something like this would happen but you had not really believed it to actually happen.
- And the reason why I invited you here… was- Walter said and stopped suddenly because he was worried that you would feel tricked; he was worried that you would think that his intentions towards you were not sincere, that he had not asked you here only because he wanted to spend some time with you but because he wanted something from you. You squeezed his hands as a sign that you were listening to him and most importantly, you were not judging him.
- …that I want to charm you and perhaps you would feel the same about me. Walter spoke but then he suddenly let go your hands and turned to stare at the horizon with a sad look on his face.
- But now that I look at you I realize that it cannot happen. he stated with voice that was filled with suppressed sorrow and subtle disappointment, which, both, he tried to hide from you since he did not want you to feel sorry for him… or make you think that he was blaming you for his unhappiness.
- Why not? you asked immediately. Sure you had not commented anything but “oh and uh-uh” but you had wanted to hear what he was about to say without interrupting him. Besides, you had been rendered speechless by the sudden confession, mostly because you were equally attracted to Walter and had wondered if he had any idea about your feelings towards him. You were not in love with Walter but you had a crush on him and you knew that if you started to spend time with him and if he was indeed such a gentleman that he had been so far, you would fall in love with him for sure, sooner or later.
- You see, I was created to be a synthetic companion. Walter began and paused to reorganize his thoughts into words. He turned to look at you and then continued with soft, yet sad tone
- I have been programmed to fill the requirements of this mission, while you-
- I was also created, engineered and modified to meet the needs of this mission. you stated. Yes, you had been a test-tube-baby and no one had ever let you forget it, after you had been told, that was. You had always felt different and when you had been told that you had were an outcome of a successful scientific test, it had all made sense to you; why you had felt so different and why some people had treated you differently. You knew exactly how Walter felt; what it was to be created, to be made perfect for some purpose and not really having a choice because your purpose had been already decided for you.
- We are not that different, Walter. you stated softly. Walter sighed relieved and smiled at you. He noticed that you were rubbing your arms to make you feel a bit warmer and therefore he gathered all the bits and pieces of his courage and wrapped his arms around you. He guided you to lean your head against his chest and brushed your hair with his fingers.
It felt strange… to be held. It had been such a long time since anyone had held you and therefore you were not really able to relax at first. You were kind of waiting for Walter to step away and apologize for such intrusive behavior but instead of doing that he held you even tighter and massaged your back with his fingertips which felt very relaxing. Finally you took a deep breath and wrapped your arms around him, held your breath for a moment and then exhaled deeply. As you emptied your lungs you felt the nervousness as well as the last bits of awkwardness leaving you and you were able to enjoy the embrace.
- So there is hope? Walter asked and pressed a soft kiss on your forehead.
- Of course. you answered and chuckled a little. Walter held you like this for many minutes and then he stepped back, took off his jacket and put it on your shoulders. He helped you to sit down and pulled you to lean on him as you focused on the starry sky again.
- Oh, David mentioned that you need a massage. Walter stated suddenly. You leaned forward and turned to look at him with a sarcastic smirk on your face.
- So much for doctor-patient –confidentiality-eh? you commented and rolled your eyes. You had been relieved that whatever you and David spoke as the doctor and the patient was private but suddenly it seemed that it was not that private after all. Who knew what else David had told Walter! Had David told Walter that you had said that you needed a hug? Was that the reason why Walter had hugged you now? You had thought that he had hugged you because he had wanted to hug you, not because he had been told that you needed a hug like some pathetic little girl.
- He told me because I am your personal trainer… he clarified and guided you to lean on him again. Walter put his hands on your shoulders and massaged them gently. “…And I am also a qualified massage-therapist” he added while his skillful hands massaged your shoulders as well as your neck.
- Oh, of course you are. you stated playfully because at this point you were not even surprised anymore; Walter had been made to be perfect so of course he was also a massage therapist. You closed your eyes and concentrated on enjoying the gentle massage until Walter blurted that David was right and you should really stretch more. He was about to give you a lecture about the benefits of stretching and the dangers of not stretching when you interrupted him by asking
- Listen, can we just… not talk about work?
- Certainly. Walter said and continued massaging your neck without giving you any pointers about your stiff muscles or aching nerve endings. You both were silent until the silence became too silent for Walter to handle. He missed your voice and he was worried that he had upset you by talking about work-things.
- It is a beautiful night, is it not? he said suddenly and it was rather obvious for you that he was just trying to come up with a topic for small talk.
- It is perfect. you sighed and turned to look at him. You stared into Walter’s eyes and smiled at him which made him lose his train of thought and stumble in his words as he tried to state that the past month had been quite windy as well as cloudy. Finally he inhaled deeply and spoke with soft, slightly nervous tone
- There have not been such clear skies for many weeks-
- Just… kiss me already. you said and interrupted him. Walter chuckled a little and then placed his hand under your chin, traced your lips a little and then leaned closer to kiss you. He pressed his lips against yours and at first he did not dare even to move. He stayed there, pressing small kisses on your lips and sometimes just brushing your lips softly. You leaned a bit closer and parted your lips a little, nibbled his lower lip and lured him into a proper kiss which grew and subsided like waves in an ocean rushing onshore.
Walter lay you down on the blanket and lowered himself partially on top of you. He brushed his nose a couple of times against yours and then pressed his lips on yours, engaging them into a more daring kiss. His lips explored yours gently, slowly and very intimately as his hands found yours and he tangled his fingers with your fingers. He kept the kiss modest because he had dreamed about the first kiss to be sweet and loving, not rash and slipshod. He wanted to memorize everything about you; every sigh and gasp, every silent moan and loving word… every way you liked to be kissed so when he next time kissed you, he would know how to make your knees weak and turn your brain into gray mush.
You kept kissing each other for a long time. You stopped sometimes and then continued, cuddled and kissed some more. You had hoped to sleep outside but the night was too chilly so when it was about two am you and Walter got back to the facility but this time Walter invited you to his quarters to sleep with him. You accepted his invitation and followed him into his room. Walter undressed the jackets you were wearing, his and yours, and after taking off your shoes he led you into his bed which was not as wide as yours but you did not mind at all. It just meant that he had to hold you close while sleeping.
You fell asleep quite fast and slept well until late morning. When you woke up, Walter was still holding you quite tightly and his face was buried into the crook of your neck as he spooned you. You turned around to face him and smiled as he wiped the hair off from your face. You got a little closer and pressed a kiss on his lips to which he responded by rolling you on your back to the bed and ending partially on top of you again. Walter leaned closer to kiss you and he wrapped his arm around you so your chest were pressed tightly against each other, hearts beating in the same rhythm as you got lost into the kiss.
- Morning. Walter said and smiled against your lips as soon as the kiss had subsided into light brushes.
- Hey… you whispered and brushed your nose against his playfully.
- Did you sleep well? he asked you hoping that you had slept very well in his arms. He was nervous to hear your answer because he knew that you had been having problems with sleeping well and it would be most unfortunate if you had the same problems when he was holding you but for his relief you whispered “I did” and asked him if he had slept well. “Yes” Walter answered and surprised you with an intense kiss just as you had assumed him to roll over. You continued cuddling and kissing until the late afternoon. You lay on the bed and chatted about everything, laughed at each other’s jokes and sometimes you just stared into each other’s eyes without saying a word.
- You know, David thinks about physical intimacy as a basic need… Walter said after a long silence. He took a deep breath and added “…which he wants to satisfy.” You stared at the ceiling and sighed “uh-uh?” because you did not quite understand what Walter meant by that. Sure, you were also attracted to David, however in a different way than to Walter, but why was Walter bringing this up now?
- I however… I want you to fall in love with me and if physical intimacy follows at some point, I want it to be based on love. Walter continued with soft voice. His hand found yours and he tangled his fingers with your fingers as you commented “I’d like that” with a wide smile on your face.
- So… whatever happens with David, it is completely alright… but- Walter said and rolled on his side to look at you. You turned your head and you were greeted with Walter’s serious face. “…please do not kiss him” he added with a barely audible tone, almost as if it had been embarrassing for him to ask that.
- I have already asked him to let kissing be our form of intimacy- Walter continued and brushed a runaway lock off your face and tucked it behind your ear. “…for now at least” he said and pressed his hand on your heart because he loved to feel your heartbeat. “Why would I-“ you asked with a confused tone. You had no intentions concerning David, especially now that you and Walter had gotten so close… or were getting so close.
- We are in this together, all three of us. I know that you will get physical with him… and it is perfectly alright. Walter spoke with a light smile on his face. His voice was sincere but you did not understand why he was saying this. You had always considered you as a one-man’s-woman and now Walter was basically suggesting that you would jump into bed with David when the first opportunity presented itself. “I wouldn’t-“ you gasped but your statement was cut short when Walter continued with calm, warm tone
- David can be charming, persuasive and even a bit manipulative… and he is most determined to satisfy your physical needs-
- Yes, that he might be but… you admitted but before you had a chance to finish your sentence, Walter continued by stating “besides surely you find him attractive as well.” You turned your head away because you couldn’t lie; David was charming and you knew that he had a way with words which meant that if he really wanted, he would find a way to make you surrender to him. “It’s alright, I have spoken about it with him” Walter continued. You shifted your gaze back to Walter and stared at him speechless.
- We have an agreement with him. Walter said and pressed a kiss on your lips. When he drew back you opened your eyes, traced his jaw with your fingertips and stared at him with a confused expression on your face.
- You wouldn’t be jealous? Or feel betrayed? you asked him and brushed his lips softly with your thumb.
- No! Your happiness makes me happy. Walter stated and smiled at you sincerely. His eyes were basically sparkling in the soft light that poured into the room from large windows that were covered with light, white curtains. “And I know that David wants you as well” Walter added and then leaned closer to mumble against your lips “I can share” with slightly mischievous tone which, combined to his statement about sharing, made you chuckle nervously. “What about what I want?” you laughed and sank your fingers into Walter’s hair, pulled them gently and guided him to kiss you. “Doesn’t matter” Walter laughed. “Hey! How is that fair?” you mumbled against his lips and then nibbled his lower lip playfully. You did not know what was going to happen between all three of you but at least you were happy… here and now.