sentient // phan

http//: 25

"Morning, sleeping beauty," Dan whispered. My eyes slowly slid open, taking much longer to focus than usual. But soon, Dan's face appeared in front of me, and he was crying. I smiled, and pulled him into a very tight hug. He started sobbing.

"Eleven months." He cried into my shoulder. "That's how long you've been out." I just held him tightly, as if everything I wanted to say would be transferred in that, more than words, just feelings. Something was different. I didn't know what but something was...

I took a deep breath and pulled Dan closer to me. Then I paused.

I breathed again. I pulled air in through my nose and then pushed it out with my lungs, my chest expanding then contracting. No. No way.

My face split into a wide grin and Dan held his hands to his face.

"I didn't cut any corners. I made you the most human like I could; lungs, joints, spit. And you're waterproof," he chuckled, holding me tight. "I made the material for your skin myself. I gave you hair on your arms and legs and... everywhere it would be. I missed you so, so much, but I knew this is what you wanted." He examined me closely, watching me as I got up off my bed, standing on wary feet. He joined me, clutching my arms.

"And my three fifths?" I whispered, my voice hoarse. Dan shook his head, his smile wide and tears still dripping from his eyes.

"No more."

If I wasn't programed to love him, then why did I still love him?

"Oh..." I whispered, shutting my eyes gently. He leaned in and pressed his forehead against mine.

I pressed our lips together, grasping his hips and pulling his body to mine. He was startled for a second, but began to mould his lips with mine, matching my rhythm. I kissed him with fervor, harshly, all the want I've been filled with for over a year, all the pent up love I felt for him making me kiss him as though there was nothing anywhere else. I pushed my tongue past his lips and he moaned quietly, wrapping his arms around me neck, lacing his fingers in my hair. My hands still on his hips, I made him sit down next to me on the bed, pushing him slightly so he fell backward. He pulled away slightly, exasperated. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were shut gently, his hair spread around him on the pillow like a halo. He was so beautiful.

I was human; or I used to be. All the emotions I had in my short life as a droid were as close to real as synthetics could get. Dan was the most wonderful human being I had ever met, even over my mum and my brother and my entire family. I'd have time with them, try to rekindle old relationships, have them teach me about all the things I missed. But everything with Dan was exciting and amazing and new. The way his lips fit against mine, the way his body felt under mine, the way his fingers traced along the back of my neck. I was human. And I had these insane human needs just then, making me kiss Dan again, grasping his wrists and pushing them farther into my bed, moving my legs to either side of his body. He pulled away again.

"We have guests." He mumbled, shifting beneath me. I shook my head.

"They can wait." I gasped. He shook his head back at me.

"There's plenty of time for this later. For the rest of our lives. They just..." I kissed him quickly to stop him, and he moaned again, letting me trail my mouth down to his neck. I discovered something at that instant; he had given me taste buds. The salty taste of his sweat was like heaven under my tongue, making my heart pound with the memory of all the things I had tasted before.

Something burned inside of me, and I wasn't sure I disliked it.

"It's your family." Dan mumbled, lifting his chin. I paused, and pulled away, slightly excited.

"Oh."

"Yeah, I'm sorry, it's just-" I sat back and shook my head, smiling. He propped himself up on his elbows. "They'll want to see you."

"Yeah. I want to see them too." I glanced at Dan's stomach, his body sill under mine, and I pressed my hand against it. I pushed the rough fabric up, exposing his skin, but he pushed me away with a laugh.

"Phil." He chuckled. I rolled my eyes but got off of him, allowing him to get up. He looked really flustered, and he ran his fingers through his hair and straightened his shirt. I glanced him up and down.

"That's my shirt." I smirked.

"Listen, buster, you've been gone for eleven months, you don't know-"

"No, Dan. It looks really nice." He smiled, but he was still blushing as we went into the lounge, where my family was sitting around. Something was very familiar but also very alien about them all in that room. They were all rosy cheeked and exasperated, all clutching mugs of warm drinks, chattering away with smiles. But all the noise ceased when I entered with Dan on unsteady legs, holding his arm. He was avoiding looking at any of them as if he thought they could detect what just transpired. But none of them seemed to, or they just didn't mind as they all sprung up, swarming to two of us.

"Not a false alarm! I told you!" One of the boys shouted, hitting Mr. Lester- my dad- on the arm. He just chuckled and shook his head as he wrapped his arms around the group. Dan had his arm around my waist, his hand pinned to my stomach by my mum, who planted a kiss on my forehead. She turned to him.

"He looked so real." She whispered. "He looks just like the photos I gave you." She planted a kiss on his cheek like he was her own son, and he blushed an even deeper red. She pulled me to the couch and everyone sat. She wrapped her arms around me, tightly. She smelled nice, like cinnamon and perfume. Dan sat on my other side, grasping my hand in his.

"We have to tell you about the case!" She said excitedly. I nodded, though I knew a lot already.

It seemed that they had no idea I could hear everything that had happened for the past five months or so. Every false alarm when Dan said he'd "done it this time", promising I'd be ready that day, and the entire Lester clan gathered around, only to discover that I couldn't open my eyes. Every late-night confession from a sleepy Dan, lying beside me on my uncomfortable, metal bed just so he could be close. He had treated me like a diary, telling me everything that happened in the day.

Dan laid with me often, mumbling in my ear about how sorry he was. He'd brush my hair out of my eyes and press gentle kisses to my lips and cheeks and hands and forehead, tears tumbling from his eyes. He was tearing himself up about it; he blamed himself. He didn't even blame Chris as much as he did himself.

"I shouldn't have ordered that chip, Phil," he whispered one night, his upper body draped over mine. He didn't think I could hear him but he still spoke directly to me. "And even if I did I shouldn't have let it come after I fell in love with you. I was just so worried. Was I allowed to love you? Was I just falling in love with a synthetic personality, one designed to be perfect? I had no idea what was happening, all I knew is that I wanted to be with you and I didn't want to feel like that. You were perfect, Phil. You are perfect. And soon, your body will be as perfect as you are. I promise."

The case they were referring to was the one with Chris Kendall, who revealed exactly how he'd come across Phil, the first Phil.

"Wouldn't it be easier just to show him?" Mr. Lester asked. Everyone looked around and nodded, and Dan, after squeezing my hand, got up, moving to the TV. My mum turned to me.

"Dan decided to hologram-record everything." Dan pushed the button on the TV and the room filled with a blue glow, indicating that the hologram had begun.