The cyborg frowned. “So, I am all alone? What am I meant to do now? Pleasuring my owner is the only thing I know how to do. I don’t know anything else.”
Capturing his chin, I pulled his face toward mine. “We can figure that out together. Starting today, you are free. You don’t have to pleasure me or anyone else if you don’t want to. I never believed the bullshit that you were simply machines without feelings. Meeting you has only confirmed that I was right. I won’t put you back in that box. You can come home with me and I’ll keep you safe.” I winked. “Besides, blue is my favorite color.”
Oh my god! Had I seriously just said that? I felt my cheeks and the tips of my ears grow hot.
“You find my coloring attractive?” All traces of panic faded as hope filled his voice. “You’ve turned pink. I like the color.” He lifted his fingers and traced them over my cheeks before finding the tips of my ears. He explored my skin to feel the warmth for himself.
Embarrassment twisted into desire. I fought the urge to straddle his lap and have my wicked way with him right then and there. I hadn’t been this horny since...well, I don’t think I’d ever been this horny. Blue really was my color.
I knew, at that moment, that keeping my hands to myself was going to be nearly impossible. The only thing cooling my desire was the fact that he could merely be responding to me simply because of his programming. I wanted someone to want me of their own free will, and my sexy cyborg wasn’t even sure he wanted to be free.
“We’ll figure everything out, Dash.” The name popped from my lips without any thought. I couldn’t keep calling him “the cyborg” and Dash was the only decent thing stamped on the box.
The cyborg raised an eyebrow. “Dash?” The look of confusion on his face was adorable.
“It was printed on your box. I kind of think it’s cute. I can help you search for a name you prefer, but for now, it’s better than calling you a number.”
He nodded. “Dash it is then,” no hesitation in his voice.
He would have probably allowed me to call him Mr. Sexy No Pants if I had wanted too. A small part of me liked the way he didn’t question the name I chose for him.
He was mine until I found a safe place for him. I had my very own cyborg.
Now, what do I do?
Chapter Three
*Dash*
After my panic lessened, I took a moment to inspect my surroundings. Boxes scattered and littered the floor. Dust and dirt covered every exposed surface. Cracked windows gifted the room with small rays of light; the dust collected within the rays, dancing in the air. There was no sound except a few chirps coming from birds outside the windows.
I returned my attention to my human. It didn’t matter that she had claimed otherwise. She had found me and I was now hers.
Streaks of dirt dotted her arms and hands. A few specks graced her forehead, nose, and cheeks. Her clothes matched her skin, random patches of dirt clung to them, her knees received the worst treatment. Had she been crawling around this disgusting place?
My human appeared stranger by the minute. Still, I wanted to know more—starting with her name. “If I am called Dash, what should I call you?”
I didn’t think she would appreciate some of the other names my former owners had wanted me to call them. Master had been one of their top choices.
She flashed me a brilliant smile. The wayward flecks of dirt shifting as her face lit up. I froze. No one had ever smiled at me like that before. Someone so dirty should not look so beautiful.
“Iris. My name is Iris.”
Iris. Her name echoed in my processors like a whispered promise of hope. I felt a twinge of something in my chest. My circuits hummed slightly with the sight of her.
“Lead the way, my Iris.” That beautiful tinge of pink reappeared over her skin. Did she like it when I used her name?
The blush darkened. I had my answer. Storing that information in my memory banks, the corners of my mouth tilted upward into a smile. The feeling was alien to me.
No one had ever given me a reason to smile before.
*Iris*
Was he smiling? Damn cyborg.
Once again, I cursed my body’s ability to betray me with every blush. I never could keep a secret; my skin always revealed how I felt with rushes of color.
Pushing myself up from the disgusting floor, I grabbed his hand and tugged him along with me as I made my way to the door.
The fact that he still was very naked lapped at the corners of my mind. The first thing Dash would get was a pair of pants, a shirt, a jacket, and anything else I could put on him to hide his perfect body from view. Layers would become his new best friend.
Once we reached the exit, I scanned the area before stepping out, guiding Dash to follow me. Places like this were almost always vacant. Dash’s warm hand in mine was a reminder that even though no one was around, I still needed to be careful. I couldn’t risk anyone finding him. I had never worried that someone may catch me before. The most I would get would be a slap on the wrist and they would confiscate my stuff. This time, the item would be Dash. They would haul him away like a piece of garbage, discarding him without care.
A set of lights flickered brightly in the dark. Turning around I dropped Dash’s hand and pushed him back through the door.
“Someone’s coming, we need to hide. If they find you...” I hissed in the dark.
Dash’s eyes flashed, his lips tightening into a thin line. He knew exactly what would happen to him if they discovered us. It was his turn to grab my hand and pull me quickly to the back of the building. He dropped to his knees. His fingers felt along the floor until he apparently found what he was searching for. I didn’t have time to wonder how he knew there was a trapdoor.
With a hard tug, a piece of the floor opened, revealing a small empty space. “Get in,” Dash encouraged as he held up the square tile, allowing enough room for my body to squeeze through.
The thought of getting into the small, dark space made a chill skitter up my spine. I hated small spaces, but more than that, I hated the darkness. You never knew what was hiding inside it. I didn’t have any time to hesitate when another flash of light shot through the windows, this time even brighter.
We were running out of time.
When I dropped into the small space, I plunged into the darkness with a quiet thud.
My poor ass.
Dash followed. I wiggled, trying to make enough room for both of us. Dash’s chest pressed against my back; his warmth soaked through my shirt.
I closed my eyes and prayed that no one discovered our hiding spot. Fear and panic spread through my entire being, increasing my heart rate. Clipped, fast breaths escaped my lips. They wouldn’t have to find us. I was going to give us the fuck away if I didn’t get myself under control.
“You need to calm down, Iris,” Dash whispered words against the shell of my ear, his warm breath made the tiny hairs on the back of my neck dance in the darkness.
“I’m trying to,” I hissed softly. “I hate the dark. Terrible things always happen in the dark,” my voice no more than a breath of sound. I knew Dash’s advanced hearing would catch my words with ease.
A set of warm fingers lazily caressed my thigh, the thin cotton no match for Dash’s strokes; the heat of his touch burned a direct path to my skin.
“I would agree with you, but currently I’m grateful for the darkness.”
My mouth dropped. “Are you serious right now?” I whispered angrily.
Death, or something far worse, was right above us. Footsteps shook the ground overhead as bits of light pierced the cracks between the floorboards.
Dash had decided that now was a perfect time to cop another feel? This cyborg was insane. Maybe all that time in the box had fucked up the circuits in his head.
“Relax Iris, focus on my touch.” Pressing in deep, his fingers made slow circles as he worked the tight muscles of my thigh. His hand never moved higher. Never going any closer to the space between my legs.
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He kept working the muscles until I sagged against him. “I think you must be magic,” I sighed ever so softly, making sure my words were barely audible.
“Not magic, just a machine,” Dash whispered behind me, his breath tickling the back of my neck.
“That is where you are wrong, Dash.” I felt his smile tug at my hair as he moved to the other leg.
I lost track of time, no longer afraid of the dark or the cramped quarters.
Dash’s hand stilled. “They are gone, Iris. Should we try our escape again?”
Despite my initial fear, I wasn’t quite ready to leave our secret hiding spot, but we couldn’t stay here forever.
“Let’s get out of here,” I kept my voice low just in case.
It was time to take my cyborg home.
This time, when we made our exit, there was nothing but the sound the crickets and the dark night sky to greet us. Tugging Dash by the hand, I moved quickly. I didn’t want a repeat of hiding in some dark hole in the floor, although hiding with Dash hadn’t been that bad. I wouldn’t mind getting stuck in the dark if Dash was with me.
I’d parked my truck behind an overgrowth of trees that once used to be the building’s parking lot. The trees had grown so tall they provided the perfect hiding place.
My truck was no ordinary vehicle. I purchased it from a scrap yard that specialized in older vehicles. Someone modelled it after the old delivery trucks of the past with wide double-doors on the back and a ramp for loading. It had been the perfect find for my line of work. It had also been falling apart. I spent my whole savings fixing it up and installing upgrades. It wasn’t perfect but it was mine.
Dash and I reached the truck. I stepped up and tossed the back double-doors open wide.
Dash planted his big blue feet in the dirt, refusing to budge another inch. “I will not ride in that.” He extended his arm outward and pointed at the truck. “There is no room for me.” Distaste dripped from Dash’s voice. “Have you been transferring an entire home’s worth of goods? Or is this your current residence?”
“You have to get in the back,” I huffed, my fingers curling around the door handle while trying to contain my frustration. Glaring at him in the near pitch blackness, I knew his enhanced cyborg eyes would make it out. “I told you I collect things. I haven’t had a chance to take them home yet. Do you want to go or not? I’m tired, dirty and have spent the last half an hour in a tiny dark hole. What happened to you following my every direction?”
“You told me I had choices. I am choosing to not get in that.” A big blue finger again pointed to the inside of my truck. His expression told me that it was the most hideous thing he had ever seen.
“Get in or stay behind. Your choice, cyborg. I’m going home with or without you,” I bolstered my voice with conviction hoping he would know I meant business. Stick a fork in me; I was done.
“Fine. You win, human,” Dash muttered as he climbed into the back, his arms swinging from side to side to clear additional room for his extra-large frame.
I raised an eyebrow in his direction, “So we’re back to human, huh?”
Closing one of the two back doors, I made sure the catch stuck tight. Sometimes it had the unfortunate habit of flying open if not shut properly. The truck was such an old model I hadn’t been able to find parts to fix the things that kept breaking. As long I treated it with care, it held itself together. It was a piece of shit, but it was my piece of shit.
“You called me cyborg,” Dash huffed, bringing his knees up to his chest to enable his whole body to fit inside. The doors were going to rest against his knees but at least he fit.
“You win, Blueberry. Don’t worry, the ride isn’t long,” he opened his mouth to reply but I shut the second door and effectively muffled anything he had been trying to say.
“I can’t hear you,” I shouted.
I climbed into the driver’s seat and pressed my thumb to the print reader on the steering wheel. The engine roared to life as the console fired up.
“Destination home.” My truck started moving of its own accord. I could take control at any time, but self-driving cars allowed the user greater security on the road. I never had to worry about speeding or breaking any traffic laws.
I had a tiny bit of a lead foot, so it was best if I wasn’t in charge. I highly doubted Dash would find my excessive speed amusing.
Chapter Four
*Dash*
Iris had me stuffed me in the back of her vehicle like a blue sardine in a tin can. Every bang of the metal floor against my frame caused me to worry the floor might drop from beneath me. This thing was older than Mercury’s stars, hardly roadworthy, let alone capable of transporting passengers. My human and I would have a long talk when we reached our destination. I couldn’t allow her to operate this vehicle even once more.
My first job was to see to her safety. This was nothing but a death trap.
The vehicle suddenly took a hard right, sending a box somersaulting through the air before striking the set of doors. The flimsy wood container splintered upon impact.
A hail of brightly colored things rained down as I threw my arms up in attempt to protect myself. I was only partially successful; tiny, colorful things bounced off my shoulders, legs, and arms.
Running on instinct, I flinched. I expected pain, but pure softness struck my skin. Dropping my arms, I plucked one of my attackers from where it had landed on my knee so I could examine it.
A blue elephant met my eyes. It’s soft outer covering hid something squishy inside. I squeezed, the sensation unexpected but highly enjoyable. I picked up more of the things; each one a different type of animal, each one completely soft and squishy. I noticed each splashed with bright blues, pinks, purples, and every other color one could imagine. I gave another squeeze. I couldn’t resist.
The back doors swung wide, revealing Iris. She looked at me and immediately launched into a fit of laughter.
“You’re covered in Beanie Babies,” she gasped, the laughter making it nearly impossible for her to breathe properly. “How? Why?”
“They attacked me,” I answered truthfully. My words only caused Iris to laugh harder.
“They’re stuffed animals! How did they attack you?” she wheezed, her arms clutching her middle, giggles bursting from her lips.
I glared. My eyes narrowed with frustration. “The box flew when you turned a corner. It crashed against the doors, and they flew at me. When I first saw them, I didn’t know they weren’t dangerous.”
“It seems like you’ve made friends with them,” she punctuated her words with laughter.
My lips curved up once again. “They are squishy. It is an enjoyable sensation. They are also very colorful. I find it amusing.” In the years since my creation, I wasn’t sure I had ever smiled twice.
In one-night Iris had changed that. Her sienna-colored eyes glittering with mirth as the last bit of laughter bubbled out of her red lips.
Even in the dark, I could see her perfectly. I found her strange but beautiful. She was so different from the other humans I had met. For the first time since my initial activation, I felt a twinge of hope. Maybe this time would different. Maybe she meant what said. That I was free.
But even the tiniest bit of hope could bring my destruction. Believing myself to be more than my programming could be my death sentence.
*Iris*
Seeing Dash covered in Beanie Babies was a sight I didn’t think I would ever forget. The faint hint of amusement registering on his face was even better. I wondered if anything in his life had brought him joy.
The small stuffed animals were not worth anything. I had taken them because I hated that someone had carelessly tossed them away. They were my most favorite find. Well, up until Dash.
I reached out, my hand seeking his. “Go ahead and take a few with you if you want,” I said as Dash’s fingers engulfed mine, his legs swung out of the truck to hop down beside me.
His brow furrowed. “They serve no purpose.
Why would I want to take any with me?”
“Because you like them. Because they made you smile.” I shrugged, “Then again what do I know? Come on, let’s go inside. I should warn you, my house looks like the back of my truck.” I tugged his hand before he took two steps forward then stopped.
“Oh, no not this again. Look I promise I’ll clean up the mess. My bedroom isn’t even that bad so you can stay in there okay?” I tugged a little harder hoping he would follow.
The dawn was just breaking on the horizon. My late-night adventure had turned into an all-nighter. I didn’t have any more strength to fight with him. If he wanted to stay here then so be it.
Ever so quickly, Dash reached into the truck and plucked out a Beanie Baby. His fingers wrapped around a blue elephant, pulling it close. His eyes caught mine, almost daring me to say something, but I held my tongue. Still, I couldn’t keep the slight smile from appearing on my lips as I gave his hand another gentle tug.
This time, Dash didn’t hesitate. He followed me into the house without another word. He paused briefly inside the door and I really wished I had the stamina to give him the grand tour but exhaustion was nipping at my heels. “I’ll show you around tomorrow, okay?”
He nodded in agreement before following me through the living room, navigating around boxes and piles of things in his path, until we reached my bedroom.
Dash Page 2