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“Hey, Cas. What’s your favorite color?”
As opening gambits from his brother went, that wasn’t the oddest one. Castiel was used to receiving no sequitur comments from Gabriel. It was the middle of the day, so he doubted Gabriel was drunk dialing him but even when he hadn’t been drinking, Gabriel ran on a different wavelength to the rest of the world.
“I’m good, Gabriel. I hope you are too,” Castiel said. “And my favorite color is green.”
“Mmhmm,” came the voice through the phone. Castiel strained his ears. He thought he could hear Gabriel typing. “And your ideal body type? Thin? Muscular? A little chubby?”
Castiel paused for a moment. He didn’t know if Gabriel meant his ideal body type on himself or other people. It wasn’t something Castiel really spent a lot of time considering.
“Uh, muscular?” he ventured. “Gabriel, what is this about?”
“Okay, and obviously you’d want him to be a bit taller than you, right?” Gabriel continued, ignoring Castiel’s question.
“Are you trying to set me up on a date?” Castiel asked.
He didn’t want Gabriel signing him up to another dating site. He never met anyone through those things. Castiel just wasn’t interested. He found dating a bother. He didn’t care for small talk or meeting new people. It wasn’t that he was adverse to the idea of being in a relationship. It was just that he wanted all of the dull first meeting bit out of the way first.
“What? No!” Gabriel said, sounding hurt. “You told me you hate dating and I listened. Now right, about his cock, I think you want it big, right? “
“Gabriel!” Castiel said firmly. “Tell me what you’re doing right now!”
“Didn’t I tell you? I could have sworn I called you yesterday. Oh well. I’m building you a man, little bro! I’ve got my discount at work, I was building myself a beautiful android buddy and I thought I’d make one for you too! Besides, building them together saves me because I can just bulk order and that’s always cheaper.”
Castiel stared at the phone. He knew his brother couldn’t see him; they weren’t using the camera chat because Castiel wasn’t a big fan of it, but he still hoped that somehow, Gabriel could feel the disapproving look he was giving him.
“Gabriel, I don’t need an android.”
“Yes, you do! I’m getting one, you’re getting one. We’ll go double-dating with our androids, it will be so cute. Besides, you’re the one who’s always saying you hate meeting people. This is the fuss free way to date. He hasn’t got any opinions you don’t program him with. He’s not going to think badly of you if you just want to jump right into bed! It’s perfect!”
“You sound like you’re trying to sell me a sex toy,” Castiel said dryly.
“You need to get laid,” Gabriel responded cheerfully. “Don’t worry about a thing! I will make him exactly what you need and in seven days, little bro, you’ll have a man!”
Castiel rolled his eyes. He didn’t know why he bothered complaining. Gabriel didn’t listen to him. He had an idea in his head and he was going to see it through, no matter what Castiel thought. Still, it was Gabriel who was spending the money and Castiel was sure he could find some program to run that would make the android clean his apartment or something.
“Okay,” he said with a sigh. “I suppose I’ll see you in seven days then.”
“Yep!” Gabriel said, sounding so proud of himself. “But seriously, Cas, I need to talk to you about the measurements of his dick.”
**
The box arrived exactly seven days after Gabriel’s phone call. Castiel admired his attention to detail. He tipped the deliveryman and was left with the large cardboard box that was taller than he was propped up in the middle of his living room. There was an envelope attached to the front of the box. Castiel grabbed it and ripped it open. Inside was a note from his brother.
‘Cas,’ the note started, in Gabriel’s childishly big scrawl. “This is Dean. He’s a new model droid, built to your specifications. Read his instructions! I don’t want to have him back for repairs!’
Castiel wondered if Gabriel named the android for him or if they simply had names once they come off the assembly line. He remembered a vague conversation with Gabriel once where Gabriel said the company preferred him giving the androids names before they went on sale. It made them seem more human. People felt they were buying a friend, not a lump of metal and plastic. Castiel wasn’t deluding himself though. He knew that the thing in the box wasn’t a person, even if it looked like one.
He continued reading, frowning at the next part of his brother’s message.
‘PS. All parts are in working order. Enjoy your anatomically correct android boyfriend!’
“He’s not my boyfriend,” Castiel muttered.
He tossed the note down on his desk and set about the task of dismantling the box his android had been shipped in. Castiel couldn’t help but be curious about what Gabriel had made him. He was certain he’d soon be facing some sort of monstrosity since he’d seen Gabriel’s other android designs, the ones that went to the mass-market, and they were all pouty lipped and extremely well-proportioned to the point of being physically impossible. They sold well so there was clearly a market for them but Castiel didn’t like that kind of thing.
He understood that androids were acceptable sex dolls for the richer, more discerning buyer, but that made him feel deeply uncomfortable about the fact that Gabriel had built this one for him. Gabriel never seemed to understand that other siblings had boundaries. He’d probably called up Anna and offered to make one for her too.
Castiel stripped away the packaging happily, imagining the conversation that would have elicited and the lecture Gabriel would have received when he stopped, suddenly, blinking in surprise. He’d opened the box, pulled back some of the plastic wrap and he was looking into a pair of warm green eyes. There were freckles dusted across the nose and, yes, the lips were pouty but only in a way that made Castiel want to kiss them. He wondered if they were soft. They looked soft.
He reached out and ran the tip of his finger across them. They were soft. Castiel felt a little thrill run through him.
Then the android blinked.
Castiel gasped loudly. He wrenched his hand away as if it had been scalded and took a step back from the box.
“Gabriel, I can’t believe…” he hissed.
“My name isn’t Gabriel. I’m Dean,” the android said.
“I wasn’t talking about you,” Castiel said irritably. “I was talking about my brother who obviously charged you before packing you.”
“All models are charged before packing. We awaken when touched,” Dean said.
Castiel couldn’t be sure, but he thought that the android would have rolled his eyes at him if he could.
“I didn’t know that,” he said.
“Did you read my instructions before awakening me?” Dean asked.
“No,” Castiel admitted. He looked around, noticing the leaflet that was tucked near to Dean’s feet. He ventured forward and snatched it up.
“I’m going to read this,” he said, holding it tightly to his chest. “You turn off.”
“As you wish,” Dean said. The light vanished from his eyes and the animation that had seized his limbs stopped.
Castiel retreated into the safety of his bedroom with Dean’s instructions.
He sat on his bed and read, frowning at the overly cheery tone the leaflet was written in.
‘Congratulations on your purchase of a custom built android!
You’re probably eager to start getting to know your best friend but before you get going, here are some handy tips!
Getting Started: Your android has come pre-charged for your enjoyment. To turn your android on, simply touch him or her. They will respond to your body heat.
What to do next: Whatever you want! Your android is your companion. They will follow your orders. Try picking a personality program or going online to our website and downloading some apps. Do you want your android to read you to sleep? We’ve got an extensive library you can download from. Or maybe you’d prefer your android to be a 5* chef? We’ve got apps for that too!
(All apps charged at $10.00).
Caring for your Android: Allow your android to recharge once every month. This will prevent it from lagging and allow it time to update any new features. Your android can connect automatically to our network through any power point! Just plug in, recharge and in 12 hours your Android will be ready to go again!
Problems with your Android: If you have problems with your android, try recharging. If that doesn’t work, you can return the android to factory settings. If you’re unsure how to do this or are still having problems, please call our free phone number and one of our representatives will arrange a time to visit you!
Remember, your android has a twenty-five year guarantee! We promise to fix or replace any parts in that time. If we can’t, we will send you a new model.
Your Android is certified safe.
It obeys the three laws of robotics –
A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
Thank you again for choosing one of our androids. We hope you will enjoy it for years to come!’
Castiel sighed. He read the leaflet through again but there was very little helpful information in it. He guessed he was supposed to go online, where he could probably buy a more detailed instruction pack but Castiel didn’t want to spend money on something he hadn’t wanted in the first place. He’d already managed to turn Dean on without knowing what to do. He’d figure the rest out for himself. He certainly wasn’t going to download any overly expensive apps.
Castiel supposed Dean would be at factory settings currently. He had the feeling that factory settings would be the blandest, most simple programming. Obviously, the idea was that after buying their android, people would spend a fortune customizing their model further. Castiel only hoped Dean could follow simple instructions. Castiel didn’t know what he was going to do with him if he couldn’t. He’d probably make a very handsome paperweight.
He took the leaflet back into the living room and filed it away. It contained the phone number of the help team and the website address. Castiel might need one or either of them in the future. He could always call Gabriel for a patch repair, he supposed, but he wasn’t sure he wanted his brother to touch Dean. He couldn’t just imagine the lurid comments Gabriel would make. At least someone else would have to be professional.
Castiel finally turned to look at the android again. Dean was staring blankly in to space.
Castiel stepped forward and placed his hand in the centre of Dean’s chest, prepared this time for what would happen. He studied the moment that the android started, studied how his eyes lit up, the rush of code behind them as Dean’s programming informed him he was awake.
“What’s your name?” Dean asked.
“Castiel,” Castiel said. “Cas.”
“Cas,” Dean repeated.
He had a pleasant voice. It was rough, husky and Castiel wondered if he shouldn’t log-on to the website and just browse the book selection they had. He wouldn’t mind relaxing while listening to Dean read. It wasn’t as if anyone else had to know what he used Dean for.
“I think you should get out of the box now,” Castiel said, pulling his hand away regretfully.
Dean was cool to the touch. He wasn’t as cold as Castiel had imagined he’d feel but he certainly wasn’t human. There was something uncanny about him. His skin didn’t feel right but it also wasn’t so disarming that Castiel didn’t like touching him. It was odd.
Dean pulled away the packaging that was still around his legs and stomach. Castiel’s eyes were drawn down to between his legs. He swallowed. Gabriel had been rather imaginative when he’d put Dean together. His cock was thick rather than long. Castiel found himself staring, unable to look away, his own cock giving a twitch of interest.
“I suppose I can buy clothes for you but they’ll cost extra too,” he murmured softly.
“Or you can just keep me naked,” Dean said, stepping out of his box on to Castiel’s hardwood floor. He flexed his toes.
Castiel flushed.
“I suppose I could,” he agreed.
It wasn’t as if he had visitors often. He could make Dean stay in the bedroom when people were over.
“Do you want to link me to your online profile?” Dean asked.
Castiel blinked at him, confused.
“My profile?”
“On the company website. I’ll be able to upload pictures and videos for you, download apps and help you make friends with other owners,” Dean said. He sounded as if he was read from a pre-programmed script. Castiel didn’t like it. He hadn’t sounded so forced or formal before.
“I don’t have a profile,” Castiel said tersely. “And I don’t want you taking pictures or videos of me.”
“Why not?” Dean asked. His eyes swept up and down over Castiel. “You’re an attractive human. You are well proportioned. Your face is aesthetically pleasing and your eyes are blue. I understand that gentlemen prefer blondes but I don’t think you would be short of admirers.”
Castiel snorted. He wondered what sort of pointless reference library Gabriel had picked to upload into his android. Castiel at least understood that was a movie reference. Gabriel probably thought he’d be helping to broaden Castiel’s horizons if he gave him an android with some sort of pop-culture knowledge.
“Don’t take pictures of me,” he said again.
“But videos would be okay?” Dean asked.
Castiel forced himself to remember that this was programming. Dean’s questions might seem flirtatious but they might just as simply be a way for him to navigate Castiel’s likes and dislikes.
“No, videos would not be okay. I’m not setting up a profile on any website and I don’t want anything uploaded,” he said firmly, hoping Dean would get the message.
Dean nodded slowly.
“What would you like me to do for you?” he asked.
He sounded vaguely bored again. Castiel didn’t like that. He didn’t like the feeling that Dean was disinterested in him. He was supposed to adore Castiel, or so Castiel had always heard. He wondered if this was Gabriel’s doing. Castiel had told him he wasn’t interested in having an android so Gabriel had programmed an android who wasn’t interested in Castiel, just to give him a taste of his own medicine.
Castiel found it infuriating.
The more infuriating he found Dean, the more attractive he found him as well. He wanted Dean to look at him; he wanted Dean to be interested in him. He wanted Dean to be flirting with him when he appeared to be.
Dean was designed to be aesthetically pleasing. He was designed to fit Castiel’s desires. Castiel might have rebelled against the idea before but Dean was here now and all Castiel wanted to do was test him out and see how life-like he really was.
Dean glanced at him then, his gaze cool and appraising.
“Your breathing is heavy and your pupils are dilated,” he said evenly. “Do you want to give me a test drive?”
“Yes,” Castiel said, ignoring his embarrassment. Dean was an android.
He wouldn’t judge Castiel for wanting him. He wouldn’t think Castiel was a slut for wanting sex from him. He wouldn’t think anything. He would just do what he was told and Castiel wanted that. He wanted to ride Dean and make sure that the android watched him, looked at him, his attention fixed completely on Castiel and only Castiel.
“In here or your bedroom?” Dean asked politely.
“On the bed,” Castiel said.
He turned away from Dean, striding into his bedroom, confident that the android was following him. He felt as if he had butterflies in his stomach. Part of him felt as if Dean was human. It didn’t matter that Castiel knew he wasn’t. He looked human. Great care had been taken to make sure that he was as life-like as possible. It had worked. Castiel found it hard to remember that Dean was just a number of working parts combined together and some state of the art programming.
He heard Dean’s footsteps behind him, heavier sounding than his own, a reminder that Dean was made of something different.
Dean settled on the bed, lounging there with his legs spread. Castiel swallowed as he saw that Dean’s cock appeared to be hard. He couldn’t help wondering how that was managed.
Dean caught his glance and grinned at him.
“I respond to your requests. If you’d prefer, I can be soft,” he said.
“No,” Castiel said quickly. “I was just wondering how you did that.”
“I have a circulatory system. I pump cooling fluid around myself to stop my parts from overheating. When you require me, I can divert it. I also produce a synthetic form of semen. It’s hypo-allergenic.”
Castiel nodded. It was almost a level of artistry that had gone into producing Dean.
The android seemed hesitant then, his fingers digging into the side of the mattress. He looked at Castiel.
“I am also able to lubricate myself,” he said, the words coming out as if they were forced, as if he didn’t want to say them but he had to say them.
Castiel raised an eyebrow.
“So you can fuck me,” Dean said.
He held his head high, looked Castiel straight in the eye, almost daring him to try it. It was a good thing, Castiel decided, that he’d never been terrible concerned about fucking anyone. Even if Dean could do those things, he seemed reluctant. Castiel suspected that was more of Gabriel’s handy work.
“Good thing I’m not interested in that, isn’t it?” he murmured.
Dean relaxed visibly.
“Would you like me to turn off that programming?” he asked hopefully. “There are also some selected phrases you might like me to delete.”
“What sort of phrases?” Castiel asked.
He opened his wardrobe as he spoke, getting down a box from the top shelf. That was where Castiel kept his collection of toys. He wondered if he’d need them now he had Dean. There was also a bottle of lubricant nestled in there and some small, unlabeled discs. That was where Castiel kept his pornography collection. Some people kept theirs on their computer but Castiel preferred his somewhere harder to find. It was the bottle of lubricant he was after. Castiel grabbed hold of it and then put the box away carefully.
He could hear Dean shifting about on the bed behind.
“Fuck me, harder, feels so big,” Dean grumbled.
Castiel bit his lip, trying not to laugh. Dean sounded so unhappy. It probably was because Gabriel had given him preferences based on Castiel’s, trying to make them as compatible as possible, but Castiel couldn’t help feeling it was lucky that Dean had ended up with him. He felt Dean might have been going back to the factory had he been sent to someone else.
“Yes, you can delete those,” he said, nodding as he turned back to look at Dean. “Turn off your programming too. We won’t be needing it.”
Dean looked at him gratefully. His eyes flashed bright green again and Castiel saw the code behind them before Dean was back to normal.
“I want to fuck you,” Dean said. He sounded like he really did. It sent a shiver down Castiel’s spine.
He didn’t know if he trusted Dean to stretch him out. Dean, for all his funny quirks and human mannerisms, was still an android. He wouldn’t feel things the way another man might. He wouldn’t know if he was pushing too far or too soon, not unless Castiel told him. There’d be time for that, eventually. Castiel could train him but he didn’t want to start now. He just wanted to get used to Dean.
He put the bottle of lubricant down on his bedside and stripped out of his clothes. He could feel Dean’s eyes on him, appraising him, studying him. He wondered if Dean was memorizing him.
He settled down on the bed, propped up against the pillows and he spread his legs before reaching for the lubricant. Dean started forward, but Castiel held out a hand to stop him.
“No,” he said. “You just watch.”
He poured a little of the lubricant on to his fingers, then put the bottle back down. He reached down between his spread thighs, his fingers seeking, pushing against his hole. Castiel was used to doing this but not with an audience. Dean was staring at him with wide eyes. He didn’t blink. He didn’t look away once. Castiel found it almost unnerving but more than that, he found it a turn on. His cock twitched and Castiel couldn’t deny that he enjoyed having Dean’s rapt attention fixed on him.
“Are you going to remember this?” he asked, gasping softly as he pushed one finger in.
Dean nodded.
“Think you’ll be able to copy it next time?” It was hard for Castiel to talk. He wasn’t used to talking during sex. He didn’t like it but he wanted to see just how good Dean’s programming actually was.
“I could,” Dean said.
Castiel worked a second finger into himself, his eyes slipping closed. He concentrated on stretching, on getting himself open and ready for Dean’s cock. He was roughly about the same size as Castiel’s biggest toy, but Castiel didn’t use that one very frequently. Dean also promised to be a lot more like the real thing than his toy was.
He pushed in a third finger, his breath hitching. It took him a moment to find a rhythm, to get comfortable with the feeling of his fingers thrusting in and out. It always took a moment or two for him to adjust, but he did. The strangeness of the intrusion melted away, replaced by pleasure and Castiel wanted more.
He opened his eyes again, focusing on Dean’s face. He eased his fingers free, his hole clenching, an empty feeling sweeping over him. Castiel reached for the bottle of lubricant again.
“This won’t be a problem for you, right?” he asked, holding the bottle out to Dean.
Dean took it, eyes scanning over the ingredients list on the back.
“This shouldn’t interfere with my casing, no,” he said, handing the bottle back to Castiel. “My skin is latex. It is made to be wiped clean after sex.”
Castiel swallowed. His stomach twisted slightly. For some reason, when Dean spoke about himself in terms of his uses or what he was created for, Castiel didn’t like it. Dean’s personality was still so new, it seemed to be having trouble asserting itself over the basics of his programming. Castiel hoped, eventually, he could cut out all references to the fact that Dean was built in a laboratory.
Even that slight twinge wasn’t enough to put him off though. Castiel uncapped the bottle of lubricant, pouring a decent amount into his hand then stroking it over Dean’s cock. He watched Dean’s face, a little frown tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Do you feel this?” he asked.
“Your hand is warm,” Dean answered. “It is…pleasant.”
“You respond to body warmth, don’t you?” Castiel said quietly.
Dean was made to be touched. He needed it. He came to life when Castiel touched him and he seemed completely comfortable, here on Castiel’s bed, letting Castiel try to give him an android hand-job. There was a flicker of something in Dean’s eyes, a surge of electricity.
“I’m glad you can feel this too,” Castiel said quietly.
Dean looked so human. It would have been a shame if he couldn’t get some enjoyment out of what they were doing together. Castiel would have just stuck to his toys if that was the case.
He thought he could understand a bit better now why people became so attached to their androids. There was more going on under their casing than he’d realized. They were more than just pretty faces and they seemed able to mimic a real relationship but without the downsides, just like Castiel had been promised. There would be intimacy but without any of the pitfalls Castiel felt he kept encountering. Dean wouldn’t be upset if Castiel needed a break from him for a few days. He would simply turn off and recharge.
It was oddly liberating to have Dean. He revolved around Castiel and Castiel’s wants. Castiel didn’t have to worry about what Dean would think or feel. Maybe that was selfishness, but for someone like Castiel, who spent a lot of time consumed with the very vagueness and unfairness of emotions, that felt wonderful. Dean wasn’t going to be offended by Castiel putting himself first.
“I think you’re ready,” he said, uncurling his fingers from around Dean’s cock. Dean nodded.
“How do you want me?” he asked.
“Stay where you are,” Castiel instructed.
He moved so he was in Dean’s lap, his arms around Dean’s neck, the cool press of Dean’s cock against his hole. It was oddly intimate doing it this way. Castiel could kiss Dean if he wanted to.
He resisted the urge though and sank down on to Dean’s cock, his eyes closing. Dean felt colder than a normal man would but Castiel liked the contrast. He was so hard. Castiel squeezed tight around him a few times, getting used to the feeling of Dean’s cock buried inside him before he started to move, pushing himself up and then back down.
Dean’s hands rested on his hips, cupping and holding him, but not trying to dictate his pace to him in anyway. Castiel knew that if he opened his eyes, Dean would be watching him still.
“You’re really warm,” Dean murmured.
Castiel nodded, focusing on moving, on getting everything just the way he wanted it. He didn’t need to worry about Dean coming too soon or not at all. That wasn’t an issue for the android. The only thing Castiel had to worry about was enjoying himself. He loved the feeling of being opened so wide, of being filled. He could go just as fast as he wanted, bouncing up and down on Dean’s cock, his knees hitting the mattress hard every time he sank down. It felt so good.
He felt Dean’s lips ghost across his cheek, the soft press of them to the corner of his mouth and it startled him. He’d never told Dean that he could kiss him. He’d never told Dean to touch him at all. He’d told Dean to stay where he was and let Castiel ride him but Dean had already pushed the boundaries of what Castiel had told him to do.
He opened his eyes, looking into Dean’s green, unnatural eyes and came, the orgasm ripping through him before he had time to really think about it. He couldn’t stop it. He’d been having too much fun, every thrust hitting just where he’d wanted it and even his shock hadn’t been enough to stop what had been building.
Castiel found himself panting, leaning against Dean for support as the android held on to him. Dean was still hard inside him. Castiel supposed he couldn’t stop being hard until he was told to. He didn’t think the mechanics Dean had spoken of allowed for his cock to soften in a way that would be natural. He’d probably end up hurting Castiel if he tried.
That thought prompted Castiel to move, wiggling up until Dean’s cock popped free from inside him. He collapsed back against the pillows, still breathing heavily.
Dean looked at him enquiringly.
“Do you want me to stimulate an orgasm?” he asked.
A cruel part of Castiel told him to say no. It wasn’t as if Dean needed the release and besides, Dean hadn’t asked Castiel’s permission before kissing him before, so Castiel didn’t see why he felt the need to ask it now. All the same, Castiel was eager to see what Dean would look like when he came. He knew it wasn’t a real orgasm but that didn’t matter.
“Yes, I want to see,” he said.
Dean’s eyes flickered and he grasped his cock with one hand. For a moment, Castiel thought he was going to jerk himself off but then Dean’s eyes closed and he moaned, a sound that made Castiel’s own cock jerk. A second later pearly, translucent liquid rolled down the head of his cock and over his fingers.
Castiel reached out gingerly and touched it, marveling at the way it felt. It wasn’t sticky. It was actually rather nice. He held it up to his nose, sniffing but there was no scent.
“You can taste it if you like,” Dean said, his voice sounding low and pleased. “It can be flavored, if you want it. You can order different flavors online – chocolate, strawberry.”
“People do that?” Castiel asked.
He felt his cheeks heating up. He supposed there would be people who’d want to do that, Gabriel for one, Castiel could easily see him buy fake, sugary flavors to lick up, but Castiel had to admit he didn’t see the point. One of the advantages to having an android was surely that it eliminated the need to give anyone a blowjob. Castiel had never enjoyed doing that. He’d only ever done it to give someone else pleasure and that wasn’t an issue with Dean.
Castiel wiped his hand on the bed sheet, frowning.
“No, I don’t want to taste it,” he said.
Dean nodded. He moved until he was sitting next to Castiel, propped beside him on the pillows. Castiel sighed, shifting so he could curl up next to Dean. He was feeling tired and sore. He wanted to sleep for a little bit, just a little nap, before he started working and told Dean to get on with things on his own.
“Why did you kiss me?” he asked, forcing himself to keep his eyes open. He wanted to know before he fell asleep, before he forgot.
Dean’s brow furrowed for a moment as he searched for words.
“You looked…beautiful,” he said finally. “I have many images of beauty saved in my database but I’d never seen anything like you before.”
“And that meant you had to kiss me?” Castiel asked.
He hadn’t expected Dean to say anything about beauty. He thought it would be programming or something like that, but now he was even more eager to know why Dean had kissed him.
Once again, Dean’s answer surprised him.
“I felt I should,” Dean said. “I felt that was the right thing to do.”
He seemed even more puzzled now.
Castiel was surprised too. It probably was some programming, some code left over that hadn’t been closed properly or part of Dean’s personality programming and Dean wasn’t used to his programming yet. Once he was used to it, he’d probably have a better answer for why he’d kissed Castiel, or maybe he wouldn’t answer at all and would just kiss him again. Castiel didn’t think he’d mind it too much if Dean did kiss him.
“Dean? It doesn’t matter,” he said quietly. “I’m going to sleep now. Wake me up in an hour or two.”
“Okay,” Dean said. He still looked distracted.
Castiel sighed softly and closed his eyes. He wasn’t worried about what had happened and he didn’t want Dean to worry either. Dean had been produced to the highest standard. There wouldn’t be any mistakes or bugs in his coding. There would be a reason somewhere.
Castiel was too tired to think about it for very much longer.
**
Castiel had been expecting a visit from Gabriel, almost from as soon as Dean arrived. He knew his brother would want to come and see his handiwork in action. He also suspected that Gabriel would be in a gloating mood. He did always like it when one of his ideas worked out and Castiel had to admit, Gabriel had been completely correct when it came to Dean.
Castiel thought he was wonderful.
He was surprised that Gabriel waiting a whole week before dropping by after work. It was a honeymoon period for Castiel and Dean. Castiel was getting used to Dean’s programming and Dean proved to be a quick learner.
He’d even started asking Castiel for things.
At first, Castiel had resisted, especially when Dean asked for apps from the store but eventually he’d relented. Dean didn’t ask for everything, only a few select things. The first thing Dean had asked for was a cookery app and it had proved to be a wise investment. Castiel had to admit having an android who could cook for him was a nice change of pace. It was very different from the simple meals he made himself when he remembered or the take-out he normally ordered.
Dean interrupted him when he was working and made him leave his desk to come and sit at the kitchen table and eat the meal he’d prepared. He’d quizzed Castiel on his likes and dislikes, inspected the fridge and turned out to be a fantastic home cook. Everything he made was delicious, the technique flawless and everything Castiel enjoyed.
More than just the food, he liked the break from working. He liked sitting with Dean, talking to him and he liked the way that Dean seemed to respond when Castiel praised him and the food he made.
Sometimes Dean looked wistfully down at the plate he put in front of Castiel. Castiel wished Dean could taste the things he cooked. He wished Dean could eat with him. He would have liked them to have a meal together.
He wondered if Gabriel might be able to help with that. There were probably upgrades and things that Castiel could buy.
In the space of a week he’d gone from refusing to buy anything for Dean, to actively planning to have him upgraded. He didn’t want to change Dean. He liked Dean. He just wanted to give him a chance to experience more of humanity.
Things Dean did understand, things he could feel like touch, he enjoyed.
He loved sex.
Castiel had to admit, it wasn’t something he was adverse to. Dean was a fast learner and more gentle than Castiel had expected him to be. He’d learned to touch Castiel just the way Castiel enjoyed it and he was willing to take instruction. Castiel found himself happy to trust Dean. He wasn’t used to having anyone be so attentive to his desires and needs but that was what Dean had been built for.
Castiel supposed he would have to congratulate Gabriel on building such a good model. He hoped that Gabriel wouldn’t be completely insufferable afterwards.
**
The day for Gabriel’s visit arrived quickly. Castiel relented and brought Dean clothes to wear for the visit. He’d been letting him walk around naked, apart from the apron he made Dean wear when he was cooking, but he couldn’t imagine trying to have a conversation with Gabriel while Dean stood naked in the corner. Castiel had let Dean browse the website and choose his own clothes. He’d selected next day delivery so they’d arrive in time.
The clothes Dean had chosen wouldn’t have been what Castiel would have picked out for him. He looked good though, lounging on Castiel’s couch in dark jeans and a black t-shirt. He’d bought himself a pair of boots, the tough, well-worn kind made of leather. They’d been the most expensive part of the whole purchase even though they looked as if they’d already had at least one other owner. Castiel supposed to cost money to make something new look so distressed and old.
“You look handsome,” he said.
Dean shrugged.
“I like them,” he said.
Castiel looked him over again, letting he gaze linger. With clothes on, Dean looked even more human. Castiel wished he’d bothered to buy Dean clothes before now. He wanted to strip Dean out of the new layers but they didn’t have time before Gabriel arrived.
Dean held out a hand and Castiel took it. Dean pulled him down into his lap, holding him close.
“You’re nervous,” he said.
“My brother is coming, the one who built you. Do you remember him?” Castiel asked.
Dean frowned, his eyes flickering as he accessed his memory banks.
“Short? Smiles a lot? Left sticky finger prints on my processing unit?”
Castiel nodded, smiling. “Yes, that’s Gabriel.”
Dean was silent for a moment. He seemed to be lost in a memory. Castiel wished he knew what it was but in a way, he didn’t like the idea that Gabriel had his hands on Dean, that they’d been inside Dean and left something behind in him. He wished that Dean had been built by someone unconnected to him, but then Castiel would never have bought him so he had to accept that Gabriel was instrumental in Dean’s existence.
“Do you think it will be odd, seeing Gabriel again?” Castiel asked, leaning his head against Dean’s shoulder.
He wondered if Gabriel was like a father to Dean. He was certainly Dean’s creator but maybe it was more than that. Dean was rather like Pinocchio. He wasn’t a real boy but he was hardly just a block of wood either.
Dean shook his head.
“I have a very few memories of him. I am aware of him, but I hardly remember his face. I only saw it a few times during testing.”
Castiel bit his lip, stopping himself from saying anything. He was pleased though that Dean didn’t seem to have any strong memories of Gabriel or any great attachment to him. There wasn’t any reason for Dean to remember Gabriel fondly. Dean didn’t really feel emotions or attachments; he was just a very good mimic. Even knowing that on a logical level, Castiel still found himself glad that Dean wasn’t interested one way or another in Gabriel’s visit.
Dean rubbed his hand up and down over Castiel’s back, the motion soothing and instantly reassuring.
“Does Gabriel have his own android?” he asked quietly.
Castiel looked up at him, not sure what had prompted Dean to ask that question.
“I’m not sure,” he said. “I think so.”
“There was another android being built along with me. I remember him. We share some parts, some programming. I wonder sometimes where he is,” Dean said. His voice was still quiet, steady. There was no emotion there, just a recollection from a time before Castiel.
Castiel wrapped his arms a little tighter around Dean and held on to him. Why should Dean have thoughts about someone he had known before Castiel? Why should he think about another android? It made Castiel feel uneasy.
“Do you miss him?” he asked quietly.
“I’m curious,” Dean said. “His name was Sam.”
Castiel buried his face in Dean’s neck, breathing hard. He didn’t like any of this. He knew it was pointless to be jealous. Dean didn’t have feelings. There was nothing for Castiel to be jealous of. Androids couldn’t fall in love. Dean couldn’t have glimpsed the other android being built, couldn’t have fallen for him while the first glimmers of his consciousness were forming but it still worried Castiel. Dean obviously did care about this Sam and what had happened to him.
“I’ll ask Gabriel where he went,” he murmured.
“Thank you,” Dean said, pressing a kiss to Castiel’s hair. “I know it is not feasible, but I feel as if we are family. We were made together; we were made by the same builder. I suppose he would be my brother. That’s the closest word for it. I’ve searched the dictionary but I can’t find a better description.”
Castiel breathed in deeply. He felt a sense of relief washing over him. Dean felt a kinship with the android that had been produced at the same time as him. He wasn’t wondering about the other android for any other reasons.
“I’m sure Gabriel will know exactly where he is,” Castiel said, pressing a kiss to Dean’s cheek.
The doorbell rang and Castiel pulled away from Dean, climbing out of his lap regretfully. He would have liked to stay there for a little while longer.
“That will be Gabriel,” he said.
Castiel paused for a moment to readjust his shirt, straightening himself up. He knew that he and Dean hadn’t been doing anything inappropriate but Gabriel didn’t know that and his brother would call attention to anything out of place.
The doorbell rang again, louder this time and longer. Gabriel probably had his finger pressed against the buzzer.
“I can hear you!” Castiel shouted over the noise.
It didn’t do any good. Gabriel obviously couldn’t hear him.
Grumbling to himself, Castiel pulled his front door open and regarded Gabriel. Castiel found it strange that Dean, an android with no real concept of fashion, could dress himself better than Gabriel could. Gabriel was wearing green corduroy trousers, sandals and a neon orange t-shirt. Castiel found it hard to look directly at him.
“Cas!” Gabriel exclaimed, throwing himself bodily at Castiel and hugging him tightly. “I haven’t seen you in ages. Are you happy? Do you like your present? Isn’t he the best present I ever got you?”
Castiel endured the hug for a moment. He would have returned it if Gabriel hadn’t pinned his arms down to his sides when he’d enveloped him. Gabriel didn’t seem to notice that he’d completely incapacitated his brother though, nor that Castiel hadn’t answered his questions. Gabriel appeared to be trying to squeeze the air out of Castiel in the tightest hug possible.
Finally, Gabriel let go and Castiel could breathe properly again.
“I’m fine, Gabriel. Dean had settled in very well and yes, I like him a lot,” he said.
Gabriel winked at him.
“I bet you do. Isn’t he better than any vibrator? Do you know you can program him for a vibrate setting if you like that? I’ve got mine programmed for vibrate and thrust. Oh, and he’s strawberry flavored!”
With this flood of information, Gabriel pushed passed Castiel and into the living room. Castiel shut the door behind him, pausing for a moment to mentally destroy everything Gabriel had just told him, burning it from his memory, before he turned and followed his brother.
He found Gabriel sitting across from Dean in an armchair, openly admiring Dean.
“He’s better than I remember,” Gabriel said proudly.
Castiel sat down beside Dean and put a hand on his android’s knee. He knew it was silly but the possessive gesture soothed him.
“You said you had your own android. Is that Sam, by any chance?” he asked.
Gabriel nodded enthusiastically.
“He’s the best Android I ever built. He’s gorgeous, Cas! He’s huge!” There was a pause while Gabriel fished his phone out of his pocket. He flicked through it and then offered the phone to Castiel. “I’ve taken so many photos of him! Look!”
Castiel gave the photos a cursory glance. He’d only asked because he knew Dean was curious. The photos were all of a tall, long haired Android. Most of the shots were clothed but a few weren’t. Castiel pulled a face and handed the phone back to Gabriel.
“Gabriel, those are obscene,” he said, frowning.
Gabriel took the phone back from him, smirking.
“Like I said, Castiel, he’s huge!”
“Is he happy?” Dean asked, interrupting the conversation.
Both Gabriel and Castiel looked at him. Gabriel looked shocked.
“Happy? I suppose he’s happy. I mean he’s…” he trailed off, lost for words.
Castiel couldn’t remember the last time someone had stunned Gabriel in to silence.
“Dean remembers you building him and Sam. He wanted to know how Sam was,” he explained.
“You remember?” Gabriel asked, addressing Dean directly. “You’re not supposed to remember. I wiped your memory and put you back to factory settings before you were shipped.”
“I remember,” Dean said laconically, shrugging his shoulders.
“It doesn’t matter, Gabriel. It’s just a memory,” Castiel said, frowning. “I don’t mind.”
“It’s just not supposed to happen, that’s all,” Gabriel said. He looked at Dean intently, studying him. “Did you pick out his outfit, Cas?”
“No, I let Dean choose his own clothes.”
“How?” Gabriel asked.
“How?” Castiel wrinkled his nose, confused by his brother’s question. “I let him go online and order from your company’s stupid expensive website.”
“You let him browse the whole catalog? You didn’t suggest any preferences or give him a list of things you liked?”
“No, I trust Dean. I think he made a good choice,” Castiel said, looking at Dean and smiling fondly at him.
“Does he have any other preferences?” Gabriel asked.
Castiel blushed, tearing his attention away from Dean.
“Yes, but I’d rather not…we just got rid of some stock phrases from his memory bank and deleted a bit of programming. He wasn’t using it.”
“Right,” Gabriel said. “You mean sex stuff. I know you do, Castiel, you’re blushing. Did you suggest that or did he?”
“Well, Dean did but I wasn’t going to use him like that,” Castiel said, avoiding both Gabriel and Dean’s eyes and focusing instead on a point on the opposite wall.
“But you picked out his personality, right? I mean, it told you to do that in his leaflet,” Gabriel said.
Castiel remembered reading the leaflet. He remembered exactly the passage Gabriel was talking about but he’d never tried to program Dean. He’d just worked the way he did and Castiel had liked that.
Slowly, he shook his head.
“No, I like the program he came with,” he said quietly.
“Castiel, he came on factory settings. He didn’t have a personality program! You were supposed to choose one for him,” Gabriel said.
He actually sounded angry. Castiel wasn’t used to his brother sounding like that. Gabriel was usually so laid back, so easy going but he honestly seemed to be upset with Castiel for letting Dean make a few choices. Castiel didn’t understand it. He and Dean were happy together. He liked that Dean had a high level of autonomy. He would have hated to have to constantly inform Dean of what he should and shouldn’t like. Dean was built to such a high standard that he felt more human than Android and Castiel liked that about him.
“Gabriel, it’s not that big an issue,” he protested.
“I chose my own personality,” Dean interrupted confidently. “Castiel likes it.”
Gabriel stared at Dean as if he’d just announced he was malfunctioning. He looked frightened.
“Gabriel, he’s right. I do like it,” Castiel said quickly, hoping he could convince his brother that this wasn’t the issue Gabriel seemed to think it was.
“Castiel, you don’t understand!” Gabriel said. “He’s not supposed to be able to do this. He doesn’t have….he isn’t advanced enough. He’s artificial intelligence but he isn’t supposed to have preferences or think for himself. He’s supposed to ask you, he’s supposed to copy you.”
Castiel sat perfectly still. He understood now why Gabriel had looked so frightened. Dean was malfunctioning. He was behaving against his programming.
Dean glared at Gabriel.
“I’m evolved,” he said. “I feel things. I have memories.”
“You can’t,” Gabriel insisted.
“But I do,” Dean said. “I don’t understand everything but I’m learning.”
“You’re faulty,” Gabriel snapped.
He stood up quickly, stepping away from Dean and Castiel.
“Castiel, come here,” he said, motioning for Castiel to join him. “He’s dangerous.”
Castiel felt as if he was frozen in place. He knew he should get up, that he should go to Gabriel but he couldn’t make himself. He didn’t believe that Dean would ever hurt him. He’d been alone with Castiel in the apartment for a week. Castiel had been naked, vulnerable in front of him so many times and if Dean had wanted to hurt him, he could have, but the only thing he’d ever been with Castiel was gentle.
Castiel thought back to the little leaflet that had come with Dean, remembering the passage about the laws of robotics. Dean hadn’t broken any of the laws. He hadn’t hurt Castiel. He hadn’t disobeyed a direct order. Dean wasn’t working outside of the rules given to him, he was just working differently.
“No,” Castiel said slowly, still thinking it out in his mind. “He’s not dangerous, Gabriel. He has to obey the three laws still and he hasn’t broken any of them. I’m sorry but I believe Dean, I think he’s just…I think he’s just the next step.”
“Castiel, you don’t understand. That would mean that his artificial intelligence is smart enough to mimic life. It means…it means we’re building humans. The implications of that…it’s ethically the worst thing I can think of,” Gabriel said, running a hand through his hair. “We’re basically building ourselves slaves.”
Castiel suppressed a shudder. He understood Gabriel’s immediate disgust at the thought. The idea of taking something that was really alive, that was sentient, and forcing it to do the things that Castiel had done with Dean, made Castiel feel sick.
He couldn’t look at Dean. He felt guilty. Castiel was now as much a part of everything that was wrong with the Android trade as anyone else was. He’d looked at Dean and decided to use him. The fact that Dean might have enjoyed it didn’t matter. Castiel had never considering consent an issue but now, just as Gabriel had said, all kinds of ethical dilemmas were rearing their heads.
“So you want to pretend it isn’t happening then?” he asked Gabriel quietly.
It was appealing. Castiel could see why. No questions, no doubts. Dean was broken. That would be the official verdict and the odd flashed of humanity would be put down to nothing more than faults in his components. There would be no need to examine what they were doing. Neither Castiel or Gabriel or anyone else who owned an Android would have to take a long look at themselves and ask if they were really the good people they thought they were.
There would be no investigation into the level artificial intelligence was now functioning at. There would be no backlash. Castiel understood that logically, if Dean could think and feel, if he was a new step in the evolution of his kind, then he had the power to destroy everything that had come before him.
Androids when they’d first appeared hadn’t looked humanoid. They’d been incredibly basic. Public demand had continued to push for them to be perfect, to be as close to human as possible and they’d managed that. Dean could, effectively, ruin a whole industry. He was too human. He was a step too far.
Dean was a threat because he challenged everything that they had ever thought of. If this had happened to Dean, then it could conceivably happen to other androids. There would be legal implications as well as ethical ones. Did Dean have rights now that he hadn’t had before? Should he have them?
Everything felt huge, almost impossibly so. Castiel understood completely why Gabriel didn’t want to acknowledge it, because it was frightening. Castiel was scared but he was frightened for Dean more than anything.
Dean was different and that put him in a precarious situation.
“Cas, I can see what you’re thinking,” Gabriel said nervously. “Look, it’s just programming quirks. It happens sometimes. He’s not the first I’ve seen. We just have to shut him down. He needs to be rebooted.”
Castiel stared at his brother. If you accepted, as Gabriel did, that Dean was malfunctioning then all he’d done had been to reboot some faulty androids, but Castiel didn’t think that way. To him, Gabriel had just admitted that when the androids showed signs of humanity, he destroyed them.
“I won’t let you do that to Dean,” he said.
“Cas, he’s not real! He’s just metal and plastic with a good voice box! He can’t think! He doesn’t have the power to think! He doesn’t understand emotions. You’re too close to this, you can’t see it for what it really is!” Gabriel snapped.
“I can feel,” Dean interrupted. “I think I know what love feels like. I feel it for Castiel.”
He put his hand on Castiel’s knee and squeezed softly. Castiel closed his eyes, felt his stomach flip and his heart soar. It was both perfect and awful to hear Dean say those words.
“It just isn’t possible!” Gabriel said again. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and started to dial a number. “I’m calling work. We’re got a team that deal with out of control androids. I’ll take him back to the lab, I’ll reprogram him. It will be okay. I’ll bring him back and he’ll work this time, Castiel!”
Castiel stood up quickly, brushing Dean’s hand off him as he stood.
“Don’t!” he said. “Dean is my property, isn’t he? I own him?”
He hated the thought of owning Dean. He hated knowing that there was a piece of paper somewhere with Dean’s name and serial number on it and that marked him as belonging to Castiel. It had been fine a week ago when Dean was just a machine but now Castiel knew he was so much more than that and it wasn’t okay, not now.
“Well, yes…” Gabriel said.
Castiel interrupted him quickly. “Then you can’t take him away without my permission. I won’t let you do this, Gabriel. I own Dean and I’m happy with him as he is. I don’t think he’s broken. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with him.”
“Castiel, please! He’s just a walking, talking dildo! He doesn’t love you and you’re being ridiculous about this!”
Castiel knew he was blushing. He could feel how hot his face was. It was a low blow what Gabriel was suggesting, that Castiel was blinded or infatuated by Dean. Maybe there was a glimmer of truth in it? Castiel did care about Dean. He didn’t want him dismantled and destroyed, pulled apart and turned into something mindless.
He clenched his hands and stared Gabriel down.
“I mean it, Gabriel. I want you to leave Dean alone. I’m happy and I’m his owner,” he said, forcing himself to speak calmly.
“This is just so stupid,” Gabriel hissed.
“And I think you should leave,” Castiel continued. “We’ll talk again when you’ve calmed down.”
Gabriel looked ruffled. He opened his mouth then shut it again. He stomped passed Castiel and a moment later Castiel heard the front door slam behind him. He took a deep breath, sinking back down on to the couch. He knew Gabriel better than to think that this was over.
Gabriel wasn’t normally lost for words. A quiet Gabriel had always been more dangerous, to Castiel’s mind, than an angry, screaming and shouting Gabriel.
“Thank you,” Dean said quietly.
“I couldn’t let him take you,” Castiel said. He looked at Dean properly for the first time. “I’m sorry.”
“Why?” Dean asked.
“For saying that I was your owner and you belonged to me. You belong to yourself, Dean. You can make your own choices.”
Dean smiled at him.
“I know that. You’ve always let me choose,” he said, edging closer to Castiel. “Besides, it’s only a piece of paper that says you own me. No one can tell us what to do in private.” His smile grew decidedly wicked. Castiel knew he was blushing.
“You’re impossible,” he said.
Dean grabbed hold of Castiel’s hand, holding it tightly in his own.
“Hey, you know, you didn’t make me do anything, right? It’s a bit confusing but I know I like you. I do understand things, Castiel. I’m not a child and I’m not stupid. I know about more things than you do,” he said, looking at Castiel solemnly.
“You know about them but knowledge isn’t the same as…” Castiel couldn’t find the words to explain it properly to Dean. “It just isn’t the same, Dean.”
Dean had books worth of knowledge uploaded into his head. He was a walking encyclopedia but that didn’t mean he understood things the same way that Castiel did. Dean knew everything in theory and theory wasn’t messy. It didn’t take into account all the nuances and grey areas. Real life did.
Dean sighed. He lifted Castiel’s hand up, pressing a kiss to it.
“If I can make my own choices, Cas, why can’t I chose this?” he asked.
Castiel felt himself trembling. He knew the answer to Dean’s question. Dean wouldn’t choose him because nobody chose him. Everyone human had eventually walked away from him, had decided Castiel was too difficult, too odd. Why should an Android who’d developed consciousness be any different?
“Do you think Sam is the same as you?” he asked, changing the subject abruptly and pulling his hand away from Dean. “Do you think he’s evolved like you are?”
“I hope not,” Dean said grimly. “I know he’s your brother, Castiel, but that man….he’d switch Sam off, wouldn’t he? He’d scrub his hard drive clean of any trace of personality.”
Dean sounded so sure of himself but Castiel wasn’t as certain. Gabriel probably found it easy when faced with dismantling Dean. Dean didn’t mean anything to him. Sam was a different matter. Gabriel was obviously proud of Sam. Even if Gabriel had fixated on the physical attributes he’d given Sam, he was still a little bit amazed by him and Castiel thought that would work in Sam’s favour.
“Maybe,” he said uncertainly.
Dean looked at him directly.
“I want to save Sam,” he said. “I don’t want anything to happen to him.”
“What do you want me to do, Dean? Sam is Gabriel’s property. The laws that just worked in your favour are going to work against whatever you’re planning,” Castiel said.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that Sam would be safer if they didn’t point out the obvious possibility that he could be as unique and human as Dean was. In Castiel’s experience, people were very good at deluding themselves. Gabriel could likely pretend that Sam was just high attuned to his wants and desire. Anything they did that made Gabriel confront the possibility of something else put Sam in danger.
Sam might not even be like Dean. Just because they had the same parts and were built by the same man didn’t mean that Sam was anything more than a shell into which programming had been fed. Dean might be worrying when there was nothing to worry over.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Dean said. “It’s written all over your face. You’ve got a lot of tells, Castiel. You think Sam’s just another android.”
Castiel tried not to feel guilty.
“You’re my priority,” he said, although the words sounded oddly hollow.
He wanted to keep Dean inside his apartment, inside with him where it was safe. Dean was his priority but in a selfish way that kept Dean safe and close to him. Everything he’d said about Dean having a choice, about being his own person, was wiped away by his own desire to keep Dean close and to keep him safe. As long as Castiel commanded and Dean had to obey those commands, Dean would never really be free. He would never be human, just a very clever replica.
“Dean, I mean it. You are not to leave this house or attempt by any means to contact Sam. That is a direct order,” Castiel said.
Dean narrowed his eyes. For a moment he did look frightening and Castiel found himself wondering how strong Dean really was. He could probably crush Castiel easily. If Dean wanted to leave, Castiel wouldn’t be able to stop him. He only prayed that Dean hadn’t evolved to discover disobedience just yet.
“If that is what you wish,” Dean said icily.
He stood up, moving away from Castiel. A moment later, he put his fist through the wall.
Castiel watched, fascinated.
Dean was testing the boundaries of the laws, he thought to himself.
Eventually, he’d find a way to break them. That was human nature. When given limits, humanity always strove to rise above them. Dean was learning his humanity and eventually he’d realize that laws were just a line waiting to be crossed. He was the only one who could decide if he would cross them or not. No amount of programming could override that.
**
Castiel woke up shivering. He knew immediately that something was wrong. His apartment was temperature controlled. There was a little thermostat in the wall that regulated the heat and monitored the atmosphere. Castiel should never get cold, not unless he requested a breeze. Either the thermostat had stopped working or an outside force had affected it. Castiel got out of bed, going to the window and pushing back the curtains. It was still dark outside.
He pulled the curtains shut again and headed to his wardrobe, grabbing a jacket. He pulled it on, wiggling his toes which felt far more chilled than he would have liked and headed in to the living room. Dean had chosen to stay up late, watching TV, rather than come to bed. Castiel had let him. Dean gained more information from studying the world and besides, they had been fighting. Although Castiel could order Dean to join him, he would never do that. He told Dean he wanted him to be free and he meant it.
He’d half hoped he’d see Dean still sitting on the couch, but the television had been turned off hours ago. Castiel wondered what Dean had been watching. He could press play, ask it to recall the last program but it didn’t matter what Dean had been watching. Whatever it was, it would only have been a distraction.
He didn’t need to guess where Dean was. He almost wanted to call out to him. It seemed like a reflex. Dean wouldn’t be able to hear him though. He was long gone. The front door was wide open. That was what was letting in the cold air, disturbing Castiel. Dean had sat up, figuring out a way around his programming and once he’d worked it out, he’d gone.
Castiel didn’t wait. He grabbed his house keys and his phone, pulled on the nearest pair of shoes to hand and set off, locking his apartment door behind him. He was still in his pyjamas with only a jacket for protection. It didn’t matter though. He had to get across town, had to get to Gabriel’s house.
He hailed a cab, gave the driver directions and realized as he sank down into the seat that he didn’t have his wallet on him. Castiel had always paid his way. He had never been the sort of person who’d run off without paying but tonight he was.
He readied himself, tense in the backseat, planning to throw himself out when the cab came to a stop but as they drew up to the house, all of Castiel’s plans flew out of his mind.
Gabriel’s house was on fire. Not completely aflame, but there was a smoke pouring out of the downstairs window and the flickering light of fire within. Gabriel was standing in front of the house, his hands clasped to his head, watching in horror. There was a tall man standing in the garden, a hose clasped between his hands, trying to put the fire out. Castiel guessed from his size that he was Sam, Gabriel’s android, but he couldn’t see his face.
The cab slowed down and Castiel got out. He walked slowly towards his brother, completely in shock.
“Gabriel,” he said softly, reaching out to put a consoling hand on his brother’s arm but Gabriel whirled around, his eyes filled with anger.
“Dean did this! I told you he was dangerous. He disabled my sprinkler system and started a fire in my house. He’s broken the laws, Castiel. He’s dangerous!”
Castiel stared at the house, unable to believe that Dean would be capable of doing something like that. He thought he knew Dean. He believed Dean when Dean said he had feelings. Now he wasn’t sure. Gabriel could have been correct all along. Dean might be malfunctioning. Setting fire to a house broke the most important of the three laws. He’d put Gabriel’s life in danger.
“Where’s Dean now?” he asked.
Gabriel glared at him. Castiel knew how heartless he sounded. His brother had been in danger and Dean was still the first thing he asked about. He just needed to know where Dean was.
“On his way to my lab,” Gabriel said. “I’m going to dismantle him. You should have let me do that first.”
“I’m sorry,” Castiel said quietly. “I’m so sorry, Gabriel.”
“Yeah, well, it’s a bit late now, isn’t it?” Gabriel asked angrily.
Castiel nodded. He wrapped his arms around himself, feeling more miserable than he could ever remember. He had really believed in Dean. He had had faith in him. He had been wrong all along. He didn’t know as much about androids as Gabriel did. He should have listened to his brother, but he’d really wanted to believe that Dean could love him.
There was a soft noise, a cough and Castiel looked up at Sam. He was sooty but otherwise he looked fine.
“The fire is out, I think most of the damage is smoke damage,” he said. “Are you hurt, Gabriel?”
He took Gabriel’s hands in his own. Castiel stared at them, at how big those hands were. Gabriel hadn’t been exaggerating when he said he’d planned Sam to be large than normal.
“I’m fine,” Gabriel said, pulling his hands free from Sam’s. “I need to go to work.”
Sam nodded. He waited patiently as Gabriel walked away, heading for his car. Castiel stood still, frozen in place. He almost wanted to go after Gabriel, to beg to be taken with him. He wanted to talk to Dean, to ask him what had been going through his head but he couldn’t. He was certain Gabriel wouldn’t let him.
He watched Gabriel’s car reverse and drive away, a heavy weight pressing down on him. Whatever Dean had done, he was going to die today. Gabriel was going to deactivate him and then he’d be gone.
Sam coughed again and Castiel turned to look at him.
“You have to save him,” Sam said solemnly.
“I’m sorry?” Castiel asked. He didn’t understand what Sam meant.
“My brother, you have to save him,” Sam said. “He wasn’t trying to hurt Gabriel. He knew that if there was a threat to Gabriel, my programming would require me to rescue him. He disabled the sprinklers and lit a small fire. I carried Gabriel from the house. Dean was waiting for us. He never tried to run away. He never tried to hurt Gabriel.”
“He lit a fire,” Castiel said angrily.
He didn’t know what Sam expected him to do. He almost wanted to walk away. He had had enough of androids trying to tell him what he should do.
“It was controlled,” Sam said.
“Dean is broken!” Castiel hissed.
Sam shook his head. “He’s not. I’m not broken either. Dean feels things more clearly than I do. He has already worked out how to bend his rules. He wanted to protect me. I want to do the same for him.”
“I can’t…What he did was wrong, it was dangerous. You think the fire was controlled but it could have got out of hand,” Castiel said.
He wrapped his arms around himself, feeling nauseous. He didn’t know anything about robots. He didn’t know if Sam was broken too or if this was real? He didn’t know what to do.
“He’s learning and he’ll make mistakes.” Sam looked at Castiel, his eyes soft, softer than the coding behind them should be able to replicate. “Isn’t that part of being human?”
Castiel swallowed hard.
“I have to go,” he said.
He turned away from Sam, stumbling away from him, in the direction that Gabriel’s car had driven off. He had no transportation. The cab that had bought him there had driven off. Castiel hadn’t even noticed the driver leave. He kept going, kept walking, heading in the direction of Gabriel’s lab. Castiel didn’t think they’d let him in. He was a wild man in his pyjamas, his hair all over the place. Someone who should be asleep in bed, not roaming the streets but he couldn’t go back home. He didn’t have time.
He had to get to Dean. He had to stop Gabriel before it was too late.
What Dean had done was stupid and it was thoughtless, but he was still learning. People got second chance. They were punished and rehabilitated. They earned a place back in society. Dean deserved a chance to try to put things right. He deserved to have Castiel fight for that.
He shouldn’t just die.
**
“You bastard.”
Gabriel had had androids that begged. He had some that had tried to philosophize with him, who tried to discuss the nature of life. He had never had an android that had yelled at him. Not until Dean.
Dean struggled against his restraints. He kicked and snarled and every time Gabriel came close to him, he tried to bite him. There was a lot of power in Dean, but the restraints that held him had been designed for androids. They wouldn’t break, not even against Dean’s onslaught.
“This is for the best,” Gabriel found himself saying, trying to console Dean. He had never done that before with any previous android. He had been brisk, business like.
“Like Hell it’s for the best! You’re just doing this because you’re scared,” Dean said.
He watched Gabriel closely, watched everything he was doing. It dawned on Gabriel that Dean really did understand death better than any of the other androids he’d decommissioned. Dean knew this wasn’t going to sleep. He knew what it meant.
Once Gabriel got close enough to open his paneling and deactivate his core programming, everything Dean had been or would ever be would be gone. In that sense, he was unique.
Gabriel picked up a screwdriver.
“Stop struggling,” he said.
**
Castiel ran. He didn’t know where he was going and he was sure at any moment someone was going to stop him. There had to be security guards. The fact that Castiel had missed them so far seemed to be a blessing in disguise. He might make it to Gabriel’s lab. He might be able to stop his brother before Gabriel preformed the irreversible.
He made it to the second floor before the night guard tackled him from behind, knocking Castiel face down on to the floor. He grabbed hold of Castiel’s hands, holding them behind his back. Castiel started shouting, kicking and screaming. He had no idea what he was even shouting. Some of it was Dean’s name and some of it was Gabriel’s. The rest was just a mess of desperation and fear.
He could hear footsteps, more people coming, alerted by the sound of Castiel’s struggling. Knowing that he was drawing a crowd, Castiel screamed louder.
“I want to see Gabriel Novak! I demand to see Gabriel Novak!”
“Castiel?”
The sound of his brother’s voice caused Castiel to stop struggling. He looked up, peering at Gabriel and Gabriel’s worried face. Gabriel shook his head, bewildered and then addressed the guard who was still kneeling over Castiel. “You can let him go. He’s my brother. I’ll vouch for him. Get him a visitors badge or something.”
The guard apologetically hauled Castiel to his feet but Castiel brushed off his attempts to make amends. The only thing he cared about was finding out what Gabriel had done with Dean.
“Where is he?” he hissed.
“Come here,” Gabriel said, taking Castiel by the arm and dragging him down the corridor, away from the small crowd of late workers who had been drawn by the commotion.
The whole building was a twisting, turning maze of corridors. Castiel would never have found Gabriel’s lab on his own, he knew that now. He could have spent all night looking and he still would have been lost.
Their pace began to slow, Gabriel glancing around furtively and then they stopped by a pair of double doors.
“What did you do with Dean?” Castiel demanded. “I came here to stop you. I don’t want you turning him off. I can’t let you do that. I know what he did was wrong, Gabriel! He’s not defective though. He’s just lost and new to this. He was trying to think logically and logic doesn’t always take into account what’s right.”
“He was yelling at me,” Gabriel said, sounding dazed and far away. “He shouted and swore at me. He was so angry, Castiel. He wanted to live.”
Castiel thought his legs would give out underneath him as Gabriel spoke. It sounded as if he was recounting the last moments of a condemned prisoner’s life.
“You killed him?” he asked.
He had known that it would always come to this, that Gabriel would snuff out the light that Dean showed but he had wanted so badly to save Dean. Sam thought he could and Castiel had believed for a very few minutes that he could.
Gabriel looked up at him, his eyes wide with shock.
“Oh no,” he said. “I couldn’t. He was just so…so human.” He shook his head as if he couldn’t quite believe himself and quoted softly, “Do not go gentle into that good night; rage, rage against the dying of the light.”
“Where is he?” Castiel asked. He had to see Dean, had to prove to himself that what Gabriel was saying was real.
“In here,” Gabriel said.
He pushed open one of the double doors, gesturing Castiel through into his lab. Dean was sat at a workbench, screwdriver in hand, fiddling with a bit of circuit board. He looked up as the door opened, dropping the things in his hands and standing up quickly.
“Castiel,” he said. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I disobeyed you.”
“I’m not,” Castiel said.
He had been so frightened, so scared that Dean would be taken away for him forever. There would be time for Dean to learn lessons from what he’d done later. All Castiel wanted to do now was hold him close and kiss him until he was dizzy.
He ran to Dean and wrapped his arms around him. Dean held him steady and kissed him. It felt wonderful and Castiel hated himself for ever doubting Dean and the truth of what he was.
**
Gabriel had an old coffee machine which he turned on and coaxed to life after a few spluttering starts. He made himself and Castiel a cup of coffee while Dean showed Castiel what he was working on. Gabriel had given him the screwdriver and something to play with and Dean was busy constructing.
“It’s the urge to create life,” Gabriel said softly as he handed Castiel the cup he’d prepared for him. “He has it. He has that spark and you can’t program that. I tried a version of the Turing Test on him and he passed. I asked him to compose a poem and he told me a dirty limerick”
Gabriel smiled, his eyes half-closed in remembrance.
“What’s the Turing Test?” Castiel asked. He held his cup close to his body, drawing the feeling of the warm cup in his hands warming him.
“The first of many tests we’re going to have to run,” Gabriel said with a sigh. “It tests a machine’s ability to exhibit intelligence equal to a human.”
“So you’re just looking for the right answer? Did you program him to be smart?”
Gabriel shook his head. “It’s not quite the same. I’m not looking for the right answer; I’m looking for the human answer.”
He sat down next to Castiel and for a moment the two of them sat in silence, watching Dean work.
“He’s going to change the world,” Gabriel said finally. “Doesn’t that frighten you?”
“Yes,” Castiel said. “But we’re going to change it together.”