Work Text:
"Do you dream, Daniel?"
The question is posed with childlike innocence, spoken by the man who lay beside him, staring up into sky. The biomachine turned his head towards him, studying his face.
"No."
That is a lie, of course. But he doesn't need to know that.
Kevin turned onto his side, grinning. "Would you like to dream?"
"No."
The grin turns into a pout. "Now that's no fun! You can have so many adventures while you sleep! One time, I had a dream where I came from another town, but it wasn't as happy as Desert Bluffs, and I was really angry all the time. But then, the Smiling God came and took all the anger and sadness away!"
"That sounds very nice."
"You weren't even listening." The pout deepens.
That is true. He was thinking about his own dreams.
---------------
Daniel isn't sure why his superiors allowed him to own an apartment. Maybe it was to give him a sense of privacy, or maybe to help his colleagues feel like the biomachine was just a regular person like the rest of them. Or maybe they just liked the idea of him playing human.
The door opened with a squeal and Daniel is surrounded by StrexPets, which quack and climb up his pants legs. For once, he doesn't greet them with his usual enthusiasm, only dragged his legs to the fridge that housed raw meat and tossed them a few steaks.
As they devour their dinner, Daniel dragged his worn body to bed, plugging himself in to charge before sleep overtakes him.
It is the same dream as always.
---------------
"Here's your coffee, Danny! Shot of oil, just how you like it!"
A small smile tugged at the edges of his lips as the smell of coffee filled his nostrils. It grew upon the liquid passing his throat, filling his cold insides with the feeling of warmth.
"Ooh, Danny, huh? I like that."
And, as quickly as it came, it's gone.
"Don't call me that."
Lauren sat on the edge of his desk, her pout accentuated by her bright red lipstick. It's not as pleasant as Kevin's. "But it's cute! Why not? Kev gets to do it."
"It's Kevin, not Kev. And that's just how he is."
Her pout became a sneer and she hopped off his desk, nose high in the air. "Fine, have your little 'Boys Only' club, then. Just don't come running to me when you can't figure out how to grow up."
---------------
Every night, Daniel returned home later and later, more tired than the one before, until he was nearly out of battery by the time he opened his door. Some part of him thinks that he could outrun his dream, that he could dream about staples and files and pens like every good worker if he just worked a little harder, a little longer.
And yet, the dream is always the same.
A red string tied neatly around his ring finger that extends into infinity will be the only other thing he can see in the darkness beside himself. He can only able to follow it into oblivion, for his body will not not listen to him.
It will strum with the beat of a human heart, reverberating in his ears and becoming more erratic with each step, until it felt as though the world was shattering.
And he'll something, someone, in the distance, and he will run, run, run towards them, even as his body eroded and all he was left with a metal exoskeleton, and they will turn to him and
he will wake to find himself staring at the empty side of his bed.
---------------
Or, that was what he expected.
Beside him was a being that could only be described as a god, one arm wrapped around his waist and a leg splayed across his own. He snorted and stirred in his sleep, as though he were having a bad dream. Daniel doesn't have the heart to wake him, but he woke on his own upon feeling the biomachine shift.
Hollow eyes fluttered open and a lethargic smile crossed his face. "Hey handsome. Sleep well?"
"Kevin."
Daniel's eyes followed the very naked man as he rose and stretched, searching his data banks for what had happened the other night. He remembered an employee party, some alcohol, a kiss...
"Mmm, who knew you were so good in bed? I'm gonna get something to eat."
Kevin padded off into the kitchen, followed by a menagerie of StrexPets, leaving Daniel to sit in shock.
He saw the figure's face last night.
---------------
"Mornin', sleepy bot!" Kevin placed a mug of his signature coffee in front of Daniel, who sat at the table wearing his favourite pair of StrexPajamas. He's still not sure what's going on, but Kevin seemed to be making himself at home.
"Y'know, I had the strangest dream last night! I was in this weird dark place, with a red string on my finger, and I couldn't do anything but follow it. It was plucking itself like a harp, to the beat of a heart. And then, when it became really intense, I saw you! Weird, huh? But, you looked tired, like you were running to me too, only longer. You looked as though you were about to fall apart!"
Daniel stared at Kevin as he spoke, his mouth opening and closing like one of those weird scaled things that flop about when you take them out of water. Kevin didn't seem to take note of this, as he continued to speak.
"But, anyways, I can't stop thinking about last night. I know I was drunk, but you were so kind... You let me come home with you and you didn't even laugh at me when I confessed to you how I feel about you. You're just such a gentleman! And, if you're still up to it, Danny, I... I'd really like to be your boyfriend."
Even the Smiling God would be jealous of the grin on his face.