Chapter 2 - 2

Ryan gave an exasperated sigh when Adam's car overtook his, and he laughed, letting his controller drop to his side.

"I don't know why I wanted to play with you when I knew you'd be better at it after only a few races. Fucking neural networks. You'll pick things up faster than a brain like mine ever will."

In his typical cryptic way, he said it almost fondly.

"You take losing very seriously," Adam commented teasingly.

Every time Ryan teased him back, he felt a warm pull of happiness he was reluctant to think too deeply about. The way Ryan wrinkled his nose when he laughed was oddly endearing; he wanted to see more of it.

Their banter was interrupted when Adam's stomach growled softly. Adam looked down at himself, unsure whether the sound had come from him. Ryan laughed.

"Hungry?" he asked.

"I think so," Adam said. "It feels different, but I can tell that it's... uncomfortable."

"It'll take time to learn to associate your new senses correctly. You haven't eaten as much today as you have been recently; let me get you something."

He looked at Adam expectantly.

"Ice cream?" the android requested after a moment.

He pulled the blanket closer around his shoulders and gave a soft, guilty smile.

Ryan smiled in return. "Ice cream it is. Which did you say you preferred?"

Adam narrowed his eyes in thought for a moment before realizing that he had tried far too many different things yesterday to remember whether he liked chocolate or strawberry.

"I'm not sure," he admitted.

"Is this your way of asking for both?" Ryan teased.

He returned a few minutes later with a bowl full of both flavors and handed it to Adam, who accepted it gratefully. Ryan clicked off the TV; both had grown tired of the repetitive menu-screen background music.

As Adam tried to get both flavors on his spoon in each bite, Ryan put his arm around the android's shoulder, and Adam leaned into him contentedly. The part of him that warned that perhaps this was inappropriate was dulled by the pleasantness of ice cream and old video games; it was far easier to just appreciate Ryan's body heat and soft reassurances instead of giving all of this more thought.

He was strangely caring; so different from the cold, business-minded man he seemed to be on TV.

Adam set the bowl gently on the coffee table when he finished. Ryan somehow seemed even closer than he had before; the hand not on Adam's far shoulder was gently stroking his thigh, and Adam decided to let it.

Under the soft fleece of the blanket, Ryan's hand drifted to rest on Adam's belly. He had grown slightly softer, even compared to when he had first noticed the change three days ago; this new pudge pressed gently at the button of his jeans when he sat down, and after the full bowl of ice cream it had become slightly uncomfortable.

For this reason, he didn't mind as much as he should have when Ryan unbuttoned them.
Instead of seeking something further, though, Ryan simply put his hand on Adam's waist, snuggling closer to him. When Adam turned to him in surprise, he pressed a soft kiss to the android's lips.

Adam reciprocated, eager but nervous, and his lips tasted like chocolate and strawberry.