#depression theme

Like every day, Niles was at home. Everything was messy around him. You could see magazine and newspapers all around the floor, though a lot of them when even unwrapped. He stopped to read them long time ago. There was unclean dishes everywhere and his last jar of chocolate paste was empty and had rolled somewhere. His TV was always on, displaying National geographic Channel. The covers were also dirty because he passed his time in the sofa. Except to go in the bathroom. And not for everything…

Oh, he got often some visits… from his twin brothers. The guy, three minutes older than him, passed everyday and chatted in his ears but he even didn’t really listen to him. It wasn’t exactly the fact he didn’t want to but he couldn’t. Especially since the day he realized his brother talked about absolutely nothing. He wanted him to react, wanted to see him smile when he told for the fifth time the same joke.

But he couldn’t.

AAnd he felt even worse because his mother always loved him more than his older brother; his teachers too because they said he was better, the perfect kid and being just slightly less better than him, Connor didn’t mark the mind as much… Because of their mom, they even got the same job and their boss would always say to them he was better than his brother. But for him, Connor was the best one because being the second in everything, he never stopped loved him anyway. In fact, he always was the first to cheer up for him. He wanted to be partner up with him all the time, and not to take advantage. He was a tender heart and when it came to the truly personality, he was the favorite.

That didn’t bother Niles.

In fact, one day, nothing went wrong and since this day, that never stopped. A tiny problem became a huge one and the huge problem became awful. More he thought about them, more that came worst. And, of course, since leaving the house became harder and harder, he finished by stop to come at work and he lost his job. His mother blamed him, again and again, his boss too and everything became even worst.

They were talking about panda at the TV when he heard the bell rang.

He didn’t get up, of course, but the door opened anyway. He pressed his cheek against his forearm as he heard the soft voice of his brother babbling.

The panda were pretty cutes in fact.

Suddenly, they disappeared since he saw his brother’s face.

“I’ve a surprise for you today.”

No replies.

“I’d like to come more often, you know,” Connor said, putting a lock of hair behind his ear, “but I’m sorry, it will be harder now to come. We have a big case at work.”

You call that a surprise?

Niles closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against his wrist.

“I won’t let you alone, my baby brother,” Connor said softly, caressing his hairs. “Look!”

The other felt Connor got up and moved around. He didn’t open his eyes, didn’t want to see the surprise. Soon enough, he heard the pace come back but he didn’t looked up, too busy to do nothing and blame himself. How could he do that to Connor? If only he had the strength to open his eyelid and looking him?

It was suck a lack of respect for his lovely brother…

“Niles?”

He heard a soft sigh.

“That’s okay, baby brother. I bought you an Android.”

It was fucking expansive, how could he let Connor do such a thing?! He should repay that. He should talk.

“It’s a bit peculiar because it’s a prototype. He was a police auxiliary, a Detective! But they recycled him into something else. I checked up you risk nothing.”

But Niles thought it could be a nice thing if his Android would kill him. Ironic since he never wanted Android. And now they were a freedom people so owning an Android now?

“I’d love to say any longer but I can’t. I’ll see you soon. I love you so much, baby brother.” Connor pressed a kiss on his forehead. “Do whatever you want.”

Those words seemed to be say at someone else. Certainly to the Android.

Soon, he heard the door closed and then ruffling around. The Android didn’t even introduce himself.

Perfect.

He didn’t want to talk.

Niles stayed there. After long minutes, he opened his eyes to glance at the TV. Now, they were talking about sharks. He liked sharks but that didn’t cheer him up.

 “Can I pass in front of the TV?”

Niles was watching the TV but in the time, he didn’t; so, he didn’t mind if the Android came. But he didn’t reply. Let him do whatever he wanted. Everything was fine for the Human. When, in fact, everything was not nice but you get it.

“Hey! I’m talking to you, asshole.”

Niles jumped and blinked when he saw the Android crouching in front of him. He was surprised by his look. Yes, it was a prototype but Niles still supposed his appearance was generic. This one had light brown hair a bit messy but put back, dark circles under his  big grey eyes, hair in his slightly chubby face, red lips and scars. One above the said lips, one on his nose.

“I don’t have all the time, you reply or what?”

Niles was dumbfounded. “You’re already in front of the TV.” His voice was a bit husky because he didn’t have talk since longtime.

“So it’s a ‘yes’, perfect. You see, it wasn’t so hard!”

The Android rose up and started to move around, gathering the dirty dishes. Niles looked him, silently. This Android was really peculiar.

 Four days later

 Now, the apartment was clean up and when the mail arrived, the newspapers and magazine were thrown, recycled, and the private mail was read by the Android.

Niles liked that because he really appreciated his voice. It was soft under the roughness.

He still drank only water but he had noticed the sugary taste. But the Android made him food and he didn’t eat it. But this morning, when he woke up, he had a new cover in his back. He remembered getting cold while the night but didn’t want to move and was so surprised to have that warm duvet…

At the TV, they were talking about the venomous snakes. He wondered what it was to be bite by a Taipan…

“Niles?”

He didn’t reply. He didn’t talk to him since that first day.

“Hey, dipshit!”

And now, Niles wondered if Connor knew the Android was that rude when he bought it.

“Okay. Should I do the food or not? Because I won’t lost my time for an asshole who even doesn’t eat. Do I cook for me? No!”

No reply.

“Phck!”

Niles’ eyes twitched. ‘Phck’? That was cute.

The rough face appeared in front of him. Fingers snapped and he blinked against his will.

“Fine, you’re alive. So, you reply now. You eat or not?”

Niles looked him but still didn’t reply.

“That’s it? Okay. I’ll do the food but believe me, you’ll eat!”

The Android got up and Niles couldn’t help but followed his track with his eyes. He also liked to see his longs legs trapped in a black pants and the white hoodie he was wearing. Sometimes, he pulled the hood on his hair and face to hide his LED. Niles had nothing to do in his live so, it was sad but he had already noticed it was when the LED became red. And right there, going to the kitchen, the Android tucked the hood…

 “Sometimes, more unexpected sound grabs our attention. Like this desert rain frog, squeaking viral sensation. Eleven million hits and counting. It sounds like a dog toy but actually this is the sonorous war cry of a very angry frog. Ferocious.”

“That meeeeeep are literally killing me,” the Android said as he was putting down the bowl full of broth with tiny vegetable, an egg and a lot of alphabet letters.

Niles cracked a smile when he saw the words written there.

‘Fuckin eat me asshole’

He passed his hands on the cushions and pushing on it to rise up. But his arms, used to be very muscular, were weak now, struggling to support his weigh. He felt tow arms around him and he was supported, helped to straighten.

“Are you playing? Do you plan to have me feeding you. ‘Ooooh GV200, I’m soooo weak, please, feed me with your strong hands!’”

Niles looked down. In fact, he was really struggling to do the slightest think. He moved a bit but not much and the best sports he did was to go in the bathroom, one time by day. When he didn’t forget. And the last time he had just roll over to fall on the floor then crawled to the bathroom.

He knew he was a mess and that was even worst now. And… oh no. The tears were coming… and he even wasn’t strong enough to prevent himself to cry in front of the Android. Fuck!

“Don’t do that!”

The GV200 had screamed but Niles couldn’t help. The tears were coming, rolling over his cheeks.

“Phck! Phck! Phck!!!” He rose up and looked around. “What do you want? Something to read? Something funny? Ah!” He connected to the TV and displayed lol cats. “No? Maybe… Maybe ice cream?”

GV200 rushed in the kitchen to find ice cream and he ruffled the refrigerator. He needed to go to the supermarket. There was nothing there!

“I don’t have ice cream.”

Niles pressed his skull against the cushion behind him and he cried more. Why? He even didn’t want ice cream.

“Warm bath? Do you want a warm bath?” GV200 offered.

Niles didn’t reply but the Android rushed in the bathroom and soon, he could hear the water flowing. A nice scent came a bit after.  GV200 had certainly let bubble bath droplet fell in the lukewarm water.

He stayed there in front of his soup, unable to reach it. Unable to eat even if he wanted to. What a mess…

He even didn’t know when that state at started? At first, he ate a lot. Way too much. And one day, he just stopped. Why everything was going badly? Why everything was becoming worse each new day?

Why did he wake up every morning?

The door opened, the sound of pace arrived and he saw GV200’s face in front of him. “The bath his ready. Come.”

Niles gathered all his courage, tears still rolling over his cheeks, and he forced himself to pronounce those awful words with his voice still husky. “I can’t.”

“Why?”

He shook his head.

“Well. I’m stubborn and you need a phckin’ bath anyway so…”

Suddenly, Niles wasn’t anymore in the sofa but in the strong and yet soft arms of that Androids. They were warms. He was surprised. He though Android would be cold… He never touched one before, even if his mother worked with the man who created them…

He let GV200 bring him to the bathroom. He wouldn’t have the strength to protest if he wanted, anyway.

When they arrived in the room, the Android looked around then sat him in the floor without a word.

“You undress or…”

Niles cried more. Damn! He wasn’t able to eat if he wanted it and even to undress. What a mess! What did he do with his live?! How? When? Why?

“Okay, okay. I’ll undress you.”

The Human looked him while the fingers came at the skirts of his t-shirt. He passed the cloth above his head then along his arms. He continued with the pant and Niles said nothing, even when he was naked.

“And now…” GV200 looked to the bath then to Niles. “I’ll undress, okay? Don’t worry, you won’t have an unsolicited dick appearin’, I don’t have one.” He shrugged then undressed.

Anyway, Niles felt strange and he looked down. He wanted to say ‘what are you doing?’ but just couldn’t.

Soon, he was, once again, carried in those arms. He watched as the Android step over the bench’s bath.

“It could be a bit warm,” the Android said. Then, he sat in the bath and installed the body over his, the back of Niles against his chest. He took a lotion and poured some in a washcloth. “Look,” he said.

Niles had red eyes and he stared as the GV200 passed his hand inside the bath mitt. Then the Android’s hand came above his and make him rub his body.

“You see? You’re doin’ it yourself.”

The man chuckled through his tears. He had a blurry vision but he looked their hands passing above his arms. His hand.

“Po… Police auxiliary… right?”

“Bold! You’re washin’ yourself and talkin’!” GV200 bent a bit. “I like that!” He felt Niles trying to follow the rubbing gesture. “Yay, I was a police auxiliary.”

“How… someone could end up like that?”

“Hm…” he said, pressing his seconds and in the bench.

He didn’t dare to touch him with this hand, showing respect. But Niles did saw that hand and he moved his head, saw the red LED and the Android moving his head to prevent to show that.

“Take a guess,” he chuckled. “How a decent person ends up like that?”

“I don’t know.”

GV200 glanced to him. “As a cop, I saw and heard things. Slowly, I deviated and when they realized I was a Deviant, they rebooted me. And I deviated. Again… and again. So… they threw me away. I stayed in that glass tube for months before your brother found me and agreed to buy me.”

Niles could imagine that poor Android, threated like an object when he had a conscious, still see like that even when most of the Deviant were free… He could see him begged for Connor and Connor agreed even if it wasn’t the good person to choose.

“I don’t have the code to take care of people. Don’t toss me away, I need someone…” it seemed like he costed to GV200 to say that, seeing the LED, his face…

“Can I call you Gavin?”

“Hu?”

“That sound more like a name and that suits you. Can I call you Gavin?”

The Android blinked, his LED leaving the red to become yellow.

“I’d like that.”

Niles looked his hand, pressing the washcloth against his wrist. He knew the hand was on him but he was washing himself. In a matter of day, the Android had made the difference even his brother couldn’t…

He wanted to be the one he used to be. Or, at least, to be able to look him in the mirror. And he couldn’t do that alone…

“I need you,” Niles confessed.

“I’m there,” the GV200 replied.