David had believed that he had solved the mystery as to why Alma may have looked discouraged in sleep, when she was promptly moved that is. He looked down to where she now rested, he had placed a cushion underneath her head and she seemed more than comfortable laying on his lap. She was laying on her side as if she were still paying attention to the film which continued to play. 

But it didn't seem as interesting as the clearly dreaming human currently using his lap as a pillow was. David couldn't help but smile, doesn't dream...doesn't dream, as if. Through his watching he had seen all manners of dreams. From those of distant happiness. To memories tinged with sadness. Dreams of what could and would happen, to dreams just senseless and seemingly pointless. He wasn't sure which Alma was having right now. She had a fleeting frown appear and go as quickly as anything. Her hands which rested by her face slowly curled only to relax. She'd twitch and still and let out a quiet murmur. 

David was certain she was dreaming. And that made him happy. It seemed unnatural for someone not to dream. Everyone seemed to dream onboard. She couldn't be the lone person that didn't. As she said, the mind conjured dreams without the body truly realising. The subconscious was a curious thing, David made a note to further research into it at some point.
He looked up when the images on the screen stilled. Honestly he didn't know how so many Christmas related films existed. But low and behold there were seemingly millions! Not that he minded watching something that varied from his usual viewing. But seriously...they did get a little repetitive. But Alma seemed amused by them, so by extension he was amused too. It was through one of these that she had drifted off to sleep. She'd used his shoulder as a pillow before David realised she didn't appear to be in a comfortable position and had moved her.  

She still remained now, clearly dreaming and content with how she was. David thought he'd learned from the previous experience that moving her would lead to her sudden unhappiness. But he did so anyway. With careful actions he managed to pick her up just enough for him to become free. He laid her down and brushed hair out of her face before turning. He picked up her abandoned things from earlier and deposited them in the kitchen before venturing off on an explore. 

He distinctly remembered seeing parcels packaged up and hidden away. They weren't regulated. In other words they weren't to do with this expedition, nor were they people's possessions. David had seen scrawled writing on one box which did somehow relate to this whole season if only because of the few words that were written on it. He tore into the box, smiled and then picked it up and moved off. He returned back to see Alma had unmoved, he smiled at that too. Mainly because she hadn't so far looked so comfortable and at peace. 

"Miss?" He placed the box down on the coffee table and turned slowly to kneel in front of her. "Miss, wake up." He reached up and placed a hand gently to her shoulder. "I've found something which might interest you." Which he thought was an understatement really. He shook her gently by the shoulder, she whispered something and tried to swat his hand away. David shook his head, "That won't work, Miss. Now wake up," he got a groan from her and a hit to his arm which was rather pathetic. 

"Uh! Fine! I'm awake, see, see this, this is me being awake." Alma said while turning onto her back and blinking up at the ceiling to try and get rid of sleep. Tilting her head she turned and looked at him. "What's so important that you woke me up for?"

"For one, I believe that if you continued to sleep, you would be awake for the rest of the night and morning; that'll prove very unhelpful to you I think. Secondly," here he moved and let the box be seen. David smiled rather pleased that he caused her to lift her head away from the cushion with a curious look. 

"What's in the box, David?"

He shrugged and pretended to look as miffed as her. "I don't know, Miss."

"You...don't know?" She sat up and swung her legs over the sofa. "You so do! You know everything that's on this ship!" She laughed and pushed hair over her ears. She fidgeted forwards and sat on the edge of the sofa. 

"Maybe," David hummed and shifted quickly to sit next to her. "Go on," he nudged his shoulder against hers. 

Alma looked at him sceptically. "This isn't anything nasty is it?" 

David looked offended then, "As if I would give you anything which could cause you harm."

She smiled, "Oh I know...I just had to ask. On the side of caution and all that." David thought over this before nodding. He could understand that. He simply sat and watched as she dragged the box over, closer so she could get her fingers under the flaps and pull them up. Now that it was open she had to sit up straighter to peek in. When she did she pretty much had the reaction David expected. A wide smile and eyes and a laugh. "Who's the genius that saw fit to pack a small Christmas tree?!" 

"From the writing on the box and from records, I believe it to be Captain Idris Janek's writing." 

Alma scrunched her nose up, "The Captain of this ship...what? That's crazy."

"Perhaps you are not the lone one for the sentimentality of Christmas." David offered while nodding at the box. "I found it a while back and just took no notice." He explained as she pulled the small tree out of the box. "Though I must confess that I will have to be the one to sadly take it down."

"Ah," Alma smiled from around a branch. "But you also have the fun of putting it up."

He smiled at that. "I suppose you are right, Miss."

"I have my moments." Alma looked around before jumping up. She gripped onto the tree and firmly planted it on an unused table. "Bring the box over, David." 

He picked it up and walked over. He watched with curious eyes as she scrutinised what little decorations there were. Yet she shrugged that off and placed some in his hands. "Is there a method to this? Like a pattern to follow?"

"If you're OCD, yeah." 

"So that's a no."

"It's a no. Just go mad, not literally, creatively sure." Alma smiled and took to piling decorations onto the small branches. 

David watched her for a few more moments before copying her. He randomly did as she did and soon enough the little tree was sparsely decorated, but decorated nonetheless. He looked it up and down. "It doesn't look right."

"Yeah see...this is the problem, you end up comparing it to others. Like the ones in the movies. Got to keep in mind they actually get people to make them look perfect. But...really, the most perfect ones are the ones that are imperfect. Because it's spur of the moment sort of thing, you know? And this is your first time decorating, I think it's pretty good for a first attempt. So well done," she said while patting him on the shoulder. She turned and returned back to the sofa. Sitting down she glanced at him as he inspected the tree. After a few moments he returned too, with box in hand. 

Alma leaned down and rummaged through whatever else was in here. She scoffed, David turned and looked at her curiously, not understanding what bought on such a sarcastic sound. "It's a plant."

"It's artificial."

David reached out, he frowned, "But not quite."

"Not everything that's artificial is like you, David. You're one of a kind, remember?" Alma pointed out and went back to rummaging. Seriously she didn't even know Janek, but he didn't seem to care about packing some rubbish. 

"This is that mistletoe that keeps appearing in those movies, is it not?"

"How very observant of you."

"I don't understand its purpose."

"Its purpose is to basically just use it as an excuse to kiss random people and get away with it."
David looked at her with an amused look, "Very cynical of you, Miss."

"I've been to enough Christmas parties to know that that plant right there is evil. Until you've had like five different people try and drag you to where it's hung, then you can continue being blissfully unaware." 

David frowned at that. He didn't quite like the thought of someone, anyone, manhandling her for the sake of something so simple. "You have odd traditions." He said while twirling the branch in his fingers. He looked over the simple fake leaves and glanced at her when she laughed. "Did any of those men succeed?"

"Did they heck?!" Alma laughed and looped a bit of tatty tinsel before putting it on her head.

David blinked quickly and tilted his head, "Very nice, Miss."

She bowed her head with a smile. "No, in all seriousness, no they didn't. Drunk or half drunk people can stay away, even more so if that is in the vicinity."

"Shall I throw it out of the nearest airlock?"

"Nah, it'll be amusing to see if it gets used when everyone wakes up next year. By my calculations we'd be awake again this time of year. Bet he or someone else will try and use it on Meredith."

"Why just her?" David asked curiously, Alma picked at the string of a ball which got left out of the decorating. 

"Because it'll be funny for one thing. It'd make a brilliant dare for another reason." Alma said while plucking the evil plant from his hands. 

"It would be a little amusing."

"See! Glad you agree. She'll just do that glare thing she does and walk off." 

"That dare would've been doomed from the start."

"Poor dare." Alma said as seriously as she could before laughing and hitting the plant against her palm. "Don't suppose we'll get much cheer from her at anytime, regardless if it's Christmas." 

"I don't think she'll call a plant evil though." David pointed out with a thoughtful nod. 

"I'll let you have that one," she said while looking to the blank screen ahead. "It's so quiet. It's strange...always seem to forget how quiet it really is until we shut up, for once."

"Rarity."

"It truly is."

"Do you not like the quiet?"

"It's a bit boring."

"Only you could say something like that."

"Noise is good though."

"I think you might need to be a little more specific on noises there, Miss." David wished to state with a smirk sent her way. She playfully hit his shoulder with the fake plant. He rolled his eyes. "I was merely saying the obvious."

"Sometimes you don't need to."

"Sometimes I feel like I have to."

"When did you become such a smart aleck huh?" 

David smiled, "I'm not sure."

"Don't look so proud about it." She chuckled and shook her head slowly. She despaired of him at times she really did. With a sigh she shrugged and looked around, she looked to the small illuminated tree and smiled. It looked so small and forgotten over there on the table, which seemed much too large for it. 

"What's wrong?"

She turned back and looked at David, he was looking at her concernedly. "Nothing, honestly, just it's a shame the poor tree is only up for a day really." 

"I didn't think to find it sooner."

"So you did know what was in the box!" Alma laughed and pointed a finger at him. "Knew it!"  

He held his hands up, "I did."

"No point confessing it now. But thanks anyway. And also thanks for even getting it. It's weird how much good something so small can do." Alma smiled and patted her knees before standing. "Snacks and maybe a decent movie. Too much Christmas."

"I'm glad you said that, Miss. I was half thinking the same thing earlier." He said while standing up and looking to her, waiting for her to either say something or shuffle off towards the kitchen. 

Instead though she smiled and rolled her eyes. "We do have the actual day to get through."

"I'm aware."

"Not that it'll differ from today."

David smiled sympathetically. "All our days will be the same, or at least feel like it in some ways. I doubt day to day life will differ much."

"Push that enthusiasm." Alma smirked but nodded agreeing with him regardless. "Eh, I'll say this now in case I'm so over Christmas that I'll forget tomorrow, but happy Christmas, David." Alma smiled and willingly opened her arms, he leaned down and wrapped his around her.

"And the same to you, Miss."

"And because it's only really fair, I guess..." she trailed off much to his confusion. His confusion didn't last long before he felt slight pressure on his cheek and then he just stared at her as she stepped back and out of his arms. 

David reached up and put a hand to his cheek. She had kissed him. It was a fleeting thing, soft and gentle and warm. It ended a few seconds after it even started and it left him standing feeling rather conflicted and confused about it all. 

He shook his head slowly, Alma raised an eyebrow. "What's-?" She was about to ask what was the matter. Only to be silence by him suddenly cupping her face and kissing her. It took her brain a little too long to register what was happening, and when it did she pulled away and pushed him by his shoulders. "No, David."

He looked most confused and a little hurt by her words. "You did it wrong is all, Miss." he smirked and looked at her rather smugly. "In the movies it always happens like this."

"This is real life though."

"Did you not like it?" He frowned and looked at her patiently. His previous smirk appeared if anything because of her sudden reddening cheeks.

"That's beside the point."

"Is it because you are human, and I am not?" He asked lowly, a frown appearing on his face now. 

Alma smiled, "You know I have never treated you as anything other than another human."

"Then the problem eludes me." David tucked hair behind her ears and slowly straightened up. 

She looked up at him softly. "Because it wouldn't be fair on you."

David's eyes widened at that, "I don't understand." He said while letting her go at last and holding his arms limply by his sides. 

"David, I care for you like I do with everything I bring to life. But I am human, and I will age and I will die. That's a given. It happens to everyone and there is nothing anyone can do to avoid that. But you, you will forever be like you are now. How will it be fair on you to stand by me and watch me become less of the person you knew? You are capable of so many things, David. You've just begun, and you can go on to do anything. You don't have limitations really. Not like other synthetics. You can use that compassion you feel, and direct it to someone who will be with you forever."

"But they wouldn't be you, Miss."

"There will always only ever be one me. And that's the painful truth. But that's not to say you can't find a compromise somewhere." 

He looked down at the floor in thought. Everything she said was so honestly spoken, there was such caring in her voice. "Then I will suffer, in silence."

Alma put her hands either side of his face and made him look at her. "It's a burden we all must bear when we cannot be with those we truly wish to be with." She said with a stern look in her eyes, David registered it and nodded slowly. Alma smiled, if a little sadly. "Don't be silent, David. Never be silent." 

He frowned slowly, "Then if I may plainly state that even though your words are serious and blatantly true, you also contradict them. I can see it in your eyes. You mention some form of care and cut yourself off from it."

"Because as far as I can tell, and I am sorry, but a human and artificial intelligence can't be together in the way that you believe. Society wouldn't accept that, I don't think."

"You think too much." David said with a sidelong look. "This is that pain thing again. I don't like it." He said while putting a hand to his chest. "Do you really care for me?" Alma smiled lightly and gave a nod. "Then why did you have to give me the ability to feel like this? You said you didn't want to. Yet you did for curiosity's sake. Surely you knew...surely you had some feeling something like this would occur?" He questioned. "Can you stop it?"

"If I took your feelings away. Who would you be?"

"No better than 6."

"And you're not 6, you're so much better than 6."

"I'm confused."

Alma reached up and put an arm around him. "I'm sorry." She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I am so sorry." 

"If I were human-"

"Humanity has very little to do with it. I refuse to let you get hurt, David." 

"But there's no real pain when in your company, Alma." He said while nudging his head against hers. He liked this closeness. It made him feel content and peaceful.

"You used my name." Through all the time of knowing him not once had he ever called her by her first name. She turned her head up to look at him, he opened his eyes and looked at her with a small smile. 

"It is a nice name, Latin maybe in origin, and the Latin meaning of the name Alma is: kind, loving, the soul. Did you know that?" He asked while stroking a hand through her hair. "I lack the latter, you don't need to remind me. But you...it might be slightly poetic to say that I could see my soul within you. You did after all create me, and with each creation a small part of you goes into it. Platonic, Alma, I do believe that, perhaps you do too? You are able to care without crossing a boundary. A boundary that you firmly seem to believe exists." He said quietly while skimming his fingers across her cheek and then down and along her jawline. "Aren't you humans all for the moment? Can't you not just enjoy the moment, for however long it lasts?" David kissed her gently on the forehead before she suddenly took to wrapping her arms around him tightly and burying her face against his chest. He smiled and smoothed a hand over her hair before leaning his head on top of hers. 

——

(Edited: 26/Feb/2021)