inspired by Therapy Droid by phanbleu

summary: Dan is sent a robot they built for his company, only to realize that it has a name, and its got feelings too.

"Hello, I am your official on-the-go information source and companion."

Dan blinked, staring at the robot that looked exactly like a regular human. It was smiling at him, voice autotuned as it spoke. Dan chuckled awkwardly, itching the back of his neck.

"Hi, um, do you have a name?"

"I am Phil Lester, your official-"

"Yeah I got that," Dan cut him off, staring at his company's work. "This is crazy."

"Actually, sir, you are not crazy- you are the reason I am talking to you!"

"Well, my workers were the one that created you, you were simply my idea."

"Scanning human," Phil, the robot, spoke. Dan froze, beginning to question when Phil's eyes began glowing as they ran up and down Dan's body before going back to its blue color. "Scan complete. Daniel James Howell, Gemini. Blood type: B Positive. Age: twenty-three. Career: Technology Headquarters Owner. Sexual orientation: bisexual-"

"Woah, how did you get my preference from scanning?"

"I did not get that from scanning, I can see those magazines over there and-" Phil began. Dan spun around and quickly hid his racy magazines away, blushing. "I am sorry if I have made you uncomfortable- I sense embarrassment. Should I leave the room?"

"No, it's fine," Dan exhaled.

"Do you need a hug, Daniel Howell?"

"No, I'm fi-"

Without warning the robot took a step, then another, then slid its arms around Dan's shoulders. Dan tensed, surprised at how soft this robot was for a piece of metal.

"I believe this is the part where you hug me back, correct me if I am wrong."

Dan held in a laugh, obliging and hugging Phil. "I'm pansexual, by the way."

Phil pulled away, blinking those big blue eyes at Dan. "Could you define that, so I can put it into my dictionary?"

"It's when somebody can like a boy, or girl, or someone right in between."

Phil's body made an odd noise as he shut his eyes, beeping, then opened his eyes. "It is now in my dictionary. So, you are a pansexual?"

"Yes, Phil."

"You love those in between as well?" Phil questioned. Dan smiled down at his feet, nodding. "Even those like me?"

Dan looked up at Phil, a crooked grin finding its way onto his lips.

"Even those like you."

And Dan swore, that somehow, he saw Phil blush.

-

"Good morning, pansexual!"

Dan grumbled from his place in the bed, his sheets holding him and giving him warmth. He huffed in protest, sitting up to stare at the robot who just spoke. It had been weeks since Phil began living in the house, weeks of laughing at how clumsy he was and teaching him what it was like to be human- or at least feel like it.

"I'm Dan, my sexuality doesn't define me."

"You mean that does not label you?" Phil inquired, tilting his head ever so slighlty. Dan nodded, yawning. "I do not wish to be labeled either, I want to be called Phil and only Phil."

Dan giggled. "You're something else."

"I like that label!" Phil cheered, and Dan let go of the silk sheets he had clutched to his chest to get out of bed, only in boxers. And Phil gasped. Dan turned around, raising an eyebrow.

"What?"

"You are very pretty, Mr. Howell."

Dan rolled his eyes, a small smile hidden on his lips as he slipped a button-up over his head. "They probably programmed you to say that. You can't have feelings." A deafening silence followed and he turned to see Phil right in front of him frowning down upon himself, his mouth formed in a tight line.

Phil reached out, taking Dan's tie and grumpily tying it round his neck neatly, avoiding his gaze.

"I may not have a beating heart or an actual brain, but I have feelings."

Dan's lips parted upon hearing the stern tone that exited his robot's mouth, shocked. "I-"

"You are going to be late for work, Mr. Howell."

"Please just call me Dan."

Phil simply nodded, still not making eye contact with the brunette. Dan stared, his body aching to move forward and hug Phil, but he was going to be late and this was a robot, not a human.

-

Hours had passed and it was very late when Dan got back, the rain pouring on him as he rushed to get to the front door of his mansion. He opened it, looking at the mirror on the wall in front of him and glaring at his reflection when he saw how curly his hair had gotten.

He took his coat off, hanging it on the coat rack and pulling his phone out to call up a pizza place. He didn't feel like cooking, he just wanted to eat then sleep.

"Phil?" Dan called out. The house was empty besides his robot, the maids off on weekends.

"In here, Mr. Howell!"

Dan sighed, slightly irritated that Phil was still calling him that when all his employees repeated that at work. He followed the sound of his voice and found Phil in the kitchen, his back turned to Dan but an apron on him and his hands working a pan on the stove. Dan's grip on his phone loosened and he shoved it in his pocket, eyes widened.

"What are you doing?" Dan questioned, and Phil turned and Dan saw the apron and flinched. "Where did you get that?"

"It was in a closet in one of your rooms, Mr. Howell. Is that alright?" Dan shook his head furiously, walking over and untying it before pulling it off Phil. Phil furrowed his eyebrows, hands instinctively intertwining with each other as he fidgeted. "What is the problem? Did I do something wrong? I apologize sincerely if I did."

Dan huffed. "You don't just go through people's stuff, Phil's. This isn't yours, you have to ask first."

"Can I ask who that belongs to?"

"My past wife," Dan looked away from Phil, gaze locked on the folded apron in his hand. "She used to cook a lot."

"What happened to her, Mr. Howell?" Dan winced and Phil shut up, turning back around and continuing to cook. "It is alright if you do not want to talk about her, I understand. I have made you dinner, as I figured you would be hungry and tired."

Dan forced a smile, quietly thanking him before going to his bedroom. He shut his door, sitting on the edge of his bed and brushing his fingertips over the apron. It was dark a room, only a lamp on in the corner and the moonlight from the outside. Rain pattered against the windows and thunder roared, Dan thinking about what he had lost.

"Mr. Howell?"

He looked up at his closed bedroom door from the voice he heard behind it. "I'm busy, Phil. Just go away."

There was a silence then a scraping sound, and Dan looked down at the plate of food sliding under the door. A grin creeped onto his lips and he laughed.

"Come on, Phil," he said, dimples forming in his cheeks. He stood, picking up the plate and opening the door to see Phil nervously looking at his hands.

"You need to eat. . . I am very sorry for intruding your privacy, Daniel."

Dan rolled his eyes, knowing he couldn't stay upset with the robot in front of him. He backed away, gesturing for Phil to come in. He slid his way through the door, shutting it after him and sitting next to Dan on the bed as he ate off his plate.

"It's okay, Phil. It's just that the apron is very personal," Dan spoke, looking out the window. "My wife, she uh, she died. In a car crash coming home. . . We hadn't been very happy with each other as I was putting all my focus into work and brushing her off, so she had left to stay with her parents. That night, we had made up over the phone, and she was driving to come back home when her tires faltered and she slid right into a tree. All because of the rain."

Phil gulped. "I am sure she loved you very much. . . I pity your loss, Mr. Howell."

Suddenly a clap of thunder rang out and Dan jumped, dropping his plate of food on the floor. "Shit, what a waste. I'll go get stuff to clean it up, be right back."

"No need."

He rushed to the bathroom and grabbed a towel, wiping it up until it was spotless. Dan got on his knees to help him, both of them crawling around to get up the hidden bits of food on the wooden floor. They bumped heads and Dan giggled, sheepishly apologizing.

Then he looked up, and Phil was looking right at him.

Dan stared at those blue eyes, knowing they were mechanic but God did they look real and were they beautiful. His lips parted and Phil's eyes sparked, and then they were moving their heads forward and Dan's hot breath was washing over Phil's own open mouth until-

-the power flashed out.

Dan squeaked out, instantly falling away and his eyes beginning to water. He held himself in the pitch black room, Phil's constant beeping the only thing keeping him sane.

"Are you afraid of the dark, Mr. Howell?"

"It's not a big deal, I-" before he could finish, arms were wrapped around him and his head was pressed against Phil's chest, his cheek squished and his arms lazily at his sides.

"It's alright, I am right here to keep you safe."

Dan blinked, lips in an 'o' shape before he had the tiniest smile on his face, hugging Phil back.

And then he froze, because the beeping was louder. He could feel the vibrations of the beeping. He reached up with one hand and placed his hand on the side of Phil's chest, pulling his head away to furrow his eyebrows.

"Your chest. . . I can feel it beating. It beeps every time I feel it," Dan pointed out. Phil blinked. "Phil, I can feel your heart beating. It's almost like you're. . ."

"Human?" He finished. Dan nodded, eyebrows raised. Phil shook his head, reaching his hand out and placing it over Dan's heart. "I am not, I just get really happy when I see you and I beep."

"Yeah but. . . you're a robot, Phil, you shouldn't have a heart- this is impossible. You didn't have a heart when they first programmed you."

"That is because I hadn't met you yet. You taught me how to make my heart beat. You gave me a heart when I did not believe it was possible."

Dan locked eyes with Phil, the robot's ones glowing. "I did that?"

Phil grinned, his teeth shining. "It appears so."

Dan threw his arms around the bot in front of him, hugging him tightly and laughing in astonishment. He was no longer afraid of the dark, only afraid of losing the one he was holding.

And sure, while Dan wanted to kiss him, he decided they would wait.

He decided he would wait for Phil.