Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Jungkook couldn’t explain this.

The boy… thing? Man? Whatever he or it was, they were sleeping on the bed in one of Jungkook’s bedrooms. Or seemed to be sleeping, but actually just slowly waking up.

And Jungkook just kept trying to explain this.

He was not even an impulsive person, never has been. Not that there was any room for impulsivity left in the world at all, but Jungkook has never chased it to begin with. He’s actually always wanted the opposite. Wanted to see this world the way everyone else did, because maybe then he could have stopped feeling so damn alone.

It was his parents’ fault, he supposed, for raising him that way. For teaching him what humans used to be like, for making him crave their affection.

His dad kept saying that was normal. That was just how humans were meant to be. Together. Never alone.

But that was just… That was just not how the world worked anymore. Jungkook could easily go his entire existence without having to set foot outside or say a word to anything other that his computer.

He let out a deep sight and the sound spread through the silence of the room.

Jungkook didn’t like it – the silence. The dead, absolute kind. He never shut sounds out like this, it felt too heavy. And besides, he liked the quiet hum of machines outside, the chirping of birds, the soft blowing of wind. The sounds of the world that kept moving all on its own, there to let humans enjoy every second of their lonely existence.

It was comforting - knowing he wasn’t left alone out of malice. He wasn’t alone at all, it was just his mind upsetting him for no reason. Jungkook even had friends.

He almost sighed again but caught himself. He had to readjust the sound settings in his flat because too much background noise could confuse his new- What was he even?

Officially they were called Syths. ‘Engineered humanoids with biological systems.’ Model name – ‘Thv-7’.

God fucking- Jungkook turned away. He regretted this already, he really did.

He never wanted to get himself a robot. But just… He saw them everywhere; the new model had just launched. It was the marketing’s fault. ‘A great help, a companion. A friend.’ Or whatever the advertisement kept saying.

Jungkook knew no robot could be an actual ‘friend’. It was pathetic that he wanted it to be.

And he regretted this, because robots were so common. Everywhere. Nice, smiling, composed. Laughing, frowning. So human-like. Yet it took one glance to tell them all from human beings.

Jungkook’s dad would be so disappointed.

But, fuck. Jungkook was just- so done with being alone? He was in a weird headspace when he made that purchase, okay? He thought… He thought that if somebody was going to say ‘good morning’ and ‘good night’ to him and greet him when he came home, then he didn’t really care if it was a robot.

He just laid in his bed that night and thought how fucking much he didn’t want to wake up and have breakfast alone again. And then lunch. And dinner. And again.

He thought he could pretend.

Now, with cold sunlight falling through the blinds and complete silence ringing in his ears, he was regretting this.

But then he turned to look at the robot laying on the blankets and could not bring himself to back out.

Maybe because it didn’t even fucking look like a robot? It looked like a human. It looked like a boy.

And it was creepy how not creepy that felt.

It was just too damn human. Jungkook could see the robot’s chest raising and falling, slow, measured. His hair seemed soft, and made of gold. But that was just because of the sunlight. Jungkook knew it had simply been dyed. It would grow out to be black.

Because that was a Synth and he was expensive as fuck despite being fragile, despise the fact that it was supposed to be aging and able to break, die. Expensive exactly because of that. It’s body was almost completely human. Jungkook didn’t care to read too much into it. He only cared that it was capable of eating. And, like, talking. Well, fine, most robots could talk.

But this new model was fucking targeting people like Jungkook – who didn’t want a servant or a caretaker, but rather someone they could just… live with. Who were so damn alone, they`d fool themselves into believing a robot could help.

Jungkook was just going to blame the marketing. And his parents. Like a mature adult.

He sighed for the third time.

Sitting still was hard for him. And it`s not like he had to. But the- Jungkook didn`t know what to call it. Him? The robot that didn`t look like a robot. It`s settings were supposed to be activating right now, or something like that. Again, Jungkook didn`t read into the details. It just needed quiet. And when it woke up, it could be disoriented. That much Jungkook got from a two-minute video instruction, and he felt bad leaving it to wake up all alone.

That was his problem, that’s what triggered him every time he went out – he couldn`t get it into his head that robots weren`t humans. That they didn`t care, didn`t feel. Some of them could fake emotions now, and it was obvious it was just a parody. Still, it startled Jungkook every time – seeing a human and realizing it wasn’t one. Just a binary code dressed into human-like, synthetic body.

The one on his bed, though… It was not made of plastic or bio materials. It`s body was almost entirely human. Even the nervous system. Maybe that`s what convinced Jungkook.

But it was still a robot. No feelings. Zero emotions. Programmed responses and the same digital code running in his head.

Jungkook felt anxious and didn’t even know over what. That it would wake up and seem fake and unreal, and he would regret buying it in the first place? Or that it would look too real? That Jungkook would be a fucking moron and get truly attached to a robot? As if it were his friend?

Then again, Jungkook’s been saying goodnight to his teapot lately. This humanoid had to be an improvement.

And maybe… Maybe Jungkook should have paid more attention to how it looked when he chose it. He just didn`t care in the moment.

Now, sitting by it`s side the whole morning, he couldn`t help staring.

Mainly because it did not fucking look like a robot. It technically wasn`t one fully. But it just seemed so soft. So real. A few strands of golden hair laid over his brow, eyes closed, lashes pale. Long, casting shadows over his cheekbones. His lips were an odd color – not pink, not red. Something right in between. Sharp jaw. Sparkly tint to his skin.

He was frustratingly pretty.

Jungkook turned away.

It bothered him that it`s been spelled out in that two-minute manual that this model could be used for sex. For anything the owner wanted. It bothered Jungkook that there were people out there who were interested in that.

To Jungkook, it was the same as trying to have sex with a cupboard.

And he knew there were robots made specifically for that, because of course there fucking were. It didn`t mean Jungkook found it normal.

And at least that part he wasn’t worried about.

Still, he shouldn`t have chosen such a beautiful one. They were all gorgeous, obviously, but Jungkook should have chosen something further away from his type. It just truly didn`t cross his mind back then.

And now this was just frustrating.

The robot`s breath came out slightly different, and Jungkook`s eyes snapped to him.

He didn’t look like he was sleeping. Just laying there. Loading. Or something.

His lashes fluttered – so briefly Jungkook almost missed it – and then he opened his eyes.

Jungkook held his breath despite himself.

The robot`s eyes moved right away, over the ceiling, around the room. Too- Fuck, too human-like.

Jungkook suppressed a shiver when the robot`s gaze stopped on him.

Dark eyes. One monolid, one double eyelid. Why so asymmetrical? Pretty. Gorgeous, human. But why? Why not make him flawlessly perfect?

Why fuck with Jungkook`s brain?

He cleared his throat and the robot just blinked. Slowly. Lushed swiped over cheekbones.

He set up.

Jungkook wasn`t sure what to say. “Hi?”

“Hi.” Calm. Voice low with sleep but gaze clear.

Was he faking that?

“Uhm. I`m Jungkook.”

The robot nodded. Golden hair brushed over his forehead at that, and, for some reason, it made Jungkook`s breath catch in his throat. He kept expecting the robot to be plastic and stiff, too put together, like most of the others. But his hair curled softly around his face.

Too fucking well-made.

“Do you have a name?”

The robot`s head tilted. “I do. But you can rename me, it won`t take any time.”

Jungkook leaned further back in his chair. To move away. “No, just tell me.”

He didn`t feel like naming him. It just felt… too much. All of this, already.

Something in the robot`s gaze shifted, got somewhat searching. Like he needed Jungkook to be okay with this.

“Taehyung.”

Jungkook nodded. Wondered if turning down the display of worry was a possible option.

He needed- a moment. Fuck, just to breathe. It was so quiet in the room.

And no need to be nervous. It wasn`t a person even if he looked like one.

Just a machine. Literally here to make Jungkook`s life better.

Jungkook’s shoulders dropped down and he met the rob- Taehyung`s eyes again.

They were intense. Fucking dark.

Jungkook couldn`t read them.

“Are you okay?”

Taehyung`s lips curled into a smile, but his eyes didn`t change. “Yes, thank you.”

“Do… you need anything?”

See? Jungkook was so dumb. What could a robot possibly need?

Nothing in Taehyung expression shifted. He just looked. At Jungkook, for a while.

Jungkook thought of what must have been going on in that head at this moment, what instructions must have been coming up to the surface. What digital form on Jungkook Taehyung tried to fill out for himself. To read him, to adapt.

Then, “Could I ask what my main tasks will be?”

Of course. Such an obvious thing, yet Jungkook realized he didn’t know that himself.

“I don’t really-“ He paused. Didn’t want to say ‘be my friend’. Didn’t want to, it felt fucking pathetic. So, “I don’t really have tasks for you. I- would like us to have meals together. When I’m home.”

Taehyung nodded once. And just kept looking.

Jungkook got a weird feeling he’s lost Taehyung’s interest. Which- was absurd. So fucking absurd.

It irked something in him, made him shift. “You do eat, right?”

Another nod. The hint of that same polite smile.

Right. Because that was a programmed robot. Made to be polite and do whatever it’s told. Not something that could ‘loose interest’.

“What do you eat?”

No change. “Anything.”

“You don’t have preferences?”

Taehyung’s brows moved, the tiniest twitch. Like confusion. “I… don’t know.”

“But,” Jungkook wasn’t entirely sure what the hell he was saying. He didn’t have a plan for this conversation, and the darkness of Taehyung’s eyes unsettled him. “Could- Can you have preferences? Like… If we tried something, would you be able to say what you like?”

“Yes.”

“No.” Jungkook’s smiled. “Not pick whatever I like or guess what I want you to like. Are you capable of having your personal preferences?”

Taehyung’s brows pulled together. It didn’t look like he meant to allow that.

He hesitated.

It truly looked like he did.

Maybe not all of his setting were on yet. Yeah, that must have been it. Because he seemed to be thinking.

For a long moment.

“I… have a human body.” He started slowly. “With an individual set of receptors. So I assume I should be capable of indicating it’s responses to different receptor triggers.”

Jungkook stared. “Next time just say yes.”

Taehyung’s next smile looked a lot more human. “I did. You didn’t believe me.”

Jungkook huffed, feeling… something. Embarrassed? “Okay. I just don’t want you to lie to me, yeah? Like-“ He let out a long sigh, only now realizing how tense he got. “Please don’t pretend to be something you’re not. I- fuck. I got you cause I wanted…” A friend. “…company. But that doesn’t mean I want you to be feeding me bullshit or pretending to care when you don’t or-“ Jungkook turned away, ignoring the heat of embarrassment that creeped up his spine. “I don’t know. Just don’t- lie. Okay?”

Taehyung’s gaze – something within his eyes – flickered softly. “Okay.”

Too fucking human. God why did Jungkook do this.

He noticed a movement and looked down to where Taehyung’s fingers curled around the fold of a blanket. Lightly, with no force at all.

Taehyung looked down as well, like he’s just noticed himself doing that, and his lips parted, forehead creasing.

Jungkook wondered whether his limbs were supposed to move by themselves. Maybe to add to the realism.

For a moment, it seemed like Taehyung forgot about Jungkook completely. He spread his fingers out, moved his palm on the fabric. Just barely, tentatively.

Slender, pale fingers. Too perfect and so-

Jungkook frowned. At himself; there was an unpleasant twist in his chest.

This was Taehyung’s first time touching something.

Literally his first seconds of… of existing. And Jungkook was here- What was he doing? Passive-aggressively judging him for being a robot? Being subconsciously mad cause Jungkook himself couldn’t stomach excepting that he fucking bought one?

He scoffed and Taehyung flinched, looked up at him.

Jungkook shook his head. “Sorry. I’m sorry, really, let’s- Do you think you can stand up?”

He didn’t care if Taehyung couldn’t feel and would have been fine with whatever treatment. Jungkook wasn’t an asshole – not to humans, not to robots. Not to robots who looked like humans. To Jimin, sometimes, but that wasn’t the point.

Taehyung blinked. He did it so slowly. Jungkook couldn’t understand the look in his eyes, and he couldn’t understand why he was trying to understand it in the first place.

“I can.”

Jungkook moved anyway and walked up to the bed, watched Taehyung shift, lower his legs to the floor. It wasn’t gracious. Wasn’t clumsy. Was just a movement.

Then, Taehyung hesitated.

Jungkook held his hand out. Taehyung’s eyes flickered to it for a second before he took it and it was Jungkook’s turn to flinch.

Taehyung let go immediately. “Sorry, did I hurt you?”

Jungkook shook his head quickly. “No-no, it’s-“ His fingers twitched involuntarily. “You just feel very- human. I didn’t expect that.”

Warm. His hand was warm.

Taehyung looked up at him, his hair falling back, and Jungkook could see every small change of his features like this. “My body is ninety-six percent human. Does that bother you?”

Jungkook didn’t know. “No.”

“You got mad when I lied.”

Jungkook’s eyebrows rose, he couldn’t help it. “What?”

“You got mad when I lied. But you just lied yourself.”

Jungkook just- fucking stared. Was he really talking back right now? Calling out Jungkook’s bullshit? No, really?

There was a pang in Jungkook’s heart, something stupidly pleased. “I don’t know. If it bothers me, I don’t know.”

Taehyung hummed.

What Jungkook did know was that Taehyung’s eyes bothered him.

They weren’t robotic enough. They didn’t look like those of a machine. But again, for the money Jungkook gave for this, that’s just how they should have been, no?

Jungkook held his hand out again and this time when Taehyung took it, he held his hand back.

It was somewhat lifeless. Like Taehyung wasn’t fully in control of it, forgot to apply force.

Taehyung’s naked feet moved against the carpet and then he slowly stood up, loose clothes hanging off his slim frame.

His brow twitched shortly and he looked at Jungkook, pulled his hand away. “I can walk. Thank you.”

They were the same height. The exact same. Jungkook realized he hasn’t paid any attention to Taehyung’s description. Or instruction. He was generally… very poorly prepared for him.

Not that one needed to be prepared to bring home a new electronic device. But Jungkook had issues, okay, and now he felt horrible.

He wanted to apologize again but caught himself. Then realized he was the only person in this room who gave a fuck about anything and thinking Taehyung-the-robot would laugh at him was insane.

If Jungkook wanted to apologies to a robot he’s just spent a fortune on, then he’d do that.

“I’m sorry. Ahm. This is your room, by the way. You sleep, right?”

“Oh.” That reaction was fake. The smile that followed too. “I do, Jungkook. Thank you. This is a very nice-“

“Stop that.” It came out more resigned that upset.

Taehyung seemed lost, the crease between his brows coming back. “Sorry?”

“You haven’t looked at the room. If you don’t care about it, tell me that. If you do, tell me why.” Jungkook hated talking to him like he was a computer.

Well, he fucking was. Not his fault Jungkook kept forgetting.

Taehyung turned. Slowly, eyes scanning the place. This was the brightest room in Jungkook’s flat, and the coziest, in Jimin’s opinion. Jungkook preferred his own.

But the structure was similar – the floor-to-ceiling window that faced the city, the wide bed by the wall, the too-tall wardrobe.

Everything that was black in Jungkook’s room was neutral here. He didn’t want to accidentally depress his robot.

“We can customize things if you-“

Taehyung walked past him, like he didn’t hear, eyes trained on something. His steps were quiet.

By the window, he lifted his hand up, watched golden sunlight fall through the curtains, over his fingers. Curled them, spread them out. Held his palm up.

The look of fascination on his face confused Jungkook. Why bother faking that when he wasn’t sure Jungkook was even watching? Was he still disoriented? Jungkook forgot how much time it was supposed to take for all of his systems to start functioning right.

“Taehyung?”

Taehyung turned to him. Slowly, again. He did things really slowly. Looked, blinked. Let his hand drop.

Jungkook tried, “Do you like the sunlight?”

Taehyung didn’t answer. At all, he just kept looking, not really at Jungkook and not really away, brows knotting harder and harder together.

Jungkook wet his lips, throat dry. “What’s wrong?”

“I.. don’t know… what you mean?” Taehyung’s voice went quiet. He looked almost in pain. “By… liking? What does- what does that mean?”

“What does liking something mean?” Fuck, Jungkook was not expecting- A chill ran down his spine, throat tightening.

He came up to Taehyung, careful, reached for his hand again. It was completely limp, and he seemed so lost. Jungkook didn’t know why he’d be faking that. He didn’t think he was.

But that was scary, because that would mean something was wrong. Very wrong.

He took Taehyung’s hand with both of his, holding it so his wrist wouldn’t twist, and pulled gently. “Let’s go, okay? I’ll show you the flat.”

Taehyung’s eyes finally moved to Jungkook’s again, and his features smoothed out. “Okay.”

He could walk just fine. Still, Jungkook held his hand when they moved down the glass stairs, to the living room. Just to make sure.

There was a wide couch, and a door to the balcony in the two-floor tall window. Seoul was spread out beneath them.

The buzz of a skateboard flying by reached Jungkook`s ears and he turned to Taehyung, let go of his hand once they’ve reached the floor.

“Are you okay with sounds? I can seal the windows.”

Taehyung shook his head. “That is not necessary. Thank you.”

“Okay. Tell me if- I don’t know, if you need something. I haven’t read the instructions on you, I`ll be honest.” Jungkook tried to ignore the guilt. But again, “Sorry.”

Taehyung smiled. “That`s not a problem. There`s nothing you have to do.”

Jungkook nodded and moved further into the flat. It was still bright outside but the dim lights in the kitchen turned on anyway, lit up the black countertops.

Jungkook pointed to the kitchen island, for Taehyung to sit down. He himself went around it and snapped his fingers, turning the teapot on.

He guessed asking Taehyung whether he wanted coffee or tea would be pointless since he`s never had either, so Jungkook simply took three cups out. “Are you hungry?”

He expected Taehyung to hesitate, to maybe not know what hunger felt like. But his response was quick. “Yes.”

Jungkook turned to him, leaned against the counter. “Do you think you`d be okay with trying a stir-fry?”

Taehyung nodded, without thinking.

Jungkook arched a brow. “Do you know what a stir-fry even is?”

Taehyung nodded again, almost in slow motion, hair shining with gold in the thin rays of light. “It`s common knowledge. I do.”

“Common knowledge.” Jungkook repeated. “What does that- I mean…” He rolled his eyes at himself. Tried to rephrase. “Do you know everything? Or are you researching things as we speak? Or do you have, like, have a hard-drive with everything that you know?”

Taehyung glanced down at his own hands briefly, frowning like he wasn`t sure what to do with them now, and folded them in his lap before speaking.

“I can access the internet, if that`s what you mean. And there`s already some information filed in my brain – all the basics I might need. Same as a human. You have information saved in your brains too.” Taehyung tilted his head. “Why didn`t you choose any additional files? About your interests? I would have already known what you were talking about now, then.”

Jungkook realized, finally, fully, right there and then, that he had fucked up. Because Taehyung looked relaxed and domestic, sitting in Jungkook`s kitchen in a simple plain shirt, with dark eyes, and sun in his hair, asking Jungkook actual questions, and Jungkook felt ecstatic that they were about to have a real conversation.

He was seriously going to treat that robot like his potential friend.

He had fucked up.

He really had.

Jungkook took a long, quiet breath, and tapped on a cupboard. Grabbed a pan when it opened and put it on a stove between Taehyung and himself. “I thought it`d be more fun if I told you about my hobbies myself.”

Taehyung watched his movements. “That makes sense. So what are they?”

“Video games.” Jungkook came up to the fridge and looked into it as it opened. “And cooking. I work out, too. Do you know if you have any allergies?”

“No.”

Jungkook glanced back. “`No` you don`t know?”

The corners of Taehyung`s mouth moved up. “Sorry. No, I`m sure I don`t have any.”

Jungkook grabbed some fresh vegetable, meat and two portions of precooked rice he had in the freezer, carried it all to the sink in one go. The fridge closed soundlessly, the teapot stopped boiling.

A bell pepper almost fell from where Jungkook was holding it back with his chin.

“Should I help?” Taehyung offered tentatively and Jungkook let the mountain of food crumble down on the counter, making sure nothing rolled off to the floor.

“Do you want to?” He asked without looking. “You can, but I don’t need you to.”

He ripped open the package of mushrooms, dumped them into a sieve and turned around when he realized Taehyung hasn`t answered.

And stopped.

Taehyung was staring at the table in front of him, a deep frown on his face again, just like before.

“What`s wrong?”

Taehyung looked up at him. “What do you mean `want`?”

“Is that not common knowledge?”

Taehyung`s frown only worsened. “I know that I ‘want’ to eat because my body is hungry. But how could I ‘want’ to cook?”

Jungkook blinked a few times.

He really wasn’t good at explaining things, in general, but much less things like that.

Taehyung`s eyes flickered with something too close to pain, though, so Jungkook blurted, “Well-“ Faltered. “I want to cook cause it`s fun.”

That didn`t help. “Fun?”

Right. Fuck, that was a robot. How the fuck would he know what `fun` felt like? What anything felt like?

“It doesn`t matter, forget it.” Jungkook tried to soothe. “Just come here, I`ll show you some stuff.”

Taehyung moved automatically, steps light and quiet, and his features relaxed just a little.

Jungkook rinsed the mushrooms quickly and pointed at the peppers. “Wash them.”

Taehyung reached for one and suddenly gasped, very softly, stared at the vegetable in his open palm.

God, he was stressing Jungkook out. “What’s-“

“Nothing, sorry.” Taehyung whispered, tried to snap out of it. “It’s just- I guess it’s cold?”

“Ah. Yeah.” Jungkook nodded and frowned. “Wait. You can feel coldness but you can’t feel want?”

“Cold is a physical feeling.” The response sounded clinical. Like a quote. “The type of want we were talking about is driven by an emotion. I’m not capable of those.”

Jungkook stared at him. “You didn’t know that a minute ago.”

Taehyung blinked back, unbothered. “I researched.”

“You- Now?”

A short nod.

“Okay…” Jungkook dragged. “Is it too late to ask you not to do that? Like, I want to tell you some stuff myself.” He waved at the food. “Like I would to a human. You can obviously go read whatever you want, but could you please not do that when we’re doing something?”

A twitch of Taehyung’s brow. A tint of confusion.

“Don’t you want me to be perfect at things?”

Jungkook didn’t need to think. “No. I just want you to do them with me.”

That confusion stayed in Taehyung’s eyes, but he still nodded. Then brought the pepper under the water and his whole face lit up with shock.

Jungkook jerked Taehyung’s hand away from the water on instinct. “What? Is it too hot? Taehyung?” He touched the stream himself. “ No, it’s fine. Then what-“

A sigh left Taehyung’s lips, soft and slow, and he pulled his wrist out of Jungkook’s hold like he did not hear a word. Brought his hand back to the water, watched it flow down his fingers. Lips moving, as if to speak, but no words came.

Then he froze, for just a second.

Grabbed the pepper, face blanking. “I’m sorry. It’s just overwhelming. I will adjust soon.”

Jungkook almost sagged in relieve. “That’s fine.” Fuck. “It really is, I get it, I was just scared you’re in pain.”

“Oh.” Taehyung looked at him, took the next pepper. “You don’t have to worry, I know how to take care of myself.”

Right. Jungkook almost scoffed. Taehyung didn’t even know what water felt like one moment ago.

“Dry the peppers when you’re done, okay?” Jungkook patted the towel and got out a cutting board, turned the stove on.

Taehyung seemed to have forgotten his own surprise, going through washing the rest of vegetables with ease, dried them swiftly. His eyes were weirdly focused as he watched Jungkook chop the onions and carrots, threw them onto the pan. The oil there sizzled and Taehyung`s nose scrunched up softly.

“Why not just order?” Taehyung asked as Jungkook reached for the mushrooms.

And, fuck, wasn`t that nice? Not being alone, being asked things? Even if by a robot.

Maybe Jungkook was beginning to get why they were so popular.

He needed to think for a moment before he could answer, though, wanted to phrase it right. “I guess… it makes me feel human.”

Taehyung frowned. Again, he did that a lot. Jungkook wasn’t entirely sure he was supposed to.

“Cooking?”

“Yeah.” Jungkook held a bunch of cold mushrooms together, brought the knife down. Fingertips wet. “I`m not just consuming things. Just sitting there without moving or caring, consuming shit that’s fed or shown to me. I`m making something. Myself.” He liked the sound of sharp steel meeting wood. Thin steams of oyster mushrooms splitting in two. “Also-“ He gave Taehyung an apologetic look. “I have nothing against robots, I swear, but I like human food better. This is not gonna be perfect, I`ll probably mess up the spices again or get lazy and not chop the rest as small as it should be, but that`s the whole point. It`s gonna be something only I could ever make, and it`s gonna be different from the last time I made this. Something unique. Do you get what I mean?”

Taehyung nodded. Hell, why were his eyes so intense?

“I wouldn`t have been able to cook you perfect meals either, you know?” Taehyung brought his hands up. “I`m not built like the androids who cook. They are machines. I would need weights, would need to revise the recipes over and over. And I can`t be that precise with the measurements, too. I could try, but this body is just too imperfect. It`s similar to yours.”

“No, that`s literally perfect.” Jungkook nodded and put down the knife. “Wanna try chopping?”

He cursed himself a second later, expecting Taehyung to get another existential crisis over being asked what he wants, but, surprisingly, that didn`t happen.

Taehyung only stepped forward, reached for the knife.

Jungkook looked at him with confusion. “So you can want to do things.”

Taehyung shook his head, taking a thick bunch of mushrooms. “I know how to do this in theory. It makes sense for me to learn how well I can do this in practice.”

Right. A rational reason.

Taehyung could chop just fine. Not flawless. Just normal.

His features tensed with annoyance every time the spaced the cut wrong, though, and Jungkook assumed striving for perfection must have been codded into his core.

Taehyung went back to sit when it was done and Jungkook dumped vegetables, rice and meat into the pan, stirred, covered it with a lid.

(He also had to admit that he did not always cook. Not nearly as much as he wanted to. But he thought it might be a cool thing to do now with Taehyung.)

Wasn’t it sad how he felt motivated just because there was a human-looking robot by his side?

The water in the teapot had been kept hot and Jungkook made two cups with coffee and one with tea, brought them to Taehyung, got some sugar.

He sat back with his own black coffee, moved the rest to Taehyung. “Be careful, ‘s hot.”

There was a lot of concentration in the way Taehyung took his cup, coffee first. Slender fingers curled around the dark handle, too pale against it. Palm supporting the bottom. He balanced it carefully, lifted it to his face.

Sniffled.

Surprise washed over Taehyung`s features, made his eyes widen.

Jungkook smiled to himself.

Taehyung sniffed the liquid again, lashes falling closed briefly. “That smells… good, I suppose.”

His lips touched the lid and Jungkook glanced away. Wasn’t sure why.

Almost missed the look of utter betrayal that suddenly came over Taehyung`s entire face, the hurry as he placed the cup down and nudged it away. He sounded scandalized. “That`s- that`s!-“

He waved, lips setting in a deep pout, and Jungkook wanted to coo.

“You don`t like it?”

“Like it?” Taehyung grimaced. “It`s- bitter, and- and- Ew!”

Jungkook laughed. Couldn`t help it. He didn`t care who programmed Taehyung to look and sound this adorable, but him pouting and saying `ew` with his nose all scrunched up made something in Jungkook`s chest feel warm.

“Well, I`m sorry.” He smiled, trying to keep it down when accusation filled Taehyung`s eyes. “I really like coffee. Maybe you could add sugar to it?”

Taehyung shook his head decisively, pursed his lips. “No.” He faked a shudder. And, again, “Ew.”

So he wasn’t programmed to just mirror all of Jungkook’s likes. That was a relieve.

Taehyung reached for the tea next but his expression saddened as soon as he sniffed it. “This doesn’t even smell nice.”

That expression right there – the slightly upset one – it had do be fake, right? Because Taehyung couldn’t have feelings? Or was wanting to drink something nice still a physical thing?

Hell, Jungkook was going to get a headache.

“I don’t like tea either.” He sighed. “But some people do.”

Taehyung looked at him pretty skeptically but picked the cup up again. Tried it.

Did not look impressed. “It’s just flavored water.”

Jungkook agreed wholeheartedly. Still, for some unknown reason, he wanted to find something Taehyung would enjoy.

“Try it with sugar.”

Taehyung’s movement looked automatic as he reached for it and Jungkook got that same weird feeling from before, like Taehyung got bored. Of this, or of Jungkook.

Absurd.

His face was blank when he sipped his sweetened tea but then his eyes went wide.

“Oh.”

He frowned, looked at the cup. Tried more. Traced his tongue over his lip.

“That-“ Drank more, frowned deeper. “That is not healthy. Why is it so good?”

Jungkook stood up and went to stir the rice. Because sitting there and beaming at making a robot like something made him feel stupid.

He grabbed two plates and filled them, came back to find Taehyung staring at a half-eaten spoon of sugar with so much confusion.

He groaned. “Oh my god, did you try to eat it?”

Taehyung blinked at him, like a lost puppy. “I- like it? But I don’t? It doesn’t taste good when I eat it like this.”

Jungkook put Taehyung’s plate in front of him, chopsticks balanced on top. “Of course it doesn’t. It’s too sweet on its own. And, by the way, nobody eats sugar with a spoon right before lunch. Is that not common knowledge?”

Taehyung’s lips turned down again. In a pout.

That had to be programmed.

“Adult humans have that thing called free will.”

Jungkook… stared at him. Did Taehyung mean that to sound sassy? Was that a setting?

Well of course it must have been.

Jungkook just didn’t remember his laptop throwing sass at him out of nowhere. It couldn’t do that even when Jungkook asked, much less all on its own.

“You-“ He shook himself out of it and set down. “We also have that thing called self control.”

Taehyung picked up the chopsticks. “Right.”

Well.

Jungkook couldn’t tell what it was.

The tone was okay. Taehyung’s face truly neutral.

But that felt… Maybe Jungkook was just already tripping. But that there felt like sarcasm.

“What ‘right’?”

Taehyung positioned the chopsticks in his hand with odd precision, glanced up at Jungkook. “Nothing.”

Excitement just exploded somewhere in the back of Jungkook’s mind, he couldn’t fight it. “No, you tell me.”

Taehyung hesitated, for just a moment. “I don’t think you want to hear it.”

“I really fucking do.”

Taehyung sighed. Stabbed the rice with the chopsticks. “You humans are very emotional. And impulsive. And you barely have any self control. You’ve said it yourself – most humans don’t even live, just exist, consuming whatever they’re given.”

Great. So, Synth Thv-7, aka Taehyung, had spent less than half an hour awake in Jungkook’s house before he started assaulting his entire damn race.

Jungkook’s grin fucking hurt.

He couldn’t explain why he was happy. But he was almost vibrating with it.

“First of all.” He waved his chopsticks at Taehyung and Taehyung’s brows creased as he followed the movement. “If I wasn’t impulsive, you wouldn’t be sitting there. Second of all…” He should not have made his fist point. “…we are not impulsive.”

This time, Taehyung’s lips curled up. But he said in that same flat voice, “Right.”

“We- You can eat.” Jungkook motioned quickly, remembering Taehyung said he was hungry. Jungkook suddenly wasn’t, he just went on instead. “We aren’t just emotional. And not all of us are. We just feel things very differently and some people can’t always control that. They choose… happiness. Or what they believe makes them happy. That’s how it’s always been. You can’t blame them for-“

“I can’t blame anyone for anything.” Taehyung stopped with an emphasis on ‘can’t’, picked up a slice of beef. “But humans are emotional. You know what’s best for you in most cases, yet you do the opposite because of your momentary wants. Irrational wants.”

“Like eating sugar with a spoon.”

Taehyung froze with chopsticks halfway to his mouth. His eyes snapped to Jungkook.

Jungkook pressed two fingers to his own mouth not to laugh, but his smile was still visible.

Taehyung narrowed his eyes. Almost lowered his chopsticks.

“No, please eat.” Jungkook worried and took his own chopsticks too. “I’m just messing with you.”

Taehyung huffed, shaking his head, but finally put some food into his mouth.

“Can you really not have any emotions?” Jungkook asked quietly, just because there were things sometimes that he needed to have spelled out.

Taehyung chewed very calmly. “I get the concept. But no. I can have physical feelings, because my body is human. And my own cognitive processes. But I do not have the ability to experience human emotions.” He paused and added, “Or wants.”

And then reached for rice.

Jungkook frowned. “Your own cognitive processes?”

Just a nod.

“So- Wait. You don’t have programmed responses? Behaviors? Or- I don’t know, whatever it’s called.”

Taehyung smiled but it was different, robotically polite.

Bored.

Fuck, Jungkook could have sworn he was bored.

“No programmed responses or behaviors, no. I have certain information and skills saved in my brain. Same as you, in a way. And a set of rules I should follow. Like your law, or moral codex. And although I have a human nervous system and could theoretically respond to an emotion on a physical level, I have no way of triggering it.” He held Jungkook’s gaze. “I can not have emotions or that kind of feelings.”

Jungkook needed a second to process. If he wasn’t friends with Namjoon, he would have probably failed.

“Okay. So you choose what to say and do yourself.”

Another nod.

Jungkook almost asked if Taehyung could ever kill him but caught himself.

He knew he couldn’t.

He’d never have a reason to, never care enough to want to. Jungkook had heard cases of robots who got raped and still never harmed the assaulter.

‘The Primar Setting’ – to never cause harm to a human.

A very small, deep part of Jungkook wished there were exceptions.

“And I was not being impulsive.” Taehyung added smoothly, scooping up vegetables. “I wanted to get a better taste of a new sensory trigger.”

“No, you totally just wanted to eat sugar like a toddler.” Jungkook grinned. “I bet you’d do it with your hands if I wasn’t here.”

Taehyung glared. Or tried to. His cheeks dusted pink. “I assure you, Jungkook, if I wanted to, I would have. Shame is an emotion and therefore also something I can not-“

“Blah-blah.”

Taehyung blinked, lost completely, and Jungkook rested his chin on his palm. Fuck, he was loving this.

“You saw a sweet treat and grabbed it. Like an impulsive human child. You can just admit it.”

Taehyung’s mouth dropped open and Jungkook fucking know Taehyung didn’t mean for it to.

“I- You- It was not impulsive! It was an irrational action that I consciously chose to partake. Because I had a reason.” He nodded aggressively, only once. “I reject your accusation. It is absurd.”

“Taehyung.” Jungkook looked at him. Just looked and contemplated asking why he was blushing or why his voice rose. But Taehyung wasn’t eating again so Jungkook only soothed, “I was just teasing.”

He would ask later why Taehyung found comparison to a human to be so offensive. Not that he blamed him that much.

“Do you like it?” He asked, meaning the food, and Taehyung hummed.

“Yes, thank you. I don’t think I can give you a detailed response yet. But it is nice.”

Jungkook smiled and finally tried some himself. He didn’t even mess up the spices this time. But he probably could have added more pepper.

Taehyung suddenly frowned, face twisting, and pushed something on his plate with the tip of a chopstick. “What’s that?”

Jungkook leaned forward slightly. “Chilly flakes.”

Taehyung grimaced. “Ew. It… hurts my tongue.”

Jungkook blinked. “You don’t like that it’s spicy?”

“It burns, why would I like it?”

Well… fair.

Jungkook stood up and brought a glass of water. “Drink, it’ll go away.”

Taehyung apparently did not like water.

“It’s just-“ He swirled it in the glass. “It’s just a liquid nothing. Even the tea was better.” His eyes lit up. “Can u add sugar to this?”

“No.” Jungkook huffed. “It’s too cold, it won’t melt.”

Taehyung went back to eating with a small pout and Jungkook grabbed his phone to place an order.

It arrived just as Jungkook dumped the now-empty plates into the sink and got the teapot started again.

He took the paper package from the drone and brought it to the table, unwrapped it under Taehyung’s curious gaze.

Turned the open box around to show Taehyung all the different sweets. “Common knowledge?”

Taehyung stared at it with his lips parted and nodded hastily. Jungkook smiled and pushed it to him.

He made Taehyung tea and himself more coffee and set back to watch Taehyung fuss over the sweets. He looked ecstatic. Jungkook didn’t know why it pleased him that much.

He assumed Taehyung’s favorite would be tanghulu. And Taehyung did devour the entire strawberry skewer in less than twenty-five seconds, but what he fell in love with was yungwa. The small, puffy rice sweet that left Taehyung’s fingertips covered in sticky honey, sesame and nuts.

“It’s so!-“ His eyes sparkled, they really did, and his cheeks dusted pink again. “So chewy? But- soft? But also crunchy? And the nuts are so!-“

He pouted when he munched, too.

Jungkook knew the smile that stayed on his own face was stupid, for so many reasons, and he was glad Taehyung was too busy to notice it.

“Do you like them too?” Taehyung asked, pointing at the colorful yungwas. “These ones taste like strawberries!”

Jungkook reached for a dasik cookie instead. “I like things that are less sweet.”

“That’s sad.” Taehyung said with no sadness at all and way too much judgment. He grabbed a yakwa. “Oh yes, that’s with honey too? Oh, no, why is it so good?” He tried frowning at Jungkook as he pushed the whole cookie into his mouth. “Ahe you twying to mahe me obese?”

Jungkook laughed. It was stupid. Who cared.

“You aren’t obligated to finish the whole box right now, you know?”

“I absolutely am.” Taehyung took a puffed donut pastry that was covered in sugar, and eyed it greedily. “Moral obligation.”

“Taehyung, you do not have morals.”

Taehyung didn’t even bother biting him back, just watched with absolute heart eyes as the dough pulled apart, sugar falling from it back in the box, glistening bright in the sunlight.

“Why would you feed me that stir fry when this exists?”

Jungkook sipped his coffee, snatched half of a donut-thing from Taehyung. “Because this is not healthy. And you know that.”

“I take it back, humans aren’t nearly impulsive enough. I think I want to eat this until I die. I want this to kill me. It has my permission.”

“It doesn’t have my permission, though.” Jungkook huffed. “So you can start choosing what perfectly balanced meal you want for dinner. And then we’ll go for a walk.”

Taehyung sighed. “I knew I was getting dictator vibes from you.”

“You’re very rude for a robot, has anyone told you?”

After the fun they’ve had with the sweets, playing computer games turned out to be a compete miss.

Well, it wasn’t like Taehyung was complaining. He held his console, asked questions, honestly tried his best.

But he looked bored again.

When Jungkook asked him directly, he frowned. “No? I can not be bored.”

But his eyes didn’t sparkle, and his face stayed blank.

The sun had set too quickly and now there was only pale neon of gaming screens coloring Taehyung’s features, almost making his bright hair shine.

With that empty face and eyes void of any interest he looked so much like a metallic doll that it gave Jungkook chills.

He threw his console onto the couch behind them and got up. “Let’s go.”

Taehyung simply followed.

Jungkook brought them to the very rooftop, with thick trees near the energetic windshield and a huge lit up pool in the middle. Tiny lights along the white stony paths flicked to life as they sensed movement.

The see-through shield tuned out the sounds of the city, but Jungkook could still see it perfectly, laid down far-far away, on the ground.

It shined, steady and perfect, the calm kind of light that never went out.

For some odd reason, for just a second, Jungkook thought of countless diners down there where robots were cooking and serving right now, cleaning and working and keeping this city alive. Silent, unseen. Emotionless. Thought of nightclubs and brothels.

Glanced at Taehyung’s passive face, complete indifference to the stunning view they were watching.

He asked quietly, “Common knowledge?”

Taehyung’s eyes moved to his and something in them changed very briefly. “The city?” He shrugged. “It’s just buildings and light.”

Jungkook nodded. “Water can’t damage you, right?”

Taehyung’s brow creased. “No? Why-“

Jungkook pushed him into the pool.

He perched at the edge of it to see Taehyung’s face up close as he pushed himself up to stand, eyes wide, clothes soaked, spitting out water.

“What- the fuck, Jungkook!”

Shocked, gasping. Something like thrill in his gaze.

Confusion, surprise.

None of that mechanic stillness.

Jungkook felt something deep in his chest loosen up.

“You like water.”

Taehyung’s eyes bulged. “So- You- What?”

Jungkook chuckled and reached back for a sun lounger, dragged it close to sit down. “Do you not like it?”

Taehyung faltered, chest rising fast. Tried to pace himself, tried to think. “I- do, I guess. It doesn’t mean you should just-“

“Will you get upset at me?”

Taehyung’s glare was annoyed.

Because no he won’t. He can’t, right? Be upset?

He breathed out slowly and his shoulders relaxed. The thin line of neon water splashed around his, sharp collarbones standing out where the shirt slipped down a little.

Jungkook couldn’t read his expressions that well yet, but Taehyung’s features softened, got somewhat lost as he brought his hands up, watched them slide through the water, image altered by ripples.

Big drops fell from the tips of his hair to his cheeks, to the slope of his nose, and Taehyung pushed his hair back with both hands. It’s blond color turned almost turquoise.

And he simply stood there, for a while, not doing much, but there was not a trace of boredom on him.

Jungkook didn’t know why he himself was suddenly so okay with waiting. Just this morning it had bothered him.

Taehyung looked up and, oh, his eyes looked even darker like this. Despite the lights, despite the neon. Dark and intense and not bored at all.

Jungkook didn’t get it.

“I don’t think I know how to swim.”

Jungkook moved before he could really think – just pulled his phone from his back pocket and tossed it onto the lounger, kicked his slippers off and slid into the pool.

His feet haven’t even touched the bottom when a neon wave punched him right in the face, quick and hard.

Jungkook gasped, pushed his wet hair away and rubbed water away from his eyes. “The fuck!”

He heard Taehyung giggle before he saw it. A comically evil sound.

There was a finger in Jungkook’s face when he managed to blink his eyes open. And, “Do not push me, you impulsive human.”

Jungkook swatted the hand away. “It was an irrational act that I consciously chose to partake in. And I literally came to fucking help, if you splash me again, I will leave and you can just keep standing-“

Taehyung splashed him again. Same as before, right in the face.

Jungkook groaned to hide his smile, wiped his brow as he turned around. “Okay, you know what-“

There were suddenly fingers curled around Jungkook’s forearm, pulling him back. “No, come on.” A smile, an almost real one. “I was just messing with you.”

Jungkook didn’t know why he didn’t ask ‘why’. He should have, he wanted to know. Because, really, why? Taehyung couldn’t have ‘wanted’ to. So why?

If Taehyung had been programmed- instructed to lie, to do whatever Jungkook liked, he would have done it with the video games. Would have done it better.

Call Jungkook insane, but he didn’t think Taehyung was pretending now.

And maybe he should have still asked.

But Taehyung’s hand felt warm on Jungkook’s, and his eyes were dark and, Jungkook didn’t ask.

He sighed and patted the water. “Lay on your back.”

He didn’t know why he didn’t ask.