"Sshh it's ok ...I said I got you."
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All of a sudden Leo felt hot, his hands began to shake. Words repeating in his mind, 'What am I doing? What am I doing? But he cannot stop. He cannot stop the curiosity, the sudden desire to explore this body before him.
Leo was only able to do what he was doing with the knowledge that The PT was inactive. Unaware of his desires, his shameful desires to explore.
It isn't long before the white shirt is unbuttoned. Leo pulls the shirt apart and over the shoulders eyes glued to the smooth torso in front of him.
He lets his hands press against the pliable skin, he closes his eyes as his palms slowly kneed at the soft feeling pecs, he pulls his lips into his mouth at the contrast of the feel of the soft chest compared to the more robust nipples.
His mind becomes a fog, thoughts and feelings fighting against one another. This was wrong...so wrong, but here he was wanting, no...craving the touch of this artificial life form before him. Leo feels a tear begin to roll down his cheek, in sheer frustration.
Then his heart feels like it has momentarily stopped. He hitches a breath as two hands wrap around his wrists.
Leo opens his eyes to see The PT staring at him, with piercing brown eyes. Its expression is warm, comforting. Two thumbs circling over the back of Leo's hands. "Now you see me as I see you." Is all it says before it takes a step closer towards Leo.
He doesn't have any time to comprehend what is happening with the hands, once wrapped around Leo's wrists, now brushing away the stray tear whilst pulling at Leo's waist, making him step closer.
"Don't cry Leo, you have me...Cameron."
"C...Cameron?" Leo repeats. "Cameron?"
"Yes." The PT repeats. "I got you ok?" The PT, or was it Cameron, pulls a very emotional and confused Leo in for a hug, holding Leo so tight, that he feels so safe, so secure in the embrace.
Leo rests his head on Cameron's shoulder, his hands slowly making their way around Cameron's waist. It's then he lets it out. The tears, the frustration. He clings on tightly to Cameron.
"Sshh it's ok ...I said I got you."
"I...I don't understand... how?... How are you?" Leo pulls himself away from the embrace.
"The download, my brainwaves coded, it's illegal." Cameron begins.
Leo feels so emotional. He can't take in what he is hearing. It's almost too much. "I can't do this, I can't feel this way about you." Leo begins.
It..it...it..iii...Good evening Leo, I seem to be half dressed, are you wishing to explore body parts?"
Leo now pulls back completely. "Cameron?" He squints his eyes, staring at the tutor, its eyes returned to its normal green state.
"Yes, my body is based on the creator's son, Cameron. Remember?"
"Yeah...I remember." Leo replies with a sigh. "You can do up your shirt." He turns his back on his tutor and heads to the bed, laying down on it on his side.
There is a knock at the door suddenly, causing Leo to look back over his shoulder. "Leo?...it's dad, can I come in?"
"Shall I answer the door for you Leo?" The PT is moments away from placing its hand on the door handle, with its shirt still loosely hanging unbuttoned!
"No.no.no..."Leo says as low as he can, "quick, put this on." He grabs a pink hoodie from his desk chair, throwing it in a panic at his tutor, who thankfully catches the garment with one hand and proceeds to pull it over its head.
When he feels the The PT is decently covered, he heads to his door himself and turns the handle.
His dad stands there, holding a bowl of icecream in his hands. "You left the table before your dessert." He holds out the bowl for Leo to take. He grabs the ice cream, tuning his back on his dad to go sit on the edge of the bed. His father follows behind, closing the door behind him and rests himself on the bed next to Leo.
Leo begins to spoon chocolate ice cream into his mouth, trying to ignore the awkward tension arising just from his dad's presence and what he may or may not want to talk about.
His dad looks fondly at his son, seemingly regaining some of his appetite, before he looks ahead and sees The PT gazing upon him.
"Hello." His dad says to the tutor, causing Leo to look up to see The PT and his dad making eye contact.
"Hello, I assume by your facial features that you are a relation to Leo." The PT concludes.
"I said it was dad when he knocked at the door. Call yourself clever?" Leo responds with mild amusement.
"It is not necessarily the case that someone's father is a biological match, but it is visibly evident in this instance." The PT responds.
Leo sighs, momentarily putting his bowl down on the bed and grabbing The PTs wrist, to raise its palm. "Ok, so bye." Before the The PT can respond, it is powered down, now just standing dormant. Leo returns to his ice cream.
"Well at least I know for sure your mother didn't cheat on me right?" His father chuckles, trying to make light of the situation.
"Why are you here dad?" Leo cuts to the chase, again not looking up from his bowl.
"I know you Leo, and I didn't want to say anything in front of Enzo, but I can tell something's not right with you." His father turns slightly towards Leo, forcing him to drop his spoon in his bowl and pay attention.
"I'm no genius, like this guy here, but has this got anything to do with this girl? This date?"
Leo closes his eyes. Remembering how awkward he felt around Anna, how something deemed so normal, so accepted, felt so strange, so wrong. Compared to what he had been doing with his tutor, telling himself over and over how incorrect that was, yet it felt like the most natural thing in the world. He finds himself nodding to his dad's question.
"Dad, I feel obliged to do it, cornered almost and at first I thought I could make myself like her but I don't. Not in that way, not in any way."
"Why do you think that is Leo?" His father questions, placing a hand on Leo's shoulder.
It's there, on the tip of his tongue! Exactly what he wants to say, but should he? Leo puts the bowl to one side and looks at his father. He was a man Leo really did trust. An amazing man who he didn't want to lose with the next few words he was about to utter. "Dad...what would you say if..."
"What about Leo?" The grip on Leo's shoulder felt a little fit.
"If I said that maybe I like guys?" Leo immediately tenses up, his eyes screwing shut, not wanting to see the potential look of horror, or disgust or disappointment plastered over his father's face.
"Leo...look at me."
"No."
"Leo..."
Leo opens just one eye, ever so slightly to see his dad still there. He now opens both his eyes and to his relief, his dad is smiling, just a fraction.
"Do you think you're gay by any chance?" His father asks bluntly, taking Leo by surprise.
"No...." his dad looks at him in a way that he feels compelled to recede. "Yes." Leo glances up at his dad before looking back down, his face feeling so hot now that he seriously contemplated putting it in his bowl of icecream to cool down.
His dad lowers his hand. "God I thought it was something serious! Just tell her you're not interested."
"It's not that simple dad, she...she has stuff on me."
"What do you mean by 'stuff' " his father inquired.
It was then he found himself telling his dad about the events at the cinema and the misunderstanding. His dad laughs out loud. "Leo, that's funny!" He gets up to stand, looking down at a slightly mortified Leo. "Don't waste your time and energy on the girl son. I'd take your tutor as your date, just to make a point."
"Dad, do you seriously want me to get my head kicked in?"
"Hey, you only need to please yourself, no one else." His dad smiles before patting Leo one last time on the shoulder before leaving.
Leo looks at his melted ice cream, his dad made it all sound so easy. If only he could take off his mask and reveal his real self.