"I don't understand why I need an android to keep me company. I'm doing just fine on my own."
Dean gave Adam a look. "I love you, lil bro, but you don't go out as often as you should. I mean, you're only twenty-five and practically a hermit."
Adam slapped his oldest brother upside the head for his troubles. Dean winced, rubbing at the spot. "You try socializing when you're one of the youngest doctors in the country and have to be on call 24/7."
"Yeah, but you've never exactly been a social butterfly. Even Cas has more friends than you, and he's about as social as a brick wall."
Adam rolled his eyes at the mention of his brother-in-law. "Just because you have enough socialization skills for the both of you doesn't mean you need to buy me a friend. If I could, I would. But I can't, so I shan't."
Dean smirked, taking a sip of his beer. "Too late. Sammy pitched in, and the android should be at your house tomorrow, conveniently in time for your birthday."
Adam felt the pit of his stomach drop. Tomorrow would be his twenty-fifth birthday, but there was nothing to celebrate. Adam wanted to argue with his brother, but by the look in the older man's eye, he knew it would be wasted breath to fight this. He could only hope the droid was defective so he could send the "present" back to wherever his brothers managed to find it.
---
Adam was rudely awoken by a knock on his door. He looked over at the clock to see it was only a little past two, the young doctor having been called in at one in the morning and not getting back much before ten. Despite the wondrous advances technology had made in the past three decades, diseases were progressing just as fast. Unfortunately, there was a new strain of scarlet fever that was contracted after scientists began to bring back extinct species. Unfortunately the one species that needed to be brought back was the one that had the mutated virus. Tasmanian tigers had become rather popular since their return, but the nasty surprise had brought on a new epidemic. Adam knew the price to be paid with being a doctor, but it didn't make it any easier when he could do nothing to help his patients. Adam was brought from his thoughts by more knocking on the door. He got up quickly to answer the door, a woman in a hoodie waiting for him. She had a huge box next to her, Angel Enterprises printed on the side of the crate. "Hello. Are you Mr. Winchester?" Adam nodded. "I'm Charlie Bradbury, one of the designers of this model. I wanted to help you walk through the operating system before I leave you to it. Can I come in?" Adam moves out of her way, letting her walk in with the crate gravitating behind her. Charlie had the crate set itself on the ground before grabbing a tablet from her satchel, handing it over to Adam. He signed it hesitantly, wondering why a technician would come over to help him. Charlie took the tablet back, placing it back in her bag before taking out another one. "This tablet has all the instructions you need for him. And if you ever need my help, you can contact me or G.I.L.D.A. anytime you want. Now, onto the fun part!" Her red hair bounced in excitement as she went on to explain how the Mobile Intelligence Controlled Humanoid and Enhanced Learner worked, and all the different things he could do. Adam zoned out after Charlie began explaining (in great detail) the processing system for the android. "Ok, that should be it." That woke Adam from his daze. "I need to head off. Can't keep my girlfriend waiting and all that jazz. Have a good day, Mr. Winchester." With that being said, she made her exit, closing the door behind her.
The youngest Winchester yawned before looking over at the box before shrugging and deciding to open it. Inside was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid his eyes on. His olive skin and black hair made the android a sight to behold. Looking at the pad, Adam noticed that you needed to type a name into the program, before saying the name of the android to 'wake' it up. Adam doesn't know why he chooses the name he does, but before he knows it, he's typed in 'Michael' and saying the name out loud. Not even a millisecond later, the android's eyes opened, emerald eyes boring into Adam with an intensity that he had never seen before now. "Hello. I am Michael. And you are?"
Adam gaped for a moment for responding, "Adam. Adam Winchester."
"Hello Adam. Do you require any assistance?"
"Um," Adam said, looking around, "not at the moment, no. Do you want to do anything?"
Michael tilted his head to the side, climbing out of the crate. "What do you mean by 'want'?"
It took Adam longer than it should have to realize that Michael was still an android, not a human being (despite his looks). "I mean, is there anything you desire to do at this moment?" he asked, feeling ridiculous for talking like Castiel, but that seemed the only way to phrase it at the moment.
"Desire?" Michael asked, looking even more confused.
Adam huffed before smiling, reaching over to grab the jacket he had strewn over the couch earlier that morning. He put it on, stretching. Adam didn't notice Michael stare at a patch of skin revealed when his shirt was lifted up, or that Michael was staring at the human with something akin to emotion in his eyes. "Did they program you with knowledge of Windom?" Michael shook his head, causing Adam to chuckle. "C'mon, let's go exploring and seeing what you like." And that's how Adam spent his twenty-fifth birthday, with the android his brothers had gotten him. By the time they got home late that evening, Adam had completely forgotten that he never wanted the android to begin with.
---
Minutes turned into days, days turned into weeks, weeks to months, and before Adam notices it six months have passed since Michael had become part of his life. Not that he would ever admit it to anyone, but Adam really had been lonely. His job never really let him find someone to make a meaningful connection with. But with Michael, he finally found someone he felt like he could be himself with. It wasn't until one morning when he caught himself staring at Michael for longer than was appropriate that Adam realized with horror that he may be developing feelings for the android. And that he considered Michael more human than the other humans that he'd come into contact with in his life. He was kind, intelligent, caring, curious and full of wonder. Michael was always fascinated with even the smallest things, things Adam had grown used to in his life that they just became part of the background. Michael made him remember all the things he used to love as a kid, like playing soccer and drawing. The android made him remember what being human was all about, something that Adam had forgotten about during his time in medical school. Adam was pulled from his thoughts by a knock on the door. Michael went to open the door, revealing Castiel. "Hello, Michael," Castiel greeted with a warm smile. "Is Adam ready?"
Adam stood up. "Ready." To Michael: "I'll be back in a little while. Don't get too bored without me," he said jokingly.
"I will try not to," Michael said, looking far sadder than an AI unit should. Adam brushed it off, following Castiel down the stairs to the streets below. Everyone was bustling by, tablet in hand and eyes not really paying attention to their surroundings. Adam and Cas walked in amiable silence to a small café that wasn't a Starbucks, entering the cozy little shop. B.E.N.N.Y. greeted the two with an artificial smile before he began to make them their regulars. After paying, they chose a small corner to sit in and catch up. Adam and Cas had met during high school, both of them the outcasts in the class. While Adam had gone into the medical field, Castiel had decided to become a robotics technician, the field complementing Dean's mechanic-type job. After a while of talking they lulled into a comfortable silence. Unlike most people in 2040, they didn't always have the need to talk. Yet Adam found himself missing Michael, a sensation he had become used to in recent months. Castiel seemed to notice this, and he looked around before leaning closer to Adam. The young doctor in turn leaned closer as well, not sure where Castiel was going with this. "If I tell you a secret, will you promise to keep quiet?" Adam nodded. He'd never betray his best friend! "What if I told you that we came up with a way to give androids emotions, and yours is the prototype?"
Adam blinked, and blinked some more. Some horrible Zayn Malik song came on in the background, snapping Adam out of his shock. "Are you serious?" Castiel nodded, looking excited. "But that's leaps and bounds ahead of modern technology!" he said in a hushed tone.
"That's what people without advanced biotechnology degrees tend to think," Cas joked, smiling. "But do you know what this means? It means you and Michael can be together!"
Adam gave Cas a look before he started laughing hysterically, the other patron too busy to notice the emotional breakdown that was going to happen in their mists. When he managed to calm down, Adam said this through his giggles of heartache: "That's a nice sentiment, Cas. But even if Michael could actually feel emotions, he certainly wouldn't feel them for me of all people. I have nothing to offer him! What would be the point?"
Castiel opened his mouth, but Adam cut him off with a glare. The conversation ended shortly after that, Adam downing the rest of his coffee before leaving in a huff. He knew he had no right to be mad at Cas, but he couldn't help it. He had only just figured out he had emotions for Michael, and he didn't need an unrealistic hope thrown at him. He didn't need any more reminders that he couldn't be with the man he loved. Before Adam knew it, he was unlocking the door to his apartment. What he wasn't expecting was to be thrown into the door, a very pissed off android in front of him. Before Adam could open his mouth, Michael's was on top of his, pressing the most searing kiss into Adam's mouth. Adam's eyes opened wide, his first instinct to pull the android closer. But he ignored it, trying to push the android away from him. Michael relented after a few moments, giving Adam a soul-piercing look. "Before you say anything," Michael said, intercepting whatever Adam was about to say, "I actually have emotions, just like Castiel told you. He messaged me, and I wish to tell you that you do have something to offer to me. You taught me how to deal with my emotions, how to live... how to love. And for that I will forever be grateful. But I wish to point out that you were the one who told me that love is illogical, and that is what we have. And I wish to spend the rest of the time we have here with you. Will you allow me? Will you allow yourself?"
Adam didn't know what to say, so he decided to kiss his android silly. He'd always been a man of action anyway.