Chapter Text
This doesn't start on the Grid, but home; on the main system of their true users' network.
But the person who holds him is his integrator; the program who he has been entrusted to, in order to help settling him at the second version of the Encom mainframe, many runtimes ago... She is his first sync, but as well, his first sharing of personal databases. And, without much surprise by then, she was the first to give him a User's kiss.
Yori.
Or Tiany.
Beyond of their names, they are unable to forget each other; the bond of their cores having been formed by Alan-One himself, per standard protocol, during his ceremony of release. And he honors her presence, her help, her reliability. (These traits are so precious and beautiful to him that he feels spoiled by belonging to her.)
In her arms, as is natural, Tron's mind drifts to Alan-One;
How wonderful it would be, he wonders, if the two of them answered both of their Users together..
***
For him, for them, like anything requiring the laser, this all starts on the Grid.
All of it is Tiany's idea. Certainly.
At first, or, maybe, officially; Lora's driver has only invited her User...
But from there, with little surprise, it escalated.
...
Inwardly, Alan wants out even before this start.
He has never been intimate with Tron. At least not consciously. Never while associating it with everything this, now, looked like...
He still struggles to imagine anything like this, working safely between the four of them!
But there again, he has never considered that any of their programs might feel or think about...
And here he has ended up: at the crossroads.
Not yet decided either to run away; set his food down and veto himself out (and Tron, as well, for Lora; because, it is certainly not questioned that Tron is his).
or to let things unfold, and find out the colors, the hazards that they are about to open on themselves...
And not only by letting Lora get acquainted with Tiany in a way that no human seemingly ever had, opening a depth of communication that might change everything in how they relate to computers and their creations...
but also to support her very up and close.
Them.
By agreeing to meet TRON on his program's terms.
He looks at Lora and Yori. Then, he averts his eyes, uncertain, and accidentally crosses Tron's. He doesn't quite understand why he blushes then. Even less why it burns so much, but the gathered persons, closest and dearest to him, seem to tell quickly enough that a part of him... well. He realizes that he could, theoretically, be also... maybe, personally interested.
Even without the glowing pink of his body's render.
... Well. He can't honestly deny a weakness in curiosity. (Even if it is not his only personal motivation.)
...
The first play is a mix of interfacing and classic emulation of analog sex; first the two on top keep those staying under them just off the edge and then shift partners (Lora just grabs Alan and brings him on her at some point), Tiany end up with Tron, but neither seem very focused on each other, only keeping each other's energy up.
When Alan finishes, and sees Tron looking at him like a lost puppy, he misses a heartbeat; struggles to figure out how to move on from there.
He get off Lora and awkwardly let his program take place above him.
Alan is curious, but his program's face, if not mannerisms (at least!) resembles his too much for him to be able to focus on anything else, and there is no way that he can get in any mood for fun that way.
No; no no no, this is all about Lora and Tiany; the program wanted to be with her user, and Lora only agreed if he came along, and... (a sigh) interfaced with Tron;
Because, as it seemed, Tiany had feared that Tron would die if he ever learned later that he had missed this opportunity (or some reason equally as intimidating, that Alan doesn't actually want to remember. ... Except for the part when she said that Tron was his program.
Because he was. (His program.)
But then, Lora, realizes, and arranges them, with a no-nonsense let me sort this super-efficient move, finishing on "Honey. Close your eyes."
And that being her solution, the solution sounds like a ressounding feeling of "duh. man." but it makes Alan feels weird, as if it's certainly not so simple. but because he hasn't been able to stop thinking how this is his Tron, for real, who is hovering over him with a (let be honest,) fascinating expression that has been freezing his mind, and preventing him from demanding to get out of that...that whatever soft surface they use for sync in program land. (Oh, he has argued, asked Lora's permission — Lora, who turned to Tiany — Tiany, who shook her head — at which Lora shook her head as well — and- and Alan is done for. There is no sense in deluding himself.)
And at the same time, there were new parts of him, even besides the Pygmalion, such as, the curious geek, the secretly artist's pride, and his masculine ego, who starts to feel more amiable to the idea of them finding out how this could work, and to become comfortable together.
"Here, hon, he is yours." He isn't sure who his wife is talking about, or to, before he feels Tron’s nose and lips trailing on his shoulder blade with what sounds like a purr. He can't shake the beautiful expression, the care and the delight that permeates the being rubbing his face on his neck and chest, fingers roaming, exploring him like he is some sensorial control device.
Which, isn't actually as disturbing at he could imagine.
He is both terrified of the responsibility of Tron's humanoid form, and delighted, enraptured with his project, a dream made solid energy...
Maybe, just maybe_... he can try; he closes his eyes, and Lora guides Tron down on him (since Lora is just as much a sapio nerd as Alan) to touch Alan's chest; right below the rift in his shell that let his code show where his credentials are all stored, and Alan gasps and heaves off a moan, fighting to keep in control of himself and manages to while he endure his program's attentions.
Lora tries to focus on Tiany, but- but Alan is so fun, and Tron, both submissive, eager and behaved, negotiating intimacy in both gesture and touches; them getting to know each other in this dimension too, is... it is all too much to tear her eyes off them.
At a moment, Alan looks like he is terrified, and, discreetly, Lora extends her arm to take his hand in hers. Her husband turns toward her; laughing, crying, just as delirious as she is with the two kinds of energies, and the two master signatures that curl and dance around of them four...
At one moment, Tiany nudges her in a second kiss, each time waiting for her to make contact... and Alan seems to avoid the lips of his digital counterpart.
Lora notices, that while Tiany just take kisses from Tron without hesitation, she doesn't technically initiates them with her.
Lora looks at the other program and see the curiosity there, the longing even. Whatever kisses means for them, it seems to have a special meaning.
She trails the back of her hand under Tron's jaw, up his cheek, and cues him to come closer to her; she wants to see. She pushes him down on her mouth, and tries not to be too distracted by the comparison her brain automatically makes with Alan. Tron let her.
The thing that sounds like a heartbeat stutters one moment when she deeped the kiss, and he seems hesitant, observant. Eventually, they part.
When she catches Alan and Tiany watching from her eye corner, she schools her face not to laugh, and pretends to be too focused on the program bent on his side on two Users to notice. She catches Tron's head again, and pull him down with a little more passion, a more dominating hunger in her eyes. He seems to hesitate, calculating, but even before he can decide what do do, a hand much alike to his own, appears on his shoulder and pulls him away from Lora. She chuckles.
At times she can't help but wonder at Tron. He seems shy when he returns to focus on his User's channel. Still holding his program on his chest, Alan catches her smile and glares at her, unamused. Almost sulking.
Few minutes pass, then her program grows bored and nips at her ear; a half pout smothered by an inviting expression.
Tiany doesn't have make up, and Lora remember that she has a program who's been waiting on her for a while now.
She get busy for a while...
Eventually, she seizes her driver between two interfaces (Flynn and his idea of calling them sirens...really!) and finishes her off (in so many ways it feels like playing music on a familiar and attaching instrument; a warm and melodic story)...
...
While Tinary restarts, Lora finds herself kissing Alan (a caress, deepening still, growing languid).
Then, her lips are on Tron's shoulder.
She threads a hand in her husband hair, smile tender.
Tron makes room for her.
On top of her husband, she explores; what can they do in binary? Can a user seize another in sync? How about in enthralment? How many way do they have to enjoy each other in this digital reality? Tracin
With her emulated skin, tongue, and the magnetic flow of public code designs, she restarts him, brings him to the brink of a shattering point (being together for very long.
Already, their programs having known each other for just as long —all in all, compatibility gives them fun abilities for specific sexy tricks... They can tell that there are much more that they could discover, but there will be time to explore. (Hopefully.)
When, Alan gives up on keeping control over the situation, she quickly gestures for Tron to replace her, just to see how he would react.
When her husband's brain freezes, Lora starts to worry.
But then, he shifts around, and get a hold of his program.
At some point, Alan's hand closes in what Tron has for hair, and Lora meets his gaze.
This is it. The breaking dam. The point where her were-geek of a husband is going to stop pretending to be hesitant. (Or so she hopes.)
Alan carefully tips Tron on his side, turns him on his back, making this personal.
She doesn't hear Tron. He has probably closed his feed to a one-to-one flow without noticing. (He has so many security measures that it's amazing that he can give reading access to Alan in her and Tiany's presence.) But she sees him throw his head back, despair written on his face while Alan's mouth is on his upper chest, a hand on a rift on his ribcage, the other holding him still against the bed.
He replaces his mouth with his hand in order to catch Tron's expression, and notices her watching. It is then that he remembers, beyond of Tron's existence, where he is, with how many people; and that Lora is here and naked under her own program.
The look on his face is...difficult to depict if not by comical. He obviously wants to touch her, have at her, but instinctively he watches down at the warm, peaceful and pliant shell of Tiany, that lies in Lora's arms...and groans at the sight. Tron's hooded eyes; open, trusting, contentment to submit among them, robs him of his ability to think.
He descends on his program's face to take a feverish kiss between his eyes, eliciting a muted sigh; and Lora moves close to Tron, arms flush with her husband's program so that Alan can reach her easier and takes out her breath with a deep demanding languid kiss.
He returns to his program to slip his nose along his temple, nuzzles his ear and chews on it in one movement, as he moves off of him and onto her. He intertwines her hand with Tron's and takes a handful of her hip...
And Lora just watches them like they are some piece of art, like this is all some strange and curious poetry; it is all so unique and perfect; what they had found, in these detailed dynamics, feels so amazingly right that she feels like crying.
He knows, through Tron's link, that one of them is sobbing in the after, but it feels impossible to know who while they are a continuum instead of counterparts. He only knows that he has to thank Lora, or rather Tiany... Oh, it doesn't make a difference when they are one, his spaced out brain sees and tells him. (Or maybe that's just Tron's input. It's unclear. Harmonious, but unclear.)
Who would have thought that they could really have this? Programmers who were not long date partner ("spouses" Alan would have insisted) had no idea what they were missing out. ... (Well. They would first have to learn about the laser to find out. So, alright. Their natural compatibility and the dizzying depth of its pleasure is only the second most spectacular discovery.
Mh.
The third, with Tron being sentient and insufferably perfect... or perfectly adorable—whichever truly. And surprisingly pliant in fact for a security measure—and in all possible ways, er, meanings. Well, adaptable. Yeah, that's what he meant. Accommodating.
Obedient. He could have seen the flash of purple coming, and the hand clutching on the last piece of garment that Alan has put back. Should, by now. But he feels disarmed by the gracefulness of Tron's submission every time. He
... He will have to make sure that his Spark knows better than to open that part of himself to any other.
(Oh, how fast, muses he, has jealousy joined this party. ...Or does that just make him a cyber security engineer? Conscientiousness of analog experienced as possessiveness in digital? Convenient. He has more than one excuse, apparently.)
Why excuses? tenderly echoes inside in him.
Don't Users have Rights? And Alan blinks there, because this is fascinating, and there are too many questions and ways to misunderstand, but he doesn't quite want to ask and break the rare comfortable mood they still are in.
Rights, he pongs, like a prompt.
Signature.
I am yours; exclusive possession of what is yours, is right as well. Violation of any right, of anyone at all, is wrong.
And, wrong, means that I am going to have to fight! That's simple. But I wonder what jealousy is.
And Alan can't think quite straight after that, even less figure out what to return. Such a simple world is that of binary ethics. He sights, content with his comfortable burden, both the figurative and the literal, as Tron is still lying over his chest from the side, where slightly burnt energy is still slowly evaporating. Combing under the hair of his energized monitor...or, that part of Tron that Alan's brains insists to see as hair, at least.
Hair?
He grins and pokes an IO dot on his program's nape to distract him, and is rewarded with something resembling a purr, ventilation pulsating in the same rhythmic against his neck.
Even while talking to the person able to reconfigure his directives and, in some spiritual way, his very heart, Tron shows no hesitation in his affirmations. He finds no purpose in shyness. No matter how glaring the light of his energized code turns, he wears the color with beautiful poise. ... (Alan ponders the idea of trying to explore a little more of his program's desires right away.)
...Their dynamics are a tentative arrangement. It's not only about minding not to burn the steps. They are so familiar with each other that their ties, the symetrical bonds that links them all, echo like evidences. It feels strange, honestly, that they haven't had each other before then...
But physicist researcher and security engineer, their hearts love to analyze data; extrapolation is their drug. This, now, is going to be about finding balance.
Mapping their limits.
What feels natural and what doesn't; what is secure and what is going to be adventure in the new dynamics of their respective engagements.
The aftertaste feels like closure. It's a serious effort to admit that they will have to detangle from each other at some point.
Well.
In the now, they have eternity.