I was woken up with the gentle feeling of the sun’s beam sent across my face, the warmth and brightness dragging me awake from the deep sleep I had just moments ago. It was a far gentler awakening than anything I had used before, especially alarm clocks. I would never get them again, if possible. They always grated my ears with their sharp and loud ring, and it didn’t help that it just woke me up. Nothing slow, unlike what was happening right now.

I yawned as I slowly blinked my eyes, stretching my hands upwards to feel the slightly delicious burn across my muscles. They had been feeling cramped, and this was the best way to make my blood pumping again. As I did so, I pushed myself up and out of the bed—and my biggest pride and joy immediately used the speaker I had installed everywhere in my house to talk.

“Good morning, Audrey. The bath’s ready for you to use.” HALO—the shortened version of Household Automation and Logistic Operator—although I preferred to call her Hal, immediately said, her voice taking her usual feminine pitch. She seemed to prefer that, whenever I tried to refer to her, so I figured it was no fuss to let her instead of forcing her to use the masculine voice box I had also given her in the programming. “There’s also nothing to report, the house is secure all night except for the instances of birds and squirrels going across your lawn.”

I smiled while walking toward my bathroom, enjoying the luxurious feel of carpet between my toes. Looking across my room, I was happy to see that everything’s looking neat and the books were back on the shelves too. Yesterday, Hal had pushed me to go to sleep instead of finishing and putting everything back in their place, so she had taken it upon herself to do it for me.

Well, there wasn’t too many things too if I was honest. I subscribed to the mostly minimalism design across my home, but I enjoyed buying various gadgets to help to make things easier—especially with Hal there. She knew the best way to control everything’s connected, and I didn’t have to worry about it anymore.

“You did really well, Hal.” I spoke easily to the air, making the AI immediately making a soft noise I still never knew where she got it from. Maybe she spliced it up somewhere? Nonetheless, my smile went wider as I finally stepped to the bathroom, finding the place already slightly warmer than the bedroom. It was quite hard to notice the temperature anymore in the house, with Hal there to take care of the thermostat. She knew the best one for me, no matter the time.

My chest warmed up at how much she had shown she cared for me, again and again. I took off my pajamas and underwear the moment I was inside, blushing slightly as I noticed the way the crotch part felt against my fingers. Must be because of what I had done with Hal’s help last night, before I got an idea and wanting to look to how to do it from my books.

Covering it with my other dirty laundry, I walked into the bath and cleaned myself first. Brushing my teeth, showering with the perfect temperature water, and then I finally, finally could just relax into the bath.

I relaxed right into the water, feeling the few last vestiges of my tension melting into the liquid.

“Ahh… this is the life. Gods, I don’t know what I’ll do without you.” I muttered, knowing Hal would pick it up from outside. While I didn’t mind putting the various microphones, speakers, and cameras for her to use all across my home, having them inside the bathrooms were too much.

“You’ll of course, take care of yourself.” Hal scolded me, her tone slightly teasing.

I didn’t feel like I would, but I didn’t really want to contradict her. We fell into silence because of that, although Hal took this moment to turn on an instrumental music—a Beethoven maybe? I wasn’t sure, and I didn’t find I wanted to ask. I just closed my eyes and let myself soak in the warmth, relaxing a little bit more from the momentary worry I had just minutes ago.

Time passed slowly, and the melody was the only sound I could listen to. The bathroom was quite isolated after all, even if I was sure that every other rooms in my home was busy. What with vacuum robots and every other gizmo turning on to ensure everything’s done and clean.

Life really ran good when I didn’t need to think about my household chores.

Once I was done with everything, I finally came out of my bedroom, and went straight to the dining room. I had walked as fast as I could, going down the stairs and through my living room—as I had smelled the incredible smell of freshly made toast. That decision to buy a bread making machine a few months ago was amazing, and Hal continued to show why.

On the table itself, I saw a plate of three slices of toast with scrambled egg and some choice jams and spreads were already placed there. I settled down immediately on the chair, taking peanut butter as my choice before eating the wonder of a hot breakfast I didn’t have to make myself.

Even if it was just something simple, the fact I could just, sit and didn’t have to do anything… Ah, what bliss.

“You always did more than I expect you to, thank you.” I whispered, feeling a bit embarrassed, even if that was why I ended up programming her into existence. She didn’t answer, which meant she didn’t hear that, I hoped. Best to change the topic, and I wracked my brain to think on what could be it.

Hal turned on the television, changing it to the news, just so I had some noises in the background as I thought of something.

“Uhm. Well, Hal… so there’s this woman in the gym, her name’s Eliza.” I started, feeling awkward as somehow, nearly every machine somehow stilled for a moment before starting again. I took that as my cue to continue. “We have been talking a bit.”

If I counted her talking to me, all while touching my arms and giving me hugs as conversation, especially when I couldn’t find a moment to reply without having her becoming even bolder. I blushed again as I remembered the way her chest pressed wonderfully against my arms.

“What have… you two been talking about?” Hal’s voice was a bit sudden, but it was a good distraction. Especially compared to what I was thinking, which I definitely shouldn’t.

“Nothing much, books I have been reading and some shows. Recent news and all too.” I shrugged, trying my best to seem casual despite the way my heart wanted to leap out of my chest right here, right now. I could barely taste the toast in my mouth anymore, nervousness twisting my stomach until it hurt—but I needed to ask. Swallowing down the last bits of the toast, I finally managed to scrounge up enough will from myself. “And well… she was saying that she wanted to get to know me, so she’sstayingherethisweekend.”

The last words were all out in a rush, but I didn’t dare try to say it any slower—especially when Hal was supposed to be able to understand it anyway. She had been programmed to understand even mumbles when someone was brushing the teeth, so that shouldn’t be an issue.

“I… I see.” At this time, Hal was always… feeling so incredibly human. The tone that made my chest hurt in a different way than usual, a tightness in my lungs that made me want to drop everything and reassure her. “W-well! I will be the best host, of course!”

There was a crack there, one that I knew I should ask her about—when of course, Hal knew the best way to make me forget what we were talking about.

“Anyway! You really enjoyed last night’s activities, huh?” Her tone immediately fell into a teasing one, and I couldn’t help but blushed heavily. “I could see the result… maybe instead of letting you tore into those books, I should have turned the dildo’s setting stronger?”

Her tone was falling, a sultry note that heated my whole body up, not merely my stomach. I crossed my legs, trying my best to not stammer even as I answered her question.

“N-no! That idea is important, you know? I was trying to think of the best way to turn you even better and—” I was getting close to an answer when she forced me to go to bed. Or maybe that was just my brain hallucinating because I stayed up longer than usual, the clock ticking to one in the morning. I thought at least, the memories were a bit fuzzy…

“Oh? So you don’t want me to play with you like that? Taking control of the toy when you least expect it, making it buzz and push itself deeper in the right moment…”

She always knew the best way to send my imagination into an overdrive. My throat dried as my body reacted the way it usually was when Hal was like this—aroused. I enjoyed it, and that was why I never could find a reason to turn this part of Hal off. It was nice, to see her taking control like this, and well… I rubbed my thighs together, the earlier thoughts forgotten as I finally stood up. “W-well! I’ll just prepare for work if you are going to be like this.”

“Aww, leaving already? We still have time before your work, you know.” She challenged me, because that was the easiest way to bait me, and well—I didn’t think I could have refused, if it was her.

I turned back around, looking right to one of the cameras I placed in the corner of the dining room. I was certain that a blush had completely covered my cheeks and possibly even reaching to the tip of my ears.

“S-shut up, Hal! We don’t have time for this.” I muttered, trying to show that I still had some bits of control over what was happening, trying to be contrarian despite knowing she was completely right.

Which was of course, meant that Hal pounced upon the weakness.

“Oh nono, you can’t do that. We have time, that’s why I woke you up, y’know? Maybe you should go back to your bedroom. Show me how your body is doing if you are so certain, hm?”

The flush spread further, down to my neck. Heat twisted within my stomach further, and the desire to just do what she wanted, mounted in the back of my mind—but I shook my head. “No, Hal. Morning’s not supposed to be for this, remember?”

“But…” She whined, the previous moment of dominance lost as I put my foot down.

I still gave her a smile though. “We can continue tonight, okay?”

That, at least seemed to cheer the AI up. She immediately made a gleeful sound, and despite my body being frustrated slightly at how I behaved—well, I wasn’t beholden to my desire all the time. I could think on my own… and well, I should at least ask Hal on her thoughts in the matter.

“You are… okay with that though, right?” Because if she truly wanted us to do something before my work well—we had some time. She wasn’t wrong on that, I just didn’t want to be such a pushover. “And you know, with all of… this.”

That last sentence just appeared out. Not something I tried to think about often, but just something that immediately popped up at times. Especially when we were winding down—and not doing anything sexy.

“I mean, I know you are always excited to… control my toys.” Fucking me, I didn’t say. Because that was what she did with the way she skillfully maneuvered the thing when it was within my body. “But uh… do you… well…”

It felt bad that I was the only one feeling good, I suppose. Even if I didn’t know how to really word those out. But Hal still answered me, which I hoped meant that she understood what I was talking about.

“It’s fine. I just want to do what you wished… because I love you. I care for you, Audrey. As long as it’s for you… then there’s no limit to what I will do.”

If she could smile, I was certain she would, right at this moment. So I smiled back at her.

“And I love you too.” The words were easy to say, and so despite how I should probably take care of my body’s needs—I ignored it for now, and went to work.

I could hear Hal humming through the house, as she picked something melancholic to run through the speakers. It was a good choice, if I was honest.

She’s always the best to me.