Who Are You Really? - RK1K

Chapter Eight - Realization

Markus noticed how quiet Connor was, and he really didn't like it. Connor was quiet quite often, don't get him wrong, but this quiet, this quiet was different. There was no sound of a coin spinning in the air, no subtle fixes of the tie worn over his clean dress shirt or looking around. It was a dead silent stare, blank and empty, no visible indication of thoughts.

That was the concerning part. Connor was built to adapt and blend in with humans, so if he was forcing his idle program to shut off, something was wrong, so very wrong.

But Markus didn't know what it was. It had to be something to do with the article, right? Connor had said himself that he could handle crime scenes - hell, the other android had proven it just beforehand.

Was Connor uncomfortable with the article? Or was it the rumours? The treatment from his co-workers? A combination of all three? Or was it just... something else entirely?

He moved closer to Connor, the latter didn't even notice when Markus opened the door for him. He just got into the back of the car, saying nothing, no acknowledgement he had even noticed the door open in the first place - running entirely on automatic.

Sometimes he wished he could open a mental link with humans, so he could ask Hank if he knew what was wrong with Connor, but perhaps the helpless look on his face was enough to get the message across. Hank shrugged, looking at Connor with worry. 'This didn't happen often,' is what he got from the short interaction.

Connor was someone who repeated precise and strict schedules, though he left room to adapt to other outcomes should something go wrong, something that 'didn't happen often' was the deviant hunter's equivalent of something that never happened. The blank look didn't fall, even as Hank pulled up in the driveway.

"Connor?" Markus nudged Connor's shoulder, like one would waking a small child - calm yet forceful. "Connor, we're here."

Connor's entire body moved, head twitching up as he blinked, emotion finally slipping back onto his face, even if it was raw confusion. That sort of thing was getting more and more concerning as time went on. Confusion? On Connor's face? "Markus? Oh, right. Coming."

Markus nodded, hopping out of the car to walk around to Connor's side of the car, opening the door to let the other step out. Connor did so, nodding to Markus in thanks. There were no remnants of the blank stare from earlier, simply resigned contentment and something else that Markus couldn't quite define.

The two walked back into the house, and Markus momentarily thought about introducing the younger android to Carl. As much as he loved Carl, it'd be nice to have someone else in the big house, if one could even call the oversized building home, who isn't bedridden.

Then came the panicked realisation that he wanted Connor to live with him. And Carl, of course, but mainly him. He could only clear the stirred dust of his 'thoughts' from his head by using the fact that Markus was already staying with Connor currently as a surprisingly effective broom.

...Oh.

Markus was attracted to Connor, the older prototype realised as he sat down on the couch, that's why the hunter was such a good bargain with himself, wasn't it? Markus dwelled on the thought. It wasn't an appropriate time to catch feelings for someone who needed emotional support and not a romantic relationship, but did he find it happening anyway?

...Yeah.

He felt like shit for that, for wanting a more intimate relation with the other android, but the time Carl told him about what happened when he had first fallen in love, how he had no control over it, who it was or when it happened - the memory clips offered little comfort, but it was comfort nonetheless.

The RK200 had to shake himself from his thoughts, instead forcing them back to helping Connor, distantly wondering if he was good enough for the advanced prototype if the other would let him cook for once - sure Connor's food was healthy, but he thought Hank might appreciate some homemade pizza.

Pizza was a good distraction.

Or had been, but now he and Connor were back in the younger android's room, Connor stripping his shirt, Markus doing the same. Connor didn't see anything sexual with changing in front of one another, hell, not even intimate, and Markus found himself both relieved... and kinda hurt.

Not by Connor himself, of course, but by the fact that Connor didn't care enough about Markus' opinions on him to try to be subtle. Didn't care, or didn't worry about judgement?

Connor had always been an enigma, and because of that Markus didn't know what his tics were, at least not for sure, not enough for him to feel sure enough to act on them. He should've thought this through - he's yet to make any progress and Connor is relying on his help. What if he can't-

"Markus?" Connor's voice erupted, pulling Markus through his thoughts. "Markus, are you alright? Your stress levels have spiked."

"Stress levels?" Markus questioned aloud, checking his status. He felt surprised, the fact that his stress level had spiked - to 78 percent, in fact - and that he hadn't even noticed. "...Oh. Yeah, I'm alright, Connor, recharging may help."

"Alright," Connor nodded, moving the sheets on his bed - he didn't need them, but Hank had insisted, and Connor didn't really mind the warm fabric anyway. "Come, lay down, I'll be right back once I check on Hank."

Markus wondered if Connor was going to hold a grudge against him for feeding Hank pizza. Unlikely, but the RK800 was full of surprises... Luckily, the man came back quickly and hopped right into bed without any hesitation or trace of a grudge.

Hell, when Connor finally went into rest mode, he had snuggled into Markus' chest. The contact helped Markus' stress drip away, even exhales of warm breath on his chest feeling surprisingly grounding as Connor dipped his head against it, forehead flat against the other's body.

...He'd try to help more tomorrow, but maybe they'd have to finish this case first, if it didn't cause too much disturbance to the other RK...