WARNINGS: None!
reader: human
edited: yes
___________________________________________________________________________
You sat on the couch watching Hank paced across the carpet in his living room. His cell phone was pressed to his ear, and apart from the short, one words answers into the receiver, the house was silent.
It was almost 10 pm Hank had been called again by the DPD for an important case - something about a double homicide. Needless to say, he was kind of pissed off, especially considering the time. Connor sat next to you, his hands folded in his lap. Together, you watched Hank pace back and forth.
"Fine," Hank grumbled, stopping in the middle of the room, his back facing the sofa. "Fine. I'll be right over." He turned around, his gaze focusing on Connor as he looked him over. "No, I'll leave the tin can at home this time around." A short pause, and then - "Yeah. Be there soon."
Hank ended the call and slipped the phone into his front pants pocket. He reached for his coat.
"Stay behind this time, Connor. Look after Sumo," Hank dismissed, slipping his arms through the sleeves of his coat. The coat was too big, but Hank didn't pay it any attention.
"Got it," the android replied, sitting back down on the couch and laying his hands in his lap.
"I'll be back by midnight," Hank continued, opening the front door. "There's been another homicide. Gotta make a stop by the station before I check out this case."
The door slammed shut behind him, leaving the house dead quiet. Connor turned to you, a kind, innocent expression on his face. "Do you need anything, Miss [last name]?"
You smiled softly at him, tugging at the sleeves of your wool sweater. "I'm okay, thank you, Connor."
You were about to stand up, about to walk into the kitchen, maybe get a cup of tea when the lights shut off, enveloping the entire house in darkness. You let out an audible squeak of surprise, clapping a hand over your mouth in embarrassment. Connor immediately looked at you in concern.
"Miss [last name], are you alright?" You didn't turn to look at him.
"Please, call me [name], Connor."
"Are you alright, [name]?" Connor repeated. You were about to respond when Connor opened the palm of his hand. A small light, similar to his LED but bigger and brighter, blossomed in his hand. It began to glow blue, illuminating his face, all of the couch, and even part of the carpet, basking it in a soft blue light. You breathed a sigh of relief, and looked across the couch at him, grateful.
"Is that an improvement?" He asked, and you nodded. "Let me locate the cause of the power outage. Give me a moment," Connor said. The LED light on his forehead briefly changed to yellow, and then back to blue. It only took a moment.
"I have located the source of the power outage. It appears that we are experiencing a momentary circuit interruption. There is no physical or electrical damage to the house. All power has been shut off."
You stared up at him for a moment, pulling your knees to your chest. You felt uneasy and uncomfortable, but not because of Connor. He was the only thing keeping your mind grounded at the moment. His comforting presence and the soft blue light coming from his hand was keeping your fear of the dark from coming out in front of him.
"What can we do to fix it?" You asked. Connor shrugged.
"Our only option is to wait it out. The power should be back on in approximately fourteen minutes."
Connor leaned back into the couch, getting comfortable. The soft blue light showed a small frown on his handsome face.
"[Name], your heart is beating at 120 beats per minute, which is far over the average resting heart rate for a person your age. What is the cause of this irregularity?"
You blinked at him, unsure what to say. Taking your silence as an okay to continue, he persisted.
"Possible causes of a spiked heart rate include atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, anemia, cardiac arrest, and trauma -"
"I'm afraid of the dark, Connor," you said softly. The android blinked and smiled at you. You shyly looked up to meet his eyes, and your heart skipped a small beat at the kindness and innocent curiosity in his gaze.
"That is good news. I am glad you are not experiencing sudden atrial fibrillation."
You smiled at him softly, but his smile quickly dissolved. "You say you are afraid of the dark. Why?"
You sighed. "I don't really know. It's something I've felt since I was a kid. I assumed it would go away as I got older, but it hasn't. It's never really been a problem until now. Usually, I would just sleep with a night light, but that's not really an option right now. It's embarrassing, honestly."
Connor thought for a second, before holding up his hand, which was still glowing a soft blue light. "Does this help?"
You smiled up at him. "Yes, Connor. Thank you." The android returned your smile and sat back for a moment, resting his open hand on the couch cushion. You both gazed out into the fuzzy darkness, waiting.
You sat in silence for a few moments, staring at Connor's hand, which rested in his lap. The glow was making you more and more comfortable as time passed, and you felt your eyes begin to flutter shut. It was like falling asleep with a sentient nightlight there to keep you company.
Connor's arms shot out as you crumpled to the couch, your eyes closed and your breathing slow. He caught you before your body hit the cushions, and effortlessly lifted you upright into his arms. Connor worriedly checked your pulse and your breathing. For a moment, he was convinced that something was wrong, until he realized that you had fallen asleep.
The android sighed softly, exhaling through his nose, and rested your head carefully on his shoulder. He wrapped one of his arms around your back and pulled you close to his side, leaning his head on top of yours. The feeling of your warm body pressed against his cold, artificial skin felt good. He wanted to close his eyes and fall asleep too, but he couldn't.
You were so small and fragile compared to him. Androids would never be scared of the dark, but he saw how your hands trembled when the lights shut off and your look of relief when the nightlight glowed in his palm. In a strange way, it made Connor feel bad for you. He almost wished you were an android so that look of fear on your face could go away.
Maybe if you were an android things would be a little easier for him. Or maybe if he were a human, things would be easier. He could tell you how he felt without feeling like a deviant or like a mistake.
Connor was pretty sure he was in love with you.
