From Cyberlife, With Love

Waking hours

Connor woke up from his recharge slowly, his body comfy and warm compared to how it usually was since almost everything would shut down his heating and he'd have to wait until he warmed properly to move about. He made a noise as he pried open tired eyes, seeing the pale walls darkened with shadows thrown from a lamp making some light. He could make out the shape of a chair and a few records, but it didn't click immediately in his brain. He rolled over, his back being hit with a chill from the blankets falling off. He shivered, pulling it back up around him. That's when he noticed, brown eyes spotting a lumpy figure in the chair closer to the door. Sumo was laying in the light through the crack of the door, and Hank was in the chair. If Connor had an LED it would be flashing a wild, bright red. He sat up one bit at a time, the soft fleece pooling in his lap. Hank... Hank had moved him into his room and even covered him up like one would a human.

So he did care... the heart in his chest hurt and ached, feeling horrid for internally accusing Hank of hating him when clearly he didn't. Connor sniffled a little, still chilled and warm at the same time. He had to find something to wear. Glancing around, he noticed the closet door was open and he could see a peek of a thick looking sweater. Moving aside the throw, he climbs out of bed one foot at a time and shuffles over to the closet to remove the clothing from the hanger. Surely Hank wouldn't mind? Androids don't sweat, so it wouldn't get dirty unless he was sloppy. Which wouldn't happen.

Wheeling around swiftly, he saw Hank's stony colored eyes looking at him in a tender manner. "I don't mind, if you're curious." The time as blinked on and off by the clock was just past 6 AM. Had he really needed a charge that bad? Apparently.

"A- are you sure?" Connor's voice came out a lot quieter than he would have liked it to, and he swallowed a bubble in his throat. It appeared and disappeared in a flash of a moment so it didn't interrupt his talking.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Though it probably won't fit very well." Hank sniffed loudly, coughing as he sat up more in the chair. The lieutenant wore a muscle shirt with a ribbed pattern and a pair of red shorts over boxers of a dark blue. The shorts were just a tad shorter than the boxers is how Connor noticed. "How are you feeling, Con?" He leaned forward, with his elbows resting on his thighs and forearms hanging past his knees.

Connor's mouth opened and shut several times, trying to pick what he wanted to say with the appropriate words. "I'm cold," he started off slowly, and took off the white undershirt he wore to properly put on the black sweater that would be much warmer. He ran a hand over his stomach, which wasn't exactly a 12 pack as expected. He had a little pudge, and was built with smooth skin and a belly button even. Hank had to resist the urge to drool, wiping the sides of his mouth. Connor lifted his arms up and slid the fabric over his head, adjusting it over his pants. He looked very comfy, and soft.

"That should be better then?" Hank cleared his throat a little bit, standing up. Connor flinched, but didn't back away or anything. "Come here, Connor." He opened his arms to offer the android a hug. He wasn't going to hurt him. No, he would never.

Connor put one foot in front, then the other, and back and forth until he was nestled into Hank's arms. He flashed back to the car, the warmth and ... and... love, he had felt. Yes, yes. It had been love. And he wasted no time hugging Hank in return now, burying his face in the other's neck and shoulder. Even if whiskey smelled terrible, nothing better suited Hank (except maybe a foresty cologne). "I'm so sorry... I shouldn't have run off like that." He wasn't gonna cry this time. He had no tears left to cry anyway. They had all dried up.

"Don't worry about it," Hank shifted to hold Connor tighter, "because it was kinda my fault. I should have listened better." They were blaming each other, letting neither accept that it was their fault.

"But it was my fault for making you run after me. If I hadn't come back at all you wouldn't have to have dealt with any of this." Connor's hands squeezed tight around the fisted fabric of Hank's shirt, not wanting to let go.

"Connor I never want to hear those words from your mouth again." Hank's voice was low, not dangerous but hurt. "Never say that about yourself ever again. I don't care if I have to drive to keep up with you, I'll never regret it." What were these words Hank let spill from his mouth? Neither party could answer that question, but Hank's heart swelled up with each syllable. It ached in a good way. "Are we clear?"

Connor tried processing all of this, eyes wide as he was watchful over Hank's shoulder.

"Crystal."

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"Let's get some things done around here, okay? I'm not going to the office." Hank would let RK900 (who Gavin stopped calling Tin Can in his texts. Now apparently, he named the android Corbin) and Reed take care of everything. He was getting old doing this too so time to pass the baton to the younger.

"Is it because of me?" Connor was at the sink clearing the dishes and washing them from Hank making breakfast, sleeves rolled up and hands covered in soap. He was currently wiping out the skillet of fried egg yolk, letting the catcher in the drain stop it. "Because I can stay home if you need to go." He could almost hear Hank roll his eyes since habitually that's what the Lieutenant did. And he liked to include Connor a lot.

"No, it's not." He was lying through his teeth, because he worried about the android a lot. But he also had Kamski sending someone with the information he collected about Connor and he rather the android not see it before he did so he would know what to say. He just didn't know if it would be today, tomorrow, or even the day after. "I just have a lot of things to do for once." Hank wasn't lying in saying this. He did need to go to the store, and take Sumo to get his nails trimmed. Damn thing had claws rather than nails. And maybe get him a new collar.

"Do you need help doing those things?" Connor really didn't want to stay here alone, and on top of that he wanted to help Hank after all the trouble he felt he was causing the human. "Otherwise I can stay here and watch television or something." Some cleaning could be had as well with the look of everything.

"No – well, actually yeah. You can come with me." Hank shot a smirk Connor's way, watching the android's face light up a little more from how gloomy he had been before. "I have to get dressed and make a list of things before we can go though." He grabbed a piece of paper and a pen from the other side of the table, uncapping it with his teeth.

Connor smiled wide, finishing up the skillet and letting it dry on the rack before scrubbing the plates and other disgusting things that have long been left dirty in the stainless sink. He didn't mind doing things like this, it kept his mind on something besides his memory. Hank's scribbling was the only other noise in the kitchen as quietly plates clacked in the dishwasher as Connor loaded it and tossed in a bit of powdered dish soap. It was domestic around here, the tensions of before forgotten with what needed to be done first.

"Oh, by the way Connor. What size do you wear?" Almost everything the lieutenant owned was at least two sizes too large for the android compared to his height, so he assumed a large but might be wrong.

"I believe a medium, but it depends on the fabric if it would be larger or smaller." So Hank had been off a little. He fixed his mistake, capping the pen again and tossing it to the side. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason, just curious." Connor cocked his head to the side and Hank imagined curious dog ears on his head, one flopped over and the other up straight. "I'll go get dressed, get your shoes on." He stood up from the table, pushing his chair in and stepping over Sumo on his way to his room.

"YesLieutenant!"