Stay With Me

by tekhartha

Summary:

Maybe taking a shortcut through a dark alley hadn't been your best idea, considering the gun you had currently pointed at you, but luckily a certain android comes to your rescue.

Notes:

This was never meant to be this long, but oh well... I guess I just needed to get it all out of my system lol
Anyway, enjoy~
(I stole the title from the Miki Matsuba song of the same name btw!!)

You had made a few bad choices tonight, as you tended to do when you were stressed or drunk. Or both.

After working late, organising plants until late in the evening, your friends had asked you to meet them at some dinky bar and have a few beers. You had only agreed because you hadn't seen them in a while and frankly, you had been feeling a bit lonely lately. Up until then, everything had been fine, but in your hazy state, you had made the decision to take a shortcut through a dark alley on your way home.

Within ten steps you had a gun pointed at your head, and a man and a woman were staring at you with hungry expressions. A quick look around told you there was nowhere to run and no one around to help you. Your heart leaped into your throat, fear beginning to boil up inside of you. You didn’t want to die, not like this!

“Your money.” The woman said, extending her hand. You swallowed and slowly reached into your bag, careful not to agitate the muggers. Giving them your belongings was the last thing you wanted to do, but you didn’t really have much of a choice.

“All right, I'm sure you don't actually want to shoot me.” You said, more to yourself than to them. “Just take my stuff…”

As your hand closed around your wallet, you hesitated to pull it out. You only had a few bucks of cash with you, having spent most of it on the beers, so hopefully they wouldn't get angry and demand more. You tried to come up with a plan, but your blood was pumping so loudly in your ears, it was impossible to concentrate. With a sigh, you pulled out the wallet.

But before you could hand it over, the guy with the gun was unconscious on the ground and the lady was sliding down the wall with a low groan. In the middle of the alley stood an android.

You just stared at him for a moment, trying to comprehend how he had beaten up those two muggers within seconds, and why he had done it. Androids usually weren’t violent, since it wasn’t in their programming to use force against humans. Hopefully he wouldn’t attack you next, but judging by his calm expression, that wasn’t his intention.

You watched him approach you, eyes fixed on his boyish, attractive face. All androids were subjectively good looking, but this one had a sparkle in his eyes that made you stare a bit longer than socially acceptable. He stopped about a metre away from you, and looked you up and down.

“Are you hurt?” He asked, as if he hadn't just done a full scan of your body and determined that you were fine. You released a breath of relief and shook your head, finally averting your gaze.

“I'm fine, just… just, surprised.” You told him. The haze from the alcohol seemed to have completely dispersed in the face of danger and suddenly the full reality of the situation hit you. You looked at the muggers, then the alley, and lastly, back at the android in front of you.

Fuck. How had this happened?

You began to shake, feeling cold and tired all of a sudden.

“You're in shock.” The android helpfully supplied, making you huff.

“Yes, apparently.” You wrapped your arms around your torso in a feeble attempt to stay warm. A moment later, a grey jacket was draped over your shoulders. Looking up at him, the android gave you a friendly nod, so you pulled the jacket closer around you. It didn’t help much, but you supposed it was the thought that counted.

“Thanks for the help.” You smiled at him warmly.

“You're welcome, I'm glad I was able to stop them before they hurt you.” He said, a smile tugging at his lips.

Oh, no.

He was really cute.

You tried your best to smile back again, but your chattering teeth didn't exactly help. An awkward silence fell over the two of you, as you shook and tried to warm yourself up somehow. Suddenly, one of the muggers groaned, making you look at her with a panicked expression.

“Uhm, we should probably get out of here, before they wake up.” You muttered.

“I already sent a report to the DPD, so a police patrol should arrive shortly.” The android told you and you nodded.

As if on queue, you heard police sirens approach a few seconds later and within fifteen minutes they had stuffed the two groaning perps into the back of their car and taken your statement. You made note of how they didn't find the violent intervention of the android strange at all, but there was a familiarity in the eyes of one of the police officers when he looked at the android. It seemed that he somehow knew him and you couldn’t help but wonder who this mysterious android was.

“I didn't catch your name.” You said, after the police car had rounded the corner, leaving you and him alone at the mouth of the alley.

“My name is Connor.” He replied and it sounded like he had said it a thousand times before. His name alone didn’t really answer any of the questions you had, but at least you didn’t have to call him ‘the android’ anymore.

“Thank you for everything, Connor.” You smiled, noticing the LED on his temple flash yellow for a second, before it returned to its regular blue. The androids’ LEDs as an indicator of activity or even something akin to emotion had always interested you, and by now you knew yellow often meant he was having a hard time processing something.

“I should be returning to CyberLife, but I would prefer to take you home first, if you would let me.” He said with an almost worried expression and you had to avert your eyes to stop yourself from blushing. He might’ve been “just” an android, but to see him care about your safety, made your heart feel a bit lighter.

“If that's alright with you, I'd like that.” You told him, beginning to walk into the direction of your apartment. He fell into step beside you and for a moment you simply enjoyed how pretty the city looked at night. Colourful lights were illuminating the streets and a few snowflakes were starting to fall from the sky.

After a few minutes, you turned back to Connor.

“You said, you have to return to CyberLife?”

“Yes. I'm a prototype that helps the Detroit Police Department solve cases involving androids.” He told you. So that's why he had had no issues with beating up those muggers. His programming had probably told him you were in danger, so he had intervened to resolve the situation efficiently. It also explained why he hadn’t gotten into trouble with the police officers.

“Sounds exciting!” You said with a curious expression. “Have you been successful so far?”

“I'm not allowed to disclose confidential information, but… we have a lead.” He looked just a tiny bit proud, making you chuckle.

The two of you stopped at a red light and he turned to you. You did your best to hold his gaze, but you felt a small blush creep into your cheeks at how soft and open his expression was. If he had noticed, he didn't mention it.

“If I may ask, what is your profession?” He looked at you with an interested glint in his eyes and you were suddenly reminded of an adorable puppy.

“I work at a greenhouse. We grow flowers for florists, and houseplants. It's a pretty nice job, and I like being surrounded by plants all day, but it can be stressful at times.” You sighed as the two of you turned back to the road to cross it. “It’s not easy to keep up with the demand, and ever since bees went extinct, it's been harder and harder to produce strong, big plants.”

You looked up and realized you had almost reached your apartment building by now. While you were glad to finally be at home, you couldn't help but feel a bit sad about your conversation with Connor coming to an end. He just seemed so interesting, you wanted to know about him.

“Thanks for walking me home.” You said, sliding his jacket off your shoulders to hand it back to him. It was a good thing androids couldn't feel the cold, otherwise he would probably be half frozen to death after running around in just a shirt in early November. You watched him redress out of the corner of your eye, gaze lingering on how perfectly snug the shirt and jacket clung to his body. Whoever had designed this android, knew what they were doing.

“In the future, you should probably avoid dark alleys.” He told you, a hint of mischief in his voice.

“Yeah, I know.” You chuckled, blush creeping into your cheeks once again. “I wish I could repay you somehow.”

“There's no need, I only did what my programming deemed to be the best action based on the circumstances.” He said and you couldn't help but snort. Without giving it too much thought, you leaned up and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek. When you pulled back, his LED was spinning and flickering wildly between yellow and blue. You even spotted some red for a short moment. It was the first time you'd seen an android’s LED flash red, so you wondered what it meant.

You decided to hold the thought to consider at a later date, and just smiled at him for now.

“Goodnight, Connor.” You mumbled as you turned around to enter your apartment building. The doors slid open for you almost completely silently and you turned around one last time to wave at Connor.

“Sleep well!” He called after you, his eyes sparkling. The doors closed and you were alone in the brightly lit lobby.

 

########

 

The next few days passed in a blur. A group of androids hijacked a TV channel and asked for equal rights. The general public freaked out, scared that the ‘machines were turning against them’. You couldn’t help but wonder why everyone was so surprised, since it always seemed inevitable to you. Nevertheless, you followed the news with excitement and worry. While you hoped the androids would be successful, you weren't sure humans could ever accept them into their society as equals.

You grumbled and turned off the TV, when another news anchor called the leader of the rebellion an ‘it'. Humans could be blind and heartless, but you were sure you weren't the only one who supported the androids’ cause. You wondered what Connor was doing. Your thoughts had wandered to him more than once during the past days and now you worried about him. He was investigating cases involving androids, so he was most likely looking into the hijacked TV channel as well. You only hoped he wouldn't get hurt somehow.

With a sigh you got up. It was your day off today, but you felt restless, your mind wandering back and forth between Connor and the android uprising. A glace outside told you it was still snowing softly, the streets now covered completely in the white flakes. Even from your apartment on the 14th floor you could tell that traffic was slow as molasses. Maybe just a short walk in the park two blocks away and then a hot chocolate at the coffee shop on the way back. Pulling on your warm coat and scarf, you grabbed your bag and made your way to the elevators.

 

Shit, it was cold. Your shoulders rose in an attempt to cover your ears with your scarf. They were beginning to hurt and you cursed yourself for not wearing a warm hat. You were so busy trying to bury your face in your scarf, you didn't pay attention to the sidewalk in front of you, so you ended up running straight into something. Or rather, someone.You stepped back with an apology on your lips, only to find a familiar pair of brown eyes staring at you.

“C-Connor! I'm so sorry!” You stammered, cheeks flushed from more than just the cold. He blinked at you, his LED flickering yellow, then he smiled softly.

“You should be more careful where you're going.” He said calmly, but there was something about his expression that made you frown. He looked a bit… disheveled.

“Are you alright?” You asked, but he just gave you a questioning look. “You look worried.”

“I-”

“Connor, what's taking you so long?” Someone called from behind him and you looked over to see an older man with grey hair and a beard standing by a car. “We got a fucking case to solve!”

“One moment, lieutenant.” Connor called over his shoulder, before turning back to you. “I'm fine, but this case is proving more difficult than I anticipated.”

You chewed on your bottom lip in thought for a moment.

“Please be careful, Connor.” You finally said, keeping your voice low, so only he could hear. You felt the eyes of the lieutenant boring into you, so you just smiled at Connor and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Take care.”

You stepped aside and started making your way down the street once again. Before you had made it very far, a hand on your wrist stopped you. Turning around, you found Connor standing in front of you, his eyes holding so much worry, you almost gasped.

“I can take care of myself, you're the one who should be careful.” He told you in a hushed voice. “If we cannot stop this, a civil war is inevitable and innocent people will get hurt.”

You just stared at him for a few seconds, until you realized he was right. It was probably already too late to stop the uprising and even if the androids protested peacefully, people would most likely be in danger. You nodded.

“Yeah. Okay, yeah. I'll be careful.” You mumbled. A smile crept onto your face. “Thanks, Connor."

He nodded and finally let go of your wrist. You immediately missed the contact, but ignored the feeling in favor of stepping back and saying goodbye to the android once more.

“Who’s that?” You heard the lieutenant ask as you moved on.

“A friend.” Connor replied and you couldn't help but smile. Despite everything, your heart felt just a bit lighter and warmer. You sincerely hoped everything would turn out alright.

 

On your way back to the apartment, you picked up some supplies. Just in case you'd get stuck in your apartment because of the snow… or the impending android revolution. The canned soup and bottled water would hopefully get you through a few days, you could only hope and pray worst wouldn't come to worst.

You watched the streets below for a few minutes. The stark difference between the quietly falling snow, softly covering the streets like a blanket, and the tense atmosphere that encased the whole city, made you huff. The CyberLife store across the street from your building shone bright like a beacon in the low light. You had always hated it with a burning passion, but now you felt even more uneasy while looking at it. With a frown, you turned away from it and sat down on your small couch. You had to take your mind off things somehow and the news weren't going to help, so you decided to watch a movie instead. You picked one of your comfort movies, that reminded you of your childhood and pressed play.

 

You awoke with a start a few hours later. The clock on the wall told you it was 2:08am in bright blue letters. With a sigh you got up from your uncomfortable position on the couch and walked over to the counter to get a glass of water. A weird flicker in the corner of your eye, made you turn to the large window. You almost spit out your water.

 

Equal rights for androids!

 

It said in big bold letters across one of the windows of the CyberLife store. You stepped closer and spotted even more pro-android graffitis all over the little square across from your building. The CyberLife store windows were broken and you watched as at least thirty androids stepped out of the destroyed shop and onto the street, expressions of confusion and excitement on their faces. If you had been a good law-abiding citizen, you probably would’ve called the police, but as it were, you just stood and watched as the androids tagged the whole plaza and hacked the advertisement screens to show the message they had broadcasted on TV just a few hours earlier. You couldn’t help but smile as they cheered.

Suddenly, the sound of sirens destroyed the hopeful atmosphere. Police cars and even swat cars came down the roads and stopped with screaming tires. The androids quickly and deftly jumped across cars and started running down alleys. Most of them got away in time, but a few went down when they got hit by the bullets raining down on them.

With an angry scowl you turned away from the window, not having the strength to keep watching the police murder those who didn’t die immediately. This whole thing was so fucked up.

You laid awake for the next few hours, unable to calm down and stop the thoughts from running through your head. There were so many ifs and whys to consider and nothing you could do.

You so badly wished there was something you could do.

 

########

 

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, they did. Your work had been cancelled for the time being as people began to flee the city in fear of the android uprising. Why they were running away from peaceful protesters remained a mystery to you, but you supposed they just didn’t share your views. You watched with fear as the military gunned down androids for no reason whatsoever. It was admirable how the androids refused to fight back, never resorting to violence against the assholes who decided shooting unarmed people from afar was a courageous thing to do. At the same time your blood was boiling on their behalf.

You wondered if Connor was okay. They were rounding up androids to destroy them in camps and you hoped he wouldn’t get caught and destroyed as well. Never in your life had you been so ashamed to be human, as when you first heard of these camps.

You felt gross and sick when you watched the news, lying uncomfortably on your couch. You needed to know what was happening, but it hurt to see.

Then suddenly a lot happened at once. Thousands of androids marched down the streets of Detroit to support their brothers and sisters. They had been freed from the CyberLife tower- a terribly ugly building that was not much more than an eyesore - by none other than Connor. The president made a speech, talking about recognizing the androids as a new intelligent species and you felt a few happy tears run down your cheeks. After all of this, things had still turned out fine. More than fine, even!

That night you still couldn’t sleep properly, this time it was the excitement that kept you awake though. You considered what the world might be like in the morning, how it would’ve changed. Of course the hate some people had towards androids couldn’t be eradicated overnight, but you hoped their integration into society as equals would happen swiftly and without a hitch.

Eventually, you fell asleep with a smile on your face. Everything would be okay.

 

########

 

A few weeks passed, and you watched with joy as androids got granted the same basic rights humans possessed. Their leader Markus talked to the president and the senate to figure things out and eventually everything was settled. Androids started working in jobs they wanted to work in, and they started renting apartments, and becoming friends with fellow androids and humans alike. Some humans still didn’t trust them, but you knew that eventually that minority would be completely gone as well.

By the time Christmas came around, things had settled down and everyone was able to enjoy a few days of peace and quiet with their loved ones. Since you didn’t have any family in Detroit, you spent some time with your friends on Christmas Eve. You ate, laughed, and exchanged presents, and by the time you made your way back home, you were tired, but happier than ever before.

Of course your happiness was bound to be destroyed that same night, when some prick decided to steal your bag with all of your important belongings inside. He just ran past you and janked the bag from your grip. Before you even realized what was happening, he had jumped over a fence and vanished into a dark alley. You cursed and kicked a fire hydrant, but the only thing that accomplished was to make your toes hurt. You cursed again, louder this time and looked around, wondering what to do. Maybe you could ask someone to call the police for you.

Suddenly your eyes landed on a police station down the road, so you decided you might as well go there.

The precinct was a fancy new place with lots of sleek surfaces and shiny floors. You approached the lady at the front desk, who was looking bored and pissed off at the same time. She was working on Christmas after all, so you couldn’t blame her for being in a bad mood. You told her about what had happened and she sighed and asked you to go through the gate on the right and to just ask anyone inside to take your statement. You thanked her and did as she said.

Inside, only a handful of people were still working at this late hour. Most of them looked like they were ready to pass out from exhaustion, desperately clinging to their mugs of coffee. You let your eyes wander over them, trying to decide which one of them looked least like they would bite your head off if you asked them for help. You were about to make your way over to a young woman, when you felt a hand on your shoulder. You jerked around only to find Connor standing in front of you.

“Connor!” Your face split into a cheerful smile as you took in his appearance. He looked the same as the last two times you had met, except he had gotten rid of the grey CyberLife uniform and was now wearing a shirt with a loosened tie. The top button of his shirt was undone and his sleeves were rolled up. He smiled at you almost as brightly as you smiled at him and for a moment you considered hugging him, but you felt the gesture would be overly familiar.

“It’s good to see you.” He said and you nodded in agreement. “What are you doing here?”

Suddenly you remembered why you were here and the smile fell from your lips.

“Some stupid idiot stole my bag with all of my stuff. It had my ID and my key card and money and my credit card… I can't even get back into my apartment, I don’t know what to do, Connor.” You sighed. To your surprise, he placed a hand on your back and started leading you towards one of the desks. Your skin felt hot where he touched you and you did your best to ignore the way your heart seemed to stumble for a second.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you sort it all out.” He smiled and gestured for you to take a seat next to the desk. His voice was comforting and you felt yourself calm down a bit at his assurance.

You watched as he unlocked the computer and opened a new document. A few pictures on the wall caught your eye. Most of them were stuck to the wall by the other desk, which was facing Connor’s, but one was on Connor’s side. It was a photo of him and a man you recognized as the lieutenant. Both of them were smiling in the picture, carefree and happy. You felt your own lips curve into a smile at the sight. Connor looked up and followed your line of sight.

“I’ve been living with the lieutenant for the past weeks.” He told you. “He seems very grumpy at first, but he has a good heart.”

“I’m glad you’ve been doing well.” You said, turning your attention back to the android. Your eyes met his and you were once again taken aback by the warmth in his gaze. “I saw on TV what you did that day when Markus… well, you know, what I mean.” You smiled.

“Ah, yes... I felt like I had to do it. Freeing all of those androids, after I almost stopped the uprising from being successful at all.” He hesitated. “I made some mistakes, before I… woke up. And I wanted to fix them to the best of my ability.”

You stared at him for a few seconds. Very few people were as courageous and brave as this man sitting in front of you.

“That’s very admirable. I.. I wish I was half as brave as you are.” You snorted. “But apparently the only thing I’m good at, is having my stuff stolen, or almost stolen.”

Connor’s eyes glinted, but he shook his head. His LED was flickering back and forth between yellow and blue.

“You did stay out of dark alleys though, right?” He asked, making you laugh.

“Yes, of course.”

 

After he had typed up your statement, Connor took you to the kitchenette and placed a cup of coffee in front of you, before sitting down across from you. He pulled out a quarter and started flipping it back and forth between his hands. It was mesmerizing to watch.

“My shift ends in two hours, at 3am.” He said with a thoughtful expression. “If you’d like, you could stay at Hank’s house for the night. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”

You looked at him with a tired smile.

“I feel like it'll piss him off, but if you're sure that's alright…” You mumbled. “It’s not like I have money for a hotel room.”

“I would feel better if I knew where you spend the night.” Connor said, making your face heat up once again. He really cared about you, about your well-being. The way your heart clenched in response to this realization, made you squirm in your seat.

You watched Connor as he kept juggling the coin between his fingers, deftly moving it from one hand to the other. His eyes were focused on a point on the table as his LED flickered softly. You couldn't help but look at his features closely. His delicate eyelashes covering the warm brown eyes, small freckles littering his high cheekbones, and his lips looked so soft and pink, you wanted to reach out and-

Huh.

It probably wasn’t a good idea to think about your friend this way. You swallowed the uncomfortable lump in your throat and turned your attention away from Connor and his perfectly sculpted face, and instead looked around the kitchenette. It looked just like you had always imagined a kitchenette at a police station. It was mostly clean, but empty mugs littered the surface by the sink and the coffeemaker seemed to be running constantly. You even spotted an empty donut container in the trash bin.

Suddenly you remembered that Connor probably had work to do and you were keeping him from it. You turned back to him with a small smile.

“You should go back to work, I'll be fine on my own.”

“If you're sure.” He hesitated for a moment, as he caught the coin between two fingers and stuffed it back into his pocket. “You can come and sit at my desk, if you'd like.”

You noticed he was still fidgeting with the coin in his pocket and you grinned. Could androids be nervous? Apparently so.

“Sure, that'd be nice.”

 

Connor was working hard, scrolling through files and making reports. Most of the actual investigation probably happened in his head, but it was still fascinating to watch him work. But even though it was hard to look away from the way his eyes flitted across the screen, and his white, skin-less hand swiped over the keyboard, you started to feel more and more tired. Your eyes fell shut more than once and you had a hard time prying them back open. At some point you just rested your head on the desk with a soft sigh and closed your eyes. You heard Connor’s clothes rustle and a moment later he spoke softly.

“I'm almost done here. I'm sorry it's taking so long.”

Raising your head up slightly, you fixed him with a gentle gaze.

“It’s alright, Connor. You're already doing enough for me, just take your time.” You murmured and a smile appeared on his face. He nodded and turned back to the computer. You did your best to stay awake until he was done, but by the time both of you climbed into a driver-less taxi, you were ready to pass out standing upright. Connor guided you into your seat with a gentle hand on your back and you felt yourself lean into the touch. Hopefully he would assume it was the fault of your exhaustion and not the fact that you were yearning to touch him.

You plopped down in your seat and Connor sat down next to you, telling the taxi his address. The soft rumbling as the car slid down the busy Detroit streets and the low jazz music the radio was playing, slowly lulled you to sleep. Your head landed on Connor’s shoulder and you could've sworn he gasped quietly, but your tired mind wasn't able to properly pick up on it. A few seconds later, you were sleeping softly.

 

Someone was calling your name with increasing volume. A hand on your arm gently shook you and your eyes suddenly snapped open as you sat up with a confused expression.

“What?” You asked, looking around blearily. Your eyes landed on Connor, who was smirking at you, a hand still on your arm.

“We’re here.” He informed you. A blush rose into your cheeks at the realization that you had fallen asleep on his shoulder, but you ignored it and just nodded.

The lieutenant’s house was a typical, older suburban home, a bit rundown but generally well cared for. The trashcan out front was overflowing and the bushes obviously hadn't been trimmed in a while, but they were green and healthy-looking.

Connor stepped past you, fished a small key out of his pocket and opened the front door, ushering you inside. The inside looked just as you had expected. The furniture was old and unfashionable, but a few up-to-date gadgets gave away that this house indeed existed in 2038. You smiled at the homely decor, it reminded you of your childhood.

Suddenly a large dog came bounding down the hall towards you and Connor. You almost yelped in fear, mainly because of its size, but its tail was wagging as it happily let Connor pet its head.

“His name is Sumo.” Connor almost whispered. You reached out and placed your hand in front of the dog’s face, letting him sniff it. He whined and stepped closer, giving you permission to pet him. You gladly obliged, running your fingers through his soft fur. After a few moments, he seemed to be satisfied and trudged back to his bed in the corner of the living room.

“Come.” Connor muttered, gesturing to the couch. “I hope the sofa is alright…”

“Of course.” You gave him a smile.

“I’ll find a spare blanket for you.” He hurriedly walked back towards the way you had come. As he was about to open the door on the left, he turned back to you and pointed at the right door.

“The bathroom is this way, if you would like to make use of it.”

You hesitated for a moment. You didn't have any clothes to sleep in, but you were anxious about asking for a shirt. Would the lieutenant mind you borrowing a shirt, or did Connor maybe have his own shirts? You bit your lip in thought. Connor noticed your anxious expression.

“Do you need anything else? Don't hesitate to ask.” He said softly, hand still on the doorknob.

“Uhm, do you m-maybe have a t-shirt i could sleep in? I don't want to crumple my clothes…” You admitted shyly, cheeks reddening once again.

“Oh! Yes, of course. One moment, please.” He said and vanished into the room, which you assumed to be the bedroom. After a few seconds he returned with a warm blanket, a pillow, and a simple black shirt. You took the items from him with a thankful smile and placed them on the couch.

“I hope this t-shirt of mine is satisfactory.”

So it was his shirt. You very firmly directed your attention away from how your heart sped up at the thought of wearing his clothes and instead nodded.

“Yeah, sure. You have your own clothes now, huh?”

“Yes, Hank took me to buy some as a Christmas present.” He beamed and you stared. “I'll get my first paycheck soon as well, so I'll be able to purchase even more clothes.”

He looked so excited and proud, the puppy comparison came to mind again. It took you a few seconds to get over how you had never seen him this happy before, then you chuckled.

“That's great, Connor! I'm excited for you.” You smiled, picking up the shirt and clutching it to your chest. “I'm gonna go get changed.”

Connor nodded as you walked past him towards the bathroom.

 

A small sigh escaped your lips when you looked down at your naked legs. The shirt was barely covering your underwear, but at least it was soft and smelled like fresh laundry. Hopefully you would be able to quickly slip under the covers before anyone caught sight of you. You wondered how Connor would react to your sparsely clothed body, but at the same time you hoped you wouldn’t find out tonight. You threw a last look in the mirror, huffing at the bags under your eyes, before you turned to leave the bathroom.

Connor was standing exactly where you had left him, but he had apparently spread the blanket across the couch and rearranged the cushions to be more accomodating for you. As soon as you approached him, he turned to look at you. There was a glint of curiosity and something else in his eyes as you awkwardly walked over to his side, your clothes slung over your arm. You didn’t miss the way his gaze scanned your whole body, making you blush in response. When his eyes met yours, he looked away in embarrassment. Androids could be embarrassed as well, you concluded.

“Apologies.” He muttered, but you just shook your head and set your clothes down on the coffee table.

“Thanks again, for letting me sleep here.” With a sigh, you dropped down on the couch. God, you were exhausted.

“You’re very welcome. Do you need anything else?” Connor smiled faintly as you laid down with a yawn and wrapped the blanket around yourself tightly. It was incredibly warm and soft, you were sure you’d fall asleep in no time.

“No, I just need sleep.” You grinned into the pillow.

Connor wished you a good night and he was about to turn away, when your tired brain decided it would be a good idea to grab his wrist. He looked at you questioningly, his hand going slack in your grasp. You fumbled over your words for a moment, your exhaustion wasn’t making it easier to form full sentences.

“Would you stay? Please?” You asked quietly, face red. Connor just stared at you for a moment, his LED spinning wildly and flickering yellow once again. Finally, he nodded and sat down in the armchair close to you. You wished you could hold his hand, just for a while until you fell asleep, but you were too shy to ask. Not to mention that it felt kind of inappropriate, considering you weren't that close. You desperately wanted to know more about Connor. He was sweet and kind, and the way he looked at you made your heart swell.

For a few moments, you watched him through your eyelashes, eyes drifting shut more and more with every passing second. He looked so soft and vulnerable in the low light of the room. A slight crease formed on his forehead, an indicator that he was thinking. You couldn’t see his LED from where you were lying, but you were sure it was yellow.

“What do you usually do at night?” You found yourself asking. His head snapped into your direction, expression softening.

“I often read some of Hank’s old books or watch TV, or sometimes I just think about the case we’re working on.” He said in a low voice.

“Did you like the books you've read? Which one was your favourite?” You asked, propping your head up on your hands. Connor seemed to brighten at the question, as he stood up and picked up a book from the shelf. He handed it to you with a small smile. As you took it from him, you let your fingers brush against his, making his LED flicker. You vowed to touch him more often, just to see his reaction.

“I enjoyed this immensely.” He sat down once again and watched you closely.

The book in your hands was unfamiliar to you and you traced your fingertips over the cover for a moment, before flipping it around and reading the text on the back. You still had no idea what it was about, but it was apparently a sci-fi horror novel. Looking up at Connor, you gave him a questioning look, silently asking him to explain.

“It’s hard to describe what it's about, without giving away too much information,” he said, expression thoughtful. “But the setting of this novel is entirely unfamiliar to me and something about its strangeness captivated me.”

“Unfamiliar? How? It's not set in space, is it?” You checked the back of the book again, but from what you could gather it was set on earth. Connor scooted closer to the edge of the armchair, closer to you, and you watched with interest as his eyes were filled with, what you could only describe as wonder.

“It takes place on earth, in a lush landscape, brimming with strange plants and animals. There are also alien creatures and a mysterious lighthouse. It all seems so fascinating to me, I know it’s not a real place, but I wish I could see it with my own eyes.” He was positively radiant by now and you smiled tiredly at how cute he was like this. Well, he was always cute, but more so in that moment, while he was talking about something he enjoyed.

“That sounds lovely, Connor. What about the horror part, did it scare you?”

He seemed to consider your question for a moment.

“It didn't scare me, but it was very unsettling. I'm sure the author’s intention wasn't to scare his readers, but to make them feel uneasy.” He concluded, a dorky smile on his lips. You couldn't help but chuckle.

“Seems like you've given this quite a bit of thought.” You laid the book on the coffee table and got comfortable again.

“I have.” You felt his eyes on you as he spoke. “You should get some sleep. Hank won't wake up until 11am, so you have exactly seven hours and eight minutes to rest, which should be enough for an average adult human.”

You snorted, but closed your eyes, intending to take his advice and finally sleep.

“Thanks, Connor.” You mumbled and just as you had expected, you fell asleep within seconds.

 

“What the hell?” A familiar voice said and you sat up straight immediately, rubbing your eyes. The lieutenant was standing in the living room, wearing pyjama pants and a t-shirt, looking back and forth between you and the android in the armchair.

“Hank, good morning.” Connor smiled, apparently oblivious to his friend’s grumpy mood. You averted your gaze and started fidgeting with the blanket under your hands.

This was awkward as hell.

“Connor, what the fuck is going on? Who is this?” His frown was deepening with every second. Connor got up and spared you the embarrassment of having to introduce yourself to the lieutenant. You attempted to give him an apologetic smile, but it probably ended up looking more like a scared little wobble of your lips.

“Their belongings were stolen last night, and they were in need of a place to spend the night. I offered your couch to them, knowing that you wouldn't mind taking in a friend of mine.” Connor explained and you almost laughed out loud at how easily he manipulated the lieutenant. Hank looked back and forth between the two of you again, then he sighed and turned around to make breakfast. Connor turned to you and winked. It was the most adorable gesture you had ever seen in your entire life. You choked down a laugh, but couldn't stop your cheeks from heating up.

“Did you sleep well?” He asked gently, doing nothing to dissipate the red on your face.

“I did, thank you.” You got up and picked your clothes up from the table. Awkwardly you tried to shuffle past Connor, who seemingly wasn't getting the hint and didn't move out of the way. You placed a hand on his chest, making his LED turn a satisfying yellow, and pushed lightly. When he still didn't budge, you raised your eyebrows at him in confusion.

“Connor?” He seemed to come back to himself and you let your hand drop from his chest. “Would you let me through? I wanna get changed.”

“Oh, y-yes, of course. I'm sorry.” He stepped aside. With a reassuring smile, you passed him and hurried to the bathroom. As soon as the door fell shut behind you, you leaned against it with a quiet sigh.

What the hell had that been about?

 

You drove to the station with Connor and lieutenant Anderson - “Call me Hank.” he had begrudgingly said over breakfast - to see if your bag had turned up again. The streets were mostly empty on this Christmas morning, everyone was probably still busy unwrapping presents and eating copious amounts of food. You were a bit jealous, but mostly because they were at home and you couldn't even get into your dumb apartment if you wanted to.

When you arrived at the precinct, you sat down next to Hank’s desk as Connor went to grab you some coffee.

“Connor told me about how he met you.” Hank said as soon as the android was out of earshot. You smiled softly at the memory.

“He really helped me out back then.”

Hank’s eyes wandered over to where Connor was taking two mugs out of the cupboard in the kitchenette.

“I'm glad he's making friends.” He looked back at you. “He's a good guy, so don't hurt him, you hear me, kid?”

Obviously Hank really cared about Connor and you couldn't blame him for looking out for his friend. Connor was so sweet, it was only a matter of time until someone would try to take advantage of his kindness. But you weren't too worried about him, he was built to solve crimes and interrogate suspects, nothing would slip past him. You firmly believed no one was capable of tricking Connor into trusting them.

“I don't intend to.” You mumbled, looking anywhere but at Hank. “I really like him.”

“Oh, Jesus.” Hank breathed with a frown and shook his head. “I can see that.”

Connor took that moment to return, looking back and forth between your red cheeks and Hank’s sour expression. He placed a cup of coffee in front of you and the other one next to Hank.

“Is something wrong?” He asked and when neither Hank nor you replied, he leaned against the desk next to you and crossed his arms. Your eyes flickered over to his thighs, which were really close to you now.

They were nice thighs.

You looked away quickly before anyone could catch you, but your thoughts kept returning to those lovely legs right next to you. A short gaze up told you he looked really good with his arms crossed like that. And he was so tall compared to your sitting form, towering over you.

You shook your head to yourself, trying to stuff the inappropriate thoughts into the back of your mind, locking them away. Thankfully, Hank took that moment to perk up from his computer.

“A police patrol caught a guy last night, who stole wallets and bags from at least six different people. They detained him and took pictures of all the stolen goods he had with him.” He turned the screen towards you and pulled up the photos.

“There, the black one! That's mine!” You pointed at the photo with a happy smile. “Oh thank god, does is say if my wallet and phone were there too?”

Hank scrolled through the report for a few seconds, then he nodded.

“A cell phone, and a wallet containing an ID, a key card, and a credit card. No cash.”

You cursed, sad about the fifty bucks of cash, but at least you could get back into your apartment. You leaned back with a sigh of relief and smiled.

“Well, you got lucky, kid.” Hank said. “I'll tell them you're here to pick up your stuff, shouldn't take more than twenty minutes.”

“Thank you!” You beamed. Connor was smiling faintly as well, his attention now on you.

“I'm glad you can return to your apartment again.” He said. “Although I did enjoy talking to you last night, maybe we can meet again some other time and get to know each other better.”

Your heart fluttered in your chest. You knew he didn't mean it in a ‘let's go on a date’ sense, but the fact that he was interested in you, and that he wanted to get to know you, made you happy beyond comprehension. Suddenly, having your bag stolen on Christmas Eve, having to crash at what was essentially a stranger’s place, was all worth it. If you had a chance to redo what had happened, you wouldn't change a thing.

A bright smile spread on your lips as you replied.

“I would love that, Connor.”

 

After your things had been returned to you, you thanked both Connor and Hank again for their hospitality and help. Hank gave you a nod and you even saw a tiny smile tug on his lips. You turned to Connor and after a moment of hesitation, you placed a kiss on his cheek, his LED turning yellow. You caught Hank making a face behind Connor’s back and chuckled. Stepping back, you smiled at both of them and wished them a merry Christmas.

Connor even offered you to take you home, but you told him you'd be fine. He probably had things to do anyway, and you would've felt bad for keeping him from his work. He looked after you unhappily, so you gave him an encouraging smile and a wave before you left the precinct.

The streets outside were still covered in snow, and Christmas lights hung from almost every building. They immediately made you feel more Christmas-y, so you enjoyed the warm light they gave off as you made your way to the train station. Everyone around you looked happy and cheerful, and you couldn't help but feel happy as well when you thought of the events of the past ten hours. Despite everything, you'd had a good time. You'd spent some lovely hours with your friends, got to know Connor better, and met Hank. Really, it had been one of your better Christmases, and it had definitely been the most exciting one.

 

########

 

A snow storm was raging outside a few days later and you snuggled into your blanket on the couch with a book. Connor’s favourite book, to be exact. You had picked it up at an antique bookstore the day after Christmas and had been tearing through it these past few hours. You'd have to go to work in about two hours and you wanted to do nothing more than call in sick, so you could finish this exciting story. You now completely understood why Connor liked it so much. As you were reading, you wondered if he would enjoy a visit to your workplace. The greenhouse was filled with plants and exotic flowers, maybe he would get a kick out of it, if he liked to read about nature so much. Sure, your greenhouse had no alien life forms, but it would be a start.

With a sigh, you put the book down and watched the falling snow for a few minutes. You might not have felt like going to work in this weather, but you were actually glad to be working at the greenhouse during these cold, dark months. It was always warm and humid inside, the artificial sunlight making sure the plants would grow tall and strong. When you were at work, you always felt less gloomy and tired.

You were so deep in thought, a notification alert from your phone made you jump. Picking it up, you noticed you had received a text from an unknown number.

 

[Unknown Number]: Hello, this is Connor. How are you today?

 

You snorted. You had been waiting for him to contact you after you had given him your number on Christmas. Of course his texting skills were… not great, but you immediately found it endearing.

 

You: I'm fine, but I don't wanna go to work :/ hbu? <3

 

You erased the heart, then put it back, then erased it again, then re-typed it and pressed send, before you could change your mind again. Hopefully he wouldn't think it was weird. Just when you were about to start worrying even more, another text arrived.

 

Connor: I'm fine as well. I was wondering if you would like to meet up sometime.

You: yeees!! I'm free tomorrow afternoon, is that okay for you?

Connor: That sounds perfect. I will pick you up at 3pm.

You: great!! see you then <3

Connor: I'm looking forward to it.

Connor: <3

 

You stared at the little heart for what felt like hours, trying to imagine Connor typing it out, even though you knew he wasn't physically typing. You couldn't get yourself to close the chat window as you just kept staring at everything he had written. More than once, your eyes landed on the heart again and you grinned happily.

God, how could he be so freaking adorable?

 

########

 

Your doorbell rang at exactly 3pm, making you wonder if Connor had been waiting with his finger on the doorbell. The mental image made you smile. Maybe you should tell him that it was usually acceptable to be a few minutes early (or late). You buzzed him in and grabbed your bag from the couch, before throwing on your coat. There was a knock on the door a few seconds later and you swung it open to reveal Connor. He was wearing a light grey shirt, a dark blue sweater, and a dark grey wool coat. It was the first time you had seen him without a tie and you had to admit he looked good with and without it. He gave you a crooked smile.

“Hello.” He just said.

“Hey.” You replied, pulling him into a quick hug, that made him awkwardly pat your back. You chuckled and stepped aside.

“Come in, I just need a minute.” You told him with a smile and watched him as he looked around your small apartment. He seemed to take an interest in your bookcase, so you turned away to put on your shoes.

“You're reading it?” He suddenly asked, holding up the book you had been devouring these past few days.

“Yeah, I'm already done actually, I'm just re-reading some parts.” You watched him flip through the pages, familiarity in his eyes. “I really liked it.”

“You did?” He put it back into its place with a happy smile. “I’m glad. I could lend you the other two of the series, if you would like to read them. They didn't resonate with me the same way the first one did, but I still enjoyed them quite a bit.”

You had a hard time looking away from him with how genuinely happy and excited he looked. If it made Connor this happy, you would read thousands of books, just for him.

“Yeah, that would be nice.” You pulled on your hat and slung your bag over your shoulder. “Okay, I'm ready. Let's go!”

Connor followed you outside, still smiling. He stood close to you while you waited for the elevator. You looked over at him and admired his outfit once more. The tight black pants were a good look on him and complemented the slightly baggy sweater very well.

“You look cute today.” You said quietly, making Connor turn to you with a surprised expression. His LED was yellow once again and after a few seconds he smiled.

“Thank you, so do you.” You felt your heartbeat accelerate and cheeks turn red, and only hoped that he wouldn’t notice. Judging by the slight smirk on his lips right before he turned away, you had no such luck, but he thankfully decided not to mention it. You wondered if he knew what your reaction meant, but you had no way of finding out.

The elevator finally arrived with a soft ‘ding!’ and the two of you got on. The inside was just as futuristic as the rest of the building, with a large mirror on the back wall. You checked your appearance for a second, tugging a strand of hair back into its proper place. Connor watched you with interest, until you turned to him with a smile. He looked away after a moment and pulled out his coin. You were once again mesmerized by his quick movements, the coin seemingly flying back and forth between his hands.

“Hank hates when I do this.” He said and you snorted. You could vividly imagine how much it pissed him off.

“Hank hates a lot of things, I think. Or well, at least he pretends to hate a lot of things.”

Connor hummed in agreement.

“He likes you though.” He said and you turned to him in surprise. Did he really like you? You had barely met him, but you supposed he had treated you well enough.

“Are you surprised? He only asked me to call him Hank after weeks, he asked you the same within thirteen minutes and eleven seconds of meeting you.” Connor clarified. You remembered how Hank had told you not to hurt Connor. Even if he tried to hide it, the lieutenant was obviously a kind man, who cared about his friends.

“I suppose you're right… he told me that he's glad you're making friends. You're undoubtedly very dear to him.” You said, smiling softly. Connor turned to you with a fond expression.

“He's dear to me as well.”

 

You spent the afternoon sitting in a café, talking about books and androids, about the uprising, and your hopes for the future. Connor even reluctantly opened up about his work for CyberLife. He felt obviously uneasy about what he had done, and how he had jeopardized the entire android revolution. You listened closely and assured him in his feelings, when you felt it was appropriate. He seemed to feel a bit less troubled after talking to you, so you counted it as a success.

You briefly considered suggesting your idea of him visiting the greenhouse to him, but you decided it would be more fun if it was a surprise. Hopefully you would be able to find the right time and opportunity to steal him away some time, with Hank’s help maybe. Just thinking about it, made you excited to see the android’s reaction.

While you had been talking, Connor had smiled often, especially while he was gushing about a book he had read. You were happy to see him so full of life and interest in the world, after he had been strictly confined to following his mission before he turned deviant. You wanted nothing more than to help him experience more, learn more, and understand the world better.

“Connor,” you had said with a gentle smile. “If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. I’m always here for you.”

“That’s very kind of you.” He had replied and insisted on buying you another coffee as a thank you. Since it was impossible to stop him from doing something once he had put his mind into it, you didn’t even try to, and just laughed.

A few hours had passed and before you realized it, the afternoon was long gone and it was getting late. The waiter actually had to kick you out, because they wanted to close the café. You apologised profusely, but he just shook his head with a smile and told you it was alright. Connor and you wandered the streets for a while after that, but you were quickly beginning to freeze.

“I’ll take you home.” Connor said, leaving no room for debate.

You looped your arm through his, making his LED flash yellow. It was silly, but you enjoyed seeing it deviate from its regular blue colour way too much. It felt exhilarating that you could do this, that you could make his brain essentially lag , simply by touching him. And besides, you liked touching him. You wanted so badly to hold his hand and hug him, but you weren’t sure if he would be comfortable with that. He probably wasn’t used to physical contact and you didn’t want to overwhelm him. Maybe sooner or later he would start initiating physical contact himself, but until then you were going to stick to the occasional hug and friendly pat on the shoulder.

Oh yeah, and cheek kisses of course.

You gave him another one of those as you said goodbye to him and to your surprise, he stopped you with a hand on your arm, when you pulled back. You just stared at him for a moment, wondering what he was doing. All became clear a few seconds later, when he leaned in and kissed your cheek so gently, you almost fainted. The touch seemed to run from your cheek through your whole body like lightning. Even your fingertips were tingling. He leaned back and smiled at your - undoubtedly beet-red - face.

So much for initiating physical contact sooner or later.

When you didn't say anything and just stared at him wide-eyed, a little crease formed between Connor’s brows.

“Did I do something wrong?” He asked, expression full of worry. Quickly, you shook your head.

“N-No! You didn't! I'm just surprised, that's all.” You breathed, having a hard time keeping your voice from shaking. Thankfully, his expression softened and he seemed to sigh in relief.

“Oh, good. I wasn't sure if it was an acceptable thing to do for me, but I wanted to express my affection.”

His affection !

Connor felt affection towards you and he wanted to express it!

You reeled for a few seconds as you tried to get your emotions under control. There was no way Connor hadn't noticed how hard your heart was pounding in your chest, but your red face was glaringly obvious anyway, so it probably didn't make any difference.

Fuck, you really had it bad.

You desperately tried to fumble for words, trying to say something, anything appropriate, but your mind only came up blank. Connor watched you closely, so you looked away, trying to hide your face and the conflicting emotions it displayed. You swallowed, attempting to get rid of the lump in your throat.

“T-Thank you…?” You finally stammered. It sounded wrong and not like the kind of thing one should say in this kind of situation. Nevertheless, you looked up to find Connor smiling happily.

“You're welcome!”

You nodded and turned to enter your apartment building. He insisted on walking you all the way to the elevators and when you said goodbye to him again and wrapped him into a hug, his arms found their way around your back and squeezed gently.

 

########

 

At midnight sharp on New Year's, you received a text. You didn't read it until a few hours later, when you checked your phone on the train on your way home.

 

Connor: Happy New Year. <3

 

You grinned down at the message and typed out a reply.

 

You: happy new year, Connor!! <3

 

Hopefully, it would be a good one.

 

########

 

January passed in a blur. It snowed hard for almost a week straight and general chaos ensued as everyone tried to keep the amount of snow under control. Trains stopped running more often than not, and you saw at least one car crash a day. Getting to work was a pain in the ass, but at least the air in the greenhouse warmed you up quickly. The only downside to it was that the back and forth between the humid atmosphere inside, and the freezing cold outside always made you prone to getting sick. So it didn't come as a surprise when you woke up one morning with a stuffy nose and a nasty headache.

You'd had worse though, so you decided to take some cold medicine and go to work anyway. Hopefully the cold would go away quickly.

 

It didn't.

Over the course of the day your headache only worsened and by the time your lunch break rolled around, you were sneezing uncontrollably. You had already torn through two packets of tissues and your muscles were aching with every motion. Two hours before your shift ended, your boss watched you falsely label twenty hydrangeas as fuchsias, before sending you home with a grimace. You tried to argue that you could finish your shift, but she told you that you were doing more damage than good and pushed you towards the changing rooms.

You complied with a sigh and thanked her for letting you leave.

The trip back home passed in a strange kind of fever dream, so you couldn't remember it at all once you were at home. You didn't even want to know how disgusting you probably looked. Without further ado, you crawled to the shower in hopes of the hot water making you feel better. It did help a little bit, and after you had slipped into your comfortable sweats, you felt slightly less gross and sick.

Grabbing your blanket, you laid down on the couch and turned on the TV. You had to turn the volume all the way down, so it didn't make your head pound even more, but the background noise was comforting.

Slowly, your eyes closed and you were about to fall into a light sleep, when your phone buzzed.

 

Connor: Are you free this evening?

You: sorry Connor, but I'm super sick… I caught a cold :/

 

You stared at the screen for a few seconds, waiting for his reply, but you suddenly felt so very exhausted, your phone slipped from your fingers and landed on the couch. The weight of your eyelids seemed to increase with every second and eventually your eyes fell shut and you drifted off once again.

Your dreams were weird and context-less as you drifted in and out of sleep continuously. It had been a while since you had been this sick, and in the back of your hazy mind you really wished you had someone to take care of you. Someone to make you tea or soup. Ahh, some soup would be lovely right about now, you could almost smell it…

No, not just almost , you could actually smell soup, even though just barely, what with your stuffy nose. Cracking open an eye, you frowned when you found a steaming bowl of soup on the table in front of you. Were you really that sick, that you had made soup without realizing?

“Are you awake?” A familiar voice spoke from above you. So that explained the soup, but how had he gotten inside? You grumbled and tried to sit up.

“Careful.” Connor mumbled, steadying you with a hand on your shoulder. You blinked up at him in confusion.

“How-” You started, but he shook his head and sat down next to you. With one swift motion, that was way too fast for your muddy brain to comprehend, he picked up the soup and a spoon.

“I let myself in, because I was worried. I hope that's alright.” He explained, loading the spoon with soup.

“Yeah, 's okay.” You mumbled. He lifted the spoon to your lips and if you hadn't been so horribly out of it, you probably would've found it embarrassing. As it were though, getting fed by your crush was actually kind of nice.

“You have a fever and my scans indicate that you are slightly dehydrated.” He said, continuing to feed you. You only hummed. No wonder you were feeling like absolute garbage. “The internet provided me with the information, that humans need a lot of water when they suffer from a cold. Furthermore, a warm environment and proper rest is advised for a quick recovery.”

You smiled faintly at how much research he had done for you, and all of it just because of a little cold.

“I see that I'm in good hands.” You stopped him from raising another spoonful to your lips with a raised hand and reached over to grab a tissue. Your nose was only running harder compared to that morning and you groaned after blowing it. The fact that Connor had to see you like this pained you.

“Drink this.” Connor handed you a glass of water and you gulped down as much of it as you could. After you had put the glass aside, he went back to feeding you. If you hadn't been enjoying it so much, you would've stopped him and started eating on your own.

When the bowl of soup was finally empty, you felt a tiny bit better.

“Thanks, Connor. You're a peach.” You smiled tiredly.

“I'm an android, not a peach.” He said, but you caught the small teasing smile on his lips and snorted.

“You're making bad jokes! One step closer to being human…” You grinned. His expression was unreadable and you stared at him for a few seconds. He was so cute… even with that little frown forming on his face, he was the most adorable thing you had ever seen.

“Thank you, I'm glad you find me pleasant to look at.” Connor smiled.

Fuck, you had said all of that out loud, hadn't you? So, apparently crushes and delirious minds didn't mix very well at all, and honestly? You hoped a black hole would appear beneath you and swallow you whole, because that was probably the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to you.

Connor laughed, actually full-on laughed at your completely mortified expression, and you stared even more. His laughter was just as sweet and pure as the android himself and you vowed to always keep the sound close to your heart. You genuinely hoped you'd be able to make him laugh like that more often from now on. A gentle smile tugged on your lips as you watched him get up and return the empty bowl to your kitchen.

From where you were sitting, you saw a pot on the stove, which you assumed to be more soup.

“By the way, where did you get the soup?” You asked when he returned.

“I made it for you. I looked up the best recipe online, so I hope it was to your satisfaction.” He said and handed you the water once more, silently asking you to drink some more.

“You made it from scratch? Just for me?” You took a tentative sip. “You’re so sweet…”

“I knew that a canned soup wouldn’t provide enough nutritional value, especially since your immune system is weakened. So the only feasible option was to cook it myself.” He explained.

“I can't remember the last time someone cooked for me…” You said, more to yourself than him. “I can't taste very well because of my stuffy nose, but I thought it was very delicious.”

Connor’s LED flashed yellow, as he smiled at you.

“I'm glad you liked it. I would love to cook for you again sometime, maybe when you're feeling better.”

There was no way you could turn him down while he was looking at you with those big brown eyes. You knew he wanted to cook for you, but you felt kind of bad that he wouldn't be able to eat with you. An activity you could both engage in sounded more fun, but at the same time you'd never turn down good food.

“If you want to, I'm not gonna say no.” You told him. You were about to continue, when you suddenly had to sneeze violently. After extensively blowing your nose, you felt just as gross as earlier again. You groaned.

“Ugh, this sucks.” You looked over at Connor, who was watching you with a curious look. “You're lucky that you can't get sick.”

“Well, I can catch viruses too.” You laughed at the awkward little wink he gave you. Watching him pick up human mannerisms was infinitely entertaining and endearing, and you hoped he'd never stop being this dorky.

While you were just thinking for a few moments, you were suddenly starting to feel exhausted again.

“I think I'll try and get some sleep.” You mused, considering whether you should stay in the living room or sleep in your bed. For obvious reasons, you really didn't feel like moving, so you just plopped down on the couch again.

“Would you like me to leave?” Connor asked and you almost sat back up again to grab his wrist and physically stop him from leaving.

“No! I mean, you can stay as long as you'd like, but could you sit with me until I fall asleep?” You shyly looked away, hoping he wouldn't notice your blush. He nodded and got up to refill your glass of water. When he returned, he was holding a familiar book. You watched him sit down on the carpet between the couch and the coffee table by your head, and flip open the page you had bookmarked. He was so close, you could’ve counted all the little freckles on his face if you had wanted to. As you watched his eyes fly across the page, he looked so incredibly human, it almost took your breath away.

“Are you going to read to me?” You smiled against the cushions.

“Only if you promise to fall asleep quickly. You need rest.” You agreed and a few seconds later he started reading, his voice gentle and low. It didn't take long for you to start drifting off as his soft words lulled you to sleep.

 

A warm light filtered through the windows when you awoke. You had apparently slept through the night and after you sat up to assess how you felt, you were relieved to find that your headache was gone, and your nose seemed clearer. Reaching over, you picked up your water and took a few gulps, before setting it back down again next to the book. You looked around the room for any sign of Connor, but he was nowhere to be found. He had probably just left for work, but that didn't stop you from feeling sad about not getting to see and thank him again. With a sigh, you stretched, the bones in your back giving a few satisfying cracks. Even though you were feeling better, you decided to send your boss a text, telling her you'd stay home today. In the past, you had learned the hard way that it was a bad idea to work while you were still recovering. Hopefully another day of rest would make sure you'd be well enough to work again in a few days.

Standing up, you almost had a heart attack when you saw something moving in the corner of your eye.

“Good morning.” Connor was standing in front of your bookcase, smiling at you crookedly. He had loosened his tie and taken off his jacket.

“Fuck, you scared me!” You placed a hand on your chest to calm your nervously hammering heart. “I thought you'd left.”

“You told me to stay for as long as I wanted and I… I didn't want to leave.” He said, a small frown on his face, as if he couldn't explain it.

“Oh.” You breathed. He really did like to spend time with you, didn't he? Even when you were sleeping. Or maybe you were reading too much into this, and he simply stayed because he had nowhere else to be. Either way, you were glad he was still here. And the fact that he looked more relaxed than you had ever seen him, made you even happier.

“Didn’t you get bored on your own all night?” You wandered over to the kitchen to check if you still had some toast. Even though you weren't hungry at all, you knew you'd have to eat at least a little bit if you wanted to recover quickly. Connor followed you, coming to a halt uncomfortably close to you. You turned to him with a confused expression and he placed a soft palm on your forehead.

“Not at all. I read some of your books and they were very entertaining.” He didn't look like he was planning on removing his hand from your face anytime soon, and you could feel your cheeks begin to burn.

“Uhm, can't you get my temperature from just scanning me?” You asked finally and Connor had the decency to at least look a bit embarrassed.

“Yes, but this is more accurate.” He explained. You were certain he wasn’t lying, but his damn hand was still on your forehead and you were almost sure that it was unnecessary at this point.

“If you want to touch me, you can just say so.” You masked it as a joke, but it was the truth. By now you'd let him touch you however much he wanted if it meant you'd get to see his LED flicker and his expression shift from confusion to happiness. You thought you were prepared for his next words, but your heart still almost stopped.

“I want to touch you.” He dropped his hand and returned it to his side. You swallowed.

“Touch me, then.” You basically whispered, your voice giving out completely. His palm found your cheek within seconds and you gasped. You tried to watch his eyes wander across your face, his LED turning the lovely shade of yellow you were so used to by now, but it was too much. His gaze was too gentle, too full of adoration, you had to look away, so your heart wouldn't burst in your chest. His fingertips traced your cheek, your jaw, the corner of your mouth, and your head started spinning. He was so damn close, you could just move forward a bit and close the gap, press your lips against his.

But you didn't.

You couldn't.

Not when he was looking at you with that same sense of wonder he had in his eyes when he talked about the things he loved. Not when sweet, innocent Connor was letting himself explore and experience. It would've felt like taking advantage, and that was the last thing you wanted to do.

Your hands were gripping the counter behind you so hard, you felt like you could rip it off, if you tried. Connor’s thumb ran across your bottom lip and you whined . Immediately a furious blush rose into your cheeks and to your horror Connor repeated the motion, drawing an even more desperate sound from you.

“How fascinating.” He muttered and you almost let it slide, if it hadn't been for the tiniest smirk tugging at his lips. You huffed, placing a hand on his chest and pushing lightly. With a shake of your head you turned around to keep looking for the toast. You did your best to hide your shaking hands from his curious eyes, but it was impossible.

“You're a real piece of work, Connor.” You said under your breath. Finally, you caught sight of the bread you had been looking for and pulled it out of the cupboard.

“Did I do something wrong? I apologize if that's the case.” He said, still not budging from his place right in your personal space. You sighed.

“No, you didn't.” You couldn't look at him while you spoke. “But what you did was pretty… seductive.”

A glance at him told you he was probably scouring the internet for a definition and examples of seduction. You didn't even want to know what kind of inappropriate stuff it came up with.

“Oh, I see.” He finally said. “My goal wasn't to engage in sexual intercourse with you, I apologize for giving you a false impression.”

You couldn't help it, a laugh bubbled up from your throat. The completely dry way he phrased things that humans found embarrassing to talk about, was somehow hilarious to you. You felt tears well up in your eyes, when your laughter didn't subside after a few seconds. Connor just watched you in confusion and amusement as you doubled over and landed on the ground ungraciously.

“Connor…” You breathed heavily, suppressing another fit of laughter. “Never change.”

 

########

 

Just as you had hoped, you recovered quickly after getting a few days of rest. Connor had left for work after he had made sure you had had breakfast, watching you with a stern expression. You had smiled at him fondly and assured him you'd take good care of yourself.

It had felt like another weird fever dream, when he had left and you had kissed him on the cheek, wishing him a good day. All of it had suddenly felt so overwhelmingly domestic, you had had to lean against the wall with a loudly beating heart, as soon as the door had closed behind him.

You had woken up more than once in the following two weeks, with the memory of a soft dream that had involved Connor hugging or kissing you in some form. The dreams had made you feel increasingly anxious and and worried, as you laid in bed with a furiously thumping heart.

You didn't want to compromise your friendship with Connor with your feelings for him, when you were almost certain he didn't return them. The thought of confessing, made you want to run away to a different country and move into a solitary cabin in the mountains.

Deep down, you knew it was unfair to think this way. Even though Connor probably didn't feel the same way as you, he was still your friend and he would never hold your feelings against you. He would probably look surprised, then he'd smile, and thank you. He’d say “You're very dear to me as well. I'm fortunate to have you as my friend.” and then you'd smile, hug him, and cry yourself to sleep for the rest of your life.

It just wasn’t happening, probably ever. You wanted nothing more but to tell him how much you loved him, but at the same time, you wanted nothing more but to never tell him how much you loved him. It was a dilemma, to say at the least.

So you did the only thing that you deemed appropriate: you ignored your feelings, pushed them into the darkest corner of your mind, and did everything in your power to stop considering them at all. You still woke up with the memory of gentle lips on yours, but you just took a cold shower and perished it from your mind.

The wisest choice would've probably been to avoid Connor completely, but you just couldn't bring it over yourself, when his eyes lit up like fireworks every time he saw you. And even if you hadn’t been one of his only two friends, he had become such an important part of your life, you couldn’t simply cut him out of it. You might’ve loved him romantically, but you also loved him platonically, and there was no way you were going to get your own feelings get in the way of this lovely friendship.

As winter stretched on and on, the days seemingly still as dark as in January and the air just as cold, you remembered your plan about letting Connor visit the greenhouse. Your own happiness always increased when you entered the humid building, and you wanted to share that happiness with Connor. It didn't take you long to come up with a plan to make sure he would get there without suspecting anything, but you’d need Hank’s help for everything to work.

On a rainy morning in late February, you decided it was time to set your plan in motion and texted Connor.

 

You: are you and hank at work today?? when's your lunch break?

Connor: We are. It starts at 1pm.

Connor: Why do you ask?

You: you'll see…

Connor: You are being very ominous.

You: ;)

Connor: :|

 

You laughed at his last text and put your phone aside, before getting dressed.

 

You arrived at the station at exactly 1pm, narrowly avoiding another midday shower. The lady at the front desk let you through when you told her you were looking for lieutenant Anderson and you quickly spotted him and Connor at their desks. You made your way over to them with a smile.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Hank asked with a frown. He looked like he had already seen enough shit for the day and your surprise appearance just gave him a headache.

“It’s good to see you too, Hank.” You chuckled, patting his shoulder in greeting. Connor looked less surprised, but his crooked smile made your stomach flutter.

“Hey.” You said, pulling him into a hug, which he returned by squeezing you gently.

“Awww, would you look at that? Plastic boy got himself a plastic lover to have some fun with.” The obnoxious voice of a man made you pull back and spin around with a disgusted expression. The man had a nasty look on his face as he regarded you and Connor. It shouldn't have come as a surprise to you that people like him still existed, but you couldn't help but be taken aback that a cop of all people was this openly xenophobic.

“You got a problem?” You almost snarled, positioning yourself in front of Connor. At the same time Hank sighed.

“Oh, piss off, Reed.” He rolled his eyes as he took another sip of his coffee. At this point his day probably couldn't get any worse.

“How sweet, your friends are sticking up for you, tin can.” Reed looked at you like you had some sort of contagious disease. “Fucking freaks, the lot of you. I don't even want to know what kind of gross stuff you get up to in the bedroom.”

You were about to resort to violence, when Connor’s hand landed on the small of your back and he stepped next to you.

“Maybe we could give you some tips some time.” He simply said, before urging you to sit down next to his desk. In your shock, you complied, letting him lead you over to the chair. You caught one last look of Reed, as he ground his teeth and stalked off, mumbling curses under his breath. You were blushing, but you couldn't care less when Reed had just gotten his ass handed to him by Connor. After you had found your bearings again, you laughed and reached over to pat Connor’s shoulder.

“That was hilarious, Connor.” You said between laughs and his lips quirked upwards. Hank seemed just as impressed, and his frown had finally smoothed out, having been replaced by a grin.

“Hopefully that'll shut him up for a while.” Hank mumbled into his coffee. You asked him if Reed was always like that and he grunted in confirmation. “A real piece of shit, that one. But Connor doesn't let that idiot push him around, not anymore.”

You turned to look at Connor, who was still smiling softly while he scrolled through files on his computer.

“Detective Reed has problems accepting me as an equal, but I have faith he will overcome his prejudices in due time.” His patience was admirable and you really hoped he was right, but somehow you doubted it.

You watched Connor for a moment while he worked, LED flickering and spinning wildly. He was attractive like this, deep in thought and hard at work, you could've watched him for hours. Suddenly your eyes landed on the small succulent on the desk. You had given it to Connor a few weeks ago, making his face light up as he had taken it from you gingerly. He had obviously taken good care of it and it already seemed to have grown quite a bit. You reached out to run a finger over its leaves and smiled, before turning back to Connor. Your eyes met his brown ones and the two of you just stared at each other for a moment, until Hank cleared his throat.

“You just here to oogle Connor, or is there an actual reason why you came all the way to the station?” He asked, making you blush. You tried to hide it as best as you could by looking down at your hands in your lap, but there was no way he hadn't noticed. You cleared your throat.

“Yes, actually. I wanted to talk to you,” you threw a glance at Connor. “in private.”

Connor raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask why. Hank did the same and stood up, motioning you to follow him. You got up and turned around one last time to raise an accusing finger at Connor.

“I know you got superhuman hearing… no eavesdropping! It's a surprise.” You waited for him to nod, then you gave him a cheeky smile and a wink.

 

It didn't take long to explain your plan to Hank and he begrudgingly agreed to help you, because it sounded like “Connor would like that kind of crap”. You snorted and thanked him, promising to text him as soon as you knew when you'd have an opportunity to get Connor into the greenhouse. You had already asked your boss for permission and she had told you that it was okay, since you were such a reliable employee. Now you'd only have to figure out a date and make sure Connor wouldn't guess what you were planning. Considering he was made to solve cases and analyse clues, the possibility wasn't all that slim.

When you returned to Connor’s desk, he was still working, so you leaned against the table next to him.

“Isn’t it your lunch break?” You asked, throwing a curious glance at his screen. The files were scrolling by too quickly for your eyes, so you had no way of telling what he was investigating.

“I don't eat lunch.” He hesitated for a moment, then switched off his computer and turned to you. “But you do. Have you eaten yet?”

He got up when you shook your head, putting him dangerously close into your personal space. He didn’t seem to notice however, and simply turned to Hank.

“We’re going out for lunch, would you like to join us?” Hank looked between the two of you, then grumbled.

“No, you two lovebirds go alone. Just get a burrito for me, will you?” Connor was about to object but Hank held up his hands. “I know, it’s unhealthy. I don’t care.”

You chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder when you passed him.

“Good to see you again, Hank. I'll text you.”

Hank just waved you off with the tiniest smile and you followed Connor outside. The streets were especially busy during this hour, seemingly every office worker of the entire city was looking to eat lunch as quickly as possible before their break ended. You watched the mass of people walk past with a frown. It wouldn't be easy to find a nice, quiet spot for lunch.

“Don’t worry, I know where we can go.” Connor smiled when you expressed your concern to him. He lead you through a few smaller streets, away from the main roads and you were surprised to see how nice this neighbourhood was. You were about to wonder how far away from the station this place Connor had in mind was, when he stopped in front of a small café. He held the door open for you with a little bow and you laughed.

The inside was homely and warm, armchairs and couches strewn all over the place in an organized chaos. Only a few people were sitting at the low tables, talking to each other animatedly or quietly working on their computers. You greeted the lady behind the counter with a friendly smile, before Connor picked a table by the window and dragged you along.

“It’s nice here, how did you know about this place?” You asked him while you peeled off your coat. Leaning back with a sigh, you enjoyed the softness of the cushions for a bit.

“I heard someone at the station mention it, so I looked into the user reviews online and they were all positive.” He watched you with a crooked smile. “I thought you might like it here.”

You smiled back, getting lost in his lovely eyes for a moment, before you even realized it was happening. Damn, you'd really have to work on being less obvious. Maybe Connor didn't find it weird, but everyone else around you most definitely noticed your little crush if you kept staring like that. If only it hadn't been so hard to not look at that cute face of his. You were actually still staring, weren't you? And Connor was just staring back, gentle eyes and soft smile. You had half a mind to get up, walk around the table and kiss him senseless, but you dropped that train of thought real quick.

Finally, you looked away, ignoring the way your heart ached.

“I'm gonna go order.” You told him and got up.

You still felt his eyes on you as you walked up to the counter.

 

########

 

The snow melted completely in the following few days, replaced by cold rain and dark stormy clouds. You hated this weather just as much, but at least it didn’t stop you from getting to work in one piece. Sure, you got wet now and then, but since you changed clothes at the greenhouse anyway, it didn’t make much of a difference.

You had also finally figured out a good date for Connor’s surprise and texted Hank, who only replied with “fine by me”, so you hoped he wouldn’t forget. You’d have to text him again the actual day it was happening, just to make sure. Until then, you planned how to make the surprise even more exciting. You had already decided to try and get a vintage patio table and two matching chairs, the kind you’d expect at a greenhouse in the 19th century. You had seen something like what you imagined in a dark corner behind a bunch of bamboo plants. One day after work, you pushed them aside and were relieved to find the table and chairs were in a good condition. Someone had undoubtedly given them a fresh coat of paint in the past few years.

Your next idea was a picnic.

Until you remembered that Connor didn’t eat.

When you locked up one evening, turning off the lights, you had another idea. The artificial sunlight was good for the plants and made humans feel better as well, but it wasn’t very nice to look at, especially for a longer period of time. You weren’t sure if androids would feel the same way, but it wasn’t unlikely.

So, as you peered into the dark greenhouse, plants only vague shapes in front of the dim lights from the city, you suddenly thought some softer light might look pretty. A few lanterns maybe?

You had to check a number of stores, but eventually you found some suitable string lights and a few bigger lanterns to spread throughout the greenhouse. A quick test told you it would probably end up looking very pretty.

With everything planned out, the only thing left to do was make sure you'd get the lights and table into place after your co-workers had left and before Hank and Connor arrived. Oh, and also you'd have to keep the whole thing a secret from Connor, as not to ruin the surprise. With his investigative eyes, he easily noticed that you seemed to be more nervous when he mentioned your work one afternoon. He luckily didn't question it, but his gaze lingered on you in curiosity. You looked away, your eyes darting all over the room, trying to find something to distract you. It was a good thing you usually didn't have to lie, because you were absolute garbage at it. If you had been a criminal, you would've broken under Connor’s close scrutiny within seconds.

“How’s Hank?” You finally asked, voice a bit too high and breathless.

“How’s-" Connor narrowed his eyes at you. “He’s fine. Did you have any reason to believe he wasn't?”

You quickly shook your head.

“No, no. Just… you know, making conversation.” You nervously chewed on your bottom lip. “Being polite.”

“You're behaving very strangely today, are you alright?” He reached over and pressed his palm to your forehead. You smacked your lips and shook him off.

“I'm not sick, Connor.” You chuckled. “Just a bit tired…”

He frowned, but seemed to believe you, because he dropped the topic and let you ask him about his day instead.

Thankfully, you'd take him to the greenhouse in less than a week, so hopefully you could just keep pretending to be tired and stressed until then. You smiled at Connor while he was telling you how he had played fetch with Sumo that morning.

You couldn't wait to see his reaction to the surprise.

 

########

 

Connor might've been an android, but he wasn't stupid.

He had spent the past seven months studying human emotions and behaviours, and the past four experiencing some of them himself. He knew when he himself was happy, and usually he could tell when a human was happy as well.

Like Hank, for example. He didn't show it all that much, but Connor knew, that his friend usually liked spending time with him. He also knew not to hold it against Hank when he lashed out and yelled at him. Hank had said that old habits die hard, and Connor hadn’t entirely understood the saying back then, but it had become clearer since. Hank was doing his best to show Connor that he cared about him, but it was hard for him. Connor knew this and appreciated it.

Hank’s emotions were easy to understand once he had figured out all of his grumpy expressions and roundabout ways to show love.

You, on the other hand, were much harder to read.

When he had first met you, before becoming a deviant, his analysis had told him that your temperature was rising when he smiled at you now and then. Cause unknown.

The deviancy didn't change much about this assessment, and for a while it remained just as much of a mystery. He had researched what an accelerated heart rate and rising body temperature could mean for humans, and he only concluded that some kind of strong emotion must been the cause. Anger, excitement, happiness, fear. All of these feelings could apparently cause those symptoms.

He quickly ruled out anger and fear, but none of the possibilities seemed to fit the way you gasped when he ran his fingers across your skin. Or the way you leaned into him, when he placed a hand on your back. It quickly became a sort of experiment, a game almost. Every time he saw you, he would push a bit harder, touch you a little differently.

Soon he found himself craving the fleeting touches and warm hugs, for more than simply the test results they yielded. He craved the way you looked at him with so much gentleness, how you blushed when he sat close to you.

When he reached out to place a sweet kiss on your cheek one day, he didn't do it out of selfishness, he did it out of love.

Love.

He didn't really understand it all that well. He knew he loved Hank, but this kind of love he felt when he looked at you was completely different. When you weren't close, he wanted to see you, and when you were close, he wanted to get even closer and touch you.

The first time when his thirium pump seemed to ache at your proximity, he froze and ran a system analysis. It came back with no conclusive results, so he was about to ignore it, when your hand landed on his chest and he felt the same ache again, just even stronger.

He was convinced it was a virus at first, but after expressing his concerns to Hank, who only rolled his eyes and muttered something about clueless androids under his breath, he had come to the conclusion that it must've been an unknown emotion. Generally, he liked to experience new things, emotions included, and this one was no exception. Even though the sensation was strange, he wanted to feel it again.

It didn't take him long to realize that there was a correlation between the strange feeling in his chest and you. While he was busy trying to understand the way you expressed your emotions, he also tried to figure out his own. Eventually, after collecting data, and mulling it over in his mind for a while, he arrived at the only sensible conclusion: he was in love.

His own experiences lined up with most things he had read about love, but he was still… unsure. Even after he had put a name to his feelings, he didn't know how to react to them. Should he tell you? He wanted to, and every happy smile from you edged him closer to just telling you. But at the same time, he couldn't know how you'd react. You might've been friendly towards androids, never once treating them less well than your fellow humans, but he still saw no reason why you would choose him over a human. A human could grow old with you, and they wouldn't be as emotionally inexperienced.

Thoughts like that always made his chest feel constricted in anger and discomfort, even though he knew he was only laying down facts. It didn't change anything though, the thought of you with someone else made his artificial skin crawl.

In his confusion and helplessness, he talked to Hank again, who listened to his words with an increasingly unhappy frown.

“Listen, Connor.” He finally said, putting a hand on Connor’s shoulder. “Just tell them. I've seen the way they look at you, there's not a chance in hell they'll reject you. You might be a little dorky, but they seem to be into that.”

“But-” Connor started, but Hank held up a hand to stop him.

“You wanted my advice, you got it. Now go and kiss them or something, so I can drink my coffee in peace.”

Connor might've been an android, but he wasn't stupid.

He was, however, very confused and in love.

 

########

 

With a last shove, you pushed the table to where you wanted it. You reached behind you and picked up the chairs, before arranging them next to the table. Stepping back, you admired your work with a nod. The lights and lanterns were already strung up between the larger plants around the greenhouse, illuminating them in a soft yellow light. To make the scene look even prettier, you had arranged some of the most beautiful and colourful blooming flowers all around the table. A particularly large bouquet of flowers was still sitting on one of the lower tables to your left, so you picked it up to place it on the table. You were surprised to find that the sun still hadn’t dipped below the horizon completely, casting some last warm rays through the large windows. The greenhouse probably couldn’t get much prettier than this, and you were glad to see your work had paid off.

Hank had already texted you a while ago, so Connor would probably arrive in just a few minutes. You fumbled with your phone, nervously checking the time, before looking around the greenhouse one more time. Everything looked lovely, now you could only hope Connor would like it as well.

Suddenly, your phone chimed in your hands and you jumped.

 

Hank: we’re here, in the elevator right now

Hank: he keeps fucking trying to get me to tell him what’s going on

You: okay, everything’s done! thanks again, Hank!!

Hank: sure

 

Quickly, you made your way past the changing rooms over to the elevator. You bounced on your heels as you watched the number above the door go up. It was dumb, you knew there was no way Connor wouldn’t enjoy the surprise, but you were still a nervous wreck. Your palms had actually began to sweat at some point, your fingers tingling uncomfortably. The thought that Connor was currently just a few floors below you and you’d get to see his cute face in mere seconds, made your heart flutter from both happiness and anxiety. You really, really wanted all of this to be perfect.

The sound of the elevator arriving at your floor, almost made you have a heart attack, so you took a deep breath and watched the doors open. Connor’s eyes widened ever so slightly when he caught sight of you, then he turned to Hank with a confused expression.

“I thought you said this had nothing to do wit-” He started, but Hank just shook his head and gently pushed him out of the elevator.

“I had to keep the secret somehow, didn’t I?” Hank muttered, giving you a small nod in greeting. “You gonna be okay on your own, kid?”

You huffed, but nodded.

“Of course. Thanks, Hank.” You said and a moment later the elevator doors slid shut. Connor stepped closer to you, drawing your attention to him.

“What exactly is going on?” He asked with a frown. “This is your workplace, isn’t it? Why did you have Hank bring me here?”

You couldn’t help but grin at the plethora of questions. Softly, you placed your hands on his shoulders and pulled him closer to kiss his cheek in greeting.

“Hey, Connor.” Pulling back, you saw that he was smiling now.

“Hello.” He just replied, still looking at you like a lost puppy, so you took his hand and started leading him down the hall, towards the large door that lead into the greenhouse.

“Remember when you first told me about your favourite book?” You asked, waiting for Connor to nod. “Well, you said you were fascinated by the setting, by the wild plants and flowers. So I immediately thought about my job at the greenhouse. I’ve been planning on taking you here since then, and it just took me a while to find the right time, but here we are! I hope you like it…”

With a swipe of your keycard, the doors slid open, revealing the beautiful lush plants, tinted orange by the light of the setting sun. You were too nervous to look at Connor at first, but when you finally glanced at him, his LED was spinning and flickering wildly. The smallest flashes of red between the steady yellow unsettled you a bit, but Connor seemed to be unconcerned, as he stepped into the large room. His eyes wandered over the table and chairs, across the flowers you had arranged, up to the taller plants that towered above all the others. His mouth was slightly agape as he took it all in.

You were pretty confident that he liked it, but your heart was still hammering loudly. What if he found it boring? Or not interesting at all? Or he didn’t like th-

“It’s beautiful.” He mumbled, interrupting the constant stream of worry in your head. “You did all of this just for me?”

Your heart ached painfully at the way he said it, unbelieving and surprised.

Like no one had ever done anything nice for him.

Like he didn’t deserve it.

You wanted to tell him how this wasn’t much, and how he deserved so much more, so much better. If you could, you would take him anywhere he wanted and give him everything he desired, because he deserved it. Because you loved him so much, it hurt.

But you couldn’t say any of that.

So you just nodded, the lump in your throat making it impossible to speak. You watched him closely as he turned back to the room. His eyes still held the same gentleness as when you had first met him, if anything they had grown even gentler. He took a few tentative steps towards the table, never letting go of your hand and pulling you with him. When the light from the sunset hit his face, you had to look away, overwhelmed with how perfectly it illuminated his profile.

You felt your emotions spiral more and more out of control with every moment, a turmoil of feelings fighting for dominance inside of you.

You had to tell him how you felt.

Tell him that you loved him.

Tell him.

Tell hi-

“I’m in love with you and I don’t know what to do.”

It took you a few seconds to realize that it hadn’t been you who had spoken, but Connor. Your eyes met his, and your legs almost gave out when you saw how open and adoring his expression was. Your mouth was dry all of a sudden, as you tried to speak.

He loved you .

You shook your head. This wasn’t right, you were dreaming again weren’t you? Yes, you had to be, in fact this was exactly like a dream you’d had before, so there was no way this was really happening… right? You reached out and cupped his face, running a thumb over his soft skin. His LED was still going crazy, flashing yellow and red in turns. He relaxed ever so slightly under your gentle caress and it hit you like a brick wall.

This wasn’t a dream at all, it was real.

“I love you too.” You heard yourself whisper, eyes starting to feel hot. “So much… so, so, so much.”

His lips met yours gently, tentatively, like he was worried he’d hurt you. All of those dreams in which you had kissed him, didn’t even remotely do the real thing justice. The way his hands found their place on your jaw and your waist, how he tilted your head so he could kiss you better. The feeling of his nose bumping against yours and the softness of his lips. You never wanted this kiss to end, even as you felt yourself run out of air.

If Connor hadn’t pulled back to let you breathe, you would’ve gladly died kissing him. He rested his forehead against yours, giving you a few seconds to steady yourself.

“I would like to do that again.” Connor breathed a moment later, making you laugh. It felt like a weight had been lifted from your chest all of a sudden and you couldn’t help but keep grinning. He loved you and you loved him! He wanted to kiss you!

“What a coincidence, me too, but give me a minute, I need to calm down a bit.” You wrapped your hands around his neck and pulled him closer, tucking your head into the crook of his neck. His arms settled around your back and squeezed you tightly.

“Me too, I think.” He mumbled into your hair. “Maybe we should sit down.”

“Maybe.” You agreed, just to yelp and then laugh a second later, when Connor just dropped to the ground, taking you with him. You landed on top of him ungraciously, but he made sure neither of you got hurt. As he sat up, you almost ended up in his lap, barely leaving any room between you. He took your face in his hands again and smiled. You were still laughing softly.

“I don't know a lot about love, but when I'm with you, I'm always a bit happier and I want to reach out and touch you.” He said, thumbs caressing your cheeks. “So, I… I would very much like to enter into a romantic relationship with you.”

At this point you were sure that the dopey grin would never leave your face, especially not if he kept saying adorable things like that.

“Connor,” you mirrored his pose and gently squished his face between your palms. “I love you so much, I could never turn you down.”

And then he kissed you again, making your head swim and taking away your breath. His gentle nibs turned more hungry and you gasped into his mouth, when his hand found its way under your shirt and ran over your naked skin. You pulled back to gulp down some air, and to your surprise Connor was looking just as breathless as you, even though he didn't even have lungs.

“I'm not experienced in this kind of thing.” He mumbled. “I hope I'm doing alright.”

“More than alright.” You pecked him on the lips again. “I don't mind that you're inexperienced… it's really sweet, actually.”

“I'm relieved to hear that. I was worried you wouldn't want me because I still have trouble understanding my own feelings and responding to human emotions appropriately. It's not easy.” He frowned, his fingers still tracing across your skin absently. You hated to see him like this, doubtful and unsure of his own ability to be loved. It was making you want to wrap him into a warm hug and whisper encouraging words to him. You suddenly realized that you could indeed do just that, so you pulled him closer without further ado.

“I can't really imagine how hard it must be to suddenly have all of these unknown emotions, but I think you're doing great.” You ran a hand through his hair, completely messing it up in the process. “I love you no matter what, exactly the way you are, and nothing will change that.”

“I-I feel the same…” He paused, pulling back to look at you. “I'll do some more research on relationships and romance, so I can make sure I don't make any mistakes.”

You almost sighed, but it came out as more of a light chuckle.

“Connor, it's okay. You can make mistakes. As long as you stay as sweet and caring as you are, nothing you do could possibly be a mistake. Just ask me if you're unsure, okay?” You pressed a kiss to his cheek in an attempt to comfort him. He nodded with a shy smile.

“I will.” He hesitated for a moment, then he leaned in and kissed you again, softly and sweetly. You smiled against his lips.

Tonight really had been just as much of a surprise for you as for Connor.

 

########

 

You: Connor’s staying at my place tonight

Hank: use protection

You: HANK

Hank: or don't, he's a fucking android, so I guess it doesn't matter

Hank: I'm just saying!

You: …

Hank: jesus, you’re actually doing it, aren't you?

You: NO WTF

You: we're just cuddling

You: There's no need to worry, I'm not quite ready yet to engage in sexual intercourse. -Connor

Hank: fucking hell

Hank: that's it, I'm not talking to you anymore

Hank: damn android

You: sorry… goodnight Hank. Connor says goodnight too!

 

“He stopped replying.” Connor frowned down at the phone in your hands after a few moments. “Did I offend him?”

You snorted, dropping the phone on the couch next to you, before carefully arranging the blanket around you and Connor. He had an arm draped across your shoulders and his other hand was drawing small circles on your thigh.

“No, you were just very… direct. Honestly, he should be used to it by now.” You mumbled, resting your head on his shoulder with a happy smile. “He won't stay angry for long.”

“If you say so.” He murmured, seemingly relaxing into the couch. A moment later you felt him press a kiss against your hair.

Notes:

Thank you so much for reading!! I hope you liked it~
If you noticed any mistakes, feel free to point them out so I can correct them!
Oh, and while I have your attention, let me plug my art: check out this drawing of Connor I did!