Work Text:
It was almost a year after the revolution, but the precinct was more abuzz than ever with the new laws being passed for Android kind. Officers were being run into the ground with the added workload, even Connor could feel the pressure and he was built for this. His partner slumped over his desk; face shoved into a tablet containing his work notes. The android scanned Hank, finding the man was well overworked and stressed but all the more determined.
He and Hank had returned to the precinct after the evacuation order fell to the wayside, and the man had a newfound determination and fire in his actions at work. Many said that Connor helped Hank ‘get it together.’
Connor couldn’t find he disagreed with that statement, the Lieutenant had rid his home of all alcoholic beverages besides a beer now and then. He’d begun giving the firearm to Connor at night, which the android would lock in the safe. One of which only he could unlock. Together, they had cleared out Cole's old bedroom to make room for Connor in their shared home. The Lieutenant began going to the gym under Connor’s insistence and let the android cook for him despite his complaints that Connor needed to learn what seasoning was. That was purely their personal life as well.
Hank was looking at another promotion currently, which was exciting as much as stressful. Captain Fowler seemed happy about it though, and as much as Hank moaned and groaned about it, he seemed excited as well. The station was already planning a party to celebrate Captain and Lieutenant's promotion.
“Lieutenant, maybe we should take our lunch.” Connor hummed intuitively as the man finally set the tablet down and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Hank nodded in agreement, pushing away from his desk to allow the chair to roll back. The older man threw his head back in a groan. Connor rolled his chair out from his table as he reached to turn his computer off. “Chicken Feed?”
“Really?” The old man perked up; his eyes filled with childish joy as he looked Connor in the eyes but the stern face on his face narrowed into a suspicious glare. “Don’t fuck with me on this Con, I want a burger so bad I’d kill for one.”
“I am not kidding with you, Lieutenant. You’ve earned a burger.” The android nodded in confirmation, rising from his chair to dust himself off. While he’d gotten rid of the CyberLife uniform, he still felt the need to dress up for work. Hank had taken him when he’d gotten his first paycheck to acquire a black and white suit that Markus claimed, ‘hugged all the right places.’
That was another new development in the past year. He and Markus. The android’s had gotten close after the revolution. They had both grown attached to each other on Connor’s weekend trips to Jericho where’d he’d spend the night. Their conversations usually started with work but quickly devolved into senseless talks over why cats had such long tails.
It wasn’t like Markus was the only Jericho leader Connor got along with, far from it. He and North were the best of friends, bordering on siblings. It was North who pounded down Elijah Kamski’s door and demanded he ‘delete the programming terrorizing my brother.’ He and Simon grew close when the android had taken the PL600’s body from police custody and took him to the creator to be repaired, when he woke up the blonde hugged Connor. He and Josh had a fond relationship based on witty discussions. Every time they met; they would play a game meant to find something the other didn’t already know.
No one quite made him feel like the RK200 did, he broke through Connor's strong façade and left him feeling weak in the knees, thirium pump pounding, and brain foggy. The RK800 remembers how when he returned home one Sunday evening after his Jericho trip, he confessed to Hank that he thought something was wrong with him. The man openly laughed in his face before telling the android nothing was wrong and that he was simply ‘in love.’
That realization made Connor’s processors lag and crash.
It wasn’t until weeks later he told Markus about his feelings in what the leader said was ‘an exaggerated romantic gesture.’ Connor had used every dime of his saved-up money to completely renovate the abandoned church. The building now stood beautifully as the home/second office of all four deviant leaders where the old CyberLife Tower was the android’s headquarters and home to other androids.
When Connor had shown the four the church, they had stood outside marveling at the beautiful portraits painted by Markus’s father that were etched onto the building next to each window and the large Boat that was painted above the door. Connor had to physically drag them inside where they marveled again, every wall in the commons room was painted elegantly with a moment from the revolution. That trend continued well into the renovated home.
He received a very grateful kiss after he’d shown off the entire building, Markus’s hands grabbing his hips and their lips pressing together was the best feeling he’d ever felt in his life he decided. One he wanted to continue to feel. After the others screamed and gushed, Markus made very good use of the newly built bedroom by dragging Connor inside and throwing him into the plush mattress.
Connor ended up late for work the next day, which left Hank kneeling over in laughter.
Yes, Markus liked his suit very much. On that note, the android rounded the desk to stare at the Lieutenant. Clearly waiting for him to get up and join Connor. “You drivin’?”
“I can, yes. I brought my car with me today.” Connor nodded, that was another thing. The department had given Connor his own car as part of the agreement for his return. It was nice not to have to take the bus or walk when he and Hank had different shifts or when Connor decided to stay till Monday at Jericho to have extra time with his boyfriend. “I know you like my car, Lieutenant.”
“Hell, yeah, I do! They gave you one of those nice black SUV’s! I want one!” The man huffed as he rose to his feet, Connor snickered in amusement before digging in his pocket for the keys as they walked out to the parking garage.
“You could always buy one, Lieutenant.” Connor hummed factually, the man scoffed and sent a glare back to the Lieutenant.
“Like hell- I would never replace my baby.” Ah yes, Hank put sentimental value in the object. Though Connor had to admit he liked his car as well, it was efficient, and the way Markus whistled the first time he rolled up in the sleek SUV made him like the car ten times more than he did before. He didn’t go as far to name it as Hank did, but he did put a hanging plant on the rearview mirror and had bought several car-related accessories.
“Whatever you say, Lieutenant.” The android smoothed out; he knew that phrase always made Hank fumble in amused aggravation because the RK800 usually did the exact opposite of what he was told. His father figure once compared him to a ‘Thing.’ When Connor stared at the man confused, they ended up both watching and reading Doctor Seuss's rendition of ‘Cat in the Hat.’ Apparently, Cole liked the old author and Hank had a copy lying around.
“Fuckin’ androids.” Hank’s voice held no malice as he pulled the door of the SUV open and climbed inside. Connor shook his head in amusement as well, climbing into the driver’s seat with practiced ease and grace. The engine roared to life with the turn of the key, much to Hank’s pleasure. “Oh, I love the way this car purrs.”
“To Chicken Feed we go.” Connor hummed after clicking his seatbelt on, the Lieutenant followed suit as Connor pulled from the parking spot with perfect precision. The perks of an android. Hank used to complain that Connor's driving was comparable to a self-driving car, it wasn’t until Connor deviated and learned a little bit of ‘self-preservation’ that Hank allowed him to drive without an argument.
As they drove, Connor kept a keen eye out on the road. Hank had taken over the radio, blasting his heavy-metal playlist. The android chuckled under his breath as he vaguely registered the way the Lieutenant’s head was bobbing up and down to the beat of the music. While it wasn’t Connor’s favorite genre, he appreciated its energy.
They were stopped at a light on a fairly empty street; it wasn’t uncommon for where Chicken Feed was located. This was technically a neighborhood division in the city. Connor’s fingers were tapping against the side of the car idly from where his window was down. Hanks was down as well, the air outside was a nice temperature to allow this without freezing or overheating.
A loud car pulled up next to them, Connor only gave it a brief glance. It was bright red and would be defined as a muscle car. When Connor turned back to the road, Hank stared at the vehicle, turning his music down with a hand.
“Hey, old guy!” A voice called out; he immediately identified it as an android. It was familiar but he was sure it was just someone of the same model as the WR400 he knew so well. Surely Hank would be recognized if it was her. Her engine roared. “Wanna race?”
Connor heard the man scoff before looking back at him. The android smiled smugly and held a finger to his lips in a ‘quiet.’ Motion before pointing at the switch to turn the lights on. The Lieutenant seemed confused for a fraction of a second before the man smiled wickedly back and wiped around to look at the car next to them.
“You’re on,” Hank spoke gruffly, moving to sit back in his seat and brace a hand against the dashboard. The woman cheered before revving her engine loudly, her hands clenching the steering wheel. The man beside her noticed something right as the light turned green.
“WAIT, THEY'RE COPS-“ The car zoomed off as the light turned green. The RK800 flipped the lights of the SUV on, and the sirens came to life as he slammed on the gas. The car’s engine roared as they barreled towards the red car. He swerved to get directly behind them, clearly stating his intentions of pulling the car over.
The car slowly came to a stop on the right-hand side, the police pulling to a stop behind them. Hank was laughing as Connor reached a hand out to interface with the computer in the car, using his enhanced vision to scan the license plate number. The results were displayed on the computer, prompting Connor to pull his hand back and read over the information. “Oh, rA9.”
“What?” Hank hummed, bringing his attention to the computer upon seeing the car details. The vehicle was registered under the owner, Markus Manfred, which meant that it was definitely North driving. He didn’t want to give his friend a ticket, but street racing was a serious traffic violation. “Shit- Well… Just let ‘em off with a warning, Con.” Hank spoke as if it was the simplest thing in the world.
“…Can you do it…?” Connor asked after a moment, drumming his fingers across his thigh as he looked at his father figure. The man looked at him flabbergasted for a moment before his eyes narrowed protectively.
“Did that fucker do somethin-“ Connor immediately knew that was where the Lieutenant’s mind was going and Connor didn’t blame him, but that wasn’t why he didn’t want to do this.
“No, no, no!” He spoke, waving his hands frantically to stop Hank’s outrage, the man huffed and crossed his arms with a raised eyebrow that prompted Connor to explain himself. The android sighed softly, shifting in his seat. “I just… feel off… about this…” The android couldn’t exactly pinpoint what it was, he just knew for the first time that he didn’t want to look at his friend's face.
“Embarrassed, you’re embarrassed Con. It’s okay, you were doing your job.” Hank spoke reassuringly, gently setting a hand on his back. Connor stared down at his steering wheel hopefully. “I’m not doing it though; this was your pull.”
“I do them for you!” Connor tried to argue.
“I don’t ask you to and when was the last time I pulled someone over Connor?” He had a point, if Hank pulled someone over, they had done something awful or dangerous and Connor would take it since ‘I am repairable Lieutenant, you are not.’
“Fine…” Connor huffed, moving to open the door. As he stepped out of the car, the wind blew his neat hair out of its perfect styling much to his displeasure. The android straightened his tie as he strode towards the vehicle with more confidence than he felt, he had always been good at pretending. Whether it would work on his friends remains to be seen. As he approached, he heard the snippets of a conversation.
“It is fuckin’ Connor!” “Oh thank god…” “Wait- Really?” “Markus, you fucking simp.” “Listen- My boyfriend is hot as hell when he's working-“ “DAMN, and this is coming from our innocent leader.” “Innocent actions are the last thing Markus wants to do with Connor.” “I mean-“ “MARKUS.”
“License and registration.” His tone was cold as he leaned on the window of the driver’s door open window, his eyes emotionless. It was a struggle to keep this strictly professional as North whipped around with a beaming smile, obviously excited to be getting out of a ticket based on their friendship.
“Connor! Hey, did Hank cut his hair?” The woman leaned back, slapping the blonde in the passenger seat's shoulder for the papers. Simon reached into the glove compartment to retrieve them clumsily. “May I add, by the way, love the suit.”
“Hank did cut his hair actually in preparation for his promotion.” Connor hummed nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders as he took the papers from North when they were offered and opened them to allow his criminal database to scan for any discrepancies. He doubted any would appear as Markus followed most rules. “And Markus picked the suit.” He hummed as he scanned the license he was handed.
“Yeah… So, we’re pals right?” North offered a pictured face of innocence as she took the papers and card back. Connor pinched the bridge of his nose in disappointment as he returned to leaning on the window. The redhead chuckled nervously.
“You do know that street racing is a thousand-dollar offense, right?” Connor began, a slight anger bleeding into his voice at the idiocy of his friends. “I could impound the car and suspend your license for this as well.” Connor dropped his hand to look at her coldly. “Which I don’t want to do but am supposed to do.”
“Would Markus be able to change your mind?” North inquired, gesturing to the seat behind her, Connor glanced back to see the smiling face of his lover who waved shyly. Connor only had so much resolve, and none of it stood a chance when the deviant leader smiled at him like that. His own loving smile crossed his face as he waved back. The deviant leader moved to roll his window down and Connor quickly walked over, leaning against that window instead.
“Sorry, Con… You guys were probably on your way to a crime scene…” The leader apologized, a hand reaching out to try and push some of Connor’s brown locks back into place. The officer leaned into the touch with a shy and reserved smile he saved for only the RK200.
“Lunch actually…” Connor muttered softly, pressing a kiss to the leader’s palm as his hand came to grip the wrist and keep Markus touching him. The leader chuckled softly and leaned out the window enough to press a chaste kiss to his lips, which Connor eagerly returned. “…I’ll let you off with a warning…”
“YES! I knew using Markus would work.” The woman slapped the blonde’s hand, getting an ‘OW’ from the blonde as he glared at the woman and rubbed the hurt arm. “Thank you so much, Connor. You’re my bestie.”
“Hold on, I was talking to Markus.” The group tensed again, and Markus looked at him with wide eyes. Connor chuckled darkly, letting his eyes lid with the same intensity he had when looking at a crime scene as he ran a finger down the other's jaw. “What you just did constitutes as seducing an officer, but I’ll let you off this time.” He hummed before pulling away from the car and dropping the face to neutral again.
“I’ll be right back with your ticket, North.” The detective hummed, turning on his heel to walk back to his car, the car exploded with conversation as he strode away. A mischievous smirk fell on his lips as he pulled the door to his SUV open and climbed inside, slamming it shut.
“How’d it go?” Hank asked, watching the android deflate into the seat with a whine.
“I'm supposed to give North a ticket, told her I'd be right back with it.” Was all he offered as buckled his seatbelt and shifted the car into park. Hank raised a brow, obviously questioning the android as Connor flipped the sirens back on. The car's engine revved loudly. “Let’s win this race and go to lunch.”
“Aw hell yeah, Con!” Hank laughed, moving to grab the support bar above his head as Connor pulled out into traffic and around the bright red Camaro. The heads in the car whipped to the SUV with open mouths.
< I win. >
Connor sent through a CyberLink to the group as he sped past them. Cars pulled off the road to accommodate the SUV with lights and sirens barreling down the street. He could feel North’s shocked rage.
< You fucking piece of shit! >
< Go Connor go! >
< Whose side are you on Simon? >
< The winning side, obviously. >
< Josh! >
< Is it illegal to be that hot? >
< Markus! >