Comfort Zone (Connor x Reader)

Twenty-Three

(Okay, the trigger warning is very mild, but still here.)

Once the would-be assailant was carted away in the back of a cop car, Connor walked with you back to the borrowed vehicle. "Would you like me to drive, Detective?" His voice was calm, clearly relieved to be out of the club.

Normally you would have insisted on driving, but knowing your Roomba, he would fight you on it. "Um... yes, please. That... that would be nice. Thank you." Handing the keys over, you suddenly realized just how heavy your body felt.

You sank into the passenger seat, and fell asleep almost as soon as the android was turning down the road to reach the highway. He drove perfectly, careful to avoid potholes so you could stay asleep. Every time he glanced at you, his system threw errors in his face, each one a reminder that he'd regret looking again.

Which, of course, he did.

The trip back to your apartment was a blur. You vaguely remembered arriving at Seán's, some words being exchanged between the two men while you sat at the kitchen table, and then the android was back to looking like himself again, helping you into the taxi to take the two of you home. At some point you'd leaned over, head on his shoulder. With a deep frown and more regret error messages, you were guided to the other side.

He woke you enough for you to get into your apartment with your belongings, and he lingered nearby, making sure your front door had been locked before nodding and returning to the taxi himself.

The moment your front door closed, Connor dropped the gentle smile, feeling far too heavy to manage another one. And the closer he got to home, the worse he felt. It was as though something sinister was building, trying to claw its way out of his hardware. The driver was paid and forgotten as the android headed for the front door.

Hank glanced over with a good dose of surprise. "Shit, I figured you'd be home a lot lat....er... than....." The kid had made a beeline for his room, staring at the floor, his body more rigid than was necessary. It took all of fifteen seconds before an unearthly wail made both the lieutenant and Sumo jump to their feet. "--Shit!!! Connor?!" The human hurried to the closed door, only to find it locked. "Connor!! Unlock the door, son, what's wrong?"

Beside him, Sumo whined and shifted, sitting down and staring at the barricade.

The outcry was muffled, most likely due to a pillow, but it wasn't the volume that was the biggest concern. Pounding on the door with his fist, Hank frowned, raising his voice. "Connor, unlock the goddamn door!!"

A couple of seconds passed. "Hank, leave me be...!" The android's voice was unsteady.

"Connor. Don't be fucking stubborn."

"PRIVACY IS NOT A FOREIGN CONCEPT. KINDLY FUCK OFF!!"

Something was seriously wrong. It had been years since he had to do it, but the lieutenant knew how to pick a lock. Which is exactly what he ended up doing, though his giant pup was the first to push himself inside. Sumo whined and sat down in front of the foot of the bed, where Connor was curled up, arms around his head.

If the RK800 was surprised about his visitors, he made no comment. He didn't make a comment on anything; his body trembled, almost heaving with the urge to scream again.

Kneeling beside the dog, Hank sighed through his nose. "... Connor. Look at me. You're all right, son. Talk to me, tell me what happened."

Inch by inch, the android unwrapped his arms from his skull, only to reveal the tears pouring down and soaking the blanket beneath him. "...... Hank, if it's all the same, may I self-destruct now?"

Barely able to hide his alarm, the human got up and sat on the bed, hand on the kid's shoulder. "Absolutely not. What the hell happened?" His eyebrows knit tightly. "Are either of you hurt?" Negative. "Got into an accident or fight, maybe?" Another negative. He had to take a moment to let Connor's behavior sink in. ".... so the flirting finally went too far and you got attached, huh?"

Your trainee's face broke, partially burying it into the blanket, his fists clenching it tight. "Hank...... I don't... I don't know if I was flirting anymore... I..." He winced. "...... I would enjoy having lungs right now... perhaps properly sobbing would... h-help..."

Squeezing the kid's shoulder he still held, the lieutenant sighed. "Yeah, broken hearts are a bitch. How bad was it? Are you still being trained...?" Affirmative. "... did she finally snap at you?"

There was a pause, the android needing to wait to let the open wound stop trying to kill him. "...... I... was blocked. She put her hand up to my face before I could even ask to kiss h-her...."

... OUCH. Good thing Connor didn't see the human wince. "... fuck. I'm... I'm sorry, kid." There was a pause, laden with hesitation. "... do you want some kinda empty promise, or do you want the painful truth?"

"... self-destruction, please."

"Connor. Say that one more time and I'm using you to download my music."

Dark eyes found the lieutenant. "... Hank, I no longer have difficulty with music. She... sh-she f... fixed....." The android's arms wrapped around his head again.

The only sounds were from Sumo, whining once and lifting a paw onto the bed. "... Connor, listen to me. I'm sorry it ended like this, but... it shouldn't have happened in the first place. The flirting plan was iffy at best, and you even said you couldn't seem to stop. Well, now you have no choice. You got too attached too fast, and she stopped you dead." The shoulder in his grasp tensed, but Hank wasn't concerned. "You know I'm right. It hurts like a bitch but I'm right. Now you really are starting over, and this time don't even think about hitting on her. She's training you, don't fuck that up." He glanced at the kid, still curled up into a metal ball. "...... what are you gonna do about the apartment thing? If you don't think you can handle it, we need to think of somethin--"

"I can handle it," the RK800 interrupted. Like before, he slowly released his skull, and even pushed himself into a sitting position. One hand reached to give the worried canine some attention. "... I don't want her there any longer than necessary. I... I am... profoundly hurt... but I can manage. I will simply keep my distance until her company does not destroy my resolve." Fresh tears ran down his face, ignored as Connor went on. "And in the case it never stops h-hurting..." The android didn't finish, face breaking a little again. Hank sighed and shook his head, knowing the kid was too stubborn on every decision he made. Especially now, with a female involved.

Getting to his feet, the lieutenant ruffled the kid's hair, wondering what the fuck was in it for a moment. "Get some sleep, Connor. Sleep does help. So does work, actually. Tomorrow's Friday but it's a distraction. Let me know if you need somethin'. Even if, uh... I'm shit at this stuff."

Left alone again, all the android could do was lie down and try to will himself into sleep mode. He couldn't make the effort.

[I'm sorry Hank, but in the case that it never stops hurting, I can rid her of my presence. Permanently.]