Reluctant Soulmates

There's someone out there for everyone. That's how the saying goes, but it had never been true for Hank. Soulmates had always been touted as the big thing. You mustn't get into a relationship expecting it to last if you weren't soulmates. The moment true love struck, they'd leave. Hank never used to believe it. He knew finding your soulmate was supposed to be a wonderful thing. His parents were proof enough of that, but after forty years of being alone and never finding the one, Hank had settled. He met a woman. Evelyn Parker. A thirty-eight-year-old in the same boat he was. Bitter and alone. Tired of waiting for true love's call.

They fell in love, after a fashion. Looking back, it was easy to live in bitterness and say she'd never loved him, but he knew that wasn't true. She'd loved him, and he'd loved her, just not enough to survive the strike of true love when it finally fell. The moment she touched that cashier's hand, their marriage was over. He remembered how it felt, seeing the golden glitter on her fingers when he got home. It had taken less than a month for her to leave him, despite the vows they'd taken. She'd left and taken their son with her.

She wasn't unreasonable. The divorce, like so many others, had been declared no fault by the state. It wasn't her fault she found her soulmate and broke their vows, and it wasn't Hank's fault. They'd both married knowing this could happen. Everything split down the middle, including time with Cole. Despite the lingering pain and bitterness, it had been amicable to the end. It's just a shame that end came in the form of a fatal car accident that took them both.

The bottom line is, Hank had always had shitty luck. He wasn't looking for love, and he didn't expect to find it. He didn't even want to find it. What would his soulmate think if they saw him as he was now? A washed up has been who couldn't even do their job. He didn't turn up on time; he didn't give it his all, he just didn't care. At least, he hadn't cared last week. This week there was Connor. The android sent by Cyberlife to be a thorn in his side until the end. He was so innocent and childlike, a lot like Cole. He even had the same stupid head tilt when he was confused. It was painful to see what his son might have been.

Connor had barrelled into his life and made him care about something. He cared about Connor and wanted to help him complete his mission. In the back of his mind, of course, he hoped Connor would change his mind when he finally met his people and had the chance to deviate himself. The signs were all there. All he needed was a little push. A push Hank couldn't give, but that other guy, that Markus, he might. Desperate for a last look in the evidence locker before the FBI took it all away, Hank formed a plan.

"Alright, Con, you get down there and do what you can. I'll keep the FBI busy for a while." Connor's hazel eyes lit up with gratitude he shouldn't be capable of, and he got to his feet, ready to go. Hank huffed fondly, committing each detail to memory. This could well be the last time they met. He wanted to remember that goofy smile, the stupid curl in his brunette hair, and the way his clean cut grey suit sat on his shoulders. He straightened his charcoal tie out of habit, stealing a glance at the group of suited men coming out of Flower's office.

"Thank you, Hank! I really appreciate it, but how are you going to-"

"Don't you worry about that, now go on! Don't forget the ID card." Connor gave him a final, hurried nod before grabbing the card and walking off. With a final chuckle, Hank turned towards the office, where Richard Perkins was walking down the steps like the cat who got the cream. The ferret who got the coney, more like! He really was a stoat of a man. The thin cheeks, the pointy nose, the beady eyes; truly despicable. It didn't help that he was an unlikeable asshole. He'd been curt and rude to both him and Connor during their prior meeting at Stratford tower, and he was being a smug asshole now. He looked arrogant; lips curled in a smirk as he ordered his men to get started with downloading the files from their computers. Seeing him alone, Hank took his chance.