Speak of the Sea [Hankcon AU] (Sequel)

quīnque; eiledon

He'd been enjoying his new job so far.

The PD in Edinburgh had invited him in warmly, and the cases had been not so frequent as his last post, but he had been having fun with it all the same.

"---Good morning, Detective Anderson. Three new cases have come in, from in-and-across the country. The chief is wondering if you could look at them and then assign them to the team,"

He was approached by his secretary, Dolores, in his office. "Oh, and... Here's your coffee," She put the cup down on the desk, smiling at him warmly.

"Thanks, Dolores." He smiled at her faintly, sighing a little. "What's wrong?" He was questioned, but felt inclined to answer.

"Oh, I---I just had a weird ride in." He lied a little; the drive to work was a little annoying, but he hadn't been seeing eye-to-eye with Connor lately. It had been a couple days since he'd found out he'd been spotted by a member of the public.

He moved here with him, with the intentions of lying low; he didn't want anything to happen to either of them, but more specifically, to him.

He'd worked with shady people; high-profile criminals... He had seen, first-hand, lives falling apart because someone happened to find something out, or see something...

Of course, when you happen to be half-fish, that isn't a crime... but it is a scientific phenomenon.

He knew people wouldn't accept it.

Would they ever accept it? Would they be willing to?

Any spare moment he had during his day, his mind was occupied by questions; what if that happened? What if this happened? What if someone else happened to have saw you?

They went around his mind, over and over again...

Until it was too much.

__________________

Hank returned to a warm, quiet house. He knew Sorcha was out until late tonight, something about meeting friends...

He was approached by the cat, who meowed at his feet.

"I see you. Hello," He petted him gently.

He did prefer dogs, if he was quite honest...

"—You're late!"

He walked into the living room, seeing his partner sat there with sewing needles and yarn.

"What on earth are you doing?" He couldn't help but laugh. Connor shrugged, gesturing to it.

"Knitting! Sorcha taught me. It's kinda fun, actually. I don't really know what I'm supposed to be making... a sweater, perhaps?" He smiled to himself. "Maybe to fit a cat." He looked over to Brick, who was sat in the doorway, minding his own business.

"How was work?"

His attention went back to Hank, who joined him on the couch.

"It was alright, I---" He sighed. "I need to talk to you, Connor. It's been bugging me all day." He added, taking his knitting and putting it on the coffee table.

"Okay... What's there to talk about?" Connor was still smiling, but he was the only one doing so.

He was talked at for a while, but he listened silently to what he had to say; a lot about his thoughts and feelings, and concerns about him.

"---Wait, you're getting all like this because of me?" He interjected quickly, being stared at with a recoiled expression. "Yes, Connor. Have you not been hearing a word of what I've just said?" Hank replied, and the two just stared at each other for a minute.

"I'm an adult, Hank, I can take care of myself. I don't think you need to be supervising me every second of the day," Connor folded his arms, sounding a little annoyed.

"If you're an adult, act like one. You know the risks of being out in public." Hank warned him, and he was just looked at.

"You don't trust me, do you?"

Neither of them spoke again for what seemed like an eternity. Connor just watched him, wondering where this whole thing had come from. Why was he acting like this out of nowhere?

"I do trust you, Connor, it's just---" Hank sighed, not really knowing what to say. "I'm sorry, I had a bad day at work." He added, trying to cover himself, but...

His partner wasn't that easily fooled.

"---I don't know if you realise, Hank, but I lived nearly my whole life on my own. My pod was just my mother and my sisters, and I was never really included in anything because I wasn't born a girl. I'm sorry that what I really am is a problem to you, but I know how to live my life, and I know how to act on land and around humans."

He stared at him as he talked, but his gaze wasn't met.

"I ran away from my life under the waves, to live a life as human with my father. And then I met you, and my whole world was changed, for the better. Maybe I was wrong; about this, and about you. Maybe I should just run away again, like I've done my whole life."

He got up after that, and he left the house.

He walked down the bitter, darkened road without looking back. The sun had set, and it was a vast temperature change.

He stopped at the end of the road, and turned to look behind him.

A small part of him wanted to be followed; to be chased after, to then be pulled into a hug and apologised to.

"We're gonna get through this together!"

He looked and there was no one.

It was just himself on this road, and the moonlight in the night sky.

He'd made up his mind.

He continued walking, down the narrow road, towards the sea...

And then, off the cliffside.