━━━━━━(●'ω｀●)━
THE NEXT MORNING, THE early sky is surprisingly bright. You and Connor walk, side-by-side, down a snowy road. He stands on the side closest to the oncoming traffic, silently shielding you from any danger, and it's such a subtle, natural action of his that it reminds you just how lucky you are.
Without saying anything, you gently nudge his hand with your own.
He turns his head to face you and raises a brow but you don't respond. Instead of saying anything, you simply take his hand in your own and squeeze his fingers.
In the distance, the Chicken Feed sign is barely lit. After a long night of snowfall, you're sure that it's hanging onto its last life ━ something you completely understand. The thought of how stubborn it is sends a small smile on your face.
"What are you thinking about?" asks Connor, softly.
Since last night, you still haven't mentioned the scars you saw on his back. It's probably better this way, but due to your programming, you're finding it difficult to push those thoughts to the back of your mind. All you really want to do is drill him about it. But you cant ━ that'd be cruel, even by a once-emotionless Android's standards. You don't want to hurt Connor anymore than you have to.
You turn to him and lean into his side as you keep walking. "A lot. My brain works sort of like a computer, I've got too many tabs open right now."
He laughs at your honesty. "Would it help get them off your mind if you say them out loud?"
"That's worth a try... I'm thinking about Hank. If he's been eating since I last saw him. If he's alright since the Cyberlife tower incident. And I'm also thinking about Sumo. I really want to pat his belly," Connor laughs sweetly at that. It's nearly a giggle. You record it with your auditory processors to play it back later. "I'm also mostly thinking about us."
"Yeah?" His fingers gently trail your tender knuckles.
A happy, squirmy feeling encases the pits of your stomach. Whenever you're around him, you feel drunk off joy. Or what you'd imagine being drunk feels like. You're not quite sure if Androids are capable of that feeling━unless you can find out a way to mix hard liquor into your thirium without breaking some vital biocomponants...
You have to bite down on your lower lip to keep yourself from smiling too brightly. "Yep. About last night, I guess... Um, a lot happened."
Carefully, you study Connor's expressions for any shifts. But there's none. Not a single one. How is it that he can deceive even you, with the millions of dollars then went into your superior programming and your hardware designed solely to notice changes in body language?
Or is it that he really isn't bothered by last night's happenings? That things haven't changed... for him.
"Hm," Connor hums. He smiles crookedly, one of his cheeks raising to remind you again of his dimple. "Don't think about it too much. We're almost here, look." He directs his warm brown eyes to the front and nods, an action that causes one of his curls to fall across his forehead.
Standing outside, leaning up against an empty table, is the familiar stature of Lieutenant Anderson. Hank. From the distance, and considering his back is facing you, you're sure he doesn't even know you're coming. It seems to be in Connor's nature to give Hank a surprise rather than text him straightforwardly.
He looks a little more well-groomed than the last time you saw him when he had a gun pressed against his temple from some face-stealing jerk.
"Hey. Before he sees us... What sorta things do you like, Y/N?" Connor asks, suddenly snatching you from your thoughts. You look over at him and then down at your linked hands. "I never got to ask you."
"I like you," you say honestly with averted eyes, then pause, still walking toward Chicken Feed at a leisurely pace. "And Hank. Sumo. I like animals a lot, mostly. I like... My friends." Humming, you tilt your head in thought, a flicker of Sorrel's face appearing in your mind. You need to see her soon. "Apart from that... Actually, I'm not too sure. I'll have to give you the rest of my answer later."
You look up through your eyelashes to see Connor's smiling face.
His grip on your hand tightens slightly. "Oh, look. Hey Hank! Remember us, old man?" His voice echoes through the empty street, bouncing off nearby apartment buildings like ping-pong, and the enthusiasm in his tone is palatable.
Connor Summers' has a sort of happiness that's more contagious than any known virus, you're sure. Deviancy can't hold a candle against it. You're almost certain that, if given the chance, Connor could solve all sorts of wars and violence━just with a single bright smile.
You whip your head around to the front, realizing you've been staring, and smile as you notice Hank awkwardly trudging toward the two of you.
His boots sink deep into the fluffy snow, momentarily rendering him unlucky and clumsy as he stumbles forward but quickly catches himself with a grunt. Still, his expression never changes. Hank wears a crooked smile. His eyes are half-squinted and his nose a little crinkled.
It's an expression you're sure you shouldn't let yourself get used to, so you quickly take a few screenshots of his face using your optic processors so that you don't forget how genuinely happy he looks.
Before you know it, Hank's standing directly in front of you and Connor, his eyes soft.
"Didn't think I'd be seein' you two so soon," he says, and you know him well enough by now to understand he's grateful for your sudden appearance.
Connor chuckles softly and slowly lets go of your hand, leaving it hanging by your side all on its own. "C'mon Hank, no need to be shy. I know you want to hug us. Bring it in!"
Hank grumpily rolls his eyes but the smile on his lips never disappears. He opens his arms and Connor almost knocks him over with the force of their hug, like an over-excited golden retriever dog.
From over Connor's shoulder, Hank raises his eyebrows at you expectantly and nods his head once. "C'mon, kid."
He... wants you to hug him too?
The LED hidden behind your strands of hair whirs yellow.
"Yeah, Y/N!" Connor's voice is muffled by the wind but just as enthusiastic as ever. "Hank only lets you hug him once a year. Don't miss your chance."
Your thirium pump squeezes and you smile so brightly that your eyes squint far tighter than the optimal level, meaning your vision is greatly obscured. Still, without minding your sudden onslaught of half-blindness, you stumble forward and join the hug, one of your arms wrapped around Hank's back and the other hovering awkwardly above Connor's.
Just in case you touch the... wrong area like last night.
LT. HANK ANDERSON
FAMILY PATH UNLOCKED . . .
You could get used to this.
"Okay, okay," Hank pulls away but you don't let him go. His voice is gruff with emotion as he speaks. "Hey, that's enough! No more gettin' sappy on me."
Neither you nor Connor loosens your hold.
"Hey! Agh, you're just as bad as Sumo."
Connor chuckles softly, "You say that like that's a bad thing."
YOU STAND NEXT TO CONNOR, partially leaning on Chicken Feed's counter as your human companions scan the newly-updated menu. For a place called Chicken Feed, they sure don't sell a lot of chicken here... Or seeds.
Or worms. Why is it called Chicken Feed, again?
"Ooh!" Connor chirps brightly, and you watch as his eyes light up. "You sell seafood baskets here now? Since when! Fancy. Can I get one of those?"
Almost perfectly in sync, both you and Hank stare at Connor in silent concern━or maybe disappointment, on Hank's end. Connor doesn't seem to notice despite the intensity of your glares.
"Connor," you say, your tone stern despite the amusement tugging at your lips, "you're allergic to seafood. Remember?"
Connor's lips part with a mixture of surprise and disappointment as he slightly turns his chin to face you. "Oh. Right! Aw, man." He sighs dramatically and faces Pedro once more, who's watching your exchange with interest. "Well. Can I just get the usual?"
Pedro nods once. "Sure. Hank? The usual, or are you feelin' daring today?" There's a double meaning to his words which you easily pick up on, something Deviancy has surely helped with.
Hank scoffs a quiet laugh, "Nah. I'm good, Pedro. Everything feels like a gamble nowadays. Just a cheeseburger and milkshake combo is good enough for me."
Pedro whistles, "Fair enough," and his eyes slide toward you. You're not dressed in your Cyberlife uniform━instead, you're wearing one of Connor's dark blue hoodies and a pair of his loose-fitting shorts━and your LED has been well hidden by your hair. You wonder if you look more human than Android now. You surely feel that way.
"Anything for you, little lady?" asks Pedro casually as he leans against the counter, only a few inches away from you. His eyes trail away from your face, further down to an area you'd rather no one look at.
Connor clears his throat and slings an arm over your shoulder. Almost as if he's a dog marking his territory.
But it's not entirely unwelcome, as Pedro redirects his gaze from where it was wandering down your chest back to your face. Even despite your surprise, you don't buckle beneath his weight even as your thoughts race in circles.
With warmth-flushed cheeks, you awkwardly shake your head, "No. Thanks."
Connor gently pulls you toward him and starts making his way toward the usual seat. Usually, you'd be upset if someone tugged you around like some sort of ragdoll, but you can tell something's bothering Connor, so you let him be despite your inner grumblings.
He finally loosens his hold on you and gently slides his arm off your shoulder as he takes his seat.
You shoot him a strange look. "Why'd you do that? You didn't need to lean on me, the counter was right there if you were losing your balance."
As you take the seat next to him, Connor smiles cheekily. "You can figure it out, Y/N. Investigation is your thing."
Smiling faintly, you nod. "Alright then. Based on your body language, I'd say you were jealous. Why? Was it the way Pedro was studying my physique or was it because he initiated a conversation with me? If I'm correct, I hope you know there's no need for any jealousy, Connor."
Connor's freckled cheeks are already flushed by the cool air, but they seem to turn an even darker shade.
He glances down at the bare table and smiles softly, "Hey. Remember the time you seduced me into coming with you to Kamski's?"
Seduced━
"I did not!" You gasp, your thirium pump racing quickly in your chest. "I just asked you for a favor! That's not seduction. If I wanted to seduce you, you'd know!" You huff, your face warm. "Wait. Don't try to change the topic, Connor."
"Too late," Connor grins.
Hank suddenly appears, balancing two boxes of chips, two burgers, and a milkshake. He plants them on the table roughly and plonks himself on his seat. He stares between the two of you expectantly. "What'd I miss?"
"Thanks, Hank! Nothing much," says Connor brightly as he happily takes his box of fries and wrapped burger over to his side of the table. "We were just talking about seduction."
"Uh, that's enough." Hank's lip curls with discomfort and he stares at Connor strangely. "Don't go draggin' me into your freaky conversations." He unwraps his burger and takes a hefty bite out of it, munching audibly.
"You wanna try some, Y/N?" Connor asks, his eyes studying you softly as he offers you a chip.
A small amount couldn't hurt... And you have been wondering how your system could possibly handle human food. But, at the same time, you're not too sure if you're willing to risk a system blockage thanks to all of those oils and fats.
"Maybe next time," you say simply. "I don't know how your arteries can handle all of that... I hope you both regularly see doctors. Especially you, Hank," you shoot the man a concerned stare, "you're reaching an age where you need to look after yourself more."
Hank snorts, "Hey, don't bring up my age. How old are you, again? 10 months old?"
"...Touche. But my body and mind don't share the same age. Something we have in common, Hank."
"Hey, are you callin' me immature?"
You smile widely. "Mhm. What are you going to do about it?"
Hank smiles right back at you. It's surprisingly sincere. "Ah, I missed this. You know just how to get on my nerves." He pauses, takes a big bite from his burger, and munches loudly. Again. A very grating noise you're surprisingly irritated by, considering you've dealt with far worse in the past (like the squelching skin of a wet, dead Carlos Ortiz, for example).
Connor chomps on his chips happily. It's nice that everything has gone back to normal... Or, well, a new normal, considering Androids are now free. The legal logistics haven't yet been worked out, but you're sure Markus will have that under wraps too.
Things are good.
Right?
Right...
Then why do you feel like something bad is about to happen?
AUTHOR'S NOTE ━ whatttt? an update two days in a row? even i wasn't expecting that considering how lazy I've been lately-
anYWAY, if things go to plan, the next chapter will gently slap you in the face with angst, so i thought i'd be nice and give you a sorta fluffy chapter where you can pretend everything is good before angst tries to strangle you! >:)
i hope you enjoyed!! again, thank you to everyone who's come this far and is still sticking around to read this story, you guys mean the absolute WORLD to me and i never thought i'd have so many readers interacting!