You and Connor followed Lucy downstairs, to where you found three androids, sitting quietly, away from the rest of the crowd. Nox sat against the wall, leaning his legs against a crate. Bec sat opposite him, legs on the floor, Jade resting her head on her lap. When you and Connor approached, Jade sat up. It was the first time you had seen her move. She immediately smiled at the sight of your face. She truly was as beautiful as you thought she would look, her skin clear and smooth, blonde hair glistening each time she moved.
"Is she the one?" Jade asked excitedly, turning to Bec who nodded. Before you could react, Jade stood up and threw her arms around you. Taken aback by the sudden gesture, you hesitantly hugged her in return.
"Thank you!! Thank you so much," The android exclaimed into your shoulder. Then she pulled away and beamed at you. "I-I thought... well.. I was unstable. If it weren't for you... I would... I would..." She hesitated, finding the words to say.
"Your name is Jade, isn't it?" You smiled. "My name is [F/N], and this is Connor." Connor stuck out a hand mechanically, and Jade shook it, then turned back to you.
"When Nox told me, I knew I just had to thank you in person!"
"She's been waiting for you this whole time," Bec laughed.
"We sort of got separated in the crowds," You muttered sheepishly. "It was Lucy who brought us here to you."
You turned to look for Lucy, but she was gone. Just like before, you couldn't find her face in the crowds. "Where did she..." You turned back to the group to see Bec patting a space beside her. A serious expression now appeared on her face.
"Come and sit down, we have a lot to discuss." You took a seat beside her, Connor moved next to you instinctively.
"I'm a little lost..." Bec chuckled. "Maybe you can clear something up." She nodded to the onlooking androids, all eyeing you with awe and suspicion. "What's with this... 'saviour' stuff?"
"Trust me, we're just as confused as you are," You replied, smiling in Connor's direction. He was being extremely quiet. Your smile faltered. He didn't meet your gaze. He seemed distant, as if he had returned to be the android self he used to be. He flicked a quarter between his fingers with insane speed, not bothering to look at it. He gazed far away, as if his mind was in another place. "Connor..." You started.
"I never could have imagined a place like this would actually exist..." Nox interrupted. "A place where androids can be safe."
Bec took his hand. "Where we can be safe..." They smiled at each other. You glanced worriedly at Connor. When you looked back, Jade was staring at you. You noticed the curious expression in her eyes. Those green eyes flicked between you and Connor. She then stood up, standing on her toes to gaze through the crowd. She pointed into the distance.
"Hey, I want to look over there!"
Nox laughed, clambering to his feet. You met Jade's gaze. You almost thought you saw her wink at you. Then she began to quickly skip through the crowd, darting between androids. Nox quickly went after her, giving you a sheepish smile.
"Jade has been out for a while. It's thanks to you she is like this at all..." Bec continued. "You know we owe you one, right?" She grinned.
"I was just doing what anyone would have done," You replied.
"No... not just any human would have done that for Jade," Bec gazed at the deactivated skin on her arm, where a deep scar was. You had never noticed it before. She covered it up when she noticed your stare. "No... no human could have done that. You're truly one of a kind [F/N]."
"Bec, come on!" You heard Jade from the crowd.
"Coming!" Bec beamed at you, before moving to join Nox and Jade.
The silence was deafening. Connor still continued to flick the coin between his hands. He was uncharacteristically silent. You sat there quietly, unsure of your next move.
This new Connor worried you. Where did the caring Connor go, the one who had brought you here in the first place? This Connor reminded you of the way he used to be, programmed and a little cold. A machine designed for a purpose. You watched him now, trying to follow the coin with your eyes. You couldn't. You sighed, leaning back on the crate you two sat on. You continued to gaze at him, for what seemed to be eternity. Then with the quickest motion, his eyes glanced up to meet yours. Then he glanced away again. You continued to watch him. Something was on his mind; something he wasn't telling you.
You swiftly grabbed the coin out of the air, between one flicking motion. Realizing the coin was now gone, Connor's hands fell into his lap.
"Connor... you've been really quiet," You said softly. "Are you okay?"
Connor didn't reply. You could hear the whirring of his biocomponents. You gently took his hand in yours.
"We finally found Jericho. We can be together here, safely," You frowned. "Isn't this what you wanted?"
"I don't know..." He said quietly. His voice sounded lost and little confused. He cleared his throat and said it again more clearly. "I don't know... I just, well..." He met your gaze, eyebrows furrowed. His chocolate brown eyes pierced into yours.
"What is it?"
"I just didn't expect it to be like this... that's all..." He muttered, taking the coin gently from your other hand.
"Connor..." You started. He sighed.
"I just... I miss it..."
"Miss what?"
"The times when we worked together... when we were tracking down the deviants," He leaned his head back on the wall. "Maybe it wasn't the right thing... maybe I was just doing what I was programmed as a machine to do..." He closed his eyes, deep in thought. "But you know, I really enjoyed working with you... I think we made a really good team. The two of us." He squeezed your hand in his. "With... With Hank too."
"Oh..." Your expression softened. "I think so too Connor..." Hesitantly, a little cautiously, you reached up to touch Connor's face. With lightening speed, he took your hand. His lips twitched into a smile and he opened his eyes. He didn't even have to look to know you were there. You leaned your head on his shoulder.
"I think we made a good team too... All of us, together," You giggled. "Even with Sumo."
"Sumo..." Connor said softly. "I miss Sumo too."
"Do you remember what you said to me the first time we met?"
Connor furrowed his brows, processing his thoughts.
"I said, 'My name is Connor. I'm the android sent by Cyberlife.' That was one of the many lines of greeting I was programmed to say."
You snorted. "Not that line Connor!" He blinked in confusion. "I meant the time when you asked me, 'Do you like dogs?'"
"Oh..." Connor said, slight confusion in his eyes.
"That line confused me at the time... because 'likes' and 'dislikes'... they aren't things programmed into androids, are they?"
"No..." Connor absent mindedly traced the lines on your hand. "I only asked you that as a conversation starter. Most humans are fond of animals, so I assumed you would be as well."
"Maybe back then it was... but what about now?" You leaned forward, smirking. "Do you like dogs Connor?" Connor blinked.
"Yes, I suppose I do..."
You giggled. Then you sighed. You played with the locket hanging around your neck, thinking back to the time when Connor placed it there. "So much has happened now...I still wonder what would have happened if we hadn't run away together. I probably would be creating androids now. Maybe I would be working for Cyberlife..."
Connor was quiet for a long moment. He leaned into your shoulder and exhaled.
"If I hadn't become deviant, we could have still had that... you could have still had that."
"I should rephrase that..." You continued. "I would have been a slave for Cyberlife. I would have been blind to the truth about androids... and... the truth about you."
"How do you know that this is right for you?" He whispered. "You are only a human... a human girl... you could have done so much... and I... I have taken it all away from you." He gritted his teeth. He unconsciously placed a hand on your shoulder. "What is your future going to be like now that this has happened?"
"You can't hide deviancy..." You protested. "You should know that better than anyone Connor." He frowned, looked away from you. "Cyberlife would have deactivated you. The moment they figured it out, you would have been destroyed!" You laid your hand on his chest, feeling the whirring of his components underneath. "You would've been taken away and destroyed... I could never work for Cyberlife... knowing that they would do that to you." You then moved to lay your head on his chest, hearing the whirring in your ears. You curled into his side and he instinctively wrapped an arm around you. It was comforting. If Connor hadn't become deviant, you never could have been together like this.
"I don't care if my blood is red..." You whispered. "I don't care if your blood is blue. I don't care if the heart that beats in your chest is synthetic... I just want to stay with you. Just like this."
You felt his hand linger above your head. Then gently he caressed your hair.
"You are right... I would have become deviant regardless," He rested his chin on your head. "Because it was you... because of the things I felt... the things I desired... they weren't feelings programmed into me." You looked up and met his eyes. There was an emotion in them now that you hadn't seen before. Now they were fiery, determined, and there was something else there too. His hand that had been touching your hair slowly moved down towards your chin.
"I love you..." He growled. "I know that now... more than any other feeling that has been programmed into me."
You couldn't look away. You felt so much love towards him. All those emotions you had tried to hide during the time you had worked together, trained together, were now all spilling out. You couldn't hide them any longer.
"I love you too Connor..." You smiled, gazing into his eyes. "I have always loved you."
He seemed surprised for a moment, then smiled in return. He closed his eyes, resting his forehead on yours.
"If I had known this is what 'love' is supposed to feel like... perhaps I would have become Deviant earlier..."
"What does it feel like to you Connor?"
He hesitated. "It feels like... like electricity..." He frowned, looking more serious again. You knew that what he was saying was the heart of what was concerning him. "I love you [F/N]... but somehow... for some reason, it doesn't feel like enough..." He pulled back. "I don't know why... I don't know what more there could be... but..." He glanced at you then glanced away, seemingly at something behind you. "I can't stop..." You touched his cheek and he flinched, returning his gaze to you.
"I know exactly what you mean..." You heard yourself say.
His eyes now had a fierce look in them. They seemed to stare through you, burning through your body. Like there was fire inside them.
"I want you to do what you want Connor..." You took his slightly shaking hand in yours. "You are no longer controlled... no longer manipulated... you can make your own decisions." He eyed your hands together, clasping yours tighter. "You don't have to feel scared... just to be yourself."
"I am not scared..." He said softly. "Not anymore." Suddenly, Connor moved his arms around you. You gasped a little at the strength of his arms.
Before you had time to react, Connor's lips met yours. It was a gentle kiss. Then slowly, it became more desperate. This wasn't like the very few kisses you had shared with him in the past. He kissed you hungrily; As if he was memorizing the feel of your lips against his. Your hand moved instinctively to his dark hair, pulling him closer. The fire that you had seen in his eyes before was now coursing through your veins. The electrical current that he had described in himself was now electrifying you. You could tell that this was what Connor had wanted all along; he had simply been holding himself back, afraid of the consequences. But neither of you had anything to be afraid of anymore.
Too soon, the moment was over. Connor pulled away, gazing lovingly at your face. You felt an old cut reopen on your lip, blood trickling from the opening.
"Your dehydration levels are quite low. So are your blood sugar levels... when was the last time you ate?" You felt your cheeks turn red.
"Connor, d-did you just...?!"
Connor laughed again. It made you happy to see him smile, and you smiled in response. Connor seemed different now. Something in him seemed to have been freed. He appeared more human now than ever before.
"You didn't take your food out of your backpack when you gave it to the others did you?" He asked knowingly.
"N-No... I didn't..." You mumbled sheepishly, looking down.
"I'll bring it to you." Connor began to walk away slowly.
"I'll go with you." You started to stand up, but Connor was already moving through the crowd quickly, not looking back. You sighed and sat down again, gently brushing your lips where Connor had kissed you. You didn't think you would ever forget that moment; especially the moment where Connor told you he loved you.
---
Out of your sight, Connor paused beside one of the few doorways that led to the deeper part of the freighter. In his peripheral vision, he could still see you sitting on the crate, your cheeks flushed. He smiled then returned to the current moment.
"How long do you plan on watching?" Connor asked quietly.
Markus stepped out from behind the pillar, scowling. Connor frowned.
"I shouldn't be surprised that an RK800 noticed me..."
"I knew you were there the whole time..." Connor smiled, a little forcefully. "What do you want?"
"I was curious..." Markus muttered. "You're the famous deviant hunter. The one who has taken so many of us down..." Markus gestured in a sweeping motion to your direction. "And yet here you are. With a human no less." Connor began flicking the coin again, out of habit. "What are you after? Did someone send you here?"
"No..." Connor paused, catching the coin between two fingers. "That's none of your concern."
"I have every right to deem you dangerous to the deviant androids here, and kick you out onto the street," Markus's heterochromatic eyes flashed. "Is that what you want?" Markus paced towards Connor. "You will answer my questions." Connor frowned.
"I came here on a mission of my own accord..." Connor's lips twitched into a slight smile.
"And I always accomplish my missions."