⑆⑇⑈「 ʷᵃˡᵏ ᵒⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ʷᶦʳᵉˢ 」

                it’s been worth all the biting his tongue and the secrecy, he decides, the moment he sees realization cross the rk unit’s face. connor used to have a hard time expressing himself, especially right after deviating - felt like emotions were too readable or too much on his own face but now, he’s lite up like a fuckin’ christmas tree and hank’s old heart feels something that reminds him of cole’s fourth birthday. the one where he got his first bike. 

               “no,” he turns off the car, pointing at connor’s person, “you’re gettin’ a dog. c’mon,” he he’s hoisting himself out of the front seat, complete with his pattented old man groan in doing so.

          the lieutenant’s words catch him entirely off guard, brows raising and amber hues widening as the android is left completely speechless while his partner gets out of the car. after a couple seconds of a swirling led and vacant blinking, connor is hopping out of the vehicle himself and standing upright to look at hank over the roof of the car.

                 “nope,” hank just shakes his head, “a time frame gives you more chance to guess,” he’s not stupid, just old. and connor has a computer brain capable of being able to tell what’s ten minutes out and what’s twenty minutes out, “now what did i say? you’re an advanced crime bot, not a pouting kid,” here he lightly whaps the android on the arm with his free hand.

                 it’s roughly fifteen minutes later, with a few more deflections at connor trying to get him to spill, before eventually, he’s coming to a stop. the sign on the building reads ‘detroit dog rescue.’ he puts the car in park, before glancing sidelong to judge the bot’s reaction. 

          he can’t help smiling at hank’s teasing despite how he tries to pretend he’s annoyed, casting him a sidelong glance as he half-heartedly attempts to swat his hand away. though the rk unit keeps up the facade for a couple more minutes, before too long he’s sitting up in his seat again and peering at nearly every building they drive by, trying to identify without ‘cheating’ and using his software to guess where they might be going.

          when they inevitably reach their destination, connor looks somewhat confused for just a second--led flickers gold as he asks himself why they would be here, because the logical conclusion is that they’re going to adopt a dog, but why would they be doing that? his curiosity quickly gives way to excitement, however, and he’s looking over at hank with a wide smile and big, hopeful brown eyes.

                  “you can keep askin’, i’m not going to tell you,” connor is, if anything, persistent. hank knows this better than most. but hank is also a very stubborn man, so he won’t break so easily as he drives them into down. the music is set low, more of a background noise as if to not disturb the quiet summer afternoon. he has the windows down, as it’s a comfortable temperature outside, “just sit there and be patient. and no scanning probable routes or whatever, either. a surprise is supposed to be a surprise.” // @lastdissent​ gets a surprise

Declan returns the kiss, peppering a few more on Connor’s lips. “You’re welcome dear.” Leans his head forward so his forehead touches Connor’s. Feeling safe and loved in Connor’s embrace. He does peck Connor’s forehead before speaking. “You can always ask me for attention.”

              connor brings up all good points, but in a way that reminds hank just a year ago, he was uncertain what the range of human emotions was. connor lists off what he wants and how he feels when he doesn’t get it almost like one would list ailments to their doctor. hank pops off the top to his beer, takes a long drink, and sits himself back on the couch. sumo doesn’t so much as move.

              “first of all, it’s not your job to fix the shitty humans you hang around with, myself included,” something he feels he has to remind the android of whenever he tries too hard to fix messes hank puts himself in, “and you aren’t making him do it alone. sometimes all you can do is present yourself as…open to the situation, and trust that they come to you. forcing your way in when he might not want you there could be more harmful than it is helpful.”

          there’s a flicker in his led as he considers what hank is saying, blinking curiously once or twice and staring at him perhaps a little bit like a baby deer--something that hank has probably seen often by now. there’s several reasons that he comes to the lieutenant when he has a problem, and his uncanny ability to put connor before everything else where the android can’t seem to do it for himself is only one of them. it’s almost as if he’s never thought of it that way, and he likely hasn’t.

Cups the back of Connor’s head, threads fingers through his hair. Humming happily giving the android dear in his arms much needed affection.