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You felt a forceful tug from the leash wrapped around your wrist as your dog dragged you out of the open door. The rough fabric of the leash dug into your wrist as Atlas tugged you down the steps that lead into your house. The crisp morning air of Detroit blew directly into your face the second you exited your house, causing you to shiver. Your hair flew around haphazardly as a chilling gust of wind whisked by.

It was still quite dark outside, but the several inches of snow that fell the night before shimmered beautifully under the moonlight. A dark blue haze lingered over the neighborhood, a stark contrast against the warm yellow street lamps. You were wearing many layers and thick gloves, but you concluded that no amount of clothing could battle the cold that a winter in Detroit brought. The snow crunched loudly under your feet as you trekked along, your thick snow boots protecting your feet from the frigid snow. At least your feet were not that cold. You would probably feel a bit warmer if you had some form of head covering, but your dog, Atlas, chewed up your only beanie earlier that week.

You had only moved to Detroit recently, about a month ago, and you had not adjusted to the colder air yet. You came to Michigan from South Carolina, where it was nearly sweltering most of the time. You arrived in Detroit with only a few coats, hoping you would be alright in the Michigan weather. As soon as you saw the forecast for the week, your jaw practically hit the floor. You ended up having to venture around the city to different stores to get yourself an assortment of clothes suitable for the freezing weather and hefty amounts of snow.

When something unexpected happened, you were forced to move from your apartment in Charleston. Your parents were kind enough to sell you an old house on the outskirts of Detroit at a dirt-cheap price. It was small, but it was better than the very cramped apartment that you used to rent.Your new house had one story with a small living room, an open kitchen, and a bedroom connected to a surprisingly large bathroom. 

The bedroom in your old apartment was not large enough to fit anything more than a twin-sized bed, and it had a broken door connected to a shoddy bathroom. You notified your landlord of the broken door, and he did absolutely nothing about it. You had been lucky enough that the front door worked, so you decided to drop the matter.

Although you had moved into the house almost a month ago, you had not unpacked many of your belongings yet. The only stuff that ended up unsealed was what you used daily or took out of a box and never had the time to put away. Several boxes were scattered around your house since you had yet to unpack them. Some were open, and several remained untouched and sealed with copious amounts of tape. Most containers had half-faded labels made with barely legible Sharpie. You simply did not have enough time to unpack, as you were immediately on the hunt for a job. You found one quickly and immediately began working full-time to refill the hole you put in your wallet several days earlier, when you spent a couple hundred dollars on clothes so you would not freeze to death.

Atlas barked at you, and it shook you from your thoughts. You gazed down at her large, fuzzy face as she stared up at you. Her graying muzzle shoved into your hands, searching for warmth. You did not know what breed she was, since you got her from a shelter that found her as a stray. You got her when she was a year old, and although she was eight years old now, she was still as energetic as ever. Her shaggy tail flopped around in the snow as she sat, caking together onto her long fur. Snow was still falling slowly, and you could see the small flakes landing on her jet-black coat and fading as they melted. She yipped at you again, and you realized you were in the middle of the snow-covered sidewalk, lost in your own head again.

You leaned down and patted Atlas on the head to apologize, feeling her damp fur weave between your fingers. Her ears shifted back as she pressed her head up into your hand. The corners of your mouth lifted when you heard her tail thumping against the pathway. With your arm fully outstretched to pet Atlas, your sleeve shifted back just enough for you to glance down at your watch. It was 4:56 am. You had been standing in that same spot for nearly ten minutes. You were going to be late for the meetup with Connor. Ever since the two of you met, you had walked your dogs together almost every morning. You looked up at the sky, memories of when you first met him flooding into your head.

Your first afternoon in your new house, after you unpacked a bit, you fished around in the cardboard box labeled ‘Atlas’ to find her leash so you could take her out on a walk. It was not in the box, and you spent the rest of the day searching for it. It probably would have just been easier to buy her a new leash. On the third evening of your move-in, you finally found Atlas’ leash in a box filled with miscellaneous items. The box was aptly labeled ‘random shit.’

You originally planned on a short walk around the neighborhood that evening but got lost after about ten minutes of trudging through the snow. Your phone died in your hands when you tried to find directions home. As you wandered mindlessly, the sun began to set, washing the sky in gorgeous hues of orange and deep purple. The old street lamps along the left side of the road flicked on when the sun dipped below the horizon. You trembled as it got colder, your new snow boots rubbing on your heels as you strolled. You exhaled through your mouth, watching as the small cloud of breath vanished into the air.

Atlas spotted a large dog next to somebody on the other side of the street and turned towards them. You felt a soft jerk on your wrist and glanced down at your dog before looking at the other dog and its owner across the street. You took a deep breath, your palms beginning to sweat from under the gloves as you realized what you had to do. You had to speak to a stranger.

“Excuse me!” You called out as you jogged to the other side of the road. The giant dog that walked next to the stranger turned around and pricked his ears toward Atlas as his long tail swished from side to side. When the person turned towards you, the first thing that caught your eye was the LED on his temple that flickered blue. What you noticed next were his large, dark-colored eyes, blown wide in surprise. You could barely discern his other facial features, even with the streetlights on. The lamps were obviously very old, as most of the bulbs were either flickering or did not even work.

“Is something the matter?” The android questioned as his eyes flicked down to Atlas. He smiled at her before looking back up at you. You knew Atlas would not misbehave, but you kept her close to your side in case the other dog got upset.

“Sorry to interrupt your walk,” you trailed off as you thought about how to explain your situation. “I just moved here recently, and I managed to get lost while taking this one on a walk,” you gestured to Atlas. “Do you live in the neighborhood? Do you think you could help me?” You asked the android, a little desperate to get home.

The stranger, who introduced himself as Connor, agreed to help you find your way home. It did not take long for him to find directions after you told him your house number, as androids were technically walking databases. You and Connor engaged in awkward small talk while he led you back to your house. At some point during the walk back, Atlas made friends with the other dog. You were used to Atlas dwarfing other dogs, but she was quite small compared to the mammoth-like Saint Bernard.

“Can I see you again?” Connor managed to choke out when you were halfway through your door. Your dog slipped into the house, and you unhooked her leash before closing the door behind her and turning around. Connor’s warm brown eyes were darting around, landing everywhere except for you. His friend’s dog, who you learned was named Sumo, slobbered all over his hand which was clutched tightly around the leash. You could have sworn that Connor’s face was turning blue, but it was too dark to tell. 

“I’d like that.” You responded, an awkward smile making its way onto your face. Your eyes met Connor’s, and his lips quirked upward. Your breath hitched in your throat at his slight smile. You would be lying if you said you were not blushing, even if it was just a little bit.

“Every morning, before I go to work, I take Sumo on a walk. Would you like to join me tomorrow?” He asked, his head tilting to the side slightly. You had not known him for very long, but you noticed his mannerisms were comparable to a dog’s. It was cute. You found yourself wondering how CyberLife made his facial expressions so intricate. If he did not have the LED, you would not be able to tell that he was an android.

“I’d love to. I’m quite sure that Atlas would love a new friend as well.” You answered, looking down at Sumo. The Saint Bernard was sitting down, his tail thumping against the snow. He looked up at you with an unbelievably cute stare as drool fell ungracefully from his large jowls.

From then on, the two of you went for a walk together every morning. You agreed to his proposal since you did not want to get lost again. However, that was only one of two reasons. The other reason was quite simple. You thought Connor was cute. Soon, the morning walks you went on together became something you always looked forward to. Sometimes, you and Connor would stop to chat on a bench in the park and watch the sunrise. Atlas and Sumo usually sat quietly, but on occasion they would play together to burn off extra energy.

As you reminisced, you picked up the pace so you would not be late to the bench at the park where you and Connor met up every morning. Atlas trotted along happily, leaving large paw prints in the snow. Sporadically, she would stop and sniff a tree root or some odd substance on the sidewalk. You were less inclined to let her investigate the latter. Snow began to smother her thick black fur, leaving a frosty shroud over her coat. You were not worried about her being cold since her pelt provided ample protection from the frigid weather. You lifted your head from the snowy ground and spotted two familiar figures standing by a bench.

As soon as Connor heard your footsteps, he turned around with a smile. Sumo stood beside him, wagging his tail when he caught sight of Atlas. Connor’s features looked gorgeous, bathed in the soft morning light. His short, brunette hair was gently flowing with the wind, more notably the few strands longer than the others that rested on his forehead and curled slightly. His brown eyes were reflecting the blue light, making a beautiful display. The moles and freckles that dotted across his face and his prominent forehead lines, even if they were made to be imperfections, made him look simply breathtaking.

“Are you alright? You have not blinked in 1 minute and 54 seconds. You seem a bit zoned out.” Connor’s concerned voice interrupted your very blatant staring. You immediately looked away, your face turning a bit red. Your heart skipped a beat, and anything you wanted to say got caught in your throat. You felt Connor’s presence as he stepped closer to you, reaching his hand in his pocket to grab something. Connor’s hands reached above you, and you felt something warm on the top of your damp hair; it covered your ears when the android lightly tugged it down.

“Apologies,” he trailed off, searching for what to say next. “I remember you telling me that Atlas chewed up your beanie, so I bought you a new one. I figured it would be better for you to have a head covering sooner rather than later; I noticed your face turning red from the cold.” He explained bashfully, a crooked smile on his face. He promptly realized his hands were still hovering near your head and awkwardly rested them by his sides.

“Thanks, Connor.” You responded softly, tugging the beanie down. You looked up at him, a goofy smile plastered on your face. As much as you would love to deny it, the cherry color that brushed your cheeks was not from the cold biting at your face, as Connor believed. You were blushing simply because Connor was just so cute. As the professional front that he put up when he first met you slowly chipped away, an irresistibly endearing and thoughtful personality was revealed. You wondered how someone with such an in-depth personality could be even slightly comparable to a machine.

“You don’t have to thank me; I’m just looking out for you. I don’t want you to get sick,” Connor stated. His intonation was always professional, but you learned to detect the hints of sweetness that were sometimes laced into his voice. He smiled gently at you, and you practically swooned.

“We have been standing here for 2 minutes and 23 seconds longer than usual. Shall we begin walking?” The android asked, his head tilting and his brows rising slightly, a mannerism that was quite familiar to you.

“Wow, a whole 2 minutes and 23 seconds?” You commented sarcastically and let out a slight chuckle. His lovable way of just being him always made your heart skip a beat. You playfully nudged him with your shoulder, causing him to smile.

“You’re right. Let’s go!” You shot out quickly before he could defend himself from your previous comment. You skipped forward, with Atlas following you at a trot. You could not hear his footsteps or Sumo’s behind you, and looked back to see what was keeping him. What you saw nearly made your heart stop beating. He was giggling to himself, and there was a softness on his face that you had not seen before. Something that you could not distinguish shone in his eyes as he gazed at you, a dazzling smile on his face. Whatever it was, though, made your breath catch in your throat.

You and Connor walked along the snow-covered pathway in the park, making idle chat as the time passed. The sun began peeking from the horizon, its bright light reflecting onto the snow. It was nearly blinding, and it took your eyes a moment to adjust. You wondered if Connor was having trouble seeing. Were his artificial eyes able to regulate the bright lights quicker than yours? One thought led to the next, and you pondered if he had night vision. His eyes looked so realistic, and the deep brown of his iris reflected light flawlessly. They were enchanting.

“Is there something on my face? You have been staring at me more than usual today.” Connor broke the silence, concern etched on his face as he gazed down at you. His eyes perforated into yours as he attempted to figure out your musings. Your heart stuttered as Connor leaned in close to you. “Your heart rate has increased,” he stated. Your eyes widened and you could feel your face heat up. You silently cursed CyberLife for making him able to identify how quickly your heart was beating with nothing more than a glance.

Atlas stopped abruptly and jerked you forward, interrupting you and Connor. You wordlessly thanked Atlas for saving you from the awkwardness of explaining yourself to the android as she stuck her nose into a snow-covered bush. Sumo repeated her actions, but with his entire head, and the snow on top of the shrubbery fell on both dogs. You let out an animated laugh when Atlas pulled herself from the bush and her coal-black fur was covered with bright snow. She stared at Sumo with a death glare as she shook the snow from her pelt.

The Saint Bernard ignored her, his thick fur sopping wet. Sumo innocently blinked as you continued to laugh, and Connor promptly joined in. The android’s laugh sounded like heaven to your ears. The moment was cut short when Sumo shook himself off, half-melted snow and substantial amounts of dog hair flying directly at you and Connor.

An idea popped into your head when you felt the snow fly onto you. You snickered to yourself before leaning down and scooping some snow into your hands. You formed it into a ball and cringed when it crunched audibly. You tried to be as inconspicuous as you could since you knew that the second Connor knew what you were doing, he would be able to dodge any attack you made. Although, with your luck, the android most likely knew about your plan before even you did due to his preconstruction software, or whatever the hell it was called.

Without a second thought, you hurled the snowball directly at Connor. Your aim was on point, and the snowball would have hit him square in the back of the head if he did not crane his neck to the side to dodge it. It barely grazed the edge of his ear. He turned around and stared at you, his eyebrow cocked upwards. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes as he stalked over to you, Sumo happily trotting after him.

“I hope you meant to miss that,” your name slipped from his lips. “It was entirely too easy to dodge. I don’t think you want to play these types of games with me.” He leaned down, his face now level with yours as he gave you a dangerous look. You gritted your teeth at his teasing, but a smile managed to inch its way onto your face. The close proximity made your heart thrum in your chest, but you managed to ignore it. He brought his hand up slowly, slightly hesitating before cupping your face. Even though he was an android, you could still feel subtle warmth emanating from it. His deep brown eyes bore into yours, his face tinted a slight blue.

“You know… I really enjoy our morning walks.”