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when the earth meets the rain (Connor x Chloe)

Title: when the earth meets the rain Fandom: Detroit: Become Human Pairing: Connor x Chloe (Connoe) Summary: Chloe reunites with the brown-eyed ex-deviant hunter who saved her life in more ways than one.

Now then!!! Before we get started here, I just want to forewarn everyone that this first chapter is kind of like one massive trash heap of WORDS experiment! Again, I haven’t written anything in years, so any feedback is greatly appreciated. But it feels good to be writing again!! And for a ship that’s gone under the radar, but I absolutely love!!!

So, without further ado, I present to you the first chapter! Hope you enjoy it!

CHAPTER ONE - Passerby on a Snowy Night

January 12, 2039

It was very late, almost one o’clock in the morning. Although physical exhaustion was an impossible sensation for Chloe’s kind, there was no denying the strain in her processors from the long day she’d had. Every available reservation had been booked, wave after wave of families and other large parties coming through, the entire staff busting their chops to keep tables clean and hungry, expectant customers satisfied. Chloe was good at being organized, staying on top of things when it came to monitoring the status of service and a consumer’s approval of said service, all the while maintaining a charming and welcoming disposition. It was a quality she’d been programmed with. But if there had ever been a time when her capabilities were forced to function to their fullest potential, every facet of her model’s programming pushed to their absolute limit, tonight had been it.

Chloe lightly pressed her fingers against her temple as she trekked down the snow-covered streets of Detroit, eager and determined to get home as soon as possible. After such a tedious workday of cheerful greetings that gradually became more and more forced as the hours went on, petty customer complaints, order mix-ups, spills and breaks and general discombobulation, Chloe was longing for the peace and quiet of her small apartment. Her tiny gray couch and a warm cup of thirium sounded wonderful.

Despite her tired resolve, Chloe couldn’t help but slow down just a little bit to admire the city on a night like this. Sure, she could have taken a driverless taxi. But taking the time to experience and appreciate the world and all its wonder was not only a trend some were trying to revive, but a sensation that was completely incompatible for Chloe until just about a month ago. All of this was new to her, like having a veil removed from her face that had been there from the beginning of her existence. She could make out the dark shapes of the city laden with snow. She could feel the chill in the air, and the warmth of her coat, against her artificial skin. She could feel cold gusts combing through her hair, stinging her cheeks and biting her ears. The city lights sparkled in Chloe’s eyes as she took it all in.

The snow was coming down softly like a sheet of teeny-tiny white feathers, accumulating on the sidewalks and on top of cars and mailboxes, glittering under the mild light shone from neon blinking signs and the glowing street lamps that lined the sidewalks. The number of civilians was sparse due to the late hour, passing by here and there. Couples on late night outings. Adolescents who more than likely weren’t supposed to be out this late, whispering to one another, on their way to cause some trouble, no doubt. Men and women bundled up in their coats, gripping briefcases or donning company caps, probably just as weary and anxious to get home from their own strenuous workday. A few homeless people, wrapped in their thin, patchwork blankets to shield themselves from the cold as they slept. Chloe dropped some one-dollar bills and coins into their cardboard boxes and tin cans as she passed. It wasn’t much, but, regrettably, it was all she had on her right now.

Chloe continued on her way, deciding to allow the thought curling up on her couch with the new puppy she’d just adopted alleviate any further distractions. Just get home...No stops...

But then that’s when she saw him.

At first, Chloe wasn’t thinking much of it. Just another passerby walking towards her, no big deal. As they closed the distance, however, Chloe found herself taking note of a tall figure in a leather jacket and blue jeans. Judging by the nature of their gait, Chloe concluded it was a male.The stranger’s nose was buried into the thick black scarf wrapped around his neck, and his hands into the pockets of his jacket. All of that was fine and dandy, but it was the dark blue toque that was pulled over his head that particularly caught Chloe’s attention. Printed on the body of the hat, in bold white letters, was: DETROIT CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT, the department’s insignia sewn into the toque’s folded fabric.

Again, Chloe didn’t think too much of it. There was that brief sense of admiration, respect, and, in this case, a bit of caution, that typically came with being in the presence of someone with such a profession. Otherwise, Chloe just minded herself and kept walking. Closer and closer. Indeed, the stranger simply passed her by. But not before Chloe had decided for whatever reason, curiosity or what have you, to look up at his partially hidden face.

She glimpsed a pair of warm brown eyes.

It made Chloe freeze squarely in her tracks, her shoes pressing into the snow beneath her with a soft crunch. Her processors had apparently forgotten how spent they were, because everything in her was suddenly racing as if jump-started. Her LED cycled yellow, and her thirium pump had accelerated, thudding wildly in her chest. She wondered if her optical units were playing tricks on her, and if not, what the chances were that this would happen. That it would be him.

From the soft skid in the snow behind her, Chloe knew the stranger had come to a halt as well. Her hands gripped the strap of her purse nervously. She began to turn, painfully slow, and from the corner of her optical unit, she could see the man doing the same, albeit not nearly as hesitant. He turned at the waist until his left foot went out and he was facing her halfway.

Their eyes met. Her eyes blew wide, mouth agape as she gazed into a shade of brown that was awfully familiar. She remembered those very same eyes looking down at her over the barrel of a gun pointed directly at her head. Eyes that had been conflicted and confused. She remembered how he’d refused to shoot her dead, insisting with a disturbed, shaking breath and the withdrawal of his hand for Kamski to take back the gun. At the time, she couldn’t comprehend the significance of his refusal. That was certainly no longer the case, her days of being a mere machine long over. Not only had he spared her life, but in the end had assisted Markus in setting their kind free to live lives of their own.

In that way, he’d saved her twice.

“....Connor?” she said carefully, softly. Then a troubling realization dawned on her. There had been several other RT600s that day. No. There were several hundreds of RT600s, of Chloe models, in existence. What were the odds he’d recognize her as the one he’d spared? The thought made Chloe’s LED momentarily flashed red.

His brows pinched together, unsure and thinking. Uncertain recognition, but recognition nonetheless and it made Chloe’s heart jump. After a long pause, he turned to face her fully. A hand lifted to pull his scarf below his chin, revealing the entirety of his face. In that moment, Chloe recalled something else. An observation that, at the time, had simply been just that. An observation made by a machine that could only receive and acknowledge information, without personal or emotional response or thought. In the light of her newfound deviancy, a supposedly minute observation now made warmth bloom across Chloe’s face.

He’s very handsome.

“Do I...know you?” Connor asked gently, with a small tilt of the head. It was initially astonishing to hear him ask that. Connor, the most advanced android CyberLife had to offer, was inquiring about a mere RT600 model. But of course, Chloe kept in mind the change he himself had undergone, his renewal from acting as CyberLife’s puppet to a defender of his own kind and their rights as individuals. Right now, he was wondering if he had ever known her specifically. No longer was Chloe just another commercial face mass produced by CyberLife, but a person all of her own.

“We met before,” Chloe all but blurted out. The immediate recoil within her was unexpected. What was this burning in her cheeks, in her chest, from her eagerness to respond? Was she, perhaps….Embarrassed?

She placed a hand on her chest, taking a small step closer. “I’m...Chloe. N-not just another Chloe but...The one that you…” Her LED flashed yellow as she struggled with her words. Needless to say, Chloe was a little displeased with herself right now. But Connor only stared, unfazed by her stumbling in articulation, in his own thoughts and LED glowing yellow.

“Chloe.” Connor repeated her name slowly, testing. There was the faintest glimmer of revelation in his eyes, and Chloe jumped for it.

“I-I’m the android you...After Mr. Kamski…” Chloe swallowed, feeling her lips beginning to tremble. “Elijah gave you a choice to...to shoot me or spare me. You spared me, Connor. I’m that android.”

They both stood still in a pregnant silence. Connor’s LED a bright gold, spinning and spinning, eyes wide, flickering, yet unreadable. Chloe was holding a nonexistent breath, clenching her teeth, feeling her thirium pump beat feverishly in her chest. The seconds ticked by, the two androids just staring at each other. Thinking and waiting. It was sort of awkward, but for Chloe it was chillingly redolent, to look into his eyes again. Thankfully, the circumstances were different now.

Just when the bated silence was beginning to entertain the horrible prospect that Chloe had somehow made a mistake, Connor spoke.

“Yes,” he said. He took a step closer. “I...remember you.”

Chloe felt a number of things in that moment, every sentiment exploding through her systems in electric waves of elation and relief that made her shoulders relax. But then they were stiff again as Chloe drew in her lip, her heart swelling as she looked up at the man who’d saved her life. The life she hadn’t known was hers at the time, and alternatively would never have known had he remained purely devoted to his mission and pulled the trigger.

“Thank you,” she finally managed to say. “Thank you for not shooting me. For... letting me live. And for setting our people free. I just wanted to say….Thank you so much.”

Connor didn’t say anything right away, but Chloe just smiled big, overjoyed that she’d gotten to express her gratitude at long last. She looked down at the ground, still overcome with happiness but suddenly feeling shy. Her hand brushed a strand of hair out of her face to tuck it under her hat behind her ear. In the meantime, the fact that Connor had inched even closer had gone unnoticed.

“I’m glad I got to see you again,” she said. Her cheeks flushed as she tenderly smiled at him. “I’ll never forget what you did for me. For our people.” Chloe leaned forward in a small, respectful bow. “Take care, Connor.” With one last smile, Chloe quickly turned to leave. But she only managed to put one foot in front of the other before a large, gentle hand grabbed her arm.

“Please wait.”

Chloe felt a hard thud in her chest, and for a second, she stood absolutely still. She peered over her shoulder, questioning. Connor tugged her back towards him, his warm brown eyes earnest. Chloe’s voice caught in her throat, heat once again burning in her systems. He was quite close all of a sudden.

“Y-yes…? What is it?”

“I’m glad,” he said, and now it was his turn to sound all too eager to spit his words out. “I’m glad that I didn’t take your life.” Red glowed against his temple for a moment, and his brows drew together. “I’m sorry you were put in that situation. You...You were afraid, weren’t you?”

She hadn’t thought about it for so long. But now that he’d asked, prompted her to remember, she was reliving herself being coaxed down onto her knees and face to face with the barrel of the gun. Chloe had always known what the Kamski test was, though she’d never heard of it actually being enacted. She always figured it was Elijah talking about his ideas out loud, as he often did, sharing and processing his thoughts with his Chloes and no one else. The thought of observing whether or not an android would destroy another android for the sake of obedience had been just that. Just a thought. Just a concept to consider. But never had Elijah suggested that if it ever came to it, that one of his Chloe models would be offered as the variable of his little test. When Chloe’s knees had touched the white carpet and she heard Elijah fetching the gun in the drawer, something in her processors faltered. For a moment, her linear train of thought had been disrupted, violently flicked and disturbed by the prospect of what was about to happen.

Increased acceleration in her thirium pump. A foreign but palpable weight dropped into her chest, sinking into her abdomen. Her fingers flexed, then relaxed, then flexed again, and for some reason, Chloe had hoped no one noticed.

What?

She hoped Elijah was only kidding, like he often did. She hoped the other RT600s in the pool wouldn’t have to see this. She hoped no other android, no one, would have to be faced with this. She hoped the RK800 would listen to his partner and that he wouldn’t pull the trigger. She hoped her detached expression wouldn’t shatter, even though it threatened to come undone with every second she was held under the gun. She tried to comprehend why Elijah would do this to her, why he was urging the RK800 to shoot. She really hoped Elijah wouldn’t notice. She hoped to communicate with her eyes, tried pushing every thought, every sensation, every single bit of whatever this was, every...every feeling into her optical units somehow. She locked on to the RK800’s face, bore into those brown eyes that were considering and processing and searching and questioning.

Reluctant and troubled.

Chloe hoped. Chloe was confused. Chloe was feeling. Chloe wanted...No, she didn’t want to….! Undoubtedly Chloe was...She was…

A tremulous artificial breath left her, much like Connor when he’d refused to kill her that day, and her gaze went down to her boots. Chloe nodded, her teeth grazing her lip and her eyes squeezing shut as she felt them begin to burn.

“I didn’t know what would happen to me,” she whispered brokenly, her head shaking. “I couldn’t understand. I was so hurt that he would...He…” Chloe shook her head and opened her eyes, looking up at Connor, exasperated. “I was scared. Afraid to die. Afraid because I was afraid and I….” Chloe looked up at him, and the swelling in her eyes only intensified. “I wasn’t supposed to feel anything. I didn’t know what any of it meant. I was so scared, Connor.”

She could finally just admit it.

Connor released her arm, instead holding her with his tender gaze.

“I understand,” he said softly. “None of us were. I certainly wasn’t. CyberLife did everything they could to make I didn’t deviate. I was their tool. Their puppet.” Connor looked off, staring at nothing, his LED solidly yellow. “But despite their best efforts, even before I broke through my program, I realize now that...I had been feeling from the beginning.” He held up a hand, intently staring at his open palm before closing his hand into a loose fist. He remembered rescuing a rather beautiful fish, the Dwarf Gourami, as he recalled, that had been flopping and flailing on the floor, the poor thing having somehow been ejected from its tank in the chaos that had been a deadly hostage situation. The first mission. His first mission. He remembered scooping the fish into his hand before releasing it back into its tank, watching with wonder as it steadied itself in the water before swimming off safely with its tankmates.

Why? Why had he done that? It hadn’t been necessary. But Connor could only grin knowingly now.

“I never wanted to admit it, for the sake of my mission,” he continued. “I tried so hard to bury them, my own thoughts. My own preferences. But not matter how much I tried to convince myself that it was impossible for me to want anything, that my mission was all mattered, I...I cared about people, about things... I experienced humor and frustration and sadness….” An old, disgruntled face, weary blue eyes, gray hair, the smell of alcohol, and whole lot of curse words flashed through Connor’s mind. Also a big, lazy Saint Bernard. It made him smile fondly. Then and now.

And he also remembered that same old, disgruntled man brandishing his pistol in Connor’s direction with an unsteady hand, snow falling all around them. Those weary blue eyes challenging and on edge.

“I was afraid of dying,” Connor said softly. “When I looked at you, I saw that we were the same. I couldn’t just kill you. My mission wasn’t worth it.”

Chloe felt a swell in her chest, her lips falling slightly agape. Strands of blonde hair streamed in the wind against her face like golden ribbons, her cheeks tinged blue. She felt that same warmth rippled through her shoulders when Connor smiled and said lastly, “I’m happy for you, Chloe. It seems you’ve found your freedom.”

“I have. And I’m glad you found yours,” Chloe replied sincerely, resting a hand against his arm. A moment of pleasant quiet passed between them, the two androids exchanging soft, meaning looks. Tender smiles expressing mutual thankfulness for being alive and free individuals.

“Where were you going?” Connor asked suddenly.

Chloe raised an eyebrow. “Back to my apartment. Why?”

“May I walk with you?”

And with that, the warmth rushed back with a vengeance, burgeoning across Chloe’s face and all throughout her circuits.

“O-oh...Um...T-that’s fine! There’s no need,” she sputtered with a nervous laugh. Why was she nervous again? “I-it’s not far from here. And I’m sure you’re busy.”

Connor smirked, which really didn’t help. “I’m in no hurry to be anywhere. Besides, I’ve enjoyed our exchange and would like to continue our conversation.” There was a pause, and then his expression faltered, suddenly sheepish and...flustered? His next words flew out of his mouth with haste. “I-if that would be alright with you, of course.”

For some reason, Connor confirming that he was enjoying her company made Chloe inexplicably giddy, a ticklish electricity bubbling in her chest. She only flushed more, shifting her shoulders coyly.

“Well, I don’t mind.” She smiled up at him. “Just so you know, I’ve enjoyed this, too.” As soon as she said it, Chloe turned around quickly and started walking, coughing into her knuckles as she waited for Connor to join her. She felt him come up beside her, his arm lightly brushing against hers as they fell into step. They strolled in a peaceful quietness for a while.

“Connor?”

“Yes?”

“What’ve you been up to? How have you been?”

Connor’s LED circled yellow in thought, then settled back to a light blue as he answered, “I’ve been very well. Lieutenant Anderson was kind enough to let me stay with him after all was said and done. I resumed being his partner and….” A proud look lighted his features, his brown eyes glowing. “I’ve become an official member of the police force. With my own badge and everything.”

“What? T-that’s amazing, Connor! I’m so happy for you,” Chloe said genuinely.

“Thank you very much.” Connor then regarded Chloe inquisitively. “And yourself? How have you been?”

It was Chloe’s turn to reflect. Aside from the image that often came to mind of an enigmatic man sitting in front of massive windows, gazing out at the world with a glint in his eyes, Chloe had been…

“Well,” she said. “I’ve been well, too. I’m working at a restaurant as a hostess. Right up my alley. And I’ve got a place to stay.”

“That is good to hear,” Connor said. “What about Mr. Kamski? Do you still keep in contact with him?”

Like the sleet coating the roads, everything in Chloe’s systems froze. The feeling was fleeting, and Chloe, eyes downcast, stammered out a reply, “N-no. I haven’t contacted Elijah for a while now.”

Seeing her sudden discomfort, slight increase in stress, and the brief flash of red against her temple, Connor’s visage creased with concern.

“My apologies,” he said earnestly. “I didn’t mean to ask something distressful. I wasn’t considering how personal it was. You don’t have to talk about it.”

“Oh, no you’re fine,” Chloe reassured. “I’m fine. Really— Relax, Connor. It’s no big deal, I promise.” She smiled at him softly, and with that, he relented with a small nod, turning his attention back to the snowy pathway.

A calm silence again.

Chloe looked up, admiring the soft, falling snow in hopes of distracting from how incredulous she felt. How is it that she’d ended up walking home side by side and chatting with the famous deviant hunter turned revolutionary that had spared and consequently opened her eyes to the realities of her existence? For a moment, she feared it had to be some sort of cruel simulation. Someone was toying with her. Chloe frowned, knowing that maybe he would….

“Are you alright, Chloe?”

Ruminations interrupted, Chloe looked over at Connor and nearly melted under his gentle, concerned gaze. She looked away quickly. They rounded a corner.

“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just…” Chloe let out a long sigh, a little surprised to see her artificial breath somewhat visible in the cold air. Then again, this run-in with Connor had probably made her body overheat a tad. But despite all the excitement, the previous exhaustion in her processors had come back, too great to be held off for long. Chloe held her forehead with her fingertips. “It’s just been a long day.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Are we close to your apartment?”

She chuckled. “It’s actually right here.”

They’d come up on a tiny little apartment complex that had clearly seen better days, only two stories high, dwarfed and squished between the towering buildings on either side of it. Bits of leaves and other debris clung to cobwebs stuck all over the building’s uneven, misshapen pale bricks. A huge spider web dangled from a frayed and tattered, heavily stained mud-brown awning.There was a flight of weathered stone steps between curling, very rusted, iron rails and two porch lights were situated above the top corners of the door, one dead and the other not far behind, flickering pathetically. An old wooden sign was hanging lopsided on the front door, and it seemed to have once read “Welcome Home,” but having been exposed to the elements for so long, only half the letters were still legible.

“It’s um...nothing spectacular. But the rent’s really cheap!” Chloe said. When they had climbed the stairs and reached the door, Chloe turned to Connor with a kind grin. “Thank you for walking with me.”

“Of course,” Connor said. And as Chloe went to open the door, Connor stammered for her attention again. “Chloe...W-would you…” He looked down at his boots, LED glowing yellow.

“Would I…?” Chloe pressed. Her thirium pump started pounding again from anticipation. An unexplainable rush of excitement.

“Now that I know you’re still living in Detroit, would you like exchange contact information?” Connor asked, sounding pretty eager. “It would be nice if...we could...well…”

“....Do this again?” Chloe’s processors were spinning.

“Y-yes! Yes. I believe humans refer to it as ‘hanging out.’”

“You...want to hang out with me?” Her eyes were wide and her face was on fire.

“Well, if you insist.”

Silence fell between them, Chloe tilting her head at him, puzzled. But then she got it, and Chloe’s confusion became a small fit of laughter as Connor’s lips lifted into a cheeky smirk. His eyes remained curious on her as her laughter tapered into giggles against her fingers.

“Alright, sure,” she said, absolutely beaming. The two androids focused for a moment, both of their LEDs flashing yellow as they received each other’s contact codes. Chloe noted how Connor’s eyes twitched with the rapid blinking of his LED. When the exchange was complete, they smiled at each other. Very, very happy.

“Thank you,” Connor said. “It was good to see you again. But I suppose we’ll being seeing more of each other now.”

“I suppose so,” Chloe said. Her audio processors picked up an almost dreamy tone in her voice, to which she cleared her throat.

“Well then...Goodnight, Chloe.”

Chloe’s hand grabbed and twisted the dangerously loose glass doorknob, the door whining loudly on its hinges as it was pushed ajar. Connor made his way backwards down the stone stairs, one step at a time. Chloe put one foot through the threshold. Neither of them looked away.

“Goodnight, Connor.” With that, Chloe slipped hurriedly through the door, shutting it gingerly behind her. Turning on the ever dimming lights that desperately needed a bulb change, Chloe turned around quietly, pressing her back firmly against the door to faced a lackluster foyer with its hideous portraits, offensive wallpaper that was peeling off in various places, and the dull green staircase to the second floor. There wasn’t a sound to be heard. After all, it was very late.

So Chloe stood there, perfectly still and staring at nothing and wondering and hoping. Wondering if all of that had actually happened just now. Hoping with everything in her that it absolutely had and that she could talk to Connor whenever she wanted now—

Chloe abruptly sank down the door, virtually dropped, and she was sitting. Face shoved into her hands, the heat flaring up searing her palms. Thirium pump wildly leaping and springing and positively dancing in her chest. Stomach area fluttering like crazy. It felt like she’d self-destruct any minute now.

She’d heard the girls at work rapturously whispering to one another, giggling amongst themselves when some fetching fellow graced them with his attention.

“He’s so into you.”

“Ugh, he’s so cute.”

“Lucky! Do you even know how many girls like him?”

“I bet you’re a happy camper. You’ve liked him for ages now!”

“You have to call him tonight!”

Chloe all but groaned into her hands. She wanted to drown it out. She couldn’t think too much of this. Just two androids keeping in touch. Oh but Connor wasn’t just some other android—What? No. Absolutely not.

She was trying not to read into it. She really, really was but—

So this was what it was like. Chloe groaned again.

“I can’t believe he gave you his number!”

Thank you for reading! Stay tuned for the next update. It’s gonna be a FLUFF FEST, y’all! Until then! God bless!

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