Markus x Reader
Fandom: Detroit: Become Human
Words: 830
*Trigger Warning* rain, emotional confusion, gentle romantic tension, android identity conflict
The rain started just as Carl was finishing his last brushstroke of the night.
A soft drizzle at first. Then a steady curtain that blurred the windows and filled the studio with the muted roar of water on stone.
You stood at the door with your coat half-buttoned when Markus appeared beside you, silent as always, but something in his posture felt⌠tentative.
âLet me walk you home,â he said.
You opened your mouth to protestâyou didnât want to be a bother, and Markus wasnât exactly built for strolls in the rainâbut Carl spoke up before you could.
âGo,â he said, waving a hand. âThe night is dark and Markus could use the fresh air.â
Androids didnât need air.
But Markus still inclined his head respectfully.
âThank you, Carl.â
Carl smiledâone of those small, knowing, fatherly smiles he reserved for moments he found important.
Moments he didnât want Markus to miss.
Outside, the rain was gentle but persistent.
Markus stepped ahead of you long enough to unfurl an umbrellaâCarlâs umbrella, classic and worn but steady. He held it above both of you, adjusting slightly so the edge covered more of your side than his own.
You noticed.
âMarkus, you donât have toââ
âYouâll get soaked,â he said simply.
âAnd you wonât?â
âI donât mind.â
You laughed softly. âOf course you donât.â
But he tilted his head, and there was something⌠searching in the way he looked at you.
âIs it strange?â Markus asked. âThat I want to do this anyway?â
Your breath caught.
You werenât sure how to answer that.
So you walked.
Side by side, your footsteps echoing in the quiet street. The umbrella created a small, intimate world between youâjust the hush of rain and Markusâ careful presence beside you.
A block later, you spoke first.
âYou know⌠youâre allowed to enjoy this.â
Markus glanced down at you. âEnjoy?â
âThe rain. The walk. The company.â
His LED flickered yellow.
âIâm not sure Iâm meant to,â he admitted. âBut I⌠notice things when Iâm with you.â
âLike what?â
He hesitatedâsomething he rarely did.
âThe way your breathing changes when youâre cold. How your smile looks different when youâre trying not to laugh. How you pause before you touch the piano keys, even if you know the song perfectly.â
A beat.
âAnd how being near you feels⌠different.â
You slowed to a stop, the rain tapping softly on the umbrella.
âDifferent how?â
Markus stared straight ahead, as if afraid to look at you.
âI donât know. Thatâs what frightens me.â
âFrightens you?â you echoed.
He turned to you then, eyes dark and earnest.
âI keep wondering if this is⌠a glitch. A deviation. If Iâm misinterpreting data. If Iâm forming patterns that arenât supposed to be there.â
His voice drifted lower.
âOr if this is what Carl means when he says Iâm more than what I was made to be.â
Your heart tightened.
âMarkus⌠youâre not misinterpreting anything.â
His LED pulsed amber, almost troubled.
âYou say that so confidently,â he whispered.
âBecause I see it too.â
The moment stretchedâquiet, fragile.
A car passed in the distance, tires hissing on wet pavement.
Somewhere a streetlight buzzed faintly.
And then, in a motion so subtle you barely felt it at first, Markus shifted the umbrella to one handâ
âand let his free hand brush yours.
A feather-light touch.
Tentative.
Testing.
You didnât pull away.
He noticed.
And he froze.
Not like an android halting.
But like a person who was terrified to misstep.
âIs thisâŚâ he murmured, glancing down at your intertwined fingersâstill only barely touchingâ
ââŚokay?â
You slid your hand fully into his.
âYeah,â you breathed. âItâs okay.â
His fingers closed around yours slowly, as if he was afraid too much pressure might break the illusion.
Or break him.
When you reached your building, Markus lingered.
Rain pooled around your doorstep, and the umbrella shook slightly in the breeze. But neither of you moved.
âMarkus?â you whispered.
âYes?â
âTonight⌠did something change for you?â
He searched your face with unreadable eyesâandroid precision mixed with something human in its softness.
âI donât know,â he said quietly. âBut I want to understand it.â
You swallowed.
âAnd Carl?â you asked. âWhat would he say?â
A small smile tugged at Markusâ lipsâa rare and gentle thing.
âHeâd say,â Markus murmured, voice low and warm,
âthat whatever this is⌠I should let it.â
You felt your breath catch.
âAnd do you want to?â
Markus stepped closer, the umbrella dipping with him, bringing your faces inches apart.
âI think,â he said slowly,
âI want to see you again tomorrow.â
Your pulse jumped.
âIâll be there.â
Something like relief washed over his featuresâso human it made your chest ache.
He released your hand lastâslowly, reluctantlyâbefore stepping back into the rain and lowering the umbrella.
âGoodnight,â he said.
âGoodnight, Markus.â
You watched him until he disappeared around the corner.
You sworeâjust for a momentâyou saw him touch his chest.
As if trying to locate the unfamiliar warmth settling there.
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âOh? Whatâs this? A human?â questioned a white haired woman wearing a blindfold as she rushed right up to the young man. âAt least you look human. What are you doing out here darling? Donât you know it is dangerous?â
Her tone was playful with a touch of worry as she gazed him over curiously. âNo one is after you are they? If so, Iâll gladly take care of them.â The one eye not hidden from her blindfold seemed to gleam with malice.