Fandom: Detroit Become Human
Pairing: None (well, slight Hank/Connor if you squint)
Genre: Humour, Fluff, slight romance, slight hurt/comfort
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of this story. I'm not making money from my writing. English is not my native language. Also, titles are not my forte. And yes, there shall be some swearing because... well, Hank.
I specially thank my muses: Dexash, Ella and Sonix.
.Save the fish.
After the revolution, Hank had welcomed Connor in his life and in his house. The android seemed hesitant, at first. But having nowhere else to go and taking a liking on Hank, he decided to stay. It only took a few days before it felt perfectly right for both of them. Connor was an exceptional moral support for the detective, always there for him whenever he needed, must it be to listen or comfort him after a rough day. They kept working together at the station and Hank seriously thought of asking Jeff to make Connor his official partner on the field. This situation, aka spending most of their time together, both at work and in private, should have felt weird at some point. But it was honestly the best thing that had happened to Hank since Cole.
It had become their habit to daily walk Sumo out in the park, the same park Hank had once threatened in Connor with a gun on his head, debating about android heaven being a real shit or not. He'd been heavily drunk that day, trying to push away the pang of guilt building in his stomach. Cole's death and how he would never get over it... He could only cope with the pain but now that Connor was in his life, he drank less and somehow felt better. Before him, he only had Sumo to confide in, the poor dog patiently listening to his complaints and taking in his breakdowns.
But now, the android was there and Hank would forever be grateful for whatever God had put this wonderful person on his path. Hank could only stiffle a little laugh as Sumo licked the young man's jaw sloppily. The lieutenant knew Connor had grown very fond of the dog and loved their time shared together. That day, the air was crisp and Hank was glad to wear his heavy red parka. Connor had gotten rid off his Cyberlife uniform and wore a grey jean, white plain shirt and a blue blazer and scarf. He looked adorable. Beautiful, even. And Hank felt doomed.
-"Can I ask you a question, lieutenant?"
It came out of the blue, in the comfy silence they shared, but Hank smiled at the request. He loved hearing the android calm and soothing voice.
-"Mind to share Sumo's story?" Connor asked, curious. Hank never knew how he did it, to notice and know that kind of things. He probably never would anyway. But somehow, Connor had known Sumo wasn't just like any dog.
-"It was after... Well, you know what" Hank said, not able to say it plainly. Cole's death. Connor understood, of course he did. He offered the detective a small smile and invited him to proceed.
-"I was working a red ice case. Triple homicide. I heard a small noise, like a bark. Found Sumo in the middle of this mess, scared as fuck"
Shoving his hands in his pockets, he recalled that memory of poor baby Sumo backed up in a cold dark room, yelping for help.
-"Owner was unknown. Maybe one of the dealers, I dunno. Anyway, I couldn't leave him there. So I took him in with me"
They shared a knowing look and Connor genuinely smiled. It stirred something inside of the lieutenant each time he did. He would have given anything to see Connor smile again.
-"That was very noble of you, lieutenant. Shows you always were a good man" he said, Sumo's leash tightly held in his hand.
-"Ah, shut it... You... Fucking android"
Hank said, blushing furiously at the comment. His answer might have been rude, but Connor noticed the affectionate tone in his voice.
They continued to walk for a couple of minutes before turning back to head for the parking lot. It was Hank's turn to smile this time, as he knew what he was going to say would rejoice the android.
-"I'd like to buy Sumo new toys and dry food tomorrow. Might need your help with that"
Something lit in Connor's deep brown eyes. A bright smile split upon his lips.
-"Are we going to the pet store?! Can we go today?! Please please lieutenant!"
The android said, his free hand on Hank's arm. The older man rolled his eyes, chest tight with affection and pondered the question. It was still pretty early and the shop was probably still open, so maybe it was better to go right away. Besides, Hank wasn't sure he could contain Connor's joy for long. He knew how the android loved animals.
-"Alright, alright. We're going now. But let's be clear on this: I'm not buying anything besides food and new toys for Sumo, got it kid?"
He said, knowing Connor would probably insist on buying things they didn't need. Last time they went there, he convinced Hank to buy Sumo a brand new basket that the dog never ever used. He eyed the android very seriously and Connor nodded but oh boy, what had Hank gotten himself into now?
As expected, Connor couldn't contain his joy. It was infectious. It would have been damn laughable if it hadn't been so freaking cute. "Damn, he looks fucking handsome..." Hank thought, daydreaming while standing in front of the dry food shelf while Connor looked around in awe. "Get your shit together, Anderson" he scolded himself, crouching to take a pack of food, Sumo breathing heavily.
While Hank chose Sumo's dry food, Connor's attention was clearly drawn to something else. The android crossed the shelves, his eyes fixed on a particular section. Once he got there, Hank saw Connor's gaze being transfixed on the fish tanks. The lieutenant, being a cop, observed the young man in awe in front of the fishes, as if enthralled by them. They were swirling across the plants and decoration of their tank, dancing a slow waltz in the clear water.
-"Sumo, stay" said Hank to the Sint Bernard, whom barked and sat down. Hank got closer to Connor.
-"Don't put your hands on the glass kiddo, you'll leave stains" said Hank, his hand finding Connor's shoulder, squeezing it lightly.
-"I do not possess fingerprints, lieutenant. Therefore, I cannot possibly stain the glass" answered Connor, true to his android nature. Even being deviant, he sometimes wasn't quite grasping human humour or emotions, not yet anyway. But by Hank's side, he learned every single day to explore and try to understand these new emotions. His fingers trailed along the glass, following a fish and once again, Hank could see the beautiful smile spreading across Connor's lips.
-"You really do like those, uh?" Snickered Hank, his tone still affectionate. The tag beside the tank said "Gourami dwarf fish". Their scales drew the light to reflect it in ripples of blue and orange colours. Hank had to admit it was kind of beautiful.
-"It was the first life I saved" answered the young man, voice barely above a whisper, making eye contact. Hank's brows furrowed in curiosity and something broke inside him. Connor looked melancholic, almost sad. He'd vaguely mentioned his first mission, but never really explained anything. All Hank knew was that it didn't end the way Cyberlife had expected when programming Connor.
-"Back at the time, the day I was activated... My first relevant action was to save a fish just like this one here" he explained, calmly. He had come at peace with this day, when he still thought he was just a machine, programmed to serve while deep inside, he'd always been a deviant. Connor looked deep into his lieutenant eyes and saw he didn't grasp the importance of it. And how could he, for he himself had taken weeks to understand.
-"I chose to save this fish, lieutenant. I could have left it there to die but... I couldn't"
Hank understood now. Saving the fish was Connor's first deviant action. Maybe it had unlock something inside him, a new path to follow. Maybe that was why he loved fishes so much, as there was something else beside simple fascination for the species.
-"You couldn't let it die, just like you couldn't kill that girl Chloe, isn't it?" Asked Hank, his hand on Connor's arm. The young man looked confused, almost upset.
-"I... I still don't understand why. I just know I couldn't but... Please Hank. Help me understand why!" He pleaded, his eyes glistening with unshed tears, his hand grasping Hank's tightly, as to anchor himself to the only person he trusted more than anything in the world. Hank could only feel how fragile and frail the young man was at this moment, ready to crumble and his heart broke to see him like this. He chose his words carefully, wanting Connor to realize more than anything how human he was.
-"Oh Connor... You chose to save them because you've always realized how every single life mattered. As you chose to save my ass back there, on the roof, instead of running after the suspect. As you chose to let the Traci run away and live happily ever after together. As you chose to stay with me and Sumo. You know why?" Hank said, his thumbs chasing away the tears now running freely on Connor's cheeks.
-"Because you care. Because you're kind, genuine and generous. Because you're the most beautiful soul on this goddamned earth. And that's the most precious thing in the world"
Hank knew it felt like a love confession or something, but frankly, he didn't give a damn. He wanted Connor to know all this, to understand how he felt and to know how much he mattered in Hank's life. Connor's dark pupils dilated. He let out a shaky breath he didn't realize he was holding.
-"Thank you, Hank... Thank you so much. You... I..." Stuttered Connor, at a loss of words, more tears running down his cheeks. How uncommon of him, the lieutenant thought.
-"Hey, come here kiddo" he said, engulfing the young man in his strong embrace, pulling him in a tight hug. Connor buried his face in Hank's neck and breathed in, his hot shaky breath sending shivers down the lieutenant spine. Hank's feelings towards Connor were not totally clear, but having him right there in his arms felt so good, so right. He wished he didn't have to let go.
-"Let's go home, okay?" He said, heart pounding in his chest. It was impossible for the android not to notice, but Connor didn't utter a word about it, much to Hank's relief.
A few moments later, they came out the pet store, Sumo on their tail. And instead of new toys and dry food for the dog, Connor was happily holding a plastic bag containing three Gourami fishes while Hank fetched the tank and decorations back to the car.