The trip and the stuffed octopus were Hank's birthday gifts to Connor, though admittedly there was a lot more waiting for him back at home that he hadn't felt like lugging to the aquarium. The rest of them, however, still had to give him their presents.

They had claimed a table in a corner of the sizable food court to try to achieve a little privacy despite the crowded venue. Hank got himself some lunch and they all got themselves settled. Connor was doing his best to not look too eager for his presents, but with how he was practically vibrating, he was doing a poor job.

God, his kid was adorable.

"Ok, birthday boy," North declared happily, plopping a conical hat onto his head with one hand while holding her contribution in the other. "Time for the fun part."

"The whole day has been fun," Connor insisted, but that didn't stop his eyes from locking onto the package in her hands. He adjusted the strap of the hat, resigning himself to the fate of wearing the obviously unprofessional item. Hank was proud of him for not making a fuss, but figured it had less to do with the hat and more with the sense not to argue with North.

She smiled at his excitement, choosing to hand over the gift instead of tormenting the poor boy any longer. He accepted it almost reverently. The shiny blue paper was bright enough to reflect in his eyes only adding to his expression of childlike wonder. "Thank you," he said, gaping at it.

"You have to open it, silly," North teased, ruffling at his hair playfully and dislodging the carefully adjusted party hat.

He stared at it a little longer, hesitantly. "But it's so pretty…"

"Yeah, ok, that one's on me," she sighed. "I should have known better than to doll it up too much."

Hank popped a french fry into his mouth, wiped his fingers on a paper napkin, then pulled his kid onto his lap. "Come on, kiddo. Just open it, that's what it's made for. Don't you want the present inside?"

"Well… yeah…" he admitted quietly. Hank could practically see the internal struggle the little boy was going through.

"I'm sure North wants you to see what she got you," he reasoned, reaching around him to snag another fry.

"You know I do."

Connor nodded slowly, but still hesitated.

"Here, little fish," Hank offered. "I'll help. We'll be gentle and not rip the paper, alright?"

The boy seemed appeased by that suggestion. Carefully, and with painstaking slow precision, Hank helped Connor dissect the gift. He couldn't help but muse at how different the scenario would have been if it were Cole. That kid couldn't care less about what his presents were wrapped in. Paper would fly like shrapnel as soon as he was given the go-ahead to open them.

But not Connor. No, everything just had to be perfect, even how he opened packages.

The paper, however, was soon forgotten as soon as the gift itself was in view. "Woah!" He exclaimed excitedly. "Thank you!"

Hank was… less excited about the gift. "You gave my son firecrackers?"

"Oh relax, old man." North dismissed his concern with a wave of her hand. "The box says 'fun for all ages'."

"North," Markus tried to reason. "Fireworks? Really?"

She rolled her eyes, but still smiled playfully at her fiancé. "It's not like we'll be irresponsible with them," she insisted rather unconvincingly.

Heaven help the world if this was the kind of parent North was going to be.

"Can we light one?" Connor asked, ignoring the debate taking place above his head.

"No!" Both Hank and Markus shouted in unison.

Markus regained his composure first. "Connor, we don't shoot fireworks inside," he said simply.

The kid blinked as though the concept was new to him. "Oh. Right."

Hank sighed, but still gave him a little snuggle. "Can't rip the paper, but blowing shit up? That you're up for? What the hell am I gonna do with you?"

"How about the rest of us give him his presents now," Josh suggested before Connor could respond to the rhetorical question.

Markus gently and tactfully removed the box of explosives from Connor's tiny hands. "I think that sounds like an excellent idea."

Hank was going to miss how easily his boy could be distracted by something shiny.

Josh presented him with several murder mystery novels that he had no doubt the kid would finish by the end of the week along with an ornate journal monogrammed with the letter 'C' on the cover. He told him it was so he could try writing his own story.

Hank was honestly a little concerned about what he might come up with.

Markus's gift consisted of a new sketchbook and fancy paints that Hank would never be able to afford on his salary. He noted that there were extra bottles of the ones they both knew Connor had decided were 'happy' colors.

It was Simon's gift, however, that gave them all pause. Connor gently removed the sparkly purple bow and lifted the lid of the plain white box to reveal… a cake?

They all stared at the small, intricate decorated pastry for a moment as though it would speak up tell them what they were missing. It looked good, designed to look like a seascape complete with a blue gradient to the frosting. But it was still, in fact, a cake.

"It's been a while since I've baked anything," Simon admitted, now nervous from the group's silence.

"It's… really pretty," Connor said kindly despite his confusion at the present. "I like the fishies."

Simon smiled, relaxing a little at the boy's acknowledgement. "I thought you might. I wasn't sure what flavors you'd prefer, so I wanted to at least make it look pretty."

Hank frowned, confusion only increasing. "Flavors?"

"Well, yeah." The man was clearly not catching on that they were all still confused. "I went with basic vanilla."

"But Simon," North voiced since they were all wondering. "Why a cake?"

He frowned, clearly confused at her confusion. "I figured he should have the chance to have a birthday cake while he still has his artificial digestive system."

All at once the cake was the least surprising part of the afternoon. There was only a beat of stunned silence before Connor and Hank responded in shocked unison.

"He has a what?"

"I can eat?"

Poor Simon looked as shocked as the rest of them. "I mentioned that, didn't I?" He stammered out.

"No," Markus answered for them. Hank was aware he had been there when Connor had gotten his run down of what that body could do and knew as much as any of them. "No, you most certainly did not."

"Oh, well I guess that explains the confusion," he said, almost to himself.

"I love you, Simon," Josh laughed. "But sometimes you have the perception of a blender."

"I'm not that bad," he protested, almost as petulantly as Connor could get before a nap. "I was just more concerned with alerting him to the limitations of his new body, it must have slipped my mind. I could explain how it works if you'd like. It was quite the process. I had to-"

"Yeah, how about we skip the techno-babble," Hank interrupted. He could feel his eyes glazing over already as the technician readied himself to launch into his explanation. "I think Connor here should have a taste of his birthday cake."

"I think that's a great idea," North chimed in agreement, cutting off Simon's protest and sparing them all a likely long winded and dry discussion on the boy's inner workings. "I'll go see if I can nab some plates and silverware. Hank, maybe you should share some of those fries, give him a taste of what junk food is like."

"I'll do you one better." He turned to the boy, grinning. "I'll get you your own lunch, anything you want to eat. Wanna hit up the gift shop again? I think I saw candy and shit in there."

Connor's eyes were wide and his little mouth hung open slightly as he sat there still absorbing the new information. "I… I don't know. How am I supposed to know what I like if I don't know how anything tastes?"

"Alright, yeah." Hank had to admit, "I guess that's fair." For once, he really couldn't blame Connor for his indecision. "I'll go pick something out for you then, how's that?"

He left him in the care of his brother and friends and let the kid's enthusiastic agreement warm him from head to toe. There was something distinctly pleasant about the level of trust his boy had in him, even in such a small thing. Still, he didn't want to fuck it up, so he went with a classic in the realms of junk food.

Connor's eyes lit up with excitement as Hank set down the bright red happy meal box. His little legs swung under the table and he gripped his octopus tightly like it was the only thing keeping him impatiently awaiting a cue that it was alright to dig in.

"Go on," Markus encouraged him with a gentle nudge.

With permission finally given, he enthusiastically opened the box to claim its contents. Hank had opted for the cheeseburger meal with fries and an apple juice, but it was the cheap plastic toy that immediately caught the boy's attention.

The thing was a cheap plastic cutout of a dolphin, a sticker being the only thing to give it any sort of features. While Hank silently lamented a time when those boxes had actual toys in them, Connor excitedly showed off his new trinket proudly.

Fuck, he loved this kid.

"Wanna actually try the food?" North suggested with a warm smile.

"Oh, right!" He turned his attention back to the box. Josh helpfully pulled the food from it so it wouldn't spill and unwrapped the burger for him.

Connor seemed to sniff at the burger in distrust. The whole act of eating was foreign to him, despite it being simple in nature, and regardless of his previous excitement he showed clear hesitation.

"Go on," Hank coaxed. "Give it a try. It's not gonna bite back."

Cautiously he took a bite. He chewed, froze for a moment, then swallowed. And then promptly burst into tears.

Whatever reaction had been anticipated, none of them had foreseen that.

"Connor, what's wrong?" Markus asked before anyone else had the chance. Hank immediately wrapped a supportive arm around his shoulders.

"It's good!" he cried in utter, heartbreaking, anguish. "It's really good!"

"Then what's wrong?" Hank asked, understandably concerned. He wiped at the tears that spilled down the toddler's face.

Connor sniffed, looking at the burger like it had personally offended him. "How am I supposed to expect you to eat healthy when this tastes so amazing?"

"Oh, Connor," the Lieutenant cooed immediately, pulling him closer. "Connor, don't worry about shit like that. I'm a grown-ass adult that can make my own bad decisions."

"But… but…" he sniffled, "cholesterol…"

Hank laughed, planting a kiss on the top of his head. "Let me worry about that. You just enjoy your food before it gets cold."

He looked skeptical, like he didn't quite trust Hank with his own dietary choices, but with a few more sniffles, Connor nodded and took another bite. His tears dried fully as he was quickly distracted by his food.

Hank leaned back in his uncomfortable plastic seat and enjoyed his own meal while he watched his kid experience eating for the first time. First finishing off his happy meal, then diving into his cake. They all joined in with the tradition of singing and having Connor blow out the candles and make a wish. Hank had to stop him from swatting at the fire to put it out instead of blowing on it.

Evidently, he was enjoying eating. The other androids seemed just as excited as he was and happily listened as he described what it was like. He probably should have scolded him for talking with his mouth full, but he wasn't making a mess and seemed so happy, there was no way in hell he was going to fuck with that.

Silently, he hoped Connor would still be this easy to make happy when he returned to being an adult.

If Hank was being honest with himself, there was a strong, selfish part of him that didn't want Connor to grow up. Not that he didn't love him when he was big. God, there was nothing on this damn planet that could stop him from loving the kid. But he was pretty sure that every parent out there secretly wished that their babies could stay small forever.

But that was both the joy and the curse of being a parent, he supposed. Kids grew up way too damn fast.

Lots of people had told him, back when Cole was just a baby, that he would blink and he would be all grown up. That, of course, had been false in the most painful way possible. But now, as they all brought the birthday party to a close and headed to New Jericho, Connor would give a rather literal display of that phenomenon.

So, Hank held him just a little bit tighter as he carried him to Simon's lab. Enjoying how the little boy fit in his arms while he still did. Fuck, he didn't even know for sure Connor would want him to hold him once he was big. Sure, he had hugged him as an adult before, but it wasn't like the cuddles they did now. Adult Connor was reserved and professional, not his excitable little fishy. Hank choked down the dread that crawled through him.

Connor's head drooped sleepily onto his shoulder. They had skipped his nap today, so his battery was likely running low after all the excitement. "Do you think Dog will still recognize me all grown up?" He asked through a yawn.

"Of course she will," he reassured him. "That little fluff ball loves you. She's not gonna care what you look like."

"Promise?"

Hank leaned his cheek against Connor's head, soft synthetic hair tickling at his ear. "I promise, little fish."

Connor's responding tired smile was only interrupted by a tiny yawn.

"I think it's about time to get him ready for the transfer," Markus said softly, reaching as though to take the boy from his arms.

Hank responded instinctually, rearing back and resisting the idea of losing his hold on his kid. Connor made a startled squeak at the motion. He hid his sheepishness over the absurdity of the action behind a disinterested grunt before relenting and handing him over for the last time.

Markus just gave him a knowing smile as he accepted his little brother.

"I think I'm going to fall asleep," Connor slurred, still trying futilely to shake away his grogginess.

Markus walked him to where the others were waiting at the assembly hook, the same one he had woken up from just a couple of weeks ago. "It's alright. You can sleep if you want too."

"Will I be big when I wake up?"

"Yeah, kiddo," Hank responded for him. "Yeah, you will."

Connor yawned again, blinking almost comically with how sleepy he was getting, and Markus gently connected him to the assembly arm. "You'll still be here, right? When I wake up?"

He reached over, taking his tiny hand in his own and giving it a small squeeze. "Of course. I'm not going anywhere."

The little boy smiled, the expression staying on his face as he drifted off and the machine began its work.

It was stupid and selfish, but somehow it almost felt like he was losing him again. His little boy was growing up. He was going to be an adult. Mature. Independent. Not someone who needed his daddy. He loved his boy, big or small, but no matter how he tried to reason it away, Hank couldn't stop the fear that Connor wouldn't be as concerned whether or not he was there once he woke.

But, regardless of his concerns, he meant it. He would be here as long as Connor wanted him to be.