Hank had yet to fall asleep when he heard the quiet squeak that indicated someone was opening his bedroom door. He kept his eyes closed, not particularly bothered by the intrusion. Connor had a habit of checking on him whenever he had a nightmare, making sure he was still alive and well.

It was hardly an issue if it gave the kid some peace of mind. He knew a fair bit about his nightmares at this point, and they were nothing to take lightly. At least he wasn't waking up to the sound of panicked screaming anymore.

Plus, it wasn't as though he hadn't expected it. Connor's nightmares tended to get worse when the kid dared to start feeling good about himself. It was like CyberLife specifically designed him with a failsafe to keep him from being too happy. If he ever had the chance to meet the asshole that designed Connor, he would happily introduce their face to his fist.

When he didn't hear anything else, Hank assumed Connor had gone back to bed. That he had satisfied his fears and was ready to sleep again. What he didn't expect was to feel the mattress dip under a new and sudden weight.

Surprised, Hank opened his eyes.

In the dim light, he could just make out Connor, leaning over him, hand outstretched over his nose and mouth as though he were about to touch his face. He froze as soon as he noticed Hank was awake, going rigid as though every joint had locked simultaneously. The stuffed turtle he had been holding fell from his grip and rolled silently to the floor.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out, pulling back suddenly before Hank could ask him what the hell he was doing.

"Woah, hey," Hank didn't need a clear view of the kid to know that he'd been crying, he could hear it in his voice. He sat up, even the thought of sleep falling away as he pulled him into his arms. "Hey, you're ok."

Connor latched onto him immediately, tiny hands bunching in his shirt. "I'm sorry," he sobbed again.

"No need to be sorry, kiddo," he wasn't even sure if Connor knew why he was apologizing. It seemed to be one of his default settings. "Are you ok? What's wrong?"

He sounded like he was trying to speak, but all that came out was a series of hiccupping gasps. Hank rubbed circles in his back. "Nightmare?" he guessed.

Connor nodded. His shirt was already damp from where the kid's face was, but he really didn't give a shit.

"Bad one?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Another nod and Connor's sobbs increased. Maybe it was because he was a kid, maybe it was worse than usual. It didn't really matter. His son was hurting and he wanted nothing more than to make it better. "It's ok," he shushed him softly, pulling him fully onto his lap. "You're ok."

They stayed like that for a while. Hank holding him, rubbing his back and rocking gently while he whispered gentle reassurances. Connor cried. Heart-wrenching sobs that shook his tiny body while he clung to him like a lifeline. At some point Sumo realized something was the matter and had come into the room. He sat by the bed, whimpering, sounding as helpless as Hank felt.

Finally, oh so painfully slowly, Connor began to calm. His cries melted into soft sniffles and the tremors that shook his tiny body began to subside.

"Feeling a little better, kiddo?" Hank ventured to ask, giving him a squeeze. There was no way in hell he was going to risk letting him go. Not yet. Times like this, it felt like he was the only thing holding the kid together. As flattering as that was, it unsettled him. What would happen to Connor if he wasn't there to protect him? Yeah, he had Markus and the Jerichrew, but would they be able to help him when his own mind betrayed him? Would Connor trust them too?

Connor nodded, but still didn't say anything.

Hank just kept rubbing his back. All that was a problem for later. He'd worry about properly socializing the kid when it wasn't ass-o-clock in the morning, when both of them should be sleeping. Right now, he had a scared little boy to console.

He may not have been quite ready to speak, but Hank had been through this enough times to know talking through it helped. "Was it Amanda?" He guessed.

Another nod came from the tiny android followed by a sniffle.

Yeah, he figured. It usually was. As traumatic as his nightmares were, they didn't vary all that much. "She make you do bad shit again?"

A shudder ran through the kid's body and he clung tighter. "She made me kill you," he admitted, quiety breaking his silence.

That one always fucked with him. Hank sighed in sympathy and pressed a long, soft kiss to Connor's cheek. Touch, affection, love, anything to ground the kid in the knowledge that he was really here. That he was safe. "I'm ok," he assured him gently. "I'm right here, you didn't kill me. I'm ok, and so are you."

"I couldn't scan you," Connor mumbled, choking down another sob. "I… I couldn't scan you."

"Scan me? Why would you need to scan me?" Hank asked, confused.

Connor turned his face to look up at him. His eyes shone in the dim light, still wet with tears. "Your vitals," he said simply. "So I know you're alive. I… when I have dreams like that, I usually scan you. But I can't like this, in this body. I can't scan you, and you were all still, I thought… I wanted to see if you were breathing-"

"Woa, hey," Hank shushed him. He didn't want him to get all worked up again. That would make calming him take even longer and the less time the kid was in distress, the better. "I'm breathing, see? I'm breathing. You don't need to scan me to be able to tell that."

He nodded, leaning his cheek back against Hank's chest and closing his eyes. "I know," he hiccupped. "I know. I just… I couldn't scan you and I panicked. And now I woke you up, I've disrupted your sleep schedule."

"Ok, first of all, I wasn't asleep," Hank told him. "Second, when the fuck have I ever minded when you did wake me up?" He rubbed at his cheek until he looked up at him again. "You are a hell of a lot more important to me than a few hours of sleep."

Connor didn't look particularly convinced, but he didn't argue either. Hank wished for the millionth time that he could get the kid to have even a shred of self esteem.

Sumo whimpered from his place on the carpet then nudged at Connor's foot with his nose. "See that," Hank told him. He bounced the kid ever so slightly on his leg to draw his attention to the dog. "Even Sumo agrees. And you know how much that dog loves to sleep."

There was that smile. It was small, hard to see in the darkness, but it was a start. He let go of Hank's shirt with one hand to gently stroke the large dog's head. "Good boy," he said softly.

He kissed him again, on his temple this time, right where his LED would be if he had one. Hank couldn't help but wonder what color it would be at this point. Would it be red? Had he calmed down enough for it to be blue? He hadn't realized how heavily he had relied on that in the past. "How are you doing?" He asked, since he couldn't deduce the answer for himself.

"I'm ok," Connor responded. His voice was still subdued, but it at least sounded believable. He leaned his head closer, resting it on Hank's chest. Listening to his heartbeat, he realized.

Hank leaned forward, careful not to disturb the child on his lap too much and retrieved the stuffed turtle from where it had fallen. Connor looked happy to see it, reaching out immediately, but Hank used it to boop the kid on the nose before handing it over. He blinked in surprise, then hugged the plush toy close with a tiny smile.

"Think you're ready to go back to bed?" Hank asked.

Connor was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Y-yeah. I'll be fine."

Ok, so much for convincing. His boy was definitely not ok yet. "Alright, how about this," he said instead. Hank lifted the duvet before hugging Connor close and laying back, tucking them into the bed, turtle and all. He was so light, so easy to move, and didn't fight him despite letting out a surprised squeak. "You can stay here tonight."

"But this is your bed," Connor argued even as he nuzzled into him.

Hank pulled him closer, his shoulder now serving as Connor's pillow. "Yeah, well, it sounds like you're not ready for me to let go just yet." He shifted ever so slightly to alleviate a nerve that was in danger of getting pinched. "Look, sometimes, kids have nightmares and climb into bed with their parents. There's nothing wrong with that. I'm happy to have you here if it's gonna help"

"You really don't mind?" His voice was still quiet, timid, but he wasn't crying or shaking anymore, so Hank took that as a win.

"Of course I don't mind, kiddo."

Evidently, Sumo took that as an open invitation to join in their cuddle session. He hopped up with an excited boof, circled three times while managing to step on his legs with each pass, then settled down, resting his head over Hank's hip. Connor was effectively pinned too, the dog's large paws braced against his little legs.

"Well, there you go," Hank chuckled. He detangled one of his arms enough to give the animal an affectionate scratch behind the ears. "Sumo's decided you aren't allowed to leave."

Connor's responding laugh was damn close to a giggle. "Ok, I guess I can't argue with that."

It was amazing, really, how comfortable Hank was with a child tucked against him. Maybe there were some instincts that he just didn't lose over time. "She can't get you anymore," he told him quietly, not quite satisfied that Connor had shaken his nightmare. "We got rid of her, Amanda can't hurt you."

"I know," Connor said, even as he buried his face into Hank's shirt. "I know that, I do. It just seems so real when it's happening."

"I get it, kiddo. I get it." He'd had enough nightmares of his own to be able to relate. The arm under the boy had just enough room for him to reach his head. He stroked at his hair lovingly. "Just remember, it's not real. You're safe. I won't let anything happen to you."

He could barely make out Connor's little smile, but he heard the small laugh. "Not much fun for little Harpo," he quoted, pulling the line right out of the movie they had just watched.

"Oh, so you're gonna be a little shit about this, huh?" Hank laughed. He freed his other hand to tickle at Connor's side earning him a happy shriek. Connor jerked suddenly at the sensation and Sumo protested with a soft whine with the movement.

Giggles subsiding, Connor settled back into Hank's arms. He rested his cheek on the top of the boy's head with a contented sigh. "I do understand," Connor insisted. Hank could feel his breath against his neck as he spoke. "I know you'll protect me. You always do."

Not always, Hank tried not to think. Connor was only a child because he had failed to protect him. It was a mistake he wasn't going to make again. "Damn right."

Connor yawned, evidently losing his battle with consciousness now that he was cozy and calmed down from his nightmare. He absently understood that he could easily bring the kid back to his own bed now, but fuck if he wanted to.

Hank closed his own eyes, more comfortable then he had been in years. "Good night, little fish," he whispered.

He honestly didn't even think Connor was still awake, at least for the most part, but a soft reply still came from his tired little boy. "Good night, dad."