Haley Reinhart – Can't Help Falling in Love
Connor shifted in his seat, watching Taylor as discreetly as he could in his peripherals. Since seeing Rachel off and leaving the church, she was definitely avoiding him again. He ran scan after scan on her elevated stress levels, heart rate, shallow respirations. The most logical conclusion he could come to was that she was nervous.
For that reason, he had not pushed her. She had told him that she would talk to him when they were alone, and though they were certainly alone now, she was still tentative. He had worked out, over time, the levels of her anxiety by her tics.
She would start by tapping her fingers against her leg. If she noticed what she was doing, sometimes she would tuck her hands under her thighs or into her pockets in an attempt to stop herself. Inevitably her fingers would start twisting in her lap, hands wringing. At her very worst, her fingers would clench and unclench, not quite making fists, grasping at something that wasn't there.
Right now, her hands were past tapping, twisting in constant repetitive motions. Her blue eyes were transfixed on the window, staring into the middle distance. He wanted to reach over, slide his hand into hers, still them. At this moment, he thought that might make it worse.
"Your conversation with Markus looked quite intense." Connor had not intended to say those words when he opened his mouth to speak. They had been eating away at him, however, since the moment in the church. He had heard what he thought was a noise of distress from Taylor, only to look over and find Markus holding her in his arms.
The hands working in her lap finally stilled. Taylor turned her head, her expression guarded as she stared at him. She chewed on the corner of her lip for a moment, before she said, "We were just talking. He didn't want to leave anything unsaid, I guess. Before I left. Same as Raj."
There was a halting, hesitant quality to her speech. Still nervous, even now. But she kept her eyes on his, until the familiar ringing of her phone pulled her attention away. She reached in her pocket and pulled the device free, her face draining of color.
"Hello?" Still, Taylor answered immediately. Connor watched her face change as she listened to the person on the other end of the line, not saying anything in response. Her free hand shot out, suddenly, and she gripped his arm. "Yes. Thank you, Secretary Headley."
He glanced down at her fingers, tight around his forearm, then back up to her face. She was looking at her darkened phone screen, but she glanced up at him, her eyes wide. "She has a thing for hanging up on me. Connor, she said yes!"
"What?" He couldn't fully process her meaning because she leaned into him, throwing her arms around his neck. The smell of her shampoo overwhelmed his senses. He slid his arms around her before she could pull away again, holding her closer.
"She gave us the CyberLife building." She pulled away then, her face lit up with excitement. His hands were still resting against her waist, her hands curled into the lapels of his jacket. "I have to call Markus."
Just like that, Taylor moved back into her side of the cab. Connor continued to watch her as she spoke to Markus over the phone, her features animated. When she hung up, she turned to him again.
"We leave for Washington in two days." She was still smiling, but the longer she looked at him, the more the previous moments seem to come back to her. He could sense the moment her nerves started to take back over. Reaching for her hand, he wanted to distract her, to comfort her, for the smile not to leave her face.
"Taylor—"
"I love you." Connor froze, his fingers splayed in the space between them. He looked up, meeting her eyes, wide and blue. She pressed her hand over mouth, like she couldn't believe the words had made it past her lips. The silence wrapped around them.
He leaned closer. She didn't move away, didn't move at all. He placed his hand on her arm, gently pulled her hand away from her face. "What?"
She turned her eyes away. He reached up and cupped her face with both of his hands, forced her to look at him again. Their eyes met. He knew he had not misheard her, but still he said, "What did you say?"
He felt a slight shudder go through her. Her throat bobbed when she swallowed. "I-I didn't...I meant..." Her eyelids fluttered closed. She took a deep breath, and he could feel her heartbeat ticking wildly against the fingers resting on her pulse.
The taxi rolled to a stop. They were at the hotel. Still, Taylor didn't move. She opened her eyes again, finally. "I'm in love with you."
Connor slid closer then, so close his leg pressed into hers. He dipped his head and captured her lips with his. He felt her gasp and slipped his tongue into her mouth, exploring, tasting her. But she was responding to his touch, leaning closer and pressing into him, hungry for more. His fingers slid back into her hair, tugging, his other hand trailing down her spine, trying to bring her against him in the limited space.
Eventually she ran out of air. She pulled away, panting, while he pressed kisses against the corner of her mouth, trailing along her jaw until he reached her neck. He worked his way down slowly, reveling in the small noises of pleasure she made as he moved along the fluttering beat of her pulse.
Each sound stoked something in him, something new, white hot and consuming. His hand fisted into the fabric of her coat, nearly pulling her into his lap as he pushed closer still, turning his head upward to cover her mouth with his again. Their tongues met, and she moaned quietly into the kiss.
Connor leaned in at the same moment, the inches between them feeling like miles, and heard a small thud as Taylor pressed into the door of the cab. He pulled away immediately, his LED spiraling red at her sharp intake of breath. Her hand shot up to the back of her head, reflexively, where it had just connected with the glass.
"I'm sorry," he said urgently, releasing his grip on her and reaching a hand up to gently probe beneath her hair. She grabbed his hand, her eyes crinkling into a smile.
"I'm okay. This is why making out in the back of cars is stupid." Laughing through her nose, she gently pushed his hand away. He reached up with his other hand, though, and tucked the loose strand of hair that had fallen into her eyes back into place, letting his fingers trace the curve of her cheek.
"I think I am in love with you too, though I confess that my limited experience with emotions does not let me say that with utmost certainty." His LED faded to a gently pulsing yellow, and he tilted his head. "I do feel more things when I am with you than I do at any other time."
"Well that's just vague enough to be worrisome," she said, but she was still smiling as she leaned into his touch. Connor hesitated, trying to think of another way to describe it.
"When I'm with you, I don't want to leave you. I want to protect you from harm." His thumb moved down to gently brush against the edge of her lip. "I always want to kiss you."
She huffed another laugh, short and sweet, and he found himself leaning closer once more despite himself. "You were the first human to treat me like a person, even when I was still just a machine."
The laughter faded. Taylor stared into his eyes, her expression shifting, and he felt her lips tremble beneath his touch. "You were always a person to me."
Connor closed the little bit of distance, pressed his forehead against hers. "When I'm with you, I feel alive."
She leaned forward then, pressed her lips against his, soft and sure. He felt his thirium pump speed up in response, the more firmly she pressed against him. Then she pulled away, her hand lingering on his chest.
"I feel safe, with you." A slight frown puckered her lips. "I know that probably sounds weird. But it's not something I'm used to, and I miss you when you aren't around, even though I've only known you for a little while." She smiled again, almost shyly, before adding, "I also think about kissing you. A lot."
He kissed her again, sliding his arms around her waist and pulling her into him, careful not to push her into the door this time. She pulled away after a moment, hovering close to him, smiling. "Maybe we should go inside?"
He pressed his lips against the corner of her mouth, one more time, before he reached around her to open the taxi door. "Right."
The elevator doors slid closed. Taylor felt Connor's fingers tighten around hers, and her heart fluttered in her chest. No matter how many times he had kissed her, it still felt impossible. Even now, she could sense his eyes on her, watching.
Her phone started to ring in her pocket once again, and for once she was grateful for a distraction. Jake's name was flashing on the screen as she answered, "Hello?"
"Hey, Taylor." While he had been the one to call her, Jake sounded oddly hesitant on his end of the line. "Are you busy?"
"No, not at all." The elevator pinged as they arrived at the correct floor. She released Connor's hand to dig in her pocket for her hotel key as they both stepped out into the hallway.
"Uh, are you available for dinner? At my house?" Jake sounded tense. She tried to puzzle out a reason why while she let herself in to the hotel.
"Yeah, sure." Connor followed just behind her into the room. She glanced at him before she turned the other way, dropping her things on the bed. "Do you have a new girlfriend for me to meet or something?"
"No, nothing like that." He didn't even rise to that bait, which made her seriously pause. "Just come whenever, okay? I gotta go."
"Okay, Jake. Is everything alright?"
"Yeah. Everything is fine. I'll see you later." He hung up, leaving Taylor to stare at the phone in bewilderment. Connor was still watching her, his head now tilted in his usual inquisitive stance. She shrugged.
"Jake wants me over for dinner, but he sounds nervous about something." She tossed the phone on the bed and started unbuttoning her coat, still considering, when she felt Connor's hands on her. He slid the coat from her shoulders and tucked it over his arm.
"What time will you go?" He turned to hang the coat up, and she exhaled through her nose, her face flushing anyway. She watched as he walked, the broad expanse of his shoulders, each careful movement of his hands.
"I don't know. I'm kind of curious now." Shaking her head, she forced herself to look away. "Do you want to come?"
Connor faced her again. "Certainly." He took several measured steps across the room back to her. A moment later, his fingers were brushing against her cheeks, turning her face back to him. "What should we do in the meantime?"
"I can't think of anything." Her lips curved into a smile. Connor leaned down to kiss her, and her eyes fluttered closed. Even though she should be used to it by now, her heart started racing, heat crawling along her skin. He kissed her like he was tasting her, like he couldn't get enough, and it scrambled every other thought in her head.
She stepped into him, pressing into his chest, twisting her fingers through his hair. His arms moved down her back, hands resting against her hips as he drew her closer. He grew bolder the longer they kissed, and his hand dipped under the hem of her shirt. The feel of his fingers against her bare skin made her breath catch.
Taylor broke away, gasping. Connor kept his eyes on her face, his fingers still tracing patterns along her ribcage while he kept her fixed in that intent gaze of his, watching her reactions to his touch. His normally chocolate colored eyes were dark as he pressed his lips over hers again.
The phone on the bed behind them started ringing again. She groaned against his mouth, pulling back. His grip tightened on her waist and she sighed. "I promised Alex I wouldn't ignore the phone."
Pressing one more kiss against his lips, she slipped from his touch and snatched up the phone. Sure enough, it was Alex's name lighting up the screen, and she answered it quickly, before it could go to voicemail. "Hello?"
"Finally."
"Oh, don't be dramatic." She rolled her eyes as she sat on the bed. Her eyes found Connor, standing just where she'd left him. When their eyes met, he adjusted his tie and retreated to the vanity to sit.
"What? I thought you might regress right back into your old habits." The tone of amusement in his voice was unmistakable. "I got your message. I sent your stuff overnight to the hotel. I also found your secret stash."
"That's a name for it." She rolled her eyes again, but her heart still stuttered with nervousness anyway. "I already told you about the deviant thing, it's not exactly a secret."
"I guess I didn't picture random deviant androids showing up at your house when you told me about it. I just assumed you wouldn't put yourself in that kind of danger." His tone was tense with the reply. A few seconds of silence stretched into a minute, and Alex sighed, realizing she wasn't going to say anything. "It looks like you won't be in Detroit for long?"
"Yes, Connor and I will be flying to Washington D.C. the day after tomorrow." Taylor glanced down at her shoes.
"Well you don't sound very excited about it." She bit her lip, keeping her eyes on the tips of her boots, trying not to look at Connor in her peripherals. If he wasn't sitting there, she might have been more honest with Alex. She might have told him she was terrified, and she still thought this was all a giant mistake.
"Just nervous, I guess," she said instead, skirting the truth. If anyone would understand her misgivings, it would be Alex. "I wish you could have stayed."
There was another beat of silence. She closed her eyes. She hadn't meant to say it, but with the realization that she would have to do all of this without him sinking in, the words had just come out, unbidden. Unfair.
"You don't need me there." He laughed, a little forced to ease the tension, but it made her feel better anyway. "You said so yourself, right? This is going to be good for you."
"Right. You're right."
"Have you seen the story on these anti-android protestors?" He changed the subject deftly, as though they'd only been discussing her latest jobs.
"You have to be more specific. There's plenty of those." She tried to make it a joke but came off a bit strained since she was still trying to get her bearings. He scoffed.
"Apparently they're picketing in Washington. You know, the place you're headed? I only pay attention to this stuff because of you, you know." She really did laugh at that, at the exasperation in his voice.
"Shouldn't you care about what's happening in the world?" Taylor glanced around the room and spotted the TV remote on the bedside table. She reached for it. "Are you talking about Helping Humans?"
"Yes! That's them. Nutjobs." She flipped the television on. It was already set to the news station, but there was an ongoing story playing about the state of Detroit since the revolution. "I hate the news, it's all a crap shoot."
"You have a kid now; you're supposed to be a responsible adult. Helping Humans has been around since before the revolution, since before deviants even became news." The news story shifted, and Taylor caught the first glimpse of what Alex was talking about. There were crowds of picketers being shown in Washington, shots from outside the White House, the Pentagon, and the National Mall of people with signs.
"Yeah, well, there must be more of them crawling out of the woodwork because they're certainly getting attention now. I'm guessing you've heard of these people?" She'd gone quiet as she stared at their signs, the familiar LED with a solid black line drawn diagonally through it. The anti-android sentiment that Helping Humans had pushed since the beginning.
"Yeah, I know them. I've met a couple of them. Not very pleasant." She looked over at Connor, who was also watching the story about the protests with interest. "I'm not really sure what they think they're protesting. Nothing is even happening yet."
"A lot of people consider the military pulling out of Detroit as a secession. It sets a precedent. These Helping Human people want the military to retake Detroit and eradicate deviant androids once and for all."
"That's insane." Taylor leaned forward, trying to follow the story on the screen without the sound on.
"Yes, well, as you put it, 'not very pleasant'. Every political movement needs some radicals, right?" He tried to sound flippant, but she could tell he was worried. She suspected this was the actual reason he had called.
"It's no fun without some opposition. I just hope this is over soon, I don't want to hang around in Washington for too long. People might get the wrong idea." She attempted to make it a joke as well, and to his credit, he actually laughed.
"The good news is, you're too young to run for president." A laugh escaped her as well. "Be careful out there."
"I will. Thanks." She hung up the phone and reached behind her to the bedside table to plug it into the charger. When she turned back around, she ticked the volume up on the television just enough so it could be heard. Connor was watching her now instead of the news story.
"You have heard of this group?" He asked after she settled back on the edge of the bed to watch it with the sound, but the news anchor was wrapping up and getting ready to segue to the next bit.
"Helping Humans? Yeah." A small furrow appeared in between his eyebrows, the only tell in his otherwise blank expression that he was also worried. "They're one of several anti-android activist groups that I know of. It comes with the territory."
He considered her for a moment, his expression unmoved. Finally, he said, "Previously, during the investigation, you eluded to exposure to deviants when in actuality you were helping a deviant Border Patrol agent smuggle deviants across the border. Now you're saying that you know of this group who happens to be protesting in Washington, but only in passing?"
"Are you saying you don't believe me?" She tried to keep the hurt out of her voice, but it wasn't easy. Connor frowned.
"I believe you. I'm just wondering if there is more to these encounters than you realize. You told Alex that they were unpleasant." He kept her fixed in his gaze. Taylor wanted to remember he was trying to keep her safe, but her rational thoughts were already crumbling beneath the edges of her anxiety.
"Well, like I said, I just met a couple of them. Once. At this panel debate thing I did in L.A. a couple of months back. On screen, they had all of the usual arguments about androids taking human jobs, being made to outlast humans, etc. After the show, though, they said some really cryptic things about the fall of mankind."
Connor positively scowled, and she grimaced in response. "That's what you call 'unpleasant'?"
"Look, to you that probably sounds really dire, but you have to appreciate the fact that I'm a celebrity, Connor. People say strange things to me all the time. I've heard weirder things from deviant supporters." She said it to make a point, then realized how it sounded.
"Hearing threatening overtures is just another day of your life, then?" He leaned forward in the chair, looking like he wanted to stand and come over to her but was holding himself back.
"Not exactly," she said, exasperated. "But I meet a lot of people. Most of them are nice people. Some of them are assholes. Statistically speaking, a handful of them are going to be insane, right?"
His lips quirked at that, and she felt the tension ease off of her just a little. "Statistically speaking, yes. Do you remember anything else about them? Anything that they said?"
"No. I got out of there as soon as they started in on the end of the world mumbo jumbo." She hesitated, then said, "There were two of them, a man and a woman. Outwardly, they looked like normal people."
"Do you remember the date of this panel?" His LED was flickering yellow now as he processed her responses.
"End of the summer, I think? August, maybe the beginning of September." The soft pulsing of his LED continued, and she suddenly realized what he was doing. "Are you looking for the video?"
"I have found it." He said, his LED sliding back to blue as he blinked. "I scanned through for the two people you described and searched the police database for criminal records."
"That seems somehow illegal. Also, unnecessary." Connor was the picture of seriousness while he returned her skeptical look. "You still have access to the police database?"
"It hasn't been revoked." He said it conversationally, but she started to laugh, and his lips curled into a smirk. "They both have no priors."
"Well, I will take comfort in that. I'm sure you will try to find other ways that they're plotting against me." She was teasing as she stood, making her way toward him.
"Someone has to make up for your reckless disregard for your personal safety." She paused mid-step, but the still present smirk on his face let her know that he was indeed teasing her back.
"Come on, we should go."