After It All
"This top is really cute!" Claire said holing up a grey top. She pushed it against Ralph's chest and looked him up and down. "I think that you would look really nice in it!" she pulled it off his chest and passed it to him to inspect.
Ralph looked down at the shirt, he did not have any preferences when it came to clothes, a long as they were comfortable and he was able to garden in them. He rubbed his fingers against the soft fabric. "Its… nice Claire…" he said giving her a smile. "Thank you."
Claire took the shirt and placed it into the basket. "Do you need anything else?" she looked around the store. "It's getting colder, maybe a new coat?" she started to walk away to look down the other isles.
"Claire," Ralph began, chasing after her. "Ralph does not require jumpers and jackets." He didn't know why he even bothered arguing with her. They did this every year.
Claire turned at him with a look. "I'm buying you clothes, Ralph." She cupped his face. "I want to make you feel special. Let me, please?" Ralph stared into her green doe eyes. How could anyone say no to that? He nodded in acquiesce.
"Excuse me, ma'am?" Claire and Ralph turned to see a middle-aged woman and what appeared to be her five-year old standing before them.
"Yes?" Claire tilted her head in confusion, had they done something?
The woman smiled warmly at her. "Are you that lady from the news?" she asked, her question garnered the attention of some of the other customers in the store. "The one embracing the android?" she gestured to Ralph.
Claire felt her cheeks redden. "Yes." She said quietly and glanced up at Ralph quickly before looking back at the woman. "Yes, we are." She reached over with her free hand and touched Ralph's arm, reassuring him. She felt him relax.
The woman's broke into a bright smile, revealing her white teeth. "I am so happy for you both!" she said excitedly. "When I saw you both on the news, well, I was just so touched, the two of you are so beautiful together!" her voice pitched. "I'm so happy that I'm able to meet you, oh my!" she was practically swooning.
Some of the other patrons walked over to them. "My girlfriend started to cry when she saw the report." A man said. "She was so touched by how beautiful you both were."
"Are you going to get married?" a little girl asked.
Claire blushed and squeezed Ralph's arm. The poor android seemed completely out of his comfort zone. Her actions were noticed by the surrounding shoppers and they all seemed to let out a sigh of aww. She felt embarrassed, she did not think that this would be the sort of reception that she would receive from the general public. "Thank you, for your support everyone."
X
After they left the shop, Claire held his hand with one hand and the bags with her other. Ralph had offered to carry it but she had refused, saying that he wasn't her carry maid. She squeezed his hand and looked up at him. He was staring at seemingly nothing with a pensive expression and his LED flashing yellow. She squeezed his hand again.
"Are you okay, Ralph?" she asked.
Ralph paused mid step and looked down at her. "Ralph is not used to humans being… so accepting of me…" he frowned and lifted her hand to his lips. "Ralph… is glad, I love you Claire."
Claire moved his hand to her own lips. She was surprised at how well he was doing. They were standing on the sidewalk, having public affections and he had not had an anxiety attack. She wished that he knew how well he was doing. "I love you too, Ralph." She grinned at him.
"Now that's just fucking disgusting!"
X
Hank smiled as he eyed the burger on the table before him. It was big. It was juicy. It was meaty. It was glorious. He knew that Connor, who was sitting across from him at their booth, disapproved of his choice of meal, but he had been eating all of Connor's healthy meals all week! He needed this burger. He deserved this burger.
"Hank, that burger contains over-"
"Oh, shut up Connor." Hank griped. God would have to have mercy on any soul that came between him and this burger. He placed his hands on the sides of the burger, it was huge, he lifted it. It was going to be amazing.
"Hank, we've got an assault happening outside!" Connor jumped from the booth.
"Are you fucking joking!?" Hank looked through the window and was met with the sight of a middle-aged Caucasian woman waving her arms wildly and hitting at an android. His eyes widened as he recognised it as Ralph, the android from the station. He swore again and dropped his burger. "Are we the only cops in Detroit!?" he all but shouted as he chased after Connor.
"Leave him alone!" Claire cried out as she tried to pull the woman away from Ralph. The woman called her a 'whore' and shoved her away, Claire fell back onto the sidewalk.
"Claire!" Ralph moved to go after her only to find a hand slap across his face.
"Detroit police!" Connor called out as he moved to the situation. The woman turned, her eyes were wild, he suspected red ice. "Ma'am you need to calm down!" he ordered.
The woman spat. "Fucking disgusting androids!" she lunged at him, her hand connected with his face. Blue blood splatted against the ground as her nail cut his face. Connor grabbed her arms and struggled to hold her as she flailed against him.
"Connor!" Hank ran into the scene. He took in the sight and sprung into action. He took the woman's arms and pulled them behind her, he then pulled her to the ground and handcuffed her. He held the woman down as she struggled and swore into the pavement. "Connor call a pick up for this."
"Right!" With blue blood running down his face, Connor called for backup his LED flashing as he did so. "They should be here soon." He eventually said before reaching up to rub at the blood on his face.
"You okay Connor?" Hank pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket. "Here." He held it out to the android.
Connor took the offered item and held it to his head. "It's just a scratch, it's bleeding so much because of where it is."
Claire pulled herself up from the sidewalk and looked at the two officers. "Thank you… for everything.." she paused as though remembering something. "Ralph!" she turned to see Ralph standing still, his eyes fixated on the side walk. She stepped closer to Ralph. "Ralph?" she leaned closer to him, he was entirely unresponsive. Panic ran through her, had the woman damaged him? She touched his cheek. "Ralph?"
Ralph's eyes snapped to her, tears began to stream down his face. His body began to shake. Claire's eyes widened and she reached out and touched his face, she wiped at the tears with her thumb. Her action snapped him out of his stupor and he reached out to her, his arms entangling her in a flurry of panic. He buried his face into her neck as he clutched at her.
"Are you okay?" she soothed, she tried to move her arms to hold him back but found herself unable, he was holding her that tightly. She instead remained still until she heard the sirens of the police car. She pulled back from Ralph and watched as two officers took the lady with them.
"Can you both come with us?" Hank addressed them. "Make a report and all that?" he eyed Ralph. "He okay?"
Claire looked back at Ralph and he nodded.
X
"Connor! Your face!" The worry was evident in Adrian's voice. He got up from his desk and ran to Connor who had just walked into the DPD. He stopped in front of the android. "What happened?"
Hank patted the android's shoulder. "Crazy lady, suspected red ice." He looked at Connor with a fond smile, but the concern was etched in his eyes. "Come on, lets get you patched up." He pulled Connor off to get his face looked at. He took two steps before he looked back at Adrian. "Could you take their statements?" he gestured to Claire and Ralph who were following behind him.
Adrian, while he would rather be helping Connor, nodded to the Lieutenant and went about getting a report.
XXX
Connor rose from the sofa at the sound of the doorbell. He had been waiting for Adrian, the two had plans to go see a movie, so he was quite surprised when he opened the door and found Simon standing at the door. What was he doing here? Had something happened?
The android lifted his hand in a wave. "Hello Connor."
Connor nodded and gestured for Simon to come inside. "Hello Simon." He closed the door. "How are you?"
Simon walked into the living room. "I've been well, thank you Connor." He turned to look at Connor, his eyes glittering with amusement. "I hear congratulations are in order." When Connor tilted his head in confusion, he elaborated. "On your relationship developments."
Connor frowned, how had Simon heard about that? While he didn't know it, his answer came as Hank walked into the room from the hallway. "Simon!" he walked past them and into the kitchen. "You're early! I'll get the cards!"
At the look on Connor's face, Simon spoke. "Hank has invited me to play 'black jack' with him."
Connor remembered Hank saying that he had been talking with Simon, he had no idea that they had been planning to do things together, he found himself frowning, he was unsure why it made him feel strange. He was happy that Hank was socialising, it was good, Hank deserved to have a life outside of him and policework. Something just did not settle in him though.
"I hope that you have a good evening." Connor eventually said. It was in that moment that the doorbell rang again, that had to be Adrian. Connor moved to answer the door, his assumption was correct, and he found Adrian standing at the door, dressed in a black turtleneck and jeans.
"Hey Connor!" Adrian grinned and placed a kiss on the android's cheek.
"Hey no funny business in here!" Hank called out with a laugh.
"Fine then!" Adrian called back, he grabbed Connor and pulled him to his side. "I'll kidnap him and have my wicked way with him in the car!"
X
"That twist at the end!" Adrian gushed as they left the cinema. "I could not believe that he did that, to his wife and daughter! Those poor souls!"
"It was very sad," Connor agreed.
"And the poor girl! Her father figure completely went of the rails! I mean it was a little obvious what was going to happen, but it was awful! That poor girl, and her brother." Adrian continued to gush about the film.
Connor nodded and continued to walk beside his partner. Adrian stopped talking and eyed Connor, it did not take a scientist to tell that something was bothering him. He eyed Connor as they walked and when they reached the car, he leaned against the bonnet and crossed his arms. "Hey, what's going on? Something's wrong, I can tell."
Connor looked at Adrian. "I am sorry." He said quietly, he moved and sat beside Adrian on the bonnet. "I have not been completely giving you the attention you deserve… I am, distracted." he gestured helplessly.
Adrian reached over and grasped Connor's hand, he laced their fingers together and squeezed. "Hey." He nudged the other with his shoulder. "What's bothering you? I'm all ears." He nuzzled his shoulder against Connor's, he grinned when he saw the android's lips twitch upwards.
"It's just, Hank," Connor shrugged. "he is playing 'black jack' with Simon, I'm happy for Hank, he needs the friendship, but something, something feels wrong in me. I feel, ill when I think about it.. I'm not sure what that means…" He looked at Adrian with confused eyes when the human let out a laugh.
"I'm sorry," Adrian said. "I should not be laughing," he kissed Connor's fingers. "You're fine, you're just jealous." At the expression on Connor's face he continued. "Hank is like, your dad, you guys have had each other for over three years and now Hanks made friends with another android and is making plans with him, you're just feeling a little jealous, it's normal. Trust me."
Connor tilted his head and his LED flashed yellow as he pondered over Adrian's words, he was right. He was jealous, it was surprising to him, it was new, he had never felt it before. He glanced at Adrian and remembered the feeling that he had felt when he had learned about his old boyfriend, he had felt jealous before, he just hadn't known what it was.
"Thank you, Adrian," Connor smiled. "thank you for listening to me."
Adrian grinned. "Anytime Connor."
X
When they returned to Hank's they were met with the sight of Sumo asleep on the sofa and Hank and Simon in the kitchen laughing as they swapped stories. "Connor!" Hank called as he saw them. "Come play! You too Adrian!"
Connor noted that Hank had consumed eight beers, pretty standard. "Alright." He pulled a chair and sat down.
"What are we playing Lieutenant?" Adrian asked as he took the seat between Hank and Simon. He watched as Simon shuffled the cards.
"Poker! Now Adrian," he leaned forward. "you're with Connor, I think that you can call me 'Hank'!" he chuckled and took a swig of his beer. Then passed one to the detective.
"T-thanks Lieu-Hank." Adrian stumbled over his words and opened the beer.
Simon passed out the cards and the four proceeded to play.
X
Connor carried Hank to his room, Simon had left some time earlier and Adrian was waiting in Connor's room, having had way too many beers for Connor to allow him to drive home. He opened Hank's bedroom door and guided him into his bed.
"Thank you, Connor." Hank smiled and pulled his shoes off. He then collapsed onto the mattress. "Hey Connor," he slurred. "I was good." He said softly. "It was good, playing poker with you- I can't believe that you lost! Had… had to be on purpose…"
Connor smiled and helped Hank pull the blanket over him. "I had fun too, and no, I did not lose on purpose, you are very good at the game Hank."
Hank laughed at his words. "Sure!" he pulled Connor down and hugged him, the android went still in confusion. "You're a good kid Connor. A good kid." Connor relaxed and returned the hug.
"You are a good person too, Hank." At the sound of Hank's snoring, he gently detached himself and placed a glass of water and two Advil on the bedside table. He then left the Lieutenant to sleep and went to his own room where he found Adrian attempting to pull off his turtleneck. He gave a wryly smile at the sight and went about helping Adrian remove his shirt.
"T-thanks." Adrian grinned and plopped onto Connor's bed.
Connor began to slip out of his own clothing and slipped into the bed beside Adrian, who turned and snuggled to his side. Connor gently stroked the detective's hair and neck, he took in the sight of the light bruising on the neck and frowned. Well that explained why he had been wearing the turtleneck. Knowing that the mark was from their activities, he leaned down and kissed the mark. He then went back to stroking his hair.
"Mmm…" Adrian snuggled closer. "Goodnight Connor… I love you."
"Goodnight Adrian."
XXX
Ralph walked into the apartment from the balcony. Claire was sitting on her couch with her laptop typing and scrolling furiously. She had been doing this for some hours now and Ralph was a little concerned, he wondered what was so interesting that she had put so much of her time and effort into it. He walked over to her and sat down beside her.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
Claire sighed and snapped her laptop shut, she rubbed her temples with her fingers and groaned. "I'm looking at the android laws.." she pushed down on her temples. "It's so dry and boring and…" she trailed off with a groan.
Ralph reached over and began to massage her shoulders. Claire placed her laptop on the coffee table and turned so that he could have better access to her. "Why are you looking at the laws?"
Claire moaned at the sensation of his hands. "You guys are still treated like nothing, even after so many years. You can't even marry, Ralph." She sighed. "I want to do everything I can to better your laws… you deserve the same rights as us.."
"Markus has been fighting for our rights." Ralph replied evenly.
"Maybe I should talk to him then…" Claire mumbled.
A/N: I hope that you liked the chapter, let me know!