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[plasticasshole]

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[sociallychallenged]

[He can't see that stern look through his hair. He came armored against stern looks.]

I gotta finish the book.

[He mumbles. Like it's important. Hush Connor. He'll not understand the gibberish words he was dream reading before he was pulled out of that scenario and again forgot which one was reality.]

[plasticasshole]

[Connor sighs, getting up from the bed. He comes back with a glass of water, which he promptly pours over Hank's face.]

[sociallychallenged]

[And Hank ends up sputtering awake, sitting up and smearing his hand down his now wet face.] Connor! God fucking dammit!

[And he tries to hold onto shards of that dream. It was a nice one. But its lost in the fit of irritation at being doused with water. And fucking- now even the pillow is wet! He hopes they don't get charged extra for.... pillow drying or what the fuck ever. He doesn't know if pokeplaces fleece visitors or not.]

[Hank swings his legs off the bed and stares down at the floor. With a sour, sour expression on his face.]

[plasticasshole]

[Connor just walks away to put the glass back on the side, then grabs a towel, handing it off to Hank.]

You weren't listening to me.

[And Connor doesn't quite know how to gently wake up someone who really doesn't want to be woken up.]

[sociallychallenged]

I was dreaming I was reading to Cole! I didn't fucking want to wake up!

[He snaps, pushing at the towel rather than taking it.] Just clean off the mess you made on the bed. I'm going to shower.

[And everything pops when he stands up. He probably shouldn't even have said what he was dreaming of. He should have just walked off and went to the bathroom- which is what he does now.]

[plasticasshole]

[Connor just sighs, feeling bad but ultimately believing that he did what he did for Hank's own good. He can't live his whole life wishing he was asleep, right?

Though when Hank does finally come out, Connor has cleaned the bed off and gives Hank an apologetic look.]

I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that.

[He doesn't regret waking him up, but maybe there are better methods of doing it.]

[sociallychallenged]

[He can and he will, thank you very much. His whole life.]

[But that said, Hank is willing to accept apologies, even at his most irritable.] You gotta come up with better ways to wake people up.

[He's got his hair combed back for the moment. Shock of shocks, Connor, Hank actually has ears. No one's seen them in years.] I'm gonna start tallying up this shit so one day when I throw you in a cold shower you won't be able to complain.

[He takes a cue from Connor and has changed back into his normal cop clothes, the ones he wore on his last day in Detroit.] There is a tablet that came with my stuff. Can you hand it to me? We need to make a checklist.

[plasticasshole]

[Connor seems distracted by the fact that Hank actually has a face underneath all of that hair, but does as Hank asks.]

What kind of checklist?

[He sits back on the bed, with Magnemite floating closer now that the two don't seem to be fighting anymore.]

[sociallychallenged]

Laundry. Grocery list. Book order since apparently the library will send you books. Figure out what we'll do about the money situation.

[He's sort of writing as he says it.]

Groceries... I can't even make a list. I don't know what the fuck they have. Protein. Vegetables. Carbs. And then a desert a piece.

Do we gotta feed you guys? [He asks Crockett. Because if so, that needs to be on the list.] What? [He notes Connor's staring finally.]

[plasticasshole]

The library will send you books?

[He blinks at Hank's question, then tilts his head a little.]

Nothing. I'm just not used to seeing your hair pulled back, that's all.

[sociallychallenged]

Apparently. I figured it might help you to have some references. [Even if some of them ended up more along the lines of teenager self-help books, Connor would at least have something to go by.]

[Hank doesn't know whether it's a good or bad thing, so after a few self-conscious moments he jostles it so that it lays more like usual (just wetly so).]

So. Laundry. Groceries. Books. Figure out how we'll get more money. What else?

[plasticasshole]

[Well, he would tell him it was a good thing, but that would probably be a weird thing to tell him unprompted so he just leaves it.]

I'm not sure. More clothes?

[They only have the two outfits right now, and having two outfits for what could be several days travelling feels like it's not enough.]

[sociallychallenged]

Right. Good one. [Hank writes that one down. Then really takes note that Connor's back in his outfit.] And some general pain relievers and a medkit.

...I have a question for you, Connor. We made it this far but... [He eyes that suit and thinks about it. That spiteful triangle, that labeling of a number that seems cruel now.] Would you want a fresh start without me holding you back? I mean, after this... We don't have to be together. I don't want to be a reminder of your bad experiences.

[He's gotten so he actually likes the prick. He wants to spend time with him. And if they'd stayed at home, he had every intention of making up for his previous behavior towards him. But here, Connor has a chance to be appreciated and loved from square one. Without being shoved into walls or having guns aimed at him.] It's your choice.

[plasticasshole]

[Connor just looks confused.]

You don't want to travel with me?

[Or did Connor make it seem like he didn't want to travel with Hank? He frowns.]

Is this because I tipped water on you? I told you I was sorry.

[sociallychallenged]

No, no I do. I'm just...

[He pauses, just standing there, holding his notebook awkwardly.]

No. I don't want to leave you. I just wanted to make sure you knew you were free to do what you wanted. Figured after all you and your people had been through, human or not, you deserved to have that.

Not that you ever listened to me anyway. [He clears his throat, tries to laugh it off, but it's just a strange noise.] And I'm a huge fuckin' mess. [An anchor, heavy and dragging the floor, for someone like Connor. He looks back to his tablet but it's obvious its an idle gesture. He's no longer actually writing. His note now has a doodle of Crockett in sunglasses.]

[plasticasshole]

Well, I suppose I could figure out being a human on my own eventually, but I'd rather do it with you.

[He gives Hank what he hopes is a reassuring smile.]

But I understand. You're trying to give me my independence. You may be a mess, Lieutenant, but I'm fond of you. It wouldn't feel quite right, doing this alone.

[sociallychallenged]

[While Hank's smile is a little lopsided.]

This might be me over-thinking things, but I think your smiles are a little easier.

[His chest warms a little over it, too. One damn person in the world would miss him if he was gone. Which is more than he had a month ago. Finally, he pockets the notebook.]

Do you wanna rock-paper-scissors over who does the laundry?

[plasticasshole]

I don't mind doing it. Consider it an apology for how I woke you up.

[Even though Hank already seems to have forgiven him for tipping water on his face.]

[sociallychallenged]

Pretty good apology.

[He grabs his pack, the clothes out of it, the apron out of the floor (don't ask, he doesn't know either) and piles them where Connor can take them.]

[He then pulls out his pokeball, and looks at it with all the confusion of that coin he'd stolen from Connor and tried to do a trick with. A moment later, he's brought Tubbs back into existence, and he seems happy as ever to have seen them.]

[He ruffles the dog's fuzzy cheeks, happy to see that he wasn't gone forever, and Tubbs dances from foot to foot in excitement over having been brought out.] I guess we can have breakfast after that gets started.

[plasticasshole]

[He gathers all the clothes up and gets started, and when he comes back he greets Tubbs with as much enthusiasm as the dog. He loves dogs. It also reminds him he hasn't let Charlotte out since he caught her, so he opens her ball and watches as she starts to skitter up the wall and promptly begins making a web in the corner.]

We should extend our stay here. I can't imagine we'll be leaving the town for a few days.

[sociallychallenged]

Alright... well, we should see about getting more money, too. I don't think what we got will carry us very long.

I was out of the fuckin' job, anyway. Might as well pick something up. [He shrugs, giving in to the very real fact that, had there not been an android revolution, it's very likely Hank would have been given his suspension immediately. Honestly, it's a surprise that he didn't even with that going on.]

[He's never been anything but a cop before, though. His entire career has been based around it. As has Connor's whole existance.]

[plasticasshole]

[He watches Hank, supposing that it’s probably a good thing they ended up here.]

I never thanked you for distracting Perkins for me. I’d imagine getting to punch him was its own reward, but still. Thank you.

[sociallychallenged]

It did feel pretty good.

I'm glad you did what you needed to do. [If only he could have seen Connor put the beat down on Reed, his day would have been considerably better.]

You know, that other you came into my house, acting all distressed like he needed me again. Got me to drive him all the way to the Cyberlife building. Didn't hold a gun to my head until we got in there. I fell for it hook, line, and goddamn sinker.

[Because his protectiveness bit him on the ass.]

[Then a sudden realization.] Holy shit. I can go fishing.

[plasticasshole]

[His expression falters, turns cold as Hank speaks of the other Connor. He’s angry that they used Hank to get to him like that.]

He had my memories. He knew that you’d help me.

[The dark look on his face clears a little at the change of subject, though.]

I’ve never been fishing, but I hear it’s relaxing.

[sociallychallenged]

[He sees that darkening expression, and while he thinks the other RK800 deserves that look, he also knows it comes with a little bit of self-hatred.]

Yeah, it was shitty of them to do that to you. [And to him. He had thought some of their interactions were private moments. Realizing they weren't was difficult.]

Anyway, yeah, I haven't been for years. [Except he hasn't been fishing where there are pokemon. He writes out 'Go Fishing' on his notepad. Then makes a copy of the list to hand over to Connor.] There. We got a plan.