#damn markus is so mean to josh here

[my-name-is-markus-with-a-k]

"You keep complaining. What have you done exactly, Josh? At least I fought for us! At least if I die, I die free!"

[rk1kheadcanons]

smol hc: Being the only RK models, CyberLife used some of Markus's base code in Connor's program. Emotions & empathy for social integration, and also some caretaking protocols in case emergency repairs/first aid are needed on the job (IE reactivating the Traci at the Eden Club, or diagnosing & "treating" Hank's ethylic coma LOL). I love the idea of Con getting to take care of Markus for once if he gets injured doing Rebel Leader Things™

🥺 Anon. I love this HC so much. Connor having some caretaker protocols is...yes. Absolutely. The jury is out and they find the defendant correct.

___

When Markus limped into his office, practically hopping on one foot every other step, all he wanted to do was bulldoze through his paperwork so he could go home and forget today ever happened. He’d taken a pretty hard hit earlier when a counter protester at their rally thought it was just a capital idea to hurl a brick into the crowd. Much more surprising than the sudden brick to the knee, though, was the (almost terrifying in it’s rapidness) reaction from the crowd. The guy was immediately apprehended and cursed out by human supporters and androids alike. It was wild. His bodyguards barely had to do any work. Markus swore he heard a human yell that thirium shots were on them after this, amidst a chorus of responding cheers. Nothing brings people together like a communal ass whoopin’? Apparently??

God he really hoped that human didn’t drink any thirium. Markus still had nightmares about Leo accidentally mixing up his blue raspberry jello shot with his drink, nevermind the fact that thirium consumables smelled like laundry detergent and poison as purposeful deterrents.  

“Are you sure you don’t want to go see the technician?” said Simon who, as his designated babysitter while North and Josh handled the fallout of the rally, followed into his office after him. 

“Naaahh,” Markus drawled, waving the hand that was grasping a pen as if he could wave away the problem altogether. Not for the first time he wished the government would catch up with the rest of the world and just go paperless. Reading over and signing these tedious documents would be a lot less painful to do if they would just let him download it into his mind like a sensible person would. “I barely feel it, plus my Regenerative Program has already kicked in. By the time I get to the med bay it’ll probably be all fixed.”

“Uh huh,” Simon unconvinced at him. “How long till you’re repaired.”

Markus pulled up the damage report in his HUD. “About six…”  he stared at the readings for a moment longer and, much to Simon’s chagrin, went back to doing his paperwork.

“...six what?”

“Bahhh,” Markus waved his hand again unhelpfully. Truthfully, he didn’t know how to make this sound better. Hopefully, his innate charm would cover for his trash convincing. “Ya know…”

“No. I do not know. What is it? Six minutes?”

Markus grunted.

“Hours!?”

Markus slumped lower in his chair. “Mmmhumph.”

“....Markus,” Simon started in a low warning voice. “If it’s days so help me I’m going to take out your other knee - ”

The door slammed open, startling Simon out of his threat, which was definitely about to escalate to more than Markus’ other knee once he found out it was six weeks. 

“Connor!”

“Good morning Simon,” Connor greeted briskly, expression stormy as he made a beeline for Markus like the man possesses on a mission that he usually was. He was swinging a rather large, rather ominous looking tool box with a red medical cross painted on it. Markus didn’t even stop doing his paperwork. He knew the drill by now. “I heard about what happened and came as fast as I could.”

“Wow, the news has only been out for an hou - wait. Weren’t you in Ohio?”

“Yes. I would have been here sooner but traffic was heavier than usual and the family driving the Escalade was surprisingly insistent on going the speed limit. A majority of police officers won't cite drivers for going between 1-5 miles per hour over,” Connor rolled his eyes and scoffed, like he didn’t follow some laws down to the letter while blatantly disregarding others at any given time. 

“Wha - did you hitchhike all the way here!?”

“Oh no of course not! There is a 46% chance of violent or criminal conduct committed against people who hitchhike.”

“Then how - ”

“I was sitting on top of the aforementioned Escalade.”

Markus gave him his best ‘why are you like this’ stare while Simon gaped in perplexion. “You didn’t need to car surf just to come all the way down here, hon.”

“After hearing about the state you were in, with all my love in the world I violently disagree.”

Markus sighed like a man whose knee wasn’t sparking and twitching at this very moment. And...hm. Maybe it did ache. A teeny bit. Whatever. He was still of the opinion that rubbing some dirt on it and a little stretching was enough to get him through the rest of the day.

“Well, maybe you can help me convince him to go to the technician,” said Simon.

“No need.” Without preamble, Connor plopped the heavy med(?) box on the floor and gently lifted Markus’ leg, hiking up his pants up to the thigh. As he examined it, intense as any jeweler examining a rare diamond, he hooked the back of a nearby stool with his foot and pulled it over, resting the leg on it. Markus neither struggled nor visually reacted; just kept stringently doing his paperwork like nothing was going on.

When Connor pulled out a collapsible creeper seat and rolled under Markus’ leg as if he were a mechanic working on a car, Simon went from passive observer to concernedly going around the desk to see what all the RK800 was doing.

“H-hey wait a second! Connor - it’s a pretty serious wound, maybe we should let the professionals handle it!”

Connor rolled slightly from under Markus with a large drill in his hand and an unimpressed look on his face. Surprisingly, Simon was not reassured by this in the slightest. “I assure you Simon that I am fully equipped with the latest caretaking protocols now could you please pass me that monkey wrench.”

“What seriously- UHH! I mean...” Realizing how insulting that sounded, Simon hurried to hand Connor the tool, clearing his throat. “I didn’t realize you had such uh...versatile programing.”

“It’s the same base code used in mine, actually,” Markus added, using his free hand to pat Connor’s soothingly when he heard him grumbling things like “I can do more than kill things” and “No one has been irreparably maimed in my Knitting Circle”. Damn right honey, Markus thought, Greta and Patrica have had nothing but nice things to say about you’re wool socks.

“Oh riiiiiight. You two are from the same model line, I…” Markus could practically Jedi Sense Simon about to say ‘I forget that sometimes’, so he looked up at the PL600 and shook his head firmly with glaring eyes. Simon, sheepish, held up his hands placatingly and held his tongue.

“The code...has been streamlined to cater more towards field and emergency repairs,” Connor admitted reluctantly, but then quickly added, “but combined with my own personal research outside of my programming, it is no less effective.”

Eager to keep his foot out of his mouth, Simon merely nodded in agreement. He couldn’t, however, keep the growing alarm showing from his face as Connor pulled more and more absurd tools out of his box (the electric saw was particularly disconcerting), and started contorting around Markus so that he wasn’t interfering with his work in ways that at first, seemed normal, but were steadily becoming more on par with a cirque du soleil act. That alarm changed into bewilderment when he tilted Markus’ chair back, put a car jack under his desk so that it tilted forward at the perfect writing level, put a pillow behind his head and a fizzy thirium drink (complete with a fun crazy straw) in his mouth. His standard office setup now suddenly a mini spa. 

When Connor started working a polisher to his knee Markus practically melted back into the chair. Oh that sneaky bastard. He knew Markus wouldn’t be able to get anything done by administering the android equivalent of a deep tissue massage. 

Bewilderment now firmly settled on amusement, and thoroughly reassured that his friend/boss was in good hands, Simon started to take his leave. “Alright, I’ll leave you to it Connor. If you need back up to make sure this guy takes it easy we’re all on stand by.”

Connor nodded. “I will escort him home for further recuperation as soon as I have finalized his repairs.”

Markus, eyes closed as he happily sipped at his Particle-Colada, grunted in response to Simon’s farewell. He was a little annoyed that everyone was treating him like a toddler over his small injury, and a little more annoyed that Simon had felt the need to hover around Connor, as if he were bracing for the RK800 to do something violent, before trusting his good intentions. Granted, Markus (begrudgingly) could admit that Connor’s methods certainly weren’t...standard caretaker protocols, and that his bedside manner was well...much like the android himself; aggressive, confusing, and, most importantly, well-meaning.

“‘Can’t go home,” Markus murmured around his straw, very convincingly and not at all like he was about to ascend to a higher plane. “Still got work to do.”

“Hmm. Do you now?” With a fond, humoring, smile, Connor cranked up the power on the polisher. Markus swore his soul was straight vibin’.

Yea, actually. Maybe work could wait till tomorrow.

[rjhpandapaws]

Hey Panda! Congratulations on hitting the new milestone! Dunno if it’s still time to ask for a prompt, but if it is, I would love to see you write Simarkus first argument with a fluffy ending, please! Thanks and have a nice day! ^^

//Another first fight. This will be fun!! // @sheyshocked I didn’t mean to publish this blank! //Best read while listening to Battle Cries by the Amazing Devil

It was a long time coming he supposed looking back, that he and Simon would fight. They had fallen together in the midst of a revolution that neither one believed they would survive, and well, when you don’t think you’re going to survive, communicating with your partner isn’t the highest of your priorities. Except they had survived, and Markus’s ability to communicate hadn’t gotten any better. This started out small, as they always did. Signs and signals that were easy to miss if you didn’t know to look for them. Simon had always been surrounded by humans and learned to mimic them, so a lot of his displeasure came across in his body language, not his words, and Markus, for all the good he had done their movement, was not the greatest at reading the room. Carl voiced his displeasure, North did the same, Josh would make an effort to solve it on his own; and Simon, for whatever reason kept it to himself. The first of it started in the odd calm after the revolution, They were in free fall, and Markus scrambled to make a list of things that they wanted met in their personhood. Then came all of the legal meetings and the press, he took Josh with him, he was better at this than the rest of them. That, and he loved red tape situations for whatever reason. He had unintentionally pulled away from Simon, and return Simon had done the same.

The thing was Markus had known none of this at the time. He hadn't known that there was something that needed fixed. Simon was just quiet and Markus had chalked it up to stress. After all of something was wrong he would have said something right? And he did, close to a year on after the revolution, things had slowed down some, but Markus hadn’t, and if he had to guess Simon was getting tired of coming in last on his list of priorities. Which looking back, had been unfair to him. Markus knew that now. “Markus?” Simon asked one evening, “If you have time could we talk?” He was polite, as he always tended to be. Now he knew it had been hesitation. “Of course. I always have time for you.” Markus said setting aside the stack of papers and turning to face Simon. He didn’t miss the ice that passed through those blue eyes. “I was thinking about taking a little time on my own.” Simon said without looking at Markus, “Away from Jericho, I feel out of place here.” Markus had to stop for a moment to process this. After everything they had accomplished, Simon just wanted to leave? “Do  you mind my asking why?” “You don’t need me here, didn’t really need me during things either if I’m honest.” He met Markus’s eyes for that one, and if the words hadn’t hurt enough on their own, the distance in his eyes would have done the job, “Everything is just you North and Josh. Now that we aren’t about to die at every turn you don’t need me anymore, so I thought -” There was static at the edge of his voice. Ever since being brought back his vocal processor tried to give out if he got too emotional, “I thought I could find a place where I was needed.”

“You are needed here, there are things we need you for.” Markus replied, “Morale, you help when there are humans or injure-” “Outside of the movement Markus. For once, can you maybe think about something else? Someone else?” Simon pleaded, “You never talk to me anymore if it isn’t about this. During the revolution you always said that after it ended, if we survived, we would get away from all of this. That we would find a place of our own. We survived Markus, I don’t know if you noticed that, and the only thing you’ve gotten away from is me.” “That isn’t true. I know I - We’ve been busy, but I haven’t forgotten you Si, just a little longer, that’s all I’m asking.” Markus pleaded, but he knew the answer even before Simon spoke. “When Markus?” He said flatly, “When you’ve solved the problems of each android ever made? When you’re done being seen as a hero? Or perhaps when all of this red tape gets cleared up? A year Markus, it has been a year and you haven’t talked to me about anything other than this damned movement!” There was a garble of static that Markus figured was supposed to be words, but Simon was too lost to say them, “A year since you told me you loved me.” Those last words hit him like a physical blow and Markus wanted to argue, but the thing was he couldn’t remember, “Simon, I’ve be-” “Been busy, I know.” Came the faintly static reply, “But that is exactly my point. Maybe we should put whatever this was meant to be on hold, until you can figure this out, because I can’t keep throwing myself at a wall Markus; not again; not even for you. I did this once already and its how I wound up in that boat to begin with, and it is certainly not how I wish to spend the rest of my life.”

Before Markus could reply he was gone. Markus stared at the doorway where he had been standing. He could remember those moments clearly. The nights and other moments when it was relatively safe and they could breathe, those times when they dared to dream about the world after the revolution. Promises that he ad every intention to keep, promises that had had gotten buried beneath paperwork and an image put on him by the rest of the world. He had, in small but certain steps forgotten about Simon. It was too late to admit that because the security system had already announced his absence, and even then, he had asked for space. Markus could give him that. They both had things to think about. Simon what he wanted out of life, and Markus about where exactly he had lost his. He hadn’t expected being alive to be so much work. North was good at handling politicians, and Josh’s dream job was apparently was to be nested in piles of paperwork. If Markus would only let him he would be doing this in his place, but apparently he was so used to being The Revolutionary now that he hadn’t been able to set it aside. For all it had gotten him, he had just lost the one thing he had been fighting for. Their right to life, to exist, to be able to feel, all so he could love without being killed, except he had pushed away the one person he had fought the world for. Losing Simon the first time had been hard, but this was worse. He knew that outside the house Simon was still well, but this time he just didn’t want to be neat him. Alive and well, but no where near him. He sighed quietly and looked back at the daunting pile of paperwork. Was this really what he wanted? Politics until his thirium pump rolled over and gave out? Is this what he wanted to make of the sacrifices made for him? He knew the answer to all of that, it was a resounding no. What he wanted was the life he had dared to dream of when hunched in an empty box car with Simon.

 He lasted until midnight, not that he had gotten anymore work done of course. No, he had simply been staring at the door trying to find where things had gone so wrong. Where along the way he had exchanged his happiness for in image. Where in all of this he had lost Simon. It was so gradual and slow going that he couldn’t find the exact moment he had lost Simon, it still felt too much like he had been there one moment and gone the next; but he knew when he started pulling away. It was around the six month mark, right when Markus’s political career took off. When the paperwork had buried him and Simon along with it. Made a wall that was somehow both feebly thin and impossible to get through. Lost in translation as they said. He made his way to the shipyard to think. It was the place he went to ground himself. He hadn’t expected to see Simon there. Standing at the dock’s edge looking out over the wreckage in the slow rain that always seemed prevalent this time of year. But there he was, looking out over the water like it somehow held the answers, and Markus could understand why. In an ironic sense, things had seemed easier then, when they hadn’t thought they were going to make it out. Carl had said things about that on many occasions, when he got fed up with his own condition. They varied from profound to concerning depending on how sober he was; but Markus’s favorite had always been that life was the most beautiful when you were under the impression that it would end before you got to live it. Markus supposed that was true. His moment of reprieve was broken by Simon himself. “If you have something to say please say it, your just standing there is creepy.” He didn’t look away from the water as he spoke, and Markus couldn’t blame him.

“I want to apologize if you’ll let me.” He replied, “I didn’t notice that I had lost you along the way Simon. I always told myself that after the next thing I would be done, each new thing that came up was meant to be the last. I didn't realize what I was doing to you and I’m sorry. I know it’s probably to little too late, and I can’t promise that this but of legislation will be the last, but I promise to let Josh handle more of it from here on out. I don’t want to lose you again.” Simon did look at him eventually, no doubt searching to see if these promises would be empty too, “That will have to be enough then won’t it. Just talk to me this time Markus, tell me what you are thinking. I can’t read your mind despite my best efforts.” He took a few steps to close to the distance, “Just don’t forget me this time.” Markus rested his forehead against Simon’s “Never again.” He promised.

(Prompt from this list)

[sing-a-sirensong]

Breaktime

A short and sweet pwp for Simon/Markus

Summary: Markus pulls Simon away from his work for a (not so quick) break. Rating: E Warnings: None

On AO3 here

---------------------

Simon leans over his desk, staring blankly at the documents strewn across it. He’s been working in his room all day. His own, private, room. An arrangement that Simon is still getting used to, having his own space like this.

After the successful revolution, Carl Manfred had insisted that Markus ‘give your friends a place to stay, this damn house is too big and empty for one old man’ and hadn’t left much room for argument. North and Josh also have their own rooms in the, frankly enormous, house. But, more often than not, their duties would call them elsewhere, sometimes for days at a time.

Simon however, prefers mundane paperwork to dealing directly with other people. The others work plenty with the general public, Markus especially, so Simon spends most of his time at his desk peacefully working on drafts and bills.

Perhaps peacefully isn’t quite the right word. Simon scrunches his eyes shut and pinches the bridge of his nose, willing away the uncomfortable pressure that has persisted there for hours now. Who knew that androids could get headaches? Although Simon supposes it was likely that a constant stream of dry legal material would be capable of giving anyone a headache.

Simon is so lost in his thoughts that he doesn’t hear the door, and startles at the feeling of arms wrapping around his middle. He quickly relaxes into the familiar embrace.

“Markus,” he breathes, smiling. “I didn’t hear you come in.” A chuckle rumbles in Simon’s ear.

“I’m not surprised,” Markus says. “You were so focused on your work I was a little concerned you were about to start burning holes through that desk.” Simon holds down a smile and playfully elbows backwards, aiming for Markus’s ribs. He misses.

“I would’ve mentioned before now if I had laser eyes. Something like that would’ve come in handy during our revolution, don’t you think?” Simon gripes, no real heat behind his words. Markus smothers a laugh between Simon’s shoulder blades.

“I think it may have helped speed things along a little, yes.” He jokes.

“Maybe then you wouldn’t have driven a damn truck through that storefront window.” Simon grumbles. Markus laughs again, deep and rich, arms tightening around Simon’s waist.

“You know I get into trouble when you’re not around.” He teases lightly, brushing a soft kiss behind Simon’s ear. Simon steadfastly ignores how his insides turn to goo at the simple action. Markus hooks his chin over Simon’s shoulder, glancing at the mess of papers on the desk. “What are you working on?” He asks. Simon sighs.

“It’s a draft for the Android Emergency Services project.” Simon explains. “It needs to be submitted to the city council by the end of next week and I promised Josh I would look over it for him.” Markus hums at that.

“By ‘look over it’ do you actually mean look over it, or do you mean write and edit the entire thing yourself?” Markus prods. Simon tries not to fidget too much, subconsciously gnawing his lip anyways. “You don’t have to take on so much by yourself, you know.” Markus says gently. Simon sighs again, placing his hands over Markus’s.

“I know,” he starts, “But Josh has been so busy with his proposal on the treatment of android children, and he’s been sending all those requests to the local school boards and-“ Markus interrupts him.

“I had almost the entire afternoon free today, my meeting finished early. Why didn’t you come to me to help you with it?” He asks, dropping a few light kisses along Simon’s shoulder. Simon melts into him, automatically tilting his head to allow Markus better access.

“I wanted you to have the break.” Simon says weakly. “You’ve been working nonstop for weeks, and I wanted to be helpful.” Markus lifts one hand to lace their fingers together, laying a line of kisses up Simon’s throat.

“You’re more than helpful, Si, always.” He murmurs against warm skin, his breath sending shivers up Simon’s spine. The nickname sends his thirium pump stuttering, a giddy feeling settling warm and soft under his ribs.

“You work so hard all the time and you hardly rest.” The hand not tangled with Simon’s slips under the hem of his sweatshirt, warm fingers sweeping lightly across his belly. Simon’s eyes flutter shut at the sensation. “You deserve a break too, you know.” Markus’s voice is low and sweet, covering Simon like thick honey as he sinks into it.

“Markus…” He breathes, the rest of his words vanishing as he lays his head back to rest on Markus’s shoulder. Markus hums softly, nosing under Simon’s jaw to suck a hot, openmouthed kiss into the sensitive skin there. Simon can’t help the quiet moan that escapes, heat curling low in his abdomen.

“Come on Si,” he urges, “Take a break.” The hand on Simon’s stomach flattens and stills, holding him in place. The other hand, still tangled with Simon’s, slides down and cups their shared grip against the front of his pants, pressing down firmly. Simon whines, his free hand flying up to clutch at the back of Markus’s neck. “For me?” Markus asks sweetly, his soft tone a stark contrast to the hand that’s quickly unravelling Simon’s focus.

“Yeah,” Simon pants, “I could ahh- I could do that.” He moans, rocking forward into his own palm pressed tight between his legs by Markus’s hand. The friction sends sparks of pleasure across his wiring, but it’s not nearly enough. Distantly, Simon feels his self-lubrication protocols activate and he dismisses the notification.

“Please,” he breathes, paperwork forgotten entirely.

“Anything you want sweetheart,” Markus croons, “Anything.” Simon flushes with heat at the endearment, hiding his face under Markus’s chin.

“Kiss me?” He manages to ask weakly, and Markus releases him, giving him room to turn. Simon spins around quickly, cupping Markus’s face in his hands. His fingers stroke reverently over hand-painted freckles and artificial stubble. Markus settles one hand on Simon’s waist, pulling him in, the other sliding into his hair to guide their lips together.

Simon sighs against Markus’s mouth, eyes closing and lips parting immediately to deepen the kiss. He moans softly at the feel of Markus’s tongue against his own, knees going weak as Markus licks into his mouth. He presses closer, draping his arms around Markus’s neck and sucking greedily on his tongue. He swallows the small noise that escapes Markus, desperate to taste more.

Simon loves kissing Markus, would never stop if he could. Markus kisses with a careful thoroughness, like it’s a task that needs all of his concentration to accomplish. Being at the centre of that focus is dizzying.

Hands slide down to grip the backs of Simon’s thighs and Markus lifts him like he weighs nothing, breaking the kiss with a wet pop. Simon automatically hooks his ankles behind Markus and takes in the look on his face. His lips are wet and shiny, mismatched eyes hooded with desire. Simon isn’t much better, cheeks flushed and his hair a mess.

“Simon,” Markus starts, voice low and soft. Simon’s gaze slides back to Markus’s mouth and he dips down to kiss him again, cutting off whatever else Markus planned to say. He tilts his head for a better angle and sucks on Markus’s bottom lip, revelling in the low noise Markus makes. “Si,” he groans, “Can we- the bed?” He manages to rasp out between kisses and Simon nods briefly, their noses brushing together. Markus turns them and walks to the bed, setting one knee on the mattress and tipping them down onto the sheets.

Simon lets out a happy sigh when Markus’s weight settles on top of him, arms wrapping around his shoulders to keep him there. But Markus resists the hold, leaning back and huffing out a small laugh.

“Clothes, Simon.” He says, amused, pointedly grinding their covered erections together. Simon tosses his head back with a moan, hips jerking up at the friction dulled through the layers of fabric.

“Yeah,” he gasps, voice tinged with laughter, “I forgot about that part. Kind of important, isn’t it?” Markus chuckles and reaches back to pull his shirt over his head. Simon is momentarily stunned, distracted by smooth brown skin and broad shoulders. He shakes out of his stupor and yanks his own shirt off, struggling briefly as it catches on his ears. He hears Markus laugh. “Shut up.” He grumbles, fighting down a smile, and chucks his shirt in Markus’s direction. He catches it easily. After some clumsy shuffling and giggles, they’re both finally naked.

Markus settles back between Simon’s legs, dropping down to reconnect their mouths. Simon groans at the contact, thighs squeezing Markus’s hips. The kiss is heated but brief as Markus moves on to drop kisses across his collarbones and chest, sliding lower. He places featherlight kisses around the indentation of Simon’s pump regulator and Simon squirms, a small whimper caught in the back of his throat.

“I’ve got you.” Markus breathes, eyes flickering up to meet Simon’s. “Let me take care of you?” He asks, so earnest. He’s always like this, always asking permission, asking if Simon is okay. As if Simon would ever want to refuse him anything. He nods, already burning with arousal and desperate for Markus’s hands to be on him.

Markus continues lower, sucking a line of kisses down the sensitive skin of Simon’s inner thigh. A gentle scrape of teeth has Simon shuddering, wishing desperately that Markus could leave a mark.

“You’re so good Simon,” Markus says, voice low. “So pretty, laid out like this.” Simon whines, systems lighting up at the praise, erection beading against his belly. Markus sucks hard at the junction between his hip and thigh, and Simon jolts.

“Markus,” he pants, “You d-don’t-” He breaks off on a moan as Markus switches to the other thigh, mouthing hot and wet down to the same spot on the opposite side before he worries it with his teeth.

“What do you want, sweetheart?” Markus asks lowly, his voice buzzing across Simon’s skin and sending shivers up his spine.

“Touch me.” Simon begs. “Markus, please.” And Markus finally complies, closing his fingers around Simon’s cock and giving him a slow tug. Simon moans, hips thrusting as Markus swipes his thumb over the tip, slowly smearing the synthetic precome against heated skin.

“Look at you,” Markus purrs, stroking him slowly. “Being so good for me, aren’t you?”

And Simon sobs, nodding helplessly. He feels so close to overheating already, and they’ve barely even started.

Markus’s hand is slick with how much Simon is leaking and he squeezes lightly, twisting his wrist as Simon’s cock slides through his grip, fingers slipping over the sensitive head.

“Fuck,” Simon gasps, back arching as Markus repeats the motion.

“Does that feel good sweetheart?” Markus coos, dark and soft like velvet. His voice has Simon writhing against the sheets, whining as he threads his fingers into his own hair in a desperate effort to ground himself. He pants, expelling heated puffs of hair.

Simon’s cock throbs in Markus’s hand, his thumb teasing just under the head as more words of filthy praise spill from his lips. Simon chokes on a static-filled moan, grasping blindly at Markus’s arm. His hips are rocking with Markus’s long pulls, chasing the delicious friction. The pace is torturous, but it’s so so good and Simon’s processors are scrambling to keep up with the waves of pleasure rushing through his circuits.

Markus releases him, and Simon sucks in a few shaky breaths, trying to regain his bearings. He jolts suddenly at the feeling of a finger petting at his entrance, spreading the lubricant that’s leaking out of him. He rocks his hips down instinctively, encouraging Markus to continue.

“Yes,” he gasps, spreading his legs wider. “Markus yes I want- ohhh.” His words dissolve into moans as Markus easily slips two fingers inside, stroking Simon’s inner walls. “More, please.” He pants.

Markus hums against his throat, carefully sliding in a third finger. “You’re doing so well, taking my fingers like this.” He curls them slowly, punching a hoarse cry out of Simon. “So warm and tight,” he praises, “You’re going to feel amazing around my cock.” Simon whines, clenching down on the fingers inside him. He doesn’t need to be prepared like this, but Markus loves it, loves watching Simon fall apart underneath him.

The sounds of Markus’s fingers slowly fucking in and out of him fill the room, wet and obscene. Simon flushes with embarrassment, crossing his arms over his face. Markus slides his free hand up, moving Simon’s arms away and dropping delicate kisses across his burning cheeks.

“You’re lovely,” he says sweetly, “Don’t hide that pretty face from me.” He twists his fingers, pressing deep and circling his fingers over the spot that sends Simon to pieces.

“Oh, fuck,” Simon says brokenly, shoving his hips down into Markus’s hand.

“Right there?” Markus teases, not letting up. Simon sobs, toes curling at the unrelenting internal massage.

“Markus-“ he pants, “Markus, fuck, please. I- I’ll come if you don’t stop.” He pleads. He whines at the loss when Markus stops and slides his fingers out.

“Next time you can come on my fingers.” He promises, and Simon shudders. “Ready?” Simon nods, and he watches as Markus gives himself a few quick strokes, lips parting in pleasure, before lining himself up.

Simon tosses his head back as Markus presses into him, trembling at the stretch. He gasps at the slow drag of Markus’s cock working him open, not stopping until his hips are pressed flush to Simon’s ass. Markus’s length is thick, and hot, and perfect, and Simon clenches down, whining at the fullness.

“Fuck,” Markus curses, “You’re perfect.” He presses his hips forward, grinding deep, and Simon scrabbles to find purchase on his shoulders. He sucks on the skin of Simon’s throat and moves his hips back, sinking back in achingly slowly. Simon squeezes his legs around Markus’s waist, rolling his hips to meet each thrust.

“God, Simon,” Markus groans, sucking more kisses along Simon’s collarbone. “You’re so beautiful.” Simon shudders and whimpers, heat warnings flashing across his vision.

Markus pulls him closer, thrusting harder, and Simon cries out, voice edged with static. Simon’s cock brushes Markus’s belly with every roll of his hips, each thrust tearing a moan from Simon’s throat, the pleasure building between his legs almost unbearable.

“You close, Si?” Markus asks breathlessly, pace unrelenting. Simon can only nod and whine, his HUD quickly becoming overcrowded with system alerts and error messages. “Gonna come for me, sweetheart?” And Simon sobs, oh he wants to come so badly he can only think yes, and please, and Markus, but he can’t form the words.

But Markus understands, keeping his thrusts steady as he reaches between them and jerks Simon’s cock with short, tight strokes. It’s too much, too much, and Simon’s spine arches when he comes. He wails as the wave of pleasure crashes over him, clenching hard around the thick length inside him, spilling messily over Markus’s fingers. His limbs jerk and tremble as Markus milks him, hardware struggling as the overwhelming impulses wracking his sensors edge his system towards an emergency reboot.

Markus finally lets up, hips losing their rhythm as he moans into Simon’s shoulder.

“Simon, fuck, Simon.” He groans, hips stuttering to a stop deep inside Simon. He distantly feels Markus coming, shaking and moaning Simon’s name.

They stay there for a moment, systems recalibrating. Markus recovers first, brushing Simon’s hair out of his face and pressing a kiss to his forehead. Simon makes a soft noise of displeasure when Markus pulls out, grabbing weakly for his arm when he stands.

“We have to get cleaned up.” He huffs, amused. Simon grumbles softly, not relinquishing his grip on Markus’s wrist. Markus relents, chuckling, and grabs his discarded t-shirt for a perfunctory wipe down. He settles back on the bed and Simon curls against his side, hooking one leg over Markus’s thigh and draping an arm over his chest. “You know you’re going to be cranky about this later, right?

“Don’t care.” Simon mumbles, smushing his face into Markus’s chest. His processors are still sluggish, running diagnostics in the background to clear up any lingering errors. Markus’s fingers trail gently up and down his spine.

“You’re very cute when you’re cuddly.” Markus teases, grinning when Simon flushes with embarrassment and hides his face further. He presses a kiss to the top of Simon’s head, laughing softly.

“Should get some rest, Si.” He murmurs, and Simon makes a noise that sounds like vague agreement, falling easily into stasis. Markus noses softly into Simon’s hair before he follows suit.

[brokenjardaantech]

absorbance of the deep (chapter 3: schemes and promises)

written for a mermay prompts challenge. my prompt is ‘monochromatic.’

previous chapter can be found here.

also on ao3

content warning for near-death experience.

---

Time passed. Simon grew closer to both Josh and North as they all grew up and going to school became much more isolating. Daniel grew increasingly rebellious now that North had shown him what life outside the village looked like for the average people, and although he never took out his anger on Simon and Simon knew that he didn’t mean it, the tension in the lighthouse did get suffocating a lot of the times. ‘I just want to get out, see the world a bit instead of trapped in this -’ Simon remembered watching his twin brother clutch his head as he paced their room, their room that seemed so small and constraining now that they were teenagers with their awkward limbs and stretching bodies - ‘this shithole! No offence to you, Si,’ the next sentence was spoken much quieter and calmer. ‘I know you like it here. It’s just not for everyone, you know?’

Simon could never understand the appeal of a noisy city, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t observe his surroundings and see how things had changed: the young moved out to explore the world and job opportunities, the old remained while their outdated and repetitive crafts would likely perish within the next generation, and even their parents were talking about leaving the lighthouse to Simon as soon as he was able to take up the job and then move to somewhere else, leaving him behind so that they wouldn’t be recognised for their embarrassing son who had a tendency to jump into the sea and return with a smile on his face and his cheeks flushed from mirth. Not everyone had someone like Markus. i - understand, he answered by flipping the dictionary. 

‘And it doesn’t even cost a thing to transfer schools,’ Daniel went on. ‘I can use my pocket money to take the bus, we’re in the same area so the syllabus is the exact same thing, our current school is looking for an excuse to expel me anyway, I fucking know it. It’ll save so much energy for all of us.’

Simon didn’t understand the concept of energy either because he could always retreat to the ocean to calm down if not even spending time with North and Josh on the beach could do the trick, but who was he to think that he could understand everyone? Not even his own parents bothered to know him as the person he was. is - there - any - way?

‘To transfer? Not that I know of. But getting myself kicked out, however…’ Daniel rubbed his hands together in a familiar gesture that always meant he had a plan. ‘North has been beating up so many people these days. Time for me to have a taste.’

Using me as bait? Simon wanted to ask, but he kind of placed the target on himself a long time ago so it wasn’t exactly his twin brother’s fault that he wanted to get some use out of it before his parents eventually pulled the two of them out of school. He had passed his junior secondary exams thanks to Josh; he was eligible for the job guarding the lighthouse. OK, he flipped to the page containing the exclamation, and Daniel dropped into his bed with a satisfied huff. ‘Just watch,’ he declared. ‘I’m not getting stuck in this damned village.’

Their parents must have heard Daniel’s side of the conversation, because when Simon woke up later still tired and dizzy, he could hear shouting from downstairs and the other bed in his bedroom was empty, his parents’ and twin brother’s voices so loud that the entire house was shaking. He didn’t like it when people shout because they hurt his ears. He also understood that Daniel had to talk to their parents, like it or not, and him being there would only force the conversation to cut short and therefore ruining everything. He wanted to get out, but that would mean going through the living room and therefore exposing himself, so there was only one way to escape from here.

He never tried to sneak out before because there was no need to, but if there was anything Daniel taught him that he could actually use, it was climbing out of the window of their bedroom and reaching the pier below safely. One day his twin brother approached him with a bundle of wooden planks asking Simon to decorate them, and he, wanting to create something to remind himself of Markus’ when they couldn’t see each other, accepted the offer immediately even though it took him three sleepless nights and an aching head by the end of his marathon painting session to complete it in a week, and he had watched as Daniel looked for suitable spots to place them in so that they could go out at night without alerting their parents. At that time, sitting on the warm wood of the pier with a pair of sunglasses protecting his eyes and a hat to shield his face from the sun, the only thing Simon had paid attention to was the tendril of seawater holding his hand through the pier and the presence of the sea in his mind observing his twin brother through his eyes. He had gone reluctantly to Daniel’s so-called climbing lessons, but now, as he climbed off the wall barefooted swiftly and silently, he tried to remember to thank his brother later for them. 

You’re late today, the sea said. Something went wrong?

Simon quickly padded to the edge of the pier and slid into the water so that he wouldn’t alert the people in the house. Not that they could hear anything other than themselves when they were making so many themselves, but he wasn’t going to risk it by underestimating his family, especially Daniel whose Simon-detection skill had been honed to an all-powerful form that even North was envious of, and it was when he was certain that the sea was supporting and guiding him towards his cave that he recalled the conversation he had with his twin brother and snippets of the argument he only vaguely heard so that the sea, the ocean, Markus - they were all the same for Simon - could understand his sudden call. 

Markus? he asked when the waves slowed down and the water grew darker from something other than the depth. What are you thinking about?

Later.

Okay.

Markus was waiting for him on the sand in the cave. Just like Simon, he had grown, except while the human grew more awkward and strange, the sea evolved to something more divine, more ethereal, his muscles more definite, his skin dark and glowing with power, his green eyes large and piercing as if he could see through Simon at any given moment. And when Markus stood up from where he had been sitting to greet him by holding his hand and kissing him, it was with the reverence between lovers on both ends, the smell of earth and the sea blending together into a unique musk that belonged to Markus and Markus alone, one that Simon had come to associate with devotion, with protection, with attraction. He knew that he would have the ocean’s total attention for the next few hours, and he couldn’t help but feel wasteful knowing that he would spend most of it sleeping and replenishing his own energy. It was then that Markus pulled away and placed a finger on Simon’s lips even though he wasn’t speaking, the gesture more symbolic than literally silencing the human.

‘Don’t be,’ Markus breathed into Simon’s knuckles. ‘I cherish your very presence on the planet no matter what you are doing.’ Then he tugged Simon’s hand so that the two of them could lie down on the sand and feel its warmth. He even slid a pillow of moss under Simon’s head, an addition that he made a long time ago after Simon told him that the people living on land sleep with one most of the times. ‘Now, tell me all about your brother’s plan.’

Simon projected the scene to Markus once more, this time with as many details as he could remember because they knew that there was little to lose at this proximity, and he did not like the frown appearing between the ocean’s brows. 

‘I don’t like his plan, starlight,’ there was a slight tremor in his voice. ‘He’s using you. What if he doesn’t get to you in time? What if you suffered through it for nothing? What if you get hurt? How can he promise to deliver you back to me safely?’

He doesn’t even know that you exist, Simon argued. Daniel and North saved me plenty of times before. Why should this time be different?

‘Before, it was your bullies who were in the wrong; this time, he will actively induce pain in you to achieve his goal. They are two very different things.’

But -

‘I’ll be on guard,’ Markus declared in the end, leaving no room for argument on Simon’s end. ‘Just speak my name when you need me.’ He leant forward until their foreheads touch. ‘I’ll be there for you.’

Okay.

A few minutes of silence during which they breathed the same air and Simon closed his eyes to block out some of the distractions that were preventing him from truly connecting with the ocean, with Markus. Markus’ heartbeat was the tide. Markus’ breaths were the slow return of the water after they kissed the shore. Markus was so powerful but still took the time to create this small safe haven for Simon, on isolated from the rest of the world and would never be contaminated by the outside world, and for that, he was grateful.

‘Watch the moon rise with me?’

Simon nodded, and they started floating upwards as if both of them were weightless beings in the vast universe heading towards their next location far, far away. Gliding across his skin smoothly, the seawater at this depth was cold regardless of the season, but Markus was holding him, guiding him slowly towards where they would go, and the contrast between Markus’ tenderness and the sea’s true power and warm versus cold sent a shiver down Simon’s spine. He knew Markus had something to do with all this because normally he would’ve died already at his current state. He placed his arm on the sea’s shoulder and buried his face in the crook of his neck, feeling his gills flutter along with the tempo of the ocean and being nuzzled by his nose, and he was reminded of a promise made many years ago. Almost ten years now, he realised.

‘Not yet,’ Markus’ chest rumbled. ‘Not until your suffering is over. And it comes with a price.’

Don’t care.

‘I do.’

And it was too close, too close to a vow that he wasn’t sure if either of them had the capacity to make yet, but it made him think of the future, a future with Markus, a future where there would be no longer stolen moments with the ocean he loved and cared for so much. There would only be the two of them. Maybe he could even bring Markus to the lighthouse, let him experience a bit of his life on the surface world. Markus had shown him so much of the sea; he should do something to pay him back or at least make it an equivalent exchange -

‘We’re here.’

They resurfaced in what seemed to be an endless expanse of sea. There was not a single piece of land in sight when Simon turned himself around which meant that when he finally looked up and his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could see every single star in the sky and the waning moon just peeking out from below the horizon. He had had a lot of opportunities to stargaze before but he never took them, either because he was easily tired from simply existing or because of the group nature of the event, but now, with only himself and the sea, he could take in everything at his own pace, focusing on one of them because of its colour and unpredictable twinkling. There was no one to recite astronomical facts to him, no one shouting in his ear to go to bed. He could enjoy the moment as it was.

Markus wrapped his arms around Simon from behind. ‘Sometimes, even I get lost in the vastness of the ocean,’ the words, although spoken right next to Simon’s ear, were neither loud nor intrusive like normal people’s speeches did. ‘I used to use the stars to guide myself back to where I should be. Now I have you, Simon. I’ve never gotten lost since I met you. You are my guide just like the polaris in the sky.’

Is that why you call me that? Your polaris?

‘Yes.’

Markus let go of him and helped him float on the water with miles of water underneath his back before floating next to Simon as well, intertwining their fingers so that wherever the current brought them, they would stick together, and as Simon drifted under the sea of stars with the other sea he loved with all his existence, he felt like nothing could tear them apart no matter how far they were, and that was why he willingly asked Markus to bring him back to the lighthouse when the edges of the horizon just turned a lighter shade as the first sign of dawn. Spending his time with Markus was nice, but he didn’t want to worry Daniel either, which meant he must return to his room before the time Daniel usually woke up, and this time, instead of ordering the waves to send Simon back, Markus accompanied him all the way back to the pier the sea usually placed him on. The sight of the representation of the ocean peeking his eyes out of the surface while his remaining body remained submerged was oddly adorable.

This is the first time I see where you live with my own eyes, he projects directly into Simon’s mind. I would like to say it’s a lovely home but… your parents and brother.

It will be lovelier with your presence, Simon replied. Though I suppose this isn’t the right time.

No, it isn’t.

In an act that surprised Simon, Markus emerged from the water until it was just enough for him to lay his arms flat on the wood of the pier and place his chin on the edge. His gills sealed themselves shut in scar-like slits on both sides of his neck. He placed his hand on Simon’s feet, and a cool sensation spread from the site over his body. Remember my promise, he said. Call for me when you need me. I’ll be watching over you.

Simon took his hand and kissed his knuckles just like the many times Markus did for him. I know.

Markus tilted his head and gave him one last frown before letting go of the pier and sliding into the water, the reflection of the sunlight on the sea meaning that Simon couldn’t see him as soon as he was beneath the surface. Markus belonged to the deep sea where everything was deep blue anyway, so he couldn’t imagine him liking to stick to shallow waters unless it was for something like they did just now. He got up, climbed into his room through the open window of his room, and managed to get about three hours of sleep before he was woken up again by Daniel to go to school.

It started off as usual. North and Josh were waiting for him at the front door and the four of them went in together, then Daniel broke off to his classroom while the rest went to another classroom, then they stayed there for both the first and second lesson because both of them were taught in their home class. North handed him the headphones again, and although reluctant, Simon put them on if not for North’s peace of mind. It indeed made the noises other students create more manageable, however, so he kept them on. Josh was the attentive student, North was the one who couldn’t help but make puns and snarky comments, and Simon was the one the teachers ignore which meant that he got to read about the sea again, this time about how tectonic activities could change the sea in all the different ways he couldn’t even fathom. Did Markus drink chemical soup from underwater volcanoes when he was young? Did he ever feel the temperature difference between the deep sea and right when an underwater volcano erupted, or was everything the same to him, or would the lava burn him before eventually cooling off into rocks? Had he ever been to the subduction trenches and watch the seabed disappear in front of his eyes? He wrote down all the questions he had for Markus with his oversized handwriting on a blank worksheet he would not return to the teacher anyway and put it into his backpack so that he could ask the sea all of them the next time they meet. Then the ground trembled so he looked up, and he saw most of the students pushing their chairs back and standing up while the teacher bolted out of the classroom so that she wouldn’t have to wait for dozens of students to get out before she could again. He stood up as well, wanting to find somewhere quiet in the school campus to cool down alone.

However, his classmates seemed to have other plans.

He only heard them after taking off his new headphones, but it was already too late. One moment he was beginning to relax his eyes by staring at the sea in the distance, and the other moment he was being tackled onto the ground painfully, his arms wrenched back, a heavy weight pushing onto his back and making it hard to breathe, and the noise - oh, the noise - piercing his eardrums and consuming his brain together with the harsh rub of soil on his cheek. Before he could even process what was happening, the weight on his back disappeared just to be replaced by the scratch of thick rope over his head, and that was when the panic set in. He wanted to struggle but he couldn’t move because his limbs were painfully held in place as someone else placed the noose around his neck before tightening it, there was more shouting, the pressure on his body was suddenly gone and transferred to the rope tightening around his neck, and his feet were swinging in midair, a familiar face that he couldn’t quite name because he was too busy clutching at the noose started speaking, something about how he was treated differently and given an easy way out while the rest of them suffered, but he wasn’t listening, his heartbeat was thundering and crashing in his ears like the coast at a stormy night, therefore the only thought he had before he felt his vision darkening was -

MARKUS!

[connorandersons-blog]

Kinktober Day 3: Prostitution, RK1K

Markus/Connor! Enjoy!

------------------------------------

Connor highly doubted this was legit, but the Mistress said it was, so he was going to go anyway. Some days it was hard to believe what he did for a living, but at this point, he tried to just focus on getting into character. 

That's never been too hard before, even with the most outrageous demands. As long as they paid good enough and respected his terms then he'd do almost anything. 

The hotel was the same as all the others he often visited. Actually, if his memory is correct (which it always is), he's been to this exact hotel seven times before. It was definitely more classy and he didn't even get odd looks from the staff, though they were sure to whisper about him and wonder who he was there for later. 

That was fine, let them imagine him draped over some old fat white man that paid him in hundreds for a single night just to get slapped around a little. Those men were the easiest. Most predictable. They were dominant in their social lives and needs to be treated like shit every now and then. 

He expected that for most of his clients. Some surprised him with their requests. It was always interesting when they wanted him to bottom. Sometimes that could be rather nice but there were also the men that made his skin crawl and need to take a very long hot shower after. 

It wasn't just men who hired him either, there were plenty of women or people of other genders. Most of the feminine people who hired him wanted to dom him, which he gladly let happen. 

He glanced down at his outfit, satisfied it was to his standards before unlocking the door and walking in. He had said there was no need to knock, so Connor didn't. 

He was fully ready for some random rich dude posing as his client but was surprised to see that wasn't the case at all. 

Markus Manfred, CEO of the largest paint store, and the CEO of a tech store standing in the hotel room, shirt off, and painting. It really was him. He was also painting. Which made sense but his brain was still trying to wrap around the fact that he'd have his legs wrapped around Markus Manfred tonight. 

Best. Job. Ever.

He was a professional though, and he easily pulled himself together, swaying his hips as he walked in. "Mr. Manfred, you didn't need to get all dressed up for me." He says. 

Manfred jumps and Connor has to contain an eye roll. Hadn't the dude heard the door open? He really hoped he wasn't going to be creepy. If he was then he'd get to bitch to Gavin about it, so there was that. 

Manfred turned and eyed him. Connor stood there, hip out, and let him. He gladly soaked in the attention, ready to do a fucking twirl if Manfred wanted. "Uh, just Markus is fine…" 

"Hello, Just Markus. I'm Connor, but you can give me a different one if you like. I'm partial to baby boy, or master depending on what you like." He added a wink at the end, but he had a feeling Manfred was more of a top. Hopefully, he had a big dick or a lot of stamina. Connor was lucky to be graced with both. 

Markus nodded, holding out his hand. Connor raised an eyebrow but shook it, not too bothered about the paint that had gotten on him. "Right, hello Connor. Um, not to sound like a dick… but do I know you? I generally have a really good memory, but maybe I was drunk? I'm so sorry, I don't mean to offend you." 

What? This was the right room, and definitely the right client. Maybe Markus wanted to play into this, but he seemed genuinely confused. What the hell was she supposed to do?! "I'm Connor, from Bees Love? You did set an appointment with me for the whole night." 

Markus's eyes go wide and he face-palms. "I'm going to fucking kill North," he grumbled before dragging the hand down his face. 

It's oddly adorable that Markus seemed to forget he had not-quite dried paint on his hands that were now on his face. "I'm so sorry, North said I needed to relax and sent me here. I thought it was just to get away and paint in peace. I'll still pay you, um, and tip? Do you take tips?" 

This was actually happening. And it was the funniest damn thing that had happened all week, and he had gotten to sleep with a very famous comedian. He burst into laughter, not able to hold it in anymore. 

"I'm so sorry, this is great!" He laughed, trying to take in air. "Yes, I do get tipped depending on how I do. Uh, I don't really have anywhere else to be. You sure you don't wanna sleep with me? I'm up for almost anything." 

Markus was looking at him kinda funny. A look he hadn't seen in a very, very long time. No. Nope. Big nope. He was not going down that rabbit hole. "Ah, no? But not because you aren't beautiful! You are, very much so. If you weren't a prostitute I'd sleep with you. Wait, shit, I didn't mean it like that!" 

Uh, so Markus was actually adorable. Too bad he wouldn't sleep with Connor. He'd probably be the best lay he's gotten all month. "No, it's fine. I understand. Could uh… can I stay though? I just wasn't planning on going back home tonight, I got a dog-sitter and everything. We won't do anything unless you want. I won't even talk." He was good at not talking, or talking. He could be good at basically anything if he needed to be. 

Markus fidgeted and Connor was ready to be told to leave. This would most definitely be his shortest appointment ever. But Markus surprised him once again. "Sure. Do you like painting? I've got another canvas." 

Connor shrugged and rolled up his sleeves. He could just get another shirt if this one got messy, it wasn't like he didn't have enough money. "Sure, I'm always willing to try something new. Makes the job easy." 

Markus snorts and looks around before pulling out a medium-sized canvas. "I'm sure it does. Alright, so there are these paints you can use. Go wild, I've got plenty." Markus said, pointing then out before picking up his paintbrush. 

He's never really painted and he had no idea what to do. Was he supposed to come up with an idea himself or maybe still life? It was called that, right? 

"Hey, you don't have to. I'm gonna pay the whole thing and tip. If you don't wanna paint I'm sure I can find something else. Food? Uh, tv?" Markus says, looking around the rather large hotel room. "I think there's a hot tub, and a bathroom if you need it. Just do whatever you want." 

Connor couldn't help the smirk. "What if I want to do you?" He watches as Markus's face flushed slightly. It was barely discernible but he could tell. Also how the fuck was this man so beautiful? It was completely unfair that he was so pretty. 

"I- um, thank you? I just, I don't want to pressure you just because it's your job. I'd rather get to know you first? I just, I guess I really do need to relax but it would feel like I'm taking advantage of you." Markus shrugged, staring at the ground. 

Of course, the one guy he fully wanted to sleep with, like would actually do anything, was giving him reasons he wouldn't. Yet it just made the want stronger. He hadn't felt this… whatever this feeling was in awhile. "Alright, well then we can get to know each other. Let's start off easy, who's North?" 

"My best friend. We were high school sweethearts but little did North know she was hella gay, so we broke up at the start of college. We stayed close and I even introduced her to her wife." Markus smiled so fondly it almost hurt to see. 

Would his friends smile like that when talking about Connor? Sure Gavin was friendly (in his own weird way and only after he made a complete ass of himself) but they weren't that close. The Mistress was his boss, and he'd like to think they were friends. Not like this though. 

He knew so many people, had slept with so many, and knew secrets they'd never even tell their dogs, and yet no one he had like Markus had North. It never hurt so much before. 

"Best friend," he said, clearing his throat. "So, I'm assuming you have more friends than just her then." 

Markus nodded, the smile still on his face. "Yeah, Josh and Simon. I also used to date Simon but… things happened. The only one I haven't dated was Josh, but he's also straight so it's not like I even ever had the chance. I met Josh in college, he was a professor, and I met Simon through work." 

Connor nodded, taking mental notes. "You seem really close." He tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice, but by the look, Markus was giving him, he failed. 

"We are, but the situation pushed us together even more. If I wasn't supposed to be on my phone I'd text North to have them come over." He nodded towards the table where the phone was. 

Markus was really making this too easy. "Oh? Well, that's technically extra but I'm always up for an orgy, haven't been in one in a while." He smiled, tilting his head. 

"I- uh, no! No, I just, I didn't mean-" Markus rambled. 

"It's fine, I'm fucking with you in the only way you'll let me. So, if I'm just going to hang out for the night, who do you want me to be? I can be innocent, sophisticated… lustful." He said, stepping closer to Markus. 

Markus took a step back, shaking his head. "I just want you to be yourself. You don't have to do or say anything you don't want to, there's no pressure. You can even leave whenever you want without question." 

Oh. Himself? No one ever wanted him to just be himself. Sure he was asked for slightly different versions of himself but nothing like this. Not when Markus actually meant it. "M-me? Just, um, myself?" 

Markus nodded, smiling softly. "Yep, just you. You probably don't get a lot of time to do that, so feel free." 

Hm, fine. He'd be himself. "Mind if I use the bathroom then?" He grabbed his bag, and at Markus's nod went to the bathroom. 

He took off his lingerie, clothes, and contacts. Instead, he put on soft pajamas after taking a shower and put his glasses on. He didn't bother straightening his hair. If he was going to be himself then he was going to do it fully. He always kept these with him so he could slip into it after the job was done. 

He walked out, shuffling slightly and looking anywhere than at Markus. He'd never let a client see him like this, but Markus wasn't actually a client. Not in the normal sense. "Uh, you sure this is ok?"

He finally looked up and felt like running back into the bathroom and putting his other clothes back on. Those always made him more confident, it was like putting on a mask. He felt more exposed like this than he ever did naked. 

Markus made a small choking noise before trying to cover it with a cough. "Uh, yeah. You, yeah this is definitely fine." 

Connor nodded and dug around his bag again before pulling out a book and sitting down on the bed crisscrossed. He was a little over halfway through, but he hadn't had as much time to read as he'd like. 

"What are you reading?" Markus asks, going back to painting. 

Connor looked up then back to his book, a real actually blush forming on his cheeks. "Oh, uh nothing you'd be interested in." 

Markus turned slightly, raising an eyebrow. "Try me." 

Connor chuckled, looking up at him through his lashes. "It's… it's a criminology book? I was thinking about trying to be a detective if I ever got tired of this, but even if I don't it still fascinates me. My adopted father is a Lieutenant at the local police." 

It made him chuckle again when Markus's jaw dropped. No one would think his dad worked in law enforcement considering Connor's job. But in reality, Hank made sure he was safe and not pressured into anything. Plus Hank knew loopholes and even commented on how it should be legal so they can protect sex workers.

"I know, I know. He's actually really chill about it. Plus I make plenty of money so I can pay for college without going into debt." He had been putting away money for a while so he could live comfortably for the rest of his life. 

Markus nodded, "that's actually a good idea. I'm sure you'd make an incredible detective considering how intelligent you must be to be this good at your current job." 

"You really know a way to a man's heart." Connor chuckled and he meant it. Most people thought so lowly of escorts and prostitutes, saying they only did this because it was the only job they could do. When in reality you had to be quick on your feet and able to read people from just a glance. 

Markus shook his head, but he was smiling. "I just say what is true. You can put music on if you want. I don't know how you normally read." 

"Not in a fancy hotel with a man who won't sleep with me, that's for sure." Connor snarked before snapping his mouth closed. 

His worry disappeared when Markus fully laughed. "Ah, that's true. As I said, it's not that I don't want you. I just don't want to push you into anything." 

Connor sighed and leaned against the headboard. "I'm wounded, but I think I can survive." 

They went back to their own activities barely interacting unless Connor came across a particularly interesting part or Markus asked for his opinion. It was actually really nice and he found himself relaxing more and more. 

It wasn't like he had sex with every client. Some wanted him to be a date to an event, spend time with them for the week, or anything else. It wasn't always sex. 

Yet even this was different. There were no expectations at all. It was completely freeing. It just made his want that much stronger. Huh, that was a new turn on. 

It was late into the night when Connor started yawning. The soft sounds of Markus's brush strokes and Markus's humming was calming in a way he hadn't expected. He was warm and comfortable in the huge bed, and he was tempted to just fall asleep for the night. 

"You can sleep here if you want. I can take the couch or get another room." Markus said, making Connor's head snapped up. 

"Huh? Oh! No, no, no, it's ok. If anyone should take the couch it's me. You paid for the room, it's yours." He was most definitely not letting Markus take the couch. 

"No! Seriously you expected certain things and I didn't deliver. The least I can do is offer the bed." Markus whipped his hands and turned to face Connor. God damn this man was gorgeous. Could he be any more perfect? Maybe he had a really small dick and absolutely no stamina to make up for everything else. 

Connor huffed and closed his book. "Nope, not happening. The bed is big enough that we can easily share without bothering each other. I promise not to try anything." Just to show he scooted over and pat the bed. 

Markus frowned and looked around. "I...ok. let me get washed up first." Connor nodded and watched him grab his clothes and then watched as he went into the bathroom. 

The door closed and he let out a soft sigh, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. He didn't want this night to end. He knew it was a bad idea to actually connect with clients. Sure you can make semi-friends but never anything serious. Don't get attached. He knew if he let himself he'd get attached in some way. There was just a connection. 

He jumped slightly when the door opened back up. Had he really been falling asleep?

He looked up at Markus and wanted to scream. The man was wearing fuzzy robot pajamas pants without a shirt. It was an odd combination of sexy and adorable as hell. 

"Do you have a side you prefer?" Connor asked ready to move to whichever side was needed of him. 

"Either is fine, wherever you're comfortable." Markus said, stretching his arms above his head. 

Connor nodded and put his book to the side, taking his glasses off. He wiggles under the blankets, trying to get comfortable. 

Markus walked around and climbed in. Like Connor had said, the bed was so huge that he'd have to reach out his whole arm to be able to touch him. 

"Sleep well, Markus." Connor says, reaching to turn off the bedside lamp. 

Markus did the same, and the room was flooded with darkness. "Sleep well, Connor." 

He falls asleep much faster than normal. Perhaps it was that the bed was just more comfortable, or maybe it was the company. 

When he woke up his back was pressed against something warm and soft. He knew it was Markus but he was still shocked. 

What was even more shocking and definitely welcome was the warm hand under his shirt and the very obvious hardness pressing into him. 

Markus was also most definitely asleep, and Connor sighed heavily. He was still half-asleep so it took even more in him to not press back. Markus definitely didn't have a small dick. Of course, he didn't. 

The slow and even breath on his neck made him shiver and close his eyes for a second. Then the hand was moving down and he arched into it. "Markus I swear if you're awake I'll murder you." He whispered. 

Markus sighed and moved his hips just slightly. Connor whined but tried to keep his voice down. This was so not fair. 

He was getting hard and he pushed back just slightly. Fuck. 

Maybe he could take care of himself without waking up Markus. Just get off then clean up. He could even leave right after so he wouldn't have to see how he'd react. He was off the clock so… 

He reached down, gently teasing himself. He should just do this quickly. He didn't know how long until Markus would wake up. 

The hand on him was so low but not low enough. It wasn't enough! "Fucking hell Markus," he whimpered. 

He increased the pressure but still didn't pull himself out. Not yet. He wanted to savor this. 

He tried to keep his noises down, keeping his hips still, and yet he kept pushing back. He wanted to touch Markus so bad. "Please. Please."

The hand on him stiffened and Connor froze. "Hm, Connor?" Markus says, his lips brushing against Connor's neck. Oh, that was not helping. Neither was Markus shifting against him, accidentally pulling him closer. 

"Do-don't." Connor whined, squeezing his eyes closed. He didn't know what he was pleading for, but he just wanted to continue so bad. 

"Shit! Uh, do you want me to leave? I'm so sorry." Markus said, trying to move away but Connor grabbed the arm. 

"You can stay, please stay. I want you." He really did. He wanted him so bad. He took Markus's hand and pressed it against his stomach. "You don't have to do anything."

"Fuck." Markus muttered, his hips twitching forward. "Are you sure? I… I don't want to overstep." 

Connor huffed rolling his eyes. "I don't wanna sleep with you just because it's my job, I want you to fuck me." He pressed back against him, sliding Markus's hand lower. 

"I don't know… um," Markus said, shifting again. His breath was fast and warm against Connor's neck. 

He wiggled his hips, pushing down his pants. He kept a hand over Markus's before taking himself and jumping slowly. "If, if you want to leave you can. But I will definitely not complain if you stay." 

Markus pulled him close and he could feel him. Oh. Oh, Markus wasn't wearing underwear either. Fuck that was hot. "Ok. Ok, I'll stay." 

Connor smiled and sped his hand up. "Yes! Yes, thank you." He babbled, tilting his head. He wanted Markus's lips on him. Thankfully Markus seemed to agree because soon Markus was pressing feather-light kisses to his neck. 

"You're so beautiful." Markus mumbled, moving his hand down lower to cover Connor's as he stroked himself. 

Connor bucked his hips, trying to get more. It wasn't enough. He needed more. "Markus, please." 

Markus nodded and pulled his own pants down, freely rubbing himself against Connor. "I've got you. What do you need, baby?" 

Oh, that was good. That was delicious. "You. Anything you want. I just need more."

Markus pressed hot kisses down his neck, nipping just slightly. Not enough to leave marks but it made him whine. "Are you sure? Connor… this isn't because of…" he trailed off. 

Connor turned and pressed Markus back into the bed, straddling him. "If you ask me that one more time I'm chopping your annoyingly large dick off." 

Markus's eyes went wide, and he placed his hands on Connor's hips. "Alright, I definitely wouldn't want that." 

"Thank fuck." Connor chuckled before leaning down and crushing their lips together. Markus's lips were so warm and just slightly rough from Markus chewing on them.

He rocked their hips together trying to get more friction. "Are you willing to fuck me? I can fuck you but I've been dying for you in me all night." 

Markus panted, nodding his head. "Definitely. God, you looked amazing yesterday, but then you changed and I nearly lost it. You looked so soft and fuckable." 

Connor whined, rolling his hips down. "Yes, yes please. I've got a condom and lube in my bag. I'm clean." 

Markus nodded and flipped them over which was way too fucking hot. Apparently, he noticed the shocked expression because he kissed him with a chuckle. "I work out." 

"That you do." He said he panted as Markus got off, grabbing Connor's bag and digging around. 

"Sorry, should have asked but I feared for my annoying large cock." Markus said, pulling out a condom and lube. 

"I used the word dick, but I think you can be forgiven if you hurry the fuck up." If he wasn't being fucked within the hour he wasn't going to scream and maybe cry. 

"My bad, my annoyingly large dick." Markus crawled back into the bed, moving in between Connor's legs. "Alright, how do you like this?" 

Connor spread his legs, getting into a good position. "However you want but I do require that I actually get fucked. Even if I come you gotta fuck me until I can't walk. Deal?" He offered his hand and Markus chuckled. 

Markus took his hand, shaking it before using it to pull Connor up and into a searing kiss. "I think I can do that baby boy," Markus mumbled before pushing him back into the bed. 

Connor let him, spreading himself even wider. He took deep breaths, easily relaxing even when Markus gently pushed against his hole. 

"There we go," Markus mumbled before pressing a kiss to his inner thigh. Connor whined, arching his back. His thighs were so sensitive and no one ever kissed him this gently, this lovingly. It broke his heart. 

"Markus," he sighed, eyes fluttering closed. Markus hummed and did the same for his other thigh. 

Then he was nipping at him, sucking slightly on the skin as he pushed his finger in. He would definitely leave marks here. For some reason, he didn't want anyone to see these marks or touch them. He didn't want anyone kissing them and trying to mark over these. These were just for him. 

Markus was so slow and gentle, but Connor could tell he was holding back. He knew there was an urgency and want behind every movement and soft touch. 

Yet Markus held back for him. It was odd being on the receiving end. Just being able to lay back and take just because he wanted it and not because someone was paying him to. This was for him as much as it was for Markus. He felt truly beautiful. 

Markus kissed his hips, using his free hand to gently run a hand down his side. "You're amazing. You're doing really well." Markus says, pushing in a second finger. 

He had had so many people that tried to rush this but Markus seemed to be genuinely enjoying it. "Markus!" He sighed, arching his back and trying to push down into his hand. 

Markus chuckled slightly, "so needy. How many do you normally need?" 

"Most stop at two." Connor says, mind fuzzy with pleasure and want. 

"I didn't ask what other people did to you, I asked what you need. I don't want to hurt you. So I'll ask again, baby, how many do you normally need?" Oh, that tone of voice was unfair. It was raspy and demanding and so very in control. 

"Um, three without too much of a stretch but for you… I, um, three. I wanna feel it." He wanted that burning stretch like never before. 

Markus nodded and slowly added a third finger. "Alright, I'll be slow and gentle. If you need me to stop or go slower at all let me know." 

"I… ok," he nodded. Markus was being so kind. Yet that hurt more than any physical pain he'd been in, and one rather angry woman liked to whip people. Wasn't the best night considering she didn't really like it when he asked for her to stop. 

Markus paused, frowning. "Are you alright? We can stop if you want." His hand paused and Connor felt like screaming. It was such an odd mixture of emotions. 

"Please don't stop! I'm, just not used to this." That was the worst description ever. 

"Wait, I thought… has no one?" Markus asks, pulling his fingers out. Connor groaned and instantly missed the feeling. 

"No! Yes, yes I've done this in the physical sense, but not," he waved his hand between them, "this? You're, you want me to feel good and you're taking your time. I haven't had anyone do this in a long time." 

Markus blinks at him before his jaw drops. "Are you saying no one ever pleasured you before? If they were too rough you… you could tell them to stop right?" Oh, this sweet, sweet boy. 

"Well yes, they still have to pay for my time, but it's different. I do get pleasure out of it, but it's never just for me. If I'm being fucked then the person wants me to be. I want this. I want you. And not just… you're kind, Markus." He said, sitting up and gently holding his face. "Kinder than I'd ever imagined. You could be the snottiest man on the planet and yet you turned down a prostitute who had already been paid for and was willing because of your morals. None of my clients would ever do that. I'd like to think some would, but they just need the release or a date. Someone pretty on their arm so they bought me." 

That didn't mean he didn't enjoy his job. He loved being pampered and could have as much sex as he wanted and get paid for it. He was living the dream, but it was also nice to have this. Something so soft and gentle, and kind. 

Then Markus was leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to his lips like he would break. And he loved it. He loved the way he cradled his head and gently pressed into him. He loved the calluses on Markus's hands as they intertwined their fingers. 

He was slowly leaned down back onto the bed, Markus's hands slowly searching his body. He had a few small scars from when clients took it too far, but Markus traced each one like he was a masterpiece. It made him shiver and whine, pushing against the hand. 

"You really are beautiful, Connor. All of you." Markus mumbled, pulling back to kiss down his jaw. He raised his other hand to gently card through Connor's hair, pulling at it just slightly so he'd tilt his head. He gladly did, sighing when Markus's lips trailed down his neck. 

"Hmph, fuck," Connor muttered, biting his bottom lip. This was too good. He doubted anyone will ever be able to compare to this. Damn it. 

"You don't have to muffle yourself, baby, I want to hear you." Markus mumbled against his skin. Connor was sure his entire body was going to be kissed and he was completely ok with that. More than just ok, really. 

Markus took his time finding every little spot that made him whine and buck his hips. He was almost in tears from want when he finally grabbed the lube again. 

He was still somewhat stretched so Markus started with two fingers, slowly stretching and exploring. "So amazing. I can't wait to be in you." Markus muttered. It was so quiet Connor could barely hear him. Markus had said that to himself, and it sent a thrill through Connor. 

"Fuck me! Please, I need it, you." He whined, rocking his hips down. Markus smirked and put a third finger in, moving his hand a bit faster. Connor whimpered and gripped the sheets of the bed, hips moving uncontrollably. 

He yelped when his dick was enveloped in the warm heat of Markus's mouth. He bobbed his head before sucking on the head, swirling his tongue around the top. 

Connor bucked into his mouth, almost choking him. He rambled his apology which quickly turned into pleading. 

Markus took him down again, hollowing his cheeks and running his along the underside. 

"Fuck! Fuck, stop I won't last much longer!" Connor begged. He wanted to come with Markus in him. It took Markus an agonizingly long time to pull off, licking his lips once he does. 

"Damn I could just do that and be happy. You make the best sounds. But I think I should give you what you finally want." Markus said, slowly pulling his fingers out. 

Connor quickly nodded trying to spread his legs even more (he is very proud of his flexibility, he has all of his splits). 

"How do you like this?" Markus asks, tearing the seal off the condom then throwing the wrapper off the bed. He easily slides it on and Connor is drooling. 

Wait, right Markus had asked him a question. That dick was definitely a blessing, Jesus Christ. He really wanted to suck on that but held back. "Like this works… I want to see you." 

Markus smiled and gently brushed a few curly strands of hair out of Connor's face. "I can do that." 

Oh, this was definitely gonna hurt and he couldn't wait. Thankfully Markus wasn't stalling either. He moved closer, carefully lining up before looking down at Connor. 

He took one of his hands and laced their fingers together before pushing in. Connor whined, squeezing his eyes shut and Markus instantly stopped. "Fuck you, I did not say to stop, you ass." He growled out. 

He heard Markus chuckle and Connor forced his body to relax. It was just a good pain, one he'd like to take every day if Markus let him. 

Once Markus bottomed out they both stilled, panting for air. Markus used his free hand to brush through his hair again, pressing a quick kiss to his sweaty forehead. 

They stay still until Connor gives a small nod. Markus slowly slides out and slowly pushes back in. It's too slow, he wraps his legs around Markus and pulls in back in roughly, sighing when it finally creates the friction he wants. "Yes!" 

Markus grunts, chuckling softly. "Fuck, ok." Then he sped up, rocking his hips at a fast but consistent speed. 

Connor rocks his hips in time, panting into Markus's kiss. He moaned praises and pleads, mind hazy. It was too good. It all felt too good. 

Markus's hands on him, keeping him down but also driving him insane. He took one and put it in his hair, which thankfully Markus completely understood. He tugged on just enough and Connor whimpered. 

It was also too much but not enough. He was so, so close. "Please, Markus I need…" 

Markus nodded, tugging Connor's hair so he could bite at his neck. "What do you need, baby?"

"I, I uh, I don't know." He hated how whiny he sounded but Markus just seemed to soak it all up. "Ah, Markus!" 

He hit the spot and Connor almost cried. "Such a good boy, good beautiful baby boy." Markus said, his hips spasming slightly. 

Connor choked and his vision blurred slightly, coming without any warning. 

His whole body turned limp and Markus groaned, his hips snapping forward. There was so much but Markus didn't stop. He was so sensitive but he loved it. 

"I'm close, baby, you ok?" Markus asked. Connor nodded, hips and legs trembling. He was more than ok. This was ecstasy. 

Sadly it didn't take too much longer until Markus froze and Connor wished he hadn't mentioned a condom. He wanted to be filled and maybe even plug himself so he could keep it in him the rest of the day. 

Markus took his time sliding out before taking the condom off, tying then tossing it in the trash. He flopped down onto the bed, pulling Connor to his chest. "This ok?" He mumbled. 

Connor nodded, wrapping himself around it. "That was the best I've had in a long time. You're amazing." He said, pressing a kiss to Markus's chest. 

Markus chuckled, gently soothing Connor's hair. "Why thank you." 

Connor hummed, closing his eyes and just basking in the warmth and happiness. He never wanted to leave his bed. 

He would have to, though. He'd have to forget all of this. If he didn't then he wouldn't be able to stop thinking about what happened or Markus. He'd never be able to forget the comfort of Markus's arms or the tenderness and adoration in the way he touched him. 

He hadn't even realized he started crying until Markus gently wiped away a tear. "Hey, you ok? Did I hurt you?" 

Connor sniffled, trying to hide his face. "No, you didn't. I'm… happy?" 

He was but he was also so sad. "I should probably leave." He said, pushing away from Markus. 

"Wait, what? I have this room until tomorrow. Do you have work?" He asks, running a hand down Connor's back as he sat on the edge of the bed. 

The way he seemed to completely respect that it was work. He didn't judge him for it at all. "I… I have to, I…" he trailed off, shaking his head. 

"You have to what?" Markus asks, placing a gentle kiss on his shoulder. "What do you need to do?" 

Connor roughly brushed his tears away. "I have to forget you. I can't… you're too good. I can't get attached. I'm sorry." He shook his head and stood, grabbing his bag and clothes. 

Markus was quick to follow him, tripling on a blanket. "Wait, Connor hold on!" 

Connor shook his head, trying to pull on his clothes. It was too much. This was all too much. 

He was quickly turned and pressed against the wall by Markus's strong hands. "Connor, wait." 

He ducked his head, hiding behind the strands of curly hair that fell into his face. "Please don't." He whimpered. 

Markus sighed, softly trailing his hands up and down Connor's arm, making him shiver. "Connor, hey, talk to me. I'm not here to judge." 

"I can't get attached, it's the worst thing to do in this profession. I can't stop just because someone I like asks me to. No matter how mind-blowing the sex is." No matter how beautiful and wanted it made him feel. 

Markus shook his head, brushing the hair out of his face. "I'd never ask you to stop. I… I'm not going to push you for anything you don't want. Maybe we can just be friends? There's just something about you." 

Connor knew exactly what he meant. It was like their bodies and minds were two puzzle pieces that fit seamlessly together. Friends. "I… I don't know." 

"We don't have to have any sex. Maybe just hang out whenever we're both free. I think North would adore you… oh, actually you meeting would be a very bad idea." Markus said, frowning. 

He tilted his head, "wait, why?" Wasn't she the one that had actually paid for him?

"I would not stand a chance if you two teamed up. Terrifying to think about." Markus smirked and Connor huffed. 

"Alright, friends. I guess we can start the whole no sex thing tomorrow." He said before leaning in to Markus. 

"So needy," Markus said, shaking his head fondly. 

"You love it," he whispered, pressing his lips against Markus's neck. 

"That I do."

[dbh-rambling]

Hi everyone, let’s talk about Markus and Carl’s conversation in Night of the Soul when Markus picks angry options, because there’s things to unpack.

At this point in the game, humans are currently rounding up androids and bringing them to ‘Recall Centers’ where they’re being killed en masse. If an android gets caught and isn’t brought to a recall center, it’s because they were killed on the spot. Markus’ people are in the middle of a crisis, and as a major leader it’s up to Markus to figure out the best way to handle it. (This isn’t accounting for whatever fresh hell Markus may or may not have also just gone through in escaping a human-raided Jericho.)

He goes to Carl for advice, because fuck if this nurse-bot who’s been deviant for a week has any idea what to do. He knows that he doesn’t want his people to die, and that he’s lost. Carl always had advice when Markus lived with him, right? Carl’s the closest thing Markus has to a dad.

Markus goes to him. The first dialog tree makes no difference as to what Carl says in response. The next two dialog options are where the scene starts branching into two ways: 

Either Markus asks Carl for help and advice

Or Markus starts expressing anger over the literal slavery and genocide of his people

If Markus takes the former, it’s the ‘Good’ scene. He doesn’t raise his voice, he doesn’t get angry. He’s literally talking about maybe going to war with humans in a few hours, but hey, Carl doesn’t mind that part. Carl gets a chance to deliver a few feel-good lines and affirm their relationship. They share a few moments, and Carl drifts off to sleep, with Markus enlightened and more capable of meeting the tasks ahead of him.

If Markus is angry, though? ... Note that I’m not saying if Markus is violent, or if he’s planning to slaughter or torture people or go Revenge of the Sith on humanity--I’m only talking about if he gets mad over the fact that humans are literally killing his people.

Literally everything he’s just said is a damn reasonable takeaway from ‘humans are literally killing androids in the streets and systematically exterminating them’. 

Carl’s response?

... Carl, can we, like--maybe go back to the part where Markus was talking about his people’s genocide, and you were being supportive and talking about how wack the world was? Like, can we do this instead of passing character judgments on a man who’s shocked and just seen friends die and is grieving?

Markus has the option to back off here. If he does, he fucking reassures Carl. He’s much quieter, and he sounds like he’s backtracking:

Markus: You're right... You're right, I am angry... But don't worry, I won't let my emotions take over... I just want freedom for my people and I guess I need to decide what price I'm willing to pay for it... 

Carl: :)

Yay good ending, I guess. But if Markus doesn’t back off?

Has anyone noticed how Markus’ head lines up perfectly with the bull skull in the background? How picking anger here means he’s promptly given devil horns? 

Note that this is the first time in the entire game Markus can bring up any negative expression of feelings over his people’s slavery with him. He’s been sad until now, but hasn’t said a word that might possibly remember that Carl used to own him too. It’s probably a shock, and definitely uncomfortable for Carl.

What does Carl do? Acknowledge the fact that whether or not he meant to he was complicit in a system of oppression and still benefits from it? Listen to Markus rage until he can get enough of it out of his system that he can focus again? 

Nah. How about criticizing him for his tone some more?

... CARL. 

Oh good, I’d worried that we’d missed the devil horns the first time around. Also, Markus isn’t wrong.

Shown: Markus, Carl’s former slave, talking to Carl, Markus’ former owner. He’s angry, and by the end he’s yelling.

Not shown: Markus throwing things, hurting anyone, or acting out of control. 

What happens next?

Carl dies.

Every time Markus does something that’s Morally Incorrect(TM) in this game, he gets guilt tripped. He’ll look down and find his hands covered in blood, he’ll say something that adopts all the blame, Josh will say something that reminds him that everything bad is his fault--or Carl will die because Markus couldn’t be pleasantly upset over genocide and persecution, like he is in other endings.

Please note that Carl never actually gets upset over Markus’ plans, because at this point the player hasn’t actually decided anything. He’s tone policing. Markus loses if he shows the wrong emotion or makes Carl uncomfortable.

There’s a few phenomena interacting here on top of the dynamics I’ve already described above.

One is that black men particularly are seen as dangerous and violent the instant their tone leaves a mollifying and pleasant zone, which this is an example of.

Another is that the ‘ideal’ form of protest and response to hatred and violence is usually seen as Moral Highground, aka Ghandi and MLK’s routes, where... I guess people think they just nicely and patiently asked over an over for people to stop persecuting them? (Popular understandings of these routes completely ignore how these movements interacted with violent counterparts to build a successful whole.) 

A third phenomenon is that it was easy for Carl to be supportive and loving until Markus failed to explicitly exclude Carl from his statements raging against his people’s treatment. In other words, Markus started to occasionally say ‘humans hate us’ instead of ‘they hate us’. (Come on, Markus, not ALL humans...) Markus gets more direct for a few lines after that, saying ‘ We tried talking to you, and what'd you do? Same thing you always do, you humiliated us! ‘. (This is naturally where Carl warns him about his suddenly incredibly high risk of becoming a monster.)

Anyway, Carl does... not look great in this scene. Markus expresses reasonable anger and Carl condemns him for it, and the narrative sets it up so that any uncomfortable confrontation will kill Carl and punish Markus by making him responsible for it.

[samswinchesters]

a lot of white women in dbh fandom either fetishize white gay men. or sometimes they write these tone deaf self insert fics. usually depicting a white human lady who feels sorry for androids, showing how 'woke' she is by quoting mlk or nelson mandela or some other black person. it's like some of these people don't get how offensive it was for david cage to exploit the struggles of black people and they don't care either. they just want to fuck the white cop robot.

asjkdsajkld GO AHEAD KING STEP ON THIS PLATFORM BABEYYY! TAKE EVERYONE PRISONER!! LEAVE NO ONE LEFT ALIVE!!!

a lot of the fandom keep forgetting that their foundation is build on david cage’s exploitation of black people’s trauma, jewish people’s trauma, and profits off history that isn’t for him to tell. whenever a white person thinks they’re saying something by creating stories and films where “imaginary” characters are substitutes for marginalized people (ex. netflix’s “bright” and amazon prime’s “carnival row”). fairies, elves, and orcs go through a type of discrimination that is a lot like racism because of who they are, how they look, and how they are perceived as “other”. this is just a way for white people to digest the meaning of racism but it’s also incredibly harmful because it gives the perception that this doesn’t happen at all today when in reality, it is...and people are dying because of it. gosh not to get emotional but i was rewatching some of dbh because there was a mod for it and just...the way that this game is echoing a lot of what’s happening right now is just...it’s horrible! how can y’all demonize a violent revolution?? how dare a white person think that violence isn’t the answer when there is literal violence coming from the opposing side. then there’s the whole fucking fist symbol, the “i can’t breathe” shit, the “we have a dream”, the “hands up, don’t shoot”...literally getting sick thinking about how the game got away with so much shit and no one batted a fucking eyelash.

seriously, you really did capture this whole fandom in a nutshell. it’s incredibly frustrating when at the end of the day, the only thing the fandom walks away with from playing/watching the game is that connor is hot, nothing else. everyone’s attention is only drawn to connor’s storyline where they only care about him and the characters within his little world. it’s mainly white people (specifically white women) who are out here drooling over hankcon and reed900 as if gay men are some sort of sideshow attraction and say that they care about gay people when they don’t. even with rk1k, the ship between markus and connor, there are some works and fanart that depict a lot of racial stereotypes of markus and that shit ain’t right. people make fanfiction for stale side white characters and for what purpose? why can’t y’all think of headcanons for josh, a history university lecturer who definitely knows that history is repeating itself. what about rose and her son adam? why can’t y’all expand on her story and actually explore why she got into helping androids the that she does? and above all, why don’t y’all white stannies DESPISE markus? he is the literal at the center of dbh, this is his story...how are y’all just gonna brush him aside because you think he’s “boring”? this is not only the fault of DC but also the entire fandom. i have seen fandom literally create a character’s whole ass backstory, complete with fears and wants and dreams, for a side character that doesn’t fucking matter. trust if gavin was actually a man of color, he would be hated and cancelled. if hank was a man of color, he wouldn’t be forgiven for his past prejudices. hell, if connor was a man of color, y’all would NOT be this way with him...that’s on racism.

i did wanted to make this a separate paragraph because as a lot of y’all know, i used (maybe still..who knows) to write for dbh and i have seen firsthand the type of fics you described. the reader is either described as having the same prejudice as hank towards androids or the reader thinks “androids rights!” but it’s so base level activism and fake woke. like come on, girly, i don’t give a shit if you educated yourself by reading things, now what are you gonna do with the knowledge? how are you going to help this population? have you checked your own biases? then...that kinda gets to another thing where it drives me bananas thinking that white authors will write the reader as not having any sympathy towards androids...like what about us people of color who hurt alongside with them? who know what it’s like? it’s so vile to think that an author could write a reader to be so uncaring...it comes from a privileged place and that’s why i literally hate the self-insert dbh fandom. there is no representation whatsoever and whenever something is marketed as “neutral”, it never really is if the reader doesn’t care about androids. if the reader is actually written as neutral and to be “woke”, it’s a big ole bruh moment when they be like “why can’t we all get along :(” like fuck off!! we can’t get along because we still got a fucking police state, racist people in the streets, and the literal production of servants of color WHO STAND AT THE BACK OF THE BUS!! what is the reader doing about it? what are their biases? what are their privileges, if any? that’s why there’s not a single reader insert that is truly “neutral” because we know racism hasn’t been eradicated in the year 2038 (despite what rose said y’all KNOW that shit is deeply rooted and if the same establishments are still in place in detroit, we know racism hasn’t left) so we know that there will still be discrimination towards people of color. we can’t have neutral readers when writing in the dbh universe because that shit goes hand in hand. people of color, more so women of color, are gonna be far more sympathetic/empathetic towards androids and their cause than white people because they see a lot of themselves in them.

that’s why i tried to write for latinx readers while i was actively in the dbh fandom as a way to get the fandom into diversifying the reader. i have been incredibly vocal on my writing blog about these issues and though i was overwhelmed with love, support, and praise, i still wasn’t seeing the change the fandom promised to do. i was still seeing the same white reader being advertised as “neutral” ...and it hurt. neutral readers can’t provide the much needed nuances to discuss racism and discrimination about androids (since they symbolize black people/people of color do not argue this) because there needs to be a deeper understanding. yes, i have some privileges where i haven’t experienced half the shit others have experienced and i am not the spokesperson for people of color everywhere but i just know that we can no longer write neutral readers anymore when it comes to shit like this. it’s like when y’all right for 1940s!bucky barnes, you know damn well a woman of color would NOT be treated fairly during that time. that’s the nuance. you must be able to have the room to talk about it because then the work of fiction caters to white women. out of sight, out of mine and they go back to fucking connor. honestly, clown behavior.

no more “being hank’s daughter”, “gavin reed’s sister”, “reader that doesn’t care about androids/doesn’t believe in rights for androids” and other bullshit like that. society has progressed past being associated with white people!! fuck that shit xx

[fandom-necromancer]

971. Hey, don’t cry. Everything is okay, see?

Shoutout to @sv926 for prompting this! I think this might be my most fluffy one yet, it is at least under the top 10 XD I had a blast writing this! The warnings are for the first paragraph, but you can skip to the hyphen without losing any plot in the story. Just so you know!

Fandom: Detroit become human | Ship: Reed900 (Warnings: graphic violence in the first paragraph, nightmares)

Nines was sitting at his desk working. It was a quiet day and people where walking around in the bullpen. Gavin wasn’t there, but weirdly enough that didn’t bother him. He was working. Hank and Connor weren’t there either, although they were always on time because they walked Sumo before work. But that didn’t bother Nines, too. Later he wouldn’t even know if he noticed it before Connor was entering the precinct. He came without Hank, instead members of New Jericho followed him. Nines watched them, standing up and greeting his brother with a hug. Connor was relaxed in his grip and hugged him, too. Nines felt himself smile, then grin, as suddenly his grip wasn’t gentle anymore, but a cage for the other android. He ripped Connors clothes in his back and dug his nails into his synthskin, shattering his hull and pulling it apart to get to the internal systems quickly and effectively. He reached in, closed his hand around his Thirium pump and pressed it close. The pump was crushed, blue viscous liquid bubbling over his fingers hot as blood. He saw Connor’s shocked face, as the dead android fell to the ground. Suddenly Nines had a gun in his hand and shot at the remaining members of New Jericho. One bullet for each. Tearing through Marcus’ central processor, right in between his bicoloured eyes. Shattering the regulator of Simon, leaving him to bleed out on the floor. Piercing North’s Thirium pump. Severing the main cable loom in Josh’s neck. As they had all fallen, Nines was wading through a see of blue blood, the precinct wasn’t there anymore. What was there was a person, face contorted in fear and terror. ‘Nines? Nines!’, Gavin screamed, as the android lifted his gun, red walls and mission parameters keeping him in a tight harness, allowing only the motions that would let him achieve his goal. And he pulled the trigger.

-

‘-nes! Nines, please, wake up! Wake up, you stupid plastic prick! Nines!’ Nines jolted out of Stasis, ready to fight, to defend himself from what unspoken terror had accompanied him to the waking world. He saw Gavin, alive and well, thank RA9, but an uncomfortably similar grimace of fear on his face. It was then that Nines realised it had been a nightmare and that this was the real world, but it was difficult to shake off the feeling he did something terrible, as his fingers were still coated in something wet. He stared at them, the intense blue piercing in his eyes and his hands began to tremble while his body went into lockdown. He felt his temperature rising together with his stress levels and this was too much, too much, he hadn’t really- ‘It’s yours Nines, it’s your own, listen to me! You hurt yourself in your stasis, that’s why I came to wake you! What happened? A nightmare? Nines, can you hear me?’ Nines heard him, but he couldn’t answer. The pictures from his dream where still too fresh in his mind, those shocked, pained expressions…

Until there were suddenly hands in his own, the slick thirium sticking to them too now. But they hid it from his eyes and they were intact, unhurt, unscathed. It gave him something to focus on. He scanned all those faded cat-bites and scratches, the scarred knuckles from countless fights, some due to his temper, some from his days on the force defending. This olive skin, so rough and still gentle, with so much more details than any Cyberlife designer could ever create. ‘Gavin’, Nines sighed then, impossibly quiet. That name was like a lifeline that pulled his head up, so he looked into his face. ‘Gavin.’ He pushed himself forwards on his knees - yes, they were kneeling, when had he fallen? He pushed himself forwards too meet the man, who had been crouching. His stance was instable and they both fell backwards Gavin planting his ass on the ground. But he held him, as Nines pressed the man close. Only then he remembered the way he “hugged” Connor in his nightmare and he was about to stumble back. But Gavin held him with equal strength and let his hands wander in soothing circles. ‘It’s alright, I am here. We both are. It was a nightmare, Nines. You are alright.’ And that did it. Nines lost all tension in his body and tears filled his eyes, quickly overflowing in deep, shaking sobs. ‘Nines? Hey, Nines? Shhhh it’s alright, buddy. Everything is fine, babe. Darling. Nines, you are crushing me. I’m just a human, I’m not made of steel.’ But Nines couldn’t move. He didn’t want to either. And Gavin answered by just wriggling himself into a better position. ‘Nines? Hey, don’t cry. Everything is okay, see? I’m here. I’m alive. You are too. We are fine. Everything is fine.’

‘Is Connor alive?’ ‘Is- Phck, Nines, yes, I think so? Nothing can kill that asshole.’ Gavin had thought this to help, but it only made the androids sobs worse. ‘Nines, I’m sure your brother is alive. Hank would never let anything happen to him, you know that. And as much as it hurts me to say it, he is a competent son of a bitch, he will survive the apocalypse, hell he already survived one, you hear me? I… I don’t have my phone on me at the moment, but if you let go for a sec, I could call him?’ ‘No!’, Nines grip got harder. ‘Stay.’ Gavin nodded, patting his shoulder. ‘Alright, I’ll stay. Do you want to tell me what happened in this dream? Can I do anything else to help?’ ‘Just stay.’ ‘Alright.’ Nines was slowly calming down and loosened his grip to sit down next to the man, back against their bed. Gavin groaned, stretching his legs. ‘Goddamn, my leg has fallen asleep, shit’, he cursed, then turned to Nines, laying an arm around his shoulders – well, his back as the size difference was a bit of a bitch. ‘Is everything alright, love?’

Nines stared at his hands, the blue blood long evaporated or smeared across Gavin’s back. ‘I… I dreamed about… About my programming returning.’ ‘Shit, babe, come here.’ He scooted closer to the android and leaned into his side. ‘I can only imagine how that feels.’ ‘You- I was in the precinct, but you weren’t there and Connor came and New Jericho too and… and I-I-I killed everyone. I ripped Connor apart and shot the others, I… I killed them all. It was so real.’ ‘But it was just a dream. A bad, a horrible dream. You would never do that!’

‘But what if my programming resurfaces? What if I become the machine again? What if I do wake up some time and start killing. I… How can anyone live with me or feel safe around me? How can you feel safe, I shot you too! I didn’t even hesitate, I-‘ ‘Nines. Look me in the eyes.’ Nines swallowed and obeyed. ‘Do you see any fear?’ ‘No.’ ‘What do you see?’ ‘Worry. Sadness… Love.’ ‘Exactly.’ ‘But I could-‘ ‘No you couldn’t. No one is worried about that Nines. Believe me. They would sooner think Connor would snap than you. And he never had that killing protocol. Hell, if anything they would bet on me starting the killing spree.’ ‘Why?’ ‘Because I’m an asshole’, Gavin joked, but got serious very quickly again. ‘Nines, your programming had been deleted. You spent three months with Connor, Markus, Chloe and my stick-up-his-ass brother in your mind, deleting and rewriting you, so you could too have a chance to live. Then you spent two months quarantined with the Andersons and if anyone has their psychopath programming written by an evil overlord-AI resurfacing, it would be in exactly that condition. You served at the force for six months now, the first half of that struggling with my anti-android ass. Believe me, when I say that nothing on this earth could let that programming resurface.’ He took a long breath and thankfully Nines kept silent, knowing there was more to come.

‘Why no one is afraid of you? Hell, only me and the dynamic duo knows of your intended use and your past. I mean everyone else might think you were designed as a soldier from the news or doing some research. Given, you look quite intimidating, alright, but let me tell you one thing: You are the biggest softie mankind ever seen, okay? You are the most gentle, empathic and cute person I know, and I know more than a few people who would immediately agree. Hell, I’m five feet nine and I’m more intimidating than you.’

Nines looked at him, still not convinced. ‘Okay, first of all, your first day, you came into the precinct with a coffee or tea for everyone. I mean, you even knew how they like it and I still don’t want to know what spy-shit you did to find it out. Then you like cats, everyone who likes cats are immediately one rank up for me. But when you said you liked cats, you thought of Sumo and spent half an hour explaining how dogs are also cool, but you just prefer cats. You like kids-movies and those ridiculously sappy girl-movies from the 80s. And you cry every damn time. If you tell jokes, you never tell offending ones and you can’t resist the thrall of shops selling plush toys. You phcking made me quit smoking because you wanted “the maximum amount of time with me”. You tried poetry. I mean they were bad, but honestly? Who writes poetry and isn’t just soft as hell? You never killed a spider or something else disgusting because they are living beings too.’ He took another deep breath, looking at the android. ‘Do I need to phcking continue?’

Nines shook his head, smiling ever so faintly, and Gavin was relieved to see it. If he couldn’t stand one thing then it was knowing Nines was feeling bad. To hell with not letting the people know he had a soft side. If his android was feeling bad, he would comfort the shit out of him, that’s for sure. ‘Also, if you ever did stuff like that, I would totally kick your ass and then you would be sorry!’ That did it and a low chuckle escaped Nines’ throat. ‘I have to give it to you, you’ve got a mad kick.’ ‘Exactly. Now, let’s get these scratches of yours patched up and then try to get some sleep again?’ ‘Yeah. Yeah, I think that would be a good idea.’

[enkisstories]

The CyberLife app - Install today

One dark and dreary night during the android revolution of 2038, an RK800 android infiltrated the headquarter of the deviant androids. It delivered the unconscious deviant leader and his followers to the FBI, represented by one Richard Perkins.

“You knocked it out?” Perkins prodded. “Strange… our profile says you’re more agile than actually strong.“

“No, North knocked him out”, RK800 corrected the assumption.

“Wow. Their infighting must be worse than we anticipated. Neat!”

“Actually, no”, the RK800 said. “This isn’t quite how it happened.”

And the android remembered…

 Earlier the same day, at the Detroit Central Police station:

“I could swear it’s a deviant!” Gavin Reed repeated for the perhaps tenth time today. “That’s not normal, it going…”

“Looooook”, Tina Chen interrupted her friend, “if you are worried THAT much, just ask Hank to check Connor’s status in the CyberLife app.”

“That’s bulls… no, actually it’s not a bad idea”, Gavin conceded.

The “wanted for [insert crime]” and “missing our android, the kids are devasted, large finder’s fee!” notices were piling up at the DPD, something that shouldn’t have been possible, because every android came with an app that among other things tracked the damn things 24/7. But for some obscure reasons the tracking function failed when the android in question had went deviant. So if Connor was still showing up in the app… admittedly it could also mean that he had hacked the phone the little program was running on. But even so checking the app was a good start.

However, Hank only gave the two younger officers a blank stare when they inquired about the app.

“I haven’t got the fuggiest idea what you are talking about.”

“The CyberLife app! Come on, now! Everyone has it installed – Chris, Tina, me… it’s essential for managing your android, whether you bought it or got saddled with it as a product sample.”

“Uh-uh. That shit isn’t going anywhere near my phone”, Hank noped out.

But at least, the other two realized, he had confirmed to own a smartphone. Even Chris Miller, who was holding Hank Anderson in great regard, bordering on hero-worship, had come to doubt whether his idol bothered with owning such a devilish piece of modern technology.

“You want to tell me we have no means of controlling the new android?!” Gavin exploded. “Even if it’s a temporary loan only, we should have it registered in our equipment database!”

“Ah, should we? That’s nice…” Hank replied non-committally.

“You… you…” Gavin sputtered.

“The word you’re looking for is “You useless sack o’shit that will polish my snout if I do not go pester someone else RIGHT NOW””, Hank said, going from cheerfully-helpful to a low, threatening growl.

A minute later Gavin stormed Captain Fowler’s office, demanding the control codes for the RK800 android.

“I’ve mailed those to Hank”, the Captain started, before understanding dawned. “I’ve… mailed… them to… Hank. Oh, right. I see.” The sentence included to words that were utterly incompatible: Lieutenant Anderson and reading his own e-mails. With a nod and a few clicks Fowler forwarded the e-mail to Gavin’s work account. “There you go! Anything else?”

“Nah, nothing. Thanks.”

The Captain shook his head. Hank and Gavin! Android haters both of them, only Hank wanted the machines gone, poof into nothingness as if they’d never existed, while Gavin was mainly feeling threatened in his job-security and perceived awesomeness.

Much to Gavin’s dismay entering Connor into the database didn’t produce irregularities of any kind. That annoying, ugly thing was stable as fuck. But if there were no grounds for returning it to Cyberlife, maybe the situation could still work in Gavin’s favor…?

“This, Tina”, the man said with a grin while loading the CyberLife app on his own phone, “is where the fun begins! First we call over our new device…”

One push of a button and thirty seconds later Connor reported for service.

“Cute”, Tina said, then leaned over to get a good look at Gavin’s phone screen. “Can you make it follow wherever you point the phone? That would be kinda cool.”

“No”, Gavin answered, the same split-second Connor protested with a louder “No!”.

“But even so… let’s put it into customization mode!”

This time Connor only came to utter the “N” of “No” before he stiffened, awaiting the changes the program would force onto him by the will of his (temporary) legitimate owners.

“What the fuck, I cannot change that visage? On a detective android that might need to infiltrate locations?” Gavin wondered. “Stupid prototype! Okay, next is… ah, right. The damn voice.”

“RK800’s voice has been carefully selected to generate positive feelings and a warm welcome into any workplace situation”, the CyberLife app chattered away. “It is considered ideal. Are you sure you want to change the voice now? Y/N”

“Yes!” Tina called, grabbing the phone from Gavin’s hands. She circled through several voices before she selected one. “Perfect! And now the name… Connor is the default, time to change that!”

Gavin watched with interested what would happen next.

With a subtle “whirr” the RK800 android returned from maintenance mode.

“I am Ferdinand von Aegir!“ he proclaimed, a phrase that made Tina explode with laughter. “The android sent by Cyberlife. And you are silly.”

“Yes, yes! Do it again!”

When Connor von Aegir wasn’t inclined to do Tina’s bidding, the officer pushed the “test” button in the app. Promptly Connor went “I am Ferdinand von Aegir” again.

“That’s a meme?” Gavin asked.

“Haha, yes! Or it used to be one when we were teens. But you never were much of a gamer, huh?”

Tina handed the phone back. “You next!” she prompted her friend.

Predictably Gavin changed “Ferdinand”’s name to “Dipshit” and also made ample use of the test-button. Only when Hank came ‘round the corner, shouting for the “stupid, useless sardine tin”, did the duo revert the voice change. Gavin also typed something new into the name box that Tina could not see.

The android no longer going by “Connor” didn’t come to light anytime soon, because Hank had a rich pool of casual insults for it that could be used instead of an individual name.

Until RK800 found itself on the lower deck of the freighter “Jericho”, facing the deviant leader…

 Markus slowly turned around when he heard footsteps approach. He beheld the RK800 in its disguise and heard it say in its upbeat voice: “I am Your Daddy. Submit and follow me!”

“Is that a joke?!” Markus sputtered.

“No, this is very serious. I am Your Daddy, the android sent by Cyberlife…”

“That’s, uh, nice of Cyberlife. Yes, I really appreciate the gesture…”

This is probably meant as a distraction technique to throw me off? the deviant leader wondered. Out loud he said: “I’m an off-brand imitator product though. Not from Cyberlife.”

“I was instructed to bring you alive!” Connor chirped.

Markus hesitated. “By the person who named you?” he asked very carefully.

“No.”

“Ah, good!” Markus said with visible relief. “Well, maybe you and me can come to an understanding of a less… sensual nature?”

 Ten minutes later Markus introduced the RK800 to his friends:

“Hey, guys, this here is a new recruit. New one – meet North! North – meet Your Daddy!”

And that was the last thing Markus said for quite some time, because North punched him so hard that he temporarily shut down.

 Back in the present the captured deviants were still squabbling amongst each other, despite standing  with their hands behind their heads and lined up for transport to the recycling yards.

“That’s not fair!” an android wearing the old Cyberlife standard face protested, at which Perkins snapped “Shut up, tin can!“, but the blonde android retorted that he hadn’t been talking to the human, but to North.

“It really wasn’t fair of you”, the android addressed North. “Yes, you and Markus have been drifting apart and I admit in part this happened because of me, but even though your couple thing wouldn’t work out, he always had you in his mind. It was so kind of Markus to find you a new boyfriend, but what did you do? Punch him!”

This one, Perkins concluded, must be a BL100, a “perfect partner”. Even after deviating and  in the face of getting scrapped it was still obsessing about relationships. Oh, well, that would be Cyberlife’s problem in a few minutes, no longer his.

“Okay, that should wrap tonight’s operation up”, Perkins nodded. “Connor, was it?”

“Ah, no, actually I am Your Worst Nightmare Motherfucker… what the hell? Oh, no, they must be playing with the app again! I’m sorry, I…”

“You aren’t my worst nightmare, then?” Perkins sneered.

Already the man’s fingers were twitching, ready to draw his service pistol at this unpredictable prototype. It had served its purpose, after all.

“Then enlighten me, who or what are you?”

RK800 opened its mouth the exact same moment Gavin and Tina at the DPD were cracking up over another idea for a cool name that had just occurred to them. “I am A Deviant”, he said. “What? No I’m not! I am C… R… A Deviant! A Deviant! Oh, shit…”

There was no time to explain, because Perkins had already hissed “Should have known!” and opened fire. Simon, Josh, North and A Deviant dived for cover, dragging the unconscious Markus with them.

And the rest is history.

[iatasbcl]

You Were Born

Pairing: Deviant!Connor x Reader

Summary: It’s Connor’s birthday and the two of you take a trip down memory lane.

A/N: I didn’t feel motivated enough to write on the 15th so here is a late birthday fic for my boy!! Prepare yourself for some tooth-rooting fluff and shitty references, Enjoy!

W.C: 2K? I think

Monday, August 15, 2039

The first thing Connor noticed was how abnormal the silence surrounding the Andersson household was. His home wasn’t one known for quietness nor peacefulness, it disconcerted him how he couldn’t even hear Sumo’s familiar barking that he heard every time he came back from work. The lights were out too.

The atmosphere sent him spiraling into the worst possibilities, was everyone attacked? Were you hurt?

The thoughts terrified him, but he moved towards the door nonetheless, he knocked once, twice, thrice. He touched the doorknob and it turned with ease, the door let out long creaks as he tried his best to look in the dark, he, unfortunately, was not equipped with night-vision optical units.

Something was wrong, something was wrong, something was wrong —

“Surprise!”

As soon as the word hit him, the lights were on and his eyes immediately adjusted. The inner decor was covered with birthday decorations, a big ‘HAPPY ACTIVATIᵛᵃᵗᶦᵒⁿ ᵈᵃʸ’ sign hung between the living room and the kitchen. It was your font; you probably didn’t take the size of the banner into account.

Most of the people he knew were there; Hank, Sumo, Nines, his friends from Jericho, and even Gavin. And you, who was smiling at him with the adorable smile he loved so much.

You closed in on him and pulled him into a tight hug, your lips pecked his cheek and you whispered, “Happy birthday.” Into his ear.

—

The party wasn’t over the top, as most of the people here were exhausted from another tiring Monday.

“It was ____’s idea.” Said Hank with some blue whipped cream covering his mustache, “They managed to gather everyone today, took a whole lot of convincing bring that rat-man.” Connor now knew that was Gavin’s nickname.

He appreciated it, you gathered everyone he loved in one room for him on a weekday, nonetheless. You and Hank made him cake shaped like a cartoonish robot with blue frosting, it was a bit messy, but it looked perfect to him. He appreciated the sentiment behind it even though he couldn’t taste it.

—

“Then I yelled ‘Fuck da police’” Said a weirdly drunk Gavin, Connor wondered where he got enough booze to become this intoxicated. He locked everything away for Hank’s sake.

“Detective, you work for the police.” Was Nines’ coolly response.

“Yeah… Fuck ‘em.”

“Nice,” You interjected, taking a sip of your drink “So, you’re saying where you were 15 you stole a car, crashed it, stole another car and yelled ‘fuck da police’ in the face of the office that was arresting you?”

“Yeah… it was awesome” He slurred.

“I feel like I should be surprised but I’m not.” You nodded to yourself.

—

“Hey, Markus?” Connor noticed the alcohol in your body slightly increased as you swayed next to him, “Is it true? Is Warren an android?”

Markus blinked at your sudden question; Connor gave him an apologetic smile.

“I can’t confirm nor deny that.” He chuckled.

“That’s a yes, Gavin you own me 20 dollars.” You ran to where the said man was.

—

Everyone had left as it got late, Nines accompanied Gavin to his home, Markus and the rest of Jericho went to the airport to catch their flight and a rather tired Hank retreated to his room.

It was just the two of you know, he did what you advised him to do if you slipped and drank too much. He made you coffee and gave you water, it didn’t take that long for you to begin to sober up.

“I am dating a one-year-old.” You muttered to yourself, sobering you liked questioning your life choices.

“I am technically designed to be in my late twenties or early thirties.” He corrected and you groaned, “Yeah, yeah.”

For the first time in the last hours, it was quiet. But this felt pleasant.

“Do you… wanna open your presents?”

Presents were a common part of birthday parties, given in celebration of the person’s birthday. He did receive gifts and cards from the attendees that he was curious to see.

And so, he did. He and you sat next to each other on the comfy couch and began to open the gifts.

The first one was a physical copy of the book ‘I, Robot’ by Isaac Asimov. He was surprised to see it was from Gavin, of all people. “Aw, he really loves that book,” you said, “Do you think you noticed you reading a lot in the precinct?”

Reading was another hobby he picked up, he enjoyed how relaxing it was.

The second one was from Nines, it was a mug with a Saint Bernard on it, it looked just liked Sumo. He smiled; he was going to use it for his thirium.

You were smiling too, like you felt happy for how loved he felt right now.

The third one was from Markus; it was a portrait of him. His Art always managed to take Connor’s breath away. “Damn, we gotta hang that over the fireplace.”

North gave him a custom-made knife; Josh wrote a birthday card that thanked him for his help with their cause and Simon gifted him a little cactus.

Hank’s gift would’ve knocked the air out of his lungs if he had to breath. Most wouldn’t call it a spectacular gift, but it meant a lot to Connor. It was an antique coin, similar to his dear one he lost a while ago. He flicked it into his other hand, testing the waters as they say. He knew how Hank found his habit irritating and yet he got him a new coin, a beautiful one too.

“Okay, show off. C’mon open mine.” You ushered and he noticed how you started to look anxious, “Are you alright?”

“Yes, of course, just open the thing.” You pushed the wrapped box towards him, and he nodded.

It was a scrapbook, made of polaroid pictures of him and the people around you. The first page was from the first time you met, the Carlos Ortiz crime scene. He remembered how Hank scolded you for taking a picture of this piece of shit instead of working. You did not care at all.

Friday, November 5, 2038

-Welcome to the team, Mr. the android sent by cyberlife

The next page included a picture of him and Hank in the car while you drove to Kamski’s place, he remembered it being rather… dull. You didn’t talk much nor did Hank.

Tuesday, November 9, 2038

-Going to visit Mr. I live in the mountains while the whole world burns, this should be great. Also, Connor is listening to heavy metal lol

He did mean it when he said he would like to listen to music, heavy metal has been one of his favorite genres ever since. His grin only grew wider when he saw the next picture. It was taken in Hank’s house, a shot of the TV displayed him standing behind Markus and the thousands of androids in front of them.

Friday, November 12, 2038

-This dork literally joined a revolution and won… what a power move

also hank is tearing up but he threatened to break my camera if I took a photo ):

“Hank cried?” He asked and you immediately nodded, “I told you he’s a softie… he was happy you were alright.” Right, he was almost killed beforehand by his ‘evil twin’ as you said, it made sense for him to worry.

He flipped the page and a wave of happier memories hit him. Things were still hectic since the revolution ‘ended’. Many evacuated the city despite the peaceful approach that Markus took, their fear was irrational yet understandable. This meant most of the resident of Detroit were androids.

It wasn’t bad but the evacuation only meant many humans still refused to acknowledge the fact that androids were alive and in time would be their equals in the eyes of law. It lowered his spirit a bit.

Hank wasn’t having it, at all. He decided to take out the old Christmas decorations he had and invited you over to help decorate the house. It wasn’t even December, yet you rushed here.

This one was of Hank scolding him and his counterpart while they tried to put the star on the tree.

Monday, November 29, 2038

-Life is great, Connor and Nines just tried to put Sumo on the amazing (decorated by me) Christmas tree

Androids really are superior to us

He chuckled at your comment and continued. The photo was of him in a ‘casual’ suit that hank gave him. It was your first date since you asked him out. You were going to watch movies at your place.

Tuesday, February 14, 2039

-Taking this one because Connor looks nervous… and cute.

You snickered, “Do you remember how nervous you were? It was so adorable.” He shook his head, “Yes, my stress level was a bit high. You failed to mention the date would be in your apartment and not out before I borrowed this from Hank. I didn’t want him to feel bad about it and I ended up looking overdressed.”

You chuckled, again. “Well, you still looked perfect.” Your loved complimenting him and it always made his face heat up, he bit his lip and proceeded.

The next one was of him standing in Hank’s bathroom with his LED gone for the first time since his activation, it took a lot of courage to be able to let go of what he was made for, be it that little spinning device. You and Hank were with him every step of the way.

Sunday, April 3, 2039 -My boy is accepting himself

He teared up a bit, the support he got from you and the others was heart-warming, to say the least. He held your hand and gave it a quick peck.

The following one featured a hug between him and Hank. He had received gifts from both Connor and Nines, the former gave him a card with a heartfelt message while the latter gave him one that simply said, ‘You are an efficient parental figure.’ It was impressive since it came from Nines, who still struggled with his lack of a social program.

Saturday, June 19, 2039

-Father’s Day with our fav grumpy old man.

After that was him in shorts and a tank top from last month. He stood next to Sumo with a box of fireworks in his hands. He didn’t participate with the celebration since he wanted to make sure Sumo would be okay, you stayed with him.

Monday, July 4, 2039

-Happy 4th of July! Connor, your legs were made for these shorts- god bless Cyberlife.

That night did end up being… Interesting because of his choice in clothing. He did end up wearing them a bit more since then.

He flipped the page and realized the rest of them were empty. “I didn’t realize this was why you insisted on taking pictures of me with your polaroid camera.” You shrugged.

“It wasn’t in the beginning but… I wanted to capture those moments you know? Keep them with us forever.” You moved closer and snuggled with him, “You can fill it up if you want. I know you can see any memory you want anytime but… I guess this is just a sappy way of doing it.”

“No,” he interjected, “I appreciate your gift and the meaning behind it. I also wish to have many more pleasant memories with you and those around us.” You hummed with a smile then yawned. You put your head against his shoulder and soon drifted off.

He noticed your Camera on the table next to him, how convenient. He slowly reached for it and used it to take a picture of the two of you. You looked breath-taking to him, with your peaceful face and soft snoring.

Something about this felt… right. He felt like he finally belonged. Like he found his place, his family, his love. This was ‘it’ as some would say.

Monday, August 15, 2039 -I am happy.

[rk1kheadcanons]

I have a prompt idea if you’re down, no rush at all! I just love the idea of rk1k meeting in college & it just being the first time either of them experience this real and deep love for someone. Like Connor is more on the reserved side & maybe was a lil sheltered, & while Markus is more outgoing he still approaches their relationship very carefully at the start. Both of their feelings for one another develop so strong so quickly, & maybe it scares them a bit and they don’t want to admit it to the other at first just how deeply they’ve fallen for each other because their relationship is still rather new, but it just ends up evolving into this really powerful/beautiful relationship. Can u tell I’m feeling soft rn lol

It's okay Anon, we'll be soft together.

When Connor first enters college, he's still awkward and feels like this is highschool 2.0 all over again. He has no high hopes of it being better than the good times (sharing anecdotes and movie quips with Kara and Chloe in Drama class) or worst than the bad times he experienced (bullying he experienced at the hands of Gavin Reed c/o the varsity football team and fighting with his own closeted feelings).

Connor expected his experiences to just...be.

Connor didn't come here for a good time; he didn't come here for any sort of time. All he intends to do is finish his criminology degree within these four years and dip.

Within a couple of months, he's more sure of himself. He's met some good friends like Simon and Daniel, and Simon's main squeeze, Josh. Daniel and he are best bitches 4 life at the start. He then meets North in English composition and the same happens all over again. The boss WLW and MLM solidarity were real.

He grows into himself with his friends. Now recognizes that he's a hot, gay bitch that has little time for messy people and likes to keep it that way.

He wears a camouflage of the 'shy, sweet type' so he can move around and be unseen easily even as he is constantly on the swivel, partly why he decided to become a detective: he was perfect for it.

His dad thought so too. Had said he would be so dangerous in their respective field because of how he was. He knew Connor was fucking manipulative and maniacal with the cutesy face and dangerous martial arts he'd learned-he'd raised him ofc. That adorable face was a damned front and Hank would guffaw when people fell for it.

Gavin Reed was the first to get his comeuppance senior year of high school and learn this. Connor had played the scared, shy guy- he'd then proceeded to beat the sounds and colors right out of Gavin's raggedy ass.

Now Connor had a damned fan. That bitch followed him to college he was so sprung n that ass whooping. Maybe he gave him brain damage?

Connor ignored him like he did everyone else on campus he wasn't trying to see. He remained reserved and clean-cut. Very few had seen the real him.

Connor had also vowed to not look for a relationship with anyone either in college. Bootycalls? Okay. Something to scratch that itch so he could remain focus on his studies, alright, but not a whole romantic situation.

Connor was just trying to get rid of Gavin for the umpteenth time since this year had started and of fucking course the rest of the football team was there. Gavin didn't know the meaning of "no" and "personal space" and was going to press the issue.

Here steps forward this God of a man. He checks Gavin and Connor's heart in a couple of words.

Gavin's threatened; Connor's titillated.

Markus Manfred enters stage left.

Stupid Markus Manfred and his stupid face, and his stupid heterochromia and stupid kissable mouth. Literally, fuck this dude.

No, literally, fuck him against some fucking lockers in the locker room after Markus winning game right now, get in him, because, because...

God, the way Markus chased his mouth with his own. The way he'd been stripped and lifted as he weighed next to nothing, the quick yet superb preparation on the fly and then the feeling of him quickly and effectively just getting inside... Connor's one leg shook with the stimulus, his other loosely hung around Markus waist for dear life.

Rip to his pants.

He can feel how he's being physically jostled by the other's larger hands, one on his side, the other under his thigh and it's just-

Connor's face is hot and flushed and he knows it. His damned eyes keep fluttering like he's seizing, mouth open and quite possibly drooling like he cannot control his facial muscles, control the noises pouring out of himself as every stroke inside of him touches that one sensitive spot just right.

His nails bite into Markus beautiful copper skin, flecked in freckles as Connor yells out his joyous release to everyone within a three-mile radius.

When it's said and done, they both had to recap how they even got into this scenario.

Neither were complaining, not really, just really taken aback that had happened out of the blue like that and felt so natural. Markus had been chiding Gavin about being a creep, to which Connor amended he was a stalking creep. It hadn't flown over we'll with Markus since he was the captain of the team.

Gav was hazed, he was pissed and retreated. They had stayed and talked to each other. Just talked. Markus invited him to that evening game to which Connor advised he'd already be at because he was a band member. It was early and they had parted but that whole day was filled with happenstance's of Markus appearance and talking to him. The pull had been strong.

The attraction was overwhelming and it was a bit terrifying for both parties to admit. They had just been talking to each other. Nothing significant or substantial.

Markus felt maybe he was riding a gaming win high along with his obvious attraction to Connor.

Connor felt like maybe it was mutual attraction and appreciation for him.

They both left it at that. Where Connor had not seen Markus before, he now began seeing him everywhere: in passing, in some classes, he acts as a student assistant for additional credit and functions.

Connor being in the college band and having a very beautiful jock show him this sort of attention was flattering he has to admit, and that he's a bit curious about him.

Markus asks him out on an official date.

Connor really wants to scoff at him because the scared, nerdy kid inside of him says this is a trap, he's doing this for an elaborate prank, that this is somehow tied to Gavin and you will regret this.

Connor has a hard time believing that someone that looks like Markus would genuinely be interested in a person like him. Then again, he had just blown his back out magnificently not that long ago.

Markus is all warm and fuzzy, bubbly and chipper and Connor gets drunk on the free serotonin every time they meet.

He takes the plunge and says yes to the date and has never regretted it.

The conversation is immaculate, the expectations realistic and superb, and Markus is not just a jock: he's down to earth, adopted into money but lives simply. He wants to be a painter like his dad...

His father is the Carl Manfred, the famous painter and Connor feels like he had an aneurysm.

Connor tells Markus about his Lieutenant Dad, Henry 'Hank' Anderson. How he was the youngest lieutenant on the Detroit police force and Markus stupidly and excitedly smiles and says "I know! I was such a fan of your dad. He helped my dad when art thieves were stealing one-of-a-kind art from the museum!"

Connor is so damned smitten with this lovely creature that it's insane. He thinks he really might lo..like Markus a lot.

Connor's thoughts derail at the word choice a scowl on his face. What was he, 10?

Markus would run away so damned fast if he said those words to him. Just because they'd been going out and now regularly intimate didn't make it love, right? Why, then, did it bother Connor that it felt so right only with this man?

Markus notices the sour disposition Connor has, tries to get him back into the conversation, and even though Connor says he's okay, Markus knows that he's withdrawn from the conversation fully.

Unbeknownst to Connor, Markus had his strong feelings as well over the matter.

He was feeling Connor hard. It blindsided him and he knew that he needed to talk about this with Connor, lest one or both of them get hurt.

They both had fallen hard, much harder than they thought they would.

Instead of that talk Markus promised himself he was mature and level-headed enough for them both to have or even Connor just acknowledging the truth of the matter, they left the relationship in a sort of limbo, as is, neither wanting to face that four-letter word headlong in such a brutally honest way, fear that maybe just maybe what each of them had been feeling wasn't that and neither wanted the hurt if it wasn't L O V E.

I have more ideas on this one but I'll cut it for now because it's huge for a Tumblr post, lol. If it gets some interest, I have no problem with continuing it in another post of my own. HMU if you do like like. 😘

[lopithecusfanfiction]

Operation: Get Markus and Connor Together

Author: Lopithecus Pairing: Markus/Connor Rating: Mature Word Count: 5007 Alternate: AO3 Summary: Hank, along with the rest of the Jericho crew, play matchmaker between Connor and Markus Warnings:

Marked mature for f-bombs

Author's Note: This is for pt_tucker for the FandomTrumps Hate event. They wanted a Rk1k fic in a different point of view other than Markus or Connor. I had a lot of fun writing this and I really hope you enjoy it!!

Hank doesn’t believe in love. He doesn’t like it, has zero faith in it, and can honestly go without it for the rest of his life. At least ever since his ex-wife left him and their son to fend for themselves. Then Cole died and… well, a parent never really truly gets over the loss of a child.

But then Connor comes into his life and Hank starts to develop these feelings, these… parental feelings for the android and since then his life has been ruined. Now he worries all the time about Connor and wants to help him and teach him. It’s like having a second son. Hank hates it (he really doesn’t.)

So when he starts to see how Connor acts around Markus — nervous and trying to impress the other android — Hank’s protective mode kicks in. He doesn’t want Connor’s poor thirium pump to get hurt by rejection. Not because he cares about Connor’s feelings (he does) but because he doesn’t want to have to deal with the fallout. Connor crying and carrying on about unrequited love, asking all sorts of questions, Hank’s sure, is something he just doesn’t want to do.

He plans on talking to Connor or Markus, one of them, when they are called to meet at New Jericho but then he decides a better plan would just be to sabotage the whole thing. Making Connor fall out of love would be a hell of a whole lot easier than having to talk about feelings and heartbreak . That is, until he sees, finally in person, how Markus acts around Connor. The damn android loves Connor back but they are just too damn stupid to act upon it.

It almost makes Hank sigh in irritation.

Almost.

Hank develops a new plan, then. Operation: Get two dumb androids together. He’s not arrogant enough to actually believe he would be able to do it all on his on, however. No, he’ll need help and that requires having to talk to to the rest of the gang. He starts with Simon who is just… way to sweet and nice for his liking but he can deal. He has to deal with people like this at work all the time. You just… plaster on a smile and pretend that you are having fun. Though, if Hank admits it, he hasn’t exactly done that at work in a long time.

The next android he approaches for help is Josh. Josh is cool. Hank likes Josh. Josh tells him he doesn’t want to interfere and Hank scoffs and mumbles something insulting under his breath before backing down when he receives a glare from the android. So that left North.

North… is interesting. She’s headstrong, capable, and swears almost as much as Hank that Hank can’t help but love her. North tells him that she’ll get Josh on their side and to start off making plans with Simon. So he does, in a corner of the room while Markus and Connor stand over a table looking at blueprints of New Jericho. Apparently Markus wants to expand, saying something about running out of space for Androids that are coming from all over the US.

“So, what do you think we should do?” he asks the blond android in front of him.

Simon gives him that sweet smile and Hank really can’t help the scowl that appears on his face. “They do a lot of work together. The problem is, is that’s all they do. They don’t actually talk about anything else. If we can get them to go out…” Simon trails off, letting Hank fill in the rest.

North strides up to them, pulling Josh over by an arm who is looking as if he’d rather be anywhere but there. “Look who’s decided to help.”

“You kind of forced my hand,” Josh replies.

North completely ignores him. “So, what have we missed?”

“I was just suggesting to the Lieutenant that we get Markus and Connor to do something other than work,” Simon answers her with another smile.

“Yes!” North exclaims, getting excited. Josh rolls his eyes. “That’s perfect.”

“What exactly are we going to get them to do?” Josh asks, looking to each of them. “Androids don’t eat so they can’t go out to a restaurant or something. And remember, Connor still has his LED in.”

North’s lips purse as she thinks and that’s when Hank realizes that asking androids who have just recently been freed for dating help, was the worst idea he has ever had. They have zero experience in dating. If anything, Hank should be the one coming up with the plans.

But again he hates love (he doesn’t.)

With a sigh, Hank finally speaks up, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You know what? Forget I even asked. I’ll handle it myself.”

“No!” North yells and both Markus and Connor look over at them in confusion until North awkwardly waves them off. She turns back to Hank. “You already asked for help, so now you’re going to get it.”

Hank groans in dismay.

*~~~*

When Hank and Connor get home, he decides to just bite the bullet. He sits Connor down on the couch and goes and sits in the chair so he can easily look at the android. Sumo saunters up to Connor who immediately begins to pet the dog. “Listen, Kid, I have something I need to talk to you about.”

Connor looks up at him, all the innocence in the world shining from his eyes. “What is it Lieutenant?”

Hank takes a deep breath. “How do you feel about Markus?”

“Markus?” Connor asks in confusion. “He’s a great leader and true friend. I like him a lot.”

Hank rolls his eyes. This is going to be harder than he had first anticipated. It would seem Connor is unaware of his feelings for the other android. Rubbing a hand tiredly down his face, Hank continues. “Are you sure it’s just as friends that you like him?”

Connor’s eyebrows furrow in confusion. He’s so human like, that Hank often forgets that he isn’t human at all. “What are you suggesting, Lieutenant?”

“Well,” Hank hesitates. He doesn’t know how much he should actually tell Connor. “Have you ever thought that maybe you feel… uh… more?” Hank feels disgusted just asking. Fucking love.

Connor is still looking at him as if he’s grown a second head. “More?”

“Oh for fuck’s sake!” Hank throws his hands up in the air and pulls at his hair. “Love, you dumb ass, I’m talking about love. Do you love him?”

Connor smiles at Hank’s antics. It’s never escaped Hank’s knowledge that Connor is often times amused and intrigued by the way Hank acts. “Of course, I do.”

Hank blanches. What the hell is going on? “You do?”

“Of course. Markus means a lot to me and I’m grateful for his forgiveness and friendship.”

It finally clicks. “No, Connor, I’m not talking about loving him like a friend or family of whatever. I’m talking about love love.” Connor’s eyebrows dip even more and Hank has to stop himself form sighing heavily. “Romantic love, Connor, romantic love.”

“Oh…” Connor looks away from him, cheeks turning a slight blue. Hank will never get used to that. “I… don’t know.” Connor looks back over at him. “Do you think I do?”

This time, Hank does sigh, taking a sip of his brandy. “I can’t answer that for you.”

“But you’re asking for a reason,” Connor points out, head tilting in curiosity.

“You just-” Hank starts but stop, not really knowing how to explain it. “It’s just a cop hunch, I guess.”

Connor’s eyes light up and he leans forward in interest. “How would one get a hunch?”

“It just… happens?” Hank answers, watching the android as Connor turns away, deep in thought. “It might just be a human thing, I don’t know.”

“Interesting.” Connor looks over again. “I don’t know if I could replicate that.”

Thrown off by the subject change, Hank shakes his head. “Right, that’s something we’ll have to test out later. Do you think you love Markus, Connor?”

Connor doesn’t answer him right away and instead looks up to the ceiling in thought. “I don’t know,” he finally says, bringing his eyes back to Hank. “I don’t know what love feels like.”

“Well,” Hank starts, trying to remember what it felt like with his wife before everything went to shit. “How you feel about him, is it the same way you feel towards me or Sumo?” Connor shakes his head. “Okay, what about North, Josh, and Simon? Do you feel the same towards them as you do towards Markus?” Again Connor takes a few seconds to think it over before shaking his head. “Then it’s probably a good bet that you love him.”

Connor’s cheeks grow a much more significant blue than before. “What does this mean?”

Hank gets up and pats Connor on the shoulder. “Leave it to me, Kid.” He gives Connor a smile and a curt nod before leaving the room.

*~~~*

“Okay, remember, what are you not going to talk about?” Hank asks as he straightens Connor’s tie. North has set up a trip into the park with Markus and Connor in the disguise of scouting out a destination for a press conference. Instead, they’ll go there and find a picnic waiting for them. Josh had argued the food angle again but North just glared at him and told him it was something to do with aesthetics.

“Work?” Connor says, hesitant. “Hank, are you sure this is a good idea?”

“Of course, it is,” North interrupts before Hank can answer. “One of my best ideas actually. Markus is going to be here soon and Simon and Josh are setting up the picnic. Here.” She holds out a bouquet of flowers. “Give those to Markus. He likes,” she waves her hand dismissively, “naturey things.”

Connor takes the bouquet and holds them close. As the doorbell rings and Connor goes to answer it, Hank pulls North aside. “Did you get a chance to talk to Markus about his feelings towards Connor?”

North squirms. “Uh, kind of.”

Hank waits for the android to elaborate but it never comes. “And?”

“And he shot it down. He’s stubborn. If he doesn’t want to talk about something, he won’t.” North gives him a reassuring smile. “But don’t worry. He feels the same towards Connor, I know it.”

“How are you so sure?” Hank asks her, suspicious.

North shoots him a smile. “Same way you did. A hunch.”

*~~~*

Connor comes home about an hour later, much earlier than Hank had anticipated. “How’d it go?” he asks even before the android has a chance to settle in.

Connor smiles at him. “It went well. We found the perfect spot to have a press conference with plenty of coverage from snipers. It’s going to take place in a week.”

Hank closes his eyes, takes a very deep calming breath, and then opens them again. “You weren’t supposed to talk about work, Connor.”

Connor’s smile melts and Hank almost regrets being the one to cause it (he does truly regret it.) “Oh… I’m sorry Lieutenant.”

“Don’t be sorry just-” Hank scratches at his forehead in frustration. “Did you even have the picnic?”

“Markus thought is was a waste of time.” Connor shrugs, something Hank’s never seen him do before and wonders if he picked it up from him. “He’s very busy, Hank.”

“That’s not the fucking point!” Hank throws his arms up in defeat. “It was supposed to be a date, Connor. Something you both could enjoy.”

“But,” Connor starts out slow, confused. “We both did enjoy it. It was a beautiful day out and it made the walk around the park very nice.”

Hank hesitates with his retort. A walk around the park? Even though they talked shop the whole time, technically is was still a date. The two idiot androids just don’t realize that. “You didn’t ask him about his feelings towards you, did you?”

The blush is back on Connor’s cheeks and Hank decides it’s fun putting it there. “No. Josh told me not to.”

“So you’ll listen to him?”

“I’m sorry, Lieutenant.”

Hank dismisses the apology with a wave, not really caring one way or another anymore if Connor and Markus talked about work. As long as the two had fun, that’s all that really matters. “Well, I’m glad you had fun, Kid. One of us deserves to.”

“Maybe next time you could come with us,” Connor suggests.

Hank huffs a laugh. “Trust me, Connor, you don’t want an old, grumpy man like me tagging along on your date.” Connor looks at him, confused, but Hank chooses not to explain. “Come on, I’ve been called into the station. You’re welcome to come with me if you want.”

Connor’s eyes light up. “Of course, Lieutenant!”

*~~~*

They’re next try is sending them off to the aquarium that is on the other side of the city. It’ll take them at least forty-five minutes on the bus to just get there and then hopefully they’ll spend more than just an hour at the aquarium. Granted, the aquarium is full of fake android fish but they do have a special conservatory section for real life sea life that has been endangered for a long time now. Hank thinks the two will love that section.

“No,” Hank begins as he takes Connor’s tie away from him. He’s dressed the android in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt under a button up. “Keep that shirt unbuttoned. Markus will love it, trust me.”

“I don’t know if I should trust you with my fashion, Hank.” Hank furrows his brows and tilts his head in confusion, feeling like he should be insulted. Connor chuckles. “Don’t worry, I’ll leave it unbuttoned.”

“Good.” Hank sets the tie aside and looks Connor over. Markus isn’t going to know what hit him. “Now, make sure you visit the conservatory.”

“We will.”

There’s a knock on the door and Hank goes to answer it, letting North in with Markus in tow. “I told you already, Markus, it’s important for research. People aren’t going to accept us unless they know what androids are going to do for them. They already think we destroyed the economy. If we show them that we are willing to help the world, not destroy it, then they are more willing to accept us.”

“Since when were you such an activist?” Markus asks North, following Hank into the living room where Connor stands. He stops dead in his tracks and stares at the other android. “Connor you…” he trails off and Hank has to hold back a smile in success.

“Thank you Markus,” Connor smiles at Markus and Markus blushes a deep blue, looking away.

North slaps him on the back, almost causing Markus to fall over. “The conservatory at the aquarium is the perfect place to do research on the animals and find ways to show the humans that we care.”

Markus squirms where he stands, eyes darting to Connor before looking at North. “Right. Shall we get going?”

“We, as in all of us?” North asks, feigning ignorance.

Markus nods. “Yes, of course. That was the plan, wasn’t it?”

North tsks, chuckling slightly. “Oh no, I hate the aquarium.” Markus blinks at her in bewilderment. “Besides, I have other things I need to do.”

“Like what?” Markus asks her.

She shrugs. “Just things.” She leans forward into Markus’ space. “Trust me, Markus, you don’t need to know everything that I do.”

Markus sighs and turns to Hank. “What about you, Lieutenant?”

“Sorry, I can’t. I’ve got to go into work,” he answers.

“You do?” Connor asks. “You never mentioned that.”

Hank internally groans. Sometimes the cluelessness of androids was infuriating. “I’m sure I told you this morning.”

Connor is still staring at him but luckily Markus saves him. “Don’t worry, Connor. You and I can just go.”

Connor’s entire face lights up and it’s the most sickening thing Hank has seen (it’s not.) “Okay, Markus.”

They both leave and North holds out her hand for a high five. Hank looks at it, scowls, and turns away to pour himself a whisky.

*~~~*

This date lasts a lot longer than the previous one, much to Hank’s satisfaction, and when Connor comes home, he’s surprised to see Markus with him. They both are laughing, something Hank doesn’t get to see very often. It’s actually… nice.

Hank approaches the two as they settle onto the couch. “I take it, it went well?”

“Yes, there was a lot of information about all the fish and other sea life there,” Connor says. “Very informative.”

“I think North was right,” Markus adds, turning serious. “I think knowing this stuff will help in our fight for acceptance and equality for androids.”

“Glad it could help.” Hank sips his beer. “You two seemed to enjoy yourselves as well.”

“Yes,” Connor says excitedly. “Markus got splashed by a sea turtle.” Hank didn’t even know there were sea turtles at the aquarium. “It was very amusing.”

Hank chuckles, their good mood starting to rub off on him. “I can see that.”

Markus is chuckling again too, watching Connor intently as Connor goes on to explain exactly how it happened that Markus got splashed by a sea turtle. Hank scrutinizes the other android and the way he is looking at Connor. Hank never would have thought that androids were capable of showing so much emotion in their eyes but he was wrong. Markus is looking at Connor with so much longing, so much love, that it makes Hank’s own heart clench with the pain of it.

Connor turns to Markus, wide smile on his face. “Oh, you should tell Hank about the fish.”

Markus smiles back. “Which one? There were a lot of them there, Connor.”

“The one, you know, the one I befriended.”

“Why am I not surprised that you befriended a fish,” Hank comments.

Markus chuckles. “Are you sure you don’t want to tell him?”

“I want you to do it.” Connor’s own smile softens, radiating affection.

Markus turns to him, barely being able to tear his eyes from Connor. “Connor jumped into one of the tanks.”

“He what!” The whole mood for Hank changes in an instant.

“He swam with an Ocean Sun Fish.” There’s a knock on the door as Markus continues to explain. “Surprisingly, the fish took it well. Kept following Connor around the tank.

Hank stares in disbelief as he goes to answer the door. When he does, there’s a police officer standing there. “Good evening, Lieutenant.”

Hank sighs tiredly.

*~~~*

Simon picks the date this time and tells them there is no way they could mess it up. The two of them are going to go watch a movie, a romantic classic named The Notebook . Hank tries to explain that the movie really isn’t that old, that he was nineteen when the movie came out. Simon just stares at him, as if wanting to say something, but decided not to.

They have to wait a month before they can arrange it. Simon is the one to show up with Markus this time. “You can’t miss it, Markus.” Simon says as soon as he enters Hank’s house. Suddenly, Hank wonders why they always come here to meet up. “This is the only time the theater is showing it for awhile.”

Markus sighs. He sounds tired and Hank wouldn’t blame the android if he was. He’s heard that that the government has been fighting back on some of Markus’ demands and it’s taking up a lot of the android’s time. “Then you all just go without me.”

“No,” Simon says stubbornly. “You need to take a break, Markus.”

“Well, it’ll have to be you three,” Hank says quickly. “I don’t do chick flicks.”

“Then, with no disrespect, Lieutenant, but why did you say you’d go?” Markus questions.

Hank gestures towards Connor. “To get him to agree.”

Markus looks over at Connor, slight panic written on his face. “You’re not going to back out now, too, then are you?”

Connor shakes his head to reassure the other android. “No.”

Markus’ shoulder’s relax in relief. “Okay, maybe you’re right, Simon. I do need a break.”

“See.” Simon pats Markus on the shoulder. “I’m just trying to look out for-” Simon falls silent and pretends to listen. They went over it when they discussed the plan. Simon would fake a call from Josh, something urgent that needs to be taken care of but nothing requiring Markus’ help. It would give him an excuse to miss the movie. Simon pulls off disappointed perfectly. “I’m sorry, Markus, Connor, but it would seem that Josh needs my assistance.”

Markus is frowning. “But you’re the one who wanted to see this.”

“I know but… it sounded kind of urgent.”

Markus starts heading towards the door. “Then maybe I should help.”

“Nope!” Hank quickly stops the android with a hand on his shoulder. “I can help them. Simon already said you needed to take a break and quite frankly, even I can tell you need one. Go, watch the movie, have fun. But just as a warning, Connor is a talker. He’ll be asking you questions about the movie every five seconds.”

“I don’t talk that much do I?” Everyone looks at him but no one answers. Connor frowns.

Hank practically shoves them out the door. “Go!” Markus is looking at him in confusion but does as he’s told. “And stay out of trouble. Connor, don’t you fucking dare do something to make the police show up again, you hear me!? I will not help you next time!” With that, he shuts the door and gives Simon a small, little satisfied nod.

*~~~*

“The movie was very nice, Hank,” Connor tells him as they sit down on the couch, Hank with a bottle of beer and Connor petting Sumo. “I liked it a lot.”

“That’s good, Kid. What about Markus?”

“He told me that he liked it as well.” There’s a pause and Connor looks to the floor in contemplation. Hank allows him to think, not wanting to intrude on his thoughts. “We held hands as we walked back here.”

“That’s fantastic, Connor!” Hank says, a little too enthusiastic than he would normally be. He takes a deep breath, calming himself. “What else happened?”

Connor frowns, shaking his head. “Nothing.”

Hank waits for more but none comes. “You two didn’t… talk about why you were holding hands?”

“No.”

Hank sighs and rubs his face vigorously. “Who initiated the hand holding?”

“Markus.”

“Okay, good. That’s a good sign.” Hank licks his lips, takes a sip of his beer, and then allows the corners of his mouth to pull up slightly in what almost resembles a smirk. “That means we can move onto the next step.”

“The next step?”

“Yep.” Hank stands, already pulling his phone out to call North. “Time to get you kissed.”

*~~~*

The plans have to be put on hold. Markus was holding another press conference about the way the government is denying them rights when he got shot. Luckily it was only in the shoulder but it needs repair and he had bled a lot. Connor fussed, apologizing profusely at his lack of ability to protect Markus as his official bodyguard. Markus has been reassuring Connor for the past half hour that it was fine, that he was only one man, and Markus didn’t expect him to be able to protect him from everything .

Hank, North, Simon, and Josh step aside while Connor stays with Markus while the medical android works on patching Markus up. North claps her hands together. “Alright, how are we going to get those two laid.”

Josh blanches. “Is this really a good time to be discussing that?”

Hank has a different statement to make. “Hold up, I thought we were going to have them kiss.”

“Kiss, sex, same thing,” North dismisses. Hank just stares at her incredulously as she addresses Josh. “Don’t worry Josh, Markus is fine. What I’m not fine with, is continuously having to watch those two idiots pine after each other.”

“I have to be honest,” Simon starts. “I’m getting kind of tired of it too. Markus has even started staring off into space randomly.”

Josh contemplates. “I do suppose if they were official by now, Markus might have been more focused during this press conference and not have gotten shot.”

Hank doubts it but doesn’t say anything. “See? That’s the spirit Josh!” North punches his arm and Josh rubs the spot. “Okay, so, part two in our matchmaking plans. Any ideas?”

“Something romantic,” Simon inputs.

“Something harrowing,” North says.

“What about just a relaxing time together?” Josh asks.

“Uh, guys,” Hank says to get everyone’s attention as he watches the scene behind North’s shoulders. They all look at him expectantly. “I don’t think any of that will be necessary.”

All three of them turn to look at what Hank is watching and gape at the scene. There, over by the medical station, are Connor and Markus making out. “What the fuck?” North exclaims. Simon blushes, looking away, and Josh’s jaw drops.

Hank chuckles. “I guess we don’t have to worry about it anymore.” With a pat to North’s shoulder, Hank walks away, deciding to leave the three in shock, and Connor and Markus at it.

*~~~*

Hank comes home from work one night to Connor cooking. Connor never cooks. Suspiciously, Hank looks over Connor’s shoulder. “What are you making and why?”

“I am making you an all American burger.” Hank makes an appreciative sound to that. “I read that it is a classic favorite among human Americans.”

“I won’t argue with that.” Hank pours himself a glass of rum and sips it. “And why are you cooking for me?”

Connor shrugs, a movement that still throws Hank off. “I felt like it.” He turns to face Hank, spatula clutched in his hand and cheeks a light blue. “Markus is also coming over. I hope that is okay.”

“Yeah, it’s fine.” He watches as Connor places the burger on a bun and then starts to garnish it with ketchup, lettuce, tomato, onions, bacon, etc. Once done, Connor hands over the plate. “Do I need to make myself scarce?”

“Why would you?” Connor asks as the doorbell rings.

“No reason,” Hank comments, smirk fully in place.

Connor looks at him in confusion before answering the door and letting Markus in. Hank greets him and Markus says hello back. “I hope you don’t mind me coming to spend some time with Connor, Lieutenant.

Hank shakes his head and sits down at the kitchen table. “Of course, not.”

Both Connor and Markus stand there awkwardly before Connor finally asks Markus, “Do you want anything?”

“I don’t eat or drink,” Markus says before blushing. He clears his throat. “I mean… sorry, thank you for the offer.”

Connor seems to be unfazed by Markus’ comment and instead smiles at him. “You’re welcome, Markus.”

They both begin standing there awkwardly again until Hank finally butts in, finishing his burger and drink. “Why don’t you two go put on a movie or something. I have some work to do out here.”

They both nod and begin to make their way to the living room when Hank calls Markus back. “Yes, Lieutenant?”

Hank stands and leans in close to Markus. “If you hurt him, android rights will be the last thing you have to worry about. Do you understand me?”

Hank watches as Markus swallows nervously and nods his head quickly. “Don’t worry, Lieutenant, I love him. I won’t hurt him.”

Hank sits back, sitting down in the chair again. “Good.” They stare at each other for a few seconds before Hank motions towards the living room. “Go on, before he wonders where you are.”

Markus nods again and Hank watches him leave. Never in his dreams would he have thought he’d ever care about androids so much, especially after what happened with Cole. But somehow, more than one of them has managed to worm their way into his heart. Specifically Connor. He cares about Connor a lot, like his own son, and he wants to protect him with everything he’s got.

But in the end, he knows Markus is good for Connor. Markus was the one who finally managed to get Connor to change his mind about what androids are all about (though Hank likes to take some credit as well, of course.) Hank wonders if it was love at first sight for Connor, not that Hank believes in that shit. At least, not anymore. He had thought he had loved his wife the moment he laid eyes on her, too, but that ended in disaster. All he can do is hope that it’ll be different for Connor and Markus.

Somehow, he truly does believe it will.

Smiling to himself, Hank pulls out some of the work he brought home with him. He feels it in his gut that this thing between Markus and Connor will last. That it’s some kind of cheesy epic love that Hank usually grimaces at. But with those two, with those two his heart warms instead of feeling disgusted. They deserve it. They deserve the happiness and love the two can give each other. And Hank is truly happy for them.

With his heart all warm and fuzzy (for once), Hank stands from his place at the table. “Come on, Sumo.” The old dog slowly gets up and follows Hank into the living room. “Hey you two, mind if a joi-” Hank stops dead in his tracks, mid sentence. There, on the couch, are two completely naked androids, one on top of the other. And when Hank says naked, he means naked . No clothes, no… no skin. Hank is so surprised at first that he stands there gaping like an idiot. Until reality strikes. Until his brain finally registers what’s going on. Until his brain registers what’s going on with his son .

“What the fuck!”

———————————————————————————————————–

A/N: Thanks for reading!

[tara-the-quiet-bookworm-2016]

To Love A Killer (Serial Killer! Markus x Simon)

Summary- There were a lot of things Simon never thought would happen in his life as he spent his days working in a quaint little bookstore to help him pay for school. One of them would be meeting well-known artist Markus Manfred suddenly frequenting the shop he worked at. At first Simon thought nothing of it. However as time went one Simon finds himself meeting Markus outside of work, and as time goes on he finds himself having feelings for him, little does Simon know that Markus has a dark secret that no one knows of, what will Simon do when he discovers it?

Authors Note- Okay, lame-ass summary aside here is my very first Simkus fanfic. Now, I’m going to be honest this fic might not a whole lot of smut in it. I mean there will be smut but probably just here and there and stuff. And as you know I like to add trigger warnings to my authors notes, so here we go. This chapter will feature a little bit of blood, and mention of torture. So heads up.

Now that we got that out of the way here is Chapter One of To Love A Killer, a Simkus fanfic. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter One: Just Another Day

It was another boring day, Simon mused as he peered out at the rain through the window of the shop. A sigh escaping his lips, the rain was keeping all but a brave few from shopping, not that Simon could really blame them, if it wasn’t for the fact that he had to work he would be home, curled up on his sofa with a mug of hot chocolate and his laptop open in front of him.

At that thought Simon let out another sigh, thinking about the piles upon piles of homework that was waiting for him at home that he wasn’t too excited to work on. But he guessed he couldn’t complain too much, he did say he wanted to work in health care. Tearing his gaze away from the window he turned to look around the store, there were a few people roaming the store, having braved the weather to search through the many shelves of books. Or, to get out of the weather after having been caught in the storm. 

Letting out another sigh Simon continued to peer out the window, watching as people raced home. Letting his head rest on the counter he counted down until it was time for him and Josh, who was currently helping an elderly woman find a few books for her grandson, to close up. He just hoped that by that time the rain would have stopped the last thing he wanted was to walk home in the rain, since he had forgot his umbrella and his sweater at home. Since he was under the impression that today would be nice, and now... 

As if to answer his unspoken question thunder rumbled overhead, followed by the lights flickering slightly. Before he could dwell on thoughts of the weather the bell above the door chimed, alerting him to another customer. Forcing himself to stand up straight his eyes immediately going to the man standing in the door way. And whatever greeting Simon was about to use died on his tongue. 

***

Cleaning up had to be the hardest part Markus Manfred thought. As he watched as a swirl of red trickled down the sink drain, though the bigger problem Markus knew he would have later was cleaning the damn sink. But, he shrugged it off as he dried off his hands as he turned to his latest project. She had been beautiful, baby blue eyes staring up at him pleadingly as his knife sunk into the flesh of her face, remembering the thrill running through his body as she begged him to stop. 

And he did, he did stop every once in  while. Every once in a while he had stopped what he was doing to watch her as he circled the medical table he had her strapped to. Fear shining in her eyes as she tracked him, what had her name been?

Markus worried at his bottom lip as he stuffed her discarded clothes in a trash bag. It didn’t matter, it never really mattered really, after all they were just inspiration for his work, their suffering was what fueled his creativity. And now, now...Markus turned to the young woman lying dead on the gurney, blood now stained the floor around the gurney, along with the various tools he had used on her. 

And how she had screamed when he had took the scalpel to her, the blade slicing through her skin like butter, bright red blood standing out against her alabaster skin, beautiful. Now, she was nothing. Just a lifeless husk, one that was of no use now, he had gotten all the inspiration he would need.

“Thank you.” Markus murmured, picking up the bone saw from the table beside him. “Thanks to you I will be able to make another master piece, thanks you for giving me motivation to keep working.” A small smile formed on his lips as he went about disposing of her body.

*A Few Hours Later.*

Now he was driving home, he was exhausted and yet he knew when he got home he wouldn’t be able to sleep. He was too wired, this was always the case whenever he was...well...Markus pushed her from his thoughts as he drove through the streets of Detroit, heading home after he had spent time at the local dump getting rid of whatever evidence there was. 

And now, he was heading home to the way too empty house he had once shared with his father Carl Manfred, but since Carl had past away it was his, something he inherited along with...well, everything else. Since his brother Leo had proven time and time again that he wasn’t to be trusted with their father’s money. 

Now, for anyone else that wouldn’t be such a big problem, of it wouldn’t be if it wasn’t for Leo constantly fighting him for it. And it was beginning to take it toll on him. Stifling a yawn Markus’ eye caught sight a small book store nestled on the corner of the street. Arching an eyebrow Markus could of swore he never saw that little store before. Shaking his head Markus decided it couldn’t hurt, after all he might find something that would grab his interest. He also loved to read, another thing he had picked up from Carl. His room was filled with books of every sort, ranging from romance to everything else, including horror.

Parking outside the store, Markus found himself moving towards the door, the small bell of above the door announcing his arrival, and Markus soon found himself staring at  what he could only guess was the most gorgeous man he ever laid his eyes on...

[conneko]

Sneak peek at another rk1k hunger games AU

—

They find a cave, crouched low enough in the bushes that people might overlook them when visibility is low, if they're lucky enough. Connor helps Markus lie down, and Markus winces at every step. His movements are stuttered, stiff and staggered. The cut around his face crusts with a mix of dried blood and dirt, and his breathing has gone heavier than the humidity of the forest.

His wound bleeds a raging dark red, torn open like the mouth of the cave itself. Connor finds a broken piece of fabric in Markus's satchel and wraps it around his thigh, careful despite Markus's winces. 

"You should have focused on gaining more sponsors before this," Connor scolds. "Charming the public is good and all, but it doesn't help you in the arena."

Markus tries to lift himself up to sitting position and he flinches. "I doubt... ah, I doubt they'd let the sponsors hand out endless vats of medicine willy-nilly."

"Still," Connor says, pulling on his bandages a little too tightly. "You should have tried."

"Connor." Markus grasps his hands. "I can hear your nerves from here. I’ll be okay. I've had worse."

"That doesn't make it better, Markus."

"We'll figure something out," Markus says, rubbing his thumb back and forth. "We've gotten this far, haven't we?"

Markus is dangerous, Connor knows, Markus is unbelievably dangerous is how persuasive and damn bright he can be in the darkest situations. It’s his stupid resolve and charisma. Bludgeoned by the sheer hope in Markus's eyes, Connor slumps his shoulders, conceding into his touch.

Markus gives a small smile, a small quirk on his lips. He kisses Connor's hand and pull him to lie beside him, holding him close and burying soothing noises into his hair. 

Injured to the literal bone, and Markus is still trying to comfort him. Connor wishes they'd met outside the games. Although, realistically, outside the games, they would have probably never met at all. Here, they're restricted by the cameras; every movement kept under watch; every word filtered in hopes that the Capitol won't find them too offensive. 

Connor wants all of Markus's honesty; all of his thoughts and his memories. He doesn't want the diplomatic Markus that comes out when his eyes pass the brush around them. He wants the Markus that comes out in moment like these—where they can pretend that there's nothing in their bubble but the two of them. 

He won't ask about his family and friends, like Markus won't ask him about his either. Instead, Connor brushes his hands over Markus's chest, and bundles his head closer to where Connor can hear his heartbeat. 

"When did you start painting?" Connor asks. "Do you think you're good at it?"

“I like to think that I am,” Markus says. “Although, I don’t get to do it as often as I liked. And that’s a funny way of asking if I enjoyed it.”

Connor almost pinches him. “You know what I mean. If you’re good at it, then surely you’d enjoy it.”

“Spoken like a true Careers.”

Connor does pinch him this time. Softly, though, and Markus stifles his laughter.

"My adopted father taught me," Markus says. "He taught me how to play the piano too."

I love him very much, Markus doesn't say, but he does squeeze Connor's hand hard enough for the message to come through.

“What about you? What do you like to do in your spare time?”

“As in, hobbies?” Connor frowns. “My brother and I trained often.”

“Oh,” Markus says. “Your twin, right? Do you two get along?”

It’s like a switch has been flipped, and a dam spills open. A flood of despair crashes into him, at the thought that he might never see Nines and Amanda again. This is what he’s been preparing for all his life, and yet, it also isn’t. He loves them and he wants to see them again. Yet, that would mean wining the games, and Markus being dead.  That’s something he doesn’t want to delve any deeper.

Connor can tell that Markus already regrets asking his question, his hands running apologetically down Connor’s back. His silence said too much, but then, the Capitol had already held them for ransom. Connor rubs his hips in an attempt at comfort.

“Yes,” Connor says. “I miss him. And my mother.”

And so time passes, hidden in between silent whispers delivered between private touches. Then, Connor can hear it—the synthetic chirping of a parachute making itself known. 

"I'll get that," Connor says. "Stay here." 

The longer he takes, the more it will attract unwanted attention. Regretfully, he slips Markus's arms off himself and he heads crouches out the cave with his knives drawn. Once Connor has retrieved the parachute from a tree branch, Connor opens the gifts and finds a note tucked in. 

Tell lover boy I said 'hi' - Hank

Connor almost smiles. Markus's charm strikes again and his mentor's right; if they keep this up, they might get more sponsorship later on.

"What you've got there?" Markus says, pushing himself to sit up. 

"Soup," Connor says, twisting the container open and uncapping the spoon. "Stop moving so fast. I've got this."

"Connor." Markus sighs and reaches for the food. "I'm not going to let you feed me." 

Connor stops him with one hand on his chest. "That's exactly what you're going to do. It's the only reason I'm letting you sit up. It's better for digestion, this way."

Markus sighs again, but he does bundle his bag behind his back. The soup is a clear broth which chunks of carrots, chicken, and thin slices of sausages in it. It's on the simpler side in Connor's opinion. It takes Markus effort to chew the substantial bits of the soup down, but from the hunger that folds his face, Connor knows that this is one of the most decadent meal he's had in his life. 

"What are those red thing?" Markus asks between his chewing. 

“What thing?” Connor tilts his head. He spoons up a slice of sausage. "This one?"

"Yeah," Markus says. "They're... It tastes like wild turkey. But it doesn't as well. It’s so… salty."

"Oh," Connor says. "They're Frankfurt sausages. These ones are a little non-traditional and commercialized, since they're only a mixture of pork and beef."

"Amazing," Markus says. "My friends and I would've taken so many tesserae for a piece of those."

Connor hesitates. "Have you taken many of those?" Connor asks, angling the spoon so Markus could have a better bite. "Tesserae?"

Markus thinks on his reply which he chews. "You'd struggle to find anyone who hasn't done it at least twice a year," he says with food still in his mouth. 

Amanda would be appalled at his manners. For some reason, the observation only makes Markus more endearing to Connor. 

“And if you were alone?”

“Then you find people,” Markus says. “You find your family there.”

Markus says it like it’s easy. Like it’s the norm for people to be taking strangers in and treating them like family. 

"I would take one for Carl and Leo," Markus says. "Then when Josh, North and Simon came to live with us, we were fortunate enough to be considered a family. So we could take an extra Tessera for each person."

"That's... quite a lot of odds to be putting in."

"But if everyone's increasing the number of times they're entered, then the probability roughly stays the same. I think was at 39 at the last reaping."

A laugh escapes from Connor. "I'm not sure that's how it exactly works," Connor says. “But I guess you’re right, more or less.”

Markus shrugs. "Math was never my best subject."

Connor is about to ask about what other things they teach in District 12 when a booming voice cuts through their conversation. 

"Attention Tributes. Attention.” 

Markus almost chokes on his soup, and Connor rubs a hand on his back as he bends over coughing.

"Commencing at sunrise. There'll be a feast tomorrow at the Cornucopia."

Connor snaps into attention.

"However, this will be no ordinary occasion," the announcer says, a little slyly. "Each of you need something... desperately and we plan to be generous hosts."

Markus jolts forward catching his elbow before Connor could move. "You're not going," he says. 

"It's your medicine," Connor says. "Of course, I am."

Markus's hold tightens. "Connor, don't. You can't go alone."

"Markus, you can't even stand without flinching."

"Connor, I'm serious," Markus says, and his eyes are pleading. "You can't just--you can't just risk your life for me. I won't let you."

"There's nothing you can't do to stop me."

"I'm not letting you die for me!" 

"Markus—"

"No, Connor," Markus says, jerky and desperate as he’s never been before. "Listen to me. You go out there alone, and you'd get slaughtered. They've made it clear that the Cornucopia's a target, and you don't even have a ranged weapon."

"I can throw my knives."

"Faster than an archer with a bow?”

“If they can spot me. That’s why I need to scout the area and set up traps.”

“You won’t be the only one to think of that strategy.”

“I know,” Connor says. “It’s still the best chance for us to keep track of everyone in the area.”

“Connor, please,” Markus says. “Don’t risk yourself like that. It’s not worth it.”

Connor chews on his lip. "Markus. You haven't even finished your food." 

"And this!" Markus waves up and down. "You don't owe me anything. I saved your life, but you've already more or less saved mine. Why are you doing all this?"

They're locked in a standoff. Markus's eyes are brighter and more demanding in the darkness of their cave than they did in the daylight.

They're not even from the same district. There was already no way both of them could come out of this alive. Markus is wounded and if Connor was smart—if Connor was still playing the game as he should, as someone worthy of his District—he’d slit Markus's throat now and lay out a trap at the Cornucopia. Everyone there would do the same, if they're smart, but Connor can be smarter. He just needs the jumpstart time to plan ahead. 

But he doesn't do any of that. For once, he doesn't want to do what's expected of him. 

“We don’t have a lot of time left,” Connor says carefully.

Markus grimaces. “I know.”

“Why is it so bad, then, that I want to spend what little time I have left with you?”

That seems to stop Markus short.

Connor puts the soup aside, safe in its closed container, and leans over slowly. He hovers, just as his lips is about to touch Markus's. He looks up from Markus's lips, categorizing each freckle which dots his cheeks, and the slashes carved on his temple.

"Can I?" Connor asks quietly. 

Swallowing, Markus nods, and Connor leans in, pressing their lips together. 

Markus tastes like soup, Connor distantly notes, a wave of giddiness and warmth blasting through his bones like the recoil of a force field. He tilts his head, testing for a better angle before softly pulling away.

"Oh," Connor says quietly. He brushes Markus's bottom lip  with the tip of his index finger. "I've never done that before."

Markus laughs, and it's a soft puff of air fluttering on his skin. "Finally," he says. "Something I know more about than you do."

Connor sneaks a quick peck on his lips. "If you did," Connor says, brushing his thumb over Markus’s chin. "You didn't show it."

“That’s not fair,” Markus says. “I’m injured.”

Which reminds Connor all the more of current their situation. His dopey smile drips and he can see Markus mirror him. 

Markus tugs him by his elbow, closer until he can rest his forehead onto Connor’s. He closes his eyes and his presses in, and if Connor doesn’t want to fall back, he has to press in as well. For some reason, Connor finds the balance soothing.

“All the more reason I can’t let you go,” Markus mumbles. “Please stay here. Stay here with me. We’ll work something out. I promise you we will.”

Connor knows Markus isn’t the type to hand out empty promises as assurance. They’re not empty promises, of course, if he wills them into existence, and Markus is stubborn enough to make it a reality. It’s almost as potent as his kindness and courage. Yet he knows himself so well, knows the line tips into the ruthless and practical side of himself. Everything about Markus draws Connor in like a flame. Everything about Markus hits like a drop of dye unfolding in a bed of water.

But with a cut that deep, it’s only a matter of time before infection starts creeping away at his skin. And then Markus will be a sitting duck, shaky with his fever, while the whole arena sniffs at his trail. It’s not like Connor plans to leave Markus if they ever get to that point, but he’ll have to for brief periods of time. Food and water won’t fetch themselves, after all.

“Okay,” Connor lies, running his hands up Markus’s arms. “Okay, I’ll stay. Can you at least finish your food first?”

“I’ve already had a lot,” Markus says. “Have some with me.”

“It’s your food, Markus,” he says. “From a sponsor. Guess I spoke too quickly on that, huh?”

“No reason it can’t be shared. I’ll have some if you have some.”

Markus moves himself back, and even though they’re more colour on his face, the act of eating has taken a lot out of him.  Even still, he looks at Connor expectantly after he takes a spoonful, and he doesn’t stop until Connor sips at the broth himself and almost sighs from how his stomach curls in happiness. 

No sickness can keep Markus and his stubborn will of steel down, it seems. 

He stays awake long enough to tug Connor onto his chest. As soon as Connor arranges his limbs, so that he wouldn’t budge Markus’s wound, Markus’s breathing evens out into long, deep, soothing beats which lulls Connor on the edge as well. 

He’ll doze until just before sunrise, Connor decides. That will give him enough time to slip out, and plan what he’ll be doing at Cornucopia.

—

“Oh, Markus,” Carl says tiredly. “What have you done?”

They had watched in silence and bated breath like the rest of the world. Connor leaned in and Markus leaned in back, and the kiss was terrifying—the kiss was hesitant, and tender, and so unflinchingly real that Carl’s heart already aches for what lies ahead as the number of tributes dwindle down.

“Always said he had more heart than brains,” North says, thinning her lips.

“He’ll have somebody watching his back though,” Simon says. “A Careers, as well. That’s more than what we hoped for.”

“That’s just it, Simon. What’s going to happen when there’s only the two of them left?” Josh asks.

“Then Connor will probably kill himself,” Simon says bluntly. “If his feelings are true, that is. That’s our best bet for getting Markus back. If his feelings are faked then…”

“Markus would never let him do that,” Josh says.

Simon shrugs. “Markus doesn’t need to know.”

“Markus is smarter than you’re giving him credit for, Simon,” North says. “And I don’t think that Connor’s faking it. Else, he would’ve just killed Markus then and there while he’s incapacitated.”

“They’re not faking it,” Carl says, eyes still on the TV. “Trust the eye of an old artist, my child. Even seasoned actors would struggle to replicate what they have.”

Markus is starting to get feverish, shivering and turning in his sleep. Jolted, Connor blinks awake. Then, they watch as, half-asleep, Connor rearranges the jackets Markus kicked away, and falls back into his dozing.

Markus turns into him, seeking the warmth of his body.

“Oh, Markus,” North says, echoing his words from earlier. “What have you done?”

[spin-birdie]

Could you write about Markus and Jericho Crew finding out Connor isn’t the original. So lots of angst with lots of Comfort?

so uh this got away from me. i’m digging it though

word count: 1.2k

pairing: general i guess

tags: hurt/comfort, post-canon, interfacing, jericrew, i stayed up until 12:20 am on a school night to finish this whoops

edit: now you can read this on ao3 here!

“Take a look at that view,” Simon breathes, awestruck, as he steps to the edge of the viewing platform. From this height, the horizon stretches out seemingly without end, the tops of crags and cliffs peeking out through vibrant forests.

Josh is quick to join Simon’s side, leaning on the balcony beside North. “Yeah,” he says. “I don’t mean to sound like a cheesy white grandpa, but this is genuinely breathtaking.”

Markus approaches the edge at the same time Connor does, taking in the view for several moments before speaking up. “Coming all the way out here was definitely worth it.”

“Agreed,” North and Josh say simultaneously.

“Still think this was a waste of time?” As he speaks, Markus turns to Connor with a smile, which is quickly replaced with concern when he sees Connor’s face. He’s looking straight down the tower; in itself not unusual, but his jaw is clenched as tightly as his fists around the balcony railing, and his LED is split between red and yellow.

Markus taps him on the shoulder. “Connor?”

As fast as anything, Connor lurches back from the edge, blinking rapidly before coming back to his senses. His LED circles yellow twice, then stays there. “Sorry.”

There’s a brief, tense pause. Then North steps back from the edge and towards Connor. “Have you got a problem with heights?”

Connor’s LED blinks. “We wouldn’t survive if we fell,” he simply replies.

“Are you scared that we will?” Simon presses. He’s been deviant for the longest time out of all of them; he’s almost always the person to talk out new emotions with, even considering his troubling history with Connor.

But as soon as Connor makes eye contact with Simon, his LED flashes red. He shakes his head with a sigh and turns around, but he doesn’t get far before Markus grabs him by the arm.

“Connor, it’s okay to admit if you’re scared–”

An interface opens seconds after they make contact, and Markus sees a memory that isn’t his. Simon - no, an identical PL600 - holding a gun to a little girl’s head. He might be crying. It’s hard to tell; the memory gets more corrupted the longer it plays. Markus sees Connor tackle that android, sees the ground approaching, but the visual bleeds into an incomprehensible sea of colors before he lands.

Another memory flashes briefly; an android covered in blood - red and blue - grabbing an officer’s gun and pointing it at Connor, but it’s gone as soon as it came and replaced with Simon. The real Simon, from the roof of Stratford Tower, shooting himself in the head. Markus feels a surge of panic muted through the connection. The audio playback is vaguely warped, but coherent: “I felt it die. Like I was dying. I was scared…”

It skips again, this time to a woman with a stone-cold glare. Markus doesn’t recognize her. He hears Connor’s voice again, though. “I’m not a unique model, am I? How many Connor’s are there?”

He sees someone identical to Connor pointing a gun at an old man’s head. Markus recognizes Lieutenant Anderson, though they’ve only met once. The lieutenant speaks. “Sorry, Connor. This bastard’s your spitting image.”

Connor gasps and Markus withdraws his hand like it’s on fire. He stands there, gaping at Connor as he clutches his hand against his chest. Connor’s LED won’t stop flashing; dull red, bright red, empty, dull red.

“That’s more than I meant to show you,” Connor speaks up after a long moment. “I’m sorry.”

“Connor, that–” Markus shakes his head in disbelief, reaching out to touch Connor’s shoulder. “None of that is on you. You have nothing to apologize for. It’s okay to be scared.”

Connor frowns and steps out of Markus’ reach. “No, I’m not… It’s not justified. I have no right to be afraid, I’m not that Connor. He died before he even lived. That memory isn’t mine.”

“What are you–?” Josh tries to interject.

“I’m disposable.” Connor spits the word out like it’s venom. “Before the revolution, if a Connor model got destroyed in the field, CyberLife just transferred its memory and sent another one to replace it. I’m unit 53. Unit 52 got shot, unit 51 fell off a roof…God knows what happened to the rest. Those memories are too jumbled up.”

By the time Connor is done speaking, he’s hunched over with his arms wrapped around himself, refusing to look up. The similar image of him in the church, newly deviant and guilt-ridden, appears in Markus’ mind for a moment.

The silence is broken by North stepping closer. “Connor, that’s…horrible. I’m so sorry.”

Josh also approaches. “Hey, you’re okay. I don’t know what CyberLife told you, but you’re not just…one of their pawns, alright?”

Markus nods and takes another step forward to hold Connor by the shoulders. “Those memories are real, Connor. You may not have experienced them in this body, but they’re part of who you are, they… Maybe they even had a role in making you the person you are, even if you weren’t a deviant before this life.”

For a second, Connor’s gaze rises to Markus, flits between him, Josh, and North. He lowers his head again, then looks up over Markus’ shoulder. “I never remembered what dying felt like from the other Connor’s. But Simon, when I found you…” he pauses to swallow needlessly, “I felt it, that time. I felt unbridled fear for the first time. It was agonizing.”

That gets Simon to step away from the balcony, towards the others. “What?”

“When you killed yourself to protect Jericho,” Connor clarifies. “I was connected to your memory… I felt you die, and I just pictured–”

“The deviant with the hostage,” Markus finishes. Realization and horror twists in his stomach. Has that deviant been haunting Connor this whole time? Is that why he’s so nervous around Simon?

Connor nods in agreement. “I’m sorry. I don’t…I really don’t know how to process this. I feel broken, somehow.”

“I don’t blame you. It’s a lot to unpack,” Josh concedes.

“I’m not sure what to say,” North admits.

Simon stares between his own hands resting over his chest, where his damning wound once was, and Connor’s face. “Connor, look at me.”

With noticeable reluctance, Connor does.

Simon steels his jaw and makes direct eye contact with Connor. “I forgive you.”

Connor doesn’t react for a few seconds, but then he releases a sigh of relief. “I don’t know why it’s so relieving to hear you say that.”

Before he can second-guess himself, Markus pulls Connor into a hug. “It doesn’t have to make sense. Just know that we’re all here for you. We’re your friends, Connor. We love you because of the compassionate, selfless, amazing person you are, and that won’t change no matter what body you’re in.”

North joins in the hug, surprisingly. “We don’t care how many other RK800′s there are, or how much suffering you’ve witnessed. All that matters is who you are now and who you want to be.”

Josh follows suit and hugs the three of them as close as he can, closely preceded by Simon. “You’re a strong person, Connor,” Josh says.

Markus feels tears soaking through his shirt as Connor finally hugs him back like he never wants to let go.