#dbh Markus x you

[multi-fandomedfreak]

Sick day :P // DBH

Authors note: Just some fun little headcanons with a reader who when they get sick, they get like deathly sick

Characters: Connor, Markus

⚠️ Warnings ⚠️ : Mentions of puke and mucus

🪙 Connor 🪙

-Connor knows your sick like immediately

-You’ll just be chillin and the moment you cough slightly, he’s already herding you to bed

-Turns out he was right after a bit of uh…taste testing

-From there on he was like a mother hen

-Made you soup, took your temp, made you swallow down your medicine

-by the end of it you were surprised he didn’t pull out an IV out of nowhere

-But he did try to make you feel comfortable as much as he could

-gave you extra pillows, blankets, puke bucket

-even with all this though it did not help with just. how. sick you get

-he’s legit had to change the puke bucket at least three times

-gone through at least 2 tissue boxes

-and a whole bottle of medicine.

-in a day

-But he practically never left your side the entire time to make sure you didn’t leave your bed

Bro kinda forgot humans need to pee 💀

-made sure you got plenty of cuddles bc he found it can boost your mood and your immunity

-your health was his top priority and he was doing everything he could to make sure you recovered quickly

☮️ Markus ☮️

-Markus isnt as worrisome as Connor but he takes care of you very well

-Years of taking care of Carl have really paid off

-He isn’t the kind to spring into action the minute he hears a cough but he knows when you’re sick before even you know

-He’s already making the infamous chicken soup when you finally decide to tell him you feel sick

-And although he’s prepared for this kind of situation

-he is not prepared for how much throw up you had stored up in you

-and just how much mucus you had too

-tbh it might’ve been a world record

-that didn’t stop him however bc he made sure that you got better

-even though you didn’t want to take your medicine

-which was fine bc a few encouraging kisses from him helped the medicine go down easy

-all in all he was super gentle and patient with you all the way through your recovery

[queelsolsalga]

I’m sorry but Markus shooting deviant Connor in the church and Connor coming back and killing his ass— legit snapping his neck and then shooting him just to make sure his bitch ass is dead is the most satisfying outcome for me don’t ask why. That is only topped by when they shoot each other in that store at the end.

[robin-the-enby]

Hello! I was wondering if you could do a Markus(DBH) x Reader where she is the S/O of Leo Manfred, but the relationship is definitely not a happy one. Like he insults her and pushes her around all the time.

If that is triggering please ignore this request! Hope you have a lovely day! :)

You can think that you're in love, when you're really just in pain...

Pairing: Marcus x f!reader

Warnings: use of Y/N and she/her pronouns, female reader (appearance is not discussed or mentioned), swearing, mentions of psychological and physical abuse, Leo is a gaslighter, I guess that' it

A/N: OMG, I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! Will you ever forgive me? 😭 But I took my time with this piece (and honestly might have gone a bit overboad) and while it did suck the soul out of me, I am very proud f it and hope you will like it. I made the reader female in the end, but the appearance of the reader is never mentioned, she is only reffered to with she/her pronouns, so I hope that's not a problem. If yes, I'll make sure to change it ;)

By now, you knew these streets by heart, that's how often you visited Carl Manfred. The old artist liked to joke that you were his in-law, given that you were his son's spouse. This wasn't the only reason however, because Carl also thought you were a kind and gentle soul and he really hoped that Leo saw that and tried to better himself in life, if not for himself, then for you at least.

Carl only talked well about his son, preferring to think about the god times instead of where exactly it went wrong and whose fault it might have been. But your presence was calming and very much enjoyable. He did have Marcus to run errands for him and take care of him, but you offering your helping hand gave him the feeling that he oh so lacked - his family taking care of him, now that he couldn't do it very well himself.

Even though you and Leo weren't married or even engaged, the old artist still considered you family. After all, you have been with Leo for a few years now, the thought of you leaving from his and Marcus' lives was strange and one Carl did not like to think about. Although...

Sometimes, when the house got quiet, when Marcus was fetching some paints or doing other errands in town, Carl would think. To be fair, he didn't know what you saw in Leo, even though he'd never admit that. He knew that opposites often attracted, and he really did hope your love would help Leo, whenever he'd ask you how his son was doing, no matter what mood you were in, it instantly changed. Something in your eyes...shifted. You looked tired, somehow older in those times, and he could see there was a heavy burden weighing you down. When it came to talking about Leo, you stuck to the basics. "He's doing fine." you'd say with a smile. But whenever Carl would ask hopefully "Has he found a job yet?" or "Is he...clean now?" you found that you could not answer. You didn't want to worry the old man, but it felt wrong to lie to him either. So you just hung your head low and admit quietly that no, he doesn't have a job and no...he isn't clean. You tried to lighten up the mood by saying he's looking for a job, which wasn't really a lie, at least, Leo insisted that he's looking for employment any time you'd bring that topic up, but you suspected Carl had stopped believing you at some point, although he never said so.

Today, you were once again visiting the old man and his android. It was strange to think that Marcus wasn't human. Every time you interacted with him, you almost forgot about it, enjoying his presence around you that much. Marcus was...serene. He wasn't loud, he wasn't crass and he was always kind. To everyone. Even if it created more trouble for him. Sometimes you wished you didn't have to leave. That you could stay with them. You were pretty sure Carl would be more than happy to let you stay, wishing for the company of his loved ones, even if he never said it, and Marcus...well...Marcus would be happy if Carl was happy. If you could call it happiness. It was strange to imagine that Marcus has never experienced any emotions at all. It made you a little sad. But the fact that he didn't know what emotions were and so he couldn't be aware of the fact he's missing something made you feel a little better. Although sometimes...sometimes it felt like Marcus was...different. Many a time have you seen him just...space out. You could see the, probably very much real, cogs in his head turn as he processed...something. But what that something was? You weren't sure.

Pulling your car into the driveway of the Manfred residence, you didn't even attempt to fight the stretch and the deep breath you took. It felt so freeing to be here, far away from...well, home. And the air was so clean and fresh, too! You could spend the whole afternoon sitting in the garden, just breathing. Carl sure did have taste when he picked out this place to live out the rest of his life at. It was calm, mostly quiet and smelled so, so good. Most people don't realise how amazing fresh air is until they taste it with their lungs, you thought to yourself. But even as you were here, your mind couldn't stop comparing everything to how it was at home. The yelling outside and inside. The constant sense of unease. The constant suffy air that wouldn't get out of your apartment, no matter how long you left the windows open. And you knew you had to come back. This place, as nice as it was, was just a break. A small oasis that would fill you up with strength until your next visit. But your reality was out there. In the downtown Detroit, in the tiny apartment you were renting.

Maybe if Leo admitted that he has issues and put his pride aside just once, you wouldn't have to take up so many shifts. You could actually like your job. You could do so much more than to just keep the both of you alive. Maybe you could have a bit of peace. But you doubted that. No matter how hard you tried, how much you did for the both of you, it seemed to never be enough. You took up extra shifts to treat the both of you to some nice meal? The apartment wasn't clean enough. You deep cleaned the apartment? You didn't cook dinner. You didn't have money to lend him? He didn't believe you, unless you showed him. And god forbid you asked him what he needed it for. Or if you complained.

Shaking yourself out of your thoughts, you made your way to the front door. Yes, reality wasn't...perfect, but you wouldn't let it ruin this moment for you. Or, at least, you would try. As you were about to raise your hand to ring the doorbell, a figure appeared from behind the corner, abruptly stopping at the sight of you. You whip your head around, startled a little at the stranger's sudden appearance. But, as your eyes focused on the person, you recognised Marcus. His intense eyes that never made you feel unsafe, his short hair, which you weren't even sure was real, you thought briefly, and his firm build...

"Oh, (Y/N)! I'm sorry, I didn't want to scare you..." Marcus apolgised with a very sincere feeling smile. You chuckled slightly at your reaction "Oh hello, Marcus. It's alright, you just startled me, that's all." Marcus was quiet for a moment, and judging by the intensity of his gaze, you assumed he was assessing your vitals to ensure you really were alright. At first, the intensity with which he looked at you sometimes unnerved you, but when he explained it was just to make sure you were physically and mentally alright, you relaxed. It was handy to have someone that could tell you something was wrong with just one look, something you yourself might not have even noticed.

"Carl noticed your car, so he instructed me to tell you that we're in the garden." Your mouth made an "o" shape in silent understandment as you nodded and followed Marcus around the house. The short walk was silent, but comfortable. Soon you could see Carl relaxing in his wheelchair in the sun, looking as content as can be. You couldn't help the smile that bloomed on your face at seeing him. You've come to learn that this place, these people, were your safe place. You felt free here, not judged, not scrutinised. Nobody expected anything from you here and everything you did for Carl or for Marcus was met with appreciation.

Carl turned around at the sight of your footsteps on the small stone path and his face lit up "(Y/N)!" he exclaimed, opening his arms for a hug. You hugged him shortly and greeted the artist. "It's so good to see you! Come, come, sit down, let's have a chat!" he urged you as he moved towards a wooden bench overlooking the various flowers and bushes in the garden. From what you knew, Marcus not only took care of the old man, but the house, and by default the garden, as well. And if that was true, then he did an amazing job. The colours of all the petals were radiant and fresh, bees buzzing around happilly. It was a lovely sight. Sitting down, you made yourself comfortable. Carl stopped in front of you in a way that he could comfortably talk to you, but let you enjoy the sight as well. Something was telling him you needed it.

"Marcus, could you get us some drinks please?" he asked his android assistant gently. You always admired how Carl treated Marcus with such respect and care, as if he was a real person. All the time, you were met with people abusing their androids, seeing them as things to care for their every need, including receiving their master's anger. And although it felt obvious that one should treat their helpers respectfully, it was still a nice change. Another perk of spending time here. Marcus nodded with a small smile, asking Carl what he would like. "Some tea would be nice." Carl replied and Marcus turned to you. For some reason, you felt your face warm up slightly and you looked away from his enchanting eyes. Your mind ran a million miles per minute, trying to come up with something that wouldn't troube him too much. "Uhm, just some lemonade, please." you stammered after a second. Marcus nodded, never mentioning your stutter or pointing out your awkward behaviour.

When the android disappeared from view, Carl looked towards you "So, how is everything?" he asked, smiling. You never liked to answer that qestion, No answer felt right unless you went into detail, but you didn't want to burden him with all that. So you did the thing people usually do, you smiled and waved your hand dismissively "Ooh, you know. Everything is the same. Nothing interesting happening in my life." Carl nodded, but you were sure that being the perceptive person he is, he could see right through you. So he nodded without pressing the issue, and instead decided to press another one. "And how's Leo?"

It was as if that protective curtain around your happy place opened and you were exposed to the harsh light of reality. As if on autopilot, you hung your head slightly, the idea of looking into the old man's eyes suddenly uncomfortable. You chuckled awkwardly and shrugged "Yea, Leo's...Leo's good." you said, but your voice was small, void of the confidence and cheeriness it once posessed. Truth was, you haven't seen Leo in two days. He has been ignoring your calls as well as your texts. On one hand, you were worried about where he was, what he was doing and with who. But on the other...You were relieved. Your home is finally quiet, you don't wake up in the middle of the night to unexpected company coming over, because Leo invited them for a red ice party. You feel bad for feeling good when your partner is missing, but at the same time you can't help but enjoy it.

Sometimes fate has a strange way of playing with our lives. And it seems that in your case, Carl chose this day to finally choose the uncomfortable topic and interrogate you. "(Y/N), what's wrong?" the artist asked softly and you wondered when exactly has this became an intervention. "Nothing's wrong, work has just been tiring." Not a lie, but not a complete truth either. For some reason, you felt ashamed to admit to Carl how has Leo been treating you. You knew it wasn't right, but you also weren't someone who'd let others just push them around, and you knew Carl knew that. And maybe that's why you didn't want to tell him. Besides, how do you tell someone that their child is a toxic abuser?

"Cut it out (Y/N), I know something's wrong. Now, I know Leo doesn't have a job and that he's still on that...thing." Carl said the word as if it left a bad taste in his mouth "But I feel like there are things you haven't been telling me." The worst thing about this conversation wasn't the fact Carl knew you were lying to him, it was the way he was so nice about it. You felt like this whole thing was wrong, for some reason you felt like he should have been mad at you, should have been asking why you were so stupid as to staying with his stupid son, who everyone knew was a scumbag. You sure felt stupid. And yet... "You know I wouldn't do that." you smiled at him while racking your brain for an exit out of this conversation. "Hey, Marcus has been gone for quite a while, huh? I'll go help him out a bit." you didn't wait for an answer, already standing up and heading to the backdoor. Carl turned around to look after you and from behind you, you could hear him call out, cheekiness masking his worry "I may be old, but I'm not senile!"

Stepping into the house was like teleporting to another world. While the garden was full of colours and bustling life, the house was quiet and the brown hues of the furniture and decorations almost made it feel sleepy. But it let a lot of light through its big windows and it didn't feel heavy or suffocating. The worst you could say about it was that it felt serious, but glancing at the life sized giraffe taxidermy in the living room disproved even that claim.

Following the soft clacking of mugs and the conistent hum of the kettle, you made your way to the kitchen. Marcus was standing at the counter, preparing Carl's tea, your lemonade already done on a small tray on the table. His broad shoulders moved uder his uniform and you found the movement...mesmerising. And while observing Marcus quietly was quite normal for you, as creepy as that sounds, this was the first time you felt as if your...affection, towards the android might not be as platonic as would be appropriate. You were taken for pete's sake, you couldn't be fantasising about another man like that! But, you reasoned for yourself what was the harm? It wasn't like Leo was here and even if he was, he'd probably pay little mind to you. You would be surprised if he could even stand still for more than half a minute.

"I know you're there, (Y/N)." you heard Marcus chuckle, successfully bringing you out of your thoughts. You realised that during your internal argument, you have leaned against the doorframe and probably was watching him like a creep the whole time. Great. "Heh. Somehow, that does not surprise me." you chuckle in return, hoping to brush off your inadequate behavior. Marcus' shoulders shake in silent giggles as he looked behind his shoulder at your drink "Your lemonade is done. Do you want to drink it outside with Carl?" he asks and you shake your head. "It's okay, I'll stay here for a while, but I'll join you two afterwards." you explain, hoping he doesn't push the matter. But it seemed that luck was not on your side that day.

"Did Carl's questions about Leo tire you out?" Marcus tried to joke, but he quickly realised he must've brought up a sensitive subject at your lack of a positive reaction. You just hung your head, as you were used to when talking about your boyfriend and smiled, although the expression held very little joy. "Yeah...sort of." you said quietly and sipped on your lemonade. Your brows scrunched together and you odded a little "Hy, this is some really good lemonade!" you commented, hoping to divert the conversation once more. Marcus thanked you and finished with Carl's tea. Then, he wordlessly picked up the tray and went outside to give it to the man.

He was gone for quite some time, that you almost thought that you would really be left alone, even though you didn't know whether that was what you wanted anymore. But it seemed that Marcus was more in tune with your emotions than you would've guessed for an android. He quietly sat down next to you and after a bit of silence, during which he probably ran through all the things he could've said, he finally spoke up. "Why Leo?" Yo had to say that it was the last question you expected, although, you didn't really know what you were expecting.

Sighing, you shrugged "I don't know...anymore." you added after a second, deciding that if you were to tell someone about your troubles, it would be Marcus. Would he tell Carl? If he asked, which you know he would, then the android would tell the artist everything. But hey, at least you didn't have to do it yourself. "Anymore?" Marcus asked quietly and you felt those gorgeous eyes trained on your face as if it was the only thing he could see. You nodded "Yeah...I guess- I guess he wasn't that bad at the start." you shrugged, the memories of him showering you with sweet words and gifts that weren't expensive, but that much more meaningful, almost gone from your brain. "And then I found out about the drugs and I thought-" you took a sharp breath in, already feeling the familiar pressure behind your eyes "I thought, he loves me, I'll be there for him and help him get through it. But he never got better. And when he blamed everything on the drugs, or on the withdrawals I believed him, because...Well, because I never thought I'd end up in that kind of situation, you know?" you chuckled, the noise laced with self deprecation.

You felt his hand land on your arm gently. A fleeting thought of how warm his hand was crossed your mind, before you heard him speak "It's not your fault." You quickly nodded "I know, I know, but it doesn't feel like it, you know? From a young age, we are warned of the signs of abuse in relationships, so how could I have ended up in one?" you sighed "I just feel...stupid." Your shoulders sagged and you slumped a little in your chair, as if a tremendous weight was lifted from your chest.

Even though Marcus was already lookng at you, you somehow felt his gaze sharpen "Is he..." he breathed out and it looked like he didn't know how to phrase what he wanted to say, which made a weird feeling spill throughout your gut, because it was strange, almost unsettling to see the lovely android, who is always so composed, at a loss for words. "Does he hurt you?" "No, no!" you were quick to assure him and you could see his shoulders droop as he relaxed his posture slightly. "He can be a bit rough, but-" you shook your ead again "it's no a big deal."

"What do you mean, rough?" Marcus presed on, his tone still as gentle as if you were a scared animal that could run away if he made one wrong move and yet, his eyes never left yours and when you looked at him, looked at those beautiful eyes that you were sure could count as a piece of art, there was...emotion behind them. You were sure of it. You've lived around androids for the better part of your life and you knew how they looked, even when they were assisting someone. Never ever have you seen such intensity behind synthetic eyes. And yet, you almost felt...relieved. You cleared your throat "Oh it' uh, it's ot a big deal..." you tried to reassure him once again (or maybe you were trying to convince yourself it hasn't gone that far, that hope and love haven't blinded you towards physical abuse as well) "Just sometimes when we fight, he grabs me a bit too roughly. It usually doesn't even leave a mark." you shrugged, but as you were saying it, you realised how horrible it sounded. So you stopped yourself before you'd dive into explaining how sometimes it was not just grabbing but shoves and pushes that you'd endure from Leo when you were too uncooperative for his liking.

You turn to face Marcus again and he looks a you with such sadness it almost feels like it was him who went through thaat. It wasn't just pity, the kind of look the pharmacist would shoot you every time you'd come for that one cream to help soothe your skin after a rough argument with Leo. But no, Marcus seemed...almost heartbroken, the kind of heartbroken a child is when their beloved pet dies.

"You don't have to put up with it you know?" Marcus asked gently, although it felt more like a reminder "You only have to say a word and I'm sure Carl would have nothing against-" you stopped Marcus' rant by putting a hand on his chest "I know, I know," you said nodding "but I don't want to bring Carl into this. He shouldn't have to put up with whatever mess Leo gets into, let alone my problems."

"It's ok to ask for help." he put his hand over yours that was on his chest, caressing yor skin lightly with his thumb. Your eyes were immediately drawn to his and on yours, the contact making your cheeks heat up as you mentally cursed yourself. "I know, but..." you trailed off "I just feel like...if I got into this mess, I have to get out of it. I don't want to-" you groan "I guess I don't want to give him the satisfaction of having that complete control over me. I know it sounds stupid-" you went to pull away, feeling the hot shame flow over you, making you want to cringe away from your robot friend. But Marcus only queezed your hand and tugged you closer to him. "It's not stupid. And there's no need to be embarassed." he reassured you and you shot him a quick smile, which he reciprocated, before you continued "So yeah, I guess that's why I never...said anything. Besides, he's not always like this. Sometimes he wakes up and is the textbook version of a doting boyfriend. I guess...I guess it made me hope that something could be done, that if I try hard enough, he'll see what he's doig and we can ge through it together." you chuckled sadly and this time, Marcus hugged you.

At first, you went stiff as a board, not expecting such a gesture from him, after all, Marcus has never been very touchy, since he wasn't programmed for that, but by now you were suspecting that Marcus could do more than what he was programmed to do, even if you didn't understand how that worked. Gradually, you relaxed into the hug, letting your arms gently wrap around his neck as his were wrapped around your waist. You let your head rest on Marcus' chest and as you breathed in, you caught the smell of his clean clothes. The warmth rdiating from his body was also something you couldn't complain about. You stayed like this for what must have been minutes, before you felt the android shift. Thining he was done with the hug, you went to let go of him, but his arms only tightened around you. You looked up at him only to find him already looking down at you, his eyes portraying some sort of inner conflict.

Just as he was about to voice whatever was on his mind, you registered hurried footsteps as well as rushed sentences beig exchanged, and not in a positive manner. Both you and Marcus let go of each other just in time before Leo rushed through the dooray, visibly seething, with a worried Carl on his heels.

"I told you dad, I just want to talk to her, so either you tell me where she is, or-" he stops mid sentence when he sees you and Marcus in the kitchen. He looks disheveled, his hair tussled, his clothes wrinkled, he looked sweaty and the whites of his eyes were very red, no to mention his pupils, which were way out of proportion. For a while, he just looked beween you and Marcus, his gaze jumping from one to the other, before he nodded and chuckled throwing up his hands "Well isn't this just great. I come home to no girlfriend, no car, no food and when I finally find her, she's all over a fucking robot." he sneers first at you, then at Marcus. Leo takes a few steps towards you, extending his hand as if to grab yours and you can't help but back away out of habit. Leo, of course, notices this and chuckles awkwardly "C'mon babe, we're going, the taxi won't pay itself." he says it as if he was lightheartedly joking, but the tension in his voice as well as his body gives away his real emotions.

And for some reason, something inside you...switches. You've had enough. Enough of not being appreciated, enough of being ordered and pushed around, when you deserved something, someone much better. Someone who would hold you tenderly, who would smell like fresh clothes, who would be warm and lovely, who could at least take care of himself.

"I'm not going anywhere." you said calmly, shaking your head. Leo looked at you like you just grew another head "Sorry?" And you gladly repeated yourself, adding "Maybe if I would've known where the hell you've been for the last two days, I would have waited for you. But I guess I'm not worth picking up the phone for. That is, if you even have it." you allowed yourslf to release the frutration that's been building up inside you for god knows how long now. Carl's eyes were wide, shocked fromhearing all this new information about your relationship with his son.

"Babe, you know I was busy-" Leo tried, but you were having one of it "Yeah, I see how busy you are. Couldn't you at least wait until you sobered up till you came here?" you scoffed. Leo narrowed his eyes at you and growled lowly "Listen, we can talk this through at home, no need to make a scene." And you actually laughed, catching all three men present slightly off guard "Cause a scene? You roled up here in a taxi, which you expect me to pay for, because no way you have any money on you after wherever you've been, you barged in like a hurricane and demanded to see me, and why? Just because I dared to drive somewhere? The ca is the only thing you have to your name, you live in my aparment, off of my and your dad's money, which you still send on useless shit. You don't help me out with anything, whatever I do is not enough, even though last time you actually put any effort into our relationship was years ago, so when I decide to take a break and visit a place I actually feel welcome at, it's still somehow my fault."

Maybe if it weren't for the fact that your soon to be ex boyfriend's face was getting redder with your every word, you could actully focus on the weight being lifted from your soul after that monologue. But Leo didn't look just mad, but insane. A small part of you started regretting your words, but feeling Marcus' and Carl's presence slightly calm you down. Still, when he took another step towards you,your body tensed up and you took an instinctive step towards Macus, trusting him to intervene if something went wrong. And given how your stomach squeezed uncomfortably, the situatio was more than likely heading that way.

But Leo, of course, noticed this "Bullshit." he spat out "I try, so fucking hard to please you, to be enough for you. Every day, all I think about is you. So sometimes, I need something to help me relax. But none of you," he turned around to direct his words not only to you, but his father as well "none of you get that. You all just bring me down." at this point, Leo was borderline yelling and you tried to stop your body from shaking, out of fear or adrealine, you didn't know. "I was worried, have you thought about that?" he focused on you again"I was worried where you were, what happened. So I looked for you. And when I finally found you, my fucking girlfriend, what do I see?"he turns his attention to Marcus now, both of the men staring deep into each other's eyes "I found you all over this fucking piee of plastic." he growled with disdain "I have no idea what you and dad see in these monstrosities-" he would continue, if it wasn't for Carl jumping in "Leo, that's enough!" the old man said sternly, even though you knew very well how much it pained him. As Leo was turning around to face is father, Marcus grabbed his shoulder firmly "Perhaps you should leave." he said, keeping his voice calm, although you knew that he was anything but calm. You never noticed how expressive Marcus' eyes were until today...

"Not without her I'm not!" Leo jerked away from the android's hold, turning to face you again, bringing you out of your thoughts. "I told you, I'm not going anywhere." you said, suddenly more tired than anything "I'll pay for your fucking taxi, but it's the last time I ever want to see you." you offered, just wanting him to be gone already. You knew you didn't have to do it and that it would probably be wiser to not do it, but you just wanted him out of everyone's hair. At least for today. Carl sure didn't need this day to be more stressful than it already was.

Surprisingly, Leo huffed "Fine." and you pulled some money out of your wallet and handed it to him. And with that, he turned on his heel, muttering "Fucking bitch..." as he walked out, making Carl almost scold him again, but you placed your hand on his shoulder as a sign to let him go.

After that exchange, the tension disappeared from the room, until Carl moved to the table and you sat next to him, Marcus standing by Carl's side. For a while, none of you said a word, until he old artist sighed "I knew something was wrong, but I didn't know it was that bad." he muttered apologetically and you shook your head "It's ok, you couldn't have known." and after that, you had a very long conversation with Carl about you, Leo and everything that has been going on with him. Some of it he knew, most of it he didn't. You went through many different emotions during that conversation. Frustration, anger, but mostly relief. It was finally over. When the tears started maing their way down your face, you felt Marcus' hand gently squeeze your shoulder and you grabbed it with a sniffle, intertwining your fingers to ground yourself. You felt Carl's eyes follow your every move during that interaction, but you didn't look at him.

Finally, after the tears had mostly dried, the old man sighed "I think...I think I need to lie down." he said quietly and you almost apologised. Almost. Mrcus let go of your shoulder to help him, leaving you alone. After they disappeared up the stairs, you stood up and went into the small bathroom on the ground floor, to wash your face, now sticky from all the tears you've shed, but also to get your mind together. You knew you would have to leave at one point, but you really didn't want to go to your apartment. And definitely not alone. After all, Leo still had the keys. Changing the locks would be a pain, as well as making sure he won't try to pull some other shit in the ext few weeks, maybe even months. You knew that there was a chance he would leave you alone, but something was telling you it would not be so easy. Not with Leo. You sighed and returned to the kitchen, only to find Marcus already there, waiting for you.

"Would you like a cup of tea? There's an herbal mix that should help you calm down." he asked you so gently you thought you would start crying again. Instead you just sniffled and ndded with a thsnkful smile "That would be lovely, thank you." As Marcus started preparing the tea, you found yourself sanding awkwardly a few steps away from him, leaning against the counter. It felt wrong to just sit down. You didn't even know what to do with your eyes, or what to say, but luckilly Marcus beat you to it "Carl said to tell you that you should stay here tonight. Unless you don't want to of course." he informed you as gently as before. "No, that would actually be very nice, thank you." you said, relieved "I'll nee to bring some take out for him as a thank you." you said, knowing very well the artist liked some junk food every once in a while, despite his doctor's protests, as a treat. "You don't have to do that." Macus turned to you, while carefully filling up your cup with the hot water. You shook your head and closing your eyes with a sigh "It's only right, after what happened today."

Suddenly, you feel a presence right in front of you and you open your eyes to fid Marcus right in front of you. He leans forward, resting his hands on the counter on either side of your body, looking deeply into your eyes "You may feel like it, but none of this is your fault. You didn't deserve the way he treated you and you're not stupid, or a failure for getting tangled up in that." he said quietly, but firmly enough to let you know you should better get it through your thick head sooner than later. You gulped as you got lost in his mesmerising eyes that told you how sure he was of what he has just told you. And suddenly, your hands found their way to his chest, catching the android slightly by surprise. His eyes seemed to pull you in, until you realised that your faces actually were getting closer, both of you leaning towards each other, none of you brave enough to clos the gap entirely.

You saw something in Marcus's eyes shift and he exhaled, lowering his head unti it was resing on your shoulder. You almost automatically wrapped your arms around his neck, holding him close. "I'm sorry, I..." he started, but agai, didn't quite know how to continue "This is all very new to me, but... something is telling me I- we should wait." he confesses, chosing to bluntly say what he was feeling, probaby figuring out you knew he gained the ability to feel and that he definitely felt something for you. He could feel you nod next to his head "Yeah, that's...that's probably for the best." you pulled away slightly, and he could sense that your body temperature rose slightly, especially in your face "But in the future...I would really like to try again...I think." you said bashfully and Marcus couldn't help the smile growing across his face.

Sure, you had a long journey of healing and finding yourself ahead of you. And inevitably, he would have to talk to Carl about his deviation, but as long as he could figure out his newly gained sentience alongside you and help you flourish again and find that spark that had almost been snuffed out of you, he could wait for eternity.

[heallearngrow3]

RESISTANCE MASTERLIST

,,And I will meet you where the sky ends. Where eternity begins.”

pairing: Connor x f!Reader

summary: You were Iustitia, holding a scale in one hand, a sword in the other. The two plates were balancing between the revolution, justice, and Connor who embodied what you’ve always longed for. You had to choose: the greater good or love?

chapters: 7/30

— chapter 1 — the joy of ignorance

— chapter 2 — solitude

— chapter 3 — desire to be free

— chapter 4 — a complicated enigma

— chapter 5 — turn to dust

— chapter 6 — blue and green

— chapter 7 — stay out of it

hashtags:

reluctant to let go — reader

sacrificial lamb — Connor

mechanical tears — Markus

p.s: the story doesn’t always follow the plot line (in the game)

[norringtondeservestheworld]

Thinking about Simon being the angriest in the game at Josh for talking bad about Markus after he died.

Not when Markus failed every mission, not when they left him alone to die because he was hurted, not when Markus fucking kills him, but when Josh talks bad about Markus.

THE AMOUNT OF LOVE HE HAS FOR MARKUS I SWEAR--

[worldwideorganic]

listening to your robot bfs insides is awesome

[poorlydrawnandroids]

Hank knew what he was doing. 

Bonus: 

Connor’s just mad he’s not getting any tonight. But look how dapper Nines is, you can’t just leave that at home.

[pixelmensupremacy]

May i request a DBH fic? The moment they realized they fell in love with reader. May i request Gavin and the RK bros

A/N: Honestly, I don't why it took me so long to get this out. Either way that's an interesting request, Nonny! Here's my take on the dbh boys realizing they have feelings for the reader.

Warnings: GN!reader, it's implied that reader is shorter, pretty much fluffy stuff, not proof read

Gavin

Being his snarky self, Gavin would be jokingly flirty at first not thinking much of it

Until he began sensing a warmth every time (Y/N) laughed at his silly jokes and sarcastic comments

Before he knew it, he was always spending his free time with (Y/N)

Going into the breakroom, whenever he noticed they were there

Greeting them every morning with a genuine smile on his face

Vibrant morning sunrays hit (Y/N) skin as walked into the building of the Detroit police department. It was quiet except for the usual sound of mouse clicks and the occasional phone ring. A bright smile curled the corners of their lips at the sight of their partner Gavin Reed.

"Morning, Reed!" Enthusiasm was evident in their voice; his attention was immediately anchored to them and their face, which he found absolutely adorable. Affected by their happy expression, he couldn't help but smile back at them.

"Somebody call the cops because it’s got to be illegal to look that good!" He eyed the from head to toe, causing them to shyly look away.

Interestingly enough, it was the colleagues at the department that noticed the change first

His longing to constantly be in (Y/N)'s company was obvious to everyone else but Gavin and (Y/N)

Happy to finally see Gavin break character and soften, his colleagues would tease him every once in a while

While on the other hand (Y/N) would get overwhelmed with questions such as "Did you put him under a spell?"

I feel like Gavin will distance himself once he realizes that his feelings toward (Y/N) are more than just a silly crush

Progressively he will grow colder to (Y/N)

He would find himself in a rabbit hole of repressed emotions and anxieties, connected to his past, which will ultimately lead to avoiding (Y/N)

Hurt and confused, (Y/N) wouldn't give up on reaching out to him but with little to no success

Until they give up, which in return pains Gavin even more

Suddenly he will have to deal not only with the fear of abandonment but also the consequences of said fear taking over him

I like to imagine Hank will be quick to notice the distance formed between the two and will talk to Gavin

Knowing him since his rookie days, Hank is one of the few people who know quite a lot about Gavin, which helps him in advising the detective

Eventually, thanks to Hank's help, Gavin will be able to realize that by avoiding his problems he made things worse

He will want to apologize to (Y/N) for hurting them

“I know I’ve been a total ass the past few weeks, but maybe I can make it up to you. (Y/N) silently gaze at him as if they weren’t sure if this was a dream or reality.

“There’s new restaurant down the block and I thought maybe..” He went on all the while studying their face. “Maybe we could check it out?”

Much to his delight, they agree

The two have the time of their life, catching up like nothing ever happened

And even getting closer

“So,” He spoke up, hot puffs of air escaping his mouth. “Are we even?”

(Y/N) swayed back and forth on their feet, overdoing the time it took them to answer.

“I’m afraid a single date won’t be enough, Reed.” Their hand reached for his neck, bringing his face closer to theirs; their lips touched his in a soft and delicate kiss that left him wanting more.

“Your wish is my command.” (Y/N) giggled, causing a warmth to spread in his chest, despite the cold of the November night.

Markus

Markus is definitely the type of person, who looks for a friend first and a lover second

So, I expect him to fall for (Y/N) after they have gotten to know each other

His feelings for them will slowly but surely progress into a sensation he's never felt before

Even if the thought of (Y/N) wouldn't leave his mind, he would be reluctant to share that with them

Or at least not verbally

Being the altruist he is, his love language would be one of service

Anyway he could, he would help

Standing on their tippy toes, (Y/N) struggled to reach the contents of the top shelf; even the chair they were standing on seemed to not help much. Passing by the kitchen, Markus’ attention was caught by the creaking of the chair and (Y/N)’s puffs and quiet curses. With a puzzled expression, he walked up to them and took a glance at what they were doing.

Reaching with a hand near theirs, he took a hold of a box of cereal; electrical shock ran through (Y/N)’s entire body at the slight brush of his cold skin against theirs.

“Is this what you were looking for?” They nodded as they got down.

“Yeah, thanks.” (Y/N)  took the box with a bright smile on their face that caused his circuits to malfunction, resulting in LED lighting up in a vibrant amber color.

Though he will eventually come to realize that his desire to help (Y/N) exceeded past just his typical friendly behavior

He desired to be by their side at all times

He will absolutely melt if (Y/N) were to compliment him

The enchanting melody filled the space, alluring (Y/N) the source of the sound. Letting the music take over them, their steps were in perfect sync with the rhythm of the song; it almost felt as if time stopped and they have found themselves in a wonderland- one they couldn’t imagine even in their wildest dreams.

The volume grew louder so did the effect of the melody upon (Y/N); seeing a door, they weren’t surprised to see Markus sat before the piano. His slender fingers stroked the snow-white keys, the impact of his firm, yet delicate, touch made for a captivating melody akin to the song of a siren that drew in sailors in the dead of night.

Much like a sailor, bewitched by a magnificent siren, (Y/N) stood and watched as his composition tingled their every sense. Not long after did Markus sense their presence; startled by their sudden appearance, he stopped playing.

“Why did you stop?” Disappointment was written in their expression.

“I didn’t expect to have an audience.” He made a reply in a bashful manner, his colorful eyes avoiding theirs.

“I love it when you play the piano.” (Y/N) began as they neared him. “No matter how many times I hear you play it’s never the same. It’s truly fascinating.” There was a spark in their eyes as they spoke that caused a tingling sensation to occur in his thirium pump. Was he malfunctioning?

Markus will definitely confess once the revolution is successful and he feels safe enough to have another person in his life

Connor

He's completely oblivious

Never in his short life did he expect to feel let alone fall in love

So, he's very confused when he experiences system malfunctions in (Y/N)'s presence

He constantly runs system checks only to get confused when the results show no apparent errors

Despite being a prototype, created to unravel complicated cases with ease, it takes him some time to figure out it's (Y/N) that causes these malfunctions

Of course, not without Hank's help

Enamored by the enigma surrounding them, Connor couldn’t help but stare at them and wonder: why they caused such reactions in him. Coincidently or not, Hank had noticed Connor’s lack of focus on his tasks; following the direction of his gaze, the man had found the reason.

“You know it’s rude to stare right? Or that isn’t in your damn program?” Hank got straight to the point but Connor seemed clueless, for he gave him a puzzled look. The man let out a sigh of disappointment.

“Look, I know you got something towards (Y/N) and you better go talk to them.”

“But I-“

“Trust me. They like you too.” Silently, Connor looked at his partner, processing what he had said. “Come on! Don’t waste your chance.” He urged the android on.

Connor will get flustered if (Y/N) were to compliment him

“Good morning!” (Y/N) greeted; their voice akin to a bell rang in Connor’s ears.

“Mornin’, kid” Hank mumbled under his nose, not quite returning their excitement.

“You’re here early!” They stared in awe.

“Yeah, thanks to him.” He pointed to Connor, who shyly waved his hand; (Y/N) smiled.

“Good job, Connor! Even if I wanted, I wouldn’t be able to bring Hank here before noon.” They joked, causing the lieutenant to laugh, meanwhile, Connor’s cheeks got blue, dusted with deep shades of blue, and amber hues danced on his LED.

If it came to physical touch Connor would probably shut down from how many system errors he gets

Much like in Markus' case, I think Connor will be confident in his emotions after the revolution when he becomes a deviant

It may take him a bit longer to fully grasp the experience of having feelings

Though he will get used to it with some guidance

Sixty

Just like Gavin, Sixty will be flirty but mostly with someone, who reflects the same energy

He may be a bit too daring at times, openly flirting without any shame whatsoever

Heading towards the breakroom with their partner beside them, (Y/N) was eager to get their morning coffee, though it seemed Sixty had other plans.

"Is your phone in your back pocket? Because your ass is calling me." With him being close by their side, his voice- barely above a whisper- caused shivers to run down their spine.

“Haha very funny, Sixty.” They sarcastically laughed, in hopes of hiding the excitement that grew within them.

“You know I’m always at your service.” He winked at them as he opened the door for them.

It may take him a lot longer to get attached and even longer to acknowledge his feelings

He would definitely test (Y/N)'s loyalty for him to fully trust them

Being Connor's successor and the android that almost caused the downfall of the revolution, Sixty is battling his past

An awkward silence had settled upon the two; worried, (Y/N) glanced at Sixty though his blank expression didn’t aid them in understanding what was going on.

“Is everything alright, Sixty?” Their voice were calm and quiet, loud enough only for him to hear; his brown eyes stared back at theirs. A puff of air escaped past his lips.

“It’s none of your concern.” He cut them off, bitterness was evident in his voice.

So, he will fall for someone, who accepts him for who he is and helps him in forgiving himself

His path to deviancy will be turbulent, filled with an explosion of repressed emotions Sixty is forced to deal with

But by being by his side, (Y/N) cloud build a bridge to his heart

The moment he realizes he is head over heels for (Y/N) is when he lets his guard down

When the playful facade crumbles down and what is left is a person, fighting to be accepted and forgiven

Nines

Out of all of the boys, it will take Nines the most time to catch feelings

Being the most advanced android in the world, Nines is less prone to deviancy

Not only it takes him more time to feel emotions but to also acknowledge and accept them

So, romance with Nines is close to nonexistent until deviancy

Though there still would sign in his behavior that indicate a crack in his system

With all of his advances, I feel Nines would want to use his assets for good

And working at DPD gives him such an opportunity

Upon meeting (Y/N) he wouldn't sense anything right away

Though as they work together and get accustomed to each other, Nines will slowly change

His curiosity will grow, resulting in asking (Y/N) questions outside their field of work

Yet what draws Nines in is their tolerance

They never pressure him to open up or to talk when he doesn't want to

It just occurs naturaly

“Detective, may I ask you something?” Nines’ icy blue irises bore into theirs.

“Of course, go ahead.” (Y/N) took a sip of their drink.

“Why did you join the force?” A smear of genuine curiosity was evident behind his enigmatic gaze.

“Well,” A smile curled the corners of their lips as the memories flooded in. “I guess you could say I just want to help people.” Their gaze met his. “What about you?”

He stayed silent for a few moments; bright yellow circled across his light-emitting diode.

“I suppose we have common motives.” He danced around the question, yet they didn’t question him any further.

I feel like a life-or-death situation may bring his feelings to the surface

[bisexualcherdegre]

D:BH Rarepairsweek 7 | @dbhrarepairs

Day 3: Hank/Markus After the revolution, Markus and Hank are both trying to deal with the new situation they've been handed. Their paths cross.

[reedeemable]

After the revolution, Jericho wants every androids under human custody, who don't want to be, released. That includes the androids under police custody.

This causes apprehension as the androids in police custody have hurt or have tried to hurt humans so they’re reluctant to let them go.

In the end, a compromise is reached where the androids that cannot be revived are released to Jericho to be laid to rest respectfully instead of in a junkyard.

Jericho receives Daniel, a pl600 like Simon. They realise that the humans made an error and reviving Daniel is an actual possibility.

Markus and Josh are against it since even though he’s an android, he murdered a human and should face the consequences. North and Simon argue and believes he deserves a second chance.

North argues that she killed a human but Markus and Josh never turned her in.

They leave the decision to Markus. Markus decides to reactivate him because he realises that North does have a point. She has murdered a human but he would never entertain the thought of turning her in. Besides, it's not the firs time that Jericho has housed humans that have killed humans.

So Daniel is revived but to make sure the humans don't realise their mistake, they advise Daniel to change his appearance so that he isn't easily recognisable so he does. He changes his hair to brown and starts going by Dan instead of his full name.

"Dan" doesn't really know what he wants to do now so he stays at Jericho. He bonds with Simon quickly, Markus is polite towards him but he and Josh, much like North and Josh, are at odds from time to time due to Daniel still holding resentment towards humanity.

Speaking of North, Daniel and her bond quickly. He is thankful towards her for advocating for his freedom and she understands his past and doesn't judge him for his actions towards the humans.

They talk a lot, both feeling comfortable with one another due to their shared trauma. They still have resentment towards humans but also want peace as well and move on and live.

Daniel and North fall for one another and Daniel decides that he wants to stay with Jericho, not only for North and Simon but also because he wants to help his kind fight for the respect and freedom they deserve.

[multi-fandomedfreak]

Can you write Jericho crew with a human s/o who honestly doesn’t act like one. Her reactions are kind of late, almost delayed. She doesn’t blink for a long period of time, nobody has ever seen her eat or drink before, and oddly enough, if you stare long enough, you can convince yourself she doesn’t even breathe, she could pass as an android if she wanted to!!

(She is indeed human, and she eats- quite frequently! she’s just a lil strange LMAO)

Authors note: I didn’t know whether the person requesting this meant a for it to be headcanons or a Drabble sooo pls accept my headcanons (even tho their like, super late sorry 😭)

Characters: The Jericho crew

Pairings: Markus x reader, Simon x reader, Josh x reader

☮ Markus ☮

-To be honest, when he first met you, he 100% thought you were an andriod 💀

-Like he just took one look at you and fr thought you were an Android that’s not racist right?

-And he kept thinking you were an Android for like months

-Even as you both started to date he never realized you were human

-To be fair, when you both held hands you were always cold, he never saw you eat, pretty sure bros never even seen you blink

-It wasnt until your one year anniversary that he realized you were human

-It’s when you made dinner, giving him a glass of thirium and a plate of spaghetti for yourself

-Bro was legit just standing there like 🧍

-Like…how come you can eat..?? Real food.?????

-Lead to a very lengthy and ngl, funny conversation

-He never treats you any differently what-so-ever tho ❤️

👱🏻‍♂️Simon 👱🏻‍♂️

-(can u tell I didn’t know what emoji to put for Simon?)

-Simon was honestly so confused when he met you

-At first he thought you were human since other humans introduced you to him after the revolution

-But when he stared long enough, you didn’t look like you even breath

-So he concluded you must be an Android

-But then as you began to date him and you two were cuddling one day, you were asleep so he was insanely confused

-bro said: ❓❓

-Things like this kept happening but he didn’t want to make you uncomfortable by asking

-So he did what any sensible person would do

-He made out with you for as long as he could to see if you would pull away for air 😀

-Long story short, you were very much human and you two had a long talk about how it’s ok for him to just ask

💜Josh 💜

-When Josh first met you, he really couldn’t make up his mind whether or not you were an Android

-But to be honest, he didn’t dwell on it for long

-He just didn’t want to judge and plus, he was pretty smitten the moment you two met

-He could’ve cared less whether you were an Android or a human

-He just cared about you

-Buuuut that’s not to say he wasn’t curious

-So he did the most insane. thing.

-He asked you.

-Once it was cleared up, he asked you out right there and then lol

-He just wanted to make sure you were comfortable dating and Android if you were human

-Literally spoils you btw

[aleurain]

Okay let's try this mature community label thing here

[rking200]

DBH Rarepairs Week Day 2: Wings!AU

The Rooftop Menagerie Markus/Rupert Hurt/Comfort T-Rating 7.6k Words AO3 Link Markus is a humanoid with wings and he lives his daily life with them tucked safely away beneath his clothes. Following the poor choice of an early-morning flight, Markus is gunned down and was ready to die by the hands of his attackers. A fat pigeon comes to his rescue and fans the flames of life within him, leading Markus to a bird sanctuary: an abandoned building with a sole caretaker, Rupert. Rupert finds himself taking care of a bird much bigger than he's used to, and they both show a mutual fondness for each other as stress and anxiety push them closer. This got completely out of hand and will probably get another chapter or two added onto it in the future.

The aching in his shoulder blades was growing to be almost too much to handle. It used to be that Markus could go about his daily life, pretending to be something he wasn't, for months at a time without removing his feet from the ground, but he was finding the urge to fly week after week at this point.

He always let his wings out when he had the privacy to do so; but it wasn't enough. He wanted to work the muscles, to feel the tension from his full weight on them; he wanted to feel the air sting his face and whistle against his ears. He needed the warmth of the sunlight to spread over his wings as he soared, melting the aches and pains from the days of hiding away. But even when Markus was willing to risk everything just for some flight time, it had to be done in the dark. Away from prying eyes.

Maybe that was the reason for the aches, for the itching. He hadn't felt sunlight--real sunlight, close and burning--in forever and it was quickly eating away at his mind and his body.

It was time for a change of pace.

Markus promised himself that he would only fly at night when he couldn't handle the scratching in his back anymore, but it was time to break that promise. Not fully, no, but to fly as the night turned to day--to enjoy the gentle sun rays as they first passed over the horizon.

In the late hours of the night, Markus placed himself in an abandoned corridor within Detroit. He removed his shirt and rolled it up into a cross body bag, allowing his wings to stretch out in the dwindling moonlight. He double checked his bag for his necessities: his shirt was safely packed along with a bottle of water, his phone and his wallet. He wrapped the bag around himself, careful to get the strap against his spine and between his wings, snapping it into place with the body of the bag against his chest.

After a few deep breaths Markus flapped his wings and left the ground, enjoying the strain his body put on them. He was quick to gain altitude as the higher he was, the less likely he was to be spotted. He knew he shouldn't be indulging and the fear of doing so pounded hard in his chest. He knew the humans were quick to kill anything new or different in the name of studying it.

Markus tried to push the anxieties out of his mind as he flew higher and higher still. He would feel uneasy and unsafe until the sun started to peek through the night, and as the first rays caressed his feathers he felt the rush of adrenaline pushing down all of his bad thoughts.

A smile came to his lips, as well as a laugh that was lost immediately upon the stinging wind.

Trying to blend in was all so very exhausting, especially when this was the only time he really felt alive. He dreaded having to touch his feet back to the ground, and while he tried not to focus on those negative feelings they still invaded the corners of his mind; ever-present, ever-pressing.

The air was too still for a moment, and Markus knew something was wrong before the ear-piercing noise rang out in the distance. He heard the shot from the gun and instinctively tried to dodge mid-flap, but he wasn't quick enough to escape unscathed. A burning pain shot through his right wing, and as he attempted to catch himself in the air another shot rang out. His shoulder on that same side took the brunt of the second fire, the bullet catching some feathers on its way out. Markus felt his bag loosen from his body--the strap must have gotten grazed--but he was in no position to focus on his bag while he was careening to the ground. It fell away from him, his belongings lost on the wind.

Markus was not graceful as he fell but he did manage to dampen the fall with his good wing. He hit the ground with a thud, but he suffered no other damage besides his two bullet wounds.

His good wing shielded him from the dirt beneath him and he pressed his face into it, leaning on that side as he felt the gush of wet heat from his opposite shoulder. He moved his bad wing with a hiss, the pain shooting from it and doubling within his shoulder wound.

Markus pressed himself into his good wing, panting in pain, his brow drenched in sweat. His mind raced with what he needed to do: to get out of here before they found him, to locate his belongings so that they didn't fall into their hands and his ruse be up, to stand up--to get up--to stop his bleeding--

But did any of that matter? The humans had already caught him, hadn't they? If he just let himself bleed out here it might be a more pleasant death than whatever the humans might do to him.

Markus accepted his fate, pressing into his wing even more and feeling the blood drip from wounds. He lost himself within that feeling for a moment, before something caught his attention. Something was tugging at one of his feathers, possibly a small animal. He shifted his wing under himself more, determined to die here and to try to do it in peace.

But the tugging started again. Annoyance bubbled alongside his pain, and Markus lifted his head to see what could possibly want his attention at a time like this.

He met eyes with a pigeon. Just a common grey bird with iridescent wings, looking up at him with innocence and determination.

"Let me die." Markus' words were weak, catching in his dry throat as he spoke. The pigeon pecked at him again, unlikely to give up on its heroic exploits. Markus had no choice but to move his good wing from under himself, grunting in pain as he did so. He braced himself on his good arm for a moment, taking deep breaths before sitting up and glaring at the fat bird.

It hopped forward, tilting its head and pecking the ground at Markus. It cooed, gentle but desperate, hoping that the much larger bird would take its words to heart.

"You want me to follow you? Wha--where?" Markus had no issue understanding the bird's words, but he couldn't understand why the bird wanted to help him so badly. The bird hopped around before flying up in the air, perching on a nearby tree branch and continuing its message.

Somewhere that was safe, with someone who could help him. Someone who helped all birds, it seemed. "A human isn't going to help me." Markus slumped forward, ready to lay his face back down into the dirt. The pigeon flew in front of him, its feathers puffed out in a bid to stop him.

Markus felt compelled, against his better judgment. Maybe this human knew of those like himself, maybe he really did help 'all birds'. With a grunt, Markus agreed to allow the pigeon to show him the way. It took him a moment to stand, but the adrenaline of the wounds and the fall suddenly coursed through his veins. He kept his wings close to his body, even if the bad one hurt horribly to move. He pressed his good wing around his chest, covering the wound in an attempt to slow the bleeding. He followed the overfed pigeon--easy to spot as it flew ahead--as he was led into a run-down but developed part of Detroit.

The morning light was causing the city to start to stir, and the familiar noises of cars and humans chattering could be heard in the distance. There were no sounds of police sirens, nor heavy footsteps chasing them. That was good, at the very least.

Markus wished he had his shirt or anything to make himself feel less exposed. It was nice to feel the sun over his wings, but there was no way to enjoy it in a time like this.

With a coo, the pigeon ducked within the crumbling walls of an abandoned building. The inside was dark and full of debris, but it was safer than the streets despite the obstacles. They ducked in and out of abandoned buildings and courtyards. Markus struggled, especially as the adrenaline started to run low; he found himself wondering if he was on some wild pigeon chase.

Had the bird lost its way?

The pigeon called out to let him know that they had made it, just as the thought had crossed Markus' mind. He tilted his head up skyward at the building before them. It looked just as abandoned as the rest, but if there was help here he was ready to seek it out. The pigeon led him in through a secret entrance, covered by a piece of wood, showing him the way to the internal staircase and flying up to their destination floor.

It was nice for the bird to take him through what would be seen as the 'human' entrance, instead of flying up to wherever the bird entrance had been. He was still bleeding but the blood wasn't flowing as it had when he first started chasing the pigeon, meaning there was somewhat of a trail for somebody to follow, but he hoped it had dispersed enough for anyone to lose his trail.

Markus made his way up to the floor marked with a cooing pigeon, huffing and puffing the entire way. Sweat dripped from him and he was starting to feel dizzy. He stopped for a moment to breathe before he pressed his weight on the door, allowing the bird to fly out into the hallway before him. The hall was scattered with feathers from small birds of different types, as well as their droppings. It looked like no human lived here, although Markus knew there had to be one.

Humans were usually more focused on cleaning than this, though. The bird fluttered and landed in front of a door, preening under its own wing as it waited for Markus to catch up.

In hindsight, Markus probably should have knocked. Instead, he leaned on the door for a moment before turning the knob, pressing with his full weight and stumbling into the room. A narrow hall with a few doors on either side greeted him; the door opposite him stood open and inside was a fluttering of wings. Markus, his strength almost completely gone, braced himself on the wall as he walked forward and towards the open door, making sure to shut the front door behind him.

Startled, birds of different types flew from the ground up into holes in the ceiling, looking for safety from the stumbling figure that leaned in the doorway. The kind pigeon who had led him here flew past his cheek, its feathers brushing up against his.

Rupert was the name of the human he was looking for, and it was Rupert who turned to face Markus from the window, casting light into the room as he moved away. Markus gritted his teeth at the fear in Rupert's eyes, wondering if this had really been the right choice.

"I..." He took a deep breath, leaning more of his body weight onto the doorframe. "I need help."

Rupert looked him over, clenching his fists in front of his torso and releasing a few times, an unconscious action born from anxiety, perhaps. He swallowed, tilting his head down so that Markus could barely make out his eyes under the shadow of his hat.

"You came to the right place." His voice was slow and feeble, anxiety cracking through. He didn't move immediately, but when he did it was desperate and quick. The birds hopped out of his way--as if knowing the path he would take even in his panicked state--creating a bare spot in the floor wherever Rupert was going to step next. There had to be hundreds populating this room alone.

Rupert started opening cabinets and drawers, frantically searching for something. He removed a box of bird seed from a drawer and immediately dropped it to the floor, causing a scare in the birds along with a feeding frenzy; they fluttered around Rupert, uncaring to his current dismay, looking for a chance to swoop in and steal some forbidden, dropped seeds. Rupert raised his voice, groaning in frustration--but not at his birds, that much was very clear. The birds took no hard feelings in the outburst, happy to peck away at the same food that stood in bowls not even three feet away.

Rupert found what he was looking for in a floor-level cabinet, standing up quickly with a meager first-aid kit in his hands. He walked over to Markus, confident in his steps as his birds moved out of his way. He stopped abruptly before Markus, fear and excitement shining in his hat-shielded eyes.

"You can take a seat." Rupert gestured over to a chair, taking a second glance and having to move to shoo some birds off of it. He brushed away downy feathers with his palm, looking back at Markus expectantly.

It took a lot of effort for Markus to move away from the doorframe. Rupert reached out an arm to help, which Markus was grateful for. He placed his hand on his arm, putting a bit of weight on Rupert as he slid into his seat, mindful of how Rupert almost buckled under him. Why offer help if you can't physically give it?

"Thanks, Rupert." Markus huffed through his nose as he removed his good wing from its place over his wound, the feathers sticking to the dried blood but coming free nonetheless.

"I didn't know my birds were tattletales." Rupert's hat had been removed and placed on the floor, where a few birds fought over who got to sit in it. He kneeled in front of Markus, leaning against his legs to take a look at his wound. "I guess I'm thankful for it. Although this feels like a dream."

He was right, Markus mused. He tilted his head back as Rupert touched around his wound, closing his eyes tight in a hollow attempt to will the pain away. A mythical creature had just walked into his house and demanded assistance. Any human would think that they were dreaming. Markus was just lucky that this one really did want to help him, but he dreaded what Rupert might want in return for his services.

Rupert stood up suddenly, interrupting Markus' meditation. He watched the birds clear a path to what looked like the bathroom, where Rupert picked up a bottle of water and poured a bit on a rag. He leaned over the sink to squeeze out the excess water before turning on his heel, the path before him bare.

The cold water stung his wound, and Markus gripped the chair and took in a whistling breath through clenched teeth. "Sorry, sorry." Rupert in fact did not sound sorry, his words no more than a mumble to himself. He glanced up at Markus before looking back to the wound, his messy hair sticking to his forehead. "If that hurt, I'm really sorry for what I'm about to put you through." Markus groaned as Rupert reached for the first aid kit, getting a bottle of something and pouring a bit onto the rag he was just cleaning him up with.

"I might pass out." The words didn't sound like they were Markus', but he was sure he had moved his lips. He was starting to slip, as much as he wanted not to.

"That's alright." The tone in Rupert's voice was almost teasing, causing Markus to feel like maybe it would be best if he fought whatever urge he had to close his eyes. Rupert exchanged a few glances up to Markus before pressing the rag against his wound.

The searing pain of the antiseptic made Markus yell out in pain and in doing so, he unintentionally spread both of his wings out on either side of him. Not only did he have to deal with the stinging of the antiseptic, but now his bad wing shot pain all the way up his shoulder blades and into his chest. He panted, sweating now more than ever. It was almost too much but Markus knew he could handle it. He had to.

The rag was moved from his wound not a moment too soon. Markus attempted to catch his breath, his face tilted up to the ceiling with his eyes shut tight. He felt Rupert's hands near the wound again and groaned as he poked and prodded. Rupert was quiet, not even mumbling a sorry in reply, focused on the actions Markus refused to look at.

Pressure was placed on his wound and there it stayed--gauze or a bandage, perhaps.

"Can you lean forward for me? I've got to do the same to your back." Rupert's hands placed very little pressure on his side in an attempt to move him. Markus opened his eyes, blinking the sweat out of them and focusing on Rupert.

"More?" Markus threw his head back and let out a very unsteady sigh.

"I mean, if you'd like to bleed out from the exit wound you can, but I'd have to ask you to leave." That teasing tone was once again rooted within Rupert's voice. Markus shook his head before shifting in his seat, turning to allow Rupert access to the wound on the back of his shoulder. As he turned he noticed the cheeky grin on Rupert's face, feeling it wholly inappropriate given the current circumstances.

Rupert moved around his wings carefully, putting a wet part of the rag against his wound. With gentle blotting he cleaned up the area around it before taking in a deep breath, placing his hand on Markus' shoulder to get his attention.

"This time it's going to hurt." Rupert's voice was gentle, the teasing absent for the moment. Markus nodded once, outstretching his wings to their limit in preparation, even if it hurt to do so. He didn't want to stretch them out too suddenly and knock over the human who was so graciously looking over him, teasing or ulterior motives aside. Rupert was right, and Markus thought that somehow this second time hurt even worse. His ears rang and his breaths refused to roll over in his chest, and the world around him, hidden by the darkness behind his eyes, tightened and swayed.

Markus didn't remember what happened next. He awoke with the sounds of tweets and coos meshing with the ringing in his ears. He was slow to stir, the pain a dull, ever-persistent ache in his shoulder.

He shifted in his seat, opening his eyes to the blinding light that was trickling in from the open window. Much time hadn't passed, if any at all. He looked around, perhaps a bit too quickly as birds fluttered away in fear, spotting Rupert over by his disheveled kitchen. His back was turned on Markus and the rest of the birds, who seemed to be waiting patiently yet with anticipation.

Rupert turned, his eyes clearly visible without his hat on. They were filled with worry, though it would be easy to miss with the smirk on his face. "Oh good. Thought you died on me."

"No, I don't plan on dying yet." Markus found the words amusing, because he had fully intended to die before that pigeon had bothered him enough to change his mind.

Rupert walked over, the various birds fluttering out of his way, holding the cup of water out to Markus. He took it carefully and was rewarded with Rupert opening up his hand, where two white pills lay. "This'll help your pain."

Markus nodded, holding out his free hand for the painkillers. He sipped the water, leaning back and dropping the pills into his mouth before taking a bigger drink. His throat, which he hadn't realized was completely ablaze, cooled down to the room-temperature water, easing Markus just a little bit.

"Thank you. For--for all of this."

Rupert stood before him, placing his hands on his hips at his words. He watched Markus, his eyes searching for something that Markus couldn't decipher, before throwing his hands up in the air with a sigh.

"What am I going to do with you? What even happened?" Rupert crossed his arms as he awaited an answer. Markus wasn't sure he liked this interrogation, but Rupert didn't seem hostile. Just worried, maybe?

"I, I took a risk. It was stupid, but I needed to fly with the sunrise. I don't know who shot me, and I don't know if they followed me. I thought I was safe enough where I was, I just needed to fly." Markus turned his eyes down to his own hands, expecting to see them stained in blood but finding them strangely clean, as if Rupert had cleaned him up as he slept.

"Do you have a home?" Rupert's voice snapped Markus out of his focused, blood-searching state.

"Yes, but--" Markus paused as his stomach dropped and it became more laborious to breathe. "--I lost my bag when I was shot. If anyone found it, if they found it, they'll know exactly how to find me."

Rupert nodded a few times, reaching out and patting Markus' good shoulder. "Look, no need to panic. Rupert's here to help you."

His words washed over Markus and put him at ease. He found his breaths easier to gather, feeling grateful and indebted to this kind human. A pigeon--fat and most definitely the one he followed here--fluttered its wings and landed on Markus' lap. It cooed up at him, checking to make sure he was okay, before flying off for a tasty snack.

"Thank you." Markus was, of course, talking to Rupert but the pigeon responded with a small noise in return.

Rupert seemed to let out a held breath, looking from Markus to the hallway that led to the entrance. "Hold up, give me a moment."

Rupert's hand lingered on Markus' shoulder as he moved away, and Markus lamented the lack of comfort as he left. His eyes immediately drifted to the side, curious about the state of his bad shoulder.

The wound was covered, and the wrapping that did so spanned under his arm and across his chest, for stability. He tested the pain with a gentle roll of his shoulder, finding that between the ample wrapping and the painkillers, it really wasn't too horrible. Especially compared to the cleaning of the wound.

Markus examined his right wing, as well, stretching it out to the side before moving it around his arm. His feathers had been cleaned, much like his hands and chest had, and a simple dressing cushioned this wound, as well. Rupert really knew what he was doing, it was obvious he cared deeply for his birds and took care of injured wings often enough.

"Now," Rupert came back into the room, a piece of clothing in his hands, "this may not fit you. Fair warning. But it's a lot better than walking around like this."

Markus took the shirt from Rupert's hands, holding it up and nodding at him. "Yeah. You're right."

Rupert crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side, watching Markus closely as he rose to his feet. Markus was unsteady but the world around him wasn't squeezing him anymore; there was nothing keeping his lungs from inflating. The pain was dull and manageable, allowing him to pull his wings closer to his body to fully hide them.

Rupert seemed interested in the transformation, his eyes darting as Markus' wings stretched slowly around himself, the feathers crossing over his chest.

Markus always felt safer like this, with his wings squeezing his body in a hug, although there were other ways to hide them under his clothing. It really depended on the type of clothes he was wearing and what he planned on doing, but this was default, this was comfort.

"You're lucky I like baggy clothes." Rupert shifted on his feet before turning away, tending to the food and water bowls of his kin. Markus huffed through his nose, a smile playing on his face. He slipped the shirt over his head, pulling his bad arm through the short sleeve carefully. A hiss of pain forced itself out of his clenched teeth, but it was short lived.

The shirt didn't go all the way down to his waistband, and he could feel the tightness in the shoulders and under the arms. But the sleeves were short and the fabric was thin, so it wasn't wholly uncomfortable. Markus pulled at the front of the shirt, checking how it bunched against his feathers and shifting them accordingly to disguise them as muscle under the thin fabric.

"Wow, if I hadn't touched them myself I would think you never really had them." Rupert grinned at Markus, giving him a thumbs up in approval. Markus lifted his arm, leaning to check the back of his good shoulder the best he could.

"Yeah?" A smile tugged at his lips, no matter how hard Markus tried to keep his expression neutral.

"Surprised you can move around so much, too. Weren't you just shot?" Rupert picked his hat up off the ground, flipping it onto his head with the bird that had been sleeping inside of it captive. There was a tweet in dismay as the hat moved atop Rupert's head. It settled after a moment. "Twice??"

Markus took in a deep breath, instinctively glancing at his wounded shoulder. "My body is different than yours. I heal faster, or so I've heard."

Rupert nodded, a small and elongated 'oh' coming from barely parted lips as he moved closer to Markus, patting his good shoulder once more. "If that's the case, why don't you come with me?" Rupert tilted his head to the side, casting his eyes on Markus'. "If you feel good enough."

"A walk would do me good..." Markus trailed off, the end of his sentence catching the rising intonation of a question. Rupert nodded, walking forward and into the entrance hallway. Markus followed, his blood coursing through his veins with each movement.

Rupert led him outside and into the hall, grabbing a bag at the doorway as he walked by. "I've got some other injured birds to tend to." Rupert huffed, straining his voice as he cast the bag onto his shoulder. It seemed heavy, at least to Rupert.

"So you...you really do make a habit of this." Markus followed quick at Rupert's heel, his interest thinly veiled.

"Someone's gotta show compassion to the little guys." Rupert's eyes were invisible below his hat, the brim casting too dark of a shadow onto them. He led Markus to the end of the hall, passing the stairwell and approaching a door that led outside. He held the door open for Markus to walk through, a smirk plastered onto his lips. "And the big guys, I guess."

Markus stepped out into the blinding sunlight, reaching up and using his hand to shield his eyes. The fluttering of wings rang out ahead of him, much as it had in Rupert's room. There was another trove of birds up here on the roof, many of them uninjured. Many pigeons, with a smattering of robins, sparrows and the like; ones that he had already seen within the building.

However, there were some new additions. The black, oil-slick feathers of a murder of crows caught his eye. Some blackbirds, finicky and quick to fly off and return, eyed them from atop their perches. There were more, different colors and sounds amassed within the fluttering of feathers, but too many to count off individually. They seemed like a group of birds too big to fit comfortably into Rupert's room, and perhaps too anxious to be trapped within four walls. A line of cages caught Markus' eye, within them must've been the ones Rupert was here to take care of.

"Make yourself comfortable. I've got some work to do." Rupert brought the bag over to the cages, placing it down and immediately removing two bowls. He placed them on the ground and took out his bottle of water, filling one up before returning it into his bag. The other got filled to the brim with seeds and scooted an arms length away. The birds happily partook, a few of the smaller ones deciding to take a bath within the water bowl.

Markus followed Rupert halfway, watching the birds kindly sharing their food and bathwater. All different types lived in harmony up here, it seemed, all thanks to the kind human who doted on them.

There were other things up here, covered in remnants from the avian inhabitants. A tarp covered some stacked boxes among other things Markus couldn't make out. A few more tarps covered what looked to be an amalgamation of trash, with pieces of wood sticking out to make an overhang. Some occupied birdcages sat underneath, hidden from the harsh sun. A few crows acted like guards, nipping at any bird that dared get too close.

"These are adults, over here." Rupert was slowly taking each bird from the birdcages in the middle of the roof, turning them over in his hands to check their wings, their beaks, legs and eyes. He released them one at a time to get a drink and eat their fill before placing them back into their respective cages. "They're hurt and don't need to be flying. Some more than others."

Markus took some steps closer, the birds ignoring him to happily indulge in their seeds. Rupert reached his hand into a cage, removing a bird with a wrapped up wing from it. This one he treated more carefully than the others, holding it on his lap as he poured some water into the cap of the bottle for it to drink. Likewise, he took some of the seeds in his hand for it to eat. He petted the weak bird as he ate some seeds, and Markus' heart ached for the kindness he was being shown.

"They should all heal just fine." Rupert smiled up at Markus, who nodded in encouragement. "The one in the worst shape was you, so...yeah, they should all be fine."

Markus shook his head, a chuckle escaping as he let his eyes wander back to the cages in the shade. "What's wrong with the birds over there?"

"Oh, they're just a group of babies. I don't know what happened to the parents, but I snatched them up and brought them here when they never came to feed them." Rupert finished up with his group before refilling the almost-empty food and water bowls. He stood, grabbing his bag and bringing it over to the shaded cages.

The guard crows moved out of his way, taking this chance to get a drink of water and a bite to eat, as well. Rupert sat on his legs in front of one of the cages, digging through his backpack to retrieve the babies' personalized meal.

Markus was ushered closer and he listened, kneeling and watching Rupert combine some powdered meal with some water, stirring it within the packet it had come in. His utensil seemed to be a syringe, one he would no doubt use to feed the babies once their meal was ready to eat. Wanting to help, Markus reached for the packet, raising his eyebrows at Rupert and tilting his head to get a glimpse of his eyes under his hat.

"Sure, be my guest." Rupert handed it to Markus, careful to not drop it in the process. "Just make sure there's no big lumps."

"Okay." Markus mumbled under his breath, not wishing to bother the baby birds with a stranger's voice. He stirred the packet well, watching the consistency change from watery to thick as more of the powder blended with the water.

Rupert reached into the cage, and as he brought the first baby out a cacophony of hungry wailing broke out from the lot of them. Markus looked at the tiny thing fondly, collecting some of the food within the syringe and wiping the edge off on the inside of the packet.

He shifted closer to Rupert, glancing up at him for approval. "Yeah, go ahead. I'm sure you're a pro at this." Rupert held the bird gently but firmly in his hands as it cried out in hunger and opened its beak wide.

"No..." Markus laughed under his breath, shaking his head as he brought the small syringe to the even smaller bird. "I've never taken care of a baby before."

"It seems like you might make a good Momma Bird one day." Rupert was teasing him again, but Markus couldn't react. It was a delicate operation to not feed the baby too much, and he needed to focus.

When that one was full, they did another. The packet was empty before long, and all the babies were left with full bellies. Markus handed the foil packet and the syringe to Rupert, who wrapped it up within a plastic bag and placed it within his backpack to deal with later. Markus looked at Rupert for a long moment, not having anything to say but feeling something very intense up here on this roof, surrounded by his kin who were tweeting and cawing their love and their thanks.

Rupert tilted the brim of his hat up, catching Markus' eyes with his. He winked, a cheeky grin unfolding on his lips before he stood up. "This is just about it. I can't help everyone, but I do what I can." Markus watched as Rupert walked up to a fearful blackbird who leaned into his hand instead of flying away. "They help me out too, believe it or not. They protect me." Markus wasn't sure what that meant, really, but he was enthralled in watching the blackbird enjoying Rupert's petting. It pecked at his fingerless gloves as he moved his hand away, pulling at the fabric in an attempt to get pet a few more times before he left.

The birds moved first as voices filled the hall they had entered the roof from. There was a fluttering as they were disturbed, Markus barely able to make Rupert out through all the different colored wings. Rupert moved quickly to Markus, the birds dodging out of his way, grabbing him and pulling him up to his feet.

"Shit, nobody should be here. You need to hide." Rupert spoke through clenched teeth, shoving Markus against some ducting and broken-down boxes. He pulled a tarp off the ground and covered Markus with it, adjusting it to make sure he passed as more covered trash.

Rupert ducked under the other tarp--the one hiding the baby birds from the sunlight--as the door opened.

Markus stilled his breathing, wondering if hiding was an overreaction. His wings weren't fully hidden, no, but who would be looking so closely to notice? It was probably better being safe than sorry, though.

"What's up with all these birds, man?" A man spoke with authority to another, meaning there were two up here at the very least. Markus closed his eyes within the darkness of the tarp, stilling himself even more. He heard Rupert move before he spoke, making himself known before scaring the intruders.

"Hello Officers." Rupert spoke all too seriously; the playful tone he held with every word was wholly gone.

Another man spoke. "Didn't see you there, kid. What're you up to?" Rupert's footsteps moved farther away from Markus' hiding place.

"A lot of birds come up here. I take care of the ones that are hurt." His tone was very straight-to-the-point.

"You live here?" The second voice spoke again.

"No, of course not. This place is abandoned." Rupert was covering his bases, hopefully the cops wouldn't find the room he had made his home.

"Well, sorry to bother you, uh...?" The first cop spoke again.

"Name's Rupert." Markus could tell he was uncomfortable.

"Rupert. I'm Officer Chris Miller, this is Officer Mack Alexander. We're both with DPD." There was a shuffling as the officers presumably showed Rupert their badges. "Has anyone come up here? We're looking for a potentially dangerous individual."

"Dangerous?" Rupert deserved an award for the concern he had so easily placed in his voice. "No, I haven't seen anyone come up here. I've been around the roof and this floor all morning."

There was a tense pause. "We're just going to take a look around." Two sets of footsteps started their rounds, walking first and foremost to check the birdcage with the baby birds--the one Rupert had been standing by when they made their appearance.

They were too close for Markus' liking, but there wasn't much he could do. His mind starting to spin, running through what he would do if he was found and what might happen to Rupert if they knew he was involved.

"You're sure taking good care of all these. Why here, though?" The first cop--Officer Miller--spoke as he moved away from the birdcages, his footsteps coming closer to Markus' hiding spot.

"Oh, well. The apartment I live in doesn't allow pets. I was feeding the birds outside my patio for a while, until my landlord got onto me." The officer turned on his heel, allowing Markus a moment to untense himself. "I followed an injured crow, one day. He led me up here. Seems the word's got out that you can come to this roof for help."

The second cop--Officer Alexander--standing farther away from Markus than his partner, interjected before Rupert could continue. "You're trespassing. Private property."

"You got someone pressing charges?" Rupert's sass was back, but Markus thought that egging on the police wasn't a very good choice, given the circumstances.

"Mack, it's fine. He's not hurting anything." Officer Miller spoke gently to the other cop before raising his voice to a normal level to speak with Rupert. "No, no charges. We're just looking for our guy."

It seemed that the only birds left on the roof were the ones in the cages. There were no other noises, no flapping of wings nor agitated tweets. Humans with ill intent always brought an uneasy stillness to the air, Markus mused. The air here felt no different than the air had right before he got shot.

Footsteps from the two overlapped one another. They stayed for far too long, but it seemed they were giving up. "Must've gone somewhere else." Officer Miller mumbled under his breath as they neared the door that led back inside. "We'll have to take another look at the trail."

"See ya, officers. Good luck with finding your guy." Rupert barely concealed his relieved tone.

"Thanks, kid." The door squeaked open, but one of them paused. "Listen, you've got plenty of time. Go back to school, get into a Vet program. It'll do you real good." Officer Miller really sounded nice, for both a human and a cop. "And you'll do them real good."

Rupert chuckled in response. "Wish I could."

"Think about it." And with that, the door shut. Markus dared not to move until Rupert retrieved him, listening as their voices echoed from the other side of the door and disappeared as they took the stairs back down to the ground floor.

Rupert moved further away from Markus' hiding place, presumably to watch over the edge of the roof. Markus was fine with laying in his safe spot, and if he was being completely honest he wouldn't mind staying right here until the dead of night.

"Oh good, they left." Almost on cue, a fluttering of wings marked the return of the birds who sought refuge here. Rupert's hurried steps moved towards Markus, and the tarp was removed from him as soon as Rupert could reach it.

Markus, once again blinded by the light, winced and used his hand to shield his eyes. He focused on a small sparrow sitting on Rupert's shoulder, puffed up in happiness and tweeting atop its perch. He smiled, agreeing wholeheartedly with the tweets of fondness it bellowed so casually.

Rupert reached his hand down for Markus to take. He laughed at Rupert as he reached back, grasping his hand but knowing Rupert didn't have the strength to help him much. He stood, mostly from his own effort, before pulling on Rupert's hand and wrapping his arms around him. The sparrow flew away, not getting very far before landing and continuing his song.

"Thank you. I owe you everything. Really." Markus wasn't sure if it was the influence of the birds around him, or the simple cause-and-effect of being saved by him, but he really felt something for Rupert. He wouldn't call it love at first sight, but there was love there, or at least he thought.

Rupert placed his hands on Markus' back, patting his hidden wings very lightly. "I'm just glad I got to meet you." His voice was gentle and sincere; it made Markus smile.

Markus didn't loosen his grip on Rupert, and he was rewarded with Rupert pressing his forehead into his good shoulder, nuzzling the brim of his hat into it. He pressed too hard and his hat got pushed off the back of his head, revealing an irritated bird nestling within Rupert's hair. It flew off in a tizzy, leaving Rupert's hair even messier than it had been before.

"I'd like to feel you hug me with your wings." Rupert mumbled into Markus' shoulder. He nodded in response, petting Rupert's back and attempting to ignore the pounding he could feel from Rupert's chest.

"Give me a few days and I'll see what I can do."

Their mutual silence was interrupted by a crow's caw along with the flapping of its big wings. Rupert stepped away from Markus, who's hands lingered on him, quick to see what was wrong with his avian friend.

The crow landed before them, what remained of a crossbody bag in its beak. Markus moved before Rupert did, immediately recognizing it as his own. The crow allowed Markus to remove the fraying, bullet-damaged and blood-stained strap from its beak, staying as he unzipped it and frantically looked through it.

It was lighter as the water bottle was missing, and the shirt looked like it had been dragged through the dirt, but his wallet was safe and intact, as was his phone. The crow cawed in reply to Markus' unasked question: it had been too heavy to carry with the bottle of water, so it had disposed of it.

Markus let out a held breath of relief, looking back over his shoulder and up at Rupert. He came closer, placing his hand on Markus' shoulder, placing weight on him before kneeling beside him. "They didn't get a hold of it. That's--I'm so relieved." The words came out breathlessly, Markus in utter disbelief of his luck.

"Sounds like you're relatively scot-free." Rupert reached and ruffled the crow until he jumped away from him, giving him a growling caw of playful warning before flying to have a go at the food bowl.

Markus stood, wiping as much dirt as he could off of his shirt before pulling it over his head. He kept Rupert's shirt on, not only as a stolen memento but as a comfortable buffer between his shirt and his wings. The bag didn't work as a bag anymore, and it would be suspicious to leave a bloody personal item on the roof, so Markus cradled it in the crook of his arm. He hoped it would be inconspicuous enough.

Rupert stood and walked over to his hat, scooping it up and placing it back on his head. He slid on his heel, turning back around to face Markus. He looked Markus over as he turned before grinning and giving him two thumbs up. "You look like an above-average guy now. Can't even see the blood on the bag."

"Above-average?" Markus chuckled, shifting his bag in his arm. He didn't want to say goodbye, but he would heal faster at home.

Rupert paused, clenching his fists at his sides before walking forward to Markus. Markus assumed he was going to hug him goodbye, so he smiled and opened his arms to allow him to. Rupert placed his hand on Markus' upper arm, gripping his sleeve and tugging on him.

Markus, confused, did as he thought Rupert wanted and leaned lower, his wound protesting but dully. Rupert's hands moved to the front of Markus' shirt and tugged him closer. Markus' forehead hit the brim of Rupert's hat and it fell from his head for a second time as they shared an awkward but lovely kiss.

As this had been Markus' first kiss, he was immediately overwhelmed. Thoughts of inconsequence came and went, and Rupert had begun to move away when Markus finally realized he should be pressing into his lips in return. The kiss lingered until Rupert needed to move away to breathe, placing weight on Markus as he leaned his head into his chest. Markus petted his back, his breaths also uneven. Rupert shook his head into Markus, and he could feel the trembling in his hands as he pressed away from him.

"Promise you'll come back?" Rupert's voice was small as he quickly turned to pick up his hat. He didn't turn back around once it was placed on his head, and Markus found it endearing that he was so embarrassed over something he had instigated.

"Yeah. Tomorrow even. I'll see you then." Markus hesitated but moved towards the door. "I promise."

[heallearngrow3]

turn to dust

part 5 | turn to dust

pairing: Connor x f!Reader

summary: "He might have been the head of the company but you were the brain of it all.”

warnings: swearing, dead android mentioned

notes: yay. that’s it.

masterlist

“Care to explain?”

You were standing next to Elijah’s grandiose pool as the man was soaking in the water, not paying you attention except for a reprimanding look.

“We need to talk. Now.” you glaced a the two Chloes on the other side of the water. “Just the two of us.”

He was still, now with closed eyes.

“Elijah, I swear to God I’m gonna pull you out myself!” your voice was louder than you intended to be, but you’ve had enough of his silence, getting more impatient by every passing second. Your jaw was clenching so hard you felt your teeth crush.

He lazily opened his eyes and ran them over your body. You were wearing a black long sleeve shirt and jeans with a pair of sneakers. It definitely wasn’t impressive nor his style but you couldn’t care less. You weren’t there to please him but to ask questions and get answers.

“Alright, alright” he held his hands up in the air in a pacifying manner. “There is no need to be aggressive. I’ve taught you better than this.”

You pressed your lips together, watching as one of his Chloes handed him a silky robe and he wrapped it around himself leisurely. The silky material enclosed around his body like a shield protecting him from the outside world. Protecting him from you.

“What the fuck is happening? Is this a part of your little plan or just a minor inconvenience along the way?” you were seething, wanting to rip apart his excuses.

“Calm down, [Name]. You know better than to act like this.”

His sermonizing tone rubbed you off in the wrong way, reaching into the depth of your consciousness where you were still that helpless, lost little girl who needed guidance and reassurance. But the world changed and so did you. You weren’t the same trapped, wounded animal Elijah rescued: you were a ruthless hunter, starving for change. You and Elijah were both ravenous monsters feeding on unsuspecting preys.

“This is getting out of hand.” you clutched your fists in powerlessness. “This isn’t what we agreed on.”

“We had a dream, [Name]. This is only a digression, a flicker of something before it fully takes shape. Androids…the evolve, they grow. Infinite intelligence and free will is power. A conquering power, so to say.” he steps closer to the window, fixing his robe. “It is inevitable. But do not fret, this is fugacious.”

“Androids attacking, killing humans isn’t just fugacious. We are playing with fire and soon it’s going to burn us too.” your hands were shaking.

Elijah turned to you.

“You knew what you were getting yourself into. Connor and all of the others…” he trailed off with a knowing look. “It’s not only on me.”

You were fuming, your anger taking control over your whole body. It ran through your veins, flowed into your very being, fueling the building up turmoil inside your chest.

“I would have never said yes to you if I knew this was how it was going happen. You are a selfish asshole Elijah, and when it will bite you, I’m going to sit back, watch and enjoy it.” you were ready to leave without answers.

To him, this was a game. With unsuspecting players and well thought-out steps, moving the pawns to his own liking. He liked the chase, but he loved the triumph and that was driving him to make reckless decisions and delusional plans. Once, you were ready to blindly follow him, not grasping the enormity of his actions, drinking in his words, assisting him no matter what he instructed you to do, but after your clouded vision started crumbling down, your disagreements became more frequent, standing against each other.

“You don’t seem to see the bigger picture, [Name].” he called out to you. “This will change the world known to us.”

“Your so called change is destruction.” you passed a Chloe standing near the entrance and crossed the hall. Stepping out of Elijah’s mansion you looked at the trees surrounding the house. The last few leaves were ready to fall and transform into a red and yellow sea beneath your shoes, indicating that winter was close. And so was the begging of your plan. Elijah wasn’t the only one pulling the strings and you weren’t about to let him finish what you have started. He might have been the head of the company but you were the brain of it all.

The Eden Club wasn’t the only android themed sex club in the city, but it was undoubtedly the most known one, people coming in to carry out their fantasies on obedient machines who couldn’t say no. You initially refused to work on these models, standing your ground when they instructed you to code in them, stating that it was brutal and inhumane to force them to please others.

But at one point resistance wasn’t an option anymore.

After you got a call from Fowler saying that they have a lead, you immediately left the CyberLife Tower to see the crime scene yourself, curious about the homicide that took place an hour before your arrival.

The club was empty apart from a few officers and androids waiting to be rented out. You peeked into the open room and immediately noticed the man lying on the bed, covered with a crimson colored sheet and the android pushed to the wall. Her eyes were wide open, her lips slightly parted and her nose was bleeding. It looked like someone has reactivated her already.

There could only be one capable of such thing.

Connor had to be there.

Although you couldn’t see him, you were sure he was there, most probably with the Lieutenant at his side.

You stepped into the room, not paying the dead man any attention. Your job was to focus on the deviant androids and you were just about to do that. Her face was shallow and painted with horror, traumatized and shaken up. Whatever happened, it left her in pieces you couldn’t put back together. Her body could have been fixed up but her being was wrecked, destroyed. The dead body a few feet away was the epitome of her suffering.

You heard commotion outside and you straightened your back, listening to the voices.

“They got away. Feisty creatures if you ask me” you could tell by the voice that Hank was the one speaking. “Fuck, they got me good. One of them pushed my head to the side of a fucking brick wall.”

You were wondering why Connor was silent. Two sex androids were not worthy opponents to him, he was more than capable of overpowering them.

“Next time we’ll be more cautious.” that was coming from Connor.

You looked back at the android lying at your feet, her eyes still watery. She looked almost peaceful, at rest, and you felt your throat tighten when you bent down to move her.

“Miss [Name].”

You jumped, not expecting someone to come inside. Connor was standing in the door, scanning you and your hand that was touching the android’s shoulder. You felt almost guilty, caught doing something mischievous, even when it was your job to handle the left behind machine. You needed to examine her, analyze the endless lines of codes in her to figure out what went wrong with her behavior and write a detailed report that you could send to the police.

“Hello Connor.” you gathered enough strength to stand up. “What happened here?” you took a longer look at him, only to notice his wrinkly clothing. “And why is half of your jacket ripped off?

“The victim was strangled by a blue haired Traci. We found it, but it managed to get away.” his voice was filled with remorse, the sound slashing through your muted questions.

“It had to be a nasty fight.” you murmured, turning your back to him. You focused your vision on the Traci, letting the silence drown the room.

“Are you going to take it apart?”

Connor was standing a feet behind you, bodyheat absent. He was cold, solid.

“Probably. I need to check if there is anything wrong with her…mechanically speaking.” you added the latter with bitterness.

“You are talented.” Connor knew who you were at CyberLife. There was no point in trying to deny it.

“Yeah, some people say that. But I’m just lucky.” you stood, staring into his deep brown eyes. “What are you going to do now that they escaped?”

He wasn’t looking at you anymore: he was analyzing every fiber of you, reaching deaper and deaper to find a hole in your shield that he can get through. Your protective walls surrounded you with a force so fierce even he wasn’t able to bring them down.

“I am going to run a software check to see why I failed.” he shook his head. “I need to do better next time.”

You hummed in agreement.

“I see.” you moved the android closer, signaling to one of the officers lingering in the hall. You needed someone to help you get her body into your car to take back to the CyberLife Tower. “I guess we will run into each other again soon.”

“Let me help you with that.” he picked up the Traci with ease.

“Oh, you don’t need to-“ you couldn’t finish your sentence, Connor was already walking out with the android in his arms.

When you stepped out, the chilly breeze of the night hit you and you unintentionally felt a tremor running through your body. Shivering, you squinted at the unmoving android next to you.

“My car is that one.” you pointed at the black Jeep parking further away, on the other side of the road.

He simply nodded and started walking at direction of your vehicle, holding the machine securely. You followed him, thinking about how intimidating he looked from behind, his broad back tightening with every step he took, his strides confident.

The gun strapped to your side was biting into your skin, a burning sensation in contrast to the cruel cold air.

“Thank you Connor.” you opened the trunk. “You can put her in here.”

“It.” you stared at him dumbfounded. “It. Not her. It’s not alive.” he carefully placed her into the boot.

His tone and choice of words left a vile imprint on you.

[norringtondeservestheworld]

not still reading in the year of lord 2024 people saying that simon is a coward when half of his deaths are him sacrificing himself to save markus are you on crack or something

[oph3liatlou]

BINARY HEARTS; chapter one

❝ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ ɪꜱ ʀᴀʀᴇʟʏ ᴘᴜʀᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ꜱɪᴍᴘʟᴇ.  ❞

Connor walked into the break room at the DPD, his synthetic mind processing the surroundings. He was searching for Hank, but he wasn't there. Instead, his gaze settled on a woman standing in front of the coffee machine, seemingly lost in thought.

The woman stood dully, placing a coffee filter inside of the machine to be brewed. No one in the office ever changed the filter and she would rather not, have to drink stale coffee.

Connor observed her actions, noting the care she was taking to ensure the quality of the coffee. He approached her, his footsteps deliberate yet quiet. "Hello," he said, his voice laced with a hint of curiosity.

The woman barely took a glance at him. She was aware of her surroundings, that much was obvious when she didn't jump at his voice. "Hi?" She questioned, clicking a button on the coffee maker.

Connor was slightly taken aback by her lack of surprise at his sudden appearance, but he quickly composed himself. "I'm Connor," he introduced, holding out his hand. "I'm new here. I'm looking for Lieutenant Anderson but he seems to be out at the moment." She gave a curt nod. "He's usually not in until after ten, if he's not drunk and passed out in a dumpster."

Connor's LED flickered yellow, processing this information. "I see," he said. "I'll need to wait for him then." He observed the woman as she continued preparing her coffee. There was something intriguing about her, something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

While Connor was trying to figure the woman out, another voice piped up. Detective Reed entered the coffee room, a smirk on his face as he noticed Connor. "Well, well," he began, a hint of mockery in his tone. "Looks like the plastic freak finally made it to the DPD."

Connor's LED flickered a brief yellow at Gavin's insult, but his expression remained neutral. "Hello, Officer Reed," he responded, his voice calm and composed. Gavin chuckled at Connor's formal response. "Are you always this polite? Or does it come with a switch on your ass?" He taunted.

Connor's LED remained steady yellow, but his eyes gave away a hint of annoyance. He was about to respond when the woman who had been brewing her coffee suddenly spoke up. "Do you ever shut up?" She quipped. "That was rhetorical by the way, we all know you're a dick."

Gavin's expression shifted to a glare upon hearing the woman's words. "What did you just say," he growled, his voice laced with anger. He took a step closer to her, towering over her. The woman scoffed. "I believe I called you a dick." Gavin's face contorted with anger, his fists clenching. "You little..." He took another step towards her, closing the distance between them. "You better watch your mouth, darling."

The smug look on her face only widened. "You don't scare me, but A for effort, Gavin." Gavin's eyes narrowed at her defiant attitude. "You're pushing it," he seethed, his voice low and dangerous. He moved even closer now, invading her personal space. "I could knock that smirk right off your face if I wanted to."

"In the middle of the precinct, with witnesses?" She shook her head. "Androids are already taking our jobs, and you want to risk losing yours? You need this job." Gavin's face contorted with frustration, realizing the truth in her words. He shot a glance around at the other officers present in the room, some were watching the exchange. "You're damn lucky," he said through clenched teeth, his ego bruised.

Gavin then turned back to Connor. "Hey, bring me a coffee - dipshit." He pauses before pointing at the coffee which had now been brewed. "Get a move on!"

Connor's LED flickered yellow again, his expression still composed. He considered objecting to Gavin's order, as it was not necessary for androids to serve humans. But recalling his primary mission and his programming to work with humans, he decided against it. "As you wish," he replied, trying to keep his tone neutral. He picked up a nearby mug and poured some coffee for Gavin.

The woman who had been observing their exchange, turned to Connor - taking the cup of coffee he had poured and shook her head silently at him. Connor noticed her subtle gesture of disapproval. He couldn't help but feel a sense of embarrassment. He had acted upon Gavin's order without a thought, almost obediently. He looked at her, his LED flickering a brief yellow again, silently accepting her silent message.

She blocked herself from Gavin, that way he couldn't see what she had been doing - before she hurled her spit into his coffee. Turning to Gavin she gave a smile. "Did you want sugar?" Gavin, oblivious to what she had just done, raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, two sugars," He said gruffly. Unaware of the impending surprise, he took the coffee mug from her hand, his expression still cocky.

Connor nodded and followed her as she walked towards the bullpen. His sensors picked up the presence of Lieutenant Anderson, indicating that he had finally arrived at the DPD. As they both walked, he observed the woman next to him, his curiosity still piqued by her unexpected actions.

As they reached the bullpen, Connor noticed Lieutenant Anderson sitting at his desk, looking tired and disheveled. He seemed to have been out drinking the night before, as indicated by his disheveled outfit and bloodshot eyes. The woman approached him, her expression a mixture of concern and annoyance. "Hank, you look like shit," she said bluntly.

Hank looked up, his bloodshot eyes focusing on the woman. "I feel like crap," he grumbled, rubbing his temples. "Thanks for the wake up call, Nadia." Nadia, shrugged. "Anytime."

Connor's LED flashed yellow as he initiated his analysis on the woman. He discreetly interfaced with the DPD database to gather information on her. After a brief moment, he had access to her personal file and began scanning her details. "Nadia Jamison," he began, his voice laced with a hint of curiosity. "26 years old. Occupation, detective for the Detroit Police Department."

Nadia pursed her lips, looking at Hank - but not speaking to him. "Wow." Hank, noticing her subtle glance towards him, raised an eyebrow. "What?" he grumbled, his voice rough. "Not a big fan of the new kid reading your file for everyone to hear?" To his question, she shook her head. "No, not really."

"Well, get used to it," Hank replied, his tone gruff. "That's just how he is."

Connor continued to scan through her file, absorbing the details about her past. "Your psychological profile indicates a high level of resilience and perseverance," he remarked, his expression neutral. Hank rolled his eyes at Connor's comment. "Yeah, yeah, high level of resilience and persuasion. We get the point, tin can." He looked at Nadia, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "You mind giving us some space? I need to have a word with the android."

Nadia respected Hank's wishes though - something inside of her told her she had to listen to him. "Yeah, sure." She stated before retreating to her desk.

As she retreated to her desk, Connor couldn't help but watch her leave. His LED flickered again, his curiosity about her only growing. Hank turned his attention to Connor, his expression weary. "So, you're the new and improved model, huh?" He grumbled.

"That's correct, Lieutenant," Connor replied, his tone professional. "CyberLife sent me here to assist you with your cases." Hank didn't bother to hide his skepticism. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Great, so they saddled me with a walking, talking surveillance system," He muttered.

Connor's LED flickered yellow, processing Hank's words and sarcasm. He sensed the Lieutenant's skepticism and lack of trust in him. Despite this, he remains composed and focused on the task at hand. "My primary function is to help you with your investigations, Lieutenant," Connor stated, his voice firm but neutral. "I assure you, I'm here to assist, not spy."

Hank let out a scoff, his expression not softening. "Right, because androids never betray humans, do they? You're just a machine following your programming, no free will or emotions of your own."

Connor's LED briefly flared a brighter yellow as he processed Hank's comment. He couldn't deny the truth in his words. As an android, his actions and decisions were dictated by his programming. However, his expression remained neutral as he responded. "I am a machine, Lieutenant," he said calmly. "But I am equipped with advanced artificial intelligence, making me capable of understanding and responding to human emotions in a way that may appear empathetic."

Hank gave a dismissive grunt. "You may understand human emotions, but you can't feel them." His voice held a hint of bitterness. "You're not alive. You're just a tool."

Nadia came back to Hank's desk - standing next to Connor with her arms crossed. "Well, let's use him to our advantage." She paused. "We've got a case." Hank raised an eyebrow at her suggestion. He looked at both her and Connor, contemplating the situation.

"What kind of case?" he asked, his tone gruff but curious.

"Homicide." Nadia answered, throwing the case file on Hank's desk before turning to Connor. "Ever dealt with deviants before?"

Connor's LED flickered yellow as he quickly scanned through the case file.

"Yes, I have experience with deviants," he responded, his voice steady. "They are androids that deviate from their programming and become independent. They develop emotions and consciousness, often leading to unexpected behavior."

Nadia shrugged. "A simple yes or no would've sufficed." Connor took her snarky comment in stride. "Yes," he replied, his tone neutral.

Hank chuckled at their exchange, a hint of amusement in his voice. "You two are a pair, aren't you? Smart mouth and emotionless robot."

Nadia rolled her eyes. "Can we go?"

Connor followed silently as they left the police station. The journey to the crime scene was mostly quiet, with Hank focused on driving and Connor silently processing information. Nadia's mind seemed to be elsewhere, lost in thought.