Dickory

A Sleepover With Sumo

"Sumo! Here, boy!" Niles called as he danced around the living room, now wearing some casual jeans and an old T-shirt rather than his neater school clothes. The huge dog let out a low woof as he plodded after Niles, panting in contentment as his tongue lolled out excitedly. He was old, but that didn't stop his steps from hopping on the faded carpet as he pawed at the new android child. Niles laughed as he held out the faded blue rope toy, watching Sumo's large jaws bite at the end. "Pull, boy! Pull!" Niles urged with eager brown eyes as he tugged his end of the rope.

Connor watched silently from the doorway, a gentle smile toying his lips as he watched Sumo's fluffy tail wagging a mile a minute. Although Connor was sure to play games with him, and had in fact managed to teach him how to play fetch, Sumo seemed far happier with his smaller companion. Perhaps Niles reminds him of Cole...I wonder if Sumo even remembers Cole...he thought curiously as Niles fell down with a giggle. The big dog dropped the rope instantly and plodded over to his small form, licking his face with big, wet strokes.

"Down, boy! Down! That tickles! Ewww! Gross!" Niles whined through his laughter as he held up his small arms. He tried to shield himself with one arm while pushing the furry behemoth back with the other, having little success. Connor couldn't help his own laughter as he folded his arms and watched. He turned his head as Hank appeared to let out his own fond chuckle. He hadn't seen Sumo this happy since Connor had wrestled with him for the first time. Much like his owner, the old dog had taken to his new android companions like they were part of the family.

"Sumo! Down, boy!" Sumo woofed excitedly as he turned his attention towards his master's voice. Hank chuckled as Sumo padded over and accepted the affectionate ruffle to his ears that Hank delivered best. He then shifted his big chocolate eyes to Connor before flopping onto his back expectantly. Connor was the best at belly rubs. "So spoiled," Hank huffed as he watched Connor crouch obediently, the skin on his fingers drawing back in reflex as he scratched the large white tummy. Sumo didn't argue the point as he panted and wagged his tail.

"Can I try?" Niles asked eagerly as he joined Connor, who agreed warmly as he pointed out Sumo's favourite places to be tickled and scratched. Niles enthusiastically took to the task with both small hands, giggling as Sumo's hips began to wiggle with the speed of his tail wags. Hank watched the trio with warm eyes. The small house had never felt so warm or full. He'd moved into the place a couple years back after the divorce, lucky he could afford the place. It was a two-bedroom bungalow with a garage and a small loft. The second bedroom had just been storage for some of Cole's old things and his junk. He'd never made the effort to climb up into the loft. Why bother? It wasn't like he was ever going to have anyone else staying there. That's what I thought, at least...

Since the revolution, Connor had moved into that old room. Cole's things and the other boxes had been shifted to the garage to make way for some simple furniture. They'd bought Connor a double bed, despite his insistence that he didn't need one. There was a large wardrobe and some drawers that were barely used due to Connor's insistence on wearing his old Cyberlife uniform. A desk had been set up for him to work from home when required. A few old files were still stacked on the edge, with some pens to make notes. Not that Connor ever needed them. The most used part of his room was a small notice board, where he'd pinned pictures of his friends and family. Mostly candid images copied from his memory files. There were also a few drawings that Niles had made for him. There were quite a few sketches scattered around the house at this point. Hank had some in his room and had even used some old magnets to attach a few to the fridge.

"What do you think? Shall we take him out for a W-A-L-K or have dinner first?" Hank asked, using code so that Sumo didn't get overexcited at the idea. Connor looked up thoughtfully. Hank huffed fondly as he felt his hazel eyes scanning him. He'd given up on telling him not to do it. It was second nature for him. Asking Connor to stop scanning the people he cared about was like asking a human not to breathe. It just happened.