Virus (Yandere Connor x Reader)

Ten

You found yourself staring at the empty space on the couch, wondering when exactly Hank had slipped out. But he'd promised to stop by the next day, and now that he had a good deal of info on who they were searching for, he was probably off to start hunting.

Which of course left Connor with you. With another small smile you got back to your feet. "Well, first things first. I need to take care of these stitches, I think I have something safe and sticky enough to protect them..." Walking away, you were mumbling to yourself, a habit that was more of an outlet for your thoughts.

The hand on your shoulder just about made you screech. Connor immediately withdrew his hand, raising them both defensively. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"No... no, it's fine. Get used to that, by the way. I talk to myself a lot, especially when I'm working downstairs. Once I'm used to having you here, it'll be easier." Your eyebrows knit together. "What exactly do you need access to in my home? I can connect you to the control panel downstairs for now, but what else do you need?"

"Access to the control panel is a large factor. I will scan the household to get more accurate perimeter details." His mouth was open to say more, but you held a hand up to stop him. "... yes?"

"All the dimensions are in the control panel hub. I measured them myself, and they're 100% accurate. I do a bi-annual sweep as well, purely for peace of mind. Those include the entire property, by the way: ground floor, basement, and front, back and side yards. What else do you need?"

It was like you were expecting his requests. He blinked a few times, trying to get past the fact that he had less work to do. "I... ah... I will... still need to examine each room individually. Not for dimensions, but... for... ah..."

You watched him with vague amusement. Somehow with the lieutenant gone, you'd instantly gone back into "work mode". "Connor, do I need to reset you? You're lagging."

The android shook his head hard, trying to snap himself out of whatever was scrambling his thoughts. He was built for this, he knew exactly what he needed to do!

[WHY IS THIS SO DIFFICULT?!]

"I NEED A DAILY SCAN OF EACH ROOM TO ENSURE NOTHING IS OUT OF PLACE," he burst out, practically shouting. "IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT THAT--"

If you didn't cover his mouth, he'd probably be stuck in Panic Mode or something. So you clapped a hand over his mouth. "Connor? Inside voice. Take a second to let your systems settle. When you're back to being your rational self again, I'll let go." A few minutes passed, while his LED went from red, to yellow, and back to blue once more. Only then did you pull your hand from his mouth. "All right. Taking note of each room's contents makes sense. If you could upload that data to the hub downstairs, I'd appreciate it. In the meantime, I'm gonna tend to these stitches."

You meandered into the bathroom, pulling up your sleeves and going through your medicine cabinet for something specific. The android took one more moment to settle down again, unsure of why he was being so irrational, but grateful for something to occupy his time.

Each room in the house was carefully scanned, inventory taken, but there was still the matter of that single locked room. He wasn't comfortable with just breaking in, so he went to seek you out instead. You'd finished in the bathroom, but there were curious sounds coming from the basement. The closer he got, the more he slowed: you'd broken down, quietly crying at your desk, and Connor didn't want to interrupt. Still, he remained near the bottom of the stairs, questioning if he should just return upstairs or not.

[Really... what can I do? Is this something necessary, or would company be preferred, even from myself?]

"Connor, I know you're there. You don't need to hide, it's fine." Your voice was soft and broken in the effort to not start sobbing again. When he finally poked his head around the corner, he looked a little ashamed. "Those stairs aren't quiet. And it's not like I was trying to be, either."

"I didn't want to interrupt," he replied, cautiously approaching. "If this was a necessary reaction, it felt rude to stop you."

Staring at this strange, sheepish android let you settle a bit. "You really don't spend much time with anyone else, do you?"

He shook his head, keeping his eyes pointed anywhere but you. "Even with other case assignments, I don't spend time with those involved. I've no reason to, and I've grown used to Hank's behaviors and habits."

You spun in your chair to face him. "So in other words, you've had probably zero experience in handling women."

Connor managed a smile. "Unless there's a percentage that's less than zero?"

"Negative experience isn't a thing, honey." Snatching a tissue, you wiped your eyes, taking a deep breath. "I needed to cry. I needed a healthy outlet, what with... yesterday's... disaster." Your face threatened to break, and you caught Connor flinching; not away from you, but more like he wanted to help, without knowing how. It was both endearing and exasperating; he needed a crash course on females. "You don't have to be so terrified."

"I'm not--"

"If you want to help, and if you don't mind, I'd like a hug. I need one, actually. Even from my bodyguard," you added, trying to insert humor but failing to enjoy it yourself.

He didn't have to verbally agree to it; he just barely nodded before you'd buried your face into his jacket. Hugs were something he knew, at least, and the moment he returned the gesture you broke down again, harder than earlier. Static filled his head again, but it wasn't enough to cover the sounds of agony. The static was ignored, and Connor was relieved that he didn't need to speak; words would just fail him again anyway. Instead you were held a little closer.

[I... will not leave.]