Detroit: Become Human

Acceptance [One-shot]

Being a writer and delving into art on the side, had its perks. Things were quiet, calm, and Mel had little to stress over. Unless there was a given project that needed to be completed within a specific timeframe. Otherwise, things were peaceful.

It's been a few years since the Revolution. Droids and Human were working through their differences. But, for the most part, things have settled. The majority fled to Canada, consequent to everything that had taken place.

Androids and humans, alike.

The stutter of the small machine flutters into the woman's ears, seconds before it came to a halt. Ascending from the warmth of her cushion, she steps into the kitchen, preparing the steaming brew, "I need this," She breathes into her cup.

The ceramic against her lips, as the liquid hits the back of her throat, ignites her senses.

It encourages a familiar sensation. Quite frankly, It was almost as a good as sex.

Almost.

Returning to her area of expertise, she proceeds to boot up her desktop.

Perhaps, she'd be able to put her thoughts into words, for once. If not, she'd simply return to the nearly finished piece she'd been constructing with Markus over the last several months. It was unique, expressive. It speaks of Freedom, Equality, and Harmony.

Her mouse hovers the icon, accessing the program. She had yet to begin, her attention was drawn toward the echo of her doorbell.

Who the hell could that be?

She never suspected to lay eyes upon her companion, at least, not at this hour. He wasn't alone. Standing heel of him was none other than Connor. She had half the mind to slam the door in either of their faces, but not the heart. "Mind if we come in?" Markus had been the first to speak.

Mel exhales, pulling the knob toward her to allow their entry, "Not like I have a choice."

"There's always a choice," Connor assured, stepping through the frame. "How have you been, Melly?"

He was right. We all had a choice. "Pretty good," Her expression softens. "It's been a while."

"Sorry, to barge in like this." Markus' apology nearly melts her heart. She'd never been capable of holding onto her frustration. With a face like that, It was impossible. "I was discussing our latest piece, with Connor."

"And I was asking Markus if it'd be possible to see it,"

Markus raises his arms, if ever, so slightly. "So, here we are." The pair finishing each other's statements.

Mel's apparent eye roll had been one of sarcasm, "I can see that." With a simple nod of the head, she beckons, encouraging the men to follow.

Her apartment was a comfortable size. Two rooms, one bathroom, a living room, decent kitchen, and a sizable dining area. It was all she needed, given that she lived alone.

Stepping into the small room, Connor proceeds to scan the environment.

Brushes lay across a white sheet, blank canvases resting against the wall, completed pieces that hung vertically, paint splatters, the smell of acrylic fills the room. A short desk with a set of various colors and sketches. He'd never seen anything like it.

His gaze is drawn toward the easel set in the middle of the compact area, his LED flashes. Yellow, blue.

"What'dya think?" The woman queries, curious.

Connor examines the large piece, his eyes scaling as he took in every angle, "It's magnificent." Though muttered, Mel manages to make out his response. "How long have you been working on it?"

"It's been 3 or 4 months, now." Markus grins, "We want it to speak for itself. A message for everyone. Human and Android."

Connor hadn't halted the curve against his lips, as a comfortable silence stills between the trio. That is, until Mel parts her lips to speak. "Since you're here, you might as well hang out for a bit."

They had been far from hesitant in refusing her offer, "We'd be delighted to." Connor's cinnamon brown gaze against her.

She couldn't help the mild chuckle that escapes, "C'mon."

Shit.

She'd nearly forgotten her cup of joe.

"You're lucky that I was actually awake." Mel settled into the cushion, once more, bringing her feet underneath her.

Markus laughed, "You're usually awake at this hour."

"Well, yeah." She admitted. "It's usually because I try to get some work done."

The men saunter forward, one after the other, taking a seat next to her. "You never quit, do you?" The hickory brown-haired droid inquired.

"If I stop now, I'll never get anywhere." Her answer was genuine, clear. "Even If I have no idea where I'm going with it, I can't just give it up either."

"I admire that." He complimented. "Your courage, your will to continue. No matter how much you struggle, no matter how long it takes. You just keep going." His gaze fell, studying the floorboards beneath them, and the flicker of his LED captures her attention. "Humans are resilient."

Her heart sank, burrowing in the pit of her stomach. He had been speaking as though he were nothing like them. As if they were separate beings. Markus followed suit, silent.

After everything they've been through, after all that, they had won, and even now, they couldn't bring themselves to feel as though they were equal, "You guys," Mel uttered her words, the pain in her expression, evident, as she spoke. "You're more than just a machine."

They were hurting, as any other being would, as she was, "You said it yourself. You're alive."

"As we are." Markus' dejected tone resounds within. "But, there are people who choose to believe differently, who see differently. While some humans accept and respect us, others continue to fear and reject us.

"We're all the same." She began. "While, yes, we may have specific functions that differ from one another, we speak the same, we learn the same, and we love the same." She steadies her cup, leaning against Markus, resting her head against his shoulder. "This warmth is real. Your feelings are real." Lifting her gaze, she shifts, ever so slightly, reaching out to Connor.

Hand against his cheek, Connor's walnut brown orbs met with her own. "You breathe, as we do. You see, as we do. Just because you were created by man, doesn't mean you're any less of a human. If anything, you have more humanity than most humans, and that means more than you know."

The switch in their features revealed a calm, a sense of serenity in her words. "Where would we be, without you?"

"I wonder." The girl teased, followed by a light-hearted chuckle.

She ascends, upright. Markus and Connor compressed against her, resting their heads atop her shoulder, "I love you guys, but it's hard to drink my coffee like this."

Author's Note:

You have no idea how much I struggled to write this. Originally, It was going to be a smutty (and I mean SMUTTY) One-Shot, between the three characters, but I changed my mind, because of the music that started playing as I was typing this.

Is it the best? Hell no. But, I'm trying to write as often as I can, before I stop all together, again.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this bit of Fluff.