A Reason to Change | Connor x Human Reader (female)

13 : S O _ C L O S E [3/5]

A/N: It's about time, huh? Hope you like it!

Thank you all for the continuous support and understanding. 😊

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Unbeknown to you, even though Connor seemed calm on the outside for the most part, his mechanical heart was operating at a speed he never experienced before. All the while preparing to heat up your meal, he was wondering if what he was experiencing was in any way normal, if it was really supposed to feel like that, or if he was by any chance just malfunctioning after all.
It felt like his mind was screaming with how wild it was running. He was utterly befuddled by what was happening to him and felt like he was in a daze.

Why was he silently yearning for more when the short distance between the two of you was unexpectedly interrupted?
Why did he have such a hard time resisting the urge to close said distance completely and never let go, whatever that meant?
Even leaving your presence made him feel... off.
He hastily put the plate in the microwave and activated it, motionlessly staring at the timer, wishing it would just count down faster.

"Hey."
Connor was so occupied with his thoughts, he actually jumped slightly upon hearing Hank's voice coming from behind, whom you saw leaving the bathroom, shooting you a friendly glance as he walked past the bedroom.
Anderson raised an eyebrow, not expecting such a reaction from Connor. "Uhh... You a'ight?" he asked the startled android that turned to face him.
"I- I..." Connor began, trying to find the proper words. He glanced towards the hallway for only a second before looking at Hank again. "I- I'm not sure, actually..." he continued, his voice now lowered.
"Huh? What's the matter, son?"
"I feel really, really strange. I- is this normal? I don't -"
"Woah, slow down. What're you even talkin' about? Is what normal?"
"It's..." Connor paused, before lowering his voice to a mere whisper. "It's (Y/N)..."
"Yeah? What about her?" having piqued his curiosity, Hank leaned in closer, whispering as well.
"She... I don't know..."
"Ohhh..." Anderson nodded understandingly, a cheeky grin appearing on his face. "Think I get it... What'd that little runt do now?"
"Nothing, really... At least I think so...? I'm not sure... Hank, I'm so confused..." he looked at the equally as confused Lieutenant, helpless, desperately seeking for a proper answer.
"Alright, alright. Stay calm, kid." Hank reassured the troubled android. "Just tell me what's going on, exactly." he questioned further, stretching out the last word.
"Well, no matter how often I analyze myself, none of my components appear to be malfunctioning... And at first I wasn't sure what was happening..." he paused. "... Though as of recent, I think I have an approximate idea, but... even after doing some research, I don't know if it's really supposed to feel like that, especially for someone like me..."
"Whataya mean 'someone like you'? For Christ's sake, kid, you gotta get to the point." Hank pressed, his whisper becoming louder. "What's supposed to feel like what, huh?"

Again, Connor's LED turned yellow. "I think it's (Y/N) who might be making me feel strange, Hank." he finally uttered. "My Thirium pump speeds up, my core temperature rises, there's a strange sensation in my chest area, my mind is a complete mess, I can't think straight for the life of me...!" he sputtered as quietly as possible. "I abandoned my entire mission because of her. She made me deviate. Am I crazy? Or just defective?"
Hank just silently stared at him in disbelief for a moment, trying to process what he just heard.
"Lieutenant...?" the deviant tilted his head slightly.
"Right, uhhh..." Anderson began. "Jesus... Uhm..."
"Is it something I said?"
"No, I just... Didn't see that coming..." the Lieutenant scratched his neck.
"I'm sorry..."
"It's all good, son. It's just, I mean, I get androids wanna be people or whatever, and that they have feelings and shit... But that? That's one hell of a strong emotion..."
"You mean...All of these symptoms fit into one single emotion?" Connor's LED blinked a few times.
"I guess so... And no, you're not crazy... Any other, uhh, weird feelings, or whatever?"
"I'm not sure how to describe it... I only experience these things when (Y/N) is around. For instance, when she's in my presence, it's like... everything's more... colorful. I'm having trouble focusing on anything other than her. Especially since I deviated. I cannot get her out of my head. And when she was unconscious, I was... scared. I kept scanning her vitals countless times and didn't want to leave her side for even a second. and when I do, I feel like running back to her pretty much instantly."
"Christ, that's so fuckin' cute I might just throw up." Hank joked, letting out a chuckle.
"Cute? Throwing up? Why...?" Connor asked, even more confused than before.
Anderson sighed. "You're obviously into her, kid. Totally normal stuff."
"It is? So... What do I do?"
"I dunno..." the Lieutenant shrugged. "Enjoy it, I guess? Don't rush anything? And do you even know how she feels? Hell, I'm not Cupid or some shit..."
"I'm sorry, Hank... All of this is just so new to me... And, well, according to my research and having analyzed (Y/N) on a regular basis, she does seem to be displaying some common signs of attraction..."
"Oh yeah? Like what?" Hank asked, smiling cheekily, acting all clueless.
"Dilated pupils, nostrils flaring just a little, increased heart rate and temperature, especially on her face..."
"Riiight..." Hank responded, not quite expecting such a fact-bound response. "That it?"
"Uhm, well..."
"Spit it out, then." he grumbled.
"We shared... uhm... a moment...?" Connor replied, not even sure himself.
"A moment?" The Lieutenant repeated enquiringly.
"Well, at some point during our conversation, we held hands and looked at each other for a while... and eventually moved closer, a-"
"Woah. Hold the fuckin' phone. You actually kissed??" Hank exclaimed with a mix of shock and unbelievably so, even delight; as loud as possible while still whispering.
"No...! We were interrupted..." Connor retorted quietly.
"Ah... Well..." Anderson resumed talking normally. "I think it's very obvious I'm no expert on this stuff, but... Just take your time to figure things out, I guess. You'll learn to get the hang of it soon enough." Hank gave him a chummy pat on the shoulder.

"Understand what?" you asked as you approached your partners in crime, who immediately turned to face you, both acting oddly surprised.
While they were having their heart to heart, you couldn't stand laying down any longer, due to everything that went through your head, the weight of things having you feel increasingly restless. The discomfort of your damp clothes sticking to you and reeking of murky water became almost unbearable, so you went through Hank's stuff for something comfortable and threw on an old t-shirt and some sweatpants, looking way too big on you. You also grabbed one of the blankets, pulling it over your shoulders to try and stay warm. Some might say you almost looked like a little kid in oversized clothes and a makeshift cape, your (H/C) hair being straggly and messy only completing the look.

"Uhhh, how to- how the microwave works." Hank responded stumpily. "Right, Connor?"
"O- of course, Lieutenant. (Y/N), why are you out of bed?"
"Cause I felt like it? And I thought I heard mumbling or something..."
"Must've been the TV..." Hank bobbed his head to the side, gesturing towards the flat screen device running in the background.
You felt something wasn't quite right and squinted suspiciously, but before you could say more, the microwave beeped, diverting your attention.
"Perhaps you should go back to bed before you start freezing again." Connor suggested while he removed the plate from the microwave.
"I'll be fine. I can't eat properly in bed anyways." you muttered, turned around to go sit on Hank's couch and pulled the very messy coffee table closer to it very carefully, so none of the empty beer bottles would tip over. "Jesus, Hank. Your place is getting messier by the minute..."
"Too bad." He sarcastically replied while cracking open a beer he had grabbed from the fridge. You took a seat and removed the blanket from your shoulders and placed it on your lap instead, just before Connor set down the steaming plate on the table, accompanied by a nice glass/cup of (D/O/C).
"Thanks! It looks super delicious." you beamed with excitement and grabbed the cutlery, eager to dig in.
"I appreciate it." The android smiled and sat down next to you, shifted in your direction slightly, his hands neatly placed in his lap.
"You gonna stare at me while I'm eating again?" you sassed jokingly.
"N- no..." Connor replied sheepishly, looking away.
"I'm just kidding..." you smiled awkwardly and softly patted his shoulder, before turning your attention back to the food in front of you and taking a bite.
"You fuckin' lovebirds are gonna make me gag." Hank grumbled as he flopped himself in the armchair next to the couch with his beer in hand and grabbed the TV remote.
"Oh hush, gramps." You sassily snapped back with your mouth full, while hoping not to blush too hard. "Connor, the food's excellent."
The android nodded with a soft smile.

Of course, pretty much all TV channels were only reporting on androids and deviants, the attack on Jericho, and mentions of the curfew...
"Ugh... What're we gonna do now that we can't just go outside?" you wondered, frustrated.
"Can't really do much but wait 'til things blow over." Hank mentioned.
"That's lame... I'd hate having to sit around for god knows how long..." you muttered. "Connor, can I tag along when you go see Markus?"
"Well, to be honest... I think best for you to just stay here. I can imagine you would like to help however possible, but by now, things out there are more dangerous than ever." he suggested.
"But-"
"(Y/N), please..." the android asked intently, looking directly at you. "Just this once."
"A- and what about you? What if something goes wrong?" your heart ached just thinking about it.
"I will do everything in my power to ensure that won't happen, I promise. Please, stay here..."
"I... I don't know..."
"For me...?"
You let out a glum sigh and looked down. "Alright then..."
"Don't be sad, (Y/N)..."
"Yeah kiddo, come on. I'm here too, we'll just keep ourselves busy somehow, 'kay?" Hank comforted you.
You couldn't help but smile. "Okay, okay... But you better come back, Connor."
"I will." He reassured you with a gentle smile. "I'm not going to leave until later in the afternoon. We can still spend some time together, if you'd like." The android suggested.
"Of course." You grinned. "I'd love to." Connor smiled even brighter, making your heart melt once again.