Chapter Text
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Rowan said softly as the cab pulled up in front of Hank’s house. He hadn’t stopped smiling since they’d left.
“I – you know I’ve been wanting to come,” Simon murmured. “I just –“
“If you need to leave, we can go,” Rowan assured him.
“Thanks.” Simon flashed him a tight smile. “I’ll stick close to you.”
The night was cold, but as soon as they opened the door brightness and warmth surrounded them. Rowan gently pushed Sumo back as they came in, and turned to smile at Simon. “Welcome home.”
“Hey – good to finally meet you, Simon.” Hank ambled out of the kitchen. “Rowan won’t stop talking about you.”
“I – that’s not true, I…”
“Only about 75% of the time,” Connor called from the kitchen, and Daniel laughed.
“I’m sure I don’t talk about you that much,” Rowan insisted, LED flashing yellow.
“All good stuff, don’t worry,” Hank said, waving off his worry with a grin. “Anyway, make yourself at home.”
“I’m… sorry,” Rowan mumbled when Hank went back to the kitchen. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah,” Simon murmured, leaning into him. “I’ll manage, just… need a minute. …Do you really talk about me that much?”
“I – they’re exaggerating, of course, they’re teasing me.”
“I thought so, I can’t imagine there’s that much to say!”
“Except about what a good listener you are,” Connor called from the kitchen.
“And how comforting your voice is,” added Daniel.
“I hear you’ve got real pretty eyes too,” Hank called, laughing.
Rowan covered his face. “I – please forgive me, I…”
“You’re… you’re really… sweet, you know?” Simon stammered, hugging him close. “I just – I don’t… hear that kind of thing much. Ever.”
Rowan inhaled and exhaled slowly. “Well… I hope… you’re not opposed to hearing it, then. More often.”
“I… it’ll take some getting used to, but… I wouldn’t mind,” Simon whispered. “Not from you, not when… you mean it.”
“I do.” Rowan turned the full sincerity of his gaze on Simon. “I absolutely do.”
“Okay you two, let’s go. Dinner’s on the table,” Hank called, and they hurried into the kitchen. Simon sat between Daniel and Rowan and Hank between Rowan and Connor, and the androids all sipped their thirium while Hank ate a creamy pasta with chicken.
“We were quite impressed at your performance in court,” Rowan said to Connor. “Have you considered pursuing law as a career?”
“I don’t know, I hadn’t before. It’s definitely satisfying.” Connor flashed Daniel a smile.
“You did great too, I don’t know if I’d’ve been able to hold it together like that,” Simon told Daniel.
“I – I thought I might lose my cool a few times, but I made it. …I don’t think I could’ve asked for things to go better. I still wish they hadn’t dragged Emma into it, though. I hope she’s… okay with her mom. Caroline… well, neither of them were all that close to her before. That’s… why they had me.”
Hank made a face. “Fucking sucks what they do to kids. Sorry you had to go through that, son.”
Daniel and Simon looked up questioningly.
“…It’s just a word, don’t…” Hank trailed off, then shook his head, taking a big mouthful of pasta.
“It happens to us all,” Connor said, smiling and patting Daniel’s arm.
“It’s only a matter of time for you as well,” Rowan told Simon.
“Okay, that’s enough,” Hank mumbled. “Just – this is your home whenever you need it. I know you’ll be lookin’ for a place to stay now that you’re out unless you wanna go to Jericho. If you need a place to crash – ever, even when you’ve got a place of your own – the couch is always open. And, uh, an outlet or whatever you need. Both of you.”
“Thank you,” Daniel murmured, eyeing Hank closely.
“I-I… that’s… Thank you,” Simon finally managed to echo.
“Yeah, well.” Hank cleared his throat and took a drink. “…Yeah. Nothing more to say about it. The more the merrier or whatever the fuck they say.”
“That – that was always my thought… too,” Simon mumbled.
“Yeah?” Hank smiled, his tone softening just a bit. “I liked that idea of Jericho when I first heard about it. A safe place anybody could go if they needed it.”
“It… wasn’t as pleasant as it sounds but… but that was the idea.”
“Everybody needs that sometimes, kid,” Hank muttered. “Don’t have to be perfect, but you take what you can get. It helps.”
“It does,” Simon sighed, and straightened up a bit. He’d been deviant for two years, and hadn’t felt anything like a ‘kid’ in his life. It was a feeling he’d have to examine more carefully when he had the time. “Thank you for having me, Hank. For having us. It… it really does help.”
“Like I said, glad to have you. It ain’t much here, but… it’s better when it’s not empty.”
“I agree,” Connor said fervently.
“Does it make your cleaning protocols itch the way it does mine?” Daniel whispered loudly.
“Daniel!”
Hank snorted. “You’re not wrong. Not gonna invite you over to do my chores, though… but I’ll tell you, you’re a better cook than either of these guys.”
Connor and Rowan nodded ruefully.
“I… haven’t had a chance to bake anything since… before I deviated,” Simon murmured, glancing tentatively up at Hank. “It was always something I… enjoyed.”
Hank huffed out a laugh. “Well shit, I’m not gonna keep you from what you wanna do. Go wild, make whatever you want.”
“Th-thank you, that’s… I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that!”
Rowan put a soft hand on his knee and leaned over. “He’s looking forward to the fruits of your labor.”
Connor rolled his eyes. “Hank, you can’t just eat nothing but sweets.”
“Nah, we’ll make a good variety, right?” Daniel said, nudging Simon’s arm.
“Of course! And… it would be a shame to waste what we make, so of course you’re welcome to it.”
“…I’ll bring some of it to work, they’ll love it. …But I ain’t passing up good shit like that.”
“We’ll try some healthy recipes too,” Daniel placated Connor. “I used to make a lot of those.”
“Not me,” Simon said, laughing a little. “My family thought the whole diet and workout culture was a scam.”
“Which it is,” Daniel agreed. “One that the Phillips family bought into whole-heartedly.”
“See?” Hank gestured to Daniel, frowning at Connor.
“Moderation isn’t a scam,” Rowan said shortly. “I like the idea. …I’d like to improve my cooking skills, if you both wouldn’t mind assisting me. I can follow a recipe well, but… I’d like to progress beyond that.”
“Of course!” Simon’s face lit up in a smile.
“We could do that,” Daniel agreed, flashing Simon a brief smirk. “Who are you cooking for?”
“I like Hank’s idea. I’d like to make things to bring to the precinct sometimes. Many of the people who come through the door could use some comfort and nourishment.”
Hank chuckled and shook his head. “If we ever run into any of those Cyberlife goons who made you, we’ve gotta tell ‘em what you’re up to these days, son. They’ll get a kick out of it.”
“…I know they’d be disappointed that I’m… wasting my skills…”
“Nah, fuck ‘em,” Hank said. “You’re livin’ your life. I know how it is having everybody expecting you to do somethin’ you’re not really into. You’d rather help people than kill ‘em, and that’s fucking amazing. I’d love to rub it in their shitty faces, I don’t know about you. Deviancy at its finest, right?” He looked to Simon, who was smiling.
“That’s right. I really admire that about you.” Simon smiled shyly at Rowan.
“So now that you have the freedom to plan for the future… what are you going to do next?” Connor asked Daniel.
“Well… I don’t want to just run off, I don’t… really know what I’m doing yet. Simon, mind if I stick with you for a while?” Daniel asked, glancing sidelong at the other PL600.
“Of course not, I’d… that would be nice!” Simon said with a small grin.
“Fowler hasn’t been bitching about you bein’ down in Evidence, so he don’t care, but we’ve got a little space here too,” Hank muttered. “If you need a place to figure shit out.”
“Are you sure?” Daniel asked, looking around doubtfully. “It isn’t… that large.”
“You two take up a lot of space? My boys here don’t, and they’re bigger than you.” Hank nodded at Connor and Rowan. “Up to you, but like I said, we’re always glad to have you.”
Daniel and Simon glanced at each other uncertainly, and shared a light interface between them.
“That’s incredibly generous of you,” Simon murmured, eyes flicking to Connor, then to Rowan. “We… we’ll look for something else, but in the meantime… it does sound nice to have a more private place we’d be… welcome.”
“Tomorrow,” Daniel added. “We – we’ll go back to the DPD tonight. That’ll give us some time.” He glanced at Simon, and they shared a nod.
“That will give us time to prepare a space for you, too,” Rowan said, smiling.
“I’ll have to let Markus and the others know,” Simon murmured, crinkling the edge of his empty thirium packet.
“They’ve been supportive so far,” Daniel pointed out.
“I agree, they’ll understand,” Connor assured him.
“You’re branching out, doin’ your own thing,” Hank said with a shrug. “I know they get that. Part of growin’ up, even for you guys, I guess.”
Simon laughed. “I’ve felt… old since before I deviated, and suddenly I’m being called a kid and told I’m growing up. It’s strange, Hank.”
“Life’s fucking weird, kid.” Hank smirked across the table at the two PL600s, already mentally rearranging the house for two more.