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The first time it happened, Hank had just wanted a fucking coffee. He stood by the machine, waiting for his coffee to finish making itself and wasting his goddamn time when Gavin walked in.
“Hey, you know your android’s sleeping on the job, don’t ya?” Gavin asked, indicating to Connor’s desk. Hank laughed.
“Androids don’t sleep.”
“Then I think Connor’s broken.” Gavin shrugged. Hank gave him a skeptical look before leaving the break room and heading back to his desk.
Connor sat in his chair, his eyes closed and his blue LED fading on and off. Hank couldn’t help but smile as he sat down at his own desk, watching the android with fascination.
Must be part of Kamski’s update…
“Connor?” Hank reached over, nudging the android. “Connor? Kid.” He nudged him harder, startling the android awake. Connor blinked, looking around before his eyes fell on Hank.
“Hank, I believe I am malfunctioning. I have no record of my memories of the last 7 minutes.”
“Relax. You fell asleep, Connor.” Hank smiled. “You tired?”
“What does tired feel like?”
“Um… low battery? Not enough energy, heavy eyelids, getting cranky for no reason, wishing you were in bed, feeling a bit fuzzy?”
“I believe I have a few of those symptoms…” Connor whispered.
“State-of-the-art android’s gotta have a goddamn bedtime.” Hank laughed to himself, turning to Connor. The android was dropping off again. “Alright, kid, go back to sleep.”
“But cases… I… done…” Connor muttered, before closing his eyes and slumping over his desk with a thud that caused most officers to jump. Hank laughed, standing and moving around to Connor’s desk. He adjusted the android so he was sleeping with his head resting on his arms, instead of the unforgiving wood of the desk.
Wouldn’t want the kid to wake up with a dent in his head.
“Sleep tight, Connor.” Hank pressed a soft kiss to Connor’s forehead.
“Awww!” Hank looked up at the entire DPD, who may as well have had hearts in their eyes at their adoring and amused expressions.
“Oh, fuck off!” Hank scowled, flipping them off.
For the first few days after the event, Connor’s sleep schedule was awful.
The first time, he was chasing a suspect in an investigation with Hank and Gavin when he just… dropped, collapsed from exhaustion, and slept on the ground in the alley. Gavin apprehended the man, but Hank took Connor home.
The second time, Connor fell asleep while eating. Hank found him asleep, head on the table in a pool of ketchup. It looked like a fucking murder scene and the only reason Hank hadn’t shat himself was the fact he knew Connor’s Thirium was blue.
The third time, was while they were walking Sumo. The kid just dropped to the floor like a sack of bricks. Hank was not carrying his ass back home… And you have no proof that he did or didn’t do just that.
“We gotta get your fucking sleep schedule under control, Kid.” Hank muttered one night as he sat next to the android on the sofa. “Don’t you do that thing computers do? Where you can choose to enter sleep mode at a certain time until a certain time?”
“Hank, I was unaware I could sleep until a few days ago. Why would I know if I had a setting for a function I know fuck-all about?”
“Forget I asked! Jesus!” Hank held his hands up in surrender. Connor sighed, rubbing his head, LED circling red.
“I am sorry, Hank… I am just…”
“Cranky. Got it.” Hank chuckled. “Right, I’m setting a bedtime for you. No buts. Midnight to 8AM.”
“Alright.” Connor nodded. “Though I do not require the full 8 hours sleep you human’s require. I only need 5.”
“Fine, but don’t fucking wake me unless it’s important.” Hank ruffled Connor’s hair before reaching for the remote and flicking through the channels.
Hank almost jumped out his skin when he felt a non-metaphorical weight on his shoulder. He looked down, smiling when he realised Connor had fallen asleep against him, his blue LED slowly fading on and off. He looked down at his watch.
12AM.
Hank gently guided Connor down and picked him up bridal style, carefully carrying him to his room. He couldn’t help but smile as he lay him on the bed, remembering a similar event with Cole.
“Night, Connor.” Hank whispered, turning and leaving the room.
“Hank?” Connor called as he pushed open the front door, looking into the pitch black house. “Hank? Where are you?”
“I’m in here, Connor.”
“Where? I cannot find you.” Connor navigated his way by holding his hands out, guiding himself by the walls. His hand ran over something wet and sticky, but he ignored it.. “Hank?”
Suddenly, Connor’s hand met nothing and he fell to the side, falling on top of a mass. He looked down, gasping in shock as Hank’s lifeless eyes looked up at him. Connor scrambled upright, red LED flashing wildly.
“H-Hank…” Connor whimpered, taking a step back, only for his foot to connect with something, causing him to trip. He cried out when he saw Markus lying under him, eyes open, blue blood spilling from his head.
“No… Markus!”
“Oh, Connor.” Connor froze, recognising that voice. He shook his head, picking himself up again and turning to run.
He only got so far before running into Gavin’s hanging corpse.
“Stop!” Connor cried, closing his eyes tight as he pushed past the body, trying to find the door. He gasped when his hand found the door handle and threw it open, only to cry out when he found Elijah’s bloodied and lifeless body.
“Connor…”
“No!” Connor curled up on himself, whimpering as he held his hands over his ears, his eyes squeezed shut. “No! Leave me alone!”
“Amanda!” Connor gasped as he shot up, panting as he held his hands out in front of him. He was shaking, severely. “Hank-” Connor threw his hand over his mouth at the last minute. Hank had told him not to wake him unless it was important.
But his 100% stress levels would be important to Hank, right…?
“Hank!” Connor called, not willing himself to move. If he moved, he’d destroy himself.
“Connor!” Hank was at Connor’s side almost instantly, sitting besides him and pulling him into his arms “Connor, hey, it’s okay.”
“S-stress levels 100%.” Connor whispered.
“Shit, it’s okay, I’m right here, no-one’s gonna hurt ya, okay?”
“You were all dead…” Connor trembled. “I couldn’t escape…”
“That there is called a nightmare, Connor.” Hank rubbed Connor’s arm. “It’s a projection of your fears, it’s okay. We’re all still alive, you’re safe, we’re all safe.”
“I-I thought-”
“Shh, it’s okay.” Hank whispered. “Calm down, it’s alright. Don’t hold back, kid. Emotions are dangerous to hold in.”
With those words, Connor allowed himself to bury his face in his father-figures shirt and cry. Whether he was crying in relief or crying from the horrible images, Hank wasn’t sure, but he didn’t stop him.
Eventually, Connor fell limp in Hank’s arms. Hank looked down, smiling sadly when he realised Connor had fallen asleep against him.
“You get some sleep, Connor.” Hank whispered. “I’m right here.”