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Connor didn’t like it when Hank drank. He never had, especially not after he found Hank’s gun on the floor following a drunken game of Russian Roulette.
Now, Hank was slouched on the sofa, multiple bottles of alcohol surrounding him, and one in hand. Connor had only met up with Markus for an hour…
“Hank, you are drunk.” Connor stated as he walked around the sofa to face the man.
“No shit, Sherlock...”
“You promised me you wouldn’t drink anymore after what happened last time.” Connor sighed. “Come on, you need to sleep it off.”
“I don’t need to do shit!” Hank slurred, batting Connor away as the android attempted to help him up. “You need to piss off.”
“I think you’ve had enough.” Connor snapped, snatching the bottle from Hank’s hand. Hank growled as he stood.
“Don’t fucking touch that!”
“Why are you drowning your sorrows this time, Hank?” Connor asked. “Maybe we can talk about it?”
“Give my fucking bottle back!”
“Why?”
“So I can do this!” Hank lunged forwards and snatched his bottle back before smashing it over Connor’s head. Connor cried out, stepping back in shock, his LED red under the Thirium that spilled from his hair-line.
“Hank Anderson, give me the bottle!” Connor lurched forwards, only for Hank to pull it back. “Fine, if that’s the way you want to be.” Connor muttered. “I’ll be in my room.” And with that, Connor turned and left the room, slamming his bedroom door behind him.
“Don’t fucking slam your door at me!” Hank growled, pounding his fist against the door.
Connor lay under his bed, his hands over his ears to block out Hank’s drunken episode. Hank had never done this before, never been violent.
He opened a connection with the RK900 Android.
Richard?
Connor? Are you alright?
Hank is very drunk, he is lashing out violently. I am uncertain how to proceed. Hank is a risk to himself.
Gavin and I will come over.
True to Richard’s word, Connor soon heard yelling from the living room that he recognized as Gavin’s voice. After some more yelling and a few thuds, the bedroom door opened.
“Connor? You in here?”
“Yes.” Connor muttered, crawling out from under the bed. Gavin bit his lip.
“Shit, your head.”
“I am fine.” Connor stood and dusted himself off. “I was concerned for Hank’s safety.”
“Yeah but I’m fucking concerned abou- I-I’m fucking annoyed that I had to be dragged out here, now I gotta patch you up too!”
“You don’t have to do anything.”
“No-one else is gonna fucking do it. Sit down.” Gavin pushed Connor down on the bed. Connor sat, watching Gavin look around the room.
“There is a first aid box in the kitchen.” Connor offered. Gavin muttered and went to fetch it. When he came back, he threw the box down next to Connor.
“He done this often?”
“No. This is the second time.”
“What happened the first time?” Gavin asked, opening the box and rummaging through it. “He throw you at the kitchen counter or something?”
“Almost. He pushed me a little too hard and I lost balance and hit my head on the table.”
“Been there, done that. You okay? That shit hurts.”
“I am fine.” There was a moment of silence as Gavin patched up the wound on Connor’s head with a large plaster. “Did your Father do what you said?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry.”
“This scar here?” Gavin pointed to his nose. “He threw a beer bottle at me because I laughed at a cartoon. Said I was being annoying.”
“You were just being a child.” Connor assured him. “You did nothing to deserve that.”
“Yeah, well… now I gotta see it every time I look in the mirror.” Gavin growled. “I had literal evidence of it on my face and no-one so much as questioned it.”
“You wanted someone to notice.”
“Of course I fucking did.” Gavin scowled. “I told fucking everyone but he always had an excuse ready. ‘Oh, he’s just angry that I didn’t buy him a toy he wanted’, ‘He’s got ADHD he’s always after the attention’, ‘The Doctor’s said he’d have difficult recalling events’. Fuck him! I didn’t have shit!”
“Why did he hurt you?” Connor asked, his voice soft as he tilted his head. Gavin sighed, dropping his head down.
“I don’t know…” He whispered, his body trembling. “I don’t… think he had a reason…”
“I’m sorry…” Connor whispered. Gavin shook his head.
“I was a kid, Connor, what could I have done to make him hate me that much?”
“Nothing.” Connor forced a smile. “There was nothing wrong with you. There was everything wrong with him.”
“Thanks, Man…” Gavin muttered. “So, why did Hank-”
“He hasn’t had a drink for a month. He was struggling and relapsed badly. His anger seems to have been fuelled further by his being intoxicated.”
“He scare you?” Gavin asked. “I noticed you were under the bed.”
“Yes.” Connor admitted. “He was loud.”
“Richard nerve-pinched him and put him in his bed. He’s fine but he should stay asleep until the morning. You want me to stay? T-to kick his ass in the morning for being a cock, not for you or anything.”
“I can kick Hank myself.” Connor smiled by way of saying ‘I’m fine’.
“Fuck it, I’mma stay anyway and raid his fridge. Old man owes me a beer or six after tonight.”
Surprisingly, despite claiming he was owed beer, Gavin didn’t touch a single drop. He did munch on one of Hank’s microwave burgers though, sitting on the sofa with Connor asleep on one side with his head resting on Gavin’s shoulder, Richard sitting on the other side with his hand on Gavin’s thigh. The two watched the TV together before eventually falling asleep.
“What the fuck are you doing in my house?!” Gavin startled awake, looking up at Hank.
“Why’d you beat the shit out of Connor?” Gavin retorted, standing up to face the man. Hank blinked, looking down at Connor, who was now lying across the sofa with his head on Richard’s leg, the two androids sleeping peacefully.
“Oh, fuck.”
“‘Oh, fuck’ is right, old man!” Gavin growled. “Don’t you ever fucking dare hurt him again or you’ll be fucking with me and Richard, you hear me? He was bleedin’ fucking everywhere when we turned up!”
“That is an exaggeration.” Connor spoke up, yawning as he sat himself up. Richard woke with him. “It was only my head.”
“And where are you gonna get a replacement for that next time he batters you?” Connor remained silent. “Yeah, exactly. Fuck you.”
“Gavin, we have work in an hour.” Richard announced as he stood. Gavin snarled.
“Grow the fuck up, Hank!” Was all he said before he left with Richard. Connor blinked.
“I did not ask them to come, I only wanted advice, I’m sorry.” Connor whispered, looking down. Hank sighed.
“Kid, you did nothing wrong.” Hank rubbed his hand over his face. “I hit you with a fucking glass bottle. That’s not right or okay at all. You did the right thing.”
“Hank… why did you drink last night?” Connor asked.
“I was just pissed… I mean… Jeffrey’s an ass, and work’s an ass, everyone’s an ass, and it’s the anniversary of Cole’s death… I haven't drunk in a month… I just got so pissed off I needed something to take the edge off.”
“By ‘take the edge off’, you mean-”
“Cause a fucking avalanche, yeah.” Hank groaned. “Fuck, I can’t believe I hurt you again…”
“It is alright, Hank. You were not yourself.”
“That’s not the point! If you were human, I could have killed you!”
“But I am not human, and I am fine. All that matters now is what we do about this.”
“I tell you what I’m gonna fucking do about this.” Hank scowled, sitting beside Connor and pulling him closer. “I ain’t gonna let it ever happen again, that’s what.”