Chapter Text
Connor watched as the mountain-side condo rolled into view through the windscreen - the subtle balance of modest and extravagant, with a sprawling layout constructed of plain shades and shapes. It suited Mr Kamski perfectly, all things considered: intimidating and cold from an outside view, but Connor knew that it housed an exotic and luxurious heart. What Elijah Kamski wanted, Elijah Kamski got. The car rolled to a stop and Connor stepped out, adjusting his shirt slightly to eliminate any creases from the long drive. Even though he had made the plunge into deviancy, his professional appearance had remained a high priority. He felt safe behind the immaculate mask, choosing the metaphorical face he put forward to the world rather than relying on the physical one he had been given. Once he was sure that he was presentable, he approached the door and rang the bell.
It was only a moment before Chloe answered (53 seconds to be precise), greeting him with a smile that reached just a little closer to her eyes than the last time he had seen her. He noticed that she no longer wore the business-style dress that most of her model were equipped with - instead, she wore grey shorts with tights, creating a contrast to her light skin and the soft baby-blue of her top. "Connor, it's so good to see you. Please, come on in, Elijah has been expecting you," she greeted, stepping aside daintily to allow him inside.
He offered her a smile of his own and stepped into the greeting hall- exactly the same as the last time he'd been here, though of course Hank wasn't occupying the chair next to the acer tree this time. Connor looked to Chloe and followed her lead as she guided him through the house, "Elijah is in his studio, I'll take you to him." she explained, holding the first door open for the RK800.
"If he's busy, I can come back another time," Connor offered.
"Not at all. He's been looking forward to your visit, Connor. He even asked that I pick out one of his nicest shirts for the occasion," she responded, a polite but warm laugh lining her words.
He nodded slightly, surprised that Kamski would deem his visit worthy of special measures. Then again, Kamski was a man of small details... Whether it was his programming, his appearance or his home, he seemed to plan each and every small detail for the most effective results. Following the train of thought, it struck Connor that Elijah had set the plans for this house very carefully: a large and impressive greeting hall with only two chairs, which suggested that he wasn't in the habit of accepting company often but wanted to make them feel impressed with his achievements before they even saw him; then straight into the large swimming pool area with the expansive view of the mountain range, also no good for entertaining formal company but it served as another token of wealth to impress his guests. Connor remembered the first time he'd seen Kamski, the confidence he'd exuded when facing the police... or perhaps arrogance was a closer fit. It was a thin line between the two, a line that Elijah treaded with expert grace.
As he scanned the connecting corridor, taking in details and drawing up information about the works of art on the walls, Connor noticed Chloe's gaze lingering on him. He turned his attention to her,realising that he had been a little rude (small talk was still something of a weak point for him, but he was trying to make more of an effort).
"Your outfit is lovely... It suits you," he ventured.
"Thank you," she smiled, touching the soft fabric of her shirt lightly. "Elijah has always allowed us more freedom than most, but since Markus liberated the android population, he's felt that we're more capable of taking control of our lives. We're not bound by programming now."
"So,you've actively chosen to stay with Mr Kamski. You could go anywhere, do any job you like,"
She shook her head slightly, her expression soft - Connor has seen that expression a few times and understood that it was an indicator of affection. Perhaps even love. "There's nowhere else in this world that I would rather be. Elijah takes care of me, and I enjoy caring for him. His lifestyle provides me with plenty of opportunities for excitement and tranquility in equal parts... and he enjoys seeing me explore my desires, perhaps even as much as I enjoy exploring them."
With that last comment, Chloe's cheeks tinted a subtle shade of pink; Connor noticed that her pupils had dilated slightly when she looked at him, clear blue irises dancing over his features in a way that made him uncomfortable. She was referring to sexual desires, he concluded, looking away. "I'm glad that you've found happiness, Chloe."
"Have you found someone that makes you happy?" she probed slightly, hesitating at the door to the studio until he answered.
Connor considered this for a moment, thinking over the events of his life since the android revolution. He had been allowed to return to the DCPD as a fully-qualified police officer, and that contented him. The officers in the precint were mostly kind to him, although there was still some tension between the more stubborn anti-android officers and the new recruites. He mostly stayed with Hank and kept out of their way - he supposed Hank made him happy; they had been growing very close since Connor's deviancy and he felt less overwhelmed when Hank was helping him to make sense of his new emotional fluctuations. And, of course, there were the androids of Jericho... They had accepted him into their fold, regardless of his designed purpose, and he had found a kind of home with them. All in all, he had found a good many people who made him happy, though he wasn't entirely convinced that this was the answer that Chloe was looking for.
"I'm very content with my life," he started hesitantly, meeting her gaze to see if he might find a more satisfying answer in their depths. "I surround myself with people who care for me and I care for them too. It's comforting... feeling like I belong somewhere."
Chloe's smile brightened a little and she reached a hand for Connor's, pressing it lightly between her own. Her gaze remained fixed on his as she leaned a little closer, her lips molding each word with a playful little lilt,"Well, you're always welcome here, Connor. Elijah and I would be happy to entertain you whenever you like."
While Connor took a moment to process the wink she gave him, Chloe stepped back and opened the door to the studio, greeting Kamski by draping her arms over his shoulders and kissing his temple. "Connor is here to see you." she murmured before moving back so that Elijah could turn to greet his guest.
"Connor, so glad you could join us," he walked over, placing a hand on the android's shoulder before leaning in to press a kiss to each of his cheeks. "Chloe has been so excited for your visit. We both have."
A small crease found purchase on Connor's brow as he tried to understand the subtext, especially since Elijah's hand lingered for a few moments on his shoulder, "I couldn't pass up an opportunity to speak with you, Mr Kamski. I'm curious to know your thoughts on everything that's happened recently. I thought you might have some interesting insights."
At the utterance of 'Mr Kamski', Connor saw a flicker of mixed amusement and chargrin pass over his host's features. "We're all friends here... please, call me Elijah."
Connor nodded, following Elijah's lead as he settled into an armchair next to the wall-to-wall window and made himself comfortable. While Chloe busied herself with bringing Elijah a coffee and pouring a thirium-based substitute for Connor, Elijah took a moment to look him over. "You know, I always found it funny that the android who was purpose-built for deviant-hunting was probably the most deviant model of all,"he smirked, watching Connor's reaction over the brim of his mug as he took a sip.
"I'm not sure I follow," Connor countered, his voice a little softer than he had intended. "If anything, I've found the transition into independent life more challenging than most. I struggle to find something outside of my programming that motivates me... I don't have a lover or a family, I don't crave security or companionship. I am content to work with the DCPD as I was designed to, though I suppose that I have take responsibility for helping the other androids to find suitable living conditions. I don't feel that I've deviated partularly far at all -save for developing empathy, of course."
Elijah hesitated for a moment, then placed his coffee on the small side table, adjusting his position so that he sat forward, his elbows on his knees and hands clasped together under his chin. His gaze fixed on Connor's, piercing blue searching through the warm brown depths for some kind of indicator. After a moment, Elijah reached a hand slowly outward, "Come here for a moment..."
Taking the offered hand, Connor was guided towards his host and encouraged to settle his weight over Elijah's lap, one strong thigh settling on either side of his creator's. Curiosity drove him to comply - perhaps curiosity and a left-over feeling of obligation from his past - but he theorised that any interaction that required him to move to such an intimate distance would inevitably be sexual in nature. The thought seemed to jam in his chest somehow, spreading like unease through his system. Not anxiety, not exactly... he found it difficult to place.
"Elijah?" he asked quietly, aware of his creator's hands on his waist but feeling no inclination to lean into the touch.
"I want you to tell me something, Connor." Elijah explained, gently running his dexterous fingers over Connor's sides and hips - never lingering for long, restlessly searching over his shirt for something that might spark a reaction in Connor's features. "How does it feel to be so close to me? To have my hands on you..."
"I'm aware of your hands against my torso, but I wouldn't say that I feel a particularly strong emotion as a result," he answered, slightly concerned by the vague disappointment in Elijah's expression. He felt as though he was being tested, but he wasn't sure how he was supposed to answer - he wouldn't lie, but the truth didn't seem to be what Elijah was searching for. Was Connor missing something? He adjusted his position slightly and tensed when it elicited a quiet hiss of quickly drawn breath from Elijah. "Sorry, I didn't mean to over-stimulate you. I was adjusting my balance."
"I'm sure you can make it up to me," Elijah's smile slowly took control of the corners of his mouth. "Would you feel differently if it was Chloe's hands? If so, I'm sure that can be arranged."
"I don't think I would feel differently if it was anyone else touching me," he explained,placing his own hands over Elijah's in an effort to still their questing. This particular path of enquiry wasn't going anywhere and that quiet unease was making him tense. He didn't want to disappoint Elijah, but he couldn't force himself to act in a way that was at odds with his own interests - that was the whole point of androids being freed in the first place: allowing them the freedom to do as they wished, rather than following the desire of humans.
Still, he supposed his social algorithms played into the guilt more than a little. He strove to exceed expectations in all avenues of his life... and yet he seemed to be falling crucially behind on his deviant awakening. The thought was bitter on his tongue. "I understand that you're trying to gage whether or not I feel sexual desire, but I don't think I've ever experienced that emotion... I'm sorry if my response disappoints you."
Elijah considered him for a moment before moving his hands away, one of them floating upwards to act as a support so that Connor could remove himself from the close proximity. He did so, gladly, and sat rigidly on the edge of the armchair that faced his host.
"Perhaps you're still too close to your programming, Connor. Don't worry, give it time. I'm sure you'll experience it soon enough... and when you do. Chloe and I would be thrilled to have you back for a little fun - if you'd be interested, of course."
"I'll keep your invitation in mind, thank you," he answered stiffly, unsure how else he could have responded.
The silence sat heavily on his shoulders, prickling against his senses more keenly than Kamski's touch could have. It was an expectant kind of quiet, neither knowing how to proceed. Although nothing had really happened, Connor couldn't help but feel less welcome, as though his invitation to visit had always been a precursor to a more intimate exertion... he had failed to partake in the intended purpose of his visit and he felt that he had better leave rather than taking up more of their time with his unwanted platonic company.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Mr Kamski," Connor uttered quietly as he stood, adjusting his tie more out of habit than actual need. "But I should be getting back to the precinct."
"If you're sure..." Elijah stood and took his hand in a firm shake, fingertips brushing over his wrist. "I hope I haven't offended you, Connor. If I have, I'd rather you told me. I appreciate that my offer is a little forward."
"I'm not offended."
"Then why 'Mr Kamski'?" he asked, his expression indicating amusement.
"A force of habit. I'm sorry, Elijah," Connor corrected, struck again with the suspicion that he was falling short of expectation. "Really, I'm not offended. It's just that I'm currently unable to reciprocate your feelings, I don't wish to waste any more of your time... Thank you for having me."
Connor didn't like to think that his retreat from the residence could be described as 'fleeing', but he supposed it would have been apt. On the drive back to the precinct, he replayed the encounter over in his mind, simulating the touches that he'd experienced in an effort to find some kind of emotion in the memory. The only thing he found was that lingering sense that he had been a disappointment to Elijah and Chloe.
Frustrated, he turned his attention back to his work, distracting himself with something he understood.