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Strong arms pulled Connor into a warm embrace. For a moment, he locked up. In all of his time being activated, he’d never been the recipient of such a gentle touch, and he’d certainly never been hugged before. He couldn’t pin down the emotions it brought forth, but his chest felt tight and warm.
Hank’s relieved sigh rustled Connor’s hair as snowflakes fluttered down around them. Slowly, Connor returned the embrace, his hands fisting Hank’s coat. The android buried his head on Hank’s shoulder and squeezed tighter. The warmth in his chest grew.
He thought back to his activation, mindlessly working cases where and when he was needed. The mission was all that mattered back then. He wondered when his top mission priority shifted from ‘Eliminate the Deviant Threat’ to ‘Ensure Lieutenant Anderson’s Safety’.
Connor felt Hank’s deep chuckle more than he heard it. The elder man loosened his grip and patted Connor on the back. “You tryin’ to suffocate me?” Hank huffed.
“Oh.” Connor released Hank from the hug and put some distance between them. “I apologize.”
There was a moment of silence after that. Hank was shuffling on his feet, looking like he was deliberating something. Connor just hoped he hadn’t ruined the moment by being overzealous. His hands were itching for the coin in his pocket to fill the uneasy moment with something other than the thought that Hank would have to leave soon, and how lost Connor would feel without the one person he felt tethered him to humanity.
“Mmm, well...” Hank mumbled. Connor’s eyes snapped to Hank’s. Hank glanced back at his idling car then at Connor. “We should go home. I’m freezing my fucking balls off,” he said.
Before Connor could ask Hank to clarify what he meant by ‘we’, the elder was already making his way back to the oldsmobile. Hank glanced back at him, looking exasperated.
"Well? Hurry up already. Sumo's probably wondering where the hell we are."
That warm feeling surged in Connor’s chest again as he stepped forward.
Home.
He was going home.