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"Where are we going?"
Connor smiled, eyes flicking over to Markus for a moment before turning back, scanning the area before them and continuing on. "You'll see."
Markus didn't think of himself as impatient but the not knowing where they were going was driving him just a little mad. As far as diversions go, this one seemed a little bizarre, with Connor leading him through some bushland just outside Detroit at near sunset.
He wasn't worried; two of them were long past any mistrust as the deviant leader and former deviant hunter, even after all the mess with the gun at Hart Plaza. It spoke of how confident Connor was now about being completely unshackled by Cyberlife, that he was willing to be so alone with Markus. There had been a time when the very thought would have sent Connor running. Now here they were.
"Not much longer, I promise." Connor said, and his secretive smile grew a little at Markus' huff- okay so maybe he was just a little impatient.
The trees around them grew a bit sparser until suddenly they were in a clearing of knee-high grass, the light of the coming sunset bathing everything in an orange glow. A piano of all things sat in the center of the clearing, weather-worn and old but clean.
Markus walked up to it in wonder and found himself playing a melody, a small noise of disbelief escaping him when it turned out to be relatively well-tuned. He turned to Connor in awe. "What is this?"
"That's a piano, Markus. I thought you of all androids could identify one." At Markus' laugh he continued, "I found it while looking through the digital map network a few weeks ago. The maps haven't been updated for a while, but when I came out here to check it out, it was still here." He blinked in confusion, "why it is here is another matter but... humans are strange." He shook his head to clear the thought. "Anyway, it took a bit of cleaning and a lot of tuning and it has some damage that would require further care, but I thought you would appreciate the distraction."
Markus' throat tightened and his thirium pump clenched at the thought that someone would do all this for him... Then again Connor was thoughtful in a way that shouldn't surprise him any more. Markus reached out and Connor reached back, and they shared a quick interface, Markus showing him what words couldn't say- all the gratitude and awe and joy that flowed through him at this heartfelt gesture. Connor's own feelings of gratitude and other much warmer but more complicated emotions flowed back. Curiosity tugged at Markus' mind but out of respect for Connor's privacy he pulled away with a smile then sat down on the piano stool. He patted the space beside him in in invitation, to which Connor accepted without hesitation. "Any suggestions?"
Connor's LED swirled yellow once in thought before settling back to blue and he hesitated briefly before seemingly just going for it. "I know you've shown me the memory, but I've always wanted to hear the song you played that day for Carl," another yellow swirl, "if that's too much..."
The memory played unbidden in Markus' mind at the mention of it, but he found it was bittersweet and not too painful. His hands started playing the tune almost of their own accord, and despite the beautiful scenery, his eyes closed as he truly, truly felt the piece for the first time. He was keenly aware of Connor's presence beside him but he didn't feel watched or judged, just... Free.
When the song came to a close he opened his eyes, his breath catching at the emotion inside of him, as well as at how the sky had transformed while he had played, now an orange-pink with the stars just becoming visible above them. He turned to look at Connor, to thank him for this moment, but the unshed tears in his sunlit honey-brown eyes stopped him in his tracks. Markus reached out, again, this time to comfort him and Connor smiled and shook his head. "I'm okay, just... that was... really beautiful," he breathed.
Markus bashfully looked away and focused on the sunset, the orange giving way to purple as the sun disappeared behind the trees. His thirium pump hammered in his chest, but despite being a bit flustered, he felt more at ease than he remembered being in a long time.
Markus looked back at Connor, who had regained his composure. "This is wonderful, Connor," he gestured around them, "I can't thank you enough for all this."
Connor's eyes were warmer and infinitely more beautiful than any sunset as he looked back at him. "I consider you my closest friend, Markus and you deserve a moment to breathe. It's the least I can do after everything you've done for everyone. And for me." He continued on before Markus could interject. "Now, I don't know if you know this piece, it's pretty obscure, but have you heard of 'Chopsticks'?
A laugh burst out of Markus, light and free and he knew, he knew then that he never wanted Connor to leave his side.
Later...
"You're telling me, that Connor took you to a secluded field at sunset with a piano that he found and fixed up for you to play and un-stress with?"
"Yeah, I just said all that, North."
"And then after the sun set, you both played piano under the stars by candlelight for hours and absolutely nothing else happened?"
"Yes.....? Why are you looking at me like that?"
" I love you dearly, but you're an idiot."
At the same time but in a different part of Detroit...
"You took Markus, the Markus, out on a date?"
"It wasn't a date, Hank. He's my best friend."
"Like hell it wasn't a date. Do me a favour and look up the definition of a date."
"..........oh."
"Yeah, best friend my ass."