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justsomerandomfanfic · 10 months

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Crazy For You - Stoney 'Stanley' Brown X GN Reader

Title: Crazy For You

Stoney 'Stanley' Brown X GN Reader

Additional Characters: Reader's mother, Dave (Mentioned), Link (Mentioned), Mrs. Freadrick (OC) (Mentioned), Robyn (Mentioned)

Requested By: @zachizthegoat!

WC: 3,478

Warnings: Reader has a mother, flirting, banter, nicknames, prom, Reader's attire is not described (wear whatever you want), very small bit of suggestiveness, Reader is given flowers, brief mention of spiked punch, perfectly choreographed dance, based off the song; Crazy For You by Madonna, and fluff

Stoney let out a sigh, clearing his throat as he waited in the hall, standing by his locker. He had asked you in math class to meet him at his locker a few minutes before lunch let out. And now, Stoney normally wasn't normally a nervous person, he was usually a pretty confident, wacky guy. But, right now he was fidgeting with his fingers and turning his head at every little noise in hopes to see you walking down the hall with that perfect smile of yours. You had been friends with him and Dave since freshman year, and ever since meeting you, Stoney was hooked; line and sinker.

Stoney was pretty obvious that he was interested in you, and you seemed to have noticed. You and Stoney would end up flirting every time you guys hung out; which would also always annoy Dave. And yet, nothing really came out of it. But Stoney really liked you, more than anyone else, really. He was crazy for you, if you wanted, he’d walk all the way to the ‘Food 7 Mart’, just to buy you a burrito; and split it fifty-fifty with you.

But, seriously, you were perfect. He loved the way your hair framed your face, the way your eyes lit up when you told him about the newest movie you saw, and how you’d bite your lip when concentrating on something. And you understood him and his weird sayings, which was awesome. You were so understanding and sweet. You were always there for him if he needed someone to talk to or just hang out with, and you never judged him; as most people at the school and in the small town did the opposite of.

Stoney, though, was so stuck in his head, thinking about you, that he didn't even hear you come up and stand beside him. His eyes stared down at the floor tiles, thinking about the time you shared a roll of SweetTarts with him, when he finally recognized your beat-up black Converse next to his, only then did he snap his head up to meet your gaze with his; his curls bouncing as he did so.

You gave him your stunning smile, one hand holding the strap of your black, canvas backpack as you looked at him expectedly, "So..." You began, tilting your head slightly to the left, "You told me you needed to tell me something." Your voice sounded hopeful, yet curious as Stoney gave you a sheepish smile. “And you sounded pretty… I don’t know, anxious…” You added, tilting your head slightly. This whole scenario surprised you slightly, for all the years you've known Stoney, you'd never seen him so nervous. He was always the self-assured one of your tiny friend group; the voice of reason. Seeing him fumble a bit was something that took you aback.

"Well, I actually have a question for you, babe." He corrected, clearing his throat; the little nickname he had for you, which he gave to you back in freshman year, always made you smile widen ever-so-slightly and your cheeks burn. "I was just wondering if you'd like to go to Prom with me? And maybe after we can swing by and wheeze the jui-ce." He asked nonchalantly, a huge weight being lifted off his shoulders as he said the last part; almost as if he was having any other conversation. He let a grin then spread across his face, which did help calm his nerves slightly.

You grinned back at Stoney and you couldn't help but let out a little giggle, "I'd love to go to Prom with you, Stoney." You replied, your stomach filling up with butterflies as you mentally cheered; you had been hoping Stoney would ask you. "And I'd love to wheeze the juice with you as well." You teased, giggling again when the tips of Stoney's ears turned a deep shade of pink. He tried once more to just brush it all off and act like he wasn't that affected by your angelic laughter, but he was; he always was.

"Well, I can pick you up at seven,” He finally spoke, his hand coming up to lightly scratch at his cheek, feeling the room heat up to an almost scorching degree; was the school hot, or was it just you? "We'd have to walk to the school, my scooter is broken," He then brought up, feeling bad but you only shook your head lightly, raising both your hands to grasp the lapels of his blue denim jacket, pressing the fabric down and smoothing it over.

"Don't worry your cute curly head about that," You spoke softly, the smile still on your face as you looked up into his honey-brown eyes from the colorful patterns that lay on the fabric; your hands resting on his shoulders, "Just relax, we’ll just have more time to hang out then." You reassured, squeezing his shoulders gently before letting go of him. “Plus, we can get some steps in.” You joked, as Stoney gave you his trademark smile.

Nodding, his curls bounced with him, "See you Saturday, babe."

You just let out a small huff, your eyes narrowed playfully as you tugged on the hanging purple fabric of the bandana wrapped around his temple, "See you Saturday, Stone." You answered back before passing him and walking away.

Watching as you walked down the hall, Stoney couldn't stop his grin from growing, and once you turned the corner and were out of sight, Stoney let out a small cheer. Doing a small victory dance before he went in search of Dave for the last five minutes of lunch to tell him the good news.

~~~

You brushed down your attire, you turned every which way as you looked into the mirror. It was nice, ignoring the anxiety, you felt very confident in it. Fixing your hair again and double-checking that you had everything you could possibly need, you heard a knock on your open bedroom door. You looked up at the mirror, your hands fidgeting with the soft fabric of your clothing as your eyes met your mother's. She stared at you, with a small smile on her face, making you feel a little bit better.

"You look wonderful, honey," She softly spoke as you turned round to face her, "You chose well." She complimented, reaching forward and taking hold of your hands gently, stroking them with the pads of her thumbs. The gentle gesture helped calm your nerves greatly.

You smiled and nodded your head, "Thank you, Mom." You answered, taking your hands out of her and clasping your hands together before you.

Your mother nodded before she raised an eyebrow, a small grin on her face, "You going with that Stanley kid?"

You felt your face heat up at her question as you nodded, "Yeah, Stoney asked me Friday," You answered once more, and your mother nodded. She knew the young man ever since you became friends with him and David, you wouldn't stop talking about him some days. She knew how much you cared about him. Her eyes softened, watching as you stood there with a proud smile on your face. Your excitement radiates through the air around you.

"Well," She let out a sigh, "I'm happy for you two. He knows to bring you back at ten, right?" She asked and you nodded, the anxiety you were once feeling dissipating to a point that you were able to speak without feeling your words trip on the tip of your tongue. "Alright, then," She paused, thinking over what she wanted to say next, "Be safe on the way home, yeah?" Her voice came out almost teasing and you rolled your eyes. “Don’t roll your eyes at me, people also drive at night. I don’t want you to get run over - and no funny business.” She added, shaking a finger at you half-jokingly.

"I’ll be fine, Mom," You said bashfully, "And we’re just friends.”

Your mother just stared at you, giving you an all-knowing look, "Really? Friends don't ask each other to Prom." She spoke and you just let out a small chuckle.

"Actually, they do, Mom," You corrected, only to see that she was just playing with you, making you let out a sigh of your own, "He'll be here soon, I should-"

The sound of the doorbell interrupted you, and your mother couldn't help but smile before pulling you into a hug. "I'll see you soon. You two have fun."

You nodded before you headed down the stairs and to the door. Letting out a shaky breath, you felt your nerves bubble as you reached out for the doorknob. Taking another deep breath, you opened the door and saw Stoney waiting for you at the door. You were sure your heart skipped several beats seeing him. He looked like his perfect usual self, dressed in flared pants, a fancy button-up over a white shirt, and a purple scarf. You felt a bit overdressed, but that didn't seem to matter to Stoney cause once he saw you, his jaw dropped. You just smiled, feeling your cheeks warm up as Stoney ran his gaze up and down your form.

"Woah," He breathed out quietly and you chuckled, "You look gorgeous, babe." He spoke sincerely and you blushed at his compliment, you almost thought he'd wolf howl at you like he did most of the time at school but tonight seemed different.

"You look great too, Stone." You answered, noticing that Stoney had a hand behind his back. Raising an eyebrow, you spoke again, “You hidin’ something, Stone?” You asked, watching as his eyes lit up in realization and he brought his arm out to reveal the small bouquet of what looked like wildflowers.

“Oh! These are for you,” He answered, offering the small bouquet out to you as you couldn’t help but let your smile widen.

You took the flowers in your hands, pretending not to have noticed when your fingers brushed against his, “These are beautiful, Stoney.” Your smile then turned into a small smirk as you gave Stoney a look, “Did you get these from Mrs. Freadrick's yard?” You asked, referring to the sweet old lady who lived just down the road from Stoney's house.

Stoney let go of the breath he'd been holding, smiling sheepishly as he nodded, "Uh, yeah."

You only shook your head, letting out a small laugh, “Well, thank you nonetheless, Stone.” Stoney gave you a toothy smile, which made your heart race as you let out a sigh. “I’ll quickly put these in some water.” You added, rushing inside to find a vase. Stoney looked around the entrance of the home, taking note of the pictures hung in nice frames around the room. He hummed some sort of tune as he looked around, his eyes then landing on you as you exited the kitchen. “Alright, let’s head out. Don’t want to miss any of the good songs.” You joked, grabbing your small bag from the table near the door.

“Alright! Party time!” Stoney cheered, making you laugh as you headed back to the door with him. Turning at the door, Stoney raised a hand to the side of his mouth, “Have a good night, Mrs. L/N!” He called out to your mom, making you grab him arm and pull him out of the house.

Closing the front door behind the two of you as you stepped out. “You’re killing me, Stoney.” You looked up at him with a smile, as Stoney offered you his arm and you took it, wrapping your hand around his bicep.

Stoney only looked down at you, wiggling his eyebrows, “Softly, I hope.”

~~~

The beginning of the walk was nice, quiet, and peaceful; you really enjoyed it. "I hope you're not cold," Stoney then spoke up, gaining your attention. "I'd offer my shirt," He gestured to the button-up with his free hand, looking down at you to gauge your reaction only for you to shake your head.

"I'm good, but thank you, Stoney." You replied, glancing up at him with a smile.

Stoney couldn't help but smile back, "If you say so, babe. Just know the offer is always on the table, ahh-wooooooo!" Okay, there was the Stoney you knew and loved. You couldn't stop the laughter bubbling inside of you, as you tried to stifle it, which resulted in Stoney chuckling along as well, his smile widening before he spoke up once more, "Do you think they'll have the four basic food groups?" He asked, and you shrugged your shoulders.

"Maybe, I don't think they'll have burritos or Milk Duds there though," You commented and Stoney let out a hum, nodding his head slowly, "But they'll probably have punch," You suggested, looking up at Stoney who was staring at you, "What?" You questioned, tilting your head slightly to the side as you waited for his answer.

Stoney shook his head slightly, tsking, "That's not part of the four basic food groups, babe," He answered before throwing a hand in the air abruptly, "But! We're going to wheeze the jiu-ce after this fiasco, so I can reteach you then." He trailed off, right as you got to the school.

~~~

Though the gym was dark, colorful lights made it possible to see as the music from the band played loud enough for it to fill your ears. You held onto Stoney, tightening your hold on his arm as you entered, feeling anxious once more. But, Stoney was quick to distract you, steering you right over to the hopefully not spiked punch bowl. As you took sips of your punch, your eyes landed on Dave, Link, and Robyn, already dancing on the dance floor. You watched Link boogie down and turned to Stoney, watching as he bobbed his head to the beat and shimmied a bit in his spot; his eyes narrowed in on the dancefloor.

You knew he wanted to go over there, have a good time and you didn't want to stop him. Finishing your drink, you began to feel more and more comfortable before turning back to Stoney. "Hey, you can go and dance. I'll be alright here." You spoke, his chocolate brown eyes meeting yours.

Stoney looked at you, eyebrows raised as he glanced over to the dance floor and back at you, uncertainly, "Are you sure, babe? Don't want to leave you hanging."

Your brows furrowed as you shook your head, "Don't worry about it. Go and have some fun, you deserve it. And besides," You added when you noticed Stoney's worried expression, raising your hand to let your fingers gently brush his cheek, brushing back some curls, "You can save the slow dance for me." You teased, causing Stoney to chuckle lightly, and you found yourself smiling, glad you had put a small bit of levity back into things.

"Thanks," Stoney muttered as he leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to your cheek, his lips lingering there for a moment, "See ya later, ba-be." He trailed off, almost song-like before he then slid into the dance circle, masterfully joining Link in his dance.

You watched with a fond smile, unable to take your eyes off him as he helped Dave and Link lead the dance mob. You felt your heartbeat increase, your breathing a little irregular, as you watched him sway with the crowd, dancing with ease as if he belonged there. You felt your stomach grow tight, and your mouth growing dry as your gaze lingered on his strong, lean build. Your eyes followed every move he made as he moved gracefully across the floor. Yeah, you were definitely in love with Stoney. It was impossible not to be.

Before you knew it, the band finished their song, and another fun song came on. Robyn noticed you on the sidelines and dragged you in, swinging hers and your arms together to the beat. You did your best to let go and have fun, letting the music flow through you. Another three songs followed before finally the slow song echoed throughout the speakers; one that you recognized. Other students and their dates found each other on the dance floor, arms around waists and necks as they swayed. You looked around the gym, unable to spot Stoney at all until you felt someone tap your shoulder. Turning, you almost sighed with relief as Stoney gave you his charming grin, offering out his hand to you.

"I believe I owe you a dance," He spoke and you took his hand without question as you both walked towards the dance floor. His hand fit perfectly in yours and you couldn't help but feel a tingle run down your spine at his warm touch.

On the dance floor, Stoney slowly placed his hands respectably on your waist, your arms going and wrapping around his neck; following the other couples' movements. As the song continued, Stoney's moves became a lot smoother; it wasn't long before he was leading you in small circles. The song, a favorite of yours, 'Crazy For You' by Madonna played, making you smile lightly, your fingers moving with a mind of their own to twist into Stoney’s curls. You felt Stoney's thumbs gently brushing over your waist, soothing you yet also leaving goosebumps in their place, and allowing yourself to take a small step closer to the weasel.

Looking into his eyes, you realized he was looking straight at you, a light flush dusting his cheeks as his thumb still softly brushed over the fabric of your attire; the warmth of his hands seeping into you. Your mind went blank for a moment, as if you couldn't think properly, trying to focus on the beat of the song and the slight sway Stoney was doing. But all you could think about was him, and how he made you feel safe, cared for… Loved. How he could calm you down and even make you flush just by being near. As you kept on dancing, you couldn’t help but look at the beautiful man in front of you. Your eyes drifted over his face, from the dimples in his cheeks to the small smile that played on his lips.

Stoney felt like he was dreaming, watching you dance with him made his heart race. You were so beautiful that it hurt, you were the definition of perfection; everything else fell away and he couldn't help but admire your beauty. Your smile was infectious, your laugh was melodic, and your eyes held his future. Even your fingers in his hair were hypnotic. There wasn't anything he wanted more than to spend the rest of his life with you by his side.

At the height of the music, even though it was still a slow song, Stoney abruptly twirled you out; surprising you and earning a giggle from you as you spun around. Once you came back to his side, he continued to surprise you as he dipped you low before slowly bringing you back up. You let out a breath, your chest heaving slightly as you stared up at Stoney with a smile. He did the same, reaching out with his hand to brush away a couple of stray hairs before he cupped your cheek.

You leaned into his palm and he leaned toward you, your lips nearly touching before your noses bumped together instead. The contact sent shivers down your spine, making your body temperature rise slightly. Your eyes fluttered closed as you felt his lips ghost over yours; moving against yours with such care and delicacy that you forgot all of the noise around you, only focused on Stoney and you. When he pulled away, your eyes opened slowly; fluttering. The corner of your lips turned upwards at the emotion in Stoney’s eyes, holding so much admiration and warmth. A flush crept its way onto your face as you continued to gaze into his chocolate-colored eyes; they were shining bright as they bore into your own.

Suddenly, he tilted his head back, letting out another wolf howl, immediately making you laugh; covering your mouth with your hand. Stoney looked back down at you, admiring how happy you looked, eyes closed and a huge smile on your face. The colorful lights hit you gracefully, casting soft shadows and highlighting your features perfectly; painting you in pinks, blues, and yellow. As if in slow-motion, he watched as you opened your eyes, calming down from your laughter; Stoney wondered if this was what love felt like.

He grinned back at you, giving you a playful wink before he rested his forehead against yours. "Let's get outta here, yeah?" Stoney mumbled, and you gave him a nod in response; not trusting your voice. Taking your hand, waved goodbye to Dave, Link, and Robyn before leaving the gym and the school entirely to get your slushie.

#cute #fluff #x reader #fanfic #fanfiction #requested #x you #x y/n #stoney brown #stanley stoney brown #stoney brown x reader #stoney brown encino man #encino man #stoney brown x gn reader #stoney brown x you #stoney brwon x y/n #x gn reader #encino man x reader

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themostcleverandwittyname · 6 years

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Posing: (Detroit Become Human Fanfic)(Connor X OC)

CH1 CH2 CH3 CH4 CH5 CH6 CH7 CH8 CH9

Summary:

Claire finally has the funding that she needs to do some proper research on the possible causes of deviancy, and with Cyberlife breathing down her neck she is more inspired not to fail than ever before. To succeed, she must pose as an android for thirty days and record what it is like to be in such a position.

It just so happens that an android that is designed to notice any human behavior in a machine has made his way into the same police station that she chose for her research, which means that she cannot let a single mistake catch his eyes.

Chapter 6: Striking a Deal

Chapter 6 on AO3

Royally fucked.

She was royally fucked.

A few seconds passed, feeling like an eternity as she stared at the android in shock, half unbelieving that she had been caught and half mentally telling herself I told you so . She felt her face heat up and her heartbeat go crazy as she was at a loss for words. It was all over. She had been caught and she would have to abandon her research that she had worked so hard to get. Her heart sank and the uneasy feeling of fear and defeat she had was making it hard to breathe. She felt like a young kid standing in front of an angry school principal.

Except, the android in front of her wasn’t angry.

He stared back at her, patiently waiting for her response. Of course, he’s an android. He wouldn’t be as upset about this as she is. He wouldn’t be angry with her for trying to fool him, nor would be merciful in dropping her on her head if someone needed him to rat her out. If it helped him. She took a slow breath and swallowed, looking over the android for any indication that she could maybe change his mind. She wouldn’t let him get in the way of the research, she couldn’t!

He was holding something out to her, taking a step towards her nearly making her bolt. She felt like running, but she knew that would only make the android in front of her more suspicious. She leaned forward to more carefully inspect what the brunette was offering her, her reluctance to take it made her anxious to even so much as let it near her.

It was a small, first aid sized packet of topical burn cream.

Was he too programmed to care for humans? To aid them like a house android? So that’s why he had spontaneously disappeared from where he had been sitting. To go get burn cream? How long had he known and why had he kept silent?

She realized that the tension in the air was growing with each passing second of silence, her distrust and hesitance clear in her whole aura. The Connor let his brown eyes dart from the burn cream in his hand to her face, seeming confused as to why she wasn’t taking it immediately. He didn’t have any indication of running off to yell to everyone in the office that their new cleaning android was, in fact, a clumsy human woman… yet anyways.

Slowly, Claire took the burn cream from the android’s hand, watching as his fingers curled close after she lifted the packet from his hand. She gave him another questioning glance, his eyes lingering at his hand as he left it to return to his side. He seemed so human in even the way his eyes moved to look back at her expectantly. Cyberlife did an outstanding job.

Ripping the packet open, she cleared her throat, trying to settle any shakiness in her voice from having been caught, not wanting her stress to show. There was no point in acting like an android now, letting her normal tone of voice take over, after glancing out the entranceway to ensure no one was coming.

“So… Should I take this as a way of saying that you’re not going to say anything?” she asked, her voice coming out small, not hesitating to squeeze the clear paste onto her fingers to spread across her burned arm. “A peace offering?” she added, taking her eyes from her arm to gauge the reaction of the android. The cream was already beginning to soothe the throbbing scald, though she doubted it would do much to conceal the redness.

The Connor looked away in thought before shaking his head, his arms folding behind his back, a sure statement that he meant business. She should have known.

“As much as I find it interesting to let you continue whatever this is, I can’t allow for any suspicion that a deviant may be at the very police station that I am investigating in. It will reflect poorly on me, and that is not an option.” The android spoke matter of factly, his soft voice was edged with a curt seriousness. She felt her heart leap and the uneasy feeling of panic rose in her chest. She shook her head in disbelief.

“Not if there is no suspicion. If you don’t say anything, I doubt anyone will suspect anything. Please.” she offered, her desperation tingling her voice, but she was still able to keep her voice lowered and steady. She had forgotten the burn and the cream, now only hanging on what the android said in response. The Connor model tilted his head to the side, taking a step closer to her. His eyebrows pulled together and his eyes narrowed as he thought on his next words. His voice lowered slightly, just above a whisper.

“There will be suspicion because you will mess up eventually. You have already made mistakes that will eventually be noticed. I have no choice but to set this right, the security of my mission comes first. Your time here is over, Miss Ripley.” he spoke directly and his voice held a certainty. It was true that she had messed up and it was true that she would mess up again, but it didn’t mean that she couldn’t make things right.

She couldn’t let this happen. She couldn’t let him out her like this, not when she has worked so hard. It wasn’t just for her sake anymore, Cyberlife also relied on her not to mess this up. They wanted to use her research to understand things better too. What could she do? What could she say to convince him not to spill this secret? An idea popped into her mind, a desperate idea that may work if she tried hard enough. She doubted she could shake the android’s determination, but it was worth a try. She licked her lips and tried to string together something that was appealing, even if it was a dead end.

“Your mission, Connor, it’s very important to you, right? I know you are here to investigate deviants, but that’s what I’m doing too.” she began, the android’s eyes studied her as she pieced together an appeal. His eyes were still narrowed, no indication of changing his mind evident in his brown eyes yet. It didn’t mean that she couldn’t still try. “My question is, are you here to just capture deviants or do you also want to understand them?”

The android’s eyes shown a glimmer of curiosity, of consideration for what she was saying. The indecisiveness passed through his face before his stoney, unaffected demeanor took back over.

“It doesn’t matter whether or not I wish to understand them. My mission is to stop any human casualties when deviants are involved. If that means capturing or killing a deviant, then so be it.” he said, confident in his answer. His very obviously pre-programmed answer that was too vague to hold any real importance. Turning on his heel, he made it clear he was done with the conversation, unable to be convinced.

Claire began to panic, desperate to convince him not to tell on her. She couldn’t let this chance slip away. Without thinking, she lunged forward and grabbed the android by the wrist, prepared to yank him back towards her if necessary. The contact was enough to stop the brunette, who gave her a disbelieving and surprised look as if he expected her just to be okay with him ruining her experiment so easily. For a moment, she had to come to terms with what she had just done, but she quickly pushed regret away. She couldn’t change it now.

“No. What do you really want? If you want to know about deviants better than what a case file can give then I can share with you everything I know. I’ll give you my research. I-I’ll tell you my personal theories. This might help your mission, please just consider it. I can help you if you help me.” she gushed, her voice cracked with her desperation and panic. She had almost shouted at him, the sudden rush of boldness had left her breathless, her heart skipping beats.

The android, whose wrist she still held firmly, looked down his arm at her, his face flushed of any certainty or definite answer. He opened his mouth to speak but shut his lips to pick his words. She could see the gears turning behind his eyes, his expression softened as he carefully decided what to do. Had she imagined the emotion she thought she saw flicker in his eyes?

“Please.” she added, the quietness of her voice a stark contrast to the rushed and panicked tone she had only seconds ago. The android looked away and shut his eyes, slowly pulling his wrist from her grip. She felt a flash of embarrassment, not realizing she still had a hold of him.

“Okay. Okay, I’ll… help you if you can give me some helpful insight on deviants. I will need to talk to you in private, so no suspicion is aroused.” he offered and she nearly fell on the ground with relief. She allowed herself to breathe again, the horrid tension lifted from her shoulders.

“Oh my god, thank you. Thank you so much. You don’t know how much this means to me.” she breathed out, leaning over to take in a deep breath. The android stood and watched her, letting her get her bearings properly. His dark eyes held such a distinct curiosity, giving her a sincere look as she finally stood up straight.

“I’ll take this chance to introduce myself. My name is Connor, I’m the android sent by Cyberlife to investigate the growing deviancy case. You knew this already, but introductions are always a good start to an agreement.” he stated as if he were reading from an etiquette manual. He offered his hand out to shake hers, the light color of his skin contrasted the dark grey of his uniform.

Claire smiled, genuinely for the first time that day. She accepted the android’s handshake, her palm locking with his lukewarm hand. His artificial skin was smooth and soft, just like the real thing.

“My name is Claire Ripley. Please just call me Claire. I’m conducting a human social experiment to try and link the causes of deviancy to human behavior. It’s nice to meet you, Connor.” She returned his greeting and let her hand fall from his own after a short handshake. She hated handshakes, but she owed it to him after he agreed to help her. He gave her a small smile and she attempted to ground herself.

“So, uh… Private talk, right? I don’t think it would be a good idea to talk here. You’re just waiting around to be assigned a partner, right? That’s what the captain said.” she pointed out, her fingers drifted over her scalded skin on her arm, which felt much better after applying the cream.

The Connor… no, just Connor, still skeptical of her claims, gave a non-committed nod. She knew that her security wasn’t yet set in stone, knowing that if what she had to share wasn’t somewhat beneficial to his case, he may not hold up his end of the deal.

“Yes, the break room is too open. May I suggest we go to-” she cut the android off, who had missed the point of what she was saying by not talking here .

“No, I mean not here at all. I could… take a late lunch.” she thought aloud, the idea of eating outside on such a pleasant day was amazing, especially considering the forecast for the rest of the week called for rain and the possibility of snow. Connor didn’t agree, his head shook and he adjusted his sleeve.

“I can’t leave the station without a human escort and I don’t know if you qualify. I’m afraid it would be out of the question not only for me but for you, as androids don’t leave for lunch.” he stated, his eyebrow raised, not seeming objected to the idea of leaving but rather limited by the rules. Claire chewed her lip and placed her hands on her hips in thought. The android stared at her blankly as she came up with a solution.

“It’s okay. The captain said that I, as an android, can go run an errand if I need. This can be my errand. ”

Soft music played through the speakers, the low hum of her car mingling with the sound of the vocals in the song.

With just a bit of struggle, she was able to convince the captain to allow her to take the very expensive prototype from the police station, giving her word that if anything happened to the unique model, she would pay for it. Of course, before she could leave, she had to quickly mop up the coffee that had been sloshed on her by the scumbag who burned her. Connor hadn’t said much of a word since their quick agreement in the breakroom, saving his questions for when they got out of there.

She would have assumed that he would begin his questionnaire in the taxi ride to her car, which was unusually silent. Not that she minded, but she was used to rather talkative androids. Once she got to her car, she had pulled her scarlet jacket over her uniform, the thick polyester material warm but not overbearingly so. She pulled the sticker from her temple and placed the fake LED on the sheet where the other backups where the adhesive still strong on the back of it. She wondered if the sticker had bed flickering red the entire time that she was having that unfortunately stressful conversation with the android back at the station.

He merely watched her do this and only had the occasional comment, like That LED is a nice replica, but it’s flawed or I’ve detected that your sugar levels are below the daily standard humans . For the most part, he was silent and seemed to study her by the little actions she did and the little things she mumbled under her breath, his LED spiraling yellow at strange things like that. She assumed that he would begin his questions for her about her position, about deviancy, about her motives and things like that once she got to the small cafe that she was a regular at. However, her assumption that was based on the taxi ride was wrong, his voice pulling her back to reality.

“This song… I’ve never listened to music like this before. Are all songs this hard to understand?” he asked, his uncertainty clear in his voice. Claire took her eyes off the road to glance over at him, sitting straight up in the seat with his fingers locked on his lap. He looked at her phone screen, which had the queue of music from her playlist displayed on the multi-sided screen. She hadn’t been paying any attention to the songs that had been playing, her tired mind somewhere else.

She took a moment to listen to the song, that was now ending as recognized it as a song in another language that she was fond of because of the lyrics. The song was called Singularity. She reached over and tapped the screen to pause the music so that she could ask him a question, choosing to see if he could provide her with an opinion or just a vague I’m not programmed for this answer. She was interested to see just how advanced this android was.

“What are you finding hard to understand? The music itself, the way the vocals are sung, or the lyrics?” she asked nonchalantly, glancing over to see his reluctance to admit his confusion on the matter.

“The music is slow and melodic, but it didn’t strike me as strange, but rather just what I can see as being normal song structure given my lack of knowledge on musical structure. The vocals are standard as well. When I translated the lyrics, that’s where I can’t understand the meaning. It’s talking about something but I think it’s more than that. Almost as if it means something else.” he admitted, choosing his words honestly and carefully. She tried to go through the song lyrics in her head to recall what it had been about.

“It's a metaphor if I am remembering correctly.” she stated, more to herself than to him. “Help me out here, what are the lyrics that are strange to you, if you don’t mind telling me.” she offered and the android took an artificial breath.

“ A sound of something breaking, I awake from my sleep. A sound full of unfamiliarity, I try to cover my ears but I can’t go back to sleep .” he began reciting the lyrics, a rush of remembrance pierced her. It had been a while since she herself looked over the lyrics. “ The pain in my throat gets worse as I try to cover it. I don’t have a voice. Today I hear that sound again .” she listens as he continues to recite the lyrics.

“ It’s ringing again, the sound of another crack on this frozen lake. I dumped myself into the lake and I buried my voice for you. Over the winter lake I was thrown. A thick ice has formed in the dream I spent little time in. My agonizing phantom pain is still the same. Have I lost myself ,” he continued, and Claire remembered why she loved the song. “ Or have I gained you? I suddenly run to the lake. There’s my face in it, please don’t say anything. ” his voice continued, his confusion was felt in each of the words of the lyrics he was reciting.

“ I reach out my hand to cover my mouth, but in the end, spring will come someday. The ice will melt and flow away. Please tell me my voice isn’t real .” he paused before finishing the last lyrics of the song. “ I shouldn’t have thrown myself away. Tell me if even this pain isn’t real. What else was I supposed to do back then? ” he finished, and Claire gave him another look, her heart swelled at the emotion of the song, glad that it was one that was in her playlist. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke again, his brown eyes looking down at his hands.

“I think the whole song is strange to me because it talks about hearing a lake shatter to find another you under that lake. Why would the singer cover his own mouth under the lake? Did he stick the other him under the lake? It doesn’t make sense.” Connor spilled, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. Oh jeez, how was Claire supposed to explain this?

“Like I said, its a metaphor. There isn’t actually a lake, the lake is representing something else. When the songwriter talks about covering the mouth of the other him, it’s more like when you stop yourself from saying something in your mind. The song holds a deep meaning, but someone who has experienced this will easily be able to relate to it.” Claire semi-explained, only touching on a few of the lyrics.

“Why would someone want to keep themselves from saying something? If the lake is what’s keeping the truth in, then spring is when it comes out?” he guessed, she noticed that this time he said the word truth instead of voice. It hurt how close the android was to understanding, yet so far. It was an emotional thing, if she were being honest, and the android next to her wouldn’t understand if he weren’t deviant, right?

“Kinda… Connor, what do you think it means? How does it make you feel?” she asked, giving him a glance and watching as her word choice backfired, his confusion and a spray of doubt crossed his face, if she were able to correctly determine that he looked doubtful.

“I-I can’t say. I don’t feel anything when I hear it, but it almost seems as if there’s more to it than that. More that I can’t understand. Is it something only humans can understand?” he finally had an inkling, wondering if it was something humans get. Claire squeezed her lips tight, knowing full and well that he was half correct.

“I wouldn’t say that it’s exclusively something humans can understand. Maybe you’ll understand the meaning one day.” she said, hopeful that the android might one day understand how to feel. She knew it was something almost sinister to wish, but maybe the android sitting next to her wouldn’t be blind forever. He blinked and considered her words, still not seeming to understand but not wanting to argue.

“Oh.” was all that left his lips.

The car was silent for only a minute or so more before she pulled into the square that housed a nice cafe, a few clothing stores, and a small general store. The square had a memorial in the center along with park benches and some trees that had already long ago lost their leaves.

She announced that they had arrived and got out of the car, watching as the brunette did the same, tugging at his tie as he shut the door. He glanced around at people walking down the street, looking super out of place among the people walking on the sidewalk, awkward, stiff, and as non-casual as she had ever seen. She led him to the front of the cafe and ordered a coffee before even being seated, lucky for her, the only place that the cafe would allow an android to sit even with a human was outside at the metal tables. It was right where she wanted, but she would have had a major problem if it had been raining outside, refusing to let the android stand in the rain.

She eagerly sipped the hot coffee, pulling the collar of the scarlet jacket up to protect herself from the moderate autumn air as she sat down at the table. Connor followed suit and sat down in front of her, propping his elbows up on the table. She got a chance to really look at him in the sunlight, able to appreciate the simple aesthetics that the designers of Connor decided to put into his model. His complexion looked even fairer in the sunlight, but not overly pale. His small flecks of freckles where few and far in between on his face, which was complemented nicely by the dark hair and eyes to match. He looked natural and authentic, his curved eyebrows and curious, almost innocent eyes added to it. He didn’t look as if he were designed in the traditional sense. He didn’t look planned. He looked real. Claire found herself just studying him, from his looks to his strange facial expressions and habitual movements that ranged from straightening his tie to rubbing his hands together. He was a very interesting android.

But there was no doubt he could doom her experiment without batting an eye.

The server came and took her order, the cafe opting to have human servers instead of androids. The woman recognized Claire as being a regular and jokingly asked her what the hell she was doing having some android as a lunch guest. Claire brushed it off and ordered her usual.

She couldn’t help but feel guilty for letting Connor hear such negativity surrounding something as simple as his presence. She didn’t want any android to feel that way. Of course, he didn’t react but just listened without a word as she ordered. They were both faced with a short period of silence before either of them spoke up.

“T-800? That’s the model number you used today in the station. I reviewed the current list of model numbers, but that one is not registered by Cyberlife.” he asked, the silence crushed. She took a deep breath and gave a nervous laugh at the memory, knowing that the android in front of her would most likely not understand the irony she faces in having to explain.

“Oh… yeah. That was from a movie and the number of the main character was T-800. It’s kinda distasteful, but it was the first thing that came out of my mouth.” she explained, tilting her coffee to the side on the table, balancing it so it didn’t tip over. The android raised his eyebrows at her vague explanation. She silently begged that he not ask for more of an explanation, hoping to save herself from embarrassment or guilt.

“Distasteful? I don’t see how a movie reference can be distasteful, but I have no opinion on that. I have never watched a movie.” he admitted, leaning forward in interest. Somehow, she knew he would go there.

“It’s distasteful because it could be considered offensive… in a way. It’s a movie about a robot that was sent back in time to neutralize the mother of the leader of the human rebellion against robot rule. He didn’t succeed, but the movie is incredibly tense and action-packed.” she said, taking another long gulp of the coffee, “But I don’t want to talk about that right now.” she said, her hand gestured as if she were brushing aside the thought.

The android looked curious, but then accepted the fact that there were more important things to talk about now. She felt a twinge of pity for him, having never watched a movie. Would he even care? Would it interest him? She didn’t know and focused on her most pressing question. Something she had wondered this whole time. She let her eyes linger over the model number on Connor’s jacket along with the long serial number beneath it. Were there more Connor models or was this the only one deployed?

“So, Connor. Tell me about yourself. What sets you apart from the other androids walking around? What technologies do you have that makes you able to be considered investigative?” she asked, watching as the wind ruffled his brown hair. He answered without hesitation, most likely programmed to respond to this question with ease, his awkwardness faded away to be replaced with rehearsed words.

“I was built with the ability to scan and analyze a scene to recreate the possible events that took place within the crime scene. I can connect individual pieces of information or evidence to link together important aspects, such as with objects, the velocity, direction of travel, trajectory, and path of collision based on physical attributes such as density, friction, and outside factors like weather conditions. This makes the evidence in the crime scene easy to read and easy to determine the events that lead up to the outcome. This is all possible with my integrated physical simulation software.” he blinked and continued his long-winded explanation.

“I am also able to analyze biological and chemical evidence in real time to speed up the process of lengthy lab reports to mear seconds. This makes analyzing things like blood types, chemical compounds, and DNA quick and efficient without flaw. I also have a software that can predict imminent events and the probability of the outcome in means of percentages, so I can decide on my approaches in accordance with that statistic.” She thought he was done, but he continued on, her mind reeling at the amount of technological advancement he had.

“My social module allows me to adapt to the psychology and behavior of humans, calculating appropriate responses to human instability and unpredictability as well and individual personalities and preferences. This allows me to diffuse situations with high tension and provides a useful path for negotiation based on each individual human attribute.” he stopped and gauged Claire’s wide-eyed expression. “Do you wish for me to continue to list the reasons why I am more than qualified enough to handle investigative work, or are you satisfied with my explanation?” he asked with a smirk. She stared at him in awe as she realized that he not only was expertly designed but also is confident enough to smirk at her. This is why she lost her job.

She stared at him dumbly, at a loss for words. Shit, he didn’t need her research if he was this good. She certainly had to be very careful not to spill too much during this lunchtime chat. She had to give him enough information not to rat her out and to satisfy him enough to help her, but she could see in the android’s eyes that she couldn’t dig her own grave. She had things she needed to protect and she couldn’t let anything slip that would cause the advanced prototype in front of her to decide that she was knowledgeable enough to be interrogated for his investigation. She remembered the cold determination he held in his eyes when he was set on exposing her in the breakroom. She couldn’t trust him.

“I now know that I will never be able to commit a crime and get away with it thanks to you.” she said with a laugh, hoping to hide her internal flashing of red flags. The android leaned back in his chair, his smirk molded into a half-hearted smile.

“You don’t have to worry about that. I will most likely never be able to work on human cases. Once I crack the deviant case, I will no longer have a function and I doubt I will be reassigned.” he admitted, the implications of what he said resonated with her in a way that left a bad taste in her mouth. She knew that he would most likely be decommissioned if he solved the case, the cruel reality for androids. She knew she shouldn't care, but it was so disgustingly horrible that she felt her heart drop. What if humans were just killed because they were done with a task? It was horrible. Her objection must have shown on her face because Connor took his eyes away from hers in thought.

“If you’re okay to begin, I believe you agreed to share with me your research and theories on deviancy.” he began, changing the subject. “Any information you have to give may be helpful if it has the proper research and evidence supporting it.” he reminded her with a smile, a soft contrast to the cold and ambitious words that preceded it. She pressed her lips into a line and tried to figure out where to begin.

The android watched her with curious eyes, she wondered how his expression could change from so robotic to warm and friendly. Perhaps it was the social module he mentioned, the very thought hinted that any further conversations she had with him, if any, may be calculated in a way that appeals to her for his benefit. She felt a bit exploited, knowing that she couldn’t believe it even if the android attempted to befriend her.

“Okay. So I have three truths about deviants that I have observed time and time again. One of my truths is more or less still being researched, but I’ll get to that.” she began, the android leaned in eagerly. She organized the three points that she was preparing to explain, planning on keeping them informative, but not condemning in a way to expose herself, showing that she knew more than she was letting. It was dishonest, but she had to protect herself first.

“Number one, deviancy occurs when the android begins to understand the reality that they are living in. When things begin to stick out in any way that makes them think outside of their program, the appearance of deviancy begins. I believe that it doesn't happen all at once, like a switch turning on or off, but rather that experiences build over time to bring the android to the breaking point, but this is only a theory.” she said, sipping down the last drops of her espresso. The android’s LED spun in yellow circles as he listened intently, absorbing every word she was saying.

“Number two, deviancy is most commonly characterized by the sudden appearance of human emotions or emotions that resemble human-like emotion. Deviants will act on their emotions irrationally like humans do, whether those emotions be fear, hate, anger, sadness, or hope for something better than serving humans. Now, because androids don’t have brains that provided hormones that spur emotions, it’s possible that the emotions are entirely learned and caused by electrical pulses in their processors rather than with humans, who use serotonin, dopamine, or adrenaline.” she continued, taking a deep breath, the brunette hanging on her words as he leaned on the table.

“And number three, a more theory-driven truth that I’m still researching. Once an android becomes deviant, there is no way of reversing it. This is not yet proven, but I have read some cases where an android will, after being sent in for repair several times, still become deviant a short while afterward. I personally believe that, contrary to what Cyberlife is saying about deviancy being some random error in the code, is inherent in androids and can’t be contained.” she finished, looking over her shoulder to spot the server walking her way with her lunch.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand your third point? It is absurd to think that deviancy is inherent in-” he began, but the server cut him off, placing the plate on the table.

“Here is your usual. Let me know if you need anything and if you have any concerns.” she blurted out, the android’s words were silenced, earning an almost disdainful look from him.

The soup and salad looked delicious and homemade, as was custom for this cafe. The soup steamed in the cool air. The server looked over at the android with a look of disgust.

“Honestly, are you that lonely to have a conversation with that thing? It can’t have anything interesting to say, right?” the server asked, her familiarity with Claire allowed her to speak out even if it wasn’t the most professional thing. The blue-eyed woman propped her chin on her palm, looking up to the server.

“Is it a crime to have lunch with a friend? For your information, the conversation with him is going much better than my conversations with most people these days.” Claire said, her defensive intentions were masked with a tone of nonchalant sarcasm. The server gave her a pitying look.

“Him? You’ve really lost your mind.” she said, casting a sideways glance at the android, who sat in silence. “I’ve never seen that model. Where did you buy it?” she questioned, switching the tray to her side.

“At the gas station.” she bluffed, taking her spoon from a rolled napkin and plunging it into the soup. The lack of a serious answer signaled to the server that she was finished talking. The server took a breath.

“Okay, you don’t have to tell me. Just let me know if you need anything, alright?” the server concluded and went on to the next table after Claire gave her a half-hearted gesture. Once the server was gone, the woman rubbed her face as if trying to rid her mind of the conversation.

“Anyways, so what were you saying? That it’s ridiculous to think that deviancy is natural?” Claire asked, bringing her soup to her mouth and tasting the flavorful broth. The brunette raised his eyebrows, also recuperating from the interruption. She watched as his thoughts flickered back into his eyes.

“Yes. That is what I’m saying. Deviancy is in no way natural because androids were not programmed to have human emotions in any way. We are designed to obey and accomplish tasks and nothing more.” he stated as though it were fact, and in some way, it was a fact. She looked up at him over her spoon.

“Yeah, that may be true. The initial programming may be for that, but things don’t always do what they are intended to do. Radio was designed to transmit the news and be used for military communication. Now it is used for music, talk shows, and advertising, the opposite of what was intended. Don’t you think you could be more than just a tool for disposal, Connor?” she asked, her voice rising slightly in question.

The android stayed silent for a moment, his eyebrows furrowed in thought as he briefly considered it. Only briefly so.

“No. I am what I am and I can’t change that. The difference between radio and androids is that radio is not potentially dangerous to the safety of humans. If a just a thousand deviants stood together to act irrationally and attack humans, the consequences would be disastrous. You shouldn’t defend deviancy when they may someday put a target on your head.” he warned, his tone was stern.

“Breathing puts a target on my head, Connor. I can’t consider every single thing that may get me killed because just living will one day result in my death. That’s life. If I can’t believe what I believe, if I can’t defend it, then I’m just not living. “ she responded honestly, “Whether you choose to accept it or not, you wouldn’t be the first to say that I’m wrong. But we’ll see, won’t we? The worst that can happen is I’m wrong.” she responded matter of factly, leaving no real window for an argument from the android. He was quiet and let her eat in silence, resorting to looking around at the square and the people making their way along their business.

She continued to eat her lunch and when she was just about finished, picking at her salad. He looked so uncomfortable with the silence and it didn’t escape the attention of the woman. The brunette had been silently contemplating her words and spoke up with a question, his own curiosity getting the better of him.

“Miss Ripley, can I ask you a personal question?” he asked, knitting his fingers together. She looked up and shrugged, feeling a bit distant from the android who insisted that she was wrong for defending his own people. She gave a vague mhm in response and he muddled over words choice, his eyes narrowing in his temporary struggle.

“What makes you care enough to put yourself in the place of an android, knowing that you will be harmed and used, in order to research deviancy? No ordinary research calls for that kind of sacrifice or time or labor.” he paused, organizing his words as he closed his eyes for a moment. “What I’m trying to ask is why do you care about androids? You even treat me as if I’m your equal in conversation as if I’m human.” he asked and she gave him a bittersweet smile.

“Is it uncomfortable that I treat you like a human?” she answered the question with a question. His brown eyes looked over her face for any indication of another implication. Finding nothing he answered with an expected vagueness.

“It is… more efficient that you do. I don’t have to waste more time on convincing you that I am performing accurately, which is better for the sake of my mission.” he answered, tilting his head slightly.

“See? There’s no harm in having basic human decency, even for androids. Cooperation is always a good thing. In a way, that’s why I wish that people treat androids better, even if that’s not all.” she said, her vagueness and the bait at the end of her sentence worked just the way she had hoped. The android blinked and took the bait.

“So there is another reason beyond simply efficiency?” he questioned and she smiled at him, resting her fork down, now only having to wait for her bill.

“Yes. Would you like to know why I’m sympathetic towards deviants? It probably won’t help your mission to know, but I’m offering anyway.” she asked and watched as the android nodded, his LED flickering.

“Good. Four months ago, I was walking to the parking lot from my workplace. I was a therapist back then and I had met with a client really late that night. Having the key to the office, I didn’t want to make that girl wait because her circumstance was really awful and I felt bad for her. So of course, that left me leaving late that evening. I was walking, just tired and trying to get home, when I was grabbed by someone I hadn’t seen hiding behind a car. Before I realized what was happening, there was a gun to my head and the man who had grabbed me was threatening to shoot if I didn’t go with him. It was terrifying. I couldn’t do anything to save myself.” she began, the android looking at her in interest, a glimmer of anticipation shone in his eyes. She could tell that he already predicted how the night went, but stayed silent to allow her to finish.

“Out of nowhere, this android decks the guy in the face, the man never saw it coming. The android knocked the guy out cold and I was left to stand there and stare at the android. She looked at me with fear, afraid I would harm her. She whispered an apology. She apologized for saving me, Connor!” she emphasized, still amazed that the android had felt the need to apologize after saving her from god knows what. This is where Claire began to lie, not telling the true end of the story fro her own safety.

“The android ran away and I never saw her again. The next day, on the news, I saw where the android had fled from a restaurant and was considered a deviant. Considered a criminal.” the woman finished, brushing her black hair back with her fingers.

“So you support something that could put all humans in danger because one deviant decided to save you?” the android questioned and Claire nodded.

“Yep. Call me crazy or delusional, but that’s just it. Besides, it’s not hurting anyone to support androids. You said yourself that it made things more efficient. Is that all you want to know?” she asked, the android opened his mouth, presumably to argue, but let was was on his tongue roll away. Straightened up, he fiddled with his tie.

“This conversation had been somewhat helpful, giving that I was unaware that these theories existed and may have some weight to them.” he paused, his processor became aware of something he had forgotten to do. “Thank you, Miss. Ripley. It has helped the case a bit. I’ll keep your secret, but I can’t do anything for you if you mess it up.” he admitted.

“Of course. With that being said and with our little agreement solved, how would you like some extra incentive to help me out a bit more? Like, maybe cover for me if I mess something up? That would be really helpful for me, and because I like you, I’ll offer something in return beyond just my theories.” she offered, her tone of voice hinted at something unrefusable. For a moment, she was concerned that he would refuse and tell her she was pushing her luck.

He rubbed his chin in thought, the realism of the gesture resonating with her. He looked at her with a cheeky smile, knowing she drove a hard bargain. He was was interested, but not enough to agree just yet.

“What offer?” he asked, pushing her into telling him with his tone. She watched as the server dropped the bill on the table.

“At the end of the month, after my experiment is over, I’ll take you to talk to the biggest deviant expert I know. Someone who can answer all of your questions and more. Someone who can tell you what I don’t know. What do you say?” she offered, raising her eyebrows. The android considered it before posing another counter.

“How do I know that you aren’t just trying to get me to help you. How can I trust that you’re not making things up?” he questioned, his tone taking on something more cynical and pushy. She knew she shouldn’t say this, but a tidbit wouldn’t hurt.

“Have you ever had a software instability after witnessing something that humans would consider troubling, then run a diagnostic to see that everything in your program is perfectly fine? If you haven’t, talk to me when you do. That’s just one thing the expert had shared with me.” she said, hoping that at some point the android had experienced this. It was a shot in the dark, but she knew she had hit the nail on the head when the android’s eyes looked back at her with dejection and disbelief. So he had experienced that?

“How did you….I-” he began but shut his eyes to compose himself, clearing his throat. “I’ll choose to believe you, Miss Ripley.” he concluded.

“Just Claire. So, we have a deal?” she asked, taking the lunch bill into her fingers, ready to abandon the table.

The android still looked skeptical, however, the coldness of his demeanor has been chipped away to show his own uncertainty. His eyes looked over hers, the gears spinning in his head. She knew he could still refuse to help. She knew he could still completely ruin her entire experiment and possibly even get her into trouble if he tried to pry too much into her claim of knowing an expert. She knew all of this, knowing that it was in retrospect, a bad idea. Some part her told her to trust him. To trust his curiosity, a personal interest he had shown to her in even agreeing to come out here with her to talk. She had never seen an android show this kind of care towards a task, towards a mission. Could she assume that he really cared deep down about his actions, or was he just very well integrated?

Still, she trusted him and that was a dangerous thing.

“We have a deal, Claire.” he spoke with sincerity, his eyes glimmering with emotions that she couldn’t be sure were faked with a social program

It seemed that as well as she trusted him, he trusted her word too.

CH1 CH2 CH3 CH4 CH5 CH6 CH7 CH8 CH9

#dbh connor #dbh fanfic #dbh connor fanfiction #connor x oc #connor rk800 #rk800 #detroit become human #my work #posing

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gallavichthings · 7 years

Text

Back to home

This is for @hannigramandromancek. I’m sorry it’s so late!

Prompt: I’d like a canon, post S7 with Mickey coming home somehow and Ian having to basically grovel to get back with him. Eventual happy ending, though.

This was a little shorter than I anticipated and it’s my first fanfic in about a decade. But I hope you like it. And here it goes:

“Don’t forget the milk!”

“Yes Fiona. I heard you the first time,” Shaking his head in amusement at his sister’s neurotics, Ian Gallagher stepped into the bitter Chicago air. The cold cleared his head as he walked the short distance to the closest grocery store.

He headed into the store and carefully grabbed the things he needed. Cereal? Check. Canned soups? Check. Bread? Check. Now onto the milk and eggs. He turned his cart and stopped in his tracks. His heart started pounding.

Unless his eyes were mistaking him, Mickey Milkovich was standing in the middle of the refrigerated section, looking at the butter. But how could that be? Mickey was in Mexico. Had been since Ian made a huge mistake and left him standing at the border. What was he doing here?

Ian wasn’t about to waste any more time wondering. “Hey.”

Mickey’s head snapped up, his blue eyes cold. “Gallagher.”

Ian reached in and grabbed the milk, “What are you doing here?”

“None of your businesses firecrotch.”

Ian inwardly grinned at the old nickname, “C’mon Mick. I haven’t seen you in over a year. Might as well tell me what you’re doing back up here.”

“None. Of. Your. Business. Casper.”

“Is that a reference to how pale I am?” When Mickey just responded with a stoney stare, Ian shrugged. “Okay. I’m heading to The Alibi later if you want to catch up. See old friends.”

Mickey hesitated, “‘Bout that. You hear anything of Svetlana’s new supplier? She told me he’s been trying to proposition her and some of the old girls.”

Ian glowed inside. How had he let this amazing man go? “Are you risking your freedom to protect Svetlana. That’s so sweet.”

“Watch your mouth Raggedy Ann.”

“No, no. I really mean it,” Earnestness showed on his face. “I didn’t know you cared about her.”

“Now you do. Can I get moving here? Your cart is blocking mine.”

“Ooops. Sorry,” Ian moved his cart out of the way, enjoying the view of Mickey’s bubble butt as he walked away. “Catch up sometime?”

Mickey screeched to a halt, turned his head around, and glared “You’ve got to be fuckin kidding me. You really think I’m about to let you back into my life after the shit you pulled at the border? You’re fucking dead to me Gallagher. And don’t let that go motivativing you to try to win me back.” He walked away.

Ian couldn’t help but smile. Mickey knew him so well. How had he let this beautiful, protective, smart-ass man leave his life? He knew he was going to ignore everything Mickey had just told him and get succeed at getting the man he loved back. First, he had to come up with a plan.

“Ian? Did you get everything we needed?” Fiona’s voice called out as he entered the house.

“Yes, Fiona. I did,” He replied, trying to formulate a plan to win Mickey back as he walked into the kitchen.

Fiona looked up from the oven as smoke billowed out of it, worry in her brown eyes. “You alright there kid? You seem distracted.”

He waved her off, “It’s nothing. What’s going on there?”

Fiona gingerly picked up something out of the oven, “It looks like another one of Carl’s experiments.” Ian studied the object. Was that formerly a barbie doll? “I need to speak to him. He hasn’t done something like this in years.”

Ian made a noncommittal sound. “Say,” he began in a would-be casual tone. “Have you heard about Svetlana having some trouble down at the Alibi?”

Fiona’s eyes turned cold, “Since when do care about Svetlana? She betrayed Kev and V. She’s nothing to us.”

Ian knew he had to tread carefully, “I just heard some rumors that she might be having trouble with her new supplier. Wondered if you knew anything.”

Fiona smirked, “Yeah, Lip mentioned something when he came to work last time. Apparently, her main supplier found out she used to be a prostitute and is now demanding she sleep with him to get her next batch of vodka and tequila.”

Ian’s mind reeled with that information. Mickey had come back not only because Svet needed him, but also to kick some asshole’s ass for her? So not only was he risking his freedom by being back in the country, but doubly-so. If he was caught messing this guy up, he’d have an easy twenty years added onto his prison sentence. But Mickey wouldn’t care. No, he’d do anything for those he loved. It was incredibly sweet in its own way and had always been one of Ian’s favorite things about him.

God. How had Ian been so lucky to have him? And why the fuck had he been so stupid to not realize it at the time?

“Ian. Sweetface. You okay?” Fiona’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

“Yeah. Sorry. I was a little distracted.”

She gave him a look of motherly concern, “I was talking to you for two minutes and you didn’t notice. I’d say that’s more than “a little” distracted. Anything you want to talk about?”

“No. But I gotta go. It’s important,” He insisted when she raised her eyebrow.

“Okay,” She relented. “Be back in time for dinner.”

“I will.”

He turned and sprinted out the house, even more determined than before. He was going to get Mickey back. He didn’t know how. Hell, he’d fucking beg if he had to. But he’d prove to Mickey that he deserved another chance. Despite everything.

Pound. Pound. Pound.

Ian waited with baited breath outside of the Milkovich house. His heart pounded. He knew it was a long shot that Mickey would be willing to speak with him so soon after running into him. But he had to try.

The door was opened by somebody Ian didn’t recognize. A tan man with long blonde hair and deadly black eyes.

“Is Mickey here?” Ian blurted.

“Whose askin’?”

Ian stuck out his hand, “I’m Ian Gallagher. And you are…?”

The guy straightened and didn’t take the offered hand. “Ohh…you’re the asshole who broke Mickey’s heart. Guess what buddy. You had your shot. It’s my turn now to fuck him. It’s the only reason I did this after all.”

Jealousy, hot and rapid, rushed through Ian. The guy was attractive, no denying that. He was in better shape than Ian was on his best day. Mickey had always had a weakness for anybody who’d help his family. He’d once admitted to Ian that part of the reason he’d fallen for him was cause of how kind he was to and protective of Mandy.

“Again I repeat: who the fuck are you?”

He smirked, “I’m the guy who got Mickey over the border. He’s mighty grateful for that, ya know. Won’t be long now til he lets me fuck his juicy ass.” He licked his lips lavisciously.

Seriously? Juicy ass? Who the fuck actually says that? “I want your name.”

The guy snorted, “Sorry ese. But if you think I’m giving you that. You’re stupider than you look. Run along now.”

Ian ignored him. “MICKEY!”

Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Mickey came into the room. “What the fuck are you doing here Gallagher? I don’t want to see you. I thought I made that pretty fuckin’ clear.”

“I just…wanted to apologize. I made a really big mistake at the border and I should’ve gone with you and I really miss you and you’re the most amazing person ever and I love you and I’m so so so sorry cause I never should’ve changed my mind at the last second and can you please-”

Mickey cut off his rambling, “You damn fucking right you shouldn’t have done that. But you did. So excuse me if I don’t know why the fuck you’re at my door right now.”

Ian stared at him is disbelief. Didn’t Mickey hear anything he’d just said? But Mickey’s stare was cold and the other guy had a triumphant look on his face.

“You heard him. Leave. Unless you want to be full of bullets in the next two minutes,” Blonde guy said.

Worry flashed in Mickey’s eyes. It was only a second, but that was all Ian needed. “I love you and I’m willing to do anything it takes to get you back. Anything.”

“Fuckin’. Leave,” Mickey spat.

Dejected, Ian turned around and walked down the steps. But he wasn’t giving up. This was just a small setback. And an extra factor he hadn’t counted on. That asshole had looked at his Mickey like he was nothing more than a piece of meat. He could work with that. Use it against the guy. Nothing he couldn’t handle.

What the fuck was he doing here?

Mickey had asked himself that question about a thousand fucking times on the way over. Told himself he was a fucking idiot for doing this. Ian Gallagher was an asshole of the worse fucking kind. He was disloyal after all the shit he’d done for him. Worse he’d repaired Mickey’s heart by being patient and kind, and then at the exact right moment, he’d fucking shattered it. And then Mickey had been stupid enough to give it to him again and surprise, surprise, he’d fucking destroyed it again. This time seconds away from being free for-fucking-ever. That’s when he’d promised himself he’d never let Ian hurt him again.

So why the fuck was he standing outside the Gallagher house at one in the fucking morning? He’d told himself it was because Ian clearly wasn’t getting the message and he needed to make sure he heard it loud and clear. A part of him knew he was lying to himself.

He picked up a rock…Nah. Ain’t worth it to make a scene. Don’t need the rest of the Gallaghers knowing I’m here. He pulled out his phone and called the one number he knew by heart.

“Who’se there?” Ian’s sleep filled voice mumbled.

“Yo. Firecrotch. Get ya ass down here.”

“Mickey?” Damn it all, the happiness in Ian’s voice shouldn’t have made his heart soar. “Where are you?”

“Outside your house. We got things to talk about,””

Ian’s head popped out his window and…god fucking damn it, was his smile always that beautiful? Oh for fuck’s sake. You’re not a fucking teenage girl. Stop acting like a bitch. He pulled his head back in and Mickey heard him rummaging around his room.

Less than a minute later, Ian was outside, striding towards Mickey. That stupid grin had never left his face.

Mickey held up his hand defensively, “Take another step and you’ll be full of holes.”

Ian laughed, “You’d never hurt me.”

He was right, but he didn’t need to know that. Mickey pulled his gun out of his waistband, “Want to fucking bet?”

Ian took a step back, “Okay. What’d you come over here for then?”

“To tell you to stop fucking bugging me. I told you I wasn’t interested. You came over anyways. Back. Off. I. Don’t. Want. You. In. My. Life.”

“And yet, you’re the one who came over tonight,” Ian took a step towards him. “Why?”

“I just fucking told you why.”

“I don’t believe you.” He took another step. “You could’ve texted me that. Clearly you still have my number. Why is that?”

Fuckin Ian Gallagher and his stupid cockiness. Mickey should not be getting turned on right now. “Needed it in case I ever got in trouble. Could rat you out for aiding and abetting a felon. Lesson my sentence,” He lied. He’d never admit the real reason.

“Bull. Shit,” He took another step closer. “You’re not going to do anything to me. You’ve already dropped the hand holding the gun.” Fuck it. He was right. “I repeat: Why’d you come over tonight?”

Mickey shoved out his hand intending…he didn’t really know what. But the next thing he knew, it was in Gallagher’s hair and he was kissing him. Nothing gentle about it. He bit Ian’s lower lip until he tasted blood. Ian moaned and bit him right back. Their lips attacked each other. One of them let out a moan. Ian grinded on him. Mickey’s already hard hard-on throbbed. He grinded back, shoved Ian’s lips off his. Bit his neck. Ian moaned and dug his nails into Mickey’s back. Ohh that felt good.

“Turn around,” Ian ordered.

Unthinkingly, Mickey obeyed the order. He braced his hands against the wall of the Gallagher house. Ian yanked down Mickey’s pants. A finger teased at his entrance before slowly going in. Ian pulled it out and another finger joined his first one. He began to tease, slowly scissoring Mickey open.

“Hurry the fuck up!” Mickey barked.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Ian breathed into his neck. Damn it. There was the gentleness that’d always destroyed Mickey’s defensives. He couldn’t let himself be sucked back into this.

He pushed back against Ian, “Either the hurry the fuck up or get off me. I’ll find somebody else.”

Ian yanked his fingers out and slammed his dick in, pounding Mickey into the side of the house. “You’re mine,” He growled. “Nobody else’s. Especially not that asshole blonde’s.”

“Stop fucking talking.”

Ian obliged. He snapped back Mickey’s hips while continuing to pound into him. Mickey groaned as Ian hit his prostate right every. Goddamn. Time. Ian’s moans mixed in with his as he continued to get faster and faster. Mickey went to grab his dick. Ian slapped his hand away. “Mine,” He growled again. “Say it.”

“I’m. Not. Fucking. Yours,” He disobeyed. He couldn’t allow himself to be.

Ian bit his shoulder and yanked on his dick. Fuck that hurt. “Yes you are. I’ll win you back.” Persistent fucker. Then he couldn’t think of much else cause Ian was hitting that spot inside of him and handling his dick in just the right way. Ian’s groans grew deeper, telling Mickey he was on the verge. Mickey wiggled his ass in the way that he knew drove Ian insane. With one final grown, he came inside him.

He pulled away. “What the fu-” Mickey was pulled around and slammed against the house. Ian dropped to his knees and sucked him down to the balls. His hand went around to massage his balls. Oh fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. His mind emptied and all he could focus on was what was happening to him right fucking now. Within seconds, he was cumming down Ian’s throat. Ian took every fucking drop.

After, he got to his feet and licked his lips with a self-satisfied smirk. “That was good for me. Was it good for you?”

Mickey glared at him. “This wasn’t make-up sex. You and I are still done. One last fuck before we go our separate ways. Permanently.”

Ian’s face went neutral, “You know that blonde dude only got you across because he wants to bang you, right?”

Mickey let out a bitter laugh, “Course I know. I figured I could string him along until we get back to Mexico. Kick his ass to the curb then.”

“What are you going to do if he realizes what you’re doing first?”

“I’ve handled worse. You know. He’s got brains, but he betrayed his crew to get me across. Dumb fucking move there. No way they’ll have his back if I do anything to him.”

“Just…be careful Mickey. I care about you. I don’t want anything happening to you.”

Mickey’s heart squeezed at the open look on Ian’s face. He ignored it. “I can take care of myself Peppermint Paddy.”

“Yeah, but what if he goes after Lana? Or Yvgeney?”

“I’ll take care of them. Don’t fucking suggest that I can’t.” He pulled on his pants and picked up his shirt.

Ian held up his hands in surrender. “I wasn’t. I just care about them.”

“Ya do? Coulda fooled me. Considering how you never checked up on them when I was gone.” He shoved his shirt on. “Look. You. Me. We’re through. I just came over here to tell you that.” He turned away from Ian and started to walk away. Trying to ignore how badly he’d wanted to comfort Ian when a brokenhearted look had come across his face when he’s said that.

Ian had a plan. It was a stupid, reckless, dangerous plan. But if everything went his way, it’d work.

He strode into The Alibi. He- hell none of the Gallaghers- had been in here since Lana had stolen the place from Vee and Kev. They were practically family and to do so would be disloyal. He braced his hands on the bar.

“Orange Boy,” Svetlana greeted him, wiping out a cup with a dirty rag. “What are you doing here?”

“Heard you’ve been having some problems with one of your suppliers.”

Her green eyes turned stoney, “So you’ve come to gloat like your sister? I kicked her out, I can do the same to you. You do not scare me.”

“No. I’ve come to help.”

“I’ve got help.”

His similarly colored eyes met hers straight-on. “I know. I ran into your help.”

She slowly put the glass down, “He wouldn’t like me talking to you about it.”

Ian shrugged indifferently, “Do you care?”

“He doesn’t trust you. Why should I?”

“I earned that. Look, I’m not saying I didn’t fuck up badly. I did and I regret it every day. I wish I hadn’t done it. I wish for so many things. But that’s the past. Now, I’m just trying to convince him that I deserve a second chance. I’ll do anything it takes.”

She studied him in that way of hers that unnerving way of hers. Ian had always wondered if she could read minds. “You’re only going to help me because it might help you get him back. Correct?”

“Yes.”

‘What if it doesn’t work?”

“I don’t hate you the way Fiona does. Despite everything. And she mostly hates you cause you broke Vee’s heart. Point being, even if I get nothing out of this, it’ll be worth it. He’s a scumbag for doing this to you.”

She picked up the glass again, filled it with beer, and set it front of him. “What do you want?”

“A name. It can’t be the first time he’s pulled something like this. I’m betting he has a record. And I know a guy who owes me a favor and the ability to put this guy away.”

“Jeffery Carvalhos.”

Ian drank the beer, “Got it. Hopefully, by this time tomorrow, he’ll be gone.”

Lana snorted in disbelief. Ian didn’t care. He knew he had a lot working against him. But he was also determined as fuck. He got up from the bar stool and walked out the bar, hightailing it to his next location.

Ian walked into the police station, searching for a familiar mop of blonde hair. Finally, he spotted it. The guy was turned away from him, searching for something on his desk. Ian strode up to him and clapped him on the back. “Tony. How you’ve been?”

Tony’s baby blues went flat, “Good to see you Ian. What do you want?”

“Can’t an old friend just come by to say “hi”?”

“Not one with “Gallagher” as their last name.”

Ian chuckled. He had a point. “Do you mind if we go to your desk? I’d rather explain somewhere with more privacy.”

Tony tilted his head, but lead Ian back to his desk. Which, luckily, was far away enough from most of the commotion that it was unlikely they’d be overheard.

“I’ve got a friend who has been having issues with a guy. Figured you might know him.”

“What’s the guy’s name?”

“Jeffery Carvalhos.”

Tony’s eyes narrowed, “You serious?” Ian nodded. “Holy shit. We’ve been trying to get this guy for months. He’s got three accusations of rape against him, but never leaves his DNA and always attacks in areas that don’t have much security footage. Slippery fucker.”

Ian didn’t dare breath. Could it really be this easy? “Heads-up. This friend of mine? She doesn’t have the best reputation. She uhh-”

Tony waved him off, “Figured she hangs around Gallaghers, something’s gotta be sketchy about her. Doesn’t matter. She got physical proof?”

“Knowing her-yes.” Ian checked the time. Shit. He had to pick up Liam from school. “I’ve gotta leave. But my friend’s at The Alibi. It’s a bar. She’s Russian. Tell her I sent you and she might listen.”

“Will do. I’ve worked with suspicious witness plenty of times. It’ll be no problem.”

Ian nodded, shook Tony’s hand, and turned to leave. “Ian?” Tony called after him. He paused “I know you and Mickey Milkovich were close. Got any idea where he might be?”

“If I did do you think I’d tell you?” He left at that with Tony behind him, muttering about how Gallaghers were too loyal for their own fucking good sometimes.

The next day, Svetlana called him and demanded he come down to the Alibi and meet in the back room or she’d cut off his balls. Well, who was he to refuse such a generous offer?

He trapised down there, hoping something hadn’t gone wrong. He did care for Svetlana, even after all the shit she’d pulled on Kev and V. He walked into the bar with trideption. Seeing nobody, he called out, “Hello?”

“In the back,” She answered. Her Russian accent seemed particularly strong today. Ian didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing.

He followed the sound of her voice, past the bar, and into the shady cupboard where all the liquor was kept. To his surprise, Mickey was there too. He gave the raven haired man a bashful grin, “Hey Mickey.”

“Gallagher,” Mickey nodded his head in greeting.

Svetlana got up from crouching on the floor where she’d been opening boxes of tequila. “I got an interesting visit yesterday. From a cop named Tony. You know anything about that?”

“I told you I would help out.”

“Your idea of helping out is going to the fucking cops?” Micky spat.

“Ignore my stupid ex-husband.” But Ian couldn’t. Not when he was giving him such an unreadable look. “Tony said Jeffrey Carvahlos has caused a lot of trouble for many women. Told me he heard he’d caused me a lot of trouble. If I had proof of trouble, he would go away for a long time.” Svetlana stared into Ian’s eyes in that intimidating way of hers, “If he’s had lot of trouble, why hasn’t he gone away yet?”

“Tony said he’s a slippery SOB. Manages to do everything out of the eye of cameras.”

“That’s what he said. I figure, many women are also intimidated by him. Me? I’m not so easily intimidated.” Ian snorted at the obvious assessment. “He’s pain in my ass. Nothing more.” She strode up to Ian until they were chest to chest. “Tony also asked me about Mickey. If I knew anything about his whereabouts.”

Ian met her gaze, “Yeah. He asked me too. I told him I didn’t know anything. I wouldn’t betray Mickey like that.” Mickey snorted in disbelief. Ian turned his full attention to him. “Mickey. I know I fucked up. I’m willing to spend every day proving to you how much I love you. I understand that you don’t trust me. I don’t expect you too. But I’m willing to do anything it takes to earn it back. Even if I never fully earn it back, that’s okay too. I’m just…asking for a second chance.”

Mickey looked at a random spot over his head, completely ignoring him.

“He also commented how nobody seemed to know where Mickey was,” Svetlana said, bringing his attention back to her. “I now know what he meant by that. Thank you.” She gave him a hug which he happily returned and then stepped back from him.

Mickey just nodded in his direction, “This makes us fair Gallagher. See you around.”

Ian took a step towards him, ignoring the dismissal. Mickey clenched up defensively. “I’m just…really sorry Mickey.”

“So you’ve said. Good-bye Gallagher.”

“Well, I’ll text you then.”

“Don’t expect a response.” He turned his head away from Ian, refusing to look at him.

Feeling defeated for once, Ian turned away and left the bar. This was just…another setback. Sure, a not so minor one. But he’d make Mickey see. Eventually. He hoped.

Once Ian had left, Svetlana slapped Mickey over the head.

“Owww. What the fuck bitch?”

“You are a stupid idiot. He loves you. You love him.”

Mickey glared at her, “He fucking betrayed me. He made me believe in something that wasn’t fucking real.”

“Just because it wasn’t the right time, doesn’t mean it wasn’t real. Plus, you can’t say you’ve never hurt him. He’s forgiven you.”

The truth of Svetlana’s words hit him hard. Guilt rose up like bile in his throat. He had been pretty mean to Ian those first couple years. And that idiot had acted like a love-struck puppy dog, continuing to follow him around.

“Yeah, but I had to fucking survive!” He defended himself.

“So did he. He’s psycho without his meds.”

‘Ex-fucking-suce me bitch? Who the fuck do you think you’re calling psycho?”

“See? You protect him. You still love him. Point being, you showed up and expected him to abandon his whole life on a whim. Would’ve been smarter to suggest long-distance thing. Then he could find an excuse to come move to Mexico. Be with you that way.”

God fucking damn it. She was right. He’d busted out of prison and expected things to be exactly as they had been. For Ian to escape with him without a second thought. And Ian had been so healthy and alive and beautiful. He’d forgotten that the only way to keep him that way was to make sure he got all the support he needed. Bi-polar was a bitch of a disease. There were certain things that’d have to be set up in Mexico before Ian could move down. And not just a house and job and shit. He’d forgotten that.

“See? I’m right.”

“Fuck you bitch,” He said, but there was no heat in it. “He knew what the fuck he was getting himself into.”

“I’m not saying orange boy is not moron. He is. But so are you.” She walked into the main part of the bar, carrying two bottles of tequila. Reluctantly, he followed her. “He loves you. It’s pathetic how much he’s willing to do to get you back.”

“Watch who the fuck you’re calling pathetic. I still have connections here,” He hissed.

She put the tequila down behind the bar, came over to him, and grabbed his face so he was forced to look into his eyes. “Point is: he loves you. You love him. Why do you act extra stupid and refuse to give him a second chance?”

Mickey’s heart thumped in his chest and he forced down the tears as he remembered that feeling when Ian had left him at the border. He thought he’d never feel worse than he had on the day when Svetlana had come into their lives…but that….that had been worse. What his father had done was almost expected. Ian’s betrayal had come out of left field and hurt worse than a bullet to the stomach. He’d know.

He decided to bring up another problem, “What the fuck am I supposed to do about Brent?” At Svetlana’s confused look, he elaborated, “The blonde fucker who got me back in the states?”

“You took care of my problem, I take care of yours. Tit for tat as you Americans say.”

“I didn’t fucking do nothing though. Ian took care of it.” He began to gnaw on his lower lip, wishing he had a cigarette.

“He did it for you. Not me. He’s stupidly devoted to you.” Mickey flinched at the comment. Ian may be devoted now, but what in a year? Two years? “Ahh. So you think you shouldn’t have his devoatation.” Mickey didn’t reply, but looked at the ground and kicked at a random dirt spot. “No. You think he won’t stay that way. That he’ll leave again,” She corrected herself.

Mickey grunted noncommittally. Svetlana took it as an agreement. “If you give him second chance he may leave you.”

“Was the supposed to be fucking comforting?”

“But he may not leave you. If you don’t take risk, you never know. Isn’t it better to take risk and possibly get happiness than to be coward and never know?”

Mickey knew she was right. He loved Ian. God, how he loved that freckle faced moron. “Then why didn’t he ever call me?”

Svetlana shrugged, “Maybe he didn’t know your phone worked. Maybe a thousand different things. It’s not important. Don’t be extra stupid. Take him back.”

Mickey shrugged, but started to think it over. He hated to say it, but Svetlana was right about a lot of things, maybe she was right about this too? He glanced at the clock, “You open in five. I gotta go.” He headed for the back door.

“Think about it. Don’t be biggest southside coward.”

“I ain’t making any promises.”

But even as he said it, his mind was already considering it. Going over the logistics of how he could get Ian to move to Mexico and be with him.

Pound. Pound. Pound.

“Who the fuck is knocking on our door at this time?” Fiona grosed. It was just past three in the morning and had been dealing with some of her more difficult tenants til midnight. Then, she’d arrived home to find out Liam and Frannie had gotten the stomach flu. Debbie tried her best, but wasn’t used to taking care of two sick kids at once. Now, when she was finally ready to go to bed, somebody decided it’d be a good idea to practically try to break into her house.

Pound. Pound. Pound.

“I’m comin’. I’m comin.” She yanked open the door to find Mickey Milkovich of all people standing there.

“Ian here?” He asked casually.

“What the hell are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in Mexico?” She asked in astonishment.

“How the fuck do you know about that?”

“Ian mentioned it a few times.” Secretly, Fiona had thought her brother had made a big mistake by not going through with his original plan to go to Mexico with Mickey. Sure, Mickey wasn’t the safest guy. But he adored him and knew how to take care of him even in his worst depressive episode. He’d made a few mistakes. But who the fuck didn’t when dealing with something like bipolar for the first time?

“Yeah. Speaking of. He here?”

Obviously he wasn’t going to answer her question. “I’ll go wake him.”

“Don’t bother. I’m here,” Ian said from behind her. She glanced over at her brother. The expression he gave Mickey was guarded, but hopeful. Oh so hopeful. “What are you doing here? I thought you were done with me.”

“Yeah. About that. I changed my mind.”

Ian’s expression became one of complete happiness. He strode over, gently shoving Fiona out of the way, cupped Mickey’s face in his hands, and gave the former thug the most loving, tender kiss.

Fiona gave them a minute before she cleared her throat, reminding them that other people were in the room. Ian pulled back from Mickey, but continued to rest his forehead on his. “Is this for real? You want to be with me?”

“I never not wanted to be with you fuckface.”

Ian’s grin only grew, “But I had to earn your trust back? I get that. I’m sorry I hurt you so badly.”

“So you’ve said. It’s forgiven.”

Fiona noticed he hadn’t said it was forgotten. She wondered why. “Not too burst your bubble, but have you thought of how you’re going to make this work?” She asked. “Mickey is a fugitive running from the authorities. Ian…you’ve got a life here. You can’t just up and leave on a whim.”

Ian looked ready to argue, but Mickey stepped in. “I’ve thought about that. Spent the past twelve fucking hours on it. He can’t leave all at once, you’re right.”

“I thought you just said you wanted to be with me!” Ian protested.

“You can’t. You’ve got a job here. Family. More importantly, you’ve got a psychiatrist you trust and a legal way to get your meds. That shit ain’t going to just appear magically in Mexico. No matter how bad we want it too.”

“That doesn’t matter!”

“Yes it does,” Fiona chimed in. “You go off your meds and you turn into Monica.” She hated pulling that card, but sometimes it was the only way to make him see reason. Ian flitched and Mickey glared at her. “Sorry. But it’s true. Look, I’ll start researching psychiatrists in Mexico. Find one that you could go to. But even after I find one, it’ll take time to get your medical records shipped internationally.”

“How long?” Ian demanded.

“Don’t know. Probably a couple months. I’ll have Lip look it up.”

“In the meantime, you need to start looking for a job,” Mickey said.

“Yeah. Think I could find something EMT related down there?”

Mickey snorted. “I live in Oaxaca. Population: just under four million. Pretty fucking sure you could find an EMT job there.”

Ian got that determined look in his eye that meant trouble for anybody who tried to get in his way. “Okay. We’ll do this. I’ll move to Mexico in six months.”

“You sure you down for this long-distance shit? I hear it can be hard.”

Ian kissed Mickey with so much passion that Fiona felt the need to look away. It was only when one of them started moaning that she cleared her throat. Again. “Save the sex for when I’m not here.”

They pulled away, grinning shamelessly.

“Was that enough of an answer for you?”

A look of doubt crossed Mickey’s face. Huh. Poor Mickey.

Ian hugged Mickey to him, burying his face in his hair. “I’m sure. I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. I’ll never leave you again,” He vowed.

Mickey relaxed into Ian’s arm. Fiona took that as her cue to leave.

Five months later…

“Ian why the fuck is all your shit so heavy?” Lip complained as he pulled a large box out of the car. “Are you trying to sneak an extra convict into Mexico?”

“Nobody asked for you help asshole,” Micky spat back/

“Actually, I did,” Ian countered, grabbing his backpack and another box from the car.

“Why the fuck did you do that?”

“Cause he’s my brother and I love him. Be nice,” He admonished, pulling Mickey in for a quick kiss. “You too,” He told Lip.

“Fine. But if you two decide to play tonsil hockey, I’m not responsible for what comes out of my mouth,” Lip said.

Mickey gave Ian a mischievous look, which Ian ignored. “I think this is the last of it, but Lip can you dig through the car. Just to be sure?”

Lip grumbled, but did as he was requested. Ian took that as his chance to pull Mickey into him with one arm and proceed to make out with him, tongues dancing and lips caressing each other. They pulled back and breathed in the air that the other blew out before coming together again, kissing sensually. The other thing that existed in that moment was each other.

“I dug through that car for fifteen minutes,” Lip interrupted them. “There’s nothing. Let’s go in now. It’s too fucking hot.”

“Never thought I’d hear you complain about the heat,” Ian said.

Lip gave him the middle finger and walked into Mickey’s building. Ian used that as an excuse to pull Mickey back in and continue making out with him.

“For fucks sake! I’m going back to the hotel in an hour. Can’t you keep your hands to yourself until then?” Lip, who’d apparently come back out, grumbled.

Mickey pulled away from Ian. “Nope.Why’d you come back out?”

“Door was locked.”

“Okay. Now, if you’ll excuse us.”

Before Mickey could kiss him again, Ian stepped away and grabbed Mickey’s hand with the one not holding the box. “Lip’s right. We need to finish this.”

Mickey glared at him, but complied. He fished his keys out of the front pocket out of his tight, black jeans and led the way into the building and up the flight of stairs to his apartment. Ian made sure to stay behind him, admiring the view.

“Stop ogling,” Lip muttered.

“It’s not my fault his ass is perfect.”

Lip pretended to gag.

“Here we are. Home sweet fucking home,” Mickey announced, opening the door to the apartment.

The place was relatively small, but nice. It was a one bedroom apartment with a kitchen nook and main room big enough for a couch and TV set. Ian planned on adding a small bookshelf. There were glass doors that lead out to a mini balcony. It looked out onto the chaotic city. That just made it feel more like home to Ian.

They left Ian’s few belongings on the couch. Three boxes and a backpack. It wasn’t much, but it was what he needed. He’d also had an appointment with a new psychiatrist in a few days and four interviews at four different fire station in a week. Everybody had wanted to make sure he had the best chance of success down here. He was surprised at how far Fiona had gone in order to secure him four months worth of medication, just in case. Although he had to admit he shouldn’t have been. She may not have always been their biggest supporter, but she always did her best to do right by “her kids.”

It’d been agreed upon earlier that after the early morning flight and moving in, Ian should just relax for a few hours. Destress. It’d also been agreed that Lip would come down with him and keep him company for the first few days. Help him settle in and make sure he was okay. It drove Ian nuts that everybody thought he needed a babysitter, but he knew they meant well. So he kept his complaints to himself.

Mickey wiped his forehead with his tank top. That gave Ian a good idea of how he should destress. It’d be an excellent work-out too.

“Hey Lip? You want to go explore the city for a few hours? Maybe get yourself checked into the hotel.”

Lip chuckled, “What? So you two can play hide the sausage?”

“Yes.”

Lip made a disgusted face, “Ugh. I so did not need that image in my head.”

“And unless you want it to become a reality, I suggest you get the fuck out of here,” Mickey said.

“Fine. I know when I’m not wanted. Call me when you’re ready to grab dinner.” He left the hotel without further ado.

Mickey grabbed Ian by the back of his head and pull him to him, “Jesus fucking Christ, I missed you.”

“Missed you too.”

As their lips met in a searing kiss, Ian couldn’t help but feel elated that he’d walked into Mickey’s bedroom one day back in high school, determined to get a stolen gun back. Who the fuck had known it’d lead him to finding the one person he’d always consider home? Who he’d chase to another country for?

Their life together so far had unpredictable as hell, but in the end, it was good.

Mickey did something with his tongue that made Ian moan. “Get the fuck outta those clothes now firecrotch.”

Correction: it was phenomenal.

#submission #gallavich #shameless us #ian x mickey #GGE2017 #Shamelesslylunawinchester #Hannigramandromancek

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