systolicarray | ://i have no heart

[ connor's mouth fills with hot tongue, and he makes a sound, soft and surprised. his own mouth is cool. the heat radiating from the lieutenant is outlined in a measure of contrasts, his fingers, too, branding him with warmth. it's difficult to decide how to respond while navigating these new sensations, feeling at the same time that there shouldn't be anything to navigate: that he should simply know what to do. human desire, as a concept, wasn't that complex. or, at least, it had never seemed so to him. but as an object of desire, he's overwhelmed.

he isn't used to not knowing things.

the sounds that come from the lieutenant's body, his heavy breaths, his increased BPM, the appreciative noises that slip out of his mouth between biting and licking, all present a very clear picture. again, it takes him some time to catch up. to do anything other than observe the way his own body reacts (his muscles twitching sporadically under the attention, the artifice of his breathing slowing and deepening), and reciprocate.

to begin with he only mirrors what's been done to him. a hand gentling against the side of hank's face, thumb rubbing curiously against the rough, prickly hairs of his beard. his hand dropping to his chest. and then, with an imperceptibly brief moment of hesitation, he places that same hand between his thighs to palm his stirring cock. ]

( He hadn't intended to go so far - Connor's hand on his cock brought on that quick realization. Hank's eyes flutter open, and he grunts before he lifts his face to capture Connor's lips once again. He pours his passion into Connor's mouth with the force of his tongue. His wet muscle searches and pushes at the cool, moist structure of perfect teeth, narrow cheeks, and firm tongue before he drags the tip of his tongue on the roof of Connor's mouth. Another noise of lust slips between him and into Connor's mouth. His hand moves from Connor's hip to his backside, where he grips Connor's ass cheek.

His hips lift then shy away from Connor's hand at his lap. The stimulation turns Hank's timid cock into a full erection. It was a quick ascension that cleared Hank's mind with strobes of white light and pulses of carnal hunger. )

Fuck... ( Hank moves his mouth from Connor's, with a curse. He straightens his head and looks to Connor, over his expression and down to his mouth. ) Connor... Do you know what you're doing to me? ( His pupils were dilated, expressing that same hunger that pulsed within his body. )

[ there's a certain amount of satisfaction in how decisively the lieutenant's body responds. people aren't always so easy to please, in any capacity, to say nothing of this attempt to succeed at something he was never designed to do. but it seems like his efforts aren't lost on hank. when he crushes their mouths together again, connor kisses back harder. even out of his element, he's capable of the dexterity required to slip his tongue into the lieutenant's mouth and curl his tongue behind his top row of teeth, passively recording the chemical contents of his saliva without so much as a thought.

his lips are flushed and swollen when hank pulls away, his face dusted with a delicate pink. all cyberlife androids are programmed to appear human down to the smallest of details. his hand remains resting over the now considerable bulge in hank's pants. ]

Yes, I'm aware. I assumed because of what you said that you wanted to have intercourse with me. Was I right?

[ connor makes the conscious choice to smile. he isn't sure how the lieutenant reconciles this to himself, when he claims to hate androids, but it wouldn't hurt to encourage him. ]

( Connor's answer was... almost flat, in comparison to the look the brunette had on his face. Still, it wasn't at all dissuasive. Hank still very much wanted Connor. ) It's not...

That's not all of how I want you. Connor.

I wasn't ... I didn't intend to go that far. I just wanted you to know how... I do want you.. and if you don't want that, then.. ( His face was flushed with desire, his breath was still quick. ) I mean, I want you, every way. Tonight, I thought I'd just hold you... While I slept.

Lieutenant, I'm a machine. What I want doesn't matter.

[ to say that he can't want anything— while true, seems like it would destroy the illusion of the moment. and while he doesn't understand why it's necessary, he's certain that for right now it is. with banked curiosity, he watches hank speak, his eyes moving from his mouth to meet his gaze, steady, wondering.

his lips tug downward, brows drawn. ]

I know my body isn't in the best shape, but I'm still perfectly capable of pleasing you like this. There's no need to wait.

( Hank could take this as Connor was offering it, but the purpose wasn't to use Connor. He wanted Connor to want him. He wanted Connor to need him the same way he needed Connor. Could that be possible? Would it ever be possible?

Connor still saw himself as a machine, capable of fulfilling the desire Hank had toward him. Hank didn't want that, though. He pushed aside Connor's hand and shook his head. ) No. I don't want this.

That's... I'll wait, not because of your body... I'll wait. ( Because of his mind. Hank will make Connor see how important he was, to see his autonomy... Hank wants Connor's love. )

Lieutenant?

[ connor moves his hand away when it's pushed aside, his gaze darting between hank's face and the hand that moved his away, LED yellow and flickering. it was like missing some number in an equation. how was he meant to solve for when he didn't know the outcome?

is it because he wasn't made for this?

or is it something else? ]

I don't understand.

( Hank nods his head. He's a moment before he lifts his eyes back to Connor's face. He moves his hand to cup Connor's cheek, and he leans to offer a chaste kiss to Connor's lips. ) It's alright. ( He brushes his lips against Connor's and straightens his head. He pulls Connor into a hug. He feels just as much attracted to Connor but his focus moved from his needs to Connor's.

Though Connor had stated he lacked needs or desires, that was what Hank focuses on. That Connor will need to have these things before Hank could feel ready to move into something more intimate. He didn't want to do anything before then. )

I just... I need to sleep, Connor.

... Okay.

[ the uncertainty in his voice is autible, but he doesn't say anything more about it after the lieutenant puts his arms around him. steady, solid, and warm, he can still feel the still increased rate of his heartbeat against his chest, thudding to a rhythmic tune that he can't match for all his worth. something's missing. but here in hank's arms, the gnawing, itching feeling to figure out what it is begins to ease.

he opens his mouth softly in answer after hank speaks. ]

Whatever you want, Lieutenant.

Come on, ( Hank gather's Connor in his arms and stands with the other. He strolls to his room, and Sumo follows after them. Once inside the room, he sets Connor down on his bed and, once again, kisses Connor's lips. He pulls the sheets up over Connor's body. Sumo takes his place on a dog bed by the window, and Hank walks around the bed and sits on the edge.

He yawns and turns himself toward the bed, dips his legs beneath the covers, and settles next to Connor. He takes in a large breath and pulls the other to his chest. He's still aroused, but he ignores it - which had been a habit for the last long while. )

[ under the covers, held in the lieutenant's arms, connor wonders if he should go into standby and feign sleep, or wait out the time on his own. he also considers turning over to face him, so he can study him in the dark, but with only one arm and one leg the struggle would be enough to disturb, so he decides against it.

instead, he places his hand over the lieutenant's hand and listens to his breathing, his attention circling around and around the problem of what he's done wrong, and how to better improve upon his behavior in the future. after a while, his attention wanders back to hank, his breathing even once he's fallen asleep, his heartbeat returned to its average resting rate.

connor passes the hours, simply listening. ]

( Hank wakes up startled by Sumo's howling bark. First, there's panic, then confusion, then recognition that Sumo's barking at the door. He can feel pressure to his side, and then even more realization comes to him as he recognizes Connor's body beside him - which then prompts the memory of Connor's parts arriving. It was all coming together.

He groans before he pushes himself up to sit. His body feels a bit stiff, and he clears his throat. )

Con... Connor? ( He clears his throat again, his voice is a little raspy. ) I think your stuff is here. ( He yawns and scratches at his beard and head before he stands. He moves over to the closet and pulls out a robe and drapes it around himself before he heads out the room. Sumo follows Hank.

Connor would hear Hank giving Sumo commands before the door opens, and Hank directs the delivery people into his living room and set down the supplies. The door then closes, and Hank returns to the room to retrieve Connor. He lifts the brunette into his arms. )

They came in some nice boxes... Let's get you patched up.

( He brings Connor down the hall and to the couch and sets him down. He settles next to Connor. The boxes are stacked up on the coffee table before them. )

What one do you want first?

[ connor, some time during the morning (approximately 10:45pm), had switched over into stasis. but when hank wakes, his proximal sensors respond by waking him. his eyes flutter open and he twists his neck to watch hank rub the sleep from his face before walking from the room. the sounds from the delivery men filter in, clear to his sensitive ears. connor sits up. he puts his arm around hank's shoulders when he returns to carry him into the living room, which is now filled with several slick white boxes stamped with cyberlife branding.

connor looks at each of them, satisfied that everything is present and accounted for. he glances to hank. ]

My arm and leg, please. Then I can help you with the rest. The tubing and wiring will be a two person job.

Well, alright, then. ( Hank takes in a quick breath, holds it in his chest, and exhales. There was still a great deal of hesitation in helping Connor out with something complex - which is exactly what it sounds like with Connor's preview of what's to come. A two-person job.... tubing and wiring... Well fuck. ) I'll get these going then.

( Hank opens the boxes, not really knowing what was in what, so he manages to open them all. The leg he pulled out first, however and set it between Connor and himself on the couch. He looked in the box for instructions. )

You, uh... you know how do ... ya' know... but your shit back on, or? ( He's still on the hunt for some instructions. )

Yes, I do. But I can't reattach my leg one-handed. You only have to line it up and apply pressure until you hear the click— It's not complicated.

[ connor offers an encouraging smile. hank will have to do the same for his arm anyway, so he might as well get it over with. besides, if it ever so happens that he needs repairs again, then at least hank will know he's able to do it. ]

You can't really mess it up.

( Hank nods. He sits straight on the couch, still for a breath, before he turns his attention to Connor's new leg. His mouth twists and his brows furrow. He sniffs while grabbing the leg with both hands. Concentration is evident in his face, and he positions the leg against the hip. He cocks his head and looks up to Connor. ) This… I don't have to do any ... wire connecting or anything? Just pop it back in place?

No. CyberLife androids are fully modular. All of our parts are meant to be plug and play.

[ connor offers another small smile, shifting so that his hip aligns and placing his hand over hank's to guide it in. it takes the application of a certain amount of pressure, but, the click! is audible, satisfying and decisive. and there's no delay. the moment it's plugged into his body, he's able to bend his knee and wiggle his toes, the artificial skin spreading from his hip down to cover the length of the limb. ]

See?

( Hank watches as the leg settles seamlessly with Connor's body. It was pretty amazing, and he felt that same state of awe that he had felt the night before when Connor displayed his skin as see-through. Hank moved his hands from Connor's leg and reached for the box with his arm in it. Once he retrieved the arm, he turned back to Connor and used both of his hands to help position the limb in place. Another click, and Hank waited to see if the arm responded. )

[ when hank pushes his arm into place, his artificial skin begins to spread, expanding across the white plastic expanse, his elbow stretching, shoulder rolling, fingers wiggling as he tests the new appendage. these limbs don't have the exact same specs as his original limbs. he's a prototype, after all, and his parts are more advanced than what's on the market.

but they'll do.

connor stands then, just to be sure. he turns back toward hank, still wearing only his shirt. ]

Thank you, Lieutenant.

( Hank's fingers linger on Connor's arm for a moment before he lets them fall to his lap. He watches as Connor tests out his new set of limbs. He's glad to see the specifications matched with what Connor needed. Height, and model, and whatever the fuck. At least it all matches up. Although, that's what he would expect from Connor anyway, to know what he needed. It wasn't complicated, as Connor promised; however, he was still apprehensive about the tubing and wiring. That's why androids had fixer-upper shops, or ... whatever. Fuck, he just doesn't want to fuck it up. )

Yeah, you look... good. Does it feel alright?

[ connor nods once, testing his limbs' strength and coordination with some simple stretches. it's good to be able to move under his own power again. while he appreciates the lieutenant's help, he doesn't much care for having to rely on someone else for something as simple as locomotion.

he glances to the lieutenant. ]

Everything seems to be in working order.

[ there's a box near his feet, smaller than the boxes that were just opened, and connor picks it up to set it on the cushion. he sits beside it, stripping out of the t-shirt and hanging it over the back of the couch. as he inclines his body, the artificial skin retracts from his stomach, and he presses his hand down over his navel. the panel slides aside, once again revealing his inner workings. ]

This should only take a moment.

[ connor reaches into his own body cavity, sticking his hand into a glut of wires and tubes running blue with thirium. his fingers close around the bio-component that's glowing red, warning of malfunction, the same that hank took note of last night. he gives it a sharp twist and pulls it from the branch of tubing it's attached to. it's a moment's work to replace it with the one in the box, and after it's inserted, it immediately begins to glow blue, informing him of its successful installation.

it really does look something like a kidney, small enough to fit comfortably in the hand, and that same curved, elliptic shape. ]

That's better.

( Hank watches with abated breath as Connor opens his side up. Then his nose flares as he takes a sharp inhale. He's unsure about what's happening, but clues in once Connor pulls out the piece inside him that was glowing red. He's relieved to see that it illuminates with a blue light when he inserts the new piece. If he's learned anything, blue and androids was a good mix. He looks to Connor's face and reaches for his hand.

Hank holds Connor's hand and lowers his eyes to their touching flesh. )

I'm glad... What's next?

[ connor watches where their hands touch, studying the lieutenant's fingers. the skin shown signs of age and wear, the nailbeds dark, which possibly indicated a vitamin deficiency. his own hands were perfect, and said nothing about his health. his skin is only a façade, and means nothing.

his eyes raise to hank's face again. ]

I'm going to remove the damaged side panel, repair the wires and tubes that were severed, and then install the new panel.

You won't have to do much. I just need you to hold a few things in place.

( Hank nods slowly. His hands move to his knees, ready to place them wherever Connor will direct them. His eyes watch the tubes pulsating thirium through Connor's body. Once again, he likens them to veins. )

I can do that, sure. ( He looks up to Connor, glad he doesn't have to do anything more complicated than that. )

Good. It will make this go much more quickly.

[ connor chooses not to mention the danger inherent in the procedure if he were to attempt to do it himself. the lieutenant already seems anxious about his involvement in the process, and making him nervous could cause problems.

rather, he gets right to it. by first closing the panel open on his stomach, and then moving his hands to his side, where his skin once again slips away to reveal the white écorché. but this time, instead of sliding the panel aside, he puts his hands to the plastic and presses down until they both hear a familiar click. the expanse of plastic from just above connor's hip to just below his armpit, extending either way about four inches, separates from his body.

he tosses it carelessly aside, indicating one of the boxes on the floor at the same time. ]

Would you grab that? It has the tubing and patch kit inside.

[ connor then reaches into his body cavity and pulls out a thick, plastic tube. it isn't currently flooded with thirium, and near the middle it's been nearly bisected, the cut ragged. ]

I'll need you to hold this. One hand either side of the damaged section. I'm going to have to cut it and replace the tubing.

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