A/N: this is gunna be the first oneshot featuring my oc Carol! Hope y'all like her and don't mind if I add her as a supporting character in future fics.
It was an ordinary day at the prescinct, just you minding your own business filling out reports and such. Everything was calm, and okay. You could almost pretend nothing was wrong. As long as you kept calm and short breaths everything was fine and you would be able to focus on getting your work done. The last thing you needed was Fowler on your ass.
Your eyes were glued to the screen and you had your headphones on, blasting whatever music you were in the mood for. It helped block out the rest of the world and the problems it held. But sadly you would be ripped from your serene place when a tap at your should made you flinch. You whipped your head around and took off your headphones, eyes wide.
"I apologize (Y/n), I didn't mean to startle you."
You immediately relaxed in your chair when you recognized your favorite android, Connor. A nervous chuckle escaped you and you cleared your throat.
"It's okay, Connor. I was just in the zone and wasn't expecting it," you reassured him with a warm smile.
He returned the smile as best he could, which turned out to be very awkward and very adorable. It was hard to ignore the ever growing burning sensation in your lungs. Your (e/c) eyes returned to the screen, but you weren't retaining any of the information you were looking at. Not looking at him made it easier to hold back from letting a cough slip.
"So, whaddya need?" you asked him, your eyes flicking back to him for a split second.
"I brought you this," Connor set down a styrofoam cup of coffee onto your desk next to your hand.
You smiled as you saw the little cup be placed and you looked back up to him, "that's very sweet, thank you Connor."
It wasn't unusual for Connor to bring you coffee or little snacks without you even asking him. Yet each time it made your cheeks become a shade darker and the feeling of fluttering butterflies erupting in your stomach. But it wasn't long until those warm feelings were overshadowed by the overwhelming urge to cough. Your lings begging for you to be allowed to release the foreign object.
It soon became too much and you had to cough into your arm. Luckily, this time there was no residues left on your sweater. You doubted you'd be so lucky next time. In your peripherals you noticed Connor tilt his head curiously at you. You knew better than to hope he wouldn't think anything of it.
"(Y/n), is everything alright?" his LED shifted to amber and you tensed, hoping to whatever god there was he wasn't about to scan you.
You opened your mouth to assure him you were fine but before you could get a word out you were interrupted by a feminine voice.
"My apologies (Y/n), but may I borrow Connor for a moment? I'm in need of a second opinion on a case I'm working on," Carol, the RK700 spoke with a polite smile.
"Sure, I should get back to work anyways," you replied, returning a half smile to her.
Carol was new to the prescinct despite being an older model in the RK series to both Conan and Connor. A 'gift' from Elijah Kamski, as he put it. You didn't know much about her, but she was nice enough. She reminded you of Connor with her big, curious chocolatey brown doe eyes. Even her hair color was the same deep coffee brown. Although her hairstyle quite differed. She had straight bangs that were cut just above her brow, and the rest of her hair was cut just below her jaw. Not a hair out of place. In other words, she was just as perfect as the rest of her siblings.
There was nothing inherently wrong with her, aside from the fact her and Connor were practically inseparable. Yes, you were aware they worked best when combining their specializations. But it was like they were made for each other. Like no matter what you did you'd never amount to her. It made it harder to breath though about how Connor must have liked her better.
As if on cue, your body was wracked with a coughing fit. It felt like your lungs were being constricted. You covered your mouth and tried desperately to stop yourself from coughing any more. The sudden burst of coughs gained yourself attention you didn't want. Especially from Connor and Carol. Their eyes on you made you stand from your chair abruptly, nearly knocking it over in the process. Carol flinched at the sudden movement and Connor's eyes widened slightly.
"(Y/n) are you alright?-" Connor went to take a step towards you but you hastily rushed passed him and to the bathroom.
The two androids shared a puzzled glance to each other, their LED's flickering yellow as they tried to figure out what just happened.
Once you entered the bathroom you hunched over the sink. You heaved and coughed as you felt your body trying to regurgitate something from your lungs. With each couch and heave you felt the object craw up your windpipe. After a few final coughs you managed to hack out whatever it was suffocating you.
Looking down into the sink your glossy, tear-brimmed (e/c) eyes landed on a white daisy, speckled and stained with blood. You stared at the little flower in horror, trying to blink away the tears before they fell. Your breathing was heavy as your lungs attempted to steady it's intake of oxygen. With a shaky hand you reached out and plucked the daisy from the sink.
Daisies. A sign a innocence and purity. Traits that aligned with the cause of the disease that now plagued you. The android that caused it. The person.
You were the victim of a very rare disease. Hanahaki disease. A disease in which flowers bloom and grow within a victims lungs. Specifically victims experiencing unrequited love. In other words, it occurred the moment you realized you were in love with Connor, and when you realized he would never feel the same.
However, this time was first time you had hacked up a full flower. You've only ever came across petals. The blood on the other hand, that was nothing new. It was actually the first symptom you were faced with. Or at least the first one that made you worried. The real first symptom that occurred was the shortness of breath whenever you though about Connor.
Sighing, you shoved the flower in your pocket before turning on the sink to wash away the remaining blood. After turning off the sink you looked up to meet your own eyes. You were paler than usual, and you had a little blood staining your lips.
You heard the door to the bathroom suddenly open and you quickly wiped your mouth, grateful the red liquid wouldn't be visible on your black sweater. The clicking of heels echoed through the bathroom but you kept your eyes glued down into the sink.
"(Y/n)? Are you alright?"
Sighing, you glanced up at the mirror to meet Carol's curious eyes staring at you, her head tilted slightly to the side. It reminded you of Connor. And just like that it suddenly felt harder to breathe. Your eyes flicked back down to the sink.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Think I'm just coming down with a cold or something," you said softly, cursing at yourself for how hoarse your voice sounded.
Carol moved to stand beside you, tilting her head slightly to get a better look at you. Her brows knit together and her LED shifted from the stagnant blue to a blinking amber. From the corner of your eye you saw her reach into the sink before bringing it up to her mouth. Your body tensed and you hoped that she didn't just do what you thought she did.
"Then may I ask why there are traces of your blood in the sink?"
The question made your already tense body become even more rigid. You griped the edged of the sink until your knuckles turned white. A deafening silence filled the bathroom as you refused to answer the question. How could you even begin to answer that?
Before you could have the chance to explain yourself, you glanced up to see Carol's face in the mirror once more. Her LED was blinking amber rapidly and her expression was one of confusion. Suddenly, you see her eyes widen and her features soften. When she shifted her gaze to meet yours, you swore you saw a hint of sadness.
"Were you aware of the disease that resides in your lungs?" Her voice was low and soft.
It almost sounded genuine, like she actually cared. You knew she was deviant, but even so why would she care?
You only gave a short nod in response, lowering your head to avoid her gaze.
"How long?" she asked, the same softness to her voice.
"A few weeks maybe. I'm not too sure," you said, your voice barely above a whisper.
Carol's brows knit together at that piece of information. From what she knows, the disease will most likely become life threatening within another few weeks if left untreated. She also found out what the cause of it was. Silence once again fell between the two of you and you wondered what she was thinking about. It took longer this time before Carol was once again the one to break the silence.
"It's Connor, isn't it?" it was more of a confirmation of what she had put together rather than an actual question.
Another nod was your only answer.
"Why haven't you gotten the surgery yet? Are you unable to afford it financially?" she queried, tilting her head curiously.
"No, no.... That's not an option," you answered, you yourself not even knowing the real answer.
The surgery was the first thing you looked into once you found out what was wrong with you. But when you found out the cost, and not of the actual surgery, you couldn't go through with it. Despite how much pain you were in, you hated the idea of feeling nothing at all. For some reason that was beyond you, you still held some hope.
"Is there a particular reason why?"
You shook your head, "I just.... I just can't."
You could feel your throat tightening and your eyes stung as tears formed. The last thing you wanted was for Connor to know. Yes, like Carol, he was deviant but that didn't mean he would cure you. It was strange how you were so sure of that, and yet you still had hope. If only subconsciously.
A soft sigh could be heard from the android by your side and you suddenly felt a gentle hand on your shoulder.
"If you aren't willing to undergo the surgery, you'll die," she said it as though you didn't already know.
"Yeah, I'm aware," you turned your head to face her for the first time she came in as you spoke.
Her eyes widened and the corners of her lips tugged down into a small frown. You could see the confusion in her eyes, but you didn't expect her to understand.
"Then I suggest you tell him," she proposed.
Now it was your eyes that widened, "N-No! I can't do that either. And you can't tell him either!"
You turned your whole body to face her and grabbed her by the shoulders. The sudden action made her flinch slightly.
"Please- Please, don't tell him!" you begged, tears brimming your eyes.
Carol's expression looked as if she were torn. Her LED flickered wildly as she tried to decide what was the best option.
"Why are you so opposed to the idea (Y/n)?" she asked, hoping to gather more information to help.
Your eyes dropped down to the floor and your grip on her shoulders loosened. The tears that had built up finally falling down your face.
"Because it won't make a difference," you choked out.
"And what brought you to that conclusion?" her head tilted as she tried to figure out your reasoning.
The question made you let go of her completely and turn your back to her. You wrapped your arms around yourself and squeezed your eyes shut in an attempt to stop the tears.
It was a simple answer. One which only made Carol more confused. What did she have anything to do with it? Had she done something wrong? She was just about to ask you to elaborate when suddenly it clicked. The realization made her blink a couple of times, not quite sure if she was even correct. Because she knew for a fact that if she was right in her hypothesis, she knew it meant you were dead wrong.
"Forgive me but," she paused for a moment and moved around you to face you before continuing, "Could it be that you think that Connor and I and romantically involved?"
She was met with nothing but silence in return, but that was answer enough for the android. Gently, she grabbed your arm and turned you back around to face her. She rested her ands on both your shoulders and tilted her head to catch your gaze.
"(Y/n), I can assure you that is not the case. Connor is my family, there is nothing romantic between us and there never will be," she offered you a reassuring smile.
Her words must have been enough to convince you because you hesitantly nodded.
"O-Okay..." your voice came out small, barely audible but Carol heard you perfectly.
Her smile widened and she let go of you, straightening her posture.
"Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I should be getting back to work," she said, giving a curt nod before heading back to the door.
She reached out and took the handle but didn't open the door yet, turning her head to look at you over your shoulder, "I'll let Connor know you're alright. He was the one who asked me to check on you after all. But I really do advise you tell him. If you don't, I will have to on your behalf."
With that, she opened the bathroom door and swiftly made her exit. You stared at the door with mixed feelings that were on opposite sides of whatever spectrum. The most prominent emotion you were experiencing was fear. Fear that you would have to come clean to Connor, fear that you wouldn't be able to ignore this problem because if you did Carol would tell him. You didn't blame her really, but that didn't mean you had to like what she was forcing you into.
Then, there was the confusing part. The part that made that hope you clung to so desperately feel validated. She said he was the one who sent her in here after you. Was he worried about you? Did he care about you? Could that mean he might have been able to love you?
You didn't take any more time to think about it before you figured you should get back to work as well. Taking one last look at yourself in the mirror, making sure all evidence of your little incident was gone. You stuffed your hands in your pockets as you made your way to the door but stopped in your tracks when you felt the soft petals of a daisy. After a brief pause you exited the bathroom, your fingers fiddling with the flower.
As you made your way back to your desk you saw Carol speaking with Connor. Connor was the first to spot you and you offered him a tiny smile, but when you saw Carol's expectant expression it dropped. Your eyes dropped to the floor and you sighed heavily before changing your course to where the androids were standing. Might as well get it over with as soon as possible.
As you approached the two you nervously thumbed over the daisy that stayed hidden in your pocket.
"Hello (Y/n), how are you?" Connor greeted.
"I uh, I'm alright," there was a slight pause where you glanced over to Carol, she gave you a little nod and an encouraging smile and you continued, "I actually wanted to talk to you about something. If you aren't busy."
Your eyes flicked everywhere except for his face, your words were rushed and low. This behaviour made Connor's head tilt in curiosity and a bit of worry. He looked over his shoulder to Carol, who spoke up.
"Don't worry I'll handle the reports."
"I would appreciate that, thank you Carol," he said to as she left to go sit at her desk.
Connor's eyes then went back to you, "What was it you wanted to talk about?"
"Can we um- Can we go somewhere more private?" you asked, looking up at him shyly.
"Of course," Connor agreed without a second thought.
He gestured for you to follow him as he lead the way down the hall. He led you to a free interrogation room, peeling back his artificial skin to open the door. Like the gentleman he was, he gestured for you to enter first. You couldn't help but see the irony of being in the interrogation room, seeing as you were about to do some confessing. Once the door was closed Connor turned to give you his undivided attention.
"Is everything alright, (Y/n)?" he took a step towards you, his voice laced with worry.
"Yeah I-" you started automatically and you had to stop yourself mid sentence with a sigh.
"No, not really. That's.... That's what I wanted to talk to you about..." you trailed off, not exactly sure how to go about this.
You wished you had more time to think about what to say before you were put into this position. Then again, you weren't sure anything you thought of would have felt good enough.
"What's wrong?" Connor immediately asked, fully prepared to do everything in his power to fix whatever the problem was.
It was a mistake to glance up and meet his soft, worry stricken. Because without warning, you were being attacked by another violent fit of coughs. Connor's eyes widened in suprise and his LED shifted to amber. He rushed to your side and placed his hand on your back, rubbing soothing circles in hopes of helping.
When the coughing finally seemed to cease you felt Connor lightly take your chin in his other hand and tilt your head up to him. He noticed the blood on your lips immediately, and he didn't need to do any sampling to know that wasn't a good sign. The detective android wasted no more time scanning you, determined to figure out what was wrong.
Your eyes dropped to the floor and you felt your throat tightening again. Tears burned your eyes from the mixture of the emotional and physical pain. You needed a moment before you would tell him what was going on. But when you finally met his eyes again you saw a look of realization wash over his perfect features you got the idea he figured it out himself.
"You have Hanahaki disease."
His voice was soft, barely above a whisper, and held an air of disbelief. You nodded, confirming that what he found out was true. He didn't need to ask to know it was him who was the cause. Hank told him about your not so subtle crush constantly but he just didn't believe it. Connor never thought you'd like an android, let alone him.
Suddenly, Connor pulled you into his chest. He snaked an arm around your waist and rested his hand at the small of your back, while his other hand cupped the back of your head. Hesitantly, you brought your hands up to grip his jacket.
"I'm so sorry (Y/n). This is all my fault," he whispered guiltily, his chin resting on the top of your head.
You shook your head slightly, taking in a shaky breath, "Don't worry about it, I-I get it..."
"No, you dont," he cut you off, his lips tugging down into a frown.
You tilted your head slightly to look at him quizzically with an eyebrow raised. You were about to ask him what he meant when he moved his hand from your head and cupped your cheek. Heat started to rise up into your cheeks and you swallowed thickly, watching him with wide eyes.
"This should never have happened," he said quietly, seemingly to himself.
"C-Connor?" you breathed out his name.
Your heart was hammering in your chest and your stomach felt like it was doing flips. The strange thing was that your lungs didn't seem to burn or feel like they were being constricted. But you were too distracted with Connor leaning down to press his forehead to yours, your noses brushing against each other.
"I wish you would have told me sooner. I could have helped you sooner," his voice was apologetic and the regret in his eyes damn near broken your heart.
When your expression remained confused about what he was getting at, Connor let out an unnecessary sigh.
"I love you, (Y/n). I'm sorry it took me so long to realize, and I'm sorry you had to suffer because of it," he confessed.
At those three little words you waited oh so long to hear, your eyes widened even more. And when Connor leaned down to press his lips to yours your breath hitched. You immediately melted into the kiss, letting your eyes flutter closed. Your hands gripped his jacket tighter, scared that if you let go he'd disappear.
The kiss only lasted a few seconds, but that was all you needed. When Connor leaned back from you ever so slightly you took a deep breath. The first breath you took in months that didn't hurt, or give you the urge to cough at all. Tears of happiness and overall emotional exhaustion spilled from your eyes and you buried your face in his chest.
You could finally breathe. You were cured. No longer would you have to go on pretending you weren't being torn from the inside out. You could finally look at Connor without any fear. More importantly, your hope of Connor loving you back had been rewarded.
You would be glad if you never saw another daisy for the rest of your days.
A/N: man i feel like the end sucks rip. Anyways I always loved the concept of hanahaki disease tbh.
