#cole lives

[temporary-enthusiasm]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[connor-kissing-hank]

Domesticity

[Ao3 Link]

Author: CeilingKiwi Rating: E Status: Multichapter, ongoing Tags: Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Domestic Fluff, Connor is a good dad, Hank is a Good Dad, or at least Hank tries to be a good dad, Canon-Typical Violence, Body Horror, Hospitalization, Major Character Injury, Cole Lives, Angst, Oral Sex, Intercrural Sex, Dream Sex Dubcon, Ken-Doll Connor, Anal Sex, Vers Connor, Vers Hank, Minor Character Death Description: When Hank's wife abandons him and their young son, Hank struggles to adjust to single parenthood. He buys a second-hand domestic android to help keep his household afloat, an android with buggy software and an unusual amount of initiative. As Connor becomes an indispensable member of the household, Hank finds himself questioning everything he thought he knew about androids—and about authenticity, personhood, and society. Recommended by: VulpesOrion Recommender Review: This is pretty much the granddaddy of all HankCon fics. If you're going to read one, start here.

[connorssock]

If you're still taking prompts, what about an AU where Cole survived the car crash and it was Hank's wife that died? I wonder how Cole would feel about Hank's and Connor's relationship.

Cole was what, 6 when the car accident happened? And that had been three years ago. So he had spent a third of his life without a mother. Kids on the whole are pretty accepting of things, and I would like to think that Hank isn’t one to bring bigotry into his house. Except, an android did kill his wife. So he still has his hatred of them and that’s something he had passed onto Cole.

Usually, in fics with Cole in, he’s portrayed as the perfect, accepting child who can be the final push for Hank to finally admit his feelings for Connor. So let’s flip that on its head. Through work, Hank has seen a androids in a new light. He learns to appreciate them, give deviancy the respect it deserves. However, Cole has had three years of Hank hating androids at home. He hasn’t had the benefit of seeing one morph from a driven machine to...whatever Connor has become. All Cole knows is that his dad had hated androids since his mum died. And now suddenly his dad is talking about the android he works with like its his best friend. That’s going to take time to accept for Cole.

He’s old enough to know about boyfriends and girlfriends. That part, Hank did right raising Cole on that one and explaining how it’s okay to have either of them. That Hank himself might find either a girlfriend or a boyfriend eventually. What neither of them had anticipated that the boyfriend would also be an android.

The first time Hank brings Connor home, Cole asks his father why he brought a glorified roomba with him, their human cleaner comes in once a week and does just fine. Explaining that Connor is a work partner who Hank gets along with very well is met with a scoff and Cole proceeds to ignore Connor for the rest of the evening. Won’t engage with him on any level, questions go ignored, if at all possible, Cole won’t even look at him. It’s not a great first meeting and it doesn’t get much better after that.

Cole challenges everything, tells Connor that everything out of his mouth is just programmed responses. That Cole won’t fall for the same tricks his dad did. He even tries to boss Connor around, telling him to pick up the toys Cole has left out, to wash the dishes and the like. Of course, Conner refuses. Points out that he is a deviant and not a machine, that is he not compelled to follow ordered from anyone, no matter how much they stomp their feet and yell “I order you” over and over again.

There isn’t a truce. Hank is trying his best to manage Cole but keep things with Connor going too. It’s tricky and there are no happy family meals. Until Cole is summoned to the headmaster’s office at school. It’s Connor there, looking worried, LED bright red.

“Cole, there’s been an accident,” he says gently, crouching down to Cole’s level. “Your dad is in hospital, he will be okay but he’s asked I come and get you.”

 The car journey is quiet, Cole staring out the window. At the hospital, he walks next to Connor, silent, eyes big. He cries out when he sees Hank, laid up in bed, arm in a sling and is clambering onto the bed to cuddle his dad. Quietly, Connor moves to step out of the room.

“Stay, Connor. Come here.” Hank calls. Hesitantly, Connor sits on the other side of the bed, not quite sure of his welcome at this family moment. But to Hank, Connor is family, they’d been dating for months at this point.

“I hate to ask,” Hank grumbles, “but could you look after Cole until I’m out? I know you guys aren’t terribly fond of each other but at the moment I don’t think anyone else is available to look after him.”

Cole and Connor share a look over Hank. A small nod from Connor and a promise that he will do his best is all he can offer. He just hopes Cole won’t prove to be difficult.

It’s not an easy couple of days. Cole has an utter bitchfit at bedtime, yells and throws things at Connor. Eventually he settles in bed and cries big tears of worry. Because he’s scared his dad won’t come home again. That he’ll leave like his mum because some android didn’t do a good enough job. For the night, Connor sits by his bed and tries to reassure him that it’s all going to be fine.

By the time Hank comes out of hospital, there’s a silent truce and respect the two have for each other. Cole’s slowly learning that an android isn’t just a machine and Connor is finding out about the delights of parenting the hard way. It’s a long road, certainly not an easy one. They do end up a family eventually, end up loving each other. But it take a lot of time, effort and patience from everyone.