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What Is Love? (Baby Don't Hurt Me)

I thought of this as I was trying to sleep one summer night. Enjoy.
Also, I am not changing that title. I wrote that as a joke to myself but...it just stuck.


// AMBASSADOR BRIDGE, DETROIT, MI
   MARCH 23RD, 2039
   12:46:09 PM   //


The afternoon sun cascaded down onto the half-frozen water. The trees above lost their leaves months ago, before the winter came. No matter the weather, the view from the park bench that the human and Android sat on was breath-taking.
"Emotions aren't facts, Connor. They aren't...numbers, or sequences, or results from those scans you do." He gestured his hands as he gazed out into the distance, trying to find the right words. For once, he didn't have a bottle in his hands.
"So...sorry, son. I just won't have a good answer for you." The breeze blew the human's hair out of his eyes, allowing him to see the dulled blue LED in the corner of his vision. The sun shone over Connor. His normally dark brown eyes now had a golden shine to them, along with his hair. He turned his head to the now retired police lieutenant. It wasn't that much of a shock, after he punched the head of the FBI in the nose without hesitation.
"That's okay, Hank. I wasn't expecting a straight answer." A mellow smile settled on Connor's lips. "I'm just looking for a broad idea, is all."
Hank faced the Android, feeling his eyes staring through his head. "Well? Cough it up, what's the question?" Connor looked away as he met those familiar sky blue eyes. Instead of studying them and potentially lowering their relationship status, he looked upwards.
"...I suppose I'm just...I'm confused as to what love is." His yellow LED could barely be distinguished in the bright sun. The question took Hank aback. That wasn't what he was expecting, but he should've been prepared for it. He began seeing more and more Androids in romantic relationships, and Connor always looked at them funny.
"I see it described and shown in multiple ways." Connor looked back down from the sky, back to earth.
"How so?"
"...Humans say they love their pets. But I never see them scheduling romantic dates with them. Same with foods or music that they say they love." The Android held his fingers together, picking at the synthetic skin. Hank noticed he did that a lot when he was deep in thought, along with performing coin tricks or adjusting the sleeves of his shirt.
Hank tried holding back an amused laugh. "Connor, it's not like-"
"But in those romance shows I watch on your TV, two people that are in a relationship say that they love each other. They're the ones that share dates and partake in intimate actions." Connor interrupted him. His mind was racing with questions. But he didn't want to risk annoying Hank. That happened quite often in conversations like this.
The Android's voice was desperate. "Why is love so...so vast? Why do humans make things so complicated?" Connor switched his attention to Hank, desperately looking for an answer.
Meanwhile, Hank tried and failed to warm up his hands. He stared down at the ground. This would definitely not be easy to explain.
"Out of any human emotion, you had to choose love?" He sarcastically replied. After glancing at Connor, seeing his furrowed eyebrows and concentrated eyes, Hank knew he wouldn't be able to wiggle his way out of giving an answer.
"I said it before, I won't be able to give you a straight answer-" He gazed off into the waters of the Detroit River, watching the water trying to leap out over the ice covering it.
Connor interrupted him. "I know, but can you..." His eyes observed the red glow on the human's cheeks. It would be wise to get somewhere warmer soon.
"How about you tell me your experiences with love? That might help me understand." Connor suggested, voice sounding hopeful. On the other hand, Hank visibly cringed.
"Hah, no. That's another long talk for a different day." His laugh appeared in the cold air, then swept away quickly. "Or never."
Aside from nearby cars and the water lapping up over the ice and onto the shore, there was silence between the two.
Hank finally thought of what to say. "Hm. Well, there's definitely a fine line between loving objects and loving other people." Connor sat patiently in wait for the human's knowledge.
"Saying that you love a certain food or music genre or whatever doesn't mean you love it like you'd love another person." Connor seemed to understand that. He nodded his head subtly. Now Hank was on a roll as the words came to mind. Before speaking, he would make sure he'd say it in a way that Connor would understand. Sort of like dumbing-down an explanation for a toddler. Hank never thought he'd have to do that again.
"You can love a best friend, but that isn't in a romantic way. That would just mean you really like your best friend, but... wouldn't make romantic advances towards them." Hank would meet Connor's eyes every time he would check to see if he was listening. He could practically see the gears turning in his head. Or... whatever was up there.
"Romantic advances as in kissing, er...hugging. Whatever kids do nowadays." He swore he could almost hear a laugh escape from Connor's mouth. It was sweet, short, and innocent.
Hank paused to think again, "But really loving another person...I wouldn't be able to describe it to you, but," He found himself lost in his mind as he replayed Connor's laugh in his head repeatedly. He'd never heard him laugh before. Just quiet giggles, not a flow-blown laughing fit. What would make Connor laugh?
Hank didn't realize he had stopped talking until the deviant replied to him.
"...This is all very confusing, Hank." The Android had a troubled look set on his face, like he was stuck on a particularly difficult case at work.
"I told ya." A laugh escaped Hank's mouth and disappeared into the chilly air.
Connor twisted in his seat, now facing Hank. A warm smile lifted up his lips; the same smile he had learned from Hank, that fateful morning when he finally realized he was free.
"But...thank you for the assistance."
Hank only stared at him for a while. Soon after, he returned the smile. It warmed up his chest and fingers, prone to the cold weather of Detroit.
"Anytime, kid."
The older man rose from his seat and stretched his muscles for a moment. The water was still fruitlessly trying to crash up over the ice. He turned back to Connor, looking up at him cluelessly.
"How 'bout we head back home?" He offered.
Connor stood up on his feet, smile returning on his face.
"That sounds nice, Hank."

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