Work Text:
“Hey, what are you reading?”
Connor hums and looks up from his book, and smiles at Markus warmly.
“Oh. It’s a…” The android closes the book slightly and looks at the cover.
The cover art features a young boy with short black hair and round glasses, accompanied with a bushy brown haired girl and a ginger haired boy. It appears that they are wearing black robes, and in front of them there is a huge man with a large black beard who is laughing while holding an oil lamp, and the title on the top tells everyone what the title of the book is, if not the illustration at the front makes it obvious. It’s the first book from the Harry Potter series. Connor looks at Markus.
“It’s a book that Hank recommended me. He said it was really popular a few decades ago.” Connor explains, opening the book again. “It’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.”
This peaks Markus’ interest as he sat down beside Connor on the cozy light brown couch, laying his head on the RK800’s shoulder as he read a few of the sentences of his book.
“Carl used to love those books.” Markus comments, kissing Connor on the cheek, smiling at the way he blushed a light blue. “It’s a series. There’s seven books. Well, eight, if you count The Cursed Child.”
“Don’t spoil it, then.” Connor says, flipping a page. “I only know a basic summary of all the books.”
“Don’t worry, love, I won’t.”
Markus lifts his head as he turns to his own personal fiction. The cover has a yellow-silhouetted bird with an arrow in between its beak as a golden circle went around them. The title on the top right corner tells everyone what he’s reading. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins.
Markus has read this book several times now, enough to know what happens in every chapter, but he still reads it sometimes, especially if he came back from a long day of talking and giving speeches.
So he pulls out his book and starts reading as well.
They both enjoy each other’s presences as they read their own book silently through the afternoon, the sunlight peeking out from behind the curtains and erasing the need for brighter light, since the sun is more than enough.
But Markus gets distracted.
He couldn’t help but watch as Connor’s facial expressions change from wonder and excitement and fear for the characters in the book. He couldn’t help but smile at how Connor’s eyes widened slightly every time something awful happened to Harry, how Connor shifts in his position as he reads the suspenseful parts of the story.
It was, to put simply, adorable.
And Markus enjoyed every minute of it.
Nearing four in the afternoon, Markus put away his book and snuggled closer to Connor, reading over his shoulder. Connor was on the final chapter, The Man with Two Faces, and Markus saw the need to distract him because the android was beginning to tense up, and the RK200 noted that his stress levels were rising. And so he nuzzled his head into Connor’s neck, kissing him lightly just another the jawline, and he smiles when he realizes his tactic is working.
Soon, Connor finishes the book, and he closes the book with a sigh of relief.
“Thank rA9 Harry got out of there safely.” Connor says, and Markus kisses his forehead.
“Well? Who did you think was the one who was sabotaging him?” Markus asks quietly, and Connor blushes with slight embarrassment.
“I… I;'ll admit that at first I thought it was Professor Snape.” He says sheepishly.
Markus mock-gasped. “What?! The Detective admitted defeat? Someone alert the media!” He shouts dramatically, earning a light smack in the head from Connor.
“Meanie.”
Markus laughs, and holds Connor’s hand, his synthetic skin disappearing and revealing white with a glowing blue. Connor followed and they kissed softly, the feeling of love and care overwhelming their bodies, and they stopped, with Connor resting his head on Markus’ shoulder and the RK200 stroking his hair affectionately.
“You know you love me.”