Thread by @usrnko

Thinking about prison HankCon. Hank as a seasoned prisoner, well-connected and feared. Thinks he's dead inside.
Until Connor shows up, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and defends a new, scared inmate from Gavin.
And Hank is surprised to find himself stepping in to protect Connor.

After that, everyone assumes that he and Connor have an Arrangement, and Warden Fowler has them put in the same cell.
And Connor thinks so too, and was perfectly happy to let Hank protect him, but once they're in the cell Hank makes it very clear that that's not what's going on.

Connor tries to convince him that he's perfectly fine with it, but Hank brushes off his advances.

Eventually though, Connor realizes that while Hank doesn't take favors for protection or anything serious, he does accept them for small good and services. Like cigarettes.

Hank's logic, of course, is that nobody's going to die without cigarettes, so if you're willing to suck Hank's dick for them, it's not under duress.

He catches on when Connor starts smoking a pack a day that it's not actually about the cigarettes.

It turns from a daily transaction into an actual arrangement. Hank spoils him, cigarettes, treats, other small tokens that are major luxuries in jail, and Connor spend each night either just wrapped around Hank, or with his mouth around him.
They're happy. Comfortable.

But Hank isn't completely convinced. He suspects Connor is just attracted to power and what passes for wealth in prison.
Or sometimes, he wonders if Connor somehow played the long con to get Hank's protection. Convinced him he wanted it.

He puts it out of his mind. He tried to do right.
He should just enjoy this soft, slender man in his bed, who he spoils rotten, and calls 'baby' in whispers at night, low enough that the other cells can't hear how soft he's getting.

Until one day, he slips up.

He pissed off Gavin that first day, getting between him and Connor. And people noticed he was spoiling his "bitch", not that he'd call Connor that. But people thought he was going soft.
Opportunist that he is, Gavin takes the leap to seize power.

Gavin gets him good with a sharpened toothbrush. If it weren't for Connor trying to stop him, he'd have hit something vital.
Hank wakes up in the infirmary, confused, and then horrified.
Connor's by himself out there. Nobody to protect him. He could be getting hurt.

He ignores the cynical voice that tell him Connor's probably someone else's baby by now.
He tries to convince the doctor that he's okay, but she knows he isn't. Fuck.

Then he turns to look at the other patients in the room. There are more than usual, like there's been a riot.

He's shocked to see Gavin Reed himself lying in a cot, breathing through a tube and hooked up to a few machines. He looks *bad*.
A lot of Gavin's friends fill the other beds, as well as various prisoners that rank high on the pecking order. Contenders for power. All wiped out.

"What the fuck happened?"
One of the least injured patients looks over with wide eyes.
"Uh... Connor..."
"Connor, is he okay?"
"... he told me to tell you everything's gonna be alright. Don't worry."
"He... what?"

The guy paints a pretty gruesome picture.

Hank lost a lot of blood pretty fast, and passed out quickly.
Gavin had tried to stop Connor from applying pressure to the wound, and if the guards hadn't shown up a few seconds later, he'd probably be in the morgue and not in a coma.

Connor was in the hole for only a day, since he'd been good until then, and he'd technically been defending Hank.

When he got out, Gavin's friends were out for revenge, and anyone that wanted a shot at being the king knew that they had to get Connor out of the way.

Of course, that didn't really work out for them, as evidenced by the unusually full infirmary.

Hank tried to wrap his head around it, reconcile this room with the sweet little spoiled brat that shared his bed. Was Connor capable of this?
He must be even harder than Hank.

After a few days, he got out.
Connor was still in solitary because of all the damage he'd inflicted, but he'd left enough of an impression that everyone was too scared to touch Hank.

Hank had time to think.
Connor had never *needed* him. He could more than take care of himself.

So that ruled out his concern about Connor using him. It probably ruled out the power fetish too, since Connor could have had that power for himself from day one.

Day one... Connor had decided to protect the new inmate. Called himself Shaolin Being now, weird fucker. And Connor-

had *let* Hank protect him. Offered to submit for "protection" that he obviously didn't need. Just like he didn't want those cigarettes.

Hank wasn't sure what kind of game he was playing here. He'd just have to ask him. If he had the guts, knowing Connor in this new light.

After a week, Connor finally emerged from solitary. You could practically taste intimidation in the air as he was led through the block back to his own cell.
Hank saw an uncharacteristically hard look on Connor's face as he arrived and was uncuffed. Eyes narrowed and jaw set.

That hard look immediately melted into familiar puppy dog eyes when they landed on him.
"So... you've been hiding a few talents, I see." Hank said causally. "You're practically in charge around here. Congratulations."
Connor looked upset.
"What's wrong?" Hank asked, cautiously.

"Does..." Connor said, in that sweet, slightly needy voice that he only used with Hank. "Does this mean I can't be 'baby' anymore?"

Hank stared at him.
"You can be anything you damn well please at this point. And you want to be..?"
"Your... pet. I liked it. Being looked after."

Hank can't believe it, as this certified killing machine comes over to where Hank is sitting on his bunk, and slips to his knees.
Connor leans his head against Hank's thigh and looks up again with needy eyes. "Please?"
Hank feels a familiar spark flare back up.

He's still Connor, and the thought of what he's capable of, how strong and dangerous he is, finally leaves Hank's mind, and the bright-eyed, naive boy that showed up the first day comes back into focus.
He cards his hand through Connor's hard, who lets out a happy little sigh.

"Of course, baby. Come here." He pulls Connor up, and over to lie down against his chest.
"You miss me, sugar?"
"So much." whined Connor, and buried his face into Hanks shoulder.
He had to ask. "So, letting me protect you, treat you like you're naive, that all gets you off?"

Connor seemed a little embarrassed. "Yes... from the first day. Never happened before, people don't usually think I need protecting. I didn't expect to like it so much.
I really like the presents and you spoiling me and calling me sweet things, too."
"I can tell." murmured Hank.

"Well, outside of this cell, you'll have to put on a tough face now that you're boss, but in here, we can keep doing this. Yeah?"
"Nooo" Connor whined. "Don't wanna."
Hank chuckled, and then growled and gave him a spank, which earned him a delighted squeal. "Don't be whiny."

Connor thought for a few moments, and then spoke more gravely.
"If I'm really the boss, I can do whatever the fuck I want, can't I."
"Well yeah, but you gotta keep respect up..."
"Oh, I've earned it." Connor insisted. "You weren't there. Trust me, no one's gonna say anything.'

Hank thinks about arguing, but realizes that Connor *is* wearing the pants here, even if he'd rather pretend he wasn't. So what he says, goes.
"Yeah, baby? What do you want to do?"
"Just treat me the same as before. and..."
"Yeah?"
"I want to tattoo your name on me."

Fuck if that doesn't turn Hank on.
"Yeah? Where?" he asks. "Here?" he traces over Connor's lower back, who shivers. "A little too trashy for my property, I think."
Connor half-growls at the 'property'.
"But I do wanna see it when I'm fucking you." Hank adds, working them both up.

--
True to Hank's word, they get the tattoo, something tasteful for a prison piece, 'Property of Hank Anderson', in a stripe down Connor's side.
The inmate who does it is extremely surprised by the request. When he finishes he asks "So... don't tell anyone, I'm guessing?"

Connor grins. "Oh, no. Please tell everyone who I belong to."
Hank smiles too and shakes his head. Kinky little shit.

Surprisingly, his willingness to expose himself only helps cement Connor's reputation as fearless, and a little bit insane.
Things stabilize.

Life is good. Better than it has any right to be in prison, Hank thinks.
Cozy nights curled up in a single bed with the most dangerous man he ever met. Dinner dates at bolted-down benches and tables. It's romantic, don't ask him how. Maybe love will do that to you.

-Fin

Partly inspired by these pictures I saw

https://twitter.com/corrona_/status/1172063047101243393

(linking the tweet didn't work properly so I added the photos separately, idk if that's okay)

*hair, dammit