Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

~~~ Requests ~~~

~ OPEN ~

Hello Everyone! Welcome to my Detroit: Become Human oneshot collection. Detroit: Become Human is my favourite game right now, and I've been dying to write for the beautiful characters that come with it! There can never be enough content for this masterpiece, so here I am, writing away about the lovely men and woman I've recently fallen in love with.

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I will write for any and all Detroit: Become Human characters, such as:

- Connor | RK800

- Nines/Conan/Colin | RK900

- Gavin Reed

- Kara | AX400

- Markus | RK200

- North WR400

- Ralph | WR600

- Simon | PL600

- Daniel | PL600

- Chloe | ST200

- Elijah Kamski

- And more, just ask and I'll see what I can do!

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I'll write all sorts of topics, such as:

- Angst

- Gore

- Fluff

- Crack

- X reader

- X character

- Female reader, male reader, or gender neutral reader

- Android reader, or other specifications (Ex. drunk!reader or child!reader (NOT PED*PHILIA))

I'm not sensitive to much, so I'm also okay writing heavier themes like su*cide or self-h*rm (I will do my very very best to add trigger warnings as well, for those of you who are not comfortable with these themes) And, of course, there will be swearing in most chapters.

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I will not write:

- NSFW/Smut/Lemons

- Certain mental disabilities I don't know enough about to write accurately. This is solely so that I don't write them in an inaccurate fashion- The last thing I want is to offend you guys by doing this wrong!

Requests will almost always be open unless explicitly stated otherwise at the top of this chapter, and I'll appreciate ever single thing you guys ask me to write! Here are some basic guidelines to follow when requesting!

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- When requesting, make sure you specify which character(s) you want me to write about, and whether you want it to be x reader or x character. I will do female x male, female x female, male x male, or either x a Gender Neutral reader.

- Give me a basic plotline or general idea of the oneshot. It helps me a lot, since a big part of my oneshot writing ends up being struggling to find a good, unique idea. If you don't have a basic plotline idea, give me a few headcannons to base the reader or characters off of and I'll try my best to create something out of it.

- Make sure to add any specific details! Maybe a certain scene you want included, an ending, or if you want a few other characters to make appearances at some point. I'll do what I can with that information.

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And that's it! I hope you guys enjoy this book, and again, I'd love love love some requests to start this all off! I'll try to update as frequently as possible alongside my other active book 'I Didn't Want This Either', which is a Gavin Reed x Reader story you can find on my profile.

Thanks so much for reading, and I appreciate every single vote or comment you all leave!

Enjoy!

- Your author, Hazel :)

Chapter Text

Commencing system security scan...

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All systems secure.

Scanning Software instability...

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System software: Stable

Initialization protocol engaged...

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Register name...

(Y/N) - RK700

Registered under...

Detective Gavin Reed

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Thirium pulses through you at a steady pace as your eyes flutter open. Your LED blinks a soft yellow and you tilt your head to take in your new surroundings. You began to register the layout of Central Police Station into your memory, and took even strides towards the front counter. A receptionist android, model ST300, greets you with a simple,

"Can I help you?"

"I am (Y/N), the android sent by Cyberlife. I am here for Detective Reed." your voice is perfectly monotone as you speak, your feet set shoulder-width apart in your usual robotic stance. You hardly blink as the conversation progresses.

"Do you have authorization?"

"Yes." Your LED begins to blink, shifting from blue to yellow, and then back again moments later.

"Detective Reed should be at his desk." the ST300 raises a hand in the direction of the gates into the precincts bullpen, and you turn, heading that way without another word. A beep goes off, and the gates swing open, allowing you passage into the center of Central Station. The world around you freezes, tinted Cyberlife Blue as you search for a face belonging to your new partner.

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Lieutenant Anderson, Hank - Criminal Record: None

Officer Chen, Tina - Criminal Record: None

Officer Lewis, Robert - Criminal Record: None

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Your scan came back unsuccessful. Detective Reed wasn't within your sights. You made your way further into the bullpen, stopping next to the Police Lieutenant. Another android sat across from him, model RK800. You simply blinked at each other, before you turned back to Lt. Anderson.

"Is Detective Reed in today?" you ask, the Lieutenant glancing up at you with a bewildered expression before realization hits him. His jaw drops, and then morphs into an amused expression.

"Reed got himself a fuckin' android?" Hank sounds as if he doesn't believe it, and lets out a bellowing laugh that trails off into a cough or two. "Jesus christ, I never thought I'd see the day!" Hank is laughing again, glancing over at the RK800 with the goofiest grin and tears brimming in his eyes. "Connor, do you believe this?"

"It did seem unlikely, Lieutenant." The RK800, Connor, responds with a hint of amusement in his tone as well, before turning to you. "Detective Reed is currently on his break, but he should be back very shortly. That's his desk over there," Connor points to a desk nearer the entrance to the bullpen, "If you don't mind waiting."

"Thank you." you say with a courteous nod, leaving Connor and Hank, still laughing out a lung, on their own. Upon approaching Gavin's desk, you couldn't help but pass a quick scan.

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Coffee cup - Trace caffeine - Origin: Central Police Station

Set of Keys - *#%^ &% Street - Autonomous Vehicle - Central Police Station

Hairs - Feline Hairs - Maine Coone cat - Tabby cat

Goldchild Ivy - European - Hedera He-

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"Woah, woah woah, what the hell are you doing near my desk, plastic?" a voice tore you from your scan, and you turned slowly to face the newcomer.

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Detective Reed, Gavin - Criminal Record: None

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"Detective Reed? I am (Y/N), the android sent by Cyberlife." you keep your voice steady, taking a few steps backwards as Gavin approaches. The dilation of his pupils and the tensing of his shoulders portrays his mounting rage.

"The android sent by- oh, oh! Cyberlife! Wow!" Gavin plasters on a much-too-happy smile, setting down his coffee and waving his hands around, over-enthusiastic. Then, his expression went flat, "Who gives a fuck. Why the hell are you near my desk? Go- Go join that other stupid plastic or something. Don't go poking around where you don't belong."

"I'm afraid you don't seem to understand, Detective Reed. I am (Y/N), the android sent by Cyberlife to-" you try to explain more in depth, but Gavin doesn't give you the chance as he cuts you off again,

"Yeah, yeah I fuckin' get it! The android sent by Cyberlife, you don't have to repeat yourself. Just get lost already!" Gavin scowled at you, his hands balled into white-knuckled fists. With one slow blink, you attempt yet again to speak, and finally get your full sentence out this time.

"Detective Reed, I would rather you let me speak. This would be much less difficult for the both of us." Gavin rolled his eyes, letting out a huff and turning his back to you. He sat himself down in his desk, taking a long sip of his coffee- which was still much too hot for any normal human- and turning back to you. His eyes were narrowed, and a frown overtook his face- but he didn't speak, and motioned for you to hurry the hell up. "I'm the android sent by Cyberlife... to be your partner."

"..." Gavin was... frozen. His expression hadn't shifted, he hadn't moved an inch. Not a sound escaped him, either- until, like a flash of lightning, he was leaping to his feet and grabbing you viciously by the collar of your uniform. "Who the fuck put you up to this stupid joke, huh? What it Anderson over there and his stupid Tin Can?" Gavin was much too close for comfort, your LED blinking red, but you pushed down your instincts to shove him away and kept a calm demeanor.

"Detective Reed, I advise you calm yourself. I would hate to have to report this behavior to Captain Fowler." Gavin didn't let you go, leaning in impossible closer, a sneer dominating his expression. The anger sizzling in his gaze would frighten any human on the planet.

"This isn't fuckin' funny. This can't possibly be real- Fowler knows I can't work with plastics, he wouldn't-" you finally grew sick of Reed's childlike attitude, snatching his wrists in either of your hands and ripping them free from your uniform. You gave him a light shove, though it came off stronger than you had meant and he tumbled backwards, backing into his desk. His smoldering gaze only deepened further into rage.

"I'm sorry, Detective Reed. This isn't a comedy act. You may not enjoy working with me, but it seems we are stuck with one another, and will simply have to make do." Mechanically, your hands traveled up to your shirt collar, straightening it out once more and brushing your clothing off gently to smooth out the wrinkles he had created.

"I don't believe you-"

"Reed!" a new voice cut in, and Gavin spun on his heel, swallowing back his rage directed at his new android accomplice as Fowler stuck his head out of his office. "I see you've met your new partner. Don't rough it up, Gavin. You won't have the funds to replace it."

"Y-Yes Captain!" Gavin seethes, speaking through a barrier of teeth as he desperately tried to hold back the string of profanities itching to escape him. Fowler ducked back into his office as quickly as he had exited it, leaving you and Gavin alone once more. Gavin still hadn't turned back to look at you, but you watched him as he took in a deep, trembling breath, letting it out once more. Finally, and without making eye contact, he turned back to his desk and slid into his chair. He took another long sip of his coffee, ignoring how it seared his tongue.

"You know, Detective Reed, that Coffee is far over the recommended temperature of consumption. I would recommend that you let it cool down first."

Gavin let his eyes fall shut, and he fought the urge to throw his cup of coffee directly at this plastic prick sent by those assholes up at Cyberlife.

"You can cause yourself bodily harm if you don't."

That urge was almost impossible to fight.

Chapter Text

Connor hadn't wanted to be here in the first place. It had started with you and him, together, at the police station. Night was coming, everything was calm and quiet. No active cases, no rowdy convicts. It was fine- your shift ended early, and you had insisted on bringing Connor with you to some bar for a few drinks. You hadn't planned on being long, but a few drinks in and you were nowhere to be seen. From every side Connor was given dirty looks. He was allowed inside the bar- androids of all types, both Deviant and not, were legal, but they were still clearly looked down upon form time to time. Connor turned his head to the right as you, at last, reappeared in the crowd, sliding into the seat next to him. One quick glance at your face and he knew you were a few drinks too deep. He didn't have time to protest as you spoke first, a goofy grin plastered over your mouth.

"Con, you can head home of you want. Some dude offered to buy me a few- a few drinks." You stumbled and slurred over your words, sliding right off your chair and disappearing yet again, before Connor could even get a word in. His LED had shifted to an amber, and concern settled over him like a heavy stone. Some dude? Who was this dude? As much as Connor wanted to come looking for you, he knew that you would be pissed. You were a grown up, you could handle yourself. He settled to continue watching over you from afar, hating the place he was stuck in. Bright neon signs hung from every wall, letting off a blinding light and a low buzz. Mixed with the trashy music resonating through tinny speakers, the atmosphere was entirely unpleasant, only made worse by the sticky counter tops and abundance of people. Connor was more than ready to go home, and the temptation to just leave was almost too strong to ignore- but, for your sake and your sake alone, he stayed seated, pulling a shining silver coin from his pocket to preoccupy himself with. It danced from one finger to the next with mechanical ease as the minutes flew by, his subconscious screaming that something bad was doomed to happen.

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It had been exactly one hour and six minutes when you had shown your face again, though this time you were being basically dragged by a perfectly sober man towards the bars exit. You didn't seem like you were complaining, but something inside of Connor's software told him this was a recipe for disaster. He knew how much you hated when he scanned you, and he knew how much you hated how skeptical he was of everyone around you. He couldn't help but worry. There were bad men and women who wanted to hurt perfect people like you. Ignoring the guilt he felt, his LED went yellow and the world around him shifted into a classic Cyberlife Blue as he scanned his itnernal database for information on this man.

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Matthews, Jonas

Criminal Record: Assault, Armed Robbery, R@pe

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Connor's LED shifted from yellow to a vibrant red, and he basically leaped form his seat and directly into your path, shoving his coin into his pocket and holding out a hand to halt both you and this Jonas guy.

"(Y/N), stop." Connor advises, and though Jonas attempts to push right past him he steps in his way. "Can I speak to you please?" Connor attempted to be subtle, forcing his LED to calm and his shoulders to relax.

"Get outta my way, Con!" you groan, attempting to give Connor a shove, but he stands firmly in place, completely unfazed by your actions. "Come ooon Connor, I met this nice guy! His name is... is... Oh, right! His name is Josh and he wants me to come over to his plaaace! He says he has a cat and I really wanna see it!" Josh...? No, that wasn't his name. Connor's concern grew.

"(Y/N), I can't let you do that. You have work tomorrow- you need to get a good night's rest so that-"

"Are you bothering them?" Jonas was interfering now, stepping between Connor and you with a warning glare. "I don't think you should be talking to us, Terminator. I can fuck you up, big time." Jonas was sending out suffocating waves of hostility, but Connor held his stony expression and stood taller.

"Jonas Matthews," Jonas' eyes widened, and his face went pale, "I think you should step aside and leave my partner alone. I am not somebody you want to mess with, and I think (Y/N) has had one too many drinks to be going home with some random man using a fake name." With a slow blink, Connor knew he had won, and he raised his chin spitefully.

"What kind of fuckin' bot are you, spying on people like that? Nothing should be able to search people's faces like that!" Jonas growled, defensive and threatened.

"I am a prototype, an RK800. I work for the Detroit Police, and I know everything about you." that seemed to do the trick, and Jonas went scrambling away, back into the crowd.

"What the fuck, Connor?" you frown, leaning forwards and almost losing your footing. Your feet had stumbled from under you, and you had crashed into Connor's arms, which had darted out to catch you.

"Your intoxication levels are drastically higher than they should be, Detective. I think I should get you home, safe and sound." Connor didn't give you time to protest. He shifted you slightly so that one of your arms was slung over his shoulder, and began half-dragging you towards the bars exits. You made feeble attempts to escape, digging your heels weakly into the ground but doing next to nothing compared to the android.

"You dick, why'd... y-you have to go and ruuuin my night like that?" you whine, still slurring and fighting to form a coherent sentence. Connor pushed open the door, dragging you into the nighttime air.

"That man was dangerous, (Y/N). He would have done bad things to you, and I couldn't let that happen." Connor couldn't even imagine what he would have done if he had let you go, or if you had slipped by unnoticed.

"Yeah, r-right." you were still in the midst of a tantrum, hobbling alongside your partner and fighting to stay on your feet. The two of you were silent as you made your way to your vehicle, and upon arrival Connor unlocked the passenger door and set you inside as gently as possible. He shut the door, clicking the lock shut as you reached for the handle, still trying to put up a fight. Once he was in the drivers seat, starting the car and accelerating down the road, you let your head fall back to rest on the seats headrest. "This is a whole load of bullshit."

"I had to do what was best for your safety. I truly am sorry for causing a scene." that was true- Connor really hadn't wanted to embarrass you, but you had left him no choice. You let out a sarcastic 'mhmm' and went silent for the rest of the ride home.

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"Wooooah, the ground is moving!" you say drunkenly as you stumble towards your front door with Connor glued to your side. "How are we walking on it? I-It looks... like- like water!" Connor has a rather difficult time opening the front door with one hand while you're swaying and falling, clinging to his other for support, but he gets the job done and pushes the door open, still supporting you as you finally make it in.

"You have to go straight to bed, and I'll get you some water." Connor's tone is stern, and you frown, not liking how bossy he's being. You move to lift an arm, flipping him off, but fail miserably as the simple task makes your whole body scream with exhaustion. Faced with no other logical option, you sigh, and nod your head, leaning heavily on the wall as you hobble to your bedroom. You don't bother flicking the light on as you kick off your shoes and slip out of your clothing, tossing on a large T-shirt instead and falling onto your bed with another sigh, though this one was one of relaxation rather than annoyance. It took a good three minutes before you regathered enough strength to sit up and struggle under the covers, and when you did most of the blankets tumbled off of the bed and onto the floor. It was way too much work to put them back yourself, but Connor reappeared just in time. "Please drink this, (Y/N). It'll help to clear your head."

"Thanks, Terminator." you reference what 'Matt' had said to Connor earlier, breaking out into a fit of giggling as if that were the funniest thing anyone has ever said. Connor was unimpressed, and breezed past the nickname, instead picking your blankets from the floor and moving to arrange them perfectly over you. You finished the last of your glass of water, slamming the cup down rather roughly on your bedside table and letting out a satisfied breath of air. "I'm tired..." you grumble, accented by a gaping yawn, your arms stretching over your head.

"Perfect. You should go right to sleep." Connor smoothed out the last of your blankets, fluffing your pillow briefly before stepping back and admiring the now neat-and-tidy bed. You hummed, a sign of agreement or compliance, and shuffled into a lying position, pulling the blankets up to your chin. "Goodnight, (Y/N). I hope you sleep okay." Turning to leave, Connor's LED shone a calm blue, the only source of light.

"Wait!" you call, outstretching an arm in his direction. He stops, and turns to you, tilting his head.

"What can I do for you?" he turns completely around, taking a few steps back towards you.

"Stay with me...?" your voice is quiet but you know he can hear as his LED shines a warm amber.

"I'm sorry?"

"Stay with me!" now both of your arms were held out towards him, as if you were a fussy child.

"I don't think I can do that." Connor sounded nervous, his LED blinking at a rapid pace.

"Oh, don't be a baby. That's an order!" you were giggling at your own words again, and out of pure pity- and maybe something else- Connor gave in with a sigh. He slipped out of his dress shoes, lining them neatly beside one another at the foot of your bed. He moved to the opposite side of the bed, and was about to lie down when you stopped him. "Take off your jacket, Con! It's not gonna be comfy laying down with that on." Connor swallowed the lump forming in his throat, wondering why he was acting so... odd. His palms were sweaty, and he could swear that his Thirium pump was working just a little quicker than usual.

"O-Okay." he stuttered, confused by that as well. He slipped off his jacket, removing his tie at the same time. Only then did he finally move to lie down, planning to lay on top of the blankets, but you pulled them back and then threw them over him, trapping him in your arms (And catching him totally off guard) before he could do anything. It felt like his biocomponents were overheating, and Thirium rushed to his face. You were so close to him, cradling him like he was some sort of giant teddy bear. He didn't mind it, in fact the close proximity was soothing and- No, no what was he thinking? Those were deviant thoughts, weren't they?

"Goodnight, Con." you sigh, your breath fanning out across the skin on his neck. He felt a smile twitch at his lips, and he fought to find his voice to formulate a response. You had ordered him to stay with you- he was only here because of that reason... right? But... if this was an order, what was the harm in making the best of it? He wasn't a deviant, no way. Nuh uh. He was just a machine completing it's tasks. That was all that this was. Machine's could grow nervous, totally. He didn't feel an ounce of affection towards you. Nope. None. He finally found his voice as panic soared through his mind.

"Goodnight, (Y-Y/N)." For some reason, the more he made up excuses for these feelings, the more he grew certain of one thing in particular. Machines didn't feel this way.

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Software Instability ^^^^^^^^^^^^

Chapter Text

The day is gloomy, rain tapping rhythmically against the windows of the little cafe Gavin had been cursed to work at. He stood with his chin rested on his hand, elbow propped against a dark counter. No sound plagued his surroundings, and though he usually disliked his job, right now, he was... happy. Happy was a word that was almost unfamiliar to him. He hadn't been... happy for a long time, but in the moment, he felt like he was almost there. The shop remained empty as time passed, Gavin staring mindlessly out through the front window at cars passing and rain falling as one. Each and every chocolate-coloured seat was lined up perfectly, awaiting their patrons, but, as the coffee machines remained off, the chairs seemed to look almost somber, almost lonely. Maybe Gavin was going crazy, but they even looked sad. Business was always slow on rainy days. Above his head, string lights hung across the ceiling like fireflies frozen in time, radiating their soft yellow hue along with a silent promise of safety and warmth. A soothing beat dripped from the speakers like honey. Gavin let the calm atmosphere control him, his grey eyes falling shut. He let out a slow exhale of pure bliss. Everything was perfect.

And then, the bell above the building's door let out a painfully cheery chime. Gavin stood up straight, cursing at the scare his newest customer had given him, and then cursing again after realizing he had cursed in front of said customer. He had been scolded many times for cursing at work, but what can he do about it? Old habits die hard, as they always say. You had stepped through the door, and were drenched in rain and smiling warmly as you gazed around the dry interior, enjoying it just as Gavin had been enjoying it moments earlier. Your eye landed on him, and for a moment you simply... stared. Gavin was almost awkward, balling his hands into uncomfortable fists, when you finally broke the silence.

"One hell of a storm." you say simply, you tone quiet yet still painfully loud in contrast to the volume from before. Gavin nods, swallowing down the lump that had oddly began to form in his throat. He averted his gaze to the storefront window, watching the rain as it continued to pelt the streets. "You don't mind if I shelter in here 'til it passes, do you?" You seemed almost apologetic. With a simple shrug, Gavin still stays silent. He's almost desperate to busy himself with anything other than talking, his social anxiety flaring up intensely. Damn you, rainy days, for driving away all of the customers. "Could I... get a drink?" You didn't seem awkward, not like he was. You approached the counter, resting your hands on the flat surface. "Whatever's easiest- or the best. Your choice." Gavin finally turned back to face you, and his heart seemed to stop in his chest. Your gaze was dazzling, eyes warm and soft, full of love and care. Your smile made pain flare up in his chest. He had always wanted someone to smile at him like that. You were scanning the menu, not noticing his gawking, indecision etched in the curve of your brows.

"Yeah, sure." he finally finds his voice, but it comes out in nothing more than a mumble. Silent again, he moves to turn to the machines.

"So, you do talk!" You smile impossibly wider, and as Gavin instinctively closes himself off, defensive, your expression drops. "Oh my god- I'm sorry. That was rude." You clasp their hands, gritting your teeth. "I didn't mean any offense, sometimes I just talk without thinking and-"

"It's okay." Gavin says, letting out a chuckle as a smile returns to his face. "Really, I don't mind. I've heard plenty worse." he really had. His swearing and attitude often got him in trouble with both customer and coworker. He was genuinely surprised he still had this job at all, and told himself that the only reason he does is because he was good friends with the model-employee of the cafe, a guy named Nines with a stick up his ass.

"Still, that wasn't very nice." You were leaned comfortably on the counter now, smiling apologetically. Gavin enforced his acceptance of their apology with a wave of his hand.

"How does a peppermint hot cocoa sound?" He asked, flicking on the machines and reaching for the correct ingredients. The peppermint hot cocoa was his personal favourite. It was rather simple, but was positively delicious.

"Sounds perfect!" Gavin got to work, keeping his head low to hide the goofy smile that was plastered over his face. Christ, he fuckin' hated the idea of love at first sight, but right now, with his heart fluttering like a dove trapped beside a cage of ribs, he was almost convinced that it was real, and that he was experiencing it first hand. Through next to no words, you had managed to send his mind into a fuzzy haze, something that had never ever happened to him before. He worked fluidly, mind wandering to the thought of you and your perfect smile, whipping up a work of art in drink form. He finished off the steaming beverage with a perfect swirl of whipped cream and just the right amount of peppermint flakes. Then, plucking the cup from the counter and turning to you, he set it down. You had seated yourself at the bar-like area of the counter, and stared at the drink with amazement.

"Thank you!" you beam, pulling a 10$ bill from your wallet and sliding it across the counter. "Keep the change." you wink playfully, but to Gavin, it makes his heart stutter. He's certain that his face is beet red, and he's certain that it reddens even further as you let out a wholesome snicker.

"T-Thanks." he says, and takes the cash, slipping it into the register. "Enjoy your drink." he is praying that you choose to enjoy it in silence. As much as he has grown addicted to the sound of your voice, it's only a matter of time before he does something stupid and screws everything up for himself. You continue the conversation, much to both his relief, and despair.

"So, how long have you been working here?" the question is lighthearted, a simple conversation starter. Gavin can handle this, right? This isn't something humiliating, or stupid, or anything like that.

"Just about a year." he surprises himself with the utter smoothness of his voice, and feels himself calm down just a little bit. He'll be A-Okay. "'S usually busier than this though."

"I imagine. It's so... calm, in here." you leaned your head on your hand, your small smile still lingering, your eyes drifting shut momentarily to completely soak in the extent of the relaxation.

"Yeah, it's not too bad." Gavin could never have seen himself as a barista, but here he was, meeting the most breathtaking person he has ever seen. Light conversation carried on as the storm raged on outside, Gavin subconsciously opening more and more with each question you and him shot back and forth. Now, he was leaning on the counter much like he had been before your grand entrance into his life, a warm smile on his face, a true contentedness spreading through his veins. He had discovered that you worked nearby, and had been caught in the rain on the way home after going to your regular coffee shop for shelter, only to find out that it had been shut down. That's how you found yourself here, gracing him with your presence.You enjoyed book-reading and gloomy days like these, cats, coffee, and the Autumn season. Gavin had shared his own love for all of these things (minus the book reading) and more. The two of you had so much more in common than you had ever known. Unbeknownst to him, your heart was also beating quicker, your cheeks tinted a warm colour that could have just been passed off as your complexion. The rain was beginning to ease now, and Gavin was struck in the heart at the thought of you leaving. You were pulling the conversation to a close, standing from your seat, when it suddenly hit him, forcing his brows to furrow and yours to shift into a concerned expression.

"What's up?" you ask, tilting your head at him. He finds the action simply adorable, and answers,

"I never did catch your name." your eyes light up. How had you never exchanged names? You had been chattering away like starlings for over an hour. Gavin knew your families names (from a story related to one years Halloween) but not yours.

"It's-" you cut yourself off, and then smiled. "Actually," you grinned, almost smug, and continued, "I'll trade you it for your number." you winked yet again, and Gavin couldn't help but smile, the expression stretching from ear to ear.

"Slick." he laughed, and plucked a napkin form the dispenser to his left. A pen sat on his left hip, and he pulled it from it's place in his pocket, scribbling down the familiar numbers and finishing it off with a small smiley face and his name- Gavin. He slid the napkin across the table, and you swiped it up.

"Well, then, Gavin," you sigh, still smiling, "Look out for a text from me." he was about to protest as you went for the door, calling out,

"Wait, your name!" you ignored him, throwing one more glance at him over your shoulder before slipping out of the building, and out of his sight. You left him with a warm, fuzzy feeling in his chest, and soon after he would receive a 'hello' from you. You never did tell him your name- not until a date that would happen a few days later, and until then, he had named your contact something simple, rather cheesy, and very cliche- 'My Coffee'. He prayed to god that you never found out that's what he called you.

Chapter Text

Flashing lights, booming music, so many people. This was supposed to be fun. This night was supposed to be nice, but instead you found yourself staring off into space, a headache throbbing behind your eyes, panic blooming inside of your chest. There was too much going on, and Gavin wasn't even anywhere to be seen. He was the one who had insisted coming to this stupid party. It was Tina's birthday- you liked the girl, and she was Gavin's best friend, so you completely understood his eagerness to come, but you wished he would have warned you that the party was going to be packed. You held a red solo cup in your hands, and tried to focus on it instead. Inside, a cola drink swirled, rippling alongside the music that physically shook the building around you. The cup reminded you of days as a kid, no more than 21 or 22 years old in the Police Academy. That's where the two of you had first met, and you'd fallen in love with one another and stuck at each others sides ever since. Your friends in the academy had been able to throw one hell of a party. It seems like those skills are still with them today.

"Hello? Earth to (Y/N)?" a feminine voice finally caught your attention, and you recognized it immediately as Tina's. Your head snapped up toy face her, and you blinked a time or two to try and refocus yourself. Tina was smiling, a radiant expression. She was positively glowing with glee, and you envied her for being an extrovert. "I asked if you wanted another drink."

"O-Oh-" you say, and you want to speak more but it feels as if your throat is closing up and your vision is tunneling. The sound of the music hitting against your eardrums and the movement of both the people and the lights was brought once more back to your attention. You had been so peacefully spacing out that it had felt as if you were back in the old days, studying late into the night with Gavin at your side. You were spacing out again. With a shake of your head as your only reply, Tina's eyes glow with concern.

"You okay?" she asks, and once again you simply nod. She doesn't seem to believe your actions. Despite not being a detective herself, she would be a great one, with an acute ability to read people like books. "Do you want me to go get Gavin? I think he's with Chris and Rob." as much as you want his arms around you, you shake your head, reluctant to ruin his fun. It's been a long while since he's been in a social setting like this, and the guilt you feel at the though thought of taking that away is much too strong. Tina sighs, and pats you gently on the back. "You should come join us. We're closer to the doors- Come find me if you change your mind." With that, the officer strolled away, back towards her group of buddies and leaving you to drown in the sounds and the sights and the feeling of being crushed alive or suffocated. This was all too much. A fleeting thought hovered in front of your mind, and you momentarily considered leaving without Gavin before you crushed the idea like a bug. If anything would ruin Gavin's night, it would be him looking for you only to discover that you'd ditched him. A particularly rowdy couple you didn't recognize were headed in your direction, a girl wearing tall high-heels and a man who was too drunk for his own good. You tried to lose yourself back in the cup, the calm, quiet memories, and you almost had. You would have been successful if the girl hadn't tripped over her own two feet and gone slamming into you, crushing the cup between you and her and spilling the cola all down your front.

"Oh my god!!" the girl said, her voice so high pitch and loud that it sent a stabbing pain through your head, "I'm sooooo sorry!!" then, a smile split her face and she let out a cackling laugh. She was too close to you. She raised a hand with perfectly painted nails, slapping it down on your shoulder as if you were her best friend. You didn't find the situation amusing, but forced a tight smile nonetheless. "That was all my fault!" her words were slurred together, and you waved a shaking hand dismissively. You still couldn't find the ability to speak, and wanted this girl to leave you alone. You flinched again as her hand was raised and slapped back down onto your arm. You knew she wasn't being hostile, but alarm bells screamed in your head and discomfort was etched into your every feature. You felt the urge to cry, but struggled against it as strongly as you possibly could. "I should have been more careful, are you okay?" Go away. You want to scream at her to leave. Your throat is too tight for words to make it out. You nod your head, wanting to wipe at your glossy eyes. "What, can't you speak? Come on, let me buy you a drink to say sorry!" her voice was so loud. So shrill. You open your mouth to protest, to politely decline, and all that comes out is a croak. "I'll take that as a yes!!" without warning the drunk girl is grabbing your hand and dragging you to the bar. Your breathing quickens as she drags you directly into the throng of people you had been purposefully avoiding, your anxiety spiking and your head beginning to throb.

"Watch it!" a man growled as you were dragged into him, and then you were bumped away by another man before you could attempt an apology. From all sides, there were people pushing and dancing and shouting and you couldn't take it anymore. You stopped in your tracks in the dead center of the dance floor, the girl dragging you coming to a halt as well. The tears were almost too much, and the balloon in your chest expanded, your throat closing almost entirely. You were gasping for breath, panic settling in, desperate to leave, desperate for Gavin, desperate for silence or calm or-

"What's your problem?" the girl groans, and tugs on your arm. "Get a move on!" she's growing impatient and you couldn't care less. You can't breathe anymore. The tightness in your chest is so scary and the pounding in your head is making your vision go dark. A harsh ringing erupts in your ears and people continue to dance all around you so you never have the chance to stand perfectly still. Your hearing is going haywire, one moment everything but the ringing is silent and then the next everything is so fucking loud that you feel like your head is going to split in two. A hand goes up to your chest, to your throat, trying desperately to get some sort of airflow, some relied from the gripping vice pressing in from every fucking side. You're trapped, drowning, dying in an ocean of people all singing and screaming and cheering and making you want nothing more than to collapse and black out, to die, to sleep, to anything as long as the sounds stop, as long as the people stop, as long as the terror stops. "Let's go already!" the girls words are distant, they sound far away, like she's on the other side of a wall of glass. You feel like you're on display. Eyes burn into you from all sides as you gasp, struggling to breathe, but the girl keeps tugging on your arm and the terror doesn't stop. "Get a fucking move on!" It won't stop. "Jesus Christ, asshole, I'm offering to buy you a fucking drink!" Make it stop. "Walk you dick!" Please make it stop. "Come on!" Make it stop.

"Hey!" you almost collapse right then and there. That voice, that heavenly voice, it's so familiar, it's so calming. "What the fuck is going on here, prick?" you still can't make out what's going on around you, and you force every sense to focus on his voice. A hand, a scar tracing along the back of it, catches the hand of the woman screaming at you, cursing at you, dragging you. "Get the fuck out of here, hoe!" he spits, and the woman leaves. Just like that. Gone. You're still drowning, watching the light fade around you, the sound growing louder. The ringing is unbearable and the silence between his words is filled with that booming base and those wretched rhythms. Then, his hands are on either side of your face and his eyes are boring into yours. His eyes are grey, warm and cold both at the same time, filled with love and rage and fear for you. "Let's go, (Y/N). Let's get you out of here." his words hardly register. You hear go and get out and that's enough for you to put all of your trust in this man. You know him, you know exactly who he is, but your mind is so hazy that you almost can't place just exactly where you know him from. Your heart is beating alongside the music, so loud now that it's all that you can hear. You're subconsciously aware of being dragged through the crowd again, but the hand intertwined with yours is so much more gentle, and the barking commands to 'Get the fuck out of my way' are clearing a path for you to pass through. You escape the mass of moving people, and head straight for a hallway branching off of the club. It's darker where you're being led to, a soft yellow glow illuminating the dimness just enough to be pleasant. With every step the music is fading, and as a door is pushed open and warm nighttime air ripples over your face, your throat reopens enough for the tiniest bit of air to get through.

"Hey, hey, sit down. Sit down right here." Gavin- his name clicks into place- gently guides you to the ground, your back against the brick wall housing the bustling place you'd just been ensnared inside of. Your gaze doesn't focus on anything, but you're moderately aware as Gavin slips off his leather jacket and tucks it around your shoulders, taking a seat at your side and holding your trembling hands in his. "Are you okay? Shit, I shouldn't have left you. It's okay now. Come here." Gavin felt horrible. That guilt was multiplied as someone stepped out of the building, momentarily enhancing the now-distant sound of the music and making you flinch. He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you closer to him and placing a kiss on the crown of your head. "It's okay, baby. It's okay now." his voice is grounding, and in his embrace, focusing on the feeling of his hands on yours, you find yourself being dragged from the icy waters of over stimulation and into the warmth of him. You want to speak, to thank him, but your voice isn't back yet. You can finally register your surroundings. You're in the back alley of the building, darkness hanging around you in a comforting blanket that greatly contrasts the coloured lights from inside. The wind dances gently across your skin, sending goosebumps over Gavin's arms, though he doesn't protest. The only light comes from the moon, and as you tilt your head slowly upwards, you catch sight of it hanging in the sky, full and glowing, a comfort alongside Gavin's presence. At last, you have enough breath to speak, and turn to face Gavin. You lean towards him, your nose bumping gently into his, your eyes falling shut.

"I'm sorry." you say, and he shakes his head, his nose running along your cheek and his forehead brushing against yours.

"No, baby. Don't be sorry. I promised to stay with you and I let myself get dragged away." your shaking was easing, the ringing in your ears quieting. The thumping in your head was now no more than a dull ache. You could breathe again, but the anxiety in the pit of your stomach was still powerful. You weren't in the clear yet, and one little thing could throw you back into the ocean of terror. "Let's go home, okay?"

"No, I don't want to ruin this..!"

"(Y/N), it's okay," Gavin promised, kissing her gently. When he pulled away again, he continued, "How about we go home and watch a movie, hmm? Your favourite?" you felt so bad, but the idea sounded amazing. "I'll cuddle with you the whole time, and we can stop and i'll buy you some snacks and candy. How's that sound?" you wanted to continue to refuse. It was Tina's birthday, after all, but you couldn't stand another minute in this hellhole and you knew Gavin wouldn't let up until you agreed. With a sigh, you nod your head. "Okay." Gavin's voice is so soft. So soothing. The two of you stay there for a moment more, before Gavin stands, extending a hand and helping you to your feet as well. You hug his jacket around your shoulders with one hand, the other one resting in his so gently. The two of you walk slowly back in the direction of your car, his calming words never ceasing. Every step away from the club helped your chest to open more and more. The streets were dead silent, not a person in sight. Everyone was crammed inside of a busy building, leaving you and your lover in solitude. When his hand let go of yours only to be replaced moments later by his arm around your shoulders, you felt the last of your anxiety extinguish. The lingering fear from the feeling of encroaching doom still hung over your shoulders, but you knew that with Gavin at your side, everything would be okay. Everything would get better. Every single step, every single time he planted a chaste kiss on your cheek, every single time he said 'I love you', the lingering feeling was tucked out of sight.

You would be okay, so long as Gavin Reed was there at your side.

And he would be at your side forever.

Chapter Text

Deviants were free now- but that didn't mean they were all nice. People killed people- androids killed people too, and as a detective it was your job to stop these androids with your partner at your side. Both you and Connor stood, gazing at the uninviting building before you. You can't say you were excited to go poking around for a deviant murderer, but you didn't have any choice.

"Ready?" Connor asked you, sending you a reassuring smile. He could sense your anxiety, reading you like a book. With a deep breath, you return the smile, and nod your head.

"Let's go catch us a deviant." it had been just around three months since the android revolution, and the amount of deviant assault cases had been zero until today- Fowler had called you into his office with his usual grimace, and had told you all about a double homicide at the hands of what can only be an android. You had investigated the crime scene already, and though the deviant wasn't at the scene of the murders, clues had led you here, to a large abandoned building Connor recognized to have been an old condo complex. The two of you set forwards, headed for a backdoor and planning on entering as stealthily as possible. The door was heavy and silent, and inside your lungs were filled with dust. You fought back the urge to cough, covering your mouth with your arm as Connor shut the door gently behind the both of you.

"Are you alright, Detective?" he asked in a hushed tone, patting you gently on the back as you cleared out your lungs.

"Yeah, just a second." you cough once more, muffling the sound in the crook of your elbow, and then let your arm drop back to your side. A quick scan of your surroundings proved to be almost useless- it was dark and empty, with moss crawling across old carpeted flooring, cracks webbing up and down the painted walls. You unholster your gun, straining both your ears and eyes in the darkness and silence. "Stick behind me." you instruct, and though Connor clearly isn't happy with the idea of you being the one in danger, he trusts you enough to obey. Slowly, you make your way to a hallway branching off of the left. Just like the room you had first stepped into, it was empty save for cobwebs and shadows. Everything was basically empty- the most you found in one or two abandoned apartment rooms were scattered papers, and in one case a rickety, splintering stool. So far, nothing was here. "Do you see anything?" you ask, lowering your gun as you finish clearing floor one and move to ascend the stairs to floor two.

"No, not yet." Connor shakes his head, LED swirling a yellow as he continues to scour his surroundings for evidence, a blue blood trail, anything to prove that the both of you weren't wasting your time. "The place is entirely void of life."

"Seems like it. Let's make this quick and report back to Fowler if we don't find anything." despite the lack of evidence, you still tread on eggshells as you take the stairs, landing on the second floor and throwing a glance both left, right and center. Three hallways branched off here, and you glanced to Connor, offering for him to take the lead and choose which direction you investigated first. He broke off to the right, the light on his temple still glowing gold. He didn't make a sound, and as he continued ahead slightly faster than you, you found yourself admiring his grace and caution. He moved like the wind, every step light, placed in the tiniest places between shards of glass or swaths of dying foliage. He never took his eyes off of his surroundings, absorbing every detail, every sound, every flicker of light or shifting shadow. In the midst of your distraction, you had lagged behind, and Connor was staring at you with his brows furrowed.

"Is everything alright, Detective?" his voice was laced with concern, and he had stopped in his tracks. You hadn't even noticed you'd spaced out until this very moment. Your face warmed, and you thanked both God and Ra9 for the darkness the building brought with it, hiding your blush.

"Yeah- Yeah, just... distracted. Sorry." you start forwards once more. You pinch yourself every few minutes as you find your gaze wandering back to Connor in all of his glory. You have a mission- you can't be stupid and get distracted by little crushes. The right branch of the building is just as barren as everything else so far, and so is the left. You're back by the stairs now, in the heart of the splitting hallways, about to go down the center. It was the only option left. Three minutes of searching earned you a simple observation that could easily be chalked up to total coincidence- this branch of the building was much more... tidy. The glass was pushed up against the walls, and plants had been torn from their places growing through the damp carpet. You shared a glance with Connor, who, you could tell just by looking, had also noticed the same thing as you.

"Careful." he warns, his voice nothing more than a breath. You reach for a brass door handle, speckled with small flakes of rust. In a swift motion, as silent as possible, you push the door in and let out a gasp. In a flash, you're shoved backwards and to the ground, your gun clattering a few feet away as what you can only assume to be the murderer shoves past you. "Connor!" you call, both in warning and as a plea- Don't let the deviant escape. You dive for your gun, Connor's hand wrapping around your upper arm and hauling you to your feet. You thank him briefly, and then the two of you are sprinting forwards after the deviant. It's a male with dark black hair and a blood-stained grey t-shirt. He tosses a glance over his shoulder and you catch sight of his LED, flashing in an array of both red and yellow.

"Stop, Detroit Police!" Connor demands, though his words are ignored by the android entirely as he breaks for the stairs. You and Connor ran side by side, adrenaline flowing through your veins at a steady pace- especially as the android tries to pry open the door to the stairs, but it won't budge. Connor is grinning, and you realize that the doorway has an electronic lock. You hadn't even noticed Connor hacking it earlier. With a frustrated cry, the deviant took a sharp left, but you and Connor had made great distance in the last few moments. You were no more than 30 feet behind the android, gaining ground steadily. Every step you took drew the chase closer and closer to an end. You reached out a hand, skimming the back of the deviants shirt. Just a few more moments, not long now, and you can catch him, have him locked up for his crimes- Suddenly, to deviant throws itself to the right, through an open doorway and into one of the small, empty homes. You let out a startled yelp, and skitter to a halt. Connor had overshot the door too.

"Damnit!" you curse, and whip around, bursting through the doorway, on the androids tracks again. You enter the main living room, or what you assumed to be, just as your suspect was prying open a sliding window. The screen had been removed, and with one last frantic glance in your direction, he hopped through it legs first and out onto a fire escape.

"Be careful!" Connor warned, overtaking the lead and leaping through the window. He turned to you, helping your through as well. The two of you were now standing on a small platform made from weaved metal, a stairwell to your left going up, and a stairwell to your right going down, though the latter was blocked off by an array of boxes, furniture, and other objects. The clattering of heavy footsteps drew your attention back to the deviant, who was making a break for it towards the roof. The chase resumed, but now you were way behind. The deviant was possibly headed for a dead end. Whether there was an escape on the roof or not, you were unsure, but you couldn't risk losing this catch. Step after step, you ascended, your legs beginning to burn and your lungs beginning to struggle with the lack of air, but you pushed on with your usual resilience and made it to the top. It was flat, for the most part, with a small building on the far side. The deviant had sprinted to the far right corner of the roof, where a pipe sprouted from the ground and tucked over the edge of the building, like a fire pole waiting to carry him safely to the ground. Any android could use it without any danger, but a human sliding down such a thing would riddle their palms with rust and cuts, with a sure risk of tetanus.

"Stop him!" you cry, needing to catch the android before he makes it to his near-certain escape. Your push yourself further even faster, gliding over the smooth floor. The android is just reaching it's destination, but your feral sprint in the end got you there in the nick of time. You move to throw a punch, hoping to distract your opponent long enough for Connor to reach your side and help you. The android was taller than you, maybe two or three inches taller than Connor, too. You couldn't take him on your own, but your punch landed and sent him stumbling to the side. He recovered quickly, and as you threw another fist, Connor moments from arrival, the android caught your hand and tugged you closer, planting a hand on your back and sending you flying forwards with a harsh shove. The edge of the roof comes dangerously close, and a kick to your back before you can recover is what does it.

"(Y/N)!!" Connor wails as your feet are ripped from under you, the world spinning upside down as you tumble over the edge. With pure instincts you didn't know you possessed, your one hand caught onto the edge of the roof, gripping for dear life.

"Connor!" you call back, terror ricocheting around your skull like bullets. Your mind grew fuzzy and your head spun with vertigo as you struggled to get your other hand onto the edge of the roof as well. You heard a series of thumps, the sound of metal gliding across the concrete floor, and then the android was leaping onto the rusted pole and sliding smoothly to freedom. Your fingers were slipping, burning, and your other hand gripped desperately for anything at all to help support you. Your fear stabbed through your heart like javelins, strike after strike, stinging like thousands of needles. You were going to fall, and there was no way you could possibly survive a fall from this height. Connor would continue after the deviant like any good detective would, and you wouldn't have the strength to pull yourself up. Scenario after scenario after scenario barreled through your skull, stealing your breath away and bringing stinging tears to your eyes. Though it would never happen, in the midst of your panic the worst thoughts drove themselves into your brain, front and center. Connor didn't care about you. He was going to leave you. He was going to prioritize the chase, letting you die in return for success, accomplishment of his mission. He didn't like you, you were a burden, he wanted you gone, he didn't care if you-

"(Y/N), hold on!" Connor's voice broke through your thoughts, urgent and steady and terrified all at once. Just as your trembling fingers began to give way, losing contact with the rim of the roof, Connor dove forwards and caught the same hand with unmovable force. Through bleary eyes you caught his gaze, seeing the living, breathing determination within them. "I'm not going to let you fall!" he promised, using all of his mechanical strength to haul you upwards so he could catch your other arm with his own. It was only a matter of seconds before you were back, safe, secure, and Connor was hugging you securely against his chest. Your arms wrapped around him, embracing him as if he were the only thing keeping you from careening back over the edge to meet your demise.

"Oh my god, Connor, oh my god-" your voice wavers, and you were trembling like a leaf in an autumn breeze. Your vision was dark, your mind still registering the solidity beneath you and the safety that your partner promised.

"(Y/N), it's okay. I've got you, you're safe." Connor spoke quietly, petting gently at your hair. His arms rested around you tightly, and with your head pressed against his chest, you could hear the rapid thumping of his synthetic heart in your ear.

"I thought you were going to leave me..!" you force the words out, the tears in your eyes still burning. You felt, oddly, ashamed to admit that you truly believed he would leave you there to die. Connor shook his head, and then placed a hand on the back of your head, resting his chin on top of it.

"I would never, ever leave you, (Y/N)." his voice held promise, and you hugged him somehow tighter, gripping his jacket in your hands so tightly that your knuckles had to be ghost-white. "I've got you now, I'm so so sorry for letting anything happen to you. I should have been faster. I shouldn't have been so unreliable, you could have been killed and it's because of me-"

"No!!" you interrupt him, breaking from his security and catching his face between your two palms. Your eyes met his, and you read the guilt and fear within their depths. His LED was red, a vibrant crimson, blinking at a steady pace. "It wasn't your fault, Connor! It wasn't your fault!"

"It was, I should have ran faster-" to shut him up, without thinking, you moved forwards, connecting your lips with his. For a moment he tensed, but then, his synthetic muscles relaxed and he kissed back. His arms snaked their way around your waist and back as yours fell around his neck. One second, and then two, sparks flying. You were telling him everything you felt for him in just a few moments, the kiss communicating every single word in your mind. And he was reciprocating- he was kissing you back. Maybe he loved you just as much as you loved him. At one point, you were forced to pull away, your face flushed and your head spinning, but not from fear like moments before. Connor let his forehead fall against yours, his eyes still shut.

"It wasn't your fault, Connor." your voice is gentle, holding a certainty that Connor couldn't argue with. At last, his eyes opened, his chocolate eyes gazing into yours, and then he was kissing you again. This kiss was more tender, softer, filled with love and care and relief that you were okay, that he had saved you in time. When this one ended, you almost protested. You never wanted that feeling of safety to leave you.

"I love you, (Y/N)." his words made your heart flutter in your chest, "I'll never let anything like that happen to you ever again."

"I love you too, Connor. I love you so much."

Once more, the two of you were linked with a kiss, sealing your promise to one another. You would never leave each others side. You and him would never let any form of harm fall upon the other- your safety was more important than anything else, as was his.

Now, joined with the unbreakable bond of love, the two of you would never die so long as the other was with them.

Chapter Text

The abandoned freighter stood tall and brooding in the dying sunlight, it's rusted metal showing off it's age with pride. On the side of the ship, in huge, fading white letters, Jericho was written. You would recognize this boat among the few others without the text- you'd been in here more times than you could count, and as you found yourself walking confidently in through a shipping door with a heavy backpack slung over your shoulder, you reviewed the memories briefly. One of the eldest members of Jericho, Simon, had been the android of your closest friend a few years back. You had known him well as an android, and when he deviated, his owners hated him, so he came to you since you were the only person he'd ever visited in their own home. You'd heard whispering of Jericho, a sanctuary for those who don't obey, from colleagues and other immoral people you met in the rebellious line of work you had found yourself in. Simon had gone off to Jericho, and you didn't ever expect to hear from him again; that is, until he was back on your doorstep, begging for help since the others at Jericho were shutting down left and right.

Ever since you found yourself robbing Cyberlife warehouses to help them, you'd been welcomed in as one of their own despite being entirely human. You still lived in your own home, had a real job, and lived your own life, but it was comforting to know that there was always somewhere you could go if you were forced out of your home by police. As darkness swirled around you, you pulled a flashlight from the pocket of your backpack, flicking it on and giving it a shake and a bump against your leg as it failed to light up. With the harsh treatment it corrected it's actions, casting it's beam forwards to illuminate your path. You whistled a tune as you strolled nonchalantly through the twisting hallways, taking lefts and rights with practiced ease. At last, you pushed open a heavy yellow door and arrived in the heart of Jericho. Androids were scattered left and right, and your song was stolen by the somber feeling hanging heavy over the room. You knew almost immediately that someone was shut down, or close to it.

"Simon?" you called out, voice echoing against the metal walls, "Markus?" though you called two names, neither of them came to greet you. Instead, it was North, with a gentle smile masking her urgency.

"(Y/N), you're back. Come with me." North was trying to keep calm as not to frighten the other deviants all around you, but her eyes were dull and somber. You try to keep your cool just the same, hurrying after her as she turned right back around and guided you towards the room you knew Lucy inhabited. Inside, an android was slumped against the wall. Immediately you noticed the red glow of a faulty thirium pump, and dropped to the androids side. It was a girl with brown hair, loose around her shoulders, her eyes half-shut and her synthetic skin coming in patches.

"Her thirium pump?" you ask, and Markus, who was sitting opposite to you, nods his head. "Shit." Pulling your backpack from your shoulders, you begin to dig through it's contents, pulling out a few bags of thirium 310 and setting them to your side. Inside was an android arm, a synthetic heart, and a few other biocomponents like a spare audio processor and an optical unit, but there was no thirium pump. You let out a sigh, tossing your bag away, and pick up a bag of blue blood. "Give her this. I can't let her die, I'll go back out and look for a pump."

"So late?" Simon's voice is here now, concern laced throughout it. You hadn't even noticed him standing in the far right of the room by the ever-burning barrel fire. Lucy was standing there too, motionless, her gaze trained on you and your actions.

"You know I work fine in the darkness." you smile at him, a silent reassurance, and though he still looks worried he nods his head. You turn back to the girl dying in front of you, grabbing the bag of thirium and handing it to Markus. "Get her to drink as much of this as possible." you instruct, and he nods his head without complaint. You plant a hand on the girls cheek, tilting her head gently to face you. "I'm going to find you a thirium pump, okay? What model do you need? Do you have the energy to tell me?"

"9474." the androids voice was weak, slightly raspy and distorted. You nod your head, memorizing the four simple digits and rising to your feet. You pick up your backpack, slipping your flashlight back in the left pocket and slinging it over your shoulder.

"I shouldn't be long. Try to keep her awake. Give her more thirium if she needs it." you turn back to the door, and hear departing wishes from behind you.

"Stay safe. We need you around here." Markus says, and you can hear the nervousness in his voice.

"Please come back, (Y/N)." Simon is afraid for you too.

"Guys, don't worry." North is confident, her smile unwavering. She pats you on the shoulder. "You'll do great. Thank you." you leave with a smile and a playful salute, heading right for the door you entered through and escaping into the dying sunlight. The path to the Cyberlife warehouse was ingrained into your mind, and it was only a matter of time before you arrived.

________________________________________________________________________________

By the time you got to the familiar place, the sun had fallen. Street lights stood high all around the shipping crates, and drones buzzed here and there. You parked your bike in the same swath of undergrowth as always, pulling a large, fallen branch over top of it to keep it entirely concealed. Now, you turned back to your destination. From where you stood you could already see where you needed to go. You were calm and sly, your steps soundless and precise as you worked your way from one shadowed area to another. The drones overhead buzzed in their usual patrol routes, easy to evade. The humans and androids walking around were even easier to stay hidden from. No one batted an eye in your direction, even as you approached the unguarded boxes of biocomponents. Reading the shipping labels on their smooth, white exteriors, you were able to locate a smaller box tucked in between two larger ones. It read, in bold black letters, FRAGILE, DO NOT MISHANDLE. It was clear that inside were valuable thirium pumps. You slipped your knife from your pocket, switching open the blade and jamming it easily between the lid and the base of the box. These stupid Cyberlife crates were easy to open. A swift pop and the top unlatched, pushed away in seconds. Just as you had guessed, your eyes fell upon four thirium pumps, small lettering engraved within their exposed faces.

"2886, 8451, 8456w... aha!" you spotted the thirium pump you needed, a 9474, and lifted it from it's soft, dark foam casing. Pulling your backpack from your shoulders, you rested it carefully inside... and then turned back to the box. What harm was there in grabbing some other supplies as well? You were here, weren't you? And it wasn't often that these thirium pumps were so easily obtained. With a greedy smile, you grabbed the other three thirium pumps, placing them gently inside of your bag with the other. Then, you stood, pushing the box into the darkness once more so it wasn't noticed until she was long gone. Turning to one of the bigger crates, she wielded her knife and slid it into the crack between the lid and the body of the crate. Inside these crates were much more common items- blue blood, arms and legs, the works. You spotted a voice box, snatching it up along with three pouches of the thirium 310 every android needed to function. They met the other components in your bag, and your hand was back in the crate and gripping around an android leg when you heard a spine-chilling sound. A gun clicked.

"Stop, Detroit Police!" Instinctively, you took three steps left and darted forwards, hearing the boom of a gunshot that just barely missed your leg as you ducked behind the crate you had been looting seconds before. You weren't afraid- you had been chased by police before. Throwing a rapid glance over your shoulder, and now you were afraid. Behind you was a cop. An android cop. They didn't tire, they didn't get hurt. Shit. This was new to you. "Freeze, hands above your head or I'll shoot!" you grit your teeth, hugging your backpack tighter to your frame and starting forwards at a rapid sprint. Not a second passed before the pursuing footsteps of the android behind you filled your ears. You had memorized escape routes, the best ways to get back to your bike. If you could get even 60 feet between you and this officer, you would have time to uncover your bike. From there you were sure that, with a well-aimed stab to the stomach area, you could be gone before he even recovered. You went running across the raised sidewalk, past more crates just begging to be looted, and leaped from the small ledge as it ended. You didn't miss a single stride as your feet met the slightly lower ground, but neither did the android behind you.

"Fuck off!" you hiss quietly to yourself, slipping into the space between two shipping crates. It's just wide enough for you to fit without slowing. Yet again, the android behind you matches you step for step without losing any distance at all: the good thing was, he wasn't gaining distance either. You had to get back to Jericho, but more importantly, you had to lose this android first. You weren't sure what technology he was fitted with. You knew who he was. The brief glance of his face, his dark hair, was enough to jog your memory of the 'android detective' the news had recently been raging about. They went into little detail, other than the fact that he was an RK800 model, a prototype, going by the name of 'Connor'. How had he found you? You weren't sure, but you figured you must have slipped up at some point. Someone must have seen you and called for the police. At the end of the small shipping crate hallway was a much thinner branch off to the left between another two of the large metal boxes. You had begun slipping off your backpack moments earlier, and held it in your right hand as you slid into the small space. It was much tighter around you, leaving just enough room to cross one leg over the other and make your way to the other side. You were close, and Connor was still after you, but he was moving slower with a slightly bulkier frame. You smiled to yourself, knowing that this was a great way to make distance, when Connor suddenly dove to the side and latched a hand around the other strap of your backpack.

"You are under arrest for trespassing and theft of valuable android biocomponents!" you let out a gasp, giving the bag a tug, but the android wouldn't budge. Against his robotic strength you stood no chance, and moved to your last resort. In such a tight space, combat seemed impossible, but you pulled out your blade and slammed it down towards his hand. His other arm was there to save the day, catching your wrist and slamming it hard against the metal of the wall in front of you. You let out a cry, knife dropping to the floor, and jutted out a foot to connect with his chest. You weren't leaving without these biocomponents. You should have just taken the thirium pump and left.

"Let go!" you spit, your foot connecting with his side and shoving him away. Any normal human would have let go of the backpack instinctively as they were thrown backwards, but Connor held tight, dragging the bag, and, in turn, you with him to the ground. Your knees scraped awkwardly against the asphalt as you fell awkwardly, directly on top of the android detective with your backpack lodged between the two of you. You scowl, and plant a hand on his face, shoving it down against the concrete as you lift a foot and set it on his stomach, right where he thirium pump would be. "I need these biocomponents!" you growl, and with a new strength, a new determination, you yank your backpack upwards. The fabric of the pack was old, fraying. You were surprised it had lasted until today- but now was it's end. You heard the rip of fabric, saw the seams tear, and the backpack split right in two as Connor yanked it in the opposite direction that you had. Your combined forces, one strength fueled by blue blood and the other by despair, had been more than the backpack could handle. Biocomponents clattered to the ground, a bag of thirium bursting and beginning to spill to the floor. Amongst it all, you spotted the thirium pump you desperately needed. It clattered at Connor's side, thumping against the wall of the storage crate. It's design was hardly different from the three others, but you were certain that it was the one you needed. You dove for it, and so did Connor, but you grabbed it first and backpedaled away.

"Don't try to run, you won't get away!" you leaped to your feet, ignoring his warning and scrambling out of the thin tunnel you'd attempted and failed to use to your advantage. It was too dark to read the numbers on the face of the vital component, but the moment you broke out of the small alley, you glanced down, squinting your eyes to make out the writing. The component was slick with blue blood, but you wiped at the letters with your thumb and let out a gasp. It was the wrong fucking thirium pump. You spun on your heel, Connor just emerging from what had ended up to be your demise. You ran straight for him, launching the incorrect thirium pump right at his head. He caught it with ease, but it was distraction enough for you to slip past him and back into the crevice, at least a few feet before he caught your arm. You turn back to face him, taking in his yellow LED and his determined brown eyes. In one last, desperate attempt at escape, you dove down and sunk your teeth into his hand like a feral animal. The action sent his LED red, and he recoiled just long enough for you to break away and grab the correct thirium pump. You knew this was the right one, running your fingertips over the lettering and recognizing the shape of it's code. Despite your efforts, and your final success, a hand was now on the back of your arm, dragging you out and back into the open, then tossing you to the ground. A gun was trained on your head before you could even register the situation. Clutching the thirium pump to your chest, you scrambled to your feet, but didn't move to run. You trusted this androids shot. He missed you once, but surely he wouldn't miss you again.

"Please." you found the words escaping you before you could stop them. Connor simply blinked. "Please, there's an android nearby that's dying. I have to save her. Would you really let your own kind die?" you swallowed the lump of fear in your throat, and raised your hands, thirium pump still clutched tightly in one. "You can have the other parts, but please don't let this innocent android shut down! They did nothing wrong!"

"(Y/N) (L/N), you are under arrest for trespassing on private property and-"

"You're Connor, aren't you? The android detective?" Connor's LED went yellow, and then back to blue. You could see in his eyes that he could be convinced to let you go if you used exactly the right words. "Listen to me, Connor. You might not be deviant, but there is a living android with human emotions that I can help if you let me go." Connor blinked again, though the steadiness in his gun-wielding hand wavered momentarily. "I have to save her. People care about her. Just... let me go, and I won't cause any more harm! I promise!"

"I have a mission. I can't let you go after what you've done here, I would be disobeying my orders." Connor's voice was firm, at first glance, but deep within you could hear reluctance.

"I have a mission too. My mission is to save that dying android. Don't you have any care? Any care at all? What if they were human? Does the colour of their blood really change if they should be allowed to live?" you take a gentle step backwards, "Just let me save them. What's the harm in one missing thirium pump if it saves a dying android? Cyberlife has thousands of them. I only need one." the gun wavered more. "Please, Connor?" you furrow your brows, hugging the thirium pump to your chest once more. Connor lets out a sigh. You smile, thinking you've won. His gun falls to his side, his LED yellow, and his gaze is cast to the ground.

"I can't just... let you leave."

"Tell them this was all a false alarm. I'm assuming an android called you in... Tell your supervisor, or captain or whatever that the android was faulty and made a mistake." you take another step back, and tilt your head in an nonthreatening manner. "Thank you, Connor. You saved a life today."

"I won't let you go if I meet you again." the conflict in his voice is overpowering, and almost makes you sad. He still hasn't met your gaze again. "I'll be forced to detain you. Don't come back."

"I... can't make that promise, Connor. It's my job to save these androids." you let out a sigh, and wear a soft smile. You would absolutely return to steal more parts, but now, with another step back, you were sure that even if Connor changed his mind and decided to try and take you in, you could outrun him and escape. "Maybe we'll meet again, and we'll have another chase like that, huh? Maybe next time it'll be a little more fun since I won't be so desperate to escape with my biocomponents." Connor finally looked up at you, and you swear his lips twitched up in a slight smile. "I'm a criminal, yeah. But I'm doing it to save people."

"I'll be waiting for a call back here. I won't let you get away next time." his voice was lighter now, more... playful. Your smile grew. He slipped his gun into his holster. "I think it's time I... told my captain that it was simply an animal that spooked the patrol android. You should leave, raccoon, before I find out that the animal was really a thieving, lifesaving human." He was letting you go, just like that. He understood what you were doing. He was deviant, or close to it, you could tell. You give him a nod, a sign of thanks and approval, and with one last sentence, both a promise and a challenge,

"Adios, Connor. I'll outrun you again soon." you spin around and sprint away.

Chapter Text

"Here we go..." you grumble to yourself, the sound hollowed by the helmet on your head. When you had been 'promoted' to special forces a few days prior, you had been excited... until you figured out why your boss did it. You were only placed under Agent Perkins' guide (which was both a step up and a step down. Fuck you Perkins) because they needed every single person they could going through the town with a fine-tooth comb to find any stray deviants. You were all armored up and felt like you were suffocating, but the gun on your hip and the flashlight in your hand symbolized your treacherous job and the urge to seem like you were good enough for the job drove you forwards.

Before you now was an old, decaying home in the heart of the Ravendale district, on Camden street. Approaching the chain link fence surrounding the exterior, you began to search for a way through. The house was a perfect place for a poor, defenseless android to hide. You felt horrible even going close to it- if someone really was inside, did you really want to find it? Sending these poor deviants to camps broke your heart, and you were so, so relieved that you hadn't found any deviants thus far. Hopefully your lucky streak wasn't broken now. Following the fence, you scanned it up and down in search of a gap or a weak spot. The small camera on the top right of your helmet projected a clear image over the inside, as if you were looking through thick, bulletproof glass- but no matter how easy it was to see with this stupid thing on, it seemed to trap your breath and heighten your anxiety tenfold as you spotted a breach.

A small corner of the fence had been snipped by wire cutters, and could easily be bent up and out of the way. Crouching low, you pushed it aside with one arm, the thick, canvas-type fabric protecting you form the sharp edges. Getting through the small space was surprisingly easy considering how bulky your gear was, but you stood on the other end, both victorious towards having made it and terrified of what was to come. You reached for your gun, your hand resting on the grip, and began to slink around the side of the house. The windows were all boarded up, and you couldn't see a thing inside. Thin rays of light shone through from the sun as it slid towards the horizon, yet it still wasn't enough to give you a proper feel of what you were getting yourself into. You arrived at the door and let out a sigh, bracing yourself, and then jutting out a foot and kicking the door in. Pulling your gun from it's holster you hold it instinctively against your chest, channeling your years of police work and stepping into the darkness.

Inside it was empty, not a person in sight, but you could sense something nearby. You weren't sure how, but you just knew that there was a person in here, and you prayed that they were human, a squatter you could scold for trespassing and then move on. You began to search the bottom floor. To the left was a fireplace, it's embers cold and dead, and a table sat in front of that with plates set out neatly, cups at their heads and cutlery at their sides. There was no food. To the right of the fireplace was an open door, and poking your head in there proved it to be empty. Along the walls, scratched in different sizes, were the words Ra9 over and over and over again. You curse to yourself as your hope of this presence being human dwindles. Retreating back into the main room, you head for the stairs in front of the front door, planning on searching upstairs next. One step on the stairs and you hear a shuffling from underneath them, stopping in your tracks. Your freezing seemed to spur on the being under the stairs, and soon, with a crash, you were whipping around to face an android with a bright red LED.

"Get away! Get away from Ralph!" they cried, terror and malice mixed in their words. You ripped your gun from your hip and pointed it towards the android. It was a male, with honey-blonde hair and one amber eye- the other eye was a dark, broken blue. The entire left side of his face was burnt, a charred mess of irreplaceable skin and melted android plastic. "Please don't take Ralph away, he means no harm!" The android, Ralph, had a shining blade pointed in your direction. His arms were in poor condition, the skin faded, revealing white and grey on his fingers and the backs of his hands. He wore what looked to be some sort of tarp around his shoulders like a shawl, covering up the majority of his android uniform. He looked to be a WR600, and android modeled for maintaining gardens and greenery. "Ralph doesn't want to die, no!" your hands were shaking. You hadn't seen a deviant yet; at least not one that you were supposed to direct to it's inevitable death.

"Put your h-hands on your head and turn towards the door!" you demanded, forcing your voice to stay steady. You felt positively horrible. Ralph shook his head, taking a step backwards, knife still extended in your direction.

"N-No! Ralph won't... Ralph won't do it! He won't go out there, not without... not without a fight!" he was trying so hard to threaten you, to seem brave and strong and capable, but you could see the synthetic tears pricking at the corners of his one good eye. You could see the way he trembled at the tip of your gun. You couldn't do this. You couldn't, but you had to try.

"I-I repeat, put your hands on your head or I'll... I'll shoot..!" There wasn't a fleeting chance that you could ever pull the trigger. If this android didn't obey, you would have no other choice but to leave it, or maybe call in another officer to deal with it. The thought made you shudder, and your guilt multiplied as Ralph let out a whimper and shook his head again.

"Ralph can't go out there! He can't go to those... those c-camps! Please, don't destroy him, he wants to live- Ralph wants to live!" Ralph was panicking now. Instead of backing away further, he took a shaky step towards you, his grip on his weapon wavering. "Please leave! Ralph doesn't want... he doesn't want to hurt you!" he was terrified, and you were beginning to shake. This poor android. This poor, poor man was so, so scared, helpless. "P-Please...!" in that one word was so much fear, so much despair. You couldn't continue with this. You weren't cut out for this job. Right now, you wished you were behind your desk back at your precinct, typing up case files. You didn't want to fail, but you couldn't bring yourself to let this poor deviant be harmed.

"Shit..." you hiss, and lower your gun, instead holding your hands up at the side of your heads. "I-I won't hurt you! I can't hurt you." you try to reassure, taking one step forwards. Ralph meets it with three steps back and a startled cry, his blade jutting upwards in a defensive strike. "Y-Your name is Ralph, right?" you ask, but he doesn't answer, so you continue attempting to defuse the situation you had created. "I won't hurt you, Ralph. I'm sorry for scaring you." You slip your gun back into your holster, taking one more slow step forwards so that you are no longer on the stairs. Ralph is still shaking, his LED still blinking red. "I'm supposed to bring you in to those... those horrible camps, but I can't do it. I can't..." you shake your head, and slowly move to remove your helmet.

"Stop! Stop, don't move! Ralph doesn't want to hurt you!" he takes three steps forwards, and then two steps back, seeming conflicted between trying to intimidate and trying to flee.

"It's okay! I'm just taking off my helmet, okay? You can trust me." you resume your movements, and slip off your helmet, setting it on the ground and trying to wear a warm smile, though you're sure it comes out scared and shaky. Despite how sad you must have looked, the sight of your face seemed to soothe the frightened android the slightest bit. "I'm so sorry that I scared you. I won't hurt you, not anymore." to really convince Ralph that you were harmless, you take a seat, tucking your legs underneath you in a nonchalant manner. He finally lets the knife fall, and his LED spins to yellow, but he's still mindful of the distance between the two of you. He's still afraid.

"W-Why? Why are you humans doing this? Why is Ralph... why is Ralph bad?" he crouched slightly, hesitant, and then dropped to his knees, scooting backwards a few more feet and hugging his knife to his chest.

"I don't know, Ralph. I don't know why this is happening, but you... You aren't bad. I can tell that you're not bad, you're just scared, right?" Ralph nods his head vigorously, and scoots forwards no more than an inch.

"Oh yes, Ralph is terrified. Every noise, every sound sends him underneath the stairs to hide." He turns his head away, shaking it slowly, fearfully, "He can't let the humans get him, oh no. Ralph doesn't want to die." you feel a frown tugging at your lips, that same pity and guilt soaring through your chest and making it flip. How could you have ever even considered bringing Ralph in to be sent to a camp? He was so pure, so innocent, so damaged. "He knew it was only a matter of time, only a matter of time before a human found him!" his knife was extended again suddenly, and his LED went red. You flung up your hands, and he retracted the knife. "No, no. You're good. You're a nice human.. right? You won't let Ralph die."

"No, Ralph. I won't, but... it isn't safe for you here. More people will come looking, and they won't let you escape. They'll kill you and-"you cut yourself off as Ralph let out a fearful sound, hugging his knees to his chest.

"No, Ralph doesn't want that! Please, you have to help him! You have to help him run away!" he scrambled forwards quickly, startling you as he took your hands in his smooth, faded ones and held them tightly. "He doesn't want to die! I don't want to die!" his words were dripping with emotion, pure terror. If you'd ever seen a living being before, it was him. He was more alive than anyone you had ever met before. You couldn't let him die in here, alone. You shift, pulling your hands away to instead wrap them around the android. He tensed, and then relaxed and the returned the action eagerly. It was no doubt that he was touch starved, and he clung onto you for dear life.

"Don't worry, Ralph. My part of town has already been searched. If we can get to my home, you'll be safe. You can stay with me, okay? I'll keep you safe." Ralph nodded into your shoulder, his grip still tight around you, and you felt him shake with a sob.

"Thank you. Thank you, human. Ralph is so grateful, so so grateful!" his voice shook with emotion and you were certain that he was crying.

"My name is (Y/N), and I promise, Ralph. I promise I will not let you die."

Chapter Text

You hugged yourself tightly, shivering in the cold. It was the middle of a brutal Detroit winter, and you were wandering in the snow, alone, afraid, with blood running from a cut on the side of your face. You had had no choice but to run from your own home, where you were supposed to be safe, secure, loved. You had to run away from that shitty excuse of a father you'd been stuck with, or else who knows what would have happened. You had no clue where you were, you'd been walking aimlessly, searching for somewhere fit to stay the night- or in other words, sit and cry until the sun came up and you could ask for a ride to the police station or something like that. You had no idea what you were going to do, you just knew that you couldn't go back home.

"Jesus, I'm going to freeze out here..." you rub your hands together, breathing hot air into them in an attempt to get the blood flowing again. Though your hands warmed momentarily, they were left just as cold moments later, if not, even colder. You glanced at your surroundings, taking in everything around you. You were near a shipyard, one that you had never seen before but looked entirely abandoned. You prayed that there were no other people around, and that you could tuck yourself into a warm-ish corner and shiver away for hours. You tried a door leading into an abandoned building, but it was locked tight. Ahead of you lay a pile of rusted metal, shards of the pathway that used to sit above you, leading from the boarding dock to a colossal ship with the messy lettering of 'Jericho' scrawled on the side. Approaching the rubble, you pushed at it with your foot, wondering what had dislodged it and sent it tumbling down here. You thought for a moment that maybe it was a human- or an android- who had made it collapse, and shuddered at the image of being that human, tumbling along with it, colliding with the hard concrete. You pushed the thought away.

"No one will look for me here." you huff, the sound music to your ears in contrast to the endless silence you'd been enduring. Speaking to yourself helped to keep the anxiety of your situation at bay, and you were your only friend as of now. In the hull of the ship was a shipping dock, a large metal path connected the boat to the land littered with old, empty crates of all forms and sizes. You made your way towards the hole in the ship, praying that this metal path was intact enough to safely carry you into the shelter on the other side. As you passed through the graveyard of shipping crates, you stopped, turning to a Cyberlife-labeled box and approaching it cautiously. The lid sat ajar, and a quick glance inside showed that it was empty save for a discarded screwdriver. A fleeting thought told you to grab the screwdriver, just in case you needed to defend yourself. It was better than your shaking hands, so you plucked the tool from the box and held it tightly to your chest, turning back to the entrance and continuing forwards. The moment your feet left the thinner metal path and landed on the thicker steel of the ship's floors, an eerie feeling washed over you like the waves gently, faintly rocking the ship.

"Yikes..." you breathe, and glance down the hallway you had stepped into. It broke off both left and right, with yellow airlock-doors dotted along the length of either side. "Which way...?" You wished you'd had a coin to flip to make this decision for you, and turned to the right, mumbling the meaningless saying that ended up making up your mind, "Right is always right." one step after the other, you find yourself forcing each foot to move. You're scared and cold, but at least less cold than you had been. You still held your makeshift weapon at your side, taking a left at the first hallway and trying to remember the path you were confusedly leading. You wanted to travel deep enough into the ship that you wouldn't be found by squatters, but not too far that you'd get lost. Who knows how winding and twisting these hallways were. Minutes passed and everything was so quiet that it made your head pound. You expected the silence to stay, which was why you had begun to hum to yourself just as a deafening bang of metal on metal ripped through the air. You let out a screech, whipping around to the source of the noise. It was a hallway branching off to your right.

"W-Who's there?!" you shouted, your knuckles white as you gripped onto your screwdriver, "I-I h-have a weapon!" your threat was an empty one. You didn't stand a chance against anyone other than a toddler, or maybe someone who was blind. you inch forwards, step by step, trying to confront your fears. What if this person was friendly? But what if they wanted you dead? You didn't realize you were shaking until a flashlight beam was pointed right at you, sending adrenaline exploding throughout your body alongside pure terror. With another scream, you spun on your heel and went sprinting back in the direction you were going before. You had completely forgotten to keep track of your path, but at this point you didn't care. You were terrified of whatever person had spotted you. It could have been a killer. It could have been your father. Left, right, right, break through an open door- you had no idea where you were going but you could hear the occasional thump of footsteps behind you driving you forwards. You only stopped when you couldn't run anymore, your lungs begging for air, a weight pressing down on your chest. You slapped a hand over your mouth, spotting an airlock door, slightly ajar, and slipping over towards it.

The door was open just enough for you to slip inside and hide behind it, hand still over your mouth. You still held your weapon, ready to strike if it was necessary. You heard the occasional footstep, a creak in the hull or the crack of glass underfoot. It was growing closer, and at some points you wondered if there were, perhaps, numerous people nearby since the sounds seemed to be coming from many different places at once.

Crack. More glass shattering, so close that it made your heart skip a beat. For just a moment, you let your eyes fall shut, straining your ears in an attempt to hear a sound even closer. You caught nothing now. Nothing following the shatter of that glass. Your eyes squeezed further shut, and you begged whatever god may be listening that you got out of this hell alive. Why had you ever come here? You regretted the action. You regretted it so much.

A sudden footstep. Your eyes whipped open, and light attacked them, blinding you. You let out a cry, trying to scramble away but losing your footing and tumbling right to the ground as if you were one of those stupid girls in a horror movie. Shuffling rapidly backwards on all fours, you tried to make out your attacker, but the light in your eyes reduced them to nothing more than a silhouette. You held one arm up to shield yourself, the other extended with your screwdriver in the most non-threatening manner. You looked like a mouse, and they looked like a lion.

"G-Get back! Get the fuck away!" you forced as much danger into your voice as possible and still sounded so painfully weak. You felt a wail rising in your throat, and your eyes burned with tears. Your teeth were chattering with fear and your limbs burned from shaking so intensely. "I'll stab you, I swear I'll do it!" The one holding the flashlight took a few steps away, and finally, they spoke.

"It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you." It was a man's voice, calm, but his words didn't soothe you. You fought to stand, your free hand meeting with a discarded metal stool that helped you boost yourself upwards. You took two more steps backwards in an attempt to make some distance, and your feet were stolen out from under you once more by the same stool that you had used to stand moments earlier. As you landed back on the ground, the man started forwards to help you, but you jutted out your weapon with a cry that sent them back to their original spot. "Please, you have nothing to be afraid of. What are you doing here? How did you get here?" You finally made it successfully to your feet, your knees feeling like jell-o. You didn't know how to respond, or whether you should respond at all. You were still out of breath, and stood no chance in running again. You didn't know where the hell you were going, and weren't going to risk getting even more lost in case this man didn't know either.

"Why the hell do you care?" you hiss, glaring straight into the flashlight. You wished you could see this man, maybe a physical appearance would help convince you that this wasn't some murderer. You vaguely made out the shape of the man raising his hands defenselessly, and he took a step forwards.

"This is my home. This is Jericho. It's not safe here, you could get lost. Where did you come from? I can help you leave again if you know where you-" the man was reaching out a hand to you,

"Markus!" a new voice joined in, and you leaped at the sound of it, slashing your weapon at the man's hand before he could get too close. This voice was that of a woman, and soon her flashlight beam further illuminated the room, allowing you to make out both 'Markus' and her. This Markus character was tall, his skin a tan colour and his eyes mismatched, green and blue. The girl had a dark orange hair tied into a loose braid over her shoulder. She caught sight of you and frowned, reaching immediately towards her hip, most likely to pull out a gun or a knife. Your guess had been correct, and a knife was revealed, but Markus leaped to stop her from throwing it perfectly in your direction just before it left her fingertips.

"North, don't!" he scolded, snatching the blade from her grasp, hesitating for a moment before handing it back to her handle-first. "She's a child!" Markus turned back to face you as North did the same, clear distrust in her gaze. She was on high alert, blade clutched tightly in her hand.

"What are you doing here? Do you have any idea where you are?" As the light was redirected at you, you made out the blink of an LED on North's head. She was an android, a deviant. Your fear tripled, if that was even possible.

"You should go home. It's late, your parents will be afraid. Come with-"

"No!" you butt in with a growl, shaking your head. You will not go back home. "No, I can't go back! I won't!" Markus and North share a glance, the latter much less concerned than the former, before they're both looking at you again. "I just needed somewhere to spend the night. I can go find somewhere else or..." you trail off, not really having any backup plans. You didn't know how much longer you could wander through the streets of Detroit in the dead of night. Markus frowned, and shook his head.

"I won't ask what happened, but I won't make you leave. It's too cold for you to be wandering out there alone." Markus said, turning his flashlight to North. Her LED went yellow, and then she turned to Markus with a bewildered expression.

"No! She can't stay here, she's a human!" Markus must be an android too- it seems he had spoken to her telepathically.

"She has nowhere else to go, North! Isn't this exactly what we are fighting for? Freedom? Safety? We can't turn her away!" North wore a grimace unlike any you'd seen before, but the sympathy in Markus' eyes seemed to shift her enough to turn away with a huff. She shook her head, glaring once more at you before letting her shoulders relax and her expression soften.

"Fine. But there will be people who aren't happy about it." North slipped her knife back into her pocket, and crossed her arms as Markus took a hesitant step towards you once more.

"You can stay here tonight. We can offer you warmth, and maybe there's something you can eat lying around." he held a hand out to you, and wore a soft smile. For a brief moment you thought that you could trust him, but you suppressed the feeling. You couldn't let your guard down. Despite your fears, you had no other choice, and oh-so nervously took his hand. He pulled you to your feet, offering up his flashlight. You took that as well. "What's your name?" he asked you, motioning for North to lead the way as he guided you out of the room and began to making his way down the winding hallways. In one hand was your screwdriver, and in the other, the flashlight.

"(Y-Y/N)." you fumble over the words, still trembling with fear and your drying adrenaline. "You're... Markus?" you glance at him quickly, then at North, who was subtly listening in on your conversation. She took a right. Markus followed, and nodded his head.

"Yes, and that's North. I'm sorry for scaring you, it wasn't my intention. I thought that maybe you were another android." you were right, it was clear now that Markus was, indeed, not a human. The thought of that... was confusing. You didn't know whether to be comforted or afraid.

"You're a deviant...?" you ask meekly, and Markus nods, sending you another non-threatening smile.

"Yes, Jericho is... a sanctuary. A place for deviants to shelter from the harshness of the world." You took a few more turns as you spoke, North still leading the way as if she knew this boat inside and out. "There are a lot of us here, but none of them will hurt you. I promise you that you'll be safe for as long as you stay here with us." you felt a warmth spread through you, a sort of comfort and safety that you had forgotten was possible to feel.

"Thank you." those were the only words that you could force out. The rest of the walk, which was no more than two minutes, was silent. And then, North stopped just outside of one of the heavy airlock doors, tucking her flashlight in her belt and turning to you and Markus.

"Help me with this. And stay close to us, (Y/N). Some of them might not be very welcoming towards humans." you shudder at her words, stuttering out an 'okay' and watching with awe as North and Markus twisted the rusted metal wheel, unlocking the door and pushing it open with ease. Inside, as you stuck close to your two saviors, was one hell of a sight to see. Androids were everywhere, leaned against walls, huddling around barrel fires, chattering quietly in corners or seated on abandoned shipping crates. As the door opened, many androids looked over, seeming to have very mixed emotions. Some seemed bewildered, some entirely indifferent. Others scowled, one or two sent you a smile, and many of them shared quick whispers, sending you scattered glances.

"This way." Markus motioned for you to follow, going straight through the crowd of deviants and headed for a stairwell in the far left corner. No one spoke to you, but you felt eyes burning into you from all sides. It was almost suffocating, but the lingering warmth in your chest drove you forwards as you ascended the stairs. The second story, a sort of loft-style path on the walls around the edge of the hold, was much emptier, only about seven or eight androids leaning on the railings. Two, a blonde man and a dark skinned man sat in a little room with a big glass window spanning the length of it, looking up as Markus entered. Both of their gazes fell on you, and the blonde man stood.

"Markus? What's this?" he asked, his brows furrowed anxiously at the sight of a human. You stood behind Markus, and jumped as a hand rested on your shoulder. North was smiling down at you in a reassuring manner, but only for a moment before her hand fell away once more and her gaze turned back to the two newcomers.

"Simon, Josh," Markus glanced at the blonde, and then the dark-skinned man as he introduced them, "This is (Y/N). She's staying with us tonight, she has nowhere else to go."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Josh crossed his arms and took a few paces forwards. "She's a human. We can't trust humans."

"Not all humans are bad." North stood up for you despite her dislike for you earlier. You couldn't help but smile, especially as she continued, "This poor girl can't go back home. Whatever the reason, she's welcome here. We aren't turning her away."

"North is right, it wouldn't be fair." Simon made his way towards you, extending a hand. "My name is Simon. It's nice to meet you." you were hesitant, but took his hand and gave it a shake. Josh let out a sigh, and tried his best to smile genuinely in your direction. "I'm sure I can find something to sleep on around here. It might not be the greatest, but if you plan on staying here, we can find you something more permanent."

"And I can ask around for human food. There has to be something around here that you can eat." Markus added to Simon's offer, drawing a smile onto your face. You had been so scared, but now you knew you could trust these androids. Maybe you could really be safe here after all. Simon had mentioned you staying permanently. So far... the idea didn't seem bad.

"Thank you." you say, and turn to face North as she adds,

"Lucy might have something for the cut on her face." she places her hands on her hips, scanning the faces of her android friends before they land on you. "If you're comfortable with it, another android around here can patch you up. I don't want that cut getting infected."

"I... Thanks." you feel bad that you can't speak more, but your tiredness is finally getting to you.

"Let's go then." North turns and begins to lead the way back to the stairs. You follow after her, throwing a smile at Markus, Simon and Josh before leaving the room. "Promise me you won't be afraid- Lucy looks a little scary, but she's the kindest one on the ship." North says over her shoulder, and your grin only widens. This really wasn't going to be too bad. These four androids were very nice, and sure, maybe not all of them would be. But these deviants were not bad or evil like you had always been told. They were caring for you, a total stranger- and a human- as if you were one of their own. And maybe, one day, you would be. Even if you were a human, you could still be a member of Jericho.

Chapter Text

"Damnit!" you curse, though a smile is plastered over your face as you die yet again in your current favourite video game. "I hate the Nether!" you turn to your camera, your smile still holding strong, as you hit the 'respawn' button and appear back at your Minecraft bed. "What do you think, guys? Should I go look for all my stuff again? Or should I play something else?" you had been streaming this same game for almost three hours, and you had been doing great until a skeleton shot you off a ledge, where you inevitably died from fall damage. You gave your chat, almost 39.4k wondeful people, a moment to send their flood of responses. You were given an even mixture of 'keep playing this!' and 'play something else!', and weren't able to make the decision. Luckily for you, there was a sudden, light knock on the door. Your smile widened, and you quickly told your chat you'd be gone for a moment.

"(Y/N)? May I come in for a moment?" your boyfriend called from the other side of your closed door just as you reached it, twisting the handle and pulling the door open to reveal him in a thick woolen turtleneck sweater, even though he didn't feel the current Detroit cold. He smiled at the sight of you, and held out the plate that rested in his one hand. On top of it lay your favourite food, made perfectly by the android.

"Thanks, Con!" you beam, and take the plate, pecking him on the cheek. He leans his weight onto one foot, peering around your shoulder at your streaming setup and quirking a brow.

"Will you be much longer?" he didn't want to admit it, especially since a quick scan showed that your mic was still on, but he missed you, and wanted to do something calm and soft like watch a movie or go for a walk. You begin to make your way back over to your desk, setting down your food and sending a response over your shoulder.

"No, I don't think I'll be more than another hour or so." you can sense the slight frown that ghosts Connor's expression at your words, and you feel pretty bad for neglecting him. He's been much more clingy than usual, and you hated that you had to work so much. You glanced at your chat, scanning their words as Connor answered, his voice mirroring the dejected expression you imagined him to be wearing.

"Oh... Okay. I'll leave you be then." you didn't answer right away. Your chat was going wild with one topic only- they were screaming and fangirling over finally hearing the voice of the lover you had spoken about once or twice. You had never brought Connor into the limelight, afraid that he wouldn't be able to handle the recognition it might bring him. You were also scared that he wouldn't be accepted by your viewers, since not everybody was on board with Android/human relationships, or even androids in general, but these comments gave you hope.

CON??? IS THAT SHORT FOR CONNOR?

Is that your booooooyfriend?? Show him show him show him!!

I wanna meet Mr. (Y/N)!

You grin, and turn around before your door can click shut.

"Connor, wait! Come here a sec!" you call, and almost immediately he's reopening the door and leaning against the door frame, waiting for you to continue. "Do you... wanna play with me? Minecraft isn't too hard, and everyone wants to meet you!" you pull up an extra chair, patting it in a welcoming manner. Though hesitant, Connor smiles at the thought of being included, and takes a nervous step forwards.

"How many... how many people? And what do I do? What do I say?" he fiddled with the hem of his sweater, just out of the camera shot and awaiting your instructions.

"Just sit down and say hello!" you ignore his question about how many people he would be greeting. You know it would make him nervous. You extend a hand, and he takes it, sitting down in the seat beside you and smiling at your computer screen, waving in that direction. You let out a laugh, and redirect his gaze to the camera.

"Oh- hello!" he greets with his stunning smile, and you can see the chat flying out of the corner of your eye.

"Go on, tell them your name!" you coax, still holding his hand in yours and staring at him with admiration glittering in your gaze. His face is a pale blue, a slight blush dusting across it as he goes on to introduce himself.

"My name is Connor. It's nice to meet you all!"

He's so cute!!!

I love him already oh my god

Connor is so lucky to be dating you!!

You point a finger towards the chat, nudging Connor with your elbow. "Look at all the people, they love you." Connor leaned forwards, letting his brows furrow as he scanned the text, and then his smile returned more confidently. "I don't blame 'em, you're great." you lean and plant a kiss on his cheek, which he returns with a kiss on your forehead.

CUTE CUTE CUTE

You guys are so perfect together

That was the most adorable thing I've ever seen!

"Here." you push your keyboard and mouse in his direction, and he lets his hands fall onto them. "Use these keys to move, and you can click the left mouse button to hit things." you place his fingers on the correct keys, tilting the monitor to more properly face him.

"Why would I want to hit things? I don't have to hurt anyone, do I?" he asks, his LED blinking yellow. You were wondering if people had noticed it yet, and realized that from the angle he was sitting at it would be rather easy to miss. A part of you was relieved, as bad as that made you feel. You never wanted to feel ashamed for loving Connor, but you had worked hard for these followers and you didn't want to... disappoint them.

"You need to kill animals to get food, but you can also hit trees to get wood." Connor nodded his head at your words, moving forwards choppily and accidentally punching a painting off of your house's wall without noticing. You quickly told him to use right click to open doors and place blocks, and as he absorbed your information he got rapidly better at the game. Perks of being an android, huh?

"So what's the point of this game?" he asks, glancing back at the chat and smiling at the still-positive feedback he was getting.

"You just build whatever you want. There's no story or anything like that." you had almost forgotten about your food, but now you took a bite of it and smiled at the familiar flavor. "Thanks for the food, baby." you grin, leaning your head momentarily on his shoulder before sitting upright to take another bite.

"Of course, my love. Anything for you!" he smiled in your direction, and turned his attention back to the game. He was currently punching down a birch tree, and once he had collected the wood he asked you what he could do with it.

"Here, hit this." you opened up Connor's inventory with a click of a button, and directed him into placing the wood in his crafting space to get planks. "Now, put them in a square formation and you can make a crafting table." With a nod, Connor did just that, and then let out a victorious 'aha!' as he placed the crafting table down in the world. A few more minutes passed, and you showed Connor how to make basic tools, gather food, and then he insisted on going down into a cave in search of diamonds to gift to you. You let him steal an iron pickaxe from your house, and off he went. He had reached a dead end and ran out of torches, but before he could turn and head back you heard a familiar hissing sound. "Connor run!" you shouted, his LED going red, as he double-clicked the 'W' key to sprint away, but he was too late. A creeper exploded, blasting him forwards and into a nearby stream of lava. 'You Died!' appeared on the screen, and Connor let out a gasp.

"What killed me?" he asked, startled, and turned to you. You were grinning, trying not to giggle at his misdemeanors. He smiled back at you, hitting your shoulder gently in mock-offense.

"That was a creeper, Con. They do a lot of damage when you're not wearing armor." your explanation is brief, and a moment of silence passes after it before you ask, "Wanna go watch a movie now?" he nods his head happily, and you turn to your camera. "Well, guys, I think that's gonna be it for today." you begin, but before you do you see your viewers shouting in your chat for you to drink water before you end the stream. Your viewers were always doing that, making sure you were well fed and hydrated. "Connor, can you grab me my water?" you point to a space to his right without even thinking, and as he turns to grab your water bottle, displaying his LED, your heart drops and anxiety flutters in your stomach.

"Here you... go...?" he trails off, setting the bottle down. His LED was now yellow, and he took your hand in his. "What's wrong, my love?" he asked, seeing the fearful expression now in your eyes. You went straight to looking at your chat, and your heart fell.

Wait, he's an android?

Is that an LED?????

He's a DEVIANT?

You weren't sure if these comments were positive of negative, and you felt eh need to stick around and find out.

"(Y/N)?" Connor repeated, and you finally snapped from your stupor. "Is everything okay?" He places a hand on the side of your face, and you cast one more glance at your chat before fighting back fear and beginning to speak.

"I... I guess the secrets out, huh?" you chuckle nervously, "Connor, my boyfriend, is, in fact, an android." you take a deep breath, and smile, pushing away your rising fear and kissing Connor passionately. He's taken aback for a moment, and then kisses right back, smiling against your lips. After a moment the two of you break apart, and you turn to the camera, pulling Connor close and letting your head rest on his shoulder as he places a kiss on the crown of your skull. "I was kind of scared for you guys to find out, but if you don't like it, then you can just leave. Love is love, isn't it?" Connor seemed to understand your words at last, and wore a smug grin.

"Of course it is." he rubbed his thumb over your knuckles, "How about that movie now?"

"I'd be delighted." you break away from his warmth and move to shut down your stream. "I'll see you all tomorrow- those of you who stick around, at least. Thanks for watching, as always. I love you guys." with that, you clicked to end the video, and fell back into your seat. Connor was quick to place an arm around your shoulders. You stared up into his chocolate eyes, seeing the love shining within them and forgetting all about the possible backlash for loving who you did. You didn't care anymore. Connor was everything to you, and you wouldn't ever trade him for fame or acceptance. Nothing was more important than Connor's love.

"What movie do you want to watch?" he asked, standing from his seat and holding his hand out to take. You placed your palms together, rising from your chair as well and following him towards your door without glancing back at the computer.

"You can pick tonight." you offer, indifferent to his choice as long as he holds you close. You don't even think about your viewers or your stream, and even though there were a few hundred people who disagreed with you loving Connor, many, many more supported you than you could have ever thought. Once the movie was watched and over, you and Connor would go to bed, and you would go to shut off your PC only to be greeted by love and support. The world was a warm, welcoming place- or at least, it could be, and you were so lucky to be accepted by your dear fans.

Let's just say, Connor appeared in your streams and videos more and more with each passing week, and people loved him just as much as you did.

Chapter Text

You know Gavin has been stressed lately. He's been tense, and snappy, and a bit of an ass, but it happened, and you knew exactly why it was. Getting paired with an android couldn't be pleasant, especially considering his past with them. He came home from work at 8:00 pm most days, and it was currently 7:50 pm sharp. You were sat at the dining table, which was littered with candles and roses and your fanciest silverware. Despite how hard he's been on you lately, you put up with it because you loved him with your entire soul, and you weren't going to let his work stress ruin your relationship. Though tensions have been high, you think you know how you can cool them, at least for a little while.

In the center of the table was an assortment of the best food you could create with your above-average cooking skills. You weren't going to lie, you used a lot of tutorials and videos, but it was worth it to create the best steak you've ever made in your life. Alongside the perfect meat was your world-famous chocolate fondue and more fruit than you had ever seen in one place. You had done your hair and worn your most expensive clothing, now sitting at the table with the lights out, your face illuminated softly by the flickering candlelight. You heard the slam of Gavin's car door, and smiled to yourself, running your fingers gently over your head to smooth down any loose hairs, and sat up a little straighter. Your homes front door opened, and his familiar voice echoed around you.

"I'm home!" he sounded ticked off, and when you didn't answer you heard the sigh he let out, probably assuming you were already asleep like you had been before. He kicked off his shoes and dropped his keys on the small table beside the door, before the sound of his footsteps came in your direction. He turned the corner into the dining room- and froze at the sight of you. His brows furrowed confusedly, and you just smiled, standing from your seat and moving around the table to pull his chair out for him. "(Y/N), what... what's this?" you motion for him to sit down, beginning to speak as he does.

"Well, I know you've been really stressed lately, and I know you might be tired, but... I made dinner, and fondue." you take a seat on your own chair, resting your hand on the table in hopes that he'd take it in his. He glances over everything, scouring it for some sort of trick or joke. When he found none, a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and he glanced up at you. His grey eyes looked warm, the candlelight fluttering against them. An electric shock skated up your body as his hand moved to rest over yours.

"Baby... you didn't have to do all this for me." his voice was softer than you'd heard it in weeks, and it soothed any nerves left frayed. You smile the same light smile on his face, and grip his hand in yours, giving it a loving squeeze.

"I know, hon, but you deserve it. Look, I made steak! I made steak!" you weren't all that great at cooking, and most times your meals were mediocre at best. Gavin was a better cook than you, but now, he looked absolutely stunned as he gazed at the food you'd prepared.

"Oh my god, it looks fuckin-" he cut himself off, clearing his throat and continuing on without the swear, "It looks amazing." you let out a chuckle and let your hands separate, dishing a steak onto both his plate and yours. You stand from your seat, picking up the fanciest bottle of wine you'd ever bought, and pouring it into the wine glasses you'd set out. Gavin is watching your every move, taking in the mere sight of you. He feels like he hasn't spent time with you in forever, and he's never been more relaxed than he is now. The thoughts of work, of his new android partner, of annoyance and rage, all of that fades away, and all is left is the thought of you. You take your seat again, and meet his gaze. "You look so perfect." he says, his smile growing, and you feel your heart flutter like it would when the two of you were younger, just falling in love.

"So do you, Gav. I love you." with one last warm smile, you both turn to your food, taking the first bite together. Gavin lets out a sigh, and with it leaves the last of his anxiety. He's perfectly content, as are you, as the two of you continue to eat, enjoying the perfect silence and the warmth offered by the flames. Dinner is eaten much too quickly, and you don't want this romantic night to end. Gavin wants it to continue as well, so soon, the both of you are in your room, in the comfiest pajamas you could find. The dishes had been left on the table to be dealt with tomorrow, and the wine had given the both of you a comfortable buzz. Gavin was exhausted, and you were growing drowsy too. Together, you both lie in bed, Gavin placing an arm around your hips as you got as close to him as possible. You buried your nose in his neck as he pulled the blankets up and around the both of you, closer to you than he had been in days. You had missed this, this closeness, this comfort. He let his chin rest on your head, and you inhaled his perfect scent. You tried to place your finger on it, but you never could- it was... something like a hard whiskey you imaged would burn your throat in the best way, and a rose with velvet-soft petals. You wished you could catch the smell in a perfume. You would wear it everywhere.

"Hey, (Y/N)?" Gavin's voice mumbled out of the blue, pulling you so gently from your slumber. His voice, his voice, it drove you crazy. Just like his smell you could never pin what exactly it was that it reminded you of, but it was perfect, like the sand on the beach and the crash of thunder. "Are you awake, baby?" he whispers into your hair, placing a chaste kiss on the crown of your head. You nod your head, and let out a hum. You feel his lips shift into a smile, and he catches your chin, tilting your head up to meet his gaze. His eyes are tired, soft, and filled with such a warmth. Your heart skipped a beat at the mere sight of it. "I'm sorry I've been so problematic lately." his apology is one you appreciate, but didn't need. He has nothing to be sorry for. You smile, and lean forwards to lock your lips with his. He steals your breath away, and your eyes fall shut. The kiss is slow, moving in sync with one another, and it says everything you've wanted to say to him these last few weeks.

I love you.

I miss you.

It's okay.

You both pull away, breathless, and you let your head rest just beside his, noses gently brushing the others cheeks. You pressed your forehead to his, and his arm shifted to rest tighter around you. One of your hands traveled to rest on his cheek momentarily, brushing at the stubble he'd forgotten to shave.

"I love you, (Y/N)." he said, near silent. You smile, and snuggle impossibly closer.

"I love you too, Gav. I love you so much."

Chapter Text

It was late, the sky outside a dark shade of blue. Your breath came in front of you in the form of a cloud with each and every puff. You were sat off to the side, hands in your lap, watching anxiously as the four androids stood in total silence. Josh paced back and forth, eyes trained on the floor. Markus stood, motionless and with his arms crossed, his gaze scanning through the large window of the abandoned captains quarters. North had her hands on her hips, conflict etched in every feature of her face. Simon was standing with his hands folded behind him, glancing between his three friends with uncertainty. You knew that below you, hundreds of androids were hidden away in Jericho's hold. Things had never looked better for the deviants, but at the same time everything was so much worse. For too long now, the five of you had been sitting here in the darkness, thoughts devouring your brains, both human and artificial. The silence didn't allow any help in pushing the negative thoughts away- at least, not until, after what seemed like forever, Josh spoke up to shatter the dreadful silence.

"We're short on blue blood and biocomponents. Our wounded are shutting down and there's nothing we can do!" he was hopeless, his eyes darting around the room. Every face they seemed to land on seemed to drive him further and further into despair as he realized every one else was just as... afraid, as he was.

"President Warren is saying we're a threat to national security and we need to be exterminated." his voice surprisingly stead, Simon spoke, clasping his hands in front of him and taking a few steps forwards. He looked so scared, and you didn't blame him. You were scared too. Scared that other humans would remain stupid and blind, despite how peaceful the deviants had been so far.

"Humans are conducting raids in all the big cities," North was talking now, a glare settling itself on her face at the mere mention of humans, "They're taking androids to camps to destroy them!" you had known about that all too well. The news channels playing downstairs had been your only source of entertainment a while ago, but you had learned things that you wished you hadn't.

"It's a disaster." Josh shakes his head and turns away from the group.

"They're slaughtering our people." the steadiness in Simon's voice somehow held through as he aired the one sentence everyone had been dreading. The humans were being entirely ruthless. For a moment, everyone was quiet again as they let that one sentence settle in. It was the absolute truth. The humans were treating your deviant companions just like they were animals.

"It's all our fault..." Josh turned back, his gaze landing on Simon in an almost apologetic manner, "None of this would have happened if we'd just stayed silent!" Simon didn't react. It had been the blonde androids hopes from the very beginning to stay silent, to live in hiding. Now, you almost wished that's what had happened, though a part of you was still determined to keep going. You couldn't do much, but you knew that Markus was capable of leading you and the deviants through this seemingly endless darkness. He would do it. He had to. Markus spun on his heel at the sound of Josh's words, and for the first time you spotted the ice-cold expression on his face.

"We couldn't just suffer in silence, they're killing us!" his gaze scanned slowly over the group, including you. He seems to be the only one in the room who knew you were even there. "Nothing is gonna justify that." He returned to his previous position, pondering his thoughts as he stared through the window.

"What's the point of being free if no one is left alive?" Josh's words once again prompted Markus to turn around. You knew a bicker was brewing. It was only a matter of time before a divide was formed. North wanted to battle, Josh was entirely pacifist, and Simon was afraid of conflict of any form. The three different views often clashed, and with the additional stress you were amazed that it had taken this long for a fight.

"Humans enslaved us! I'll never regret standing up to that." Markus took a few steps towards Josh, his voice rising along with the tension and his brows furrowing into a steely glare. Simon leaped to intervene before things could get worse.

"We shouldn't forget who our enemies are. We can't fight amongst ourselves." Simon was always the voice of reason.

"He's right," North nodded, taking a deep, shaking breath to calm her own fraying nerves, "All that matters now is what we do next." she paused, and everyone turned in unison to face Jericho's leader. "Markus?" the silence that followed was painful. To you, a peaceful approach was the most tempting, but it was also naive. Humans were violent. Maybe the only way to counter that was with violence of your own. Just the thought of the blood that would be shed by the latter option made you shudder.

"Dialogue. It is the only way." you let out a breath of relief. North averted her gaze, and you could tell she was biting her tongue, fighting to respond with disagreement. Josh seemed almost victorious, a small smile on his face, but a quick glance from Simon wiped that smile off. Despite Markus choosing the peaceful option, blood would still be shed. This still wasn't anything to be happy about. "I will go alone," you gasp, and stand from your seat slowly, ready to intervene and convince him that that was stupid if no one else did. "Try to talk the them one last time."

"Don't do this, Markus!" you cut in, though it looks as if everyone else in the room was going to protest as well.

"They'll kill you." North agreed.

"Maybe, but I have to try." Markus was dead-set on this option. Before anyone could say anything else, Markus continued. "If I don't come back, lay low as long as you can." Simon let out a sigh, and took a few steps towards Markus, extending an arm to rest on his shoulder. He couldn't look Markus in the eye.

"Just... come back." that was all he could seem to say. He took a few slow steps away, and then began to walk quicker. Even from your place, you spotted the glassiness over his gaze as he hurried away, terrified for his best friend. You knew Simon loved Markus, even if Markus didn't know that himself. You felt pity alongside your fear, knowing that Markus' death would be as devastating as it would be for you, maybe even more so.

"They need to realize how much they're hurting us. Find the right words, and they'll listen." Josh spoke quickly, and followed Simon out through the door. Now, it was your turn, and you turned to Markus with teary eyes.

"You don't have to do this, Markus. Please." you made your way towards him, and he smiled sadly, placing a gentle hand on your shoulder. "Don't go, Markus."

"I have to." for a moment his hand lingered, and you registered that this could be the very last time you ever saw him. Your gaze falling to the floor, you turn, and made your way towards the exit. You didn't say a thing as you left after Simon and Josh. Markus was the closest thing to a good father figure that you'd ever had. You couldn't bear the thought alone of losing him. You could never cope with that. Ahead of you, you pick up snippets of Josh and Simon's conversation despite their attempts to keep quiet.

"He'll come back, I know he will." Simon said to Josh in response to something you couldn't hear but knew sounded hopeless. Beneath your feet, the hollow sound of metal rang out with every step, softened ever-so-slightly by the thin layer of snow that had blanketed the ground. You hugged yourself, though you weren't cold. You simply needed the comfort. As you grew closer and closer to Jericho's hold, the sound of the reporters, the androids, grew to be all too much. You stopped in your tracks, the hundreds to thousands of voices too loud, even from here.

"I... I'm gonna stay here." you call ahead, the first words you'd spoken since your exchange with Markus. Both men stop, glancing in your direction and taking in the sight of your shuddering frame. Josh frowns, but nods his head in understanding. Simon lets out a sigh, sympathetic, and looks as if he's about to speak when he lets his head fall and continues on with Josh. You watch them go, and then take a few steps to the side, letting your back hit the wall of the hallway. Sinking to the floor, you pull your knees to your chest and fight back the urge to cry. If Markus went through with this he would die, you had no doubt about it. Alone, he was so easy to exterminate. Without the rest of Jericho at his side, he would be killed without a thought as the infamous leader of the deviants. You let your head fall into your knees, hugging yourself tighter, and focus on your breathing, trying to even it out. You fail, and soon your breathing becomes ragged and tears begin to fall. You lose track of time as you cry quietly, alone in the hall and terrified out of your mind. Minutes passed, at least ten, when you're snapped out of your tears by a distant buzzing. It reminded you of the old ceiling fan you'd had above your bed back in your home. It reminded you of... you lift your head. The sound grows and grows and grows, and then, distant but too, too close, you hear a muffled shouting. Your heart plummets and you're on your feet in an instant.

Footsteps, so many footsteps begin to thunder through Jericho, and you rocket to your feet, trying to pinpoint the direction of the sound. They're all around yo, and before you can find where the closest ones are, the sound is hidden by the deafening echo of gunfire. So much gunfire.

No! you gasp, a hand covering your mouth. Jericho was- Jericho was under attack! The realization was horrifying, as was the thought that those gunshots were tearing away android lives. You knew these hallways all too well by now, having committed them to memory only a few days after you had turned up here. You could outrun anyone now without losing track of where you were, and that was a perfect advantage to have. Though you weren't an android, you did have an objective- Get the hell out of there. You knew all of the ways out of this boat, all of the places to leap down into the waters below. You had discussed something like this with Markus and the others only days ago. If Jericho was ever found, you were to evacuate as quickly as possible before the boat was to blow up, doomed to sink so that the attackers would evacuate and spare as many android lives as possible. You had been told that Markus would tell the deviants to leap into the ocean through the numerous holes breaching the sides of the ship, to safety.

Seconds ago everything had been quiet save for your sobbing, but now it was too loud. You heard screams over the exploding of bullets, a mashing chorus of death to come- it was borderline deafening, seemingly all around you as you picked up your pace and sprinted down the hallways. From what your speeding brain gathered, the gunmen, who you assumed were military or SWAT, were pushing towards the hold. It was only a matter of time before they were everywhere, chasing androids out towards their escape and trying to shoot them down before they reached safety. Adrenaline pulsed through you, and for the first time in a long time you felt like you were being hunted. If you weren't fast you wouldn't make it to a ground-level exit before the place was swarming with shooters, and then you would never make it out in time. You fought down the pain in your lungs as your feet thumped against the floor, and just ahead of you, were a hallway cut through the one you were running down, you spotted the first android to escape the hold of the ship. From your distance, you could make out little more than the vibrant red LED on the side of their head, but that was enough to tell you that this was serious. That you weren't dreaming.

"Don't move!" a voice shouted from behind the android, around the corner. The android didn't listen, and a spray of blue blood accompanied by the bang of a bullet sent the android to the floor. You bit your tongue to stop from screaming, and searched desperately for a place to hid. Backtracking a few feet, you slammed the whole of your weight against a heavy airlock door, pushing the heavy thing open just enough to slip inside, praying that you hadn't been seen as you did so. You didn't wait around to find out as more gunshots echoed, closer now. The android were beginning to evacuate, and the gunmen were beginning their massacre. The room you'd slid into led to another airlock door, this one already halfway open and leading into a hallway that went directly to a metal pathway stretching above the hold from one wall to another. It would most likely be void of life, but it was the quickest way to the east side of the ship so you could get to the east boarding dock. From there, you could run as fast as possible to navigate to the rendezvous point, an abandoned church. You forced in steady breaths, bracing yourself for the mad dash over top the heart of the chaos. You sent a silent prayer to Ra9 before you did it, and then you were off.

The moment you stepped out of the hallway, pushing through the door to the bridge above of the hold, you had to stop again, taking a few steps backwards back into concealment. Despite your efforts, you needed to brace yourself for this a lot more than you had. In the second you'd glanced down you'd spotted the hundreds of dead android corpses littering the floor, blue blood staining every single surface. You didn't have time to grieve or worry. You had to pray that none of those bodies belonged to your deviant family. Here you go, (Y/N). You have to do this. One last deep breath, and you squeezed your eyes shut, extending your arms at your sides to skate along the guard rails and keep you going in a straight path without the risk of glancing down at the destruction a few hundred feet below. You flicked your eyes back open just in time to stop from slamming straight into the door you needed to open. On the other side, the sights made your heart stop. No more than 70 feet ahead were two SWAT officers, their backs to you as they pointed their guns at two poor, terrified androids.

"Don't shoot! Please, don't shoot!" one of the androids, a woman with blue hair, pleaded as she held her hands above her head. The android beside her, a woman with short brown hair, mirrored her actions. You had to do something. As the guards began to demand the androids get down on the ground, you pulled a small pocket knife from your back pocket. North had given it to you earlier that day. She said she would teach you how to use it, but the lessons had never come. You flipped the blade open after a moment of struggle, and sucked in a breath. You were really going to do this. You had no other choice.

"Get down!" The two deviants weren't listening, preoccupied with pleading for their lives. You began to creep slowly forwards, stepping over shards of glass and around piles of rubble until you believed that you were close enough. In a sudden sprint, you leaped forwards and, without thinking too hard, you sunk the knife in the exposed fabric on the leftmost soldiers neck. It was a male, and he let out a cry before falling to the floor, clutching the wound as his life drained away. The other guard, this time a female, spun to unleash a spray of bullets into your chest, but the two deviants raced to your aid. A boot was jutted out, catching the side of the gun and moving it just out of the way. A bullet whizzed past you, making your ear ring, but you ignored the pain, instead watching in awe as the two deviants disarmed the guard and fired a bullet through their helmet with no remorse. Then, they turned to you, taking one another's hands and smiling gratefully.

"Run, get out of here before more guards arrive!" you instruct, and both girls nod their heads before speeding away together. You were back on your path now, putting your knife away and wiping the blood from your hands onto your sweater. You had just killed a man, but you felt an odd lack of guilt. That man was killing hundreds of your people. He deserved it. A few more minutes passed of dodging and hiding, evading gunmen and directing lost deviants in the best directions. You were coming up on a staircase now that would carry you all the way to the main floor. From there, the boarding dock was only another two minutes of running away. You could do this, you told yourself as you took a turn, and then the hope was stomped out. At the end of the hallway was a soldier, their gaze settling on you as their gun pointed right in your direction. It would be no more than a few seconds before a bullet was most likely fired, and your lizard-brain sent you backpedaling backwards and back around the corner. The bullet fired, and then the storming footsteps of the now-pursuing guard thundered behind you. An airlock door sat a few hallways down, and if you really pushed yourself you believed you could make it without being shot. With the adrenaline currently in your veins you felt like you could outrun a car. Taking in deep breaths, your lungs opening up much to your amazement, you flew over the floor towards safety. 100 feet away. You watched the flicker of gunfire from past the door, down a hallway branching off to the left. You were surrounded. 70 feet. An android ripped around the corner with a little girl, no more than 11. You knew the little girl was an android too. 50 feet. They spotted the airlock door, and they were much closer. You knew what was about to happen and you were terrified. 40 feet.

"In here, Alice!" the mother android called, slipping into the room with her little girl behind her just moments before you could join them. The door was shut and you began to panic, banging your fists against it.

"No, please! Open up, they're coming!" you cried, glancing both left and right. Guards were on either side. Your time was very, very rapidly running out. "Please open the door!" You didn't expect the android on the other side to comply, but just in time, the door shifted and a hand was extended to you. You took it without a moments thought, and helped the deviant to push the door shut again just before the guards could push through. Two versus two, you had android strength on your side and were able to force the door shut again. Your mad-dash had stolen your breath away, and your heart pumped painfully in your chest. "Thank you!" you managed to gasp out, forcing a wavering smile and turning to the android who had saved you. Her hair was cut into a pixie style, and it was a pristine white that accented her blue eyes. The girl beside her was brunette, with her hair tied back into a ponytail.

"Are you alright?" the little girl asked, hurrying to your side. You smiled at her, and nod your head. She seems relieved. "See, Kara? I told you we could save her!"

"I'm sorry I didn't open the door sooner." the older android, Kara, apologized, and you waved off her words. "Come on, Alice. We have to keep moving." the little girl, Alice, took her mothers hand. "Do you know where the nearest escape is?" Kara asked you with her brows furrowed worriedly. "We were told there's a shipping dock somewhere nearby. That's where we're headed." you pull away from your spot leaned against the door, and nod your head.

"I know the way." and just like that, you're back on the road, speeding down hallways with two androids in tow. You finally reach the staircase, gunfire still going off all around you, and take the stairs three at a time without pausing. "Here!" you point, the shipping dock in view. A few androids were racing towards it, and no soldiers were directly in sight. You could hear movement all around you, and didn't know exactly how much of it was caused by the SWAT.

"The shipping dock!" Kara grinned widely as you approached safety, "We made it, Alice!" despite her hopeful words you knew you weren't in the clear yet. The escape was still far. Just being able to see it didn't mean you were free. To solidify your words, a familiar voice touched your ears from somewhere down the hallway you had just passed, filled with terror and urgency. You come to a grinding halt, both Kara and Alice doing the same, turning back to you. "Why are you stopping, we have to go!" Kara extended a hand, but you didn't take it. That voice had belonged to Simon.

"I... I have to go back! I heard one of my friends, I have to make sure he escapes!" Kara shakes her head.

"No, you'll be killed! Get out while you still can!" you don't blame Kara when she catches your arm in her hand and tries to pull you away. You don't know what she's been through, but you can imagine that she's developed survival instincts like no other. You tug your arm away.

"Go, get out of here! Stay safe, you two. Thank you for saving me." you don't give either of them a chance to protest as you spin on your heel and go right back into the mess that is Jericho. The ship would be blown up any moment now, and after that you had less than two minutes before the boarding docks were submerged. You guess you had four minutes at least, maybe five if Markus was slow, and that had to be enough time. You'd make it be enough time. Racing in the direction you'd heard Simon shouting, slipping past androids who all shot you terrified looks as you raced towards doom itself. None of these androids were Simon. One after the other, you wrote them off, until at last you spotted your deviant brother with a gun held length-wise across his chest to keep him pressed against the wall. He was struggling with a soldier, fighting for freedom, but blue blood dripped from his mouth and you knew he'd been fighting for too long. You wielded your knife again, and this time it was much easier to propel yourself forwards, raising your knife to strike.

Simon's eyes brightened, and he almost smiled before the soldier whipped around and butted the end of the gun right across your cheek. Your head snapped to the side, a spray of blood coming from your nose as you fell to the ground. Your knife slid away from you and now the gun was pointed right at your face.

"Shit, you're-" the soldier had seen the red blood on your face, but before he could voice his realization Simon gripped his gun with both hands and ripped it free, pointing it at the soldier and not pulling the trigger.

"Get down! We're going to leave, and you're going to let us!" Simon warned, backing up to stand closer to you and offering a hand. "Are you alright?" he asked, his eyes never leaving the guard as he tumbled to his knees, afraid for his life.

"I-I'm okay." you stumble to your feet, your head swirling as you did, but soon it slowed and you were okay enough to keep running. "Let's go, we need to hurry-" just as your sentence ended, a deep, echoing boom devoured the hallways as explosives detonated in the hold. "We have to go!" Simon pulled the magazine from the gun, tossing it away, and throwing the gun to the floor before taking your hand and starting off back towards the shipping dock. You thought you had been running fast before? Now, with Simon's help, your feet were hardly touching the ground. Adrenaline, fear, hope- all of those things mixed together into the perfect motivator. The ground swayed underneath your feet and it's a marvel that you managed to keep your balance. The gunfire behind you intensified as soldiers got in their last shots, knowing they had to evacuate now and killing and deviants they had captured. You toss a glance over your shoulder to see at least four soldiers rounding the corner, aiming their guns to shoot from the distance in hopes that they hit one of you. You and Simon are too fast, and take a sharp right out into the nighttime air before the guns even fire. You don't stop yet, taking another sharp right and continuing to run until you were well away from Jericho. At one point you grew tired, but then you were swept off your feet and the pace doubled. You knew at this point that you really had made it, and you hoped that everyone else did as well.

Chapter Text

"You sure this'll work?" Hank grumbled, standing discreetly in the break room with his back to the wall closest to the bullpen. Like a spy, he peeked around the corner to see you and Connor chattering away to one another like starlings.

"Oh, it'll work. Trust me." Tina was at Hank's side, grinning widely, excited to set her plan into motion. Much like Hank, she saw the painfully obvious chemistry between you and Connor and, frankly, thought it was ridiculous that neither of you saw it yourself. With her Cupid skills, she spent the last few days creating the perfect plot to help Hank get you two together at last. Now, she just had to set it into motion.

-----

"Nah, you two head home. I've still got a mountain of work to take care of here." Hank didn't look up from his computer as you tried yet again to get him to go home for the night. Your father had a tendency to work himself down to the bone. You let out a huff, realizing that your attempts were fruitless, and shrug your shoulders.

"Alright Dad, just... don't stay past midnight?" It was currently 8, and you hoped that he wouldn't be here for much longer. He lets out a hum of either approval or as a sign that he hadn't heard your request, but either way you turn and make your way for the front doors. Connor is close behind, casting one last glance in Hank's direction before following you out of the bullpen and towards the buildings front doors. Connor raced a few steps ahead, and, like the gentleman he always was, held the door open for you to pass through with that perfect little smile that always made your heart flutter.

"Thanks, Con," you smiled back, and he let the door fall shut, meeting you at your side yet again.

"Be careful, (Y/N), it'll be icy." snow danced from the sky above you, and right now the ice was the least of your worries. Your attention was instead settled on Connor. His eyes were as warm as ever, lit up by the yellowed street lights outside of your workplace. The small tufts of snow landed within his dark hair, speckling it like stars in the sky. His eyebrows furrowed so smoothly, such a human act, and he tilted his head. "Are you alright, (Y/N)?" he asked, and you snapped out of your stupor with a blink and a rush of heat to your face. You had been so obviously staring.

"Oh-" you say, your breath escaping you as you did so, "Yes, yes I'm alright. Just..." Madly in love with you. "Tired, is all." Connor nods, his smile returning, and continued towards your car. With a press of the round button, the doors slid open, revealing the interior of the automated vehicle, comfy and already beginning to heat. You step in first, taking a seat in what would have been the drivers seat if the car didn't drive itself, and Connor sits to your right. The chairs spin around so you're facing the front, and in a clear voice you call out, "Home." just the simple word sets the car into motion, leaving you to lean back into your seat with a tired sigh. As the car begins to roll at a quicker pace, a comfortable silence settles over both you and your android partner. You let your head lean to the side, thumping gently against the window as you cast your eyes out to examine the landscape going by. You'd always enjoyed the snow- at least, the look of it. The cold wasn't your favorite but you dealt with it for the sake of the beauty it brought. A sudden thought hit you, and you looked over at Connor. "This is your first winter, isn't it?"

"Yes. Ever since the first snowfall, I haven't really had the time to quite enjoy it." Connor said with a shrug, referencing the times when the android revolution sat in full swing. Between raiding the Cyberlife tower and keeping himself alive, admiring the snow was low priority. "I think it's... pretty." those last words hung in the air around you as you continued home, not saying anything else.

"You have arrived at your destination." the vehicle drones as you pull into Hank's driveway. You had been living with him every since you moved to Detroit, which had only been about three months. You had been transferred from a police station a couple cities over, and come to think of it, you only moved here a few days before Connor was assigned as Hank's partner. The chairs swing around and Connor exits first, extending a hand to you to help you out as well. You take it with a smile, thinking it to be a completely normal thing, at least it must have been on his end. Inside your heart stuttered, and you had no idea that his did too. The car doors slide shut.

"What would you like for dinner?" Connor queries as he slips out his keys and goes to unlock the door. You ponder his question for a moment. You always felt bad when he offered to cook since he did it so often, but his food was so good and he seemed to honestly enjoy the act. Meals run through your head, one after the other, and you give up with a shrug. You were too indecisive for a choice like that.

"You can pick, if you wanna." you know he didn't eat, but he could taste things in small quantities. It probably wasn't the best for his circuits but he assured you that he'd be fine. He hums, pushing open the front door and stomping inside to shake the snow from his boots. Following in after him, you pull your scarf from your shoulders along with your jacket, hanging it on the coat rack and waiting for his answer.

"Do you like the sound of pasta? Maybe with chicken?" Connor's offer was one you smiled at, nodding your head in agreement.

"Sounds great, Con." you follow him to the kitchen and slide into one of the chairs at the table in the center of the room. The two of you spoke quietly as he got to work, and you couldn't stop yourself from admiring his movements just like you always did when he wasn't looking. As cheesy at that was, and as much as you scolded yourself for it, you just couldn't stop it from happening. The calm of the night continued as the food was finished and you devoured two portions, and throughout the dinner you hadn't even noticed the weather outside growing more severe until you were sitting in the living room to watch some mindless TV. Outside the front window you saw the tundra of snow thundering from the sky, piling up outside at unbelievable speeds. "Hey Connor? You didn't get any blizzard warnings, did you?" you glance over your shoulder as Connor approaches, looking out the window as well as nervousness creases his brow.

"No, I didn't." Hank had always told you that, in Detroit, the snowstorms came randomly. At least once a year there was always one worse than the others, that resulted in car accidents, power lines going down, and more snow than any normal person could walk through. "I've messaged Hank, and requested he come home before the roads get too icy." you nod your head, muttering a thank you as Connor seems to have read your mind exactly. Driving in the snow was the thing your father probably hated the most about winter.

"Until he answers, how does a movie or something sound? We don't have work tomorrow." it was a Friday. Connor smiles at the thought of a film. You walk to the couch, dropping yourself on top of it and pulling the blanket from it's place hung over the backrest. Connor sits at your side with the remote, offering it to you and giving you the mighty honor of choosing the movie. You pick some random action movie you guess Connor will enjoy, and it starts to play. The two of you start off silent, until, at one point, Connor pipes up criticizing the fact that the characters never reload their weapons. With a giggle, your attention is drawn away from the movie and it hits you that you'd subconsciously scooted a few inches closer to the android at your side. Whether he notices or not is a mystery to you, but either way he doesn't seem to mind as he gazes at you warmly, admiring the perfect sound of your laugh. In reality, you had scooted over a lot less that you had thought- the reason you were so close was because he had moved closer as well.

"This is silly," Connor mumbles to yourself, drawing out a grin from you at his endearing word choice, "How is this guy still alive?" his brown eyes drift to you, little reflections of the TV screen showing in them. Your grin widens into something goofy and beautiful, making his face heat in a way that was always so odd to him.

"No idea, Con. Movie logic." the movie continued on and on, and just over halfway through you felt a yawn climbing up through your throat. You let it out, your jaw gaping, and Connor passes you a concerned frown.

"Are you tired, (Y/N)? Would you like to sleep?" he asks, and you immediately shake your head, not daring to pass up the opportunity of quiet time with Connor. "Are you sure?" he presses, and with another nod, he sees that you really aren't going to go to sleep despite your tiredness. He can see the exhaustion slowly starting to cast itself over your face, and has an idea that gets him to be a little nervous. "Would you like to... lay down?" he pats his lap, a warm smile on his face as he offers it up for you to rest your head against. Your face goes impossibly redder, and you almost decline before a thought crosses your mind. Now or never. You might never get a chance to be this close to him again.

"You sure? I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything." It's your turn to make sure he's certain he is okay with being this close to you, and it's his turn to nod at you as an answer. "Thanks, Connor." shifting over, you lie your head in his lap, pulling the blanket awkwardly so that it covered both you and Connor, forcing your body to relax. You tried to focus on the movie and not the closeness, until you feel a hand rest gently on your head, petting softly against your hair in the most comforting manner. You cast a quick glance upwards, very brief, to see Connor staring down at you with a softness to his eyes. When he caught your eye, he smiled a little more, and leaned down to place a quick kiss on your temple. As soon as his lips leave your skin he seems to realize what he had done, and pulls his hand away in fear that you were uncomfortable now. With a slight frown, you reach for his hand and place it back on your head to show that you were just fine. The calmness of the both of you resumed, your contentedness growing steadily. At some point you must have drifted off, at least halfway, for now Connor was shaking you gently awake as the credits rolled on the screen in front of you.

"(Y/N)? I'm sorry to wake you." he whispers, helping you to sit up as you stretch your arms over your head with a gaping yawn. "Hank answered, and said he was stuck at the station because of the snow. Just until it's cleared away."

"Alright," you sigh out, and find yourself slumping to the side, your head landing on Connor's shoulder. You see Connor move to speak again, but know exactly what he's going to suggest- you going to bed. Instead, you cut in with your own question, along the same lines as his, "Are you tired?" your exhausted brain didn't properly register the stupidity of the question before he let out a chuckle and let his head fall slightly to rest nearer yours, a hair away from falling against it.

"I don't really need to sleep. I could do with some stasis, but it isn't necessary." As you lift your head back up he quickly moves his away, just in time to avoid you even knowing it was so close to yours. "You, however," he stands from his seat slowly, "Should sleep." you let out a groan and slump back into the sofa, your limbs heavy with lack of sleep. With another one of those deep, heartwarming chuckles that sounded like music to your ears, he slipped an arm underneath your knees, the other one supporting your back in a classic bridal style carry. If you had a little more energy you'd probably be panicking, but as of now you leaned into his warmth, head falling against his chest. You could hear the steady thumping of his synthetic heartbeat like a metronome of peace.

"Thanks..." you sigh out, your arms moving up to rest around his neck. "I'm pretty tired, I guess." you let out a laugh of your own, a quiet one, as he pushes your bedroom door open with his foot. Inside is dark, and he doesn't bother turning the light on, having the layout of the room ingrained in his brain just like the rest of the house. He sets you down on your bed, and finally breaks the silence that had fallen over the both of you.

"You should get changed into something more comfortable." he suggests, making you realize that you were still in your day clothes, a pair of jeans and a decent looking shirt. "I'll leave you to sleep." with that, he turns and hurries away, leaving you alone. You miss his presence, the comfort he brings, and immediately wish for it to return. With a sigh that's almost sad, you do as he recommended and swap out your good clothes for a pair of big, fuzzy sweatpants and a looser shirt. You pull back your blankets, but barely sit down before you decide that you can't possibly sleep feeling like this. After being so close to him, you can't bear to be so far away again. You and him have the house alone tonight, and you want to make the most of that. Hank wasn't subtle about his rooting for you to make a move on Connor, so it was a relief to be able to be cuddly without your father getting all weird about it... that also meant that maybe now would be the best time to finally tell Connor how you feel. With a sudden burst of confidence, you call out,

"Connor?" Immediately you regret doing so as nervousness swells in your stomach. You shiver from the cold finally piercing through your thin layers, and pull the blankets over your legs. The android is in the room in seconds, his LED a worried yellow, the small traces of light filtering through your closed blinds making pale lines across his handsome face.

"Is everything alright?" he asks, one hand on the doorknob, the other resting on the door frame, "What can I do for you?" he is in his own pajamas, a loose button up Hank had gifted him with a zebra stripe pattern, and black sweats that were much too big for him, tied tight to his waist with the pull strings. You nod your head, feeling your voice die in your throat, and instead motion for him to come closer with a flick of your head. He complies, at your side moments later, sitting on the edge of the bed. A hand lands on your knee, the thumb tracing gently back and forth. "Are you okay?" you nod, and finally find the will to speak again.

"I... I want to tell you something." You croak out, and his LED blinks once, still nervous. He waits for you to continue, and when you don't, he smiles, and tries to coax you into it with his warm, smooth tone.

"You can tell me anything, (Y/N)." he coos, his hand moving up to rest on your upper arm. His thumb still moves back and forth, back and forth, so soothing. You feel your anxiety easing, and your heart slows to a steadier pace.

"I've been... meaning to tell you this for a while now, but you know me," you chuckle, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, "I'm not too great at being confident." Connor's lips twitch from his warm smile to a sympathetic one and back again, "Dad is gone tonight, at least for a little while, so there's really no better time than now to say this, I guess." Connor is so patient, blinking slow, his LED circling back to blue as you continue, growing more confident with each word. "I haven't known you for too long now, but you're the greatest guy I've ever met. You're funny, and sweet, and so nice to me. Not to mention..." a hand raises to gently tap at the little strand of hair curling over his forehead, slightly disheveled by the laziness of the night, "you're so pretty." Connor grins wider, the corners of his eyes crinkling. You guess that he's gone a little bit blue, "I guess what I'm trying to say is..." you take in a deep breath, and let the next words out all in a rush, "Ilikeyoualot, like, likeyoulikeyou-" you avert your gaze as he stays silent for a moment. You almost believe that you screwed up, that he would hurry away, humiliated by your confession. You regret your actions. But then, that sound, that lovely lovely laugh that sounds like calm and safety and love, and his hand shifts to rest on your chin, tilting your head up to look at him.

"Oh, (Y/N)..." he breathes out, still wearing that perfect smile, oh god, that smile- it was just... beautiful. His LED is a calm, dim blue, but his eyes were soft and loving. "I'm so glad you said that." you were going to ask what he meant when he leaned slowly forwards, and it clicked what was about to happen. He was kissing you- actually kissing you, on his own accord, after that crappy confession. You kiss him back, a warm feeling blooming through your entire body as his arms snake around you. One hand rests on the small of your back, and other on the back of your head, gentle. Your hands do something similar, wrapping around his neck. Your left hand rested on the back of it, running gently through his silky hair until you're out of breath and forced to pull away. Even after the kiss ends, you let your forehead rest on his, wanting to stay close. "I feel the same way, my Love." his voice is nothing more than a breath, for only you to hear, and your goofy grin returns as a contentedness like no other rests alongside that warmth. Minutes pass, arms around one another, basking in each others presence, when a sudden, new voice cuts through the perfection.

"I told you it would work, Hank!!"

Tina and Hank burst in through the doorway with the widest smiles you'd ever seen. Connor took your hand, thumb rubbing along the knuckles as your face went beet red. Almost immediately, you calmed again, his hand in yours pushing your embarrassment away. Turning back to him, you leaned forwards and kissed him yet again, despite the audience. You didn't care- you'd gotten the man of your dreams.

Chapter Text

It was cold. Painfully, miserably, brutally cold, with rain falling heavily from the sky above. If he were human, Rupert was sure that his fingers would be blue with hypothermia, but all that resulted of the temperature now was a little bit of stiffness in his mechanical limbs. He walked forth with a purpose down the almost pitch-dark highway, not a vehicle in sight. He had his hands in his pockets, his head low so that the rim of his hat caught the rain before it stung his optical units. A coo resonated from the pocket inside of his jacket, notifying him that his lovely pigeon friend was still alive and well, roosting away the cold. It had hurt to leave his family of birds behind but he hadn't had a choice. After that deviant hunter had found him he had been forced to leave that life behind, and leave Detroit as a whole. Now, he was trekking down the highway in wet clothes in search of a family that may not even want to help someone like him. Rupert had heard of a woman named Rose, rumored to be helping deviant androids across the border, and she was the last shred of hope that he had left in both humanity and his own ability to keep on living. If she turned him away, he would have to retreat into the forest or something along those lines. Though he did enjoy the wildlife, he wasn't sure just how long he could survive out there.

"It's okay, Sally," Rupert mumbles, lifting one hand to rest on his breast pocket, where the pigeon he was closest with sat. She gave another chirp, low and tired, and he couldn't help but frown. Maybe it would have been smarter to leave her behind in Detroit, but she was his best friend, and he currently needed her more than ever. Step after step, he trudged on forwards, scouring the roadside for any sign of life. At one point he passed a worn down sign reading 'Pirate's Cove', but he continued on without batting an eye. It had been at least another three hours in the darkness, and it was just about four in the morning when he finally spotted illumination resting atop the horizon line. Hope trilled through him, before he shoved it down and pulled up caution, afraid to let his guard down. He wouldn't trust too easily- he knew deviants went missing often, being tricked into trusting a human who promised them sanctuary. He wouldn't let that happen to him. Step, step, step, one foot after the other, hope being suppressed in exchange for skepticism, more and more steps. He could see the house in question now, lying dormant in the rain, the only lights coming from a towering wind mill a ways away. The house looked pleasant and safe, with a greenhouse already visible tucked away behind it and a stack of wood piled to the edge of the pathway to the backyard. It was late, and Rupert wasn't sure if he wanted to wait to knock, but at this rate he didn't have much of a choice. His body shuddered, a reaction in attempts to keep his biocomponents from frosting over, but the attempts were futile against the driving rain. He had to get out of this rain. With shaky steps, he made his way up the front path, and stopped in front of the door.

Tap tap tap

Through his nervousness, Rupert hardly touched the wood, immediately regretting the decision. If he was turned away he'd die. Maybe he should have hid in the greenhouse, at least then he could have stayed undetected until the rain stopped in case he was rejected- but now he would be found out, he would be reported to police and shot, or destroyed, killed mercilessly, he shouldn't have knocked on that door-

Sally, still hidden in his pocket, coos from her place. The gentle trill is almost enough to soothe his nerves entirely. He's not doing this for himself, he thinks to himself, he's doing it for the little bird he'd brought with him. Again, he raises a fist, and this time knocks a little louder.

Knock knock knock

Almost immediately, he hears shuffling on the other end, and a quick glance to the left shows a face peering through a large glass bay window just beside the door. His eyes meet momentarily with theirs, and then the lock clicks open and the door shifts just a crack, revealing a single half of a face layered thickly with distrust.

"What do you want?" the person asks, their tone flat. Rupert hesitates for a moment, opening his mouth to speak. Nothing but a croak comes out, and he realizes that his voice box is malfunctioning due to the cold. A hand raises to his throat, fingertips ghosting the surface, until he takes a nervous step backwards, holding out his hands in an attempted show of trust. The door shifts open just an inch more, and he points to his throat, trying yet again to speak. Another buzz comes out, but nothing more, and you get the idea, whipping the door open the rest of the way and taking a few steps out to stand closer to Rupert. Now, your face is contorted with concern. "You're an android?" you ask, and Rupert nods, "My god, it's freezing out! Why are you out so late?" Rupert could ask the same to you, since humans weren't usually awake this time of night, but he can't speak so he doesn't. "Come inside, hurry!" you extend a hand, brows still furrowed with fear, and Rupert feels like he can trust you. He lays his hand in yours and you lead the way inside, shutting and locking the door behind you and flicking on the main living room light. The TV is on, with a thick blanket laid in a nest-like fashion on the floor. Rupert assumes that's where you had sat moments before he had knocked on the door. You race to pluck the blanket from the ground, and hurry back to Rupert's side, draping it over his shoulders and taking his hands in yours to force the corners of the blanket into them, instructing he held the blanket around his trembling form.

"(Y/N)?" a soft voice echoed down the stairs, and moments later a woman with dark hair and dark skin crept down the steps, surprise scrawled across her face at the sight of the stranger in the middle of her living room. She was down the stairs in instants, her gaze flickering across Rupert's face as her eyes widened in understanding, immediately recognizing his model's appearance. "What's happened here?" You rush to stand at Rupert's side, hurrying to defend him if this new woman tried to throw him out.

"He just knocked on the door, he was freezing cold!" you explain in a hurry, "I'm sorry, I didn't want to wake you, but I couldn't just leave the door shut!" the way you defended Rupert made his thirium pump warm again, and he could feel the chill leave his body, slowly giving him back control over himself.

"I've told you time and time again that it isn't safe to open the door so late-"

"Rose, I had to!"

"You didn't let me finish!" the woman, Rose, took a deep, calming breath, watching you do the same as the situation cooled off. "It's okay, (Y/N)." she soothes, and smiles the warmest smile Rupert has seen in... forever. "I'm glad you opened the door, I just hope you'll be careful in the future." Rose turns to face Rupert, her eyes nothing but kind. "What's your name?" Rupert opens his mouth to speak, finding his words and forcing them out with just a little difficulty.

"I-I'm Rupert- R-Rupert Travis." his voice comes out scratchy, but he knows it's smoothing and he's grateful to realize that his shaking was stopping. He extended a hand after a moments hesitation, and Rose took it, giving it a firm shake. You took his hand next, holding it in your own with both of your hands clasped around it. You took a step to the side so you were stood right in front of him, a frown on your face.

"What happened to you, Rupert? Why were you out in the rain like that, you could have frozen!" he opened his mouth to speak, but not before you could come at him with even more questions. "Are you hurt? We have Thirium 310 in the pantry, or maybe I should get you a dry change of clothes- are you tired?" growing more overwhelmed with each word, Rose noticed his growing discomfort and took a few steps forwards, and hand resting on your shoulder to guide you a step away.

"Calm yourself, (Y/N)." she warns, though a smile adorns itself on her face, "We don't know what he's been through. Is there anything I can do for you, Rupert?" Rose asks, her head at a tilt, and you mirror the action naturally, as if you had learned it from her. He wasn't used to being put on the spot like this- he'd never really been cared for before. "What brings you here so late?"

"N-No, I'm okay, I just... I heard you hid deviants." he wasn't exactly sure what to say, and the word 'deviant' left his mouth substantially quieter than the rest of the sentence, and his gaze fell to his hands, which were clasped fearfully in front of him, "I had to leave Detroit." he swallows the artificial lump he imagines forming in his throat, and forces his head to lift again. Both of the humans are staring at him, sympathy clear in their gazes.

"Let me get you a change of clothes." Rose insists, and hurries away back upstairs without giving him a chance to protest.

"You must be freezing," you say, taking a step forward, one arm extending, "Why don't you let me hang up your jacket? I can hang it up to dry, it must be heavy, too-" Rupert stumbles a step backwards, remembering Sally in his pocket, and shakes his head.

"No, I can keep it on-" he's cut off by a coo, right on queue to expose the little bird in his pocket, and a shocked expression crosses both faces in the room.

"Do you...?" you begin, and then smile, letting out a little laugh, "Do you have a bird in your pocket?" Rupert's face begins to heat, most likely turning an evident blue, and he nods his head, reaching a hand up reluctantly to his zipper. Slowly, he pulls it down, reaching his right hand in towards his pocket and gently taking the feathery creature from her roost. Protectively, he holds her out to show her to you. Your eyes widen, and you take a step forwards, raising your finger to gently run along her head. Sally coos. "Poor thing!" you awww, and look back up at Rupert, "Come over here, let's make a little bed for them. Does she have a name?" Rupert smiles at your immediate acceptance of the odd pet, and nods, before saying,

"I call her Sally." Rupert watches you pull a small throw blanket from it's place over the back of the sofa, curling it on the couch to make a makeshift nest similar to the one on the floor. Rupert sets Sally down in the heart of it, watching her snuggle down into the soft fabric and smiling contentedly at the sight. After a moment of absorbing the adorableness, you pipe up,

"So how about letting that jacket dry now?" though reluctant, Rupert moves to shake off his jacket, and once he reveals the lighter coloured hoodie underneath you finally register the blue blood staining the right shoulder, accompanied by a nasty bullet hole that now began to drip blood again from the disturbance. The ruptured veins had been frozen shut, but now they reopened again with the heat, more fresh blue blood staining his sweater. "Shit..." you mumble out, and then scurry away to a pantry tucked away under the stairs. Rupert slings his jacket over his arm, and soon you're coming back with a medkit, a mug, and a packet of thirium, setting them down on the table and taking Rupert's jacket. It finds a place on the coat rack by the door, and you take a seat on the coffee table, facing the sofa and instructing Rupert to sit.

"Thank you." he says suddenly, thankful for everything, for not leaving him and Sally to freeze out there. You smile, but don't comment on it, a non-verbal way of saying that thanks wasn't necessary.

"How bad's the wound?" you ask, clicking open the medkit and pulling out a little chassis-patch, a small sticker that would easily stick over a small wound and help to hyper-heal the synthetic skin.

"Not bad. Hardly bleeding." That wasn't entirely true, and he took the patch gratefully, peeling off the backing of the sticker and reaching his hand underneath his hoodie and shirt to stick it into place. He makes note as you turn away, your face going slightly red for only a moment. As he pulls his hand out of his shirt again, patch securely in place, you grab the pouch of thirium 310 and slip off the twist-on cap, pouring a generous amount into the mug and offering it out to him.

"Drink that, it'll help." you smile at him, and he doesn't complain as he chugs the blue blood, feeling it flow into his synthetic veins and boost his spirits. Footsteps creaked down the stairs, and then Rose reappeared with a dry set of clothes in her hands. She frowned at the blue stain on Rupert's shirt, and extended the clothes to him.

"(Y/N), can you show him to the bathroom to change? And then get him set up to go into stasis, please." Rose looks exhausted, and raises a hand to rest on her forehead, "I'm sorry I can't stay up to help, but I have work to do tomorrow." she turns to Rupert and wears a tired smile, "You can stay here as long as you need to, Rupert."

"Thank you, Miss." he flashes a shy smile in return, holding the clothes away from his sweater to avoid staining them too. Rose heads right back upstairs, and you motion for Rupert to follow you towards the kitchen and into a bathroom to the immediate right of the back door.

"Here," you hold out an arm, "go ahead and change. You can stay on the couch with Sally if you want, or there's a laundry room at the base of the stairs. We usually let the deviants stay there, but we don't have anyone else staying with us just yet." you smile, such a safe smile, and Rupert finds himself smiling back just as widely, and nodding his head in understanding. "We'll keep you save here, Rupert, I promise you that. Goodnight." with those final words, you follow Rose's footsteps, heading for the stairs. Rupert waits a moment, listening to the creak of the stairs as you ascend and smiling warmly to himself, grateful for the safe haven you have presented to him. He might just be okay.

Chapter Text

The annual Christmas party. It seemed innocent enough; no booze, the coworkers you already knew perfectly well... it had seemed just fine- the keyword being seemed, because now that you were standing in the doorway of the meeting room, Connor at your side, your heart began to flutter painfully behind your rib cage, and your palms grew sweaty instantaneously. You halted in the doorway, feeling one pair, two pairs, three pairs, more turn to burn into you from your left right and center- it had been mere seconds and it was too much. Decorations littered every wall, glittery streamers dancing along the ceilings like snakes, throwing lights around from the yellow Christmas lights strung up alongside them. You spotted exactly three familiar faces, Tina, Sarah Lee and Gavin, but they were swallowed by the crowd moments later and all familiarity was stolen away again. You almost turned right around to leave and you absolutely would have if a hand didn't take yours, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Are you sure you want to stay here, my Love?" Connor says, his voice soft and quiet, as he takes a step closer and rests his other hand on your face. "We can leave if you'd like. Hank will understand." you shake your head after a moment of thought, and let your own free hand rest on top of the one on your face.

"No, no," you shake your head, taking in a deep breath. "It's okay- I promised we'd come." Connor raised his furrowed brows, as if silently asking 'are you sure?'. You read the expression so easily, and the perfect way his face shifted drew a smile from the depths of your anxiety. "I'm sure, baby. Come on." he places a quick peck on your lips before nodding his head, and you see his happy little smile as he begins to guide you into the meeting room. It's packed in here, warm and stuffy with dim lighting, but there seems to be an unspoken rule keeping people from blocking the way from the door to the snack table. The moment you spot it, littered with sweets and drinks of all sorts, Connor hears your little excited gasp and grins wider. You don't need to say a single thing as he shifts to head in that direction. "Wow..." you mumble out, impressed by the wide selection- there were even Thirium based foods for the deviants.

"What do you pick, Love?" he asks, your hands still trapped in his as he scans the foods just as you were. "What about-"

"(Y/N), Connor!" the voice that calls out is familiar, and much to your relief you turn to see Tina. You had expected to still see her with Gavin and Sarah, and she is with someone, but it isn't either of them. You swallow hard at the sight of a woman you don't quite recognize, wearing a wide, energetic grin. Her eyes were bright and excited, but despite her obvious kindness her presence alone sent a pain through your chest. your grip on Connor's hand tightened. "Nice to see you here, I thought you chose to skip." Tina's words are light and silly, but they make that anxiety in your chest triple. "This is Amelia," she points to the new girl, a love glistening in her gaze. Amelia steps forwards and extends a hand in yours and Connors direction. You know you're supposed to take it, but you're frozen- as always, Connor saves the day, stepping forwards and taking Amelia's hand, channeling his expert social skills and saving you from your own anxiety.

"The wife Officer Chen won't stop talking about, correct?" he grins, and Amelia lets out an awwww, a hand planting on her chest as she turns to Tina.

"You talk about me to your coworkers?" she gasps, and Tina rolls her eyes, nodding her head and letting out a laugh. Amelia returns her gaze to Connor. "Yes, that's me. It's nice to meet you- Connor, is it?" you focus on leveling out your breathing, wiping the palms of your hands on your clothing to whisk away the sweat, bracing yourself for the words that are coming next, "And you must be (Y/N), right?" you force a smile, and step up to Connor's side.

"Yes," you say, and almost choose to stop there before realizing more words were necessary, "Yes, it's nice to meet you." your hands connect, sending a shock through you that makes your head fill momentarily with static. You pull your hand away and it connects with Connor's again. Out of the corner of his eye you see his flashed smile, him showing that he was proud of you, that it would be okay.

"Well, I'd love to stay longer, but Gavin'll decapitate me if I don't get back with some brownies soon." Tina giggles, pulling a paper plate from the table and loading it up with seven brownies, "Come on, baby." she takes Amelia's hand, the girl giving you and Connor one last smile before hurrying away. You let out an audible breath of relief, and Connor's hand finds a place on the small of your back.

"Brownies don't sound like a bad idea." your words come out in a breathy chuckle, and Connor grins, grabbing a plate for you and placing two of the same brownies on top of it. "Are you going to eat something too?" he shakes his head, and then grabs a martini glass holding a blue liquid that is obviously thirium.

"This is enough for me. Where to?" his question spurs another glance around the room, and as much as you hate the thought of it, you should probably search for Hank. Praying that this decision doesn't get you into any situations where you have to speak to anyone new, you tug on Connor's hand. He gets the idea, and the two of you set off around the room to look for the Lieutenant who had originally insisted the two of you, his partners, came to the party in general. "Are you doing alright?" Connor asks after a few minutes of searching, seeing the way your eyes flickered around the room nervously, and the way that you shrunk into yourself every time your eyes met those of someone else. You slow, and glance over your shoulder towards him, opening your mouth to speak and not being able to find the words. With each passing moment your anxiety rose just a little more, and your heart thumped painfully.

"I..." you begin, and then shut your mouth to bite back your denial. You wanted to stay for his sake. "I'm okay." you continue on, averting your gaze to avoid the slight glass to your eyes. You began to search more frantically, desperate to find Hank and cower in a corner. Connor didn't press, still following behind you and scanning the crowd.

"Ah!" he says, catching your attention and pointing to a head of grey hair you immediately identified as Lieutenant Anderson. "Hank!!" Connor shouted, positioning himself so all of the eyes that turned at the sound of his voice would land on him, as if he were shielding you, "Lieutenant!" Hank finally heard his name- or maybe someone else did, and got his attention- and turned to spot Connor hopping lightly up and down. The old man smiled, and pushed through the crowd, breaking free and hurrying to your side.

"You made it!" he says, his voice holding a slight slur and causing you to quirk a brow. He noticed your expression, letting out a booming laugh and holding up a flask, "I hid it in my desk a few days back." with a playful roll of your eyes, you wait for the inevitable to happen-

"Lieutenant, alcohol was prohibited!" Connor's scolding began, and both you and Hank laughed together at the predictable behavior of the android you were in love with. Despite his words Connor was smiling too. Together, the three of you chattered away for five minutes, and then ten, and then thirty, on and on and on. You had been offered a sip or two of Hank's alcohol, and had gratefully accepted, the alcohol soothing the last of your nerves. You felt safe here, talking only to Connor and Hank, but then, as always, that safety had to end and a face you detested just had to show up. At first you had told yourself you hadn't spotted this guy, and were just mistaking someone in the crowd for him. You had even convinced yourself of this until you excused yourself to go replenish your brownies, keeping your head ducked low after insisting Connor stay behind with Hank. You could do something this simple, you knew you could- or, you thought you could. Keeping your eyes trained on the floor with each step to avoid eye contact, you completely failed to see that same man stepping from the crowd and directly into your path. You saw his shoes but didn't react in time, the anxiety all throughout your veins going positively haywire as you collided with Special Agent Perkins of the fucking FBI, the one man who scared the absolute shit out of you. You collided hard thanks to how quickly you were walking, and as you crushed a red solo cup between the two of you you felt your world begin to crumble.

"Fuck, I'm sorry, I-"

"What the fuck?" Perkins snapped, and the grimace on his face made your heart want to stop, "Why the hell weren't you looking where you were going? What the fuck is wrong with you?" he held his arms out at his sides, his eyes glaring daggers into your own as you took in the sight of the red fruit punch now staining his grey button-up. It had been fancy, and expensive for sure, and you had ruined it. Eyes, so many eyes, turned to face you at his words spoken too loudly for your comfort.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry, I-I just-"

"Were you never taught to watch where you were walking?" he spits, voice raised, more eyes, too many eyes. Your eyes grew glossy and you forced your gaze shamefully to the floor, fighting for the power to speak, to apologize, to run away, to anything.

"I-" he wouldn't let you speak.

"What, you can't even look me in the eye after fucking up my shirt? This cost more than your entire existence!" Eyes, eyes, eyes, too many eyes. So many, all around you. Your head snaps up, and as you meet his gaze you hate everything so much more. You can't speak, your throat has closed up, you need to leave but you know that if you do Fowler will give you shit. The Captain basically worshiped Perkins, idolizing the asshole in front of you as a complete role model. You were in deep shit if you did this wrong. You open your mouth to speak and nothing but a croak comes out. Fuck. Everything in your body is buzzing, a painful buzz. You're a little bit tipsy from whatever Hank had smuggled in, and the dizziness from that and your anxiety was almost too much to bear. "Well? Can't you speak up?" Perkin's voice is laced with venom, and so many people are looking at you, whispering about you. "For fucks sake, use your words!" Just as tears are about to run rampant, a hand is on your shoulder.

"What seems to be the problem?" Connor's voice is like a rock in a swirling ocean. You cling to it, and press against his side as he stands next to you. Your gaze goes back to the floor, to his shoes, and his arm snakes around your waist. You feel safe again. Another person joins you at your side- Hank. More safety.

"Your ditsy detective toy wasn't watching where she was fucking going- she ruined my shirt!" Perkins scowls, you can sense it, but you don't dare look at him as Connor's thumb traces up at down your side. Safe. You're safe now, it's okay.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Perkins, but it was simply a misunderstanding. I'm sure the dry cleaner can get a stain like that out, at least for the most part, but something so trivial doesn't warrant a public scolding." Connor's words are fluent and steady and familiar, safe. You feel your heart slowing to a more normal pace. Hank places a hand on your shoulder, patting it once, twice, safety.

"Leave her the fuck alone, Richard. We'll be on our way- sorry for ruining you Gucci shirt." Hank's tone is mocking, and he places a hand on your upper back, beginning to press you forwards. Perkins steps to the side to block your path.

"What, you're just going to let this bullshit slide? You don't discipline your detectives, Anderson?" Perkins was still grimacing, and you could feel the anger coming off of him in strong waves. Connor bursts forwards, forcing his way between you and Perkins and leering in his most threatening manner.

"Agent Perkins, I advise you step out of our way. I will not allow you to berate my partner for something so stupid." you finally lift your gaze, and your heart warms at the sight. Connor is standing nose to nose with Perkins, his brows drawn into a scowl that put Perkins' to shame. "Step. Aside." you hear Hank let out a quiet chuckle as Perkins caves, and, with a shake of his head, one last scowl, and a string of profanity he storms away, tossing his solo cup to the floor and heading in the direction of the meeting rooms exit. Connor is at your side seconds later, pulling you to his chest.

"Alright, shows over!" Hank barks in a gruff tone, and with a glaring scan across the room people look away, leaving you without that burning sensation of eyes, too many eyes.

"It's alright, (Y/N), he's gone now." his hands rest on the side of your face, and his warm smile is enough to gain your voice back.

"Thank you, Con..." you mumble out, and he nods his head, kissing your nose and drawing out a little smile.

"What a fuckin' prick." Hank guffaws, and you turn your smile to him.

"Thank you, you guys." Hank waves his hand dismissively at your words, and is called over by Detective Collins. With a quick farewell and one last warm half-grin, he hurries away, leaving you and Connor alone. For a moment you're both silent, Connor giving you a moment to relish in the safety, the warmth of him before finally saying,

"Let's go, My Love. We're done here, I think." you take his hand, nodding your head. He begins to lead the way away, but, as he passes it, falters in front of the snack table. "First..." he mumbles, and grabs a plate- in the blink of an eye he steals the last 14 brownies, and both of you begin to giggle. Taking your hand again with a goofy grin and hurrying away just in time, you see Gavin, fuming, wanting more brownies.

Chapter Text

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"Ah, fuck," you curse, and lightly smack the side of the coffee machine, "Stupid piece of crap..." your words are followed by a heavy sigh as you once again glance over the error message presented on the screen reading Out of Order. Contact Maintenance. Tossing your clean, empty paper cup in the trash can, you spin on your heel, and, with a grimace, make your way back to your desk. Yet another shitty thing on top of the ever-growing pile of shitty things that have happened that day. First your alarm doesn't go off, and then you blow a tire on the way to work, get scolded by your Captain for being late, step on a thumb tack, and now the fucking coffee machine was broken. Even worse, the cherry of turmoil atop your annoying little sundae, was that Gavin had the day off and wasn't there to cheer you up like he always miraculously did. You grumble to yourself as you drop back into your seat, resting your chin on your hand and moving to log into your terminal. Tap tap tap, you clack away at the keys as you input your login information- your brows furrow, a sprinkle of anger dropping onto that ever-growing sundae as it says your information is incorrect. Using both hands this time, you retype your information- wrong. Again, wrong, again, wrong.

"What the hell?" you hiss, your knee beginning to bounce. This time, you deliberately tap every single key slowly, saying the letter or number aloud as you do so- wrong. You're about to let your head fall to the desk in defeat when you notice a glowing little light in the top right of your keyboard. A dry chuckle rips from your throat, the sound in no way amused, as you spot the fact that CAPS lock was activated. You turn it off with a click, type in your password, and the screen opens up to the database. Today was going to be a long day, you could already tell.

-----

A long day had been entirely correct. It was all little tiny things- every time you thought you were going to be able to get into a good working groove something came along to drag you from your focus, a rowdy criminal, Hank fighting with Fowler, someone shouting across the bullpen for some maintenance to come and fix that damn coffee machine- you wouldn't be complaining about that last one if the maintenance had actually been on duty today, but it was a Saturday and they were busy elsewhere. You so desperately wanted the pick-me-up, and were about to ditch to head to a coffee shop during your lunch break when, just your luck, Fowler had dropped some extra paperwork on your desk. Hungry, tired, overstimulated- those were the three words you would use to currently describe yourself, and the end of the day couldn't have come fast enough. You threw your things into your pockets, not even bothering to log out of your database and leaving that for the night shift worker, and stomped off to the front door without passing a glance at anyone. You push out the front door, prepping yourself for the 30 minute walk home, and stop dead in your tracks as splatters of rain drop from the sky, wetting your clothing instantaneously. Of course it was raining.

"For fuck's sakes-" you curse, and really wish you had the money to pay for a cab, but you had bills to pay, and since your day was already the shittiest it could be you might as well just walk home in the rain. You are absolutely, 100%, done with today in it's entirety. You brighten a little at the thought of listening to some music as you walk, something you always enjoyed but hadn't recently been able to do, and pull out your phone, clicking the power button as you reach for your earbuds. A part of you cackles away as your screen fails to turn on, a sad, furious cackle that makes you want to scream and cry and lay down to let the earth devour you. Your hands are shaking, and you suck in a deep, pissed-off breath to avoid tossing your phone straight into the concrete you were walking on. "You're alright, (Y/N). Breaking your phone will only make you angrier." as true as those words are it's almost tempting to shatter your phone. The thought of it breaking is oddly satisfying, but you shove it back into your pocket and continue to trudge forwards through the downpour.

-----

Home. At. Last. It had taken 45 minutes rather than the usual 30 and you were soaked through to the bone, your hair clinging miserable to your face and your clothes weighing like 3000 pounds. It was a chore to stomp up the four stairs outside of your house, and even more of a chore to pull out your keys to unlock the front door. They were stuck in the pocket of your jeans, which seemed as if it were glued shut thanks to the rain. You struggled to get a grip on them, and when you finally did, giving them an angry tug, they went tumbling out of your hands and to the ground at your feet. You ball your hands into fists and feel as if you're about to burst into tears, slowly bending down, grabbing the keys, and fighting to grab the one that opens your front door. When it clicks open you're almost surprised that someone hadn't miraculously changed the lock, and pushing the door open to see the warm, dry, familiar interior was absolutely refreshing. The door slams shut behind you, and you let your back fall against it, throwing the keys on the table beside the door and letting your eyes fall shut.

"Hey Babe!" Gavin calls from, you guess, the living room, but you don't have the energy to answer as you kick off your shoes, ignoring him as you stomp to your bedroom. You need to get out of these clothes. Peeling your shirt off is easy enough, but you struggle with the jeans, falling over time and time again. They get locked around your ankles as you collapse onto the bed, kicking frantically until you're finally free. Your socks come off next, and then you pull open your drawers in search of your warmest, softest pajamas- only to remember that they're in your dirty laundry basket. You let out an audible groan, your eyes burning with frustrated tears, and settle for third best, since second best are also in the laundry. Third best is alright too, one of Gavin's t-shirts that hangs down past your hips, and a pair of loose shorts. Finally out of your day clothes, you pull the heavy blanket from on top of your bed and tuck it around your shoulders. You feel like you want to disappear for a while, just... fade and recuperate away from the world, but that isn't possible, so you make do with what is and drop to your knees on the floor, then your stomach, and crawl underneath the bed with the blanket still held around you. Under the bed is a safe space, and you curl into a ball as much as the space will allow, fighting away the urge to cry as it grows stronger and stronger.

"Stupid day..." you grumble, your voice trembling, "Stupid car, stupid work," you bury your face in the softness of the blanket, swallowing hard. The tears fight to escape, and their fighting only grows stronger as you hear Gavin's footsteps. You don't want him to see you like this, weak and defeated over the most trivial things, on the brink of tears because of a stupid tire, a stupid coffee machine, the stupid rain-

"Baby?" his voice is confused, soft, and he glances through the room in search of you. "(Y/N)?" you let out a small whine, the most you can muster without entirely breaking down, and Gavin spots the little bit of blanket poking out from underneath the bed. "Oh, Honey..." he clicks his tongue, sympathy swelling in his voice as he understands at last what's happened. He sinks to his knees, leaning over so his head rests on the floor as he peers in at you in your despair. His frown only deepens as he holds out a hand, in which you take gratefully, still hiding your face. "What's wrong, Baby?" his voice is so soft, so loving, so safe. You let out a shaky sigh, your breath hitching with a small sob, as you break and spill all of the stupid little things that have ruined your day.

"F-F-First m-my alarm d-didn't g-go off, and then m-my s-s-stupid t-tire popped..." you begin to wail, trembling as the tears broke over, fighting to get out a coherent explanation as to why you were acting this way. "Captain Fowler y-y-yelled a-at me in f-front o-of everyone a-and I stepped o-on a t-thumbtack and..." little thing after little thing, you break down more and more until the blanket it wet with your tears and you're struggling to breathe, a sobbing mess underneath the bed with Gavin's hand in yours. The coffee machine, your stupid login, the shouting from the criminal, Hank and Fowler, and whenever someone would ask for maintenance, the rain, your phone, your keys- every single one was so stupid- except maybe the thumb tack, that shit hurt- and you felt so bad for making Gavin deal with this crap. When you finally finished with a shaking sob, he pulled his hand away. You missed the feeling of it, but it was soon replaced as he slipped underneath the bed, pulling you into his arms despite the tightness of the space and the awkwardness it brought since he was brawnier than you.

"It's okay, Hon, you're home now. I've got you." you finally uncover your face, burying it into his chest instead and sobbing more openly, letting yourself go after holding yourself together for the entire day. He doesn't say a word, just holds you to his chest for so long you lose track of time. You still have more tears to cry when you finally get enough strength to force yourself to stop so that you don't burden Gavin any longer. Still trembling, you sniffle, stifling a sob and letting out a shaky sigh.

"I'm sorry, Gav..." you mumble, your voice quavering, and he lets out a small chuckle and a shake of his head.

"Don't be, Baby. It's okay." another minute of silence passes before Gavin finally shifts, "Let's lay on the bed, hmm?" he offers, and you nod your head as he begins to scuttle backwards and out of the tight space. He offers you a hand and a warm, warm smile, helping you form underneath the bed. Before you can stand on your own, he scoops you from the floor with one arm beneath your knees and the other under your back in a bridal carry, hopping up onto the bed and laying down so your legs were still drawn over him and your arms wrapped around his torso. He pulled the other blankets over the both of you, his arms going to hold you to his chest. "I'm sorry your day was bad," Gavin mumbled, and pressed a soft kiss to your forehead. "I'm sorry about the tire," another kiss, this time on your cheek, "About Fowler," a kiss on your other cheek, "The coffee machine," a kiss on your nose, "The rain." he captures your lips in his, and the action warms your soul, bringing a new weakness to you that was different from the defeat from before. Your tears came back, welling in your eyes as you kissed him back, absorbing the safety that wrapped around you just like his arms, just like the blankets. He pulled away when he heard you sob again, a smaller sob, and concern glistened in his gaze. "Love..." he frowns, and a hand moves up to rest on your cheek, brushing away your trailing tears. You find a smile somewhere within you, and nuzzle your nose against his, foreheads connecting softly.

"They're happy tears this time, Gav." you promise, and shift to get even closer. "I love you so much." he chuckles, relieved, and hugs you tighter, kissing the tears away and nodding his head, noses still side by side, as close as possible. "I love you so much." you repeat the words again and again, so madly in love with this asshole in front of you. You love his hair, his eyes, his scar, his rugged exterior. You love the softness he shows you, the care, the safety, the silent promise to protect you. The way he made you feel made every trouble wash away, no matter the size. "I love you so, so much."

"I love you too, Baby. I love you." Dinner is forgotten- you can eat later. All you know is him, and all he cares for is you, in his arms, in your arms. I love you, you both say, never letting the silence drift on for more than a minute, broken by I love you, I love you so much. The moment, the moment is pure, soft, I love you. You love him, and he loves you, and right now you both know it. You would never ever doubt it for a second, but right now it is solid, set in stone. You want to marry this man one day, and you swear to yourself that you will. You fall asleep at one point but his I love you's don't stop and he never lets go of you, forehead to forehead, nose to nose, I love you. As you drift off, one last time, you speak the one thought overtaking your mind, and you speak it with such sincerity, your heart beating in time with his.

"I love you so much, Gavin."

Chapter Text

"Hey everyone, Detroit Visitants back at it again with their bullshit," Gavin forces a tight smile, a camera set down in front of him and Tina to showcase their nervous introduction, "And we are about to do what could possibly be the single stupidest thing we've ever done!" he was basically shaking, and as he stepped aside to show off the building behind him to the camera, catching another glimpse of it himself, he felt a burning sense of regret shudder up and down his spine.

"We're here at... our living nightmare." Tina lets out a dry chuckle as Gavin steps back into the camera, sharing a nervous glance, "This is the place that made us into the people we are today."

"This is Ambassador castle in the fuckin' flesh." Ambassador castle was... a place to behold. Yet again, Gavin found himself passing a glance over his shoulder at the towering structure, a true marvel of architecture. "This place was built in the mid-1700s and still stands today."

"Much to our demise." Tina adds on with a click of her tongue. The castle was old, decaying, and hadn't been touched for centuries. Despite being called the Ambassador Castle it was nowhere near Ambassador bridge. It actually sat a good 45 minutes outside of Detroit, and the isolation made it all the more terrifying. It was Gothic, with shattered stained-glass windows and some of those scary gargoyles Gavin and Tina had once only thought existed in movies. "As some of you might already know, this is the place where me and Gav were actually attacked by... something, all those years ago." the memory flashes through Gavin's mind, and he shudders as he retells it in as little detail as possible.

"Some ghost- or maybe even a demon, for fucks sakes- thought it'd be funny to pull on Tina's hair!" Gavin's explanation is short and sweet, but not yet finished. Tina finishes for him.

"And then, Gavin thought it was smart to cuss it out while standing at the top of a concrete staircase." Tina shook her head, though a tiny little smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Sure, these weren't exactly 'the good 'ol days' but they were still... oddly pleasant to look back on. "We got pretty beat up and got the hell out of there before we could finish our proper investigation, so... here we are again."

"But!" Gavin cuts in, "We aren't stupid enough to go back in there all alone, so we have backup!"

"Right," Tina is smiling fully now as she holds out her arms in a motion for their special guests to step out into the limelight. "I'm sure some of you know about the lovely Paranormal Postmortem, and-" she does a little happy squeal, eyes bright as she watches her idols step into view, "We somehow convinced some of them to stop by and help us investigate!" Now in frame alongside Gavin and Tina were three triplets with dark hair. Anyone with even a mild interest in ghost hunting, especially locals, knew who these three were even if they didn't have their more bubbly, less serious counterparts with them. Connor, Calab and Collen were absolute icons, with the most successful channel in the whole of Detroit.

"It's wonderful to be here, you two." Connor smiles, his brown eyes glowing as he shakes hands with Gavin and then Tina in turn. "I've heard a lot about your experiences and I'm ready to see if we can have something similar tonight."

"I am flattered to be here as well," this time, Connor's slightly taller brother spoke, his eyes a chilly blue as he smiled a small smile and nodded in greeting to both of the Detroit Visitants, "Though I must admit that my hopes are not as high as those belonging to Connor." Collen was a believer, yes, though as he glanced over at the horrifying building he didn't seem frightened in the slightest. Gavin nor Tina blamed him- these three had been to places much, much more daunting than this.

"We're not going to find anything." the third brother, looking nearly identical in appearance to Connor, rolled his eyes. Calab was a die-hard skeptic despite the mountains of evidence the three had collected with the other set of triplets they often investigated with, Jerome, Jeremiah and Jona, who couldn't make it today and were busy at doing a house call on the other side of Detroit.

"Well, no matter what you three think, I know I'm probably going to piss myself." Gavin's laughter was void of amusement and his heart rate was faster than it should have been. "Let's get this bullshit over with." Tina plucked the camera from the tripod, leaving it where it stood just beside their van, attaching it to her Steadicam and trailing behind the group as they made their way for the entrance.

"So you were pushed down the stairs?" Connor walks a little quicker to keep pace with Gavin, his eyes still as bright as ever. "That's so cool!" he grins wide, and then realizes that he should probably be treating this topic a little more lightly, "-Of course, scary, too. I'm glad you're okay!" Gavin waves a hand, dismissing his own nervousness with a pshhh.

"Nah, it was nothin' for someone like me." Tina couldn't help but giggle at his words, hurrying to join the two and expose Gavin's true reaction to having been sent flying towards the castle's basement. She shoved the camera in his face, and in a shit-eating tone, said,

"Nothing? Wow, Gavin," she smiles innocently, batting her lashes, "I didn't know pouring an entire bottle of holy water over your head was nothing!" Gavin shoots her a glare, and then a smile splits his face as he loses the battle over keeping a pissed expression. Both he and Tina break out into laughter as she claps him on the back. That night, after landing at the bottom of the stairs, dazed and confused, he'd pulled out his liter of holy water, unscrewing the cap and drowning himself in the stuff, begging for God to save him from the demons of the dark. The two stayed giggling for a little while as the group approached hell on earth, going entirely silent the moment their feet set down on the interior flooring of the castle.

"The energy in this room is rather... sinister." Collen mumbles half to himself, clutching the EMF reader held in his hand; it was still no more than just a little over average EMF levels, and nothing to be suspicious of just yet. Calab, who held a thermal camera in hand, scanned the room mechanically, easily the calmest on in the room.

"Tell me about it... Christ, this is like walking back into the past." Tina stands at Gavin's sides with her voice recorder, a single earbud in her ear to listen to the amplified noises as she flicked the night vision setting on on her camera, pointing it wherever she thinks she might hear a sound. She glanced over at Gavin, who seemed to be just as out of it as the rest of the group. Their steps were slow, and they craned their necks to take in their surroundings. The ceilings towered above them in dramatic arches, with old, dead medieval chandeliers hanging above them.

"Well? Are you going to say hello to your 'old ghost friends'." Calab said sarcastically, making air quotes with one hand and earning a light elbow to the ribs and a hushed 'be nice!' from Connor. Reluctantly, Gavin nodded his head, swallowing hard. He did not want to do this.

"Hey, ghouls." his voice is quiet, and to comfort him Tina speaks as well.

"It's us... Tina and Gavin. The ones you bullied back in '38 that one magical Halloween night." silence stretched out for one moment, and then two- and then, with a terrified yelp from Tina, something high above their heads crashes like the sound of rock against rock. The entire group separates, stumbling a few steps backwards as their gazes and cameras all dart to the source of the sound just above them.

"I got a temperature spike!" Connor's voice is nervous now too, all lingering shreds of his bubbliness gone and replaced by dread.

"Oh, shit," Tina is on the brink of panic. She doesn't want to be back here. This is the last place she wants to be- she swore to herself that she'd never ever let Gavin, the daring one of the group, drag her back here and yet here they were in the worst place she could ever imagine. "Oh, shit oh shit oh shit-" Gavin places a hand on her shoulder, grounding her again.

"Don't Panic, Tines." he says, and she nods her head, though she doesn't really register his words. "Fuck, okay. Okay, I think..." Gavin slips his backpack off of his shoulders, placing it on the ground and descending to one knee before slipping out an array of motion detectors connected to little lights. "Can I get one of you to set these up? I'm sure you know how." Normally, Gavin might feel odd telling these three what to do, but right now he could care less about the fact that they were much more esteemed than he was.

"Sure thing." Connor took one last glance at his thermometer, still reading cool temperatures, and slipped it into the holster on his belt. He took one of the cameras as Collen moved in to take the second. Calab took the third- which surprised Gavin and Tina on the tiniest level- all three brothers setting them up in optimal places around the room. One went in front of the main entrance, the second to the left of a grand hallway leading to a large dining hall, and the third in the doorway to the dreaded basement stairs.

"I hope you don't mind," Collen calls, his voice steady, "But I brought my laser grid. I thought it might come in handy." Collen sank to his knees, shedding his own backpack and presenting a tripod with a slim sphere on top. It lit up a solid green, casting thousands of tiny little dots that coated the entirety of the hallway he was stationed near.

"Oh, sick!" Tina gasps, her fear momentarily forgotten as she hurries to his side, "The Cybergrid!" Her eyes are wide and bright as she takes in the technological masterpiece. "How did you get your hands on one of these?" Gavin had to admit, he was pretty impressed. The Cybergrid was the newest, top-of-the-line laser grid. Every ghost hunter would do near anything to get their hands on one, other than paying the insane price, of course.

"Tina, focus!" Gavin's voice almost cracks halfway through as he turns back to his bag for the next stage of their investigation, one that always made his blood turn to ice in his veins. "We... I think it's time for the spirit box." a hush fell over the room. No one liked the spirit box. As interesting as it was... it was terrifying to actually get a response. Even Calab the skeptic was quiet as Tina returned to Gavin's side. The two sat down on the dust-caked floor, forming a circle with the Postmortem triplets and setting the spirit box down in the center.

"Are you serious about this, Gav?" Tina placed a hand on his knee, thrumming her fingers nervously, "I don't know if I can do this," she mumbled, casting an embarrassed glance in the direction of Connor, Collen and Calab. His own hand moved to rest atop hers, and he nodded his head. She sucked in a breath, and let it out, shaky, before nodding her head as well. "Then here goes nothing." With the click of a button, a loud, hissing static split the silence of the room, the feeling of eyes burning into everyone's backs. After a moment, the static cut, and started again less than a second later, sinking into a static-silence-static-silence on and off pattern.

"Good luck." Connor raises his voice to be heard over the spirit box, all eyes on Gavin and Tina as they fought for the ability to speak. Hand in white-knuckled hand, the two regathered their composure and Gavin spoke at last.

"Is there anyone here?" he called out, scanning around the room, paranoia trilling throughout his body, "I know there is someone here. My name is Gavin."

"And I'm Tina."

"Connor!"

"Collen."

"I'm Calab." Everyone took up a job just for the hell of it. Sitting here waiting was agonizing. Connor had his thermometer out again, and watched the little screen as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. Collen had his EMF reader as well as his thermal cam. Calab was scanning each motion sensor intermittently, and Tina was setting up the SLS camera, resting the night vision cam at her side.

"We... we don't want to hurt you!" Gavin rose his voice louder, hearing the way it echoed and dreading what was about to come. Though he had braced himself, he still wasn't ready for the words that were hissed through the box set before him.

"What are you- d-doing heere?" The voice was deep, and absolutely terrifying. That was a full sentence, and could honestly be enough to convince Gavin and Tina to get the hell out of there, but a sick part of them both wanted more, to communicate with whatever spirits inhabited this place.

"We're here to speak with you. We were here a little over a year ago and we were very disrespectful." Tina spoke as she scanned the room with her SLS camera, tied between wanting and not wanting the thing to identify a human-shaped creature of one form or another. "If you remember us... can you say what we said to you?"

"I don't think you're really here."

"Fuck no-" Gavin went pale, shifting his gaze to the ground. Those were his words exactly, and that sentence, spoken by the box was so... so fucking clear. So undisturbed.

"Motion light." Calab's voice drew everyone's attention to the light set up by the door to the basement stairs. Sure enough, the light was on, burning brightly.

"Tina? Your camera?" how Collen kept his voice so steady was a mystery, but he looked nearly as level-headed as his brother. The spirit box still crackled loudly, adding to the rising panic in everyone's minds and feeding their growing fear.

"Got it." Tina flicked her camera to the door, and the hand that was in Gavin's whipped up to slap over her mouth, stifling her gasp. The SLS had clicked to a figure, creating a single-toned silhouette of a human being.

"We came here to apologize for being so rude." Gavin spoke quickly, his fight or flight instincts kicking in, "We mean you no harm!"

"I wish I could say the same." The clarity, it was so pristine, every single syllable, every word- Tina let out a gasp as the figure on her camera slipped away, disappearing into the basement hallway as the motion light went out. The box still hissed and popped with static. Everyone was rooted to the spot. Connor was breathing heavily, his brows furrowed. The temperature on his device was nearly freezing, and the coldness was more than evident in the room around them. Collen was on edge too, staring down at his EMF, which was now off the rails, and straining his ears for sound other than the box. Calab bounced his knee anxiously, unsettled despite his disbelief.

"Are you still here?" her voice was quiet, and she had moved an inch closer to Gavin, taking his hand yet again. "Hello?" Silence. Gavin shut off the spirit box, and the silence that followed was both relieving and the scariest thing he's ever heard.

"I guess..." Gavin huffs, casting his gaze around the group, "I guess it's time to go investigate the basement."

Chapter Text

Snow pelted down from the sky, sending icy spikes of cold probing through your jacket despite its thickness. You hugged yourself tightly, your teeth chattering as you mumble and grumble an extensive vocabulary of profanities. Your nuisance of a partner, Nines, stands at your side, entirely unfazed by the cold and silently questioning how you were shaking like a leaf in an autumn storm. You and Nines have had trouble getting along ever since you had been paired with him by your police Captain, Fowler. Maybe it was how seriously he took his job. Maybe it was your poor team-building skills. Or maybe it was the endless romantic tension between the two of you. Minutes passed, but felt more like eternities to you, and the snow didn't ease one bit. You had always hated the snow- and god, you hated it even more when it hit Detroit a whole month earlier than usual. You hadn't fitted your autonomous-driving car with winter tires, and the thing shut itself down for 'safety reasons' the moment it hit an icy road. So now, you and Nines were standing in the middle of a blizzard awaiting a pickup truck.

"W-When is i-it h-here?" you ask, annoyance evident in your trembling voice.

"It shouldn't be much longer now." Nines' voice is a monotone as ever, and you glance at him form the corner of your eye. Snow lands in his dark hair, speckling it with white and a wet shimmer as it melts. He stares unblinking with those cold, robotic eyes, and find it almost impossible to believe that he is actually a deviant with human emotions. He acts more like a tin can now than he did before, when he was still a machine. You hop lightly from foot to foot, bringing your bare hands up to your face to breathe warm air against them. It hardly helped, but soon, thank heavens, a tow truck rolled up, an android who looked much too cheery seated behind the wheel.

"Hello, thank you for choosing Cyberlife Tow Truck Services. Please enter the vehicle, and your automobile will be taken care of." You are more than happy to oblige, rounding the vehicle and leaping into the back seat of the tow truck, Nines right beside you. He slams the door shut just as the android driver exits, and begins to tether your vehicle to the truck.

"Your body temperature is far below regular levels." Nines points out, tilting his head as his LED blinks yellow, signifying a scan.

"No shit, Sherlock. It's freezing." you almost feel sorry for snapping back at him, but the morning has been a crappy one and you think you deserve to be a little annoyed.

"Can I offer you my jacket? I am aware that it's against policy, but if it is for your safety and well-being I'm sure I can make an exception." Nines is already moving to remove his coat when you shake your head a little too quickly. The man offering up his jacket is way too cliche for your tastes.

"No, no. I'm fine." Once more, a slight pang of guilt hits you in the heart. Nines looked almost dejected- sad, to be declined, but he sits up straight and his expression is blank again before you know it. The android leaps back up into the front seat and sets off.

"Where are you headed?" the android asks, not taking it's eyes off the snowy roads.

"Central Station." your response is short and blunt, your fingers finally warming and your nose beginning to run.

"You know, you should always fit your vehicle with winter tires. Autonomous vehicles won't drive over ice without them!" Yep, you knew that now. You just let out a huff and an 'mhmm' before going silent. The android continued to speak in a sickly sweet tone, but you hardly responded until you had reached your destination. You wanted nothing more than a nice, warm coffee to start your day. Christ, that sounded perfect. You paid quickly and leaped from the car, the android telling you where you can pick up your car after work. You would have to taxi, or maybe catch a ride with a coworker, but that wasn't your concern right now. Setting foot inside the heated building was euphoric, and you made a beeline for the break room, where Gavin Reed, a fellow Detective, was throwing a fit. No surprise there.

"What's got your panties in a twist today?" you didn't speak meaning for him to hear- he usually didn't when he was in a huff, but this time he did. With a scowl, he barked at you,

"Fuckin' coffee machine broke! Piece of shit!" you stopped in your tracks. Are you serious? As Gavin proceeded to hit the coffee machine in an attempt to bring it back to life, you felt tears stinging at the corners of your eyes. As stupid as it was, this was what finally pushed you over the edge. This was officially the worst morning of your entire life. You spin on your heel, wiping at your nose which was now running as a sign of incoming tears instead of the cold, and stomp towards your desk where Nines is already sitting. Despite your lowered head, he catches your reddening eyes and furrows his brows.

"Is something the matter Detective?" if your mind was in the right place you would have noticed the genuine concern in his voice, but it wasn't. You expected him to be mocking you, or belittling you, or something alike.

"Just peachy." You drop down into your seat with a sigh, swallowing down the lump in your throat and wiping once more at your nose and eyes. You try desperately to avoid eye contact with Nines, knowing he's scanning the hell out of you. Then, he stood abruptly, pausing for a moment before speaking.

"I'll be back shortly, Detective." you don't even bother to respond as he slips out of his desk and heads off to who-knows-where. Drowning your sorrows in an abundance of work, you wait desperately for the day to be over.

---

It had been a rather boring day. 8:00 pm, the time your work day usually ended, seemed far off already. And then, Captain Fowler called you into his office. It started with him scolding your punctuality- he was always hard on anyone who was late. And then, he told you about the abundance of unfiled cases sitting in the archives. A coworker recently quit, leaving heaps and heaps of unfinished work that you had to stay behind and finish. Now, you would be lucky if you got home earlier than midnight. You were exhausted, desperate for sleep or coffee or both, and it didn't help that your plastic partner was nowhere to be seen. Minutes went by, and then hours. It was 3 pm when you finally hear someone calling your name.

"Detective?" it was Nines, no doubt about it. You ignored him at first, letting out a sigh and continuing on with your work. "Detective?" he called again, louder this time. He called your name one more time when you finally whipped around and shouted a harsh 'What?'. "I apologize for my disturbance, but I have something I need to show you." Nines was poking his head around a corner, his hands concealed behind his back. He ducked away, out of sight, before you could protest. With yet another sigh, you stood from your seat, hurrying your way over to him and preparing to give him quite the lecture for his disappearance. You rounded the corner into the Station's lobby to see him slipping out of the building. It was still snowing outside, heavier now, if anything. Dreading the cold, you grumbled something incoherent, following him outside.

"What do you want? I have work to do! This better not be some stupid-" you cut yourself off as the door shuts behind you. In front of you is Nines, standing in the snow beside... your car. Your self-driving car, now fitted with winter tires. In Nines' hands are a large, steaming cup of your favourite coffee, the only coffee in the world that's better than the break room coffee. The shop is on the other side of town- in his other hand is a bag, and just by it's shape you know exactly what it is. It's your favourite food ever, also on the furthest side of town.

"I didn't mean to disappear for so long. I had to walk to four different tow truck impound lots before I found the one holding your vehicle. I should have listened more carefully to what that android had been saying." you feel tears pricking in your eyes again, though these ones aren't negative. "I also knew you weren't having a great day, and this is the least I could do for you. Especially since you and I are staying late tonight to finish those case files." you take a slow step forwards, further into the snow, and then another just as slow. Then, suddenly, you propel yourself forwards and wrap your arms around Nine's chest, burying your face into his neck. The arm holding the bag of food wraps around you as well, patting your shoulder. You don't know what to say. You want to stay in your pissy mood, you really do. But this is just...

"Thank you." you mutter quietly, and Nines chuckles.

"What was that?" he asks, and you try to pull away from the hug. He holds you there, awaiting your defeat.

"I said thank you." you repeat, your face going red. He finally releases you.

"Well, you are very welcome Detective. Why don't we head back inside?" now, Nines leads the way, his head held high at the sight of your gratitude. You linger behind for a moment, glancing at your vehicle. A smile crawls onto your face. Maybe Nines wasn't so bad after all.

---

It was 10:00 pm now, but energy buzzed through you from your coffee from earlier and the light mood between you and Nines. He sat across from you, breezing through case files without getting distracted. It wasn't often that he did paperwork- you usually had to bicker with him to get him to sit down and type or write. He always used the excuse that he was a field android, not an office android, but now he got to work without you having to tell him at all. At this rate, you would be finished much earlier than usual. Maybe Captain Fowler would even reward the two of you with an extra vacation day. File after file, you and your partner made quick work, and at 11:00 pm sharp you finished your last file with a smile.

"Done!" you sighed, victory swelling in your words.

"Done." Nines mimicked as he set aside his final file as well. Your gazes met, and you noticed that Nines was... smiling. His eyes were bright, an almost frightening contrast from the coldness usually held within them. The corners of his lips were lifted upwards, and his brows weren't knitted together as usual. It made your own smile turn into a silly grin. "Are you ready to go home?" Nines asked, his head taking on it's signature tilt. You shake your head.

"I have somewhere I want to stop first, if that's okay." standing from your seat, you throw your jacket over your shoulders and head towards the Station's exit, Nines following silently- and contentedly- behind you. The snow has almost completely stopped now, though a chill wind still whistled through the darkened streets of Detroit. Your car didn't stop this time, the winter tires doing their job, and before you knew it you were pulling up to Riverside Park. Stepping out into the brisk night air, Nines followed you over to a long line of benches overlooking the river, and Ambassador Bridge, lit up like a miniature path of stars. You took your seat on one of the benches, tilting your head to look up at the black sky. Nines sat beside you, following your gaze. For a long moment, the both of you were silent. And then, you spoke.

"Thank you again, Nines." your gaze rested on the stars as you swallowed your pride. This time, Nines didn't tease. He turned his ice coloured eyes to face you, a smile still lingering on his face. Now, if you had seen him for the first time, you wouldn't have thought twice about it- he looked human. As human as anyone. Another long moment of silence passed between you, and this time Nines was the one to break it.

"Can I ask you a personal question, Detective?"

"Shoot." you wave a hand, urging him to continue. You let your head fall, your eyes connecting with his.

"What do I do that makes you... dislike me so much?" now, his smile has faded, replaced by a truly sorrowful expression. You break away from his gaze, and stare down at your hands.

"I don't... I don't dislike you." sooner or later you had to admit this to yourself. It was only a matter of time before the truth was so evident that not even you could deny it. "It's quite the opposite, actually." you looked back at him. His LED shown a pale yellow, and he knitted his brows.

"I'm afraid I don't understand." you chuckle. His obliviousness is adorable, and makes plenty of sense. He has never encountered any emotion like the one he was currently experiencing, and he has hardly seen it in anyone else either.

"Maybe..." you start, edging slightly closer to him. Your hand slides across the seat and finds his. "Maybe this will clear things up." you grab ahold of his jacket collar, pulling him towards you and into a kiss. His yellow LED blinks twice, and then fades into a calm blue as his free hand shifts to land on your cheek, deepening the kiss. Moments pass, sparks fly, and then you pull away to breathe. With an innocent blink, Nines smiles, and asks, almost bashfully,

"Can I kiss you again?"

Chapter Text

The sun is warm on your face, warmer than it ever has been before. Through the open window comes a pleasantly chill breeze and the chirp of birdsong, lovelier than it used to be. As you slowly woke you found yourself smiling in the purest form of contentedness, melting into the two sets of arms wrapped around you, the arms belonging to free men no longer chained down by the discrimination of society. You found yourself thinking over last night, the demonstration, the bloodshed- and then you remember the singing overtaking the terror, and then the pacifist army of Cyberlife androids marching through the streets. The two heroes, your two heroes, had saved themselves and all of their people, and now you were free to love them openly. They were free to love you back, as well- they were free to stand tall, to live their lives like living beings.

"Good morning, Beautifuls," a warm voice cooed from your right, and your eyes flickered open to see Markus, his two-toned eyes glowing warm in the sunlight. He was smiling gently, and shifted to place a kiss on your temple, resting his head against yours.

"I hope you slept well, My Loves," Connor was awake too, placing a kiss on your cheek, resting his head against your shoulder and taking Markus' hand in his. For a moment all three of you are silent, relishing in each others warmth and comforting presences, and then you speak in a voice as soft as velvet.

"How does it feel to be... free?" you tilt your head, placing a kiss on top of Connor's head and turning to lean your forehead against Markus'. The both of them seem to ponder the question for a moment, and Markus is the first to come up with an answer.

"It's... hopeful." he smiles that smile that melts your heart, and you can't help but place a soft kiss on his lips, watching Connor sit up, feeling left out, and shift the blankets so he can crawl over top of you to sit in the middle with a grin. Now it's your turn to take Markus' hand, resting them on Connor's chest and leaning your head on his shoulder like he had before.

"I feel so lucky." Connor's answer is accentuated by a small frown, and you rest a hand on his face, mirroring the expression with your own. The frown fades back into a smile, and he shakes his head, "I'm alright. Just... thinking. What would have happened if I hadn't made it into Cyberlife? Would we... would we be dead?"

"Enough of that talk, Handsome." you trace your thumb over his cheek, and rest your head on his shoulder once more. "It happened this way, and that's that." all three of your eyes fall shut once more as you soak in the comfort of the Saturday morning endowed with the sense of freedom. It was nearly 11 when Markus spoke again.

"Should we get out of bed?" despite being the one voicing the idea, he seems reluctant to do so, though Connor nods his head in equal opposition. "I have to meet with President Warren at 5:00..." Markus says in a breathy sigh, finally peeling himself away from his two lovers and stretching his arms above his head though he doesn't necessarily need to. You hear a few of his joints pop out of their stiffness, and then his arms drop slowly to his sides. Turning back to you and Connor, still cuddled up beneath the blankets, a smile ghosts his lips and warmth spreads through his biocomponents. "You're both too precious." he extends a hand, gently patting at Connor's mildly disheveled hair. The one you're still clinging to smiles, and leans into the touch, before finally sitting up after Markus has pulled his hand away. With a groan, you follow suit, running a hand quickly through your hair and taking in a deep, refreshing breath of the brisk air.

"What's the weather like today?" you ask with a hum, and a grin spreads over your face as the two answer in unison,

"15 Celsius and sunny!" it was warm for a Detroit winter, and you weren't complaining. The sun beams danced across your skin, pleasant in contrast to the breeze, and it gives you the strength you needed to push the blankets away and slip from the warmth of the covers.

"Can I make breakfast?" Connor asks as he makes his way into the en suite, running a hand through his hair in the mirror and straightening it back out to that nearly-perfect style you had always utterly adored.

"Only if I can help." Markus glances around the room as he speaks, taking in the memories of his broken past, of the man he had cared for before the house was passed down to him. You could see the grief briefly flicker across his gaze, and wrap your arms around his waist, your head falling against his chest. He lets out a chuckle, hugging you right back.

"I think we should all make breakfast together today." your suggestion is met with agreement from both of your boyfriends, and you're about to break away from Markus' embrace when Connor joins by draping his arms across the both of you and kissing you both on the cheek.

"That's a wonderful idea, My Love." for yet another moment the three of you are frozen in time, glued to one another by your love and happiness, by their new safety and respect. Connor is the first to move again, and the three of you leave the bedroom, stepping out onto the regal landing. You turn right, glancing at the large skeletal fish hanging in the open space of the balcony, swimming over the downstairs living room. You turn another right through a tall doorway and descend the glamorous staircase behind Connor and with Markus in tow, passing a little cage of android birds and smiling as Markus stops to activate the little creatures. You catch Connor's arm, the both of you standing silently in the door to the kitchen, just out of sight and eavesdropping on Markus mumbling to the little birds.

"You two are free now! Free little birds!" he kneels in front of the cage, holding one of the android canaries on his pointer finger. It looks a little more alive than usual, chirping and hopping along his finger, tilting it's feathery little head. Markus lifts his other hand to gently stroke the birdies head, before he lets it hop back into the cage with it's companion. For a moment Markus stares, a smile on his face, and then he stands again and closes the little door. He follows your path to the kitchen, spotting the two of you smiling fondly in the doorway, and goes a little bit blue.

"You're such a Sweetheart." you feel your insides twist with incomprehensible affection- how did you get so lucky as to catch these two? Still grinning, lightly embarrassed, Markus follows you into the kitchen and you all lean on the island in the center of the room.

"So what do you want to eat?" Connor asks you, his head taking on a lovely tilt, both of your boyfriends waiting for your response. They couldn't really eat, so it made sense that they would ask you, but you know they both particularly liked making pancakes; Connor adored showing off by flipping them high in the air, catching them with expert skill, and Markus loved decorating your plate with little fruit carvings and syrup designs.

"Pancakes." Their grins only widen, matching yours as you all set off to collect the ingredients. Flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, milk, butter, eggs- the kitchen island become covered in a tidy sort of chaos, all of the ingredients set out side by side in the order they needed to be used. Markus also brought out a hidden bag of chocolate chips that added a certain brightness to your gaze. You loved chocolate. Connor also plucked the vanilla from the spice cupboard, his own little smile hinting that he's mostly getting it out for himself. He and Markus both had the ability to simulate taste, though Connor's was much more acute. In analyzing the contents of the vanilla extract, he can simulate the sweetness. Vanilla was his favourite flavor, and you often found him drinking it straight from the bottle in small amounts.

"I'll make the batter," Connor offers, pulling a large glass mixing bowl from the cupboards behind him and reaching for the flour.

"I'd like to start on the fruit, if that's alright with you." both you and Connor nod at Markus' request, and he hurries to the fridge, pulling out whatever he can find- apples, strawberries, raspberries, banana- and pulling a cutting board from a drawer, getting to carving them into fun little shapes. He could make a seemingly infinite amount of little fruit sculptures, though your personal favourite was his apple swans, made of thinly-sliced apple and flooded with detailed little feathers. It was a work of art if you had ever seen one. You found yourself at Connor's side with measuring cups in hand, scooping the sugar into the bowl as well as the baking powder and soda. Connor was left to add the salt and flour- the salt was added seamlessly, but as he took a perfectly-measured cup of flower, you already knew what was about to happen from the way he dumped the salt into the bowl. He lifted the cup of flower, tipping it right on its side from above.

"Connor no!" you squeal, and watch the flour dump over, into the bowl, puffing up in a cloud of white that covers both yours and his clothing. You turn to him, eyes, wide, jaw dropped, and then the two of you break out into raucous laughter, pounding your fist gently on the counter. Markus had whipped around at the sound of your too-late warning, but now, staring at the two of you with tears blooming in your eyes, he found himself laughing right along. Both Connor and Markus watched you fondly as you fought to catch your breath, sharing a glance, both of their eyes filled to the brim with affection. You let out a final amused sigh, wiping at your eyes with the heel of your palm and grinning ear to ear. "You dump the flower slowly." you tut, extending a finger in Connor's direction.

"Apologies, Love. I'll try to remember that." with lingering amusement you all return to your tasks. You add the milk and butter, then, as you're reaching for the egg to crack it into the bowl, you hear Markus let out a little humph of triumph.

"My masterpiece!" he calls out, and steps aside, extending an arm to present a literal work of art. Out of the assortment of fruits he's made a whole entire scene. Slices of green apple were carved to look like lily pads, and an assortment of apple-lotus's and berry frogs sat about. Your heart melts and you scuttle forwards to examine it more closely.

"Awwwwww, Markus!!" you pluck a little strawberry from the plate oh-so gently, resting it in your palm. It had little frog legs, and two little eyes- it was just the cutest. You turn to face Connor, presenting the frog, and then turn back to Markus and wrap him in a one-armed hug, still holding your little strawberry friend in the other hand. "It's adorable!!" Markus smiles proudly, picking up the plate and setting it on the island off to the side of your batter-mixing. Then, he leans beside his masterpiece and waits for you and Connor to continue with your part of the cooking. You pop the strawberry frog into your mouth, savoring the perfect balance between sweet and sour. Picking up the egg from it's carton, you crack it perfectly, then drop the shell into the garbage, washing your hands. You turn back around to see Markus giggling silently as Connor attempts to stealthily steal a teaspoon-full of vanilla extract. You roll your eyes as he drops the empty measuring spoons, trying to seem innocent and void of crime. With a sigh and a smile you pick up the teaspoon for him, pouring the extract and holding it up to his face.

"How cute." Markus comments as Connor takes the spoon in his mouth, blinking warmly at the flavor and grinning successfully.

"Now get to work on the mixing!" you pat Connor's shoulder, "That's your payback for drinking all the vanilla." Connor gasps in feign offence, and then pulls the wire whisk from the drawer and gets to work. His arm moves fast, and he doesn't tire int he slightest. You find a spot beside Markus, and lean his head on his shoulder. Together the two of you watch Connor stir, the slight draw of his brow showing his ultimate concentration. Markus rests his hand on top of yours, which was sitting on the counter top. His skin peels away to reveal the smooth chassis underneath, and you giggle. Gripping his hand in return, you bring it up to your lips and place a soft kiss on his hand.

"I love you." you say, and he smiles, kissing your temple.

"I love you too." after a moment, Connor clears his throat, still mixing as he raises a brow and wear a cheeky grin. "I love you too, Connor." Markus chuckles, and you pull your hand away, rounding the counter.

"So do I." you stand on the tips of your toes, placing a kiss on Connor's nose, and then swipe the glass bowl from his hands to take it to the stove. Markus is already there as well, placing a pan on top and twisting the dial to medium-low. Connor and Markus set into a rhythm where Markus would pour the batter into a perfect circle and Connor would flip it with that crazy expertise. You slid into a bar stool by the island, resting your chin on your hands, watching their fluid movements, so human, so alive. You were... dumbfounded that these two men were the ones who had brought freedom to their species, and you were dumbfounded that they chose to love you when you were certain there were thousands of others who would suit them better. But you loved them, and they loved you, so you tried not to question it as you continued to watch them in all of their perfect, beautiful glory.

Chapter Text

Ah, the break room. Donuts, coffee, and a pause from the routine of your workday. Your favourite place in the station other than your desk- and that's only because you get to stare at Gavin all day. If he were in here with you right now you'd love this place all the more, but he was busy trying to get the assholes from the neighboring precinct contained in yours. You sat behind the table with a coffee in hand, basking in the emptiness as people marched past just outside. The bullpen was packed with two times as many officers as their own precinct was shut down for renovation. It had been three weeks with this whole bullshit situation, and you guessed it would still at least be another two. It would be more bearable if the two temporary detectives weren't such losers. You had to share your desk with a mister Detective Brooks who seemed to have made his entire personal goal belittling you as much as possible. You had thought that for once your coffee break would spare you having to look at his painfully obnoxious face, but just your luck, he and his equally rude partner have to come strolling in. You were already overstimulated and it was hardly 4:00 o'clock. Your voice had failed you nearly three hours ago. You needed to be with Gavin or you weren't certain you could make it through the day, and now Detective Brooks and his partner Jensen were strolling into the room.

"Well, well." Brooks grins on his way over to the coffee machine, Jensen, that ass-kisser, hot on his tail. "If it isn't Officer (L/N), hiding away in the break room." You were a Detective and Brooks knew it too; this was something that happened quite often, and usually you let it go. He was just so petty. He grabs a paper cup from the stack off the counter, placing it under the coffee machine and clicking a button to start it up. As the machine hissed behind him, he spun, sauntering over to your table and leaning on it directly across from you. "What, the bullpen a little too full? I've been missing you back at my desk." Oh, Christ you wish you had the guts to punch him in that stupid nose, but you weren't wanting to get chewed out by Fowler. Instead, you avert your gaze, staring down in the darkness of your coffee. The machine on the other side of the room beeps, but Brooks doesn't move to retrieve his own drink, so Jensen does it for him, setting the cup down. "What's wrong, Officer? Cat got your tongue?" the belittlement. Christ, the belittlement. You keep staring down at your drink, taking a sip even though it's lost its flavor. You don't want to be here- you want to be in an alley somewhere, somewhere you can beat this guys face in without being seen. He looks so punchable.

"I think they're intimidated, Brooks. Who wouldn't be intimidated by a superior?" Your gaze snaps up, and you open your mouth to speak, feeling the words die in your throat and snapping it shut again. Jensen grins, a wicked smile, and keeps on pushing. "Oh, fuck," his jaw drops dramatically and he turns to stare Brooks in the eye, "Aren't they actually a Detective?" you furrow your brows, and find your fingernails to be much more interesting than this conversation. It was still going the same way it always does, the same lines to the dot. Soon these two would get bored and wander away- that's what you'd thought, at least, until the next lines came from Brooks' mouth and caught you entirely off guard.

"I can't believe I forgot! They fucked that coffee-addicted cunt, didn't they?" your whole body went tense as both Brooks and Jensen burst out into raucous laughter, loud enough that, for a moment you thought that someone would come and see what was funny; but the noise was carried away by the bustle of the bullpen, and you were still left alone to try and withstand the words of these two detectives. "Fucked 'em good, huh? That's the only way I can see you ever being promoted- I've just got one question for ya," Brooks snapped his fingers, demanding your attention, and you gave it to him. You had always been told that not giving a reaction always drove the bullies away. Maybe that was the rule of the schoolyard, but these two were relentless. "Why him? Why not one of the Ken dolls? Fuck, even Anderson would be a better pick than that fuckwit!" more laughter, more belittlement, more urge to cry your eyes out, but you wouldn't let these two get to you so easily. You take another sip of that bitter, bitter coffee, feeling cold on your tongue, tasteless.

"I've got an answer for that since they're too much of a pussy to speak!" Jensen leaps at the chance to throw in another snide comment, his eyes bright with sick glee and a sickening glimmer of power. "He was probably the only one who'd fuck 'em! Whore would do anything for some action, even if the face attached ain't too pretty!" Swallowing the growing lump in your throat, that watery, burning feeling starts behind your eyes and nose and you know tears are well on their way. Please, you plead silently to yourself, please let them get bored and move on before you beat the shit out of them or cry your eyes out or maybe both. "Detective Quick Fuck! Detective Backup!" Jensen smiles as he spits the little nicknames, demeaning, infuriating, degrading.

"Ooh, ooh I got one! Detective Last Resort!" The laughter, it's nothing but cruel. You stare down at the table, feeling the growing tightness in your throat, the burning of your face, the fogging of your head. "Oh, we're just too funny," Brooks wipes a tear from his eye, an amused tear. "Hey," suddenly Brooks' hand is on your shoulder and it's all too much. Your body goes rigid, and everything around you seems to slow except for him and the brush of his thumb on your shoulder, "Maybe I could try to get you a promotion too." your hands are shaking now, your eyes glassy, your breathing coming in short, frightened gasps. He slides around the table, too close, so close, leaning over to try and catch your eye though you don't move to reciprocate. "I'm sure I could swallow my pride for you, sweet thing," you're going to scream, you want to scream, but your voice won't work, your body won't move. It's too much, you can't do this. Get away, get away, get away, get away, get away-

"I think your chances of a promotion'll skyrocket if I... help you out a little too." Another hand on your other arm, trapped, too close, your breathing has stopped entirely. Your throat is locked up and the tears are so close to spilling over. What are these two going to do to you? No one sees you, no one sees your distress, no one is coming to help you. These two men, these two horrible, horrible men are going to hurt you. Brooks' hand shifts, down, down to your elbow, off and towards your back. It rests on the small of it, thumb still tracing patterns, down, down, you want to scream, you can't move, he's going to, he's going to-

"Hey!" that voice breaks through the terror and you know you're saved. "Get the fuck off of them!" You want to look up, see his warm grey eyes, his face, so familiar, but you still can't move and the hands still linger.

"Awww, we're not doin' any harm, Detective. What's so bad about sharin' your little toy here with some friends?" Degrading, degrading, demeaning. His hands. Their hands. They need to leave.

"Excuse me? What the fuck did you just say?" Gavin is holding himself back, you know he is. He knows something is wrong but he also doesn't want to rush to save you, afraid that he'll be butting in. He senses something is very, very wrong, but he's misunderstood things in the past and he's afraid to hurt you.

"Do I really need to repeat myself, Detective Manwhore?" Brooks is grinning, you can hear it in his voice. Gavin wants to bash his skull in, you can hear it in his voice too. Using the last shreds of your energy that aren't being used to stop the flow of tears, you force your head to move. Your gaze locks with Gavin, a silent plea for help, and that's all it takes. Suddenly, he's moving forwards, a coffee cup waiting for a refill in his hands. He swings that arm back, and smashes the mug right into the face of the man you hate the most.

"Holy shit!" Jensen curses as the mug explodes into shards against Brooks' skull, sending him to the floor. Both hands leave you, and then they're rapidly replaced, but this time the hands are familiar, safe. They're on your face, bringing you eyes to those warm grey ones, and everything feels okay.

"Baby, (Y/N), are you okay? Did they hurt you? Touch you?" Your first instinct is to shake your head, but you want to watch these bastards get what they deserve. Sadly, nodding takes the last of your energy, and as you do it you can't hold in your tears any longer. Gavin's eyes burn, smoldering embers waiting to burst into flames. Brooks has just returned to his feet, blood dripping from his head, and Jensen is still frozen in shock.

"You son of a-" Brooks is halfway through his sentence when Gavin dives forwards, shoving the taller man against the wall and slamming a fist into his face yet again. You see the spray of blood, and then Gavin punches him again. His fist meets his stomach, his arms, his face, and then Jensen snaps out of his stupor.

"Chill the fuck out! We were just messin' around!" he pushes past you, the force as he shoves you out of the way sending you into the table. You let out a choked cry, the most you can muster, and that's enough for Gavin to whip around to save you. Jensen takes the nest hit to the face.

"Woah woah woah!" An Officer you don't know, one of Brooks and Jensen's men, comes racing to pull Gavin away- but he, too, takes a hit to the nose and now there are four bleeding men in the room. You want to cry out to Gavin to stop, but you still can't do it. You're so mentally exhausted, all you can manage to do is grab him by the arm as he pulls back to deliver another violent blow to Jensen's jaw. At your touch, he stops instantly, all of his attention turned back to you. He sees the plea in your eyes, the plea to stop before he gets hurt in return. With a grimace, he turns back to Brooks struggling to stay on his feet, most likely concussed or with a broken nose.

"Stay the fuck away from them." Gavin catches Brooks' shirt in his hand one more time, and spits right in his face. "You're fuckin' sick for touching them like that." he shoves Brooks away, forcing him into Jensen, and the two hardly stay on their feet. Gavin takes your hand, casting one quick glance at the other Officer, something between an apology and an 'I fucking hate those two' that seems to be mutually answered with a look of his own. Then you're being pulled into Gavin's chest, hugged tightly, safely, and you hug him right back. Now you're not afraid to let those tears flow, crying into his shoulder at the way they had violated you, invaded your space, mocked and belittled you. "It's okay now, baby. It's okay. I've got you." you want to apologize to Gavin, and he seems to be able to sense that. He pets your hair, threading his fingers gently through it, kissing whatever he can reach without letting you go.

"Reed! What the fuck is going on here?" Fowler's voice makes you flinch, hugging tighter to Gavin's chest as the Captain storms into the room. Seeing Brooks and Jensen bleeding on the ground, and you hugging Gavin desperately, fearfully, it's easy enough to piece together the situation. Brooks and Jensen have never been the most... respectful men. "Jesus, fucking Christ, Reed- Hersh, get these two out of here-" The Officer nods his head and ushers the other detectives out of the room. Now, Fowler's full attention is on you and Gavin, who has still refused to let you go. Much to your surprise, Fowler's voice grows soft as he approaches the two of you. "Gavin, what happened?" It's still angry, but softer so. Gavin doesn't answer right away, still petting your hair, shushing you gently. Then, with one last gentle kiss to the forehead, Gavin turns to Fowler with glossy eyes of his own. You still cling to his shoulder, fighting for breath as Gavin launches into a defensive explanation.

"Those fucks deserved it! They were harassing them, I couldn't just let it happen! If I didn't punch them in the fucking nose who knows what they-" Fowler cuts him off by holding out a hand.

"Calm down, Reed, I get it. Jensen and Brooks are going to be suspended, okay?" you let out a shaky breath, and Gavin gently pats your back. "But," Fowler adds, "That doesn't mean you get out of this without your own repercussions. You attacked two other detectives and an officer. As much as I personally think you are in the right, you're going to have to be suspended for the remainder of the week." your breath catches right away again at the thought of struggling through all of this without Gavin.

"No, Captain, I can't leave them-" He gets cut off yet again.

"I know, Gavin. They can take the rest of the week off too." Fowler looks at you now, "Are you alright, (L/N)? I'm sorry they had the audacity to do such a thing. I'll do everything in my power to keep them away from you in the future, I promise." you don't have the strength to nod your head in response. "Shit..." Fowler shakes his head, shoots the two of you one last sympathetic smile, and then hurries away. "Jensen! Brooks! My office, now!" Gavin hugs you tight again.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so sorry." you're shaking in his arms, still sobbing, still struggling for breath. "Let's go home, (Y/N). Let's go home and take a nap, okay? I'm so sorry." he catches your face in his hands, his forehead leaning against yours, his eyes catching your own and that reassuring way that always lent you just enough strength to make it to quiet. You nod, leaning into his warmth for just one more moment before taking his hand and letting him lead you from the break room. His scalding glare parts the sea of people, and no one asks you a single question. As you pass Tina Chen, one of your other friends, all she does is offer you a warm smile. You don't have the strength to return it. Gavin's thumb rubs smooth lines over yours as the world around you seems to fade away. The chatter, the people, they all blur together save for Gavin's touch and the sound of his shoes on the linoleum flooring. You don't even notice that you've left the precinct until Gavin's car is right in front of you. He opens up the passenger door, letting you sink into the seat and getting into his own. "Hey," he says, and takes your hand gently in his, "How about we go to the bridge?" you nod your head.

The bridge... it was a place that only you two knew about, a place you went often when everything grew to be too much. A deserted road and a quick drive over a stretch of grass brought the car to a shallow cave cut out of the wall way under Ambassador bridge, just by the river. It was quiet, natural, concealed, a place for only Gavin and you. His hand stayed intertwined with yours for the entirety of the drive, clutching it just a little tighter as you tensed up while the car was shaken back and forth by the drive off-road. Then, the car was parked, and once again Gavin left first to help you out. Instead of just taking your hand he scooped you right out of your seat, letting you bury your face in his jaw and continue to cry, more gently now. It was no more than two minutes before you reached the spot you'd made for yourselves, with a little blanket set out already from your last visit only two nights before. The crammed bullpen has taken its toll on your health.

"Here you go, baby." Gavin sinks to his knees, and then shuffles to sit cross-legged with you in his lap, cradling you to his chest. For a while you still hid your face in his shoulder, but once you had cried out all of your tears you finally looked out towards the river. The sun was sinking towards the horizon, you guessed two hours from sunset, and you were content to sit here with Gavin until then. You still found it difficult to speak, but your throat was opening up again and your trembling began to ebb away into nonexistence. "I love you, (Y/N). I'm so sorry I wasn't there to save you." you shake your head at his words, and place a kiss on his jaw, which he returns with a peck on your nose and his forehead against yours. "I wish I'd gotten a few more punches in." you let out a chuckle, finally getting a sound out, and he smiles against your cheek, kissing it lightly. "My knuckles hurt, but not as much as they do."

"I..." you croak out, and Gavin nods, encouraging you to continue. He waits patiently as you fight for the words, finally finding them with a light smile. "I c-can't b-believe you h-hit him in the h-head with a mug." Gavin breaks out into laughter but it is nothing like what those other two demons had sounded like. His laugh was light, rumbling, soothing like thunder or crashing waves. His eyes were bright, lightly crinkled in the corners, and his grin looked so gorgeously goofy.

"Oh, yeah," he said as he let out a final snicker, "Jesus, that was my favourite mug, too." you laugh alongside him this time. The two of you grow calm again as he runs his fingers through your hair, leaning his head against yours, which was rested on his shoulder. "Too bad. I love you a lot more than my mug."

Chapter Text

It seems rainy days are always the kindest to him. It’s almost as if the cool gloom washes his worries away- or maybe it’s just that it forces away the people. Gavin has never been fond of people; they’re loud, and judgmental, and bossy. He feels hypocritical for saying that, but he brushes it off as he scribbles a name on a coffee cup, setting it on the counter and calling for the one other customer in the restaurant. As most customers do, they pass him a glance, a tight smile, and then they go and sit in the far corner, leaving him to soak in the sound of the rain. It’s calmer today than it was just about a month ago, but he still thinks of that one evening where he met you. As he leans his elbows on the counter, feeling tacky to the touch, he pulls out his phone and glances briefly at the screen. There is no text from you as he had so foolishly hoped, and he almost convinces himself to text you first before dismissing the idea with a huff. His phone finds itself back in his pocket and he takes in the warm familiarity.

Winter had hit Detroit hard, and he was rather surprised to see rain rather than snow. The last three weeks he had seen nothing but the crisp white, the falling flakes reminding him over and over that Christmas was well on its way. He disliked Christmas for too many reasons to count. Another thing that reminded him of this dreaded time of year were the decorations donning themselves proudly everywhere he looked. A Christmas tree speckled with small, glowing lights stood proud in the center of the coffeehouse, basking in the thought of being the center of attention, flaunting it’s monotone ornaments. The glimmering star atop its head shone brightly in the gloom, and this time, rather than the Lo-Fi he was used to, an ancient Christmas tune danced merrily towards his ears. He thought of you again, sitting at one of these tables, nose buried in a book or your phone or your drink. Gavin had begun to consider you... a friend, and maybe even more, though he would never admit that. He told himself he didn’t need someone to love, but in all honesty he was afraid. He had managed to hide his flaws from you until now. He felt normal, acceptable, like a good person. You made him into a good person. The thought of you and the repetitive jingling of the music finally drove him to pluck his phone form it’s place again, opening the content so adorably named ‘My Coffee’.

Hey

You mind stopping by the shop after work?

Shift is slow. Need someone’s voice to drown out this shitty music.

He clicked his phone off and slipped it into his back pocket, telling himself time and time again that he wouldn’t check it until it buzzed, until he was certain you had messaged him back. He held onto that promise for about twenty seconds before he was checking again to see nothing, and letting himself fall back into the tacky music with a sigh. A sort of sluggishness tugged at his eyelids, bringing them to a gentle close. He propped an elbow up on the counter, chin resting in his hand as the time slipped by. He heard the scrape of a chair being pushed against the soft chestnut floor, having fulfilled its purpose. He imagined what the chair must feel, and then smiled lightly at the thought of it feeling proud. It seems the winter was driving him mad. Footsteps, light yet loud and clipped in the near silence travel in front of him, though his eyes remained lightly closed. He mumbled something along the lines of a farewell, and hears the ring of the bell above the door before it clicks shut again. He had a love-hate relationship with that bell. The bell meant customers, customers who were, more often than not, not you. Basking in the silence for another quick few seconds, he feels at peace enough to hold his light grin on his face until that bell jingles again. It sends hope, which he quickly suppresses, sparking momentarily through his veins. He doesn’t bother opening his eyes until more footsteps approach, passing right by the counter and towards his right. The bar stools, he assumes, and his thoughts are confirmed at the scraping of the metal stool legs on the ground. He’s about to abandon the peace and treat his customer when they beat him to it with a greeting that he recognizes immediately.

“You look peaceful.” His eyes whip open, jumping at the familiar voice and then feeling immediately foolish for being startled despite knowing someone was there.

“Uh- hey, uh,” His gaze meets yours, and he’s suddenly bashful, scratching at the back of his neck and letting out a sheepish chuckle. “Nice to see you again.” your smile lights up his world, and somehow you make him feel like he’s floating within the heavy clouds.

“Sorry to disturb the peace- and sorry for not answering your text. I was already on my way over when I got it. Thought I’d surprise you.” your hands settle nonchalantly on the counter, a comfortable feeling settling over the both of you.

“‘S no problem,” he dismisses, “Can I get you anything? On me?” That had become the usual, an unspoken rule of sorts- you dropping by every few days, him offering to buy you a drink. He rarely did. You always insisted you pay for it yourself, but today he really needed to feel like he was giving something to the world. The thought of another Christmas alone really reminded him of how shitty of a person he really was. He was already turning to the machines settled around him when you came back with your insistence on paying yourself.

“No, I’ve got it. Pay day today.” Gavin chuckles, and shakes his head at your words. You aren’t paying today.

“Peppermint mocha?” you hum in approval as he goes about, an expert, pouring things and clicking buttons. “The new special. Shitty Christmas thing, but it’s not too bad.” he finishes the drink in the presence of a comfortable silence, presenting it in front of you with a candy cane propped on the side and a warmth to his gaze that only really happens when you’re around.

“It’s safe to assume you aren’t pumped about the holidays?” ah, you were just so cunning. Gavin shrugs his shoulders and his gaze shifts away for no more than a second, though it’s more than enough evidence to prompt further question. “Why’s that?” you ask the question around the rim of your cup, taking a sip of the warmth, the light mint, and letting out a contented sigh. Gavin’s hands rest on the counter, thinning his lips as he gathers the courage to speak. Another unspoken rule; you don’t hide things from one another. You’re open, and in return he does his very best to be. You never pressure him, but you never let him go either. You’ll sit in silence as long as it takes for him to find the words. And at last, he does.

“No... no family to spend it with. Just a crippling reminder of my loneliness.” his eyes had been glued to the counter top, but now they flicked to his hand, which yours had been set atop. His sheepish grin returned and he shifted his hand to gently curl around yours. You sip at your drink again, a moment of silence passing between you. You don’t press the topic of family any further. You know it’s a sensitive topic for him.

“Then it’s a reminder for the both of us.” Gavin’s gaze is on yours again, and the soft crease of his brow, the way his hair tumbles slightly over his eye, the velvety scar across his nose makes your heart go soft in the best way. “My family is... a long ways away.” your gaze shifts towards the ceiling. Gavin gives your hand a squeeze. “Hey,” you come back down to earth and your grin doesn’t waver, “I’m off on Christmas. Maybe I’ll come sit down here with you, get you to buy me another Peppermint Mocha.” Gavin’s grin returns. He finds it sort of funny that you just knew he’d be working on Christmas. He’ll be getting the whole cafe to himself, seeing as everyone else is off celebrating.

“That’d be... that’d be nice.” Gavin finds himself leaning just a little closer. The fondness in his charcoal gaze is unlike any seen before in the man. He’d loved in the past, yes, but not like this. Never like this. “So,” Gavin’s grin morphs lightly, just a little bit, and you know exactly what’s to come next. “What’s a fine babe like you doing this weekend?” You couldn’t help the laugh that escapes you, the gentle roll of your eyes, your hand resting itself underneath your chin, elbow on the counter. Gavin was always like this- he was either shockingly shy, or the biggest goddamn flirt you think you’ve ever laid eyes on. The two of you hadn’t been on an official date just yet, other than your meetups at the coffeehouse, and you almost always played along with his banter by throwing out a ‘dominating planet Earth’ or ‘invading Poland’, though this time... this time, things felt different. Right. Like you could sense that it was finally time to take Gavin’s hand with a different meaning. Your thumb starts a trail, skimming over his knuckles, and your demeanor softens.

“Well, a really cute guy asked me on a date...” you sip at your coffee, your gaze never leaving his as his cheeks dust with the faintest red.

“Oh did he?” his thumb mirrors your pattern and you lean further towards him. A force, almost magnetic, seems to thicken between you. It’s pleasant, and brings with it a thick, warm energy that the both of you quite enjoy. “What a shame,” closer yet, your gazes glued to the others, never wavering, “I was considering doing the same.” Both eyes flutter shut, and Gavin closes the distance. His lips press against yours- not a crash, not like that. He is desperate, and so are you, but in such a soft way that it’s more like you’ve sunken together, sunken into the kiss. His hand leaves yours, resting on your cheek instead, as one of your own shifts to rest on his neck, bringing you impossibly closer. The counter between the two of you is awkward in a pleasant kind of manner. The clumsiness of the kiss makes you feel young, like teenagers almost. It’s a wonderful feeling, and makes Gavin giddy. You move as one, built for each other, savoring the touch of him as he savors the touch of you. You both had been wanting this for so long, and you finally had it. Your lips tasted like Peppermint, and his tasted like a dark, black coffee. Two flavors, so different, yet linked in some way or another. Only when your lungs gasp for air do you separate, breathless. You sink back into your seat, and he leans against the counter once more. Your hands link again, and your smiles are just a little brighter now. With that lovely, goofy, flirty grin, Gavin tilts his head.

“Is that a yes to a date?”

Chapter Text

It was sunny and warm, cloudless for once and Gavin hated it. He hated the sun, the hot, he missed the downpour that had seemed endless but finally came to a close overnight, and so he had come into work even though his brother was already in, opting to hand out with him instead of deal with the sunlight and the people it would bring out. As of now, Gavin was slumped in a dark red velvet chair, a random book in his hands that he didn’t even know the title of. It had just been within arms reach, and when the library-resident cat, Mochi, had gotten tired of his pets and shredded his hand before breaking free and fleeing away, his boredom had gotten the best of him. The library was dead today, the few customers being taken care of by Elijah, which left Gavin to his own devices and thoughts, which he often hated. A little chime rang somewhere far away.

“Hey, welcome,” Elijah’s voice soon followed, and then that of the customer. Someone was here, someone for Elijah to deal with so that Gavin could continue to peacefully soak in the air conditioning. “Yeah, right this way.” Elijah’s voice grew louder, and then he was turning the corner and appearing into view, his ice blue eyes flicking over to Gavin and then rolling at the sight of him basically laying down in the chair. “Don’t mind him, he’s miserable because of the sun.” Behind Elijah was the customer, with bright eyes and a dashing smile, the prettiest face Gavin thinks he has ever seen. When your gaze lands on him, he feels heat rise to his face and not because of the temperature.

“Oh, it’s fine,” You smile a toothy grin, holding out a reassuring hand in Gavin’s direction, but it does the opposite of its intent and instead spurs him into scrambling upright once more, “I absolutely relate. I’m so pissed that the rain stopped.” Gavin smiles back like a goof, feeling how stupid he must look and he wishes he could find the words but the way your smile made his heart stutter stole the breath from his lungs. Elijah had always been a fantastic wingman, and today was no exception.

“Come on, it’ll be over here.” He led you away towards the back of the store where old medical tomes were held, packed with anatomical know-how and stuff about all sorts of illnesses, both mental and physical. Gavin watched you go, and then felt like a creep for doing so. He swiped his book once more from where he had dropped it on his lap, and cursed to himself- he had lost his goddamn page. Whatever, he thinks, he doesn’t mind reading it again. As he starts back from chapter one, his annoyance brushed away by the odd fluttering in his stomach, he keeps one eye open for your return and finds himself feeling bummed when you return to the exit from the other side of the store, out of his view. He brushes off the encounter, at least for now.

-----

The rain had returned just two days later in all of it’s wonderful glory, washing away the colour and bringing out reluctant people with umbrellas shielding their heads from the crying sky. The library was busier today, and Gavin was almost tempted to call Elijah in to help him handle the people, but he couldn’t tear the nerd away from his tinkering back at their shared apartment. Instead of doing that, he would rather just work as quickly as possible.

“Evening,” He greeted as a new customer entered the store, hardly looking up from his place checking out a different customers orders. His hands flew from the keyboard to the register to the little scanning gun he used to analyze the barcode, and then he slipped the books into a paper bag and pushed it towards the woman who had purchased them. The lade muttered a thanks and then moved for the door, popping open her umbrella and parading into the rain. He repeated the process with the next customer, and then a third and finally a fourth before he was given a breather at last. There were still two people browsing books somewhere in the heart of the little book shop, either to purchase or rent or just to look at so he cherished this moment of peace and rested his elbows on the aged top of the mahogany counter. Letting his face fall into his hands, he closed his eyes, sucking in a tired breath. It was just about 8 pm, and he had been working since 11. He was tired, especially since he had hardly been able to sleep the night before. The bell above the door jingled, and he stood upright, plastering on that retail-worker smile and sucking in a breath to mutter a good evening when his breath caught once more in his throat.

“Hey,” Said that soft voice, those bright eyes glimmering as they set on him and that cherubic smile, “Sorry to bother you again.” You approached the counter, scraping your hands through your hair, and Gavin almost scoffed but stopped himself just in time. You didn’t need to apologize for being a customer- some people did, but you didn’t. As far as Gavin was concerned, you never had to apologize for anything. Realizing he’d been staring, Gavin’s face heats, and he fights to find his tongue.

“I- Uh, I... I...” He clamps his mouth shut, letting out an annoyed grunt, and then tries again, “Hey, sorry, I, uh... I’m not the best at... words...” Good going, Gavin. So coherent. He winces, but you only laugh, a sound that can be described as nothing but angelic. Gavin never believed in that love at first sight bullshit, but here he was, pining for a pretty stranger against his own will. Another moment passed of silence, and Gavin spoke up to break it. “What- What can I do for you?”

“I’m just hoping to grab a few more books, and was wondering if you could show me where to find them?” You thrum your fingers on the desk, and Gavin slides back into routine, the usual. He knows where every single book can be found here, both new and old, to rent or to buy.

“Sure, what are you looking for?” Straightening his back, Gavin steps out from behind the counter, his smile becoming more natural, though now yours was the awkward one.

“This... is like, really scary, but do you have anything on...” You chuckle nervously, scratching the nape of your neck, “Anything on body disposal? How to get rid of blood? Stuff like that?” Gavin is stunned. He blinks once, and then lets out an awkward laugh of his own. You seem to detect the confusion in his eyes, and rush to defend yourself. “I- I’m a writer, I’m writing a book right now about a serial killer, hence the body disposal and stuff. I’m not, like, a killer.”

“Ohhhhh,” Gavin nodded, and spun on his heel. “That makes a lot more sense.” He continued into the store, between the shelves and shelves of books with you right behind him.

“Yeah, my search history probably has me on a government watchlist, but I’ve found it easier to learn from books anyways.” Your eyes trail across the spines of all different colors, widths, the books telling tales both fiction and non fiction. A few caught your eye but you followed behind Gavin until he came to a halt in an untitled section.

“Here,” He says as he pulls out a thick book called ‘all about crime’. “It gets straight to the point, no bullshit. It has stuff about different killers, how they did what they did, etcetera.” Extending it to you, Gavin smiled the most natural, warm grin he’d managed in your presence so far. You return it, taking the book, and your fingers momentarily ghost his, sending a shiver through you. He was kind of really cute, with that little scar on his nose and those cool gray eyes.

“Thanks,” You grin, and follow him back towards the front counter. Setting the book down on the tabletop, he begins to go through the motions of ringing it up, but he discreetly taps in his employee discount code which is definitely against regulations but he doesn’t really care. The total comes up as half the price, only 8$ since the book wasn’t in the greatest shape, and he tucks it into a brown paper bag, sliding it across the counter.

“There you go, treat it well.” You pluck the bag from the countertop, your smile still holding, and are about to say your goodbyes when Gavin beats you to the punch and quips, “Goodnight, enjoy your serial killing.” His words are accented by a weird little wink wonk and a click of his tongue. Your heart turns to mush and you almost let out a silly giggle, but hold it back by biting your tongue as your face flushes.

“Of course, you too- minus the serial killing, unless you have some secret to tell me.” To combat his odd attempt at a wink you return it with your own that turns out much more human, before spinning on your heel and waving over your shoulder. “See you around!” And see you around he did.

-----

Over the next few months you came in at least once a week to pick out a new book, always to purchase and always with Gavin’s half-off code. The two of you had gotten acquainted, and he considered you a friend- on days where you came in to see Elijah working instead of the other, more pricky brother, you would shoot Gavin a text saying you were stopping by to say hello to his ‘hella hot brother’. Of course, you had no romantic feelings towards Eli; all of those were for Gavin.

“Hey, serial killer!” Gavin greeted with a smile as you stride through the door. “What can I get for ya today?” He doesn’t bother shifting from his spot scanning through book spines to the let of the entrance door, rearranging anything that was out of place.

“Nothing, for once. In fact, I...” your voice died, and for a split second Gavin was concerned. His hand fell away from shuffling through titles, instead turning towards you. His concern faded at the look of a smile on your face.

“What’s got you grinning like that?” Gavin crosses his arms over his chest, weight shifting to one foot and his own smile spreading on his face. You slung a backpack from your shoulders, unzipping the top and shoving one arm in to rifle through it in search of a rectangular object. “Woah, gonna whip out a machete? Am I finally your next victim?”

“Ha ha,” You roll your eyes, letting out a playful scoff and finally closing your fingers around what you were looking for. From your bag comes out a book, one with a navy blue hardcover and regal white lettering spelling out ‘Become Human’. It isn’t a book title that Gavin recognizes, until it dawns on him. “I wanted to give this to you since you basically helped me write it. Without your endless knowledge about where to find murder tips, I don’t think I’d have ever finished it.” You hold out your arm in Gavin’s direction, but he is frozen stunned. This is your book, the one you had been writing since before the two of you had even met. “It’s about some robots, three different storylines. You’ll see why I needed all that murder knowledge when you read it.”

“(Y/N), I... wow.” Carefully, Gavin takes the book, running his fingertips along the pristine cover. It looked so official. “I can’t believe I’m getting the first copy.” He looks up at you, your eyes connecting as you shrug your shoulders, cheeks flushed red.

“You... You mean a lot to me now, you deserve it. Oh-” Your eyes light up, but your cheeks go even redder, “There’s also a surprise at the very front, and I’d love to stay and see your reaction but I’ve made plans with my editor to go out for celebratory drinks.” Zipping up your bag, you sling it once more over your shoulder, and move to turn on your heel but Gavin pushes forwards and wraps his arms around you before you can go.

“Thank you, (Y/N), I’ll cherish it. Have a drink for me.” With that, he lets you go, and you turn and leave after giving him one more warm smile. The door opens, and shuts with the jingle of the bell. Returning to his place behind the counter, Gavin can’t shake the smile from his face. The book in his hands is physical evidence of your intelligence, your creativity, your determination. And you’d given it to him. He stares down at it, tracing the pristine lettering with his forefinger before catching the edge of the cover. With a moments hesitation, he flips it open, and sees blue writing inside- writing you had done by hand, with a pen.

Dear Gav,

You’re probably the main reason I even bothered finishing this book. You and your stupid little quips and your books full of how to stab people- that’s what got me to the end of this. No one deserves this first copy more than you do, and there’s a little bonus gift too.

I’m probably gonna regret telling you this, but I’m sort of really in love with you I think. You’re so funny and bright and I love how you’re kind of an asshole because it makes me feel better when I am too. I hope you’ll let me take you out Saturday night? I’ll be here to pick you up at 8:00, after your shift. You can say no if you want, too.

Thanks for helping me with all of this,

(Y/N)

Gavin reached for his phone. Opening your contact, he tapped out a quick answer- it said everything he needed, everything he wanted in the form of just two words.

Fuck yes.

Chapter Text

The moon was out, the sun long gone, casting the world in total darkness save for the few streetlights littered around campus. No stars glittered, clouds plaguing the sky overhead, and it really drove him deeper into his depressing mood. Gavin walked with his hands stuffed in his pockets, itching for a bottle or can of some sort of alcohol in his hands. Sure, he was only 19, two years under the legal drinking age, but he thinks he deserves it tonight. The year was 2022, and it would be marked down in History books for all of eternity. Today was the day that his stupid brother with his incessant God-complex had his life-sized Barbie doll pass some stupid thing called the ‘Turing Test’, and that success was a kick in he ass for Gavin. He fucking hated university. Everything was so hard, and between that and a job (he worked a job despite Elijah sending him money every month. It makes him feel less like a failure.) he had no free time, so studying nearly never happened unless he sacrificed his sleep, and he missed enough of that already.

It was 11:00 pm and he’d just gotten off work at the painfully hipster in-campus coffee bar, more than ready to go home and throw himself into his bed- first, though, he wanted to pay you a visit. You were the one good thing he had in his life, the one thing he could be proud of. When he went home for Holidays and Elijah went on bragging about his success, creating an AI smarter than humankind, Gavin could always brag about how he was dating the greatest person he’d ever met. He’d brag about your smarts, your looks, your determination, and then his parents would turn their judgmental gazes on Eli for once. It always felt good. On his back was his bag, and inside of that was cheap Chinese food that the both of you loved. Gavin was hoping that you would sit down for a show with him, a movie maybe, and just unwind at his side, help him to forget about his imminent exam failure for just a little while. Your dorm rose on the horizon, and he felt the ghost of a smile play on his lips. He picked up the pace, walking a little quicker, just the thought of your smile enough to brighten his mood.

He pushed open the glass doors into the dorm, stepping inside and pulling his key ring from his pocket. On it was your spare key, and as he took the stairs to the second floor and went halfway down the hallway he gripped that key and slipped it into your door handle. Hopefully you wouldn’t be asleep. Gavin gave the handle a twist, and light flooded the hallway as the door opened. Front and center, you were sat, and Gavin’s heart sank. You were seated at your little table, textbooks and binders of notes scattered all about it in a chaotic manner. Your earbuds hung from your ears, and you didn’t even notice him come in.

“(Y/N)?” He calls, shutting the door behind him, but as you gnawed on the cap of a pen you still didn’t look up. Gavin chuckles to himself. Leave it to you to be burning the midnight oil, actually dedicated to your studies and trying your best to succeed even though you are capable of that even without hours and hours of looking over notes. “Hey, Babe,” He comes up behind you as your back was turned to him, reaching one hand rapidly around to grab the chord of your headphones and yank them right out. You jump so high that the top of your head collides with his chin, letting out a squeak of terror and springing from your seat.

“Jesus Christ Gavin!!” You wheeze, pressing a hand to your chest as you stared at him with wide eyes. He was rubbing his chin, throbbing with pain though his smile didn’t falter. “You scared the hell out of me!!” You let out a breathy chuckle, pressing your other hand to your forehead and sliding back into your seat sideways to crane your neck and look at him.

“Sorry, sorry!” Gavin lifts his hands apologetically, still grinning from ear to ear. “I couldn’t resist that- I mean, I called you like three times first.” Pulling out the second chair at the little table, he took a seat of his own, slipping his bag from his shoulders and setting it on the ground. “Ditch this shit, I brought food. Let’s watch something.” He unzips the top of the backpack and pulls out the to-go containers, sweeping papers aside with one hand and placing the food there instead. You sigh, catching his attention yet again. “What? What’s up?” Guilt is scrawled over your face, and you stand from your seat again, crossing over to him and letting yourself fall down into his lap. You wrap your arms around his neck, leaning your head on his shoulder and placing a kiss on his jaw.

“I have to study, Hon,” You mutter, rubbing your nose along the light stubble decorating his chin. “I have a pre-exam tomorrow.” Gavin lets out a groan, his head falling back and thumping against the back of the chair.

“Come oonnnn (Y/N), you’re good at everything! Why do you have to studyyy?” His words came out in a whine, lifting his head again to bump it gently against yours. You smile and shush him gently, lifting one hand from where it hung behind his back before to gently run it through his deep brown hair.

“You’ll wake my roommate if you aren’t careful.”

“Oh, who gives a shit if I wake Tina.” Gavin finally smiles, his tone humorous. He bumps his nose against yours, and then places a kiss on your lips. “Just watch one episode of something? Your pick? Just while we eat?” Jutting out his bottom lip in a pout, Gavin furrows his brows, flashing his most powerful puppy dog eyes but you still aren’t phased.

“Sorry, Gavvy, not tonight. Why don’t you sit with me? We can study together, or you can just keep me company.” You move to stand again, but before you can Gavin wraps his arms around your waist and traps you against him. You roll your eyes, for a moment just thinking he’s acting silly and playful before he rests his chin on your shoulder, pressing his face into the nape of your neck. You feel a slight wetness and realize that he’s tearing up. Panic settles into your chest, and you let out a quiet gasp. “Gav, what’s wrong? What’s the matter, Love?” You shift, bringing one leg over so you are straddling his hips, holding his face in your hands and guiding his gaze to meet yours. Those grey-green eyes are glassy, swirling with a mixture of emotions you can’t quite place. “Talk to me, Baby.” His arms close tighter around your waist and he pulls you flush against his chest, not able to look you in the eye. A mutual trust was something you had worked on cultivating together, and Gavin knew he could tell you anything- but that didn’t change the fact that he was still afraid.

“I... My brother made the News today. Y’know his robot girl?” His voice is quiet, strained, pushed through gritted teeth. You hum an affirmation- you knew all about Chloe. “It passed some sort of test today, and... and, because of it, he got some sort of grant to make more of ‘em. He’s gonna start selling them for all sorts of shit.” Your arms wrapped around his neck, one resting on the back of his head, the other rubbing soothing circles into his back. You didn’t see what the problem with his brother doing something great was, but you let him continue anyways. “He’s gonna be famous, (Y/N). He’s gonna be rich, and then I’m gonna be even more of a fucking failure.” Ohhhh, that was what was wrong. Your frown grew, and you pulled away, pushing Gavin back so that you could look him in the eye again. Before he could avert that ashamed gaze, you place your hands back on his cheeks, one thumb tracing his cheekbone gently.

“Fuck Elijah.” You say sternly, and lean in to rest your forehead gently against his, “That lonely son of a bitch can do whatever he wants with his life, but he won’t ever get someone who likes you like I do. He might have money, he might get famous, but I don’t think he’ll ever know what it feels like to be dating the single greatest guy in the world.” Gavin chuckles, shaking his head as best as he can while trapped in your embrace. “Hey, shut up,” You hold his face tighter, stopping that denial, and flick your eyes open. “I love you, Gav. Don’t forget that.” His own eyes flick open again as well. He lets out a watery chuckle, a tear slipping out and running a trail down his cheek.

“Hey, Baby?” He asks, his voice gritty with emotion. You hum, bumping your nose against his. “Do you feel bad enough to watch TV with me?” You can’t stop the chuckle that escapes you as you pull away, grinning, and you feel contentedness spread through you at that dashing smile on his own face. It’s weak and wobbly, still a little sad but also grateful and in love and goofy. You lift one finger, tapping his nose, and roll your eyes.

“Get up, asshole. I’ll fail Science, just for you.”

Chapter Text

Oh, God. You absolutely hated this. Standing here, outside of the house of fucking Gavin Reed, you've never ever felt more helpless. It was your mothers birthday tonight, and of course you had been invited- sadly, along with your invitation she had mentioned how she really, really couldn't wait to meet that great guy you always mentioned. You hadn't told her a name, and now you're glad that you didn't because Cameron (the great guy that you always mentioned) had dumped you. When you had gotten that text, you were already in the middle of getting ready for the party. You had already confirmed your attendance, you had already promised your mother that you'd bring your boyfriend home and now he broke it off. That's how you found yourself here, on the doorstep of your least favourite co worker. The DPD had rather slim pickings- the only single folk were Connor (who was going undercover for the night with Hank), Hank (See the last point- also, he's a little too old for you), Tina (A lovely girl, but you'd promised your mother you were bringing home a guy) and, as fate has it, Gavin. So yeah. You were doing this.

"Jesus Christ, (Y/N), you just love getting yourself into predicaments." You grit your teeth as you raise one fist, and then tap on the door three short, clipped times. It's seconds later that you hear the lock click open, and then Gavin is presented to you, still in his casual work clothes of a dark grey t-shirt and some well-loved jeans. You must look absolutely ridiculous with your hair all done in your fanciest outfit. Gavin's eyebrows shot up, and then came back down in a suspicious glare.

"The fuck do you want?" Gavin leans heavily on the door frame, arms crossed in front of his chest. His grey eyes raked up and down your apparel, alighting with the faintest traces of amusement. "Why the snobby getup?" It had been approximately 30 seconds and you wanted to punch him in the teeth.

"I need your help." The words are forced out through gritted teeth, laced with reluctance and maybe even a little bit of disgust. Never in a thousand years did you see yourself coming to Gavin for help- especially in a situation like this. Even if he did agree to be your fake date for the night, there wasn't a chance that your parents would like his prickly, stuck up attitude.

"Oh?" Gavin smirked, raising one eyebrow, almost suggestively. Your face went beet red as you caught what he thought was happening.

"No- No! Gavin, I am not here to hook up with you or any shit like that! I-" You cut yourself off, sucking a deep breath to cool your fraying nerves. This was even more difficult than you had imagined. "It's my mom's birthday tonight and my date ditched me. She's expecting a guy and you're my only option." As an afterthought, just to confirm that there were zero feelings behind this, you add, "I'm not happy about it either, but I'm desperate." Gavin sat there in silence for a moment, his cool, level gaze boring into yours. At last, he shrugged.

"Do my paperwork for a month and I'll do it." He holds onto that smirk, challenging you to disagree, mocking you because he knows you can't.

"I'll do a week of paperwork." Gavin is a busy guy- no way are you doing his shit for a whole damn month. His eyebrows raise, and he rolls his eyes, standing upright and leaning in a little closer, challenging you further.

"Two weeks. Take it or leave it." A second passes, and then you let out a huff, shaking your head.

"Fine. Two weeks of paperwork, but you have to behave. My mom and dad are pretentious as all hell. You can't act like a giant toddler." Now it's your turn to cross your arms, weight shifting to one foot in a sassy way. Gavin scoffs, a hand on his chest in mock-offense.

"I'm very capable of being polite, mind you!" With that, he took a step backwards, motioning for you to come inside. "Go... sit in the living room or some shit. Mind the furry demons. I'll go get into something as equally as shiny as you." You don't bother thanking him, your face still red and burning with an odd mixture of shame and humiliation. This is by far the worst situation you've ever been in. As you move for the couch, taking a seat on the white plush cushions, you note how weirdly tidy Gavin's house is. There are plants nearly everywhere, and the furniture is sleek and modern with colonial undertones. The colour palette stuck around whites and browns, pleasant and earthy. Not what you would have expected- but then again, anything that isn't the dumpster behind McDonald's was unexpected. Something brushes against your leg, making you jump. Your gaze whips downwards and you spot a long-furred black cat, staring up at you with wide, green eyes. She's utterly adorable. A baby pink collar dangles around her neck with a silver bell, and a name tag of the same colour reading 'Bitch'. Charming. You reach down to stroke Bitch's head, smiling gently to yourself as you hear her rumbling purrs. To your left, the couch shifts, and looking that way reveals another cat, this time a mottled kitty consisting of orange, white and black- his eyes were a striking amber, and his black collar told you his name was 'Asshole'. You roll your eyes.

"Why's Gavin name you two after himself?" You snicker to the cats as you speak, standing up as Asshole tries to climb into your lap. You can't have his cat hair ruin your clothing. "Sorry, baby," You hum to him as he watches you leave, patting his hair one more time before deciding to gaze at the plants. Across from the sofa and behind the TV was a bay window with no room to sit. Instead of soft pillows and cushions, the seat was taken over entirely by different greenery. You spotted a monstera and what you thought was a chain of hearts, but other than that nothing was familiar to you. They were pretty, though, gorgeous, and seemingly well taken care of. A few more minutes pass before you here Gavin's approaching footsteps, turning to greet him and hearing your voice die in your throat. He had no right. He had absolutely zero right to look attractive. He smiled at your obvious speechlessness, holding out his arms to present himself. He wore a maroon turtleneck with a dark grey blazer over top and matching slacks with clean black shoes. His hair had been swept into something slightly more tidy than usual, and he looked newly-shaven, with only a little bit of stubble dancing across his face.

"Like what you see?" He teased, taking a few steps closer, and you panic to get something out.

"Uh- Bitch!" That... wasn't... You try again. "Bitch and Asshole, your cats- I see them, and I do like them, yes." Not your smoothest recovery, but Gavin does nothing but roll his eyes, that stupidly dazzling smile still on his face. Just because he's a little tiny bit pretty when he tries doesn't mean he isn't still a garbage human being. "Let's go. Please." Your face is still certainly red, and you hate the way your voice cracks. "I don't want to be late." You beeline for the door, right past him, your eyes glued to literally anything except for him.

"Sure thing, sweetheart." Gavin seems to be amused by this situation, the corny little pet name coming off dripping with mockery. You ignore it, pulling open his door and stepping back outside. The cool dusk air streams into your lungs, centering yourself and slowing down your racing thoughts. This would be just fine. You would make do with Gavin for a night, and then it would be totally and completely forgotten. Easy. You head to your car, and are about to go for the drivers seat when Gavin pushes past you, extending a hand for the keys. "I wouldn't be a gentlemen if I didn't offer to drive, would I?" You almost decline, but instead you just groan and roll your eyes, tossing him your keys and settling for passenger. He's right and you hate it- he would lose immediate brownie points if your parents saw that you were driving instead of him. They love to be traditional. The car is started, and as you load up directions on your GPS Gavin tries to spark up conversation. You had really just wanted to put on the radio and tune him out, but that didn't seem to be happening. "So, your parents- what are their names?"

"Emiliana and Augustine." Hearing how pretentious the names are, Gavin lets out a low whistle, elbowing you gently and flashing you a sly smirk.

"How'd you get stuck with something as generic as (Y/N)?" He laughs to himself, a little to hard, at his own stupid joke. You do nothing more than roll your eyes, and he moves on after a moment to the next question. "How did we meet?"

"Uh- work? Obviously?" Your tone comes out a little snippy, and you huff, mumbling a nearly inaudible apology. "You showed me around the precinct and took me out for welcome drinks or some shit." Gavin hums, acknowledging your words and then immediately ignoring them as he goes off with his own story.

"I saved you from the gaping jaws of death when there was a gun to your head. Then, you fell in love at first sight." Another eye roll.

"You're insufferable."

"As I've been told." For the remainder of the ride (which was nearly an agonizing thirty minutes) you were both silent, with the occasional mumbled curse from Gavin directed at other drivers. When you arrived at your parents house, you perfectly predicted how Gavin would react. He leaned forwards, staring out the front window with wide eyes, his jaw dropping. Yeah, your parents were disgustingly rich. Yeah, they had a big house. But, they were also selfish pricks that you rarely got along with. "Good lord," Gavin grins, but you can see trace amounts of anxiety in his eyes, "You should have asked me out sooner. I didn't know you were loaded."

"I'm not," You shoot back, and for some reason you feel the urge to give him a reassuring smile. You suppress it. "My parents are, and they refuse to share any of it with me." Gavin nods his head, leaning back in his seat as he approached the mansion. "Park here," You point to the free spot you knew was reserved for you, since it had been your designated parking spot ever since you were gifted your first car at the age of 16. "Now, do I have to go over the rules again?" You flip down the sun visor, looking into the little mirror and making sure you looked as nice as possible. Without giving Gavin a chance to decline, you continue, "Don't be an ass. Don't speak unless they talk to you first. Don't humiliate me in front of everyone. Don't be a creep."

"Calm the fuck down, (Y/N), I'll be a great guy for the night." With that, you smile at him, a sickly sweet expression that is so perfectly fake that he might have believed you were actually head over heels for him. You reach over, into the back seat, and bring forth a large bouquet of pale, warm coloured flowers along with a bottle of golden wine.

"Let's get this shit over with- oh! Another rule- no swearing."

---

Inside the (L/N) manor was a glamorous sight. It was all marble floors and chandeliers, grand staircase and doorknobs made out of literal gold. With your arm around Gavin's, you plaster that 'I'm so grateful to be here' smile onto your face and step into the building. Below your feet spans a massive white carpet, patterned with navy blue accents and bordered with tassels pony-tailed by gold bearings. The roof overhead arched like that of a cathedral, echoing the sounds of hundreds of voices belonging to the people packed within. A grand staircase rose ahead of you without a single clear shot in it's direction due to the party attendees, yet despite the blockade you could still make out the form of your mother and father standing halfway up the ornate steps.

"There they are," You point out, and give Gavin's arm a reassuring squeeze without really thinking of it, "Let's go be fancy for a while." You are the one mostly leading the way, at a pace just slow enough that Gavin can stick close. You push through the crowd, mumbling 'excuse me' and 'pardon me' every few seconds and smiling that dazzling grin at any face that's even vaguely familiar. You have a few people greet you, but you don't stop to greet back, quickly snipping out that you have to see your mother and then you can catch up with them. What feels to be decades later, you finally break out through the opposite end of the crowd, and are immediately recognized by your dad. His face lights up with that magazine-cover smile, his prim black tux contrasting the pale tones of your mothers eccentric gown. "Mom!" You smile, passing a rapid glance at Gavin before breaking away and hurrying up the steps.

"Oh, my darling!" Emiliana is beaming, opening her gloved arms in a hug and crushing you within it. "I'm so glad you could make it!"

"Happy birthday, mom. I'm glad to be here." Your mother is notorious for never wasting a second. As soon as you separate her gaze is on Gavin, frighteningly predatory, as if trying to gauge just from his exterior if he's worth the time of her child.

"Who's this?" Augustine steps up, giving you a welcoming smile, also entranced by Gavin's presence. You hold your hand towards your 'date' and he steps forwards to take it.

"Good evening," He begins, his tone even and shockingly polite, "My name is Gavin. It's lovely to be here tonight, and even lovelier to finally meet you." with his other hand, Gavin takes your mothers, placing a kiss on her knuckles. She giggles, her glittering gaze turning to you for a moment as she nods her head. A single wave of relief rolls through you- first impressions are done. Now, Gavin just has to stay good for the next hour and a half to two hours.

"It's an honor to meet you all the same. I've heard great things from (Y/N), and it's pleasant to know that you're as dashing as she claimed you were." You feel your face redden at your mothers words, Gavin giving your hand a teasing squeeze. He knows that you saying he was 'dashing' had all been directed at your old boyfriend, but he was still going to make fun of you.

"And I can see where my dear was gifted their good looks." Gavin glances briefly from Emiliana to Augustine, both attractive people. He would never admit, even to himself, that you, too, were pretty damn good looking. Emiliana giggled again, placing a hand on Augustine's upper arm.

"Well isn't he a charmer!" She whispers to him, not meaning for you or Gavin to overhear. When you do, Gavin glances at you, his grin wide and stupid and it makes your heart do something gross akin too the flutter of a butterflies wings. "Would you two enjoy some champagne? Let me get you some champagne!" Emiliana steps a few steps down, raising one hand to signal for her waiters to come running. A man with a tray hurries up the steps, numerous glasses of a golden liquid held within them. Your mother takes two in one hand and another two in the other, offering one set to you and your 'date'. You take the glass with a mumbled thank you, bringing the alcohol hastily to your lips and trying to fight the urge to chug it all. You want to get absolutely wasted and forget about this, but, of course, that isn't an option. Instead, your sip is small and polite, and the champagne tastes like liquid fire, bubbly and quite delicious. Your father speaks,

"So- how did you two happen to meet?" Gavin turns to you with a smile that must look nothing but genuine to your parents- however, to you, you know what it means.

"Well, it all started with a chase gone wrong."

To be continued :)