A Stranger Who Looks Just Like You

by Sonayesul

Summary:

“The damage sustained to RK900 had been too great,” Fowler explained, voice solemn as he explains. “He was able to be repaired, but unfortunately all of his memory database had to have been reset as there had been a virus within causing more interior damage to his processors.”

Gavin feels his entire world shatter as he’s delivered the news. Sitting on the cot of a hospital bed with a bullet wound to his shoulder that was still healing. A bullet that he had taken for Nines, only for the other to be fucking hit by a truck by their suspect head on.

The fucker who, apparently, couldn't even remember him now.

Fuck his life.

 

~~~

Nines gets severely damaged and his memory gets reset. Now Gavin has to deal with the fallout and he's not dealing with it well.

“Hey, hey you fucking plastic prick, you can’t die on me.” Gavin pleaded, holding his wounded shoulder as he tried to keep Nines awake. Nines’ LED was already fading, a glaring red as Nines turned towards his voice.

 

Half of his face was smashed in, completely crumpled from the force the truck had hit him dead on with. The other half was slowly peeling back to show the pure white underneath. Nines’ didn’t look at Gavin, no, he looked just past him, like he couldn’t properly see him. Nines was shaking a little, eyes twitching a little and he grimaced. Gavin cursed under his breath.

 

“I am sorry, Reed-” “For fucks’ sake, how many times do I have to tell you, just fucking call me Gavin.” Gavin’s voice is thick with emotion, bent over the android, shaking. Distantly he can hear an ambulance approaching but none of that matters right now.

 

Nines’ mouth gently upturns a little as he rests back a little. “Gavin.” Nines said, voice fond and gentle as he spoke and Gavin’s heart began to race. “I’m sorry to leave you like this.”

 

“You are not fucking saying goodbye to me right now,” Gavin threatened. “Don’t you- don’t you fucking dare.”

 

Nines was silent for a long moment and if it wasn’t for the still (faint) flickering LED, Gavin might’ve worried he’d already gone. Nines licked his lips slowly, a nervous habit he had picked up from Gavin despite the fact it did nothing for him as an android.

 

“I really am sorry,” Nines said and gently lifted a hand, aimlessly patting the air until he found Gavin’s shoulder, squeezing it tightly. “I meant to-”

 

And the LED flickers off. It didn’t fade out slowly like Gavin had thought it would. It dimmed, then it flickered off, and Nines went silent, his heavy ass android body going deadweight on Gavin’s lap and the detective groaned out, both in emotional and physical pain.

“Nines?” Gavin asked, voice shaking and he shook the android a bit, but received no response. His eyes began to well with tears and his lip quivered as he shook Nines again. “Nines, fuck you, Nines, wake up, come on, you fucking bastard. Come on you fucking Terminator, open your eyes. Don’t do this to me.”

 

“Gavin? Gavin!?” Tina’s calling out to him, jumping over the wreckage from the ruined building to get to him, kneeling down and Gavin crumples over Nines’ lifeless body, sobs wrecking through his body. “Oh god, is he-?”

 

“Tina,” Gavin cries out, voice broken, strangled and barely loud enough to carry across the road. The sirens get louder as the ambulance pulls to a stop near them. Tina moves the android’s lifeless and heavy body off of Gavin’s lap before pulling him into a tight hug. Gavin completely collapses in her hold, wailing no longer that of an ambulance, but that of a mourning detective.

He’s taken in by a paramedic soon after and his memories fade out, exhaustion and pain catching up and the world goes black.

~~~~

When he comes to, his shoulder screams in pain and he winces at the bright lights of the hospital room. His nose is overwhelmed with the permeating smell of sanitisation, a smell he’s starting to become too familiar with, and he groans.

 

Nurses come by quickly to check on him, run him through the basic “do you know who you are?” questions and check his vitals, before leaving him and letting in two visitors.

 

Gavin blinks and squints as he properly sits up to greet his visitors, and as his eyes land on them, his heart lurches in his chest. Captain Fowler stands in the room, his face grim as an android stands next to him, shoulder to shoulder. Nines , alive, and not even fucking damaged as he stares at Gavin.

 

“Nines-” Gavin’s cut off by the android the moment he opens his mouth.

“Hello Detective Reed. My name is RK900, I’m the android sent by Cyberlife. I will work with you as your partner as per my assignment.”

Gavin’s heart falls to his stomach and he feels all the colour drain from his face.

No .

 

Not like this. 

 

Anything but this.

 

“Wh-” Gavin had begun and looked desperately at Fowler, who ducked his head.

 

“The damage sustained to RK900 had been too great,” Fowler explained, voice solemn as he explains. “He was able to be repaired, but unfortunately all of his memory database had to have been reset as there had been a virus within causing more interior damage to his processors.”

Gavin feels his entire world shatter as he’s delivered the news. Sitting on the cot of a hospital bed with a bullet wound to his shoulder that was still healing. A bullet that he had taken for Nines, only for the other to be fucking hit by a truck by their suspect head on.

 

Nine’s body had crumpled, been bent and torn at every angle because the fucker hadn’t just hit Nines, he had hit him then run him over before taking off, leaving their backup to chase after.

Nines had promised him he’d be fine going into this assignment. He knew they were tracking down a well known Anti-Android group and he had promised Gavin he would be safe, promised he’d be fine. He had promised and now-

“That’s not all,” Fowler says, like he isn’t just breaking Gavin’s heart and the detective looks at him, dumbfounded. What more could there be? “Because they had to reset his memory, it was protocol to erase all prior downloads and personality codes he’d gathered over the last year since he was awoken.”

 

Gavin squints at him. “Which means...?” He asked, brain not fully up to speed because it’s still stuck on the fact that Nines- No, RK900 - doesn’t even remember him.

 

“He is not deviant.” Fowler explained slowly and, wow, isn’t that just the fucking cherry on the top?

 

Gavin shook his head and turned to look at the android standing at the foot of his cot. The RK900 looked at him, face void of emotion, standing tall with his shoulders rolled back and hands collapsed behind him. The picture of poised and collected behaviour, almost nothing like the fucking passive aggressive, yet caring prick Gavin had gotten to know over the last half year. 

 

“Then- What the fuck, what’s the-” Gavin has to pause to stop the waver in his voice, the hot tears that are welling up behind his eyes. “Why even have him still fucking around then?!”

 

“He is still an excellent detective,” Fowler defended. “He was designed to be the best, and he would still continue to be helpful at the precinct. He will still continue to serve us at the DPD, but I understand if you no longer wish for him to be your partner.”

 

And Gavin isn’t sure what was worse. Truly losing Nines, never working with him again, the last memory being his face crumpled and apologising to Gavin, or working with this shell of what he should be, having to be reminded every day that the real Nines is gone.

 

“I can’t-” Gavin isn’t sure what to say. He can’t work with him? He can’t lose him completely? He can’t answer right now? Gavin shakes his head, trying to choke back his sobs. “I- Don’t-”

 

Fowler seems to understand his apprehension and ducks his head low. “I’ll give you time to make your decision,” Fowler said. “Take your time to recover, decide what you think is best. I’m truly sorry this happened.”

 

Fowler sets down a get well card on the table next to Gavin and turns to leave, gesturing for RK900 to follow him.

 

RK900 looks at Gavin long and hard for a beat too long and Gavin sneers at him.

 

“The fuck do you want?!” Gavin shouted at him. Angry, grieving, mad, guilty, mourning, heartbroken as RK900, a face so familiar yet now a stranger, just stares at him.

 

“Hm,” RK900 said before turning stiffly and following after the Captain.

 

Gavin only sits to recover for a week before being alone (save for when Tina will stop by after work) in his empty apartment begins to make him antsy. 

 

He drags himself to work, barely having gotten any sleep within the last seven days. Waking up after nightmares of Nines’ dying face stares up at him, his LED flickering out.

 

When Gavin steps into the precinct, he sees a few others turn to him before there’s a few exchanges of money. He gruffs at that, rolling his eyes as he drags himself to his desk, slumping down and turning on his computer.

 

Hank passes by his desk before turning and stopping to talk to him. “You’re back later than I thought.” Hank confessed and Gavin angrily gestured vaguely around the room.

 

“Oh yeah, you all taking bets on how long I’d fucking mope about?” Gavin asked and Hank snorted.

 

“More like how short it’d be before you got back to work.” Hank corrected. “Everyone knows you’re a workaholic. I figured you’d be back yesterday though.”

 

“Yeah, well, sorry to be fucking unreliable.” Gavin grumbled as he began to sort through some of the newer cases that had come in. He means for this to be Hank’s que to leave but the old man keeps standing at his desk so Gavin turns to glare at him. “What?”

 

Hank sighed, scratching at the nape of his neck and avoiding eye contact. “Fowler wants to know if he needs to rearrange partners.” Hank informed and Gavin scoffed. 

 

“Yeah? And what’s his plan if I say I don’t want to work with that fucking hunk of metal, huh?” Gavin sneered. He doesn’t want to even entertain the idea anymore. The thought of having this constant reminder of Nines was almost worse than just losing him.

 

“Fowler’s not stupid enough to pair you up with a human since you can’t keep a partner for longer than a month,” Hank explained bluntly. “And since our department’s sort of lacking in the android detective aspect, he just wants us to swap.”

 

Gavin pauses, fists tightening where they sit next to his keyboard and his jaw clenches.

 

So it’s either work with the empty shell of RK900 and miss every inch of who Nines used to be, or work with someone who shares his exact face and voice but couldn’t be anymore different from him?

He thinks both options are shitty as fuck and he ducks his head, running the options over in his head.

 

“Yeah? And you agree to the possibility of losing your little robo-boy toy?” Gavin snarked and Hank gave him a sharp glare but his body language remained unthreatened. 

 

“Unlike you, I can get along with others and so can he.” Hank informed. “And I know Connor can handle himself if you try any of that bullshit you did with him when he first started. No pulling any guns on him and everything will be fine.”

 

Gavin looks at him with a tired and angered glance and Hank just meets it with his own resolve and no-nonsense expression.

 

After what feels like forever, Gavin turns back to his computer, opening a case file and reviewing it. 

 

“Tell Connor to keep up,” Gavin said, sending the file to his phone and standing up. “We’re heading to a scene now.”

 

Hank’s shoulders relax a little, he doesn’t seem completely thrilled by Gavin’s decision to swap, but he doesn’t say anything in retaliation, just nods and turns away.

 

By the time Gavin gets outside to his car, Connor is already standing next to it, straightening up when he sees Gavin approaching and doing his best to school his expression into something neutral.

 

Gavin stares at Connor, a face so familiar yet the person inside someone he barely knows and scoffs, unlocking the car and saying nothing as he starts driving to their crime scene.

 

Connor sits stiffly in the passenger seat, fingers drumming along the top of his thigh and he clearly wants to speak but he’s nervous.

 

“Just spit it out,” Gavin snapped when the repetitive tapping from him became too annoying and Connor clears his throat, folding his hands in his lap.

 

“Why did you agree with the switch?” Connor asked and Gavin side eyed him. Connor was staring hard at him and Gavin turned away quickly.

 

He stays silent, hands gripping the steering wheel a little tighter, trying to stop himself from shaking.

 

Because he can’t work with RK900, he can’t even fucking call him RK900 without feeling like he’s about to burst into tears, because he’d spent months and months getting close to Nines and he was the first person Gavin had started to trust. Because it just hurts too fucking much to have lost all of that and have to work with a reminder of how he failed Nines.

 

“None of your fucking business,” Gavin grunts and Connor simply nods. Nines would’ve pushed and prodded until Gavin snapped and told him and the silence Connor leaves weighs him down. 

 

They arrive at the scene and climb out of the car, immediately being directed to where they need to look.

 

There’s an android, torn to pieces in the middle of the room and Gavin’s stomach rolls at it. He feels Connor pause behind him before pushing forward.

 

A dead android isn’t as gruesome as a human’s death, but it’s just as impactful. Ever since the androids deviated, Gavin had been working on changing his whole outlook on the hunks of metal that walk around. It came at the cost of feeling more sympathetic when they were killed.

 

Gavin rips his gaze away from the poor android and turns to where a little girl is crying bloody murder in an adult's arms. He walks over to them while Connor begins to scan the room for information.

 

“Hello,” Gavin greeted, tired as he spoke to the adult. “What happened here?”

 

The adult had a hand covering the bottom of her mouth, shaking her head silently. “He was- He was Ally’s babysitter. I was at work so I didn’t- I work the night shift, you know? I was supposed to be working still but then Ally called and- I don’t know, I don’t even know how anyone got in here. I don’t know why they’d do something like this.

 

“Trevor- That was his name, Trevor was nothing but kind. Even after deviating, he chose to stay and help care for Ally. Made sure someone watched her while- While I was gone. He’d never hurt a soul, he’s never made any enemies I just- I don’t know why someone would do this,” The woman breaks off into stifled sobs and Gavin sighs, all too familiar with the pain she’s feeling.

 

He turns to the girl clutching at her mom and tries to soften his expression into something gentler and less “hasn’t slept for a week and just got out of the hospital and feels like and looks like death incarnate.” She buries her face in her moms chest but then peeks one eye out at him nervously.

 

“Hi,” Gavin greeted, quiet. “I’m Gavin, are you Ally?”

 

The girl nods slowly, glancing up at her mom who just gives her a reassuring nod. 

 

“Yeah... Hi Gavin,” Ally mumbled in a small, wavering voice. 

 

“Hey. I was wondering if maybe I could ask you some questions? If that’s okay with you.” Gavin asked and Ally looked at her mom, who nodded once again. Ally untangles herself from her mom and her mom gently rests her on the ground.  “What do you say we go to a different room to talk?”

 

Ally nods small and reaches out to Gavin. It takes him a second to realise she wants his hand and he offers it to her, her small, soft fingers wrapping around his tough calloused ones.

 

He leads her away from the murder and into the kitchen, where there’s less people to overwhelm her and he sits at the table. She lets go of his hand and turns, dragging over a pink plastic chair that’s clearly hers and hers alone. 

 

She makes a big show of climbing up onto it and turning to him, nervous. 

 

“So, you were here when it happened?” Gavin asked and Ally sniffled, nodding slowly. Gavin pulls out a notepad to start writing on to keep track of any information he may have.

 

“I was waking up, it’s Tuesday,” Ally said and paused before explaining. “School. I had- School. Trevor was making breakfast and then there was a crash.”

 

Gavin looks up at that. “You didn’t hear the door open?” Gavin asked. He hadn’t stopped to inspect the door, but he was sure there would’ve been signs of a break in since Ally lives in an apartment on the third floor of a complex. 

 

Still, Ally shakes her head. “No, the door was still- They didn’t come through the door.”

 

“They? Was there more than one?” Gavin asked and Ally nodded, holding up two fingers. “Did you see their faces?”

 

“Not well,” Ally presses her fingers together nervously. Her face is red and blotchy from tears and her hair is mussed, half brushed and it makes Gavin’s heart hurt. She’s so small, she shouldn’t have to experience grief like this (though from looking around the house at the few pictures of her and her father, and the now lack of one, he’s sure she’s already dealt with it before, which makes him sadder).

 

“How’d they get in?” Gavin asked and Ally shrugged. “I don’t know, I didn’t see. I was brushing my hair.” She mumbled.

 

“Did they see you?” Gavin asked and Ally nodded, eyes still watering.

 

“They told me- They said they weren’t going to hurt me. Just- Just Trevor.” Ally muttered.

 

“Did they say why?” Gavin asked and Ally shrugged. 

 

“Maybe, I don’t remember.” She said and Gavin sighed. She clearly just wants to go back to her mother, but since she’s the only witness, he needs as clear a story as he can get from her.

 

“Can you describe what they looked like?” Gavin asked. “What you did see of them at least?”

 

“Uh, yeah, yeah.” Ally nodded slowly, blinking rapidly. She had to be at oldest 8, and here she was trembling over the loss of someone close to her. If it wasn’t wildly inappropriate for Gavin to hug strangers while on the clock, he would’ve pulled her into a tight, comforting hug.

 

Ally pointed at Gavin’s notepad. “Can I draw?” She asked and Gavin nodded.

 

“Yes, just- Can you tell me what they looked like?” He asked as he passed over the pen and notepad.

 

“Yeah uhm,” Ally began doodling. “One was really skinny and short. Kinda sorta as short as me. But I think they were an adult. Or a big kid, I’m not sure, I didn’t see their face. They had like, browny-yellow hair though.

 

“And uhhh, the other guy,” Ally frowns and ducks her head, focused on drawing. “He was like, bigger. Tall, taller than Trevor, and he was wide. Not, like, plushy wide, like blocky wide.”

 

“He had muscles?” Gavin asked and Ally nodded. 

 

“Yeah, like spongebob,” Ally said which, first of all, Gavin didn’t know she would know spongebob since at this point it’s been like 15 years since the show ended and second of all, last he checked spongebob was not muscular but he didn’t question it. “He had silver hair and was mean. He kept yelling at Trevor and saying, uhm, uh, can I say a bad word?”

 

“Yes, just don’t repeat it after, okay?” Gavin said, figuring since she was asking in the first palace, her mother might not be a fan of an 8 year old running around cursing at people.

 

“He said that like, all androids were just- Just hunks of useless metal, and he called him an asshole for stealing jobs from humans,” Ally mumbled the curse word in a small voice and sighed heavily, too heavy for a child. “Which he’s dumb because Mommy couldn’t find anyone to babysit me before Trevor.”

 

Gavin nodded and Ally put down the pen and pushed the notepad back to Gavin. He looked at the drawing she did and sighed.

 

It was a stick figure, a pretty detailed stick figure to be honest, of a little girl holding hands with a taller figure. There was a little circle he was sure meant to resemble an android’s LED and he sighed. He gently ripped the page off and handed it to her, Ally grabbing the paper a little happily before getting to her feet and running off to her mom.

 

Gavin sits at the table for a moment before he gets up to find Connor.

 

“It’s the same guys,” He told Connor, finding the android crouched over the deceased’s body with his hand halfway to his mouth. Gavin sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose over his scar. “How many times has Hank told you to stop tasting shit at scenes?”

 

“It is the most effective way for me to test a sample,” Connor argues and Gavin just gives him a tired glare. Connor proceeds to taste- Whatever it is he’s tasting before standing up. “What’s the same guys?”

 

“This,” Gavin gestured at Trevor and sighed. “It’s the same guys who Nines and I were tracking. It’s that stupid fucking cult.”

 

“So now they’re advancing to tracking down and killing androids in their own spaces,” Connor said. “Before they were only killing ones they had run into late at night. If they’re accelerating this fast, we need to send out a warning for androids in the area to be on alert.”

 

“Yeah,” Gavin sighed, staring down at Trevor’s mangled body. The way his eyes are rolled back, the half open mouth, the unlit LED. He shudders and turns away, storming back to the car. 

 

The next week is... awful, for lack of a better word. 

 

They stuck trying to figure out a lead on the Anti Android group, figure out who they are, who they’ll attack next, how many of them there are and how to stop them. 

 

Gavin isn’t used to working with Connor, Connor isn’t used to working with Gavin. But they suck it up and try to work together. Gavin has anger issues and Connor is annoying as fuck sometimes, but Gavin’s too tired to fight him. And even if he wasn’t, either Connor would hand his ass to him, or Hank would after finding out.

 

RK900 for some reason makes it his personal job to inconveniently bump into Gavin as much as physically possible and he has no idea why.

 

Gavin will go to the break room to get coffee and the tin can will be standing there, hands behind his back and staring at the entrance, like he’d been waiting for Gavin.

 

He’ll finish interrogating a suspect and leave the room, only to bump into RK900, who just regards him with a blank expression and a practised apology for being in the way.

 

Gavin will stay late to work on this fucking case and RK900 will stay until Gavin leaves, staring at him from across the room at his own desk.

 

Gavin will show up early and the fucking piece of shit will greet him with a bland expression and emotionless greeting.

 

It’s tiring Gavin out. He’s trying to avoid him, he’s been trying to since RK900 was reset, but the tin can is making it damn near impossible to do so and he doesn’t know why.

 

He confronts him six days after the partner switch when he bumps into him after leaving the evidence locker.

 

“Okay, what is your fucking problem!?” Gavin shouted, grabbing the front of RK900’s jacket (the stupid cyberlife jacket) and shaking him. 

 

RK900 regarded him with a neutral expression, not looking the least bit frightened or even surprised by Gavin’s outburst.

 

“I had been informed that we had been partners prior to my reset,” RK900 explained slowly, words calculated. “I had merely been trying to study your behaviours and preferences to see if I could understand your work process so we could switch partners back and Lt. Anderson could resume work with his old partner.”

 

Gavin growled and released RK900, only to firmly shove him on the chest. The android was taken a little bit by surprise and stumbled a few steps back as Gavin angrily pointed at him, digging his index finger into his chest.

 

“Listen to me, asshole.” Gavin said. “I didn’t stop being your fucking partner just because I was concerned about you not being able to keep the fuck up. I switched because I want nothing to do with a useless hunk of metal that insists on staying Cyberlife’s little fucking puppet.”

 

“If this is about me choosing not to deviate, I assure you that I would still remain a loyal partner in our line of work and would not allow any danger or harm to come to you,” RK900 explained, looking Gavin up and down slowly, like he was studying him and the gaze made Gavin want to crawl out of his skin. “Me being or not being a deviant has no impact on my ability to do work, Detective.” 

 

“You don’t fucking get it!” Gavin was yelling louder now, and gaining the attention of some of the others in the precinct. “I don’t want to work with you! It has nothing to do with you not fucking deviating and everything to do with the fact you don’t remember shit! A year of my life wasted trying to make you feel and act fucking human and I’m not doing it again! So just fuck. Off! ” 

 

Gavin shoves the android to the side and storms past him, glaring at the others in the room staring at him, with either pained or annoyed expressions, and slumped down into his seat to work.

 

RK900 does not, in fact, leave him alone after their conversation. In fact, for the next week, somehow, he manages to be even more in the way before and it pisses Gavin off to no end.

 

“Hello Detective Reed,” RK900 greets as Gavin sits down at his desk. RK900 tries for a smile, but it falls short due to his lack of any real emotions. 

 

“Fuck off,” Gavin growled at him, quickly searching for more information regarding yet another case he and Connor had. In the past week and a half, there have been four more android homicides since Trevor, and all signs pointed to the Anti-Android group they’d been tracking. 

 

The last murder had been sloppy, obviously they had been caught before they’d been able to finish and left behind not only a knife covered in fingerprints, but keys to a storage warehouse. The knife had been sent to labs to be identified and Gavin was just waiting on the warrant to search the warehouse to be approved. 

 

“Connor informed me the other day you had apparently given me a name,” RK900 continues, like he’s deaf and didn’t hear Gavin tell him to fuck off. “So I’ve decided to start using Nines again. Hopefully this will make you more familiar with me.”

 

Gavin glares at him sharply. “No, you don’t get to fucking use the name Nines. Nines died , you’re a useless hunk of metal who doesn’t know how to do anything but piss me off.”

 

Rk900 bristled at that, shifting his weight from foot to foot and levelling Gavin with a stern stare.

 

“I’ll have you know, Detective, that I do not take kindly to your consistently rude behaviour. Just because I’m not who you want me to be, doesn’t mean I don’t still have emotions.” RK900 scolded Gavin. “You don’t get to just push me around because you miss who I was.”

 

“Yeah, well, dipshit, you don’t have emotions because you haven’t deviated.” Gavin reminded, shaking his head and wetting his lips as he spoke and RK900 frowned at him. “And you’re the one who’s up my fucking ass all the time. Maybe take the que to back the fuck off and give me some goddamn space because it’s really fucking annoying with you shadowing me all the fucking time!”

 

RK900 mulled over Gavin’s words, his LED spinning from blue to yellow for a brief moment before changing back. 

 

“I am sorry , Detective, that you lost your friend, or whoever I was before. But it is not my fault he is gone, so stop treating me like such, as I won’t stand for it any longer,” RK900 informed, voice heavy with an underlying threat that hangs thick in the air. “And stop taking your anger out on Connor when you’re working, it’s not his fault either.”

 

And with that, RK900 walks away, footsteps heavy as he crosses the room to sit at his own desk.

 

Gavin huffed angrily but said nothing as he proceeded to work.

 

He knows it’s unfair to be mad at RK900, he’s right, it isn’t his fault Nines is gone. But it just hurts too much to see someone he trusted, someone he loved suddenly be wiped away with the nothing left behind.

 

No longer is Gavin greeted with a warm coffee made exactly how he likes it each morning. No longer does he have someone he can make snarky comments to and receive even snarkier comments in return. No longer does he have a partner that works with him so smoothly despite them never having to say a word. No longer does he come to work enjoying the day ahead of him because it held promises of inside jokes and teasing laughter. No longer does he have someone at his side who’s given him so many reasons to stay alive that he hadn’t even thought about how much better the world would be without him in months.

 

Gavin stares hard at his computer, angry, sad, fucking pissed, solemn. It takes him a minute to realise his eyes are watering and he runs to the break room before anyone can see him fucking crying at his desk like the pathetic fucking loser they all probably think he is.

 

Gavin slumps down at the empty table, shoulders shaking as he tries to stay quiet, blink back the tears that threaten to fall.

 

He jumps out of his skin when a small hand rests on his shoulder but relaxes when he meets Tina’s eyes.

 

“Hey,” she said, voice uncharacteristically soft and Gavin sniffed pathetically, turning away.

 

“Leave me alone,” He mumbled, voice breaking as he spoke and Tina sighed heavily, sitting in the chair next to him and scooting closer, keeping a comforting hand on his arm.

 

“Hey, you know you can talk to me, right?” Tina asked, gentle and Gavin feels like shit.

 

He hasn’t spoken to Tina much since Nines was reset. He hadn’t been walking to many people besides Connor and even then it was only when he was required to. He’d kind of just shut everyone out and shut his emotions off.

 

But it was hard. Hard to talk about. Cause what the fuck is he even supposed to tell people? The android he’d been pathetically pining for about three months now was just completely gone? The person who had made Gavin start to believe in love again just vanished? The only person Gavin had begun to truly trust with every part of him, broken and fixed, in the past 36 years was dead ?

 

He couldn’t even think about Nines, not really, without bursting into tears. He woke up every night haunted by Nines going limp in his arms, his LED flickering off, his unfinished last sentence.

 

The only person Gavin would be able to ever really talk about it, really, truly open up to, was gone and he felt lost. Like he was thrust back into the eye of the storm, watching the world erupt into chaos and end right around him while he stood stuck in the centre, safe but unable to stop the disaster that occurred just mere feet away from him. 

 

Gavin doesn’t say anything for a bit, just biting back tears. Tina lets him, gives him space to gather his thoughts and words, hand still warm on him and Gavin swallows thickly.

 

“I miss him,” Gavin said, voice barely a whisper as his sentence breaks off into tears and he just crumples forward. 

 

Tina moves fast, moving an arm around Gavin quickly and pulling him into a tight hug, swaying a little on her seat as Gavin clutches onto her, sobbing disgustingly into her shoulder.

They don’t really do the mushy shit. Gavin and Tina had become friends originally due to the fact they were too socially awkward with the others. Gavin too bitchy to warm up to the others, snapping and not wanting to work with any of them and Tina too untrusting of any of them just yet. She had been the only women in the precinct as well at the time she joined and was continuously feeling like she needed to prove herself.

They had bonded once over their joint ostracisation from the others. Then they slowly bonded over inside gossip they had found about others. They formed an unlikely bond, making fun of some of their coworkers, complaining about Fowler dumping work on them, both gunning for the detective position and making it a race to see who could get there first.

But they’d never really done the whole emotions sort of shit before. They’d open up now and then, tell each other about their life, maybe their past, something that pissed them off. But they never cried, never held each other as they sobbed like Tina is doing now.

 

Gavin can’t exactly say he hates it, but it feels a little awkward, too new and if he wasn’t currently crying, he’d probably make some sort of asshole comment and hide in his weird fucking feelings again.

 

However, Gavin is crying, so he says nothing and just trembles in Tina’s arms.

 

Gavin wasn’t a crier. In fact, he thinks he’s cried more this past month than he has in his entire life since he turned 13. 

 

Normally he just locked his emotions away, hid them behind a fortified wall that no one could break into.

 

Little had he noticed though, that in the past year, Nines had been slowly chipping away at it, breaking the foundation and tearing down the walls, removing rebar and cement until the wall was nothing but a thin piece of plaster that anyone could punch through.

 

Now Gavin felt, he felt too much, he felt everything and he couldn’t stop it and it was overwhelming and exhausting.

 

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay,” Tina said, her voice tinged with awkwardness because she wasn’t the best at the whole comforting thing, but Gavin appreciated the fact that she tried. He probably wouldn’t have been doing any better if their positions were reversed, if he’s being totally honest.

 

“No it’s not,” Gavin weeps back and Tina says nothing, just exhales slowly and holds Gavin a little tighter.

 

They pull apart when someone clears their throat a little awkwardly and Gavin makes quick work of wiping away his tears before facing the intruder.

 

“Fuck you want?” Gavin snapped, though the sharp anger of his sentence was lessened by the wavering of his voice and the blotchiness of his face.

 

“Connor found something,” Hank informed, nodding to the precinct area. “Wants to talk to you then ride out to the warehouse.”

 

“Fine,” Gavin said and gets to his feet, accepting the fact he looks a mess and trying to wear it with pride as he leaves the break room. He garners a few surprised stares, more sympathetic looks, but he ignores them as he makes his way to his partner.

 

Connor stands and follows Gavin outside to the car and Connor begins debriefing Gavin on his findings and that their warrant had been cleared so they can go check out the storage warehouse. 

 

“So I was going over all the cases we’d already been assigned the past few weeks, and then I was rooting through your old case files from before to see if there was anything we missed, or any connections,” Connor began explaining as Gavin drove. Connor was a bit more energetic in the way he spoke, hands moving around as he talked and it was still something Gavin was trying to get used to.

 

“Yeah, and you find anything?” Gavin would normally say something snappy, ask Connor if he was doubting his abilities as a detective. But first of all, Gavin himself doubted his abilities at the moment. He ran on max 3 hours of sleep every day and was too wrapped up in his head to make good judgement calls right now. And two... Well, RK900’s words sat heavy in his mind, and he decided to at least try to be nicer to Connor since they were stuck together for who knows how long. Connor is silent for a moment before speaking.

 

“Well, first off, the fingerprints from the knife have been identified, they belong to a Jeffery Hughs, he’s being taken into custody now and we can interrogate him later.” Connor informed. “But, during the uh, last case you and Nines handled, apparently, when they were... repairing him, they noted the indentation of a partial licence plate on his chest. It was on the file but I’m sure you... haven’t looked at it.” 

 

Gavin hasn’t but he doesn’t appreciate Connor knowing that.

 

“I traced the licence plate back to it’s owner, a man named Rico Smith, the truck had been reported stolen recently but then the charges were disputed. I did some more digging on the owner and apparently he owns a produce company and he refuses to make sales to androids.” Connor continued. “I think it’s possible the group stole his truck and he reported it, but then they recruited him so he dropped the charges. I have his location and we have plausible reason to question him.”

 

Gavin nodded, sighing heavily. “Sure.”

 

Connor ended up being completely on the money. When they arrived at Rico’s house, he had opened the door and immediately made to run when he realised who they were, only for Connor to sprint at an ungodly speed and tackle him quickly. He was detained and taken in while Gavin looked around his house for any information they could use.

 

The house was small, a little run down but what apartments weren’t at this point? Prices had gone up, pay went down and all landlords have ever done was take advantage of their tenants, not offering repairs while charging ungodly prices. 

 

Rico was barely a decorator though, there was exactly one picture on the wall and it was of him and another woman, she looked older and similar to him, so probably a relative, a sister or cousin, possibly a mother. 

 

The couch was in disarray, one of the cushions pulled off the couch and the other flipped upside down. One of the pillows had been taken out of the case. The TV across it had a shattered corner and kept fizzing out so Gavin turned it off. There was a small box in the middle to serve as a coffee table, covered in bills and court letters that offered no helpful information to Gavin. Besides that Rico was shit at paying bills on time.

 

The kitchen was barely touched save for a single plate and fork in the sink. The fridge was empty except for a mysterious liquid frozen to the top shelf and a few beer cans on the bottom. The counters were chipped and had a few food stains but nothing too concerning.

 

Gavin makes his way to the bedroom. The bed is made neatly with a small cat sitting in the centre of it. It meows when Gavin enters the room and Gavin isn’t entirely sure if the cat was Rico’s or a stray that just came through the open bedroom window. He pets it gently and it scratches at him before hissing and retreating to the corner of the bed.

 

“Well fuck you too,” Gavin grumbled and continued looking around. There’s a desk in the corner with a computer which, thankfully for Gavin, is already signed into. He sits down and begins sorting through, trying to see if there’s any information he could use on here.

 

He opens notes, files, applications, looking around for a while but finds nothing glaringly suspicious. Yet, at least. He moves to check the emails but he finds it’s password protected, which immediately makes him raise an eyebrow and look around the room for any possible clue that could help him with the password. 

 

He looks at the cat on the bed and sighs. “I don’t suppose you know the password.” He asked and the cat uncurls from where it’s curled up, a bell jingling as it does so, alerting the presence of a collar and Gavin perks up, walking over to the cat.

 

Carefully, he bends down and gently moves the cat’s head up so he could look at the collar, specifically the tag name.

 

“ Priscilla ,” Gavin read and the moment he lets go of the cat, she lunges and scratches at him again, but harder this time, really digging her claws in. Gavin draws in a sharp intake of breath in pain at that and glares at that cat. “Fucking asshole,” he grumbled and dragged himself back to the computer.

 

He tried Priscilla123, and when that didn’t work, he tried Pr1sc1ll4 and was let in instantly. He snorted at that as he’s let into the emails and shakes his head.

 

“Fucking predictable.” Gavin grumbled and sorted through the tons of emails.

 

There’s a few business related emails, but most of them-

 

Bingo.

 

There’s discussions about Anti-Android meetings, group attacks they plan, there’s even a list of Android unit numbers that they plan to wipe out.

 

Gavin stills when he sees RK models listed and how the fuck had it not occurred to him that Connor might be in trouble too. 

 

Hank will fucking kill him if anything happens to the kid, and Gavin just let Connor drive off with Rico without any backup. 

 

Well shit.

 

He quickly copies every email and sends it to himself to sort through properly later before pushing back the chair and rushing out. He has to run since Connor had taken the car, under the agreement that they weren’t too far from the station and Gavin was fine walking back. Gavin fumbles with pulling his phone out and speaks the moment the other picks up.

 

“Hank,” Gavin said, not waiting for the other man to even greet him. “I found a lot of information about the Anti-Android group. Long story short, I think their next target is Connor.”

 

“Well, he should be fine, he just got back here with the suspect. He’s about to interrogate him now.” Hank said and Gavin shook his head as he raced down the pavement. 

 

“Don’t underestimate any of these fuckers. They were talking about android specific weapon plans in one of the emails. Something about shit that fucks with androids and is discreet.” Gavin said and shook his head. “Unless you want Connor’s memories to get wiped too, get him the fuck away from the suspect until I get there.” 

 

Hank hangs up so quickly that Gavin’s almost worried he didn’t hear him but he doesn’t care, just focuses on sprinting to the station.

 

So, okay, time for some honesty here: Gavin doesn’t hate Connor. He’s not like, best fucking friends with him or anything, but contrary to belief, he kinda does enjoy the other’s presence from time to time.

 

Everyone else at the DPD is always so serious and down in the dumps. Connor is serious, yes, but he also tends to look on the bright side. He’s friendly, he tries to be nice to everyone when he thinks they deserve it and for some god forsaken reason he’s decided Gavin deserves it.

 

So Gavin is okay with him. Well, fine , Gavin can admit, he’s warmed up to the guy in the past almost year and that he’s come to appreciate what the other has to offer.

 

So no, he’s not about to have lost Nines and Connor before he can even properly befriend the social butterfly of an android.

 

That, and again, Hank would kill him if anything happened to Connor because of him.

 

Gavin’s lungs feel like they’re going to explode but he just has one more block, just one more block until he’s there so he pushes. He pushes through his aching lungs and screaming lungs. Ignores how his heart literally feels like it’s going to explode with how hard it’s racing as he bursts inside the precinct.

 

Several coworkers jump at his sudden entrance but he doesn’t care, rushing to the interrogation room.

 

Hank’s already in there, thank god , grabbing the suspect and shoving him against a wall, shouting in his face.

 

Connor, Gavin’s heart drops, is sitting in a chair, twitching. 

 

While Hank shouts and shakes down the suspect, Gavin kneels in front of Connor, eyes wide.

 

“Hey, hey, tin can,” Gavin snaps his fingers in Connor’s face and the android jumps so violently he almost falls out of his chair. “Hey, what’s wrong? What happened?”

 

Connor’s eye twitches and his LED is changing colours violently fast.

 

“Was interrogating-” Connor’s voice sounds layered as he speaks, fizzling off at the end of each word. “He had some sort of- Of button. He pressed it and it- Scrambled my sensors.”

 

Gavin looked over at Rico and there was a small button still held in his hand, barely the size of a thumbnail. Small enough to hide even if he was patted down and he curses under his breath. 

 

“Okay, come on,” Gavin said, grabbing Connor’s hand and pulling him up. The android’s limbs twitched and his head jerked back and forth. He ended up leaning on Gavin probably more than he intended.

 

“Whe-Where are we going?” Connor glitched and Gavin angrily huffed. “The fucking on site android technician, where the fuck else?” Gavin snapped and dragged Connor out and into the side room. 

 

They passed some of their coworkers, who looked a little shocked to see Gavin carrying the man he once punched in the stomach merely for existing to get “medical” help.

 

They enter the room and RK900 is in the middle of talking to the technician, an older woman named Sylvia, eyes widening when he sees Connor.

 

“Connor?” RK900 said, panicked and rushing to lift the android off of Gavin and setting him on the comfortable looking chair. “What happened?”

 

It takes Gavin a second to realise he’s asking him and Gavin crosses his arms, shaking his head. “We found a lead on the Anti-Android group. They have some- I don’t fucking know, advanced tech. Connor said it scrambled his processors.”

“Fucking-” RK900 looked at Connor worriedly and him cursing took Gavin by surprise by the surprise disappears when Connor groans out loudly, flinching, face controrted in pain and he frowns.

 

“What the hell is wrong with him? I thought the tin can said androids don’t feel pain?” Gavin asked and RK900 looked at him a little annoyed.

 

“Externally, he’s correct. But only to a certain extent. Excessive blunt force trauma, a weapon incredibly sharp, anything hurtful enough will.” RK900 explained mechanically. “Besides, this seems to be coming from within his unit, which would make the pain immensely more intolerable.”

 

Gavin bites his tongue then, watching as the technician scrambles around the small office, grabbing devices and pushing her hair back. RK900 holds onto Connor, face pinched with worry and he mumbles to Connor, trying to calm him.

 

Gavin watches his expression carefully. RK900 hasn’t deviated, he wasn’t deviated and continuously reminded them all of such anytime one of them mentioned it. But he definitely looked worried right now, concerned and confused, even a little protective as he held onto Connor.

 

And, brother . RK900 had called Connor brother once before. They had always been close before, Nines and Connor always called each other brother too, they had a whole debate about who counted as the younger sibling once, Nines because he was the newest model or Connor because he was less advanced once.

 

Gavin hadn’t actually known if they were still that close after Nines had been reset into RK900, but they’re clearly very close if the way RK900 looks ready to go pull the arms off the man who did this is anything to go off of. 

 

“Hold him,” The technician said and RK900’s hold turned from comforting to forceful, pressing Connor down into the chair as the other began to glitch and twitch more frantically.

 

“Hu-hurts,” Connor mumbled out and RK900 nodded slowly.

 

“I remember.” RK900 said, his voice heavy with “emotion” and Gavin stares at him.

 

“You... remember?” Gavin asked and RK900 spares him a glance, seeming annoyed by his presence still being there. “I thought your database was wiped.”

 

“It was,” RK900 explained. “My personality and memories were. But you can’t erase pain like that. It was- excruciating . It felt like every single wire was being torn out of me one by one, it felt like my system was melting and freezing. Every single centimetre of my body hurt.”

 

Gavin swallows thickly. When Nines had been run over, he hadn’t even thought about the fact that the Anti Android group had used any sort of device on him as well. Fowler had literally told him that the entire reason they needed to reset his memory and clear out all databases and codes was due to the fact that there was interior damage and he hadn’t thought anything else of it. 

 

Nines hadn’t just been hit with the fucking car, during that split second when they were fucking running him over, they must’ve used this device, or even worse, another one, on Nines to fuck with his system.

 

This was sick . They weren’t just killing androids, they were torturing them in their last moments too.

And Nines hadn’t even looked too much in pain. He’d twitched, his voice box had been a little glitchy, but he’d been more focused on apologising to Gavin for fucking dying than showing the pain he was in. 

 

Gavin realises now that he hid the pain so he wouldn’t worry Gavin, so that he wouldn’t panic even more than he did and his heart sinks to his stomach.

 

The technician puts on a fancy technological glove, something Gavin would probably understand if he knew anything about modern technology, but he can still barely work his new automatic microwave, so he’s helpless with this. She moves slowly and rests the gloved hand on Connor’s face, the glove glowing blue and Connor screams out a screech of absolute agony. 

 

Gavin has to look away and Hank comes rushing in then, glaring at all of them in the room until his eyes land on Connor. The android is gripping the arms of the chair, mouth dropped open as deafening screams crawl their way out of his throat, his back arching off the back of the chair with the pain shuddering throughout his body. 

 

“What are you doing?” Hank demanded angrily and Gavin grabbed his arm, holding him back from tackling the poor old woman. 

 

“Calm the fuck down,” Gavin said, his voice thick with unfallen tears. “She’s doing her job, or do you want a broken toy?”

 

“Stop calling him that! ” Hank shouted, tearing his arm from Gavin’s hold but turning to him, pointing a finger angrily in his face. “Some of us actually see these fuckers as the humans they are! They aren’t toys, they aren’t mindless fucking machines and I’m sick of hearing it from you .”

 

Gavin glared at him, frowning deeply and trying to ignore Connor’s screams. Hank turns to look at the android, face contorted into extreme concern and worry. Hank and Gavin stand in the doorway and out of the corner of his eyes he can see some of their coworkers trying to pretend they’re not listening to every word.

 

“You’re so fucking hypocritical to shout at me about this shit! You’re the one who was fucking bitching and moaning about having to work with an android just last year !” Gavin shouted, emotions from the past week swirling in his stomach and turning dark. Twisting and contorting into unbridled anger. Gavin snarled and pushed Hank back. Or at least, he tried, but Hank stood firmly and didn’t budge. “What, are you the only one allowed to complain about a fucking robot? All because a fucking android doctor couldn’t save your son!”

It’s a low blow, Gavin knows that. No one in the precinct has ever brought up Cole before, not if they wanted to leave work walking at least. But Gavin doesn’t care right now, he’s angry, he’s pissed, and he kind of wants everyone to hurt the way he does right now.

 

Hank’s eyes go wide before narrowing with anger. Hank’s arm rolls back and Gavin recognises gearing up for a punch when he sees it, but he doesn’t move. No, part of him is waiting for it, needs it. The harsh reminder of reality, the brute force of the punch that’s sure to break his nose.

 

It never comes though, because quick as lightning, RK900 is grabbing Hank’s arm and holding it in place, not allowing the punch to go flying.

 

Gavin blinks at that and just now realised Connor’s screaming had ceased. Hank notices it too and they both look over at the android. Connor is slumped over in the chair, breathing haggardly despite not really needing to and Hank forgets his anger, rushing to his side in seconds to check on him. 

 

RK900 regards Gavin with a steely expression, almost emotionless except for the thin layer of disappointment clearly resting in his eyes. Gavin growls and crosses his arms, turning away from him.

 

“Fuck you want?” Gavin said and RK900 just exhaled deeply.

 

“I have been trying to understand you, Detective Reed. You hate me and miss Nines, I’ve been told you hate Connor and yet you help him now. You admire Lt. Anderson and yet you goad him into hurting you.” RK900 said, eyes penetrating through Gavin. “You’re a complex person, but not completely hard to read. You miss Nines. You blame me for the fact he’s gone even though I have nothing to do with it. You also blame yourself and to hide the fact you do, you hide behind sharp words and threats.

 

“Getting yourself in trouble, taking it out on others, isn’t going to bring him back. I don’t know why you think that just because Nines is gone means you think you can’t befriend me, but it’s honestly getting tiring having to deal with your shit lately. Either get over yourself or transfer.”

 

Gavin is seething as he stares at RK900. He can hear Hank and Connor have gone completely silent, probably staring at RK900 too. In fact, the whole precinct has gone dead and Gavin turns his head to glance at them and everyone is staring at RK900, at Gavin, holding their breath like they’re just waiting for Gavin to lunge forward, to start throwing fists at RK900.

 

First of all, he’s learned his lesson from punching Connor. He’s not punching an android ever again. That shit had literally broken his hand and he was only able to pretend he was fine long enough to walk out of the break room with Tina.

 

But second of all? It just pisses him off, the fact he can see them all just waiting to lose his shit.

 

Hasn’t Gavin changed enough in the last year? He changed Nines just as much as Nines changed him. He’d tried to become friendlier, talk to his coworkers more. It was still hard for him to open up, to accept the fact that not everyone who’s nice to him has some sort of ulterior motive.

 

But he had tried, he thought he’d been nicer. He thought he’d done a good enough job not starting fights, not getting into trouble enough that people would stop expecting it from him.

 

But the faces that stare at him are just waiting for him to lose his cool and it breaks something deep inside him to see none of them really thought he’d changed at all.

 

Gavin’s shoulders slump, his eyes burn, but no tears well up. No, he refuses to let them, but they burn regardless. Gavin wets his lips, shaking his head a little.

 

“Fuck you,” his voice is quiet, only heard because of the fact everyone’s gone deathly silent. He turns away, and he does not sulk ( but it’s pretty damn close) to his desk.

 

He slumps down in his seat and conversation and sound resume instantly as he starts going through the emails he’d sent himself.

 

Connor gets sent home early for time to self repair, Hank as well since they now live together. RK900 and Gavin are both dismissed as well since their partners are out for the day but neither of them actually leave. 

 

Gavin stays seated at his desk, eyes tired as he squints at the computer screen, reading every detail, looking up weapons mentioned in the emails, locations, anything and writing down places of interest or connections he’s made on a notepad. 

 

RK900 walks past his desk and Gavin goes a little stiff, feeling like at this point his own mere existence pissed RK900 off, but RK900 just sets a cup of coffee down on his desk.

 

Gavin pauses and looks at it long and hard before looking at the android, who stands near his desk with hands clasped behind his back.

 

“The fuck is this?” Gavin asked, looking at the steaming cup of inviting coffee. 

 

“It is late and you look like you’re about to fall asleep at any moment. Given your track record of staying late, I figured you wouldn’t be going home anytime soon and could use the caffeine to wake up.” RK900 informed and Gavin’s brows furrowed.

 

First the guy tells him he’s sick of his shit and then he makes him coffee? Way to give a guy whiplash.

 

Gavin suspiciously grabs the cup, sniffing at it and RK900 huffs.

 

“It’s not poisoned, Detective.” RK900 said simply and Gavin pauses for a moment.

 

“What the hell is this, tin can?” Gavin asked, looking at the paper cup on his desk. Nines scoffed with an eyeroll.

 

“We’re working late tonight and I am in no mood to endure a cranky Gavin,” Nines informed him, shooting him a smug grin. “So I got you coffee.”

 

Gavin took the lid off the coffee, inspecting it carefully, trying to see if there was any unidentified liquid swirling around and Nines rolled his eyes again.

 

“It’s not poisoned .”

 

Gavin hesitantly brings the cup to his lips and takes a long sip before setting it down carefully. 

 

He’s silent for a long moment and RK900 looks at him expectantly.

 

“Heads up for next time, I like less creamer than this and way more sugar.” Gavin informed and RK900’s posture relaxed a little.

 

“I’ll make a note of it.” He said and walked back over to his desk.

 

Gavin only makes his way through reading half the emails that night, there were so many and so detailed that he gets why the dude’s email was password protected in the first place. Rico is in holding for the night until Gavin can interrogate him tomorrow, he still has their previous suspect he needs to interrogate and a warehouse to scope out.

 

He stands up, groaning as his knees crack with the movement. There’s only two other people left in the precinct besides him and RK900 and one is the janitor and the other is Chris, who’s filing paperwork from his last call. Even Fowler had left for the night because it was so late.

 

Gavin rubs at his face and drags himself to the holding area, groaning when he finds both of the suspects sound asleep. Well, guess he’s going to search the warehouse. He turns back to his desk to grab his jacket, the printed warrant and keys when RK900 comes up to him.

 

“Are you heading home?” He asked and Gavin looked at him, frowning a little. 

 

“No, going to the,” Gavin yawns lightly before shaking his head. “The warehouse. Going to check it out before anyone can clear it out.”

 

“You’re immensely fatigued, Detective Reed.” RK900 informed. “I don’t think it would be wise for you to continue doing any work without getting some rest first.”

 

Gavin glared sharply at him, or tried too. It sort of ended up just being him slowly blinking at RK900 instead.

 

“Look, you can yell at me and put me down or whatever the fuck you want,” Gavin grumbled. “But you’re not stopping me from doing my job.”

 

RK900’s LED flickered yellow for a moment, though his face remained unchanged and Gavin raised an eyebrow at it.

 

“If you insist on doing work this late, at least let me assist you so you have backup.” RK900 said and Gavin huffed but he wasn’t stupid enough to think he could go out alone. It was late, and it was foolish to go anywhere without backup. He just didn’t like that his only option seemed to be RK900.

 

“Fine, just don’t get in my way,” Gavin said, and RK900 seemed a little surprised at him agreeing but followed after anyway.

 

It feels weird to sit in the car with RK900 at his side. He’s sitting up too straight, staring straight ahead and not at Gavin, and his hands are folded perfectly in his lap. He looks uncomfortable, almost out of place. 

 

Gavin knows the seat is dented though, perfectly to mould around RK900, misses how Nines would prattle off about everything and anything, the weather, a news report he saw, a cat he found, anything. His hands would normally be rested in his lap, but never folded. More just laying on his thighs, unsure what to do with his hands. He’d stare at Gavin the whole time as he spoke, grinning or smirking as he talked, gauging Gavin’s reactions to everything.

 

But now? It’s just silence.

 

Gavin sighs, licking his lips as he stares out the windshield. 

 

“You don’t have to be so fucking quiet.” Gavin said and RK900 turned a little to look at him. 

 

“What would you like me to talk about, Detective Reed?” RK900 asked and Gavin rolled his eyes, shrugging.

 

“I don’t fucking know, talk about whatever you want,” Gavin said and RK900 is still silent for a moment. Gavin’s about to prod him to talk or something, or at least turn on the radio, but RK900 speaks, finally breaking the silence.

 

“Did you know that the reason dalmatian dogs specifically are heavily associated with firefighters is because back when fire brigades were horse drawn, the dalmatians were the easiest dogs to train. They would run ahead of the brigade and bark at citizens, clearing the way for the horses and equipment.” RK900 said, staring intensely at Gavin, like he’s trying to test the waters. 

 

It’s familiar, but different, and Gavin isn’t sure how he feels about it but he relaxes a little as RK900 speaks. He doesn’t say anything in response. What the fuck was he even supposed to say in response to that? But something about his reaction must be good because RK900 relaxes a little and begins to prattle on about a bunch of fire engines (“There is, by the way, a difference between a fire engine and a fire truck and a lot of their Captains take the difference very seriously.”) until they get to the warehouse.

 

When they exit the car, RK900’s lips are upturned, just the slightest, and it pains Gavin in a way. He can almost see a ghost of Nines and the way he’d smirk fully at Gavin.

 

But no, RK900 was right. It’s not his fault Nines is gone, and there’s no reason Gavin shouldn’t try being at the very least nice to RK900.

 

It’s just- It’s hard when everything he does is a reminder of a man he loved.

 

“Alright, the key we found goes to storage unit 37,” Gavin said, looking at the keys as they approached the front desk. Thankfully for them there was a worker there 24/7. Gavin shows the security the warrant he has and they tiredly wave him in, not even bothering to actually read the warrant or anything and Gavin feels a little upset because it means they probably could’ve gotten her sooner.

 

Regardless, Gavin walks in, RK900 on his tail as they look around for the storage unit. They get to the unit and Gavin moves quickly to unlock it, but RK900 puts a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. Gavin turns to him, eyebrow raised in question, watching as RK900’s LED turns yellow, then red for a moment. Scanning.

 

He holds a finger up to his lips and grabs his gun. Gavin quickly follows suit, crouching a little as RK900 takes the lead, opening the storage unit slowly. The moment he does, there’s a loud gunshot and Gavin flinches back instantly in fight mode as he waits a moment and rushes into the room.

 

He hears RK900 scold him and he doesn’t care, ducking behind a large object, a file cabinet, and using it for coverage. RK900 scoffs at him from where he’s standing before rushing in, shooting twice very precisely and the other gunshot fire ceases. Gavin glances around quickly before getting up and rushing over to see who’d attacked them.

 

The guy’s not dead, but he’s growling at them as RK900 kicks his gun out of reach from him. Gavin grabs the dude’s arm and rolls the sleeve down.

 

“Is he with them?” RK900 asked and Gavin turned the wrist that had AA tattooed on it.

 

“Yeah, that or he just really loves Alcoholics Anonymous.” Gavin said before resting his knee on the guy's chest. “How’d you know we’d be here?”

 

The guy glares at him, then shoots an even sharper glare at RK900 before he blinks in surprise.

 

“No fucking way you survived that shit.” The dude said and Gavin goes stiff, looking over at RK900, who’s staring at the man with the same amount of confusion. 

 

“What do you know about RK?” Gavin asked, RK900 turning to look at Gavin at the nickname and the dude under him scoffed. 

 

“Thought he was demolished. Yeah, Dowenger ran him over, I was there, I saw it.” The guy said and Gavin glared at the guy, a little harder until he pinned his face.

 

“Oh, you’re the fucker who shot me,” Gavin growled and reached over to the bullet wound in the dude’s wrist, pushing down a little and the guy shouted out in pain. “You’re going to tell us what those fuckers did to Nines, to the other androids, and what their plans are.”

 

“I don’t have to tell you sh-IT!” The man screams when Gavin presses on his wound harder.

 

“You’re going to tell us everything we need to know,” Gavin said. “And we’ll make this easy on you. If not ,” Gavin presses down one last time as a warning.

 

“Detective.” RK900 warns behind him and Gavin ignores him, glaring at the person.

 

“Locations, names, now .” Gavin said.

 

After they’ve been given all the answers they need, they detain him and throw him in the back of Gavin’s car. Then they take their time looking around the storage unit. 

 

Gavin goes through papers while RK900 silently scans the room.

 

At some point, Gavin becomes fed up with the frosty silence RK900 is giving off and snaps, turning to him.

 

“ What ?!” He asked and RK900 seemed unphased by his shouting.

 

“You shouldn’t have done that,” RK900 stated plainly, turning to scan another part of the room.

 

“Done what? Arrested the guy?” Gavin asked, slamming shut the useless file cabinet and turning to look through one of the boxes on the floor.

 

“You hurt him,” RK900 stated plainly and Gavin scoffed.

 

“ You’re the one who shot him,” Gavin argued back as he found a few broken mechanical pieces in the box. He stares at them with curious wonder, turning each piece over to inspect every part of it with furrowed brows.

 

“I shot him, which was a necessary action as he had been shooting at us. But what you were doing was borderline torture, inflicting more pain to extract information,” RK900 explained. “That is not the proper way to do things at DPD nor is it entirely ethical in the first place.”

 

Gavin knew that, okay? He normally (normally) doesn’t go off the rails like that.

 

But this fucker- 

 

He’s the one who shot at Nines, the bullet that Gavin took for Nines, the reason that both of them had been distracted and not paying attention to the truck hurtling at them.

 

Had that fucker not shot , Nines would be fine.

 

Nines would be standing here, yes, probably scolding Gavin the exact same way RK900 was, but he would be understanding, he wouldn’t be so high and mighty about it and judging him for every little-

 

“I know why you did it,” RK900 said and Gavin glared at him from where he’d been trying to read the engraving off a hunk of metal. “You’re still upset about Nines.”

 

Gavin turns away and glares harder at the metal in his hands, almost trying to will it to melt. 

 

“You can’t change what happened,” RK900 said. “Getting upset with suspects, with me , won’t bring him back. You’re stuck in your grief and refusing to move on. It’s affecting your sleeping habits and your stress levels are abnormally high for someone your age.”

 

Gavin exhales slowly through his nose. He’s too tired to yell, and honestly after the day he’s had, he’s tired of yelling.

 

He sorts through the box some more, silent before he speaks in a quiet, resigned voice.

 

“Don’t fucking scan me,” He mumbled half-heartedly and tries to ignore the stinging memories it brings.

“Detective, you should cut back on the burgers,” Nines said, raising an eyebrow at Gavin as he sat down with a burger and fries literally titled the Heartache Meal. “Your cholesterol is concerningly high and considering your field of work, it might be good for you to eat healthy now and then.”

 

Gavin glared at him and proceeded to make a big dramatic show of taking a huge bite of the burger. Nines rolled his eyes with an unimpressed expression while Gavin grinned smugly at him.

 

“Don’t tell me what to fucking eat,” Gavin said and then pointed at him. “And don’t fucking scan me.”

 

They finish getting all the information they need from the room and leave.

 

The next week of work is busy. Connor makes himself a wall between Gavin and Hank, avoiding them getting too close together. RK900 has started being... Less monotonous and been trying to be kinder to Gavin. Gavin is doing his best to return the favour but it hurts.

 

Connor is doing okay now, he was missing a few memories from the day his processors had been scrambled, again, a way to clear out the virus, but they were mostly memories like what he had gotten Hank to drink that day, nothing too important or anything to thankfully be concerned about.

 

Work was busy too, they were right on the cusp of breaking open the whole case. They had three suspects they had to interrogate who all refused to give any new information they didn’t already have. They found three more locations from the emails Gavi had collected, and had been able to intercept an attempted android attack, taking two more suspects into custody.

 

They had to transfer some to another department since their holding cell was beginning to fill and they didn’t want these idiots too close together discussing possible escape plans.

 

They had also been more thorough when bringing in suspects, not wanting a repeat of Connor’s sensors getting scrambled.

 

On top of this all, Gavin’s nightmares had only gotten worse.

 

With Connor sharing a face and voice with Nines, Gavin’s mind added the agonising expression Connor had worn, the screams that tore through the precinct to his dreams.

 

It wasn’t just reliving the memory of Nines dying now, it was holding Nines’ dying body, Nines screaming in agony, writhing in his arms in pain much like Connor had been. His voice glitching and he jerked on the ground.

 

Gavin was running on even less hours of sleep than normal, too scared to sleep, too focused on finding the guys who killed Nines and bringing them to justice.

 

The only bright side to work is the cup of coffee that greets him on his desk every morning. Made perfectly to how he likes it.

 

He tries not to think too hard about it, about the gaping void in his heart that turns into an endless cavern everytime he remembers Nines. He hadn’t even fully gotten to mourn him because he had been so busy with work.

 

Naturally though, the lack of sleep, the lack of food, the increased stress levels catch up to him in the middle of work.

 

He’s pushing his seat out one day and making to call Connor over, tell him to get in the car so they can drive out to try and intercept another android attack.

 

But the words never get out.

 

As fast as he stands up, he falls down, collapsing in the middle of the precinct as fatigue and stress catch up to him and the world goes black.

 

When he comes too, he’s laying on the old, tattered couch in the break room. The lights are off and it’s quieter in the room than it normally is. He slowly sits up and a hand presses roughly to his shoulder, pushing him back down. 

 

Gavin squints around and almost jumps when he focuses on Hank’s face. The older man is rubbing his temples, not looking at Gavin.

 

“Kid,” Hank began, voice heavy with an emotion Gavin is becoming too familiar with. Pity . “You’re not handling this shit well.”

 

Gavin scoffs, trying to sit up again, only for Hank to push him down again and give him a sharp look. Gavin understands the threat hidden in the eyes and he stays laying down.

 

“Throwing yourself into work? Lashing out at people, man that’s not how you grieve.” Hank said, sighing heavily and Gavin looked up at the popcorn ceiling. You’d think once they made technological advances like androids that they would’ve gotten rid of the stupid ass popcorn ceilings but nope. Here we are, looking at a popcorn ceiling that's probably covered in dust and cobwebs. “You gotta let yourself grieve, mourn a little.”

 

“Well it’s not that fucking easy with his ghost following me around.” Gavin grumbled, but his voice was softer than he meant it to be. God he was tired. “If-” Gavin treads this topic lightly now, not meaning to use it to anger Hank this time, but to get him to understand . “If there was this- This thing following you around that looked like your son, sounded like, looked like him. Followed you everywhere, tried to be close to you but wasn’t him . Didn’t have his memories? Not even his fucking emotions. Would you be able to just mourn a little ?”

 

Hank’s gaze is weighted and he leans back in his seat, joining Gavin in looking at the dumb fucking popcorn ceiling. 

 

“No, I supposed I wouldn’t be able to,” Hank said. “But it was different for me. He was my son. He was killed in a car crash and an android doctor couldn’t save him. I was already too fucked up to cope after, I wouldn’t have been able to do shit if he’d been replaced like that.”

 

Gavin scoffs, shaking his head.

 

“Nines was- He was my... best friend, okay?” Gavin said, rolling his eyes a little. “More than that, or... whatever. It’s not just losing him that hurts, it’s the fact I have to look at RK everyday and I can see Nines there, I can see that RK has the capacity to be Nines, but it won’t be the same. Everything we went through the last year is gone. Everything will be different now, no matter how I treat the fucker.

 

“I think I’m owed a few weeks of throwing myself into work to keep myself fucking sane,” Gavin finished, sighing heavily. “Because at this point, if I have a single moment to think, I’m not sure I’m going to like my thoughts.”

 

Hank nods, but says nothing, and the two men just sit in the break room in silence for a long moment.

 

RK900 comes in soon, straightening when he sees that Gavin is awake. He’s holding a cup of warm liquid, but even from across the room, Gavin can tell it’s not coffee. Hank takes RK900’s entrance as his que to leave and offers the chair to the android as Gavin sits up.

 

Gavin wordlessly takes the cup, not even questioning what was in it and bringing it to his lips. He hums in satisfaction when he’s met with the sugary warmth of hot chocolate. RK900 sits in the seat, watching Gavin with a careful expression.

 

“Connor thinks he’s found their main base,” RK900 informed him and Gavin sleepily nodded. “He’s going with backup now to confront them and put this all to an end. Hopefully, at least from this group, there won’t be anymore android murders.”

 

Gavin bites his tongue.

 

If only they had figured it out weeks ago, if only he hadn’t decided to put the case off, if only he listened when he was told to bring backup.

 

“Connor told me I am not allowed to let you leave the precinct.” RK900 added and Gavin is suddenly a lot more awake and glaring harshly at RK900.

 

“ Excuse me? Not allowed? I’m not a fucking child.” Gavin argues,  downing the rest of his hot chocolate in one go, not caring one bit about how much it burns going down, and shoving the empty cup into RK900’s hands. “And Connor is not my fucking boss.”

 

“Fowler has also agreed to not letting you in on this case.” RK900 added with a pointed stare. “You’re too tired, too stressed, and your judgement regarding the case would be impaired. You’re too good of a detective for the department to lose because you’re too focused on your revenge mission.”

 

“Fuck you, I’m not just sitting this out!” Gavin shouted and rushed to stand up, only to wobble and fall back onto the couch pathetically. “I’m still capable.”

 

“No one is saying you’re not, Detective.” RK900 said. “But for this one time, you need to sit out. Barging in with your guns blazing won’t bring Nines back.”

 

“You know, it doesn’t matter how many fucking times you say it, it doesn’t make it better,” Gavin growled, but gave up and flopped back onto the couch, hand covering his eyes. “Just, fucking leave me alone.” 

 

RK900 doesn’t move an inch and Gavin tilts his head to glare at him.

 

“Tell me about him,” RK900 said and Gavin glared at him.

 

“ What ?” Gavin asked and RK900 shrugged.

 

“Nines, tell me about him. Learning about who he was might help me come into my own. It might also give you closure.” RK900 suggested. “You haven’t really spoken about him, just mentioned him and what happened.”

 

Gavin doesn’t want to, he doesn’t. Because he knows if he starts, he won’t be able to stop and then he’ll start crying.

 

But there’s no one else in the precinct, not that he can hear at least, and even though RK isn’t his Nines , he shares the same face, so it couldn’t hurt.

Gavin stays silent for a long moment though, picking at his nails. He inhales slowly, wets his lips and then speaks. 

 

“He was an asshole,” Gavin informed and RK900 seemed surprised by this information, blinking at him.

 

“What?” He asked and Gavin scoffed lightly.

 

“He was a grade A asshole,” Gavin said, shrugging. “I mean, I guess he sort of had to be to keep up with me. At first it was payback for how I treated Connor when we first met. They had shared memories or whatever and Nines hadn’t been too fond of my disdain towards Connor when he had first joined the DPD. So he paid me back.

 

“Refused to call me Detective for a while, only called me Reed. Would constantly talk over me, never let me finish a damn thought. Treated me with disrespect. At some point I caught on to what he was doing and confronted him about it. We had a long talk that day. He made me promise to be nicer to Connor and he promised to ease up. That’s something you still share with him at least. You guys both fucking care a whole lot about Connor.

 

“Nines was still an asshole after that, but more just an asshole in general than specifically to me. I guess it kind of worked, I mean, you know I’m a fucking asshole. Whenever I snapped at him or lashed out, he was there to kind of scold me into place. After that, we kind of got closer. We stopped being assholes to be assholes and just started doing it because we’d get a reaction out of the other. We would start hanging out after work some, he’d drive me home on days where I’d stay so late I was too tired to drive back. He’d bring me breakfast sometimes, and would make sure I wasn’t being a self sacrificial idiot while out on a case.

 

“He had a hard time being a deviant at first. He’d been just born alive, with all these emotions and he didn’t know what to do so I helped him. Whenever he was struggling with his newfound humanness, I was there to hold his hand. Uh, metaphorically. We kind of helped each other, you know? He was there for me, I was there for him. We had each other’s backs out on the field, and after a few months we worked so well together we didn’t even need to communicate sometimes. We just knew what the other would do and how we should react.

 

“Nines was one of the first people I ever truly opened up to. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m not really a people person.” Gavin tried for a joke and RK900 just gives him a tight grin back. “I’d never really been good at the whole, talking about trauma thing. I had therapists but I never liked any of them, had a hard time trusting them, getting along with them. Nines gave me enough comfort to trust him with what had happened. He found me a damn good therapist that he thought would work best with me and helped me get the help I needed.

 

“I’d begun to... I dunno, become happy . It’s not something I’d ever really been in my life. I never had the space or time for it. But Nines gave me the space, he lent me the time, and soon it was just so easy to be happy. I still teased him, he still shot back with douchey one liners, but it was different now. Like, a good different.” Gavin sighed out lowly and shrugged. “He gave me a reason to live, made me forget all the reasons I’d ever even thought about dying in the first place and then just like that, he was gone.”

 

RK900 studies his expression and Gavin can tell by the way his LED rapidly changes colours that he’s scanning him and Gavin glares at him in response. RK900 frowned a little, brows furrowing just the slightest and he ran a hand through his hair, a strand falling loosely onto his forehead.

 

“Did you-” RK900 pauses, expression flickering through emotions as he tries to think about how to ask. “Were you in love with him?”

 

Gavin sets his jaw, turning to stare back at the ugly ass fucking ceiling again.

 

His eyes start to burn and he tries to keep his breathing even.

 

He wants to scream.

 

He wants to shout.

 

He wants to cry.

 

He wants to punch something.

 

Gavin nods, a miniscule movement but RK900 picks up on it. 

 

The android’s LED starts rapidly switching back and forth from yellow to red then and Gavin just lets him, doesn’t say anything to him and he bites his cheek, sniffling a little.

 

“Oh,” RK900 said finally, voice soft, but it bounces off the quiet walls. 

 

Gavin’s sure losing Nine would’ve hurt no matter what, but it really just was the cherry on the top that he’d fallen in love with him. A human who fell in love with an android just for him to die in his arms. It’s something out of a Shakespearen tragedy.

 

“I’m sorry,” RK900 said and Gavin scoffed wetly, rolling his eyes.

 

“Don’t apologise, it’s not like you can do anything about it.” Gavin said. “‘S not like I had a chance anyway. Plastic prick was too perfect to get sagged down with my bullshit.”

 

RK900 stares at Gavin for a long moment and then his tongue darts out nervously, wetting his lips and Gavin swallows thickly at the familiarity of the motion, trying not to think of how Nines did it seconds before he died.

 

“No, I’m sorry because- Because he loved you too.” RK900 said and Gavin’s eyes shot up to meet RK’s, confused.

 

“How could you possibly know that?” Gavin asked, sceptical and RK900’s shoulders fell a little.

 

“Remember when I said I remembered the pain Nines had felt when he died?” RK900 asked. “It’s not just physical things I can remember, it’s like- Like somewhere deep within my system, there’s this unbridled infatuation with you. Overwhelming affection, desire and love. The need to protect you. 

 

“I hadn’t known what it was at first, I wasn’t deviant, I shouldn’t be feeling things. I went to Sylvia about it, confused at first, that’s when Connor was attacked. Then I asked Connor to interface with me, to see if he could tell me what was wrong and he explained it. He didn’t know my feelings were for you though, but I’m sure he suspected. Once I realised though, I was embarrassed at first. I didn’t know why I had these feelings, I hadn’t even known you. But still, Nines’ emotions drew me into you.

 

“It’s... Why I’d sort of followed you around so much. I didn’t know how to navigate these feelings, you hated- Hate me, and technically they weren’t even my emotions. And then it’s like, like the emotions would bring up glimpses of memories sometimes. Like, more like muscle memory, I’d react in a way that felt like someone else was controlling my body.”

 

RK900 sighed heavily, ducking his head. “This has been as hard for me as it has been for you. I don’t know who I am . I have these faint memories of a person, of a life prior to me, these emotions I’m not even sure how to navigate. And the way you constantly looked at me? Treated me? It just makes me feel like I’m an imposter wearing someone else’s skin.” 

 

Gavin feels guilt start to eat at him from the inside out and he bites his tongue for a moment.

 

“I’m sorry,” Gavin mumbled and RK900 shook his head.

 

“It’s not entirely your fault. You can’t help it, you’re grieving. It’s just an unfortunate circumstance for both of us.” RK900 said and then hesitantly changed the subject a little. “Connor and I had been working on something else lately, but we’re not sure it’ll work.”

 

“Is that why the fucker’s been slow working on this case?” Gavin asked and RK900 looked a little sheepish, his LED glaring yellow.

 

“It- Is due in part to it, yes.” RK900 explained. “Connor and I had met sometime last week, you know that deviancy is transferable and well, I became deviant. I thought it might help me figure out these confusing emotions within but, it hadn’t helped.”

 

Gavin is... a little surprised. He had noticed the android acting just slightly different lately, but hadn't thought much of it. Had honestly chalked it up to his sleep deprivation. 

 

“So... was becoming deviant your plan?” Gavin asked, confused and RK900 shook his head.

 

“No, uhm, you know how androids can share their memories with each other?” RK900 asked and Gavin nodded. “Well, in certain cases, the transferral of memories and data can be saved in a file and stored. Then transferred once again. But it’s a tricky and lengthy process. Some of the information can get lost in between, and there’s only even an option of transferral if the information is new enough.”

 

Gavin’s not entirely sure he’s following along correctly, so he just squints at RK900, who sighs.

 

“Nines and Connor had interfaced two weeks before his accident. Connor hadn’t made an active effort to save the information being traded, as he had no reason to think he needed to do so and it can be considered an invasion of privacy to store memories without reason.” RK900 explains. “But because they interfaced, that means somewhere in Connor is a line of code that can lead us to Nines’ memories. They’d be stored within Connor’s memories, and it would take a very long and tedious interface session but-”

 

RK900 carefully meets Gavin’s hopeful eyes. “There’s a possibility we could get Nines’ back, minus those two weeks prior to the accident.”

 

Gavin’s stomach is swirling with so much hope he thinks he might vomit as he sits up.

 

“Really?” He asked and RK900 nodded slowly.

 

“It has a 67% chance of success, not- Not high enough that it’s a guarantee, but high enough that Connor and I are willing to try.” RK900 said. “But you and Hank will need to make sure we’re not interrupted when we do it. If we speak or move even an inch, all the progress could be lost and Nines’ memory would be- It’d be gone. Completely forever. And, well, there is a possibility it could negatively affect both our current memories if anything goes wrong.

 

“I have little memories as is, so I personally am not afraid of the risk. But despite Connor being the one to offer it, I can tell he’s afraid. We’re both hopeful, however, we just need to make sure we’re not disturbed.” RK900 explained and Gavin frowned a little.

 

“What are the chances it could go sideways? I don’t- Fuck, if the chances of it working aren’t high but you fucks getting damaged is I don’t-” Gavin wants to say he doesn’t think they should do it, but also, he might get Nines back. He might get him back and he can’t say that he doesn’t want that. “Does Hank know?”

 

“Connor will talk to him later once they’ve detained the Anti-Android group they’re working on now.” RK900 informed. 

 

“Hank would never let him if there’s a risk of Connor getting fucked up over this,” Gavin stated and RK900 levelled him with a sharp stare.

 

“I know you think the Lieutenant has Connor on a tight leash, but Connor is capable of making his own decisions regardless of outside opinions.” RK900 said. “Connor wants to do this, so he will.”

 

Gavin gave him a slightly disbelieving look but said nothing and RK900 sighed. 

 

“You should sleep some more. The rest won’t be back for a bit and your adenosine and melatonin levels have risen significantly throughout our conversation and sleeping would help.” RK900 said, and Gavin wants to argue, but his eyelids feel heavy, so he just begrudgingly crosses his arms and gets comfortable.

 

Gavin is awoken when the station starts getting full again. He slowly blinks awake, this time alone, and groans as he sits up, rubbing at his face.

 

He might get Nines back. Is the first fully formed thought he has since entering this room. 

 

After a month now of missing him, of being haunted by him, of hunting down the people who killed him, he might get Nines back.

 

He’s excited, he’s hopeful, but he’s scared too.

 

Because what if it doesn’t work? What if it doesn’t work and he loses Nines a second time? What if it doesn’t work and Connor gets screwed over? What if it doesn’t work and Gavin has to go through all this again for a third time with RK?

 

He’s starting to warm up to him, and it’s not just because he wears Nines’ face. Gavin’s started to categorise them as two separate people in his mind now, because they are, in a way. They have different experiences now, where Nines woke up deviated, RK chose to deviate. Nines had over a year of memories and the world to shape him, RK only had a few weeks. Nines had learned about Gavin through questions, RK studied him.

 

They were different, Gavin acknowledged this, and part of him thinks that if this does work out, if it does go well, that he’s going to miss RK a little.

 

But he misses Nines more, he feels like his heart is missing from his chest and he’s never been this much of a mess before, and trust him, he’s been a huge mess for a good portion of his life.

 

Tina comes and finds him, informing him that they did it , they took down the Anti-Android group, found enough proof of their crimes against android that a trial wasn’t even necessary, and took all their dumb fucking gadgets so no one could do what they did to Nines ever again.

 

“It’s over,” Tina said, sitting next to Gavin, rubbing his back with a gentle smile and Gavin nodded slowly, leaning against her. They weren’t normally this tactile with each other, both not very touchy-feely sort of people, but Gavin needed this now, and Tina was happy to be there for him when he let himself open up. “They’re not gonna hurt anyone again.”

 

Gavin nods, numbly, staring forward and Tina doesn’t prod him to answer.

 

The night is slow, there’s tons of paperwork to be filed now that the group had been taken down, evidence to be reviewed and looked over, motives and a few other questionable individuals they need to interview.

 

Gavin is on auto-pilot the whole time until a heavy hand rests on his shoulder.

 

Gavin closes his eyes, exhaling slowly to gather himself as the android leans down to talk to him.

 

“Detective Reed, I think it’d be best for you to return to your home and rest.” RK said and Gavin sighed heavily, still too tired and groggy to argue. 

 

“Fucking whatever.” Gavin said, shoving him off of him but grabbing his jacket.

 

He can feel the eyes of his coworkers on him, probably confused how he went from having a screaming match with the damn android to listening to him in less than 12 hours, but he doesn’t so much as spare them a look as he trudges his way to his car, rubbing at his eyes.

He turns sharply when he hears heavy footsteps following behind him.

“What the fuck do you want?” Gavin growled at RK, who simply gave him a small, gentle smile and held up his car keys. Gavin felt his jacket pockets and groaned when he realised he’d forgotten to grab them and held his hands out. “Hand them over.”

 

RK seems to mull over the decision and makes a motion to toss them to Gavin, before last second twisting them in his own hands and approaching the driver’s side. 

 

“You’re in no state to drive yourself.” RK informed, making his way into the car since Gavin was too dumbfounded by his audacity to even try and argue with him. “I will take you home and you will rest. Okay?”

 

Gavin growls and rolls his eyes before furiously stomping to the passengers side and climbing in.

 

“Fucking whatever, just don’t piss me off,” Gavin grumbled and RK smirked a little as he started the car.

 

“Not entirely sure how to do that Detective, everything pisses you off,” RK said, but there was no ill intent behind his words, simply light and joking and the familiarity of it hurts deep in Gavin’s chest but he exhales shakily.

 

“Damn right,” He said before turning to look out the window.

The ride is silent and quick, thankfully because Gavin suddenly feels like climbing the goddamn walls if he can’t get under his covers right this second.

 

RK awkwardly follows him into his apartment, like he’s waiting for Gavin to kick him out, but the detective says nothing as he hangs his jacket up.

 

RK stands in the entrance, watching him with a careful expression and Gavin runs a tired hand down his face before nodding at the couch.

 

“You can fucking, go into stasis or whatever. Not gonna make you take a fucking uber back by yourself this late,” Gavin said, fondness unintentionally leaking into his voice that if asked about it later, he’ll blame on his sudden fatigue.

 

RK gives him a kind smile and then makes himself comfortable on the couch, sitting up straight and Gavin watches him for a moment until RK closes his eyes, still sitting up as he LED turns yellow, indicating he’d gone into his stasis mode.

 

Gavin stands watching him for a moment longer, at how peaceful RK seems, at how familiar yet new it was to have him sitting on the couch. It makes Gavin’s chest ache something terrible as he disappears into his room and crashes onto his bed, out like a light the moment his skin touches his soft sheets.

 

“Gavin,” Nines gasped out.

 

It’s like before, his face bashed in, his skin retracting, but now he’s also coated in thirium, hands shaking as he reaches out to Gavin, face contorted in pain. His voice glitches in and out and this time Gavin is crying, his tears falling onto Nines and mixing with the thirium.

 

“Nines,” Gavin sobbed out, his voice so thick with tears and grief that he doesn’t even recognise his own voice. “Don’t leave.”

 

“It’s... your fault.” Nines said, hed twitching violently to the side and Gavin nodded, resting his head down on his shoulder.

 

“I know, I’m sorry,” He sobbed and Nines just shook his head.

 

“You-ou’re the wor-orst detective.” Nines informed him, sentence trailing off a little as he screams and begins to writhe in agony in Gavin’s arms. “Worst- Worst ever.”

 

“I’m sorry ,” Gavin sobbed. “It should’ve been me.”

 

“It shoul-should have been.” Nines agrees and screams again, louder, so loud it shakes Gavin to his core, shatters his heart into a million pieces .

Gavin wakes up to a hand grabbing his shoulder and shaking him.

He jolts upright instantly, hand reaching quickly under his pillow and grabbing the switchblade he kept under there for paranoia related reasons. He moves to stab at the intruder but they grab his wrist tightly, stopping the movement seconds before they could stab him.

 

Out of pure shock, Gavin turns to stare at them, and instantly his shoulders fall in relief when he’s only met with Nines’ alive and concerned expression.

 

It feels like a cold wash of reality when Gavin remembers it’s RK, not Nines, but he still calms down, letting the switchblade fall out of his hand and RK doesn’t let go of his wrist or shoulder, but his hold loosens into something more gentle as he sits on the end of the bed. 

 

“...Are you okay now?” RK asked, staring at Gavin worriedly and Gavin looks to the side, glaring out the window with a deep frown.

 

“Nightmare is all,” Gavin grumbled and he sees RK out of the corner of his eyes shift a little.

 

“Do you get those often?” RK’s brows are furrowed worriedly and Gavin closes his eyes so he doesn’t have to see the pitying expression.

 

“Yeah, it’s whatever.” Gavin grumbled and shook his shoulder free from RK’s hold, but let the comforting weight of the hand on his wrist stay. RK leaned back a little and was silent.

 

Gavin slowly opens his eyes to find RK’s LED spinning rapidly, bright red filling the dark room and Gavin bites his cheek.

 

“You can- Go, or whatever. Sorry for interrupting your stasis.” Gavin apologised, feeling awkward.

 

He knows the dismissal is futile though. He’s already been through this with Nines.

 

“I’m not just going to leave you like this, Gavin.”

“Fucking whatever, stay then, I don’t care.”

 

“Do you want me to go?” RK predictably asked and Gavin crossed his arms, looking up at the ceiling.

 

“Doesn’t matter what I want, I don’t want you to be uncomfortable or anything, having to clean up my fucking mess.” Gavin grumbled and RK sighed heavily, LED turning yellow for a moment.

 

“Move over,” RK demanded and Gavin raised an eyebrow at him.

 

“Fucking ‘xcuse me?” He asked, with no real bite and RK just stood up, standing at the side of the bed and nudging Gavin’s side a little, prompting him to eventually move over a few inches.  “What are you doing?”

 

“I’m not sure,” RK admitted as he settled into space on the bed next to Gavin, turning and giving him a soft smile. “But it feels right.”

 

Gavin gives him a long stare and swallows thickly before sliding down so he could lay down.

 

He can feel RK’s watching him, feel his leg pressed against his back.

It’s familiar, it’s different, it makes something painful ache deep in Gavin’s chest.

 

A hand settles in his hair gently and his eyes fall shut and soon he’s dead to the world.

 

They don’t speak about it in the morning, RK makes Gavin breakfast, Gavin changes and they go to work together, and they don’t mention it.

 

Gavin expects it to be awkward like it had been the first time, them both avoiding the conversation.

Nines’ fingers tapped nervously on his thigh, an unusual habit as Gavin drove the car to the precinct.

 

“So,” Nines begins and Gavin just glared at him, effectively shutting the android up for a second. But Nines was ever persistent and continued on anyway. “Did you.... Sleep well after?”

 

“Shut the fuck up,” Gavin grumbled and Nines nodded stiffly.

They had danced around each other at work all day. Anytime Nines handed him a coffee and their fingers brushed, Gavin would flinch back violently. Nines’ LED sat at a persistent yellow for most of the day, to the point where Connor had pulled him aside to concern over to but Nines just stiffly brushed him off.

Gavin thinks it’ll be like that again, awkward, them flinching and avoiding each other the whole day.

 

But at this point, Gavin should’ve known it would’ve been different, because he himself was a different person than he was a year ago.

 

Nines had torn down his walls, opened him up, made him softer and Gavin didn’t know how to go back.

 

How to go back to impenetrable walls, biting words and cold shoulders. He was changed, whether he liked it or not, and the mere implication that RK staying with him last night could’ve meant anything more no longer made him panic and scream and want to hit someone like it used to.

 

They work fine, there’s not even a thinly veiled layer of awkwardness, it’s like the night didn’t happen at all, and Gavin would almost be convinced it hadn’t if he didn’t feel so well rested.

 

“Wow, you don’t look like shit for once,” Tina had commented when Gavin finally took a break and went to make his own coffee for once. Gavin responds to her with a middle finger and she snorts. “Still as charming as ever, I see.”

 

“Fuck off,” Gavin mumbled, way too softly for Tina to take any real offense to it and she bumped their shoulders together, looking back out at the precinct, at where RK was bent over his desk, sorting through files while simultaneously talking to Connor.

“So, you finally not giving him shit for not being Nines?” Tina asked, a teasing grin on her lips and Gavin exhaled a little shakily.

 

“It’s- It’s just hard, T.” Gavin said and Tina nodded understandingly. “Like, I know he’s not Nines, but he feels like Nines, and he also feels like a stranger, but I’m still-”

 

He pauses, cheeks burning and Tina gives him a shit-eating grin, playfully punching his shoulder.

 

“Hey, I know all about your little gay love for our local toaster, you don’t need to act like it isn’t obvious.” Tina said and softened. “I know it’s different, but Nines isn’t completely gone, he still lives within RK900, you know? It’s just... He’ll be different.”

 

Gavin exhales slowly and turns fully to her.

 

“Connor and RK think they might be able to get Nines’ memories back.” Gavin said and Tina raised an eyebrow.

 

“How? I thought Maria said they were completely gone, they did everything to get rid of the code and find Nines’ memory.” Tina said. “They said there were no traces of it after getting rid of the virus affecting him.”

 

“In Nines, no.” Gavin said and sighed heavily. “But in Connor there might be. Apparently they interfaced or whatever the fuck sometime before and Connor is convinced he’ll be able to transfer the memories.”

 

“That- Gavin, that’s great!” Tina said, smiling widely for him and Gavin shrugged weakly. 

 

“ But ,” Gavin continued and Tina’s face dropped.

 

“Oh no, not a but.” She groaned and Gavin rolled his eyes at her.

 

“But, there’s a risk.” Gavin continued. “It’s a lengthy process, the code is so hidden and to completely transfer the memories, RK and Connor need complete focus to work on it. And if anything goes wrong, well, there’s a possibility Connor might also lose his memories.”

 

Tina shakes her head a little, looking out at the precinct area and back to Gavin.

 

“And does Hank know?” Tina asked and Gavin rolled his eyes.

 

“RK said it doesn’t matter what Hank thinks, Connor is his own person.” Gavin droned. Tina narrows her eyes suspiciously but nods, seemingly proud.

 

“Well, I hope for your sake that everything goes well,” Tina said and her smile turned more genuine. “Seriously, it’s getting real depressing watching you mope about.”

 

Gavin rolled his eyes but grinned at her, pulling her into a quick hug, which she laughed childishly at. “Thanks, bitch.” He said, tone light and teasing.

 

“No problem, asshole.” Tina shot back, fondness and humour etched into every letter of her words.

 

RK informs him that he and Connor are ready to attempt the transfer that night if he’s ready and Gavin shakingly agrees.

 

They’re going to stay over in the precinct, Hank and Gavin on guard just in case anything goes wrong. Connor and RK can not be disturbed during the entire process or there will be catastrophic repercussions. 

 

Hank definitely does not seem like he agrees with the whole plan as he tells Fowler he’s staying late. He walks around the office with his arms crossed and grumbling the entire day. 

 

Gavin can tell that he and Connor also argued about it, if the way Connor keeps gently glaring at him is anything to go off of.

 

But, by the end of the day, Hank seems to understand Connor isn’t changing his mind and begrudgingly goes along with the idea.

 

“So, what’s the plan here?” Hank asked once the four of them were left alone, grumbling as he put his hands on his waist, looking at the two androids. 

 

“Connor and I will have to interface,” RK explained, sitting down in a chair and Connor followed suit, his chair facing RK. “The process is estimated to take 23 minutes at least, it could take longer. You two are here to make sure that absolutely nothing interrupts us.”

 

“We might start screaming,” Connor tacked on. “Since it’s a transferral of memories, it’ll sting for me to extract them from me and it’ll be an intrusion to Nines. If we scream or anything, do not touch us. You could damage the process and then both of us would be at a loss with our memories.”

 

“So you just want us to stand guard and act like nothing’s happening if you start screaming bloody murder again?” Hank grouched and Gavin rolled his eyes.

 

“We might not,” Connor reminded. “But if we do, yes, don’t do anything, it’ll only do more harm than good. And make sure that if anyone comes into the station, they don’t move us or try to talk to us, it’ll make us lose concentration even if we don’t respond, and we may have to start the entire thing all over again.”

 

“Our chances of success are 67%,” RK reminded Gavin and Connor looks sheepish as Hank whirls on him.

 

“ 67%? ” Hank shouted and Gavin and RK shared a look. They were clearly unaware that Connor had not informed Hank about their chances. “You’re risking your entire memory and data for a 67% chance of success?!” 

 

“Gavin is my friend,” Connor stated firmly, turning to stare at RK. “And Nines asked for my help, so I am helping. I have made my decision already and you cannot sway me into changing it.”

Hank stares long and hard at him while Connor straightens up, pointedly avoiding the older mans staring and Hank turns to Gavin.

 

“This better fucking work for your sake then,” Hank said and Gavin just nodded shakily.

 

Connor and RK reach a hand out to each other, their skin pulling back to reveal the chassis beneath it as they grabbed onto each other.

 

Both their LEDs start to swirl faster, flickering back and forth between yellow and blue as they close their eyes.

 

“Is it-” “Shut up,” RK interrupts the question Gavin had begun asking and the detective nods stiffly.

 

Gavin feels antsy, worried. He’s going to have zero idea what’s going on for about half an hour. If it’s working, if something is going wrong, anything, because interrupting it could ruin everything. 

 

Just silence, agonising silence as the two androids try and risk everything just for the sake of his own sanity and emotions.

 

Jesus, after this he’s gonna need to buy them both flowers or some shit to thank them.

 

Deep down, he knows it’s not just for him. RK wants to be Nines again, Connor misses the easy friendship he and Nines used to have, it would benefit everyone if Nines came back.

 

But Gavin feels responsible since he’s the one who kept pushing it, who kept lashing out, who used walls to hide his emotions.

 

Gavin turns around so he can’t focus on the silence between the two androids. Hank follows suit, both their backs turned on them as they look out at the precinct.

 

It’s awkward for about ten minutes. Both him and Hank are a little anxious about any errors that may occur during the process, and it’s silent besides a few fans whirring to life as the night goes on. 

 

Now and then trucks and cars pass by outside, making them jump a little, but it’s nothing but silence for a long while.

 

Connor breaks the silence by letting out a low sharp hiss of pain. Both Gavin and Hank turn immediately at that.

 

Connor and RK’s eyes are locked onto each other, their skin has peeled back more since they started, both their arms stark white up to their collarbone. Connor’s LED starts to flash red a little before going back to yellow. 

 

Hank and Gavin share a worried look and their tense stare is broken when RK suddenly lets out a loud, shaking gasp.

 

Gavin’s eyes widen and he takes a few steps forward, kneeling next to the android. He’s careful to not touch him, but he watches in worry as RK’s face twists up in pain and his LED switches and stays on red.

 

“Gavin,” Hank said, worryingly when Gavin’s hands started to move to hold RK’s free hand.

 

Do not touch us .

 

Gavin’s hand snaps back to place but he frowns as RK shakes a little, letting out another shaky breath.

 

He wants to say something, do something, reassure the other. But he can’t do anything without making it worse and it pains him being unable to do something.

 

Hank grabs his shoulders and pulls him back a little and Gavin flails but lets his body be moved around, far enough away from the two androids.

 

Connor starts to twitch a little in his chair, but he doesn’t look in pain the way RK does.

 

Gavin watches with wide, worried eyes for five minutes as RK twitches a little in his seat, face a grimace.

 

He jumps back when Connor suddenly lets out an ear piercing shriek.

 

Hank jumps to his side instantly, hand seconds away from landing on Connor’s shoulder before the android’s arm moves, almost as if having a mind of it’s own, and pushes Hank back.

 

“I- I’m F̶̼̉ì̶͚ǹ̷͇e̷̼̕ .” Connor’s voice glitches as he speaks and RK frowns at him.

 

“ Focus .” The other android demands and Connor’s arm drops like dead weight, and Hank makes no move to comfort the android again, but hovers dangerously close.

 

Both the androids are wincing now, faces grimaced with pain and Gavin wants to help, but keeps his hands behind his back.

 

Screams come out of both of them now and then, shaky gasps, glitched sentences. It must be agonising for them to do this, it’s agonising to just let happen.

 

At the 25 minute mark, RK lets out his own ear piercing shriek, except unlike Connor’s, it doesn’t stop. He just keeps screaming, writhing in his seat, trying to get out of it. 

 

He tries to let go of Connor’s hand to stop it, be rid of the pain, but the other android grips on hard.

 

“N̶̤̅i̵̲͑n̵̼̒e̷͚̚s̵̜̽,̶̺͒ ̴̢͠” Connor gruffs out, voice deep and demanding despite the glitching etched into each syllable.

 

“Hu- H̷u̴r̸t̶s̸.̷.” RK stammered out, his LED going wild and switching through colours rapidly. 

 

“It’s almost over,” Connor reassures and RK nods slowly, gripping Connor’s hand back and letting out a heart shattering whimper. 

 

Hank rests a hand firmly on Gavin’s shoulder, both offering him reassurance and keeping him firmly in place. Gavin chooses to focus on the comfort aspect of the hand holding him down and leans back into the older man just a little.

 

If Hank mentioned it later, Gavin would deny it ever happening, call the man old and senile, and run out of the precinct with his face burning.

 

But for now, he just lets the warm presence of another person going through the same stress and worry as him comfort him.

 

RK lets out one last, loud as fuck scream before going slump in the chair. 

 

Connor lets go of the android’s arm and it falls limply at RK, Nines? RK900’s side.

 

Connor is staring off into space a little blankly, blinking about as he tries to get a bearing on his surroundings.

 

Gavin and Hank both run to their android’s respective sides, trying to check if they’re okay.

 

“Kid? Kid, are you okay?” Hank asked, turning Connor’s face to him and Connor blinked at him, LED whirring and changing from yellow to blue as he finally focused. Connor relaxes a little and smiles up at Hank.

 

“I’m fine, Lieutenant,” Connor reassures and Hank pulls him into a tight hug. 

 

Gavin ignores them in favour of paying attention to his own android, poking him in the side a few times.

 

“Dipshit, dipshit, wake up.” Gavin said, even going so far as to slap the android and getting zero response. “Connor, did it work?”

 

“Unclear,” Connor informed. “Once the data string left me, it was all on Nines to receive it. I have zero idea if it went well or not.”

 

“Phck,” Gavin hissed out, shaking the RK900 model viciously until the android shot upright, sitting straight and staring blankly forward.

 

“Nines? RK? Are you in there?” Gavin asked and the android blinks slowly, deliberately as his LED whirs a little fast before slowing down, stuck on yellow as he looks around. He frowns.

 

“What day is it?” The android asked, looking at Gavin and the detective licks his lips nervously, anxiety eating him alive because he can’t tell if everything’s okay.

 

“29th of March,” Gavin informed and the android nods slowly, looking around the room. Connor looks at him a little worriedly, frowning as RK900’s eyes land on him.

 

“Thank you, Eights” He said and Connor smiled at him, eyes brightening at the gratitude and the nickname.

 

“Did- Did it work?” Gavin asked and the android next to him turned slowly, face still void of any emotion.

 

“Your heart rate has exceeded 138 bpm, Gavin,” The android, Nines , says in a gentle teasing tone, a smile working its way onto his lips. “Could it be that you were worried about me?” 

 

“You fucking asshole,” Gavin said, voice shuddering with relief, insult immediately void once he pulled Nines into a tight hug. “You fucking asshole, I hate you so much.”

 

“You love me,” Nines said, teasing with a grin and Gavin wants to start crying because he’s back , but he’s reminded of Hank and Connor’s presence when the former coughs awkwardly.

 

Gavin snaps back away, face bright red as he looks at the other two.

 

“Glad to have you back, Nines,” Connor said and Nines smiled at his brother.

 

“Glad to be back.” Nines said and Gavin fisted a hand in his shirt, pulling him up to his feet and Nines laughed lightly as he followed. “We’re going to talk now.”

 

Connor’s eyes sparkled with mischief and Gavin doesn’t want to think about what he knows, so he just turns around and heads to his car, dragging Nines after him.

 

“So, what happened?” Nines asked as he settled into the passenger seat. “I can remember stuff from after I had been reset, but not the two weeks prior. You never actually mentioned what happened.”

 

Gavin tries not to think about the fact that after I had been reset involves Gavin confessing he loves the damn android. Instead, he swallows hard and nods a little.

 

“We had been after the Anti-Android group after we linked them to the serial killing of a group of androids. We found one of their bunkers and infiltrated, but there were too many of them. They surrounded us and we tried to fight them off, one of the fuckers shot at you and I jumped in the way, got a little banged up. But the shot distracted us both, neither of us saw it but a huge ass moving truck came barreling at you.

 

“It was one of the goons, they ran you over and kept going. There’s some evidence involved that still needs to be fully processed that implicates they also used a data scrambler on you. It also attached a virus and your external and internal processors were so fucked up that they had no choice but to reset you.”

 

Nines nods, watching Gavin as he drives.

 

Gavin feels a little calmer under the android’s gaze. He has him back , he’s safe, he’s alive and he’s back, but Gavin keeps feeling antsy. Like something else might go wrong, or that they missed something crucial.

 

“You love me,” Nines said after a long moment, no longer teasing like before, but a statement, genuine and true and Gavin’s ears turned red. “You told him, RK as you called, that you had loved me.”

 

Gavin wants to crawl into his skin and hide.

 

“Yeah, well, he- He said you loved me too,” Gavin mumbled, trying to shift the embarrassment onto the other android.

Like somewhere deep within my system, there’s this unbridled infatuation with you. Overwhelming affection, desire and love. The need to protect you. 

 

Nines just smiles softly at him, eyes gentle and adoring and Gavin doesn’t know what to do with his attention on him so intensely as he pulls over and parks outside of his apartment.

 

“He was correct,” Nines informed. “I do love you. I feel- I feel a whole lot for you, Gavin.”

 

“Oh,” Gavin said, flushed as he looked down at his lap. 

 

Get your shit together Gavin, you’re a fucking 36 year old detective, not a blushing middle school girl with her first ever crush .

 

“What do we-” Gavin began and cut himself off, turning away from Nines. “I mean, like, what does this mean for us moving forward?”

 

Nines smiled softly and reached over the centre console between them, grabbing one of Gavin’s hands. 

 

“Whatever you want it too.” Nines said. “We can continue being coworkers, acknowledging our feelings for each other but not acting on them. Or we could try dating.”

 

Gavin looks down at the hand in his, holding it tightly, like it was a lifeline and he sighed slowly.

 

“I don’t have a great track record when it comes to dating people.” Gavin informed and Nines scoffed.

 

“Trust me, I’m well aware of your lacklustre dating history.” Nines teased.

 

“And you fell for me anyway?” Gavin joked. “What happened to that superior and advanced critical thinking program of yours?”

 

“It chose you and every part of you,” Nines said, honesty flowing in every word of his. “Your past doesn’t matter to me Gavin, only who you are now.”

 

Gavin wants to make a joke, break the fluffy, warm feeling of love that sputters in his chest.

 

But he can’t, his words fall short as he looks into Nines’ eyes.

 

Nines, Nines , who just yesterday hadn’t remembered him, who just weeks ago had died in his arms.

 

Gavin had been a mess, he thought he lost Nines forever, he thought the person who cracked him open and made him feel alive had just been gone from the world in seconds.

 

But he’s not. He’s here, he’s alive , and he loves Gavin. He chose to love Gavin, chose to love every bit of him despite how fucked up he was and Gavin doesn’t know what to do, what to say about it.

 

So he kisses him.

 

Gavin cups Nines’ face with one hand, using the other hand holding Nines to pull him forward and he slotted their lips together.

 

Nines clearly seems a little surprised, and Gavin takes it as a mental win for once being able to surprise the android who swore everything about him was predictable. Nines quickly reciprocates though, hands moving up to cradle the back of Gavin’s neck, tilting his head back a little as Nines leans over him.

 

Gavin hadn’t really ever thought about how Nines would kiss, he never allowed himself to dream about it, to imagine what it would be like. But he thinks that he would’ve expect Nines to kiss with a certain precision, like he was carefully mapping out every inch of Gavin’s lips with his own.

 

That’s not how he kissed though. There was surprisingly a lot of raw emotion in the kiss, liss tender with a force behind them as they pushed against Gavin’s, as they tangoed this dance meant for two with a skillful dance Gavin struggled to keep up with.

 

It has a tiny whine climbing it’s way out of Gavin’s throat and Nines grins at that, pulling back slowly and Gavin’s lips chased after him, causing Nines to chuckle a little.

 

“As much as I’m enjoying this,” Nines said, eyes glittering with fondness as he looks down at Gavin. “This car is getting just a little too stuffy for my taste.”

 

“Are you asking to come up to my apartment?” Gavin asked, teasing and Nines rolled his eyes. 

 

“Don’t act like that wasn’t already part of the plan,” Nines vaguely gestures about, reminding Gavin that he had in fact driven Nines here in the first place. “Besides, we should talk some more before continuing.”

 

“Ugh, I hate talking,” Gavin groaned and Nines just smiles, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead.

 

“Awh, I know , but you can manage just this once,” Nines joked before he climbed out of the car.

 

Gavin stayed seated for a moment.

 

He has been through- Quite a hell lot of emotions the past 22 days.

 

Nines died, his memory was erased, then he was being haunted by this ghost, then he was trying to be nice to said ghost, he got a chance to confess his feelings for Nines to someone, was told Nines had felt the same, given this opportunity to get Nines back at a very big risk of losing RK and Connor, and he’s back . Nines is back and he loves Gavin .

 

It’s- Okay, it’s been a lot to process!

 

Gavin sighs shakingly and moves out of the car, arms immediately closing around him and pulling him into a tight hug. Gavin collapses into Nines’ chest, hands shaking as he holds him back.

 

“You were dead ,” Gavin mumbled, like it just finally actually really hit him that Nines died weeks ago. “You fucking asshole.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Nines mumbled into his hair. “I promise to be more careful going forward.”

 

“You fucking better,” Gavin sobbed a little, trying to blink back tears. “I was a fucking mess.”

 

“You’re always a mess,” Nines teased fondly and Gavin shakes his head a little at him. “I really am sorry I left you.”

 

“You’re back,” Gavin said. “That’s all that matters now.”

 

“You’re still allowed to be upset about the past few weeks,” Nines informed. “It was hard, it was a lot for you. You’re still allowed to be upset about it. You don’t have to just forget it ever happened and bury your emotions.”

 

Gavin pulled back and lightheartedly scoffed, turning away so Nines didn’t see him crying.

 

“Burying my emotions is kind of my schtick, you know,” Gavin joked and started walking up to his apartment, Nines following quickly after. 

 

“Yes, but not healthy,” Nines reminded and Gavin rolled his eyes opening up his apartment. 

 

“Whatever, just shut up and kiss me,” Gavin said, because he can do that now, pulling Nines into the apartment and the android’s smile grows as he pulls Gavin towards him.

Notes:

my sister has a coworker named Gavin Reed, like NO JOKE first and last name is Gavin Reed and she told me this and it single-handedly launched me back into my detroit fixation from 2019/2020 so hello everyone how are you LMAO