The snow drifted gently around you as you walked up to the station. "Morning, kid," Hank called as you approached. "How was the bus ride?"
"Cold," you managed. The bus, while heated, didn't manage to chase away the chill from your walk from your place to the bus stop. The walk from your stop to the station was even colder with your boots sinking into the dirty slush that lined the streets. Hank held the door open for you and you practically ran inside, burrowing your face in your scarf. As you passed the doors to the office, you stamped your boots on the carpet, knocking the snow off of them.
"Morning, Reed," you said as you passed his desk.
"Morning, Frosty. Cold bus ride?" he mockingly asked. You rolled your eyes and made it to your desk. As you started shedding your outer layers, starting with your beanie, Connor made his way over to your desk. He greeted you with a grin that you returned. You unwrapped your scarf and shook it out, watching the melting snowflakes fall off.
"Good morning, detective," he said cheerfully. It was no surprise that he was there earlier than you. You got there after most everybody else, save for the lieutenant. "How has your morning been?" You shucked off your coat and tossed it on your desk. Finally free of your outer layers, you sighed and put your hands on your hips.
"It's been snowy, Connor. It's been very snowy," you said with a smile. You sat down in your chair and leaned back to get a better look at the android. You have no idea if they based his model design off of someone or just mashed together attractive features but, damn, did those techs at CyberLife do a good job. You gazed into his brown eyes and asked, "How about you?"
"I've been just fine. What new cases do you have?" he asked. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Reed shoot you a look. He didn't like that you were such good friends with Connor. Of course, he didn't like anything to do with Connor in the first place. He griped to you about some comment Connor made about their "bromance." You laughed when you heard the story, only making Reed angrier. Despite neither of them liking each other, you'd maintained your friendships with both of them. You knew that Reed was just scared of being replaced, both in terms of his job security and his friendships that he'd built over the course of several years. The longer Connor leaned on your desk and you two made friendly conversation, the more intensely Reed glared at you two.
"Alright folks, gather round!" the captain shouted. Saved by the bell. You stood and walked over, completely leaving Connor in the dust. He was quick to catch up, though. Once the detectives had gotten into a clump around the captain, he held up his data pad. "New case for everyone. Major crimes bounced this one over to us because of our success rate with android perps. Wrap it up quick. Whole city's watching." As everyone broke away to get started on the case, you slugged Connor in the arm good-naturedly.
"Look at you," you crowed, "Getting us the best rates in the city." Connor smiled at you and chuckled. Back when he was still a machine, he wouldn't have done either of those things. When he first came to you, he was cold and robotic, the way an android should've been. Now you couldn't imagine a person more full of life. It drew you to him almost like a magnet. Everything about him seemed so human despite the spinning LED on his temple. You once asked him why he never took it off. He hadn't given you a straight answer; you felt as though he didn't really know himself.
"Let's get us another perp, alright?" you asked, plopping down in your chair. You watched Connor out of the corner of your eye as he took his seat a few desks away from yours. Taking a deep breath, you forced yourself to look down at your data pad and get focused. The case was a tricky one.
No fingerprints, no blue blood. The only reason they knew it was an android was because of puzzling clues left in perfect handwriting that no human could achieve. They were written in an odd code of lines. Some straight up and down, some at ninety degree angles, some every way in between. You got up and pulled a whiteboard into the center of the office. With painstaking care, you redrew the symbols, different ones left in different orders at different crime scenes.
"Any idea what it means?" Reed asked, coming to stand beside you. You shrugged and huffed.
"Could mean anything. But that's a good place to start," you said.
"A better place to start," Hank interrupted, staring down at his data pad, "is a new crime scene. Let's roll out, kids." He reached down and thumped Connor on the back of the head when he didn't immediately move. He pointed to you and Reed and gestured to the exit. With a dramatic sigh, you started to put on all of your outer layers. "C'mon, kid, we're waiting on you!" Hank called as you struggled to untangle your scarf. You ambled over, trying to unwind the wool, and jerked back in surprise when another pair of hands took it away from you.
"Let me help, detective," Connor said. His fingers untangled it with ease and he leaned close to wrap it around your neck. You could feel that his fingers weren't warm but they certainly drove away the chill from the open door you two were standing in front of. Hank let out a grumble behind you two and you were suddenly aware of how close you were standing. You stepped back as a blush slowly spread over your cheeks. As you climbed in the back of Hank's car, you couldn't help but feel a little grateful for the snow.
—-
The crime scene was located near your apartment building. Too close for Connor's liking. He'd only been once but he'd never forget it. The whole place had smelled like you. Your cat had twirled around his legs, leaving cat hair all over his pants but he couldn't bring himself to mind. It was meant to be a short trip, just grabbing a new change of clothes when you spilled hot chocolate on your shirt, but then Connor had gotten distracted by the volumes upon volumes of books you had in your apartment. He'd been aware of the existence of paper bound books but he'd never seen so many in such a small space.
"I go to antique stores and buy whatever I can find. I have a set of Harry Potter books that's probably worth five grand," you chuckled when he asked. You never answered the question as to why you bought so many books. Maybe it had to do with your never-ending appetite for knowledge. Every case you received you solved with gusto, taking in whatever you could learn along the way, even if it was something as small as an insight into a criminal's mind. Connor admired that about you. He admired you more than he probably should have. He stared at you as the snow fell softly around you, landing on your beanie and dusting the tops of your shoulders.
"Does it bother you that this is so close to your apartment?" Connor asked. You shrugged and blew into your hands. The entire car ride over, you'd been rubbing your hands together to warm them up. He was tempted to grab them in his own even though he could offer you nothing in terms of warmth.
"Crime happens where it happens, y'know? No use in worrying about what I can't change," you answered as you yanked open the front door. Connor detected that the inside was 75 degrees; it was definitely enough to warm you up. He'd noticed that it was a little quirk about you. You were always cold. Even in the office, you were always bundled in a cardigan or a sweatshirt. You warmed your hands around cups of hot chocolate even in the middle of the summer. It was… cute. Yeah, Connor decided, it was cute.
"More symbols!" you called from the kitchen. Hank went to go check it out but Connor stayed in the living room. He trusted you could take pictures and he could review them when there were less people around. He made his way down the hall, noticing damp footprints as he went. Size nine in women's. The prints belonged to a pair of heavy winter boots from a limited, expensive line. That would certainly narrow it down.
In the back bedroom, a window was cracked, letting the bitter winter air inside. The prints only led up to the house, suggesting at first glance that the culprit was still inside. However, the prints looked muddled and deep. The android probably stepped in their previously made tracks to avoid that. The outline of a person appeared in front of Connor's eyes. They crept in the window and made for the living room. They backtracked to the second bedroom, trashed the room, and left out the same window. Bloodstains in the living room showed that's where the victim was stabbed.
"Detectives," Connor said as he entered the kitchen where the body was. "How far have we gotten on the body?" You and Reed stood over the woman that lay motionless on the ground.
"It's probably the house's owner, Giselle Middleton. Gotta wait for fingerprints though," Reed said. Connor shook his head and knelt down. He dipped two of his fingers into the blood and gently placed them in his mouth. Reed made a comment under his breath. You retaliated by shoving him lightly. Connor looked up in alarm while his system ran the results. A flush was creeping over your cheeks, one that was different from the redness brought on by the cold. You gave Reed a pointed look and reminded him that this was a crime scene but he only smirked in response. Connor was about to ask what was so funny when the results came in.
"You're correct about her identity. She's the homeowner. Also listed on the lease," Connor added as he accessed the information, "is a PM700. One of our own, actually. Officer Carroway." You sighed a little bit. Connor empathized with your dismay. It was going to be hard for Officer Carroway to find out her roommate was murdered, especially since she couldn't work the case with you all.
"Poor Madison," you sighed. You trudged into another part of the house to examine the scene further. As soon as you were gone, the atmosphere grew tense. Connor and Reed were never left alone together if anyone could help it; it was a sign of trust that you left them to their own devices. Reed gruffly asked if Connor had done his reconstruction. He told his fellow detective what he'd found which made his scowl deepen.
"It's so weird that-"
"Hey! Is anything missing up there?" you called from the back room. Connor and Reed looked at each other before turning to where they could hear your voice. When you emerged from the hallway, your brow was furrowed. You gestured back to where you just came from. "I think the android was looking for something," you clarified.
"Was there anything missing from the other crime scenes?" Connor accessed the files from the previous scenes. Anything that was misplaced or knocked over was attributed to the struggle between the victim and the culprit; he even had his reconstructions to back it up. Was… was he wrong? If he was wrong, then something in his programming had stopped working. He was a prototype model after all. It wasn't that out of the question for him to malfunction but the thought made him feel cold. His thoughts were interrupted by your hand on his shoulder. "Connor, you okay?"
"I-I don't know if these are robberies. Nothing was missing from the other crime scenes and-"
"Slow down, tin can," Reed said, putting a hand up to stop him. Connor abruptly cut off and stared at Reed. Reed's eyes bored into his own before he let out a long sigh. You hadn't removed your hand from Connor's shoulder. "Everything's fine. We'll review the evidence back at the precinct and we'll figure it out," Reed said. Connor stared back before slowly nodding. He felt his shoulders start to loosen. Of course. What he'd said was correct. The evidence would just have to be reviewed before any concrete conclusion could be drawn. As Reed passed him, he hesitantly patted him on the shoulder. Your hand left him as well and Connor felt even colder than he had before.
Connor followed after one last glance at the body and headed out into the snow. You were leaning against Hank's car, rubbing your hands together and blowing into them. It was a comical sight, if he was perfectly honest. Between your beanie pulled down over your head and your scarf pulled up around your ears, you looked almost like a turtle coming out of its shell. When Connor had held your scarf in his hands, he'd noticed that it was fraying at the edges. It had been well-loved obviously. He briefly wondered if you would appreciate getting a new one. Christmas was drawing closer, after all.
"How are we gonna tell Madison?" you asked as he approached, using Officer Carroway's first name. Connor leaned up against the car next to you. He had the urge to put his arm around you and draw you closer. "I mean," you continued, "are we just gonna pull her out of work? Fowler will let her go home… well, not home, I guess. Oh god, we're gonna have to interview her." You sighed and wrapped your arms around yourself.
"If… if you feel as though you cannot do it, I will interview her," Connor said slowly. He didn't know if extending his help was the right decision but he wanted to let you know you weren't alone in your dismay. With a sigh, you shook your head and pulled your scarf up higher, pressing it close to your face. You wrapped it above your nose, right under your eyes, and stared out into the falling snow. Connor wished for nothing more than to see inside your mind and know what you were thinking.
"I can do it," you said, your voice muffled by your scarf. You didn't sound sure at all but Connor decided to let it drop. Silence fell in between you two, broken only by the sound of Hank talking with the crime scene techs nearby. The snow landed in soft little flakes on you, slowly collecting in a pile on your beanie. Connor reached up and brushed it away. The gesture felt almost tender. You looked up at him and grinned before turning your gaze up to the cloudy sky.
"Alright, kids. Let's go back to the station," Hank said, thumping the top of his car as he strode over. Connor was quick to reach behind you and open your door. You gave him a thanks but remained quiet and thoughtful.
The first thing to do when you all got back to the station was to inform Officer Carroway of what had happened. As you all entered the office, Connor laid a gentle hand on your back. You looked towards him with a bleak expression. Slowly, you reached up and pulled your beanie off, twisting it in your hands. You nodded without saying anything and headed towards your desk. After removing all your outer layers for the second time that day, you walked over to the opposite side of the room where the officers' desks were located.
Officer Carroway looked up, eager to please and ready to do whatever task you assigned to her. You spoke gently with a hand on her shoulder. After a few words, you gestured to the interrogation room and motioned for Connor to follow. You closed the door behind Officer Carroway and moved to join Connor in the observation room.
"Are you sure?" Connor asked as he handed you a data pad with the case information pulled up. You nodded and looked through the glass where the officer was sitting.
"It's just always rough. You'd think you'd get used to it but… it's hard every time." Connor reached out and hesitated, his hand hovering between you two. Your gaze was fixated on the android in the other room but you looked so heartbroken, as though it was your roommate that had been killed. Connor made his decision and wrapped an arm around your shoulders. He waited for you to shrug him off or the like but all you did was lean into him and sigh.
"Thanks, Connor," you murmured before breaking away. The door shut behind you and Connor was alone. He'd been thinking about you a lot recently. He brought it up to Hank once; he laughed and told him that he needed to figure out a couple other things first. He was starting to understand what that meant as he watched you take a seat across from Officer Carroway.
You held her hands as she sobbed, tears streaming down her dark cheeks, after you informed her of Giselle's death. You sat there for almost thirty minutes, giving her time to grieve. Connor watched on and felt something inside him ache for her. He couldn't imagine losing Hank or you or any of his coworkers even. Alongside that, he felt an admiration for you and your compassion and your willingness to reach out and do what's right. Human emotions were… complex, to say the least.
"Now, I need to ask you," you said gently as you dragged the data pad towards you, "The android pretty thoroughly trashed Giselle's room. Is there anything in these photos that's missing or any sign that something's gone?" You flicked through the photos, leaving time for her to absorb them. When you got towards the end, she reached out a slim finger and pointed at something.
"There." You looked at it for yourself and zoomed in. Connor pulled up the photos on the console and tried to see what you were looking at.
"The dresser drawer?" you asked. Officer Carroway shook her head and pointed again.
"The black box on the ground. That's where she kept a bunch of old jewelry. Some brooches, necklaces. A couple of antique election pins too." Your gaze flicked towards where Connor was watching. He looked down to see that there was indeed a black box lying on the ground with its lid gone. His shoulders tensed and he looked back up to where you were. You nodded and set the data pad down.
"Thank you so much, Madison. We'll get you a place to stay while everything gets settled," you said with such softness. She nodded and the tears started flowing again. You rubbed her back once, twice, three times and exited the room.
Connor met you in the hall but you didn't stop to say anything. You just walked back to your desk and flung yourself into your chair. Connor watched you, examining your movements and expressions. You stared at the whiteboard as though the code on it personally offended you. You were agitated and impatient.
"Detective, how about we get some lunch? I can order from that Thai place you like," Connor asked. For a moment, you placed a hand over your eyes, gathering yourself.
"What time is it, even?" you murmured.
"It's almost noon," Connor responded immediately even though you were in the process of tugging your sleeve up to check your watch. You stared down at your wrist and froze. "Detective?" You didn't respond. Something about the time perturbed you. It had only been a few hours since you arrived at work; perhaps the quickness of the events of the day unnerved you.
"Oh my god," you mumbled. You shot up and practically ran over to the whiteboard.
"What's going on?" Connor asked, following right behind you. You just traced a finger over the symbols on the board before writing numbers underneath. Connor watched as you did this with every symbol from each crime scene. It clicked in his head when you were halfway through. You drew a '3' underneath a set of lines that met at a right angle. "They're clock hands," he breathed. "They're telling a time."
"It's a code. It's not binary because that'd be ones and zeros. Maybe it's alphanumeric?" you asked, sounding out of breath with excitement. Connor snatched up another marker and wrote the corresponding letters underneath. It was almost funny to look at his perfect CyberLife handwriting next to your messy scrawls. You two finished at the same time and backed up to view your handiwork.
Unfortunately, your handiwork meant next to nothing. The words didn't make sense.
AICHEL AEGJ
CAGEJ
DEKEEIE
"This… this is nonsense," Connor stated as you two stared at it. He ran it through several more decoding processes but he came up empty. It didn't make sense in any other code either. You shook your head and gripped his wrist. At some point, you two had garnered the attention of everyone in your vicinity with your code-breaking ordeal. Connor looked down to where you grasped him and felt his face grow slightly warm. He could see that people were staring. Were- were they staring at you because you were grabbing him?
"If it's alphanumeric, they only have twelve numbers to work with," you reminded him. You finally let go and stepped closer to the board. He could feel where you had held him only moment before and found that he wanted your fingers on his skin once more. Focus, Connor, he reprimanded himself. "Let's take this 'A' and assume that the one they wrote is supposed to be a thirteen. That changes it to an 'M,'" you said. You rubbed out the letter with your sleeve and wrote the 'M.'
"If we're following that logic," Connor added, rubbing out the last two letters of the second word, "it makes sense if this is an 'ST' due to how common that is in the English language."
"Michel West!" you exclaimed. You scribbled over the last letter remaining and fixed it. "He's a guy we caught with a bunch of stolen goods!" Following that path of logic, you two fixed the remaining letters.
CADET. A renowned thief that the DPD recently locked away. Some of the stolen goods would've ended up with him.
DEVEERE. A pawn shop downtown. Considering how recent the robbery was, Giselle's stolen jewelry might've ended up there. It was a place to start anyways.
Connor examined you once more as you redressed, preparing to head out into the winter day. You moved with a renewed energy and you looked like you were lit from within. You both hurried over to the door, calling for the lieutenant as you went. Connor stopped to hold the door open for you with a smile.
"Shall we, detective?"
Deveere's was a shady place with a shady reputation. If you wanted something gone fast, this was the place to drop it. The storefront was blocked with black tarps with a sign that said "ENTRANCE ON THE ALLEY." You were immediately on guard as you headed into the dim alley. The snowfall hadn't ceased but there were footprints to let you know that you weren't the only ones interested in the store.
"Detective," Connor said with a warning note in his voice. He pointed down at the footprints. You didn't notice anything remarkable about them but he did. They must be a match for the ones at the crime scene. You nodded and looked around for the set that returned to the street. They weren't there. You must've caught the perp right as they were hawking the jewelry.
"I'll stay here. You two head inside," Hank said, resting a hand on his gun. You turned and headed inside. The tall walls of the alley made you feel suffocated and the cluttered store didn't do anything to assuage your nerves.
You always felt like this when you were on the hunt for someone. Your heart pounded and your feet wanted to run, to feel that release of pent-up energy. You bounced slightly on the balls of your feet as you held the door open for Connor as though it would help alleviate your tension.
The inside of the store smelled musty and slightly of cigarettes. The walls were an ugly green and the tiled floor showed years of wear and tear. A man sat behind a wall of bulletproof glass with a small slot for money and items to go through. You sent Connor off to pretend to examine some merchandise, lest the perp or the owner see his conspicuous CyberLife garb.
A woman stood at the counter, quietly arguing with the owner. You drifted closer, pretending to be absorbed in your phone, and listened on. When you looked down, you could see that she had a bloodstain on one of her boots. Your stomach twisted unpleasantly. She couldn't even bother to wash off?
"Listen, I just need to get rid of it."
"Lady, I can't take stolen goods."
"Who says it's stolen?" she asked, a hint of desperation slipping into her voice. "Besides, isn't that what you do here?"
"Yeah, but not for androids. Not only will the cops be on my ass but so will CyberLife. Why is it so important to get rid of?" The woman fidgeted before snatching back the necklace she'd been holding out. She snapped back that she didn't need the money anyway and turned in a huff. She ran smack into you.
"Watch it!" she growled. As she exited, you ran after her. You felt Connor close on your tail. You reached a hand out and grabbed her bicep, tugging her backwards as you emerged onto the alley. The snow was falling harder now; it was landing in large tufts rather than small flakes.
"Detroit Police. I'm Detective-" You were cut off by the woman backhanding you and grabbing your scarf in two calculated movements. She yanked you around to face Connor and held you to her chest. Her hands pulled your scarf taut and cut off your breathing. Connor immediately had his gun out but he had no other option than to point it at your chest.
"I didn't mean to kill those people!" she cried. "I just… I just needed the money and- and no one was supposed to get hurt but they found me and fought me. If they just called the cops, I would've gone! They fought me!" The woman's voice had risen to a shout but the ringing that had started in your ears was drowning everything else out. You gasped but weren't able to draw air. Your knees were growing weak and your vision was growing cloudy but you were still able to see Connor lower his weapon and speak to the woman. He looked grim but he made no move to free you. Honestly, you were a little offended.
"Oof!" The woman lost her grip on you and you both fell forwards. Your chin hit the concrete and you rolled over, coughing and dazed. When you angled your head up, you could see the lieutenant cuffing the woman on the floor and yanking her up. You let your head fall back hard to continue coughing. Pain blossomed on the back of your skull and it joined in throbbing with your chin.
Connor appeared above you, calling your name. You paused. He almost never called you by your name. What if you actually died and had gone to heaven? It wouldn't surprise you that Connor was there with you. Your idea of heaven had included him for a long time. It was a little startling at how natural it felt to have affection for him. It had stopped being something remarkable a long time ago; you no longer thought about it consciously. Every time he touched you, you felt a sense of belonging, and this time was no different.
"Sit up. Are you okay?" Connor's hand cupped your cheek and he turned you to face him. Without taking any time to think, you wrapped your arms around him and drew him in, burying your face in his neck. He wrapped you up tight, practically pulling you up into his lap. You remained entwined as the snow drifted down around you. The cold air nipped at your neck and collarbones, having loosened your scarf, but you felt warm in Connor's embrace.
Slowly, slowly, you pulled back but hovered so close to him that your noses brushed. His breath intermingled with yours. His fingers twitched at your waist. Everything felt so close, so intimate. You raised a hand to his cheek and brushed across his cheekbone.
"Aw, c'mon, you two. We have better things to do!" Hank called. You jerked back, broken out of your stupor. You and Connor unceremoniously fell backwards and scrambled up on your own. A blush was spreading across your cheeks at having that moment witnessed by someone else. You hopped in the front seat without looking back. Hank slammed his door and grumbled something about "stupid kids." Your face burned at that comment and you raised your scarf to cover your cheeks.
The drive to the station was silent except for the rumble of the engine and the wind whistling past the car. When you arrived, you bolted out of the car and over to the squad car with the thief. You yanked her out and walked her into interrogation, not making eye contact with Connor as he held the door open for you.
"Where's the fire?" Reed asked as you breezed past him to reach your desk.
"Psh, nothing. Why- why do you ask?" you asked, throwing your coat down, badly feigning being casual. Reed cocked an eyebrow and came closer. He sat on your desk as you plopped into your chair and raked a hand through your hair. Suddenly, his gaze veered above your head and he smirked. When you turned, Connor was standing halfway in between his desk and yours. He nodded and said, "Detective. Gavin," before he turned and marched back to his desk. You saw that his cheeks and the tips of his ears were flushed with blue.
"What happened with you and the tin can?" Reed laughed. Everyone in the vicinity had heard him and were now leaning forward with the hope of catching some office gossip. You buried your face in your hands.
"Nothing happened, Gavin," you mumbled.
"They were making goo-goo eyes at each other after they caught the perp," Hank butted in as he leaned back in his chair. "Even held each other and everything. I thought they were gonna make out right then and there."
"Oh my god," you said, sinking down and plonking your head on your desk. You could just about die from embarrassment. Not that you were embarrassed about liking Connor; that wasn't the case at all. Everyone knowing, however, was a different story. You felt like a schoolgirl on the playground being teased. Plus, if Fowler found out, he might make you work in different divisions. You weren't sure on that; you'd have to check the handbook.
"I didn't know androids could blush," Reed said above you, "Looks like you learn something new every day." With one last laugh, he sauntered back to his own desk. You risked a peek to look at Connor. Even though he was diligently working, he was blushing as fiercely as you were. It was even more obvious because of the blue color of his blush.
You finally straightened up and brought your data pad to life, ready to throw yourself into your paperwork. Maybe if you worked hard enough, the office would forget this happened.
The office did not forget what happened. To celebrate the closing of the case, Hank invited everyone out for drinks, including Connor. He couldn't drink but he was part of the team and he enjoyed the feeling of hanging out with his friends. Someone had to call them all cabs at the end of the night after all.
"Tell your lover to hurry up. We don't have all night," Hank said, gesturing to you. At the term 'lover,' Connor felt his face heat up. He certainly didn't need a repeat of a few hours ago when he couldn't get his thirium pump to stop going so fast. He simply nodded at Hank and went to fetch you.
"Detective, everyone's heading out. Would you like to join?" Your brow was knitted together as you stared down at your data pad. Connor put a hand on your shoulder and called your name. You reached up and put your hand on his own, answering with a distracted hum. Instinctively, Connor laced his fingers with your own and called your name once more. You finally looked up.
"Oh, sorry, Connor. I was distracted. I'm ready, let me just get my coat on." You said all of this without letting go of his hand. When you noticed, you flinched back.
"Detective-" he started.
"I'll, uh, meet you out at the car." Connor didn't move though. He stood by your desk while you gathered your things. He was thinking of ways to ask you what he really wanted to know. He was desperate to know if you felt the same things he did. It was frightening to experience alone, this affection. Connor made it all the way outside before saying anything. He caught your arm, not strongly enough to stop you, but you turned anyways.
"I like you. A lot. So much that… that it scares me sometimes. I just want to know if you feel the same way," Connor said. He felt a little breathless despite standing still. You gazed up at him and, for a moment, he thought you were simply going to tell him no and get in the car with Hank. However, your answer took him by complete surprise.
"Can I kiss you?" He hadn't expected you to ask with such clarity. You met his eyes unflinchingly. Connor smiled a bit. Of course you would ask him though; your boldness had drawn him to you in the first place. Instead of responding, he leaned in and met your lips with his own. Your lips were warm and soft. Your fingers, where they rested on his cheek, sent shivers down his spine.
The moment was broken by the whoops, cheers, and catcalls of a group of people. The two of you broke apart to see the entire force crowded around Hank's car, obviously waiting for you two. Connor even caught Officer Chen pass a twenty dollar bill over to Gavin. Feeling bolder than ever, Connor wrapped an arm around your shoulders and drew you close.
"I thought we were getting drinks," he called to the force.
"This was more entertaining!" Gavin shouted. "But now that you mention it… I could go for a beer. Let's roll out!" More cheers. You laughed and started towards the group. Before you could get very far, Connor grasped your hand and spun you back around. He kissed you once more and felt your smile against his lips. Despite the snow drifting down around you two, he'd never felt more warm.