Hey guys, I'm in need of a beta reader. Or two. Or three. If you like jokes and reed900 and don't mind working around me and my Australian timezone, it'd be great if you could help me out. You'd get sneak peeks of future chapters as well as my random ramblings. WIN WIN!
You can contact me through private message here, or through my tumblr (alphawave-writes). Thanks again to all of you who've read my story up until this point. Your support is super appreciated.
Promotion
By now Gavin was used to certain things going a particular way. The top drawer of his desk would creak a little whenever he opened it. The fridge light flickered if you kept the door open for more than three seconds. Hank will come to the office with a box of doughnuts every Tuesday and Connor will try (and fail) to convince Hank not to eat a doughnut. Every Tuesday, Gavin would always steal the last doughnut left, which was usually either a jelly-filled doughnut or plain cinnamon. That was fine because Gavin wasn't that much of a doughnut fan but the sugar rush was always appreciated.
When Fowler called Gavin into his office, he was expecting another scolding, probably for handling a perp too roughly or for not getting anything from the franken-android.
Not today, however. Fowler wasn't upset. In fact, he was smiling.
Happy Fowler was far scarier than regular Fowler.
"You called for me?" Gavin asked.
"Sit down," Fowler gestured.
"I'll stand," Gavin shook his head. He'd been sitting on his ass for long enough today.
"Fine," Fowler said. He brought out a file from a cabinet—Gavin's file—and looked through some documents, fishing one out and flipping it over for Gavin to see.
There was no way for Gavin to not know what this document was. He'd handed it to Fowler a long time ago. He glanced down at the document then up to Fowler, eyes wide. "You're not saying…"
"I've put your application through, Gavin." Fowler let out another ill-suited smile. "In a couple months, you'll hopefully be a sergeant."
For once in his life, Gavin did not know what to say. He could waggle his mouth and make some vaguely human sounds but that probably didn't look very professional. Shit, he was going to be a professional now. What did professional people say?
Gavin cleared his throat loudly and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "T-thanks?"
So much for eloquence.
Fowler took the document and carefully slid it back into Gavin's folder. His usual annoyed face was back. "Don't get your hopes up too high. You've got to score high in the sergeant's test and then you have to go to an oral interview, and only after you pass that, you'll be a sergeant. And even if you get promoted, who knows where you'll be stationed. Quite likely they'll place you somewhere else."
Gavin's brows furrowed. "They're that undermanned at the other departments?"
"Not undermanned, but there's a lot of unqualified cops out there ever since the android revolution. A lot of rookies need guidance," Fowler said. "Every man, woman, and robot will want to snatch up the job before it's too late. You're gonna have stiff competition."
The corners of Gavin's lips dipped. He should've figured it wouldn't be a sure thing.
"That being said, I did personally recommend you so that might give you an edge up. Might is the keyword. My word could mean everything or it might mean jack shit. So your best bet right now is to study hard."
"Any other tips, captain?"
Fowler folded his arms over his desk. "Try to piss as few people as possible, and keep your smartass comments to yourself." He waved his hand to dismiss Gavin. The urge to bow was palpable but Gavin kept his head held high as he calmly walked out of Fowler's office and closed the door behind him.
There were a few seconds where Gavin could hear nothing but the blood rushing into his ears and the sound of air moving in and out of his lungs. He took a deep breath in, then a deep breath out. Something bubbled within him, a pressure he rarely ever felt, and when it became too much, Gavin opened his mouth and let it all out.
"WHOOOO‼‼!" Gavin raised his middle fingers to everybody as he descended the stairs. "FUCK YEAH, LOSERS‼‼"
A few people winced at the loudness but the rest moved away. Gavin approached Hank and Connor's combined desks, pumping his middle fingers into their faces in a dance-like manner.
Connor let out a quiet sigh. He turned around in his chair, LED blinking yellow. "What is it, Detective Reed?"
"Oh nothing," Gavin smirked. "I'd just like to say fuck CyberLife, fuck your sugar daddy, and fuuuuuuck you!" He pressed his middle finger right in front of Connor's face. Connor gently pushed it aside, face contorted in mild annoyance.
"Hank," Connor called the lieutenant.
Hank was too busy covering his ears. "Don't fucking bring attention to me, kid."
Gavin couldn't control himself. He was loud, proud, and so fucking happy that he was going to shove it into as many faces as possible.
Richard approached from behind, trying his hardest to suppress a smile. "You need not cover your ears for much longer, Lieutenant Anderson. Detective Reed will calm down soon enough."
And Richard wasn't wrong for mere seconds later, Gavin could feel the adrenaline rush out of his body, taking him away from that joyful precipice. He was calmer already but he was going to stick his middle finger in their faces for as long as he could. Just so Hank and Connor got the message.
"I assume you had a good meeting with Captain Fowler," Richard said.
"Fowler's finally put my application through." Gavin put his hands on his hips "In a few months, you're looking at Sergeant Reed."
"That's great," Connor nudged Hank, causing the old man to stiffen in surprise. "Isn't it?"
"Y-yeah, yeah," Hank rubbed the back of his head. His foul mood was short lived and an appreciative grin of his own emerged. "Seriously though, congrats, Gavin. If you can handle my shit, you can certainly handle whatever shit the sergeant job will give ya."
"Damn right I can!" Gavin laughed. He won't try and pretend to know why Connor and Hank were still being so damn supportive and nice. It was an unfamiliar feeling, knowing people that actually cared about his achievements, but it wasn't unwanted.
Gavin found himself instinctively turning to Richard. Normally the android would have something to say—a comment or a quip usually. Instead, he was quiet, contemplative. When their gazes meet, Richard looked almost bashful.
"We should celebrate," Richard suggested.
"That sounds like a great idea," Connor said.
Hank leaned forward, chuckling in that old man way he had perfected to a T. "Are you gonna invite little ol' me? Aw shucks."
Gavin frowned. "Look, no offence to either of you—"
"No offence? Wow. That's a first," Hank remarked.
Gavin rolled his eyes. "—but I'm probably not going to celebrate." Sticking his middle finger to Hank's face was enough of a celebration.
"Why not?" Connor asked.
"I've got work to do." Gavin lied. "Paperwork and shit."
"That's not true," Richard said. "You finished all your paperwork hours ago. And even if you did have additional work, I could easily help you finish it all before our shift is over."
There it was again, that quiet concern, that soft worry in Richard's voice that aroused a variety of different emotions in Gavin. A part of him wants to tell Richard not to bother, that he shouldn't have to do his dirty work, but then the other part of him said that it was literally the android's fucking job to help him.
Stupid Connor and his comments, Gavin thought. It was making him overanalyze every single detail about Richard, from his crooked grin to his tiny pores to that tantalizing streak of white on his cheek.
"It would be nice to have an evening out," Richard added. "You should get out more often."
"Seriously?" Gavin grumbled. Since what did Richard know about him?
"Detective, if I may, you have been very active over the past few weeks and I think it would do you some good to have a break, however small. An evening out relaxing will do you some good."
Gavin had to admit, it might be nice having one night to chill. He could do something chill, something quiet. Maybe invite Tina and hang out for once. Hell, he could bring Richard along too if he felt like it. Tina and Richard weren't close yet but he was sure those two would get along well enough.
He turned and saw everybody staring at him. Richard's eyes glint under the fluorescent bulbs above. They're blue like the flames on a Bunsen burner when they're turned up high. Unnatural, perhaps, but beautiful regardless.
Gavin sighed. "Fine. I'll go out. And you all can come along, I guess." He pointed his finger accusingly at Richard before Connor could make a smart comment. "But it's not going to be long. A drink or two with a couple of my buddies and that's it. Nothing big or crazy, got it?"
"So you want me around to make sure you don't make a fool of yourself?" Richard chuckled. "It's not all that different from work, is it."
Gavin shrugged a smile creeping up his face. "I did warn you for a reason, dickhead, and that reason is that you're stiffer than a man who'd OD'd on viagra."
"And you know just exactly how that looks like because…?"
"You want me to show you what it looks like?"
Richard let out an exaggerated sigh. "More nude pictures of yourself?"
"I was going to bring a mirror but if you want those kinds of pictures, you're gonna have to give me a couple minutes in the bathroom," Gavin smirked.
"Again with the flirting," Hank grumbled as he shook his head. "I almost miss the days where you just got into fights with everybody, Gavin."
"Hey, Hank," Gavin said.
"Yeah?"
"Fuck you." Just to put the point across, Gavin put up his middle finger again. It was wondrous how a single finger could give such a clear message.
Someone didn't get the message that this was to be a small party. Small. Tiny. Infinitesimal. Gavin didn't know for sure who it was (Connor) and he didn't know why (because he's an asshole that's also popular) but now instead of having a quiet evening with a few of his friends, he suddenly had half the precinct coming to his 'potential promotion party'.
Tina thought the name was too long and started calling it the 'triple p'. Richard thought otherwise.
"Wouldn't you say it would be better if it was called…'trip p'?"
Tina snorted at that joke like the pig she was, marking with her piggy noises the blossoming of a new friendship.
So it was with mixed feelings that Gavin entered the bar known as 'Essence'. It was far from Gavin's favourite place. The drinks were expensive, the music was too loud, and it was too posh to meet any decent men. The people who came here were over 30 and were already in a relationship and could afford to take their lover here and buy them overly priced glowy drinks. That being said, it was nicely decorated and big and full of distractions, which meant that Gavin had a variety of ways to avoid people.
The bar area was where the majority of the seats were, so it was where people sat. Of course, since half of Detroit's police was in this establishment, everybody had to be split between tables. Gavin sat in a booth opposite Tina, taking quiet sips from a German beer with an unpronounceable name.
Tina knew he was a lightweight but years of friendship meant that she had exhausted all her jokes on the subject matter. Tina, of course, was not a lightweight and had in fact knocked off two vodkas and a cosmopolitan in the time it took Gavin to sip half his beer. There was no sign that the drinks did anything to her.
"Didn't think this was your scene, Gav," Tina said.
"Obviously I wanted to watch Connor and Chris sing 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart'. Didn't you know that was my fetish?" Gavin grumbled bitterly. He took another light sip of his drink.
Tina surveyed the bar. "Where's the robot?"
"Richard? Who fucking knows?" Gavin hadn't seen head or tail of him, which was strange. Richard said he'd be here but clearly he wasn't. It couldn't be possible that the android got lost? That seemed ironic, an android with GPS getting lost.
His lips dipped down for a fraction of a second. Most people wouldn't have noticed the microexpression. Then again, Tina wasn't most people. "You miss him that bad already?"
"I-I'm not a fucking kid, you make it sound like I've got some childhood crush." Gavin stammered. The door at the entrance opened and Gavin could see the faint light of a blue LED. "A-anyway, look, he's here."
Gavin took one look at Richard and was immediately rendered breathless.
Tonight, Richard had forgone his usual attire for a white leather jacket and black button up shirt, the first three buttons popped open. Gavin's eyes trailed up and down Richard's neck, taking in the creamy, smooth surface. Richard never liked showing his neck for some reason, which was strange because it was so smooth and beautiful and it just made Richard look hot. That was a strange first thought for Gavin. He'd never cared about how a person looked or how they dressed before but Richard was damn well making him reconsider that.
Richard scanned the environment, eyes catching on Gavin's gaze. He waved his hand before approaching, a gentle smile on his lips. Tina waggled her eyebrows at Gavin in that 'you want to fuck him' way that Gavin was VERY familiar with. Before he would have ignored her because most of the time, Tina was dead wrong. Tonight, however, she wasn't too far off the mark. Gavin took a large gulp of beer. Stupid sexy Richard, his mind supplied.
"Officer, Detective," Richard said once he was close enough to be heard.
"Come sit with us, Conan," Tina said.
Richard raised his eyebrows at being called 'Conan' but said nothing as he took a seat. There was plenty of space between the plush cushions but for some reason, Richard decided to park his ass right next to Gavin. The feeling of Richard's hip pressed against his made his stomach decide to do an acrobatic performance.
I'm not fucking going to survive this evening without fucking the android, am I?
"Nice clothes," Tina said.
"O-Oh, thank you." Richard smiled sheepishly. His eyes scanned the bar again. "I think I might have overdressed for the occasion. I was under the assumption this was what you wear when you go out."
"Yeah, when you go out on a date," Tina laughed. "That's a panty-dropping outfit if I've ever seen one."
Gavin half-agreed with Tina's statement. Richard looked like he could drop panties and boxers all in one go—Gavin's own included.
"Is that so?" Richard turned to Gavin. "What do you think, detective? Is this too much?"
Gavin took another gulp of his beer. He made sure to glance for only a few seconds. Any longer than that and Gavin might drool. Fuck Connor for suggesting he was attracted to Richard. Fuck himself for being attracted to Connor's goddamn clone. He was already tipsy from that one beer, that must explain the disturbing thoughts that raced through his head, of wanting to see the android strip off his clothes in front of him slowly.
Everyone was staring at him. Quick, look natural. "I-it's fine," Gavin cleared his throat loudly. "You look OK."
Richard's cheeks pulled his smile higher and it was so proud and so soft that Gavin had to wretch his face away before he could be lured in. The beer was promptly finished off.
"So, why'd you pick this place of all places for the party?" Richard asked. He must know Gavin was feeling nervous being in his presence, changing the subject like that. Fuckity fuck nuggets.
"Fowler wanted to come for some reason, so that left out most of my usual haunts," Gavin explained, trying to keep as level a voice as possible. "Tina recommended this place."
"So you come here often, Officer Chen?"
"Not really. A friend of mine comes here a lot, mostly to scope out guys she wants to bang or to cry her sorrows into a pina colada."
Richard turned to Gavin, LED yellow. "Bang?"
"Sex, dickhead."
"Ah."
Tina continued. "Anyway, it's got a decent selection of drinks, which should please Fowler's missus. Everything else Hank could handle."
Gavin glanced at the bar where Fowler and Fowler's wife, Hank, and some lady friend of Hank's were chatting amongst themselves. This marked only the second time Gavin saw Fowler smile. Even when he's sloshed, that smile looked so unnatural on that man.
"I see," Richard said, because there really wasn't anything to comment on that Gavin's look of disgust didn't already communicate. He turned back to the table. "So tell me then, what is the standard protocol for nights out like this?"
"You don't know?" Gavin asked incredulously.
"I have…some information," Richard said with a hint of annoyance, "but considering this is your celebration we are talking about, I doubt it will follow the typical social protocols."
"So you don't know," Gavin repeated.
Richard's lips thinned into a line before quietly nodding. A quiet chuckle escaped Gavin's lips. He must be drunk already because he didn't even think twice about putting his arm around the android's shoulders.
"Well, you don't have to worry, dickhead. All we're gonna do is drink our cares away and complain about everything. You're a big boy now, you can handle that, right?"
"You know I cannot partake in the consumption of liquids." Richard's eyes twinkled. "That being said, I have plenty to complain about."
"I hope you're not talking about me," Gavin scoffed.
"I have plenty to complain about you, detective. That said, this is supposed to be your celebration so I shall keep my complaints regarding you to myself for tonight." Richard looped his arm behind Gavin's back. He was trying to copy what Gavin was doing, trying to comprehend the meaning behind the action but the spark of electricity from his touch left Gavin reeling.
It took Gavin a moment to regain his composure. To think up his own snide remark and laugh it off. "Good, because I'm not going to hold back what I have to say about you, Richard."
"I'm quaking in my boots already, Detective."
"Good," Gavin grinned. "You should be."
In the end, Gavin didn't actually complain about Richard. He'd been too busy airing his grievances about work, sprinkling in a fair few nasty words about Connor and his annoying smugness (Richard was a different kind of smug, he told himself. Richard earned his smugness). Tina didn't mince any words about her fellow officers, the colourful language taking Richard off guard. She didn't hold back, which was what Gavin liked about her. The first time they met, Tina threatened to report him for being a bitch.
Funny how all the people Gavin liked tried to threaten him one way or another. Gavin said as much after the three of them had exhausted all potential targets for a roasting. Tina laughed fondly at the memory. Richard frowned.
"I should apologise for that, Detective Reed," he said as he recalled the first time they met. "I had thought matching your aggression would make you more amenable."
"It's all in the past, forget about it." Gavin took another sip of his beer—his new, second beer. Richard had offered to buy it for him when he finally knocked off the first one and Gavin couldn't refuse the android.
Gavin also didn't have it in him to reprimand the android on personal space. Richard was surprisingly warm. It was nice. Richard felt nice.
"Still, I was quite rude to you, and for that, I should apologise."
"What'd you do?" Tina asked with the slightest hint of a slur in her voice. She was on her fifth drink by now. The alcohol had finally taken its toll on her.
"I threatened to publicly shame the detective on his pornography preferences," Richard admitted.
"And that worked?" Tina snorted, turning to Gavin. "What the hell do you watch?"
"None of your business, Tina," Gavin grumbled.
"For the detective's sake, I won't divulge." Richard chuckled. "This is supposed to be his night."
Gavin would argue it was never his night from the get-go, and that half the cops here only used his promotion as an excuse to party. He didn't say it though for fear of killing the mood. Instead, he took another sip of his beer.
Perhaps his desire to keep the good times flowing had overtaken his sensibilities because towards the night's peak, Tina had excitedly proclaimed that the bet was on again. Gavin almost immediately groaned.
"Fucking hell, Tina, really? Now?"
"What is this bet?" Richard asked.
"It's stupid," Gavin said. "We basically go around and try and grab someone's number. Whoever gets one first wins. Loser has to buy the winner a drink."
"The catch is that we don't choose the person we go to," Tina added. "I choose Gavin's target, and he chooses mine."
"Sounds simple enough," Richard said.
Gavin turned to Tina. "Look, I'm already tipsy and I really don't need a drink."
"Who said I was playing this one?" Tina smirked.
Gavin and Richard shared glances.
"You guys decide amongst yourselves what the bet is. I'm just gonna sit here and be the judge."
Gavin rolled his eyes. "You're gonna record us making idiots of yourselves, aren't you?"
"Now why would you even think that?" Tina grinned innocently.
"Tina," Gavin started.
"Come on, go. I wanna see how this goes."
Gavin would argue further but then Tina glared at him with the power of a thousand suns. Gavin meekly made his way to the bar with Richard. The two men stood awkwardly next to one another, not sure what to make of this.
"So," Richard said. "about this bet..."
"We're not having one," Gavin replied. "I'm gonna pass out if I have any more and you can't drink anyway. But if we don't want Tina to kill us, we gotta do this."
Richard nodded. "I just need to grab a phone number from a person of your choosing?"
"Yeah."
"And I can employ any method?"
"You can't hack their phone and grab their phone number, Richard."
Richard frowned. "So I have to talk to people to get their number?"
"Welcome to the human world, Richard," Gavin shrugged.
Richard scanned the people chatting at the bar and Gavin decided to do the same. Tina probably chose this time because the bar was overflowing with people. A healthy mix of young, gorgeous people and old farts with nothing better to do, the latter category included Hank and Fowler. Fortunately, those two were at the opposite side of the bar so Gavin wouldn't have to make a mockery of himself again in front of them. He's had enough humiliation for a lifetime.
"So who is my target?" Richard asked.
Gavin hummed in thought when he took sight of a lone woman playing a game on her phone. She wasn't pretty, but she wasn't ugly either. An almost-empty glass of champagne sat at her side. She was quite likely alone. He'll let Richard have it easy tonight. "Let's go with her."
Richard nodded, and pointed to a man five seats down from the woman. "That shall be your target then."
"Why him?"
"The probability of success is similar." Richard gave no clarification as to how he calculated a number and marched towards the woman, smile morphing into something sickeningly sweet. Gavin tore his gaze away and went toward the man.
He was one of those nerdy types who came here for an after-work drink, considering his choice of attire and the way he sat on his stool. His gaze was firmly on the glass in front of him—he must've had a couple already—but there was still the shine of lucidity in his eyes even if it had waned slightly. When Gavin approached and the man turned to him, he found a surprisingly handsome face. A generic type of handsomeness, similar to the androids, but the way his eyes widened and his throat constricted in surprise, there was no doubt he was human.
He was good-looking, Gavin thought, but nowhere near as good looking as Richard.
He approached the man and put on his award-winning smile. "Apart from being sexy, what do you do for a living?"
The man blushed. His throat shook even more. The nervous type. The man tugged at his shirt collar. "I'm a…oh, I'm…" The man burst out into nervous giggles. It was going to take a while to get this man's number.
Once Gavin managed to calm the man down, he was quite nice actually. His name was Anthony and he worked as an accountant for a local company. He was also super mega gay, which helped Gavin's chances. As a person, Anthony was charming in a shy way. Gavin didn't really feel any attraction. It was just to beat this stupid competition. Just something to do because he could.
Gavin asked for Anthony's number and he nodded eagerly. He was about to get it when suddenly there's a loud splash followed by the angry stomp of high heels on a wooden floor.
Anthony gazed over his shoulder. "Is…is that your—"
"Yes," Gavin groaned. He stood up, gave a quick goodbye to Anthony and made his way to the now-sopping wet Richard.
The drink must have been strong because it stunk on Richard's clothes. The liquid had been splashed mostly at his face, with a bit sticking on his shirt and jacket. Richard looked down at the ground, cheeks flushed in embarrassment, fists balled up at his side.
A bartender offered a towel, which Gavin grabbed. His other hand roughly took Richard's hand and quickly led him to the bathroom. There was no one inside, and Gavin went to clean Richard up.
Richard seemed frustrated but didn't say anything as Gavin wiped his face with the towel. Now he was this close, Gavin could confirm that the drink he smelt was sangria. A ping of a text went off in Gavin's pocket. It's from Tina.
If you're fucking the android, I'm leaving.
Gavin rolled his eyes and put his phone on silent. He continued wiping away the alcohol splattered in Richard's hair.
"I can clean myself," Richard grumbled.
"Sure you can," Gavin said sarcastically. He went to wipe the alcohol at Richard's neck and his breath caught in his throat. How is it that a neck could be so seductive? It was all smooth lines and soft, pale skin, and it was there, right there in front of him, begging him to feel. Richard tilted his head so Gavin had a better angle. Truly, the android was putty in his hands. How Gavin wanted to touch Richard's exposed neck with his own hands instead of this towel. How he wanted to let his fingers glide gently down from the edge of Richard's jaw to the crook of his neck. How he wanted to rain kisses up and down his throat.
His movements crawled to a stop. Where the hell did that thought come from?
"Why did you stop?" Richard asked.
Gavin shoved the towel into Richard's grasp. "Why the fuck do you always make such a mess of yourself?" He asked.
"It wasn't my volition," Richard quietly admitted. His Adam's apple seemed more prominent in the blue light of the bathroom and god, how did Gavin not notice this until now? Did he always have a neck fetish? Was it possible to call it a fetish if it was only one person's neck he was fantasizing about?
"What the hell did you say to get a drink thrown at you?" It was getting harder and harder to concentrate on the conversation. Gavin's throat felt so dry.
Richard stiffened.
"Richard," Gavin said. "Just tell me."
He sighed, letting his lips dip slightly. "I did everything correctly. I waited for the opportune moment to slip in and strike up a conversation. To break the ice, I employed a pick-up line and she did not react…favourably to it."
"Clearly you said something wrong," Gavin huffed. "What the hell kinda pick-up line did you use to get a drink to the face?"
A hot flush painted Richard's cheeks. "…I might have asked if she wanted to...load her floppy disk into my hard drive."
Gavin did something in between a splutter and a laugh. He wasn't particularly sure which way it went. Was it more splutter or more laugh? It didn't matter how it started because it moved more towards the latter category as Richard stood there fuming.
"I-it's not that funny."
"Not that funny?" Gavin laughed. "That's the funniest fucking thing I've ever heard you say."
"Seriously?" Richard asked exasperatedly.
"I can't help it if the funniest joke you've ever made was by accident."
Richard shook his head, his own chuckle bubbling out in small bursts. "You really make no sense, detective."
"I don't," Gavin said," and you can call me Gavin by the way. No need for the detective bit out of work, especially if I'm being promoted."
"Gavin," Richard purred as if he was testing the word, tasting it as it dripped out of his tongue. "Gavin." A smile suddenly broke out. "Gavin."
His heart was doing somersaults now. "S-stop saying it like that."
"Like what?" Richard asked.
"Like you're trying to fuck me with your voice."
"And what if I am?"
Gavin gaped at Richard who let out a hearty laugh. Richard slung the towel over his shoulder before retreating into a bathroom stall to further clean himself up. Gavin took this time to check his phone. He had three new messages, all from Tina.
I'm leaving Gav
If you're fucking Conan in there, you owe me all the deets
Pics or it didn't happen
"Fucking hell," Gavin whispered.
"What is it?" Richard asked from behind a bathroom stall.
"Tina thinks we're getting it on in here."
"Well, she's sure to be disappointed then."
Gavin's first thought was she's not the only one and that thought was so invasive and so left-field that his brain short-circuited for a second. Thinking your partner's hot was one thing, but thinking about screwing them was another.
The bassline thumping in the background made it difficult to hear but Gavin swore he heard Richard strip in there. God, what he'd give to be that towel tonight. Argh, what was he thinking?
"Speaking of which, why does Tina call me Conan?" Richard asked.
"Hold on, I'll ask." Gavin texted the question to Tina. Barely two seconds later, she gave her response. Gavin snorted loudly.
"What did she say?"
"She said you look like Conan O'Brien."
Richard facepalmed so loud Gavin swore the bathroom stall reverberated from the sheer power. When Richard returned, the stains on his jacket were gone. The same could not be said for the black shirt however, but the lighting disguised the stains well.
"To think that in a few months, I won't be your partner anymore," Richard said.
Gavin's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"You will be my superior—assuming, of course, you remain with the DPD. Chances are unlikely you will stay, given the need for sergeants in this day and age. You'll get a better job, better pay. You will finally have the respect you deserve."
"And why do you care so much about this?" Gavin immediately regretted the bite in his voice when Richard's smile dropped. Richard looked down at his feet.
"I will miss you, Gavin," Richard quietly admitted.
"O-oh," Gavin said. And really, what else was he to say? That he hadn't considered Richard not being there? That he hadn't considered how comfortable he'd gotten with Richard?
Well, there was one thing he could say. It wasn't something Gavin was proud of, but it was the truth. It was a truth he'd been avoiding.
"I'll...I'll miss you too, knucklehead," Gavin whispered, just loud enough for Richard's bionic ears to pick up.
It wasn't the first time Gavin had said those words to someone, but it was the first time he truly meant them.