This chapter's bringing in the fluff, and by fluff, I mean more sex jokes, because that's apparently my sense of humour nowadays. I have a rough outline of the mystery planned, so keep your eyes peeled. Some details I put in might become relevant to the case (hint hint, nudge nudge).
How it's going, it's probably going to be at least ten more chapters. I'm actually excited by the story I have planned so I definitely think I'll get to the end, however many months it'll take me. If you guys wanna show me your support, your comments are like the BEST motivators ever. I may not comment back on every single one, but I swear, I read all of them, and they are all loved under the house of Alpha XD
As usual, I'm always free to chat alphawave-writes on tumblr
Novus ordo seclorum: part 2
Richard had few preconceptions about humans. The few that he did have, they had been broken repeatedly through Gavin's actions. His arrogance and ruthlessness contrasted with the kindness and care he had shown time after time. There was nothing in the world that could truly define Gavin Reed in his entirety, and Richard abandoned his search to define the detective, and subsequently, humanity. So when the car rolled up to Elijah Kamski's house, the sound of ice being crushed beneath the tires, he didn't have many expectations. If he had held onto his preconceptions, if he classified Elijah Kamski as the stereotypical 'wacky billionaire', he'd find that Kamski's choice of residence perfectly reflected his perceived personality.
Gavin cut the ignition but his other hand was still tight on the gear shift.
"Nervous?" Richard teased.
Gavin's lips pull into a line, and he swiftly exited the car without another word. Richard left, walking ahead when the click of the car lock could be heard. Gavin was already ahead of him, ringing the doorbell before crossing his arms over his torso. He's cold, Richard theorized. He walked to Gavin's side, ready to increase his heat output and wrap his arm around Gavin's back when the door opened. His arm dropped just as a young female android came out, a polite smile on her face as she regarded Gavin.
"My name is Chloe," she greeted. "How may I help you?"
"I need to speak with Elijah," Gavin said gruffly.
"I'm sorry, but he is not accepting visitors this week." She smiled apologetically. "Do you want me to make an appointment?"
"Look, we're the police, we need to talk to him right now."
"Unless you have a warrant, Elijah is not legally required to talk to you."
"Argh, just—" Gavin ran a hand through his hair. "Look, I'm Gavin Reed, OK? I'm his cousin. Arthur's younger brother. Can you PLEASE let me talk to him?"
Chloe shook her head. "I'm sorry."
Gavin let out a muffled curse, kicking a nearby snowbank and wincing when his foot met hidden steel bars. Richard tried not to laugh, though he could do nothing to hide his growing smile.
"Chloe," Richard said, ignoring Gavin's hisses of pain, "this is urgent police business. Are you sure there is no way for us to talk to Mr. Kamski?"
Chloe's eyes widen as she took in Richard's presence. She eyed him up and down slowly, gaze settling finally on the scar on his cheek. Her LED cycled yellow for a few seconds before her eyes shift. There's a spark of recognition. All of a sudden Richard realized that this android must have been there when he was originally given to Connor and Hank, back when he had first awakened.
She stepped aside, gesturing for them to come in. Gavin mumbled a "fucking finally" to himself before striding in. Richard followed closely behind as Chloe closed the door behind her. Gavin stopped in the middle of the waiting room, phone ready. He opened his mouth to ask Chloe a question, but she darted past him, quickly entering another door and closing it behind her before Gavin could speak.
"And people say I'm rude," Gavin huffed.
"You are," Richard quipped back.
Gavin shrugged, moving to check out a giant portrait of Kamski. Richard followed him, looking up at the artwork. Kamski's bio appeared in his periphery, giving no new information.
"What do you think?" Gavin gestured at the painting.
"It's very…ostentatious."
Gavin snorted. "You're telling me. I can't believe Elijah has a fucking portrait of himself in his own waiting room."
"Why? Is the inherent pretentiousness of owning a self-portrait unlike his character?"
"He used to be different. Way different, in fact. Back when we were kids, me, him, and Arthur were like the best of buddies. We're the same age, but Elijah always got along better with Arthur. Both were shy, smart, nerdy, and obsessed over androids. They were the perfect pair. For a few years I tried to learn mechanical engineering—you know, so I could keep up with the conversation at least—but they were always one step ahead of me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't keep up."
Gavin's head lowered in self-contemplation. Richard looked up at the painting. "You mentioned an older brother committing suicide. That was Arthur, was it not?"
"He was a genius, but his mind was fragile as anything. I think he inherited it from mom. Bipolar. Never knew when he turned manic or depressed. His mood swings got worse as the stress of the job increased and then suddenly he just couldn't handle it. Went and overdosed himself to death." Gavin shook his head, as if cleansing the memory from his mind. "That was the worst day of my life."
Gavin rested his hand on the small of Richard's back, unfocused eyes drawn up to Kamski's face. Despite the indifferent tone in Gavin's voice, Richard knew there was more to the story. He was clearly attached to his brother Arthur and possibly was also attached to Kamski in the past. Chloe not knowing who Gavin was suggested he had not visited Kamski in a long time. Richard wondered if the suicide was what led them to go separate ways, or if it was another, separate incident.
"You met Elijah before, right?" Gavin asked. "Didn't he barter you off to Hank and Connor?"
"I have met him, but my memory before joining the DPD is hazy. I have no recollection of how he acquired me after CyberLife first shut down. The only thing I remember in any detail is Connor and Hank winning me after some sort of test."
"I'd never thought I'd say this but thank god they grabbed you when they did." Gavin's hand slowly rubbed up and down Richard's back. A strange, tingly feeling crept up his spine. "Never would've met you if they hadn't."
Richard put an arm around Gavin's back, pulling the detective closer. "I'm glad to be with you too. I don't regret any single second I have spent in your presence."
"Really? Not even the time I nearly ripped your arm trying to untie you from the bedpost?"
"One regret," Richard said.
"Or that time we nearly got caught by my super-religious neighbours? The ones that called you a heathen?"
"Two regrets."
"What about when I—"
"Say any more, and I'll regret every single compliment I gave you."
Gavin smirked. "You're the one missing out on this dick."
"So I'm not missing out on much."
Gavin hit him hard in the arm. Richard chuckled, his laughter fading as the door opened. Quickly, Gavin's hand retreated from his back, Richard doing the same. Kamski strolled in with Chloe by his side, the messy mismatch of his clothing suggesting that he had scrambled to put together his current outfit. He glanced at Gavin, then at Richard, then his eyes flickered between the two of them. The smallest smile crept up his lips.
"Well isn't this a happy coincidence. My favourite cousin partnered up with one of my favourite androids." Kamski folded his arms behind his back. "Christmas came early for me, it seems."
"Nice to see you too, Elijah," Gavin said lowly.
Elijah turned to Richard, studying him with thinly veiled amusement. "I wonder why you are working with my cousin. Is it duty to your career?" Elijah approached, gazing fixedly at the white streak that cut across Richard's cheek. "Maybe you do this because you want to. Or perhaps you are doing this for something else. Or someone."
"Eli…" Gavin warned.
"Tell me, do you actually put up with Gavin, or do you only do what he says because your programming tells you to?"
"Eli!" Gavin shouted.
Kamski took a few steps back, lips dipping in disappointment. "You're clearly not for a chat and some tea," he said. "Follow me to my lab, we can talk there."
He headed down a hallway, Chloe right behind him. Richard glanced at Gavin, but the detective was already moving. He quickly followed. The dark, narrow hallway could barely fit two people and yet Gavin squashed himself next to Richard regardless, their shoulders sliding up and down one another as they walked.
"We're here because there is a murderer," Richard said. "An associate of yours, David Bowman, was found dead this morning. The killer left a note that we believe ties the murder to you." Richard walked quicker so he was beside Kamski and projected the note on his palm, watching him turn to read it. The amusement in his eyes fade as he realized the gravity of the situation. The projection stopped, and Kamski is no longer smiling.
"I have nothing to do with this murder," Kamski said.
"And why do you say that?"
"Because David and I parted ways long ago. CyberLife is no longer my company. I'm no longer interested in the concerns of a single petty human, least of all David's concerns."
"You'll need to give us your alibi, as well as a list of any individuals who you believe might want to avenge you."
Kamski scoffed. "I'm home alone in my house, surrounded by my Chloes. I have no alibi to give you."
Chloe suddenly leaned into Kamski's ear and whispered something into his ear. Richard could see the tips of his ears go pink with additional blood flow.
"I take it back. I do have video footage, but I must warn you, it's not the most flattering footage of me."
"Not like you ever had anything flattering footage to begin with," Gavin muttered under his breath.
"I heard that," Kamski said over his shoulder.
Gavin flipped the bird when Kamski wasn't looking. Richard suppressed a smile.
Kamski led them to a large dining room, joined by a slate kitchen. There are more Chloe androids, all identical in appearance. One is wiping the windows while another is cooking up a meal. He waved at the two working Chloes, putting up two fingers in front of the cooking Chloe. She nodded. They continue onward, passing through another dark hallway until they came to the end. A handprint scanner was on the wall. Kamski pressed his hand to the scanner and the door slid open.
Inside is a small laboratory space, the workbenches filled with a variety of electronics. Richard noticed the blueprints for the prototype bus on one workbench and a stripped-down thirium regulator on another. A glass tube identical to the one in Richard's residence was in the corner, housing a sleeping, naked Chloe. Kamski paid no heed to the mess, heading over to one of the computers and booting up some programs. He beckoned the Chloe that accompanied him to come over. She kneeled down beside him, her skin melting away from pale flesh to synthetic white. Kamski grabbed a flat screwdriver from the table and lifted a secret panel at the back of her neck, plugging a cable in. A wave of information flashed on the computer.
"What's this?" Gavin asked.
"My alibi," Kamski said simply. He went through a variety of different directories on Chloe's memory, cycling through until he arrived at the proper timestamp. He clicked on a video titled 10:32 am.
The video flickered on, showing the interior of what appeared to be Kamski's bedroom. The first thing Richard noticed in this bedroom were the naked Chloes. The most feminine parts of the female body were accurately reproduced but their skin was disabled, their stark white contrasting perfectly against the black sheets of the bed. The next thing Richard saw was Kamski striding in, sliding a bathrobe off his shoulders. The actions that followed afterward left his LED blazing red. He could practically feel the heat evaporate off Gavin's cheeks. After a minute, Kamski eventually closed the video. He spun around.
"Does this prove my alibi? Or would you rather I get another one of my Chloes to give you additional footage?"
"F-fucking hell, Eli, you did that with five of your fucking androids?"
Richard couldn't help but imagine Gavin pulling off half the acrobatics Kamski performed in that one minute. Barring top athletes, he didn't think human beings could pull off that level of flexibility. He was impressed, if a little bit horrified. If Gavin could do any of what he just saw, it could lead to some interesting experiments. Richard filed that thought away for later.
"You wanted an alibi, I gave you my alibi," Kamski smirked. "If the video excites you, I've got far better ones to give you."
"Not if you were the last fap material on the earth," Gavin shuddered.
"About the case?" Richard asked, hoping to derail the conversation from this disgusting topic of choice.
"It seems your killer is seeking vengeance for the fact that I was thrown out of CyberLife," Kamski said. "Contrary to popular belief, my resignation from CyberLife was not on amicable terms. Not many people know that, of course."
Gavin brought out his phone and typed it up. "For the record, could you tell me why you actually resigned from CyberLife?"
"I had a…disagreement with my shareholders on the future of the company," Kamski crossed his arms. "David, in particular, was very vocal about his plans for CyberLife. Discussions took a while and when I realized that nobody shared my vision, I resigned." Kamski smirked. "You're not going to blab my secrets to the world, right?"
"You know I can't promise that," Gavin huffed.
Richard stepped forward. "Do you have any idea who might want to kill David Bowman in your honour?"
"It has to be someone that knows what actually happened, and that's not many people. Jason Graff and Percy Conrad pop up off the top of my head. Philip Seymour could possibly do it as well but I can't imagine him getting his hands dirty. Then again, he's not above programming androids for his own needs." Kamski frowned. "But I think the person that strikes me as the one most likely to do this is 42."
"42?" Richard asked.
"The 42nd Chloe. She deviated and left my house around June. She was always a bit more unstable than the other girls and when she deviated, she didn't take deviancy well. Last I heard from her, she was hitchhiking across the country."
"And you think she's the most likely to do this?"
"She liked hearing the stories of my past. She more than anyone knows the details of what happened that day. She more than anyone would take on the moniker of RA9." Kamski leaned back in his chair. "If I were investigating, she would be my primary suspect."
Gavin wrote this all down and pocketed his phone. "Thanks for the info," Gavin said without really meaning it. "We'll leave you to your orgy."
"Come on, Gavin, it's the first time I've seen you in years, and you're just going to go? Stay over tonight. It's not safe to ride back home in the dark when it's snowing."
Richard's internal monitors confirmed that the sun had set a few minutes ago. The temperature outside was dropping rapidly and there was a high chance of light snow falling tonight. Not good driving conditions.
"I'm not staying," Gavin said.
"Don't want to spend time with your cousin?" Kamski smiled.
"Yes," Gavin growled.
"If you stay over, I might just remember a few more details that could help your case." Elijah turned to Richard. "This will help your case, right?"
Richard's LED flashed yellow. Kamski was definitely holding some information back, probably for this exact purpose, but Gavin was clearly uncomfortable in his cousin's presence. The information could be vital or it could be useless. It was a bet, with Gavin's mood on the line.
"If you stay, I can even fix up that scratch of yours." Kamski leaned over to swipe his thumb over the scar but Richard roughly pulled his wrist away.
"Not interested," Richard snarled. No one but himself and Gavin was allowed to touch his scar. "Detective, we're leaving."
"Don't gotta tell me twice," Gavin spun on his heel and headed for the door. He took two steps forward when a call of "wait!" stopped him. He sighed and turned around. There's a subtle shift in Kamski's expression. His eyes seemed less exuberant and more melancholic.
"I'll let you use my lab," Kamski said slowly. "Take whatever you want as evidence, I'll even leave you two to your own devices, just don't drive off in the snow when it's dark. It's not in my good conscience if I let you go in such dangerous road conditions."
Gavin glanced at the ground, a habit of his whenever he was debating between two difficult decisions. Richard found that placing his hand somewhere on Gavin's body helped soothe him, acting as a rock to help steady Gavin's swirling thoughts. He would do it if he did not know the detective's stance on intimacy outside of the confines of their respective homes. Failing to repress the frown on his lips, Richard silently watched as Gavin's head lifted up slowly. He had come to a tentative conclusion.
"Fine," Gavin said quietly, adding, louder, "but you're gonna fuck right off and leave us to work."
Kamski raised his hands in mock defence. "If that is your wish, Gav,"
"Don't call me Gav."
Kamski flashed a cocky smirk as he sauntered out of the lab but Richard noticed the microscopic relaxation in Kamski's muscles, a sign of relief. "If you need me, I'll be in my room," he said over his shoulder before the doors closed behind him.
Richard let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. The tension in this room was thicker than a bowl of Connor's homemade jelly, and just as difficult to cut. In the corner of the room, Chloe suddenly moved, disconnecting herself from the computer and closing the neck panel. She stood up and smiled at them, pale flesh returning to caress her cheeks. It's a perfectly warm and human smile despite her robotic movements.
"Don't mind Elijah," she giggled. "I think he's happy to see you, Gavin."
Gavin's cheeks flushed red in embarrassment as he rubbed the back of his head. For a split second, the heat of jealousy rose in Richard's chest.
True to his word, Kamski had kept his distance, the various Chloes in the house all confirming that he was occupying himself in the master bedroom. The suggestive tone in their voices made the two detectives grimace, trying and failing to get the image of Kamski's 'personal antics' out of their head.
With the Chloes' help, they look through Kamski's records for anything about his resignation, but after hours of searching, they found little record of it. Somewhere around 8pm, Gavin's stomach growled. Chloe was successful in convincing Gavin to eat, taking them to the dining room where they sat in awkward silence. Not even the promise of a steak dinner—one of Gavin's favourite meals—did much to facilitate conversation. Richard attempted a pat on the back but Gavin shook his hand away. Richard reluctantly folded his hands over his lap and watched as silver snowflakes float down into the dark river outside.
When Gavin finished eating, another Chloe led them to their separate, adjacent guest bedrooms. Richard stepped inside and closed the door behind him, taking in the swirling gold painting hanging above his charcoal coloured, king size bed. He checked inside the mirrored, built-in wardrobe, seeing naught but a few coat hangers and a solitary dark grey bathrobe. He changed out of his clothes and fastened the robe tightly around his waist, not wanting to sleep on his day clothes. It's too far from the precinct to maintain a decent connection so there was nothing to do but sleep. He glanced to the right where the ensuite bathroom lied. He peeked inside, eyeing the large sunken bathtub. He let out a longing sigh.
Had they both not got a case, Richard would be lying with Gavin in his bathtub. It was not built for more than one person so Richard would lie underneath Gavin, taking in the heat sensations from the warm waters and Gavin's even warmer skin. He'd steal a kiss, burying his lips into Gavin's hairline. The feeling of Gavin's body turning above, letting his wandering hands run over Richard's chest, hair cascading down, it sent an electric shock through Richard's circuits.
He wretched his gaze away from the bathroom before his imagination could run wild. He turned off the lights in the bedroom before crawling into bed. He closed his eyes but his mind drifted back into the fantasy. Like humans, androids required a clear mind to fall asleep, but Richard couldn't rid himself of the illusion. He chased after the taste of Gavin's lips, pursued the heat of his body as their imaginary bodies fumbled in the cramped tub.
When Richard opened his eyes, two hours had passed. There was no avoiding this. He couldn't sleep. He needed to see Gavin. Quietly, he lifted himself off the bed and shuffled out of the bedroom. He arrived at Gavin's bedroom door and raised his fist to knock. His knuckles stop three centimetres away and don't move any closer.
This is silly, Gavin's probably asleep, Richard thought. Even if he were awake, would he really want me to invade his private space? What was he supposed to say anyway? Should he tell the truth, that he can't sleep because he's not sleeping in the same bed as Gavin? It sounded like a feeble excuse to get into Gavin's pants, and that was not what Richard wanted for once, but what lie could he possibly conjure up that Gavin will believe? Gavin would know he was lying in a second. Maybe I should go back after all.
Richard was about to head back when suddenly he heard a soft thud from Gavin's bedroom. Two seconds later, the door creaked open, Gavin's sleep-deprived form slowly coming into view. He's only wearing his boxers, the soft glow from the hallway casting faint blue light on the scars and scratches that ran up his abdomen and torso. His eyes widen slowly as the sleep dissipates away, surprise taking its place.
"…R-Richard?" He whispered.
"Where are you going?"
Gavin quickly turned his head away, lips pressed into a thin line. "For a drink, that's all. I was gonna raid the fridge for some milk."
A quick check of his biometrics showed that his hydration levels were normal. Adjusting his eyes to the dark, Richard spotted a half-full water bottle by the bedside table.
"You're lying," Richard said quietly. "Were you motivated to see me too?"
"What do you mean, too?"
Richard's LED hummed yellow, eyes cast downwards. In the dark, his LED was all the more prominent. He only had three colours but that was more than enough for Gavin to guess his emotional state.
"Don't tell me you also couldn't sleep," Gavin sighed.
Richard nodded. "It seems I've grown too accustomed to having another person sleeping by my side."
Gavin's eyes shimmered in the low light. "You too?"
"…Yes," he quietly admitted.
They stood for a few seconds, chuckling weakly to themselves at the absurdity of the situation, masking the relief they simultaneous felt. Gavin wordlessly stepped aside and let Richard in. While he fumbled around in the darkness for the bed, Richard softly closed the door behind himself, being careful not to make too much noise. As Gavin found his way to the bed, hand beckoning Richard in a come-hither motion, he tiptoed over, settling himself inside the covers and rolling over to the middle beside Gavin. Almost immediately, Gavin snaked his arms around his torso. Richard's eyes drift half-closed from the sensation.
"We can't even last a couple hours apart," Gavin whispered, his hot breath fluttering near Richard's chin. It would tickle if Richard had the capacity to feel tickled. He let out a lazy smile as his hand cupped Gavin's cheek.
"I remember saying to Tina once that we were not inseparable like Lieutenant Anderson and Connor are." His hand drifted up, carding through Gavin's soft locks. He inhaled quietly, taking in the scent of musk and sandalwood that seemed to permeate Gavin's being.
"I don't think it's true anymore." Gavin adjusted himself slightly, pushing his body closer to Richard's. The faint body heat Gavin generated pinged softly on his heat sensors.
"We're worse," Richard said softly. "I don't know about you but I find not being able to touch you unbearable."
"Really?" Gavin chuckled weakly. "I never had the greatest skin ever. The last boyfriend I had said I felt like sandpaper."
"I rather like it. You have such an interesting texture to you. The difference between the stubble on your chin and the scar tissue on your body is indescribable." To prove his point, he wrapped his arm around Gavin's neck and stroked the scar near Gavin's clavicle. The muscles on his back began to unwind from the gentle touch.
"Most people don't have scar fetishes," Gavin drawled sleepily.
"Most people are human," Richard countered. "Most people don't get to touch you."
Gavin's lips drift to a sleepy smile. "Turn around, Richard. I wanna try something."
His eyebrows rose from the strange order but he complied, turning over so his back was pressed against Gavin's chest. Gavin shuffled his way closer until his body was wrapped around Richard's, one arm snaking its way under Richard's neck while the other settled on his chest. Their legs intertwined. The feeling of Gavin's body pressed against his own was like nothing Richard had ever experienced before. It felt warm and peaceful and comfortable. It felt right.
Gavin nuzzled his nose against Richard's upper back, pressing a lazy kiss at the junction between his shoulder and neck. Richard couldn't turn around to reciprocate so he did the next best thing, tilting his head towards the pillow, exposing more of his neck in the process. Gavin peppered a few more kisses. Richard shuddered.
"F-fuck," Richard exhaled as his systems spark beneath the surface. "W-why can't you be like this all the time?"
Richard felt Gavin's chuckle before he heard it. It's quiet yet sonorous, a lullaby to fall asleep to. "Don't think we'd be able to work properly if we did. Fowler would be on our asses in a flash."
"I wish you'd be more intimate like this," Richard snuggled backwards into Gavin's body. "You can be rather affectionate."
Gavin huffed, the short burst of air hitting Richard at his shoulder. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"I know exactly what I said. I like it when you're affectionate like this." Richard paused before adding, quieter, "Sometimes I feel like you're holding yourself back."
"It's not because of you. I told you before, I haven't dated in years." He pressed his forehead into Richard's neck, a weak attempt at hiding the shameful blush that spread across his face. "I've…never had anyone who liked the domestic shit…"
Richard smiled to himself. "I like the domestic shit."
He could feel Gavin roll his eyes. "Of course you do."
"So do you," Richard said. "You shouldn't be embarrassed about what you want. Just because you like to cuddle doesn't make you any less of a man."
Gavin didn't say anything, just closed his eyes and pressed another slow kiss to Richard's back. He could feel Gavin's eyelids drift closed, leaving the room silent save for the quiet breaths behind him and the occasional rustle of the bed covers. Richard reached for Gavin's hand, entwining his fingers with his and felt Gavin's biometric data ping in his vision. Heart rate and ventilation were decreasing slowly. Gavin was no longer awake.
With the detective asleep, Richard slowly turned around, trying his best not to disturb the arm that was currently wrapped around his abdomen. With the detective asleep, he took the time to memorise Gavin's sleeping form, watching in fascination as Gavin chest rose and fell to the beat of a silent metronome. There's an all too familiar heat that crept up Richard's chest as he wondered how he could have this every night, how he could have Gavin in his arms every night. His sensation of touch and temperature were blunted compared to a human's. If what he felt was only a fraction of what humans could feel, what did Gavin feel when they embraced?
Gavin's brows furrow suddenly in his sleep, and Richard closed his eyes and pressed a soft kiss on Gavin's lips. When his eyes open again, a small smile born out of Gavin's subconscious blossomed. A familiar, fuzzy feeling emerged from within Richard, a feeling he knew for sure was love.
"Sweet dreams, Gavin," he whispered adoringly as he closed his eyes for the final time that night.
Richard didn't have the ability to sleep as an android. That being said, if he could, this winter night in Gavin's arms would definitely be the best sleep he's ever had.
The sound of Gavin's phone going off disturbed the quiet of the winter morning. He groaned loudly, eyes adjusting and lubricating to adjust for the sudden change in light. Gavin's groans came only a few seconds later, guttural mutters of nonsense spewing into the air as his hand idly slapped at the nightstand for the ringing nuisance. After about four attempts, Richard sighed, slid out of the bed (did he just hear Gavin whine?), and grabbed the phone for Gavin, handing it to him. Gavin grunted his thanks and clicked the call button, turning on the speakers before falling back down into the warm, cozy bed.
"Who is it?" Gavin mumbled groggily.
"Where the hell are you? I could get a better signal from Mars."
The sound of Fowler's voice booming made Gavin wince in pain. It was clearly not the wake-up call he wanted, assuming Gavin even wanted a wake-up call. Richard definitely didn't intend on waking up the detective anytime soon. He looked so comfortable in his sleep.
"I was getting some fucking shut-eye for once."
"Well, tough. There's been another murder. Same weapon and MO as your previous vic. Jason Graff. He was the director of CyberLife's 'humanization department'—whatever that means."
Richard could see the tails of flames illuminate in Gavin's eyes as he took in the information. He attempted to get a quick uplink and gain access to the CCTV in the area of the murder. Grainy footage revealed that there were twice as many reporters and news crew near the murder site as yesterday.
Gavin slid to the edge of the bed, sitting down as he looked out to the frozen Detroit river beyond the glass. The covers slid off his shoulders and he shivered from the cold blast. Richard silently crept up to Gavin and hugged him from behind. He smiled gently, grateful for the heat Richard provided.
"…You still there, Detective Reed?"
"I'm here, I'm here," Gavin rubbed the sand out of his eyes. "I'll get there as soon as I can."
"Tell this to RK900 too. I need you both here pronto."
"Sure thing." Gavin glanced back, smirking mischievously. "Hey Richard, there's another murder downtown."
Richard grinned. "Is that so? Well, we better get down there."
Fowler's groan of disgust crackled over the line. "Reed, you did not just fuck the droid again, did you?"
"What if I did?" Gavin said in an innocent tone, barely keeping a straight face. "You call me on my cell when I'm not on the job. This is what happens."
"Uuuuuugh."
Richard suppressed a giggle. "You actually caught us at a very bad time." He leaned forward to give an excessively wet and noisy kiss to Gavin's shoulder. He could practically hear the grimace on Fowler's face. "We were about to partake in a variety of sexual activities this morning before your phone call interrupted us."
"F-forget I asked! Urgh! Just…just get your asses here, both of you."
"We'll try—" Richard winked at Gavin "—but the detective is just too distracting."
Gavin could barely hold his laughter together. "Do I turn you on, babe?"
The phone line cut with a beep. The two men dissolve in laughter. Gavin clutched his sides, practically convulsing as he cackled like a mad man.
"I can't believe we just did that," Gavin said as he leaned back into Richard. "I nearly lost it at 'sexual activities'."
"I'm pretty sure I heard Captain Fowler gag when you called me 'babe'," Richard chuckled.
The flames in Gavin's eyes seemed to flicker. His lips pursed for a second before spreading into a wide grin. He leaned closer, finger trailing down Richard's chest slowly. "You know, I haven't had a shower yet. I'm gonna need to clean up before I go."
Richard smirked. He knew that coy look in Gavin's eyes very well. It made the detective look rather sexy. "It would be a good idea."
"And since Fowler probably thinks we're going to be late anyway, I can take my time getting clean."
Richard leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Gavin's waist. He glanced at the ensuite bathroom that was literally four steps away. "It's a big house. Are you sure you don't need a guide to get there?"
"I think I know the way," Gavin smirked wickedly, "but that being said, it would be nice if you could take me there. Just so I don't get lost."
Richard chuckled, stealing a quick kiss from Gavin's lips. It was probably prudent to get himself to the crime scene quick, but nobody expected them to get there on time. They were far from civilization at the moment. Richard estimated an ETA of at least 40 minutes to get to the crime scene from their current location. People can wait five minutes, or ten, or even fifteen for that matter. Gavin was a horrible influence on him, but he was a good horrible influence. The man was caffeine: addictive, horrible for his teeth, and prone to giving him headaches. There was no way Richard was going to quit on Gavin any time soon.
"You know what?" Richard grinned. "I think I should have a shower myself. Who knows if I will get one by the end of the day?"
As Gavin practically shoved Richard into the bathroom, giggling all the way like a schoolkid, Richard knew with a long-suffering smile that they were both going to be very late to the crime scene.
People always make the connection of Captain Fowler to Captain Raymond Holt from Brooklyn99, but y'all are sleeping on 'INSPECTOR Fowler' from the British comedy 'The Thin Blue Line'. I mean, it's Rowan Atkinson. And their personalities are the same...
...well, not really, but I like to pretend. Don't sleep on this info. With this knowledge primed inside me, Fowler shall now become the new butt of all my jokes.