Chapter Thirty-Nine – Girl Talk
Since Nines was taken care of, Reed drove home and changed before calling Tina to find out her meeting place. She'd picked a place not too far from the station. She'd likely changed at the precinct and decided to go there to make it easy to get home afterwards. She lived quite close to the area and would be able to walk back. Their chosen place wasn't too far from Jimmy's Bar, where he knew Anderson would often stop on the way home. This place was a little younger, a little trendier, a little brighter and more romantic.
Reed grabbed a bottled beer and sat in a small booth facing the wooden door. There were androids and humans mingling in pairs and groups around the place, most of them in office clothing having just finished work. Tina turned up around fifteen minutes later dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt, her hair still in its messy bun. She tugged it loose as she sat at the booth, long ebony locks spilling down to her slim waist. Reed immediately got to his feet to get her a vodka and coke, her usual starting drink. He also got himself a whiskey, and Tina fixed him a look. She knew whiskey was his crisis drink. Any time he was stressed about work or his love life he'd get blind drink on the stuff.
"Is that a double?" Tina asked warily, wondering just how much shit Reed had gotten himself into. Reed fixed her a defensive look as he sipped the amber liquid. "Oh shit…" She sighed, looking at the level of the glass and guessing it was a triple. Reed hummed his agreement and waited. This is how they worked. He wasn't good at talking, and Tina knew that. She was the one who would speak about it first.
She took her time, examining her tired looking friend. He wasn't sleep deprived tired though, which was a vast improvement on a few days ago. He seemed to have settled somewhat since Nines appeared. The android had been a positive influence on his health. He was making sure Reed ate regularly, monitoring his caffeine intake and somehow making sure he actually went to bed at night. She was aware of his injury and how that would have affected his mood, but he'd gone missing the day before and something had clearly happened last night. Something that had made him jittery and nervous around his partner all day.
"You fucked." Tina concluded, Reed's dropping eyes and the shameful way he bit his lip gave him away. They'd fucked alright, but it wasn't that simple. She could see it in the way he was squeezing his glass and bouncing his leg. "Oh shit, are you catching feelings? For Nines?" She realised almost excitedly, watching as Reed shifted his body to angle away from her as he raised his glass and took a gulp. Fucking bingo! Not that she hadn't expected it. She'd seen the chemistry the moment they'd been paired up.
Although he'd firmly denied it a few days ago it had been obvious that Reed had been starting to crush on the android. It wasn't even a secret that Nines liked Reed. He followed him around like a puppy, even though he looked more like a tiger with those eyes. He'd also done his fair share of eye-fucking, though she knew Nines wouldn't have understood it if anyone had brough it up to him. She knew that wasn't the only thing that Reed had to unpack though.
"Let's start with yesterday. You disappeared somewhere and Nines was going fucking crazy, not to mention Connor and Anderson. What the hell happened there?" Tina asked, thinking this may be the easier topic to tackle. She began to doubt that assumption as Reed downed what was left of his whiskey and pushed the glass across expectantly. "That bad, huh?" His friend mused as she got to her feet and headed up to the bar. She bought him another shot, having the drink watered down to make it last longer.
Reed took a breath while Tina was away, ordering his thoughts. He hadn't even thought about what he was going to do about Elijah. Not that I need to do anything about him. I can either call him or not…He thought, which made him feel a little better. It took the pressure off somewhat. Along with Elijah came the conflicting feelings he had about his father. A man he'd never known. A man he'd never get to know. He felt a sense of loss he hadn't expected, and a hint of bitterness. He took the glass Tina pushed across to him, already feeling a fuzz creeping into his head. Good. Fucked if I'd do this shit sober.
"I got abducted yesterday, at least that's how it started…Woke up in this huge ass house, got tied up in the basement, interrogated. At first I thought I'd pissed of a mob boss, but…turns out I have a half-brother. He took me because he wanted to test my DNA…Prick could have just asked." Reed huffed in annoyance as he took a sip of the watered down drink, shooting Tina a look of disgust. She knew he hated watered down drinks, but they'd only just started and he needed to pace himself. He'd also have to work tomorrow. Working meant seeing Nines. Reed took another gulp of his drink at the thought. He didn't even know how he was going to face him once he got home. If Nines got home. He'd probably stay at Connor's.
"Oh? What's he like?" Tina asked curiously, watching Reed look thoughtful. It was an expression he often made during these talks. He tended to be a much deeper thinker when he was drunk. Sometimes he'd be damn near philosophical.
"Well, he's a fucking idiot. Who kidnaps a police detective right outside the station in broad daylight?" He scoffed, though he had to continue to do Eli justice. "But he's also smart when it comes to mechanics and engineering. He's rich, owns a huge place full of androids, but he's not too much of a prick about it. He didn't seem the type to wave wealth in your face, in fact he's a bit of a recluse." He continued, deciding to leave out Elijah's identity for now. Tina seemed happy enough with what she'd found out for now anyway.
"That sounds nice…Did you find out anything else?" She pried gently, knowing there was only one place he could have gotten a half-brother from. Reed went quiet for a minute, his jaw stiffening before he pushed it out.
"My dad's dead…Doesn't matter, never met him anyway." He added quickly, hiding behind his glass way too quickly. Tina allowed it. Gavin could pretend it didn't get to him as much as he liked, but his reaction told her everything. She gave his leg a small kick beneath the table and laid her hand palm up on the surface. He gave her a lopsided grin as he gave her his hand and felt her squeeze of reassurance.
"So what happened after you met your brother?" She pried after a few moments of companiable silence. Gavin finished off his drink and got another, and another for Tina. She frowned at him for getting another whiskey, but at least it was only a single with a little ice this time.
"Nines turned up with the cavalry to rescue me…It was so fucking hot." He confessed, and Tina knew the alcohol was working. All Tina had to do was wait and he'd spill. "I knew he was upset, so I took him home and we had a bath…thought it would make him feel better." He continued as he thought back to the night before, and all his honest intentions. Tina almost spat her drink out at that. She coughed and took another sip.
"Together? In the same tub?" She asked for clarity.
"Yeah, but you've seen my bath, it's basically a jacuzzi." He excused, and Tina couldn't argue with that.
"But you were both naked?" She checked, whistling low as Reed nodded his agreement.
"It wasn't sexual. We really were just bathing, but then…Fuck, I don't know, we had this really intense moment, you know? The next thing I know he has me straddling his lap and we're kissing and he." Reed cut off as Tina reached across and covered his mouth. There were some things she, and all the androids in the vicinity, definitely didn't need to know. The exact details of where Nines put his hands and his android dick was one of those things. Reed's cheeks were flushing a healthy pink, and his green eyes were slightly dazed. They were starting to get a little too far into the drunk zone.
"Less of the details." She chided.
"But T, it was amazing. I've never felt anything like it, and I don't just mean it was great sex, I mean I felt it…I fucking felt it here." Gavin confessed as he rested a hand on his chest. Tina hadn't expected it to happen so soon. She'd expected to have to work to pry that confession out of him. But we are five whiskeys deep at this point…"I was so fucking happy T, but it was wrong. I abused my partner. I took advantage of him…He's barely been out of Cyberlife for a month, and I was the first human he met that didn't treat him like a fucking gun range target. He was vulnerable and I let him fuck me. I encouraged him to fuck me." He continued, Tina leaning closer as she noticed a couple of androids looking their way with mixed amused and confused expressions. Reed didn't seem to notice, he was too busy sipping his whiskey, deciding whether he was going to sob or not.
"So after that you called it off…Gavin Reed, you're a real idiot sometimes." Tina sighed as she watched Reed stare into his glass, not arguing with her this time. "Look, I get where you're coming from, but I still think you owe it to Nines and yourself to see where it goes…You're not a bad guy Gavin. Even if it doesn't work out in the long run I think you're exactly what he needs right now, and he's what you need…" She insisted, unsure how much of this her friend would remember in the morning. He was already taking long slow blinks. A sure sign he was about to crash. Too bad, we're not finished yet!
"We're not talking right now anyway." He murmured regretfully, sounding more like a love sick teenager than a seasoned detective. "He wants to use himself as bait for our case, and I told him no, absolutely fucking not…He's too important." He added tiredly, which Tina could understand. Operations could go to shit within seconds. It only took a split second and someone could be seriously injured or killed. She still remembered her first op with Gavin. They'd arrived just in time, they'd even made the arrest, but they'd almost lost him that day. To a fucking knife wound. She still remembered the warm sticky feeling of his blood pouring over her hands as she'd pressed down on the wound trying desperately to stem the flow. It hadn't even looked that big, just a stab, but it was deep. So fucking deep.
"But you didn't tell him that, did you." She said with a hint of reproach, watching Reed shake his head. Of course he hadn't. He couldn't tell Nines how he felt without admitting that he had feelings. Gavin Reed didn't catch 'feelings', he never had. Tina had been convinced he never would in their earlier days, but as they grew older she'd realised he just didn't trust anyone enough to risk it. He was used to being 'the other guy' in a relationship, or the place holder, or the rebound. His taste in partners was either fucking terrible or non-existent. Until Nines.
"I can't fucking do that to him. I don't want him to get hung up on me…He should go out and experience things, meet other people. He's bound to find someone better." He added, wincing as Tina have him a hard kick beneath the table. Her brown eyes were sharp as she glared across at him, reminding him of his old school teacher from kindergarten.
"Gavin Alexander Reed, don't you fucking put yourself down. You are the kindest, sweetest, and most considerate little fuck up I know. Anyone would be lucky to have you looking out for them." She scolded, watching Reed flush right to his ears. He hated it when Tina went soft on him. A beating he could take, but kind words? He didn't know what to do with them. He didn't feel like he was worth anything, and he didn't feel like he was the man she thought he was. "Come on, let's get going." She said finally as they drained their glasses.
She hailed a cab for Gavin and managed to slip him inside, typing his address into the pad before paying the fare and watching it go. Inside the cab Gavin dozed against the door, barely noticing as the box rolled into his street. It stopped outside his house and opened the door, a small alarm going off as he failed to move. The alarm was enough to rouse him. He stumbled out onto his drive and staggered up the short path to his door, barely noticing the figure patiently waiting on the step. He was sitting patiently, LED cycling yellow with his hands resting on his knees.
"Gavin? Are you alright?" Nines asked in concern as the human stumbled, his green eyes struggling to focus as he battled to remain upright. The android was on his feet and holding him in an instant, feeling his human tense before slowly realising who was holding him. He felt a warmth in his chest as Gavin snuggled deeper into his hold, snuffling the thirium scent of his jacket. "You're intoxicated." The android observed softly as he searched Gavin's jacket for the key.
"Thought you were at staying Connor's tonight." Reed slurred as he allowed the android to take charge. Nines sighed as he unlocked the door and got them both inside, wondering if it would be easier to carry Gavin as the man stumbled against him. He shut the door and slipped Reed's jacket off, and then his own, battling to keep the human on his feet. He didn't even know how he'd managed to get their shoes off, but he had, and he'd left them in a messy pile by the door.
"I wanted to come home…I wanted to see you." Nines murmured, his heart melting at the dopey smile that crossed Reed's features. He looped his arms around the android's shoulders and it was all Nines could do not to pick him up and pin him to the wall. He couldn't do it though. Reed was far too drunk to even think about consent at that point. Nines settled for humming in contentment and nuzzling his human affectionately. There was no rule against accepting innocent affection, so long as it remained that way.
"I'm sorry…I'm sorry I'm such a piece of shit." Reed grumbled in a pathetically guilty tone, Nines hushing him as he lifted the smaller man into his strong arms. He didn't like to hear Reed talking about himself like that. He knew for a fact that it wasn't true, and he could think of a dozen reasons why. Unfortunately Reed was in no state to comprehend that right now. "Mm Sorry…" He slurred quietly, his green eyes slowly falling as he leaned his head on Nines' strong shoulder.
"Shhh, it's alright Gavin…I'll get you to bed." The android soothed softly as he walked up the stairs, listening as Reed murmured against his shoulder incoherently. He entered Reed's room and crossed to the bed. He thought Gavin was already asleep by the time he lowered him to the mattress, but he was surprised as needy hands gripped his top. "Do you want me to stay?" Nines asked in a gentle whisper, climbing onto the bed as Gavin nodded sleepily. He smiled sweetly as he settled beside his human, running his fingers through Gavin's soft hair.
"…happy…" The human almost sighed as he rolled closer, one of his hands reaching out to fist in Nines' turtleneck. Nines' blue eyes widened, unsure whether it had been a question or a confession. Either way he felt that he should answer it somehow. He leaned down enough to press a gentle kiss to Gavin's temple, lying down and stroking his hair until he was asleep. Once he was sleeping Nines set his own stasis cycle, setting it to wake him if Reed stirred beside him.
"Sleep well Gavin." He murmured before closing his eyes, resting his arm across Gavin's clothed waist.