Chapter Forty – Hungover and Outnumbered
Gavin groaned as he curled up beneath the covers, vaguely aware of the body pressing up behind him. He'd figure out that problem later, after his stomach stopped turning and his head stopped throbbing. I hate Tina. I hate Tina and I hate drinking. He thought, biting his teeth together as a wave of nausea crashed over him. He stayed as still as possible, thinking that he wouldn't feel sick if he didn't move. This usually proved true. He groaned in objection as he felt a hand trail up his thigh and over his clothed hip.
"You're dehydrated." Nines' voice almost purred as he tugged the covers down. Gavin moaned again, burying his face into the mattress to get away from the morning light. Fucking android! "I'll bring you some water." His partner continued as he shifted, the bed rising slightly as he left. Gavin made no move to acknowledge him, just biting his teeth and screwing his eyes shut. How did I even get home? And why is Nines here? Oh fuck! Did we? He wondered, eyes snapping open as he shot upright, instantly regretting it.
He was off the bed and stumbling into the bathroom in seconds, retching as he leaned over the toilet. Despite the retching he wasn't actually sick. I haven't eaten since breakfast yesterday, so maybe there's not enough in there…Thank Christ for small mercies. He sighed as he spat out the excess drool and bile that was pooling in his mouth. He straightened up and washed his face, noting the pale sheen of his skin with distaste.
"Gavin?" Nines called from the doorway, holding up a full pint glass of what looked like water, but it was fizzing slightly. He'd put a pill in the water. An Alka-Seltzer by the look of it. How did he know to do that? Reed wondered as he staggered over tiredly and accepted the glass. Nines watched as he downed the water, wincing as his head throbbed in objection. "Get dressed…I'll make you some breakfast." The android said softly, knowing loud noises would likely annoy the detective.
Gavin did as he was told, brushing his teeth in a daze before changing out of his old clothes. He vaguely realised he more than likely hadn't done anything with Nines the night before. He was still fully dressed, and he trusted Nines' programming enough to believe he wouldn't do anything while he was intoxicated. Intoxicated is an understatement. I was totally fucked last night. Reed thought, still unable to remember a lot of the night before. He remembered talking about his brother, and he'd said something about Nines, but it was all hazy. He did feel a little better though.
He arrived downstairs wearing a fresh set of faded blue jeans and a chocolate V-neck that clung to his body in a way that made Nines' processors hum quietly in his chest. The human was pleasing to the eye, particularly with his dishevelled hair. Usually Reed would have fixed his hair upstairs, but it wasn't surprising he'd forgotten. He was barely awake as he sat down. He looked truly sorry for himself as Nines pushed a bowl of porridge and jam into his hands. His human was distracted, focused completely on the thick oaty substance that would line his stomach. Nines took the opportunity to brush his fingers through Reed's hair, neither of them mentioning the way Gavin's eyes closed in long blinks or the way he leaned into the firm touch.
"Thought you went to Connor's place last night." Reed mumbled eventually, half way through his porridge and managing to keep it down. He even seemed to be feeling a little better as the pink returned to his cheeks. Nines set the coffee machine ready to go and waited for the brew, leaning on the island as he did so. Gavin would be no good without his coffee this morning, that much was clear.
"I did spend some hours with Connor and the lieutenant, but I wanted to return here. I was not…at ease without you." He replied thoughtfully, without any shame or hesitation. Gavin paused, keeping the spoon in his mouth to avoid answering. He hadn't expected to have such a profound effect on his partner. He sounded almost dependent despite his deviancy. Looking back he wondered if he'd encouraged this dependency. He has been living with me since leaving Cyberlife, but I never limited his contact with other people…We've just been busy with work…I think…
"Maybe you should get used to it…being with other people. We're not joined at the hip, and when you move out you won't be around me all the time." Gavin said finally, noting the way Nines' blue eyes dropped at the mention of him moving out. Little progress had been made on that front so far, and it hadn't gone unnoticed by Reed that they'd been getting closer instead of further apart. They seemed to be spending more time getting even closer. Hell, Nines has been in my bed for the past two nights.
"Here, your coffee." Nines murmured, hoping to close the subject as he handed the large mug to his human. Gavin took it quietly and sipped, lowering it as it burned his lips. "Connor has set up a meeting this morning to discuss the case." The android added, putting Gavin on edge instantly. That couldn't mean anything good, and by Nines' expression he was right. Silence fell between them, the human opting to save his arguments for later. Nines could almost sense the way he was building up energy, working himself up to a possible fight with Connor or Anderson.
Nines opted to drive, surprised as Reed joined him without his sling that morning. He was quite firm in his insistence that he felt fine, and the pain was manageable without it. Reed was no stranger to gunshot wounds, so Nines took his work for it as he pulled out. They didn't talk as they drove, their argument from the day before still lingering between them. At the station Connor and Hank had already arrived, the older man cradling a coffee while Connor looked over some papers. They started the meeting once Reed had tugged off his coat and made his own coffee.
They'd borrowed a meeting room upstairs, knowing things would probably get tense. They spread out notes and pictures, along with a map of the city. They reviewed what they had so far, mainly for Reed and Anderson's benefit since they didn't have photographic recall. Hank nodded along with the details, sifting through various papers to get up to date. Reed had been torturing himself with this case non-stop, so he remembered all the necessary details without help.
"So, what's the plan?" Anderson asked finally as he looked between Reed and Nines, who were glaring at each other. He half expected it of Reed, but not Nines. He hadn't pried the details from Connor the night before, thinking it prudent to give the brothers their space, but whatever it was had clearly caused a rift. It would be a lie to say he hadn't noticed it the day before, but he hadn't thought it was this bad.
"My idea." Nines began.
"There is no plan." Gavin cut in firmly, his green eyes fucking daring the android to counter him.
"There is…a suggestion." Connor compromised, the glare shifting to him in response. Hank watched curiously as Reed stormed over to Connor and prodded his chest roughly. Connor accepted the treatment without comment or reproach, allowing Gavin to nudge his body back. Where Nines was an immovable statue Connor was soft and yielding to his touch. For one thing he was made of lighter material, for another he just knew Reed needed that dominant expression to feel in control.
"It's not a fucking suggestion! You got that Tin Can? No fucking way!" Reed snapped, only stepping away as Nines touched his shoulder and firmly pushed him back. Reed clicked his tongue and prowled to the other side of the room after shrugging away from his partner defensively. Anderson looked between the three with his arms out expectantly, feeling like he was the odd one out.
"Am I the only one out of the fucking loop here?" He grumbled, all three looking between each other before it was quietly agreed that the explanation would be best coming from Connor. Connor straightened his tie as he looked at his own partner across the table. Hank was currently the only one sitting, still looking through the papers. Reed stalked off to lean on the wall furthest away from Nines, looking at the far wall instead of his partner or Connor. Nines looked a little wounded as he remained quietly close to Connor.
"Nines came up with the idea that he could be used as bait to find the murder site. The RK900 has advanced software and hardware that makes it more durable than any other model. That gives him a high chance of withstanding the physical altercation with minimal damage. His advanced software includes a highly sensitive tracker, which could be activated to allow us to trace his movements directly…Obviously Detective Reed has some…reservations." Connor explained as impartially as possible, watching Anderson turn it over slowly. He didn't understand all this android stuff, but he was well aware that Nines was pretty advanced. He got shot in the head for Christ's sake. That made his chances of survival fairly good.
"You can't seriously be considering this!" Reed objected incredulously as he leaned on the table and looked at the older man, knowing the only way to stop this was to get the old man on side. Hank paused as he sat back. It wasn't like they had a better idea, and this one had a good chance of success. Nines was the one on the line, and he was more than willing to go through with it. "Would you be this fucking eager if it was Connor on the line?" The younger human demanded almost venomously, hitting where it hurt.
"Hold up, that's not what this is about." Hank insisted, though it was true. There's no way he'd let Connor go on a suicide mission. But Connor isn't an RK900 model. He isn't nearly indestructible. The older man reasoned, watching Reed almost scoff as he pushed himself up. The look he gave Hank could freeze blood. "Both Nines and Connor clearly think this plan has some weight. They wouldn't suggest it if they didn't think they had a good chance of pulling it off safely." The older man reasoned gently.
"I don't give a fuck how safe they think it is! Shit can go south fast, and I'm not sending my partner on a suicide mission! He'd be alone with a bunch of fucking maniacs!" Reed snapped, both androids flinching at the heat in his tone. Anderson got to his feet, the younger man backing off defensively. He didn't liked people towering over him, and all three people in the room were taller. He felt small. Anderson held his hands up gently, understanding Reed's feelings. He'd feel the same if it were Connor.
"It's risky, I get it, but we don't have another workable plan. If we can plan it out and work in a few contingencies, then it could be viable." Hank replied reasonably, the shorter man instantly slamming his hand down on the table.
"No fucking way! Nines isn't expendable or replaceable! This isn't an option!" He insisted, his green eyes daring any of them to challenge him on it. Connor eventually sighed.
"I could go in Nines' place. I have more field experience, and our software is similar enough that I have the same tracker installed." The hazel eyed android admitted selflessly, a flurry of objections starting up on all sides. Reed flat out refused, insisting that Connor was no more expendable than Nines, much to Connor's gratification. Hank may not have understood much, but he knew Connor was more fragile than Nines, and Nines was in agreement with Hank. An RK800 wouldn't stand up to the potential physical danger.
"It has to be me, Gavin. It has to be me." Nines insisted in a softer more appealing tone.
"Would you let me do it? Go on a suicide mission?" The human demanded stiffly, watching various thoughts cross his partner's mind. He could tell from Nines' physical reaction that it was a firm no, but at the same time he didn't see this as a suicide mission.
"This isn't a suicide mission. It has a high probability of success." He argued instead, watching Reed reach the end of his tether and grab his coffee. All three were surprised. It was rare for Reed to back out of an argument. It could have been the stress of the past few days, but the fight had just drained out of him in those few seconds.
"Fine! Fuck it. Do what you want, but I'm not being a part of it." He said before leaving, the words somehow hitting worse as he didn't slam the door. Nines' expression was blank as the door clicked, a look Connor recognised. He'd turned off his facial muscles to conceal his turmoil, but he could see it in his brother's eyes. Gavin backing out had hit him hard. He'd expected pushback and arguments, but he hadn't anticipated being outright abandoned by his partner.
"Give him a few minutes to cool off." Anderson suggested, picking up on Nines' distress almost as quickly as Connor. Connor wasn't sure if it was the old man's experience working with him or just his lieutenant instincts tipping him off. He laid an assuring hand on Nines' large shoulder, but the taller android seemed unconvinced.
"Hank's right…I recommend talking to Detective Reed, but give him some time to calm down first." Connor agreed cautiously, unsure Nines would be able to go through with the mission without Gavin's support. He trusted Hank and Connor, of course he did, but it was different when you had a partner. There was no one else Connor would want to watch his back besides Hank. He wouldn't feel safe putting himself at risk without knowing the older man had his back. They may not have been partnered for long, but their previous interactions had formed a unique bond of trust and dependence. Nines needed Gavin. He needed that strong presence to reassure him, the knowledge that the shorter man would stop at nothing to ensure his safety.