"Ayako!" Takigawa shouted as he dove out of the car. He'd barely turned off the engine before he was stumbling out and staggering towards the door. He shouted her name again as he fumbled with the door keys. He was a mess. His tail had come loose, spilling locks of long hair across his shoulders. His blazer was somewhere on the back seat while his shirt was covered in blue-blood. He couldn't get it out of his head. The sound of those boots as they'd crunched plastic. The wet thuds where her blood had spilled. Her glazed, lifeless, hazel eyes had stared up at him. Her matted red hair had been stained purple in places with thirium. "Ayako!" he cried again as he threw the door open and stumbled inside, eyes darting wildly around the hall.

"Houshou?" her confused voice called from further inside. A cry of relief left his lips as he finally saw her in the living room doorway. She barely had time to open her stunned mouth before Takigawa was upon her, holding her so tightly it would have been painful if she could feel such things. She was stunned as she loosely returned the embrace. She could feel him shivering as she listened to his racing heart. She didn't need to check to know he was stressed. "What happened?" she asked in horror as she took in his blue stained shirt. Even the ends of his hair had been tainted.

"I thought it was you," he murmured in a dazed tone, pulling her back into his arms and holding her tightly. She ignored the thirium now staining her own clothing as she held him. "Oh God, I thought it was you," he repeated in shock. He'd thought it would be just a routine callout at first. Some humans were up to something weird. He hadn't really gotten more details than that. He'd gone to check it out with Charlie. When they got there, he'd been stunned. There had been five of them. Human men. Laying into a petite female android. An old Traci. He hadn't thought much of it until he'd noticed the face.

"You thought what was me?" Ayako asked cautiously, but she couldn't pull back, as Takigawa was holding her so tightly. He was shuddering like he was cold, which he probably was. It was the middle of winter, and he'd been running around in just a thin oily office shirt. He'd left with a blazer that morning, but she didn't know where he'd left it. "Come and sit down, you're freezing!" she encouraged gently, feeling him nod his agreement on her shoulder. He drew back, his face relieved but haggard. He'd been working long hours for the past month, drowned by the influx of deviant attacks. This had been one of the worst. Smashing them up he could handle, but raping them too?

"I can't give you details, but God, I was terrified…I left Charlie to finish up. I had to come back! I had to make sure you were…" he trailed off as he sat on the edge of the sofa. Ayako watched as he hunched over and rested his elbows on his knees, linking his fingers as he leaned his head down. "She was the spitting image of you," he added as he finally looked up to see Ayako avoiding his gaze. He shuddered as he remembered the chill that had crept up his spine. He remembered thinking so clearly that it couldn't have been Ayako. That he'd left her barely three hours ago. Surely, she couldn't have been dragged off the streets and taken to that apartment so quickly.

"You're imagining things," Ayako assured with forced calm as she turned away and headed to the kitchen. She looked down at the blue smears that had been left on her own pastel coloured clothing. Her LED would have been spinning yellow at the sight. A glass of water would probably calm Takigawa down somewhat. She reached for a glass as she continued to avoid his gaze.

"Ayako, it's okay. I know…I've known for a long time," he confessed quietly, watching Ayako stammer to a halt. She turned to stare at him like a deer in headlights. He knew? All this time? How did he figure it out? "I'm a detective…I thought I recognised you when we first met…didn't take long to figure it out. I even found your model number. I don't care. I've never cared," he added assuringly, his voice and body still shuddering. Ayako stammered again, unsure what to say or how to act. They were both reeling now, for different reasons. Takigawa gave her a crooked smile as he took it in. Ayako was here. She was alive. He could feel the knot in his chest slowly loosening.

"You knew all this time you had a Traci, and you never…" she trailed off, something like shame flaming her cheeks. She felt strangely vulnerable and touched. He'd had a chance to…but he hadn't. He'd opened up his home to her without ever expecting anything in return beyond a little domestic housework.

"Hey, you're not a Traci! You're not even an android. You're smart, brilliant, witty, and so much more than you were programmed to be," he insisted firmly, watching Ayako bite her lip and avoid his warm gaze. She felt her chest swell with something akin to relief. She'd been worried for a while now. Takigawa would look at her sometimes, as if he had something to say. She'd worried that he'd notice the way she always avoided food, even on his days off. She'd worried whether she'd forgotten to hide the thirium packs well enough, or if she'd properly hidden the packaging in the trash after drinking them.

"What happens now?" Ayako asked hesitantly as she fiddled with the bottom of her stained pink top. Now that her secret was out, surely something would change. Takigawa looked surprised by the question as he looked across from his place on the sofa.

"What? Nothing happens now…Well, maybe one thing," he added quietly as he looked across at her, noting her unease. "Join me for dinner?" His invitation was hesitant and sheepish. Ayako was unable to keep the flush from her cheeks. Despite her flush, she managed to stay relatively calm as she teased him to go take a shower because he looked terrible. Takigawa agreed and dragged himself upstairs, feeling heavy now that the shock had started to wear off. The cold was also sinking deeper into his skin. Ayako turned up the heating, having read the state of his vitals.

He entered the bathroom and stripped off, closing his tired eyes and sighing deeply as hot water poured over his blue smeared body. He shuddered at the amount of thirium he saw swirling down the drain. He blinked as he realised he was crying. Stupid…It wasn't even Ayako…He suddenly felt shitty for a whole new reason. He'd been so relieved that it wasn't Ayako, that he hadn't spared a thought for that other android. She'd been active hours earlier. Did she have a human somewhere waiting? Had she been deviant? Had she had thoughts and feelings? Had she been afraid of dying? Had she cried for help?

He tried not to think about it as he cleaned off the thirium. These were thoughts he often had about human victims, too. It was one of the hardest things to deal with on the job. The worst feeling was when you knew no one would notice. It happened. A lot. Someone dies with no family. No friends. It's just another body. That person was alive, but no one noticed. It was even more cruel when those lives were needlessly snuffed out.

Ayako had reheated a plate of lasagne for him by the time he appeared downstairs and had set two places at the table. She looked at him nervously as she slowly opened a small cupboard and rummaged around. When she stood up, she had a packet of thirium clutched in her hand. It was a clever hiding place. Takigawa tended to keep things he needed in the higher cupboards, so the chances of him looking in that small space were slim. He smiled softly as he took the packet.

"I got it," he murmured as he reached up and grabbed a large bowl. Ayako raised an eyebrow as he cut the corner and poured the blue liquid into the deep black bowl. He grinned as he filled it about halfway. In the black bowl, you couldn't really see the deep blue colour. He could almost trick himself into believing it was gazpacho. It's the wrong season for a cold soup though…"I could heat it if you want?"

"Heat it? Why would you do that?" Ayako asked curiously as she tilted her head. Takigawa waved it off. Charlie had had a similarly confused reaction when Mai had handed him his first thirium latte. He knew his partner had been touched despite his confusion, and he was sure Naru felt the same on some level. Or I'm just projecting what I hope…

"I thought it might taste better that way," he replied with a shrug as he found a soup spoon for her.

"You know we don't taste like that…not yet at least," she corrected, having no doubt Cyberlife had the ability to develop something for that at some point. The ability, but not the reason…Takigawa agreed sheepishly as he carried the bowl and plate over to the small round table. Ayako had set two places, leaving a glass and a bottle of beer ready for Takigawa. They both sat, and Takigawa couldn't help but smile as he found what he'd been missing. It felt good to finally sit together and eat, almost like a family.

"Have I mentioned how great your cooking is?" he asked almost flirtatiously as he sipped his beer straight from the bottle.

"You have, and I've told you it's your grandmother you have to thank. I've followed her instructions to the letter," Ayako insisted humbly, which made sense. Androids couldn't taste, so it was impossible for them to cook without a recipe to follow. It was good to finally relax after the day he'd had. Charlie messaged him some time later, wanting to make sure everything was alright after his quick exit. Takigawa messaged back. I know it's standard procedure to check in, but it almost feels like he was worried. He told him that everything was fine, and he'd see him the next day. Guess I should think of an excuse for running off like that…

They remained at the small round table for a few hours. Takigawa drank a second beer while Ayako poured the remains of her thirium sachet into a tall wine glass. The liquid was a little thicker than Takigawa had imagined. He'd seen it at a lot of crime scenes, splattered across surfaces and left in puddles on the ground, but it was his first time properly examining it as a liquid in a glass. I guess it makes sense that it's about as thick as blood…Ayako would take small sips, licking her lips each time to ensure they were kept clean. This also constantly drew the detective's attention to them. They were a deep shade of red, like she was wearing lipstick. He couldn't help but wonder if she'd been programmed that way.

"The way things are heading in Detroit, shit's about to hit the fan in a major way," he said worriedly, a large part of him wishing they hadn't wandered into this conversation. He almost wished things could just continue as they had before, but that was selfish. Something had to give in order to make things better. For androids and humans. Hopefully…he could see it coming. Either androids would rise up, or humans would destroy them. There was little chance of it ending peacefully for both sides.

"What do you think will happen to us? Deviants, I mean," Ayako asked worriedly as she looked up from her glass. Takigawa sighed and shook his head. He really couldn't say. It depended on how the situation unfolded. Cyberlife would surely try to treat them dismissively. Attempt to protect its bottom-line by minimising their existence. They'd continue to call it a malfunction that needed to be fixed. They'd probably reset all the deviants they came across. If things got violent, the army would likely get involved. He reached out and rested his hand on Ayako's subconsciously.

"God, I don't know…" he replied distractedly, gripping tightly. Her hand was delicate and soft despite its strength. He wasn't looking at their joined hands. His hazel eyes were busy looking at the tiled floor thoughtfully, idly chasing the lines of the tiles. Ayako felt her cheeks dusting pink as she looked from Takigawa to their joined hands and back again. His hand was larger than hers, strong but gentle. She subconsciously withdrew the skin of her hand. Her smooth white shell pressed up against his warm flesh. He didn't notice the change. She could feel the rough callouses across his fingers from where he'd handled his sidearm, but his palm was still smooth. His skin was warmer than it had been earlier. The shower had helped a lot. "Sorry!" he apologised in a fluster as he realised he'd been gripping her hand tightly. He drew back as if he'd been burned, his cheeks a deep shade of pink.

He watched Ayako's eyes fall to her white hand, the skin slowly covering the surface once more. It was strange, watching flesh flow across the plastic surface like a crashing wave. Strange, but not in a bad way. He knew a lot of humans found it creepy. They didn't like to be reminded that an android was a machine. Takigawa had never had that problem. Androids weren't bad. They were just different, and different was good. They cleared the table quietly after that, their eyes meeting more than once.

"Well…I should probably…" Takigawa murmured eventually, nodding towards the door leading to the hall. "Don't stay up too late," he added with a grin, though it was a little redundant since androids didn't need to sleep. Ayako said good night, and he padded up to his room, ruffling his own long hair as he stepped inside the pushed the door shut. He flopped down with a sigh and rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling with a fist resting on his forehead. What was I thinking, grabbing her hand like that? He held up his own hand and stared at it. Her hand had felt so warm, even when her skin peeled back. The shell was hard and smooth, but still warm.

He sighed again. He shouldn't do this to himself. He was starting to look at her too much like…Too much like what? Like a real person? He scoffed at himself. Ayako was a real person, machine or not. He couldn't help replaying all their playful interactions and childish disagreements. Her hazel eyes could glow like fire. Her lips could pout like a child or smirk like a devil. She'd raise her eyebrows in amusement or incredulity. She'd frown in annoyance, but never in true anger. Her voice could ring like a bell or shriek like a banshee. He smiled to himself as he closed his eyes. Shit.

"Ayako?" he greeted in surprise as his door opened quietly. He said nothing further as she approached his bedside and looked down at him. She was clearly dressed for bed now, wearing what he was surprised to recognise as one of his own t-shirts. He felt heat rise to his cheeks as he noticed her breasts were free beneath and the material sat high on her milky thighs. "You shouldn't come in here dressed like that! You'll give a man ideas," he joked nervously as he pushed himself up on his elbows. Did something happen downstairs? Is everything alright?

Silence fell between them as they stared at each other. Takigawa waited, his worry slowly changing to something more uncertain. Ayako seemed nervous. Hesitant. Unwilling to move forward with whatever she'd been planning, but unable to draw back. Takigawa felt worse. He could feel himself twitching to life the longer he looked at her. He couldn't help it. She was beautiful. She was a Traci, designed to sexually arouse and satisfy. That just made him more uncomfortable. He sighed as he rested a hand over his tired eyes.

"Look, Ayako, if you're going to leave, you should do it now because…Well, I'm still a man with needs, you know?" he added with a somewhat forced grin, trying to keep his tone light and playful. He didn't want to make a move and ruin whatever friendship they had going. He waited a while, but still heard no movement. He raised his hand. Part of him was surprised to see her still standing there. His expression hardened ever so slightly as he reached out and took her wrist. "Fine, don't say I didn't warn you," he replied gruffly, hearing a small gasp escape her red lips as he pulled and turned his body.

Ayako's back hit the mattress, and he was upon her. It was dark in his room, but he could feel the flush in her cheek as he rested a hand against it. Despite his words, he was still looking out for signs. Anything to suggest she wanted to stop. She stared up at him hesitantly, but made no move to stop him as he slowly leaned down and sealed their lips. He kept the first kiss short and chaste, giving Ayako plenty of room to change her mind and push him away. She didn't. He felt his chest swell with warmth and want.

He closed his eyes and leaned more firmly into the second kiss, pressing her smaller body down into the mattress as he sighed and hummed against her mouth. Ayako was clearly no stranger to sexual intimacy. He could feel her experience in the way she eagerly returned his kisses and leaned up into his body. The way her hips circled tore a moan from his lips that was lost in her mouth. He wrapped his arms around her and felt her smaller arms circle his neck to pull him lower. She felt perfect. She was just the right size for him. Her legs wrapped over his hips in just the right way.

"Ayako, are you sure about this?" Takigawa asked softly as he drew back, quietly kicking himself, but he had to be sure. He hated to think about it, but he didn't want Ayako to do this out of some misplaced sense of obligation. He was surprised as her hands came to rest on his slightly rough cheeks, enjoying the feeling of stubble just barely pushing through. The skin on her hands retreated, a small shock shooting across his skin. The lack of skin somehow felt more intimate.

"I was just a Traci before…I can't even remember the majority of people I was forced to be with. My memory was reset every two hours for years, I…This time, I want to choose. I want you, Houshou," Ayako murmured against his lips. Her words sent a jolt through his chest that he couldn't ignore. It seemed she recognised his feelings, probably reading his vitals, because her smile softened and she leaned up to capture his lips. He moaned willingly into her mouth as he eased the large shirt up and over her head, surprised to find her completely naked beneath.

"You really weren't messing around when you decided to come in here, were you…" he murmured teasingly, disbelief still lacing his tone. He felt like the luckiest man in the world. Who wouldn't feel lucky to have such a beautiful woman in their bed? He pressed reverent kisses up and down her pale throat, feeling a mixture of flesh and smooth shell as her skin danced. She gave him an almost feline look as she tilted her head back further, humming in appreciation as his stubble teased her skin. She tugged his tight shirt off, immediately running her hands over the bare skin of his chest and back. It was warm and soft, but somehow firm from all the hours he'd spent on the beat. He was toned and muscled. Takigawa closed his eyes as he leaned against her chest, reaching up to toy with her breasts. She whined as his teeth nipped one of her small buds before lathering it with soft strokes of tongue.

"Hou, I'm ready," she moaned quietly, watching his eyes widen a fraction as he stroked a hand down to check. They'd barely even started. I know androids can't feel pain, but…Her mouth dropped open with a trembling gasp as two of his fingers easily slipped over her mound to stroke her folds. "Self-lubrication, remember?" she teased, moaning as his lips returned to her throat and his fingers withdrew. He worked his way up to her lips once more, soft and tender. He looked at her like she was his whole world.

"I'd be disappointed, but that just means I get to spend even longer inside you," he purred as he raised himself up. Ayako flushed at his words, watching as he tugged his sweats off and took himself in hand. She'd seen him before, though he hadn't been hard at the time. He was exactly as she'd calculated him to be. The perfect size to slot into her body. She watched as he stroked himself a couple more times, encouraging his shaft to full hardness. He settled comfortably between her thighs, supporting one of her hips as she raised her legs to wrap around him.

She felt the tip pressing inside, slowly breaching her slick entrance. She dropped her head back with a somewhat satisfied moan as he slipped inside. He paused a moment once he was fully sheathed to give them both time to adjust. It felt so good. He'd never been with a Traci before, but it was really no different to a real person so far. Well, maybe a little different…he added in amusement as he watched small patches of Ayako's skin retreating in response to his touch. It was strangely pretty as blue chased white.

"You feel so good," he murmured quietly as he slowly rocked his hips. He'd thought of saying real, but that seemed redundant. Ayako was real. She was soft and tight and warm and so alive. Her arms dragged him down, their mouths meeting in a searing kiss, tongues dancing and sliding across teeth. Takigawa wasn't surprised to find Ayako was clearly more experienced. He could barely breathe as he pulled back. Their bodies rocked together, writhing in perfect sync. "Ayako," Takigawa moaned, pressing small kisses to her shoulder and collarbone.

"Houshou, more! Houshou!" she urged, moaning her appreciation as he increased his pace and explored new angles. Their bodies slapped together loudly with each thrust, and Takigawa was almost worried he'd hurt her with his enthusiasm. Luckily, he knew that androids were durable. Her cries encouraged him as he ploughed into her, grunting as he rested his head on her shoulder and moved faster. He finally hit his limit, spilling within her, but not stopping until he felt her body shudder through an orgasm. He collapsed beside her, exhausted as he rolled on his side and looked at her more or less unruffled form.

"I…wow…" Takigawa panted as he caught his breath, enjoying the impish expression Ayako wore as she regarded him. His hazel eyes widened as she rolled onto his body and knelt over his hips. "Wait, again?" he stammered, feeling his member twitch with interest despite his internal objections. He wouldn't be ready for a while, but Ayako seemed content as she leaned down to kiss his tired lips. He enjoyed the softness of her lips and skin, running a hand up her smooth back.

"All night," she replied in a sultry tone, watching him clam up in mock indignation.

"I'm not a piece of meat you know," he almost pouted, shuddering with a whimper as Ayako leaned down and bit his throat. He keened, dazed as pleasure flooded his senses. She'd found one of his sensitive spots and was currently working her teeth into it gleefully. He whined and pulled her closer, running his hands up her spine to trace her small shoulder blades.

"Of course you are," she teased as she stroked his firm pecs, getting a wolfish grin in response as his large hands came to rest on her slim hips. What did I ever do to deserve this woman?