Requested by AO3 user Princess_Crystal: I have a request! Connor snaps on Gavin, after being "awake" Connor is feeling more human emotions instead of being programmed to have (fake) emotions. After snapping on Gavin, Connor storms away and reader comforts him and Connor just starts crying because "Why is he so mean to me?" Fluff ensues?

For the record, I personally headcanon that after the androids were confirmed as being a new form of intelligent life, Gavin Reed would have started treating Connor with at least a base respect. I picture their relationship would have been an interesting one post-best ending, that they would constantly be sassing each other but when it comes down to it they DO respect each other. Sure, they wouldn't be best buds but I can see them being tolerable of each other. That being said, I can't pass up a request where Gavin is just a colossal DICK, so here we go ;)

Hope you all enjoy this one!

Contempt

Nobody had been expecting it, but they should have.

An android could only take so much abuse, and Connor had been on the receiving end of Detective Reed's taunts and maltreatment for the better part of almost eighteen months now - far too long for anybody to just endure baseless oppression.

That was the thing about Connor, though. He always just endured Reed's torment, because he didn't see it as an obstruction to his job, and therefore, he didn't see it as an issue to approach Captain Fowler with.

There had been several instances where you had tried to convince Connor to inform the captain of Reed's blatant harassment over the course of your time working with him, but the android was firm in his belief that Gavin Reed was just a minor nuisance - just a fly buzzing around his head - and that no severe action needed to be taken in preventing Reed's substandard treatment of him.

While you agreed that Gavin was comparable to an insignificant bug, you weren't persuaded that his repetitive bullying was entirely healthy for Connor, and after today, you realised just how right you were.

Connor had been discussing his current case with Hank while playing idly with his coin, which was something you loved to watch him do; it was mesmerising to observe, seeing the coin jump between his hands as though the space between them did not abide by the laws of gravity, or catching him rolling the quarter expertly over his fingers without even looking, and it always succeeded in making you goggle with awe.

When the android had spun the quarter on the tip of his finger, Gavin had taken that moment to stride around the corner and slap the coin right out of Connor's hand; you'd felt a wave of fury overcome you at the needless display, your eyes following the quarter as it rolled across the floor and toppled down by your feet with a shrill clink against the laminate floor of the precinct.

"Will you cut it out with that damn coin, you stupid piece of plastic?" Reed snapped, leaning his face in uncomfortably close to the android by way of intimidation. Connor remained unruffled by the coarse detective's rude show of arrogance and unpleasantry, staring down the other with a composed look that promised he wouldn't just shrink back in response to Reed's goading.

"Oh, go fuck yourself, Reed", Hank interposed as he rose from his seat, always quick on the defense where Connor was concerned, "it's not even noon yet and you're already acting like a complete tool."

Gavin didn't regard Hank with anything more than a condescending glower, which he quickly directed back to Connor, prompting the android to incline his head and calmly state, "I use the coin to calibrate my physical and cognitive functions, Detective Reed, it is not an activity that harms anybody."

"Actually, I think you'll find it does - it's fucking annoying, you plastic prick", Gavin barked back, choosing not to lay off for even a moment.

Your fists clenched at your sides as you prepared to make your way over to them and break up the skirmish yourself, but Connor's lips formed a sardonic smile and he spoke coolly without breaking the unremitting eye contact between the two of them.

"Perhaps you should give it a try, Reed. It can be very pacifying and may assist with your anger management issues", was Connor's detached response, and for a brief moment you felt a deep swell of gratification at seeing the way Gavin's eyebrows shot up with incredulity, but then Reed's gaze narrowed and he nodded his head in a mocking manner, and you knew the churlish detective was poised to begin another wave of verbal sparring.

"I find there are other ways to keep my anger in check-" Gavin was cut off midway through what was probably going to be his attempt at a witty comeback.

"-Evidently, it's not working", Connor countered tersley before the other could even retaliate, and you took an inquisitive step towards the two, though still standing at a substantial distance, because you had never really heard the android incite Reed in such a way. Connor generally avoided conflict between coworkers, putting in a valid effort to diffuse tense situations for the sake of working a case with less hassle, but his droll response to what would have been Gavin's critical remark functioned only to trigger a reaction.

It was quite telling, and should have been the first warning that Connor was bordering on boiling point.

"Alright, both of you-" Hank began, but did not get the chance to finish.

"I'll fuckin' set you on fire and bask in the warmth of your burning hard drive", Gavin accompanied his warning with a sharp prod of his finger to Connor's chest. You felt your jaw tighten at the threat, knowing Reed would never follow through with the menacing promise, but feeling the acute desire to shelter the android from such remarks.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. The fumes may be toxic to your respiratory system", Connor retorted bluntly, his face astonishingly straight.

Without much warning, Gavin delivered a swift jostle to the android, throwing him off balance into a stagger, but Connor quickly righted himself, and before you could ultimately dispel the fray by physically stepping between them, Connor swung around and shoved Gavin back without much thought to the consequences.

Reed was not so quick to stabilise himself, clearly not having seen the retribution coming, and tumbled back to the ground, narrowly avoiding slamming his head against another colleague's desk. A hush fell across the room, all eyes on Connor with a blend of shock and apprehension over what he'd just done. The apparent anger on the androids face merged into trepidation as his LED flashed a cautionary red.

Nobody had been expecting it, but they should have.

It was a hefty relief when you finally found Connor almost half an hour later, sitting in a secluded spot around the back of the precinct. You'd been hesitant to immediately chase after the android when he'd fled from the station, somewhat frozen to the spot following the surprising end to the dispute, but when you'd seen the look of discordant upset on his face as he walked quickly past you, you knew you needed to find him and make sure he was okay.

You'd given Connor fifteen minutes to cool off, as it were, before beginning to search for him, assured that he wouldn't venture too far from the station in the middle of a shift, and rounded the backend of the building to discover him sitting on a bench with his head down, the light on his head back to a tranquil blue, and yet, nothing about the android was tranquil.

As you approached, you were jarred to find wet lines trailing down Connor's cheeks; it pulled at your heartstrings, and you further prickled with empathy when the android looked away from you as you sat, perhaps desperate to hide his tears despite the fact you had already noticed them.

You'd never seen him cry before - you hadn't even known he could. Sure, you'd seen other androids cry, but it never occurred to you that Connor's creators would've bothered to fit him with the same implements for artificial tears given that he'd been built for a very specific purpose.

Maybe he hadn't known he could cry either.

You didn't make a fuss of it, well aware that the worst thing somebody could do when you're in the midst of tears was to ask if you're okay - it probably wouldn't help matters, so instead you reached into your pocket and pulled out a small pack of tissues, wordlessly holding one out for the android.

Connor's glossy gaze flickered to your offering in his peripheral vision, and after a moment he took the tissue, wiping the moisture from his face, though his eyes retained their sheeny look; you decided it was best to wait for him to speak first, that way you would know he was ready to talk it out.

After a while, Connor quietly admitted, "It… was not my intent to push him so hard."

You nodded your head, "I know."

"Is he injured?"

"Just his pride", you answered with a ghost of a simper on your lips, "Fowler saw the whole thing, he knows Gavin provoked you first. That scumbag is gonna get what's coming to him, Hank is making sure of it." You weren't sure whether Connor had caught the lieutenant's savage bellowing toward Reed - something along the lines of 'you're a damn son of a bitch, you know that!? A real piece of shit!'

"Mm." Clearly, the android saw no humour in your assertion.

"No one blames you for reacting that way, you know. He's been messing with you for too long. It was kind of magnificent to watch, actually, seeing him get put in his place", your bright smile faded as Connor continued to frown; you sighed quietly, wracking your brain for any ideas of how to comfort an android - Connor was miles better at consolation than you were, he had been there for you many times in the past whenever you felt distressed regardless of the scenario.

You just needed to do what he had always done for you: reassure, listen, be calm, and figure out a way to make him smile.

The anger that you'd seen on Connor's face immediately after he'd pushed Gavin away had faded into dejection; it was painful to see the android look sad, especially when you felt such elation at the chance to see him smile - misery should never be an expression he had to bear, his face should have been reserved for happiness.

You put your arm around him and placed your hand on his shoulder, the light pressure assuring him that you were ready to listen to whatever he had to say.

"Why does he continue to treat me like that? I do nothing to rile him up, nothing to elicit hostility, and yet, it's like I'm nothing to him but his enemy." Connor's face stiffened in a heart-rending mix of confusion and sorrow, "I don't set out to purposely anger or annoy him, but my presence is enough to evoke his temper. What is it about me that he despises so much?"

It was beyond disheartening to watch Connor try and pick apart the nonexistent rationality of Gavin's hatred of him. Connor was a congenial individual who craved positive connections with those around him - his convictions first and foremost were that of sociability and forming friendships, it was partly to do with his original programming, to work harmoniously with humans, but even after he'd broken into his free will, it had still been the basis of his aspirations.

Seeing him hurt like this was a crime.

"The problem doesn't lie with you", you told Connor with the utmost certainty, "Gavin is the one with the problem, okay? He's just a bully." The android glanced your way for the first time since you'd found him outside, and his eyebrows twitched as though he was having difficulty understanding the concept that some people were just jerks for no reason.

"I know it's puzzling, but some humans are nasty, disagreeable, foul pieces of shit and there's just no rhyme or reason to it", you apprised, rubbing his shoulder to help alleviate his troubling thoughts. "He's not worth your time. He's not good enough to deserve your friendship", you concluded with a wink.

Connor looked contemplative, his brown eyes peering at you incisively as he searched for the truth in your words, but there was still a thin wall of scepticism that you needed to perforate.

"He's envious of you, Connor. That's why he acts the way he does around you", you pointed out, a seasoned smile on your face as you spoke, and Connor's expression changed immediately to that of disbelief.

"I find that hard to believe, detective."

"It's true!" You were utterly sure of it, "Gavin wishes he could be half the man you are."

Connor's mouth twitched into an almost-smile. Almost.

"Why would he be envious of me?" Connor asked. His voice was shrouded with doubt and something else - if your intuition was correct, you were sure he sounded insecure.

"Connor…" you let out a soft sigh, "believe me, I would love to sit here with you all day and tell you every single way in which you are superior to that asshole, but we will have to be getting back to work soon… so I'll settle with telling you just a few."

Your lips pulled into a grin when a glimmer of bashfulness danced over his face and you shimmied closer to him till your thighs were brushing together, giving his shoulder a meaningful squeeze before you studied his handsome visage and prepared to relay everything you loved about him.

"You are stronger, and yet you only exhibit your strength when necessary, not a gross show-off like him; you're faster, more durable, honestly, I've seen you scale walls and jump over rooftops and it is ridiculously impressive - oh, and lets not forget your marvellous intellect! You're so much smarter than that witless prick! You can solve ten cases in the time it takes him to solve one - you're a far more valuable asset to the team than he is, and everyone knows it."

Connor's gaze dropped, a peppering flush on his cheeks that made your heart soar, and you reached into your pocket to procure his coin - the item you had hurriedly picked up before pursuing the android - and held it up with an exuberant beam.

"Also, your coin tricks are the best. He only tells you to stop cause he wishes he could copy you", you flicked the coin up with a ping and Connor caught it, holding it securely in his palm as a look of gratitude fell over his face.

"Thank you, detective", he spoke softly, a certain shyness to his voice that you found thoroughly endearing. He rolled the coin over his knuckles just for you, and you found it difficult to contain your delight.

"There's one more thing you have that he doesn't", you said, cleverly disguising the impish tone of your words with an innocent timidness that made him cock his head.

"What would that be?"

You smirked. "Your dashing good looks, of course."

Connor's face lit up, a bright smile of amusement gracing his features.

Success.

Notes: Ahh, I was a bit worried about the characterisation in this one! Please let me know if it was okay! Thank you all! :D