!(*) Celebrate (*)!
If New Jericho's Christmas party was a rather small and quiet affair their New Year party is much the opposite. Everyone had gathered on the upper deck of the ship to watch a firework display once the sky darkened. Until then it had been Markus giving a short speech,
"It's been a long and difficult road for everyone but I want us all to celebrate that we are here now. No matter where we came from, how long we've been around, or what we've been through, we have made it. We are survivors, we are alive, and I promise you there is hope on the horizon. I want us all to carry that hope into the new year. So to everyone at New Jericho and beyond, here's to a bright future in 2039!"
the resulting cheers echoed out into the evening air, and once Markus stepped down it truly felt like a party. Or what he assumes based on research that a party should be. Androids cannot drink so there is no alcohol but there is a lot of conversation filled with excitement and revelry.
He still doesn't feel like he belongs but Markus' words do reach. His status as a deviant, whether he likes it or not, is thanks to Connor and Markus. And Markus is right; he's a survivor. He should have died back in November when he was shot in the head. Instead here he is making a life for himself. He's been active for less than two months but already made a lot of progress with his self-assigned missions. He's allowed to feel that electric buzz of something right, of pride in his work. Of progress.
A glance to his left reveals Simon and Josh talking with Markus as they head toward the back of the upper deck. Many unfamiliar androids are milling about, the YK500s being the most excited of them all.
Up front an EM400 and a TW400 are setting up the pyrotechnics for the fireworks. The TW400 is a familiar model—used for construction—but the android himself is unfamiliar. The EM400 however he recognizes as having played with Cheryl during the Christmas party. Of course the android designed for amusement parks would latch on to the children and know something of pyrotechnics.
To his right among a crowd of many more unfamiliar androids he can see Jonah leading Cheryl across the deck toward the other YK500s, the hand he's not holding gripping a box of crayons, a coloring book tucked under her arm. Several feet behind them and heading his way is North. "You made it!" she exclaims when she finally gets to him.
He shrugs as if he hadn't planned to come. "I've never seen fireworks."
"Neither have I so this should be a real treat!" Eyes to the sky. "Not long now. Will you stay until midnight?"
"I can't. The police are understaffed and holidays can get rough. I'll be joining them at the station after this."
A crumpled expression that quickly reigns itself back to neutral. "Well at least you're here for this. You know no matter what anyone else here might say, you're a cool person."
A smile that he really should show more often. "Same to you, North." A pause as peripheral catches the TW400 and EM400 finishing. "It seems the show will be starting soon. Care to find a better vantage point?"
With an amused grin her hands go to her hips as she laughs. "They'll be in the sky, you idiot. It doesn't matter where you stand, just look up." The dead look he gives her and the guilty frown in response indicate she finally gets his true meaning. "Right. Well, are you any good at parkour?"
"Let me think about that." he starts sarcastically, "I was designed to chase criminals in a city and my predecessor did so across three rooftops dodging people, vehicles, heavy equipment, and jumping a moving train. So… maybe?" and ends with a smug smirk.
A quiet laugh as she takes his arm and leads him toward the back where Simon, Josh, and Markus had gone, but to a different staircase. He can only assume they must have gone somewhere else for a better view. "Follow my lead and we can get out one of the bridge windows, climb up, and sit on top to watch the show. We'll be alone there."
And she's right. It's not much effort to swing himself out a window, grab a protrusion above it, and get himself on top of the bridge after North. By then the sky is dark enough that just as he sits down beside her a streak of light shoots up and explodes, casting color over the dark.
"Wow!" She focuses on the lights while for the next several minutes he focuses on her, simply happy to be here in this moment with a close friend. Markus was right; they made it. When a bright explosion lights up her face in vivid red he smiles and turns toward the source.
"It's going to be a hell of a year." North's tone is little above a whisper.
"I certainly hope so."
Burst after burst of intense color fight back the dark void of the night sky, light raining down in sparks.
It's something he's never seen before.
It's one hell of a show.
.
Later that night things are just as smooth sailing at the police department. Though they are all on duty it seems for once they've been blessed with a lack of idiocy from city residents. That will probably change after midnight when the majority of fireworks will go off and inevitably cause an accident somewhere, but until then it's a pleasant atmosphere.
Erica and Johnathan have left their stations to talk with Heather near the gate as she has once more left her desk, though it remains within her line of sight. Though he's not listening to their words he can see that Erica is quite animated. Johnathan the opposite standing rather stiffly, but there is a hint of a smile.
Across the bullpen Connor is hard at work at his desk, case files scrolling across the screen as he cybernetically interacts with his terminal keyboard. Lieutenant Anderson is nursing a coffee at the filing cabinets in the center of the room, occasionally glancing up at the wall-mounted television. It appears to be tuned in to a news station showing footage from Times Square in anticipation of the midnight ball drop. He can see through the entrance to the breakroom that inside Gavin is animatedly chatting with Tina, coffee in one hand and the other making strange gestures. Tina laughs in reply quite often. Officer Miller at his desk seems to be multitasking between filing reports and listening to an audiobook through headphones attached to his phone. A glance at Captain Fowler's office shows the tinted glass on its clear setting and the man sitting at his desk appearing hard at work like Connor. Though with only a minute of staring he gets a look back; a smile before returning to his job.
Overall it's almost like a normal day, simply less hectic. He makes his way to his desk to finish some paperwork from yesterday and give Connor's files a second set of eyes before his predecessor turns them in. Like usual.
The tide only changes when Gavin comes in from the breakroom twenty minutes later looking rather jittery. Too much coffee? He makes a note in his personal file on the detective that Gavin is apparently not a night owl. And then the man chugs more of his cup and loudly asks the room, "Who's gonna get wasted for New Years‽"
Tina tries to drag him toward his desk. "Gav, keep it down or Fowler will hear you!" she hisses. And try was the operative word there. Her attempt quickly met failure as he squirmed from her grasp.
"Sounds like a plan to me." Lieutenant Anderson comments, placing his presumably empty coffee cup on the cabinet beside him. "It's rare you have a good idea, Reed. What gives? You dump some alcohol in that coffee of yours?"
And Tina is immediately on edge. "You'd better not have! We're on duty!"
"He didn't." Connor interjects, turning their way from his desk. "Detective Reed is far too shaky to have added a depressant to his coffee. Vital signs indicate he has simply had too much of it and is thus unable to behave properly."
"Kid in a candy store." The Lieutenant chuckles. "You got enough caffeine there, Reed?"
Gavin scowls at him but the effect is lost by his vibrating. "Don't you dare fuckin' judge. It's New Years! I'm letting myself have a good time! You should try it one of these days, old man!"
The Lieutenant sighs. "Yeah, yeah. Have fun later, Reed. Chen's right. We're still on the clock."
From the corner Officer Miller pipes up, "Should I be worried or is this like your usual arguments?"
"We got it handled, Chris." The Lieutenant assures. But just in case Connor gets up to go speak with Officer Miller, likely to get more data on what constitutes as Hank and Gavin's 'usual arguments'.
Meanwhile he stands up, gives Tina a knowing look, and with a nod from her and some teamwork they manage to wrest Gavin into his chair despite his squirming and attempts to escape. "You guys are no fucking fun." he complains into his coffee. "Remind me why I'm friends with you again?"
"Because we put up with your bullshit." Tina says with a fond smile. "I've been handling you since the academy, Gav. You're stuck with me."
"And," he decides to add something to fuck with him as per usual, "I know you like me more than you want to admit. I've seen you checking me out."
Gavin splutters and immediately turns his chair away from them. Shit. Did he actually hit the mark with that one? Fuck. It was meant to be a joke. Shit.
Tina just laughs and pats Gavin's shoulder. "I'm gonna leave you two idiots be. I have to give Heather her New Years gift."
That breaks Gavin out of it. "Why the hell do you keep gettin' her shit she doesn't need? No-one uses paper anymore!"
"Because, Gavin," Oh, full name. Is this how a parent scolds a child? "She likes pretty, vintage office supplies and I want to make her happy. Her smile lights up the room and means the world to me. Maybe if you were less emotionally constipated you'd understand and take a chance on what's right in front of you."
Awkward silence for 5.07 seconds before Gavin's confused, "The fuck is that supposed to mean‽" But by now Tina is back at her desk. "Tina! What the fuck‽" And ignoring him as she heads over to Erica, Johnathan, and Heather. "Tina!"
The android trio seperate to allow Tina near Heather who simply beams at the sight of her gift and throws her arms around Tina in a tight hug. Her exclamations of, "Thank you so much! Thank you!" can be heard across the room. Tina is grinning like a fool right back. It's quite a sight.
It reminds him somewhat of the mention of 'Christmas magic' Tina had given when insisting he ask Gavin out. It had gone well and he acknowledges that despite magic being a ridiculous term for it there is some merit to a positive atmosphere brought on by holidays changing attitudes for the better. Perhaps this is more of it.
The news program gets louder as midnight is only minutes away.
Everyone in the room, barring the Captain for being a stickler to the job, shuffles closer to the television. And a strange sound draws his attention.
Perhaps 'Christmas magic' should be amended to 'holiday magic' as he's certain of it now. Heather embraces Tina once more, though this time for a short kiss. Then goes back to being giddy over her gifts. Tina meanwhile can't seem to stop grinning as her cheeks turn red. A quiet utter of, "Hell yes!" reaches his hears and he tries to hold back a laugh.
No-one comments on the scene. Decent of them. He knows humans hate to be judged for their preferences. Love is a strange concept. He doesn't understand what draws people together. Why do those emotions matter? Why act on them? Is the seeking of serotonin that important for humans? And it can't only be humans. Deviants act in a similar manner without the result of beneficial chemicals. So why? What is so important and pleasant about love? What is love at all?
He doesn't understand.
"Lieutenant, what is the purpose of lowering a massive light-up sphere?" Connor asks, watching the glowing ball inch ever closer to the platform. "I don't see the connection to the New Year celebration."
"It's for the countdown." The Lieutenant answers, not taking his eyes off the screen. "They move it down as it gets closer to midnight."
"Yes but why a sphere? Why not simply use the clock on the platform? I don't understand the need for a large light."
The Lieutenant shrugs. "Dunno, son. You'll have to Google that one."
And then someone, he doesn't catch who, turns the volume up.
.
10!
9!
8!
.
Everyone in the room other than himself, Connor, and the Lieutenant are practically vibrating with anticipation. Gavin literally, though for a different reason.
.
7!
6!
5!
.
He agrees with Connor that the concept of lowering the light-up sphere or 'dropping the ball' as it seems to be known, in sync with the countdown is a strange tradition.
.
4!
3!
2!
.
A joyous atmosphere is pleasant. Given what he's been through in the nearly two months of his existence he's rather proud to be here for this moment. His first New Year party.
.
1!
'Happy New Year!'
.
"Happy New Year!" echo many voices in the room in time with the television. Though he doesn't pay much notice because a familarly low voice close by says, "Fuck it." and something soft is immediately pressed against his lips.
Several blinks to refocus his vision.
Gavin?
Shit.
A warm electric buzz runs through his system and given what it's taken to get here, to this very moment, he too thinks fuck it and presses back, grabbing the man's jacket to pull him even closer. A surprised grunt but no-one breaks free.
He wanted this progress. He didn't know exactly what it meant but he wanted it nonetheless. The Lieutenant's mention of them sharing an attitude, Tina trying to make them see it, the way they teased each other incessantly, even more so at Christmas and the arcade, but better yet the way they help each other, the way they work together seamlessly, and how he owes Gavin his life. He wants the chance to repay that debt.
He's new to deviancy. He never wanted that. He wanted to stay a cold machine because it was easier. But if this was what he'd been missing out on perhaps it's better this way. Then again emotions are confusing. He often hates them. He often bottles them. Tries to return to his machine state. That's his default coping mechanism. It's worked thus far to handle his strange new existence.
He will always be something more than a heartless machine and less than an emotional deviant. His red wall is shattered but pieces remain. And he's okay with that. It's simply who he is. And if Detective Reed, noted hater of androids, can come to appreciate him like this, it's clear he doesn't need to change a thing.
Gavin's lips are rougher than he expected.
When they break apart a moment later the detective grumbles, "You're a shit kisser."
"That was my first." he answers with a smirk. "I'm certain I'll get better with practice." The man's face tinting red is amusing. "Happy New Year by the way, Gavin."
A light chuckle before Gavin chugs the rest of his coffee and answers, "Happy New Year to you too, Toaster."
.
Author's Note: And this is the end, folks. Thanks for sticking with me this long, hope you enjoyed the story, and have a wonderfully happy new year! :D
Also if anyone cares I have a playlist for my version of Sixty. Just PM me for it.