Richard placed a cup of freshly brewed coffee next to a drowsy Gavin who was resting his head on the desk. "Your coffee, detective," the machine expressed with a hushed tone. The brunette remained still, eyes closed as his back slowly expanded and contracted with each quiet breath. The android's expression changed to one of pity as he watched his tired counterpart sleep. RK900 let out a small sigh as he leaned in and placed a hand on his partner's back. "Gavin," he rubbed the brunette's shoulder blade, "I brought you the coffee you requested," he whispered with kind eyes.
The detective grumbled as he drew his brows together, eliciting sounds of annoyance. "You know," the android began, "You don't have to work yourself to death," he glanced at the brunette who was slowly trying to open his eyes. "Mh," Gavin groggily got up from his resting position, "Yeah, I do," he mumbled, rubbing at his eye. The machine straightened back up as he took a step back to allow his partner room to stretch. "This is the seventh night in a row you've slept at the station, detective," Richard expressed with concern, "Don't you think it'd be best for you to take a small break from this case?"
"No," Gavin took a sip of his coffee before scooting his chair closer to the terminal, "It's gonna be Wednesday in…" he looked at his watch, "thirteen minutes and we're no closer to figuring out who this fuckin' bastard is," the detective sighed as he brought a hand to his forehead. "And to make matters worse, Fowler'll be back Thursday morning from his business trip," Gavin shook his head out of frustration, "What do I tell him? That I don't know jack shit about this guy?"
"That's not necessarily true," Richard explained, glancing at his agitated partner, "We've managed to obtain some knowledge about the suspect." Gavin scoffed, "Oh, that he's a buff, white dude who hates androids?" he dismissed with a hand, "That's nothing to go on." RK900 brought a hand to his chin, "We also know that he's likely unemployed, seeing as most of the crimes he's responsible for were committed during the daytime." The brunette stared at his partner, "Still doesn't tell us shit," he tilted his head to the ceiling, "He uses a crowbar, paints some stupid-ass word on the wall near the body and then fucks right off."
"I agree that this man is proving to be quite troublesome to identify but I know we'll be able to find him," Richard gazed at the brunette with an optimistic smile. "As a side note detective, I do appreciate you taking the time to bathe regularly despite all your time here at the station," the android stated in an attempt to lighten the mood. Gavin groaned as he slumped in his chair, "Knock it off," he warned in a peeved cadence, "It's been a fuckin' week and we're as clueless as we were back then." The android approached his colleague and leaned against the desk, "Not true," he pointed to the isolated files on the terminal, "We know that this man is indeed a serial killer," his finger trailed down the list of cases, "We also know he's targeting men and women who support android rights." Richard looked to the brunette, "More importantly, it seems he's going up a hierarchical chain, with each case progressively targeting more significant individuals."
"Significant individuals?" Gavin cocked a brow, "The fuck does that mean?" he tapped on the desk. "What I mean, is he's trying to destroy the lives of people who either work, worked or work in relation to Cyberlife," the android gestured, "Our suspect isn't targeting random humans who have grown fond of androids," Richard went on, "He's targeting humans who had something to do with their production and civil rights—people who have made headlines in recent years," he turned towards the detective, "Do you see where I'm going with this?"
"So what, you're sayin' the dude's a CyberLife employee?" Gavin shrugged, "We went over this already," he exhaled, "We don't have enough information about the guy to make any sort of accusations." The shorter of the two ran his hands through his hair, stopping at the back of his neck, "We're going around in circles," he bit his lower lip, "We've been through a total of four cases revolving around this jackass and we haven't seen him slip up once." RK900 leaned closer to the computer, "What I find most perplexing are the words our suspect leaves on the walls of the crime," he sifted through the files, "So far we have the words, 'Swine,' 'Omnipresence,' 'Larceny,' and 'Arrogance,'" Richard knit his brows, "These words have no correlation to the crimes committed so why is he—"
"This bastard's fuckin' with us," Gavin crossed his arms over his chest and laughed, "Look at us chasin' our own tails like we're actually gettin' somewhere," he slowly shook his head while looking at the monitor.
RK900 let out a small sigh before glancing at his colleague. Gavin noticed the stares coming from the android and tilted his head, "What?" he asked, lifting his shoulders. "I think we should take a break, detective," Richard suggested as he pushed off the desk, "Research shows that exercise catalyzes endorphin production." The brunette stared at his partner with an unamused expression, "English," he snapped his fingers. The machine inched closer to his colleague, "Taking a break to workout will make you feel better," he calmly articulated. "This station is equipped with a fitness room in the back," the android began, eyes darting to the hall, "I've seen other officers train there," he gazed at his partner with a suggestive look. Gavin leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees, "Hm," he traced his stubble with a finger, "Working out at midnight at a station with no one in it. At least there'll be no witnesses if I train with you," he trailed off. "If that's what you find concerning, you have no reason to worry," RK900 explained, " It's rare for officers to stay at the department overnight, with you being the exception of course," the android went on, "Usually, in the evenings the station is reduced to a space for androids." Gavin gazed around the office, noting all the androids in the very back who were at their charging stations. "Yeah," the brunette turned toward his colleague, a bit creeped out, "I noticed."
After taking a moment to think it over, the shorter of the two got up from his chair. "A little workout wouldn't hurt I guess," the detective scratched the back of his neck. Richard smiled, "A break now will allow you to think more clearly later on," he nodded his head, "Follow me," the machine motioned as the men started for the hallway in the back.
A few silent seconds slipped by before Richard interjected. "I've grown quite fond of spending my evenings with you, detective," the android stated with a warm expression. Gavin's eyes widened, the statement catching him off guard. RK900 looked to the brunette who remained quiet but was evidently flustered, his elevated heartrate giving him away. "I enjoy your company," the machine went on, continuing to observe his colleague who seemed to flush more with each compliment. "You tryin' to flatter me so I don't kick your ass in the gym?" the detective asked with a smirk. "With all due respect, Detective Reed," Richard opened the door to the fitness room, "It is your ass you should be worrying about," he smugly retorted. "Hah!" Gavin clapped his hands as he walked into the brightly lit room. "You just dug your own damn grave, Robocop," the detective chuckled, taking off his jacket.
The android closed the door and observed his colleague who went to open a locker at the back of the room. "Take off that goofy fuckin' uniform," the detective pointed to his partner with an irritated look, "I got a spare tank top and harem sweats you can borrow," he expressed, punching in a code and sorting through the locker. Richard raised a brow but chose to remain silent as he obeyed his counterpart. "Ah, here they are," Gavin whispered under his breath as he turned around to meet an undressing RK900 who had already taken off his white jacket.
The machine glanced up upon noticing the detective's stares. The brunette quickly snapped out of it, furrowing his brows, "Hurry it up, will ya?" he motioned with his hand as he tried to hide his burning cheeks. Richard lowered his lids, a nefarious smirk sprouting on his face. "Oh my," the android winced, bringing a hand to his forehead. "What? What is it?" the detective scuttled to his partner, concern riddling his features. "It seems I may be running into some kind of malfunction in my software," Richard stated, acting in pain. "The fuck does that mean?" Gavin asked in a panicked cadence. "My system has kicked into low power mode," the machine began, "I don't have enough energy to operate as I typically would."
"W-well," the brunette placed his hands on his hips, "You need to charge up or what?" he shrugged. "No, I should be fine," RK900 reassured, "I just need some help getting the uniform off," he gazed at his partner, "That should give my processors some time to resume normal functionality."
The brunette's eyes rounded as blushed crept onto his face, "Y-you know what, it's fine," he stuttered, sweat beading near his hairline, "We can just wait until you reboot or whatever," the detective nervously gestured with his hands. "We'd be wasting time," the android frowned, "And time is of the essence for our case, Gavin," he looked to the detective with a serious expression. "You're the one who suggested we take a break in the first place you good-for-noth—"
"Ugh," Richard grimaced, cradling his head. "Shit, shit, shit," the shorter of the two cursed, his brows snapping together. "Fine!" he yelled, trying to help relieve the android's supposed pain. "I'll help you, damn it," the overwhelmed brunette hesitantly inched closer to his colleague. "Thank you, detective," RK900 smiled while lowering his hands as he intently observed the officer.
Gavin let out a shaky breath, trying his best to hide his embarrassment and remain in control. He tilted his head to meet the gaze of the android, "You're fuckin' lucky no one's here," he scrunched up his face as a prominent shade of red spread across his cheeks, "That's the only reason I'm helpin' you," he bitterly hissed. The machine let out a chuckle, "I'm sure it is."
After staring down the android for a brief second, the detective reached for RK900's black dress shirt and slowly began unbuttoning his way down, unintentionally swallowing in the process. Richard continued to watch his partner through lidded eyes, his breathing becoming more distinct as Gavin trailed down the shirt. "It's hard doing this with the splint," the brunette whispered under his breath as the seconds felt like hours to him. "I do apologize for that," the machine expressed with knitted brows, "I admit I overreacted when I introduced myself in the storage room ten days ago." The detective raised his brows, "Has it really only been ten days?" he wondered, as he got to the last button, "It feels like it's been longer than that." "That's because we've been spending an ample amount of time together," RK900 smiled. "Hey, don't get the wrong idea," Gavin shot a menacing look at his colleague, "I'm not saying I've enjoyed my time with you," he continued, "I'm just saying it feels like I've known you for longer than ten days is all."
Richard shut his eyes and smirked before looking at his counterpart, "I wasn't under the impression that you liked me, detective," he expressed with playful eyes, "I know better than that."
"Good," Gavin sneered, unbuttoning the last stud.
The detective took a small step back, inadvertently eyeing the android from top to bottom before he grasped the folds of the shirt and pulled it down Richard's body, sliding it off his arms. The brunette flinched as the shirt gently grazed the ground. "You're exhibiting a heightened sense of awareness," Richard expressed in a hushed tone. "Of course I fucking am," Gavin grit his teeth, "This shit is embarrassing."
Richard cocked a brow, "Gavin, I've seen you cry," he smiled. The brunette's eyes shot open as he burned an imaginary hole through his partner with his deadly glare. "Shut up!" he pressed a finger into the android's chest, "No one can know about that!" he growled.
"What?" the machine folded his arms, "That you have feelings like any normal human being?" he tilted his head to the side. "Ah," Gavin waved dismissingly, "You wouldn't understand." RK900 sighed as he rolled his eyes, "Why are you so afraid of opening up to people?" he asked with a stern cadence. The officer frowned, obviously upset, "That is none of your goddamn business," he quickly retorted. "I'm your partner," Richard leaned in, "Therefore it is my business," he declared, eyes locked on his bewildered counterpart.
The machine arched his brows, his expression changing to a kinder one, "Contrary to what you may believe, I care about you," he reached for Gavin's hand, "I worry about you," he stated, LED turning yellow. The detective remained frozen, unable to determine what to say or how to behave. He couldn't help but find a sense of comfort in his colleague's words.
"I'm not going to force you to tell me about your past," Richard let go of the detective's hand, "I just want you to know that you have someone you can trust," he expressed with a faded smile. It took several seconds for Gavin to collect his thoughts. "Save the flowery bullshit for someone else," he leered at RK900 before reaching for the androids slacks. "But I mean it, detective," the android stressed as he watched his reddened counterpart fiddle with the belt buckle. Gavin was doing anything and everything he could to get the android to be quiet. The more Richard talked, to more ruffled up the brunette became. Funnily enough though, the detective didn't stop for once to think about what on earth he was actually doing.
A few tension-filled moments slipped by as both men grew increasingly hot and bothered, their minds treading on dangerous territory. "You're hands are trembling," Richard broke the silence. "Shut up," the brunette demanded as he unbuckled the machine's belt. Without giving it much thought, Gavin went on his knees, his head now at waist-level. Richard's LED immediately turned red, his eyes shooting open, as he observed his counterpart unzip his slacks. The android's programming went up in flames as he tilted the detective's chin to meet his gaze. Both men stood there, staring at each other's lust-ridden expressions but muffled laughter emanating from behind the entrance shattered the heated moment between the two.
Miller and Hank walked into the fitness room, exchanging banter before they saw Gavin and Richard. "Oh," Miller lifted his hands at chest-level, "Sorry, didn't mean to—" he squinted his eyes. "Wait a second," the sergeant trailed off.
"Holy Christ," Hank slapped his knee, "I fucking knew it!" he yelled, pointing at the two flustered men. "Gavin?" Miller's eyes widened, "Kid, is that you?" he blinked a few times in disbelief.
"Ah fuck," the detective whispered under his breath.
"Good morning, gentlemen," Richard stated, LED reverting to a yellow state as he offered a hand to help the brunette back up on his feet. The whole scenario was a total mess, but the android tried his best to play it cool. "It's a bit early for a stroll through the station, wouldn't you agree?" RK900 stated, pulling up Gavin from his knelt position. "Yeah, what're you guys doing here?" the brunette asked as he scratched the back of his head, still incredibly embarrassed by the situation he was flung into.
"We went out to a karaoke bar," Miller began, "I tried callin' you, kid, but uh," his gaze shifted from the self-conscious detective to the reserved android, "I guess you were busy."
"Oh, what?" Gavin took out his phone from his pant pocket only to find out it had died some time ago. "Shit," he crinkled his nose, "John, I'm so sorry."
"No, no," the retired cop brushed it off, "Don't worry about it, son." Gavin awkwardly chuckled before rubbing his nose, "So, uh, what're you guys doin' here anyway?" he asked in an embarrassed tone. John exhaled, "I was on my way to drop off Hank but being the genuine genius he is," he glanced at the lieutenant, "He forgot his keys here at the station."
"Connor wasn't home to open the door for you?" Gavin smirked. "Connor's out with Markus and the other androids from Jericho for the night," the lieutenant answered, "Nice try bein' cheeky though, asshat."
"Okay, okay, break it up ladies," Miller interjected. He turned to look at his mentee, "We came in here cuz the light was on," he explained, "I just thought someone had forgotten to turn it off," he rubbed at his neck, "Didn't mean to interrupt whatever was goin' on."
Gavin shook his head, "Look," he expressed with a nervous grin, "I know what you're thinking, but I promise you, this isn't wha—"
"Kid, your private life is your private life," Miller interrupted, "You don't have to explain yourself to me."
A few mind-numbingly awkward minutes passed, before Hank cleared his throat, "Well, I'm gonna go get my keys from the break room," he smiled uncomfortably before scurrying down the hall. Miller tapped on his slacks before glancing at the android, "So, you're Richard, right?"
RK900 immediately perked up, "Yes, Sergeant Miller," he smiled. "Right," the retired officer nodded, "I met you on Friday when I stopped by the say hello."
"Correct," Richard expressed with friendly eyes. "Well, um," the sergeant swayed side-to-side, noticeably uneasy, "Good to see you two are gettin' along."
"Hey John!" Hank yelled from the break room, "I got those keys!" he stated with relief. "Welp," Miller clapped his hands, "that's my cue, gentlemen," he smiled.
"You two, uh…" he paused for a minute, "Enjoy the rest of your morning I suppose," he stated with a conflicted expression.
Both Gavin and Richard remained mute as they watched Miller and Hank exit in a hurry. After about a minute or so, the detective placed his face in his palms, "My God," he shook his head, "That was so fucking awful." Richard gazed at his partner sympathetically, "It was my fault," he furrowed his brows, "I'm the one who coaxed you into taking a break."
Gavin lifted his head to stare at his partner. The detective knew that his colleague was fooling around with him earlier, but for some reason, he played along and…for some reason, he wished that Miller and Hank hadn't interjected. The brunette's eyes darted from side-to-side, as he started to acknowledge his changing feelings for his counterpart.
He quickly dismissed his thoughts and sighed, "Let's just get back to work," he said in a frustrated manner, as he grabbed his jacket from the ground and made his way to the door. The android took a moment before shaking his head, zipping his slacks and following his partner into the hallway.