"Reed," he greeted boredly as he picked up his desk phone, quietly surprised to get two calls in one day. He was even more surprised to hear Connor's polite but seemingly hesitant voice greeting him on the other end. "The phck are you calling me for? Nines is right here," Reed said as he looked across at his partner, who was currently interfacing with his terminal. Did Nines send him through to voicemail or something? Can they do that? I mean…they have a phone in their heads, so it would make sense…
"No, I didn't want Nines. I actually wanted to speak to you," Connor replied, sounding a little uncertain. Reed couldn't imagine why Connor would need him over his brother. There was little he knew that Nines wouldn't be able to answer better and faster. "I know it may be inconvenient, but I need your help with a…home improvement project." Nines tilted his head curiously from his seat. Reed smirked and tapped his foot beneath the table in reproach. How many times do I have to tell you about listening in on private calls?
"Oh yeah? What makes you think I know jack shit about that?" he retorted as he slouched in his chair, holding back a small chuckle as Nines looked up with an almost innocent expression on his face. Don't pretend you aren't listening in, Terminator, I can tell! He seemed to understand Reed's thoughts from his amused green eyes. His lips thinned a little as he if knew he'd been caught, and he relented in dropping his silvery gaze to his terminal. Reed sat back, spinning his chair lazily from left to right as he listened.
"I happened to have a conversation on the matter with Tina a few days ago. Upon explaining my project to her, she suggested I ask for your expertise. Apparently you did something similar for her mother some time ago and your work was exemplary," Connor praised on the other end of the phone. Reed's eyes found Tina across the room. She was leaning on Collin's desk for a change, likely waiting for the older man to finish up some sort of report before they could head out on the road again. Reed thought back. That was a good few years ago now. Jack had helped him with it. They'd spent three days up on the Chens' attic, laying a solid floor so they could put stuff up there. Connor's putting a floor down at Hank's place?
"I helped lay a floor in the attic. Is that what you're doing?" He wasn't sure why Connor would need him for that. He was an android. The second most advanced model ever created. He should be able to work out how to lay a few planks. Even if he didn't know, surely he could download a program for it from somewhere. There were construction models. He knew there were. Hulking great behemoths that stood about seven feet tall and almost as wide as two humans. He was sort of glad they were so rare. Creepy fuckers. Even with his new found tolerance.
"Yes. It's my intention to convert the attic into a combined bedroom and office space for my own use," Connor replied enthusiastically, which Reed knew would then leave his old room free to be converted into Niles' new bedroom. "I understand the general method, however, I would appreciate a more…experienced presence." Reed's lips quirked a little at that. He'd never known Connor to be intimidated by a task before. I guess this is a task he was never designed for though…He freaked out about parenthood, too. He was quietly pleased he seemed to have gotten over that minor setback over the past few weeks.
"Alright, Tin Can, I guess I can spare you a few hours. You want me to come over straight after work?" he asked, huffing as Connor voiced his enthusiastic agreement. He could picture the relieved grin on his face and the spark in his hazel eyes. They agreed to meet at four fifteen, as soon as Reed's shift ended and he'd driven across town. He hadn't asked if Nines could come, but he never considered leaving him behind. They seemed to come as a set these days. At three fifty-five, Reed started shutting down his terminal and packing up the few items on his desk. He put the cold case files in his out tray, pushing down the disappointment of not being able to help, and went to clock himself and Nines out.
"Hey, Hank! You finishing soon?" he asked as he returned to his desk. Hank had been sitting dutifully in place since they'd arrived that morning. He usually finished before they did. Is he handling Connor's work for the day, too? He was still busily typing away at something. He had quite a stack of files, which Reed quickly realised were cases he was checking over for other people. He was actually getting on top of his extra Lieutenant duties again. It was good to see it.
"Hm? Ah, I took on a few extra hours today to give Connor some space. I didn't want to get in the way of his new project." His fond smile told Reed that Connor must have been freaking out about the DIY that morning. Hank clearly wanted to be out of the way so he didn't get dragged into it or have Connor yelling out his frustrations, though Reed couldn't imagine Connor ever being like that. "I'll finish up a bit more here and stop in at Jimmy's for a couple on the way home," he added, letting out a gruff chuckle as Reed knocked his shoulder.
"Alright, old man, leave all the hard work to us," Reed joked as he went to grab his coat. Hank gladly accepted the offer with a smirk as Reed flipped him off in parting. Nines followed him to the car without question and they drove over to Hank's bungalow. Connor seemed almost anxious as he invited them inside with his usual kindness. Niles called through a polite greeting from the kitchen, where he was doing his homework. Nines opted to sit with Niles for a while, letting him tell him all about the history essay he was working on as Reed followed Connor down the hall and up into the cold loft. He was glad he'd kept his coat on.
Things looked pretty promising as he and Connor climbed up. He'd made quite a start already with laying the planks. They were evenly placed, cut to rest across the thick wooden struts with enough space for nails. It seemed he just wanted Reed's approval before nailing them down. Reed stepped onto the wood, testing it with his weight as he carefully walked along. Connor had chosen a good strong wood, more than thick enough to hold the weight of a person and the heavy furniture he'd be bringing up. Reed nodded quietly as he looked down. Over half the floor had been placed already.
"Looking good, Tin Can. You can start nailing those down," Reed instructed as he pointed along to the far end. Connor looked over the moon as he joined him on the slightly shaky flooring. It wouldn't be unstable once it had been fixed in place. Reed joined him for the first few, making sure he'd lined the long silver nails up to go into the support beams beneath. That was easy with Connor's sensors. Connor was impressed as Reed began to work in a similar manner, somehow able to do the same thing on instinct and measuring with his eyes.
"Officer Chen was right, you're extremely proficient." Connor was impressed as Reed knelt a little way off hammering a long nail through the plank in front of him. He knew Reed was strong, but his aim with the hammer hadn't faulted once. The sharp metal slipped straight through the wood with just a few good strikes. Reed huffed his wry amusement as he gave Connor one of his not-winks, blinking unevenly.
"I'm not just a pretty face," he joked, chuckling as Connor smirked.
"I can certainly agree with that sentiment." Reed looked at him in mock indignation. Did he just call me ugly? Prick! He knew Connor was teasing him. He knew he wasn't unattractive. His scars sometimes made people uncomfortable, with many partners preferring to shove him facedown into the mattress rather than looking down at him, but overall he knew he was pretty hot. His body more than made up for his face. Connor chuckled softly as they continued hammering, soon joined by Nines. Nines took it upon himself to lay more of the flooring, ready for them to nail. He would occasionally take a plank out to the garden in order to cut it down with the saw Connor had left out so that the wood would slot perfectly into place.
"You certainly work expediently," Nines observed as he laid another plank. Connor and Reed had covered around half the floor at this point. They'd been working for around two hours, patiently hammering and crawling. Nines could see the strain Reed was placing on his knees as he scanned his kneeling form, but he certainly didn't act like it bothered him. Reed paused and sat down at Nines' words, taking a short break as he stretched his legs out and bent to touch his toes.
"Had a lot of practice. I picked up a lot from helping neighbours when I was younger and helping Jack fix up his house. Once I moved into my apartment, I helped a lot of the single mums with stuff…You know, hanging shelves, plumbing, putting together furniture…It's quite a community down there despite the rundown unfriendly look of the place." He didn't voice the fact that he was going to miss it. Nines could tell from his tone. He'd watched a lot of the children growing up, almost becoming a father figure to some of the younger ones. They looked up to Reed. He was a detective. He had time for them and their troubles. He would step in to take care of things when needed. Nines suddenly felt bad about taking him away from the area. "I'll definitely check in now and then…" He didn't want to become just another guy who'd walked out on them.
"I would very much like to join you when you do…I enjoyed our time spent on the court," Nines replied with a hint of fondness in his tone, watching Reed grin at the memory. Yeah, I bet you did! Like you don't kick my ass enough at work! But the kids had gotten a kick out of it. They'd been amazed by the speed at which Nines learned new skills and the way he'd out manoeuvred him at every turn. He had absolutely proven his place as Cyberlife's finest work in their eyes. He was doing a pretty good job of slotting the floor together, too.
"The court?" Connor queried with interest as he gathered a few nails ready to continue. Reed chuckled as he recounted how Nines had handed him his ass while learning basketball a few weeks back. It seemed so long ago at this point. Phck, that was before Aaron's funeral…Reed swallowed the thickness in his throat as he remembered. It didn't creep up on him so often now. The room, the box, the clocks, the oily blue on his skin, Aaron's open torso. It was more common for him to remember the better times. The gentle touches on his skin, the chiding voice that would urge him drink water after a session, the soft blue eyes that would watch him all the way to the elevator, the heated passion, and the constant teasing about his silent pining for Nines. Lazy mornings. Rushed meetings. Desperate lips. Sharp teeth. The burn of leather. Reed took a breath. The choked up feeling eased as he felt steady silvery eyes upon him.
With Nines' help, they managed to finish laying the floor in just another hour and a half. Connor was beaming as they finished, standing there with his hands on his hips as he looked around. The floor may have been finished, but Reed could still see a lot that needed doing. The ceiling insulation was still visible. They'd need a proper ceiling fitted, maybe even a skylight. He'd also need an electrician to wire the room for proper lighting, a charging station, and any other electronics he wanted to bring up. He'd likely want to add another flat layer to the floor and cover it with carpet, too.
"I brought pizza! How goes the battle?" Hank's voice called from down in the house. Reed moved to the square opening and looked down, unable to see him in the hallway. Sumo was there now though, laying right below the ladder. He huffed and panted as he raised his large head, tongue lolling out happily as he was finally noticed. Reed could hear movement a little way off in the kitchen, Niles' voice excitedly telling Hank all about Nines helping him with his essay and Connor promising he'd be able to see the floor once it was safe.
"Well, the floor's down, at least. Still a lot to do though," Reed replied as he stepped onto the old wooden ladder and climbed down. Sumo was up before he'd even touched the floor, tail wagging and tongue lolling as the strange new human stepped down. Reed paused to give the huge dog a little love, threading his fingers into the soft fur and scratching his large ears and head. He'd forgotten just how fucking soft and bearlike Sumo was. He hadn't seen him for a few years until now. He was a little bigger, his puppy years long behind him. He was even getting a little silver along the jowls. "Very distinguished…" Reed gruffed as he almost lost his balance. The behemoth rose on his hind legs to plant two large paws on Reed's chest, sending him stumbling back into the wall.
"Down boy! Down! I'm so sorry, he's never usually so…insistent!" Connor apologised humbly as he reached the ground and pried the large dog away. Sumo let out a low bark of excitement, his tail wagging a mile a minute as he looked between the strange human and his favourite android. He moved to nose Nines' jeans as he reached the floor, pushing more insistently as Nines laid a hand on his head. "Sumo! Come on!" Connor urged as he headed into the kitchen, Sumo following obediently with a low gruff.
"At least someone's please to see your ugly mug!" Hank joked with a deep chuckle as Reed grunted and bent over with Sumo's nose bumping right between his legs. Reed let out a small groan as he lowered his hands to cover the area. He laid a hand on the dog's nose, unsure whether he wanted to laugh or whimper. He settled on laughter as Connor dragged the excited dog back. A strong pair of arms stopped Reed from falling to the tiled floor as he stumbled. Niles joined Connor, both of them trying to calm Sumo's excitement. It seemed it had been a long time since another human scent had entered the house. "Sumo! Lie down!" Hank barked finally. Sumo flopped down obediently by the wall.
"Thank you again for coming over. I doubt I would have finished today without your help," Connor said sincerely as he motioned to the table, where Hank had opened and laid out two large pizzas. It would definitely be more than enough. The androids didn't really need the food, though each of them took a slice and sat patiently as Hank headed to the fridge and grabbed a couple of beers. Reed accepted with a small nod, taking a slice of margarita as Hank motioned invitingly. Sumo raised his head with interest, soon settling down as Connor reminded Niles how bad human food was for dogs, especially the garlic that was likely hidden within the tomato sauce. Niles looked apologetically at Sumo before nibbling on his slice.
"You still have a fair bit to do…Any idea who you'll use?" Reed asked as he munched on his pizza. Connor seemed a little confused at first, but Hank wholeheartedly agreed that he couldn't just move into the loft as-is. They were doing a full conversion. "I might know a guy…Used to do work on my grandparents' house. Don't know if he's still in business, but after New Year I could look him up and see. Most places will be closed until after the first." Connor nodded his agreement. He had noticed a lot of businesses were advertised as closed over the New Year.
"Don't forget the meetup on Tuesday, alright? Same place as always, starting at seven," Hank reminded them, not missing the way Reed groaned at the news. He'd known about it, of course. It happened every year, and every year he went, got shitfaced, hung around with Tina until an attractive face caught his eye, and ended up getting fucked in the alley by midnight. By that point, he'd be so fucked that the sickening warmth of semen trickling out into his pants wouldn't even bother him. He'd somehow get home by five or six, maybe alone-maybe not, and wake up sore and spent in the middle of the afternoon.
"You seem less than enthusiastic about the event," Nines observed curiously, watching Reed almost cringe at how astute he was. Don't ask why-don't ask why. Despite Reed's silent prayers, Nines' head tilted expectantly in a silent query. Reed quickly bit into his pizza to avoid answering the look. Hank chuckled as he sipped his beer, savouring it since it would be the only one he was allowed in the house. Connor's rule. He was to set a good example for Niles. It wasn't a big deal. He could stop in at Jimmy's on the way home if he wanted, but he rarely did these days. Being sober felt good, and seeing Connor happy felt better.
"So would you if you had to work the next day. The New Year shift is rough," Hank replied, saving Reed the embarrassment of answering. Reed smirked at that, remembering a New Year many years ago when he'd still been in uniform. He still had no idea how he and Jack had made it through that shift without getting a disciplinary. Hank and Fowler must have known they were off their faces. They were lucky they'd been put on traffic duty, so they'd been wandering around the city ticketing. If they'd had to drive, they would have been royally fucked. "You're lucky Connor and I are taking the shift this year," Hank added with an almost knowing smirk.
"Did you volunteer for it?" Nines asked curiously, setting aside his small plate. He'd enjoyed a slice of pepperoni, and that was enough for him.
"General rule is if you work the Christmas shift, you get New Year off. Keeps it fair that way," Hank replied, which Nines found perfectly acceptable. They hadn't done much, and they'd technically been off duty at the time because of the FBI, but Reed had volunteered for the shift and ended up being at the office, so that was good enough for Fowler. Nines was quietly curious about the event. He looked up various references and video clips of New Year and even managed to find some old footage of the DPD events. Reed looked so young in some of them, usually seen with his arm looped around another officer's neck. The man from the photograph on Reed's desk. His old partner. Jack Dawson. Nines tried to ignore the unpleasant feeling swirling in the pit of his artificial stomach. It was the same feeling he'd experienced when seeing Aaron approaching him at the DPD.
Nines regarded the Reed before him now. Not much had changed since those times with Jack. His brunette hair was still the same, though perhaps a little scruffier. He had a few more vague lines around his eyes and across his brow, likely from his constant scowling. The dark bags were improving, but still stubbornly marred his features. It had been an interesting experience to see his nose with a fresher scar, but he had yet to find footage of him without it. In the old footage, the line had been a darker shade of red, where now it had faded to pink. Reed had seemed much happier back then. Less stressed. Nines was pleased to see more smiles creeping across his face recently. It pleased him immensely to know that he was the one who usually put them there.
"Take a picture, dipshit, it'll last longer," Reed snarked playfully, a small smirk pulling his lips as he noticed Nines' intense gaze. Nines continued to stare, his own lips tugging into a smirk of his own as he very deliberately lowered his eyelids. The yellow of his LED let Reed know that he had decided to follow his advice. Reed let out a small chuckle, almost feeling a little self-conscious as he lowered his gaze to the fresh slice of pepperoni on his plate. He tried to push the familiar fluttery feeling down as he took a bite. He wasn't sure anyone had ever looked at him the way Nines did. His silvery eyes were just so fucking sharp. He swore they could dissect him in ten seconds flat.
"Connor…what's a dipshit?" Niles' curious voice piped up from across the table. Both Reed and Hank snorted quietly as Connor's LED blinked red and his hazel eyes glared at Reed in reproach. Reed sat back with an amused expression, just waiting for Connor to weasel his way out of answering. Don't deflect to me, Tin Can. You know how I'll explain it. Connor's eyes thinned further as he sighed and looked at Niles.
"It's not a very nice word. It's only used by humans with a lower level of intelligence to insult others. I believe Detective Reed was calling Nines stupid," Connor replied with a hint of smugness. Reed huffed softly, letting the dig slide since Connor had handled it so smoothly. Niles nodded along quietly, apparently understanding, but frowning a little as he looked across at Nines. Nines had stayed out of the conversation, but did quietly agree with his brother that it had been wrong to curse in front of Niles.
"But Nines is much smarter than Detective Reed, isn't he?" Niles asked innocently as he peered up at Connor. Nines smirked in satisfaction as he watched Reed almost choke on his pizza.
"Hey! He's not that much smarter!" Reed objected in a defensive tone. Hank threw his head back and laughed heartily at the insinuation that Reed was anywhere near as intelligent as either RK model. Reed punched his arm lightly in protest, but he was finding it hard to not laugh just as hard since Hank was almost in tears and his guffaw was fucking contagious. "What the phck are you laughing at, old man? You calling me a dumbass?" Connor's LED span red as Niles watched the exchange gleefully. His bright hazel eyes were already shifting to Connor, filled with questions.
"Detective Reed! There is a child at the table!" Connor objected in sharp disapproval, sending Hank and Reed into an even deeper wave of laughter. Connor gave a long-suffering sigh before he urged Niles to take a bath. He followed and ushered him down the hall. Reed could hear Niles eagerly asking about the swearwords he'd used all the way down the hall. He's definitely going to kick my ass the next time we spar. Reed lowered a hand to Sumo's large head as he rested his chin on his knee, tail wagging excitedly.
"It's good to see you smiling again, kid," Hank gruffed quietly, absolutely not willing to say it twice. Reed hummed awkwardly, not used to getting positive attention from Hank. Since Jack's death and Hank's downward spiral, they'd been antagonistic, to say the least. Hank just hadn't cared, and Reed had resented him for letting his life go to shit. He'd sworn he wouldn't end up like that. As soon as Jack died, he'd thrown himself into the job relentlessly, working through it while hoping to take a bullet. Fucked if he was going to do it to himself. If he was going out, he'd go out as a detective. Not some washed up has-been. That's what he'd thought when he'd looked at Hank a few months back. It was good to see that Connor had knocked some sense into him.
"Don't get used to it, old man. I'm still the same asshole underneath," Reed replied nonchalantly, the quirk of his lips suggesting he doubted it a little himself. Hank's blue eyes were almost fond as he clapped a hand on Reed's shoulder in a manner he hadn't in years. Jack would have liked to see this. They'd both been worried about Hank in the months leading up to Jack's death. They just hadn't had the time to spare with the big case going on, and then Jack had died and Reed hadn't cared about much of anything. When did I start caring again?
"I can confirm that statement," Nines piped up in a serious tone, his expression lax and neutral. His lips quirked a little as Reed scoffed playfully and punched his side beneath the table. Nines' seriousness had paid off in getting Hank to guffaw again. His ribs already ached from their previous banter. Reed and Nines stayed a little longer, getting back to Elijah's mansion around midnight. Chloe was still up. At least, Reed thought it was Chloe. It could have been one of her doppelgangers. She'd greeted them as they'd entered and let them head upstairs. Elijah was already sequestered away in his lab, no doubt tinkering with his android parts. Reed left him to it. It was late and he could definitely use the rest.