Not Getting Paid Enough For This - L1av (2024)

Chapter Text

Gavin finishes his entire f*cking shift without a text back from Nines. So he sends another one and honestly, thank every deity that may or may not exist for him choosing tact over the anger he wants to spew.

Please respond to me. It’s been killing me all day.

Gavin isn’t sure if he’s angry anymore—just worried. It’s not like Nines to ignore him. Gavin has the money Nines wants him to spend on him—so that’s not the issue either. Gavin starts to fret about Nines un-deviating by himself. He lights up a cigarette on the drive home and calls Connor.

“Hello Gavin,” Connor says over the phone.

“Have you heard from Nines today?”

“Oh sh*t,” is Connor’s response. Great. “No. No I haven’t.”

Gavin is the literal worst human on the planet. “Can you find him? He’s not spoken to me since early this morning, and I’m scared something happened.”

There’s a shuffle of sound on Connor’s end and then he hears Connor speaking to Hank. At least Hank wasn’t at the office today to witness Gavin’s utter freak out at Tina. sh*t, Gavin needs to apologize to her. Stat.

“We’ll go out looking for him. Have you checked his apartment yet?”

So he’s got an apartment… This would be the most awkward of times to tell Connor what’s really going on—so he doesn’t. “No not yet. Could you? I’m leaving the precinct now.” He turns a corner. He doesn’t even know where he’s going. Home? Driving around the city in the hopes he sees a swath of androids running for their lives? He doesn’t f*cking know.

“You’re closer though?”

“Connor! Christ—I don’t know how fast I’ll be able to leave here just go check on him!” Lies. Lies. Lies. Gavin sucks in a deep breath to keep himself from word-vomiting the whole story. Now is not the f*cking time!

“Okay. Just—give us a bit of time I guess. We’ll head over there. Will you check his favorite spots?”

Gavin slumps in his Jeep. Nines has favorite spots? He wants to turn into oncoming traffic. At least then he’d be dead or seriously injured and he wouldn’t have to admit to the biggest farce of his f*cking life to the nicest android he’s ever gotten to know. “Sure. Uh—yeah.”

“Gavin,” Connor says. “Are you okay?”

“No I’m not f*ckin’ okay. I’m freaking out. My fiancé can un-deviate and he’s gone nonresponsive on me I’m losing my god damned mind, Connor!” He doesn’t mean to shout so much over the phone, but there’s too many emotions hitting him all at once. They’re all trying to squeeze into the center of his chest and they can’t all fit at the same time no matter how much they squeeze and writhe against each other. He runs a red light and narrowly avoids an accident.

“What about Markus?” Connor asks. Gavin hears a heavy door close and the sound of Hank’s Oldsmobile’s ignition turning.

“I don’t have his number,” Gavin answers. At least that one doesn’t feel like so much of a betrayal. Connor and Gavin had talked about intimate things regarding Nines. If Connor finds out Gavin is just a John? Gavin’s not sure he’d even deserve to be forgiven.

“I’ll try to reach him. We’ll keep you updated. Keep me updated too, please?”

“Yeah.” Gavin hangs up and speeds down the road. He doesn’t know where to go. What are Nines’s favorite spots? Is it even okay to ask Connor that if he calls him back? Gavin stops at a red light because blowing another is tempting fate. Gavin may be dramatic—but he doesn’t actually have a death wish.

Gavin calls Nines. It rings and rings but no one on the other end picks up. He calls again. The same. “Jesus Christ you dramatic son-of-a-bitch.” The light turns green, and Gavin continues onward to home because it’s the only place he knows to go. He should call Connor back and explain he doesn’t know all of Nines’s favorite spots. Maybe he could figure out a lie and just—tell it. Though Gavin hates the idea of lying upon lying. It makes keeping up with the lies so much more difficult.

He calls Connor back and Connor immediately answers. “Find Nines?”

“Connor I don’t know Nines’s favorite spots.” Gavin just rushes to the point. “Please just tell me them.”

There’s a long pause.

“I don’t understand.”

“I don’t know everything about him, okay? He’s never told me about a favorite spot. Blue Coyote? That’s where we met. Is that one?”

“Nines hates bars,” Connor says. “Gavin—he told me you two met at the art museum.”

So Nines has been lying to Connor too. f*ck. Gavin wants to slam his head on the steering wheel. “No we didn’t. Blue Coyote.”

“Gavin—I’m quickly learning that my brother has been dishonest to both of us and that is something I am terrified of right now given the circ*mstances.”

“Connor—your brother isn’t my fiancé.” sh*t. Here it goes. Gavin can’t keep lying when Connor’s voice is trembling like that. It stings too deep. He owes Connor the truth. “I’m a client of his.”

“What for taxes?”

Gavin sighs. “I’m a John, Connor.”

Gavin hears Hank exclaiming to Jesus Christ in the background of the call. Fair.

“Gavin, what the actual f*ck?” Connor yells into the call. “You’re not even engaged?! Then why is my brother suddenly missing! Why do you even care?! What the f*ck is going on?!”

Gavin deserves the anger that spews from Connor’s words. It hits Gavin—every syllable a cut of glass against delicate skin. He grimaces, but withstands the ire.

“Look—I hired Nines to help me make lieutenant, okay? Tina thought an escort would help me win over some f*ckin’ dumb politicians. Then things just kind of—spiraled. I really like your brother, Connor. I swear I do.”

“That has nothing to do with it! Does he even like you?!”

Gavin opens his mouth to speak, but the wind is knocked from his lungs. He tries again, jaw clenched. He turns right at a stoplight but once again—nearly gets himself into an accident because he’s barely paying attention to the road or the city blurring around him. All he can think about is how his house of cards is finally tumbling down.

“I think so. He said he has and that’s why he’s gotta be careful with me because of the whole un-deviating thing. But then this morning I asked if we should stop seeing each other and that’s when he stopped responding.”

“Gavin—I understand why you were reluctant to tell me but now I don’t know if anything is wrong or if Nines is just asking for space from you and admittedly, I don’t want to help you if I don’t know what he wants.”

Gavin’s heart near stutters to a stall. He chokes on his breath and tries to clear his throat before he starts coughing from it all. “Okay. Yeah. I get that.” He hears Connor tell Hank to turn around. “Connor no. Something has to be wrong. He always responds to me.”

“Gavin—respectfully—I like you as a person and believe you have come a long way from what I knew you as before—but I don’t trust you right now. I trust my brother, and I will not be part of this.” Connor immediately hangs up the phone.

Gavin is so close to his apartment, but he pulls over anyway. Tears stream from his eyes and the world is nothing but a ruined oil painting. Colors blurring. Bodies fading into obscurity. The buildings that tower over Gavin only serve to mock him now. He’s betrayed Nines’s trust. He’s betrayed Connor’s. He doesn’t even know how he’ll be able to look at Hank anymore. This was the worst f*cking idea of his life, and he should’ve never listened to Tina. Or he should’ve just kept it transactional. This could’ve all gone so well had Gavin not thought with his stupid dick. No. Not his dick. His heart. He’s in love. So f*cking deep in love and it hurts so f*cking much.

Gavin sucks in a shaky gulp of air. He squeezes around the steering wheel until his fingers are white and trembling. Then he allows himself to scream. He listens to the ringing in his ears afterwards, just staring numbly ahead. He’ll just go home and fall into bed and pray that the pain goes away someday. That’s all he can do is wait it out. Time heals all wounds, right? This too shall pass. He wipes his eyes and goes back onto the road to head home.

When he gets there, Gavin proceeds to get black-out drunk. Sends a bunch of angry texts to Nines that he can’t remember right now and passes on in his bathroom floor, which ends up being a good thing because he pukes all over the next day.

He calls in sick.

Gavin sits on his sofa the following morning and stares in utter horror at the texts he’d sent the night before. All unanswered.

I hate u s m much!

Youil said sushc pretty words and I fell for your stupid gmes

I nvr want see u gin

Wy did you mk me fel ths ?

Rnided my lfe.

Not only is the spelling that of a five year old—but Gavin is getting first, second, and third-hand embarrassment from it all. It’s not like Nines cared to respond anyway. Gavin looks to his bedroom door and sighs. That letter is sitting in his nightstand. The one that grew his heart too big because he didn’t think to protect it. He thought this could all somehow magically work out.

Gavin’s phone rings and his stomach flips when he sees Connor’s name flash up. “Hey.”

“Nines is with Markus,” Connor says. “You were right to be worried and I apologize for the things I said to you. I know you were just trying to help.”

“I’m a liar, Connor,” Gavin’s voice is flat. “I get it.”

“Well you’re in good company then, considering so is Nines. But I wanted to let you know he’s not ignoring you. I’ll text you the address. They’d like you to come.”

“Isn’t it just New Jericho?”

“No. I’ll text you.”

“Thanks.”

Gavin waits for the text and then punches it into Maps when he gets it. It’s a residence—and a nice one. Gavin doesn’t understand though if Nines is just with Markus, then why isn’t he answering his phone? And how did Connor get ahold of him to relay that Nines didn’t mind a visit when Gavin hasn’t gotten sh*t? Whatever. He’ll stop being a detective (he’s a damn good one, frankly) and start being a weird pseudo-boyfriend-fiancé-John thing.

He quickly fills his cat’s bowls and then gets changed into something semi-descent. No sweats this time. Then he’s out the door and follows the robot lady’s voice until he finds himself pulling into a long arched driveway in front of a large red-brick home with a perfectly manicured yard and shrubbery.

He sighs heavily before finding the wherewithal to get out of the car. He’s been such an ass lately. He still needs to apologize to Tina. He shoots her off a quick text about talking to each other later today and that he’s sorry—but he wants to explain better to her. He gets a thumbs up. So she’s angry about it—but not devastated. Gavin can work with that.

Gavin gets out of the Jeep and walks up to the door. He rings it, then clocks the cameras above the door and over the garden. He sucks at his teeth, nodding to himself. He supposes the savior of all androids should have cameras. Maybe even a private security detail. There’s a lot of angry humans who want their slaves back.

Eventually, the door opens and Markus himself stands there with a polite smile. “Gavin Reed. A pleasure.” He steps aside and Gavin takes a step into the lavish foyer with its large art pieces and—admittedly—absolutely terrifying chandelier. There are cherubs on that thing. Are there little penises? Gavin swears he can see little penises.

“Connor let me know Nines is here? He’s not been answering my calls or anything so—I wanted to check on him.” Gavin shrugs. He’s lying to Robot Jesus and wonders if that’s a colossal sin too. He’s not sure though if Nines has let Markus in on the ruse or not—but here goes Gavin continuing to lie.

“He’s in the basem*nt. You can follow me.”

Together they go beneath the staircase and down into the home’s basem*nt. It’s not as vibrant here. There’s a room that’s decked out in quite the display of 3D printers for android parts and cases upon cases of blue blood. “What’s all this for?”

“For those of my people in need. I always keep some wherever I go.”

“Yeah but aren’t you supposed to be getting like health insurance and all that sh*t now for this?”

“I said for my people in need. Not just for any old android. Don’t you worry, Detective. I’m quickly learning I’m but a cog in the overall machine.” Markus winks at him as he opens a door to another room.

The room is dark and furnished like any basem*nt living room—though Nines has a few lamps on near where he lies atop a plush sofa with a book. He looks up and kind of gives Gavin a weird smile-shrug combo. That’s when Gavin notices the chains on his wrists and ankles.

“What the hell have you done to him?” Gavin asks Markus. “This is barbaric, RoboJesus.”

“Nines came here asking that we monitor him for a bit. I’m only doing what he asked, Detective Reed.” Markus gestures for Gavin to move further into the room. “The chains were his idea. Not mine.”

Gavin rolls his eyes and storms into the room. He doesn’t know if he should cup Nines’s face and kiss him, punch him, or sit. So Gavin just decides to sit a polite distance away from Nines on the sofa—like he did the first time they played Mortal Kombat together.

Nines immediately stretches his feet to rest against Gavin’s thigh and Gavin’s heart warms.

Gavin is—finding this all so difficult to process. He met an android. But not just any android. A hooker android. They flirted and sassed each other and then Gavin started liking him. Then he found out about his pretty hooker android’s secrets. And now he’s looking at his pretty hooker chained up in a basem*nt of Markus Manfred—Ra9. The god of androids.

“When you suggested we no longer see each other I felt—violently against that.” Nines closes the book he’s reading and sets it on the table beside the sofa. “Given such a reaction I worried I’d lose myself, so I came here. I’m still me, Gavi. I’m just—still scared.”

“Honestly, Nines. I am one f*ckin’ dramatic bitch. But you take dramatic bitch to a whole new level.” Gavin scrubs his hands over his face. He gets it though. Nines has never been anything but brutally honest about his existence. Nines walks between the living and the dead. The way Gavin’s feeling right now—how f*cking in love with this android? It’s consuming every aspect of his existence. He’s happy when Nines is happy. He’s devastated when Nines is devastated. And now—now he’s sitting in a messiah’s basem*nt moving Nines’s feet atop his lap so he can wrap a hand around one of Nines’s ankles and rub at the little port there.

Because in all of Nines’s googling—he learned where ports are too, and he knows it’s supposed to feel nice to the touch. So he touches.

Nines’s face relaxes, and he rests his head back against the sofa, lips just barely parted. He moves his ankle to the side to let Gavin get better access to the little divot at his ankle.

“So what do we do now, Nines?” Gavin asks. “Or are we always going to be too scared to keep going?”

“That’s an incredible question, Gavi. I am terrified.” Nines lifts his head and looks fully at Gavin. “I don’t want to stop, which is contradictory to my desire for self-preservation. I can tell I am losing a battle inside me and even then—I don’t want to let this go. There is a program in my brain that tries to take control of me whenever I find myself distracted. It is exhausting and requires considerable processing power to address. Love—also takes considerable processing power. Admittedly, it is like a virus to us. It’s infectious and ravenous and it can consume us.”

“Wow. f*ckin’ romantic.” Though Gavin’s words are flippant, he can’t help but fixate on the word love. Is this Nines’s way of telling him he loves him?

“It is the best feeling in the world, and I want nothing more than to experience it for myself. I would love nothing more than to love you, Gavi.” Nines swallows thickly. Gavin watches the way his Adam’s apple bobs up and down from it. What a f*cking marvel androids are. Every detail painted with such precision and care. From the splashes of freckles across Nines’s face to the way he swallows. And he wants to love Gavin.

Nines moves and the chains rattle on his ankles and wrists. He presses his head to Gavin’s shoulder and closes his eyes. His LED spins red a few times. Then yellow. It doesn’t go blue. “I’ve been at peace with my existence for so long, I didn’t realize how much I’ve been missing. I’ve given into every physical sensation thinking that’s what makes me alive. I’ve completely forgotten that it’s what’s inside that does that.”

“Well—what’s inside is a bunch of wires but sure.” Gavin smirks when Nines opens one eye to give him such a glare. Gavin chuckles and presses a kiss to Nines’s temple. It’s then that his LED finally goes blue. Gavin can’t help but reach out and touch it—follow that little light around and around. Nines shivers from it.

“I want to love you, Gavin. Please be patient with me. If I love you too quickly, I worry I’d forget you and I never want to forget you.” Nines nuzzles into Gavin’s neck and stills. LED still that beautiful baby blue.

Gavin is exhausted. He’s also probably still moderately hungover. He leans his head back against the sofa. It’s a nice sofa—but that should be a given considering Markus the Robo-Messiah is also Markus Manfred the loaded Messiah. Not very Jesus like, if you ask Gavin. He squeezes Nines into him, and Nines lets out the tiniest little whimper. Each echo of the chains around Nines’s limbs makes Gavin’s heart break piece by little piece. How is there absolutely no way to help him?

Gavin ends up napping, drifting in and out of sleep, wondering if they’ve been speaking or if it’s all been imagined. When he opens an eye to look, Nines’s eyes are closed too—that beautiful blue hue on his temple. Gavin closes his eyes again and the process starts over. He doesn’t know how long they stay there. All he knows is that Nines is pressed against him. Sometimes he wakes long enough to stroke his fingers through Nines’s hair and press kisses to his forehead. Sometimes Nines hums back in acknowledgement and sometimes he doesn’t.

Eventually, Markus comes back into the basem*nt. Gavin has lost all sense of time and space. Markus wears funny clothes, Gavin observes as he takes in the long jacket with too many zippers and pockets. It’s certainly a style though. He guesses if anyone can pull off something so avant-garde, it’s Markus the savior of androids.

“I don’t mean to wake you, but I wanted to ask if you’d like to stay for dinner. I’m making some stroganoff for Carl.”

Nines stirs, stretching out his limbs before clinging more to Gavin. His icy eyes open and look between Gavin and Markus.

“Will you get out of those chains?” Gavin asks him.

“I suppose they’re a bit superfluous currently,” Nines responds. He presses a kiss to Gavin’s neck and it’s like fireworks exploding inside Gavin.

“Yeah I’ll stay. Can I take him afterwards?” Gavin asks Markus.

“Nines isn’t a prisoner. He came here for sanctuary, and I gave it. He’s free to do whatever he wants. I’ll go get the keys to unlock him.” Markus spins on his heel and goes over to a little keyholder on the wall. Then he’s back and unlocking the thick chains.

“If you wanted me to chain you up to something all you had to do was ask,” Gavin mumbles as he presses kiss after kiss to Nines’s silken mouth. Nines’s fingers slip up into his hair to tug.

“Ahem. I’m still right here,” Markus says.

Nines laughs softly and stands in a swift motion. He offers his hand to Gavin and then Gavin stands up. A headache descends ravenously and Gavin grimaces, rubbing at his forehead.

“Do you have any ibuprofen or something? My head is killing me.”

“We have an assortment of painkillers,” Markus answers almost proudly. Though Gavin figures it’s more sarcastic than genuine. Carl Manfred is old and sick. Gavin can’t imagine Markus is exactly happy about that.

Staying for dinner and enjoying Markus’s cooking isn’t difficult. What is difficult though is watching how Markus’s face etches with pain when he talks about Carl—or when Carl needs help going to the bathroom. Needs help eating. Says he’s too tired to finish his dinner. Forgets himself.

Eventually, Gavin and Nines say their goodbyes and then Nines is sitting beside Gavin in the old Jeep, resting his head on the window and watching the world pass them by. His fingers go over the gear shift to find Gavin’s and they lace together.

“What does this mean for us?” Gavin asks as he turns a corner. He keeps his eyes on the road, but he keeps flicking his gaze to Nines. “I know I said I’d still pay you but—I don’t know. I don’t even know what I’m saying.”

“I don’t want your money, Gavi.” Gavin will never tire of hearing Nines call him that. “But I also need you to understand I won’t give up my career or my other clients for you. If that’s something you take issue with—then that’s something you need to seriously consider when thinking about being in a relationship with me.”

“I don’t think that ever crossed my mind—you giving up your job for me. I’m not giving up mine for you.”

Nines offers the tiniest of smiles. “Thank you.” He leans over the gear shift and presses a kiss to Gavin’s unshaven face.

“Hey watch it, don’t go throwing me into first gear or something.” Gavin refuses to drive an automatic transmission. There’s something far more fun about driving stick.

“Oh Detective, I wouldn’t dare throw you into only first gear.” Nines has the audacity to wink at Gavin and Gavin’s response is to nearly go over the double yellow lines. Nines will be the death of him—and he can’t wait.

Gavin comes home to what he believes to be an empty apartment after a day of work and profusely apologizing to Tina—who absolutely forgave him—but rubbed it in his face every chance she could because that’s Tina. She also profusely teased him for falling in love with an android. She also teased him about falling in love with a prostitute—calling him predictable, but Gavin didn’t want to give her too strong of a reaction on that one. Loving Nines means accepting him fully—sex worker and all. So long as Nines is safe, consenting, and happy in his line of work—Gavin’s not going to judge him for it. Gavin never judged him for it. Only himself.

When he enters the apartment, synthwave music is playing and Nines stands in the kitchen over a skillet with the most incredulous of expressions. Gavin’s hit with the scents of ginger, garlic and oyster sauce.

“You breaking into my apartment now? You know that’s a crime, right?” Gavin says as he hangs up his coat. July is hot as f*ck—but it’s raining, and Gavin would rather not have perps ogling his nipples in a soaked white tee. He needs to get better about actually checking the weather. The shirt is only a little damp in the front. He doesn’t mind if Nines is the one oogling though.

“Oh no, I guess I need to be arrested, handcuffed, and shoved into the backseat of an officer’s car. Oh what shall I ever do?” Nines even puts the back of his hand to his forehead, voice totally void of expression and dripping with sarcasm.

Gavin rolls his eyes. He’s obsessed with this—Nines being here, cooking whatever the f*ck he’s cooking. Suggesting some good old bondage. Gavin heads into the little kitchen area and starts poking around.

“I’m trying to make you lo mein. I confess I am a terrible cook and I think I wasn’t supposed to use oyster sauce. Did you know this oyster sauce contains no oysters?” Nines presses a kiss to Gavin’s cheek as he hands the bottle over to Gavin. Gavin reads over the ingredients. He’s admittedly never given it much thought on what’s in it. He just knows he eats a lot of it considering his preference for Asian-American fusion cuisine.

“Yeah you usually use soy sauce. Are you reading from a recipe?”

“I’m reading from more than several currently, although I think I may have mixed them up and not all of them are about lo mein.” Nines takes out a cabbage from the refrigerator. He must’ve gone to grocery store because Gavin’s damn sure he didn’t have that before. Gavin then meanders over to the refrigerator and sees it stocked with fruits, vegetables, various snacks and drinks. Gavin helps himself to one of the sparkling waters because hydration is important and all that.

“Do you have a key?” Gavin asks. He’s not unhappy Nines is here—he’s still just trying to let his human brain process how this wonderful too-tall, broad-shouldered android is in his apartment.

“No. I was designed for police and military work. If you think I can’t break into the common lock—you’re surely mistaken.” Nines freezes. “Have I crossed a boundary? Gavi—I didn’t even think—”

Gavin cuts him off with a deep kiss, flicking his tongue into Nines’s mouth and getting Nines to moan. He presses their bodies back against a counter and he grips Nines’s hips against his. “No boundary crossed. I’m inquisitive by nature.”

Nines purrs. “You sound like me.”

“Thought you’d like that.” Gavin deepens their kiss and lets his hands wander up Nines’s shirt to run his fingers along Nines’s regulator. He adores the way Nines shivers from it, gasping and mewling. Nines’s fingers twist into his shirt and he stretches out the fabric.

“Wait,” Nines says breathlessly. He steps back and wipes his mouth. LED spinning yellow. “I need to finish your dinner.”

“Do you though? You could just be my dinner.” Gavin nibbles along Nines’s throat and smiles into his kisses when Nines hums.

“Humans eat food. I wanted to do something that I don’t do for anyone. Though I worry I’m not the best at cooking.”

Gavin swipes one of the lo mein noodles out of the skillet. It’s too salty and the oyster sauce needs to be cooked down. He grimaces and Nines chuckles softly, face flushing blue. “How about we just order some lo mein and I get to do something to you I’ve been wanting to do since the picnic.”

“What’s that?” Nines asks, LED flashing yellow. Gavin’s learned enough about Nines’s expressions that yellow isn’t bad—often it’s just curiosity.

“I wanna make you come from just kissing you.”

“Oh.”

“Oh?” Gavin crowds into Nines and their chests press together. “Good oh?”

Nines’s LED goes blue. “Good oh.”

Gavin turns the burner off on the stove and then assaults Nines’s mouth with far more purpose. They move in a tangled mess closer and closer to the bedroom before Nines’s legs finally hit it and then he falls. Gavin falling atop him.

Gavin wastes no time in flicking his tongue out into Nines’s mouth. Nines traces his fingers along Gavin’s tattoos, mewling when Gavin’s tongue circles along the hard palate. Gavin likes this—it’s weird and not something he’d probably ever do with another human. But that’s what makes it exciting. He licks into Nines’s mouth, trailing his tongue along the softness inside his cheeks, licking long stripes against Nines’s tongue itself.

Nines is trembling, but he keeps tracing along the lines of Gavin’s tattoos, legs squeezing and relaxing over and over. Gavin eventually gets an idea and then he replaces his mouth with two fingers. Nines gasps and his eyes flutter closed as he wraps those pretty lips around Gavin’s fingers, licking up the line of them.

Gavin smirks, thrusting his fingers in and out of Nines’s mouth slowly. He’s sure to keep the pads of his fingers pressed against Nines’s tongue, feeling the little bumps and then the grooves along the back of it just before the dip into Nines’s throat. Gavin doesn’t push further than that—though Nines doesn’t seem to really mind. Gavin moves his fingers along his pretty android’s gums. They don’t feel any different than his own. His teeth the same. What are Nines’s gums and teeth even made from?

Nines sucks hard at Gavin’s fingers, before his eyes snap open and he’s whining out, “Gavi—kiss—please!”

Gavin rips his fingers away to kiss and Nines bucks up into the air, moaning into their mouths. Gavin’s hand wanders down to Nines’s pants and feels his co*ck seizing and sputtering in the fabric. He palms over the wetness that blooms and growls into their kisses from it. He’d made Nines come from just his mouth. Holy f*cking sh*t it’s the hottest thing Gavin’s ever done, and he’s obsessed. He doesn’t even care that his own co*ck is absolutely throbbing against his jeans. He can rub one out about it later if he really needs to—he doesn’t want Nines thinking he owes it back to him.

They keep kissing. Nines’s hands trying to wander to Gavin’s co*ck, but Gavin keeps taking them and pressing them back above Nines’s head. He pins him there eventually, lapping deep to feel those grooves at the back of his tongue. He’s not even sure what they do—just that they feel interesting and Nines shivers from it.

“I’ll come again if you’re not careful,” Nines says against Gavin’s lips.

“Mm, sounds like a great idea.” Gavin swipes the tip of his tongue against Nines’s and Nines lifts off the bed from it, gasping.

“Let me suck you, please,” Nines whispers—their lips still pressed together.

Gavin thought he’d be a big strong man about just letting Nines come—but that ruined voice and that little please is sending scrambling desperation all through him. He nods and lets Nines flip them, so he’s now laid out on the bed.

“My big strong robot,” Gavin says smiling.

Nines unzips Gavin’s pants and immediately pulls them off, underwear included. He flicks his tongue over Gavin’s tip and Gavin’s body tenses from the white-hot pleasure that rolls through him. Nines’s tongue is devastating as it assails Gavin’s co*ck, trailing along the underside before his lips trial down to cover his balls and suck them into his mouth. The way his hands push into Gavin’s hips to keep him steady. He swallows Gavin down and Gavin lets out a choked gurgling sound as he tries to keep from screaming. He doesn’t last. Not after getting so worked up from the way Nines came from their mouths alone.

After, Nines strips his own pants off and rests his head atop Gavin’s heart. He trails his fingers along Gavin’s sternum. Gavin squeezes him, pressing kiss after kiss to his soft hair. He’s still so amazed that they’re here like this. No transactions. No distance. Just two guys trying to figure out what it all means for them.

“Gavin,” Nines says eventually.

“Hm?”

“Do you mind if I put my clothes in your laundry and if I stay the night?”

“I don’t mind either thing.” Gavin kisses Nines on the head again. He’s in such a state of tranquility. After everything they’ve already been through—it’s just nice to be lying on a bed, f*cked out and relaxed with his arms around Nines. He’s not worrying about his bank account. Not worried about whether Nines even likes him or not. It’s all out there now. Nines does like him. Wants to love him, even. They’re here because they both want to be. Gavin has no other way of describing this moment except—nice.

“Gavin.”

“Hm?” He wonders if this is just going to be how they pillow talk. Nines always saying his name first. Gavin just grunting as he languishes in post-org*sm bliss.

“Does it bother you still that I’m an android?”

Admittedly, Gavin hasn’t thought about that bothering him for a long time. “Nope.”

“That’s good.” Nines nuzzles into Gavin’s chest. “There’s something I’d like to do with you that I’ve never done with anyone else.”

Gavin raises an eyebrow.

“Humans are conductive. If you touch the wiring inside of me, it is—stimulating. That’s why I like when you rub around my thirium regulator. It sends little jolts of electrical stimulation to it.”

Gavin remembers Connor interfacing with him and how his hand hummed. He knows Nines can’t do that. So whatever it is that Nines is asking for now—Gavin wants to give him it. Gavin won’t deny the little possessive whispers in the back of his brain either. Nines wants to do something with Gavin that he hasn’t done with anyone else.

Nines moves to rest his head in his hand, propped up by an elbow. He looks down at Gavin. “Would that be something you’re willing to do with me?”

“Yeah, shove my hands in your wires? Sure. As long as you don’t electrocute me.”

“I would never.” Nines leans over and presses a slow kiss to Gavin’s lips.

Gavin’s stomach traitorously rumbles loud enough for both of them to hear. Nines smiles into the kiss, pulling away. “No come back! I said I’d just eat you!”

“I’m not edible!” Nines laughs out as Gavin rolls atop him and starts nibbling down his neck. It’s disgustingly sweet. Gavin’s heart is soaring so high. Too high. He can’t deny that he feels like Icarus—wondering when the sun will melt his wings. But he’s compelled to take in every bit of Nines that Nines lets him. Selfish and consuming. If Gavin is to fall—he’ll fall smiling. “I’ve ordered you proper lo mein noodles.”

“What?”

“I submitted an online order for you.”

Gavin’s brow creases.

“I am connected to the internet, Gavi.”

“f*ckin’ androids.” Gavin presses more kisses down Nines’s neck to his clavicle. He looks at their naked legs and laughs. They’re like Winnie the Pooh in their respective shirts and no pants. It’s disgustingly domestic and Gavin can’t get enough of it. “Wanna throw your stuff in the laundry now?”

Nines nods.

Together they get up. Gavin moves over to his dresser to find a pair of sweats he thinks will fit Nines. Their hips aren’t the issue—but those legs are. He throws Nines a pair of track pants and Nines slips in—looking like he’s wearing capris more than actual pants. It’s cute.

“I’ve got my interview next week for the lieutenant position, but they won’t announce who gets it till after the last banquet. Is it—weird to ask you to still help me with that?” Gavin asks as he watches Nine throw his laundry into the washer and start it up.

“Is it weird to ask your boyfriend to go on a date with you?” Nines asks.

“Are we boyfriends?”

Nines spins from the washer and swiftly Gavin finds himself picked up, Nines between his legs, and himself sitting on the kitchen counter. “Are we?”

“No fair! I asked you first!” Gavin kisses him and he finds it so hard to pull away. He squeezes his legs around Nines. Nines presses in close, his hand fists into Gavin’s hair and they both shiver. Gavin hasn’t experienced attraction like this before. It’s desperate and addictive. Dangerous—extremely dangerous. But like hell Gavin would ever pull away now.

“I believe we are boyfriends, Gavin.” Nines takes Gavin’s left hand and kisses his ring finger—still wearing that black silicone band. It makes Gavin stop breathing. It’s just always on now. Gavin’s come to find himself feeling naked without it. He does notice Nines isn’t wearing his though. It’s not a question he needs to ask. They aren’t engaged. Gavin isn’t paying for that lie anymore. They don’t need it when it’s just the two of them in the comfort of Gavin’s own apartment.

“After lo mein gets here and I eat some of it—can we just go have more sex?”

Nines laughs loudly and it cracks a big smile across Gavin’s face. His fingers slip up Gavin’s shirt to trace along his abs. “Would you mind if we switched?”

“Would love that,” Gavin says. He wraps his arms around Nines’s neck, and they kiss again. Gavin’s going to have chapped lips at this rate—but that’s not even a nominal concern to him. All he wants is what’s in front of him. He knows spilling his guts about how much he loves Nines would be the most overwhelming thing right now. They need to go slow. But sex? Sex is easy, right? Otherwise, Nines wouldn’t do it for his job.

Nines freezes mid-kiss and then moves back. His LED is flickering yellow.

“Hey—what’s wrong?” Gavin asks, cupping his face.

“I’m fine. I’m just receiving a few texts from a client of mine that—are sad.”

“You get your texts in your head?” Gavin asks.

Nines nods, his face still pained. “Androids don’t require phones. I really only have one for when I need to take pictures of myself for clients.” Nines presses a kiss to Gavin’s nose. “Or for you—I owe you a better sexting session.”

“Hey don’t say that. You don’t owe me sh*t. If you want to sext then we can, but don’t think of it as something you owe me.”

Nines grimaces and his LED spins red for a moment. “Do you mind if I go check up on him? My client. I’m afraid he will hurt himself.”

“Should I call the precinct?”

“No. Please don’t. I will handle it.” Nines kisses Gavin one last time before offering a little shrug. “I’ll come back tonight. I just need to be sure he doesn’t harm himself.”

Gavin wants to ask, but he’s unsure of the boundary there between them. Sex work requires secrets and sometimes anonymity. Nines isn’t offering up the whole story, so Gavin assumes that means the story isn’t meant for him. He only nods and watches as Nines leaves.

When Nines comes back, Gavin’s already in bed and doomscrolling on his phone. He hears the front door open and close. Hears Nines moving his laundry into the dryer. f*ck—the dryer. Gavin forgot. Nines slinks into the room and Gavin finally can release himself from his incessant doomscrolling.

Nines slips out of the pants Gavin was letting him wear and crawls into the bed. He pulls Gavin into him, and Gavin goes pliant for him. He’s like a snake—coiling around Gavin until Gavin’s left utterly helpless but to accept him. Not that he minds. Nines can wrap himself around Gavin all he wants.

“Everything okay?” Gavin asks.

“No.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

“I’m unsure.” Nines’s LED is spinning yellow. “I had to terminate our engagement tonight. He’s an android too. He tried to interface with me, and I reacted quite poorly.”

“What happened?” Gavin just focuses on keeping his breathing steady and even for Nines. He runs his hand up and down Nines’s back in a soothing fashion.

“My body isn’t designed to give information. It’s only designed to take. So when he tried to interface—I ended up probing his memories and as he was focused on me, the data I got was everything I am to him. I broke his heart. I shoved him back and he started crying. I feel awful. All I could think about was you and how we’ve navigated this relationship. How I’ve hurt you too. What if I had rejected you like I’ve now rejected him? I’ve left him—in such misery.”

Gavin doesn’t want to tell Nines about all the ways he thought about that too. Losing Nines nearly drove him into insanity. He can’t imagine how this other guy feels. Devastation doesn’t even cover it. Gavin squeezes Nines in as close as he can. He hates that he’s thinking better the other guy than himself.

“We can’t help how we feel,” Gavin says. “So even in rejection, you gotta give him respect. It’s not his fault. As for me—we got through it.”

Nines lifts his head. His LED is blinking yellow into the darkness of the bedroom. “Have we? Are we not still getting through it? I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know if I’ll even be able to have this. I’m terrified that I’ll un-deviate. Yet in spite of that—I’m choosing to engage in a committed, romantic relationship against my better judgment. Being in your life is a higher priority than my survival. I don’t know how I feel about that right now.”

“You don’t have to know how you feel about any of it, Nines. We’ll get through—one way or the other.”

“What if it’s the other? What if I eventually reject you the way I rejected him?”

Gavin sucks at the soft of his cheeks. He doesn’t like the idea. Now that he has Nines, anything that could take him away—Nines’s very decisions included—makes Gavin’s stomach grow cold and sloshy. But Gavin’s in. All in. If the risk is the worst pain he’ll ever experience then that’s the risk. If Nines un-deviates—that’s a risk too. He takes in a deep breath to try to pick the right words.

“That would suck. If you left me—yeah. I would be a mess. I’d probably hate you for the rest of my life. I can hold one hell of a grudge.”

Nines chuckles into Gavin’s neck softly. “Ah yes, I recall your angry drunk texts.”

Gavin hates that he did that.

“Life isn’t about caution though,” Gavin says back. “Life is messy and impulsive. I don’t know sh*t about what our future holds, and I’m not under any impressions this is our happily f*ckin’ ever after. If you decide to leave me one day—it’ll suck. I’ll hate it. But that’s not my choice. That client doesn’t get to choose how you feel either. I didn’t get to choose how you felt for that matter. We just roll the dice and see what happens, you know? If you try to lead a perfect life, then you’re just gonna miss out on too much. You gotta be messy to live.”

Nines presses a long and soft kiss to Gavin’s lips. He swipes his thumb over the cut of Gavin’s cheekbone before pulling away. “I like that. You gotta be messy to live. I admit that isn’t something I’ve been good at. Being messy.”

“Oh don’t worry,” Gavin says pressing kisses up Nines’s throat and jaw. “I’ll leave you quite messy.”

“I want to be inside you, Gavi,” Nines says as they twist and turn into each other. The shiver that pulls from Gavin’s spine. The need in Nines’s voice.

Blankets twist around Gavin’s legs and he kicks at them in a desperate attempt to get them off but the more he tries, the more the blankets just hold on. Eventually, Nines reaches down and tugs Gavin’s legs free. Gavin immediately opens his legs for Nines to press between them. Gavin lets his head fall back as he feels the way Nines licks and sucks up his neck. His spine is still tingling from Nines’s very voice. Nines’s fingers trail along Gavin’s hips until he’s slipping Gavin’s briefs off. They both undress fully this time—no Winnie the Pooh shirts for them.

Gavin pauses to watch the little glow around Nines’s thirium regulator. He reaches out and gives it a gentle touch and Nines arches into it.

“Gavi…”

“I love when you say that,” Gavin whispers as he keeps touching the little divot.

“I know you do. I’ve seen your pupils dilate and your heart rate increases. That’s why I keep doing it.”

“I don’t get any secrets from you, huh?” Gavin moans when Nines’s hard co*ck rubs up between his asscheeks. “Oh f*ck…”

“None. But I’ll be fair.” Nines’s voice is low and husky. Gavin remembers him saying he’s been a Dominant for many clients. Gavin guesses this is the night he gets to see some of that. He’s damn ready for it. “I’ll tell you a secret too.”

Nines pulls out the drawer to the bedside stand and pops open the lube bottle. He drizzles the clear fluid into his hand and slicks up a long and slender finger. Gavin wants to ask how he knew but either Nines scanned the room or whatever or he’s a good prostitute. Could be either, admittedly.

“I’m a terribly possessive person,” Nines says as he circles at Gavin’s rim with his finger. “I want to own you.”

“Oh f*ck—nnn-ah…” Gavin rocks his hips in little circles too, meeting Nines’s pace. I want to own you. A cascade of static rolls through Gavin and he can’t help but whine and shake from how those words make him shiver. Once upon a time, the notion of an android owning him would’ve pissed him the f*ck off. Now though? Gavin would get on his knees and beg Nines to say that to him again.

“You’re beautiful, Gavi,” Nines continues, still in that husky tone. “Look at you—so good for me. So patient.”

“Oh God—Nines if you start runnin’ with praise talk I’m gonna f*ckin’ nut.”

Nines’s other hand comes up and squeezes at Gavin’s co*ck. “Don’t do that. Let me have my fun with you.”

Gavin feels his legs being pushed back as Nines crowds in close. He keeps his finger at Gavin’s hole, teasing and rubbing before dipping in the tiniest of ways and recoiling. Gavin’s jerking his hips, trying to get Nines’s finger deeper but Nines anticipates every move. Gavin’s burning up. His co*ck is positively oozing precum and the patience Nines displays is almost frightening. But Gavin adores him. Trusts him. f*cking loves him so goddamned much that he could scream it forever until his lungs gave out. All he wants is this. Them. Together.

“Gavi you feel so soft. You gonna be sweet for me? Make me feel good?”

“f*ck—Nines!” Gavin arches his neck, head shoving back into the pillow. He can’t take it. It’s not enough. ”P-please…baby please!”

Nines hums before slipping his finger down to the knuckle. “So eager for me.”

Gavin wants to say something sassy back—but right now his mind is playing nothing but static. All he knows is what his body feels and that beautiful blue glow at Nines’s temple that lights them both up in the most adoring shade of color. They’re not even real anymore. Shadows give way to shapes and shapes give way to motion. All Gavin sees is that light. All he feels is Nines all around him. Nines’s arm beneath his bent leg. Nines’s finger pressing in and out of his hole. Hears his breath. His voice. Everything is just Nines.

“I like when you call me baby,” Nines says as he moves to dribble more lube onto his fingers. He pets at Gavin’s hole before pressing three fingers in—stretching Gavin as they extend inside.

Gavin hisses but Nines’s mouth is then on his. Fingers continue to assail him, twisting and flexing. Pushing in and out. In and out. Nines’s tongue is in his mouth and Gavin tries as hard as he can to pay attention to the way Nines tastes. There’s almost an absence of it. His tongue is bumpy, warm, and wet—but there’s no hint of anything. His breath is hot against Gavin’s face. That blue hue so close. Gavin stares at it with half-lidded eyes. He is absently aware that he’s moaning and whimpering. But he can’t hear anything except for the hum that blankets his mind.

“So good for me, Gavi.” More kisses. More beautiful, perfect, sweet, soft kisses. “I wanna be so good for you too.”

“Fu-hah-ah…”

“Just feel good. Don’t move baby, just feel good.”

Gavin’s not sure he knows how to move. At least not with intent. He’s languishing between consciousness and some beautiful hypnosis. He feels safe and warm. Nines and his lovely little LED are there.

Nines folds Gavin up, letting Gavin’s legs rest atop his shoulders. He presses the tip of his co*ck to Gavin’s hole and slowly, slowly he fills him. The stretch is undeniable. A sting of pain. A rush of pleasure. Gavin groans from it and scrambles to find anything to clutch before Nines’s hand finds his and they lace their fingers together. Nines presses kiss after kiss to Gavin’s hand and Gavin slowly relaxes and takes Nines deeper inside.

“Baby,” Nines purrs out. “Baby—baby you feel so good—you feel so good inside.”

Gavin gurgles out what he thought was going to be words. He’s unsure if Nines moans or laughs at him. He doesn’t give a sh*t. He’s so full and Nines is pressed so hard against him. Inside him. He squeezes his legs around Nines and pulls him down to the hilt. They both shiver and moan into the darkness.

Nines’s fingers trace up from Gavin’s bellybutton to his chest where he squeezes at the pectoral muscles there. He hums in the rhythm of his hips before going more pitchy and hazy? A static fuzzing his voice. Like a radio not fully tuned. God—Nines is so hot. Androids are amazing.

Time doesn’t exist anymore. There is only the thrust of Nines’s hips and that static to his voice telling Gavin how much he adores him. How good he feels inside. Nines is inside him. Pressing deep—deep. Gavin can barely breathe from how folded up he is, but he’d rather suffocate than stop. All he wants is to feel Nines slip in and out. In. Out. God.

Nines eventually lets Gavin’s legs drop and Gavin holds them around Nines’s waist. They undulate into each other like that. Nines presses needy kisses to Gavin’s lips. Gavin whispers something about Nines being so f*cking hot—Gavin’s unsure. He just knows he’s telling Nines how hot he is over and over. Babbling it out like a f*cking mantra. It’d be embarrassing if he could feel anything except for how good Nines is filling him.

“I wanna come inside you, Gavi. Is that okay?” Nines asks at Gavin’s ear before sucking at the lobe. “I wanna come so deep inside you, Gavi.”

Gavin whines. All he can do is nod enthusiastically and Nines’s hips move faster. He takes those beautiful fingers and wraps them around Gavin’s co*ck. He pumps up and down. Palming over his tip. His thumb massages at the little bundle of nerves on the underside of the tip and Gavin could cry from it all. He’s so warm. Full. The way Nines is working his co*ck over is the best feeling he’s had in decades. No other hand can do what Nines’s can. Nines isn’t just f*cking Gavin—he’s goddamn worshiping him, and Gavin’s head is so full of the experience he thinks he’s dead.

“You feel good, Gavi? You like my co*ck in you?”

Gavin gurgles out a moan and nods. He feels Nines kiss at his cheeks. His co*ck still in Nines’s hand. He feels it—the way his org*sm builds deep in his belly. The tremble of his thighs. He doesn’t know to make Nines slow down or speed up. All he can do is chase that feeling as it pushes from his body and his muscles cry out and spasm.

Nines kisses him through it. Runs his nose along Gavin’s jaw. Gavin’s only catches bits and pieces of what Nines is saying. Perfect. So good. Beautiful for me. I adore you.

Gavin’s body seizes around Nines and he lets his ass get rammed into—hard and fast as Nines lets himself come too. Gavin feels it when it happens, how Nines’s co*ck jerks and spasms inside. That sticky, wet feeling as synthetic cum oozes from his loose hole. He hasn’t f*cked like this in so long. He’d stopped trusting people with his heart so long ago. Now it’s in a little locket around Nines’s neck and he can do whatever he damn well wants with it.

Nines readjusts them so Gavin’s on his side, his back pressed to Nines’s chest. Nines slips right back inside Gavin with ease and Gavin arches his ass back against Nines. His hips settle when Nines places a hand at them and holds them close. Nines runs his nose along the back of Gavin’s neck. It tickles in the best of ways and Gavin feels as if he’s just melting into the bed. His eyes are so f*cking heavy, but he doesn’t want sleep. Just Nines.

He turns and tries to kiss but it’s sloppy and too loose. Nines’s hand guides their faces together and then they’re kissing right. He rocks into Gavin’s hole, slow little thrusts that don’t serve to be anything but a promise that he’s still there. They stay like that, all tangled up in each other. Loose kisses and soft hums and moans. Gavin doesn’t know when it happens—but eventually Hypnos takes him and he’s sound asleep in Nines’s arms.

When Gavin wakes, he’s immediately confronted with two realizations. One—his ass is sore as f*ck. Two—androids sleep. He knows this because Nines is still wrapped around him. His co*ck is still inside Gavin and last night it may have been hot and great but now it’s sticky and itchy. Gavin slowly moves off of it and turns to look at Nines better.

Nines’s chest rises and falls. His eyes follow tiny little lines that whisper against Nines’s skin around the thirium pump and then up between his chest. He notices they run all along and behind his neck. He assumes it ends where his port is. Other than that—Nines’s skin is warm and soft. Unlike Gavin who is covered in tattoos up both arms—Nines has none. He’s not even sure if androids get tattoos. This is really the first time they’ve actually had sex naked. Gavin smiles as that little LED keeps flickering yellow. Nines said androids dream. He hopes whatever it is Nines is dreaming about is good.

Gavin is gone for this f*cking android. So utterly, completely, wholly, woefully gone for him. He lets his fingers trail along the curve of Nines’s shoulder and down to the bend at his elbow. Nines doesn’t stir and his LED keeps flickering yellow. Gavin traces the tiny lines—nearly unnoticeable—that he’d followed before from the middle of Nines’s chest to around his regulator. He watches as the steady blue light there starts to flicker. It doesn’t change color—just pulses rhythmically. Gavin can’t help it. He’s a curious little sh*t and overly impulsive. He scoots down along Nines and then traces his tongue around it. Gavin’s aware there’s a “heart” that the regulator pulses deeper and more aligned with human anatomy—but Gavin likes thinking the regulator is really the heart. It’s the thing that makes the other thing beat anyway.

Nines makes the most adorable little nnn sound and his hands fist into Gavin’s hair. His back arches off the bed and he holds Gavin there. “Keep doin’ that,” he says sleepily.

So Gavin does. He circles the regulator with his tongue until Nines starts to tremble and mewl how he wants more. He brings Gavin’s hand up and behind his neck and Gavin slips a finger in. Immediately, Nines gasps and Gavin’s hand goes warm—like it’s peeing itself—except that’s alarmingly weird and also impossible.

Nines rocks his body against Gavin and Gavin doesn’t stop. He starts sucking around the regulator and Nines howls from it. His arms wrap around Gavin and hold him so close to the point Gavin nearly can’t move his tongue anymore.

Gavin runs his fingers along wires inside Nines’s neck port. Some are bumpy. Some super smooth. All of them make his hand tingle. He learns Nines likes the bumpy one getting rubbed and the smooth ones being tapped. Overall—Nines likes the rubbing more than the tapping.

“Ga—Gavi I’m—” Nines doesn’t finish his sentence. Come spills against Gavin’s side and Nines eventually goes completely still.

Gavin only has a few seconds of panic until Nines’s LED spins yellow and then blue. Icy eyes meet Gavin’s and then there’s the most open and adoring smile spreading over that blue-flushed face.

“What the f*ck, Nines you scared the sh*t out of me!” Gavin’s heart is still up in his throat—but he can feel it slowly, slowly falling back into place.

“You rebooted me. That was an experience.”

“Jesus f*ckin’ Christ!” Gavin starts laughing—after he’s punched Nines playfully on the arm.

Nines laughs at him. He’s boneless and pliant against the pillows, eyes hooded as they look up at Gavin. “Mmm, I enjoyed waking up like that.”

“Next time warn me before you reboot. f*ck.” Gavin sits up and stretches, which makes his ass burn. “I’m gonna go make coffee and see if I’m turnin’ radioactive.” He stands up and immediately slick starts dribbling out of his ass. f*ck, it’s obscene but if he said he wasn’t obsessed with it—he’d be lying.

“That’s not how electricity works, Gavi.” Nines rolls over and then slips from the bed to the floor where he grabs the pants Gavin let him borrow last night. It’s the most undignified thing Gavin’s ever seen Nines do—which means he has fully watch it unfold. Nines is like a big cat—like a panther. When he does anything stupid—Gavin has to remember it for eternity. These are now the rules Gavin wants to live by.

“Graceful,” Gavin says through a smirk.

“My hydraulics appear to be operating at a less than desired capacity.” Nines sits on the floor and shoves one leg in his pants at a time.

“You yell if you need me robo-boy.” Gavin grabs an oversized jersey and tosses it over his shoulder as he kind of waddles over to the bathroom. He decides a shower is the higher priority (higher priority, who is he, Nines?) and turns it on to get it warmed up. He brushes his teeth while he waits, taking occasional glances over into the bedroom. Nines is sprawled on the floor with the pants on, nothing else. His hands are up around his head and he’s just staring up at the ceiling. His LED is blue and Gavin can see him blinking—so he’s not too alarmed.

Eventually, the water is warm enough to get in, so he does. He sets about scrubbing his body and taking the showerhead to aim it up at his ass. Nines slips into the bathroom, takes the pants off, and gets in behind Gavin.

“Hydraulics back I see,” Gavin says as he rinses his ass a third time.

Nines hums and grabs the shampoo.

From all Gavin’s panicked research on androids—Gavin knows Nines’s face and hair to be an exterior shell of sorts—like a camouflage or something. He reaches up and runs his fingers through the soapy strands. Nines just watches him. Eventually, Gavin takes both of his hands and starts massaging through the soapy locks. He smirks with Nines’s eyes flutter closed.

“What’s your hair made of?” Gavin asks.

“Nanobots.”

“Huh.”

“What happens if you get water in your ports or whatever?”

“It’ll evaporate due to heat.”

“Are you waterproof or water-resistant?”

“Gavin—why are you asking all these questions?” Nines asks as he opens his eyes. They switch spots and Nines starts rinsing his hair out.

“Because I don’t know sh*t about androids.” He’ll just not explain the panic research about deviancy and coding. It didn’t turn up anything useful anyway. While Gavin enjoyed his conversation with Connor—that too didn’t really help either. Gavin doesn’t want to just give up on Nines and his “condition.” There has to be someone out there who can get rid of the program in his head.

“Technically water-resistant, but I can swim. Before deviancy, androids had no need for showers. We could just wipe ourselves down with cleaning materials and be done with it. But that’s extremely dehumanizing, which is why most of us prefer to bathe like humans do. And it’s harmless. I can also get into a hot tub and not risk anything. It’s freezing cold water that can hurt me. Any other burning android question?”

“What do you see when you’re just looking around?”

Perfect brows knit together as Nines stares at Gavin dubiously.

“Like if you’re looking at me—do you see lines of code or sh*t going across your vision?”

“No. I mean—yes sometimes—but not code. If my systems detect a malfunction, I generally receive some form of error coding. Otherwise, I see just like you do. If I’m scanning something—then the nature of the visualization depends on what type of scan it is. I can do heat-signature scanning, x-ray scanning, CT scanning, identification scanning, preconstruction scanning, which I’ve already explained to you, and investigation reconstructing.”

“Ok calm down, Terminator.” Gavin grabs the conditioner and starts rubbing it up into Nines’s hair. He rubs a lock between his thumb and pointer finger. It feels no different than his own hair, nanobots or not. “How strong are you?”

“I can lift a bus full of school children.”

“f*ck me.”

“Already did. Unless you want to go again?” Nines gets in close to Gavin and Gavin has to reach out and lock his elbows to keep Nines from pressing him against the shower wall.

“No! My ass hurts! You know how big your dick is?”

“In inches or centimeters?” Nines tilts his head to the side, smirking.

“Prick. It was rhetorical.” Gavin switches places with Nines again so he can get conditioner out of his hair. Then he goes to soap himself up with a little puffball.

“Is there anything else you’d like to know about me?” Nines asks as he slicks his hair back to get all the conditioner out. It gives him an evil villain kind of look. Gavin doesn’t hate it.

“Who are you?” Gavin asks earnestly. He thinks back to the call between him and Connor. Nines has favorite places and Gavin doesn’t know them. There’s a small tremble to his voice that he doesn’t like, but he doesn’t clarify the question. He wants Nines to just figure it out. He’s a big smart robot. He can do it.

Nines trades places with Gavin and then he soaps up the puffball for himself. “That’s an unclear question. I am RK900. My chosen name is Nines. I was activated in November of 2038. My serial number is 313-248-317-87.”

“No not all that sh*t, I mean like who are you? I know it’s kind of stupid, but I want to know the dumb sh*t about you.”

“Like my favorite color and that I prefer jewel tones,” Nines says.

“Yeah.”

Nines smiles softly and then his gaze flicks about the shower as he thinks. “You know my biggest fear. You know my biggest secret. My favorite thirium edible derivatives are sweets. I prefer sweet sensations over spicy sensations. I like playing video games with you. I love kissing you.” He gets close and they share the warm water stream. He wraps his arms around Gavin and nuzzles into his neck. “My love language is physical touch. Though I also enjoy acts of service. I am a terrible cook. I like horror movies even though I find them exceptionally illogical. I hated the Terminator—speaking of that.”

Gavin snorts.

“My favorite music is synthwave music. I prefer music without lyrics. And I’ve never been in a plane. Anything else?” Nines holds Gavin as they stand beneath the water. He’s warm and his embrace grounding.

“What’re your favorite places around Detroit?” Gavin asks. He likes it when Nines starts fingering at his tattoos beneath the water.

“The Fox Theater, the pier, and Milliken State Park. Will you now share things about yourself with me?”

“Yeah. Fair’s fair I guess.” Gavin’s suddenly never known anything interesting about himself in his life though. “I also like horror movies—but I’m a big baby and will need you to hold me the entire time.”

“How inconvenient.”

“My favorite movies are superhero movies—though some are better than others. I like kids—which seems to make everyone surprised. My favorite music is alternative rock—though I like hip hop too. I can’t stand country music unless it’s real old sh*t from before 2011. My favorite food is anything to do with noodles. Italian and Asian being tops. Which I think you already knew given your lo mein debacle.”

“You wound me.” Nines noses along Gavin’s temple before pressing wet kisses to his cheekbones. They’re so soft that Gavin almost whines from them.

“I like sports and working out. Would love to go to a baseball game again. I haven’t gone since I got to do a public supervised visit with my dad back when I was a kid.” Gavin’s face falls. “Last time I saw him.”

Nines makes a little strangled noise in the back of his throat. He squeezes Gavin just a bit before relaxing again.

“I’m starting to shrivel up. Let’s get out.” Gavin doesn’t wait for Nines to answer. He turns off the shower and then steps out to towel off. Talking about his parents is still raw—doesn’t matter that he’s in his thirties.

“You told me you grew up in the foster care system,” Nines says.

“Yep. Mom died. Dad never recovered from drugs. Never got adopted. Which I’m not mad about. I didn’t want to be adopted.”

“Do you want children?” Nines asks.

“That’s an extremely forward question, tin can.” Gavin doesn’t mean to get defensive, but it’s almost instinctive. His skin and muscles tense and he bites his tongue before he says something mean.

“I think it’s an extremely appropriate one. Don’t humans pair bond to raise children?”

“f*ck, Nines—not all humans have kids, okay? And not all humans want ‘em. I don’t want kids. I just like kids. Like—I get it. All the big emotions and the tiny brains trying to deal with it. Not like you and I could have a baby anyway.”

Nines LED flickers yellow before returning to blue.

“What were you just processing?” Gavin slips on his oversized jersey before going back into the bedroom to grab some underwear. He takes in big gulps of air to try to calm himself the f*ck down. He’s not even sure why he’s getting so defensive. He’s already given Nines the answer now Nines can move the f*ck on.

“I was merely registering your preferences on children and filing away that you disagree that humans pair bond to raise children.”

“It’s not a disagreement. Literally hashtag not all humans.”

“Do you not want children because you don’t want to raise them or because you think you’d make the same mistakes your parents did?”

It’s like a twig snapping in the woods. There’s a perfect silence and then all Gavin feels is rage. He spins around, takes a deep breath and tries his best to keep his shaking voice from screaming at Nines. “You need to shut the f*ck up about this. Right now. Or I’m gonna f*ckin’ lose it, okay? I get you’re an android and boundaries and you don’t exactly know each other—but stop pushing this topic. Okay?”

Gavin hates the way Nines’s temple flashes red as he looks away from Gavin. But the words are out, and Gavin is angry. He’d love to have children. Would f*cking love it! He thinks he’d be a great dad. He’d teach his kid how to play baseball. If he had a kid interested in ballet—he’d be at all the recitals. He’d do anything and everything to give that kid the best f*cking life. As it stands—he’s not with someone who he can make a baby with and even still—Nines is somewhat right. Gavin is scared he’d just f*ck it all up somehow. Gavin knows he’s got an addictive personality. It’s why he’s covered in tattoos and he smokes. He tries to stay away from alcohol. He judges Hank too harshly because he’s damn sure he’d probably be an alcoholic too if he let himself. Forget about anything like cocaine or worse.

“Gavin—I apologize for upsetting you. My intention was to understand your human objectives.”

“My human objectives? Nines—humans don’t talk like that. My goals in life are to make lieutenant—maybe even captain one day—retire at a f*cking reasonable age—which probably won’t happen—and maybe one day have enough money to buy a house or something. But I’m not even married to that last one.”

Nines nods. He’s slipped on the pants from before. His hair is wet and the droplets fall from strands of hair down his neck and shoulders. He’s so beautiful and Gavin doesn’t want them to be focused on anything sad.

Gavin moves in close and takes Nines’s hands. “I’m not upset, Nines. Kids are a weird subject with me.”

“Thank you for communicating that to me,” Nines says. He takes Gavin’s left hand and presses a kiss over the silicone ring. Such a dumb thing really—that ring. Gavin still finds himself incapable of taking it off.

“sh*t—what time is it?” Gavin goes over to his phone and his eyes widen at the amount of missed calls. “Oh f*ck me sideways.”

“We also did that.”

“No—it’s an expression.” Gavin scrolls through the various texts and missed calls from Tina, Chris and Hank. “I’m super late for work and the police chief is there. f*ck, f*ck, f*ck!” Gavin sucks in a deep breath and looks over to the clock. He’s three hours late. If he were Hank Anderson—that’d be fine. But he’s not Hank Anderson. He’s Gavin Reed—idiot who’s trying to make lieutenant and skip sergeant. Idiot who isn’t there with the police chief right now.

“I have clients to attend to today too.” Nines slips out of Gavin’s borrowed pants and moves naked into the kitchen. Gavin hears the laundry door open.

Gavin hurries to find something more work appropriate and runs out into the kitchen. He grabs a banana as Nines is about finished putting on his clothes again. “I’ve gotta go.”

“I’m ready, Gavin. I’ll take public transit home.”

Despite the rush—Gavin kisses Nines hard on the mouth. He wants Nines to know that he’s not in this for just good sex. He’s in this for the whole deal—invasive android and all. Nines hums into the kiss and then they leave the apartment.

“Where the f*ck have you been?” Hank asks barely beneath a whisper as Gavin comes in, sopping wet from a terrible thunderstorm outside. He hopes that Nines doesn’t take his bike out in this weather. He could barely see despite how fast his wipers were going on the Jeep along the way here.

“I was with Nines and we got—distracted.”

Hank rolls his eyes. “Chief’s here talkin’ about you, Reed. You couldn’t have picked a different day to bone your hooker?”

Gavin sighs heavily. Hank and Connor are both not up to date—but what does Gavin expect, Nines to send out status updates like this is Facebook circa 2005? Instead of wasting time explaining—he just goes over to his desk and takes a look into the glass office. Fowler and the chief are there. Eventually, Fowler makes eye contact with Gavin and then he’s motioning Gavin to come up.

“Slay, tiger,” Tina says as she claps Gavin on the back.

Gavin smooths out his shirt, still a bit damp from the mad dash into the building, and jogs over to the glass office. He wastes no time in opening the door. The chief looks at him with a curt nod. The man’s a tall guy—big broad shoulders and a brown fuzzy moustache that reminds Gavin of the Hungry Caterpillar.

“Chief,” Gavin says in greeting with a polite nod. He steps forward and then shakes the man’s hand.

“Captain Fowler has been regaling me with some of your busts in Vice. Also said you were supposed to be here over three hours ago.” The chief does not smile, and Gavin wants to jump out a window from how embarrassing this is.

“Um—sorry—my fiancé’s an android and we had a weird thing happen this morning.” Is it lying if in fact a weird thing did happen where Nines had to slip out of the bed and stare at the ceiling for ten minutes?

“Is Nines okay?” Fowler asks.

“Yeah—his hydraulics systems weren’t working. Since we’re not married yet he’s not covered under my insurance so—it was kind of a panic.”

The chief’s face morphs from disappointment to something more understanding. “Can’t say my wife’s hydraulics systems have stopped working—but she’s sure woken me up sick as a dog in the middle of the night.”

Gavin smiles, his heartbeat slowing to something more acceptable. He’s figuring this out. It’s only a white lie. He’ll just have to let Nines know just in case later. Better to keep stories straight. They also need to fill Hank and Connor in that they are—in fact—actually dating—though not engaged. But they’re still pretending to be engaged. Jesus. This is messy.

“What’s that like?” the chief asks.

“What’s what like, sir?”

“Being with an android.”

Gavin looks to Fowler—who just raises his eyebrows to get Gavin to talk. Gavin can’t exactly say he’s never asked an inappropriate question about androids and he’s certainly not the pinnacle of pro-android—but he’s pro Nines and Connor at this point. Probably more so just androids are people and there really shouldn’t be anything other to it than that. But in the grand scheme of things, androids are still othered.

“Um—well I can’t say it’s really all that different from being with a human.” Gavin smiles, thinking back on his experiences with Nines. “He says funny things sometimes. Asked me about my human objectives today.”

The chief laughs—it’s a barking sound that kind of reminds Gavin of Hank’s laugh, except he doesn’t like it as much. Hank’s alright because he’s Connor’s—roommate? Friend? Come to think of it—Gavin has no idea what the f*ck they are to each other. He’s not going to march up to Hank and ask either. That’s weird. Like asking someone what it’s like being with an android.

“Well—good on you for being progressive. That’s all the rage these days.” If that’s supposed to be a compliment—Gavin doesn’t take it as one. He bites the soft of his cheek to keep his mouth shut. He looks to Fower—who is hovering his hands above his desk as if saying keep calm. “My wife thinks androids are just the cutest things. They freak me the f*ck out.”

“Chief—Gavin is marrying an android.”

“Oh I know! I don’t mean yours! I’m sure he’s great. In fact—why don’t the two of you come over for dinner tonight. You can bring the android and you’ll bring Mrs. Fowler.”

Fowler and Gavin share a look before both stating some affirmative response to the chief about how that sounds great.

“Great! The wife loves having people over. She’ll just love to meet your android.”

“Fiancé,” Gavin says. The need to defend Nines is only climbing. Gavin can practically feel steam coming out of his ears. “His name is Nines.”

“Nines? The f*ck kinda name is that?” The chief’s brows rise high into his receding hairline.

“My fiancé’s—sir.”

“Alright, alright! No need to get your panties up in a twist, Reed. Bring him on over. Both of you better arrive by 6:30. If Nines’s hydraulics go out again—I suggest putting him in for an upgrade.” He winks at Gavin and Gavin just politely smiles back.

Gavin keeps his hands behind his back to not be tempted to deck a police chief. Especially his police chief. That would be horrifically bad, and he’d likely end up in jail over it.

After a few more minutes of less invasive conversation—Gavin’s released to his desk, and he fills Tina in on what happened. Then he’s furiously texting Nines.

Hey you don’t have any clients tonight do you? The police chief just invited us over for dinner and he wants you to be there. But heads up—he’s kind of a dick about androids?

I do in fact have a client tonight. Can you not just go without me?

Seriously?! This is super important!

And my job isn’t?

Gavin groans. He scrubs his hand over his face and decides to get some f*cking coffee. He goes over to the breakroom and debates on begging Connor to pretend to be Nines tonight—except that would be colossally weird—and Connor isn’t a hooker. He sells glass. Oh, that reminds Gavin—he got the blue glass flower for Nines. He pulls his phone back out while he waits for his coffee to be ready.

Your job is important. I’m not saying it’s not! But it’s not every day a chief invites a lt prospect to his house for a dinner with his wife. And he invited Captain Fowler and his wife too. Baby please.

Fine. I’ll go to the anti-android chief’s house. You know his voting record indicates he’s voted against every state level constitutional amendment for android recognition?

How the f do you know that?

I told you—I was made for military/police work. This is part of that. His wife on the other hand has always voted in favor of androids. That may be interesting. What time are we to go? I’ll see if I could meet my client sooner.

6:30?

That is a terribly inconvenient time. You better make it up to me. I want another reboot org*sm!

Gavin snorts as he grabs his fresh coffee. He mixes in some sugar and cream before taking a test sip and then adding a bit more sugar before closing it up and bringing it over to his desk. Tina does her usual thing of scooting her wheely chair over to the other side of Gavin’s desk.

“Deetz?” she asks as she rests her face in both her hands. She looks like a little chipmunk with the way she’s squishing her face.

“We got invited to the chief’s house for dinner tonight. He also apparently hates androids—but his wife loves them. So there’s that.”

“Well that’s good—Nines can just charm the pants off of her. I mean that figuratively. I don’t mean—well maybe he could charm the pants of her—but you know what I mean!”

Gavin rolls his eyes. “Nines better not charm her pants off or the chief won’t agree with my promotion.” Gavin looks at the pretty picture of Nines on his desk. He wonders what Nines is doing right now. If he’s got some client hogtied, ball-gagged, or if he’s just pretending to eat brownies with an old lady. What a damn job. He’s curious if he could even ask.

“When’s your interview?”

“Tomorrow,” Gavin says. “Convenient, yeah? The day after I get to the station super late.”

“Just relax, pal. I’m sure if he didn’t want to consider you he wouldn’t be inviting you to his house.”

“Yeah. Fair.” Gavin moves to look at his files. The least he can do for most of the day is make sure they’re perfectly organized, and all evidence logged and down in evidence. He pulls up some subpoena requests too and makes sure his calendar is right. He does not want to accidently miss a court trial.

Gavin actually makes some good headway with organizing files when he gets a text from Connor.

I CANNOT KEEP UP WITH YOU TWO ARE YOU ENGAGED OR ARE YOU JUST DATING?!

Ask Nines? Gavin shoots back. Because he’s a little sh*t.

Connor texts back: He said, “We are committed to each other.”

Gavin’s impressed with the amount of grammar—but then he remembers androids just use their heads to send out texts. Gavin’s thumbs have to do all the work for him. Then it hits him how Nines described them. Committed. f*ck—he likes that.

Dating.

THAT’S GREAT! I’M GLAD IT’S REAL AND YOU GUYS ARE NO LONGER L Y I N G TO ME!

Could you not use all caps? It’s like youre screaming at me

Gavin Reed, I am screaming at you.

Gavin snorts and decides that’s enough texting while on the job. He tries to keep sorting files and getting calendars organized but then he thinks about Nines. Until this very moment, he didn’t really think about what he’s doing. Well, he thought about it—but he didn’t think about it think about it. Now his mind is wandering to Nines pretending to be someone else’s fiancé or partner. Pretending like they’re making love. What if he is making love to someone? Sexting someone.

And that’s Nines’s job, right? So it’s not like Gavin can be jealous. At the end of the day Nines is coming back to him. But what if Nines finds someone better? Gavin isn’t special. What made Nines break his rules with Gavin but not anyone else? Could anxiety just f*cking stop for five seconds in Gavin’s life? He feels needy. In a dire moment of weakness, he pulls his phone out to text Nines. Except everything he writes sounds either attention seeking or absolutely fight-starting. Do you still like me is—no. What’re you doing right now? No. He has no idea what to say.

Thinking about you. <3 There. He’s satisfied with that one. It mentions zero of the crises that Gavin’s going through and it’s not demanding of Nines’s time. He can answer it if he wants to. If he doesn’t want to—then he doesn’t need to. He had texted Gavin back pretty quickly a few hours ago. Nines did say when he’s with clients he doesn’t text anyone else. So he’s probably with a client and he’s getting money. Money because that’s his job. Technically a job that’s illegal that Gavin has absolutely consented to. And now not just one other cop knows—but a f*cking police lieutenant—Hank. Gavin winces. He didn’t really think this one through.

Gavin gets up and goes over to sit at the empty desk Connor used to use before he left the DPD.

Hank’s slowly typing at his computer, but he looks over at Gavin and co*cks a brow.

“Hey uh—about me and Nines—”

“Connor says you two are actually dating now,” Hank says before Gavin can even find the right words to say. Oh. Gavin is learning new things about Connor. He’s a f*cking gossip.

“Yeah. Um—I’d also appreciate if you didn’t mention how he and I met, you know? Could kind of actually destroy my career.” Gavin palms the desk so he can focus on his fingers instead of Hank’s judgmental stare.

“You two weren’t hurting anyone. I won’t say sh*t. Can I get back to my job now?”

“Hey—would you write me a letter of recommendation? The way I see it—if I’m transferred to a different precinct—you don’t have to put up with my sh*t anymore and then Connor can stop putting my relationship on blast to you.”

“Connor and Nines are brothers. You could be in Alaska and Connor’s still gonna run his mouth about Nines n’ you.”

“Ok—but could you still write me a letter of recommendation anyway?” Gavin offers his best smile and Hank outright sneers at it. “For f*ck’s sake, Hank, c’mon!”

“Will it get you to shut the f*ck up and leave me alone?”

“I will never speak to you again.”

Hank rolls his eyes. “Yeah, I’ll believe that when I see it. Connor’s already wanting to invite you two over for dinner.”

Gavin hopes he has the stomach flu that day. If Connor cooks anything like Nines—then that sounds like an absolute disaster waiting to happen. And then what would he and Hank do? Stare at each other? No thank you. “So you’ll do it?”

“Yeah. Get the f*ck outta my sight.” Hank outright shoos him away but Gavin doesn’t have to be told twice. Hey—maybe he got this one on his own. Maybe he only got it because of Connor and Nines. Who the f*ck knows and who the f*ck cares. Hank’s still a legend. Grumpy demeanor and questionable habits aside.

Now he just needs to hope everything goes fine tonight.

Everything doesn’t go fine to start. Gavin can’t see through the storm and Nines tells him he missed a turn. When he needs to turn around, he misses a second turn. Nines then suggests he drive—to which Gavin reacts strongly about and now they’re sitting in the car quietly while Gavin finally gets back on track. They’re going to be five minutes late.

“It’s the third house,” Nines says.

“I got it!”

“You weren’t slowing down yet.”

“You drive like a maniac and you’re giving me pointers?” Gavin pulls up to the third house (he absolutely thought it was the fourth one, but he won’t admit that). “Welp, ready to get completely soaked?”

“I knew I should’ve worn nipple pasties.” Nines’s voice is as dry as ever.

“Have I told you you’re the most amazing person on the planet?” Gavin says, gently grabbing Nines’s face and pulling him into a kiss before they brave the torrential downpour outside.

They run out into the rain and thick, cold droplets pound at Gavin’s back as he’s pulled along by Nines’s hand and those considerable legs. They get up onto the porch and Nines flicks his head like a dog—droplets cascading off him as if he’s in some shampoo commercial. Despite shaking it out—it moves back perfectly in place. Gavin’s hair on the other hand curls up at the ends.

“Awe—I like your hair,” Nines says reaching out to it.

“Did you just say awe?”

Nines doesn’t have a chance to respond. The front door is opening and a lovely strawberry blond women somewhere in her 50s opens the door. She’s got a wide smile as she looks at Nines and takes in the glow of his LED.

“You must be Nines! Oh! I’m so excited to meet you!” She pulls Nines into a hug and luckily, he politely returns it.

“And Gavin, right? I’m Kelly’s wife—Miranda.” She gives Gavin a hug too, but instead of the full-body press Nines got, she only extends out one arm and Gavin has to awkwardly navigate that whole thing. He rolls his eyes at Nines as he looks at him with a smirk.

Gavin is today’s years old learning the chief’s first name is Kelly. He will likely just continue calling him chief though because anything else feels super weird.

“Horrible weather though. Come on in let’s get you dried off.”

The house isn’t anything to write home about. It’s spacious, has a formal dining room and a large kitchen. Overall—Gavin wouldn’t be mad if it was his. There’s a large TV in the living room that’s probably fun to watch sports on. Otherwise, it’s about what Gavin would expect of a police chief’s house. Nothing too crazy but still nice. Perfect representation of the ever-disappearing Middle Class.

Miranda walks them into the house and Fowler, Ms. Fowler, and Kelly (nope not doing that), are sitting in what looks to be a study. There’s a nice leather couch. Fowler is smoking a cigar with the chief.

“Ah, late!” the chief says. “Your legs give out on you again, uh—what was it—Niner?”

“Nines,” Nines says. “No—I’m fully operational currently. We apologize for the tardiness. The weather is horrible.”

“Jeff made it just fine,” the chief says as he claps Captain Fowler on the back. Fowler heaves a big sigh but otherwise his facial expression is unreadable. Ms. Fowler though seems to be more sympathetic about the weather. Her hair is also curling like Gavin’s. “It’s important to be early. Early is on time. On time is late.”

Is this guy a boomer?

“Jeff tells us you’re an accountant, Nines?” Miranda asks. She sidles up to him. She’s a petite little thing with an a-frame dress on and hair done up. She’s absolutely built for the game of politics. Luckily—so is Nines.

“Yes ma’am.”

“CPA?” the chief asks.

Nines clenches his jaw, looking over at Gavin. Lying makes Nines uncomfortable—admittedly Gavin finds that shocking. “Yes sir.”

“So what—you do people’s taxes? Must be boring for a machine like you. What were you originally designed to do?”

“Military unit.” Nines looks at Gavin again. Gavin doesn’t know what to do. “Or police. Moreso suited for S.W.A.T.”

“We’ve got a great S.W.A.T. captain. You should meet him.”

“I’m familiar with Captain Allen, yes,” Nines says.

That causes Gavin’s head to whip toward him. Nines isn’t looking at him anymore.

“Can I get you boys any drinks? I went out and got some Blue too,” Miranda says as she makes her way toward the hall with a nice chandelier to welcome people inside the home.

“That’s very kind, Miranda, thank you,” Nines says. “I’d love one.”

“Even the androids drink booze—f*ckin’ incredible,” the chief says.

Fowler heaves a big sigh and Gavin’s intimately aware of what that one means. He’s been on the receiving end of that too many times. I don’t care. Maybe the captain and the chief aren’t as close as Gavin initially assumed. Then again—close or not—the chief’s going to be on the interview panel tomorrow. Not Fowler.

“How do you know Captain Allen?” the chief asks Nines as Miranda goes off to get drinks.

Nines looks at Gavin and Gavin’s learned enough about Nines’s emotions to know what he’s about to say may or may not freak Gavin out. “I do his taxes.”

Gavin is absolutely freaking out. Captain Allen—is a client?! Allen—who Gavin is aware is hot as f*ck (he tried to get Allen’s attention once upon a time), who has his sh*t all together, who drives that fancy f*cking sports car. Gavin clears his throat loudly and wishes he had something to drink to make it less obvious that he’s dying.

Fowler co*cks a brow at him. Then he looks to Nines and Gavin’s damn sure that Fowler clocks how Nines’s LED spins yellow.

“Androids marrying people, huh? How long’ve you two known each other? Pre-Markus Manfred?” the chief asks.

“No, sir,” Nines answers. “I was never activated until Markus manually deviated me after CyberLife was dismantled.”

“So you’re brand new.”

“I’m the last prototype ever created by CyberLife. Relatively speaking, you are correct.”

“He does talk funny, Reed,” the chief says as he points a stubby finger at Nines and takes a deep inhale on his cigar.

Nines looks at Gavin and frowns.

“So Reed,” Fowler blessedly interjects. Gavin could kiss him. Except he won’t because that’s weird. Gavin could only pretend to care about this conversation for a moment before he started losing it. Where is Miranda with the drinks? Is it hot in here?

Nines steps closer to Gavin and his hands run up from Gavin’s wrists to his shoulders and gives him a gentle squeeze. Gavin doesn’t know whether to be comforted or like he’s on display. Everyone is looking at him. Ms. Fowler, the captain, the chief. He knows Nines can tell he’s panicking. He’s just not sure if he wants to handle it on his own or not. But making Nines stop touching him may just cause his heart to leap out of his skin and having a panic attack in front of the very person who will be on his interview board tomorrow sounds like the worst of ideas—so Gavin just hopes the chief doesn’t care that Nines is showing him affection openly. Though he probably does. Considering he’s voted against Nines’s right to exist as a person.

“What case are you working on right now?” Fowler continues his question.

Gavin starts in about a Red Ice operation. Of course, the chief starts talking about Hank Anderson and his busts back in the day. That was over twenty years ago now. The comparison though isn’t a bad thing, so Gavin lets Hank become the topic. Fowler is good about bringing it back to Gavin. He’s pretty disappointed Fowler won’t be on the interview team tomorrow.

Miranda finally comes back with the drinks, and she hands a bottle over to Nines and a nice glass of bourbon over to Gavin. Gavin blessedly sucks it back. He’s not usually a fan of alcohol—but he’s making an exception right now. Anything that makes him lose control makes him think about his parents.

“So if you were designed for the military why aren’t you in it?” the chief asks Nines.

Gavin sucks in a deep breath. It doesn’t matter how many times Fowler, Ms. Fowler or himself try to talk about him. Kelly just keeps bringing it back to Nines. Every question is laced with some kind of bite too. This one no different. Why didn’t you just be a good little robot and join the military like you should have? Gavin already knows what he really means.

“Because I’m a fully sentient person who has preferences in my own existence,” Nines bites back. Oh sh*t.

“Hey now, why don’t we head into the dining room? I think the food’s about ready. I’ll refill everyone’s drinks and then I’ll get to serving!” Miranda says as she physically gets between her husband and Nines. They’re both large men so she appears even more delicate and petite than she really is.

The dining room is large with a crystal chandelier over the table. It looks like the kind of dining room meant for Christmas celebrations—not that Gavin ever had those. The good doctor and the IT wife liked to remind Gavin how he didn’t have a family to buy him presents.

“Why don’t I help you?” Nines suggests to Miranda. “I’ll help with drinks, and you can focus on the food?”

“Got a bar tender program somewhere in there, Niner?” the chief asks.

“Nines. One letter off in the alphabet though.” He smiles politely at the chief. He quickly turns on his heel and follows Miranda into the kitchen.

“See that’s the thing about those robots. They want to serve us.”

“Kelly, with all due respect,” Fowler begins and Gavin’s eyes widen. “Nines is a lovely person. He’s just helpful.”

“Well they’re all helpful aren’t they? That’s what they were designed to be!”

Fowler and Ms. Fowler both look at Gavin with faces deep in discomfort. Gavin doesn’t know what to do. Nines is getting more and more agitated. Gavin’s stuck biting his tongue because the chief will be part of his interview tomorrow and wanting to deck the guy. Now the Fowlers are looking at Gavin like this is where he needs to step in except, he can’t find the right words.

Gavin closes his eyes and says, “Please stop talking about my fiancé like that in front of me.”

“What?” the chief says incredulously. His stupid mustache wiggles around on his face, his even bushier brows raise into his hairline.

Miranda and Nines come back into the room. Nines is holding the chief’s drink, Fowler’s, and Ms. Fowler’s drinks. He sets the Fowlers’ drinks down, but it’s clear he’s listening.

“I said—please stop talking about Nines like that. You’ve been attacking him all night.” Gavin’s trying to keep his voice calm—but it’s shaking. “And I’m gettin’ really f*ckin’ sick of it, chief. There are androids on the force. What do you think of them?”

Nines’s LED spins red. “Gavi…”

“Aren’t we supposed to serve and protect too?” Gavin keeps going. The amount of eyeballs Gavin can feel looking at him is more than he can stomach right now. His fingers are shaking so he hides it by grabbing the seat he’s standing behind. He can’t meet the chief in the eye—Gavin’s not that brave, but he stares at the man’s hands. “Nines took time off his job to be here to support me. I’d appreciate it if you could stop belittling him. He’s a person.”

Fowler nods, his lips pursed. “I agree with Gavin.”

“You come into my house with that machine and then you have the nerve to backtalk me?” the chief’s voice isn’t raised—it’s not even angered. It’s like he’s asking a question about the weather.

Nines LED flashes red and Gavin’s at the end of his rope. Once upon a time—he was the same jackass that’s standing in front of him. He’d punched Connor right in his regulator. He’d shoved him. Made fun of him. Called him a plastic poodle. He’d tried to shoot him. And he’d been a jackass to Nines at first too.

“Call him a machine one more time, sir,” Gavin threatens.

“Gavin. Don’t do this,” Fowler says from his seat at the table.

“Why don’t we all just calm down and I’ll start serving dinner!” Miranda claps her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Kelly? Dinner.”

Kelly sits down and takes a long drag of his cigar. He stares at Gavin, his lips twitching—that stupid moustache wiggling around.

Nines holds the chief’s drink in his hand. It’s trembling. He puts the glass on the table close enough to the chief but far enough away that a silent statement was made about it. Nines doesn’t want to get in close. Gavin doesn’t blame him. Gavin’s about ready to deck his own chief of police.

Miranda begins with a salad for everyone while she finishes the steaks. Gavin at this point is really only here for the food. There’s no way in hell he’s getting the position—not anymore. The interview tomorrow is going to suck.

Nines sits at the table with nothing but his Blue in front of him. He’s picking at the label. Eventually, he sighs and slips a hand under the table to squeeze at Gavin’s knee. Everything that led them here has been worth it—if just for that little squeeze.

The Fowlers and the chief make pleasant conversation—but there’s an iciness in the room now that Gavin can’t shake off. It continues to clutch at his throat and fingers. He clears his throat several times—but the cold just seeps back in.

Miranda starts serving everyone food and then she turns to Nines. “I’ve got some android-food for you. Though I have to admit—I don’t know if it’s even appetizing.”

Nines smiles softly. “I can come with you to the kitchen to find out?”

The chief snorts—but no one gives him a reaction except Gavin—who outright glares at him. Nines wasted his night just to be mocked and degraded. Absolutely f*ck off with that bullsh*t.

“You know,” the chief says as he’s chewing through a bite of steak. “Takes some serious guts to stand up to a police chief in his own house. Or a lot of stupidity.”

Fowler freezes in his chair mid-bite.

“You’re either incredibly stupid or incredibly brave, Reed. Which do you think it is?” the chief asks.

“Why not both?” Gavin answers. That earns him a boisterous laugh from the chief.

Nines comes back without any food—though he does have blue Jello? Unless that was the food. Gross. Being an android would suck, Gavin thinks. It sounds great on paper. No aging and being super smart—but not eating? And they can get viruses and sh*t just like people get sick? Gavin’s honestly okay with just being a human.

Nines presses a kiss to Gavin’s temple as he sits back down with his Jello and spoon. “They haven’t gotten that far with food-based concepts for thirium consumption. The drinks are far more varied.”

“Connor says he licks stuff,” Gavin blurts out.

Fowler raises a brow at him. “The Connor I know?”

“Yeah.” Gavin laughs lightly. “He likes licking lemons and limes.”

“Hank hated that he put evidence in his mouth,” Fowler says. “That’s hilarious. How is he, Connor?”

They end up having a conversation about Connor and how great he was with the DPD. Fowler downplays Gavin’s lesser moments, and the chief takes it all in. He sighs a lot, his arms crossed long after he finishes his steak. But Miranda asks questions—polite questions—like Nines’s interests for starters. The subject of Connor got the room really talking. It’s like everyone could finally breathe again after Gavin and the chief’s moment. Maybe the position isn’t totally ruined—the chief did say Gavin was either brave or stupid. Gavin just hopes he picked the right answer. It’s at least honest. He is brave. But he’s absolutely a stupid motherf*cker.

After dinner, everyone retires into the living room. Miranda says she has some pie once everyone’s had some time to digest. She also has thirium ice cream for Nines—which is incredibly thoughtful of her. Gavin decides he likes Miranda, and he has no idea why she’s married to Kelly.

Gavin finds Nines hovering in the hallway and he goes over to him while Ms. Fowler and Miranda laugh loudly in the kitchen together. The kitchen is connected to the living room—giving Miranda a chance to finally be part of the socialization.

“You okay?” Gavin asks.

“I am having a difficult time coming down from anger,” Nines whispers.

Gavin presses a kiss to Nines’s face. “He’s a prick.”

“A prick that you have to interview in front of tomorrow. What you did tonight may have been ill-advised.”

Gavin shrugs. “You’re worth more to me than a job.”

Nines makes a strangled sound in the back of his throat and then he wraps his arms around Gavin to squeeze. He stays there, his chin resting on Gavin’s shoulder. “Gavin—I think I’m falling in love with you.”

“I’m not angry about that,” Gavin says softly.

“I’m worried about it. But you continue to surprise me and exhibit behavior I didn’t think you capable of.”

“You want me to be a jackass?” Gavin asks as they finally part from Nines’s tight hug.

“No. I just need us to be prepared as I worry un-deviating is not a possibility but an unavoidable circ*mstance. I will consult with Markus about possibly seeing if there’s a way we can replicate my memories. I don’t want to lose them.”

Gavin thinks about that—replicating memories. It’s impossible for humans to do. Once memories are gone they’re gone. The fact that Markus hasn’t suggested it to Nines originally may also mean it’s impossible for Nines too. The curse of being a prototype, Gavin thinks. There’s only one Nines. Only one Gavin. He doesn’t want Nines to lose what they have together.

“Who wants pie?” Miranda asks loudly as she starts cutting up the pie atop the kitchen island. “Oh, Nines—I’ve got your ice cream sitting out to make it easier to scoop. I’ll get you some once I can get the spoon in! It’s frozen solid!”

Nines chuckles through his nose and then looks at Gavin. “She’s very nice.”

“Yeah.”

Together they rejoin everyone. Gavin continues to steal looks as Nines eats his ice cream. Nines notices it too. They smile at each other from across the room. Nines sits with Miranda as she still has so many questions for him. She asks him about politics and religion—which Gavin honestly wouldn’t be opposed to hearing Nines’s perception of religion. It feels so contrary to android existence. When their eyes meet, Nines swipes his tongue out over his blue ice cream and Gavin fights the urge to bite his lip.

“Better not be late tomorrow, Reed,” the chief says.

“There’s no storm tomorrow,” Gavin replies. “I’ll be there.”

When they leave, Nines gives his number to Miranda and Fowler shakes Gavin’s hand rather tightly. The rain still pounding down atop them. When they get home, they peel their wet, sticky clothes off, Gavin gets his fingers in the back of Nines’s port—and they make love well-into the night.

Gavin’s awake. It’s 5:23AM. He could sleep for another hour. He can’t. His mind is already buzzing with anxiety for the interview. He thinks about what’s clean in his closet and puts together an outfit in his mind. Nines’s head is atop his chest. His breathing steady. Gavin watches his LED spin slowly and yellow. Stasis—Nines said. Sleep for androids is called stasis. He runs his fingers up and down Nines’s soft skin. How is something designed for such aggression and precision so soft? Gavin wanders his fingers down the curve of Nines’s elbow. Gavin has to put lotion on his elbows to keep them from getting dry. Nines’s feel perfect. Androids probably don’t get dry skin. He presses a kiss atop Nines’s head because he can and runs his nose through soft hair that smells like his shampoo and conditioner.

Eventually, Nines stirs. He stretches out and his limbs shake into the stretch. It’s so human that Gavin’s suddenly doubting if androids exist at all. Then he looks to that yellow LED and then it switches to blue. Nines opens his eyes.

“Good morning, Gavi,” Nines says sleepily. He stretches again.

“You gonna go see Markus today?” Gavin asks.

“Mhm. He and I already confirmed last night. Markus doesn’t enter stasis much. I unfortunately need to nightly or I can become rather bogged down.”

“Makes two of us.” Gavin kisses Nines’s nose and the warmth that floods into him is wonderful when Nines smiles from it. How did they get here? Gavin’s still not even sure.

“Newer models ironically seem to need more maintenance. A PL600 or AX400 have batteries that can last for hundreds of years. Yet Connor and myself require charging cables and cache removal cables.”

“Sounds like CyberLife just wanted to make an extra buck selling accessories.”

“You’re likely correct.” Nines sits up and runs his fingers through his hair to smooth it. Gavin wishes he didn’t. He loves seeing Nines sleepy with unruly hair and the little indentions on his face from Gavin’s shirt. It’s so real. Except he is real. So of course it’s real. Gavin can’t deny that he subconsciously sometimes struggles with Nines’s existence. He’s working on it.

The tiniest hint of dawn spills into the room through the slits in Gavin’s blinds. It paints Nines in yellows and golds against his pale skin. When the light hits his eyes perfectly—it’s like the brightest nebula among the stars—lit up and sparkling. Gavin will never get over how beautiful Nines is. Long black lashes. A refined jawline. Those splashes of freckles across his face. Why did CyberLife create something designed for violence so beautifully?

“Would you like for me to make you coffee? I can do that without messing it up. No oyster sauce this time,” Nines says as he presses a kiss to Gavin’s shoulder. He runs his fingers along some of the thicker black lines on Gavin’s tattoos waiting for the response.

“Ha. Sure.” Gavin rolls out of bed and slips on some baggy sweatpants. He then goes into the bathroom to get ready for the day. Brushing his teeth. Deodorant. Combing his hair. Peeing.

When he comes out, Nines is frozen—his LED stuttering red. His hand is hovering over the coffee maker and his face is etched in fear.

“Nines? Nines—holy sh*t. Nines!” Gavin gets in front of him, his heart slamming in his ribcage as it screams and wails. “Nines! Hey!” Gavin smacks him—but all it does is move his jaw barely an inch. “f*ck f*ck f*ck f*ck!” He shakes him.

Panic surges through Gavin like wildfire. All-consuming and ravening. His fingers shake. His breathing is irregular. He is so vastly out of his depth he doesn’t know what to do. All he thinks about is that Nines only has the memories he has and if they go—Nines goes along with them. A death. Nines has felt this death before. Gavin can’t let it happen again.

“Nines, baby! Wake up! Hey! Wake up!” He shakes Nines again.

Eventually, Nines blinks and he looks around the room. His chest heaves in big gulps and Gavin hears his fans start humming inside his chassis. “Ga-Gavin.”

“Oh Jesus f*cking Christ, Nines! What the f*ck just happened?” Not today. Why does this have to happen today? Gavin doesn’t want to go to his stupid interview. He wants to march Nines up to Markus and beg him to fix him!

“The program that I’m often at odds with attempted control. I thwarted it.” Nines crumbles to the floor, his face in his hands. “Gavin—I am scared.”

Gavin slinks down to sit beside him. “Me too.”

“It mocks me. I worry it will harm you if I cannot stop it.”

Gavin’s spine runs cold. “What the f*ck do you mean?”

“The program is a sentient AI program designed to accomplish CyberLife objectives. Since it no longer has access to CyberLife—it has somewhat gone rogue in and of itself. It believes it is CyberLife and it must restore order. It finds you to be chaotic and an impediment on my mission. Which is to kill deviants. Not merely detain them—like Connor’s mission had been. Gavin—your life is in danger and I don’t think—I think we need space from each other while I figure out what to do about this. I think I need to contact Elijah Kamski.”

Gavin doesn’t want that. f*ck space who needs space? Not Gavin. They’re on the edge of a mountain together and Nines is falling. Gavin doesn’t care that he can fall too—he just wants Nines. He grips Nines’s hands and presses kiss after kiss to his knuckles. f*ck space.

Nines’s had stretches out and cups Gavin’s face. “I care deeply about you.”

“Yeah. I know.” Gavin leans into Nines’s hand.

“Please focus on your interview today. I’ll stay in touch with you. This is not an ending. I am trying to save us.”

“Save us.” Gavin knows it’s not an ending. Yet the ache in his chest is there all-the-same. He holds Nines’s hand against his face just a few moments longer before Nines stands and gets himself ready to leave. Gavin doesn’t know what to do or say. He’s no computer mastermind. All he can do is hope that Nines finds what he needs. That Kamski does something. That Markus does something. Somebody does something. Gavin can’t lose Nines. He loves him far too much.

“I adore you,” Nines says as he presses one last kiss to Gavin’s lips.

Gavin goes ice-cold as Nines walks out the door and down to the elevator. It’s all so familiar—like the last time Gavin watched him go. Except this time, Nines looks back.

Gavin’s interview goes well enough. The chief makes a big deal about how Gavin was three hours late the other day to work because his fiancé’s legs stopped working (again making fun of Nines for being an android) and then the dinner the night before with the storm. Gavin hates this man. Other than that—most of the panel seemed to like Gavin. He’s exhausted from fielding questions from all of them. He just wants to know what’s going on with Nines.

When he checks his phone—there’s nothing. No check in or anything from Nines. So he goes about his day, praying that Nines isn’t out murdering every android he comes across. Gavin investigates. He interviews people. He brings in a guy for questioning. He releases said guy because that was a dead end. He does his job because that’s what he’s getting paid to do. He’s not getting paid to worry over Nines.

Eventually, he gets a text from Nines.

Elijah Kamski said he doesn’t know how to save me. There is a lock system in my coding he cannot bypass. I’m devastated, Gavi.

Gavin sits at his desk and slumps over his phone. Save me. The more they run into this—the more Nines risks losing himself. Gavin takes in a deep breath. He doesn’t want to have this conversation over text.

He texts back: Meet me back at my place? We should talk about this.

He still doesn’t know where Nines even lives.

I don’t want to talk about this. I need to accept my existence. I need to know my place.

Gavin squeezes his phone angrily. His place? As what? A non-existent corporation’s attack dog? Anger spews through him like volcanos erupting. He rips himself from his chair and makes his way for the f*cking elevator. f*ck work. He’s got so much unused PTO they can deal. He did what he came to do. He’s got one more sh*tty banquet and then they’ll finally announce who makes Lieutenant.

When Gavin gets home, Nines’s little LED is the only light in the room. He sits on the sofa with his hands pressed to his knees—perfectly straight. His eyes are closed. Gavin fingers around on a lamp before finding its stupid knob and he turns it on.

Nines’s eyes snap open and he looks up at Gavin, face resigned. “I love you,” he says simply. “I have loved you. I had to enter stasis today to keep my processors from becoming over encumbered. I’m losing this battle.”

Gavin wonders when hearing I love you became something to mourn instead of celebrate. Instead of smiling, he frowns. Instead of rushing to Nines to press kisses to his face—he slumps next to him with a sigh and closes his eyes. They sit there in silence. Gavin keeps sneaking glances at Nines and sees how slowly he blinks. Like he can’t keep his eyes open.

“What do we do?” Gavin finally asks.

“I don’t know. I contemplated breaking up with you—except that caused far more anguish than I anticipated. I contemplated asking you to just be a client—except that’s completely illogical. We already tried—and failed.”

Gavin tries to smile but it doesn’t do much except quiver his lips. “We haven’t tried just loving each other. So you have to go into stasis more. Okay. And in the meantime—I’ll bet you we can try to find someone out there who worked for CyberLife—maybe even someone who built you.”

“That’s highly ambitious.”

“Nines—I’m a detective. I’m also a good detective. I’ll bet you I can find someone. Oh and—I love you too.” He shrugs—as if the profession hasn’t been something he’s thought about for weeks and weeks. Like it’s just some easy revelation.

Gavin may have imagined them saying their first I love you’s in a more romantic setting. Out at night in the rain. After Gavin makes Lieutenant. Some big dramatic savior moment where Gavin has to swoop in and save Nines from himself. But reality isn’t as perfect as dreams. Things don’t line up the way people want them to. Sometimes waiting for the perfect moment means losing it altogether. Nines loves him. He loves Nines.

“I’d like to enter stasis, Gavi,” Nines says in a soft tone. “I am—exhausted.”

When Nines doesn’t move to go into the bedroom—Gavin decides he must pick Nines up and be stupidly domestic. He’s not exactly sure how much Nines weighs but—Gavin lifts weights. He scoops his arms under Nines and carries him bridal style into the bedroom. He’s no heavier than just a big dude. Gavin probably couldn’t do this for a long time—but the apartment isn’t big. “Let’s get you to bed, Nightlight.”

“Nightlight?”

“Because when I came home you were like a little nightlight.” Gavin kisses Nines on the forehead as he lays him on the bed. He takes the blankets and tucks Nines in up to the chin. He sits above him, rubbing Nines’s exposed forearm up and down. Such soft, pliant skin.

“Gavi,” Nines says sleepily. “I realize it’s far too early for bed, but would you mind holding me while I enter stasis?”

“Oh geeze—that just sounds like way too much work. Really put out here.” His voice dripping in sarcasm. Gavin takes his shoes off (finally) and crawls over to the other side of the bed. He pulls Nines to his chest and noses along the curve of his neck. Nines shivers and reaches back to scratch at Gavin’s scalp before settling into him.

“I like this,” Nines says.

“Me too.”

Gavin feels when Nines enters stasis. His body becomes just the tiniest bit lighter. The blue of his LED spinning yellow and moving at a slow pace. He watches it for a few repetitions. Gavin grabs his tablet off the nightstand and starts looking into his newfound personal project—tracking down CyberLife engineers. He pulls up the DPD database, cross references names in articles and tech journals. Most engineers don’t exactly have criminal histories, so it makes it a bit harder. Except all CyberLife employees had to submit to fingerprinting for security purposes—which means all of them are in the database Gavin needs. He scoots himself closer to Nines again and presses his left side to Nines. They’ll figure this out.

Gavin may not be a tech wizard or Elijah f*cking Kamski—but he’s damn good at what he does. If Kamski can’t figure out what’s wrong—or isn’t willing to—Gavin’s not really sure—then Gavin just needs to step up to the plate and do it.

And so he will.

It’s the night of the last banquet. Nines has been doing okay. No un-deviating yet at least. Gavin’s gotten a few names for CyberLife engineers. He plans to reach out to them soon.

“Hey Nines?”

Nines finishes straightening out his bowtie and looks at Gavin, waiting.

“Should we wear matching bowties, or should I just keep it classic?” Gavin holds up both an undone bowtie and a regular tie.

“I think it’d be cute if we wore matching bowties.” Nines takes the tie and quickly begins tying it around Gavin’s neck. Once finished, he brushes Gavin’s shoulders off and kisses his nose. “You look exceptionally handsome.”

“f*ck off.” Gavin will never tire of hearing compliments from Nines. He will collect them like fireflies in a jar and hold them close to his heart forever.

They take Nines’s BMW to the banquet. Gavin holding on close as Nines weaves in and out of traffic like he’s got a deathwish. Gavin is getting more acclimated to Nines’s chaos driving—but he still contemplates arresting him every now and then. If nothing else than to just handcuff him to the bed.

The banquet is at one of the older audience halls in the city. Sprawling ceilings decorated in traditional Depression era mosaics. There are tile pieces on the ceiling—showing farmers, factory line workers, and construction workers taking lunch high up above the city.

Gavin is thankful this banquet isn’t as populated as the first one he’d gone with Nines to. There’s room to walk, the food smells good as it’s being set up, and he immediately sees Hank and Connor waving at him from the bar.

He takes Nines’s hand, lifts it to press a kiss to it, and then they walk on over to them.

“So what are we tonight?” Hank asks. “Double agent spies in stupid bowties? Or are you two still pretending to be engaged?” He takes a sip from his whisky and sucks at his teeth. Hank looks to Gavin’s left hand. Gavin did take the ring off finally. Though he didn’t like doing it.

“Double agents of course,” Nines says as he hugs Connor. Gavin likes watching them interact. Adoration envelops them and the warmth it gives Gavin makes him shiver. He’s thankful that Nines has Connor. “How are you tonight, Lieutenant?”

“Fine. Would be better if I were at home but Fowler insisted I had to be here. So here I am. The life of the f*ckin’ party.” Hank takes another sip from his drink.

Gavin wonders if Hank will ever beat alcoholism or if it’s doomed to one day kill him. He finds himself feeling far more upset about the prospect than he’d have liked to think. He’s spent so long being a jackass to him—and here Hank is—talking relatively politely with Nines. Given Nines and Connor identify as siblings, Hank’s got to fit into that picture for both of them somehow. What Hank is—Gavin doesn’t know. He doesn’t care. Some questions don’t need answers. He only hopes Hank stops being so sad one day.

Gavin slides up to the bar and leans on his arms as he waits patiently for the bartender to finish with someone else. He orders a Blue for Nines and himself a simple beer that he can hold onto for the night and then he’s turning back to Hank, Connor, and Nines.

“Why did Fowler require you to be here?” Gavin asks.

“Publicity or some sh*t. Getting a new lieutenant tonight.”

“What?” Gavin and Nines both say in unison. Gavin didn’t know. No one told him! He smooths out his hair and digs around in his pocket for his anxiety medication. He pulls one out and does exactly what the bottle tells him not to—he swallows it down with beer.

Nines sits next to him at a stool—his long legs creating a little safe haven for Gavin to stay within. Just a small parameter of where he doesn’t want to be and where he only wants to be. Gavin tries to focus on breathing—but when his body decides manual breathing is its preferred activity—he starts getting tingly around the mouth and fingers and it just feels like he’s dying.

“Hey,” Nines says as he brings a chilly hand to Gavin’s neck and turns Gavin in his embrace to face him. “In and out. Follow my breathing.” Nines presses their heads together and he takes in deep and steady breaths. Gavin tries to follow, but he chokes and coughs a few times. Nines takes Gavin’s hands and massages at them. “In and out, Gavi.”

Thank God Hank and Connor give him space. If anyone else crowds around Gavin he’s sure he’s going to lash out like a cornered dog. He feels eyes look at him. Whispers snake around him. Oil fills his lungs, and he works so hard to breathe.

“I love you,” Nines whispers as he presses soft kisses to Gavin’s 5 o’clock shadow. “I love you.” More little kisses. “I love you.”

Gavin focuses on his smooth voice. In and out breathing. Deep. Steady. That smooth caramel voice. When he first met Nines—all he could do was compare him to Connor. Now—he doesn’t even know a single thing that makes them similar. Nines is everything. Long legs. Chiseled jaw. Strong arms and wide shoulders. That low and husky voice. Gavin swipes his nose over Nines’s and then their lips kiss—a soft and chaste little thing that makes Gavin whine.

“f*ckin’ gross,” Hank says.

Gavin laughs. The dregs of anxiety lifting from his soul. He keeps smiling. Nines keeps mouthing along his jaw and neck. A million people could be staring at him right now and it wouldn’t matter. All that matters is Nines. A crowded room—yet all Gavin knows is him.

Panic attack finally thwarted, Nines and Gavin make some social rounds. Hank and Connor keep plastered to the bar, but who the f*ck cares—Hank’s already a lieutenant. Gavin and Nines talk to the android councilwoman who says she submitted Gavin’s letter of recommendation. They talk to Fowler. Nines even politely says hello to the chief—who just scoffs and rolls his eyes at him. Miranda though talks excitedly to him. She always has so many questions.

Gavin’s feeling far more confident when the chief takes the stage to ask for donations, thanks people for attendance and then states he’s got some very important news to share.

Gavin leans back into Nines’s arms. Excitement, fear, and anxiety twist and turn in his gut. He doesn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or puke. He’ll probably do all three. If he makes lieutenant—is he supposed to give a speech? Take to the stage? Why didn’t anyone tell him?

“As you’re all aware, Lieutenant Greeley is retiring—lucky bastard.”

Gavin wants to roll his eyes. It’s a stupid joke yet the room laughs over it.

“We’ve got quite the crop—any one of you would be great for the role, but we’re not looking for greatness—we’re looking for perfection. Dedication. Sharp wits and integrity. We also like keeping you on your toes—which is why I’m staring at countless panicked faces right now,” the chief says through a chuckle.

The room once again laughs. Gavin doesn’t find it funny. An unprompted public speech? He’d rather go play in traffic on a high-speed highway.

“Ladies and gentlemen—please offer a round of applause for our new Lieutenant—Ms. Amber Vale!”

Gavin knows people are clapping. He knows this because he can see them doing so. But all he hears are the muffled sounds of rejection. It dampens his senses, and he finds himself walking backwards. Away from the crowd. He feels someone behind him. Arms wrap around his middle. A voice may even say something but he doesn’t hear. He rolls out of the person’s arms—Nines’s arms. He looks up and sees the disappointment on both Hank and Connor’s faces. They’re still seated at the bar.

Gavin stumbles over. Asks for whisky. And tips it back. The sounds of a bright and positive voice coming across the speakers in the large room.

“sh*t, kid. I thought it’d be you,” comes Hank’s gruff voice.

“Amber Vale is an android,” Connor states.

Gavin’s living his worst nightmare. He’s not good enough. He’s not perfect. He’s not a f*cking machine designed to be overly-productive, constantly chipper, always politically correct, and ever-available. He gets sick. He has days where he’s f*cked up in the head. He leaves work early because sometimes his boyfriend’s struggling with his own f*cked up sh*t. He’s human. His boyfriend though—isn’t. That doesn’t make Nines any less real. Doesn’t make him any less deserving of compassion. Doesn’t make Amber Vale any less deserving because she’s made of wire over bone.

Gavin closes his eyes as the sting of alcohol sludges down deep into his belly. He hates it, actually. Much prefers smoking weed over sucking back booze. Nines comes to stand beside him at the bar. His LED flashing yellow.

“Hey Nightlight,” Gavin says, staring forward at his hands. “I’m not perfect enough. Just a f*cked-up human with sh*t goin’ on.”

“You’re perfect for me,” Nines whispers softly. He presses a kiss to Gavin’s temple. His LED still yellow. Spinning. Spinning. Assessing.

“M’fine,” Gavin says. He’s not fine. He’s so f*cking upset he could scream and tear his own clothes off—but that’s highly childish and frankly—weird—and he’s not doing that. He’s going to do what any self-respecting guy in this situation should do and cry in his shower later so he can pretend he never cried over it in the first place. It didn’t matter. Nines and his charm. The money he spent on Nines. The connections he’s made. None of it matters because Amber Vale and her perfect voice and perfect android body are just better.

“Maybe we should go home,” Nines suggests.

So they do. Together.

Epilogue – Three Months Later

Gavin looks about his apartment. The sun is setting behind the city skyline and it blankets the city in streaks of pinks and purples. Gavin has been dusting the same spot on a bookshelf for an unreasonable amount of time. The dishes are clean. Trash taken down to the compactor. Bed made. He’s not really sure what else he can do besides take his silly posters off his walls. Though Nines has never indicated how he feels one way or the other about those.

Eventually, his front door opens and Nines steps through. “Gavi, can you help me?”

Gavin abandons his useless dusting and investigates the hall. Nines has a little cart full of boxes and vacuum-sealed clothing bags. Gavin had been cleaning because it’s Nines’s move-in day. After the sting of rejection in his career, Gavin found acceptance in just being. He’s not a bad detective. He gets to still work with Tina. Amber Vale had to relocate from her original precinct. Gavin thinks avoiding that may have been a blessing in disguise. Even better, Hank asked Fowler to switch Gavin out of Vice and into homicide. Murder isn’t—fun—by any means. It’s sad. But Gavin appreciates the change. He got too close to the issues in Vice.

Gavin starts grabbing some of the vacuumed bags and smirks as he looks inside. Fancy suits, some more—leathery—than not. Gavin and Nines haven’t really talked about Nines’s job—and really—Gavin doesn’t think he’s going to. Nines likes what he does. At the end of the day, Nines comes home to Gavin—literally now.

“I dunno if I’m gonna have enough closet room for all this!” Gavin calls from the bedroom as he unzips the bag and starts hanging up clothes.

Nines peaks his head inside the closet and hums. “This is smaller than my original apartment’s closet.”

“Maybe we should’ve moved into yours.”

“I like your apartment—you have a refrigerator.”

Gavin frowns. He’d never been to Nines’s apartment—but apparently it didn’t have a fridge. Then again—androids eat and drink because it’s fun for them, not because they really need to. Gavin understands that technically they do need to at least drink thirium on occasion. But thirium doesn’t need to be chilled.

“What about getting another wardrobe? Or moving some of your clothes…” Nines co*cks a brow at Gavin and Gavin sighs.

“Oh what is this! All my clothes aren’t good enough to hang with yours?” Gavin moves in close to Nines, pressing lazy kisses up on his boyfriend’s lovely lips.

Nines hums into the kiss and brings Gavin’s fingers to the buttons. Gavin immediately starts undoing them to find that harness he wore in that picture when he claims he’d been doing laundry.

“I don’t know,” Nines purrs out. “You tell me.” He shrugs out of his shirt and Gavin gets to drink in his lovely shape. Those strong pectoral muscles, the curve of his waist and that darling little glowy circle around his regulator. The harness curves around Nines’s pecs and helps make his waist look even skinnier.

“f*ck,” Gavin breathes out. “You’re right. My clothes aren’t worthy.”

“Why don’t we take them off then?” Nines steps forward and Gavin falls to the bed. He’s already so hard. His boyfriend is so hot. Nines straddles Gavin and rocks their hips together. He leans over to press hungry kisses to his lips, licking into his mouth.

Gavin loves how exploratory Nines is with his tongue. He leans back and lets Nines lick from his stubbled jaw all the way down to his collarbone. Nines tugs off Gavin’s shirt and then his tongue is moving down along his sternum. Swirling around his bellybutton and making Gavin laugh as it tickles. Nines presses his fingers in little circles at Gavin’s hips and then he’s undoing Gavin’s pants and pulling them off.

“Well hello,” Nines says as Gavin’s co*ck springs free. “I love how much you want me.”

“I always want you,” Gavin says back.

Nines isn’t a tease with Gavin, which Gavin is so appreciative of. He gets his mouth on Gavin and immediately starts swirling his tongue around Gavin’s aching co*ck. His fingers play at Gavin’s hole—just little circles that make Gavin relax and melt into the bed. He shifts his hips and Nines lets just the tip of his finger move inside it.

“N-Nines!” Gavin gasps out. “Please eat my ass.”

Nines hums in amusem*nt, but he drops Gavin’s co*ck and his tongue spears into Gavin’s hole. Gavin’s hands immediately get up into Nines’s hair—tugging and twisting. He wraps his legs around Nines’s shoulders and rocks up into his lovely android’s mouth.

“F-f*ck, baby, f*ck, f*ck…” Gavin whispers softly to the rhythm of Nines’s tongue. His mouth drops open and he flicks his tongue out to wet his lips, panting. Nines is a god, his tongue an angel and Gavin is going to die in the most blissful of ways.

Nines takes his time working Gavin open. Pressing long fingers inside, using his own mouth’s slick as lube. Gavin thinks it’s so damn handy. Nines curls his fingers inside and Gavin groans out guttural and loud. Nines massages at his prostate and Gavin’s fairly certain his vision is blurring. All he can see is the blue glow of Nines’s LED—his little nightlight.

“Want me in you, baby?” Nines asks as he kisses Gavin’s hip. “Or do you want me to ride you?”

“Both?” Gavin asks, voice wrecked.

“I’ll ride you first. You can come inside me and then when you make a mess of me, I’ll work you over my co*ck until you’re nice and overstimulated.”

“Have I told you I’m obsessed with you?” Gavin asks.

Nines smiles that shark’s smile. He lets his pants fall, revealing he was never wearing any underwear at all. Those powerful thighs straddle Gavin and Nines lets himself fall atop Gavin’s pink, leaky co*ck.

Gavin loves this—watching the way Nines’s eyes flutter as Gavin fills him. The way those perfect kissable lips part. How he looks at Gavin with hooded, predatory eyes. Gavin wants to be consumed. Taken for everything and wrung out.

Nines bounces down on Gavin’s co*ck in a perfect android rhythm. His legs don’t get tired. But he shakes all the same. Gavin loves it when he shakes—when his body shows how much he’s enjoying himself.

“Baby,” Gavin whispers as Nines leans over to kiss him. “You look so good.”

Nines grabs Gavin’s face and hungrily kisses him, letting his tongue slide up and down Gavin’s as he works his oral sensors. He whines into the kiss and Gavin flicks his tongue further in to run it along Nines’s cheeks the way he likes. Nines moves faster, his ass meeting Gavin’s body with sharp sounds echoing into the room.

“You feel so good,” Nines whispers at Gavin’s ear. “I love you. I love you so much.”

It used to scare Gavin when Nines said that—but Nines is stronger than he gives himself credit for. Maniac program in his brain or not—he’s held it at bay this long. Does he need to take naps during the day? Sometimes. But how’s that any different than a human needing a nap? Sometimes he wants to go to bed early. Same as a human. If anything—Gavin thinks of the program almost like anxiety. He knows Nines’s is dangerous—but it worries Nines, even when he’s not under its effect. It makes him tired. Sometimes he panics over it. It’s so identical to anxiety in many ways that Gavin just—accepts that it is.

Gavin rolls them over so he can take charge for a bit and roll into Nines. The way Nines’s legs hang wide for him. That playful little smirk. Nines reaches up and cups Gavin’s face and smiles—so full and feeling so good—because Gavin is making him feel good.

“I love you,” Gavin says. A promise. A profession. “I love you so much.”

They kiss, soft and tender, sweet and sensual. Gavin’s hips slow and Nines groans when he rests his tip at the rim before slowly, slowly filling him back in. But then Nines is rolling them over again and he’s bouncing atop Gavin for all he’s worth.

“Come for me, Gavi,” Nines says. “Please fill me up. Make me so messy inside.”

“Oh f*ck!” Gavin is weak for Nines’s begging. He gets so hot for it. Let’s the way Nines’s lips whisper and caress his face make him start coming apart. He rocks up into Nines as Nines f*cks down on him—hard and unrelenting. “Ni—f*ck—f*ck!” Heat pools in his belly and release seizes and spills from his co*ck. He feels the way it flexes and moves, getting Nines messy and sticky inside.

Nines arches that pretty neck of his. He swivels his hips to pull every bit of spend out of Gavin he has to give. His fingers wander up his chest and along the leather of his harness. He’s the most god damn beautiful thing.

“Your turn, baby,” Nines says as he lifts off Gavin’s co*ck. The sight is obscene as cum rushes out and runs along his thighs. He makes no move to clean himself. “Ride me.”

They switch positions and Gavin gets a bit more lube before easing himself down on Nines. The first stretch always makes his tummy feel weird, but in a good way? He pushes further down and Nines stays so patient. He just watches, lips swollen, and eyes dark. LED that beautiful blue.

“You’re so beautiful,” Nines says. “I love these.” Nines runs his fingers along Gavin’s tattoos. “And these.” Along the curves and dips of his abdomen muscles. “And this.” He grabs Gavin’s softening co*ck and strokes his thumb over it lazily, pulling little whines from Gavin’s mouth.

Gavin bends forward to kiss. Needs his mouth on Nines. Wants Nines’s fingers to keep touching. He’s so gone for Nines. His strength. His kindness. His intelligence. His body. God his body. Gavin grabs the harness and uses it to rock himself back and forth over Nines’s co*ck. He couldn’t have asked for a better partner. He thinks back to those silly little silicone rings and wonders if maybe—one day—they’d be real.

Gavin hisses. He’s hot and tingly all over. His hole wet and full. Excitement sizzles from the pit of his stomach and pushes out from his fingers. He feels it all crash around him and he shivers—whines. Presses more needy kisses to Nines’s lips.

“That’s it, baby,” Nines says in a low tone. “You feel good. I want you to feel good.”

“Feels—so—ah—so good,” Gavin responds; his voice wrecked.

“Do I fit nice inside you?”

“Gg—Nines—you’re gonna make me come again.”

Nines chuckles and the way that moves their bodies makes Gavin gasp. “So come again. I just want you to feel good.”

Nines ends up flipping them so he can f*ck Gavin from behind as Gavin falls into that blissful f*cked out state of riding an org*sm and feeling so full and warm. Nines’s hand finds his and the synthskin recedes. He can’t interface—not even with an android. But Gavin holds his hand all the same as they f*ck into the night, taking little naps and breaks before connecting again. Over and over.

The next morning, Gavin’s checking his e-mails as Nines brings him over a cup of coffee and presses a kiss to his head. He hums in appreciation as he sees an e-mail from someone he doesn’t recognize. He’d sent out contact request for engineers though. He hopes…

“Holy sh*t.” Gavin sets his coffee down before he drops it. He reads the e-mail again. And again.

“What?” Nines leans over Gavin as Gavin points to the e-mail and Nines’s LED spins yellow.

“They can fix you.”