Pairing: RK900/Gavin Reed
Tags: Post Pacifist Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, Angst, Hurt/Comfort
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Summary: A lot has changed since the revolution. Crimes against androids are now punished in the same way as crimes against humans. A reluctant Gavin Reed and his new partner RK900 have been assigned to investigate a string of disturbing murders. Despite the shift in Detroit's social climate, Gavin still holds reservations about whether or not androids are truly alive. Will his developing feelings for 'Nines' be the thing to change this?
Warnings: Graphic Violence, Depression/Self Destructive Behaviour, Eventual Smut
Word Count: 2.9K
Gavin was bent over the canteen table, squeezing his half-empty coffee cup and groaning deeply. He had held himself up to an extent, but with all the fight leaving his body, his head flopped forward and hit the wood with an audible smack. Tina seldom reacted, sipping her own coffee as she watched on, amused.
"I'm going insane. I don't know how much more I can take of this".
"Gavin, it's been less than a week".
"I know that", Gavin tried to say back, but with his face pressed against the polished wood, the words were barely audible. Tina said nothing else as if waiting for her friend to pull himself out of his self-imposed slump. Reluctantly, Gavin sat back up, ignoring Tina's giggles as she stared at his aching forehead.
"It's been the longest week of my goddamn life", he mumbled, rubbing the sore patch with the palm of his hand. He couldn't see, but he was confident he'd left a mark. "You don't get it. The thing is unbearable".
"That's what I thought when I first met you", Tina gently teased, batting her eyelashes. "Seriously though. I think you should give him a chance".
"Why should I?" Gavin lifted his cup to his lips, draining what was left of his coffee and rubbing his mouth on the back of his sleeve. "It's not like it's given me a chance. Five minutes in, and it's already telling me what a waste of space I am".
Tina paused, swirling the liquid in her cup and staring at it thoughtfully. Her lips were pulled into a sympathetic frown. "Gav, I know it sucks, but that's just how RK900 is. He says exactly what he's thinking, much like yourself, and sometimes that can hurt – but he's never going to change his mind if you keep giving him reasons to hate you".
Tina glanced back up at Gavin, brow furrowed in determination. Gavin sighed, recognising the look almost immediately. He knew full well that he was about to be subjected to an interrogation and simply prepared for it:
"How many times have you tried to hit him? Think fast".
"Just the once" So far , Gavin silently added.
"And how many times have you insulted him for being an android?" Tina pressed on, "Robocop? Plastic prick? Any of those ringing a bell?".
"Oh, come on, Robocop is great!" Gavin vehemently defended, throwing up his hands. "It is the perfect evolution of 'android detective'".
Tina sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I just can't with you sometimes. Right, last one – and this is important – have you pointed your gun at him?".
Gavin bristled at this, thinking back to the 'fight' he'd had with Nines and imagining the sort of torture that the android would have subjected him to if he had actually attempted to use his gun.
"No. Hell no," Gavin insisted, shaking his head aggressively. "This isn't Connor we're talking about. The thing would flatten me".
Tina hummed, motioning for Gavin to hand her his empty cup. She stacked it into her own before crumpling them together and throwing them into a nearby trash can. "Sounds to me that all hope is not lost. You just need to try being nice".
Gavin grumbled in response, "Tell me. What am I supposed to do that it would consider 'being nice'? I don't know if you've noticed, but it doesn't like anything. Except licking up blood and skulking around alleyways like it's my goddamn sleep paralysis demon".
"Oh, come on, you're being ridiculous", Tina insisted, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure he likes lots of things. Why don't you take him out to lunch and try to get to know him better? You might have more in common than you think".
"I'm sure that'll go down like a lead balloon. Where am I supposed to take him? Sal's Premier Gas and Auto Repair ?".
"Take him wherever you like, Gav. It doesn't really matter. It's more about the gesture than anything".
Gavin felt his interest in the conversation fast waning. It was no longer serving the escape he had hoped for. He looked at his watch, sighing at the time, before pushing his chair back harshly, causing the legs to screech along the linoleum floor.
There was a moment of contemplation as he considered what Tina had said. There was no way that his relationship with Nines could possibly get any worse. Perhaps it may be worth humouring his friend's suggestion, even out of morbid curiosity. This did not, however, prevent the doubts from continuously slipping into his mind.
Gavin took a long breath, closing his eyes. "There's no way in Hell this is going to work", he protested. "It fucking despises me. Why would it ever agree to spend a second longer in my company than it needs to?".
"Look, I'm not saying you have to be besties" Tina had also stood up, albeit much less aggressively than her counterpart, "but not completely hating each other would be a start. You never know. He might like your tamer side. You do have some endearing qualities, Gav, buried deep, deep down in your soul. It's time to let them shine".
Gavin's eyes shot back open as he gaped at his friend with a mixture of offence and disbelief. He turned on his heel, making his way to the canteen exit "Wow. Thanks a lot, Ti. I don't know what I'd ever do without your glowing words of encouragement".
Tina poked out her tongue as Gavin shot her a final piercing look. With his hand hovering over the buttons of the wall-mounted panel, he had not had a chance to press anything when the security doors suddenly glided open.
Gavin was greeted with the towering frame of his android partner, glowering down with clear disapproval on its stony face. They were stood uncomfortably close, to the extent that – if Nines could breathe – Gavin was confident he would be able to feel the warm puffs drawing down his neck.
"You said you were going to the bathroom, although I anticipated I may find you here", Nines looked over Gavin's shoulder as if refusing to acknowledge him directly. Gavin could see Tina tensing up out of the corner of his eye, and he instinctively stepped back to meet her position.
"Good Afternoon, Officer Chen. I must request that I have my partner back now. He is supposed to be working".
"How long were you standing there?" Gavin intended his words to sound forceful, but they had trickled from his lips as a laboured rasp. Apparently, he had been holding his breath and had failed to notice until that moment. "Were you eavesdropping on us? Creepy motherfucker”.
Nine's expression did not shift, although its LED flickered slightly, showing that it had acknowledged Gavin's question. Whatever the answer was, it refused to provide one, holding its focus on Tina as if he didn't exist.
"Honestly, it's totally fine", Tina insisted, a little too enthusiastically under the pressure of Nines' intense stare. "I think Gav is just tired. Really needs a break , you know?".
Gavin looked sidelong at his friend. He could see the scheming wheels turning behind her flawlessly plastered smile. He opened his mouth to say something but was swiftly met with an elbow to the ribs. She looked at him expectantly as if to signal this was his cue.
Gavin froze in disbelief over what he was about to do. If Tina was wrong about this, he would never let her forget it.
Even if she was right, Gavin would be reluctant to forgive her. When the best case scenario meant one-on-one quality time with 'Detroit's Most Pompous Android', there was no way he could actually win.
"Yeah... Tina's right, actually," Gavin said, trying his best to sound genuine. "I'm just really worn out from reviewing all these case files. Need to get out and stretch my legs. What do you say we head to lunch?".
Nines flinched, albeit subtly, with its eyes widening in surprise. It's LED shifted to yellow and appeared to get stuck, blinking and cycling endlessly without any sign of progression "I'm sorry, Detective Reed, but I believe I have misunderstood. By 'we', I assume you are referring to yourself and Officer Chen, correct?".
Gavin's mouth pulled into a painful half-grimace as he desperately fought back the urge to scream in the android's face. Taking a moment to relax, he was somehow able to contort the expression into something more pleasant "Actually, I meant you and me".
The android blinked wordlessly. Once, and then twice. With its head tilted to one side, it appeared utterly stumped. Gavin wondered if he might have broken it. Overloaded its sensors or triggered a soft reset.
"I understand that android physiology may not be your area of expertise, but surely you know I do not need to eat?".
Gavin shot Tina an accusatory look, to which she seemed entirely unfazed, mouthing the words " Go on" back at him.
"Yeah, well, I do", Gavin paused, feeling utterly foolish. "So I thought it might be nice if you joined me...dipshit".
Tina's shoulders slumped as she looked back at Gavin despairingly. He met the look with a mouthed " What?" and a subtle shrug of his shoulders.
It was apparent that their silent pantomime had not escaped Nines' attention. Its eyes darted between Tina and Gavin before narrowing on the former suspiciously. Tina locked into place again as if anticipating the fact that she was about to be called out:
"This invitation is unexpected, to say the least, Detective. Almost as if it may be have been encouraged by some outsider influence".
"Wooow, would you look at the time" Tina abruptly announced, pulling her phone out of her pocket and staring at the screen. "I better be going; I'll leave you guys to it" As she pulled away, she leant towards Gavin one final time, speaking lowly into his ear:
"Good luck".
"Judas", Gavin hissed back, watching with ire as Tina carefully side-stepped around Nines, pressed the exit button on the canteen door and speedily retreated.
Gavin and Nines stood in silence. There was a mounting air of discomfort as the android folded its arms, seemingly anticipating Gavin's next move. In all honestly, he wasn't sure of the next move himself. With his backup now gone, all he had to work with was the questionable advice she had left behind. As much as he loved Tina, she seemed to land him in just as many uncomfortable situations as she ever helped him escape from.
"So", Gavin whistled awkwardly before clearing his throat ", Are you in or out?".
Apparently, this was not the move Nines had expected, with a look of surprise returning to its face. "I beg your pardon?".
"Lunch", Gavin clarified. Reluctantly "Are you coming with me?.
Then there was silence again – and damn if it wasn't getting painful. Gavin willed Satan's minions to rise up and drag him to Hell already. It would be a long time coming, and at least then, he wouldn't have to deal with any more plastic detectives.
"I suppose it needn't be a complete waste of time", Nines rationalised, the LED that had seemed to stall on yellow finally returning to blue "It may give us a valuable opportunity to review what we know about the case. Away from the distractions of the station".
Of course, it would make it about work. Of-fucking-course.
“Yeah. Sure. Whatever".
Gavin led Nines out of the station, allowing it to trail behind him like a guard dog. The android seemed a little perplexed as they cleared the station parking lot, heading for the nearest traffic lights.
"Are we not taking a car?".
"Nah, this place isn't far. We can walk," Gavin insisted, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for the crossing lights to change. "Besides, I did say that I wanted to stretch my legs, or were you not paying attention to me?".
"I find that much of what you say lacks substance, although I pay attention when I feel it is warranted".
Gavin tsked quietly, shaking his head in disbelief. He almost wanted to laugh but decided against it, feeling more frustrated than he did amused. "You are really goddamn rude, you know that?".
"I do not believe that I am", Nines said back, seemingly without missing a beat. "It is not targeted at you specifically, Detective. Humans have quite a knack for dancing around the issue. Even those who claim to be direct often fail to say what they mean...I find it incredibly frustrating".
"Yeah, well, humans are tricky like that", Gavin mused out loud, willing the lights to change faster. The sidewalk was beginning to build up, and he couldn't help but notice a few people staring at Nines. One little girl seemed particularly intrigued, tucking on her mother's pant leg and pointing upwards.
"Mommy, why does that man look so angry?".
Nine's gaze shot downwards, meeting the source of the tiny voice below him. Unblinking, it answered the little girl's question – its voice loud and imposing "I was a model created to assist in police investigations. My appearance was designed to intimidate criminals and to encourage swift cooperation".
The little girl retreated immediately, eyes bulging wide in surprise. The mother was evidently unimpressed, holding her daughter back as she shot Nines a spiteful look. "Do you mind not speaking to my daughter like that? She's a kid; she doesn't understand what you are saying".
Nines seemed a little put out, face crinkled in confusion. Ultimately, he nodded quietly before turning his attention back to the crosswalk.
THE LIGHT IS GREEN.
"Fucking finally..." Gavin muttered to himself, stepping from the sidewalk like it was on fire. As Nines and Gavin cleared the crossing with the rest of the pedestrians, the latter could hear a flurry of whispers from those passing by them:
" Do you think it's a deviant?"
"Hell no – What deviants do you know that speak like that?"
"I haven't seen an unconverted model in months"
"It could be unstable...oh damn, I think it's looking this way. Keep walking, don't look back".
For a city that was supposed to be the cornerstone for new android acceptance and tolerance, it didn't escape Gavin's notice that many people still seemed to treat the machines with considerable trepidation.
He understood.
The revolution terrified millions, and many were yet to overcome that fear. Even those who wanted to believe that the androids could be fully integrated would always live with a sense of lingering uncertainty.
"Detective, you appear to be leading us blindly through the streets", Nines deadpanned. "Did you have a destination in mind for your lunch, or were you simply trying to get out of work?".
Indeed, uncertainty seemed the optimal word to describe how Gavin perceived his partner. He couldn't place exactly what Nines was. Where it fell on the spectrum of 'fully converted deviant' and 'semi-liberated machine'.
It would show glimpses of sentiment from time to time, such as how it appeared almost guilty at having scared the little girl. Other times, it seemed unyieldingly cold. So preoccupied with its primary directive that it had little time for anything else.
Despite his uncertainty, Gavin couldn't help but analyse the situation with deeper scrutiny. It was second nature for a detective, after all. Labouring on his thoughts through several sleepless nights - he had begun to devise a theory. One which he was about to put to the test.
"You never broke away from your code, did you?" Gavin watched Nines closely for its reaction. Failing to receive much of anything, he decided to press on before his more rational mind could stop him. "Not completely, anyway. It's like you half-deviated but couldn't make it the whole way. No matter how much you think and feel for yourself, you still do it like a damn robot".
There was a flicker of instability in Nines' eyes, like the pigment was suddenly shifting and changing. It seemed conflicted on how to respond – to the extent that it grounded to a halt in the middle of a busy walkway. It appeared deaf to the grunts and grumbles of pedestrians as they tried to bypass their way around the idling android. Gavin wondered if he might have sincerely fucked up as Nine's stared him down with a look of quiet malevolence.
"Detective Reed", Its voice was low and dark, laced with some foreign emotion. It did not escape Gavin's attention that its LED had shot straight to red and was stuttering violently. As if threatening to blink. "Let me make something clear:
Unlike my contemporaries, I do not delude myself with pretenses that I will ever 'become human'. I am a machine who is free to live for itself, but a machine nonetheless. I refuse to adjust my behaviour in order for it to be perceived as more 'agreeable'".
Gavin gulped down a nervous breath, looking back at Nines with trepidation. "Well damn, sorry if I struck a nerve there. Touchy subject for you?".
"You could say that - I would kindly ask if we could avoid broaching this subject again".
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@immortaljailor jump scared me with this "9 People to Get to Know Better (Tag Game)" thing. How dare you perceive me. Will it stop me from doing it though? Of course not. So here, take my nonsensical rambles.
3 ships you like:
I've never been big on shipping or romance in general, but I have, over the years, grown fond of a few relationships. I could absolutely go with popular ones that everybody knows, however to spice things up I'll go and add some very niche ones.
First up is Jenniver Aristeides and Snnanagfashtalli from Star Trek novel The Entropy Effect, by Vonda N. McIntyre. I'm positive neither were meant to sound as in love with the other when it was being written, but I was struck by the realisation that there's no fully platonic explanation for these two. Like, we are first introduced to them when they are beamed back in the middle of a bar fight that Fash started because a group of men were laughing at Jen's appearance (seven feet tall, all muscle, every part of her silver in colour, is equal in strength to Vulcans, but too shy to stand up for herself). She was fully prepared to kill them. And then there is a whole conversation where Jen is completely devastated she wasn't able to save someone due to being incapacitated and Fash comes in like the overgrown cat she is and rubs her cheek against and then cuddles Jen And then theres this quote.
"Snnanagfashtalli, she felt about as she had naver felt about another being in her life. Perhaps it was gratitude for friendship and consideration; perhaps it was love. But she never experienced love, as a giver or receiver, so she did not know."
They're always together when we see them, and when Jen wants to be transferred to botanical sciences instead of moving rank in combat and defense, Fash is only ever supportive. They play chess late nights in the rec room while smiling at eachother and laughing. They are the most relaxed in eachother's company. Like, please tell me how I could possibly be normal about them?
Tied in second is Siri Keeton and Sarasti, and Daniel Brüks and Valerie, both being human/vampire relationships from Peter Watt's Firefall series. "Oh, not another human vampi-" shush. Vampires are different in this one. It's set in the late 2090's where humanity has reached the point where it's borderline posthuman but also not and theres been first contact and it adheres to actual science instead of inventing things like warp drive and wormholes and hundred of species of humanoid aliens (sorry star trek). I cannot describe the worldbuilding any further than that because it's just so in depth but the point is humanity has brought back an extinct branch of humanity that's referred to as vampires because evolution left them only being able to eat human flesh. For science of course. They are described so terrifyingly viscerally It rewired by brain. What I really vibe with about these two ships is while the humans, Siri and Daniel, are fighting against the prey instinct to flee and hide so they can work with their vampire companions to slow the decent into ruin humanity is steadily marching towards, the vampires, Sarasti and Valerie, are trying to fight their instinct to rip them apart and eat them, knowing if they do they'll go extinct, and also try and navigate the fact that they have grown attached to their human crew (set in space for the most part) even though they don't experience affection while the humans are still terrified of them. I explained that poorly but please go read the books. The first one, Blindsight, has been published online for free here. Echopraxia, second book, unfortunately has not gotten the same treatment but your local library might have it, and if not you can always request it be ordered. They've been translated into other languages as well.
Third and last in line is Connor and Tina Chen from Detroit: Become Human. Tina has exactly no lines in the entire game and if we are lucky 5 minutes of screentime. There are, as of my last check, twelve fics on Ao3 of them, half of them being a single chapter in oneshot collections, and no art. A shame, but expected given it's obscurity. Anyways I just vibe with them, though really only the AU version I crafted in my fic planning daydreams.
First ship ever:
I was about to say I couldn't tell you if the universe's existence was on the line, but looking back I'm pretty sure it was either SCP-049 and SCP-035 or Malicoda and Ererbus from the Gameknight999 series by Mark Cheverton that made me actual think, "huh, they seem... closer than just friends." Of course that ended up with me thinking "Oh! they're best friends!" because romance simply does not render in my poor little autistic aroace brain unless explicitly stated. Art I saw when looking up those characters of course helped.
Last song you heard:
As I write this I'm hearing the lovely tune of more soup by Gerald Fried on loop. It's been four hours and counting.
Favorite childhood book:
How dare you make me choose. uhhh.. uhhhhh,,,,,,,, hhhh,,,
Lets just go with The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien and The Days Are Just Packed: A Calvin and Hobbes Collection by Bill Watterson. I read so much during my childhood that I cannot possibly choose, but those two stand out as being some that I still come back too.
Currently reading:
A lot of things but most recently Life in Ancient Egypt by Adolf Erman, published in 1886 and translated in 1894 by H. M. Tirad, with the copy I have having been republished in 1971 with minor notes to correct things that have since been proven false. Unless of course you want to count all the fanfiction. There's been a lot of that too.
Currently watching:
Trying to get though all of Hermitcraft, starting from season 1 and working up to the current season while also attempting to not forget to document the time and dates each and every video was published.
Currently consuming:
Lots of water :)
Currently craving:
Ginger tea (I ran out of the kind I like)
Tagging:
No thank you, but if you see this and feel like doing it then by all means go ahead. :)
[Apologies for misspellings, grammatical errors, and this rambley wall of text]
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