Chapter Text
“Pull over. Let me drive for awhile.”
Your small corner at the station was overflowing with papers – reports that needed filing, evidence that needed looking over, and other miscellaneous things that you probably should’ve done days ago but couldn’t find the motivation to do so.
You sighed, your hands coming up to rub small circles at your temples. As much as you loved your job, you hated the menial work that came with it.
“Good evening detective.” Connor’s voice interrupts your thoughts and you give him a small smile when your eyes meet.
“Hey, Connor. You have more papers for me?” You gesture to the manila folder in his hands, trying to keep the disappointment out of your voice but Connor’s curious head tilt lets you know you’ve failed.
“These files pertain to the case Lieutenant Anderson and I have been assigned, that’s actually why I’m talking to you,” he opens the file and hands you a single piece of paper, “the android we’re looking for is suspected to have ten victims, he—”
“Ten?!” Your voice cuts through Connor’s informative tone. You look up at him again, this time your eyes wide in shock. “Why aren’t you out investigating. Where’s Hank?”
He meets your gaze with steady eyes. “Since the revolution and changes to the law Lieutenant Anderson, along with the rest of the station, has seen an influx of cases as I’m sure you know,” he shoots a quick glance down at your desk which causes you to straighten in your seat. “I need your help. We know the suspect isn’t far but following his trail has proven to be… time consuming. I’ll do whatever I can to assist you in your paperwork once this case has shown progress.” The cadence of his voice makes him sound… desperate almost. You lean further back into your chair, mulling over his offer in your head.
“What do you need me to do?” You could’ve sworn you heard him give a sigh of relief at your question.
“Join me in my patrol of the areas we’re suspicious of. I asked captain Fowler and he informed me that you’re one of the detectives working late tonight. While not exhilarating, it may be a better way to spend your time.” You knew he was right, this case would save you from empty hours of checking the clock until you had to go home. Instead of taking his offer right away, however, you let him flounder for a second.
He looked calm and collected but the tight line of his lips and anxious darting of his eyes led you to believe otherwise. Seeing Connor unprepared and nervous was new, a great contrast from his usual demeanor of. It was almost cute but you didn’t allow your thoughts to wander that far.
Without a word you rose from your desk, shoes clicking softly on the floor as you glide past Connor. His head moves to follow you, eyes studying your movements curiously.
Stopping at the door you turn to him, “You comin’ or not? You’ve got—” you look at your watch quickly, “five hours until my shift is over. I’m not staying one minute after 1 AM unless you plan to pay me overtime.” You give him a soft smile, letting him know you aren’t irritated with him.
He returns your smile before making his way towards the door, “Of course, detective.”
Fully autonomous cars are a blessing, something that most people rely on. Your precinct was equipped with the latest technology, anything that would help when it came to solving crimes and upholding the law. Captain Fowler made sure of that, except for when it came to the patrol cars.
“There needs to be someone behind the wheel, paying attention. I know everyone’s going to bitch about it so don’t even bother. I need to make sure there are people still doing their jobs.” That was his logic behind having cars that still needed manual drivers. Normally, they didn’t bother you all that much, you even found yourself enjoying the drives.
Tonight wasn’t one of those nights.
You rolled your shoulders, trying to relieve the tension you held there from being in the car for two hours. Connor was in the passenger seat carefully looking over evidence and occasionally giving you vague directions. So far, none of the places the two of you patrolled seemed suspicious or out of order. It still beats doing paperwork you supposed.
You let out a quiet yawn, blinking your eyes rapidly afterward trying to get the tears out of your eyes. You hadn’t noticed how tired you were until that moment. The street lights becoming rhythmic as you drove by and your bones beginning to feel heavy. Bringing your unoccupied hand to your face you pushed the stray hair out of your eyes. Instead of watching the empty road your eyes focused on the flurries of snow hitting the window shield.
“Are you okay, detective?” The sound of Connor’s voice makes you jump, you almost miss the concern that laced his voice.
“I’m fine. Just late is all.” The dim light of the dashboard shone on your face, allowing Connor to really see your eyes as he observed you. You had been in the office all day, usually one of the first detectives to arrive and one of the last to leave. Seeing the slight droop of your eyelids brought a pang to Connor’s chest. A blip of red flashed across his LED before blinking back to a steady yellow and then settling on blue. His jaw tensed slightly before he spoke again.
“Pull over. Let me drive for awhile.” His voice was soft, comforting. You wondered how he could ever grimly pry a confession from someone with a voice like that. It was entirely too warm to be intimidating.
“I’m okay, really you—” you heard him say your name. It was the first time he had called you anything other than detective, your last name, or some variation of ‘officer’. Your steady breathing hitched for a small moment before returning to normal. Slowly you pulled your eyes away from the empty road in front of you, opting to instead gaze at Connor.
“Please. I can drive. Rest, I’ll drop you off afterwards.” After a few seconds, you nod. Pulling the car over to the side of the road. The sound of snow being pressed underneath the tires fills the silence between you two.
Gently you open your door and step out into the cold air. Connor mirror’s your actions, making his way to the driver’s side. You stop him before he enters the car, your hand ghosting over his forearm, barely keeping him in place. You notice the smooth fabric of his jacket and the feeling of warm flesh underneath it.
His eyes make their way to yours, the same flash of curiosity he so often has fading away into a softer expression.
“Thank you.” You rub your thumb gently into the crook of his arm before dropping your hand and heading over to the passenger side of the car. You can’t bring yourself to look at Connor, embarrassed slightly by your gesture of gratitude. Eyes following the snow as it gently hits the ground. A rosy color dusts your cheeks.