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“Sup, scrumptious?” The newest rookie winked as he walked past Matthew, patting his back as he passed. Matthew clenched his jaw.
“I am not edible, Officer Ramírez!” He spat.
“Ignore him, Math.” Hank told him. “He’s just trying to get a reaction.”
“I don’t like him.” Connor growled. “He needs to watch himself.”
“He’s just overconfident. Just try to grin and bear it.” Hank forced a smile. Matthew scowled and moved behind Connor’s desk. Connor gripped Matthew’s hand for a second.
“Morning.” Gavin greeted as he passed Hank and Connor’s desks, coffee in one hand, jacket in the other. “Fuck, it’s warm today. What’re you doing here, Math?”
“I was assisting Hank in questioning a child who reported his Mother as abusive.” Matthew explained. Working with Social Services proved to be beneficial, one of those benefits being that he could help with some investigations. “I have another interview later so I am staying here until the child is available.”
“Yeah? What happened with the first kid?”
“It turned out he was just upset that she did not buy him the newest gaming console for his birthday and he ‘wanted revenge’. The poor woman was terrified.”
“Kids.” Gavin rolled his eyes before heading to his desk. Matthew chuckled.
“Oi, Gavin.” Hank indicated for Gavin to get his ass over there. Gavin dumped his coffee and jacket on his desk and approached Hank’s, leaning against Hank’s chair as he looked down at the older man.
“Yeah?”
“How are you?” Hank looked up at him. Gavin shrugged.
“I’m good.”
“Sure?”
“Yeah.”
“Good.”
“It’s hot today.” That told Hank all he needed to know. Gavin was anxious, most likely about the scars that were visible on his arms. They were usually hidden by his jacket, but it was far too warm for that. Even Richard had donned his sports jacket.
“It is. You gonna be okay?”
“I don’t really have a choice.”
“You’re doing great, kid.” Hank smiled, placing a reassuring hand over Gavin’s. Gavin nodded gratefully, pulling away and heading back to his desk. Richard, who sat opposite him at his own desk, smiled at him. Gavin smiled back.
The morning passed fairly quickly, the only mishap being Rookie Ramírez, who had attempted to flirt with Matthew during his break. Connor had stormed over and pulled Matthew away, much to Ramírez’s amusement. Richard had been sent to work on a case with Perkins, which Gavin wasn’t happy about.
After lunch, things started to go downhill.
“Do you get paid to stand there and look pretty?” Ramírez smirked, looking Matthew up and down. Matthew shifted uncomfortably.
“Hey, Neil, leave him alone.” Tina spoke up.
“Yeah, man, not cool.” Chris added. Neil scoffed.
“It’s a piece of plastic.” Neil groped Matthew, earning a surprised yelp from the android.
“Hey, hey!” Gavin stood abruptly and moved between Ramírez and Matthew, preventing the Rookie from reaching the android, who was now hugging himself in embarrassment. Connor rushed over and pulled Matthew back, questioning him carefully as he lead him to the break room.
“Matthew’s a fucking person, like every other android. They have been for 2 years. He’s fucking married and he’s already asked you to stop multiple times! Leave him the fuck alone or I’ll fucking break you!” Gavin snarled. Ramírez smirked, crossing his arms.
“Says the broken one.” He looked Gavin up and down, making the Detective feel small…
Making him feel like a child again…
“I’m not broken…” Gavin whispered, wincing at the sound of his voice.
“How desperate were you for attention?” Ramírez asked. “How pathetic. Cut a little deeper next time, alright?”
“Hey, fuck you!” Tina cried, standing defensively. Chris slipped away to fetch Fowler, while Hank stood at Tina’s cry.
“No-one will want you with those on your arms.” Ramírez spat, leaning forward. “They don’t love you. They pity you.”
“Alright, that’s enough!” Hank pulled Gavin behind him, hiding the tiny detective from Ramírez. “Fuck you, asshole!”
“He needs to make more of an effort to hide those. No-one wants to see that.” Ramírez scowled. “Disgusting…”
“The only thing disgusting here is you!” Hank spat, his hand gripping Gavin’s wrist. “Gavin is a better man and a better detective than you will ever be! He has survived so much and gone on to do great things and prove everyone wrong! You should be fucking honoured to be in the same room as him!”
“Preech!” Tina cheered.
“Ramírez!” Fowler’s voice boomed through the room, making everyone jump. “Get in here! Now!”
“I hope you get fucking fired.” Hank spat as Ramírez slunked away to Fowler’s office. Hank sighed, turning to face Gavin, who was pinching the skin on his wrist nervously. “Hey, hey, stop that… You okay…?” Hank asked, pulling Gavin’s hands away from each other.
“I’m not broken.”
“Hey, I know that. Hell, we all do.”
“I’m not pathetic.”
“We know, Gavin…” Hank whispered. “You’re fucking brave, you’re a fucking survivor, Gav.”
“He’s fucking wrong , Hank…” Gavin blinked, looking up at Hank desperately, as though pleading with him to confirm what he’d just said. Hank pulled Gavin in for a hug.
“He’s wrong. He’s so wrong, Gavin.” Hank assured him. “We love you, scars or not. No-one pities you.”
“I-I couldn’t hide them.”
“I know, that’s okay, you shouldn’t have to. Society is a bitch.” Hank continued, brushing Gavin’s hair back with his hand. “It’s okay, he was wrong.”
“Dad…”
“Alright, I’m here. I’m right here.” Hank whispered, knowing how Gavin rarely called his ‘Dad’ in public, unless he was extremely emotion and not quite aware of himself. “I’m right here…”
Ramírez was given a warning and a suspension, much to Hank’s despair. He’d wanted the fucker to be fired, but apparently, verbal assault wasn’t a good enough reason, according to the board.
Personally, Hank thought the board could go fuck itself.
Connor, after learning about what had happened, offered to swap desks with Gavin for the day. Gavin had gratefully accepted the offer.
Now, Connor sat at Gavin’s desk, quietly explaining everything to Richard, who looked ready to commit a murder. Matthew sat on Connor’s lap, occasionally making input.
“Hank…?”
“Yeah, Gavin…?”
“Thank you.”
“You don’t gotta thank me for standing up to an asshole.”
“No… I do. I couldn’t do it. He was too much like…”
“Like your Pops?”
“Yeah.”
“He ain’t coming near you again, alright? Neither of ‘em are.”
“Thanks, Dad…”
“It’s alright, Son.”