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Utensils clanked as RK900 set them aside to dry. While bringing a platter under the running water, he thought about how dinner this evening went. He and Gavin had lasagna, the human’s favourite. Granted, he couldn’t and didn’t eat the said lasagna he and the detective had prepared together. But he still found delight in Gavin enjoying the meal. It was a completely wholesome sight, he discovered.
He loved it.
Now that he thought about it, cooking does sound like a refreshing hobby. RK900 would like to prepare more meals for and with Gavin again in the future.
Speaking of Gavin, where was the man? He left after RK900 offered to fix the table and do the dishes. Finishing the dish washing, the android dried his hands on a nearby towel and exited the kitchen. When he reached the entrance of the living room, he heard a familiar grunt and string of colourful curses.
“Goddammit, Clawdine. Stay fucking still-“
Before the couch was Gavin sitting cross-legged on the floor with the princess of the household, a white British Shorthair feline, in between his arms and a cellphone on the floor. He was struggling to keep the cat still, muttering a few more curses and almost toppling to his side. A grunt and a slight shift of position later, the two found themselves comfortable.
“Okay. Okay, just like we practiced,” Gavin mumbled. “Well- Not really practiced but- shut the fuck up.”
The cat meowed, as if reprimanding her owner of something the android couldn’t quite place. RK900 stepped closer, he made sure to move as quietly as possible, as to not disturb the human who looked very focused and determined in doing this… task- RK900 still had no idea on what Gavin is trying to achieve.
He settled his arms on the back of the couch and leaned forward to watch Gavin reach for the phone and tap on the screen. “Okay, okay. Take Eight-“
RK900 raised a brow when clapping sounded from the device. As it did, Gavin quickly moved to hold Clawdine’s paws in his hands and motioned her ‘clapping’ them together on beat above the screen of the phone, which was pushed by Gavin’s foot, making the video wonk into an angle. ‘What?’ RK900 mouthed silently, confusion rising.
“Bung, bung, bung, bung, bung-“
“Gavin, what are you doing to the cat.” RK900 couldn’t keep quiet forever. Gavin too since he yelped and jumped from the sudden voice behind him. Clawdine found escape from her owner’s grasps, squirming out of the hold and making a beeline to who knows where.
“Clawdine, sweetheart, come back!” Gavin called out, extending and wiggling both his arms to the direction the cat ran off to.
“Mr. Sandman…”
Gavin cursed as he fumbled for his phone. The android watched as the human accidentally kicked it even further. The audio ceased when the device was grabbed. RK900 felt his face contort into an even more confused expression when Gavin turned to glare at him.
“Nines!” Gavin crossed his arms, “You threw us off our groove!”
“I threw you off your groove…” RK900 repeated slowly, the words entering and exiting his processor. “Can you…” He moved away from the couch to seat himself next to Gavin on the floor, the human’s glare not leaving him. “Can you explain this… groove?
“I have no idea what you are doing to precious Clawdine yet I feel an inordinate amount of pity for her.”
Upon hearing her name, the said feline appeared and settled herself beside the android, but as far from Gavin as possible.
Gavin rolled his eyes and sighed. “Okay, so- uh,” He began, running his fingers through his hair. “When I was around… sixteen? Seventeen? There was this trend going around that had cats-“
As Gavin explained, RK900 carefully placed Clawdine into his lap and typed in ‘Mr. Sandman Cats’ into his search bar. He stumbled upon a video compilation and watched it as he listened to the human.
“-And I couldn’t really do it when I was younger ‘cause Eli was allergic to cats and we couldn’t really have one. But now I’m a fucking adult and have a cat of my own and I just remembered this and I really, really, wanna do it, Nines.” Gavin flapped his hands on his lap, “It’s gonna be my reward for not getting suspended for beating up a fucker because he compared you to his shitty and outdated iPod.” He gestured to the band aids on his cheek, forehead, chin, and nose as he looked at RK900.
The bot hummed as he stared back. He recognized that look. The happy buzz radiating from the green eyes contrasted the slight forced downturn lips. This look. He knows it. He knows it very well and he can’t help to admit that he also loved it. Dammit.
“Do you require assistance?” RK900 sighed. Gavin’s frown immediately warped into a mischievous grin. He brought his hands together and did a small clap as he mouthed a ‘Yay’.
RK900 sighed again and shifted, “You hold the phone while I hold the cat-“
“I hold the cat.”
“You hold the cat while I hold the phone.” RK900 passed the feline to Gavin, who eagerly took her. When Clawdine was comfortably in between Gavin’s arms, RK900 positioned the phone in the middle of himself and the human. He held the phone by its sides to prevent it from being moved and looked at Gavin, “Ready?”
Gavin nodded hastily, “Yeah, yeah. Let’s do this shit.” He held Clawdine’s paws and kissed her on the head.
RK900 smiled at the sight. He loved how happy Gavin looked, practically buzzing. He loved the cheeky grin he was sporting, how the left side of his lips always quirked higher than the right. He loved how he was cuddling his cat with affection. He loved how his green eyes were shining with excitement and then slowly morphing into concern with his eyebrows scrunching up together-
“Nines?”
RK900 blinked, “Right.” He glanced at the phone and tapped on it. A timer counted down and audio soon played from the device.
The clapping sound returned and Gavin mimicked his motion from before.
“Bung, bung, bung, bung, bung, bung, bung, bung“
RK900 kept the phone steady when Gavin accidentally prodded it as he carried the cat.
“Bung, bung, bung, bung, bung “
Gavin grinning widely made him wear a smile of his own.
“Bung, bung, bung, bung, bung, bung, bung, bung
Bung, bung, bung, bung, bung “
“Mr. Sand- phck!“ Both smiles were wiped off as Gavin tried to sing along, but was cut off when Clawdine flailed and hit his chin. Clawdine shimmied and leaped over the phone. She landed on RK900’s face, climbed over the unmoving android, and jumped off.
RK900 looked between the groaning human and the retreating feline. He tapped on the screen of the phone and the audio paused. He calmly laced his fingers together and placed them on his lap.
A few beats of silence filled the air around them.
“Would you like to see the video-“
“Fuck youuuu!”
RK900 chuckled, “The moment she hit you was clearly seen-“
“Fuck. You.” RK900 was not at all affected by the death look Gavin was sending him. In fact, it made him laugh a bit more. It seemed that his laughter had infected Gavin, for a slight smile was on the human as he rolled his eyes playfully.
“Guess I’m never gonna get a proper Mr. Sandman video,” Gavin said as a chuckle finally erupted from him.
RK900 pondered on that. While Gavin rubbed his chin, RK900 moved the phone a bit farther from the human. He stood up when Gavin rubbed his eyes next, hopeful that the human won’t notice. He stood in front of Gavin and gently kicked his legs open. Upon feeling the sensation, Gavin stopped rubbing his eyes and looked up at RK900 curiously. Once his legs were spread apart, RK900 turned around and sat in between the man’s legs.
“What-“ RK900 cut Gavin off as he grabbed the human’s hands and intertwined them over his. He looked behind him at Gavin, who moved to place his chin on the android’s shoulder.
“Ready?”
“Uh…” RK900 took that as affirmation. Alright. He can’t believe he’s doing this. He faced the phone and pressed play.
RK900 moved together with Gavin and clapped their connected hands to the beat above the phone. He could feel the human’s smile behind him.
“Bung, bung, bung, bung, bung, bung, bung, bung“
RK900 felt Gavin move their touching arms to hug his torso. Gavin leaned forward and RK900 let him have his monotone expression appear on the nine-split screen. His back rumbled from Gavin’s quiet chuckle. The two leaned back and RK900’s face disappeared from the screen.
“Bung, bung, bung, bung, bung “
They repeated the action, but RK900 had a small smile on his face this time.
“Bung, bung, bung, bung, bung, bung, bung, bung”
Again with the same motion. The smile turned into a toothy grin only the human behind him was allowed to see.
“Bung, bung, bung, bung, bung “
When they retreated from the screen, RK900 leaned into the lips being pressed unto his neck. As they were about to lean forward to the screen again, RK900 shifted them and the phone. They leaned forward and both their faces appeared on the nine-split screen. Both were smiling wide toothy grins, dimples on the android and crinkles on the human. Their eyes shone, blue and green, as they sang together, one was slightly-off key but neither cared.
“Mr. Sandman…”
Laughter echoed around the apartment as RK900 tapped on the phone and the video was cut off. They leaned back until Gavin’s back was on the couch. The human tightened his hug on the android. RK900 untangled one of his hands and ran his fingers through Gavin’s hair, pulling the human close to place a small kiss on his temple. “Would you like to see the video?”
Gavin hummed, snuggling into the android’s neck. “Later.”
“It’s your first proper Mr. Sandman video.”
“Yeah.” Gavin looked up and planted his chin on RK900’s shoulder. “I’m gonna take a wild guess that whether I watch it now or later, I’ll love it anyway.”
RK900 huffed out a laugh, placing another kiss on Gavin’s cheek. “Would you like to make another one?”
He loved how Gavin practically beamed up. “Fuck yeah. Let’s do Area 51-“
He loved how Gavin droned on and on about ‘memes’ he’ll never understand.
He loved how Gavin snuggled closer, tighter.
He loved Gavin so fucking much.
RK900 grinned for the umpteenth time that evening.