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“Here are the documents on the Peterson case, they were indeed very helpful, Detective Reed.” Connor’s bright and cheerful tone only served to underscore the honesty in his eyes.
Gavin smirked at the android’s statement, trying for condescending but knowing he probably just looked dopy instead. “Yeah, well, don’t read too much into it, prick,” he said, waving Connor away.
He paused to watch and make sure the android would really leave this time, and was definitely not taking in the breadth of his shoulders highlighted by the tailored button down the android was wearing as Anderson clapped the android on the shoulder and guided him out of the precinct, before spinning his chair back around and--
Tina was grinning at him. He knew this grin.
“Gaaavin…” she sing songed. “Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaavinnnnnnn.”
“No.”
“GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAVINNNNNNNN,” Tina’s voice lilted as she skootched her own chair over, shit eating grin thoroughly plastered over her gamine face. She leaned over onto his desk, practically leering at him. “Don’t read too much into it,” she said, in a shitty imitation of his voice.
“Tina,” he snapped, trying to warn her off, but it was too late.
“Hey Chris!,” she shouted, despite Chris’s desk being right across the aisle from Gavin’s. “Chris!” When he looked over, she said again in her basso imitation, “Don’t read too much into it.”
“Really?” Chris asked, wheeling his own chair over to Gavin’s desk. “Who is it this time?”
“You’ll never guess,” Tina said.
“Oh come on, you guys,” Gavin moaned, fighting the embarrassed flush creeping up his cheeks.
Chris’s eyebrows raised as he gave it a thought. “It can’t be Connor,” he said, getting it in one. “Really?”
“Oh my god,” Gavin groaned.
“Connor?” Chris exclaimed. “Really?”
Gavin groaned again, leaning forward and putting his forehead against his desk. “Do we have to do this?”
Chris snorted while Tina patted his arm as he dropped it limply onto his desk.
“We tease because we love you,” she said. “Besides, it’s kind of cute, how you get a crush on every marginally cute new guy who comes in.”
Chris snickered. “Remember when he got a crush on Wilson?”
“Or what about his MASSIVE boner for Captain Allan?”
“The thing for Terrence lasted a surprisingly long time.”
“And don’t even think I didn’t notice how you used to check out the ass of every PM unit we got.”
Gavin jerked up, whipping his head toward Tina. “Hey--”
“Not to mention that whole deal with Hank,” Chris said over him, thoughtful tone in his voice. “That was when you were prepping for the detective exam.”
“OR that old PT prototype, you remember, Chris, right when they were first testing cop androids?” Tina went in for the kill. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you cried when Person got him shot, Gavin.”
Gavin groaned and collapsed back onto his desk, thunking his head against it. The truth was he didn’t like to think of that old crush even more than any of the other ones, not just because of what happened to the poor fucker, but because of where that guy could be now if it hadn’t been destroyed during a bad bust five years ago.
Tina and Christ shared a moment of silence for their fallen comrade before marching right along. “Or, god, remember in the academy?” Tina asked.
“Hard to forget,” Chris said.
“Jesus Christ, why do you do this every fucking time?,” Gavin asked, voice muffled by his arms and desk.
“Because it’s cute,” Tina chirped.
“Because you never make a move,” Chris answered at the same time. “ You just moon over them and act like a fucking dick until you’re sure they think you’re an asshole.”
“Because I am an asshole,” Gavin muttered, sitting back up.
“I think you just want them to hate you so you don’t have to worry about being rejected,” Tina stated matter of factly. It was a theory she had proposed before, and Chris nodded along sagely as she continued, “If you think they hate you, then you feel justified in never making a move because rejection is guaranteed, and you can moon over them from afar until the feelings fade.”
“Once you’re not crushing so hard, you go back to being a normal person,” Chris added.
“Buuhh-utt,” Tina sing-songed.
“But,” Chris picked up the thread, “even though you’re an asshole about it, you’re still way more helpful to your crush than you are to literally anyone else except maybe Charlie, but she doesn’t count because she’s Tina’s kid.”
“Jesus Christ,” Gavin said. “Are you done profiling me yet?”
Chris snorted and patted his shoulder. “Sure, sure,” he said.
“Only . . . “ A pensive look crossed Tina’s face. “It’s been, like, seven months, dude. If you’re still not over Connor yet, maybe you should just make a move this time. Rip the bandaid off, let the wound get some air.”
Chris made a thoughtful noise and nodded along. “Worst he can do is say no.”
Gavin rolled his eyes. “Why would he ever say yes?”
Tina shrugged. “Your loss,” she said before rolling away back to her desk.
Chris stared thoughtfully down at his former patrol partner for an extra minute. “You know, she might be right,” he said quietly. “Connor doesn’t hate you, you know.”
Gavin just huffed and shot Chris a doubtful look.
Chris shrugged, mild as ever in the face of Gavin’s eternal skepticism. “Worth a shot.”
“Really, Chris? Why would he-- I mean come on. It’s me,” Gavin could not load that last statement with enough derision. Why would Connor choose him, a guy who genuinely attempted to shoot him a year ago, just because Gavin had gone and did some ‘personal growth’ or however it was his shrink had phrased it.
“Worst he can do is say no,” Chris repeated with a shrug, before meandering back to his own desk.
Gavin grumbled at turned to face his computer again. “No, worst he can do is kick my ass again.”
No way in hell was he risking that.
*
The next day Gavin nearly jumped out of his skin when Connor cornered him in the breakroom by the coffee machine.
"Detective Reed, may I request your assistance tonight at the Oakley?" he asked.
"I. What?" Gavin did his best confused idiot impression. "The Oak- isn't that that swank new restaurant that just opened?"
Connor nodded. "Yes. A suspect I've been tailing has reservations there tonight, and I believe a rather large deal involving stolen android manufacturing equipment is going to be discussed. I need a reason to be there, and a dinner date is the ideal cover in this situation."
"Uh, yeah," Gavin replied, ignoring the ludicrous surge of disappointment that Connor wasn't actually asking him out on a date. "But. Why me though? Why not Tina, or I don't know, Hank or someone?"
"There is the potential that this case links into the red ice supplier you were searching for in the Peterson case," Connor said. "Also, I need someone I can demonstrate romantic interest in." Connor tilted his head and widened his big brown eyes. "Can I meet you there at seven? Our reservation is for seven thirty, which should give us time to familiarize you with the target and the location by the time he arrives at seven forty five."
"Uh," Gavin said, dazed. "Sure."
"Excellent. Thank you, Detective." And with that, the android turned around and started striding away. Gavin was sure he was imagining the faint blue blush on Connor's face when he turned at the door and said, "See you tonight. Wear something nice!" And then he was gone.
Stunned, Gavin turned to face Tina, who was grinning like a loon at the breakroom table.
"Ti, I'm going to have to cancel for monster truck rally tonight," he whispered.
"You bet your sweet ass you are!"
*
After running home to get changed into clothes more appropriate for a higher class restaurant, and getting his wire set up with Hank, who glared at him the whole damn time, Gavin arrived at the Oakley at the fashionably late, it’s five minutes fuck off, time of five minutes after seven. Connor was lingering by the front door, and looked up at him with a smile Gavin almost could have sworn was genuine and shit. Gavin swallowed painfully as Connor held out his hand to him.
“Gavin,” he said, sounding happy. In that increasingly familiar dazed state, Gavin took his hand.
“Hey,” Gavin rasped out. “Sorry, work ran late. You look--” the word amazing died in his throat. Because Connor did look amazing. He was still dressed in business casual, of course, Oakley was that kind of place, but he’d replaced the neutral greys and whites with a jewel toned blue shirt under a black jacket, and his hair was loose and curly, tumbling around his head like hands had just been tousling it, and partially covering his glowing blue LED..
And oh boy, Gavin was loving it, especially when Connor grinned at him, “That good, huh?” he joked, squeezing his hand. He leaned in and his nose brushed against Gavin’s cheek as he whispered in his ear, “Did Hank brief you on how to handle things tonight?”
Gavin tried to wrestle down the heat he felt rushing to his face at Connor’s closeness and focus on the job. Yeah, the job, the reason they were even here, together, in the first place, playing a loving couple. Focus, fuck! “Yeah,” he breathed back. “Back up, I got it. You’ll do the listening with your super android hearing.”
Connor pulled away, a softer, more melancholy smile ghosting across his lips as his LED flickered yellow for a moment before cycling back to blue. “Good,” he said, looking down at where their hands were still tangled together. “You look good, too, by the way.”
Gavin snorted, squeezing Connor’s fingers briefly and giving up fighting the blush he was sure was painting his cheeks red. “Flatterer.” He really wasn’t dressed special, just a button down in a dusty shade of maroon and his nicest pair of black jeans. Maybe he shaved a little bit too, but not like, overkill or anything.
“Perhaps,” Connor replied, amused. He didn’t let go of Gavin’s hand as he turned toward the restaurant. “Truthfully I’m looking forward to tonight for more than one reason,” he continued as he tugged Gavin through the doors into the crowded entryway. “I’ve heard that the Oakley has managed to create thirium based foods that are actually quite close to the human equivalent in flavor, which is part of the reason they’ve become so popular so quickly.”
“Really?” Gavin asked. “I wouldn’t have thought flavor would be a big deal to you, I’ve seen some of the shit you’ve put in your mouth.”
Connor’s nose wrinkled. Adorable. Fuck. Gavin tried to focus on his reply. “Yes, well, I can turn my taste receptors off if I need to.”
“. . . And do you?”
“Yes,” Connor answered, eyes sliding away. “Of course! Why wouldn’t I?”
Gavin’s jaw dropped. “You don’t!”
This was probably the first time Gavin ever saw Connor look so flustered. “Yes, of course I do, I don’t have to, ugh.” He turned and pulled Gavin to the hostess. “Table for two, reservation should be under the name Anderson.”
Gavin let himself be pulled along, still boggling over the idea of Connor actually tasting all the things he’d seen him put in his mouth. Blood and thirium were just the starting point, he’d seen him sample other even less savory body fluids, and even dirt occasionally. He wondered if the dirt was like a palate cleanser or, like, a snack. He guessed the fact that Connor had a sense of taste would also explain why he’s seen him stick his fingers in Anderson’s coffee when the Lieutenant wasn’t looking.
They were seated quickly, and Gavin took the menu on autopilot, accepting a complimentary wine sample and a glass of water while watching Connor, who scanned quickly through his own menu with an almost eager look. When they were finally left alone, he looked up and met Gavin’s eye. At the same time, Gavin’s phone went off, alerting him of a text message.
“You should check that,” Connor said. “It might be important.”
Gavin rolled his eyes, then realized it was probably job related and pulled his phone out. He pretended to ignore the stealthy way Connor tried to stick his fingers into Gavin’s wine, pulling the glass away just as Connor made his move. He met Connor’s pout with a smirk and took a sip before sliding it over and unlocking his phone.
He wasn’t a big fan of reds, to be honest.
Connor RK800: Table behind you to the left.
He looked up just in time to see Connor pulling his fingers away from his mouth, a slightly sheepish look on his face. “So, better or worse than blood?” Gavin asked.
Connor wrinkled his nose. “You’re incorrigible,” he replied. “A little better, but not by much. Do people actually enjoy this?”
“Eh, it’s an acquired taste,” Gavin said.
“Hank says the same thing about coffee, but every time I try it, it remains disgusting.”
“That’s because the bastard drinks it black. Only the strongest can handle it black.”
Connor leaned forward, smiling. “So are you one of the strongest, Gavin?” He reached out, toying with the wine glass with one hand.
Gavin snorted. “You mean you haven’t stuck your fingers in my coffee yet? I see you do it to Hank’s every day.”
Connor’s eyes widened. “I don’t!--”
Whatever lame excuse he was going to come up with was interrupted by their server, setting two baskets of bread and breadlike substances in between them on the table and asking if they were ready to order. Gavin sheepishly realized he had barely even looked at the menu, and Connor seemed to come to the same conclusion, his LED blinking yellow as he leaned back.
Once they fumbled through their order and the server left, Gavin sat back, sighing, and picked up a bread stick to start pulling apart. Connor watched for a minute, before turning his attention to his own breadsticks. They were definitely not fit for human consumption, Gavin noted. They looked like someone had dumped in a whole bottle of blue food coloring into the mix before baking them, which he guessed was the thirium or something.
Connor delicately selected one and imitated Gavin, pulling at it until he’d broken a bite sized chunk off. He studied it for a moment, and Gavin waited impatiently to see if he’d actually eat the thing.
“Well?” he asked after a moment, stuffing a piece of his own bread into his mouth. “You going to sample it or just stare at it all night?”
Connor huffed, then delicately pressed the bread to his tongue like he was actually just sampling it. Gavin rolled his eyes and muttered, “Oh my god.” Connor gave him a shit eating grin then and popped the morsel into his mouth.
“I have eaten food before, Gavin,” he said. “And.” He stopped, brows furrowed. He chewed a little more, LED going crazy as his eyes glazed over.
“Hey, you okay over there, terminator?” Gavin asked, genuinely a little concerned about Connor’s reaction.
Connor snapped out of it, eyes focusing back on Gavin with a bright smile on his face. “It’s good!” He shoved more bread into his mouth, and Gavin gave a little laugh.
“Damn, don’t choke yourself,” he said before taking a bite of his own bread. It was quite good, garlic and salt, soft in the middle with just enough crunch on the crust, and if Connor’s was anything like his, no wonder the android was freaking out about it, especially if he’s never had good bread before.
Nothing was better than good bread.
His cell phone went off again, and he looked up at Connor just in time to see the tail end of a yellow cycle of his LED. Gavin checked the message.
Connor RK800: Suspect has just entered, his being seated with two others.
Gavin entered his contact info and changed Connor’s name to ‘Bromio,’ and was about to slip his phone back into his pocket when another message arrived.
Bromio: Very mature, Detective.
Bromio: Target suspect ID’d as Nicholas McDonald, accompanied by Charles Valente and Aliette Lake, also flagged as possible suspects in smuggling ring.
Bromio: Just act natural, I have eyes and ears on them.
Natural, right. Gavin slid his phone back in his pocket, and, naturally, their conversation stalled. Gavin jammed some more bread in his mouth. Connor had managed to make his way through all of his thirium sticks, and was eyeing the remainder of Gavin's with clear envy.
"What, you want to lick my stick?" Gavin asked with a wink.
Connor stared at him for a moment, his LED cycling wildly. Then, without saying anything, he took Gavin's last breadstick and rested just the tip of it on his tongue, dark eyes never breaking eye contact.
Something so dorky should not be so hot.
Especially not when Connor immediately lost focus on teasing Gavin and bit down into his breadstick, very much destroying any kind of subtext Gavin might want to read into this.
“Ugh,” Connor mumbled around the mouthful of bread, “why is this so good?”
“Hey, uh, should you be doing that?” Gavin asked, concerned. He’d never seen Connor actually eat anything before tonight.
Connor waited till he actually swallowed to answer. “Yes, I have a small removable compartment for storing material. It’s annoying, but honestly this is worth it,” he said before taking another bite of the bread.
Gavin just sighed and sat back, smiling fondly. The server arrived with their food, then, and Gavin had to admit, his zoodle alfredo pasta looked amazing. Connor’s food looked . . . weird and blue, unsurprisingly. He had gotten some kind of android spaghetti, if Gavin were to take a guess.
Gavin idly spun some zoodles around his fork as he watched Connor inspect his food. Connor picked up his fork, surprisingly clumsily though Gavin had to remind himself that the android clearly was new to the whole eating thing. Connor glanced around, eyes darting as he analyzed how the humans around him were using the utensil before delicately jabbing it into the pasta. He attempted to spin it like Gavin was, before pulling the fork away, bringing strands of spaghetti trailing from the plate to his mouth as he took his first bite.
And just like with the bread, it was like his processors stalled out, his eyes glazing over before closing as he clearly savored every burst of flavor. His face showed satisfaction, bliss even, as he swallowed and then opened his eyes.
“Spaghetti is amazing,” he said in his most serious voice. Gavin couldn’t help the snort of laughter at that, which Connor chose to blithely ignore as he took another bite of his spaghetti.
The zoodles were pretty good, as well. They ate quietly for a few moment, Connor’s LED spinning between yellow and blue as he took in the flavors and, presumably the conversation going on at the table to the left, which Gavin could only hear snippets of.
If he was honest, Gavin wasn’t even paying attention to how good his own food was in favor of watching Connor. It was funny, how one of the most basic actions for humans were for androids a novelty and indulgence. It was clear that Connor was at this point far more invested in his food than in monitoring potential smugglers.
After half his plate had cleared, Connor finally came out of his head a little bit. “I apologize, Gavin,” he said. “I just. Have never had a chance to indulge like this, and lost track of the conversation.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Gavin said, having completely forgotten what they were talking about earlier. “We don’t get out like this enough, I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”
Connor smiled that beautiful smile again, the one that made smile lines appear in the synthskin around his eyes. “Thanks. I hope you’re enjoying this, too.” And Gavin couldn’t tell if it was just an act for the mission as Connor reached across the table to brush their hands together.
“Can I try some of your zoodles?”
Gavin kicked him under the table. Connor laughed, and Gavin knew he had lost.
After that their conversation slipped into a natural flow, Connor asking about Gavin’s cats, Gavin asking how he knew Gavin had cats, Gavin asking about how Connor felt about cats. Gavin inviting Connor over to meet his cats sometime.
The topic of dogs came up, and Gavin honestly forgot they were on an op just enjoying how Connor lit up talking about his volunteer work at a local animal shelter.
It was the sound of his phone going off that brought Gavin back to reality.
Bromio: Suspects are getting ready to leave. I’ve recorded enough to obtain warrants for further investigation.
Bromio: I suggest we continue acting natural while following them outside.
Right. The job. “Hey babe,” he said. “Were you thinking about getting dessert?”
Connor blinked, looking confused. “I. Not particularly. Why?”
Gavin grinned, putting some truth into the excuse for them to leave as he said, “Because if that was your reaction to a plate of spaghetti, then I can’t wait to see how you react to ice cream, and they don’t have it on the menu here.”
“Ah,” Connor smiled as he made the connection. “Well, it is on my list.” He reached out and interfaced with the machine stationed at their table, paying remotely. “Then let’s go.”
They got up and made their way out of the restaurant ahead of their suspects. As they reached the door, Connor took Gavin’s hand and drew him out and over to an alcove between the restaurant and its neighbor. He huddled up close, as if they were the lovers they were play acting, and smiled down at Gavin.
“Thank you for tonight,” he said, sounding genuine and not even a little businesslike, as if it was the date itself he was happy about and not the assistance on the surveillance job. He leaned in, whispering, “I want to tail him for a few blocks if he leaves on foot.”
“And what are the chances of that?” Gavin whispered back, trying to suppress the shivers that ran up his back at the feel of Connor’s cool breath against his neck, the ever so slight tickle of Connor’s hair. He longed for nothing more, in that moment, than to sink his fingers into those curls and see if they felt as soft as they looked.
“About seventy percent,” Connor answered. “He lives within reasonable walking distance.” Then he leaned back. “So about this ice cream,” he said, just in time for Gavin to see McDonald walk behind him, staring at the ‘couple’ as he came closer. It was hard to read the man’s face in the growing dark of the summer night, but he looked . . . angry. Gavin’s hand tightened on Connor’s almost subconsciously.
Just to fuck with the asshole glaring , Gavin rose up on tiptoe and planted a kiss on Connor’s cheek before settling back down. “Back at my place, babe,” he said, grinning as McDonald finally drew across from them, looking even angrier at the little display. He startled as he saw Connor’s LED blink red for a moment before the android met his eyes, looking conflicted for the briefest moment before he smiled again and his LED settled back on blue.
“Lead the way, sweaty,” he replied, winking.
“Ugh, I can’t believe you memed on me,” Gavin groaned. He pulled Connor back onto the sidewalk, and turned to follow after McDonald, who was already turning the corner at the end of the block.
When Connor didn’t pull his hand away and seemed content to let Gavin keep holding it, he had to struggle to focus against the flutter of excitement in his stomach.
That feeling disappeared when they turned the corner and McDonald was waiting for them.
He stood in the middle of the sidewalk, pointing a gun at them with shaking hands. “Fuck,” he rasped. “Fuck you! You think I didn’t recognize you, cop bot!” He pointed more aggressively with the gun. “Your face was all over the news in November, fucking idiot, didn’t think I wouldn’t realize you were spying on me?”
Gavin gaped at the man. What were the chances the guy was guessing correctly or was just paranoid enough that even if they had been at that restaurant on an actual date, he’d pull the same stunt? McDonald’s eyes were wide, crazed, his breath panting and tension coiled through his body so much that Gavin couldn’t help but tense up, ready to jump at the first chance he got.
He couldn’t even say what sense made him suddenly turn and jump toward Connor, pushing him away as a shot fired out from-- from behind them? A sharp bright heat lanced across his upper arm as he let go of Connor to turn toward the new threat: Lake, the woman who had been at the restaurant with McDonald. She geared up to fire again, an intensity in her eyes, and Gavin didn’t even think as he reached for his own side arm, but before he could even reach it she was crying out, a shot ringing from behind him that struck her in the shoulder of her gun arm, making her drop the weapon.
Gavin hadn’t even realized he’d lost track of Connor in the confusion, and turned to see him with a subdued McDonald, one hand effortlessly holding the human in an arm lock against the ground, the other keeping aim at Lake.
“Detective Reed, can you restrain her?” Connor asked, all business now. “I’ve already alerted our back up, they are on their way, as are EMS.”
“Sure,” Gavin agreed, ignoring the mixed emotions at Connor’s change in demeanor. On the one hand, that intensity? Hot. On the other, being given that distant, professional treatment after having basked in the warmth? Kind of hurt.
He tried his best to remember that none of that had been real as they cleaned up the scene and directed the patrol officers when they arrived.
*
Gavin was sitting on the back of the ambulance after getting the graze on his shoulder tended when Connor finally rejoined him. The android slouched into a seat beside him, and Gavin didn't think he'd ever seen him look so humanly tired before.
They sat in silence even after the EMT gave Gavin the clear and left them alone. Gavin wondered what was going through the android’s head. Was he going to debrief him and send him on his way now that the job was done?
Gavin kept thinking about how he really had just wanted to take Connor out for ice cream. He kept trying to find a way to phrase it when Connor suddenly leaned over, bumping his shoulder together with Gavin’s uninjured one.
"You're an idiot," Connor said. "But thank you. For jumping in there like you did."
"Yeah, well," Gavin stuttered. "Just don't read too much into it."
At this Connor looked up at him, an odd smile sliding across his lips. "And how much should I read into it, Detective Reed?" He stood and turned to face him, reached out and took his hand. "This much? Or," he shuffled in closer, cupped Gavin's cheek with his other hand, "this much?" Gavin's breath hitched as Connor leaned own a little, lips brushing against his as he whispered, "This much?"
Connor pressed forward, deepening the kiss. Gavin couldn't help the soft noise that came from his throat as he tilted his head, sliding closer to Connor and taking whatever he could get. He finally satisfied his curiosity about Connor's hair, sliding his fingers through it as he pulled Connor closer.
He finally pulled back, panting a little bit. Connor met his eyes again, smiling a little. "Was that an accurate reading of the situation, Detective?"
"Yeah I'd, I'd say that's pretty close," he said, then pulled him back in for another kiss.