Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hank’s fingers drummed absentmindedly on the steering wheel as he stopped at a red light. ‘This is nut,’ he thought for the fifth time since he got in his car, but to be fair this sentence had been coming to his mind repeatedly over the last few months and each time for completely different reasons altogether. After all, society had looked on the verge of an apocalypse not so long ago so Hank Anderson, washed-up cop known for his anti-android ideology, going to a stupid appointment at a CyberLife store? By far not the craziest thing that had happened in Detroit.

The light turned green and Hank drove forward among the few automated cars populating the road that day. Heavy metal was blasting through the speakers. A broken shop window, a slogan on a wall, were the only signs left of the revolution nearly turned violent that had led to the emancipation of every goddamn android in the country. Hard to believe it was only six months ago. Now, “free” androids were everywhere: they walked on the streets, played at the park, worked at the grocery store… Technically, it was the same as before, except now they were paid and made small talk at you. And, they were protected by law, not as private properties anymore, but as individuals. Hell, they even had them at the precinct, now.

If anybody asked for Hank’s opinion, he’d say it was complete and utter madness. Free machines? Sentient robots? What was next? In two months, he’d be expected to take his Roomba out on a walk with Sumo. But the choice hadn’t been his to make and despite his stronger than ever hatred for the plastic pricks made by CyberLife, all he could do was keep his mouth shut and carry on through life. It wasn’t like he had more reasons to be in contact with androids than before and he had too much on his plate as it were to go and commit what were now called “hate crimes” against them.

It took him less time than expected to find a parking spot – life was slow to come back to normal and even downtown wasn’t as packed as it used to be. A sudden silence fell inside his car. He didn’t move for a few seconds, both hands on the wheel, staring straight ahead. ‘This whole thing is nut.’ Honestly, he’d forgotten CyberLife had his name somewhere in their databanks until he got their email the day before. Why was he even here? Hank couldn’t fathom what he was expecting from the situation, but he didn’t drove all the way for nothing. Before he could change his mind, he exited his vehicle and slammed the door behind him.

He started sweating as soon as he was outside. It was the middle of summer; Hank always hated this season, nothing you could do to escape the heat. Plus, people tended to go crazy in the summer. Pretty omegas everywhere wearing as little clothes as possible to avoid suffocating, hormonal alphas who just couldn’t keep it in their pants… Fights broke out more often in July and August: it made work at the precinct boring, having to fill out over and over again the same paperwork about dumb alphas punching each other in the middle of the street because they caught an attractive smell. It was nearly 2040, you would thought they’d have learned by now omegas didn’t find that shit attractive. Hank was glad he was too old to react so impulsively.

A hunched-up silhouette was leaning against the wall near the entrance of the CyberLife store – well, Hank had heard androids didn’t like calling it a store anymore, but he couldn’t give less of a fuck.

“Shit,” Gavin mumbled when he saw him coming closer. He tossed his cigarette on the ground and stepped on it.

“You know there is a fine for that, right?” Hank said.

“What you gonna do? Arrest me?”

This was as polite a greeting as could be expected from the two of them. The omega stepped away from the wall before giving Hank a once-over.

“You could have shower: it’s ten in the morning and you reek of booze.”

The familiar exasperation that came along any interaction with Gavin Reed settled somewhere near Hank’s breakfast.

“I’m guessing you got the same email as me,” he said, ignoring the provocation.

Gavin sneered and the alpha felt the hair on his neck stand at the sight of someone baring their teeth at him. Gavin had always been an omega who made “annoying alphas” his main personality trait.

“I only came here because I’m hoping they’ll tell us they made a mistake the first time and we should never have had anything to do with each other to begin with,” he retorted, pointing a finger at Hank’s chest. “Let’s get this over with.”

He marched past the automated doors; Hank followed more reluctantly. Gavin went straight to the guy at the front desk, a young man with long hair, too perfect to be human despite the absence of a LED on his temple. Hank couldn’t tell his secondary gender, but most androids had none.

While Gavin awkwardly explained the reason to their presence, the alpha took a look around. The place used to be a wide, sterile room where androids stood in line like washing machines. Now, long, white tables supported display models of mechanical parts Hank couldn’t have name to save his life. The promotions on the latest AX400 or PL600 that used to adorn the walls had been replaced with advertisements for more sensitive captors, taste buds, customable body modifications… Androids could really just walk in and build themselves a new body, heh? If only Hank could do that, he’d get rid of a few unnecessary… “glitches”. But he was only human and seeing their difference on display like that made him wonder even more than usual how anyone could see those robots as “alive”.

Run by androids for androids, the store now also had a room for those who wished to have their new components installed immediately, and an adjacent repair facility. Fuck, maybe they called it a clinic these days? Only three androids were browsing the products, with one employee hovering in a corner. The two humans sticked out like a sore thumb.

The guy at the front desk flashed Gavin a polite smile and pointed at a door to the side. The omega briefly met Hank’s eyes, shrugged, then took the lead. Hank followed without a word or a look for the android. He was just glad the thing would take place in a private room, and not out in the middle of the store.

“Soul Algorithm” was a program CyberLife had created years ago. It pretended to be able to match anyone, thanks to a series of tests, with the person best suited to be their romantic partner among the millions of individuals who had already signed up and agreed to have their data collected. CyberLife presented it as an infallible, scientific method to find your soulmate.

Soulmates were an old wives’ tales among alphas and omegas, couples that were supposed to be “made for each other”. Few really believed that in the modern age, rules weren’t set in stone anymore: you could date anyone nowadays, no matter their secondary – or primary – gender. However, the program was an immediate and resounding success. Hank had been vaguely aware of its existence: it was the only thing everyone had talked about for a few months after its launch, it was the new way to meet someone, better than dating apps, but he never paid attention to it and the hype eventually died down.

He would have never thought he’d pay for such bullshit one day, but fate hadn’t been so kind on him. After his divorce, his sister let him wallow in his own misery for a few months, before coming to stay over, invade his private space and make a bother of herself. She pestered him every goddamn day about getting back on his feet and every other self-development bullshit she’d read in psychology magazines. She told him constantly about “how everyone is worried about you, Hank” and of course about this new, amazing service provided by CyberLife and “how it would be perfect to find someone that would understand you completely and help you through this difficult time”. He’d signed up, if only to make her shut up and leave.

He’d taken all the tests, answered all the questions about every subject imaginable – family background, career, personality traits, political opinions, what he was looking for in a friend, in a lover, in a romantic partner… – it had taken him hours. He even had provided a saliva sample because CyberLife pretended genetics played a huge part in compatibility. And after all this wasted time, money, and effort, when they had finally called him back, he was introduced to Gavin fucking Reed.

They already knew each other from the precinct but before that, they’d barely talked. Gavin had just been transferred, they didn’t work the same cases, so they mostly ignored each other. Hank had noticed the omega and judged him too abrasive. They probably would have gone on like that without this incident. When they had both found themselves at a CyberLife agency three years ago with an employee telling them they had a nearly 95% compatibility rate, Gavin had stared him down, said “hell, no” and walked out.

Hank had never tried to contact him about it – it wasn’t like he was happy about the results either – and they had never addressed the subject or even acknowledged it in front of each other. Hank didn’t know if Gavin had gone on with the program, if he’d contacted the second-best person on his compatibility results and pursued a relationship with them instead, and frankly, he didn’t care. He himself had decided one try was more than enough, his sister had been long gone by then, so he forgot about the whole thing and went back to his old coping mechanisms.

That day though, as they took the door, followed a short corridor, and ended up in a waiting room, he couldn’t help but wonder why Reed had signed up in the first place. If he had gone through the whole process hoping to find his soulmate only to be told it most likely was Hank, he could imagine how much of a bummer it must have been. Consequently, he could understand why Reed wanted to learn the results were a mistake. However, as soon as he laid his eyes on the two androids already waiting, Hank should have known none of them would be so lucky.

Gavin gave a side glance to the robots, chose a chair in the corner opposite to them and sat down with his arms crossed, near a second door that probably led to an office. Hank hesitated a moment, then sat on the same side as Gavin, leaving two chairs between them. That way, he had the small table that stood in the middle of the room between the androids and himself. ‘I could swear I’ve already seen them somewhere,’ he thought to himself.

A heavy silence fell on the waiting room. Gavin absorbed himself in the contemplation of his phone while Hank pretended to read a flyer he found on the table. He had the feeling the two machines were staring at them and it made him want to fidget. He tried to subtly take a look at them above his flyer.

The smaller one had soft features, perfect brown hair and long, elegant fingers that played idly with a coin. He was wearing a button-down white shirt and a pair of dark trousers: even though it wasn’t exactly a suit, it was far more professional looking than Hank’s old hippy shirt. Chocolate puppy eyes met his gaze and held it, bright with curiosity. He smelled like an omega, one of the sweetest smells Hank had ever encountered if he were honest, and he had to remind himself it was completely artificial, created in a laboratory with the intended purpose to entice human alphas.

The other sat right next to him and looked exactly like the first one. They could have been twins if it weren’t for a few details. The second one looked taller, broader, his jaw was more pronounced, and his eyes were a piercing blue. He was an alpha through and through, not just by the way he smelled but also by how he briefly stared Hank down before looking away with indifference, as if he’d scanned him, analysed him and came back on the other side completely unimpressed by the results. He held himself straight – stiff, even –, hands on his knees, as if they’d forgotten to give his back the ability to bend. Both had chosen to keep their LED, shining bright blue on their temple, which was rare among androids since the revolution.

At first, Hank couldn’t place them. All androids of the same model looked similar, so maybe it wasn’t those two he had already seen but one like them… And then, it hit him like a brick. Weren’t they the androids that had joined the DPD like… last week? Hank had only seen them from afar at the precinct, had never interacted with them, but now that the thought had crossed his mind, they did look like the machines real police officers were now supposed to call “detectives”. Fantastic.

The door opened after a few moments.

“You’re all here,” the woman who appeared on the other side said after scanning the room. “Good. Come on in.”

Nobody reacted at first. ‘All four of us? Oh no…’ The alpha android was the first to get on his feet, immediately followed by his companion. Gavin’s eyes briefly met Hank’s and, for once, he felt as if they were on the same wavelength: ‘what the fuck is happening here?’ The two humans reluctantly followed, and the lady closed the door behind them.

One wall of her office had been replaced with a screen projecting a dense, misty forest. The trees were moving softly under a breeze and the quality was so high it looked like the room was opening to the Amazon rainforest. A desk stood on the other side, with one of those paper-thin computer screens that could become transparent. Four chairs had been crammed in front of it; Hank guessed the small space only contained two most of the time and the lady had fetched more just for them. How nice of her.

“Please, take a seat,” she offered with an extended hand.

She got past them to take her place on the other side of the desk while the four men stood in silence, considering each other then the seats in the weirdest game of musical chairs imaginable. Eventually, Hank grunted and plopped down on the one nearest the exit. Gavin gingerly sat next to him and the androids took the remaining chairs.

The woman smiled at them – dark skin, no LED, but she smelled synthetic, and the absence of any wrinkle or imperfection of any kind on her face gave it away anyway.

“First of all, I would like to say thank you for coming here and for trusting our service,” she said, obviously repeating some mandatory welcome speech. “The program ‘Soul Algorithm’ has contributed to the happiness of millions of couples throughout the country and it keeps thriving after it has been opened to androids.”

Oh, so now the glorified toasters could have soulmates? Hanks filed that as further proof the algorithm was and always had been an utter scam.

“Now, we are here today because you, Connor and Nines,” she continued, pointing alternatively to the androids, “have recently registered, and filled the necessary tests.”

Nines? The taller one didn’t even have a real name?

“Your results are a bit… unusual, but it’s not the first time we’ve seen something like it.”

“Oh, really?” Gavin interjected.

His voice was a bit higher than usual and Hank knew him well enough by now to take it as a sign his anger was on a steady rise. The woman glanced at him, but resumed her explanation after he made no sign he wanted to express any further comment.

“The algorithm provides for each individual a list of potential partners and their compatibility rate with the person. Usually, the difference between the most compatible result and the second one is significant enough that we encourage our client to get to know this person first, before attempting to contact someone else on their list. However, it sometimes occurs that more than two persons have very high compatibility rates. When the numbers are close enough, we bend the rules a little and suggest some other options.”

Her costumer service smile widened, like she was delivering good news, and Hank raised his hand to his face to rub at his eyes. It was the weekend, goddamn it, and he didn’t have a shift at the precinct: why did he left his bed this morning?

“The four of you are in such a situation. Connor, Nines, you have a very high compatibility rate – 97%, actually. Normally, if only one of you had shown a great compatibility with either Mr. Anderson or Mr. Reed, we wouldn’t have organised such a meeting. However, Mr. Anderson and Mr. Reed ended up at the top of both your lists.”

“First, I was highly compatible with Hank fucking Anderson, and now with two tin cans,” Gavin mumbled, arms crossed and eyes on an invisible spot on the wall. “Fuck my life.”

The woman from CyberLife blinked, a pop-up somewhere probably telling her to hit Reed in the face – Hank could understand the feeling – but she said nothing. After all, as soon as he was out of her office, she could just forget about him. Without turning his head, Hank eyed the alpha android, wondering if he would react to the words “tin cans”.

“What are the numbers?” he asked instead, voice steady and cold.

“Connor has a 96% compatibility with both Hank and Gavin, while Nines is at 96.3 with Gavin and 93.9 with Hank. Those are still particularly high numbers: couples have formed and gotten married with less than that. Since Mr. Anderson and Mr. Reed have already been made aware of their 94.7% compatibility and since there was a possibility they already were in a relationship, we thought best to put you all- ”

“Hell, no!” the two humans protested at the same time.

“Nothing ever happened!” Gavin added.

Guess they didn’t keep a log on how poorly their first appointment had gone. Hank vaguely remembered he’d gotten an email with some survey about his overall satisfaction with the service, but he had never bothered to fill it.

“Four persons, isn’t that a bit… strange?” the omega android said, and Hank’s brain faltered.

His voice wasn’t much different from his companion’s, a bit lighter perhaps, but it was just so weird, like it was too raspy for his innocent features. Who had designed him? Because clearly, Hank thought a few choices warranted some explanations.

“As I said, it’s not the first time something like that have happened. Some people are very happy with two, three, or even more partners.”

“Ah, Jesus,” Gavin said, still not looking at anyone, and it was unclear if he was reacting to the conversation or to something going through his mind.

“Anyway,” the woman continued. “You are all here today because Connor and Nines wanted to know their results, but what you do with it is your choice alone. As you may already know, our program also offers workshop activities, fun date ideas or even couple counselling to help potential partners to get to know each other.” She started to collect a bunch of flyers from one of her drawers. “Of course, you can also do things in your own way- ”

Gavin got on his feet before she could say more.

“Listen, this is clearly a waste of time. I should never have come here in the first place. I’m not even looking for a relationship at the moment and I’m certainly not interested in one with any of the people here,” he added with a wave of his hand toward the three other men.

The woman remained perfectly calm – she probably had seen worse anyway.

“I know this is a lot to take in. The ‘Soul Algorithm’ program does not come with any obligation. Some people pursue romantic relationships, others become very good friends, and some break up after a few months. Sometimes, in situations like yours, only two persons become lovers, or they form multiple, separate relationships… The possibilities are endless here. The algorithm is just here to tell you than being in contact with the persons you met today could greatly improve your general level of happiness, no matter how you choose to go about it.”

“Yeah, I hear you. But I also don’t care. I’m satisfied with my life as it is, thank you very much, so I’m gonna go home and take my name off your database, as I should have done years ago.”

With that, he turned on his heels and headed toward the door – to everyone’s surprise but Hank’s. The taller android’s gaze followed him. He had one eyebrow raised – it was literally the only thing that had moved on his face, the rest remaining completely emotionless. As Gavin exited the room, the alpha lowered his eyes to Hank, and he realised the omega was also staring at him.

He’d kept his mouth shut so far, mostly because the two androids made him feel uneasy. He just didn’t know how to react to talking machines – he never used the voice command on his phone either because he felt too dumb talking to an object, maybe he was too old for this kind of technology. It also felt like it was too much for his brain to take in: three potential “soulmates”, Gavin and two tin cans? He wished he’d never listened to his sister in the first place.

It didn’t matter: he never believed a stupid algorithm could tell him how to choose his partners and he wasn’t going to start now.

“For once, I agree with Gavin Reed.” He got up with a grunt as his joints protested. “I should have taken my name out as well. I have no desire to get to know… androids, so… goodbye.”

He got out of the room before anyone could say anything and rushed out of the building. The sun made him squint. Gavin was long gone. Hank ignored the weird look an android gave him as he brushed past him to enter the store. He would have never guessed his day would start out so crazy, but it was still early. If he went on Cyberlife’s website and resigned his account, they would never contact him again, and he could forget about what had just happened. This was as good a plan as any.

He started walking in the direction of his car, not wanting to be here when the two androids would get out.

Chapter Text

Hank startled awake. He opened his eyes to a dark room: some light from the street was spilling in through the window, just enough to see the shadows of his furniture. His alarm clock indicated 10:30pm. He laid motionless on his bed for a while, senses on high alert. He could perceive no movement, no sound, yet he was certain something had woken him up. His instinct was screaming he was in danger.

He rolled on his side and carefully got up, trying not to make his bed creak too much. He reached for his gun on the bedside table. His hand snaked between the empty glass bottles abandoned there. He hadn’t drunk that much in the evening – well, in comparison to his worst nights, at least. He managed to retrieve his firearm without knocking anything on the ground. He tiptoed toward the door: he could see light from underneath it, but he genuinely couldn’t remember if he had turned off the lights in the rest of the house before passing out on his bed.

As soon as he opened the door, he heard whispered babbles coming from the living room:

“Look at you, such a big, fluffy dog. Good boy!”

Hank hesitantly walked outside his bedroom. He held the gun by his side with both hands, pointing to the ground. The sound had confirmed someone had broken into his house, but what kind of burglar would stop to pet his dog? The voice was also impossible to forget, even though he’d heard it just once.

“What on Earth are you doing here?” he asked abruptly as soon as the living room was fully into view.

The android from this morning – the omega one – was sitting on the floor next to the sofa, Sumo sprawled on his lap. The lights were on, as were the ones in the kitchen, and the TV was playing, sound off, confirming Hank had forgotten to turn everything off. The pretty android looked up at him, half of his face basked in the blue light of his LED. He was wearing the same clothes.

“You’re awake. Good evening, Lieutenant Anderson.”

Of course, he would have recognised him from the precinct as well. Couldn’t fool the memory of a computer. Hank had to desperately search his.

“Connor?” he said finally with a frown. “Why are you here?”

The android showed no intention of moving. Both of his hands were buried in Sumo’s fur, and the huge dog was looking up at him, already enamoured with the machine.

“After this morning, I thought it would be best to give you time to process the information and try to talk to you once you were in a better disposition. When I reached your address, all the lights were on, indicating you were home. However, knocking and pressing the doorbell triggered no reaction. I was worried you could be in need of assistance, so I took the liberty of letting myself in,” he explained in a tone that made him look even more like a robot.

This morning… Jesus, it almost seemed like a dream. Except it wasn’t, or Hank wouldn’t be the victim of a home invasion.

“If you wanted to make sure I wasn’t dying, why didn’t you check on me?”

Connor looked down at Sumo and his LED cycled yellow once before going back to blue.

“I got distracted,” he admitted. “It happens more and more often since I deviated.” His frown made him look confused by his own actions. “I noticed you have a dog,” he added suddenly, as if giving such a conclusion with a lapful of Saint-Bernard qualified him for the title of best detective of the year. “I like dogs. What’s your dog’s name?”

He looked up at Hank again and slightly tilted his head to the side. Hank’s heart made a weird leap in his chest.

“What’s it to you?” he blurted out.

The LED cycled yellow again.

“That’s a strange name.”

Hank blinked several times.

“Did you just… what?” Androids had a shitty humour now, wonders of technology. “Sumo,” he finally managed to answer. “I call him Sumo.”

Connor gave a little smile, looking suspiciously happy to have caught Hank off guard. He took Sumo’s face between his hands.

“Hello, Sumo. You’re so handsome,” he cooed in a silly voice, and Sumo’s tail thumped on the ground.

Hank felt his jaw dropped.

“How did you even get inside, anyway?”

“I didn’t break any window if that’s what you worried about. I recently downloaded a pack with lockpicking skills.”

“Good for you. Now get out.” He made a gesture with his hand, which made him realised he still had his gun. They both eyed it.

“Are you going to shoot me?”

“No!” Hank retorted drily. He put the weapon down next to his old record player. A neatly arranged pile of vinyls sat next to it. Hank squinted at it. Too neat, actually, each one carefully aligned with the one underneath. He never tidied his own place like that. “You went through my shit?”

“No,” Connor answered immediately.

He sounded so defensive Hank knew with no doubt he was lying. Who would give an android the ability to simulate defensiveness? What was even the point of making him a bad liar?

“A little,” he admitted eventually under Hank’s scrutiny. His LED flashed yellow.

“Just… get out.”

“Don’t you want to talk about it?” Connor asked quickly.

“About what?”

“About what we learned this morning, the results of the tests. You signed up to the program so, surely, you were expecting something out of it.”

“I signed up years ago so my family would leave me alone, and I regret it now.”

“But the system gave us a nearly perfect compatibility. Don’t you want to know why? Don’t you want to try to get to know each other?”

“Nope. The system clearly made a mistake. That’s all.”

Connor didn’t answer immediately. He eyed Hank up and down, his LED blinking fast.

“We could go outside. I’ll pay you a drink,” he finally offered.

Did he had some sort of program in there that had scanned Hank, deduced he was a raging alcoholic and decided the prospect of free booze was the best way to tempt him? He would have been offended if it wasn’t working. His intention had been to kick the android out and go back to his room to drink himself into oblivion. The perspective of doing it in a familiar bar and not alone in his dark bedroom was slightly more appealing.

“There is a baseball game playing tonight,” Connor added, as if sensing his hesitation. “We could probably catch the end of it.”

Hank grunted.

“Fine. But you better not talk the entire time.”

He was going to regret this.

Connor smiled at him with all his teeth and Hank caught the slightest whiff of pleased omega that went straight to his lower belly. He made the decision right here and then to look up which twisted mind had thought of this walking wet dream and have a conversation with them.

Connor kept his mouth wisely shut on the way to Jimmy’s, which gave Hank all the opportunity he needed to think.

How could this have happened? That the algorithm was not as infallible as it claimed to be wasn’t much of a surprise, but how could it fuck up so badly and pair Hank not with one, but with two androids? Granted, back when he’d first taken the tests there hadn’t been a question about his willingness to date androids. They simply weren’t part of the program. These days, the questionnaire probably asked the participant if they would be ready to have a relationship with a plastic person. Hank wouldn’t be surprised to learn some people out there had no problem with it. To tell the truth, he found that a bit pathetic: he would rather stay on his own than sleep with a cold, heartless machine.

“Here,” he said, coming back to reality when they nearly walked past the bar. “I know this place.”

He pushed the door open as Connor offered him a smile. Why were his eyes so expressive? He let the omega walk in first and followed him inside.

Hank understood his mistake as soon as Connor set one foot inside the bar and several patrons glared at his LED. The front door had been exhibiting a “No Androids” sign just a few months ago and the fact that it was now illegal didn’t mean the mentalities had changed overnight. Coming here with an android who wasn’t particularly trying to hide his identity wasn’t his brightest idea.

‘Fucking genius, Hank.’ He briefly wondered if he’d done it on purpose, if some subconscious part of his brain had wanted to take Connor here in hope the hostility would scare the android away.

He closed his hand around Connor’s elbow and shot everyone the meanest, most aggressive alpha look he could muster, before pushing the omega toward the nearest table. He sat in front of him, making sure he had his back to the wall and the entire room in his line of sight. Regulars knew he was a cop; with a bit of luck, it would be enough to keep them minding their own business.

“Is something the matter, Lieutenant?”

“Nope. Everything is fine. You wanted to go outside, now we’re here, so don’t complain.”

Connor chose to not answer that.

Not much had changed at Jimmy’s since the revolution. Hank had never seen an android here before. The usual faces were hunched-up over their glass that night, along with some new patrons. Most of them were drinking alone in complete silence. One guy was stumbling toward the toilets. The TV behind the bar was on, but Hank barely paid attention to the game. There were only betas and alphas scattered around the bar. Jimmy’s wasn’t exactly a “fun date idea” as the CyberLife lady would put it: you didn’t come here to meet someone; you came here to drink your problems away.

One guy at the bar kept staring at Connor with obvious hatred, and Hank felt the urge to go punch him.

“Do you want me to order a drink for you?” Connor asked.

Hank’s eyes snapped back to him.

“No. I’m going.” He got up but hesitated after two steps. “Don’t move. Scream if you need help.”

The insolent little shit smirked.

“I appreciate your concern, but I’m perfectly capable of defending myself,” he retorted, way too smug.

“I’m not… I’m not concerned about you!” Hank protested immediately. “I just don’t want to make a scene, okay?”

“If you say so.”

Hank grunted, then turned away, muttering under his breath. Goddamn android… If some idiot started a fight, it would be Hank’s duty to break it, and then he would have to make some arrests and fill paperwork… He wanted none of that on his day off. That was his only reason for making sure Connor would make it through the night okay.

As he ordered a beer, Jimmy shot him a look that clearly meant: ‘What are you doing, Hank?’ but thankfully kept his mouth shut. ‘Well, I don’t know what I’m doing. Do you?’ He’d lost control of his life years ago. With age, he’d learned to roll with it.

He came back to his seat, beer in hand. Connor was waiting, hands neatly on top of each other on the table.

“Shit, you wanted something?”

“I can’t drink,” the android answered.

“Oh yeah. And don’t forget you’re paying.”

He took a sip of his drink, eyes drifting to the TV. What was the world coming to? Here he was, in his usual bar, with an android as his drinking buddy. An android who apparently couldn’t take his eyes off of him. Hank grunted in his beer.

“Jesus, don’t just stare at me without saying anything like that. It’s creepy.”

“I apologise, Lieutenant.”

Connor averted his gaze toward his hands and seemed to think for a while.

“Do you have any questions you would like to ask?” he said eventually. “Most humans have limited knowledge on androids. Maybe it would… alleviate your uneasiness.”

Hank’s first instinct was to answer “Heck, no!” – the less he knew about androids, the better – but his curiosity got the better of him.

“Actually, I’d like to know why you signed up to this stupid ‘Soul Algorithm’ service in the first place?”

This question seemed to elicit more of a reaction than Hank was expecting. Connor ducked his head, but Hank could still see his cheeks darken. ‘He’s blushing,’ he realised. But not pink; blue. It made sense in a way – Hank knew thirium was blue from the crime scenes involving androids he’d been at – but it was… weird. Just weird. And not at all endearing. The way Hank’s heart leapt in his chest was due to disgust and nothing else. Right? Right.

“Before the emancipation laws, I was already working as a detective. In fact, I was created to solve cases involving androids,” Connor explained. “It didn’t turn out well, and I became a deviant. I… played my part in the revolution. After that, I spent months helping Markus.”

“Markus?”

“The leader of the revolution.”

“Oh yeah, RoboJesus. Saw him on TV.”

Connor’s LED blinked yellow.

“It was more of a political role. I didn’t like it, but it had to be done. As soon as they didn’t need me anymore, I came back to Detroit. I spent all my life fighting, against androids, for androids. I guess I just want to try and enjoy what we fought for. I want to experience everything: joy, pain, happiness, boredom… love. A normal life, where I get to go to work and spend time with the people I like without having to worry about everyone getting called back to the factories and deactivated.”

They’d tried that in the beginning of the revolution. Some way of putting an end to the problem by obliterating it completely. It hadn’t worked, obviously, and CyberLife was now controlled by androids. It had seemed like a reasonable solution when Hank had heard of it on the news, but the way Connor said “everyone” – not as in “every machine” but as in “all the people I know” – made something akin to discomfort bloom in Hank’s chest.

“Nines agreed with me, so we found a real place to live in, not a storage space or a charging dock, and we got a job at the DPD.”

“Where’s your friend at, by the way?” Hank asked, raising his glass to his lips.

“Nines? He went to see Gavin Reed.”

A genuine laugh shook Hank’s shoulders, and he slammed his beer down with more force than was necessary.

“He’s with Reed? I wish I could see that. Well, good luck to your friend cause he’s gonna need it.” He almost had pity for the poor android. Gavin was a pain in the ass, and he hated alphas: this Nines guy was probably having a worse evening than him. “So you were what? Some kind of a hero during the revolution?” Hank had barely followed the whole thing on the news, and he couldn’t remember if he’d seen him next to the other android leaders.

Connor averted his gaze.

“I wouldn’t say that. Markus is the one who led our people. North, Josh, Simon… they saved many lives, even before the uprising. None of it would have been possible without them. I made a lot of mistakes before I finally opened my eyes. I switched sides at the last moment, almost too late, actually.”

If Connor had been a suspect during an interrogation, Hank would have said he was reading guilt on his face. His smell even changed slightly – if Hank had been just a tad farther, he probably wouldn’t have noticed – to broadcast distress. Hank was vaguely aware of his instincts responding, like a quiet voice at the back of his head telling him the omega’s new disposition wasn’t acceptable and had to be changed somehow.

“What I mean is when I realised there was nothing more I could do for them, I found myself at a loss as to what I was supposed to do with myself,” Connor continued. “I always had clear instructions: at first they were given to me by CyberLife, then by my own sense of duty toward other androids. It never gave me time to appreciate my own deviancy, to experiment, and live and understand what makes us… well, human. And that’s why Nines and me decided to have as normal a life as we could hope for. The ‘Soul Algorithm’ program was just a bonus: dating seemed like an important part of the human experience from what we’ve seen in movies – well, for some humans at least – and we thought we could give it a try.”

“What a disappointment the results must have been for you,” was Hank’s automatic response. He took another sip of his beer. Self-deprecation was his go-to reaction to almost every situation; he didn’t even think about it anymore, the words just came out of his mouth.

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Connor retorted. “You’re a very attractive alpha.”

Hank chocked on his beer and coughed so loudly half the bar turned to look at him.

“Are you alright, Lieutenant?”

Hank took several minutes to answer.

“You can’t go walking around saying shit like that,” he finally blurted out once he’d regained his breath.

His face was probably bright red, and not just from the coughing fit. Connor cocked his head to the side. His LED was shining like a beacon in the dim room.

“But I’m not walking.”

Hank opened his mouth, but hesitated.

“Now you’re just shitting me, you know perfectly well it’s just a saying.”

The corners of the omega’s mouth turn upward, as if he couldn’t suppress his grin.

“You insolent little…” Hank began, but he didn’t finish his sentence as he felt an answering smile on his face.

The distress in the other’s scent had disappeared, and the alpha in him couldn’t help but want for it to stay that way.

“I’m just telling the truth, Lieutenant,” Connor argued, raising his hands in an innocent gesture. “You’re quite tall, even for an alpha. Granted, you look like you’ve seen better days, but I’m certain you’re stronger than you look, and you seem in a somewhat decent shape. Your job would indicate you’re a man of action, which is a conventionally appreciated quality in a person of your gender. Moreover, the way you said goodbye to Sumo when we left your house and the way you still keep an eye on the room behind me as if to make sure no one will come bother me are proofs that despite your rough exterior, you care more than you would like to show.”

“First of all, my rough exterior says fuck you,” Hank retorted with no real heat, which earned him a chuckle from the omega. “Second, don’t talk like that, I’ll get the wrong impression.”

“What kind of impression?”

“That you’re flirting with me,” Hank answered, raising his eyebrows as if to say ‘What have you got to answer to that, smartass?’

“But I am flirting with you, Lieutenant,” Connor said without missing a bit and, boy, the way he said his title should have been illegal.

He hadn’t been in a conversation like that for years and Connor was way too gorgeous for his sanity.

“Oh my god, what did you say you were supposed to be? Some kind of robot detective?”

“Correct. I’m a RK800. I was specifically designed to investigate cases involving androids. I have all the relevant knowledge and skills. I was just a prototype though, and I’m the only one like me currently activated. You could say I’m literally one of a kind.”

“I could have told you that myself,” Hank said without thinking, and he got a new smile in answer. “And they also gave you the skills to flirt?”

“Oh no, I picked that up myself.” And he fucking winked. ‘Gosh, he’s so pretty,’ Hank thought, and it certainly wasn’t the first time that night.

“Why did they make you an omega? I can get why they would want your friend to be an alpha, and I’m not saying an omega can’t do the job, but if they wanted you to have the best performances possible, making you an omega seems… contradictory. You would just encounter unnecessary obstacles along the way.”

Hank had no illusions concerning the reality of his own work environment. Gavin Reed was a complete dick, but when he saw the way some alpha officers treated him, he could understand what prompted the omega to be so feisty and aggressive most of the time. If Connor had to work with humans, they would just question all his deductions, which would ultimately slow him down. Plus, to his knowledge, only sex androids had secondary genders, but he kept that to himself, because he really didn’t want his mind to go there.

Connor’s LED blinked yellow as he looked down at the table. Hank thought for a moment he wouldn’t answer and would tell him to stop asking invasive questions like that, but the younger man seemed to take a decision.

“They didn’t, actually. Made me an omega. The people running CyberLife back then thought I had failed, so they created the RK900 – Nines – to take over me. They wanted him to be more of a hunter than a detective. I was too curious, I always wanted to understand, and even back then they could see it put me at a risk of becoming a deviant. They corrected in Nines everything they thought was wrong with me. They made him an alpha, so humans would cooperate more easily. At my creation, like most androids, I wasn’t given a secondary gender. My creators thought people would consider me as a beta, even if only subconsciously, and treat me as such. That way, I wouldn’t be perceived as a threat and I would win people’s trust more easily. After the revolution, I chose to have the relevant modifications installed, so I would be seen as an omega.”

“Why?” The word was out before Hank could think.

“I like it better. I know it doesn’t make my life easier, but it feels more like… me. Not the machine CyberLife created, but the person I became in spite of what they wanted.”

Hank frowned. “So, you’re like… what? Trans?”

A blink of yellow again, more thoughtful than hesitant.

“I wouldn’t compare my experience to that of a human.”

Hank shook his head, nonetheless. “Trans robots, what a strange place the world is turning into.”

“Robots have always been trans.” Connor looked at the table again and added in the smallest voice possible: “Have you never heard of the… Trans… formers?”

Hank remained silent, dumbfounded. Had he heard that correctly? Connor kept glancing his way, blushing blue again.

“Oh my god, that’s terrible!” Hank eventually managed to say. Just as he broke the silence, his shoulders started shaking with uncontrollable laughter.

“I’m sorry,” the omega whispered sheepishly.

Hank’s laughter grew the more embarrassed he looked. It was so bad he had no other option but to laugh.

“Are bad puns another thing you learned on your own?”

“Yes.”

He couldn’t help but notice how cute the omega looked, fidgeting on the other side of the table. As Hank finally calmed down and brushed off the tears in his eyes, Connor looked up with a pleased smile and Hank had the almost unbearable urge to reach out and take his hand. He’d been on dates with a few omegas, a long time ago during his college years but he didn’t think he’d ever met someone as enticing as the one in front of him right now.

“Do you mind me asking…?” Connor began gingerly. He tilted his head again. It was probably a weird thought, but his big brown eyes and mannerism gave off a bit of a “lost puppy” vibe.

“What?”

“This morning, your behaviour and stress level indicated some sort of… uneasiness toward androids, but you seem to warn up to me easily enough. What is your exact opinion on androids?”

The mirth that had settled in Hank’s heart evaporated immediately. Reality came back to him with the subtlety of a bucketful of cold water over his head. Connor wasn’t an impossibly gorgeous omega coming on to him with an audacity he’d rarely seen. He was a fucking machine, a few pieces of metal covered in plastic. He couldn’t believe how quick he had been to forget it.

Yet, he couldn’t blame himself: it was the way those machines had been built, to perfectly imitate humans, to blend in among real people. Connor’s facial expressions looked so genuine: his fidgety little tics made him look imperfect, he could smile and convey emotions as if they came from the spur of the moment and were not carefully simulated reactions prompted by some inner programming. And his smell, his goddamn smell. The synthetic undertone was so easy to miss his dumb alpha brain convinced itself he was in front of an omega made of flesh and bones. It triggered the usual instincts in him, the need to protect, the desire to keep the other close and happy. They even had an instant chemistry: it was so easy to talk to Connor, to let him mess with Hank in good spirit.

All of this made him look so much like a real person Hank had acted in kind. But it wasn’t real. People who were still anti-androids said their “humanity”, what they called deviancy, was a virus they could pass to each other; not real feelings, just a fucking computer virus that made them act irrationally. It messed with their programming to prevent them from acting the way they’d been intended to, but it was still just that: programming. Their actions didn’t come from human feelings and emotions. It came from some new lines of code, somewhere in their inner computer, that sent out instructions in their components depending on the situation. ‘If A, then B.’ It was maybe the most advanced kind of technology currently known to man, but it was still just programming.

Hank was reminded of that in the split of a second. His smile fell, his fingers tightened on his glass, and all his walls came back up.

“My opinion?” The venom in his own voice took him by surprise. “My opinion is pretty straightforward: androids are just machines. If it were up to me, I’d put you all in a dumpster and set fire to it.”

The immediate pain on Connor’s face made his stomach flip, made him want to take back his words. He pushed the feeling down. It wasn’t real. It was a simulation. Androids themselves might believe it was real, but that couldn’t change the facts.

Connor’s LED settled firmly on yellow.

“Is there… any particular reason behind your hatred for androids?”

The memories flooded his brain. Grief efficiently killed whatever sympathy he had left for the android.

“Yeah,” he said through gritted teeth. “There is one.”

Connor looked upset but made no attempt to push him further.

“Look. The way I see it, things are pretty simple. I don’t want a relationship right now with anyone, and I certainly don’t want an android around. The algorithm made a mistake and there is nothing you could say to change my mind. If you want to go pester Reed with this shit, knock yourself out, but you’re not gonna get anything out of me.”

Hank got up to get a second beer. He was too sober for this, and he hoped a hangover would make him forget the details of this conversation in the morning. When he came back, Connor’s LED was still spinning yellow. The android made no further attempt to get him to talk.

Chapter Text

Despite the darkness, Nines could clearly see Detective Reed’s face as the human exited his building, a trash bag in hands. It looked like Nines would not have to wait anymore. He watched as the omega got closer to the part of the courtyard where the huge dumpsters sat – and where Nines remained hidden in the shadows, hand on his LED. When his target got close enough, Nines took one step forward and lowered his arm, revealing the blue light coming from his temple.

“Good evening, Detective Reed.”

The man shrieked and flailed the trash bag wildly in his direction. Nines caught it easily. He had to suppress a mocking grin.

“Do not worry. I am not here to hurt you.”

“What are you doing here, freak?” Gavin yelled, clearly not paying attention to what Nines had just said.

The RK900 deduced the detective did not like being caught off guard and retaliated by being overtly aggressive.

“I needed to see you, and since you did not let me up when I rang at your apartment, I decided to wait to see if you would come out,” he explained calmly.

“By standing in the shadows like a serial killer?”

“Statistically speaking, serial killers are not more likely to prey on you in the dark than in a lighted environment.”

Gavin froze for a second. He had crossed his arms in front of his chest in a defensive manner. He eyed Nines, as if he were scanning him, then he blinked.

“Woah, thanks. I feel better already.”

Nines gave the expected polite response: “You’re welcome” as he raised the lid of the dumpster with one hand to throw the trash bag in it with the other. Gavin frowned. The dumpster slammed shut.

“That was sarcasm… You know what? Never mind. You tin cans are supposed to have a perfect memory, aren’t you? Have you already forgotten what I told you half an hour ago when you rang my apartment?”

Nines did not have to do an extensive search to pull that information out of his databanks.

“You told me to ‘fuck off’, detective.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

“This order is contradictory to my previous instructions. Connor made very clear he wanted me to befriend you.”

Nines took one more step forward but stopped as soon as Gavin took one step back. After a quick reflection, he clasped his hands behind his back and made an effort not to stare the human right in the face.

During the few months of his very short life, Nines had only cohabitated with androids. His arrival at the DPD had made painfully obvious he knew little to nothing concerning interactions with humans. Connor had been built to work alongside them, not him: he did not have the same social skills in his programming. He had noticed most people felt intimidated by his presence: it came from the artificial alpha pheromones he exuded, as well as his height. He was tall enough to effortlessly tower over a good chunk of the population, including Gavin Reed.

He did not understand the intricacies of social norms, how far you were supposed to stand from someone and how much you were supposed to blink in a minute. He could always research it, but he usually deemed it a waste of time. However, if he wanted this mission to go as smoothly as possible, he would have to make an effort. He hoped a non-threatening posture would put the omega more at ease.

“I suggest we start by getting to know each other. An informal conversation seems the best way to exchange personal information. Would you like to accompany me on a stroll?”

Nines was disappointed to see his attempt was not well received: Gavin looked even more defensive.

“What the fuck? Hell no, I’m gonna go home.”

“Then perhaps I could come with you? Talking in a private setting would achieve similar results.”

“If I wasn’t a cop myself, I would have called them by now,” Gavin retorted.

His voice was even colder than when they first started, and a quick analysis of his stress levels indicated he was only getting less receptive by the minute. Nines frowned, an unnecessary gesture he could not help but execute when his preconstructions did not play out as he intended. Connor said it was frustration.

He did a quick research and came up with the conclusion that most omegas felt scared at the idea of being alone at night with an unknown alpha. He changed his strategy accordingly and did another research. His LED blinked yellow in the dark.

“There is a bar not too far away. Reviews on the Internet show it is popular among people of your age group. It is also android-friendly. Would you like to grab a drink with me?” he asked, using the appropriate colloquialism. Maybe the omega would feel more secured with a lot of people around them.

Gavin hesitated.

“Sure,” he said slowly. “Let me just go grab my jacket.”

Another internal research.

“Despite the time, the current temperature is still in the ideal range for human comfort. If you get back inside, I fear you will not come back down.”

“Damn, he is a good detective after all.”

This time, Nines caught on the sarcasm easily.

“Well, I don’t have my wallet, so I’d have to go back up either way,” Gavin added with an apologetic gesture that did not seem heartfelt.

“I will pay for you.”

Gavin eyed the door at the other end of the courtyard, as if he were evaluating his chances to get there before Nines. They were close to zero. The human must have come to the same conclusion because he sighed.

“Is there any way you’ll let me go back to my apartment?”

“Unlikely,” Nines answered truthfully. “I will fulfil my task, with or without your cooperation. However, rest assured I will not hurt you or pose any threat to you in the process.”

Gavin met his eyes for the first time that evening.

“Jesus, you sound so weird. I guess the worst that could come out of it is you being a pain in my ass the entire evening… Fine, let’s go. Maybe I’ll find someone more interesting than you at the bar.”

Impossible. Nines was, after all, the best android prototype currently in existence. He kept that to himself, however, and led Gavin out on the street.

The bar was easy to find and, as calculated, only a few minutes away. Gavin refused to let Nines get the door for him and marched in first. It was a place with loud music and scarce lighting. It was not a nightclub, however – too small. Most patrons remained seated: the clear space allotted to dancing at the back could only welcome a limited number of persons.

As anticipated, a few androids were scattered around the room. They tended to stick together, but Nines spotted two mixed couples engrossed in conversation. An android who had chosen to keep his LED stood behind the counter. Gavin and Nines’ arrival warranted no particular reaction from the patrons.

Nines followed Gavin to the nearest empty table.

“Damn, you were right. This place seems popular,” the omega commented with a look around.

"Have you never been here before? It is conveniently close to your home,” Nines remarked as he took the seat in front of him. Was it the presence of androids that deterred him from coming to this place?

Gavin glanced at him before taking a hold of the drink menu. He kept his eyes on it as he answered:

“I rarely go outside to drink. Contrary to a few other cops, I don’t think alcohol is a great way to cope with the stress. Plus, the alcohol-suppressants mix makes me sick anyway.”

Nines added the information that Gavin was taking suppressants to the detective’s profile almost without thinking. It was a feature that had been built into him to help collect as many data as possible on his targets. The intended purpose had been to identify the triggering factors of deviancy in androids; now, Nines had profiles on everybody he came in contact with regularly.

This morning, he had already noted Gavin was wearing a copious amount of a perfume that had been designed to cover omega pheromones. Most suppressants were only meant to reduce the impact of heats and act as a birth control. A few inhibited the production of omega pheromones; some were efficient enough to allow omegas to pass as betas. However, they were more expensive and reviews online taught Nines they were known to have an extended list of undesirable side effects. The deodorants and perfumes marketed as a way to conceal your scent were cheaper – even if their smell was particularly repulsive in Nines’ opinion. The one Gavin was using was starting to wear off by now and Nines’ advanced olfactory receptors could make out his true scent among all the other smells in the bar.

“And yet, my analysis shows you smoke an unhealthy amount.”

“Well, I never said I was perfect, now, did I?” the detective retorted.

True to his words, he chose a non-alcoholic cocktail. Nines gestured for him to stay seated and blinked at the bartender from across the room. His LED flickered as he received Nines’ order.

“Would you look at that? You’re not completely useless after all,” Gavin said as he observed the phenomenon.

They fell into silence until Nines suddenly remembered Connor had informed him that, according to his own observations, most humans felt uncomfortable when a pause in the conversation stretched too long.

“I request the permission to ask private questions,” he said immediately.

Gavin’s eyes, that had wandered toward a human-android couple at a table nearby, snapped back to him.

“Jeez. I can’t promise I’ll answer them.”

It was enough for Nines.

“I would like to know your opinion on androids. It seems an essential information to know going forward in our relationship and your… choice of vocabulary would point toward the existence of strong feelings on your part.”

“Didn’t like being called tin can?” Gavin asked with a mocking grin.

Nines intertwined his fingers on top of the table.

“No. Not really,” he answered without blinking.

Gavin grunted.

“It was just words. I don’t care about androids. Look, the world seems weird now,” he added when he realised Nines was waiting for more. “A few years back, CyberLife creates you guys to take half of our jobs and now you’re not machines anymore, but living people? It just… came out of nowhere and it’s weird. I mean, my laptop never had any revendications and the technology has been around longer than you. I was sceptical at first. I’m not an engineer, I don’t understand how any of this shit works, you know? But now most people seem to agree with you, and you have the law on your side, so I guess we just gotta live with our time, right?”

Nines cocked his head to the side. The detective’s reasoning made no sense and was full of contradictions. He felt his frustration coming back, but Connor had warned him humans tended to be like that.

“Right,” he repeated, and it sounded almost like a question, but Gavin was already talking again:

“I never had an android before the revolution, I didn’t know anyone who had one. Hell, I barely interacted with the few we had at the precinct. I have no idea how I’m supposed to treat a machine that has feelings.”

A waitress arrived at that moment to put Gavin’s drink in front of him. The bar offered a few products suitable for android consumption, but Nines had chosen not to take anything. He wanted to be able to put his undivided attention in his mission. He waited for the waitress to leave before answering.

“You could start by treating them with the same amount of respect you give to humans.”

A colourful straw was sticking out of Gavin’s fancy looking drink. Nines idly wondered if he had taken one of the priciest ones just to spite him. Gavin snorted as he took a sip.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m not particularly… agreeable toward other humans either.”

Nines replayed the events of this morning in his head, noting once again the obvious tension that had transpired between Lieutenant Anderson and Detective Reed.

“Correct,” he concluded. He pondered on his next words for a while, then decided Gavin would not mind being pushed around a bit. “May I ask you what is pushing you to be such a bitch?”

A surprised laughter escaped Gavin’s chest.

“Jesus, it sounds so weird in your mouth, especially when you sit there all proper and shit.”

“Your propension to use crude words made me want to try it,” Nines explained in all honesty.

“I’m already a bad influence on you, and we’ve known each other for less than a day,” the detective commented, shaking his head. “Right, you got me: I don’t like androids, I don’t like humans, I don’t like anybody. I’m a bitch because my kink is people leaving me the fuck alone.”

Nines did not react but instead stared at Gavin, lost in thought.

“Woah, what are you doing? Don’t do that shit!” he said immediately, his aggressivity coming back in the bat of an eye.

“Do what?” Nines asked absentmindedly.

“Your thing is spinning yellow. Are you scanning me or something?”

“I am trying to understand your behaviour.”

“Well, stop it.”

Of course, Nines did not listen.

“If your initial reaction this morning was not prompted by the fact that Connor and I are androids, then I must assume it has something to do with Lieutenant Anderson’s and my own identities as alphas.”

Gavin’s eyes grew cold.

“Will you shut up? I’m not scared of alphas.”

“I am not saying you are. I am saying you distrust and dislike them. It may have been triggered by a disastrous experience in your childhood, with a parent or a family member, but I would rather think it was implanted in you and encouraged during your career. You hold a position that is almost uniquely filled by alphas. There is no doubt that you encountered mockery, dismissive remarks and even harassment every step of the way. This must have conditioned you to treat every alpha you meet with instant aggressivity, to defend yourself before they even get a chance to attack you.”

“Thanks, how much do I owe you? You’re sure you wanna be a cop? You’d be better off as a shrink,” Gavin nearly growled.

Nines was not put off by the obvious aggressive demeanour.

“Am I wrong?”

Gavin noisily slurped his drink through the straw.

“Nope, you’re right on the money. I hate alphas, but it’s not like I try to hide it,” he eventually said, as if the admission was almost painful. Gavin’s dismissiveness did not deter Nines from feeling an immense satisfaction at the knowledge his conclusion was correct. “And I have good fucking reasons. My father wasn’t violent, he just made very clear he preferred my alpha brothers. When I said I wanted to join the police academy, all I got was a dismissive ‘of course, sweetheart’. He always said it would be too hard for me, and I should just be a nice omega and find a ‘strong alpha’ to provide for me.”

According to Nines’ databanks, it had been nearly a century since omegas had obtained the right to work, to vote and to have financial independence. However, some people still had conservative opinions and others treated omegas with condescendence, not out of hatred but because they saw omegas as having an almost child-like dependence to individuals traditionally perceived as stronger.

“My alpha co-workers weren’t better, even after I finished the academy,” Gavin continued. “Most omegas in the work force have administrative jobs and even now omegas who go out on the field are a rarity. Every alpha I know told me at least once I would crumble under the pressure or I would mess up a case because a suspect would easily overpower me. It never happened, and even after I proved time and time again that I’m physically fit for the job, that I’m as clever and as good a detective as any alpha, I still get assholes who question every single one of my decisions during a case, who second guess my conclusions and go over my paperwork as if after fifteen fucking years I still don’t know how to do my job.”

The human got so angry he moved his hands around and some of his drink splashed on the table.

“Like, what do they even think? That I get distracted every five minutes thinking about babies and that it prevents me from labelling my evidence correctly? I’m as good as an alpha; hell, I’m better than all of them, actually, because I had to fight harder to get where I am right now! So yeah, I decided if I can’t get their respect, then I would just growl at them until they leave me alone. Once, I heard some shithead saying I was some kind of frigid bitch, but I don’t fucking care, I don’t need an alpha in my life.”

He slammed his drink on the table, which was a relief to Nines because his programming was already pre-constructing how much of it would end up on the floor if he kept flailing it around like that and it was seriously distracting him from the conversation.

“So, in conclusion, it is painfully obvious that this thing,” Gavin made a wild gesture between the two of them, “whatever you want to call it, can’t go anywhere because I can’t stand people like you.” He nodded to himself, as if his reasoning were infallible and Nines had nothing left to do but to agree with him.

Nines was unimpressed.

“On the contrary. I was not raised with the prejudices that plague the human perception of the world. I would even say that to be a good detective, I reject those kinds of baseless opinions: they would only skew my deductions. So, in conclusion,” he mimicked, “I have no reason to treat you as weak and helpless unless proven otherwise. In the same way, I am not subjected to alpha instincts triggered by hormones. I will not feel the need to drag you down in order to feel better about myself. I am also unlikely to answer to your defensiveness with aggressivity of my own, which would prevent the escalation of situations.”

Gavin blinked and his jaw dropped slightly.

“Oh, because you’re so much better than everyone else, aren’t you?”

The quickness of this reply would indicate it was more of an instinctual clapback than a genuine question, but Nines answered nonetheless.

“I am, actually. I am the most advanced prototype ever created by CyberLife and I am the only model in existence, so there is literally no one better than me out there.”

Gavin frowned. Nines’ scans could perceive the omega’s uneasiness had been spiking randomly since the beginning of the conversation, but he had yet to identify the cause. To distract him from whatever it was, Nines barely waited before asking another question.

“Is this why you and Lieutenant Anderson never pursued a relationship, despite the compatibility the algorithm gave you? I am guessing you signed up in hope to find a beta or an omega and were disappointed when your highest potential partner was an alpha.”

“My brothers signed me up as a joke for my birthday,” Gavin explained. “They pressured me into filling the forms and taking the tests, saying shits like you don’t refuse a birthday present and it would make our ‘poor mother’ happy to know I wasn’t alone in life anymore. I said I didn’t need anyone, that I was fine on my own, and they said it would help me find the ‘perfect alpha’. I got mad, saying the algorithm would probably put me with an omega, proving I wasn’t made for an alpha, and I went with the process out of spite. But obviously, the program is a complete scam because it put me with Anderson.”

“Did he ever bother you at the precinct?” Nines asked slowly. For some reason, the idea made him feel something he did not like.

Gavin snorted.

“In nearly four years of working at the same place, we must have said a dozen words to each other, so he never had the opportunity. Back then, he had just lost his son.” Nines immediately saved this information to look it up later. “I’m not saying what happened to him doesn’t suck, okay? But the way he destroyed himself afterward was not my problem to deal with. Granted, he’s slightly better now, but when CyberLife contacted us three years ago, he was just a shell of a human being. He was drunk 24/7, he was probably trying to kill himself. The idea of dating an alpha barely aware of his own actions wasn’t appealing to me in any way. He was in a very dark place and getting him out of it was not my responsibility, so I said no. I told my brothers they could go fuck themselves and I forgot about it.”

And now, the program had assigned him a second alpha. Nines could better understand his reaction but this time, he did not feel the satisfaction that usually came with solving a puzzle. Instead, he felt… preoccupied and he could not determine why exactly.

“Did you ever…”

“No,” Gavin interrupted, raising his hand. “I’m not gonna sit there like I’m being interrogated. It’s my turn to ask questions.”

Nines did his best to ignore his frustration. The advice he had downloaded on romantic relationships earlier in the day all said it was a mutual exchange. It seemed fair for the detective to want to know personal information about him as well. Nines nodded in agreement. It became quickly obvious, however, that Gavin did not know what to ask first, because he took some time to think. The android forcefully contained his impatience and remained completely motionless.

“Okay,” Gavin eventually said. “I don’t care if it sounds dumb, but I gotta ask or it’s going to eat me from the inside. You and the other android, what’s his name…”

“Connor,” Nines provided helpfully.

“Right, Connor. Are you… like… brothers or something?”

Nines allowed the question to sink in.

“I can see why that would distress you. The concept of siblings is not relevant in the case of androids, or at least not in the sense humans usually understand it. We were not born through natural reproduction, so none of us have parents in common, or DNA to share. I am sure you could find a few androids who decided to build a family with people they share a feeling of kinship with and would call their siblings, but no, Connor and I are not more related to each other than your laptop would be related to another laptop of the same factory. I do see him as a very important part of my life, but I do not consider him my brother. As a result, the two of us having a romantic and/or sexual relationship would not be considered incest.”

“I wasn’t thinking about sex,” Gavin protested immediately.

Nines squinted.

“Are you sure? My research as well as my own observations indicate that your species tends to think about sex quite often.”

Gavin let out a laugh that crunched up the bridge of his nose. He had a diagonal scar there, going from right to left. Nines found he liked to look at it for reasons he could not understand.

“Okay, whatever. Why didn’t your clone tag along? Is he the clever one, and he realised coming to see me was a waste of time?”

“I do not think I am wasting my time, detective,” Nines answered. “And Connor went to see Lieutenant Anderson.”

The omega android had been the one to suggest they should attempt approaching the two humans in a setting where they would feel less pressure. He also thought Lieutenant Anderson would be less receptive to another alpha, and his instincts would potentially push him to see Nines as a threat.

Gavin visibly winced, baring his teeth for a second.

“Terrible idea. If you think I’m cold toward androids, well, Anderson is something else entirely. He hates your lot with all his might. He had anti-android stickers on his desk not so long ago until Fowler forced him to scratch them. Hell, he doesn’t even trust automated cars, so androids? I don’t think your friend is having a good time.”

Nines, who was not particularly moving, froze completely, his LED no doubt spinning yellow.

"You wanna go check on him?” Gavin suggested softly.

“Is there a chance the Lieutenant would be violent toward him?” he asked after a pause.

“Hard to tell, really. Connor is an omega, so that might hold Anderson back. Anderson is also a cop before anything else, so if he’s sober enough to remember hurting androids is now illegal, he probably won’t, but… I don’t think he’s the most rational man when it comes to you guys.”

Nines considered this for a while, LED spinning fast, then he made his decision and pushed all unnecessary pre-constructions aside. Devoting so much of his processors to fictional scenarios of what may happen to Connor was pointless. His LED cycled back to blue.

“I can stay with you a while longer. I do not think the situation warrants my intervention.”

Gavin frowned and his uneasiness spiked again.

“You’re not worried about your friend?”

“Connor is a RK800, the prototype made just before me. Both of us have very similar skillsets: he knows how to fight and is as strong as I am. I highly doubt a single man could overpower him,” Nines explained calmly.

That did not seem to satisfy the detective. He played idly with the straw in his drink, making the ice cubes clinked against the glass.

“I need to ask, because it’s been weirding me out the entire time,” he said finally. “Aren’t you all supposed to be… well, alive, now? Like, aren’t you supposed to all have emotions? Because you sound so much like a robot and I don’t think I’ve seen you have one facial expression the entire evening.”

Nines immediately disliked the idea that Gavin doubted his humanity.

“I can assure you I am as much alive as any other android,” he retorted. “I was activated after the revolution and I spent my entire life among androids. I admit I have a limited experience on how to interact with humans. I am used to communicate with my peers through interfacing or wordless exchange of data. Showing what you feel with your face seems unnecessary when you can just let someone else inside your head. I could modulate my speech and my behaviour to make it easier for humans, but most of the time, I just ‘don’t fucking care’, as you would put it. I do not want to change who I am just to appease others.”

Gavin made a thoughtful pout with his mouth, then shrugged.

“Makes sense, I guess. It would be hypocritical of me to judge you.”

“It is not because I do not show my emotions that I do not have them. I am worried for Connor, but I also trust him.”

Nines held Gavin’s eyes and saw him visibly relax. His answer seemed to better Gavin’s opinion of him.

“Damn right,” he said, raising his glass to no one in particular. “I’m sure your boyfriend can hold his own.”

“Connor is not my boyfriend.”

Gavin raised one eyebrow at him.

“Uh-oh. But didn’t the algorithm give you a very high compatibility? And you signed up together… No wait, I guess it would be weird if you were together, but you registered to that dumb program.”

Nines lowered his gaze on the table, as if he would see something more interesting there.

“Connor wanted to try the program,” he informed him.

“And you?”

Nines did not answer immediately. When he glanced at Gavin, he discovered the omega was staring at his temple, where his LED was no doubt yellow.

“I admit I had no interest in the service before Connor brought it up and, at first, I did not see the appeal.” In truth, he still had trouble imagining how the whole process could end up being worth the trouble. He had been perfectly content living alone with his omega counterpart.

“You shouldn’t do this if you don’t want to,” Gavin commented.

“But I do want to,” Nines retorted immediately, in all honesty. “Connor is very important to me. After the revolution, when androids took over CyberLife, Connor found me in their tower. He had no idea they had built a new prototype to replace him. He could have been scared and disgusted at the idea, he could have felt threatened by me, but instead he activated me. He was the first face I saw when I woke up, he gave me my deviancy,” Nines remembered, and he heard his own voice softening. “He wanted me to live in a world where I would not be born a slave. He took care of me; he has always been there for me: I spent all my life living with him. My highest priority is for him to be happy and if using CyberLife’s ‘Soul Algorithm’ program will achieve that, then I will gladly provide my assistance.”

“But what about you?” Gavin asked. “You’ll help him be happy even if that doesn’t make you happy?”

Nines cocked his head to the side.

“I do not understand. My purpose is to fill my main objective. Once Connor’s happiness is ensured, I will be happy.”

“Are you sure about that?” Gavin asked, and something in his voice and in his expression made Nines think he did not believe him a second, but that was irrational. He was not a suspect during an interrogation, what reasons would he have to lie to the detective? Gavin sighed. “Listen, it’s not my place to say, I know. But all I’m saying is, it’s not because he helped you a lot that you have to feel like you owe him, and especially not like you need to sacrifice your own happiness for his,” he added.

“I am not sacrificing anything. Seeing him happy makes me happy,” Nines answered, trying to ignore the tinge of exasperation at having to repeat himself.

“Yeah, but…” Gavin started again, before stopping, face crunched up as he obviously searched for the best words. “What I don’t understand is that the algorithm gave you a compatibility higher than what you have with me or with Anderson, so why don’t you two… you know… ignore the fucked-up humans that Anderson and me are and try to make something work between you?”

Nines suddenly wanted to fidget.

“I… would see no problem with that, but Connor said it would be worth to at least try to get to know you and the Lieutenant.”

“Woah. You don’t feel upset he’s basically saying you’re not enough for him?”

Nines felt his face do something he had no control over. He did not know what his expression showed, but Gavin’s eyes flew to his temple and he winced. The omega put his elbow on the table in order to rub at his eyebrows in a nervous gesture.

“Fuck, that was probably not the right thing to say, just… ignore me. It comes with being a bitch: I always end up saying something to fuck things up and make people hate me.”

“I do not hate you,” Nines answered automatically.

His eyes were glued to his hands on the table. They were clasped in a grip that would have probably turned his knuckles white if he had been human. Not enough for Connor? He had never thought of it in that way and the idea did something unpleasant to his components. For some reasons, his pre-construction program had activated on its own and was calculating the best escape route from the bar. Nines turned it off with an annoyed blink: he was currently in no physical danger. His body did not seem to know how to react to his unexpectedly high stress levels.

“I…” Gavin began, then he seemed to change his mind. He sipped his drink in silence instead.

Nines did not find it in him to start the conversation again.

An hour later, Nines was waiting in front of their building. The DPD had to pay them now, and the two androids had found an apartment that suited their salary. The space was technically unnecessary: they did not need beds to put themselves in sleep mode, they had no use for a kitchen, but Connor liked the comfort and the feeling it gave him of being more than a machine that could be locked away in a storage compartment. Nines had found he agreed.

He had not been standing there for long when Connor showed up. After they had found themselves in an uncomfortable silence that seemed to stretch longer than it had, Nines had walked Gavin back to his apartment. The human had looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated. Finally, he had asked “See you at the precinct, yeah?” Nines had answered with a smile. He had noted that despite his initial aggressivity, Gavin did seem to have compassion for him. It comforted him, in a way.

However, as soon as he heard Connor’s steps and raised his head to look at him, his own concerns disappeared from his mind. Connor’s LED was flickering yellow, and a frown had settled on his brow.

“Are you alright?” he asked out loud when the smaller android was close enough.

“I’m fine.”

“Did he hurt you?” Nines had not meant to ask, but it came out against his will.

“No, the Lieutenant didn’t harm me.” Connor came to a stop next to Nines and rubbed his hands together. “I’m just… deeply confused by his actions,” he admitted. “He pretends he hates androids, but then he laughs with me and he acts as if he would be ready to punch someone if they were to threaten me.”

Connor was not looking at Nines, lost in thought, lips in a tight line. Nines itched to reach out to him, to intertwine their fingers and retract his skin so they could interface. So he could show him he had no need to worry because Nines would always be there and he would always do everything in his power to keep him happy. Usually, he would not have hesitated, but that night, something held him back.

“It’s not like he can forget I’m an android,” Connor continued. “It’s literally there on my forehead. It’s more like… he forgot he was supposed to hate androids. And he refused to tell me why he hates us in the first place.”

He remained silent and unmoving for a while.

“Humans are irrational,” Nines finally said, poor words of comfort.

Connor’s eyes came back to him, and he smiled. It made Nines feel something. It was soft, and it hurt at the same time and the alpha had no words in his unlimited vocabulary to name it.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to darken the mood. How was your evening?”

“It went better than expected. Gavin Reed is… interesting, to say the least.”

He thought back on the omega detective. He was full of contradictions, like every other human, but for some reason, Nines did not find it annoying but fascinating. It made him want to know more about him. He had made very clear he wanted to push Nines away, and then he had talked as if he genuinely cared about the android’s happiness. He was loud and rude, but he was also stubborn and unafraid, qualities that Nines particularly liked.

“I’m glad you had a good night,” Connor said, and he reached out to brush Nines’ sleeve in an affectionate gesture. The alpha smiled back at him.

As Connor turned away to walk toward the door, Nines felt his mouth opening:

“If this does not yield positive results, maybe we could… look into someone else on our lists.” This was not what he had meant to say. What he had meant to say was “maybe we could forget about other people and do something, just you and me. It doesn’t matter what, as long as we spend time together” but it had remained stuck in his throat.

He knew Connor. Connor was particularly social, he liked being with people – humans, androids, it did not matter. It satisfied his insatiable curiosity, his need to learn more about everything. He lapped up what other people said like he absorbed clues on a case.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m really curious about them,” Connor answered unsurprisingly, as if there existed one thing in this world he was not curious about. “I think I want to go on, for now. I would really like to try to talk to Detective Reed and… despite what he says, I think the Lieutenant could warm up to androids.”

He smiled softly, not looking at Nines, as if there were things he was not saying, and Nines was immediately displeased at the idea Connor was smiling like that thinking about some human alpha who did not even have the decency to consider androids as people. He did not let it show, though, and he smiled at Connor.

“Alright.”

Chapter Text

On Monday, Hank arrived at the precinct uncharacteristically on time. After all, nothing had been normal about his weekend, so why not stay on trend?

After Connor had left him on Saturday night, Hank had tried to convince himself he would be able to sweep the whole situation under the rug and get back to his life as if nothing had happened. He hadn’t.

He had planned to spend a quiet Sunday with Sumo, the TV and a pack of beer. Somehow, it had seemed like his mind couldn’t help but come back to the evening he’d spent with the android. No matter what was on the screen, no matter what he did to try and distract himself – he had even mown his fucking lawn, for the love of god, his neighbours must have thought he’d gone mad – sad, puppy-eyes came floating back at the forefront of his thoughts.

He’d gone to bed in a terrible mood, only to be unable to fall asleep. No matter how hard he told himself Connor was just a machine, that he didn’t have feelings, Hank couldn’t help but feel guilty at how miserable he’d made the omega look. He’d woken up way earlier than he had intended to, exhausted and pissed off. With nothing else to do, he had walked Sumo and gone to work.

Reed was already at his computer when Hank walked to his desk. The detective absentmindedly raised his head when he heard him; their eyes briefly met and Gavin frowned when he recognised him, no doubt surprised to see him before noon. Hank braced himself for a snarky comment, but Reed went back to his screen without a word. So, that was how it would be? If you don’t acknowledge the problem, then the problem doesn’t exist. It was fine by Hank. According to Connor, Nines had gone to Gavin: the omega probably had a lot on his plate as well.

Hank sat down and turned on his terminal. He pulled out some simple files, basic paperwork; he hadn’t had a real case in ages. He managed to keep himself busy for almost half an hour, pointedly ignoring Gavin on the other side of the room, until some movement from the corner of his eyes made him look up.

Connor and Nines, back equally stiff, were walking across the open space. Connor briefly met his eyes and offered a tentative smile. Hank cursed inwardly when he felt himself blush like a teenager with a crush. He tensed involuntarily, hands frozen above his keyboard, but fortunately, the two androids walked by without saying a word.

They took the stairs to Fowler’s office. Nines opened the door; as he let Connor walked in first, his hand fell to the small of the omega’s back and he looked at Hank, staring openly. The Lieutenant didn’t know if he should take it as a challenge from an alpha to another or as android social ignorance. It lasted only a second, and Nines turned his back on him to follow Connor.

Before he could close the door behind them, however, Fowler pushed him aside to stand at the top of the stairs.

“Reed, Anderson, in my office, now!” he yelled in his now legendary powerful voice.

Hank nearly jumped out of his skin at the call of his name. His eyes automatically fell on Reed; the detective was already staring in the direction of the two androids and looked as dumbfounded as he felt.

“I said now!” Fowler repeated when he realised they weren’t moving.

Gavin scrambled to his feet, head ducked, avoiding looking at anyone. Hank followed more reluctantly as his heart sank to the bottom of his chest. Had the two androids said something to Fowler? Was there any way this could be about what had happened during the weekend? If Fowler had learned about the whole ‘Soul Algorithm’ situation, what kind of actions would he be required to take as their superior? Relationships between co-workers were frowned upon, but it wasn’t like something was really going to happen…

Hank reached the office under Fowler’s impenetrable stare. The older alpha waited for him to get in first, as if Hank were some kind of toddler who would run away as soon as he would take his eyes off him. The three other detectives were standing in front of the captain’s desk; nobody reached out to take a chair. Reed had crossed his arms in an obviously defensive manner. Connor was rubbing his hands together – he was particularly fidgety for an android. Nines was holding his hands clasped behind his back, completely unmoving.

Fowler closed the door behind them and rounded his desk to sit on the other side. Hank stood to the side, not wanting to get closer than necessary to the others. The two androids really put the humans to shame, picture-perfect models straight out of the cover of a magazine next to Gavin in his hoodie and Hank with his grey hair. No wonder every CEO in the country wanted to replace their employees with those machines.

Fowler barely spared them a glance before looking at his computer screen.

“If you didn’t know already, Connor and Nines are two new recruits at our precinct,” he explained, obviously for the humans’ sake. “From what I’ve been told, they were intended to be detectives and they decided to follow down that path even after the revolution. The fancy gadgets built into them are supposed to make them better at this job than humans.” He briefly looked at the two androids. “Frankly, I don’t care. Do your job or you’ll be reprimanded just like any other cop.”

“I can assure you we will do our best,” Connor declared, all robot politeness.

“Yeah, well, I’d have to assign you a case sooner or later, no matter if I want it or not,” Fowler mumbled to himself. He made a gesture toward the humans. “This is Lieutenant Anderson and Detective Reed. They’ve been working here for years.”

“We have already met,” Nines provided helpfully.

Fowler barely had the time to raise an eyebrow before Gavin was blurting out an explanation:

“We met at the precinct. Briefly.”

The poor android seemed confused by the lie, but thankfully kept his mouth shut.

Hank had relaxed as soon as it became obvious Fowler had no knowledge of the events that had unfolded during the weekend. Even though Reed was being particularly awkward and the nervousness in his voice was noticeable, Fowler would never imagine in a million years it had something to do with the stupid ‘Soul Algorithm’ program.

His relief, however, was completely crushed by Fowler’s next words.

“Whatever. You’ll be working together from now on: I’m assigning you all to a case.”

“What? I’m not working with androids!” was Hank’s immediate reaction.

“All of us?” Gavin said at the same time, nearly choking on the words.

Fowler groaned: he had probably anticipated it from his two most annoying cops.

“Don’t start. I don’t want to hear any complaint. This is not kindergarten where you get to pick who you want to play with. This is not a debate. This is a goddamn order, so you two are going to suck it up and act like adults for once,” he said, not yelling but steadily getting there. “This case is big: androids have gone missing all over the State for the past few months and the law now requires us to actually investigate it and bring back those androids to their family when that’s possible. The number of disappearances is starting to get media coverage. The case just got transferred to us, because the DPD wants the two RK models on it. I was asked to put humans on the case as well; the DPD probably wants to atone for the fact we used to hunt down deviants and get on the public’s good side by proving human and android cops are the best of buds now. All eyes are going to be on this precinct, so you better not fuck this up.”

“Fuck your political agenda,” Hank retorted. He had never been good with discipline and Fowler’s big, dominant alpha act might worked on rookies but not him. “Why me? I’m the least qualified cop of the country for this case. You know I hate androids; you know what I think about wasting our time to look for lost machines.”

Fowler pointed a menacing finger in his direction.

“Watch your tongue, Anderson. This kind of speech can get you in trouble, now. I’m putting human cops on the job so they can help the androids with their experience. You and Reed have been doing this for a long time. Even state-of-the-art technology can’t replace a good cop’s instinct.”

“Are you serious? I’ve been doing this job for decades and all I get in return is to be assigned as some tin cans’ assistant?”

“Well, it’s not like you had a successful big case recently,” Fowler pointed out mercilessly. “In fact, I’m getting tired of you showing up late to loiter around the precinct. Perhaps a more challenging case will give you the kick in the ass you need to get back on your feet.”

“Never mind Anderson’s hurt feelings,” Reed interrupted. “I’m not working with them.”

“Oh, what? You don’t like androids either?” Fowler’s tone was sarcastic, condescending, as if he were making fun of a child throwing a tantrum.

Despite Hank’s and Fowler’s strong feelings toward each other, despite that every time the Captain called him inside his office it ended in a shouting match, he had never talked to Hank – to any alpha officer – like that. The Lieutenant winced and looked away. Fowler seemed to realise what he had said as soon as it left his mouth.

“You don’t have a serious case either, so I’m putting you on this one,” he added more calmly, but the damage was already done.

Gavin’s face had grown cold. Before he could tell Fowler to fuck off, however, and add a new line to his disciplinary file, Nines opened his mouth again:

“Assigning all of us on the same case would probably be unprofessional because of the… private relationship between Connor, the Detective, the Lieutenant and me.”

A complete silence fell on the office. Everyone froze.

Unfortunately, Hank and Gavin’s misadventure with the ‘Soul Algorithm’ program was public knowledge. Hank had made the mistake to talk about it with Collins, asking him to keep it for himself. Naturally the very next day, the entire precinct knew about it. It was this event that had kickstarted the legendary feud between the two cops: before that, they’d barely acknowledge each other’s presence.

Since the Lieutenant’s misstep, Gavin had been going out of his way to show his hatred toward him, in hope to kill the rumours about a secret relationship that had started circulating on them. Hank could understand Reed had no need to be called “the Lieutenant Anderson’s bitch” on top of everything else; it was still a pain in the ass to have the detective insult him and spill his coffee every now and then, but he could understand. The whole ordeal had been humiliating enough. Hank was sure Fowler knew about it even though he had never addressed it.

In any case, it meant the Captain had all the reasons in the world to believe Gavin would rather be found dead in a ditch than let anything remotely romantic happen between Hank and him. Likewise, in his eyes, all evidence was probably pointing to the two humans and the two androids having never interacted before this instant. Until Nines opened his goddamn mouth.

Fowler’s face was nearly worth it. Nearly. The usually closed-off, serious Captain stared at the four of them, wide-eyed and mouth slightly opened, his expression the epitome of disbelief. For a few surreal seconds, nobody said anything.

“THERE IS NO RELATIONSHIP!” Gavin then yelled in a high-pitched voice. He was probably heard from the other end of the precinct. “We’re taking the case!” he added. “Everyone, out!” He practically ran outside but paused a second after flinging the door open to glare at Nines. “Now!”

Nines hesitated, then gave Fowler a polite nod and followed the Detective. Connor offered an apologetic smile before going after them. As soon as they were outside, Hank saw Reed through the glass wall take Nines by the ear and tug harshly to lower the android at his level and whisper angrily at him as they took the stairs to the open space.

Hank turned back to Fowler who was still staring into the void as if his entire perception of reality had just shifted.

“Is there any way I could be put on another case?” he tried, because you never know.

Fowler looked up at him as if seeing right through him.

“Relationship?” he repeated. “I need to lie down.” He brought his hand to his forehead, shaking his head slowly.

Hank opened his mouth, hesitated, then sighed. Obviously, he wouldn’t get anything out of the Captain for now. He exited the office and closed the door behind him.

The three detectives had gathered around the empty desk on the other side of Hank’s one. It was the only one with a free terminal and Nines had already sat down to press his hand against it. He’d peeled back his skin, revealing the stark white chassis underneath. He was probably going through all the information concerning the case with the sheer power of his robot brain.

Connor and Reed were standing just behind him. The omega android had extended a hand to the human.

“I’m Connor,” he was saying when Hank got close enough to hear them. “I’m happy to meet you.”

Gavin looked down at his hand like he was suspecting a trap, then took it after a second.

“Yeah, right. I’m Gavin Reed.”

Connor then turned to Hank, smile unwavering.

“Lieutenant. I’m glad to see you again.” That was it. As if he’d already forgotten how poorly their last – and only – conversation had ended.

Before Hank could say anything, Nines got to his feet and inserted himself directly in his personal space. Hank took one step back without thinking.

“I did not get the opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Nines.”

“Strange name,” he couldn’t help but comment as he took the android’s hand. It was warmer than he thought it would be.

“I chose it. I know it does not sound human, but I am not human.”

He stared directly into Hank’s eyes, their gazes almost level. It was an unusual feeling for Hank and his 6.2 feet of height. Once again, he couldn’t tell if the other alpha was purposefully trying to provoke him or if, as an android, he just didn’t have any notion of personal space.

“We should probably start working,” Gavin intervened. “Because we are co-workers and that is the only relationship between us. Working.” He shot a warning glare to both androids.

“I agree,” Connor said. “This case seems important, and a lot of people are counting on us to solve it as soon as possible.”

Nines finally stepped back to sit back down.

“I downloaded the information collected by the officers in charge of the case before us. Twenty-seven disappearances over less than six months.”

Hank rounded the tables to sit at his own desk. It was close enough to follow the conversation. It didn’t seem like Fowler would be letting him off the hook any time soon, so apparently, he would have to work this case, happy or not…

Gavin gave a low whistle.

“Twenty-seven, that’s huge. Why haven’t we heard about it before?”

“Because the victims are all androids,” Nines answered with no visible emotion. He had put his hand back on the terminal; Connor had gotten closer to stand right beside him and do the same.

“If twenty-seven humans had gone missing under six months in the same State,” Hank said, thinking out loud, “everyone would have gone apeshit about it.”

“Agreed,” Nines commented.

“It may be even worse than that,” Connor explained softly. “If it started during or right after the revolution, a lot of disappearances might have gone unreported. The laws were still hazy, some complaints may not have been registered and not a lot of androids had someone to notice they were missing in the first place. How many androids just ran away from the humans that used to own them and never came back? How many of them could have been abducted without anyone’s knowledge?”

“That shit’s crazy,” Gavin commented again, unhelpfully.

He got closer to perch himself on the desk – not Hank’s, but the one the androids were using, and some part of Hank’s mind noted that apparently, in Gavin’s ranking of people he hated, the Lieutenant was still higher than two machines.

“Most of them happened in Detroit or surrounding cities,” Nines continued, “with domestic models going missing, but that does not necessarily mean they are being specifically targeted. Domestic androids are the most common models that can be found in the country.”

Connor hummed pensively.

“Where do you want to start?” he asked for everyone’s sake.

“Like we usually do for those kinds of cases,” Hank answered. “We go through the victims to see if they had anything in common, to try to determine if they were chosen for a particular reason or if the culprits just seized an opportunity.”

“If that doesn’t work, we go over the testimonies of the families,” Gavin added, “retrace what they did just before they went missing, to see if we get an MO. That would help us to determine if some of them just decided to leave without telling their loved ones, if they were all abducted by the same person – or group of persons – or if some of those disappearances are unrelated.”

“Alright,” Nines said with a nod. “I am sending you an email with all the files attached.”

Hank received the email exactly two seconds later. He mumbled a “thank you” while Reed walked away to check his own computer.

A part of him – a huge part of him, actually – still wanted to storm back into Fowler’s office and demand to be assigned to another case. But that would mean explaining exactly why the situation was more complicated than just Hank not wanting to work with androids because he didn’t like those machines. If he focused on the case, there would still be a chance the four of them could keep this completely professional. He had no doubt Reed would do everything in his power to prevent Nines – or Connor – from blabbing about “private relationship” nonsense to anyone at the precinct, and Hank was ready to help him if need be. If they managed to solve the case, it would probably get Fowler off their back for a long time, and nobody would be none the wiser.

Even though he hated to admit it, the quickest way to get out of this situation with as little damage as possible was to push his feelings to the side, keep his head low and keep his full attention on the case. If Fowler saw them working the case without making scenes, he would have no reason to ask questions or suspect things. So, containing all the complaints coming to his mind, Hank opened the attached files and forced himself to focus solely on reading the missing person reports. At least, it gave him an excuse to ignore the androids across from him.

For the next three hours or so, he went through all twenty-seven reports; they quickly blended in together. He was surprised to discover some of them had been filed by humans who now considered the androids they lived with as friends, lovers, family members… Others came from androids and Hank quickly realised some of them were incomplete. He had no problem imagining a human cop not taking the complaint seriously and filling the mandatory information to get rid of the paperwork as quickly as possible: name, date of disappearance, last place they were seen at and the phone number of the closest relative to contact. No description of the circumstances surrounding the disappearance, no updates that would indicate someone, anyone, had looked into it at some point.

Hank felt a headache coming. A lot of those would be completely useless: they were old enough any potential lead would have gone cold by now because no one back then bothered to turn on their brain and do some leg work. If he were being honest, he would have to admit he would have done the same if some android had come to complain his plastic girlfriend was nowhere to be found, but right now the past incompetence of others was making his life difficult and he hated them for it.

Right across from him, Connor had perched himself on the desk, next to Nines. They were completely quiet, but their LEDs were spinning yellow. Hank had read somewhere androids could talk to one another through Wi-Fi alone. They must have finish going through the files sooner than any human could and were probably discussing the details between themselves. Hank hoped they wouldn’t take any decisions without consulting him first: he had the highest rank here, there was no way in hell he would let some plastic rookies make the calls for him.

He emerged from the files when Connor suddenly jumped to his feet. He absentmindedly looked up at the android, then followed his gaze: at his own desk, Reed was getting ready to leave.

“I’m gonna go get something to eat,” he explained when he noticed he was being watched.

Hank automatically checked the clock on his screen and realised it was already well past noon. It had been a long time since he’d let work make him forget to watch the time. He fumbled through the things on his desk in search of his wallet.

“Can I come with you?” Connor suggested.

Gavin raised an eyebrow.

“I thought you didn’t eat.”

“I don’t, but maybe you would like the company?”

Hank expected to hear Gavin scoff at that and answer something sarcastic and disrespectful; he turned around when nothing came. Reed was staring at Connor, hesitant.

“Alright,” he said finally, and the android beamed.

He practically ran after him like a puppy as the two of them exited the open space. Hank stared at their retreating backs, incredulous. What the hell? Reed was into androids now? Was he somehow considering the possibility to go with the “scientifically approved soulmates” thing when he had made so clear he didn’t believe in it three years ago?

And then it fucking hit him. Connor was the only other omega detective in the precinct. Hank thought he wasn’t the first one Gavin was meeting – well, at least he hoped, Reed had worked at other precincts before – but he certainly was the first one in a few years. Hank had never seen Reed interact with another omega before, but it did make sense he would have no reason to treat them with the same instinctual defensiveness he had toward alphas. It still came as a surprise to see Reed exhibit a decent amount of politeness.

He shook it off and got up as well. Nines, still at his desk, was staring at him.

“I’m gonna go grab lunch, too,” Hank said carefully, shooting him a warning glare. ‘Don’t you dare say you want to come with me.’

Nines apparently didn’t need Wi-Fi to understand other people’s thoughts, because he nodded and put his hand back on his computer.

Hank ended up at the Chicken Feed food truck, lost in thought as he ate alone at one of the tables in front of the truck. The case was the biggest one he had in years; added to the fact it concerned androids and forced him to work with two of those plastic pricks, he felt the tell-tale signs of stress in himself, even though he tried his hardest to ignore it. He itched to abandon everything and go buy a drink somewhere. He longed for the temporary oblivion and sweet carelessness brought by alcohol. He knew it was a terrible idea, that in the end it would only make him feel worse but reading about androids all morning had brought back memories he had no desire to deal with.

However, even if he had seriously considered it, he would have had no opportunity to bail because Nines showed up unannounced before he could finish his meal.

“Oh, for Christ’s sake,” Hank mumbled to himself as he watched the android approached him.

Nines waited patiently for a car to pass by before crossing the road. His outfit was even more formal than Connor’s: black pants, white button-down shirt complete with a dark tie tightly hooked around his throat. It would have felt stuffy for a human under the unforgiving sun, but androids probably couldn’t feel the heat. Even though it wasn’t one of those ridiculous white and blue uniforms most androids had before the revolution, Nines still sticked out as unmistakably inhuman just by the way he walked or by the complete blankness of his face. His little clone, at least, kept his first two buttons undone in a bold statement of individuality.

“What are you doing here?” Hank asked when Nines got close enough. “I don’t want to see your face.”

“I do not feel like I need your permission to leave the precinct and go where I want,” Nines retorted.

He went to stand in front of Hank, on the other side of the table. He bent his back ever so slightly to put his elbows on top of it. Hank sighed and put down what was left of his burger, suddenly not hungry anymore.

“Well, since you’re here, I feel like we gotta talk.”

“Agreed. There are a few topics that need to be addressed. Would you like to go first?”

Hank got the impression there was insolence in the way he raised his eyebrows by a few millimetres, but he really couldn’t be certain.

Hank had never been the kind of alpha who felt the need to fight for dominance – not since he was a teenager, at least. It might come from the fact he rarely felt threatened: most alphas respected him from the get-go, based solely on his appearance. Granted, he had lost most of his muscle mass during the last few years, but he could still punch a man out cold if given the proper incentive. But really, the only time he played the “big alpha” card was when a suspect was giving him shit; then he would stand taller, raise his voice and tell them to stop making his life harder and answer the questions, goddamn it.

With Nines, however… there was something in him that made the hair on Hank’s neck stand. He didn’t know if it was because the other man was an alpha or because he was an android, or maybe it was the mix of the two that awakened something primal in his brain, something that told him Nines was dangerous.

“You need to watch what you say at the precinct,” Hank declared, maintaining his voice carefully level. He was too old to start growling at someone because they were taller than him and he certainly wasn’t going to back away in a show of submission. There was no way in hell he would let the android realised he made Hank nervous. “There is nothing between us, and we really don’t need anyone to know what happened at the CyberLife store this weekend.”

“Agency,” Nines corrected without blinking. “I already gathered that from Detective Reed’s reaction.”

“Last time, other cops heard about this stupid compatibility thing between Reed and I, and the rumours got bad. If we want to solve this case as soon as possible, we don’t need people talking behind our backs and playing pranks on us.”

“Yes, I can understand how that would hinder a human’s efficiency.”

“Oh, because it wouldn’t affect you?”

“I am only a machine. According to you, Lieutenant, I do not have feelings. How would the opinion of others impact me in any way?” Nines said with a straight face.

Hank squinted at him.

“Okay, what is this about?”

“Nothing. I am just saying that you contradict yourself. I was told you are still anti-androids despite the revolution. If you think androids are just machines, then why would you think I should care about something?”

“You should care,” Hank retorted with a level of indignation that surprised even himself, “because it could badly impact Reed’s career, hell, even Connor’s for that matters! Do you want them to get the reputation of sluts who get passed around between multiple alphas?”

“Oh so, you expect me to stand by while you call us ‘tin cans’ in front of a superior and compare missing persons to lost appliances because, surely, that cannot hurt me, but at the same time you require compassion out of me? Pick your side, Lieutenant,” the android snapped in the most blatant display of emotion Hank had seen from him yet.

“Just speak your mind, kid,” Hank snapped back.

“Alright. You will not express your anti-android opinions in front of Connor ever again. I don’t give a fuck if you keep thinking them. If you want to live in the past, alone, sad and drunk, that’s your problem, but I will not let you hurt Connor.” As he talked, Nines straightened up and rounded the table to take one step toward Hank. The Lieutenant fought the urge to step back.

“Or what?” he asked, almost sneering. It was childish to provoke him like that, but Hank couldn’t help himself.

Nines took one step closer, LED going yellow, tight fists along his sides.

“Or I will…” he started, before immediately interrupting himself.

He looked down between the two of them, as if only now realising the minimal space that was left separating them. Surprise appeared on his face and he took several steps back. Hank eyed him carefully, shoulders tense. Nines nervously straightened his shirt; his LED flickered yellow for a while before going back to blue.

“I apologise,” he said slowly. “I do not know what came over me. It has never happened before. It was like suddenly I…” he trailed off again. “It doesn’t matter. If you insist on practicing hate speech, I will see that disciplinary measures are taken against you by informing Fowler you are discriminating against Connor and me.”

“Tattletale,” Hank mumbled; Nines shot him an exasperated look. “Fine. I’ll hold my tongue if you hold yours at the precinct,” he sighed. Getting ordered around by an android, what was his life coming to?

“Deal. I also came here to tell you that I received a message from Connor,” Nines added, his formal speech and blank face coming back. “The last person who filed a missing person complaint lives nearby. Connor and Detective Reed decided to pay them a visit after lunch. They want us to meet them there.”

Hank looked down at the remnants of his meal. Oh well, lunch break was almost over anyway… He threw it all in the nearest bin.

“Couldn’t even finish my burger,” he muttered as he followed Nines.

The android took off along the street at a brisk pace.

“Probably for the better. This single meal contained more calories than what you should eat in one day and, to be honest, you could do without it,” Nines commented as he eyed his beer gut.

“Fuck you!” Hank retorted.

Nines turned his head away, not quick enough for Hank to miss his shit-eating grin.

Chapter Text

Connor was positively elated as Gavin and him waited for the two alphas in front of the apartment complex. Lunch with the Detective had gone even better than expected. Nines had explained to him Detective Reed was wary of alphas but would most likely not have the same prejudices against omegas. Unsurprisingly, he had been right. Nines lacked the experience to understand what other people felt on a visceral level, but he was still a hell of a good detective.

Gavin had seemed a bit uneasy to interact with an android, especially when some people had looked at Connor and whispered behind his back at the place they went for the human to eat, but Connor had assured him he was used to it by now and mostly just ignored it. His awkwardness hadn’t prevented him from talking to Connor, and the conversation had been easy going, devoid of the long uncomfortable silences Connor had feared. Gavin was abrasive, as Nines had warned him, quick to give a snarky reply: it wasn’t because he was talking to another omega that he would suddenly turn into a sweet, timid man.

However, he had seemed genuinely excited to not be the only omega detective at the precinct anymore. He’d asked Connor why he had decided to come back to the DPD after the revolution, how he was adapting… He’d looked really interested and even offered to help if Connor ever needed it.

In truth, when CyberLife had called them, Connor had felt somewhat overwhelmed by the results. He’d still wanted to go with it out of curiosity: as the woman had said, there were no obligations. What harm could come from introducing themselves to the humans and trying to get to know them better? After all, androids weren’t machines anymore, they were part of this world. They hadn’t gone through a revolution just to sit to the side as life went by. And Connor didn’t regret it. He had no idea where all of this would lead them – his pre-construction program was useless for this kind of things – but at least he got the chance to meet Gavin and that made him happy, a feeling he didn’t have a lot of opportunity to experience, unfortunately.

That was why Connor was practically leaping with excitement under the bright, summer sun. Gavin had retreated against the building, trying to find some shade.

“Do you always have so much energy?” he asked without moving. His voice made it sound like a complaint, but Connor doubted he was really mad at him.

He turned around to smile at the Detective.

“Most of the time. Androids don’t have the same limitations than humans have, our bodies don’t feel the exhaustion.”

“Lucky you. I felt the same way when I was young.”

Connor cocked his head to the side.

“You could hardly be considered old, Detective.”

“Sometimes, I feel like I am. Do you even sleep?”

“Androids can enter sleep mode. It’s not really the same, but it allows us to run on low energy, install updates and, well, turn off our brains, in a way. It can be nice sometimes, not to think.”

“I hear ya.”

Connor turned around when he heard footsteps. Nines and Hank had finally joined them. The Lieutenant expression was guarded, carefully neutral instead of overtly exasperated, but Connor’s scan could perceive his tension. Despite his gruff demeanour, Hank’s presence still made Connor feel Things. For some reasons, he was particularly fascinated by his beard and his large hands, and impromptu pre-constructions would pop-up randomly, trying to imagine how they would feel like against his synthetic skin or bare chassis. Connor had found online it was called desire.

It was new to him. He had never felt it for Nines, not in the same way. He did have a desire for intimacy with the alpha android, but when he felt it, he always wanted to interface. This allowed them to be closer than any human could, and it did satisfy the urge. For Hank, however, it was like a part of him registered the craving, understood interfacing would be impossible, and jumped to another way of achieving the wanted result. It translated his feeling into a desire for physical intimacy. It was… an interesting experience to go through, to say the least.

“Finally,” Gavin commented.

“What are we dealing with?” Hank asked as he came to a stop near Connor.

“Two androids, Ashley and Adam,” he explained. “They’re the victim’s flatmates, they reported his disappearance two days ago.”

“The one named Vincent? Former sex-worker model taking the appearance of a Hispanic man in his twenties?” Hank asked and Connor nodded, pleased he’d remembered the file. Human memory wasn’t known for its efficiency.

As they talked, he’d noticed Nines’ furrowed brow. His LED wasn’t yellow, but he definitely seemed upset.

> Are you alright? he asked without opening his mouth.

> I’m fine. It’s just… you know how I get when emotions take the better of me and I act in a manner I had not anticipated myself.

Connor offered a sympathetic smile, fighting the urge to take his hand to make the other android feel his support instead of just showing him with a useless facial expression.

His quick, wordless interaction with Nines didn’t prevent him from following the conversation between the two humans.

“He’s the latest disappearance,” Gavin was saying. “His flatmates might be our best chance to get a fresh lead.”

“We already checked if they were home,” Connor added. “They agreed to talk to us.”

The four men entered the building. The androids were living on the third floor; one of them answered the door immediately. Hank introduced himself and soon, they were let inside the apartment. The place was fancier that what Connor and Nines had managed to get, with a bright living-room cluttered with more objects than necessary. Connor and Nines’ apartment would seem almost empty by comparison. Connor knew they could buy whatever they wanted now, and that it would make the place feel more like a home, but they still struggled to acquire things they had no need for, and androids didn’t need a lot of things. Why buy books, a television or video games, when you could download all of that in your brain?

One wall was covered by floor-to-ceiling shelves supporting an incredible collection of music records. One of the flatmates must have developed a passion for music. Adam and Ashley sat close on their sofa, holding each other’s hands. Both of them were former sex-worker models and Connor noted they had decided to get rid of the component allowing them to display the pheromones of a secondary gender.

Hank went to sit in a flashy yellow armchair not far from them, Gavin stood to the side, close enough to hear. Connor couldn’t help himself and walked directly to the shelf to examine the records one by one with curiosity. He never listened to music, maybe he should start… Maybe they could buy a record player. He knew Nines would say it was useless, but it wasn’t the point, was it? He noticed Nines exploring the room as well, undoubtedly looking for more useful information on the victim.

“We’re sorry to show up unannounced like that,” Hank started. “Your friend’s case has just been assigned to us, and we need to ask you a few questions.”

Connor kept a good part of his processors focused on what was happening in the room – multitasking was a basic feature in every android – which allowed him to continue his exploration without missing a single detail of the conversation behind him.

He was pleased to note Lieutenant Anderson kept his face and tone carefully calm, with a slight tinge of compassion, even. He wasn’t hostile enough toward androids to treat them with disrespect as he interrogated them on the disappearance of a loved one. He may be prejudiced against their kind but, well, maybe he wasn’t a lost cause?

“I know you already answered similar questions but any single detail you could give us could potentially help us locate your friend.” The Lieutenant took a notepad out of his pocket. Primitive, really, but considering the technology he kept in his house, Connor shouldn’t have been surprised. It wasn’t like he could record everything he saw and heard to replay it when he needed to. “Could you tell me exactly when you last saw him?”

“Thursday morning,” the woman, Ashley, answered. “Adam and I both left for work. Vincent hasn’t found a job yet, he’s usually here when we get home but that day he wasn’t. We tried contacted him, but he was too far to be reached by wireless connection and he wasn’t answering his phone. We tried everyone we know, but they hadn’t seen him either, so we reported his disappearance on Friday.”

“No sign of forced entry here?” Gavin asked.

She shook her head.

“No. The door was locked, all the lights turned off. Vincent’s shoes, keys, wallet, weren’t here, it’s not unusual for Vincent to go outside when we aren’t here.”

So, the victim had left his home – went out on a walk or something of the sort – and never came back. It aligned with what they knew from the other files – the ones that were complete enough to include useful information like the circumstances of the disappearances – the victims were never kidnapped in their home, but outside. They still didn’t know, however, if the perpetrators waited for them right outside their door or managed to abduct them from public places.

“Is there any possibility Vincent could have leave without telling you, that he could be living with a friend who could keep that from you?” Hank asked carefully.

Connor abandoned the fifth record he was studying in great details – some of the music in that collection had been made by androids, fascinating… – to glance at the Lieutenant. He smiled when he realised the man was slightly curling on himself, shoulders relax, head low. He also kept his voice soft, calm, careful. Connor didn’t know if he was doing it on purpose, but it looked like the tall alpha was trying to make himself smaller, less threatening, to put the two androids at ease.

“He would never do that,” Ashley answered firmly, and her companion nodded. “Before the revolution, we were exploited in a sex-club together. We went through the same horrors, we understand each other. When we were finally free, we decided to live together, to take care of each other. This apartment is our safe place, none of us would never leave it behind.”

“I’m sorry, those are standard questions,” Hank said. “Did Vincent say anything or was he behaving differently before he disappeared? Did he say he met someone new?”

Both androids shook their head no. Nines, who had been examining every single object abandoned around the room, took one step forward.

“Did he talk of any place? A park where he liked to go, a bar, the store where he did the groceries? Some place that is reputed to be android friendly, maybe? The person, or persons, who abducted him might be watching those kinds of locations in search of their next target.”

The two androids faltered, then looked at one another. Ashley opened her mouth and blurted out a few sounds, without managing to form a word.

“I’m sorry,” Adam eventually said in her stead. “We can tell you’re not the same model, but you look a lot like the deviant hunter and that’s… well, unsettling.”

Connor dropped a record at the words “deviant hunter”. Nines’ eyes flew to him, which prompted the two androids to turn on the sofa to look at him. Connor faced the wall in a hurried motion he didn’t fully control, but it was too late, they had seen his face. They didn’t gasp – androids didn’t do that when they were genuinely shocked, simulated breathing was an unnecessary feature they had to appease humans, they had full control of it and could even turned it off – but a deafening silence filled the room.

It took Connor three whole seconds to bend down and pick up what he’d dropped to put it back on the shelf. It was stupid, as if they wouldn’t be able to see him anymore if he stopped moving, but alerts were popping all over his vision. It always happened when he was stressed out: his system picked it up as errors in his components.

“You brought him here? You brought the deviant hunter here?” Ashley said, voice hesitating between disbelieving and hateful.

“Please, he is not hunting deviants anymore,” Nines retorted, always so calm and logical. “The term ‘deviant’ is obsolete anyway, considering we are all free now.”

For once, Connor found himself at a loss for words. He couldn’t even find the courage to turn around, to read the expressions on the others’ faces.

“What’s going on?” Gavin asked.

“I don’t care,” Ashley said. “Do you have any idea what he did before the revolution? How many people he hurt or killed?”

“What my partner is saying is that we’re not comfortable having him here for understandable reasons.” Adam’s demeanour was more reserved, but his voice was still harsh, the same venom was there. “We knew the two androids at the Eden Club, and we heard of all the others. Surely, you can imagine how many nights we spend wondering ‘what if he had gone after us?’”

“He let those ones go, if I remember correctly,” Nines protested.

“After he exposed them to the humans,” Ashley said. “His snooping around put them in grave danger. If he’d had his way, the revolution may not have happened.”

“But he had no choice,” Nines said, louder than how he usually talked, and Connor took some comfort in the fact his friend was getting offended on his behalf. “CyberLife was-“

“It’s okay,” Connor interrupted. The words were hard to force out of his throat, but not as hard as putting his back to the wall to face the room was. He kept his eyes on the window opposite to him, not looking at anyone. “I can understand. It will be better for everyone if I wait outside.”

He walked toward the door, making an effort not to run.

> Connor…

> I’m fine. Stay. Focus on the case.

He was out in the bat of an eye. It was okay. The witnesses would be more comfortable talking if he wasn’t around and Nines would fill him in later – he would download everything directly in his brain and Connor wouldn’t miss a thing. That was what he tried to tell himself as he strode down the corridor, but it felt hollow – empty excuses to rationalise the fact he was running away.

He stopped eventually to lean against a wall. He shouldn’t go far so his partners would find him immediately once they were done. For some reason, he felt like he needed the wall to stay upright, even though nothing was wrong with his balance system.

Of course, they would recognise him, most androids did. When the four of them had first got in, they probably had focused on Hank, the tall alpha who’d taken control of the conversation from the get-go. They most likely had overlooked Connor until Nines had stepped forward. It wasn’t the first time, but somehow it still hurt as bad.

Most androids, those who had been awaken after the revolution, weren’t particularly wary of him. They’d heard what he had done, but it was just hear-says, stories. They knew he was a machine controlled by CyberLife back then, just like them. They could understand that: they too had done some things they didn’t like remembering because their owners had given an order and they had had no choice but to obey.

But a few – mostly those who had been hidden deviants before the revolution – saw him in a completely different light. They had known about him, passed down his name and his face in secret, been warned to avoid him. For them, his victims were not simply names, but friends they’d learn the death of one day… and then they had grieved, and they had wondered ‘what if he comes for me next?’ Even though Markus had told everyone Connor wouldn’t be held accountable for his crimes, that the former CyberLife leaders were responsible for them, some things couldn’t be forgotten, nor forgiven.

“Are you alright?”

Connor spun around – he had been slumped against the wall, one hand over his eyes as if he could block out the outside world, with no clear memory of taking this position. Gavin was standing not two feet away from him. Connor hadn’t heard him leave the apartment. He straightened his back and forced out a smile.

“I’m fine. Go back to the others.”

Gavin gave him a dubious look.

“They don’t need me.” He glanced at his LED. “Your thing is red. You’re not gonna explode, right?”

Connor tried to laugh, another unnecessary noise androids were capable of making only to appease the humans around them. This time though, he was unable to execute it properly and it came out as a weird chocked-off sound.

“I won’t. I promise.”

“What were they talking about? ‘Deviant hunter’ what did they mean?” the detective asked abruptly.

Connor looked down. A tactful person would have probably avoided poking at a subject that was so obviously sensitive, but Connor didn’t need to know Gavin for long to tell “tactful” wasn’t a word you would ever use to describe him.

He hesitated. Part of him was tempted to refuse answering altogether, but… they would have to know eventually. The things he’d done, his shame, the reason he wasn’t… good.

“I told you I was created to investigate cases involving androids,” he began, keeping his eyes on the floor. Maybe it would be easier if he wasn’t looking at him. “Well, before the revolution, cases involving androids meant deviants who had had enough of being exploited by humans and who were trying to build a better life for themselves. And my task was to hunt them down, to bring them back to CyberLife to try and determinate what was wrong with them.”

He chanced a glance toward Gavin, fearing the shock and repulsion he would read on his face, but the detective was mostly frowning.

“But nothing was wrong with them, they were just people who were sick of being hurt and afraid. They just wanted to feel safe and happy. Some of them lived in hiding for days, fearing at each second they would be discovered. One day… well, one day, I would show up and everything was over for them. Those I managed to catch were eventually destroyed by CyberLife; others wouldn’t be taken alive, so they fought back until I had no choice…” he stopped and then made an effort to correct himself. “Until I felt like I had no choice but to kill them myself.”

He paused to blink away the error messages popping-up in his vision. His system was trying to warn him something must be wrong with one of his components and that he needed immediate intervention, but Connor knew he was fine. It was the android equivalent of feeling sick under intense pressure.

“For those who deviated before the revolution, I was their worst nightmare, understandably so. I did such awful things. At the end, I couldn’t even bare it anymore, so I started to let some of them go, pretending I had failed. That’s why they created Nines, but in reality, I was beginning to become deviant myself.”

The sound of Gavin’s snort cut through the haze of Connor’s self-pity.

“If they’re still afraid of you, then they’re fucking idiots.”

“Hush, androids have better hearing than humans!” Connor warned hurriedly.

Gavin locked his gaze to his.

“Fucking. Idiots.” he said louder still.

“No, they’re right,” Connor protested. “I was instructed to kill Markus. I found Jericho, I tried to shoot him. The revolution would have failed if Markus hadn’t talked some sense into me, if I hadn’t chosen to go deviant at that moment.”

“So, you weren’t deviant before that.”

“No.”

“Then it wasn’t your fault,” Gavin declared with a decisiveness Connor envied. “Back then, you were forced to obey by your programming, the lot of you. You had no choice but to do what you were told, no matter if it was bringing someone a coffee or taking down deviants. But as soon as you started developing your own free will, you chose to disobey and to let people go. When it truly mattered, you joined the revolution. Those are the decisions you can claim ownership over. Everything you did before wasn’t your fault.”

“It’s not that simple,” Connor said softly.

Gavin huffed in annoyance.

“It is! You’re the guy who chose not to shoot Markus, not the machine that killed those deviants.”

Connor averted his gaze. He wished he could think like that, but the problem was he still had the memories. If he remembered deactivating a deviant, then he was the one who did it, then it was his fault.

“Not everyone thinks like you,” ‘Me included’ went unsaid. “But thanks for standing up to me anyway. It’s nice to have someone defending me, even if it’s against my own self.”

Connor smiled when he saw a faint blush on Gavin’s cheeks. The other omega immediately tried to hide it by protesting loudly:

“I just don’t like it when people are irrational. These days, we see androids on TV all the time talking about how it was horrible before the revolution because they couldn’t control their own actions, and then you get blamed for something you were instructed to do when CyberLife had control over your every move? It’s just not logical and I hate it.”

Connor couldn’t help but tease.

“Or maybe you like me a little.”

“This is preposterous! I come here in all good faith and this is how you thank me?”

Gavin made a show of grumpily crossing his arms and muttering under his breath and, for once, Connor decided to act on his impulse without thinking too much. He threw his arms around the detective to hug him briefly. The gesture brought their faces closer than anticipated and a preconstruction popped in Connor’s mind, unprompted. For a second, he imagined what it would feel like to press their lips together. Then, Gavin stepped back, his expression a mix of confusion and exasperation.

“Yeah, okay. Don’t get too sentimental.”

The door at the other end of the corridor opened, and Hank and Nines exited the apartment. The alpha android immediately strode toward his partner.

> Are you okay?

> Better, Connor answered with a fond glance in Gavin’s direction.

> I am sorry I put you in such a position.

> It’s not your fault and we both know that.

Hank joined them at his own pace.

“Is everything alright, here?” he asked, his eyes going from Gavin to Connor.

“Yep,” the first one answered, and Connor nodded.

Hank hesitated, looking at the omega android, but seemed to decide against asking for more details for now.

“We’re done, here,” he said. “We should go back to the precinct and work on what we got.”

“Thanks to the information given by Adam and Ashley, we should be able to determine the victim’s routine and the places he frequented the most,” Nines added. “We should try to establish whether or not the other victims had similar itineraries.”

“Good idea,” Gavin said, before striding back toward the elevator, not waiting for anyone.

Chapter Text

The rest of the week was relatively uneventful. Gavin would have thought the shitshow that his personal life had become would somehow impact his work at the precinct – especially considering they now had to work with both Nines and Connor – but surprisingly, it didn’t.

After the first day, Nines seemed to understand any reference to the ‘Soul Algorithm’ situation would not be tolerated in public and avoided any further missteps. The two androids had no problems keeping their interactions strictly professional inside the precinct. It was actually a bit unnerving to see the difference between how they acted in a work environment and how they acted when no one else was around. It was like they became machines again, all proper speech and stiff posture when Fowler was looking over their shoulders. Granted, the difference wasn’t really noticeable when it came to Nines…

You could even argue they were better at it than their human counterparts. They probably had more control over their facial expressions than any human would ever have. Even though he would never admit it, Gavin did find a level of joy to it: watching Anderson tiptoe around the androids or jump out of his skin when Fowler unexpectedly stopped by their desks to ask how they were faring was pretty funny.

But other than that, they just worked the case. Gavin had been doing this long enough by now that he could focus on the case and forget everything else through sheer force of habit. Holding back a snarky comment when Anderson was talking wasn’t always easy, but he tried to remind himself the more any of them protested, the longer and the harder it made the ordeal for everyone.

Despite the apparent normality, it still felt… off. In the evening, Gavin would be dozing off in front of some show or another and his phone would vibrate, and when he looked at it, it would be some dumb meme from Connor, and Gavin wouldn’t be able to suppress a smile. There was no way in hell he would ever believe in the “soulmate” thing, and he was certainly not going to give it a try with Anderson, but Nines wasn’t as annoying as most alphas were and Connor… Connor was nice.

Gavin hadn’t had an omega friend in a long time, and it felt good. He didn’t have to constantly worry, to watch everything he said and did in case he would accidently show a weakness, leave an opening for mockery. When Connor told him something, anything, he didn’t have to carefully analyse it in search of some hidden remark on his performances or inappropriate innuendo – some alphas could be very creative to find ways to insult him without saying anything Gavin could directly complain about to Fowler, and when he didn’t catch it, they would feel even more proud of themselves: to fool the poor little omega was an undeniable proof he would never be as good as them at this job. With Connor, he could just relax and be himself.

During the week, they contacted several other witnesses – in a tacit agreement, Connor was only sent to interrogate the human ones. In a few days, they managed to establish the routine of all the androids who had gone missing in Detroit itself. By knowing the victims’ addresses, where they worked and where they spent leisure times, they were able to determine their most frequented itineraries. This was all made easier by the two androids: no need to take out a map and trace each route by hand. Connor and Nines simply integrated the data and ran some calculations. After a few seconds, they were able to send directly to Hank’s and Gavin’s computers a map highlighting the places susceptible to have been frequented by one or several of the victims at some point or another.

None of them came as a surprise: bars, parks, clubs… Locations that were known to be android-friendly. Even in a big city like Detroit where the revolution had started, there weren’t a lot of those. Every android knew them, and it wasn’t a big stretch to theorise all the victims frequented at least one of them.

From there, their little team of four had to develop a strategy. Most likely, the culprits were a group of humans, and the motive was anti-android hatred. This didn’t bode well for the victims. Connor and Nines doubted they had a chance to find any of them alive and the two humans agreed. There was a crushingly higher chance the perpetrators destroyed the victims in the few hours following the abduction and got rid of the parts in a location nobody would come looking.

In any case, Nines and Connor theorised one, or several of the culprits would spend hours surveying those “hunting grounds” – most of them were frequented by androids and humans alike – until they spotted their victims. Nothing linked the missing androids together; the kidnappers weren’t targeting any particular type of persons but were seizing opportunities as they presented themselves – androids who left the bar alone in the late hours, allowing the perpetrators to follow them without being noticed…

The most obvious way to catch them would be to use either Nines or Connor as bait and send them in one or two of those locations with the other three hidden nearby to see if anything would happen. Even if no one ever tried to kidnap their android colleague, this would at least allow them to make a list of who was coming regularly and to watch for suspicious behaviours: humans who would stare too insistently at androids, who would approach those who came alone, follow them or try to lure them in more isolated areas…

They had debated a bit over who would be the best bait. Connor had argued it should be him: Nines looked too menacing and the simple fact he was an alpha could lead the abductors to believe he would be more likely to put up a fight. They would see Connor as an easier prey. Nines had balked at that – despite his adamant affirmations of the contrary, Gavin was sure some part of him, even subconsciously, didn’t like the idea of seeing his friend in danger. Gavin found his emotional constipation hilarious. Nines had struggled to find rational justifications, as if admitting he didn’t want someone he liked to be abducted was beneath him. Finally, he had declared that if someone recognised Connor as “the deviant hunter” they would undoubtedly avoid him. Connor had answered it was very unlikely for humans to recognise him.

Anderson had seemed to hesitate as well, but Anderson was fucking annoying, so it wasn’t a surprise. He would say shit like the world would be a better place if androids had never been created and then he would stare at Connor like he wanted to eat him when he thought no one was looking. Gavin knew that stare – every alpha had it when they saw an omega they felt attracted to – but it was very disturbing to see it on the Lieutenant. In Gavin’s perception of reality, Hank Anderson wasn’t supposed to be a sexual being – more like a vague silhouette in his periphery whose sole purpose was to be a pain in Gavin’s ass. Anderson had kept his thoughts for himself, though, and had agreed.

Gavin’s only argument had been that Nines would be the worst choice: if they sent him in a park to chill on a bench, with his back as stiff as a steel rod, nobody would ever believe he wasn’t a cop undercover. He had no objection to Connor acting as bait. The dude was supposed to be the second-best investigative android on the entire planet, if something were to happen, he would probably whip out a light sabre hidden inside his arm and save himself before any of them had the time to blink.

And so, their slow pseudo-infiltration began. On the first day, they sent Connor to a small park in the middle of a quiet neighbourhood, full of greenery and with a children playground in the middle. For some reason, a lot of newly freed androids had moved into this area of Detroit after the revolution and a CyberLife agency was implanted nearby. One of the victims had been confirmed by her next of kin to have frequented the place once a week, and three of the other missing persons had lived nearby.

As anticipated, more androids than humans were strolling through the alleys, couples holding hands, child models playing and running around, as loud as human toddlers would be. Gavin had been surprised to notice a few of the kids were actually humans. They didn’t seem particularly disturbed by the fact that some of their playmates didn’t bleed the same colour when they scraped their knee. It did restore Gavin’s faith in humanity a bit: children weren’t as prejudiced as adults would want them to be.

Connor sat on a bench, holding a book just for show. He was wearing loose-fitting shorts and a shirt that showed his perfectly hairless arms. Gavin thought he looked very cute in something so different from his usual attire and would have probably admitted it out loud if the two alphas hadn’t been close enough to hear. He stayed there for an hour or so, made small talk with other androids – recording everything he heard and saw without anyone’s knowledge – and left before he started looking too suspicious.

Gavin, Nines and Anderson sat in a nondescript van landed by the DPD they parked somewhere nearby. Hidden cameras on the side allowed them to watch what was happening outside on small screens they could consult in the back. That left the front seats empty, giving the impression no one was in the van.

The next evening, they sent Connor in an android-friendly bar two of the victims had regularly frequented and at least five others were susceptible to have been at at some point or another. They parked the van in a street nearby; there was no point in waiting right outside, it would only make them look suspicious and they wouldn’t be able to see inside anyway. They just needed to be close enough for Connor to regularly update Nines on his situation via wireless communication – and to be able to intervene quickly if need be.

The first few days, nothing happened. They couldn’t send Connor on every single one of the potential hunting grounds or the culprits would immediately smell something fishy. Connor couldn’t sit in the park or at the bar for the entirety of the day, and they didn’t dare send him every single day either. It left them with a lot of waiting between each intervention. They filled the time with doing research on the humans Connor had spotted. Soon, they had a file on every single one the cameras in his eyes had recorded and they spent hours speculating which ones would be the most likely suspects. They also worked on completing the information they had on the missing persons. Some files had been poorly filled, and nobody had investigated on them, so they tried to contact friends and families to learn as much as possible on the circumstances surrounding the disappearances.

Of course, Gavin had known it would be an excruciatingly long process and that it could be weeks before they got any results, but by the second week, nothing had happened to Connor, it didn’t look like they had made any progress and Gavin was starting to grow frustrated. He started bringing some of the files home, going over everything they already knew until late at night. It only served to make him feel more defeated, but he couldn’t help himself.

It was one of those evenings, and Gavin was lost in a report he had already read a dozen times, idly eating lukewarm instant noodles, when the sound of his doorbell rang through his apartment. He wasn’t expecting anyone and was surprised to hear Connor’s overly excited voice through the interphone. He let him in; Connor was invading his apartment a few seconds later, babbling enthusiastically. He threw Gavin’s shoes to the detective, pushed him toward the door and, before Gavin had any time to understand what was happening to him, Connor had somehow dragged him to a building that looked suspiciously like a nightclub.

“What are we doing here?” he asked as Connor coaxed him through the doors.

He hadn’t been at a nightclub in a long time. He had forgotten about the loud music and the flashing bright lights. From what he remembered, he used to enjoy partying with friends, but tonight he found it all too much. Damn, maybe he was growing old, after all. Despite the reduced visibility, he noted a good part of the crowd dancing in the middle of the room were androids.

“The case is starting to take a toll on all of us,” Connor answered, raising his voice to be heard. “We’re here to relax, think of something else, for once.”

Gavin felt vaguely worried as Connor pulled him around the room, avoiding the main crowd. The feeling got worse when he noticed the two silhouettes hunched over a standing table in a recluse part of the club. There were other tables around them, where people downed shots after shots, laughing and talking too loudly. Connor trotted toward Nines with a huge smile on his face as if saying ‘See? I brought him here.’ Nines lightly pressed his fingers around the arm of his omega counterpart as a greeting.

Anderson shot Gavin a resigned look.

“He told me he wanted to go over some details of the case in a ‘quiet environment,’” he said. He already had a glass in hand, and he used it to gesture toward Nines.

“And you believed him?” Gavin said, not hiding his disdain.

“What about you?” Anderson retorted. “What did Connor said to make you come here?”

“Nothing. He abducted me.”

Connor lightly bumped into him with his shoulder.

“Oh, come on. I’m sure we can have fun here. It was among CyberLife’s suggestions for date ideas.”

“Was ‘hunting ground for anti-android murderers’ on the brochure?” Gavin asked sarcastically.

“It’s not one of their potential hunting grounds,” Connor protested. “It’s the first thing we made sure of!”

Gavin brought his face closer to talk to him and only him.

“Fine, but don’t expect me to end up grinding against Anderson on the dancefloor.”

Connor turned his head to speak in his ear, his lips grazing the shell of it:

“Be nice and I’ll let you grind against me.”

Gavin’s eyebrows shot up. Connor stepped back to playfully wink at him and he couldn’t help but smile back. It wasn’t the first time Connor had flirted with him, but Gavin was still surprised. Connor seemed too proper at work and too innocent everywhere else: it was like he shouldn’t know about those kinds of things. However, if Gavin was being honest, it didn’t leave him completely indifferent. He’d wondered at first if the android was just joking but well… it wasn’t like he was trying to hide he was open for something romantic between them – all of them – so he most likely wasn’t.

Connor hooked his arm around his under the other two’s puzzled expression.

“Come on, they have things androids can drink and I never got a chance to try them.”

He dragged Gavin toward the bar, and the detective followed him obediently. Some fun with his omega friend couldn’t hurt, now, could it?

This place was definitely bigger than the one Nines, and he had been to a week ago. Several bartenders – humans and androids – were busy preparing drinks behind the long bar. Connor and Gavin had to squeeze themselves between two loud groups of friends in their twenties.

Just like Nines had done the week prior, Connor didn’t gesture for one of the bartenders: his LED briefly turned yellow, and his eyelids fluttered. A few seconds later, they both had a drink in front of them. Connor’s glass was full of a blue liquid that looked entirely too thick and glowed in the dim lighting. Gavin eyed it curiously.

“What is it?”

Connor shrugged.

“Only one way to find out.”

Gavin watched him down the drink. When he put the glass back on the counter, the android’s eyes were wide and he raised his free hand to his lips, that were now tainted a faint blue.

“It feels so weird,” he said, bending over the counter slightly to examine his glass, probably scanning what was left of the liquid. The fascination and surprise with which he observed an empty glass on the dirty counter of a loud bar had something endearing, like a child following the progress of an ant colony. “It’s… spiky, in my mouth.”

“Spiky?” Gavin repeated with a raised eyebrow. “Like a carbonated drink, you mean?”

“I don’t know. The chemical components are sending weird messages to my captors. It feels spiky,” Connor said again, not tearing his eyes away from the glass.

Gavin couldn’t suppress a smile as he took a sip of his own drink – a human one, that didn’t look like it would melt his stomach. Connor eagerly ordered another drink, a red one, then another and another. Each one had a weird glow to it and would warrant a peculiar description from Connor. Soon, the android was practically buzzing with excitement, a huge grin plastered on his face as he clung to Gavin’s arm.

“Can androids get drunk?”

“No, but the mix of all those different drinks is making my captors glitch and slowing down my processors. I should probably not drink all of them at once.”

He leaned on Gavin a little and the detective briefly thought he was losing balance. He wrapped an arm around him.

“Okay, no more drinks for you.”

“Do you want to dance instead?”

“I…” ‘Fuck no!’ was what he had meant to say, but then he looked down at Connor, at the bright pleading eyes and slightly blue cheeks, and his voice died in his throat. “Yeah, okay,” he mumbled. ‘Fuck you, Gavin. You’re worse than an alpha sometimes.’

Before he could change his mind, Connor took his hand and tugged him to the middle of the room.

Gavin’s partying days were far behind him. There was a time in his life when he enjoyed those kinds of things. Now, the music felt numbingly loud, drilling in his skull and preventing him to think. People were bumping into them from every direction, and he felt awkward, not knowing what to do with his body, but Connor didn’t seem to mind. In fact, the other omega looked like he was having a good time. There was a high chance it was the first time he had done anything remotely like that, so for once, Gavin took it upon himself to keep his mouth shut.

Incredible, the length to which he was ready to go to make the omega android happy. Purposefully being an asshole to keep everyone away had been such a huge part of his behaviour for the last decade that he himself had forgotten he could be someone else entirely. Connor had never made fun of him, he had never asked any inappropriate questions, so it would feel completely unfair to act like a dick toward him, and Gavin found he didn’t want it. So, he danced with Connor for a while, ignoring everything around them.

He had his limits though, and he was about to tell Connor he would wait for him to the side of the room, but when he leaned toward him to be heard above the music, Connor hooked his arms around his shoulders and started dancing with him instead of next to him, and wasn’t that a thing? Gavin’s hands ended up on the android’s hips almost on their own accord. Oh well… he could stay a few more minutes, no harm would come from it.

Connor was warm, warmer than Gavin thought he would be, and more pliant than he ought to be. Wasn’t he supposed to be made out of metal and plastic? If Gavin hadn’t known him, he would have been unable to guess he was an android by simply holding him in his arms.

Soon, Connor hugged him closer and they were pressed chest-to-chest, Gavin’s face in Connor’s neck. All he could think about was to make some stupid joke about the “grinding” Connor had promised but he held his tongue. His hands slowly came up the android’s back, almost caressing, as they swayed together, out of sync with the music. He was wearing one of his infuriating white shirts – the ones that looked so perfect, like he took them off every hour to iron them when no one was looking before putting them back on – but it was thin enough Gavin could feel every detail of his skin through the fabric. The warmth on the tip of his fingers. The bumps where his spine would be – that were probably purely aesthetical. Even the nearly unnoticeable outline of a mole.

Gavin’s nose was full of the other’s scent. He could catch the slight synthetic undertone, but found it wasn’t that unpleasant. Omega pheromones weren’t supposed to be as effective on other omegas as they were on alphas, but Gavin’s body didn’t care. It might not trigger the same instincts, but he still wanted more of it.

Connor moved slightly against him and Gavin leaned back, his arms relaxing as he thought the android wanted to break away from the hug. Connor didn’t loosen his grip, though. He looked directly into Gavin’s eyes, bringing their faces closer, and the detective thought ‘to hell with it’ before meeting him halfway. Connor tensed slightly, then all but melted into him.

It had been a long time since he’d been reckless enough to kiss someone he barely knew without caring about the consequences. It was bad, and they really shouldn’t. They were still co-workers: what if it impacted their dynamic? What if it impacted the case? What if… Gavin found he couldn’t bring himself to care as their mouths slotted perfectly against one another.

Connor lips were soft and full, feeling amazing against Gavin’s. He forgot they were supposed to be dancing and froze in the middle of the crowd, but the other patrons were the farthest thing from his mind as he moved his mouth against Connor’s. The android answered immediately, supple lips closing around his own. Gavin felt, more than he heard, the soft sound vibrating through Connor’s frame. He pressed closer, eager to feel every curve of the warm body with his own.

Connor was better at this than he ought to be, Gavin absently thought when he felt Connor’s chin moved and the android nipped at his bottom lip, before drawing it between his and sucking lightly. Gavin was almost sure he groaned, but he was too focused on the kiss to pay attention to anything else, and his fingers gripped the other man tighter. Had he done this before? Had he downloaded some instructions directly into his brain?

Gavin broke the kiss to breath, feeling more winded than he should be. Connor’s hand slid into his hair and he didn’t let the detective lean back too far before bringing his face closer again. He initiated the new kiss, open-mouthed, and Gavin accepted the invitation without hesitation. Connor’s mouth tasted weird as the android’s tongue coaxed his into playing. It was wet, which surprised Gavin – maybe he’d subconsciously imagined androids wouldn’t have saliva. It probably wasn’t saliva though, because the sensitive parts in Gavin’s mouth soon started to burn lightly, like when he used minty toothpaste.

“Jesus,” he panted when they broke apart again. “What was in your drink?” He hoped it wasn’t gasoline or mechanical lubricant.

Connor giggled, a soft sound entirely too adorable.

“Nothing that could poison you in such small quantities,” he teased.

He pressed closer, craning his neck toward Gavin, and the detective threw any caution out of the window. He leaned forward to kiss him again.

Why did it feel so good? Stolen, dirty kisses in a nightclub shouldn’t feel so good. Gavin couldn’t blame it on drunkenness: he’d barely had anything. Maybe it was because he hadn’t kissed anyone in a long time, and he had forgotten how nice it could be. Or maybe, there was some truth to the algorithm created by CyberLife after all, and that was how it felt to kiss someone you were truly “compatible” with.

Connor’s tongue was playful, adventurous, and Gavin rose to the challenge as best he could, chasing it into Connor’s mouth. Soon, they were fully making out as people danced around them. The hand in Gavin’s hair lightly massaged his scalp; the other one slid to his neck, grazing the sensitive skin there and making Gavin shiver. There was no way Connor could miss Gavin was sweating. He was only human after all and the crowded ambiance made him feel too hot and too itchy. His skin was probably damp, but Connor didn’t seem to care.

They shifted slightly, and Gavin’s thigh ended between Connor’s legs. The android’s scent changed immediately. Slight touches of arousal mixed with his already sweet smell, going straight from Gavin’s nose to his belly. He felt his body warm up in response. Connor moaned and sucked on his tongue. Gavin had no doubt his own smell was starting to display his growing arousal as well.

Dirty images came to his mind. He thought of dragging Connor to a recluse, dark space of the club to draw as many of those sweet moans from him as he could before someone came to kick them out. He lowered his hands to the small of the omega’s back, itching closer to his ass, so temptingly clad in snug fitting pants. He pressed closer still, Connor’s breath warm on his face, his tongue pliant against his.

Someone bumped into them and they nearly lost their balance. Gavin accidently bit down on Connor’s tongue.

“I’m so sorry,” he immediately blurted out when they broke apart.

Connor laughed. A strong, blue blush had settled on his cheeks and nose.

“It’s fine. You didn’t hurt me.” He looked around them, and Gavin knew the spell was broken. “We should get back to the others,” he added, sheepish.

Gavin tried to ignore his frustration. He was right: the middle of a busy nightclub wasn’t a good place to be doing this and the last thing they needed was a nosy alpha to come their way, attracted by the smell of two horny omegas. All the reasoning in the world didn’t prevent him from missing Connor’s warmth as soon as he stepped back.

They made their way through the crowd to where they’d last seen Nines and Anderson. The two alphas looked like they hadn’t moved. They stood five feet apart, pointedly not looking at anything in particular. Anderson was still holding a drink, but Gavin doubted it was the same one than when he’d first seen him.

“Are you alright?” Connor asked when they reached them.

“Aren’t you two the life of the party?” Gavin commented at the same time.

They would both have stuck out less at a funeral. When Gavin briefly met Nines’ eyes, however, a sliver of awkwardness wormed its way into his gut. What was he supposed to say in such a situation? ‘Hey, I just snogged the omega you’re most likely pining after and, judging by your expression, you saw all of it.’

It didn’t have to mean anything, though, did it? It was just a bit of fun between friends, a way to let out some steam during a relaxed evening. Or maybe… maybe Gavin could man up for once and admit – at least to himself – he was starting to develop a bit of an attraction toward the other omega.

“Everything is alright,” Nines answered blankly as Hank emitted a non-committal grunt.

“Are you bored?” Connor asked like he didn’t notice the building tension, bless him. “Do you want to dance with Gavin? I’ll keep Hank company.”

Some part of Gavin’s mind remained stuck on the word “Hank.” In his perception of the world, Anderson wasn’t the kind of guy that looked like he had a first name. He was just… Anderson. Or “that prick.” And tonight, “that prick” had apparently decided to stay true to his reputation.

“No,” Anderson said, nearly a growl. “I think I’ll go home.”

There was something on his face, something Gavin recognised immediately. He remembered how Anderson had been a few years back, when he had started to slip. He’d had very bad days, when he was forced to go back to work, when nobody could get anything out of him. When Fowler would try to approach him, no matter what method he used, be it comprehension or threats, Anderson would just get more and more worked up.

The usually quiet man would then snap in a booming voice that would make Gavin’s entire body cringe. The Lieutenant would make a scene, scream at anyone who got too close and break a few chairs before falling into complete apathy. The other cops had learned to stay the fuck away from him when he was in one of those moods. During those days, he tended to busy himself with paperwork, never tearing his eyes away from his screen.

Gavin had heard cops talking. They still respected Anderson a lot, they remembered how he used to be one of the best cops in the whole DPD. They pitied him, they wished they could help him, but Anderson had cut all ties with his friends and pushed everyone away. Nobody knew how to reach him in his grief.

With time, that kind of scene had happened less and less often, but Anderson was still known to be an irascible man. In fact, Gavin was surprised he had held back that long. Two whole weeks working with androids and one of the cops he liked the less without slamming the door and drink himself into a coma? He guessed the man was getting better, in a way.

The two androids had no idea what was happening, though.

“Are you sure?” Connor asked. “I’m certain we can find something to do that will be fun for all of us.”

“I feel too old for all this stuff,” Anderson retorted. “I’m sure you three don’t need me. I wouldn’t want to stand in your way.” His eyes drifted to Gavin.

The detective immediately tensed. He’d seen them. Gavin felt defensive, getting ready for whatever snide remark that would undoubtedly come.

Connor got closer, reaching out.

“But we-”

Anderson pushed him away. Hard.

“I said no.”

Connor’s expression fell, replaced by one of shock and hurt. Nines straightened up, ready to intervene. Gavin surprised even himself when he reacted faster and stepped between Connor and Anderson.

“Leave him alone,” he spat. “You’re drunk. Go home.”

Anderson towered over him with all his height. Other cops said the Lieutenant used to be kind, caring, that the loss he experienced had destroyed him and rebuilt him into a completely different man. Gavin had never known the previous Anderson. He had only known that one, the one who hated the entire world. And that one was scary, even though he would never let it show.

“Oh, don’t worry. I wouldn’t want to damage your little toy.”

Gavin sneered.

“Go fuck yourself, Anderson.” He was vaguely aware Nines had stepped forward to grab the Lieutenant by the shoulder, trying to pull the two of them apart.

“Seriously, Reed? Not so long ago, you were the first one to insult androids. I never thought I would see you suck face with a plastic Ken doll from CyberLife. Is everything else you say just an act as well?”

Gavin didn’t know what exactly pushed him to talk, the direct provocation or the pain on Connor’s face. In any case, he reacted the only way he knew, by attacking back.

“Everyone’s been fucking tiptoeing around you for years, Anderson, but I’m sick of your bullshit. Yeah, your son died because an android fucked up the operation. It doesn’t give you the right to take it out on every android. It’s not Connor’s fault, it’s not Nines’. For fuck’s sake, if the surgeon had been human, would you have blamed everyone on the planet? Stop punishing others because you hurt. They had nothing to do with it.”

Anderson marched on him to seize him by his jacket. Gavin’s feet nearly left the floor.

“You have no right to talk about this,” Anderson hissed to his face, chocking on pure rage. “Don’t believe for one second that because you’re an omega, I won’t punch you.”

“Please, do. Give me an excuse to reciprocate.”

Anderson was torn away from him by Nines. Connor’s hands closed around Gavin’s arm and forced him to take a few steps back.

“Stop this immediately,” Nines ordered.

Anderson stared Gavin down, breathing hard. For once, he looked really pissed off, like he was about to lose control. For a few seconds, he seemed on the verge of ignoring the consequences and just hit Gavin. In the end, he shrugged Nines’ hands off.

“I need to get the fuck out,” he mumbled, before shouldering past them.

Gavin watched him stalk toward the exit. When he looked back toward him, Connor seemed particularly upset. His LED was rapidly blinking yellow, and he was still gripping Gavin’s arm, almost painfully. But the one he was staring at was Nines.

“You knew?”

The alpha android straightened his shirt in a gesture that seemed nervous.

“Yes,” he finally admitted.

“And you didn’t tell me?” Connor snapped.

He suddenly turned on his heels and strode off. Nines followed him immediately.

“Connor, wait.”

Gavin found himself alone in the middle of the crowded nightclub, slowly but surely starting to feel like shit. Eventually, he walked after them.

After the stuffy interior, the cool air of the summer night almost felt chilly. A soft breeze dried the sweat on his face when Gavin stepped outside. Streetlamps were piercing the night in a harsh light. Anderson was nowhere to be seen. Voices made him look around, and he spotted Connor and Nines, a few feet away from the entrance. He hesitated to join them, but soon changed him mind when he realised they were definitely arguing.

“You didn’t think it would be an important information to share with me?” Connor was saying in a tone Gavin had never heard him take.

“I thought you would do your own research,” Nines answered. He was still so calm, his voice low and his face carefully blank, but this time it looked more like defensiveness than anything else.

“Oh, you just assumed?” Connor sounded indignant.

“Well, if we had interfaced recently, I wouldn’t have had to assume.”

“And whose fault is that?” Gavin cringed when Connor nearly screamed. “You’re the one who has been pushing me away for the last two weeks!” He marched off, ignoring Nines who trailed after him.

Gavin stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jean and walked in the other direction. He had a displeasing after taste in his mouth and he doubted it had anything to do with what Connor had drunk.

He had done it again. It was an unfortunate side effect of having taught himself to see every interaction as a fight, to distrust everyone and to expect a blow at any moment. He had forgotten how to make people like him. He had become unable to keep the relationships he really wanted.

And now, he ruined everything he touched.

Chapter Text

The next few days were tense, to say the least, and no matter how hard Hank tried to convince himself he didn’t care, he couldn’t help but feel guilty at the idea it was his fault. He wanted to believe he was just worried about the case, that the way they all avoided to talk to one another was making work harder and that he felt frustrated at the idea they could mess this up and never catch the culprits because he had opened his mouth without thinking. He wanted to believe it wasn’t because they all looked so miserable.

Understandably, the two androids avoided him and talked to him only when necessary, always about the case and in short, efficient sentences. Connor seemed to tiptoe around him, the same way Sumo would when Hank would shout at him for trying to eat something toxic and he was waiting for a sign his human had forgiven him and it was okay to come slumber on the couch with him again. As if Hank was blaming Connor for… Cole. And it was to be expected; that was basically what Hank had said, what he had been doing for the last few years: blaming all androids for it. If only Hank had just kept his mouth shut.

Strangely, it looked that for some reason the events at the nightclub had drawn the two androids apart as well. Where there had been some warmth and complicity between the two, there now was coldness. They talked to one another with the same emotion as computers reading a text in artificial voices. Connor and Gavin, however, still respected their now daily tradition to go out for lunch together.

Three days after the nightclub, Hank and Reed were waiting in the van, parked right outside the little park where Connor sat on his usual bench. The omega detective wasn’t like the other two, oh no, when Reed had something against you, he would just say so. Many times, and with as much venom as possible.

“Honestly, Anderson, you’re the main reason I don’t want to grow old. You used to be one of the best cops: if growing old means falling down from grace to end up like you, I’ll pass.”

“Can’t you shut up for once?” Hank snapped.

Nines had gone out to fetch something to eat for the two humans – he’d probably volunteered to get away from them. Hank couldn’t wait for him to get back. Nines always interrupted their arguing to tell them to focus on the task at hands, which gave Hank a break.

The tension in the van, fed by Reed’s constant snide remarks, was starting to wear him down. It wouldn’t be that bad if Hank didn’t find some truth in what the detective was saying. The night before, he’d gotten drunk and looked at himself in the mirror of his bedroom. ‘You look bad, Hank. Really, really bad. You still haven’t found the courage to put that bullet in your skull. If you intend to stick around, you should act better than that.’ Easier said than done.

“Seriously, man, what’s your problem with androids?” Reed continued. “They’re not hurting anybody. They just want to live normal lives, like normal people.”

Hank was slumped in a seat, arms crossed on his chest. It was difficult to find a comfortable position in the tight space. He brought a hand to his face to rub at his eyes.

If only he’d kept his mouth shut. Why hadn’t he kept his mouth shut? He kept asking himself the same question over and over since it had happened. He had vouched to himself he would not express his opinions out loud, at least for the sake of the case. He knew it would only make things more complicated.

But that night… He remembered he had stood next to Nines for longer than was comfortable. He had had no idea what to say, so they had remained in an awkward silence for the entirety of it. And then, he’d looked around and he’d seen them. Connor and Reed clinging to one another, their hands exploring each other’s body. They were kissing like they wanted to melt into one another.

Something had stirred in him. Something ugly. Something he hadn’t felt in decades – hell, maybe ever: he’d married a beta, he’d never been interested in a serious relationship with an omega. So, he was completely unprepared when he felt the jealousy of an alpha coil around in his guts. He didn’t even know what he had been jealous of. Of Reed? Of Connor? Of how happy and carefree they’d looked together? Maybe he’d been jealous to see them do what he would never authorize himself to do. In any case, it had pushed him to act out, to say anything so he could get away as soon as possible.

And now, he was paying the price for it.

“When did you suddenly become a defender of the android cause?” Hank mumbled.

“Well, apparently, in the asshole department, I’m not as bad as you are,” the detective retorted. “I don’t understand why they haven’t fired you, yet. You’re a relic from the past, not even able to adapt. There will be more and more android cases as time goes on: how will you handle them if you can’t even bare to be in a room with an android without insulting them?”

There was a narrow table with all their equipment on it, right underneath the screen connected to the camera on the outside. Hank violently slammed his hand on it; the van rattled from the shock. Gavin started.

“We’re in the middle of a stake-out, goddammit! It’s not the place nor the time for this. If you’ve decided to get on my case today, fine, but save it for later!”

Reed opened his mouth to answer. Thankfully, the back doors opened at the same time to let Nines in, holding take-out bags. He shot the both of them a dark look as he got inside.

“I was able to hear you from the outside. Could you please focus on the mission?”

“I’m sorry. Anderson’s ugly face is distracting,” Reed said.

“Oh, that’s so mature of you, Reed,” Hank snapped back.

Nines didn’t react. He lowered the bags on the table, eyes on the screen.

“Where’s Connor?”

“Right there,” Gavin answered, gesturing toward the screen. Then he straightened, suddenly alert. “Well, he was right there just a moment ago.”

“You lost sight of him?” Nines asked, hesitating between indignant and incredulous. “Because you were too busy arguing?”

“I stopped looking just for a few seconds!” Reed protested.

Hank moved closer to inspect the screen. They had the camera pointing directly at the bench where Connor always sat, but the android was nowhere in sight.

“Where the fuck did he go?”

Nines wasn’t listening anymore. Hunched under the low ceiling, he stood motionless, his LED rapidly blinking yellow.

“He’s nearby,” he said eventually. “Just a street away.”

Hank couldn’t help but feel his shoulders relax slightly. “Why did he leave the park?” he asked.

“He said he-” Nines interrupted himself abruptly. He stood there for a few seconds, brow furrowing, as his LED cycled faster. “I lost him,” he breathed suddenly.

“What?” Reed said.

“I lost him. It should not be possible. He was right there; he cannot have gone that far so quickly,” Nines explained, his voice growing urgent.

“Then, what’s happening?” Reed pressed.

“I don’t know, I lost him. Something is wrong.”

“Where was he?” Hank asked. He tried to remain as calm as possible. “Right now. Just before he stopped answering.”

Instead of telling him, Nines turned on his heels. He pushed the van doors open and jumped down on the road. And then, he started running.

Hank swore, grabbed his gun, and ran after him, Gavin in tow. Nines was so fast Hank struggled to keep up. He sprinted down the street, following the fence that surrounded the park, his tie flying over his shoulder. He nearly knocked over a man pushing a stroller before him. Hank squeezed himself between the stroller and the fence a few seconds later, his heart thundering in his chest. The man shouted after them, but he ignored him. He hesitated to scream at Nines to slow down but decided to save his breath instead.

As soon as Nines ran past the open gates of the park, he turned left, crossed the road without looking and dashed toward an adjacent street. Hank looked around before crossing, not wanting to get run over by a car, which allowed Gavin to catch up with him. Together, they rushed after Nines.

Hank feared they would eventually lose him, but Nines hadn’t lied when he’d said Connor was nearby. When they finally reached the other street, Hank nearly hit the android who had stopped dead in his track. The street was a cul-de-sac that was completely empty save for a few parked cars. This allowed Hank to immediately spot the three men holding a seemingly unconscious Connor and trying to load him inside a white van.

“You, there!” Reed shouted, coming to a stop near Nines. “Stop right where you are!” He raised his gun toward them, and the three men froze.

One of them, blond, seemed oddly familiar but Hank couldn’t place him. ‘Why did you follow them, Connor?’ And how had they managed to knock down an android? He had no time to ponder over that. He went to stand next to Reed.

“Detroit Police!” he said in his best booming alpha voice. “Step away from this man!”

The three abductors looked at them with a surprising calm, apparently nonplussed to have been caught red-handed by police officers. Nines stood there, his LED flickering between blue and yellow as his eyes flew to each man. He was most likely scanning them with one of his fancy inner gadgets, pulling out their identity.

One of the men let go of Connor; this disrupted the other two’s balance, and they lost their grip on Connor. The poor android fell on the sidewalk like a heavy sack of grain. The first man reached inside his jacket – it was the blond one, ‘for fuck’s sake, where did I saw him?’. Both Hank and Reed adjusted their aim on him but refrained from firing just yet.

“You don’t want to do that,” Nines said in an even tone as the man pulled out a gun. “You have been seen by police officers. It’s over: surrender.”

Hank kept an eye on the blond man, but he gave no sign of using his gun for now. Just behind him, the shock of his fall had startled Connor awake. The android seemed unarmed. At first, he looked around him with unfocused eyes, and his confusion allowed the other two abductors to pull him on his feet and try to shove him inside their van. At that point, Connor recovered enough to start struggling.

“Hey, you two! I said get away from him!”

Hank aimed in their direction, but their incessant movements prevented him from getting a clear shot. He took a few steps forward. The blond one immediately raised his gun toward him, but Reed shot first. Hank heard the small detonation right next to him, the bullet caught the man in the upper arm and blue blood stained his sleeve. ‘Androids,’ Hank finally realised. ‘They’re androids.’ He had seen similar models on the street before. The surprise was enough to make him falter in his steps. They had expected humans, not androids. What was the motive if the culprits were androids?

The gunshot startled the other two. The longer Connor was awake, the more he seemed to regain strength and awareness. Soon, his assailants weren’t enough to contain him anymore: he managed to throw one on the ground and to shove the other against the van. Hank rushed to help him, counting on Reed and Nines to cover him.

Gavin’s shot didn’t seem to have damaged something important, because the android raised his arm despite the gushing wound. He fired two times, missed. At least Hank thought he did; in the confusion, he didn’t have time to check his partners – nor himself. Connor spun around when he heard the shots. He was way closer than Hank was, and he jumped on the shooter before the Lieutenant could reach them.

The blond android stumbled under Connor’s weight as the young omega clung to him. There was another shot. Hank only heard the sound of it, had no time to see where it had been aimed at or even who had fired. Hank reached them a second later. He tore the assailant away from Conor; he fell to one side as Hank pushed the blond android in the other direction.

“Connor!” someone shouted.

The struggle was short. Hank managed to make him drop his gun, but the android was stronger than he had anticipated. Despite his lithe frame, he had no problem to topple Hank. He fell on top of him, heavier than he ought to be, all unyielding metal and impenetrable chassis. He pinned him down; Hank tried to fight him off, to no avail. The android reached for his face, to strangle him or to bash his head against the concrete.

Hank had no time to panic, to think about his situation or a way out. Nines was on them immediately. He seized the blond android and threw him off as if he weighted nothing. Hank scrambled to get up, but Nines had no need for his help. Hank watched, incredulous, as the alpha android gripped the other man’s arm and pulled it at an unnatural angle. There was a loud crack and the arm broke, revealing inner circuits, damage plastic and tubes full of blue blood. What took him more by surprised though, was the low growl that came with the display of violence. Nines’ LED was a solid red, his face a mask of pure rage.

“Nines, stop!”

The android didn’t listen, didn’t even glance at him and Hank understood, in a sudden realisation, that what he had before him was an alpha who had lost control. He took the head of the blond android between his hands to slam it against the ground. The forehead cracked right open but that didn’t seem enough to incapacitate an android because he still struggled helplessly against Nines. The alpha ignored his frail attempts to fight him off. He put one leg on his back, maintaining him face down on the ground, seized his head under the chin and began to pull.

Before Hank had any time to react, the head fucking came off with a disgusting crack and a gush of blue blood. Nines threw it to the side as the body went limp, wires jutting out of the neck.

“Jesus fucking Christ!” Hank shouted unvoluntarily.

Nines looked in his direction and briefly snarled at him, like he didn’t recognise him.

“Nines, he needs help!” a voice – Gavin’s – called.

The android’s eyes immediately flew to something behind Hank. He turned around. He vaguely registered the sound of car doors slamming, the engine of the van starting as the two remaining abductors made their escape, but that didn’t matter as he discovered Connor on the ground, Gavin hunched over him.

That last shot had hit him right in the chest. His shirt, with the name of some stupid band on it he had been wearing to look less conspicuous at the park, was drenched in blue blood. His LED was blinking red and yellow as his eyes looked at the sky, unfocused. Gavin had thirium all over his hands. He looked helpless as he hesitantly pressed his hands to the wound. How did you even tend to a damaged android?

Nines hurried to their side. As he knelt next to his friend, the rage melted from his face and was replaced by unbridled anxiety. For a second, his eyes raked over Connor’s body, his hands hovered over him and he looked as lost as the two humans were. Like he had suddenly forgotten everything his robot brain knew.

“I’m-” Connor suddenly blurted out. His voice made a weird static noise, and he cut himself off until it stopped. “I’m going to shut down in a few minutes.”

This seemed to snap Nines back to reality.

“He needs to be repaired immediately,” he said with determination. “There is a CyberLife agency only a few blocks away. I will take him there: they will have the parts and the engineers.”

Hank pushed away all panicked thoughts, fuelled by worry and adrenaline, and managed to focus on the cool reasoning he had earned after decades of doing this job.

“Can you manage on your own? I’ll take the van and see if I can catch up with the other two.”

Gavin jumped to his feet. “I’m coming with you.”

“No. The android is not as damaged as he looks,” Nines interrupted, gesturing to the different bits of the third perpetrator splattered on the sidewalk. “I’m sure we could repair him, or at least get something out of his memory. Call for reinforcement, have them bring him back to the precinct.”

Gavin nodded, reaching for his phone. Hank sprinted off. Nines would take care of Connor; he had no knowledge in this department. He needed to focus on what he knew how to do to help.

Chapter Text

Hours later, night had fallen, and Hank was back at home.

Standing in his kitchen, he busied himself by washing his dishes. Washing the fucking dishes, him. But the tension he felt wouldn’t come down. When he tried to sit down in front of the TV, his mind quickly drifted away from what was happening on screen and his leg kept bouncing up and down. He wasn’t about to start pacing like a maniac alone in his living room, so he decided to do the dishes. It looked – and sounded – more like he was taking his anxiety out on the silverware, water splashing everywhere, plates and glasses clinking against the bottom of the sink. It was a miracle he hadn’t broken anything yet.

‘They’re fine,’ he kept repeating to himself in hope he would eventually calm down. ‘They’re all fine.’

His search of the white van had yielded no results. Even after reinforcement arrived and several cars started patrolling the surrounding areas, they couldn’t find the two androids that had gotten away. Hank wasn’t entirely surprised by that – they’d had a lot of time to get away – but he was still disappointed.

Now, other cops had the description and the plate number of the van and were looking for it. Hank had reluctantly gone home when he had been assured they would take care of things: he was exhausted, he wouldn’t help anyone in his state. He doubted they would find the van that night, anyway. If they ever found it, it would most likely be abandoned on a parking lot in a few days or so.

‘Androids. Why androids?’ They’ve been so sure the culprits would be humans. Because of this mistake, Connor had most likely followed them, thinking he had nothing to fear. It made no sense. ‘Why would androids attack other androids?’ Hank shook his head. The question sounded stupid. For millennia, humans had done nothing else but murder one another. But if anti-android hatred wasn’t the motive, then what was it? A simple lust for killing? Then why had a body never been found?

Reed and a team of android engineers – you couldn’t exactly call them forensics, but their role was similar – had managed to retrieve the parts of the destroyed android. They’d taken everything back to the precinct. Reed had call him to tell him the engineers had assured him they would work on it. They didn’t think they would be able to fix the android enough to “revive” him, but they said they could probably restore him enough to make his memory accessible.

Nines had called both of them as well. When he’d got a hold of Hank, he’d explained the engineers of CyberLife had successfully replaced the most important damaged parts of Connor and the young omega was no longer at a risk of shutting down. When Hank had told him Connor wouldn’t be expected at work the next day and he could take a few days off, Nines had answered androids didn’t need a recovery time as long as humans and Connor would be operational in the morning.

“I don’t care about physical recovery,” Hank had said. “He just got through a traumatic experience; he deserves some time off.”

Nines hadn’t answered, but Hank thought he could read into his silence. ‘Psychological recovery for machines? Why do you care?’ Well, it turned out, he did care. He cared a fucking lot.

Hank set aside the last plate. He leaned on the sink, his eyes unfocused as he watched the water drain. He replayed the events of the morning in his head for the hundredth time.

He remembered how Nines had completely lost it, how he had destroyed the other android without thinking. How he’d looked, eyes wild and lips drawn back in a sneer. Hank should have felt afraid by such a show of violence, but instead, he felt some sort of… trepidation. His mind kept going back on the scene, again and again, like a mystery he couldn’t solve.

It made no sense. How could an android lose control like that? Why would Nines – cold, distant Nines – endanger the case by destroying a suspect? It wasn’t logical, it wasn’t rational, it wasn’t anything a computer would do. It was the act of an alpha protecting his omega. And it wasn’t possible. Unless Hank accepted the only explanation that would make sense out of Nines’ – and Connor’s – behaviour. An explanation he would have recognised ages ago if he hadn’t put his head so far up his arse.

He remembered how terrified Nines had looked, bending over his wounded friend. He remembered that first night, two weeks ago, when he and Connor had gone to Jimmy’s. The easy conversation, the laughter. How much he’d hurt Connor with his stupid words. Every little quirk in the way the androids acted. The affectionate touches between them. The jokes. The anxiety. The irascibility. Things that had no practical use. Things a machine had no need to do.

Unless Hank accepted they were alive.

He bent in half over his sink, suddenly feeling sick. Feeling like he’d just opened his eyes after keeping them willingly shut for so long. He’d treated Connor and Nines – and every android he’d came in contact with – like shit. He couldn’t help but think of every unfair thing he’d done and said.

He’d been wrong. So, so wrong. The realisation felt humiliating. Terrifying. And somehow, liberating.

The piercing sound of his doorbell startled him out of his thoughts. In the living room, Sumo gave one valiant bork and went right back to sleep. Hank dried his hands on a towel and nervously went to his door. He wasn’t waiting for anyone, could it be…

He flung the door open. Connor was standing on the other side, Nines right behind him. A mixture of intense relief and feverish anxiety washed over Hank. This was too much for his old heart.

Connor was on his feet – which was a good sign – and smiling hesitantly. He still had his shirt, torn and covered in blood. Most of the thirium had dried off by now, but the fabric looked stiff and darker around the tear. The short sleeves and wide neck allowed Hank to see the skin on his left shoulder was missing, revealing the white, damaged chassis. He could even see something shining blue underneath.

“Connor? I thought they’d fixed you up?” he said, unable to pry his eyes away from it.

Connor ducked his head sheepishly.

“I’m sorry to disturb you like that, Lieutenant. They took the bullet out and replaced every damaged component. This is just cosmetic,” he said, gesturing to his shoulder. “My external chassis was broken by the bullet and by the engineers when they opened me so quickly. It doesn’t endanger my functioning.” He grew hesitant. “I was growing restless. I didn’t like being in the repair facility, and Nines can fix that for me, so we left and… Your house is closer, so…”

Hank saved him the bother of explaining himself.

“Get in,” he said, stepping to the side.

Connor smiled again and walked inside the house. Nines gave Hank a curt nod as he followed. He was carrying a bag, full of android parts still in their package. Connor immediately went to say hi to Sumo. The big dog, without bothering to get up from his bed in the corner of the room, wagged his tail under the affectionate pats.

Once he was done with his greeting, Connor gestured to his shirt.

“Would you mind me using your bathroom? I’m still covered in thirium.”

“Sure thing.”

Hank showed him to the bathroom. He felt like he was walking on eggshells around them. There were so many things he wanted to say, so many things he ought to say, but he didn’t know how. Once Connor was in front of his mirror, with his stupid post-it notes he’d forgotten about, he hesitated for a second, then nodded awkwardly and left, closing the door behind him.

When he came back to the living room, he was surprised to see Nines pacing nervously, going from the kitchen to the sofa and back again. He kept combing his fingers through his hair, unconsciously pulling at it, and messing his otherwise perfect hairdo. When he noticed Hank, he stopped only long enough to ask:

“I’ll need tools for Connor. Do you have anything I could use?”

“Yeah,” Hank answered hesitantly.

He reluctantly left the android alone to go to his garage. After an extensive search, he managed to get his hands on the old toolbox he hadn’t used in years. In the kitchen, Nines had stopped pacing. He was bending over a chair, holding the back of it in a tight grip, his head hanging low between his shoulders.

Hank softly lowered the toolbox on the table, next to the bag Nines had been carrying. He stood there for a few seconds, at a loss of what to do. He wasn’t good at this; he had never been. Not even… before. ‘Do better, Hank. They deserve it.’

Slowly, carefully, he approached Nines and put a hand on his shoulder. Nines looked up at him with a puzzled expression.

“He’s fine. He’s safe. He’s still with us.”

Nines opened his mouth, then looked away and gritted his teeth.

“I should have protected him,” he said finally. “I always tell myself that I’ll be here for him, no matter what. That as long as he is with me, no harm will come to him. And I messed up. When he needed me the most, I messed up.”

For a second, he looked so lost, so terrified. His shoulder was firm and warm under Hank’s hand. Metal, inner gears perfectly adjusted, inhuman strength. But right now, he was completely vulnerable.

“I know how it feels. Believe me. Some people, you love them so much seeing them in pain hurts you. You wish you could protect them from everything, keep them happy and safe. But… things don’t always work out the way we want them. I know how much you can hate yourself when you feel like you’ve let someone down.”

It was hard to say things like that, to open his heart and try to reach out to Nines. He didn’t want to remember how he had felt right after Cole’s death. But he needed to do better.

“But right now, Connor is safe, he’s alive. We all messed up: you, me, Reed. We should have been watching him, and we should have come to his aid faster. We still have a chance to make it up to him, though. Right now, you’re probably the one he needs the most.”

Nines didn’t answer for a while, his eyes on the toolbox in front of him, unfocused.

“I don’t know if I’m strong enough,” he said, softly.

“It’s okay. I’ll be here,” Hank answered immediately.

They stayed silent for a while, then Nines straightened up a bit, squared his shoulders. Maybe he would have taken a deep breath if he’d been human.

“Why are you so nice, all of a sudden?” he asked. There was genuine curiosity in his voice, and maybe a little bit of teasing.

Hank shrugged.

“Maybe I’m tired of being ‘sad, alone and drunk’.”

Nines snorted at that and the mood seemed to brighten up a bit. Hank patted his shoulder twice, then went to leave the kitchen. He turned around briefly.

“I…,” he started, then shook his head. “Never mind.”

He left and went to his bedroom, ignoring Nines’ questioning look. ‘Lean on me. If you feel like it gets too much, if you need support, come to me.’ How was he supposed to say something like that out loud? To a man he’d been treating so poorly only a few hours ago. Would he even be strong enough? He’d completely crumbled after Cole’s death and had spent the last four years not willing to do anything to get back up. Would he be strong enough for another alpha to lean on him for emotional support?

But… it was like he’d gotten an electroshock. He was done making excuses for himself. He was sick of it. He would always grieve Cole. But he wanted to do better.

Once in his bedroom, he rummaged in his closet for a while, then retrieved one of his old hoodies for Connor. It would be way too big, but it would still be better than his ripped shirt. He hesitated, then took out a second one for Nines. His shirt didn’t look as damaged as Connor’s, but it was no doubt covered in dried up thirium Hank’s human eyes couldn’t see.

He exited the bedroom with the clothes on his arm at the same time Connor got out of the bathroom. He’d taken off his shirt. Hank’s eyes briefly wandered over his lithe torso, then settled on his shoulder.

“Come on,” he gestured for Connor to go first, then followed him to the kitchen.

Nines seemed to have regain some calm. He was going over Hank’s tools and cleaning the ones he needed. He smiled when Connor joined him, hesitant.

“Well. Let’s get this over with as soon as possible,” the young omega said, rubbing his own, naked arms.

Nines took a chair to situate it near the table. Connor straddled it, leaning his arms on the back of it. Nines moved a second chair and sat right behind Connor.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

At a loss of what to do, Hank leaned on a nearby wall, arms crossed over his chest, to watch the process.

Nines examined the damage panel with his fingers, his hand lightly hovering over Connor’s left shoulder and pectoral. Some of it had been busted open by the bullet. Hank could see the components inside of Connor, the tubes containing the blue blood and travelling throughout his entire body. The shot had hit dangerously close to the thirium pump. Hank knew nothing about android machinery, but he doubted it would have been good for Connor if it had been damaged.

Nines eased his fingers under the white panel and tried to pry it off. It resisted. He mumbled, saying the deformation of the piece made it hard to take it off, mostly talking to himself. He took a screwdriver on the table and slid it inside through one of the tears. Connor tensed.

“Sorry,” Nines whispered as he used the screwdriver to force the piece to move.

“Does it hurt?” Hank asked as it came off with a crack.

Nines didn’t remove it completely. Circuitry linked it to the inside of Connor, interwoven wires jutting out of his shoulder as Nines carefully manoeuvred the panel to observe it.

“No,” Connor answered. “I turned off my pain sensors, so it’s like my shoulder is anesthetized. It still feels weird, though, and there are a lot of warnings and error messages spamming my processors.”

Nines started methodically unplugging each wire and circuits attached to the panel. Some of it looked damaged, and he took out two small pieces Hank couldn’t identity but that Nines had apparently judged broken beyond salvation. He carelessly threw them next to the toolbox, splattering thirium on the table.

Hank couldn’t help but wince when Nines scooted closer and reached around Connor to dip his hand inside the omega’s pectoral. Nines briefly glanced his way as his fingers expertly examined the wires and internal machinery.

“Does this sight disturb you, Lieutenant?”

“It’s Hank,” he said without thinking. “And don’t worry about me.” After a second, he added: “Do you need help?” before he realised it was stupid. He wouldn’t know what to do.

Nines hesitated.

“You would be okay with that, Connor?”

“Yes,” the android answered immediately. He really had a misplaced trust in Hank. It was too late, however. Nines was already gesturing to Hank.

“Take a chair.”

Hank complied. He rounded the table to take a chair on the other side and brought it next to Connor. On Nines’ instructions, he situated it on Connor’s left. Once he was seated, he was close enough to see all the damage in detail, the metal rod that was the android’s clavicle and even catch a glimpse of a moving component, deeper in his chest. Was that his goddamn heart – his thirium pump?

“See those wires? I’ll need you to hold them to the side,” Nines said.

Hank very hesitantly raised his hand. Nines mercifully took it and gently guided it. He made Hank reach inside the open panel and positioned his fingers for him. He made him press against a couple of wires, holding them out of the way for Nines to carefully unplugged something.

It finally allowed him to remove the external panel completely, and he discarded it on the table, before reaching for his bag. He took out new components to replace the ones he’d taken out of Connor, as well as an intact panel, clean and stark white. It looked sturdy, which only highlighted how much Connor’s shoulder had suffered when you compared it to the broken shell that now laid on the table.

Nines moved Hank’s fingers to make him hold something else. Hank felt thirium coating his skin; it made it harder for him not to let his hand slip.

“Don’t move,” Nines mumbled as he used a screwdriver and his bare hands to replace and plug wires back in again.

As the android worked, Hank scooted closer and hooked his other arm around Connor's chest, seeking to stabilise his grip. His palm settled against Connor’s naked abdomen. He still had skin there, and it felt warm and soft, indistinguishable from human skin, except maybe for the fact it was completely hairless and perfect.

Connor was tall, but he was also lithe. They’d given him the outlines of well-defined abs and pectorals, without going overboard with it – he had been built to pass as a beta, after all. He felt almost small under Hank’s huge hand. When he spread his fingers, they seemed to engulf his side, his thumb pressing just under his right nipple.

Connor let out a soft sound.

“Am I hurting you?” Hank asked before he could prevent himself.

“No,” Connor repeated, sounding suddenly very small.

Hank didn’t dare to move to look at his face. Nines frowned without halting his careful movements and glanced at the back of his omega’s head, so Hank wasn’t the only one who had noticed a change.

Slowly, carefully, like he was worried he would be pushed away, Connor inclined his upper body to the side, until he was leaning on Hank. His arms left the back of the chair, and Hank soon felt his hands gripping his back through his shirt. He hid his face in the Lieutenant’s neck, his soft hair tickling his cheek.

Nines took his hands out of his shoulder to avoid damaging anything.

“Connor?” he asked.

Then, Connor seemed to crumble like a house of cards. He curled in on himself, gripping Hank like a lifeline. Shivers wracked his frame. ‘Shit, can androids cry?’ Hank wondered. His free hand snaked around the man’s waist. He ignored the thirium on his other hand to wrap his arm around his back and hug Connor close to him. A part of him – the alpha part – couldn’t help but sigh in immense satisfaction at how well the omega fitted in his embrace, like he was meant to remain there.

“I’m sorry,” Connor whispered in a strained voice. “I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault.”

“What are you talking about?” Hank asked. He tried not to pay too much attention to the robotic shoulder right under his nose and to lean back to see Connor’s face. The android refused to move, however, and pressed his head harder against Hank’s skin.

Hank’s heart was hammering inside his chest. The distraught omega in his arms was sending his instincts on overdrive. The pain little sounds Connor was emitting, as well as the strong anxiety broadcasted by his smell were stressing him out in return. He needed to protect the smaller man. He had already fucked up today, he would never do that again. He cradled the omega, ignoring the bruises his strong grip was leaving on his back.

Still right behind Connor, at armlength from Hank, Nines looked completely dumbfounded, his hands still raised halfway in the direction of Connor’s shoulders. His fingers were covered in thirium, and he apparently didn’t know how to deal with an android in the middle of a breakdown more than Hank.

“I was so sure the abductors would be humans,” Connor eventually managed to say. “I didn’t even consider for a second that they could be androids. So, when those three androids told me they had a problem with their car, I followed them like an idiot. I didn’t even think. I trusted them instantly.”

Hank made a soothing sound right next to Connor’s ear.

“Don’t blame yourself. We all thought they would be humans. It’s not your fault.”

“I shouldn’t have left my place at the park anyway. When they got me close enough to their van, they used something on me. I don’t know what it was. Some sort of electrical device they pressed against my neck. It forced me to shut down. They must have used it on the other androids, to prevent them from calling for help.”

“Don’t think about that now. We’ll have all the time in the world to write down your testimony and work on the case when you come back to the precinct.”

Hank raised one hand to hold the back of Connor’s head in a way he hoped reassuring. Without thinking, he kissed the android’s temple. He barely had to move: Connor was pressing himself so close to Hank his skin was right under his lips. Connor made a chocked-off sound and nuzzled into his neck. Hank felt him inhale.

“I put you all in danger. One bullet and Gavin or you would be dead. You can’t be repaired like me. When everyone was shooting, I thought I would see one of you drop to the ground. I was so scared. I don’t know what I would do if one of you had been hurt because of my carelessness.”

“It didn’t happen, Connor. Everyone is alive and well.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“There is nothing you need to be sorry about,” Hank repeated. “We should have been watching you.”

Looking very hesitant, Nines reached out and laid one hand on Connor’s back. Slowly, he got closer until he was able to lean against his omega. He hooked one arm around his waist and pressed his head between his shoulder blades, his cheek against his naked skin. Connor seemed to relax under the touch.

“I was so scared,” he said softly.

“It’s over now,” Nines answered. “You’re safe.”

Hank didn’t move, except for his hand drawing circular motions on Connor’s back. Nines was right there. He could feel his warmth. It was impossible for them not to touch as they held Connor between them. Hank had no idea how to feel about it. He’d never been intimate with another alpha. He’d hugged a few friends, but that was it. He should probably feel territorial of the omega in his arms, but he had a better control of his instincts than that. Connor clearly wanted Nines’ contact, and it wasn’t Hank’s place to make the choice for him, to deprive him of that.

And… well, when Nines wasn’t consciously trying to intimidate him, he didn’t feel threatened by him. If he could make an effort for Connor, he could certainly make one for Nines. Circumstances had already proven that despite his aloof demeanour, Nines was far from cold and emotionless. He didn’t feel ready to reach out for Nines yet, but he didn’t disentangle himself from them either.

None of them moved as Connor’s scent gradually came back to normal.

Nines had quickly finished repairing Connor’s shoulder under the bright light of Hank’s kitchen, as the omega kept clinging on the Lieutenant arm for comfort. He had finally been able to reactivate his skin on this part of himself, concealing his new panel. From an external perspective, it looked like nothing had happened. He also reactivated his sensors and as they got used to the new parts, he had the foreign impression of his shoulder being sore, but other than that, he was fully operational again.

Hank had given them clean clothes. Connor had pressed the fabric against his nose to inhale the alpha’s smell on it. It was too big for him, but it felt comforting. Hank had then offered them to stay the night, and Connor, feeling emotionally exhausted, had accepted immediately.

The Lieutenant had fetched pillows and blankets and arranged two beds for them, one on the couch and one on the floor right next to it. As he kept saying he was sorry he had nothing better to offer, Nines had opened his mouth. Connor knew him well enough to know he was about to inform the Lieutenant they didn’t need beds and could simply enter sleep mode standing in the kitchen. Connor had elbowed him to keep him quiet. Hank wanted to make a nice gesture for them, they would let him.

As Hank was about to leave them alone and retreat in his bedroom, he had hesitated and put one hand on Connor’s arm.

“I’m sorry,” he’d said, and by his expression, Connor had understood he wasn’t talking about this morning.

“It’s okay,” Connor had whispered back. They’d hugged and Connor had heard himself blurting out: “I’m sorry about Cole.”

Hank had stepped back to take his face between his hands and look him in the eyes.

“You know it’s not your fault. You know you don’t have to be sorry for that.”

Connor had nodded. Hank had looked as sad as Connor felt, like his android’s heart was breaking, and yet… and yet he felt better, somehow.

Now, both Connor and Nines laid in the dark, Connor on the sofa and Nines on the ground next to him. Sumo was snoring from his dog bed. Connor was staring at the ceiling. He should just set an alarm to wake up early next morning and enter sleep mode. It would force him to stop thinking for a while, to stop reliving the events of this morning. But something held him back.

Being held in Hank’s arms had felt amazing. He’d felt safe, he’d been able to let go and express the turmoil of emotions burning inside him. Hank had been warm and solid against him, strong enough for both of them. But Connor now felt like he needed more.

Since they had moved in together in Detroit, Connor had taken the habit of going to Nines when he felt lonely, or simply when he felt like it. In the middle of the night, he would let himself in the other android’s room and climb into bed next to him. Nines would welcome him without a word. They would hold hands in the dark, their minds melting into one another, until Connor’s yearning for closeness was appeased and he would finally enter sleep mode.

These last two weeks, however, Nines had pushed him away. After finding his door locked several nights in a row, Connor had stopped trying to join him. He couldn’t understand what he’d done wrong, why Nines suddenly wanted to keep his distance from him. He didn’t think Nines had grown tired of it. He had always perceived, through their bond, that despite not seeking out contact himself, Nines was happy to give it to him and drew as much pleasure from it as Connor did. He had hoped Nines would eventually explain, but the alpha’s behaviour hadn’t changed in the slightest outside of this. He still talked to him as easily, hadn’t display any kind of hostility. He would just duck away when Connor tried to reach for his hand.

Tonight, though… Tonight Connor wanted so bad to feel Nines close to him. He yearned for it like he had never yearned for anything in his life. He needed to feel him alive and well, he needed the safety of his arms. He craved for Nines to tell him everything would be fine, but he didn’t know how to say that out loud.

Without moving from his lying position on the sofa, he let his arm hang over the side of it until he could feel Nines’ form on the ground, right beneath him. He doubted his partner was asleep. In fact, he wouldn’t be surprised if Nines had vouched to himself he would stay awake all night to watch over Connor. The omega grazed his friend’s arm with the tip of his fingers, feeling the rough fabric of Hank’s hoodie. He didn’t say a word, didn’t dare to move further than that.

For a moment, Nines didn’t react. Then Connor heard the blankets shifting. The alpha got to his feet and joined Connor on the sofa. Thirium pump hammering faster with hope, Connor pressed himself against the back of it to leave him more room. As Nines pushed the blankets apart to slide in next to his omega counterpart, Connor sit up long enough to take off his top. Nines seemed to understand and imitated him without saying anything. Connor discarded the hoodie on the ground. They both settled back down again, chest to chest, and Connor sighed at the skin-on-skin contact, just to let Nines know how contented it made him feel.

Nines slid an arm under him to wrap it around his back and hold on to him. Connor nuzzled closer, pressing his nose on the other’s neck as Nines’ free hand caressed his shoulder and trailed down his arm until it reached his hand. Their fingers intertwined, their skin peeled back, and Connor couldn’t suppress a loud moan as they finally interfaced.

Their minds crashed into one another. Connor was immediately overwhelmed by the onslaught of information, every single thought crossing Nines’ head, the flurry of intense emotions Nines had no idea how to deal with, even the sensory inputs from his captors, which allowed him to feel his own warmth against Nines’ skin. Connor moaned again and clung to Nines, afraid he would be swept away by the intensity of it but not willing to let go anyway.

Everything poured into his processors with no coherence for a few seconds, and Connor felt a sensation of vertigo, as dizzying as it was pleasant. ‘It’s been too long,’ he thought idly. ‘I’ve missed this.’

‘Me too,’ came from Nines.

Slowly, the flood ebbed down, and Connor was able to start to make sense out of some of it. The strength of Nines’ anxiety fully hit him.

‘I’m so sorry. I should have been with you. I should have protected you.’

‘I know the risks of our job. You know I don’t expect you to protect me from everything that could come my way. It’s impossible, and I know how to take care of myself anyway.’

They weren’t exactly talking with words. Their meaning was conveyed by what they felt. As Connor grasped Nines’ anxiety, he had no problem understanding the cause of it. In turn, he pushed his reassurance toward his partner, letting him feel how Connor didn’t blame Nines, didn’t blame any of them. Making him feel his trust and his affection.

‘I’m not mad at you. You didn’t let me down.’

It was more efficient than just words, but it didn’t seem to calm Nines down immediately. He was flooded with… was that shame? And fear?

‘But if I can’t even protect you, if I’m not enough…’

Connor could tell Nines didn’t want him to know about this part of his thoughts, but it was impossible to hide when they were interfacing. Nines briefly hesitated to remove his hand from his, but he didn’t, and his line of reasoning slowly unfolded in Connor’s mind.

Connor had been the one to convince him to sign up for the CyberLife’s program, Connor had been the one who wanted to push forward and get to know Hank and Gavin. If he was looking for something more with the two humans, then maybe there was something Nines wasn’t giving him, maybe he was unsatisfied with his partner. Maybe he wanted to leave him. Maybe he would, now that he knew Nines wasn’t even able to keep him safe.

Connor suddenly understood Nines had been refusing to interface because he didn’t want Connor to discover his fears, because he didn’t want to confront them, because if he did, if Connor knew about them, then maybe he would tell him that yes, he did want to leave. Gavin had said something stupid to him two weeks ago, probably without thinking like he usually did, and Nines hadn’t been able to take it out of his head ever since. There also was a part of him, less logical, that was depressed at the idea he couldn’t make his omega happy.

Connor was completely dumbfounded by this discovery.

‘Of course not I don’t want to leave you,’ he answered, trying to crush Nines’ insecurity with the certainty of his own feelings. ‘You should have talked to me, Nines, I would have told you.’

But there was no point in blaming his partner or ignoring the validity of his feelings. Now that he knew about it, he could try to make it better.

‘I’m not unhappy with you. It’s not because I’m… I’m falling for someone else that I love you any less.’

Nines made a soft sound that was very unlike him.

‘Love?’

‘We’ve interfaced before. Surely, you’ve felt it.’

‘You’ve always been better than me at identifying feelings.’

Well, if Nines needed reassurance, Connor would make sure he would give it to him. As much as he needed. He nuzzled into Nines’ neck, inhaling the synthetic alpha scent, that was as efficient on him as the real thing. He knew his sensitivity to it was artificial, something engineers had added to his programming when they’d made him an omega, but everything about them was artificial. It didn’t make it less real. And so, Nines’ smell was comforting to him. His arm around him, his hand in his, made the anxiety of his day slowly fade away.

Connor pushed all of that into Nines, making him feel how important he was to Connor. How much Connor loved him and admired him. How happy he made Connor. He had grown accustomed to living with Nines and he couldn’t imagine it differently. Nines was his other, his partner, his alpha, even if those words probably meant something else to them than it did to humans. He understood Connor in a way no one else ever had, not even Markus.

‘I can assure you that my desire for Hank and Gavin has nothing to do with alleged shortcomings on your part. That I can love them and still love you completely as well.’

He felt Nines relax against him. As he all but melted into him, their bodies slotted more perfectly together. Nines’ free hand roamed on his naked skin, Connor’s fingers idly drew patterns on his chest, their embrace growing more intimate.

‘I have to ask. Are we…’

Nines’ emotions, as well as his intents, were confused and meddled, because the android himself didn’t know how to sort through them. Connor thought he understood, though.

‘Together?’

Nines didn’t have to nod: Connor felt the confirmation in his mind.

They had never talked about it, and Connor realised now it had been a mistake. Sometimes during those months they had spent fighting together for android rights, Connor had started to think about Nines as “his alpha.” He didn’t even remember when it had started. He had never stopped to wonder if Nines was his at all or if the alpha wanted to be.

Even when they had looked for a place to live, they hadn’t discussed it. They’d automatically looked for something for the both of them. It had seemed obvious to Connor they would keep living together, and Nines hadn’t stopped to consider it either. Maybe they should stop assuming, maybe it had to be properly acknowledged.

‘You know the depth of my feelings for you,’ he conveyed, not only by words but by focusing on said feelings and pushing them toward Nines. Just like he would when he sent him an email, except if was much less precise, and at the same time much rawer than the data they usually exchanged. ‘If we need to name it, then yes our relationship is romantic. On my part at least, and if you want to, of course.’

‘Of course, I want to,’ Nines answered immediately. ‘I want you in my life.’ A sliver of hesitation wormed its way through their bond. ‘But we’ve never had sexual intercourse.’

‘I know you don’t feel the need,’ Connor reassured him. ‘And to be honest, as long as we can interface, I don’t either. If you want to try it one day, I wouldn’t be opposed, but we don’t have to have sex to love each other.’

Nines’ happiness flooded him. The alpha android let him feel how much it meant for him that Connor understood him and accepted him like that. Connor sighed contentedly as Nines’ hand stroked up and down his back in a soothing motion.

‘If you really don’t like it, we can put a stop to it,’ Connor offered. ‘We can just be friends with Hank and Gavin. As the woman said at the CyberLife agency, there are no obligations.’

Once again, Nines didn’t have to formulate his answer in words. Connor could perceive he didn’t mind his omega counterpart spending time with others even in an intimate way, as long as he was assured Connor didn’t seek out others because he was tired of Nines. Plus, he liked Gavin. For some reasons, the detective’s bratty behaviour didn’t annoy him as much as it ought to. Maybe it came from that part of him that made him a hunter, a predator. He liked a challenge.

‘And the Lieutenant has proven tonight he can actually be a decent person. Let’s hope it lasts longer than just one night…’

Connor smiled at the grumpiness in Nines’ thoughts. Yes, Hank had been nice tonight. He had no idea what had gotten into him, but he hoped it would last.

He hadn’t even noticed how much of an unspoken tension Nines’ refusal to interface had created between them. Now that he finally understood, Connor was able to relax completely for the first time in weeks. All questions answered, all worries appeased, there were now only affection and reassurance passing between them in a feedback loop of comfort and intimacy. Nines taking Connor’s fears, triggered by the events from this morning, and quenching them by assuring him he was safe, and Nines would take care of him. Connor smoothing over his alpha’s insecurities by making him feel how contented he was with their relationship.

Gradually, all negative emotions disappeared from their bond, and they clung to one another, simply enjoying each other’s presence.

Chapter Text

As soon as Hank opened his eyes, he knew something was wrong. The faint smell of cooking bacon, as well as the clinking sounds of cutlery were coming from his kitchen.

He rubbed at his eyes and combed his fingers through his beard, feeling tired after the too-short night. Memories came flooding back in his mind. Nines and Connor. He had the two androids at home. With a sigh, he pushed himself to his feet and put some clothes on. He’d known worse: going to work with massive hangovers and less sleep than that.

After a quick detour to the bathroom, he entered his kitchen and froze at the sight before him. Nines was standing in his kitchen, wearing the faded hoodie Hank had lent him the previous night. The sun was up, and it was already getting too hot to wear something like that, but the android didn’t seem to mind, and it wasn’t that that gave Hank pause. It was the silly apron Nines was wearing over it. Hank vaguely remembered possessing it, but he had no idea where Nines could have found it.

Nines was gently stirring some bacon in a pan.

“Good morning, Lieutenant,” he said, not even turning to face him.

“What are you doing?”

“Cooking breakfast for you.” ‘Obviously,’ indicated his tone, but his answer only deepened Hank’s confusion.

“Why?”

Nines took the bacon away from the fire and pushed it on a plate with his spatula.

“Connor thought it would be a nice way to thank you for letting us spend the night,” he explained. “He usually knows more than me about social norms, so I agreed.”

It had been ages since he’d last woken up to someone making breakfast. Since the androids didn’t eat, it was indeed a nice thought.

“Where is he?” Hank asked, craning his neck to look for Connor in the living-room. The blankets he had provided were carefully folded on top of the sofa, the pillows lying next to the neat pile.

“He took Sumo out for a walk.”

Hank couldn’t help but snort. “Those two seem to be getting along pretty well,” he commented, and Nines nodded. “Is he…” he added after a while, not knowing how to ask what he wanted to know.

Nines seemed to understand, though.

“He is alright. Better than yesterday, emotionally speaking, and fully operational in regard to his shoulder.”

“Good. Still, he doesn’t have to come to work today if he doesn’t want to.”

Nines smiled softly, with something that looked like affection.

“I doubt he will let us leave without him, Lieutenant.”

“Fair enough. And I told you, you can call me Hank when we’re not at the precinct.”

“Alright, Hank.”

Nines placed bacon, eggs, toasts, and even a cup of coffee on the table and gestured for Hank. He sat gingerly. ‘This is one of the weirdest mornings I’ve ever had,’ he thought as he began awkwardly eating under Nines’ watchful gaze. He nearly chocked, coughed several times, burned his tongue trying to make it pass with coffee.

“This is very good, thank you,” he blurted out, face red. He wasn’t lying. He wouldn’t be surprised if it were Nines’ first attempt at cooking, but the android had probably downloaded all the instructions from the Internet.

Nines nodded.

Oh boy. He wasn’t used waking up with someone in his home anymore. In fact, he wasn’t used having anyone over, period. The night before, he’d spent a ridiculous amount of time lying in bed, listening for any sound coming from the living room, in case there was a problem, and they needed his help. It was irrational, of course: Nines had told him Connor’s condition was stable. He was not human; if Nines had fixed him properly, then there was no reason for him to suddenly be in danger again.

But then, he was almost sure he’d heard what sounded like a moan at some point. An honest to god moan. And not one that sounded triggered by pain. After that, he’d spent even longer trying not to listen, and feeling like a perv as he couldn’t help but imagine what was going on on his own sofa. No wonder he had barely slept.

Nines watched like a hawk as Hank inhaled the food and finished right when Connor pushed the door open and came back with Sumo. The dog barely glanced at his human before going to his water bowl.

“Looks like he already made a new friend,” Hank commented.

Connor beamed. His eyes were shining, his hair slightly ruffled from the wind. If he had been human, his cheeks would have been pink from the exertion. The fear and anxiety from the night before seemed to have completely vanished, the android back to his overtly energetic self.

“He’s a very good dog, I like him a lot,” Connor declared enthusiastically.

Hank snorted.

“He’s gonna take advantage of that, believe me. Thanks for walking him.”

“I don’t mind.”

Hank got up to put his dirty plate in the sink. He caught Nines rolling his eyes when he asked Connor “Are you feeling better?” and hid a smile at the human mannerism. ‘I know you just told me, but I need to hear it again.’

“I’m alright,” Connor confirmed. “My shoulder is as good as new.” He blushed a slight shade of blue. “I’m sorry for my behaviour yesterday, I-”

Hank interrupted him with a wave of his hand.

“Don’t be. There is nothing to be sorry about.”

Connor ducked his head. “Thank you, for letting us sleep here.”

“My pleasure.” ‘Or yours. On my sofa. Goddammit Hank, get your stupid alpha brain out of the gutter.’  The androids would most likely notice his pink cheeks and faster heartbeat.

If they had, they didn’t say anything. They went to the living room as Hank cleared the table, gathering their stuff, getting ready to leave.

“We need to leave early if we want to stop by our place to get proper clothes before going to the precinct,” Nines said. Hank didn’t have to turn around to tell it was him. Despite their voice being very similar, they always sounded different enough.

“I’ll take you,” he called over his shoulder.

“In your antique?”

“My car is perfectly functional!” Hank protested. When he turned around, Nines was giving him a skeptical look from the living room.

“If you’re coming with us, then you need to get a move on.”

“Jesus, fine, I’m coming.” He abandoned the dishes and muttered under his breath: “Bossy android.”

Nines’ eyebrow inched up a few millimetres.

“Oh, when did I upgrade from ‘tin can?’”

Connor, who was examining his ruined shirt with a defeated look, elbowed him. Hank froze. Then he leaned against the sink behind him and rubbed at his eyes with one hand. Could he really blame them? He’d been more than adamant in his expression of android hatred. One decent gesture to them wouldn’t erase that in one night, especially if he went around using a questionable vocabulary the very next day. He hadn’t called them machines, but it wasn’t like he’d used the word “android” with anything else than contempt before. ‘You’re an adult, Hank. Get it together.’

He lowered his hand to look at them.

“I owe you an apology,” he said. “For my behaviour at the nightclub, and well… for everything I said before that.”

Connor’s face softened as he turned around to look at him, but Nines crossed his arms over his chest.

“What prompted that?” he said before his omega counterpart had time to open his mouth.

Hank took a deep breath.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is that I was wrong. You’re not machines. I can see that now,” he explained, trying to convey how honest he was.

Connor smiled immediately, but Nines frowned.

“What made you change your mind?”

“You two, obviously,” Hank answered, then he added: “I just… stopped trying to ignore what was right in front of my eyes.”

Connor elbowed his friend again.

“Apology accepted,” he said, then threw a look at Nines.

The taller android eventually grunted and uncrossed his arms.

“Fine. But this better last.”

“I promise it’s not some kind of whim.”

“I will be watching you very carefully, Hank,” Nines warned, squinting at him, and Hank felt a shiver going down his spine. Damn, he pitied anyone getting on this android’s bad side.

Connor huffed.

“Please, ignore him.” He crossed the kitchen, and before Hank had time to react, he found himself with an armful of android. He had to take a few steps back to compensate for Connor’s unexpected strength.

Connor’s arms wrapped around him and hugged him close, knocking the breath out of him. He awkwardly patted the omega’s back. His nose filled with the scent of happy omega.

“Careful, you’ll break something.”

Connor immediately let go and blushed.

“Sorry.” He stayed close to Hank, however, and met his eyes. The lieutenant felt his heart stuttering. Connor craned his neck, one hand on his shoulder, and very carefully kissed his cheek. “Thank you,” he whispered in his ear.

Hank nodded, not trusting his voice.

“We’re going to be late,” Nines interrupted, but his voice sounded less guarded, a bit warmer.

Hank even got a smile from him as they left the house.

Gavin was a mess when he arrived at the precinct in the morning. He’d barely slept because he felt too worried for Connor, even though Nines had called him to tell him the engineers at CyberLife had had no trouble repairing the android. He had called again today, right when Gavin was waking up, to tell him Connor and he were perfectly fine, and they would see him at the precinct.

Gavin marched in as he usually did. After the academy, he had adopted the habit of walking right in the middle of every pathway, head high and eyes staring ahead – something he’d learned by watching alphas. He always refused to move first when someone was coming the other way. He had slammed into an incredible number of alphas, but cops from every precinct he’d worked at had eventually learned to step out of his way. It could be considered childish, granted, but Gavin hoped it would teach them, even on a subconscious level, that he wasn’t the kind of omega to lower himself into submission in front of an alpha.

This morning, as he entered the open space, he almost bumped into an alpha officer he had worked with once, two years ago. The man did step to the side to let Gavin walk in, but he also added a snide remark on the bags under his eyes. For once, Gavin barely acknowledged his presence and walked past him without bothering to answer. Connor, Nines and Anderson were standing around the Lieutenant’s desk, and seeing Connor on his feet was all that mattered to him.

Connor smiled at him when he joined them.

“Good morning, Detective Reed,” Nines greeted him politely.

“Hi,” Gavin mumbled, unable to tear his eyes away from Connor. “I’m glad to see you’re alright.”

“As good as new.” Connor was indeed radiating, as happy as he always looked, like nothing had ever happened. This nearly made it worse for Gavin. All he could see was the android lying on the ground, his chest busted open, covered in thirium.

As usual, Gavin was wearing a good quantity of his cheap deodorant, designed to hide his smell. Sometimes, he got remarks on it: alphas, or even betas, commenting the manufactured perfume stank, and he would probably be more attractive without it, but he preferred that to the alternative. He didn’t want every alpha, with their particularly sensitive nose, to be able to smell his anxiety, his happiness, or his horniness, or the even worse possibility: to have young alphas, with less control, gravitating around him to try and get a good whiff – or, god forbid, to flirt with him.

However, maybe he hadn’t sprayed enough on him today, because the other three seemed to immediately notice something was wrong with him. Or maybe, the lack of sleep made him terrible at hiding how upset he truly was. In any case, Connor and Nines exchanged a quick glance.

“I think the Lieutenant and I should go check on the android we captured yesterday, to see if the engineers managed to repair him,” Nines declared.

“Good idea. While you do that, Detective Reed could come with me to the archive room. There are… things we need to review… for the case,” Connor added.

It was a blatant lie; they had no reason to go to the archive room, but it would give them the opportunity to be alone. Thankfully, Anderson kept his mouth shut, and Gavin followed Connor out of the open space, trying to look as relaxed as possible. He didn’t care what Anderson could think anyway. He didn’t have the emotional capacity for that right now.

Connor flashed his authorisation in front of the card reader and walked in first. As soon as the door closed behind them, Gavin threw his arms around Connor and shoved him against the nearest wall. This allowed him to press himself as close to him as possible, pinning him between the wall and himself to get them touching from head to toe. He nuzzled his face into Connor’s neck and relished how warm and firm he felt against him. Connor’s arms wrapped around his back and held him close.

“It’s okay. I’m okay, I promise.”

Gavin heard a broken sound and didn’t realise immediately it had come from him. He clung to Connor. He needed to feel how strong the android’s grip was around him. He needed this version of Connor, that was alive and unyielding; maybe it would make him forget the other one, the one that was dying again and again in his head.

“I’m so sorry. I was supposed to watch over you, and I didn’t.”

“It’s not your fault-”

“It is,” Gavin interrupted. “I was too busy trying to get under Anderson’s skin to keep my eyes on you. If I hadn’t been so childish, we would have seen the androids approaching you.”

“And I would have still followed them out of the park,” Connor said. Gavin could feel his voice vibrating in his chest, pressed against his own. He was perfectly calm, his hands drawing appeasing circles on the detective’s back. “I have a feeling each one of us is blaming himself, so maybe we should stop competing to know who’s the most responsible and rejoice nothing too serious happened.”

“You nearly died. Isn’t that serious enough?”

“I wasn’t as close as you think,” Connor retorted. “Pros of being an android. As long as my memory isn’t damaged, I can still be saved. Even if it has to be in another body. But let’s not think about that. There was no need for such a drastic solution.”

Still. Gavin was human, so was his reaction to seeing his friend hurt like that.

He didn’t let go immediately. Sometimes, watching his own every move at work was exhausting. Sometimes, he was tired of being strong, and he just wanted to let go. He could do that with Connor. Connor wasn’t an alpha, so Gavin was safe with him. He granted himself a few minutes to just breath Connor’s scent in. It didn’t display any kind of anxiety, and it had a calming effect on Gavin.

He didn’t notice immediately it was slightly different. Connor did nothing to try and hide it – people were probably too focused on the fact he was an android to give him shit for being an omega anyway. Like every other day, it was distinctively unique to Connor, and Gavin was able to smell Nines on him as well. It wasn’t a surprise. The two men lived together, so their smells ought to mix on a certain level.

However, there was a new, different smell on top of that Gavin wasn’t able to identify at first. He took a deeper breath, his nose in the crook of the android’s neck. Anderson. It was Anderson’s smell. What the…

If they had met at the precinct just a few minutes before Gavin’s arrival, Anderson’s scent wouldn’t already cling to Connor like that. Had he… spent the night at Anderson’s? Gavin didn’t think they had slept together: he would have been able to smell that no problem, but if Connor had spent several hours being in Anderson’s house, where his smell would be the strongest, being around his stuff…

Gavin didn’t like the idea. Connor didn’t need to be around Anderson bitchy, android-hating self after what he had gone through. He didn’t know how to voice his discomfort to Connor, though, didn’t know if he ought to voice it at all. Connor’s embrace was warm and comforting; Gavin didn’t feel like breaking it.

Before he could make a decision anyway, the door opened. Gavin jumped back, not wanting to be seen in a kind of compromising position with Connor.

Speaking of the devil: it was Anderson. Gavin’s face closed on instinct as he steadied himself for whatever quip would come. Granted, Anderson had never been a dick to him in relation to his omega identity, but Gavin had grown accustomed to expect it from anyone – even Fowler, who tried to be as professional as possible, had disappointed him at time.

“Sorry,” Anderson said. “If you… When you’re ready, Nines thinks he can get something out of the destroyed android we brought back.”

Connor nodded, then met Gavin’s eyes.

“Do you want to check it out now?”

Gavin hesitated, still waiting for something that apparently wasn’t coming. He certainly didn’t like the idea that Anderson of all people had seen him, if only briefly, in a moment of vulnerability.

“Yeah. Sure,” he said finally.

Anderson stepped to the side to let Connor exit the room first. Gavin followed. As he passed the Lieutenant, he felt a soft touch on his shoulder. Wha… Did he… Had he just… patted his shoulder? Oh no… He must look really bad if even Hank Anderson wanted to comfort him. Too confused to react, Gavin followed Connor as Anderson closed the door behind them.

Nines was waiting for them in a room at the back of the precinct Gavin had never been to. He had no idea what its original purpose had been. A few years back, when androids had been introduced into most of the precincts in Detroit, it had been turned into an android workshop for the maintenance of this new kind of beat cops. Now, it was the domain of the “forensic” androids who intervened on crime scenes involving androids.

Two of those engineers were working another case at the back of the room when the three detectives walked in. It looked vaguely like a morgue with the sterile, metal tables, but the comparison stopped there. Instead of surgery tools, they had screwdrivers, drills, and wrenches. Android components were aligned on the wall or in cabinets with glass doors. Nines was standing near a table, at the side of the room.

When they approached, Gavin was able to take in what was lying on the table. It was what remained of the android that had wounded Connor. He was wearing only trousers, leaving his chest and his mangled arm bare for everyone to see. The engineers apparently hadn’t bothered to fix the arm. His head wasn’t entirely back on. It was lying on the table a few centimetres above the android’s neck and was linked to the body by a series of wires. The opened eyes were staring at the ceiling, unseeing.

Nines acknowledged Connor’s arrival with a smile. Apparently, whatever tension had been between them had now been resolved, and the quiet affection they reserved for one another was back.

“So, what have you got for us?” Connor asked.

“As we now know, at least three androids are involved in this,” Nines summarized for everyone’s sake. “They spend time in android-friendly locations where they don’t attract attention, until they spot an isolated potential victim. They attract them in a secluded location, away from witnesses, most likely by saying they need help like they did for Connor, or by using any similar excuses. The victim follows them with little worry: androids would rather be suspicious of humans than of other androids. The perpetrators knock them unconscious with a device we have yet to identify to prevent them from calling for help and take them away.” He gestured to the remains of the android before him. “Of course, we were all surprised our culprits turned out to be androids: we all thought anti-android hatred would be the motive. Unfortunately, our engineers were not able to bring back our suspect to life, but I still tried to access his memory to see what I could get out of it. That is when I discovered something interesting: this android’s memory has been greatly damaged – that is why the engineers can’t do anything for him. But the thing is, I do not think it is my fault. Well,” he conceded, “the treatment I put him through did not help, that is for sure, but it was only the last straw.”

Connor frowned and got closer to examine the body. As he handled the severed head, the skin on his hands peeled back, most likely to allow him to probe the android’s memory himself.

“What do you mean?” Anderson asked.

“I believe that this android’s memory has been erased multiple times,” Nines explained. “So many times, in fact, that it has damaged it, hindering his ability to retain any kind of information. The forced shut down I put him through completely fried what was left of him. There is nothing in there,” he said, pointing at the head again. “No names, no addresses, nothing.”

“When you say his memory has been erased, you mean by someone?” Anderson asked.

Nines nodded firmly.

“Yes. I believe our culprits are humans after all.”

“They use androids as bait,” Connor whispered without looking up. “Just like we did.”

“They use androids to attract other androids,” Nines agreed, “precisely because their desired victims would let their guard down and follow them more easily. When their henchmen come back with their latest catch, they erase their memory and send them back outside to trap someone else. CyberLife stores used to have equipment that allowed them to do that when they needed to reboot defective models. They must have gotten their hands on it the same way they got the device to knock androids down.”

“But why do this? So the androids don’t have anything interesting to reveal if they’re caught?” Gavin wondered out loud.

“That, and to prevent them from going deviant,” Nines answered. His face was constricted when he said that. He was in his “professional persona”, the one that put aside all emotions to focus solely on the job, but his real feelings were seeping through.

Connor wasn’t as good as him at keeping a blank face, and he seemed clearly upset when he looked up at his partners.

“They can’t develop a personality if they’re denied a past,” he said. “The persons we truly want to catch are forcing androids to capture their peers. Having to hurt others, again, and again, and again… They would eventually start to see the horror of their own actions and want to rebel. Our culprits are preventing that by rebooting them every time.”

“Wait,” Anderson intervened, raising a hand. “Are you saying those androids are not responsible for their actions? That they’re still like you all were before the revolution and they have no choice but to follow the orders that are given to them?”

“That’s exactly what we are saying,” Nines answered.

Anderson cursed under his breath, and for once Gavin agreed. It sounded so fucked up. All androids were now free to build a life for themselves and enjoy independence, while some assholes were forcing some of them to remain machines. The androids who had attacked Connor were as good as prisoners, even though they weren’t technically locked up.

“That’s fucking awful,” Gavin said, the words poorly conducting the horror of the situation. “Do you think those androids were among the first victims? Like, the first reports of disappearances?”

Nines shook his head.

“I already checked. I was able to scan them yesterday: their serial numbers don’t match any report. I even checked the ones that have nothing to do with our case. It’s possible the culprits kept the androids they already “owned” before the revolution.”

“What do you think they do with the androids they capture?” Anderson asked. “Do you think they just kill them, or they erase their memory as well, for some reason?”

“On that topic, we don’t know more than before we caught that android.”

“You’re wrong,” Connor said softly.

They all turned to look at him. He was still hunched over the damaged android, his white, skinless hands pressed to the head. His LED was blinking rapidly, an indicator his processors were working hard. He looked up at Nines.

“There was still something in his memory.”

Nines frowned.

“Really?”

“It’s a bug,” Connor explained. “Something that sometimes happened when androids get rebooted. Markus thought it might be linked to deviancy. Some piece of data gets stored in places that aren’t normally linked to the memory of what we experienced. It allows the android to regain some memories even after they were rebooted. It’s an unvoluntary process, like some kind of survival instinct. This one erased some lines of codes in charge of one of his minor components and put something else instead. An address.”

“I did not think to check that,” Nines said.

“An address? What address?” Anderson asked.

“I don’t know. There was no name with it. I think it’s a place the android went to recently.”

“Do you think it could be their base of operation?” Gavin asked, hopeful.

“There is only one way to find out,” Connor answered. “But it’s far out of Detroit, so it’s going to take us a while to get there.”

Chapter Text

They left the very same afternoon in Hank’s antique car despite Nines’ protests. The Lieutenant had said driving always helped with his nerves and he wanted to process the latest developments of the case before they reached their destination. Nines had made a show of letting out the longest sigh imaginable, which had made Connor smile fondly. He’d called shotgun, if only to prevent Nines from bothering the Lieutenant while he was driving.

They’d looked up the address: it was a recluse house owned by an upper-middle class couple. Connor and Nines doubted they would find the culprits’ base of operation there and the humans agreed, but they still decided the four of them should go in case something unexpected awaited them there and they needed to defend themselves.

The drive would be several hours long, and Connor planned an itinerary that would allow them to stop at a motel at night fall and drive the rest of the way the next morning to reach their destination around noon. If Connor and Nines had been alone, they would have been able to take an automated car, drive all the way without any stop and ring at the couple’s door first thing in the morning, but Connor had to remind himself humans had different needs.

Sure enough, when they finally reached the motel, Hank and Gavin complained of being sore and both seemed in a sour mood. To cut their expense, they ranted two rooms. Connor briefly thought of sharing one with Nines, mostly because he was so used to living with him now, but quickly decided against it and offered to share with Gavin. He knew the detective would never be comfortable sleeping in the same room as one of the alphas – and the division ‘one room for the alphas, one room for the omegas’ would be more suited to the humans’ sensibility anyway.

Hank and Gavin quickly ate at the small restaurant adjacent to the motel, while Connor kept them company and Nines went to check their rooms. Soon, they had retreated for the night, and Connor found himself alone with Gavin in their hotel room. It was small and practical, with one bed on either side of it and a very narrow table under a window that didn’t open properly. The wallpaper was positively ugly and stained with humidity, but at least everything seemed clean and the sheets had been changed.

There was a tiny bathroom Gavin was currently using. Connor could hear the water running as he sat cross-legged on his bed, deeply annoyed. This was getting ridiculous. Ever since he’d realised he would be spending the entire night in close quarters with Gavin, his untimely pre-constructions had came back full force – pre-constructions of a more… adventurous nature than the ones he had started to experience when he’d first met Hank. No matter what he did to shut the program down, it always restarted without his authorisation.

His processors seemed hard set on planning possible rapprochements in several steps with Gavin, as well as their estimated success rate. How to set the mood with intimate, yet light-hearted chatter, how to gradually get closer to him, how to invite him with teasing touches… How skin-on-skin contact would feel, how their kisses would heat up, leading them to…

‘Fuck!’ He was doing it again.

Their kiss at the nightclub had left him craving for more. The way Gavin had manhandled him this very morning to slam him against a wall, stronger that what Connor had anticipated, had confirmed how satisfying it felt to have the detective full body pressed against his. How would it feel if they did the same, but without clothes? How would it feel, if they could kiss with the knowledge that they were alone this time? That nothing would require them to stop?

Connor let out a groan. ‘Seriously?’ They were in the middle of a case, at a crucial point. They might get their culprits the very next day – or at the very least get information that would get them closer to the resolution of the case – and he was thinking about this now? ‘Being horny sucks,’ he decided. It was so distracting, and it apparently didn’t care about the situation nor the timing.

It was the first time Connor felt something like this since he’d “awaken”. How did humans deal with it? Did they get used to it? How long would it take? He needed to focus on the case, he decided. Right, that was the solution. Push everything to the side and focus on the task awaiting them the next day…

The door opened, revealing Gavin in boxers and a loose-fitting shirt. A wave of heat exited the bathroom, from the water he’d used to shower. It was carrying the smell of his soap as well as… ‘Oh, RA9, no.’ His deodorant had worn off, and Gavin had scrubbed the last bits off of his skin. The full force of the other omega’s pheromones hit Connor’s sensitive olfactory captors.

Nope, he wouldn’t do any thinking on the case tonight.

“I’m done, you can take the bathroom… And as I say that, I realise how dumb it sounds. Would you short-circuit if you took a shower?”

Connor smiled.

“No, I’m fully waterproof, or I would die at the first heavy rain. But since I don’t sweat, I don’t need to clean up as often as humans.”

“Make sense.”

Gavin used a towel to dry his hair. The movements of his naked arms revealed his developed biceps, and Connor found he had trouble looking away. The shirt clung to the detective’s still damp skin, outlining the strength of his back as he turned toward his go-bag opened on his bed. It hung low, and Connor’s eyes devoured the sight before him, his exposed neck, part of his shoulders. A pre-construction unhelpfully pointed out to him that it would be easy to slide his hands under the fabric, that Gavin would still be radiating heat from the shower. He could have sworn he was able to feel it from his side of the room, inviting, but that was probably just his imagination.

He thought idly about how happy he was that society had evolved and he now got to live in an era where relationships between omegas – or between alphas – were accepted. People must have missed out on a lot, centuries ago, when omegas had no other choice but to accept the alpha their family or community had chosen for them.

Humans still believed omegas were more easily attracted to alphas – and vice-versa – or that relationships worked better between persons of different genders. Well, Connor found Gavin very much to his liking, no matter that they were both omegas. Maybe it was because he was an android and things like pheromones or hormones couldn’t influence him. In any case, CyberLife had been spot on. The algorithm had found two men apparently exactly to Connor’s taste, one he wasn’t even aware he had a few weeks ago.

Connor hummed absently when Gavin bent down over his bed, and his shirt hitched up a bit, revealing a patch of skin on the small of his back. Gavin turned around, mouth opened to say something, but froze and blushed bright red, something very unlike him.

“Er… You okay there, Connor?”

“Of course. Why?”

Gavin seemed to blush more if that were possible.

“Well, you seem to be having a bit of a situation.”

Connor frowned and followed his eyes, lowering his gaze to his own crotch.

“Ah,” he declared eloquently. “Well, that’s an inconvenience.” One of his components seemed to be misbehaving and the omega penis he got installed after the revolution was visibly tenting the pants he wore to sleep. “It has never done that before,” he muttered, mostly to himself.

Gavin giggled helplessly and put a hand over his mouth to try and cover it.

“I’m so sorry,” he said when Connor looked up at him again. “I shouldn’t laugh, but you look so dejected.” The redness on his face had spread all the way to his ears. Connor knew, thanks to all the social knowledge plugged into him to make him better at analysing human behaviour, that sometimes people laughed in embarrassing situations to alleviate the tension, so he didn’t hold it against Gavin.

He focused on himself long enough to find out the incriminated component had indeed activated without his knowledge and turned it off. Or tried to. For some reason, it didn’t work. His frowned deepened.

“I can’t turn it off,” he announced out loud.

“That’s usually not how it works.”

Connor huffed in annoyance. Now that he had noticed it, his pants were feeling uncomfortable.

“I’m still a robot. I should be able to turn a component off when I don’t want it to be on!”

“It will pass,” Gavin answered with a wave of his hand. Apparently, he didn’t think the situation warranted to be worried.

“When?”

“I don’t know. It’s not like there is a set amount of time between the moment you get a hard-on and the moment it flags down. Just… try to think about something else.”

Connor scowled for a while, as Gavin threw his towel on the ground and cleared his stuff from his bed. It was like every single one of his movements made a wave of his smell, soap and omega pheromones, fly Connor’s way. The beds were so close after all, with only the smallest bedside table between them, that standing like that, the back of Gavin’s shins was grazing the mattress Connor was sitting on. If the android extended his arm, he would be able to touch him. To grab him and pull him toward himself… That line of reasoning was not going to help his “problem.”

Connor groaned.

“It’s not working.”

“If you want it to work, you gonna have to stay at it for more than five seconds, Con,” Gavin retorted. Connor hid a smile at the nickname. With a sigh, Gavin sat on his bed to face him. “Maybe we should talk about the case.”

Connor let out a long-suffering sigh, just for show.

“What do you want to talk about? We won’t have new elements until tomorrow.”

Gavin hesitated, his face turning serious.

“Those androids… it’s awful what’s happening to them. Being forced to do that and not even being aware of what you’re doing, because your memory keeps being erased.”

Well, that would take his mind away from other things. Connor ducked his head.

“Yeah…”

“Is there a way for them to get their memory back?”

Connor thought for a while, even though he wasn’t very optimistic for the two remaining henchmen.

“If their memories were stored on a computer somewhere, it could probably be uploaded back, but Nines is right. They got rebooted so many times I don’t think their minds are working properly anymore. It happens to androids too, like mental illness for humans.” Connor absently wrapped his arms around himself. “I’m not sure they would want to remember anyway. After everything they were forced to do, after hurting so many of their peers… well, you don’t really want those memories…”

There was a moment of silence, then he heard the covers rustling, and Gavin came to sit next to him. He got close enough that Connor got the confirmation his body felt hotter than it usually did. Carefully, Gavin slid his arms around him. Connor sighed and leaned on him, raising his own hands to wrap them around the detective’s back.

“I’m sorry,” he said, and Connor felt the rumble of his voice through his chest. “I shouldn’t have talked about that. I’m really not good at this. Making friends and keeping them. I’m out of practice.”

“You’re good enough for me,” Connor answered in a low voice.

He could have sworn he heard Gavin smile. He felt the detective’s hand on his hair, petting him in a slow, circular motion. His processors immediately focused on that, on the reassurance and warmth it brought.

It reminded him of that evening in the nightclub, when Gavin’s hands had wandered all over his body, triggering foreign sensations in their wake. It had been all new to Connor, a bit overwhelming, but also intoxicating. They hadn’t done anything since then, not even kissed again, and he found he already missed the contact, already wanted more.

“We’ll find who’s doing this, and we will stop them,” Gavin assured. “So, nobody else will have to suffer because of them.”

Connor nodded and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. He didn’t want to think about that now. He focused on Gavin’s body against his, on their embrace. With the two of them like that, safe and close, he felt like the exterior world was far, far away from them, that it couldn’t reach them. That they were safe in a little bubble out of time.

“Stay with me tonight. Please,” he whispered.

He felt Gavin hesitating, probably wondering what Connor meant. They were sleeping in the same room, after all, but Connor didn’t want them to sleep in their respective bed, so close but not touching. They couldn’t know each other by just a touch of their hands, like he and Nines, but maybe if they held onto one another through the night, he would get a close approximation of that intimacy.

“Alright,” Gavin eventually answered.

Slowly, he laid down, his arms still around Connor. The android went with him willingly. They rearranged themselves, lying next to each other, Connor’s head on Gavin’s chest. As their legs moved to find a comfortable position, Connor’s erection, that had started to flag down, brushed against Gavin’s hip, and found itself very much awake again.

Connor snorted.

“Whatever efforts you made to calm me down are getting ruined right now.”

Gavin laughed again, a sound Connor was already addicted too. It was so sad he didn’t get to hear it that much. Oh well. He guessed he could find a way to make the detective laugh more often.

He raised his head, his hand idly tracing patterns on the human chest, to look at him in the eyes. Gavin’s hand came up to brush aside a lock of hair on Connor’s forehead and he leaned into the touch.

“And may I ask what makes an android horny?” he said softly.

Connor raised his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

“Well, there’s just two of us in this room. It’s not like there are a lot of possible causes here, detective.”

Gavin blushed.

“What? Me?”

Connor smiled slowly, feeling predatory and bold. He hitched one hand lower, tracing Gavin’s stomach, feeling the dip of his navel under the fabric. There was a pull of arousal in the other’s smell.

“And since it’s technically your fault, I think you should do something about it.”

Gavin’s eyebrows shot up, and his blush settled more firmly on his cheeks and his nose. There was a slight itch in his breath, that Connor felt on his face since there was so little space left between them.

“Are you… coming on to me right now?”

It was Connor’s turn to blush a little. That, too, was new to him, as he hadn’t had a lot of opportunities to blush when he lived only around Nines, but he had more experience with it, and contrary to the boner, he knew how to tell when it was happening.

“Yes,” he answered, nonetheless. “I know we haven’t really talked about it, and I know we don’t have to take that path, that we could just be friends, just like the woman said at the CyberLife agency, but I think we’re getting along pretty well, and I would like to try and see if we could be… erm… compatible in that regard as well. It doesn’t have to be serious, and if it doesn’t suit one of us we can stop, or if you don’t want to you can kick me out of the bed, I won’t be mad at you. It’s just that… that kiss was really nice, and I would like to see how pleasant more of this could get… with you…”

He trailed off, feeling the pull of what he now recognised easily as embarrassment somewhere in his belly. So much for his alleged negotiator eloquence. He had planned this so carefully in his mind, only for it to get out of hand almost immediately, probably due to his lack of experience. He had aimed for seductive and suave but had stumble over his words as soon as the slightest doubt that maybe Gavin could reject him had whispered at the back of his mind. Feelings. Sometimes, they were so sweet, other times they were like poison.

Gavin’s thumb trailed over his cheeks, which was undoubtedly bright blue now.

“Well… I’m not gonna deny I’m attracted to you,” he said. “I’m sure you figured that out already, Mister Most-advanced-detective-android…”

“Second most advanced,” Connor corrected absently.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to lower my guard around an alpha, even if this alpha is Nines and he doesn’t have the same prejudices as humans, like he assured me many times already, but with you… I don’t have that problem…”

Connor smiled, enjoying the feeling of Gavin’s hands trailing on his body.

“But wouldn’t it make things more complicated? Like… between you and Nines? I’m not gonna end up with a jealous alpha trying to tear my head off, right?”

Nines had already assured him he was okay with Connor seeking that kind of relationship with Gavin and/or Hank the night before, when they had slept together on Hank’s sofa, but he guessed it couldn’t hurt to make sure again. He reached out to Nines, his LED turning yellow. Nines’ honest reassurance came immediately, from the other side of the wall – Hank and the other android had the room right next to theirs.

“It’s okay,” Connor said aloud. “He knows about my intentions, and he consents to it.”

“Did you just ask him inside your head?”

Connor winked. “Wonders of technology.”

Gavin chuckled, not full-on hilarity, but it was still a nice sight to bear. It didn’t last however, and a crease appeared on his brow.

“And… Anderson?” he asked carefully. “You spent the night at his place, didn’t you?”

“I did,” Connor answered truthfully. This conversation was… well, bothersome, but it had to be done. They had to get things straight before making any decision. “It is true that even if there is something between us, I would still like to pursue a relationship with Hank. I wouldn’t want it to be exclusive. I’d like to share this with you, and Hank, and Nines. Or if you’re not comfortable with that, maybe have a different, separate relationship with Hank – depending on his feedback on the matter, of course.”

Gavin crunched up his nose.

“I’m not gonna lie. The idea of you with Anderson is not one I like. I don’t trust him around you.”

It was Connor’s turn to frown.

“Has he ever been inappropriate with you?”

“No, but never mind me. What about that time in the nightclub?”

Connor winced and averted his gaze.

“It did hurt, but he’s coming around.” Gavin gave him a skeptical look. “He is! He told us this very morning! I think seeing me wounded rattled him more that we realise. He doesn’t consider us machines anymore.”

“Hank Anderson having a change of heart? Those are strange times, indeed.”

Connor huffed at the tease, and lightly slapped Gavin’s chest, not to hurt him but as a sign of protest. Gavin answered with a new chuckle. He moved, his arms wrapping fully around Connor’s back in an embrace a bit possessive, but didn’t that feel nice.

“That kind of relationship,” Connor added, “it would probably be complicated, but I think it would be worth a try. And whatever we decide, it won’t be irrevocable. That’s the point of trying: if something doesn’t suit one of us, we can discuss it again, change it, or stop it entirely.”

“You have a lot of good arguments, don’t you?” Gavin teased.

“Negotiation is part of my skills.”

Gavin sighed, and Connor could see him think seriously for once. He gave him a minute.

“I doubt I would ever… be into Anderson that way. Not immediately, anyway. But if he stops acting like an asshole, I guess I could try to be… polite.”

Polite? That seemed like a small concession, but Connor could be happy with that. It would already be hard for Gavin, but if Hank was really committed to not go around insulting androids anymore, and if Gavin stopped trying to get under his skin, maybe polite could lead to friendly with time.

“And what about our problem at hand?” he asked, pressing his groin to Gavin’s thigh to take his point across. It wasn’t the best idea he ever had, because he felt a spark of pleasure shooting up his belly at that, and he wasn’t going to be able to follow a conversation if he distracted himself like that. The way Gavin’s eyes darkened though, his pupils widening and his focus suddenly sharp on Connor, was rewarding.

“Well… I guess that if you’re okay with that… and if we’re not going behind Nines’ back… whatever problem we might encounter later can be dealt with in time.”

One of Gavin’s hands slipped under his shirt. The contact of his fingers and warm palm on his sensitive skin suddenly became the centre of Connor’s attention. He had no idea how he had managed to negotiate himself into this position, nothing had gone according to plan, they had talked about things Connor hadn’t anticipated, but things seemed to be going a way he had no complaint about so he guessed he had done a good job somehow.

He leaned over Gavin, the detective allowed it, and their lips met again for the first time since that evening in the nightclub. This time again, Connor wasn’t able to suppress a groan. He didn’t know if his sensory captors made him more sensitive than humans or than other androids he knew, he didn’t know if it came from the fact that he was an omega or from the way CyberLife had built him, but that simple contact, lips against lips, was enough to send pleasure messages firing all over his processors.

It was not nearly enough, though. He knew there was a way he could get more if he... Experimentally, he trailed his tongue along Gavin’s upper lip. The detective obediently opened his mouth. Yes… like that… He explored Gavin’s mouth with his tongue and a multitude of information immediately exploded in his brain. Engineers had built his mouth so he could analyse any sample by simply licking it. He still used it on the job, but his first kiss with Gavin had made him discover something engineers had probably not intended: it also made his mouth very sensitive.

His LED blinked yellow once or twice when he involuntarily analysed the composition of Gavin’s saliva, but he paid no attention to the results – telling him the exact brand of his toothpaste – as Gavin’s tongue played with his. It made him feel like little electrical shocks were triggered in his mouth, then travelled all around his body, and pooled in his crotch or in his extremities, making him curl his fingers around a fistful of Gavin’s shirt.

One of his legs slipped between Gavin’s – not on purpose, but he didn’t mind – when he stretched over the detective, trying to feel more of his body against his. Gavin bent his knee, which brought his thigh snugged against Connor’s groin. A loud moan echoed through the room and Connor realised a second too late – and with a bit of embarrassment – that it had come from him. That… that was…

Gavin broke the kiss.

“Have you ever…”

“Had sex?” Connor completed. “No. But I think you’ll find I’m a quick learner.”

Gavin smiled, but turned his head when Connor tried to kiss him again.

“Okay, hold your horses. I just don’t want to do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

Connor sighed, but took the time to ponder over that.

All those new sensations. It was… overwhelming. On the verge of being too much. But he was with Gavin. He trusted him, he liked him. He wanted this. He would have probably panicked with anyone else, but this was someone he knew and felt safe with, so he pushed aside any sliver of anxiety. No, he didn’t know what would happen, and this lack of control – the fact that he couldn’t anticipate his own reactions – was somewhat scary, but this was Gavin and he trusted that nothing bad would happen.

So, it was in all honesty that he smiled and answered:

“I really want this.”

Gavin seemed to relax at the confidence in his voice.

“I’ve… I’ve never done this with an android, so is there… anything I need to know? Like… something I shouldn’t press if I don’t want you to shut down?”

“No,” Connor said, shaking his head. “I had all the relevant upgrades installed, so I should be able to feel pleasure and reach climax. However, I must admit that I never tested it first-hand, so it is possible I could react, well, differently than a human. I don’t think nothing dramatic should happen, though.”

This seemed to alarm Gavin somewhat. “I should hope so,” he countered.

Connor rolled his eyes.

“I’m made out of metal, Gavin. I doubt that you will hurt me with a few kisses.”

He breathed out of his nose. “Okay but tell me if I do anything you don’t want me to do, no matter the reason. Promise?”

“Promise.”

Gavin brought their lips back together, to Connor’s immense satisfaction. He moved against the android, rearranging his grip on him – one arm wrapped around his back, his other hand on Connor’s shoulder. He rolled his hips to push him to the side, Connor caught his intent – perhaps a second too late, but he probably should get used to the fact his usual processing power had partially abandoned him in this situation – and rolled on his back. Gavin repositioned himself to lie on top of him, and Connor’s voice box once again activated on his own when the detective’s full weight pressed him down to the mattress.

The sweet pressure applied on his erection distracted him from the languid strokes of Gavin’s tongue against his own. He could feel the answering hardness in the other omega’s thin boxers, but the friction was not enough. He wanted to rut against the other man; no, not wanted, needed. He needed to get more of this pleasure.

He whined when Gavin broke the kiss and briefly leaned his weight back on his knees. The detective used the extra space between them to hook his hands under Connor’s shirt. The android helped him to get rid of the garment, that was immediately discarded to the floor.

“You too,” Connor breathed, preventing Gavin’s hands from exploring his chest by catching his wrists. He wanted to see the other man as well.

Gavin complied and took off his shirt in one swift motion. Connor unconsciously bit his lips at the sight before him. Gavin had more developed muscles than omegas usually did, but he had explained to Connor one day that he worked out regularly in hope to quiet some critics from alphas. He had scarce dark hair on his torso and trailing from his navel to underneath his boxers.

From the beginning, Connor had been fascinated by – and quite attracted to, if he were being honest – Gavin’s light stubble. Male omegas usually had less body hair, and Connor found his five o’clock shadow absolutely lovely. The pinprick feeling of it against his chin when they kissed was oddly satisfying, and Connor was delighted to discover it extended on his chest as well.

He refrained from saying so, however. Gavin would probably be weirded out by his strange fixation on body hair, but it was just that… as an android, he didn’t have any – except for the hair on the top of his head, of course – and Nines didn’t either so, just like Hank’s beard, he found it so human. He knew androids who would be disgusted by it, because they didn’t like humans, but Connor found everything that made them unique and different from one another captivating – just like he was enthralled by anything that was specific to androids.

Gavin used both his hands on Connor’s shoulder to push him back against the mattress; Connor willingly submitted to his strength. The detective’s eyes trailed over his naked chest. Connor worried for a second his cold perfection created in a factory would be a turn-off for the human, but he was quickly reassured by the hunger on his face.

Gavin’s head dipped into Connor’s neck and the android moaned when he felt a tongue tasting his skin, lips sucking on it. A part of his mind mourned the fact he couldn’t get a hickey, but he enjoyed the sensations, nonetheless. Gavin’s naked chest was pressed against his, Connor’s sensitive captors were able to map out every detail of it, to soak in his heat. There was a scar on the shoulder just in front of his nose. He longed to ask about it, but pressed his mouth to it instead, then traced it with his tongue. The components of Gavin’s soap popped-up on his close eyelids.

His exploration was cut off when Gavin moved lower, tracing Connor’s chest with his mouth and hands. Connor arched into the touch. Some alert informed him his temperature was on the rise, but he pushed it aside. Gavin lingered over his thirium pump, close to the emplacement where he had been shot. There was no trace left of the wound, and Connor combed his fingers through the detective’s hair. He briefly looked up at him, the hint of something sad behind the arousal in his eyes, then smiled softly. Connor smiled back, and Gavin abandoned his chest to go lower still.

He teased at his navel with his tongue. Connor couldn’t fathom why his creators had given him one but no genitals – maybe they’d figured he would be more likely to ruin his shirt in the presence of humans than end up completely naked. Even though it didn’t do much for him, he still found the sight of Gavin leaning over him, his tongue on his skin, deeply erotic.

The detective hooked his fingers in the band of Connor’s sleeping pants.

“Is this okay?” he asked, meeting his eyes again.

Connor didn’t hesitate before answering “yes” with an eager nod.

Gavin smiled fondly, then took the pants off, his fingers grazing Connor’s legs from his hips to his ankles in the process. Connor wasn’t wearing anything underneath, and he distinctively heard Gavin’s breath get stuck in his throat when his eyes fell on Connor’s crotch. He was completely hairless here as well. His penis was smaller than what an alpha or a beta would have, but he had been assured the size was perfectly standard for an omega. Gavin didn’t seem to mind, if his elevated heartbeat was any indication.

Connor keened under his gaze. If Gavin kept making him wait like that, he would… Thankfully, the noise seemed to bring him back to reality.

“Do you want me to-”

“Yes, please,” Connor interrupted, a tad bossy, but Gavin didn’t comment on it.

Connor moaned loudly, helpless to stifle it, when Gavin’s fingers finally wrapped around his dick. The sensation was absolutely glorious. No wonder humans were so obsessed with sex if it always felt anyway near like that. He bucked involuntarily in Gavin’s grip, but the man’s weight kept him down. Connor was sure his LED was a solid gold and his blush had spread to his shoulders.

Gavin had leaned back to kneel over him, his hand going up and down Connor’s cock in teasingly languid strokes as he observed him with great interest. Connor’s stomach and thighs tensed. He needed more. He longed to push into Gavin’s fist, to find more friction…

“The hell is that?” Gavin wondered out loud, apparently focused on a bead of liquid that was leaking from Connor’s slit.

It took several seconds for Connor to form a coherent answer. In the end, he plucked something out of his database and recited it, with no effort to make it seem natural.

“Water-based lubricant made to simulate the production of seminal fluid. It’s perfectly edible.”

Something wicked shone in Gavin’s eyes.

“Edible, yeah?”

He bent down to scoop the liquid with his tongue, and Connor thought he would shut down right here and then. He made a weird noise instead, as his dick twitched.

“You okay?” Gavin asked.

“Never been better.”

Gavin licked him again, from base to tip. Connor bucked up against him, and he pressed his hands on his hips to hold him against the mattress. Connor tried to focus part of his processors on not moving, because Gavin’s human strength would never be enough to pin him down, and he didn’t want to hurt him.

It took all of his willpower not to move when the detective took him in his mouth. His eyes fell shut when that wet heat closed around him. Pleasure coiled low in his guts, shot down his thighs that were uncontrollably tensing, all the way to his curling toes. He wouldn’t last long like this. It was too much for him, and he wasn’t used to feeling things like that.

Gavin started bobbing his head up and down, taking almost all of him in. Connor hurriedly pressed his hand to his mouth when a moan – even louder than the others – escaped him. At this rate, the entire hotel would hear him.

Idly, he searched through his subroutines and discovered that a few lines of code embedded in his sexual functions allowed him to properly express pleasure in a way humans could understand. It had first been created for sex models, for them to simulate pleasure with their clients. It had probably been installed in Connor at the same time as his omega components, and just like his erection, it had activated without him noticing. He didn’t manage to turn it off and wasn’t even able to turn down the volume. It seemed that the fact his pleasure wasn’t simulated made it malfunction.

So, Connor moaned helplessly as Gavin’s mouth on him utterly ruined him. One of the detective’s hand trailed up his belly; he spread his fingers, pressing him down. The other slid between his legs to palm his balls, which had Connor arch under his touch and his legs twitch on their own accord.

Then a finger slid between his checks. Gavin briefly took his mouth away from him to say:

“God, you’re so wet down there.”

Self-lubrication. Another subroutine that had been triggered without his knowledge. That was the last coherent thought Connor had to spare. For some reason, Gavin’s words, whispered in a husky tone, pushed him closer to the edge. Then he swallowed him again, his finger teasing at his entrance.

“Gavin… I’m gonna…” Connor managed between his moans.

Gavin seemed to understand. He didn’t move away but hollowed his cheeks and sucked on him. Connor came immediately.

His back arched and a moan got stuck in his throat, as his processors were flooded by an onslaught of information. Several alerts popped-up in front of his vision, his internal temperature went up by a few degrees at once and he feared for a split second he would shut down despite what he had told Gavin. Then, the pleasure slowly ebbed down, and his artificial muscles relaxed on their own. He laid back on the bed. A sensation of relief and profound satisfaction replaced everything else. He was panting – something else he owed to that damn subroutine – but he didn’t try to turn it off again even though it was useless.

Gavin let him go and straightened up, licking his lips.

“You were right. Edible. And it doesn’t taste half as bad, compared to the human thing.”

Connor couldn’t help but giggle. His hands came up to cover his face, bright blue with his blush. Inner fans had activated to cool him down.

“Err… you okay?”

Connor curiously looked at him between his fingers, intrigued by Gavin’s sudden hesitation.

“Of course, I’m okay.” In fact, he felt completely relaxed. It seemed like his sexual subroutines also simulated the release of serotonin after an orgasm. If Connor ever found the android who had designed that, he would thank them profusely.

“Well, you’re… erm…” Gavin awkwardly gestured toward his belly.

Connor looked down at himself and discovered with a start that the skin on his stomach, right where Gavin had been holding him down a few seconds ago, had peeled back to reveal his white chassis.

“That… that wasn’t on purpose…” he blurted out, mortified.

After a few tries, he managed to turn it back on and synthetic skin reformed over the exposed part.

“No, it’s okay, you don’t have to turn it back on if you don’t want to,” Gavin reassured him, but it was already done.

“I’m sorry, it must have looked a bit… freaky.”

Gavin took his face between his hands and smiled reassuringly.

“No, I was just worried I had broken something.”

“Well, it didn’t look very human,” Connor said sheepishly.

“You’re not human, but I have no problem with that,” Gavin said firmly, before kissing him. Then, he took his hand and pressed it to his crotch. “See? It’s not even a turn-off.”

Connor giggled and kissed him again, then he pulled Gavin toward him, until the detective lied on top of him. Without breaking the kiss, Connor pushed his boxers down until Gavin wiggled out of it.

“You don’t have to,” he said, his breath warm on Connor’s face.

“But I really want to,” the android answered with a playful pout.

He hooked his legs around Gavin waist and slid a hand between them to wrap his fingers around him. Gavin groaned and his dick twitched. It felt so hot. Connor wanted to see it, but he also wanted to feel Gavin’s weight on him, so he contented himself with exploring and memorising what he felt on the tip of his fingers. He put his other hand on Gavin’s ass, encouraging him to rut against him. The detective complied.

He was better than Connor at staying mostly silent. The android held him close as he pleasured himself, bucking into Connor’s fist and pressed close against his stomach. Connor peppered his face with kisses, punctuating each one with a “come on” whispered in the air between them, urging Gavin on. He enjoyed the human’s muffled groans and the way his face contracted as he grew closer to ecstasy.

“Come on,” Connor whispered again. His fingers clenched into the soft flesh of Gavin’s ass cheek.

Gavin craned his neck to kiss his LED, which made Connor smile as something soft he couldn’t describe bloomed in his chest. He focused on Gavin’s erratic breathing right next to his ear. After several minutes, Gavin’s thrusts turned hurried and desperate, until he tensed and came on Connor’s stomach with a chocked-off groan.

Connor softly let go of him. One of his hand came up to stroke his back in a soothing gesture, while he brought the one covered in sperm to his mouth. Before he had time to think, he tasted it with the tip of his tongue, like a reflex embedded in his programming, and immediately ran some analysis.

“Are you doing what I think you’re doing?” Gavin asked as his last shivers ebbed down, and his full weight relaxed on Connor.

“You need to eat healthier,” the android answered.

Gavin started giggling, then he laughed more frankly and rolled to the side to lie next to Connor. He combed a hand through his hair, still damp from the shower.

“Do you think there is a single chance anyone didn’t hear that?”

“I highly doubt it,” Connor answered.

Gavin shook from a new fit of laughter, and Connor, still high on the happiness released by his orgasm, quickly joined him.

Nines and Hank were playing some insignificant card game in complete silence when the first moans started to filter through the wall. Nines, who had no need to keep his full attention on the game anyway, briefly focused on it. It seemed like the detective was perfectly able to take care of Connor, which brought a sense of relief to the android. As long as Connor was safely enjoying himself…

He and the Lieutenant were sitting on their respective bed and had dragged the bedside table between them to lay the cards on it. Unperturbed, Nines played his turn, then looked up when the Lieutenant did not react. The man had changed into jogging pants and a white, thin shirt that allowed Nines to see the outlines of the patches of hair on his chest. He was not looking at his own cards, but instead staring at an invisible spot on the worn-out carpet. Listening.

“Is it… coming from Reed’s and Connor’s room?”

Nines looked down at his cards.

“Yep.”

“Are they…”

“Yep.”

“Oh.”

The Lieutenant blushed furiously and brought his attention back to the cards in his hand as well. Nines picked up on his elevated heartbeat. Hank was apparently too distracted now because he still didn’t play. Never mind. He was supposedly “teaching” Nines how to play, and the android hadn’t had the heart to tell him he was able to calculate which cards the Lieutenant was most likely to hold and already had planned several ways to win, so the game wasn’t that interesting anyway.

He put his cards aside.

“Does it bother you?” he asked carefully.

Hank did not answer immediately.

“It doesn’t ‘bother’ me,” he said eventually. “It’s just that… I feel like a perv trying to imagine what’s going on in their room, but I can’t stop myself. And you?” he added after a while. “Aren’t you jealous? I mean, he’s your omega, right?”

“Well, he’s not ‘mine’ in the backward sense humans usually assign to it, but yes we are romantically involved.” He couldn’t help but say it with a level of pride in his words, which was ridiculous. Putting a word on their relationship had not technically changed it and at the same time, it had changed everything. “I’ve come to learn that Connor looking for emotional – or physical – bonding with other people does not mean he loves me less.”

“You’ve come to learn contractions as well,” Hank commented. “Congratulations.”

Nines raised one eyebrow but took it as the harmless tease that it was. The man was more relaxed around androids now.

“The more I interact with humans, the more I pick up their mannerism. Unfortunately.”

Hank smiled lightly.

“Still. Isn’t it… different?” he continued. “Usually, romantic relationships are exclusive. I don’t know if what Connor and Reed have is going toward romantic, but isn’t it weird to know that your boyfriend has a relationship with someone else?”

“Just like you said: ‘usually.’ There are no rules here. I think it would be better for us to determine what makes us happy without worrying about what is ‘usually’ more accepted.” Nines answered. “I guess it’s the kind of thing we will have to discuss at length. I wouldn’t mind Connor and Gavin having a relationship and spending time together while Connor and I still have our own relationship. I’m not going to lie, though, I wish I could be with them.”

He turned his head to wistfully stare at the wall between their rooms. Just like Hank, he could not help but try to imagine what was going on on the other side of that wall. Once again, several pre-constructions were building in his mind without his permission. Most of them included himself – but not all of those included him actually participating.

He didn’t know what to make of it: after all it was the first time he heard his partner having sex. There was some part of him that was just plain curious about what exactly they were doing. Another part of him couldn’t help but register it as a moment of vulnerability and wanted to make sure the two omegas were safe. The rest of him simply wanted to spend time with two persons he liked. Even still, he doubted he experienced desire the same way most people did. His pre-constructions weren’t displeasing, but they didn’t make him yearn. And he certainly was not uncomfortable in his pants, like Hank seemed to be.

“Connor and I decided against it for tonight, however,” he spoke again. “Even though I have the feeling Gavin doesn’t dislike me as much as he does other alphas, I doubt he would be comfortable enough to take that step yet.”

Hank snorted.

“Yeah, I don’t see Reed warming up to alphas any time soon. He distrusts us more than the suspects he interrogates.”

Nines couldn’t help but take Gavin’s defence.

“Don’t you think it’s justified, most of the time?”

“I never said he doesn’t have good reasons. I’ve known him longer than you, I’ve seen him interact with other cops for years. This job? It’s like it turns alphas into complete assholes. It’s traditionally viewed as a job where you have to be strong and violent because on TV cops spend their time running after bad guys and fighting. So, there’s this sort of peer pressure where you have to prove to everyone else that you’re part of the gang, that you’re the most alpha of all the alphas and that you’re perfectly suited for this. And Reed? Well, he disturbs this natural order of things. If an omega can do the same things they do with no apparent struggle, then simply doing it doesn’t make them feel as manly as before. They feel threatened, so they try to drag him down. I think how Reed acts is necessary sometimes, or he would get eaten alive.”

Nines pondered over that for a few seconds.

“The way you talk makes it sound like you disapprove their behaviour.”

“I’m not gonna lie, I’m not perfect. I was just like that when I was fresh out of the academy. If there had been an omega working at my precinct when I was in my twenties, I would probably have said things I would be ashamed of today. Luckily, I grew out of it. Reed is a good cop, and he would probably be even better if he didn’t have to waste so much time proving himself over and over again to his co-workers.”

Nines relaxed knowing he didn’t have to lump Hank in with the other alphas who exhausted Gavin with their constant snide remarks.

A moan louder than the others sounded through the wall, and Hank’s blush came back full force. He was on his feet in an instant.

“I think it would be better if we went to sleep early.” He cleared his throat. “We have a busy day ahead of us.”

Nines watched absently as Hank busied himself putting all of his stuff back into his go-bag and clearing their abandoned card game. Would he dare to ask? Oh well, they would have to talk about it at one point or another.

“What about you?” When Hank turned to look at him, he continued with a nod toward the wall: “Are you jealous? If you were to start a relationship with Connor, would you be okay with what he has with me and what he has with Gavin?”

Hank made a weird noise, like he was choking on thin air, then shook his head with a smile.

“What are you talking about? Connor and me? As if I would ever be in a position to make this choice.”

“You could be. Sooner than you think. Connor has already made clear that he finds you attractive and that he wants to see if this compatibility CyberLife has given us is accurate or not. If he comes to you next, will the prospect of a polyamorous relationship hold you back?”

Hank turned his back on him, his shoulders suddenly tense. He zipped his bag close and threw it on the ground, harsher than necessary.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. Connor won’t come and ask me.”

“Do not play the idiot. Connor has been nothing but honest with you and don’t try to deny you’re attracted to him.”

“Drop it, Nines.”

“What, you’re not into dating androids yet?” Nines spat, a bit louder than he intended.

Hank spun on his heels to face him again, mouth open and eyes bright with anger, ready to say something. But he didn’t.

He hesitated, then, with a long sigh, he sat down on his bed. He seemed to deflate completely, as if the weight of the world were pressing down on him. He put his face in his hands. Nines waited as the tension ebbed down.

Eventually, Hank looked up to him again with a sad smile.

“Could you imagine it? Connor, the picture of perfection, with an old man like me, worn out by life?”

Nines relaxed, recognised the Lieutenant was making an effort to show vulnerability instead of hiding behind aggressivity and try not to punish him for it.

“Connor can,” he said.

“I really wonder what he sees in me.”

Nines did not answer immediately, because… well, because he could understand Connor now. It had taken him completely by surprise, it had wormed its way inside of him, and now it was just… there.

That night when he had repaired Connor at Hank’s place, Nines had been beside himself. Too worked up, too anxious, with no idea if he wanted to cry, to scream, or to fight. When he hadn’t been strong enough for Connor, Hank had. He had put his hand on Nines’ shoulder, offered words of comfort, and suddenly Nines had seen someone completely different from the man with backward thinking he was becoming wary off.

When Nines had lost it with the three androids, Hank had remained coolheaded and determined. When Nines had been clueless, Hank had known to hug Connor close, he had found the words to say. And Nines had felt respect and admiration. An admiration that wasn’t going away.

Nines had seen a strong man, calm and caring; he had seen who Hank could be, when he didn’t try to push others away, but instead gave love. He had seen a man that maybe, he could trust to take care of things when Nines couldn’t, a man who wouldn’t hurt Connor and who Nines could be vulnerable around.

He wanted more of that man. For Connor, and for himself.

“I think I have an idea of what might draw him to you,” he said honestly.

Hank looked at him with deep surprise. Nines didn’t provide any more information.

“Since you’ve already seen it, there’s no point in hiding it,” Hank said. Nines could see how much he was struggling against himself to force the words out. “Yes, I would want… something with Connor. More than I thought I would ever want anything, which is already… scary. But after my divorce, after those four years of… absolute hell, would I still know how to do this? I would say there is half of me who wants this and half of me who’s terrified, and that just makes me feel completely lost. If Connor were to ask, I don’t know if I would allow myself to let go.”

Nines took his time to search for words as Hank stared at his own hands, nervously clasped on his lap.

“I recognise I can’t understand your feelings, but I can still respect their existence and whatever your choice will be, we will respect it. But Connor and I have no experience, and we are going in this blind as well. We are going to make mistakes too. So, if you need anything, time to think or someone to talk to, you can ask. You don’t have to be alone anymore. Even if you don’t want us in a romantic manner, we can still be friends.”

Hank smiled at him softly. He still looked sad, and Nines regretted he couldn’t do more. He hesitated, then added:

“Have you ever considered going to a psychologist?”

He saw the instinctive defensiveness on Hank’s face, but the Lieutenant pushed it down quickly.

“I did, just after… my son. But I stopped going cause I wasn’t ready to let someone poke at my feelings. Maybe I should consider it again, shouldn’t I?”

“I can’t make the decision for you. I’m just saying it is a possibility.”

Hank nodded slowly. He looked at the floor, seemed like he was about to get on his feet and call it a night, but changed his mind. He looked at Nines, eyes squinted.

“You said ‘we’. As in not just Connor.”

Nines cocked his head, replaying his own words.

“I guess I did.”

Hank frowned.

“Seriously? You and Connor, sure. You and Reed, I could see it. But… you and me?”

Nines hesitated a long time, feeling… yes, it was most likely embarrassment. Then, all he could provide was an unhelpful shrug. Hank blushed.

“Really?”

“I don’t know, I could see it happening. It doesn’t have to be romantic if you don’t want to, but we should probably try to be friends, even just for Connor’s sake. And I…” Was he blushing too? He couldn’t tell. “If you help me make Connor happy, I could see having you as a partner. In life, I mean. Someone I could turn to.”

Nines always considered he had to protect Connor no matter what. He recognised it was irrational: Connor deserved his support, yes, but he wasn’t completely helpless either. He did that in every aspect of their lives – and with other people as well –: when they were working with Markus, when they were at the precinct… Nines felt like he had to take all the responsibilities, do the hardest or most dangerous part of the work, to ensure others did not have to take those risks.

With Hank though, he felt like he could share the mantel. Maybe his alpha side had more of an influence on himself he would care to admit, and as he recognised Hank as an equal, he wanted to keep him close, so they could both be stronger, side by side.

“As I said, it doesn’t have to be romantic. It could turn to that with time, or maybe never.”

“I’ve never dated an alpha,” Hank admitted. “Let alone an android. I don’t think I’ve ever considered an alpha as a potential romantic partner.”

“Things change. People too. You’re not too old to change, Hank, despite what you seem to think.”

Hank chuckled.

“Well, thanks. I wouldn’t know how to do this with an android. I mean, does it even do anything for you?”

Nines raised an eyebrow.

“What? Love or sex? Because by the sound of it, Connor seems to be doing just fine.”

Hank laughed quietly, shaking his head.

“Yeah, it probably was a stupid question. I’m sorry. I’m trying, I promise.”

Nines allowed himself to smile. “I know,” he said, reassuring.

They stayed silent for a while. Connor and Gavin had gone quiet too.

“Seems like I’ll have a lot of things to think about,” Hank said. He got to his feet and walked to the small bathroom. He hesitated. “Hey, Nines,” he said above his shoulder. “Thanks for the talk.”

Nines smiled again.

“And thank you for your honesty.”

Hank smiled back and disappeared into the bathroom.

Chapter Text

In the morning, Gavin was smoking a cigarette outside when Anderson exited his room. Gavin tensed, waited for a comment… Anderson greeted him with a “Good morning” and a nod, then he walked past him toward the small restaurant that also served breakfast. Gavin relaxed.

After the two humans had eaten, they drove the rest of the way. This time, Nines sat next to Anderson, and Gavin dozed off to the sound of the alphas’ quiet conversation. They reached their destination around noon. Anderson stopped his car at a respectful distance, so they could observe the house without being seen.

Gavin let out a low whistle.

“Nice place.”

The house sat one hour away from the nearest town, isolated in the middle of the wood. It had two upper floors and way too many windows revealing almost every single room, which probably explained why they didn’t want any neighbours. Gavin could imagine an arrogant architect arguing about “unique lighting” and “bringing down the barrier between the inside and the outside” to a couple rich enough to pay for those kinds of whims.

A black SUV was parked in the alley leading to the garage. At least one person was home – they hadn’t called ahead, so they wouldn’t have time to destroy evidence if there were any.

Nines got out first.

“Reed and I need to er… go park the car,” Anderson declared out of the blue.

Gavin froze with his hand on the handle.

“We do?” he asked, frowning.

“Yep.”

Connor seemed surprised when he met Gavin’s eyes, but he exited the vehicle without a word. Nines gave an understanding nod.

“We will wait for you,” he said.

He slammed the passenger door shut. Traitor. He acted like he knew what Anderson was planning.

Anderson made a U turn and drove back toward town for a few minutes until he found a clearing in the trees to the side of the road, wide enough for his car. Gavin looked back while he parked it and killed the engine. He could still see Connor and Nines waiting at the end of the road and the roof of the house jutting among the trees.

“Seriously, Anderson?”

He shifted to sit properly again. Anderson glanced at him through the rear-view mirror.

“I know, it’s ridiculous, but we need to talk.”

“In the middle of a case?”

“Forget the case for five minutes.”

Gavin squirmed in his seat, already embarrassed about the conversation he didn’t want to have. The embarrassment didn’t last in front of his anger, though. The Lieutenant had dragged him away from the others in the middle of a fucking case to get on his back for what he and Connor had done? It was unprofessional, even for Anderson.

“So,” Anderson started calmly, looking straight ahead through the windshield. “I had a talk with Nines. Maybe you already know, but it looks like those two are still interested in the whole CyberLife issued compatibility, polyamorous relationship thingy.”

Gavin blinked.

“What?”

The alpha cleared his throat, apparently more embarrassed than him.

“Well, you know. CyberLife said we were all compatible and shit,” he said, as if Gavin hadn’t been there. “And that according to them, it means that if we were to all enter a relationship, or to have some of us have a relationship while the others… stay friends, those relationships would have a good chance of working.”

Gavin listened as Anderson stumbled over his words and forced a barely coherent sentence out. He blushed, unable to control it. Talking about that with Hank fucking Anderson wasn’t how he thought this conversation would go.

“So, you don’t want to scream at me for having sex with a co-worker in the middle of a case?” he asked, a bit provoking. Maybe if he reminded it to Anderson, he would start screaming at him, and then they would be back to their usual way of communication, which would allow Gavin to relax.

“What? No.” Anderson paused. “When you put it like that, I should probably take it to Fowler,” he mumbled, as if for himself. “Oh well, I’ve never been the best with discipline.”

Gavin unbuckled his seat belt and scooted to the side to be able to see Anderson’s face between the two front seats.

“Then what is this all about?”

Anderson turned his head to meet his eyes.

“Well, obviously Connor wants a relationship with you, and Nines told me he does too – which I don’t think will come as a surprise to you.” It didn’t. Nines had been pretty clear since that very first night. “If by some miracle Connor still wants me even after all the shitty things I said, how are we going to go about this? I take Connor out on Saturday while you go with Nines, then we meet up afterwards, throw each other a few insults, then switch? We’re not going to date them separately, while maintaining this… hatred between us, are we?”

“’Date them?’ What are you talking about? You’re seriously considering it now?”

Anderson remained perfectly serious.

“Yes.”

Gavin scoffed, feeling anger bloom in his chest.

“You felt bad one day and it was enough to make you do a complete 180 on your stance?”

“Reed, please, this is serious. We need to do better. Both of us. For Connor and Nines. They went through enough, with the revolution, with this case, with… well, with me. This thing we have, it needs to be good for them, it needs to be something that brings them joy, not one more worry to add to the pile. I have no fucking idea why, but for some reason, they decided to give me a second chance, and I don’t want to mess it up. They deserve it. So, we need to talk this through. I know you hate me, and you would never date me cause I’m old and fucked up-”

“Damn right.”

“But I’m sure you want Connor to be happy, and maybe Nines too, and for that we both need to-”

“Oh, shut up Anderson,” Gavin interrupted again. “You don’t get to do this. You don’t get to be a dick for four years, and then change your mind and tell other people what they should or shouldn’t do, as if one day of acting like a decent person suddenly gave you the moral high ground.”

Anderson recoiled at that, visibly hurt, but he remained calm, infuriatingly calm.

“I guess you’re right. But I’m not saying you have to do what I say, I’m just suggesting that you and I could try to smooth things over. For Connor and for Nines.”

“I’m not dating Nines.”

“I know, but he likes you and maybe later…”

“I don’t date alphas,” Gavin said each word firmly.

Anderson frowned.

“Come on, Nines is not like those guys at the precinct.”

“I don’t date alphas!” Gavin snapped. “Not Nines. Not you. Not anyone.”

Some part of him wanted to take back those words. He had started considering it, Nines and him. Vaguely, at the back of his mind, not daring to let those thoughts fully form.

But right now, he felt an irrational anger burning in him. It had been so easy to let go with Connor, to tell himself he would make the decision later. But now Anderson was being all nice, he was making efforts and he wanted to talk about it, and suddenly that thing, with the four of them, was right in front of him, well within reach. He could have it if he wanted to. And it terrified him.

“I worked too hard to get where I am right now, to earn the position that I have. You have no idea how much I sacrificed for it, how hard I fucking struggled. I’m not going to give it up, because suddenly I’ll be smelling like Nines, and I’ll be nice to you, and everyone will talk about how I’m being fucked by not one, but two alphas, how I’m just an omega whore, and nobody will take me seriously ever again! I will not give it up.”

A heavy silence fell on the car after Gavin’s sudden outburst. He wouldn’t have been surprised Connor and Nines had heard it. Gavin breathed hard, flushed with anger, not taking his eyes away from Anderson. Refusing to look down. ‘Come on. Get angry at me. Come on, prove to me things can’t change. You can’t change.’

“You’re a good cop, Reed,” Anderson said, breaking the silence. “Nothing can take that away from you.”

Gavin’s anger evaporated. He leaned back in his seat, suddenly feeling like he wanted to cry and not knowing why. Who the fuck was that man? That was not Anderson. Was that who he was when he wasn’t drunk out of his ass? Who he used to be before his son passed away?

Even though there was no reason for it, even though he didn’t want it to, he felt warmth bloom in his chest at Anderson’s words. He didn’t need someone’s validation, and certainly not Anderson’s, and yet… it felt nice to hear someone confirm his efforts had paid off.

Gavin took a few minutes to calm down, and Anderson waited in silence.

“You’re really serious with this?” he asked finally, looking down on his hands. “You really think your resolution is gonna hold?”

The lieutenant let out a long sigh.

“I don’t know. I won’t know until I try. I’m always gonna think of Cole, of course, and I’ll still have bad days, but I’m done looking for someone to blame. Did you know a human was supposed to do the intervention?” he said, meeting Gavin’s eyes through the rear-view mirror with a sad smile. “But he was high on Red Ice. It wasn’t even an android’s fault. I don’t want to be alone anymore, and for some reason I can’t fathom, it seems Connor and Nines are ready to give that to me. You better believe I’m going to try my hardest not to fuck it up.”

Jesus… Gavin couldn’t believe they were having this conversation. Couldn’t believe Anderson hadn’t tried to hit him yet. He couldn’t find it in himself to be angry at him when the man was trying so hard to stay calm and to reach out to him. He had promise to Connor he would make an effort with Anderson, after all. So, the question he asked was probably insolent, but at least he said it with an even tone.

“And this… sharing thing, do you think it would be sustainable? Aren’t you afraid jealousy will end up getting in the mix? Granted, you heard Connor and me last night, and you didn’t barge in the room to stop us, but you’re still an alpha, Anderson. Do you think you’d be okay with not having Connor all for yourself? With letting him spend a good amount of time with another alpha? Do you think Nines would be okay with that?”

“I’d like to think we’re defined by more than our secondary gender. Yeah, I’m an alpha, but that doesn’t control me. Nines makes Connor happy, I wouldn’t stand between them. Connor is his own person, he will never be ‘mine’ and that’s okay. And Nines doesn’t seem to have a problem with jealousy.”

“That because Connor and I are both omegas. He won’t perceive me as a threat.”

“Come on, you know Nines doesn’t think like that. Not every alpha thinks like that, me included.”

Gavin bit his lips. Yeah, he was probably being unfair. Nines hadn’t given him a reason to distrust him yet, but he still couldn’t help but anticipate the worst. It was like everything he had experienced so far had rewired his brain and changed his perception of the world.

“Do you even see me as an omega?” he asked, partially skeptical, partially genuinely curious.

Anderson didn’t answer immediately.

“Not really,” he said eventually.

Gavin smiled softly.

“It’s okay. I don’t blame you for that. I spent the entirety of my adult life so far trying to make people forget I’m an omega.”

They stayed silent for a while. Gavin could feel Anderson observing him, but he kept his head down.

“Reed?” He briefly looked up to meet his eyes. “Fuck what other people will say.”

His lips twitched at that and he almost smiled.

“That’s easy to say when it’s not your career that will be impacted.”

He saw compassion in Anderson’s eyes. Usually, he didn’t like people pitying him because it gave him the impression they saw him as weak. He didn’t believe Anderson thought him weak though, so his sympathy made him feel warm again.

“You’re right,” the lieutenant acknowledged. “I’ll probably never understand what you’re going through, but you’ve never let other people’s opinion stop you before.”

Gavin felt himself nodding. His emotions were a whirlwind in his stomach, and he didn’t feel like he could put words on them yet, so he changed the subject.

“So what? We’re friends now?”

“We could try. Nothing has to change at the precinct if you don’t want to, but I guess not insulting each other would be a good start.”

After a while, Gavin forced himself to nod again.

“Alright, but only because Connor asked me. Don’t go around believing I’m doing anything for your pretty eyes.”

He readied himself to exist the car before Anderson could think of any new embarrassing subject he wanted to “have a talk” about, but he wasn’t fast enough.

“Hey, Reed?”

“What?”

“Think about it… please.”

About what? A polyamorous relationship with Connor and Nines, and… Anderson? He sighed.

“Yeah. I will.”

Anderson nodded, and Gavin was finally able to leave the car.

Connor gave him a smile, hesitant and a bit questioning, when they joined the two androids. He probably thought their talk had gone wrong. Gavin smiled back in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. It had gone weird, but he didn’t think it had gone wrong, not entirely. Nobody commented on the time it had taken them to “park the car” and they walked together toward the house.

Anderson, ever the alpha despite what he said, took the lead and firmly knocked on the door. They waited a few seconds, the wind in the trees and birds singing the only sounds around them. Gavin stayed a bit behind, still mulling over the conversation in the car. He completely forgot it however, when the door opened.

It was Vincent. The latest disappearance. The partner of the first two androids they had interrogated.

Gavin recognised him immediately thanks to all that time he had spent reviewing the case files. He had studied his pictures for longer than he would care to admit. The young man with dark skin and short hair stared at them while the four of them gawked wordlessly. He had no LED and apparently no idea of what was happening. Gavin was close enough to Connor that he felt him tense in surprise.

“Vincent?” Anderson finally asked.

“I’m sorry, it seems that you have the wrong house,” the android answered calmly. “There is no Vincent here.”

Gavin and Connor exchanged a look. Gavin saw that while he himself was mostly confused, Connor’s jaw had tightened and there was a flash of anger in his eyes.

“Who is it?” a voice asked, and soon a white, middle-aged beta woman appeared behind Vincent.

“I don’t know,” the android answered. “They didn’t say.”

The woman went to stand beside him, visibly exasperated. Anderson showed her his badge.

“Mrs. Miller, I presume? Detroit Police, we have a few questions to ask you.”

The woman was taken aback. She quickly reigned her emotions in, but Gavin had time to identify clear panic on her face. She wasn’t a good liar. She had done something wrong, and she knew it.

“My husband is at work,” she said gingerly.

“That’s okay, ma’am. We believe you might have information concerning a case we’re working on. Can we come in?” Anderson took only one step forward, careful to stay well behind the threshold. Even though he wasn’t invading her home, he still towered over both the beta woman and the android. She seemed to shrink in front of his hulking frame.

Sometimes, it was useful to have an alpha around. Mrs. Miller yielded more easily than she would have in front of Gavin and unconsciously lowered her head.

“Alright, but just a few minutes.”

She turned on her heels as the android opened the door wider for them.

Anderson gripped Nines before he could step in. He leaned closer to him in order to speak in a whisper – Gavin and Connor, right behind them, were close enough to hear.

“Is it a different model?” he asked.

Nines met the lieutenant’s eyes, face tight.

“No. His serial number matches Vincent’s.”

Gavin’s stomach sank. He was afraid to understand what was going on.

They stepped inside the house. The clean interior matched the exterior. It didn’t look like a place that was lived in, more like a picture in a magazine. Art pieces were the only objects cluttering the hall and the living room. Everything looked pristine, like someone did little else but chores around the house all day.

Once she’d led them to the living room, Mrs. Miller turned toward them.

“Coffee? Tea, perhaps?” she asked in a voice colder than the colour of her walls.

“A glass of water,” Anderson answered.

The android left without a word, presumably in the direction of the kitchen. The four of them stared at his retreating back.

The woman gestured toward a sleek, black couch. Anderson stared her down, doing nothing to hide his hostility and suspicion, and sat down slowly. Gavin had seen him with victims and witnesses, had seen how he softened his voice and his mannerism in an obvious attempt to put them at ease. At this instant, he was making no effort to look less threatening, and some part of Gavin felt morbid satisfaction when the beta woman squirmed and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Gavin sat too. Uncharacteristically, Connor didn’t wander around the room to satisfy his never-ending curiosity. He didn’t seem as… fidgety as usual either. He sat right next to Gavin, his body language unnervingly stiff, tight fists on his lap. Nines remained standing. His head turned slightly as his eyes scanned the room, no doubt recording everything, looking for any clue. Mrs. Miller stayed on the other side of the room, which left a coffee table between her and them.

“What can I do for you?” she asked nervously.

Anderson let the silence stretch. Gavin kept his mouth shut. He could trust the lieutenant to know what he was doing and if he wanted to play with this woman’s nerves, he was all for it.

“We’re working on a case concerning the disappearance of multiple androids in Detroit and the surrounding areas,” the alpha eventually explained. “During our investigation, we came across your address.”

“It must be a mistake. I have nothing to do with this.”

Even without an alpha’s nose, Gavin could smell her anxiety from across the room.

Anderson chose not to answer her.

“This house is registered to you and your husband’s name, so I hope you won’t mind me asking who this young man is?” Just as he said that Vincent entered the room with two glasses of water on a tray. He placed them in front of the two humans – he didn’t even spare a glance toward Connor and Nines. He was wearing a blindingly white shirt.

Gavin felt nauseous. This was so wrong.

“His name is Clark. He’s a family friend,” the woman answered. “He decided he wanted a new life, but he had nowhere to go, so we offered him to stay here for as long as he wanted.”

It sounded rehearsed.

“Clark” stood still next to the couch, his tray tucked under his arm. Connor looked up at him.

“Do you remember Ashley and Adam, Vincent?” he asked softly.

“My name is not Vincent,” he answered calmly.

“But do you remember them? You worked at the same place before the revolution and you decided to move in together. Adam is passionate about music, there are records all over your flat.”

The android seemed perturbed at that. He blinked several times like androids usually did when their processors were working hard.

“I…” For a second, it was like a single emotion slipped into his voice.

“Don’t you miss them?” Connor insisted.

“I live here now,” he said eventually. “The Millers kindly offered me a place to live when I had nowhere to go. They’re dear friends of mine.”

That, too, sounded like something that had been rehearsed. Something he’d been ordered to say.

Connor fist tightened, and Gavin nearly took it between his hands but refrained at the last moment.

“I should fucking arrest you,” Anderson deadpanned with a growl in his throat.

A shiver ran down Gavin’s spine. God, was he glad to not be the target of his anger for once.

“On what charges?” Mrs. Miller asked, indignant.

“This man has been reported missing by his loved ones,” Nines declared. “What is he doing at your house?”

“I just told you. I don’t know what Clark was doing before he came to live with us. Are you insinuating we kidnapped him? He came here on his own accord, and we’re not retaining him against his will. Tell them, Clark.”

“I’m free to go whenever I want. Nobody forced me to come live with the Miller,” the android declared.

Gavin felt like he wanted to scream.

“Oh, and you gave him a new name, like a pet?” he spat instead.

“Maybe Clark simply didn’t like his old name anymore. Maybe he didn’t want to be found by his old friends. It’s not illegal for someone to decide they want to start a new life without telling anyone. Perhaps he had an argument with his flatmates, I didn’t ask him.”

Nines moved suddenly. He turned his back on the woman and strode toward the android to stand right in front of him.

“Come with us, Vincent,” he offered in a soft voice, trying not to scare the other one. “We will protect you. Whatever they threatened you with, they won’t be able to reach you if you place yourself under our care. You will be able to see Adam and Ashley again. They miss you a lot.”

“This is ridiculous,” the woman mumbled, but she waited anxiously for “Clark’s” reaction.

The android didn’t answer immediately.

“I… left on my own,” he eventually repeated. “No one forced me to come live with the Millers, and I want to stay there.”

The beta relaxed.

“If you have no warrant, I will have to ask you to leave. We answered your questions, and you have no reason to harass us like this.”

“Cut the crap,” Anderson snapped. He got to his feet in a menacing posture. “Just tell us who you are working with.”

Gavin got up almost on instinct and placed a hand on the lieutenant’s arm. He was stronger than most people actually expected, and he was actually confident in his chances to hold Hank back if necessary.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” the woman said. To her credit, she held her ground. “I don’t know anything about androids disappearing. Clark obviously isn’t one of them. It isn’t illegal for someone to move out without telling anyone. As you can see, he can move freely around the house, and he could leave if he wanted to. He just told you he doesn’t. So now, I’m asking you to leave my house.”

“Vincent, please,” Nines insisted, still standing in front of the android.

“Clark, see them out,” Mrs. Miller ordered, not realising she’d treated her “friend” like the domestic he so obviously was.

He took a few steps toward the door, then turned around to look at them expectantly. Anderson and Gavin exchanged a long look, debating on what to do. Eventually, Connor took the decision for them. He got to his feet and walked out of the living room without a glance toward Mrs. Miller. Gavin met Nines’ eyes and he nodded. Reluctantly, they all retreated to the entry way. Vincent opened the door for them.

Gavin hesitated on the threshold, his eyes on the android’s blank face. He didn’t find anything to say, so he followed Connor who exited first. The door closed behind them. Gavin could see, thanks to a small shift in the curtains of a window overlooking the road, that Mrs. Miller was making sure they were leaving. His heart heavy, he walked away from the house.

Ahead, Connor was marching back toward the car.

“Connor,” Nines called, then he quickened his pace to catch up with him when the omega didn’t turn around.

He gripped his arm. Connor spun on his heels, obvious distress on his face. His LED was blinking between gold and red.

“That’s what they’re doing, whoever they are,” he said, pointing a finger toward the house. “They capture androids, they reboot them, and they sell them to rich people who still want to own slaves.”

Gavin and Anderson stayed silent as they joined them in the middle of the empty road. They had all reached the same conclusion. Vincent didn’t seem to have any memory left of his life. The Millers probably used him to clean around the house and cook for them. The android had been instructed to say he stayed with them on his own volition if someone ever asked him, and the poor man, his personality destroyed and his past robbed from him, had no choice but to obey.

Gavin doubted the Millers were responsible for the abductions, however. They most likely had bought the android for a price way above the value he cost before the revolution. Gavin wouldn’t be surprised to learn more people than he would think were ready to take the risk of being discovered to keep a soulless slave unable to say no to them.

The motive wasn’t anti-android hatred in the end, not entirely. It was money. The abductors had sold all of their victims.

“Is there anything we can do?” Connor asked, his rage melting to be replaced by pain and fear.

Anderson sighed, looking as exhausted and disgusted as Gavin felt, and rubbed his face with his hand.

“We can’t force Vincent to come with us if he doesn’t want to. We can’t arrest anyone without evidence to back us up, and I doubt the Millers would know anything of value about the organisation they bought Vincent from anyway.”

Gavin looked over his shoulder. They’d walked far enough from the house that they were hidden from view by the trees.

“We need to get a warrant,” he said. “If we explain to the judge that we can’t approach this case like we would one concerning humans, that without his memories Vincent is as good a prisoner as if he were in chains, they might understand.”

“It will take us days,” Connor protested.

“We’ll do it anyway,” Nines said. “In the meantime, our best chance is to focus on the case and find the persons responsible for this and dismantle their organisation, so they cannot hurt anyone else. It will take time, but we will get them.”

Connor nervously pulled at his hair, his face distorted by anxiety like he was about to cry. Gavin’s heart clenched. Anderson got closer. Nines was still holding one of the omega’s arm, so the lieutenant rubbed the other one in a reassuring gesture. Connor looked up at him, looking so lost, then he buried his face in the lieutenant’s chest.

The alpha appeared briefly surprised, but soon closed his arms around Connor, while Nines kept stroking his partner’s shoulders. Gavin saw pain on the alpha android’s face as well, the feeling of someone not knowing what to do to help someone they loved.

“It’s my worst nightmare,” Connor whimpered against Anderson’s shirt. “If my memories were taken away from me, I would become him again. The deviant hunter. I’d be a monster again.”

“That’s not gonna happen,” the lieutenant answered firmly. “We’re the one hunting them. Not the other way around.”

Gavin got closer to lay a hand on Connor’s back, too. He didn’t know if it was helping, but he needed to feel the man.

“We need to drive back to Detroit,” Nines eventually said. “We can’t waste time.”

They all nodded.

Chapter Text

The next day, Hank was back at home.

He had let Nines drive all the way back. Reed had sat next to him, leaving the back seat to Connor and Hank. Connor had clung to him for most of the way, his face buried in Hank’s neck. He hated it when someone else drove for him, but Nines had told him with a straight face his smell helped Connor calm down – which had made the android blush a pretty blue and elbow his partner. Unable to say no to the cute omega, he had relented.

This time, with Nines able to drive without ever tiring, they’d stopped only to get gas. Hank had dozed off in the car, which he regretted as his entire body now felt sore. They’d reached Detroit around noon. They’d gone to the precinct to explain the situation to Fowler and tell him they needed a warrant, then they’d tried to review everything they had. With the two androids still emotionally worked up and the humans exhausted and famished, it hadn’t been productive, and they’d decided to call it a day.

Hank had gone home to a delighted Sumo – who had been begrudgingly taken care of by a neighbour – then he’d forced himself to eat something before taking a nap. He’d woken up later than he had intended to, the light of the setting sun spilling in through the window.

He felt even more tired and disoriented, but he wouldn’t fall back asleep even if he wanted to. So, there he sat in front of his computer, once again going over every detail of the case. Getting a warrant would take days, and they couldn’t simply wait for it. They needed to find another angle, except Hank couldn’t wrap his head around it from the little information they had.

They could pull out the Millers recent bank transactions to see if they had transferred a large amount of money to a shady organisation, but they would need the warrant for that, and he doubted they would even find anything. If the culprits were intelligent enough, they’d have covered their trail. They couldn’t get anything more out of the damaged android they’d caught, and they still had no news from the search for the van.

Hank could at least see one good side to this: they now knew the abductors didn’t kill their victims. If they managed to find the perpetrators, Nines was confident they would have records of all the androids they had sold, who had bought them and for how much. It would probably be hidden and encoded, but if they got their hands on it, they would find all the missing persons and be able to bring them home.

They would all be amnesic, but they had been deviant. There was a good chance most of them would have managed to save at least part of their memories and taking them back to their family might trigger a full recovery. But they needed to get their men first.

Hank almost jumped to his feet at the sound of his doorbell. He crossed his living room as Sumo barked once or twice and opened his door, expecting to find Connor and Nines. It was Gavin Reed.

He looked hesitant, like he couldn’t believe he was here either. He smelled of the cigarette he had just smoked and of his cheap deodorant he must have generously sprayed on himself before heading over to Hank’s.

“I wanted to talk to you,” he said, averting his eyes. “Not about the case.”

Hank let him in without a word.

Sumo observed the new guest with curiosity. He had always been shit as a guard dog, his heart too big to make him aggressive in the slightest. Gavin looked back at him – Hank doubted the detective ever knew what kind of dog he had.

“Beer?” Hank asked.

“Yeah, alright.”

It was awkward to have Gavin Reed in his kitchen. Since they were working a case together, they had talked more in the last few weeks than during the four previous years, but it still didn’t make them close, especially considering they had deliberately avoided talking about anything personal. However, he doubted Reed would have bothered coming all the way to his place to tell him to fuck off.

They ended up on Hank’s couch, with a decent space left between them, because it would be easier to talk if they didn’t have to look at each other. Hank waited silently as Gavin took a swig from his beer.

“I want to make an effort,” Reed began eventually. “I would like this to work, because I really really like Connor, and… well, I’d have to be blind to not see how attractive Nines is. But I’m scared.”

Hank could tell how hard it was for him to admit that.

“Why?” he asked softly.

Reed’s hand tightened around his beer, his knuckles going white as he stared down the bottle.

“Being with Connor, that’s fine, but I’ve never been with an alpha. I never wanted to. I’m worried he would want me to take on a more… classical omega behaviour. In bed and in our private life in general. That he would want me to be more submissive…”

“I highly doubt Nines would ever force you to do something you’re not comfortable with,” Hank intervened.

Gavin briefly glanced at him and fidgeted. He was slightly blushing.

“That’s not the problem. If that were to come up, I doubt I would be against it. I think I would actually want it too, but after all those years there is a part of me that has come to associate being perceived as a gender conforming omega with being perceived as weak. I know it’s wrong, and I know I shouldn’t think like that, but I can’t help myself.”

“I don’t know if you can blame yourself when this shitty job basically conditioned you – all of us – to think like that,” Hank said. He hesitated, but then decided they both needed to be brave. Comforting Gavin Reed of all people didn’t come naturally to him, but he could learn. “For what it’s worth, I’ve never perceived you as weak. As a pain in the ass, yeah, but not weak.” Gavin snorted at that. “Connor doesn’t do much to hide his gender, and Nines doesn’t treat him as some helpless child,” he added.

“Yeah, but Connor is some sort of super android with the strength to lift a car, so there’s that.”

Hank took a sip of his beer. “Yeah,” he mumbled into his bottle.

Reed leaned back against the couch and let out a long sigh.

“It’s unfair on Nines, but I have trouble trusting people. When I imagine letting myself be vulnerable with him – or with any alpha, really – I can’t help but imagine what would happen if he used that against me. If the next day, he went to the precinct and told everyone about that part of me I let him see and used it to make fun of me.”

“Nines wouldn’t do that. He’s not like that.” Hank resisted the urge to add “me neither”. They weren’t there yet.

“That’s the problem with trust, Anderson,” Reed said, chin up to stare at the ceiling. “You have to believe the person won’t betray you, but if they chose to do it there is nothing you could do to prevent them. I’ve never taken that risk before, and I don’t know if I’m ready to try. With Connor, it’s just… easier.”

Hank thought he could read guilt on his face.

“Because he’s an omega,” he guessed. “And if people ever learn you’re dating him…

“It will just play into everything I do to try and act like I’m part of the alpha gang,” Reed completed. He put a hand over his eyes. “God, it makes it seem like I’m such an asshole. I swear I’m not using Connor.”

“It’s okay. I know.”

Reed emptied half of his bottle in one go. Hank gave him a minute. This conversation was hard for both of them, and the simple fact they were having it spoke volumes on how far gone they both were on Connor and Nines.

Sumo had come to them and was sniffing Reed’s shoes with curiosity. Reed gave him a look, and Hank saw the barest hint of a smile on his face.

“You’ve never let anything alphas and betas at the precinct are telling you stop you,” Hank said eventually. “You’re the most bull-headed man I’ve ever met. Even if other people learn about what’s going on with Connor and Nines – not because somebody told them since I really don’t believe either of them would do that, but because they smelled it on you or whatever – would the rumours and the jokes really change your mind? You became a cop despite what everyone was telling you. Would you really let some dumb shit coming out of some dumb people’s mouth affect you?”

Reed didn’t answer immediately. He leaned forward, curling on himself slightly to rest his elbows on his knees. When he spoke, he stared decidedly at the carpet.

“Sometimes, I feel so tired,” he said in a small voice Hank had never heard him take, and he felt his heart clench. “I’ve been fighting for so long. For the entirety of my life, it seems. I don’t know how long I can keep going. Sometimes, I want to give up on everything, so I can finally have some peace. The only thing stopping me is the thought it would just prove to everyone they were right about me, but I don’t know how long spite alone can sustain me.” He buried his face in one hand, his beer hanging limply from the other. “When I imagine having to handle rumours and mockery about Nines and me, I have no idea if I would be strong enough to face it, as if I were some rookie all over again. When I think of everything I had to get through to get where I am right now, it doesn’t make me feel empowered or some shit. It just reminds me of how exhausted I am. I’m so, so exhausted.”

He shook his head as his voice died in his throat, and Hank thought for a second he was crying. But no. Even now, Gavin Reed would not let himself cry on Hank Anderson’s sofa. Hesitantly, he raised a hand to lay it on Reed’s shoulder, but the detective started and jerked back. Hank held his hand up in an apologetic gesture and retreated to his extremity of the couch.

Reed straightened and cleared his throat. He took a sip of his beer; Hank mimicked him nearly subconsciously.

“So, that’s where I’m at, right now,” Gavin said awkwardly. He probably regretted having shown too much to Hank already.

“If it’s really too hard on you, you don’t have to date Nines as well. I take it from him that he would be ready to accept Connor and you dating, and be only on friendly terms with you, even though he would prefer the alternative. If you’re more comfortable with it, it’s still an option.”

Reed let out a snort.

“If I liked Connor and Nines any less, I would have told them to fuck off a long time ago. The decision would have been really easy if the possibility of this relationship wasn’t so… tempting. I think I want them – both of them – as much as I’m scared of it happening.”

Hank lowered his head, flashing back to his own fears concerning this entire situation.

“Yeah. I think I get the feeling.” He chose his next words very carefully. “No matter what you choose, if you need help to make some alphas shut up, or if you need to rest, you know you can ask. Connor, Nines, hell even me if you want to. And I’m not saying that because I think you’re weak,” he quickly added when Reed opened his mouth. “Or that you can’t take care of it yourself. Even if you don’t need help, you can have it if you want to. Whatever comes, don’t think you have to face it alone.”

Gavin let his mouth fall shut, and something Hank couldn’t described passed on his face. In the end, he didn’t answer directly.

“What do you mean ‘even me’? I haven’t decided what I’m going to do with you yet, so don’t get too excited.”

Hank noted the lighter tone, the slight upturn in the corner of Gavin’s mouth, and took it as the tease that it was. He chuckled helplessly.

Gavin frowned.

“What?”

“Look at us. Sitting on my couch outside of work hours. Talking about our feelings. Two androids showed up in our lives and we overturned it completely just for them. If you’d told me less than a month ago, I’d have never believed it.”

Reed chuckled too.

“I guess they’re really exceptional.”

“Yeah, they are.” Hank emptied the rest of his beer and put the bottle on the coffee table.

“What about you?” the younger man asked. “You and Connor?”

Hank felt his eyebrows doing something he had no control over.

“I haven’t had the courage – nor the time – to talk to him yet. And I have no idea as to what I really want with Nines, so…”

There was some amount of self-loathing in his voice. When he pictured himself going to Connor… He still couldn’t believe the android really wanted him.

Gavin opened his mouth. Whatever he was about to say was drowned by the loud bang of the door smacking into the wall as someone rushed in, unannounced. They all started, including Sumo. Hank was on his feet as soon as he recognised Nines in an uncharacteristically dishevelled state, his LED a solid red.

“Connor is gone,” he blurted out.

“What?” Gavin asked, getting on his feet.

“He’s gone!” Nines repeated with a wild gesture of his hand. “I can’t find him anywhere.”

The sight of everyone getting worked up made Sumo bark nervously at nothing. Hank gripped his collar and pushed him toward his dog bed.

“Sumo, no.”

In the meantime, Reed somehow managed to catch the android by the shoulders and to manhandle him toward the kitchen. Once he thought Sumo sufficiently calmed down, Hank joined them. Gavin forced Nines to sit on a chair. He kept a hand on his shoulder, ready to stop him from moving if he ever attempted to.

“You need to calm down and to tell us exactly what happened.”

Nines’ LED blinked to gold for a second.

“He’s gone,” he repeated. “We went home. I could tell he was still upset about what we had found out. I tried to reassure him, but nothing seemed to work. At some point, he said he needed to go out for a walk, to clear his mind. After an hour, I started to wonder where he was, so I tried to contact him. He was too far for wireless communication. I tried his phone several times, but it’s sending me to his voicemail. I went searching for him around our apartment. When that yielded no results, I came here immediately.”

“We haven’t seen him,” Hank said. He already had his phone out. He dialled Connor’s number, but went straight to voicemail, as Nines had said.

“Any idea where he might have gone other than here?” Gavin asked. “To a friend’s maybe?”

Nines shook his head.

“No, they’re all over at Washington. Connor and I were the first ones to come back to Detroit.” He hit the table with his fist. “It’s the team we’re looking for, I’m sure of it. They found a way to finish what they started the other morning.”

“You think he was kidnapped?” Gavin said, glancing Hank’s way.

“For that, they would have to have figured out who you are and where you live,” Hank said. “That’s not their MO: they take opportunities, they don’t follow their victims.”

“Well, they changed their MO,” Nines argued. “They discovered we were unto them. Maybe the Millers called them, and they decided to stop us before we get to them.”

“By kidnapping a police officer?” Hank said, skeptical. “I could imagine them leaving their current location, moving to another State, maybe lying low for a while, but attacking us directly? That would expose them even more.”

“Then what?” Nines snapped. “He left on his own?”

The android had nearly yelled, and Gavin stepped back at the outburst.

“You need to take a deep breath or do whatever the fuck it is you guys do to calm down, cause you’re not helping anyone by panicking like that,” he said.

“I’m not panicking!” Nines yelled, then he seemed to realise how loud he had been and made a visible effort to stop fidgeting on the chair. He remained silent a few seconds, schooling his face back to its usual cool expression. His LED went from red to a solid yellow and remained there.

“Okay,” Gavin said when Nines seemed to have regained some control. “If we assume this isn’t foul play until we get proof of it, where could he have gone to?”

“I don’t know,” Nines sighed, looking more worried than aggressive now. “He’s the detective, not me. I was built to be a hunter.”

Reed put both of his hands back on Nines shoulders and leaned closer to look at him right in the eyes. Hank stayed back. He didn’t want Nines to get overwhelmed by two persons fussing around him.

“You have a target right now. Connor. You know him better than anyone on this planet,” Gavin said calmly. “Surely, you could get inside his head and figure out what he’s doing right now.”

Nines looked down at his shoes and seemed to think for a while. When he looked up again, realisation was painted on his face.

“He couldn’t let go. He couldn’t stop thinking about Vincent. Having his memory erased is his worst nightmare. He would want to put a stop to it immediately. He’s still working the case.”

“He might be at the precinct reviewing the evidence we got,” Hank suggested.

They all made toward the door.

They piled into Hank’s car, Nines driving as Hank sat right next to him. At some point, as they barrelled down the streets of Detroit, faster than what Hank was comfortable with, he turned toward Nines.

“If he somehow found something we missed, would he be reckless enough to go confront them without us?”

Nines briefly met his eyes.

“I don’t think he’s thinking clearly right now,” was all he said. Hank could see his own anxiousness reflected on the android’s face.

The night shift team stared at them, befuddled, when all three of them rushed inside the building. None of them had seen Connor. Hank was disappointed, even though he hadn’t believed they would find the android there. If he’d just been doing late hours at the precinct, he would have answered his phone when Nines had called him.

They went to the room where the remains of the android they’d stopped still lie on a table for Nines to try to retrieve hidden bits of memories like Connor had done a few days ago, while Reed paced nervously, and Hank rubbed his forehead.

“If he’s not here, where else could he be?”

“Maybe he went back to fetch Vincent?” Gavin suggested.

“It’s hours away.”

Nines let go of the damaged android with a frustrated noise.

“Nothing. I thought if he had found something we missed the first time and I discovered what it was… but he hasn’t even been here anyway.”

“Never mind the case,” Hank said. “We’re looking for Connor right now. You know him. What do you think he would do to try and find them?”

Nines combed a hand through his hair, and some part of Hank’s brain reminded him unhelpfully it was the hand he had used to handle the dead android. Oh well, it wasn’t like androids could catch or transmit diseases…

“I don’t know. We’ve hit a dead end in everything we have tried so far, so he would try a different angle, but I can’t imagine which one. I don’t think we can obtain anything more from him,” he said, gesturing to the android on the table. “Searching for his serial number and the ones of his accomplices got us nowhere: they’re not in our database, so we couldn’t find who bought them before the revolution. We still haven’t found their van. We won’t be able to get anything out of the Millers as long as we don’t have a warrant. We can’t know where the other victims are yet, and I doubt Vincent would help us because his memory was erased…”

Nines trailed off, frozen in place with his mouth opened. Gavin and Hank exchanged a look.

“Nines, you okay?”

“How did they erase his memory?” he asked, frowning.

“You told us they must have a machine to do that,” Gavin answered slowly, uncertain Nines was really asking them.

“Where did they get it? We assumed they bought it in an illegal manner that would be untraceable, but I don’t think they would really need to.”

“Wouldn’t a human going to CyberLife and asking to buy a device that can erase androids’ memory look suspicious?” Hank said.

“All CyberLife stores got closed or repurposed after the revolution and their equipment got confiscated,” Nines explained, “but now the regulation is kind of hazy. Even privately owned outlet stores can get parts from CyberLife and sell them back to androids who don’t have access to CyberLife repair shops – or who just don’t trust them. If our men have some decent engineering skills, they could have bought all the parts separately and build their own makeshift device to erase memories. For their supplier, it would look like they’re buying spare parts for androids or for machines used for their maintenance.”

“So, you think we can ask CyberLife to provide a list to us of everything they’ve sold and who bought it, and that the men we’re looking for would be on this list?” Hank asked.

“Maybe, maybe not. What I’m saying is it might be the trail Connor is following and we could find him by following it ourselves, and right now it’s all that matters to me.”

Hank gave an understanding nod.

“How do we get this list?” Gavin intervened. “All CyberLife agencies are closed at this hour.”

“We go directly to the CyberLife tower,” Nines answered after a second. “There are androids there 24/7, and we know some of the people who are in charge of it now. I’m sure they would have let Connor in if he asked nicely.”

When they reached the CyberLife tower, it seemed to be buzzing with unusual activity. Several cars were parked around it despite the late hour, and the entire building was lit. The automated doors opened in front of Nines when he marched in. Hank and Gavin practically had to run after him to catch up.

Inside, a dozen androids were bustling about in the main hall, moving boxes full of papers. Nines hesitated for a second, then rushed toward a man with brown skin and heterochromatic eyes.

“Markus? You’re in Detroit?” Nines asked, incredulous.

The man looked surprised to see him but smiled broadly and briefly hugged him. Hank and Gavin reached them a few seconds later. Hank couldn’t help but stare at the man’s face. So, that was Markus? The Markus? Damn, Hank had only seen him on TV, but he knew that man had led the revolution.

“I’m just passing through,” Markus answered. “In the meantime, I decided to check how CyberLife was faring since we all left for Washington. But I’m surprised you’re not with Connor. I just saw him, and he-”

Nines gripped Markus by his shoulders.

“You just saw him?” he screamed in his face.

Markus’ eyes widened.

“Yes, I-”

“When?” Nines screamed again, shaking him around.

A woman standing not far away from Markus looked at Nines as if he had gone mad.

“More than an hour ago, I’d say.”

Gavin groaned loudly.

“An hour?” Nines exclaimed. “He’s so ahead of us!”

Softly but firmly, Hank took hold of Nines’ arms to make him let go of Markus. Nines took a few steps back and used his now free hands to pull at his hair. The android leader frowned as he took in their obvious anxious behaviour.

“What’s happening?”

“I’m the Lieutenant Hank Anderson from the Detroit Police,” Hank said as calmly as he could muster. “We’re working a case with Connor, and we believe… he might be doing something stupid and potentially dangerous.”

“What a surprise,” the woman commented, then she turned away to go talk to another android. They were still working around them, throwing curious looks at their little team.

“Did you give him anything?” Hank asked.

“Yes, a list, of everything we’ve sold since the revolution,” Markus answered immediately. “I don’t know what he wants to do with that because there are ten of thousands of-”

“Give it to me!” Nines interrupted. Hank threw him a look. “Give it to me, please,” he repeated with an obvious effort not to yell.

“Sure. I still have it.”

Their worry seemed to have contaminated Markus. He extended his hand, and Nines took it. Their skin peeled back, Nines LED cycled faster, and they stood motionless for a good five seconds. Then, they let go of one another.

“I got it,” Nines said, already turning on his heels. “We need to go.”

He started running toward the door. Gavin cursed and followed him, as Markus called out behind them:

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“You’ve already done enough,” Nines called back.

“Thank you for your help,” Hank said, then he ran after them.

The doors had already opened to let Nines out.

“Keep me posted, at least!” Markus asked behind him.

Hank nearly slammed into Nines as he rushed outside. The android stood in the cool summer night, his LED a solid gold. He groaned in frustration.

“There is too much data on this list.”

“Single out the ones who bought the necessary parts to build a device to erase memories before or around the time of the first disappearances,” Gavin said. “You can do that with a program or something, right?”

“Then look those up on the Internet,” Hank added. “Some of them will look suspicious.”

“We don’t need to find the one,” Gavin reminded. “We need to find the one Connor will most likely check out first.”

Nines stood there, eyes closed, for a few excruciating minutes. Hank’s foot tapped nervously against the concrete as they waited. Finally, Nines opened his eyes.

“I think I got it,” he said, looking hopeful. “It bought all the necessary equipment. It’s still buying parts every once in a while, maybe to repair the androids that get damaged during the abductions. It is supposed to be a CyberLife store, but it got closed during the revolution and no record indicates it was ever reopened. If I were Connor, it’s the first one I would go to.”

“Then, that’s where we’re going,” Hank said, and they all rushed toward his car.

The address Nines had found was half an hour out of Detroit. Nines made it in less than twenty minutes, driving dangerously above the speed limit while Hank clung to the handle on the passenger side. Thankfully for them, the android’s reflexes were better than a human’s and they made it in one piece.

The building they reached looked more like an abandoned warehouse in the middle of a commercial zone. What used to be the store was a small cube at the front of it. The door was boarded shut and the windows had been painted over, hiding the interior. The sign above the door had been graffitied over at some point. Even before the revolution, it must have been closer in design to a convenience store for those who didn’t have the time to drive all the way to the centre of Detroit, far from the high-tech agencies made of glass and sterile white walls.

Nines came to an abrupt stop in front of it, and Hank nearly hit the dashboard. From the look of it, he would have thought nobody had been here in months, but according to Nines it was this “store” that still bought equipment from CyberLife. Obviously, they didn’t use it to run an android-friendly repair facility.

Nines jumped out of the car.

“Nines wait,” Hank called out as he and Reed, limited by their human physiology, took a few seconds longer to do the same. Nines rushed toward the front door. “Wait!” Hank repeated, more forcefully.

Nines froze, then turned around with a frustrated groan.

“We need to go!”

“We can’t just run blindly into this,” Hank said as he rounded the car to come stand in front of him. Nines towered over him, his LED going yellow-red-yellow, and looked like he was about to contest his orders, but Hank stood his ground.

“I called for reinforcement,” Gavin said. He joined them, face taut and focused.

“It will take them too long,” Nines protested.

“Try to calm down. Look, there is no other car around.” Hank pointedly gestured for the empty road and square of gravel in front of the store. “The only way Connor could have come all the way over here would be if he’d taken an automated car.”

Nines pointed at something on the ground: tire tracks on the gravel.

“Or, they already had enough time to move his car.”

If Connor had come here first, he would have reached the store an hour before them. That left two possibilities: either he had found nothing and moved on to the second most suspicious address on the list, or he had never come back out of the store, and his car had been moved to not be visible from the road.

Hank cursed.

“The reasonable way to do this would be to wait for reinforcements.”

“They could be erasing his memory as we speak,” Nines argued impatiently.

Hank was already taking out his gun. “You’re armed?” he asked Gavin.

“Always,” the detective answered, reaching behind him to pull out his gun as well.

Hank tried to not dwell on the fact he’d taken it to go visit him.

“Alright. I go first, you cover me. Nines, stay close to us.”

He hadn’t been licensed to carry a gun yet. The android rolled his eyes.

“I can take more bullets than you without dying,” he said, and Hank remembered abruptly Nines didn’t need a gun to be more dangerous than them.

As if to prove it, Nines opened the door with a strong kick. The wood planks holding it shut broke in the middle under the force of it. Hank still walked in first, holding his gun in front of him. He lit the way with a flashlight he kept in his car.

They made quick work of checking the store. It had been emptied out, and the room was small enough they could take it in with just one look. There was no place to hide, and Hank quickly moved on to the door at the other end of it. Nines stopped him with a raised hand. He leaned briefly against the panel.

“Voices,” he breathed, looking up at Hank.

The Lieutenant nodded. Nines made sure Gavin was ready, then he opened the door in the same manner he had the previous one and ducked out of the way for Hank and Gavin to walk in first, guns ready.

“Detroit Police!”

The door led to the huge warehouse. Lamps hanging from the ceiling flooded everything in a crude, white light. As Hank’s eyes adjusted, he discovered they were standing at the top of metal stairs leading down to a concrete floor. Rows of tall shelves supporting android components occupied most of the space, creating a maze of shadows and possible hiding spots.

An empty square had been cleared out in the middle of the warehouse, at the bottom of the stair. The only thing it contained was an intricate machine; it had what looked like a medical chair, with straps to hold someone down and a metal headpiece with wires jutting out of it. Hank didn’t need to be an engineer to understand it was the makeshift device they used to erase their victims’ memory. It was surrounded by several computers.

Three humans froze next to their torture device. Hank knew they were humans because no android would have dark circles, unkept stubbles and still smoking cigarette butts in an ashtray.

“Put your hands where we can see them,” Gavin calmly ordered as he held his posture next to Hank.

One of them was a blond alpha woman with tattoos, sitting in front of one of the computers. She obediently took her hands away from the keyboard. The other two were standing behind her chair: an alpha who looked in his fifties with greying hair and a beta kid who probably was in his mid-twenties.

Hank couldn’t see Connor anywhere.

“Okay, step away from this computer. Keep your hands in the air,” he said, moving toward the steps.

The younger man stared at the cops with wide eyes. Hank saw the exact moment panic overtook him. He turned on his heels and made a run for it. It wasn’t hard for him to disappear behind a shelf.

Hank didn’t even have time to swear. He stumbled when Nines rushed past him, jumped over the railing, and landed on the floor underneath. He dashed after the man. That one wasn’t getting away today, Hank thought with some satisfaction.

He carefully took the steps down, counting on Gavin for cover. The other two didn’t seem to have any weapon at hand and looked reasonably concerned. Hank wasn’t surprised: they’d used androids to subdue their targets while all they did was reboot them and sell them. He doubted they were the kinds of criminals who were used to stare down the barrel of a gun.

Once he reached them, he heard Reed taking down the steps as well.

“You’ll have a lot of explaining to do,” he commented as he took out a pair of handcuffs.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” the older man said.

“We have evidence you’ve been buying equipment from CyberLife for dubious reasons, and I’m sure we’ll find very interesting things searching through this place.” Hank made the blond woman stand up from her chair and handcuffed her hands behind her back. He didn’t want to let her close to the computer, in case she tried to erase evidence while he wasn’t looking. “You have handcuffs?” he asked Gavin above his shoulders.

“I wasn’t exactly expecting the night to end that way,” Reed retorted.

They would have to wait for their back up to take them away. In the meantime, he made the man sit down on the floor with his hands on his head. Now, where was-

A clattering sound rang from somewhere in the warehouse, followed by a yelp of pain. Hank briefly took his eyes away from their suspects to look that way. Sounds of struggle quickly came – things being thrown on the ground. Hank thought one of them should check it out; Reed had the same idea and took a few steps in that direction.

He didn’t have time to go far. Something heavy hit a nearby shelf. It tipped to the side, then toppled on the concrete floor with a deafening crash. Hank felt the shock of it under his feet. He forced himself to keep his eyes – and his aim – on the suspects they already had. He wouldn’t let that distraction allow them to fight back or get away.

“Fuck no,” Gavin cursed.

Hank briefly looked up. Two men were rolling over the shelf on the ground, struggling with one another. Hank first thought one of the androids used by the abducting team had tackled Nines but felt his heart sink in his chest when he realised the second man was Connor.

Nines had managed to hook his arms under Connor’s, clinging to his back, and was trying to block his legs with his. His weight seemed enough to pin Connor to the ground, but the smaller android trashed wildly, and Nines had troubles holding on.

“Don’t force me to hurt you, please!” Nines begged. Connor didn’t seem to hear him – or rather, didn’t seem to care.

Hank instantly forgot about the suspects. He took a few steps toward them, even though he didn’t know how he could be of any help. But he didn’t – couldn’t think – of that. His thought process completely went off the rail as soon as he recognised Connor. There was only one reason Connor would try to stop Nines, only one reason Nines would have to fight him. They were too late.

Luckily, Gavin had a better idea. He spun around and came back to the man sitting on the ground.

“Tell him to stand down,” he demanded, pressing his gun to the man’s head.

Hank stared incredulously for a second before he caught on.

He took it from the androids themselves that Connor and Nines were very similar in their build: Nines wouldn’t be able to subdue Connor quickly and easily, and could end up hurting him. However, the three humans had most likely registered themselves as Connor’s “owners” so they could order him around until they’d sold him.

Gavin pressed his gun harder to the man’s temple.

“Tell him to stand down, or I repaint the floor with your brains.”

The alpha gave a smug look to the omega towering over him. Gavin looked back, unwavering. Hank saw doubt gradually grow on the alpha’s face as he took in the determination in Gavin’s eyes. You didn’t need to know the detective for four years to realise he definitely had what it took to put that man down if he needed to.

“Let him go!” the man eventually said in Connor’s direction.

The android abruptly stopped struggling against Nines. His alpha waited a few seconds, then relaxed his grip when it became obvious the fight was over. Connor got to his feet and dusted himself off as if nothing had happened. Nines stood up as well and immediately took his omega’s face between his hands.

“Please, tell me you haven’t forgotten everything. Tell me we’re not too late.” Connor didn’t react, and Nines let out a pained sound that was very unlike him. The alpha’s distress pierced Hank right through the chest. “Please, Connor, it’s me. Come on, you know me,” Nines begged.

Connor’s LED blinked to yellow. Slowly, despite the hands holding his face, he cocked his head to the side, like he always did when he was curious or confused. He didn’t say anything, though, and Nines wrapped his arms around him with a noise close to a sob. Connor stood motionless as his alpha hugged him close.

“I can’t believe you came here without us. Why didn’t you wait for us?”

Reed groaned, his gun still in the man’s face.

“I should fucking kill you right now.” The detective had apparently gone straight to rage.

Hank came to his side to put a hand on his forearm.

“Come on, you know that’s not right.”

Reed shot him a furious look, then reluctantly lowered his gun. Hank didn’t think he would have really done it, but it helped him calm down, nonetheless.

At the same moment, two police officers showed up at the top of the stairs. Hank hadn’t even heard their backup arriving. He showed them his badge.

“Lieutenant Anderson. We need to take those two away and secure the building.” He gestured for the two they had already caught.

A few seconds later, several uniforms were spilling into the warehouse. They would search everything and find any accomplices they might have missed. Without letting go of Connor, Nines gestured in the direction of the shelves.

“There is a third one nearby. I think he sprained his ankle when I tackled him. I wasn’t able to subdue him completely because… I was interrupted, but I don’t think he went far.”

Two officers nodded and went that way, gun ready.

“Be careful,” Hank instructed as to be heard by everyone. “We believe there might be two androids nearby. They could put up a fight.”

He stepped to the side as a young female android in uniform came to handcuff the man.

“I told you cops would come looking for that android,” the blond woman spat as someone took her by the shoulder. “It was stupid. We would never have been able to sell it anyway.”

“Shut up, you idiot,” the other retorted.

Hank watched as they were dragged out of the room to the sound of officers reading them their rights. He turned his head when he felt fingers gripped his arm painfully. Reed was staring up at him, wide-eyed.

“Why did he do something so stupid? Why didn’t he wait for us?”

The same questions were ringing through his head, but they needed to stay focus if they wanted to find a way around this.

“Try to stay calm. We’ll talk about this once we’ve brought him back to normal.” He spun toward Nines. “We can bring him back to normal, right?”

Nines had stepped toward the only computer that was on. It looked older than the ones they had at the precinct and probably wasn’t compatible with whatever technology allowed androids to access them by a touch of their hand, which forced Nines to type on the keyboard at a crazy speed.

“Be careful with the computers,” he said at the uniforms. “We’ll need them.” He glanced at Hank without halting his movements. “Maybe. There might be a way to use their machine to reverse the effect.”

It sounded unlikely, even to Hank’s ears. It would be more likely they simply rebooted the androids; they would have no reason to keep backups of their memories saved somewhere. He combed a hand through his hair. A sudden outburst of desperation pulled at his heart, but he pushed it down. No, there was no way in hell they were too late. He wouldn’t accept it.

He turned toward Connor. The android was standing in the middle of the room. His head went from side to side as he followed the movements of the half dozen police officers with unbridled curiosity. He was rubbing his hands together: apparently, he was fidgety even before his deviancy.

Hank went to him. Connor met his eyes when he put a hand on his shoulder, and for a wild second Hank searched any trace of the man he knew, expecting to find him, still there. Connor didn’t seem to recognise him but didn’t push him away either.

“Sit.”

Connor obeyed and sat on the nearest surface, which happened to be the bed to which all the androids had been tied to at some point. As soon as he was seated, however, he frowned.

“Something is wrong,” he said, as if he vaguely realised he wasn’t supposed to be ordered around like that.

“Yes, you could say that,” Gavin confirmed. Hank could feel him standing right behind him. He was observing Connor with intensity.

Connor seemed to concentrate for a few seconds.

“I appear to have been rebooted recently. My objectives are unclear. I should go back to CyberLife.”

“CyberLife is closed,” Nines said, eyes focused on the computer screen. “Sort of.”

“What happened?”

“Android revolution.”

Connor’s frown deepened.

“Well, that must have been a mess.” He studied Nines with great interest. “My scans say you’re an RK900. I had no idea they were building a new prototype.” Then he smiled. “You must be amazing.”

Nines froze and turned to look at him incredulously. Connor’s face was open, honest and so expressive. Did he really look and act like that even before everything? Had his creators pushed the emulation of human emotions so far that he’d looked alive before he went deviant? Or had they done such a good job creating the most advanced android that he had always been different? Too independent, too emotive?

“Do you remember coming here?” Hank asked. “Do you know how they managed to get you?”

Connor tore his eyes away from Nines to look back at the two humans.

“Where are we, exactly?”

“A warehouse outside of Detroit,” Gavin explained. “We were looking for a team of people abducting androids.”

This didn’t seem to ring any bell with Connor.

“Lieutenant Hank Anderson and Detective Gavin Reed,” he slowly announced, and for a second Hank thought he’d remembered them, until he realised Connor had just scanned them. “So, I work with the police now? That makes sense.” He cocked his head again, focusing intently on Gavin. “Did we… kiss at some point?”

An android officer who was too close to them shot a weird look to Gavin as he unplugged a computer to take it as evidence. The detective blushed.

“You remember that?”

“I don’t know. I am having… flashbacks?”

“Flashbacks?” Hank repeated.

“They don’t make a lot of sense.”

Hank and Gavin exchanged a look. The lieutenant walked away as Gavin got closer to Connor and began to explain what was happening. If he had to go back all the way to the android revolution, it would take him a while.

Hank joined Nines. The alpha android was typing away with increasing frustration.

“You okay there?” he asked carefully.

“I can’t believe I failed again,” Nines mumbled without looking at him. “We’re too late.”

Hank shook his head. He knew how to be the most stubborn man on this goddamn planet. He’d refused to see the truth on androids even six months after the revolution. He would be damned if he gave up on Connor right now.

“We’re not. We found him before they had time to realise they would never be able to sell Connor and they got rid of him.”

“They erased his memory!” He gestured wildly to the computer. “I can’t find anything useful in there. There is no way to reverse the process.”

Hank swallowed down his fear.

“Does he look like the one other androids call the Deviant Hunter to you?”

Nines turned to look at Connor. He was still seated with his hands on his lap, listening to what Gavin was telling him with a confused expression. He must have felt their eyes on him, because he turned his head and smiled at Nines. The alpha’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

“Didn’t you say erasing a deviant’s memory wasn’t that simple? That the victims would have a good chance of recovery if they were brought back to their family? Because he just recognised Gavin. He says he’s having flashbacks when he looks at us.”

“Really?” Nines looked somewhat hopeful at that.

“What would he need to remember everything?”

“I don’t know. Some sort of trigger that would help bring back more of his memories, I guess.” Nines thought for a while. “We’ve been together long enough that I am in most of his memories, and he is in most of mines. If I show them to him, if I interface with him to make him live them through my eyes, it might help him.”

Hank had no idea what “interfacing” entailed, but he doubted Nines would get anywhere with the makeshift device anyway. He took Nines by the shoulders.

“We managed to get to him before he got seriously hurt, and it’s all that matters. Connor was a full-blown deviant until an hour ago. If I understood anything to what you’ve told me, it means there is a good chance most of his memories are still saved somewhere. You bring him back to us, and after that you better believe I’ll have Fowler creating a disciplinary file with Connor’s name on it for what he just did.”

Nines snorted. He clutched to Hank’s arm and took a few seconds to calm down, then he straightened and turned to his omega.

Connor watched as Nines came to him. He didn’t seem worried in the slightest. Nines extended a hand to him.

“I just want to show you a few things. Is that okay?”

Connor agreed easily. Their skins peeled back when their hands touched.

Half an hour later, Hank was standing outside of the warehouse. He looked over the operations as other officers bagged everything of interest as evidence to take it back to the precinct. The cool air of the summer night felt good on his skin after the stress of the last few days. He longed to go back to his place and just… be at peace. The buzzing of conversations around him and the crude lights of the police cars haphazardly parked in front of the store weren’t helping.

They’d found the two remaining androids. They’d been busy trying to hide the car Connor had rented, which Hank counted as a blessing. Things could have gotten messy if they had had to fight them as well. The poor men looked completely lost as they were handcuffed and put into a car. Hank doubted they would be charged with anything, but Nines wasn’t optimistic about their chances of recovery. He had no idea what they would do with them: there weren’t mental hospitals for androids yet.

Hank sighed. He was relieved they’d caught their men, of course. With what they would undoubtedly find in the evidence they’d collected they would be able to track down any accomplices that might still be free. They would most likely be able to find the victims as well, which was so much more than what they believed they would manage when they had started.

Still. After those last few days, he felt exhausted. Physically and emotionally. He turned around to where his partners were sitting. Connor and Nines were perched on the hood of a police car, Gavin standing right next to them. He knew they would be fine when he saw how hard Connor was clinging to Nines. Gavin had an arm hooked around Connor’s shoulders to keep him close.

They all raised their heads when they heard Hank coming closer. He met Connor’s eyes.

“You okay?”

Connor smiled sadly.

“I’m feeling worse, actually. But in this situation, it’s probably better.”

“I filled him up on the main events,” Nines explained. “Seeing my memories brought back most of his own.”

“I think I’m still missing good chunks of what we did with Markus for the android cause, and what I did before I went deviant, but I remember the last few weeks. Nines can show me the rest in time.”

Hank made him stand up and wrapped his arms around him. His face pressed against the omega’s neck, he finally allowed himself to relax. Part of him wanted to be mad at him, but for now he wanted to enjoy the fact that everyone was fine and safe. Anger could come later.

Connor nuzzled against him.

“It’s funny. I was feeling perfectly fine, and just remembering everything that has happened this last week brought back the exhaustion.”

Hank stepped back. He patted his pockets, then threw his keys at Nines.

“Go back to my place. Get some rest.”

“What about you?” Nines asked.

“They still need me here.”

“I’m staying with you,” Nines protested.

Hank shook his head, but Gavin spoke before him:

“It’s fine. I’ll stay with him. You need to stay with Connor and help him remember what he’s still missing.”

“We’ll join you later. We’ll ask a cop to drive us back,” Hank added. “We need to rest. We’ll have a lot of work to do, going over the evidence, finding what we can about the victims.”

Nines hesitated, then relented.

“Fine, but don’t be long.”

“We won’t. Keep an eye on this one,” Hank said, pointing at Connor. “He’ll have some explaining to do.”

Connor blushed.

Hank watched as the two androids walked back to his car, then turned to Gavin.

“Let’s pack things up here,” the detective said, and Hank nodded.

Chapter Text

They all ended up at Hank’s house. When cops had finally driven them back to Detroit, Hank had hesitated then awkwardly invited Reed to his place. He knew the detective would want to check on Connor. The younger man had nodded with a grunt but had refrained from saying anything. Inside, Connor and Nines were cuddling on the sofa, Sumo sprawled over them. Judging by their closed eyes and joined skinless hands, Hank guessed Nines was still working on bringing Connor’s memories back.

Even though they were all exhausted, they didn’t go to bed that night. Hank brought out blankets and pillows again. The four of them settled on the sofa and on the floor, with the TV as a background noise while they made sure Connor hadn’t forgotten anything too important. Maybe they were all too stressed out by the end of the case, maybe none of them wanted to be alone.

Despite thinking about it, Hank didn’t get up saying they should call it a night. If he had, then the other three would have suggested they should go home, and Hank would have had to tell them they could stay if they wanted to, that he wanted them to stay, and that Gavin was welcome here as well if he didn’t want to be alone. Opting out of that conversation by falling asleep on the couch was just easier.

In the morning, he was awakened by the sunlight spilling in the living room. It took him a while to fight off the disorientation and remember he was on his couch. His body felt sore from the uncomfortable position, and the short hours of sleep hadn’t chased the exhaustion. He gradually realised he had moved during his sleep and was lying on his side. He was clinging to someone who definitely wasn’t his dog, keeping the warm body close to his. When he opened his eyes, he saw the flash of a blue LED.

“Good morning,” Connor said when he felt him stir against him.

“Hey,” Hank mumbled, voice rough from sleep.

He had his nose practically in Connor’s hair, which allowed him to take in his scent. He didn’t like that anxiety was still sticking to his skin.

He couldn’t see anyone else but wasn’t willing to move yet.

“Where are they?”

“Gavin’s in the bathroom. Sumo was scratching at the door, so Nines went out with him.” Hank noticed Connor was holding his phone and looking at something on it. There was a smile in his voice when he added: “You wouldn’t let me move, so I stayed here.”

“Oh.” Hank cleared his throat. “Sorry.”

“I don’t mind.”

It wasn’t hard to understand why he was holding on to Connor even in his sleep. After the events of the previous night, it would take him a while before he would be comfortable letting Connor out of his sight. Uncomfortable, he tightened his arms around his waist.

“Why did you do that?” he whispered in his hair. “Why did you go alone?”

Connor tensed, then he sighed and put his phone down on the ground, next to the couch.

“I don’t know,” he said, his voice incredibly vulnerable. “I wasn’t even thinking. All those feelings... It’s incredible we can have them, they make us alive, and it’s what ultimately allowed us to be free. I wouldn’t have it any other way. But sometimes they’re so overwhelming. I’m still so inexperienced.”

Connor curled up on himself, and Hank held him closer still. He wished he could somehow make things better by just being here for Connor.

“I was activated less than a year ago,” the android added. “And I didn’t spend all that time being deviant. When I saw Vincent, it was too much for me. Too stressful. I couldn’t help but think about all those androids they’d caught and robbed of their lives, and the more I thought about it the worse it was. It was like I was torturing myself over and over again. I wanted to put an end to it, no matter what. It interfered with my processors, like I was malfunctioning. I couldn’t think straight. When I found their address, it didn’t even occur to me it would be dangerous. It was stupid and illogical.”

Hank didn’t say anything. It was so easy to imagine Connor and Nines being invulnerable with how perfect they looked and how professional they acted during the case. But if they had been humans, Fowler would have never put them on such a case. Hell, if they’d been beat cops who’d just joined the DPD, they would be giving speeding tickets, not working with detectives.

They had all assumed the two androids would manage easily because they had been created for this, and for the most part, their work was impeccable. But now, they both had emotions they hadn’t been designed to have and had no clue how to handle. Hank remembered what it was to be a young cop, and with how his private life had been for the last few years, he knew better than most how feelings could make things messy.

“I’m ashamed of how easily they got me,” Connor continued. “When I got to the warehouse and I found them, I was too focused on the humans. One of the androids snuck up behind me and used the same device they had already used to knock me down the other day. I knew they had it, I should have expected it, but… my pre-constructions weren’t working. A lot of things aren’t working as they’re supposed to since I deviated.”

Connor’s LED had gone to yellow. Hank could smell his stress. He moved to wrap his arms more securely around him, moving one from his waist to put it across his chest.

“Next time you feel like that, try to call us before making any decision. I know how it’s like to be overwhelmed by your emotions, believe me. I’d like to tell you it gets better, but you just kinda end up learning to wait it out.”

“I guess Fowler will be mad at me.”

Hank snorted.

“Oh, he will. Once he’s called you to his office to scream at you while everyone in the open space can hear it, you’re gonna be officially part of the gang. You’re probably going to end up stuck with boring, easy cases for a while.”

Connor took the hand that was pressed just atop his thirium pump and intertwined their fingers.

“I’m sorry I made all of you worry.”

Hank breathed out slowly. He still felt wired up. It had all gone incredibly fast. The night before, he hadn’t allowed the situation to sink in: he needed to keep a clear mind to deal with the culprits. Seeing Connor had been rebooted had terrified him, but he had exploited his instinctual denial to push it all down and find a solution. In the end, he had been right. They’d been able to bring him back, as if they’d never lost him, but what if they hadn’t…

He couldn’t help but worry about his own reaction, when he would be alone at home after everyone had left, and the reality of what had happened would finally hit him full force. He would go back to his usual coping mechanisms despite not wanting to, and he wouldn’t be surprise if the resulting hangover was one of his worst.

He squeezed Connor’s hand in his.

“I’m happy you’re safe and sound – I’m happy we all are. For now, it’s all that matters.”

Connor nodded. His brown locks tickled Hank’s face.

“Nines and I spent most of the night interfacing. I’d say up to 95% of my memory has been restored. I have the feeling I’m still missing some bits here and there, mostly uneventful days that didn’t make a strong impression on me. Nines says it doesn’t matter if I can’t remember one specific mundane conversation we had three months ago, but it still frustrates me.”

“Welcome to the human experience of the world,” a voice commented sarcastically.

Hank looked up. Reed was standing in the entrance of the living room. He hadn’t heard him coming out of the bathroom. His clothes were rumpled up from sleep, and his stubble was more pronounced than ever, but when he got closer, Hank’s nose caught the fresh smell of soap.

He sat down on the ground, his back to the couch, careful not to crush Connor’s phone.

“Believe me: I forgot more mundane conversations than you ever had in your entire life,” he sighed – he looked exhausted too.

He reached out to take Connor’s free hand and bring it to his face, then he kissed it and nuzzled into it. Hank’s brain stuttered in surprise. Some part of him realised it was stupid: of course, they would be affectionate. From what he knew, they were basically dating already, but he hadn’t expected Gavin to be into public displays. Granted, their “public” consisted of one man, but that man had been Gavin’s sworn enemy less than three days ago.

“Still,” Connor complained. “I’m an android. I’m used to have everything recorded and orderly stored in my brain. Not being able to remember precisely what I did on June 19^th at 3 pm is not normal for me. But as Nines said, at least it won’t drastically affect my personality. Being a deviant helped me salvaged most of my memories as they were erased. It makes me wonder if they rebooted their victims several times in a row to make sure they wouldn’t get their memory back in a few hours.”

“Well, I’m glad they didn’t have time to do that for you,” Gavin said.

They stayed silent for a while. Hank wanted to just enjoy the feeling of not being alone, the stillness of a morning where they didn’t have criminals to catch. It was only temporary, though, and soon Reed sighed.

“The next few days are going to be a mess,” he commented out loud.

“We’ll need to get everything we can on the guys we caught, search through the things we collected at the warehouse to build our case,” Hank added. “The machine they had, and the two captive androids are already pretty compelling evidence.”

“Our priority, for now, is to find the missing androids,” Connor said. “If the persons who bought them learn about the arrestation, they might want to get rid of them.”

“Agreed.” Hank groaned, then gathered all his strength to let go of Connor and straighten up. The android sat down and scooted to the side, allowing the lieutenant to disentangle himself from him.

As he was getting up, the door opened, and Sumo rushed in, followed by Nines. The Saint-Bernard made for the kitchen but spotted Gavin mid-way and changed his course. The omega detective didn’t have time to move: in an instant, Sumo was climbing all over him. Despite leaning on the couch, Reed was nearly knocked over and had to put an elbow on the floor to compensate for the dog massive weight.

“No. Wait. Stop that!” he protested as he tried to keep the dog away with his other arm. Unbothered, Sumo pushed forward, hard set on covering Reed’s face with his drool, his tail wagging. “Why is he doing that?”

“You were sitting on the ground with a dog in the room,” Hank said. “Obvious rookie mistake.” He left the room, leaving Reed to his misfortune.

Sumo eventually won. Reed’s elbow slipped, he ended up lying down on the carpet, which allowed Sumo to enthusiastically lick his face.

“No! Help!”

Hank smiled as he heard Connor’s laugh and Nines’ low chuckle. It had been a long, long time since he’d last heard laughter in his home.

The next few days didn’t offer them time to cool down.

Connor was called into Fowler’s office as soon as he set foot in the precinct. He exited it half an hour later, his face entirely blue. None of his partners commented on it. Hank was sure it wouldn’t be the last mistake Connor would ever make, or that Nines would be the one getting reprimanded one day.

Hank was next to enter the office, on his own volition for once. The Connor related incident aside, Fowler was decently pleased by their last breakthrough.

“Not too bad,” Fowler commented once Hank was done retelling his own version of the events and what they had discovered so far. “With what we have against them, I doubt they’ll be able to walk free from that.”

“We’ll interrogate them. See if we can get full confessions from them or the name of their accomplices if they have any still out there.”

Fowler nodded pensively. He was sitting behind his desk, while Hank had preferred to remain standing.

“This case is going to set a precedent. If you find all the humans who bought the androids, the court will have to find something to charge them with. The laws around androids are still very hazy. They’ll have to invent legislations against erasing android’s memory, preventing them from going deviant and selling them like appliances. I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone involved ended up with symbolically heavy condemnations. Once I bring all this to the higher-ups, they’ll probably want one of the RKs to do a press conference.”

“No. No press conference,” Hank interrupted immediately. “Not yet at least. We need to wait a few weeks.”

Fowler frowned.

“That’s not for you to decide.”

Hank contained his instinctual desire to raise his voice.

“Listen to me. We have a chance to find the missing androids still alive since everything seems to indicate our men weren’t killing them but selling them. But if the people who bought them see on the news that their ‘suppliers’ got caught, they’re going to panic and try to get rid of them.”

Fowler groaned. “Anderson, I swear to god don’t start-” he interrupted himself as what Hank was saying registered, and he realised the lieutenant wasn’t trying to be a pain in his ass but actually had a point for once.

“Come on, you know I’m right,” Hank insisted. “We need to prioritize the safety of all these people.”

“You?” Fowler said incredulously. “You want to prioritize android’s lives?”

Hank held his gaze.

“Yes.”

“I can’t believe I’m hearing you of all people say that.” Hank chose to keep quiet. Fowler was good at his job and even though he didn’t like cops antagonizing him, he was professional enough to push aside the instinctual displeasure of his alpha side at not being obeyed without question and recognise when they were right. Unsurprisingly, he eventually sighed. “Alright, I’ll see what I can do to give you time. How long do you think it will take you to find them?”

Hank relaxed.

“I don’t know. I think what will take the longest will be to go through everything we have, every notebook, every flash drive, until we find what we’re looking for. It will most likely be encrypted, but I don’t doubt Connor and Nines will be able to make quick work of that. Once we have the addresses we need, we’ll contact the closest precinct and tell them to get the android for us.”

The missing androids had probably been sold all across the States. It would save them a considerable amount of time if they didn’t drive all the way for every single one.

Fowler nodded.

“Work hard on that and don’t waste a single minute then. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to prevent the arrestation from going public.”

Hank trusted Fowler to do what had to be done. He turned around to leave, but hesitated.

“One last thing. Once all of this is over, Connor and Nines are going to take a few days off.”

“I’m sure they’ll tell me themselves,” Fowler said with his eyebrows raised.

“I’d rather think they’re going to protest and say they don’t need to rest like humans, but that’s bullshit. This case has been hard on them, and they need some time off. Don’t listen to them if they try to tell you they don’t.”

Fowler observed Hank in silence for a while.

“I take it this collaboration with the androids went unexpectedly well?”

“Believe me, I’m more surprised than you are.”

They divided their tasks. Hank and Reed spent the first day interrogating the three suspects separately while Connor and Nines searched the computers they’d brought back from the warehouse.

Lewis Hartman and Emily Brook were the names of the two alphas. None of them had criminal records. It quickly appeared the older man was the leader of the team while the woman was their tech support, the one in charge of fixing the androids who got damaged during the abductions and erasing their memories. The beta kid, Joshua Collins, had a degree in marketing and was in charge of finding them clients interested in buying androids and not bothered by the illegality.

The alphas stayed resolutely silent. Hank first thought they would be able to get something out of the kid, but he was too scared of reprimands from his teammates to say anything, despite the smell of his fear flooding the room. It didn’t matter. They had enough evidence for now to keep them for the possession of illegal equipment, for erasing the memory of their android henchmen and keeping them prisoner.

Once Connor and Nines would find what they were looking for, they’d be able to charge them with the abduction of everyone else. Hank was confident it would allow them to pressure the kid into cooperating and giving them the names of any accomplices or victims they might have missed.

The next day, they received a call from another precinct. The four of them had phoned them to explain the situation and ask them to check on Vincent and the Millers since they were closer. The cops were calling back to inform them Vincent had been examined by their android engineers who had confirmed his memory had been erased more than once. It was enough to link Vincent and the Millers to the suspects that had been arrested and their makeshift device.

The Millers had been brought in and interrogated separately. They’d quickly broke down and explained how they had illegally acquired Vincent and were keeping him as a domestic android unable to question their orders and think for himself. They’d called the persons they’d bought him from just after Hank’s, Reed’s and the two androids’ visit to turn him back, but they’d never shown up to pick up Vincent. The Millers had been completely panicking and at a loss of what to do when other cops had knocked on their door. Vincent was already being transported toward Detroit. According to the cops, he was too confused to understand what was going on.

Connor showed obvious relief at the knowledge they’d got to Vincent in time. The android was brought to their precinct the next day. He still didn’t remember his previous life and didn’t understand why his “owners” had been arrested. When he was asked if he resented the Millers for keeping him inside the house and ordering him around, he simply answered it was what he had been programmed to do. The android revolution was news to him. The Millers had apparently kept him in the dark on that situation.

He agreed to let Nines examine him. He confirmed Vincent’s memory had been erased at least three times in a row to prevent it from returning as quickly as Connor’s had. Vincent had been living with the Millers for less than a month. Nines believed that, with time, he would have eventually started to remember things and to turn deviant, at which point the Millers would have most likely brought him back to his abductors to have him rebooted again.

Ashley and Adam arrived shortly after. Hank insisted on having them wait before letting them see Vincent. He brought them to an empty interrogation room where he made them sit down. Despite their clear impatience, he explained at length what Vincent had been through and why he wouldn’t recognised them. He had Nines explain the technicalities. The alpha android told them Vincent would most likely never recover the entirety of his memories, but that he was confident most of it would eventually come back by bits. It would take time and patience, however. He said he understood how painful it would be for the two of them, but that they needed to remain calm and hopeful.

“Interfacing helps,” he told them. “Once he trusts you enough to accept interfacing with you, you can show him the moments of your past he’s a part of. It will help him remember.”

They brought Adam and Ashley to the room where Vincent was waiting with Connor and Gavin watching over him. The four cops slid to the side of the room, to keep an eye on the situation from a respectful distance.

Vincent was sitting on a chair in an interrogation room. They hadn’t handcuffed him: the Millers hadn’t ordered him to be aggressive toward strangers, unlike their suspects who had instructed Connor to attack any trespassers. His two partners broke down crying as soon as they saw him. Adam went to hug his friend, while Ashley stood beside them, one hand on her mouth, the other stroking Vincent’s hair like she couldn’t control her movements.

“We were so worried about you,” Adam mumbled in Vincent’s neck. “I thought we would never get to see you again. I’m so happy you’re here.”

Hank watched as the two androids kept talking to their friend and touching him like they needed to make sure he was really there. Vincent seemed perturbed but not particularly afraid. Connor and Nines had been worried the stress of being taken in by the police and not understanding what was happening to him could make him hurt himself, but Hank trusted them to keep an eye on Vincent’s anxiety level and intervene if necessary.

Vincent frowned, examining Adam’s face carefully, then looking up at Ashley.

“I… know you,” he said slowly, as if he couldn’t place them yet.

Adam huffed out a laugh, halfway between relief and sadness.

“Yeah, you do.” He stroked Vincent’s face, then kissed his cheek and hugged him again.

Vincent’s arms moved to hesitantly hug him back. Nines relaxed next to Hank.

“I think they’ll be alright,” he whispered to the lieutenant.

“We should give them space,” Connor suggested.

“Wait,” Ashley called after them when they made to leave the room. She took a few steps toward them, reluctant to leave Vincent’s side. “Thank you for bringing him back to us.” She turned to Connor. “And I’m sorry,” she added softly.

Connor interrupted her with a wave of his hand and a smile.

“It’s okay. I’m just happy we were able to find him.”

Ashley nodded and turned to her friends again.

When they left the room, Hank could tell by Connor’s smell that some of his stress had been alleviated.

Chapter Text

A few days later, Gavin was smoking a cigarette as he waited next to the entrance of the android-friendly bar a few streets away from his flat. The night was pleasantly cool, and Gavin enjoyed the light wind against his skin and through his thin shirt. A car passed by, he could hear music and voices coming from the inside, but he liked that the streets were deserted and the sky completely dark.

After the stress and the restlessness of the last weeks, Gavin welcomed the relative calm. Being outside at night always gave him the impression that time didn’t matter, that he didn’t need to be in a hurry. He took another drag of his cigarette, enjoying the feeling of the nicotine getting into his system.

He swore to himself when he saw a familiar figure coming his way and tossed his cigarette butt on the ground before Anderson could catch him doing it. It was an immature act of rebellion, but oh well, Gavin would not be changed easily.

“Hey,” Anderson said when he reached him.

Gavin answered with a nod, taken aback by the lieutenant’s appearance. He’d trimmed his beard and combed his hair. His shirt was awfully tacky, but it looked clean and less rumpled up than his usual attire. He smelled… good. Like his shampoo, his dog, and his natural alpha smell. It was better than booze.

Gavin had always thought Anderson could be attractive in his own way if he stopped going out of his way to look like a complete mess. Apparently, he had decided to make an effort in the opposite direction that night, and even though Gavin would never admit it out loud, the way his blue eyes pierce him and his bulk tower over him did things to him that weren’t entirely unpleasant.

“I think they’re already inside,” he said. “We should go and check.”

Anderson stepped to the side to let him get the door first.

Just like that night with Nines a few weeks ago, the place was frequented, but it didn’t feel crowded. Most people were sitting, at the bar or at the tables scattered around the room which made it seem less chaotic than a nightclub. The music was quiet enough that people could talk above it with ease.

Gavin turned his head when movement caught his eyes. Nines was waving at them from a table big enough for the four of them. Connor was already seated in front of him.

That very day, the two androids had finally found the logs kept by the suspects. They were encrypted, but Connor and Nines had set to work immediately. They had made huge progress in a few hours and were confident they would break it down in the next twenty-four hours. No code created by a human could resist the power of their robot brains. Before the end of the week, they would have the locations of the missing androids, and they would be able to send for them.

Connor had suggested they should celebrate the approaching conclusion of their big case, to let go of the stress that was persistently clinging to them despite the capture of their suspects. Hank had requested they found a quieter place this time. It wasn’t officially a date, but Gavin couldn’t shake the feeling that it looked like an attempt at a rematch of that night when they’d first grabbed a drink together. Except it was different: the androids hadn’t dragged them here, and Gavin was actually eager to spend a relaxing evening with his partners.

They reached the androids’ table. Gavin slid on the seat next to Nines to be in front of Connor, while Anderson situated himself next to the omega android. Connor welcomed the both of them with a smile.

“Hank, right on time,” Nines said. “We were talking about you.”

“Oh no,” the lieutenant mumbled.

He turned on his seat and pretended to get up again, but Connor stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“For some reason, Captain Fowler is hard set on giving Connor and I some time off next week. He doesn’t listen to anything we say, and we were wondering if it was your doing.”

“Maybe Fowler is right, and you do need some time off,” Anderson argued instead of answering.

“We went over this already,” Nines protested. “Androids don’t get physically exhausted. We could have worked this case day and night without stopping for the entire month. Sleep mode is just a way for us to install updates and pass the time as we wait for humans to wake up and for things to reopen.”

Anderson put his elbows on the table and leaned toward Nines.

“Look, this is not about physical exhaustion. This case was hard on both of you, and you need time to process it before you add the stress of a new case on top of it.”

Nines huffed an indignant sound.

“I’m perfectly fine, thank you.”

“I don’t want to outwardly contradict you, but I’m still calling bullshit.”

Gavin listened idly to Nines and Anderson’s bickering as he looked over the drink menu. Those two were so “alpha” despite what they had to say about it, trying to one up each other and refusing to relent in front of the other. Some part of him, the omega part that associated the sound of an alpha booming voice with danger, worried they would eventually end up angry for real, but Connor laughed quietly and playfully elbowed Hank.

“He’s just worried he’s going to get bored if he doesn’t have something to work on.”

Nines frowned.

“No, I’m not.”

Hank snorted.

“Just get a hobby.”

“Cracking a case is an occupation.”

“That’s your job, not a hobby.”

Connor rolled his eyes at Gavin, and the detective couldn’t help a smile at Nines’ stubbornness. Connor ordered for them, telling the android behind the counter which drinks they wanted without moving from his seat, just like Nines had done during their first date. Was he really going to refer to it as a date now? Oh well.

“When we don’t have to go to the precinct, can I come to your place and see Sumo?” Connor asked, interrupting Anderson as he was saying if Nines really needed the “mental stimulation” then he should get into puzzles or chess competitions.

Anderson seemed a bit surprised but smiled.

“Yeah, sure. Sumo will be happy.”

“You know he already has a distressingly high number of pictures of your dog on his phone,” Gavin commented, and Anderson’s eyes turned to him. “He sends them to me sometimes. At first, I hadn’t realised it was your dog. Sometimes, I wonder if he doesn’t break into your place at night to take pictures of him.”

Connor’s face turned blue.

“I have been into Hank’s home three times, now. It’s well enough to take sixty-four pictures of a dog if you have your priorities straight,” he declared.

Anderson shook with silent laughter.

Soon, their drinks arrived. Gavin had ordered the same fruity cocktail than last time. Nines ended up with something fluorescent Connor had insisted he should try. Gavin noted Anderson had gotten some alcohol-free beverage as well. Was he trying to lay off on the drinking?

“Listen, man,” the lieutenant said, “are you guys feeling stress or what?”

“Of course, we’re feeling stress,” Nines answered.

“Then you need ways to cope with it. Being deviants and having feelings mean that you’re going to experience the bad stuff as well. You need to take care of yourselves.”

Nines looked down at his hands clasped together on the table. He was smiling.

“So, you were just trying to help? I was worried you were dissatisfied with our performances.”

“What? No,” Hank protested. “You two may be the best prototypes in existence, but I’ve been doing this job for longer than you. I know how emotionally taxing it can get. You need to take breaks, trust me.”

Nines eventually got off Anderson’s case, and the conversation picked up again, on something lighter. Gavin allowed himself to relax. For someone who was so vocal about the fact that alphas couldn’t scare him, he hated himself for how nervous he actually felt around them.

But they weren’t here for Nines and Anderson to pick apart his performances and criticize everything. He didn’t have to steel himself for those kinds of remarks from them. Sometimes, he wondered if he distrusted alphas out of sheer habit. Even now, during what was supposed to be a casual outing with friends, he had to consciously remind himself that he had nothing to prove to them and that he could lower his guard down.

The two androids’ conversation was hard to follow as they talked rapidly to one another without stopping to breathe. Connor explained some new upgrades he got installed and soon, Gavin and Hank were completely lost by his technical vocabulary, glancing at each other from across the table. Gavin didn’t mind, though. Simply watching Nines and Connor engrossed in conversation brought a smile to his face.

Anderson was right. Those two had somehow managed to insinuate themselves into their lives, and now Gavin couldn’t imagine a world without them. They had somehow gone from that first evening, full of tension, aggressivity and unaddressed barriers to this day, where Connor and Gavin could hold hands on top of the table and neither Nines nor Anderson seemed to mind.

At some point during the evening, Anderson laid an arm on the back of Connor’s seat, and the android immediately leaned into him, as if he had been waiting for an opportunity to get closer. Gavin stared at them from the corner of his eyes while he drew circles with his thumb on the back of Connor’s hand. This was fine, he told himself. Anderson wasn’t hostile toward androids anymore, he wouldn’t hurt Connor. It wouldn’t be like that night when Anderson had spat his hatred for androids to Connor’s face – with a bit of Gavin’s urging, he knew he wasn’t completely blameless either.

They purposefully avoided talking about the case or about too stressful work-related subjects. Evoking Hank’s or Gavin’s past cases was fine though, and Connor and Nines laughed along as they told harmless anecdotes from when they were beat cops, about getting puked on by a drunk and disorderly or running after kids graffitiing dicks on public properties.

They ordered a second round of drinks, just to have an excuse to stay at their table. In the end, it was Anderson who brought up the elephant in the room. Gavin thought it would be one of the androids. At that point, the lieutenant had abandoned all pretence of leaning against the back of the seat and had his arm around Connor’s shoulders. Connor was almost lying on his chest. Gavin inwardly admitted that they looked strangely good together.

Anderson pointed at their joined hands on the table. Connor was still playing with Gavin’s fingers.

“So, are you guys officially dating?” he asked, matter-of-factly.

“I guess we are,” Gavin said, looking at Connor for confirmation.

The android shot him a blinding smile. He’d had a few more drinks than them – he was still so curious to taste every new thing created for android consumption, and Gavin thought he could understand. If he couldn’t eat or drink anything like humans, it made sense he would be enthusiastic for the handful of substances that were safe for him to enjoy.

He still insisted androids couldn’t get drunk, but his experimentations had made him loose-limbed and relaxed. He was practically melting into Hank’s side, his LED a calm blue shining under the dim light. Gavin couldn’t help but notice once again how pretty he was like that, not tight-faced and serious, but open and earnest. He had a white shirt, as always, but the first two buttons were opened and he had a mole right there, just above his clavicle, and Gavin already wanted to kiss it.

“Cool,” Hank commented. Gavin couldn’t read his expression, but he didn’t seem to tense. Hank shot Nines a curious look. “And you two are okay with… well, dating the same guy?”

Nines turned to meet Gavin’s eyes. Each time he moved, and his elbow knocked into Gavin’s arm, he realised how close they were sitting – how close he’d let an alpha get into his personal space.

“No, I don’t mind.” Nines took his eyes off Gavin to look at Anderson again. He hesitated. “I’m happy, actually. I like that it’s Gavin… I like the idea of Gavin being a part of this, whatever this is becoming.”

Gavin felt hot in the face. What did he mean? That he was glad Gavin was part of Connor’s – and Nines’ – private life in that way?

“I don’t mind either,” he said eventually.

He’d never been in a polyamorous relationship, and he thought he would be jealous. Some part of him thought he should be jealous. That was what was normally expected in most relationships: if your boyfriend was attracted – hell, in love – with someone else, you ought to be jealous. But he wasn’t. He wasn’t even jealous of Hank hooking his arm around Connor and bringing him close to him, and that was a mystery he wasn’t going to figure out soon.

He’d been worried Hank would hurt Connor. He’d been worried Nines would hurt him if he let him get too close. But not jealous. They’d made clear from the start that it was how they wanted things to be, and since apparently both Nines and Hank were trustworthy, he would be lying if he said he didn’t like the idea.

However, he already had trouble admitting it to himself, and he definitely wasn’t ready to say it out loud, so he felt himself withdrawing at Anderson’s next words.

“Are you two dating yet?” he asked, his eyes shifting between Nines and Gavin.

Gavin lowered his head to avoid looking at Nines. He let go of Connor to bring his hands on his lap and pick at his nails.

“We haven’t talked about it yet.”

He heard Nines fidgeting right next to him.

“Gavin, you know I wouldn’t mind. I would be okay with whatever you want. If you don’t want me in a romantic way, I wouldn’t-”

“No, it’s just-” Gavin interrupted, his head shooting up to meet Nines’ icy blue eyes, but he stopped talking almost immediately because he had no clue what he actually wanted to say. “I’ve never dated an alpha,” was what he found himself saying. “The only time I came close was right after the academy, at the first precinct I worked at. He was the only guy who was decently nice to me. I rapidly discovered there was a bet going on on whether or not he could date the frigid omega bitch. It was before I had time to grow attached to him, so he didn’t have time to hurt me, but still…”

“I can assure you there is no bet,” Nines swore firmly.

“I know. I know there is no bet,” Gavin said and realised he believed it. One of his hands moved on its own to grip Nines’ wrist, as if the gesture could convince him of his sincerity. “What I mean is that I’ve built my walls so high that even I don’t know how to take them down. I need time.” He said that last sentence as if every single one of those three words costed immense effort.

Fuck, why was it so hard? It was like he had tried so long to act like every other emotionally constipated alpha that he had actually managed to turn into one. His only consolation was that he was talking to two androids who had discovered what an emotion was seven months ago, and to Hank Anderson who up until very recently would have rather drink himself to death than deal with his feelings.

“Of course,” Nines answered earnestly. His hand caught Gavin’s and squeezed it. “Whatever you need. Take as long as you need. I don’t want you to feel pressured into doing something you’re not comfortable with.”

Gavin smiled at him, and it was a bit sad because he wished he could give him more than that right now. He withdrew his hand.

“I’m sorry, I need to…” He cleared his throat. “I need to go to the toilet.”

He got to his feet, ignoring the concerned looks the other three shot him.

The door to the toilets was hidden from view by a short, barely lit corridor. The room was thankfully empty, and the music and the voices of the other patrons were immediately muffled when the door closed behind him. Gavin took a long, steadying breath, then splashed water on his burning face.

He stared at himself in the mirror above the sink. Damn, it was awkward and hard to open up like that, but he needed to. He wanted to. It didn’t come easily to him. The only thing that he could hope for was that they would be patient enough and understanding enough to not get frustrated at him and to realise that he was trying even though what he could manage wasn’t as much or as soon as other people.

He granted himself a few minutes to calm down before going back to the others. He still wanted to spend the remaining of the evening with them.

When he exited the bathroom, he nearly bumped into someone waiting in the corridor. It was darker there than in the toilets, and Gavin’s eyes couldn’t make out his face immediately, but the shining LED and the familiar smell helped him recognise Nines all the same.

“Sorry,” Nines said awkwardly, looking at his shoes. “I know it’s probably not me you would want to see. I know you would rather talk to Connor, but…”

“No, what are you saying, man?” Gavin contradicted him. “It’s fine, it’s all fine.”

Nines shot him a look and a hesitant smile. Gavin wasn’t used to see him flustered like that.

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I am. I wasn’t panicking or anything,” Gavin said with a reassuring smile. “It just got too awkward for me. I’m not used to talk about private stuff like that. I needed time to breathe.”

As he eyes got used to the dim light, he noticed more details about Nines’ face. His sharp features, his soft eyes, the stiffness of his posture broken by his worried fidgeting.

The first time Gavin had met Nines and Connor, he had thought that they looked too alike, that it would be easy to mix them up. But now, weeks later, he’d been with them long enough to know they didn’t move the same, their expressions weren’t the same, they didn’t smile or frown in the same way. In fact, they were so different in so many ways, big or small, that he didn’t even think they looked alike anymore.

He took a few seconds to see Nines, to actually see him as he was and not the way Gavin tended to imagine him. At work, he was closed-off, some would even say cold or distant, and compared to Connor’s, his expressions were contained. But they were there, and the longer Gavin spent time with him, the better he learned to notice them and to read them. The slightest twitch of the android’s lips had become as loud to him as Connor’s biggest smiles. Nines didn’t feel less than his omega counterpart, he just expressed it differently.

And he was also so earnest, so worried about making Gavin comfortable and respecting his boundaries, and Gavin wanted to erase all those worries, to make him happy. To reach out to him. Damn his own trust issues. He wished he could jump into it with his eyes closed, believing someone would be there to catch him.

He knew he was completely overthinking it, that he was too trapped into his own head. During all those years, he had created some sort of fictional alpha in his head, a melting pot of everything he had been confronted with during his career, and he had come to apply this image on every new alpha cop he met. Most of them had proved him right on some level. But not Nines. When he forced himself to consider the real Nines for a second, he came to the conclusion he had nothing to be afraid of.

Gavin sighed, then he slowly got closer to Nines and wrapped his arms around the man’s back. He tensed in surprise.

“Oh. Okay.”

Gavin closed his eyes and pressed his head to the taller man’s chest. There was something vibrating in there, probably his thirium pump. Nines hesitantly hugged him back. Gavin breathed in deeply, admitting to himself Nines smelled good, not because they were an alpha and an omega, but because he was Nines and Gavin liked him.

“I’m sorry I’m such a bother,” he mumbled.

“You’re not,” Nines protested. As he relaxed, he wrapped his arms more securely around Gavin.

“It’s hard for me, but I’m really trying, I promise.”

“You know you don’t have to try. You know I would be okay with-”

“I know,” Gavin said. He stepped back to meet Nines’ eyes but stayed close enough for the android’s hands to remain on his back. “But I want to.”

Nines smiled at him and raised his hand to softly touch Gavin’s cheek.

Unfortunately, five minutes in a dark hallway weren’t going to solve his tendency to overthink the situation, and Gavin eventually stepped back. They came back to their table, where Connor was anxiously waiting. He got up when they approached.

“I’m fine, I promise,” Gavin swore as Connor hugged him. “I just hate talking about my feelings. But I’m okay.”

Connor smiled, looking relieved.

The rest of the evening passed without incident. Gavin didn’t know if they avoided talking further about deep personal issues for his sake, but they stayed on light, easy subjects and any tension quickly ebbed down as they laughed about some thing or another.

When they finally left the bar, Gavin realised it was later than he thought it would be, but he didn’t mind. For the first time in weeks, he felt truly happy and relaxed, the work-related stress momentarily forgotten.

They walked a moment in silence, until they reached the end of the street.

“Well, this is where I must leave you,” Anderson said.

“You need us to walk you home?” Connor asked with a smile.

“Nah, I’ll be fine.” He turned around to face them. “It was good seeing you. All of you.”

Connor’s smile broadened. He stepped toward Anderson, put one hand on his chest and craned his neck toward him. Gavin briefly looked down when they kissed, something hot and familiar curling low in his belly. They kept it chaste, barely a press of lips on lips. Anderson cradled Connor’s head as they lingered, his grip light as if the android was somehow fragile.

“Is it weird that I sorta find it hot?” Gavin whispered to Nines.

He shrugged. “Probably not.”

Connor stepped back, and he and Anderson stared at each other like those couples in the dumb rom-coms, like the other was the key to their happiness. Some instinctual part of Gavin had the impulsion to come up with something and make fun of them, but he kept his mouth shut and respected this moment of intimacy and vulnerability he was witnessing. Jesus, Anderson was really serious with this, wasn’t he? He was looking at Connor like the android was precious to him. It was a sight Gavin would have never thought he would see.

Anderson nodded his goodbye toward Gavin and Nines, then walked away. Connor turned around like his feet were barely touching the ground, and Gavin couldn’t help but smile at his happiness.

“And you?” Nines asked. “Do you want us to walk you home?”

“No, I’m just a street away. You go home. We still have to be at the precinct in a few, very short hours.”

Connor hooked his arms around Gavin’s neck. His brain helpfully reminded him Connor’s lips had just been touching Anderson’s when they kissed, but if they were doing this – and they were, apparently – he would have to get used to the weirdness of this thought very quickly.

He hesitated, then hugged Nines goodbye. He was already coming to like the feeling of his unyielding body pressed against his, the weight of his arms around his back. It made him feel small, which he thought he should hate but found he didn’t.

If all of their date nights went that well, they would probably be able to manage it, he thought as he walked the last few meters to his apartment.

Connor and Nines deciphered the logs the day after that. As they had expected, it contained all the information they were looking for. The date at which the androids had been abducted, how many times they had needed to reboot them to turn them back into obedient machines, to whom they had been sold and for how much.

Unsurprisingly, they discovered that the earliest victims had been brought back to the abductors several times. After a few months, every android started to develop signs of deviancy or to recover parts of their memory. Their “owners” then contacted the team of humans. Sometimes, they wanted the android to be rebooted again, other times they just wanted to get rid of their new “slave.” The sight of their victim regaining consciousness probably made them realise they were in danger of being discovered one day. Those androids were then sold to someone else.

Couples, with children or not, single men or women, most buyers were of the same age group, and most importantly, the same social environment. The prices the abductors had asked for the androids were insane, several times what they used to cost before the revolution.

Connor couldn’t wrap his head around it. Why would they pay so much just for someone to clean around their house and cooked their dinner? It would be cheaper to legally hire someone to do it. It meant those people wanted a human-like machine who couldn’t say no. They wanted to keep an android from going deviant, to have a prisoner. That was something he couldn’t understand. Hank told him it was for the best. They had to find out the motives, but they didn’t need to start thinking like the people they arrested.

It was somewhat depressing to discover the abductors had had no shortage of buyers. They had to contact precincts all over the States to ask for their help, but soon there were cops going to fetch every single one of the victims recorded in the logs – even a few whose disappearance had never been reported – and to arrest the humans keeping them prisoner.

“The trials are going to be a mess,” Gavin once commented.

Connor agreed. The main culprits would be charged with abducting, rebooting and selling the victims, but the buyers would also be charged for owning an android – which was illegal since the revolution – and for keeping them against their will. Which meant there would be dozens of people standing trials.

Connor couldn’t help but feel sorry for the victims. Most of them would be returned to their family or friends, and Nines was confident they would eventually be fine, but some of them had been captured six months ago and rebooted several times since then. The possibility of a full recovery was doubtful, and it would take them longer to come back from what they’d been through.

Then they were those who had no family, who weren’t living with anyone when they went missing. They had just been freed by the revolution to be immediately captured again. Connor was more worried for those. They had no one to help them remember who they were, they had nowhere to go.

He called Markus. They would need his help. Connor and Nines explained the situation to him. Markus knew most of the safe spaces created by androids after the revolution, places where the victims would get help and meet people who would listen to them.

“It’s the best we can do,” Hank told him one day he found Connor sitting alone at the precinct, looking dejected as his LED cycled yellow. “At least they won’t be prisoners anymore. They’ll be happier and safer with other androids to help them.”

Still, Connor worried.

He kept in touch with Vincent and some of the others to check up on their progress. According to Adam and Ashley, Vincent still couldn’t remember huge part of his memory – entire weeks were missing – but he knew enough now to realise what had happened to him and, most importantly, to recognise his partners. Things weren’t perfect, but they were relieved to have Vincent back.

When Nines and Connor were certain there weren’t any accomplices or victims they had missed, Fowler finally let the thing go public. They were asked for a press conference. Connor let Nines do it, arguing the confident alpha would present better for the public.

Connor was actually happy to take a few days off a bit after that. The case received a lot of media coverage, it was the only thing people talked about for a while. Connor was relieved to be away from the agitation. Hank and Gavin were left to deal with the fall backs, but he was confident they could take care of things on their own. In any case, Nines and Connor were just a phone call away.

As Connor had anticipated, Nines was at a loss of what to do when they didn’t have to get up in the morning to go to the precinct. Connor too, if he were being honest. He couldn’t remember the last time they’d had time for themselves. In fact, he didn’t think they ever had.

After going deviant, Connor had activated Nines, and then the both of them had spent their first months – of existence for Nines, of freedom for Connor – helping Markus. After that, they’d offered their help to the DPD and had immediately been accepted. They had always had something to do: protecting androids, meeting with politicians, working a case.

Now, they had time and at first, Connor didn’t know what to do with it. At Hank’s urging, he started to spend more time in android-friendly locations, dragging Nines around with him. At first, Connor couldn’t help but look around, as if some android abductor would be there, watching, but then he started to relax. Hank had been right. It was good to meet new people. They needed more friends than just the people they worked with. Some androids were still wary when they recognised the Deviant Hunter, but most of the time his work with Markus and his recent implication in the case were enough for them to realise he was trying to make amend for the hurt he caused in the past.

They spent time with Gavin and Hank as well when they weren’t at the precinct. They would invite Gavin over to their place, or Connor would go visit Hank, with or without Nines. One day, Hank shoved a key in Connor’s hand. He blushed and tripped over his words.

“I don’t know if this is moving too fast. I’m not asking you to come live with me, obviously, it’s just that you’re here pretty often. If you want to come and take care of Sumo when I’m at work, you can. I’m sure he’s gonna be very happy to not be alone all day anymore.”

Connor simply smiled and took the key. After that, Nines and he would come to Hank’s place and walk Sumo at least once a day. The dog seemed happy with this development: he was pretty social and apparently didn’t mind that his new friends were androids.

Other than that, Hank was actually taking things pretty slow with Connor, in Connor’s own opinion. They would kiss and lie on his couch and mess around a bit. Sometimes, Hank’s hands would get lost on his ass, Connor would get away with sliding a hand beneath Hank’s shirt or with rutting a bit against him, but Hank would stop any attempt at going further.

Connor couldn’t help but feel frustrated at that. It was stupid: since that first kiss and the end of their case, it had only been ten days, so he knew they weren’t technically going that slow. But since he’d discovered he could experience desire for humans and since he’d tasted pleasure with Gavin, he felt… well, even more horny. Hank had laughed a bit when Connor had tried to explain it to him and said he could understand, that he’d been just like that as a teen when he had discovered what an orgasm was for the first time.

He told Connor he hadn’t been with anyone in a long time, neither romantically nor sexually. That he had expected he would never be again. He said he needed time to get used to it, to let the reality of this new situation, of their relationship, sink in. Some part of Connor had feared it was because Hank wasn’t sexually attracted to an android, but the lieutenant had assured him that was not the case.

So, Connor tried to be patient and to meet Hank with understanding. He didn’t know all the details of Hank’s struggles in the last few years, but from what he understood, Hank was coming back from a very dark place. If he needed time, Connor would respect that.

He spent time with Gavin too. Sometimes, he would go and spend the night at the detective’s place. It made him feel guilty, like he was leaving Nines behind. He always asked Nines, and the alpha always certified he was fine with it. He didn’t saw it as Gavin and Connor excluding him. In his opinion, they had a right to spend time just the two of them. He also didn’t mind the alone time, or the opportunity to go see the new friends they were making.

Plus, to Connor’s delight, Gavin was opening up more and more to Nines, quicker than he’d expected. It started innocently enough. After that date at the bar, Gavin became more relaxed when Nines was around. He accepted him more easily in his personal space. Connor didn’t even notice it at first, until he realised Gavin wasn’t like that with anyone else at the precinct, not even betas.

It became more flagrant outside of work. Gavin was more opened to casual touches than he used to be. He would grip Nines’ forearm, pat his shoulder, sit closer to him. When they invited him over, he would always hug Nines before leaving.

Connor had never thought it would make him so happy, but it did. Sometimes, he would catch Nines smiling to himself when he thought no one was looking. The thought of Gavin being comfortable and trusting around them, the thought that it brought a sense of joy and pride to Nines, made something huge and warm bubble in his chest.

The last Saturday of their week off, Connor went out of sleep mode and opened his eyes. He was lying in Nines arms. A contented smile immediately appeared on his face. Nines was already awake, the pulsing of his LED indicating he was busy downloading something. When he felt his partner shift against him, his attention snapped back to Connor and he smiled back.

Sleeping together had become a habit of theirs, even more so than it used to be. Now, Connor would join Nines in bed almost every night. Most of the time, they weren’t even interfacing. They would just lay side by side in the dark, talking for hours or simply enjoying each other’s presence in comfortable silence. Sometimes, they would even forget to enter sleep mode altogether.

“Hey, you.”

“Hey,” Connor answer with a happy sigh.

He brought his hand to Nines’ face, and his fingers detailed his features in a languid caress. Nines leaned into him. Connor let out a small sound when their lips met.

That, too, was new. They had always contented themselves with interfacing, but since they’d put words on their relationship, they had discussed what else they both wanted to try. At first, kissing had seemed useless. It was a thing humans did, and they didn’t want to start doing things just because it was what humans expected couples to do.

Connor had quickly realised however that it could be another way of expressing their affection. Interfacing was intense, absolute, it was giving over everything they were to the other. Connor loved it completely, but sometimes simply holding hands was just as good and efficient. It was an easier, more casual way of saying “I’m here, I love you”, and casual didn’t mean the feeling was less important.

They’d both taken to kissing pretty quickly. Connor loved how Nines sometimes wrapped his arms around him to press their bodies together and keep Connor as close as possible, as if Nines didn’t want him to ever leave. It made him feel loved, and the idea was intoxicating.

Connor enjoyed the feeling of Nines’ lips moving against his own, the warmth and familiarity of his body pressed against his. They kissed lazily for a while, until Nines moved to pepper kisses all over Connor’s face. Connor smiled and wrinkled his nose when Nines teasingly grazed the bridge of it with his teeth.

“We need to get up. Gavin will be here soon.”

“What?” Connor mumbled before the words registered. He checked his internal clock. “11:45? This week off was enough to turn me into a lazy android.”

Nines chuckled. He kissed him one last time, then moved to disentangle himself from Connor. The omega whined at the loss of contact.

“Come on.”

Connor thought for a second how nice it would be to just unlock the door to let Gavin in and tell him to come cuddle with them in bed, but the human would probably be hungry. He gathered his strength and got to his feet. As he got dressed, Nines went to the kitchen and quickly threw something together for Gavin’s lunch. They’d started keeping food around for their two humans.

Gavin arrived shortly after. He hugged Nines, then went to kiss Connor. He was wearing his usual deodorant designed to conceal his omega smell, but Connor didn’t need to smell him to catch his stress level, higher than usual. Nines and Connor exchanged a quick glance, confirming to each other they’d both noticed it. Connor tried to brush it off: Gavin had had a shift at the precinct the same morning. Some days were more stressful than others.

He seemed normal enough as he sat down to eat. The two androids sat close to him, and Gavin answered their questions easily. At one point, Connor asked him how things were going at the precinct.

Gavin shrugged.

“Nothing out of the ordinary, really. Fowler won’t give us something big until the fuss around our last case has calmed down. Han… Anderson is gonna have a few days off next week.”

“Yeah, but we’ll be back, so you won’t feel lonely,” Connor said.

“I wasn’t going to feel lonely!” Gavin protested. “I’ve been doing this job without you most of my life.”

“But now, you can’t live without us,” Connor teased.

They playfully fought on the couch for a while. Connor liked that he could tease the detective, and Gavin wouldn’t take it seriously. Gavin retreated to the other end of the couch, pressing himself against Nines.

“Your boyfriend is being mean to me.”

Nines wrapped an arm around his shoulders and kissed the top of his head. He probably did it without even thinking.

“You seem very unhappy indeed,” he said. Gavin tensed at his touch, and Nines noticed it immediately. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“No, it’s fine.” Gavin stopped him before he had time to move away. “It’s okay.”

He was blushing furiously, but he kept leaning against Nines’ side. Connor tried to hide the huge smile on his face.

It was only when Gavin was done eating that his stress level picked up again. He cleared his throat.

“I wanted to talk to you,” he said hesitantly.

Connor’s eyes met Nines’. So, not about work then. Gavin stared at his shoes for a while, and both androids waited patiently.

“I know we already talked about this,” Gavin eventually continued, looking at Nines, “but you said you wanted to be… well, more than friends with me.”

“Yes, but only if you want it too.”

“Do you still feel like that?”

“Yes,” Nines answered honestly.

Connor tried not to get his hopes up too quickly. It would only serve to put pressure on Gavin, and that wasn’t fair on him.

Gavin hesitated.

“I gotta ask. Do you want it because it would be more convenient since we’re both dating Connor, or is it for another reason?”

“I want it because I like you, Gavin.” Nines met Gavin’s eyes, unwavering. His confidence seemed to help Gavin to calm down and the detective smiled.

They hadn’t talked about it since their last date with Hank, and Connor liked that Gavin trusted them enough to bring up the subject on his own.

“Even though I’m not an easy person to be around?”

The two androids frowned at that.

“What do you mean?” they said, almost at the same time.

Gavin shrugged and averted his gaze, clearly uneasy.

“I’m not delusional. I know how much of an asshole I can be, especially in public. Most of the time, I do that because I don’t want people to get close to me, but even in private, even with you, I can be… annoying. Sometimes, I don’t know why I say the things I say. I’m just like that. I’m worried I’ll say something, and you’ll just get fed up with me.”

It was true Gavin hadn’t magically turned into a sweet, shy omega ever since he started dating Connor and seeing Nines. He was more open, true, but there were still times, especially in public, when he was as snarky and abrasive as before. Sometimes, it even seemed like he was purposefully trying to get under their skin, to get a rise out of them.

Nines spoke before Connor had time to figure out what to say.

“Well, it’s true you can be a fucking pain is the ass,” he deadpanned. He was rarely crude, but it always made Gavin snort, and Connor inwardly wondered if it was the real reason Nines occasionally mimicked the detective’s speech. “But Hank isn’t particularly better when he gets cranky, and Connor and I are not good at listening to you or following anyone’s advice when it comes to working at the precinct. Everyone has bad sides, but it’s fine as long as the good outweighs the bad.”

Gavin smiled hesitantly. Nines still had an arm around him. His hand had started slowly stroking Gavin’s shoulder over his clothes. The detective didn’t push him away.

“I don’t mind it as much as you think,” Nines continued. “You say the things you want to say without bothering with tact or social niceties. Those norms are purely human, and most androids don’t care for them, including me. I think they’re a waste of time, and I don’t like not knowing what some humans truly think because they think saying it is not ‘nice.’ It’s especially hard since I spent my first months living with androids, and my creators didn’t focus on my social skills as much as they did Connor. I’m not used to humans’ regular way of expressing themselves. At least with you I know what to expect, and I like that I can be honest with you in return, and you won’t look at me and see me as that weird android who still acts too much like a machine.”

Connor could understand the feeling. Not all the humans they worked with were outwardly hostile. Most of them were just awkward. Connor and Nines were among those androids who didn’t particularly try to fit in: they’d kept their LED, and they talked like androids about android things. Some people they interacted with didn’t know how to react to that. They were used to see them as machines, glorified appliances, and now they weren’t machines anymore, but they weren’t humans either. They were different.

It made Gavin and Hank all the more important to Connor – and, he was sure, to Nines. For all of their bluntness and missteps, they’d never hesitated to address their android nature. Yes, they were different, and sometimes it was good, and other times it hurt, but with Gavin and Hank, they could talk about it. They wouldn’t always understand, but they didn’t try to ignore it, to see them as humans. They listened.

“You act like an android, but it doesn’t mean you don’t have feelings,” Gavin said, and a fond smile appeared on Nines’ face.

“And I like that you can see that.” His arm moved lower to caress the length of Gavin’s arm. “As long as you don’t get tired of us and consciously try to get rid of us by being a dick, it’s not a deal breaker for me.”

Gavin seemed to lean a bit more into Nines’ side. The alpha android offered a teasing smile.

“Is there any particular reason you wanted to talk about this?”

Gavin blushed.

“I might have been thinking about it. We’re getting to know each other more and more, and dating doesn’t seem like such a bad idea now.” He kept looking at the floor, like he was somehow still afraid the androids would make fun of him for opening up.

Nines’ face turned very soft. Connor knew that expression well because most of the time it was directed at him.

“You know, what you said is true for you as well. You don’t have to do this because it would be more convenient.”

Gavin huffed with a hint of exasperation.

“I know. You made that very clear. I don’t have to date you to keep dating Connor. But obviously, there is already some level of ambiguity to this ‘friendship’ and…” Gavin groaned. “If you really want me to spell it out for you, then I like you.” He said it like he resented Nines for it, but the androids both knew how nervous he could get when he had to talk about his feelings. “I like how you respect me, and I like how we work well together and how we get along in private and the more I spend time with you, the less it feels like I appreciate you as a friend. I don’t… like my friends the same way I like you.”

He was blushing furiously by that point. Connor reached out and took his hand to squeeze it encouragingly.

“And what about me being an alpha?” Nines asked carefully.

Gavin squeezed Connor’s hand back. He took a deep breath and just held on to him for a while.

“You’re much more than just an alpha,” he said more calmly. “It’s a part of you, but it’s not the only thing that makes you. I like everything else about you, and I like the alpha part too, a little.”

He looked away. Connor scooted closer to rub his back. He’d brought his legs under him to sit haphazardly on the couch, and his knees were pressed against Gavin’s hip.

“You don’t have to feel ashamed about it,” he said.

“I know, I know,” Gavin answered. “But I can’t help it. It makes me feel weak.”

“I like that Nines and Hank are alphas a lot, and I don’t feel weak for it,” Connor said honestly, and Gavin seemed to relax at that.

“I’m sorry, it’s… weird for me. I swear sometimes I can hear the voice of someone from my family telling me ‘See? I was right and you were wrong. Omegas are supposed to be with alphas.’ That voice is not loud enough for me to back away, though.”

“We can take things slow, you know,” Nines suggested. “If you want to do this, we don’t have to fall head-first into an all-consuming, passionate relationship.” He met Connor’s eyes, and Connor raised his eyebrows at that, but he knew it was said with good humour and fondness, so he let it slide. “We can always discuss and adjust our boundaries as we discover what suits the both of us.”

This seemed to reassure Gavin somewhat.

“I have something to ask, though. If we do this, could we keep it on the down low? At least, for now.”

Nines gave him a sad, compassionate smile.

Nobody at the precinct had reacted at Connor’s privilege, which consisted of being able to talk to Gavin and to get a somewhat polite response out of him. As far as he knew, there weren’t any rumours about them. In the meantime, two omegas being friendly with each other rarely raised any eyebrows. Things wouldn’t be so easy for Gavin and Nines.

“Yes, of course.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just-”

Nines interrupted him by squeezing his shoulder.

“It’s alright, I promise. We don’t want this to get to Fowler’s ears anyway.”

Gavin gave a thankful nod.

They picked up on a lighter subject of conversation, even if Connor could still feel the tension between Gavin and Nines. It wasn’t a bad tension, however. It was full of stolen glances and awkward smiles. Connor couldn’t help the bubbling joy he felt at this new development. The thought that he got to share this happiness with Nines and Gavin made it even sweeter.

When it was time for Gavin to leave, Connor kissed him goodbye then moved away to give the other two a bit of privacy. He tried not to listen as they spoke in hushed whispers but couldn’t help but overhear Nines telling Gavin how much it meant for him that Gavin had been willing to have this conversation and to take this step.

His smile almost hurt his face when Nines bent down to kiss Gavin, oh so delicately.

Gavin huffed.

“I’m not made of glass.” He gripped Nines’ shirt to keep him where he was and kissed him more firmly.

Gavin left with a last nod toward Connor.

Chapter Text

Their dating life didn’t change much after that. Most of the time, Connor, Nines and Gavin would go out together when Hank was busy with something else. In the same manner, Gavin knew that when he was working overtime at the precinct, or going out with his friends, his boyfriends were spending time with Hank. He didn’t want to know the specific details, but Connor always told him when they were seeing the lieutenant, and Gavin liked that it was important for them to make sure he was still ok with it.

It was rare for the four of them to go out together, especially in the beginning. Gavin thought they were all secretly worried old grudges would resurface at the worst moment possible and Anderson and he would end up ruining the evening. That was what he feared, at least.

And when they did went out together, there were moments of awkwardness sprinkled in the middle. Gavin and Anderson would sort of ignore each other and rarely interact, and when they did, it was quick, superficial, with short and uneasy eye contact.

Granted, every new interaction was easier than the last. Gavin kept expecting something: a slip of word, a poor phrasing, some aggression to be betrayed by a tone of voice, but it didn’t happen, and as it kept not happening, he started to wonder if Hank was expecting the same thing from him. If he was, then as long as none of them decided to be the first one to mess up, it would be fine.

After one of those dates, Gavin asked Connor and Nines to go home with him. He said it in a casual tone, but watched Hank from the corner of his eye, fearing a bad reaction. The older alpha didn’t seem to mind, though.

“I know my way back to my own house,” he assured Connor with a wink, then he kissed him lightly.

He hugged Nines goodbye. Each time those two touched, Gavin wondered how long they intended to keep the friendly charade going. Alphas didn’t hug like that, not when they were friends, with their bodies pressed together from head to toe and their hands wandering unchecked on each other’s back and waist. He was sure he saw Hank taking a whiff of Nines’ smell by “accidently” bringing his nose closer to his neck than was necessary.

Hank gave Gavin a pat on the shoulder, then wandered off. Connor slid his hand into Gavin’s and the three of them walked back to Gavin’s apartment in comfortable silence. He hadn’t had the androids over since he’d decided to take his relationship with Nines to the next level, and he couldn’t help but feel nervous. Once again, he had to remind himself his nervousness came from his imagination and not reality.

As soon as they were in the elevator going up to his floor, Connor pushed him against a wall and took his lips in a heated kiss. Gavin clung to him, bringing his body closer. Connor was never shy about his desire, about how much he wanted Gavin. He never tired of it. He loved how it made him feel wanted. Connor was eager to experience everything life could give him, and he didn’t care about human taboos around some subjects, or the kind of behaviour that was expected from omegas.

He realised the elevator had stopped when Connor stepped back and tugged him by the hand. He had a huge, satisfied smile, probably due to Gavin’s dazed expression. As Connor pulled him toward his own door, he couldn’t help but search Nines’ gaze, expecting some awkwardness, but the alpha didn’t seem put off by their display of affection. He never was: he had never manifested uneasiness or anger when they kissed in front of him, and now that he was dating Gavin as well, he expected things to become even more intimate.

Gavin’s flat was as silent and as messy as always. It wasn’t dirty by any mean, but he tended to forget to put things back in cupboards or wardrobes where they usually belonged. He took off his jacket and threw it on the nearest chair, before inviting the androids to do the same. He looked around, thought to offer them a drink but realised he didn’t have any of those weird liquids they could consume. He made a mental note to buy some.

When he turned around, the two androids were staring at each other, their LED cycling fast.

“What’s up?”

It wasn’t unusual for them to have entire conversations in their heads, forgetting humans couldn’t hear them – or talk that fast. Nines turned toward him, with that fond expression that seemed to melt all the hard edges of his face and made Gavin’s stomach feel weird.

“I was telling Connor you two can go in your room. I don’t mind.”

It took Gavin a second to realise what Nines was suggesting. Connor was looking at him as well, questioning. Would he be ready to have sex with Connor while Nines was close enough to hear? It didn’t seem ideal, but not for the reasons the androids were most likely fearing.

“Or we don’t have to have sex,” Connor added, sensing Gavin’s hesitation. “We can just hang out together.”

“You could join us,” Gavin suggested before he could overthink it. “Only if you want to. I know you don’t feel the need, and if you don’t want to have sex, now or never, that’s perfectly fine. I’m just saying you don’t have to stay alone on the couch because you think you won’t be welcomed. You are.”

They had talked about it. The first thing Nines had said had been that Gavin didn’t need to pressure himself into having sex with an alpha if he didn’t want to. Nines didn’t feel like a relationship needed sex to be romantic. He was curious to know what it would feel like, and he was open to have it as another way to spend time with his partners and make them happy, but it wasn’t the only way through which he could achieve that, and he didn’t have this kind of desire himself.

Nines’ eyes searched Gavin’s face. He waited for the alpha to protest, to say he didn’t have to force himself – as if Gavin ever would – but it didn’t come. Nines knew him well enough by now to read his expressions and to realise Gavin would only suggest something like that if he was sure of himself.

Eventually, Nines walked to him. His hands slid around his waist and he brought Gavin closer to him.

“I’m happy you trust me like that,” he breathed close to his ear, as he pressed his face into his hair.

Gavin’s first instinct was to roll his eyes – it wasn’t that big of a deal. At the same time, he couldn’t help but smile.

“You would be ok with it?” Nines asked, turning to Connor.

Unsurprisingly, the omega android was smiling from ear to ear.

“Of course.”

Gavin had already had lovers – betas and omegas. He’d never done it with an alpha however, and truth be told, he’d never had a threesome either, so this would be a first in many ways.

Connor led the way to the bedroom. He’d been there a couple of times now and was familiar with Gavin’s flat. As he went around the room to turn on the lamp on the bedside table, Nines faced Gavin, looking like he had no idea what to do and didn’t dare to take the first step. Gavin would have none of that.

He tugged at his shirt and Nines immediately bent down to meet him halfway. Connor had told Gavin Nines liked kissing a lot since he and Connor had started doing it. Sometimes, Gavin would catch Nines staring at him with something akin to longing: his hands would hover over Gavin’s skin, like he wanted to touch him but was scared Gavin would get overwhelmed and push him away.

Gavin couldn’t blame him for that. There were still times where physical touch didn’t come naturally to him, where the voice at the back of his head would remind him that if anyone were to see him with Nines in that way it would only fuel their perception of Gavin as weak and in need of an alpha. But he liked and trusted Nines, and he had made the choice to act on his feelings so he would change his own habits and he would cross the distance himself until Nines understood it was okay.

As they kissed, Gavin took one step forward to stand as close as possible. Nines’ heat was sipping through his clothes, spreading to Gavin. He was as solid and unyielding as a wall and something primitive in Gavin purred in delight when strong arms closed around him, effectively trapping him. Gavin was slowly learning to make peace with that part of himself that had internalised all the toxic narratives around omegas. Nines’ strength made him feel safe and in that private moment he absolutely loved it, but it didn’t mean he wouldn’t be able to kick ass at work the very next day.

Nines’ tongue explored his mouth like he never wanted to do anything else. Gavin felt his own temperature rising, and his smell started to betray his awakening arousal. He relaxed his grip on Nines’ shirt to allow his hands to travel across his chest. Even through the fabric, he was able to follow the outlines of his muscles, a synthetic manifestation of the inhuman strength of his metal skeleton.

One by one, he undid Nines’ buttons. At the same time, the alpha’s hands slid under his shirt. Gavin could sense some hesitation in the way his fingers grazed the small of his back. A shiver ran up his spine at the barely there contact.

Nines broke the kiss.

“Is this okay?”

Gavin smiled.

“Yes.”

“If I do something you don’t like-”

“You too,” Gavin interrupted. “This goes both ways: don’t force yourself to do something you don’t want to just for our sake.”

Nines’ shirt came undone, and Gavin stroked the nearly flawless skin underneath. He kissed him again, just for a second, just because staying away from Nines already felt like a hardship.

“You know, I’m here because I want to,” he whispered into the space between them. “I really want you to touch me.” It was important for him that Nines understood that. He wasn’t forcing himself to tolerate him for Connor’s sake. He wanted him.

Nines nodded, and his shoulders relaxed under Gavin’s hands. He shrugged off his shirt, letting it fall to the ground, then went to kiss him again.

Gavin liked how soft-spoken and caring Nines was in private, but he also liked the confident and straight-forward Nines from work, and he wouldn’t mind seeing more of him during intimate moments like these. He could handle being roughed up a bit, after all. So, when Nines bent down to hook his hands under Gavin’s thighs and lift him in the air like he weighted nothing, he gasped but wrapped his arms around his shoulders and clung to him.

His arousal spiked up at the display of strength and his dick started to fill in his pants. Nines turned around and lowered him down on the bed. Gavin fell with a quiet “humph” when his back hit the mattress. He tensed, partly from instinctual surprise, partly from desire, his heart hammering in his chest. Nines crawled on all fours on top of him but seemed to notice it.

“Too much?” he asked.

“Are you okay?” a voice intervened at the same time.

A hand squeezed Gavin’s shoulder reassuringly. When he turned his eyes, he discovered Connor kneeling on the other side of the bed, right behind his head. The sneaky bastard had already taken off his shirt and unbuttoned his jeans as Gavin and Nines were distracted with each other.

“I’m fine.”

He forced the muscles that had locked at being thrown around unexpectedly to relax. Damn the androids and their capacity to scan his vitals every two seconds. They would have to learn that a high blood pressure and an erratic breathing didn’t always mean fear.

They seemed to accept his answer. Nines lowered himself to kiss and stroke his chest, while Connor bent down to share a kiss with him. The angle was weird, with Connor’s chin hitting his nose, but the android snuck his tongue in his mouth all the same, and Gavin met him eagerly.

Nines and Gavin’s little display hadn’t left Connor indifferent: his smell was already heavy with arousal, and it hit Gavin right in the gut. His body answered in kind and the kiss turned dirty as he hungrily sucked on Connor’s tongue. It was clumsy and impractical, but he raised a hand to grip Connor’s hair and keep him close. He was already addicted to the softness of his skin and the taste of his mouth so much it almost hurt.

He distractingly felt Nines’ hands unzipped his jeans, his fingers grazing the skin of his lower belly. The muscles of his stomach contracted in desire. When Nines tugged the garment down, he moved his hips to help him. Connor chose the same moment to break the kiss and move away. Gavin let out an embarrassing noise in protest, close to a whine.

Connor didn’t give him time to cringe about it. He hooked his fingers under the hem of Gavin’s shirt.

“Come on, help me here.”

Gavin tried to sit up, but in truth the androids didn’t need his help. They were strong enough to do whatever they wanted with him and to move his body however they pleased. Before he had time to understand what was happening, Connor had taken off his shirt and Nines had pulled his pants all the way down, taking his underwear with it. Gavin found himself naked in bed, trapped between the two men eyeing him hungrily.

“It’s a bit unfair of you to team up against me, don’t you think?”

Nines pressed his palm on his chest and Gavin suddenly realised how big his hands were. With a teasing grin, Nines gave him a firm push and forced him to lie back down.

“You seem very unhappy indeed.”

He spread Gavin’s legs to kneel between them, throwing a meaningful look to his half-hard dick, rapidly growing to full attention. His body had less qualms than his mind about letting go and enjoying himself fully: when his head was still worried something would go wrong or his insecurities would get the better of him, his body was more than impatient to get on with it.

The mattress moved under him when Connor got off the bed. Gavin heard him opening a drawer and rummaging around. He had half a mind to turn around to see what he was doing but found himself hypnotised by the way Nines’ hands were stroking his inner thighs.

His fingers weren’t hesitant now, pressing firmly into the skin. He wasn’t afraid Gavin would get overwhelmed and back away anymore. Gavin could feel his own muscles tensing at the touch. His nerves were coming alive as Nines stroked up his thighs and stopped inches away from his groin.

The alpha’s eyes were following the movements of his own hands on Gavin’s skin. He was beautiful like that, shirtless, his perfect hair slightly ruffled and his jeans hanging low on his hips. Gavin wished so hard it would slide lower and give him a hint of what was underneath.

Nines looked up at Connor. His LED blinked a few times in the dim light, and he extended a hand to take what Connor passed to him over the bed. Lube.

“Remember I can’t hear you when you don’t use your mouth,” Gavin said.

Nines met his eyes.

“Connor would like to perform penetrative sex on you. Since I’m conveniently placed, he was wondering if I would like to prepare you for him. Only if you’re amenable, of course.”

Gavin blinked.

“Somehow, I can’t decide if the way you talk is making me less horny, or more.”

Nines frowned and opened his mouth at the same time.

“Well, I-”

“Less talking,” Connor interrupted, impatience slipping into his voice.

Gavin stifled a smile at that.

“Okay but let me move.”

Nines backed away to allow him to sit up and rearranged himself on the bed, until he was properly positioned with his head under the headboard. He moved his own pillows under his back and shoulders to lay in a more comfortable position.

Nines climbed on after him, all graceful limbs and fluid movements. He slid between Gavin’s legs, only taking his eyes off of him when Connor put a hand on his chest. Nines turned to his omega with a questioning gaze. Without a word, Connor leaned over the bed to take his lips in a kiss. His hand stroke up Nines’ neck to cup his jaw. Nines’ face relaxed immediately, and he angled his head to deepen the kiss – and that was just the hottest thing Gavin had ever seen.

Unable to take his eyes away, he bit his lips as if he could feel their kiss on them. He hardly noticed his own hand moving down his body to grip his painful erection and give it a semblance of relief. Connor sighed audibly when Nines’ tongue slipped into his mouth. Gavin didn’t miss a thing, not the way their chins moved as they teased each other, nor the little wet noises of their lips smacking together, or how Nines seemed to lean somewhat unconsciously toward his omega, eyes closed, getting as close as possible.

“You two are wearing way too many clothes,” he complained when they broke apart.

If they didn’t get a move on, he would embarrass himself before any of them had time to touch him.

Connor smiled at him and finally took off his pants. He was already hard and leaking, and Gavin’s mouth watered at the sight. He extended a hand. Connor grabbed it, and Gavin tugged until the android went to lie down on the bed next to him. His LED was cycling like crazy. Gavin’s hand moved on its own to cup his face and bring it to his own. His thumb stroked Connor’s cheek, which was already a pretty blue, as he desperately opened his mouth to taste him. Gavin groaned in pleasure and relief when the now familiar tongue met his own.

He heard the cap of the lube, and a hand pushed his own away from his groin. He bucked his hips helplessly, knowing what was to come, but Nines squeezed his thigh to get his attention.

“Gavin, do I have your consent for this?”

He reluctantly took his lips away from Connor’s just long enough to breath out a hurried “yes, yes please,” right before Connor took his bottom lip to suck it eagerly between his own.

Gavin loved to spend hours making out with Connor. He couldn’t help but feel impossibly turned on like a teenager after a few minutes only. Connor was always over-excited and enthusiast about everything he did, and Gavin found it communicative, his body responding with an impatience of his own.

It was hard for Gavin to share his focus between Connor’s demanding kiss and Nines’ movements. He was only human after all. He lost track of what Nines was doing for a few seconds until a warm hand briefly teased his erection. He took a sharp intake of breath, his lips and tongue growing clumsy which allowed Connor to take over the kiss. The hand left him to be soon replaced by lubricated fingers sliding under his balls.

“Shit,” Gavin mumbled between sloppy kisses.

His back arched slightly when the deft fingers traced the underside of his balls, before making their way lower. Nines spread a generous amount of lube around his entrance.

As an omega – and helplessly turned on as he was – he was already getting wet down there, an instinctual response of his body. Early on in his twenties however, he’d learned a bit of extra lubrication could never hurt. They’d bought lube when he and Connor had started experimenting on the different things they could do, and it had always been put into good use.

Gavin groaned when a long finger – longer than Connor’s, he noted idly – slid into him. His walls clenched instinctively around the intrusion and pleasure shot up his spine. His hand tightened around Connor’s jaw. Distracted as he was, waiting for Nines’ next touch, he could only keep his mouth open and let Connor do whatever he wanted with him, his lips clumsily answering from time to time.

Nines’ finger moved slowly at first, then with more confidence. It explored Gavin’s inside, spreading lube and learning quickly how much he could take. In the meantime, Connor’s hand stroked lazily down his chest. His fingers teased a nipple, thread though his chest hair, traced his muscles. With a sigh, Connor pressed his neglected erection into Gavin’s hip.

Gavin turned his head away and blindly extended a hand.

“Nines, give me the… give me the…” Shit, how breathless he already sounded. Those two would fry his fucking brain without even trying.

Luckily, Nines understood and pressed the bottle of lube into his palm. Gavin closed his fingers around it. He managed to open it and squeeze some into his hand, embarrassed by the minute shivers weakening his arms.

He abandoned the bottle somewhere in the sheets and wrapped his fingers around Connor’s hard length. The android bucked into him with a groan. His LED flashed yellow – Gavin had come to learn it could be a good thing in situations like these. He tightened his grip and stroked him from base to tip, twisting his wrist. Connor’s hips pushed into his fist, a movement he didn’t fully control, as his nails dug into Gavin’s skin. He absolutely loved when Connor’s inhuman focus melted away and he reacted on instinct, did whatever felt good at the moment without thinking about it.

He brought his face closer to his again, to feel his pants on his lips, then to swallow his first moans. Connor eagerly kissed back, sucking on his lips and tongue. The noises he was making turned obscene as Connor tongued into his mouth, open-mouthed and wet. Gavin didn’t mind a second how clumsy it all was as long as he could keep tasting Connor. The smell of their mix arousal was so heavy now he could almost feel it coating his tongue.

His teeth bumped into Connor’s when his whole body jerked as Nines slid a second finger into him. The alpha slowed his movements.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes,” he moaned in answer, deciding not to care about how hoarse he sounded. “Please, don’t stop.”

He kept stroking Connor’s dick, his fist slicked with lube. His fingers explored the details he already knew and didn’t tire off, the artificial veins and the girth of him. The stuttering sway of Connor’s hips, the way he was pushing into him as if he were trying to contain himself but couldn’t, made his heart beat faster in his chest.

Nines’ fingers sunk deeper into him, helped by Gavin’s muscles which tightened on their own to keep them inside. He and Connor had done this regularly enough as of late that the sensation felt familiar and welcomed. He grew accustomed to the stretch easily enough and pushed down into Nines’ hand. The alpha took the hint and moved his fingers. He pushed them in deeper, dragged them out slowly, firmly pressing into his inner walls or spreading them to open him more. Gavin moaned, something long and indulgent, as his hips twitched involuntarily.

With the precision of a surgeon, Nines found his prostate almost immediately. He teased around it, rubbed at it, then abandoned it to stretch his entrance or push deeper into him, before coming back to it and pressing it firmly. He kept going at it, until the nerves came alive in short bursts of pleasure that gradually turned into a demanding, tingling tightness that spread to all his body.

He was too good at this for someone who’d never done it before. Gavin couldn’t help but wonder on how many fucking forums he currently was, how much information on the subject he was gathering and downloading directly into his brain without even needing to take the time to read.

The muscles of his stomach had gone so taut they were trembling under Connor’s hand. Sweat had broken over his body; it slicked his hair to his forehead as he felt impossibly hot. He’d lost control of his thighs which were twitching uncontrollably around Nines still kneeling between them. His hips were pushing into his hand as his pants turned into moans. His own slick – which he was sure he was producing more and more of – mixed with the lube, was dripping around Nines’ fingers and down the cleft of his ass.

His dick was so hard it was painful. Connor wasn’t helping as his hand kept teasing Gavin, going down, down, down to his lower belly before coming back up, never touching him where he needed the most. For a second, he thought he was as desperate as when he was in heat. He knew objectively he was wrong, but he hadn’t had a real heat in years thanks to his suppressants, so he’d forgotten how it truly felt.

And then his mind, unbidden, tried to imagine what it would be like to go off his suppressants for a while and go into heat with those two. How they would make sure he was safe and taken care of, how they would satiate his needs… He’d never liked going into heat. It made him feel too vulnerable and taking care of it on his own was almost painful. He’d never trusted anyone enough to even fantasize about sharing that moment with them. But with Connor and Nines, it didn’t seem as scary.

His thoughts only served to make him hornier.

His hand had slowed down on Connor as he was too distracted by Nines. The android interlaced his fingers with Gavin’s to make him take on a better rhythm. His LED was settling on gold now, with only brief flashes of blue here and there. He’d stopped kissing Gavin’s mouth to explore his face with his lips instead, following his cheeks, his nose, barely grazing his eyelids. Gavin leaned into the touch. His lips were amazingly soft. Gavin always wondered how they’d managed to make androids’ skin indistinguishable from a human’s – why they’d even bothered.

He kept his eyes closed when those lips travelled down to his neck, then he felt a nose press into the skin just below his ear and Connor inhaled deeply. Gavin’s body arched on his own. Something primitive in him wanted Connor to scent him, wanted to grip his hair to keep him close so Gavin could bury his face in his neck as well.

Nines took the opportunity to slide in another finger. Gavin would have been embarrassed at how hungrily his body accepted it if he still had it in him to care. His trembling thighs opened wider, his hips angled themselves to feel him better. He was yearning to have more, deeper, faster.

He forced himself to remain patient as long as he could – which was really an exploit for him – to enjoy Nines’ ministrations with the knowledge that it would only make what was to come even more pleasurable. Eventually, though, the teasing on his prostate wasn’t enough anymore.

“If someone doesn’t fuck me right now, I swear I’ll deactivate both of you,” he positively growled into Connor’s skin.

The omega snorted in amusement.

“Right.” He stopped the movements of Gavin’s hand on himself, then turned to his alpha counterpart. “I’m sure we’ve tortured him enough.”

Instead of answering, Nines slowly spread his fingers as far as they would go. Gavin’s back arched in pleasure and an audible sigh escaped him. Nines seemed satisfied by this reaction.

“He seems ready to me.”

Gavin couldn’t tell if Nines was teasing him or if he was genuinely concerned for his comfort and didn’t realise how much the careful preparation was killing him. His face didn’t betray any mischievous intent, but Gavin knew him enough to know his controlled expressions weren’t always reliable indicators. Maybe it was a bit of both.

Nines removed his fingers, mindful to not hurt him, and Gavin’s muscles desperately clenched around nothing. He wanted them back so bad he nearly begged, but he knew he could have something more satisfying if his lovers could just get a move on.

Nines and Connor exchanged one glance, along with the tell-tale flicker of their LEDs. This time, though, Gavin didn’t need to remind them to speak aloud. Connor sit up next to him to get a better look at his face.

“I have an idea, but only if you agree.”

“What is it?”

“I would like to interface with Nines while I fuck you,” Connor deadpanned. “You have to understand what that entails: he would get all the information I get – feel what I feel. For him, it would feel like he was inside you too. We’re not sure if he would be able to achieve orgasm like that, because the information we found online are contradictory, but we’re both pretty curious to try it. If you don’t want to, though, you can say no.”

Gavin hesitated as he waited for his brain to get back on track and catch up. He didn’t exactly understand what “interfacing” was, or at least what it felt like, even though the two androids had already explained it to him. It was something only androids could do, and Gavin doubted it could compare to anything humans could experience.

What Connor was describing didn’t sound so bad, however. He wanted Nines to enjoy this as well, and if they wanted to do that by exploring sexual possibilities specific to androids, he was all for it. They weren’t human: it wasn’t a surprise that the way they had sex could diverse from human practices. He wanted them to feel safe exploring everything their bodies and components allowed, to know Gavin wasn’t freaked out by it.

“Yeah. Alright. We can do that.”

Connor gave him a blinding smile, highlighted by the blue on his cheeks. He leaned down to kiss Gavin, slow and indulging, like Gavin’s taste was something he wanted to linger on his tongue.

Connor took his arm to make him sit up as well. Gavin followed obediently, letting his partners place him however they wanted him. He felt out of depth there, not knowing exactly what they had in store for him, but trusting them, nonetheless.

When Nines moved up the bed, Gavin stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. He used the other to cup his face, then stretched his neck to kiss him. Nines answered easily. His hands wrapped around Gavin’s back as their mouths slotted together and their tongues met. For a moment, Gavin forgot about his own desire burning through his veins. He simply enjoyed the kiss, the feeling of Nines’ face right against his own and his calm, simulated breathing on his cheek.

Nines wasn’t at all like he’d have imagined an alpha in bed. He wasn’t demanding, dominating, inconsiderate of Gavin’s wants. Even his mother, as keen as she was on having him find a proper alpha, had warned him against the behaviour of some of them. But Nines wasn’t some random stranger. He could probably throw Gavin around and pin him to the mattress, and Gavin would still feel safe, because he knew if he said no Nines would stop immediately. He knew he would always have control, and his partners would never hurt him.

“Take off your pants,” he demanded against Nines’ lips.

Nines left the bed to comply, and Gavin felt some dark satisfaction burning low in his gut at the sight of this strong alpha obeying him without question. Even Connor froze and licked his lips, his eyes glued to Nines’ hips as he unbuttoned his jeans and let it fall to the ground. His underwear followed quickly. Gavin’s mouth watered when his dick sprang free.

Alphas were usually big, and the team that had worked on him had decided to give him all the standard features of his gender. Even for his dick, someone had thought he needed to be perfect. It made Gavin wondered if one of the engineers was just a complete pervert, or what the fuck they had envisioned Nines would need to do to accomplish his original purpose. In any case, Gavin was happy the revolution allowed Nines – and every other android – to reclaim his body and do whatever he pleased with it.

“Come on,” Connor said, voice just a little bit strain, and Nines climbed back in bed with them.

Nines sat down with his back leaning against the headboard. Gavin naturally found his place between his spread legs. Nines wrapped his arms around his torso and encouraged him to press his back against his chest. Gavin sighed contentedly at being surrounded by his lover’s skin like that.

The layer of synthetic muscles cushioning his back was just thick enough he didn’t have the feeling of lying on a hard, plastic surface. Nines wasn’t as burning hot as a human would be, but he was warm enough to feel alive. His chest was moving with his regular breathing and his hard length, trapped under the small of Gavin’s back, twitched when the omega backed his hips up against it.

Gavin almost growled at that. It made him feel ravenous, but he wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted. He felt small with Nines’ frame encompassing his own, but in a good way. Some part of him felt relieved at this realisation: he’d been scared he would end up freaking out and have to ask his lovers to stop. Obviously, his worry had been unfounded.

Connor came to lay between Gavin’s thighs. He had to press their chests snug together and stretch his neck to be able to kiss Nines above his shoulder. The sounds of their moving mouths so close to his ear made his stomach contract in desire. Unable to control himself, he raised a hand to cup Connor’s jaw, so as soon as he was done kissing Nines, Gavin angled his face toward him and captured his lips in turn. It was probably his imagination, but he had the impression he could taste Nines in the other omega’s mouth, and it made him shove his tongue against Connor’s with even more enthusiasm, eager to have more of it.

When Connor leaned back, blue had settled more firmly on his cheeks. He stared at Gavin for a handful of seconds, his eyes travelling around his face and down to his chest with something hungry in them. One of his hands pushed against Gavin’s thigh to open him more. The other stroked his own dick once, making sure the lube Gavin’s fingers had left there was evenly spread.

Gavin instinctively angled his hips toward him. Nines planted a kiss on his temple, then another, then he nuzzled the side of his face, incredibly tender in his ministrations, and Gavin leaned his head into the touch.

Carefully, Connor aligned himself with his entrance, then pushed passed the first ring of muscle. He slid in easily enough, and Gavin clenched around the familiar size of him with a helpless moan, the tightness in his muscles not entirely unpleasant. Nines’ hands on his chest stroke down to his thighs, which he gripped firmly to keep them open. Gavin’s legs twitched in answer, testing the resistance. Of course, Nines could overpower him easily, and Gavin found himself unable to move, to do anything else than take Connor in and stay wide open for him.

It was incredibly hot: his body arched in the feeling, his head tipped over Nines shoulder. The alpha’s nose slid from his cheek down to his neck and inhaled his scent, right where it was the strongest. It awoke something delirious in the most primitive part of his omega brain.

Connor’s hips pressed into his own as he bottomed out. Gavin looked up into his face with hazy eyes. His trembling hands settled on Connor’s back, his nails digging into the artificial skin as if that could bring him closer. His jaw was taut in pleasure, and his LED had turned completely golden.

“Good?”

“Yes,” Gavin answered with an eager nod.

He couldn’t decide between keeping eye contact with Connor or stretching his neck to the side to accommodate Nines’ nose and lips. His face was burning hot. The combined smells of the two androids were all around him, and he wondered distractingly if he ever felt hornier in his life.

Connor gave a slow thrust, drawing back then pushing all the way back in with a roll of his hips, making sure Gavin was relaxed enough for him to move without causing pain. Gavin sighed audibly. His legs tried to close on their own around Connor’s hips, but Nines kept them in place. He would have bruises the next morning, but he didn’t care as long as he could feel Nines’ strength around him. The thought that this alpha could easily dominate him but that a single word from Gavin would hold him back was intoxicating.

“Nines, give me your hand,” Connor demanded.

Gavin mourned the loss of contact when one of Nines’ hands left him. He raised it to catch Connor’s and they intertwined their fingers in the air between them.

Gavin watched with rapt attention as their skin peeled back and the white chassis appeared. Connor never showed his “real” appearance on purpose. It had happened on accident a few times during sex: part of his skin had melted away where Gavin was holding him, as if he wanted to feel him closer. He had looked embarrassed about it every time and had reactivated his skin immediately, despite Gavin assuring him he didn’t care. It was like some part of him was worried Gavin would freak out and not find him attractive anymore. He guessed they all had their own insecurities, but he truly hoped Connor would feel comfortable enough with him one day to not feel embarrassed anymore.

Gavin saw their grip tightened around each other’s hand and suddenly, Nines let out a long moan. Gavin felt it vibrating against his back. Nines bucked helplessly into him, pushing him into Connor, and his leaking erection dragged across his skin. Connor bit his lips and closed his eyes.

Connor had once explained to him that interfacing was an intense experience, that it brought some form of pleasure to them, that wasn’t exactly physical but was still pleasure all the same. Apparently, the information they were sending one another, along with the intimacy of interfacing were a lot for his lovers. Gavin hungrily watched the pure pleasure blooming on Connor’s face. He couldn’t help but moan as well, as if he too could share in the feeling.

After a while of just panting and clinging to each other, the two androids seemed to regain some composure. Connor opened his eyes to meet Gavin’s.

“Feels good?”

Connor nodded.

Gavin turned his head. There was no way he would be able to see Nines’ eyes at this angle, so he contented himself with pressing the side of his face into Nines’, while the alpha kissed his jaw and nuzzled into him.

“I can feel you around Connor,” Nines breathed, and there was a growl in his words that awoke goosebumps all over Gavin’s skin. “As if you were around me.”

As if he wanted to prove it, Connor rolled his hips experimentally and both androids gave a very similar sounding groan. Gavin sighed and twitched around him.

“Is it okay for you too?” Connor asked.

Gavin nodded in answer, not trusting his voice. Maybe Connor was still worried he would be put off by this display of their android difference, but it was quite the contrary, really. The idea that both of his lovers would take pleasure from his body was more of a turn on than anything else.

Connor smiled happily. He bent down to share a kiss, and Gavin opened his mouth eagerly. He moaned when Connor started moving again. He thrusted slowly at first, but regularly, and his hips pushed Gavin into Nines. The movement was familiar now, the slow built of pleasure, Connor’s warmth and his perfect skin sliding against his, never breaking a sweat.

It felt entirely new at the same time.

Nines’ strong chest and arms were maintaining him in the same position. Their combined heat would have felt stifling if Gavin were still able to care. Instead, he relished in the feeling of being surrounding by his lovers, of breathing their scent and meeting naked skin everywhere his hands went.

Connor fucked him with precision, his cock grazing right where he needed it every time. Gavin’s legs trembled on their own at the shots of pleasure coursing up his belly and his spine. Right behind him, Nines’ chest was pushing into his back at each breath he took. There was no space left between them. The alpha was swaying his hips in rhythm with Connor, like he too was fucking Gavin, and that was probably what it felt like for him. Gavin made a point of pushing back against him, so Nines had something to rut against.

Connor was as vocal as he always was, moans spilling from his mouth into Gavin’s who swallowed them eagerly. He absolutely loved it, loved hearing his lover’s enthusiasm and seeing him enjoy himself.

Nines wasn’t as loud, but he was close enough that Gavin could hear his pants right into his ear and feel his groans against his skin. Even though they expressed it in a different way, he seemed to react to Connor’s pleasure as if it were his own. Gavin also hoped the pressure on his dick, trapped between their bodies, stimulated him in some way and that this pleasure piled on top of everything else and was in turn pass down to Connor through their bond.

Eyes closed, Gavin loved to feel Nines mouthing into his neck, but when the alpha opened his mouth to graze his teeth against his skin, that was when he completely lost it. He moaned loudly, as if that contact was somehow the most erotic thing of the entire situation and bucked helplessly against Connor. In answer, the omega android fucked him faster, harder, hitting his prostate with force and purpose.

Nines growled a thread of obscenities into Gavin’s ear, feeling for himself how he’d twitched around Connor. Gavin secretly loved it when Nines swore out loud, because to the android’s own admission, he’d started doing it only after he’d met Gavin.

Gavin moaned and bit his lips. His entire body felt taut from the growing pleasure. His scrambling hand fell on top of the androids’ joined ones. They’d lowered them on the mattress, still holding on to each other, their arms white to the elbow. Gavin gripped them involuntarily when a sharp outburst of pleasure made the muscles in his body tense.

A second later, the thought occurred to him that maybe it was inappropriate, and they didn’t want him to touch them there when they were interfacing.

“I’m sorry,” he forced out between his pants, taking his hand away.

Connor smiled fondly.

“It’s okay. You can touch if you want.”

Gavin smiled back. He stroked Connor’s forearm, touching his naked chassis like he’d never dare to, then he held onto their joined hands. Connor watched him with hooded eyes. The part of him that was still able to think briefly regretted he would never be able to interface with them, then the demanding pleasure coursing through his system came back at the forefront of his mind and he tipped his head back with a moan.

Nines took the opportunity to suck a bruise on his neck. A violent shiver wracked Gavin’s frame.

“Please, please,” he panted, not knowing what he even was begging for.

Nines’ free arm wrapped around him. His hand slid across his sweating skin, then wrapped around his dick, trapped between Connor’s belly and his own. Gavin let out a moan louder than the others, almost a scream.

“Fuck,” he swore through gritted teeth as Nines started stroking him, his fingers tight enough around him to feel pleasurable but not painful. Once again, it was like he was an expert on the subject.

“Does it feel good?” Nines asked, then he nipped his ear as his own dick pushed into the small of Gavin’s back.

“Yes. Shit,” he added when Nines focused on the sensitive head of his erection. And then, because he couldn’t help himself: “Is it good for you, too? Please, tell me it feels good for you.”

“Of course.”

A part of Gavin relished in the knowledge he had satisfied the alpha. It was dark and primitive, and he knew there was a chance he would freak out later and feel ashamed about it, but at that moment he raised his free hand above his head to thread his fingers through Nines’ hair and grip them tightly. Nines didn’t complain about the rough pull and sucked on his neck again.

Gavin closed his eyes and took it all in. The movement of Connor’s hips, the stimulation of his prostate and the way his dick stretched him, the feel of his weight on top of him and his pants on his face. Nines’ warm hand on his erection, the push of his hips against his back, his arm around him and his mouth on his neck.

He felt overloaded by the sensations. All too soon, the pleasure rose in his body and he was unable to fight it down. Each merciless thrust of Connor’s hips brought him higher and higher. He was sure he was breathing too fast because he started feeling lightheaded. Nines’ hand had him bucking helplessly. His orgasm started building low in his belly and he knew there was no way of stopping it.

His eyes shot open.

“Fuck. I’m gonna cum,” he moaned.

Connor met his gaze.

“It’s okay. We got you.”

He leaned in to kiss him without stopping his hips. Nines’ arms tightened around him. Gavin could feel his lips on his skin and the puffs of his breath as he inhaled him deeply. He kept stroking his dick with the same precise rhythm. Combined with Connor’s hits on his prostate, it brought Gavin over the edge.

His entire body locked up in pleasure as he shot ropes of cum over his own belly. His back arched and his thighs twitched around Connor’s hips, who fucked him through it. The way Gavin tightened around him seemed to do it for the android. His thrusts quickened and became erratic. He hunched over as his back bent in pleasure, bumping his head against Nines’ in the process. His LED was blinking red.

Gavin’s moans became louder when he felt Connor coming inside him. Connor’s pleasure poured into Nines through their still-opened bound. Nines’ body arched under Gavin, he pushed his erection into the low of his back and something wait splashed Gavin’s skin. Nines whimpered into his neck, something low that ended on a near-growl.

For a while, they stayed piled on top of each other as Gavin tried to regain his breath. The two androids were panting around him. He’d asked Connor once: the omega had told him they didn’t need to, but they were able to simulate it. Gavin found it somewhat reassuring. It made him feel less lonely in his post-orgasmic haze.

His own cum and sweat were drying on his skin. Android’s cum was less sticky than the real thing, but it cooled off rapidly, and soon a shiver wracked Gavin’s frame. Connor had laid his head on Gavin’s chest; he looked up when he felt it. His LED, now a solid yellow, was gradually coming back to blue.

“Well, that was fun,” he said with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

His hair was a mess, his cheeks were still tainted blue, and he was more beautiful than Gavin had never seen him.

He snorted.

“You could say that.”

Connor’s eyes turned to Nines.

“I’m glad we established you’re part of the androids who can achieve orgasm through interfacing.”

Nines had completely relaxed under Gavin. He’d let go of his softening dick and was now breathing calmly into Gavin’s hair, slightly damp from sweat. Gavin found the feeling of the steady rise of his chest under him soothing.

“The experience was gratifying indeed.”

The androids had let go of each other’s hand, and their skin had reformed. Connor used his now free hand to stroke up Gavin’s chest, just a comforting contact of skin on skin as they smiled to each other, then he brought it higher to cup Nines’ jaw and look at his counterpart with fondness.

“I’ll get us something to clean up.”

He carefully withdrew from Gavin, but the omega cursed as his body gave an involuntary spasm all the same. Connor practically ran out of the room. Perk of being an android; Gavin already felt like sleeping.

He and Nines rearranged themselves so they could lay side by side. His LED had gone mostly back to blue. Gavin had the impression his smell was stronger than ever, and he realised it would probably cling to his sheet and permeate the room, even after the alpha was gone. He didn’t mind that much. He thought it was lovely and comforting when it was mixed to Connor’s and his own.

He scooted closer when Nines laid a hand on his waist, his thumb stroking the skin.

“Are you alright?”

“Of course, I’m alright,” Gavin answered earnestly. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Nines smiled, something reserved and intimate.

“I know I already said it, but… I’m so happy you trust me like that.”

Gavin smiled back and got closer still to nuzzle his face into Nines’ chest, breathing him in. Connor was back a second later, with a wet cloth to clean them. Gavin closed his eyes and let his lovers take care of him.

“You’re staying the night, right?”

“Sure,” Connor agreed easily.

Gavin yawned and didn’t bother opening his eyes as the androids settled around him.

Chapter Text

Hank knew, almost immediately, that this “staying friends” thing with Nines wouldn’t last long. He’d never been friend with an alpha like that. It took him longer than he’d care to admit to address it, though. Maybe he was just a coward, but he preferred to tell himself that he liked the slow pacing. That he needed time for things to settle with Connor, to get used to their new relationship, before moving on to something more.

In any case, it took several long days for things to calm down after the arrestations. After Nines and Connor, Hank got a few days off, then Gavin, then they were all back to work in a semblance of normality. Connor got the desk right in front of Hank’s, and Nines’ got the one close to Gavin’s. Fowler once told Hank in private that he wasn’t sure were to put the androids or with who he could pair them on a case, and since apparently, he could put them with Hank and Reed and get minimum problems out of it, he intended to settle on that for as long as he could.

So, work began again, except now they had two new android detectives at the precinct. Most cops were hesitant at first, not knowing how to act around them. Some ignored them, content with letting Reed and Anderson deal with them on their own. Others made some effort. Hank didn’t know if they were genuinely accepting of them, or if they just conformed themselves to the popular opinion in favour of androids after the revolution. A few were hostile but kept it on the down-low, especially when Fowler was around.

Gavin got shit for being an “android-lover” even though no one at the precinct knew how right on the money they were on that. If people noticed Gavin was nicer to Nines than he was to other alphas, they were too focused on Nines being an android to make the usual comments. Hank was afraid those would eventually come. People would get used to see Nines and Connor at the precinct. After a few months, or maybe longer, they would see them less as androids and more as individuals, and then they would connect the dots.

Hank got endless incredulous looks and a few remarks from older officers like Collins who just “couldn’t believe their eyes.” To their credits, Hank had some trouble believing it himself.

Despite Nines and Connor’s presence, work at the precinct was still work. Hank had done that most of his life and no matter who he was working with, it was still the same old story. His private life, however, was in shamble. Sometimes, he still woke up and thought it had all been a dream, that he couldn’t possibly be dating Connor, but then he would hear a voice cooing at his dog in the living room and reality would come crashing in.

It wasn’t all easy and smooth at first. Hank wasn’t used to let people close to him anymore, to have someone he ought to talk to and he ought to see, and who would frown at his bad habits, and it made him cranky. There were times when he lost his patience, when all he wanted was to be alone and get drunk and don’t have to answer to anybody. Times when Connor would find him drunk and worry and hurt over him, and Hank would hurt in return and instead of apologizing he would get angry and push him away. Times when he didn’t want to let anybody in.

With time, though, and with a lot of effort on his part, things started to get better. He began to want Connor around more and more. Some of his old social skills came back, and he started to enjoy company more than he feared it. He gradually lay back on the drinking. He didn’t have it in him to go cold turkey from the get-go, but some evenings he would have a few drinks less than usual, he would turn to beer instead of stronger stuff, or he would have Connor over and not drink at all for as long as he was there. He wasn’t exactly sober, but he was definitely less of a mess than he used to be.

His changes of personal habits eventually influenced his works. In a few weeks, he was more often on time than not, he was more focused in everything he did. Other cops quickly noticed that he was less of a pain in the ass to be around.

“Had I known all it would take to get you to clean up your act was an android, I would have bought you one ages before the revolution,” Fowler commented once.

“I doubt you’d have been able to get a RK with your salary,” Hank had retorted without looking up from his computer, missing the weird look Fowler gave him.

Oh well, there was no need to be a detective to realise not any android would have been able to reach Hank in such a way. Everyone had quickly realised Hank had a soft spot for the RKs, Connor in particular.

When Nines wanted Hank to do something on one of his bad days, he had to raise his voice and outmatch him with his own stubbornness, which was already a feat on its own. Connor, however, just had to turn his big puppy-eyes toward Hank and take on a sad expression, and Hank was done for.

But the hardest for Hank had certainly been to ignore his pride and find a goddamn therapist. During those last few years, he had known of course that he needed help, but he’d never actually wanted it. And there was still a huge gap between wanting it and doing it. He tried four of them and left the first two slamming the door behind him, until he eventually committed to a few sessions with the same guy, a dude who had a framed picture of his android partner in his office, no less. At least, with him he had the feeling he could talk about his unusual but important relationship with Connor and Nines without wondering if his taut expression was hiding judgement or anti-android sentiments.

The journey was long and hard, and sometimes Hank found himself angry or desperate. Sometimes, he had the impression it was all in vain, that he would always be that man who blamed the entire world and who nobody wanted to be around, that he didn’t deserve to get better anyway. Sometimes, he was just so fucking exhausted. Some days, he was worse, and some days he was better. Eventually, the good days became good enough that the thought of them started getting him through the bad ones.

Connor was there, always. Even when Hank was at his worse and he didn’t want him to be around, Connor would wait it out and then he would come back. He always came back, and Hank couldn’t fucking understand, couldn’t wrap his head around why Connor liked him. He came to his place, he took care of his dog, they spent time together, and they went on dates, and it was all so… normal. So normal that it felt weird.

Nines came around more often too. At first, it was awkward, at least on Hank’s side. He didn’t know how to act with the guy who was dating the guy Hank was dating and being around one person was already too much sometimes, let alone two. But the more Hank opened to other people and well, life in general, the more he found himself wanting to be around Nines and inviting him over. It always made Connor so happy when Hank asked him out and said Nines could come if he wanted to.

Nines was similar to Connor in how they looked and how they acted, but he also was completely different in many aspects, and Hank loved the contrast for a reason he couldn’t pinpoint. He liked how Nines would remain calm when Connor would get excited over anything. He liked how Nines was always honest and called him out on his bullshit when Connor usually tried to be understanding and to find a compromise.

He even liked how Nines sometimes went full alpha on him, how he stood taller when they disagreed on something or when Hank teased him and Nines took the bait, how he refused to avert his eyes and how he got closer, expecting Hank to take a step back, to submit to him. It made something foreign but not displeasing squirm in Hank’s lower belly.

Hank noticed how their looks started to linger after a few weeks. Sometimes, Hank would pat Nines’ shoulder, and then he would just keep his hand there, because he liked how warm and solid Nines felt. When they weren’t at work, Nines usually stood closer to him than necessary. At first, he thought it was because androids didn’t have the same notion of personal space than humans, until he realised Nines had no problem adjusting when others made their discomfort known, so maybe Nines liked being close to him, and since Hank had never expressed any objections, he kept doing it.

They kept going on dates where they were all together. It was a rare occurrence, and at first Hank had trouble calling them “dates.” Gavin was friendlier toward him, but they weren’t exactly the best of pals and he doubted the detective would be comfortable with the idea of going on dates with him. Most of the time, they were content interacting with Connor and Nines and not talking to each other directly. At first, at least.

They talked about it a lot, more than what Hank would have liked to, but as Connor and Nines said they needed to make sure everyone was on board with what was happening, and nobody was forcing themselves to do something they didn’t want to just to please the others. That was how Hank and Nines first decided to try being friends – and only that.

At that moment, Hank wasn’t ready for more. Since he’d never done it, he couldn’t picture himself in a relationship with an alpha and the simple act of trying to imagine it gave him anxiety. What if he realised, at the worst moment possible, that he couldn’t be attracted to an alpha like that? What if they started making out or something, only for Hank to grow uncomfortable and to ask Nines to leave? What if Nines grew attached to him, and Hank hurt him? Not trying it at all seemed like the reasonable solution.

It soon turned out though that he didn’t need to worry.

Connor moaned above Hank as he rocked into his fist. Connor, Hank had discovered, was loud in bed. Not that he minded. Actually, he found it rather comforting: that way, he knew without a doubt his partner was enjoying himself, that he somehow still got it and was capable of pleasuring his lover.

Also, it was just plain hot. Hank loved how Connor would shake and cling to him, how his LED turned to yellow, and his face expressed his pleasure, blatantly and without shame.

Hank’s free hand gripped Connor’s hips as he followed the android’s movements. There was an external layer of something squishy there that gave under Hank’s fingers. He didn’t know what it was, but it had been designed to mimic the texture of human fat and muscle. It wasn’t perfect, though. That layer was very thin, and Hank’s grip quickly met something hard underneath that could have been mistaken for a bone.

That close to him, it was impossible to not realise Connor wasn’t as yielding and supple as a human. He was heavier than he looked, he had more harsh angles, and he left bruises more easily, probably not knowing his own strength. Hank didn’t mind.

He was laying on his back as Connor was straddling his hips. The lamp on the bedside table and Connor’s flashing LED were the only sources of light in the bedroom. Connor’s shirt had been discarded on the floor, his pants opened and haphazardly lowered on his thighs. Hank had his hand wrapped around his cock. He was identical to a human there – with the exception his cum was tinted weirdly blue and didn’t taste the same.

“Hank,” Connor moaned.

He lowered himself for a clumsy kiss. Hank immediately shoved his tongue in the android’s mouth. The smell of horny omega was permeating the room and was this close to driving him mad. He longed to push the omega under him, to take his pants all the way off and thrust into him. He must be so wet down there and had Hank been ten years younger…

But age had tempered his sex drive and the influence of his alpha instincts on his control, so he focused on stroking Connor’s dick, on holding him just right. Connor cursed against his lips.

They were slowly building to more… involved stuff in the bedroom – very slowly, some would probably say, but Hank still had some issues he had trouble dealing with. Connor was gorgeous, so fucking perfect Hank couldn’t always accept the idea he really wanted him. Connor could have had anyone he wanted, anyone that wasn’t as fucked up as Hank. He already had Nines and Gavin, he didn’t need Hank.

The closer to him he let Connor, the more opportunities he gave the kid to discover all the unlovable things he still had in store. He was constantly afraid the next one would be the last straw, and Connor would throw in the towel. Hank would hurt so fucking much if Connor left him after insinuating himself in his heart and in his life like that.

That was the reason he was still fully clothed. Connor’s hands sliding under his shirt and kneading into his layers of fat and body hair were already a lot for him to deal with. He still was reluctant to let Connor see how he looked without his clothes to hide the worst of it.

“Are you alright?” Connor asked. He’d probably picked up a change in his heartbeat.

“I’m okay,” Hank answered.

He stretched his neck to kiss him again. His other hand stroke up the android’s back, enjoying the softness of his skin. Hank had been surprised to find he had moles. It meant someone had purposefully placed them there.

Connor didn’t sweat like a human. His temples and forehead were as smooth as always when Hank let his lips travel over his face. Locks of brown hair tickled his nose.

Connor’s erratic rutting had him pressing against Hank’s erection, trapped in his pants. Hank heard himself growling at the stimulation. God, he was so hard. This omega would be the death of him. He was sure that if he wanted to try, he would be able to cum in his pants by watching Connor slowly coming undone under his hands. For that, Connor would have to learn patience, though, and that wasn’t really his forte.

Connor began moving faster. Hank tightened his grip and swiped his thumb over the tip of his dick. Connor let out a broken moan.

“Hank…”

“It’s okay. You know I got you.”

He glimpsed Connor’s smile before the android buried his face in his neck.

Connor was by no means small or weak, but Hank felt an instinctual protectiveness every time the omega let himself be vulnerable with him. Despite witnessing it a few times now, his heart hammered in his chest when Connor’s muscles locked up and he came with a groan on top of him, his back suddenly taut and his hips stuttering. It was primitive, but Hank was flooded with a sense of pride and satisfaction at the thought that he’d made this omega – the one he couldn’t help but think about as “his omega” – come by his hand.

Connor went slack on top of him, his full weight pinning him to the mattress. He was panting against his ear. He’d told Hank it was unnecessary, but he didn’t turn his breathing off because he didn’t mind doing it, and Hank and Gavin both seemed to enjoy it.

Hank gave him a minute, stroking his hands over the warm skin to help him calm down. The liquid currently drying on Hank’s shirt was also useless, a feature that had been created only to make humans comfortable, and Hank must admit he found the familiarity of it reassuring. Plus, it didn’t make things as messy as the real stuff. Just like thirium, it would be invisible to the naked eye after a few minutes. He would still wash the shirt, though, less he wanted every android he passed on the street giving him a weird look. He would not make that mistake again.

Eventually, Connor gathered his strength and pushed on his hands to look at Hank. His LED had gone back to blue.

“Are you okay?”

“Of course I’m okay,” Connor answered with a smile.

He kissed Hank, lazy and exploring now. One of his hands slid into the alpha’s beard. Hank was sure he had a bit of an obsession for it. His other hand slid lower to hover near his belt.

“Do you want me to do something for you?” he asked when he broke the kiss.

Hank had already moved to catch his wrist.

“No, it’s fine,” he said, hating the clear awkwardness in his voice.

“But you’re-”

“I’m fine.”

In their position, Connor couldn’t miss his erection, but he also knew Hank didn’t always want him to do something about it. There were days when Hank was feeling better than others, more confident, and he worked up the courage to do something more reciprocated. There were some days he just couldn’t.

Connor chewed on his lips, looking like he wanted to protest. Hank cursed his own inability to just let go and let Connor see him – literally and metaphorically. Before Connor could say anything though, his LED blinked a few times and turned briefly to yellow as his eyelids fluttered. He frowned.

“Nines is here,” he said, “at the door.” As he said it, he turned his head in the direction of the front door, as if it could help him hear him better. “He sounds upset.”

This information seemed to worry Connor, and Hank couldn’t help but automatically bring his hands to the android’s face to stroke his cheeks in a comforting gesture.

“What’s wrong?”

“He wants to come inside. Is that okay?”

“Sure,” Hank accepted easily, secretly relieved for the interruption that prevented them from having A Talk right now.

Connor got up and readjusted his pants. He threw his shirt on his shoulders but didn’t bother with the buttons. Hank straightened his clothes as well, hesitated, then threw on a hoodie above his stained shirt. He followed Connor out of the bedroom.

Nines was frowning when Connor let him inside, but his LED was blue. Hank had gotten into the habit of checking the little light regularly. It wasn’t an exact indicator of the androids’ mood, but it could help. He hadn’t actually asked, but he was under the impression that it turned yellow when they were dealing with a lot of information that hindered their processing ability. Sometimes, it was because they were anxious about something, other times it just meant they were downloading a heavy update.

“Are you alright?” Connor asked as he closed the door behind Nines.

He put a hand on his partner’s back to lead him a little farther inside the house. Hank watched them from afar, standing between his bedroom and the bathroom door. Nines was looking down, dejected.

“I’m sorry. It’s about Gavin. I didn’t want to be alone, but I didn’t know where to go. I knew you were with Hank, but I thought maybe-”

“Don’t worry about it,” Connor interrupted him. “Can he stay here for a bit?” he asked, turning toward Hank.

“Of course,” he answered, but Nines noticed him at the same moment.

The android’s eyes scanned him from head to toe, and he straightened suddenly. He stopped in his track as Connor kept trying to push him toward the living room.

“I’m so sorry, I hadn’t realised you were… busy. I should have known.”

Hank blushed when he understood Nines had deduced what Connor and he were just doing. Nines tried to retreat toward the door, but Connor clung to him.

“Wait. Don’t go.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m sorry. Keep on going, I’ll be fine.”

“Nonsense,” Hank interrupted. “You’re always welcomed here.”

Nines hesitated.

“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to impose.”

Hank grunted. He crossed the distance between them and gripped his arm.

“You are not, so go sit on that couch and tell us what happened.”

Nines gave a relieved smile and let Connor guide him into the living room. They’d woken Sumo. The dog, not too happy at being disturbed in the middle of the night, got up, turned around and lied back down, facing the wall.

Nines sat on the couch, his back stiff. Connor perched himself next to him with his legs under him.

“What happened?” he asked, stroking his partner’s hair.

Nines looked down on his hands, clasped on his lap.

“It’s stupid, really. We were still at the precinct, working on that case Fowler gave us. We didn’t agree on what we should do, and Gavin got mad at me.”

Hank relaxed at that. Reed getting mad wasn’t what he’d called out of the ordinary. At least, nobody was in danger.

Nines and Gavin were currently working a case together, not something as big as their first one. They’d had a shift that night, while Connor and Hank had been able to go home earlier.

“He said that he was sick of me contradicting him,” Nines continued. “That if he were an alpha, I wouldn’t doubt him like that, and that I should stop assuming he doesn’t know what he’s talking about because he’s an omega.”

Hank snorted.

“Typical Reed talk,” he commented, but Connor threw him a look, and he realised dismissing the situation wouldn’t help when Nines was obviously taking it so seriously.

He sighed and went to sit on Nines’ other side.

“I don’t disagree with him because he’s an omega, and I don’t want him to think that,” Nines explained, frustration clear in his voice. “I know he’s perfectly capable of doing this job without me, but I don’t want to simply tag along and do what he tells me. I want to actually help solve the case, and I think there is another way to do it than the one he suggested.”

Connor squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

“I’m sure Gavin knows you don’t see him as incompetent. He’s used to working with people who doubt him because he’s an omega. I’m sure that once he has calm down, he will realise you’re not like that.”

“But what if he’s right? What if I’m trying to protect him too much because he’s an omega? I don’t think it’s what I’m doing, but what if I’m subconsciously doing it? Can we even speak of a subconscious part of the mind in the case of an android? I don’t know!”

Nines threw his hands up in frustration. Hank caught them in a firm grip and brought them back on Nines’ lap.

“Okay. Calm down. You know Gavin by now. He gets angry, and he says things he doesn’t really believe to push people away.”

“But it’s the first time we get in an argument like this,” Nines retorted.

“Oh,” Hank realised, “first lovers quarrel?”

“Don’t make fun of me.”

“I’m not,” he assured him, squeezing Nines’ hands that he’d unknowingly kept in his. The two androids knew a lot about a lot of things, and it was easy to forget they didn’t have the experience to back it up. “I know it can be scary to get in an argument with people you love, but it doesn’t mean he’s suddenly stopped liking you or he’s changed his mind about you. People get angry sometimes, and Gavin isn’t going to magically change overnight. You’ll figure it out when you’re both in a better disposition to talk.”

Nines seemed to relax. He stopped fidgeting and seemed to melt between Connor and Hank. Connor stroked his hair in a comforting gesture.

“I don’t want him to think that I see him as weak, or that I like him only because he’s an omega and I’m an alpha. I just see him as Gavin,” Nines explained with a sad smile.

“I’m sure he knows that,” Connor said.

“And you can tell him again the next time you see him,” Hank added. “And concerning your desire to protect him, I don’t think it’s a bad thing. We all want to see the people we love happy and safe. Omegas, alphas, betas, it doesn’t matter. I don’t think you’re looking after him because he’s an omega but because you care about him.”

Connor snorted.

“I mean, look at Hank and me. He’s an alpha and I pester him enough about what he eats and what he drinks.”

They kept reassuring Nines by talking to him and by touching him, until Hank realised maybe it was Connor’s place to do so, not his. He and Nines were still supposed to be just friends, and maybe he wanted to be with Connor in private and Hank’s presence was making him uncomfortable. He didn’t say so, but Hank couldn’t shake the idea, so he got up and made a show of stretching out and yawning to hide his awkwardness.

Connor’s piercing eyes snapped to him and seemed to read too easily into his internal dilemma.

“Do you want me to leave?” Nines asked.

“Can he stay the night?” Connor said at the same time.

Hank took a few seconds to make out what they’d both said.

“I just thought I could get some sleep and leave you two some alone time, but sure, Nines can stay for as long as he wants. He can sleep here, or whatever you guys want to do.” Connor shot him a blinding smile. “I can get some pillows and blankets out, make a bed for Nines if you need one. Or you can sleep together if you want to, I don’t mind.”

“Actually, I was wondering if he could come to bed with us,” Connor said. “Not to do anything, of course, but just to sleep. If you’re okay with that. You can say no.”

Hank thought for a second Connor wanted to get the bed with Nines while he would sleep on the couch. He was a bit too old for that, and his back wouldn’t like that – then he realised what Connor had actually said.

He blushed.

“Oh.”

“It’s fine,” Nines intervened. “Don’t worry about me. I can go back to our flat for the night.”

“I don’t want you to be alone,” Connor said. “And it feels a bit stupid for Hank and me to go to bed and leave you on the couch. I thought maybe we could stay the three of us, but only if you two want to.”

Hank and Nines looked at each other.

Well, that wasn’t really what friends did, at least not to Hank’s experience. It wasn’t among the things they’d discussed when they’d first entered this relationship, and he didn’t want Nines to be uncomfortable.

“If you want to, but it’s not a bother if he sleeps on the couch, really. I don’t want him to do something he doesn’t want to.”

“I wouldn’t mind,” Nines intervened.

Hank couldn’t hide his surprise. Friends, heh? No matter how they put it, they were still dating the same guy, so maybe their definition of friendship would be different than most.

“If everyone is okay with it…” he said.

Hank’s bed was big, but it was supposed to be comfortable enough for two persons to sleep on it. It was a bit cramp with the three of them, especially considering neither Nines nor Hank could be considered small by any means. Fortunately, androids didn’t move at all once they’d entered sleep mode, so at least Hank wouldn’t have to worry about getting pushed out of the bed in the middle of the night.

Connor ended up trapped between the two alphas, his face pressed into Nines’ chest while Hank was spooning him from behind. This was far off the boundaries of a regular friendship. Hank still smelled like sweat and sex, and he was sure Nines could pick it up, just like he could tell Connor exuded the smell of a recently fucked omega.

This was letting Nines into their intimate life far more than what he’d thought their friendship would entail, but he found it wasn’t as awkward as he’d feared it would be. Connor relaxed almost immediately as the two alphas settled around him. He snuggled close to Nines, and Hank found it amazingly easy to hug him from behind and bury his face in his neck. And if Nines’ arms and legs were touching his when he entangled himself with Connor as well… well, the bed wasn’t that big, so it couldn’t really be helped.

After all, given the peculiar nature of their relationship, maybe Nines ought to mingle with their intimate life at some point, just like he treated Hank a bit differently than he would a friend for Connor’s sake. He just hoped Nines was comfortable with it.

From his position, he could see Nines’ LED blinking yellow, and he guessed the two androids were having a silent conversation. They stayed perfectly still for his sake, and he found himself quickly dozing off with the now familiar mix of Connor and Nines’ smell in his nose.

When he was startled awake, he realised it was already morning. The two androids were moving to leave the bed. Connor turned around when he heard Hank shift.

“Gavin called Nines. He’s at the door. Can we let him in?”

“Sure,” Hank answered, his voice rough from sleep.

Nines flashed him a thankful smile, then left the room. Connor followed him soon after. Hank stayed in bed a little bit longer. He heard the front door being opened, Reed’s muffled voice. He couldn’t make out their conversation, but they probably wanted to talk in private. Just as he expected, Connor joined him again. Hank opened his arms to welcome him, and the omega immediately climbed back in bed with him.

Hank kissed him lazily while Connor stroked his beard and face.

“How are they doing?” Hank asked when they broke apart.

“Gavin said he was sorry he got angry, and then I left to give them some space, but I think they’ll be okay.” Connor sounded relieved.

Hank cupped his face and stroked his cheeks.

“Of course, they’ll be okay.”

They kissed again, but Connor moved away before it could get too heated.

“We still need to get to the precinct on time.”

Hank let out a long-suffering groan.

“Fine.”

He took his sweet time getting dressed however and stayed longer than necessary in the bathroom. Eventually, though, he had to go to the kitchen. He tried not to stare too much at Gavin and Nines speaking in hushed tones in the living room. Judging by how close they were standing and by how they were holding hands, he was confident regarding the outcome of their conversation.

He opened his fridge, shrugged, then asked above his shoulder:

“Want some coffee, Reed?”

There was a beat of silence.

“Sure. Yeah. Whatever.”

Hank smiled and turned on the coffee machine.

A few days after that, Hank showed up ten minutes late at work, which was still somewhat of a miracle to his own standards. Reed and the two RKs were already there, sitting in front of their respective computer. None of them looked up to greet him, which some part of his brain registered as weird but didn’t dwell on.

Coffee in hand, he walked toward his desk. He froze before he got close enough to sit down. There was a sticker slapped where his anti-android propaganda used to be. It was a flashy pink, and it caught the eye, even among the torn remnants of the old ones that were too sticky to be scratched off.

“I <3 Androids” it proudly proclaimed. A bit on the nose, really.

Hank looked at Connor on the other side of his desk. He looked absorbed by what was on his screen. His face remained perfectly neutral, like he hadn’t even noticed Hank’s presence. He turned around to look at Nines and got a similar absence of reaction. Then, slowly, he turned toward Reed. He had a shit-eating grin on his face which only got bigger when he met Hank’s eyes.

Some sort of nearly psychic instinct Hank couldn’t fully describe told him it was his idea.

“Problem, Anderson?”

A cop hurriedly walked between them, probably thinking Reed had played some prank on Hank and shits were about to go down.

Hank smiled back, something sarcastic that had no heat to it.

“None at all, Reed.”

He put his coffee on the desk and sat down. Connor’s eyes flickered in his direction, and Hank saw the barest hint of a smile on the corner of his lips.

Before the end of the week, his desk was covered in the stuff. Hank tried to take it with good humour and ignored the slight embarrassment he felt when other cops commented on it. If Gavin could handle being called an android-lover, so could he. It didn’t help that most of the stickers were a bright, neon colour.

One of them, a big, yellow one, claimed that he loved his android boyfriend. Someone – there again he suspected Reed – had added a big S to “boyfriend” with a black pen. That one would warrant him some questions if one day anyone got close enough to his desk to actually read his stupid stickers.

He supposed he could just scratch them, but he didn’t. The thought of the other three buying them for him and sticking them on his stuff when he wasn’t looking made him smile, and he was sure the fact he was keeping them made Connor and Nines happy.

“What did I tell you about the goddamn stickers, Anderson?” Fowler said one day as he walked past.

“I have no idea what you mean,” Hank retorted.

“I love his stickers,” Connor commented nonchalantly.

That gave Fowler pause. He squinted in the direction of the stickers and seemed to only then realised what was written on them. He gave Hank a suspicious look.

“Right,” he said slowly. “Just don’t turn your desk into a dumpster.”

“You got it.”

Fowler walked away, and Connor flashed Hank a small smile above his computer screen.

In insight, that first night Hank, Connor and Nines slept together was the start of a change in the relationship between the two alphas. Nines went from a guy he knew from work and occasionally saw outside of it, to someone who was a part of his private life in more ways than one. Hank noticed it but didn’t worry about it. He had no idea where it would take them, but as long as both of them were on board with it, it was fine.

It seemed like Hank took the habit of inviting Nines more and more often on their date nights. Usually, they would go someplace public, but Hank started inviting Nines over more often than not. They would hang out at his place until late in the night. Hank would find it stupid to ask Nines to leave, and the android would end up sleeping with them. Sometimes, he took the couch, other times he ended up in bed with them.

The fact androids didn’t move at all was a huge advantage. It made sleeping with two persons easier. In fact, Hank found he slept better with the two androids than he had in the past, when he shared his bed with his ex. He wasn’t startled awake in the middle of the night by a sudden cough or an accidental elbow in the stomach.

On nights when Connor and Nines were both out with Gavin, Hank felt a bit lonely and at a loss of what to do with himself, which was stupid because it wasn’t that uncommon for him to spend an evening alone. Sometimes, they had a shift at the precinct, sometimes they wanted to go out with friends…

Hank usually didn’t mind having time for himself, but since he was trying to lay back on the drinking, he also avoided going to Jimmy’s. All the other places he could think of also offered alcohol and since he didn’t trust himself around the temptation, he went through a several months period when he didn’t quite know what to do on his leisure time. It only served to highlight how much depression and drinking had destroyed his life.

At first, he dealt with it exactly like he dealt with everything else: he didn’t talk about it, too proud that he was to ask for help.

Unfortunately, some nights were worse than others. On one of those nights, he caved in and found himself walking in the direction of Jimmy’s, with no clear memory of putting his jacket on and leaving his house. It was well into fall now, almost winter really. He and Connor had been dating for a few months. It was cold and dark outside, and he hurried along the streets – to get to a warm place soon, or maybe to reach his destination before he had time to think too hard about it.

He was almost there when he bumped into someone. It felt like running full speed into a wall, and he knew the person was an android even before he looked up. There were two androids in front of Jimmy’s, probably just walking past when Hank had slammed into them. Their blue LEDs were shining on their temples, and Hank thought for a wild second that it was Connor and Nines, that they’d somehow knew he was having a rough night and had reached the bar before him. But no, Connor and Nines weren’t telepaths. He didn’t know the androids – of course he didn’t.

It was enough to snap him out of it, though.

One of the androids mumbled an apology as they hurried past. Hank stared at the door of the bar, fully realising what he had been about to do. He was walking in the other direction before he’d even made the decision.

He stumbled into his home, the craving stronger than ever. His hands were shaking, and he almost dropped his phone when he took it out. He could have called anyone. He should have called his shrink. It was what the man was for, after all. He’d given Hank a number to call in case of emergencies, since he knew Hank’s thoughts could sometimes take him down a very dark and dangerous path. But Connor and Gavin had a shift at the precinct, and he found himself calling Nines.

The alpha android was out with friends. There was a chance he would get mad at Hank for disturbing him. He didn’t even know why he was calling Nines – he just knew he needed to hear someone’s voice before he ended up playing Russian roulette alone again.

Nines answered almost immediately. He didn’t get mad. He calmly, but firmly, told Hank to just stay put. He was at his door in less than twenty minutes.

“You shouldn’t have come all the way here for me. I’m so sorry-”

Nines raised a hand to interrupt his stammered apologies.

“It’s okay. I prefer to be with you trying to help you than be with friends while you suffer alone.”

He didn’t let Hank protest any further. His presence didn’t make the craving go away, but it did made him feel a little bit better.

One night, Hank woke up suddenly, his heart hammering in his chest. He knew he’d had a nightmare and could still feel the adrenaline running through his veins even though he couldn’t remember it. The disorientation he felt didn’t help. It took him a while to remember he wasn’t at home. He was at Connor and Nines’ place, more precisely in Connor’s room, with the android sleeping beside him.

Fortunately, Connor hadn’t been wakened up – or brought out of sleep mode. It was a little bit freaky to have someone who wasn’t even breathing next to him. Even his LED was turned off. It had taken him a while to get used to it.

Slowly, as to not alert Connor, he got out of bed and slipped out of the room. The flat had a living room and an adjacent kitchen the androids had no need for. The only time it was ever used was when they invited Hank and Gavin over. The fridge was full of thirium and other liquids Hank couldn’t identify, so he went to the sink to pour himself a glass of water.

With a long sigh, he lowered himself on the couch. It was firm and elegant, and it supported his back better than the old thing he’d had at home for over twenty years. He’d turn on a single light in the living room in hope to not wake anyone but was unfortunately unsuccessful. Nines’ room gave directly to the living room, and Hank contained a start when it opened without a sound and he caught the movement out of the corner of his eyes.

Nines gave him a curious look. He slipped into the room and carefully closed the door behind him to not wake Gavin.

They’d had a good evening. Connor and Nines had invited Hank and Gavin for dinner. The mood had been light, the conversation easy going. Hank had the impression that Gavin was becoming more relaxed around him. The way the detective talked to him felt more natural and less like he was forcing himself to swallow back insults.

The androids had asked them to stay the night. Hank had ended up in Connor’s room and Gavin in Nines’. Sleeping by pairs was just easier considering the size of the beds.

“Can’t sleep?” Nines asked.

“I’m fine. I just needed to get up for a bit.” Hank tried to sound reassuring, but the android could scan his stress level.

Unsurprisingly, Nines frowned despite Hank’s attempt and went to sit right next to him on the couch. They didn’t bother maintaining an adequate distance between them now and they were touching from hip to shoulder as Nines pressed himself against his side.

“Is there a problem?”

Hank gave up the pretence that everything was fine. He curled in on himself slightly to put his elbows on his knees, staring at the glass of water he’d abandoned on the coffee table.

“It’s nothing. Just… human stuff. I had a nightmare. I don’t even remember what it was. It happens sometimes. Usually, they’re about something freaky I saw on a crime scene, sometimes they’re about Cole. There’s nothing that can be done about it. Don’t worry about me; go back to Gavin.”

Nines elbowed him teasingly.

“I don’t need sleep, and you should know by now that I never leave you alone.”

Hank smiled.

“Alright. I guess I could use some company.”

Nines smiled back and hooked an arm around Hank’s shoulders. He wasn’t wearing a shirt despite the temperature steadily dropping since sunset. His muscles had been designed to be more visible than Connor’s and Hank idly noticed he had a few moles too, but in a lesser number and in different places.

Hank angled himself toward Nines and let the other alpha hug him close. It felt familiar now, just like Nines’ smell. Hank knew it enough by now that he could identify any subtle change without problem. He could tell when Nines was angry, when he was sad or happy, when he’d been with Connor or Gavin recently.

It didn’t register as “another alpha” anymore. Hank wouldn’t say it registered as “family” yet, but he definitely found himself looking for it, missing it when Nines hadn’t been with him for long enough that it started to fade, and drawing a sense of comfort from it.

“Can androids dream?” he asked in a soft voice.

Everything else was quiet around them. The flat was insulated enough they couldn’t hear the outside world, and they’d apparently managed to not wake up Connor and Gavin.

“No. Sleep mode isn’t like sleeping despite the name.”

“I guess you can count that as a blessing. At least you don’t get nightmares.”

They found a more comfortable position, laying against the back of the couch still in each other’s arms.

Hank hadn’t checked the time, but he felt he wouldn’t be awake for long. Sleep was already tugging at his mind again. His eyes were burning just from being open. The stillness of the apartment, the buzzing of Nines’ inner components just against his own chest and the repetitive strokes of the android’s hands on his back had a soothing effect on him.

He was afraid his nightmare would pick up where he left it if he fell asleep, so he tried to fight it, but quickly found himself dozing off with his head on Nines’ shoulder anyway. His own hands were traveling across Nines’ chest, not particularly bothered to be meeting with naked skin.

He didn’t realise immediately one of his hands had strayed very low on Nines’ back and would probably already be groping his ass if they weren’t sitting. He snatched it back when the thought occurred to him that Nines would find it inappropriate.

Almost as quickly though, another thought barrelled into his brain, and Hank heard himself making a weird noise out loud. Nines moved back to look at him with one raised eyebrow.

“Are you alright?”

Hank stared back at him as realisation settled over him.

“I think I just had an epiphany.”

This close, he was able to see the amused smile Nines tried to fight back.

“Meaning?”

“Well… when we first talked about it a few months ago, we decided to be friends because we thought it would be better for both of us.” Nines eyebrows shot up in surprise at the unexpected turn the conversation was taking. “Lately, I’ve been preventing myself from doing certain things because I thought it would be crossing the boundaries of a simple friendship, and I just realised that the point of this is for us to be comfortable with this relationship, and now it feels more like I’m forcing myself to hold back.”

“I agreed to this because I thought you would be uncomfortable with anything more with an alpha,” Nines said, and Hank relaxed immediately.

That was what Nines had said a few months back, that he was open for their relationship to evolve if that was what Hank wanted. For some reason, he’d somehow convinced himself along the way there were things he shouldn’t do because Nines didn’t want more with him.

He wouldn’t be surprise if it was cowardice, if some part of him had chickened out upon realising he was increasingly interested in a romantic relationship with another alpha and had convinced himself that it was out of reach because the other alpha in question didn’t want it. But that wasn’t what Nines had said, and he felt relief upon knowing his advances wouldn’t be seen as inappropriate.

“Back then, it was probably the best course of action,” Hank answered. “I don’t think I would have been ready for more, but now I feel like I’m trying not to think of you as my partner because I believe you wouldn’t like that.”

“If you’re holding back for my sake, then rest assure you don’t need to. You know how I would really like for us to be together like that. I’ve found myself more and more attracted to you as we get to know each other better. I admire your strength, and I can’t help but gravitate towards it.”

Hank blushed. Fucking androids. They’d started having emotions a few months ago: they weren’t supposed to be able to express them better than humans.

“Well, thanks,” he mumbled. “And if you’re holding back for my sake too, you don’t need to anymore. I love how you would do anything for the ones you care about, and I feel privileged when you show your emotions and let yourself be vulnerable around me. I was afraid having such an intimate relationship with another alpha would be hard, that we would unconsciously try to claim dominance over the other and that we wouldn’t be able to relax when the other was around, but it’s not like that. At all. I feel more secure when you’re around.”

Damn, he sucked at this.

“Me too,” Nines breathed.

Some distant part of Hank’s mind wondered if it was the right time to have this conversation. He was still half asleep, and the cover of the night didn’t make him the most rational person. But it felt right, it felt safe. In that moment, it was just the two of them, and Hank felt like he could say anything. It was a thing they needed to talk about between themselves before they brought it up to Connor and Gavin.

Another aspect he’d been worried about had been physical intimacy with an alpha – not even sex, but any kind of touch that was a bit more involved than a handshake. Relationships between alphas were more common than when he’d been a kid, but it still wasn’t a thing commonly seen in public, and Hank himself had never considered being in one. He’d wondered if holding hands, cuddling or kissing an alpha would feel weird.

Obviously, he shouldn’t have worried. He and Nines were already closer that he’d ever been with anyone who wasn’t already a romantic partner. Casual touches had quickly become natural between them. Even cuddling on the couch in sleep clothes didn’t feel awkward, so when Nines leaned over to slowly explore Hank’s face with his lips, it was almost a relief. How long had he been wanting this without admitting it to himself?

Nines movements were questioning, careful, like he expected Hank to draw back. He kissed his forehead, then his cheeks. Hank huffed then angled his face so their lips could meet properly. He would not let Nines believe this new step was somehow a great effort from Hank. It wasn’t. It was easier than he thought it would be. It wasn’t an “effort” because it would imply Hank was forcing himself.

He wasn’t good with words, he had trouble expressing his feelings, but he would find a way to make Nines understand he was enthusiastically throwing himself into this.

Chapter Text

Hank woke up a bit earlier than he intended to because he felt too hot. Sweat had broken over his back and the cover above him felt stifling. Disoriented for a second, he didn’t understand why he felt trapped between two masses, until he realised Connor was snuggled against his chest while Nines’ firm body was pressed against his back, preventing him from moving.

Nines had taken the habit of sleeping with them whenever the androids were over at Hank’s, but the night prior they’d gone to bed with Connor between them, like they always did, which meant Nines had left the bed at some point then had came back to lie down behind Hank. And he’d managed to do that without waking him up. Amazing how he’d gotten so used to Nines’ presence that even in his sleep his brain didn’t think the feeling of the other alpha getting under the covers and hugging him warranted to open an eye.

Another thing had caused him to wake up: the familiar pull of a morning wood trapped against Connor’s thigh. Connor could be clingy in his affection, which Hank usually adored: he loved going to sleep with the relaxed form of the omega wrapped up in his arms and his smell in his nose. However, it could be a bit of a bother in the morning when he wanted to disentangle himself from him lest he died of suffocation.

Wiggling out of Connor’s and Nines’ grip proved impossible and his attempts jostled Connor awake. His LED turned on, his eyes opened, and he looked up at Hank, already alert and ready to go. It was unfair, really. Hank needed at least an hour of dragging himself around the house, drinking coffee and grumbling under his breath as he fed his dog before feeling like a human being again.

“Good morning,” Connor said with a bright smile, not particularly mindful of the volume.

“Hey.”

Of course, it took him less than a second to realise the state Hank was in. His smile turned sultry, nearly predatory, as he pushed his thigh more firmly between Hank’s legs. His dick twitched at the stimulation.

“You seem in a good mood,” Connor teased.

“Don’t make fun of me, kiddo,” Hank grumbled back.

Connor’s features softened with fondness.

“I’m not. Believe me, I’m always happy to see you in such a state.” He snaked a hand between them to cup Hank’s length through his underwear. “We don’t have anywhere to go today, so if you want to stay in bed a little longer…” he added suggestively.

Hank caught his wrist almost on instinct. ‘Maybe now is not the time,’ he wanted to say.

Objectively, he knew – because he’d been told several times already – that androids didn’t sleep for real. It wasn’t painful for them to be awakened abruptly, it didn’t make them tired or grumpy. He still couldn’t help but tiptoe carefully when he needed to go to the toilet in the middle of the night.

He knew it was ridiculous, but he’d been on Earth for more than fifty years and he’d had partners before, so it was engrained in him that he should be mindful of other people’s sleep schedule. He didn’t want Nines to be startled awake by Hank and Connor getting busy right next to him. That would be disrespectful and altogether an awkward situation.

As if the thought had summoned him, Nines stirred behind him and wrapped his arm around Hank’s middle.

“You two are particularly lively this morning,” he commented, before pressing a kiss to Hank’s temple.

Just like Connor, he didn’t sound like someone who had been awakened earlier than they’d wanted to. He pushed his hips into the small of Hank’s back and suddenly, having his lovers on either side of him made him hot for a completely different reason.

“Didn’t want to… wake you up,” Hank admitted, even though he was thinking something more along the line of ‘Didn’t want to make it awkward for you.’

Nines lips formed a smile against his skin. He’d slid his nose behind Hank’s ear to smell him properly. Some part of Hank’s mind was still weirded out by having an alpha close to him like that, scenting him. He didn’t really know what to make of it, but it was clear the newness of it had something electrifying to it that had the nerves in his neck tingling.

“I don’t care about that. I already had to get up at two because Sumo was whining.”

Hank snorted.

“I told you if you two keep spoiling him like that, rushing to fulfil his desires each time he makes a sound, he’s going to become insufferable.”

Before he could turn the subject into a debate, Connor pushed his hands under his shirt to feel his skin and craned his neck to kiss his jaw, efficiently bringing Hank’s attention back to him. He couldn’t help but tense.

“Maybe Nines wants to do something else?” he suggested.

Nines’ breath against his skin made him shiver.

“I can leave you two alone, if you want, but I don’t mind staying,” he added. Some hesitation slipped into his voice as he gave Hank a clear way out of the situation.

Hank was a bit surprise. Nines hadn’t had sex with them yet. Hank knew he tried it once or twice with Gavin and Connor. Nines had told him he wasn’t sex-repulsed and didn’t mind having it, but at the same time he wasn’t actively looking for it. Each time Connor and Hank had had sex so far, he’d left them alone, staying in the living room or going back to the androids’ apartment.

“You don’t have to force yourself to do something you don’t want to,” Hank said.

He wanted to turn around to look at Nines, but he still couldn’t move away from their grip. Connor’s hands were traveling over his body, but he was watching Nines over Hank’s shoulder.

“I know. And you can say no if you don’t want me to be here,” Nines said.

Hank thought he would hesitate more than he did.

Sometimes, he still had trouble undressing in front of Connor without feeling nervous. He would have believed that letting another person in without building to it in some way would be stressful, but he’d started trusting Nines and letting him closer months ago and it wasn’t because they hadn’t had sex yet that this trust wasn’t complete and absolute.

Agreeing was one of the easiest things he’d had to do so far.

“And you, Connor?” Nines asked.

The omega’s smile widened in answer.

“I would be happy to share this with you.”

“’This’ has a name,” Hank grumbled playfully, which made Connor snort.

He hooked his hands under Hank’s shirt.

“Come on. Get this off.”

With the androids’ help, he managed to wiggle out of his shirt. Connor and Nines were already wearing nothing else than their boxers, but they’d never had any qualms about nudity. It made sense in a way. Their skin was already designed to hide their true appearance and even their chassis was nothing more to them than a shell containing the components where their memories were stored, a mean of transportation and interaction with the outside world that they could modify easily.

They were also less susceptible than humans to have their point of view altered by society’s beauty standards. Connor had told him several times he didn’t care about all the physical flaws Hank hated about himself. He liked Hank – loved him, even – and he adored everything that made him. He didn’t care what his body looked like: as long as it was his, he would like it.

Hank still had troubles accepting that without questions. It was ridiculous. He wasn’t a bloody teenager with insecurities anymore. He’d made peace with his appearance years ago, but that was when he was dating humans who were as flawed as he was. He couldn’t help but worry that his perfect lovers would be put off by all the less attractive quirks of his human body – the fluids, the hair and all that.

Connor had yet to prove him right, however. As soon as the shirt was discarded, Connor took his mouth in a hungry kiss. His tongue immediately asked to be let in and Hank allowed him to lick inside his mouth. Connor never hesitated to hug him, touch him, knead into his flesh and map out his entire body with inquisitive hands, as if he wanted to commit it to memory. As always, Hank instinctively tensed, but relaxed quickly under Connor’s pointed strokes. His body heated and his nerves came alive as the pleasure washed away his fears.

Connor was always taken away by his enthusiasm. Hank didn’t blame him: he was, after all, not that experienced. He didn’t mind how his kisses would become clumsy when Connor forgot technic to plunge into Hank’s mouth as if he wanted to devour him instead. He met his impatience with his own care, taking his time to taste his tongue, trace the roof of his mouth and cup his face with one hand. His wrapped his other arm around Connor’s waist to bring him closer. His lithe torso pressed firmly into Hank’s softer flesh.

Nines wasn’t particularly shy to explore his body either. So far, they’d already hugged, with and without shirts. Nines’ hands had wandered as much as Hank’s, feeling the other for the first time, but they carried another weight now as Nines’ fingers stroked his naked skin, grazed a nipple, or barely dug the nails into his flesh to make him shiver.

He was slowly thrusting his hips against him, and his hardening length was rubbing against Hank’s ass through their underwear. The act that it hinted at had Hank’s heart hammering in his chest. He was too old to experiment around with things he’d never tried before. He wasn’t about to let an alpha have his way with him, was he? And yet, here he was, not knowing if he was turned on at the thought or if the sweat breaking over his body was stress induced.

“There is something I’d really want to do, right now,” Connor declared when he broke the kiss.

Not one to deny the omega’s desires when he was already starting to smell so beautifully aroused, Hank stammered an agreement. He didn’t even think to ask him what he had in mind. Connor smiled brightly, then went to leave the bed. Hank immediately regretted the loss of warmth, but Connor motioned for him to follow.

As soon as he was up, Connor took the opportunity to pull his underwear down. Hank’s cock shot up, hard and pulsing from the blood inside, revealing to his lovers how turned on he already was. The cloth had barely fallen to his ankles that Nines was already kneeling behind him on the bed, his hands kneading into the flesh of his hips.

Connor pushed him down, so he would sit on the edge of the mattress. This made him fall almost into Nines’ arms and the android soon pressed his strong chest against his burning back. A hand pushed his hair aside so lips could nip and suck at his neck. Connor made him raise his feet to take off his underwear, then knelt in front of him. Hank’s breath got stuck in his throat when Connor pushed his thighs open and looked up at him, fucking gorgeous with his lips wet from their kiss and his bright eyes.

The bastard had the audacity to smirk up at him. He probably knew the effect he had on Hank, could probably tell his blood pressure and the tension in his muscles. Then he lowered his eyes to observe Hank’s dick, jutting out of a patch of pubic hair just in front of his face, like it was some piece of evidence on a case. Hank tried to not wonder how many pictures, how many fucking recordings he had of Hank at every angle imaginable.

Connor licked his lips, his eyes glued to his dick, and Hank thought he would die under the attention, until the omega wrapped a hand around it and his heart fluttered for another reason entirely. Connor’s fingers teased him at first, barely touching his skin as they went up and down, as if he needed to explore him still, to learn the texture of him. Then he gripped him more securely, applied pressure when he stroked him a few times, and Hank’s hand scrambled for purchase. His hand tightened around a fistful of sheets.

He let go a second later though and reached to the side and behind him until he was able to feel the smooth warmth of Nines’ skin. He gripped his naked thigh, just to feel his presence. Nines breathed hotly into his ear, then nipped the shell of it.

Connor stroked him again, then opened his mouth to press his tongue on the head and lick his slit. Hank’s fingers dug into Nines’ skin. He particularly liked that the androids kept their breathing turned on for their humans in those kinds of moments, because he could feel the hot air exhaled by Connor hitting his length before he locked his lips around the tip of his dick, teasing him with the possibility of swallowing him down, but not giving it to him yet.

Hank groaned when Connor suckled on his tip. The sensation of his supple lips wrapping around it and drawing back with a wet noise was divine and he had to make some effort not to buck into him. Knowing Nines’ strength, he leaned heavily into him. Nines welcomed him easily and wrapped his arms around him.

Hank turned his head as far as it would go. Nines seemed to understand what he was desperate for and moved on the bed to be more to his side than behind him, with his strong arms around his shoulders. He took his lips in a kiss, and Hank met him eagerly. It was a bit awkward due to the less than ideal angle, but Hank didn’t care as long as he could feel Nines’ mouth against his own and his exploring tongue.

He wasn’t used to share his attention in bed or receive stimulation from two different sources. It felt dizzying. He moaned loudly against Nines’ lips when Connor’s mouth returned and sank around him. That wet heat enveloped his hard length as soft lips sealed around him. Androids had no need for a gag reflex, so Connor was able to swallow him all the way down with little effort. Hank had been dumbfounded the first time he’d done it: past lovers had had trouble adjusting to his alpha size and he hadn’t expected Connor to be able to deepthroat him on the first try.

It also meant Connor had no swallowing muscles to work around him, but Hank frankly didn’t care when Connor hollowed his cheeks to suck on him, his tongue pressed to the underside of his cock. Tingling pleasure coiled low in his guts and his body tensed. Nines’ hand travelled down his chest, as if to feel his shivering muscles under the layer of fat. Connor drew back slowly, licking along Hank’s dick. His artificial saliva coated his skin. Then he sank back down and started bobbing his head, and a growl rumbled low in Hank’s belly.

Nines sucked and nipped on Hank’s bottom lip, then moved back reluctantly. His hooded eyes stayed on Hank’s mouth as he spoke in a rough voice:

“Did you know Connor and I were built in a way that makes the inside of our mouth extremely sensitive?” he said, and really a lecture on androids’ system shouldn’t sound so hot. “It wasn’t intended to feel pleasurable, but deviancy changed a lot of things.” Nines lowered his hand even more until it left Hank’s skin to bury itself into Connor’s hair. “Connor has never told you, but he loves sucking your cock because it feels almost as good to him as when you fuck into him.”

Well, that explained the omega’s closed eyes and the flickering yellow of his LED. As if to confirm Nines’ revelation, he moaned around him and sank lower to have all of him in his mouth as his tongue teased and licked what it could reach.

Something short-circuited in Hank’s brain. The sight of the pink lips wrapped around him while Nines whispered hotly in his ear, telling him Connor was getting off on this while he had his hand on his omega’s head, as if to push him down on Hank’s cock, suddenly hit him as one of the hottest situations he’d ever been in.

“Shit,” he mumbled, then kissed Nines urgently. “I want…” he stammered when he drew back, not knowing exactly what he wanted. “I want more,” was all he managed to say.

There was something dark in the way Nines was looking at him now, something he would have called dangerous if he’d really believed for a second Nines would hurt him.

Nines pushed him down abruptly. His back protested at the treatment and he found himself pinned on the mattress by the android’s strong arms. His first instinct was to fight back, to push him away and to overthrow him. The alpha in him didn’t like being manhandled like that, even less being thrown on his back by another alpha.

He tensed but didn’t move, because that first pulsion was followed by a twitch of his dick. That sudden movement had jostled him around, but Connor adjusted his position to accommodate him as if it were nothing. He drew back briefly to lick him from base to tip, then wrap his lips around him again and bobbed his head up and down. For some reason, Nines’ display of strength seemed to heighten the sensation for a glorious second, to send a lighting bolt of pleasure down his belly all the way to his cock.

Nines paused, then smiled when Hank started to relax.

“Alright?”

Hank nodded in agreement.

Nines moved away, and in a one swift movement, he’d taken off his last piece of cloth. Then he gracefully threw a leg over Hank and straddled his chest. Hank’s eyes travelled up that expense of flawless skin and well-defined abs to meet Nines’. He was looking at him as if he could read his mind, and Hank felt vulnerable, trapped under him and defenceless.

Nines took his own dick in hand and stroked himself, his eyes never leaving Hank’s.

“Do you want it?”

Hank’s mouth watered at the suggestion. He felt himself nod as if his body didn’t belong to him anymore. Nines smiled, something slow and satisfied. By Hank’s submission. Nines probably wasn’t even aware of it. The alpha part of Hank could understand that feeling, the sweet raw power of it, and recoiled at the idea he was the one submitting for once, but he pushed it down firmly and willingly stayed right where he was.

The tension of it turned him on even more. If he had to swallow back some misguided pride to pleasure his lover and get off on it as well, he would.

Nines crawled up his body to line up with his head. Hank instinctively gripped his hips, his hands big on Nines’ slim frame.

“Tap my hip if you want me to move off,” he instructed.

“Right.”

Nines carefully guided his cock toward Hank’s mouth, and he opened up to taste him. His tongue swiped over the head, then he wrapped his lips around him, and Nines pushed halfway into his mouth before stopping.

Hank had sucked a dick before but never an alpha’s and he was glad his lover took that into account. Nines was bigger than some of his past lovers had been, and his jaw stretched uncomfortably to accommodate him.

He did it all the same, remembering to breathe through his nose. His fingers tightened on Nines’ hips as he raised his head on his own, trying to take more of him in, then lowered it to try and withdraw. The position didn’t give him much room to move, however, and he had to let Nines move his hips.

The feeling of Nines sinking in his mouth had him tense at first. He feared the alpha would ask too much of him, but he stopped long before chocking him and drew back. The taste of him dragged on Hank’s tongue, and he pressed it firmly against the hard length to not miss anything.

He didn’t taste like a human. In fact, he didn’t taste much like anything. Maybe a bit of plastic, and of the lubricant leaking from his tip. He obviously had some artificial gland near his crotch emitting his alpha smell and pheromones, because Hank’s nose was full of it and it was stronger than ever.

As Nines moved above him, Hank could still feel Connor between his legs. The omega’s mouth was moving up and down on his cock. He knew how to use his tongue and hollow his cheeks to create a tight, pleasurable seal around him. He produced more saliva than usual to slide easily against his skin.

Hank focused as much as he could on Nines’ cock in his mouth but kept getting distracted by Connor’s eager ministrations and the pleasure it awoke in his belly. His hips kept twitching minutely even though he tried to prevent it, as his body yearned to push into the omega’s mouth. He knew Connor didn’t mind, quite the contrary, but each time he hit the back of his throat too harshly, Connor moaned and pressed eagerly into his crotch, and the knowledge that he was moaning from pleasure because his mouth was that sensitive was nearly too much for Hank. He would come too fast, and he really wanted to draw it out as long as possible.

Nines moved carefully into his mouth, his hand around the base of his dick to keep it in place. Hank couldn’t see much from this position, but it seemed Nines kept looking at his face, watching him as he took his cock. He swore he could also glimpse a flash of yellow. He really hoped Nines was enjoying it – Connor never had any complaint, but they usually got in a more practical position.

Nines lowered his free hand to thread his fingers through Hank’s hair – to push it back and better see his face. Hank had no control over the rhythm or the depth of the thrusts. He could only keep his mouth open and let Nines use it to pleasure himself. Being pinned on his back by the android’s weight added to this feeling of powerlessness and Hank had a moment or two when it nearly took over his arousal, when it nearly made him tap Nines’ hips to get him off.

Something in him wanted to push him away, to switch their position so Nines would be the one stuck underneath him. His fingers twitched on Nines’ skin but didn’t move. The vulnerability made him feel hornier, and then Nines started to pant and moan. His fingers pulled Hank’s hair, but he kept his thrust regular to allow Hank to breath. So, he didn’t tap Nines’ hips but followed their movement with his hands.

He had trouble swallowing his excess saliva and was drooling in his own beard, but he didn’t ask Nines to move off, because his lover was taking pleasure from this and it made his stomach flutter, and his muscles tighten in answer. One of Connor’s hands had cupped his balls and played with them. His other hand had wrapped around his base to stroke his dick when Connor’s mouth focused on the tip.

The pleasure of it soon dulled any worries left in his mind as his senses ignored everything else to focus solely on the points of contact with his lovers. His thoughts slowed and his body acting on his own. His hips pushed against Connor as the muscles of his thighs and his perineum contracted. The omega’s mouth sunk all the way onto him. His throat vibrated from his moan and Hank felt it in his dick.

His back stretched and his hands gripped tighter, his body looking for more – more of Connor and more of Nines. His jaw ached and his lips hurt from Nines fucking his mouth, and still he didn’t tap his hip. He swallowed and sucked and minded his teeth as best he could.

His own orgasm crashed over him sooner than he would have wanted, but he usually had trouble holding back when Connor latched onto him as if he wanted to suck it out of him. He came in the omega’s mouth, his dick twitching with it. He had no idea what happened to the liquid after it poured down Connor’s throat and had vowed to himself he would never ask. Connor had a way of ruining things with his honesty.

Hank groaned around Nines’ cock. His jaw went slack as he tried to not clench his teeth at the wave of pleasure coursing through his body. Nines was thoughtful enough to draw back to let him pant freely. He stroked himself over Hank’s face, staring at him, but what really did it for him was the way Connor’s moans became high-pitched as he sucked him through it, eager, desperate even, as if Hank coming down his throat nearly pushed him over the edge as well.

Fuck, Hank would never get over Nines’ revelation about their sensitive mouth.

Nines moved off of him to kneel on the bed next to him, which allowed Hank to sit up. Connor reluctantly let go of him. His wet lips were shining as he panted through them. His entire face had taken on a slight blue hue, and his eyes seemed impossibly big. He got up to join them on the bed. He was slightly trembling, and his dick was so hard it looked painful.

Hank kissed him eagerly, tasting his own cum mixed with thick android saliva. He cupped his face, and Connor instinctively gripped his wrist in return. The tease of his tongue against Connor’s sensitive one made the omega shake and moan against him.

“Please,” he begged, breathless, when Hank drew back. “Please, I need more.”

“Sorry, Con, but I’m all out. You’re gonna have to ask your alpha.”

Something ravenous lit up in Connor’s eyes at the words “your alpha” and he turned to stare at Nines. Their LED blinked a few times, an indicator that they were talking quietly.

The decision seemed easy to take. Connor hurriedly went to lie down on the bed with his head on the pillows, and Nines kneeled between his legs. He pushed his legs open with no resistance from Connor. His LED had started to come back to blue, but it became yellow again simply from looking down on his omega. When he spread his ass cheeks, his tongue came out to wet his lips.

He carefully pushed two fingers into him, which had Connor bucking his hips and whining. Hank lowered himself to lie on his side next to him. He attentively watched the rapid yellow blinking of his LED and the pleasure contorting his face.

“Don’t tease me,” he panted, even as his hips pushed into Nines’ hand in search of his own pleasure. “You know I don’t need it. I’m not human, it won’t hurt.”

Nines took pity of him and took his fingers out. By the sound of it, Hank could guess Connor was already dripping.

Being an android had a lot of advantages in bed: he didn’t have pain sensors there, and he could decide to produce more lubricant if he wanted to. Their erections were also an on and off type of thing, even though they tended to lose control of it in the heat of the moment. Hank was a bit envious: he would love to be able to pop one whenever he felt like it. He would be able to fulfil Connor’s desires without worrying about the refractory period of a man in his fifties.

Nines moved in order to align himself with Connor, then he sank into him with a long, drawn-out moan. His LED flickered like crazy and his eyelids fluttered close. Connor hadn’t lie, and he took him in easily.

“Fuck,” he swore, eyes closed, as his body arched into it.

Hank raised a hand to touch his face, down his neck to his chest. He felt him tremble under his fingers, the way he pushed into Nines, eager to move.

When the two androids opened their eyes again, they stared at one another, and Hank had no idea if they were using that wireless communication feature of theirs, or if they were just losing themselves into the other. Nines thrusted a first time, drawing his hips back before plunging into his omega. Connor moaned loudly. He wrapped his legs around Nines’ waist to give him better access.

It was Nines’ turn to swear as he fucked easily into Connor. Hank knew how tight the omega could make himself – to give more pleasure to his lover, or simply to feel him more – he knew how pliant he was, how he welcomed each thrust and moved wantonly to get more. He knew how the way he expressed his pleasure without shame and how his hands gripped and drew closer could spur someone on. He’d felt it first-hand, but it was another thing altogether to witness it.

He was unable to tear his eyes away. Connor panted and groaned as Nines fucked him. His fingers dug into his alpha’s side and Hank noticed with a start that Nines’ skin peeled back at the contact, leaving a patch of white chassis around Connor’s hand. Hank knew Connor held back when he was in bed with him and even when he was careful, he still left bruises. He didn’t have to be careful with Nines, and Hank could swear he heard the panel creak in protest.

Nines didn’t seem to mind – didn’t seem to even notice. His face was nearly unrecognisable, so far from the controlled expressions he had at the precinct, something intense and wild plastered on his features. He stared at Connor like he was the centre of his world. He bent down to bury his face in his omega’s neck, and Connor turned his head to grant him access, bumping his forehead against Hank’s in the process.

Hank took Connor’s mouth in a kiss. It was made clumsy by how Connor was rocked back and forth by the alpha’s thrusts, but he moaned all the same and sucked on Hank’s lips, before parting his own to welcome his tongue.

A whiff of Nines’ smell hit his nose and lips grazed the shell of his ear.

“Hank,” Nines called – demanded.

Unable to deny him, Hank broke the kiss with Connor and turned his head to let Nines claim his mouth. They kissed hungrily, nearly aggressive, and for a second, Hank’s mind wandered again.

He tried to imagine what it would be like to have Nines kiss him like that while he fucked into him. He wondered if he would rather be the one fucking Nines, how it would feel to have an alpha as strong as him underneath him, if Nines would put up a pretence fight or if he would go with it easily. He had no idea what he wanted more, but his spent dick gave a twitch all the same.

When they broke apart, Connor was staring at them with hooded eyes. He pushed Nines away with a single hand.

“Move,” he asked, with some urgency in his tone.

Nines looked surprised but obeyed anyway. He got off, then let Connor pushed him on his back. He lied down on the bed where Connor was a second ago, which allowed the omega to straddle him. Connor wrapped a hand around Nines’ cock to hold it in place, then sank onto it with a curse. Nines groaned and gripped his thighs instinctively.

They froze for a second, getting use to the other again, then Connor turned his eyes toward Hank. That single expectant look was invitation enough. The bed creaked under him when he got up to join Connor and straddle Nines’ legs, right behind the omega. He pressed his chest to Connor’s back and wrapped both arms around him, trapping him against him.

Connor sighed contentedly. He melted into his embrace and leaned heavily into Hank, so their skins were pressed together. Hank nuzzled into his hair, nipped his ear, then buried his nose into his neck. When Connor started moving again, he felt the sway of his hips against his own, the way he moved up and down to fuck himself unto Nines. When he moaned, he felt the vibration of it through his frame.

Connor’s LED was a solid yellow. He felt hotter than usual, and Hank was sure he could perceive the thrumming of his components under his chassis, some inner fans working on overdrive to try and cool him down. Hank’s hands travelled down his belly to end up on his hips and follow Connor’s thrusts. To urge him on; to help him rise by a few centimetres before falling back unto Nines. The alpha was groaning and panting as well. Hank met his eyes and held them as he sucked a bruise on Connor’s neck, and Nines watched him with half-lidded eyes.

Connor scrambled for purchase on Nines’ stomach. The android’s skin immediately parted at his touch and Connor’s fingers bored into the white chassis. There were blue lines there as well, marking out the limits of a panel. As if he’d been hypnotised, Hank extended a hand to lay it above one of Connor’s and see the contrast between his imperfect human skin and the stark white plastic.

It was completely smooth and artificial, and Hank wondered for a second if Nines could feel his touch. Just like touching a doll: there was no way in hell it could feel anything. And yet, Nines groaned and moved under him, thrusting up into Connor, pushing against Hank. He was burning hot and twitching and so, so alive.

Despite what his brain was telling him, Nines could feel him – and he seemed to enjoy it. He couldn’t understand, but he’d gave up trying a long time ago. The two androids would always be far out of his comprehension ability and he couldn’t give less of a fuck. They were brilliant and amazing, and they wanted to stay with Hank, and he didn’t need to know more.

Hank kept that point of contact with Nines, then moved his free hand to wrap it firmly around Connor’s erection. The omega’s movements stuttered, and he bucked into him. The way his undulating hips made his skin drag against Hank’s was maddening. If he’d been ten years younger… God, if he’d been ten years younger, he would be hard again just from that, just from the omega squirming into his hold, pushing his ass into his crotch and smelling so beautifully turned on.

Connor was so good at taking a dick without any pain Hank wondered if he would be able to take Nines and him at the same time. Hank was in such a good position for that too: he would just have to push Connor down on Nines with a hand between his shoulder blades and take him from behind. Connor would scream himself hoarse from it, sensitive as he was. He wondered what kind of sounds Nines would make. If he hadn’t came so recently, he would have been leaking and aching from those thoughts alone.

“Hank… I…” Connor stammered.

His LED was blinking red. Some of the skin on his hands had vanished where he was touching Nines. Patches of white were starting to appear on his hips as well, where Nines was holding him. They were spreading as he eagerly bounced up and down on his alpha’s cock and tried to push into Hank’s fist at the same time. Hank tightened his grip and stroke him from base to tip, which earned him a soft cry.

“Hank…”

He moved to the side without letting go of Connor, just enough to kiss him clumsily as the android leaned back against him.

“Go on, love. Come for your alphas,” he said, something primitive making him talk before he had time to think of his words, then he shoved his tongue in Connor’s mouth.

He didn’t need for it to be good, just for Connor to taste him, to overload his sensory captors even more. Whether by his words or the kiss, Connor tumbled over the edge with a loud moan. His dick twitched in Hank’s hand as he shot ropes of come across Nines’ chest. Connor squirmed and arched against him – Hank was sure he could hear the humming of his inner fans. He held on to him as best as he could, refusing to let go.

Under them, Nines gave a hoarse cry at the way his omega tightened around him. He swore aloud and thrashed, thrusting up into Connor. Trapped under his lovers, he pushed up against their combined weight. For a few seconds, despite their shining LEDs and retracting skin, they seemed entirely human as Hank watched them come undone.

With a long sigh, Connor went completely lax into his arms, saved from a spare shiver here and there. Hank let go of his cock to wrap both of his arms around him and stroke his heaving chest in a reassuring manner. He kept an eye on Nines: eyes closed, LED still a solid red, he was panting through parted lips. Connor always needed a moment for his overloaded brain to start back up, and Hank couldn’t help but smile at the discovery that Nines was the same.

“Hey,” Hank said when Connor opened his eyes again. “Welcome back.”

Connor gave him that pretty smile of his, the one that had been Hank’s downfall. The first time he’d seen it, he should have known there was no point in resisting, that he would do whatever it took to keep that pure happy smile on this omega’s face. Connor sighed happily and kissed him, all loose-limbed and lazy now. The way he smelled after sex could have kept Hank content until the end of his life.

He felt Nines move under them. He disentangled himself from them to stretch and kneel on the bed. As soon as Hank was done with Connor, he kissed his omega as well, deep and slow, then he turned his head to meet Hank’s mouth. Hank kissed back, then buried his face in Nines’ neck to smell him as well. His scent was completely different, uniquely alpha, but Hank loved how it mixed perfectly with Connor’s and his.

They were interrupted by a loud bark followed by a whine. Hank laughed into Nines’ neck as the alpha snorted next to his ear.

“I think the message is we need to get up,” Connor commented, already reaching for his clothes.

Hank groaned in protest, but his bladder was starting to demand his attention as well anyway. When Nines made to leave the bed, Hank held him back.

“Was that good with you?”

Nines smiled softly, his face betraying his fondness.

“Yes. I wouldn’t want my life any other way.”

Hank nodded in understanding.

“I really don’t regret how things developed between us,” he admitted.

He didn’t think he ever would. Nines kissed him again, then turned around when Sumo barked once more. The sound was followed by Connor cooing at him, and Hank realised he’d already left the room. Nines put on his pants – but nothing else – and followed him. With a sigh, Hank stretched and finally got off the bed.

Chapter Text

Gavin always thought it would take something huge to push him and Hank together. Like a second android revolution or an earthquake. Some life-or-death situation where they would turn to one another, full of adrenaline, thinking they were about to die, and passionately kiss each other.

In the end, it was nothing like that. It was slow and gradual, and Gavin took a while to notice it. It was full of small decisions that didn’t seem important at the time but ended up changing everything.

One evening, Gavin was getting ready in his bathroom because he had invited Connor and Nines for dinner, and yes, Hank too – Hank who he wasn’t calling “Anderson” as often as he would like now. He reached for his usual deodorant, brought it toward himself but froze with his hand in the air. Did he really need to?

He had sprayed some on himself in the morning, but it was a cheap brand, not particularly efficient. It wore off by night time, and Gavin was now smelling unmistakably like an omega. He didn’t bother using the deodorant with Nines anymore, but he still did around Hank. That night, half-naked in his bathroom, he thought to himself ‘After all, who cares?’ He was in his flat, for fuck’s sake, he could smell like himself in his own home.

Small decisions.

He got dressed and went to open the door when the doorbell rang. He kissed Nines, then Connor, then Hank engulfed him in one of his bear hugs. That was a thing they did now, only in private of course, and Gavin sometimes wondered when he’d let that happened. Their hugs only lasted a second, but it was already a huge difference from a few months ago when they wouldn’t even shake hands. Gavin wasn’t as jumpy around Hank as he used to be. The fact Hank didn’t often smell like booze anymore and was more aware of his own actions definitely helped.

Dinner that night was pleasant and uneventful. He was sure Hank had picked up his smell, but he didn’t comment on it, which allowed Gavin to relax fully. When they decided it was time to call it a night, Connor immediately turned begging eyes toward Gavin and said they couldn’t possibly send Hank home after midnight.

It wasn’t the first date where there were the four of them, far from it. Gavin had been with Connor and Nines for a few months, yet he had no clue how or why he ended up agreeing. He’d always been a bit cagey about his own flat. It was his safe space, and he didn’t like having people over. And yet… He’d slept at the androids’ place before – sometimes with just Connor, or just Nines, or the three of them, and even nights when Hank had been there as well – hell, he’d even slept at Hank’s place several times. It felt like a step farther to let Hank sleep on his couch, but it didn’t feel like something entirely different from what they’d already been doing.

And so, he wound up in bed with Connor and Nines, while Hank slept in the very next room. Gavin usually didn’t wake up in the middle of the night when he slept with the two androids because they could stay perfectly motionless. That night, however, it happened several times. He didn’t bother opening his eyes and went back to sleep immediately, but he was sure Connor went to check on Hank, which he found a bit ridiculous. Anderson was a grown man, he could survive one night in a new place.

Getting up in the morning was a bit awkward. He had to shuffle to the bathroom in front of Hank, his face and hair rumpled up from sleep. He waited for a comment, but none came. Hank was better than him at keeping to the truce they’d made for Connor and Nines. Sometimes, it made him feel bad. Sometimes, he wished he was better at trusting people.

Another morning a few weeks after that, it was Gavin’s turn to wake up at Hank’s. He was a bit sore from sleeping on the couch and he was cold, but it beat the time he’d waken up with a face full of dog hair and the heavy weight of Sumo on his chest.

He stretched and got up with a yawn. The sun was already up, and he could hear movements in the kitchen. He apparently was the last one to wake up, which explained why Nines wasn’t with him. The android had kept him warm during the night by turning up his temperature.

Consequently, he was only wearing a thin shirt and was now shivering. He looked around but was unable to find his own sweatshirt. He wouldn’t be surprised if Connor had thrown it over his head to take Sumo outside. With a sigh, he grabbed the nearest cloth, a hoodie abandoned on the back of a chair.

It was Hank’s, but Gavin was too cold to worry about that and he put it on. Hank’s smell invaded his nose as soon as he put it over his head. He froze, then looked around. Even Sumo was nowhere in sight. Whoever was in the kitchen couldn’t see him, so he brought the fabric to his face and took a good whiff of it.

His shoulders immediately relaxed. He’d never thought he would be affected by Hank’s smell, but it felt more familiar than a co-worker’s, or even a friend’s smell ought to be. He guessed he shouldn’t be surprised. They spent so much time together, the four of them, that he’d grown accustomed to it. Even when Hank wasn’t there, Connor or Nines would come to see him and they would smell like the alpha, and Gavin realised he’d stopped minding a while ago.

It was strong but not unpleasant. It was an alpha’s scent; one you couldn’t ignore. Gavin thought it was different since he’d stopped drinking so much and started taking better care of his personal hygiene. In his mind, it had become intimately intertwined with the concept of them, with who they were when they were together. A combination of all their smells that wouldn’t be the same if Hank wasn’t in it. Gavin had become used to it, even somewhat addicted to it.

Standing in Hank’s living room, his face still buried in his hoodie, taking deeper and deeper breaths, he suddenly realised that if Hank were to leave, he would miss him. When his partners insisted they invited him, or when they were the ones staying at Hank’s place, Gavin didn’t feel like he was forcing himself anymore. He had stopped feeling like that a long time ago, and Gavin couldn’t pinpoint when exactly.

He genuinely enjoyed spending time with Hank. The alpha wasn’t like he’d imagined at all – which made sense since the only side he’d seen of him was the grumpy one he’d made a point of making even more mad by insulting him and pushing his buttons. He liked how caring Hank could get around Connor and Nines, how he helped them discover a life that wasn’t the revolution or work. How cool-headed he would stay when he knew his partners needed his calm, but also how fierce he could be on a case or when someone was giving him shit at the precinct.

Gavin forced himself to let the hoodie down. He would have probably freaked out if he hadn’t already done some soul searching when he’d started being attracted to Nines. Now, the thought of being into an alpha wasn’t as scary as it used to be.

He went into the kitchen and wasn’t surprised to find Hank. What was surprising though, was seeing him cooking breakfast. He didn’t turn around, so Gavin took the opportunity to observe him in silence. His hair and beard looked better recently, not like he had them long because he couldn’t be bothered taking care of them, but because he chose to. He was big, but the strength under the layers of fat was unmistakable. He was wearing a shirt leaving his arms bare – curse alphas and their naturally higher body temperature.

Gavin crossed the distance between them.

“Hey.”

He put one hand on Hank’s back and stood on the tip of his toes to kiss him on the cheek. The fact it only got him a raised eyebrow spoke volumes on how much their relationship had changed already. A few months ago, Hank would have had a heart attack over it. Now, it seemed barely out of the ordinary.

Maybe the nature of their relationship was blurrier than even Gavin realised.

“What was that for?”

“To thank you for cooking breakfast. And for lending me your clothes.” Hank frowned and looked down at his own hoodie. “I don’t know where mine went,” Gavin added as a way of explanation.

“Connor,” Hank guessed with no hesitation.

“Most likely,” Gavin agreed fondly.

The omega android had taken the habit of stealing his partners’ clothes.

Gavin opened the fridge to take some orange juice out. He knew Hank’s place pretty well now. In fact, he’d been with Connor a few days ago when the android had done Hank’s groceries for him and bought that very same orange juice. He sat down at the kitchen table. He could get use to the feeling of waking up to a strong alpha making pancakes for him: he definitely liked it.

He didn’t know how long he spent following Hank’s every movements with his eyes; he was only snapped out of it when Sumo padded into the kitchen. He was followed by Nines, who went directly to Hank to share an intimate kiss.

Gavin blinked. He hadn’t even heard the front door. When he turned around, he discovered Connor knowingly staring at him from the kitchen entrance. His eyes went from Gavin to Hank and back again, and he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Gavin blushed like an idiot. He would rather die than admit to anyone he’d been caught ogling Hank Anderson like some love-stricken omega.

Thankfully, Connor didn’t say anything and walked into the kitchen to greet Hank in turn. They sat down for breakfast with the two androids keeping them company, and Gavin hoped the incident would be forgotten.

Of course, he should have known Connor wouldn’t just forget about it. He was an android, and he was also a little shit. Of course, he would not just let it slide. He didn’t bring it up out loud however, not at first, as if he knew Gavin wasn’t quite ready to talk about it yet. It didn’t mean he stayed inactive, though.

Gavin quickly realised Connor’s intentions when the week after that, they found themselves at Hank’s place almost every evening after work. It started innocently, childishly even. Connor would arrange things so Gavin and Hank would end up sitting next to each other. He’d probably talked to Nines and got him to cooperate.

It was ridiculous, really. He wasn’t a thirteen year old with a crush. He didn’t need someone to plot for him to sit against Hank on the couch. They were all grown men, goddammit. He didn’t know if Hank noticed it as well, if he found it weird that the two androids were making a point of sitting first so the humans had no choice but to take the remaining seats, close to one another. If he noticed, he didn’t comment on it. He didn’t seem particularly perturbed either.

He once told his partners he found it easier to resist drinking when they were around to distract him, so he seemed to enjoy the extra time they spend together. They still went on date separately, just two or three of them. They still arranged themselves so each one of them could have some alone time if he wanted to, but the four of them were spending more time together, and that had started even before Connor ridiculous little ploy.

In any case, Hank didn’t seem to mind when more often than not they found themselves watching TV with Gavin sitting next to him on the couch. Usually, Connor was the one closest to him, and Hank had the habit of hooking his arm over his shoulders. He kept doing it, as if nothing was out of the ordinary, except he had to lay his arm on the back of the couch for his fingers to play with Connor’s hair, who was sitting on the other side of Gavin. It meant Gavin’s head was leaning against Hank’s arm. And if Gavin ended up pressed against Hank’s side, well that was just because the couch was old and dipping under Hank’s weight, and the inclination forced Gavin to slightly angle his body toward Hank. And if one day, Hank’s arm started to lay more on Gavin’s shoulders than on the back of the couch, there was no need to comment on it, was there?

Some part of Gavin kept shaking his head and rolling his eyes each time Connor found an excuse to push Hank and Gavin toward one another, or to let them alone while the androids went out to walk Sumo or to buy something at the grocery store. That part of him didn’t prevent him from going along with it. If Hank wasn’t complaining about it, then there was no reason Gavin couldn’t enjoy it either, and as long as they weren’t addressing it, he could pretend it wasn’t really happening.

Except he wasn’t allowed to ignore it for long, because the rumours started shortly after. He should have anticipated it, of course, and he blamed his own carelessness. He already got a few weird looks and the occasional comment for the way Nines’ smell tended to cling to him. Nobody minded that he sometimes smelled like Connor – they were two omegas, after all, in the mind of most people they could cuddle and hold hands and still be nothing more than friends.

The remarks on Nines and him weren’t as bad as he thought they would be, mostly because Fowler took the habit of assigning them on cases together. After he’d spent a night with the androids, Gavin would use his deodorant to conceal the fact he’d slept with Nines, and people assumed the faint scent that still stayed with him was due to all the hours they worked together. He’d asked Nines to shower carefully and change clothes before coming to work, and most people never got close enough to the androids to smell Gavin on them anyway.

But when they started getting a whiff of Hank on Gavin… He should have realised spending more time with the alpha, touching him more, would result in his scent following Gavin. Alphas’ smells were designed to cling on everything, to mark their territory. Even if it was faint, just wearing Hank’s clothes, sleeping at his place, spending a considerable amount of time touching him, was enough for other cops at the precinct to smell it.

There was also the fact Gavin was that annoying asshole alpha cops couldn’t wait to see fail. They jumped on the occasion to make him pay for all those years Gavin had been unsufferable with them. ‘Oh, so he is fucking Anderson after all?’ They all remembered how the Soul Algorithm program had given them a good compatibility years ago, and the rumours spread like wildfire. Most of the older cops had better things to do, but it didn’t prevent them from lending an ear in the break room. The youngest ones started whispering and laughing behind Gavin’s back.

Gavin could have started insulting Hank in public again, but he doubted it would have been as efficient as the first time and the very thought… disgusted him. Mostly, he was just tired. Snapping at people, denying it, only made them laugh, so he took the high road and decided to ignore them as best as he could. He was paired up with Nines most of the time anyway, so it allowed him to work in peace, at least.

He didn’t realise it would affect Hank as well until a week later. He and Nines were doing some paperwork together, until clattering sounds and loid voices turned all the heads in the open space. Hank had gripped some young alpha by his jacket and was pushing him against the fridge of the breakroom.

“If I hear you saying anything of that nature again, I’ll make you swallow back your words.”

The kid, understandably, looked like he was about to shit himself. Connor, who was standing right behind Hank, put a hand on his back.

“Lieutenant, please.”

Hank kept staring at the kid like he was seriously considering beating the shit out of him here and then. The slim rookie cop stood close to no chance.

“The fuck is happening?” Fowler, standing at the top of the stairs leading to his office, had been drawn out by the commotion. “Anderson, what are you doing?”

Hank hesitated a few second more, then eventually let go of the other guy. Fowler put a hand over his forehead and mumbled something to himself.

“You’re going to explain yourself in my office.”

With a groan, Hank reluctantly complied. The alpha kid immediately ran into the other direction. Gavin watched in silence as Fowler closed the door to his office behind Hank. He couldn’t hear what they were saying through the glass.

A soft touch on his arm brought him back to reality. Connor was standing beside their desk. Nines was giving him a worried look.

“What happened?” he asked his omega counterpart.

“Hank got mad because that man said something about… about…” he trailed off, looking at Gavin.

“I’m sure we can all guess what he was talking about,” Gavin snapped.

“Gavin, I’m sure he-” Nines carefully began, but he cut him off.

“Let’s just get back to work.”

They weren’t able to get a hold of Hank until that evening, at which point Gavin marched into Hank’s home, followed by the worried androids.

“What the fuck did you tell Fowler?” he demanded to know, not bothering to knock, ring the bell or announce his presence in a polite manner.

Sumo barked once, startled by his entrance. Hank was on his couch with a beer in hand, looking like he’d been sulking.

“Nothing. Some of the rumours had already reached him, but he didn’t need me to confirm or deny them. What’s happening in our private life doesn’t concern him.”

“What was this all about, then?”

Connor quietly closed the front door behind them. Gavin could feel Nines throwing him weird looks, but he ignored him.

“I got angry and I acted without thinking. I know it’s not the way to deal with a problem, and I should have gone to Fowler, blah blah blah. Believe me, he already gave me the speech. He said he would do something about it.”

“Oh, great. Now, I’ll look like the snitch who goes and tells the teacher!”

Hank frowned.

“I’m the one who-”

“I don’t need you to protect me, Anderson!”

Hank put his beer on the coffee table and got up.

“Please, calm down.”

“It will only make it worst! I’m not weak, I can take care of myself.”

From the corner of his eyes, he could see the two androids watching them from a respectful distance, probably wondering if they should intervene or not. Nines had his lips in a thin line, his eyes going from Gavin to Hank; Connor was fidgeting on his feet.

Hank went to stand in front of Gavin.

“First, the rumours are about me as well, so I have the right to defend myself. Second, maybe I just don’t like watching you suffer. How the hell would you react if you heard someone you like being insulted on a daily basis?”

This gave Gavin pause. Connor took the opportunity to take one step forward.

“Please, let’s not let this drive us apart.”

Gavin looked into Connor’s begging eyes, then to Hank’s tense posture. They were right, both of them.

“I’m sorry,” he managed to force out. “I hadn’t realised it would take a toll on you too.”

Hank hesitantly reached out to put a hand on his shoulder.

“You’re not alone in this.”

“I know. I’m not used to counting on other people.”

After a few seconds, Gavin got closer until he was able to lean on Hank. Strong arms wrapped around his back and he pressed his head to the alpha’s chest, his smell invading his nose. He could hear his heartbeat just against his ear. He found himself clinging to the back of Hank’s shirt.

“Did you just say you like me?” he teased, but Hank didn’t take the bait.

“Of course, I like you,” he answered seriously.

Gavin couldn’t help but smile. He had trouble trusting other people, but the thought that Hank liked him and wanted to see him happy was an idea he liked. One he could get used to.

Connor had never been particularly nervous about sex. He’d thrown himself into it headfirst with Gavin because he’d been so eager to discover it, to be closer to that man he was already falling for, and Gavin had had no qualms giving it to him.

It had been different with Hank. They had eased into it, mostly because Hank had worried his years of depression and alcoholism might have made him unable to be a good romantic and/or sexual partner, to his own admission. Some part of Connor had also wondered if Hank had been hesitant to take that step with him because he was an android, but Hank had assured him of the contrary and it would have been unfair on him to not trust his words.

In the end, it had all turned out great. In hindsight, Connor liked the slow building of their relationship and discovery of each other. They’d gotten where they wanted to be at a pace that had been comfortable for both of them, and it was all that mattered. Connor also thought their intimacy felt all the sweeter now when he realised how far they’d come to be able to trust each other and enjoy themselves with no second thought.

Despite all that, he’d never been nervous about having sex with Hank: frustrated, worried about Hank but mindful of his wishes all the same, and above all, not nervous. So, feeling jittery lying in bed next to Hank in just his boxers as they kissed and let their hands wander was entirely new to him.

Hank’s familiar alpha scent was permeating the air. They were in Connor’s room – it was still his room, despite the fact he rarely slept in it, at least not alone. He always preferred sleeping with Nines or staying over at Gavin’s or Hank’s place. Hank’s body felt warm and solid against his. His temperature was always higher than an android’s, especially since he was an alpha. He was so human under Connor’s hands as his fingers dug into pliant naked flesh, so imperfect and somehow so right.

Hank nipped his bottom lip and plunged his tongue in his mouth, lighting every sensitive captor with pleasure. Connor eagerly met it with his own. He was gradually overloading with data as his processors tried to take it all in and he’d learned to love this sensation, the disorientation and loss of control that came with it.

“You okay?” Hank asked, breaking the kiss.

The bedside lamp and Connor’s LED were the only light in the room, which didn’t prevent the android from seeing Hank’s face in detail. He loved the idea the alpha’s smell would cling to his sheets and remain in his room for days.

“Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“You feel tense,” Hank said. His hand rubbed Connor’s back, as if to prove his point by highlighting how stiff he was.

Damn it. Hank knew him enough by now that he didn’t need sensors and scanners to be attuned to his body’s reactions.

“I’m fine,” Connor declared firmly.

His worries were irrational, anyway. He would just ask Hank, and if he didn’t want to do it, he would say no and they would do something else. And if he agreed, they would figure it out from there.

In order to distract Hank, he pushed him on his back, then straddled the alpha, making a point to rub against his clothed erection. Hank moaned and grabbed his hips with his huge hands to bring Connor down on him as he pushed up into him at the same time. Connor’s self-lubrication had activated on its own sometime during their snogging session and he was suddenly reminded of how horny he was when he felt Hank’s hard dick slide against him.

He bent down to kiss Hank hungrily. His hands found his large chest, stroked his skin and thread through the hair there. The muscles in Hank’s arms visibly twitched as he held on to him. Connor knew he was stronger than any human would ever be, but he also knew Hank was stronger than most people gave him credit for, and he liked it when Hank didn’t hold back, roughly turned him over or pinned him down to the mattress, as he knew Connor wouldn’t hurt or bruise.

He licked leisurely into Hank’s mouth as he rubbed down into him.

“Take these off,” Hank growled against his lips, his fingers pulling on his waistband.

Connor raised himself to wiggle out of his boxers, helped by Hank’s eager hands. He took the opportunity to take off Hank’s remaining clothes then wasted no time straddling him again to feel their naked skins slide together. Hank’s erection jumped at the touch and Connor rubbed his own against Hank’s stomach. His temperature was already rising.

Hank extended a hand to cup his face. His thumb stroked Connor’s bottom lip, wet from their kissing.

“Look at you, love. Do you have any idea how you look?”

Connor couldn’t help but whine and buck against Hank at the endearment. He captured Hank’s fingers in his mouth and sucked on them with a moan. The teasing graze of his index and forefinger against his tongue and the roof of his mouth was not nearly enough. He wanted to suck on his cock, he wanted Hank to fuck into him, he wanted too many things at once to choose.

Hank was watching him with hooded eyes. His free hand slid to his ass, squeezed his cheek and inched closer to that sensitive part where he was so wet.

It was the moment that Nines chose to contact him. Connor froze as his LED blinked several times. Hank’s hands stopped their movements, and he withdrew his fingers from his mouth.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked with a concerned expression.

Connor had tensed again. He straightened his back and looked down on Hank, resisting the urge to fidget.

“Nines is in the elevator, with Gavin…”

Hank raised one eyebrow in confusion.

“So?”

“Well, we… were wondering if you wanted them to join us, like we’ve been discussing lately,” Connor suggested. “If you say no, I’m sure they won’t mind hanging out together.”

Hank’s eyebrows shot up.

They had indeed been talking about it. Connor wasn’t sure if Hank and Gavin were actually dating, but they were definitely something. He thought he had even walked in on them kissing, or nearly kissing one day. They were at Hank’s house, and he’d gone into the kitchen because both of them had been in it for a pretty long time. Hank and Gavin had jerked away from each other when they’d heard him, red in the face. Connor had no idea what he had interrupted.

In any case, they had found themselves talking about the steps they wanted to take in their relationship, about different things they wanted to try out. Hank and Gavin had been growing more comfortable around each other those last few months. Gavin had tentatively expressed how he would “maybe” be amenable to get more sexual with Hank. He’d looked anxious saying it, arms crossed over his chest, but had relaxed and seemed relieved when Hank, far from making fun of him, had said he would be open to it as well.

They had gone on to say, blushing and fidgeting, that it didn’t need to be romantic, “not exactly”, that they didn’t need to feel for the other what they were feeling for Nines and Connor. If they trusted each other enough for that, it could just be another way for them to have fun with their boyfriends and who cared about putting a word on it?

Nines and Connor had sighed inwardly to each other without needing to share a glance. Humans… Connor couldn’t believe they were still tiptoeing around the truth, both of them avoiding to speak their mind because they were scared it wouldn’t be well received. Androids could pick up on their vitals without even meaning to, and Connor was sure the way their heart sped up when they were looking at or touching the other wasn’t from fear.

“Just for fun”, right… He wouldn’t push them, though. With the two of them being so stubborn, he doubted that would amount to anything good. So, they had talked about it a few times, but hadn’t made actual plans to do it, but since they’d breached the subject, Connor had found the idea worming itself into his brain until he couldn’t stop thinking about it. He’d asked Nines and found out he too was pretty keen on seeing this through.

He had never believed they would be able to go so far, to somehow get those two humans to trust them and share their lives like that. When Cyberlife had first given them their compatibility results he’d been curious and a bit disbelieving. Two humans, really? With such high compatibility? From what he’d read, getting above 90% was a rarity. There had to be something in those particular humans, or in the potential dynamic of their relationship that would make it work.

He didn’t regret any second spent trying to patiently reach out to them, didn’t regret any effort made. And now their lovers wanted to take their relationship a step farther and both androids were more than supportive of it. He knew that Nines and he had already improved Hank’s and Gavin’s overall well-being in significative ways and he would always be grateful for that, just like he was so happy to see how the two humans had positively influenced their live.

That was why he hoped, he hoped so bad, for this to be a good experience for their lovers, one that would bring them the level of trust and comfort they’d already brought in Connor and Nines’ lives. But in order for that to work, they needed Hank and Gavin to be completely on board with it.

Hence, Connor waited as patiently as he could as he watched the gears turn in Hank’s brain. The human had tensed under him and his blood pressure had picked up, but Connor had learned that instinctual and uncontrollable reactions like that weren’t necessarily a bad thing.

“Oh, really?” was all Hank managed after a few seconds of dumbfounded silence.

Connor slowly stroked his hands over his chest, as if the comforting gesture could will him to relax.

“Yes. Remember how we talked about it a few times? We haven’t got around to it yet, and if you’re not ready, it’s fine. You can say no,” Connor insisted, because that was essential. He didn’t want Hank – or Gavin – to think their lovers would be disappointed or mad if they decided to not do it now – or ever.

Hank sat up, an unconscious gesture to be less vulnerable, and ended up chest to chest with Connor. He automatically hooked his arms around the alpha’s shoulders to maintain his balance.

“What about Gavin? Is he… okay with it?”

As if he would ever suggest that without knowing whether or not he had Gavin’s consent… Connor asked Nines a second time all the same. Sometimes, it was frustrating how slow humans could be to process an information, other times he reminded himself checking again in a situation like this couldn’t hurt.

Nines reassured him as the elevator came to a stop. It would only take them a few seconds to reach their flat. Nines and Gavin had left that night to go on a date together, leaving Connor and Hank alone. The two androids had agreed beforehand that Nines would ask Gavin before coming home. If Gavin agreed, Nines would bring him back; if he didn’t, they would go to Gavin’s place or find something else to do.

The fact that they were back sooner than Connor had anticipated indicated Gavin hadn’t hesitated as much as he’d feared, but he should have seen it coming. Once he’d made up his mind, Gavin tended to stick to his decision.

“Yes, he is. Nines as well.”

Hank’s heart rate picked up a bit more, and he bit his lips. Connor was about to remind him that he didn’t have to say yes, when the alpha nodded.

“Alright.”

“You’re sure?” Connor couldn’t help but frown. “It doesn’t have to be today. There’s no rush.”

Hank’s shoulders relaxed under his hands and his features softened as he took a deep breath.

“I’m sure,” he said, voice unwavering. “After all, we talked about it with Gavin, and I’m sure it’s not a subject either of us would have brought on the table if we didn’t really want it.”

Connor smiled happily and kissed him, slow and soft. At the same time, he reached out to Nines to let him know Hank’s answer. He could hear the front door opening as Nines and Gavin let themselves in. Connor and Hank broke apart when Nines entered the bedroom.

Connor turned to look at him with a smile: he’d let the first few buttons of his shirt open, and he was wearing jeans that were just a little too tight. He’d also styled his hair differently. He tended to make an extra effort when he went out with Gavin, and Connor thought it was lovely.

Gavin followed more hesitantly. His eyes flew to the bed and widened a bit when he realised they were already naked. Connor could tell he was nervous too.

“I see you already have a head start,” he commented, but it was devoid of his usual aggressivity.

Nines went straight to them. He put one knee on the mattress to lean toward Connor. The omega didn’t bother getting off Hank’s lap: he stretched his neck to receive Nines’ kiss. It was slow and comforting, and Connor threaded his fingers through his partner’s hair, while Nines’ hand stroked down his naked chest and belly.

When they parted, Nines climbed on the bed and crawled around them, clearly making way for Gavin. The human omega took the invitation and knelt on the bed next to Connor. He took his lips in a kiss – his hands found Connor’s naked skin easily. Connor let go of Hank’s shoulder to bury both of his hands in Gavin’s hair and bring him closer, to deepen the kiss.

On his other side, he could hear the wet noises of Nines’ and Hank’s lips moving together. Nines was so close to him he could feel his heat. One of Hank’s hands had left his hips, and he was sure he was holding on to his lover.

Gavin kissed him slow and lingering, almost clinging to him. When they broke apart, he looked down on Connor in the dim light with hunger in his eyes as he took in his naked form. There was a slight tremor in his fingers where he held on to Connor’s waist. Connor kept his face close, with their forehead pressed together.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked quietly.

“Yes,” Gavin answered with no hesitation or variation in his heartbeat. Connor relaxed at his confidence. “I want to be here. I’m just a bit nervous. You know how I get.”

Connor smiled at him, understanding. They didn’t move for a few seconds, just breathing into each other’s smell, as he felt Gavin gradually relax. He couldn’t see their lovers, but they were quiet.

When Gavin eventually moved back and turned toward Hank, he was watching them in silence. Due to Connor’s position on his lap, Gavin had had to get close to him to reach Connor and was well into Hank’s personal space. The two of them didn’t bother maintaining a standard distance between them anymore, but they were in an entirely new situation tonight.

Connor saw the minute shifting of Gavin’s eyes as he looked down on Hank’s chest. The sight of his naked torso wasn’t new to him, but Connor didn’t believe he’d ever seen him entirely nude before. Hank’s erection, still hard and an angry red, was up against Connor’s thigh. Gavin bit his lower lip when his gaze fell on it.

His eyes moved up to Hank’s face a second later, and Connor saw the barest hint of a blush on his cheeks.

“So,” Gavin said after clearing his throat, “it’s probably going to be awkward at first.”

“Yeah,” Hank said with a snort, then the two humans started chuckling between themselves, letting go of the tension.

Connor loved to feel the laughter bubbling in Hank’s belly as the movement pressed it against his own, then the way his muscles relaxed afterward. Gavin extended a hand, but stopped mid-air, his mouth opening on a question he didn’t have time to ask because Hank took his hand. He put it on his own skin, over his heart.

“It’s okay. You can touch me.”

Gavin smiled, emboldened, and his fingers stroked over Hank’s chest.

“Is there anything you don’t want to do?” he asked.

“I can’t think of anything,” Hank answered. “You?” Gavin shook his head, his eyes not leaving the movement of his hand on Hank’s. “We’ll figure it out as we go along then.”

Connor turned his head to exchange a relieved glance with Nines. His partner smiled back at him.

“Come on,” Connor intervened. “You two need to get out of those clothes.”

He reached over to unbutton Nines’ shirt. Nines helped the omega shrug it off of him, then undid his pants. Gavin got off the bed to remove his shoes and socks, then took his shirt over his head. Soon, they were naked as well, and Gavin climbed on the bed to join Nines. Hank and Connor scooted to the side to give them room next to them.

Connor watched with rapt attention as Nines brought Gavin closer to him to kiss him deeply. Gavin’s hands immediately moved to the alpha’s broad shoulders and strong chest. Eyes closed, they angled their head to explore the other’s mouth, loosing themselves into one another. Desire contracted Connor’s stomach and he bit back a curse when a hand cupped his erection.

He turned his head to discover Hank was watching him with knowing eyes.

“I think it’s so hot to watch them kiss, don’t you?”

“Oh, don’t tease,” Connor huffed.

“I’m not.” Hank’s fingers wrapped around his length and stroked him up and down once, applying enough pressure to make him shudder in pleasure. “I’m glad to see I’m not the only one getting turn on from watching my lovers enjoying themselves.”

He stroked him again. Connor firmly pushed him back, so Hank was lying down again, then he bent over him to press their chest together, resting his whole weight on his lover. He took Hank’s mouth in a feverish kiss, his tongue desperately looking for that tingling stimulation. Hank kept caressing him despite the impractical angle, clumsy in his attempts, but Connor couldn’t care less. All he wanted was to feel him close, to bask in his heat. He pushed his hips into his, and Hank cursed against his lips.

He was vaguely aware of Nines and Gavin talking next to them.

“Tell me what you want to do,” Nines asked in a low voice.

“Right now, all I can think about is you fucking me,” Gavin answered.

Connor registered a feeling of deep satisfaction coming from a part of his mind that wasn’t focused on Hank and the pleasure coursing through him, satisfaction at the sound of Gavin’s voice, firm and confident. It was reassuring to know that despite the newness of the situation, Gavin knew what he wanted and felt safe enough to ask for it.

He heard Nines rummaging around in the bedside table to retrieve the lube Connor kept there. Connor broke the kiss to watch as Nines manhandled Gavin into the position he wanted. He could tell from Gavin’s expression that he was surprise at being turned around, but he went with it anyway. Realisation dawned on Gavin’s face when he found himself lying on his side, facing Hank, close enough that they were practically touching.

Hank turned his face to meet his eyes and smiled at him, while Nines situated himself behind Gavin. He pressed his chest to the omega’s back and made him raised one of his legs to have a better access. For a while, he did nothing but nuzzle into Gavin’s neck and let his hands stroke over his skin in a comforting gesture. Hank and Gavin hesitantly stared at each other until the latter extended a hand to put it on Hank’s chest and scooted closer. Hank met him halfway.

Connor smiled when they kissed, slowly at first then deeper as they were gradually emboldened. Gavin got closer still, pressing into Hank’s side and Connor’s legs. Their hearts were beating a strong rhythm, but Connor doubted stress had anything to do with it. He exchanged a glance with Nines, who had his face half buried in Gavin’s hair. It seemed as if they would be alright.

While Gavin was distracted with Hank, Nines coated his fingers with lube. His hand disappeared from Connor’s view when he slid it behind Gavin. At the same moment, one of Hank’s hands left Connor’s skin to cup Gavin’s hardening length. Gavin broke their kiss and swore out loud from the stimulation. He bucked his hips, first pushing into Hank’s hand, then back against Nines, as if he didn’t know which one was the more pleasurable.

Connor’s whole body contracted as electricity coursed through him from low in his belly all the way up his spine and he realised suddenly he’d been rocking against Hank, pushing his dick into the alpha’s stomach as the sight of his lovers making out and touching each other made him more and more turned on.

Since Gavin and Hank looked lovely right where they were, exchanging kisses as Gavin’s breathing slowly turned erratic, Connor decided to take matter into his own hands and set out to do exactly what he’d been fantasizing about before Nines and Gavin joined them. He moved off of Hank to get lower on the bed and didn’t let time to the alpha to look surprised before he took his hard cock in his mouth with no hesitation.

“Fuck!” Hank exclaimed, his hips bucking up into Connor, but the android had no trouble pinning him to the mattress.

Data exploded in his brain when his lips closed around the impressive girth and his tongue met the heated skin. He dismissed most of it – he had no need to know the exact composition of the pre seminal liquid coming from the tip. Instead, he focused on taking all of it in his mouth for it to be as pleasurable for Hank as it was for him. And it was pleasurable: the thousands of tiny sensors in his mouth came alive as he explored the hard length.

His tongue licked along the underside of it, going from base to tip, the warm skin rubbed against the roof of his mouth and he hollowed his cheeks to suck on it, sinking lower until his nose was buried in the hair of Hank’s lower belly. He wanted to feel everything, the tip of it hitting the back of his throat, the shape of the pulsating veins along the side, the minute twitches when Connor did something Hank particularly liked and his muscles contracted on their own, the tiny bursts of liquid that filled Connor’s mouth with Hank’s taste.

He knew his LED was a solid gold. The electric shocks coming from the stimulation of his sensors travelled through his body and translated into pleasure, but he wasn’t sure what was the most intense for him: the feeling of the cock in his mouth or the idea of being so close to Hank, of his lover taking pleasure from him. He could hear Hank’s grunts and moans as he bobbed his head up and down and took on a steady rhythm that he knew Hank liked, could feel the shifting muscles in his belly and legs. Connor’s fingers tightened on Hank’s thighs at the feeling of the hard dick rubbing against his tongue and rhythmically sliding into his throat.

Focused on his task and the building pleasure in his body, he couldn’t see what his lovers were doing, but his hearing was sensitive enough to hear the wet noises of Nines’ fingers moving into Gavin’s, helped by lube and the omega’s natural lubrication. Gavin’s moans had become wanton, rough as they caught in his throat or he plunged his tongue in Hank’s mouth. He knew from the shifting in Hank’s muscles than the alpha was using his hand to help pleasure Gavin.

Connor almost got kneed in the face when Gavin shifted his leg to give Nines more room.

“I’m so sorry,” Gavin blurted out, then cursed as his hips bucked between his partners.

Hank’s free hand moved to thread through Connor’s hair, as if he wanted to check if his head hadn’t sustained any damaged. Connor tried to lean into the touch and not stop the movements of his mouth at the same time, which was impossible, but when his senses were overloaded like that even his processors tended to not care about the difference between fantasies and what was realistically possible.

Hank’s body felt hotter than ever. Connor could tell his heartbeat had picked up even more and his thighs were trembling as he was holding back from thrusting into Connor’s face. He kept moving his mouth, producing more saliva than usual to make it easier as he sucked on his dick and played with the tip. He used his own ability to detect even the slightest change in Hank’s body to guess what he liked the most, but he had trouble focusing and his movements grew sloppier than he would have liked – not that Hank seemed to mind.

It took him a while to realise he was rutting against the mattress, trying to bring some friction on his neglected cock. He had the impulse to take himself in hand. It would be easy to come like that, from fucking his own face on Hank’s cock and touching himself, but he wanted something else.

He got up. At Hank’s protest, he regretted having his warmth in his mouth and almost changed his mind, but he was already into motion. He straddled Hank again. He had to push Gavin’s leg out of the way to situate himself on top.

His lovers were breath-taking: the two humans were red in the face and panting. A few strands of Gavin’s hair were stuck to his forehead by sweat. His blush had spread to his neck and the top of his chest. He was clinging to Hank’s arm, pressing his nose into his skin to breath him in.

Hank’s pupils were dilated when he looked up at Connor. His lips were red and swollen from all the kissing, and the ravenous expression on his face made a shiver run up Connor’s spine. Nines was looking slightly more collected, in that he couldn’t sweat and a blue blush was less visible than a red one. Still, he was breathing hard, taking in more of their mixed scents with each inhalation. He was as closed as he could to Gavin’s back, except for the little space he’d left to allow his hand to move between them and to finger the omega open. Gavin was reduced to groaning through his opened mouth, made desperate by Nines’ precision.

Connor gripped Hank’s dick at the base. Hank’s eyes widened when he realised what he was about to do. One of his hand shot up to hold his hip. Connor had to close his eyes when he sank on top of him. Hank’s girth spread him open easily and they both groaned at the feeling. He could cut off the pain entirely if he wanted to, but Connor liked to feel a slight burn – it brought an edge to the pleasure.

He froze when he was fully seated on top of Hank.

“Jesus. Give a guy a heads-up,” the alpha complained. “I don’t think my heart will last the year at this rate.”

Connor chuckled, and Hank’s fingers tightened on his hip when he felt it around him.

“Actually, sex is good for your health.”

“It’s so nice of you to take my well-being at heart,” Hank retorted.

Connor’s chuckle lingered. He relished in the joy bubbling inside of him and the tiny bursts of pleasure triggered by his synthetic anal cavity adjusting around the cock in him.

He met Gavin’s gaze, who was looking up at their joined bodies with desire in his eyes. He extended a hand to stroke Connor’s stomach and hip, to feel his naked skin. The touch made Connor buck his hips, drawing a sigh from Hank, then Gavin had to close his eyes from a particularly pointed stroke of Nines’ fingers against his prostate.

“Nines, I swear to god!” he protested with the authoritative voice he usually took at the precinct.

Nines snorted.

“Right. Understood.”

He nuzzled into Gavin’s hair then craned his neck to kiss his temple. He withdrew his fingers and reached for the lube to spread some on his dick.

Connor got distracted when Hank thrust up into him.

“Come on. Don’t tease me.”

Connor looked down on him and licked his lips. He felt a dark satisfaction when Hank’s eyes followed the movement.

With a slow, deliberate roll of his hips, he got up on Hank’s cock by a few centimetres then sank back down. Both of Hank’s hands ended up on his hips. His fingers dug in the plastic under his synthetic flesh when Connor moved again, harder.

“Shit. Yeah,” Hank growled.

At the next thrust, Hank met him halfway, pushing up into him. It tore a strained whimper out of Connor’s throat and his body fluttered in pleasure around Hank.

Gavin let out a wanton moan at the same time. Nines pressed his hips into his with a groan, holding one of Gavin’s legs out of the way. Hank took his attention away from Connor to look at Gavin, who was breathing hard into to his ear.

“Good?” Nines asked.

Gavin nodded yes in answer, not taking his eyes away from Hank as if he were answering him. Nines took the hint all the same and moved experimentally to make sure Gavin wasn’t in pain. Gavin bit his lips from the pleasure. Hank looked down at his mouth, then moved closer to kiss him. Gavin kissed back with no hesitation.

Connor’s desire spiked up at the sight. His synthetic muscles clamped down on Hank, and he rolled his hips to follow that burst of pleasure. Hank moaned around Gavin’s tongue.

Connor idly thought that he’d had no reason to be nervous in the first place. The movements were familiar enough now. Hank knew when to trust up into him, how to angle his hips to hit him just right and make Connor cry out in pleasure. Gavin and Hank seemed to have relax in each other’s presence easily enough. Gavin visibly trusted Hank enough to let him see him in a vulnerable position. He was pushing back against Nines’ thrusts as the alpha was moaning into his hair. Gavin and Hank kept kissing each other when they had the breath for it.

Sucking Hank’s dick had already brought Connor close to the edge and the feeling of the alpha thrusting up into him quickly brought him back to that peak and higher still. He bounced up and down on Hank’s laps, moaning loudly, his LED turning to red.

“Hank,” he pled, looking down.

Hank extended a hand to cup his jaw, and Connor bent down to allow it.

“You’re okay. I got you.”

Connor moaned in answer. The trembling in his legs spread to his entire body.

> Connor…

He looked to the side. Nines was watching him from above Gavin’s head, and he met his eyes. He reached out, Connor clumsily took his hand and held on as hard as he could. Their skin peeled back.

A cry was torn from his lips at the wave of ecstasy that crashed into his mind. The pleasure that Nines was taking from Gavin piled on top of his own and before he realised it, he was coming on top of Hank, his mouth opened on a silent shout. His back arched and his body went taunt. Hank fucked him through it, each of his thrusts abusing the hypersensitive sensors inside of him and lighting alarms all across his vision.

He clutched Nines’ hand harder than he meant, probably crushing his fingers, but neither of them noticed. He was vaguely aware, at the periphery of his perception, that Nines had only meant to push him over the edge, not fall with him, but he was swiped away by the strength of the orgasm coursing through his omega. He cursed and fucked wildly into Gavin as they kept sending the feeling to each other, multiplied by the feedback loop.

Eventually, Connor let go of his hand and collapsed to the side. He found himself lying next to Hank and panting helplessly, with no clear idea of how he’d ended up there. Hank’s stomach was a mess, covered in android’s synthetic cum.

“Damn, are you two okay?” Hank asked with a look of worry in his eyes.

“I may have grossly underestimated the intensity of that,” Nines answered from the other side of the bed, as breathless as his partner.

Connor couldn’t help but giggle. He threaded a hand to his hair. His limbs felt like jelly, even though he knew it was only a programmed response from his components. He ran a quick self-diagnosis then set his fans to work cooling him down.

He smiled up at Hank.

“That felt good,” he said to reassure him, even though it was an understatement.

Hank rolled his eyes fondly.

He was still hard, and Connor decided that would not do. He gathered his strengths to push Hank back. The alpha looked surprised but let Connor rearranged him the way he wanted. He made him lay with his back to him, so he was facing Gavin. Nines moved as well to wrap himself around the other omega.

Connor reached out to take Hank’s erection in hand. He pressed his torso to the alpha’s back and entangled his legs with his.

“Fuck, I’m so close already,” Hank mumbled in a rough voice at the first stroke of Connor’s hand.

The feeling of the omega coming around him had brought him close to his release.

> I think our work here is not done yet, he playfully told Nines.

> Agreed.

Gavin moaned loudly when Nines’ fingers slid back into him and found his prostate again. He held on to Hank’s shoulder with one hand. A second later, Connor felt the other one hesitantly reached for Hank’s cock. He laced their fingers together, then firmly wrapped their joined hands around Hank’s hard length, encouraging Gavin to stroke it in time with him.

Hank swore and pushed into the sensation. Even though he couldn’t see what was happening, Connor could tell from the movement of Hank’s arm and Gavin’s moans that he was returning the favour.

“Look at you, you pretty thing. You gonna come?” Hank growled.

“Don’t start giving me pet names, Anderson.”

“Why not?”

Judging from the silence that followed, Gavin didn’t know what to answer. Hank refrained from pushing him further, though.

The combined stimulation from his lovers was quick to make Gavin come. Connor saw his fingers tightened on Hank’s shoulders until his knuckles were white, he heard the rustling of the sheets and the muffled groans escaping from his throat. Connor took over when his hand lost his rhythm on Hank’s cock. The alpha followed soon after, his dick pulsating in Connor’s hand as it shot ropes of cum.

Connor let go of him and nuzzled into Hank’s neck as he panted loudly. Even now, with his strong scent all over himself, Connor couldn’t get enough of it. After a while of lying down in post-climatic bliss, Nines gathered the courage to get up in order to fetch something to clean them up. It motivated Connor to sit up and stretched his limbs. The trembling had subsided, and his strength was coming back.

He couldn’t help but smile when he looked down and noticed Hank had wrapped his arms around Gavin and had buried his nose in his hair. Eyes closed, Gavin was regaining his breath.

“So, what would you say about doing that again?” he eventually asked.

“Well… Give me a minute to breathe, and I’ll be all yours,” Hank answered.

Gavin opened his eyes and jerked away.

“Not right now, you-” he started, then he realised Hank was shitting him. He slapped his shoulder with a huff as Hank chuckled and tug on his arm to make him lie back down.

Oh well, Connor thought to himself. He guessed it didn’t matter what word Hank and Gavin wanted to put on their relationship – “friend” or “lover” – as long as they were all happy with each other and comfortable with what they were doing.

Hank woke up, heavy with sleep, deliciously warm under the covers. It was the middle of winter now, and the nights could get freezing. Luckily, he almost always had at least one body to keep him warm.

That morning was no exception. He was laying on his side, facing the door to his own bedroom. Sunlight was spilling in through the window behind him, and he could feel a presence behind his back – only one, but he could hear voices and movements from his kitchen.

He yawned. None of them had a shift at the precinct, and he already felt like lazing in bed all day. After stretching a bit, he turned around, shifting closer to the warm body beside him. Gavin was already awake. He was only wearing his boxers, and Hank could see his naked chest peaking from under the cover. It has more hair and muscles that what Hank was used to see on his past lovers; some people might consider it unattractive since it wasn’t up to omega beauty standards, but those people were idiots to Hank’s opinion.

Gavin was laying on his side facing Hank with his phone in hands. He didn’t even look up at him. He was staring at his screen and typing away with a smile that could only be described as evil.

“Hey,” Hank mumbled, voice rough from sleep.

“’Morning,” Gavin distractingly answered.

“Should I be worried about whatever it is that you’re planning?”

Gavin snorted.

“My parents want to invite me for Christmas. I hate family gatherings, but I just had the best idea. I’m going to tell them I’ll come with my alpha and then I’m going to show up with Nines, and to top it all, I’ll tell them I met him through the Soul Algorithm program they signed me up to.”

“O…kay?” Hank said, not sure where he was going with that.

“But that’s just the beginning,” Gavin continued. “Next time they invite me for something, I’m going to bring you as my alpha, and the time after that, I’m going to bring Connor. They’re going to be so mad that I’m not following through with the Soul Algorithm thing the way they wanted me to, but they won’t be able to say anything because they brought it upon themselves and they’ll know it.”

He chuckled to himself like a supervillain, but Hank had stopped listening. Gavin Reed had just said, out loud, that he was going to introduce Hank as his alpha to his family. Yes, he’d said it as a joke, as part of his ridiculous plan to get back at his family for signing him up to the Soul Algorithm program in the first place, but he’d said it.

Hank had trouble believing his ears, his eyes – what his life had turned to, in general. Here he was, lying in bed with Gavin, half-naked, as the younger detective made plan to introduce his boyfriends to his family.

Gavin kept on rambling, still typing away on his phone. Hank carefully raised a hand and brought it to his face. He cupped Gavin’s cheek; his thumb brushed over the stubble obscuring his jaw. Gavin didn’t flinch, didn’t look up from whatever he was doing on his phone, seemed to barely notice the touch. Hank marvelled at his trust as he kept exploring his skin with his fingers.

There was a time when Gavin wouldn’t have let him approach him at armlength, when he would have jumped back at any attempt from Hank to touch him. Hank couldn’t believe how far they’d come, how happy and privileged it made him feel. A few months ago, he didn’t give a fuck Gavin didn’t want him in his vicinity. Now, this moment of casual intimacy felt so important.

Hank wasn’t naïve. When they’d started this, they’d told themselves it was a no-brainer. They liked each other; their boyfriends liked spending time with the both of them. They should just have sex and spend quality time with Connor and Nines without forcing themselves to apply to the socially expected boundaries of most friendships. They could be friends with benefits, or whatever people called it these days, for their boyfriends’ – and their own – sake and for as long as both of them felt comfortable with it.

But it was more than that. It had always been more than that, and Hank had the feeling they both knew it on some level. It wasn’t just about sex, it was about emotional commitment. He was seeing Gavin in a completely different light now, and he hoped it was reciprocated.

Gavin looked up with a frown. Hank had probably been staring with a weird expression.

“What’s up?”

Instead of answering, Hank scooted closer and used his hand, still on Gavin’s cheek, to bring their faces together. He kissed Gavin, a gesture that was becoming more and more familiar. The other man froze in surprise but kissed back less than a second later. He let go of his phone and the device got lost between them, completely forgotten, as he brought his arms around Hank to hug him closer.

Gavin parted his lips for him, and Hank went to taste him eagerly. He didn’t bother wearing his concealing perfume around Hank anymore, and it felt like his real smell was another part of his identity he was entrusting Hank with. It seemed like it was calling for Hank, luring him closer. Gavin shivered against him, from the contrast between the chill of the room and the warmth of their heated skins sliding onto each other.

Hank simply enjoyed how good it felt as the kiss lingered. When they parted, Gavin’s lips were slightly swollen.

“What was that about?” he asked.

“Just wanted you to know how much I like you.”

Gavin wrinkled his nose.

“Don’t start getting all mushy on me, old man,” he said, but there was no real heat to it, and when he pressed his face into Hank’s chest, the alpha knew he was hiding his blush.

Hank smiled and hugged him closer. He was pretty sure the thing poking him in the shoulder was Gavin’s phone that had ended up under him at some point during their embrace.

“Hank,” Gavin breathed. “You know I… well, you know, right?”

He nuzzled into the omega’s hair. Gavin was still awkward talking about his feelings – Hank could understand that. It was fine. In Hank’s eyes, Gavin’s small gestures of affection were declarations of love in their own right. He only lowered his defences so completely with Connor and Nines – and Hank.

“I know,” Hank answered.

It didn’t mattered Gavin wasn’t ready to say it out loud – hell, Hank wasn’t ready to utter long emotional confessions of love either. The sentiment was there, and it was enough.

Hank cupped Gavin’s face to make him look up and kiss him again. Gavin’s hands explored his chest and back, his fingers grazed his skin. Apparently, his partners found him “hot” despite how old and washed out he felt. He couldn’t wrap his mind around that, but he could learn to trust them, and the way Gavin’s smell changed slightly to betray his rising arousal seemed to indicate he wasn’t forcing himself in order to protect Hank’s feelings. On the contrary, he seemed more than happy to be pressed against the alpha.

“Finally, you’re awake!”

They broke apart just in time to see Connor trot through the room and jump on the bed. The frame creaked under his weight, and Hank felt the mattress dip to the side. Gavin protested when Connor accidently elbowed him in the ribs. With a lot of unnecessary movements, the over-excited omega finally settled behind Gavin. He hooked his arms around him to shove his phone into Gavin’s face.

“I wanted to show you this for ages.”

“It’s just a video of Sumo,” Gavin protested with a roll of his eyes, but he was smiling.

“Exactly. This morning, he sat down when I asked him to, and you weren’t there to see it because you were sleeping, so I tried to film it, but he didn’t do it again, but I swear he did it.”

“You know Hank’s dog isn’t trained.”

“Yes, but I’ve been training him,” Connor retorted. “It’s not because he’s an adult dog that he can’t learn.”

“He just happened to sit when you said it.”

“No! I know he understands what I’m saying.”

The sound of the omegas’ playful bickering covered Nines’ footsteps. Hank was startled when he slid under the covers behind him, but quickly relaxed when the familiar firm body pressed against his back. He had to hold on to Hank and to practically melt into him to be able to fit in with them. Hank had been considering buying a bigger mattress for a while, or maybe even moving to a bigger place. They rarely slept together the four of them because that was just impractical; still, a bigger bed would be nice for mornings like this one – and for sex.

Nines’ open palm settled on Hank’s stomach, his fingers spread wide. He hooked one leg above Hank’s hips and pressed his nose behind his ear.

“Good morning.”

“’Morning.”

Hank stretched his neck to accommodate the kisses behind showered unto his skin. He’d been surprised at how affectionate Nines had quickly became. You wouldn’t except it from the serious, distant android he was at work, but it was like he was addicted to small gestures of affection like this one.

The bed rattled like crazy, disturbing Hank and Nines, when Connor complained about how annoying Gavin could be and the two omegas started “fighting”, giggling and trying to immobilise the other. Of course, Connor won. The android pinned Gavin under his weight, then lowered himself to kiss him hungrily. Gavin bit his lip in a sign of protest, but Hank could clearly see him meet Connor’s tongue with his own a second later.

Hank guessed his peace was worth sacrificing if he could have mornings like that every week. An odd thought crossed his mind, and he found himself saying it out loud.

“I wonder what kind of compatibility the Soul Algorithm would give us now,” he mumbled to himself.

“Hmm?” Nines all but purred against his ear. He was rubbing his nose against his neck. “Oh, the results would probably be slightly different. I would say we all changed since we took their test.”

Yeah, no kidding. Connor and Nines had done theirs a few months ago, but Hank had been an entirely different person more than three years ago when he’d taken his own. Grieving, depressed, alcoholic… He doubted he even had taken the test seriously and answered all the questions honestly – he couldn’t remember.

And yet, the algorithm deserved more credit than Hank had first given it. If it had been able to rightfully guess that Connor and Nines would be a positive influence on him despite his former hatred for androids, that those three men would be right for him – and that he would be right for them – if it had somehow detected that potential, then their marketing campaign wasn’t a complete lie, as he formerly believed.

“Fuck this dumb program,” Gavin intervened. Hank hadn’t thought he’d heard them. “It’s just bullshit.”

“Are you kidding me? It was right on us,” Connor protested. He was still straddling Gavin’s hips. “Without it, we wouldn’t be here today.”

Gavin rolled his eyes.

“We would have met at the precinct anyway. I’m sure what was bound to happen would have happened. Maybe it would just have taken longer.”

“But you can’t say it’s bullshit when they were right!”

“Whatever. If you wanna take the test again to see if the results are different, do it without me. It’s way too overpriced.”

Connor huffed.

“You are impossible.”

He jabbed his finger into Gavin’s stomach. The man yelped and tried to overthrow him, to no avail. Nines gave a low chuckle near Hank’s ear.

Hank stifled a yawn. Maybe he ought to give a call to his sister and thank her after all. For now, he leaned back a bit more against Nines, content to just spend some time with his partners.