#gavin the brilliant detective at some point: wait a fucking minute

[bloodurged]

autistic gavin and android autistic nines [a.k.a. unfinished prototype without a social module] being the ones to understand each other is something that can be so personal.

[fandom-necromancer]

1537. I didn’t know you could talk.

This was prompted by the amazing @anxiousmessofaperson! It has quite a lot of backstory but I hope you enjoy it!

Fandom: Detroit become human | Ship: Reed900

As Gavin had left the Captains office being tailed by another goddamn Connor lookalike, he had thought his days at the DPD were over. If that machine was just another know-it-all machine following protocol and forcing him to do the same, he knew that he would have handed his badge over not a week later. But to his surprise, once they had reached his desk, the android had just sat down and quietly started working. Systematically, the new unit began finishing reports Gavin had started, pointed out incorrect passages and errors and even offered better cover for Gavin’s more… dubious actions. The Detective had been annoyed with his demand of correctness no one would give a damn about, but the lack of any scolding the android gave him for continuously acting on the fine line between legal and illegal to stop a criminal as fast as possible made him rethink that.

The lack of speech at all made him really look at his new partner for the first time. There were a few minor physical differences between Connor and this… RK900, but it was the behaviour that really set them apart. The new RK kept to himself and seemed to love his job above all else. Gavin had never met a more diligent partner that he got along so well with. Maybe it was because he never spoke. Never even once. That didn’t mean he didn’t communicate. He offered polite nods as a greeting to everyone he liked, or he considered neutral. The people he disliked were just stared at. Gavin could observe very closely how this behaviour started and how it also seemed to be affected by who said something against himself. He wouldn’t go out of his way calling the new bot loyal, but at least Gavin seemed to be on his good side. Further proof were little gestures of the android: a generally more open look when facing Gavin, the occasional coffee cup, following him out for smoke breaks sometimes.

It was a bit creepy, being followed by a silent machine that only showed his attention by minute changes in posture and gesture. But Gavin could manage that. He got used to it. It really wasn’t that difficult. The android understood him, so Gavin could talk to him and depending on his reaction, the Detective got his answer. Mostly it was frowning, dropping his face in his hands or looking desperately his direction, when he told him his mission plans or deductions. Then they would spend hours on Nines pointing out how idiotic his idea was. Or rather reckless. It was only idiotic if it didn’t work and Gavin had been lucky all his life, thank you very much. Of course the android never let him follow through with his plans unless he changed them to his liking and begrudgingly the Detective had to admit the new missions were a lot safer and sometimes even more effective.

Gavin didn’t hand in his badge. Gavin still had his partner. Gavin didn’t complain about it.

Still, he was amazed as Fowler called him in his office and congratulated him to finally have a partner stick around for half a year. He had been about to throw some harsh words at his Captain, when he stopped himself. Half a year. That really was longer than any partner he ever had. So, instead of his usual clashing, he just grinned at his superior and said: ‘I promise, I’ll try harder the next half.’ He wouldn’t, of course. But he had a reputation to uphold. No, the RK900 was the perfect partner and Gavin would even admit he rather liked the android.

So, even after another half a year, RK900 still stuck around. They were a real team now. Nearly nowhere to be seen alone, unbeatable as Detectives and both had saved the other’s life or at least health uncountable times. And if they vanished to the archive room a few times and came out more dishevelled than they should be after filing some data, well, no one really bothered. It took only a few more months until they left and arrived at work together. It had been the android, now affectionately called Nines, who had suggested to move together. Gavin wasn’t sure, what it was they were having, but he had decided to just follow Nines’ example and never give it a name.

The one thing he did know was that it was the best experience in his life. Except maybe for Nines’ interest at being at work at precisely seven o’clock in the morning. Not a minute too early or too late. Gavin, who would rather have slept in after last night, didn’t respond too well to being woken up, what the android answered by refusing to make him breakfast. Used to just eating a bit that the android prepared it was getting late and there really wasn’t more time than for a coffee. That was, when Gavin’s brain had the most brilliant idea in his life. It was his triumphant giggling of: ‘Oh, this is brilliant!’, that made Nines stop at the kitchen door and stare at the human hunched over his coffee mug pressing something down with a spoon. Curiously, the android walked closer and Gavin grinned at him. ‘Oh, Nines, this will revolutionise breakfast!’, he called out, before lifting something out of his coffee. An egg. Completely mortified, Nines looked at the human excitedly peeling off the eggshell.

‘Gavin, what the fuck?’ Too excited, Gavin didn’t even realise the words: ‘Nines, seriously! You can’t drink too hot coffee, so why don’t you use the first few- wait a minute…’ He eyed the android up and down, only now catching up to what happened. ‘Holy shit, Nines, I didn’t know you could talk!’ The android just stared at him, then the slightly brown but boiled egg in his hand. But Gavin just laughed. ‘Well, that’s that mystery solved, if you choose not to talk, I don’t have to worry about you anymore. Anyways, this is truly genius!’ He took a bite of his egg and immediately his face scrunched up in disgust. ‘Ewww, okay, this is not as genius as I thought…’ Nines answered by shielding his eyes and questioning his life decisions.

Needless to say, they weren’t punctual that day.