#he needs to be intimidated and controlled now rather than taking his passivity for granted

[wardensantoineandevka]

y'know, going through like YouTube comments and posts in various places, a lot of people are really weird about Spahr.

yes, he isn't a GREAT person—very few people in this series are—but like, many people keep trying to frame him as far worse and far more malicious than he really is. there's a lot of just dismissal of the inner conflict and precarious position that Spahr is in and that he's slowly becoming aware of.

and weirdly, on top of that, a lot of these comments simultaneously frame Weepe as FAR more virtuous than he really is. I enjoy Weepe IMMENSELY, but his amorality is stark and at times shocking. (it's what makes him fascinating in this narrative!)

it's all really weird to me? especially since I find Spahr very interesting because of his fragile footing, dawning realization of how suffocating his situation is, and burgeoning and deepening struggle against himself.

but a lot of people press all of it out or disregard it, and there's a lot of just ill will and acidic tones at him acting as if he's much more evil and malevolent than he actually is.

[bluecollarmcandtf]

Fast Food Snack

My story starts with a close, but I'm hungry...

An intimidating glare from the baggy-eyed manager tells me to back the fuck off, but I have no intention of leaving. I'm starving and this asshole has no idea who he's staring at! After all, how could an old fast-food worker named Darryl know that I just discovered the ability to control dumb little minds like his?

"Open up," I say, licking my lips at the feeling of inserting myself into his head.

Mind control isn't like how it's portrayed in movies. I don't just snap my fingers and bring victims into a vacantly drooling state. No! It's much more invasive than that, and it's much, much more unpleasant for my poor targets. Imagine a sickeningly stiff presence pushing through the back of your skull. It shoves your own ideas and intentions aside, ripping away the control you had over your body. You probably always took that control for granted, but now you can't cause so much as the blinking of an eyelid. Most people spend their time in my thrall screaming internally.

Being sidelined in your own body takes some getting used to, and Darryl isn't enjoying it in the slightest. Nevertheless, I use his hands to unlock the front door and invite myself inside.

"Please, come in," I make his gravelly voice speak, "Can I suck your dick as an apology?"

I feel the man cringe on the inside. He hates hearing and feeling his own mouth make such a vulgar offer, but his stoic face doesn't crack. This idiot is trapped inside his own mind while I get to puppet around his body. I don't even have to tell him what to do.

"Maybe later," I pinch the manager's cheek, "Let's get you deep-fried and seasoned first."

With a vice grip on his brain, I steer the fast-food worker off to do my bidding. Humiliating my playthings is the perfect appetizer...

Darryl spends the next few minutes collecting all the leftover food from the garbage, dumping it all over himself. The manager doesn't stop there, proceeding to lay on the floor and rub all the grease and ketchup into his clothes. That trademark glare stays frozen on his face the entire time he soaks in the day's old fries and ketchup.

"I'm a messy little bitch," he states blandly from the ground, "And an ugly, dumb, low-life."

His words make me chuckle, even though I'm the one making him say it. My metaphorical arm is rammed up his ass like a ventriloquist with a dummy. It's also me that's puppeting his hands to rub the food into the pits of his polo and the crotch of his khakis.

"You really should've just let me inside," I purr with my own mouth, "Now I'm gonna make you act like a messy bitch forever."

Darryl's face remains unbothered, but I feel the real man panic inside. If he had control over his eyes right now, they would be bulging in pure terror. Instead, they gaze passively back at me from the floor.

"Boss? Where'd you go?" a smooth voice interrupts my fun with Darryl.

A tall, dark, and handsome young man walks out from the back kitchen. His thick arms and bushy beard make me salivate. The name tag on his juicy pec reads 'Josh' but there's plenty of other things I'd rather call a stud like him.

"I thought you said we'd leave early if we got everything cleaned up," he grunts quietly.

The handsome fool is too preoccupied with wiping down tables to notice his manager rolling in grease and condiments. Briefly glimpsing in his mind tells me that he wants to finish his shift as quickly as possible, but I won't be letting him off work any time soon.

He jumps when he finally notices me, startled to find a customer still lurking after closing hours. His scowl shortly returns to his face as he pushes out his chest to address me.

"We're closed. You need-" his voice cuts as I commandeer his heavy body and thick neck.

With me in control, Josh's autonomy is squeezed into a corner of his skull, but he still retains all his senses; feeling his muscles relax, licking his salty lips, taking a deep breath of greasy air, and staring at his new master. I make him walk forward until his bulging chest is brushing against my own.

"I can give you a much better show than that dried-up, old, dishrag," I make him say, gesturing to Darryl with his broad hands, "My man-tits are fat and juicy just for you. Let me be your little slut. Fuck me like the breedable piece of meat I am."

Internally, Josh is furious, but his voice doesn't waver as he delivers the words I wrote for him. He's like a Ken doll I'm playing with, only none of it is pretend.

"I think I'd prefer dinner and a show," I giggle, "Why don't we let that dried-up, old, dishrag fuck your ass. He is your boss, after all."

Josh doesn't visibly react to the idea. He doesn't wince or crack the scowl I'd left on his handsome face. He just marches to the back and lays himself out on the dirty floor. Darryl follows, per the instructions I'm pumping into each of his limbs.

"Give it to me hard, boss," Josh says in a low monotone.

"Prepare for a rough ride, muscle-slut." Darryl answers his employee dryly.

Of course, internally, both men are freaking out. It's hard to tell who's more panicked; the manager who's about to dog-fuck his employee, or the roided up gym-rat who's about to take it like a bitch. Darryl wants nothing more than to pull Josh off the floor and run out of the building, but I hold his body firmly in place, making the man unbuckle his stained khakis like he's about to get lucky. Josh is the same, desperately trying to break free and attack, but I've got full control over his bulky body. I make him stick out his tongue and lick the floor like a pathetically horny animal. He still has to taste every inch.

"Papa's ready for ya," Darryl moans, pulling out the cock I easily inflated to full mast.

"Hurry Papa!" Josh squirms as he thumbs his pants below his wiggling bubble butt.

"What the hell?" a nervous voice stutters.

Turning, I find a much less impressive man walking into the kitchen. His name tag reads 'Aaron' and he must've been bullied into cleaning the bathrooms for the last twenty minutes. He's missed a lot, but it doesn't take long for me to catch him up.

"I'm enjoying a meal here!" I bite, mildly annoyed, "Shut up and make yourself useful."

His mind folds instantly to my efforts, and I know exactly how to put him to use. Aaron snaps his mouth, marches around before me, and kneels. Without a single breath of pause, his hands unzip my jeans and pull out my aching penis. He swallows it whole, bobbing his head expertly. Aaron's never done this before, but I've had a few blow jobs and I know exactly how I like it; with a throat wide open and lips at the base.

"Continue," I sigh in pleasure towards Josh and Darryl.

The pair unfreeze, resuming the messed up porno I'm forcing them to star in. The manager leans into Josh's back and enters him from behind. "You're gonna have to take Daddy's dick every time we close. Got it, boy?" he grunts down at his employee. The bearded stud looks up to his boss, and sucks some of the various condiments out of the man's stained shirt. "Yes, sir. I want to end every day like this, here, with you inside me." Darryl continues slapping his groin into Josh's splayed rear, pushing the younger man's face against the cold damp floor.

It isn't long before Aaron's expert dick-sucking leaves me cumming in his stomach. Finally, I'm satiated. "FfuuuuUUUuuuUucck..." I grunt out a long guttural moan of relief.

When my eyes flutter open, I see the mess I've left in this little restaurant...

The three men stop with the act; Aaron pauses, my dick still halfway down his throat; Josh freezes in the middle of writhing with fake pleasure; Darryl even ceases his brutal rape of his employee despite never reaching a climax. None of it matters anymore. My rocks have gotten off, so my little puppet show is over. I'm left with three terrified fast-food workers with broken wills.

"Sorry guys," I pull away and zip up my pants, "I get a little carried away when I'm horny."

"It's, ok," they all answer back nonchalantly, but I can hear their true thoughts screaming, locked away somewhere in their minds.

With a wave of my hand, I wipe the experience from their memories. I turn off their consciousness and set Darryl, Josh, and Aaron on autopilot. Like actors in a bad hypnotism movie, they rise and get back to their nightly chores. This time, their jaws are slack and their eyes are vacant. They'll finish closing down the restaurant and go home, where they'll scrub themselves clean and get a long night of rest. By tomorrow, all of the psychological and physical remnants of what I've done will be gone.

For them, it'll be like I never set foot inside this place. For me, I'll have to pretend that I didn't just become an evil and sadistic super villain. I never did end up eating any food, but I did satisfy some sort of hunger inside me...

...at least for now.

I let my urges get the better of my powers. Being a mind controller is hard. I can barely even control my own mind at times. Wandering away from the isolated, little, restaurant, I wonder how long it'll take before I lose control of myself again...

To be continued?

[eventidedaydreamer]

What is everybody's strengths and weaknesses in your Bendy Au?

:) oh >:) okay

Joey Drew: 

Strengths 

he knows a lot of things, 

Intelligence

he can be very charming and can win people over easily, 

he’s the kind of person that you immediately like when you meet him, 

he knows how to leave a good impression.

If you actually get to know him he can be very bubbly and excitable.

Weaknesses 

he can’t read people, 

he’s brain smart but he isn’t emotionally smart, 

he doesn’t get it when someone shows emotions in a way he isn’t familiar with. 

He lashes out when he’s reminded of unpleasant things.

He knows how to turn everyone into ink creatures through sacrifice but he doesn’t stop to think if he should.

His coping mechanisms are not very healthy

Jealousy, clingy, its hard for him to consider that people can have more than one friend

Henry Stein:

Strengths 

He’s very tough (have you seen how much he falls?? and he’s OLD) 

Probably broke some bones when he was a kid so now he has stronger bones. 

He can handle a LOT of pain, 

he’s cool under stress and pressure, 

he’s a hard worker and a very talented artist.

He has a good memory

Weaknesses 

He has trouble expressing himself 

He’s a people pleaser and has a hard time saying no (something he’s worked on and is better about after he met his wife), 

He underreacts to things and overthinks a lot (overthinking is another thing he got better with after he met Linda)

Wally Franks:

Strengths 

One of the FRIENDLIEST people you will ever meet, 

and hes really really funny

He somehow knows everyone’s name even if he only met them once three years ago, 

It’s like he’s living life at a different speed because it seems like he spent the whole day with you but he also had time to see ten other people the same day?? 

He seems innocent and as if his perfect bubble of the world would pop if you mentioned something upsetting but the reality is he’ll listen to anything you need to get out and then give really good advice followed up with his usual humor.

He trusts that there is good in everyone and gives people second chances

Weaknesses 

He does really stupid things a lot

He’ll connect pipes wrong, resulting in later damage and messes

He’s always getting himself hurt, jumping too many stairs at once, making someone really angry and running for his life (Sammy’s the main one that’ll actually chase him down)

It’s like he has no sense of self-preservation 

(HOW IS HE NOT DEAD?!)

He is really trusting and some people take advantage of that

He opens himself up to everyone and forgives a little too easily

Sammy Lawrence:

Strengths

He knows how to stick up for himself and others

Hardworking

He is damn good at his job and won’t let you forget it

Sarcastic

Honest

Mature

He can hear the music as he’s writing it, feel it in his head when he sees sheet music

Very independent 

If he considers you a friend, he will go to extremes to get back at anyone that hurts you (Just ask Jack, he’s been friends with him the longest!)

It is unknown how many instruments Sammy can play, the band make guesses all the time and Jack is asked on a weekly basis but refuses to comment

its an ongoing discussion 

Determination, he’s the only one that will actually chase Wally til he catches him

Weaknesses

He’s angry almost constantly

The glass is half empty

Doesn’t hold back snide remarks (but if the remark is about music in some way you better listen there’s advice hidden somewhere)

Yelling, but it’s mostly just a very loud “WALLY FRANKS!” followed by running footsteps and Wally’s giddy laughter

I N S O M N I A C

constantly has bags under his eyes

A Perfectionist, Only the best can come from the office of Sammy Lawrence even if he forgets to eat while doing so

yeah thats another thing, he forgets about things like eating, sleeping, ya know, human things

He’s intimidating, the string of constant negativity doesn’t make many friends

Workaholic 

He’s become dependent on the few friends he has to break him out of his  work until its done mode and remind him to eat and sleep (Jack, Wally, Norman and Susie a little.)

because :) it would be a shame :) if one of them :)  went missing :) huh?

Susie Campbell:

Strengths

Hopeful and optimistic

Friendly

She has a really pretty face, shes really pretty in general

she gets a lot of attention because of it

shes tougher than she looks and uses it to her advantage

she is really clever

Flirty and a romantic 

an exciting storyteller, she can make a trip to the refrigerator sound interesting

Weaknesses

Possessive

she wants to hear all the gossip until its about her

is really jealous of the smallest things

she may seem like a little innocent flower but she’s the thorniest rose in the garden and you are growing a little too close to her

Alice Angel means everything to her, its the best way to distract her from anything else :)

the second best way is to mention her star-shaped birthmark/freckle

Norman Polk:

Strengths

Observant 

He’s very good at guessing things correctly

He seems to know something about everything and everyone

A really great listener

He also just has good hearing in general, easily eavesdrops 

Physically strong, he can lift anyone with ease

Wise and careful

he has some pretty sound advice in him if you ask for any

has a very good control on his temper and is calm and cool even in heated arguments or dangerous situations

a good people reader

is very understanding

Weaknesses

He’s scary, just how he likes it

People get the wrong ideas about him (He’s just sitting there! Is he watching me?)

to be fair, he might be

He doesn’t attempt to get to know people unless he sees a reason to

gets into other peoples business 

He’s always lookin’ for trouble

too curious for his own good

doesn’t talk about his feelings

Jack Fain:

Strengths

He’s so good at rhyming that he does it subconsciously on a regular basis

Creative

Empathetic

He’s not afraid to show emotion

Forgiving

Generosity

Gentle and soft

Humble

Patient

Selfless

Weaknesses

He can be really emotional a lot of the time

He spaces out a lot

he can seem like a crybaby

Doesn’t take credit for things he should

Lies about how he really feels to make other people comfortable, he doesn’t want to be a bother

puts himself down to make other people look better

Really shy

doesn’t stick up for himself

too passive

worries a lot

Johnny:

Strengths

He really loves his job

He’s a romantic at heart

very sweet and considerate

Loyal and devoted

Sees the best in people

Weaknesses

He falls in love way too easily

ignores flaws even when they’re concerning

can easily become an emotional mess

fears being rejected more than anything else (bro just love him he’s too sweet)

Shawn Flynn:

Strengths

He’ll tell someone off when they’ve done something wrong

believes in karma and justice

likes sewing while he’s talking/doing something else

really good at multitasking

Luck of the Irish

like he misses getting injured by mere inches

this makes him the perfect Go and Do Something Stupid companion with Wally

He’s really proud of his heritage and his work

Weaknesses

Shouts a lot

He can be too prideful and overconfident

isn’t into mercy or forgiveness 

can and will turn anything into a rivalry if its the last thing he does!!

the downside to being his friend is that its dangerous to hug him because he puts needles through his clothes so he can find them later

he says its built in protection

and Wally says ow

Thomas Connor:

Strengths

He’s been good with anything technical since he was little and only got better at it with age 

Honorable

Hardworking

Mature

Weaknesses

He believes in a one strike and you’re out ideal, leaving him to not trust some genuinely nice people (but he also doesn’t trust some questionable people so he sees it as justifiable)

Reserved, doesn’t attempt to get to know anyone

he can work too hard

Pessimistic

Allison Pendle:

Strengths

Boy can she give an inspirational speech

She’s very generous

Brave 

Levelheaded

She’s a lot stronger than she looks

you should hear her belt out a song

Weaknesses

prefers to fix other peoples problems rather than deal with her own

she’s really competitive 

she gets herself hurt a lot

can be a little too fierce

Grant Cohen:

Strengths

Math, he’s good at math

he was like yeah i can do numbers I’ll be an accountant! (bro im sorry u got Joey as a boss)

He’s a good singer (which seems random unless you know)

Weaknesses

A N X I E T Y

really cannot talk to anyone

his words get all jumbled up

if he had the internet he’d constantly be searching things like, how to explain to your boss that his decisions are putting the company in dept? how do you stand up to your boss?

has bad panic attacks

Bertrum Piedmont:

Strengths

He’s super confidant

Not afraid to get his hands dirty

Even though he almost always is dressed up nice

He makes sure he looks presentable

He acts like a dad to people he likes

Cultured

Very determined 

He can and will do anything out of spite and you can’t stop him because that will only give him more reason to

Weaknesses

Really prideful, gets offended over little things

is pretty arrogant as well

it’s really hard for him to change his mind after he’s made a decision 

refuses to lose, even if it’s really obvious that he has

he can be condescending 

doesn’t like or participate in humor, he’s always deadly serious

He can be over dramatic a lot

Lacie Benton:

Strengths

nothing seems to surprise her

calm and chill

a really good listener, the kind that you know can keep a secret

doesn’t take herself too seriously or anyone, (Bertrum finds her company to be one of his favorites after he figures that out)

shE WEARS WHATEVER SHE WANTS BECAUSE SHE DOESN’T CARE ABOUT YOUR OPINION SHE JUST LIKES WEARING PANTS

Weaknesses

stays quiet about important things, she ain’t no snitch, who cares if she witnessed someone stealing something

Super apathetic about life

kinda isolated (Norman says hi)

Lazy but only because she can do it really fast and well so you can wait for her

Linda Stein:

Strengths

It’s a good thing she’s so confidant else Henry would have just looked at this pretty lady and never introduced himself

shes like really good at gardening, talk about a green thumb!

Affectionate 

knows when to be gentle and when someone needs tough love

and shes good at distributing both

shes so brave

Eager and excited easily

super patient 

Understanding

Weaknesses

she can come off as too forward and a little too fast

can get a little frazzled

Forgetful (Henry helps with that)

she doesn’t want to invade anyone’s boundaries but doesn’t ask what they are so its a tug of war within her

Sorry this took so long, I wanted to really think about it and do it justice! :D

[funkzpiel]

Fictober 2018 | Day 31

Anon Request | Panic Attack, ABO, Hurt/Comfort -- Gavin900 TW: Body Horror, Mentions of Past Rape This gets a lot darker than clowns... I didn’t intend for it to, but it sort of just spiraled into what it is. Hopefully I didn’t butcher it.

It took him a stupid amount of time to catch on. Later, he’ll blame it on heat brain, but for now there is no time. He was feverish and it is winter, and it was easy enough to assume that there was a chill creeping into his bones and sapping his strength with illness rather than admitting to himself the truth. 

The truth was that he was going into heat, a truth he was blindsided by because he had not had one in years thanks to his suppressants. Not just trashy side alley shit either; medical grade suppressants. The sort that kept you heat free for months, not weeks at best, days at worst. There had been a recall, but not in his area. He hadn’t thought anything of it.

He had gone to work because he thought it was just the common cold, something a healthy dose of dayquil could handle and a short day at the office.

But the first finger of sleek that seeped from his hole froze him on the spot, back rigid like a street pole, swaying only to the tune of his utter horror. It couldn’t be, he thought. Sweat, maybe -- but it wasn’t sweat. He could tell by the thickness of it, the way it crawled over his taint and down his thigh so lazily. He was going into heat. In the precinct. His years of obscuring his status would be over; there was no covering this with “I slept with a horny omega last night” stories.

They would know. And they would look at him as people always looked at him; like meat, like a thing, like he wasn’t anything more than a hole and a womb.

He didn’t even realize how hard his heart was thundering until someone came up beside him and took him by the shoulder with a soft, “Gavin, your heart rate is elevated, are you--”

He shakes the hand off with blind fury, eyes wild when he spins on heel to snarl, “don’t fucking touch me!” like a wounded animal. He runs before they can say a word about it. Runs for the only thing that’s ever helped even as -- somewhere -- he belatedly recognizes the face of the person who had reached for him, but he doesn’t stop.

He runs.

His skin was prickling. He felt like he was on fire, but his skin also felt frozen; like a drowned soul from a ship at sea, no one to hear his calls in the debris as he sank into the ink and mire. Heats were like that: like a glacier. Inconspicuous at first glance -- a fever, a chill, a need. Sore bones and muscles that ached. But beneath the darkness of the water it floated so innocently in lay a maze of treacherous hormones and sensations built to sink the ships of an Omega’s control, stranding them in an ocean of desire and instinct and drooling wombs, eager for a thick dick to knot them. He could feel the water filling his ship, floor by floor, robbing him of his sanity.

He needed to wake up.

So he ran to the showers even though he couldn’t breathe; air whistling through his lungs like crushed screams. Luck granted him one mercy -- the showers were empty. 

He turned on the nearest tab with hands that shook too hard, too weak, and did not even bother strip his skin of his clothing. He couldn’t. A layer lost was a layer closer to being fucked like the Omega he so desperately pretended not to be, and he couldn’t afford it even as panic lit every pore on fire, even as his heat burned him from the inside out.

It took a minute for the chill of the water to penetrate his thick coat, his hoodie, his shirt, his skin. His clothing weighed him down like a death sentence, making his knees shake harder to hold him up. He pressed his forehead to the tile and screwed shut his eyes and tried to swallow the helpless gibbering building in his throat. He wanted to scream, but he couldn’t draw a long enough breath to manage more than a pathetic, whimpering wheeze. His chest felt like a vice keen on killing him, like an elephant crushing him slowly, like a heart attack. He almost welcomed it; at least then it’d be over.

He focused on counting the drops of water that hit his head. Focused on getting to ten before drawing in a breath for another ten before exhaling for another.

Nothing helped. It had been too long since the last time. He reached for the suggestions his therapist had offered after -- after --

A sob bubbled up his throat as he remembered all the hands that had taken him, touched him, robbed him of what the world had tried to portray to him as romantic but was merely animalistic and cruel. Six Alphas and even a Beta, taking advantage of him when he was young, and stupid, and his heats too new and irregular to properly track. 

The way they had stretched him rung like a funeral bell in his bones, mimicked by the natural slackening of his hole as his heat unfurled into a proper blaze with every passing second. 

They’d find him, they always did. They’d find him, and here -- in this place of justice and law and order -- he’d be raped again. Raped, ruined, demoted, fired--

“Gavin.”

He swallowed down the hurt, wrecked sound that threatened to spill from his lips, clenching it behind grit teeth, and braced himself. He whirled, teeth bared and snarling, spitting mad, hoping beyond hope he could simply intimidate the Alphas away. He was not soft, he was not cute, he was not some soft cunt to be fucked and thrown away and forgotten, and he would not be taken again, he wouldn’t, he--

It was Nines.

He stood a good few feet away, a polite distance. A quick look confirmed that the door was locked; barred from the inside. A towel stuffed into the crease to prevent his scent from escaping, no one would know he was in here. So Nines was selfish, he turned his glare back upon him.

Fine, one was easier to fight.

Only... Nines wasn’t approaching him. The man didn’t even look remotely hungry; pale eyes limpid and passive as ever as he waited for... what?

“What the fuck do you want?” Gavin snarled, “Get out!”

“You’re in heat,” Nines said like Gavin might had fucking missed it.

“No shit,” was all he could manage to snarl back, too furious for something witty.

“I can help--” but Nines’ words melted into an echo of another time, another man’s promise when he collapsed in public. The way he ‘helpfully’ took him inside. The way he invited others to help him too. So lost is he in the memory, he barely catches Nines say, “I’ve turned off all programming that would recognize your second gender, Gavin. I won’t touch you. I just want to keep you safe.”

“Safe,” Gavin spits, because he hasn’t been safe since the day he presented. He was foolish for thinking suppressants made him invisible. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

“Yes. I’ll watch the door. When everyone is gone, I’ll take you home to finish your heat alone, in peace. I’ll guard the door. No one will touch you again.”

Again.

His stomach fell, and before he could stop himself his knees were bending, sliding him down the wall to sit in a puddle of falling shower water and draining slick.

“You know,” he gasped, then harder, “You knew.”

“I read your file when we became partners.”

“It’s not in my fucking file!”

“It is in your medical and psych evaluation.”

Simple, brisk; as though his breach of privacy were no more significant than cleaning off a desk. He was furious. No, that wasn’t quite right. He wanted to be furious. He reached for it, even, only his anger -- so often close to his skin -- was not there.

Instead there was only relief. Because androids could actually fucking control themselves. And for once in his life, someone knew, someone saw him, and understood. 

He watched Nines standing at attention before him, hands clasped behind his back. There was no hunger there, no wild Alpha dominance. Only a steady, tempered presence and... concern, Gavin realized. He wondered when he started being able to read Nines well enough to see the distinction in his stoic face; but it was there.

Nines backed up until he was across the showers, parallel to Gavin. He sat slowly, a dry mimicry of Gavin’s position, and remained silent.

“You don’t have to,” Gavin tried, one last ditch effort at keeping his core together, at not admitting he needed help.

He wondered what he would say. Perhaps a fake attempt at repairing Gavin’s pride with a soft “I know” when they both knew very well that while Gavin could maybe stop one Alpha, he couldn’t stop an entire precinct of them. Maybe a gentle “I’d hate myself if I didn’t,” as though Nines were capable of something so utterly human as self-judgement; that sort of thinking wasn’t conducive for the mission, even if his missions were self identified now.

Perhaps it was merely that Gavin was useless right now, and Nines needed him in one piece. Few cops were willing to oust human resources for silicon replacements after all, maybe--

“Do you want me to go?”

Gavin froze. It was like a bird finally singing at dawn, breaking the suffocating silence of a long, dead night. Gavin opened his eyes and for the first time felt truly capable of seeing the man -- his partner -- sitting across from him.

No one had ever asked, before. He always told how to handle it, as though he were a child. Go to your room with this toy, hide away, let me ease your pain, let me fuck it away, be a good little omega and obey. 

Did he want Nines to go away?

“No.”

Nines simply nodded. He needed nothing more than that. To him, it was simple. Gavin needed help. Gavin did not want to be touched. Gavin did not want anyone else to touch him. Gavin wanted to ride out his heat in peace, on his terms, and forget it ever happened. Like a list, Nines quantified it, analyzed it, and then set about executing it: protect Gavin. Don’t touch him. Keep him safe until it’s done.

Gavin scrubbed at his eyes with the heels of his wet, chilled palms and curled his knees to his chest as though that could hide what the shower couldn’t. 

Nines never touched him. Even when night fell and the precinct cleared -- the night shift in another part of the building -- Nines still did not touch him. He merely asked if Gavin wanted to go home, and when Gavin nodded -- too untrusting of the strength of his own voice -- asked if he needed help walking.

He didn’t, so Nines still did not touch him.

He unbound the door and ensured no one awaited them outside. He guided Gavin to Gavin’s vehicle and revoked him of only one privilege -- Gavin could not drive. And while it smarted and stung, Gavin knew it was for safety and not a barb toward his gender. He swallowed it down and tossed Nines his keys.

Nines already knew where he lived, of course he did.

He escorted him to his door, and while part of Gavin hated being guarded like a flower, he also appreciated one feeling he had not had in years: he was not worried that an Alpha would sneak up on him tonight. That they’d use their voice and their presence and their scent to worsen his condition until he was slick-dumb and whining, ass in the air.

Nines waiting in the doorway when Gavin entered and asked, “Do you want me to stay?”

This time Gavin answered quickly.

“Yes.”

So he did. He stayed on the couch all three days of Gavin’s heat. Pride and pain kept Gavin for asking for him, for his dick, during the worst of it. Nines never knocked to join him. Merely left him water and food occasionally outside the door and said as much before disappearing to watch the door again. He had blocked off the front door with a towel again, to catch the worst of his scent. He waited, silent and understanding.

And when it was done, he was there.

Gavin stood in the hall that led to his family room sheepishly, unfamiliar with this specific discomfort -- gratitude. He rubbed at his neck, freshly showered and in his comfort clothing, the baggier and softer, the better. He searched for the words to say, but dumbly could find nothing better than, “Thanks... for uh... you know.”

Nines nodded as though those simple, hollow words were in fact paragraphs. He rose from his couch -- dented from his presence -- and said, “It was no problem, detective.”

Detective.

In Nines’ eyes, nothing had changed. Suddenly Gavin felt the world tip beneath his feet, convinced that they had all gotten it wrong all this time. Androids were not a menace to throw away, they were not sentient toasters stealing jobs. Androids were... the best of them, the best of humanity. People tempered down and filtered of qualities until only the things that mattered remained: kindness, focus, respect.

Gavin scratched at three days of stubble to mask the shattered sound of his breath and nodded, unable to fathom the words to what he was feeling. He couldn’t catch Nines’ eyes, but he forced himself when the android began to bid his farewell, evidently sure that he was encroaching on Gavin’s privacy now that he was no longer needed.

“Don’t,” Gavin said before he could stop himself.

Nines stilled like a pond, beautiful and patient; older than he looked. Perhaps he was. Perhaps Gavin was staring at centuries of human wisdom, refined to a concentrated body, rather than an android of a year. 

“At least let me make your breakfast. Christ, do you even fucking eat?” Gavin grumbles quickly, his gratitude minced by too many years of loneliness and fear and pain. He winces, angry at himself, but stills when Nines smiles.

“I can eat,” Nines said. His smile wasn’t like Connor’s -- puppy wide with too much eyes. It was tempered as all of him was, subdued and yet somehow more meaningful that way. “I would like that.”

“Good,” Gavin said, “I hope you like omelets, it’s all I can fucking do.”

Nines chuckles, and for the first time in years, Gavin breathes.