Chapter Text
Clenching his jaw tight, Gavin takes a few stumbling steps back, grabbing at his arm where blood had started to bead over his fresh wound. He watches the man saunter closer before jerkily leaping and slashing his blade across empty air, coming inches away from Gavin’s face.
Gavin reaches for his gun and unholsters it to take aim. He’s about to merely shoot the man in the leg, but then his back is pressed to a hard, unforgiving surface and his head is spinning. When he gains his bearings once more, he sees the knife gleaming and poised at his chest.
There’s a weight pinning him down. The knife clatters somewhere nearby, but Gavin barely hears it with how loudly his ears are ringing. He pants and struggles against the weight, and even after it’s removed, he scrambles to get away. His back hits the wall. He struggles to his feet and sways precariously when his vision tunnels and his head pounds. A moan escapes his lips when his head begins to throb in time with his rapidly beating heart. He dully feels someone taking his gun out of his hands, and despite hearing their voice, it’s all unimportant white-noise: something he could fall asleep to in the late hours of the night. They ask a question, and then they repeat it. Gavin only shakes his head and jerks his gaze over to meet Connor’s eyes. They swim uneasily in Gavin’s vision.
“Fuck… Fuck off, plastic prick…” Gavin growls weakly, his voice shaking on every other syllable as the words are forced from his throat. He narrows his eyes defiantly and scowls when Connor grows close. “Get away…”
Connor motions to the floor next to the wall with a calm air about him, forcing himself to restrain from grabbing Gavin’s arm when he makes a move towards the staircase. “Detective, I advise you to sit down. You need to take a moment to breath and focus. The EMTs are on route already, so you need to be patient while awaiting their-” He doesn’t have time to add more when he sees Gavin’s knees buckle, immediately reaching out to take him close before he can fall.
“Careful.” Connor holds Gavin to his chest as he helps them both to sit on the concrete ground. Despite Gavin’s lashing out against the touch, Connor endures the elbow to his abdomen and arm and holds strong to Gavin until he’s sure that he’s sitting soundly. “Detective, please listen to me. You need to breathe and calm down.”
Gavin stutters out something before cursing under his breath. He shoves Connor away with palms to his shoulders and mumbles out, “Fuck, fuck off, tin can…”
Connor moves back a couple inches and watches Gavin silently as he fidgets and trembles. Gavin glances around and catches sight of the dead body, and it’s enough to get Connor to decide it’s best to speak when Gavin glances down and notices the blood that’s covering his chest.
“Detective, look at me.” Connor waits patiently for a few seconds before repeating the request. When Gavin still has yet to comply or even acknowledge that Connor spoke, Connor glances around and analyzes the situation at hand before asking instead, “Gavin, could you tell me about your cat? I heard from Ms. Chen that you have one.”
Gavin hugs himself tightly and briefly glances up to look at Connor. “My…”
“Your cat. I’m aware of the fact that you have one, and I’d like to know their name, if they’ve been given one,” Connor offers.
The silence seems deafening, and it speaks multitudes. Gavin normally would’ve told him to fuck off or shoved him, but instead, his eyes meet the ground and stay there for a solid ten seconds before he cautiously says, “His name is Prime…”
“That’s a lovely name, Detective.” Connor smiles warmly, though Gavin doesn’t look up to see it. “Does it have any significance?”
“Optimus Prime. Transformer from, from all those movies and stuff…” Gavin begins to pick at the concrete pieces that have been torn up by cars moving across the parking garage.
“That’s very nice. May I ask what he’s like? Is he friendly?”
“Playful… Little shit…”
“He must be young, then. By what I’ve gathered, kittens tend to be playful and disruptive.”
“Yeah… Three months old… He’s a baby…”
“He is. Maybe you can introduce me to him one day?”
“Sure, whatever…”
Connor looks up from Gavin when he hears footsteps coming up the stairs. When they reach the landing, Connor recognizes Fowler and Hank, both of which maintain their distance when they see the situation. Fowler is about to speak up when Connor stands and makes his way over to the pair.
“Detective Reed was being assaulted by our suspect, and killed the man in self defense.” Connor explains, voice even and low. He’s professional so as to not let emotion seep into his words. “His stress levels are unnaturally high for a human, and he’s not very responsive. He almost fell a moment ago when he tried to stand, as well, which I assume is linked to standing too suddenly and the slight head injury he sustained when he was tackled to the ground. He-”
“Enough of the diagnosis, Connor,” Hank snaps curtly. He motion vaguely in Gavin’s direction. The man in question seems to be lost to his thoughts; he doesn’t react to their words about him. “What’s going on with Reed?”
“A traumatic event can lead to people getting distracted from the things around them by their thoughts. I suppose that’s what he is going through currently.” Looking back at Gavin, Connor watches as he idly picks at concrete and fidgets with his sleeves, glancing around as though waiting for something. “I suggest that we help him in whatever way possible, though I don’t know what way that would be. I did manage to get him to talk about his kitten, but the conversation was brief, and he seemed distracted the entire time. We could still try to get him to talk about other, little things while waiting for the EMTs to arrive. He should be reassured of his safety and security, as well.”
Fowler and Hank share a look before Fowler walks past Connor with a sigh. Gavin’s eyes immediately lock on Fowler when he approaches, a scowl already contorting his features and making his eyes darken. When Fowler sits in front of him, Gavin’s hands grasp at his jacket, refusing his previous movements and hiding his trembling by clenching tightly down on the hem.
“The fuck do you want,” Gavin growls weakly, his voice shaking and stuttering just slightly, though he does well at hiding it.
Fowler meets Gavin’s eyes, barely containing his irritation at Gavin’s remark. “The EMTs are on the way,” He explains with a gesture to Gavin’s arm. “You should keep pressure on that in the meantime.”
“Fuck off…” Despite his words, Gavin brings his hand up to hold the wound once more, wincing when he first touches it.
“That’s good.” Fowler pauses and watches Gavin as he adjusts the way he’s sitting a couple different times. “Reed…” The second he says the name and Gavin glances up at him with a look torn between pain mixed with panic and irritation with his usual defiance, Fowler falters and shakes his head. “It can wait until tomorrow. After you’ve gotten checked out and rested.” He reaches forward to pat Gavin’s shoulder, but his wrist is caught and held in a rough, callused grip. When he pulls his hand back, Gavin retracts his hand to hold over his wound once more, trembling returning tenfold. “They’ll be here soon. I need to work on this mess, but come in tomorrow morning. We’ll talk.” Fowler stands and flashes Gavin another concerned look before heading toward the stairs. He glances over at Connor. “Make sure he gets him safe. Leave him a note or something so he knows to come in sometime before ten tomorrow.”
Connor meets Fowler’s eyes and gives him an affirmative nod. “I’ll make sure to do that, sir.”
With a nod of his own, Fowler continues to the stairs. He’s out of sight in a few seconds leaving the remaining three to their own devices.
“Fuck,” Gavin curses through his teeth. Connor turns to see what’s the issue and reaches out to grab Gavin’s arm when he sees him standing.
“You need to rest, Detective. Please, sit.” Connor doesn't flinch or waver when Gavin attempts to push him away and punch his gut. “Androids don’t feel pain if that is your intent, Detective.”
“Get off of me, plastic!” With another harsh shove, Gavin glares up at Connor and scowls.
Connor sighs softly and meets Gavin’s gaze with a frown. “Detective, it is in your best interest to sit down and rest while waiting for the EMTs.”
“It’s in your fucking best interest to let me fucking go,” Gavin growls and attempts to pull his arm away, but Connor only marginally increases his grip. “Let go of me!”
“I’m afraid I won’t do that. You’re only going to hurt yourself further if left alone.”
“I know how to take care of my damn self. Let go of me.”
“No, I won-”
“Connor, let him go,” Hank demands quietly from just behind Connor. He sets a hand on Connor’s shoulder to grab his attention and meet his eyes. “You’re not making it any better keeping him hostage.”
Connor’s LED circles yellow twice before returning to a cool blue. He takes his hand back from Gavin’s arm and watches him take a few steps back. Gavin glares at him and flashes the same look Hank’s way before he starts to pace back and forth from one pillar to another, chewing on his lip as he does so. As he paces, Connor traces his movement and goes to help when he stumbles only to be stopped by Hank.
“Just step back and let him do his thing. He’ll be fine.” Hank watches Gavin before walking away to lean against a pillar of his own. He glances over, watching the yellow light spin against Connor’s temple. “Connor, he’ll be fine.”
“Lieutenant, I’m unsure if this is the best means to deal with the situation,” Connor states calmly. He meets Hank’s eyes and frowns. “Would it not be in our best interest to console him? From what I’ve gather-”
“Everyone’s different, Connor. That asshole likes to treat you like a punching bag when he’s traumatized, so take a break and step away. You’re gonna have to take him home and deal with him there, so don’t blow your chances at being on his ‘good’ side now.” Hank makes air quotes with a roll of his eyes. “He’s fine.” Connor hesitates, and the silence is enough of a cue to Hank that he can walk off towards the stairs. “I’m gonna get a head start on paperwork. I can pick you up later, if you want?”
“I’ll take a cab, Lieutenant, don’t worry. I’ll contact you when I get to Detective Reed’s place of residence and when I leave.”
“Alright. You’ll be fine dealing with him?”
“Of course. I can handle this situation easily. I’ll hopefully sort everything out in a few hours.”
“Alright…” Hank sighs and waves. “I’ll see you later, son.”
Connor waves back and turns to watch Gavin pace. He’s now biting harshly on his lip, enough so to break skin and bleed. “Detective Reed, I advise you stop biting your lip. You’re causing yourself harm.” Gavin doesn’t even look his way, and so Connor adds, “Detective, you’re causing your lip to bleed. I recommend you stop before you hurt yourself further.” Again, he doesn’t acknowledge Connor even spoke. Connor merely sighs and looks away, assessing the situation. “The EMTs should arrive in the next five or so minutes. They’ll treat your arm, and I’m assuming your lip will also be dealt with appropriately.”
“Shut the fuck up for once, you piece of worthless plastic!” Gavin’s voice is low. He turns on his heel to face Connor, staring up at him with a piercing glare. “Shut the hell up. All you have to say is fucking- fucking gibberish about statistics and what’s gonna happen when the EMTs get here. If you’re fucking deviant, then how come you can’t say jack shit about that man who was killed? Huh? Just gonna brush that fact under the rug? That man is dead !”
“And I acknowledge that, however-”
“No, you’re fucking pretending like that didn’t happen! You’re ignoring it completely. You’re pretending there isn’t a dead body ten feet away just laying there on this damn floor!”
“I can assure you that I’m not-”
“Shut the hell up!” Gavin gestures over to the body and grabs his shirt with the other. “I fucking killed that man! I shot him dead, and all you’re doing is repeating the same thing like a damn mockingbird. ‘The EMTs are almost here, the EMTs are almost here.’ Over and over again, and you’re just glazing over the fact that there is a dead man just lying over there and-”
“Detective Reed,” Connor snaps. Gavin bristles and grows more irritated while taking a step back from Connor. “Just because I am not talking about the dead man doesn’t mean that I’m not thinking about him. It would only cause you more distress if I addressed that issue. Instead, I’m choosing to put it aside in favor of looking out for you as you just went through something that most would call traumatizing, and for that reason, I am watching over you to make sure that you’ll remain safe despite the circumstances. I am well aware of what you did, but I’m also aware that it was in self defense as I witnessed it myself.”
A short, humorless laugh forces it way past Gavin’s lips as he stalks closer to Connor. “So that’s what this is? Some sort of pity party?”
“That’s not what I was intending.” Connor takes a step back when Gavin takes a swing at his jaw. “Detective, listen to-”
“Shut the fuck up! I don’t need your pity, plastic prick,” Gavin spits out and lunges at Connor. Connor catches and holds his wrist in a steady grip. “I don’t need your goddamn sympathy.” His other hand gets caught and held next to Connor’s jaw. “I don’t need you watch over me like some fucking kid !” When his shin meets Connor’s, Gavin winces and leans heavily onto his left leg to avoid putting any pressure on his other. “Shit- fuck… God dammit!”
Connor brings Gavin’s hands closer to him before letting go. “Detective, assaulting me will hurt you far more than me, and you’re already hurt enough as it is.” He gently presses down on Gavin’s wound causing the latter to startle back and scowl. “You agitated your wound. You need to attempt to relax and apply pressure to your arm.”
“Fuck off…” Gavin steps closer once more, but the sound of footsteps and voices causes him to jerk his head toward the staircase. He watches, wide-eyed, as EMTs scale the last few stairs to reach their landing. When they approach, Gavin’s eyes narrow and he scowls.
One of the EMTs steps forward. He holds a plastic box in his hands and it knocks against his leg as he walks. “My name is Aiden, and this is Carlyle,” He introduces, motioning to the man behind him before turning his attention to Gavin upon seeing Connor’s LED. “We’re going to help treat you, today. The lieutenant greeted us when we arrived and said that your arm was cut, sir?”
Gavin scoffs and meets Aiden’s eyes with a glare. “Detective, and it’s fine.”
“They’re only trying to help, Detective Reed.” Connor watches the second EMT motion for him to be quiet. He sighs softly and takes a step away.
Carlyle steps forward in Connor’s place and offers out a hand to take Gavin’s arm. “Would it be alright if I have a look? As soon as this is over with, you can go home and rest, Detective.”
It takes a few hesitant seconds before Gavin takes off his jacket and ties it around his waist. He lets Carlyle take his arm. The rubber of the glove he wears sets Gavin’s nerves alight, and his muscles tense up instantly. “Just get it over with… Got better things to deal with than this bullshit…”
The trembling in Gavin’s shoulders and hands as his arm is treated and he goes through tests doesn’t go unnoticed by Connor. He watches silently as Gavin endures his pulse being taken and questions being asked, flinching away from each initial touch.
When they’re done with their tests, the EMTs take a step back, and Carlyle glances over to Connor before turning his attention back to Gavin to talk to him about taking care of his wound. Gavin only brushes him off with a snap about it being obvious what he’ll need to do. He scoffs and heads towards the stairs when they’re finished. Connor follows closely after Gavin with the EMTs maintaining their distance behind them.
They pass a cop and a crime scene specialist who holds a camera to their chest, both of them pay them barely any mind until Gavin makes a snide comment under his breath. They both growl unpleasantries under their breaths, though it’s just quiet enough for Gavin, now steps away, to not hear them. Gavin bristles after they pass, however, and after they’re gone, he pulls his coat back on and huddles into it, flipping the hood up when they’re on the grass outside the building. When prompted, he roughly presses his keys into Connor’s hands, causing the keys on the ring to press into Connor’s synthetic skin uncomfortably. He mumbles an address under his breath as he leads the way to a silver car parked just across the street.
Gavin huddles into the passenger’s seat when the car is unlocked. His cheek is pressed into the seatbelt with his hood still pulled over to hide his face. He flinches when Connor closes his door but relaxes as he hears the engine of the car rumble to life. With one last check on Gavin, Connor watches the street and oncoming traffic before pulling out and beginning the drive to Gavin’s house, giving him the silence he believes Gavin is hoping to have.
The entire drive back to Gavin’s house is silent. Not a word is said, and Connor is half convinced Gavin fell asleep on the way back until he shifts to open the door when they’re parked in front of the apartment complex. He’s very clearly not as present as he usually is, but he’s responsive enough for Connor to not question him on the matter.
When they walk further inside, Gavin’s lips quirk up slightly when he sees a kitten emerge from underneath the couch, stretching out their paws and back with a yawn. They trot over to Gavin and do figure eights around his legs until they notice Connor. Their back fur raises, but they still stalk closer to sniff at Connor’s legs and his hand after Connor crouches.
“You must be Prime…” Connor smiles warmly when the kitten allows him to pet its head. He mews and butts his head into Connor’s head. “You’re a very sweet kitten…” He continues to pet through Prime’s short fur until he hears something spill from a back room. When he stands, Prime skitters away to go investigate the back room. As he follows, Connor asks, “Detective, are you alright?”
He stands in the doorway to the backmost room and frowns upon seeing Gavin staring at the cat food spilled across the floor. His gaze shifts to watch Prime before looking up to see Connor. Gavin’s nose and brow crease as he scowls and shakes his hand dismissively. “Got this… Fuck off, toaster.”
Connor instead crouches and picks Prime up. He sets the kitten in the hallway before shutting the door and scooping cat food into his hands. “Open the bag for me, please?”
Gavin narrows his eyes with a scoff before doing as asked. He silently watches as Connor drops a handful of kibble into the bag before gathering more up and dropping it in. Again and again, he repeats this process in relative silence until the floor is clear at which point he takes the bag from Gavin and pours a sufficient amount onto a plate for Prime.
“Do you have a broom and dust pan?” Connor asks quietly when he doesn’t see either in the room they’re in which, from the looks of it, is a small extra room that could easily be converted into a guest bedroom if it weren’t for the boxes that line the far wall and the few miscellaneous items that are strewn across the room in a disorderly fashion.
There’s a short pause before Gavin answers back, “In the kitchen.” He startles slightly when Connor abruptly stands and leaves to get the broom.
Connor picks Prime up before he can run back into the room. Upon Gavin’s muttering, however, Connor turns around to give Prime over to him. Gavin’s lips portray the faintest hint of a smile as Prime begins to purr. He's cuddled up in Gavin’s arms, nuzzling his nose into Gavin’s neck and hands. The sight leads to Connor smiling fondly as he goes to find the broom and dust pan.
Connor left no more than thirty minutes after he first arrived. He didn’t want to overstay his welcome or make Gavin uncomfortable or irritable with his presence, but he did tell Gavin that he would make an effort to check in periodically to be sure he was safe and taking care of himself. He also left a sticky note on the coffee pot - a metal one that resisted the sticky note an irritating number of times before it finally stuck. The simple note was a reminder to talk to Fowler the next morning, and it was something he hoped Gavin would see before ten the next morning, but given the detective’s tardiness on normal work days, Connor wouldn’t be surprised if he was late, if only by a few minutes.
What he didn’t expect was for Gavin to arrive at the same time as usual. His normal scowl was present, but his hands, normally clutched around a warm coffee cup, were now balled up at his sides, hiding the slight anxious quiver that he hadn’t been able to shake off. His eyes show evidence of his sleepless night as they hold dark bags underneath, and no amount of caffeine could hide his more sluggish movements and actions. He growls out a curse when he runs into someone and tells them off when they try to defend themself. Connor gains a glare when Gavin finally notices his vigilance over the situation at hand.
Gavin disappears into Fowler’s office with his head lower than when he came into the office, but the usual irritable tension follows him regardless. Everyone’s eyes are turned as the door closes. It only takes seconds for them to return back to work, but the second that there’s yelling, the eyes return and stay trained and waiting on the door; however, the door doesn’t open for another twenty minutes when everyone’s gotten back to their separate tasks.
Hood hiked up over his head, Gavin stalks from the office and from Fowler who had moved to watch him go. In Fowler’s hand is a badge, and it doesn’t go unnoticed by the cops that looked to him for an explanation. When the door to the precinct is slammed shut, everyone falls into a stunned silence and wearily continues about their work.