Coffee, Crushes and Complications 2

Okay, this was prompted a lot by the lovely @headfulloffantasy @nobodygtb2 and two anons! I hope I could do the demand justice!

Fandom: Detroit become human | Ship: Reed900 [Prequel]   [Part1]   [Part3]   [Part4]

Tina sighed. She didn’t even have to look up to know who was approaching her first thing the next morning. The RK900 stopped at a respectful distance to her desk and clasped his hands behind his back. He opened his mouth, but Tina interrupted before a single word left his lips. ‘Yes, I think Gavin meant what he said to you yesterday. No, I don’t think he wants to see you again. No, I don’t know how you can win him over.’ The android looked at her in confusion, closed his mouth and opened it again. ‘Don’t try telling me you  don’t have a crush on this man’, Tina just warned. The RK900 sighed deeply and pulled over a chair from the neighbouring booth sitting down in front of her. ‘First off, I don’t have a crush, I just admire his work and Reed seems like an extraordinary person-‘ ‘That’s kind of a crush though.’ ‘I don’t-‘ RK900 stopped and grinded his teeth in frustration. ‘Listen, I just want to apologize.’ ‘Yeah, because the last time you tried it worked perfectly’, Tina teased. ‘Maybe it’s because I approached him unexpectedly? Maybe if I could ask for a-‘ ‘A date?’ ‘A meeting’, he stressed. ‘So we can properly talk about it.’

Tina kneaded her forehead. ‘Listen, Rich, you are talking about Gavin Reed here. The guy can’t stand talking properly about anything. And I thought you got his message last time: He doesn’t want your apology. He is happy, he found his place in life. I don’t think your apology will mean much to him. Especially when you have done nothing wrong.’ She looked the android in the eyes. ‘Drop that damn apology. You did apologise and Gavin didn’t care. That’s your part done. Except if what you want from him is more than just that.’ The RK900 glared at her. ‘Hey, all I’m saying is you could ask him out like any normal person.’ ‘I am only interested in having my apology heard’, RK900 spat with a blue-tinted face, then he rolled the chair back and left Tina giggling. Yeah. Sure.

-

‘Don’t get too used to these snacks’, Gavin laughed as his cat basically inhaled the slimy paste Elijah pressed out of the tube. ‘Daddy did get a raise, but I can’t compete with Eli.’ ‘Oh, I don’t think you will wither away to nothing’, Eli laughed petting Bready with a smile. ‘You get fatter every time I visit.’ ‘Hey, that’s not true’, Gavin protested. ‘You are a lady! Don’t listen to him!’ Eli put away the cat snacks and went back to Gavin on his couch where the cold beer was slowly warming up. ‘Now, tell me, with whom did you sleep to get this raise?’ ‘With your mom’, Gavin muttered back what had Eli nearly choking on his drink. ‘God, Gavin, your mom jokes? Really?’ ‘Hey, with us it’s funny because I can actually say it without bashing myself.’ ‘Still gross.’ ‘Maybe.’

‘So you won’t tell me?’ ‘Urgh, I will but it’s not that interesting. Just embarrassed some rich asshole on camera and made him spill all his shit as he tried to get back on track.’ ‘Do I have to worry?’ Gavin laughed and boxed his shoulder. ‘Hey, not anymore. These days you stopped being a rich asshole. Now you are just rich. I mean come on, you basically presented the police the culprits on a silver plate. Not many people in your position would do this.’ ‘It’s bad for business if someone would find out’, Eli shrugged. ‘Better to get these idiots out of the way now and use it to better our image.’ Gavin looked over to his brother suspiciously. ‘Also androids are people now and it’s against the law to try force them back to be slaves.’ ‘Sure, that one too’, Eli grinned. ‘Seems like you compete hard to regain the title of rich asshole…’ ‘Nah, I’m just getting on your nerves, brother, believe me. I love Chloe like a daughter, even if I wanted to, she wouldn’t let me.’

They sat next to each other for a while and watched how Bready tried to hustle another snack from Elijah. ‘And, any plans for the future?’, Eli asked finally, lifting up his cat to pet her what she accepted begrudgingly playing for the long game. ‘For the future? Hmm, not phcking up what I worked for I guess.’ ‘I meant personally. Are you considering dating again?’ ‘Says the man who decided that he’s fine alone.’ ‘I am’, Eli stressed, allowing no further discussion. ‘But doesn’t mean that’s the life for you.’ Gavin sighed and leaned his head back on the rest closing his eyes. ‘I’m not saying I didn’t consider it. But I’m a bit tired of it. I mean dates and getting to know people is fine, but… Most of the time it’s just an excuse for one-night stands and if I looked for that, I wouldn’t have put in all that effort of trying to figure out whether we fit together or not, you know?’ ‘My little brother being romantic? Is the world ending?’ ‘I mean, I’m successful and happy, might as well… But nah, maybe I am romantic, but I’m done having fun and playing around, I would like something constant in my life. Damn, maybe I’m just getting old?’ Eli laughed. ‘Hey, it’s valid. I understand you. Maybe you could ask Tina, she seems to have a good nose for people.’ ‘Right’, Gavin resigned. ‘”Hey, Tina, didn’t you date a few guys in the beginning? Any of them still available?” Real good idea.’ ‘Just trying to help.’ ‘I know. Let’s talk about something else, okay?’

-

Elijah had stayed late and although he had helped, Gavin still was left trying to tidy up the kitchen in the evening. After he finally finished cleaning, he decided to check his phone and then head in for the night. It should turn out being a mistake:

>Hello Mr. Reed. >I am sorry for this unexpected message. I found your number by interfacing with Tina’s phone because I don’t know how to reach you any other way. >You have told me you don’t want my pity. I understand that. But I hope you understand my situation as well. I still feel guilty. But I know another apology won’t be accepted by you. >Instead, maybe we could meet for a coffee? To talk about it and get to know each other? From what I’ve seen in your work you are a very interesting man. >I’m sorry if this sounded weird. >I’m new to texting. >Please let me know if that would be acceptable.

Gavin frowned. He had immediately connected the messages to belong to the other Connor, this… Richard? But why did this android bother him again after he basically – no, literally told him to phck off? He read the texts again and hovered over the keyboard. Should he ignore it? Text back? And in what way? He was tempted to just write where the android could stick his words, but it seemed to be a honest concern of the RK. Hell, maybe e should agree just to get rid of him? A part of him was interested in knowing who the new guy was that had replaced him. A part of him he never acknowledged, because he was over his last life, he was over and done with it. He had become better. He had grown. Maybe he should do the right thing and indulge the stupid android. He sighed and began typing.

Fine.< When and where?<

-

RK900 couldn’t believe what he saw on the display of his phone. >I’m here, where the fuck are you? Well, he couldn’t believe the human had agreed to it in the first place. After how abrasive he had been when they had met in the coffee shop… but well, here they were and RK900 knew he just had to wait and see how it would go. I am sitting at the table in the corner. I see you.< Already got us coffee and something to eat I hope you like.< ‘Damn persistent bot you are’, Gavin sighed as he went over to the table where the Connor-lookalike sat. ‘You agreed to it’, the android shrugged. ‘Yeah, I guess I have. Truth to be told, I don’t really know why. I was a bit tipsy, but that’s no explanation.’

RK900 didn’t know how to answer to that and just pushed the coffee and a slice of cake over to the human, who huffed with a smile. ‘At least I do like what you decided to get. By the way, you don’t have to pay for this shit, okay?’ ‘You didn’t accept my apology. See it as indulging an android’s bad conscience.’ Gavin shrugged again and took the first fork of cake. ‘Hey, not saying no to free food.’ ‘Good to hear as I can’t eat it.’ ‘Really?’ ‘Yes. Everything liquid is… fine, although a bit of a mess later on.’ ‘But still you drink coffee?’ ‘Like the taste.’ Gavin smirked, but otherwise said nothing until he had downed half his cake.

‘Alright, bot, what did you want to talk about?’, Gavin asked. ‘My name is Richard.’ ‘That’s a shit name, Dick.’ ‘Please don’t call me that.’ ‘Sure as hell won’t call you Richard. That’s a grandfather’s name. Chose it yourself?’ ‘No’, the android sighed. ‘But it’s what most people called me after I said it’s a name I would consider.’ Gavin huffed from his nose at that. ‘Yeah that sucks.’ ‘I mean I do like it in a way. But I still consider myself RK900.’ ‘Okay, I get how people call you Richard now.’

‘Anyways, what I really wanted to talk about was you.’ ‘Me?’, Gavin asked. ‘Really, that’s a bad decision.’ ‘I am amazed of your work.’ ‘Okay?’ ‘And how you managed to solve some cases… I truly hope to one day be as good as you were.’ Gavin looked the android in the eyes trying to figure out if this was a joke. It wasn’t. Gavin cringed a bit as he answered: ‘Well, I’m sure it’s just experience. Was in this job for seventeen years. You learn a thing or two.’ ‘But you proved remarkable talent from the very beginning’, the android pointed out. ‘Listen, you don’t need to be nice to me. I was a real asshole. I was good at one thing and one thing only and that was my job. I sucked at everything else.’ ‘I’m sure Tina would beg to differ.’ ‘Differing is her phcking hobby.’ That actually made the android laugh. It sounded weird and mechanical. ‘Oh, that’s a good one, need to remember that.’

Gavin looked at the android who grinned wide and caught himself smiling too. Immediately he willed it away. This was supposed to be a one-time thing. Letting the android talk about what bothered him and then never see him again. But… When had he decided that? He thought about what his therapist had told him. Change your old behaviours if you want to change how people see you and better yourself, fake it if you must. Was this old Gavin speaking? Or new Gavin? Phck.

‘She really can be a pain in the ass’, Richard - RK900 – whatever – ripped him out of his thoughts. ‘But she is a good friend.’ ‘You two are friends?’ ‘Yes. She honoured your promise by the way. She never talked about you. That’s actually what made me want to know you for a long time.’ ‘For a long time?’, Gavin asked, lifting one brow. ‘I mean, if you haven’t been active very long I guess everything is a long time. But no, I read a lot about you when I started to work at the police, and I wanted to know the man behind the name.’

Gavin was a bit weirded out and some part of him wanted to shut this conversation down immediately. But he decided against it. Maybe this was worth a shot. ‘Well, then ask away. I’m not that interesting but go ahead.’ Apparently that had been the only sign the android had needed because the questions started to come down like rain: ‘What kind of music do you like?’ ‘Are you a dog person?’ ‘Any hobbies?’ ‘How did you find your new job?’ ‘What’s the name of your cat?’ Initially Gavin had thought to spend an hour max at this café with the android. But the hours flew past as he answered the android’s questions and listened as he shared information on the different topics himself. And as they stood up and left the café with them both awkwardly standing on the street in front of it, Gavin realised he actually had enjoyed this day quite a lot. He looked up at the android, who rubbed his neck and… was that a blush? When they made eye-contact, RK900 spoke up, obviously self-conscious: ‘I… I really liked talking to you, Gav- Mr. Reed?’ ‘Gavin is fine. And I think I- No, I enjoyed it too. You are a nice person. You deserve the job you got, okay?’ And if he hadn’t been sure before, now that blue tint unmistakably was a blush.

‘Would you-‘ ‘Would you like-‘ They looked at each other and burst into laughter. It was Gavin, who recovered first and nodded. ‘Yeah. I would like. Next weekend? Same place same time?’ ‘Gladly.’

[>next part]