Work Text:
It started with denial. A vehement amount of it. To the point that Nines actually sat down to manually diagnose the problem for half a night. The thing about that, however, is that there was no problem. It took some getting used to, the idea that feelings were not errors in his software, but simply part of being. Existing. Living. But this, this shouldn’t have happened. Not now, and certainly not for you. Yet here he stood, your partner in solving crimes, breaking into a sweat (which was something the RK900 was not aware androids could do) over the inconceivable fact that he liked you. As a friend. And romantically.
As an android, who up until five months ago was prepared to get shipped out and hunt deviants before becoming deviant himself, his internal panic was understandable. What did he intend to do with these feelings now that he had them? There wasn’t exactly an article he could pull up (“So You Have Feelings for Your Human, Now What?”) or a statistic to reference for this situation (“34% of deviants found this method helpful when romancing a homicide detective…”), or even a program to download that could just tell him what to do (“This is an application from the internet. Are you sure you want to open ‘how_to_flirt.exe’?”) Nines was pushed — no — shoved out into this harsh, new territory with no way out or even directions on how to navigate it. And it freaked him out how strong these feelings for you grew with each passing day. Something had to be done before he short circuited, or worse, told you.
“...And then I said, ‘Jeez, it’s only for the weekend, I’m sure you could find the time to.’ But he flaked out last minute, and I had to water them…” Your lips were distracting. Very distracting. And that thing you did when you talked about something that was bothering you (the thing with your hands, not your eyebrows), also endearing. Wait, no, distracting, Nines corrected. Very distracting. “ — Huh?” You stopped talking, your hands stopped doing the thing, and were now looking at Nines expectantly.
“What?” He inquired, furrowing his eyebrows.
“You said something just now. Something about...distracting?” You prompted him to elaborate, and in that moment, Nines could feel his thirium pump working just a tad faster. Did he say that out loud?
“I...didn’t?” The RK900 must not have sounded convincing enough, if your confused expression were any indication.
“Um...no, you’re right. I’ve distracted you long enough with my plant woes.” You stood from your seat on his desk (which he kept clear and tidy for the sake of being neat and certainly not because he knew it was your favorite place to sit) and straightened out your clothes like you always did. Nines felt slightly distressed to have caused the end of the conversation, but said nothing as you gathered yourself. Perhaps he was staring as you fixed your sleeves because you looked at him and began your sentence with a sudden shyness, “I have to — um — I’ve got some case files.” Nodding stoically, Nines watched you walk off before returning to his own work and clicked the pen in his hand as he lost himself in thought. This was the third time this week he had found himself staring at your lips, gaze lingering on a strand of hair that fell out of place, hands itching to move it, to be near you. If this didn’t stop soon, it might begin to affect his performance or even your partnership. At this, he scoffed. Cyberlife’s most advanced and state of the art android rendered useless because of you? Not a chance. The very idea was laughable, really, and Nines felt ridiculous for even thinking —
“Hey, Nines! I forgot my phone somewhere around here.” The pen clicking stopped, and a resounding crack was heard as he accidentally broke the mechanism in surprise. His thirium pump jolted at the sound of your voice. Startled, you pointed at the plastic bits on his desk, “You — uh — broke your pen there.”
“Excellent observation, Detective.” He replied automatically, which earned a smile out of you, before he inwardly scrambled to scan the area for your phone. When he finally did activate the scan, you already turned your body away from his desk.
“Oh, you know what, it might be in the break room.” And you left before he could insist on finishing the scan. With broken pen bits sitting on his desk, Nines suddenly realized the gravity of his situation. Perhaps he was wrong, and he would continue to malfunction at the mere sound of your voice, until rendered useless on investigations and deemed obsolete by the Detroit Police Department. The DPD has no use for androids that can’t complete a simple scan! He would be relieved of his duties and no longer be permitted to work with you, losing both the job and the person he loves. Loves?
Standing abruptly, Nines determined that he had to stop this before it ever got to that point. And there was only one person, or android, who could help him. “Nines! You seem upset? Are you — ” Connor was shushed by the RK900 as he grabbed him by the arm and practically dragged him off to the nearest empty meeting room. “Nines? What is this about?” Connor’s concern for his brother was evident in the way he furrowed his brow at Nines for closing the glass door faster than necessary.
Nines squared his shoulders and let his arms fall to his sides, a hand flying up to adjust his collar and then falling again. “I have a...situation that must be fixed immediately.” Connor waited in suspense for him to go on. “It’s rather sensitive information but…”
“But?”
Nines looked to the floor. He’s never actually said it out loud before. “I’m in...I like the detective.” When Nines took his gaze off the floor, he did not expect to find Connor beaming.
“What? This is wonderful! Nines, you have feelings for the detective!”
Nines nervously glanced at the people near the glass before sending his brother a death stare. “If I wanted this information public, I would’ve stood on my desk and shouted it across the precinct.” He hissed.
Connor couldn’t help but grin. “A grand gesture to win her over? That could work.” Nines only glared.
“This was a bad idea.”
“No, Nines, I’m sorry. I’m just surprised. I didn’t expect you to fall in love so soon.” Explained Connor. Upon seeing the icy stare Nines shot him, he quickly backtracked. “I meant like someone so soon.” The RK900 crossed his arms with a frown.
“If I recall correctly, you attached yourself to Hank in a matter of days.” Nines dropped his spitefulness for a moment to sigh. “What am I supposed to do? I fear if I don’t resolve this issue soon it will begin to hinder my performance.” And I’ll lose her, he silently added in his thoughts.
“Ask her out on a date.” Said Connor simply.
Nines couldn’t believe his audio processors. “Your solution is to ask her out on a date? If it were that simple, I would have done it.”
“Then what’s holding you back?”
Hm. He hasn’t really considered that aspect, but as the android detective gave thought to it, he instantly knew. “I don’t want to be rejected.” Want. Still felt strange on his tongue.
Connor raised a hand to his chin in thought. “You need to find out if she is interested.” He offered.
“And I would do that how?” Questioned Nines impatiently. Perhaps he should’ve sought out someone with actual romantic experience...
“In my findings, you do it by flirting. Being nicer than you would normally be.” After some consideration, Connor then added, “And by being seductive.”
“Seductive?” Nines repeated in disbelief. Though, it’s not like he had any other choice. Whatever advice Connor had to offer, it appeared that Nines was obligated to take it, unless the RK900 had any better ideas. And Connor could be trusted because he had been deviant far longer than the RK900, so he should know more about feelings. Or at least hoped so. Curious to hear more, Nines tentatively asked, “So, how am I supposed to...seduce her?”
A tap on the glass made the two androids snap their heads towards the door where you stood holding a file in your hands. “Sorry to interrupt,” You apologized, but Nines couldn’t bring himself to appreciate your embarrassed smile when you had been standing at the door for RA9 knows how long — “I’m looking for Hank, have either of you seen him?”
Connor shook his head politely, much more put together than Nines felt. “Sorry, no.”
“Crud,” You sighed and tapped the file in your hand, “I was really hoping to go over this with him.” You then noticed how close they were standing together and let out a mirthful, little hmph (You made that noise before teasing him, Nines recalled. Not that he had that on file or anything...). “You boys gossiping about something?”
“No.” They both said in perfect unison. You snickered at the instant response, but despite your endearing laugh, Nines felt ready to take out his thirium pump and throw it across the room at the rate he was embarrassing himself today.
“Right, I’ll let you get back to it then.” You turned on your heel to leave, then stopped and turned back around. “Actually, I wanted to ask if you guys would be up for drinks and karaoke this weekend? Everyone from the station is gonna be there,” You then lowered your voice and raised the file to your mouth, as if that were enough to block out any eavesdropping, “but Chris wants to keep it on the down low. Gavin doesn’t know and wants to keep it that way.” Ah, if Nines recalled correctly (and he always did), you had to leave the last outing early because Gavin drank too much and snatched the microphone to rant about the political climate of Detroit. Nines never went to these outings with you, opting to use the time to work instead, though has offered to drive you home if you ever needed a ride. Those late night drives to your house after you’ve had a couple drinks were filled with idle chatter and comfortable silences, something he looked forward to this weekend.
Before Nines could refuse with his usual offer to drive you home, however, Connor beat him to it. “That sounds like fun. You can definitely count us in!”
Nines gave him a look, but you smiled so brightly when he said us. “Really? Nines, you’ll go?”
The android hesitated. “Say yes.” He heard Connor say in his head, LED blinking as they communicated in secret.
“There’s no point. Androids don’t drink and — ”
“She’s waiting!”
“No, Connor — ”
“Yes, Nines!”
“I — ”
“Yes,” Nines heard himself say out loud, much to everyone’s surprise, “I suppose I can spare an evening.” Even if it’s pointless…
His thirium pump disagreed, however, when you smiled radiantly at him and only him. “I’m glad! I’ve been bugging you to come out to one of these for the longest time now. This is great.” Your face was pink, and that smile had not faltered. “Awesome.” Nines stared silently, in disbelief with himself mostly, but also at the sudden prospect that your blush was because of him. As much as he hated to admit it, it gave him...hope. “Right, I gotta find Hank.” And you waved your file in farewell before shutting the door again.
Nines turned to his brother, frowning deeply for letting him agree to this. “What exactly am I supposed to accomplish at this outing?”
Connor shrugged, clearly holding back a smile. “Nothing, just spend some time with her. In the meantime, I have some ideas about how you can...help things proceed naturally.”
Nines quirked an eyebrow. “I’m listening.”
By the time the two android detectives returned to their terminals, you were typing away at your monitor, brow creased in concentration. Nines acknowledged you with a nod, one you barely reciprocated as you continued your report. As he accessed his own terminal, the RK900 cast glances at his brother who was too busy speaking with Hank to take notice. The idea of outright flirting with you was a nerve-wracking one, especially since he knew nothing about it and prior to this had no desire to; however, Connor suggested he start off simple. The other android finally took note of his uneasy glances, and gave him a discreet thumbs up. “Just compliment her, genuinely.” Said Connor before returning to his work. With a newfound determination, Nines took a synthetic breath.
“Detective,”
“Hm?” You didn’t take your eyes off the screen, which somewhat made it easier for him to proceed.
“You’re exceptional at what you do.” His voice was flat, devoid of all passion or even the tiniest sliver of emotion. It was how he spoke usually, but sometimes traces of irritation snuck their way in when he was stressed. However, at the moment, the compliment had no charisma whatsoever, and it showed.
This made your fingers pause, and you looked at Nines from across your terminal to give him a confused look. “Oh, thank you? You aren’t so bad yourself.” And you returned to your typing.
Nines instantly looked to Connor, who urged him on. “Try complimenting her appearance.”
Nines tried again. “You have excellent bone structure.”
“No!”
“What?” You stopped typing again to give your partner a confused look.
“I said…” Nines stretched out his words and looked to Connor for help.
“Her hair!”
“Your hair.” You continued to stare, and Nines could feel the thirium rush to his cheeks.
“What’s wrong with my hair?” You inquired, a hand reaching up to check it.
“Nothing.” Answered Nines quickly, “It’s — ah — different.”
“...I always wear my hair like this.”
Out of the corner of his optical unit he could see Hank inquiring Connor as to why he had his head in his hands. “Of course.” You awkwardly nodded and slowly began typing again. Nines, however, couldn’t leave it at that. “It’s lovely, regardless.” Quickly looking away to manage his monitor, Nines missed the blush blooming across your cheeks. And the way your gaze lingered on him for a moment too long.
So the compliments did not go as well as he had hoped (he couldn’t help his stiff, stoic demeanor and Connor’s terrible advice), but Cyberlife did not design a quitter. This time around, Nines had a better idea of what to expect. Perhaps he wasn’t as skilled with words as much as he’d like to be, but there are more ways to show someone you care for them. Connor suggested being more thoughtful when it came to your needs; the little things, he said, count the most. Nines thought it simple enough since he always scanned your vitals and could tell when you were distressed. He often suggested you take breaks when your stress levels spiked, despite your solid stubbornness to keep working. That wasn’t exactly what Connor had meant, apparently. He only stated to be on the lookout for opportunities to act considerate and attentive. Right, no problem. In fact, when you groaned at your desk about needing a caramel crunch latte to function, Nines made it his duty — no — his mission to ensure you acquired exactly what you needed.
You sheepishly attempted to stop him at first, but the RK900 did not relent and now stood in line mid-morning at your favorite coffee place. Your sparkly gift card was clutched in his right hand like a trophy for his efforts. “Good morning! Would you like to try our — ”
“No.” Nines put the gift card down on the counter, startling the barista. “I would like a caramel crunch latte.” Be considerate. “With extra caramel.”
The barista timidly typed in the order. “What size?”
The aloof android didn’t even glance at the cup sizes displayed on the counter. “The biggest size you have.”
As he waited for the total, Nines glanced around the coffee place, reconstructing images of you enjoying a latte near the window and smiling to yourself in content. The thought made his thirium pump stutter. “Would you like anything from the bakery, sir?”
Nines blinked. You hadn’t mentioned if you wanted anything from the bakery. Perhaps this is what Connor meant when he said to be on the lookout for opportunities? In that case…
“Yes. I would like…”
Nines later proudly arrived at your shared terminals with the items you’d asked for, feeling much more accomplished than the day before. “Nines, you’re a lifesaver! I’ve been craving…” Your voice trailed off as he deposited your drink in front of you, as well as a small mountain of baked goods. Your mouth hung open in what Nines hoped was awe and appreciation, though he began to suspect your silence was more shocked horror than anything else.
“I wasn’t sure if you wanted anything from the bakery, so I purchased what you would find most appealing.” Explained Nines, setting down a few napkins he had also taken.
“Nines, every muffin on the menu is on my desk.” You spoke at last, and wrapped your hands (yes, you require both hands to hold your drink) tentatively around your large latte.
“I...admittedly could not deduce what you liked.” He was nervous he had done the wrong thing, but your patience and understanding always managed to surprise him. If it weren’t for that, the two of you would not be successful partners in the first place.
Holding back a laugh, you said, “Text me next time. I would’ve been fine with a cake pop.” Nines stored the information away in your file.
“Noted.” Although slightly disheartened, Nines supposed he would have to try a different approach once again. However, he felt a hand grasp his forearm.
“Thank you, Nines. I really appreciate that you were trying to be...thoughtful.” Giving him a warm and grateful smile, a smile strong enough to send his thirium pump skipping, you stood and grabbed the bag of muffins. “I’ll take these to the break room though.” As he watched you walk off, it was like a banner with Mission Successful in all caps flooded his vision and put him in a rather smitten mood for the remainder of the day. The android found himself rather enjoying this “flirting.”
“What’s the report?” Nines surveyed the crime scene at your side as you asked the forensic analyst for the details. Your brow was furrowed, arms crossed, and frowning as you listened in. Your professionalism was exceptional, even when every crime scene disturbed or upset you; Of course, you’ve never told anyone that, but Nines could tell from your body language that you’d rather be on the streets finding whoever is responsible, instead of here, lamenting another person’s life. Hands folded behind his back, Nines scanned the area as the analyst continued her review.
“The neighbors called when they heard a loud argument coming from the garage, but by the time the officer arrived,” The analyst gestured with her latex gloves to the body of the young man. Nines took one look and determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma. “Peter Benson was found dead on the floor. Time of death was around three this afternoon. Poor kid was knocked out cold. We’re doing what we can to find prints, so please wear gloves and be careful with what you touch.” The analyst briefly glanced at Nines as if she could sense he was ignoring everything she said. Which was partially true, as Nines was rather preoccupied determining no fingerprints would be found on the young man’s neck or anyplace else on his body. “The neighbors who called in are waiting outside to be questioned, detective.”
You nodded and absent-mindedly placed a hand on the RK900’s bicep. “Wait for me while I go interview them. This feels like a messy one.” He was abruptly torn from his scans at your touch, and rendered speechless as the android watched you leave the garage like a love-sick puppy. That feeling of immense dread then once again came over him as Nines realized his predictions were coming true. He couldn’t even feel your hand on his skin, yet it was enough to completely distract him from his duties. Closing his eyelids in an attempt to calm himself down, Nines recalled Connor’s advice. The flirting he attempted the day before went well, so Connor’s suggestion was to keep working at that pace. But as Nines examined a nearby work table (that was suspiciously cleaner than everything else in the garage), the stoic android couldn’t help but wonder if you froze up as badly as he did. If your heart jolted whenever Nines held your gaze or stepped closer. If you thought about him as much as he thought about you. Which gave him the idea to...kick things up a notch with the flirting; after all, Connor mentioned that flirting included being seductive. Consider this getting even for all the times you’ve distracted and sent his systems haywire with a single look or touch.
“Hey, I’m back from questioning the neighbors.” You greeted, slipping on latex gloves, “Turned up nothing. They didn’t see or hear anything after the fighting stopped. Have you found anything?”
Nines nodded, kicking back into detective mode. “This work space has recently been wiped down. I believe the murder weapon was on this table and possibly wiped of fingerprints.” You nodded along, stepping closer to examine the lack of dust on the surface.
“What’s missing from the toolbox?” You murmured, more to yourself than Nines. Luckily, like the reliable and distraction—free android he was, Nines already had the answer to that question.
“A hammer.”
Leaning back, you let out a smug sigh, one you reserved only for criminals that slipped up. “Rookie mistake. They took the murder weapon with them.” You then turned to the nearest officer, “I want a thorough search done on the house as well as surveillance footage from the street.”
“Right away, detective. There’s also something you should see in the living room.” Dismissed, you gestured at Nines to follow you inside. As Nines did just that, he was once again caught off guard when you pat him on the shoulder.
“Good work, Nines.” Your smile was brief, but wow did it make him wish your hand could stay in place for just a little while long — “...obvious signs of struggle from the displaced chair means it started in here.” Missing half of what you said, Nines remained silent as he watched you crouch down near the coffee table. He was doing it again. Letting his feelings interfere with work. The image of being let go from the DPD was enough to snap him back to attention, as well as recall the ideas he had in mind for you.
The RK900 wasn’t good at spontaneity. Everything he did, from chasing criminals to split-second decisions, were precise and calculated; every outcome and chance of success examined and re-examined before Nines could come to a decision. Without guidance or a program that could calculate his chance of success of wooing you, Nines had to take a risk. His job depended on it and so did your partnership, he reminded himself, yet his thirium pump refused to slow down at the prospect.
You leaned in closer to the coffee table to inspect a mysterious substance and swiped a gloved finger over it. A frown curved your lips while you rubbed the substance between your fingertips before standing. The moment you turned to Nines, completely oblivious to his emotional turmoil, was the moment he finally made up his mind. “This is weird. It might be a clue or — ” There was a strand of hair in your face again. You hardly noticed when that happened anymore, but it tempted Nines to brush it out of your eyes. Normally, he would indulge in only imagining he could. Now, however, was not the time to daydream. So he lifted a hand, which felt surreal to finally execute what he had previously only preconstructed, to carefully tuck the strand behind your ear. “ — contain DNA…” Your voice trailed off as he did so, gaze leaving your hand to stare at him. There was something curious about the way you looked at him, a look he’s never seen before. Vaguely aware that his hand still hovered near your ear, he casually dropped it and nodded for you to continue speaking. “Oh, it’s — ah — a long shot, but it’s worth investigating.” Nines could analyze it on the spot (he was a walking forensic lab, after all) and hesitated to offer only because his processors were still reeling from your fond reaction. A sudden idea, however, struck him. A bold one. “I’ll grab Bea so she can — “
Nines cut you off by wordlessly grabbing your proffered wrist and popping your finger into his mouth. A choked noise escaped you as he ran his tongue, leisurely, along the substance covered latex. With half-lidded eyes, Nines slowly removed your finger from his scorching mouth to slowly lick his lips.
“I believe this is only melted ice cream.” Murmured Nines, a steady blush rising on his face. Although, it was nothing compared to yours. Your mouth hung open and, for a moment, Nines worried he had broken you. “I’m afraid it contains no evidence we can use.”
He still held your wrist close to him, and you must’ve realized this because you glanced at his hand with wide eyes. You cleared your throat as you pulled away, making the android believe he embarrassed you rather than seduced you, however, he scanned your vitals and found interesting results. Your heart rate sped up, and your pupils dilated, both signs of attraction. His thirium pump jolted so hard he held back a gasp. You were attracted to him. You were attracted to him. No longer embarrassed, Nines listened to your voice crack when you said, “Thank — Thank you, Nines.” His synthetic saliva glistened on your pointer finger, something Nines felt oddly proud of. “You should probably do that...that thing?” The android took some pleasure out of watching your flustered self struggle to find the right word. Nines arched an eyebrow (having gained confidence from your reaction), urging you to continue. “You know, the — uh — crime vision?”
“Detective, are you referring to my ability to reconstruct a crime scene?” Nines did his best not to chuckle at your sheepish expression.
“Yes! You do that. I’m going to find Bea and tell her about,” You raised the hand covered in his analysis fluids, before awkwardly putting it back down, “...Yeah.” And you wandered off to do just that. As soon as you were out of sight, Nines finally let out a sigh of relief, paired with a discreet smile.
“I have the whole evening planned.” Announced Nines, excitedly. Connor finished rolling up the sleeves of his groovy button-down shirt (borrowed from Hank, of course) as he listened to his brother talk. It was finally the weekend, which meant that karaoke and drinks and you were only a short car ride away. That is, if Hank got ready in time to drive them.
“So you asked the detective out on a date?” Asked Connor, eyes lighting up.
“No.” Responded Nines, confusing his brother, “However, I do plan on asking her tonight.” Nines moved in front of the bedroom mirror, completely disregarding that Connor was currently using it. The RK900 opted to forego his usual Cyberlife jacket and ‘turtleneck’ (as you loved to call it) for a black button-down and slacks; Connor managed to convince him to pop a button (or two) for the sake of loosening up his appearance as well. “I will first offer to buy her a drink and then engage in flirtatious conversation. If things go well, I will suggest moving to an empty booth where we will likely spend the rest of the evening together. And then that is when I will ask her. How does that sound?” Nines turned to Connor, expecting to see his brother beaming with support and encouragement, but was instead met with a questioning look.
“Nines, I don’t think you understand how these things usually go.” Connor began, which earned him a stern look, “Just listen, okay? I don’t want you to be...disappointed if the evening does not turn out exactly as you hoped. There’s always a chance something might deviate from your plan, but that wouldn’t be such a bad thing if it did.”
Nines frowned at this. “Thank you for your concern, but I have my expectations perfectly handled.”
The look of apprehension Connor gave him wrought a sigh of annoyance out of Nines. “Nines, it isn’t science. Just go with the flow of things. You really don’t need a plan or preconstructed pick-up lines — ”
“I never said I was actually going to use them — “
“ — Trust me, the detective wants to spend time with you as much as you want to spend time with her. You should allow the evening to proceed naturally.” The two brothers fell quiet after that as Nines contemplated Connor’s advice. However, he didn’t get too much time because Hank knocked on the door and opened it, which Sumo instantly took notice of and hurried in to pant in Connor’s lap. Scruffy dog always liked him better than Nines…
“Are you boys done in here? It’s time to — Nines? Where’s your turtleneck?” Hank froze with his hand on the doorknob to squint at the RK900’s clothes.
He narrowed his eyes, having already explained this for the umpteenth time. “It’s not a turtle — ”
“He’s going to ask the detective out on a date!” Connor cut him off, already on his knees to scratch the fur behind Sumo’s ears.
Hank barked out a laugh, and Nines briefly wondered why he deviated in the first place. “About damn time. C’mon son, you don’t want to keep her waiting.” Needless to say, countless jokes were made the entire car ride. It at least helped with the nerves, which Nines totally did not have. Not at all. He’s taken down countless criminals, cracked the toughest of cases, and could even infiltrate the most secure buildings if he so chose to; however as soon as he stepped into the bar, it was as if the upbeat music suddenly stopped playing and everything moved slowly (like in one of his reconstructions) as soon as he laid eyes on you. You were lovely. And everything he’s ever wanted.
“Don’t worry, Nines.” Connor communicated, LED blinking, “Just have fun with it.” The RK800 flashed him a grin before leaving with Hank (who grumbled about the awful music) for the bar. Adjusting his sleeves, Nines gulped (Why was that something androids could do? What purpose did it serve other than to add to his nerves?) before steeling himself to approach you. You sat alone at a high table, slouching lightly on the stool, with empty drinks littering what little space there was. Perfect, thought Nines. Those brilliant eyes scanned the room before finally landing on your android partner; he was somewhat thankful for the loud music, otherwise you would probably hear how fast his thirium pump worked. Your face lit up at the sight of him and a hand reached out to grab his shoulder once he was near enough.
“Hello, detective.” Nines greeted, raising his voice so you could hear him.
“Nines, you’re actually here! I’m surprised, honestly, this isn’t like you.” You said with a laugh, and Nines was careful not to move his shoulder, lest you mistake it as trying to shrug your hand off. Maybe you’d actually keep it there for a while, he hoped.
“I believe it’s time I start blending in with the humans.” You laughed absurdly hard at his lame comment, puzzling Nines, although the reaction was very much welcome. It was then that you noticed his attire and leaned back in your seat to get a better look at him, much to his satisfaction.
“No turtleneck? Who are you and what have you done with my partner?” You teased, and Nines couldn’t help a small grin. My partner.
Remembering the plan, Nines then leaned in closer to say, “I would like to buy you a drink.” Your eyes met his icy ones, mere inches away, close enough that if he shifted your noses might bump. Your eyes dilated just like the day before, but you shook your head.
“Sorry, not tonight. I’m technically still on duty. It’s better to be safe than sorry, right?” Nines didn’t know what to say. He felt a little distressed (Humans always lead with an offer for drinks, do they not?) but the android soldiered on. Flirtatious conversation, remember?
“I’ve always admired that about you,” Nines spoke in your ear, in what he hoped sounded like a husky voice, “however, you should be careful. Your stubbornness will drive even the most civil person to their limits one day.” His words were honest, as well as a thought that’s come up throughout your partnership. It felt oddly satisfying to finally put these thoughts out in the open. To, bit by bit, let you know how you made him feel.
You responded by leaning into his ear, “How about an android?” A blush crept up on the back of his neck at the implication, which only spurred him on.
“Did you have a particular one in mind, detective?” He attempted a smirk, though it felt more like a grimace. However, it prompted a sly smile out of you, and your lips parted to respond.
“Yes, actually. Y — ” You were interrupted when someone tapped the mic up on the stage.
“Karaoke night has officially started! Come write down your songs!” There was a slight commotion as people stood from their seats to get a closer look, but Nines was determined to have you finish that sentence.
“You were saying?” He urged, remaining right where he was.
“Oh, I said — ” An excited squeal then ripped through the air until the source planted itself next to you. Of course, it was none other than Officer Chen. “Tina?” You winced, casting an apologetic glance towards Nines.
“C’mon! We have to go write our song down.” She then noticed Nines, as well as the fact that there was practically an inch between the two of you, and dropped her smile to greet him stiffly. “Hey, 900.” The RK900 wasn’t exactly as sociable as Connor, nor as polite, now that he remembered. He found himself suddenly regretting the time he let the precinct door slam on Tina, causing a rather loud smack as well as a coffee stained uniform.
“Officer Chen.” Greeted Nines coolly, although everything in his mind was screaming this is not part of the plan. “The detective and I were in the middle of something.”
She disregarded him, much to his irritation, and turned to you, “You promised me one song if I didn’t tell Gavin. Time to pay up.” Tina smiled as you heaved a sigh, the sigh you reserved only for when you’ve given up. Nines wanted to protest, say something, anything to keep you here, but you were smiling apologetically at him instead of Tina.
“I’ll be right back, Nines. Try not to have too much fun without me.” You squeezed his arm before sliding off your seat to follow Tina to the stage. Nines only watched you go, LED spinning yellow as he contemplated what to do. You were responsive to his flirting, so surely you would come back, right? The evening was not panning out how he imagined it at all. He only came to be near you yet somehow managed to let you slip away within the first five minutes of being here. Surely there would be plenty of opportunities to spend time with you once you returned, right?
Wrong.
You had disappeared in the crowd of people, leaving Nines to his own devices while he waited for his luck to turn around and for his plan to be put back in motion. However, as time went on, the android had the anxious feeling you weren’t coming back. It did not take thirty minutes to get in line, write your favorite *NSYNC song down (you always did your own renditions during long car rides), and make your way back, did it? Perhaps something was keeping you? In the time you left, Nines took the seat adjacent to yours, mostly keeping himself busy by scanning the many faces that passed by. His ramrod straight posture received some stares; though no one from the department dared approach him, either because they believed he was updating his systems or posing as an unfeeling statue, Nines didn’t care. The lack of socialization did not ordinarily bother him, but as time progressed, your absence filled his processors with doubt.
Was it the shirt? Maybe he bored you? Made unwanted advances? Nines couldn’t help these thoughts; this was the first time he’s ever felt self-conscious about himself. Or about his abilities. And it felt odd to think that you were responsible. How could someone who brings him joy also cause him misery? Is this what love is like? Wait, love? Nines had a strange sense of deja vu as he abruptly jolted himself out of his seat. He needed to do something. If there was anything the past few days have taught him, it’s that he needs to take risks. And listen to Connor.
Adjusting his sleeves, the RK900 straightened himself out with newfound determination to go and seek you. He practically marched to the bar to order a water (“With a lemon, thank you.”) as well as a small glass of thirium (“...Does this really require a tiny umbrella?”). With both drinks in hand, Nines bravely made his way around the bar in search of his detective. Although he loathed to admit that Connor was right about possible deviations to his plan, Nines at least understood now that the evening was not a lost cause. In fact, he’s even spotted you.
A grin cracked his stoic expression, and he moved past a few people to get closer. Your name was on the tip of his tongue before he realized you were speaking to someone, someone he was not familiar with. The man had his hand on your shoulder as he spoke in your ear, similar to how Nines was speaking — no — flirting with you earlier, in fact. And you were...smiling? Something flared up within him, something like irritation and anger and disappointment all rolled up into one. Jealousy. Is this why you were taking so long? Because this man was making you smile? Nines didn’t like this feeling. It made his LED spin red and set his jaw impossibly tight.
Stalking back to the bar, the RK900’s thoughts raced without restriction. Perhaps his calculations were incorrect. Perhaps he misread your relationship. Perhaps he only fooled himself into hoping you felt the same, when you actually never did. Nines placed the drinks down on the surface of the bar, staring bitterly at the colorful umbrella that sat in his thirium. In a way, isn’t this what he wanted? He only endeavored to find out if you could ever be interested in him, and now he knew the answer. So work should go back to normal, and he’ll concentrate better, right? A pang of something unfamiliar now added itself to the cacophony of emotions the android felt. Sadness.
As a mediocre cover of an R&B singer sounded through the air, Nines struggled to comprehend these feelings. He’d never felt these many emotions before, much less, all at once. As the android contemplated how to stop this horrible feeling, a familiar voice sounded in his ear. “Hey, I was wondering where you ran off to.” You had snuck up on his left side, so you weren’t aware of the bright red LED flickering on his temple. Now unable to enjoy your attention after what he’d seen, Nines chose to stare silently at his hands. “Sorry that I took so long. I ran into so many people on the way back, it was like a mini high school reunion. Minus the drama.” You snickered at your own joke and leaned against the bar, however, your smile faded when you realized Nines was frowning. “Hey, is something wrong?”
“It’s nothing you can fix, detective.” Nines surprised himself, as well as you, with his cold response.
You, however, recovered from his sudden abrasiveness to say, “Oh, I’m sure I could try.” You offered a hand, a shy smile now gracing your lips. Nines refused to look. “C’mon, let’s go rate the songs together. I wanna hear what you have to say about this horrendous cover of Drake.”
“Wouldn’t you rather bother someone else?” Nines finally looked at you only to narrow his eyes.
Your hand faltered. “Am I bothering you?” He wasn’t sure. He only knew that treating you this way made him feel worse, that he needed to leave, and that he would say anything right now to get you to leave him alone.
“Excellent observation, detective.” What was once a playful comeback now dripped with bitterness. Your expression fell, and Nines looked away to glare at a bowl of peanut shells.
“Nines, what’s gotten into you? If something’s bothering you, we can talk about it. I’m — I’m here for you.” You didn’t try to touch him, instead opting to give him space. You were trying to understand, be compassionate, and Nines couldn’t stand it. He kept envisioning how you smiled at that man. And then that ugly feeling returned.
“The only thing bothering me right now, detective, is that I’m still here.” Standing up, Nines barely spared you a glance, but he should’ve known you wouldn’t quit so easily.
“Hey!” You moved to block him, brow furrowed in a way that suggested Nines had properly angered you. Although he was much taller, you stood your ground fearlessly. “No, you don’t get to do that. You can’t just run off without explanation, not when you — when you…”
The RK900’s LED blinked red as he took in your troubled expression. He couldn’t recall a situation where you’ve struggled this much to speak your mind, and felt a circuit-glitching wave of dread come over him to realize he was the reason. “When I what?” Nines demanded, desperate to leave. It was at this point you realized people nearby began staring, and that your fists clenched so hard your knuckles blanched.
Your expression remained stormy, and your jaw did that thing when you were irritated, but your hands loosened up despite your anger. “...Nevermind.” And before Nines could analyze your stress levels, you walked around him and disappeared into the crowd.
The entire cab ride home, Nines stewed in his own thoughts. They were mostly about you and that man, and the confusing storm of emotions that took hold of him right after. And his behavior towards you; it was unacceptable. Guilt claimed his mind as he thought back to the way you looked at him. You’d never looked so upset with Nines, not even early in your partnership when he was insufferable to be around. Well, some could argue that he still is, but it’s gotten better since he partnered up with you. It felt wrong to be angry with you, but he couldn’t help the bitter taste of jealousy in the back of his throat. As well as the steel-crushing disappointment that sank his shoulders in an uncharacteristic slouch. Nines didn’t want these feelings and wished they would just go away. He was equipped to solve murders, not deal with heartbreak. Yet the rest of the night, he shut himself inside his room and manually put himself into standby until morning, all so Nines wouldn’t have to think about you or how badly he messed up.
“You...you seem different.” Nines hardly had the energy reserves to glare at Officer Chen, but he did so anyway.
“Good morning, officer.” He wished to avoid conversation with people at the moment; memories of the night before, as well as its emotions, were too fresh in his mind and made it harder to concentrate. In fact, all morning Nines dreaded seeing you, and hoped to take alternate routes throughout the precinct to avoid you as much as possible. He was sure to receive a scolding from Connor if he found out, but avoided the inquiries of his brother all morning too. He couldn’t help it; how could Nines face you after how rudely he treated you? After a myriad of new emotions overwhelmed him, the android didn’t know how to react and found this the easiest course of action for now.
Officer Chen squinted at the RK900, much to his annoyance, as he attempted to review casework on a datapad. Perhaps he should’ve known this route would involve running into irritating coworkers. Suddenly, Tina snapped her fingers, “Ah! I know what it is. You look terrible today.” Nines didn’t even blink. He was aware that his uniform wasn’t as tidy as usual, and that hair hung in his face because it slipped his mind (which is a rare occurrence, mind you) to comb it, but it’s not as though he were a mess. And it certainly had nothing to do with you either.
“Thank you for informing me, officer. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have more important matters to concern myself with.” The android suddenly spun to his left, and with a jolt to his thirium pump, realized he had turned in the direction of your shared terminals. No amount of spatial reasoning could save him now, as he would eventually have to talk to you, so it might as well be now. Not looking up from his datapad (he was hardly able to focus on reading though) Nines arrived at your terminal and began speaking like business as usual. “Detective, the case from a few days ago is nowhere to be found under our unsolved category, is there…” He couldn’t help it; he looked up. But his icy blue irises did not meet yours. In fact, you weren’t there at all. Confused, the android looked around the precinct for any sign of you but was met with none.
“She’s not here today.” Said Hank from behind him. Nines turned to the lieutenant, puzzled.
“Today isn’t her day off.” Nines stated, as he pulled up your schedule to examine.
Hank shrugged as he took a drink from his coffee. “Called in sick probably. Having to leave the bar early to close that case last night must’ve been tiring — ”
“What?” Nines interrupted before he realized he was interrupting, “She closed a case last night? Without me?”
“Uh, yeah. You disappeared, son, who else was gonna go with her?” Guilt struck Nines harder than the night before as he pulled up the case, only this time it was under ‘solved.’ And with it, your report. Apparently, after Nines stormed out of the bar, the suspect’s car was positively identified downtown. The suspect confessed to the murder of Peter Benson after you had the car searched for a hammer and that was that.
“She performed the arrest without me.” Nines spoke flatly, but if you were here, you would probably recognize how much distress he was actually in. You always make sure to call him when there’s a break in the case.
“You messed up pretty bad then, huh?” Hank spoke softly, a rare nugget of sympathy edging its way into his voice.
Nines stared down at your report in disbelief. That fear-inducing dread settled back in, unnerving his processors and causing his thoughts to race until they reached one outstanding conclusion. You hated him. And the worst part is, he had no one to blame except himself. “I have to go.” Nines abruptly dropped the data pad onto his desk and sped off to find the one person who could explain these feelings to him.
“Nines, calm down, please. If your stress levels get any higher you might —“
“Self—destruct?” Inquired Nines, panic rising in his voice like lava in a volcano, “I would find it preferable to facing the consequences of my actions.”
Connor sheepishly fiddled with his coin, “Yes, it always feels like that. But that’s not an option. You’d only be repaired and forced to face the consequences anyway.” He stopped messing with the coin to reiterate his point, “I’m not exactly sure what you did to upset the detective, but she doesn’t hate you, Nines. You’re overthinking her reaction.”
Nines then frowned at his older brother, and spitefully argued, “You don’t know that. You didn’t see the way she looked at me. She — “
“She came to me, after you ran off.” Connor suddenly blurted, and looked as though he instantly regretted it.
“You’ve been keeping information from me.” It was a statement, not a question. Connor looked askance, as if preconstructing possible responses to that, but Nines was in no mood to be negotiated with. “Connor,” Warned Nines in what you liked to call his ‘interrogator voice.’
“I didn’t want to tell you because she asked me not to. She was afraid you would only further push her away.” Said Connor, and Nines immediately relaxed his intense expression.
“She’s afraid?”
“Of course, she is.” Connor paused. “I really don’t know the details, but she approached me because she was worried about you. Nines, she doesn’t hate you. She cares too much about you.” Nines considered this for a moment, his stress levels dropping significantly. Connor was good at that sort of thing. “She was about to tell me more when she received the call about the case.”
If you didn’t hate him, then what? The rest of the work day was spent in misery and distracted thoughts, even more so distracting than when you were here. It’s almost ironic how trying to avoid you wound up with Nines practically seeing you everywhere he went anyway. It became clear to the android, after a couple hours of this, that an apology was in order. Even if the thought of confronting you sent his thirium pump racing, he needed to own up to his mistake.
Nines wasn’t sure how to do this. It began to rain on his way to your house, a minor inconvenience for an android, but it seemed rather appropriate to rehearse his apology in the rain. Being dry was a luxury reserved for good partners, and he certainly didn’t feel like one. And when Nines arrived at your doorstep, his blue eyes hovered on the doorbell before bracing himself to press it. Oh, what a sight he was to behold on your welcome mat. Cyberlife jacket damp and dripping, hair mussed up and slick with rainwater, eyes heavy with concern and anxiety. “Nines?” You didn’t look sick, and a quick scan determined you were in perfect health, which only confirmed his suspicions that you took the day off for...personal reasons. “What are you doing here?” And you crossed your arms. Even in pajamas you were lovely.
“I want to apologize.” Nines began in that comically flat voice of his. He grew subconsciously aware of how lifeless he sounded, over the past couple of months, but never truly minded it until now. He stood on your doorstep with a heavy heart and almost no way of showing it. Almost. “My behavior last night was unacceptable. It was wrong of me to treat you the way I did, especially when I knew you were only trying to help. I’m sorry.”
You seemed like you believed him, if the heavy sigh you let out were any indication, but you weren’t letting him off the hook that easily. “Nines, I don’t...I don’t understand what your deal is.” Your arms wrapped themselves around you, and your gaze lowered to the floor meekly; it was unlike you. This confused Nines, and his brow furrowed in anticipation.
“I don’t understand what you mean, detective.”
“I mean,” Your shoulders scrunched with frustration, “I mean that I can’t deal with your emotional whiplash. One moment, you’re…” You hesitated, just like the night before, except this time you soldiered on, “...you’re flirting with me, and the next, you’re being cold. Why even bother if you were just going to hurt me anyway?”
Panic sent his circuits reeling. No, no, no, you had it all wrong. He never wanted to hurt you, in fact, he never wants to hurt you again. Although this confirmed that his attempts at flirting did not go unnoticed, Nines now realized that some explanation was in order. Thirium rushed to his cheeks as he began, “No, I never meant to...to harm you. I only —”
“You what?” You snapped, finally looking at him, “Because you made me feel real crappy last night for no reason. I thought we were closer than this, Nines. I thought we could trust each other.”
“We could! We do. Allow me to try and explain,” You stared up at him with those inquisitive eyes that he could easily get lost in, however, now was not the time, “I behaved irrationally last night because I care for you, detective. As a partner, as a friend, and as something more.” Your eyes widened with surprise, and Nines should by all means be embarrassed that his confession of love was happening when you were angry with him, but the thump of his thirium pump egged him on. “And I’ve been meaning to tell you for quite some time, but I was afraid you would reject me. So, when I saw you last night speaking with that man, I reacted impulsively. I didn’t understand it at the time, but I was jealous. And heartbroken. Emotions I had never felt before, until you.” Your stunned silence was deafening, and if it weren’t for the rain, Nines would surely have gone mad with the quiet.
When you finally spoke, Nines let out a breath he wasn’t aware androids could hold. “Is that why you were upset? Because I was talking to an old classmate?” You were frowning now, which was not the result the android hoped for.
“Yes.”
You opened and closed your mouth. Several seconds passed before a jolt sparked through his systems when you finally stepped forward to place a comforting hand on his arm. “I...I had no idea what you were struggling with. And I see now why you couldn’t come to me about it, but I really wish you had told me sooner.” Nines steeled himself for the rejection, and enjoyed your eyes this close up while he still could, “You would’ve saved me so much money on ice cream.” Nines blinked. What?
“What?”
A bashful smile tugged at the ends of your mouth as a fervent blush came over you, “Nines, I care about you too. The same way you care about me. I have for a while.” He stood in disbelief as something he could only describe as happiness slowly overcame him and left his thirium pump stuttering.
“You do?” You nodded, “Then does that mean my attempts at flirting were successful?”
“Uh, sure. To be honest, I didn’t realize it was flirting until you shoved my finger in your mouth. Things sort of clicked after that.” Nines forgot that his clothes were cold and damp when he suddenly wrapped his arms around you, holding you flush against his body. You let out a muffled yelp in surprise, but wrapped your arms around him just as tightly. His face buried itself in the crook of your neck, eyes closed as Nines simply allowed his emotions to finally take over and inhale your essence. For the first time that week, or more like ever, the android felt at peace with his feelings. “Who told you to flirt like that anyway?”
“Connor.” He mumbled into your skin.
“Of course, he knew.” You pushed lightly on him to signal you wanted to pull apart, much to his dismay, but startled him by instead wrapping your arms around his neck to pull him down. “Is it okay if we kiss? I know you’re new to this, so I don’t wanna assume — ” Nines hardly let you finish. Giddy with love and relief, Nines clumsily pressed his lips to yours and eagerly kissed you as answer. The pace of his thirium pump could hardly keep up with the rush he felt when kissing you. There was a bit of nose-bumping, and he accidentally aimed too high and got his saliva on your philtrum, but you kissed back with equal enthusiasm nonetheless. Your warmth against his was a sensation Nines planned on never giving up. When you pulled apart, the two of you remained close to stare at each other’s wet lips. You suddenly broke into a smile and let out an amused huff, “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.”
Nines, almost as if in a daze, reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. “I could say the same, detective.”