"You look good, son. Really good," Hank complimented as he saw Nines enter the bullpen the next day. Reed was leading the way, a bag clutched in one hand while the other was shoved in the pocket of his new jacket. Nines looked happy as he approached his desk. Really happy. He signed his thanks to Hank as he looked around. He was a little disappointed that he couldn't see his brother anywhere. "Connor's in the evidence locker. Should be back in a sec," Hank added as he noted his eager gaze.

"Oh, good. Well, you can tell him that this is his," Reed grumbled as he dropped the bag almost carelessly on Connor's chair and left it tucked under the desk. Hank raised a sceptical eyebrow. It wasn't like Gavin Reed to buy presents for people. He would have thought it were a prank if not for the way Nines nodded his agreement. He wondered briefly if Reed had done something he needed to apologise for, but he was sure Connor would have complained about it if that were the case.

"What do I look like? Your damned maid service? Tell him yourself!" Hank replied gruffly, watching as Reed stalked over to his desk and sat. It didn't matter. The gift had been delivered. If Connor didn't find out who it was from, then he'd just end up with a cute new sweater from a mystery admirer. No big deal. Hell, that could even be entertaining. He wondered if Connor had ever had a secret admirer before. It wouldn't surprise him. He probably got a love letter a week for Christ's sake. He knew for a fact the female staff mooned after him like lovesick teens.

"Nines, good morning!" Connor greeted cheerfully as he turned the corner and noticed him waiting. Nines was beaming, at least, as much as his stoic resting face allowed. His blue eyes were bright and his lips had raised from their usual slack position. He stood at ease, hands resting behind his back. "That looks so much better! I wasn't going to say anything because I know you haven't been paid yet, but it's nice to see you in a new outfit...That jacket was made for you!" Connor added as he reached out and examined the stiff material, feeling the strong shoulders that sat rigidly on Nines' larger form. They would soften out eventually, after a few months of wear. He analysed the material subconsciously. Real leather. Expensive. Very expensive.

Thank you. It was a gift from Detective Reed. He took me shopping yesterday because he also did not approve of my Cyberlife attire. Connor nodded his understanding as he continued to eye up Nines' new look. The jeans were a lot like his old ones, but the shoes were much higher quality, and they looked durable. The heels and soles were both replaceable. A sensible choice. As Nines slipped the jacket off, Connor couldn't help the small sigh that escaped his lips as he ran his fingers over the long fluffy sleeves of Nines' cashmere sweater.

"It's so soft!" he sighed, missing the amused smirk Reed forced down. He'd had a feeling Connor would like the material. Softness seemed to be a running theme with his gentle nature. All of his vests and sweaters were soft woollen materials, and his coat was always covered in Sumo's thick fur, suggesting he spent a sizeable amount of time curled up with him. He dropped his gaze as he saw Nines motion to Connor's chair. Play it cool...Don't let them make a thing of it.

Detective Reed thought so, too. In fact, he first noticed it while picking a gift for you. Nines watched Connor's brown eyes shoot open in surprise. A gift? For him? Was Detective Reed feeling alright? He wondered for a moment, much like Hank, whether it was a cruel joke. He didn't think Nines would take part in a joke like that, though, so he hesitantly reached for the bag on his chair. Inside was a wrapped gift. It was plain red paper, likely left over from the most recent human holiday. Connor eyed Hank and Nines before slowly opening it, peeling the tape neatly so as not to wreck the wrapping paper.

He was left speechless as he found a neatly folded sweater inside. It was a deep cream, almost caramel colour, and it felt just as soft as the one Nines wore. Perhaps even a little softer. His LED flickered between yellow and blue before he headed to the bathroom. Nines was worried at first, concerned that he was upset. He wasn't sure why a gift would spark that reaction, but within a few minutes, Connor returned with his crisp white shirt and grey tie over one arm. The cream sweater was a perfect fit for him, having been measured against Nines and taken down a size. It clung to him perfectly, hugging his skin in fluffy softness.

Reed remained intent on his paperwork throughout all of this. He was aware of Connor leaving and returning, and that he was wearing the sweater, but he was doing his best to focus on his work. He didn't want to draw any attention, though he could already feel Hank looking over at him. He buried himself further in his work as Nines sat opposite and started his own reports. He looked at his screen as he got a new email. It was from Connor.

Detective Reed, I know you dislike verbal interactions for such things, so I decided to send you a written message instead. Thank you for thinking of me while you were helping Nines. It was thoughtful. You didn't need to buy me a gift for helping you, but it is very much appreciated. Thank you again. I like it very much. Connor. The email brought a small smile to Reed's face. He wasn't sure when Connor had started to read him so well. There were few people in the precinct who knew about his various quirks and dislikes. Connor seemed to get it straight away. He knew about his social awkwardness in crowds. How he didn't like noise. How easily distracted he was. His auditory learning, and his inability to write properly without help.

Hey, Tin Can. Glad you like it. You helped me a lot lately, so thanks. Reed felt a little awkward as he typed back. He knew his message had none of Connor's finesse, but he was sure he'd understand. He sent it and refused to look at Connor or Hank for the next hour. He barely had time to, anyway. He and Nines were deep in their case now. So far, the patrols hadn't picked anything up, but at the same time, there hadn't been any new disappearances. That could be due to the police circling the area. It made it risky. Perhaps they realised they'd drawn too much attention to themselves and left a pattern. If that's the case, we might be out of phcking luck...It was a while of thinking in circles later that Reed wandered into the break room for coffee, passing Tina on the way. He didn't think much of it as he murmured a distracted hello and walked by, but Tina stopped dead seconds later and turned towards him.

"You. Stop. Right the fuck now." She eyed him like a hawk, scrutinising every little detail. Reed paused and turned back, wondering how much trouble he was in. She had a suspicious look on her face as she walked closer. He leaned back as she leaned in and stared up at him. She was looking at his face, his eyes, and any bare skin she could see. Whatever she was looking for, she certainly seemed to find it as she broke out into a smirk. "Gavin Reed, you got fucking railed the other night!" Reed scoffed, having forgotten about leaving Tina at the club.

"Not exactly railed, but yeah, I took a guy home." He was surprised she didn't remember. He'd definitely sent her a message saying he was heading out with a guy and to have a good night. Tina shook her head as she tugged him towards the break room. He went with it, keeping his balance admirably as he was hauled over to one of the tall tables.

"No, I mean it Gav! I can tell. What happened? Who was it?" she demanded almost excitedly as Reed headed over to the coffee machine. He winced as he wondered if she was picking up on his restlessness. He still hadn't confronted that dream he'd had about Nines. Not really. He was doing his best to just ignore it and pretend it never happened, but fuck, it was hard. He replayed it whenever he closed his eyes or slipped into a daydream. How could he not? Those hands. Those eyes. Those perfectly crafted muscles...

"You remember Anton, right? He was at the club...He took me back to my place and we fucked on the couch," he replied with a shrug, watching her enthusiasm shift to judgement. He sighed as he waved a hand dismissively. "I know-I know, I'm an idiot. It didn't work out. We work together now. It's against procedure, yada-yada-yada. It was a onetime thing." This time he found that he actually meant it. It was just something about the way he'd prowled around Nines, ignoring his boundaries. It had never made him uncomfortable before, but now it did. He also wasn't sure he'd ever be able to fuck Anton again without remembering the way he'd come while staring into Nines' piercing blue eyes across the room.

"But something else happened. Don't you lie to me, Gavin Reed!" she added with a pointed finger, watching him wince. He hated it when she did this. She could somehow just see right through him. Every fucking time. He heaved a long sigh and looked at the ceiling, unsure he could live down the humiliation.

"I forgot about Nines...He saw us." He took his filled mug and turned to Tina, who looked confused. "Nines. My partner. The RK900?" he added as he waved a hand towards him. He was sitting at his desk, typing away at one of their reports. He could have sworn he glanced up at the mention of his name, but he pushed it aside. There was no way he could hear them from all the way at the opposite end of the bullpen. Not with all the hustle and bustle going on in between.

"Ohhh...and then what?" Tina asked, somewhat less interested now.

"I got Anton to leave. Nines and I had an awkward conversation, and he went to bed." Reed shrugged, watching Tina's eyebrows shoot up. "What?" Reed asked as he tilted his head. Tina was actually smirking at him.

"You fucked him, didn't you? Or should I say, he fucked you," she added smugly as she folded her arms. And there it is. Reed heaved a long sigh. He wasn't even sure he wanted to talk about this with Tina, or anyone else. It was just fucking weird. He was pretty much dreaming about raping his partner, considering Nines couldn't exactly give consent with his un-deviated status. I guess it's harmless as a dream, but we phcking work together! This shit's weird. Not to mention damaging. He was finding it increasingly hard to pretend that everything was normal around him. It didn't help that Nines definitely had some sort of hero worship going on.

"No. No, he did not. We did not. He's an android! The phck do you take me for?" Reed scoffed evasively, raising his coffee cup to hide his face and avoid her dark eyes. She knew he wasn't lying, but she also knew that something more had happened than he'd let on. She levelled her best demanding stare at him, not blinking as she waited for him to cave in. He lasted less than forty seconds as he tried to avoid her scrutiny. "I had a dream, alright?" He felt embarrassed as he watched Tina frown before dropping his gaze to the swirling blackness in his cup.

"A dream? Really? That's what you're going with?" she scoffed in disbelief, but at the somewhat vulnerable expression that came across his face, she paused. "Seriously? You're this upset about a dream?" Concern laced her tone. This wasn't like Gavin Reed. Generally, he'd fuck up in real life and then mope about it. She'd never known him to dream. At least, he never had dreams he'd felt bad enough about to let them affect him while he was awake.

"I know! It's dumb...I've had two of them now. Both about Nines. I thought going out and getting laid would help, but...After Anton left, I went to bed and dreamed that he came into my room and we...Phck, T, it was so phcking real! At the time, I really thought it was happening, and Nines was just..." He trailed off, unable to find the right words to describe what it had been like. He'd never had sex like that. He'd had good sex. He'd been wrecked, railed, and ruined, but not like that. He'd never felt such a deep connection. Such a pressing need. He'd never been needed, wanted, or desired like that before.

"Oh my God...You've got it bad!" Tina purred in a low voice, drawing out the last word into a long, lingering note. Reed shook his head as he sipped his coffee dismissively. He wasn't going there. Not a chance. No hope in hell. No phcking way.

"The phck I do! Nines in an android. End of."

"News flash! Your dick and whatever substitute you have for a heart don't care!" Tina teased smugly, watching him roll his eyes. He'd never done the whole love thing. It had never worked out for him. Ever. He'd put a stop to that long before he'd enrolled at the academy, and he wasn't going to catch feelings for a toaster oven on legs. That was harsh, he knew. Nines was way more than that. He couldn't help sneaking a glance at him as he worked. So much more...He shook his head as he toyed with his mug.

"Number one, my dick will fuck anything that moves. Number two, we both know I don't do feelings. Number three, I phcking hate androids! It's not happening!" Reed tightened his jaw as he dared her to argue. Tina, it seemed, was in the arguing mood that day. Either that, or she just wasn't standing for his crap. Neither would surprise him.

"You don't get to pull the I hate robots card. You're practically glued to your pet android these days, and not just for working purposes. You spent a good chunk of this month's paycheque on a jacket for said partner. You also bought Connor a present, and you don't do presents for people you don't like." Tina watched with a certain amount of smugness as Reed started to curl over his cup defensively. He looked resentful as he glared across at her. He hated the way she could see right through him, and always told him things he didn't want to hear. Granted, they're usually things I need to hear...

"How did you know about that?" he muttered quietly, watching Tina smile as she shifted her gaze to Connor. He was standing beside Hank talking about something, arms folded as his fingers continued to caress and tease the soft cream material of his sweater. Reed had to admit it pleased him more than it should have to see that he liked the gift. The hand movements weren't a conscious thing. It was an entirely new quirk that Connor had developed on his own. He guessed it was a self-soothing thing, or maybe the fibres kept his sensors calibrated or some shit.

"I passed him earlier and told him what a nice sweater he had...He said, thank you, it was a gift from Detective Reed. He wouldn't say that if he didn't think of you as a friend." She couldn't help noticing that the idea of being Connor's friend didn't repulse him as it would have a few months ago. A few months ago, she'd laughed as Reed had punched him in the stomach. She'd apologised for it since, and Connor had been gracious enough to accept. "My point is, you've moved past your old prejudices. You can't hide behind them as an excuse because you're afraid of your feelings." Reed winced at the scolding. She sure isn't pulling punches today.

"Oh, come on, T! I'd be laughed out of the precinct for something like that, and besides, Nines is...different. He's not a deviant. Doing that would make me worse than those sickos that still go to the Eden Club." Tina's brow furrowed as she tried to think her way around the problem. He sort of had a point with the whole deviancy thing, but the other part was horse shit.

"No one cares who you fuck, Gav. You're not that important. Even if you were, a fair few people would like to get their hands on the RK twins, anyway. They'd be jealous as hell, and no one laughs at Anderson, right? He's totally fucking Connor!" She seemed absolutely certain of that. It was something Reed hadn't quite picked up on. He still wasn't convinced. He knew there was a certain fondness between the pair. They'd been close since before the revolution, and Connor had moved straight into his place afterwards, but that didn't mean that it was that sort of relationship. I don't even want to know if it's that sort of relationship. Reed was unsure his brain could handle those sorts of images. "You're making up excuses, Gavin Reed!" Tina added as she crossed her arms and scowled at him.

"Oh, phck off!" he huffed as he looked anywhere but her smug face. Usually, Tina made him feel better about things, but this time he just felt worse. Part of it was his old prejudice, but another part just felt wrong for looking at Nines like that. He'd found Nines. He'd helped him. He felt a little responsible for him. He's barely been out of that place more than two months, and I'm already...I'm not going to phck him up even more.

"Suit yourself, but don't be surprised if someone else comes along while you're being a stubborn prick about it..." Tina warned ominously as she headed out. Reed watched her go with a small nod. Her words prompted a whole new set of issues. Just because he had enough morals not to pounce a vulnerable android, didn't mean other people would be so kind. I guess, since I'm his registered owner, I could tell him not to engage in that sort of stuff, but would that be fair? He's not a deviant, so that sort of thing shouldn't be on his mind, anyway...But he's only half non-deviant...What does that mean when it comes to consent?

He pondered the issue a little longer, nursing his cup of coffee as he stared at the table. He didn't quite feel ready to return to his desk. He'd likely end up staring at Nines if he did. Nines would notice if he wasn't careful. The minutes must have dragged, because suddenly he could feel someone standing over him. He looked up and saw Nines waiting in the doorway, looking hesitant but somehow eager.

Detective Reed, we have a case...Another android has been found. Reed's shoulders sagged in an almost defeated manner. Shit...Weren't we watching the drop sites? Did they move? Or was this android taken before we started? He got to his feet, leaving the remnants of his coffee on the table as he followed Nines. They stopped by their desks briefly, mainly so that he could grab his new leather jacket.

"Tell me what we've got," he ordered as he led the way, automatically looking to his right, where Nines appeared as if he'd been summoned. Reed already had his car keys in hand, hurrying towards the lift that would take them down to the underground parking lot. Nines was neatly tucked in his jacket, thick cuffs smartly resting on his wrists.

We have no model number. However, the site is another warehouse located in the southwest. The conditions match our other cases exactly. I will be able to tell you more once we have viewed the remains. Nines saw Reed nodding his agreement. It was all as he'd expected so far. They'd continued to follow the compass pattern. Perhaps if they got patrols to circle warehouses in the southeast, they'd get something. They stepped inside the lift and went down, both thinking quietly. The drive was just as silent. Reed was focused on the road, though his fingers were restless on the wheel. He felt agitated. He'd been so sure they'd catch them before they took anyone else. The only small comfort he had was that perhaps they'd taken the android earlier, before he'd set up the patrols. They wouldn't know that until they found out who their victim was and spoke to their family and friends about when they'd last been seen.

At the scene, Nines got straight to work. He worked alongside the forensics team, who were already there. The humans took photos and measurements around him as he walked silently and stared unblinkingly at the scene. Reed watched as Nines crouched down and traced his fingers through what little thirium he could find. He licked them clean, silvery eyes blinking as he analysed the oily substance. Once the humans finished taking pictures, they allowed him to examine the remains slowly. He handed off each small fragment as he finished with it, allowing them to gradually pack away the remains for transport.

"Well?" Reed asked as he stepped out of the warehouse. He'd done his walk-through earlier and waited outside with a cigarette. Nines took a moment to watch as he breathed in. The end of the white stick glowed red in the dusky light. He knew Reed smoked. The scent clung to his clothes, but he'd never actually watched him do it. Part of him wanted to say something about it, but that would likely sour his relaxed mood.

The victim is an AV400, originally designed for simple office tasks. Our victim's name is Avery Doe. She had not yet chosen a last name. Injuries caused are consistent with the weapons used on the other victims. I also found the same trace particles from the murder site. He'd expected nothing less, after seeing the body. The android went offline approximately four hours ago. Nines' gaze followed as Reed dropped his cigarette. That he hadn't expected. So soon? Phck!

"Hey! Are we sure there were no witnesses?" Reed called to the attending officer, who was standing outside the warehouse on the off chance a civilian walked by. He was lounging against the doorway, clearly bored. The uniformed man approached at Reed's summons. He had a small notebook in his hand, flicking through to review his own few notes.

"No one saw the drop. The body was reported by Johnathan Howard. He's a contact for narcotics with the Black Wolf gang. They operate in this area and were conducting business when the body was discovered." He kept his focus solely on Reed as he made his report. Reed wasn't sure if Nines noticed, but he'd been a detective for a long time. The uniformed officer was leaning his weight back on one leg, turning his body so that Nines was almost excluded from the conversation.

Do you think there is a need to talk to him? Reed shook his head at Nines' question. It was risky, calling out contacts. Especially ones that weren't his. The man had done his duty by reporting the body. If he'd seen anyone suspicious, he would have mentioned it in his report, so they could safely assume he'd seen nothing further.

"No, we'll head back. Thank you, officer," Reed added to the young man, who nodded to him politely before returning to his post. He'd ignored Nines completely. Good to see that prejudice is alive and well. Reed gave a small huff as he climbed into his car. It shouldn't have bothered him. He'd been the same until a couple of months ago. If it hadn't been for the effort Connor had put into their relationship, he'd probably be just as rude. It would take time for real progress to be made.

They were both fairly quiet as they returned to the station. It was late afternoon. The sun was hanging low in the sky. It had taken Nines quite a while to examine the body and separate out all the pieces. Nines was a little confused as Reed left him in the hall and told him to return to his desk while he went to think. But it would be more efficient to think together...Nines felt slightly dejected as he made his way to his desk and slipped quietly into his seat. He almost felt like a scolded pet that had been sent to the naughty corner.

"Where's Detective Reed?" Connor asked curiously, noticing Nines' downcast expression, despite putting on his best stoic front. Connor found it quite easy to read his brother. When his expression was blank, there was something wrong. From the way his shoulders were drooping ever so slightly, he believed he was troubled. Nines looked up at his question, blue eyes almost hesitant. "Did something happen?"

Detective Reed said he needed some time to think...I believe he went to the gymnasium. I would have accompanied him, however he told me to return here and wait. Connor's gentle hazel eyes widened slightly. Nines' head tilted as he noticed Connor's LED flicker yellow at the news. Connor didn't say anything further as he turned and hurried towards the gymnasium. Nines would have followed. He wanted to follow. However, he was forced to obey his previous order to remain at his desk.