Since Nines was taken care of, Gavin drove home and changed before calling Tina to find out where they were meeting. The bar she'd picked wasn't too far from the station. She'd likely changed clothes at the precinct and went there to make it easier to get home afterwards. She lived quite close to the bar and could walk back afterwards. It wasn't too far from Jimmy's Bar, where he knew Hank often stopped on the way home. This place was a little younger. A little trendier. A little brighter and more romantic.

Gavin grabbed a bottled beer and sat in a small booth facing the door. There were androids and humans mingling in pairs and groups around the bar. Most were wearing office attire, having just finished work. Tina turned up around fifteen minutes later, dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt with her hair still pinned up in its messy bun. She tugged it loose as she sat in the booth, long ebony locks spilling down to her slim waist. Gavin immediately got to his feet to get her a vodka and coke. Her usual starting drink. He also got himself a whiskey. Tina fixed him with a look. She knew whiskey was his crisis drink. Any time he was stressed about work or his love life, he'd get blind drunk on the stuff.

"Is that a double?" Tina asked warily, wondering just how much shit Gavin had gotten himself into. Gavin shot her a defensive look as he sipped the amber liquid. "Oh, shit..." Looking at the level of the glass, she guessed it was a triple. Gavin hummed his agreement and waited. This is how they worked. He wasn't good at talking, and Tina knew that. She was the one who'd speak about it first.

She took her time, thoroughly examining him with sharp, dark eyes. He looked fucked. Beyond exhausted. He wasn't sleep deprived tired though, which was a vast improvement on a few days ago. He seemed to have settled somewhat since Nines' appeared. Nines had been a positive influence on his health. He was making sure he ate regularly, monitoring his caffeine intake, and somehow making sure he actually went to bed at night. She was aware of his injury and how that had affected his mood, but he'd gone missing the day before and something had clearly happened last night. Something that had made him jittery and nervous around Nines all day.

"You fucked." Gavin's dropping eyes and the shameful way he bit his lip gave him away. They'd fucked alright, but it wasn't that simple. She could see it in the way he was squeezing his glass and bouncing his leg. "Oh, shit! Are you catching feelings? For Nines?" she realised almost excitedly, watching as Gavin shifted his body to angle away from her as he raised his glass and took a gulp. Fucking bingo! Not that she hadn't expected it. She'd seen the chemistry the moment they'd been paired up.

Although he'd firmly denied it a few days ago, it had been obvious that Gavin had started crushing on him. It wasn't even a secret that Nines liked Gavin. He followed him around like a lovesick puppy, even though he looked more like a tiger with those ethereal eyes. He'd also done his fair share of eye-fucking, though she knew Nines wouldn't have understood it if anyone brought it up with him. She knew that wasn't the only thing that Gavin had to unpack.

"Let's start with yesterday. You disappeared somewhere and Nines was going fucking crazy, not to mention Connor and Anderson. What the hell happened there?" Tina asked, thinking this may be the easier topic to tackle. She began to doubt that assumption as Gavin downed what was left of his whiskey and pushed the glass across expectantly. "That bad, huh?" Tina mused as she got to her feet and headed up to the bar. She bought him another shot, but got it watered down so it would last longer.

Gavin took a breath while Tina was away, ordering his thoughts. He hadn't even thought about what to do about Elijah. Not that I need to do anything about him. I can either call him or not...That made him feel a little better. It took the pressure off somewhat. Along with Elijah came the conflicting feelings he had about his father. A man he'd never known. A man he'd never get to know. There was a sense of loss he hadn't expected, and a hint of bitterness. He took the glass Tina pushed across to him. He could already feel a lazy fuzz creeping into his head. Good! Fucked if I'd do this shit sober!

"I got abducted yesterday, at least that's how it started...Woke up in this huge ass house. Got tied up in the basement. Interrogated. At first I thought I'd pissed off a mob boss, but...turns out I have a half-brother. He took me because he wanted to test my DNA...Prick could have just asked," Gavin huffed in annoyance as he took a sip of the watered down drink. He shot Tina a look of disgust as the piss-weak crap touched his tongue. She knew he hated watered down drinks, but they'd only just started and he needed to pace himself. He had to work tomorrow. Working meant seeing Nines. Gavin took another gulp of his drink at the thought. He didn't even know how he was going to face him once he got home. If Nines got home. He'll probably stay at Connor's. He sighed as a dull feeling filled his stomach at the thought of being home alone.

"Oh? What's he like?" Tina asked curiously as she sipped her own drink. Gavin looked thoughtful. It was an expression he often made during these talks. He tended to be a much deeper thinker when he was drunk. Sometimes he'd be damn near philosophical.

"Well, he's a phcking idiot for starters. Who the phck kidnaps a police detective right outside the phcking precinct in broad daylight?" he scoffed, though he had to continue to do Elijah justice. "But he's also smart when it comes to mechanics and engineering. He's rich, owns a huge place full of androids, but he's not too much of a prick about it. He didn't seem the type to wave his wealth in your face. In fact, he's a bit of a recluse." He left out Elijah's identity for now. Tina seemed happy enough with what she'd found out so far anyway.

"That sounds nice...Did you find out anything else?" There was only one way he could have gotten a half-brother. Gavin went quiet for a minute. His jaw stiffened before he forced it out.

"My dad's dead...Doesn't matter. Never met him anyway." He hid behind his glass way too fast for that to be the case. Tina allowed it. Gavin could pretend it didn't get to him all he liked, but his reaction told her everything. She gave his leg a small kick beneath the table and laid her hand palm up on the surface. He gave her a lopsided grin as he gave reached across and felt her squeeze of reassurance.

"So, what happened after you met your brother?" she pried after a few moments of companionable silence. Gavin finished his drink and got another, along with one for Tina. She frowned at him for getting another whiskey, but at least it was only a single with a little ice this time.

"Nines turned up with the cavalry to rescue me. He almost kicked the door off its hinges, and...it was so phcking hot!" Tina knew the alcohol was working. All she had to do was wait, and he'd spill like an overflowing dam. "I knew he was upset, so I took him home and we had a bath...Thought it would make him feel better." Tina almost spat her drink as he thought back to the night before and all his honest intentions.. She coughed and took another sip, wiping her lips just in case.

"Together? As in...in the same tub?"

"Yeah, but you've seen my bath. It's basically a jacuzzi!" Tina couldn't argue with that. They'd even used it as a jacuzzi before.

"But you were both naked?" She let out a low whistle as Gavin nodded his agreement. He had balls. She'd give him that. There was no way she would have had a nude bath with someone she liked, even if they were traumatised. Especially if they were traumatised!

"It wasn't sexual. We really were just bathing, but then...Phck, I don't know...We had this really intense moment, you know? The next thing I knew, he had me straddling his lap, and we were kissing, and he-" He cut off as Tina reached across and slapped a hand over his mouth. There were some things that she, and all the androids in the vicinity, definitely didn't need to hear. The exact details of where Nines put his firm hands and his android dick were two of those things. Gavin's cheeks were flushing a healthy shade of pink, and his green eyes were slightly dazed. They were getting a little too far into the drunk zone.

"Less of the details!"

"But T, it was amazing! I've never felt anything like it, and I don't just mean it was great sex. I mean I felt it...I phcking felt it here!" Gavin confessed as he rested a hand on his chest. Tina hadn't expected it to happen so soon. She'd expected to have to work to pry that confession out of him. But we are five whiskeys deep at this point..."I was so phcking happy T, but it was wrong. I abused him! I took advantage of him...He's barely been out of Cyberlife for a month, and I was the first human he ever met that didn't treat him like a phcking gun range target! He was vulnerable, and I let him fuck me! I phcking encouraged him to fuck me!" Tina leaned closer as she noticed a couple of androids looking their way with a mixture of amusement and confusion. Gavin didn't seem to notice. He was too busy sipping his whiskey and deciding whether he was going to sob.

"So after that you called it off...Gavin Reed, you're a real idiot sometimes!" He didn't argue with her this time. "Look, I get where you're coming from, but I still think you owe it to Nines and yourself to see where it goes...You're not a bad guy, Gav. Even if it doesn't work out in the long run, I think you're exactly what he needs right now, and he's what you need..." She wasn't exactly sure how much of this Gavin would remember in the morning. He was already taking long, slow blinks. A sure sign he was about to crash. Too bad! We're not finished yet!

"We're not talking right now anyway." He sounded more like a lovesick teenager than a seasoned detective as he sulked and mumbled into his glass. "He wants to use himself as bait for our case, and I told him no, absolutely phcking not...He's too important." Tina could understand. Operations could go to shit within seconds. It only took a split second and someone could be seriously injured or killed. She still remembered her first op with Gavin. They'd arrived just in time. They'd even made the arrest, but they'd almost lost him that day. To a fucking knife wound! She still remembered the warm stickiness of his blood as it poured over her hands while she pressed down on the wound, trying desperately to stem the flow. It didn't even look that big! It was just a stab wound, but it was deep. So fucking deep.

"But you didn't tell him that, did you?" she said with a hint of reproach, watching Gavin shake his head. Of course he hadn't. He couldn't tell Nines how he felt without admitting that he had feelings. Gavin Reed didn't catch feelings. He never had. Tina had been convinced he never would in their earlier days, but as they grew older, she'd realised he just didn't trust anyone enough to risk it. He was used to being the other guy in a relationship, or the placeholder, or the rebound. His taste in partners had been fucking terrible or non-existent. Until Nines.

"I can't phcking do that to him! I don't want him to get hung up on me...He should go out and experience things. Meet other people. He's bound to find someone better." He winced as Tina gave him a hard kick beneath the table. Her brown eyes were sharp as she glared across at him, reminding him of his old schoolteacher from kindergarten.

"Gavin Alexander Reed, don't you fucking put yourself down! You are the kindest, sweetest, and most considerate little fuck up I know! Anyone would be lucky to have you looking out for them!" Gavin flushed right to his ears. He hated it when Tina went soft on him. A beating he could take, but kind words? He didn't know what to do with them. He didn't feel like he was worth anything, and he didn't feel like the man she thought he was. "Come on. Let's get going," she said finally as they drained their glasses.

She hailed a cab for Gavin and managed to bundle him inside. She typed his address into the pad before paying the fare and watching it go. Inside the cab, Gavin dozed off against the door, barely noticing as the box rolled into his street. It stopped outside his house and opened the door. A small alarm went off as he failed to move. The alarm was enough to rouse him. He stumbled out onto his drive and staggered up the short path to his door, almost falling more than once as he tripped along. A barely noticeable, perched figure sat patiently waiting on the front step, making Gavin stop and squint. He was sitting stoically, LED cycling yellow with his hands resting on his knees.

"Gavin? Are you alright?" His green eyes were hazy, struggling to focus as he battled to remain upright. Nines was on his feet and holding him in an instant. He felt his human tense before slowly realising who was holding him. He felt a warmth in his chest as Gavin snuggled deeper into his arms, snuffling the light thirium scent of his jacket. "You're intoxicated," he observed softly as he searched Gavin's jacket for the keys.

"Thought you were at staying Connor's tonight," Gavin slurred as he let Nines take charge. Nines sighed fondly as he unlocked the door and got them both inside, wondering if it would be easier to carry Gavin as he stumbled against his chest. He shut the door and slipped Gavin's jacket off and then his own, battling to keep his human on his feet. He didn't even know how he managed to get their shoes off, but he did. They were left in a messy pile by the door, along with their jackets.

"I wanted to come home...I wanted to see you." Nines' thirium pump melted at the dopey smile that lit Gavin's face. Gavin looped his arms around his shoulders, and it was all Nines could do not to pick him up and pin him against the wall. He wouldn't do it. Gavin was far too intoxicated to even think about consent at this point. Nines settled for humming in contentment and nuzzling him affectionately. There was no rule against accepting innocent affection, so long as it remained that way.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry, I'm such a piece of shit!" Gavin grumbled in a pathetically guilty tone. Nines hushed him as he lifted him into his arms. He didn't like to hear Gavin talking about himself like that. He knew for a fact that it wasn't true, and he could think of a dozen reasons why. Unfortunately, Gavin was in no state to comprehend logical arguments right now. "Mm sorry..." Green eyes slowly fell shut as he leaned his head on Nines' larger shoulder, arms and legs gripping like a koala.

"Shhh, it's alright Gavin...I'll take you to bed," Nines soothed softly as he walked up the stairs. He couldn't help smiling as he listened to Gavin's incoherent murmurs against his shoulder. Entering Gavin's room, he crossed to the bed to lay him down. He'd thought he was already asleep by the time he lowered him to the mattress, but was surprised as needy hands gripped his turtleneck. "Do you want me to stay?" Nines asked in a gentle whisper, climbing onto the bed as Gavin nodded sleepily. He smiled sweetly as he settled beside his human, running his fingers through his soft hair.

"...Happy..." Gavin almost sighed as he rolled closer, one hand reaching out to fist in his turtleneck as the other curled against his chest. Nines' blue eyes widened, unsure whether it had been a question or a confession. Either way, he felt that he should answer it somehow. He leaned down enough to press a gentle kiss to Gavin's temple, lying down and stroking his hair until he was asleep. Once he was sleeping, Nines set his own stasis cycle to begin. He made sure it would wake him if Gavin stirred beside him.

"Sleep well, Gavin." He took a final, lingering look at his sleeping face before closing his eyes and resting an arm across his waist.