Chapter Text
Friday, 8:00 pm, December 17th 2038.
Hank took the news that Connor was going out that night with Gavin surprisingly well. Perhaps because it was over text, or the fact that he was already home for the day. Either way, his response was a simple one. “Just come back before midnight.” In a way, Connor felt relieved that Hank was more or less uninterested in the entire ordeal. The station itself was quieter than usual. The only two people there besides the night shift were Connor and Gavin. Connor looked over to Gavin’s desk and saw the detective let out a pretty hefty yawn.
Connor got up and moved over to Gavin’s desk, casually leaning on the edge of the desk and folding his arms. Looking down at his coworker. “Are you ready to leave, Detective?”
Gavin nodded and looked up at Connor. Seeing the android's LED was a pale yellow, yet he had an easy smile. Something was wrong, or perhaps he might be feeling an emotion that was deviant in nature. He wasn’t a particular expert on androids, but he could tell something was there. “You okay? Your LED it’s yellow?” He gestured to his temple with one hand.
Connor awkwardly laughed. “I’m looking forward to our little outing. The nicest place Hank’s taken me was the chicken feed. Perhaps the upgrade for having drinks would be nice.” The LED flipped to cyan, and the android stretched out his hand to help the detective stand up. A small gesture, yet one that was oddly kind.
The two of them made their way out of the building and into the lit-up streets of Detroit at night. Connor hadn’t really paid attention to Reed’s car before, only noting that it was a red commuter car. But now that he had the time to slow down and take everything in. It was a 2026 red honda civic SI. A bit old, given that it was at least a decade out of fashion, but it looked like it was kept in good condition. Self driving cars were the norm; only Reed and Hank seemed to prefer to drive. As they got into the car, the interior was what he expected: faux leather seats and a screen in the center of the dashboard. A small car air freshener hung from the mirror, and it was a canary yellow, with the faint scent of vanilla wafting off it.
As the engine hummed to life as the key turned in the ignition, Gavin let out a small breath and looked at Connor as a singular strand of hair fell to the left side of his forehead. He flashed a smile, one that was just a little too sincere for the detective. Was he enjoying this? Was this a date to him? Connor couldn’t help but wonder. “Detective… What exactly..- What is this to you?”
Gavin awkwardly laughed. “Just us going out as coworkers. I mean usually my only drinking buddy is Tina but she and I haven’t gone out in a while. Can you really blame a guy for being a little excited to go out?” He knew there was something more than that. He just hoped that Connor wouldn’t dig too deeply into it.
Connor’s LED flipped to a deep red, almost bordering on crimson as he closed his eyes. “Detective, you are truly quite bad at lying.” Gavin’s response was more than a little suspect to the android. He knew he tipped his hand when he retracted his skin on the bridge. Maybe the detective misinterpreted it. “I’m afraid I might have offered a gesture to mean something where there wasn’t a meaning intended. I will be frank, is this a date?”
That made Gavin pause. His eyes went up and to the right. “No…? We uh. We don’t have to go if you don’t want to.” He smiled awkwardly, his lips turned upwards only on the right side of his cheeks.
The androids LED flipped to a steady blue. “No, I do want to go. But, I’m getting a hint that this may mean a bit more to you than you let on. But, I suppose we should go to the bar.”
“Haha, yeah…” Gavin said. He put the car into reverse and exited the parking lot as quickly as he could. The usually busy streets of Detroit were mercifully quiet this time of night. Something that could probably be attributed to the looming holidays. He half wondered what his Christmas would look like. Probably one spent alone. Like almost every single Christmas since he was 22. God, he was a lonely fuck. He couldn’t help but think to himself.
As traffic flitted by and the building passed them, they eventually arrived at the bar that Gavin mentioned. It was a small hole in the wall building, brick construction. Little more than a concrete box with a neon sign heralding the name of the club. Serendipity. The two went in and saw that it was a fairly cosy, if cookie cutter bar interior. Booths to the right, a bar to the left with a red-headed bartender with a rather unique looking orange shawl draped across her shoulders. It looked like something from the 60’s. Near the back of the establishment was a stage and a piano, notably an extra chair with a guitar next to it.
Gavin gestured towards one of the empty booths, and it had a perfect view of the stage. He guided his android friend towards the booth and sat down with him. “So, what have you drank besides, like, blood and forensic shit?” He smiled at the android again, one of those more charming smiles, one that was easy and effortless.
Connor couldn’t ignore the way the detective’s eyes lit up when he smiled. “I can’t say I’ve had too many things. I do know I can process alcohol although it is unpleasant to taste. I will admit to some morbid curiosity in trying something that isn’t beer.”
Gavin raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so you can have alcohol? I’m sure I could probably sweet talk Beverly into a free drink or two for us. Alright, what are you feeling? Sweet? Savory? Bitter?”
Connor brought a curled finger to his chin, and his LED turned yellow. “Something classic, maybe. Not too strong. Ah, I know. Why not a lemon drop?” He knew that was a relatively safe bet, not a terribly fussy drink that would make the bartender annoyed.
Gavin nodded and got out of the booth, and then made his way to the bartender. She had a cheerful look when she greeted him. He flashed a casual smirk and a wink. “Hey Bev.”
“Gavin? It’s been forever since I’ve seen you here. It’s been… three months, I think? Yeah, yeah, three months. What brings you here tonight? Oh, and who’s the cute android you brought in? Oooh is he your boyfriend?” She said with a big grin.
Gavin blushed, but shook his head while he chuckled. “Oh, nothing like that. He’s just a coworker. Anyway, mind making a Shirley Temple and a lemon drop? How much will it be?”
Beverly smiled. “On the house tonight.”
Gavin paused, and then nodded. “Thanks, Bev.”
She quickly made the two drinks and put them on the raised portion of the bar. The detective grabbed the drinks and made his way back to the android. As he sat down and set the drinks on the table, he couldn’t help but notice the slight half-smile that Connor had.
“Being mistaken for your boyfriend almost immediately. I had no idea you were gay, detective.” Connor said teasingly.
Gavin rolled his eyes. “You know me, a flaming one-man cabaret. Just don’t go shouting it from the fuckin rooftops.” He muttered as he looked away.
Connor chuckled a bit and his LED turned yellow. He took a sip of his lemon drop, noting the faint lemon smell and the sweet scent thanks to the sugar. As the liquid hit his tongue, he registered the notes of lemon, sugar, and alcohol. Yet he couldn’t taste much of the alcohol. It was certainly a more pleasant drink than beer. “You know, detective, it’s not exactly a big deal that you’re gay. I think people would care more that you’d be dating an android over a human man.”
“You weren’t alive during the 2020s. Pretty spectacularly awful time to be gay. Forgive me if I’m not exactly thrilled to share my orientation with the entire world.” Gavin said. A slight bit of honesty that he wasn’t planning on sharing, yet he couldn’t help letting it slip out. “But that’s a can of worms I’d rather not get into.”
Connor nodded. “I suppose that’s fair, detective. I’m not the most well versed on the past. Androids aren’t exactly known for their research capabilities either.” Connor sighed and looked away, swirling the drink in his glass. “I suppose I have another question for you, if you’re inclined to answer. Why take me here? It’s odd enough being mistaken as your boyfriend, but was there an ulterior motive here? I keep trying to puzzle through your actions and none of them make sense.”
“Alright, fine you caught me. I’m in love with you and was planning to propose to you tonight.” Gavin said, a cocky smile gleefully plastered on his face. He even winked to sell the bit.
Connor rolled his eyes. “I suppose it’ll stay a mystery then. You confuse me quite a lot, detective.”
Before Gavin could say something, the hiss of a microphone bled through the speakers. The curtains parted to reveal a very beautiful performer. She was dressed in a royal blue dress, with a low cut, and a matched royal blue half blazer that covered her shoulders and arms, with a gold trim at the wrist. Further down the dress gradually opened up into a gorgeous skirt of the same color, with silver trims that curled into a few nondescript shapes that neither man could quite make out from that distance. Her hair was very reminiscent of those 50’s golden era hollywood actresses with a big diamond earring on her right ear and stark carmine red lip gloss.
“Thank you all for being here tonight. I’ve got a set of songs for all you lovely folks.” Her voice was deep and sultry, not unlike a Jessica Rabbit impression. Her voice hung in the air like smoke and was almost like silk.
Another man stepped out from the curtain, dressed in a sensible if low key suit. He had a simple fedora on his head that kept the light from reaching his eyes. He sat at the piano and started to play while she started to sing.
I wait for the thunder in sunshine
Wait for sickness in health
I wait for the sorrow
The blue of tomorrow
Regrets of yesterday
I wait for an earthquake in silence
I wait for nightmares in a dream
But worst of them all
I wait for you to fall
Out of love with me
You didn’t do this
Just me in the music
Spinning evermore
The price of a cynic
Is joy for just a minute
Nothing to live for
I wait for the tears when you smile
Then search for the lies out your teeth
I wait for the day
When you finally say
You're out of love with me
I wait for the call
When you’ve finally fallen
Out of love with me
I hesitate
Accept my hapless fate
I wait, I wait, I wait
Connor felt himself starting to pause. Not entirely sure if this was actually a date or not. It couldn’t be? It’d be too soon for Gavin to have feelings, and he must have overthought something here. He couldn’t possibly know what was going to be sung. The android shook his head and waited for the next song while watching for Gavin’s reactions.
The piano started again, this time a much more familiar tune. Connor felt a silent wave of relief as the singer started to sing Fly Me to the Moon. So it was just blind luck that she chose a love song first. The android looked over at the Detective who met his gaze and smiled. A genuine, easy smile.
“Enjoying the performance?” Gavin asked quietly.
Connor nodded. Listening quietly and sipping on his drink till it was empty, feeling a slight buzz in his processors.
Soon the time and songs flew by and the entertainer took her leave for the night after about an hour’s worth of songs. Gavin looked over at his android friend. “Ready to leave?” Which the android nodded.
The two of them made their way out into the parking lot, and the car, but they stopped just shy of it. A street light illuminating both of them as they stood there. Gavin shifted around a bit, the light catching his eyes in an ever so enchanting way. He smiled as he looked at Connor.
“Um… Thanks for coming out here with me.” Gavin said bashfully.
Connor smiled and closed the distance, retracting the skin on his right hand. Very tentatively, he offered his hand to the detective.
Gavin looked at it with a certain wariness. “Hey uhh, Con. What does that mean?” He knew the last time was comforting him. A way to show the detective that no matter how much he empathized with him, they were fundamentally different at the most basic level. This though? Gavin’s mind raced through the possibilities. Love, affection, beginnings of feelings, something not thought through? Too much room to speculate.
Connor realized that the gesture was a touch too intimate as Gavin stood there. Too soon. As the skin flowed over his plastic hand, and was left hanging in the air. “Oh, um. Sorry. I guess I got caught up in the moment. But… thank you.”
Gavin shook his head. Probably best not to tempt fate with that. “Hey, it’s cool. Wanna head back to Hank’s?”
Connor nodded. The two got into the car and began their drive back to Hank’s.