Chapter Text
Apparently jumping out of a moving car wasn’t a good idea.
So, in addition to severe dehydration - he hadn't had water in over 47 hours - and a lack of food. Gavin also had a mild concussion. His right arm had taken most of the fall and was now broken, three of his ribs were cracked - four of which had painful bruises on them - and his left knee needed a brace for a while. Not to mention the slight fever he had and the bandages covering most of his body, plus his face which looked like a painting of blue and purple.
Worst of all of this? Elijah had taken Gavin's recovery very seriously, who was then forbidden to leave the bed. But luckily for him, Elie had pulled several strings so that Gavin would be taken to the villa as soon as his operation for his arm was over - the villa had its own medical center and Chloe had returned to the mansion to take care of her new patient. So he woke up two days later in the most comfortable bed that has ever been created. As promised, Elijah had been by his side when the detective awoke.
Three days had passed since then and Gavin had spent his time sleeping or playing obedient patient for Chloe - she seemed to be enjoying it too much for his liking, but he couldn't manage to be rude to her, damn medicine.
Gavin was fed up with being in bed, sure his body still was hurting from everywhere but he wasn't a kid. For once, Chloe had made Elijah leave Gavin alone, and the android herself had to be somewhere else in the villa. The detective takes his chance to get up. He pulled up from the soft sheets and rested his legs on the carpet. Gavin was happy when his legs didn't let him fall. He walked around Elijah's room and moved in front of the glass bay.
"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Gavin jumped at the voice, it wasn't Elijah or Chloe, and looking in the reflection in the glass he saw Hank smirking. "Chloe warned me that you would try to get up. "
" So what? Are you going to report me? "
“Nah, Chloe and Kamski must already know about it anyway. "
Gavin laughed. “The last time I tried to get up, a siren sounded in the room. "
He went back to sit on the bed and was thankful that Hank didn't help him walk.
"Isn't the dipshit with you? where he is glue to his boyfriend's side? "
Hank settled into the chair next to the bed. “Connor and Markus are here. Kamski wanted to talk to Markus, and Connor is with Chloe, he wanted to brought your cats here. And I wanted to talk to you alone. "
"What are so important that you destroy my restful sleep? "
"You'll need a lot more sleep if you're going to look like anything." Gavin made an outraged noise. “There is a lot of topics to talk about, son. "
"In this case start at the beginning, jerk. "
"Connor played the audio between you and Maxwell." Gavin lowered his head, embarrassed. "It made me realize that I wasn’t being fair to you. That night you just wanted to help me and I tell you to go to hell. I shouldn't have done this. We were partners. "
“You had just lost your son, Anderson. I shouldn't have told you how to deal with your grief." Gavin was not used to having such a courteous exchange with Anderson.
"Shut up you want. I'm trying to apologize here. I read your file back then, I knew about your parents and had a good idea of how it was your childhood, so I had chosen my words perfectly to hurt you. I should have apologized a long time ago. "
“You are forgiven Hank." The old man was about to speak but Gavin cut him off. “Fuck. I guess you've been forgiven since you quit drinking. I know what the effects of alcohol do to a person, it wasn't really you that night. "
"Yet I hurt you enough that you don't come to me when you're in trouble," Hank looked pissed off and when Gavin looked at him he saw that the anger wasn't directed at him, "I need you to answer two questions and I want you to be honest. Before Maxwell kidnapped you, had he ever hit or insulted you? "
Gavin blushed, cursed, then replied in a small voice, "Yes. "
Hank huffed and his fists clenched. "Has he ever forced you to do something you didn't want to? "
"What do you mean, punk? Yes, he already forced me to mop the floor when I didn't want to, are you okay? "
"Gavin don't play silly with me. We both know that victims of physical abuse can also be forced to have sex against their will. "
The young detective said nothing for a while. "Are you going to write it in the file? "
“No, son. I am not here officially. Maxwell is already dead and in any case, we would have had enough evidence to bring him and his supporters down. "
“There was that night… after the Sanders case. I was tired but he… he still wanted… you know. I said no but he didn't listen to me and it happened." The unshed tears multiplied in Gavin's eyes. "It happened two more times after that. "
" Shit! Why didn't you come and tell me! Or Connor? Or Kamski? We could have helped you. You didn't have to stay in this abusive relationship. "
"I am not a victim, Hank! He hit me but breaking news, I hit him back! Do you think I'm broken, hurt or weak? but I am not! it does not change anything. Victims of abuse are usually unable to defend themselves against their attacker, right? But I killed him! And do you know what it does to me? nothing. There is nothing different between him and all the other people I have arrested. And your little talk about how I could have come to you and asked for your help, you can stick it where I think. You've proven to me enough times that you don't care what could happen to me, especially since Connor arrived. And you would have laughed at me if I had asked for your help, especially for such a stupid reason. I was too embarrassed to even tell Connor, after everything I had told him I wasn't going to ask him for help. And a few months before, Elie had told me never to come back to him for anything again. Max was all I had, and he was right… I was too afraid of being alone to leave him. "
The tears that had gathered in his eyes finally rolled down his cheeks.
“Hey… hey, son, come over here. Hank had moved to sit on the bed and he hugged Gavin, the old man runned his hand up and down the younger man's back to help calm him down. "It's okay, I got you, it's over. He will never hurt you again, or anyone else. "
They stayed in that position until Gavin's tears and sobs stopped, then they released the warm embrace and Gavin used the sleeve of Elijah's sweater to wipe the tear marks off his face. He leaned back against the pillows behind him.
“All the police station awaits your return. Tina and Chris instructed me to tell you that they were going to give you a hell of a moment for not telling them about Max. And I'm not supposed to tell you, but Fowler wants you up to the rank of Lieutenant. "
"What? Serious? but why? I didn't do anything except be locked in the trunk of a car. "
"If you call saving hundreds of android and human, nothing. Not to mention the damage the explosion will have caused. And you saved Kamski's eccentric ass. If you hadn't warned us, there would have been hundreds of deaths. Fowler thinks you are ready and so do I. "
"Hank be honest, being a Lieutenant means more work doesn't it?" "
“I didn't see you as a lazy ass, Reed. But, yes, you will have the charge of several detectives but you already know that. I thought it was your dream to be the youngest Lieutenant in Detroit. "
“That was my goal, yes. To prove to you, my parents, and Elijah that I could do it. But I don't have to prove anything to anyone, not anymore. "
Gavin was looking at the photo that was on the nightstand. It was nothing too extravagant. The photo had been taken before Elijah entered college, the genie's parents had taken the photo when the two were not looking. So it was just Gavin hugging Elijah with the garden in the background. Over the frame of the photo, the former CEO had put a piece of paper with his writing on it: “Journeys end in lovers meeting - Shakespeare.”
“I guess dreams change. "
"So you're giving up the job you've always wanted for Kamski? Be realistic, in two months from now you won't even be together, you gotta take this opportunity, kid. "
" You are right. Elijah and I might split up before the end of the damn week. But we will end up meeting again. It's inevitable. I used to think it was because I was weak but being locked in that stupid car gave me a lot of time to think. "
" So what? "
“Elijah Kamski is my soul mate, Hank. No matter how much I run, there will always be this red string to connect us." Hank didn't seem to understand the reference, so Gavin showed him the paper on the photo. “In a stupid book, our literature teacher had us read, one of the characters said, ‘Journeys end in lovers meeting. Every wise man's son doth know.' I hated that class and the teacher, yet that day I was awake and even today I still remember it." Gavin turned away from the photo to look at Hank. “This time around it will work, I’ll make it work and I know Elijah is in the same mood. My ambition has already cost me this relationship too many times. Plus, "Gavin smiled," I still have five years to get the job. "
Hank laughed. "If you think this is the best, son. But, promise me you'll come to me if it doesn't work out. "
“And after what? Are you going to threaten Elijah not to hurt me because otherwise, you will stick a bullet in his head? "
"Put a bullet in whose head exactly?" Speaking of the wolf, Elijah Kamski was in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest and one eyebrow raised.
“Yours, moron. "
" That's what I feared. "
Elijah jumped up in bed and settled down next to Gavin. He put his arm around the detective's shoulders to bring him closer and the detective let him do, the conversation with Hank weakened him more than he wanted to admit.
Chloe was the next to walk through the door and forced Gavin to swallow his meds. Next comes the two loverboys. The two androids were holding hands although
they didn't seem to realize it. Gavin looked at Connor and smiled while raising his eyebrows at the young deviant's hand in the leader's. Connor blushed but didn't let go of the other's hand.
"Well, I think it's time for us to ..."
"Can I sign your plaster west?" The question came out of nowhere and everyone looked in the direction of Connor who seemed to be embarrassed. “My sensors tell me that is something people normally do on plaster casts. And you already have two drawings on your cast. "
Gavin looked at his formerly white plaster that now had a red heart on it with the letters E + G in it, and Chloe had written her name on it too with a little drawing.
"Don't tell me signing my plaster cast is your side job, dipshit."
“Well… yes, Gavin. "
Gavin scoffed and heard Elijah laughing behind him.
He rolled his eyes before saying, "Very well. Chloe gives him the markers. But hurry and nothing weird. "
Connor nodded and took the markers before approaching Gavin. Then Hank took one of the markers to make a little drawing. And finally, the old man handed the markers to Markus.
" Oh no. I wouldn't want to impose myself. "
"Don't ruin the moment, toaster. I saved your ass so you could at least do a little drawing on the cast. "
Markus did as instructed and picked up several markers to start drawing a true miniature work of art. Gavin was starting to fall asleep against Elijah's warm body but he still saw Connor staring at Markus.
"Do you think we should tell them? Elijah whispered in his ear.
Gavin laughed but didn't answer.
He must have fallen asleep while the leader of the androids was drawing because the next time he woke up it was pitch dark and everyone was gone, even Elijah. Like earlier in the afternoon, Gavin got out of bed but decided to go further to try and find the eccentric genius.
The detective tried to make as little noise as possible so as not to be surprised -he surely would fail that since he was limping-, but passing into the living room, he saw that Chloe had fallen asleep on the sofa. Before he knew what he was doing, Gavin placed the blanket on the android. Of course she didn't need it, but he figured it was for the gesture and to thank her for taking care of him when he had been a real asshole to her.
Already knowing where Elijah was, Gavin limped towards the genius workshop and it wasn't until he was in front of the stairs that he realized the problem. Elie had set up his workshop downstairs so that the villa would be secure if something ever exploded, for the space - the workshop was quite a gigantic space -, and it had been designed as a bunker to prevent people from entering or getting out. Gavin gritted his teeth as he descended the stairs.
Fortunately, he got down the stairs without falling. Now all he had to do was find Elijah. The space he was, was dark in and he followed the light emanating from Elijah's creating room. The creating room was the place where the genius gave free rein to his talent and where he built new prototypes.
Gavin got there in record time and he found the genie sitting in his office chair, frantically typing on his computer. Elijah's hair was in a messy bun and he was wearing the same clothes as before although his jacket was on his desk chair. Gavin waited for the perfect moment when Elijah stopped typing on his keyboard, he didn't need to see the genie's face to know he frowned under his glasses.
"A penny for your thoughts, stranger?" "
Elijah jumped up and turned his chair in the direction of the voice.
"You're supposed to rest and not walk around the house. "
“I slept all day so I was bored and my sexy nurse wasn't by my bedside. "
"I told Chloe to rest. "
"Who told you I was talking about Chloe? "
Elijah shook his head although an amused smile appeared on his face. The genie opened his arms and Gavin understood the hint and came to sit on Elijah's lap. He put his good arm around the other man's neck as one arm snaked around his waist. The genie moved them so that they were in front of the computer screen. The detective looked at the lines of code and although he didn't know anything about the codes, he knew what Elijah was working on.
"I thought you weren't allowed to make androids for Cyberlife anymore? "
“First of all, just because Cyberlife has closed doesn't mean that I no longer have the right to code androids if I want to. And secondly, it's not for Cyberlife but for the DPD. "
"You created an android to replace me, that's it," Gavin said with a hint of humor in his voice. " What is his name? GV200? "
“The GR100 are out of service right now. Its registration number is RK900. "
"Would he be a better model than Connor?"
Elijah nodded. “The RK900 was designed to be faster, stronger, and have the best systems on the market. He is theoretically stronger than Connor. Cyberlife was afraid Connor would become unstable and they wanted a plan B but with the revolution and the closure of Cyberlife this young man is gathering dust in my studio. "
"Hence your conversation with Markus earlier this afternoon. "
“I can't hide anything from you, dear detective. The RK has never been activated so it is not a deviant yet. This is where Markus comes in. "
"As if you can't enter a line of code for the RK to deviant on his own."
Elijah assumed a look of mock hurt. "Come on, I have nothing to do with deviance. "
"Take me for an idiot, the android that you yourself conceived and gave to Carl becomes, the leader of the androids. Strange coincidence. But who will have the honor of having your new toy as a partner? "
"I'm not sure you know him: he's a detective, brown hair, gray eyes, not very tall, and with questionable sense of humor."
“Very funny, asshole, very funny. I don't want a partner let alone a new android who won't handle his emotions. "
“Gave, listen. You were right that I can't ask you to quit your job. But I don't like knowing you are out there with no one to cover you. I know the RK, I built it and I know it can take you home, to me. Do me a favor and agree to have the RK as a partner. "
"I guess you already told Fowler about it, eh. At least I could brag to Anderson of having the most advanced prototype. I can see it? "
"No, it's not your birthday yet. Besides, it's time for you to eat and go to sleep. "
"It's not ... Elijah! "
The evil genie had pushed back his chair and stood up quickly - he had already registered the new codes and had shut down the computer. Out of fear, Gavin had tightened his grip around Elijah's neck. But his lover didn't let him down and easily climbed the stairs. Once upstairs, he didn't let Gavin walk and led him to the kitchen where the two ate the meal that Chloe prepared for them. When their meal is over, Elijah carries him again to take him to his bedroom. Gavin knew the smug asshole was only doing this to piss him off.
They changed into pajamas - Gavin preferred to change pajamas rather than go back to sleep in the same pajamas - and brushed their teeth.
Gavin began to doze off again as he was on his side with Elijah in front of him. He wrapped his hand in that of the genius who soon fell asleep.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too," Elijah's sleepy voice replied.
The red thread that connects them could stretch or get tangled but it could never break