Shutting the bedroom door, you noticed that the handful of boxes and instrument case had been neatly set in a corner, out of the way. The bed had been put together and made up, so you gratefully slid under the covers, passing out almost as soon as your head hit the pillow.
Still in the miniscule kitchen, the android was taking a long look at the place. He couldn't really do a whole lot while Hank was out and you slept, not physically. So Connor sat on the kitchen counter again, going through every resource he could to find something better.
[Finding a new location is simple. Convincing her is the challenge. It's not like creating a list of necessary goods; this is much more serious.
... though the strategy may still apply here. Her pride is massive, and she will refuse...
... so I simply won't ask.]
Sliding off the counter, he wandered towards the bedroom door, seeing that it was still shut. Good; the noise would be muffled. His scanning showed a few cleaning supplies, and even the android felt his skin crawling just from being there. Computers did not evolve on their own, but androids were more A.I. than anything. Over time, the sense of touch had developed. It was slow-going, and not super sensitive, but Connor did feel differences in things. He even felt pain, which admittedly sucked.
His jacket was pulled off, shirt sleeves rolled back neatly before taking the cleaning implements. Starting in the kitchen, he realized that whoever lived there prior had only cleaned enough to look okay on the surface.
[Seems I have my work cut out for me.]
■□■□■
It may have been the whirlwind of the day's events, or just the mess of emotions, but you slept like a corpse. Only when there was knocking at the bedroom door did you stir, and even then you weren't keen on getting up. After a couple seconds' worth of dragging your ass to consciousness, you opened your mouth, "It's unlocked...!"
Opening the door slowly, your trainee poked his head in. "We're heading out, Detective. You'll contact us if there's an issue, yes?"
Already? "Holy shit, how long was I out for...?" Your voice was sluggish as you forced yourself to get up.
"Three hours and fourteen minutes," Connor answered. "... with a couple of minutes to adjust for falling into deeper sleep, rather than just REM." He watched you waving a hand to dismiss his reply before getting close. "--... ah... are you well," he asked quietly; you'd wrapped your arms around him, head on his chest. "...... do you need a hug?"
"...... thank you for putting up with me," you whispered.
There was a soft laugh as the hug was returned. "I would not consider time spent in your company as "putting up with you". I regret upsetting you but aside from that... your presence is always welcome. I look forward to your training."
"Okay, I've let my guard down enough for one day," you spoke loudly, pulling out of his hold and clearing your throat. The pang of regret was hastily shoved aside. "Your training starts tomorrow. I don't know how long it will go, because the only true test would be out on duty. But it might take a long time for you to be at that point." With a finger you prodded his chest. "I know your personality type, Connor. A lot of tests and lessons are gonna be out of your comfort zone, but that's the basis of being undercover."
■□■□■
Before the pair left, you ventured out of the bedroom and realized that Hank had gone out of his way for your sake. There was a decent amount of food put away, along with water bottles; none of you trusted the taps. But there was also a small, round table with a couple of chairs, a small bookshelf against the wall, and another bag of more cleaning supplies and other basic shit.
When questioned about the furniture, the lieutenant just shrugged and mumbled something about "having them around".
It took a few minutes before he let you hug him, too.
Before they'd left, you asked for phone numbers, their own included. You thanked them both again, sighing as you shut and locked the front door. You didn't like letting your guard down, it was exhausting and upsetting.
Phone in hand, you started messaging. [Hey, I have a pretty big favor to ask of you. It's not bad, just... weird.]
[Who the hell is this? How'd you get my number??]
[Gavin, don't tell me you forgot me already? I got your number from our Roomba after couples' therapy.]
A small pause. [Kind of hard to forget someone he flirts with. Shit is weird. Anyway, what's the favor? .... wait, is this a booty call?!]
[I'd sooner call Hank for that, and no.]
[Okay, ouch. Way to kill my self-esteem.]
[The favor will boost it again, I promise. I just need a few things from you, if you're able to stop by before going to work.]
[... okay, now I'm curious.]
■□■□■
The next morning you got a text from Connor, asking if everything was all right as well as if you needed a ride to the precinct. The message made you chuckle, already in the passenger seat of Gavin's car. "What's so funny?" he asked, shooting a glance at you. "God, that's so weird..."
"Roomba. He asked if I needed a ride. I'd send him a picture of me in the car but it'll ruin the whole thing." You responded with a short [No but thank you!] and opened up the other app you needed.
"Are you... sure that module thing works? I know we're pretty advanced with tech but it's bad enough that I have to look at you." He made a face every time he looked over.
Hand at your chest, you pouted. "Gavin, I can't believe you! I look fucking beautiful!"
"Yeah, especially with that 5 o'clock shadow, ma'am."
You'd been rendered unable to speak as you giggled, tuning the module until you had the frequency and depth and levels you needed. Once you were positive it was a match, you saved that specific combination under Reed's name, then connected the module to it. "Ready?"
"No. I will never be ready for something like this. You're gonna destroy my reputation." He shook his head, somehow anxious and excited at the same time. "I mean, it's really fucking cool, and I'm flattered and all, but this is also really freaky."
The module was firmly attached to the base of your throat and powered on. Hidden beneath the clothing you'd borrowed, you chuckled. "If you think this is weird, just wait till everyone else sees it." As you spoke, Reed's voice came out.
Finally in the lot at the precinct, the male parked and shut the engine off but didn't move. "... I'm sorry, a part of me doesn't want to look at you, but the other part is shocked and doesn't want to look away."
It was like looking into a mirror for him. Years of training and practice had developed knowledge and skills. Being undercover wasn't just about clothing. But you'd studied theater and special effects makeup techniques, and after an hour and a half of work, Gavin Reed had doubled.
"I'm just glad I didn't have to make a lot of structural changes. Turning into a guy is always hard. You've got a really nice jawline, though," you commented, checking the mirror overhead.
Turning his head away, you didn't catch the blood rushing to his face.
The sight of Hank's car made you sigh; he must have lived closer than Reed did. "Ready?" you asked.
"Kinda feel like we need to record their reactions, but too late now." Chuckling, Gavin got out of his vehicle. "Come on, you handsome bastard, let's freak out our Roomba."
YOU ARE READING
Comfort Zone (Connor x Reader)
Fanfiction[COMPLETED] "Getting out of my comfort zone I can understand. But there is a difference between comfort and safety, and I won't let you sacrifice one for the other, Detective."
