Fresh Coffee Grounds (A Reed900 Story)

Chapter 9: We Both Know What We Know

The DPD bullpen was often filled with light chatter. Work friends dropping off a coffee or two, partners sharing new leads, the occasional break room gossip. But something about today seemed different, everyone spoke in energetic yet hushed whispers. The excitement in the room was palpable, the same words rolling off everyone's tongues. Foolish, romantic, steamy. Police officers were not ones to gossip, but the front cover of today's paper seemed to be the exception.

Detective Gavin Reed stepped into the bullpen, coffee in hand and partner by his side. The room fell silent as everyone stared at the pair in the doorway, sending a wide array of looks. Some were shocked, others disgusted, but most of them were just plain proud.

"Why is everyone acting so weird?" Gavin muttered under his breath. He could practically feel all the pairs of eyes burning into the back of his head as he walked towards his desk. Taking one last sip of coffee, he turned on the monitor. In the long run, this was a terrible idea. But it's too late to go back now.

The Detective's eyes were greeted with the front page of the Detroit Daily, a photo filling the entire screen. It featured two men in waist deep water, standing awfully close to each other, lips with enough distance to be considered a kiss. The shorter man was dusted freckles with a very distinctive nose scar, the taller had perfect dark and an LED glowing brilliant blue. Dark hair...and an LED...

'Fuck!" Gavin screamed out, not caring if all of Detroit could hear him. He wanted to look away, but he just couldn't stop staring. He was on the cover of the most read newspaper in the city, kissing Nines. That damned day at the beach, if it wasn't awkward enough to talk about before it sure would be now.

"Gavin, are you okay?" The android trailed off as he caught a glimpse of the screen. He looked and felt like he was about to overheat. Nines didn't know how to react to the image in front of him. The sun was reflecting off of Gavin's toned shoulders, brown curls sitting atop his head perfectly. He looked closer and noticed their lips touching, a wave coming in behind. His lips were up against Gavin's, and now all of Detroit knew.

Hey Connor, please tell me Capitan Fowler hasn't gotten to work yet.

No, he called in sick. Is everything okay?

Just come to my desk.

"Hey guys, is everything- oh God!" Tina Chen had managed to reach the pair before Connor, blissfully unaware of things up until this point. "You know it was a joke when I asked if you were sleeping together. What even is this."

"Well Officer Chen, I believe it is me kissing Gavin on the beach." Nines still hadn't looked at his partner, he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

"You kissed Gavin on the beach?!"

"He kissed Gavin on the beach?" With almost perfect timing, Connor and Hank arrived on the scene, preparing to see both Gavin and Nines dead on the floor. Connor couldn't stop giggling as his partner was in a state of shock.

"Fucking hell tin-can, the entire department doesn't need to know." Gavin hissed between his teeth, finally tearing his eyes away from the picture only for them to land on a pair of icy blue ones. Both sets of eyes were filled with the same emotions. Fear, panic, embarrassment.

"I'm pretty sure all of Detroit knows" Chris Miller piped up, deciding to join the conversation. He tried to keep a straight face, but it was near impossible. This group of six police officers didn't know what to say or do. Tina stared at Gavin, Connor stared at Nines, Chris stared at Gavin, Hank stared at Nines, Nines stared at Gavin and Gavin stared at Nines. No one had ever seen this level of unbridled emotions and hormones outside of a Senior Prom, and one with a spiked punch at that.