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Gavin and Ryder walk into the precinct side-by-side, still high off of the adrenaline of their little findings in the lab. Gavin had tested himself to see if the fertilized artificial cell had stuck and was surviving. It was, he's gonna be a dad. Nines is gonna be a dad! As soon as Ryder had called in for Gavin to let Fowler know he might be a little late ("I'm starting to think that project means more to him than his job, but I also think it is highly important, so do what you need to do."), Ryder had immediately called up Elijah and told him the news.
Silence had greeted him on the other side of the line, and Ryder took the opportunity to switch it to speaker. "Gavin is with me, Elijah, he can hear you."
Elijah remained silent. Gavin chuckled through happy tears and Ryder snickered under his breath. Elijah's voice came in loud and clear after that. "Chloe, I need you to set up a financial reserve! ...No, there's no immediate emergency! I'm going to be an uncle!!"
Gavin and Ryder laugh aloud and Elijah quickly returned his attention to the call, firing off questions one right after the other.
"How is Gavin? Is he alright? Is he going to tell Nines? Is Nines the other parent? How did you manage this-?"
"Eli," Gavin cut him off, trying to calm down, "I'm fine, and of course, I'm going to tell him. Ryder did most of the work, but it was through artificial cells."
"Amazing," Elijah murmured, and they could hear the genuine happiness in his voice, "I'm very happy for you. When do you plan to tell him? I want to be there when you do."
Gavin and Ryder look at each other, Ryder asking a silent question, and Gavin contemplating for a few seconds before giving a firm nod. Ryder beams bright, white teeth on full display. He whips back to the phone with growing excitement.
"Today, when Gavin's shift ends, though - don't give me that look, Gav, it's so you'll have Nines' full attention - so if you want to be there, you can come to the precinct."
"I'll be there," There was a smile in his voice, and then he had hung up.
Ryder had lept into the passenger side of Gavin's car and Gavin all but flew in the driver's seat. Now, they're practically jogging and/or skipping their way to Gavin's desk. Nines stands as they made their approach, pale grey-blue eyes suspicious, yet curious.
"What has you and the detective so..."jumpy", brother?"
Ryder just grins up at Nines, bright cyan-blue orbs practically glowing in the artificial lighting, "We made a breakthrough in our project! It is officially complete! We'll tell you about it after you and Gavin get done. Actually, isn't Dad and Connor's shift supposed to end at the same time today?"
Nines tilts his head, eyes softening in his curiosity, "You are correct."
Ryder turns his newly-glowing grin to Gavin, "Oh, this'll be hilarious."
Gavin busted out laughing then, and Nines looked between them, utterly confused but leaving it be since there's a promise of information later. Connor and Hank return to their desks to see a hysterical Gavin, an over-charged Ryder, and a confused Nines across the way. They look at each other with a raised brow, and Hank nods to Connor in a go-ahead to investigate. Connor links to his messaging database, contacting Nines.
"What is going on?"
"I've been asking that same question for the last 5 minutes and 38 seconds."
"They haven't told you anything?"
Nines looks over at Connor, who looks at his brother questioningly. Nines shakes his head, responding to his brother's previous message.
"No, but they did promise me that they'd give me information once our shifts end."
Connor nods, content enough to leave at the that. Hank snaps his fingers and Connor looks over to him. "Well?"
Connor frowns slightly, "He's not sure, either. But they had promised to fill him in once shift ends."
Hank nods, also content enough with the answer, before turning to his terminal. Connor nods back, and turns to his own, glancing over at his older brother and the detective. The two are engaging in excited, hushed whispers. Too quiet for him to make out. It's probably best if he didn't eavesdrop, anyway. So with a shrug of his shoulders, Connor got back to work.
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The shift was ending soon, it was taking so long but it's also ending far too soon. Gavin was so nervous and also very, very excited. Elijah had just arrived and it was about five minutes until shift ended and a good portion of the staff were closing up reports and finishing up last-minute details before packing their things to leave. Ryder could barely sit still beside them, practically vibrating in his seat.
"I'm so excited!" The recently-turned-adult whisper shouted, "He'll be so happy!"
"Y-You sure?" Gavin couldn't help it as self-doubt settled in.
"Oh, yeah. He won't even know what to do at first, though he might try and squeeze you to death," Ryder ended his statement with a laugh, bless this kid. He just knew how to make Gavin's mind stop and think, though it wasn't as effective as Nines's tactic, it still worked.
Their start had been...odd. But, Ryder was the one to offer connection without even asking for it at all. He simply offered to be with the detective when he went up onto the roof to destress. Now look at them, Gavin muses with a smirk, they're as close as brothers and he personally wouldn't have it any differently. Gavin reaches over and grabs Ryder's hand. The ravenette stills, looking Gavin in the eye since he knows that's what the detective is asking for.
"Thank you," Gavin says sincerely, "for this. All of this."
Ryder smiles softly, and waves him off, "Nope, it was you who accepted the bond or whatever-this-is going on here. So you should give yourself credit too. This is a two-way thing, Gavin. Every relationship in the freaking universe works that way, platonic or not."
Gavin's lopsided smile grows, the kid is wise beyond his years. He just has a hard time sharing the knowledge sometimes. When he manages to get the point across, it ends up benefitting everyone. Gavin hears a buzzer go off, which signals that the shift has ended and his nerves light on fire. Ryder grins wide and shoots up from his seat. He runs off leaving Elijah to comfort his brother and help him recite what he plans to tell Nines, that is if he manages to speak at all. Ryder herds the leaving crowd back to the main room, saying that there is something very important they should hear. He specifically grabs Tina and Chris and yanks them up to the front. Then he darts into the Captain's office, asking Fowler if he could just step out to hear the important news he and Gavin have. People scatter about the room, not wanting to stay clumped up together. Fowler leans against the railing just outside his office door, and Ryder sprints back to Gavin's side. Accompanied by Elijah, they approach the rest of the Anderson family. People have been murmuring the whole time, some quiet down, but it never truly silences.
Hank looks beyond confused, and Connor has a confused puppy look but in general, he seems puzzled. Nines looks at Gavin, reading the high-stress levels and high pulse rate. He holds his hands out, palms up. Gavin looks up, and Nines holds his gaze. Nines' crystalline eyes hold love and compassion, but his face is openly concerned. What has Gavin so worked up? He urges Gavin by inching his hands closer, knowing it might help him steady himself. Gavin looks down at Nines' hands, and carefully rests his scarred, trembling ones into his. Nines' skin retracts instantly, revealing the obsidian chassis underneath.
"Love? What's wrong?" Nines asks, his concern building.
Gavin takes a shuddering breath and looks at Ryder. The ravenette nods and faces his younger brother, "You wanted to know what happened down in the lab. Technically, it happened a week ago, but we only got the results of our success today. We needed to wait to see if the-...if survival was capable."
Ryder waves his hand to get the crowd's attention, "You can talk, but try to listen in as well!"
Gavin's panicked face is what the kid looks back to, but Ryder simply shakes his head, "People need to know not to fuck with you anymore. They need to hear this, so safety measures can be taken."
Nines takes a step forward, "Gav, please, what is this all about? You're starting to scare me."
Gavin looks up at Nines, and the android silently gasps at the tears in his lover's eyes. Gavin smiles brightly despite the tears as Nines frantically tries to wipe them away. Ryder coos under his breath, his "basic instincts" taking some hold. Ryder had come from an abusive family, so he'd taken on some animal behavior traits to survive, more specifically that of a coyote, or possibly a wolf but that seems a little out of reach. The ravenette wraps his arms around Gavin's middle and starts purring. It doesn't sound like any normal purr, it's too human, but it's a purr all the same. Gavin chuckles, but it sounds choked off. Nines embraces him as well, and his grip is tight.
"Gavin, love, please tell me what's wrong, I'm worried about you," Nines pulls back far enough so he can hold Gavin's arms on top of his own.
Gavin laughs, it's breathless and wispy, but it's something.
"Y-You shouldn't be, Nines. I'm just overwhelmed at the moment," damn hormonal dysfunction, we're going to have to fix that issue, "y'see, Nines, I'm not crying because I'm upset. I'm fucking happier than I've ever been!"
Nines looks very confused, but Gavin can see the relief in his eyes. Ryder finally lets go, and smiles at Gavin, "Save it for last, or say it out front?"
Gavin snorts, "Save it for the end so that way it'll make more sense. But don't give too much away." He says the last part with a glint of mischief in his watery eyes.
Ryder nods, "Well, as many people here already know, I do have a private lab of my own. I originally used it for extra projects and school work if needed, but other than that, it didn't get much use. Sorry, Eli," Ryder smiles apologetically to the person who had supplied him with nearly all of his things, who just simply waves him off. Ryder refocuses back to the topic, "Then, one day, Gavin had asked me if we could work on a project together. To bring someone happiness. To bring you happiness, brother. We had finished it last week and had been experimenting for the last year. After many failed attempts we'd finally had a breakthrough, now the project is done. And we've already got the final project."
The murmuring escalates amongst the crowd and Tina and Chris move forward to stand closer to their friend, wondering exactly what it was that their friend and technical nephew had accomplished.
Nines stays rooted in place, glancing back and forth between his lover and his brother while Connor and Hank move to stand behind him. Connor speaks up, "And what were the results?"
Elijah makes a laugh that lilted up at the end as if to say 'oh, you have no idea', Ryder grinned and looks over at Gavin, giving him a nod with warm, encouraging eyes. Gavin takes another breath, but the shuddering wasn't from nerves anymore, it was from excitement. Tears are freely sliding across his cheeks, and he laughs as Nines cups them to wipe away the salty drops. He grabs the android's wrists and leans forward to rest his head against Nines'. Ryder holds up a hand, with a finger to his lips asking for silence. Gavin ignores the deafening silence that falls and instead looks into Nines' eyes, showing all the love he has for the RK900.
"Nines...We were experimenting on artificial cells, we made artificial DNA. I don't know if you're ready for this, I am though," He leans up and pecks Nines' cheek.
Everyone leans a little closer to listen in, while Ryder jumps on the spot to burn off his extra energy. Elijah shuffles anxiously beside him, also very giddy and jumpy.
Gavin closes his eyes before he pulls back just slightly so he can see Nines completely. He smiles, and it's so genuine and sincere that people's jaws drop open slightly. But nobody hid their shock at the next piece of news.
"You're a dad now, Nines. We're parents, and I'm the one carrying the kid."
People gasp and jump slightly on the spot, then all chaos breaks out. Fowler lets out a startled laugh but leans back with a proud smile. Connor gasps with the biggest smile on his face, his hands snapping up to cover his mouth. His brown eyes are wide as saucers. Hank looks similar, but he has the same proud smile Fowler is currently sporting as he leans back and crosses his arms. Chris's jaw completely drops while Tina squeals beside him, knowing she'll get to be an aunt again. Ryder fist bumps the air with a leap, then high-fives Elijah who probably also needed to use a short burst of energy. Nines' reaction is completely different...at first.
Nines flinches back slightly out of surprise and stares at Gavin with wide eyes, the yellow LED on his temple spinning like mad. His whole body is rigid as he stares in complete disbelief. He flounders a few times, and Gavin laughs as his lover tries to get a grip on himself.
"Are you alright, babe?" Gavin asks through his laughing fit.
Nines flounders again before his eyes rest on Gavin's abdomen. Knowing a life rested there, that his child rested there, is astounding. Nines forces a shaking hand forward, his skin still retracted to show off his onyx chassis. Once his hand had flattened against Gavin's skin, his lover brings his hand onto his, the metal warming up under the human's touch. Then it's like someone triggered the waterworks, tears fell rapidly from his optics and didn't seem to stop. Nines locked eyes with Gavin, he needs to ask to make sure. To make sure this wasn't a dream.
"A-Are...You're serious? You're not making this up, this is really happening?" Nines asks, almost frantically over all the noise. Gavin nods fervently, his smile growing even more.
"Yes, yes, I'm serious, this is real, Nines. This is actually happening, this is no dream," Throughout Gavin speaking, Nines' breathing becomes more and more labored, "This is the real deal. We're gonna be parents," Gavin responds with a choked-off laugh. It's only when he finishes that Nines moves.
Nines sobs as he lunges forward to embrace Gavin, wrapping his arms tightly around his middle, lifting the smaller male off the ground. Gavin hangs onto Nines, arms wrapped around the android's neck. Cheers ring out through the building along with applause, while everyone can distinctly hear a certain ravenette scream, "HALLELUJAH!! "
Nines and Gavin laugh at Ryder's enthusiasm before they resume their clinging to each other. Nines slowly put Gavin back on the ground, burying his face in the crook of Gavin's neck while Gavin hides his own in Nines' shoulder. The android, pride be damned, sobs as he holds the love of his life closer. He pulls away to quickly hold Gavin's face in his hands. Nines wastes no time in sealing a kiss on Gavin's lips, the detective laughing into it. When the RK900 pulls away, he rests his forehead against his lover's with a huffed laugh of his own.
"God, I love you, Gavin Reed. I love you so much," Nines rambles, and Gavin just rubs his hand up and down Nines' forearm in a comforting gesture.
Ryder grins as he runs over to his other brother and his father to hug them. The two accept him with open arms, Connor and Hank being a bit teary themselves. Ryder nuzzles their shoulders, before turning back to the couple everyone is cooing over right now. Ryder shifts his weight and rests his hands in his pockets. He's happier than he's ever been in his whole life and he never wants this feeling to go away. He meets Elijah's eyes and a promise to go shopping later for the two passes between them unspoken. Connor grabs him and Hank and hauls them over to the new parents, and the two welcome their embrace without hesitation, Ryder reaches an arm out and yanks Elijah, Tina, and Chris into the pile. There stood the whole family, locked in a tight embrace with a silent promise. A promise of safety and protection, of love and strength, and most of all a promise to always be there for the others. Gavin nuzzles in deeper.
"I love you, too, Nines...Fucking Tincan..."
The family laughs their hearts out and Gavin and Nines stick together, the little life inside Gavin safe as they all form a wall between them and the outside world. Gavin and Nines may not seem like the greatest options as parents, but they'll make it work. After all, that's how they got together in the first place. With the little one there, the family will be closer than ever. Just it's meant to be.