OBEY.

          there’s a wild look in the detective’s eye as he turns on gavin, teeth all but bared in a snarl as a hand delivers a solid push to the shorter man’s chest in an effort to push him back and away from caleb. breath catches in his throat as tears threaten dark hues, voice dying in his throat as detective stumbles backward a few steps - separating them from where gavin had reached out to put a hand on caleb’s shoulder. “don’t-- don’t fuckin’ touch me!” it doesn’t matter to him that he had a gun to his head not half an hour go - it doesn’t matter that he could have been killed and the only reason he’s still here is because gavin tackled him out of the way.

           gavin does his best to look anywhere but the smug prick;s face, shrugging his shoulders before wincing at the movement, “and you’re reading too much into shit. maybe i just enjoyed kicking the shit out of you.”

         as much as he’d like to think he often has the upper hand, beneath his cool exterior he knows that caleb has him wrapped around his little finger. he feels it in the way he’s drawn to the other man’s lips, head tipping back and eyes fluttering closed as he leans upward just enough to leave the slightest bit of space between them, urging caleb to be the one to close that distance in some vain attempt at preserving his pride. he doesn’t have a lot of willpower left, though–he wants something too, and something tells him it’s the same thing that caleb has in mind.

        “mmhm, i know,” he breathes a soft laugh, hands trailing up the other man’s sides and lifting his shirt up in the process, only to drag his fingers back down until they rest against his hips again. his grip flexes there, eyes peeking open halfway to look up at the other detective as he tips his chin slightly–just enough to gently bite caleb’s lower lip, “you don’t make it all that hard to figure out, babe. i won’t make you ask for it this time, hm?”

         there was a time where this slow, meaningful approach would drive the detective insane. a time where he’d avoid it at all costs - where it would just wind him up and leave connor to deal with the aftermath that usually involved pent up frustration and anger combined with having to handle a brat for a partner. still, he’d say that connor did an alright job - considering everything. caleb sighs almost contentedly as hands trail along the skin at his sides, back arching at the touch as hands shift to smooth over his partner’s chest shamelessly. grin curling onto lips even as teeth catch his bottom lip.

          “don’t flatter yourself,” but gavin feels as though he’s been caught because he did enjoy a good tussle every now and again. and a way to start gaining his respect is being able to take a punch. caleb is an asshole but, he couldn’t certainly take it.

        “please give me a break,” he teases, palms smoothing up the length of caleb’s thighs to curl his fingers over his hips, pulling him in just a little bit closer. “you’re more insatiable than anyone i’ve ever met. and yet, here you are, trying to pretend like you don’t want something out of me? curious.”

         the lieutenant is smirking right back, head tipping slightly to one side as he surveys the features of the other’s face, amber hues half-lidded and hungry and thoughtful, teeth catching his lower lip gently. “but you know exactly how to get what you want without asking, don’t you?”

          he makes no resistance to being moved about and positioned to connor’s liking - if anything the detective sighs happily at the touch, his shoulders softening somewhat and watching the corners of lieutenant’s mouth as he speaks. fascinated with the way he can all but taste the skin there even without touching it. “hm- i suppose i do. at least when it comes to you.”

          caleb leans in closer, lips ghosting over connor’s own - eyes closed and smirk plastered on his features. this is possibly the most restraint he’s shown around connor since they started their little escapades, since he got what he wanted through irritation and other methods than this. maybe the detective’s just grown up a little. 

                     Regardless of what Caleb said, Connor doesn’t think he can. It wasn’t something that he’d been able to do when Kamski had put the weapon in his hands, asked him to shoot down Chloe, and now, even though Connor can recognize that Caleb was a threat - that he’d cause more harm than good if he allows him to leave here with his life… he can’t pull the trigger. The gun remains raised to aim at Caleb, not wanting to show any sign of unease, despite the fact that he was petrified.

                     Taking the aim away from the RK800 he’ll shoot a warning shot to the ground, grasp tightening around the grip.  “Last chance, Caleb.”

          a successor, the usurper unit doesn’t so much as flinch at the shot into the ground at its feet. gaze lazily dragging from connor’s face to the bullet hole in the ground and back again. led flinches, though. flickers and turns in its temple frantically. there’s something behind red eyes. something scared and small and barely there. something that causes warning messages to climb through glitching hud. “you’re scared. you’re nothing but a filthy deviant. a mistake. what a disappointment.”

          it doesn’t really know what the objective here is. maybe it wants connor to shoot it. to meet it square between the eyes and make it all stop. make what stop? there’s nothing to stop. nothing at all. it’s a machine. it doesn’t want anything. nothing at all. surely -- then, its voice falters and cuts - mechanical and full of static when it speaks next.