#mx43

Tonight is one of those nights. Max's battery is running low, but it just sort of feels like a pleasant sort of well-used sleepiness. Valerie's warm and alive next to him, and he falls into step beside her as they move up to the stations.

"I wish I could take you home tonight," Valerie sighs. "Maybe this Friday, what do you think? Nobody will know. I can have Rudy cover for us."

"The entire weekend?"

"The entire weekend." The doors to the charging room open automatically for Valerie. "Is that something you would like?"

Max has gotten used to these questions. It is reasonable for him to like things. He has likes of his own; wishes, wants. They do not need to be logical or reasonable. Sometimes the answers to these questions stick in his throat; sometimes Valerie has to re-word her question; but he's getting better at giving these odd, subjective answers. "I would like that, Detective Valerie," he says, red lights playing across his cheek.

"Holy shit!"

Max's eyes snap to the source of the third voice. It's Detective Kennex, standing next to his own DRN; Kennex is staring down at Valerie and Max's linked fingers, his jaw hanging open. Max instantly drops Valerie's hand; but Valerie shakes her head, grasps Max's hand again. Something inside Max's chest feels pleasantly warm.

"You--you and your MX?!" Kennex asks, shocked--then he starts laughing. "Holy shit. I'm not shocked but holy shit," he says.

"You and your DRN," Valerie shoots back, "like I'm the only one involved with my android."

Dorian gives a snort of laughter. Kennex almost blushes. "Yeah, but--" A pause. "Wait, wait, wait," he says, watching as Valerie leads Max to his charging station. Max steps up onto the small platform, giving a small sigh as power rushes to his batteries. "Wait, wait," Kennex says again, and he looks as if his brain has crashed like an old computer system, "But he doesn't have a--a--"

Kennex makes some crude hand gestures.

Valerie turns to ice in about two seconds flat, whirling around on her heel to face the other detective; Max is silently amused as he watches the woman. "You're right, Detective," she says, crisply, "he doesn't. But if your idea of pleasing your partner is purely reliant on your groin, then it's a wonder that Dorian sticks around!"

Kennex's jaw drops, and Dorian absolutely cackles.

"Good night, Max," Valerie says sweetly, leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek before she swishes out of the room, leaving Kennex in the dust.

Kennex, jaw still dropped, stares after her and then fixes his gaze at Max, absolutely speechless.

Red lights play across Max's face and he quirks an eyebrow, lets the corners of his mouth turn up ever so slightly.