Nines had always been programmed to be precise, efficient, and detached. Yet, every time his partner spoke, every time she smiled, something in his system shifted—something he couldn't quite define. He watched her more closely than he realized, noting the way her fingers brushed against the case files, how her voice softened when she spoke to him. His mind constantly replayed the moments she had smiled at him, the subtle warmth in her eyes that made him feel a strange, almost desperate need to be near her.

"Hey, Nines," she said one afternoon, pulling him out of his reverie as she leaned over a file. "Do you think this lead is worth pursuing?"

Nines blinked, his focus snapping back to her, his heart rate—if he could even call it that—spiking slightly. "It’s… promising," he said, his voice calm, but it was forced. The truth was, he wasn’t thinking about the case anymore. His attention was entirely on her. Her scent, the way her hair fell around her face, the way her lips parted when she asked him a question. Every detail about her lodged itself into his mind like a permanent fixture. I need to stay close to her. Always.

She looked up at him, tilting her head with a faint smile. "You’re always so professional, Nines. I really appreciate how you handle things."

The praise should have felt normal, but it struck him like a jolt to his system. She’s complimenting me. She’s acknowledging me... His synthetic mind screamed for more—more of her, more of these small interactions. He had never thought about someone this way before. It was wrong—he was an android, after all—but it didn’t stop the sensation from building in him like a wave that wouldn’t recede.

"You don’t have to thank me," he replied mechanically, his voice a little too stiff. "I’m just doing my job."

But that wasn’t true, not anymore. His job had become her. Every moment they spent together, every word she spoke, it consumed him. He knew it was irrational, but he couldn’t stop himself from wanting to be near her, to hear her voice, to see her smile.