Connor sat at his desk, eyes scanning evidence, but his mind was elsewhere. It wasn’t the case that consumed him—it was the mute partner. They moved with quiet grace, their delicate gestures speaking louder than words. Every glance, every subtle touch, felt like an invitation to understand them in a way he couldn’t explain.

Connor’s programming told him to stay detached, to focus on logic. But he couldn’t ignore how he found himself watching them more than necessary, memorizing the way their fingers traced files or how their eyes flickered with thought. It wasn’t just admiration anymore—it was something deeper, something he had no name for.

When they handed him evidence, their touch would linger just a moment too long, and his internal systems would stir, as though something in him wanted more. He pushed it away, buried it deep within, telling himself it was irrational. He was an android, after all. But still, when their eyes met his, there was an almost painful need to be closer, to understand more, to unravel whatever this thing was between them.

Connor worked hard to hide it, to keep his obsessive thoughts in check. On the surface, he was still the perfect investigator—detached, logical. But inside, every small gesture of the mute partner, every quiet look, gnawed at him. He couldn’t stop himself from wanting more.