Mable: I had a pretty hard time writing this. Not because of the couple, not because of the length, but because I'm having a bit of a Writer's Block again. Thankfully I pushed past it enough to finish this. This is to a Guest who didn't leave a name; I hope you enjoy it even though it's a little rushed. I really was trying and I don't know what's giving me such trouble. If you want to give another request in the future, I will be glad to do a second one for you to show that I do enjoy having you read my stories. As a thank you. Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!

Moving On

Five let out a gasp as a pair of strong arms slid around his waist and looked back over his shoulder, "Eight?!" He asked and there was a low chuckle, "Anyone else been touching you like this?" He somewhat teased and the Healer felt a smile form before leaning back against him, "What are you up to?" The Guard shrugged a bit, "Coming to see you, Babe. You haven't been out of this room all day." The Healer exhaled a bit in distress, "Two and I can't work on the addition until we have the plans and I promised Two I'd come with some ideas."

He leaned forward against the Workbench and stared down at the paper that had merely a few scribbles down on it, "I know he'll be upset if I can't finish it." This was rewarded with a raised brow and Five admitted, "Or, well, I'll be upset." Five responded with a small smile and a light, nervous fit of laughter. He tried to turn back to his work before eight stubbornly turned him back around, "You're going to drive yourself insane with this. You need to take a break." Five meekly spoke, "What do you suggest?" An obvious illusion to a romantic event and Eight was clearly interested.

He said not a word as he turned Five around. The Healer allowed the Guard to do so before gasping as he felt himself be lifted. He soon was perched onto the Workbench and now protested, "Eight, wait, not in here! Someone- Two- not here!" Eight seemed a bit too eager to listen and let his mouth take Five's captive. The Healer gave in reluctantly, his tired sigh against Eight's lips clearly insisting that this wouldn't happen again, but unsure if it would or not. Five playfully tried to overtake the kiss and Eight was only provoked further by the gesture.

"Five?!"

Five immediately drew back at the voice and looked over to the doorway to see Nine standing there. The alarm was immediate and Five spoke, "Nine, wait, this isn't-!" With that, Nine spun on his heel and dashed out of the room, and Five gasped. This wasn't the reaction he wanted, this wasn't the situation he wanted. "I have to go." He insisted and Eight released him, somewhat helping him back to the floor and letting him go, also looking a bit taken aback by the situation and deciding just to stay quiet.

Nine had retreated into his shared room with Five as his breath quickened. He grabbed his head and tried his hardest to calm down, but failed. Seeing them wrapped around each other; It was a disturbing feat, disgusted him completely, and he couldn't understand how something like this could happen. It couldn't have been the first kiss he stumbled in upon and the thought of Eight's lips being on Five's made him cringe in horror. Those dark marked lips didn't deserve to be brushed upon the soft fabric that was Five's.

That soft, beautiful burlap that occasionally tender to separate so that his silky voice could slip through and surround any nearby audio receptors. After countless nights dreaming of Five's mouth meeting him, Five had to end up with Eight, and Nine couldn't believe it. That's when Five stumbled in behind him, "Nine, wait." He spoke in a shaky tone, obviously disturbed, and Nine turned on him. His own look showed betrayal, "You and Eight?! I didn't- You and Eight?!" He repeated and Five looked down at the floor.

"Y-Yeah." Nine stared at him before looking away towards the wall. Five couldn't see the distressed look upon his face. Not the one that would show how heartbroken Nine really was and Five spoke, "I'm sorry I never told you. You're my best friend, I wouldn't keep this from you normally, but I'm afraid that the others won't understand." Nine merely nodded once again with a half-hearted, "Yeah." Before Five clearly exhaled in distress. Even though upset, Nine hated hearing Five like this, and went to speak.

"Look, Five…" Then it suddenly hit him, what Five said only seconds earlier. Five mentioned that he was afraid the others would have a problem with their relationship and, from what Nine could tell, he was probably right to be concerned. At the same time a plan formed in his mind and he spoke, "I was just startled, but I think you should tell the others." The Healer looked alarmed, "I… but they'll…" Nine insisted, "They have to find out sooner or later and if they're going to be upset then that's what's going to happen. Better they don't find out like I did."

The plan was simple; Five cared very much what the other Stitchpunks thought and when they were all disturbed and furious about the romantic affair Five would be forced to end it. Not that Eight wouldn't be more than willing to leave Five, as Nine believed. He was only using Five for romantic activity anyway, once faced with his Leader being mad he'd quickly succumb. Meanwhile, Five would only think of Nine being strictly as a friend, and once Eight was gone then Nine himself could make a move.

Five was clearly hesitant, but agreed, "You're right, I… We need to tell everyone before they find out anyway. Maybe then they'll take it better." Nine forced a smile and Five gave one back before he went to go see Eight and tell him. Nine felt a small pang of guilt for putting Five through this, but it better that he learned now that Eight couldn't be a good mate.

When Five entered the Workshop, Eight clearly saw the distress, "Let me guess; Nine's not too happy about us." He immediately assumed while the Healer protested, approaching the Workbench, "No, he… He was just surprised because he wasn't expecting it." The Guard knew the Healer was distressed so he didn't pry; just stood there waiting for the Healer to finally explain, and soon it eventually came, "I think… Maybe we should tell the others." Eight stared at him briefly before speaking, "Alright… Then what'll you do after my funeral?" Five blinked and Eight explained, "After One kills me."

The smaller gave a small smile, "That's… That's not what's going to happen. He'll…. He'll kill me a lot sooner than you." There was a small pause for a few minutes before Eight spoke, "Yeah, he needs to know eventually." There was no response from Five verbally, but he did turn around and embraced the Guard's front, just staying that and desperately seeking some sort of safety. Eight didn't let him go, but, for some reason, Five still felt scared.

Nine eagerly awaited for the next day, hoping everything would go as planned, and by morning it seemed that it would. Everyone was in the throne room when Five appeared and Nine noticed how he immediately looked to Eight and felt another pang of jealousy. He smothered it and continued to act like nothing was wrong. Besides, it was all better when he first heard Eight speak to One. "Boss, we need to talk." Five moved to stand beside Eight, slightly behind him, and couldn't look One in the optics.

The Leader seemed a little annoyed to be interrupted as he was halfway through a conversation with Two about some sort of subject he was sure he was right about. Right when he got to the point where Two was about to be willing to admit he was right, Eight interrupted, and the Leader huffed, "Yes, what do you want?" He asked in annoyance and Eight decided to be blunt, "Boss, we've been going around for a while." Five stared at the ground sheepishly, Two blinked, a few of the others paid closer attention, including Nine, and One spoke, "I'm sorry?"

The Healer spoke now, forcing his voice to stay calm as he spoke, "We're together. Romantically." One stared briefly, "Yes, and?" Five stared back at him, "'And'?" There was clear confusion and the Leader, instead of being furious, seemed virtually unfazed, "And what else?" One insisted and even Nine was alarmed. Nobody seemed surprised, not even Seven, and he didn't understand why. Five didn't either, "Aren't… Aren't you surprised?" He asked meekly and One dismissed him, "I'm not completely ignorant." Then turned from the two and continued attempting to speak to Two, who gave Five a small smile.

Nine stared at the scene before suddenly backed a bit. Then, silently, he stormed out of the throne room.

The outside of the Library was his refuge to get away from the other. He was furious, definitely, and completely frustrated with the other Stitchpunk who just seemed so willing to accept Eight as Five's mate. Most of this anger was actually more at himself then being at Eight or Five, not that he didn't feel some anger towards Eight still. Mostly it was his own fault for not approaching Five sooner. It was obvious that Five had simply wanted a mate so bad that he was willing to even be with someone like Eight.

He paced back and forth angrily muttering to himself. They were mostly words of denial, claiming that this wasn't possible, that it wasn't right for Five and Eight to be together. That was, until he heard approaching footsteps and looked over towards the Library. He was prepared to tell Eight off for following him or to admit all of his feelings to Five in a desperate attempt to get him back; he needed to do something about all of this. However, once again, Nine expected something different to what actually came.

There appeared none other than Six at the Library entrance and Nine's anger deflated pitifully. "Six, what are you doing out here?" He asked quietly, trying to show little indication of emotion, and Six merely wandered closer to him. He looked distressed and clutched his key tightly, "I… I saw you leave… Are you okay?" Nine rubbed his head to defuse a growing headache from stress, "Yeah I-… I was just taken off guard, that's all." He insisted before looking around at the evening about them.

It was still light out but the sun had already set and gone, leaving the sky a dark navy hue that had yet to bloom with stars. He continued to stand there staring at the scenery before he spoke again, "I'm fine." Six tapped his key gently before answering, "No… You're not fine." Nine simply stared at Six; he had never took the Artist as the observant type. Being an Artist, though, he had to have an optic for detail. As such he noticed Nine's distress, but the zippered male wasn't ready to admit it just yet.

"It's not like that. It just surprised me; my best friend with the Stitchpunk whose been known to bully us. I didn't expect it. He can't expect me to be jumping for joy like the others." The annoyance and pain clearly leaked through and Six prodded further, rather boldly for him, "He has bullied me more recently than you and that never bothered you before now." He was right. Eight had recently stopped his habits and Nine was beginning to suspect that it was because of this relationship with Five.

"Well maybe, Six, I'm upset about it now. I just don't understand why they would be together. I thought Eight sparred with Seven every morning." Nine huffed. "They say they're like siblings." Six explained, "And that's what it looks like too." There was a pause before Nine spoke quietly, "This just doesn't make sense." He was more speaking to himself then actually speaking to Six, but the striped one still heard, and stepped closer. Nine put more distance between them, "You should head back inside. It's going to get cold soon."

The Artist shook his head before looking at the ground, "Nine- ah- there's no point in… I know what's going on." Nine felt a small pang of guilt and shame overtake. "Nothing's going on." Six immediately corrected, "The way that you ran out- You're upset. You don't like that Eight and Five are together." Nine decided to be briefly honest in an attempt to stop Six from digging deeper, "Okay, I'll admit it. I don't like that Five and Eight are together. Like I said; Five is my best friend and Eight is my bully. It isn't right." Six got a strangely stubborn look, "And like I said; he was never your bully until now. You're mad at him."

Nine stared at Six for a few seconds before pathetically asking, "What else do you know from just watching me run out?" It was attempting to be accusing, but failed. Six moved closer in beside Nine with cautious steps, "I know that you didn't look at Five like he was a best friend." He knew, he knew everything, and Nine decided that there was no point denying. "You win. I want to be Five, I care for Five more than Eight does, and all that's going to happen is that he's going to get hurt when Eight decides that he doesn't want him anymore. He's just using him!"

The sudden vent caused Six to pull back and Nine dropped onto a piece of a broken statue. "I don't know why he wants Five, but I know he does, but forever? No. it won't last forever. He's not willing to be there for Five every step of the way. He doesn't care." He vented and looked away into the Emptiness. Six quietly came closer, nudging a stone with his foot, "Maybe he does… Maybe Eight just doesn't show that he cares but really does."

"I doubt that." Nine actually scoffed in a One fashion, "I could have given Five better. Why would he want Eight? I've been there! Every moment I was there! When he hurt his wrist, when he needed help putting shelves on the wall, when he needed someone to talk to; I was always there! Eight wasn't!" He was no thoroughly venting at Six, standing and beginning to pace once again, "There's got to be a way to end this. To stop them from doing this."

"Nine." Six started sympathetically, "You don't want to. You'd hurt Five. I know you love him, but you want him to be happy. I know you do." Nine now had the word 'love' to put with these feelings. "I do love Five, Six, that's why I know that they shouldn't be together. Eight and him don't work, they can't work, and eventually all Eight will do is begin to lose interest. What if he becomes violent towards Five? He could kill him! Five would be dead of a broken heart because Eight just wants someone submissive to have around!"

"Nine…"

"I doubt he even told Five he loves him! He just goes in there and takes what he wants because Five believes he's getting love in return!"

"Nine wait…"

"Just runs into the room and forces their mouths together like that! He doesn't even care what-!"

"Nine, stop it!" Six's sharp cry took Nine completely aback. His anger diminished as he stared at the Artist. "Six?" The Artist growled and pointed to the statue, "Sit down!" The zippered male did so and the Artist began to gently pant as he grew worked up, "You think you're the only one in the world who might not be happy?! No, you are just thinking about you, not even about the fact that Five and Eight might really love each other! No, not good enough for Nine, just as long as he gets what he wants!"

He had never seen Six like this before, fists clenched, sharp glare, and couldn't do much except let his mouth drop open. "All you've been thinking about is you this entire time! 'I want Five', 'I can treat him better than Eight', and constantly complaining about Eight who might not be such a bad person! In fact, I should know, because I'm the one who he bullied! Me, not you, not Five, it was me, all me! I was the Freak, I was the psycho! I was the one who-!" He paused briefly before blurting out.

"I was the one who was stupid enough to think that all of that time he really liked me." Nine's optics widened and Six got a weak look that tried to turn back into a glare, "So don't tell me about loss, Nine! You're not the only one that lost what you wanted because of them being together!" Silence overtook the two at this point before Six turned away, his body trembling, and Nine slowly stood, "Six… I…" Six spoke through obvious chokes, "I… I thought he loved me."

Then Nine suddenly realized that they were in a very similar state. He stepped closer and put an arm around the other's shoulder. The Artist was leaning against him now and spoke softly, "I'm sorry, Nine. I'm sorry about Five. I'm so, so sorry." He babbled out and Nine exhaled before finding his own voice catch. Maybe that was when it all set in completely because he suddenly felt like he was about to cry as well. He loved Five more than anything, he was everything he had wanted out of life, and now he was out of his reach forever.

The zippered male wrapped his arms around the striped male before burying his face into the shorter's shoulder to gain any sort of comfort. "It's alright Six. It'll get better." The striped one was limp in his grasp, but still asked, "It will?" He sounded empty compared to the yelling Stitchpunk minutes earlier. Nine realized he had been hiding the disappointment too, then the anger, and now here was just a period of questioning when neither knew what was supposed to happen next.

"Maybe someday they… They will decide to separate." Nine pointed out and paused before continuing, "But if they don't, then that's okay. I used to have feelings for Seven, but they passed, and maybe these will pass too. Maybe we can find someone else." He pulled back and forced a smile, "It'll be okay." There was still the need to cry prying at his insides, but he ignored it, "We'll move on and we'll be okay. We lived before now, we can live again, okay?"

Six forced a smile and Nine only hoped what he had just say wasn't a lie.

Nine knew the signs. He felt the rush in his insides, the feeling of giddiness, the occasional nervousness; he was in love. It had been so hard getting over his best friend in the last few months, but he had. Five and Eight were still together so he had to move on. Now he knew he had, there was no doubt about it, and he wasn't taking another chance by letting the same thing happened that had before. He stalked straight into the room and after brief greeting, blurted out the truth.

"I think that I… I love you." Nine was sure to add in, "I know this is sudden and… And I know you probably don't want to get in a relationship, but I just… I had to tell you." He then waited through the other one's alarm until he was faced with a sudden smile. Nine knew that it wasn't going to end the same as last time, it was going to go different.

Then he took the Artist's lips with his own.

FIN

Mable: I hope everyone enjoyed! Sorry it was so shaky.