Never A Broken Vow, a 9 fanfic

Never A Broken Vow

It was raining. Good lord, was it ever raining. Raindrops flooded the long-quiescent realm of London more than once that week. The only beings that could enjoy the sound, and sight of the beautiful jewels cascading from the sky were currently locked away in the attic of a destroyed house that morning.

Drip.

He was going to ignore it.

Drip.

Ignoring…

Drip…

Still ignoring…

…

Drip.

"Damn," he sighed in defeat. Blinking open weary and heavy eyes, the male ragdoll stared at the wooden ceiling for a moment, listening to the continuous pounding of the raindrops before getting to his feet, his metallic joints creaking slightly in weak protest at these movements. Covering a deep yawn with the back of his hand, 9 gave an indignant punch to the small sheet of metal covering a hole in the roof, stopping the flow of persistent raindrops that no longer slid past the metal and dripping to the floor below it. 9 yawned again, and looked around the large space he and the others had taken refuge for the night.

3 and 4, the small twins, were still deeply asleep, their small chests rising and falling slightly, their breaths soft and silent, the two lying back-to-back. 9 walked over and kneeled beside them, tucking in the loosened corners of the warm, dull grey blanket around their bodies.

Although he didn't quite understand completely, he felt like some sort of older sibling to the twins. A big brother. He absentmindedly stroked the smaller twin's shoulder. 4 stayed well asleep, eyes closed, balled up on his side next to his brother, who slept as soundly as he.

9 then sat beside them, leaning against the wall, while grey light streamed in through a cracked glass window next to him. He crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at the opposite wall, still extremely somnolent. Vaguely, he wondered where the female ragdoll, 7, was, but before he could delve deeper into this thought, he closed his eyes, his chin wilted down to his chest, and sleep overcame him once more.

It was only one single week after their defeat over the Machines. 9 found that all the running and the fighting had weakened him greatly. His and 7's only theory was that his young body was not yet habituated to this kind of strenuous action. After all, his physical age and the age of the formerly youngest ragdoll, deceased 8, was separated by over four years. The others had been hardened to it all.

9 and 7, now alone with the twins, took turns keeping watch while the other protector slept or scouted around for a more permanent home. 9 insisted that he take most of the watch duties, while 7 reluctantly agreed, seeing that it was futile to argue with him.

However, the more he tried to stay awake, the more resistant his small body became to it. Taking refuge in and old attic, 7 and the twins had slept through a tempestuous, rainy night, with 9 struggling to stay awake the entire night, keeping a protective, safe eye over them, and now, he had given himself over to the weakness.

Unknowing of how much time had passed; he woke to something wet and cold grasping his shoulder. He jerked awake suddenly, and looked up, vision blurred. Even before he refocused his zoom lenses, he could tell that it was his companion, 7 who sat before him.

"Hi," he said thickly, finally refocusing and yawning widely.

"Hi," 7 replied. She gave a small rub to his shoulder and said, "Lay down, I'll take watch."

"No, I'll keep watch," he offered, sitting up straighter, although fighting back a grimace as his sore joints screamed in protest.

7 rolled her eyes, as if she had expected this, and she sat down beside him.

"Look at you, you're exhausted." She said, looking over him with worried eyes.

"I'm fine," he insisted, and 7 quirked a brow. However, she seemed to decide against arguing with him, so she leaned against the wall.

"Sorry I was gone. The rain let up for a few minutes, and I wanted to go out and scout. It started back up, and I had a hell of a time getting back." She explained her absence apologetically. That explained her dripping wet body.

"It's fine," 9 reassured her, "I was just keeping watch over them." He jerked his head over to the slumbering stitchpunks.

"You shouldn't. You should sleep." 7 chided. The two had been watchful of the twins, still nursing a fear that a Machine would suddenly appear and attack…and they'd lose the twins…or each other.

9 shook his head. "I'm okay. I'll be fine." He replied, but 7 shook her head as well, closing her eyes and looking exasperated.

"9, I know for a fact you're overly fatigued. You need rest more than any of us. You're going to let me take watches from now on." She said firmly, as if this immediately settled the matter. 9 glanced down at her, raising one brow.

"Really?" He mused, a smile stretching across his lips. 7 couldn't help but grin back; she loved that charismatic smile of his, and it was difficult to sound firm.

"Really. You're going to sleep before you crumple up and die." She said in a joking manner. 9 blinked, the other brow joining the first, although he remained calm and quiet.

"And you know I really don't want that to happen." 7 continued.

"Really?" This time, 9's tone was out of inquisitiveness.

"Yeah. Like I really want you to die," she scoffed. "When I had thought you died, I nearly lost my mind."

The room became awkwardly and eerily quiet following 7's statement as 9 stared fixedly at the opposite wall. 7 had never gone into detail about those few, but horrible moments.

"I thought I'd lost you forever," she said, sounding quiet, and vulnerable, a trait 9 really didn't associate with 7. "I think, in those moments, I had never been more scared in my life."

"Scared?" 9 asked, slightly incredulous.

"Yes, scared." 7's tone was icy. "I get scared sometimes too, you know. I'm not all brave and hard all the time. I…for a long time, I thought I had to be. I thought I had to really kind of keep everyone in check. I tried not to really keep fear. I thought fear was weak…"

"You're wrong." 9 said in hushed tones, not meeting 7's curious gaze as he said this. He cleared his throat covertly and said, in slightly trembling tones, "You're very brave. Never have I thought you weak, nor shall I ever."

"Oh…well…that's, um…nice." 7 said, no longer looking at him. Once again, there was that embarrassed silence, before 9 felt as if he couldn't take it any longer, and 7 broke the stillness.

"I'm scared of a lot of things. I just don't like showing it." She said, in what appeared to be a casual manner. 9 then looked down at her, thoroughly intrigued. The sound of the rain now became a soft, tranquil patter as it lightened a bit.

"And…?" He offered, wanting to encourage her to continue. It had been awhile since he had a talk with the female stitchpunk, just her and him. And it made him feel…calm, in a way. It was easy to converse with her.

"Well…I fear 3 and 4's safety. I've always loved them, and I kind of make it my personal mission to protect them. I really don't know what I'd do if I lost them…" she trailed off, looking thoughtful.

"I…" she began, but broke off, silent for a moment, then continued in a slightly strained voice. "I was very frightened when I thought I'd lost…you'd died. I…I ran to the Machine right after I saw you crushed. And I found you…lying in the dust. You looked so…broken, but I hoped that you had somehow survived. But…when I saw that you're eyes were closed…and you weren't breathing…" she broke off again, blinking. "Those moments were probably the worst of my life. But then you woke up…a-and then…then I knew it was going to be okay." 7 finished taking a deep breath and exhaling deeply, as if trying to regain an almost-lost composure. 9 placed a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up.

"I would give my life for you three without second thought." He told her softly, and 7 blinked, these words prodding at her heart, and it compressed very tightly.

"Weren't you scared?" 7 asked, furrowing her brows slightly. 9 sighed softly, and nodded.

"Of course I was scared, but it didn't matter. As long as you could live on unharmed, you and 3 and 4 and 1, then I'd give my life." He said, nodding. 7 blinked, and looked down for a moment. She felt his hand withdraw from her shoulder. For a moment, they sat in silence before 7 looked up at him.

"What are you scared of?" 7 asked him softly. 9 tensed, the innocent enough question catching him off-guard. He didn't immediately answer her, for the reply seemed embarrassing.

"You can tell me, I won't laugh." 7 promised. He cleared his throat again, and then mumbled incoherently, keeping his eyes on his knees.

"What?" 7 asked, her brow knitting together faintly.

"Losing you," he said in a hushed voice, still staring intently at his knees. "My biggest fear is losing you or the twins."

7 blinked at this reply. Sudden warmth, despite the cold, surged through her body, and a deep, great affection for the good-hearted male ragdoll flowed through her, and she lightly, and unconsciously, touched her chest with a hand, on her heart. She was intensely emotive at these words.

"Every day, I think that I might lose you, or 3 and 4. I fear that…I might lose you…like I lost the others." He said in a nearly inaudible whisper. "I couldn't live with myself."

"9…" 7 said, struggling to find the right words to comfort 9. The sadness and the grief radiated off of him, and 7 wanted to reach forward and embrace him tightly, telling him it was all going to be alright, but retained herself.

"You won't lose me, 9. Or the twins. You protect us too well for anything to happen to us. I'm here, and I trust you with all my life," she promised, and 9 could easily read the sincerity in her voice.

"But…I couldn't save them. It's my fault they're dead. I'm afraid…that I'll fail, and I'll lose you, because of me." He said, still so softly, 7 could barely hear him.

"9. 9, I know that you'll never fail. I've never trusted anyone else more than I trust you. I know you'll protect us, as I'll protect you. You are my life now, you and the twins. We're all we've got. You're all I've got, but I'm quite happy with that." She said. 9 blinked, staring at her heart-shaped face, into her beautiful eyes that stared right back into his.

"Until the day you die, you will be my greatest friend." 7 said. The rain continued to pitter outside the den of the ragdolls and 7 reached forward, enfolding 9 in tight embrace. He blinked once, then opened his arms and wrapped his arms around her as well. 7 nestled into the male stitchpunk's warm body, a great relief from how freezing she had been. 9 sensed this, and he pulled her closer, holding her more tightly. 7 curled into him, closing her eyes and feeling as if she had never been safer.

After what could possibly have been many, many concurrent, misty mornings, they broke apart to gaze into one another's eyes.

"I'll always protect you. This is a vow I'll never break." 9 said softly. 7 smiled warmly.

"I know. I've always known. I trust you." She repeated. There was a love, a beautiful feeling, although unknown, flowing around both of their hearts for the other. A love that you can rarely find these days, a love of the utmost trust and faith, and love that I highly cherish and hope myself to find one day. And forever would they keep this love.

The rain created a beautiful sound on the pane of the window, but the two hardly minded. The sound was white noise to them, serene and soothing. To this, they both fell asleep, 7 nestled into the crook of 9's arm, her head resting on his shoulder. His temple was slightly touching her own as they slept; a dreamless, but untroubled and peaceful sleep. Forever, 7 knew, 9 would never break his vow to her, and the twins. She knew that the good-hearted, thoughtful, and sincere stitchpunk would forever protect her and their little brothers. The four slept soundly in the attic as the rain droned on outside, their leader's kindness and warmth from his heart more than enough for them.

For them, he would never break a vow.