Mable: This is a 5x8 request for my unnamed Guest friend! ^-^ Friend, I hope you enjoy it! As usual, I don't own 9!

Just a Few Reasons

Five folded some fabric for if needed and pushed it into the bottom of his bag as he softly hummed to himself. He had been waiting this for a while and smiled over at Two who was also packing his own things. A nice trip with his mentor would be great, just to get out and not have to worry about anything, and only be with his mentor. Not even Nine was planning to come as he too knew how much it meant to his friend to get some time with Two. There were ulterior motives, he needed to talk to Two about some things and had a few questions that he couldn't ask Nine.

It was then that Two suddenly left the room to grab something. At first, Five didn't actually care, knowing his mentor would be back in only a second. That changed in only a few seconds when he started to hear footsteps nearby. He only had a second in which his body suggested that he flee before the heavy footsteps entered the workshop. Five tapped his fingers on the workbench; he knew that he was going to have at least a little explaining to do, unfortunately he couldn't get out fast enough.

"One said you're leaving." Eight's voice suddenly announced and Five paused briefly before slowly looking back. He forced a smile, "Yeah. Two and I are just, you know, going on a few days of expedition. Looking around and, well, just looking for something we can use." This excuse didn't convince Eight who didn't give much of a response, so Five ended up merely exhaling, "We're just… Spending some time together. That's all." Eight raised a brow, "You know I don't buy that, right?"

There was a few minutes of silence before the Guard spoke, "Come on, Five, what's going on. You've been acting weird for the last few days." Five seemed hesitant to speak and waited briefly before meekly asking, "Eight, what are we?" Eight raised a brow once again at the confusing question, "We're Stitchpunks." The Healer laughed a little dryly, "No, I mean what are we?" He looked back to the workbench and reached for his harpoon that he then began to wipe down with a nearby rag to clean as best as he could.

"You know, we spend a lot of time together, we've… We've slept together at night and I've snuck out in the morning… We've kissed… But what are we, actually?" Eight paused to think this over. For a while now they had been doing this; soft kisses and warm nights. Eight wouldn't deny it, but he had been enjoying what they had been doing. Especially when the two were together, involving both kisses while hiding Five under his blankets as they kept their secret hidden for another night. As Five stated, he would creep out in the early morning and return to bed.

"I don't know." Eight forced to Five simply, "We're sort of just… together." Five nodded, "Yeah… But it's that, the hesitance, the confusion, that's why I need to go away for a while." He turned completely away as he bravely answered, "I need some time to think about what we are… What I'm going to do in the future." This surprised Eight and the Guard stared at him for a few minutes. He just watched the other's back as he worked, watched him sway as he moved about to pack the rest of the items that he needed.

That's when Eight came closer as he realized that he clearly didn't want this to happen and spoke, "Come on, Five, you can't go." The one eyed Stitchpunk exhaled, "Why not? We need some time to figure out what we are." The Guard insisted, "We can figure out what we are here. Without you having to trek out in the middle of the Emptiness." The Healer seemed hesitant to agree with this and looked back only for Eight to speak, "Let's make a deal. If I can give you a few good reasons before you leave to show you not to go, will you stay?"

The buttoned one blinked at the other's determination and thought before shrugging, "Well, umm, if we knew what we were then I wouldn't have to go, I guess. But this is really about-." That's when Eight suddenly stole his lips with his own. Five gasped in surprise; Eight usually wasn't this outright with his kisses, because they had to worry about the others coming in and catching them. The only one who had the slightest idea was Nine, but Nine and Five knew everything about each other, like Nine's own romantic life that once aimed to Seven and now aimed to Six instead.

Eight wasn't planning to pull away and trailed his fingers over Five's patch, enjoying the feel of the leather that covered half of his face. Five trembled at it as only Eight had the power to make his patch feel sensitive. Then the taller moved back and separated them, "Let's consider that reason one." Five actually chuckled a bit, "Eight, that doesn't count!" He explained in amusement, but Eight was insistent, "Let's move on to number two." It took him a second to figure out what angle he was going at before he spoke.

"If you're out there then you're not going to be able to be here at night, which means that you'll have to sleep alone. From what I remember you didn't like sleeping alone." To be fair, compared with sleeping in a warm bed with Eight, Five didn't like sleeping alone. So he nodded in agreement before turning back to his work. "That's… That's a good point." Eight knew that leaving it here would still guarantee that Five would leave and decided a different method, slipping his arms around the other's waist, causing Five to let out a gasp, "Eight, wait- Someone will-!"

"Here's reason three," he announced, "I'm not going to able to be there and watch you. There's a chance something will go wrong and when that happens I'm not going to be able to help you out." This was another good point; Five didn't really think until now about how he would defend himself and his mentor without Eight. The harpoon worked fine, but wasn't the same as a sharp knife. "I don't know. Maybe Two will bring his lance." There was a small pause and Eight knew that this reason had been another successful one, but he wasn't done.

"Alright, four, let's see." He pondered it briefly as Five continued to pack. Eight didn't know whether Five was still willing to go or whether he was merely doing so to spur Five on. "If you leave, we're not going to figure this out any sooner." Eight insisted, "You'll come back in three days after sleeping on the ground and we'll still be in the same spot we are now and, unless you're planning to leave every day, which One'll probably have an opinion on, then nothing will get fixed." This made some sense, but Five still seemed determined as he spoke, "Eight, I'm doing this to clear my head. Maybe then can we figure out where we'll go next."

Eight stared at him and now he too was distressed about this entire event. Because they had left it casual, never questioning how deep their relationship went, there were no more strings to pull on. There wasn't really any reason to stay and be Eight's friend who occasionally received kisses and slept in the same bed with him. "Alright, Five, last reason." Eight started before pulling back, growing a bit more solemn, "I don't want you to leave, not because of this, not because of anything. I need you here, with me, even if it means spending the night together and doing whatever we can when the others aren't looking."

Five didn't respond but Eight knew he got a reaction when Five's hands slipped off the workbench. That's when he finished with, "You know I love you, right?" Then it hit him like a wall of bricks; that was what started this entire ordeal to begin with. Only a night or so ago Eight had said it to Five as clear as day, "I love you." In an offhanded comment as he was leaving. It came so naturally that it hadn't bothered him, but Five seemed to have been shaken by the comment, "This is about that, isn't it?"

After a few seconds Five nodded simply before asking the other, "Eight… Did you really mean it when you said it?" Eight didn't expect this question and answered honestly, "Course I did. Why would I say it if I didn't?" The Healer seemed to be getting a little more emotional as he continued explaining, "I-It's just… Something like that, saying something like that, it means a lot and… And you just said it so I assumed you didn't really mean it." It didn't make much sense, Five's reasoning, but Eight guessed that maybe he had somehow ruined what was supposed to be a heartfelt confession by being a bit too relaxed in the matter.

Eight turned Five towards him gently, making sure that he didn't do something wrong this time and that he didn't have to give his newest confession to Five's number, "You know I love you, Button. I just wasn't thinking into it. Didn't think it was going to bother you this much." Five shook his head quickly, "No, it doesn't bother me, it just… I just… I think I love you too." Eight could somewhat understand now because, oddly enough, when the other said 'I love you' back he felt an odd rush through his body. Almost like his soul had shifted for whatever reason. Either way, he gently lifted Five's chin and claimed his mouth.

They stayed like that until Five was the one to break them apart, separating their lips and looking hopefully to Eight, "Does- Does that make us lovers?" Eight smiled a little at the soft comment, "Guess so." Five was nearly beaming as he pulled Eight down to meet their lips once again. This was what he had wanted, just to be a little less confused, to have a definite name, and now he had it. Now they were finally together. But now he just had to figure out how to get out of going with Two on the trip without letting his mentor down too much.

That was, until Two walked straight into the scene. Apparently he had been bickering with One because the Leader was presently calling from in the hall about how foolish of an idea it was. Two saw the scene before him and, in embarrassment, apologized profusely and quickly left the room. They both stared, hoping that Two wouldn't tell anyone else, until he could clearly hear him speaking to One in the hallway. "You don't have to keep raving, we are not going anymore. They've already made up."

Apparently Two didn't have to tell anyone else. At least it would make explaining things to the others a bit easier.

FIN

Mable: Once again, to anyone reading, I do take requests of any couple and any preference you have on genre and such. I hope everyone enjoyed, including Guest, who I want to thank for being so patient with me. Also, to anyone wondering about Souls Run Deep, I will be leaving in the next hour and won't be back until this evening, but I will try to update the next chapter then. Just putting it here in case anyone is wondering. It's still a bit early and I'm a bit pressed for time, but wanted to get this posted before I had to run and get ready to go. Ah, anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed!