Mable: Good grief; massively overdue request fic here. I struggled a bit with the material, but I think it managed to come out cohesive in the end. This request is for MoonValley; sorry about the delay, but hope you enjoy regardless!
A brief summery before we get started, even though the story explains it; the Stitchpunks are basically bioengineered humans that were born exclusively to survive through the poison and machine warfare. So, everything about the war and most about being created is the same, but they are technically humans.
Anyway, I don't own 9, Enjoy!
A Doctor, A Day
Nine regretted waking at all. The second he did he was struck with an achy exhaustion and a strange chill. He assumed Five had opened the window again, letting in the cold air from outside to spill into their room. He shuddered and tucked further under the blanket in distress. This somehow caught the attention of Five, who was already getting dressed.
"Nine?" he hesitated in buttoning his vest and looked over towards his friend's bed. "Are you awake?"
"Yeah," Nine cracked back with a choked voice. "Did you leave the window open? It's freezing in here." He didn't look over to see it, but confusion was immediately apparent across the brunette's face.
"Uh, no. It's… It's like it always is. A little cool, but it's not cold," Five explained. Suspicion immediately rose and he approached the younger man's bed. He worked the blankets down just enough to check his friend's face. There were immediate signs of trouble; Nine's face was excessively pale and only blotches with red on his cheeks. Five felt over his face, now able to physically feel how warm he had become. "You're on fire," he pointed out in immediate concern. "I told you to wear a coat yesterday!"
"I was wearing a coat," Nine protested weakly, closing his blue eyes and turning his face into the pillow.
"A real coat! That- That thing is full of holes!" Five protested in a slight scolding. It was obvious that he was genuinely concerned for his best friend however. "I'm going to get Two."
Nine cringed at the prospect and desperately tried to stop him. He sat upwards in bed a bit and called after Five, who was now heading directly towards the door. "No, wait! Five, I can sleep this off. You don't have to bother Two." Normally Nine wouldn't be so insistent, but recently things had become more complicated, and he didn't want Two to see him like this.
"I don't think you can sleep this off," Five responded. "I need Two if we're going to be able to figure out what medicine you can take. Your fever is too warm to just ignore it. You could overheat, o-or you could have a serious infection already starting to take hold." With this thought on his mind, Five turned and hurried out of the room to get his mentor.
In a way, Nine would rather be completely unconscious, because being seen by Two had become an embarrassing event. It hadn't always been so awkward; when Nine first awoke in this destroyed world, he had sliced his arm open while trying to traverse the warzone. Two had been the one to find him, tend to him, stitch him, and even show him the works around the 'Sanctuary'. The Sanctuary being a home made of three buildings that were surrounded by a barricade against the dangers of the Emptiness; containing the Cathedral, the Library, and a large house.
It was in these first days that Nine had become close to Two and Five, but he had never anticipated how close he would soon get to the former of the two. Over the months of living in the Sanctuary, Nine had slowly found himself becoming more and more attached to the older man. They spent countless hours inventing, sitting in the watchtower, scouting, and participating in various lessons about the world around them. A normal person would assume that this was simply a fatherly gesture, which Nine did.
That didn't stop Nine from falling in love with Two.
It happened quicker than he expected. For a while Nine believed that he was in love with Seven, but this eventually faded away as he began to admire the older male more and more. Then, one day, it just hit him that he admired Two way more than he was supposed to. He hadn't told Five; he didn't think his best friend could handle it. There was absolutely no way that he could tell Two either, and while he trusted the others, he didn't feel comfortable enough to admit this secret to any of them.
That was because there was an age difference. Now, normally ten years was a large gap, but wasn't entirely out of the question. Nine was in his mid-twenties and Two was in his mid-thirties; it was a gap, but it wasn't as though the last nine humans, or mostly human beings, had much of a choice with them being the only ones. However, there was one massive difference between them.
They weren't all human. Created to survive after the raging war, in case something went wrong, they were a mix of mostly organic means. Though they did have some less natural tweaks to their bodies; mostly to survive the poison that had swallowed the land and to be more resistant to dehydration and starvation. Most of them were born at their current age. Nine woke as an adult.
One and Two, on the other hand, did not. They had been born as infants, raised as children, and naturally became their age. As the war progressed, these advanced humans were needed to be made in a condition in which they could fend for themselves, so they were made as adults. So, technically, Nine was only a few years old while Two had lived out all his years, and while this didn't matter to Nine it did matter to both One and Two. They both treated the others as though they were much older than them, even when they didn't look it.
Which meant that Two would not return Nine's feelings. He doubted it would ruin his relationship with Two, but being turned down by the male would be devastating. Unfortunately, right as he thought this was the moment when Two entered the room.
"Nine? How are you feeling?" Two attentively asked as he approached the bed. He already had his glasses on, so Nine knew he would be able to see his fever in full. Or blush, Nine couldn't really decode between the two. The older man hummed and reached out to feel his forehead. He usually didn't have to use a thermometer to guess the correct temperature, or close enough. "Very feverish… How long have you been running such a high temperature?" He started to move the blanket down, but Nine yanked it closer with a shiver.
"I don't know, I was sleeping… Maybe I need more sleep?" he groggily asked as he looked to Two. Two's hazel eyes were filled with concern and Nine was relieved when he realized he was too mentally fogged to feel uncomfortable under the scrutiny.
"If that was the case, I don't believe you'd be running such a high fever," Two pointed out and hummed in thought. After a few moments, he asked, "You didn't wear that jacket out in the snow again, did you?" Now Nine almost blushed as embarrassment sunk in. He decided pointedly not to answer, but this in and of itself answered the inventor for him. "Then it seems very likely that this was triggered by the cold, and if that's the case then we should be able to treat that relatively easily." He flashed the younger male a warm smile.
Nine tried not to seem too awkward as he smiled back.
"Let me just get something to bring down that fever… Or, Five, could you go get the basic fever reducer?" Five nodded eagerly, offhandedly fidgeting his patch, and then hurried off to get the bottle in mind. This left Nine and Two alone. With them now alone, Two exhaled quietly and sent a worried look to Nine. "Nine, I don't want to badger you with this, but you have to be more careful with yourself. This is the fifth time that you're gotten injured or ill from something that could've been avoided." He reached out and took his hand, "I worry about you, my boy."
'My boy' made him sound so old and Nine sound so young. It only reminded the ebony haired youth that the pounding in his chest wasn't natural. He shouldn't have been pining over someone so fatherly, especially when there was a perfectly single female in the nearby vicinity.
"I-I know, Two, but you shouldn't. I just-… I get a little in over my head sometimes. Especially when it comes to keeping the twins happy," he admitted with an awkward smile. Two smiled back, but his worry was still fully evident. Thankfully, Five returned with the bottle, shaking it as he entered.
"Here we go. I'd say… Two tablespoons. What do you think?" Five asked, looking to his mentor.
"I think you're right on the nose. That should be perfect," Two praised. "Why even need a measuring spoon- I always knew you had a knack for medicine." Five got an embarrassed look at his mentor's praise, though Nine believed he deserved the compliment. The healer didn't get enough encouragement for his actions. Though Nine's smile dropped as soon as the thick, brown liquid was poured into a spoon. It looked like syrup, but smelled more like dirt than something sugary or sappy. Mostly because of the roots it was made of.
"Alright, you need to take both of these," Five suggested as he poured the medicine into the spoon. He then offered it over to Nine. The younger male scowled at it, but accepted it with a cough following his swallow.
"This is disgusting," Nine bitterly spat. Two chuckled as though it was amusing while Five smiled and poured a second spoon. "And do I really need this much? I'm not that feverish," he protested further.
"You're feverish enough," Five asserted and offered a second spoonful while Two stood and wandered out. Nine broke into a fit of disgusted coughing as Five capped the bottle. "It's not that bad!" he protested in response, and followed with his own chuckle. Two returned a few minutes later with a cup of tea. Nine eagerly nursed at it, trying to smother the taste while sating the nagging thirst.
"I guess this means that we won't be scouting today," Five playfully remarked. Nine cast him a slight frown, which only amused the one-eyed male further. Normally he wouldn't joke with the younger male when he was obviously not feeling well, but he hoped that it would accentuate that this could've been avoided through care on Nine's part. "It's not like I will either. I don't want to leave you here alone."
Two perked a little from his partially distracted state. "Hmm?" Right afterwards, he realized what he was saying, and reached out to lay an affectionate hand on Five's shoulder. "Now Five, this scouting trip is important. If we don't get Seven and the twins out of this house, One's going to drive them mad. You go with them, look for supplies, and I can stay with Nine."
Nine wasn't too surprised by Two's suggestion. Two was supportive of the others getting out and exploring the Emptiness, to the point where he was willing to sacrifice his own time out to offer it to someone else. He especially would do what he could to support Five, whether that involved going out to get something for him or staying in so that Five could leave. However, with Seven, the twins, Five, and possibly Eight leaving, this left Nine practically alone with Two. While it seemed nerve wracking at first, Nine soon realized how good of an opportunity this was.
This would be one of the few times that they were totally alone while Two was set to tend to him. Nine couldn't waste this opportunity.
"Thank you, Two. I feel a lot better know you will be close by," Nine added in with a smile, which Two returned. Thankfully, both Two and Nine's response managed to secure Five's decision.
"Alright, well… I'll go. Just don't get into trouble while I'm gone- Either of you," Five finished with an awkward smile before grabbing his things and leaving. Finally, Nine and Two were alone. As ill as Nine was, he expectantly awaited what the older male would do next.
"I'm going to read for a bit, Nine. If you'd like, I can read to you. Unless you want to sleep," Two suggested as he adjusted his glasses. The younger jumped at the idea.
"No, no, no. I'd love that!" Nine insisted in an almost pleading way. "As long as you don't mind staying in here."
"Ah, smashing! Let me get my book and we'll begin," Two volunteered before going to get his book. Soon he returned and sat down at Nine's beside. He began to read from the novel. While Nine wasn't too interested in the story itself, he couldn't help but grow warmer at every infliction of the older male's voice. Nine loved Two's voice; how affectionate it was, how gentle it was, how filled with emotion it could be. It made him feel safe, and secure, to the point in which he started to forget how rough he felt.
His eyes fluttered shut as he continued to listen. Then he shortly after slipped into sleep.
When Nine awoke, Two was gone and a few hours had past. While feeling sore and lethargic, Nine felt a nagging hunger starting to pester him and decided to stumble out of bed. He wrapped a blanket around his shoulders and shuffled out of his room. The chill wasn't as biting, which he hoped meant his fever was down, but he still felt too cold to wander around in night clothes.
Once he was in the hallway, he noticed talking coming from One's bedroom. Curious, he walked closer to the room, listening in to the conversation. He pressed his forehead against the door to listen.
"I don't know what you're thinking, Two. Getting so close to him- Do you have any idea what could come out of this?"
Nine's breath hitched as he listened more intently.
"In his state, Nine doesn't know what he wants, and you know better. You're the adult in the situation, as much as Nine believes he is just as much of one."
The younger male would've been offended by this, but he was too distracted by One's words. "What is he talking about?... Does he mean-?"
"For Creator's sake, Two, you're our doctor! If you get ill, then it'll spread to the rest of us!"
And with that, Nine growing suspicion was shot down. Of course, One didn't think something was going on between Two and he. He just thought that Nine would somehow infect Two with his own illness. With dimmed interest, the young man stepped back to leave. Though this was interrupted when the bedroom door suddenly swung open and One started coming through. One noticed Nine, halted, and then got this brief look of dread; as though he was looking upon the plague itself. He took a step back, clearly putting some distance between him and Nine.
"Afternoon, Nine. I thought you would be in bed," One pointed out. He was probably moments from commanding the younger to get back to bed.
"I just woke up. I was looking for Two," he pointed out. One took a step behind the door and beckoned Two by. Once he was out in the hallway, One shut the door behind him, as though Nine just standing there would infect him.
"I didn't expect to see you awake so soon, or I would've been back sooner," Two explained with an affectionate smile as he hooked an arm around the younger male. "Let's get you back in bed, shall we?"
They got only a few steps before Nine resisted. "Actually, I was going to get something to eat…"
"Right. You didn't get any of breakfast, did you?" Two asked in concern. Being that the group worked as a unit, meals were usually prepared in a group serving and dished out to everyone. Nine managed to sleep straight through the serving time. "There's plenty left. Let's just get you in bed and I'll get you some."
"…There's no way you're going to let me stay out of bed, is there?" Nine asked wearily and Two gave a playful smile.
"Frankly, no. You may be feeling better now, but you could go downhill fast if you strain yourself." He led him into the bedroom and coaxed him down into bed. Nine dropped the blanket on the bed and climbed under both with a huff.
"Two, I'd probably feel better if I could stretch my legs," he pointed out with a pout. Though, while pointing this out, he felt a relief at the warmth the blankets provided. Getting back in bed suddenly wasn't that bad of a thought. He still defended himself even as he tucked the blanket around his neck. "And I don't want to force you to coddle me."
"Nonsense! If I didn't want to coddle you, I wouldn't have volunteered!" Two responded with a wink as he turned to leave the room. "You get comfortable. I'll be back in a few moments." So, he left and Nine was left alone in the bedroom. It didn't take very long until the male returned with a bowl of some sort of hash and a glass of juice. The younger eagerly accepted the offer an ate greedily.
"I don't think you need to go back to sleep, but you certainly need to stay in bed. I can stay with you and keep you company," the older suggested as he set down a deck of cards. "Let's see if I can show you a few games you haven't played…"
The day continued like this with few interruptions. Two stayed by Nine's bedside, keeping him distracted by playing games with him, and the afternoon slipped by. At some point in the late afternoon, Nine was administered another dose of fever reducer and fell asleep for a short while. By time he awoke, Two was gone, Five was in his bed, and it was clearly dark outside.
It was the perfect time for Nine to sneak downstairs.
He didn't even need anything, though his throat was parched, but he felt the need to wander just because he could. It seemed like most of the others were in their rooms. Eight's light looked to be on and he could hear the twins' music box from their room, but everything else was silent. Nine quickly descended the stairs and prepared to head into the kitchen. He stopped in his tracks as he noticed a light on in the den. Curious, he started to wander over, and soon recognized a familiar man sitting in the sofa, his back to him.
Nine didn't know why Two was randomly sitting in the dark, blanket wrapped around him, but he didn't know what to do. His choice was stolen when an innocent step forward triggered the floorboards to squeak. Two immediately looked back with a jump, but then calmed down as he recognized him. "Nine, what are you doing awake so late?"
"I slept all day," Nine reminded. "I… I had trouble staying asleep." Two gave an understanding hum and beckoned him over. The younger approached and was pointed to sit down beside him. Once he did, Two shared his blanket by wrapping it and an arm around Nine's shoulders.
"Indeed, I know that feeling. My mind's been too awake to sleep," Two admitted with a hesitant sigh. "It's been quite a day, hasn't it?"
"Yeah…" Nine hoped that his constant fever covered his growing blush. "But thank you for staying with me. We don't get to spend much time with just the two of us."
This caused Two to smile a bit more. "We don't, do we?" Something seemed a little somber in his tone and slowly drew his arm away, leaving the blanket on Nine's shoulder. "Are you feeling any better?"
Nine noticed that he had changed the topic extremely quickly. "Mostly… Are you okay? You don't usually sit alone in the dark…" Two glanced over, seemingly surprised that Nine had noticed what he was doing.
"I was… Listening to a few radio recordings earlier. I just let them run out and was… I was lost in my thoughts," Two admitted. He again began to avert his gaze towards the floor.
"Want to talk about it? I'm here, so we might as well," Nine suggested. However, the older didn't look like he intended to do so, as he immediately made a move to wave it off. "Come on, Two. You've seen me and my worst. If there's something bothering you, then I want to talk about it." The Inventor looked to him in surprise and Nine's smile became more confident. "You helped me so much today; it's the least I could do."
Two still seemed rather surprised, but now he gave a soft chuckle. He leaned forwards and wrapped his arms around Nine's frame, giving him a gentle hug. "Oh Nine, you're too good for me. Too good for this world, even. Don't worry about me. I was just… A little down after listening to the tapes. That's all." He didn't know if he believed that or not, but Nine was satisfied with how much more the older had perked.
…Then the fever started to affect his thoughts. It had to, for he suddenly felt himself start to lose a bit of his restraint. It didn't help that Two, in this rarely vulnerable moment, looked perfect in the glow of the dim lamp light. His blue eyes were mixed with mirth and lingering weariness; the latter could've very well be from renewed memories of the war. He couldn't help but feel immediately drawn to the older and started to lean in just a tad more, a bit too giddy.
Two noticed and took ahold of his arms. The motion stopped the younger male in his motions. "Wait…" From Two's solemn look, he knew too much. He already knew what the younger was planning on doing. "Think about this. I don't- You might not be thinking straight."
"I know," Nine spoke as he started moving in again. This time the older male faltered and Nine took the risk. His lips pressed against Two's, placing their own sort of claim on the older male. His arms awkwardly wrapped around Two in a sort of hug while they kept their lips conjoined together. Though this couldn't last as Two pulled back, Nine somewhat trailing an inch, and them sitting there staring at each other. Nine knew he couldn't leave an action like that without any explanation.
"Two, I… I have feelings for you," Nine admitted meekly, as though trying to defend his actions.
"I know," Two also admitted with a sort of shame on his voice. "I'm not blind, Nine. I've seen how 'particular' you act around me…" Then he chuckled, "And also, there was that just happening." Nine could only feel more embarrassment surge through him as he returned with his own, awkward laughter.
"Sorry, I just- I wasn't even thinking…" Nine was relieved that Two had yet to panic or grow furious, so he decided to continue being honest and open. "...But I've been wanting to do that. Maybe not that suddenly, but still… What do you think?"
"I don't know what to think…" Two's voice was quiet as he partially turned away. With a slow exhale, he revealed, "I wouldn't have turned you away. I don't have enough willpower… Even though I know I'm taking advantage of you."
Nine's eyes widened and he scrambled to defend, "Two, that's not true! I-!... Look, I've thought of it all before. Especially the… The age difference." He hated to bring it out into the open. "And if we're going to be honest, the only reason that our age is an issue is just- Inexperience. I'm not a child, Two. I… I know what I want, and I want you." There was a pause before he realized how suggestive it sounded. He scrambled to explain, "To be with me! Not- I want you to be with me. Regardless of age."
"To be entirely honest, I was talking about you being ill…" Two responded to him with a small smile. "…But are you certain about this, Nine? I don't want you making any rash decisions."
"Two, I've never been so sure. Today only proved to me more that I can rely on you when I'm in need- Not that I needed any more convincing." He slid closer to the older and made the bold motion to put his arm around his back. He then nuzzled in closer against the warmth that the older produced while resting his head on his shoulder. "But I don't want you to just pacify me. If you don't think this'll work, or want this, then I respect that and I can just deal with it."
"I don't know what I want, Nine…" Two looked to the younger with a clearly torn look. It was now obvious that Two's somber mood earlier was about more than just the tapes. "The age, the others- I don't want to have you jump into a relationship. Nine, you're young; you might not know it, but you may still be looking. I don't want to trap you into a long-term relationship."
"But that's what I want," Nine insisted, hugging tighter onto Two's side. The inventor inhaled a little sharper before pressing back. His smile returned once more.
"Then I can't exactly turn you away, can I?" While Nine face broke into a hopeful smile, Two leaned forward to return his hug fully. For that moment Nine felt perfect. Everything felt perfect; him, Two, everything came together for them. Feeling exhaustion kick in, he yawned and pressed further into the older. Even now he was still weary, but he resisted it to get a few moments more with Two, whose comforting arms were worth staying awake for.
This was the beginning of something wonderful; Nine could feel it.
Nine and Five had only just stepped in the door and started shedding their jackets when they were approached by Seven. "Glad to see you both back," she admitted before directing them further. "Two's not well. That's why he wasn't awake earlier." This immediately caught both of their attentions.
"How bad is he? Is he running a fever?" Five asked in an almost frantic display as he tried to get all his heavy clothes off. Nine had dressed significantly more lightly, though this was because Five consistently overdressed, so he could head inside and go to Two's room. One was waiting for him and pounced as soon as the younger came into sight.
"I know what you and Two have been doing," the leader announced with a clear frown. For a split second, Nine felt a sense of dread. "And I swear to Creator, if you manage to circulate this thing back and forth, I'm quarantining you both!" And just as quickly as it appeared, the dread was instantly gone.
"I'm better, One. I'm not catching anything back," Nine promised.
"See that you don't. As it is, one of our medics is bedridden and the other is sharing a bedroom with you. This could become an epidemic before the week's end." With that, the grumpy leader started towards Eight's room, probably to find someone to complain to about the virus spreading around. It only amused Nine further and he continued into Two's room.
His worry was still there, but much lesser once he saw the state that Two was in. "Nine, welcome back. Did you find anything useful?" the inventor asked with litheness in his voice. From the hoarseness in his voice to the obvious pink tinge to his cheeks, it was evident that Two was beginning to falter to the exact same illness that Nine had a few weeks before.
"We found some replacement phonograph parts, but nothing too spectacular. You don't look well," Nine admitted as he moved in closer and reached forwards to feel his forehead.
"I just need a little rest is all. There's no need to make a fuss." Two tried to underplay the situation. The coughing fit that followed didn't exactly support his claim. Five stumbled in right as he got his coughing under control.
Nine looked back to him, "Five, can you get the fever reducer? It's the same thing as before." The one-eyed male didn't seem too surprised, but agreed and went to get the medicine in question. Once he was gone, Nine looked back to Two. "Now you're going to stay in bed and let us take care of you, alright?" From his amused smile, it was obvious that Nine's playful tone wasn't lost on him.
Indeed, Nine was more than willing to return the favor. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Two's warm forehead lovingly. Hopefully, he would be able to do as good of a job as Two had done.
Two would be feeling better soon, and Nine would make sure of it.
FIN
Mable: So, I have quite a few more requests to finish. Another one happens to be a Human!punk as well, but requested by someone else. I'm sort of considering keeping the background plot of bioengineered humans, but I'm not decided or not. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed!