Mable: Hello again! Today we have a request fic for a quest. To my anonymous requester; I hope this story was worth the wait! I don't own 9, Enjoy!

Holding in the Warmth

There was a heavy crunch as the looming being continued to pass by. Nine could only tighten his hands on his Lightstaff. His arms were protectively wrapped around Five, holding the Lightstaff on the other side of him. The healer was nearly trembling in his grasp, but Nine couldn't tell if it was from the snow or from the looming beast nearby. Another crunching footstep and Nine pressed into Five's back firmer. Overprotectiveness was setting in quickly and he was almost ready to run out, flag the beast down, and lead it off somewhere.

He had to keep Five close. That was the most important thing. He had a feeling that the one-eyed male was probably more cold than he realized. He had been directly sitting in the snow, after all, while Nine was crouched instead. The zippered male hugged him tighter and nuzzled into his shoulder. Then he tensed as he heard metal scrape against metal. Whatever it was, it was directly searching for them. Instead of the usual red, a blue glow was cast by its optic. Something about the change made Nine feel more uneasy than he could've expected.

Though right after the blue light was cast over the area, the sound of footsteps backed off. It, whatever it was, began to retreat to some other location. Nine exhaled in relief and slouched a bit against his friend. Five stayed a little tenser and was unable to relax. Even once the beast fully left the area, the one-eyed male was as stiff as could be. Nine lightly shook his shoulder, "Five, it's gone."

Five slowly looked back at him. His panting came out in short, fogged puffs, "Are… Are you sure?" He was starting to shiver and Nine realized that it wasn't from fear. The healer was freezing and Nine couldn't help but feel responsible. After all, he convinced Five to come out scouting with him.

"I'm pretty sure. We need to get moving and find shelter," Nine insisted as he stood. He quickly scanned the vicinity, seeing no Beast in sight, and then helped Five to his feet. The one eyed male stiffly brushed the snow off his own burlap.

"I-I don't think we can make it home," he suggested. He then noticed the snow on Nine, who was still looking away, and quickly dusted it off him as well. "Maybe we should find shelter?"

Normally Nine would argue with this. He would determinedly stand by them getting home. After all, the beast was still out and the snow was falling faster. However, one once over of Five and Nine knew that he was already stretching himself too far. The one-eyed male was scared and cold, and downright miserable. Nine hated seeing the Stitchpunk he cared so much about look so emotionally exhausted.

"We'll find someplace to stop," Nine promised him. He then took his hand, "Just follow me. Don't fall behind, okay?" Five nodded in agreement and they trudged through the rapidly deepening snow. It was a cold journey and even when they were blocked from the wind it didn't feel any more comfortable.

One house stood out to Nine. It looked to be mostly intact, except for an open front door. That gave them more than enough reason to enter the house. The zippered male patted Five's shoulder and pointed it out. The one-eyed male dragged his head upwards, looking sluggish in his movements. This only frightened Nine more and he put an arm around Five. Leading him directly, Nine started to approach the house. He knew that Five should've been much more prepared for the cold than he was and primarily blamed him getting wet in the snow.

As they entered the front of the house, they were met with the smell of dust and snow flurries blowing in behind them. Nine turned his Lightstaff on and shined the light over the entranceway, not wanting to come in following the beast that had been hunting them. It didn't take long to realize that the house was untouched.

Five inhaled in a seethe as his shivering became more aggressive. "I-Is there a fireplace? I can make a fire," he suggested with his craving for warmth. However, Nine neither could see a fireplace in the living room area nearby, nor did he think it was a quick enough solution.

"Well… Maybe. First, let's try to find something faster," Nine suggested as he rubbed on Five's back. The healer moved closer to him, eagerly accepting his warmth and comfort. They continued along the hallway until passing another doorway later. Checking inside, Nine could see that it was a master bedroom. At first the bed seemed like a good place to warm Five. Then he noticed the kerosene lantern sitting on the bedside stand. Nine knew he could light it easily and knew that they would be warm under its glow.

"In here," Nine beckoned as he nudged Five inside. The bed was large and covered with a thick comforter that was easy to climb, even for Five's stiff frame. Once at the top, Nine nudged Five down onto the pillow. "Lay down and let me tuck you in. I'll turn on the kerosene lamp to help." The zippered male brought out a match from Five's bag as he set it aside.

"Nine, I'm… I'm wet. I should dry off," Five tried to encourage, but Nine was insistent.

"No, it's fine. You can get dry under the blanket; I… I need to get this lamp on for you," he smiled worriedly and hopped onto the bedside nightstand. He fiddled with the kerosene lamp, raising the wick and lifting the glass to light it. The lamp was soon alit in a warm glow and, thankfully, seemed to be giving off some heat.

"Nine… What if is co-omes back?" Five shuddered as he quietly asked this question. His voice was heavy with fear, which concerned Nine further.

"It won't. It… Hold on," Nine hopped to the bed and climbed down to the floor, starting towards the bedroom door.

"Nine, wait!" Five called after him. There was panic in his voice as he sat upwards in the bed.

"I'll be right back! Stay covered!" Nine nearly commanded the buttoned male as he headed into the hallway. He quickly ran to the doorway and started to push the door closed. He stopped with the door against the frame; so, it didn't fully click into place. This way he would still be able to open it without too much trouble, but beasts would hopefully buy the rouse. He then hurried back to the bedroom and repeated the action with that door. "See? I'm already back," he called onto the bed with a smile.

He climbed back onto the bed. To his immediate distress, he could see that Five was shivering still. He shuffled closer and sat down alongside him, putting his arms around his frame. "Feeling any warmer?" Nine asked with clear concern. He couldn't stand feeling the other tremble so much.

"A little…" Five responded in a quiet tone. Indeed, to Nine's surprise Five did feel a little less cold, but he was still trembling more than he needed to be. It suddenly clicked that perhaps it wasn't just the cold that left Five shaking. Nine knew that Five tended to tremble in a stressful situation, but considering the snow it hadn't been Nine's first assumption.

"Oh, Five…" Nine murmured in concern and moved closer. He held Five tighter against his chest. "Five, we're safe now. It's not going to find us in here. I'm going to keep you safe," Nine reassured him further. From the way Five clung to him, he had a feeling that the healer wasn't fully reassured just yet. "I love you, Five. I'd never let anything hurt you… Never again."

Hearing the sudden tone that Nine's voice, Five finally regained his voice, "I know you wouldn't! I… I love you too." The exchange of affectionate words wasn't uncommon amongst the two of them. Especially not once they became mates. "I just… It was so sudden… I've never seen anything like that…"

"Try not to think about it, Love," Nine murmured with a nuzzle against the neck. "Just let me see if I can stop the shakes." With that he pulled back enough to slide between Five and the pillow behind him. He slowly began to massage at his shoulders in small circles, working his thumbs in around the stitches that lingered there. Five's reaction was immediate; he gave a shaky sigh and then began to melt into Nine's hands. "Is that better?" Nine asked with a more confident smile.

"Y-Yeah, that's- that's great," Five continued to sigh, then groaned, and leaned back further into Nine's hold. Five was weak to massages; he always had been. Since the day he was created he had always been rendered immobile by gentle caresses. Nine very literally knew how to push Five's buttons. It wasn't too long before Nine had tugged him back against his zipper and moved on to Five's own front. While his left hand held Five against him, and he gently kissed at Five's neck and shoulder, Nine's right hand moved to trace over Five's upper button.

Naturally, Five's gasps continued, just as Nine hoped they would. There was no doubt that the healer was still nervous about the beast that loomed outside, but the fact that he didn't stop him gave Nine confidence.

"I love you so much, Five," Nine admitted with another kiss. "I hate seeing you like this. So afraid of something, even if it's just a beast. I'm supposed to be protecting you…" Nine left out the part where he condemned himself for a less than perfect job. If he had been a little quieter then perhaps the beast wouldn't have seen them in the first place, but he tried not to dwell on it. Five needed him to focus on pleasuring him, not get distracted on his own laments.

"Y-You do protect me," Five squeaked out. His heavy voice managed to raise just a bit higher, fueled by the new touches. Nine rewarded this comment with a kiss on the shoulder. He then continued by moving his hand down to the lower button, tracing it in circles. "K-Keep going. I-It's making me feel- ah- warmer," Five admitted further. This was his own, meek way of showing that he wanted more.

Nine immediately gave in and move down further. His hands moved down to Five's hips and pulled them tighter together. He could feel the plushness of Five's backside pressed against his lower front. He fought the urge to move against it; he always loved the softness and relished in it being all his. Every part of Five had become his to hold and love, and Nine couldn't help but adore that. His right hand traced along Five's inner thigh, feeling the one eyed male jump at the more intimate contact.

"Easy…" Nine murmured as he pet his hip with his other hand. He knew Five was only this jumpy because of what had happened earlier. "I'll take care of you," Nine promised further and turned to kiss Five on the patch. The healer sighed and began to relax, starting to feel Nine slide closer to the inside of his thigh. His fingers traced the one-eyed male's burlap along familiar patterns. His free hand then moves from his hip and instead slips between Five's legs. The healer eagerly let his legs spread in response.

Apparently Nine wasn't the only one anticipating their night going in a different direction. When he brushed over the fabric between Five's legs, he could feel that the male's cylinder was already open and eager. This triggered a hot blush to settle onto Nine's face. "I didn't expect you to- being so shaky and all- you know," Nine finished his awkward statement with a chuckle.

Five started to blush as well, "I-I didn't expect you to get so curious." The retort didn't stop Nine, nor did the embarrassment cause Five to shut down.

Nine traced the tips of his copper fingers over Five's opening. Regardless of how cold Five had been, his opening was warm to the touch and signaled the heat deep inside. The zippered male had almost been as cold as Five was, and while he was warming quickly, the thought of tight heat was too wonderful to bear. He started to press a finger inside, listening to Five groan above him. One wouldn't be enough, so he slid in a second one alongside it. By now Five was panting, though more in anticipation than overwhelming pleasure.

As he pressed his digits in further, Nine couldn't help but rock his hips against his mate. By now his rod was probably able to be felt through both of their fabric, he knew this, but he couldn't control his own body. He couldn't control the sensation to grind and silently plead for something more. Though he mostly focused on appeasing his mate, continuing to caress his inner walls.

That was, until Five abruptly stopped him. "Wait, wait. I- Let me- Let me just…" the healer quietly panted as he nudged Nine's hand back. The zippered male freed his hand from his mate's tightness and instead moved to comfortably hold his hip. The healer started to slide upwards, sliding against the zippered male's burlap as he did so. It took Nine a minute to realize what Five was doing. The healer reached back and naturally grasped Nine's zipper, tugging it down without having to even look back at him.

Nine could only groan at the sensation of his rod sliding out between the teeth of his zipper. Before he even had a moment to react, Five lined his cylinder with his rod.

"Is this- is this okay?" Five asked shyly. This was the first time he had been so bold. Usually their lovemaking sessions followed a similar route; cuddling, kissing, nuzzling, and then Nine guiding himself into Five. This time he was taking more charge about it, which surprised the zippered male. After all, Five had been so fearful earlier.

"Of course! I… I've never see you like this… I like this," Nine gave a goofy smile as he admitted such. Five turned back and gave an equally awkward smile. Nine found his blush- so strong that it shined through his patch- to be completely adorable. He cupped his mate's cheek and pulled him back far enough that they could meet lips in a gentle kiss. It was warm, it was passionate, but compared to the situation it was much more soft than one would expect. Five's kisses were always gentle and backed with emotion more than arousal.

Five then moved back into position, his eager opening over Nine's rod, and then pressed down onto it. Five's cylinder eagerly opened and let Nine's rod slide into its warm, tight, and slick depths. The lubrication fluid assisted in the easy entrance. There was no pain; Five was already so used to the pressure and pleasure that nothing held him back. He slowly slid down onto Nine and tightened around him. The zippered male was nearly gasping at the sensation.

"Five, that's- Ah!" Nine gasped out. It felt so much different to have Five lower himself onto him. The lack of control made each sensation a bit more precise feeling. It felt so wonderful, and Five began to slowly raise and lower himself. He started to move slightly faster, trying to get accustomed to this new angle. Nine tried to assist, grasping at his hips and backside with over-eagerness, but most of it was being done by Five on his own. He didn't exactly mind though. Especially not as the action helped him ignore the biting chill.

Nine hugged Five from behind as he ground his hips upwards. He couldn't get out the words, but he showed everything he needed to with the motions alone. The plushness against his lower front, the familiar cylinder around his rod, the soft gasping from his love; Nine was in complete heaven. Five tightened a little further and gave a shudder.

"N-Nine!" Five sputtered out and followed with a gasp as a deeper spot was struck. His cylinder tightened and loosened around Nine, nearly driving the zippered male to the brink. Almost, but not quite yet.

"Creator, Five, I'm already there," Nine tried to force a low tone, but his body still showed his desperation. His hips were bucking and rocking without shame, his hands were now blatantly squeezing Five's backside alone, and the pressure of release was starting to build. He couldn't remember the last time that he wasn't able to hold out longer than Five, but this seemed to be it. A few more thrusts and the male seemed to tighten impossibly harder around him. The heat built higher, pent more pressure, and then suddenly Nine hit the end.

"Five!" all he could get out was Five's name. Nine could see static on his vision as sharp, throbbing pleasure wracked through his body. He could barely catch his breath as he watched Five continue to drive himself onto the rod. A few more moments passed by, a few tense and tight moments, and then Five followed along with Nine. He gave a cry and gasp, trembling, and clamped down around Nine. He hit his end with a vengeance and trembled, then collapsed back onto Nine.

He was completely out of breath, completely spent, and Nine eagerly dragged the blanket upwards to tuck around his mate. He pulled him into a warm hug and nuzzled into him, now having the male facing him. Eventually Five was somewhat roused and hugged tightly against the zippered male. Nine could already feel that Five had relaxed quite a bit, and it filled him with warm relief.

"Feeling better? Not as cold?" Nine suggested with a playful smile.

Five answered with a blush and his usual, sweet smile, "Much better. I… Wow." Nine chuckled at Five's bemusement as the latter pressed into his front. "I love you."

"I love you too," Nine immediately answered, kissing him on the top of the head. He would've preferred the lips, but Five seemed too tired to even lift his head.

"What about… What about getting home?" Five quietly asked. He sounded too tired to be overly concerned, which Nine preferred. "It's pretty cold out there… Might not be good for our health." The boldness was starting to finally return, and the fear had finally started to ease.

"Maybe not," Nine playfully answered. "Maybe we should stay the night here. We can always leave tomorrow. It'll be safer and warmer if we just spend the night together. What do you think?" He affectionately caressed over the buttoned male's number.

"I think that's a good idea," Five agreed. "…I think you can keep me safe." The added in portion was heavy with love. He leaned upwards and pressed his lips to Nine's. Nine eagerly returned the affectionate kiss, unafraid of whatever laid outside their shelter.

It was almost amusing to Nine. To think that some time earlier Five had been in his arms, but had been freezing and fearful, and both had been in danger. Now he was holding his mate to him, sharing warmth without fear, and the risks were much smaller. Though Nine learned long ago that he would have to go through the troubling times to get to these rewards.

Five was completely worth it. This moment, holding him close, was completely worth it.

FIN

Mable: I don't just have a few more request fics to deal with, but I have some Christmas stuff to look forward to! It's unbelievable that Christmas is already so close. ^-^ Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed!