Mable: Chapter Two, nothing to really say, again I don't own 9.Enjoy!

Sudden

Chapter Two

It had taken a while, but Eight had finally arrived at the library and entered inside to where the pool was. He poured the little bit of ink out of the ink well before filling it with the rather cool water of the pool. Topping it, he was ready to head back to the sanctuary. Yet when he stepped outside Eight was alarmed when he caught the slightest bit of a shadow behind one of the statues. He placed the inkwell down and unsheathed his knife, slowly approaching the statue. Upon growing closer he could hear a dull sound that sounded like footsteps. He quickly circled the statue and jumped forward, holding up his sword threateningly, and receiving a short cry in response of it.

"Six?" Eight didn't understand seeing the small artist here and put his knife back on his back. At this time Six had fallen back down onto the ground, looking quite afraid of the sudden knife beckoned at him. "What are you doing out here!" Was the only question, Eight crying it out in a shocked tone, and Six answering, "Well… I-I… Followed you." He murmured out and looked very guilty in the process. Eight huffed a bit, not in anger, but more so in the fact that he was upset that he himself couldn't tell the smaller was following him. "Why?" He asked and the artist shrugged, "I don't know." With that Eight huffed and held his hand out, helping Six up, and then went over to get the inkwell of water.

"You should have stayed at the sanctuary." Eight pointed out, but Six shook his head, "Wanted to come with you." They started walking in silence. Neither really knew what to say in this situation before Six decided to speak up, "Thank you for doing this… Nobody else said it because they're so worried about Nine. This was a good thing that you did." Eight shook his head, "No, it wasn't. I did this, I caused this, and nothing I can do is 'good' anymore. It was my fault that I was stupid enough to shove him onto that pole." As he began to walk ahead, he could hear Six struggling to keep up without running. "You didn't mean to push him on the pole." He pointed out.

At this Eight abruptly stopped in his tracks and merely stared ahead. He could feel when Six made contact with his back and promptly fell down behind him, the bully somewhat noted that Six was quite off balance for a Stitchpunk. Looking back he knew he had to say something and waited until the artist was looking at him. "Listen, I'm…" He knew he'd have to force the words out; this whole Nine situation had made him realize how easy it would be for him to hurt Six, and he knew he was even smaller than Nine so he could easily be hurt worse. The thought of what could have happened if he had pushed Six instead of Nine was eating at his fabric, "I'm sorry for going at you."

"It's okay. You were still upset about Nine."

"Not back in the room." Eight explained, the words coming a bit easier now, "Nine was right to defend you. I'm always doing something to hurt you, ripping up your stuff, tripping you, this has to stop. I'm not going to mess with you anymore. It's over. It could've been you who fell on that thing." Another silent moment when neither spoke, again Six broke the silence, "Really?" The hopeful tone still lingered after so many broken promises, so much hurt, and the larger nodded before holding his hand out to help him up. "Yeah." Six allowed himself to trust him and took the hand to be lifted. Once up he let the smile come through, "We can be friends now?" More hope in this question.

Finally Eight let a smile form as well, "I think I can pull that off." Six started to walk back towards the new sanctuary, leading Eight along with him. Eight himself looked down and saw that their hands were still locked tight and decided not to separate them. This would have to be his payback for bulling Six so long, and honestly it wasn't that bad.


Running into the workshop, One could see what made the thudding noise. Nine was now on the ground and had fallen off the cot, possibly his confusion causing him to misjudge his actions. Now he was reaching towards the leader with a pained expression, "One!" Said male rushed to his aid and started to help him up somewhat only to have Nine falter. He couldn't stand, or was too confused to think of standing, and he felt incredibly hot. Then he suddenly began to start crying, dry sobs appearing out of nowhere, and One was becoming a lot more concerned, "Where does it hurt?" No answer and he softly touched Nine's cheek, "Nine, you have to tell me where it hurts."

"Something's wrong with me!" Nine managed out, "I-I can't think straight! I feel so weird! What's wrong with me!" One attempted to explain, though he doubted Nine was clearheaded enough to understand, "You're overheating and it is making you close to delirious." He then somewhat stroked Nine's head, "We need to get you back onto the cot." He lifted the male and placed him on the cot, the younger Stitchpunk recoiled from it, and it was obviously not comfortable. "Don't let me go, please One…" The leader couldn't say no to him and ended up holding him while he lay on the cot, quickly unzipping him so that he could cool his insides. Then glanced at the door.

Two had watched the entire thing and had this knowing smile on his lips. He waved a bit to signal his leave before exiting and heading to find Five. This left the other two alone, and Nine seemed to become incredibly affectionate in his delusion. He pressed into One's front, his optics sliding shut, and he actually smiled a little. "I love you." Meanwhile One was quite worried for Nine's health as these sudden emotion swings were caused by his fever. Still worried, afraid, and sure that Nine could only get worse, he decided to indulge the younger. He knew Nine couldn't mean it, but decided to attempt to make him feel somewhat better, "I love you too, Nine."

With that Nine pressed closer and One tried to ignore the horrible heat radiating off of him. They stayed there like that, neither moved.


When Five saw the smile on Two's face he felt somewhat relieved. He thought he had heard something going on, but with Two looking so content it was obvious that everything was okay. So instead he smiled as well and approached his mentor, "Everything is okay?" The Inventor nodded, "Yes. Nine told One that he had strong feelings for him and he was a bit surprised." Five's optic widened, "He said that? He actually told One he loved him?" Being his best friend, he knew that Nine had feelings for the leader, but Nine swore that they would go away and that they weren't that serious. His mentor knew this which was why he was so willing to explain what happened. "The fever loosened his… Voice box." Two was to say 'tongue', but that wouldn't have worked right.

Then Two chuckled a bit, "They would be quite an odd couple, would they not? Not a bad one, but a bit strange when first facing it I assume. They don't seem like the two who would fall in love." Five laughed a little as well, his own Two-like chuckle, "No, they don't. They're a weirder couple then we would be!" When it sunk in, Five made a choking noise as he realized what he had just said. Meanwhile Two looked at him in surprise for that was the last thing he expected his apprentice to say to him. The healer tried to stutter out an excuse, "I-I mean… Strange and, you know, we are… I uh…" Two actually looked down at the floor and Five winced as he though his mentor was disappointed.

"Well I disagree…" Two said in a soft, almost shy voice, "I actually think that… We would make a good couple." He suggested and Five found himself staring at the other as though he was insane. He was shocked that the other suggested that, somehow, they could be together. Then Five actually thought about it and forced more words out, "I-I never said we would be a bad couple… We could be a good couple…" Now he was getting the 'insane' look and he felt himself heat up faster than Nine running a fever. His optic looked up as Two came closer before dropping back to the floor. He was now feeling very awkward and wished he wouldn't have said anything at all about the subject of them being a couple.

Then Two was so close that Five couldn't look down to avoid him. He was always shorter, so he could squeeze into the line of vision while getting so close that they almost touched. "Five," Two started and finally Five looked at him, seeing the smile stretched across the older's face, "If you feel that way, perhaps we could do an experiment to see how it would be." Five blinked, "You mean… You mean we should become a couple?" He felt his breathing speed up and the Inventor smiled wider, "It would be interesting, and I am sure we could have fun. Maybe it will last for a while, maybe forever." The one eyed one took in the words and softly exhaled, "Forever…"

"Forever." Two reassured, as though he actually had wanted this, and perhaps Five wanted it too. He had always liked the Inventor more than a father-son relationship, in a way that he couldn't exactly explain. Then his breath was taken away as Two pressed their lips together. It felt like pure wonderful pleasure for the time that they were together, suddenly locking each other in a tight grip of their grasps. Both of them felt perfect and either wished to pull away as warmth sparked between them. Two was petting the side of Five's head, right over his patch, and it caused said healer to flash back to when Two had saved his life. He was in debt to Two as much as he was in love with Two.

When they separated for a brief second, still holding each other, Five decided to voice his newest discovery, "I love you." Two looked thrilled and continued to smile happily, "I love you too, Five." They almost pressed their lips together again when they heard something. "The bucket lift." The younger pointed out and the older nodded, "Most likely Eight with the water. We might need to continue this later." Five nodded In agreement and they watched as the lift made its way to the sanctuary. It carried Eight, Six, and Seven. Seeing the water caused Two to smile again as perhaps this meant they could finally aid Nine.


One almost allowed himself to fall asleep on the cot with Nine. He had climbed in beside him only a little while earlier and, being late at night, he was quite tired. Right as his slanted optics began to slide shut the room was entered by Two, "Eight just got back with the water." The leader exhaled a bit and forced himself off of the cot, "Good. Nine is still overheating." By now Nine was somewhat awoken as well and tried to grasp onto One who stood. When Eight handed the ink well to Two, the medic crossed over to the cot where Nine was still open. "Now this might feel cold, but we must get you fever down." He uncapped the inkwell, grabbed a rag he used for various things, and wetted it.

The second Two laid it in Nine's metal the younger shivered and moaned in discomfort. It felt so cold to him and he reached out for One. When his hand was taken, he finally calmed down enough, and Two started to drench his insides in more water. The shivering grew worse as the water did its job to help the overheating. Once he was drenched adequately he was freezing, but Two was sure that he could already feel his fever beginning to cool. "You may still feel cold, but that's a good thing." One stroked the closer hand to him gently, running over the metal and actually liking the shape and feel of the hand. He somewhat noted that he was acting different, but didn't care as he was still here to comfort Nine.

Two said a quick 'good night' and went to Five's room, Eight retreated to his own room quietly, and One exhaled in somewhat relief of this being settled. "Get some rest, Nine." Nine spoke up immediately, "I can't, the cot is too hard, and it's hurting my back." The leader decided not to point out that the Stitchpunk had been sleeping fine on the cot only a bit earlier, he decided to instead move Nine somewhere more comfortable, "Should I take you to your room?" He was willing to actually carry the other even though he knew that any sort of good leader wouldn't carry their followers about. Perhaps Nine was a special case. Nine shook his head in response, "I want you to take me to your room."

He was still delusional, One convinced himself; he had no idea what he was saying in these words. Still he had gone this far and perhaps Nine wouldn't remember this when the fever came down, so he allowed the injured one to stay with him. "Can you walk?" As Nine sat up and swayed a bit, not even on his feet yet, One realized there was no way he could expect Nine to walk in these conditions and ended up having to carry him again. Not that One much minded doing this as in guaranteed physical contact. As this sunk in he began to start to take Two's words to heart. Everything they had discussed earlier was pushed to the back of his mind until right this second.

The tension between One and Nine had always been because One did have unusual feelings for him. When he was partially usurped during the 'Fabrication Machine incident' One had felt nothing but anger, hate, and this strange spark that constantly pointed out how new and bizarre it felt to have Nine tell him what to do. He didn't like it, period; he was the leader and nobody else was. Then there were those few times when looking at Nine felt rather good. Not to mention the times he would purposely brush past the younger male to get a second of contact. He even sacrificed himself to save the other and yet swore he would've done it for any of the others; the truth in that was questionable.

After the Life Giving Rain brought them back, and his hand was fixed, One started to catch on to the fact that perhaps he felt in some ways stronger for Nine. Especially that moment when Nine said he didn't want to be leader and that One was the only leader they needed. Still the leader tried to stay in the dark about any feelings he may have for Nine, until now. The mere feeling of laying Nine down in his own bed caused One to somewhat admit that there was something between them. Though he highly doubted that Nine meant what he said earlier. Still, lying back down beside Nine was enough for now, it was all he truly wanted now.


Mable: Alright, end of chapter two, expect the third very soon. I hope you enjoyed!