Gavin hummed in contentment as soft, warm lips brushed along his bare shoulder. He sighed tiredly, burrowing his face further into the plush pillows. He could smell fresh cotton, a light trace of thirium, and a familiar spiced cologne. Gavin smiled and bit his lips as the weight on his back increased. The lips became more insistent, dragging along his shoulder to his neck, where the teasing lips became teeth. It was comfortable. Familiar. Gavin moaned as his hand fisted in the duvet, his member stirring as the teeth continued to work the reddened and bruised skin from the night before.
"You'll be late, Detective," Aaron's voice purred in his ear, nipping the shell before returning to his sensitive neck. He suckled and kissed the abused skin more as his large hand began trailing a path up Gavin's bare thigh beneath the covers. Gavin hummed softly as he leaned back against the strong body pressing up behind. He felt his heart drop as he opened his green eyes. The hand on his hip paused as Gavin looked over his shoulder, his body stiffening.
"I don't want to get up," he replied seriously, grief clear in his eyes as he looked at Aaron's gentle expression. If I wake up, you won't be here…you'll be gone…He turned over and rolled into Aaron's chest in a way he rarely had before. Aaron seemed surprised as he allowed himself to be turned onto his back so that he could hold Gavin closer. Long fingers ran through Gavin's hair as he tried not to let the scene slip away. The more aware he became, the more it would change. He didn't want to lose this moment. This moment was nice. This moment was safe.
"Gavin…You can't stay here like this. You need to wake up…You have work to do," Aaron soothed in encouragement, still wearing that stupidly soft smile as Gavin shook his head again with his usual stubbornness. Waking up meant he had to go back out there. The Hickory Killer could be anywhere. He could be planning anything. Gavin didn't want to lose anyone else. "If you stay here, you can't catch him," Aaron murmured as he pressed a gentle kiss into his hair. Gavin held on tighter. He was giving up hope of ever catching him. He'd always been a dozen steps behind. He'd never even managed to close in. He'd fallen into every single fucking trap.
"I'm not good enough!" he insisted vulnerably as he pushed himself up a little to look at Aaron's quizzical expression. Gavin looked guilty as he stared up with helpless green eyes. "I've never been good enough! It was my fault Jack died, and then I let my guard down, and you…you were safe! At home! I left you on Friday, and the next thing I knew, you'd…" Tears spilling from his eyes. Aaron's expression changed to one of sympathy as he gently wiped the tears away. Gavin wasn't sure whether he was wallowing in guilt or self-pity at this point. Probably both. I'm good at that.
"Your friends are right, Gavin…This wasn't your fault. It was never your fault…I know you can catch him…Just remember, you don't have to do it alone. Use your friends. Pool your resources. This killer is a man, and a man can be caught," Aaron assured wisely, though Gavin still felt doubtful. Aaron's smile softened as he slowly turned their bodies, pressing his lips against Gavin's in a familiar dance. They moulded together so perfectly. Gavin held the hands that found his own and pinned them to the mattress playfully. God, I'm going to miss this…"I'll miss it too…" Aaron replied softly, as if he'd read Gavin's mind. It was a dream. Maybe he had.
Gavin closed his eyes and melted into the mattress, accepting each kiss that was pressed against his wanton lips. It was softer than usual. More intimate. It was the type of affection they'd usually only shared on mornings when Gavin was on the late shift. The times Gavin had let his guard down and played pretend. Pretended he was ready for a long-term commitment. Pretended he was worth a damn. Pretended he had the capacity to put someone else first and make them happy. Pretended he could feel something for anyone without it being tainted with the fear of loss.
"Gavin…You have to tell him how you feel. Don't put it off too long…You never know how much time you have left," Aaron murmured in his ear as he drew back a little. Gavin caught his breath as he opened his eyes. He darted upright as he realised he was alone. He was in Aaron's bed, but Aaron was gone. No…no-no-no-no-not yet! Not-yet! Gavin tossed the duvet aside and stumbled out of the bed, not bothering with clothing as he rushed through to the living room. It was empty. Dim. Deserted. Cold. His skin prickled at the realisation.
"Aaron?" Gavin called, though it came out as more of a pathetic plea than a shout. He tried the small office, but it was as deserted as the bedroom and living area. Gavin gasped as he heard movement behind. There was a door. It was different from the rest of Aaron's apartment. Older. Worn. It also wasn't supposed to be there. It had just been a plain wall a few moments ago. It was familiar somehow. Gavin frowned as he turned fully to face the door. He licked his lips as he grasped the brass knob and twisted, pushing the door open. It was dark inside. No…I don't want to go in there…
It was almost like he'd been hypnotised within the dream. He couldn't stop himself as he walked step by step onto the dusty old wooden floorboards. He could feel the roughness beneath his bare feet. Filth and decay from years of neglect. Please…I don't want to be here…Gavin's breath caught as he cleared the door and it slammed shut. He was gasping already as a small overhead light flickered on. Relief swelled in his chest as he saw Aaron strapped down to the table, still in one piece.
"Gavin!" he cried fearfully as he squirmed, stripped down and naked against the grubby wooden surface. Gavin raced across the room. He leaned over the table, tugging to loosen the straps as Aaron cried and pleaded with him for help. "Please! Please-Gavin! Help-me!" he sobbed helplessly, trying to jerk his wrists and ankles free. Gavin searched frantically, tracing the edges of the leather belts for some way to release them.
"Phck! There are no buckles!" Gavin cursed, murmuring out assurances as he looked around the otherwise pitch black room. He ducked down to look under the table, but there were no fastenings or even belts under there. Where do the straps even go? How are they stuck down? How do I get him up? Gavin wondered, grunting in agitation. He returned to his previous method of brute strength. "Come on! Work with me here! Come on, pull! Pull, you-phcking-android! Come-on!" he urged as he gripped one of the wrist straps and yanked as hard as he could. Aaron was trying to lift at the same time, but it was no use. Gavin could feel the leather pressing into his fingers, barely even straining the stiff material.
"Tick-tock, Detective. Tick-tock," a deep, distorted voice almost mocked from the darkness. Gavin became more frantic, his heart pounding as he pulled and pulled. The killer was there. He was right there in the fucking room somewhere. He had to get Aaron free. Come on! Aaron cried harder at the sound, blue eyes glistening as he stared up at Gavin, pleading and sobbing. This wasn't right. This wasn't how Aaron was supposed to look. He was so confident, so cocky, so strong. He wasn't supposed to look so fucking scared.
"It's alright, I'm not leaving you! I'm not phcking leaving you here!" Gavin assured anxiously, roaring in frustration as he pulled again. He'd wrenched the leather so hard he was getting deep red marks across his fingers. Gavin was sobbing as he drew back. He shook his head, turning to look around the room instead. If he couldn't get Aaron up, then he could at least stay close and fight off anyone who came near them. He didn't have any weapons. Hell, I don't even have clothes…
"Gavin?" Aaron whimpered out in disbelief, his blue eyes wide and haunted as he stared down at his arm. Gavin leaned over warily, suddenly feeling sick as he saw the bloodied blue stump of Aaron's wrist. His hand was gone. It was just fucking gone. No one had come near them. No one had touched him. It just wasn't there anymore. Gavin flinched as a small light appeared in one of the clocks he knew were dotted around the room. It was one of the tall grandfather clocks. Gavin choked on bile as he saw Aaron's hand dangling there on a pendulum, swinging back and forth with a loud tick tock sound. I have to get him out of here!
"Aaron!" Gavin cried with a new sense of urgency as he turned back, wrenching and pulling at the restraints again. His fingers started bleeding from the strain as he tugged and twisted. He even leaned down and tried chewing with his teeth. It's no phcking good! "Aaron, I can't phcking…Phck!" Gavin cursed as he gripped Aaron's shoulder with one hand and looked around frantically. He was scared. If he left Aaron's side to find something to cut the leather, then he might be in pieces by the time he got back, but if I don't leave him then-Phck! Gavin cursed as Aaron wailed, blue eyes glistening as he stared down at his second bloodied wrist. Another clock lit up. Both of Aaron's hands were gone now. Gavin tried his best to ignore the almost deafening ticking of the clocks as the pendulums swung.
"Gavin-please-please!" Aaron sobbed in terror, Gavin's own heart pounding in his chest. Pulling the straps wasn't going to work and standing around would just mean watching Aaron disappear piece by piece. Gavin breathed deeply as he rested his hands on Aaron's pale cheeks, wiping away the saline tears as he looked into his glistening blue eyes. They were so much darker than Nines' tiger-like eyes, and right now they were so vulnerable.
"I've got to find something to cut you loose. I'll be right back, you hear me? I won't phcking leave you," Gavin promised, trying to push down his own sobs as he watched Aaron whimper. Despite his obvious fear of being left alone, he nodded. Gavin pressed a kiss to Aaron's forehead before stepping back and looking around. First, he ran to where he thought the door would be, shaking fingers searching along the black wall until he found the frame. Phck! That's right, the handle's gone! Gavin punched the wood uselessly before running to the nearest standing clock and pulling the door open. "Hang on!" he called as he heard another cry, trying to ignore the third clock lighting up with one of Aaron's feet swinging inside.
He ripped the swinging metal pendulum from the clock before returning to Aaron. He carefully put the mechanical hand aside before slotting the pole through one of the leather straps. The metal gave him more leverage. More room to lift and pull. Come on! Phck! Gavin roared, his skin flushing with the effort. What the phck is up with these straps? They should have at least loosened a little by now! He tried climbing on the table and lifting instead. The thin metal pole started to bend. The leather itself showed no sign of budging. What the phck? This isn't right!
"Gavin…" Aaron almost whimpered. Gavin looked down to find his other foot was gone. He jumped down from the table with a frustrated huff, tossing the bent pole aside. He couldn't pull the leather free. His only other option was finding something to cut it. He ran back to the clock and wrenched the glass-fronted door off. He swung it down, wincing as he heard the loud crack and shatter. Wood and glass fragments scattered across the floor.
"Hold on!" Gavin called as Aaron cried out again. One of his forearms appeared in another clock that ticked mockingly from across the room. Gavin reached down for the largest shard of glass he could find before running back to Aaron's side. He cursed and hissed quietly as he stumbled through the shattered fragments, trailing red across the floor from his sliced up feet. He barely registered the lack of pain from the cuts. He was too focused on Aaron. Aaron was silently crying now, his blue eyes squeezed shut tightly so that he didn't have to watch his body disappearing. That was probably a good thing as his second forearm disappeared. Phck! Gavin grabbed the strap holding Aaron's shoulders down. He pulled the leather taut before working the jagged shard back and forth. Why isn't it working? The shard was slipping and sliding in his bloodied grasp as the edges cut into his fingers. The glass was sharp. It should have been cutting the leather. It didn't even make a scratch.
"Get me out! Please, get me out!" Aaron whimpered pathetically, his breaths shaking fearfully as he sobbed. By the time Gavin looked down again, Aaron had already lost both shins and one of his upper arms. Gavin sniffled quietly as he continued to work the slippery shard. It didn't make sense. The straps were leather. The glass was sharp. He was using all of his strength. It should be cutting! It should be making a mark at least.
"Phck, I'm sorry…I'm-sorry…" Gavin whispered quietly as he leaned down and pressed gentle kisses to Aaron's temple. The LED there was spinning an angry red. "I'm right here…" Gavin added as he rested a hand on Aaron's pale waist. He watched Aaron shudder and clench his jaw in resignation, trying not to tremble as saline trailed down his cheeks. Gavin swallowed as he closed his own eyes, nuzzling him affectionately. He kept his hand on Aaron's waist and his eyes closed. He stood a little straighter as Aaron fell silent. His sobs and quivering breaths soon halted completely. The only thing left was the endless ticking of the clocks.
"Aren't you going to look at my work, Gavin?" the distorted voice invited in a mocking tone. Gavin flinched as the man spoke right in his ear. A large body pressed up behind and cage him against the blue stained bench. He was glad it was at least a fully clothed body, though the intimacy of their position wasn't lost on him. He flinched as two hands settled on his hips, breath hot against his ear as the figure leaned closer. "I made it just for you, Gavin. All of it…Don't you like it?" the voice added, chuckling coldly as Gavin shook his head and trembled beneath him.
"You sick phck…" Gavin bit out, his lower lip trembling as he struggled to keep his eyes closed. He didn't want to open them. He didn't want to see the blue of the bench. He didn't want to see that Aaron was gone. He didn't want to see the clocks. The man chuckled as he leaned closer. No! Gavin saw red as he felt soft lips brush his neck. He struggled against the towering figure behind as the hands on his hips became firmer. "Get the phck off me!" he roared, opening his eyes as he threw all of his strength into an elbow swing. He gasped as the body behind blocked the strike and slammed him down. Aaron was gone, leaving just a thirium stained table. Gavin felt bile rise in his throat as oily blue smeared across his bare skin.
"Tick-tock, Detective…" the voice purred, chuckling in a deep tone as he trailed cool fingers down Gavin's spine. Gavin cried and wailed. He tried to struggle free. His heart pounded as the fingers on his back slipped lower towards his tailbone. Wake up! Wake the phck up! Gavin continued to twist and writhe against the wood. His breaths quickened fearfully as the digits ghosted over his rump. A strong hand on his neck pinned him down as he struggled. Nines! Nines! Wake me up! Please! Phck! Wake-me-up!