"Are you phcking kidding me?" Reed murmured as Nines pulled up in the middle of nowhere. They'd been on the snowy road for hours and changed cars three times, hurrying through a store or gas station each time to lose anyone who may have been tailing them. The car they were in now was a large jeep made for all terrains. They'd been given the keys in the last small town they'd stopped in, where the agents had parted ways with them at a small stop at the side of the road. The jeep had been waiting for them and Nines had taken the wheel.
"It is one of the better safe-houses in the FBI database," Nines replied as he parked the car outside the front of the cosy-looking cabin. It's a phcking fairy tale house! Reed almost expected to be greeted by Snow White and the seven dwarfs. The snow just added to the mystical look of the place. The sun glittered across the white surface in the early morning light. They'd been travelling since the night before, probably driving in circles to shake off any potential tails. Reed had lost track of the towns they'd gone through. They may have even crossed state lines. The area was surrounded by trees. Tall evergreens. The space around the cabin was just large enough for three or four cars to park in front of the small wooden steps leading up to the plain front door. The whole thing was made of wood, thick logs, giving it a Canadian feel. Did we cross the bridge? I don't remember crossing the bridge…
"Better in what way?" Reed scoffed as they climbed out, taking a few moments to appreciate the cosy cabin that they'd be calling home for however long they were stuck out there. He doubted the place even had a television. He hadn't seen another house for a good mile or so. This was like a retreat. Somewhere rich businessmen would go to escape the rush of the city. It wasn't the sort of place Reed relished being locked up, miles away from his job and anything to distract himself. He felt Nine's arm brush his own as they stood together. He looked strangely content.
"It is private…Secluded…The distant nature of the property also means it is permissible for us to be outside," Nines added, which Reed couldn't argue was a big fucking plus. In a city house, he'd be trapped indoors. He was glad Colin had somehow managed to at least get them a place he'd be able to stretch his legs from. "It is also aesthetically pleasing," Nines added thoughtfully as he took in the sloping roof and sheltered porch area. Reed couldn't argue with that either. It was fucking picturesque.
"Come on then, Terminator. Let's get inside and get Pipsqueak out of his carrier," Reed sighed eventually, knowing he was likely antsy from the non-stop travelling. He'd been well behaved, likely due to being an android, but that didn't mean it was fun for him to be cooped up in a plastic box for however long they'd been on the road. Nines nodded his agreement as he opened the trunk and grabbed the large rucksack and carrier bag of cat supplies. Reed opened the door to the backseat, where he'd carefully secured Pipsqueak's carrier with the seatbelt. "Hey there, Pips…You doing alright?" he asked softly as he lifted the box. The cat mewled loudly in response, even Nines' usual stoicism cracking to feel sorry at the pitiable sound.
Pipsqueak likely didn't understand the way they did. He was probably being assaulted by all the new and unusual scents of the area, everything scary and unfamiliar besides Reed and Nines. It didn't help that Nines had a jammer activated. Pipsqueak wasn't wirelessly connected to anything, but he was set to receive automatic updates and general information from outside sources. The sudden silence on the technological side had likely unsettled him in a similar manner to Nines. It was a small price to pay for keeping their location a secret though.
Nines led the way, house keys already in hand. Reed cooed and hushed Pipsqueak's mewling all the way to the door. Inside was almost more fantastic than he'd imagined as Nines flipped the cosy lighting on. There were table lamps set on small cabinets and side tables, and some intimate overhead lighting. It was a nice mixture of modern and pre-millennium, but not overpowering or tacky. The lower floor had wooden flooring with a thick cream rug beneath the brown leather sofa and chairs in the living area, set up around a real fireplace. As he looked up, Reed could see the bedroom on a balcony overlooking the living room.
"Woah…" he murmured as he lowered the carrier to the floor and popped the door open. Pipsqueak was out like a shot, skittering beneath the first piece of furniture he came to. Reed winced guiltily as he looked across at Nines. "I think we should get Pips set up first," he added as he crossed to the large country kitchen, which opened into the living area. Nines nodded his agreement as he joined Reed between the counters and took out Pipsqueak's bowls and thirium pouches, most of which he stored in the fridge with his own thirium supply.
"I'll try to coax him out," Nines decided as he left Reed to pour out the food and fill the water. He chose a small patch of floor along the wall, away from the cupboards. It was a nice open patch, leaving Pipsqueak plenty of room to sit without being disturbed. Reed grabbed the plush bed and watched from the edge of the kitchen as Nines knelt and leaned down, jeans tightening over his ass as he bent over to look under the low cabinet. Reed watched shamelessly as he reached beneath slowly, his hand turning white as he offered an interface. Pipsqueak was disgruntled and distressed as he accepted Nines' comfort, allowing himself to be slowly tugged out by the scruff. "You'll feel better after you eat," Nines soothed as he held him like a baby and rubbed his fluffy white stomach. Pipsqueak purred meekly as his tail twitched lazily.
"Oh what? You only claw at me? I see how it is, you little horndog!" Reed teased lightly as he stroked his head on the way by. Nines lowered Pipsqueak to the floor and watched as he began to devour his thirium. He was clearly hungry after the long journey. He also filled up on water as if his reserves were running low. Nines refilled his bowls a second time as Reed wandered around the ground floor. There was a large bathroom beside the kitchen, all shiny white tiles and quaint wooden cabinets. There were a few toiletries provided, along with fluffy towels and toilet rolls.
"You must be hungry, too," Nines said as Reed wandered back into the kitchen, humming distractedly as he continued exploring. It was a little cold, but then they'd only just arrived. It would be warm once they got the fire going. Before that, Reed was curious to look upstairs. He headed up to the balcony level, leaning on the railing and looking down into the living room. It was nice, like a nest. There was a long wardrobe built into one wall with two sets of drawers on either side of the king sized bed, which was set up with a thick duvet and flannel bedding. It looked warm and comfortable. "I could make spaghetti?" Nines called questioningly, apparently rummaging through the fully stocked cupboards.
"Sounds good. Thanks, Nines," Reed replied tiredly as he returned to the living area, keeping his jacket on as he shivered. The next thing to do was to start the fire. That would warm him up. It was an open fire in a metal grate, safely tucked within a grey stone fireplace that rose into the rafters. There were logs already waiting to be lit, and a box of matches had been left on a small wooden shelf above. It would take time for the flames to catch, but once he'd lit a match, he sat on the sofa and watched as the small orange glow slowly starting to smoke and crackle. He wrapped his arms around himself as he leaned over to watch the small red glow forming.
"I can increase my core temperature for a while if that would help," Nines offered as he looked over from the pan he was stirring on the stove. Reed got to his feet and headed into the kitchen, slipping in beside Nines. He was currently heating through some beef mince and chopped onion. Reed hadn't even heard him start to cook. He rubbed his arms through his jacket as he remained close to the flaming stove. The fire would take a good while to really get going with the thick logs that were sitting in the grate.
"This should be enough. It'd be pretty weird to use you as my own personal body warmer," he replied with a small smirk as Nines offered him the wooden spatula. If he was going to be at the stove, he may as well be useful. Reed took it and stepped closer to the heat, distracting himself with stirring as Nines chopped up some peppers and mushrooms to add to the mix. It was nice that the house was kept stocked. It made sense for a Safehouse. They needed to be ready on short notice. A little rare for fresh food to be kept ready though…Reed stiffened a little as Nines pressed up behind him. Elegant hands reached around with the chopping board to slide in the peppers and mushrooms. "Phck! Are you alright? You feel like you're about to fry a circuit!" Reed checked as Nines' chest slotted snugly against his spine. He could feel the heat seeping through his leather jacket.
"I can safely maintain this level of heat for a while." The rumble of his voice ran down Reed's spine as his synthetic breath teased his lobe. Reed felt the skin of his arms prickle at the sensation and his mouth went dry. "Keep stirring," Nines added in a silken tone, his temple resting briefly against Reed's. It was way too fucking intimate. Nines was pressed up against him like a lover, his warm hands slowly reaching down to rest on his hips. Reed couldn't help stiffening in response. He knew Nines didn't mean anything by it. He was being nice, trying to warm him up in the cold.
"Sure you're not going to blow a fuse?" Reed teased with a hint of nervousness, as Nines somehow got even closer in response. Reed swallowed as large hands covered his own, one holding the pan steady as the other encouraged him to stir the mixture. Nines' grip on his hands was firm but gentle, giving him little choice but to go along with it. He tried to resist the urge to lean back into Nines' hold, which felt a lot like an embrace.
"I said keep stirring." Reed was unable to do anything else as Nines kept his hands trapped in a gentle grip. He could feel the steady rise and fall of Nines' chest through his jacket. He sort of wished he'd taken it off so that he could feel him better. Their position was intimate. The whole situation was fucking domestic. It was the sort of contact Reed's more vulnerable side pined for. "My systems are a little overheated, but provided I don't maintain this temperature for an extended period, I will remain undamaged," Nines assured, silvery eyes trained on the pan as he moved Reed's hand in lazy circles. The meat had turned a pale brown colour now, ready for the sauce to be added.
"You don't have to overheat yourself. I'm fine with the stove," Reed insisted as Nines stepped back to grab a large jar of sauce. He twisted the lid off like it was nothing, because of course he did, and poured it into the pan. He didn't stand as close to Reed once he returned, perhaps sensing his discomfort. After supervising for a few more minutes, he headed over to the fire in the living room and prodded the logs with a metal poker to encourage the flames to spread a little more. The fire was still small, catching and flickering on the larger logs with small pops and crackles. The room was slowly beginning to warm. "You know, I might shower before I eat," Reed decided as he turned the heat down to let the sauce simmer and bubble.
"Very well. I'll unpack our things," Nines replied as he took the large rucksack and headed upstairs. Reed joined him briefly to take some fresh clothes, settling on a set of grey sweatpants with a matching sweater. Nines watched him disappear down the wooden stairway before turning his attention to the bag. Even though they'd only packed for a few days, he was quietly confident they'd be there for at least two weeks. Unpacking made the small cabin feel more homely. The crackling fire also helped, flooding the room with a gentle orange glow as the flames took hold. Nines turned off the lights, enjoying the way the orange light flickered on the wooden walls with the curtains closed.
"Well, look at you two getting all cosy," Reed huffed as he walked through a while later, his hair damp from the bath. He was no longer shivering, the heat of the water having warmed him through. Nines looked down at his lap where Pipsqueak had settled. One paw was kneading his rough denim jeans with gentle claws while his eyes thinned in contentment and his tail flicked. Nines found himself in a predicament as Reed headed upstairs to grab some socks and leave his clothes in the linen basket. Pipsqueak was comfortably settled on his lap, but he needed to cook the spaghetti for Reed's lunch. "Don't move, I got it," Reed added as he saw Nines' LED circling yellow. Blue eyes looked up almost guiltily as he considered moving the content feline.
"You just need to turn on the stove," Nines called as he buried his fingers in Pipsqueak's soft fur, watching his greenish yellow eyes blink in contentment as a steady purr started. Reed murmured his agreement as he bustled about the kitchen, opening the fridge and looking for drink options while he waited for the water to boil. There were a few beers, some juice, and blue bottles of thirium. Reed grabbed one of the blue bottles and filled a glass with cold water, not really feeling the beer just yet. Nines thanked him as he handed him the glass bottle, taking a small sip as he continued to attend to the cat on his lap.
Reed watched from his place in the kitchen. This felt nice. A cosy cabin in the middle of winter. A roaring fire. Nines sitting on the sofa. Pipsqueak lounging lazily on his lap. It felt like he'd stepped into a daydream. Nines was clearly relaxed, too. His LED span in lazy blue circles as his fingers ran through Pipsqueak's thick fur. Reed shivered slightly at the unwelcome thoughts. What if this was a dream? What if, at any moment, Nines disappeared in a puddle of thirium? What if the Hickory Killer appeared behind him like he had before and-
"Gavin…" Nines called calmly. Reed took a breath as he blinked and refocused on Nines. "It's alright, we're safe here," he added in an assuring tone. Reed sighed and nodded his agreement. Not even Fowler knew where they were. There was no way the killer himself could have traced them. They'd changed vehicles three times before reaching the town a couple miles away, and Nines hadn't noticed any cars following them on the road. On top of that, it was snowing, so any tracks they'd left would have been covered by now anyway. What shit will he try to pull once he realises I'm gone though?
Reed was still turning over this question as he plated up their food and returned to the sofa, handing a small bowl off to Nines. Androids didn't need food, so he didn't want to fill up the new component too much. Nines accepted the bowl with thanks, Pipsqueak hopping to the floor as he moved. They ate quietly. Nines watched Reed's face the whole time. He was wearing a pensive frown. The look he usually got when he was turning something over. It didn't take a genius to figure out what he was thinking about.
"Try not to think about it…Whatever happens in Detroit is not your concern right now," Nines said finally, and Reed knew he was trying to be realistic. It was true. Reed couldn't hold himself accountable for the actions of a murderer, but at the same time, he couldn't help it. The Hickory Killer could try something to get his attention or somehow try to force the FBI to bring him back. There was even a small part of him that thought the killer could somehow find out his location and come to the Safehouse, but that was why he had Nines with him. "Would it help if we worked the case from here?" Nines was reluctant to indulge such things, but if it helped Reed relax, then it would be worth the effort.
"Maybe…" Reed replied, though it had been a long time since he'd tried to tackle the Hickory Killer directly. Maybe it's about phcking time…He sighed, wondering if he'd be able to get back into that headspace. He'd managed it a little with the copycat, who was still out there as far as he knew. He also had Nines this time. Nines could often add a new perspective to things that he might have overlooked. He had an eye for the trickier details and nuances. "I'm sure I was supposed to see something in that last note…"
"Then we'll go through it again tomorrow," Nines assured gently, which was reasonable. They'd been driving most of the day before, so even though it was only the afternoon, Reed was tired and more than ready to sleep off the journey. He had the added reassurance that Nines was with him this time, so he didn't have to worry about his nightmares. Nines would watch over him while he slept.