This is a short Christmas piece I wrote to go with the lovely art Leepicartist gifted me in the Xmas Exchange Quicky 2023.
You can find Leepicartist on Instagram, so check them out if you like their art!
Thank you for reading, please review!
Much love, and Merry Christmas!
"Gavin?" Gavin cursed under his breath as he tossed his leather jacket on the hook by the door. He'd barely even closed it and Nines had already somehow figured out he'd left the party and gone home. Heat flared in his chest as he glared at the worn surface, wondering just what the hell he'd followed him for. Hadn't he made enough of a fool out of himself already? Why follow him and pretend that everything was normal? "Gavin, I know you're here..." Of course he did. He'd probably scanned the door. He was probably staring at him through the wood! "Will you open the door? It's cold out here..." That phcking-
"You're an android, asshole! You don't even feel the cold!" Gavin snapped as he pulled the door open and let Nines step inside. Much like Gavin hadn't had the chance to remove his thick green scarf yet, Nines hadn't bothered to pull a coat on before leaving the precinct. Either he drove over straight after he left or he ran all the way there and somehow reached the door just after he did. Driving was more likely. It also explained the lack of snow on his hand knitted jumper. It was nice. Warm. A navy blue rollneck with light blue snowflake and zigzag patterns that circled the material. Gavin also had a jumper from Connor, given to him earlier that year on his birthday. His was dark brown, like his leather jacket, with light brown zigzag and diamond patterns. It was one of the warmest things he owned. In the cold of his apartment, he was reluctant to take it off.
"My internal components can still freeze...What's wrong, love? You seemed fine earlier." That's right, he was fine earlier. Earlier, he was looking forward to having a fun night out with his friends and colleagues before returning home to cuddle up with Nines. Earlier, he didn't know that he'd been lied to for the past two months. He'd really thought things were going well. They'd been together since last Christmas. This would be their one-year anniversary, if you kept track of that sort of thing. Was he planning on breaking up with me over the holidays? That was low. Too low for Nines. Can I really say that though? I mean, he's...
"When were you going to tell me?" Gavin swallowed hard, unsure whether he was going to yell or burst into tears. He hadn't done anything wrong. At least, nothing he could think of. He'd thought things were going well. They'd been keeping on top of their cases, balancing their work and home lives by staying over at each other's apartments each night. If he was honest, they usually went to Nines' place, but that was because his place was bigger and nicer. His shitty one bedroom shoebox was barely habitable with the mouldy tiles in the bathroom and the draft creeping under the front door and through the windows. Maybe I should have realised something was up when we started spending more time at my place and Nines skipped a few visits...
"Tell you?" Nines seemed genuinely confused, but then he probably hadn't expected it to come out. Gavin's jaw tightened as he headed into his cramped living space and turned on the fairy lights that had been pinned along the ceiling. He never used to bother with a Christmas tree, but since last year he'd felt a little better about the holidays. Nines had brought the tree over and helped him find some shitty decorations for it, and they'd spent an afternoon cheering up the place with lights and tinsel. He even had some fake candles sitting on the ledge by the window, which he turned on to distract himself. "Tell you what?"
"That you're phcking leaving!" His temper got the better of him as he slammed down the last candle, which blinked a little from the impact before filling the room with a dim, flickering glow. The light by the door was the only main light he'd turned on, and the bulbs was pretty shitty. It was one of those energy saving ones they had to use now, the ones that didn't light up shit for the first half hour. "Well? When?" Nines looked aghast, LED spinning yellow as he took in the look of heartbreak and betrayal on Gavin's face.
"Gavin, I'm n-"
"Don't phcking lie to me! I saw the papers!" Gavin yelled, cutting him off before he could explain. Nines' LED continued spinning yellow as he thought back to their time at the party. It had taken place at the office, a small Christmas Eve gathering that was supposed to continue into the night at one of the local bars. Unfortunately, they hadn't got that far. Gavin had stormed off after the first two hours. "How long were you planning on keeping it a secret? We you just going to up and leave? When? Over Christmas? Was I going to wake up tomorrow to find you gone with a note saying thanks for all the good times?" Nines circled the sofa and joined him in the living area, both standing by the tree as it twinkled cheerfully, unaware of the brewing storm.
"Gavin, I'm not going anywhere!" Gavin scoffed at the insistence. He'd seen the evidence himself. He wasn't an idiot. Nines' top draw was full of circled apartment ads, most of them on the other side of town. Alongside those were business cards from various estate agents, a clear sign he'd done some viewings over the past few weeks. That explained why he'd been so busy on their days off and where he'd disappeared to after work for the past few weeks. I should have known something was up after the first couple of days!
"I saw the papers, Nines! Your desk is phcking full of them!" Sure, the papers didn't mean he'd definitely chosen somewhere yet, but it was enough to know that he was looking without saying anything. If he intended him to be involved, then he would have brought it up in conversation. Gavin didn't even know why he'd want to move. His apartment was nice. It verged on luxurious. If he opened the curtains along the glass wall in the bedroom, they could see all the way out to Belle Isle! Nines hadn't mentioned any money troubles, so he was pretty sure he could still afford the rent.
"That doesn't mean I'm moving away!"
"Why the phck else would you look? Even if you were just thinking about it, you didn't mention it! Not once!" Nines' LED continued spinning yellow as he looked for an opening to explain himself. Perhaps he had miscalculated. Gavin's skin was starting to flush where he was yelling, and the edges of his eyes were turning pink with unshed tears. "Is it me? Did I do something? Is that why you're leaving?" Nines' LED stuttered red. This isn't how he'd expected things to go, and he never intended to expose Gavin's insecurities to the elements like this. They hadn't talked about it, but he got the impression that Gavin's past lovers had been less than ideal.
"I'm not leaving you."
"Don't say that! Don't lie to my face when I've already found all the evidence!" He hadn't found all the evidence. Nines knew that for a fact. He sighed softly, still looking for a proper opening between Gavin's angry yells. "Most of the apartments you chose were halfway across town! You may as well be in another city if you're going that far! You didn't even tell me! If you were planning for me to be involved, you would have said something! Why am I even surprised? Everyone phcking leaves! Why would you be any different?" That cut deep. Nines didn't like being compared to the ones who came before. Those people hadn't treated him right. They'd hurt him. Some had even been abusive, from what he'd picked up in Gavin's mannerisms. He had a bad habit of expecting the worst. When they argued, hurtful words would be accepted as facts. Early in their relationship, he'd always spoken as if things were temporary. It had taken seven months for him to settle down and even begin to accept the possibility that he might not be going anywhere. "You're worse than them! At least they were shitty from the start! But you, you came in here acting like you were here for the long haul! You made be believe you were different-"
This wasn't good. He was spiralling. His insecurities were getting the better of him, and he wasn't giving him the chance to explain. Finding an opening was impossible as Gavin yelled at him. His skin was flushed and warm, green eyes glittering, and his hands were fisted tight as he threw his arms this way and that for emphasis. His stress levels were climbing rapidly, passing through the low seventies and up towards eighty. At some point, he would either break down and cry or start a physical altercation, neither of which were acceptable. What he needed was a way to shock him into silence so that he could explain himself. Looking up, Nines almost sighed in relief as he noticed the perfect distraction hanging above their heads.
"Are you even phcking listening to-Hey! What the ph-" Gavin stumbled a little as Nines dragged him closer and moved to cup his stubbled cheeks. Green eyes widened in surprise as gentle thumbs caressed his skin. Nines enjoyed the rough scratch of stubble on his sensors as he huffed a sigh and leaned closer.
"Gavin Alexander Reed, you are an idiot." Gavin's lips parted, ready to argue, but Nines left him no room to speak as he leaned in and kissed him. He felt more than heard the shocked hum against his lips as he pressed closer, still holding his cheeks to stop him from pulling away. Gavin's whole body stiffened at first, not expecting such intimate contact after such a heated argument. Nines tilted his head slightly as his eyes fluttered shut, licking along Gavin's bottom lip in a silent request for entry. At first, he thought he might refuse, however as he continued working his lips, he felt Gavin's muscles relax. The hands that had grasped his upper arms in surprise now gripped and pulled him closer as he closed his eyes and parted his lips.
Nines wasn't one to waste an opportunity. His tongue immediately swept in to stroke and tease Gavin's mouth, drawing out a string of familiar hums and moans. The hands on his arms slid higher until Gavin wrapped his arms around his shoulders, which Nines took as an invitation to hook an arm around his waist and lace his fingers in his hair. They barely parted for Gavin to take a breath before Nines dragged him back and sealed his lips again, blinking his silvery eyes open to take in the dazed look on his face. The urgent tangling of tongues slowed, the press of their lips slowing to become lazy. By the time they parted, Gavin was finally silent.
"Listen to me." Nines' thirium pump was still stuttering, as it always did when they shared such intimate kisses. Gavin buried the lower half of his face in his scarf as Nines spoke, too flustered to argue as his slower human brain processed what had just happened. "I am looking for a new apartment, but it's not to get away from you...It was supposed to be a Christmas present." Gavin was still wary and unconvinced as Nines stepped away from the mistletoe he'd dragged him under and crouched by the tree. From the small pile of gifts there, he grabbed a thick, colourful envelope that was covered with black and white cats wearing Christmas hats. "Open it," Nines said as he handed over the envelope and waved for Gavin to sit on the worn brown sofa.
"But it's not Christmas yet..." It was still Christmas Eve for the next three hours. Nines huffed softly, turning sideways and leaning on the back of the sofa with his head propped on one hand. Kicking off his shoes, he tucked his legs on the cushion while Gavin remained hunched on the edge looking at the A4 package. It was stiff, so clearly papers or a picture of some sort.
"I think Santa will forgive you just this once." Gavin tried not to smile at the jibe as he turned the paper this way and that. "Go on, you'll understand once you open it." Given the choice, Nines would much rather he open his gift now and set his mind at ease than wait longer and risk another argument. Since Nines was so insistent, Gavin did as he was told and pried the envelope open, doing his best not to rip the cute paper. Inside was a small stack of papers. Estate agent papers. He flicked them open with a frown, finding a contract for a two-bedroom apartment. That explained the apartments Nines had been looking at and confirmed he was moving, but why was it in a Christmas envelope addressed to him? "Will you move in with me, Gavin?"
"Y-wh-huh?" Gavin balked as Nines leaned closer, stroking up and down his thigh as he stared dumbly at the papers.
"I want you to live with me." That didn't sound right. People didn't want to live with Gavin Reed! No one spent a tonne of money renting a luxury two-bedroom apartment and spat out questions like proposals like that for him! It was expensive, too. It was in a new-build by the river, overlooking Canada. They had the top floor suite, according to the papers. The paper was expensive and glossy, and the pictures looked fancy. Fancier than Nines' current apartment. "Please, Gavin..." Looking at Nines, he found him wearing the kicked kitten look, making his silvery eyes big and forlorn as he tilted his head.
"Are you phcking crazy? People don't want to live with me, I'm..." He waved wordlessly around the rundown apartment as if that explained everything about him. Perhaps that did explain some things. The apartment was old and tired, rundown and neglected. It had been shown little care over the years, even before he moved in. Despite being a little worse for wear, the apartment itself was kept clean and fairly orderly, though most of the furnishings were old and rickety. The apartment very much reflected the Gavin he'd met almost two years ago, but the man he knew now was different. He'd outgrown this place. He deserved better.
"I am not people...and I very much do want to live with you." His lips softened as Gavin's skin heated. A clear sign of bashfulness. Nines could see his inner workings as he thought it over. His heart fluttered, clearly touched by the thought, but the adrenaline making his fingers twitch also fuelled his doubt. It was probably a bad idea. Giving up his apartment would mean losing his security. If they had an argument, he wouldn't have a safe space to go to. If things didn't work out, he'd be left on the streets. Nines took his hand as his breaths quickened, raising it to his lips and kissing his knuckles. "I have secured the apartment with a deposit, but there is still a space to add your name to the lease." That at least assured him he couldn't be kicked out in the cold. If they were doing this, they were both in for it.
"Are you sure about this? Did you get checked out before making a decision like this? When was the last time you saw a technician?" Gavin asked worriedly, falling silent as Nines pressed a finger against his lips. It was soft and warm, unlike his own. The cold weather always made his toes and fingers cold.
"You sound like Sixty. He suggested the same thing when I first broached the subject." Well, at least one of them has their head screwed on! Connor had probably thought the same thing, but knew better than to bring it up. Gavin's snort was enough to tell him he wasn't surprised about Sixty's response, though it was troubling that he seemed to agree. "Would it make you feel better if I told you I've had a maintenance checkup within the past three weeks?" Gavin honestly wasn't sure if it did or didn't.
"What if everything goes to shit? What if we move in and then you don't feel the same?" Interesting...Gavin clearly didn't doubt his own commitment to their relationship. His lips softened as he removed the papers and dropped them on the floor, giving him room to push Gavin sideways until he was lying down.
"I love you, Gavin. That won't change." Warmth swelled in Gavin's stomach at the reassurance, sending vibrations up through his chest. His eyes fluttered as Nines leaned down to kiss him, slipping a hand beneath his sweater to caress his waist. Tingles shot across his skin as those fingers pressed harder and crept round to the small of his back, making his cock twitch. Nines knew, as always. He drew back with a smirk on his lips, circling his fingers over the same sensitive patch of skin until Gavin squirmed closer and brought his legs up. "Do you want to move in with me?" If he put all of his hesitations aside and didn't think of all the bad shit that could happen, then the answer was clearly yes.
"Just because I want to, doesn't mean it's a good idea." He'd learned that the hard way on multiple occasions. Whether it was making a jump, taking on a larger suspect, or getting into a new relationship, things never worked out for Gavin Reed.
"When have I ever had a bad idea?" Nines countered, watching Gavin flounder for a response as he thought about the past year. As far as he could remember, Nines had never steered him wrong. His theories always panned out, his plans were always well thought out and executed, and he always somehow got things back on track when they went awry.
"You started dating me, didn't you?" That was a pretty bad idea, and yet Nines had somehow made it work. They'd been together more than twice as long as he his longest relationship. Why Nines stuck around was a mystery.
"I did, and I happen to think that was my best idea." Gavin scoffed at the thought. Nines could do way better. It was almost like he had some sort of Stockholm syndrome that kept him coming back after every fight. "Move in with me...We can keep the lease on your apartment until it expires, just in case." How the hell is he planning to pay for all this? The rent on the new apartment was higher than the one Nines had now. It would take both of them to pay the rent and bills on the new place, even without keeping his old place on top. Sure, his old place was pretty cheap, but their wallets would still take a significant hit.
"Are you crazy?"
"I'd rather have you move in and take a financial hit than you not move in at all." What phcked up romantic Christmas bullshit is this? He'd seen Hallmark movies with weaker plotlines! "So...move in with me." Nerves swelled in Gavin's stomach, threatening to make him sick as he looked away. This is crazy...He'd never moved in with anyone before. The closest he got was staying at their place for a month before things went to shit. It was so easy for things to go wrong. If they lived together properly, Nines would pick up on all the shitty quirks that made people get sick of him. Despite that lingering fear, when he looked up at Nines, all he could see was earnest warmth swimming in his silvery eyes.
"A-alright, maybe on a short lease." Nines nodded his agreement. Eager as he was, he agreed that caution was necessary, so he'd rented on a rolling six-month contract. If their first six months passed without a hitch, they'd automatically re-sign and continue paying rent.
"Is that a yes?"
"Y-yeah, I'll move in with you." He barely had a chance to finish the sentence before Nines leaned down and sealed his lips, making him melt into the sofa with a gentle mewl. It took no time at all for Nines to climb over his body and cage him against the surface, greedily licking along his lips for entry. Gavin granted the request with a needy whine, looping his arms around Nines' neck and fisting a hand in his prefect hair. The cold of the room was forgotten as Nines slipped a hand inside his sweater and greedily caressed his scarred skin.
"Fuck, I love you." The confession made Gavin clam up somewhat as Nines moved from his lips to his throat, enjoying the stubble on his lips as he teased along his jaw. No one had ever said those words as often as Nines did, and each time made fuzziness and warmth flood his stomach. The nervous nausea was soon swept away by swirling pleasure and waves of warmth. Tingles shot across his skin, especially as those teasing fingers found his nipples. His cock twitched, making his hips jerk and grind as Nines slotted a thigh between his legs and pressed against his crotch.
"Nines, phck!" The words were breathless and needy as Gavin pulled at the blue sweater. Nines smirked as he sat up and whipped it off, tossing it somewhere in the hallway before reaching down to unwind Gavin's scarf. Cute as he looked, bundled up against the cold, the woollen layers were getting in the way. Gavin sat up to help as the scarf and sweater were removed, leaving them both topless on the sofa. Gavin cursed under his breath, shivering as the warm layers were removed. Nines quickly replaced that warmth with his own, caging him against the sofa and increasing his own heat output to compensate. "Stop doing that! You're going to blow a circuit or some shit!" Nines chuckled softly as he returned to lavishing little kisses down Gavin's throat.
"That isn't really how it works, but thank you for your concern." Gavin whined, squirming and leaning his head back as Nines' teeth nipped and teased his nipples, moving back and forth and licking the long scar running between. The thigh against his cock didn't let up either, pressing and grinding relentlessly until he was solid in his boxers. His jeans were tight and uncomfortable, and he actually sighed in relief as Nines popped the button and lowered the zipper. He was less thankful as his jeans and pants were wrestled off, taking his socks with them to leave him naked.
Nines hummed softly, greedily raking his eyes over Gavin's scarred body. The faded bullet wound on his side, the long slice down his chest, the cut across his nose, and multiple other imperfections. He's been shot in the thigh once, and he knew from experience that his back had been whipped in the past, leaving thin, criss-crossing lines between his shoulder blades. There was a faded scar on his right arm where he'd blocked a knife during a fight, an injury from very early in their partnership. The day he was introduced to Gavin's reckless streak. He kissed the mark, watching Gavin's heart flutter at the attention. It wasn't exactly his heart that fluttered, more that the level of endorphins increased and made him feel that way.
"Stop staring, it's getting cold," Gavin excused as he averted his eyes, feeling exposed with Nines so high above him. Nines chuckled as he quickly shuffled his own clothes off, leaving them both naked on the old sofa. He moaned low in his throat as he settled on top of Gavin's body, resting their solid cocks together and gently grinding back and forth. The usual sweet whimpers and whines fled Gavin's lips as he reached back to grip the arm of the sofa and settled one leg over his hip. Nines gripped his knee, keeping his leg against his waist as he rocked, watching the hair on Gavin's arms stand up as his skin prickled. It was such a curious thing. A human thing. His own skin didn't react that way, though he did feel a certain amount of static feedback when Gavin touched him.
"Are you warmer now, love?" Nines purred as he returned to his lips, still pressing and grinding their cocks. Gavin whined in response, immediately attacking his lips the moment they were offered. Nails raked his shoulder blades, needy fingers gripping his hair and shoulder. Nines accepted it with a moan and teased Gavin's tongue with his own. He never tired of seeing that little DNA profile pop in his vision. He kept it there as he continued lavishing him with attention, slowly inching a hand between them to bunch their cocks.
"Phck, Nines..." Gavin panted against his lips as they parted, running a hand down his spine and slipping round to join him. Nines sighed needily, pressing little kisses against his lips as their hands joined around their cocks. The angle was a little awkward, but the rock of his hips was enough to keep things moving. Gavin followed his lead, gripping tight as his cock fucked their hands. His own hips squirmed and jerked, nudging his cock back and forth. He gasped and twitched as Nines' finger teased the edge of his glans, thumb swirling the dripping tip and smearing the flushed head. Gavin did his best to follow, stroking and teasing the tip of Nines' cock and pulling the silken skin tight. "Oh, phck!" Gavin tipped his head back and whined as Nines canted his hips a little higher, angling his cock so their glans touched.
"Gavin..." It was an almost dreamy sigh as Nines closed his eyes and gripped tighter, doing his best to keep the same angle as he rocked his hips. Gavin quivered as Nines' cock rubbed back along his own before gliding forward and brushing his glans again. He could feel the warm string of pre-release that dripped from his tip and splashed his pelvis. His balls twitched as he looked down to find Nines' cock leaking against his own. A few seconds later, Nines' hand wrapped their tips and circled, gathering the droplets to rub into their shafts.
"Nines..." Gavin moved his thighs to grip tighter, hugging Nines' curved waist and pulling him closer. Nines let out something between a hiss and a grunt, holding himself on one arm as he rocked and pumped. Gavin did his best to keep up, linking their fingers and rocking up into their joined hands. Nines had a better angle and a lot more control, delivering long, slow thrusts that rubbed their slick cocks. He smirked as another whine fled Gavin's parted lips, green eyes warm and needy as he gazed up at him.
"I can feel you, Gavin...I can feel your cock twitching and throbbing." Gavin whined again, panting needily as he tightened his thighs and squirmed. He was painfully hard in Nines' firm grasp, balls twitching in warning. "It's alright, Gavin, you can come for me." He almost spilled right then and there at the low purr of permission, but he didn't want to. He wanted to wait for Nines, so they could finish together. Nines huffed softly, watching Gavin's abs twitch and harden as he held back. The sight of him holding back, legs twitching as he gripped his hips, arms quivering as he held the arm of the sofa and pumped their cocks, was almost enough to send him over the edge. They both moaned as his grip tightened, squeezing their cocks almost painfully as he snapped his hips.
"N-Nines!" Silvery eyes opened to look into glittering greens, taking in the flush of Gavin's heated skin as he panted for breath, looking dazed and tired. "I love you." The words were a lot quieter than his previous cries, but Nines heard him nonetheless. He spilled almost immediately; eyes wide in surprise at the sudden confession that was so rare to hear on Gavin's lips. He moaned low in his throat as he snapped his hips, rubbing and pumping their cocks until Gavin came. Even after that, he continued milking them for all they were worth. By the time he stopped, Gavin was whimpering and quivering with overstimulation.
"Gavin...My Gavin..." A weak whine of agreement sounded as Nines leaned in to seal their lips, and needy hands grabbed his shoulders to keep him there. "I love you...so much." Nines enjoyed the pink of Gavin's cheeks as he looked down at him with soft, silvery eyes. Instead of voicing his agreement, Gavin pulled him down to attack his lips with needy kisses, only slowing as gentle fingers laced in his hair. "Shall we clean up and go to bed? I'd hate for us to give Santa an unexpected surprise." Gavin huffed softly as Nines drew back.
"Surprise would be the least of his worries if some dodgy old man appeared in my apartment to deliver presents," he retorted as he moved to sit up. Nines smiled, giving him one last kiss before pushing to his feet in all his naked glory. Gavin ran his eyes up and down his body, licking his lips as he took in the muscular plains of flesh, clean besides a few sticky smears on his hairless pelvis. Looking down at himself, Gavin was unsurprised to find thick smears of pearly release splattering his chest and pelvis. "Phck, I feel gross..."
"Stop!" Nines took his wrist before he could grab anything to wipe it off. "Those are valuable samples." Gavin huffed softly as Nines pulled him to his feet and started leading him through to the cramped bathroom.
"You've already sampled my DNA over a hundred times! What more could you possibly learn?" He slapped a hand over Nines' mouth as he parted his lips to reply. "Stop, I don't want to know." It would probably be either very boring or very embarrassing. Nines smiled behind his hand as if he could read his mind, kissing his palm and removing the hand so he could reach his lips again. After a few more needy presses, Nines continued leading the way.
"We should stop by the new apartment tomorrow and measure up for furniture...and perhaps take advantage of the sales." That was a good plan. The new place would need proper furnishings. The stuff in his apartment was old and tired, and the stuff in Nines' apartment mostly belonged to the landlord. This would be a new start. A time for them to do things properly. It would be their apartment. A space for both of them. Somewhere to call home. "There is also a cat shelter close by." Gavin's eyes lit up, almost vibrating as Nines smirked. Home wasn't home without a cat.