Nines' eyes blinked open as he registered the noise. His LED flashed yellow as he processed the interruption to his cycle. He'd set his systems to go into a light form of stasis. One that would allow him to wake at the first sign of unexpected sound or movement. He honed in on the quiet moans that had roused him. Gavin...He blinked the various notifications away. They were all warnings of updates left half finished, but he could complete those later. For now, it sounded like his human was in some form of distress.

He climbed out of bed, leaving the soft brown jacket neatly folded on his pillow. He was only wearing a pair of black sweatpants. He'd gradually found that he liked the feeling of the cotton sheets against his back and chest, so he'd stopped wearing shirts to sleep. As an added bonus, this also allowed heat to pass through his body with ease, so he was at less risk of overheating. Not that he suffered much risk from that anyway. He had an extremely advanced cooling system.

The hall was deserted. Gavin's distress wasn't loud enough to draw Lynx away from his evening prowl downstairs, or perhaps he was accustomed to the noise. The grey carpet was soft and giving beneath Nines' bare feet. He didn't make a sound as he moved towards Gavin's closed door. As he drew nearer, he could hear sheets rustling alongside the small moans of distress. A yellow haze blinked in the darkness as Nines' LED flashed brightly in the dim hallway. No one else had entered the house. Lynx would have detected an intruder, as would he. So what was wrong with his human?

Nines pushed the door open and stepped inside. He walked quickly across the thick carpet as he saw Gavin tossing restlessly beneath the sheets. He was almost fighting the thick material. Nines wasted no time in reaching the bed, resting one knee on the edge as he leaned down to grip Gavin's upper arms. His skin was hot and damp beneath the long-sleeved top he was wearing. He was trembling and almost gasping for breath. Clear signs of stress and fear. Nines gripped harder and shook.

"Mm...Nn..." Gavin's brow pinched in objection as he jerked his head this way and that. Nines lifted him a little higher, but shaking wasn't waking him. He worried as Gavin became more restless, actively fighting against his grip. Worried that Gavin would hurt himself, Nines pulled him closer. He tucked his head securely against his shoulder and held him there. "No! St-stop!" Gavin's voice was a whimper. The pitiful sound made Nines' thirium freeze. He held on tighter, one hand reaching up to grip his soft brown locks and stop his thrashing. He let out small hushing sounds and nuzzled against Gavin's cheek and neck. "Nines?" He felt Gavin's body stiffen in his arms.

Are you alright? I couldn't wake you. What happened? Do you need anything? I can bring you some water. Do you want some water? Nines was signing so fast as he drew back that Gavin couldn't follow. He reached out quickly to stop him rambling further. His heart was still pounding. His skin was still damp, but Nines looked more shaken than he was. Maybe that wasn't so surprising. He'd likely never been around a sleeping human before, let alone seen one having a nightmare. He probably didn't know that this could happen sometimes. Especially when people had jobs like theirs.

"Nines-Nines-Nines! I'm alright...I just had a nightmare. I'm fine, see? I'm alright..." Gavin replied in a breathless, soothing tone, still holding Nines' wrists with trembling hands. He gripped tighter, trying to reassure himself that Nines was still there. Still safe. He shuffled closer without realising, running a hand over his damp face as he calmed himself.

You seemed...afraid. Nines' clear blue eyes offered a safe harbour. He seemed a little less anxious now that he'd calmed down and voiced his gentle assurances, though his LED was still blinking yellow. He edged closer without even thinking about it until Gavin's clothed shoulder was brushing his bare chest.

"I was thinking about the case...and of-phcking-course I fell asleep," Gavin grumbled in response, though he seemed reluctant to share more details. Nines scanned him, being subtle so as not to draw attention or upset him. His vitals were slowly levelling out, but he still seemed shaken. "You don't need to fuss, I'm good." Gavin brought his knees up and leaned back against the headboard with a worn sigh. He took a few deep breaths, green eyes looking up at the textured white ceiling. He spent a few seconds tracing the old swirls. So phcking nineties. He didn't even know who'd designed this shit. The house was almost new, but someone had decided on old textured ceilings for the bedrooms.

Would you like some water? Nines headed down to the kitchen as Gavin nodded his tired agreement. It was more an excuse to get Nines to leave so that he could compose himself than an actual need. Compose himself and chase away the images of the crowbar smashing his skull. Dark figures hitting him again and again. Smashing him. Cracking his casing. Spilling blue. Gavin had tried to help. Tried to get in the way. He'd taken a few hits himself, but that hadn't stopped Nines' casing from shattering. He still remembered the splatters of blue and the rivulets dripping from his mouth and eyes. He shuddered.

"Thanks," Gavin murmured as Nines returned and handed him a glass of cold water. He drank quietly, relieved as Nines once again took up his place on the edge of his bed. His body was turned towards him, his legs crossed neatly. He looked somewhat elegant. His back was straight and his shoulders strong. He'd twisted just enough to give him a nice view of his sculpted torso. Gavin couldn't help the way his eyes caressed the rounded pecs and slipped down to the lightly tones abs. The perfect balance of hard and soft. "Were you sleeping?"

I do not sleep as such, but I was in a light form of stasis. He noted the way Gavin's eyes lingered on his sloping pecs and toned abs. He'd been designed with the gentle outline of a six-pack with a sloping V below. His nipples were a couple shades darker than his pale skin and reacted to the cool air as a human's would. I have a few updates to complete. Nines couldn't help reviewing all the items that were still unfinished, floating in his HUD as intrusive little boxes. None were hugely important, but his systems would lag slightly if they were left incomplete.

"Sorry...You can go back to bed. I'll be fine." Gavin settled himself in for a long night. He doubted he'd be sleeping again as he downed the water, enjoying the cooling sensation that ran down his throat and coiled through his insides. The room still felt a little hot, the top a little damp on his skin. He was tempted to shrug it off, but then he'd probably feel cold.

I'd like to remain here. Gavin squirmed uncomfortably at the confession. Once in stasis, I will not move or react to my surroundings. I won't bother you. Nines had misunderstood the reason for his reluctance. Despite his own feelings, he found it hard to say no to Nines. Particularly when he considered that a few minutes earlier he'd seen his skull getting smashed. A crack had opened right down the middle of his forehead, running down between his eyes. Blue had seeped out in a small trickle at first before turning into a steady, gushing river.

"Sure. You can stay," Gavin replied stiffly as he tapped the bed beside him. Despite having a large bed, Gavin tended to sleep only on one side. The side nearest to the door. Maybe it was the police officer, ready for anything side of him that made him more comfortable there. He often kept a firearm under his pillow, so he was ready for any intruders. He was surprised he hadn't noticed Nines enter his room, but then, he'd been in pretty deep. He shivered. Too phcking deep.

Would you like to climb beneath the covers? Nines had noticed his shiver. Gavin shook his head, but watched as Nines slipped beneath the duvet beside him. He shifted a little to get comfortable, at least Gavin assumed so since he couldn't think of any other reason for him to squirm like that. Wake me if you need me. Nines waited for Gavin's nod of agreement before closing his eyes. His LED flickered between blue and yellow before settling into a steady stream of slow yellow circles.

Gavin sat for a while. Just watching Nines sleep. At least, that's what he was calling it. He guessed the yellow meant he was updating. He looked peaceful. The swirling yellow wasn't the same as the sharp, bright flickers when he was agitated. He hadn't noticed how long his eyelashes were until right then. They curled upwards and just brushed his pale cheeks. His eyebrows were neatly curved, but not too bushy. His skin was pale and perfectly flawless besides the carefully placed moles and freckles. Perfect imperfections. He could just see the slightest crease in his cheek where his dimple sat when he smiled. It was a nice smile. Less bright than Connor's. More reserved, but no less alluring. Phck, don't think about it! The last thing he needed was an awkward boner.

Gavin shuffled lower on the bed until he was lying down and slipped beneath the covers. He was on his back, staring up at the ceiling. It was weird, being in his bed and feeling the dip of another body beside him. He turned his head and looked at Nines from the side. He looked peaceful, if a little stiff. This wasn't how he usually slept. Is he pretending to make feel me more comfortable? Gavin turned on his side, feeling Nines' warmth seeping across to him. He hadn't realised he'd give off actual body heat. He closed his eyes, swearing it would only be for a few moments.