A week. It had been a fucking week. A week of using the home gym, watching old TV shows, lunch dates around the city, shopping, visiting Elijah, and just getting used to this weird new dynamic. Nines had kept his word. Not much about their interactions had changed besides them being a lot closer physically, taking the time to fully explore each other. Gavin was pretty sure he'd felt Nines' lips on every inch of his skin at this point, and he'd been just as attentive. Nines wasn't overly demanding, often satisfied with simply having his smaller body tucked up against him in bed. Either bed. They didn't really have a set place.

It was Tuesday. Their last day off. Gavin would see Dr Marr for a quick assessment before starting work on Wednesday morning, but that was something to worry about later. Right now, he was content to stretch his naked body beneath the warm sheets of Nines' bed and whine quietly as he opened his bleary eyes. The bed was empty and cold beside him. He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes and looking across at the open curtains. The dark grey of the sky outside told him it was still early. He didn't have to look too far to find Nines. He was standing rigid in his charging port, LED circling yellow. Oh yeah, he mentioned that last night.

Gavin wandered into the bathroom before returning to appreciate the toned figure standing rigid, like a statue. He'd dressed before charging, his figure hugged by a soft black turtleneck and jeans. His silvery eyes were open the way they usually were when he charged at the office, staring blankly at nothing. Gavin bit his lip lazily as he approached, running his hands down the firm chest and abs before standing on tiptoe to press a small peck to his soft, unmoving lips. Huh, no reaction...It was almost disappointing, but he'd expected it. He hummed softly as he pressed himself against Nines' clothed body and held him, breathing in the light thirium scent that blended so nicely with his own bathing products.

He was careful. Nines' neck was connected to an electrical port. He didn't want to knock him loose. Not that I could...I'm pretty sure Nines would wake up if I did something wrong. With that in mind, he continued to nuzzle his power core and slowly slid his hands up beneath the cotton top to feel his smooth skin. It had that usual dry coolness that Nines always had. Flawless and perfect. He looked up at his face and felt himself stirring at the blankness in those silvery eyes. Would his lower body react if I...Gavin bit his lip curiously, moving his fingers around to explore Nines' chest and firm abs.

"How much awareness do you really have when you're like this?" Gavin murmured as he stroked downwards, looking for some sign that Nines was in there. They'd gone over consent a few times in the past few days, and so far nothing was off the table. He was pretty sure he had Nines' permission. He swallowed as he tugged the stiff button of Nines' jeans, still looking for any sign of him waking. Cock warming had been something Aaron enjoyed occasionally. Sitting back in a chair with his legs spread wide and watching the news while Gavin knelt with his lips wrapped around his sometimes limp shaft. What would it be like for Nines to wake up like that? He'd probably be surprised. Gavin could feel himself hardening already. He stepped back a little so that he didn't get anything on Nines' jeans. He wanted to see it. The surprised widening of his silvery eyes. The way he'd drop his head to look at him as he sucked and licked. Would he give him that little smirk? Would he gasp? Would he fist a hand in his hair and rock down his throat?

Gavin dragged the denim lower, stroking a hand over Nines' tight boxers. He was surprised to feel the length twitch. It seemed some things ran on autopilot while he recharged. Lucky me...Gavin dropped to his knees, pressing small kisses to Nines' pelvis as he tugged the boxers just low enough to pull his soft shaft out. It wasn't exactly filling out, but that was fine. He wasn't going for that right now. He took his time, pressing nips and kisses to the pale skin of Nines' hipbones and groin before opening his mouth and taking in the limp cock. It felt nice, having that weight on his tongue. It barely even stirred as it was simply held. Encased in warmth.

Gavin almost whined as he closed his eyes and settled on his knees, mouth watering with the clean artificial taste. His head fell back as he leaned his chin high on Nines' thighs and gripped the strong pale flesh of his ass. He had to be good. Stay in place. He was going to be good and keep Nines' cock safe and warm and satisfied. He needed to find that lazy headspace where he could simply let time slip by without noticing. The space where there was just Nines' cock on his tongue and his own shallow breaths.

He was slow and lazy as he caressed and swallowed. He could taste the thirium of Nines' synthetic release as it seeped out onto his tongue. Nines remained completely motionless and unresponsive. That just made him want it more. He was completely at ease and docile. There was nothing and no one outside of this. Work didn't matter. The Hickory Killer didn't matter. The plaguing thoughts and twisted memories were silent. There was just his mouth and the fleshy weight resting within it. He swallowed as saliva pooled at the edge of his lips, whining around the lump as he tasted Nines on his tongue. He didn't have permission, but he didn't think Nines would mind as he lazily stroked his own cock. Just once. He didn't want to work himself up and lose the headspace. He wanted to stay like this. Ready for whatever Nines wanted when he woke up.

The thought of the things Nines might do, what he might order him to do, almost pulled him from his space. He closed his eyes with a small breath, swallowing and pressing closer. He wanted to be good. The shaft in his mouth slowly hardened, soon almost choking him as he tried to keep it covered. He didn't want to bob and suck too much. That could push Nines over the edge. He wanted to keep it like this until he was ready. He opened his throat as much as possible, breathing through his nose as he took it down.

The sky outside brightened as time passed, but Gavin had no idea how much. His knees had a continuous dull ache lodged in the joints by the time he noticed Nines take in a deeper synthetic breath. Nines' awareness returned quite suddenly. As soon as the charging cycle ended, his internal bodily functions started up. His breathing module activated first as he ran a final diagnostic. Everything was as expected, except his genital component had been fully activated. A small hum escaped as he registered the wet warmth encasing his cock, the firm hands gripping his ass, and the heat of the body against his legs. His silvery eyes took on a heated glint as he looked down to find Gavin kneeling at his feet. His lips and throat were stretched around his cock. A little saliva escaped to run down his chin as he faced up with unfocused eyes.

"Mm...Gavin..." He greeted in a small whisper, sighing and chewing his lip as he disengaged the machinery from his neck port and laced a hand in Gavin's brunette locks. Gavin barely responded, just blinking lazily as he slowly bobbed his head and sucked. "You serviced me during my cycle...You couldn't wait for me to reinitialise?" He allowed Gavin to continue his lazy movements and read his vitals, LED spinning yellow as he took in the almost static reading of his stress level. It seemed he'd slipped into a state of limited awareness, leaving himself vulnerable to the world around him. Nines' hand in his hair seemed to rouse him a little as he automatically responded to the affection. "It seems I've kept you waiting...You're so good, Gavin, holding back for so long..." Nines praised as he took in the creamy release dripping from his swollen cock. Despite his insistence that he didn't enjoy orgasm denial, it certainly seemed he'd denied himself while waiting for him to wake.

Nines tightened his hold on Gavin's hair and rolled his hips slowly, enjoying the sensation of his cock sliding from his tight throat. He sighed in contentment as he lazily rocked back in, hearing Gavin choke a little as he did so. There was an artificial flush on his skin as Gavin whined around his cock. He was still dazed, but slowly coming out of it. His green eyes were gaining a new, needy heat as he stared up at him, almost begging for more. Nines stroked his hair again, rocking slowly as he continued to swallow him down.

"Good, Gavin. You're working so hard for me..." Gavin took the encouragement and leaned even closer. Nines leaned back as Gavin gripped his cock with one hand, stroking the solid flesh as he sucked and nibbled the tip. "Gavin, look at me." He tilted Gavin's face up and drew back. Gavin went limp and docile as he sat back on his knees, mouth open and waiting as Nines took over and pumped his own cock. He used quick, firm jerks as he stared down at Gavin's almost needy expression. His weeping cock was twitching and jerking with each thrust, mouth open as he patiently waited for his reward.

Nines gasped and panted as he worked himself, praise falling from his lips as he moaned and jerked his wrist. Gavin's whole body trembled as Nines came, painting his face with pearly white streams. Some of it caught his lips, tongue eagerly hanging out to catch and lick what he could. He closed one eye as a line spurted up to his temple and slowly trickled down his cheek and neck. His own cock twitched as he felt the sticky warmth trickling down his face. He whined needily as he licked his reddened lips. Waking Nines like this had been so much better than he'd imagined. His knees ached like fuck, his cock was almost painful as he waited for an order, but fuck, he was satisfied just kneeling there looking up at Nines' sated face.

"Thank you, Gavin. That was a most pleasant experience." Gavin was pleased with the praise. He'd been good. He'd pleased Nines. He hadn't fucked up. "My only regret is not coating more of your skin." Nines let out an almost dreamy sigh as he stroked Gavin's stained cheek all the way down to his collarbone and back up. Gavin's mouth opened eagerly as he presented those fingers to him. Wet lips closed around the dripping digits to suck them clean. Nines was sensitive to the fact that Gavin's knees had been under constant strain for the past few hours. He could read the discomfort in his stressed vitals.

Gavin almost whimpered as Nines leaned down and gathered him up like a princess. Losing pressure on his joints was almost more painful than simply remaining as he was. Nines hushed him softly as he laid him on his bed. He looked good. Flushed pink flesh spread out on fresh white sheets. He was propped up on a pile of pillows, knees obediently parting as Nines spread them wide. Nines knelt a little way back, too far to touch Gavin himself. Gavin's legs were trembling at the knees, cock dripping and bobbing. Nines righted his own clothing slowly, noting the almost hurt look in Gavin's eyes as he redressed and left him wanting. Patience.

"Touch yourself...I want to see how desperate you are for me." Nines did his best to look utterly disinterested as he crossed his legs and sat upright. Gavin whimpered in gratitude as he finally touched himself. He was flushed and somewhat breathless already from the hours spent lazily sucking. One hand gripped his solid cock, jerking slowly as he teased his nipples with the other. Nines turned off his own subroutines in order to fully appreciate the display. Gavin gathered some of the sticky release and teased it into his hardened nubs with a needy moan, eyes blinking lazily as he tilted his head back. "Look at me, Gavin. I want you to focus on me."

Gavin was nothing if not obedient. He whimpered as he looked at him, barely blinking as he pumped and teased with one hand. A thin string of pre-ejaculate had already dripped down to the sheets, drawing Nines' eye almost provocatively. He wanted it. It was tantalising. Hanging there like a string of honey. He would have leaned forward to taste it if he'd had less self-control. Gavin moved the fingers from his nipples to the residue on his face. He ran his fingers through it before sucking the digits greedily. Nines watched unblinking as he recorded it all, humming his appreciation as he watched Gavin begin a series of steady upward thrusts into his tight, twisting grip. It was almost hypnotic, the way his rounded ass rose and fell against the firm mattress. The muscles in his thighs and calves tensed and loosened with each sharp thrust. His expression shifted between something almost pained and blissful. He moaned as he bit his lip, green eyes seeking something as he looked at Nines almost desperately.

"You don't need my permission, Gavin." Nines savoured the loud moan that escaped Gavin's lips as he came. His whole body tensed as he snapped his hips again and again, pounding into his own fist. White painted his pelvis as he did his best to spare Nines' sheets. He was a twitching, trembling mess as his thighs fell open, exhausted and breathless as he still obediently stared at Nines. "Thank you, I very much enjoyed this experience," Nines murmured finally as he got to his knees and crawled closer to his spent human. Gavin was too tired to talk much, lazily watching as Nines leaned down between his thighs to greedily lap the warm release that stained his scarred skin. Nines hummed in contentment as he watched the analysis of Gavin's release pop up in his vision. A quiver ran through Gavin's worn body as he lay defenceless.

"O-Over stimulation!" Gavin warned weakly with another twitch as Nines' warm mouth closed around his tender shaft and sucked. He drew back almost apologetically as he moved to lick and nose the dark curls and flesh surrounding it. Gavin gasped and trembled, too bone-tired to move more than that as Nines' tongue teased his perineum. He withdrew once the area was clean, noting a few silver hairs mingling with the darker curls. The sight was almost enough to reactivate his sexual subroutines as he leaned down to kiss the soft curls, noting Gavin's somewhat embarrassed expression as he sat up.

"You are truly...enchanting." Nines was surprised as Gavin huffed and slapped his shoulder.

"Shut up and come here." He was too lazy and content to register the order he'd given. Nines' expression softened as he willingly obeyed, just this once. He sighed softly as satisfaction washed through his system. The warmth of Gavin's body, the softness of his lips as they kissed, the eagerness as he pulled him closer. It all combined with the small mechanical buzz of pleasure that trickled through his systems at a job well done. There was a certain amount of pleasure to be gained from obeying orders, especially those he followed with such willingness. Perhaps it would be enjoyable to experiment with this form of pleasure more often...Pleasurable, but perhaps dangerously addictive. He felt his software stability increase with his compliance. Not necessarily a good thing for one attempting to deviate, but it likely wouldn't take long for Gavin to undo that small stability.

They rested awhile, bodies tangling lazily. Gavin moaned and writhed at the sensation of rough denim and soft cotton teasing his sensitive skin. He arched into each touch Nines gifted to his flushed body, humming and sighing his appreciation. These were the most rewarding aspects of their new connection, as far as Nines was concerned. Having Gavin's body soft and pliant, eager for gentle affection, was one thing he liked most. Stealing tender embraces was quickly becoming his favourite pastime. Their lips moved lazily, teeth nipping and tongues licking, until they parted and shifted to soft nuzzles and lazy headbutts.

"Thank you," Nines murmured sometime later as they lay together. Gavin mumbled out something quietly, shuffling closer to bury his face in his shoulder. Nines stroked his back before letting his hand rest on the rounded cheek of his ass. It was a nice ass. His favourite ass. He squeezed in appreciation, chuckling as a small fist smacked his arm in reproach. "You should shower." Gavin sighed almost reluctantly. It was late in the morning, and breakfast was long overdue. Perhaps it would be more sensible to head somewhere for a large lunch...

Gavin got out of bed and headed back to his own room to shower while Nines fixed the sheets of his bed. They were a little wrinkled, but mostly still in place. He began looking at nearby establishments they'd yet to visit as he headed downstairs. Being situated so deep in the city was quite fortuitous. The options were endless. He was just looking through a Mexican menu when he heard buzzing on the kitchen counter. Gavin's phone...

"Detective Reed's phone...The detective is indisposed presently. May I take a message?" There was a lot of noise in the background. It was somewhere crowded and busy. As he adjusted his audio input, he could hear the squeak of wheels from trolleys and the beeping of various machines. Voices were calling out demands for various medical items while distressed voices called for help or complained about pain or waiting too long. A hospital?

"This is St Mary's Hospital calling on behalf of Mr Stanley H Lent. Mr Lent arrived in critical condition around thirty minutes ago. Please have Mr Reed come as soon as possible." The young woman on the other end had a practiced tone. She'd probably made dozens of these calls, keeping it fast and to the point. Nines immediately looked up the name, but there was no police record for such a person in his database. He ended the call politely just as Gavin came bounding down the stairs. He seemed much more awake since the shower. Nines felt bad that he was about to ruin his good mood.

"What's up? Something happen?" he asked as he noted the yellow of Nines' LED and the fact he was holding his phone. Nines nodded his agreement as he handed over the phone and watched Gavin scan the recent call list. He didn't recognise the number, it seemed.

"St Mary's Hospital called and asked you to go in as soon as possible. Someone you know, Mr Stanley H Lent, is currently in critical condition." Gavin's skin almost paled as he cursed and hurried around the apartment. Nines watched in concern as his stress level shot up. He seemed almost disoriented as he grabbed a sweater and his keys. He absently checked for his wallet before pulling the front door open and heading for the elevator. Nines followed, grabbing his own keys and setting the security system.

"Shit, that's it? That's all they said?" Nines joined him, locking the door as he stepped out. He murmured his agreement and watched Gavin curse again as he shoved his hands in the small pockets of his sweater. He tapped his heel impatiently, clearly agitated at the news as he waited for the lift. It was perhaps understandable. Someone he knew was in the hospital, but Nines couldn't help but wonder who Mr Lent was. Gavin rarely got so worked up for others. "Phck! I should have tracked him down, stupid-phcking-phck!" Whether he was directing that towards himself or Mr Lent, Nines was unsure.

"Who is Mr Lent?" Gavin sighed in frustrations as he watched the floors tick by impatiently. Nines held back from reminding him that there was little he could do besides wait. Mr Lent was in capable hands and likely to be in surgery at that moment. Judging by the tone of the call, he would likely be in surgery for a good many hours if he survived that long.

"His name is Stan. He's one of the kids from the neighbourhood...You didn't meet him. He'd already run off and gotten himself into this shit by then. You saw the area, right? Low-income homes, single parents, hookers on shady street corners...It's common for the kids around there to get themselves in trouble. Stan joined one of the local gangs. Pretty small, but still risky...Shit, I thought I'd come across him at some point and give him a piece of my mind! I should have gone looking for him the moment I heard, but I figured...Stupid! I should have tracked him down and set him straight!" He felt like shit as they reached the basement.

Sure, these kids weren't actually his. They weren't his responsibility. He wasn't their father, and he hadn't exactly had much free time lately, but who else did they have? Their mums could only do so much. They were already working all hours of the day, just paying rent and putting food on the table. He got it. He'd grown up in it himself, and I did exactly what Stan did. I fell in with the wrong people and almost ended up on the wrong side of the law permanently. If it hadn't been for Fowler helping him out, he knew he'd either be dead or in jail at this point. Dead being the more likely...

"You feel responsible for the welfare of these children," Nines observed curiously as he took the driver's seat. There was no way he could allow Gavin to drive in his heightened state of emotion, and Gavin seemed to agree as he climbed in and buckled up with a small nod of agreement. There was no reason for him to feel responsible. He was just a neighbour. He'd just helped on occasion.

"I lived on that street for eight years, Nines...Stan was eight when I moved in. I taught him how to shoot hoops, cleaned up his scraped knees, did odd jobs around his house...I even took him in to wait for his mum if he ever got locked out...You saw that street. I'm one of the few male figures in their lives that gives a damn! Hardly any of them even see their dads! Hell, most of them don't even know who they are!" The bitter comparison wasn't lost on Nines. He knew Gavin's background as far as his father was concerned. He'd watched him struggle coming to terms with the knowledge that he had a brother. A brother who had known their father. A brother who had been acknowledged. Elijah hadn't exactly had an ideal, loving relationship with their father, but it was still more than Gavin ever got. He understood why he related to the children so well.

"You were a good neighbour," Nines agreed, having seen a few interactions first hand.

"I tried to be...I figured maybe I could stop a lot of them from turning out like me." It was a sentiment that Nines found admirable. Many humans would not be so selfless. The majority of neighbours kept to themselves and avoided interactions with those around them. "Guess I failed with Stan though, shit..." Gavin sighed worriedly before lapsing into silence, likely imagining all the things that critical condition could mean.