Something had changed. Ever since he'd bottomed, they'd somehow become closer. Gavin seemed less uncertain than before. He didn't give him those sad, lingering looks as often. It was almost as if their relationship had strengthened. They'd reached a new level of trust and intimacy. As the weeks went by, he only seemed to improve. Within two weeks, he'd almost abandoned the wheelchair completely. Crutches had gone from training aids to the everyday norm. Within his room, he didn't even rely on those. He'd use the walls and counters to hop his way between the bathroom and bed.

Chloe checked his injured leg daily. He no longer needed to wear dressings, so she was mostly checking the soreness. It wasn't so raw anymore. The scars were still angry and red, but they weren't in danger of splitting. She was confident that he was ready to be fitted for a prosthetic. Elijah had a new design he was trialling. The ankles were jointed, and the tip would flex a little like toes. It was supposed to make walking feel easier and look more natural. Gavin grumbled about being experimented on, but being able to walk normally again would be a huge boon.

It was with this mindset that he allowed Chloe to lead him up to Elijah's office. Nines went with them, following along behind Gavin on the stairs in case he slipped. It was his first time going up, so they took it slowly. Chloe sensitively said she'd wait at the top and hurried ahead, staying out of sight so that Gavin didn't feel rushed. He worked slowly, firmly planting his crutches before hopping his way a little higher. Nines only needed to steady him a couple of times. He was almost at the top when a familiar face appeared to come down.

"Hey there doughboy! How's the day treating you?" the young man asked as he raised a hand and hobbled his way down. Gavin was quietly grateful for the break as he rested on his crutches and nodded a greeting. The man was younger than Gavin by at least half a decade, and had suffered a similar injury. He was much further ahead in recovery, already hobbling about with a prosthetic and a wooden cane. The cane was looped over his elbow as he gripped the banister and staggered down one step at a time.

"Not so bad, Freddie. How's the wife?" Gavin asked in return, grateful for Nines' hand resting on his hip. He leaned into the support as Freddie grinned and pulled out his latest photo. Gavin smiled as he looked down to see the cherub-cheeked bundle. It had curly hair and big eyes, though it was impossible to guess the colour with the grey and white ink. "Phck, I knew she was due, but I didn't realise the baby had arrived already! Congratulations, looks like a peach!" Freddie beamed as he looked at the swaddled cherub.

"That's the truth! I can't wait for them to visit!" Gavin knew they lived a way off. He was pretty sure Freddie had said Manchester, wherever that is...Freddie was a pretty long way through recovery at this point. In a few months, he'd probably be set to leave. Elijah generally liked to be sure his patients were competent with the prosthetics before he let them loose on the world. Nines added his polite congratulations, and they continued climbing.

That was another thing that Nines was relieved to see. During their physio, Gavin had started making friends. It had been polite greetings at first, and then a few coincidental lunches and dinners. Nines was still there, but he often slipped into the background. Gavin was the one who had a shared experience with these men, and he was the one who'd be staying long term. The other patients seemed to understand Nines' silent request and focused most of their energy on making Gavin feel welcome. It was almost like a family. Camaraderie and shared experience held them together. Nines wasn't excluded, but he wasn't part of the inner circle. That was fine. That was as it should be.

Once they reached the first floor, Chloe led them along to Elijah's office. Thank God it's on the first floor! Elijah offered him his usual hopeful smile in greeting. Gavin did his best not to glower as he hopped his way over to the leather examination table. He couldn't help thinking that Elijah was enjoying this. After all the times he'd tried to escape his clutches, he was now trapped under his thumb. A subject to be used in his experiments. Nines took the crutches and set them aside, remaining at the edge of the room where he wouldn't intrude.

"How are you feeling, Gav?" He almost glared at the question. How am I feeling? I had my phcking leg blown off! How the phck do you think I'm feeling? He tightened his jaw. Sniping wouldn't help. "Chloe tells me you've started riding again...That's good! It'll do wonders for your balance," Elijah continued as he hesitated at the edge of the table. Gavin knew he wanted to get started. He also knew he was nervous about asking for permission. He huffed as he tugged the rolled up trouser leg higher, revealing the tender flesh beneath.

"Just get on with it." He averted his gaze as Elijah obligingly reached down to handle the scarred stump. He pressed the flesh, watching Gavin for a reaction. He knew what to look for. The tightening of his jaw. The slight pinch of his eyes. It still hurt, as it would for some time. He'd also heard about the phantom pain he suffered. It wasn't unheard of in amputees. He may even say it was common. So far, he'd found no method of curing that, though many patients reported improvement with it over time, and it came and went periodically.

"It's healing well...I'll measure you for a prosthetic and start working on it right away. It'll hurt a lot at first. Don't worry, the pain is normal. Your skin and muscle is still sensitive, so it'll take some getting used to," Elijah said as he rested his hand over the sore stump. Gavin squirmed uncomfortably as Elijah squeezed and pushed, telling him to bear down on his hand. "You still have strength...Good. You've been keeping up with the exercises." Gavin almost resented that it sounded like praise. He was surprised as Elijah pulled him into a tight embrace. "I'm glad you came back safe..." He looked at Nines for help as he awkwardly returned a half embrace.

"Is there anything we can do to prepare for fitting the prosthetic?" Nines asked as he met Gavin's panicked eye. Elijah coughed a little, pushing down his emotions as he drew back and turned around. Gavin blinked in surprise as he noticed him swipe his eyes. His brother wasn't exactly the emotional type, and he didn't really consider them to be close. He wasn't sure why it would bother him so much if he came back or not. They hadn't been in direct contact for a few years before the war.

"Nothing terribly specific. It may ease a little of the pain if you put weight on it now...Get the skin used to holding weight and being under pressure..." Nines nodded his understanding. That made sense. The freshly knitted flesh had never held weight before. They'd do it little by little, maybe on a soft surface, like the bed at first. "The most important part has already been done. You've kept up the muscle retention and closed the wound cleanly." That was definitely a plus. Gavin had experienced infections before. They were painful and could easily lead to a fever if left untreated. Hundreds of men had died from sepsis so far. Even more had needed further amputation to get ahead of the infection. He shuddered at the thought of losing his knee as well.

"Great, now measure me up so I can get the phck out of here," he grumbled as he squirmed on the edge of the table. Emotional Elijah was creeping him out. Elijah huffed and relented as he returned, motioning for him to lie back. Gavin did as asked and he grabbed a tape measure. He rolled his other trouser leg up and measured his good leg. He measured the length and width at varying intervals. He also measured his foot and the width of his injured knee and thigh. He measured him from head to heel and even had him stand.

"That's about it for now...I've kept your left shoe to help with sizing, I hope you don't mind..." That sent a small jolt through his chest. He hadn't even thought about that. He hadn't noticed. Every time he needed a shoe, Nines always brought him the right one. He'd never thought about the left. It's not like I'll be using it anytime soon...Depending on the prosthetic, he may never need it again. A lot of the ones he'd seen had been made of wood or light metal frames. There was no need to put shoes on them. Sometimes the tips were just thin stubs that wouldn't fit into shoes anyway.

"Sure..." Elijah gave him a tight-lipped smile as he let him go. There was clearly more that he wanted to say, but that could wait. Nines helped him down and returned his crutches for the walk downstairs. It was harder going down than up. In the end, Nines took the crutches and held one of his arms while he gripped the banister and hopped his way down. Taking the stairs was almost a harder workout than physio.

They went for lunch after that, eating out on the patio. It was a warm day, perfect for riding. With that in mind, they headed for the stables. Gavin gave Blossom her customary carrot as Joe tacked her up, ready to go. While Gavin watched Joe work, Nines headed further down to tack one of the other horses. There was a giant black horse named Goliath. He had an excellent temperament and was one of the few that Blossom could tolerate. He was a gelding, having finished his breeding days some time ago. He belonged to the lord of the house, but there were no hunts scheduled yet, so he was free to be ridden.

"Why is your horse so much bigger than mine?" Gavin huffed as Joe helped him swing himself onto Blossom's back. He'd gotten much better at it over the past few weeks. Nines smirked as he walked Goliath over and tugged him to a halt.

"Because I'm bigger than you." He had an almost sultry look on his face as he said it. Gavin snorted. He should have seen that coming. He hated that he couldn't argue the point. Nines' blue eyes softened as he turned Goliath, ready to head out. Gavin rocked his hips and encouraged Blossom to walk beside him. Nines looked good on horseback. He sat straight. He had the right bounce and rock to his hips, and he handled the reins confidently. "Let's head out to the woods," Nines said as they passed the usual field that Gavin practiced in.

"You sure?" It would be their first time leaving the immediate area. Nines nodded as he steered Goliath down the path. Gavin remained at his side. The path was wide enough, and it was rare for cars to drive in at this end. Finding a gap in the tall hedges, Nines led the way out into the open country. A lot of the fields were open on the estate, great for riding and hunting. Gavin nudged Blossom into a trot. He hadn't gone faster than that yet, but the open fields would be a good place to try for a canter. Nines followed his lead, bouncing in the saddle as Goliath picked his feet up. "Race you to the treeline!" Gavin called as he clicked his tongue and Blossom switched to a canter.

"Gavin! Be careful!" Nines called, alarmed as he kicked Goliath into a fast sprint to catch up. He found it hard to stay cross when he heard Gavin's gleeful whoop and ringing laughter. He sighed and shook his head as Goliath galloped to catch up. Gavin held tight, leaning forward and bouncing with practiced ease as Blossom picked her feet up and raced across the grass. He laughed in triumph as he slowed Blossom to a halt on the edge of the treeline. Nines pulled up beside him with a breathless huff, petting Goliath's neck as he snorted and shook his head.

"I won!" He wasn't about to take it away from Gavin by pointing out he'd had a head start. Besides, Blossom was smaller and lighter. It was entirely possible she'd beat Goliath in an all-out race. "What's my prize?" Gavin asked gleefully as he waited for Nines to reach his side. He leaned forward a little as Blossom put her head down to snuffle the grass. Nines huffed as he leaned over to rest a hand on Gavin's thigh, surprising him as he pressed a kiss to his lips. They parted with a gasp as Goliath took a few steps forward, almost making Nines slip.

"I guess he wants to go this way," Nines chuckled as he looked further along the treeline.

"Oh? You got a secret grazing spot out here?" Gavin asked as he looked at the huge black horse. Goliath almost seemed to snort his agreement as he plodded a few more steps into the forest. Gavin shrugged. They didn't exactly have anywhere in mind. Why not let the horses lead for a bit? Nines loosened his hold a little to allow Goliath to lead. Gavin had Blossom walk at his side, all of them content to plod along and enjoy the day. "When's Connor arriving?" They'd talked about him coming a while back.

"Connor and Sixty should be here sometime next week." That would be just in time for him to start training with his prosthetic. He was looking forward to seeing Connor again. Sixty, he could take or leave. Nines huffed as he said it out loud. He knew they didn't always get on, but he also thought they were quite alike.

"Are you calling me a psychopath?"

"He's not that bad!" Nines objected with a chuckle, though he had noted a marked increase in his unstable behaviour since the war started. He was his brother, and he loved him dearly, but he definitely had a sadistic streak. He still remembered the cackling shrieks he'd let out as he'd stood on the parapet, firing blindly at the enemy. The crazed fire in his hazel eyes. The devilish grin that dared the enemy to return fire. He stood on the ledge openly, a blatant taunt. Here I am! What are you waiting for? No one had dared raise their head to fire. Sixty scared his own men. Lord only knows how the enemy felt.

"He almost put me in the hospital!" Gavin exclaimed, ducking below one of the lower tree branches as Blossom plodded along the path.

"You almost put each other in the hospital." Nines couldn't help smirking at the memory. That had been just after they'd first started seeing each other. Both Sixty and Gavin were fiercely territorial and protective of their men, and confrontational. That was a bad combination when living on the front in close quarters. They'd brawled more than once over that last year. Gavin grumbled that his injuries had been worse, which was true. Sixty knew how to fight dirty. A stern talking to by both Nines and Allen had soon put a stop to it. They'd tolerated each other since then, mostly by actively avoiding encounters.

They soon found out why Goliath was so eager to walk that particular trail. There was a group of apple trees at the end of the journey. It was a little soon for apples yet, but he seemed content as he stopped to nose the grass. Nines hopped down and secured the reins on a tree before helping Gavin do the same. Gavin was uncertain as he was helped down. He didn't have his crutches. He was shaky and vulnerable on the ground.

"Don't worry...I have you..." Nines murmured as he lifted him into his arms. Being held like a princess was all well and good, but he didn't like feeling so useless. Nines swiftly settled him on a comfortable patch of grass at the base of a tree. He watched Nines hurry back to tie Blossom in place before returning to lounge at his side. "It's nice weather..." That much was true. It was really mild. He hadn't even worn a jacket that day. The sun was out. The sky was blue. He could even hear birds. "We should work on your leg later," Nines murmured as he reached out to rest a hand on the smooth stump.

"Yeah..." He still wasn't used to it being handled. A lot of the time, it still felt like his leg was there. It was unsettling to feel Nines' hand over the tender skin, confirming it was really gone. Nines shuffled closer and rested his head on his shin, stroking circles on his stump. Gavin's jaw tightened. It was still sensitive. "You know you don't have to do that," he added as Nines leaned in to press little kisses across the painful scars. His lips seemed to press harder at the reminder.

"I know..." Gavin wasn't sure if he was trying to reassure him or just being affectionate. They'd been together a few times since his arrival. He got the fact that he wasn't going anywhere. For now, at least...Gavin huffed and ruffled his hair as he felt his warm tongue stroke its way across the warped flesh.

"Don't make it weird." Nines drew back with a grin as Gavin shoved his head. He relented after that, but remained lying down with his hand stroking the skin. It was nice, having him there. "Hey..." Nines looked up at the mumble. Gavin reached a hand down, waiting nervously to see if Nines would take it. Nines smiled softly as he reached up and took his hand. He moved higher to press a kiss to his knuckles before settling down, rubbing gentle circles with his thumb.