Partners - Reed900 series

Wishes

He reaches for his tea, just to give himself something to do. When he moves forward he loses Nines' hand on his arm and the sudden feeling of loss makes him brave enough to scoot over when he sits back. Nines gives a pleased hum when their thighs touch, Gavin leaning back in the open space within Nines' arm. It feels good to sit there, it feels right. Yet Gavin's heart is still beating like it wants to slam through his ribcage.

"God, this is awkward," Gavin mutters, trying to will his cheeks to settle into a more natural colour than fire hydrant red.

Long, deft fingers find their way into his hair, gently scratching the shorter hairs at the back. He can feel the android's gaze on him, though he doesn't dare to return it yet.
"Is it?" Nines hums thoughtfully. "I think it is a very natural extension of the situation we already created. In fact, it is a very logical step."

It is such a Nines thing to say. And he is right. Everybody else already thought they were a couple, the way they were practically living together should have been a clear sign to the both of them too. And yet it took some fucking mistletoe to get them this far. A huff of amusement escapes Gavin and he leans his head back, feeling the tension slowly flood out of him. Nines' hand comes up over his head and a finger boops his nose, making him laugh for real. His partner moves so he can wrap his arms around Gavin's torso, careful not to disturb his hot tea. He noses the side of Gavin's face, his nose cool against Gavin's hot cheeks. "I like this," Nines says quietly. "I like this very much."

Gavin rubs his head back against Nines, sighing contentedly. "Me too."

He'd be lying if he said he didn't imagine shit like this before, when they were each still sitting on their own side of the couch and touches were only perfunctory and practical. You know, like the platonic work partners they are. Were.

He drinks from his tea, the last bits of tension seeping out from him in Nines' embrace. Tiny jumps on the couch, wriggling and pushing until she is in Nines' lap, pressed in between them. Gavin reaches over to scratch her behind the ears. "You're gonna have to share now, young lady."

That incites a laugh in Nines, a quiet rumble in his chest that Gavin can feel now he is flush against said chest. It warms him to be privy to the android's happiness, to feel the proof of it. It takes him back to his thoughts earlier this evening, about how much Nines has grown over the past months. If he is being honest with himself, he knows he has changed too. He is milder, not as quick to anger. Who knew all he needed was a stoic android to get him to be less of an asshole?

Although, he can still be a bit of an asshole. To his - their cat, for instance. Gavin puts his tea mug away and turns towards Nines, pushing Tiny off his lap. "My turn now," he grins smugly, hooking his leg over Nines.

The android's LED circles yellow once before settling back on a steady blue. He accommodates Gavin in his lap, holding him steady with his large hands on his waist. "I don't have any mistletoe here," he says when Gavin crowds him against the back of the sofa.

"Don't need it," Gavin answers dismissively, throwing his arms around Nines' neck and closing in towards his goal. He ghosts his lips over the android's jaw, feeling the smoothness of the synthetic skin there. It's warm to the touch, making it feel real, alive, even though Gavin knows, somewhere in the back of his mind, it is all tech and machinery.

The lips that find his are perhaps a fraction less pliant than those of a human, yet they fit perfectly against his own. And when he nips at the bottom lip, the hands at his waist grab him just a tad firmer than before.

Their kisses alternate in speed, from languid, slow kisses that make Gavin melt against Nines, to heated kisses that have him pressing himself up against the android's chest. Gavin has unbuttoned the top three buttons of Nines his shirt, allowing him to splay his hands across his neck, throat and shoulders. When he goes for the next button, Nines moves one of his hands from his waist to his wrist, gently holding the hand up to his mouth like before. He kisses every finger, from the bottom to the tip, taking the fingertip between his lips shortly before moving onto the next.