The Pain of Your Love

Chapter 1: The Tremors, The Coffee, The Touch

There, in the dark, a man were sitting. Pondering, on things, reliving memories. Trying to find a way in, a way to solve this case. The case, had been, a hell of a hard one. The detectives, had been working on it, for a few months, but still, not close, to finding the missing link. The smell of coffee, worked its way up, the detective's nose, making him, look up. Feeling a warm, soft, gentle touch, on his shoulder. He couldn't help himself, from smiling a little, though he tried, to hide it. But Gavin knew, that the android would pick it up, and Nines, would be smirking too. "Here, Gavin." The aesthetically pleasing man said, placing, the mug on the table. Nines didn't remove, his hand from shoulder, but instead, laid more pressure on it, drawing circles, with his index finger. Gavin, could see in the corner of his eye, that the synthetic skin, was retracting from Nines' hand. The soft glow, shifting the eerie vibe, in the office into a more calm, safe feeling. He let out a deep breath, closing his eyes for a second.

You're suggesting, that I should end RK900?

The voice, ringed in his head, making the tremors, return to his hands. "Gavin, are you all right? Your heart rate is elevated." RK900 stated, making Gavin opening his eyes, leaning forward, escaping the grip, of the warm, gentle hand. "What did I say, about scanning me?" He mumbled, with a frustrated tone. Pinching, the bridge of his nose, before letting out, a silent curse under his breath, standing up, clenching his hands, seeing the knuckles, turning white. Releasing them, letting them fall, to his side, before looking back, at the other man. Seeing the amber light, circling on the temple of the android. The street lights, neon lights, creating shadows, through the blinds, on both of the men. The moon shining through, making the snow even brighter. "I scan you, because I care about you..." Nines answered, meeting the eyes of the sleep deprived man. But Gavin, couldn't hold the eye contact, shifting his gaze down to the floor, his feet. Anything else, just to make the pain in his chest, go away. It felt like a wave, was going to crash against the chest, breaking every single bone, in his body. Gavin breathed out, walking closer, and closer to the chair, to him. Standing within, each others reach. The detective, swallowed, what ever he had to swallow, before speaking. "Just tell me... That..." His voice broke, feeling how his eyes starting to sting, overfilling but not letting, the tears fall down his cheek. Gavin looked up, at the android, begging him, to read his mind, for Nines to say those words.

"Gavin, you're safe... You are here with me, in the DPD, by your desk." Nines spoke in a soft, gentle voice. Looking at Gavin, asking for consent, to touch him. The aesthetically pleasing man, lifted a hand, slowly up the scuffed cheek of the sleep deprived one, stroking his thumb lightly over the cheek. Making the detective, let out a deep, breath. A single tear, rolling down the cheek, Gavin's fists clenching, a hold, of the fabric on Nines' shirt. Feeling the seam, thread, the weave. Nines slowly brought, his other arm around, the detective's waist, pulling him closer. The sound, of light, thumps of thirium, drowning, all the sounds in Gavin's ears. Feeling the circles, of a vague touch, taking in the scent, of his skin. Trying, to stay in the moment, grounding himself more, by each second.

"You guys alright?" The detectives, heard Tina's voice, Gavin Reed felt how Nines shifted his head, slightly, looking directly at the smaller woman. Nines continued, moving his fingers, in small circles, while processing. "Yes, we will be alright." The aesthetically pleasing man spoke, shifting his gaze, slightly down, to Gavin. Scanning him, quickly, before, looking up at Tina, smiling kindly towards her. She gave RK900 a quick nod, leaving them alone in the room. With the neon lights, dancing with shadows, growing even larger. Slowly engulfing, the men in tranquility.

The sounds, from the night shift, the scent, from the coffee beans, in the air, trickling up the noses of everyone. Everything, slowly returning, to the detective's awareness. Still holding on to Nines' shirt for dear life, not ready to let go. Not his life line, not the force in his life. The single hand, that he was trying, so hard to hold on to, not to let go. Even, when he wanted to push, scram everything, and everyone away. He couldn't, not after what happened last time;

I won't let you regret, acting like a person. That's what happen when you let someone inside, so let's discuss this as adults, when you are not in a mood. Let's not. There is nothing to discuss and there won't ever be something to discuss.

He let out, a trembling breath, feeling how his hands, fingers, where shaking. Tightening, his grip around Nines' shirt, seeing his knuckles, turn white again. Trying to focus on the feeling, of the skin being tight over his hand, instead of the irritating tremors. Gavin Reed saw, and felt, how Nines shifted his grip. The android, laid his hand, on top of Gavin's own, trying to calm it. For him to release his tension, in fear that the detective was hurting himself. Looking up at Nines, meeting his blue eyes. The LED shifting from amber, to a calm azure, a thumb brushing away, the tears, on the cheeks of the sleep deprived man. The sleep deprived man's fingers, still feeling, the fabric of the shirt, the buttons, the threads. But the grip isn't tense, anymore.

"Is this new?" Gavin suddenly asked, making Nines chuckle. The android leaned forward, pressing a light kiss, on the detective's forehead. "Yes, and I thought I was the android." The aesthetically pleasing man smirked, making the other man scoff a bit. "Prick." Gavin Reed teased, before letting go, completely of his grip, returning to his desk. Looking down at his hands, clenching them, one last time, before grabbing the mug, of coffee. Trying to ignore the remaining tremors, in his hands, and focusing on getting the coffee in side him. Gavin saw, how the other detective, took his usual spot on the edge of the table.

Both of them, looking, at what ever was on the screen, trying to find the missing link. Everything, seemed as it had return, to its natural order again. But, Gavin could feel, how this was the calm before the storm, waiting for it to blow past, with its full rage, like a hurricane.