Lovecraft

Sensitivity

The art in this story was made by @JasminCK3 on Twitter / JCK22 on Instagram / jceekay on Tumblr and the original concept of Nines' character is from their art. Please check out their socials and share the love if you like their art!

There is a continuation called The Lovecraft Protocol on AO3 - It's rated E. Links are on my linktree as always!

Gavin couldn't help glancing at Nines as they walked up the street. Besides the six eyes, he looked perfectly normal. That didn't change the fact that he knew he had a mouth full of vampire teeth, a creepy unhinging snake jaw, and a tongue that was at least a foot long. At least. It could have been longer. It probably was longer. That thing wasn't even normal! He hadn't gotten a good look at it last time, what with the whole face biting thing, but it had felt rough, like a cat's tongue, and there had been these weird little tendrils all over it, each able to explore and tease on its own. Gavin shivered as he recalled the way they'd stroked and teased his stubble and explored his sensitive throat. Nines' top set of eyes looked at him questioningly, making him look away quickly. He hadn't been able to keep eye contact since the incident a couple of days ago. How the phck could I get a boner over this guy? He's a phcking spider-vampire-alien-Eldritch-freak!

"Where are we headed, Detective?" Nines asked in his usual silken purr. It was a boner inducing sound, exactly the type of voice Gavin would fall to his knees for. He coughed as his mind began to wander, wondering if Nines even had the parts for that. He shook off the thought as he nodded to the huge mall across the street. The Plaza mall. The most popular shopping spot in their part of town. Gavin had parked up on a side street further back, since street parking was free and generally less busy than the mall lots. Nines paused with a hint of reluctance. It wasn't something anyone else would notice, but Gavin wasn't most people. He was good at reading behaviour. It had been a major in his degree. He'd actually been offered a position with the FBI specialising in behavioural analysis, but he'd decided that detective work sounded more exciting. He couldn't stand desk work.

"Something wrong?" Nines shook his head in response. Gavin frowned at the lie, but he wouldn't force the issue. He had to trust that his partner would let him know if it was something serious. They hadn't worked together long, but Nines had been open with him so far. He noticed Nines' shoulders tense as they crossed over to the mall. The square out front was fairly busy and inside, the mall was even busier. He could see Nines adjusting his black leather gloves, almost as if he were making sure they were still there. He wasn't sure whether it was a programmed quirk or some sort of nervous tick.

Gavin flipped out his notepad, unhooking the small pencil from the spine, ready to make notes. He knew the body had been found inside a locked changing room. That was about all he'd been told. He paused as they stepped through the shiny sliding doors. There was a crowd of people on the ground floor, bustling back and forth between stores. He raised his gaze to the second floor, searching for the right store. It was a suit shop. One of the exclusive tailoring ones. Expensive as fuck. The victim was probably some sort of lower executive. The real executives wouldn't shop somewhere like the Plaza. If they were anything like his brother, then they probably had tailors on call. Gavin took a few steps before pausing with a frown. Nines hadn't followed him. He was still standing in the doorway. His four upper eyes were pinched shut, his brow wincing slightly.

"You good?" Gavin checked with a hint of caution, watching Nines almost force his eyes open again as he nodded stiffly. Bullshit! Was it noise sensitivity? The people? The light? There was a lot of reflection bouncing off the stores. It glinted on the shiny metal rails and glass walkways. Gavin waved for him to come closer. Whatever the case, it would be less busy once they reached the closed-off scene. Nines followed, shoulders stiff and straight as he raised his head. His four upper eyes closed again as he locked his hands behind his back, jaw set tight as he walked. Gavin moved quickly, and Nines offered no complaint as they headed up the escalator. "Hey! Coming through!" Gavin yelled above the pressing crowd outside the shop. "DPD! Stand aside!" The crowd didn't seem set to move at first. Then they laid eyes on Nines. Many onlookers did a double take. Silence fell as they numbly stepped aside while staring at his face. Guess that's one thing I can be grateful for...