Unfixable

Learning to Stand

"You're looking so much better!" Chloe greeted as she entered the large dining hall. Nines and Gavin were sitting at a small corner table eating breakfast. Nines had just finished and was reading the paper, leaving Gavin in peace. He wasn't one for talking while he was eating. Nines lowered the paper to smile his agreement as Chloe skipped across to kiss Gavin's cheek in greeting. Gavin offered a wan smile as he accepted the kiss. He hated to admit it, but he did feel better.

It had been almost a month, and those exercises had really helped. Nines had also been encouraging him to improve his own mobility. He was now wheeling the chair by himself, though that wasn't always the best idea. He often went a lot faster than he should, and had toppled the chair more than once in his eagerness to take a corner. Nines was just pleased to see that little spark of mischief back in his glittering eyes. They'd been dim for a solid week. He'd constantly expected him to pack up and leave, but he hadn't.

Their earlier awkwardness had faded somewhat. They'd started to get used to each other. Nines could pick up on when Gavin's mood was dropping or when his energy level was flagging. He also knew when he could push him for more. He wouldn't let him wallow in self-pity. He encouraged and goaded in equal measure, but he was never cruel. If Gavin reached a breaking point, he'd stop. He pampered and cared for him, but never let him think he was a burden. He knew he could take care of himself. He encouraged him to take care of himself. He also took great pleasure in spoiling him with affection.

Gavin had no idea what was keeping him around. What did Nines get out of their arrangement besides him? He could probably say that about any relationship. The only thing you ever got out of it was the love of the other person, but he was pretty sure his love wasn't worth the trouble. Not when his temper flared so readily, and when he was always ready to fall back into a pit of despair. He knew he was an asshole, and he was hard to deal with. He snapped. He griped. He cried. He'd been awful to Nines. Not just once or twice, but multiple times a day. Nines knew how to bring him back down again, but he shouldn't have to deal with that. He didn't have to deal with it. He was actively choosing to stick around, and for what?

"Thanks...I guess I feel a little better." With the repetition of the exercises, his skin was getting used to all the stretching and moving. The stitches had healed enough to be removed a few days ago, and it hurt even less. The scars were still raw and sore to touch, but actually moving the skin was a lot better. The wound in his side was also healing nicely. Sometimes it didn't hurt at all. The one thing that hadn't changed was the throb of his missing leg, but he could at least distract himself with Nines' company and his daily exercises. Lady Blossom had helped, too.

He hadn't ridden her, but he visited every day and Joe, the stable hand, would always let him feed her a carrot. He'd even brought her out of the stall to tack her up once. She really was a lovely thing. She had a white bloom on her forehead, which was why she'd been called Blossom, and the fur around her hooves was also white. She had a really nice walk. She picked up her feet like a show pony, even though she'd never been trained for it. Gavin was always happy to see her, especially when she nosed against his chest. Sometimes she'd be a little too enthusiastic. Pressing in so hard, she rolled his chair back. She'd never tipped the chair over. Nines was always there to steady him.

"I hear you made a friend, too," Chloe pressed as she took a seat at the table. She looked like she'd just come in from somewhere. She wasn't wearing her nursing uniform, and she was swaddled in her outdoor coat. He knew she'd been away from the estate. He hadn't seen her since Nines' arrival. She'd likely been off running errands for Elijah. Sorting supplies, finding new patients, things like that. He wasn't sure who'd been keeping her updated. Did Nines write to her? He glanced across to find him watching fondly. Probably...It certainly hadn't been Elijah. He hadn't seen him, but he knew he was around somewhere.