From Your Wires to Your Core

Better than New

"Gavin." The quiet voice murmured in his ear as a gentle hand squeezed his shoulder. It was a voice he knew. A voice he'd been waiting for. His green eyes snapped open, and he pushed himself up before his brain was really working. Firm hands were already on his shoulders by the time he'd turned his stool, stopping him from toppling over. He blinked the fuzzy, dazed feeling away as he finally focused on the figure above him.

"Nines! You're alright," he murmured in relief as he looked him up and down. He'd redressed and activated his synthetic skin before waking him. He looked fine. Not a hair out of place. It was hard to believe that the android he'd seen opened up on the table and the man before him were the same being. He'd literally held his beating heart in his shaking hands. The memory was almost enough to make his head spin again.

"Of course! In fact, he's better than alright," Elijah piped up from across the room, where he was wiping down the bench with what smelled like bleach. Nines was about to speak when he looked down at Gavin and paused. His LED span yellow as he caught sight of his hands. Gavin followed his gaze and saw nothing, but he could still feel it. The oily feeling still coated his skin. Nines could see it. The thirium. He remembered that much about the Connor series.

"Elijah mentioned you had a turn of sorts..." Nines was troubled as he examined Gavin's face. The colour had somewhat drained from his skin during his episode, and had yet to fully return. The rings beneath his eyes looked darker, and his lips were very pale.

"Uh...I guess...I'm not sure." Gavin was stiff and awkward, increasingly conscious of the thirium on his skin. It wasn't blue anymore, but it was still there. He didn't like it. The feeling was making his skin crawl. Nines' LED flashed yellow again as he read Gavin's vitals. He was raising his own stress levels again. "I think I need a shower." There was no reason for him to stay in the lab covered in invisible thirium, not now that Nines was alright.

"Good idea, you two go relax for a while. I'll finish up here and have Chloe start dinner." Elijah may have sounded dismissive, but he truly thought it best that Gavin get out of the confined space. He wouldn't start to feel better until he'd cleaned up anyway. He was at least steadier on his feet now that he was more awake. Nines remained close as he followed him up to their bedroom. There wasn't even a question about whether he was going in with him. For one thing, Nines also felt dirty from having his body opened up and rearranged. For another, he was the only one who could see the thirium that stained Gavin's hands, wrists, and shirt. Finally, he could tell Gavin had suffered a mild traumatic episode and had no intention of leaving his side until it had passed.

Unlike last time, this shower wasn't filled with salacious touches. It was strictly business. Nines washed his own body while Gavin did the same, but Nines then checked over his work. Gavin didn't understand at first, but he soon caught on as Nines rubbed soap between his fingers and across certain patches on his hands and wrists. He was also meticulous while looking at his own pale flesh, making sure no stray thirium had been left behind.

Gavin finally felt clean afterwards and pulled on his night clothes once more. After he'd dressed, he headed to the sofa, almost yelping as Nines swept him up in his arms and gently laid him down. He was taking up the whole sofa, head resting on one plush armrest while his feet touched the other. Nines sat on the edge of the large cushion beside him, also dressed in his lounge clothes. It was good to see him in one piece. So phcking good. No more blue. No more oil.

"Something happened to upset you." The lack of a question left Gavin with little choice but to silently agree.

"I guess it was harder than I thought...seeing you opened up like that." To be fair, he'd been coping pretty well until Elijah pulled that shit with his power core. What the fuck had he been thinking? How was it alright to take out Nines' life source and just hand it to him? He wasn't even a qualified mechanic! He could have broken it or fucked it up somehow. Elijah had literally trusted him with Nines' life, and that responsibility wasn't his to give.