The Proper Motivation

Snowflake

The journey to Nines' apartment was a long and meandering one, and for a while there was a chance they wouldn't make it back at all. The only reason they persisted was that Nines knew it would be impossible for Gavin to keep it up in the below freezing temperatures, and he would find their lovemaking less than pleasant. That didn't mean they didn't stop along the way. On the contrary, it seemed impossible for them to keep their hands off each other. Gavin brought them to a stop every few steps to wrap his arms around his neck and pull him into a heated kiss. In the end, Nines decided it would be faster to simply pick him up and carry him. Gavin didn't put up a fight. Wrapping his arms around his neck, he held on like a koala and claimed his lips at any given opportunity.

Nines lived in a pretty fancy apartment block not too far from Admiral Park. In fact, in order to get home, he took Gavin on a walk through the park, often pausing along the railing by the river to press him against it and seal his wanton lips. After about thirty minutes of fumbling alongside the railing, Nines carried Gavin out of the park and back into the streets until they came to the shiny new building. It had a fancy marble fronting, and each apartment had enormous windows and balconies with gold railings. It was hard for Gavin to believe a detective's wage could pay for somewhere like this, but he was still paying off student loans and hospital bills. A never ending, ever mounting sea of debt. His brother would pay for it, of course, but he didn't like to treat him like a secondary bank account.

"You live here?" Gavin exclaimed as they stopped outside. Nines smiled in amusement as he watched Gavin staring up at the twelve storey block with a sense of awe. It was almost like he'd never seen an apartment block before, though perhaps that was a little cruel. This was a new-build, so it looked a lot newer and fancier than many others in the area. It would also be considered expensive to many people, however, it was more than affordable on a detective's salary.

"I do." Nines led the way with a nod and used his palm to swipe through the main door. Beyond the heavy glass was a shiny foyer with a security guard, who waved Nines through with a polite greeting. Gavin's mouth almost fell open as he hurried along at Nines' side, waiting impatiently for the lift. Nines' lips quirked as he pretended to ignore Gavin's impatience, which only eased once they were inside the spacious, mirrored lift and on their way to the top floor.

"You have a phcking security guard?"

"Well, no. He isn't my guard; he simply monitors the building." Gavin scowled and folded his arms. Nines knew exactly what he meant; he was just being a facetious prick! Having visited Gavin's apartment many times to pick him up, Nines knew he lived in a fairly rundown part of town. The apartment was a shoebox compared to his. The bedroom was in its own dingy little space that could just about fit a double bed, built-in closets, and a set of drawers, and there was a small bathroom with a shower, toilet, and sink, but the living room and kitchen were jammed into one cramped space. There was a small shelf along the window that served as a breakfast bar, and that was the closest thing to a table that would fit in the space. There was enough room for a sofa, TV, and coffee table, but not much more than that. It was tight, but Gavin said he didn't need much space. He spent most of his time at work. With such sorry living conditions, Nines couldn't blame him. If not for his cat, Gavin probably wouldn't go home at all.

He didn't always need to go home anyway. His cat was an ex-stray, and still freely roamed the city as he pleased. He could go off for days on end sometimes, and though Gavin worried, he let it be. Cocoa Bean wasn't built for the pampered house cat life. He put up with it for a few days at a time, but the great outdoors soon called him back. After a week of yowling, scratching the windows, peeing on the floor, and trying to escape every time he went out, Gavin gave in and let him go. He'd thought he might not see him again when he didn't come back the first time, but then he woke up two days later and found him curled up outside his bedroom window.