D:BH Drabbles & One Shots

Mourning // Reed900

Prompt: Gavin Dies & Nines Lives
Tags/Warnings: Off screen character death, Feels, Hopeful Ending?

If he could breathe it would be hard for him to do it. If he could cry he'd be bawling. If he could go back in time he wouldn't hesitate. Nines kneels before an engraved stone gritting his teeth and wishing he had the ability to dream so that he could chalk this up to a nightmare. He can't dream though and this is the harsh reality that he has to face.

The gravestone reads Gavin's name, but the android can't process it emotionally. Physically his senses are processing that he has bitten down on his data receptor and there is a light wash of his own therium in his mouth. His hands are clutching too tight at the flowers and the stems of the stupid yellow roses Gavin likes have snapped from his strength. He drops them in front of the marker and looks at his hands. They are scratched from thorns and stained blue with his own life blood.

I love you, Nines, but you can live without me, Gavin had murmured to him one night after Elijah Kamski announced publicly that you could now download a person's consciousness to an Android before they die, Don't turn me into some walking, talking piece of plastic...okay?

If Nines could sob he would. If he could gather enough energy to scream at the sky he would. Gavin has made him humane and left him a broken man. His sensors picked up a presence behind him but he didn't turn. He kept looking straight at the glorified rock in front of him with grief and the sense of loneliness.

"I hope you don't decide to off yourself before you've read his will," Elijah comments from behind him, "Amazing that we can develop walking talking computers that look and act like us but we can't cure certain forms of cancer yet".

Nines looks up at the man who smiles at him. Maybe he's a monster, or maybe he just knows something that the bot doesn't. He holds out a Manila folder to the kneeling man and Nines can't help but think it's just like Gavin to want his will in paper. He reaches up and takes it to find its heavier than he thought.

Kamski yawns, "I'll be expecting you when you get finished reading it, don't make me wait to long though...I have a feeling it's contents will help you with your mourning".

Nines watches him walk back to his car before opening the folder. There is a large stack of papers, a small box, and something square and nearly flat within the package. He pulls out the box first and presses the button on it. The top snaps opened and within, on top of some sort of satin fabric, is two engraved engagement rings. He slams it closed wishing once again that he could cry for his lost Lover.

He slips the box back into the folder and steels himself trying to calm down before he pulls out any more. Finally, he opens his eyes even though he isn't sure when he closed them, and he reaches back into the package. He grasps the square thing carefully and flips it around. It's a chip holder, only he's never seen this type of chip before. On the clear, plastic front of the holder scrawled in Gavin's favorite gold sharpie it reads, I changed my mind. I couldn't die knowing you'd have to live without me.