What Once Was Broken is Now Gold | Reed900 [Rewriting]

21. Goodbye

Awareness seeped into Gavin like a slow sip of whiskey, all full-body warmth and blissful burn. It weighed down his muscles and set heavy in his bones, and Gavin forced his eyes open even as his lashes clung to the dried tear tracks on his cheeks. Sourness prickled the back of Gavin's throat. He didn't drink whiskey to feel good.

He sat up slow, the blanket over his torso falling to his lap, Nines' arm around his waist urging him close to his side. "I'm here," Nines breathed, eyes closed, almost like he was still asleep. "I'm here, Sparky." Gavin blinked away the bleariness from his eyes as he laid on Nines' chest, his cheek against Nines' heart, beating a steady one, two, three, one, two.

"I know," Gavin murmured back after swallowing the lump in his throat, his voice dry, raspy. With a long, deep breath, Gavin ran his hands up and down Nines' sides, dragging his knuckles against Nines' ribs, over his waist. The musk of sex and sweat still laid thick in the air, lingering on Nines' warm chest, alongside a hot scent that tingled the back of Gavin's nose. Burnt plastic. Gavin couldn't stop a light chuckle.

"What are you thinking about?" Nines threaded his fingers through Gavin's unkempt hair, the smile in his tone pooling warmth in Gavin's limbs.

Gavin rested his chin on Nines' chest with a smile as he traced his fingertips over Nines' arms. "You just smell burnt n' shit."

Nines let out a huff of a laugh. "You don't smell any better, you know." He curled his fingers against Gavin's cheek, these quiet moments keeping away any worries or problems of the outside, their world just this apartment, this room, this bed.

If only. Gavin clenched his hands and turned his head to the side. "How...long was I asleep?"

"Nine hours, more or less." Nines brushed a stray strand of hair from Gavin's forehead. "I didn't want to move in case I startled you awake; you looked so...peaceful." With a tilt of his head, he added, "How are you feeling?"

Gavin let his eyes slip shut with his exhale. "I...I'm feeling good, actually. Really good? But...." He wet his lips, the dry skin clinging to the near-nonexistent moisture of Gavin's tongue, his eyes prickling with a burning need to shed tears his body didn't have. "I just— Thank you. Really, Nines. I...I just need...."

"Water?" Nines ran his thumb across Gavin's cheek. "Will you allow me to get up to get some for you?"

A spike of fear trickled down Gavin's spine, and he reached out with a trembling hand to cup Nines' cheek. "Um. Can I, uh, come with?"

Nines smiled and nodded. "I don't see why not. Can you stand?"

"Uh...." Gavin chewed his lip, hefting himself off Nines' chest to sit on the edge of the bed. With a soft hiss, he drew his hand to rub his lower back, breathing out a, "Fuck," as he put pressure on the muscles.

"Are you alright?" Nines shifted closer and placed his hands on Gavin's back, resting his chin on Gavin's shoulder as he pressed his fingers against the sore flesh, massaging the aches away. "I shouldn't have gone so hard...."

Gavin fumbled for a response, letting out a huff of an exhale as he leaned into Nines' touch with a shake of his head. "Listen, I...well, I, uh, asked for it." He frowned for a moment, the expression combating Nines' pleasant touch. "I'm fine, really."

Nines breathed a soft, "Okay." and reached for the blanket, wrapping it around Gavin's shoulders before getting up from the bed and hefting Gavin into his arms.

"Hey—" Gavin couldn't say he struggled in the embrace, his protest lasting less than a second before he leaned into it, his palm against Nines' thirium pump, beating gentle and slow. "I can walk, Nines."