Team Spirit - a Reed900 fanfiction

A shot of love (bonus story)

A call interrupted Gavin's thoughts about Nines. Again. A case of domestic assault. The detective parked his personal life in the back of his mind and hurried towards the exit, putting on his jacket on the go. He had a job to do.

***

His job sucked sometimes.

With a hopefully clean enough tea towel pressed against his bleeding lower leg Gavin sat waiting on a battered chair on the back porch. Autumn was almost ready to give over the baton to winter, giving the air a wet chill. However, outside was better than inside. Inside was the body of Mrs. Dufresne, her frail body battered and bruised, her temple bashed in with a stone ashtray. Mr. Dufresne was already on his way to the police station, cuffed and drunk of his ass. Too bad for his wife he wasn't drunk enough to pass out before he gave her the final blow.

Inside was also that stupid Rottweiler that almost bit a chunk out of his leg. They had locked it inside the bathroom for now, its barks still to be heard outside on the porch. It would probably be put down. Gavin didn't care. He didn't like dogs, especially not hellhounds like this one. Sure, it was probably all his owner's fault that the dog turned out as vicious as this, but still... His leg fucking hurt.

Officer La Guardia also got a taste of the hellhound. He came to sit with Gavin on the porch, pressing something that looked like a pillowcase against his hand. "What a night, huh?" the young officer said, not really sounding like he expected a reply.

Gavin grunted an affirmative, his ears picking up on the sound of the sirens of the ambulance in the distance. He could've driven to the hospital himself, yet dispatch already alerted the medical services and he didn't want them to come for naught.

Sure enough, the medics in their bright uniforms came bustling around the corner of the house. Both men carried a case, decorated with the familiar sigil of the medical services.

"Oh... Gavin!" The astonished breathing of his name was not what Gavin expected to hear when the pant legs of the medic came into his downturned view.

He lifted his head, taking in the silhouette of a tall man. His face was hidden in the shadows from the bright porch light behind him. Then the man kneeled before him, shedding some light on his features. Warmth blossomed in Gavin's chest. "Nines."

They locked eyes for a second and a cute blush coloured Nines' ears. Then he pulled himself together and zipped open his kit. "What happened to you?"

"Fluffy was hungry," Gavin answered with a small smirk. His pain was almost forgotten now he looked down on the broad shoulders of the man that occupied his thoughts during most of his free moments.

Nines gave him a puzzled look and put on his gloves. He gestured to Gavin to remove the bloody tea towel, taking in the mess of ripped jeans, blood and skin. "Dog bite?"

Gavin nodded. "Guy set his dog on us. He was drunk out of his mind, killed his wife too."

The tall man scrunched up his face in disapprovement, not answering because he was focused on assessing Gavin's wound.
"I think it looks worse than it actually is," he eventually said. "I could clean it and stitch it up here, if you want."

During their three hour coffee date Gavin's aversion of hospitals had come up and he was grateful Nines remembered that. "Please."

Some time later Gavin had a newly stitched up leg, his jeans cut off just below his knee on one side. He stood up from the chair, carefully putting pressure on his wounded leg. It hurt a bit, but he could walk.

"When was the last time you had a tetanus shot?" Nines was standing close, just one small step and Gavin could touch him. He tried to answer the man's question, but it was hard when most of his brain was trying to come up with reasons why it would be perfectly excusable if he hugged Nines right now. "If you have to think this hard, it was too long ago."
Nines sought his eyes. "You need to come in for a tetanus shot, Gavin."

"You just want to see me with my pants down," he joked, airing his own wishes as well.

"I already got you partially undressed," Nines answered dryly, motioning towards Gavin's ruined jeans.

With both Gavin and officer La Guardia patched up, the medical personnel was ready to leave. Gavin had to promise Nines to come in for a tetanus shot soon and after a short talk it was really time for them both to get back to their jobs.

***

The text Gavin sent to Nines was short and sweet: 'Wait for me at the coffee corner in the lobby.' And indeed, as he walked up to the closed coffee corner, in the large lobby of the hospital, a little after seven in the morning the tall man is there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed closely against his chest. Gavin could near him almost to the point of touching before Nines noticed him.
"Hey babe, long night?"

It's probably due to his tiredness that Nines didn't blush at the use of the endearment. He just nodded, taking Gavin in with bleary eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to get my shot," Gavin grinned. "My tetanus shot," he explained quickly when Nines looked confused. "And to pick you up to get some breakfast."

Nines was still confused. "How did you get someone to give you a shot this early in the morning?"

Gavin shot him a wide grin. "You'd be surprised what people do for you when you're wearing a badge."

"Were you abusing your badge to be able to pick me up a the end of my shift?" Nines shook his head and pushed away from the wall. "Breakfast sounds good."

They found a hole in the wall diner close to the hospital and sat down in the back. At first they sat opposite each other in the booth, yet after the waitress had brought them their drinks - coffee for Gavin, tea for Nines - Gavin switched seats and pushed in next to Nines.
An arm wrapped around Gavin's shoulders and pulled him in, warm breath mingling in his hair. They sat like that for a while, enjoying their hot drinks and breakfast. There wasn't much talking, the soft music in the diner filling the comfortable silence.

The weight on Gavin's head was getting heavier and so was the arm around his shoulders. He turned a little so he could see Nines' face and chuckled softly when he saw his suspicions confirmed. "Babe, come on, we've gotta get you home. You're falling asleep."

"No, I'm not," Nines denied on a yawn.

"Yes, you are," Gavin chuckled, sitting up straighter and returning Nines' arm to his side. "Come on, what motel did you say you were in?"

Nines was sleeping in a motel because he had night shifts on the ambulance the whole week. No point in driving all the way back to his home outside Detroit if he was only going to sleep the whole day. Besides, Gavin thought, if he was like this every time after a night shift, the guy couldn't even drive that far.

"The shittiest one," Nines sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. "The bed is all lumpy."

It was out before Gavin knew it. "I know a better bed."

The most wonderful man he met in a long time was looking at him with big eyes. "Are.. are you sure?"

Fondness swelled in Gavin's chest. "To sleep, silly." He grabbed Nines' hand and pulled him from the booth. "Come on, I've got two cats who can't wait to trip you as soon as you get in the door. You might have to fight them for a pillow too."

Nines got to his feet and laced his fingers through Gavin's. "I'll just take yours then."

"Only if I can sleep on your chest."

"Deal."