Need

Part One

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It was cold. And wet. Five returned to consciousness with agonizing slowness.

When mind caught up with his body, he sat up with a gasp, a word - "Run!" - dying on his lips.

He sat there, panting, and then turned confused eyes to the sky. Rain. Lots of it. He held out a hand, catching the rain drops in his mechanical palm. Memories came back to him, faded and fuzzy. He died? He looked around quickly, trying to spot the Brain but it was nowhere to be found. He must have... he reached up and touched the patch where his eye had been. Burnt pieces of leather met his fingers.

Oh. OH.

Shivering he climbed to his feet. "Nine?" he called out. "Six? Seven? Three, Four?" No one answered him, all he could hear was the rain coming down harder. "I hate being aloneee," he said finally to himself, shivering harder.

He had to move on, find shelter. That he knew deep inside, without having to be told. If he remained put, he'd rust.

Where would he have gone if he was Nine? He thought, or tried to, turning the possibilities over in his mind. The sanctuary was out, the building burnt to the ground. The library? Maybe...

He found himself walking back towards the first house, the one that he had awoke in. Every step he took was a struggle as the winds threatened to knock him down. He finally fell against the side of a shell of a giant metal device the humans had made and hunkered down, waiting for the storm to pass.

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When he awoke he was warm and dry. Blinking, Five tried to sit up, only to be gently pushed back down. He stared. It was Nine.

Nine!

"Hey," the other said softly, smiling down at him. "How are you feeling?"

"Nine!" he exclaimed, a grin splitting his face. "I - I'm okay..." he was. He lifted his hands and stared at them. "What happened? Where are we?"

Nine helped him up slowly. "Seven found you out in the emptiness while on patrol. You moved... so we brought you here." Nine looked concerned. At the same time they suddenly had visitors, Three and Four came scampering into the room and blinked all over Five.

Seven was last, poked her head into the room and broke into a wide smile when she saw Five. "You're awake," she said. "Are you okay?"

"I – I don't..." Five looked down at Three, who was tugging at his arm, and exploring his face with his other hand. When Three's hand pushed against the patch, Five realized again that the socket was exposed and empty again. He'd have to fix it...

Nine continued, stepping back a bit to let Seven give him a hug. Five instantly felt a sense of loss... he wanted to reach out to Nine and touch him. "It's incredible you're alive again Five... I saw you die," Nine looked confused, the pensive expression on his face returning like it did when they had gone up against the Machine. "We all did. What do you remember?"

Five shook his head as Seven stepped back again. Now he reached out and Nine returned, placing his hands on his shoulder. Five basked in the warmth of his touch before speaking. "I remember dying, and being trapped... and that Nine let me go. I remember floating away and then I woke up back inside my body... it was raining," he looked up at Nine. "Do you think it had something to do with the rain?"

"Maybe," Seven and Nine exchanged significant looks. "If Five is still alive, then maybe the others..."

Nine shook his head. "One and Six... maybe. But Two and Eight..." at the mention of Two's name Five made a little jerk and Nine squeezed his shoulder sympathetically.

Seven nodded. "We'll go searching tomorrow," she made a face, then sighed. "Though I won't be too thrilled to have One back," she admitted.

"There is nothing to fear anymore," Nine pointed out gently. "He'll realize that eventually." She nodded in agreement, and held out her arms for the twins. They ran to her and they made to leave the room. Nine did as well, but Five caught his arm.

"Wait," he said quickly. "Don't..." Nine turned back around, concern on his face.

"What is it?" he asked. They were alone again now, but Five didn't loosen his grip...

"Please," he said finally. "Don't leave me alone..."

Nine looked puzzled for a moment, reaching down and patting his hand. "I won't be far. You're safe now." Five felt a horrible sense of loss and slowly removed trembling fingers from Nine's arm. He was going to leave anyway...

Right before he did, Nine leaned in close. "I'll be back, I promise," he whispered. "Okay?"

Five merely nodded and shut his only eye.

.

He couldn't sleep, tossing and turning on the makeshift bed they had made for him. His dreams flitted in and out of nightmares... he was running and running and couldn't run fast enough and it was going to catch him, and then it did and he screamed in fear as pain ripped through him...

The dream switched on him to Nine. He was being held by Nine and Nine was telling him that it was okay now, and he nearly sobbed in relief as Nine held him in his arms and stroked his sides. Nine kept touching him, all over, then reaching around his front to undo his buttons, pulling the burlap aside. He was exposed, laid out on the blankets. All he felt was warmth and love as Nine undid his own zipper and laid on top of him, hands clasping his own, pressing his mouth against his. Nine began to rub and then it felt good, very good, too good and Five's eye widened as Nine began to glow, all of him, and suddenly he was back inside the machine, the glow overwhelming him and he screamed again in terror...

He jerked awake with a start, only to be staring into twin sets of concerned eyes, Nine and Seven.

"N-nightmare," he stuttered out, his voice breaking. He was shaking, he realized. He couldn't stop seem to stop...

"It's okay Five," Seven said, placing her hands on his shoulder reassuringly. "We killed the Machine, remember? And the Beast. Nothing will hurt you now..."

Nine nodded in agreement, a worried frown on his face.

"I know that!" Five replied, trying to sound convincing and falling very short, even in his own ears. "I know. I just... can't stop thinking about it." He grabbed Nine's sleeve suddenly. "Why am I even here?" he asked beseechingly. "I shouldn't be here."

"But you are Five," Seven continued, looking upset. "And we're glad to have you back. I'm sure there's a reason..."

Five barely looked at her. "No," he said quickly, shaking his head. "No, it'll come back, it always comes back, and it'll take me again, I know, I know-" he trailed off, breathing rapidly and screwed his one eye shut. He was babbling. Heck, he sounded like Six...

Nine exchanged very significant looks with Seven.

"I'll stay with him," he said quietly. She hesitated, and then nodded slowly. She gave Five one last worried look before leaving the room.

The moment she was gone Nine crawled into the bed and laid next to Five, wrapping his arms around the scared stitchpunk.

Five clung to him. "Sorry," he apologized, feeling more than a bit sheepish. "I – I don't know what's wrong with me. I can't stop thinking, you know? I mean I know I'm safe now and all that, I just..."

"Its alright Five, I understand," Nine sounded gentle as he held him and Five fell silent and drew closer. He wasn't sure if Nine did understand. He didn't want Nine to ever stop touching or holding him. He wanted to feel the closeness he felt briefly in his dream, before it went bad... he shuddered despite himself.

"Don't leave me alone," he said finally, repeating what he had asked earlier.

Nine shook his head. "I won't," he said.

Five stared at him. "Promise?" he asked. Five mentally winced at his voice. He definitely sounded broken. Crazy. He wondered if Six ever felt ashamed...

But all Nine did was give him a kind smile and began to rub his back reassuringly. "Promise," he said firmly.

The touch was what did it. Five relaxed by degrees, his heavy breathing and panic slowly fading. Soon he was able to fall into a light but dreamless sleep, secure in the warmth of Nine's embrace.

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