RK17's Zen Garden
Nines didn’t have any particularly strong feelings about the Zen Garden, but he’d never been its prisoner. Running his fingers over the artificial grass he watched Connor go from bush to bush, changing the flowers and leaves as he went.
“You know, it doesn’t have to be morning,” Nines commented, leaning back to squint at the artificial sun in the ever so slightly too-blue sky.
“Well what do you suggest?” Connor asked, sitting next to Nines, a bundle of flowers in his hands.
Nines hummed, focusing on the sky he remembered a warm August afternoon, soft white clouds dotting a sapphire blue sky, yellow sunlight filtering through and hitting Connor’s hair in a way that made him look like he was glowing. It was a day Nines remembered labeling the errors in his system as pure, blissful love for his partner.
There was a ripple, from the centre of the domed sky out to the circumference somewhere beyond the line of birch trees that had replaced the unspecified species CyberLife had initially placed as the border, and the sky changed from the too-fake hue to the deep summer blue, the clouds appearing in small glitched panels before slowly moving back and forth.
“Hmm,” Connor leaned back, placing his head in Nines’ lap, “much better.”
Leaning down Nines pressed a kiss to Connor’s forehead, looking at the flowers the elder android was weaving into bands, a good portion of them unrecognizable. “Do those exist anywhere?”
“Nope,” Connor popped the p, grinning. “But they’re pretty. Why stick to the real world when we can make our own?”
“I suppose that’s true.” Nines picked up a flower and glared. “Neon green is a bit much.”
“I like it.”
“You like every colour.”
“Mhm!” Connor sat up, turning to place the puffy crown of flowers on Nines’ head. “There.”
Nines smiled and raised his hand, gently brushing his fingers along the petals.
“Hm.” Connor squinted, focusing on the crown on Nines’ head and he felt the slight buzz as Connor adjusted something present in the garden. Eventually the buzz died down and Connor held up a mirror for Nines to see himself. Connor had changed the leaves of the crown to gold and adjusted the flower’s hues to be deeper.
“It’s lovely, not as lovely as you,” Nines complimented with a slight smirk, watching as Connor’s cheeks tinged blue.
“Shut up.”
“I will not.” Nines surged forward and tugged Connor into his lap, peppering his face with kisses. “You” he pressed a kiss to Connor’s jaw “are” another to his nose “the” his cheek “most” his forehead “lovely” his cheekbone “thing” his chin “in” one corner of his mouth “this” the other corner “garden.” Finally he pressed a kiss to Connor’s smiling lips, and Connor melted into Nines.
No matter how predictable, Nines relished the feeling of Connor in his arms, his lips smiling against his own even as they pressed back against him, and his fingers slipping into Nines’ hair.
“I love you,” Connor whispered, nudging his nose against Nines’.
“I love you too.” Nines gently squeezed Connor’s waist. “Always and forever.”
