“Son of a bitch!” Brian swore, darting forward. He managed to catch AJ just as he was starting to sink down. He held AJ up and tried to get a good look at his hand. Blood was everywhere, covering the both of them, and dripping down to pool on the ground. “What the fuck did you do that for, you fucking idiot!”
AJ held his stump cradled against his chest. His eyes were watering and his teeth were locked together in an effort to hold a scream back. Jesus, he’d forgotten how much that hurt. As the bones and muscles started to regrow, the agony doubled. He couldn’t hold it in anymore, and threw his head back to let out a loud scream. It echoed in the trees and through the slowly darkening sky.
When his mind cleared and his scream stopped, he had enough presence of mind to send a message to Howie. Creating an air bubble, he held it around his mouth, gasping out “I’m fine. Just a demonstration, don’t worry. See you in the morning.” Then he sealed it tight, and sent it to the next island where he knew Howie would receive it. That was a handy way to send messages, trapping your voice in air.
He forgot all about it as the pain flared again. He tried to take his re-growing hand and stuff it in his armpit to help cut off the blood flow, but Brian was grabbing at his wrist, trying to stop the bleeding.
“Let go.” AJ gasped out. He shoved away from Brian, dropping to his knees as the pain rolled its way through him. Despite how much it hurt, AJ held his hand up for Brian to see. Blood still ran down his arm, dripping to the ground, but it was easy to see that in the five minutes since he had done it, his hand was already growing. His thumb had already grown back, and slowly his hand was working up towards his other four fingers.
“Jesus.” In shock, Brian stared. It was an amazing sight. Right before his eyes he watched the rest of AJ’s hand grow, until everything was back to normal. The only remaining sign that anything had happened was the blood that was everywhere, and the severed hand in the grass. AJ flexed his hand, stretching the fingers. They felt stiff, but he knew from experience that they would loosen up soon.
AJ held up his new hand, gesturing at Brian to give him a minute. He was still breathing hard as the last echoes of pain washed away. But this part was important to him. He moved to kneel by where his hand rested in the grass. The air around him was still. Almost as if it was waiting for something.
In a soft voice, AJ began to sing. He knew his words would mean nothing to Brian, but that was something to explain later. This was something that he had to do; a part of his heritage that he had never been able to let go. He sang to the earth, begging forgiveness for shedding his blood over her, and begged that she take this part of him into her as an offering of peace and forgiveness.
“A’ma neeshan corta s’e.” Great mother watch over me. He slowly broke down the particles of what had once been his hand, sending them slowly down into the earth, absorbing the blood down into the soil. Soon there was nothing there to show the carnage in the forest. All evidence left was on his skin.
He carefully rose to his feet. Then he turned to look at Brian. “Thanks for giving me a moment there.”
Brian shrugged, staring at him. There was anger on his face. AJ recognized it, and knew he needed to step lightly. “I know that seemed harsh, Bri, but some things you can’t understand by being told. Some things have to be seen.”
With a tip of his head, Brian took a deep breath. Still he stared at AJ. When AJ finally couldn’t take it anymore, he stepped forward. “Bri bear…” That was his mistake.
Lightning fast, Brian brought his hand up and punched AJ right on his nose.
“Fuck!” AJ brought his hands up, clutching his face. “You almost broke it!” he swore. With the tingles starting, he glared at his lover. Already the blood was slowing, tapering off.
“Not like it won’t heal up in a minute or less, right, Age?” Brian snapped.
Dropping his hands, AJ looked at himself. He was covered in blood. It was all over his arms and hands, and now it was on his face and streaked across his chest. “Mother fucker, Brian. I know I pissed you off, but Jesus.”
“You ever do that to me again, on purpose, and I’ll break your nose next time.”
“When the fuck did you get so violent?” AJ demanded, shoving Brian back a step. He brought his arm up and wiped away some of the dripping blood on his face. Since when was Brian the hitting type of person? Never once, in all the years that he’d known him, had Brian ever hit AJ. Hell, there was only like, two people that AJ could think of that he’d ever seen Brian seriously hit!
Brian pushed back. “What the fuck made you think I’d want to watch you cut off your fucking hand to make a point?” He pushed again, sending AJ back another few steps. “You idiot! How would you like it if I did something like that?”
“That’s what I was trying to prevent!” After another push, AJ planted his feet and glared. “Quit poking at me, Bri. Swear to God, you need to back off.” He warned. Jesus, all he’d been trying to do was protect this man, and here he was getting yelled at and pushed around. What kind of gratitude was that?
Without hesitating, Brian shoved him again. That snapped the last of AJ’s control. He shoved back, almost managing to knock Brian to the ground. “I said quit poking at me!” he yelled, temper spiking.
Brian steadied himself on his feet. Then he pushed again. This time AJ caught his arms, and the two were suddenly wrestling around. Brian was in a rage, furious with his partner for doing something like that to his body. AJ was livid with Brian for not understanding him. They rolled through the grass, each trying to pin the other.
When AJ managed to roll Brian over and pin him for a split second, he brought his head down and kissed him. All the anger and pain and sorrow from that day, and the previous days, were built inside of him. He knew that Brian would be fair bursting at the seams. Holding your magic left you feeling good. Holding every bit of it left you full of energy and looking for an outlet. All of this processed through AJ’s mind in a split second, and formed into his decision.
Brian bucked him off, rolling around the ground again. This time he pinned AJ, but his lover reached up, fisting a hand in his curls and bringing his mouth down for a hot and hard kiss.
Soon their hands were frantic. Instead of hitting and shoving away, they were yanking one another closer. AJ ripped his partner’s shirt straight off, throwing it towards the trees. Brian pulled back, grabbing a hold of the waistband of AJ’s jeans. He fumbled with the snap and zipper, but finally got them undone. He yanked them down, aided by AJ, and tossed them aside too.
They came back together, mouths meeting frantically, hands traveling everywhere. They couldn’t get enough. AJ bucked his body upward, rolling them again, trying to take control, but Brian fought back. Though Brian was the bigger one, AJ was slick, and he managed to get Brian on his back. When he did, he grabbed his hands and slammed them on the ground, above Brian’s head.
Using one hand to hold them, he brought his other down, grabbing a hold of his dick. Growling, AJ bent his head down and kissed Brian again, biting his lip. He felt his lover moan, and then those muscled legs were wrapping around his waist. AJ didn’t miss the hint. He used a hand to guide himself to Brian’s entrance. Once there, he brought his hand back up and took Brian’s wrist again, so that he was holding one with each hand.
Brian moaned loudly, his body crying for release. He couldn’t wait, couldn’t stand it. Using his legs, he pulled AJ to him, sliding him home. The both of them gasped, and Brian’s body arched. “Oh God!” he cried, rocking his hips. There was pain, but the pleasure far overrode anything else.
As AJ started to move, they lost track of all time. Neither noticed that the sun had almost set, casting them in the fading suns colors. They were only able to focus on one another. Their lovemaking was rough, their need to strong. AJ pounded in to him, making them both cry out.
But still Brian wanted more. He yanked his hands free and brought them up to frame AJ’s face. Then he flipped them sideways. Landing on his knees, Brian leaned his body back to get the right angle, then started to ride his lover.
The sight turned AJ on beyond belief. He moaned and took hold of Brian’s hips, slamming his own upward to meet each one of Brian’s thrusts. God, it was amazing! He was surprised when Brian moved off of him. AJ moaned at the loss of sensation. He didn’t bother seeing what Brian was standing up for, he just jumped ot his feet and grabbed his face, kissing him again.
Brian fisted one hand in AJ’s hair, and had the other on his hip. He backed AJ up, never stopping kissing him. Then he suddenly grabbed AJ’s hip and spun him around, so that his face was against a large tree branch that sat at head level. AJ brought his hands up, grabbing the branch to brace himself on. At the same time Brian was moving him. He used his hands to grab AJ’s hips and steady them, then he buried himself to the hilt, enjoying the way AJ gasped and shoved back against him.
Using AJ’s hips, Brian pumped them both back and forth. He slid one hand around, grabbing hold of AJ’s dick and stroking it at the same pace as their bodies movement. Wave after wave of pleasure crashed over Brian. The forest echoed with their moans and the sound of slapping flesh.
AJ was the first to lose his mind. He squeezed the tree branch, dropping his head down and thrusting his body as the pleasure exploded in him. If he screamed or shouted, the sound was lost in the roaring that he could hear in his ears. Every part of him exploded. He never noticed when Brian joined him on the wave. He was overwhelmed by the strength of the orgasm; sight and sound were lost for a moment.
Boneless, the two practically melted to the forest floor. Brian managed to slide out of AJ, and lay next to him in the grass. It took ten minutes before either of them could speak through their panting, let alone for them to move.
Weakly, AJ brought a hand up and spanked Brian’s ass. “That’ll show you to disobey me.” He mumbled.
Chuckling, Brian turned his head to smile at the man he loved more than anything in life. “Sure thing, J.” he agreed.