The cop stayed unconscious the entire ride to the mountain. Once he found a good spot, AJ landed their blanket and set about making camp. He worked quietly, wanting to process everything in his mind. Brian respected that and worked just as silently.
Their camp was a small, empty cave, sheltered by a forest of trees. It was perfect to stay in. Brian built a fire at the cave’s entrance while AJ got into the bags Brian had grabbed. Thankfully his lover had brought all of their stuff when he’d met them in the alley. So there were two sleeping bags, one attached to each bag, and blankets rolled up in there as well.
AJ divided it up as best he could. He opened up one sleeping bag and lay it near the fire before using air to help lift Donnelly up and tuck him neatly into that sleeping bag. The thing that man needed most was rest and warmth. Even though it didn’t bother him any, AJ knew that it would be cold here for a mortal. Once that was done, AJ turned to the other side of the fire and set up his and Brian’s bedding with what was left. He lay out the other sleeping bag, opening it so it was wider, and spread the blankets out over it. Between those, and each other, they would be plenty comfortable.
After placing the packs against the wall, it dawned on him that Brian hadn’t come back from his second trip for spare firewood. A quick feel of the bond told him what was going on in Brian’s heart. Without hesitation AJ rose and set off to find his lover. It wasn’t difficult. Their bond alone would have helped him, but it was the bond created by the thorn tattoos that told him the exact direction to go.
He found Brian standing at the edge of the cliff. Grief radiated from him in waves. He simply stood there, staring out at the scenery that unfolded below. But AJ knew that his eyes weren’t seeing the view.
There was nothing right then that would take away Brian’s pain. AJ knew that. He knew better than to even try. All he could do was be there for his partner, the way that Brian had been there for him after Howi’s death.
For a long moment AJ just stood beside him. They spoke not a word. Didn’t even touch. AJ just stood there and stared out at the vast landscape spread out in front of them. How long they stood there he couldn’t have really said. But the sun had moved some by the time that Brian spoke. “They didn’t deserve this.”
Silent, AJ stayed where he was, staring off into the distance. Brian didn’t need his words right now.
“I can’t make sense of this, Alex.” There was a crack in Brian’s voice that made AJ’s heart throb. “If I could make sense of it, it would be easier. But there was no sense to this. They hadn’t done anything. They didn’t even know anything! There was no knowledge to be gained from this.” Anguished eyes turned toward AJ, pulling at him so that he turned to look back at Brian. “Why, Alex? Why on earth did they do this?”
The only answers that AJ could have honestly given would have just hurt Brian more. He sought to find the right words. “You can’t torture yourself with wondering why, Brian. No matter what the answer is, it will never be enough.”
“But there has to be something! It’s so senseless otherwise. They were good people! Good, honest, loving people.”
“Death is always senseless. Murder is the most senseless.” Judging the time to be right, AJ reached out and took Brian’s hands in his. “Baby, I could stand here and tell you a good guess of reasons as to why they did this. Some of them might even be right. But in the end, they don’t matter. People like this, creatures like this, they don’t need a reason. Even if they have one it’s not going to take away from your pain.”
The grief in Brian’s eyes mixed slightly with anger. “So their death is just meaningless? I’m just supposed to say oh well and go on with my life?” He demanded. Air buffeted against them slightly, rising with Brian’s temper.
“No!” AJ exclaimed, squeezing the hands in his. “No, Brian. You grieve. You mourn, you cry, you hurt. Shed your tears for them. Honor them. But do not let this anger fester inside of you. We will get these bastards. They will not go unpunished for this.”
“What’s the point?” Furious, Brian yanked his hands from AJ’s and paced a few steps away. He spun back around, his face a mask of anger and pain. “It won’t bring them back! Not a damn thing is going to change the fact that my parents were brutally stabbed to death in their own fucking bedroom!”
“You’re right, it won’t.” In contrast to Brian’s anger, AJ’s tone was soft. “None of it will change that single fact. But justice sometimes brings with it a sense of peace.”
“That’s easy for you to say. That’s not your parents lying back there on that fucking floor. You don’t have to live with the knowledge that your parents were killed as a warning, a fucking warning!” The wind grew stronger and warmer as Brian’s rage grew higher.
Because of the bond, AJ had been fighting this entire time not to let Brian’s anger flow over to him. The same way the cycle of passion could work on them, so could it work with anger. But that last comment snapped a small part of AJ’s control. “No, I have a thousand more deaths I have to live with in my life, both natural and murder of the people I have loved.” AJ took a deep breath. Anger was not what he needed to be giving Brian. Not right now. “I understand you’re angry and you have all the right to be. But never think this is easy for me, Brian.”
“They were innocent in this, AJ! I can’t help but be angry. They were innocent, loving people who did not a damn thing wrong. Because of me, they’re dead.” That last part came out on a croak.
AJ couldn’t stand the pain he heard and felt from Brian right then. He reacted instinctively to it. “If you’re going to cast blame, song of my heart, then cast it right.”
His words drew Brian’s attention. Enough so that AJ even felt the wind die down a little. “What do you mean?” he asked cautiously.
“I mean that the blame isn’t yours. That note I read said this was our warning. The note at Kevin’s said that if we left this alone, our friends would be safe.” AJ paused, letting this sink in. “What did I do when I got the first note? I rushed straight to Grandfather and dragged the information out of him, found out about the portal and the key, then rushed out and retrieved the key.”
Se of AJ’s own grief started to leak through a little. “They’re trying to stop me from coming to fight them. If I had just laid down the sword and let it alone, your parents would probably still be alive. Because you’re connected to me they sought to hurt you. Just like Roth did. I brought this pain to you. I brought this to your parents. If you want to cast blame, cast it here.” He brought a hand up to thump at his chest.
“Alex…” Brian said his name softly, taking a step forward. “No. Honey, it’s not like that. There was no other choice. This is what has to be done. You couldn’t have known what they’d do to my family.”
“And neither could you.”
The soft words stunned Brian. Abruptly his anger seemed to melt from him. He sagged in place, pain weighing him down. “It just hurts, Alex.” He whispered brokenly. “It hurts so much.”
Now AJ stepped forward at almost the same time that Brian did. They met in the middle, Brian practically collapsing into his arms. Tears were already flowing down his cheeks, now soaking through the shoulder of AJ’s shirt. “That’s it, song of my heart. Grieve for them.” Holding Brian close, AJ whispered soothingly in his ear.
As Brian’s sobs grew louder, AJ slid them down to the ground, keeping Brian in the cradle of his arms. He let his own tears fall, thinking of the two people who had always been so kind and loving to a tattooed rebel freak. They had been good people. Some of the best. Big hearts, with room for so much in them.
It took almost an hour for the broken part of Brian’s heart to cry itself out. The sobs started to fade away to little hiccups, then down to sniffles. Finally AJ moved his hand under Brian’s chin, tipping his head up. ‘Better, dear heart?’
Brian sniffled. ‘A little. My heart feels broken and dark. But it helps to let it out and not let it fester inside. Thank you.’
‘For you, anything.’
With a small tip of his head, Brian brought their lips close together. They shared a kiss that was soft and sweet and carried all their love. “I need you, Alex.” Brian whispered against his lips. “I need to feel you. To give and take comfort in your arms. I just…I need you.”
AJ’s answer was simple. “You have me.”
They kissed again, drawing it out together, letting that little warmth start between them. Brian shifted in AJ’s lap, bringing his hands up to rest on AJ’s shoulders. Keeping his arms around his lover, AJ shifted and lay back in the grass, pulling Brian over top of him. He loved the feel of Brian’s weight pressing down on him. He couldn’t resist running his hands down Brian’s back, sliding them underneath his clothes to cup his backside.
The angle of their kiss changed. There was a more desperate edge to it now. A stronger need. AJ felt it, felt the shift in Brian’s mood, and instantly responded to it. He gave himself over to his lover, offering up exactly what Brian wanted to take. When Brian’s hands started to roam over him, pulling at his clothes, AJ shifted to help, then started to strip Brian as well.
Soon the two of them were naked, skin pressed against skin. Gasping against the feel of it, AJ shifted his body and opened his legs, letting Brian slide between them. When their erections brushed against one another it had him rolling his hips and gasping. Brian broke the kiss, his mouth moving to AJ’s neck, his collarbone, kissing and nibbling as he went.
Bands of air took hold of AJ’s wrists, lifting them above his head and pinning them to the ground. He moaned when Brian stopped to suckle at his nipple. God, sweet God! In the bond AJ felt the fire of Brian’s earlier anger meshing with his passion, all wrapped up with his need to be close. It was making quite a volatile combination. Half of him needed to just be close to AJ while the other half needed to release some of these more powerful emotions.
Without a hint of reservation in his mind, AJ gave up control and let Brian do what he would.
Since air was holding AJ’s hands, that left Brian free to slide his hands down, to shift AJ’s legs and settle their hips together better. He brought his mouth back up, locking their lips together at the same time that his one hand dropped lower, a finger pressing against AJ’s entrance. A scream almost tore past AJ’s lips. Beneath them the earth rumbled just a little. Overhead it seemed that the sun was brighter.
That finger pressed in, pushing right to that pleasure spot. AJ threw his head back again and gave a full body shudder. It felt so good! “Brian…Brian….” It was all he could say. All his brain was processing. Through hazy eyes he saw the trees around them swaying with the strength of the breeze.
When Brian pulled his finger out, AJ groaned. Then he was gasping when he felt Brian adjust their bodies again and start to slide in. “Shit.” AJ swore. He pulled against his bonds, wishing he could run his hands over Brian’s body. Feel that sun warmed skin. But Brian’s hands were on his hips, holding him in place as he started to move and soon AJ couldn’t think of anything at all.
The sun grew brighter and brighter. Or was that Brian? He felt a shield go up and was thankful that one of them was practical enough to keep them from blowing up the side of the mountain. AJ couldn’t think, could only feel. His whole body was rolling, meeting Brian thrust for thrust. He brought his legs up, locking them around Brian’s waist.
They were both panting by now, their skin slicked with sweat. Or was that water? AJ lost track of everything as that light grew, inside and out, brighter and brighter until his whole world was rimmed with it. Then, with one final thrust, that light exploded around him and he was arching and screaming, feeling Brian go tense, hearing him give a shout of his own.
Warmth settled in AJ’s muscles, his bones. He practically melted into the ground. The light slowly faded away, leaving behind its warmth without its fire. Brian pulled out only to drop down beside AJ and snuggle up to him. The bands of air on AJ’s wrists released, allowing him to bring his hands down and wrap his arms around Brian. “I love you, Brian Littrell.” He whispered into Brian’s hair.
“Mm. Love you too, Alyck Tuian.” Came the sleepy reply. Mentally, Brian added ‘Thank you.’
‘No problem. Feel a little better now?’
‘It still hurts, but I’m not as angry as I was. My mind is a little clearer.’
‘Really? I think mine’s mush.’ AJ sent back with a mental chuckle. ‘But you always do that to me.’
Stretching, Brian shifted to look down at AJ. That was when the two of them noticed the weather around them. In their small globe, perfectly inside of Brian’s shield and nowhere outside of it, it was snowing. AJ looked at the snow curiously. “Huh.” He mumbled. “Guess since we’re higher elevation, the rain I usually bring gets turned into snow. Interesting.”
For a second Brian lay there staring at him. Sleepily AJ looked back up. Then, with a shake of his head, Brian laughed. AJ grinned back at him. What else was a guy to do?