Punishment

"Aye, I'm fine," he replied immediately.

The wolf leaned into the gentle touch on his cheek, eyes sliding shut and a more natural smile curving his lips.

Aeker was here and he wasn't leaving; he was fine.

Aeker leaned down and kissed the man's neck softly as his hands slid over his shoulders slowly.

He sighed happily and leaned against the man again, trailing his mouth along his jawline before placing his lips against the lycan's, kissing him deeply and slowly.

"I missed you."
He murmured against the man's lips, he normally would not be so forward but emotions seemed to be running high after his near death experience.

He purred softly as the vampire kissed his neck, head tilting back a little to offer more.

Aodh returned the deep kiss, hands tangling in Aeker's long hair, tugging it gently.

"I missed you, too." He had been sorely tempted to join the man in his bed during the day but laziness has stopped him. Now he desperately wished he hadn't been so lazy. Maybe if he had been there, Aeker wouldn't have been in this position; Aodh could have done something to stop Alexis before she did too much damage.

He wrapped his arms around the Lycan's neck and held him close.
Leaning his forehead against the others as the hot water washed over them, removing the evidence of the nights events, except of course the large mark on Aeker's throat.

His words brought a smile to his lips and he purred softly as his hair was gently tugged, his own fingers weaving through Aodh's bright orange hair.

He pressed up against the man, fingers still combing through his hair slowly.

"We smell less like we've taken a bath in blood now," he murmured softly after a few long minutes of just standing hugging the man.

This silent hugging...it was giving him time to think. He didn't want to think at the moment. His thoughts would drift in directions he didn't want them to drift.

"Normally that would not bother me, but it's a little unnerving when it's your own blood you're smelling."

He chuckled softly and gazed at Aodh, his crimson eyes were bright again, full of life not dull and lifeless like they had been when Aodh found him.

His fingers still curled around the tips of Aodh's hair, he was quite fond of it, the length and the brightness, it was nice to see such bright colours, a rarity when you live at night.

"Can't say I'm fond of smelling like anyone's blood. The mix of both our blood is less than pleasant."

He lifted his wrist and ran his fingers over the raw skin. It was healing slowly but it still hurt and it was still pretty nasty to look at. Most of the blood that had been running down his arm after Aeker had stopped drinking had been washed away, but there were still a few smears.

The man began humming softly as his fingers stroked over his arm, eyes trained on the skin.

Aeker took Aodh's arm and brought it to his mouth, kissing the wound very gently.
"Thank you."
He murmured softly, not only had the man pulled him back into consciousness but he had purposely wounded himself in the process... for him.

He made a mental note not to drink from the lycan anymore, this man was not a meal and he refused to treat him as such.

Drinking from each other may have been normal practice for intimate vampires but he had to remind himself that he was a lycan, not a vampire.

His eyes flickered up to Aeker before returning to his, arm lips twitching upwards. "I'm not doing it again. Next time I'll do the smart thing and bring blood bags up for you."

He watched the man kiss his skin, not even flinching when his lips brushed over the raw skin.

Aodh's hand pulled away from the light grip the vampire had on it and reached up to fist in his hair, pulling him down to kiss him.

"Good."
Aeker smiled softly and brushed his hand over the lycan's cheek and kissed him as his head was pulled down, cupping the man's cheeks and holding his close.

He looked down at Aodh and ran his hand through the front of the lycan's hair.

"I don't want you bleeding for my sake anymore."

This scene was getting far too- No. He wouldn't think it. Wouldn't admit it.

His eyes flickered away, training on a tile on the wall, worrying his lip between his teeth. This was all getting so...emotional.

He let out a shuddering breath then turned his gaze back to Aeker. Was it too soon? It felt like it. He still felt broken after Coilean and now... Was he up to growing attached to someone else with the risk of the same thing happening again?

Yes. No... He didn't know.

Aeker watched Aodh in confusion, had he stepped over some invisible boundary?

He opened his mouth to apologize, since the lycan seemed distressed but shut it again. He didn't want to draw attention to the fact that there was obviously something wrong.

He let his hand drop from the man's hair, it seemed like he needed a bit of space.
But he watched him quietly, he wanted to comfort him, to touch him and make him feel better.

He decided to give the man a moment to collect himself, seemed like he needed it, turning around and grabbing the shampoo, spreading a large amount of it through the length of his hair to get the red stain out of it.

Aodh leaned back against the wall, head dropping back against the tiles with a loud thump.

This was ridiculous. This was only the third time they met, he shouldn't be getting so attached.

He ran his hand over his face then sighed heavily. "Sorry," he murmured quietly. His emotions were all over the place at the moment and he was having a hard time masking them like he usually did.

Aeker went ridged for a moment as he washed the suds out of his hair...did Aodh just apologize?

"What are you apologizing for? You haven't done anything wrong."
He muttered softly, moving back over to the man, he wanted to give him the distance he needed but had the need to comfort him and be close.

He touched Aodh's chin softly, tilting his head up so he was facing the vampire.
"Aodh, what is wrong?"
He asked, dropping his hand back to his side.

"My emotions are everywhere," he sighed, hand fluttering uselessly in the air.

His mind was an emotional whirlwind at the moment and it didn't seem fair that Aeker had to be around to witness it.

His eyes met Aeker's for a split second before turning away again. His eyes were showing every one of his emotions at the moment and he didn't want to vampire to look at him long enough to identify any of them.

"I'll be fine in a minute, let me compose myself."

Aeker nodded and backed away after planting a kiss on the man's forehead.

"When you've collected yourself, I'll be in the bedroom."
He muttered softly, the man needed some distance and he couldn't provide that if he was in the shower with him.

He stepped out and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist and leaving the bathroom.

Aeker sighed softly when he was in the empty room, he could not shake the feeling that he had done something wrong.

He slid down the wall when the vampire left the room.

A few thumps sounded as he bashed his head back against the wall. "Idiot, idiot, idiot."

Why was he such a commitment-phobe?

It can't go on, Aodh. You are either my brother or my Beta. You cannot be my lover any more.

The man flinched violently. Oh yeah, that was why.

It took him a few minutes and a punch to the wall that shattered a tile before he emerged from the bathroom, look much better than he did a few moments ago.

"Help yourself to clothes. They're around." He gestured grandly to the floor with his usual grin.

Aeker had just finished towel drying his hair when Aodh stepped out of the shower, gracing the wolf with a warm smile as he slipped the towel back over his hips.

"Thanks, I'll try to find something clean." He chuckled, nudging at the large piles on the floor with his foot, not overly keen on placing his hands down there in case some form of laundry bog monster tried to swallow him.

The vampire did not mention the fact that he could hear the smashing around in the bathroom, Aodh was clearly upset and he didn't want to provoke him any further.

He looked happier now but with Aodh, looking happy did not mean feeling happy.

"Uhh, I think there may be clean clothes in the wardrobe..." He wasn't sure, it had been a while since he had even ventured near that item of furniture.

He chuckled as he sprawled out over his bed. "I don't think there's anything living in there, you should be fine."

But you could never be sure. Sometimes he though he could hear piles shuffle around in the night and growl occasionally. Oh course, that may have been his imagination. Or Maccon making noise.

Aodh didn't even bother drying himself off. He just lay completely bare, sprawled out and soaking wet.

Aeker grinned slightly and headed over to the wardrobe, surprised when he managed to find a pair of grey boxer shorts and a black t-shirt.

That would have to do, the shirt was slightly more tight fitting than he was use to but that didn't bother him too much as he slipped it on along with the boxers.

"I didn't want to take the chance."
He replied with a chuckle before climbing onto the bed.

"This feel heavenly in comparison to earlier."
He muttered, running a hand through his slightly damp hair.

"Wow, there are actually clothes in there?" He watched the man dress silently, silver eyes running down over the man's form.

He shrugged. "Nothings killed anyone yet." That was a plus; his room hadn't become a murder weapon quite yet.

Aodh ran his fingers through his dripping hair. "I think anything would seem heavenly compared to that. You're feeling better, right? Got enough blood? Not feeling light headed or woozy?"

"Apparently."
He chuckled as he laid down on the bed, sighing happily as he pulled a pillow under his head, this was much more pleasant than his sisters floor.

He gazed up at Aodh and smiled softly, his eyes bright scarlet. He nodded softly.

"I feel good now, not dizzy anymore.
I will have to eat again tomorrow night, but for now I'm fine."

Normally he only ate every three days, however for the next week or so he would make himself eat every night just to replace everything lost.

"I'm shocked. Guess I do own clean clothes." Probably not many. His clothes had a habit of attracting blood dirt and ending up on the floor.

He reached across the bed, pulling Aeker closer.

"Good." He brushed the man's hair away from his face tenderly. He leaned over to kiss the man gently.

"Me too, actually. Must be the only shirt you own that doesn't have holes in it."

Aeker happily shuffled closer, leaning into the lycan's warm touch, his own hands cupping the man's cheeks softly as he kissed him back.
He smiled against Aodh's lips, giving him another peck before he leaned back down, nestling his face in against the man's chest.

For someone who claimed not to be able to be gentle he seemed quite well versed.

"Hey, some of them are supposed to have holes in them." The rest were down to the pack and their lack of respect for clothes.

Clothes were a rarity in the pack. It seemed the only wolves that owned clothes were the older ones. They could control themselves better.

Not by much in Aodh's case, but better than the pups.

His arms curled around the man as his eyes slid shut.