Always Mine

"C'mere," Blay murmured. "C'm'up here."

Qhuinn immediately crawled up onto the hospital bed and wrapped himself around the vampire under him. The hand on his back opened and he felt the fingers spread wide, trying to cover as much space as it could as it went back to stroking him gently. Blaylock reached up to tuck Qhuinn's head under his chin, then went back to stroking his back, urging him to calmness, restfulness. As Qhuinn drifted away, he felt Blay's other arm come up around his body.

Safe in his male's arms, held tight against the body he wanted more than any others, Qhuinn shuddered through a huge sigh and disappeared.

CHAPTER 4

"Oh, Jesus."

John stumbled to a stop behind Vishous at the softly uttered curse and craned his neck to see around the vampire. His eyes widened as he looked at the two males curled around each other, asleep on the hospital bed. He turned to V, one eyebrow raised.

Good sign, you think? his hands flashed.

V's raised eyebrow was a visual echo. "Good something, true."

He tipped his head and stood for a moment, just watching the two unconscious bodies. The love apparent in the postures was like a warmth felt in the air. It pulsed slowly toward him, a wave of sun on a hot summer's day; languid, sensual, sapping strength but charging an internal energy.

He straightened abruptly, his lungs refusing to work, as a face flashed across his mind. A tall, powerful male, a vampire yet not, with sparkling hazel eyes and a chipped front tooth that made V want to lick his tongue over it slowly. He clenched his jaw and sucked in a quick breath then crossed the room.

He carefully insinuated his fingers between the wrist and the back under it, counting off the pulse tapping against his fingertips. As he smiled at the steady, solid beat he looked up into blue eyes. Eyes blazing with the intensity of love found; love finally acknowledged and freely given.

Vishous nodded as he straightened away from the bed. His own eyes flashed as he watched Blaylock bring his hand up and wrap around the back of Qhuinn's skull, holding him against his chest. His other arm wrapped securely across Qhuinn's back, holding his lover close to him and as Qhuinn nestled subconsciously against the warm body under him, Vishous nodded at the single tear that rolled slowly down Blay's cheek.

"He's awake," Vishous said simply as he crossed the room to the bar.

John and Butch bolted upright on the couch, exchanging careful looks of hope.

"He pulling it together finally?" Wrath asked from his spot at the pool table.

"Seems so," V answered. "Qhuinn's down with him. They're sharing the bed, if anybody wants to know. Just sleeping, of course," he finished with a snicker.

Wrath snorted. "About fucking time, is all I can say." He stepped back, letting Beth move up for her shot. He smiled indulgently at the happy grin lighting up her face. "And now maybe Blay can keep that hothead of his under control for awhile. Since John's not doing such a good job at it."

Butch hooted at the hot protest tightening John's face and he rolled into him, taking him down to the floor in a scrimmage. The two vampires rolled around for awhile, taking turns at having the upper hand till finally Wrath and Vishous approached them from opposite sides. Each grabbed a t-shirt by the scruff and in seconds had the wrestling friends on their feet.

"Take it to the gym, not my living room," Wrath growled good-naturedly, giving John a teeth rattling shake.

V stood behind his roommate, his muscular arm slung tight across Butch's chest. He could feel the rumble of Butch's laugh spark through his skin and he sucked in a quick gasp. Before he could step back, he felt a hot hand brush up the front of his thigh. The gasp locked in his chest as the hand kept moving till he felt it squeeze briefly over the hard-on fast filling out the front of his jeans. Then Butch was moving away and Vishous took a quick step around, facing the bar again, slamming his drink back as he fought to bring his breathing back under control.

Qhuinn felt warmth stroking slowly over his back and he snuggled tighter against the body under him. He rose slowly from the depths of sleep and as he drew in a deep breath, the familiar scent spread through him.

Blaylock!

He pushed up onto his elbow, searching Blay's face. He gasped as the warm blue eyes locked with his and he fought for a breath at the love that spilled out over him.

"Blay," he breathed, cupping his friend's face gently.

Blaylock leaned into the touch, nuzzling his cheek into the warm palm sliding over his skin. He kept his gaze locked with Qhuinn's hoping the declarations he'd heard while lost deep inside weren't an hallucination. He lifted his hand slowly, reaching to slide his fingers over Qhuinn's lips.

"God, Blaylock!" Qhuinn cried out hoarsely at the tender touch.

Qhuinn thrust his fingers deep into Blay's hair and bent down, taking Blay's mouth roughly. He briefly thought he should be careful. After all, his friend was recovering from some pretty bad injuries and the tight grip he had around this warm, pliant body could possibly aggravate those injuries. But he barely had the thought before all that mattered were his arms tight around the body that was straining hard against his. All that mattered was the soft, full lips opening under the assault from his mouth, the tongue meeting his in a duel for dominance. All that mattered were the fingers scrabbling at his back, fighting to draw him even closer.

Qhuinn broke the kiss to gasp a breath into his starving lungs and then realized he didn't care if he could breathe. All that mattered was he finally had his male in his arms.

"Blay, I love you," he whispered brokenly, his lips burning their way down Blay's throat. "Don't leave me, please. You're all that matters to me, you're everything that matters."

He dragged his tongue over the soft, sweet spot just under Blay's ear and suckled the skin. Blay moaned, arching his back and digging his fingers into Qhuinn's shoulders.

"Qhuinn, I've loved you forever," he gasped softly. "I couldn't leave you if it meant my life. But I never thought you'd come to me."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Qhuinn muttered nearly incoherently. "I don't deserve you, I've hurt you so much and you deserve so much more. Someone better than me but please don't go looking. I can't live without you. I can't make it if I lose you and I'm so sorry I let a bunch of shit that doesn't mean anything get in the way."

Blaylock shifted till his legs slid out from under the sheet covering him and he wrapped his legs around Qhuinn's waist. He caught Qhuinn's face in his hands and turned his face up to his.

"Qhuinn, shhh, Qhuinn, stop tearing yourself apart. You are mine. You've always been mine, even before you would admit it. And now that I have you here, I'm not letting you go anywhere. And I'm not going anywhere, either." He pulled Qhuinn down, taking his mouth softly, gently. "Please, Qhuinn. Forget all that crap and just be here now, with me. Love me. I need you, Qhuinn.

Qhuinn shook his head even as he tightened his grip on his lover. "You were hurt so bad. I can't hurt you more."

"Qhuinn." Blaylock carded his fingers through the soft hair under his hands. "I'm fine. I'm healing and you're very mistaken if you think I'm letting go of you any time soon." He tightened his legs around his friend's waist and arched up against him. "Love me, Qhuinn, please. I need you so much."

"Blaylock," Qhuinn whispered brokenly, burying his face in the warm skin of Blay's neck.

His lips burned against Blay's throat as his hands found their way down to cup the vampire's ass. He held the male tight to him, burning kisses down the muscled column of Blay's neck and over his broad chest. Blay threw his head back and arched up as Qhuinn's mouth closed over his nipple, sucking the little nub into a hard, painful peak. The low moan rolled from him and his hands scrabbled against the back of Qhuinn's sweatshirt, pulling up on the material, frantic to get it off. Qhuinn shifted, sliding his lips across the well-formed pecs to give reciprocal attention to Blay's other nipple, determined to work his lover into a frenzy.

It was working very well. Blay moaned again, barely able to think beyond a desperate need to pull his lover deep inside him and as Qhuinn's broad hands slid down inside his sweatpants and over his heated skin, Blay cried out his lover's name.

"Please, please..." he begged. "I need you, Qhuinn. I want you so bad."

Qhuinn shifted to his knees, pulling down Blay's sweatpants as he rose. Blay lifted himself allowing his pants to slip off his narrow hips and the pants and sheet slid from his body together. Qhuinn's eyes were riveted on his lover's magnificent body as he quickly stripped off his own clothes, dropping them to the floor, and he sat back on his heels, letting his gaze roam over the flushed, heaving body laid out before him.

"Oh my god, Qhuinn, please, what are you doing?" Blay cried brokenly, his hands reaching out.

"I'm drowning in your beauty, lover," Qhuinn whispered hoarsely, catching Blay's hands and pulling them to his growing erection. He gasped sharply as Blay's hands tightened around the rock hard cock jutting out in front of him.

"I want you to drown in me, Qhuinn," Blay begged, squeezing and stroking the trembling member burning against his palm.

Qhuinn dropped his head, taking Blay's mouth again as he reached for the small table beside the bed. His fingers closed over a tube of antibiotic cream Vishous had left behind and he twisted off the lid. Without leaving Blay's mouth, he squeezed the cream onto his fingers and immediately slid his fingers down the crevice of Blaylock's ass, seeking the opening to his most private place.

Blay gasped, breaking the kiss as his head rolled back and his body arched into Qhuinn's as his lover's finger slid deep inside his body. He cried out again and again as Qhuinn stroked into him, adding a second, then a third finger into the hot, silky channel.

Qhuinn tried to scissor his fingers open, wanting to loosen his lover, to prepare him, but Blay's body gripped his fingers so tightly, spasming and shivering around him.

"My god, Blay," Qhuinn growled against his lover's neck. "You're so tight, so hot. I want to crawl inside you and never come out."

"Then do it," Blaylock breathed. "I need you, Qhuinn. I want you, right now. Please... "

Qhuinn lifted himself up and grabbed the tube of cream again. He coated his throbbing cock and shifted between Blay's spread legs. Hooking his arms under his lover's knees, opening him even farther, he pressed the slick head of his cock against the swollen, pulsing opening and thrust hard. Blaylock screamed as Qhuinn sheathed himself right to his balls in one deep, hard thrust.

"Baby, I love you," Qhuinn groaned as he thrust hard and fast. "You are everything to me and... oh, sweet Scribe Virgin, what you do to me, Blaylock, what you do to me."

Blay's legs wrapped around his waist as Qhuinn reached under his lover, cupping the tight globes of his ass and pulling him even closer. He thrust hard, sheathing himself deep inside Blay before pulling nearly completely out, sliding deep again as Blay's heat seared his skin. As he felt the tingling and tightening of his spine, the molten lava pooling low in his back, he pushed himself up and slammed his fists into the mattress on either side of Blay's head. He braced himself as he drove his aching cock into the beautiful male under him, straining to impart with every move of his body the depth of his love for his best friend.

"Qhuinn!" Blay wailed, his body shuddering, his legs tightening around the huge, muscular body slamming into him. "I love you, Qhuinn, so much sometimes I ache. Please, please, Qhuinn... "

"Shh, baby, I'm here," Qhuinn breathed in his ear, his lips burning up Blay's throat and over his jaw. "Come for me, baby, I wanna feel you come for me."

He took Blay's mouth in a hard kiss, urgent, on fire, and as he bit and sucked at the lush lower lip, he felt his lover's balls draw up against his body and knew he was close. He reached between their slick bodies and wrapped his hand around Blay's cock.

There was no gentleness in this lovemaking; his need was too hot, too all-consuming. He gave everything he had and took everything he needed as he drove into the sweet, trembling body in his arms. He tightened his grip on Blay's cock, sliding his hand up and down the rock hard shaft with the same rhythm as his thrusts and as his orgasm finally exploded through him, Blay tore himself free from Qhuinn's kiss. Wailing his name brokenly, he came apart in Qhuinn's hands, the heat from his orgasm pulsing and burning over his lover's stomach and chest.

Qhuinn's seed filled his lover's slick, hot passage and Blay clawed at his back and shoulders, pulling him closer yet as his own creamy bursts still pulsed out between them. Qhuinn whispered his name again and again, his body wrapped tight around the other vampire as he shuddered his way through the last of his orgasm.

CHAPTER 5

John was itching to head down to the clinic to see for himself how Blaylock was doing but Vishous talked him out of it.

"John, give them some time. They won't be sleeping forever and do you really wanna walk into that if they're awake by the time you get down there?"

Vishous' deep laugh rumbled through his chest at John's involuntary shudder. "I'll tell you this much," V continued, taking pity on the younger vampire. "When I checked him out before leaving the two of them alone, Blay was doing great. The wounds were all closed up; they won't need much more time for everything to get back to looking normal. And all his vitals were looking good enough I'll hazard that the concussion is healing up fast, too. I know you're itching to see him for yourself, but just --"

He broke off at the soft murmuring at the door to billiards room, cocking an eyebrow as he watched Qhuinn leading Blaylock into the room, his arm tight around the redhead's waist.

John leapt to his friend's free side, adding his own arm to the support, both him and Qhuinn ignoring Blay's protests that he could manage just fine, thank you very much.

"He insisted he was good enough to get up," Qhuinn explained with a shrug and a contrite look at Vishous as he and John led Blay over to the couch. "I didn't know how to make him stay put short of sitting on him and I didn't think that would help his recovery any."

V crossed the room, squatting down in front of his patient. "How long's he been awake?" he asked as he lifted Blay's hospital scrubs' top to check the chest slice. He shot a quick look up at Qhuinn when nothing was forthcoming.

The warmth coloring the vampire's face drew a smirk from the Brotherhood's medic but V was determined to pull this out all the way so he just waited for a response.

"It's been... a... few minutes," Qhuinn muttered self-consciously, his attempts to sound casual failing dismally.

"Yeah, I'll bet it has," V rumbled deeply, the dry tone setting fire to the flush spreading down Qhuinn's neck. When he turned back to his patient, a huge grin spread over his face at the satisfied smile Blay was wearing.

"Well, it would appear that there's not much point in sending you back to bed, true?" he cracked. "I mean, if you've got that much energy... "

He trailed off pointedly, laughing outright this time as Qhuinn gave him a shove.

"Ok, you can quit any time now," he growled as he dropped down beside Blay and pulled the male into the circle of his arms and back against his chest. He looked up as the king and his shellan, Beth, entered the room.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," he boomed out, hearing Beth whisper Blay's name. He let Beth lead him over to the couch and stood in front of one of his newest soldiers while Beth pushed John over to make room for her. "How are you doing, son? You had your boy here totally freaked for awhile there."

Blay looked over at Qhuinn, not hiding the love shining out of his eyes. "I'm 100% better than I was, sir, thank you."

Wrath snorted. "Well, if that's Qhuinn I can hear breathing hard beside you, I should think so, and it's damn well about time, is all I can say to that. Not that it was your fault," he added, turning to glare at Qhuinn.

Though Qhuinn knew the king, being completely blind, couldn't actually see him, he still squirmed under that hot gaze. He sucked in a deep breath but when he opened his mouth to speak, Blay reached up. Catching Qhuinn by the nape of his neck, he pulled his lover's head down, taking his mouth in a soft, warm kiss. He ignored the hoots and catcalls started by Vishous, as well as John's loud clapping, and leaned into the big, hard body as he felt Qhuinn's arms tighten around him.

"Never mind, my own, none of that matters now. You're here, you've come to me now, and that's what counts."

Keeping his eyes on the only person he needed to keep his heart beating, Qhuinn spoke to V. "He doesn't have to go back down to the clinic, does he?"

"No, but I want him to take it easy for a least another night. If everything looks good tomorrow, he can go back on rotation then. You can crash in your own bed, Blay."

"No," Qhuinn murmured, holding Blaylock's gaze. "He'll be in my room. I'll move his stuff over in the morning."

Blay's breath hitched in his chest and his beautiful blue eyes filled slowly. He blinked hard, trying to push back the tears he'd fought off for so long. Even though these were now tears of joy, of happiness and gratitude to the Scribe Virgin, he refused to let them fall here, in front of his warrior brothers. If he started, he might not be able to stop.

He'd become more certain with each passing day that he'd never have a chance with the one male he wanted more than anyone or anything in this world and in fact, had nearly decided he'd have to leave the mansion and give up his shot at becoming a Brother. It was hurting too much to be around Qhuinn knowing there was no hope of his love being accepted... or returned.

He'd tried for so long to convince himself that Qhuinn did love him, that he was only trying to protect Blay from giving up everything to follow him after the incident with Lash. But the pain was huge as he watched Qhuinn still trying to protect himself after a lifetime of rejection by everyone who meant anything to him, as he still believed that a female of worth and his own young was all it would take to make his world right.

And the more time that passed, the less Blay was able to hold onto the fairy tale belief that if Qhuinn would just give it chance, would just take the chance with Blay, he'd see that everything that really mattered was right here, and he was fast reaching the point of tossing in the towel.

But the miracle had finally happened. His heart and soul, his own, had finally come to him. Had finally realized that he had it all in his hands already. That Blaylock would give anything, do anything, to make Qhuinn feel accepted... and loved. That here was someone who would always be there, no matter what. Who would take on the world to keep him safe, to show him he belonged, to make him believe that all the love and passion he could ever want or need was wrapped around him, secure within his arms.

"Put your boy to bed, Qhuinn," Vishous spoke up from the bar. He raised his glass in a mock salute, fighting to hold his grin in. "He needs his rest and I think it's gonna take him more time than it should to get it."

"Vishous," Beth scolded gently, coughing to cover her own laugh at the huge smirk on John's face.

Blay ignored the friendly teasing, his eyes locked on Qhuinn as the big male pulled him gently to his feet. He knew his male was overcompensating for his previous distance, as well as over his fear for Blay's health, but he didn't protest. He's heard the heart wrenching cries and pleadings as he fought his way up from the fog he'd been drifting in and he knew how terrified Qhuinn had been of losing him. If Qhuinn needed to fuss over him for awhile to start feeling safe and secure again, well, Blay could let him have that. And once he got him upstairs, Blay could let his beautiful male wrap himself around him and he could start showing Qhuinn what it felt like to really be loved.