Barking up the wrong tree
"You're bloody joking." Gale groaned as Mark once again beat him at billiards. "How in hell do you keep doing that?"
Mark laughed, "If you can't see who is getting hustled in the pool hall, it's probably you."
"Right foul bastard you are. I've been playing pool since it was invented and a bloody child has beat me twice." Gale grumbled angrily, resetting the balls.
"Hey, a kid had to make a living running from a hunter." Mark shrugged, leaning against his stick.
"Who the hell was dumb enough to let you into a bar?"
Mark shrugged. "I had my ways." Gale rolled his eyes.
"I could get into any bar until they changed the drinking age. Every American bouncer wouldn't believe that I was over 21. I got so mad at the bouncer one night that I screamed at him that I was almost 700 years old and this was bullshit. Yeah, he called the cops. You should've seen my father's face when he came to pick me up from the mental ward." Gale shook his body in remembrance. Mark doubled over in laughter.
"Why wouldn't you just go to a fae bar?"
Gale rolled his eyes. "That would be too simple wouldn't it? I was in my "rebellious" phase from about the 60s to the 90s. Culture was changing so rapidly and I would have done anything to piss my father off. I even ironed my sister's hair, much to my mother's horror."
"You ironed your sister's hair?"
"Yeah it was a thing. Before flat irons existed, girls would lay their head on an ironing board and you'd take an iron to their hair to make it flat. Hair wasn't supposed to flat back then. We had some funky hairstyles. I had a mullet at one point. My brother, Floki, cut it off while I was asleep one night."
"Oh my god! I would kill for a picture of that!" Mark continued his breathless laughter.
Gale waved him off. "No. You really wouldn't."
"What other stupid shit did you do?"
"Oh just about everything." He started a new game with the breaking shot. "I convinced Gunnolf and Hrolleif to get tramp stamps when they were 120. Halvar and I used to take little sucker fish and put them on the train tracks and watch them pop. Stupid boy shit like that."
Mark took his shot, instantly getting 3 striped balls in. "I wish I had had brother's to grow up with. It sounds like it was fun."
Gale rolled his eyes. "Be thankful you didn't. I can't tell you how many times I begged Frigg to make me an only child. When it was the four of us everything was fine but once Gunnolf and Hrolleif were born it went to hell in a handbasket."
"Why?"
"6 immature werewolfs running around in one house. Parents who were never home. My sister regularly told us she'd like to hang us by our testicles to a powerline."
Mark was laughing so hard he missed his shot and cursed while Gale smirked.
"But you guys were like over 100 years old. How were you all nut jobs?"
Gale scoffed. "Please, you're not an adult in my family until your dawning. Which usually happens at like 600ish."
"Yeah I'm still not excited for that." Mark frowned.
"You'll be fine. I'm sure your father will hire Stella. She's the best. We can all help train you up."
Mark smiled affectionately at him. "Thanks Gale."
Gale, refusing to meet the younger boys eyes, jerked his head in a nod before missing his shot and cursing.
Mark slid his phone out of his back pocket, frowning at the lack of notifications. Gale noticed. "What's wrong, mate? You've checked your phone like 8 times in the past 20 minutes. Expecting a call?"
Mark shook his head. "No, not really. I mean yes but I shouldn't be." Gale quirked an eyebrow. Mark sighed. "Vex went out to do some kind of job this morning. He should be back by now which is why I was expecting him to text me. But we're not like, exclusive or anything so I don't know why I'm expecting a message."
"Ah," Gale acknowledged, lining up his next shot. "Boy trouble. Or man, rather. By the gods I think he's older than my sister."
"Not helping, Gale."
"Sorry," that was when the older boy noticed the look of worry creasing Mark's brow. "Well, looks like I'm already fucked in this game. Why don't we drop by his apartment to check?"
Mark instantly brightened, "Really?"
"Yeah, what trouble could he have possibly gotten into?"
The two set off for the luxury apartment buildings. The apartments stood on fae neutral territory and had a high tolerance for the supernatural and strange. Gale still had yet to tell Mark he was currently renting an apartment only 3 floors up from Vex.
They reached Vex's door and Mark knocked several times. Gale's nostrils flared in time with his hackles rising. "Do you smell that?"
Mark tilted his head, "Yeah, it smells like… metal or something."
"Iron. There's blood and a lot of it." He rose his foot and kicked in the door.
"Vex!" Mark called, following Gale further into the apartment. "V, where are you?"
Gale came around the corner and stopped short, his already pale complexion turning a shade whiter. Mark bumped into his back, not yet having seen the display. When he turned his head, a small scream left his throat.
Vex was splayed out on his living room floor in an awkward position as if he'd fallen. Both of his wrists were slit deeply, blood covered his shag carpet and tight latex pants. His eyes were closed and there was blood spatter over his neck but no visible wound.
Mark pushed past Gale, who was frozen to his spot in shock. The panther dropped to his knees beside Vex, tears already slipping down his face. He yelled Vex's name over and over, laying a hand over the man's chest and lowering his head to the other man's.
"He's still breathing. Gale he's breathing!"
"I-I'll get some towels," Gale stuttered out, clutching the wall to steady himself as he stumbled out of the room.
Mark slid his arms under Vex's chest, lifting him slightly. His heart beat faintly and agonizingly slow. "Don't do this to me okay? You were one of the first people I ever cared about. Please don't leave me like this." Mark's tears mixed with the blood on Vex's leather vest and dripped down his side. Mark clutched Vex's body to him, sobbing out, "Please wake up."
Gale was back in a flash, wrapping the towels around Vex's wrists and creating a sort of tourniquet. "I'm gonna call Lauren, okay? We have to get him to the clinic. You have to help me." Mark nodded hurriedly, sniffling.
Gale went to lift Vex's body when Mark snarled, "I've got him." Gale held up his hands in mock surrender, walking toward the door and checking the hallways for humans.
Mark, gently as possible, lifted Vex's dead weight from the ground, clutching the man to his chest as a painful sob wracked it. He shifted Vex in his arms, jostling him slightly when he groaned ever so quietly. "Vex?" Mark shook him. "V, can you hear me?"
Vex groaned again, mumbling something incoherently. This is when Mark began to notice the dark blue and purple bruises that seemed to be covering Vex's pale body.
"Oh god, what happened? Why didn't you come talk to me?" Mark whispered in Vex's raven hair. He received more incoherent mumbling in response.
Mark held Vex's body closely in the back of Gale's '67 Chevelle. Mark was afraid he'd blow up the transmission the way he was driving, desperately trying to get across town to Lauren's clinic. He glanced in the rearview mirror every few seconds, watching Mark's facial expressions. He sped well beyond the legal limit when the color drained from Mark's face. Vex had begun to shiver vigorously.
"Gale…"
"I know!" He screeched into the clinic a mere 5 minutes later, Mark bolting out of the car before it was in park.
"Bring him in here!" Lauren called when she saw Mark brust through the clinic doors. Mark brought Vex to the bed they had all laid in at one point or another. Lauren made quick work of snipping Vex's black shirt and leather vest off. She attached him to a heart rate and pulse monitor, putting an oxygen mask on his face. She unwrapped the towels from around his wrists and sucked in a breath. "Oh god…"
"What?" Mark pestered, wringing his hands.
"His wrists… the tendons are cut. On both of them." Lauren stated in slight shock.
"I don't think he did this to himself, Doc." Gale had appeared from the parking lot.
"Consistent with the bruising on his torso, it's likely someone did it to him." She agreed. "The question is, who?"
"He said he was doing a job for someone he owed, but he never said what the job was or where." Mark supplied.
"But he was in his apartment. Which means someone wanted people to think this was a suicide." Gale added.
"A way to cover their tracks?" Lauren suggested. Suddenly, the machine beeps repeatedly and Vex's blood pressure began to drop. "He's crashing!" She shouted, racing to get the crash cart but Gale beat her to it. He leaned over Vex's body, administering CPR.
"C'mon, Vex!" Gale yelled at the man who then took a deep breath, vitals returning to a somewhat stable state.
"He needs a blood transfusion." Lauren stated. "He's lost far too much. I don't know if I'll be able to fix his tendons."
Mark, looking dejected and defeated, rested his forehead against Vex's. He held the man's cheek ever so gently, brushing his thumb over the high cheekbone. "Please don't leave me." His voice broke off into a slight sob.
"If you can't fix his tendons, he can't use his hands. He's a mesmer; he'll starve to death." Gale mumbled to Lauren who nodded sadly in confirmation. Gale sighed, pulling off his jacket. "Use my blood." Lauren looked up at him, confused.
"You once asked me why my parents weren't afraid that I would get ill when the lycanthrope plague came through this colony. Use my blood on Vex and you'll find out. I'm O neg." Lauren looked like she wanted to protest but decided against it, simply heading for the blood transfusion tools.
The tanned boy with tear stained cheeks looked up at him. "Thank you." Gale nodded to him, something along the lines of 'I'm not doing it for you,' wanted to pass his lips but he was not in the habit of lying to Mark.
Gale sat in a chair beside Vex's bed and Lauren hooked him up to transfer his blood to Vex. "Lauren," Mark's voice cracked but he was no longer crying. "What can I do?"
Lauren pursed her lips. "He's still shivering. Maybe some body heat and fur would help." She gave a slight smile to which Mark tried to return. Lauren left the room and Mark looked toward Gale.
"Are you okay if I…"
"You do you, panther." Gale's gruff accent put Mark at ease. Mark shifted in his coal colored panther and delicately hopped up on the bed between Vex's legs. He laid his head over his paws on top of Vex's chest, being careful not to place too much weight on the other man. Vex's shivering died down and his body seemed to curl in on itself and around Mark's warmth.
After 3 hours, Gale was fighting sleep. Mark had passed out with Vex an hour ago while Gale silently watched the panther's tail flick contentedly. Gale's eyes fluttered shut for only a few seconds before he forced them open again.
Lauren had come in periodically to see Vex's vitals improving slowly. "Your blood," She had said, "it has some incredible healing properties." Vex's wrist wounds had almost completely scarred over but finger movement was still unlikely.
"What can I say?" Gale's voice portrayed cockiness but his expression displayed sadness. "I'm blessed."
Lauren began to unhook Gale from the transfusion equipment and removed Vex's oxygen mask. "You should get some rest. This took a lot of you." She spoke to Gale who stubbornly tried to stand.
"I'm fine," he said as he began to sway. Lauren caught his elbow, steadying him and pushing him back down into the chair.
"No, Gale. Even you aren't immune to the effects of a large blood transfusion." He scowled at her.
"I have to get home."
"It's not safe for you to be on the roads."
"I'm fine." He hissed.
"I'll take him home." The two looked towards the doorway to see Dyson leaning against the frame.
"I don't need a babysitter."
"Your mother would kill me if you got into an accident. And your father would then kill you for crashing that car. I'll drive you home." Dyson let a small smile slip onto his face.
"Dad?" Mark had shifted, sitting at the edge of Vex's bed and using an extra blanket to cover himself. "What're you doing here?"
"I called him." Lauren spoke.
Dyson approached his son. "Hey, buddy. Do you need anything?" Mark shook his head, looking down at Vex whose color had returned.
"Is he gonna be okay?" He asked Lauren who nodded.
"Gale's blood healed him for the most part. We still don't know about his hands."
"I'm sure they'll heal. I am a miracle worker after all." Gale said, narcissistic personality taking hold. He went to stand, using the chair for support. Taking one step forward, he faltered. Dyson caught him under the arms, helping right him. He patted the boy's chest.
"Sure you are, tough guy. Let's get you home." Gale grumbled under his breath but allowed Dyson to help him toward the door. "Call me if you need anything." Dyson threw over his shoulder to Mark and Lauren.
Mark shifted back, curling up with an unconscious Vex again while Lauren disappeared into the rest of the clinic.
It seemed like forever before Vex opened his eyes. At first he was groggy, adjusting to the bright lights of the clinic and the obnoxious beep of the heart monitor. He felt an odd weight just above his hips and raised his head slightly to see the giant cat splayed across his legs. "What in bloody hell?" He squeaked, voice hoarse.
The panther looked up at him, blinking several times as though he had just woken up himself. His tail started to flick back and forth happily as he rubbed his head against Vex's hand and purred. "Mark?"
Mark shifted, a chuckle rumbling through his chest. "Do you know of any other panthers?"
"To be honest, I'm pretty positive I'm hallucinating." Vex spoke in that unique tone of his that Mark loved. He pulled the leads off of himself and Mark shut the machine off before it could go into a frenzy.
"You're alive, Vex."
"Was there a possibility I wasn't going to be?" His voice, pitiful and strained as it was, still laced with humor.
"Yes." Mark deadpanned. "You slit your wrists open."
Vex's dark brow furrowed, looking down at his wrists in bandages. "I definitely don't remember that."
"Gale doesn't think you did it to yourself. Neither does Lauren."
"Well they are correct. I think I'd remember trying to kill meself." Vex attempted a laugh, reaching up to touch Mark's face. He went to curl his fingers, only to discover that was about the most difficult task he had ever had. "Oh no."
Mark looked at his hand and frowned. His fingers twitched like they had received the command from his nerves but lacked the ability to follow through. "You got cut down to your tendons. We were hoping Gale's blood would heal you but I guess it wasn't enough."
"You're bloody joking. This is the second god damn time I've lost my powers!" He stared at his hands incredulously and then seemed to hone in on one aspect of Mark's words. "Did you say 'Gale's blood'?"
"Yeah, Lauren needed a quick solution and Gale was O neg." Mark confirmed.
"Oh that's just bloody brilliant. Now I'm going to get heartworms or fleas or some shit." Mark rolled his eyes, lighting punching Vex's shoulder.
"Shut up. He saved your life. I was afraid I was going to lose you." Vex looked into his eyes, confusion clouding his own.
"You hadn't texted me like you said you would when you got home. You had promised. I started to get anxious and Gale offered to bring me by your apartment. When we got to the door we smelled blood. A lot of it. He kicked down the door and he found you in the living room.
"I was fucking useless, I justed started panicking but Gale went to get towels and wrapped your wrists and then got me to carry you to the car. He sped like a bat out of hell to the clinic. I held you in the backseat and you were bleeding on me and I swore I had heard your heart stop and you started shivering…" Mark trailed off as Vex tried to sit up, throwing his arms around Mark.
"I'm here now, love. That's all that matters." He murmured. Mark looked into Vex's dark eyes, darting to his lips and back. Contemplation was clear on his face. Vex saved him and leaned in, pressing his chapped lips against Mark's soft, full ones.
The kiss was soft and sweet until Vex nipped at Mark's bottom lip and slipped his tongue into the boy's mouth. Mark ran his hand through Vex's short hair, holding the back of his head and pushing them closer. Eventually he had pulled Vex all the way up and into his lap. They pulled away for a moment to catch their breath.
"Guess I should slit my wrists more often," Vex joked but Mark growled, biting at his lip.
"I swear, if you ever try to die on me again, I'll bring you back and kill you myself."
"That's a little harsh. I'm sure a spanking would do." Vex grinned and Mark rolled his eyes.
"It's not a punishment if you enjoy it," the panther remarked.
"Oh, touché."
Mark kissed up Vex's throat, the mesmer's eyes rolling into the back of his head. "Let's try something," he whispered in Vex's ear.
"Like what?" Vex mumbled in pleasure. Mark began to delicately untie the back of his boyfriend's hospital gown.
"Like make it official." Marks hand slid up Vex's thighs, gripping the inside and dragging him closer. Vex practically purred.
"Are you sure, love? I mean, I don't want to pressure you into anything. For god's sake I don't even know if your cherry has ever been popped and you're father would kill me if he ever,-" Mark cut Vex off with a harsh kiss.
"You talk too much." He grabbed Vex's hips and placed them atop his own so Vex was closer on his lap, against his rock hard sex. He took Vex's forearms and wrapped them around his neck, being careful of the bandages. "Keep them there," he growled.
"My god it's like I've pulled you out of a fantasy." Vex whispered as Mark kissed him again with a chuckle.
"Glad to know you fantasize about me."
"Oh you have no idea. It all started with that stupid oracle and the first blowjob you ever gave me. Though I suppose that wasn't really the first seeing as it wasn't real." He rambled and Mark's head shot up.
"You saw me? When the Oracles came, you saw me? And I gave you a blowjob? We had only just met!" Mark laughed.
Vex bit his lip and turned his cherry red cheeks away from Mark. Mark gripped his chin and turned him back to face him. "Hey, I was only teasing. I knew I liked you from the first time we met. You smelled like whiskey and latex when you sat on the bar. I didn't know what it was then but my pather purred at the scent. I thought I was going to kiss you right then and there. The only thing that held me back was the fact I was pretty sure I wasn't gay. That changed." He laughed and Vex blushed again. Mark loved the rosy color against the usual pale skin.
"Yeah well,when the world almost ends, beggars can't be choosers." Vex tried to joke but Mark caught his lips with his own. He was grinding against the mesmer, fingers digging into the muscle of Vex's back.
Mark pulled back when Vex grunted into the kiss. "Am I hurting you?"
Vex tilted his head. "Love, even if you were, it would only make me harder." He rolled his hips up against Mark's.
Mark rolled his eyes for what must've been the 100th time that day. "I keep forgetting you're a kinky masochist." Vex winked and Mark reclaimed his mouth. It was at this moment Mark was glad Lauren had insisted getting Vex's clothes off.
Mark pulled back from Vex, holding his hand out in front of the man's mouth. "Spit." Vex looked into his eyes, a hunger filling them as he put as much spit as he could into Mark's hand. Mark had removed the blanket in between them and draped it over Vex's shoulders. He rubbed the spit over his hard cock, slightly lubricating it.
Vex grinded against him in anticipation. Mark looked up at him. "Do you need uh, to be, you know, prepped or anything?"
Vex looked like he was holding in a smirk. "I'll be fine."
"Are you sure? You know I was looking into this stuff and-," Vex laughed.
"You have been reading about how to do this? Jesus I forget how innocent you are."
Mark tugged on Vex's hair with a growl, "I'm not innocent, I just wanted you comfortable but I seem to be forgetting again."
"About what?"
At that moment Mark shoved his full length into Vex's tight ass. He felt the muscles in Vex's arms tense as he let out a loud moan that Mark suppressed with a kiss. "You like it when I hurt you."
Vex moaned again in confirmation, relying on Mark's hands clutching his hips to keep him balanced. Mark started to pound into him, ripping a moan from his lover's throat with every thrust. Mark's hands wandered up and down the soft skin of Vex's sides, digging his nails into the man's hipbones and pulling him impossibly closer.
Vex's head rested against Mark's broad shoulder and they could hear one another's panting breath and racing heart. Mark slammed into Vex just right, causing him to arch his back, brushing his chest against Mark's and letting out a shuddering moan. He'd found what he'd been looking for.
Mark smirked, ramming into Vex again to get the same response. This act continued until Vex spoke in a breathy whisper. "I'm gonna come."
"Wait," Mark growled, getting close himself. Vex whimpered, holding it in but secretly loving the roughness Mark was showing him.
Mark came first, his orgasm rocking through Vex as he rode it out. Mark grabbed Vex's weeping sex and pumped a few times before muttering, "Come." Vex gasped out his release, covering Mark's chest with it. He let out an ear-shattering moan that was slightly muffled by Mark's other hand, and his body shuddered over and over. His forearms squeezed around Mark's neck but his fingers wouldn't budge.
After Vex's final convulsion, he collapsed against Mark's chest. Mark took his weight with a grunt, expecting as much with Vex being somewhat weak from his injuries. He knew Vex wouldn't have enough stamina.
Vex pressed his flushed face against Mark's neck, still panting. Mark was able to slow his breathing in a relatively short amount of time but Vex was still breathing heavily. Mark ran his hand soothingly up and down Vex's curved spine, feeling the tremors that ran through his body.
"Easy, V." He coaxed, feeling Vex's heart still racing. Vex nodded into Mark's neck.
"I'm fine." He choked out in a breath.
Mark chuckled. "Sure you are, tough guy. Gale said the same thing before he practically passed out."
Vex snorted at that, but was too out of breath to make a remark, Mark placed his hands on Vex's back, laying him down gently. Vex's breath stuttered when Mark finally pulled out of him. "Fuck," he mumbled.
Mark grabbed another blanket, throwing it over Vex. Vex's pale skin was still flushed but his breathing had slowed. "That was…" He looked up at Mark as he spoke. "That was fun." A small grin raised Vex's lips and Mark laughed.
"Fun?" Mark brushed a piece of the other's hair off his sweaty forehead.
"Yeah, that was intense. I've never fucked after almost dying. Definitely a recommended experience." Mark slapped Vex's shoulder who laughed.
Mark got up and took a towel to wipe the cum off his chest before sliding his pants back on. He slipped his shirt over his head when Vex frowned. "You're not leaving me right?"
Mark smiled softly. "No. Of course not. There's just not enough room for the both of us on that bed." He chuckled but Vex frowned.
"I could scoot over?"
Mark shook his head, cupping Vex's cheek and kissing him deeply again. Vex melted into it, fingers twitching again like he wanted to grab Mark but couldn't. Mark let go of him and pulled the chair closer to Vex's bed. He put his hand over Vex's once he had settled into the chair and rubbed his thumb across his lover's knuckles.
"I'll be right here okay?"
"Promise?"
"I promise. I'm not leaving you this time."
And that's how Lauren found them the next morning: Mark half curled up in the chair, head resting on Vex's stomach and arm slung over Vex's hips. What surprised her? Vex's fingers laced in Mark's, clutching tightly.
"It's that one." Gale said to Dyson, pointing to his apartment building.
"Isn't this the one Vex lives in too?" Gale refused to meet his gaze but jerked his head in a nod. Dyson parked the car and got out, opening Gale's door and helping him out.
"You don't have to come up with me. I think I can handle myself."
Dyson chuckled. "You SútUlfr's. So damn stubborn. I'll take you up but I'm going to check out Vex's place. See if I can find anything that may tell us who did this to him."
Gale smirked, "Thought you hated the guy?"
"I could ask the same of you."
"I didn't do it for Vex."
"No. Neither do I." Gale looked up into Dyson's eyes, seeing the look he himself wore often. Gale sighed, pulling his arms around himself as the night breeze chilled him.
Dyson went to the trunk and pulled out a cardboard box. It had 'O' scrawled on the cover. "I was going through some old things and I found these. I thought you might like to have them." He handed the box to Gale who opened it curiously.
The box was full of tapes, VCR and cassette, and film strips as well as a few envelopes full of pictures. Some polaroid others obviously digital. A pink music box was tucked to the side. "What are these?" Gale's voice cracked, knowing the answer to his question.
"All the things I could find of her." Dyson's voice had become gruff with emotion.
"Why?" Gale whispered.
"She was your sister too." The man answered simply.
A single tear slipped down Gale's face, jaw set in a hard line. "Thank you."