Quinn's POV
I turn the wheel frantically to switch on the emergency water sprinklers to prevent the roaring flames from burning our shelter and us. For the first time ever, they prove useful. While I do so, something dawns on me. Where are the others?
"Where is everyone?" I holler to Creedy to be heard over all the panicked noises around me.
I don't know if I should be angry or in agony. The greatest fear in my life has come true. That damn dragon has found our fortress!
After ten years of being very careful that afforded the community to live in relative safety and trying to build up a decent life, events in the last days caused everything to go down further and further into chaos.
It all started with Eddie and his family going out to the field on their own, trying to harvest the tomatoes we planted, and we had to rescue them from a dragon's attack; and then that maniac Van Zan going to London, botched up slaying the dragon, and somehow ending up sending it our way.
I saw the dragon's attack on the castle from afar, riding like a madman to get to it, to help the others. My heart sank when I got closer and half of our fortress had been burned down already.
I didn't even feel much fear when the beast flew my way, but then luckily not noticing me as I was taking cover.
I was so relieved to see Jared and Creedy still alive and that they had managed to get all the kids down to the shelter already.
But where are all the others?
"Don't you go up there, Quinn!" I feel Creedy's strong hands dig into my upper arms, holding me back, as he tries to talk some bloody sense into me.
"There're sixty five people up there, Creedy, I'm going!"
I am a stubborn bugger. I also feel responsible for the community. They can't stay there, not with the dragon so close.
Why haven't they come down already?
My mind is racing with the worst case scenarios. I need to save them! They are my pupils, even though they aren't kids anymore.
"God damn it, Quinn! Don't you dare leave. It's too dangerous. I'll clean it up." Creedy gives me a determined look.
He'll clean it up?
In the few seconds it takes for me to ponder what he means by him cleaning it up, he's already on his way to the stairway. I try to call him back. He's not listening.
That pig-headed…brave bastard of a bitch.
He's making me stay with the kids here and take care of them while he goes off to play hero with the dragon to save the others.
No way!
I love him too much to let him risk his life alone.
Creedy may be smart and strong, but he's no match for the dragon…
But… then who's going to take care of these kids here?
I'm in love with him, but I also love these kids, and care very much for the rest of the folks in the community.
Dog's bollocks!
All I can do is toss him a fire extinguisher and let him go…
Creedy's POV
I do not want Quinn to go up there. It's too dangerous. He'd be risking his life. I don't want him to die. That's why I'm going instead. I know I might get killed by the dragon. But I rather it be me than Quinn. If he dies, I don't think I manage through another day without him. I've only been able to live through the past bloody twenty years, fighting to survive every day, because he's been by my side the whole way through.
I seem to be always in a positive mood for the others. But it's only because of him.
I know he loves the kids, cares for all of the people in the community. They're our family. I'm counting on him staying with them. I hope he thinks I'm capable of bringing the others down on my own.
I hear him call my name. And even in the fierceness of the situation I love it. For a split second, it reminds me of our private times together, hidden away in a distant part of one of the tunnels, buggering each other until we were too knackered to even lift our heads.
We lock gazes over the short distance.
My heart aches.
I will myself to be strong.
I need to do this. I need to keep Quinn save. He's a good leader. The community needs him.
With a determined heart, I turn to get ready to run up the stairs when a terrible noise and screams above tell me that the dragon is back.
I'm halfway up the staircase and suddenly a ball of fire is rushing down the stairs toward me.
Oh, bloody hell!
This is it.
My life flashes before my eyes, and Quinn's face keeps making centre stage.
I'm going to die.
I'm not going to be able to see the person I love…
On a whim, I turn around to look back at Quinn. My heart breaks to see that he's looking at me in shock, also realizing what's happening.
For a brief moment there, time seems to have been suspended.
Quinn's face, distorted from terror, is all I can see.
Suddenly, I feel an overwhelming wave of heat hitting my backside. The door in front of me is slammed shut by the back draft, cutting me off from my Quinn and the kids.
Everything becomes a blur and I begin to act on instincts.
I jump sideways into the small cavern that we started to dig, praying it doesn't become too hot to survive. I get thrown against the rock in the back of it. A horrid smell of charred flesh wafts into my nose, and then I feel an extraordinary pain rack through my body. I hit my head hard on the stone floor and everything becomes dark.
Quinn's POV
"Creedyyy!" Everyone in the room cries his name at the time with me.
We all saw the ball of fire coming at Creedy and then the door slammed shut, cutting off our view of him.
I…we, have to assume the worst!
God, I want to die!
I run up against the door in absolute panic, slamming my full body weight into it several times, and then I slide down against it desperately when it doesn't open.
My best friend and lover may have been burned before my very own eyes!
Burned alive.
All because I decided to stay with the kids instead of going with him, to help him.
I should have gone with him!
God, I should have gone with him.
He is…was my other half. The better half.
What am I gonna do now? How can I go on now?
I start to weep pathetically. I know I shouldn't. Not in front of the kids and the women. Don't want to scare them anymore than they already are. But I can't control myself. I can't make the tears stop.
I feel an even heavier burden lay onto my shoulders than before.
All the people up there, those he and I wanted to save, they must be dead by now too.
I start to shake violently and slowly turn because the cries behind me haven gotten even louder.
Suddenly I realize that they all saw what happened. They all loved Creedy too. He has been their anchor as well as mine. All the kids saw him get burned. He should have bloody stayed down here with us. But all he wanted to do was to help. To play the white knight like he always wanted. And thinking of that, I kneel down and start to say our evening prayer.
"What do we do when we wake?"
"Keep both eyes on the sky." Like a miracle, everyone answers in a chorus, the water still pouring down on us with full force.
"What do we do…" I trail off. I can't do this. I can't bloody say it anymore.
I just can't!
The man who used to say it with me, is dead.
Dead because of my own stupidity and indecisiveness!
I want to be dead in his place. I can't go on without him in this conflagrated world.
When he was by my side, his gleaming smile would warm me instead of the sun. The spark of joy in his caring eyes would give me the strength for another day to go on for years and years. His playful kisses would make me feel alive, sleeping in his arms had been my life's elixir. Due to him I was able to face all the day-to-day difficulties that the dragons have wrought upon us.
I feel myself crumble. Somewhere beside me somebody is finishing the prayer and the kids are answering in kind as taught by Creedy.
I just break.
Creedy's POV
Wetness.
Cool wetness on my burning face. It's like heaven.
Am I in heaven?
I stir and try to open my eyes, move a hand, which just doesn't want to work. My head is pounding like crazy.
"Shh! Don't move." A raspy, very familiar voice orders.
I feel like I'm still on fire. But what happened? I thought I had died.
The cooling wetness seems to be all over my body now. Every part of it relaxes a bit. And I still feel like I got burned alive. Maybe dying is better…
"Creedy." It's almost a sob.
No, dying isn't better.
I decide to struggle to live for the man the voice belongs to.
Again.
I wonder how much skin I have left. The dragon's ball of fire must have been inches away from me in that hole.
My throat is burning like I'm about to spit fire like the bloody-damn dragons. Since I can't open my eyes, I might just try and open my mouth.
Nope, doesn't work either.
But the cool wetness is on my painful lips now. A moist cloth is dabbed very carefully onto them.
And I feel how some drops of water get trickled between them. I try to dart out my tongue. It hurts. But at least it isworking.
"Creedy, please." The last time I heard Quinn's voice sound like that had been an eternity ago. It was stark fear.
Now I feel it grip my heart so powerfully that I try his name after swallowing some more droplets of water.
"Quinn…" and I try again, exhausting myself, "Sorry." Because that's what I should say. I don't want to be the reason to put fear into his usually cocksure voice.
I really shouldn't have been that stupid and demanded to go upstairs.
"No." I can still hear the quiver in his voice and cool hands are on my face, "I'm sorry." He murmurs.
I feel his lips on mine. And it doesn't even hurt so much. It's a very light kiss for a brief moment and the words are whispered against my mouth, "Come back."
Oh my Quinn, I'm bloody trying!
I'm totally drained and exhausted and only want to sleep to get the bloody pounding out of my head. I still can't open my eyes. He gives me more water and I manage with all my will power to give him a hoarse but vital message. "Am."
His callused hands take my right hand into his, holding on. Then he kisses my palm, my finger tips. Doesn't hurt so much either.
I'm starting to realise what hurts most. And that's my left arm and shoulder.
"Love." It's the last thing I hear, before I pass out again from exhaustion.
Quinn's POV
My hands are shaking. I know I should bandage Creedy up. He looks awful, like a bloody dog's dinner.
But he's alive!
My own mouth is dry and my heart is still pounding in my throat. I know how to handle burnings. We've had a lot during the years from fires the dragons had set.
But every time I touch him, he stirs in his uneasy sleep. So I just keep him covered up with a linen sheet we saved for such cases.
I can't leave his side. Of course the burning could've been worse, but he must have banged his head terribly since he was bleeding when we found him. I wish we still had the medical equipment that we did in the time before the dragons came. I feel so helpless. All I can do is wait and try to cool him as much as possible with steady droplets of water.
I should be happy, though.
All the others, the sixty five people I was so worried about and for whom he had run blindly- but courageously almost into death to save, managed to find shelter themselves in the other cave we started digging last spring. Ajay, miraculously escaped from the first wave of fire on the tower himself, and Eddie had led the others there over a very narrow staircase that we seldom use.
But Van Zan is pushing me to go and kill the single male dragon in London, it'd wipe out all the others as well. He just lost all his men and I surely can relate to that and understand his grief, but I can't go anywhere just yet!
Alex is bugging me with something else. Every time I come down to the improvised kitchen (my heart hurts when I see the wreckage my kitchen – our whole castle - has become during the dragon's attack) to get fresh water, she gives me odd looks, trying to make conversation. I know she mourns her companions and wants my comfort and maybe something more but I'm selfish for once, I don't care.
All I care about is Creedy.
And Jared, of whom I'm really proud.
He is taking on all the responsibility for the kids upon himself, almost ordering me to stick with "the other guy who's normally in charge". He smiled really knowingly at me when he said that. Of course he knows that we're more then best friends. But for him that's normal, there has never been another way.
"Get some real sleep, Quinn." A husky, shaky voice startles me out of my musing. I feel a heavy hand on my arm.
Creedy actually looks at me. Eyes squinted together and red, but open anyway and I can't believe it; he also tries to smile!
My first reaction is to box him as I always do when he gets me by surprise but of course I can't do that to him now. I inhale deeply.
Creedy's POV
Yes! My smile makes Quinn smile.
God, that's so good to see. Even after so many years together, I treasure most of all this rare expression on his usually serious face.
He covers my not-so-burned hand on his arm with his and I close my eyes again. The few remaining candles are still too bright for me. But at least I have had my eyes open and I could actually see him. So, I'm not dead or blind.
Thank the Almighty!
I repeat, a bit louder, "Lay down, nurse, I'm fine." My vocal chords seem to work too, after all the water he gave me. I try to chuckle. And so does he.
"No, you are not fine." He gets up, bending over me. "Let me look at that hole in your head first again." He tries to sound light, but I know that I must have a concussion, the way my head still hurts like bloody hell.
He's so very gentle. One would never think he could be with the hard work that he does all day long. But he can be very tender, especially in some of the most sensitive spots of my body…okay…if my mind can go that way already again, I can't be that seriously hurt!
Quinn murmurs, "No new bleeding. Very good." He puts the bandage back on standing very close beside my bed. I'm feeling giddy and decide to get bold. I let my healthy arm get carried away. I reach around him and caress his arse.
He shoots me a look of utter disbelief.
I can only grin widely and innocently, but not moving my hand away.
He shakes and lowers his head, hiding the fact that he's grinning back. I see whole layers of worry fall away from him. He stands up straighter, as though some pounds of weight have been lifted from him.
I'm very satisfied with myself.
"You really seem to be better already, Mr. Patient." He mocks me, relief in his voice. "Just don't use your left arm." He steps even closer towards me. "I've cleaned it up and put our last salve on it. It's…" he swallows and I let my hand travel down his thigh, to distract him and me, "it's burned all the way up to your neck."
Quinn looks away.
I know what it means. If it gets infected…
"I'll be fine." My hand is on his arse again. I just can't help it. It's very seldom that I have him all to myself. "Get some sleep…please?" I try to tilt my head to the right, flirting. The pain in the left side of my body just gets the better of me and I grimace.
He suddenly pulls the chair closer and sits down, taking my hand into his and puts it against his lips again.
I feel that there's something very important coming my way.
Something that can't wait.
And I think I know what it is.
Something I really would not like.
"You're going to hunt the male dragon." I need to say it before he does. Not sure why. I press my fingers against his warm, soft mouth, stroking his beard.
He nods his head, "We won't survive another attack."
But he might not survive the hunt…
Of course I don't say that to him. I just feel I should go with him. We've always done every dangerous thing like that together. There's always been an unspoken understanding that we may not have been born on the same day, but if and when we die, we'll die together.
"Quinn." I swallow nervously, feeling beaten up and worn out all over again, "Can't it wait till I…"
He cuts me off in a soft low voice, kissing my knuckles. "It can't." His voice turns grave and his eyes never leave mine. "He's hungry. He might be coming back at any hour."
We stare at each other for what seems like an eternity. I forget completely that my eyes still burn from the smoke. I free my hand from his grip and lay it against his bearded cheek. He presses briefly into my palm, trying to give me an encouraging smile but fails miserably.
He turns his head and kisses my hand, then gets up.
"I'll show Van Zan the way in."
I only sigh and say nothing. I refuse to say goodbye and so does he.
"Later." He murmurs and is gone.
I try to sit up. I just can't lie here like a sick dog and wait while he's out there, amongst hundreds of dragons.
Going to London. What a suicide mission!
I move very slowly, like I'm in slow motion. Trying not to turn my head too fast or move my arm in its improvised sling. My legs feel weak as well.
I know now how he must have felt when I told him I'd go upstairs to get the others when the bloody dragon was already there. How bloody stupid of me.
God, I feel like an injured, imprisoned animal. Despite my hurting body, I start to pace, looking out through the shattered window.
I can see them from above. Van Zan and Alex are climbing into the chopper. Quinn looks my way, just knowing I'd stand here, saluting me and then jumping into the chopper as well.
Jared, all the kids and women are looking after the flying vehicle.
I feel sick in my stomach and dizzy in my head, have to close my eyes for a few seconds before I make my way back to the bed.
Damn, all I can do now is to wait, since helping Jared seems really out of the question. My head feels like there is a bloody drummer in there, so does my arm and shoulder.
I told Quinn I'd be fine. I concentrate on that, trying to sleep, trying to think of the feel of his arse against my hand and his lips on my palm…
He's stubborn, smart and a bloody strong son of a bitch. He might be able to slay that bastard of a dragon after all.
After London
Quinn's POV
I can see Creedy already from afar. He's actually standing without any help in front of the gate. I get out of the chopper and slowly walk towards him. Everyone seems to be up on the remaining walls of the fortress, waiting for me to bring the good or bad news.
But I only see him, smiling at me.
Knowing.
Knowing that I've killed that bloody bugger. He can read me like an open book.
When I step close to him, giving him a tiny smile and a short nod, he just pulls me in and hugs me fiercely with his one healthy arm. He staggers a bit when I hug him back.
"Harder." He whispers into my ear, realising that I am not using my whole strength, afraid to hurt his still weak body.
Then he pulls back a bit and looks at me in a very odd way, asking, "do you care?"
"Not anymore."
All I can concentrate on all of a sudden is his lush mouth, highlighted by the shadow of his stubble. His eyes, still bloodshot, seemingly reach into my soul. They always have been able to do that. With him so close to me, I finally feel a heavy part of the burden falls away that I've carried for so long. I feel that I have freed us from our biggest threat.
His lips are warm and wet on mine, making me forget my line of thought. His tongue caresses the tip of mine and I answer in kind. Gentle, with no fear of being discovered anymore.
We kiss, right in front of all our friends and kids. Something we've always tried to avoid before.
But we've been through too bloody much to care anymore. They already know what we mean to each another.
It feels like he wants to devour me, to lay an unquestionable claim on me and I just do the same. I plunge my tongue deep and hard into his mouth, his arms pressing me even tighter against him. He must hurt, but he tries not to show it. His cock is so hard through his clothes against my own growing erection that I'm afraid he might come in his pants like an adolescent, and so might I.
"I was so worried." He suddenly stops the kiss and breaths the words against my neck, panting heavily.
"Van Zan didn't make it." I respond.
"But you did." He bends slightly and presses his forehead against mine, and suddenly I hear the cheering from the small crowd in the background and out of the corner of my eye I see Alex walking slowly towards the gates.
"And you're bloody mine!" He says out of the blue and kisses me again. I feel my bones melt. I want to start rubbing against him, I'm exhausted as bleeding hell and he must be dead on his feet but some invisible power is holding us up.
I've got my fingers in his thick curly hair, pulling at it, pressing him close, opening my mouth as wide as I can, starting a battle of the tongues, sucking his into my mouth. He groans aloud and breaks away, whispering: "Need you. Now."
In the back of my foggy mind I hear the crowd starts cheering and chanting: "Quinn! Quinn!" Jared's voice is leading them. And then they change it to: "Alex! Alex!" And even louder, with the kids first: "Creedy! Creedy!"
We smile at each other and then start to make our way inside, arm in arm.
The kids start to surround Creedy and I as we make our way toward the broken stairs, asking questions about what happened. "It's dead," I just say. "I'll tell you more in a new bed time story, okay?"
They are satisfied with that for the moment and immediately the good news gets carried away louder and louder, until they sing it and cheer our names again.
It warms my heart, too.
F I N