Aidan walks down the hallway leading to his loft. While he is glad for the higher frequency of gigs and bigger audiences, it starts to wear him down.

In fact, his entire life seems so much faster these days. And at some point he starts to fear that he will drown in the current.

Especially since his constant, Josh, is drifting away from him, too. It is not just about the fact that they can't see each other as often as they did in the beginning. It's rather about how they act around each other when they are together indeed. It's small things, really, but to Aidan, they are ever the greater the more he thinks about them.

Back when they were just recently together, they went to sleep lying in each other's arms, and that is how they woke up, too. These days, they go to sleep and wake up with their backs to each other.

While Aidan always thought that Josh didn't hold judgment, he gets the feeling that the werewolf starts to judge him, especially about the vampire-business he is now part of thanks to Bishop. He constantly feels the werewolf's eyes on him, observing him, controlling him.

When Aidan wants to kiss him, Josh draws away.

Every touch seems to come with a distance.

There is tension in the room no matter how normal the situation may be.

The vampire reaches the door and opens, frowning at the fact that the lights are on… and there is the faint fragrance of burnt candles lying in the air.

Josh is here?

"Hello?" he asks cautiously as he rounds the corner, to see his partner picking up some things from the table. Aidan gulps. Candles, a DVD resting on the side of the TV table…

"Oh crap… we had a date, didn't we?" he blurts out.

"No, we didn't. We had one scheduled, but we didn't actually have that date, since you come only just now," Josh can't help but reply with a bit of venom in his voice.

"I am so sorry. But after the gig the guys…," Aidan means to say, but the other man interrupts him, holding up his hands, "Aidan, just stop, okay? It's alright that you can't make it. I am not the type of guy who cries into his pillow over a forgotten date, but could you have at least the decency to call or leave a text next time? Then I would've gone home by now, to get some sleep. I have early shift tomorrow, or rather, today. And while I would have spent my time with you with pleasure, spending the night waiting for you sucks. Now I am just tired and worn out and I will walk around like a zombie throughout the shift… so now, I just wanna go home."

"I am so sorry," Aidan apologizes. He really is. He normally always remembers these things, especially now that both have to make any effort for this relationship to work. They agreed on dating more regularly – to have something to look forward to, and to have something to stick to, but he just managed to screw it up.

He should have stayed away from the den, for once…

"Don't be," Josh shakes his head.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise," Aidan tells him.

"You don't have to," the other man argues.

"I will," Aidan insists. Josh kisses him on the cheek, "I'll call you."

Josh makes his way over to the door, so Aidan calls after him, "I'll make it up to you! I swear!"

"I know, goodnight," Josh tells him.

"Night," Aidan mutters as his partner disappears. He looks around the room. How could he forget that?

Maybe he shouldn't have gone to the den with the others after all.

The vampire walks up to the three candles set on the couch table and blows them out.

You lit a fire. I doused the flame. I know it's me to blame. No matter how much I admire, this small candlelight. I will light it up again, no matter what, and it'll shine so bright that everything's gonna be alright.

Aidan stood true to his promise and asked Josh the very next day to have a date. While the werewolf couldn't make it right away because of work, he agreed to go on the weekend. So Aidan reserved a table in a fancy restaurant. Josh told him that he really didn't have to again and again, but the vampire knows that he really has to.

He pondered on how they don't spend time together, so he has to stand up to the game, too.

And honestly? It's really nice. They chat, they bicker about the food, which is, in both their opinion, not really worth the money, they talk about how their week has been, all those things that became rarer and rarer these last days.

After the waiter takes away their plates, Aidan slides a small box with a green bow on top over the table, "Here, this is for you."

"I already told you that you don't have to give me anything to make this up to me," Josh argues, starting to feel really uncomfortable.

You are enough for me. You are everything I need. Everything I want. It's just a pointless deed. To give me anything that isn't you. Because you are all I see and need.

"But I wanted to. So, open it," Aidan insists.

"Aidan," Josh exhales. "I really mean it – you don't have to make this up to me by buying me stuff. I already forgave you as I was out the door. If there is even something to forgive in the first place. Because it was really just forgetting about a date."

"Don't make me kick you underneath the table. I got you the present, and I won't bring it back unless you hate it," Aidan warns him. "So now, open it."

Josh exhales, but then opens the small present anyway, letting out a gasp once he sees what's inside, though, "Oh my God."

"Do you like it?" Aidan asks hopefully.

"That must have been way too expensive," Josh blinks at him. Aidan leans a little closer with a smug grin tugging at his lips, "Nothing is, for you."

"You know that I hate it when you say these stupid movie-like lines," Josh huffs, pushing him away playfully.

"I mean it, though. So do you like it?" the vampire asks.

"Yes," Josh says, giving Aidan a quick kiss. "But next time… just be there on time."

"Yeah, yeah," Aidan chuckles.

"I mean that. Because you are way more worth to me than this could ever be," Josh insists. He appreciates it that Aidan gets him something like this, but to him, material things are really not that important. He just wants to have Aidan with him.

"Does that mean we'll have sex again?" Aidan whispers with a playful grin.

"… You suck at romantic moments," Josh grunts.

"You said 'suck' to a horny man," Aidan chuckles.

"Oh my God," Josh exclaims, throwing his head back.

"C'mon, I wanna get out of here," Aidan urges him.

"Nah, I don't know, the restaurant is kinda nice," Josh teases.

"Josh!" the other man pouts. So the werewolf holds up his hands reassuringly, "Okay, okay. But you pay."

"I already did when I took a loo," Aidan grins.

"Classy," Josh huffs.

"Let's get out of here. I need you now," Aidan growls in a low voice, taking Josh by the arm. The two get their coats and make their way to Aidan's apartment.

They need a bit of home.

And so the two soon stumble onto the bed, the shirts already on the ground.

"Put it on," Aidan growls against his partner's teeth, not wanting to break the kiss completely.

"I thought you needed me, right now, preferably right on the floor," Josh chuckles.

"And I do, but I want you to wear it," the vampire breathes.

"Fine, fine…," Josh exhales, reaching over to the nightstand where the box lies on top. He opens it with one hand and takes out the necklace Aidan got for him – a golden necklace with a small watch as a pendant which shoes the moon phases. The werewolf puts it on, smirking at his partner, "Okay, like that?"

"I love it," Aidan smiles, tracing the outline of the necklace on his partner's collarbone. "See? It looks like this was missing all along."

A piece of me. It's now on you, hopefully for all eternity.

Aidan kisses him greedily.

"I'm sorry," he breathes against the other man's neck.

"I forgive you," Josh breathes. Aidan looks at him, "I love you."

"I love you, too," the werewolf replies, pulling the vampire closer to himself.

Hold me. Don't let me go. Free my undying soul.