I can feel you all around me
Thickening the air I'm breathing
Holding onto what I'm feeling
Savoring this heart that's healing

All Around Me - Flyleaf
(Inspiration: Aiden/Defalt )

The bridge is already turned over when they arrive at the bunker. Jay can see Aiden's face crease as he mutters something about how no one forgets to turn it back before leaving. He gets off, prompting Jay to do the same as make their way across the bridge.

"You think they are dead?" Jay asks, watching the older man's slight limp as he moves quickly along the rusted steel.

"No. No they don't die that easily," He says, "But they could be hurt. We don't know how many actually showed up."

"I guess I can see a bit why you don't trust Wick," Jay admits, although it leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. He'd like to think that the first person he met in Chicago wasn't an all-out evil person. Then again, he wouldn't really be surprised either. But, he saw a strange side of Wick when he was prodding at his father's memory, certain violence in his eyes.

And the blurry image of someone standing by him.

He couldn't say he lost all trust in him though. Aiden is a maliciously violent person, yet Jay cannot stray from him in the slightest.

Aiden looks to him, the muscles in his face relaxing as Jay relays suspicion on Wick, "At least you are considering it. I never said he was evil, Jay, I just think he's hiding rather important information."

"Like what?"

"Well I doubt he is working alone. He's part of a group, he has to be."

Jay pauses, thinking about it but beginning to feel the urge to leave the subject. "We should make sure that they are alright."

He could tell by Aiden's expression what he is trying to do, but is gracious enough to let him off the previous conversation, nodding once and stopping at the boxcar. Jay looks around, seeing two figures across the lot on the edge of the river. A familiar, creeping beat reverberating along Jay's skin.

"They are over there…" He speaks, prompting Aiden to turn, a moment later limping with surprising speed toward them. Jay is close on his heels, seeing Clara first, blood staining her skin and clothes, Damien beside her, brushing dust off him, the water lapping at their feet is the diluted red.

They both look to them at the same time, Clara gasping and bolting over to Aiden, nearly knocking him over in a rough embrace. The same fit of burning jealousy flares in the back of Jay's chest, not being able to help it. It fizzles slowly as she turns and hugs him as well, the act comforting after what happened at the club, although she ends it by messing up his hair like he is a child.

"Well you took your sweet time to come back," Damien says, having not moved from the river's edge, "You weren't even here for the fireworks."

"We found out who set them off though," Aiden looks to Damien, his eyes steady, as if having an invisible conversation with his past mentor who rolls his eyes in response.

"We figured it was him," He says, "But dare I ask how you found out about it?"

Jay watches Aiden's growing scowl, "The story is long and painful."

"Ah, my favorite," Damien limps past them and toward the boxcar, "You tend to have a lot of those."

Aiden lets out a default growl, following after him, leaving Jay and Clara to trail behind. The latter looks as if she wants to speak with Jay about something but hasn't initiated it. The younger psychic puts his hands in his pockets, giving her a questioning look, "You want to say something?"

"Aiden looks different. What did you do to him?" She asks strangely, gesturing to the man ahead of them, "When I met him he was exactly what I expected: all rough and cracked, just there for what he wanted and nothing else. He has been changing recently. And it's your fault."

This, for some reason, makes Jay smirk, "I tend to have that affect on him."

Clara stops, looking at him with an amusing surprise, one that make's Jay laugh out loud. She smacks his arm in response, a small smile playing on her lips "I see he's affected you too."

~WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW~

The bunker is a complete disaster, paired with sparks and blood. Aiden looks around with a violent scoff, mentally stabbing that Will Bender an obscene amount of times. Damien mentioned that they disposed of all the bodies but there would have to be a lot of cleaning to get rid of all the blood that has already rotted the air in a coppery odor. He had noticed Jay's nose wrinkle at it, cursing at the smell. It was rather cute, but the thought was pushed away to give room for the amount of explaining he had to accomplish.

Now, late in the night he lays in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. His mind and body are sore from intensive cleaning as well as the entire day in general. When he and Jay finished their tale it left nothing but blankness and nodding from their companions. Damien is the first to comment, mentioning Iraq as a prominent face of the Club as Leon had said. He knew where they could find him, but it would be tricky considering his rank. He also took the time to give Jay his weapon, the electrified partisan staff. The look in Jay's eyes was a mix between bright excitement and concerning joy as he had practiced swinging the staff about with a devious grin.

Aiden lifts a hand, a stream of slivery sand lifting off a bowl on his wardrobe, loitering along in the air to his hand's movements. The sand shifts and sifts in gentle waves, relaxing his mind. He closes his eyes in the darkness, his hand still conducting the stream when he suddenly feels his control of it disappear. His eyes snap open as he feels a form plop onto the open space of the bed. He looks over, Jay laying on his back, commanding the sand with his small hand, whistling some beat that the object makes as it flies in the air.

Part of the older psychic wondered why Jay looks so different now. It is a stupid curiosity considering that Aiden caused it. Jay looks older, almost too rough, all the exterior innocence has eroded off like a second skin he no longer needed.

"Jay," Aiden speaks, his voice quiet and hoarse, "What are you doing in here?"

Jay looks over at him, his crystalline eyes insulted, as if Aiden's question has an obvious answer. He moves the sand back in the bowl, "I wanted to see you."

It took a couple moments for Aiden's full memory to return to him after being able to relax for all of two minutes. He looks back up at the ceiling, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Couldn't you wait till I got sleep?"

"Oh come on, you're not even trying," Jay murmurs with childish amusement.

Aiden closes his eyes, "And you are trying too hard."

"Am not, haven't you ever had this experience at all?" He rolls close to him, his small body curling against him, "If you say this is your first time I'm going to have to think you are lying."

Aiden shoves his face away, sitting up and rubbing his eyes, "It's not, but if you haven't noticed I lost my interest in that."

He watches Jay's expression grow more reserved. He sits up as well, his eyes bright in the darkness, "Nothing whatsoever?"

"Nothing. Why is that so surprising?" Aiden looks at the younger psychic who merely gives a sheepish look, lying on his back.

"I'm just saying since you kiss so well."

Aiden couldn't help but laugh quietly, shortly, at his comment. It is cute how utterly unsubtle Jay is when it comes to sexual urges. Out of everything, that is what the older psychic had the easiest time pushing away. Then again, everything he did before was because of love. Protection is just a form of love, even if it is clingy and oppressive. He loved Lena almost like a daughter. Everything dissipated after she was gone. There was nothing he valued more than her and she just disappeared. Now though, Jay is something different. He cannot replace Lena, not that anyone could. But the hollowness she left behind Jay is slowly filling in.

"I guess I never lost that." He says as Jay scoots closer, leaning against him.

"Just everything else."

"You don't know that," Jay says quietly, looking up at him with a gentle smile.

Aiden stares at the blue for a long time, smiling at Jay's desperate nature. But fatigue pulled him down like heavy chains. Seeing him here only made him worry more about the days to come. He moves Jay away, lying back with an arm over his eyes, "Jay, I need to sleep."

He hears a disappointed sigh escaped the younger psychic as he feels his small amount of weight leaving the bed. Aiden himself sighs as well, beginning to slip into unconsciousness again when he feels a small bit of warmth on his forehead.

He moves his arm, looking up at Jay who grins impishly. He speaks quietly, "Night, Fox." He pecks him gently on the lips, quickly vanishing from the room.

Aiden listens to the door close with a tiny click, staring back at ceiling, comforting heat with lingering on his face. He closes his eyes, smirking in the darkness.

~WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW~

Jay finds himself rather irritated leaving Aiden's room. He supposes he isn't used to the feeling of being so unbearably attracted to another person in his isolated life. Aiden, he knows, hasn't had any drive for it, this bothers him.

"You look disappointed," Damien says from across the room, prompting Jay's thoughts to the wondering if the man even sleeps at all. He has yet to change out of his bloody clothes that are partially wet from scrubbing water.

The younger psychic moves to meet him, shrugging once despite himself. He speaks tiredly, "He's not exactly in the best shape."

"None of us are," Damien looks up at him, his eyes bright, icy blue, he speaks with a knowing smirk, "So was he a good kisser?"

Jay stares, not answering for a moment as he tries to decide how Damien found out. He always seems to know what is going on regardless on how well you hide it. Just by the expression he gives he has already answered the mentor who laughs in response.

"So it was the obvious, huh?" Jay asks, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Honestly, you hid it much better than Pearce, kid," Damien admits, "He isn't too good with emotions if you haven't noticed."

Jay eyebrow raises, "He was the one that tipped you off?"

"Is that hard to believe," He chuckles, "I guess you haven't known him for as long as me. He's a quick fuse, and so protective. I could tell by the way he looked over at you, waiting for you to get shot through the window."

Jay had looked over at Aiden several times while they cleaned the bunker. They kept apart but there was always this look in his emerald eyes…He realizes after a couple moments that Damien is still standing there, smiling at him. He feels like he should be irritated by his amusement, but the thought is never fully realized.

"I can only tell you one piece of advice," Damien continues as if the younger didn't completely zone out. He watches him with an odd amount of seriousness, "Don't die."

The only response that Jay conjures is a nod, and a smile, "I'll try not to," He moves past him toward his room, calling back toward Damien halfway there, "He was an excellent kisser by the way."

He hears the older man laugh out loud, muttering something that Jay couldn't quite hear as he goes into his room, plopping down on his bed. There is a sudden, swift wave of fatigue that falls over him after the day's events. He moves an arm over his eyes, thinking about his past dream of his strange other-self laughing at another Aiden.

Curiously he rolls to the side, plucking the luminescent mask from the floor and looking at it curiously. It is frayed from a long stay in storage, the glass cracked on edges.

"You seem a lot more confident in yourself than me, Defalt," Jay mutters quietly, not in pity, but in envy, some foreign envy for greater strength and power. So many years he has been inferior to everyone. Or at least considered so. Things are different now. Some kind of opening rears in his thoughts, he had the same power, more power than he realized.

He grins, setting the mask down gently and closing his eyes, "Don't worry, Fox," He speaks as if Aiden lies next to him, "I'm not dying anytime soon."

~WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW~

"If you can't handle yourself then I'm not teaching you right," Aiden says his brazen swords floating lazily in an arch. He insisted after only a couple sessions with Jay's new weapon that they should fight one another. Despite Jay's revelation a couple nights ago he didn't exactly take comfort in fighting the man. Aiden is considerably stronger physically, and had little to no mercy.

He watches the twelve blades snap into batons wearily, "I'm a bit outnumbered."

"Never stopped you before." Aiden points out flicking dust off his jacket that he wore definitely, even with the sun being particularly obnoxious that day.

"Point taken and also ignored," Jay grumbles, "You are going to kick my ass."

Aiden gives him an impatient look, "What? Do you need incentive to be confident?"

"Well-"

"Beat me decently and you'll have it."

Jay mood brightens shamelessly as he knows what he's talking about. He has been relentless in keeping their relationship subtle. This is even when Damien and Clara are fully aware of it. Aiden would kiss him gently in passing but there has been nothing like that and Jay is strongly against it.

Despite how overwhelmingly desirable that prospect is Jay speaks with irritation, "As if that would make it better."

"It will."

"You think my sexual urges are going to help me in this?"

"Immensely." Aiden dares to smirk. Jay scoffs, hating how right he is. And also how attractive it was when he smirked.

"Cocky bastard..."

"I'll give you a pity hug when I kick your ass."

"Alright!" Jay takes his staff from its plane on his lower back, "You're lucky you're cute when you're an asshole."

"I knew you would agree," Aiden says with a smile.

"Just don't disappoint me when I beat you," Jay speaks back, ready to fight.

When the sparing begins it takes little time for it to escalate. Movements are quick and precise, canceling one another out.

Jay handles against the twelve batons, dodging blows, traversing the boxcar yard with quick grace. Aiden follows in a similar fashion. He could instinctively hear a beat to their movements, like a rehearsed dance. Like music unbridled.

"There is more to a fight than dodging," Aiden calls, slipping his hands in his pockets, "You're not going to beat me running away."

Jay growls, more irritated on how distracted he could get with rhythms. His staff smacks against the batons, finding no opening to counter.

If he is going to get anywhere with him he had to disarm him somehow. He quickly runs through the possible powers he could use, what he was taught.

An idea sparks.

He focuses on the batons, feeling a powerful force of control over them. A field psychics held over certain objects as Aiden had told him weeks ago. He concentrates, breaking down their walls as he runs along the top of the boxcars. Aiden keeps up easily, just what he needs.

He keeps his focus as he jumps down near the end of the island, a stack of boxcars blocking the shore. He is cornered now. He has to break through. The field is strong on the batons, understandably, but he wasn't going to get beat by him. Not this time.

"Maybe I was wrong," Aiden says, looking down at his watch, "we've only been at this eight minutes."

"Yeah..." Jay says with a sly smile, feeling the shape of the batons in his mind, "This did end pretty fast."

Aiden's expression changes, but Jay barely notices, reversing control, the batons freezing before stabbing them into the dirt. All except one that he plucks from the air, commanding the blade to return. With celerity he shoves Aiden against the rusted boxcar side, the sword close to his neck.

There is a pause, a beat of silence as they watch one another. Aiden had no fear, his eyes lit with amusement.

"I win," Jay says breathlessly. All the energy he poured into the fight dissipates slowly, leaving lingering static. He moves the sword away, stabbing it into the ground. He grips the front of Aiden's jacket; pulling him close, "Now, keep your promise."

He doesn't wait for the man to respond, kissing him needlessly gentle at first. Aiden take control a second later, ripping apart any established levity with his fire. His hand pushes against the back of Jay's neck, fueling the insatiable need to be closer than possible. Jay lifts himself, wrapping his legs around Aiden's waist, losing himself in his fire.

Aiden relaxes against the steel wall, supporting Jay's small body gently. The younger psychic pulls away, his forehead touching Aiden's, feeling the pressure of his hands against his back. He listens to his soft, caressing breaths for what seems like eons.

"Did I satisfy you now?" Aiden asks rather sarcastically.

Jay smirks, jumping off him, stretching, "You could do better."

The older psychic raises his eyebrows, "Well, fuck," He says, suddenly wrapping an arm around Jay and pulling him back, speaking roughly in his ear, "I'll try harder next time."

Jay laughs shortly, wiggling easily out of his grip, "You had your chance, bitch."

"Oh, now you're hurting my feelings." Aiden leans against the boxcar again, sitting casually in the dirt, tilting his head back, closing his eyes in the light of the sun.

Jay sighs, sitting beside him, his muscles still twitching from the prior events. Aiden sees this, taking his hand, "Have you always twitched like that?"

"Only when I'm nervous," Jay answers, "Or energetic."

"Which one are you right now?"

Jay looks at him, simply watching the green mingle with the sunlight. He says, "Neither."

"Or both."

"Yeah, or that."

There is a silence for a long time, the only noise from the sloshing water and the swirling steam in the city. Jay leans against him, "Do you want to find Iraq?"

Aiden looks down at him, "He betrayed the psychics. I'm sure a lot of people want to find him."

"But you want to find him first," Jay guesses, looking ahead and watching dust roll in the wind, "I want to find him. He told my father how to hurt you."

"He told him how to hurt all psychics," Aiden looks down to meet his eyes, "Except you. Because you're…something else."

Jay grins, "I always believed I was better than everyone else."

Aiden chuckles dryly and pulls him closer. The action makes Jay's grin brighter than before. Something about the older man actually laughing makes him feel accomplished.

He feels a sudden, wispy aura close by. He sits up just as Clara comes into view, watching them for a moment. Jay can tell she wants to smile but something prevents her. Aiden is quick to stand, brushing off dust, "What is it?"

Clara pulls herself from a certain daze, looking to Aiden blankly, "We found out where Iraq may be."

"Great…that was quick," Aiden says. Jay stands; stuffing his hands in his pockets and decides to ask the more avoided question.

"So, do we have a plan?"

~WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW~

Wick watches as the coffee goes completely cold in the cup, having been completely untouched. He isn't much of a coffee drinker. He used to like tea but now the liquid makes his blood run as cold as the coffee.

"You really caught yourself in a web, didn't you?" Quinn says from across the office, as if not even talking to Wick, although he knows he is. It is the first time he spoke after a long, long silence that seemed like years. His bright grey eyes look toward the old man, then back to his cold coffee.

"It's a plan. And I needed a scapegoat."

"I didn't think your relationship with Iraq was that turbulent," He hears him laugh, barely, it is broken and wrinkled in performance, "It doesn't matter to you, does it?"

Wick's expression hardens, "No. If you don't care I could care even less."

He barely hears the man move more toward him, not until a gloved hand touches his shoulder, "You are powerful with manipulation, Wick. Do you believe so?"

It is an odd question, though the Will Bender is used to it. He nods once, though stands to move from his touch. "What exactly do you want from them anyway?"

Quinn watches him with cloudy eyes, smiling. The motion chills Wick's skin. He speaks gently, "Have you ever heard of a way to take psychic's power?"

Wick has on several occasions. A psychic's power is through his or her mind, so theoretically a Will Bender could tap into it. However he passed it off as a rumor sprouted but Will Benders to have them more feared. But now that Quinn speaks to him about it, it makes him curious.

"Yeah. I've heard of it," He says, his skin crawling more as Quinn's smile grows.