FIVE

"Carl?"

No response.

"Carl?" He ran his fingers up his lover's spine, to gently stroke the back of his neck. "Wakey, wakey, Carl." The other man shuddered, groaning. A hand emerged from the tangle of blankets and batted at Gabriel. He chuckled. "Come now, time to get up. Time to hunt."

"Ungh." Carl rolled over, blinking. "You hunt. Me sleep."

Gabriel whisked the covers away.

"Damnit, Gabriel!" Carl hissed, sitting up. "It's cold!"

"Of course it's cold, it's Moscow! It's January! Now get up."

Carl muttered curses under his breath as he reached for his clothes. Gabriel spared a moment to admire his lover's excellently formed backside before pouring a cup of tea and handing it over. Curses changed to blessings as Carl slurped down the cup in one go. Soon, Carl was awake enough to check over their weapons and make sure all the equipment was ready. They were going after a group of were-creatures, bears this time. Seeing that the group had left the head of the last agent sent after them lying on an altar, the Order sent out Gabriel and Carl with strict orders to eliminate them.

The two hunters had become even closer since they admitted their feelings to one another. They had become a seamless pair, moving, thinking, acting in unison. Though they still had their distinct personalities, they made a finer partnership than any ever seen by the Holy Order before. Surely Cardinal Jinette suspected the change in their relationship, but he made no comment. As they went through their morning routine of wake up, dress, eat, and arm, Gabriel would pause to run a caressing hand through Carl's hair, or Carl would drop a kiss on Gabriel's shoulder.

Gabriel stretched, kneading his lower back.

"Sore?" Carl asked.

"I wouldn't be if someone wasn't so damned insatiable." Gabriel winked at his lover. Each man gave as much as he took, and neither dominated the other in bed. But in matters of the hunt, Carl still deferred to Gabriel.

Gabriel smiled as Carl finished arming himself. So many changes, and all for the good. For one thing, he felt more at home in his own skin than he had since he'd woken twelve years ago in the Vatican hospice. He'd never even thought of himself by his given name until the first time Carl gasped it as they made love. The disturbing memory of Dracula's mocking purr when saying the name had been obliterated by Carl's beloved voice. He wondered if God was finally forgiving him for his past sins. He must be, for the last three months with Carl had been the best time Gabriel could remember, almost Heaven on Earth. Of course, they still hunted for the Holy Order, capturing or killing those who fell to the Devil's blandishments, but emotionally, he'd never felt stronger or better. He knew he had an almost foolish smile on his face when Carl turned around.

"Ready? What?" Carl asked.

Gabriel took a deep breath. Now was the time. "I love you."

Carl blinked. They had not said that to each other yet, not in three months. "What?" he whispered weakly.

"I love you." Gabriel repeated.

Carl moved to him and kissed him fiercely, their tongues entwining, bodies pressed hard against one another as if to merge into one being. Just as Gabriel began to feel deprived of breath, Carl released his lips and just held him close.

"I love you, too." The friar whispered. He pulled Gabriel's head down so that their foreheads touched, their breath mingling. "Forever. And I mean it."

Gabriel chuckled. "Church's definition?"

Carl's face bore a serious expression. "All my life and beyond."

Gabriel swallowed hard, his fingers clenching on Carl's hips. Carl's words referred to a conversation they had not too long ago, when Gabriel had found a gray hair in his lover's mane of strawberry blond. In the ensuing discussion about the passage of time, Carl had pointed out that not only did Gabriel never seem to age, but he also healed unusually quickly. Carl had come to the conclusion that Gabriel might be more than human, specifically blessed by God. Gabriel had forced it out of his mind, not willing to contemplate the idea that Carl may die and Gabriel may live on alone.

The sounds of people stirring outside roused the lovers. Stepping apart, they both made final checks of their hidden arsenals and donned coats, cloaks, and hats. Time to hunt.

[Thanks to regular reviewers Peekaboo and Verona Dracula, but special thanks to Ellenar, who hated VanHelsing but likes this fic. I hope you'll stick around for the Xmen part! There won't be another update until possibly Tuesday -- I'm out of town this weekend.]