Chapter 4

Immolation

Aaron and Spencer overslept the next morning. Aaron woke first, with Spencer asleep with his head resting on Aaron's chest. Aaron's fingers were entangled in Spencer's hair. Aaron lay still, content, feeling Spencer's heart beat, and the gentle rise and fall of his chest, as he slept peacefully against him. Spencer's hand was lightly resting on the dressing as if to protect him from pain. Aaron smiled, putting his free hand on Spencer's back stroking gently up and down the bumps of his spine. Spencer pressed closer in his sleep. Aaron caressed his hair and stared at the ceiling.

They didn't have to move just yet.

Over a late breakfast, they planned the rest of the day. Spence hadn't spoken again about the 'accidents' that seemed to be befalling Aaron, but he certainly wasn't going to let him out of his sight.

"I would like to go shopping," said Aaron, "And get the food to cook for tonight."

Spencer had kind of hoped that Aaron had forgotten. Ah well.

"Ok, we'll do that. I still need to get things from my place sometime today. We can go there after."

Aaron put the breakfast things in the dishwasher. He winced when he bent down to close the door, something not lost on Spence.

"That still hurts, doesn't it?"

"I'm fine!" Aaron gave Spence a don't-you-dare-start-fussing look.

Spence pressed his lips together in resignation. Aaron would never abdicate his responsibility as the one who does the looking after. Spence was just going to have to be a bit more subtle.

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The shopping done, (minced steak, tomatoes, onions, peppers, Italian herbs, fresh garlic, and some rather attractive multi-coloured pasta) Spencer drove them back to his apartment.

As soon as Spencer opened the door, he knew something was wrong. Aaron went to pass him and go into the hall. Spencer put his arm across to stop him.

"Something's not right."

Aaron's forehead crinkled into a frown.

"What's not right, Spence?"

"I don't know. Just something."

"Hyper vigilance, Spence."

"Possibly. Still, if it's ok with you, can we go back to yours?" Spencer hadn't got his gun on him. He felt spooked enough not to want to go in without it.

Spencer picked up the bag that he had left in the hall two days ago, and stepped back out of the apartment.

Driving back to Aaron's, Spence didn't say much. There was something wrong, he was sure of it.

Or was it hyper vigilance?

He tried to overlay a normal image of his hallway with the image he saw when he opened the door. They looked the same, no change. Maybe it wasn't visual. Had it sounded different? Or smelt different?

He was till trying to feel the change when he pulled up next to Aaron's garage. Aaron got out with the shopping; Spence carried his bag of stuff.

"Right, Spencey-Babe, I'm cooking." Aaron dumped the shopping on the kitchen floor.

Spence made an exaggerated grimace, and dodged the onion that Aaron threw at him.

"I'll go and read a comic." he grinned, taking one out of his bag.

While Aaron was singing and cooking, Spence went round and checked that all the downstairs windows were closed and locked. Only then did he open X-Men.

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"Dinner is served." smiled a delighted Aaron, "And it might even be edible!"

It looks ok, thought Spencer. How can anyone mess up spag bol?

Any failures with the food was more than made up for by the nice bottles of wine that Aaron had produced from the cupboard.

An hour later, Aaron and an extremely tipsy Spence were sitting in their usual place in the lounge, Spencer sitting in the corner with Aaron resting his head on Spencer's lap. Spencer was giggling hysterically at everything, tears rolling down his cheeks. Aaron reached up and wiped the tears away.

"It wasn't that funny, Spence!"

Spencer took Aaron's hands in his and kissed them. He looked down into Aaron's dark eyes, and grinned happily. Aaron grinned back.

Spencer's chest hurt with too much laughing, and he guessed his head would hurt in the morning.

"Back to work in the morning, Spence. You going to be hung over?"

"Probably!" still giggling! "I'll drink some water. I'll be fine."

Aaron sat up and kissed Spencer. He tasted of wine and garlic. He put his arms around him and kissed him again.

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Aaron woke in the middle of the night. It wasn't dark; Spencer liked to leave the light in the hall, but Aaron thought the light didn't look right – flickering, wavering.

He could hear crackling.

The house was on fire!

"Spence! Wake up. The place is on fire!"

Spencer rolled onto his back.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"Get up, Spence! We've got to get out!"

The room was starting to fill with smoke. Spencer rolled out of bed and got on the floor. Aaron was coughing, Spencer pulled him down.

"Keep down, Aaron. The air will be clearer down low."

Spencer started to crawl out into the hall. The smoke was thick, and Aaron could hear the crackling of flames. He was right behind Spencer. His eyes were watering and hurting from the smoke. Spencer stopped and turned around.

"We need to go back, Aaron. We can't……." Spencer was racked by coughing. Aaron reached out to him. They couldn't see one another through the smoke and tears in their eyes. Aaron rolled over, lying on his back, coughing and choking. Spencer crawled along side him.

"Which way did we come?" Spencer had a hand over his mouth. Aaron was disoriented.

"Can't remember."

"We've got to move!"

Spencer pulled Aaron over onto his knees. "This way

Aaron felt the floor getting hot. Smoke was drifting up through the floorboards.

"Spence…." He couldn't see Spencer. "Where are you?"

Aaron's throat was hurting, his eyes streaming. He felt Spencer's hand reach for him.

"I'm here, Aaron." Spencer's voice was croaky; he started to cough violently.

"We've got to move, Spence. Move, come on!"

Little wisps of flame curled around the edges of the floor. Aaron kept hold of Spencer as they tried to make their way back to the bedroom.

A horrible cracking sound and the floor in front of Aaron gave way. Spencer was pulled out of his grasp.

"Spence!" Aaron screamed.

Spencer was lying on his back in the flames below, looking up into Aaron's eyes. Aaron reached down to him, Spencer's hand reaching up. It was too far, he couldn't reach.

Aaron screamed as the flames licked around Spencer's pale body, peeling skin and blackening his hair. His mouth open in a silent cry of agony, as the flames curled lovingly, jealously, around him, his beautiful eyes wide and unseeing. Aaron watched in horror as fames licked greedily at Spencer's fragile form; he screamed again.

"Spencer! No, no, Spence!"

He wrapped his arms around his head in grief.

"No! My Spencer, no. Oh Spence, No!" Aaron was shaking, crying out in agony.

Someone was pulling him.

"No I won't leave him! I won't!" he tried to pull away from the hands that were gripping him.

"Spencer no!" His tears were falling, his arms reaching down to him.

"Aaron, I'm here!" a gentle shaking. "Aaron, wake up. It's me, Aaron. It's Spence."

"No! Spence…."

"Aaron, wake up. You must wake up now!"

Aaron opened his eyes. "S-Spence?"

Spencer was standing next to the bed, shaking Aaron.

"Aaron, wake up now! We have to leave. Now Aaron! The place is on fire!"