darker_london | Magnets (Flynn, Quinn)

Quinn had never told Flynn what had happened to him on the one day they had been separated during their four months together on the streets of Dublin. Flynn had been in jail, arrested for sleeping on a bench that happened to be on private property. And Quinn had kept his activities to himself, wrapped up tightly and buried beneath so much stigma, he probably didn't even remember himself.

Flynn had often thought about it in those long moments alone, after he had sent Quinn away. He had mused over all the terrible things that might have befallen him. Things that justified his decision to cart Quinn off back to the parents who barely seemed to realise he existed. In the moments where hunger or lonliness clawed at his insides like some frenzied beast, and Flynn knew Quinn had been feeling those very things while Flynn was missing, Flynn would content himself in knowing Quinn wouldn't have to suffer that anymore. It was a quiet and sad form of comfort, but it was better than terrible guilt at sending the boy he loved away. Flynn already knew enough of guilt.

Flynn also liked to think about what Quinn might have been up to in the very moments when things were darkest for him. When he was cold, he would think of how warm Quinn might be. How happy. How surrounded by people who loved him. Or so he hoped. Quinn had had six long years to find someone he deserved to be with, and Flynn was sure he would have found someone amazing. He even liked to imagine that one day they would meet again, though he didn't dare think on that too often. It was far too cruel to hope, and that he knew well. Flynn so wanted to believe that the world might make up for all he had suffered, and give him back the one thing he wanted more than anything else. He knew everything he was going through was what he deserved for being such a terrible person. But maybe...when he had suffered enough...when his penance was over...just maybe-

Quinn snored loudly, breaking Flynn from his reverie. He needed less sleep that Quinn, generally speaking, so he tended to spend a lot of time beside his snoring boyfriend, thinking or watching Quinn sleep. Which was not creepy in any way, he had told himself regularly. A small smile touched Flynn's lips and then he bent sideways to kiss Quinn's head. "You just sleep, princess."

"Muhprincess.." Quinn mumbled, before letting out another massive snore.

Flynn chuckled to himself and he turned his eyes back to the ceiling. Soon he was going to have to go back out on tour again. He was afraid. Afraid that something would take Quinn away from him again while the were separated, because how many times now had that happened? Far too many. It would be just over a year that he had returned from tour to find Quinn more hurt than he had ever seen anyone, when they were leaving for their tour this time around.

Every time they were torn apart, they seemed to find their way back together again. Every single time. They were like magnets. Like Velcro. And Flynn was scared, but he had faith in both of them.

Gently, his hand slid under the covers and it located Quinn's hand easily enough. He laced his fingers through Quinn's, and he smiled when the other man turned on his side to cuddle up to Flynn instinctively. Quinn stirred a little then, and his eyes fluttered open. Sleepily, his expression matched Flynn's. "Mmm mornin'."

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty." Flynn kissed Quinn's cheek.

"Something festering?" Quinn asked, with much less words than he would have used, had he been fully awake.

"No. Everything's perfect." Flynn edged down in the bed and he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. "Everything is absolutely perfect."