darker_london | Lovers (Quinn/Flynn forever OMG)

Flynn would never be able to fully express how much it meant to have Quinn waiting for him there at the airport when they arrived him from Switzerland. It was early morning and Quinn was waiting, leaning up against the back wall, cardboard coffee holder and bag full of food resting beside him on an elbow-height table meant for standing travellers eating quickly.

Flynn greeted the people there waiting for the rest of the band, including Renee and Kait and Abigail. And then he separated himself from them, promising to see them before he headed off to Quinn's parents house. When he reached his boyfriend, they didn't even say anything. Flynn just set his bass down, threw his bag beside it and he wrapped his arms around Quinn gratefully.

Quinn did the same, the relief he felt that Flynn was safe and now he could see him and touch him, all coming out in that embrace. They held each other tightly, unwilling to let go for a long time. And when they did, Quinn kissed Flynn's cheek, quite chastely. "I got you something to eat." He said with a little smile. "Thought you might be hungry." Quinn's hand strayed to the bottom of Flynn's shirt and he slid his hand inside it, to caress Flynn's terribly skinny side.

Flynn sucked in his breath through his teeth and he leaned his forehead against Quinn's. "Mmmm. I am that. Thank you. Can we...eat in the taxi?"

Quinn grinned. "Of course." He picked up Flynn's things so Flynn could carry his breakfast and they hailed a taxi together that brought them to London University. Flynn hadn't seen the campus yet really, as they'd spent the night at Flynn's house after the London concert so Flynn wasn't far away when they left for Glasgow the next day. He was quite impressed though. And even moreso with Quinn's dormitory. It was a gorgeous building, made up of five or so houses all joined together. And Quinn's room was just so perfectly him. It was awash in disorderly order. Haphazardly built shelves held tomes of philosophical texts and occasionally an empty chocolate wrapper. Quinn's desk was a sea of half-written essays and poems. A few picture frames stood there, most noticeably a new one with a picture of Flynn in it.

Booster jumped down from the bed as they entered, immediately seeking to sniff the newcomer. Quinn set Flynn's things down near his closet and Flynn grinned widely, settling down on the floor and holding his hands out for Booster to investigate. "Hi, Booster!" Flynn said happily, and even though he felt a twinge of loss for Rusty, his cat who had been killed by his ex-boss, he was happy to make friends with Quinn's feline companion. Booster, for his part, sniffed at Flynn's fingers before happily rubbing against them, purring fitfully. "He likes me!" Flynn declared happily to Quinn.

"Of course he does. Booster is an excellent judge of character, you know." Quinn said with a wink as Booster climbed into Flynn's lap looking quite entitled, and made himself at home. Flynn looked pleased and he buried his fingers in Booster's soft fur. "He is so horning on my territory!"

Flynn looked up at Quinn and he gave his boyfriend a wicked grin. "Are you jealous of your cat?"

"At the moment, yes!" Quinn chuckled as Flynn continued to pet Booster lovingly. "I can handle it though, I'm well adjusted." Quinn ran his fingers through Flynn's hair and then he moved to his bookshelf, crinkling up a wrapped her found there. "And I know how to get him to move." Quinn tossed the little foil ball across the floor and Booster shot from Flynn's lap, attacking it with vigour.

"I was wondering what the wrappers were for!" Flynn said, standing and dusting himself off.

"Booster tries to steal everyone." Quinn winked. "I'm quite used to the scenario by now. I know how to work it." He took Flynn's hands gently and he led him over to the bed. "Oh, Mal...the things you've been through..." They sat down together and Quinn immediately leaned in to kiss Flynn's forehead. "Are you really okay?"

Flynn's answer was not immediately forthcoming, but that just showed that he was thinking it through. "I think I am." He said quietly. "Everything's...a bit..." Flynn sighed. "So many people died. And one was because of me."

"More of them were because of that one person you killed, Mal. And if you hadn't, one of the fatalities would have been you." Quinn sighed. "I'm sorry he forced you to do that to him. He forced you to do something you would never think to do under normal circumstances. And I hate him for that."

"I felt like I used to. Like back in Whitehead..."

"Oh, Mal. You're nothing like that." Quinn soothed. "Believe me...I can see the difference. And you weren't a bad person then either. You were just angry. Really. All you needed was to let go of that. And you did. You're a strong person. The strongest I know. To have gone through what you did...and not hold on to anger for that...it's incredible."

"I know what anger brings." Flynn admitted quietly. "I can't be that person anymore. That person isn't worthy of Spectre's friendship. Or Deirdre's, or Joasia's, or Timothy's or Autumn's. That person wasn't worthy of you."

"You are worthy of me." Quinn said firmly, reaching out to touch Flynn's shoulder. "Do you hear me, Mal. You are."

"I think it'll take me a while before I believe that..."

"It's okay. I can keep telling you." Quinn smiled and he kissed Flynn's forehead again. "I'm so grateful you're here for me to tell..."

Flynn lowered his lashes shyly and he blushed a little. "I missed you. A lot. Everyday."

"I missed you too, Mal. Every time I saw a journal post or heard your voice on the phone it made me happy though."

Flynn shook his head. "No, I meant...I mean yes. While I was touring too. But I meant...after I called your parents. The...real ones. After you left and I was alone. I missed you everyday."

Quinn looked rather pained and he closed his eyes for a moment before opening them to give Flynn a sympathetic look. "Mal...I'm so sorry that you ever had to be alone. I missed you then too. And I worried...I wish I had been strong enough to be there beside you. But I wasn't. I wouldn't have...I couldn't have survived it much longer..."

"I knew that." Flynn nodded, thinking back to how positively unwell Quinn had been...pretty much starting the day they ran away. He just got more and more ill and miserable and it broke Flynn's heart just to remember it. "I knew I was killing you."

"You didn't. You saved me." Quinn cupped Flynn's face with a gentle hand. "I was unwell for a long time after that. But I know it was nothing compared to what you were dealing with...I felt guilty every time I had dinner with my family for quite a while."

For some reason, that made Flynn smile a tiny smile. Probably simply because Quinn was so incredibly adorable. "Well I'm glad you had dinner with your family, so that's dumb."

Quinn laughed. "I imagine so, yes. I still wanted to find you. And feed you everything in our pantry and then some."

"Heh...probably could have used that at times..." Flynn scratched his head and then he smiled at Quinn in his crooked way, something Quinn found quite charming and he was instantly turned on by it. "Thank you. For...for still wanting to be with me. And for teaching me so many things. You taught me how to love again, despite the fact that we've spent most of our new relationship talking to each other on the phone..."

"You always knew how to love, Flynn. I think what I taught you, was how to be loved again. And Spectre was well on the way to teaching you that anyway. He's a wonderful man and friend and I'm endlessly grateful for the things he's done for you. I really need to tell him that..."

Flynn smiled. "I think he'd like to hear it."

"Then he will." Quinn resolved. "And you, my dear Mal...are about to get kissed quite rabidly, because I've been holding myself back up until this point, and it's been excruciating..."

Flynn grinned excitedly. "Okay!" He said happily, and barely had the word out of his mouth before his lips were otherwise occupied.