darker_london | Ireland Forever (Flynn, Quinn)

"POUNCE!"

Flynn awoke with a start as Quinn leapt on top of him and immediately dropped the bulk of his weight down on Flynn's now quite alert body. Flynn didn't manage to keep a short cry of surprise from abruptly exiting his throat, even if it was just Quinn. When Quinn leaned his head down against Flynn's chest, Flynn relaxed.

"Your heart is poundy." Quinn informed him a second later.

"I think you took fifteen years off my life." Flynn informed him, but he wrapped his arms around the man he loved. "What are you doing?"

Quinn hesitated and then he spoke quietly, as if slightly embarrassed. "...being a cat... If you make a pussy joke I'll tickle you until you cry and then post pictures of it on your forum."

Flynn chuckled and he ran his hands through Quinn's hair. "Your threat is noted. No pussy jokes." Flynn leaned up to kiss Quinn's hair then, before settling back against the pillow. "Why are you pouncing like a cat?"

Quinn lifted his head, his chin still resting against Flynn's chest. "I dunno. I'm okay. You're okay. Neither of us are missing or living on the streets. We almost got killed execution style not all that long ago and since then you've been staying away from me of a night using little Jacob and James as excuses. So now that you're here in my bed...I'm pouncing you."

Flynn bit his lip and he looked instantly guilty. "Bub, it's not-"

"I know." Quinn interrupted quickly. "It's not me. It's you." He sighed and he slid off of Flynn's body, positioning himself so he was instead perched on the edge of the bed, facing away with his head in his hands. "I know you're hiding something from me."

Flynn sighed and he threw off the covers so he could crawl to Quinn's side. "Quinn...I-"

Quinn turned to look at him, sadness evident in the one good eye he had left. "That's how we got out of there, isn't it? You're hiding something and you haven't let me in because you know I'll know. Because I see you. Really see you. Even with one eye."

Flynn sighed, and he squeezed his own eyes shut tightly so he could think for a moment.

"Are..you only wearing socks?"

Flynn opened his eyes again and he looked down at himself. He was naked except for his socks, which happened to have shamrocks on them. Éirinn go Brách. "My feet get cold." He said simply. Quinn's face melted because that was so utterly Flynn, and in an instant he was hugging Flynn with a sort of desperate ferocity that brought tears to Flynn's eyes. "Hey... Quinn.." Flynn embraced his lover right back, burying his face in Quinn's shoulder. "It's going to be okay."

"Is it?" Quinn sniffed. "Is that what you were promised. That it would be okay? That you wouldn't be messed with anymore? What did you have to give them, Mal?" Flynn stayed silent, his breath warming his own skin as it hit Quinn's neck and bounced back at him. "Mal. What is it?"

"I have to tell you something." Flynn finally admitted quietly. His heart was pounding against his chest. "I can't...I can't lie. I can't. Not to you. Bub." Flynn pulled away from him then. "I was reading things. My own journal. My own thoughts. From when you were hurt, you know? When I was starting things with Tristan. And the thing I kept saying was that I wished I could tell you in a way you could understand. Because I hated feeling like I was going behind your back even though you weren't here to be with. Not...not really. Quinn. You- You're my everything." Flynn lifted his grey eyes to meet Quinn's green ones. "I made a deal. And if they know you know? They'll kill you. Please. You can't tell anyone."

Quinn shook his head. "No. No. No, Mal! You have to tell Tasha! Mal, they'll kill you too, don't you get it!? You'll do whatever they want and then they'll have you 'taken care of' so you can't rat on them!"

"They have me by the balls, Quinn!" Flynn hung his head. "They were going to kill you and Tristan and Timothy...I had to say yes. I...Quinn, I'm so fucking fucked." Flynn buried his face in his hands and then he felt Quinn's arms around him again.

"No." Quinn insisted. "No, you are not fucking fucked. We're going to do this right, okay?"

Flynn swallowed hard and then he nodded. "O...okay." Finally he looked up to Quinn again. "Quinn?"

"Yeah, Mal?" Quinn reached out to touch Flynn's cheek. "What is it?"

"Will you pounce me again?" Flynn asked, his voice quiet.

Quinn's sober expression slowly lifted into a grin and he nodded. "Oh, believe me. Nothing could stop that."