~INTO YOU~

18. DESIRE

When Rumi awoke with a start, he was first conscious of how his body felt refreshed. Slowly, memories of the mission, the attack, and the pursuit came back to him but he noticed that the injuries he received seemed to have completely disappeared.

Most of all...he was vaguely aware of how comfortable he snuggled into his cozy little bed...

Rumi gasped when he realized that he was lying down on the body of another person. He glanced down at Vinzer's face, confused. His heart was beginning to beat faster. It was strange to be able to feel it but as he saw a small campfire on the side, lit a glow in a dim forest, and the sound of the crackle was all that could be heard, he realized that Vinzer had probably taken care of him while he was unconscious.

The smoke twirled heavenward charming his worries away as he started inspecting his body. Werewolves could lick each other's wounds and it seems that was exactly what had been done to him. He gazed down at Vinzer's slumbering countenance once again, his soft snores were proof of his exhaustion. Damn it, now he felt guilty. He could see the man was wounded too...there were bruises on his face, down to his neck...

Unable to bear it any longer, he continued to examine the wounds and proceeded to unbutton his leather coat. A hand flew and grabbed his wrist. The pressure felt as if someone had cuffed his wrist to a heavy-duty titanium chain! He tugged on it and found Vinzer's dark eyes boring into him.

"Hey, I'm only trying to return the favor. Let go..."

Vinzer shot him a deadly serious look, pushing himself with his elbows, he sat down and faced Rumi once more. "Don't touch me."

The reaction sent a harsh shudder through him. Rumi's guilt was suddenly buried under the anger and resentment that had been building and churning within him since the revelation of the pagan priest. "Fine! I'll leave you and get out of here by myself---"

"Damn it! Do you even know how to lower your pride?"

Yes, that stung. Rumi felt a brief twinge of culpability. He glanced over his shoulder, "I didn't mean..."

"SIT DOWN."

"Let me just heal you. I can..."

"I didn't lick you," Vinzer clarified this and pulled out a vial of healing potion. "It's only good for one person."

Rumi was shocked. "Why did you use it on me? You could've just..."

"The creature wounded you badly and I...I didn't mean to strike you with the blade."

A wave of humiliation and remorse washed over him. "I'm sorry," he said solemnly. But Vinzer merely looked at him with a confused expression, as if he had no idea what he could possibly be sorry for. Or perhaps he didn't think Rumi would actually apologize. "Look, I know that you're upset. I betray you and you have every right to be mad at me. You should've not saved me. I'm sorry...that creature...it kept appearing in my nightmare. I must know what it was, Vinzer...I didn't mean to wreak havoc on your turf. I was so preoccupied with my own goal that I didn't even realize I was doing it until I saw your face..."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Vinzer told him and averted his gaze. But he could hear that voice held that tone; that tone was a dead giveaway that there was something to be sorry for. As Rumi fumbled with his hands on his lap, feeling awkward and ridiculous, digging his nails into his palms to appear nonchalant, Vinzer added. "I also have ulterior motives. I was trying to make you stay...longer, if possible."

Rumi slowly raised his head and met his gaze. "Why...?"

"I tried every tactic to get to you and I always fail. You're not the only one to feel this way for the first time, Rumi."