When Killian woke up the next morning, the first thing he did was stretch. He was suddenly reminded that sleeping without a pillow tended to result in strained muscles. As he sat up, he frowned. Jasper was sitting in the recliner at the corner of the room, reading. But his eyes weren't moving across the pages like they normally did, they were only staring. He looked exhausted, as if he hadn't slept all night.
With a large yawn, Killian forced himself out of the bed and padded over to Jasper, clumsily dragging his now-sore leg along. Even if he was able to take a stroll with Jasper the previous day, walking on it continuously would take some getting used to. When he reached Jasper's side, the man glanced at him, unfocused and hazy. "Killian," He mumbled, "Oh christ, is the sun up already?"
"Don't tell me you were reading all night," Killian snapped. "I know that would be a lie and you've never lied to me before, so don't start now." He narrowed his eyes. "Spill."
Jasper looked taken aback by Killian's aggressive demands for what was going on with him. Killian's annoyance soon turned to horror though, as the man rolled up his sleeve and showed off...a bite. Before he could any sort of noise, Jasper covered his mouth hastily. Confusion and fear immediately clouded Killian's thoughts and he broke away from the other man, taking a few steps back. Due to his bad leg he stumbled and fell, backpedaling until he hit a wall. "Jasper, what-don't come near me!" He said as the other man stood up.
"Killian please just listen-"
"No, you can't--how--why?" Killian could barely contain the sudden storm of emotions flooding through his chest. It was a current of tossing and turning waves, tugging his heart in so many different directions at once it could rip him apart. Jasper was bitten. How long, when, Killian didn't know. Why hadn't he told him? What was going to happen? Was he going to be like Jackson, or turn into one of the biters? Killian's insides felt sick, his stomach twisting and lurching, threatening to throw up any of the contents left over from the night previous.
"No, listen. I'm not infected, Killian. It wasn't a biter that did this, I promise." Jasper insisted, his blue eyes blinking away whatever grogginess had been there before. As usual, his voice was calm and soothing. Killian wasn't sure if he was being deceived by the man he loved or not. The world seemed to tilt all of a sudden, making him dizzy and sick all over again.
Not wanting to take Jasper for granted--refusing to believe the man was lying--Killian swallowed back the anxious bile that raised to the back of his throat. His lips parted to speak, but he couldn't utter a sound. Hot tears formed behind his eyes and the only thing he could do was nod until he found the courage, "W-what is it, then?" He stammered. "If it's not from a monster, then what is it?" With his heart racing and chest squeezing so tight he couldn't breathe, Killian forced himself to listen.
Jasper was silent for a while, Killian presumed to think about how to explain the situation at hand. He felt a small bit of relief as Jasper sat on the ground to get down to his level and make things less intimidating. Killian didn't like when people loomed over him, especially in potentially dangerous situations. "I can't tell you everything," Jasper said carefully, "Because it could put you in danger. But everything I'm going to tell you now is the truth."
Swallowing back a mutter of disbelief, Killian suddenly felt cold. If he couldn't trust Jasper anymore then who could he trust? Surely his lover was still honest? But it was hard to deny the glaringly obvious bite on Jasper's arm, it stuck out like a clown at a funeral. "I got into a fight with one of the group yesterday. They took a big chomp out of my arm here, but that's all it is. I promise you."
That was the explanation? Killian couldn't believe what he was hearing. How could Jasper even think that was an acceptable response? His mind was tearing itself apart, trying to piece together the reality of the situation. The person he loved more than anything in the world could possibly be infected. He couldn't accept it, no, he wouldn't accept it. "Jasper," Killian said shakily, going against every single thing his heart was telling him, "You know I can't believe that with nothing else."
The pain in Jasper's eyes was enough to make Killian sob. Tears fell from his cheeks, his hands clenching tighter. Why was the other man just making things even worse by coming up with half-assed stories? "Look at me," Jasper said, his voice even and relaxed. Killian refused, staring at the floor. His breathing quickened, his heart aching. He couldn't lose Jasper, not like this. "Baby, please." Killian sniffled, an even louder sob breaking through his attempt at a tough resolve. Hearing Jasper's attempt to soothe him only made it hurt even more and yet, Killian managed to meet his partner's eyes.
"Look," Jasper pulled his shirt over his head, revealing a few dark, almost violent bruises and small cuts on his skin. Killian's tears faltered and he sniffled, swallowing again. He hesitantly reached out and scooted closer, tracing on of the small incisions on Jasper's abdomen. He wasn't sure why, maybe to make sure it was real, as if his lover could fake that. Killian bit his cheek, unsure of whether he should ask the second question on his mind. "No, I didn't do it myself." Jasper added softly, answering before Killian could even word it properly. "You out of all people should know I wouldn't."
Biting down even harder, Killian was still unsure of what to think, until Jasper lifted his chin. The man's hand was painfully delicate, his thumb tracing along Killian's cheekbone. He met Jasper's eyes, sniffling one more time. He hoped his partner wouldn't be revolted at the sight of his gross, teary-eyed face. "Have I ever, ever lied to you?" Jasper murmured, brushing one of Killian's curls out of the way and pressing a kiss against his lover's forehead. "Try and think if I ever have."
No matter how hard Killian thought about it, Jasper had never lied to him once. Not even any white lies or avoidant responses. He told Killian what he wanted to know, never changing the story to anything. If Jasper didn't want to tell Killian, he hadn't ever made anything up. He'd been truthful through and through. "No, you haven't." Killian said shakily. Headbutting Jasper for attention, he forced himself closer up against his partner, burying his face in the crook between Jasper's neck and shoulder. Killian closed his eyes, taking in the familiar, masculine scent of his partner.
When the tears and conflicting emotions subsided, Killian slowly began to realize another reason Jasper wouldn't lie. He wouldn't want to hurt Killian, even by accident, he wouldn't ever put him at risk. Jasper would have separated himself away from the group to keep them all safe. Now that he could believe Jasper, Killian was both angry and worried. "Are you mad at me for not believing you?" He murmured, wrapping his arms around Jasper's neck.
"No, love. I'm not mad at all," Jasper soothed. Killian relished in the comfort of the man's strong arms when he was wrapped up into a warm hug. "Thank you for trusting me."
A slow grin spread across Killian's lips, "Hey, if you do actually eat some of me, you have to tell me if I taste good or not."
A suggestive growl rumbled through Jasper's chest as he pressed his forehead against Killian's playfully. "I think I'd already know if you did."
A blush warmed up Killian's cheeks, but Jasper's sudden attack of kisses all over his face made him laugh, "Stop, I'm trying to be mad."
"Never!" Jasper said, continuing with his onslaught of affection.
Killian's smile suddenly faded, his joy replaced with a fiery rage burning in his chest. "Who did that to you?" He uttered softly. "I'll hurt them."
"No, you won't." Jasper said sternly. His brows narrowed, but Killian could detect just the hint of anger in his voice as well. Not towards Killian, but towards whoever had done that to him. "Because if you do, they'll know the precise reason why. You might trust me enough to believe a biter didn't take a chunk out of me, but the others might not." Goosebumps raised along Killian's arms as Jasper continued grimly, "If they were immediately willing to kill Jackson, what do you think they'd do to me, Killian?"
"They wouldn't kill you," Killian said, but the shakiness in his voice betrayed his lack of confidence in that statement. "They couldn't. Tom, Darren, Aubrey--they wouldn't let it happen."
"That's not true, unfortunately." Jasper said softly. He set his chin on top of Killian's head. "When something possibly threatens another person's life, all personal relations go out the window immediately. I don't blame them, they haven't been trained to keep their head on their shoulders in such dangerous situations." He sighed, "Aubrey would side with the others, Darren would be opposed, but Tom would have to appease the group."
Swallowing back an anxious lump in his throat Killian said, "You think Aubrey would really do that?"
"Yes, I do." Jasper replied, but he didn't seem at all bothered by that. In fact, it was simply stated as if it were a reasonable reaction. "People change when they're scared, Killian. Unless they're used to it or trained to deal with it, maybe if they've got more sense like Darren, mob mentality is made worse when their lives could be in danger. It's normal," He shrugged, "I don't blame them."
Killian nuzzled as close as humanly possible against Jasper, enjoying the warmth of his bare chest. "I wouldn't let them." He said softly. "And I'd fight them if I had to."
"I know you would, Boy Scout." Jasper said. Killian's muscles relaxed as the man ran a hand through his hair slowly. "But let's try not to cause a big scene of everything, yea? I don't want to scare people."
"Okay." Killian mumbled. Looking closer at the bite marks, he slowly ran a finger close to it. Jasper winced, and he immediately stopped. "Maybe you can sneak into the den and steal some disinfectant to clean it a bit, it looks a bit red at the edges."
"That's what I was thinking, I just have to be careful. Man counts his supplies obsessively." Jasper stood up, but Killian stayed sat on the ground. He looked up at Jasper, enjoying the view. His partner looked down at him, a slow smile curving at his lips. "Stop it, I know that look." Jasper ruffled his hair, "Save it for tonight, Boy Scout."
"But that's so long to wait!"
"Patience is a virtue."
Killian wasn't all too happy with Jasper's reply, but he'd have to tolerate it until after dinner. He didn't like waiting. Waiting was boring. How Jasper could be so patient was beyond his understanding. Handing Jasper his shirt off of the floor, Killian was disappointed to see his partner getting dressed again. If only he could have admired those muscles for a bit longer. Hopping up and off of the floor, he lost his balance momentarily and used Jasper's body to steady himself. "So, what's on the agenda today, Army Man?"
"You're going hunting with Casimir and Sam," Jasper poked Killian's nose, making his face scrunch up irritably. "I'm taking Jackson, Darren and Aubrey out for our little spy mission."
Killian narrowed his eyes, "Casimir and Sam? I may as well go hunting by myself, you ass. You know I don't get along with them!" Much as he hated his job for the day, Killian didn't have much a choice in the matter. Tom was the one who decided on patrols and who did what. He must have noticed Killian's leg getting better and immediately put him to work. "What happens if my leg gets hurt?" He demanded.
"Then Casimir will bring you back." Jasper was doing his best to negotiate with Killian, but the young man wasn't having any of it. He and the other two hunters were always at odds with one another. Why Casimir hated him so much, Killian didn't know. All he did know was that he wasn't going to tolerate any potential disrespect from either of them. "Even if they wanted to leave you, leading you out into the woods and not coming back with a good story to excuse your absence would make them immediately guilty. Then, I would get my hands on them. Casimir might talk a lot of shit, but I doubt he'd butt heads with a marine."
Killian let out a loud, exaggerated groan all the while he got his weapons in their correct places and trudged over to Jasper, once again demanding attention. He laid his chin against his lover's chest, looking up at those beautiful blue eyes. "Don't wanna."
"I know you don't," Jasper pressed a warm kiss against Killian's forehead, which made the younger man smile. "Just remember. After dinner, you're all mine."
With a few more kisses exchanged between him and Jasper, Killian made his way out of their bedroom and sighed. Whatever he, Casimir and Samantha hunted down had better be worth it. But, even if the hunt did end badly...at least he had something to look forwards to.