Quill pressed the final line of ink into Herc's skin. He wiped the design clean, examining the smooth curve of the tattoo as it wrapped perfectly over the scar along Herc's lower stomach."Done," he muttered, setting the machine down and reaching for a cloth.Herc tilted his head, glancing down at the fresh ink. "Looks good. Like always."Quill didn't respond. He wiped away the blood and excess ink, then cleaned up the rest. "I think this is the last one," Quill said abruptly as he tossed the stained cloth into the tray.Herc frowned, sitting up carefully. "What do you mean?"Quill pulled off his gloves, turning toward the counter to clean his tools. "I'll send you to someone else to finish the rest. I can recommend a couple good artists."The chair creaked as Herc stood. "So, that's it? I don't get a choice in this?"Quill's shoulders stiffened slightly, but he kept his back turned. "It's probably for the best.""Best for who?" Herc shot back.Quill didn't answer. Herc pulled his sh
Quill paused, his hands steady as the needle hummed faintly against Hawk's ribs. The design was coming together smoothly, but he could feel the tension radiating off Hawk, his breathing still too heavy. Quill shut off the machine before leaning in.His lips brushed lightly against Hawk's. "I have always loved you. Stop doubting that."Hawk blinked, his breathing slowing slightly. "I know… but did you love him? Did you? You two were always so...""Stop," Quill interrupted sharply, cutting him off before the spiral could start. He grabbed a clean cloth and pressed it gently against Hawk's side. "You're already breathing too heavy for me to work."Hawk didn't say anything at first, but his shoulders still rose and fell unevenly. Quill sighed, setting the machine down and shifting until he straddled Hawk in the chair. He kept the cloth pressed against Hawk's ribs.Hawk groaned dramatically. "Get off me. You're gonna break the damn chair."Quill smirked faintly, leaning closer until their
Lilly hesitated as she stepped into the dimly lit back room of Fluid. The air felt heavier here, carrying a faint tang of alcohol mixed with the metallic scent of old paint. Quill's boots clicked softly against the scuffed floor as he locked the door behind them. She cast him a sidelong glance, suspicion creeping in like an itch she couldn't scratch. Across the room, Hawk leaned against the wall, his arms crossed tight over his chest. Even in the shadows, the set of his jaw screamed tension."Well? What's the big reveal?"Quill shifted his weight. He exchanged a look with Hawk before taking a sharp breath. "We're werewolves."Lilly blinked once. Then twice. Finally, she snorted."Werewolves?" She smirked. "Good one. So what's the real secret?"Hawk groaned. "He's not joking."She stopped moving, and the smile slowly disappeared. She quickly looked back and forth between them. "You're serious."Quill nodded. "Dead serious."Hawk rolled his shoulders. "Alpha males, if you want the full
Quill still felt the dull ache in his ribs. It was a lingering reminder of his father's anger. The sad thing? He couldn't even tell you what his Dad was mad about. He couldn't quite tell what hurt more. The bruises, the gashes from his father's claws after he shifted, or the humiliation of being thrown out of the house yet again. He stumbled around until he crossed into neighboring territory. Minutes later, a patrol noticed him and notified the Alpha's son. Like they always did when this happened. Hawk had instructed them to. He also told them to keep it from his father and mother whenever possible. He told them it was to stop unnecessary fighting between the neighboring Alphas. Hawk's Dad already hated Quills. There was no reason to make it worse. Hawk insisted on dragging Quill to his family's house after the latest blow-up. Like he always did. "Let me see the cut," he urged as they walked into the guest bedroom. They should probably just call it Quill's bedroom at this p
Hawk leaned against the brick wall outside his gym with his eyes fixed on the U-Haul down the street. Lilly was back. He and Quill had met with her weeks before, allowing her to sign a three-year lease for the unoccupied space between their businesses. They allowed her to sign it without revealing what the business would be. She also signed the lease for the apartment above the business. The empty one between Hawk and Quill's apartments. He watched as she started unloading boxes. He had no idea what she was planning for the storefront, which annoyed him more than he wanted to admit. For someone who prided himself on control, not knowing left a sour taste in his mouth. She intrigued him, though, and that was rare.The heavy thud of weights inside the gym reminded him he'd left his own workout still half-finished. He didn't care. His fixation was on her, studying how she moved and carried herself almost effortlessly. There was a strange confidence in how she went about everything
Hawk stood outside his gym with his arms crossed as he watched Lilly disappear in and out of her new shop. The black paper covering the windows irritated him more than it should have. Blocking his view felt personal. But that wasn't the only thing eating at him. He knew Quill had been watching her just as much.It wasn't just about Lilly anymore. It was about everything between him and Quill. Years of unspoken pressure had resurfaced the moment she moved in. Hell, the moment she signed that damn lease and left with that odd smile on her face. Hawk tried to shake the thought. Quill had always known how to get under his skin, and lately, it was becoming unbearable.Quill walked out to take a break from a long session when Lilly stepped back out of her storefront with her face splattered with paint.She had a bright blue streak drying stubbornly across her nose. She smiled at him as he jogged over."Wearing your art, I see," he teased as he tried to wipe the paint away. He chuckled whe
Quill was able to slip into Lilly's space with the same ease he'd gained from years of sneaking around his Father's house. He'd never been inside her business before. No one had. She had managed to keep it a secret for nearly three weeks, only dropping cryptic hints that made him and Hawk even more curious each time.He was starting to realize that was on purpose. Stacks of unopened boxes cluttered the space. Quill glanced around until an outline of something stopped him in his tracks. It was a silhouette, intimate and unmistakably erotic, projected onto the wall from one of the unfinished corners of the room."What do you think?" Lilly remarked as she walked into the room with him. Quill flinched, cursing himself for not noticing her sooner. Few people had the ability to sneak up on him.She paused in the doorway, and it felt like she was sizing him up. She wasn't angry. She almost seemed amused when he looked up at her."I...uh... I was just curious," he muttered, backing up a st
"So you're saying you don't care who you're with? Doesn't matter if it's a guy or a girl?" Hawk pressed.Lilly shrugged. "If there's a connection, it doesn't matter to me. Gender isn't what makes me feel attracted to someone. Body parts can be fun, sensual, but for me it ends there. The person's genitalia doesn't make me attracted to them. It's the person, their energy, their mind. If I feel it, if I feel them. That's what I need. I don't base it on anything else."Quill finally looked over at Hawk, unsure how to feel about what he was hearing. He'd never thought about sexuality in such fluid terms. It had always been black and white. Men were with women. Anything else was…wrong. Or at least that's what their fathers always said.What his Father beat into him whenever he caught him acting in a way they didn't like. He looked back at Hawk, but he was looking at the floor, obviously uncomfortable. He feared Hawk's reaction. He never handled things like this well. "Labels are for people
Lilly hesitated as she stepped into the dimly lit back room of Fluid. The air felt heavier here, carrying a faint tang of alcohol mixed with the metallic scent of old paint. Quill's boots clicked softly against the scuffed floor as he locked the door behind them. She cast him a sidelong glance, suspicion creeping in like an itch she couldn't scratch. Across the room, Hawk leaned against the wall, his arms crossed tight over his chest. Even in the shadows, the set of his jaw screamed tension."Well? What's the big reveal?"Quill shifted his weight. He exchanged a look with Hawk before taking a sharp breath. "We're werewolves."Lilly blinked once. Then twice. Finally, she snorted."Werewolves?" She smirked. "Good one. So what's the real secret?"Hawk groaned. "He's not joking."She stopped moving, and the smile slowly disappeared. She quickly looked back and forth between them. "You're serious."Quill nodded. "Dead serious."Hawk rolled his shoulders. "Alpha males, if you want the full
Quill paused, his hands steady as the needle hummed faintly against Hawk's ribs. The design was coming together smoothly, but he could feel the tension radiating off Hawk, his breathing still too heavy. Quill shut off the machine before leaning in.His lips brushed lightly against Hawk's. "I have always loved you. Stop doubting that."Hawk blinked, his breathing slowing slightly. "I know… but did you love him? Did you? You two were always so...""Stop," Quill interrupted sharply, cutting him off before the spiral could start. He grabbed a clean cloth and pressed it gently against Hawk's side. "You're already breathing too heavy for me to work."Hawk didn't say anything at first, but his shoulders still rose and fell unevenly. Quill sighed, setting the machine down and shifting until he straddled Hawk in the chair. He kept the cloth pressed against Hawk's ribs.Hawk groaned dramatically. "Get off me. You're gonna break the damn chair."Quill smirked faintly, leaning closer until their
Quill pressed the final line of ink into Herc's skin. He wiped the design clean, examining the smooth curve of the tattoo as it wrapped perfectly over the scar along Herc's lower stomach."Done," he muttered, setting the machine down and reaching for a cloth.Herc tilted his head, glancing down at the fresh ink. "Looks good. Like always."Quill didn't respond. He wiped away the blood and excess ink, then cleaned up the rest. "I think this is the last one," Quill said abruptly as he tossed the stained cloth into the tray.Herc frowned, sitting up carefully. "What do you mean?"Quill pulled off his gloves, turning toward the counter to clean his tools. "I'll send you to someone else to finish the rest. I can recommend a couple good artists."The chair creaked as Herc stood. "So, that's it? I don't get a choice in this?"Quill's shoulders stiffened slightly, but he kept his back turned. "It's probably for the best.""Best for who?" Herc shot back.Quill didn't answer. Herc pulled his sh
Quill wiped down the machine and glanced at the girl's wrist again. The small infinity symbol was clean against her skin, as precise as it was forgettable. Eighty-four of these. He'd counted."You're good to go," he muttered, tugging the gloves off.She beamed at him, rattling off something about how much she loved it, but Quill barely listened. He finished cleaning up his station, nodded as she handed over cash, and ushered her toward the door. The bell chimed faintly as it swung shut behind her.The door opened minutes later. "Quill."Quill stiffened. He turned slowly. Herc Matthews stood near the counter, grinning in a way that was both familiar and disarming. Herc always managed to look comfortable, like he was born to be wherever he happened to be at the time, and make people notice in the process. Tall, broad, scarred, and annoyingly handsome. His mismatched eyes...one brown, one striking blue... locked onto Quill.He'd always looked at Quill that way. Like he never wanted to st
The next morning, Hawk woke up earlier than he'd planned, sliding carefully out of bed so he didn't wake Quill. He lingered for a second, watching the way Quill sprawled across the sheets, hair messy, skin marked faintly from Hawk's hands and mouth. He shook his head slightly and grabbed a hoodie, slipping it over his bare chest before pulling on a pair of joggers.The walk to the gym felt strange after days of avoiding it. His focus had been entirely on Quill, on breaking down years of stress and finally figuring out what it meant to start something real together. Now, standing in front of the glass doors, Hawk exhaled and pushed them open.The space smelled faintly of sweat and beach. Equipment sat out of place, mats rolled halfway or not at all. He frowned, moving further inside, but his confusion disappeared when he spotted Lilly. She stood near the squat rack, a rag in one hand and a spray bottle in the other, scrubbing down the bar with deliberate effort."Lilly," Hawk called,
Quill thrust slowly, his movements deliberate and measured to keep from overwhelming Hawk. His arm wrapped tightly around his waist as he continued. He slid his hand down to stroke Hawk in rhythm with each thrust.The tightness around him left him breathless. He had imagined this moment for so long that it felt surreal to finally be here. Every fantasy he had ever entertained paled in comparison to the reality of Hawk beneath him, their bodies moving in unison.He kept the pace steady. Every thrust was deliberate, every touch meant to draw Hawk deeper into the moment. Quill had been with others, but none of it compared to this. None were Hawk. This was what he had always wanted, what he had always pictured. It was as perfect as he had dreamed, maybe more.Hawk's moans filled the room, guttural and raw. He growled low in his throat, his body writhing beneath Quill's, the rhythm of his hips meeting each thrust. Quill couldn't tear his eyes away from him, couldn't stop watching as Hawk
Quill stretched out on his back as Hawk leaned over him. Hawk's lips pressed softly against his skin, tracing a path down his chest. His tongue followed, lingering over the hard planes and softer curves of Quill's body. Hawk let his hands slide down Quill's sides as his lips explored.The taste of Quill's skin, faintly salty and uniquely his, drew Hawk in even deeper. He pressed his lips against the dips of muscle and the ridges of bone, savoring the texture. He couldn't stop. He didn't want to stop. Quill shifted, moving slowly enough to give Hawk time to follow. He twisted until their bodies faced opposite directions, his hands settling on Hawk's thighs. Quill brushed his fingers lightly along the sensitive skin of Hawk's inner thighs and lower stomach. Hawk didn't lift his head, too focused on where his lips rested against Quill's hip, but the faint twitch of his muscles betrayed his reaction. "Can I?" Hawk didn't hesitate. His grip on Quill's leg tightened, and he nodded, never
Hawk watched as Quill dug around in the boxes in the corner. He pulled out his old sketchbook. He handed it to Hawk. "Here, you can keep it. I haven't drawn in it since the day your dad showed up, and everything changed. I'd planned on giving it to you that night and maybe... maybe making this very thing happen then." Hawk sighed. "I felt it, too. We were so close to giving in. It was like he sensed it or something." Quill snorted as he sat back down beside him. "Maybe. Or maybe fate just wanted us to wait longer before we did." "I don't know about all of that." Quill went still and flipped to the last page with anything on it. The half-finished drawing stared up at both of them. "Well... All I know is if this had happened that night... It would have been both our firsts." Hawk huffed and looked away. One of his biggest issues with Quill over the years had been his frequent romps with random girls... and guys. "On some level, I knew that." "No need to dwell on it now. I'm tryin
Over the next ten days, Hawk and Quill worked tirelessly to break down the wall that had once separated Hawk's apartment from Lilly's old one. The rhythmic pounding of hammers and the sharp groans of pried beams filled the space, each sound echoing the transformation of the apartment and their lives. Dust clung to their clothes, the gritty residue sticking to sweat-slicked skin as they worked side by side, turning two spaces into one."This is surreal," Quill muttered as he braced the crowbar against a stubborn beam. His muscles flexed as he leaned into the motion, the wood creaking under the force. "Feels like déjà vu, except this time we're not scavenging for parts."Hawk wiped the dust from his face with the back of his hand, glancing toward the pile of debris growing in the corner. "We were broke back then. Every wall we built was funded by tattoos you finished hours before. Now we can actually do it right." Quill frowned at him. "And here I thought I was such a big help then. Is