You guys, I'm literally overwhelmed by all the amazing reviews for the last chapter. The readers of this fandom are seriously the absolute BEST! Thanks so much to XxrockyxX, yaoigirl22, Anatin123, GorgonsGaze, ObviousSubtext, TarotChild Conan, RainGoddess2040, randompast, WaffleNinja, Nina, RaiineDays, Emeralden Rapley, fange17, B. Logan, Yaoilunarangel, Jen2012, Shy Paranoia, sweet co, Motaku1235, XxFakeDavidxX, and roxxihearts! Thanks also to everyone who put the story of alert or favorite and for those of you who've stuck with the story.

Here it is, the final installment, wherein Aidan Kisses Josh…

Enjoy!

XXXXXXXXXX

"Bullshit." Aidan smirked.

"You suck." Sally sighed, concentrating hard and picking up the pile of cards.

"Vampire." Aidan deadpanned, throwing down a pair of cards. "Two threes."

Sally snorted. "That was so beneath you. You may be good at cards, but your comebacks need work. One four."

"Bullshit."

"Damn it!" Sally groused, picking up the pile.

"I was calling bullshit before your great-great-great grandparents were in diapers. You're hopelessly outgunned."

"Oh, yeah, old man?" Sally challenged. "How about something a bit more modern? Like…Speed?"

Aidan drew back in surprise. "Your control is that good?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out." Sally shot back cheekily. She carefully positioned the cards in her hands and released them into a sloppy shuffle, her tongue poking out the side of her mouth as she focused.

They'd been up all night, occupying the time however they could. Currently, they were playing cards on Aidan's bed. They'd been playing cards for months now, as a way to hone Sally's tactile skills, but Aidan had a feeling this time was more for his benefit than hers. And honestly, if Sally was corporeal, he'd kiss her for it. He would've driven himself crazy by now, if not for her attempts at distraction. Last night was Josh's Feral Frottage Freak-Out (as Sally insisted on calling it) and he couldn't stop thinking about it. He wasn't really here and hadn't been all night, not when his thoughts were constantly bouncing between the memory of last night and the resulting, unavoidable fall-out that was sure to come.

When his mind strayed to last night's encounter, he didn't just think about it; oh no, he relived it – every detail in all its steamy, tantalizing glory. He'd known Josh was fine as hell ever since they first met, but he'd always thought that this (silent) opinion of his was an objective, one-dude-appreciating-another assessment.

God, he was such a moron.

He should have known better the first time he saw Josh without a shirt. Three days after meeting him, he'd bumped into Josh in the hallway of his old apartment as the Werewolf stepped out of the bathroom. Aidan had taken in the sight for a split second before moving past him – a towel slung low on his jutting hipbones, steam rising from his skin as his heated flesh made contact with the cool air, beads of water streaking down his defined pectorals and hard, cut abs. And in that split second, his brain had short-circuited and one word was drawn out by his consciousness until it was the only thought left in his head.

Daaamn.

Honestly, when he thought about that, Aidan was kind of embarrassed that it had taken him three years to figure this out. Daaamn was about as far from an impartial evaluation as one could get.

But even with his not-so-objective appreciation of Josh's body and the enticing teaser that was the Mistletoe Incident, nothing could have prepared him for the potent, visceral chemistry between them last night. Sex had become something of a mindless activity for him; he'd never really kept count, but if forced to guess, he'd put the number of times he'd had sex well over the 20,000 mark. With that kind of repetition, even something as pleasurable as sex could become rote and boring at times. It was a dance whose steps were familiar, monotonous and unchallenging and whose purpose was more about release than any expectation of happiness.

But with Josh…there was the long-forgotten urgency and desperation of please/god/now/harder/fuck me/Yes!/OHGODMOREDON'TSTOP! – the kind of manic, blissed-out sexual rampage that feels like you'll die without it, like you do die when you get it because it's so good your body can't stand it and it's ethereal in its ecstasy and physical in its rawness and you want to wrap yourself in that moment forever and Christ, he really needed to stop thinking about this before he had to go jerk off in the bathroom again.

So, yeah…sexual compatibility? Check. Carnal lust? Check. Need for a repeat performance so bad that it aches? Hell fucking yes and the sooner, the better.

But if he knew Josh, and Aidan liked to think he did, then 'sooner' wasn't in the cards.

Today was the day – the day they both stopped running, both stopped denying and hashed this thing out once and for all. They were going to talk; it was inevitable. Although Josh's natural talent for denial was even more impressive than Aidan's own, not even he would be able to dismiss last night's events. It couldn't be shrugged off as the result of some juvenile dare or as being influenced by alcohol or illness. Maybe Josh hadn't been in his right mind, but the passion was far too powerful to be written off like their previous kisses. Even with the wolf's rage and hunger clouding his mind, he had to have felt something. And even if Josh did somehow manage to convince himself that his own behavior was solely because of the wolf, that wouldn't exactly excuse Aidan's enthusiastic participation, would it?

No. This time, Josh's denial was up against too much evidence that couldn't be ignored; he wouldn't be able to pretend that this…something…between them was just going to go away. So, they'd talk. And sometime between now and then, Aidan would have to figure out a way to approach Josh about his interest – and by interest, he meant the violent, whirling cyclone of sexual tension, need and overwhelming love currently wreaking havoc on his ability to think clearly.

But what exactly would be the right tactic for transitioning from bros to lovers? None of the usual approaches felt right for them. A big, heartfelt confession was so outside both of their comfort zones that Aidan would probably make a fool out of himself and Josh would undoubtedly bolt at the first opportunity. Romance, in the roses-and-candlelight sense, was out of the question, too. The only reason either had done that in the past was to make the women in their lives happy. He and Josh agreed on that much at least; it didn't really do anything for either of them. Sadly, the super-macho approach probably had the best chance of success, which was a generous 'slim' rather than a hopeless 'none'.

He could just picture himself going up to Josh, punching him in the arm and blurting, 'Hey, we've got a seriously epic friendship going on here, right? How would you feel about fucking on top of that? I'm serious, dude…like literally, on top of that.' That last part would be said while pointing to the kitchen table, because after last night, the idea of fucking on the kitchen table was quickly becoming Aidan's favorite fantasy.

While Josh usually appreciated directness, that method was probably too strong and had a better-than-slim chance of freaking him the hell out.

Although, what scenario wouldn't result in Josh losing his god-damned mind?

"Dawn's breaking." Sally said softly, staring out the window.

"Hm?" Aidan snapped to attention, looking at her. Glancing down at the cards, he saw they were in a neat pile in front of him rather than dealt out for Speed. "Oh, um, are we playing or what?"

"Aidan, you've been staring into space like a lobotomy patient for the past ten minutes. I kind of gave up on the cards."

"I'm sorry." Aidan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I guess I'm a little preoccupied."

"Understandable." Sally smiled, before glancing back out the window and taking in the muted colors of the sunrise. "He'll be back to normal by now."

"Yeah. He should be home soon."

"So…" Sally dragged out, turning to Aidan. "How do you think he's going to handle this? DEFCON 5?"

Aidan snorted, shaking his head. "DEFCON 4, at least."

Aidan and Sally smiled at each other, thinking back to when they first created the DEFCON system. They'd been hanging out, completely bored one afternoon, when Josh had coming tearing through the house like the Tasmanian Devil, talking ninety to nothing in stark panic, babbling incoherently as he searched frantically for something in the living room. As soon as he found it, he'd flown out of the house as quickly as he'd come, spewing more verbal diarrhea that neither could follow and not letting them get a word in edgewise before disappearing.

They'd both been left gaping and laughing. One thing led to another and before they knew it, they'd developed the DEFCON system for classifying Josh's freak-outs. Maybe it was pathetic that they paid that much attention to their other roommate, but it was so worth it. The number of times they'd spoken to each other in front of Josh, just naming a DEFCON stage and sharing a secret grin, was always good for a laugh. Josh would get frustrated, then whine and plead to be let in on the joke, never realizing he was already part of it.

After much debate, he and Sally had organized them from most common/least serious to least common/most serious and defined the DEFCON stages thusly:

DEFCON 5: Shocked Panic. Extremely frequent, but innocuous. Characterized by rambling, wild gesticulating, failure to make eye contact and overall twitchiness. By far, the most amusing stage.

DEFCON 4: Uncomfortable Panic. Most common when Josh is forced to have an honest conversation about his emotions. Characterized by regular throat clearings, shifting of his body weight, and an increased frequency of the phrases 'um…yeah', 'you know', and 'do I really have to say it?' Also known as the Awkward Man Chat stage.

DEFCON 3: Depressed Panic. The first serious DEFCON stage, but tends to pass within a day or two. Characterized by lamentations of what might have been if he was never Turned, questions of 'why me'; more drinking, more sleep, less showering, and no shaving.

DEFCON 2: Existential Panic. Usually experienced around Yom Kippur or after causing harm to another person, however accidental. Wherein Josh ponders good vs. evil, the nature of God and tries to reconcile his affliction with his faith. Characterized by unsettling silence on Josh's part; includes copious amounts of self-loathing and despair beyond that experienced in DEFCON 3. Infrequent, but generally lasts between 3 and 10 days.

DEFCON 1: Insane Panic. This stage was something he and Sally knew about in theory, but thankfully had never experienced firsthand – the stage in which Josh succumbs to true madness. Not the zany, amusing kind of crazy found in DEFCON 5, but pure irrationality. Characterized by a fanatical, unshakable belief that an absurd and self-destructive path is the right one. Often accompanied by a martyr complex. The only example they knew of was the decision that led him to them – his decision to abandon his family, friends, future, home and job to lead a solitary, miserable existence. Extremely rare, but with permanent and disastrous consequences.

"As long as it's DEFCON 3 or above, you can handle it, right?" Sally asked.

"I hope like hell that getting off with me last night doesn't make him depressed."

"Hey, defining them was hard enough; predicting them is impossible." Sally joked, before her expression became more serious. "But you've got this, right?"

"Yeah, I got this."

"Okay, then." Sally nodded. "Then I'll leave you to it. Much as I'd like to play voyeur to another peep show, something tells me this is going to be hard enough without me here."

"Thanks, Sally. For tonight." Aidan smiled.

Sally leaned toward him and pecked his cheek, causing his skin to tingle where her energy made contact. "Anytime. Good luck and give him hell."

Aidan chuckled. "Will do."

Sally misted out of the room and Aidan stretched out on his bed, hands behind his head. Nothing left to do but wait for Josh to come home.

XXXXXXXXXX

Hours later, Aidan was still in the same position: lying on his bed, absentmindedly twirling Josh's Star of David necklace around his finger and trying to ignore the deep, gnawing dread hollowing out his stomach. It was almost two in the afternoon and Josh still wasn't home. That was unheard of. The morning after a Shift was Josh's chance to breathe a sigh of relief; one more month down and he had four weeks of relative normalcy before repeating it. He was always eager to get home and put the experience behind him. The latest he'd ever been in getting home was mid-morning and that was because he'd gotten lost in the woods.

But now he had the storage unit, so that obviously wasn't the case. Josh was purposefully staying away from home and it didn't take a genius to figure out why. Last night had freaked him out. Aidan knew it would; hell, he and Sally had joked about it just hours ago. But maybe they were off in their predictions. Maybe it was DEFCON 3 and Josh was hunched over at some dive bar, getting drunk. Or maybe it was DEFCON 2 and he was still lying on the floor of the storage unit, naked and practically catatonic in his panic.

Aidan couldn't even think about the possibility of DEFCON 1.

But Jesus, it wasn't that big of a deal, was it? So, they kissed and dry-humped in the kitchen! Oooh, it's the end of the world as we know it! Let's freak out and worry Aidan sick! God knows they'd been through weirder shit, so what the hell was going on and WHY THE HELL WASN'T JOSH HOME?

Okay. Not helping.

Breathe. Breathe.

Aidan forced his body to relax. His hands slowly uncurled themselves from the tight fists they'd been in and Aidan felt something wet on his palm. Looking down, he saw that the points of Josh's Star of David necklace had broken the skin. Mind still whirling with barely controlled anxiety, he absentmindedly brought the damaged flesh to his mouth and sucked at the wounds.

Bang.

Aidan's head jerked up. That was the front door slamming shut. He heard heavy, hurried footsteps running up the stairs and the door to Josh's room creak in protest and then thud against the wall as it was thrown open.

Oh, thank God.

Aidan swung his legs over the side of the bed and took a couple of deep breaths before pushing himself to his feet. Walking down the short hallway between their rooms, Aidan couldn't say whether he felt more like a condemned man walking toward the gallows or an eager groom running halfway down the aisle to meet his love because he couldn't wait for them to come to him. Either way, the results were the same; his breathing was shallow and rapid, his stomach was flip-flopping like crazy and his hands were shaking.

But when he finally stood in the doorway of Josh's room, his body stilled and he felt his gut drop like an anvil.

Josh looked terrible, nearly as bad as he had when he'd been ill with meningitis. His face was unnaturally white, even paler than Aidan's skin. Heavy bags hung under Josh's bloodshot eyes and his pupils were hugely dilated. His hair was sticking up at all angles, as though he'd been running his hands through it anxiously, and his perpetual five o'clock shadow was scruffier and more obvious than ever. His posture sagged with defeat and bone-deep exhaustion. His current state was worrisome, to say the least.

The suitcase, however, was downright terrifying. Despite his noticeable weakness, Josh was moving quickly between his closet and an open suitcase on the bed, hastily throwing in armfuls of clothes.

Aidan swallowed tightly. God, having near-sex with Aidan was so horrifying to Josh that he was leaving because of it. Of all the situations Aidan had pictured, of all the ways he'd thought this might go down, this was so much worse than any worse-case-scenario he'd come up with. This was beyond a gross overreaction; this was sheer stupidity!

No, it was more than that. This was insanity.

This was DEFCON 1.

…

…

Well, fuck that! Josh would leave over his Staked body!

With that thought in his head, Aidan leaned against the doorjamb with deceptive casualness. His body relaxed, his eyes thinned and a sardonic smirk curled on his lips. There were dozens of Vampires that could testify to this posture's significance. This was Aidan at his most determined and dangerous: when he was absolutely immutable and achieving his goal wasn't a matter of if, but when.

Aidan stuck out a finger and let Josh's necklace dangle off the end. "Forgetting something?"

It was a testament to how deep Josh was in DEFCON 1 that he wasn't startled. He merely paused his rushed packing and turned broken, empty eyes to Aidan.

"Aidan." Josh croaked out, his voice hoarse. "What are you doing here? I thought you had a shift."

Aidan shrugged carelessly, tucking the necklace back into his fist. "I called in sick."

"What? Why?"

Aidan snorted. "Josh, I've been your best friend for three years. You really think I don't know when you're going to freak-out? You really think I don't know when you're getting ready to pull a runner? Christ, that's how we met."

Josh swallowed tightly, letting the silence linger between them. When he finally spoke, his words were pure anguish for both of them. "I have to leave, Aidan. And you have to let me go."

"The hell I do." Aidan sneered. "I don't care if I have to chain you to the fucking bed; you're not leaving just because you're scared."

"I'm not scared!" Josh snapped, his eyes blazing to life again. But as quickly as the passionate fire appeared, it bled out of him. Josh collapsed shakily into the chair by the bed, resting his elbows on his knees and his forehead on his interlocked hands. Aidan pushed off from his casual lean against the door and moved to sit on the bed. Josh shook his head and a bitter, heartbroken laugh escaped him. "You know what? You're right. I am scared. I'm scared shitless."

"Josh." Aidan said softly. "Come on, man. It's me you're talking to. What's this all about?"

Josh glanced up, meeting Aidan's gaze at the same moment a tear ran down his cheek. Aidan's heart broke at the sight; Josh was destroying himself over this and Aidan couldn't figure out why. As Josh spoke, his speech was stilted and dripping with self-loathing. "Aidan…last night…God, last night, I did something that we can't come back from. And that terrifies me. Because we're Josh-And-Aidan, you know? Whatever shit the world throws at us next, we can handle it because we're together and we're a team. Do you think I want to leave home? Do you think I want to leave you? Jesus, I can't even remember how to be me without you! I mean…me being me? Without you being you, right there at my side? It makes all of this – trying to be normal, trying to hang onto my humanity, my sanity – it's all just so fucking pointless without you."

"So stay." Aidan begged. "You don't have to be alone. Whatever's going on with you, we can deal with it together."

"Aidan, I'm doing this for you! I'm leaving for you!"

Aidan sputtered. He knew this was the insanity stage but this was beyond the pale! "How is you leaving possibly for my benefit?"

"God, don't you get it yet? I had to run three years ago, for the same reason I have to run now! I'm like necrotic tissue, man. I can either stay here and watch everything good in my life wither in my presence or I can excise myself and leave everything else to flourish without me. I was stupid to even try this with you! I knew, I knew that I was toxic, but I thought it would be different because you're a Vampire! I didn't think that I could ever hurt you and now I have, in an unforgivable, unconscionable way!" Josh let out a crazed, bizarre laugh, running his hands over his face. "And even after what I've done, here you are, wanting me to stay and that's just further proof that I have to get away from you, far away, before I ruin you even more! I can't stay here, knowing what I've done! I can't stay here and risk it happening again! I can't do it! I won't do it! So I'll leave, because even though it'll kill me to do it, you'll be safe from me and that's all that matters!"

Josh was wound up to the point of hysteria and Aidan was honestly scared for his state of mind. He was talking nonsense and his fears had no basis in reality. With urgency he hadn't felt in a long time, Aidan moved quickly to kneel in front of Josh and he cradled the Werewolf's face in his hands, forcing Josh to look at him.

"Josh, you're not making any sense. You haven't done anything to me. I'm fine." Aidan insisted firmly, willing him to let the truth of those words penetrate his madness.

Josh just stared at him, like he was the crazy one, before knocking his hands away and jumping up from his chair. He started pacing and tugging at his hair, looking every bit like the lunatic Aidan feared he was becoming.

"Oh God, it's happened already!" Josh panicked. "I broke you! You must have snapped at the trauma and now you have Stockholm Syndrome and you're identifying with me and defending me! Aidan, we have to get you help!"

"Josh! Nothing is wrong with me! I'm fine! There was no trauma!"

"Aidan, I nearly raped you last night!" Josh shouted.

Aidan drew back in utter, mind-numbing shock before yelling back an incredulous, "WHAT?"

"I almost raped you!" Josh cried hysterically, his voice saturated with disgust and self-hatred. "I probably would have, if you hadn't fought back! Christ, Aidan, you had to bite me to get me to stop! There's no coming back from something like that and – are you laughing?"

Aidan was doubled over, clutching his stomach. He was laughing so hard, the force of it made his cheeks go numb, his stomach muscles cramp and tears stream down his face. Some small part of him knew it was completely insensitive to howl with laughter while Josh was still so wound up, but he couldn't stop. Aidan needed this. After all the angst and fear, after believing for however brief a time that he was going to lose Josh, he needed this catharsis. He needed to purge all those twisty, dark emotions by indulging in their antithesis. He was just so unbelievably relieved and that feeling flooded his system like a tidal wave.

By the time Aidan was finally strong enough to straighten up, he wiped the tears from his eyes and gave a few more euphoric chuckles. Glancing at Josh, he almost lost it all over again. Josh had his hands on his hips, nodding his head in rapid, short jerks, his mouth pursed tightly and looking equal parts confused and livid.

"Ya finished, you sick bastard?" Josh bit out acerbically. "'Cause I can wait if you're not. Yeah, go ahead and yuk it up, because me turning into a violent sex offender is just so fucking hilarious."

Aidan shook his head in disbelief. Of all the absurd conclusions he could have drawn…not only was last night consensual, Aidan had fervently, eagerly reciprocated! How could he possibly believe otherwise? Sure, the wolf may have been in charge –

Oh, duh.

Of course.

The wolf was in charge. Josh never remembered what happened during his Shifts, so…

"Josh, what do you remember about last night?" Aidan asked.

Josh shook his head and swallowed tightly. "Just…just flashes, here and there. Me, pinning you to the table, tearing off your shirt. You, struggling underneath me, screaming. You biting me."

"Wow. Your tendency to believe the worst about yourself never ceases to amaze me." Aidan snorted. "Right facts, wrong context, genius."

"What are you talking about?" Josh asked, some of the tension draining out of him.

"Look, I know we've never sat down and had a conversation about the mating habits of our species, but I didn't bite you to stop you. I bit you because I was into it." Aidan grinned.

Josh made a really intelligent sound, like "Whaaa?"

"Josh, if I had really tried to stop you, trust me, you'd be feeling it this morning. I bit you because you looked fucking hot, howling on top of me. So, relax! You're not a would-be rapist; you haven't damaged our friendship. If fact, the only way you could is if you ever try to pull a runner again."

Half a second later, Aidan had Josh wrapped around him in the mother of all bear-hugs. "Oh, thank God. Thank God! Aidan, I was so worried I hurt you and that you'd hate me and that I'd ruined the best thing in my life and that I'd have to leave to save you. But you're okay! You're okay, right? Of course you're okay, because you're here and I'm here and we're Josh-And-Aidan again and oh, God, I love you. Fuck, I love you so much, Aidan. More than you'll ever know. Hey, we should celebrate! I mean, I still feel like shit, actually more than usual after a Shift, but screw it, let's celebrate tonight! You go get dressed, I'm gonna take a shower!"

And, par for the course, as quickly as Josh had attacked him, that's how suddenly he left. Aidan was left alone in the room, his eyes wide and his arms outstretched as if still circling Josh. Then they fell to his side and Aidan flopped backwards onto the bed, covering his face with his hands and groaning. Jesus Christ, what did he have to do? Hire a skywriter? Rent a billboard? Take out a full-page ad in the paper? Aidan had just come out and told Josh, straight to his face, that he thought Josh was hot and that he'd gotten off because of him! And Josh had just skated past it like it was nothing! Yes, his relief at finding out he wasn't a sexual predator must have been immense, but when your best friend tells you they came in their fucking pants because of you, most people would take notice! But noooo, not Josh Radcliff! Not the man who was so clueless, he could give Alicia Silverstone a run for her money!

Despite having already talked Josh down from the ledge, his body was still geared up for a fight and determination was still blazing inside of him.

"That's. It." Aidan growled, jumping off the bed and stalking to the bathroom. He turned the knob, finding it unlocked, and slammed the door open. Storming to the running shower, he yanked the curtain aside, not even pausing to drink in the sight of a wet, naked Josh.

"Aidan, what the he-mmph!"

Before Josh could finish, Aidan stepped into the shower, backed Josh up to the tile wall and kissed him with all the fury of his churning, manic emotions. Water rained down on his head and ran between their joined lips, slipping over their tongues whenever Aidan drew back long enough to slant his mouth over Josh's at a new angle. Aidan buried one hand into Josh's wet hair and the other was pressed firmly into the small of his back, crushing their lower halves together. Aidan could pinpoint the exact moment when Josh let go of his shock and obviously said, 'fuck it' to himself. His hands went to the hem of Aidan's shirt and peeled the plastered fabric off of him, throwing the sopping rag into the corner and running his hands along Aidan's torso. Aidan moaned and, reaching a hand between them, he gripped Josh's half-hard erection and started to stroke him slowly.

"Oh, sweet Moses." Josh breathed, his eyes squeezed shut and his head falling to Aidan's shoulder.

"I love you." Aidan murmured in between kisses to Josh's neck. "I love you so fucking much and it kills me that you don't see it. I'll do anything you want, just to make you see. Candlelit dinners and moonlight strolls? They're yours if you want them."

"Ahh." Josh cried as Aidan's hand started to circle faster.

"Some grand, heartfelt confession of undying, all-consuming love?" Aidan panted into Josh's mouth. "If you need to hear that you're my everything, I'll say it every fucking day. If you don't already know, I'll tell you everything you are to me. You're my conscience, my heart, my life, my love, my best frie – oh, God!" Aidan cut off as Josh undid his fly and started stroking him back. He had to shake his head to continue, spouting whatever happened to pop into his head without restraint. "M-my best friend, my lobster, my sherpa, whatever the hell else! You're it, you're everything."

They were both breathing hard, legs shaking and knees quaking in an effort to stay upright in the face of overwhelming ecstasy. With some effort, Aidan managed to open his eyes and blink against the water streaming down from his hair. Josh's head was tilted back against the wall, his mouth parted slightly and his face radiant with pleasure. So. Beautiful. Aidan leaned in and rested his forehead against Josh's, never slowing the now fevered pace of his hand.

"Please…please, tell me I'm not in this alone." Aidan whispered, eyes falling shut in a silent, hopeful plea.

"You're not." came Josh's strangled whisper back. "I love you."

"How? How do you love me? In what way?" Aidan demanded, catching Josh's earlobe between his teeth.

"In every way." Josh moaned back. "I love you platonically, romantically, fraternally, hopelessly. Every version of love that one person has ever felt for another, I feel all of them for you. S'why I never said anything; wasn't sure what I was feeling. I couldn't ever pin it down, couldn't ever define it, it changes from moment to moment."

"God, me too. I feel the exact same way." Aidan admitted, overcome. "In all ways. For always."

Josh's knees finally buckled and he would have fallen to the floor, if not for Aidan holding him up. Bringing their lips together in another frenzied kiss, Aidan murmured against his mouth, "Bed?"

"Fast'd be better than slow." Josh pushed off the wall and stepped over the rim of the tub, dragging Aidan with him by hooking his thumbs into the belt loops of Aidan's jeans. They bumped and stumbled their way down the hall, soaking wet and kissing heatedly all the while. They finally made it to Aidan's room and tumbled to the bed as a single, connected entity. Josh scooted backwards on the bed until his head hit the pillow, Aidan crawling with him to stay cradled between his thighs. Aidan kissed down Josh's neck, to his chest and circled one of Josh's nipples with his tongue before pulling it gently with his teeth.

"AHH, holy shit! Okay, you know what? Aidan, I appreciate the effort, I really do, but seriously, man…fuck foreplay! You need to fuck me, like now!" Josh babbled, hips arching up into Aidan's.

"Oh, thank God." Aidan sagged in relief, tugging off his pants and reaching into the nightstand for a bottle of lube. "'Cause I've been going out of my mind since last night, I need you so –"

"Like, thirty seconds ago, Aidan!"

Aidan chuckled, drizzling lube onto his fingers. "Someone's impatient. Relax, Josh, we've got all night."

"I swear, if you try to drag this out all night, I will murder you." Josh groaned, gasping as one of Aidan's fingers slipped inside him. "Oh, goddamn!"

"One of these days, I'm going to make love to you all night long and then you'll change your tune." Aidan smirked, adding a second finger. He curled and thrust them at different angles, trying to find that sweet spot.

"Sure, yeah, someday, but not today. Not now. I can't wait that lo – OH, FUCK!" Josh screamed, fisting his sheet in his hands.

"There, huh?" Aidan grinned devilishly, pressing into the spot mercilessly and making Josh see stars.

"Aidan!" Josh cried, somewhere between a whine and a sob.

Aidan crawled up Josh's body and kissed him until they were both breathless and shaking with need. Aidan slicked his cock and lined it up with Josh's tight hole, kissing down the side of his neck to relax him.

"You ever done this before?"

"Once, in college."

"It might hurt."

"Fuck if I care, I just need you."

"I love you."

"I love you, too. Now, do it."

Aidan inched forward, tapping reserves of self-restraint he didn't know he had as he slipped into Josh's tight heat. They groaned in unison, their mouths finding each other's again. Josh shifted his hips and Aidan felt his self-control lurch at the jolting spike of pleasure that rolled through him. Josh gave a quiet grunt as Aidan pushed in further and the Vampire stilled immediately, letting him adjust. Reaching between their wet bodies, he took Josh's cock in hand and stroked him lazily. Each time he reached the tip, he'd twist and circle his hand around the head, rubbing the soft, sensitive skin of it against his rough palm. After Josh became a writhing, incoherent mess beneath him once again, he combined the movement with minute thrusts forward until he was buried to the hilt within the Werewolf.

He withdrew slightly, before pushing forward in a shallow, experimental thrust.

"Ah!" Josh cried, rolling his hips in a tense circle and making Aidan cry out too. "Aidan…f-feels so good. Move, damn it! I won't break! Just fuck me already!"

He'd wanted Josh like this for so long and those words were enough to make the last threads of his self-control snap. Attacking Josh's mouth, Aidan pulled out to the tip before plunging back in. Josh raised his hips and pushed back against him, keeping up with Aidan's frenetic, pounding rhythm. It was unreal, how good it felt. Josh's hot, slick skin was gliding against his with every rocking push forward. The air smelled like sex and sweat and Vampire and Werewolf and blood and Aidan never wanted to exhale again; he just wanted to let that scent burn through him forever. He'd always known Josh was vocal during sex, having shared a wall with him for two years, but every moan, plea, curse, cry and shout was now because of him. Aidan hooked an elbow under one of Josh's knees and raised it to his shoulder, driving his pace faster and wanting to elicit every noise Josh was capable of making. One of Josh's hands gripped his ass, urging him on, faster and harder, better and better each time. Sweat soaked into Josh's already damp hair and a red flush rose on his face.

"God, you're fucking gorgeous right now. You have no idea." Aidan panted, slowing his tempo just long enough to meet Josh's lips for a messy, heated kiss.

"Back at ya, baby." Josh gave a breathless laugh, which turned into a long moan when Aidan resumed his previous rhythm. Winking up at Aidan, Josh smacked his ass, making the Vampire's hips stutter in shock before he broke into a euphoric, wide grin and voiced his own gasping laugh.

Only Josh could make him laugh during sex. Only with him did Aidan feel the exhilarated, jubilant fun that sex always promised, but continually failed to deliver. It was fun, happy, hot, needy, desperate, warm, amazing, frantic, intimate and everything Aidan never realized he'd been missing. This, right here with Josh, was life. This was living and being, breathing and existing, and he wanted Josh…this…them, forever.

"I love you." Aidan murmured, his eyes turning black and his fangs emerging as his orgasm coiled within him. He was already hammering into Josh with relentless force, but shifted his hips until he was striking Josh's prostate with every pass. Aidan pumped his hand up Josh's hard, throbbing cock in time with his thrusts.

"I love you so much. Oh, fuck, Aidan! Don't stop!" Josh yelled, raising his head up to meet Aidan's lips. And into Aidan's mouth, Josh gave a loud, wordless shout as he came. White ribbons shot over Aidan's hand onto Josh's stomach and chest. His muscles clenched and spasmed around Aidan until the Vampire joined him a moment later, letting out his own forceful roar.

Aidan laid his forehead against Josh's shoulder, his lungs burning for air and his body completely sated. They panted against each other, immobile and spent. Aidan didn't quite have the strength to roll onto his back, so just fell gracelessly onto his stomach by Josh's side, not even bothering to untangle their legs.

"Hey, Aidan." Josh slurred beside him, sounding as sleepy as Aidan felt.

"Hmm?" Aidan responded, unable to open his eyes.

"Earlier, in the shower…" Josh mumbled, amusement in his tone. "Did you call me a sherpa?"

Aidan chuckled, the sound rumbling from deep in his chest. "Man, fuck you."

"Again? Why, Aidan, you insatiable sex machine, you." Josh teased drowsily.

"Go to sleep." Aidan yawned, throwing an arm over Josh's waist.

Josh yawned in reply, saying, "Don't mind if I do."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Aidan. Aidan, wake up!"

Aidan jerked awake, glancing around the dark room blearily. Turning over to look behind him, he started violently when he saw Sally sitting cross-legged on the bed.

"Sally." he half-sighed, half-whined.

"Your boyfriend is freaking out."

"Yeah, he does that sometimes." Aidan replied, closing his eyes and burrowing back into the covers.

"So…that means you should probably get up and handle it."

"Sally, its Josh. This is his process for dealing with change; you know that. Believe me, the worst is behind us. Just talk to him. You two will get to gossip together and I'll get to sleep. We all come away happy."

"I can't. He locked himself in the laundry room."

"Yeah, 'cause doors are such an issue for you." Aidan snorted, burying his face in Josh's pillow and inhaling the smell of him.

"He salted me out."

Aidan went still and finally cracked his eyes open. "He salted you out." he repeated in a loaded tone.

"Yeah, he went into the kitchen – looking like death, by the way – got something out of the fridge, grabbed the salt and locked himself in. I don't think this is a typical Josh freak-out."

"No." Aidan agreed, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and jerking on his pants hastily. "No, it's definitely not."

Aidan moved quickly from the room and jogged down the stairs, scrubbing his face with his hands in an attempt to wake himself up. When he finally got to the kitchen, he approached the laundry room door and rapped on it quietly.

"Josh?" Aidan called. "You okay?"

"Aidan!" Josh yelped. There was some rustling movement in the laundry room, before Josh finally responded. "Y-yeah. Yeah, I'm good! Nothing wrong here! Go back to bed!"

"Josh, why –" Aidan cut himself off, sniffing at the air.

"What is it?" Sally asked.

Aidan swallowed tightly, fear plastered over his face. "Blood. Lots of it."

Sally's hands flew to her mouth in alarm.

"Josh, let me in!" Aidan shouted, pounding on the door.

"No! Aidan, it's fine –"

Aidan didn't wait for any more excuses. He rammed his shoulder against the door and it burst open. Time itself seemed to stop as Aidan took in the scene before him. Josh had wedged himself into a corner of the room, his knees pulled up to his chest and one arm wrapped around them. His other hand held one of Aidan's IV bags. Two empty ones were discarded on the floor. Blood was spread thick over Josh's face and neck.

His eyes were black.

He had fangs.

"Oh, dear God." Sally whispered with vacant dread.

"Josh…" Aidan breathed.

"Aidan." Josh choked out a sob, his face crumpling. "What's…what's happening to me?"

This wasn't possible. No Werewolf had ever been Turned before, not successfully anyway. And even if they could, no other Vampire had been near Josh – he would have smelled it if they had – and Aidan hadn't done anything to –

Oh.

Oh, no.

Please, no.

Last night. The kitchen table. Josh had bitten him, drank his blood…and he'd bitten Josh back. How could he have been so careless? His only defense was that no one had ever taken his blood before; he'd always had to consciously give it to Turn someone. But Josh had lapped at his blood like a kitten would cream and then, in a moment of pure instinct, Aidan had bitten him too, completing the process.

Blood Exchange.

"Josh." Aidan rasped. "Oh, God, Josh…I think…I think I Turned you."

"W-what does that mean? For me…as a Werewolf?"

Aidan shook his head slowly and met Josh's eyes, apology, grief and support shining in his own.

"I have no idea."

XXXXXXXXXX

So, I'm thinkiiiiing…sequel?

Anyone? Anyone?

Let me know! Please read and review!