Opossum-(mxm) (Rever series Eight)

Opossum Four

Ian slowed to a stop in front of Grim.

His teeth were chattering and his body shivered even through a sheen of sweat. He was absolutely struggling to keep from passing out or throwing up... or really, both.

Thankfully, most of his panic was on the inside. The stress Peter had spawned was now being replaced with a different kind of worry.

He didn't want to look so pathetic in front of the one person that meant everything to him, but he couldn't manage to calm himself down!

Grim looked away from him for a moment and spoke to several of the other people in the room, but the ringing in his ears had Ian unable to hear anything but a faint deepness from his voice.

He couldn't remember how many nights he'd dreamed of that voice, and yet here he was right in front of its owner and he couldn't even hear it!

Ian was just about to shake his head to try and dispel some of the stressful noise when he felt a warm, calloused hand take his wrist firmly, then guide him down a long, brightly-lit hallway.

He wasn't being forced to move, and honestly, Grim barely put any pressure on his wrist , or person in general, to follow him.

He was doing it because he wanted to.

They eventually stopped at one of the rooms on the left and ducked inside. It was nearly pitch-black, with only a few emergency floor lights giving off a soft glow to keep people from tripping over their own feet.

It smells like fresh grass and citrus.

He walked until Grim stopped, then released his wrist to turn around and sit straddling the edge of a long wooden bench.

Without thinking, Ian settled on his knees between the other man's, then looked up at him in the darkness. He couldn't see his face very well with such poor lighting, but that also meant that Grim likely couldn't see him all that well, either.

At least, he hoped not, because he knew that he looked like a mess, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get his teeth to stop clicking together in the silence, nor could he manage to calm his body enough to stop its shaking.

At least, not until he felt the bend of Grim's pointer finger gently brush against his bottom lip, then press forward, silently requesting entrance.

Ian opened his mouth.

Grim's smaller pointer knuckle settled just-barely inside.

Ian immediately realized what was going on and forced himself to stop clicking his teeth together so that he didn't accidentally bite Grim.

His body calmed down soon after and ceased shaking.

His heartrate followed, slowly relaxing into a steady beat for the first time in hours.

A few moments later, he allowed the last of his stress to slip through his nose in a calm, content sigh as he lifted his eyes to Grim's.

The man gave him a smile, the edges of his eyes crinkling the slightest fraction.

"There's my babe," he said as he gently began to sift the fingers of his free hand Ian's hair, making him nearly fall asleep right where he was. A few moments later Grim withdrew his finger from his mouth, then used that hand to cradle Ian's head.

"You came so quickly," Grim said, a hint of humor to his words that made Ian's heart flutter.

He didn't mind if Grim messed with him, as long as he had his attention, he was beyond happy. In fact, even though he was now realizing how tired he really was after such a stressful start to his day, he happily returned the jab with a poke.