Encore (Prodigy: 3)

Beginning of The End

Zane was buried deep inside Locke and Locke was crying.

Not from any physical pain but the emotional agony that was pulsing through him was almost unbearable.

His nails dug into Zane's back and he held him tightly but Zane held still, holding him gently, his lips against Locke's hair as another sob racked his body.

"Let's stop for tonight," Zane eventually muttered, about to pull back but Locke dug his nails in deeper.

"Don't go!" he cried, "Please, don't go!"

"I'm not going anywhere," Zane said softly, "I promise, I'm not going anywhere."

"I love you," Locke sobbed, "I love you so much! I always have! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! For everything! Everything I've done and said! I'm sorry for loving you! Please don't leave me!"

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Zane muttered, settling on top of him, sliding both arms under Locke and squeezing.

Another wave of tears hit Locke and he pressed his face in against Zane's shoulder.

It was like ten years' worth of tears was falling out of him in one moment and the effect was shattering on his body and energy.

Zane carefully pulled out of Locke, slowly to not hurt him or spook him and pressed their bodies closer together, breathing in the familiar scent.

Sandalwood and chemicals used to care for his instruments. That chemical smell was almost non-existent now and the lack of it pained Zane more than he'd say in the moment.

He closed his eyes, focusing on the feel of skin against skin.

Locke was shivering even though his skin was hot.

He wanted to have sex to Locke. He wanted to go all the way again, like they had that night in university.

He wanted to feel Locke move against him as their hips rolled together in a rhythm that felt natural. He wanted to kiss him and hold him.

He slowly opened his eyes, looking at Locke's hair that was flared out around the pillow beside him.

He'd wanted that for a long time.

Maybe not as long as Locke, but still... a very long time.

He should have acted on his feelings a long time ago. Before his career. Before university.

Before Maddie.

God, poor Maddie.

She had been amazing, in every sense of the word. And she had understood him better than he'd understood himself. The night they'd broken up, she'd told him it was his fault.

He'd fallen out of love. In fact, he probably hadn't fallen in love in the first place.

She was right, of course.

She'd known he'd cheated on her in an instant but hadn't got mad. She'd just sat him down and made him think through his emotions. He'd made her cry and she'd told him he'd never be happy or satisfied until he'd sated his curiosity and faced the one person who'd been with him since he'd been a teenager.

She'd been right.

And then years had passed and he had spoken to Locke every day on the phone and they'd chatted like old friends and nothing more and everything was easy and they never discussed any suppressed feelings...

And then Locke tried to die.

Zane tightened his hold around Locke and closed his eyes as he felt tears sting at them, fear squeezing his chest and ice in his stomach chilling the heat of his skin.