The Hunter

Max watched Toby's interaction with Claire on the large television screen with a scowl. On one hand, he appreciated the woman's interest in Toby, but on the other, it just meant she was going to bother them for the next few days. Perhaps he should have just let Claire take the boy earlier to gain some peace and quiet. Beside him, Ben shifted and sighed heavily, drawing Max's attention away from the screen. He cuddled close to Ben, lifting the boy's head out from under the pillows to plant a kiss on his forehead.

Toby hobbled down the stairs, shivering, and Max swiftly switched off the television. Toby eyed him suspiciously but then asked if there were any extra clothes. Max considered saying no, but he knew Ben would probably offer his own clothes once he woke and saw his friend naked.

“The bathroom has some. Help yourself.”

Without a word of thanks, Toby scrambled to the bathroom and slammed the door. Max rolled his eyes and laid down more fully, pulling Ben closer. To his surprise, he felt the boy's fingers move slowly through his hair. He glanced down and found Ben's eyes half open, watching him.

“How do you feel?” Max whispered.

Ben did not answer right away, simply giving a shake of his head after a long pause. Max placed a hand on his forehead, frowning. It seemed like his fever had only gotten worse.

“Can you not sleep?”

Ben nodded his head sluggishly and Max frowned. He tried to roll off the bed to search out some medicine for Ben, but the boy's hands grabbed at Max in a panic, forcing him to stop.

“Don't abandon us! Please!” Ben whimpered.

Max stared at him before he clenched his teeth and returned to Ben's side. He hugged the boy close and stroked his back until his eyes shut again. A few moments later, Toby returned dressed in a pair of jeans that were far too long for him and a baggy looking gray tang top-both of which originally belonged to Max. He stared at the two on the bed for a moment making sure nothing had happened in his short absence.

“Toby, there's a green bottle filled with white pills behind the mirror in there. Bring them to me,” Max commanded without taking his eyes off Ben.

Max stopped stroking Ben's back for a moment but found that the boy instantly woke again. Toby turned away to go back into the bathroom, leaving the door open. He found the pill bottle quickly; there were only four such bottles, each a different color. Within no time, he was handing the bottle over to Max. Max grabbed the bottle and plopped two pills into his hand. After a moment of thought, he placed them into his own mouth and force fed them to Ben, who struggled slightly at first, but swiftly calmed down.

“Is he okay?” Toby asked softly, worried.

“He'll be fine once he gets some sleep. These things are powerful and fast working; as rare as it is for a Hunter to get sick, we absolutely cannot afford to have any weaknesses for long.” Max mumbled.

“What about him, then?” Toby growled, earning a soft chuckle.

“I'm a bit different than other Hunters. I was made different than all of the others...kind of like how you will be among the Guards. I'm not afraid that another Hunter will try to raid my island and take over; I can take them on easily. I'm not afraid of challenging a small group of Guards; they are like lambs before a wolf. I get bored, so sometimes I take risks. Ben was more of a risk than I should have taken though,” Max explained, his eyes glowing with affection.

Toby fell silent. This was perhaps the first answer Max had given him that felt as if it had a heavy, truthful weight to it. Everything else Max had told him about the islands and the Guards had all seemed whimsical or as if the man was uninterested in everything. Well, uninterested in everything but Ben.

“You really love him? Why? We haven't known each other for very long, originally you wanted to kill us, or at least scare the snot out of us. What are you going to do when we leave?” Toby questioned after awhile.

Max shot him a glare, finally meeting Toby's eyes.

“What does it matter now? I may be different, but I can't go against the Council; the island is mine but they control everything around it. I may be able to take on small groups of Guards, but if there are enough rams with the sheep even they can scare off a lonely wolf. I don't want to talk about this with you.” Max grumbled.

“Then tell me about myself. Or about what I'm going to expect with Claire.” Toby demanded, crossing his arms over his chest as he plopped down onto his couch.

“Why do I have to tell you anything?” Max laughed darkly.

“Because you are scared. You're shaking.”

Max swiftly pulled his hands out of sight and clammed up. If Ben had not been clinging to him and finally fast asleep, he would have dragged Toby out of the basement and locked him out there to fend for himself. He settled with a low growl in Toby's direction and buried his face in Ben's hair. Toby grinned to himself, pleased with his victory. He would be glad to get Ben away from this monster.

Ben woke feeling refreshed and better than he had in weeks. He had slept well for the first time in...well, in his memory, and he was warm and felt safe. He stared into Max's sleeping face, his vision still slightly blurry from sleep. Behind him he could hear the familiar snuffle of Toby as he slept soundly on the couch. The boy gave a soft sigh and wiggled free of Max, who opened his eyes slightly to watch as Ben made his way to the bathroom.

“Feel free to get some new clothes, Ben.” Max murmured, startling the boy.

Ben gave a simple nod before slipping into the room. He considered showering but faintly remembered having passed the springs. The hot water would feel heavenly after standing in the chilly air of the basement bathroom. Rather than wearing the new clothes, he gathered up an outfit similar to what Toby had only with a dark blue sleeveless shirt. He peeked out of the bathroom after relieving himself and washing his hands and found Max sitting on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the floor.

“Max,” Ben called and his eyes were instantly drawn to the boy, “can we go to the springs?”

Max's face lit up with a smile and he eagerly stood up.

“Absolutely, though we don't have towels. Is that okay?”

Ben nodded and glanced at Toby who was mumbling threats in his sleep.

“He went in last night. If he wants to join us, he'll do so.” Max said when he noticed Ben's hesitant glance.

Max came forward and wrapped an arm around Ben, pulling him forward toward the stairs. The two of them made their way outside to the barrier around the spring.

“I'll go first. This will shock a little, but it'll pass quick. I'll pull you through before it gets too bad,” Max warned, grabbing Ben's hand and yanking him swiftly through.

Ben did not have the time to feel much of a shock due to how quickly Max pulled him through, but it was enough to give him an idea of how much he would not like to be surprised by the barrier.

“What was that?” Ben gasped as Max did a quick check over his body.

“It's an electric barrier to keep animals and people out. I registered you and Toby on the 'friend' list, but it still will give you a bit of a bite.” Max told him, pulling Ben's shirt up over his head.

Max ran his hands up and down Ben's sides with an impish grin, making Ben shiver. Ben grabbed his wrists, but did not actually stop Max's wandering hands.

“Are you okay with this?” Max whispered into Ben's ear, his finger tips tickling the skin of his hips just inside his pants.

“I am fine but are you? You're shaking.” Ben replied, noticing the slight shake and unusual coldness of the fingers caressing him.

Those very fingers pressed themselves firmly into Ben's skin in response to his words, making Ben flinch.

“I'm not shaking,” Max said firmly and Ben swiftly agreed.

The moment gone, Max pulled his hands away and instead of undressing Ben began to do such to himself. Hesitating for a moment, Ben began to follow suit, his own hands trembling slightly. But not from fear. Stripping down to his boxers, Ben placed a foot into the water and then another. Max quickly joined him, unashamedly wearing nothing but his birthday suit. Without pause, the man strode straight into the water until it was knee deep and plopped down. He grinned at Ben, throwing away his previous sulking attitude and beckoned for Ben to join him.

The water burned Ben's skin a bit, but he made his way closer to Max, carefully settling his body voluntarily between Max's legs. Ben's heart was hammering in his chest making him feel short of breath and a little dizzy. It certainly was not the heat of the water getting to him that made him fell light headed. The boy risked a quick glance over his shoulder, keeping his eyes on Max's face at first, but his eyes could not help but to wander lower. The murky water of the spring hid most of Max's lower body, but excitement radiated off the man.

Max's expression did nothing to hide his lust. He pulled Ben closer, the boy stiffening at an alien touch against his back under the water, and kissed him deeply. Gently pressing his fingers against the skin at the back of Ben's neck, Max moved his fingers in circular motions. He traced Ben's collar bone, moving his mouth from Ben's lips to nibble and then bite at the skin where the shoulder met Ben's neck. Ben, biting his bottom lip, his mind in a haze, moaned softly, his focus fully on where Max was touching him. He was not sure what he should do with his own hands, but the thought swiftly blew from his mind as Max chomped down, drawing blood. At the same time, his fingers had moved down to pinch the small brown buds that sprouted from Ben's chest.

Ben's cry echoed through the clearing of the springs, exciting Max even more. Max licked the red and slightly bleeding skin gently before moving to Ben's other shoulder, planting kisses every so often. His fingers did not stop tormenting their two victims for even a moment. Hearing Ben's heavy panting, Max moved his lips to his ear.

"Is this okay?"

He wanted to be sure. He would not let there be any more bad memories of this island and Ben's now limited time with Max. Max was entirely surprised when Ben gave a tiny nod and turned his face as if he was going to kiss Max himself. However, due to his excitement, Max pinched a little harder than he meant, and Ben cried out again, dropping his head. Wasting not a moment more, Max found Ben's lips and slowly trailed his hands lower, pausing at times to check for any form of reluctance from Ben.

The boy did nothing to resist. If anything, he urged Max on.