Title: Persuasion

Author/pseudonym: Angel and Rina

Fandom: Once A Thief

Pairing: Vic/Mac

Rating: NC-17

Status: New, complete

Archive: RatB, WWOMB, The Nesting Place, anyone else, just let us know!

Series/Sequel: Pretty Baby

Disclaimers: The names belong to Alliance but they did evil bad nasty stuff
to the boys (blowing them to smithereens no less!) so we decided it was our
turn!

Notes: Fourth in our AU series where teenaged Mac Ramsey meets Victor
Mansfield the vice detective.

Summary: Vic teaches Mac how to 'shoot'

Pretty Baby 4: Persuasion
by Angel and Rina

"Look Ace, the kid can't do it. He pulls his shots the last second. It's not like he doesn't have good hand-eye or can't make the targets. If he didn't damn well pull back he'd nail those targets dead on. Shit, the kid would probably be as good as you if he'd stop fucking up. Psych says it's trauma making him do it. And we both know what trauma. You broke him, you fix him, otherwise he's gonna get washed out and that means Hong Kong," Dobrinsky told the younger man seriously.

"He washes out he stays with me, Dobie, " Vic replied ominously. "You or the Director come near him and it won't be pretty. But he won't wash out. I'll make damn sure of it!" Slamming out of Dobrinsky's office, Vic stalked towards the training salle where Mac was practicing some of the more advanced forms of Wing Chun, a style of Kung Fu he was especially adept in. Mac was going to learn how to fire a weapon without pulling, and Victor Mansfield was just the man to teach him.

Dobrinsky smiled and picked up the phone. "Yeah, the threat worked beautifully... Yeah I know—they are so obvious to everyone but themselves. The trainers have a bet going on about who's gonna jump who first, and how long the just holding each other rule is gonna last. What? Okay you're on—for how much—$500—damn, you're sure of yourself. Yes ma'am will put it down on the bet sheet."

Vic stormed into the gym just as Mac was stepping out of the change rooms, freshly showered and looking—god, looking so fucking good it made the older man's mouth water. It was getting harder and harder to resist Mac's sleepy wake-ups. His mouth was kitten-soft against Victor's skin, and his morning shadow an arousing abrasion. Vic and cold showers had become good friends over the last week and he was despising it. But it was a small price to pay for having Mac back with him, in their bed, being able to hold the young man, cuddling and kissing him. Oh god, the feel of that piercing caressing the roof of his mouth was nearly enough to make him come by that alone. What would it feel like on the rest of his body, on his cock?

Biting back a pained moan, Vic grabbed the younger man by the hand and began dragging him down to one of the shooting gallery's. "C'mon baby, it's time for a private lesson."

Even a week ago, the appearance of his partner in the gym would have surprised Mac, but now he greeted Victor with an easy grin—one that turned smoldering as he noted the way Vic's eyes lingered on his lips. Thank god for these signs that the older man was as on edge as he was, otherwise Mac thought he might go insane because of this damn rule. Okay, he could understand it, with all the mess they'd been through, jumping each other because they felt like it might not be the best move. But that didn't help when he woke up each morning and all he could see, feel, hear and smell was Victor.

Laughing quietly when Vic grabbed his hand and practically dragged him out of the building, Mac lengthened his stride so that he was walking alongside the older man and not tagging along behind. "Private lesson? That sounds promising, but aren't we going the wrong way? The cottage is back that way." As he spoke, Mac pointed in the opposite direction, hoping against hope that Vic would suddenly change directions. When he didn't, the thief let out a near silent groan, knowing where they were headed.

"It's no good, Victor. Give me a plain target I'm ten for ten, but put something human shaped up and I can't do it. Not quite what you want from someone who is supposed to be watching your back, I know, and I am trying to get over it, it's just..." Mac sighed, thinking back to the report he had read during one of his extra-curricular web runs. "This their way of telling me fix it or I'm out?"

Vic debated about lying to the younger man—for about two seconds. Mac had been lied to enough in his short life and he wasn't about to add to it. Mac was his partner, and partners trusted each other. Sighing heavily, he stopped, and without thinking about it, caressed Mac's cheek, not realizing just how much, or how often he touched the younger man.

"Dobie had a little talk with me. There's—concern, Mac. I got told I broke you, so I had to fix you and there was mention of Hong Kong again. Not," he spoke quickly, forestalling the younger man from interrupting, "not that I'm going to let that happen. No matter what, your home is with me—if you want it that way, I mean," Vic continued hesitantly, still not willing to push the younger man too far too fast.

"But it was a warning, an indirect one because I get the feeling both Dobie and the Director like you. So as Mt. Baldy suggested, I broke you so now I'm going to help you fix yourself. Trust me?" At his partner's hesitant nod, Victor continued on to the shooting gallery, Mac walking not so calmly beside him. He would get the younger man to shoot. Even if it meant using dirty tricks and persuasion to do so. He wasn't about to lose Mac, as a partner or as a potential lover. Mac was his now, end of story, and Victor Mansfield always took care of and protected what was his.

Emotions spiked within the younger man although he tried to present a calm face to the world as they walked along. The threat of being sent to Hong Kong no longer carried the weight that it did before, it was the idea of being sent away from Victor that had Mac in a panicky sweat. Part of him worried that he was getting too dependent on the older man, while the rest of him simply acknowledged that beside Victor was where Mac belonged, and where he would stay. Partners, back up, support, in all areas of their lives.

"So, where do we start?" Mac asked quietly when they stopped at the gun locker and he had extracted his weapon, inspected it, and slid a full clip into place, all with the ease of long practice, but an air of resignation as well. "Want to see the infamous Ramsey dust mote targeting so you know what you have to deal with?"

Vic suddenly came to a decision. "What we don't start with is this," Vic replied gently, taking the weapon out of the other man's hands. "This isn't where we need to be right now. C'mon." With that, Vic was leading Mac out of the shooting range again, much to the surprise of the people watching in Dobrinsky's office.

"What the hell's he doing? The kid's problem is shooting and he's taking him out of there?" Dobie was incredulous.

"Like, you know Vic, always doin' things like his own way and stuff?" Jackie Janzyck chirped up, snapping her gum loudly.

"Yeah but..."

"Watch my angels, watch and learn..." came the smoky purr from the back of the room.

Vic took Mac's hand and headed outside. He bypassed the walk through and the shooting range, continued on past the training buildings and the cottages, until the two of them were walking hand in hand through the thick stand of trees that was used as the paintball range—an area Mac had yet to be introduced to. A place where they gave you moving, live, targets and you had to take them down. But for now it was quiet, as Vic knew it would be.

Ambling along, ignoring the curious looks that his partner was giving him, Vic kept moving until he found what he was looking for. A secluded area bracketed off by trees, with a fallen log to sit on. Sitting, he pulled the other man down next to him, then straddled the log so Mac could have a good look at what he was going to do.

Mac opened his mouth to say something, but Vic pressed a finger against those soft lips and shook his head. He then shrugged out of his jacket and, despite the cold, stripped out of his denim shirt and the gray tee-shirt underneath. Vic just sat there, in the cool spring air, his chest bare, his nipple ring glinting in the dappled sunlight, letting Mac look his fill.

"See, no bullet holes."

"Yeah..." Mac answered slowly, his forehead wrinkled with his perplexed frown. Not that he minded the chance to stare at Vic's half-bare bod, he just wasn't sure why they had to come out here to do it and what it had to do with his targeting problem.

A stray sunbeam glinted off the bright silver ring dangling against Vic's chest, and the cool breeze drew his nipples up into tight nubs, ones that seemed to be urging Mac to lean in and taste them.

Giving a soft groan, Mac dragged his gaze upward, his dark chocolate eyes now holding a mixture of confusion and barely repressed desire. "I'd rather keep it that way too." Just the thought of Vic being injured, especially because of some lapse in his skills, was enough to squelch the flickering of need that had sprang up again. Mac looked away then, shifting his gaze to the shadowed anonymity of the woods around them, seeking a safe haven. "What is this place?" he asked after a moment, knowing it was part of the facility, but not the purpose it served.

"Thank you for saying that, baby," Vic reached out and caressed his partner's face, ignoring the last question for now. "But if you don't want that to happen, you know what you gotta do. I trust you Mac—with my life and... more," he managed to get out, taking the younger man's hand and placing it over his heart, and conversely the nipple ring as well. "I trust you to keep this safe—both physically and otherwise. No one else I'd trust to watch my back, just like I wouldn't trust anyone else to watch yours. We're a team, you and I. And whatever it takes to get you past whatever's stopping you from hitting a target, I'll do. Together Mac—I mean that."

Vic pulled the younger man into his arms for a brief, breathless kiss, then let him go to shrug back into his tee shirt and denim shirt. "Okay, so... no agency shrinks, no Dobie, nothing but you and me. Let's try this again shall we?" Vic smiled a cocky half smile. "Wanna try the walk through without anyone watching? We can do it together. Or we can just talk for a while—screw the Agency and take the rest of the day for ourselves," Vic offered. Truth was, there was an ulterior motive. He wanted to distract and relax Mac. It wasn't quite the way he wanted to relax the younger man, but it would have to do.

If the Agency trainers couldn't get Mac to hit human targets with all their know-how and badgering and bullying, Victor wasn't about to go the same route. Maybe a little relaxation, a little distraction, a lot of snuggling - and then they'd try... preferably with Vic standing right behind the younger man to continue to distract him.

A smile that didn't quite reach Mac's eyes curved his lips upward, and he arched an eyebrow at the older man. "You really think they're gonna let us slack off for a whole afternoon? I just can't picture that happening. Might as well try the walk through, you won't know how badly I'm broken until you see for yourself." With a sigh of resignation that was a trifle self-pitying, Mac started to stand, preparing himself for his upcoming failure.

"Mackenzie Ramsey, you ever say that about yourself again, and I will put you over my knee. Got it?" Vic nearly yelled, the muscles in his neck standing out in stark relief. "You are not, I repeat not broken, dammit! You had one hell of a scare—and I'm betting that that night was the first time you ever fired a gun at a living target, if at all, am I right?"

"Well guess what kiddo," Vic continued without waiting for an answer, "what you're going through is natural and normal—the fact that you can still even hold the damn weapon, let alone go ten for ten on targets is more than impressive. I probably couldn't have done it had been me, babe. Hell—I had nightmares for months the first time I had to shoot someone. And the first time I killed someone—the guy's face still haunts me. It's when it doesn't affect you—when you don't get the shakes after it's over or you don't feel remorse—that's when you gotta worry. What you're going through —it's human nature Mac."

Victor pulled the younger man fully upright and wrapped him in a firm embrace. "I know you'll have my back when the time comes, baby. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind. Until then, we'll get through this together, okay? 'Sides, I figure sooner or later it'll be my turn to fall apart—so next time you get to pick up the pieces. Deal?"

"You try to put me over your damn knee and you'll be minus it as well as your balls," Mac spat, indignant at even the thought of that happening. He had enough fucking reminders of his age around here. He sure as shit didn't even need Victor or anyone even thinking of pulling that crap!

It took a moment for Vic's next words to register, but once they did, Mac backed down a little, relaxing in the circle of Victor's arms. "I had to learn to shoot before I was allowed to go out on any jobs for the Tangs," he said quietly. "But no, I'd never had to point a gun at anyone before, let alone someone I... knew." Memories of that night chased themselves across Mac's mind, bringing shadows to his gaze at the thought of what might have happened.

"I never meant to pull the trigger." His words were a husky whisper that carried with them a world of regret. "And I will get over it, not going to have anything else happen to you because of me." There was a new-found conviction in the young man's voice and he lifted his head to look Victor in the eyes. "I'm gonna be there for you, Vic, whenever and wherever you need me."

Snaking a hand between their chests, Mac placed his palm on Vic's chest again, feeling the steady heartbeat the filled his ears each night vibrate against his skin. "So," he asked, taking a deep breath and trying to let the tension drain from his body, "how about we give this a try?"

Vic smiled and covered his partner's hand with his own, ignoring the earlier diatribe for the moment. "I think I'm gonna need you forever partner, if you're up to it," the older man husked. Fighting back a lump in his throat, Vic blinked to clear suddenly misty eyes.

"I'd say giving it another try is a good thing," he continued gruffly, bringing the younger man's hand away from his heart and up to his mouth so he could kiss Mac's palm. "And I know you didn't mean to pull the trigger, baby. I drove you to that and I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for it. I wouldn't hurt you for the world Mac, believe me. Your happiness and well being—they mean everything to me. Now more than ever."

"I promise I'm not going anywhere ever again babe—partners from now on."

Mac nodded shallowly, afraid to speak because of the lump in his throat. Instead, he contented himself with running a fingertip over Vic's lips until he was sure his voice wouldn't crack.

"Only one I want to be partners with. Only one I..." trust he finished silently. "Need to forgive yourself, otherwise I won't be able to do it either—with myself I mean, not you. Don't blame you for any of it." The disjointed ramblings died off and Mac ducked his head, trying to smile. "I'm done babbling now, I hope anyway. Better get back to work or I'm gonna try to distract you and we know where that leads." Right into the cold shower for both of us!

Vic smiled, and squeezed the younger man's hand. "You distract me just by being here Mac, so it would be nothing new, baby," Vic admitted ruefully even as he pulled the younger man forward. "Not that I'm complaining—I like your kind of distraction. A lot!"

Walking back to the street walk through, Vic ignored the quirked eyebrows from the trainers and other inmates of the Agency facility at the sight of the two of them casually strolling along, holding hands. Get used to it guys, he thought with a grin, 'Cause I ain't letting this one go.

Once they got to the walk through, Vic booted up the program and watched Mac run through it once. Fuck, Dobie was right, he pulled his shots last second. But how to get him to get around the mental block he obviously had. There had to be some way... the dejected slump of Mac's shoulders broke his heart. He would get his partner over this come hell or... the Director.

Having Mac circumvent the facility alarms was easy—he was definitely talented, Vic thought with a smug grin. Of course, the young man had been less than pleased with Vic waking him up at three in the morning to come to the shooting range for a little 'private' instruction. If the blue tinge to the air as Mac jibbered in Cantonese was any indication, less than pleased didn't even come close.

But there was method to Vic's madness—which started with him keeping only the spotlights on and disabling the security cameras in the gallery. No prying eyes were allowed tonight. To that end, both the outer and inner doors were re-locked. So too was there a reason to his insistence on their apparel. Vic had only let Mac slip on a pair of track pants, sans boxers, and one of Vic's loose button down shirts. He wanted easy access for what he had in mind.

Taking a fully loaded clip, he snapped it in place and pumped the load mechanism so that there was a bullet in the chamber. Unlatching the safety, he handed it to the younger man, and came to stand directly behind Mac, resting his head on the ex-thief's shoulder. "Let's try this again, shall we?" he purred, wrapping his arms around Mac's slender waist.

Plainly not ready to be jollied out of his grump that easily, Mac grumbled a reply as he checked the gun over. One minute he'd been sound asleep, warm and comfortable wrapped around Victor, the next he was freezing his ass off, trying to wake up enough to circumvent the electronics on the door to the range when all he really wanted to do was rewind the night a half an hour and freeze it there.

"Sure, why not. Maybe shooting when I'm zoned and frozen stiff might help my aim." Mac felt the slight shaking of Vic's body as the older man chuckled at that and reconsidered what he had said. Parts of him may have been tired and cold, but the side that was pressed against Vic was becoming more alert by the second and quite warm as well. "Or are you planning to do that from back there?" Mac asked, turning his head just enough to look at Vic's profile, groaning slightly when the proximity of the ex-cop's face gave him an excellent view of one verdant eye and the sultry lashes that framed it.

With another, barely audible groan, Mac looked away, concentrating on the human shaped target in front of him. As he did so, his whole body stiffened, growing even more tense as the former thief raised his right hand and sighted down the pistol.

Vic's hand slipped downward, to rest on the younger man's hip, well actually it was more like on his pelvic bone. He began to nibble on the younger man's ear lobe. "The whole point is not to be tense, baby. How can I relax you enough to make this work?" Vic husked, rasping his be-stubbled chin across the exposed flesh of Mac's neck.

His hand began to stroke circular patterns on the younger man's flesh, as his other came up to steady the gun. "The whole idea of tonight is for you to point at the target and shoot. C'mon baby. Lemme see that big weapon of yours!" he teased gently.

Mac squirmed a bit, not sure if he was trying to evade that slowly circling hand or get it closer to his now very awake and aware cock. "Keep that up and you're going to be seeing more of it then you bargained for," he joked back, though the words were tinged with a moan as Vic nipped harder at his ear.

"Fine, fine we'll do it your way, just don't—god don't stop," Mac moaned, his head lolling back against Vic's shoulder, then coming upright once again when the older man growled out an answer. "Don't know why I'm going to hit the damn thing now when I couldn't when I was thinking straight..." Hardly aware of what he was doing, Mac aimed and squeezed the trigger, not even caring where the bullet went.

"Not bad, babe, just a little off center. But next time keep your eyes focused, Mac. You don't focus and I stop," Victor cajoled. "Now you know you don't want me to stop," he continued, his other hand wrapping around Mac's hips to tease the other side of the younger man's body.

Watching the younger man draw in a shaky breath and follow his instructions, he smiled. "Put the gun down Mac and look. You did it babe, a clean shot. Now that wasn't so hard," he snickered, "was it?"

"I did it?" Mac blinked and stared at the target, for the moment forgetting the delicious way Vic's hands were roaming over his abdomen. "I did it." His voice was soft with wonder and the young man stared down at the gun in his hand before switching the safety on and setting it on the shelf next to them. "We did it."

Turning his head, Mac looked at Victor, his eyes darkening as he registered the fact that the other man's hands were continuing their circular sweeps over the juncture of his hips and thighs. "Won't call it hard but if you're gonna have to distract me like this every time I have to fire a gun, I'm gonna be that way for the rest of my life!" With no respite in sight either, he groaned to himself, knowing that he'd never get back to sleep tonight, not with the wood that he was sporting now!

"You did it Mac," Vic replied, quiet pride glowing. "All by yourself. All you needed was a little distraction, a little relaxation, I'm just glad I could provide it," the older man chuckled.

"Now I want you to do me a favor. I want you to do it again for me. This time with no distractions. However, as an added incentive, if you can do it without my distracting you, I promise to give you one hell of a distraction when we get home" Vic bribed softly, handing the gun back to Mac and drawing back a pace or two.

"I promise to get you real relaxed back at the cottage—if you—make all your shots, then do it again on the next target. Think you're up to that kind of a challenge?"

Mac's good cheer vanished at that and his eyes were troubled as he looked from the gun in his hands, to the target in front of him, and then at his partner behind him. Honestly, he wasn't sure at all if he could do this, not without ending up right back where he had been before, but he'd try. Ejecting the spent clip, Mac replaced it with a full one. "Will give it my best shot," he offered, turning enough to give Vic a half-smile, then facing the front once again.

Vic's quiet 'you can do it' released some of the tension that had built up in the younger man's shoulders. As he raised the gun, Mac pushed aside the image of the other man from that hellish night, replacing it with the way Vic looked in the morning when he was half-asleep and aroused, but trying to be noble.

It didn't happen at once, but by the end of the first clip, Mac's shots were hitting the target. Without saying a word, he reloaded and tried again, and again, and again until each shot hit somewhere on the silhouette at the far end of the range.

Breathing heavily, soaked in sweat, and feeling as if his knees were going to give out at any instant, Mac pulled the last clip from the handgrip, then turned to look at Vic. "I don't know about relaxing," he muttered, swiping at his brow with his arm, "right now all I want is a shower."

"I'm lucky to have you as a partner," Vic whispered quietly, the soft tone not diminishing the force of his convictions. "You did good, baby. Real good. C'mon, let's go home." Placing an arm around the younger man's waist to add his support, Victor took the gun and returned it to the weapons rack. He figured that security would have the cameras up by now or at least within the next half-hour, so he didn't even bother with them. Besides his first priority was his partner.

The walk back to their temporary home took longer than it had to get to the shooting range, but Vic didn't mind at the least. He enjoyed having Mac lean on him for help. He'd missed this—the ability to help someone—especially someone who meant everything. And Mac did. Vic wasn't sure when or how but the pain-in-the-ass ex-thief with an attitude had become everything. But it was too soon to let Mac in on the secret, so for now Victor held it close to his heart.

Leading the younger man inside, Vic shut the door and headed straight for the bathroom, ignoring Mac's protests that he didn't need any help and informing the ex-thief that he wanted to do this. Stripping Mac quickly and as clinically as he could, which, considering how desperate Vic was for his handsome lover, wasn't easy, Vic pushed him under the warm spray of the shower while he stripped too.

Climbing in behind Mac, Vic took his time lathering and rinsing every millimeter of Mac's body with loving strokes, chuckling at the soft groans and muttered curses, some of which he understood, though most he didn't. Although the younger man had been through both a physical and emotional wringer tonight, some parts of him were still ready for action, and Vic had to grin and make a soft crack about what 'walking hormones' teenagers were, resulting in a sponge being tossed at him.

Once Mac was squeaky clean, Vic used the hot water to knead at and loosen tight muscles before leading the younger man out and drying him gently in a big fluffy towel. Not saying a word, he led Mac to bed and pushed him down playfully. "I believe I promised to take care of you earlier, didn't I?" he husked before kissing Mac tenderly then sliding down the younger man's rangy body until he was directly over Mac's erection. Looking up, he smiled at the ex-thief then gently placed a kiss on the tip of Mac's cock.

"Good thing for you I always keep my promises," he husked before going down on the younger man.

"Jesus fucking..." As that hot, wet mouth descended down over his erection, Mac forgot to think, forgot to breathe, forgot everything except that perfect haven that was taking him in, showing him glimmers of half-remembered ecstasy and tempting him with even more. "God, oh god Vic, you... that..." If he hadn't been so goddamned worn out, Mac thought he might jump right out of his skin in an attempt to get deeper into Vic's mouth, but as it was he could only lay there, clawing at the sheets, half-formed whimpers crawling up from his throat and desperate tremors wracking his body.

"That's it baby," Vic growled softly as he came up for air. "God, you look so hot, love you like this, all aroused and helpless, needing me." Plunging back down to his task, Vic's hands began to roam over Mac's body, teasing his nipples, combing through chest hair, tracing abdominal muscles and tickling his navel. Vic sucked and lapped and swallowed and mouthed, making sure every inch of his lover's cock and balls was glistening and wet.

"Come for me, Mac," Vic purred. "I wanna taste you, baby. Feel you fill my mouth and swallow you down. Come for me, lover," he begged softly, a finger slipping down between Mac's legs to brush against and tease his partner's anus, hoping the extra stimulation would drive him over the edge.

Random words skated across Mac's mind, most providing meaningless background for the erotic attack his body was under though a few did manage to sink into his brain and cut through the haze of lust with crystal clarity. Helpless, needy... No!

"No." The former thief rasped out the single word while trying to squirm back and away from Victor's all too knowledgeable mouth and roaming hands. "Not helpless, not pathetic, damnit," Mac gasped, scooting back to the head of the bed and plastering his back against the wall, his panting breaths causing his chest to heave painfully. "Not gonna be the weak link, or a goddamn charity case."

The mixture of arousal and confusion was plain in Victor's verdant gaze and Mac swallowed hard before continuing, trying to find a way to say what he meant. "If we're gonna be partners, it's everywhere, Vic," the younger man sighed. "Out there and in here. I just—" Closing his eyes, Mac drew his knees up toward his chest and rested his chin on them. "I don't want sex to be a reward and I want to be able to touch you, okay? This way it's—it's like a freaking conditioned response or something. See Mac hit a target, see Mac get a blowjob. I feel like one of Pavlov's fucking dogs or something."

"I know," the teen continued quickly, opening his eyes again to look at his partner, "that wasn't what you meant by it but I just—I just want to feel like I'm doing something for you instead of taking from you."

Vic ran a hand through his short hair, cursing his own ineptitude. He should have known that this wasn't a good idea, Dobie had shown him Mac's psych profile, not that Mac was ever gonna find out, as well as the Director's report on the young man's past. And it had been a little too thorough for Vic's liking. What Mac had gone through... but no. That wasn't what this was about. This was about him treating Mac like... a baby.

"Okay, I'm gonna say this once, and I want you to really listen to me okay?" he requested quietly, and was relieved by his lover's hesitant nod. "You are not a weak link or a charity case. You're a stronger man than me, Mac Ramsey. No," he said vehemently at the younger man's shaking head. "You are stronger than me. Stronger in your beliefs and your convictions. I'm the one who sold out, remember. It's what got us both in this mess, not that I'm complaining because it means that I've got you. You are my strength. You are my inspiration."

"I was wrong to do what I did, even if it got you to fire that damned gun right. I never... baby, I never meant to treat sex like a reward. It was an excuse Mac, and excuse for me to forget that stupid ass promise I made earlier and let myself touch you, really touch you. I miss you Mac, so much it hurts. So from now on—equal partners, no games, no mind fucks, nothing. You want me babe, I'm yours. Have been from the moment we met. You call the shots on this Mac—it's all up to you," Vic finished softly, watching his lover process what he'd just said, waiting for what Mac would do next.

The younger man remained where he was, frozen in his curled up position, on the verge of bolting once again. But if he did that, Mac wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to stop running and... And Vic was trying to fix things, admitting that he had been wrong no matter how good his intentions had been.

With a disconsolate sigh, Mac dropped his defensive posture, rearranging his lanky body to sit cross-legged on the bed, looking seriously at his partner, ignoring the fact that they were both still nude. "I want you," he whispered, not wanting to argue about which of them was stronger in their beliefs tonight. Mac knew the answer. He had no beliefs so it was very obvious which of them was. "I want to touch you, be touched by you, to remember... remember what it was like that night before it all went to hell."

"But..." Mac couldn't believe that he was saying this, "but maybe we should wait until we're out of here. I don't mean wait to touch each other but for... more." The younger man ducked his head, suddenly looking every bit his age, then looked at Victor again. "Can I just touch you?" he asked, his tone a near agonized plea reflecting the depth of the wound and the all-encompassing need to be healed that Mac felt.

Victor held out his arms, ignoring the dampness gathering in the corners of his eyes, though his voice betrayed his emotions with a deepened husk. "C'mere Mac," he whispered, inviting the younger man to snuggle into his embrace, and breathing a sigh of relief when he did so.

"You can touch me Mac, as often as you like, in any way you like. We belong to each other, baby, that means I'm all yours—body, soul... and heart," Vic whispered softly. "We take this as fast or as slow as you want. You're in the driver's seat now—I'll play by the rules you set, okay?" he asked, lifting Mac's chin to look into his partner and lover's eyes.

The younger man gazed back solemnly, his eyes ringed with dark circles brought on by exhaustion and stress. "How about we make the rules together? No one leading, no one following, just... together." His fingers moved restlessly against Victor's chest, resisting the urge to explore until they had this settled. Though the past few minutes had effectively banked the desire that had been racing through him, Mac still wanted—needed—to feel the other man against him, to stroke and explore Vic's body as he had wanted to so many times. Right now it wasn't sexual, it was simply out of a need for connection between them.

"Together sounds perfect," Vic sighed as he wagged an internal war to get his libido under control. He would have laughed at the situation if he wasn't sure it would be taken the wrong way. Who'd have thought an 18 year old male would be preaching abstinence?

"I... it's more than lust and sex, Mac, you know that right? You're the first person who's ever been able to twist my stomach into knots the way you do. And—what I was like when you came back... that's never happened before either. It'll never happen again. There's so much I want to say to you, need to say to you—I just need a bit of time to get it straightened out in my own head and heart before I can say the words. But the words, they're there, ya know?" Vic managed to get out, hoping he didn't sound like too much of a dweeb.

"You're the most important person in my life, baby. And the most powerful. Not even the dragon lady can do the things to me that you can," the older man finished, placing a soft kiss on Mac's forehead and finally relaxing back into the bed. "Nothing has ever felt this right in my entire life."

Mac let out the breath he hadn't known he had been holding and curled around Vic's side, one leg thrown over the ex-cop's, his hand still tracing light circles on the other man's chest and stomach. "Sure hope the dragon lady isn't able to do this to you," he offered, smiling a bit at the soft laugh that produced. "Don't like that thought at all."

The younger man was fading fast now, emotional and physical exhaustion leading him toward sleep with little reticence. "Makes me wish..." Mac yawned at that and burrowed his face into Vic's neck, breathing deeply, lulled by the certainty of the other man's words and the warm surety of his presence. "Wish I wasn't so tired too. Or that—" He stopped for another jaw cracking yawn. "We were done with this place."

At Victor's quiet 'me too', Mac smiled, though the expression had a dopey, glazed look to it. There was so much more he wanted to say to his partner, so much more he wanted to do, but he had time for that, they both had time.

Pretty Baby V: Graduation Day