Hawk pouted and Hero gently pinched his bottom lip, giggling. He turned toward the big black doors as Hawk grabbed a pallet jack.

“Tell that stuffy asshole I’m getting something from the freezer and I’ll be out there in a minute,” Hawk called after him, pulling open the heavy door.

“No problem,” Hero said, walking through the doors. He was halfway back to the freezer department when he stopped. Say it again… 

No…I won’t just say it. He clenched his fists and turned on his heels, hurrying back through the doors, making a hard left and pushed through the plastic curtain into the freezer. He followed the energy trail directly to Hawk who was at the end of the first main aisle of pallets, shoving the jack under one of them. He looked up just as Hero grabbed the front of his sweater, pulling his face down to his, his mouth covering Hawk’s before Hawk had a chance to react.

Hawk breathed in deeply as he staggered backwards into a set of steel shelving, his hands going to Hero’s face as their tongues moved frantically in and out of their mouths, their teeth biting and nipping at each other’s lips. Hero pressed himself against Hawk as hard as he could, his hands moving up into Hawk’s hair as Hawk lifted him up onto a pallet of boxes that was just the right height, Hero’s legs locking around Hero’s hips as they desperately consumed each other, making up for lost time in the Veil.

However, it wasn’t lost on them that they weren’t in the Veil, and this was their first kiss in their physical bodies. Somehow, that made the moment that much more intense, more emotional, more raw. There was no way to lie in the Veil. Here, there was no reason why they ever should. 

It didn’t matter that they were in a freezer, either. Hawk’s body heat kept them both warm as they made out, sucking on each other’s tongues, doing their best to stifle their moans and sighs. One thing they couldn’t hide was their hardness pressing against each other, Hero’s hips moving against Hawk, his hands pulling at Hawk’s hips, his fingers going under his hoodie and shirt to claw at his lower back.

Somewhere in the midst of all this heat, Hero breathed, “Someone might walk in.” 

Hawk shook his head. “There’s a barrier.” He bit Hero’s neck, sucking hard, careful not to let his teeth penetrate the skin. 

“How strong a barrier?”

Hawk hesitated, his hands moving under Hero’s ass. He glanced at the open door several feet away. Risking unanswerable questions, he pushed his left hand out, the door slamming shut. He closed his fist and pulled down, feeling the barrier close in securely around them.

He turned back to Hero who looked bewildered but didn’t ask questions. “We have ten minutes.”

“Long enough.” Hero reached for Hawk’s belt and quickly undid it, reaching into his boxer briefs for his hard, throbbing cock.

Hawk nearly fell on to Hero as his hand began moving on him, his own fingers fumbling with the waistband of Hero’s jeans. He tugged and pulled, his mouth finding and capturing Hero’s once again, his tongue going in deep, pulling Hero’s tongue into his own mouth, sucking on it until Hero moaned loudly. Finally free from the restraint of his pants and boxers, he pressed himself against Hawk who was also fully exposed.

“Hawk,” he breathed. “I want you in me now.”

“Don’t have to ask twice.” With his finger, he explored Hero’s entrance, gently inserting it, moving slowly.

Hero’s head snapped back as he let out a cry of pleasure. Hawk was incredibly glad the barrier was soundproof. 

He inserted another finger, Hero’s juices flowing over his hand as he moved, preparing him for what he knew Hero wanted.

Hero clung to Hawk, not daring to let his eyes leave Hawk’s face. Without a word, Hawk placed himself against Hero.

“If it hurts, I’ll stop.”

“Don’t stop.” 

Hawk pushed into him, both of them crying out. As he moved, Hawk let his hands go up Hero’s shirt, his thumbs finding and playing with his nipples. Hero bit his lip as he rocked to Hawk’s movements, drawing blood.

Hawk licked it, plunging his tongue back into Hero’s mouth. He couldn’t get enough. Hero held on tightly as Hawk’s pace increased, feeling Hawk’s hand wrap around him stroking him, making his entire body shudder with desire. He moaned into Hawk’s mouth, his cries becoming whimpers as he felt the pressure begin to build deep in his loins. 

Hawk, too, could feel himself about to reach his climax. He moved faster, harder, going deeper. Hero moved his mouth to Hawk’s neck and bit down, sucking hard as his body began to tense. He breathed two words into Hawk’s shoulder, the sound almost like an allowance for Hawk to do the same.

“Hero…” he panted. “I’m—”

“Cum inside me,” Hero breathed.

“I’ll clean you up,” Hawk promised as he rotated his hand on Hero’s cock, his thumb rubbing the tip, forcing Hero’s head back as he finally broke, cumming into Hawk’s hand and his own stomach as Hawk’s own body began to tense. With one final cry, he exploded into Hero, filling him as his orgasm wracked his body, his fingers gripping the box behind Hero as tightly as he could, feeling the ground beneath him sway and his head burst with lights. 

Hero’s body shivered and convulsed in Hawk’s arms, his thighs tightening around Hawk’s hips one more time before finally relaxing. Panting for breath, he put his hands on both sides of Hawk’s face and kissed him deeply, slowly, allowing one of his waves to surround them, reminding Hawk why he was even there. They were bound together, they were always meant to go this far. They were destined to fall in love, no matter how hard Hawk had tried to deny it.

Hawk pulled away, his forehead on Hero’s. He closed his eyes and focused on the crate, tearing off the seal and letting the lid fall open, all of his feelings and thoughts for Hero pouring out into their link. His doubts, his fears, his worries also coming through. Hero took it all, felt it all, and bound his own wave of love into Hawk’s.

Hero swallowed, putting his finger under Hawk’s chin, Hawk’s amber eyes lifting to meet his own ruby red ones. “Say it,” he breathed. “I want to hear you say it.”

Hawk, terrified of what this moment would mean for him, gulped back the lump that was growing in his throat. It wasn’t enough for Hero to feel it. He deserved so much more than that. He deserved everything.

“I’m in love with you, Hero,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I love everything about you. The way you feel, the way you taste and smell, the small beauty mark under your right eye,” he grinned. “I love every moment we share together, in the Veil and outside. I literally can’t live without you. For all that, you deserve better than me. You do,” he added before Hero could argue. “But fate determined our destinies a long time ago and I’m not about to fight that bitch. I tried and suffered for three days.” He put his hand to the side of Hero’s face, his heart rate slowing. 

“I’m still scared, though, Hero. There’s a lot about me you don’t know, a lot that might scare you away and that’s why I’ve been keeping it from you. I don’t want to frighten you, ever. I don’t want you to fear me, even if the rest of the universe does. I don’t want to ever hurt you, cause you pain or distress in any way.”

He wrapped his arm around Hero’s head, his hand in his hair. “The entirety of Hell seems to want me to go crazy, to feel all the pain I caused to so many others over a very long period of time. They’ll even use you to make sure that happens.” He shook his head, his forehead pressed to Hero’s. “I won’t let that happen, Hero. If anyone ever tried to take you from me, to use you against me, there’s not a place in the universe where they can hide. I’ll dethrone God, kill Lucifer, and destroy Hell for you, Hero Grace. You’re mine, you always have been. You always will be.”

Hero grabbed Hawk’s face and pulled him into a fierce and passionate kiss, tears rolling down his face as his soulmate shared more than just his words and emotions through their connection. He shared it all, including the breaking of the first chain on the door that concealed his deepest, darkest, and most dangerous secrets.

-*-