The Beast Inside (Quilie/Tobi)

Tobi was worried about who he was the whole time during the summer and it was still eating at him even though school was to begin very soon. Arriving at the cave he sat there. It was going to be a full moon tonight and Tobi thought it best to tell Aquila then and there before the moon came out.

He had owled Aquila to meet him there a few days ago and hoped the kid would be there. Tobi was in pain. He could feel the pull of what the night had in store for him. It wasn't anything new as he had other transformations by now but it never lessened the aches.

Aquila whistled as he approached where Tobias had told him to meet him. He hadn't seen the other boy in a while and he was sort of looking forward to it.

"Hiding in caves now are we?" he laughed enjoying the way the sound echoed through the space, "That probably doesn't say anything good."

He took a step closer and actually got a look at the boy he was suposed to meet. His smile faultered for a moment. Something was wrong with Tobi, he could tell that. He wasn't sure what exactly but there was something...

He sat down slowly, glancing at him out of the corner of his eyes, "Hey, Are you...Tobi, is there something... is everything okay?"

Aquila bit his lip, he was never too good with the more serious stuff, and he quickly fell back into what he did best.

He gave a shaky laugh.

"Whatever it is- I am confident its not my fault this time."

Tobi was relieved to see that Aquila had indeed arrived like he wanted but grimaced as he walked in. He wasn't really in a mood for jokes as he was in pain and that pretty much killed that side of him.

"Aquila, I-I want you to promise me you want run. That you will still like me." he said with tears in his eyes, "I don't know how to say it but I want you to promise me first."

Aquila blinked at him for a moment. Flushing a bit at the past memory.

"Tobi, what is- I mean, why can't -" he stuttered about as he pushed past his first instinct to demand what was going on. He wanted to know, but something told him that swallowing his impatients and just doing what Tobi wanted first was more important.

He turned his head to make sure he was looking right at the boy, "Of course, Tobi; I promise. I'm staying right where I am."

Aquila felt the truth of those words as he said them. He wasn't proud of how he ran off last time; no matter what Tobi said now he was going to stay and work it out.

Besides he had already worked past his biggest fear the first time, so what else would be left?

Cautiously, unsure of what exactly was going on, and how any movement by him might affect it, he set his had over Tobi's hoping that would help make his point stick out.

"Now," he said with conviction fueled by his curiosity and impatients, "What the heck is going on?"

He could tell that Aquila was nervous but what the hell why shouldn't he be. He smiled when Aquila laid his hand over his but then the smile faded when he remembered what he was trying to say.

"Aquilia, I-I..I'm a...oh what the hell, Aquila I am a werewolf." He started crying he hated being curse and he was in pain and it was all so frickin annoying.

Aquila's hand gripped Tobi's hand tighter, as a buzzing sound started in his ears. His head felt heavy and brain felt numb.

He had felt like this before, one time before...

No, he wasn't going to run away, not this time. He would just have too...

The word rung around in his head.

Werewolf, Werewolf, Werewolf.

Wolf

Canine.

Dog

God, Aquila didn't like dogs. He closed his eyes as he pushed back a memory of a younger Aquila... a foolish Aquila who didn't know any better...

He shook his head. This wasn't about him - not about him. This was about...

Tobi.

He looked at the other boy, and something in his chest twisted painfully as his shock wore off enough to registar the tears. That wasn't right, that...

"Don't," he shook his head sadly and not being able to find any words at the moment he waved his free hand in the general area of his face, his tears, "Tobi, please don't... its going to be... I'm..."

God, Aquila was painfully aweful at this. The only person he had ever been remotely close enough to to even think about comforting was Ceph, and it was usually the other way around - Ceph comforting him, not him Ceph.

"It's okay," he finally managed to mumble, hoping he sounded half convincing. What did he know about werewolfness? How could he say if it would be okay or not?

He knew that he should just leave it at that but his brain wouldn't let him.

"So... wolf as in..." he trailed off and made a clawing motion at his free hand, "you know... moon... howling... teeth... claw.... dog?"

Tobi rocked with his sobbing. "Aquila you are the first person I have told. You can't let anyone know but with us being together I had to tell you. It was eating me up not knowing how you would react."

Sighing he wiped his eyes. "Aquila it's happening right now. Tonight there is a full moon. I am in pain right now. I will become un-human, killing whatever is in my path. This isn't my first transformation but it still scares me everytime. The week leading up to the full moon is a nightmare for me."

"Quilie, please say you still like me. If you don't then I-I guess I will just deal with it." The thing was he didn't know if he could deal with it. Losing Aquila might just drive him to the edge and over. He was still lightly sobbing but having Aquila holding his hand made it a little better.

"Tonight? Now?" his voice came out a little more squeeky than he had intended. His heartrate spiked he could feel it. He was on the verge of a panic attack, he could feel it.

He needed to get control of himself. His panicking was certainly not going to help anything.

He shook his head, "Tobi, I'd never- I wouldn't tell anyone... you can... you can trust me."

Could he trust him? He certainly wasn't goint to tell anyone, but he could still feel that little bubble of panic just waiting to burst forward. Could he trust himself with that panic?

He felt his panic spike again, but this time at Tobi's suggestion that he might not like him. He didn't- could.

"Listen," he reached over and grabbed both his hands, "I like you, I told you that before and I meant it then and I mean it now; it will take a lot more than, whatever to change that but..."

He sighed. He couldn't pretend that it was different. He was sure to freak out about it eventually.

"I do have one small, admission to make - It doesn't change anything about you. I still like you but..." he sighed and felt the panic bubble up again and fuel his words, "I don't exactly... like dogs... as in... anything slightly canine-esq ... sort of... terrifies me..."

He paused and fazed into his memory, jaws and claw jumping at his little arm, childhood fear and confusion making it all worse.

He shook his head and turned back to Tobi, "But that's just... I'll... I don't care about - that has nothing to do with now. I'll-I'll deal. I still like you. Believe me, Tobi, I do."

Tobi could hear and see the kid was panicking but he had expected it. He just told him he was a werewolf and he was transforming that same night. Only an idiot wouldn't freak out. Seeing the kid freak was actually cute.

"Quilie you are an amazing person. I knew I had chosen the right person in you." Tobi was in pain but he leaned forward and kissed Aquilia on the lips. Lingering he then leaned back and said, "I love you." He meant it with all his being.

"Look Aquila you will never have to see me as a werewolf and I don't want you to. Seeing me would no doubt result in your death anyways but when I transform at school I do it in one of the empty classrooms Asric has set aside for me. I tend to have wolfish tendencies when I am human. More rare meat, small bouts of unwanted anger"

Biting his lips he continued, "I have a few hours left until the moon comes out. I think that an hour is the safest you will be with me. Can you just hold me." He was wracked with pain and he was trembling. His curse was horrible and he just wanted someone there for at least a bit before he turned into the beast the hid inside of him.

"Well, I don't know if I'd say ama-"

The words were lost as Tobi cut him off - with his lips, on his.

With a kiss.

Merlin he was being kissed!

His brain froze on that though, and did not thaw until Tobi had pulled away. And even then, only on thing was bouncing through his head.

Kiss... Tobi just kissed him..

After a moment he stared at the other boy, his cheeks tinge with a light blush and a slightly goofy grin pulling at his lips.

"I-I... maybe-sort-of-might... you know," he shrugged, blushing even deeper and mumbling unclearly, "love you too."

He nodded, "Alright, getting killed off my boyfriend, off the list of things I want to do - and I'll make sure to not tick you off, and cook your food to a minimum."

He laughed slightly at his jokes; he never could last that long without making a few.

Aquila didn't hesitate when he noticed the other boy was shaking, he slid his arms around him hoping he could be of some help.

He looked out at the darkening sky... a few hours, Tobi had said there had only a few hours until...

"It will be okay," he muttered softly, before his thoughts slipped out in a small, almost childish voice, "It will be okay, won't it?"

Tobi curled in more against Aquila and enjoyed the warmth the boy gave him. He was so cold and it hurt so bad. "I can't say it will be okay for me. My transformation hurts so bad and then the nest day I have no recollection of any of my deeds from the night before. I wake up covered in blood and it makes me sick. I can only tell you that it will be okay for you as long as you aren't here. I wanted you to be here for just this one night"

Sighing he laid his head against Aquila's shoulder and trembled.

Aquila already didn't like the way the other boy was trembling and seemed cold.

"Who said I was asking what would be okay for me?" he asked softly, his voice quivering just slightly with the strain of his thoughts.

He wanted to help, but he felt useless. Completely useless.

"You know... I know that I can't, but if-if," he stuttered about for a moment, "if you know, need something - I can... you know just- owl or whatever..."

He trailed off and shook he head. He was being ridiculous. There was nothing hard about what he was trying to say.

He sighed and tried again, "If you need something, just ask."

Tobi was in more pain now after sitting there for an hour with Aquila. Not wanting to wait any longer for fear it would happen whenever.

Sighing he shifted to a sitting up position. "Aquila I need you to leave now. I wish we could stay like this all night but I am not sure when it will happen." He was shaking even more now and every movement was a needle of pain.

Aquila looked at Tobias for a long moment before finally nodding. The other boy was looking worse by the minute, which was bring conflicting emotions within him.

But he would follow Tobi's request. There was nothing he could do anyways.

"Tobi, I-I-" he paused for a moment, looking for something to say, what he was trying to say. Finally he came to a simple answer, "I'm sorry."

He hesitated a moment, and then before he could change his mind he leaned over and gave him a quick kiss, "It will be fine."

With that and a nod he got to his feet and started to walk away.

"This isn't really a situation to say have fun is it?" Aquila stopped a few feet away and gave him a wan smile, "Right going... see you soon, Tobi."

With that soft farewell, he turned on his heals and scampered off into the dusk.