Arrow Inferno
Chapter 91: Stanley ‘STAN’ Norris vs. Ian ‘WILL’ Williams ~ Painful parting!

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"I'm sorry if I was rough with you," Stan mumbled against Will's neck.

"Do you hear me complaining?" Will felt deliciously sore in all the right places. And that thrilled him because it felt as though he was taking a part of Stan with him.

"I was beyond all control," Stan sighed. "And that's dangerous. I could have hurt you."

"Well, you didn't." Will pressed a kiss to Stan's head. "And that was hands down the most powerful fuck you've ever given me. I loved it. You made me drool." He laughed softly. "That's not the first time," Stan snorted.

"Well, this time it hit differently. We should invite our beasts to the fucking table more often. Pun definitely intended. Feels like you permanently live in my arse."

"You're an idiot." Stan laughed despite himself as he stepped out of Will's embrace. His insulting tone was belied by the sheen of unshed tears in those beautiful blue eyes. "Do a quick shift when you get to the apartment just to heal." "And why the hell would I want to do that?" Will cupped Stan's face and tilted his head to the angle he wanted. "I'd rather feel you with every step I take."

Then Will pressed his lips to Stan's in a kiss that conveyed all the love he felt for him. It was unhurried and so tender it took Stan's breath away. When the kiss ended, Will wiped away a lone tear that had managed to escape his mate's eye with his thumb.

"Stubborn tear," he muttered, drawing a soft chuckle from Stan. "I'll be calling and messaging till I leave. I won't be taking my phone with me, unfortunately."

"I know." Stan sighed. "Take good care of yourself, please. And get some sleep on the flight to Washington."

"I will, I promise."

"Thank you." Stan then started for the living room where Deloris patiently waited.

"No bag?" Deloris asked, getting to her feet.

"Just my wallet, phone, and the keys to my apartment," Will responded.

"Alright, ready?"

And just like that, it finally hit Will that he was parting from Stan. Even if it was for mere days, it hurt like hell. His stomach dropped as a violent shiver flashed through his body. For a moment, all he could hear was blood roaring in his ears, then his heart began to pound...and not in a good way.

"I..." he took a deep breath. "Can you... Can you send us both?" he asked in a shaky voice.

"How do you mean?" The warlock looked confused as she looked at the soldier who suddenly looked like he was hyperventilating. Her gaze shifted to Stan. "Is he now..." At Stan's nod, she trailed off and gave the soldier a sympathetic look. "Aw Will..." Deloris breathed.

"I will..." Will began to pace. "I will leave Stan in my apart..."

"That will only be postponing the pain, Will," Deloris told him softly. She knew she was dealing with a typical case of a delayed reaction.

"Isn't that better though?" He growled. "I hate how I'm feeling."

"That would be harder on both of you." Deloris countered. "It's better this way."

"Shit!" Will turned to look at his mate and felt his breath leave him in a pained rush. "I can't do this," he breathed out roughly. "I can't leave."

"Give me a moment, Del." Stan finally spoke as he went to Will and cupped his face. The soldier was literally shaking. "Breathe, baby. Breathe," He coaxed as he began to gently rub his thumb against Will's mark. This time, his intention wasn't to arouse his mate but to rather generate some calm energy through that mark which linked them. That's it," he whispered when Will did as he'd instructed. Stan held him until his raging heartbeat slowed and his breathing returned to normal. "Better?"

Will nodded. "This is fucked up," he whispered as a heaviness he'd never felt before settled in his chest, causing sadness to rush over him like a tidal wave. "Is it always going to be like this?"

"Not this bad," Stan smiled, his eyes filled with so much love. "This being our first time makes it more intense. You'll be fine." Then he was kissing Will: a deep, shamelessly desperate kiss that didn't only leave them needing more, but also fired up the bond they shared. "I'll be seeing you soon," he muttered against Will's lips when the kiss ended.

But Will couldn't even respond. He couldn't speak past the huge lump in his throat so he only nodded. When Stan released him and stepped back from him, he turned to face Deloris but still couldn't trust himself to speak.

'Tell her I'm ready, please,' he told Stan on their mind-link. 'And that I'm grateful for all that she does for me.'

'I'll do that,' Stan allowed himself a small smile. Seeing how Will was struggling not to lose it hurt even more but he was determined to look brave to make things easier on his mate. "He's ready, Del. And he's grateful for all that you do for him." "The pleasure is all mine, soldier," The warlock smiled. "Thank you for your service." Then with a quick wave of her hand, Will disappeared. "Are you okay?" she asked Stan who just stood there staring at the spot his mate had just been. When the warrior shook his head, Deloris went to him and hugged him.

"I know it's painful but you'll be reunited with him soon," Deloris said reassuringly. "I will have some rest and then get on with the spell. Who knows...we might even beat that four days."

"Thank you, Deloris. For everything."

"I'm happy when you're happy." Then she was also gone.

Stan stood in his empty living room alone, the pain inside irrepressible. The silence in the suite felt voluminous. The warrior didn't think he'd ever felt that lonely. He dropped into a chair, overwhelmed by the emptiness inside. For a moment, it felt as though he was drowning. He took deep breaths but it didn't help.

"Luna, help!" Stan gasped just as a knock sounded on the door.

"Open up, lover boy." He heard Paige's voice just as Jeremy materialized into his living room.

"You better open that door before she breaks it down," the alpha of alphas said as he flopped into the couch and grabbed the television remote. Clearly, his mate had given him a...lift.

The shock on Stan's face as he stared at Jeremy was comical. When Jeremy gestured at the door, Stan started for it, unable to stifle the smile that broke out on his face. And when he opened the door, he got even more surprised. With Paige and Philip was a surprise guest...

"Now what's this I'm hearing about you joining the cock trail, Stanley?" Jake T bellowed as he entered.

And even as the others burst into laughter, Stan said a quick thanks to Luna. Life without friends was indeed like boobs without nipples... Pointless!