Just stab him. It will make everything so much easier.
Apollo took a deep breath and said quickly, "Just shut up for five seconds. I promised Dad and Charlotte I would stop fighting with you. Make peace. So I have a present for you. For your birthday. And a peace offering. To make peace." Fuck he needed to shut up. Apollo pointed at the box.
"That's my birthday peace offering present?" Lachlan asked.
Apollo wanted to hit himself in the head. "Yes. You're welcome."
Lachlan opened the wooden case, and the smart-ass smile on his face slid off. "Is this..."
"I know you likeHighlander, like a big fucking nerd, so I got the fae to make you the MacLeod family sword. With Ironwood on the hilt. Because that's your name. Not MacLeod. It's a real sword that you can use to hit things. Or whatever," Apollo blabbed because his mouth wouldn't stop.
Lachlan lifted the sword out of the case and tested the weight. "Wow, this is perfectly balanced for me," he murmured.
"Yeah, well, the fae know their shit, and I got Emrys to talk to them about how you fight so that if you wanted to use it, it's made to move right or whatever the fuck swords do."
Apollo tried not to fidget, but he realized he was bouncing a little on his feet. This is why he hated being around Lachlan. It's like all his cool vanished, and his body just wanted to do its ownthing like he was a demented puppy. Lachlan smiled so brightly that Apollo actually rocked back under the intensity of it.
"Apollo, this is the best present I've ever been given," he said and placed the sword back in the box.
"Yeah, well, I wanted to get something that you would actually use," Apollo said.
Lachlan turned and before Apollo could pull his hands out of his pockets to defend himself, Lachlan pulled him into a hug.
"It's perfect. You didn't have to, but I love it so much," he said, his big arms holding Apollo close. Apollo's hands came out of his pockets, but instead of pushing Lachlan away, his traitorous arms went around him. Fuck, he smelled so good.
Lachlan's big hand cupped the back of Apollo's golden curls, and all of Apollo's resistance left him. He melted into Lachlan's chest, the side of his face fitting neatly in the groove of his shoulder.
Apollo's hand moved under the back of Lachlan's shirt and touched the hot skin underneath. Inside of Apollo, something woke up and growled happily. He didn't realize the sound was coming out of him until Lachlan laughed softly by his ear.
"Is that a good sound, or you're about to bite me sound?"
"Both," Apollo's mouth said without his brain's consent.
Lachlan's fingers twisted into Apollo's hair. "Your curls are so soft. I knew they would be."
Apollo breathed in Lachlan's scent, trying to memorize it, his alchemist brain already trying to label the notes of it. He turned his head, following the smell to Lachlan's neck where it was strongest. His mouth fixed on Lachlan's skin, the taste of him like ambrosia... Apollo's eyes snapped open, and he jumped backward out of Lachlan's grasp.
Lachlan's expression was burning hot as he looked down on him. "Apollo, your eyes..."
Apollo clenched them tight and opened them again. A clawing sensation ripped through his chest. Whatever was inside of him was pissed that he wasn't still in Lachlan’s embrace. It wanted to dig its fangs into Lachlan Ironwood like he was steak.
"Fuck. Fuck. No. Gotta go. Yay to peace," Apollo said, hurrying for the door.
"Apollo, please don't run. Stay and talk to me," Lachlan called.
Apollo didn't stop. He kept running with his eyes half shut until he collided with someone.
"What the hell, Apollo!" Imogen said, turning on him. He must have looked worse than he thought because Imogen took hold of him. "Hey, steady on, sweetie. Your eyes are glowing like a dragon. You need me to go get Taran?"
"No. No. Don't let anyone see," Apollo said, trying to get away and into the woods where he could calm down the clawing in his chest. Imogen wasn't like Lachlan when it came to respecting boundaries. She led him into the trees and pushed him up against the nearest one.
"Talk, sunspot, or I'm getting Taran," Imogen demanded.
"Lachlan..."
"What the fuck did he do? If he upset you with his shit, I'll kick his ass," Imogen replied.
Apollo laughed, but it came out like a sobbing growl. "He didn't do anything. It's me. I almost bit him. I don't want to hurt him. I..."
