THIS IS THE LAST SATURDAY NIGHT
THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THREE CHAPTERS
THREE CHAPTERS!
Not that I didn't enjoy this journey, this fic has helped me grow as a writer, but man am I glad it's over. Oh and as a side note: would anyone be interested in the soundtrack? I got bored one night and narrowed down my 'writing Saturday' playlist to a couple CDs worth.
ON WITH IT!
Title: Next Saturday
Chapter: 11/11 .........Together
Total Word Count: 37,336
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Dave/Hal
Spoilers: MGS1 and MGS2
Summery: There's only so far two men can bend. What happens when they break?
Past chapters linked here
David pushed the engineer back against the pillows before making his advance. He ached to press their bodies together, to feel Hal's heart beat next to his, but his partner's phobia made that impossible. Keeping that in mind he hovered above the other man just long enough to steal one more kiss before moving to settle between skinny legs. Being face to face with Hal's swollen desire made Dave's mouth go dry as that annoying uncertainty welled up again, but the annoyance he felt at being a virgin was far outweighed by the throbbing in his belly.
Sometimes the most effective way to learn is to be dropped into a situation, he told himself as he hooked one arm under his partner's thigh, reaching up with his other hand to gently squeeze and steady the hacker's length. I just have to... proceed with caution. Right.
The soldier kept his eyes on Hal's face as he slowly brought his lips down to kiss the tip. The engineer watched in a trance, his breath coming in short pants and his hands fisting in the sheets. When David took the first few inches into his mouth Hal threw his head to the side violently he swallowed the long moan that escaped his throat. Determined to make that happen again, the mercenary closed his eyes and bent his head to the task at hand. Licking, kissing, pumping the hard length... he went with his instincts as to what constituted good blow job and, given the smothered sounds escaping Hal's lips, his instincts seemed to be dead on.
"Ahnnnn..." Hal gasped. "David, pleAH...ha... please, Dave, please..."
"Yes," was the reply, more statement than question. The soldier never paused in his ministrations, absolutely loving the way his partner squirmed in wanton pleasure.
"Daaaaave," the hacker whined. He propped himself up on his elbows so he could try-and fail¬¬-¬to glare at the mercenary. By that point David was fully comfortable with the activity, so he locked eyes with his partner and licked Hal's hardness from base to tip. "Nhnn... damn it, I don't want it to end like this!"
With that the soldier finally froze. Hal caught his breath and then continued.
"I don't want to come yet. I..." his smile was all affection and longing. "I don't want to come until we're... you know... together."
".... Oh," was all that Dave could muster. The scorching fire of passion made way for the long burning heat of true caring. His throat constricted at the power of his feelings, rendering him mute as he gazed at the amazing man lying before him. It really hit him that this wasn't a dream or half-baked fantasy; this was real. His amazing, innocent, infuriating partner was sprawled out on the sheets with splayed legs and his face flushed with pleasure. It was too perfect to believe.
Then that wicked grin was back on Hal's face. "I don't want to come until you're pounding into me. Hard."
Scratch 'innocent', Dave thought as the fire raged back with a vengeance. It was only slightly tempered by beginner's anxiety. "How... how do I...?"
"Just take it slow," Hal encouraged as he grabbed the lube from where it had been dropped on the bed. Then he shot his partner the scolding look he usually reserved for smoking indoors, "But don't take it too slow. I'm not going to break." He pressed the tube into his partner's hand with a final sort of firmness.
David could only nod and mechanically unscrew the top. He squeezed some of the cool jelly onto his fingers and tried to convince himself that they weren't trembling. There was a teasing quality to Hal's smile that made it clear that he knew exactly how unsure the soldier felt. A part of Dave's fighting spirit raised its hackles but it was quickly toppled by the new surge of desire that came flooding in when he pushed his fingers inside his partner. The hacker's back curved when those fingers pressed deeper.
"Just... just a little more..." he gasped, twisting his hips on instinct.
"Don't want to hurt you," David replied in almost a plea. It was all he could do to keep himself in check as it was; with his Hal writhing on the sheets and begging for it... well, his control was quickly slipping. Remembering their first disastrous time together was all that held him back.
The engineer would have none of it. He propped himself up on his elbows and, despite Dave's fingers inside him and his painful erection lying against his belly, he managed to successfully glare venomous daggers at the other man.
"Do not. Treat me. Like glass," Hal ordered in a tone that left no room for argument.
Dave tried anyway. "I don't want to see you limping tomorrow."
"You're going to be the one limping if you don't get on with it."
The soldier blinked. Several times. In all the years he'd known Hal he'd never known the man to actually threaten anyone. The closest the programmer had ever gotten was promising to run Lucky Star 24/7 if a cigarette was ever lit in the apartment again. Dave didn't think Hal was capable of violence, but there he was faced with bafflingly intimidating gray eyes.
And damn if it wasn't the hottest thing he'd ever seen.
The shock must have shown because Hal's expression softened to concerned. "Are you okay?"
David shook his head with and grinned. "You just looked..." he started thrusting his fingers in and out, "intense."
Hal bit his lip and smiled when his partner stopped holding back. "I'm allowed to be intense after years of wanting you."
"Yeah?" The mercenary squeezed the other man's sac. "How many?"
"Mmmmm... M'not validating your ego."
"What do you think you're doing every time I get a moan out of you?"
"Then you don't-ahn-need any more hel-"
Dave touched something when he curled his fingers. Hal helplessly thrust off the bed as his arms failed him and he crashed back down. It must have caught the hacker off guard because there was no attempt to suppress the howl that tore from his lips.
"Aaaaaha..." the programmer huffed as the tremors started to slow. He slowly opened his eyes and gazed up at his frozen partner. "David, oh David..."
He struggled to sit up and the soldier met him halfway, their tongues colliding in an aggressive expression of all the months of longing, the years of loneliness, and the here and now of raging lust.
"Now," the hacker ordered when they broke away for air. "Please, David, I can't wait any more."
There was no argument. They both fumbled with foil wrappers and tubes until the condom was in place and they were both properly slicked up. The only thing that broke the silence was their ragged breaths as Hal settled back against the bed and David moved forward. They came together with a quiet gasp and before long they were rocking together, slowly at first but with building speed as they found their rhythm.
The soldier watched in rapture as Hal's spine formed that delicious arc, as those eyes fluttered with every thrust, as the quiet sounds of their lovemaking were drowned out by their mutual groans. Dave reached for his partner's neglected hardness and found his hand batted away.
"No, no," Hal desperately begged, "it'll end too soon, please..."
The calloused hand dropped back down to grip at pale hips. This is good, this is so good, but I want more. I want us to be closer...
An idea struck him and he leaned down to slip his arms under the engineer's back. Before Hal could even register the move he was straddling David's thighs. They were pressed together chest to chest, the heat of their bodies combining to send the fires raging higher.
"Is this okay?" Dave breathed as he experimentally bounced the man in his lap. Hal's only answer was to grab his partner's hair and crash their mouths together.
They didn't last long. All too soon their arms were tightening and indecently loud cries were being smothered against each other's necks, leaving them rocking against each other in the wake of crushing orgasms. As they rode it out they lifted their heads to share kisses far more tame than the ones that came before though no less intense. They touched and caressed, smoothing hands over damp skin as the trembling slowly faded.
If I had to pick one day that made it all worthwhile... this is it, David thought as he applied gentle suction to his partner's neck. This is the real thing.
He pulled back to gaze into the gray eyes that haunted his dreams, at the man who was both his greatest strength and greatest weakness. In that moment he wondered if he should say it out loud...
He bit his tongue. It was too soon and too dangerous to say it. At this point they might be able to convince their enemies that they were just fuck buddies... Dave groaned when he realized that he was already thinking about the mission. It had to come first, always came first, but did it have to come first right then?
Hal noticed and raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Just the real world creeping back in," Dave answered with irritation, though the sated grin didn't leave his face.
The hacker just smiled and kissed him again. "It can wait another until morning."
"Yeah. We've earned it."
~~*~~
Hal couldn't stop grinning like a fool and he couldn't bring himself to care. He hummed in absolute contentment as a wet, lazy trail was made across his neck and reveled in the feeling of those calloused hands still gripping his hips. There was absolutely nothing in the world that could be better than straddling this particular hard body.
Eventually, reluctantly, they broke apart. Hal slid off the mercenary's lap and started compulsively gathering bits of clothing and small foil packages while the other man took care of the condom. As the endorphins died away it really hit the engineer that this was real. He just had sex with his partner. Incredible, wonderful, amazing sex. And neither of them messed up royally this time.
He was brought out of his contemplation by the dull thump of David settling against the headboard. The hacker realized that he was sitting there, cross-legged and naked, with one hand raised to touch his tingling lips. Hal blushed and fidgeted, suddenly feeling silly.
His partner only smirked at the familiar behavior and beckoned him closer. There was a warmth to the soldier's expression, and a lingering hunger, that put the programmer at ease. The awkward feeling faded away as he closed the distance between them.
A patch of white in his vision caught his attention. Hal's eyes went wide as he remembered the soldier's injured arm.
Idiot! he berated as he reached to inspect the sweat-damp bandage. I stitched him up not four hours ago, I must've run my hand over the gauze a dozen times in the past thirty minutes, and I still managed to forget.
"Geeze, Hal, it's nothing." The soldier reached out and ran his hand down his partner's arm with definite suggestion. "Come on. It's all right."
The hacker batted the hand away and continued his inspection, grabbing for his glasses and the nightstand light so he could see properly.
David sat back with a feigned irritation. "Here I thought I'd be able to utilize underhanded sexual tactics for at least a week..."
The other man couldn't keep from smiling. Unabashed he lowered a hand to squeeze the mercenary's still slick length. Dave jerked at the unexpected touch before closing his eyes and groaning softly.
"It looks like I'm the one with the upper hand in this department," Hal said, a true wolf in sheep's clothing. His partner's only response was to grab him by the back of the neck and kiss him deeply.
"Mmmmhm..." David rumbled as they broke apart, appreciatively running his thumb across the hacker's jaw. "I'm starting to think that I got more that I bargained for in taking you to bed."
He was met by sparkling gray eyes. "Having second thoughts?"
"Not on your life."
It was another ten minutes before their drying release forced them into the bathroom to clean the sticky remnants away. All the way through mopping up and rewrapping Dave's arm there was teasing banter, loving touches, and sweet kisses. Hal was amazed at how easy it was to be lovers. All their months of painful longing, all the screwed up weeks following their screwed up one night stand, and finally when the moment came they fell into the romance like it was an old habit. Hal felt so secure, so safe. He'd never felt so comfortable with anyone.
The engineer didn't doubt that Dave felt something of the same; while the soldier was physical in their friendship, as a lover in the aftermath he was surprisingly affectionate. There was hardly a moment when a rough hand wasn't caressing pale skin, that smiling lips weren't chastely pressed against temple or cheek. Even with all his years of practice at doubting every good thing to come his way, Hal had no problem pushing away the insecurity when it reared its head.
He wasn't alone in caring this time. It was more than sex, so much more, for both of them.
Hal set his glasses on the counter and then leaned into the hard body before him, arms around his soldier's neck and hands absently toying with coarse locks. Nose to nose they stood, rough palms sliding over a skinny back as they traded tender kisses. Still in awe of how relaxed they both were the programmer playfully said, "You're awfully mushy right now. Never would have guessed."
"Mmhm..." David breathed as he moved his mouth to the hacker's ear. "It's classified information. If you tell anyone I'm going to have to kill you."
"You wouldn't make it a day without me," Hal laughed as he hugged his partner close.
Dave's voice was serious when he softly replied, "I know."
Hal spent a couple seconds wondering what to say to that before crushing their mouths together desperately. His soldier responded in kind, pushing open the bathroom door and steering them both towards the hacker's bed. They fell upon the clean covers with hardly a pause.
Just as Hal was starting to think that he needed to retrieve their supplies, despite the bullet hole in their soldier's arm, another little thought came nagging...
With an annoyed 'mph' he stopped leaving marks on his partner's collarbone. He knew how his own mind worked; if he didn't get it off his chest then it would fester and get a million times worse. So even though he desperately wanted to push the thought back and get seriously started on round two, he lifted his head to meet the gaze of his confused friend.
"Something wrong?" Dave asked, obviously worried. The concern warmed Hal in a way that the fires of lust never could. He smiled and gently brushed the soldier's rough cheek with the back of his hand, caught up in the joy of being the object of such caring desire.
"No. Everything's..." the programmer laughed at the sheer impossibility of this scenario playing out, "...perfect."
David relaxed. He turned his head to kiss the hand stroking his face but otherwise waited for Hal to continue.
The engineer bit his lip and told himself to get it over with. "I wasn't completely truthful back there. I mean... well..." Hal took a deep breath and forced himself to get it over with. "I didn't sleep with him.
The blank look on David's face probably meant that he needed a moment to process the information, but now that the gates were open there was no stopping the flood.
"Well, not any farther than you... already figured out. I was supposed to pick up protection and then you showed up and I realized that-"
"You were limping."
Hal blinked while the neurons connected. "Oh! Oh. Well... when you left I went back inside, and I was so twisted up that when he tried to kiss me again," he flushed with embarrassment, "I kind of threw up. Made it to his bathroom at least, and then he was there looking confused and hurt and he didn't do anything wrong and I felt horrible... so I ran. I tripped on the last step and crashed into the wall. Bruised my hip and my cheek..."
He trailed off and looked at the wall, waiting for David to digest the new information so they could get back to what they were doing.
"You didn't tell me?"
Hal's head snapped back around at the anger in those words. The body lying under him was suddenly battle-tense and breathing rapidly. He could see the quick flare of the soldier's short fuse lighting in flashing green eyes.
And suddenly Hal felt that fury mirrored and matched in his own heart.
~~*~~
"I can't believe you," the hacker snarled as he rolled off his partner and the bed. He stomped to the bathroom and reemerged a moment later wearing his glasses and hastily wrapping the soldier's towel around his waist. "You're mad at me for not telling you about my sex life?" Once the towel was secure, Hal stormed back to stand beside the mattress and glare at his partner.
Dave was glaring back. "I haven't been able to think straight for days because I couldn't stop imagining that..." he couldn't think of a word vile enough, "man fucking you, and you didn't tell me that nothing serious happened? Damn straight I'm pissed at you!"
"How many haven't you told me about?" Hal all but yelled.
The soldier swung his legs over the side of the bed and started to get up. "I don't even know what you're talking about n-"
The programmer, usually so docile and non-confrontational, shoved David back down to sit on the edge of the mattress. It finally clicked that his partner had blown past furious and gone straight to a level of outright physical rage that the soldier had never even caught a glimpse of before that night. The realization cut through the rage just enough to keep his mouth shut as Hal loomed over him.
"You listen to me," the hacker said in a low, controlled voice, "and you think. How many Saturdays? How many women, Dave?"
The color drained from the steadfast soldier's face as the statement hit home. The anger and resentment were instantly replaced with bone-crushing regret that hit him like a train. He remained frozen as his partner steamrolled on.
"Let me guess. By my math it was six, right? Seven? Or were you so drunk that you can't even remember how many nights you left me here to imagine what you were..." the fury behind his words faded, revealing the pain lurking beneath, "what you were doing with them? All of them?"
David had no answer. His partner's math and assumptions were dead on. They stared at each other, unblinking and unmoving, as the silence stretched between them like miles. After what seemed like hours Hal broke their gaze, looking at the floor and softly laughing in a humorless way that could only lead to hysterics.
"Fine," he said, tone flat and dead. "Okay."
The soldier saw his partner turn away in slow motion, head down and shoulders hunched in utter defeat. He gaped, somehow unable to comprehend what he was seeing. It wasn't until he was staring at the smooth skin of the hacker's back, when Hal started to take that first step towards the door, that he snapped back to the present.
He lunged, reached, and caught the other man around the middle. Still sitting David slid his arms around the slender waist and held his partner tightly, cheek pressed against the slight bumps of the hacker's spine. He breathed in the scent of that pale skin that had so recently been kissed by sex. Hal didn't say anything, but he didn't try to leave. That gave the soldier hope.
"I'm so sorry, Hal," he said with all the sincerity and honesty he had. "You're right. You're always right. I'm the biggest idiot that ever lived and I will never deserve someone like-"
The hacker suddenly fought at the arms restraining him. Dave couldn't trap Hal again, no matter how much it would hurt, so he let go. He hung his head and had just begun mourning the loss of their budding romance, and the friendship that was so much more important, when he suddenly found the sheets at his back and his partner's legs pressed against his hips.
No words were said. They both clutched at each other in desperation, grabbing hair so hard it hurt and gripping skin so violently it threatened to bruise. Neither man cared. All that mattered was getting as close as possible, sharing fierce kisses, needing to prove to themselves that the moment was real.
The frantic energy was quickly spent. Dave flopped down first as the blood loss finally got to him. Hal slowed, moving to lie next to his partner and wound down by raking his teeth and tongue across the soldier's neck. Eventually they both lay still save for the rise and fall of their chests and the small motion of their hands delivering gentle caresses.
"Hmmmm..." Hal sighed happily, pressing another affectionate kiss against his partner's shoulder. "This is nice."
David smiled and pulled the hacker a little closer. "Yeah, it is."
A long pause. Hal propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at his soldier. "Um... Dave?"
"Hm?"
The engineer bit his lip and looked guilty. "I... I'm sorry. For not telling you. About... yeah."
David seemed to consider something for a moment before pulling Hal down on top of him. He held his partner's face in his hands, making sure they were looking each other in the eye before speaking.
"Hal..." The soldier's tone and expression were all seriousness, "don't you ever apologize for something like that."
"But-"
"I mean it. You're right. You're right about everything, about..." shame passed across that rugged face, "about everything. I don't deserve you."
"Dave..."
The soldier's face was the very picture of sincerity and remorse. "I don't deserve you."
Hal couldn't help smiling as he was filled with a warm glow. He kissed his partner soundly and, for once, he didn't argue.
By that point they were both exhausted, both physically and emotionally, so they called it a night. They settled under the covers with Hal's head pillowed on David's shoulder and their arms around each other.
"It really is a good thing we slowed down," the programmer mumbled after they got settled. "You need to rest."
Dave grinned and moved his hand to his partner's hips. "So I guess I need to stay in bed all day tomorrow..."
Hal smacked the wandering hand and huffed in annoyance. "Is this a preview of what I'll have to deal with from now on?"
"If you don't want me jumping you then you shouldn't look so damn sexy all the time."
The hacker's face flushed hot and he meekly asked that they just go to sleep. His partner laughed and agreed, but only after one more quick grope. Once Hal was done squeaking in surprise and Dave was done laughing they settled in for the night.
When the dawn came on Sunday the light streamed into the east-facing window and woke Hal. He groggily pressed his face into the warm firmness he lay on and willed the sun to go back to sleep. It took a few minutes for the genius scientist to figure out exactly what-or rather who-he was lying on. His head shot up and he blinked against the sudden onslaught to his optic nerves. As his eyes adjusted David's sleeping form came into focus.
Hal blushed as the events of the night before came flooding into his memory, and had to stifle an overjoyed giggle. It was enough to bring the soldier back to consciousness. For a moment he blinked at his partner in confusion, but comprehension quickly dawned and that roguish grin was back. They kissed, made faces at their combined morning breath, and then fell back against the pillows laughing.
Once they calmed down Hal looked at the clock and sighed. Dave raised an eyebrow in question.
The hacker gestured to the mass of cords and computers already taking shape on the other side of the room. "I have to start decoding."
David didn't bother asking if it could wait; he knew it couldn't. He permitted himself a few more minutes in bed, spent lewdly watching his naked partner rummage around in a travel bag, before he too got up and made for his room to start morning exercise.
They both knew that this new dimension to their relationship wasn't going to make anything easier. If word got out that they were lovers it would make things a hell of a lot worse. Even so, the harder trials would be easier to bear with this new method of stress relief at their disposal. The comfort gained from a gentle caress, the boost in morale at a teasing touch, the deep contentment felt in the shuddering aftermath... they both felt it was all worth it.
THREE CHAPTERS!
Not that I didn't enjoy this journey, this fic has helped me grow as a writer, but man am I glad it's over. Oh and as a side note: would anyone be interested in the soundtrack? I got bored one night and narrowed down my 'writing Saturday' playlist to a couple CDs worth.
ON WITH IT!
Title: Next Saturday
Chapter: 11/11 .........Together
Total Word Count: 37,336
Rating: NC-17
Characters: Dave/Hal
Spoilers: MGS1 and MGS2
Summery: There's only so far two men can bend. What happens when they break?
Past chapters linked here
David pushed the engineer back against the pillows before making his advance. He ached to press their bodies together, to feel Hal's heart beat next to his, but his partner's phobia made that impossible. Keeping that in mind he hovered above the other man just long enough to steal one more kiss before moving to settle between skinny legs. Being face to face with Hal's swollen desire made Dave's mouth go dry as that annoying uncertainty welled up again, but the annoyance he felt at being a virgin was far outweighed by the throbbing in his belly.
Sometimes the most effective way to learn is to be dropped into a situation, he told himself as he hooked one arm under his partner's thigh, reaching up with his other hand to gently squeeze and steady the hacker's length. I just have to... proceed with caution. Right.
The soldier kept his eyes on Hal's face as he slowly brought his lips down to kiss the tip. The engineer watched in a trance, his breath coming in short pants and his hands fisting in the sheets. When David took the first few inches into his mouth Hal threw his head to the side violently he swallowed the long moan that escaped his throat. Determined to make that happen again, the mercenary closed his eyes and bent his head to the task at hand. Licking, kissing, pumping the hard length... he went with his instincts as to what constituted good blow job and, given the smothered sounds escaping Hal's lips, his instincts seemed to be dead on.
"Ahnnnn..." Hal gasped. "David, pleAH...ha... please, Dave, please..."
"Yes," was the reply, more statement than question. The soldier never paused in his ministrations, absolutely loving the way his partner squirmed in wanton pleasure.
"Daaaaave," the hacker whined. He propped himself up on his elbows so he could try-and fail¬¬-¬to glare at the mercenary. By that point David was fully comfortable with the activity, so he locked eyes with his partner and licked Hal's hardness from base to tip. "Nhnn... damn it, I don't want it to end like this!"
With that the soldier finally froze. Hal caught his breath and then continued.
"I don't want to come yet. I..." his smile was all affection and longing. "I don't want to come until we're... you know... together."
".... Oh," was all that Dave could muster. The scorching fire of passion made way for the long burning heat of true caring. His throat constricted at the power of his feelings, rendering him mute as he gazed at the amazing man lying before him. It really hit him that this wasn't a dream or half-baked fantasy; this was real. His amazing, innocent, infuriating partner was sprawled out on the sheets with splayed legs and his face flushed with pleasure. It was too perfect to believe.
Then that wicked grin was back on Hal's face. "I don't want to come until you're pounding into me. Hard."
Scratch 'innocent', Dave thought as the fire raged back with a vengeance. It was only slightly tempered by beginner's anxiety. "How... how do I...?"
"Just take it slow," Hal encouraged as he grabbed the lube from where it had been dropped on the bed. Then he shot his partner the scolding look he usually reserved for smoking indoors, "But don't take it too slow. I'm not going to break." He pressed the tube into his partner's hand with a final sort of firmness.
David could only nod and mechanically unscrew the top. He squeezed some of the cool jelly onto his fingers and tried to convince himself that they weren't trembling. There was a teasing quality to Hal's smile that made it clear that he knew exactly how unsure the soldier felt. A part of Dave's fighting spirit raised its hackles but it was quickly toppled by the new surge of desire that came flooding in when he pushed his fingers inside his partner. The hacker's back curved when those fingers pressed deeper.
"Just... just a little more..." he gasped, twisting his hips on instinct.
"Don't want to hurt you," David replied in almost a plea. It was all he could do to keep himself in check as it was; with his Hal writhing on the sheets and begging for it... well, his control was quickly slipping. Remembering their first disastrous time together was all that held him back.
The engineer would have none of it. He propped himself up on his elbows and, despite Dave's fingers inside him and his painful erection lying against his belly, he managed to successfully glare venomous daggers at the other man.
"Do not. Treat me. Like glass," Hal ordered in a tone that left no room for argument.
Dave tried anyway. "I don't want to see you limping tomorrow."
"You're going to be the one limping if you don't get on with it."
The soldier blinked. Several times. In all the years he'd known Hal he'd never known the man to actually threaten anyone. The closest the programmer had ever gotten was promising to run Lucky Star 24/7 if a cigarette was ever lit in the apartment again. Dave didn't think Hal was capable of violence, but there he was faced with bafflingly intimidating gray eyes.
And damn if it wasn't the hottest thing he'd ever seen.
The shock must have shown because Hal's expression softened to concerned. "Are you okay?"
David shook his head with and grinned. "You just looked..." he started thrusting his fingers in and out, "intense."
Hal bit his lip and smiled when his partner stopped holding back. "I'm allowed to be intense after years of wanting you."
"Yeah?" The mercenary squeezed the other man's sac. "How many?"
"Mmmmm... M'not validating your ego."
"What do you think you're doing every time I get a moan out of you?"
"Then you don't-ahn-need any more hel-"
Dave touched something when he curled his fingers. Hal helplessly thrust off the bed as his arms failed him and he crashed back down. It must have caught the hacker off guard because there was no attempt to suppress the howl that tore from his lips.
"Aaaaaha..." the programmer huffed as the tremors started to slow. He slowly opened his eyes and gazed up at his frozen partner. "David, oh David..."
He struggled to sit up and the soldier met him halfway, their tongues colliding in an aggressive expression of all the months of longing, the years of loneliness, and the here and now of raging lust.
"Now," the hacker ordered when they broke away for air. "Please, David, I can't wait any more."
There was no argument. They both fumbled with foil wrappers and tubes until the condom was in place and they were both properly slicked up. The only thing that broke the silence was their ragged breaths as Hal settled back against the bed and David moved forward. They came together with a quiet gasp and before long they were rocking together, slowly at first but with building speed as they found their rhythm.
The soldier watched in rapture as Hal's spine formed that delicious arc, as those eyes fluttered with every thrust, as the quiet sounds of their lovemaking were drowned out by their mutual groans. Dave reached for his partner's neglected hardness and found his hand batted away.
"No, no," Hal desperately begged, "it'll end too soon, please..."
The calloused hand dropped back down to grip at pale hips. This is good, this is so good, but I want more. I want us to be closer...
An idea struck him and he leaned down to slip his arms under the engineer's back. Before Hal could even register the move he was straddling David's thighs. They were pressed together chest to chest, the heat of their bodies combining to send the fires raging higher.
"Is this okay?" Dave breathed as he experimentally bounced the man in his lap. Hal's only answer was to grab his partner's hair and crash their mouths together.
They didn't last long. All too soon their arms were tightening and indecently loud cries were being smothered against each other's necks, leaving them rocking against each other in the wake of crushing orgasms. As they rode it out they lifted their heads to share kisses far more tame than the ones that came before though no less intense. They touched and caressed, smoothing hands over damp skin as the trembling slowly faded.
If I had to pick one day that made it all worthwhile... this is it, David thought as he applied gentle suction to his partner's neck. This is the real thing.
He pulled back to gaze into the gray eyes that haunted his dreams, at the man who was both his greatest strength and greatest weakness. In that moment he wondered if he should say it out loud...
He bit his tongue. It was too soon and too dangerous to say it. At this point they might be able to convince their enemies that they were just fuck buddies... Dave groaned when he realized that he was already thinking about the mission. It had to come first, always came first, but did it have to come first right then?
Hal noticed and raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Just the real world creeping back in," Dave answered with irritation, though the sated grin didn't leave his face.
The hacker just smiled and kissed him again. "It can wait another until morning."
"Yeah. We've earned it."
~~*~~
Hal couldn't stop grinning like a fool and he couldn't bring himself to care. He hummed in absolute contentment as a wet, lazy trail was made across his neck and reveled in the feeling of those calloused hands still gripping his hips. There was absolutely nothing in the world that could be better than straddling this particular hard body.
Eventually, reluctantly, they broke apart. Hal slid off the mercenary's lap and started compulsively gathering bits of clothing and small foil packages while the other man took care of the condom. As the endorphins died away it really hit the engineer that this was real. He just had sex with his partner. Incredible, wonderful, amazing sex. And neither of them messed up royally this time.
He was brought out of his contemplation by the dull thump of David settling against the headboard. The hacker realized that he was sitting there, cross-legged and naked, with one hand raised to touch his tingling lips. Hal blushed and fidgeted, suddenly feeling silly.
His partner only smirked at the familiar behavior and beckoned him closer. There was a warmth to the soldier's expression, and a lingering hunger, that put the programmer at ease. The awkward feeling faded away as he closed the distance between them.
A patch of white in his vision caught his attention. Hal's eyes went wide as he remembered the soldier's injured arm.
Idiot! he berated as he reached to inspect the sweat-damp bandage. I stitched him up not four hours ago, I must've run my hand over the gauze a dozen times in the past thirty minutes, and I still managed to forget.
"Geeze, Hal, it's nothing." The soldier reached out and ran his hand down his partner's arm with definite suggestion. "Come on. It's all right."
The hacker batted the hand away and continued his inspection, grabbing for his glasses and the nightstand light so he could see properly.
David sat back with a feigned irritation. "Here I thought I'd be able to utilize underhanded sexual tactics for at least a week..."
The other man couldn't keep from smiling. Unabashed he lowered a hand to squeeze the mercenary's still slick length. Dave jerked at the unexpected touch before closing his eyes and groaning softly.
"It looks like I'm the one with the upper hand in this department," Hal said, a true wolf in sheep's clothing. His partner's only response was to grab him by the back of the neck and kiss him deeply.
"Mmmmhm..." David rumbled as they broke apart, appreciatively running his thumb across the hacker's jaw. "I'm starting to think that I got more that I bargained for in taking you to bed."
He was met by sparkling gray eyes. "Having second thoughts?"
"Not on your life."
It was another ten minutes before their drying release forced them into the bathroom to clean the sticky remnants away. All the way through mopping up and rewrapping Dave's arm there was teasing banter, loving touches, and sweet kisses. Hal was amazed at how easy it was to be lovers. All their months of painful longing, all the screwed up weeks following their screwed up one night stand, and finally when the moment came they fell into the romance like it was an old habit. Hal felt so secure, so safe. He'd never felt so comfortable with anyone.
The engineer didn't doubt that Dave felt something of the same; while the soldier was physical in their friendship, as a lover in the aftermath he was surprisingly affectionate. There was hardly a moment when a rough hand wasn't caressing pale skin, that smiling lips weren't chastely pressed against temple or cheek. Even with all his years of practice at doubting every good thing to come his way, Hal had no problem pushing away the insecurity when it reared its head.
He wasn't alone in caring this time. It was more than sex, so much more, for both of them.
Hal set his glasses on the counter and then leaned into the hard body before him, arms around his soldier's neck and hands absently toying with coarse locks. Nose to nose they stood, rough palms sliding over a skinny back as they traded tender kisses. Still in awe of how relaxed they both were the programmer playfully said, "You're awfully mushy right now. Never would have guessed."
"Mmhm..." David breathed as he moved his mouth to the hacker's ear. "It's classified information. If you tell anyone I'm going to have to kill you."
"You wouldn't make it a day without me," Hal laughed as he hugged his partner close.
Dave's voice was serious when he softly replied, "I know."
Hal spent a couple seconds wondering what to say to that before crushing their mouths together desperately. His soldier responded in kind, pushing open the bathroom door and steering them both towards the hacker's bed. They fell upon the clean covers with hardly a pause.
Just as Hal was starting to think that he needed to retrieve their supplies, despite the bullet hole in their soldier's arm, another little thought came nagging...
With an annoyed 'mph' he stopped leaving marks on his partner's collarbone. He knew how his own mind worked; if he didn't get it off his chest then it would fester and get a million times worse. So even though he desperately wanted to push the thought back and get seriously started on round two, he lifted his head to meet the gaze of his confused friend.
"Something wrong?" Dave asked, obviously worried. The concern warmed Hal in a way that the fires of lust never could. He smiled and gently brushed the soldier's rough cheek with the back of his hand, caught up in the joy of being the object of such caring desire.
"No. Everything's..." the programmer laughed at the sheer impossibility of this scenario playing out, "...perfect."
David relaxed. He turned his head to kiss the hand stroking his face but otherwise waited for Hal to continue.
The engineer bit his lip and told himself to get it over with. "I wasn't completely truthful back there. I mean... well..." Hal took a deep breath and forced himself to get it over with. "I didn't sleep with him.
The blank look on David's face probably meant that he needed a moment to process the information, but now that the gates were open there was no stopping the flood.
"Well, not any farther than you... already figured out. I was supposed to pick up protection and then you showed up and I realized that-"
"You were limping."
Hal blinked while the neurons connected. "Oh! Oh. Well... when you left I went back inside, and I was so twisted up that when he tried to kiss me again," he flushed with embarrassment, "I kind of threw up. Made it to his bathroom at least, and then he was there looking confused and hurt and he didn't do anything wrong and I felt horrible... so I ran. I tripped on the last step and crashed into the wall. Bruised my hip and my cheek..."
He trailed off and looked at the wall, waiting for David to digest the new information so they could get back to what they were doing.
"You didn't tell me?"
Hal's head snapped back around at the anger in those words. The body lying under him was suddenly battle-tense and breathing rapidly. He could see the quick flare of the soldier's short fuse lighting in flashing green eyes.
And suddenly Hal felt that fury mirrored and matched in his own heart.
~~*~~
"I can't believe you," the hacker snarled as he rolled off his partner and the bed. He stomped to the bathroom and reemerged a moment later wearing his glasses and hastily wrapping the soldier's towel around his waist. "You're mad at me for not telling you about my sex life?" Once the towel was secure, Hal stormed back to stand beside the mattress and glare at his partner.
Dave was glaring back. "I haven't been able to think straight for days because I couldn't stop imagining that..." he couldn't think of a word vile enough, "man fucking you, and you didn't tell me that nothing serious happened? Damn straight I'm pissed at you!"
"How many haven't you told me about?" Hal all but yelled.
The soldier swung his legs over the side of the bed and started to get up. "I don't even know what you're talking about n-"
The programmer, usually so docile and non-confrontational, shoved David back down to sit on the edge of the mattress. It finally clicked that his partner had blown past furious and gone straight to a level of outright physical rage that the soldier had never even caught a glimpse of before that night. The realization cut through the rage just enough to keep his mouth shut as Hal loomed over him.
"You listen to me," the hacker said in a low, controlled voice, "and you think. How many Saturdays? How many women, Dave?"
The color drained from the steadfast soldier's face as the statement hit home. The anger and resentment were instantly replaced with bone-crushing regret that hit him like a train. He remained frozen as his partner steamrolled on.
"Let me guess. By my math it was six, right? Seven? Or were you so drunk that you can't even remember how many nights you left me here to imagine what you were..." the fury behind his words faded, revealing the pain lurking beneath, "what you were doing with them? All of them?"
David had no answer. His partner's math and assumptions were dead on. They stared at each other, unblinking and unmoving, as the silence stretched between them like miles. After what seemed like hours Hal broke their gaze, looking at the floor and softly laughing in a humorless way that could only lead to hysterics.
"Fine," he said, tone flat and dead. "Okay."
The soldier saw his partner turn away in slow motion, head down and shoulders hunched in utter defeat. He gaped, somehow unable to comprehend what he was seeing. It wasn't until he was staring at the smooth skin of the hacker's back, when Hal started to take that first step towards the door, that he snapped back to the present.
He lunged, reached, and caught the other man around the middle. Still sitting David slid his arms around the slender waist and held his partner tightly, cheek pressed against the slight bumps of the hacker's spine. He breathed in the scent of that pale skin that had so recently been kissed by sex. Hal didn't say anything, but he didn't try to leave. That gave the soldier hope.
"I'm so sorry, Hal," he said with all the sincerity and honesty he had. "You're right. You're always right. I'm the biggest idiot that ever lived and I will never deserve someone like-"
The hacker suddenly fought at the arms restraining him. Dave couldn't trap Hal again, no matter how much it would hurt, so he let go. He hung his head and had just begun mourning the loss of their budding romance, and the friendship that was so much more important, when he suddenly found the sheets at his back and his partner's legs pressed against his hips.
No words were said. They both clutched at each other in desperation, grabbing hair so hard it hurt and gripping skin so violently it threatened to bruise. Neither man cared. All that mattered was getting as close as possible, sharing fierce kisses, needing to prove to themselves that the moment was real.
The frantic energy was quickly spent. Dave flopped down first as the blood loss finally got to him. Hal slowed, moving to lie next to his partner and wound down by raking his teeth and tongue across the soldier's neck. Eventually they both lay still save for the rise and fall of their chests and the small motion of their hands delivering gentle caresses.
"Hmmmm..." Hal sighed happily, pressing another affectionate kiss against his partner's shoulder. "This is nice."
David smiled and pulled the hacker a little closer. "Yeah, it is."
A long pause. Hal propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at his soldier. "Um... Dave?"
"Hm?"
The engineer bit his lip and looked guilty. "I... I'm sorry. For not telling you. About... yeah."
David seemed to consider something for a moment before pulling Hal down on top of him. He held his partner's face in his hands, making sure they were looking each other in the eye before speaking.
"Hal..." The soldier's tone and expression were all seriousness, "don't you ever apologize for something like that."
"But-"
"I mean it. You're right. You're right about everything, about..." shame passed across that rugged face, "about everything. I don't deserve you."
"Dave..."
The soldier's face was the very picture of sincerity and remorse. "I don't deserve you."
Hal couldn't help smiling as he was filled with a warm glow. He kissed his partner soundly and, for once, he didn't argue.
By that point they were both exhausted, both physically and emotionally, so they called it a night. They settled under the covers with Hal's head pillowed on David's shoulder and their arms around each other.
"It really is a good thing we slowed down," the programmer mumbled after they got settled. "You need to rest."
Dave grinned and moved his hand to his partner's hips. "So I guess I need to stay in bed all day tomorrow..."
Hal smacked the wandering hand and huffed in annoyance. "Is this a preview of what I'll have to deal with from now on?"
"If you don't want me jumping you then you shouldn't look so damn sexy all the time."
The hacker's face flushed hot and he meekly asked that they just go to sleep. His partner laughed and agreed, but only after one more quick grope. Once Hal was done squeaking in surprise and Dave was done laughing they settled in for the night.
When the dawn came on Sunday the light streamed into the east-facing window and woke Hal. He groggily pressed his face into the warm firmness he lay on and willed the sun to go back to sleep. It took a few minutes for the genius scientist to figure out exactly what-or rather who-he was lying on. His head shot up and he blinked against the sudden onslaught to his optic nerves. As his eyes adjusted David's sleeping form came into focus.
Hal blushed as the events of the night before came flooding into his memory, and had to stifle an overjoyed giggle. It was enough to bring the soldier back to consciousness. For a moment he blinked at his partner in confusion, but comprehension quickly dawned and that roguish grin was back. They kissed, made faces at their combined morning breath, and then fell back against the pillows laughing.
Once they calmed down Hal looked at the clock and sighed. Dave raised an eyebrow in question.
The hacker gestured to the mass of cords and computers already taking shape on the other side of the room. "I have to start decoding."
David didn't bother asking if it could wait; he knew it couldn't. He permitted himself a few more minutes in bed, spent lewdly watching his naked partner rummage around in a travel bag, before he too got up and made for his room to start morning exercise.
They both knew that this new dimension to their relationship wasn't going to make anything easier. If word got out that they were lovers it would make things a hell of a lot worse. Even so, the harder trials would be easier to bear with this new method of stress relief at their disposal. The comfort gained from a gentle caress, the boost in morale at a teasing touch, the deep contentment felt in the shuddering aftermath... they both felt it was all worth it.