Michael's POV

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God help me, I'm screwed up.

I didn't know he was going to do that; I was suprised as everyone
else was when Tazz stormed into the ring.  One minute he's sitting
next to me with an unreadable look on his face and the next he's
facing down Austin, demanding an apology.

For me.

And to be honest, if he had told me what he was planning, I would've
begged him not to even think about it, to just let it go.  That's
what I was prepared to do if Austin had kept his distance - and if
that makes me a coward, then fine, I am.  But ever since Austin won
the title he's been scaring the hell out of me and I don't want me or
anyone I love getting in the Rattlesnake's way.  Not when he's become
the definition of brutality.

There.  I said it.  I love him.  I love Tazz - Peter - whatever you
want to call him.

Now do you see why I say I'm screwed up?

I've wanted him for months now and I've NEVER wanted another man
before.  Never even gave it a thought, you know?  Hell, I've never
wanted ANYONE like this, not even my wife and I love her dearly.  But
this...this is so different from anything I've ever felt before.
This is so intense it's frightens me.

But what scares me even more is the fact that I think he feels the
same way.  I saw it in his eyes right before he went charging after
Austin like something out of a fairy tale.  My knight in shining
armor - he's so tough that an analogy like that shouldn't fit him,
but it does.

What am I going to do?

I wish...I know it's pointless, but I still wish...

What would he do if I found the courage to tell him?  What would I do
if he found the nerve to tell me?

Maybe I'm just reading too much into this whole thing.

I paused in front of the open training room door, watching the on-
call doctor check Tazz over.  "How're you doing?"

"Not too bad, Coleslaw. Could've been worse," he said, flashing me a
grin.  He glanced at the doctor.  "Hey, can I get out of here or
what?"

He nodded, slinging his stethescope around his neck.  "You're free to
go, but I suggst you take it easy for a day or so.  You recieved a
pretty bad beating."

Tazz snorted.  "Not as bad as the one Austin's gonna get next time I
see him," he promised, his voice hard.  "Thanks, Doc."  He jumped off
the table and put his shirt back on, glancing at me as he did
so.  "C'mon, Cole.  Let's blow this place."

I was more than ready to agree.  "Where to?" I asked as we headed
down the hall.

"Anyplace is better than here right now," Tazz said as we walked.  We
turned a corner, heading for the locker room.  "Just le tme grab my
bag and we'll be outta here."  He paused.  "There's a diner not too
far.  Wanna grab something?"

I wasn't hungry; watching the beating Tazz had taken and Austin
taunting me had killed whatever appetite I had.  I didn't want to be
alone, though, and I could tell that my partner didn't want to be
either.  "Okay, sure."

The two of us went into the locker room and Tazz grabbed his
duffel.  "You okay?" he suddenly asked, giving me a concerned look.

The question suprised me; he had just been beaten half to death and
he was asking ME if I was okay?!  "Fine," I said
automatically.  "You're the one who got the hell kicked out of him,
not me."

The moment it came out of my mouth I wish it hadn't; Tazz doesn't
like to be reminded of failure.  He didn't get angry, though; he just
shrugged instead.  "Yeah, I know."  He looked up and our eyes
met.  "But you had to watch."

I swallowed hard, remembering the pounding of my heart, the fear that
had churned my stomach and caused me to hide under the announcers
table.  I had been afraid during my own beating, but that had been
nothing like the petrified helplessness I felt earlier.  "I'm okay,"
I said again.  "Really.  I just..." I suddenly turned away.  "I
should've done something."

"You did."  I stared at Tazz, confused.  "You did the best thing you
could do.  You didn't let him rattle you into getting your ass kicked
again and you hightailed it outta there."

I ducked my head, feeling vaguely ashamed.  "Didn't do you much
good," I mumbled as I sat down on a nearby bench.  "I just left you
there."

"And I'm damn glad you did."  Dropping his bag, Tazz sat down next to
me.  "All the while he was kicking the shit outta me...I was glad he
was in a way."  He glanced over at me.  "Least he was leaving you
alone."

I couldn't help staring at him.  Tazz had been worried out me?
Afraid for me?

"That's what I kept hoping for up until he knocked me out," he
continued softly.  "That he'd be...you know..satisfied with me."

"He wasn't," I murmured, a shiver running through me as I
remembered.  I don't know where I found the strength to defy him, to
walk away. Anger had a lot to do with it, combined with my
overwhelming worry for Tazz.  A good bit of it however had been
pride; I wasn't about to let myself be beaten down like that again.
Especially by someone who was WWF champion for only one reason
according to the rumors backstage.

"I know," he said, suprising me a little.  "I caught the tail end of
his rant.  you did good, walking away."  he paused, hesitating a
moment, then one of his large hands landed on my shoulder.  "But you
gotta watch your back from now on, you hear me?  Doing that really
pissed him off; he'll come gunning for you now."

I sighed.  "I know."  Back to looking over my shoulder, back to
making sure I never ended up alone late at night in the arena, back
to watching every word that came out of my mouth so I didn't anger
the monster even more.  Back to being the scared, abused kid I was
back in high school.  Austin wasn't the first bully I've crossed
paths with and considering everything, he wouldn't be the last.  I've
been picked on and beaten up my entire life; the only thing different
here in the WWF is that the guys are a lot bigger.  And they know a
lot more way to hurt you.

"You sure you're okay?" Tazz asked again, his hand still on my
shoulder.  I wasn't sure why, but the touch was comforting.  "You're
still kinda shaky."

I forced myself to nod and smile.  "I'm fine.  Just a natural born
coward, I guess."

Tazz immediately shook his head.  "No coward would've stood hi ground
like that," he said harshly.  "And I didn't see anyone come out to
help you.  Not tonight and not last week, either."  Patting my
shoulder, he stood up.  "Don't sell yourself short, Coleslaw.  You
may not get into the ring, but you've got more guts than some of the
chumps who do.  Okay?"

I couldn't help smiling at that.  "Okay.  Thanks."  I paused,
hesitating a moment.  "Can I ask you something, though?"  He nodded
and I finally asked the question that had been bothering me.  "Why?"

He stared at me, obviously confused.  "Why what?"

"Why did you do it?" I asked quietly.  "You didn't have to."

"What? I'm supposed to let that redneck jackass beat on you and not
do anything?  We're friends, and I stick up for my friends." He
paused, his dark eyes meeting mine.  "And yeah, I had to."

The tone of his voice told me to leave it, so I did. "It's just...no
one's ever stuck up for me like that before."

He blushed - actually blushed - and turned away.  "About time someone
did," he said, slinging his bag back over his shoulder.  "C'mon.  I
don't know about you, but I could slam down a raw cow."

I grinned as I got up.  I was suddenly, hungry, too.  "Lead the way."
 
We headed down the hall, making our way to the back door.  The diner
Tazz had talked about was only a few blocks away; we were going to
walk since it was such a nice night.  One look at the crowd outside,
however, told us we wern't going to be able to sneak out unnoticed.
There was a mob of people waiting for whoever came out, all of them
yelling and holding signs.

We glanced at eachother at the same time.  "C'mon," Tazz said, taking
my hand unexpectedly as he turned around.  "You've a rental, right?"

I nodded.  "Downtairs in the parking lot," I managed to get out.  I
couldn't help noticing that he wasn't letting my hand go.

"I don't know about you, but after everything tonight I don't wanna
deal with anyone else."  Tazz turned to face me.  "So what's say we
get the hell outta here, go back to the hotel and do room service?"

I coudln't blame him for not wanting to face the mob of fans; I
didn't want to, either.  "Sounds good to me."  He was STILL holding
my hand as we went down the hall; maybe he just wasn't aware that he
hadn't let it go.

That theory was shattered when he squeezed my fingers and grinned at
the same time.  "Great."  We headed down the stairs to the basement
parking lot.  "So where'd you park?"

"Uh...first section.  By the wall."  I had to let go of his hand in
order to find my keys, which left me feeling a little lost for some
reason.  It had felt nice, holding hands with him.

Clicking off the alarm and unlocking the doors, I slid into the
driver's seat, my mind racing. /You should tell him,/ a little voice
in my head told me.  /He deserves to know how you feel./

/I know he does, but I can't,/ I responded, watching nervously as
Tazz climbed in and fastened his seatbelt.  /The man has the ability
to put me through a wall if he doesn't like the idea./

/He faced down Austin for you,/ my little voice reminded me. /Do you
honestly think he'd hurt you for telling him that you love him?/

No, I didn't.  Underneath that rough Red Hook exterior is one of the
gentlest souls I know.  You should see him with the sick kids we get
backstage; he turns into a giant orange teddy bear.

Which only makes me love him more.

"Hey, Coleslaw," Tazz's voice brought me back to reality with a
start.  "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare ya, but are you gonna get it in
gear or what?"

"Yeah.  Sorry."  I started the car and began to pull out.  "Just
thinking."

"Sometimes you think too much, Cole," he said as I began to make my
way out of the parking garage.  "Sometimes you just gotta let stuff
happen."

He was silent for the rest of the ride to the hotel and I was left
wondering what exactly had he meant by such a cryptic remark.  Was he
trying to tell me something?  Usually he just comes right out and
says it if he is.

The hotel wasn't far and it wasn't long before we were upstairs and
he was unlocking the door to his room.  Why his?  Because mine had
another person in it - I was sharing with Kevin Kelly this time
around.  And since Tazz not only had a room to himself but couldn't
stand Kevin for more than five minutes, we ended up here.  "how'd you
end up by yourself?" I asked as we went in; usually unless you have
family with you or you're a top card performer you have to share.

Tazz dropped his bag by the door.   "Raven just started bunking with
White Socks," he explained, using the nickname we had been calling
Steven Richards the past few weeks. he laughed when he caught the
suprised look on my face.  "Yeah, I know.  I don't get it either.
But the kid seems happy."

I sat down on the bed.  "I didn't think Richards was...you know."

Tazz shrugged.  "Neither did I, but I guess Raven saw something under
the white shirt we didn't."  Sitting down next to me, he fell back
onto the bed to stare at the ceiling.  "Fuck, I'm tired."

I smiled at him sympathetically; I could imagine how tired he
was.  "I can go if you want," I offered quietly.  "We can do this
another time."

He immediately shook his head.  "Nah.  Stay.  It's too quiet without
someone else here."  He lifted his head up a little.  "Unless you're
beat?"

I shook my head as well.  "No, I'm fine.  And I'd much rather be here
with you than with Kevin."

Tazz chuckled.  "Getting on your nerves, huh? I was wondering how
long it'd take."

"If he says one more word about how he's ECWA champion..."  I shook
my head again; it was literally all the man talked about.  I could
understand him being proud, but it was getting a little much.  I
glanced down at Tazz.  "Do you know he sleeps with that belt of his?"

"Raven did, too."  Tazz commented from his position on the
bed.  "Woudln't let it out of his sight for more than six seconds."

We lapsed into silence, both of us simply enjoying eachother's
company.  The two of us get a quiet moment so rarely that I wanted to
enjoy this one for as long as it lasted.  My one worry, however, kept
resurfacing in my mind, refusing to go away no matter how much I
wanted it to.

Tazz caught the look on my face and sat up.  "You're awfuly quiet,
Cole," he said.  "What's up?"

I glanced over at him.  "You're going to go through with it, aren't
you?" iasked softly.  "You're going to challenge Austin."

"Fuck, yeah, I am."  his voice was firm, his mind obviously made
up.  "After what he did to both of us he deserves to get his ass
kicked.  And if I get the belt, too, that makes sticking it to him a
little better, you know?"  I didn't answwe and he suddenly
frowned.  "You don't look too happy about it."

"I'm not," I confirmed, turning away from him, knowing that what I
was about to say could technically be interpreted as betrayal.  "I
wish you wouldn't."

"What?!" His voice went up at least half an octave, that's how
shocked he was.  "You want me to back down?  Forget what he did to
me?  To you?"  He stared at me, my unexpected words astonishing
him.  "Cole, he sent you to the hospital!"

"And I don't want him sending you there, too!"  I shot back.  "You
know as well as I do how brutal he's been since he's won the belt and
not just to us.  Look at what he and Triple H did to Kane's arm!  Not
to mention the two of them beating the hell out of the Hardys and
Lita.  And he's only gotten worse since Hunter's been out."  I
paused, forcing myself to calm down a little.  "I just...I don't want
to see you laid out on a stretcher, that's all."

"You worry too much," he dsaid, putting one of his hands over
mine.  "Me on a stretcher...it ain't gonna happen."

"It almost happened tonight.  And you don't worry enough!" I
exclaimed.  How could he be so cavalier about something like
this? "JR didn't think anything was going to happen, either, and look
what Austin did to him!  And they've been friends for years!"  I had
to make him see, for his sake, for mine.  I couldn't stand by and
watch him get bashed again because of me.  Not again.  "Please...let
it go."

He met my eyes, his gaze the calmest I had ever seen.  "Can't do it,
Coleslaw," he said softly.  "I just can't do it."

"And I can't sit and watch Austin beat you down again because of me!
Not when I..."  I bit my lip and turned away, stopping in the nick of
time.  Almost.  God, I almost blurted it out without even thinking.

Tazz very gently turned my head back around, his dark eyes meeting
mine again, this time boring into my very soul  "Say it, Mikey," he
whispered, his voice like rough velvet, sending a shiver down my
spine.  "Say it and mean it."

I reached out, brushing my fingers against his face.  That look in
his eyes...it hadn't occurred to me that he might be as scared as I
was, and about the same things.

"I love you," I whispered, finally finding the courage, the strength
to put into words what I had been feeling for so long.  "More than
anything...I love you, Peter."

Closing his eyes, he let out a little sigh.  "You know something?  I
think that's the first time I've ever heard you say my name."  He
opened his eyes, those beautiful deep chocolate brown eyes of his and
smiled.  "You asked me why I did what I did earlier...don't you get
it by now?"  His fingers brushed against my bruised cheek and I
sighed, leaning into the touch.  For a big man, he's so gentle...  "I
love you, too."

My eyes widened as my heart skipped a beat.  I shouldn't have been
suprised; everything he's done lately has led up to this.  hearing
the words, however, made it a little more real.  "You...really?"  I
couldn't help asking; call it reflex.

"Yeah, really," he murmurred, leaning even closer.  "Since we first
teamed up." He shrugged, still smiling.  "I don't know how or why or
what...you just got me where no one else did."

Peter had loved me that much?  For that long?! "You did, too...for
months now."  I whispered, drawing even nearer. "Peter..."  I didn't
get a chance to finish; Peter's lips met mine just them in one of the
sweetest kisses I had ever known.

I sighed as I slid my arms around Peter's waist, losing myself in the
taste, the feel of him.  One strong arm slid up my back, cradling me
close while his other hand combed through my hair, making me shiver
with long supressed arousal.  It had been so long since I felt
anything like this...

I actually let out a whimper when Peter broke the kiss,tightening my
hold on him so I'd stay in his arms.  He chuckled, brushing a kiss
against my forehead.  "It's okay, Mikey," he murmured into my
ear.  "I ain't goin' anywhere."

I relaxed a little.  Then what he said finally sank into my befuddled
brain and I couldn't help smiling.  "Mikey?"  No one has EVER called
me Mikey.

He shrugged.  "It fits, you know?" he said by way of an
explanation.  "If you don't like it I can call you something else."

I shook my head.  "No...don't.  I kinda like it."  I paused.  "And
it's a hell of a lot better than Coleslaw."

The chuckle turned into a full fledged laugh.  "You should've told me
you didn't like it," he chided.

My eyebrows went up.  "Would you have stopped?" I asked, even though
I knew the answer.

"Course not," he answered matter-of-factly.  "I probably would've
done it more just to piss you off."  We both shared a laugh at that.

"So why didn't you tell me?" I asked, curious.  Peter had been silent
about his feelings for a long time, and usually he's not shy about
letting people know where he stands.

He shrugged again.  "Lot of reasons."  he brushed a lock of hair out
of my eyes.  "We're friends and I didn't want to fuck that up.  We're
partners and I didn't want to screw that up, either."  Reaching down,
he took one of my hands and held it in his, his thumb going over my
wedding ring.  "And I didn't think you'd be interested.  You know?"

I couldn't argue with that kind of logic, especially the last one.
Strangely enough though the fact that I was technically cheating on
my wife didn't bother me as much as I thought it would, maybe because
our relationship has been more than a little rocky lately.

"What about you?" Peter asked, drawing me out of my thoughts.  "Why
didn't you say something?"

I shrugged as well.  "A lot of the same reasons," I said, my fingers
brushing over his own wedding ring.  He never talked about his wife,
but then he doesn't say much about personal things.  I suddenly
smiled.  "Plus I thought you'd send me through a wall if I told you
something like this."

It was supposed to be funny, but Peter didn't take it that way.  "I'd
never hurt you, Mikey," he said quietly, his hand once again moving
to the bruises Austin had given me.  "You know that, right?"

I nodded, the smile still on my face.  "I know that now." Peter
smiled as well, pulling me into another kiss.

This kiss, however, was different from the last one.  This kiss had a
definite edge to it.  Hard and passionate, his tongue tangling with
mine, Peter's kiss not only told me that he loved me, it told me he
wanted me.

He confirmed it when he moved along my jaw and began trailing kisses
down my neck.  "Tell me what you like, Mikey," he murmured in between
kisses.  "I'll do anything you want."

"Anything."  I was breathless, hungry. "It's just...I've never..."

Peter stopped and stared.  "You've never done anything with a guy
before?" When I shook my head he cursed.  "Fuck...Mikey, babe, you
should've said something."

"Why?" I was genuinely confused.  "Does it matter?"

"A little, yeah."  He cupped my face with his hand.  "I don't want to
push you into anything you don't want, you know?"  He brushed a kiss
against my lips.  "We don't have to do anything, okay?  Your call."

My heart swelled to bursting with love for the man holding me so
close.  Protecting me again, like he had before.  "I want this," I
said, mirroring his gesture.  "I want YOU. If I didn't, I wouldn't be
here."  I gave him a hard, deep kiss, delighting in the muffled groan
that came from deep within him.  "Show me what to do."

He groaned again. "Fuck, Mikey, do you know what you're doing to me?"
His eues met mine and his tone turned serious.  "We'll go slow,
okay?  And if I do something you don't like or you want me to stop
you tell me. Promise me."

"Promise."  I paused for a moment.  "You do the same."

He laughed.  "You couldn't do anything I wouldn't like, but okay."
He was silent for a moment.  "Does that bug you?  That I've...you
know...been there, done that?"

"It's past," I said with a shake of my head as I began unbuttonong
his orange jersey.  "The past doesn't matter to me.  This does."  I
looked up.  "Honestly?  I'm glad one of us knows what he's doing.  I
don't have the first clue."

One of his large hands went over mine.  "It's okay, Mikey." he
murmurred, squeezing my fingers.  "It's easy.  I'll show you."  He
drew me into another kiss.

Soon his jersey was on the floor, followed by his black t-shirt and
our shoes and socks.  I brushed my fingers along the myriad of
tattoos on his shoulders and chest.  I hadn't known he had so
many.  "What do they all mean?"

"A lot of things," he said, his own hands moving to my
waist.  "Matches I've won, places I've been, things like that."
Undoing my belt, he pulled my shirt out of my jeans, taking the
hem.  "Lift your arms up, babe."

I did as I was told and a moment later my shirt joined his on the
floor.  Peter suddenly stopped, staring at me so hard that I suddenly
felt uncomfortable.  "What's wrong?"

"Son of a bitch," he murmured, his voice rough with anger.  "Fuck,
Mikey, what did that bastard do to you?"

I glanced down and saw why he was so angry.  I was still covered with
bruises from Austin's attack on me, and while some of them had faded,
a good many of them were still a dark, livid purple.  I had become so
used to the ache that I had forgotten them.

I laid my hand against Peter's cheek. "Don't," I whispered.  "Please,
Peter?"

"I don't wanna hurt you anymore than you are," he said, his brow
furrowed in concern.

"You won't," I said firmly, emphasizing my words with a kiss.  "I
know you won't."  Wrapping my arms around his neck, I nuzzled his
ear; I was more than willing to use his desire to get what I
wanted.  "Please.  Don't let Austin spoil this."

It worked; he let out a low, throaty groan.  "Damn, you're driving me
crazy," he growled.  "Okay, babe, okay.  Whatever you want.  Just
c'mere."  He captured my lips again.

We fell onto the bed, our bodies touching, his tongue tangling with
mine as he kissed me breathless.  I sighed as Peter moved back to my
neck.  "Oh God..."

"Shh," he whispered, moving still lower.  His lips brushed against
one of my bruises, the pain miraculously dissappearing with his
touch.  "Just lie back, Mikey.  Let me do this."

"Not fair," I gasped, arching into the touch.  "Want to touch you,
too."  I reached out to grab him, letting out a frustrated whimper
when he evaded my grasp.

"You'll get your chance," he promised, one hand holding me still
while the other traveled down my body in a blatant caress.  "When I'm
done.  I've had dreams about this."  His hand paused at my
zipper.  "Can I get these off you?"

I leaned up a little.  "Only if I can take yours off, too."

His eyes widened, but he stood his ground.  "So you gonna help me or
just watch the show?"

My hands went to his nylon track pants, sliding over the smooth
fabric to feel the hard muscle beneath.  I moved my hand over the
hard bulge between his legs, marveling at the heat, the weight of it
against my palm.  "I may need your help with this," I teased; what
Peter lacks in height he makes up for everywhere else.

He sighed, leaning into my tough.  "Babe, you keep doing that and
this is gonna be over real fast," he warned ominously.

"Doing what?" I asked, playing innocent.  "Stuff like this?"  I
boldly slid one hand inside his pants, sliding it over his bare ass.
My eyes widened.  "Commando?"

He blushed and moved so I could feel the scrap of material covering
him. "Thong. They look ridiculous but they're comfortable." He closed
his eyes.  "Damn, that feels good."

"And this?" I slid my hand even further down his pants, my fingertips
brushing against his erection.

His body jerked hard in my arms. "Mikey!" He pulled me even
closer.  "Damn, baby, don't tease."

He sounded so desperate, so hungry that I backed off.  "Sorry," I
immediately apologized.  "You know I don't know what I'm doing."

"You're doing fine," Peter quickly reassurred me.  "We just need to
slow this down a little so it's not over too quick, that's all."
Kissing me, his hands went back to the waistband of my jeans.  "Let's
start with getting this off you."

I stood up to give him easier access and soon both my pants and
briefs joined the rest of my clothes on the floor. I ducked my head
to hide my own blush as I sat back down, feeling very selfconscious.
I'm definitely not built like Peter is; too skinny, too pale, too a
lot of things...

I felt a kiss brush my cheek and when I looked up Peter's eyes were
shining dark with desire.  "You're beautiful, Mikey," he whispered.

My cheeks grew even hotter.  "You sure Austin didn't hit you in the
head with that chair?" I joked nervously.  "Maybe skewer your vision
a little?"

"My eyes are perfect," he said firmly.  "And so are you."  Before I
could contradict him again, he silenced me with another kiss.

He eased me back against the pillows and I gasped as he continued his
interrupted tour of my body.  "Peter..."

"Shh, baby.  Let me do this."  His mouth connected with one of my
nipples and all I could do was whimper as he tongued it achingly
erect.  "Just lie there and let me make you feel good."  He moved
even lower, nuzzling my belly as his hands reached under me to cup my
ass. "You look so damn good, baby.  I bet you taste good, too."
Before I could stop him, before I could offer up any kind of protest,
his head ducked down and he slid his mouth over my cock.

I cried out, my fingers digging into the sheets for support as by
body spasmed from the shock.  I hadn't expected this, not in a
million years.  Peter's so tough that I never dreamed he'd want
to...you know...take me that way. In his mouth.  Down his throat.
But he was.  Oh, God, he was.

And it was incredible, his tongue caressing every inch of me as I was
engulfed in warm wetness. His hands wern't idle, either; one was
cupping my balls, caressing them gently while the other was under my
ass, his fingertips lightly tracing between my cheeks.  He was
driving me out of my mind and all I could do was watch and let him.

Not that I had any intention of stopping him, especially when
watching my cock slide in and out of his mouth was easily the sexiest
thing I had ever seen.

Just then, Peter looked up, meeting my eyes as his finger brushed
against the opening to my body.  That was all I could stand; letting
out a wordless cry I came, shuddering from the intensity.

To my suprise, Peter greedily swallowed everything I gave him, even
licking me clean before he drew away.  He slid his arms around me, a
grin on his face.  "I was right.  You do taste good."

I laid a shaking hand against his cheek, staring at him with wide
eyes.  "I can't believe you did that," I whispered.  "Come here."  I
pulled him down for a kiss, my arousal returning when I tasted myself
on his lips.

My hands ran down his broad back, stopping at the waistband of his
trackpants.  I tugged at them insistantly.  "Take these off."  I
could feel the heat of his hardness through the material, but it
wasn't enough.  I wanted to se it, too.  I wanted to see all of him.

Peter chuckled as he stood up.  "Demanding, aren't you?" he said as
he finally tood off what was left of his clothes.  He laid back down
next to me.  "That better?"

"Much."  My eyes drifted down to his crotch and I found myself
staring at his sizable erection. "Did I...is that because of me?"  I
asked softly.

"Course it's because of you," he said with a roll of his eyes.  "I
wasn't thinking about anyone else while I was sucking you off."  He
siged, closing his eyes as I tentively caressed him with my
fingertips.  "Yeah, that's it.  Just like that."  He put his hand
over mine, gently guiding me.  "Harder."

I had a better idea, though.  Taking Peter's shoulders, I pushed
until he was flat on his back and I was straddling him.  I grinned at
his suprised look, leaning down to kiss him.  "There.  This is even
better."

His large hands encircled my waist.  "You have something else in
mind, Mikey babe?"

I nodded as I wrapped a hand around his cock.  Feeling his finger had
awakened in me a desire I hadn't known I wanted.  Only one thing
could fulfill that desire.  "This.  I want this - I want you - inside
me."

He stared at me, eyes wide, practically speechless.  Then a shanking
hand reached up and caressed my cheek before pulling me into a long,
deep kiss.  "Mikey," he breathed as he let me go, his voice so full
of awe that I felt my own heart melt.  He turned toward the door,
reaching for his duffel.  "My bag.  There's stuff in there we'll
need."

I reached over and snagged it, pulling it toward us.  He took it out
of my hands and dug through it until he pulled out a strip of condoms
and a half-squashed tube. He put the condoms in my hand, folding my
fingers over them.  "Put it on me,"  he said softly.

Ripping open the foil, I slid it over his erection, brushing a kiss
against it before doing so.  He groaned, arching into the
caress.  "Baby, you do any more of that and this'll be over real
quick," he warned in a rough voice.

I smiled.  "Sorry."  I wasn't really; I was beginning to like driving
a big, strong guy like Peter crazy.  "Couldn't resist."

He saw right through it, too.  "Yeah, I bet you couldn't," he said as
he coated his fingers liberally with gel.  He slid his hand under me,
pausing.  "Tell me if I hurt you."  He waited for my nod before
gently easing one finger in.

It was...I can't describe what it was, how it felt.  It was
definitely something I wasn't used to; the only other person who did
anything even remotely similar was my doctor and there's nothing
erotic about a routine physical.  It was also a little uncomfortable,
probably for the exact same reason.

"Fuck, you're tight," Peter murmured as he moved his finger in and
out.  "You gotta relax, Mikey.  I can't do this if you don't.  I'll
hurt you too bad."  He wrapped his other hand around my cock,
stroking it back to hardness.   "C'mon, Mikey baby.  Relax for me."

I whimpered as he turned one finger into two.  There was a definite
edge to it now; I could feel it.  It was still uncomfortable, but
there was a whisper of pleasure beyond it, teasing me in it's
elusiveness. It was quickly getting to the point where I didn't care
if it hurt or not; I just wanted him to shove it in and do me until I
couldn't see straight.

Just as I was about to tell him to do just that, his finger brushed
against something deep inside, sending a bolt of pleasire flashing
through me.  My entire body jolted with the shock.  "Oh, my God!"

Peter stopped immediately.  "Mikey? Babe, is that hurting you?"

I shook my head.  "No!  Please...do it again."  he brushed against it
again and I let ut a long, low moan.  "Oh...yes..."

Peter removed his fingers, silencing my protests with a
kiss.  "You're ready for me now," he said softly as he quickly coated
himself with more of the lubricating gel.  "You're more than ready.
You want this, doncha, babe?"  He leaned up to nuzzle my ear.  "Huh,
baby?  You want me to do you?"

"Yes...please..." I was begging and I didn't care. "Want...need..."
I captured his lips in a fierce kiss. "Love you..."

His hands slid to my hips, moving me into position.  "Love you, too,
Mikey," he whispered as he lowered me onto his cock.

I swallowed hard, taking a deep gulping breath as he entered me,
holding me steady as I cluched his shoulders for support.  Like I
said, Peter isn't small and I'm a virgin, for want of a better word.
So it hurt.  Oh God, it hurt.

When we were finally joined together he leaned up to kiss me, his
lips brushing against anything he could reach.  "I know, baby," I
breathed.  "I know.  It hurts like a bitch the first time, but it
won't soon.  Here."  One hand moved to my cock, stroking it
again.  "Don't think about anything else.  Just feel my hand."

It worked.  Slowly, I relaxed under Peter's wonderful hands, the pain
fading as promised as I got used to him.  Soon, I began squirming
under his touch; I definitely wanted more.  "Peter, please...I
need..."

"Shh, it's okay. I know."  He began moving under me, thrusting his
cock into me even deeper, the pleasure coming back for both of
us.  "I need it, too."

It didn't take long for us to find a rhythem guarenteed to drive us
both crazy.  The bed creaked, rocking in time with our movements as I
met every one of his thrusts with one of my own, each move sending a
sharp spike of pleasure straight through me.  Making love had never
been like this, not with my wife, not with anyone. It was as if I had
been waiting my whole life for this one moment, where nothing else
mattered bu the two of us and this.

Every thought was suddenly wiped from my head as I shuddered hard, my
body jerking under Peter's hands.  I was close, so close, but my
first climax had been quick.  I was fighting for this one. "Harder,"
I managed to get out.  "Please...harder!"

Peter pulled me down enough to wrap his arms around me.  "You close,
babe?" he whispered.  "I can feel you are.  Want a little help?" I
couldn't even nod; all I could do was let out a pleading little cry
and pray he'd take pity on me.

To my chargin, Peter immediately slowed down, holding me forcefully
still when I tried to pick up the pace. "No," I whimpered. "Don't
stop...with me...want you with me..." I cluched his shoulders; he'd
have bruises in the morning, but I didn't care.  "Come with me..."

He groaned, his eyes closing as he shuddered.  He was close, too.  I
could feel it.  "Fuck, Mikey, you don't know what you're doing to
me...you're so damn sexy like that." He nipped at my earlobe.  "So
hard...can't wait for you to fuck me...feel you in me like I'm in
you..."

I gasped, my mind immediately filled with images of the two of us,
only with Peter where I was now.  That thought was all it took to
throw me over the edge.  My orgasm slammed into me with all the force
of a runaway train, ripping a scream from me as I broke his hold and
shoved his cock into me as far as it would go.

"Fucking hell...Michael!" His body jerked hard against mine as he
came a split second later, face buried in my shoulder, clutching me
as if his life depended on it.

We fell back onto the bed, both of us breathing heavily and still
shuddering.  A kiss was brushed against my lips and I reutned it
blindly, still hungry for the comfort, the closeness.  I didn't wasnt
this to end, not just yet.

Eventually though, it did.   He slipped out of me an I couldn't help
letting out a whimper of protest.  "No."  I tightened my hold,
burying my face in his broad chest.  "Don't go."

"Shh, baby," he murmured, his hand moving to play with my
hair.  "It's okay.  I ain't going anywhere, and neither are you."

I relaxed immediately, but stayed where I was.  It felt good to be
held so close in a pair of strong arms.  His arms.  "Did you mean
it?"  I asked, looking up.  At his confused look, I
elaborated.  "About wanting me to...you know...make love to you?"

"Well...yeah."  His voice was gentle as he continued to play with my
hair.  "Maybe not tonight, though.  I don't know about you, but I'm
pretty beat.  But definitely soon."  He paused.  "You okay with that?"

I had to smile; typical Peter, to be so worried about me. Having a
mother hen was definitely something I was going to have to get used
to.  "Yeah.  I'm definitely okay with that," I answered.  "You'll be
too once I get my hands on you."

Peter's eyes widened and I felt his cock twitch with reawakened
arousal.  "I can't wait," he said, giving me a grn.  His fingers
brushed against my cheek, the look on his face softening, turning
tender.  "I love you, Mikey."

I mirrored his gesture.  "I love you, too."  My smile widened.  "My
knight in shining armor."

He rolled his eyes.  "More like a thug in stolen armor, but whatever."

I laughed, hugging him in absolute delight, my heart soaring when he
laughed too and hugged me back.  It's hard for me to believe I have
Stone Cold to thank for this, but I do.  If I hadn't had the shit
kicked out of me, I wouldn't be where I am now - safe, and in the
arms of the man I loved, with him loving me back just as strongly, if
not more.

/Fairy tales do come true,/ I reflected as I snugled close, ready to
let myself be lulled to sleep by the sound of Peter's heartbeat.
Mine did, happily ever after ending and all.