Chapter Eight

‘…but life is for learning…’

The scene inside the police station was one of utter chaos. Pushing open the heavy double doors that fronted the building, Daniel was instantly plunged into a maelstrom of noise and bodies.

Threading his way through to the main desk he enquired as to the whereabouts of Darren. The duty sergeant just shrugged. A lot of protestors had been brought in the previous night and the officer was swamped under trying to process them all.

Hopelessly Daniel cast his eyes around the large, frantic lobby, searching for anybody who may be able to help him.

Over the babble of voices he heard the one thing guaranteed to always get his immediate attention. His name.

'Daniel.'

Glancing over in the direction of the sound he spotted Darren sat on a long wooden bench. Dishevelled and crumpled but otherwise in one piece.

Daniel resisted the urge to rush over to him and gather him in his arms, settling instead for calmly walking towards him and enquiring as to how he was.

'Fine,' was all Darren replied then, standing up, 'let's get out of here.'

'Are you…I mean are you free to go?'

'Yeah, they haven't charged me, just let me off with a warning this time.'

This time, thought Daniel grimly as he led Darren out to where he had parked.

The dark shadows under Darren’s eyes and the day’s growth on his face were all Daniel needed to see in order to make the decision to drive Darren back to his place instead of the dorms.

Once they were safely behind closed doors, Daniel drew Darren into a tight hug, drawing back in shock and surprise when Darren stiffened and winced under his embrace.

‘What?’

‘It’s nothing.’

Daniel’s eyes roamed Darren’s body trying to locate the source of his pain then very carefully he began to unbutton his shirt.

‘Dan.’ Darren started to object but it was too late.

Daniel’s eyes widened and he took a sharp intake of breath. Darren’s chest was littered with a collection of purple and blue bruises. Tentatively he continued with his task, drawing the sleeves gingerly over his shoulders and off.

‘Fuck.’

Darren’s upper arms had been subjected to the same treatment. He had two parallel marks on his biceps on which Daniel could easily make out the shape of the rough fingers that must have gripped Darren extremely firmly to cause that sort of bruising.

‘What happened?’ Dan enquired, gently easing Darren back to sit on the edge of the bed, still unable to believe what his eyes were telling him.

‘I went limp on them, don’t think they took too kindly to it. Had to drag me into the van.’

‘Oh Darren.’ Daniel cupped Darren’s face and kissed him deeply, wishing he could kiss away the pain and hurt as easily.

‘I’m ok.’ Darren’s hands mirrored Daniel’s, his thumbs trailing down to massage Daniel’s temples. ‘Just a little stiff. May I use your bath? The heat might loosen up the muscles a bit. Having to spend all night on the concrete floor of a police cell is *not* my idea of a restful night’s sleep.’

Just when Daniel thought that perhaps Darren had been sucked down the plug hole along with the dirty water the object of his ponderings emerged.

‘Better?’

‘Much, thank you.’

‘Come over here and let me put some cream on those bruises.’ A rudimentary first-aid kit lay open on the bed.

‘Dan, I’m fine, honest, besides shouldn’t you be at work or something?’

‘Called in sick. Now no arguments, come here and let me look at your injuries.’

Meekly Darren obeyed, climbing onto the bed and sitting with his back to Daniel so that he could examine his skin more closely.

The antiseptic cream was cold but Dan’s hands were soothing and Darren quickly relaxed as he gently rubbed it in, taking care not to hurt Darren any more than he had already been.

‘Why Darren? why do you do this?’ Daniel finished with the cream and draped his arms round Darren’s neck, resting his head in the crook of his shoulder.

Darren just sighed and leant back into Daniel’s embrace. ‘Because if I don’t who will? Somebody has to stand up and be counted, to at least try and change what is going on.’

‘It’s just…’ Daniel faltered.

‘Just what?’ Darren turned his head and ever so lightly brushed his lips over Dan’s, barely grazing them with his touch.

‘It’s just I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you.’

This time when Darren’s lips found his the touch wasn’t so light. Darren twisted in Daniel’s arms and moved from sitting Indian style to kneeling in a position that mirrored Dan’s.

Daniel found his hands trailing down, ghosting over Darren’s battered body, coming to rest on the hem of the towel that Darren had wrapped round his waist, the kiss growing ever more heated, Darren seeming to take all the frustrations and agonies of the previous day out on Dan. Dan more than willing to receive them, to heal Darren’s pain in any way he could.

Daniel’s fingers loosened the towel and the soft moan that Darren breathed into his mouth was all the encouragement he needed to push it down, to move his fingers to caress Darren’s butt, to bring his hand round and cup Darren’s balls.

Breathlessly Darren broke the kiss, surprise and desire burning deep in his darkening eyes.

Wordlessly Daniel sought permission to continue. With a small nod it was granted.

‘Let me make it all better.’ Daniel said hoarsely, his own breathing speeding up.

In reply, Darren’s hands went to the front of Daniel’s trousers and slowly undid the buttons of his flies, all the time his eyes never leaving Daniel’s.

‘So beautiful.’ Was Darren’s only comment as he freed Daniel’s cock into his own awaiting hand.

Kneeling together on the bed, so close that their kneecaps touched, more caresses were exchanged. Hushed murmured words quickly turning into breathy moans, groans of pleasure, delight and longing as loving touches of exploration became fevered strokes of passion.

Gentle words of endearments fell from their lips as hands and fingers worked faster, beads of sweat gathered on and were tenderly licked from shoulder, necks, faces as they worked each other ever closer to that moment of release.

Darren came first, spilling himself over his stomach, Dan’s hands, their enjoined thighs.

The feeling of Darren’s warm, sticky essence trickling down between his legs was enough to bring Daniel crashing over as well. His own outpouring intermingling with Darren’s, their bodies, their very being, their passion joining.

Flushed and exhausted they lay down side by side on the bed. Darren bringing his hand up and cleaning away their joint spilt seed, Daniel taking Darren’s hand gently in his to finish what he had started, tasting the bitter, sour combination, neither knowing nor caring whose was whose.

Gradually erratic breathing slowed, heartbeats returned to normal.

Darren trailed the back of his hand over Daniel’s cheek, Dan closing his eyes at the sensation, turning his face to tenderly kiss the palm.

‘Thank you my love.’ Darren whispered.

‘Anytime.’ Daniel played his fingers over Darren’s pale shoulders, the purple bruises stark against the porcelain of Darren’s arms.

‘Careful I might just hold you to that.’

‘I think I would like it…’ Daniel told him as he dipped his head to once more capture Darren’s sweet tasting lips, ‘…very much indeed if you did.’