Part Fifteen

'…caught in the Devil's bargain…'

Hypnotically Daniel sat by the waters edge watching the waves crash into the shore. Feeling around in the pebbles that lay under his hand he selected a flat, smooth one and pulling his arm back hurled it as far out to sea as he could, watching as it skipped and skimmed over tumultuous dark surface.

This was his last day of freedom, this time tomorrow he would be on his way to Utah, to some faceless Army camp ready to begin his military training. He had left work the day before, Michael sympathetic but not entirely surprised, perhaps he had known all along that this day might come.

The sound of footsteps quickly followed by two strong arms snaking round his neck broke Daniel out of his reverie.

‘Though I might find you down here.’

‘Just making the most of it, I don’t suppose I’ll get many opportunities to surf in ‘Nam.’ He leant back into the embrace and tilted his head. ‘Any word from the hospital?’

‘No, she’s still the same and no-one has seen or heard from Matt.’

Daniel sighed. Lisa had been right, the protest had turned ugly resulting in Lisa ending up in hospital in a coma and Matt disappearing off to who knows where.

‘I’m sorry.’

‘What for?’ Darren asked, coming round to sit facing Dan. ‘It wasn’t your fault that those bastards opened fire.’

‘I know, but…’

‘Ssh,’ Darren silenced him with a finger to his lips, ‘there’s nothing we can do to change what has happened so let’s just forget about it for a while, it’s our last night together and I want it to be special.’

‘It is special,’ Daniel smiled, ‘you’re here.’ He paused and looked back out over the grey ocean, ‘Darren will you do something for me tonight?’ Slowly he brought his gaze down to meet Darren’s eyes.

‘Anything, just name it.’

‘Darren will you to make love to me?’

Nervously Daniel sat on the edge of the bed his fingers playing with the hem of the brightly coloured Indian cheesecloth bedspread, another Darren influence, breathed in the evocative scent of the joss sticks that had been lit, patchouli, musk and vanilla.

The grin and quiet ‘yes’ that had followed his request was confirmation enough that this was the right thing for them to do. Daniel loved Darren with all his heart and knew without having to be told that Darren felt the same way. Now they were about to take that final step to seal their love forever.

Darren was sat at the table a tobacco tin and it’s various contents in front of him. Meticulously he was rolling himself a joint. Although Daniel had never participated watching Darren do so had become routine and there was something oddly comforting about it. Watching as he carefully spread out the papers, sprinkled in the tobacco and added some of the resin from the small block he seemed to always carry. Finally he rolled it all up and fashioned a roach to insert in the top. Familiar movements, a strangely normal occurrence.

Putting the completed joint to his lips Darren lit it from one of the many candles that were dotted around the room and exhaling came to sit beside Dan, taking one of his hands in his and rubbing the back of it with his thumb. Comforting. Reassuring.

‘Here.’ Darren offered the smoke across and as usual Daniel shook his head and declined.

‘I know,’ Darren said, ‘but it’ll help relax you.’

Cautiously Daniel took it and attempted a drag. He inhaled too deeply and started coughing violently.

‘It’s ok.’ Darren patted his back sympathetically. ‘You just took too much at once.’

Daniel got up and ran himself a glass of water still spluttering slightly.

‘Come here,’ Darren patted the bed beside him, ‘I’ve got an idea.’

As Daniel sat back down Darren balanced the joint on top of the glass and gently eased him down.

Daniel smiled as Darren moved to lie alongside him. Picking the joint up again Darren took a long toke and then turned to Daniel. Cupping his face in his hands he drew him in for a deep kiss, gently releasing the smoke into his mouth as he did so.

Daniel gasped and then exhaled in a soft sigh.

‘Better?’

‘Mmmm…’

‘Wanna give it another go?’

‘Uh-huh.’

Again Darren inhaled and then exhaled as he kissed Dan.

Several tokes and long kisses later Daniel felt suitably blissed out and yes, he did feel more relaxed.

Looking up at Darren dreamily he murmured in protest when he lay the joint down. ‘I want you relaxed not stoned.’ Darren offered in explanation to Daniel’s unspoken question.

Any further objections he might have felt inclined to raise were swiftly silenced as Darren’s lips found his once more and this time the kiss didn’t end until breathing was definitely becoming a necessity.

Darren’s lips moved to Daniel’s jaw then his collarbone as Daniel sighed contentedly and slipped his hands under the lilac fabric of Darren’s tee-shirt.

Darren moaned quietly and his lips left Daniel’s body as he sat back on his heels so that he could remove the offending piece of clothing.

Daniel’s hands roamed over the plain of Darren’s chest as Darren’s fingers proceeded to undo the buttons of Daniel’s shirt.

‘Here, allow me.’ Sitting up also Daniel finished unbuttoning his shirt and took it off, throwing it with a flourish to land he cared not where.

They grinned at each other as hands went to flies, fingers making quick work of buttons and zippers. When they were both naked they paused and just let their gazes roam over their lover’s body. Both noting that the other was not surprisingly already aroused.

Drawing Darren back down to him Daniel raised his hips and began grinding up against Darren delighting in the feel of his hardness upon his own and the moans that his movements elicited.

‘Oh hang on,’ a sudden thought, a trace of memory, a promise to himself, came to Daniel and ignoring Darren’s groan of protest he got up and wandered across to his record player. Crouching down, and ignoring yet more calls from Darren, he selected a couple of singles and placing them on the turntable made sure that they would all drop down one after the other, ‘I’ve always wanted to make love to music.’ He offered shyly by way of explanation as he returned to the bed and the first haunting notes of ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ filled the room.

‘You’re a nutter you know that? Darren told him affectionately as he placed a gentle kiss on Daniel’s forehead.

‘But you love me.’

‘Yes, I do and I’m about to prove to you just how much.’ Darren’s voice was low and husky.

Daniel’s response was to draw Darren back to him and kiss him deeply, pouring every ounce of the love in his heart into their embrace.

When they broke apart, Darren kept his lips ghosting over Daniel’s face before leaning back slightly and regarding him seriously.

‘You know that I have only done this once before don’t you.’ His fingers lovingly smoothed back Daniel’s hair as he looked in his eyes.

‘Yeah.’ Daniel whispered.

‘And when I did I was…ermm…’

‘On the receiving end?’

Darren smiled. ‘Yeah. So this is a first for me too.’

‘Darren, I love you, I trust you and I want us to do this. I am yours, heart…’ Daniel placed one of Darren’s hands under his on his chest, ‘mind…’ Darren’s hand stroked his head, ‘and body.’ And to emphasize his words Daniel led Darren’s hand from his chest down to his cock. ‘Take me Darren, I’m all yours.’

This was it. Their last night together for who knew how long, maybe, though neither man would voice it they both knew that the other was thinking it, forever.

Taking a couple of spare cushions from the head of the bed Darren got Daniel to lift his body and carefully positioned them under the small of his back so that his hips were elevated.

'This'll make things easier.' he whispered, blushing slightly.

And Daniel knew that he was doing everything in his power to make this as painless and comfortable for him as possible. Then very slowly and deliberately Darren began to kiss a trail downwards, starting at the nape of Daniel’s neck, over his collarbone, pausing to suckle briefly on each of his peaked nipples before laving around his navel, his tongue leaving glistening threads on Daniel’s heated skin.

When he reached his lower abdomen Darren stopped and rested his head there, Daniel gently rotating his hips to rub Darren’s soft cheek against his coarse curls. The sensations that were now racing through Daniel’s body made him think that he would come there and then. Just to be here with Darren, to be sharing with him in this most intimate of ways. Whatever happened in the days that were to come nobody could take this night away from them.

‘Ready?’ Darren whispered, his hands gently parting Daniel’s legs.

In reply Daniel momentarily pulled Darren’s head back up for a tender kiss of confirmation, his own hands joining with his lover’s, guiding them down to rest on Darren’s cock, giving his reassurance and guidance.

Darren removed his hands and licking the palms, generously coated them with his saliva before beginning to rub them up and down his length.

Daniel gritted his teeth as he felt Darren start to push his way in.

‘Ssh, it’s ok,’ a gentle voice told him, ‘we’ll take it slowly.

Darren paused, his hands stroking Daniel’s legs. ‘Can you part them just a little further?’ he asked hesitantly.

Cautiously Daniel complied and felt Darren place a gentle kiss on his inner thigh.

‘Okay, deep breath.’

Daniel breathed in and as he slowly let it out Darren pushed in a little further, then a little further still until Daniel felt him fill him completely, his whole centre of being now focused on the sensation of having Darren inside him.

‘Hey what’s this?’ Darren’s face hovered above him, a finger gently wiping away a tear that Daniel was unaware that he had even shed.

Smiling weakly, Daniel whispered. ‘It feels so amazing, I feel you so deep, like you are a part of me.’

‘I am part of you,’ Darren replied, ‘now and for always.’

And for a few minutes they just lay there like that, lovingly caressing each others’ shoulders, placing soft kisses on their faces and necks.

Then Darren began to move, to draw himself out a little before thrusting back in and Daniel found that he had a whole new set of sensations racing through his body.

‘Uh…mmmm…ahhhhhh…’

‘Feel good?’

‘Uh-huh…you?’

‘Wonderful,' Darren said huskily, 'just wonderful.’