Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, no disrespect is intended.

M

It was the magazine that put the nail in the coffin. Brian longed to toss it in the nearest trash bin, but it didn't belong to him. So he smiled and handed it back to Adam. The PWI Report Card issue was a joke everyone knew it. Adam just wanted to rub it in that he had a grade of A while Brian had scored a C minus. This was one of those times when he would have blown everyone off and gone off for a smoke. But he couldn't do that; he had as much as promised David he'd lighten up on that.

David. Where the fuck was he anyway? Since switching to the same brand again David had been scarce. They passed each other like ships in the night and had not fallen back into the easiness of traveling, and more importantly, rooming together. Now he didn't even have Big Zeke to spend endless hours shooting the breeze with when they should have been sleeping. Granted, most of those conversations were through the comfortable buzz, but Zeke didn't seem to mind.

Brian turned from the group forming to go out on the town for the night and slipped away unnoticed. A long shower and early to bed. Again he contemplated getting that Xanax prescription, and again he talked himself out of it.

soaked up all the good things,

oh, what happened that day

are you so far from here?

He showered until the water turned cold, and went to bed with wet hair. Fatigue and muscle aches caught up and before he had time to fall into a black mood he was asleep, huddled on the edge of the king sized bed. When he had reserved the room he hoped that just maybe David would have been around but he'd been bitterly disappointed yet again.

There are things I'd like to say

I was leading me back to that day

Somewhere in the middle of the night the unremitting emptiness had eased, and a solid warmth at his back had eased him into the stage of sleep where true rest unburdened body and soul. A pleasant dream ensued; one where the blurry shape of a man sat on the opposite bed watching a muted sports feed while he nervously faced the wall. What had happened in the intervening years? How had that initial chance encounter turned into whatever cat and mouse game this was today?

Slowly, through the filter of the dream the soothing feelings gave way to something more urgent, and he woke with a start. David's presence surrounded him, the warmth, the scent of aftershave, the tangible solidness of hand on cock, and he groaned.

"David…where did you…"

"Shh," the whisper against his ear.

Brian lay motionless as David leaned forward, massive body pinning him against the sheets for the briefest moment as he reached for a fingerful of lube. He reached up and gripped the edge of the pillow, closed his eyes and relaxed back as the slow hand job was taken up again.

Shivers chased down his spine as David worked. A squeeze of the base, a palm over the head, each pass of his hand brought him closer to the edge. There was something about David touching him this way that was far more exotic than when he touched himself this way. But most of all it was the gentleness, the stark contrast of what they had become, the evocation of the memories that the dream had produced.

As he neared release the blanket became stifling. He rolled back against David's solid body and flung the cover aside. Cool air from the room hardened his nipples, hair skirted over his fluttering eyelids. Mouth parted open he released with a prolonged wail, surging forward as David pulled in hard against him.

"So beautiful Brian," he murmured, "When you break."

Brian took a moment to savor the release, the heavy feel of David's hand on him, and the husky quality of his voice. When he opened his eyes he found David propped above him, his face shadowed in the darkened room. For a long moment they simply gazed at one another, and then Brian rose up, touched his lips against David's, and when he settled down again his hand curved around David's straining erection.

He circled up David's length once, and when the response was a throaty moan and an easing back Brian moved closer. He transferred his hand to his chest long enough to scoop up the cum that dabbled his body, and then he settled in to returning the favor. Legs tangled together, the heady feel of David giving over completely to Brian's ministrations. And then, the throaty growl when release overtook him.

things that struck me once

so away from here

I always think of that day

soaked up all the good things

oh, what happened that day

Blindly, Brian reached for the covers and once they were settled over them he moved close enough to twine his legs with David's. He pressed his lips against the larger man's chest.

"When you weren't downstairs with the others, I thought…that you were off hidden away in a broom closet again."

Brian winced and pushed closer. "Despite what you think David," he murmured, "I do listen to what you say."

"Don't do things to make me happy Brian, do things to make yourself happy."

"Is that why you avoid me, or is it because I'm not in your league."

David pulled back far enough to reach up and cup Brian's face, stroke his cheek with a thumb. "I've asked you before to speak your mind, tell me what's bothering you, don't speak in riddles."

Brian opened his mouth, then subsided, and reached out to curl his hand over David's hip. "I thought that once I switched back you'd want to travel together again. Room together. Adam showed me that magazine though, that report card thing." He stopped when he realized how petulant he sounded, and that he still couldn't come out from behind the wall to tell David what he really meant.

"The magazine that doesn't even list me?" David said softly. "The one that lists fifty top stars and includes you on that list? That one?"

The words spun around on the hamster wheel in his head.

"Brian Kendrick, I am never going to base how much time I spend with you on some jackass with a stick up his rear end who doesn't see your value the way I do. Maybe the magazine made you come up here and sulk, but that doesn't explain why you think I'm avoiding you."

"Because David, we pass like ships in the night when we could be together all the time."

David rolled over then, atop Brian, crushed him against the bed. He angled over to turn on the bedside lamp, and Brian squinted in the sudden glare.

"Look at me," David said softly.

Brian blinked, then opened his eyes, and met David's steady gaze.

"Is that what you want? Together all the time?"

Soft color spread across Brian's cheeks, and he nodded.

David lowered down slowly, a gentle kiss that turned hard and demanding. When it broke he murmured against Brian's mouth, "I love you."

Brian shuddered at the intensity of the words. He reached up and twined his arms around David's neck pulled him down against him, was vaguely aware that David shut off the lamp again as he allowed himself to be pulled down. He held on tightly as David rolled to the side, listened to his breathing even out as his body relaxed into sleep.

Only then did he allow the words to sink in, and only then did he repeat them.

"I love you."

Lyrics by the Notwist used without permission