Tim had a damn amazing time. He was still laughing as they came in the front door. He'd really loosened up, showing off, having fun. Dally had regaled him with ridiculous stories about the boys, especially Two-Bit, on the way home, and he felt high off laughter.

Buck was surprised at Tim's good mood. "Thought you just got back from meetin' the fam. Guess it went okay?"

"Pfft, course it did. Everyone wants me boning their little bitch." Tim tweaked Dally's ear, pretty hard actually. "I'm perfect."

Dally rolled his eyes, batting him away. "We still ain't done it yet," he said. Then he looked at Tim pointedly. "Not all the way. So, I don't know what it is you're trying to brag about."

Buck kept quiet, though he wondered what could have kept them from consummating their relationship. Maybe Tim was just a really bad gift giver. Or something. Or maybe they had been too busy trying to kill each other. "How's that neck, Dal?"

"Oh, it's gettin' better. Think it'll look pretty fuckin' cool, when all's said and done." Buck nodded at this. "Hey, Buck?"

"Yeah?"

"Leave us alone," Dal said.

Buck put his hands up. "I'm gonna head out, okay?" His expression said to Dally, "tell me how it goes (but spare me the gritty details)." Tim didn't notice; he was too busy tugging at Dally's hair for his comment, and play wrestling with him.

"Tonight's my night," Dally announced as Buck pulled the truck out from its spot near the house.

"Oh yeah? Got something in mind?"

He shook Tim off. "Yeah. First of all, I wanna promise to fix your car. I've been, uh—"

"Kind of a dick?"

"Yeah."

"I guess I didn't listen to ya."

"Until I tied you up." Dally held onto Tim's wrists, holding them together. "You wanted it."

Tim took in a breath through his nose, and said, with confidence, "I wanted it."

"But tonight's my night," Dally reminded him. He gave the wrists a squeeze.

"Okay. Alright. I guess if I can say 'I love you,' I can fuck you in the ass."

"Right. But not just yet."

Suddenly, Tim was very wary. He was expecting a quick fuck, then bedtime. "What do you have planned, Dallas?" he said dangerously. "I'm tired of your fucking games. What do you got planned, you asshole?" Dally let go of his wrists, and Tim loomed a bit, getting in Dally's personal space.

"Whoa! Whoa. Calm down." Dally backed up a bit, heading over to Buck's record player.

"You are such a fucking girl!" Tim exclaimed as Dally found the record.

Dallas let it slide. Honestly, it didn't matter. They were doing what he wanted. He had the upper hand. They were alone. He didn't have to be tuff. Usually, he hated this soppy shit. But he and Tim, them together, they were just so fucking weird. They were so weird. A part of him liked to freak Tim out a little too. A big part.

"Dance with me a little bit. Just one song."

"I hate that song."

"Just one." Dally grinned, "It's important to me, Tim. It's our song."

"Shows what you know! We don't have one." But since no one had killed them the last time for dancing, he figured they'd still be pretty safe. They could blame it on the beer maybe, if someone saw them.

Dally proved to be warm and close and kissable, so it wasn't all that hard to give into the music and the dancing. "We'll never have a song," Tim said, still a little irritable.

All of a sudden, Dally broke away, turning the record off.

"What now?" Tim griped. "Make up your mind, why don't you."

Dally gave Tim a look that could only mean one thing: fuck me in the ass.

They made their way to Dally's room, Tim losing his poutiness pretty quickly.

"I, uh, have to admit. I been thinkin' about it."

"Oh yeah?" Dally grinned that grin Tim loved and hated. It was smug in all the right places.

"Yeah. Where's the KY?"

"Thought you'd never ask." Dally crouched down and reached just under the edge of the bed, handing it to Tim, who awkwardly accepted it.

"Well, get on the bed!"

"Okay." Dally was still grinning as he stripped out of his shirt and kicked off his boots, lying out on the bed. "You owe me. A lot. I hope you know that. And if you don't, well, you'll learn. You get me hot, Tim. After what happened to me, thought I'd never want to have to do this again. But you get me hot for it."

Tim took off his shoes. "Well, after you freaked out on me, I thought I'd never wanna have to do this again. But, somehow, shit, I do."

Dally stretched languidly. "I get you hot for it too. It's not hard to say, Tim. Admit it. You want me real bad. More than any broad." Dally spread his legs a bit, rubbing at the denim over his thighs. Tim's eyes followed the lines of the thighs to the place where they met.

"Don't be a bitch."

Dally licked his bottom lip involuntarily. "Ain't that what you want me to be?"

Tim paused. "Yeah."

"Come on. Undress, then make me yours. Once and for all, face to face. I may not have that nice a face, but you sure love to look at it."

"Well, your eyes," Tim said defensively, "are . . . wild." Fully naked, Tim knelt on the bed, crawling up to straddle Dally, who lay, relaxed, on the bed.

Dally cocked an eyebrow. "You really ready this time?" He reached down to grasp Tim, stroking him a little. "You sure feel ready here."

Tim made a little purring noise, nuzzling into Dally's neck. Suddenly remembering, he licked at the line he'd left there with his knife.

Dally wrapped his other arm around Tim, holding him close. When Tim finally broke away, they held eye-contact.

"Take my jeans off me?" It was a question.

"Okay." Tim brushed lips against the tip of his nose before kneeling over Dally to unfasten his jeans, rubbing at the bulge in the front.

"Mmm."

"'Mm' is right." Tim slid the jeans off Dally's hips, surprised at the lack of underwear. "You were waitin' for this all night."

"That's right. A lil' homecoming present."

"Let me finish unwrappin' it." He pulled the jeans off the rest of the way and tossed them over the side of the bed.

Tim enjoyed the sight of his naked . . . boyfriend, enjoyed how tight he felt around the fingers, but was unable to be completely without apprehension.

"I'm ready. Shit, that's . . . I'm ready!"

"Dallas." Tim gave him a stern look. "I agreed to do it. Just let me make sure you're gonna love every minute of it. Okay?"

Dally shut up, but pouted at him.

Tim remembered the last time, when he'd thought two would do it. He wasn't going to fuck around this time. Finally, he started to slick himself up. "I really do love you," he muttered.

"I know."

Tim positioned Dally, and himself.

"Tim, I trust you," Dally choked out, voice a little tight.

Tim met those wild eyes, only to notice a calm come over them when he answered, "I know."

Entering Dally felt like it took a lifetime; Tim and Dally would tell you the same thing. And it felt good. Dally moaned under Tim. A good sound. A positive sound. Tim proceeded to claim the heat he was invading. "Mm, Dal."

Tim found his rhythm, still a little hesitant at first, but Dally's reactions strengthened his resolve. Dally was moaning, yes, and he was also arching and rocking his hips, and cursing. In a good way.

The passion built. Dally was a pushy bottom. Of course he would be. "Tim," he said breathlessly. "Come on."

Spurred on, Tim did what he should have done weeks before, claiming Dally, having sex that was completely beyond his expectations. He'd always gotten off, but just the sight of Dally stirred him to new heights of passion. It was different than being with a broad; it really was.

Legs wrapped around Tim, pulling him even closer. "Shit, Tim."

Desperately, they writhed together, sweating, until Dally came. The entrance contracted, pulling Tim into his own orgasm, and, still joined, they moaned and caught their breath.

Tim eventually pulled out and curled his body around Dally's. They were sticky, and both a little sleepy.

"You're the best," Dally murmured.

Dally woke first and scrubbed at himself in the bathroom before getting dressed again. Tim woke sticky and alone, but he could hear the sound of running water. He joined Dally.

"I'm headin' out for a bit."

"Yeah? Where to?"

"To see Johnny."

Tim understood. He kissed Dally's shoulder. Then Dally surprised him.

"You wanna come with me?" He looked up at the mirror, their gazes meeting via the reflections in it.

The evening was nice, sunny with a slight breeze. It was a day that emphasized the beauty of nature. The site was just as Dally had remembered it. Grassy, quaint, with a few flowers. Tim thought about the little shadow who'd followed Dally around, and how he'd died a hero. He remembered the way Dally'd come to him, distraught, nearly dead from a police's bullet, and crying like a fool.

"He was, uh, he was kind of cool."

"Tim, no. You don't gotta—"

"No, I mean it. Tiny, real sad, but, uh, he was definitely someone worth protecting. Died saving people, just how he would have wanted."

"Shows what you know! He was afraid of dyin' so young. Who could blame him?"

"Look. At least you didn't die."

"Right. I mean, this kid goes into a burning church to save some kids, and he dies. But it's good that the one who deserved to die—"

"You're wrong, Dallas," Tim said sharply, cutting him off. "Cade worshipped you. So stop it. You wanted the cops to end your life, then you wanted me to. That's disrespect. The real disrespect. You should fuckin' tell him you're sorry!"

Dally gritted his teeth. "You didn't even know him! Fuck you, Shepard!"

"That doesn't mean I can't be right." He gave him a little shove. "I'm gonna go now. But I'm right, and you know it."

Tim came back in half an hour with a handful of flowers for the grave and a beer for Dally, who was on the ground, apologizing.

Tim cleared his throat. "Hey, good lookin'."