"Do what?" Karl asked, lifting his glass of port. "The two of you are so..." Dom waved his hands, couldn't find the words. "In tune," Orlando supplied, leaning forward a bit at the table. "It's fucking amazing to watch." Craig grinned, running a finger around the rim of his glass. "Comes from being together so long. We weren't always like this, though." "You can't tell from looking at the two of you now," Orlando said, propping his elbows on the table. "But it's true." Karl gestured toward Dom and Orlando. "We were like you once." "Like us, how?" Dom asked. "Just starting out." "Really?" Orlando looked at them both with wide eyes. Craig burst out laughing. "No, Orlando, we were born joined at the hip." He shook his head, still chuckling as he lifted his glass. "Karl's not telling you everything. We weren't quite like you when we first got together." "Not at first, no," Karl stated, a small smile curving his mouth as he took his next sip. Dom and Orlando looked at each other, turned as one to the couple across from them. "Alright," Dom stated. "Spill." "He," Craig said, pointing a finger at Karl and smirking, "was a complete asshole. Gorgeous, sexy, intense...and the biggest bastard I'd ever met." "And he," Karl nipped at Craig's finger, grinned, " he gave arrogance a bad name. Hot, funny, easy on the eyes, but was the cockiest motherfucker on the planet." "Still am," Craig stated, tapping his finger against Karl's mouth before pulling it back. Orlando and Dom stared at them for a moment, then Orlando frowned. "No fucking way," he said, shaking his head. "Sounds like you two hated each other on sight." "We did hate each other on sight." Dom looked at Karl like he was seeing a complete stranger. "You're kidding, right? I mean," he gestured again at them, at the way they were seated hip to hip, at the secret smiles they exchanged, at the brush of Craig's hand on top of Karl's. "Look at the two of you." "We got over it, obviously," Craig laughed. "But we had to have a lot of help. Much like the way the two of you did." "We didn't hate each other." Orlando shook his head, forehead still creased in a frown. Craig just looked at him, one eyebrow arched, mouth still curved in a smirk. His hand found Karl's on the tabletop, slid around it, over it, laced their fingers together. He lifted his glass to his lips and watched Dom and Orlando over the rim. "We didn't," Dom protested, dropping his head on Orlando's shoulder. "We just didn't precisely like each other." "I thought you were into Lij." Dom snorted at Orlando's statement, relaxed into the arm thrown across his shoulders. "No thanks. I might be a fairy, but that doesn't mean that I want to fuck one." Karl and Craig's amused laughter cut through the low din of the bar. "We actually hated each other," Karl remarked. "From the first moment I saw him, on the 'Xena' set when Kevin introduced us, we just rubbed each other the wrong way." Craig nodded, his thumb rubbing across the back of Karl's hand. "I absolutely couldn't stand him. And the feeling was very mutual. Kevin had to physically separate us a few times." "You two fought each other?" Grey eyes went wide. "I broke his nose once." Karl looked especially proud of that. "That was luck." Craig frowned at Karl, then turned back to Dom and Orlando. "Bastard caught me with a cheap shot when I wasn't looking." "He hit you?" Orlando's jaw hung open, and his eyes were so wide they were almost round. "Several times," Craig said, his laugh mingling with Karl's. "And I hit him. Several times. Someone always stopped us before we got going good." This was moving into the realm of completely bizarre. "Jesus," Dom breathed. "We were never that bad," Orlando agreed, draining his beer, wiping the foam off his mouth with the back of his hand. "So, how did the two of you ever...?" Dom trailed off. "What, stop hating each other?" Karl asked, smiling. "It took a lot. Nothing quite as drastic as what Astin and Vig did to the two of you, though." "Yeah, well I hope no one took you out in the middle of nowhere and left you stranded," Orlando stated, eyes dancing with laughter. "After threatening you with Narsil to get you in the car so you could be stranded," Dom added. "No, Kevin was never that over the top," Craig laughed. He leaned back into the arm that Karl draped across his shoulders. "Neither was Marton, come to think of it. And he was always more outrageous than Kevin was." Karl raised his glass and Craig followed. "To Kevin. Thank God for him." "To Kevin." Craig murmured his assent, drank with Karl. Dom worried his bottom lip for a bit before he remembered...Kevin Smith...yeah. Died not too long ago, during a film shoot. "Sounds like he was a good friend." "The best," Karl said, squeezing Craig's arm. "He's been missed." Orlando nodded in sympathy, traced lazy patterns on the scarred tabletop with ragged fingernails. "So, tell us what they did, then. Marton and Kevin." "Well, Kevin was a subtle man," Karl started, lips curving once again. "Of course that all depends on your definition of subtle," Craig cut in, grinning. "He didn't have Narsil to threaten us with. Sometimes a kick in the ass was more subtle than Kevin." "Really?" Orlando leaned forward, watching them with open interest. "But not in this case," Karl said, resuming the story. "And he had Marton, who as you may remember, is a devious man." Dom grinned over the rim of his glass. "Yeah, I remember. Poor Cate." "Poor Cate indeed." Craig chuckled, shook his head. "Pity all of us who were Lorien elves. Marton made our lives hell. But that's another story." "So what'd they do?" Orlando asked, leaning against Dom. "I think the better question would be what didn't they do." Craig grinned and motioned for the waitress. "I think they tried every trick in the book before it was over." Dom waited until they'd ordered another round and it was brought to them before starting again. "Alright, what was the big one, though?" he asked, leaning back. "Marton confessed to me that he had a mad crush on Craig here and wanted some help with that," Karl replied, shaking his head sadly as he picked up his fresh glass. "Still can't believe I fell for it." "Fell for what?" Dom was confused again. If Marton had a thing for Craig, then how... "Marton was no more into Craig than I am into Orlando," Karl stated. "It was a way to get Craig and I around each other all the time and act polite." "How's that?" Orlando wanted to know. Karl and Craig shared another small smile, then Karl spoke up again. "He told Craig the same story he told me." "You're joking!" "I wish he was." Craig laughed ruefully, looked down at his glass. "And I fell for it just as easily as Karl did. So here we were, both of us thinking that Marton had this mad crush on the other one." "So what was Kevin's part in it?" Craig looked up at Dom and smiled. "He was the mastermind behind the whole thing." "And we're trying to find positive things to like about the other one," Karl continued. "To help out our good friend." This was the most fascinating story Dom had heard in awhile. He shifted forward in his chair, captured Orlando's roving hand with one of his own. "How long did this go on?" "Until I looked at Marton and Craig laughing over something when they were visiting me on the 'Xena' set and got completely bent." Orlando nodded in understanding. "You were jealous." "Yeah." Karl lifted Craig's hand, placed a kiss on the back of it. "Completely." "It took me a little longer," Craig commented, brushing his fingers across Karl's lips. "How'd it happen for you?" Orlando was curious again, leaning forward, eyes wide. "Basically the same thing...Marton and Karl were visiting the set when I was filming, and they were talking a few feet away. I wasn't really paying attention to them," Craig said, pausing to take a sip of his drink and smile at Karl. "Then Kevin walked up and commented on how good they looked together. I looked, did a double-take, and never once noticed Kevin laughing at me." "Alright, so now you're both jealous of Marton, and aware of each other as sexual beings..." "Sexual beings?" Dom chuckled, placed a fierce, brief kiss on Orlando's lips. "God, I love the way you phrase things." "Young love," Karl commented, raising his glass again. Craig clinked it with his own, and they drank, covering their grins when Dom and Orlando simply turned, both wearing identical sheepish expressions. "But, to answer Orlando's question, I think it was at Kevin's barbie, wasn't it?" Karl turned to Craig, raised an eyebrow. Craig nodded, smirked. "Yeah. And even then we were still fighting. But for different reasons this time." "Different reasons?" Orlando looked perplexed. "We both thought Marton was shagging the other." Dom stared at Craig as if he'd suddenly grown a third eye. "What? Why'd..." "We think that?" Craig chuckled, and gave Karl a look. "Because Kevin told us that's what was happening." "So there we were, both with all this pent-up frustration and jealousy," Karl continued, picking up the narrative. "And we somehow managed to find ourselves sent on an errand to buy more port. Together." "Somehow, my ass," Craig retorted. "We'd been played." "By experts, it seems," Dom noted, eyes twinkling with mirth. "Alright, so then what?" Craig rubbed his hand over his chin. "God, we were arguing over something stupid, and I just pulled the car over, and told him to fuck himself..." "...And that's when I kissed him," Karl said. "And how'd he react?" Orlando was grinning, chin propped on one hand, the other hand curled around Dom's. "About like anyone being kissed by Karl would, I expect," Craig replied. "I kissed him back. I don't know which part shocked us more." "So you're kissing each other..." Dom gestured with his free hand for his friends to continue. "And fuck me..." Karl's eyes went cloudy for a second, and Dom and Orlando both caught their breath at the raw need reflected out of them. "He could kiss," Karl finally said. "What he said." Craig kissed Karl's cheek, grabbed his beer. "And we're steaming the windows, and shirts are flying off, and our hands are everywhere..." "...And this is sounding really familiar now," Dom cut in, ducking his head. "Except we weren't in a car," Orlando pointed out with a laugh. Craig grinned at him before taking a swallow of his beer. "I wouldn't recommend trying it in a car. The steering wheel was in the way, the gear shift kept jabbing us in the legs, and Karl's not exactly a small man." "We noticed," Orlando stated, cheeky grin dimpling his face. "Yes, well the car wasn't all that big," Karl shot back, and Craig laughed. "So you...in the front seat..." "Half-naked, desperate, clawing at each other..." "...Still not talking, mind you..." "Exactly," Craig replied, shaking his head. "And I'm trying to think of a way to crawl over this stupid gearshift, when Kevin and Marton roll up." Dom threw his head back and laughed, and Orlando leaned against him, muffled his chuckles with his palm. "I should've known," Dom said, picking up his glass again. "And Kevin brought his camera," Karl added, laughing. "It was more than a little humiliating." Craig shook his head and leaned back, grinning. "Marton opened the door, and Kevin started snapping pictures. And it wasn't like we could deny what had been happening." "No, don't imagine you could," Orlando said between chuckles, still leaning against Dom. "So how many people saw those pictures?" Karl cleared his throat, started ticking off on his fingers. "Well, everyone at Renaissance, the whole 'Xena' and 'Herc' crews..." "...the 'Mercy Peak' people...oh...and the 'Shortland' cast when Marton and I did that..." "So, everyone in New Zealand," Orlando interrupted with a smile, fingers curling in Dom's hair. "I'm surprised they weren't whipped out during 'Rings' filming, to be honest," Karl said, nudging Craig with his thigh. "Lot of the same crews." "Well, we're old news now, Karl." Craig made the statement with a slow kiss that had Dom's secretly romantic heart melting. He was such a sap for a good love story. "So that was it?" Orlando's dark eyes moved back and forth between Craig and Karl. He smiled as Dom shifted closer, pressing their legs together. "Not quite." Craig shrugged, leaned against Karl, his head resting on the other's shoulder. "We still hadn't talked." "And neither one of you wanted to," Dom said, a shrewd gleam in his eyes. "Exactly. We'd gone so long hating each other that we weren't about to admit it was more than just frustration that day in the car." "Wasn't that when Kevin casually offered to bring home a prop or two from the 'Xena' set?" Karl asked, lips curving in a smile. "I'm still not convinced he was joking." "So, what happened, then?" "Kevin and Marton made us promise to meet each other for a pint." "And did you?" Orlando asked, eyeing the two of them. "Yeah. I thought about standing him up, though." Karl said it like he couldn't believe he'd ever contemplated such a stupid thing. "But, thankfully, I didn't." "And, thankfully, I decided to give him a chance and actually listen to him," Craig said in a soft voice. He looked up at Karl, smiled, leaned in for a kiss. "How generous of you," Dom laughed, flashing Craig an unrepentant grin when those blue eyes turned towards him. "I thought it was very generous considering I'd never broken his nose," Craig stated, back to smirking. "So...what?" Orlando leaned forward with a rapt expression. "You met for a pint, talked, and it's been happily ever after since then?" "I dunno about happily," Karl started, body dodging out of the way of Craig's elbow. "But, yeah." "Kinda hard to continue to hate a bloke who ended a date by giving you the world's best blowjob," Craig nodded, skimming his hand down the angular line of Karl's jaw. "Ah, so Karl's easy like that, huh?" Dom teased, chewing on his thumb. "Good to know." "What he's not telling you," Karl said, turning his face into Craig's hand and kissing the palm, "is that he showed up at my door at sunrise the next morning with breakfast." "You didn't!" Orlando stared at Craig in disbelief as Dom fell back in his chair, laughing hysterically. "Oh, I did," Craig admitted, with a sheepish grin. "Fresh croissants, fresh fruit, hot coffee...Karl opened the door wearing just a pair of thin pajama bottoms, and the coffee was cold before we got around to breakfast." "I just bet," Dom smirked. "So it was all cooing tweeness from then on, huh?" Karl nodded, brought Craig's hand back to the table, covered it with his own. "After we got a few things straightened out, yeah." Orlando looked puzzled again. "Like what?" "Like I still didn't like him too much." "And I didn't like him," Craig added, with a faint smile. "He still thought I was cocky and arrogant, and I still thought he was a bastard. Took us a while to get past that." "So you didn't like each other, but you were sleeping together?" Dom looked skeptical. "Yeah," Karl said, laughing softly. "That's fucked up," Orlando pointed out. "And the two of you were sweetness and light once Astin came back to get you?" Karl's look pinned Dom and Orlando in their seats. "Um...not precisely, no," Dom admitted, resisting the urge to squirm. "Alright, then. Just because we had chemistry didn't mean we liked each other as people." "So, what happened to change that?" Orlando asked, then shook his head. "Never mind, let me guess...Marton and Kevin," he and Dom said, at the same time. Karl toasted the both of them with his glass. "You got it." Craig grinned. "They refused to let us even mention the other's name in their presence because we were always bitching." "You couldn't...that is fucked up," Orlando said, back to looking puzzled. "The trick was that if I mentioned Craig's name around either one of them," Karl said, sipping his drink, "I had to say something nice about him. And it couldn't be just any nice thing, either." "No, wasn't that easy." Craig grinned as he leaned against Karl. "It had to be something honest...and he had to mean it. And believe me, Kevin was good at telling when you meant it." "What about you?" Dom asked, watching Craig. "The same went for me. Mention Karl's name, and I had to come up with something nice to say. Do that often enough, and you really start to look at the good qualities in someone." "And that's when things started to change," Karl finished. "He'd moved into my place by the end of the year." "Well, I think that's great," Orlando stated, watching the two of them. "You were lucky to have such good friends." "Yeah. So were you." "Yeah." Both Dom and Orlando shared a small smile. "Guess we're all lucky, then." Craig lifted his beer, smiled. "To luck." "And friends," Orlando said softly, eyes still on Dom, lifting his beer to clink it against Craig's. "To persistence," Dom said, adding his mug to the other two, his soft smile fixed on Orlando. Karl raised his own glass, kissed Craig's forehead. "And love." They all grinned, and drank. "So..." Karl's smile was devilish as he eyed the couple across from him. "Tell us how you two finally started talking." Dom groaned, and Orlando leaned forward. "Well, it's like this..." * * * "Never knew Vig threatened them with Narsil," Craig laughed, dropping his keys on the small table. He shrugged out of his jacket, draped it across the nearest chair. "That's no worse than what we went through." Karl grinned and sprawled on the sofa, smiling when Craig bent down to kiss his forehead before heading into the kitchen. "You want something to drink?" Craig's voice drifted through the doorway, accompanied by the sound of the fridge opening. "Yeah, water please," Karl called back, slumping back on the cushions. He smiled when Craig returned and pushed a bottle into his hands. "Come here." Karl tugged Craig down onto his lap, and Craig straddled his thighs. "Hey there," Craig murmured, leaning in for a soft kiss. Karl traced the planes of Craig's face, smiled back when their lips parted. "Hi." Craig leaned in for another kiss, his teeth gently closing over Karl's lower lip before he sat back. "Tonight was good. Haven't thought about some of that stuff in a long time." "Yeah." Karl took a swig of his water, watched Craig out of amused eyes. "I'd forgotten about the pictures, to be honest." "I don't even remember where we put our copies." Craig laughed, then leaned in, tongue snaking out to lick a stray drop of water from Karl's mouth. "Maybe I'll look for them tomorrow." "Are you needing inspiration, love?" Karl asked, running his free hand up Craig's back. Craig closed his eyes, let his head fall back, lips curved in a smile. "You planning on inspiring me?" Karl leaned up, licked a path up Craig's neck. "I might be," he answered, his voice husky. "You want me to?" "Yeah," Craig murmured as he shivered. "I've been feeling a little uninspired lately...." "Have you?" Karl sounded sympathetic as he set his bottle down on the end table. Both hands migrated to Craig's hips, pulled him closer. Even, white teeth closed over the bottom of Craig's ear, and full lips curved in a smile when Craig shivered. "Tell me what would inspire you." "You. Me." Craig let out a soft gasp, gripped Karl's shoulders tight as warm lips settled over the sensitive spot behind his ear. "No clothes...several long, slow hours..." "Well, we're both here. So, that part's done." Karl grinned against Craig's neck, pushed Craig's shirt over his head. "And we're working on the clothes," he continued, his lips moving a patch across Craig's shoulder. "What was the rest?" "Several long, slow hours," Craig repeated, his hands working on the buttons of Karl's shirt. "Thought maybe we could improvise the rest." "You've always been good at that," Karl agreed, lifting his head for another slow glide of lips on lips. "Mmm...you're not too bad at it yourself," Craig stated, sliding Karl's shirt off and running his hands over exposed skin. If Karl lived to be a hundred, he'd never tire of the feel of Craig's hands on him, tracing over him, loving him. It was always so easy with him, easy to sink into whisper-soft touches, into gliding tongues and reverent lips. "Love you," he whispered to a puckered nipple, tasting the small bit of flesh. "Love you, too." Craig's voice was just above a whisper as his fingers threaded through Karl's hair, the other sliding over a shoulder to stroke down Karl's spine. He arched his back, made a soft sound in this throat as teeth and tongue played over his skin. "Sweet," Karl grinned, kissing his way back up to Craig's mouth. "You always say that," Craig laughed before the tip of his tongue slid out to trace Karl's mouth. "I always mean it." This time, the kiss was a little more thorough, explorative -- still lazy, but with an edge that nibbled on the corners, had them both gasping when they came up for air, clutching each other's shoulders. Craig rested his forehead against Karl's, closed his eyes. "We're going to be naked on the sofa in a minute," he said, laughing softly and kissing the tip of Karl's nose. "Suppose you're wanting to get comfortable in the bed," Karl grumbled, but without any heat. "It'll save us the hassle of moving later when we're a lot more exhausted." Craig punctuated his words with small kisses across Karl's jaw. "You've got a point." Karl lifted Craig to his feet, stood. "Well, lead on then," he said, lacing his hand with Craig's. "Since it was your idea and all." "My idea? All I did was make an observation." Craig shook his head, pulled Karl towards the bedroom. He opened the door, walked in, and was immediately enveloped in strong arms. "Hey you." "Don't I know you?" Karl joked, before lowering his head. "Nope, never saw you before in my life," Craig managed to say before Karl's lips covered his in a slow, thorough kiss that had him holding on to Karl's shoulders for support. "You'd let a total stranger kiss you like that?" Karl sounded shocked, if somewhat breathless, as he tugged Craig back to the bed. "Such a tease." "Only if the total stranger looks like you," Craig joked, falling back on the bed when Karl pushed him. He propped himself up on his elbows, eyes roaming hungrily over Karl's naked chest. "See something you like?" "Quite a bit, actually." Craig smiled, ran his tongue across his lower lip, eyes still raking Karl's body. "Most of it's covered up though." "I could take care of that." Craig watched in aroused silence as Karl took his time unbuttoning and sliding off his jeans. Toned muscles and golden skin beckoned in the low light of the bedside lamp, and Craig wanted nothing more than to explore every inch of the man in front of him. Whoever said familiarity breeds contempt had obviously never had a man like Karl. "God, you're fucking beautiful," Craig breathed, sitting up. He glanced up, saw Karl watching him with amused eyes. A slow blink, and then he laughed. "I seem to say that to you a lot." "I don't mind hearing it." Karl stretched out beside Craig on the bed, propped his elbow. He traced the line of Craig's collarbone with a slow finger. "And now you're wearing too much." Craig looked down and smiled. "So I am," he murmured, before giving Karl a swift kiss and sliding from the bed. "I'll just take care of that." He stood, stretched, and looked down at Karl, a lazy smile spreading across his face. With slow, sure fingers, he unbuttoned his jeans, slid them down long legs, then straightened, his body curving in another stretch. All the while his eyes remained locked with Karl's. Karl gestured to Craig's nude body. "Now that's beautiful." "I'll take your word for it," Craig replied with a wink, slowly crawling across the bed towards Karl. He stopped, still on his hands and knees, head hovering over Karl's. Karl lifted his head to meet Craig's lips, and Craig sank gratefully into the kiss, into the body below him. Time slowed, fractured, as they took turns sipping from each other's mouths, ran firm hands over each other's skin. "I think I might finally get tired of kissing you." Craig lifted his head, smiled down at Karl, one finger sliding along Karl's lower lip. "In five or six decades. Maybe." Karl caught the tip of Craig's finger in his mouth, sucked briefly before pulling back. "You always did have a short attention span." "It was my upbringing. Dropped on my head one too many times as a child." Craig grinned, then his hand slid along Karl's ribs. He dropped his chin and watched Karl through his lashes. "And since I've got such a short attention span...maybe you need to remind of things." Karl's smile was a thing of sheer beauty. He reversed their positions, nibbled a path along Craig's neck. "I'd be happy to remind you. As often as you need me." Craig tilted his head back, closed his eyes. His hands slid down Karl's back, exploring warm skin, firm muscles. "I think maybe," he said, voice just the slightest bit ragged, "I need you right now." "Just maybe?" Slow swipes of wet tongue along Craig's collarbone. "You don't know for sure?" Firm lips brushing a path along heated skin. "That's very sad." "No," Craig gasped, muscles jerking as Karl's tongue found a sensitive spot. "No maybe. Definite. Need you." Karl lifted his head for a brief moment. "That's much better." He resumed his previous position, and Craig could only drop his head back and moan, give his body completely over to the small shocks of pleasure coursing through him. "Christ..." he sighed, shifted beneath Karl, hands roaming up and down Karl's back, legs sliding. His body arched up, seeking to touch as much of Karl's as possible. Every time they touched, kissed, made love, fucked like minks, it was different, yet so achingly familiar. Such a joy to discover new pleasures while knowing exactly how to touch each other. Craig reciprocated as best he could, but he was hampered by Karl's roving mouth and wandering hands. He finally gave up, content to thread his fingers through Karl's hair, enjoying the feel of the silky strands slipping across his knuckles as the other hand knotted in the sheets. Then teeth sank into his stomach, and Craig jumped, emitting a soft yelp before trying to squirm up the bed. "That tickles!" "Sorry." Craig snorted. Yeah, right. Sorry, his ass. "I think you need to make up for it," he said, tried to look stern. The effect was ruined by the way one corner of his mouth kept twitching. "Do you?" Karl lifted an eyebrow, then did something with his tongue that had Craig tensing and arching, seeking to capture the feel again. "Unh...yeah..." Both hands slid into Karl's hair, fingertips lightly stroking his scalp. Karl's tongue repeated whatever that was, and Craig's body arched again. "I do...you do...something." "Alright." And all coherence, or even thought of coherence was lost when Karl enveloped him in wet heat, worshipping, taunting, moving and taking. Craig forgot about talking, forgot he even knew how to say anything other than Karl's name as he was swept into a swift current of now and more and please. "Karl..." The word was a whisper, a plea, repeated a little louder, ending in a groan as Craig's body arched, moved with Karl, for Karl. Silken strands sliding over his hands, calloused fingers touching his hips and thighs. And those full lips and wicked tongue moving on him, coaxing wordless responses from his body as they sent him closer and closer to the edge. He wasn't so much pushed over as he was coaxed, tumbled end over end into a brilliantly splintering orgasm, anchored by Karl's arms. Sighed into the sheets, breath returning in short spurts as Karl curled around him, caressed dampened skin with his fingers. "Jesus, love," he said when he could speak again, tiny tremors racing through his body. He turned his head, seeking Karl's lips, tasting himself on Karl's tongue. Karl sighed contently against Craig's lips. "Not quite, but I'll happy to be godlike for you." Craig laughed softly and closed his eyes. "Well, you were Cupid," he pointed out, opening one eye to peek at Karl's reaction. Karl only rubbed a hand over his face and stretched out in the cradle of Craig's arms. "At least I got to play a deity, unlike you." "Yeah, but I didn't have to bleach my hair and wear the bloody wings," Craig laughed, his fingers dancing up Karl's spine. "I was quite happy playing a mortal." "I think I would have made a great Ares. I'd've looked good in those leather pants." Karl chuckled, then yawned. "Too bad Kevin was so good at playing him." "He was good, wasn't he?" Craig turned his body a bit, aligned it with Karl's. His lips found the corner of Karl's mouth and placed a soft kiss there. "Yeah." Both were silent for a minute. "I really do miss him. It was hard to talk about him to Dom and Orlando in the past tense." "Yeah." Craig's voice was soft, a little distant. He squirmed closer to Karl, linking their fingers together, thumb rubbing over Karl's knuckles. "Sometimes I'll go somewhere and look up and expect to see him." "Yeah." Karl's voice was soft, the lips on Craig's hand softer. "But, at least he managed to accomplish one great deed before he died." Craig opened his eyes and looked at Karl, then he smiled. "Yeah, I guess he did." "Yep. Convinced me you weren't a total ass. And that's a great deed," Karl stated with a grin, tucking his tongue between his teeth. "God," Craig groaned, squeezed his eyes closed. "I walked into that one. Of course, I didn't have to put up with his jokes about Cupid shooting himself with his own arrows." Karl grinned, squeezed Craig's hand. "No, you didn't. Thank God for small favors." "Oh, I don't know," Craig murmured, arching his body and rubbing against Karl. "I wouldn't exactly say it's a small favor..." "Speaking of which..." "Yes?" Craig arched an eyebrow and grinned, the expression bordering on a smirk. Karl returned the grin with one of his own. "Time you returned it." "Greedy thing, aren't you?" Craig's voice was light, teasing, his hands insistent as he pushed Karl over to his back. Then, before Karl could reply, Craig's tongue was sweeping across a collarbone and down his sternum. Karl tugged Craig's head up, caressed his cheek with rough fingers. "Of course I'm greedy. But I'm worth it." "Damn right you are," Craig murmured before capturing Karl's lips in a scorching kiss. His hands roamed over bare skin in light caresses, fingertips exploring and mapping a well-known chest and stomach. Karl twisted up into his touch, arched up into the kiss, his tongue ravenous against Craig's. Naked, shameless, wanting...a kiss that promised everything...and delivered, then promised more. Craig was only too happy to take Karl up on all of it. "Jesus..." Craig's voice was a little shaky when he pulled away, lowering his head to nuzzle Karl's neck. His hands slid over warm skin, traced muscles, glided down to grasp lean hips. Every time he kissed Karl was like that first time in the car--all need and want and desire and a hunger that left him shaken to his core. Karl sighed, body fluid under Craig's touch. "Stop teasing..." Craig laughed softly, his lips moving across Karl's collarbone. "You love my teasing," he said, tongue darting out to place tiny licks across Karl's chest and stomach as he moved lower, his body rubbing against Karl's. "Didn't tease you." True enough. Craig recognized Karl's tone, knew Karl was right at the breaking point. "You're right," he answered, lowering his head. He could feel the tremors in Karl's body as his tongue swept across velvety skin. His hands stroked firm thighs as he lifted his head just enough to meet Karl's eyes, then lips closed around hot, hard flesh. Karl's groan sounded sweet to his ears, and Karl's flavor flooded his senses, intoxicating and addictive and lush. He took his time, rediscovering every inch, relishing every groan. Moved leisurely, explored and soothed, wanted to envelop Karl in heat and love and sensation. Wanted to overwhelm, wanted to shatter with his lips and tongue. His hands continued to move over Karl's body, touching, stroking, caressing with soft touches as he moved. Karl's hands touched his head, and Craig could feel them tremble, was amazed once more at his power over this man. He altered his rhythm, increased his speed a little, watched Karl's face as he worked to bring Karl the same pleasure that he himself had received only a short time earlier. When Karl came for him, moaning and shuddering under him, it was the most beautiful sight in the world. Craig watched as hazel eyes fluttered open, stared lazily back at him. "Much better," Karl sighed, tugging Craig back up his slick body for a lethargic kiss, twining tongues and slanting mouths in languid exploration. "Yeah." Craig smiled into the kiss, curled his body around Karl's, hands lightly stroking damp skin as Karl's arms wrapped around him. "Love you." Karl yawned again, dropped his head on Craig's shoulder. "Still not sorry I broke your nose, though." "Still owe you for that, too," Craig mumbled as he kissed Karl's forehead. He closed his eyes, smiled. "One of these days, just when you least expect it..." "In your dreams, Craig." Craig just laughed and tightened his arms around Karl. "Keep thinking that if it makes you happy, love." He leaned in for another slow kiss before grabbing a sheet and pulling it over their entwined bodies.
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