Conversations in Real Time

by Nicholas J Finch

  They watched Daniel with suspicious green eyes as he dropped his bags by the door, and shrugged off his jacket.

  “Don’t worry,” James murmured, stepping up behind him and slipping his arms around Daniel’s waist. “They’ll soon accept you when you try out those feline language skills you’ve been perfecting.”

  Gentle kisses down his neck almost had Daniel purring himself right there where he stood, and a tremor ran through him to feel James breathing softly against his neck.

  He turned around and ran his fingers through the older man’s hair. “I never realized how your eyes are so incredibly blue,” he whispered, capturing his lover’s lips in a slow and tender kiss that had both of them forgetting to breathe.

  Panting slightly, they pulled back, content for a moment to just hold each other, lost in the intensity of finally being together.

  “Take me to bed.” Daniel’s words were rough and throaty, thick with lust and desire. “I want to love you. Please, Jim. I need you so much.”

  James took his hand, and without another word simply led him up the stairs.

  Daniel’s mouth was on his as they set foot in the master bedroom, and James moaned, opening up to the firm, sweeping tongue that tangled so eagerly with his own. He pressed Daniel back against the wall, pinning him there, enjoying the steadily strengthening arousal between them that could not be denied a second longer, and they both began tugging at each other’s clothes, fumbling with buttons and ties, unhooking pants, kicking off shoes…

  “Let me see you…” Daniel gasped, barely trusting his own voice.

  “Oh! Oh, God!” James shivered in delight as gently exploring hands finally slipped inside his shirt.

  “Good?” Daniel asked wickedly, teasing Jim's nipples into tight, hard nubs, watching the reactions his touch could so swiftly provoke, thrilling at the husky ‘yes’ that was his answer.

  As he slid the dark purple cotton from his lover’s body, so the shirt pooled on the floor at their feet, and Daniel’s fingers brushed unexpectedly over the entry and exit wounds left by the bullet James had taken in the line of duty a few months before.

  He froze, his eyes drawn inexorably to the scars that marred the pale, freckled skin he seriously couldn't get enough of, and his thoughts flew just as inexorably straight back to those worried nights alone in Oxford, and the news reports of carnage and death in Downtown Los Angeles.

  “Dan? Hey, it’s okay…”

  But he barely heard Jim's concern. His hand trembled slightly, as with loving care he traced the edge of each scar, realizing then just how close the bullet had come to hitting a major artery.

  “I could’ve lost you,” he whispered, unable to keep the emotion from his voice, “before I even knew you. Before we ever met.” He nuzzled into Jim's neck, his eyes screwed shut, remembering the images he knew he should never have gone online searching for. “I could’ve lost you.”

  “No. Daniel? Honey, it’s all right. You didn’t lose me. I’m okay. I’m right here.” James ruffled his lover’s unruly hair and pulled him a little closer. “I have other scars. It’s just the nature of my job. You know that.”

  “I saw the film, Jim. I found it. I found the footage from when you were shot.”

  Strong arms held him tighter in response. “I knew you would.”

  “I had to know what happened to you that day.” He knew it was foolish to be shaking so badly, but he couldn’t hide just how desperate he’d been, or how strong his feelings for James had become. “I’m sorry. I had to see it for myself.”

  “Honey? Please, look at me.” He tipped Daniel’s head up so they were face to face. “No one’s ever…”

  For the first time in his life, someone was crying for James Caldwell, and to see the young scientist he’d fallen so completely in love with get so very upset, those deep dark eyes bright with tears, left him stunned and speechless. In that moment he truly knew the depth of Daniel’s gentle heart.

  “I can’t lose you, James.” It was barely a whisper.

  “You won’t,” he replied firmly, cupping that scruffy face in his hands and gently kissing those full lips he’d spent months dreaming of. “You won’t lose me.” James brushed away the tears that were shed so unashamedly, and kissed him deeply, swallowing the low tremulous groan that he drew from Daniel’s throat. “I love you. I need you. You won’t lose me. I swear it.”

  He threw off what remained of his clothing, and when they were finally both naked, he took Daniel to the bed, easing him down onto the covers.

  With hungry eyes he took in every inch of the lean body sprawled out before him, exploring it with hands and mouth, teasing and caressing until the object of his passion was writhing beneath him and panting with need.

  Daniel tightened his fingers in Jim’s hair, and moaned as his already sensitized nipples were suckled harder and harder.

  “Oh! Oh!!” He arched up off the bed, his whole body on fire as James took him to the very edge. “Please…” he begged breathlessly, as his aching cock brushed repeatedly against his lover's throbbing erection, “…if you don’t stop, I’ll come too soon, and I want to be inside you when I do that.”

  James shuddered, nipping at the curve of Dan’s neck, barely muffling a long, low groan as soft hands traced down his spine and squeezed his ass tightly. He was on his back with Daniel straddling his hips before he could even blink, and anything he might’ve said after that was lost in a slow, tongue-tangling kiss that just seemed to go on forever.

  “I love you,” Daniel murmured, tracing a path with his lips over Jim's shoulder, the rough scratch of his stubble only adding to the sensations that were clearly driving them both insane. “Love you so much…”

  He stopped to reverently kiss the scar, but James gently pushed him away. “You’ll never lose me,” he whispered, “I’m yours, always.”

  Daniel gasped as strong fingers stroked the length of his cock, just once, and a shiver ran through him. “Tell me you have lube or something here somewhere. I simply cannot wait any longer.”

  Jim chuckled at the suddenly very apparent and very uptight English inflection in the young man’s voice. “If I’d known you were coming to my bed, I would have been better prepared, but there’s massage oil in the cabinet there…”

  Daniel grinned, reaching over to the bedside table. “Massage oil, huh?”

  “From having physio, back when…” He was going to say ‘when I was shot’ but thought better of it.

  Yet Daniel seemed to understand. “It’s okay,” he answered quickly, his lips brushing over Jim's cheek. “It’s okay.”

  Parting his lover’s willing thighs, he settled between them, then poured some of the oil over his hand before gently easing two fingers into Jim’s shy opening.

  It won him a shuddering cry as the blond pushed back against such an invasion.

  “More, please,” he panted, his own hands clutching at the covers as longing raced though him. He was so very close to losing control.

  “You’re so tight. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You won’t. You couldn’t. I trust you. Oh, yes…” James whimpered and sighed as Daniel added a third finger, finding the spot that had him instantly lost in a surge of pleasure. He couldn’t remember ever being so hard, or so much on fire with lust and need.

  “Okay?” Daniel had to be sure, but when sparkling blue eyes met his, he stopped doubting. “I love you,” he whispered, taking his hand away only to slick oil on his aching cock.

  He smiled, gathered his lover close, kissed his lips, and slowly sank all the way into Jim’s welcoming warmth.

  “So perfect,” he gasped, the Lieutenant's strong hands gripping fiercely at his shoulders. ”So tight wrapped around me…” He fought momentarily for control against the urge to rear up on his haunches and plunder the willing body beneath him, but as Jim’s legs rose to wrap around his waist, and his cock sank deeper into the heat that enveloped him, he knew nothing else in the world mattered but the man he loved.r />
  Nothing existed but them.

  James let go of the breath he had been holding, and the tremor that ran through him shook them both. “Feels good. You're so big. It feel so good there,” he purred, Dan's thick cock buried inside him to the hilt, stretching and filling him.

  “You were made for me James,” Daniel murmured, moving slowly, thrusting in and out, drawing moans and whimpers from the older man with every move he made, and James surrendered himself without hesitation as his own erection was encased in firm, sure fingers and pumped steadily in time with each thrust of Dan’s hips.

  “Yes! God! Oh, yes!!” He couldn’t seem to stop the shout that burst from his soul as Daniel climaxed deep inside him, and that warm gush of his lover's release triggered his own orgasm so strongly he saw stars as he spilled his seed over Dan's skillful fingers.

  Panting and shaking, they held on to each other, keeping that moment of fulfillment for as long as they possibly could, both of them finally and undeniably whole.

  * * *

  James woke to the sound of softly repetitive muttering, and he blinked, trying to remember why he was home so early. It was still daylight outside. Then he shifted slightly, his arm brushing against soft skin, and everything came back.

  Daniel.

  Daniel was there.

  He opened his eyes and looked at the dark tousle-haired head hovering over him, and he struggled not to laugh as tickling fingers slid over his body, moving back and forth repeatedly.

  He listened carefully then grinned. “Counting them all?” he chuckled.

  “Shhhh!” Daniel kept muttering until he finally growled and paused for a moment. “Lost count. I'll just have to start over.” He dipped his head to Jim's hip and kissed the pale, freckled skin that curved over his groin. “One.” His lips moved, following the lean bone structure. “Two.”

  James blushed when his stomach growled.

  “Someone’s hungry,” Daniel commented, sitting up and untangling his feet from the sheets.

  “I got distracted and missed lunch,” he replied, “and if I recall correctly, a certain someone offered to cook me dinner.”

  Daniel's eyebrows rose and he smile brightly as he moved off the bed and walked butt naked out of the room.

  Jim's gaze followed his every step, then with a gasp he scrabbled after him, grabbing a pair of jeans out of his closet before heading down the stairs in pursuit.

  “Damn it! Here I thought I'd be getting a free dinner show,” he grumbled as Dan pulled on a pair of jeans from his travel bag.

  “Not cooking in the buff.” He grinned as he zipped his fly but kept the top button open, his pants riding low enough on his hips to make Jim lick his lips in anticipation of more than just food. “Do you even have edible stuffs in the kitchen?”

  “I honestly have no idea, but I do know that Nellie was by on Saturday. She was concerned I wasn’t eating.”

  “Again?” Daniel opened up the fridge and positively cooed with joy. “I could so grow to love her.” He tugged some items out from off the glass shelves, then looked over at Jim. “Go sit. Relax. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

  James watched for a while as the young man made himself altogether at home in the kitchen, and he knew then that Daniel belonged there with him. It was as if, after all the years he'd spent in that place, it had finally become a home.

  Moving into the living room, making sure he could still watch the chef at work but relax as he'd been ordered, he knew he was happy. Ridiculously so. One of the she-devils stretched out lazily and meowed at him. She looked over at the kitchen then back at her owner as if asking, 'okay so who is he and what is he doing here?'.

  James gave the black cat a scratch behind the ears. “It’s okay Angel, he’s mine. If I recall, you two had chats online about your tuna supply.”

  “Angel?” Daniel asked from the kitchen, finding it hard to believe that he'd never thought to ask Jim what his cats were named. “So who's this one then?”

  On the counter top sat the other she-demon, trying to see what all the cooking was about.

  “That's Demon.”

  Daniel paused. “You’re kidding.”

  “Nope.”

  “So the black one is Angel and the white one is Demon?” Daniel clarified.

  “Yep.”

  “It’s twisted, I like it.” The chef snickered as he went back to preparing dinner. “So now that I’m here and I got the job, d'you know any good places I could stay that are affordable? I mean I got a hotel room already. I wasn't sure if I'd be staying so I…”

  “Here!” James didn’t even let him finish that thought. “You’re staying right here, and don’t you even open that pretty mouth to argue with me. I don’t care what anyone thinks or says about us.”

  Dan smiled brightly as his cheeks flushed. “You might need a bigger library.”

  “Well at least the bike will fit in the garage, or are you leaving it in England?” He laughed at the horrified expression that flashed across Daniel’s face. “Okay!” He threw his hands up in surrender. “Maybe not then.”

  “My baby comes with me.” Daniel held up a knife, waving it around. “Love me, love my bike,” he chided.

  “Would love to see you ride. Not sure about the idea of you flying down the Freeways though,” James smirked.

  “Hey, I’m careful,” Daniel assured him, “you know this.”

  “Yeah, I know. I also know that your ass in leather pants would cause more than a few vehicle collisions along the way.”

  Daniel laughed and blushed a bit, and the two of them settled into a comfortable silence as he cooked dinner, with the cats looking on.

  Suddenly, soft music filtered into the kitchen. He stopped and glanced up, to spy James sitting at the piano, his hands flowing effortlessly over the keys, a look of serious concentration on his face. Daniel smiled to himself, not recognizing the melody but relishing its smoothly cool tone, and as he went back to the rice he had been straining, he felt truly content for the first time in a very long time.

  * * *

  They ate out on the deck, enjoying the early evening sun and hearty plates of paella. Their fingers touched across the tabletop, their eyes feasting only on each other, as over shy smiles and chilled white wine, the Pacific Ocean added its gentle cadence to a moment when they both realized this was how it should always be.

  It fell to Angel and Demon to break the spell by hungrily demanding their own dinner, and Daniel offered to feed them and tidy the kitchen in exchange for a little more music.

  “What was that you were playing earlier?” he asked.

  “I believe even in the UK it’s called a piano,” James teased, clearing the table.

  Daniel struggled admirably to keep a straight face. “Y’know you're really very funny…”

  “Chopin,” James chuckled. “It was Chopin.”

  “Well, it was beautiful,” he replied, winning a kiss for his compliment.

  “I don’t usually play for an audience.”

  Daniel eyed the cats who still wove around their ankles, both mewing pitifully as though they’d not been fed in weeks. “They were the ones who told me you were really very good, and besides which, I can personally vouch for your talented hands.”

  To his great delight, James blushed deeply and ducked back into the house.