Factors to be Considered

3rd installment... finally Reed gets a bit of action :P
Oh, and as specified by Casandra here is the Saleen that was quickly mentioned in the story
http://www.engine-power.com/img/specs/2005_saleen_s7_tt_04.jpg
The story is still PG-13 ish... and only for swearing really.
Again:
italics = flashback
and single 'quotes'= thoughts
Anywho, enjoy and tell me what you think.

Chapter 3 – Factor #3 & #4: Opportunities and Kissing Ability

‘I wasn’t until later in the week that the third factor popped up,’ Reed contemplated, ‘And if I go by that then this whole thing is Ben’s fault… or that damn telescope.’

“Well, you need the parts, right?” Ben asked getting a little annoyed at Reed’s scientific explanation of the situation.

“… yes, Ben. But it’s so much more complicated than that. The building permit, the dealer, when to go, who will go…” Reed trailed off listing more scientific variables.

“Look. I got an idea,” Ben cut in to stop this long list of crap… frankly, this whole conversation was starting to make his head hurt, “Why doesn’t Sue go get the building permit and you go get the parts?”

Reed’s eyes lit up at the suggestion and he looked at Ben with awe and admiration.

“Yes!” he said nodding, “What a brilliant idea! And I suppose I could go check out the dealer with these parts… since I do know the specifications that are needed and…”

“Okay okay!” Ben huffed; he was pretty sure he did feel a headache coming on, “Look, you can just go check out this part guy and do whatever you want, ok? I’m sure I have something that I need…HEY!…Reed!?…Are you even listening to ME!?”

Ben was so done with talking about Reed’s stupid little telescope thing and now Reed wasn’t even listening! In fact, Reed looked completely absorbed in watching something across the room. Ben, more then slightly confused, followed Reed’s gaze over to where Johnny was casually strolling through the lab on his way to the living room.

It was only once Johnny was gone and out of sight did Reed finally snap his attention back to Ben.

“What were you saying? Sorry, guess I got distracted.”

“Yea…” Ben said slowly, “… you… umm… you like him, don’t ya?”

Reed looked taken aback, but before he could say anything in his defense Ben continued.

“Nah, you don’t have to say anything. I know. I got eyes. I can see the way you’ve been staring at him,” Ben stated matter-of-factly.

“No! Well…”

“HAH! I thought so!” Ben said triumphantly, “Then I’ve got a great idea! I will go with Sue (ya know intimidation blah blah blah) to go get this building… thing. And Flame Boy can go with you to get the parts for this thingy you’re making (that’ll give you two a chance to talk things over *wink *wink).”

“What… no, I think…”

“Great! I’ll go tell Sue and Matches!” Ben said jumping up and quickly heading towards the living room.

“Tell Sue what?” Sue said curiously with a raised eyebrow.

“Ah, Suzy! Okay, well Reed has decided that he has to build this microscope thingy…” Ben started.

“Telescope,” Reed corrected quietly from behind Ben.

“Yea, like I was saying, he has to build this telescope thing and he wants you and me to go and get a building permit,” Ben said delightedly, “Oh, and Matches you’re going with Reed.”

“Huh? Where are we going?” Johnny said having not paid attention to any of the preceding conversation.

“Nice, Johnny,” Sue said sarcastically, rolling her eyes, “You’re going with Reed to go get parts for a telescope.”

Ben clapped his hands, “Alright, so everything’s settled… let’s get going!”

Sue looked at him in alarm, “R-right this moment.”

“Time is truly of the essence. With the storm approaching, the faster we get all of this done the more research I should be able to do,” Reed pointed out.

Ben nodded in complete agreement and thumped off towards his room to pack. Sue raised her eyebrows feeling overwhelmed, and then hurriedly went to her room to do the same.

In less then half an hour both pairs were stepping into the elevator doors to head to their respective hotels far away from the Baxter building. Ben and Sue were on their way to the airport and eventually to Washington to acquire the proper building permits, while Reed and Johnny were headed downstairs to the garage and eventually across the Northern border and into Canada to where the parts were waiting for them. Ben could only chuckle to himself as he imagined the three-hour drive to the depot in Canada.

Johnny and Reed walked briskly across the parking garage and to Johnny’s dismay past all the sports cars kept there. Johnny cringed as they stopped in front of an oversized pick-up.

“We’re taking ‘the bucket’?” Johnny asked unhappily.

“Well, we need somewhere to store the parts we’re going to purchase,” Reed replied thoughtfully, “And I’m sure it doesn’t appreciate you referring to it as ‘the bucket’.”

“I bet the ’67 Mustang has room enough for your parts,” Johnny offered, “Or the Saleen S7 twin turbo.”

Reed raised an eyebrow at the two suggestions, “I don’t think either of them even have a back seat let alone cargo space… and plus,” Reed said mischievously, “We wouldn’t want to ruin those suicide doors trying to get a giant telescope lens inside, now would we?”

Johnny cringed, disgusted that Reed would even talk about any harm coming to his babies, and nodded in agreement, “Okay, okay, good point. We’ll take ‘the bucket’.”

Reed nodded smugly as the two of them clambered into the large vehicle. After buckling up and starting out towards the highway an awkward silence settled into the cab of the vehicle.

Reed, who was driving the first half of the way, took a glance at Johnny. Johnny was sitting in the passenger half cross-legged with one of his legs resting up on the dash and his head slumped in the corner where the seat and door met. Reed couldn’t understand how that could even be remotely comfortable but by the looks of things Johnny was already fast asleep.

With Johnny asleep the silence was a lot less awkward, so Reed made the decision not to wake Johnny when it came time for them to switch drivers.

‘Fortunately, Johnny slept all the way to that horrible little motel in Canada,” Reed recalled, “He probably would have been better off and a lot more comfortable out in the car then in that crummy room. Although, if he had stayed in the car I suppose things might have happened differently.’

Johnny was awakened rudely by ‘the bucket’ jerkily coming to a stop.

“Nice,” Johnny said, irritated by having been woken up.

“We’re here,” Reed offered as conciliation.

“Dude, what is this?” Johnny said in complete awe at the trashy looking building in front of them.

“Well,” Reed said, looking at a set of directions, “I think this is where we are staying.”

Johnny’s jaw dropped.

“You’re kidding right? Right?!” Johnny sputtered as he followed Reed into the building.

Reed quickly got their room key and brought in the luggage. The clerk was friendly enough but the hotel was a complete dump. Their room was 214. They had to take the stairs because the elevator was broken and they nearly missed their room because someone had probably stolen the numbers that had been posted on the front leaving only a light outline of what it had once said.

Reed unlocked the door and the two stepped in observing the place they would be staying for the next four days.

“This is insanely disgusting,” whined Johnny, “I think someone stole the TV; there are only a couple screws left over here on the stand. The light in the bathroom is about to go out, plus there are cockroaches all over the bathtub. The lamps don't have light bulbs, there are no towels, we can only get hot water to run, and there is… oh hell no… only one effing bed!"

“I suppose you can sleep in the bed,” Reed said with a hurt face, “and I can sleep in this rickety, unsafe looking armchair.”

“Dude you’re awesome!” Johnny said as he bounced onto the bed, “Man, thanks! Hey, you can have the sheets and crap… I kinda regulate my own body temp so I don’t need ‘em.”

Reed caught the pile of linen flying for his head and sulkily went over to try and get comfortable in the chair; Johnny was already asleep. Reed looked around.

‘Okay, pity plan didn’t work, so now, on to plan b,’ Reed thought as he stretched his arm out across the wall to look for the thermostat.

“Ah hah!” Reed whispered and cranked the AC on as high as it would go.

Amazingly the crappy AC blew out tons of freezing air successfully making the whole room cold in about an hour.

‘Okay here we go,’ Reed thought sneakily.

“J-johnny,” Reed chattered shivering in the icy cold air, “W-wake up-p-p.”

“Nyah nelum snrrrf,” Johnny mumbled half asleep.

“N-no it’s Reed. It’s free-ee-eezing in here.”

“Huh? What’s wrong.”

Reed stood by the bed shivering allowing Johnny to wake up and notice him.

“Whoa! Dude, are you okay?” Johnny said, startled that Reed was standing so close to him.

“T-the th-th-thermostat-t-t is brok-k-ken. I’mmm free-ee-zing.”

“Heh heh,” Johnny chuckled grinning, “Well, you’ve come to the right guy! Heat just happens to be my specialty!”

“Can I…” Reed motioned toward the bed.

“Huh… oh, yeah, hop in.”

Reed slowly placed the sheets back on the bed, shivering pitifully the whole time and then slowly climbed in and settled beside Johnny who seemed to have no problem sharing the bed now. Reed made a big display of rubbing his arms and blowing into his cupped hands as an effort to warm himself.

“Ye know, I could help you with that… I kinda taught myself how to do this really nifty trick.”

“Will-ll it-t-t w-w-warm me up?”

“You better believe it,” Johnny smirked, “But it might be a little weird so just… trust me… and don’t wig out or anything, k?”

Reed nodded his consent. Johnny sat up and seemed to be meditating. The he slowly turned towards Reed, and to Reeds complete surprise and elation, straddled him. Then laid down on top of Reed so that their chests were touching.

“I told you it was weird… but here’s the cool part.”

Johnny slowly inhaled and then let the deep breath he had taken slowly escape his body. As he exhaled Reed suddenly began to feel warmth spread through him. Johnny was acting as a kind of heating vent. Johnny breathed slowly in and out a few more times.

After about Johnny’s third breath he looked down into Reed’s eyes and grinned wickedly, “See,” he said breathlessly, “Wasn’t that awesome? You all heated up now?”

Reed was mesmerized but managed to get out, “Very hot… now.”

In truth, Reed was now almost sweating. Whether the sweat was caused by Johnny’s venting trick (or… perhaps something else) was questionable.

Then Reed felt it, ‘This is what Ben is talking about… this is it. We are having a moment. We are both in the moment!’

And Reed, being ‘in the moment’, smiled sappily into Johnny’s eyes, who was still looking down at him, and reached his hands up to pull Johnny’s face towards his own and kissed Johnny sensuously on the mouth. Johnny, being slightly dazed from exerting himself by trying to heat Reed up, simply parted his lips and licked delicately at Reed’s upper lip.

Reed moaned quietly and parted his lips to allow Johnny’s tongue access. Johnny took the invitation and deepened the kiss, their two tongues curling around each other.

Johnny moved his hands expertly lower, getting under Reed’s nightshirt and massaging his chest.

Then Johnny opened his eyes and the realization of exactly who he was kissing dawned on him.

Johnny ripped his mouth away from Reed’s, “HOLY SHIT!”

“What’s wrong… did I do something…” Reed asked confused reaching for Johnny’s shoulder to support his disturbed friend. At that, Johnny completely freaked out.

“Whoa! Back off!” he shouted as he crawled backwards away from Reed. Unfortunately, they were on a somewhat small bed and Johnny ended up tumbling ungracefully over the side, taking half the sheets with him.

“Are you okay? Look, I didn’t mean to…” Reed began.

Johnny hopped up, still half tangled in sheets, “No… uh… whatever… umm… bye.”

With that Johnny nervously walked towards the only sectioned off part of the hotel room: the bathroom. He quickly went in and shut the door.

‘Great! Well, thanks a lot for the advice Ben cause that’s not going to be awkward at all in the morning!’ Reed thought angrily.

........................................ To be continued............
...as always :P
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