Nothing Else Matters

When Daniel left Shell Beach, John was at a loss of what to do. At first he could only just stand in the hallway, frozen where Daniel had pushed past him. What had gone wrong? And why did the other man keep bringing up Anna?

Daniel thought he was in the way, John realized suddenly, feeling a sickening lurch in his stomach. He turned, flew downstairs to catch him, but all he saw was the tail end of a cab, disappearing at the end of the street. Daniel was gone.

He returned to his house, gathering clouds overhead, and made it rain. Perhaps a little childish, he reflected, but he couldn't stand to look at the sun when he felt like this. Anna called him several times over the next couple of days, left messages on his answerphone, but he didn't return them. Whatever she'd once meant to him was gone, was meaningless, especially if it cost him the friendship of the one person in the city besides him who understood everything, knew the truth....

Finally, he went into the city. He had to find Daniel, had to talk to him. He wandered aimlessly throughout the day, sometimes waiting outside the doctor's office in case he showed up, but it was dark and looked like no one had been there for some time. Then as night fell, he sought out the little bar where he had, by chance, found Daniel drinking that night. He proceeded to drink until he couldn't think, couldn't feel anything anymore. Maybe if he was lucky, the doctor would visit here. If not... it was better than staying at home alone, and afforded him a craved sense of oblivion, if only for a little while.

The night that Daniel finally arrived, he almost couldn't believe that he was actually there. The blond seemed just as lonely, just as upset as he was, though he seemed more concerned for John's well being than his own, as the kind Doctor always had been. The more that John tried to work from him what was going on, however, the more Daniel resisted him. Finally John just gave in, in a moment of drunken madness, gave into everything he'd been feeling, the aching need and desire, pressing Daniel up against the wall of the elevator and kissing him until there could be no doubt in either of their minds how they felt about each other.

He'd purged the alcohol from his system after that, a simple enough thing to do, with his abilities. He didn't need it anymore.

What he did need was in his arms, trembling and vulnerable, slowly opening up to him, letting John finally heal the damaged lungs that caused him so much trouble and pain. And Daniel broke down, clinging to him like he hadn't seen an inch of tenderness in his life. It likely wasn't too far from accurate, John reflected sadly, stroking his hair gently, if what the doctor had told him about his time with the Strangers was any indication.

There was so much he wanted to say to him - that he'd never leave his side, that he'd never let anyone hurt him, ever again. But he sensed how overwhelmed the other man was, how fragile, and simply held him, murmuring soft words of comfort, brushing away his tears. Returning his sweet kisses, and finally, finally hearing him murmur the words he'd been dreaming of hearing for so long.

"I love you, John."

He tightened his arms around him, feeling a shudder of emotion go through his body. "My sweet Daniel..."

"Shhh," the doctor breathed, and claimed his mouth again, a little more sure of himself, fingers moving to stroke through John's dark curls, so tender and yet somehow so promising that it sent a rush of desire down his spine. "We've wasted far too much time on talking, don't you think?" Daniel murmured softly against his mouth, and John felt another rush, and had to hold himself back from tearing the kisses from those beautiful, full lips, from showing Daniel exactly how much and how long he'd wanted him.

He forced himself to pull back, panting softly, searching the clear blue eyes behind his glasses. "...can I stay here tonight?"

His well shaped lips parted slightly, then turned upwards, into a small, almost cheeky smile. "I don't have a spare room, John."

John had figured as much already. The apartment was small, the kind of small kept by someone who didn't ever expect the luxury of visitors, and as unlike John's own home in Shell Beach as possible, apart from the cozy comfort of it. A refuge against the rest of the world. He grinned. "I know."

Daniel gave a soft, shy laugh, pale skin flushing, and John wondered if he knew how irresistible he looked like that. "Yes, John, you may stay." He swallowed, then wet his lips, just a tantalizing glimpse of pink to tease him. "Please stay."

He caught those lips again with his own, needing to taste him, craving the closeness it brought. His lips were warm, bold and yearning, and so unlike the flippant softness of Anna's kisses that he was faintly relieved. Truth told, she rather annoyed him at times, and her efforts to take him to bed had been shallow at best, all games and manipulation. A stark contrast to Daniel's shy honesty, to the way he gave of himself entirely, vulnerable, trusting and without guile.

He'd thought about this often, in private, indulgent moments, but thinking and doing were two very different things. It was hard not to give full reign to his desires as he returned Daniel's kisses, tasting him, hands roaming restlessly over his back and sides, moving to unbutton his jacket. He was struck by how fragile Daniel seemed, and tightened his hold on his passion. This was something to savour, to take care with. No need to rush, no need to chance hurting him.

He pulled from the sweetness of that mouth with great effort, nuzzling his jaw, kissing and tasting the soft skin just below his ear, tracing just behind it with the tip of his tongue. Daniel tilted his head back, voice coming in a soft whimper as John's teeth grazed his earlobe. "John...."

"Don't want to rush anything you're not ready for," he murmured, trying to catch his breath. "So tell me if there's anything you want me to do or stop..."

He drew a sharp breath as Daniel moved to catch his mouth demandingly, his reply husky, something dark and a little wild in the depths of those blue eyes conflicting with John's resolution to be gentle with him. "Don't hold back," he breathed, and then his fingers were at the front of John's shirt, neatly tugging the line of buttons undone and slipping his hands inside, stroking hungrily over his bare skin. John complied with a soft moan, shrugging out of the thin cotton fabric as well as his overcoat in one go before his hands returned to Daniel's jacket, tugging it off with his vest. When he moved to unbutton his shirt, however, Daniel's hands caught his tightly.

There was unmistakable fear in his blue eyes, but his voice was calm, firm. "This stays on."

"Daniel..." He wanted to protest, to smooth away whatever it was that he was afraid of, but his lover shivered against him, voice breaking with a touch of desperation.

"Please, John...."

He nodded, releasing the cotton and lifting a hand to stroke through his hair soothingly, calming his mouth with soft kisses. "Shhh... anything you want, love...." He consoled himself by letting his hands dance over the fine cotton, teasing his sides through it, kissing his neck hungrily, tracing the tendons with his lips and tongue. It seemed to calm his lover more, rouse his passion again, make him whimper softly and arch against him as John pressed him back into the corner of the sofa.

He tried to map Daniel's torso with his fingers, through the thin, fine fabric. It took a moment for him to realize that the slight roughness that interrupted his fingertips was not the fault of the fabric, but the skin underneath. As soon as he did, he fought to hide any reaction to the realization, fingers continuing their slow caress, but felt a surge of anger boil in his stomach, of protectiveness, at the idea of this gentle man being hurt, scarred. One day, when Daniel was ready to let him, he would trace and worship each one with his lips, and if his lover wanted it, heal them, remove every sign of the Strangers and that dark time from his body. But now was the time to show him, with much more than words, that he didn't care about anything other than having Daniel in his arms. Finding completion in him.

He nosed aside the collar of his shirt enough to suck at the crook of his neck, to tease it with his teeth, feeling Daniel's muscles quiver, hearing him gasp as he arched tense against him, fingers clenching at John's bare back. He sucked harder, nipping gently, and was rewarded by a stronger reaction, a soft, breathless cry that made John's cock twitch with arousal, already straining against his trousers, a hard knot of need in the base of his stomach. His fingers, splayed flat and possessive on Daniel's chest, found one nipple and teased it through the cotton, pinching the tiny nub of sensitive tissue, feeling it harden under the attention, and Daniel's back arched, pressing into his touch. He nuzzled his chest through the shirt - that damn shirt! and replaced his fingers with his mouth, sucking wetly at it through the fabric. His fingers slipped down to meet the hips that arched helplessly with the increase in sensation, smoothing over his erection, cupping it and palming it gently, elated at his lover's response and arousal.

"John - " Daniel tugged him up suddenly, leaning into him, kissing him demandingly and pressing him back until their positions were reversed. John almost stretched out on the sofa and Daniel knelt over him, straddling his hips, rocking against him with a little whimper of pleasure as he drank in his kisses.

John pulled the smaller man closer, hands stroking hungrily down to cup his ass, arching back against him, groaning at the surge of sensation. "Oh god, finally...."

The blond gave a soft, breathless laugh against his mouth, hips circling slowly, the friction of his erection against John's own through the fabric of their slacks maddeningly arousing, sending hot shocks of pleasure through him. "Yes..." his lover breathed, pulling from the kiss to lavish attention on John's neck and chest, gently at first, then a little rougher as John urged him on, gasping, hips grinding up against his, craving more sensation, more stimulation. "John...."

He let his fingers tangle in the honey strands of his hair, breathless, voice huskier than expected when he spoke. "How do you want this?"

Daniel raised his head to look at him, lips bruised from the force of their kisses, breath coming in soft pants. "Make love to me." Then Daniel's hands were on his belt, fingers tugging almost impatiently at buttons and zippers and wrenching them open, tugging down thin cotton. Nimble fingers wrapped around his erection, teasing, stroking, thumb rubbing a bead of precum into his skin, massaging the bundle of nerves just below his head, making him groan, hips bucking up into his touch involuntarily.

"God, Daniel...!"

The blond smiled, seemingly entirely focused on the task, and shifted back a little, leaning down to flick his tongue teasingly against the tip of his cock before taking the head in his mouth with a soft, appreciative moan, eyes falling closed behind his glasses. His fingers slipped down to curl around the base of his shaft, stroking slowly, mouth hot and wet and slick and eager, and that was almost too much for John, too much sensation piling on top of desire and need, the tease of his fingers and lips and tongue almost too good as he moved his mouth on him.

John drew a deep, shuddering breath, fighting for coherency against the hard shocks of sensation. "Love... Daniel... if we don't move now... going to fuck you right here on the couch...."

He heard a soft, breathless chuckle, and Daniel raised his head, moving back to kiss him, lips warm and a little salty from his skin, eyes dark with promise. "Come with me."

He didn't have enough time to gain more than a cursory impression of Daniel's room before the smaller man caught his mouth, hands making short work of the rest of his clothes, curling around his cock and stroking slowly, making him groan and rock into his touch. he was vaguely aware of Daniel asking him if he could tune what they needed, and he tried to pull his mind back to coherency, away from the pleasure of his body. "What...?"

Daniel pressed closer, nuzzling his ear, voice soft, shy even now. "I can't handle you unprepared," he murmured, voice husky. "You're too big, I need you to help me..."

He got the picture and nodded, turning to silence him with a kiss, fingers making short work of his slacks and boxers. He pulled him down onto the bed, kneeling over him and letting his body press to Daniel's, rock against his hips. His lover bucked up against him with a sharp gasp, shivering a little, his length brushing against John's, rubbing firm and slow against his stomach, against the smooth fabric of his shirt. John let his hips rock a little harder against him, faster, claiming his mouth almost violently, sucking and nipping at that full bottom lip, breath coming in little cries of pleasure that echoed Daniel's. It was too intoxicating, sensation building hard and fast and unstoppable like a freight train, and the last sane corner of his mind registered that he was too far gone for care about that, to care about prior plans, to care about anything but release. Daniel arched under him, almost squirming as he sought more sensation, trembling thighs wrapping up tight around his hips, and John had to fight hard to keep from climaxing then and there.

"Too much - " He tried to gasp, making one last effort to pull away, only to find both of his lover's hands catch tightly in his hair, pulling him back to his mouth, hot and demanding, almost stealing his breath.

"Don't stop!" Daniel whimpered helplessly against his mouth, body shuddering under him, gasping for breath. And John couldn't imagine wanting to halt this, or even being able to, need and desire and pleasure and sensation all rushing together, churning hard and fast and intense, cock sliding hot and slick against Daniel's, against his sweat streaked stomach, his shirt long pushed out of the way by the desperate grinding of their hips.

"Daniel - !" he gasped, and the doctor's hands bit into his back suddenly, clenching with a exquisite lick of pain at his skin as his body bucked up tense against him, and he came with a helpless, trembling cry, hot and thick and slick on John's stomach. His lover's climax shattered the remains of John's self control, and everything broke free, sensation rushing hot through his veins, shuddering helplessly as the world around him ceased to exist, everything but the pleasure of Daniel trembling underneath him, the bliss of their intimacy.

It took him a few minutes to come back to himself, trying to catch his breath, face pressed to Daniel's hair. It took that long for his mind to catch up with everything that had happened, and he let out a soft, incredulous laugh. Daniel was smiling when he pulled back to look at him, and chuckled softly with him, seeming very happy and at ease, stroking his fingers lazily through John's hair.

"I - I'm sorry," John found himself saying. "That was... not what I intended...."

Daniel's smile widened, and he reached up to kiss him, soft and languid. "Hush. The body knows what it needs, even if the mind tries to think otherwise."

John's eyebrows knit slightly. "To get off like a couple of desperate teenagers?"

Blue eyes watched him, still amused behind a rather smudged pair of glasses. "It has been quite some time for us both, has it not...? There are much worse things we could feel like at the moment."

John smiled, letting his fingertips slowly trace Daniel's features, warm feelings of awe and adoration strengthening in the blissful aftermath of sex. "That is true, but I was supposed to take my time with you...."

Daniel lowered his eyes, still smiling, a little shyly. "We have all the time in the world. I'm not going anywhere, John."

"That's true," he murmured, tugging Daniel's glasses off and setting them aside before starting to slowly map his face with soft kisses. "And neither am I."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry for the vanilla sex, I honestly had something else planned, but then somehow the boys decided it was going to happen this way instead. ^^; I will try to add an epilogue or something at a later date. There is more happenings to write tying into the prequel to this fic ("Before we Met"), however, that may end up being a story all of its own....

Reviews are love (and c/c.) Thank you for reading and sharing my obscure little fandom. :)