This story has been in my 'fiction file' for well over a year. It is very, very M and slash too. I've thought long and hard about whether I want the Craig/ Richard relationship to develop in the way it does in this chapter of their 'story'. To be honest I'm still not sure how I feel about it! However I have been asked to publish it and decided to let people decide for themselves what they think about the fic. Please be warned it contains scenes of m/m sex. If you find that offensive then please do not read this.

With thanks to my beta reader Roa1

Unsubtle Hint

Craig smiled to himself as he sensed Richard striding angrily along the corridor outside the flat. He busied himself slicing bread for a sandwich in his friend's kitchen and waited for the inevitable explosion. His smile broadened as he heard Richard's key in the lock, then the door was flung open and his lover burst in like a miniature tornado.

"You bastard," Richard yelled, as he slammed the door behind him and strode into the kitchen. "You complete and utter bastard!"

"That's not a very nice thing to say to someone who spent considerable time this afternoon trying to liven up a boring meeting for you," replied Craig, as he serenely continued to make the sandwich.

"It's not a nice thing you did either," retorted Richard. "How could you Craig? It was downright cruel. How the hell was I supposed to concentrate while you were doing that to me? You're so bloody irresponsible sometimes."

"Come off it Richard, you could have coped with that meeting in your sleep. You know only too well I'd never have done it if I'd really thought you needed your wits about you. You said yourself that it was going to be damned tedious. I just thought it would be nice to give you something to occupy your mind a bit, to help pass the time while the officials droned on."

"It occupied my mind all right - whatever possessed you to transmit those particular images? You must have known the effect they'd have on me," Richard said.

"Nice images though, weren't they?" asked Craig, putting down the knife and turning to face his friend.

"Don't try and get round me Craig, it was a damn silly thing to do and you know it."

"Aw come on, it was just a bit of fun that's all," his friend said, a little plaintively.

"Fun! Do you realise I had to sit there pretending to read that bloody boring file for what seemed like forever, just so I'd have an excuse to keep the damn thing on my knee to hide...well...you know what I'm talking about. I mean to say, they would have thought me very peculiar if they'd spotted the lump in my trousers and assumed I'd been turned on by reading about the disappearance of a few dogs belonging to high ranking officials wouldn't they? Damn you Craig, you don't think things through do you?"

The American stifled his grin. He knew his friend would see the funny side eventually but right now he was still angry and Craig realised it was better to keep his amusement under wraps for the time being.

"Sorry Richard," he said insincerely. "I just wanted to give you something nice to concentrate on."

"Great, so there I am sitting in the meeting, bored out of my mind, and you decide it would be fun to send me a mental image of you giving me a blow job! And not just a snapshot picture either, oh no you have to project the whole scene in graphic detail, image by image. But even that's not enough for you is it? You follow it up with another little scenario and I have to sit there trying to keep my mind on the discussion when all I'm really aware of is what you're filling my head with."

"I'm sorry," said Craig, with a little more sincerity this time. He moved closer to Richard and reached out for him.

"No! God Craig, I'm so mad at you right now the last thing I want to do is to kiss you!"

Craig glanced down at the bulge in the front of his friend's trousers.

"Your body seems to feel differently about that," he said mildly.

"You don't care do you? You say that you're sorry but you wouldn't hesitate to do it again would you? And, damn you, you're right. I'm as mad as hell but all the same I do want to jump you right here and now. You can wipe that smug smile off your face or I'll… I'll take you right here on the kitchen floor."

He took a step forward and, for a few seconds, the two men stood eyeball to eyeball. Then Craig said very quietly,

"How? The first set of images I sent you… or the second?"

Richard's eyes widened in surprise then narrowed again.

"Not funny," he snapped as he stalked into the living room. He flung himself onto a chair and was clearly seething.

"It wasn't meant to be funny," said Craig, standing in the doorway and looking over at his friend.

"For God's sake Craig, don't you think I've had enough of your teasing for one day? I've spent the best part of the afternoon in a state of frustration while you played your stupid mind games with me. So will you just give it a rest now, otherwise I shan't be responsible for the consequences," Richard said dangerously.

The American walked over and sat on the arm of the chair, leaning towards his lover and trying to capture his mouth in a kiss.

"Piss off will you! I'm not in the mood," Richard said.

Craig dropped his hand to his friend's crotch.

"Liar," he said, mildly.

Richard went red with anger and tried to push his lover away but, because of the angle he was sitting at, he was unable to get enough leverage.

Craig cupped his hand around his friend's head, pulling him close and kissing him. At first Richard tried to jerk away but his lover's hand held his head fast and he couldn't escape. He contented himself with remaining absolutely still and refusing to react in any way. Craig continued to kiss his unresponsive friend, unbuttoning the other man's shirt and trousers, then slipping his hand inside his lover's underwear to stroke him. Richard tried desperately to ignore what the American was doing to him but was unable to resist for long and began to return his friend's kisses with enthusiasm. Despite the awkwardness of their respective positions Craig managed to remove his lover's shirt, trousers and underwear so he could caress him more easily. Richard sighed and lay back in the chair, enjoying the feel of what his friend was doing to him. He was still angry though and kept his own hands by his side, refusing to allow his lover the pleasure of his touch. Craig, needing some relief from the increasingly uncomfortable pressure of his erection against his clothing, started to unfasten his belt. Richard immediately grabbed both of his friend's hands, preventing him from completing the action.

"Oh no you don't," he said. "I've spent the entire afternoon in extreme discomfort thanks to you. Maybe if you have to suffer a bit you'll think twice about a repeat performance."

"I've said I'm sorry," Craig said, a little testily. "What more do you want?"

He paused for a moment, then looked into Richard's eyes.

"Ah yes, I know what you want," he said and dropped to his knees on the carpet and wrapped his mouth around Richard's penis, rubbing his lips up and down the shaft. Then he rippled his tongue just under the head until his lover was writhing and moaning with pleasure. Once more Craig reached down to remove his own trousers so he could get some relief from the unpleasant sensations his constrictive clothing was causing him and, once again, his friend grabbed his hands, preventing him.

"No!" Richard said.

Craig stood up sharply and looked down at his lover.

"You haven't suffered nearly enough yet and you're getting off lightly," Richard continued. "After the images you sent me you're damn lucky you haven't got more than you bargained for."

"You have no idea what I'd bargained for," snapped Craig, finally losing patience with his friend. "If you weren't so busy second guessing what I want and what I don't want it'd be a darn sight easier for us both. Sometimes it's almost impossible to believe that we have a mental link. Those preconceived ideas of yours sure are effective at closing your mind to the truth. Damn you Richard, I was trying to give you a hint, but you're just too blind to see it aren't you? You're so sure that you know me and what I want – well you're wrong – open your eyes for God's sake!"

With that he threw himself into the other armchair and sat glowering at his friend.

Richard marched angrily into the bedroom, grabbed his dressing gown and returned to the living room as he put it on.

"Christ Craig, after all you've done to me today, don't round it off with a guessing game! I've no idea what the hell you're talking about. I'm annoyed and frustrated and now I'm confused as well. I'm also very tired; it's been a long week. I really don't want to fight with you so I think you'd better go – I can't deal with any more of this tonight."

Craig got to his feet and headed for the door, still angry but already beginning to regret the turn things had taken.

"I'm sorry," he said. "We'll talk in the morning when we've both simmered down a bit – yes?"

Richard nodded mutely and his friend stalked out of the door.

As soon as it closed behind him Craig was overwhelmed with disappointment. How did they manage to get themselves into situations like this? They both hated fighting with each other but sometimes things just seemed to spiral out of control. He knew that neither of them really wanted the night to end this way so he decided to make one last attempt to convey to Richard what he wanted. He leant against the wall next to the door and carefully visualised the exact image he wanted to project into his lover's mind. He was concentrating so hard he didn't hear his friend approach the door from the other side and was taken by surprise when it opened abruptly and his lover dragged him back inside the room, kissing him hungrily.

"Are you serious?" Richard asked.

Craig nodded.

"Really serious?"

"For God's sake yes! Of course I'm serious, do I look as if I'm joking?" Craig said impatiently.

"But I thought… I didn't think… I mean, it's not something I… you've never… er we are talking about the same thing aren't we?"

"Like I said before, it's your preconceived ideas that keep getting in the way…don't they? If you want me to spell it out I will, although I did think the images I transmitted were pretty clear but, as you seem to be struggling with the concept I'll help you out," Craig said. "If you don't want to then that's fine, but I want you to fu…"

"If I don't want to?" Richard interrupted incredulously. "If I don't want to – my God Craig, I've wanted to from the first day we met but I never thought you'd let me."

"It isn't a question of 'letting you' it's what I want, to be as close to you as is humanly possible, to feel you inside me. I want you."

Richard looked into his lover's eyes and realisation finally dawned that Craig wasn't teasing or playing some elaborate trick, he was telling the simple truth. In that moment all of the pent up rage and frustration within Richard exploded into almost uncontrollable lust.

He grabbed Craig's shirt collar and tore the garment open from top to bottom, disregarding the buttons that ricocheted across the room. Then he backed his lover up against the wall and kissed him passionately, hardly able to contain himself as he unfastened his friend's belt buckle. He ripped off the dressing gown then dropped to his knees and began kissing Craig's stomach, at the same time feverishly removing his lover's trousers and underwear. He pulled his friend onto the floor and covered the American's mouth with his own, kissing him forcefully.

He then proceeded to pepper Craig with kisses, his hands roaming all over his friend's body, squeezing and kneading. There was no room for gentleness, Richard was too far gone for subtlety, it was all he could do to stop himself from penetrating his lover then and there with no preparation at all, his need was so all consuming. Craig, although a little stunned by the fervour of the onslaught, was almost as desperate and flipped over on to his stomach.

"You should face me," Richard said.

"I'd like that," Craig said. "I'd love to be able to look into your eyes and watch you when you come but, given that I've never done this before, is it a good idea?"

"If you face me it will be slightly easier for you to relax, which you really must do, especially as I'm not sure I'm going to be able to control myself as well as I'd like," Richard said, struggling to get the words out between his ragged breaths. "Craig," Richard continued in a strangled voice, as his friend turned back over and pulled a cushion under his buttocks, "are you sure you want this? It'll hurt like hell… at first anyway. If you're going to back out you need to do it now. I'll never be able to stop if we take this any further."

By way of response Craig reached for the jar of lubrication he'd secreted in his trouser pocket earlier on and wordlessly held it out to his lover. Richard took the pot from his friend and placed it on the floor. "I'm not in that much of a hurry," he said reaching down to stroke his lover's cock.

Despite the fact that he was incredibly turned on, the American was beginning to feel a little nervous about the whole idea, especially since his lover had reminded him that it wouldn't exactly be a pain free experience. He was afraid to wait too long in case he lost his nerve.

"Well I am in a hurry," he said. "I've been waiting a long time for this and I really don't want to wait any longer. I want you now Richard... please."

Richard's blue eyes glinted with lust as he picked up the jar and scooped a large dollop onto his fingers. He reached into the crack between his lover's buttocks and began to coat him in the thick gel then, as gently as he could; he began to penetrate his friend with his index finger. Craig gasped and immediately tensed up.

"The trick is to relax, it's not easy I know but it's the only way you're going to be able to do this," Richard said.

He was having a terrific struggle to hold back until his friend was ready and was seriously beginning to suspect that he'd lose control any moment.

Craig remained tense for a moment or two, visibly trying to relax then suddenly he managed it and Richard's finger slipped a little further inside. Once again he met resistance and once more the American tensed. This time, however, he relaxed quickly and the finger slid in further. Craig lay there for a few seconds wondering why Richard was so enthusiastic about having this done to him. Although it was no longer painful it couldn't be described as pleasant; in fact it was downright uncomfortable. He was just beginning to regret suggesting doing this, when Richard's probing finger found its target and Craig realised exactly why his lover liked it so much. He gave a deep moan of pleasure and his friend took that as his cue to insert a second finger. It slid in much more easily than the first and Richard manipulated his fingers, gently stretching until he was able to slip in a third. Finally, when he felt that Craig was as prepared as he could be, he withdrew his hand and manoeuvred himself into a position from which he could penetrate his friend more easily. He picked up the jar of lube again but Craig dipped his fingers into it first and reached for his lover's cock.

"Let me," he said.

"No!" said Richard, his voice hoarse, as he grabbed Craig's wrist to stop him making contact. "If you touch me now I'll never last."

He took some lube from the jar and coated his cock liberally. As he fought for control, he knew that he'd been right to refuse to let his lover to do this for him. Craig lifted his legs and wrapped them around his friend's back as Richard guided his cock between his lover's buttocks. Then he stopped abruptly.

"I can't," Richard panted, "I don't think I'm gonna be able to do this slowly. I'm so close to losing it – I'm sorry, I really can't."

He tried to pull back but Craig's legs held him firmly in place.

"Yes you can," Craig said. "Look at me, into my eyes, you can do this."

Richard locked eyes with his friend and started to push into him, little by little. He was so aroused that he was barely able to give Craig the time he needed adjust to the sensation and only the look of pain in the American's eyes stopped him from throwing caution to the winds and thrusting in too deep too quickly. As he slid his cock further and further in, his heart was hammering so hard it was almost painful and he could hardly breathe. When he was finally buried up to the hilt it took every shred of self-control Richard possessed not to start thrusting. He knew he had to give Craig time to get used to the feel of his cock inside him but it was nearly impossible not to move. Richard's whole body shook with the effort of trying to hold still. He balled his hands into fists, digging his nails so hard into his palms that he drew blood. Then, at last, Craig indicated he was ready by pushing back. Richard, hanging on desperately to the last vestiges of his self-control, carefully pulled himself almost all the way out of his friend, then back into him, then out once more and, as slowly as he could manage, in again. Craig let out his breath in a long sigh and that was enough to tip his friend over the edge.

Richard completely lost control and he grabbed his lover's hands, interlinking their fingers and pinning Craig's arms above his head, holding him down. All the frustration that had built up over the afternoon had taken its toll and he thrust wildly into his friend, making guttural sounds of pleasure deep in his throat as he did so.

Never in his wildest imaginings had Richard pictured this particular scenario. When he'd fantasised about doing this he'd always thought they would start very slowly. He'd imagined himself gently stroking Craig's buttocks, making little forays into the crack between his friend's cheeks with teasing fingers before finally slipping them inside, one at a time, allowing the other man to get used to the sensation, before adding the next finger. He'd pictured taking his time to prepare his lover and he'd imagined Craig grabbing his cock and begging him to hurry up. In his imagination he'd always laughed and told his lover not to be so impatient and that this was a moment to be savoured not rushed. He'd fantasised that he'd look into his friend's eyes to gauge his reaction and penetrate him with infinite care. Then begin to make love to him using long slow thrusts, disregarding his own need, his only desire to make Craig's first experience of this as pleasant as possible. He'd imagined that his lover would be eager for more, pulling and tugging at Richard in an effort to make him thrust faster, while he'd continue to tease, taking his time, until his friend's excitement would reach fever pitch. Then he'd speed up at last, still ensuring that he put his lover's pleasure before his own. He'd pictured Craig enjoying an earth shattering climax and then, at long last, he'd allow himself to come.

Instead, the reality was as unlike Richard's fantasy as it was possible to get. Never in a million years would he have predicted this wild, desperate coupling, on the living room floor, with his control ripped from him by the sheer power of his need to dominate and possess his friend.

Craig looked up at his lover, amazed at the passion he'd unleashed in Richard. It was hurting rather more than he'd anticipated and he was beginning to be sorry that he'd wound his friend up quite this much. Richard was in such a state that he was in no condition to consider any discomfort he might be causing and Craig knew he'd only himself to blame for that. Although he relished the feeling of being totally dominated by the overwhelming effect of his friend's passion, and the tiny spark of anger that his lover was still harbouring was adding spice to the experience, he couldn't help hoping that it wouldn't last much longer.

Then Richard's cock made contact with Craig's prostate and suddenly the American realised what he'd been missing out on. The sensation was incredible and he gasped in surprise. Richard, as far gone as he was, sensed the pleasure his friend had experienced and made sure that the direction of his thrusts continued to hit the same spot, eliciting little cries of encouragement from Craig who began to use his legs to help to pull his lover in harder and faster.

Richard desperately wanted to make this last but he was all too aware that he was far too aroused to hold out much longer, it was a minor miracle that he hadn't come already, given the build-up to this. He gripped his lover's hands tightly in an effort to distract himself but then a small moan of pleasure escaped Craig's lips as he pounded into him enthusiastically and that was enough to send Richard over the edge. He thrust deep inside his lover one last time then froze as, with a strangled cry, he climaxed strongly. Craig felt the physical sensation as his friend came inside him as well as picking up on his emotions through the mental link. He gazed up at his friend and saw the look of delirious joy on Richard's face and, without a single touch on his cock, he too climaxed.

The two men clasped each other tightly, coming down slowly from their euphoria, then Richard, as gently as he could, pulled out of Craig, who drew his breath in sharply.

"You okay?" asked Richard.

"Sure."

"Sorry I… er… got a bit carried away."

"I guess I rather asked for it. I did spend a long time winding you up beforehand."

"Yes you did. Maybe not being able to sit comfortably for a while will teach you not to be such a tease," said Richard, with a wry smile.

Craig shifted his position slightly and couldn't stop himself wincing a little.

"Yeah, maybe it will," he said ruefully.

There was a pause then both men spoke at the same time.

"I hope not," they both said, and burst out laughing as they hugged one another tightly.

"Craig," Richard murmured.

"Mmm?"

"Why did you go through that elaborate charade to get what you wanted? You could have just asked me."

"Sure I could but I liked the idea of you sitting in that meeting all fired up. I knew I'd be in for a very good time when you got here."

"Bastard!" Richard said, pulling away from his friend and trying unsuccessfully to hide his amusement.

Craig brought Richard back into the circle of his arms, embracing him lovingly and smiling contentedly.

"I know," he whispered.