Summary – When Tom rejects Doug and Dennis, things don't seem to be the same.
A/N – This is a sequel to "Rescue Me". I hope you enjoy.
Kiss Me
Tom couldn't bring himself to look at Doug. The other man wanted an explanation, needed an explanation and all Tom could do was look at his shoes. It made hi, sick with anger at himself for being too chicken to tell Doug how he needed him. How he needed Dennis. How good it felt to not be in control. Just for the few moments that Doug forgot himself and twisted his arms painfully behind. Tom could still feel the harsh, angered grip.
"Tommy? Please talk to me," Doug said. He was more hurt now than angry. That weekend had opened all of their eyes, and Tom had run away. Far away and as fast as humanly possible. He couldn't bring himself to blame anyone but himself for this situation. Dennis Booker had just kissed him like that to show Inferno who the boss was. He did it to make Inferno bugger off, end of story.
However, that wasn't the end, and as much as Tom felt happy that Doug and Dennis would invite him to be their lover, he was scared. He was scared shit and he didn't know how to manage the feeling. So, he did the one thing he had always done, he denied it and ignored it.
It had been a week all ready since Doug and Dennis had rescued him from Inferno and they had arrested Horatio Gyles for the fires. He admitted to them and that was the end of that. However, things just hadn't been the same between the three of them.
Tom thought he had handled it well, Fuller had partnered him with Doug and Dennis a few times, all the cases were wrapped up within a day or two. It was child's work. Stupid shit that anyone of them could handle on their own, yet, Tom had the feeling that Fuller was putting them together so that they could actually talk about their problems.
A waving hand in his face brought Tom was his induced zone out; "Earth to Hanson, are you there?" Doug asked. Doug didn't call him by his last name much, but when he was annoyed or angry (unless he was beyond angry than you never could tell) that Doug called him 'Hanson'.
"I'm fine, sorry…" Tom sighed.
"Look, this should interest you," Doug said, holding out a note. It was addressed to Dennis.
"You shouldn't show me that!" Tom argued, handing the note back. Even though he was curious, he wasn't about to bring down the wrath of Dennis onto Doug. Even with everything that had happened between them, Tom liked to think that he and Doug were still friends (well, at least, they could stand each other).
"Dennis told me to show you," Doug replied with a frown. Slowly, Tom took the note back and read.
Dear D. Booker,
Are you surprised that I know who you are? Yeah, I'm sure you are. But, like the saying goes…qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit.In other words (because I am not sure if you know you Latin or not. Such a shame that school no longer teach such a language) "He who is not prepared today will be less prepared tomorrow" or so Ovid said.
I'm not sure if you know what I mean and I hate to be mysterious. It's a bit clichéd to tell you that you will soon find out. Even if it is the truth and I pride myself on telling the truth. Therefore, I shall tell you the truth in this one letter. That way, we are all on the same page and we all know where we stand and we all know what it is I want.
In short, my friend, I want Tom Hanson, the man you and your lover D. Penhall claim as your own. You see, despite the fact that this must be a Federal Offence; I cannot bring myself to another day without the boy. I want to own him, bad.
I am prepared to take his heart from you. Know this and trust that what I say is what I shall do. I do not give little weight to the meaning of my words.
I thank you for your time.
Sincerely, Pyro.
Tom read the note over again before shaking his head.
"Quid quid latine dictum sit, altum videtur," Tom said.
"What? Is that some sort of dead language?" Doug asked.
"Anything said in Latin sounds profound," Tom replied with the translation.
"Oh, I didn't know that you knew Latin," Doug said.
"I had an Uncle who loved Archeology, he had me learn it. It was fun, actually," Tom replied with a sigh.
"Ah,"
"So, why did you show me the note? Are you afraid this Pyro guy is going to climb into my apartment and kidnap me?" Tom asked.
"Is it such an obvious answer?" Doug replied.
"Maybe," Tom nodded.
"Okay, maybe I am a bit scared. I'm still angry with you. I totally want to put you over my knee and wail on your ass…" here Doug looked around, it was late and it was just the two of them in the Chapel. Dennis went on home so that Doug and Tom could talk.
"Wow, I hope that doesn't turn you on," Tom joked.
"Ha. Ha. Very funny," Doug replied.
"Sorry, I'll be serious," Tom replied.
"Good, look…I don't want this guy to get his hands on you. I don't know what or who he is, but he sounds like he'll slap a collar on you and call you 'pet' if you ain't careful," Doug said.
"And what about Booker acting all 'in charge'?" Tom asked. He settled back in his chair, wide, chocolate eyes bored into Doug's light blue.
"When he kissed me like that…I was sure I would melt," he admitted.
"Yeah, Dennis has that to his credit," Doug nodded.
"I felt weird…kissing your boyfriend, even if he did instigate it…I felt like…I was betraying you in a way," Tom said.
"Tommy, I didn't feel like that at all,"
"It's too soon…I don't know what to think or what to say, I gotta go, I got things to do and leads to look up on…" Tom grabbed his coat. He was about to walk past Doug, when the older man grabbed Tom. When Tom looked up at Doug to ask what the hell he though he was doing (which seemed to be a phrase thrown about recently) Doug took this moment to Kiss Tom.
His kiss was different in a way; instead of the domineering kiss that Dennis offered, Doug's was completely different. Tom just wasn't sure why, or how, and he certainly couldn't figure out why he liked it so much. Hell, he didn't know why he liked it when Dennis kissed him. He was fine with the gay thing, he even suspected himself of being Bi…but…wow!
"Tommy, think about that one too, while you're at it," Doug said before he walked away. Tom stared after him, the room reeling around him as he tried to walk towards the door. He felt as if he would pass out any moment. His brain disconnected from the rest of his body and Tom was on auto pilot as he unlocked the door to his loved mustang and got in.
Starting the engine, Tom wondered exactly what it was he was trying to figure out.
--
Lighting up the end of the cigarette, Dennis gazed into the apartment. It was a nice thing to have a balcony where he could sit and think. He'd have preferred the roof, but Doug hated having to go looking for Dennis when he needed the man. So, Dennis decided that smoking on the balcony with the French doors wide open was far better than having to deal with an angry lover.
Currently, he was the only one home; he had picked up some dinner for him and Doug and had it waiting in the oven. He was dressed in black running shorts and a t-shirt. It was amazing how clothing just seemed so un-business like. The only time they bothered to dress up was if anyone from down town was visiting for a yearly inspection. Technically, it should have been every six months, give or take a few days.
However, clothing choices aside, Dennis had decided to wait on the balcony to see if Doug would be home any time soon. Doug had phoned before leaving the chapel, all he said was that he would be home soon. Doug wasn't the most prefucntionary person on the earth and so Dennis doubted that he would arrive home any time soon.
Dennis was glad that they had decided to take separate vehicles. Doug, his motor cycle, and Dennis the old charger he had gotten for a hundred off the street when he was sixteen. That time didn't seem so far away, now, even if he was only twenty-four, being a kiddie-cop somehow managed to bring back those memories.
Finally, when Dennis was considering lighting up another one, he heard the engine of Doug's cycle. He was glad that Doug was finally home. There were times when they needed to talk, and Doug needed to talk. It wasn't that he was unruly when at home, it was that Doug was too quiet, and a quiet Doug was a bad thing.
Dennis was in the middle of serving up dinner when Doug finally made it up to the third floor apartment building. He smiled and gave Dennis a kiss on the cheek before setting the table for two.
"So, you said you'd talk to him…" Dennis started.
"Yeah, he looked at the note, he knows a bit of Latin…asked me why you kissed him how you did," Doug shrugged.
"Oh?"
"Yeah, I don't know what's going through his head," Doug sighed.
"Maybe we should leave it alone, you know, just be his friend and let him think about things for a bit," Dennis suggested.
"I just hope he's careful, I don't know what this Pyro dude has against us, but something in my gut tells me it isn't a good thing," Doug said.
"I know, I told some friends of my at Internal Affairs, they said they'd make it a point to send out more black and whites down Hanson's and our neighborhoods," Dennis replied.
"You are on the ball," Doug smiled, impressed that Dennis took the note as a real threat.
"I didn't get this far by ignoring obvious clues like that note," Dennis replied.
"Yeah, I suppose so," Doug agreed.
"All we can do now is go on with life. We can't let Pyro control us by his long ranged threats," Dennis said.
"No point to it," Doug said, he got out two beers while Dennis put the plates on the table. The plates were filled with Hamburgers, tomatoes, potato salad and he even had ice cream in the freezer for afterwards.
"Ah, this remind me of the summer BBQ that my grandparents had when I was little," Doug said.
"My parents had one of those almost every night for Dad and his friends," Dennis said.
They settled into their dinner while watching the highlights of a game they had missed the night before.
--
Tom got home to a dark, empty apartment.
He threw down his bag and coat on the couch as he turned on all the lights. Paranoid, he checked behind doors and inside all of his closets, with gun drawn. It was amazing how being kidnapped, maybe, one or two times (it felt like a dozen really) made you do random stuff you never would have done in the first place.
Finally, Tom dug out some left-over's that his Mother had dropped by one morning. While he heated up the food, he turned the television to the evening news. There was a story about a ten year old that saved his baby sister from drowning in the park lake. The light hearted story made Tom smile just a bit, at least, he assuaged himself, there was good in this world. Now, if only there were more people like that ten year old, and then he wouldn't have to feel guilty about all the kids he did put in JV Hall.
Shuddering, Tom tried to forget the case he had in a JV Hall. He never wanted to go undercover in a prison, ever! It wasn't the best place to be, in fact, Tom had often heard his father comparing prison as being "Hell on earth". Tom knew that his father was right. He had to wonder, though, what his Dad would think if he knew about half the cases Tom took on his own? How dangerous half of them were. Well, Tom wouldn't know till he died, and that could be that evening, tomorrow or later.
In a job like this, it was hard to know exactly when you would die. It was always a power struggle, and sometimes, you came to close to the edge before being pulled back.
Settling down to watch the news with his food and some milk, Tom decided to forget about his troubles, at least, for a little while.
--
Pryo and Inferno faced each other, neither glared at the other, neither growled and no terrible words were said. Pyro smiled and he hugged his older brother.
"Hey," he said, "How are ya?"
"Fine, fine, and you?" Inferno asked.
"Good,"
"Have you gotten close to Tommy?" Inferno asked.
"No, I sent them a note,"
"That always makes the job harder," Inferno said with an exaggerated eye roll.
"I know, but that's how my game goes," Pyro grinned wickedly.
"Okay, and how do you propose to get Tommy?"
"Oh, I'm not, he's going to come to me," Pyro smiled.
"Little brother, I didn't know you were so manipulative," Inferno whistled, very impressed.
"I know, but, I did learn from the best," Pyro replied.
--
The next fire the city had to deal with was a very surprising one. In fact, no one figured that the Chief of Police would have to deal with his own house being on fire. But it was, thankfully, though, he and his family had been out for dinner and no one had gotten hurt.
Adam Fuller was currently on the phone with the Police Chief who knew that Adam had some of his boys looking into the perpetrator, a man going by the name of Pyro. For, on the front walk, written in bright blue paint, was the legend: "Pyro was here!"
"I know, my boys are still working on it," Adam said.
Pause.
"We don't know who either of these guys are, they are as mysterious now as they were when the case started….I know…we'll get them…Officer Hanson is on it now…" Fuller said, trying to get Hector Barbossa off his back. For a Police Chief, the man was a bit more gruff than need be.
Adam figured that the man didn't know what the words "We're on it" meant. At least, in the literal sense. It was many distressful words later that Adam was able to hang up the phone and call for Hanson.
Tom Hanson arrived seconds later, knowing that the tone in Fuller's voice bode well for no one if he somehow got pissed off. Tom waited for Fuller to ask him what he knew.
"Pyro and Inferno somehow have a thing for me. They've decided to start this game to see who could…'own' me," Tom said.
"I know, well, more like think, I think that Pyro is too old to be in high school. Maybe college, but I'm not sure about that. I've been to Mallory, the Sketch artist," Tom said.
"Oh?" Fuller asked.
From the file in his hand Tom handed over a copy of the man that called himself Inferno.
"The sketch has nothing on the man but his likeness. He's…different, somehow, in person," Tom said.
"You met with him?" Fuller asked.
"You had the weekend off, I did call Doug and Dennis to let them know what happened…they showed up as back up. What was worse, though, was that Inferno knew that I was a cop. I didn't note it at the time, but after thinking about it…it didn't surprise me, I don't know why," Tom explained.
"That is weird," Fuller admitted.
"I heard about Chief Barbossa's home," Tom said.
"I just got off the phone with him; I don't know what to tell you Hanson, except to get this guy. Both, if you can," Fuller replied.
"I…don't know how. Besides beat walking the streets to see if I recognize anyone as being Inferno…and even then I could make a mistake," Tom sighed.
"Look, you need to be proactive on this, you have to do what you think you have to do," Fuller said.
"Okay," Tom nodded.
"And who knows, if these guy's make a date with you again, we're going to have you wired and watched, when they make a move, or we can make a case against them, we'll make our move and arrest them," Fuller said.
"Sounds like a plan," Tom nodded.
"Good," Fuller said, Hanson turned to exit the officer when Fuller called him back.
"There's one other thing," he said.
"Yes?"
"What's up between you, Penhall and Booker?"
"Er – I don't know…"
"I know it isn't my place to ask about your personal life. But, I do notice things," Fuller said.
"It's hard to explain," Tom said.
"I just want you to know that I'm in your corner, if you need me, let me know," Fuller said.
"Thank you," Tom nodded. Fuller nodded back and watched as the young man exited his office. Adam sat back in his chair. He knew there was something up, whatever it was; Adam hoped the three of them could figure it out. None of them had acted normal since their suspect had gotten away.
He could only hope that Tom might take his offer to heart and speak to him when he needed the help the most. Hope, which was all he could do for any of them.
--
Dennis popped the pretzel into his mouth and leered at the man in front of him.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said.
"Mr. Benson," the principle sighed, "I do not condone this sort of behavior," he said.
"Oh, so what you're trying to tell me is not to make out, in the bathroom, with my boyfriend?" Dennis asked.
"Yes, that is exactly what I am telling you," the Principle said.
"No, that's a bit much, don't you think? It was an empty bathroom, we weren't having sex; and I can tell you one thing, the straight kids do more hanky-panky in the hallways than Dougie and I did in the bathroom," Dennis smirked.
"Be that as it may, can you please just keep it in the down low?" Principle Howard asked.
"Sure, we'll just go make out in the parking lot then, a lot more public than an empty bathroom that's off limits anyway!" Dennis rolled his eyes.
--
When Dennis emerged from the Principles office, he found Doug and Tommy McQuaid waiting for him. They had been in a conversation but when Doug saw his boyfriend, he smiled.
"How'd it go?" Doug asked.
"Good, basically, he said we couldn't make out in an empty bathroom, but the parking lot was all right," Dennis smirked.
"Now, there is an oxy moron if there ever was one," Tommy said.
"You tellin me? God, some times adults can be so…"
"Odd," Doug finished.
"Kooky," Dennis said.
"Uneven," Doug continued.
"Offbeat," Dennis threw out.
"Azygous," Tommy put in.
The other two stopped and looked at him; "What?" both Dennis and Doug asked at the same time.
"What? It means not being part of a pair," Tommy shrugged.
"Just like you," Dennis replied.
"What!?" then, remembering their cover, Tommy gave a smile and rolled his eyes, "Good grief, talk about incest!" he returned before turning and walking on down the hallway. Dennis and Doug were both equally amused.
--
"So, what's up with Hastings High?" Fuller asked.
"The usual," Tom spoke up before his partners, "Drug trafficking, gun trafficking, kids getting drunk on campus, cheating, steroid use by the foot ball team," Tom launched off his list.
"Sounds like these kids need some help," Fuller said.
"Worse," Doug yawned.
"Good, that's just great," Fuller sighed.
"All we need to do is figure out who the kids are that are deal in the drugs and the guns and get them out. Once we have them, their groups will dissolve," Tom said.
"What about the foot ball coach?" Dennis asked.
"We don't know if he's actually the one giving his team the steroids," Tom shrugged.
"Okay, so each of you need to take one problem and work on it," Fuller said.
"Yeah, I was thinking about that," Dennis said excitedly, "Dougie and I could work on the drugs and the gun trafficking and maybe we could get these kids together for a buy and take 'em all out at one go," Dennis said.
"And the drunks?" Tom asked.
"Just get some uniforms in to arrest those," Dennis replied simply.
"Okay, I guess, Hanson, you have the coach," Fuller grinned.
"Fun," Tom waved his hand as if it didn't really matter what he was given.
"Well, since that's all done with, get to work folks," Fuller dismissed his team.
Doug and Dennis followed Tom to his desk; "So, what's your plan?" Dennis asked.
"I don't know, get onto the team, I suppose," Tom shrugged.
"Good, luck," Dennis snorted.
"Yeah, Tommy, you're gonna need it," Doug smirked. Tom just blinked at them, what would be so hard about him getting onto the team anyway?
--
The kiss was strong, domineering and…he found that he liked it. He found that when the control was wrenched away by someone he trusted without question (well, mostly, he still questioned Dennis Booker) that it felt good.
He found that he wanted more. He didn't want the kiss to end…
Thankfully, Tom woke up before the dream could continue. Tracing his lips slightly with his finger tips, Tom stared up at the darkness of his bedroom. The bedside table read 3:05. He had two hours before he needed to get up for his morning jog and then go into work. Tom found the jogging helped him clear his mind. It was therapeutic, which he was in need of a lot lately.
Though, he was glad that he hadn't heard anything else from Pyro or Inferno. At least, he figured that was a good thing.
--
Coach Gerald Harding's was a tough man, he was fat and he smoked like a chimney. He was part way bald and wore his shirts a little tight so that everyone could see the fat around his middle.
Tom felt like throwing up, no human being should be exposed to such a sight.
"So, you want to be a foot ball player?" Harding asked.
"Yeah," Tom replied with a slight sneer. Harding didn't seem to like Tom's attitude, the younger McQuaid was scrawny and too sure of himself. Harding decided he should let the team beat it out of the young teen.
"All right, I don't normally do this but, I suppose I could let you try out during practice," Harding smiled a simpering one at Tommy McQuaid.
"Gee, thanks," Tommy replied, he rose to leave and the Coach didn't stop him.
When the boy was gone, Harding rummaged around in his desk. Finally he came across a bottle of pills. He undid the lid and popped a few. Then, he waved in one of towel boys. He had to get the team ready for the 'try out'.
--
Pyro hated it when people interfered in his little game. Of course, he knew that Officer Hanson would be in a hell of a lot of trouble if anyone at the school got wind of who he really was. Still, from his vantage point of the 'try out' made him groan in sympathy. The young Officer was being tackled and beaten all in the name of the game.
Pyro never played foot ball for that reason. It was too brutal, hell; he'd once told his father that he'd rather dress in tights and a tutu before he went out for the foot ball team. Of course, Pyro grinned, his father hadn't taken it well. But, when the house caught fire…the trouble with school seemed to go to the back burner.
There was a battle cry and a rush, Tommy McQuaid (coughHANSONcough) was tackled from all sides and after the guys had cleared he laid there for a few seconds. Pyro wasn't exactly sure why. But, he certainly didn't like it one bit.
"Well," he muttered to himself, "I'm going to have to fix this," he then jumped off the bleachers and made his way across the field towards the school.
--
Dennis was working on a kid name James Norington. The boy was a bit uptight, and righteous to boot. But, Dennis was sure that the kid knew something. So, getting the kid an ice pack from the nurses station when said nurse was on break, wasn't too much of a lost cause, well, once you thought about it.
"Thanks," James nodded.
"No problem, so, how'd you get that shiner anyway?" Dennis asked.
"He's a bully!" James replied. He was all of fifteen, and Dennis knew, of course, that the kid was only venting now.
"Who did it?" Dennis asked.
"Cuttler Beckett," James replied.
"That dumb-ass gave you a black eye?" Dennis blinked for a moment.
"He say's he play's fare, but that's a total lie. You know, he's the one who controls the gun smuggling," James replied.
"Oh?" Dennis sat back.
"Yeah, I told him he shouldn't, I told him that I'd tell Uncle Wallace on him. But, he…kinda…"
"Look, its fine to admit it, you didn't do anything wrong," Dennis replied.
"Okay, he kinda beat me up and told me that if I told I'd be dead," James said. He looked around furtively to see if any of Beckett's buddies were listening in.
"Okay, so if you're Beckett is in on the gun smuggling…what about the drug dealing?" Dennis asked.
"I don't know about that, you'll have to speak to Sparrow about it," James replied secretively.
"Who?" Dennis asked.
"Jack Sparrow, he's not a bully like Beckett or the McQuaids, he's…flutier," James replied.
--
When Doug and Dennis met at the flag pole that afternoon, Dennis asked if Doug had heard of a Jack Sparrow character. Doug shook his head, but did tell Dennis that he had heard of the kid.
"Do you think he may have a criminal record?" Dennis asked.
"We could see if Ioki can get it for us," Doug shrugged.
"Okay, I'm going to go call him now, I think you'd better see if Tommy is all right," Dennis said.
"Sure thing," Doug agreed.
Doug made his way to the west wing where the sports department was located. The locker rooms were deserted and as Doug looked around, he could hear a bunch of guy's shouting…something. Finding his way along a winding corridor, Doug saw the yellow, plastic string that said 'Do not cross'. This was the part of the school that was being renovated for some reason or another.
However, it was the perfect place to hold a hazing.
Doug tore through the tape as he heard the grunting and the smacking. He pushed through the group of guy's to see his 'little brother' Tommy going against the team Captain, Sheldon Jeffery Sands, who only ever went by Sands.
Doug gave Tommy a cursory glance; the officer didn't look like he was too hurt. But both Sands and Tommy looked as if they were getting tired. Tommy's shirt was ripped a bit more than it had been that morning, and Doug could see bruises. A furtive look from Tommy told Doug to stay exactly where he was. Well, sometimes, it was for the best; though Doug hated to see Tommy get his ass whooped.
This seemed to be the last round, though Doug couldn't be sure. Sands threw himself at Tommy and they went down in a lump of limbs, spittle, and teeth. It was like two mountain lions decided to get into a fight over a deer for their supper. Grunting, insults, and the sound of flesh hitting flesh was profound.
To Doug, it seemed as if this lasted hours upon days, but in actuality, it only lasted a few minutes till Tommy stood. Staring down at Sands, he whipped away the flood from his mouth. Then, he smirked.
"That," Tommy said, "Is how a McQuaid does it,"
There was a smattering of clapping.
--
Dennis waited for Doug and Tommy to get back from the locker rooms. They had all arrived at school in Tom's mustang and it had been agreed by them that they would go straight to the Chapel to fill in their reports before going home.
However, when he saw Tom Hanson…Dennis wasn't at all sure what to think about it. So, even if it was a very obvious question, because from all the bruising and the blood, you could tell what had happened, Dennis had to ask anyway.
"What the hell almost ate you?"
"Werefoot," Tommy replied as a joke. Doug just rolled his eyes.
"The foot ball team decided it would be a good idea to haze him," Doug explained.
"Shit," Dennis said as they made their way to the parking lot. Tommy kind of flittered in one direction and then the other, as if he were drunk and couldn't stand straight. As one, Dennis and Doug took and arm to lead their friend to the car.
"Tommy, where are the car keys?" Dennis asked.
"Left pocket," Tom replied, he knew he wouldn't be able to drive. Not after all the ground hits his head took at practice that day.
"Why did we let him take on the foot ball team?" Dennis asked as they got Tommy to lie down in the back seat of the Mustang.
"Because he's smaller," Doug shrugged.
"True, but that doesn't give the team the right to beat the shit out of him," Dennis said.
"Well, I'm taking him to the hospital, at least, to get checked out," Doug replied. Dennis had to agree.
--
Coach Harding looked at the young man before him.
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"You know what I am talking about," Pyro replied.
"Just because you're queer…"
In a moment Pyro had a knife out and he slit the coach from left to right. Blood spurted and the head fell back, it was only slightly connected to the body by the skin of the back of the neck. Pyro smirked. Then he went to the door and got the can of gasoline he had filched from the gas station half a mile away.
He saturated the room then he led a string from the empty gas container, out the hallway and down a bit to ensure that he was a safe distance away before he lit the end of the string.
--
At ten that evening, the school alarm called the fire fighters to the school where a terrible fire was blazing. They didn't know how long the fire had been going, but, they did know that it was the hardest fire they had to fight since two months before when the school fires had started.
However, that wasn't the only one they had to worry about, for in the foot ball field. In large letters that could be seen easily from the media helicopter, was the legend: Pyro was here!
--
"We're never going to be able to wrap up the cases now," Dennis said.
"Nope," Tom agreed. He, Dennis and Doug had decided to go out for a much needed drink. Hopefully, they would be able to talk about their relationship. They had been able to work well together, even if Tom was a bit out of sorts.
"So, what do you think?" Dennis asked when Doug came back to the table with beer in hand.
"What is it I should have been thinking about?" Tom asked.
"About becoming our lover, that's what," Doug said. Tom stared at him before replying.
"I didn't think you'd ever use that term,"
"Come on, Tommy, please?" Doug gave him a pout.
"Okay, don't do that! Only Tommy can pout and actually get away with it," Dennis laughed.
"Gee, thank you," Tom rolled his eyes.
"Okay, how about this. You try this out for…six months, that should give you enough time to figure out if you'd like to stay with us or not," Doug said.
"Now," Dennis said, "That's a good idea,"
"I…well…I suppose…I mean…" Tom rolled his head. The muscles on his neck had seized up and it hurt to move. Dennis saw the look of pain and started massaging Tom's neck.
"Okay, sounds like a deal," Tom finally agreed after long moments of thinking.
"Good, we'll get you onto the lease and moved in this weekend," Dennis said.
"But no lifting for you, those bruises still look bad," Doug said, lifting up Tom's shirt for a quick look.
"Doug!" Tom jumped when Doug's fingers tickled him slightly.
Dennis kissed Tom lightly on the cheek.
"Welcome to the family, dear," he whispered.
--
a/n – I am not happy with this ending. But it was getting bloody long and I needed to end it. This is a very, long, one shot. I wish I could do this each and every time but it takes me too long to write it. Like hours! Gaw!
Anyway, I hope you liked it.
Ta,
Dizzy
P.S. We have not sent he last of Pyro or Inferno. They have to be arrested! Oh, I forgot the POTC references. I couldn't come up with names so I stole some!
