-1A/N: This is in answer to a challenge put to me by A Hotter Kiss A Better Touch (my she does get around with these challenges haha) I truly hope she - and the rest of you - enjoy it

Hugs and love - Your friendly neighborhood Sithy

Connor and Murphy sat silently, wrists tied behind their backs, faces set with determination. On either side of them, more men sat, equally bound, equally anxious. The brothers had been having an argument not an hour before this, Connor's side still hurting from a particularly hard jab Murphy had given him. Murphy fidgeting in his seat because of the equally hard blow Connor had given him to the back of the thigh in retaliation. But the argument was forgotten, partially at least, as they sat amidst an almost chaotic crowd, prepared for their fate. The leader of the whole operation came up, standing right in front of both brothers across the table, but made his voice loud enough to be heard by all.

"Hope you boys are hungry," Father Donal called out over the din in the crowded pub. Most of the parish, and it seemed almost all the rest of the town, had piled into the small area to watch the show that was about to commence.

The church had decided to hold a fundraiser for the orphanage they ran. Funds and morale had been running low and nothing built spirits like a good fundraiser. Father Donal himself had had the bright idea of holding a pie-eating contest at the local pub, the owner of which was happy to oblige for free being the good Catholic and businessman he was. (With all the people coming into the pub, they were bound to buy drinks!) The Church sold tickets, only expecting to pull in a very small amount after the cost of baking ingredients for the sisters. In the end, the profit was well over a thousand dollars for one simple reason…

When you mention "contest" and "eating" in the same breath, the MacManus Twins were sure to throw their hats in, especially if it were for a good cause. It was their promise to participate, and their positive zeal for others to join in, that caused a stir in the town and had everyone showing up to see the brothers' faces smeared with pie filling.

All week long each had been boasting about their eating skills, their iron stomachs. Other men had signed up for the contest, but most assuredly it would end with Connor and Murphy facing off against each other. And it was this boasting and carrying on that had caused the argument between them earlier that day. That morning, Murphy made sure to tell Connor he was going to lose. Not only that, but Connor was going to lose in front of Meg, the prettiest, sweetest girl Connor had ever had the pleasure of being completely enthralled by.

Of course, she wasn't all sugar, she was quite a bit of spice as well. Every time she and Connor were in the pub talking, her fingers would brush over his forearm, causing goosebumps to rise, or she'd give him quick kisses along his jaw line with her fingers hooked in the belt loops of his jeans. It had started out with just some playful banter between them, but had continued to escalate. Now, Connor had the bright idea to win the contest just to impress her.

So, when Murphy said he'd be losing in front of a whole crowd, with Meg standing right in front, Connor had understandably gotten pissed off. It began as just an argument, hurling insults back and forth at each other, but soon turned into a knock-down, drag-out fight in the living room of their tiny apartment. It ended right after they had caused each other enough bodily harm to bruise, which was when most stalemate fights of theirs would cease. But Connor was still livid. They were brothers, twins for Christ's sake, and Murphy couldn't let him win this one contest to impress the girl he liked? He would have done it for his brother in a heartbeat, without a second thought.

What made things worse was that Meg was in front of the whole crowd, right near the table so she could see both brothers as the pies were set before them. Everyone started to dig in, face first as they were allowed to use their hands. It was getting extremely messy, the sisters changing out pies rapidly as all the men went along. After about six pies, the other started dropping like flies. Around pie twelve, it was just Connor and Murphy as predicted, the light brother taking a second every few bites to glare at his brother, while the dark one just smirked back.

At about pie fifteen, Connor's stomach started to grumbled badly, but he pushed through it, whispering harshly at his brother "Damn it, Murph. Why can't ye just let me win?"

"Ye'll thank me later, Conn," he only said with a grin, before burying his face in the pie.

It was pie eighteen that did Connor in, his stomach just couldn't hold any more. Before he caused too much more of a mess on the table, he twisted and dropped his head, vomiting into the bucket beside the chair. The crowd let out a great cheer as Murphy stood, letting out a triumphant howl, face smeared with all sorts of different flavored pies. Connor still sat, bent over and staring at the contents of his stomach swimming around the bottom of the bucket. He was embarrassed, and angry, and…

"Connor, are you okay," a soft voice asked.

He glanced up and saw Meg kneeling beside him, concern etching her beautiful face. Red began to creep up his neck as he nodded, completely ashamed that she had discovered him hunched over and looking miserable, not a very flattering sight to see. But she smoothed some hair back from his forehead, giving him a gentle smile as she put a glass of water to his lips. He opened up, tilting his head back so she could pour some water in since his hands were still tied.

Connor wasn't sure he would be able to swallow anything for the next few days, so he just swished the water in his mouth, trying to wash away the acrid taste of bile, before spitting it back out into the bucket. Meg still caressed his forehead and hair tenderly, her other hand resting on the side of his neck. "Mouth feel cleaner?"

"Aye," he sighed, unable to meet her eyes.

"Good," she replied, tilting his chin up and pressing her lips over his.

Connor stilled for a moment, unsure of what was going on, but he came back to his senses when the tip of her tongue slid gently over his lower lip. He opened his mouth and they kissed fervently, even as Connor felt someone start to untie his wrists. Meg pulled back from the kiss and slid her tongue over his cheek, tasting at the pie filling still smeared there.

"Mmm, apple," she smirked. "Guess I'll have to finish licking you clean later."

Connor's hands were free then and he grabbed her hips and pulled her closer. His face was buried in the crook of her neck when he felt a heavy, familiar hand land on his back. Looking up, he saw Murphy's face, positively smug.

"Told ye ye'd thank me later," Murphy winked.

"Ah bugger off," Connor replied. "Can't ye see I'm tryin' ta kiss me girl?"

Murphy just grinned wider and took off into the crowd toward the bar, leaving Connor and Meg to their blatantly public display of affection.

Turned out that the prize for winning the pie-eating contest was free beer for the night. Connor was actually glad that his brother had won. It certainly wouldn't do to have Murphy running around the apartment while he had Meg in their bedroom, no matter how much Connor did indeed thank him.

A/N: So, how 'bout you guys being kind to a Sithy and leaving her a review? That would really make her day! -Hugs!