The Watcher
by Erin
August 2007
Jason woke abruptly, knowing--feeling that something was very wrong. It only took opening his eyes to find out what.
"Morning," Strife whispered, his face so close that Jason's eyes nearly crossed trying to focus on him.
Jason was all too aware of the weight of Strife on him, Strife's leather-clad arms crossed on top of his bare chest, straddling his waist, pinning the covers over Jason's legs. Strife wasn't heavy enough to keep him down if Jason fought to free himself, and Jason tensed further, ready to throw Strife off, call out at the same time, wake Iolaus and Hercules.
"You don't really want to do that." Strife's voice was still a whisper, but he pulled back a little, giving Jason a better look at him.
The early morning sun, only just now peaking into the dorm windows, gave Strife's skin a hint of warm color, made his eyes seem less like chips of blue ice and more like the pale blue of a cloudless sky. He was...smiling. Not the taunting smirk they'd all become used to seeing from him, but a small, knowing smile.
"You think I never knew?" Strife asked.
Jason frowned, not understanding.
"You used to watch me when I 'slept,' when you thought I was Nysus."
"We--we all watched you those last few days," Jason protested, although he kept his voice as low as Strife's. "We knew something wasn't right."
Strife made a little hum of agreement, his smile widening. "True. But," he leaned forward again, even closer than he'd been before, and when he spoke, the warmth of his breath ghosted over Jason's lips, "you, Jason, were the only one who went back to your bunk and whacked off afterwards."
Jason went tense all over, his breath stuttering in his throat, eyes widening. It--he--no. He shook his head in denial, but he still couldn't help turning his head slightly, enough to see across the small room, check that Iolaus and Hercules were still deeply asleep, hadn't heard any of that, weren't witnessing...this.
Strife chuckled, a sound Jason felt all down his body. "Don't worry." One of Strife's arms shifted on Jason's chest, and a moment later, long, warm fingers slid over Jason's chin, turning his head back. "This isn't about them," Strife said, his face filling Jason's vision once more.
"This is you." His thumb stroked slowly down Jason's jaw line, sending a shiver through him. "This is me." His weight shifted, hips rocking down, just once. Once was more than enough. Jason gasped silently, his body instantly reacting to the motion.
"This is us." Strife leaned even closer and there was no way to focus, Jason had to shut his eyes. But it remained vivid in his mind, the image of blue eyes being slowly eclipsed by inky black pupil. And even as Strife's lips touched his, so much softer than he'd imagined, Strife's eyes were there, intense in his mind's eye, watching him.
Fin