Title: Key

Author: wildwordwomyn

Word Count: 478

Fandom: Flashpoint slash

Pairing: Greg Parker/Ed Lane, Ed Lane/Sophie Lane

Rating: PG for a little angst

Author's Notes: Sequel to my fic "Enough".

Disclaimers/Warnings: No real spoilers. No own. No harm intended.

Summary: Greg and Ed talk about the kiss. Which, of course, leads too more kissing...

"You know we'll have to talk about it sooner or later, Eddie," Greg tells him matter-of-factly.

"How about we never talk about it?" I plead. Not that it'll work. When Greg Parker wants to talk, we talk.

"But I kissed you!"

We should not be having this conversation at the SRU in the locker room after a hard day. Especially after our showers when we, no, when he's fresh and clean and always a little more open than before, more vulnerable.

"Technically I kissed you first," I tease. Greg's eyes narrow. I know, I know. Trivializing.

"Eddie..." It comes out as a sigh. My name sounding frustrated and affectionate all at once.

I make the mistake of looking into his eyes, realizing I want to do it again. Remembering how fast my heart was beating at the time, how it felt like I was shaking by the time he pulled away. I kissed him first. That means something, even if I don't want to deal with what.

"Look, Boss," I start and blink. That's not the right way to say what I'm about to say. I play this wrong and it changes everything, and not for the better. "Greg, I..." I can see he's holding his breath. He's standing his ground but that's about all he's capable of at the moment. "I have a wife. I can't just do that to her. I can't be unfaithful."

Greg shuts down instantly, obviously. Turns out that's not the key to diffusing the situation. Only I don't know what is. I'm at a loss and that's not something I've ever been able to accept gracefully. I watch him for some kind of clue, thinking, What would he do? That's when it hits me. The key is the fact that he shut down at all. He wants to kiss me again too. Figuring that out should not make me happy and nervous and eager. I know it shouldn't. Not when I used to get this way about Sophie.

I have a wife. But she will never get inside my head with just a look the way Greg does. He's too much a part of me. My eyes must give me away because suddenly he smiles, closed-mouthed, hesitant. It makes things easier seeing his nervousness. My best friend and role model. Human and flawed and real. I almost tell him that I think he's beautiful, that I probably always have thought it, and that I'm proud to have him in my life. I don't, though. Instead I reach out to pull him close and seal my mouth to his. When he groans deep in his throat, wrapping steady arms around my waist, I mentally berate myself. Kissing Greg diffuses nothing, only escalates. And yet I can't stop, won't stop. He's been my key all along.