John's beloved wife Vriska was concerned as to why her husband was so excited about Monday. He was starting to irritate her, to be honest. He had told her he had an important business contract to sign that was a rather big deal, and although she understood his excitement, she didn't quite believe that he could be that excited to go to work the next day.

He worked diligently regardless, all of his paperwork was in order, and it was glorious. He finished all he needed too half an hour early, the sun just beginning to set. He told his wife he was heading out to deal with that important contract, and she wished him well. She kept her questions on why he was leaving so late to herself. It was not her place to ask, after all.

He had gotten all the way down the street before he felt bad about lying to his wife.

He had stopped dead in the street.

And yet shook it off and kept walking, people would stare.

He arrived at Derse just before it opened, and ducked in a nearby alley, so as not to draw suspicion.

He pulled out his pocket watch after he felt he had been waiting long enough. Derse had been open five minutes, he deemed that good enough.

He knocked on the door.

"Password?" It was the bartender this time, instead of the usual burly gentleman with the gruff voice.

"Prospits moon."

The door opened.

"You're here a bit early chap! You don't normally arrive until eleven!" John smiled at him and sat at a bar stool as Jake closed the door and returned to the bar.

"I'm waiting for someone tonight!" Jake raised an eyebrow.

"Pardon my rudeness, but would it be Dave by any chance?" John was floored. Had Jake noticed them go into the private room together? John nods regardless.

"I thought so, he is a rather dashing young man. Reminds me of his brother." Jake sighed sadly and started polishing a cup that was already clean, it was sitting nearby.

"Did you know him well? Dave's brother, I mean." After asking, John realised it may have been a personal question and none of his business, the way Jake smiled sadly and looked down at the already clean glass like a man remembering better times.

"We were lovers, back in the day." John looked shocked. Was this why Dave moved to England?

"I'm sorry, it was none of my business…" he twiddled his thumbs, feeling at fault for Jake's sudden sadness.

He and Jake weren't friends per say, but Jake talked him through his first night visiting Derse. He was an honest, hardworking fellow, who just wanted to be himself, to love who he wished.

"It's alright. It was some months ago now. I still wear black and sometimes orange for him, though. I miss him dearly. Do take care of Dave. I know he may seem fine and dandy, but he misses his brother." John nodded, understanding. But his and Dave's arrangement wasn't romantic at all, it was pointless, primal, sex every other day. So why say this to him? Maybe Jake had the wrong idea.

John couldn't bring himself to correct him.

His thoughts were heavy, as he paid for his brandy. Maybe he'd have a pint later, or some whiskey. In all of the two years he had been visiting Derse, he had never tried the illegal alcohol, and part of him said that he had already broken the law many times just sitting in the bar, why not enjoy himself even more? But part of him argued that he was still a good man, and wasn't about to break the law for fun. This was a necessity.

Yes. It was a necessary action.

It was still illegal.

But John had gotten over this guilt long ago, so the thought drifted away and he drank the remainder of his brandy, ordering another.

Dave arrived at half past eleven exactly.

John had been sitting for about an hour, chatting with Jake and drinking. Patrons of the "Establishment" had attempted to court him several times, but he had politely declined every one. Reminding himself whose touch he was saving himself for.

Dave sat next to him and ordered a straight (John almost scoffed) shot of some alcohol John had never heard of, and Jake raised his eyebrows, asking it he was sure he wanted something so strong, he said yes, he needed to seem drunk of the way home and wasn't staying long.

Jake agreed with those terms, and gave him the shot.

He downed it fast, and suddenly those fluid and sharp movements seems slower, and his words sounded more difficult to get out.

They chatted idly for a few minutes, but their conversation was difficult to uphold with their shared state of drunkenness.

They were kissing in a private room around ten minutes later.

Yes. This was what they had been craving, what their very souls had been missing. The feeling of bliss and completion that came with kissing and touching and everything else they did couldn't be described, and it filled them. There was no one else, nothing else. Just them.

Always just them.

"Fuck, Dave-" he was silenced by Dave's lips. Their clothes had been discarded, and the room always had some form of lubricant inside for its patrons, Dave was making good use of it.

He panted harshly when Dave's lips moved to his neck and oh.

His head lolled back.

Yes.

"Beautiful…" the whisper was almost silent, and John's head snapped up when he heard it, slightly embarrassed. Dave's eyes were praising him. Worshipping him, drinking in every detail. His head fell again in seconds. His mouth unable to do more than praise Dave for his excellence and utter perfection.

Of course, all good things must come to an end.

They wish each other a good night and walk two opposite directions to their home, to sneak inside and act as if they'd never left.

It had been three days.

Sometimes the thought of kissing Dave kept John up at night. Sometimes the thought of just being beside him on cold nights kept him up too. He didn't really know why the thought of cuddling up close to the blonde in a shared bed was so appealing, he could only assume it is because of him tying thoughts of Dave to the bedroom. The wish to relish in the afterglow with him without being shoved out so the next couple could get into that tiny room.

Sometimes the memory of him whispering "Beautiful" when he saw him last, kept him up too.

Sometimes he really hated the world he lived in, the world where his love was deemed wrong and loving who he wished broke the law. He sighs, and gets up, trying his best not to wake Vriska. She is a heavy sleeper, thankfully.

He gets himself a drink, and part of him wanted to go find Dave, or just go out. A small part of him wanted to go out and go absolutely insane, do everything he wants, every illegal thing he's ever contemplated or wondered about, he's slept with a couple opium dealers in his time at Derse, surely one of them would accept alternate payment for just a taste, just to say he tried it.

But as he thought of it, he found it hard to ignore the sick feeling in his stomach when faced with the idea of sleeping with anyone but Dave. It felt like he was cheating, again. And for the first time in a while, cheating made him feel absolutely awful. Again.

It wasn't as if he had much of a choice however. It was live in misery, denying himself a part of him that should not be ignored, or indulge in something that wasn't wrong morally, no matter what the laws say. And be forced to cheat on his wife to do so, which is wrong morally. But again, the option not to go behind her back isn't there. It isn't his wife's fault. Why would it be? But he wasn't sure if there is anyone he can blame.

He strongly considered calling Dave, but it was late and he didn't want to be a bother. He decided to go for a walk.

He wandered, and considered Derse as an option, but shuddered at the thought of sleeping with someone who isn't Dave, while possible, it didn't feel right anymore. Dave had already pulled him in too deep, and it was an addiction far more deadly than any opium or alcohol.

He realised he was thinking about him again.

He should stop thinking about him as if he is all there is, he decided. Again, he considered calling Dave. He had memorised the number by now, it had been sitting with him the first few days after he had received it. Part of him wanted to call him just to be with John, but he was unsure how he would react to that, and how it would affect the two of them.

After an hour he decided that since Dave was the root of his insomnia, he would entrust him to fix it. John founds his way home, as fast as he could, and punches in the blonde man's phone number, shivering from the cold he just exited. A tired voice answered, and it wasn't Dave, John assumed it to be one of his servants. She answered the phone and John was suddenly unsure what to ask, but decided that he had come too far to be stopped now.

"I apologise for the unearthly hour of my call, but something has come up, may I speak with Mr. Strider? It's Mr. Egbert, by the way." He tried to stop the sound of teeth chattering from reaching the other end of the call. John would admit it was cold, even within his home it was cold (as almost all the fires were long extinguished) but his dizzying thoughts had distracted him from noticing. He wasn't too terribly sure how far he had walked before returning, either.

"Of course. Please wait." There was a shuffling sound. And soon enough the (sexy) sleepy voice of Dave Strider reached John's ears. He then wished he had heard his "I just woke up" voice sooner, it was a gift to this world.

"John?" he asks, and the dark haired man suddenly found himself blushing, as absurd as the notion is, but sure enough, heat was spreading on his cheeks, because Dave's sleepy voice must be the work of god himself, or the devil, at this point John wasn't sure. "Why have you called at such an hour? Is everything alright?" John coughed and tried to form a sentence, but isn't sure what he should say. "I can't sleep?" "I need you." Or maybe just say "interest" and hope sex fixes all his problems. Dave was an intoxicating human being, so the option appealed to him.

"Thoughts of you have stopped me sleeping, Strider. I wish for compensation for my loss." It seemed to be a good mix, so he left the sentence there. "Hmm…would I have to pay interest on this?" and suddenly John doesn't know. His walking was borderline suspicious as it was, and as tempting as another round is, the threat of discovery was ever present and ever threatening.

"I worry that we'll be sussed out. I'm walking bad enough, the offer is sinfully tempting, however." He kept his voice down for Dave's sake. Should his voice be heard by Dave's servants, who knows what could happen! And he couldn't disguise such a thought with business terms, not this late at night.

"It doesn't have to go that far-…" you hear him begin to form a tender word, but stop immediately. The fact he was going to add on some term of endearment in his suddenly soft and caring speech was disturbing and exciting at the same time. It was also very obvious to John, but hopefully anyone who was near Dave's phone (if there is anyone at all) merely mistakes it for a stumbling of speech that has nothing to do with affection.

Still, the care in Dave's voice was new, and it left John unable to speak for a minute or so, he hears shuffling and then a low whisper. "Believe it or not I do care for your wellbeing, John. Please do not over do anything. We are at great risk here. Would you like me to see you?" John felt something stuck in his throat, but decided to push on and ignore the sudden softness and care in the Strider's voice and focus.

"Yes. Please. If you can. I'll find my way to our meeting place. Goodnight Dave. I'll see you soon."

Dave said a soft goodbye before hanging up.

A/N: yoooo reviews happened, thank you! also, all those Americans out there, congrats on the marriage equality.