Randy awoke to the smell of cooking bacon. No, burning bacon. He smiled instantly when he saw the bed was empty beside him. That explained the smell. John was known for many things but cooking was not one of them. Randy rose and walked into the bathroom to prepare for the day.

About 20 minutes later, he walked downstairs and saw John standing in front of the kitchen counter furiously scrubbing grease off a burnt skillet.

Randy smiled and quietly walked up behind John, putting his hands around John's waist and placing a kiss on his neck.

"Baby, what are you doing to my good skillet?"

John let the skillet and sponge drop into the sink and leaned back into Randy's arms. "Just tell me where to buy you a new one, because this one is done for."

Randy smiled and hugged John tightly, his lips never leaving John's neck. "What on Earth made you want to cook?"

John grabbed a hand towel from the counter. He frowned while drying his hands and mumbled. "I can cook. Sometimes."

Randy raised an eyebrow.

"Alanna was hungry, you were asleep and we wanted bacon. Therefore, I had no choice but to do this." John sheepishly pointed toward the mess in the kitchen.

Randy nodded. "Where is Al?"

"I called Ted and Cody so they could take her to breakfast. I couldn't stand for her to inhale any more smoke."

Randy smiled. "You're too much, baby. I love you." He hugged John tightly, while inhaling his scent deeply.

"Not that I don't love your hugs, but you're kinda squeezing the life out of me, love." John laughed softly, turned in Randy's arms and kissed his forehead. "Are you OK?"

Randy nodded and moved to sit up on the counter. He let his legs dangle over the edge while looking down. "I'm OK. I just get freaked out when we argue. The next day I just wanna hold you and squeeze you."

John smiled and moved between Randy's legs. "Not a problem. Just don't kill me."

Randy pulled him in closer and their lips met in a deep kiss. He leaned forward on the counter until his legs were wrapped around John's waist and their groins were pressed together. John arched into the kiss and their middles rubbed momentarily. Randy moaned softly into John's mouth. John smiled with satisfaction and ground his crotch against Randy a second time. Randy pulled himself tighter against the friction and growled in his throat.

"John, you're driving me crazy."

John continued rubbing his crotch against Randy's. "Good, I like you crazy."

Randy smiled before another groan rose out of his throat. He threw his head back and John took the opportunity to kiss and nibble on Randy's neck. Randy closed his eyes as his body trembled from the sensations John was making him feel.

"God, John."

John gave him one last bite and pulled away.

Randy's eyes popped open. "What are you doing? You can't stop!"

John moved back and smiled. "I should just leave you hanging for all the hell you put me through yesterday." He reached for Randy's hand. "I won't, though. Let's go upstairs."

Randy eagerly smiled and jumped off the counter, the bulge in his pants making his desire obvious. The two men bolted up the stairs and into their bedroom. As soon as the bed came into view, Randy pushed John onto it and then positioned himself on top. He pressed his lips onto John's and they kissed gently. The kiss soon got more heated and their tongues searched, unable to get enough of each other.

Randy whimpered as John's hands wandered down his back to his ass and then pulled him close so that he could feel John's arousal pressed insistently against his own.

"John," he moaned softly, unable to stop from rubbing his groin against his lover's.

John groaned and captured Randy's lips in a soul searing kiss.

"Too many clothes, I want to see you," Randy rumbled in his throat.

John groaned and sat up, "I want to see you too," he replied.

They got up off the bed and slowly stripped, each watching the other intently. Randy stared as John's body was revealed to his eyes. Unknowingly he licked his lips as John's erection appeared from his boxers.

"God," whispered Randy. "You're so beautiful."

John smiled and pulled Randy in for a hug. "I love you," the older man said seriously.

Randy blinked back a couple of sudden tears and his mouth opened and closed in an effort to reply. Unable to find the words, he wrapped his arms around John's neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss, trying to convey his feelings without the need for clumsy words.

John covered Randy's body, settling over him. He propped himself on his elbows dipping his head to steal soft kisses as he and Randy began to rock, their erections pressing together. Sweat and pre-cum eased their movements as they shared more and more passionate kisses.

Randy was in heaven, the taste of John's mouth and skin, the feel of skin, the intoxicating scent of arousal; he wanted more, needed more.

John lowered himself down Randy's body. He tasted every inch of skin, pausing to suckle perfect, pink nipples into diamond-hard points and to dip into Randy's navel. He breathed in deeply, nuzzling Randy's sac, before licking the length of his shaft.

"Oh my God, John," Randy cried. Hands and mouth, fingers and tongue, John kept taking Randy to the brink of orgasm and stopping and then he would start all over again.

By the fourth time, Randy was incoherent and writhing with need. "John, you're such an asshole."

John smile and began to murmur hotly into Randy's ear while rolling his lover's heavy sac and fingering the sweat-slick perineum.

"You know you deserve a little torture, gorgeous. Don't worry, though. I'm gonna make you mine, baby, gonna make you feel so good."

"John," Randy wailed as John once more engulfed his erection, gently sucking and licking. He instinctively felt Randy's orgasm coming and he relaxed his throat, taking Randy's full length as the younger man jerked under him with a sweet cry of completion. John swallowed repeatedly and then with one last lick, he released Randy and crawled back up his body to kiss him gently.

Randy could taste himself in John's mouth and moaned with need. "I want you in me, baby." He spread his legs, so that John sank down in between them.

Slicking up his fingers, John carefully probed and stretched Randy, the younger man, pushing down on his fingers. He was tight, but John knew where to find his sensitive spot. Soon Randy was panting; his shaft already half hard again. Finally John coated his rock-hard erection with the lube and began to push into his lover. White heat surrounded John's aching arousal, the tightness almost crushing in its intensity.

Finally he was fully inside and he panted softly trying not to come too soon and to allow Randy to adjust. Randy was fully hard again, his length pressing into John's belly. He started to move his hips and John took the hint, starting to thrust with slow, shallow movements.

"Please baby, faster" Randy whispered.

John sped up, pulling out almost completely before plunging back in, rubbing his stomach against the sensitive underside of Randy's trapped flesh.

Randy was moaning continually, his hands gripping tightly to John's shoulders with bruising strength. His movements became erratic, as the intensity of the experience overwhelmed him.

As Randy's muscles began to contract around him, John bucked, thrusting harder and faster. With a roar he exploded, pumping his seed deep inside his lover. His lips and teeth fastening on the fragile flesh of Randy's shoulder leaving a mark to show his possession.

Randy cried out again, the bite the final catalyst and he shuddered against John as he coated their stomachs from his second orgasm.

John collapsed on top of him, both men panting for breath. As soon as he could move, he pulled gently out of Randy, rolled to the side, pulling the younger man with him into a tight hug.

"I love you, John," whispered Randy, certain he never wanted to be in another's arms.


Cody pulled off his sunglasses and peered into the room nervously. Ted held onto Alanna's hand with one hand and patted his friends back with the other.

"Remind me why I'm doing this again."

Ted smiled and led Cody to a corner. "Well, you told me it's because you wanted to meet other young men who had your disease because you feel they can understand you a bit better than we can."

Ted shrugged. "I don't agree but I offered to bring you because I'm your friend."

Cody nodded. "I'm really nervous now. What if these people recognize me? What do I say? What do I do?"

Ted shook his head. "Cody, we can walk out of here right now if you don't want to go. You don't have to do this."

Cody took a step forward and looked into the room again. He saw a group of five men chatting over coffee and he made out Will in the far corner going over some paperwork.

"No, I could do this." He took a deep breath. "Pick me up in an hour."

Ted nodded and waved to Cody as he headed out the door with Alanna. Cody stared at their retreating backs before swinging his blue eyes back into the room.

At that moment, Will looked up and caught Cody's eye. He smiled and walked over. "Mr. Runnels. I'm so happy you decided to join us."

Cody shook his head. "Please, just call me Cody."

Will nodded and moved over to the center of the room. "All right, let's begin everyone."

The other men in the room took seats, some glancing in Cody's direction.

Will sat in the middle of the circle formation the seats were in. "We have a new member joining us today. Cody, would you like to introduce yourself? If you would just like to listen, please don't worry."

Cody nervously shook his head. "Um, my name is Cody. Today is my first day here but I look forward to what I can learn here."

He smiled at Will, who nodded. "That's great, Cody."

He turned back to the other men. "Let's get started. I want us all to go through the routine so Cody can see how we begin our circle."

Will stood. "My name is Will and I'm 27 years old. I've been HIV positive for the last 5 years."

Cody's eyes widened slightly. He would have never thought Will was HIV positive. Then again, a lot of people probably said that about him. He lost himself in the stories of the men he was hearing until it became too much. He felt his eyes water and he looked down. The stories of the men in the group were hitting too close to home. He always felt what had happened to him was horrible but it amazed him to hear some of the other people's stories.

"Cody?"

Cody looked up and blinked the tears back quickly. Will was looking at him with a concerned look.

"What?"

"Cody, I asked if you wanted to share."

"Oh, sure." Cody cleared his throat. "My name is Cody and I'm 25 years old. I've been HIV positive for the last 3 years. I was with my boyfriend for some time and he never told me he had any disease."

He laughed and looked down quickly. "Turns out he did and here I am. Life sucks, right."

"We try not to feel that way. What happened to us sucks but our entire life doesn't have to." Will stood up and moved to the center of the circle.

"Does anyone have any questions or other stories to share today?"

A single hand was raised by a lanky man of no more than 30 yrs. old. He narrowed his eyes looked over at Cody. "I know who you are. Do the rest of the people care they work with a guy with AIDS? Are you out about it?"

Will moved over to him. "Pete, that seems too personal. Cody, you don't have to answer anything you don't want to."

Cody lifted his hand and shook his head. "No, it's fine. Yes, I do happen to work for a very well known company. I also know many of you know me from the work I do for them on TV. I don't hide anything about myself. My co-workers and fans know of my disease. I'm blessed, though, because I work with very good people who don't care one bit about it."

The guy who asked the question nodded. "Sorry, but on TV you guys look like you hate each other, so one just wonders."

Cody laughed. "That part is not real. It's very much a family."

Will smiled. "Well, it sounds great. Thank you, Cody, for being so open on your first day."

Cody nodded and smiled. This wasn't that bad.