Lucas woke with a jolt. In his dreams he had seen the blood, and her lying on the floor. He glanced over to see Ben asleep in his bed, it was 8:32 PM. Lucas stood up and stretched, the room as cool and the only light came from the open bathroom door.

"You slept like a log." Ben's voice was gruff and filled with usual sleepy slurs.

Lucas smiled a little and sat on the edge of Ben's bed. The older man hadn't changed a bit since he had last seen him. Same sweet smile, same witty attitude. Lucas sighed and looked away, he couldn't do this. Adriana was dead, he couldn't betray her only a few days after.

"What is it?" Ben sat up frowning and Lucas shook his head, "What? What's wrong?"

Lucas stood up and Ben grabbed his arm tightly, pulling him down to the bed again. Their faces so close together that Lucas had to back away a little. He couldn't do this, he couldn't show any of these feelings he had for Ben, the feelings that he had always had for Ben.

"Why can't you look at me Lucas?" Ben touched the boys chin and turned his head. Lucas closed his eyes, biting his bottom lip until he tasted blood. He couldn't give in to temptation, he knew this was harder because of the grief. He had to control his feelings about this.

"Open your eyes- Please." The boy gulped and peered out to Ben from under his long eyelashes. The older man was flushed, and his eyes were fixed on Lucas's bleeding mouth.

"You-you have the prettiest mouth." Ben moved his thumb over the pink bottom lip and wiped away the droplets of blood, "It's just so-"

Lucas abruptly brushed his lips over Ben's to quiet him. When he pulled away the dark-haired man reached up and stroked away a few hairs from Lucas's tender face.

"You never stop surprising me Luke." Ben smiled, "Do it again."

Lucas could hear the want in the Lieutenants voice and he bent over and kissed him again. This time it was firmer and much longer. After a few minutes Ben tore the thin shirt from Lucas's chest and laid the boy down. Lucas closed his eyes and let Ben wash over him. He felt the caresses and kisses as he had never felt them with anyone before, it seemed like he had never really felt them at all.

They spent the whole day in that hotel room and never even stepped out of the bed. Sometime during those hours Lucas knew that everything on the nightstand was knocked off and the radio turned on. He didn't listen to it, he listened to the steady breathing from Ben and he listened to the rumble of cars outside. It seemed to him that everything after a while faded away except the two of them together. Nothing else mattered but the two of them.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"I'm coming, I'm coming home to you

I'm alive I'm a mess.

I can't wait to get home to you,

To get warm, warm and undressed."

Lucas smiled into the groove in Ben's neck. He loved this song, yet he couldn't remember the first time he had heard it, but that really didn't matter. He softly sang along as they lay there on that bed. Ben chuckling softly, running his long fingers through the soft golden hairs on the boy's head and then down his back and up again in a rythmic motion.

"There've been changes beyond my dreams,

Everybody wants me to sing.

There've been changes beyond my grasp,

Things I'm sinking in.

So keep me, keep me,

In your bed all day, all day.

Nothing heals me like you do.

Nothing heals me like you do."

Ben remembered this song, he should as often as Lucas had played it. He even remembered the words which was strange yet comforting to him. So he sang as he had seen Lucas do so many times. Yet he couldn't help thinking faintly that he didn't even know they played this song on the radio. It was so old, he figured they must have knocked it onto the oldies station.

"And when somebody knows you well,

Well there's no comfort like that.

And when somebody needs you,

Well there's no drug like that.

So keep me, keep me,

In your bed all day, all day.

Nothing heals me like you do.

Keep me keep me,

In your bed all day, all day.

Nothing heals me like you do."

The rain started pouring outside, softly at first and then harder. The sound made Lucas remember the nights when he was alone in his room before he was thrown on the SeaQuest. He loved the rain, not many people knew that. He didn't tell anyone, but he told Ben. And the older man smiled at this, not in a mocking or silly way, but in a way that Lucas thought meant he understood.

"And when I'm home, curled in your arms,

And I'm safe again.

I'll close my eyes and sleep, sleep,

To the sound of London Rain.

So keep me, keep me,

In your bed all day, all day.

Nothing heals me like you do.

Keep me keep me,

In your bed all day, all day.

Nothing heals me like you do.

Nothing heals me like you do.
Nothing falls like London Rain,

Nothing heals me like you do.

Nothing falls like London Rain,

Nothing heals me like you do.

Nothing falls like London Rain,

Nothing heals me like you do."

As the song ended Lucas listened to the patter of the rain. He was warm and sleepy.And he felt safe with Ben. Like nothing could hurt him as long as he was in this place. This perfect place. Tomorrow they would have to go to the SeaQuest, but he just paid attention to this moment with Ben. And for once- Lucas felt something he knew must be happiness.