Collins stumbled into the bedroom, glowing with alcohol and laughter and satisfaction. The night had been a really kick-ass time. Maureen and Joanne had unearthed an ancient bottle of what turned out to be incredible wine from some old gifts Joanne's parents had sent her over the years. They had distributed it among the rest of the little group, keeping liberal amounts for themselves. Even Collins, who handled alcohol exceptionally well, found himself experiencing a vague, swimmy sensation, like a gentle electric current was running through his body.

It was a hot night, and Collins could feel his shirt sticking to his chest and back. He shrugged off his flannel overshirt, exposing the white muscle t-shirt he had been wearing. Cool air wafted over his sweaty arms, and he kicked off his shoes, relishing the airflow down there too.

There was a noise behind him. Turning, he saw Angel, framed by the sides of the doorway. She had also removed her shoes, which meant that her height had shrunk by a few inches. Her hips, clearly defined by the tight clothing, swayed seductively back and forth as she walked slowly towards him, her movements as lithe as a cat. Collins's eyes were drawn immediately to those hips, hypnotized by their rocking motion. Finally tearing his eyes away, he gazed at her face. There was a look in her eyes that he knew all too well. All too well.

Ten seconds later, Collins found himself on his back, the soft mattress of the bed cushioning both their shifting weights as the drag queen used her tongue and teeth and lips to ferociously attack his own. Her body rested on his, and he could feel the different indentations and protrusions of her chest and groin and stomach. Hands flashed up and down his body, slipping under clothes and hungrily caressing skin. Collins fought back against her with his own mouth and hands, tongues dancing and teeth clicking, while his strong fingers felt their burning way across her body.

He felt her slip her hands under the hem of his shirt and pull, gently easing the garment over his head. The brief pause as the shirt separated their lips was followed by an even more vigorous burst of passion. His shirt disappeared from their little world of fiery desire, flung to god knows where in the room. Its absence opened up a whole new world of possibilities, which Angel most definitely took advantage of. Her mouth left his and explored downwards, biting at his collarbone and licking his nipple. He shivered as she criss-crossed his chest, the feeling of her mouth against his skin almost unbearably blissful. Heat from the night and their bodies and their desire flowed through him, curling around his groin and stiffening his cock. She trailed kisses over his stomach, the muscles and flesh beneath her contracting and shuddering in ecstasy.

Soon, Collins found that he couldn't bear the amazing sensations and feelings any more, and he reached down, arms wrapping around the Angel and pulling her upwards. In one swift movement, he flipped them both over. Now he hovered on all fours above her, knees taking most of his weight as he bent and buried his face in her neck. A gasp but no resistance only encouraged him, and he felt the love and desire inside his body building to dangerous levels. Now it was his turn to reach his hands under the hem of her shirt and lift, his turn to feel the fabric slide up her skin. She reached her arms up, allowing the shirt to pass more easily over her shoulders and off her body. It took with it the black wig, and now both disappeared just as his own shirt had.

Collins took a small moment to admire her chest and stomach, sculpted perfectly as though by a great artist. Then his eyelids came down and his mouth did the same, pressing against her body in an attempt to see without eyes what he had just looked at. She tasted of salty sweat and burning passion and delicious ecstasy, combined into fabulous, blindingly wonderful nectar. His hands drifted down her sides, stopping at the beginnings of her skirt. After only a moment of stillness, he wormed his fingers between the cloth and her skin, pulling everything down gently. She shifted and moved her hips, trying to make it easier for him.

Now the rest of her clothes were gone, and Collins only had time to plant a single kiss below her stomach before she, in one deft motion, flipped him over onto the bed and straddled him, hands already undoing the zipper and clasp on his pants. Before Collins could take in what had happened, they were both naked and Angel was running her hands everywhere, skin and bones and muscle and flesh all blending into one blur of love and passion. Collins felt her mouth between his legs and shivered, the white joy of ecstasy erasing his mind. Hands, teeth, tongue, lips, sliding all over his body, tasting and touching and learning. Sweat poured down his body and hers, creating a natural lube.

Collins couldn't wait any longer, his body was crying out for the ultimate. He moved them both around, finally ending up behind her, almost kneeling on the hot, damp bed. Hand sliding across her smooth, curved hips and ass, he entered inside of her, instantly becoming part of the hot, overwhelming force of love and passion that flooded through both of them when they did this, when they had to fulfill the desires and erotic needs that sometimes coursed so strongly through their veins. Angel cried out, his name again and again, and then no words, only deep guttural noises that progressed higher and higher, finally reaching a climax of a shrieking orgasm.

Finally, Collins moved backwards and sank onto the mattress, his entire body tingling and burning. Angel was beside him, her arms and legs entangled with his. After a moment or two, she moved her arms free and cupped his face, her eyes full of so much that he almost wanted to look away. Almost.

"I love you, Tom…" she breathed, her voice barely a whisper. Collins brought her closer, arms gently cradling her slight form. The hot, passionate desires of a moment ago were dormant for just now, the ecstasy of the last minutes reassembling itself slowly. She pressed against him, breathing heavily.

"I love you more than anything, Angel…" he spoke the words directly into her ear, his lips actually touching the skin there, meaning each syllable, each sound with more sincerity than ever in his life. She shivered and leaned over him, lovingly kissing his chest just above his heart. Then suddenly, her body seemed to speed up, and she shifted herself up on top of him. He could feel every part of her, everything bared and open, rubbing gently against his own body as she began to kiss his jaw and neck, gently at first, then not so gently, love and need, for him and for love, building again inside of her. Her hands snaked around his shoulders and behind, embracing him. He encircled her waist with his arms, knowing that she didn't want him to return the kisses yet, only accept them and love her for them. Which he did with all his heart, all his mind, all of him.

"Baby, don't ever leave me…" Her voice suddenly reached his ears, a hurried sentence spoken between short bursts of affection. He nodded slightly and sighed, savoring the feel of her lips and tongue.

"Never, never go, don't leave me, please, baby, don't go," came again from her, sounding almost urgent. It was followed by a passionate kiss just below his ear. Collins tried to hold her tighter, tried to quiet whatever was making her say these things.

"Please, Tom, please stay, don't go, don't leave, don't forget me! Don't forget me!" She stopped kissing him then, and Collins could feel hot tears sliding down her face as she rested her head on his collarbone, short hair gently brushing against his chin. He sat up, alarmed. She moved up with him, finally pulling her torso away from his, hanging her head and burying her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook with dry, painful sobs. He could feel her legs and hips, sitting on the lower half of his body, muscles clenched with grief. Grief over what?

"Angel, baby, it's okay, it's okay, I'm not gonna forget you, I'm never leaving, calm down," he soothed, reaching out and pulling her in again. She leaned against his chest, still crying. He put his arms around her and stroked her back, trying to comfort her while all the while he was frantically wondering, desperately trying to figure out what was wrong, what made her weep like this. Angel's pain was his pain, and he wanted to put an end to any pain she might ever feel.

"Oh god…sorry, honey, I'm sorry," Angel finally managed to choke out, lifting her face from her palms. It was tearstained and flushed, eyes red and swollen. Collins ran his thumbs gently down the tear tracks on her cheeks, wiping the wetness away.

"You know I'd never leave you, Angel, I love you, I wouldn't do that," he whispered, cupping her face as she had done to his before. She blinked, then relaxed against him, breathing more calmly now. He slowly lay back down, bringing her with him. Five long minutes passed as they lay there, finding solace in each other.

"I don't want this to end, Tom," she said so quietly. He didn't respond, only listened. " I don't want us to end, I don't want one of us to…to die before the other. I want more time; I want more time to spend my life with you and everyone else, but especially you. You're my miracle, Tom. It's not fair that it's gonna end so fast for us."

"Angel, remember what we always say, what we say in Life Support. No day but today, baby. We may not have as much time as we like, but at least there's time. Isn't that enough?" Angel lifted her head and looked at Collins, her dark, still reddish eyes shining in the little light there was. Her answer was there, the god honest truth reflected in her eyes, and it made him want to weep and kiss her again at the same time.

"I love you, Tom," she said simply, and that was all he could hear at the moment. One hand reaching up the back of head, he pushed her towards him, mouths colliding, then communing, tongues entwined and lips rippling like water. Hands darted up and down again, bodies shifted and hardened. Passion and desire flowed again, strong like an ocean current. They lost themselves in their love once more, kissing and stroking and making love with not only their bodies, but their souls. It was fiery, burning flames, soaring and consuming everything. Slowly, the love, the never-ending spring of emotion that poured from both of them, began to erase Angel's doubts and fears, made her lose them into the great bin of 'what if'. And by the time that, exhausted and panting, the lovers once again looked into each other's eyes, Collins could see that her answer was yes. Their love was enough, and she knew it. Collins, smiling in spite of himself, kissed her one last time on the mouth, then settled back onto the bed. She curled into him like a child, and he put his arms around her. Her head rested on his shoulder, and he kissed the top of her head before swirling sleep claimed him.

By day, she was his sweet, cheerful, energetic drag queen, his Angel.

By night, she was afraid and uncertain, in need of the greatest gift he had to give.

But the rest of the time…

She was one fucking awesome lover.