AN- I know I said I would only be posting once a week. But I may not be around this weekend so thought I should go ahead and post early. Hope you enjoy. :)

When they finally got home, sleep was on everyone's minds.
Mike and Davy immediately headed upstairs.
Peter lingered in the living room a little while trying to get up the nerve to go into the bedroom. Facing Micky after his hallucination was going to be weird.

Finally he opened the door and quietly tiptoed in.
But there was no reason to be quiet.
Micky was already awake.
Peter hesitantly sat down on the bed facing him.
Micky was eyeing him.

"Hey." Peter said quietly.

The look Micky was giving him was questioning. Almost accusational. "Hey." he said coldly.

Peter was confused. Was Micky upset?
No, why would he be? Peter's perception must be off.

"Getting in kind of late aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Where were you?" Micky sounded demanding.

Maybe Peter's perception wasn't off. Micky seemed pissed.
"Is something wrong?"

Micky eyes burned into him. "No of course not." But his tone said otherwise.
"So where were you?"

"Out." Peter answered slowly, cautiously.

"Hmm." Micky said "Well that's nice. I'm sure you had lots of fun." The words were thick with bitterness.

"What the fuck, man. What's up?"

"Nothing. Why?."

"Why? I don't know. You seem upset or something."

"What would I have to be upset about?"

"I don't know. You tell me."

"Alright, fine!" Micky's voice suddenly rose. "I'll tell you!... He stood up.
"I'm sticking my neck out here with whatever this thing is with you and it's like you don't even care!" He paced. "You come home at.." He glanced at the clock on Peter's nightstand. "at 7:30 in the morning like it's nothing and all you can say is-"

"-Are you kidding me?!" Peter interrupted. He went on the defense. "First of all, you think you are the only one sticking your neck out?" Peter stood as well.
"And second, I fucking care, man! You're the one who took off last night! Just like you have every other night! You're kinda setting a double standard here!"

"I needed you to be here!"

"I needed you to be here too!"

"I was here!"

"No you weren't!"

"Yes I was! I was here! I don't know where you were but I WAS HERE!" Micky suddenly yelled.

"You were?"

"Yeah, I was here! I was waiting all night. All fucking night for you to get home so we could talk and so that I could show you these." He went to the desk between their beds and rummaged through some papers. He picked them up and threw them at Peter.
"I spent all night drawing those!"

Peter fumbled with them. "Mick, I…" He said as sat back down and scrambled to straightened the pages. "I thought you went out. I thought you were gone." He looked up. "I wouldn't have left otherwise."
He suddenly felt awful. He wasn't supposed to let Micky down. And he had, big time. "Fuck! I'm sorry, man."

Micky was quiet for a few moments, seemingly trying to decide if Peter was being sincere.
Then his shoulders slumped and he sat on the bed next to Peter. "Whatever." He sighed.
"So where were you?" His tone had softened.

"Davy's girl, Denise, had a party."

"Oh." Micky breathed out.

"Seriously Mick, I looked for you. I really did. I couldn't find you. And then Davy suggested the party and I thought fuck it, why not? I figured you were out drinking again or something."

"I wasn't."

"Apparently not."

"I went to see Ty."

"Ty?"

"Yeah. I needed to talk to her."

"Oh?"

"I didn't tell her anything." Micky said, addressing the apprehension on Peter's face.

Peter let out a relieved exhale. "Good."

Micky nodded, looking at Peter with an attentiveness that made Peter break eye contact. He looked down at the drawings in his hand. "So what are these?" He asked.

Micky took them out of his hand and laid them out side by side like a comic strip. "A dream." He said. "A dream I had about you."

"About me?"

Micky nodded. "This is you here." He said handing him back one of the pages.

It showed a figure that was either on fire or very bright, holding and comforting another figure, who Peter could only assume was Micky.
As he looked at the drawing he was filled with emotion. He understood the significance.

"See, Pete, I've been running from myself." Micky said as pointed to another drawing; one of a whirlpool of water spinning around another figure that was also, probably, Micky. "I tried to hurt myself, you know? I tried to destroy myself but you saved me." He turned to look at Peter. "That's when I realized what you are to me."

"What am I?" Peter said in danger of his voice giving out.

"Everything." Micky said in a whisper. "You're my light, Pete."

That did it.
Peter broke down. He covered his face with his hand and cried.

Micky was startled. He quickly put his arm around Peter. "Pete, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

Peter latched on to him and buried his face in his shoulder.
Then he felt Micky's hand stroking his back.

"Shh….. It's okay man. I'm sorry… I.. What's wrong?"

Finally Peter pulled himself together and ducked his head away. "God…" He said covering his eyes. "I'm sorry. I don't know what that that was about." He looked up.

Micky's eyes were wide with concern.

Peter suddenly laughed. "Man, I need some sleep. I'm so strung out."

"Strung out?"

"Yeah, I took acid. I think it's still messing with me." He handed the drawing back to Micky.

"Micky put it away and sat back down beside Peter. "Well, then you should sleep."

"But we need to talk."

"We can talk later." Micky said, still concerned.

Peter shook his head.

"Look I waited all night. What's a few hours more? Besides, you're no good to me. You're a strung out pile of shit." He cracked a smile.

Peter gave a short laugh and nodded as he wiped at his eyes.

Micky pulled the blanket up and then stopped. "Pete, why don't you have any sheets?"

"They had to be washed." Peter said laughing again… but his laugh sounded a little off.

"What?" Micky asked not understanding what was funny.

"I jerked off on them… they had to be washed."

"Oh." Micky said, knowing that he should be disgusted but not quite feeling the disgusted vibe. "Well, why don't you sleep in my bed then."

"In your bed?"

"Yeah."

"You're not gonna sleep in it?"

Micky shook his head. "I slept enough."

Peter allowed Micky to help him up and into the other bed.
He laid back and Micky tucked him in, brushing his hair back.

Peter looked up at Micky. He seemed to glow.
Maybe it was the light coming in through the window between their beds.
Maybe it was still part of his trip.
Or maybe it was just a radiance that Micky put forth.
But he was reminded of the fire that Micky had emerged from when they'd had sex during his trip. Real or not.

"I slept with this girl last night…" Peter said.

Micky waiting for him to continue.

"She reminded me of you."

Micky looked at him with a controlled expression.
After a moment he leaned forward and kissed Peter's forehead. "Get some sleep Pete." He said before getting up and leaving the room.

Micky sat down on the couch in the living room.
He was alone.
Last night he'd been waiting and waiting for Peter to get home. For anyone to get home. He'd felt so lonely.
But now… Now he was glad to be alone.
He needed to think.

That last bit Peter had said was echoing in his mind.
'She reminded me of you.'
Peter had sex with a girl that reminded him of him?

How was he supposed to feel about that?
What did Peter even mean by that?
Was he saying he wanted to have sex?

No…he wasn't saying that.

He wasn't right?

Even if he was…there was no way that would happen.
He was ready to give this thing with Peter a shot but taking it to a physical level like that… well…

well…actually it kind of turned him on.

No it doesn't! The tide objected loudly.

He took a deep breath. I have to let myself feel, remember?

The tide backed off.

Micky took another deep breath. Okay… so, yes taking things to a physical level did turn him on….. BUT, they couldn't take it that far. He wasn't ready. He probably never would be….would he?

He felt a familiar warmth between his legs.

He groaned.

God they really needed to talk.

Around 5:30 that evening Peter finally woke up.

Micky had been pretty lazy most of the day.
He'd worked on his drawings some more and picked at Peter's banjo.
He's found Peter's sheets in the hamper and made up his bed.
Mostly, though, he'd thought about the conversation he needed to have with a few hours, he'd gone back into the bedroom and watched Peter sleep.

When Peter woke up, Micky was there.

"Can we talk? He asked adamantly before Peter even sat up.

Peter rubbed his eyes. "Uh…yeah okay."

"Ok" Micky took a deep breath and spewed everything that had been on his mind all afternoon. "Look I'm having a hard time with this, okay? I keep having these conflicting thoughts and I don't know what's right but I feel something but I haven't wanted to but then sometimes I do and sometimes I really do, like right now, I really do, you know, I want to feel this way but it's been all over the place but I have to stop shutting down because I just have some major hang ups that I need to get past and I'm going to really really try 'cause you know, it's okay to feel things I guess 'cause you love who you love and you feel what you feel so I can't lie to myself anymore because It will destroy me so I have to see where this goes and I want to see where this goes…
But….I just need to know that things won't get out of hand." He finally took a breath.

Peter sat a few moments, digesting. "Out of hand?" He finally asked.

Micky nodded. "We need to take this real slow…. and I don't think we should have sex."

Peter's face turned red. "No… you're right. We shouldn't have sex."

"Okay." Micky suddenly felt better.

"Okay?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"Did you want to say anything?"

"You pretty much said it all."

"Okay."

Peter laughed. "So what now?"

"I guess we see where it goes." Micky said as he got up and sat next to Peter. He touched his shoulder. He suddenly felt very bold. Freedom from the tide was making him giddy.
He grinned and leaned in brushing his lips against Peter's.
He pulled away for a second and laughed.

Peter looked pleasantly confused.

Micky kissed him again and didn't stop.
And didn't stop…..

.

It was the kiss that Peter had been wanting. The one where he buried his hands in Micky's hair and parted his lips with his tongue. The one where there was no guilt or fear. The one where they kissed until neither of them could breathe.

…and they would have kept going, breath or not if Mike hadn't knocked on the door.

.

They froze. Eyes wide. Lips engaged.

Peter tore away and looked at the door.
It wasn't locked.

In two sift moves Micky did a somersault off the bed and was lying on the floor when Mike opened it.

"Hey guys." Mike said. He looked at Peter. "I just wanted to make sure you were feeling alright."

"Ye…Yeah Mike, I'm fine. Thanks." Peter said quickly as he grabbed a pillow and placed it in his lap to hide the slight erection that was trying to make itself known.

"That's good. You get some sleep?"

Peter nodded impatiently.

"Yeah, sleep always has a way of setting your mind straight doesn't it?"

"Sure does."

"Of course, as tired as I was, it was still hard to sleep and then when I finally did, it was just kinda in and out I guess. And my dreams were so bizarre man. It was like I was still trippin' or something. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah." Peter kept his answer short.

"Right, well I figure if you're up to it, maybe we have about an hour's worth of practice before it gets too late. We really need it man. That party might have been a setback."

"Yeah, okay."

"Good. I woke up Davy. I think he's getting around too… hopefully.

"Okay Mike."

"Okay… Well… good." Mike looked like he was about to leave but then he turned back. "Why are you in Micky's bed?" He asked.

Peter shot Micky a look. He'd forgotten he was in Micky's bed.

"Whatever." Mike said dismissing his question.
With that he left.

Peter and Micky sat for a few seconds not saying anything. Then they looked at each other.

Micky shook his head. "Oh my god…."

Peter started to laugh. "Oh my god."

Micky let out a deep breath and began to laugh as well.

It started out as nervous laughter but soon grew into one of their laugh fests.

It felt so good. It had been so long.

.

Eventually they stopped laughing and Peter stood up. "Maybe we can pick this back up in an hour?"

Micky blushed.
Peter grinned and went to practice.

.

He was pleasantly surprised to see that Davy finally had on some real pants.

"Oh yeah, well I told him that if he didn't put on pants I'd lock him out of the bedroom." Mike said when Peter commented on the fact.

"Yeah, can you believe that? Like it's his bedroom?" Davy tried to gain sympathy.

"Davy, I'm really, really glad you're wearing pants." Peter tried his best to sound sincere without laughing.

"Oh shut up Peter. I was feelin' my energy or something. The pants were blockin' it. They had to go."

They made more jabs back and forth about the night before and laughed over their bizarre behavior.

.

The thing about acid was that the aftermath gave you a sense of renewal. It cleansed your mind.
They felt good. They felt connected. They played beautifully.

.

7:00 came around before they knew it. They could have kept going but Mike noticed that the sun was starting to set. "Alright guys, I'm calling it. I don't want Babbit knocking on our door."

And so they quit.

.

Peter retired to the bedroom, saying he was still sleepy.

When he opened the door Micky was lying on his bed. He looked up and smiled shyly.
Peter walked over and sat on his own bed facing him.

"So…" Micky said as he sat up

"So…" Peter mimicked.

"So what should we do?"

Peter knew what he wanted to do but he decided to act innocent. "I don't know. Whatever you want."

Micky looked at him for a few moments. There was a gleam his eye.
"Lock the door."

Peter swallowed. Without a word he stood and walked over to the door. He paused before turning the lock.
What were they about to do?
Then he decided he didn't care. He locked the door and turned around to face Micky.

Micky grinned but he now looked a little uneasy.
Nevertheless, he stood up and made his way to Peter.

Peter suddenly felt very nervous.
He felt like he was in junior high about to kiss a girl goodnight after a first date.
But that was silly. They weren't on a date.

Oh? That's what's silly about it?
The lack of logic in his line of thinking made him start laughing.

Micky stepped back not understanding.

"Sorry Mick, I didn't mean to laugh. It's just… confusing."

Micky nodded and smiled nervously.

Peter touched Micky's cheek. He needed to do something to calm their nerves. He leaned in but instead of kissing Micky, he looked him in the eyes and whispered. "You know, you look so pretty. Maybe I should get you some flowers. Or how about a nice fuzzy stuffed animal? "

Micky pulled his head away and stared at Peter wide eyed.

Peter tried to keep a straight face.

Micky's shocked expression slowly broke into a stupid grin as the absurdity struck him.
He started laughing.
He clutched at Peter's shirt and buried his face in his chest. "Yeah Pete, that'd be real nice." His voice cracked. "Maybe a necklace? You know my birthstone is aquamarine." He said as his laughter took hold.

"Wow, aren't we high maintenance?" Peter was still not cracking a smile. "I was just talking about flowers. But jewelry? I don't know, I think maybe things are getting too serious."

Micky looked up at him. "Oh, I didn't realize you were gonna have commitment issues." He said shaking with laughter.

Peter grinned and touched the side of Micky's face. "What? You think you're the only pretty girl in my life." He asked before pulling him close and kissing him.

"Fuck you Pete. You pig." Micky barely got out between kisses and laughs.

Finally Peter's façade broke and he began laughing hysterically into Micky's mouth. He had to pull away to catch his breath. Micky pulled him back causing him to lose his balance and slam into the door. He hooked his fingers in Micky's belt loops to steady himself. Micky laughed louder. So did Peter.

"Shhhh! Mike and Davy!" Micky said clamping his hand over Peter's mouth.

As he dropped his hand, Peter grabbed his wrists, spun him around and pushed him hard against the door.
He pinned his wrists above his head and kissed him.
Just like his fantasy from a couple nights ago.

Micky suddenly stopped laughing. He pulled away from Peter's kiss and looked up at him.

Peter saw his lip tremble. He watched his eyes.
Had he gone too far? It had just been a joke…..sort of.
He let go of Micky's wrists. "Sorr-"

That was as far as he got.
Micky's arms were suddenly wrapped around him and his mouth was on all over him. Kissing and biting.
Peter didn't understand what was happening. But he quickly realized that things had just changed.

This wasn't a game anymore.
It wasn't funny anymore.
It was suddenly real.
Very real.

Micky's hands were moving all over him. His mouth was on his neck and he bit hard enough to draw blood.

"Shit Micky!" The pain kicked Peter's brain into gear. His mind finally caught up and he began kissing Micky back with the same fervor.

Micky's hands went to Peter's waist and then up underneath his shirt.
Peter pushed him against the door again and sucked hard on his lower lip.

Micky stopped kissing him and sunk down to the floor. He grabbed Peter's arm pulling him to his knees.
Peter felt the surge. He pushed Micky onto his back and hovered over him.
Micky tried to sit back up but Peter once again grabbed his wrists and pinned them above his head. .

He looked at the prone figure beneath him.
What a sight. So flushed and ready with a wild look in his eyes.

Peter tightened his grip.
Micky groaned

He'd forgotten that Micky was into domination. Or rather, into being dominated. Lucky he had had the practice with Lin…
He attacked Micky's lips and went deep. Micky struggled against his grip.
He latched himself to Peter's lip and bit hard causing Peter to hiss and release him.
Micky immediately moved his hands to Peter's hips and pulled into him. Peter exhaled sharply as he felt a hardness dig into him.

So that was what another cock felt like.

Peter dropped his head to Micky's neck as he pressed his own hardness against his. "Is this what you want?" He asked heavily.

"Uh huh" Micky groaned and arched into him.

That sent another jolt to Peter's groin. He moaned into Micky's neck and started a slow rhythm.

"Oh fuck." Micky breathed as he leaned his head back on the floor.

Peter ran his hand down Micky's side and settled above his hip. He could feel the edge of Micky's lower ribs through his shirt. He pushed the shirt up so he could feel his skin.

Micky groaned again and began moving his hips in rhythm with Peter's, starting slow but the pace soon escalated.

Peter raised his head to kissed Micky.

Micky touched the sides of Peter's face and ran his fingers through his hair….softly.
But then it wasn't so softly. It turned into a grasp and Micky began pulling.
At his hair. At his head. At him.
Bringing him closer.

But how much closer could they get?

Peter pulled his head away and clutched for Micky's hands. He curled his fingers in them and pressed them to the floor at his side.

Their kisses became sporadic as the fire grew.
Focus became concentrated on the sensations between their legs.

Micky cried out….loudly.
Peter thought for a moment he'd somehow made him come…
but then Micky was moving against him again…
still crying, still pressing hard into him.

Well it wouldn't be long now.
It wouldn't be long before this friction caught up with them.

That thought gave him pause.
They were supposed to be taking it slow.
This was not slow.
This was getting out of hand.
If they didn't stop this soon there would be no turning back.

Was there any turning back as it was?

Micky was biting him again.

"Oh fuck…" The sensation was too much.

They had to stop.
Now.

Peter willed himself, hard as it was, to pull away. He let go of Micky's hands and sat up on his knees.

Micky opened his eyes slowly.
He looked at Peter and immediately understood what was going on.
He sat up silently and moved so that he was sitting with his back to his bed.

They looked at each other. The only sound was their unsteady breathing.

Finally Micky sighed and rubbed at his forehead. He stood up and lay down in his bed. He pulled the sheets up to his chin and stared at the ceiling.
Peter watched him, afraid to say anything.

Finally he asked "Are you okay, man?"

Micky answer after a few moments. "…I think so."

Peter remained quiet, wondering if he, himself, was okay.
After having sex with Micky in his mind last night, he would have thought anything that happened between them after that would seem like nothing.
But… that hadn't been real. It hadn't been Micky.
This though… what just happened… this was real.

He'd felt Micky's desire for him. He'd felt Micky's cock.

It had been hard, rubbing against him.
He, Peter, had been responsible for that hardness.
He'd turned Micky on.
He'd caused him to cry out and thrust against him… with a need.
A need that Peter wasn't ready to fulfill.

Speaking of needs… Peter stood up. He had his own need to fulfill now. He also needed to think about what had just happened. "Mick, I'll be back." He said and left before Micky could say anything.