They had no such luck. Everyday they tried again, hoping for some free time to spend with each other, but all week it didn't work.

Thankfully, Friday night eventually rolled around and Eric was overjoyed. As they finished up the last bits of paperwork, Eric reached over with his foot and poked Alan's ankle. "Hey, Alan," he whispered, as if he was expecting someone to be listening in.

A small smile appeared on the lips of the other man and he glanced over at Eric a little. "Yes?" he asked, amused.

"Want to go out tonight?"

The question stunned Alan for a moment, making him speechless, but he soon gave a gently nod. "That would be…awesome," he finally replied in a breathy whisper.

Eric beamed and rapidly finished up his work, jumping over the desk and wrapping an arm around Alan's waist. He hefted the thin man over his shoulder and took off running from the office, grinning as he listened to Alan's laughter. He loved making the brunette laugh and smile; he seemed so unhappy at times. Every time he saw Alan frown or get tears in his eyes, Eric panicked and tried to make his friend happy again. He had gotten pretty good at it, too.

Alan playfully pounded on Eric's strong back as the blond sprinted through the building, getting weird stares from some of the other men, but neither cared. "Put me down, Eric!" Alan exclaimed through his fits of laughter.

"Aw, why?" Eric questioned as he dashed through the doors and headed towards the portal to the human world.

"Because I want to be put down and your shoulder is digging into my stomach!" he said, though it was a lie. He really didn't want to be put down, away from Eric's warm and comforting grip.

"Hang on, Alan. Almost there," Eric told him with an affectionate smile as he darted across the roofs towards a place he knew Alan would love.

When Alan felt his feet on the ground, he looked up at Eric and then looked around. They were surrounded by a field of purple flowers, and Alan took in a soft breath. "Ericas…" he said fondly. "I love these."

"I know. You told me one night and I couldn't find any of them at the flower shop, so this was the next best thing. Surprise."

Alan looked up at Eric and smiled, suddenly jumping up and wrapping his arms around the man's neck, pressing his thin lips to Eric's weathered ones. Eric had to grab the back of Alan's thighs to keep him from falling back down to earth, but he nearly dropped his friend when their lips met. He couldn't believe it, and even as his eyes closed he didn't believe he was really kissing his partner. It wasn't until Alan slowly parted his lips did Eric finally accepted what was happening as reality. The blond man's tongue instinctively crept past both sets of teeth, cautiously touching the other muscle.

A quiet, breathy moan blew into Eric's mouth and he tried not to smile. Although it lasted at least half a minute, the kiss was broken much too soon. Both of their faces were flushed and Alan grinned wickedly down at Eric since he was somewhat taller than his partner now that he was being held up. "Surprise," he teased, mocking what Eric had told him only a minute earlier.

Eric rolled his eyes and fell back into the flowers, Alan on his chest. "You're so silly," he told him, gently tapping his nose with a single finger and an affectionate smile on his face. They knew William was going to be pissed when he saw that they had just left without turning in their work, but it was worth it completely, to be able to lay with Alan like this.

As the elder stared up at the younger male, he felt a gentle hand caress his rough cheek. "You're a handsome man, Eric…" Alan breathed, bending his head down and giving him another kiss. It was much sweeter than the deep kiss they had shared, but it was magnificent either way.

"And you're so adorable," Eric responded, grinning up at Alan as he blushed with light pink cheeks. He wrapped an arm around Alan's waist, holding him close even as he rolled onto his side and Alan slid down to the ground next to him. He looked up at Eric with his brilliant eyes, and though he was a grown man, they still held a sense of innocence in them. It seemed as though everything bad in their lives had disappeared. They were in paradise with each other, in a field of Alan's favorite flower.