CHAPTER TWELVE

Kent lay staring into the dark, his gaze fixed on the chair at the side of his bed. He'd had a new sense of calm since his shower; Joe had been on his mind all day. He'd hoped he'd visit but there had been no sigh of him, not for two days. All he'd received was a phone call and a couple of texts, but nothing more. Emerson couldn't deny it hurt, though he understood that Joe was unable to get away. He was sure that Joe's continued absence from his bedside had helped to heighten his insecurities, but now he was determined to put that behind him. Robin was been right. He wasn't going to let Dukes and his thugs win.

He continued to stare at the empty chair, the pills the doctor had given him weren't working, he was as awake now as he'd been an hour ago when the nurse had given them to him and in his fully awake state his mind was abuzz. He wondered if this was how Joe felt when he was having one of his bad days. Did his mind hum with thoughts that taunted him with darkness?

A sudden feeling of longing flooded him. Kent reached over to rummage through his cabinet drawer for his mobile. Flicking through the contact list he pressed call and waited.

"Em? - What's wrong?" said a tired rough voice that went straight through Emerson.

"N-nothing." Kent swallowed. "J-just wanted to hear your voice."

Joe shifted up against the pillow of his empty lonely bed, running a hand down his face, a small smile pulling at his lips. "It's nice to hear your voice too. I'm sorry, Em. That I haven't come to see you."

"It's fine. I understand. - How is it all going?" He asked in a whisper.

"Slowly…" Joe sighed regretfully. "…but we'll get there." There was a pregnant silence before Joe spoke again. "How are you feeling Em?" When there was no reply, Joe felt panic pull at his chest.

Kent lay with his eyes closed, the mobile hidden beneath his pillow as the harsh nurse who terrified everyone on the ward strolled into the room. Emerson forced his breathing to shallow as he listened to the woman move around the room. When he was sure she was gone, he sighed with relief and retrieved the phone, hoping Joe hadn't hung up.

"Kent!" Joe was practically yelling down the line in a panic.

"Joe." Emerson winced at the noise. "I'm fine. Sorry, the sergeant major's making her rounds." he said with a smile.

"Who?" frowned Joe, taking a breath to calm his racing heart.

"Night nurse, she's a real piece of work."

Joe chuckled. "Oh right, of course. The dragon, I remember."

There was another silence, both men just listening to the others breathing down the line. It was strange how something so simple could ease each man's anxiety.

"Joe." Emerson finally breathed.

"Yes."

Kent wanted to tell the man what he was feeling. Needing to tell him about the fear that had held him hostage for the past few days but found he couldn't. Not over the phone. That was a conversation to be had face to face. "I miss you." he said instead.

"I miss you too. - You have no idea how much." Joe replied, his gaze shifting to the empty space next to him. He'd never thought it would be possible. For years he'd believed he'd never find someone, because he was just too complex, too hard to live with. Then he'd met Emerson and everything had just slotted into place.

They were just breathing again. Emerson closed him eyes as he listened but found himself breaking their comfortable silence. "Joe I wish I was there. It's so lonely and cold here." he heard Joe's moan of agreement, the sound flooding Emerson's body with heat. It had been almost three weeks since he'd been put in the hospital bed, three weeks since he'd really touched or kiss Joe and now all that stolen intimacy was battling for release. Swallowing down his pounding heart Emerson whispered down the line. "I want to kiss you."

"Me too Em." Joe replied with a sigh.

"And touch you." Emerson added, his voice rough with lust at the thoughts rushing through his mind. He heard Joe's breathe hitch, giving him confidence to continue. "If I was there right now, I'd be running my hand over your bare chest. - I love your chest, all your solid muscle and smooth skin."

Joe's breathing hitched furthers and he swallowed hard, his eyes drifting close as he concentrated on his lover's voice.

"I'd kiss your neck, just beneath your ear, where you like it. Run my tongue across your racing pulse."

Were they really going to do this? The pair asked themselves. They'd never done anything like this before, they'd text each other but that had been different.

Joe groaned at the image in his mind. "Uhh, god." he breathed.

Emerson let his imagination flow. "My hand would slip down, under the covers till I found your cock. - Joe…" he moaned huskily. "…do what I can't. Touch it, for me." he pleaded. Listening intently, he knew the moment Joe touched himself by the sound of a breathy groan that echoed down the line. Emerson slid his own hand beneath the covers and into the shorts he was wearing, wrapping his fingers around his own swiftly growing erection.

"Em." Joe gasped, his fingers tightening around himself, with his eyes closed he could pretend it was the younger man's hand touching him.

"Are you hard Joe?"

"Y-yes." he answered breathlessly.

"Me too. So hard Joe. - You always make me hard." Emerson panted. "I love it when you squeeze me till I thinking I'm going to burst."

Joe moaned at the image and the lust in Emerson's voice, his fingers tightening around himself as if it was Emerson in his hand.

There was silence as both men became lost in their imaginings. The only sound passing between them, pants and moans, finally Emerson spoke again.

"Stop!" he ordered and Joe froze, his hand shaking, his heart pounding and his mind filled with a pair of dark brown eyes, shining with a lustful haze.

"I…" Emerson gasped for breath, his own body so close to climaxing. He heard Joe's moan of protest but knew the man had done what he'd said and he smiled sheepishly to himself. With his increased lust, his voice grew deeper and rougher. "I'm kissing you Joe. Down your neck, your chest, your stomach, all the way till my lips brush across the soft skin of your cock. Hmmm."

Joe's jaw cleaned tight at the deep voice ringing in his ear and the hungry sound that was Kent's hum.

"I'm kissing it Joe. Can you feel it?"

Joe's reply was a deep groan, his hips thrusting up into his hand. The mind was a wonderfully vivid thing when it wanted to be.

"Joe?"

"Uh, Huh… Yehhh." he forced the sound through his lips.

"Lick your finger Joe."

Joe did as ordered, the sound of his mouth working over the digit resounding down the line to Emerson, who moaned in response to the sound.

"N-now r-run it along the vein. Slowly. - That's my tongue, Joe. You taste so good. I've missed the taste of you."

Joe followed the younger man's orders, his eyes closed tight as he imagined Kent's tongue running along the underside of his erection. He shifted down in the bed so he was lying on his back. His feet braced against the mattress and his knee's bent.

"Lick your hand Joe. - Now slowly Joe, stroke yourself slowly. Imagine it's my mouth." he hummed deliciously over and over, his own hand working beneath the hospital blankets. He could see Joe's face in his head as his hand tugging rough but slowly, carrying him towards his climax. He continued to hum and gasp and moan encouragingly down the line. This hadn't been his plan when he'd decided to call Joe but it was most defiantly better than some awkward conversation.

Despite being apart both men where together all the way to their climax, moaning, whispering and sighing. When Emerson came he was forced to turn his face into his pillow to stop the sound of his cry being heard by the dragon. Joe didn't have any such concern and when he came the room was filled with the familiar cry of "Keennnttt!" that echoed down the line to a breathless Emerson, who chuckled lightly.

The phone was forgotten for a few long moments as the two men came down from their high.

"Em? - Em?" Joe called breathlessly.

"Yeah." Kent mumbled back, his eyes barely open.

"I love you." Joe whispered softly.

"Love you too." Emerson replied drowsily.

"I'll get away for lunch tomorrow and come see you okay."

"Hmmm."

"Night Em."

"Night Joe."

TO BE CONTINUED….

THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING.

A/N: Well that was my first phone sex and I'm not sure how it went, so I'd love to hear what you think.

Message to dhh: Thanks for the review; they always keep me on my toes. I know you hate this season and how depressing it gets. Sorry, if I could change it I would, but that wouldn't be fair to the show, as for a season three, well… I'm hoping to write one, fingers crossed. All I want to say is, I have the foundations of an idea. Think the three bears. Add that to what you know about the season and you'll get what I mean. Hope to hear from you again.

*hugs*

GATERGIRL

xx