John Paul's hand shook as he reached for the door handle. He could hear the drumming of his heart as it beat wildly in his chest.
"This is ridiculous," he told himself, "It's Craig… just Craig…"
But it wasn't JUST Craig, not any more and, as he turned the handle John Paul took a deep breath to prepare himself for coming face to face with the man he once loved.
Craig licked his lips nervously. Would John Paul still be the same? Would he have changed his hair, or the style of his clothes… or the way he felt?
Craig's palms were damp and he brushed them nervously against the legs of his jeans as the door began to open slowly.
John Paul felt his breath catch at the sight of Craig on the doorstep. He looked so much the same and yet so different. He couldn't tear his gaze from the soft brown eyes that looked back at him, the eyes he remembered, the eyes he had dreamed of night after night.
Craig felt the edges of his mouth curl into a smile as John Paul opened the door. He was instantly trapped inside John Paul's eyes just as he remembered. And once again he felt willing to be drowned in that beautiful gaze.
There was a heavy silence in the air as the two men just looked at each other. Neither spoke or moved a muscle for the longest time.
John Paul still gripped the door, possibly the only thing keeping him upright.
Craig half raised his hand but then let it fall limply to his side.
John Paul's mouth moved as he searched for words… any words… but none came to him. Instead he just stared at the figure before him as he became increasingly aware of a sense of falling. Falling into those deep brown eyes never to escape.
Finally Craig broke the silence with the only words he could find.
"John Paul…"
John Paul felt his insides quiver at the sound of his name. Following the example laid before him John Paul also spoke.
"Craig…" His voice cracked as the name fell from his lips.
And then they both knew. Without question or comment they had the answer to the question that had plagued them both for the last 24 hours.
Craig crossed the threshold and moved into the McQueen house with a single confident stride and his hands reached out to cup John Paul's face as the man moved forward to meet him.
The air seemed to crackle with electricity as their lips met in a kiss that had been building inside them both for the past 18 months.
John Paul pulled Craig tightly against him his body aching to feel the weight of Craig in his arms again. The taste and scent of Craig filled John Paul's head making his heart beat ever faster as his fingers clawed at the leather of Craig's jacket.
A need that he had long forgotten rose inside him.
Craig held on to John Paul as tightly as he could all fears of rejection pushed from his mind. All he could think of was how good it felt to hold John Paul again, to kiss him and to be here in his arms once more.
Finally breaking off the kiss John Paul stood back breathless, his face was flushed and his hands were shaking even more than when he had opened the door.
He should say something. He knew he should. Something. Anything.
Looking at Craig again, the taste of him fresh on his lips, John Paul realised that this was not the time for words. Words could come later.
Reaching out he took a gentle hold of Craig's hand, smiling as he discovered that it was shaking as much as his own, and turned to lead Craig upstairs.
John Paul's room had changed little since he was last here but Craig paid no attention to the décor as he shrugged his jacket to the ground before discarding the gaudily patterned blue cardigan he was wearing underneath it.
John Paul couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he saw the knitwear fall to the ground; it was good to know that some things stayed the same.
Craig's mouth tasted like heaven as it was pressed hard against the softness of John Paul's lips. John Paul's tongue slipped inside to explore savouring each inch.
Unable to undo his buttons fast enough Craig simply pulled John Paul's shirt open with a tearing sound as the buttons were ripped from their cotton moorings. But John Paul had no care for such matters as Craig mouth travelled the length of his neck, licking and nibbling as it went, moving down towards his exposed chest as Craig pushed his damaged shirt from his shoulders.
Never removing his mouth from the taste of John Paul's skin Craig eased his hands down over the smoothness of John Paul's sides, stroking the slight curve to his hips before moving to stoke his denim clad thighs.
John Paul whimpered as Craig's hands roamed over his body, his own hands sinking into the softness of Craig's hair as he lowered his face to kiss the top of Craig's head.
Craig's hands travelled upwards, pausing for a moment to caress the growing hardness in John Paul's jeans, before pulling at his belt to release John Paul's body from the restraints of his clothing.
Craig followed John Paul's jeans and underwear downwards as he pushed them to the floor, quickly throwing them to one side as John Paul stepped out of them together with his socks and shoes, until he was kneeling in front of the beautifully naked figure of his old lover.
John Paul dug his fingers into Craig's shoulders as Craig began to press kisses into the inside of his thighs, breathing in deeply as he went, pulling into his lungs the subtle scents of shower gel and John Paul skin and the altogether more heady fragrance of John Paul's desire.
John Paul's legs shook as Craig's tongue ran over his flesh, teasing for a moment over the length of his cock before moving on to taste the skin just below his belly button.
The sensation was a delightful torment and John Paul didn't know how much more of it he could stand, or how much longer he would be able to remain standing.
He cried out in surprise and pleasure as, without warning, Craig's mouth opened and took the head of his cock inside. He ran his fingers through Craig's hair as the heat of Craig's mouth covered him, his tongue swirling excitingly around that most sensitive area until John Paul thought he would explode.
As suddenly as Craig had taken John Paul into his mouth he pulled back rising to his feet and looking into John Paul's eyes with a smile, his own eyes alive with desire.
Craig kissed John Paul softly on the mouth and slowly walked him backwards towards the bed. John Paul felt the edge of the bed hit the back of his legs and, with a playful shove from Craig, he found himself seated on its edge.
Craig took little time in removing the remainder of his clothing, leaving it wherever it landed as he quickly climbed onto the bed, kneeling in its centre and pulling John Paul towards him.
Once again in the strong embrace of Craig's arms John Paul eagerly sought out the taste of his mouth as he held that firm body tightly against his own.
Their moans mingled together in their mouths as they moved their hips in unison causing a delightful friction of flesh to rub over their cocks that were pressed together between the heat of their bodies.
John Paul's hands ran over every inch of Craig's body that they could reach. He had forgotten how good Craig felt. How good it felt to be holding him and touching him. He had forgotten how good it felt to want somebody this much and to know that they wanted you just as badly. He had forgotten what it was to feel this alive.
"I want you so much," Craig breathed in his ear, his hands kneading at the soft flesh of John Paul's buttocks.
Reluctantly moving away from Craig's embrace for a second John Paul leaned over to his bedside cabinet and took a bottle from its top drawer. He handed the bottle to Craig before turning to face the wall at the head of the bed.
Craig needed no further invitation a quickly flipped the lid of the bottle of lube and coated his desperately aching cock with the silky liquid.
Leaning forward he sank his teeth into the flesh of John Paul's neck causing a gasp, which was quickly followed by another as John Paul felt the head of Craig's cock pushing against his body, softly but firmly as it eased its way inside.
Craig rested his hands on John Paul's hips as he guided himself deeper inside the man. Nothing had ever felt as good as being with John Paul, as being inside John Paul.
He pushed himself forward until every inch of his cock had been swallowed by the heat of John Paul's body, his fingers gripped onto the flesh at John Paul's hips as he began a slow steady rhythm moving inside the amazing body that he worshipped.
John Paul's breath shook as he felt himself being completely filled by Craig, moving deeper and deeper inside him, until he hit that magic spot deep inside that made John Paul cry out.
Craig slipped on hand around John Paul's body as he pressed kisses to his back and neck before curling his fingers around John Paul's cock, moving his hand in firm strokes in time to the sensuous movement of his hips.
The feeling of Craig inside him and holding him felt so that that it was almost unbearable. That he had been without this feeling for so long seemed unthinkable.
Craig's movements grew faster as his desire reached fever pitch. There was nobody on the planet that Craig had ever wanted more than John Paul and to be here with him again was like some wonderful dream.
John Paul bit down on his lip as Craig's grip tightened on his cock and his thrusts inside grew harder and faster, they both knew that this couldn't last much longer.
It was John Paul that cried out first as the touch of Craig's flesh finally brought him to climax, his cock pulsing in Craig's hand as he came with an intensity he couldn't remember ever having felt before.
John Paul's body shock and contracted around Craig's cock and it only took a few more thrusts inside him to bring Craig to a trembling orgasm, holding on to John Paul's body tightly as he came, certain that he never wanted to let go again.
They lay quietly as the cool winter air touched against their skin making them both shiver. Still neither of them seemed in any hurry to move or dress.
John Paul turned on to his side, resting his head on one hand; he looked at Craig with a smile.
"I never said welcome home!" He joked.
Craig traced a fingertip lazily over the soft arch of John Paul's mouth.
"If I'd know I would get that kind of welcome I would have come home sooner!"
John Paul's eyes dipped for a second before returning to Craig's.
"You might not have," he said honestly, "If you come home any earlier."
Craig nodded his understanding. They had both needed this time apart to discover just who they were and what they wanted.
Realising the mood was getting sombre John Paul sat upright.
"Tea?" He asked with a grin.
"Now you're talking," Craig replied enthusiastically, "Your tea is certainly one of the two things I've missed most about Hollyoaks."
"Really? What's the other?"
"You already know the answer to that," Craig told him as he sat upright and pressed a kiss against John Paul's cheek, "You!"
Craig cradled his mug of tea in his hands as he breathed in the warm steam. He hadn't been joking about John Paul's tea, it really was the best cuppa he had ever known.
He sipped at the hot liquid savouring the wonderfully familiar flavour.
John Paul placed his own mug down on the floor to allow the tea to cool.
"I'm glad you decided to come home," he said.
"Me too," Craig replied placing his own mug next to John Paul's with a clink of china, "It hadn't seemed right before… but this time…"
"I couldn't believe it when your mum called." John Paul shook his head remembering his amazement at the phone call.
"I was worried that you wouldn't want to see me."
"Did you really think I would turn you away?" John Paul rested his hand on Craig's knee, squeezing it lightly.
"I wasn't sure," Craig admitted, covering John Paul's hand with his own, "After what I did… I couldn't just expect…"
"I think we're both ready to put that behind us now," John Paul said as he lifted his mug from the floor and sipped at his tea. "It was another life-time."
Craig reached down to retrieve his own drink and raised it in front of his face.
"I'll drink to that," he said with a grin, "Cheers."
Holding their mugs as if they were the finest crystal glasses filled with champagne they clinked their teas together in celebration of their reunion.
Draining the last drops of tea Craig's eyes fell on his watch.
"Shit," he shouted jumping to his feet.
"What is it?"
"I've got to go… I promised my mum… she's got a big family meal planned…"
John Paul understood, some promises had to be kept.
"Call me later?"
"I don't have your number anymore."
"Oh.. right." John Paul felt a sudden hit of rejection.
"But I will have if you put it in here," Craig continued as he handed over his phone.
John Paul quickly input his number and handed the phone back, Craig's hand covering his for a second.
"I really have to go… but I'll call… as soon as I can."
John Paul reluctantly opened the front door to see Craig out.
"I nearly forgot," Craig before leaving, "I got you something."
He pulled a rectangular packet wrapped in Christmas paper from the inside pocket of his jacket and handed it to John Paul.
"I haven't had time… I didn't know you were… I've not…"
"It doesn't matter. Seeing you is all I needed."
Kissing John Paul one last time Craig turned and headed back to the Dog.
Leaning with his back against the door John Paul slipped the wrapping paper of the parcel in his hands. Its removal revealed a white cardboard box inside which was an elegantly simple silver picture frame.
John Paul smiled at the photograph in the frame. Two happy faces that he knew only too well. He had a similar picture tucked in a drawer in his room where he had moved it to when the sight of it had been too painful to bare.
A small slip of paper was tucked into the edge of the frame in Craig's neat writing, "Look at the back."
Turning the frame over in his hands John Paul saw an engraved metal plaque on its back. He ran his thumb over the words of the engraving as a tear trickled slowly down his cheek.
"Because I've always loved you."