For disclaimers, please see Chapter 1.
Okay, it's been over a month since I've posted. My apologies to those who've been expecting an udpate. I've rewritten this several times because the boys keep wanting to launch into graphic man-on-man squishiness (can't blame 'em, can you?), but the storyline just isn't there yet. I still don't know that I'm happy with this chapter, but I figure I need to just post and move on so that I can eventually get to that graphic man-on-man squishiness the boys want so desperately.
The four opened their eyes, and Jesse reached for his coffee, surprised to find it still warm.
"Em? I don't understand, how long?"
"It's only been a few minutes out here. Things happen faster in the mind."
Over what felt like an hour, if not more, the four had worked through their issues, and even resolved the issue whether Jesse had done anything to Brennan during the fight. Emma had replayed it from Jesse's perspective, and Jesse had done nothing, not even unintentionally. He had only felt concern for Brennan, wanting to help him.
"So, we're all together again?" Emma looked around the room and saw nods of agreement. Her eyes landed on Jesse last, who also nodded.
"Thanks, Em." Jesse's thanks were echoed around the room.
"It's all about family, right, Shal?"
Shal grinned and raised her hand, her brows knitted in concentration. Her claws extended and she wiggled them, pleased. "Well, that and kicking a little ass now and then…"
Emma nodded approval at Shal's accomplishment.
"Well, I think it's time Adam shared a few secrets, don't you think?" Jesse questioned.
"I'm all for that, but this coffee isn't going to cut it. I need food - eggs, bacon, toast, that kind of thing."
"It's four in the afternoon, Brennan."
"It doesn't matter. It feels like morning to me, and I don't think I've eaten anything solid in a while. I want food."
"Pizza?" Jesse tossed out.
"This is gonna take forever," Jesse grumbled. "Do you have any idea how many confidential files Adam has?"
"How many can there be?" Shalimar asked.
"Are you kidding? This is Adam we're talking about. He's got confidential files about his confidential files. It's like a maze."
"Sounds like Adam to me," Emma cut in.
Jesse stood up, accidentally breaking contact with Brennan. Brennan hissed as electricity immediately shot up his arms. Jesse quickly grabbed him, and the electrical storm abated.
"You guys can't live like this. What are you going to do?" Emma asked.
Shalimar sniffed delicately. "And no offense, but figure it out soon because you don't smell so great."
Jesse groaned as he remembered the shower image Emma had sent him earlier. Brennan groaned as well, but in comprehension. He had clued into the idea of Jesse tagging along with him in the shower.
"So, it'll be like the locker room, dude. No worries."
Jesse frowned at Brennan using the word dude, realizing it for the lame attempt at macho jocularity it was. Neither of them felt comfortable with the situation, but probably for different reasons.
"Emma, can you hand me those tablet computers?" Emma passed them over. "Thanks."
Jesse powered on the devices and copied some files over to each of them from the central computer. "Okay, everybody's got homework. Read these." He passed tablets around the room.
"There's probably going to be some really personal stuff in here. About Adam as well as us," Emma commented.
Brennan looked at her doubtfully. "This is Adam. It's going to be all geeky science stuff that we don't understand."
"You need to at least skim it," Jesse broken in. "If it looks like it could be personal about one of us, use the wireless network to transfer it to that person's tablet so they can read it first, and then they can share with us if they want to."
"Jesse? How much did you put on here?" Shalimar asked, scrolling through a directory on her tablet. "There are thousands of files on here!"
"It's gonna take awhile, Shal. No one keeps secrets like Adam."
Shalimar groused, but left with her tablet.
Brennan walked on his own, mostly, up to his room. A day of sitting around, primarily spent resting and reading, had helped tremendously. Jesse held his arm, as usual.
Brennan walked into his room and threw his tablet down on his bed. "Okay, Jess. I stink. You stink. We don't have a choice here. Even if I could stand the pain, electricity and water don't mix."
Jesse conceded the point with a slow nod. "So, I guess we do this. Wait! I know, I can stand outside the shower and we can just… touch somehow," he broke off lamely.
"Jesse? How many times have we accidentally broken contact today? No way, buddy. I'm not electrocuting myself. Until I figure out how to control this, you're coming in with me."
Coming with him? Jesse closed his eyes, praying for strength. How in the world would he control his erection while a naked, wet Brennan Mulwray lathered up in front of him?
Oh shit. I shouldn't have thought about it. Down boy! Down!
"So, you think they're showering yet?" Shalimar asked, for at least the tenth time.
Emma looked up from her tablet. "Shal, you are not going to go up there and spy on them."
"Oh, come on, Em. Wouldn't it be hot? Brennan and Jesse together? Two naked boys in the shower? Just 'take a look', please?" Shalimar begged.
Emma concentrated for a moment. "Nope, nothing is going on," Emma bent the truth, but just slightly. "Jesse's thinking about baseball."
In fact, Jesse recited every baseball statistic he could think of, unsuccessfully trying to block out the site of Brennan's naked ass in front of him.
"You could at least make yourself useful, you know? Wash my back," Brennan jested.
Jesse thought about it. The old Jesse would have laughed it off, running to hide from any possibility of exposing his feelings. For the past day or so, he'd noticed the difference in himself, just as the others had. He'd spoken, and they had listened, even did what he said. Whatever he had trapped within his mind yet, whatever came from it, he vowed that he'd stop acting like a chicken.
He reached out and grabbed the soap from the wall. He rubbed it across Brennan's back with one hand, the other hand rubbing slow circles. "Sure, Bren."
Brennan jumped as Jesse's hands began stroking his back, moving in small circles, slick with soap.
"Jesse?" he said in a low voice.
"Yeah, Bren?"
Brennan felt Jesse's hands widen their stroke into a larger path, gently soothing more of his back. With both of the molecular's hands now touching him, the flow of sub-dermal electricity from him to Jesse changed pitch, soothing him even further.
It's just my back. It's just a massage. There's nothing gay about this, he told himself.
"Nothing", he said aloud.
Jesse took Brennan's statement as consent and continued to soap his back. He worked his hands deep into taller man's shoulders, rubbing through knots of tension, breaking them free.
He smiled as he heard Brennan groan in response.
Jesse's hands roamed up and down Brennan's arms, across his back, even sweeping lower towards his ass.
Brennan felt conflicting emotions twisting around within him. When Jesse had first started lathering his back, it had relaxed him even more. However, as it continued, a heightened sense of awareness had seeped in. Brennan felt every touch, every caress, and with it came unmistakable pleasure.
A simple back rub would not cause such pleasure, but contact with Jesse's skin affected him like an aphrodisiac. And part if him wanted more.
That made him feel guilty. And gay.
And beneath all that, he felt his body reacting to Jesse's touch, not just physically, though he knew that part of him was responding as well. He felt his powers responding in kind, growing with the rest of him.
Power and pleasure each sought release.
"Jesse. Stop."
Jesse heard what Brennan said, but he also had heard the moan a moment before. "It's okay, Brennan. It's okay."
"No, Jess. I don't want..."
Jesse looked at the shadows they cast in the shower and saw a rising darkness from Brennan's groin. "Sshhh, it's okay. I've got you."
Jesse stepped closer to Brennan, sliding his arms around the elemental's thick chest, Jesse's chest pressed up against his back.
Brennan moaned again.
Within Brennan, electricity jumped from nerve ending to nerve ending, firing along the dendrites and axons within his brain, sparking his synapses at a wild rate. The increased contact with Jesse affected him like pouring gasoline on a fire.
"The water, Jess. The electricity, it's coming. I can't stop it."
Jesse froze only for a moment at hearing Brennan's words. He then quickly turned off the shower and with a thought banished the water and soap that clung to them both, drying them instantly.
But Jesse didn't step away, and he didn't let go.
Instead he clung tighter, making sure as much of his body touched Brennan as possible, even wrapping a leg around Brennan's. Brennan began to pant.
He pressed up, his mouth near Brennan's ear. "It's okay, Brennan. Let go. I've got you. You're safe with me. Don't fight it."
"Jesse!" Brennan keened. "I'm gonna…"
"It's okay, Bren. Let it happen, just let go."
Brennan tensed up, and then his whole body spasmed as he released.
Shalimar and Emma heard the boom from downstairs, and rushed to the source – Brennan's bedroom.
Shalimar pushed the door open, and the light from the door spilled into the dark room. "Jesse? Brennan? Are you guys okay?"
"Yeah, Shal," Jesse said from the bathroom, exhaustion evident in his voice.
"I'm coming in."
"No, Shal. It's alright. There was just a little accident in the bathroom. Water and electricity, you know… don't mix well," he lied.
"How's Brennan?" Emma asked.
"Dazed, but okay. He's a little out of it right now."
"All the lights are out in here, Jess. Everything looks burnt out." Shalimar said, her feral eyes gleaming as she surveyed the darkness.
"I'd say we just got a second taste of Brennan's new power… I drained what I could, but it caught me by surprise. Some must've leaked out."
Brennan moaned, and Shalimar moved towards the bathroom, but Emma stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "I'm guessing they aren't ready for company, Shal. Shower and all, you know?"
Shal nodded. "Are you sure you don't want some help in there?" she asked, humor coloring her voice.
"Let's go, Shal. Let us know if you need anything guys." Emma pulled Shalimar out of the door and shut it behind them.
"You told me they were talking about baseball, not showering!" Shal confronted.
"No, I said Jesse was thinking about baseball."
"But…" Shalimar trailed off. "Oh…. OH!... Wait!" Shal called after the psionic, quickly trailing her down the hall.
Thanks to those who left reviews before.
I know it's been a while, so please let me know if you want me to continue with this. Thanks.