Hawk's eyes fluttered open and he took in a deep breath as he shifted under the covers and squinted toward the crack of daylight coming in through half-closed curtains on the far side of the room, bathing the room in a warm glow.

As he gained his bearings, Hawk became aware of the sound of Tim's steady breathing next to him.

He slowly turned onto his left side to meet Tim's sleeping form in the center of the bed and his expression softened when he beheld Tim's face, relaxed and peaceful in sleep.

Hawk found himself just staring at him, letting a small smile spread slowly across his face as he let memories of hundreds of mornings like this, over the span of nearly thirty years, flood his mind—Tim, lying next to him, handsome, usually totally or partially naked and peaceful in sleep.

And before he realized what he was doing, Hawk reached out his right hand and gently brushed Tim's hair from his forehead with his fingers, then moved to caress the locks just above his temple and behind his ear, relishing the feel of running his hand through his lover's hair like he used to.

Hawk felt that he needed to touch Tim, almost as if to convince himself that he was really here on Fire Island.

That he had actually come. That last night was real.

Hawk moved his hand slowly and stealthily down to gently caress the left side of Tim's face, brushing the back of his knuckles and thumb over Tim's cheek.

At his touch, Tim's breathed in deeply and his dark brown eyes lazily opened, focusing on Hawk.

Hawk took in a sharp breath. It had been a long time since he had been so close to Tim Laughlin's eyes and he had forgotten how deep, dark and soulful they were.

God, he could get lost in those eyes. Drown in them. And it would be the most pleasant way to die that he could think of.

But, Skippy wasn't his anymore. He was Arthur's.

Hawk gave an apologetic smirk and slowly began to retract his hand.

However, to his surprise, Tim reached up and gently caught Hawk's hand with his own.

Then, his eyes still meeting Hawk's, Tim brushed Hawk's knuckles over his lips, then took his thumb into his mouth and bit it gently.

Hawk watched him, lust and awe filling his blue eyes.

When would he ever stop wanting Tim Laughlin? The answer that came to Hawk's mind was immediate and definitive. Never.

Of course he had built a life for the past twenty years with Lucy Smith and she was the mother of his children, his life partner and he genuinely loved and cared about her... but, did he desire her? Did he want her like he had always wanted Tim? No.

And Hawk still met his needs a few times a year, of course, with some random stranger that he met at a bar or on the stroll on the pier or at the park. It was always a quick encounter, and if he was lucky that night, the young man he chose bore a slight resemblance to Tim. That was a nice twenty minutes. But, then it was always over.

And that's the way he wanted it.

"That's so empty," Tim had once told him when Hawk once confided in him about his activities outside his marriage.

And it was true.

Hawk wanted no attachments and no relationships with these men.. just gratification. It was just like it was in the beginning, when he was young -in the years after Kenny- when Hawk put a series of locks on his heart and soul to protect himself. Back then, he found it easier to have sexual encounters without attachments. It was better that way-better for his career, better for his sanity, and better for his future.

But, that all changed the first time he saw Tim Laughlin. Since that first night, Tim had slowly, but surely, broken every single lock that Hawk had so carefully put in place...and, even twenty years later, he was still breaking those locks. Last night had proven that.

For the past six months, Hawk had let himself fall into a dark well, indulging in sex, alcohol and drugs - anything to ignore the pain and grief of losing Jackson and quell the guilt that he felt. To his shame, he had turned his back on Lucy and Kimberly and the only outside communication he had with anyone were the late night phone calls and the postcards he had sent to Tim, asking him to come to Fire Island.

The only person he wanted-the only person he knew he needed-was Tim. And Tim came. He broke the lock on Hawk's grief and climbed into that dark well and held him.

Yes. He would always want Tim. In fact, he craved him and ached for him every second they were apart throughout the years. Thankfully, he had a family life and a career to distract him, otherwise he was certain he would probably break. He thought that first year alone, after he had turned Tim in to the M Squad, would kill him.

When Tim was around, he always awakened Hawk's senses, his sympathies and his soul. And now, as Tim brushed his lips against the knuckles of his right hand, slowly and sensually, Hawk felt something else within him awaken.

He shifted slightly closer to Tim and searched his face as Tim released Hawk's index finger from his mouth.

With a small, knowing smile, Tim nodded his consent and Hawk wasted no time closing the distance between them and capturing his lips in a deep kiss.

When Hawk rolled them over so he was on top and released their lips so he could kiss down the side of Tim's neck to his chest, Tim gasped in pleasure.

He closed his eyes as he felt Hawk kiss across his chest, his hands running down the strong muscles of Tim's sides, to his hips.

Hawk moved back up to Tim's face and planted sensual kisses on Tim's forehead, his nose, and then his chin before he smirked and slid down Tim's body and under the covers.

Tim moaned and grabbed hold of the sheets as he felt Hawk pull his shorts down and take his manhood into his mouth.

Soon, Hawk had him climaxing and Tim arched his back involuntarily.

When he had come down from his orgasm, he opened his eyes and Hawk was there above him, lust brimming in his eyes, as he captured Tim's lips in a deep, searing kiss.

Hawk broke their kiss and smirked when he felt Tim buck underneath him, wanting to change their positions.

In response, Hawk reached down and put his hands under Tim's lower back, using leverage to gently flip Tim over onto his stomach.

Tim gasped in surprise, then felt Hawk plant kisses up his spine and on the back of his neck, turning Tim's nerves into live wires and causing desire to pool in the pit of his stomach.

When Hawk kissed up the side of his neck, he took Tim's left earlobe in his mouth and whispered, "I'm not done with you, yet."

Tim then felt Hawk reach under him and run his hand gently over his penis, taking some of Tim's seed onto his fingers.

Hawk then shifted behind him, swiftly removing his own shorts, before spreading some of the seed over Tim's opening.

When Tim felt Hawk's weight on his back again, he let out a breath of anticipation he hadn't realized he had been holding.

Hawk was surprisingly gentle as he entered Tim, causing them both to gasp in pleasure and in the overwhelming feeling of their bodies connecting again after so many years.

Tim sighed as Hawk wrapped his arms around Tim's chest and held him to him as he began to move, slowly and sensually.

"Oh...God..." Hawk whispered into Tim's ear, "I've missed this."

Tim moaned as he reached his right arm back and let his hand to stroke the nape of Hawk's neck, lacing his lover's dark hair through his fingers and encouraging him as he continued to move, building a steady, gentle rhythm between their bodies.

Soon, Hawk cried out as his orgasm hit and he gently bit down on Tim's left shoulder.

A few moments later, the pressure of Hawk's teeth on his skin sent Tim hurdling over the edge as well.

Afterwards, they lay there for a few moments, silent and breathing heavily, with Hawk spooning him.

Tim closed his eyes to steady himself, then looked back over his shoulder to Hawk. Their eyes met and Hawk leaned forward and started kissing him, again, slow and sweet.

Then Hawk broke off the kiss and trailed open mouth kisses down the exposed side of Tim's neck.

Tim moaned as Hawk rolled them over so that Hawk was on top of him, again, then continued kissing down the center of Tim's throat to chest, past the gold crucifix necklace that Tim always wore, and then to the sides of Tim's chest, taking each of his nipples gently into his mouth in turn.

When he kissed back up Tim's chest, they came face to face, again, and they brought their foreheads to touch as Hawk reached down and rearranged their limbs so that he could enter Tim.

They both closed their eyes as the sensation of their bodies connecting washed over them once more.

Hawk gave them a moment before he hitched Tim's legs a bit higher around his waist, then started to move slowly.

Tim groaned and Hawk swallowed his own moan as he opened his smoldering blue irises to meet Tim's chocolate ones, then he reached down and took Tim's left hand and brought it to rest on his chest.

"Feel my heart..." Hawk whispered, breathing heavily as he continued to move, "It's racing..."

"Are you alright?" Tim asked breathlessly, looking down at where his hand now rested on Hawk's chest

A small smile crossed Hawk's lips and he nodded before he said, "Just tell me if it stops, okay?"

Tim smirked, then moaned as Hawk pushed deeper inside him and leaned down to take Tim's lips again.

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