Hearts Under Fire (25 page)

“Please don’t be sorry for what you need. Not after today -- not ever.” Clark’s expression softened, and he cupped the back of Daniel’s head. “I want you no matter how you are: in control, out of it. Up, down, sideways. You and anything you need or want are safe here with me.

“I want to do anything in my power to make sure you’re on your way to content and stable. You did something incredible today, Daniel,” Clark said, kissing him. “I’m proud, and thankful, and there are no rules about what you ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’ be. Just be you, be here with me, and let me take care of you.” To Daniel’s wonder, Clark’s eyes grew moist before he continued. “I thought I might lose you, too, and I meant it when I said you’re not getting out of my sight if I can help it.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Daniel said, stroking Clark’s cheek.

Clark sighed. “Good. Though I had quite the nice speech prepared for why you couldn’t close the door all the way if you had to take a piss.” He grinned.

Daniel barked a laugh, startled by the joy he felt at seeing Clark smile. He put his head on Clark’s shoulder and laughed so hard he nearly cried again. Clark crooned in Daniel’s ear, petted his hair, and braced him tightly around his waist.

“I’ve got you,” Clark said, tone tender.

“You do. I’m glad you do.” Daniel hugged Clark, starting to feel like he might get through this with Clark at his side.

When the worst of the storm was over, Clark knelt again to remove Daniel’s underwear, tossing it aside with the jeans, and helped Daniel into the tub. Once Daniel was in, Clark shucked his own clothing with efficiency. Warm water flowed into the tub and down the drain from two faucets, and Clark grabbed a blue cloth. Wetting it down, Clark set about cleaning Daniel’s legs, rinsing as he worked. “I hope you don’t mind if I have your pants burned in the furnace,” Clark said as he scrubbed at Daniel’s skin.

“Mmm... that would be doing me a favor,” Daniel murmured, hands dropping to Clark’s shoulders to steady himself while he watched the brownish red stains run down the drain. When the water was clear, Clark dropped the stopper. Daniel shivered. “I’m so glad this is all coming off finally.”

“Wish we could have done it earlier.” Clark grabbed a blue packet from a basket and ripped it open to dump the contents. The water turned milky, steam starting to roll.

“I wish we could have, too, but I don’t think there was time,” Daniel replied, while Clark climbed over the edge of the tub. He moved to stand behind Daniel, dropping a kiss to the professor’s neck.

“Yeah,” Clark said on a sigh.

Daniel made a soft noise and caught one of Clark’s hands in his. “Much better with you... like this...”

The water rose to mid-calf, and Clark hugged Daniel before sitting, helping Daniel sink into the tub with him. He chuckled. “I think Adams might have died from laughter if we asked to shower together. And fun as it would have been to see Sorenson splutter...”

The slow bend made Daniel realize that his knees were bruised in a way that echoed Clark’s injuries from the night at Break. Quietly laughing at the irony, Daniel winced as he settled with his back against Clark. “Yeah. Both would have been fun to see. Adams has known me since I was knee-high to a cruiser, so he has the right.”

“Mm,” Clark agreed, letting Daniel get comfortable and running one hand up to knead at the skin of Daniel’s shoulder while the other lay flat over Daniel’s chest. “I love that they all care about you.” He paused, a grin shaping his next words. “And they even managed Lucian without too much of an issue.”

“Managed Lucian?” Daniel laughed, his hands stroking Clark’s legs. “Like managing a force of nature, that. I was impressed that they tried to stand in his way when they didn’t know what he was going to do. And you standing there between me and whatever was coming down that hall.” Daniel sighed. “Thank you.”

Clark didn’t answer. Instead, he squeezed his legs and gave Daniel a full-body hug, dropping tender kisses along Daniel’s neck. Each press of lips grew harder, and Clark breathed against Daniel’s skin, a tremble going through his body. Daniel covered Clark’s hands, and the men stayed that way until the water rose high over their bodies. Leaning together, Daniel traced the line of Clark’s thigh while the bartender stretched to shut off the faucets with his foot.

Settling back against Clark, Daniel sighed. “This feels so good. I’m...” Daniel paused, breathing as he felt trapped between tears and truth. “I’m just thankful we’re both here. I almost don’t care about the press or even if there’s going to be a trial or anything. I’m just... really glad we’re both alive.”

Again, Clark was silent, and Daniel frowned in concern. He started to turn, but Clark held him tighter.

“It should have been me.” Clark’s voice was thick with emotion, almost angry.

“Should have been you?” Daniel repeated.

“To pull the trigger,” Clark answered, so quiet that Daniel held his breath to hear the words. “Like I’m trained to do. Like I’d want to do to protect you. Daniel, you’re... everything to me. And that sounds crazy when I say it out loud, just like I know it’s insane to think that if I’d been faster, or somehow psychic, that maybe...”

When Clark trailed off, Daniel turned and wrapped his arms around Clark, face against the bartender’s neck. “Clark...” Daniel tried, but anything he wanted to say got stuck in his throat.

“It’s okay,” Clark soothed, palms caressing in aimless patterns. “You’re safe, and that’s what matters. You did what you had to do, and I love you all the more for it. And I guess...” Clark’s tone turned thoughtful. “I can’t go back and change what happened. And I can’t protect us from the fallout. From thinking about what would have happened if... I don’t know what I would have done if that asshole had taken you away from me.”

“Me, either,” Daniel whispered, overwhelmed and unsure what to say or do. He wanted Clark to keep talking, to keep reassuring him in ways he wasn’t sure Clark even understood.

For a long moment the two men breathed together, until finally Clark stirred. “Can’t do much, but I know what I’d like, if you’re still up for it.”

Daniel shivered, remembering his request in the hallway when he was covered with blood and thinking life was too fragile and short. “Anything, Clark,” Daniel said quietly. “Tell me?”

Lips brushed Daniel’s hair. “After everything in our lives and today, I want to love you slow. Get us out and dry and onto the bed so I can taste every part of you and tell you with my mouth and hands and anything I’ve got how much I want you -- need you.” Clark paused to breathe near Daniel’s ear. “If you’ll let me...”

The simple plea inspired a deep shiver. Daniel turned to touch his mouth to Clark’s, searching blue-and-brown eyes. “Yes. I want you to,” Daniel said slowly. “ Just... take it all away, for a little while at least.”

Clark kissed Daniel. “Then let’s get you to your feet, Professor.” Clark slid to the side and helped Daniel up and over the edge of the tub, holding on until Daniel was steady on the blue rug. Clark pulled the stopper while Daniel grabbed two towels, handing one to Clark and drying himself with the other.

“Thanks,” Clark said, and Daniel looked up, identifying the expression on Clark’s face as the one he got while he organized a plan in his head. Clark wrapped his towel around his waist and reached to take the towel from Daniel’s hands. He slung it around the dark-haired man’s shoulders, rubbing over Daniel’s arms as he walked Daniel toward the counter.

Before Daniel could gather enough thought to form a question or something to say, Clark went down on one knee in front of Daniel and lapped moisture off Daniel’s cock with teasing licks and sucks. He caught Daniel’s wrists in a gentle hold as Daniel arched, pulling against Clark’s grip, testing. Daniel gasped as Clark worked lips and mouth and swallowed water. As Daniel’s body responded, Clark slowly tightened his hands around Daniel’s wrists, and he licked up and down the length, making a low noise of pleasure as he suckled at the very tip, tongue playing teasing games with the slit.

“Nnnah...” Daniel’s hips moved as he filled. Clark made a satisfied sound and stood, tongue licking at Daniel’s nipple on the way to vertical.

Without letting go of Daniel’s wrists, Clark tilted his head and captured Daniel’s mouth, tongue pushing past lips and teeth to dance for dominance. He sighed through his nose when Daniel rubbed hard against Clark.

Clark rumbled a groan in the back of his throat and kissed Daniel more deeply. He let go of Daniel’s wrists to slide both his hands up Daniel’s arms and around the back of Daniel’s neck, thumbs rubbing skin. He molded along the length of Daniel’s body, and Daniel ran hands down Clark’s back to grip his ass, pressing them tightly together. Daniel’s hips moved against Clark, the wet heat between them making him groan softly into the kiss.

After minutes lost to grinding bodies and eager sounds, Clark pulled away. Daniel looked into lust-darkened eyes while Clark undid the towel from around Daniel’s shoulders and wiped it perfunctorily over his skin. Clark bit his lip and ground purposely against Daniel, as Daniel leaned back to dry chest and torso. Daniel found himself wanting to get up on the counter, wrap his legs around Clark, and be taken right there.

Clark kept them joined at hip and pelvis while he got Daniel dry. Then he dropped the towel with a sly smile before pushing away and clasping Daniel’s hands in his. “I hear good things about this bed nearby,” Clark said, voice rough with lust.

Shakily, Daniel took an uncertain step toward Clark. Dazed, breathless, and painfully aroused, Daniel nodded. “A bed sounds really good right now, though that counter seemed pretty comfortable.” He shook his head, clearing it. “Right. Bed.”

Clark laughed, rich and full, and turned them to slow-walk Daniel backward and out of the bathroom. “Counter... wall... floor...” Clark hummed and kissed Daniel with his eyes open. “Lucky I like soft surfaces, else we’d never make it,” he said as they reached the bed. Clark barely paused, taking Daniel’s weight and easing him back onto the comforter.

Sighing as the softness enveloped him, Daniel pulled Clark on top of him. “Mmhm,” he hummed. “I’m lucky I have you.”

“Each other,” Clark gently corrected. He propped himself up on his forearms and lowered his head to suck at Daniel’s throat while grinding groin to groin. “Lucky to have each other.”

Daniel trembled beneath Clark. “Yes,” he whispered. “Yes.” His arms wrapped around Clark, and he held on.

Chapter 13

Clark kissed and licked everything within reach, and Daniel reveled in skin on skin. He wanted more, longed for it. More friction and noise, more of Clark’s words and mouth and cock and anything, so long as it drove every thought and event of the day out of his head.

Clark traced Daniel’s ear with his tongue. “Want to taste every piece of you. Map your skin and make sure every part of you is here with me.” Clark’s hands moved under Daniel’s arms, and he wrapped his fingers over Daniel’s shoulders.

Daniel rubbed his cheek against Clark’s, grip relaxing, hands smoothing along Clark’s back, breathing evening out. “I’d love that,” he whispered.

Clark went still, and Daniel could feel the force of focus turning all on him. Slowly, Clark kissed a line from below Daniel’s ear, down his neck, and onto his chest. Daniel moaned a heartfelt, “Yes.” Daniel’s eyes fluttered closed, and he tensed, heat rising in his veins.

Warm hands slipped under and along Daniel’s upper back. Clark dragged lips and tongue in scorching patterns while teeth left nips and marks. Daniel breathed in shallow pants, and he flexed against Clark, pulling his hands up and behind his head. He flashed back to being on his knees in the hallway, but on the heels of that nightmare, Daniel remembered the hard, frantic tackle. Daniel shivered, and his voice cracked with gratitude as he uttered a single word. “Clark.”

Quickly, Clark licked a line up Daniel’s chest and then pulled himself up to place the lightest of kisses on Daniel’s lower lip. “Right here...” Clark whispered and feathered a kiss to the side of Daniel’s mouth. “I’m with you, and you’re safe and here with me.” He rained light kisses over Daniel’s face, and his hand meandered down the side of Daniel’s body. The touches brought Daniel back to the present, and Clark’s reassurance settled him..

Humming in tender approval, Clark smeared a kiss over Daniel’s lips. Daniel opened his eyes to try and capture Clark’s mouth, but Clark rumbled a noise and moved on. He caught Daniel’s unpierced nipple in his fingertips and rubbed deeply into the skin around it while he kissed Daniel’s jaw. The flesh hardened as Daniel’s breathing quickened, and Clark dragged his thumb across the skin in a flick that earned a gasp.

“Want more of you,” Clark murmured, and his voice helped Daniel just feel.

“Then take more,” Daniel whispered. “Please.”

“Love your arms like that,” Clark said, heat in the praise, and Daniel flexed, enjoying Clark’s weight and consciously keeping his hands out of play. “Love you under me like this,” Clark said over Daniel’s skin.

“And I love your mouth, your voice,” Daniel said. “I haven’t had anyone in me for a few years.” He took a shaky breath. “I don’t know what I’ll be like with you teasing me, but I’d love for you to try.”

Clark groaned, the sound throaty and confident. “I can do that,” he husked, and he bit over Daniel’s ribs before he braced to take Daniel’s cock back into his mouth. He rolled Daniel’s nipple as he took the length deeply and drove the flat of his tongue along the underside, making Daniel cry out, body bucking and twisting.

Clark sucked hard for several long strokes, and Daniel jerked. In seconds, Daniel’s breathing turned into soft cries. Clark tilted his head to let Daniel slide against the back of his throat, and the tight, moving heat wrung a low sound of need from Daniel. Clark pushed Daniel’s leg up and wide, hand reaching to tug on the nipple ring and force a groan from Daniel’s lungs.

Swallowing, Clark came off Daniel’s cock and bent lower, humming before his teeth found the flesh where Daniel’s leg joined his body, sucking hard and sudden.

“Oh, God,” Daniel gasped. The heat within Daniel grew with each sensation, each sure touch. Clark knew how to turn him on, get his mind to stop, and Daniel whimpered at being seen this way, at being so fundamentally understood. Daniel’s hands tightened on his forearms, and he spread his legs wider.

Clark finally let go of the skin between his teeth, satisfied. “Hearing you gets me so damned hot,” Clark managed, as his fingers released the nipple ring and slid down to massage Daniel’s straightened leg. “Love how you spread yourself for me,” Clark growled.

The possessiveness in Clark’s voice pulled a rough chuckle from Daniel. But when Clark turned his head and licked at Daniel’s base before swiping lower with his tongue over sensitive balls, Daniel twisted and gasped. Clark licked a line along the underside of Daniel’s length before swallowing around the head to swirl his tongue.

“Please,” Daniel pleaded, body aching. He knew he needed to ask to get more, but he had no idea what to ask for. Clark’s hands felt so good. “Touch... more? Harder?”

Clark paused before his lips left Daniel’s cock, and he dropped a kiss over the koi tattoo. “Harder?” he asked in rhetorical warning. Clark fell forward onto Daniel and pressed him into the mattress. Clark’s mouth found Daniel’s for a kiss that began as a brush of lips and transformed into Clark diving between Daniel’s teeth and sucking breath and sound from his lungs. Daniel closed his eyes and let Clark make the choice of when to give him air.

Hips ground against Daniel, and he met Clark with another soft cry. Gently, Clark’s fingers came up to comb through Daniel’s hair, and Clark groaned when Daniel’s head turned toward the light touch like a flower moving toward sunlight. Clark exhaled into Daniel’s mouth, and Daniel took the air into his lungs, feeling like he was falling backward. Daniel wrapped his legs around Clark’s, the friction and weight making him moan his breath back into Clark’s mouth. The fluid motion of their bodies made Daniel wonder if he might drown in a lake of combined desire.

For long moments there was only breathing, fading light flooding through the windows, the sound of silk moving beneath two bodies, and the quiet noises of need. When Clark pulled away from Daniel’s mouth, Daniel whimpered.

“Want you on your stomach for a little while,” Clark said. “Roll over for me.” Clark moved to give Daniel room, hands immediately wandering over skin.

Gulping for air, Daniel nodded, shuddering and grateful for Clark’s constant and comforting tactile reminders. Daniel managed to turn, pushing pillows out of the way as he went. While Daniel moved, Clark leaned sideways to the basket on the nightstand, retrieving lube and a condom.

Settling, Daniel faced to the right. Not quite sure what to do with his hands, he laid his arms at his sides. Softly he said, “I... I can’t see you this way, Clark... please.... please talk to me?” Daniel couldn’t help the faint note of pleading at the end, but he didn’t mind it so much. It would be all right.

Quickly, Clark lay down along the length of Daniel’s body, pressing while he laced their fingers together. He kissed Daniel’s shoulder and cheek. “I want you like this so I can keep my promise,” Clark said. “Said I wanted to taste every part of you.” Clark licked Daniel’s ear, and Daniel shivered. “So I’m going to kiss down your spine and drag my teeth on your skin. And then...” Clark trailed off as he nibbled at Daniel’s neck.

Daniel’s fingers tightened on Clark’s, and he stretched under Clark’s ministrations, letting his muscles bunch in his shoulders, tightening his ass, and pushing up against Clark’s hips and groin.

“Mmm. And if you want my voice, I’ll tell you how incredible you feel against me,” Clark said as he shifted, keeping his weight on Daniel’s body. He squeezed Daniel’s hands and placed open-mouthed kisses over Daniel’s shoulder blade. “How you taste like oil and just you.” He moved toward Daniel’s spine. “And it’s delicious and driving me insane with the want for more.” Daniel moaned, his forehead pressing against the mattress.

“God, yeah,” Clark said breathlessly, and Daniel felt lips and teeth drag across his backbone. “I love that you trust me and want this. That you know it’s me here with you, and that I’d never do anything but make you feel good.” Clark released Daniel’s hands and moved lower, licking down the center of Daniel’s back.

“Yes, Clark,” Daniel said, his skin burning in the wake of Clark’s teeth. His freed hands clenched into fists, and Daniel put them above the small of his back. “I trust
you
.”

Clark’s breath caught, and lips brushed over the knuckle of Daniel’s thumb, and a shiver rocked Daniel. Clark kissed above the cleft of Daniel’s ass, and Daniel grunted as his back arched, suddenly hard enough that he hurt. The sheets didn’t give him nearly enough friction, and he made a frustrated sound. A wet tongue traced lazy patterns on his lower back, and Daniel whimpered. Questing hands rubbed the backs of Daniel’s thighs to the globes of his ass, fingers digging into the skin as Daniel rocked against the bed. When thumbs parted his cheeks and spread him open, Daniel’s hands clenched into fists. Clark braced arms on the backs of Daniel’s legs, holding him still while sighing a hot breath over Daniel’s tailbone.

Entire body tensed in anticipation, Daniel swallowed as a flood of something almost like fear raced through him. His pulse pounded in his throat, and Daniel opened his mouth to pant. Then Clark licked a fiery line over Daniel’s entrance, tongue darting to tease along the rim of muscle, hands squeezing while he played.

“Gah... uuuhh -- God!” Daniel tried not to buck as hot oil slicks of sensation swept over him. He’d never allowed himself to feel all of it before -- never let his world narrow to the sensation of wet muscle against the most intimate of places -- and Daniel’s upper body twisted as he felt like a sheaf of paper being held to a flame.

“Perfect,” Clark growled, and rested more heavily and more evenly on Daniel’s lower body.

Again Daniel arched, testing, and when he couldn’t move his legs at all, he moaned a soft, “Thank you.”

“Anything,” Clark whispered in reply, before turning his head to bite and suck at the flesh of Daniel’s cheek. Body writhing and out of his control, Daniel shuddered when Clark traced a line back to Daniel’s entrance, tongue pressing harder and wetter. Desperate tones of need colored Daniel’s breath as Clark drove him crazy. Daniel cried out, held his own wrists so hard that his fingernails bit into the skin. Clark dove in deeper, and Daniel squirmed. Each breath, each probe wrung soft cries as the flames licked higher.

“Oh... God, yes...” Daniel breathed.

An answering groan met Daniel’s words, and Clark turned his head to push his tongue into Daniel. He set up a slow rhythm of actions done in a pattern: inside, circle out, push in faster, tease edges, then slip in slower and grip harder.

Completely at Clark’s mercy, Daniel clenched and released, moaned and shuddered with each addition to his spiraling arousal. It was becoming more and more evident that with Clark’s weight where it was, Daniel couldn’t move his hips. He loved and hated being unable to find the friction he needed to finish himself. This unstoppable ratcheting up of his body’s need was utterly out of his control and all in Clark’s hands and mouth, and he reveled in it even as he cried out, “Please... oh God, Clark. Ah,
shit
... please touch... touch me.”

The only answer Daniel got was a slow, deliberate circle around Daniel’s wet entrance before Clark plunged his tongue back inside and clutched at Daniel’s ass with a bruising grip.

“Aaaah... nnngh!” Daniel sobbed. “Oh Lord, Clark... please... I...
God
...”

With a chuckle that broke into a moan, Clark continued working Daniel over with unrelenting hunger, and it wasn’t until the tone of Daniel’s cries took on notes of desperation that Clark finally had mercy. Withdrawing his tongue, Clark licked a long, painfully slow line up to Daniel’s tailbone. Clark shifted on the bed, hands holding Daniel still.

Panting, Daniel waited while Clark grabbed a pillow. Clark turned and manhandled Daniel until his back pressed against Clark’s front. Daniel kept his hands between them, and he helped Clark as much as he could. He lifted his head for the pillow, shifted when Clark’s leg slipped under his knee, and leaned back as Clark’s arm hugged him. Clark’s other arm slid under the pillow to brace on Daniel’s chest. Daniel sighed, reveling in being so held, and he spread his palms to touch as much of Clark’s skin as possible.

“Mm,” Clark murmured, mouth covering the pulse point in Daniel’s neck. Hot kisses sprinkled on Daniel’s skin, and Clark reached for the lube while he ground against Daniel’s body, locking them together.

Daniel cried out, pushing back and bucking in Clark’s hold before gasping, “Please... yes,
please
.”

Clark sucked in a long draw of air and canted his hips backward while he tore open the condom and got it out, in place, and rolled down over his length. He hissed through his teeth while his hand worked, and bent back over Daniel. “Please what?” Clark said in a low voice next to Daniel’s ear. Daniel heard the telling sound of the lube cap followed immediately by the slick, wet sounds of hand on latex.

Panting, Daniel grunted as he violently regretted every time he’d made Clark try and explain a
please
to him. He whimpered for air and for mind enough to speak. Clark nipped at Daniel’s ear while his hand wandered low and pushed between Daniel’s cheeks.

“Please fuck me with your fingers and make me moan?” Clark husked.

“Yes, Clark.” Daniel groaned, before he added, “Please.”

Clark pressed the pad of his coated middle finger over Daniel’s entrance. “I love you saying, ‘Please.’”

Teeth catching cartilage and free hand splayed over Daniel’s chest, Clark circled with his finger once before pushing at the firm ring. Daniel moaned a low, shuddering syllable of want as he felt Clark touch and tease before a slow, so-gentle stretch, and then Clark’s finger was in him. The slick slide of something moving in and out of his body always felt strange, but letting Clark do this to him felt good in a way he couldn’t explain. He surrendered to the invasion, and each time Clark’s finger moved, he rocked and breathed a soft note of need.

“I could do this for hours just to listen to you,” Clark said, placing soft kisses on Daniel’s ear, temple, cheek. “The way you feel makes me burn... makes me want to take you... want to feel you stretch...”

Two fingers pressed into Daniel’s body, and Daniel’s mouth fell open. Clark’s other hand moved until his fingers found the nipple ring and began toying with it, moving it through the flesh.