Disclaimers apply - they aren't ours, have never been and not making money
THE LONGEST NIGHT
by Guardian
Rating: NC-17. Steve/Jesse. Established relationship.
Jesse sat in front of the television, his eyes glued to the screen, hardly
able to believe what he was seeing. He'd been tuned to CNN for hours now,
watching the constant updates with growing horror.
Downtown LA was in chaos. Gang warfare that had been simmering for weeks
had suddenly exploded into mindless violence. Now, as night fell, hundreds
of people were rioting and looting. From the TV pictures, it looked as though
the entire city was on fire.
Every available police officer had been drafted in to try and quell the
trouble. Unsurprisingly, the gangs had then turned on the authorities. Casualty
reports were sketchy at best, but one thing had been confirmed. At least
a dozen cops had been killed and scores more were injured.
Jesse hugged his knees to his chest and tears streamed down his cheeks,
as he watched the nightmare continue. He hadn't moved from his position
on the couch, not since Mark had called him and told him to put the news
on.
That had been hours ago and now darkness, broken only by the flickering
glow of the TV screen, filled the young doctor's small apartment.
Jesse barely dared to even blink. He didn't want to miss anything. He needed
to know what was happening. Every available police officer. That
meant that Steve was out there, somewhere, amidst all that carnage.
*****
The day had started pretty much like any other, with one notable exception.
Jesse had the day off, but Steve didn't.
And Jesse had really made the most of that fact. As Steve cursed the ringing
alarm, he'd snuggled deeper under the covers and let out an exaggerated
sigh of contentment. Steve glowered at the back of his head.
"Don't be too smug, sweetheart," he growled, mock-threateningly.
"You're not always going to be the one having a lie-in. My day will
come."
"But it's not today," Jesse murmured, wriggling around to get
more comfortable. "I think I might just stay right here. Right up until
you get home."
"You know, there's nothing I'd like better than to find you waiting
for me in bed."
Jesse rolled onto his back as his lover leaned over to kiss him. Steve had
only intended a light peck, before he headed for the shower, but Jesse had
other ideas. He wrapped his arms around the bigger man and pulled him down
on top of him, opening his mouth and beginning to probe with his tongue.
"Jesse..."
Steve pulled himself away from his young lover with a groan. It would have
been so easy to get completely lost in that kiss and they both knew where
that would have led to. He sat back and saw Jesse's wide and all-too-innocent
eyes staring back at him, mischievously.
"Oh, I forgot," the doctor smirked. "Not everyone has the
day off, do they?"
"Jess..."
"Hadn't you better get a shower? You don't want to be late."
"I'll give you late," Steve muttered, reluctantly getting out
of bed. "You know you're going to pay for this later."
"That's later." Steve's threat was nowhere near enough to wipe
the smug grin off Jesse's face. "This is now and I'm going to enjoy
every minute of it."
Steve continued to grumble as he made his way towards the bathroom. Jesse
watched him through half-closed eyes.
"Hey!" He called and Steve half turned. "I love you."
"You too, sweetheart." Steve responded. "In spite of how
infuriating you can be in the mornings!"
*****
At least I told him that I love him, Jesse thought, fresh tears
filling his eyes. They told each other that every single day, without fail.
On some days, when their respective jobs conspired to keep them apart, they
were almost the only words that they said to one another.
Jesse forced his eyes away from the television, just long enough to glance
at the phone. He was desperate to call Mark, to find out if he'd heard anything,
but he didn't dare. The precise moment that he chose to make that call could
be the precise moment that Steve was trying to get in touch with him.
The not knowing was driving him insane. He briefly considered driving to
the hospital. At least there, he would know if his lover were brought in
as a casualty, but Mark had, quite categorically, told him to stay away.
Not only was the journey across town way too dangerous to even contemplate
but, in his present state, Jesse would have been no good to anybody even
if he had been there.
Mark. Jesse's heart went out to his old friend. He must have been
going through his own kind of Hell, dreading the arrival of each ambulance
and wondering if the next stretcher rushed through the doors would be bearing
his son.
Almost involuntarily, his hand moved towards the telephone. They were both
suffering, surely it would be better to share their fears and to draw strength
from one another. He dialled the hospital, then could only listen with frustration,
as he constantly got a busy signal.
Of course the switchboard would be jammed. He might have been alone in his
apartment, but he certainly wasn't alone in his worry. Half of LA must have
been trying to determine the fates of their loved ones.
Jesse gently replaced the telephone receiver back in its cradle, destined
to have to suffer alone. And what was turning out to be the longest night
of his life dragged on and on and on.
*****
Jesse constantly fought the urge to sleep. His eyes kept drifting shut,
only for him to jerk awake as another 'exclusive' bulletin was displayed
on the TV screen. He found that his eyes had ceased to focus on the reporters,
many of whom were in the heart of the violence, straining instead to see
what was happening in the background. It was unlikely - impossible - that
he would catch so much as a glimpse of Steve, but he looked anyway. And
the horrifying images that he witnessed only served to deepen his worry.
Unable to stand it any more, the young doctor grabbed his car keys - fully
intending to ignore Mark's advice and head over to the hospital. At least
there he wouldn't feel so completely useless and, if the unthinkable did
happen to Steve - something that was looking increasingly possible as the
violence escalated - then he would be there, at his side.
Grabbing his jacket off the coat-rack, Jesse yanked the door open - then
almost collided with someone who had been just about to enter.
"Steve!" Jesse almost wept with relief.
The detective had his keys in his hand, had been about to unlock the door
when it had suddenly opened. The next minute he had his arms full of an
almost hysterical young doctor.
"Steve, thank God." Jesse didn't even try to hide his tears and
offered no resistance, as his lover gently guided him back into the apartment.
"It's okay, Jess," Steve murmured, kissing the top of his head
and trying to reassure him with his presence. "I'm okay."
"Your dad!" The young doctor cried, with horror in his voice as
he remembered his own agony - the agony which Mark must surely still have
been enduring. "You have to call… But the phones are busy…
God, Steve, he'll be so…"
"It's okay, Jess," Steve reiterated, having to raise his voice
to get through his lover's near hysterical rambling. "I've been to
the hospital already. I've picked dad up and taken him home. It's over,
Jess. Baby, it's over."
Jesse allowed his eyes - which had been drinking in the sight of his lover's
face - to drift back to the TV. The pictures showed that dawn was breaking
over a devastated downtown LA. Then he noticed the change to the light in
the apartment. He had been sitting there all night. Exhaustion rushed up
to assault him.
"I… I'm sorry," he whispered, burying his head in Steve's
broad chest and revelling in the simple sound of his heartbeat. "I
was just so scared."
"Me too, sweetheart," Steve murmured in response, remembering
the horrors that he had witnessed that night. "Me too."
"God, you must be exhausted." The doctor in Jesse took over as,
forgetting his own fatigue, he took in the state of his weary lover. "Christ,
you're so tense. Get yourself a drink. I'll run you a bath."
"Jess…" Steve wanted to protest that he was simply too tired
for such niceties, but it would have been futile.
Sighing heavily, he allowed himself to indulge in a large brandy. Then he
settled back on the couch, closed his eyes and waited for sleep to claim
him.
It never had the chance. Jesse returned to the lounge just in time to stop
the glass falling from Steve's limp fingers. He gently shook his lover awake.
"Come on," he cajoled him. "Your bath's ready. Come on, please.
You need to relax or you're gonna stiffen up so much, you're really gonna
hurt in the morning."
Reluctantly, Steve allowed his lover to help him to his feet and lead him
towards the bathroom. He didn't even offer any protest when the young man
began to undress him, then held his hand as he stepped into the tub. Wearily,
he reached for the soap.
"Don't." Jesse's slender hand stopped him. "Let me."
Jesse started his ministrations at his lover's neck, massaging away the
tension and silently wishing that he could get rid of the memories so easily.
Steve moaned softly and leaned forward, allowing Jesse to work his hands
down his broad, strong back.
Steve moaned again - a strange, strangled sound - and Jesse shifted slightly,
moving his hands to work at the tension that knotted his lover's shoulders.
Then he glanced down and saw why that second moan had sounded so different
from the first. Steve was highly aroused. His cock poked out of the water,
already leaking pre-cum.
"Exhausted, huh?" Jesse murmured, even as his hands moved again.
"Jess…" Steve's breath hitched in his throat as he realised
that the other man was still fully dressed. "Please…"
"Sshh," Jesse gently breathed, then said again: "Let me."
As one hand encircled Steve's engorged cock, the other moved to the back
of his head - then pulled him forwards into a deep and penetrative kiss.
Jesse's hand was still slick with soap and the friction against his lover's
cock came easily. In a matter of moments the older man was writhing helplessly,
completely at the young doctor's mercy.
Jesse lowered his head and captured the tumescent member in his mouth. Steve
bucked out of the water, reaching fulfillment within seconds, his hot seed
spilling endlessly into his lover's grateful mouth. And Jesse swallowed
every single drop, rejoicing in the taste of it. He'd needed reassurance
that Steve truly was alright. The taste of his cum had been reassurance
enough.
He raised his head, intending to kiss his lover before helping him out of
the bath, but the look in Steve's eyes told him that any trace of exhaustion
had long been forgotten.
"Aren't you neglecting something?" The detective growled.
Before Jesse could even begin to react, Steve grabbed hold of him and -
wrapping his arms around his chest - dragged the doctor, still fully clothed,
into the tub on top of him.
Hey!" Jesse yelped, as the tepid water seeped uncomfortably through
his clothes. "What are you...?"
He needed no answer to his half-asked question as eager hands began to divest
him of those clothes. Water sloshed over the side of the bath and on to
the floor, but neither man cared.
Jesse's sodden clothing lay in a heap at the side of the tub, as Steve twisted
him around to face him. Then Jesse suddenly found himself caught in a kiss
of such passion that it literally took his breath away. His cock sprang
to instant attention and he felt the other man's renewed arousal pressing
against his stomach.
"So, where did you put that soap?" Steve murmured throatily, before
capturing his lover's mouth in another passionate kiss.
Jesse reached out blindly and found the bar with one fortuitous grasp. Eagerly,
he laved the bar against Steve's frantic cock. Then his heart almost stopped
as Steve carefully turned him around.
Steve's broad hands gripped his waist, lifting him ever so slightly out
of the water. One soap-slicked hand began to probe at his ass and Jesse
had to support himself on the side of the tub, the trembling in his legs
almost causing him to collapse.
After a long, long moment - when those caresses became sweet torture - Steve
carefully altered his grip and lowered him back down.
Jesse almost screamed - almost came - at the moment of penetration. He had
never felt anything like it in his life. At least he thought he hadn't -
until Steve began to move inside him.
Then Steve's hand dropped down and began pumping his cock and, after the
terror they had both experienced that night, Steve showed Jesse the other
end of the spectrum. The pure, unadulterated pleasure that true love could
bring.
Jesse screamed as he came, vaguely aware of Steve's own cry almost deafening
him. Cum soaked his belly and his chest. The bathwater was almost cold,
but he didn't give a damn.
He had needed to know that his lover was still alive and, as he curled up
into the older man's protective embrace, he had never felt more alive himself.
THE END.