Good News (Dare/Michael)

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's gaze caught on that smile, and it tugged at him, prodded him to just let go. And he realized that he wanted to. He felt guilty for holding it in; wasn't that enough of a sign that he shouldn't hold it in anymore? Dare nodded, both in acknowledgment of Michael's words, and in decision. Still, he flicked a glance at the door, knowing that, as private as the room might feel, there was always a chance someone might come in. He finally brought his gaze back to Michael's. "Is there anywhere else we can go?" he asked. "I don't want anyone hearing." Just you. No one else.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael thought for a minute, then his mind lit on a place, and he nodded. "Yeah, I know somewhere." He tilted his head up to give Dare a light, comforting kiss and then started to untangle himself from him. He picked up the letter from Dare's bag, folding it gently and tucking it in a pocket. When Dare was ready, Michael took his hand to lead him out the door.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare was emotionally exhausted by the time they returned. The room was as they'd left it, the simple couch and chairs waiting, the warm press of Michael's hand against his a comfort. Dare practically fell back into the couch, long legs stretched out in front of him as he leaned into the cushions, resting his head against the back. "This has been a hell of a month," he said.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael sat down beside him, tucking one leg underneath and pressing himself lightly against Dare. "Yeah," he said, though he didn't really know how it all had been for Dare. In the past month or so Michael had met up with Dare and changed sexualities, that thought was almost uncomfortable for him, the statement feeling odd to him, even in his own mind. That had been a big change for him, and he knew Dare had been through even more recently.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare shifted, drawing one arm up and around Michael's shoulders to gather him close. His hand rose just far enough to play absently with the bottom of Michael's hair as he looked out into the room. "I'm glad I found you," he said, the words casual, though the emotion behind them was clear. Dare turned his head, looking at Michael from behind the curtain of his fringe. He felt incredibly lucky, and he hoped Michael knew that.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael shifted closer to him, spreading Dare's other hand out on his leg and looking down at it. A warm tingle raced through Michael's chest at Dare's words and he looked up at him. "Me, too," he said, letting his fingers move lightly over Dare's palm. Though, if he wanted to be literal, he had been the one that had came up on Dare that day by the forest. His eyes traced the line of Dare's hair over his eyes, a small smile spreading over his lips.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's lips curved in echo of Michael's, though he couldn't be certain he knew what Michael was smiling about. It seemed some inner thought as much as what they were talking about. A shiver raced up Dare's spine from the sudden motion of Michael's finger over a sensitive spot on his hand, and Dare's gaze dropped reflexively, then rose slowly as he recalled the time in the forest when Michael had driven him so crazy just kissing and touching his hand. As his eyes met Michael's, Dare's smile grew crooked at the turn of his thoughts.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael grinned, following Dare's thoughts to that day in the forest. He let his fingers trace Dare's, mimicking the motions he had done that day. "You really liked that," he commented, looking down at their hands. It would be a lie for Michael to have said that he hadn't, because he had enjoyed it, and what came after, just as much, if not more, than anything else they had done.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's body was already beginning to respond, the thought helping him along almost as much as the now purposeful motions of Michael's fingers. His breathing shallowed ever so slightly as he watched Michael watching their hands. "I liked it a lot," he said, the words, as ridiculous as they felt, truth and an understatement all at once.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

"So did I," Michael said, looking up at Dare with laughing eyes. He didn't stop the motion of his fingers, instead he dipped in between Dare's, lightly stroking the skin on the insides of his fingers. It didn't seem strange to him how easily they went from the hard conversations to the easy things they enjoyed, such as their hands, it just felt so natural he didn't question it.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's eyes laughed back, but almost self-deprecatingly, behind the growing haze he didn't stand a chance of hiding. His fingers stretched slightly, reflexively trying to ease growing tension that didn't want to be eased. Dare's gaze dropped to Michael's lips at the memory of the kiss they'd shared when he'd finally broken, wondering idly how long it would be this time. He didn't notice that he'd forgotten to speak.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael almost kissed Dare right then, but he resisted, turning his concentration onto the hand he held in his lap. Then the motions brought him back, letting him relive what all they had done, which made his blood rush and his breathing become shallow. The urge to go ahead and kiss was almost too much, but again he pushed it down, letting the urge flow into his hands to do with as they wished.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael's hands seemed determined to drive him over the edge; he was already driven to distraction. It was amazing how those touches, those strokes of Michael's fingers, sent streaks of sensation up Dare's arm, spreading heat through his veins. Dare sat for as long as he could, watching Michael at first, then unable to keep his gaze from dropping to watch the paths of those fingers, anticipating every motion.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

It wasn't long before the urge, no matter how much Michael tried to push it down, became too much, and he turned to kiss Dare. His hands paused in their movements as he let himself concentrate on the kiss, there would always be another day to play with Dare's hands. One hand came up to Dare's neck, pulling him close.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare took the kiss gratefully, relief washing through him at finally having an outlet for all the tension washing through him. The arm around Michael's shoulders tightened, and his hand, still tingling, swept into Michael's hair, fingers spreading against the side of his head as his mouth widened, deepening the kiss. Everything they'd talked about today was finding its way into the kiss somehow, every feeling of connection that had grown stronger for it, leaving him needing this.