Twice Shy

by Margaret

14th November 2000

Disclaimer: I don't own Methos or the concept of Immortality (boohoo) R:P/D do. I don't own Wing Commander Tully either, but I have no idea who does. I make no money and mean no harm by this.

Rated: NC-17 for m/m sex

Warnings: Slash, crossover

Pairing: Methos/Tully

Notes: Umm... Okay, this is Methos/Tully. For those that don't recognise the crossover, Over Here was a one off drama/comedy set on a WWII RAF base. It's not really necessary to have seen it to read this fic, although it might make a little more sense... or not, it's basically just an excuse for smut ;-) The main point is that Wing Commander Tully was played by Peter Wingfield... Yes, it is what you think it is, I'm sorry... kind of... Well, actually no, I'm not - I had fun writing it, I hope you have as much fun with the reading :-)

Summary: Distorted mirrors sometimes give the truest reflection.

Tully climbed the stairs of the barracks step by step; he was tired and altogether too wet from the rain that hammered at the windows. Time seemed to have been running strangely all week, speeding up and slowing down at random, leaving him confused and off-balance, out of sync with himself. What was worse though, was that it was probably the symptom rather than the cause.

He had heard it said that everybody had a double somewhere, but he'd never expected to meet his. He rather thought the Group Captain had considered it a fine joke, certainly he had never bothered to warn either of them and his grin had been quite obvious as Tully and his apparent twin had stared at each other in shock.

Tully had known one of their code breakers was to be stationed on the base temporarily for safety. News of attempted assassinations by the Germans had reached even here and had meant that the group had to be split up until a more secure base could be found. As Wing Commander, he had been appointed to ensure the code breaker’s safety. It was a good assignment and he remembered being quite surprised that it had been awarded to him - he didn't exactly have the best record. Now he supposed he knew why and it had nothing to do with his ability at all. He should have expected that really, but it stung all the same.

Tully wasn't a good officer and he knew it, but still, every time he failed, it hurt. He would never have chosen this career for himself, but his father and the War had made it inevitable. This task at least he had thought he could do reasonably well, he was only an escort after all - only now he thought he might fail at this too.

It had been a week since he and Adam had first met and Tully's discomfort with the situation had been growing by leaps and bounds. He found his eyes gravitating to Adam when they were together and his duty meant that happened a lot. It was strange in a way; Tully had never thought of himself as attractive, but somehow Adam was, even though their features were near identical. Adam had an easy charm and outgoing intelligence that made friends of everyone he met; the Group Captain, the pilots and ground crews, Edna at the pub. Tully wasn't sure which of them was the elder, Adam perhaps, but not by much, even so, Adam had an air of confidence that Tully envied as much as he admired. Despite their uncanny resemblance though, anyone who knew either of them could tell them apart at a glance; Adam moved with an unconscious grace that Tully could never hope to achieve and it made his lanky frame feel all the more coltish and clumsy by comparison. His only consolation was that if Adam ever noticed his looks the code breaker would probably attribute it to the novelty of having a doppelganger rather than the unlikely truth.

Tully sighed as he reached the top floor; he was a fool. Adam was his opposite in so many ways and he could have dealt with how inadequate that made him feel, but his duty had forced them into near-constant proximity. Tully now worked in the office adjoining Adam's, Adam had been assigned a bedroom only a short distance down the corridor from Tully's own and Tully himself was expected to accompany the young code breaker most everywhere. Far from learning to hate Adam for what he was and Tully could never be, he had instead found himself struggling with feelings that were altogether harder to ignore than simple resentment and it was wearing on him badly.

They weren't new, these feelings, in fact they were so old they were almost comfortable now - almost. He had known for years that he was as attracted to men as he was to women, moreso he sometimes thought when memories of Joan surfaced. He'd had to accept that uncomfortable knowledge for his own peace of mind, though he'd never spoken of it to another soul, and he had even managed to more or less successfully ignore it since then. Until now anyway.

Perhaps it was simply because Adam looked so familiar that he had been able to unknowingly bypass all of Tully's defences with such ease. Or maybe it was just the way Adam seemed to listen when they talked, as they inevitably had to, and there were no expectations of failure, no scorn in those green/gold eyes. Whatever the reason, it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore and he *had* to ignore it. It would jeopardise the assignment, almost certainly lead to a court-martial, possibly even prison and perhaps most importantly, it would ruin the tentative friendship Tully had developed with the man.

It was a kind of torture almost. He would have walked away if he could, but Tully had a duty and he might not have been a good officer, but it wasn't for lack of trying. The very idea of trying to explain to the Group Captain *why* he could no longer be Adam's escort...

He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take though; he hadn't slept well since Adam's arrival and Adam was just so... easy to be with. Tully was terrified he might accidentally say something, do something, that would give him away and alienate his new friend.

Tonight had been the worst so far. Tully had escorted Adam back to his room after dinner; the code breaker had expressed a wish to catch up on some reading. Tully had still had duties for a few hours, but now that he was finished, he was obliged to check on his charge before he turned in for the night himself. He sincerely hoped Adam was already asleep, it would make things easier.

Steeling himself, Tully took a deep breath and knocked. "Come in," the voice called through the door, eerily unmistakable. Tully opened the door and stepped inside and his breath caught slightly.

Adam wasn't in bed yet, but he was close. The code breaker lay on the bed, his feet bare, his shirt unbuttoned at the collar and cuffs, one hand holding a book, the other behind his head - a picture of ease. The half-light of the reading lamp gave the pale features a warm glow and made Adam's eyes gleam almost gold.

"Commander," he greeted with a grin and Tully almost flinched, why did the man have to sound so pleased to see him? "What can I do for you this evening?"

Tully felt his brain crowd with suggestions abruptly clamouring for his attention and he shut them out with a desperate ruthlessness. "I was on my way to bed and thought I'd better check on you before I did," his voice sounded terribly hollow to his ears, but Adam didn't seem to notice.

Adam grinned, "I'm okay," he replied easily and rose from the bed with an easy grace that made Tully's stomach flutter alarmingly. It really was quite dark in the room; the curtains were drawn, the door shut, the only light came from the reading lamp and that was blocked by Adam's body as he stood. With only the two of them in the room it suddenly felt frighteningly intimate - he couldn't keep doing this to himself.

"You don't look too good though," Adam commented as he approached, his eyes narrowing, "Are you alright?"

Tully fought the almost hysterical urge to laugh; he'd barely slept all week and he could hardly tell Adam why. He shook his head instead, "I'm fine." It was sharper than he'd intended and he saw it register in his friend's eyes, "Sorry," he found himself apologising almost immediately, "It's just been a long day."

Adam shrugged as if to say he understood, though he didn't look quite convinced and Tully found himself wanting to say something else. He could feel the words trapped in his throat, but for the life of him he didn't know what they were and he was half-terrified of what they might be. "I'd better go," he offered, "leave you to your reading," but he could still feel the pressure of those words struggling to escape.

"Okay," Adam nodded, letting him off the hook with a smile, before turning back to his book and bed. Tully found himself watching Adam's retreating back, the man moved with such effortless grace.

"Adam..." the name escaped on a soft sigh and Tully froze in absolute horror as Adam turned back to face him, curious. He clamped down hard on the rest of those words, but he could almost feel them peeking through his defences, revealing themselves in his eyes. Tully abruptly realised he was staring straight into Adam's eyes and he stopped breathing. Adam was so beautiful and it was all in those green/gold eyes, infinitely changeable they seemed to see so much with so little judgement. And part of him knew it was only because Adam didn't really know him yet, but it affected him all the same.

The edges of the world dimmed until all he could see were those eyes, now a green so dark they were almost black, taking him apart and putting him back together with a care he was sure he didn't deserve.

"Hey!"

A hand on his shoulder caught him before he fell and guided the dazed officer to sit heavily on the bed. Long fingers were nimbly loosening his tie and collar, unbuttoning his jacket before a hand at the back of his neck urged his head down. Tully tried to clear his head, but all he could feel was Adam's concerned touch on the back of his neck, another hand resting lightly on his arm as a soft voice murmured reassuring nonsense. The warmth of him was so close; he could taste Adam's scent every time he breathed in, warm and faintly musky.

"At the risk of repeating myself," Adam said with a smile that didn't quite mask the worry, "are you alright?"

It was the concern that forced Tully to answer, otherwise he would have happily stayed just like that all night. "Just... overtired I guess," he managed as he slowly straightened, sure now that he wasn't going to pass out. Turning to look at Adam was a mistake though, whether or not he believed Tully's excuse, Adam's eyes still reflected his concern, warm and gentle. It struck Tully low in the gut and he felt his body tense with so much confused emotion, wanting and needing and too tired to think. Adam's hand still rested forgotten at his nape, but the light touch was the only thing Tully could hold to, to stop himself from just flying apart or dissolving into tears. Without conscious volition he began to lean forward, mesmerised by the depths of Adam's eyes, it was like looking out over a sheer drop and he was all too willing to fall. He was too close; he could feel Adam's breath on his skin, taste it when he breathed. Adam tilted his head slightly, realisation sparking in his eyes, and Tully jerked back as if stung.

Suddenly he was on his feet, almost running for the door, he couldn't stay a moment longer. His hand was on the door handle when he felt Adam's hand on his arm and froze. Adam turned him gently but irresistibly, Tully couldn't look up and see the expression in the eyes that had been so kind, he just couldn't.

"Ian?" still that concerned tone, God, Adam was still worried about him. "What's wrong?" Surely Adam couldn't be that naïve, couldn't he see that this was something that shouldn't be pursued. Tully reached for his Wing Commander persona, trying to find some distance, but the calm wouldn't come and the words fractured even as he found them.

"Nothing," was all he managed, his voice cracking with the effort of even that. He was just so tired it *hurt*.

The hand on his arm loosened its grip and, for a moment, Tully thought he had succeeded in pushing Adam away and he wondered why it made him no happier. But the hand didn't withdraw entirely, instead it moved down his arm, stroking soothingly.

"It's okay," Adam murmured, "You can tell me. Whatever it is, I promise I won't get upset."

Tully wanted to believe the soft words and it surprised him that he still had the energy left for that kind of desperate hope. But he knew better, he had learned better; it was hopeless. It took virtually all the energy he had, but finally he looked up, hoping his expression would explain what he lacked the words for, wanting Adam to see that sometimes it really was better not to know.

Those beautiful green eyes were far closer than he expected and he almost flinched away in shock, but there was nothing frightening in them and Adam moved a little closer still. Tully gasped as Adam's lips brushed lightly over his, softer than he'd imagined. Every muscle in his body tightened until he thought he might just snap in two. This was impossible, unreal, and so, so... *wrong*.

Adam was watching him still, patiently waiting for a reaction, "Does that help?" he eventually prompted softly.

"It's wrong!" Tully blurted, not answering the question and not needing to; he wasn't sure if he was trying to convince Adam or himself.

Adam's eyes hardened slightly, "No," he contradicted calmly, "It's illegal, not wrong." Adam's voice was still soft and low, but it was certain of itself. Tully watched as Adam's hand rose, gentle fingertips exploring the line of Tully's jaw, too afraid to move for fear of what his own actions might be. "There's a difference," Adam continued and Tully forced his attention away from that light touch.

"What?" he asked, but it came out as a half-gasp.

Adam's lips twitched as if he fought back a smile, "Illegal is only wrong if you're caught."

Then Adam's grin broke free and Tully felt his breath catch - God he was beautiful, everything Tully wished he could be and had no hope of ever becoming. Then Adam was there again, his warm lips covering Tully's, his tongue tracing a feathery path over Tully's lower lip. Instinctively, Tully opened his mouth slightly and gasped quietly into the kiss as Adam's tongue slipped briefly inside. Then Adam was slowly pulling back and Tully blinked, knowing his face was flushed and he was having difficulty catching his breath. Oh God.

Methos smiled softly, Tully's eyes were wide and dark and it was only partly in surprise. The tip of a pink tongue flickered out over his lips as if to sample again the taste of 'Adam'. Tully's expression was almost wondering, as if Adam had transformed into some strange new creature before his startled eyes. Methos supposed that in a way he had, certainly he wasn't *just* Adam Taylor any more. But the young commander was holding his ground and it cheered Methos. In this age, that was both naïve and restrictive by turns, he had not expected to find this.

Methos had felt an instinctive need to protect his fragile mortal counterpart when they had first met; he had seen the masks Tully wore to protect himself, much as he himself did, but he hadn't expected this to be a part of what lay beneath.

"Adam," the young officer's voice was soft, tentative, and Methos recognised Tully's need for Methos to lead the way. Carefully he reached for Tully's hand, it was cool to the touch, but he brought it slowly up to his face, an invitation to touch. He held back a smile when Tully swallowed nervously and his fingers began to move of their own accord, gliding lightly over Methos' cheek before following the line of his jaw, mirroring Methos' earlier touch. Then to the Immortal's surprise and absolute delight, Tully began to lean forward, his intentions clear. He did it so slowly it was obvious he was expecting Adam to call a halt to the whole thing and pull away, but when he didn't, Tully finally closed the gap between them.

It was an effort not to reach for the young officer, but Methos wasn't entirely sure just how far his friend was prepared to go. He felt the softest pressure of Tully's tongue against his lips and he opened to it without thought. His own response surprising him a little; he hadn't thought himself attracted to the young mortal - the whole concept was just a bit bizarre even for someone who had lived as long as he had. Methos felt rather than saw the tremor that ran the length of Tully's body in response, felt the momentary fierceness of the kiss before Tully pulled away again, eyes so dark they were almost black in the dim light.

"Adam?" it was hoarse, but clear.

"Yes?"

"Please?" it was half-plea, half-whisper and Methos knew his smile was all invitation.

"Yes," no hesitation, no uncertainty, and he sought Tully's mouth again, feeling the young man's hand slide around to cup his nape, solid warmth holding him in place, preventing his escape. How had he forgotten how good this could feel? The solid warmth and strength of another man. Then Tully's hand was sliding from his neck, apparently satisfied that Methos had no intention of going anywhere.

Methos shivered slightly as Tully traced his spine through the thin fabric of his shirt. For a novice the young commander was showing remarkably good instincts, or else he'd been thinking about this for quite some time. More sure of his lover's limits, Methos slid his own hands around Tully's waist, not low enough to be threatening, but enough to suggest the possibility of more. The young officer didn't seem to mind the touch, barely even seemed to notice it, so focused was he on the kiss. Tully's own hand had come to rest at the small of Methos' back, a warm presence, and Methos moaned soft encouragement into the kiss. Tully broke off with a gasp, "This is..."

"Good?" Methos suggested with a smile and Tully's gaze flickered up to meet his, a terrified honesty clear to see.

"Yes," he whispered, "But..."

Methos tilted his head questioningly, "But?" he prompted.

Tully swallowed, "What if..."

"No ifs," Methos interrupted gently, "I want this - do you?" Tully hesitated for a moment, but then he nodded and Methos smiled. "Then we'll deal with it *if* it happens." He reached out and gently traced his soon-to-be lover's jaw, his smile deepening when Tully unconsciously leaned into the touch. The young officer might be new to this, but his body certainly seemed to have the right idea.

Methos brushed his thumb over Tully's lips and they parted slightly under the caress and then Methos simply had to kiss him again. He took it slower this time, seducing a response from the younger man, paying close attention to the hesitantly hungry responses he received. In a brief pause for breath, Methos let his hands slip lower to lightly stroke Tully's backside, encouraging him to press a little closer. He felt Tully's growing arousal against his hip and Tully broke the kiss with a groan at the unexpected touch. Methos drew back, waiting, as his hands continued to stroke his lover's body. If Tully were going to pull away, now was the time, but he didn't, instead he looked up at Methos through his lashes, unconsciously seductive. Methos felt his cock twitch in response, taking an eager interest in the proceedings, and he hoped Tully hadn't noticed - he didn't want to pressure the young man after he had been brave enough to get this far. After a long moment's silence though, Methos regretfully began to slide his hands away.

"No!" the exclamation seemed to startle Tully as much as it did the Immortal. "Don't stop," the words were softer, quieter, but just as earnest. Obediently, Methos returned his hands to their former position, allowing himself to enjoy the feel of solid male in his arms, while he tried to gauge the careful measure between too much and not enough.

"It's okay," he offered with a smile, "We can take this as slow as you like." Tully looked relieved at the verbal reassurance and then surprised at his own relief. Methos suppressed a chuckle, the Wing Commander was really so much younger than he tried to appear. He had probably suppressed this side of himself ever since he had realised it existed and, given the man's job and the times, Methos could hardly blame him - he would have been surprised if Tully weren't apprehensive about it. He couldn't help but feel a small bubble of pride at his double's courage in not only admitting it, but acting on it - such bravery deserved a reward.

"I won't make you do anything you don't want to," Methos murmured softly before leaning in to place a line of gentle kisses along Tully's jaw, feeling the faint rasp of stubble. Tully shifted slightly, tilting his head to give Methos access to his throat, which the Immortal took with all due care for his lover's inexperience.

When his tongue flickered into the hollow at the base of Tully's throat, the long arms suddenly wrapped around him tightly, loosening a moment later, but not letting go as Methos laved the obviously sensitive spot. The high collar of the shirt was interfering with his access and Methos lifted his head, wanting to see his lover's reaction as he went a little further. His hands rose to Tully's throat, pulling the tie away completely and reaching for the first button of the shirt, watching carefully for the first signs of uncertainty.

There was a brief flash of panic as the first button came free, but it vanished quickly to be replaced by a kind of cautious anticipation. The second button went, then the third and Methos pressed slow, soft kisses to the newly exposed flesh, distracting his lover from his progress. Tully accepted the distraction without comment and Methos grinned inwardly as long-fingered hands began their own slow exploration of Methos' body, hesitation falling further away with each passing moment.

Methos reached Tully's belt and stopped, not wanting to push too far too soon. He pulled back a little and smiled at his lover as he slid his hands up the pale body, brushing the open shirt aside, but not removing it. The young officer's skin was smooth beneath his fingers, warm and enticing and unmistakably male. He heard Tully's breath catch and moved in close, locating that sensitive hollow at the base of his lover's throat again as his hands skated over the warm skin, easy touches designed to encourage rather than tease.

Methos' thumbs circled Tully's nipples, already peaked in the cool air, and strong hands suddenly tightened on his shoulders. A little surprised, Methos looked up, but the hazel eyes were dark with arousal not fear. Puzzled, Methos was about to speak when he felt the long fingers pluck at the fabric of his own shirt, a slightly abashed hope clear now in the young officer's expression. Methos grinned, relieved, and moved Tully's hand to the first of his shirt buttons. There was a moment's hesitation and then Tully leaned in to kiss him as his fingers released the first button. The fourth button had been dealt with before Tully found the courage to move his attentions from Methos' mouth and the soft lips began a slow exploration of the Immortal's bare throat.

The quick flicker of a tongue surprised a groan from the Immortal and wide, startled eyes met his as Tully jerked back. Methos grinned in reassurance and captured his lover's slightly swollen lips. Of its own volition his hand rose to comb lightly through Tully's still damp hair. The heavy rain had freed it from its rigid style and, loose, it was almost as long as Methos' own, long enough to bury his fingers in as he explored the warm depths of his lover's mouth. He couldn't seem to get enough of this and it surprised him; it was a relief that the young commander seemed to need it just as much. Tully responded to Methos' hungry kiss with a hunger all his own and their lips and tongues slid together wetly as they drank of each other's breath. It had been *so* long...

They were both gasping for air when they pulled apart and it was Methos' turn for panic as he wondered if he hadn't pushed too far too fast. Tully's eyes were closed revealing nothing as he struggled to regulate his breathing. "Okay?" Methos forced himself to check between gasps, not at all surprised at the hoarseness of his voice. If he had messed this up, the rest of his stay would be nigh on impossible and that really wouldn't be fair to his young double.

Tully's eyes blinked open, the hazel slightly dazed, and an unconscious smile tugged at his lips, "Uh huh." It wasn't much more than a breath, but Methos heard it and smiled. Then Tully was leaning forward again and Methos met him halfway, his hands curving around the warm skin of Tully's waist beneath his shirt. A little subtle manoeuvring and the young commander's shirt tails were free of his trousers; Tully didn't react, his own hands were busy stroking firmly across Methos' shoulders as if measuring their breadth, greater than any woman's.

The move nudged his shirt and it slipped from Methos' shoulders and Methos was glad he had already unfastened his cuffs. His hands left his lover's body briefly and the shirt slipped down his arms to fall to the floor. Tully seemed almost mesmerised by the suddenly revealed body, a faint expression of wonder and disbelief on his face as if he couldn't quite believe that this was for him. Methos flashed a quick grin before exploring his lover's neck and shoulders with his lips as he captured one of Tully's wrists and deftly freed it from its cotton restraint - turnabout was fair play after all.

He switched sides with hands and mouth simultaneously and Tully's free hand slipped around Methos' back, fingers splaying curiously over the pale expanse. With both cuffs loose, Methos' hands went to Tully's shoulders and he pushed the open shirt and jacket away. The young commander obediently dropped his arms to his sides and Methos slid the fabric down and off, his fingertips skating over the smooth skin of Tully's shoulders and arms.

Methos let himself linger; he loved this, simple touch, the feel of a lover, he'd missed it and it wasn't until now that he realised just how much he had needed it again. His fingertips circled sensitive nipples and Tully's breath caught in his throat, but he didn't object to Methos' explorations and the Immortal was surprisingly grateful for it. A firm caress over the flat stomach and Methos felt it tense beneath his touch so he stepped in close, seeking out his lover's mouth again and loving the way Tully opened to him immediately, hungrily. Kissing at least, the young officer was more than comfortable with.

Methos let his hands slip lower and felt the evidence of Tully's arousal pressing hard against the uniform trousers. A half-moan escaped into the kiss and Tully pressed himself into Methos' hand without thought. The Ancient would have grinned if his mouth hadn't already been thoroughly occupied. He curled his fingers lightly around the shaft, feeling the eager heat of it through the heavy cloth. In return, Tully's hand slipped down to cup Methos' backside, pulling the Immortal closer until Methos' erection was a noticeable pressure against Tully's hip. The young commander broke the kiss with an audible wet smack, then lowered his head to nuzzle at the join of Methos' neck and shoulder, hiding his face as if he needed the illusion of solitude to gather his scattered wits. His hips were making tiny involuntary movements against Methos' own, seeking, but not certain.

"Adam..." Tully's voice was low and hoarse, it rasped over his lover's skin in an almost tangible caress and Methos shivered. "I want... I don't..." Tully tried again, but trailed off with a low groan as Methos' hand squeezed ever so gently.

Methos turned his head and his tongue traced the whorls of the nearest ear causing his lover to shudder against him. "It's okay," he breathed and his breath on the damp skin caused another shudder to run through the long body, "I know."

Tully hummed acceptance against Methos' throat and it was Methos' turn to shiver. Apparently liking this reaction, Tully did it again, then sucked shockingly hard. Methos almost bucked his lover off at the unexpected spike of arousal and he buried his face against his lover's shoulder as he fought for calm.

Hands fumbled at his belt, "I want to feel you too," Tully mumbled, half-embarrassed and Methos could only groan his assent as a hot hand wrapped around his aching cock, the touch far too tentative for his need.

Tully raised his head in surprise when Methos' hand released him, the hazel eyes hot with unspoken need. Methos immediately went to work on his lover's fly, pushing Tully back a step to take advantage of the wall's support.

Tully gasped at the sensation of cool plaster against overheated skin and again as Methos lowered his head to suckle at his lover's tight nipples. The young officer's head fell back against the wall with a thud and a groan as his uniform trousers fell to pool around his ankles. Methos made even shorter work of Tully's briefs, he wanted to feel skin, warm and alive and for him. A little shimmy and Methos' own trousers joined Tully's on the floor; he reached back to get rid of his underwear, but Tully's hands were already there, the long fingers cautiously gentle as they eased the fabric over Methos' straining cock. Then those same hands slid around to cup his backside, pulling their bodies together tightly as need overcame reticence. Methos quickly snaked a hand down between them, wrapping it around both shafts. A low cry escaped Tully's lips at the intimate contact, strong fingers helplessly kneading Methos' flesh. Methos sucked in a deep breath, trying to find a little sanity; neither of them could last long like this, they both needed it far too much. He shifted slightly, sliding their cocks together within his grip; Tully's untutored body quickly picked up the rhythm and they moved against each other as if they had been doing it for years.

It took a woefully short time for the pace to quicken as their bodies overrode any thoughts they might have had of drawing it out. Methos shifted his grip slightly so he could circle the head of each slick cock in turn with his thumb. Tully froze, absolutely still for the briefest instant and Methos looked up, startled and unprepared when Tully's hands came up quickly, fingers clenching tight in Methos' hair as he pulled the Immortal into a fierce kiss. And then they were moving together again, faster and harder as lips, teeth and tongues fought for more of the other, both of them finally demanding the things they needed most.

The end was explosive, twin cries eerily harmonic in the small room as years of pent up frustration pulsed out between them. Methos' stroking hand slowed its pace, easing the last of the twin climaxes from them as he let his head fall forward to rest on his lover's shoulder and concentrated on simply breathing. His tongue flickered out absently to taste the salt-sweat of his lover's skin and he smiled when he felt the young officer nuzzle his neck in turn, hands stroking sluggishly across his back, returning the comfort of touch.

They stayed like that, wrapped around each other, holding each other up, for what seemed a small eternity as Methos felt his heart slowly return to a more normal pace. He dropped a quick kiss on his lover's throat before he spoke, "C'mon, we'll stick together," he warned.

Tully murmured something that could have been protest or agreement, but when Methos moved to separate them Tully shifted too, holding to him like a tar baby. Fortunately the size of the room meant it was only a couple of steps to the wash basin. Methos grabbed his wash cloth and dampened it quickly, running it over himself and wincing slightly at the cold water on his overheated skin. Tully still clung to him, but straightened quickly, his eyes sharpening, at the sensation of cold wet on his bare skin. Methos grinned unrepentantly, dropping the washcloth into the sink before running his hands over his lover's freshly cleaned skin, chasing the goosebumps.

The bed was only a single, but they would both fit if they stayed close and Methos wanted that. He wanted to wake up with a lover, to have someone beside him as he slept. Having rediscovered his own need for touch he was loath to give it up so soon, besides he cared for the young officer and the man was certainly in no fit state to go back to his own room.

Methos pulled back the blankets, turned to his lover and was surprised by what he saw. Tully's expression was utterly blank, but behind the hazel eyes he could see a terrible uncertainty. Carefully Methos reached for one of the long-fingered hands and drew it to his lips, placing a soft kiss over the knuckles, watching as Tully's eyes widened slightly in surprise. Then Methos climbed into the bed, not releasing his lover's hand but drawing him in. The young commander's movements were cautious, but he acquiesced to Methos' prompting as he settled himself. It was obvious that Tully hadn't expected this, had perhaps even expected rejection, and Methos couldn't help but wonder what had instilled that reaction in his clearly inexperienced lover. Carefully he drew the young man back against him, wary of any tension, but when Tully simply accepted the move, Methos let his arm curl around the young man's chest.

They lay like that in the quiet room for a few minutes, then Tully shifted a little, experimentally. Methos waited and then suddenly Tully turned around completely so that he faced the old Immortal, the hazel eyes searching Methos' own in the darkness. For a moment Methos was tempted to speak, to ask what it was the young commander sought, but then Tully buried his face against Methos' neck, one long arm creeping around his waist. "Thank you," it was barely audible, little more than a whisper of breath against his skin and Methos' wasn't sure if he was supposed to have heard it, but he curled his arm around his lover's shoulders, squeezing lightly in reassurance. He felt a faint sigh wash over his skin and then Tully relaxed against him, finally giving in to his body's demands for sleep.

Methos smiled softly into the darkness as his fingers stroked a soft, repetitive pattern over the smooth skin of his sleeping lover's shoulders. He couldn't sleep just yet, despite the languor of his body. Someone, some time, had hurt his young lover badly and Methos had had more than enough rejection in his life to know how deeply that hurt could run. He knew Tully was not *completely* inexperienced, but it seemed a near thing. The ancient Immortal sighed, first times always had so much potential for disaster. He pressed a feather-light kiss to the sleeper's hair in a silent promise to do better by the young officer and slowly drifted off to sleep still holding him close.

*****

Methos woke with the dawn, a habit he had not tried to break in all his 5,000 years. Despite the early morning chill he felt warm and extremely reluctant to move. It was astonishing how the simple addition of a bedmate could make a purely utilitarian piece of furniture so much more comfortable. Methos glanced down at his still sleeping lover; they had barely shifted during the night. Tully's head was pillowed on Methos' shoulder, his soft breaths teasing the sensitive skin of the Immortal's throat, one long arm was wrapped around Methos' torso, holding tight, and their legs were tangled together quite comfortably. Even if he had wanted to, Methos could not have moved without disturbing his partner. So instead the Immortal took the time to observe the unwary young officer.

Tully's hair was soft and dark and it flopped down haphazardly over his face much as Methos' own tended to. The Ancient absently blew a few stray strands out of his own eyes, but they flopped stubbornly back. He had found that longer hair granted him a useful illusion of youth, but it made Tully look absurdly young. Methos hadn't asked, but he suspected that what he saw was a truer picture of his lover's age than that presented by the starched and serious Wing Commander. With a small smile, Methos slid his hand up the smooth back so his fingers could gently card through his lover's treacherous hair.

There was a faint murmur of contentment against his skin as Tully slowly surfaced from sleep, nuzzling unconsciously against Methos' throat. Methos tilted his head back with a sigh, letting his new lover have full access. A hand slid sleep-heavy across his stomach and Methos returned the caress to Tully's back. They had time.

Methos sighed in appreciation as the still sleepy officer shifted closer, his growing erection pressing lightly against Methos' hip. Long lashes snagged against his skin; "Morning," Methos murmured in greeting.

The sudden gasp was not entirely unexpected. Then Tully was jerking up and away and Methos cursed as the cold air hit his suddenly defenceless flesh. But the chill was only a momentary distraction because even in the dim light he could clearly see the horrified panic in the hazel eyes. It wasn't the sort of look he preferred his lovers to favour him with, but Methos could see beneath to a kind of helpless need. He didn't need to look to know that Tully had been at least half-aroused, but his eyes dropped anyway, freeing the young officer from his gaze. Abruptly Tully twisted around, swinging his long legs over the edge of the bed and burying his face in his hands with a low groan, "Oh God."

Methos closed his eyes and took a deep breath, willing his morning erection to subside, then he manoeuvred himself around to sit next to the young commander, careful not to let their bare bodies touch. Cautiously he reached out a hand to touch his lover's arm and was almost surprised by his own relief when Tully didn't flinch away. Somehow he had known that the young officer would not hold 'Adam' responsible, but frustratingly it made things both easier and harder at the same time; Tully wouldn't rant at him, but he might shut him out and Methos wanted to help his young double.

"Tully? Ian?" he called softly.

"Don't call me that."

Methos blinked at the oddly flat tone, "What can I call you then?" he asked carefully.

Tully turned his head to meet Methos' concerned gaze for just a moment before retreating behind his hands again. "Tully," he muttered a little thickly, "Just Tully."

Methos nodded his acceptance; there was a story there, he knew, but it could wait. "Is it me?" he tried again; he knew it wasn't, but he needed to be sure that Tully knew it too. Admitting the existence of a whole new aspect of your sexuality was vastly different from actually acting on it and the reactions it inspired were rarely reasonable ones. He watched Tully tense a little, his whole posture betraying the young man's misery.

"I'm sorry, Adam," the voice was muffled but recognisable, "It's not you." A deep breath and then Tully visibly straightened his spine, as if bracing himself to meet the firing squad. "It's my problem, I'll try to keep you out of it."

Methos frowned, "What's your problem and what if I don't want to be kept out of it?" Tully's head jerked up in shock, his expression part horror, part disbelief and Methos tried hard to project his sincerity.

"I'm so stupid," Tully stated shortly, "They'll know. I'll be court-martialled and dishonourably discharged. My family will disown me. We could end up in prison. I shouldn't have... I..." Tully met Methos' eyes again, all earnest entreaty. "You're so bright Adam, you shouldn't be dragged down too."

Methos fought the urge to laugh out loud; the child was trying to protect him! He would have kissed Tully if he hadn't thought the man would back away out of misplaced concern. If Adam Taylor were forced out of his work and his life, then Methos would pick up and move on, it would hardly be the first time it had happened. Tully's desire to protect him was wholly unnecessary, but it warmed the old Immortal nonetheless. The young commander's future was far more precious and harder to replace.

Methos slid off the bed and onto his knees before his lover. The carpet was harsh against his bare skin, but he ignored it and wrapped his hands around Tully's wrists, pulling the hands away from that familiar face. The young officer resisted at first, but after a moment he resigned himself to his lover's insistence. Finally able to hold Tully's gaze, Methos spoke softly, "What we did last night was mutual I thought?" There was a long moment's hesitation and Methos held his breath.

"Yes."

Methos let a small, relieved smile curl his lips, "Ian... Tully, no-one is going to know anything unless we tell them and I'm certainly not going to." Methos moved his grip to his lover's hands and squeezed them gently, "I said we'd deal with it *if* it happened and *we* will. But nothing's happened yet and, with a little care, nothing will. I like my life fine just the way it is at the moment and that includes *this*." He gave the hands in his another squeeze for emphasis and searched his lover's dark eyes, hoping his words would be enough. "They won't know," he insisted softly and finally saw the reassurance take hold. Methos smiled, a little faith could go a long way sometimes. "I like you, I liked what we did, I'd like for it to continue..." Methos left it hanging with a hopeful little smile, if Tully wanted this to stop now, then it would, but Methos would miss it.

Tully's eyes were wide and vulnerable, but Methos was pleased to see that the young commander still thought it through before giving a small nod in response. Methos' smile broadened quite without his willing it and he rose up on his knees to touch his lips to his lover's.

A beat and then the lips were parting beneath his own, hesitantly extending a welcome. Methos took the offer and deepened the kiss, releasing Tully's hands so that he could snake one hand down to his lover's cock. Tully's morning erection had virtually vanished since the abrupt awakening, but it revived quickly enough when Methos' long fingers wrapped around it, encouraging it to grow. Methos' free hand crept up to cup his lover's face, not quite holding him to the kiss, but giving him an alternative touch to focus on if he needed it. When Tully finally began to move of his own volition, his arms wrapping loosely around Methos' shoulders, the Immortal ended the kiss with a smile.

He could still sense the tension in the young officer's body, nerves strung so tight they couldn't unwind - sometimes the body took more convincing than the mind. Methos slid his hand to the back of Tully's neck, kneading lightly, chasing the chill from his lover's skin and warming the tight muscles. "Relax," he murmured as he leaned in for another soft kiss. The cock in his hand was filling rapidly beneath Methos' sure touch. "Lean back a little," he instructed, his lips brushing his lover's as he spoke. Tully obeyed without question and Methos slid his hand from his lover's neck all the way down to his thigh where his fingers played absently with the light dusting of hair. Moving slowly, Methos began to trail almost chaste kisses across the pale chest in an easy seduction, far different from the previous night's desperation.

Tully's skin was bed warm beneath his lips and Methos flicked his tongue out to taste the pale skin. Then with a gentle push Tully fell back onto the bed, propping himself up on his elbows so he could watch his lover's ministrations. The young officer didn't seem to mind Methos' actions, but the Immortal was conscious of eyes on him, curious more than anticipatory or wary. Tully's easy acquiescence bothered him a little; he wasn't sure if it was because the young commander was just still tired or if he truly trusted Methos that much - far more than their short acquaintance justified. He wasn't sure which explanation bothered him more, but at least he was sure the mortal wasn't afraid of him - Methos had long since lost his taste for that.

Methos softly kissed the hollow at the base of his lover's throat before pulling back to meet the hazel gaze. "If I do anything you don't like - tell me to stop and I will," he promised and waited for Tully's faint nod before returning to the slow exploration of his lover's body.

Tully's skin was soft and smooth, as hairless as his own, though less well-defined, the legacy of 5,000 years of swordwork. It didn't take long for his tongue to locate the small peak of a nipple and he smiled around it when he heard Tully's breath escape in a rush. He laved the tight bud with slow, deliberate strokes before drawing it into his mouth and sucking gently. The cock in his hand twitched impatiently and Methos took the hint, licking a path to the other side and repeating the process with the other nipple. He kept up a slow rhythm with the hand on Tully's cock, pleased to note its definite interest in the proceedings. Methos slowly began to work his way back to the first nipple, but a faint moan reminded him that as much as he might like to draw it out, the object was to relax his lover, not tease, and they didn't really have that much time before the rest of the base would start to stir. With that in mind, Methos diverted his path downward to paint the lines of his lover's ribs with his tongue. Tully's breath was coming in light gasps now, interspersed with the occasional low moan as Methos reached a particularly sensitive area.

Offering no objection to his lover's unspoken requests, it wasn't long before Methos was following the faint trail of hair down from Tully's navel to his fully erect cock. The Immortal paused then to look up; Tully's face was flushed and the eyes that stared back at him were wide and dark with arousal. Methos offered him a reassuring smile before shifting his position slightly. The hand curled around Tully's cock stilled its movement and, holding his lover's eyes, Methos leaned in and slowly licked up the few drops of precome that had gathered at the tip. Tully froze, his breath hitching in his chest, but he didn't say a word. Methos couldn't help smiling to himself as he shifted his grip again before opening his mouth and slowly going down.

Tully fell back onto the bed with a soft thump, his hands reaching for Methos' head, long fingers tangling in his hair as he sought not to control, but simply to confirm this exquisite reality. From the reaction, Methos was fairly certain no-one had ever done this for the inexperienced young commander before and it warmed him to know that he was the first, that he could and would give his lover this pleasure.

The pace he set was easy, steady, but not so slow as to be teasing, while his hands gentled his lover's tiny movements. It didn't take long at all for a whole new tension to build and Methos concentrated on responding to Tully's unvoiced needs. Attuned as he was, Methos felt the trembling in the long limbs before Tully was probably even aware of it, so he was prepared for it when Tully's hips began to buck and rode it out without a break in the rhythm. With what must have been a considerable effort of will, Tully slowed the movement, trying to make things last just a little longer, perhaps trying not to force his lover further than Methos was prepared to go. The ancient Immortal regretted the loss of such an open response; he didn't *want* the young officer to try to control his reactions, letting go was the whole point of this particular exercise. Tully kept too much bottled up inside him, not without reason, but, with Methos at least, it was neither necessary nor desirable. He pulled up until only the head of his lover's cock remained between his lips, then Methos began to dance his tongue over the sensitive tip. Almost immediately Tully's hands left his head to twist fiercely in the sheets and Methos slid his hand down to cup his lover's heavy balls, petting them gently and feeling them tighten at his touch. He took a little more of the shaft into his mouth, keeping up the movements of his tongue.

Tully was pleading now, or trying to - the words were garbled with pleasure and had not enough breath behind them to be more than whispers, though fervent ones all the same. He writhed beneath Methos' mouth, his hands white-knuckled with the force of his grip on the sheets as his hard-won control deserted him.

One quick breath and Methos took Tully all the way in, swallowing rapidly around his length. Tully cried out in surprise at the move and then he was coming hard, his hips arching up off the bed as he tried to get deeper into the welcoming warmth of Methos' throat, fingers finding Methos' hair again, holding the Immortal to him.

Eyes closed in pleasure, Methos swallowed the last of his lover's release, humming softly in gratitude around the softening flesh. The vibrations drew a last shudder from his young lover and then Tully lay still, but for the heaving of his chest. The long fingers slid slowly from Methos' hair, as if no longer possessing the strength to maintain even that light grip. Methos slowly suckled his way up and off the spent cock and straightened. He couldn't help smiling at Tully's closed-eyed expression of pleasure. Ignoring the protest of his knees, Methos carefully stretched up and over his lover's lax body and took the slightly parted lips in a sweet kiss. Dark eyes fluttered open to meet his as Tully's mouth opened to his questing tongue without hesitation. Beautiful.

Tully licked his lips experimentally when Methos pulled away, tasting himself from his lover's mouth with open curiosity.

"Better?" Methos inquired with a smile and Tully nodded, apparently not yet trusting his voice, his expression still slightly dazed and oddly blank. Then Tully was reaching up, wrapping his hand around the back of Methos' neck as he pulled the Immortal down for a deep, languorous kiss.

"What about you?" Tully asked in return when they broke for breath, his voice soft, slightly hoarse and very far removed from his usual, crisp tones.

"I'm fine," Methos replied easily, though his cock throbbed in protest. "We haven't the time for anything else."

Tully's head whipped around to see Methos' bedside clock - 7.15am. Fifteen minutes to get ready and be in the mess hall for breakfast. Methos tried not to chuckle as he watched panic war with satiation in his lover's expression. Pushing himself up with no small regret, Methos grabbed his bathrobe and handed it to the young commander, "Go shower," he grinned. Tully quickly belted on the robe and was halfway to the door before he stopped, horrified.

"I can't leave here like this!" he exclaimed, panicked and despairing at once, "What if someone sees me?"

Methos' grin broadened and he took his lover's arm, guiding him to the mirror above the washbasin. "No-one will see you," he assured the nervous young officer, "They'll see me."

Tully looked at the twin reflections; wrapped in Adam's robe, his hair a tousled mess, echoes of satisfaction softening his expression, he looked far less like the prim and proper Wing Commander and far more like the determinedly casual young code breaker. Methos watched as Tully's lips curved up in a smile and the twin reflections followed suit. "Go shower," he repeated, "I'll join you in the mess hall later." Tully nodded and with one last look at the Immortal, slipped out into the corridor.

Methos waited until the door shut behind his lover and stretched with a smile. He felt *very* good, even though his persistent erection insisted he could feel better. Absently, he wrapped his hand around the aching shaft and began an easy rhythm. After all, no-one would care if *he* were late for breakfast. He padded back to his bed and lay down, inhaling the faint lingering scent of his lover as his free hand started to play across his chest and he closed his eyes.

It had been a long time since he had been the recipient of such innocent trust, expecting nothing of him. It made him *want* to give more, to prove himself worthy of it. It had been nice too simply to touch and be touched, to be needed only for things he was willing and able to give. Somehow he always managed to forget how good it felt until he had it again, nothing so complicated as love, but just as necessary. He wanted this and he wasn't ashamed to ask, by words or actions. In his mind's eye he saw again the need and the hunger in his young lover's eyes - perhaps he wasn't the only one who had needed reminding.

*****

Tully made it to the mess hall only barely late and took his customary seat by himself. He never tried to sit with the men, nor did they try to sit with him. He was their direct superior, but he simply didn't feel comfortable with them - there were few people he had ever felt truly comfortable with. Unbidden, his mind flew back to his last sight of Adam and he quickly ducked his head as he felt his cheeks burn. He'd only popped in to retrieve his uniform and Adam had been lying on his bed, completely naked, his hand... Tully tried to brush a few barely noticeable creases from his trousers, desperately trying to think of anything else.

"Ah, there you are Tully. I told you he'd be here, Adam, always punctual our Tully."

Tully twisted in his seat, feeling the vague beginnings of shock as the Group Captain sat down opposite him. He knew he was holding his breath, but he couldn't help it as Adam slid onto the bench next to him, as calm and composed as if he hadn't sucked Tully into oblivion not half an hour before. Tully swallowed and hoped his sudden discomfort wasn't noticeable.

"It really is uncanny," the Group Captain commented, looking from one to the other, and Tully forced himself to pay attention.

Adam grinned, "Well if nothing else, it should confuse the hell out of any would-be assassins."

The Group Captain laughed, "And you two are getting on alright? Not getting on each other's nerves too much?"

Tully felt his throat close up, the Group Captain knew him better than virtually anyone else, could he guess? But Adam laughed easily and Tully marvelled at the man's confidence.

"Actually," Adam replied, "We've been getting on surprisingly well."

"Splendid," the Group Captain approved, then he got up, "Cup of tea, Adam? Tully?"

"Ah, yes please, sir," Tully managed, while Adam simply nodded. As soon as the Group Captain's back was turned, Adam leaned close, his hand slipping from sight to rest lightly on Tully's thigh.

"Relax," he murmured, his breath tickling Tully's skin. That, plus the memory of what had followed that word earlier, had precisely the opposite effect and the young commander felt his heart race.

"I can't," Tully whispered back and felt Adam's hand squeeze slightly.

"You can," Adam assured him confidently.

Tully swallowed nervously and nodded, hoping fervently that wishing could make it so. Before either of them could say any more though, the Group Captain returned with their drinks and Adam's hand slid surreptitiously away. Tully missed the contact as the easy conversation resumed between the Group Captain and the code breaker and if anyone thought it odd that Tully barely said a word during the entire meal, no-one commented on it.

*****

Tully put the forms down with a sigh, paperwork had never been this boring before, surely. Staring at the pale green paint on the wall wasn't much of an improvement either; he simply had no concentration to speak of, not with Adam working in the next room. Tully's panic had subsided since breakfast when nothing catastrophic had happened. But now, two minutes into his work and he was staring into space, lost in the strangely tactile memories of Adam's hands on his skin, Adam's lips on his...

Tully blinked and hastily took his fingers from his lips, God alone knew what anyone coming in would think. But still...

He sighed again and tried to summon some interest in the requisition forms in front of him - it didn't work. Tully pushed his chair back from the desk to stare up at the ceiling and scrubbed his hands over his face. Despite his trouble focusing, he felt better than he had in a long time, the relaxation Adam had left him with was slow in dissipating. He felt a silly grin begin to form and hastily schooled his expression. Last night should *never* have happened, he never let *anyone* get that close to him, not anymore. The Wing Commander mask had been designed to discourage people and it worked, most people didn't even realise it *was* a mask and, of those who did, only Adam had seen what lay beneath. Adam had somehow seen right through him from day one and had then managed with equal ease to slip past every one of Tully's carefully constructed barriers. And Tully had *let* him, but rather than the expected horror or bafflement Adam had understood perfectly - more than understood...

Tully felt his face heat and quickly straightened in his chair. He had been out of control last night, with no regard for propriety, no thought of the consequences. He had been reckless and needy, so much so it scared him. But Adam hadn't said a word of protest, hadn't pulled away... God. It had been terrifying and strangely comforting at the same time because Adam had been there, had given him tacit permission to do whatever felt good to him, as much or as little as he needed. And he had never had that freedom before, couldn't remember what it was Adam had said or done to make him believe it, but he had and the taste of it had been intoxicating. He felt *safe* in Adam's presence, understood, as if he could just be himself and it wouldn't disappoint. God, what had he been thinking? But... and he could feel his face heat again to think of it - it had been good, very good.

Tully glanced around quickly and shuffled a few papers; there was no-one to see, but he needed to distract himself from his own thoughts. He and Adam had... and it had felt *right* in a way that was impossible to define. Maybe it was just desperation on his part, maybe it was just being able to let go of it all for once; he didn't know, but he wanted more. Tully had no illusions about his experience or, more accurately, his lack of it, but Adam hadn't seemed to mind. When it was over he had half-expected to be sent on his way, past experience warring with unreasonable hope. He could remember the feel of Adam's body pressed against his, in comfort only that time, and it had been the best night's sleep he could remember since he was a child. It had been a nice awakening too, until he'd remembered the consequences and promptly screwed it all up again. By rights Adam should have kicked him out then, but instead he had taken the time and care to reassure Tully and...

Tully stifled a groan as his nascent erection grew hard at the vivid memory of Adam's talented mouth on him. If anyone came in...

With ruthless deliberation Tully summoned up the memory of Joan, her face turned ugly as she had laughed at him. It did the job well enough and his erection wilted, but he couldn't banish the memory quickly enough to stop the inevitable rush of shame and hurt thoughts of her always brought. He was a fool - he always had been.

The paperwork suddenly seemed a far more appealing prospect than his memories. Tully picked up his pen and tried hard to banish the wistful thoughts of the comfort he had felt waking in Adam's arms. He could practically hear his father's voice telling him that real men, real soldiers, didn't need such childish reassurance. And what would his father think of his behaviour last night... Tully squeezed his eyes shut in anguish; he knew full well what his father would think of it - disgust and maybe anger if he was lucky, more likely it would be bitter satisfaction at having been proven right about his useless son. His mother would be professedly hurt and disappointed if she bothered to care at all. But even so, he couldn't regret taking advantage of Adam's kindness, he owed him more than that if only for the friendship Adam had offered.

Adam's assistant, Ann, walked through with a stack of files and Tully suddenly felt horribly exposed, caught without his Wing Commander mask in place. He needn't have worried, she barely even glanced at him. But still he felt uncomfortable, like it was written across his face for anyone to see - he'd had sex with another man and he'd *liked* it, and worse, he wanted to do it again.

The door to Adam's office opened again and Tully blinked as Adam wandered out with two steaming mugs in one hand and a plate of biscuits in the other. The door swung shut with a bang and Tully blinked again as Adam set the biscuits on his desk and offered him one of the mugs of tea. He took it carefully without a word, surprised and not entirely trusting his own voice. Adam smiled, "It's one of my conditions of work," he grinned and offered Tully a biscuit, "It didn't seem fair for you to be sitting out here without."

Tully couldn't find his voice so he took a cautious sip of his tea, it was hot and strong, not as sweet as he liked, but with the biscuit it wasn't bad. "It's good - thank you," he managed eventually and Adam smiled.

"I have to get back or my watchdog will start barking," he offered with a rueful grin and Tully nodded. Adam slid from his perch on the desk without sloshing his tea and met Tully's gaze with a grin, "Keep the biscuits, I eat too many anyway." And then he was gone again, if it weren't for the hot cup of tea in his hand and the biscuits on his desk, Tully might have thought he imagined the whole thing.

Tully wrapped his long fingers around the steaming mug, enjoying the heat against his hands, and wished Adam had stayed a little longer. True, with Ann in the next room they could hardly have said much about anything for fear of being overheard, but still... just Adam's continued presence would have been nice. And unsettling as his thoughts in Adam's presence were, Tully preferred them to the alternative.

He ate the last biscuit and finished off his tea, it would be lunchtime in an hour and a half and he needed to have the forms completed by then. With a ruthless effort of will Tully resumed the role of Wing Commander, blanking his mind to all but the immediate task as he finally got down to work.

*****

"How about over there?" Adam asked, as cheerful as ever. Tully looked at the proposed spot, a low wall in the sun, a few trees behind it blocking most of the wind. It had been typical British weather; it had rained heavily all the day before and now it was clear skies and bright sunshine. Most of the squadron had taken their lunch outside and Adam had insisted on the same - they were only eating sandwiches and they spent most of their time indoors anyway.

"Alright," Tully agreed. He'd barely said two words since escorting Adam from their offices to the mess and he was painfully aware of it, but he still didn't know what to say. If he were the Wing Commander in truth it would be easy, he'd just make some stupid statement about the War, all confidence and pomposity. But he wasn't, he couldn't wear masks around Adam anymore and he wished that were some noble decision on his part rather than just a simple statement of fact. What did you say to the man you had spent the night with? The only thing he could think of was 'Thank you' and 'I want to do it again', but he could hardly say that with half a dozen pilots and ground crew lounging within earshot.

Tully looked over to see Adam perching himself cross-legged on top of the wall, he wondered how the man kept his balance, but he hoisted himself up beside the code breaker, letting his own legs dangle down.

"You're being very quiet," Adam commented as he unwrapped his lunch and Tully flinched.

"Sorry."

Adam shook his head, then swallowed his bite of sandwich, "Don't apologise," he replied, "I was just wondering if there was a reason for it?"

Tully shrugged uncomfortably, "I just... I'm not sure what to say." He watched Adam's lips curve up in a knowing smile. Tully flushed, he couldn't help it, then he glanced around quickly to see if anyone had noticed, but no-one was paying them much attention at all. He took a bite of his own sandwich, trying to hide his discomfort. They ate in silence for a few more minutes in deference to Tully's uncertainty.

"Why don't you like being called Ian?"

Tully turned to Adam in surprise at the question, "It's my father's name," he replied without thinking.

"Ah," was Adam's only comment and Tully studied his friend's face, trying to work out how that sound conveyed so much understanding when Adam really couldn't know anything about it at all. Strangely though it only made him want to tell Adam some of it, not quite seeking sympathy, just an impartial listener. "We never really... got on very well," Tully admitted, remembering again the constant sense of failure to live up to his father's impossible expectations.

Adam nodded, but said nothing, the expression in his eyes softening slightly, "Because of this?" he asked, his voice low enough not to carry, a vague wave of his hand between them elaborating his meaning. Tully blushed, but shook his head quickly, "No - this... I... He doesn't know about this."

Adam smiled softly, "When did *you* know about this?"

Tully cursed his pale skin as he blushed again at the tacit reminder of the night's activities and looked away, pretending to scan their surroundings rather than look at Adam again and see that warm knowledge in his eyes. Adam shrugged, but he turned his face away, looking out over the grass, offering an illusion of privacy until he spoke again. "It's just that you didn't seem surprised last night, well, you were surprised that you were doing it, but not what it was that you were doing."

Tully strangled his gasp, his body going rigid as he forced himself not to jerk around to see Adam's expression even knowing no-one was within hearing distance of that quiet voice.

"I... for a while now," he eventually managed, "A few years anyway." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Adam nod to himself and he wondered how Adam had read him so accurately last night when he himself had barely been able to think two coherent thoughts in a row. "You?" he ventured, his voice not managing more than a whisper.

Adam turned to him then, lips twitching in a smile, "For a while," he replied easily enough.

Tully turned away at the humour in his friend's eyes and took a long swallow of his tea - he would have preferred something stronger, but it was hard enough resisting the urge to touch his new friend, to kiss him or just hold his hand. He wanted to ask Adam why, why someone who could have anybody would want him, flawed and damaged as he was, but he didn't know how to ask and he hadn't the courage for it anyway. Pathetic.

Taking a deep breath, Tully glanced around, no-one was near enough to hear if he kept it quiet. "Adam?" He waited until that familiar face turned to him, finding his own courage in the green/gold eyes, "Why..."

"Mr Taylor!" Tully was glad he wasn't the only one to jump at the sound of that voice as it interrupted him, sometimes he wondered if Miss James hadn't been a headmistress in a previous life. "Mr Taylor. You must come inside, there's an important message for you." She was already close enough that she would notice them whispering and, knowing her, would demand to know what they were whispering about.

Adam gave him a rueful look and slid off the wall. "Later," he promised in a tone Tully couldn't decipher. Then Adam was leaving, his long legs carrying him away from Tully as his assistant hurried to catch up, already launching into her instructions, snapping at Adam's heels like those tiny, yappy dogs his mother lavished all her attention on. God, he detested those things.

*****

Methos sighed as he seated himself at his desk, earning a reproving look from Ann. He had hoped to spend his lunch break quietly, getting to know Tully a little better, or rather, getting to know a little more about him. He wanted to hear from the young officer what had hurt him so badly and made him retreat from the affection he obviously craved. He'd hoped Tully would be able to tell him with a little coaxing. The Wing Commander didn't need his masks around the Immortal anymore and Methos hoped the young man recognised that. They didn't have enough freedom in their schedules to spend as much time together as he would have liked, just being in the young man's company would have helped though, he thought. As it was, despite their proximity, there was no real freedom to talk, or even for Tully to act out of the stiff character he had created, and Methos could not tell how well his lover was handling the changes they had wrought together.

He snorted softly and reached for the latest sheaf of coded messages, flicking through them idly. He probably should have grown out of this habit by now, this compulsion to look after certain mortals - Immortals too, though much less often. Darius had claimed it was a part of him, not any sort of bad habit to be broken, but then Darius had always insisted on seeing the best in him. After the first few centuries Methos had given up trying to argue the point, not quite willing to concede, but taking a small measure of comfort from the faith of his friend.

Lizzy too had always insisted that, with his nature, he should have been a doctor; he could hardly have told her then that he had already been one for a great many years off and on. He smiled a little sadly, Lizzy would have been wife number 68 if she had lived long enough. In fact she was the reason he had decided to get involved in this war - there had been too many victims in the last one and he still had occasional nightmares of digging himself from the rubble of their home in Scarborough. Only he and the cat had survived and the cat had lost a leg. It had slept on his bed every night thereafter until it died of old age, missing its mistress as much as he had. Lizzy had been the first to touch his heart in almost a century and unlike her predecessor, she had been free to accept his offer.

Methos put the papers down and picked up a pen - the code was a simple one, but it didn't pay to solve them too quickly and the message was mere routine, so he jotted notes absently while his mind continued to wander. Lizzy had brought him back into the world and her memory was still fresh, the wounds to his heart still bled from time to time. She would have liked Tully, he thought, she'd always had a thing for adopting strays. He smiled ruefully, at least it explained what such a wealthy and wilful young woman had been doing with him. He grinned and snatched a biscuit from his stash. Her first instinct would have been to mother the vulnerable young commander and then she would have given a right earful to whoever had treated the young man so badly. Of course she'd have been about 50 by now, but Methos rather doubted that would have stopped her, or even slowed her down much.

"Would you like another cup of tea, Mr Taylor?" Ann's voice grated with his fond memories and he scowled - next time he was holding out for biscuits *and* his own choice of assistant.

"No, I'm fine, thank you," he replied easily, it was only a half-hearted offer anyway. It hadn't taken him long to realise that queries after his well-being actually meant 'why aren't you working'. He hated people breathing down his neck, he was half-tempted to send her out to ask Tully if he wanted a drink, just to offend her sense of hierarchy, but the young commander hadn't done anything to deserve that. Although come to think of it, Ann might actually approve of *Wing Commander* Tully, though not of what he had been doing last night - tonight too with any luck.

Methos had been a little surprised that this had happened between them, but he didn't regret it. Tully's attraction to him made a kind of sense, he supposed, and in turn Methos had found himself drawn to the young officer's vulnerability, his uncertainty, and his courage in facing it. Tully could have avoided him, despite his duty, he could have requested a replacement or simply ignored him, but he hadn't. Methos had long since resigned himself to the fact that so much of what he did was motivated by cowardice - it was depressing when he dwelt on it too long, so he didn't. It was nice to know that his young twin had not fallen into the same traps he had and if his millennia of experience could help his double avoid those traps, then what he could do to help, he would. It may not have seemed that way to the young commander, but Tully was the one who had made the first move and Methos had been helpless to respond. And if the strength of his own need sometimes surprised him, he could attribute it to a previously undiscovered narcissistic streak, but he didn't need to analyse it to be able to enjoy it for what it was.

It had been 24 years since Lizzy's death and in some ways, that time alone had left him as vulnerable as Tully; too much time alone, but not enough for him to have buried his heart again. Tully had needed a friend, needed someone who could see him and appreciate him for what he was, instead of measuring him by all the things he wasn't. Methos was achingly familiar with that need, it was something they had in common besides their looks. The ancient Immortal had long since accepted that no-one could ever like him for what he was, few ever got close enough to him to even know what that was. Simple genuine affection was good enough for him now and even though Tully didn't know the whole of him, the parts that he did know were real enough and Methos thanked him for that.

*****

Tully sighed, put his pen down, and pushed the last of the papers aside; it was 6pm and he was technically off duty now, well, as off duty as he could be with the War still going on. He didn't even have to escort Adam anywhere this evening, the Group Captain had dropped by not an hour before to collect Adam for some meeting and had assured Tully that the code breaker was not his charge for the rest of the evening. It had probably been meant as a kindness, giving Tully a bit of a break, a chance for some time alone - the problem was that what Tully really wanted was time alone with Adam.

Their aborted lunch had left Tully unsettled; he had barely said a word to Adam then, not about anything important, and he regretted it now. He *should* have said something, even if he didn't know what. At the time, part of him had still been amazed that Adam voluntarily spent time with him, but another part was beginning to recognise that the code breaker really had been sincere in his promise to help Tully deal.

Adam had been busy all afternoon, or at least he hadn't left his office until he'd left for the night, and Tully hadn't been able to come up with even a half-believable excuse for him to go in. It didn't help that Ann was there also, making privacy impossible.

Tully sighed and began to tidy the various papers away; it was Friday night and technically tomorrow was his day off, but all he wanted to do was curl up and sleep it away. He was still tired from his week of insomnia and it didn't help his confusion at all. He wanted to just *be* with Adam for a while, until he could sort out what he felt from what he feared. He *wanted* to believe Adam had meant what he said when he had claimed to want this... affair to continue, but past experience and his own self-doubts were a formidable opponent after so many years of reinforcement. The code breaker had filled a need somewhere that the Wing Commander had managed for years without and now suddenly it seemed the most vital thing, he felt hollow inside without it. God, he was pitiful.

Tully levered himself up from his chair and closed up the office. He would go and he would get drunk and maybe, if he were lucky, he would see Adam tomorrow.

The pub was only just beginning to fill when Tully arrived at half past seven and ordered a whisky, much to Edna's surprise though she said nothing. Tully felt no particular desire to enlighten her either as he took his drink and made his way to a back booth where he wouldn't be disturbed. He just kept getting more and more pathetic, yet some small corner of his mind persisted in hoping for the impossible and he knew that if Adam just gave him the slightest encouragement, intentional or not, that small part would break free and he didn't know what he would do then.

The door opened and a knot of soldiers came in, talking, joking and laughing amongst themselves. It was impossible not to recognise the familiar voice among other familiar voices. Adam had a wicked laugh.

From his booth Tully watched them all settle around the squadron's usual table as the drinks were carried over; a space was made for Adam and he fitted in as if he'd known them all for years. At that moment Tully envied Adam's ease like nothing else; he was so tired and seeing Adam so comfortable in the company of others that small hope withered and starved and yet somehow still clung stubbornly to life. So for the next half-hour Tully continued to watch Adam with the others; the man was impossibly likeable and Tully wasn't sure whether to be jealous of Adam or of the airmen. But he wanted to be there, wanted to know if Adam was as understanding with the others as he had been with Tully, if it was something the man did automatically or if it was reserved only for a special few.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Adam to keep a secret, or maybe it was... No. Nothing Adam had said or done suggested that the man would betray him like that. Perhaps it was simply that he was afraid Adam would find the company of the others more entertaining than anything Tully could offer. He knew where he would want to be anyway, if he ever thought for a moment that he could be accepted as one of them. But he wasn't, he was an officer, with duties and obligations and... inclinations...

Tully took another sip of his whisky, he wasn't much of a drinker really, but he was sorely tempted to get really stinking drunk tonight. He wasn't officer material and he knew it - so did every other officer he met; the Group Captain at least tried not to make it too obvious, tried to make it easier on him. They were laughing again, he wondered why this time and hoped it wasn't at him. Struck with sudden panic, he hoped Adam hadn't been treated to the stories they had about him, true or false, he wasn't sure he could bear that. It was one thing to know you were incompetent, quite another to have it pointed out to your lover in excruciating detail.

His gaze slid to Edna at the bar as she poured pints for the group's next round; she glanced up, feeling his eyes on her, and he quickly averted his gaze. He wasn't sure he could take her teasing tonight, he'd end up losing it, saying something about him and Adam and then he would never be able to forgive himself, quite aside from any other consequences it might have. After watching him for a long moment she returned to her job and Tully breathed a deep sigh of relief. The soldiers were laughing now at something Adam had said and Tully felt something fierce swell inside him - he wanted to go over there, to sit next to Adam and make it clear to everyone that at least one person didn't seem to think him an idiot. He couldn't of course, it was just the alcohol talking, and the feeling died. He sighed and took another drink, hoping the burn of the whisky would clear the tight feeling in his throat.

Adam was getting up now, wandering over to the bar to get another drink and chatting to Edna. She didn't try flirting with Adam, Tully noticed, and he wasn't sure if that made him glad or annoyed that she didn't seem to see what she was missing out on. Adam was gesturing with his hands as he explained something, long fingers weaving an elegant dance, mesmerising young officer and barmaid alike. Inevitably Tully's eyes travelled from Adam's hands to the rest of his body; the broad shoulders and straight back, narrow hips and long, long legs. Embarrassingly he found his eyes drifting to Adam's backside, looking for the brief moments when his movements caused the otherwise loose cloth to tighten. Tight muscled and loose-limbed. Certainly no-one could accuse the young code breaker of having a pole up there...

Tully flushed at the inadvertent thought and took a quick swallow of his whisky hoping to distract himself and nearly choking in his haste. But the thought, once touched upon, wouldn't be banished. It had been there, lurking in the back of his mind, unacknowledged, since that first kiss. All the unformed yearnings of the last few years had coalesced with frightening speed once given a focus. People *knew*, without ever really being told, what it was that homosexuals did and he wanted to do those things with Adam. When he tried to think about the mechanics of it, he really wasn't sure at all, but somehow the *idea* of having Adam inside him still held its appeal. But Adam might not want that, might not do that. What they had done together... that night and the next morning... well it seemed to prove that Adam was comfortable at least with... things, but that didn't mean... And Tully certainly had never... Just because he'd never denied the feelings he'd had for years, it didn't mean he'd ever really thought about acting on them, he'd been too scared, as if people would somehow know.

Adam was moving again, all lithe grace, and Tully knew he was staring. He knew he shouldn't, knew he should stop, but somehow the frantic message never made it to his eyes. He had held those narrow hips, had his hands on Adam's backside and pulled him close and Adam hadn't seemed to mind at all and now Adam was coming towards him. Tully took a quick sip of his drink at the rush of tactile memory, feeling himself grow hard and thankful the table hid that fact from his friend. He couldn't do this and yet he knew he would - he hadn't drunk nearly enough really. He wanted Adam, he wanted Adam to want him back. He wanted to do things with Adam that he was quite sure he'd never be able to admit to anyone else - he wasn't sure he could even admit it to Adam yet. He watched silently as Adam slid onto the bench opposite with a smile that Tully tried hard to return. "Hello," there was a warmth in his voice, but Tully found it too difficult to return Adam's easy cheer. "Tully? You okay?" such concern, if he was going to do it at all, it had to be now.

"I..." he stumbled at the first word under Adam's concerned eyes. How could he ask this of *anyone*?

"How much have you drunk?" Methos asked, concerned and curious. The young commander didn't seem like much of a drinker, but he could well understand the need to shelter in alcohol when faced with seemingly insurmountable problems. It just remained to be seen which of Tully's problems required it. Tully's dark eyes raised to his, a little glassy, but still far from drunk.

"Not enough yet," the young officer replied with effort, "it's still too hard."

With effort Methos bit back on the obvious joke and bravely fought his smile as he asked, "What is?"

Tully sighed and took another sip of his drink, his attention remaining stubbornly on his glass when he spoke again, "Do you remember saying I could tell you anything?"

Methos frowned and nodded, not entirely sure where the conversation was heading, but a little worried by the fact that it was clear the young man wasn't drunk, or at least not so that he didn't know what he was saying.

"What if I said I wanted you?"

Methos shrugged with a gentle smile, "I'd be flattered."

"And if I said I wanted more of... of... what we... did... before?"

Methos' smile deepened, his young double was obviously working up to something and Methos was quite confident he could cope with whatever his lover had in mind. Then Tully's voice dropped so low that even as close as he was, Methos had to strain to hear it.

"I want to know what... what you feel like... from the inside..."

Methos felt his heart stutter to a stop and then resume at twice the speed. This was... unexpected. Tully was slowly looking up now to meet Methos' eyes and Methos honestly didn't know what his expression looked like.

"And I want to know... what... what it feels like to... to have you inside of me," Tully's stumbling words were strangely endearing as he struggled to explain what he wanted with a vocabulary that had never included such things.

Oh God. Methos felt his cock harden almost painfully as his throat went dry, such a simple, honest statement of desire - it pushed all his buttons - hard. He almost couldn't believe the young commander had braved it; he was fairly sure that were their situations reversed he never would have.

Taking Methos' silence as rejection or horror, Tully suddenly became intensely interested in the contents of his glass, drawing in on himself even as Methos watched. Damn. The old Immortal cast a glance over at the soldiers in the far corner, they weren't looking this way and the walls of the booth were high - they wouldn't see. Methos stood abruptly and despite himself, Tully's head jerked up in surprise. Then Methos quickly leaned across the table, slid his hand behind Tully's head and drew him into a hot, hungry kiss.

For an instant the young commander was too shocked to respond, then he was pushing his glass aside and reaching for Methos' shirt, both hands fisting in the fabric, holding him in place as Tully opened hungrily for anything and everything Methos was willing to give. Teeth clacking and lips bruising in the sudden voracity of the kiss.

They lost themselves in mutual need until a loud laugh startled them apart, both of them looking around guiltily to see if they had been noticed. Around them the lively evening atmosphere of the pub remained unchanged. Methos breathed a sigh of relief and almost laughed when he felt its echo brush over his skin.

"Sorry," he murmured with a smile that said he was anything but and eased back onto his seat. Under the table he hooked one of Tully's ankles with his foot and brought it up to where he could reach it with his hand. Tully looked puzzled, but allowed the action without comment as Methos drew the foot up onto the bench between him and the wall - well-hidden. Almost absently Methos began to lightly stroke his lover's ankle and calf while he took a much needed drink of his beer. Tully watched him curiously for a moment as if waiting to see what he might do next, but when Methos seemed content simply with that touch, Tully began to relax once more.

Seeing the young officer ease back in his seat, Methos felt the tension ebb from his own body. The kiss had satisfied the first rush of hunger Tully's admission had sparked and now all he felt was a steadily building anticipation. Methos slipped his hand beneath the hem of Tully's trouser leg and brushed his fingers lightly over the delicate skin of the narrow ankle - innocuous touch. He smiled across at his look-alike lover and was rewarded with a hesitant half-smile that warmed the dark eyes. Methos supposed they had said all that needed saying for the time being, in words or otherwise, but it rarely paid to rush these things, especially when dealing with things as delicate as a lover's self-perception. They finished their drinks in a companionable silence and Methos watched the young man quietly for a long minute afterwards, unable to quite keep the small smile from his face. "So," he began, trying to affect an air of nonchalance and failing miserably, but he didn't care. "Were you planning on staying here long?"

*****

It was an effort to maintain a casual front as they walked back. The streets were virtually deserted and strangely dark with all the blackout precautions in place. Tully kept abreast of Adam and struggled to match the easy pace he set; part of him wanted to hurry to the sanctuary of their quarters, the rest of him wanted to hang back, half-afraid of what he himself had professed to want. Tully cast a glance over at his friend's distinctive profile; for all they were near-identical, he found it impossible to think any of Adam's features overlarge. What was on him a combination of faults, on Adam somehow became something greater than the sum of its parts. Adam's expression was perfectly calm, at ease, but Tully felt so nervous he thought he might jump out of his skin at any moment. How could Adam possibly be so calm about it all, especially after that daring kiss in the pub. Tully still couldn't believe he'd done that, even if no-one had noticed.

Lost in the recollection Tully almost didn't notice when Adam abruptly stopped in his tracks. The young commander glanced around, trying to discern some reason why; they were about two-thirds of the way home in the narrow country lanes prevalent in the area. They were quite alone, the trees looming large and dark on either side of the road, Tully looked to Adam for a reason. In response the code breaker flashed a wicked grin, teeth gleaming bright in the darkness, and disappeared into the brush at the roadside.

Startled, it took Tully a moment to react, but he followed his friend determinedly; quite aside from personal concern, it was his duty to look after the young code breaker. Leafy branches closed around him and the darkness became almost complete, the road blocked from view. A hand on his arm made him jump, but it was only Adam, close enough that, even in the darkness, Tully could still make out the amused expression on his face.

"Adam, what?" he had meant to ask Adam what he was doing, but the words became a soft gasp as first feather gentle fingertips, then soft lips, ghosted over his skin, tracing the contours of his face with dedicated care. When his back hit the tree trunk it surprised him as much as the fact that it jolted his eyes open when he hadn't even been aware of closing them. Tully saw Adam's face bare inches from his own, beautiful eyes luminous with something he hesitated to call desire, but had no other name for. Adam's head tilted slightly as he appeared to study Tully's expression for a long moment.

"Hmm, stunned," he muttered, half to himself, "Not *quite* the look I was going for." And before Tully could say a word one way or the other, Adam decided to take the direct approach, his lips connecting with Tully's solidly.

The young commander didn't even manage a gasp this time as he felt Adam's clever tongue slip between his lips to coax his own to life. Tully realised belatedly that his eyes had slipped closed again, but it didn't matter, every other sense had been enhanced. He could feel the rough bark of the tree against his back, the heat of Adam's body in front, even through the thick cloth of his uniform. The scent of unidentifiable flowers and shrubs mixed with the fading smells of the pub that clung to them both, smoke and wood and alcohol. Adam's own scent lurked beneath both, hauntingly elusive. Adam tasted of beer and chocolate he must have eaten earlier and something almost familiar that demanded further investigation. Tully nibbled at Adam's lower lip without even thinking and was rewarded with a sudden hungry deepening of the kiss. Thoughtlessly daring, Tully slipped his arms around Adam's back, feeling the muscled contours through the thin sweater. Almost of their own volition his hands slipped lower until they rested just above Adam's backside, his fingers playing with the hem of the sweater.

Adam pulled back slowly and a little regretfully and Tully bit back a groan of disappointment. They were both gulping air just a little and, in the semi-darkness, Tully could see that Adam's lips were swollen and his normally pale face was flushed. Part of him wondered if he didn't look much the same, but he dismissed it quickly; there was a freedom in all of Adam's expressions and movements, an ease that Tully envied. Adam was comfortable in himself, in his skin, and Tully wistfully wished that he could find that ease himself, with Adam's help maybe it was even possible.

When Adam spoke, Tully's heart thudded so loudly he was sure Adam must have heard it, along with the thoughts that wouldn't leave his head. "This is where I really wish I'd waited until we'd got back to your room," Adam's voice was rueful and he shook his head, chuckling slightly at his own impatience. Tully had no idea what to say to that, or even whether he should say anything, he felt so terribly out of his depth. Then he felt Adam's hand slip into his own, tugging him away from the tree and back toward the road.

By the time they reached the narrow lane, the most obvious evidence of their activities had faded a little and they brushed the odd stray leaf from each other, by the time they reached the entrance to the base there was nothing untoward about their appearance at all.

Once inside the barracks though, their steps got progressively slower. Methos could understand that; there was a kind of inevitability in the air and he'd always been one for choices. Nothing was inevitable, impossible or unalterable - he knew it better than most and was eternally thankful for it, his youthful mortal doppelganger hadn't yet learned that lesson.

"I need to get something from my room," he offered to the silence between them and Tully looked at him, expressionless, before nodding acknowledgement. Methos gave his lover a small smile and slipped inside his room, giving the young officer the time to think that he so obviously needed.

Tully continued down the corridor to his own room, unlocking the door and stepping inside. He took off his jacket and tie and hung them up in a haze; since the brief interlude by the roadside he had felt like he was functioning on autopilot. The wardrobe door swung closed easily and he turned back to his room and it was as if, the most obvious reminder of his status gone, he could think about this in terms of what *he* felt.

He was going to let Adam... No, he *wanted* Adam to... Did that make it better or worse? And they were going to do it here, in his room. He wasn't sure who had decided what, where it would happen or when, but that it had been decided was undeniable. There was a certain level of trepidation attached to that decision too, as if the location would somehow make it more real, as if it would bring it into the life he had tried to live - except that was pure fantasy, it had always been a part of his life, he had just tried his best to ignore it until now. Tully was still staring at the bed when there was a soft knock at the door.

Methos slipped through the door as soon as it opened wide enough. It was a little early yet for the other occupants of the building to be returning, but he hadn't made it this far by taking unnecessary risks. Tully shut the door behind him immediately, flicking the lock down automatically. Giving his lover a few more moments to gather himself, Methos didn't turn around until he had placed the small jar of cream on the bedside table. The young officer seemed torn between staring at the bed and staring at Methos, barely acknowledging the jar and its implications in his distraction. "Tully?" Methos called softly and the hazel eyes slowly turned to him, "We don't have to do this, you know."

Tully blinked, "You don't want to?"

It was Methos' turn to be caught off guard at the odd mixture of resignation and dread in that voice. He reached for Tully's hand as he stepped closer to his lover and drew it down to where his growing erection pressed against the fabric of his trousers. "I want to," he breathed sincerely, "But if you don't, it's better that *we* don't, you understand?"

Tully's eyes, dark with so much confused emotion, drifted down to where his hand still loosely cupped Methos' length. They flickered up again almost immediately, searching Methos' face and seeing only simple honesty there. The hand tightened its clasp slightly and Tully stroked the trapped shaft once before he closed the gap between them.

Methos gasped into the kiss as Tully's body pressed the length of his; the warm fist around his cock and the determined, devouring work of his lover's mouth blanked his mind. He moaned encouragement as he felt Tully's free hand wrap around the back of his neck, holding him in place as the young officer deepened the kiss even further, his tongue making ever more daring forays. Methos surrendered helplessly to his lover's insistence, Tully being the aggressor was as much a turn on as anything the man did. His fingers scrambled for the buttons of the uniform shirt, eager for the feel of skin, even as his cock thrust greedily into Tully's long-fingered grip, which moved accommodatingly. God, the boy learned fast.

It took a moment for his brain to catch up when Tully pulled back slightly to catch his breath, Methos' own limits not yet reached. Tully hadn't the benefit of Methos' experience, or his Immortality - he had to remember that. He focused in time to see Tully's eyes, deep green now and vibrant with a peculiar mixture of lust and earnestness.

"I want to," Tully whispered, voice deep and husky, so very different from its usual proper tones. It took Methos a moment to parse the odd statement, but when he did, his hands abandoned Tully's now open shirt to pull the young officer's head close for another hungry kiss and it was Tully's turn to moan.

"How do we...?" Tully tried to ask between the end of that kiss and the beginning of the next.

"Bed's best," Methos managed to reply before returning again to his lover's mouth.

Tully's shirt was gone and he didn't remember losing it. He was sure the fact should have bothered him more than it did, but Adam's shirt was already falling from his shoulders and the feel of warm skin beneath his hands was too good to spoil with such distractions. He could feel Adam's thigh nudge between his legs and he was obeying the movement before his brain registered that Adam was edging them both closer to the bed. It took great presence of mind and no small effort of will for Tully to part from Adam long enough to strip the blankets from the bed. The blankets ended up in a tangled heap on the floor and, almost immediately thereafter, Adam and Tully ended up in a tangled heap on top of the bed.

Adam wriggled beneath him, nimble fingers working the belt and fly of Tully's trousers, pushing them and his underwear down and off. Then Adam was rolling them both over to rid himself of his own remaining clothes. As the sudden weight of his lover pressed over him, Tully froze, every muscle screaming with tension, and there was no way Adam could miss it. Tully closed his eyes tight, not wanting Adam to see the shame he felt as he forced himself to breathe. There was a pause and then he felt the softest touch of lips against his brow; Adam's weight vanished and he felt strangely bereft.

Tully waited a moment more before he cautiously opened his eyes again to see Adam sitting on the edge of the bed, trousers unfastened, but still on. "Adam?" the word slipped past his lips without any reference to his brain and Adam offered him a soft, almost sad, smile. Tully suddenly felt enormously guilty for his reaction, for all he himself had never expected it. How could he explain? He wanted to do this, more than he'd wanted anything in the longest time, yet somehow he couldn't seem to lose the fear.

Adam's smile softened further still and his finger traced a long line from Tully's shoulder down to his hand. "It's okay, I understand. I'll get over it." Adam's tone suggested he was trying to lighten the moment, but the words cut into the young officer anyway and he curled his hand around Adam's when it strayed close and held on tight.

"I'd rather you didn't have to get over it, Adam - I *want* to do this." The vehemence in his tone seemed to surprise Adam as much as it did himself. "I just..." Tully struggled to find the right words, "don't know how to stop... being afraid."

Methos smiled at the hesitant admission - he knew all about fear. He'd caused it and felt it, used it and been ruled by it - admitting it was always a good start. Slowly, so as not to startle the young man, Methos leaned in and claimed Tully's lips for a lingering kiss, gratified by the instant welcoming response. Whatever Tully felt, it wasn't fear of *him*. Methos let the kiss deepen slowly, moving slower still as he shed his remaining clothes, putting himself on equal terms with his lover. The unknown was always the worst fear, but even that could be dealt with if it was handled with care. Methos eased himself back onto the bed at Tully's side, wary of a tension that didn't return.

Tully felt the warmth of Adam's naked body shifting closer, but it was easier to stay relaxed with such lavish attention being paid to his mouth. Although one part of him was most certainly not relaxed and he squirmed a little in pleasure as he felt his lover's hand curl around the needy flesh. Then Adam was suddenly above him, pinning him only for a moment, before he slid down onto the other side of the bed between Tully and the wall, leaving the young commander the open side of the bed. The kiss broke with a soft, wet sound; Adam's eyes were smiling a little hesitantly, but Tully found himself smiling back. How could this be so easy and so very difficult at the same time?

"I want to do this," he repeated softly, as much for himself as for Adam, "But I can't... do it... by myself."

Adam's face lit up in a broad grin, "Of course not," he exclaimed in mock astonishment, "Where would the fun be in that?"

Tully found himself chuckling in response to Adam's mischievous humour, but part of it was sheer relief that Adam didn't seem to mind Tully's dependence in this. And then they were kissing again, hot hands exploring, for the first time unhindered by clothing or blind lust. Adam's body felt good beneath his fingertips and it seemed to Tully that he had never really appreciated their sensitivity for the wealth of information they were giving him now. Adam's skin was warm, almost hot, silky skin taut over firm muscles that seemed more than a code breaker would need, not that he was complaining. A tiny portion of his mind wondered what Adam had been before the War when he felt the hard calluses on Adam's hands as they fanned across his back - a farm worker perhaps, though given his education it didn't seem likely. Tully let his own fingers play over Adam's chest, feeling the strength and breadth of it, enjoying it. His hands rubbed across Adam's nipples and he felt them peaking beneath his palms, almost of their own volition, his hands slid lower to the ridged abdomen. Then they were daring lower still, sliding around the base of Adam's full cock - he wanted that.

Adam sucked in a breath and Tully looked up through his lashes, seeing the hesitant pleasure on his lover's face. Determined to reward his friend for not leaving, Tully leaned in and lapped softly at his lips, refusing to make it more until Adam groaned in frustration. But there was a bright sparkle in Adam's green eyes as Tully finally deepened the kiss, seeking out his lover's tongue and drawing it into his mouth in turn, enjoying Adam's eager response. He groaned deep in his throat, Adam's hands were on his hips, a comforting touch as Adam began a slow, thoughtful plundering of his mouth. It felt right this release of control, this acceptance, to be able to simply drop all the defences and pretences he had to maintain in his daily life. He felt Adam's long legs slide against his own, tangling comfortably and easily as they kissed and petted. Last night had been quick, unexpected and overwhelming, a flash-flood of desire that had, for a short time, overcome his defences. And he could have recovered from that - maybe. Adam's behaviour the next morning and now were patiently, but determinedly eroding those defences. It couldn't be long before they all slid into sand, but Tully couldn't find it in himself to regret it, nor did he want to, and maybe that was where the fear had come from, not from the actions at all.

Adam was above him now, supporting his weight on his hands as the kiss stretched on and on. Tully was starting to see stars by the time it finally broke, but he thought he would have been quite happy to keep on until he passed out, if Adam wanted to. He felt the touch of lips at the hollow of his throat and the tiny flicker of a wet tongue, then the teasing touch was gone again - to reappear over his right nipple. How could a man's lips be so soft?

Soft, coaxing touches then a light nip of sharp teeth made him writhe gently beneath his lover. "Adam," he breathed and received a kiss to the sensitised flesh before Adam swapped sides, treating the left with as much care and attention as he had the right.

The young commander felt like he was melting under Adam's heat, turning into some warm, viscous goo, only defined by Adam's hard hands and soft mouth. A tiny nuzzle against his belly and then Adam was slipping lower, tilting his head until Tully's cock slid against the arch of that elegant throat, the faintest prickle of stubble teasing his nerves. It took a moment for the languor he felt to recede enough for him to realise that Adam was regarding him quite seriously.

"Adam?" it was an effort to speak, he felt heavy, weighted with arousal, but his mind was floating and didn't quite seem to want to reconnect with anything but the sensations Adam was inspiring in his body. Adam's eyes held Tully's for a long moment and then he shifted slightly, turning his head so he could slide his parted lips along Tully's erection. The sensation was as soft as the others had been, but applied directly to his needy cock it sent a fizzle of hunger straight up his spine. Tully drew a sharp breath and, as if that influx of oxygen was all he had needed, he suddenly realised what Adam was asking of him - if it was okay, if it was still what he wanted.

Tully made the effort and nodded, one hand moving of its own volition to touch Adam's hair where it fell loose around his face. Adam leaned into the light caress with a smile and then he was shifting forward again, dragging his lips the length of Tully's cock. Up and down and up again, then those soft lips closed over the head of his cock, tongue teasing the slit. Tully gasped as Adam played, flickering his clever tongue up and down and over the sensitive shaft until Tully thought he might just explode. But Adam moved again, releasing the straining column of flesh, now hypersensitive to even the warm air of the room. Adam hadn't stopped though, he had merely changed his focus and now he mouthed one taut ball, then the other, nuzzling until even breathing was a challenge for the young officer and he was gasping like a landed fish. Adam was looking at him again with those smiling eyes, one hand on Tully's right leg, stroking lightly with just the tips of his fingers.

"Bend your leg a little," Adam murmured softly.

Still struggling to regain the power of speech, Tully half wanted to ask why, but since he guessed the answer might well terrify him, he focused instead on Adam's steady gaze and let his lover rearrange him to his satisfaction.

Adam's eyes sparked wickedly in the low light, "Don't worry," he murmured, dropping a quick kiss to Tully's inner thigh as he moved it, "You'll like this."

The smoky, self-assured tones thrilled Tully more than any of the soft touches had done - those had relaxed him, soothed him, this... this made him tingle and throb and ache. He could see laughter now in his lover's eyes at whatever his expression reflected and then Adam was leaning back down, lips parting. These caresses were hotter, wetter, more demanding than before, drawing Tully from his languor and building a fire low in his belly.

"Mmm," he hummed deep in his chest; the words just weren't there to describe how he felt as Adam's lips and tongue and occasionally teeth, feasted on his body. Adam hummed back at him, the difference being that Adam had his mouth full. Tully jerked and shivered as the vibrations seemed to travel from his balls, up his spine and forced their way out of his mouth on a groan. He didn't even recognise his own voice anymore.

Then he was released from the warm haven of Adam's mouth once more and he shivered at the brush of air over his skin. But Adam was already travelling lower, his nose nudging gently at Tully's balls as he began a pattern of tiny licks and kisses to flesh Tully had never realised could be so sensitive. His ability to breathe deserted him again; he was gasping and panting and hoping to God Adam never stopped. Tully started to reach for his cock, aching for the promise of Adam's mouth, but not sure he could wait long enough for that promise to be fulfilled. Adam's hand got there before his, long fingers wrapping comfortably around the hard shaft.

Tully groaned, his head falling back onto the pillow as his hand dropped back to the mattress and he arched his hips up into the slow stroking Adam began. Time seemed to disappear for long moments at a stretch, as he lost himself in the twin sensations of Adam's mouth and Adam's hand, and he writhed gently against invisible bonds he wouldn't dream of breaking.

When he felt Adam's hot, slick tongue flicker over his anus he gasped, every muscle in his body going rigid with shock and anticipation at that intimate touch. And before Tully's brain had quite caught up with the sensations, his body had made its decision and was shifting to accommodate anything Adam wanted to do, spreading his legs wider, shifting his hips to give his lover better access. Another wet brush of Adam's lips and tongue and Tully decided his body had absolutely the right idea. He moaned in frustration when Adam retreated, agile tongue tracing wet patterns over the sensitive skin of his inner thighs. Warm breath ghosted over his cock and balls and he found himself shivering again - with need. Every touch of Adam's, every kiss and lick and nip, was somehow just not quite enough. Even now, Adam's warm hand wrapped around his cock was forcing him to a slow, but by no means easy, pace. Holding his lover's eyes, Adam's tongue flickered out to touch the head of Tully's cock, lapping delicately at the fluid gathering there. Then Adam was shifting, his weight leaving Tully's legs, and he felt a small kiss drop onto his hip.

"Turn onto your side."

Tully found himself obeying the soft-spoken command without thought or hesitation, glad of it when he felt Adam's weight settle again next to him, around him. Adam's hand still stroked his cock and he glanced down to see Adam rest his chin on Tully's hip, watching the young officer carefully for signs of distress. Apparently seeing none, Adam dropped another kiss to the prominent hipbone and slid down behind his lover, his hand leaving the straining cock to stroke a long thigh. Tully found himself raising that leg, moving it forward a little in response to Adam's touches. A faint uncertainty as to what his friend had in mind began to grow, but before it could take firm root, warm breath blew softly into the crease of his backside.

"Oh," part surprise, part pleasure and Tully realised his body was reacting without him again, moving his legs a little further apart, making it easier for Adam to do... whatever he was going to do. Tully didn't have long to wait as a hot, wet tongue touched the small of his back, soft, repetitive licks, before it slid a little lower, exploring slowly. Tully squirmed at the unfamiliar sensation, but he was a long way from wanting it to stop. "Adam," he breathed, not sure if it was encouragement or simply a shape to give the sigh of pleasure. It certainly wasn't any kind of protest.

Methos smiled against Tully's skin and continued his journey down, savouring the taste of his young lover and the implicit trust of the situation. He had no intention of rushing this, but he soon reached the tightly furled muscle guarding the entrance to his lover's body and he altered his grip slightly as he remembered Tully 's earlier reaction to it. A soft, circular swipe of his tongue and he felt the young man shudder, a low moan drifting on the heated air of the room. He did it again and Tully arched back against him in an unmistakable request for more - Methos was only too happy to oblige.

Adam's... oh God. Adam's tongue was... inside him and... Tully groaned, he couldn't help it; he was going to explode, he was sure, and he clutched at the sheets desperately to stop himself from reaching for his cock. He was pushing back for more, greedy, hungry, and the tiny portion of his mind still functioning could hardly believe this of himself. He shifted his hips a little, pressing his cock into the mattress, trying to ease the almost unbearable ache there. He wanted so badly he couldn't speak to ask, even if he had known what to ask for. He could only hang on and hope that Adam understood this as he seemed to understand everything else.

Tully was making almost constant soft, mewling noises and Methos wondered if the young officer was aware of it. The body beneath his hands and mouth was hot and slick with sweat, pressing back against him with a kind of liquid undulation that spoke eloquently of need. Unsure of his lover's limits, Methos hadn't intended to draw this out as long as he had, but... Tully was taking everything he offered and still asking for more and Methos was helpless to stop himself giving it. But at least one of them had to hold onto a little sanity or neither of them would make it.

With a last, lingering kiss to the relaxed muscle, Methos sucked his index finger into his mouth, wetting it thoroughly, all the time keeping up the steady touches to his lover's body with his other hand. If he had judged this wrong, he wasn't the only one who would regret it.

He withdrew the finger, dripping with spit, and leaned forward again to probe the tiny furl, feeling it give easily to his questing tongue. Then he drew back slightly to a soft, broken moan from the young commander, and this time he quickly slid his finger inside before the difference could register. And it did. Methos felt the muscle clamp down hard around him as Tully went absolutely still, a harsh breath escaping him.

"Adam?" Tully's voice was small, almost frightened, but not quite, not yet, just... not quite sure. Methos eased up the long body, being careful not to move his finger as he placed a soft kiss on the point of a shoulder.

"It's okay," he murmured in what he hoped was a reassuring manner, "It's just my finger, nothing more unless you say. I promise."

Tully seemed to consider that carefully, his breathing deliberately slow and even, "Just your finger?" he repeated and Methos smiled gently, though he knew Tully could not see it.

"Just my finger, I promise."

Tully drew a few deep breaths and Methos waited, absolutely still. Then one of Tully's hands reached back toward Methos and the Immortal kissed the fingertips that came within reach.

"Okay," Tully murmured, voice barely audible as he drew his hand away, but Methos was paying more attention to the way the muscle slowly relaxed around his finger. "Okay," Tully breathed again and Methos pressed a kiss between Tully's shoulder blades as he slowly began to move.

It was easier than he'd thought it would be, the muscle more relaxed, Tully's trust in him running deeper than he could have expected. Methos silently promised to reward that trust as he slowly began to rotate his finger within the tight clasp of Tully's body, not really stretching yet, just getting his lover used to the feel of it. The spit didn't quite erase the friction of the touch; it was enough for this, but not much else, not with a virgin. Methos glanced with some dismay at the small jar on the bedside table; ideally he would have planned this better, but he hadn't wanted Tully to feel trapped between himself and the wall. Carefully he slid his finger out and, hoping his lover's courage would hold, he leaned close to Tully's ear. "Could you pass me the jar, please?"

He wasn't surprised to feel the momentary tensing in the body pressed against his, he had expected at least some hesitation, but then Tully was reaching for the jar with a hand that barely shook at all. Methos suddenly felt inordinately proud of the young officer and he pressed haphazard kisses to the bare skin of his neck and shoulder in reward, as he took the proffered jar and quickly unscrewed the lid. Methos coated his fingers thoroughly in the slippery cream, warming it before he did anything else.

Tully felt Adam's warm touch against him, slick with the contents of the jar; what it was he hadn't dared look, part of him couldn't believe he'd actually given it to Adam like he'd asked. Gentle, circling touches distracted him from his thoughts, not so soft as his lover's tongue, but not so dissimilar either. The steady pattern against his skin was almost hypnotic as it slipped into rhythm with his breathing, not threatening at all. Adam's finger breached him again and he knew he had tensed at least a little, but Adam made no comment. And it wasn't really an unpleasant sensation, just... unfamiliar.

Then Adam's finger pressed deeper, touching something within him that lit sparks behind his eyes and caused the erection that had wilted somewhat to revive with a suddenness that made him gasp. "Adam?"

Tully felt his friend nuzzle the back of his neck, tongue flickering out to taste, "Tell me to stop and I will," Adam promised softly as his finger shifted again.

Tully shook his head quickly as more sparks raced up his spine, "No," he gasped desperately, "don't stop."

He felt Adam nod and then, "Tell me if it hurts."

Before Tully could ask what, he felt a second slick finger pressing into him and he bit his lip. It didn't hurt exactly, just... twinged sharply, but he wasn't going to make Adam stop for that. The twinge faded soon enough anyway and he relaxed again, finding himself almost used to the intrusion and Adam's steady pace. It didn't really feel bad at all, especially not when...

His thoughts splintered and broke as he felt Adam brush whatever it was inside him that made him want to scream - in the best possible way. The slight discomfort as Adam scissored his fingers going virtually unnoticed in the wash of sensation.

"Adam," Tully drew the name out on a moan, not entirely sure what he was asking for as he arched back against his lover, but knowing the need was real. A third finger joined the other two and it burned a little, but he couldn't care less, it only added to the incredible sensations. He was hot and breathless and he could feel Adam against him, inside him, and all he could think was that, wonderful as it was, it wasn't enough and he was certain Adam knew how to make it better. "Adam," it was difficult to speak past the sensations sizzling along his nerves, but he had to, "More - please."

Methos felt his cock jump at the pleading sound of his lover's voice; Tully was writhing now, almost fucking himself on Methos' fingers, his breath coming in pants and whimpers. This was going to hurt no matter how careful he was - the first time always did, and Methos was half afraid he wouldn't last long enough to make it better if he didn't do it now. He had known Tully wanted this from the beginning, the man had even told him so, but he hadn't realised that he himself had wanted it so badly. He had thought they might get as far as fingers before Tully needed to stop, but right now there was no doubt they were going to go all the way.

Carefully Methos withdrew his fingers and reached for the jar again, trying not to hear the young man's heartbreaking little sound of loss. He brushed his lips over damp skin, concentrating on the taste and feel of it, rather than on the sensations as he slicked his aching cock. Then he gathered more cream on his fingertips and spread a little more around his lover's opening, surprised when Tully suddenly pushed back at the touch, taking his fingers inside easily. Methos half chuckled, amazed at his own level of arousal and that of the young officer, they were both so far gone it was amazing they had lasted this long.

He nipped lightly at the hot skin beneath his lips as he withdrew his fingers again in punishment for threatening his rather limited composure. Then he was leaning close to his lover's ear, unable to resist just a tiny lick, "This will hurt a bit, but it will get better," he whispered the promise as he guided his cock to the entrance of Tully's body. It surprised the Immortal not at all this time when Tully pressed himself back onto Methos' waiting erection.

Methos bit his lip hard as the head of his cock pushed past the almost too tight muscle, stopping himself from coming with an effort of will he rarely had to use. Past the roar of blood in his ears, he heard Tully bite back a startled cry and instinctively wrapped his arms around his lover's chest, holding him close, holding them both together, inexpressibly relieved when Tully's arms wrapped around his own, holding on just as tight.

Tully tried to catch his breath, tried to think past how *huge* Adam felt inside him, nothing like the gentle fingers or soft tongue, but at the same time he couldn't bring himself to wish he'd stopped there. This was more - exactly what he'd asked for, what he'd needed.

His fingers knotted with Adam's and he could feel his friend's lips resting lightly against the back of his neck, waiting, the soft gusts of Adam's breath teasing his oversensitive skin. The burn was fading now as he breathed, swallowed by the return of that terrible empty ache.

"Adam?" his voice didn't sound quite right to him anymore.

"Yes?" Adam's voice was just as quiet, just as soft.

"Now?" was all he managed to say, not quite sure how to ask for the rest.

One of Adam's hands freed itself from the tight clasp and slid around to Tully's hip, holding him firmly, but gentle all the same. And then Adam was moving, pressing in slowly and steadily in one long, breathless slide of slick flesh. Tully moaned long and low at the sensation - this was Adam, this was Adam *inside* him and it felt... so...

He very nearly screamed out loud as the shift of Adam's cock touched that place inside him and sent lightning arcing up his spine. Adam's hand slid from hip to belly, just resting flat over the skin; it was a comforting touch, as if Adam would hold him in, hold him together, and Tully realised then that Adam was all the way in, so deep inside him. Tully released a slow breath; he could feel Adam's forehead resting against his nape and the heaving of his chest, and he found himself smiling, glad to know he wasn't the only one so badly affected.

Unable to resist, Tully raised the hand he still clutched almost bruisingly and placed tiny, sucking kisses on each sensitive fingertip. Adam shuddered against him and the sound that escaped was half chuckle, half groan as Adam's free hand drifted down to wrap around Tully's cock.

"I'll take that to mean you're okay," Adam's voice was breathy and affectionate, if slightly strained. Tully didn't bother trying to answer that, but nipped playfully at the pads of the long fingers, hearing Adam's gasp just before his own escaped as Adam slowly withdrew almost his entire length. A rolling undulation of his hips and then he was gliding back in again, a little faster than he had the first time. Tully released Adam's hand, his focus lost under the sensation of Adam moving in and around him.

A groan was dragged from his lips when Adam's hand on his cock tightened slightly as it stroked up his length. Instinctively, he tried to buck into that sensation, but Adam held him still and Tully found his double's greater strength a comfort. Then Adam was moving again and this time his cock and his hand moved in counterpoint, leaving Tully no room for breath between the sweet sensations, torn between pushing forward into that warm grip or back onto his lover's cock. Oh God. Oh. *God*. He was going to... Oh. Please. He couldn't stand it, he wanted to, *needed* to come, but he *couldn't* let this end. Another smooth thrust and he gasped, he'd heard about fireworks, but... *God*. "Please," it was a pathetic mewling plea, but Tully didn't care; there was only him and Adam and this enormous, bright, terrible thing between them.

Methos moaned against his lover's skin; his senses were filled with the scent of their arousal, the beautiful, needy sounds Tully made, the smooth heat of his skin and the even hotter clasp inside. Trying to keep this slow and easy was going to kill him. How had he managed to forget how good this felt - not just the sex, but the warm, more-than-willing body, the simple welcome of another's flesh. Love might have its lofty spires, but simple affection was a foundation and Methos valued it as highly, it was usually a good deal more reliable. He pressed wet, open-mouthed kisses to his lover's already damp skin, catching tiny beads of sweat on his tongue as his rhythm began to quicken out of his control. But from the sounds Tully was making, he rather thought objection was possibly the last thing on the young commander's mind.

Tully groaned in a peculiar mixture of satisfaction and want as Adam began to move faster, harder, his whole body was on fire, reacting to his lover on pure instinct. Liquid lightning traced his nerves and he clutched at the sheets, almost ripping them and not noticing. Then the angle of Adam's thrusts changed slightly and it set off a wild, rippling chain reaction, searing along his nerves, looking for a way out.

Tully howled, his cock pumping out what felt like his entire life into Adam's still moving fist. A muffled cry and a sharp pain in his shoulder and it felt like he was trying to come again in the midst of his climax, his whole body contracting around Adam's cock as he felt a wetness bloom deep inside him.

Methos came back to earth slowly, like a feather drifting in the dying echoes of a hurricane, the body in his arms still trembled slightly in the aftermath of their climaxes and he tightened his arms briefly in a hug of gratitude. Tully hummed a response, but didn't so much as twitch otherwise, seemingly quite content as he was. Methos took a deep breath, tasting sex and sweat and a faint familiar copper tang. Looking down he saw the livid bite on his lover's shoulder, already purpling, tiny drops of blood forming in the deeper marks. He kissed it softly in apology, "Sorry," he offered and meant it.

"Don't mind," Tully replied easily and he didn't, truth was, he would have been hard put to mind anything at all at the moment with the powerful release still humming sweetly along his bones. And it didn't really hurt as he felt Adam slip from his body, he was just... warm and he rolled onto his back to see Adam's face.

Methos smiled at the expression on Tully's face, the most open and relaxed he had yet seen, he looked so young like that. "We need to shower before we stick to the sheets," he suggested and Tully nodded, but made no move to get up. Methos grinned and nuzzled at his lover's ear, he knew that feeling, too comfortable to move and totally uncaring about the mess. But they would fall asleep soon, if Tully hadn't already, and he wasn't entirely sure Tully would be comfortable waking with the evidence of their activities. Making no small effort on his own part, Methos clambered over the young officer to stand mostly upright in the small room. Tully looked like he wanted to pout, but was too mature to do it, but when Methos offered a hand he took it and slowly stood, looking with some dismay at the wreck they had made of the bed. Methos grinned and wondered if Tully had any idea how adorably fucked and sleepy he looked just then, but he took the robe from the back of the door and draped it around the young man's shoulders.

"Go get cleaned up, I'll join you in a minute," he instructed.

Tully looked at him for a moment, as if trying to decide whether or not to argue, then with a quick kiss to Methos' lips that made the ancient Immortal smile foolishly, he slipped out the door.

Methos was still smiling as he quickly stripped the bed - a good afterglow did wonders for a person's tractability. The spare sheets were in the cupboard, the blankets were still on the floor, so it was a simple matter to retrieve them, and with centuries of practice the ancient Immortal had the bed made in record time. As an afterthought Methos put the lid back on the jar of cream and left it on the bedside table, then he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist before heading for his lover and a hot shower.

Tully stood under the hot spray, face upturned, eyes closed, just enjoying the sensation of the water beating down. He felt like a struck bell, vibration still hummed through his body almost masking the ache of recent exertion. His limbs were heavy with relaxation as he reached for the soap and he paused for a moment, relishing the too rare feeling - it was good. He heard the door open and close again, but he didn't open his eyes until Adam stepped under the water with him.

Adam - his lover. It felt more real now somehow, as if he could finally believe that this was his, not a mistake or an idle pastime. He smiled at his friend, but a powerful yawn caught him off guard.

Adam chuckled and took the soap from his lax grip, "Come on, let's get cleaned up and back to bed before we both fall asleep."

Tully gave his friend a rueful smile and accepted the soap as it was handed back to him. He was not quite surprised when Adam's soapy hands reached for him. Adam seemed almost to crave touch, the brush of fingers on a mug the most innocuous. It wasn't something Tully was used to, but he could see how easily it could become addictive. His own hands lathered, he hesitated only slightly before reaching for Adam's body in turn.

They worked almost silently, each moving as the other prompted, sharing warm looks and occasional soft kisses. There was an unfamiliar intimacy in the simple act that Tully relished, having full, unspoken permission to touch and explore as he liked, as their hands caressed warm, wet skin. It was a purely sensual pleasure as they relearned each other's bodies through touch, so similar that the small differences seemed enormous.

Adam shifted at Tully's prompting, eyes closed, face turned trustingly to him as Tully rinsed the last of the soap from his lover's hair. Unable to resist the impulse, Tully let his hands slip from the wet silk down to the broad shoulders, curling around them as he leaned in. Adam's lips parted easily beneath his as strong hands came to rest at his waist. Water seeped into the languorous, open-mouthed kiss as Adam shifted closer and Tully let his eyes slip closed, enjoying the ease and the sweetness of it. Mutually satisfying and satisfyingly mutual.

He knew he was smiling like an idiot when they parted, but he couldn't seem to stop. Then they were stepping from the shower, drying each other off quickly in anticipation of the bed waiting for them. There was never any doubt that Adam would be staying tonight.

The corridor was still deserted when they cautiously opened the bathroom door, but sounds filtering up from downstairs suggested that at least a few people had returned. They crossed the corridor quickly and slipped into Tully's room, bolting the door behind them. Tully grinned at Adam, feeling not unlike a child that had just got away with the most marvellous mischief. He felt excited, happy and probably sleep-deprived as he watched the young code breaker strip back the blankets and slip naked between the sheets. Tully's pyjamas hung over the back of a chair, but he made no move put them on, instead slipping out of his robe and choosing to join Adam in nothing but his skin.

As soon as the cool blankets folded over them Tully felt his excitement drain away, replaced by a contented exhaustion. He shifted closer to Adam, the bed had never been intended for two grown men, but Tully had great faith in their ability to cope. Sure enough, Adam's arm snaked around his shoulders in a loose clasp and Tully reached behind him with one arm to hit the light switch, plunging the room into darkness. The smell of sex still lingered in the air and it was a comforting scent as Tully snuggled just a little closer again, feeling his body relax into the contrasting, but comfortable sensations of the cool sheets and Adam's lean heat.

*****

Tully blinked; it was too bright, the thin curtains doing little to block the early dawn light. His throat was dry so he carefully eased from the bed and Adam's loose embrace and wandered over to the washbasin. He poured himself a glass of water and caught sight of the bruise on his shoulder in the mirror. Reaching up slowly, Tully fingered the bruise lightly, the memories of all they had done returning to him with crystal clarity. He was sure he should feel different somehow, but he didn't. A little uncomfortable still from their activities perhaps, but that was more of an unfamiliar awareness than actual pain. He didn't regret it though, he couldn't - it had been so very *good* last night, better than he had hoped on those few short occasions when he had allowed himself to think of such things. Tully took a few slow sips of water and turned back to the bed and his lover.

Adam had taken immediate advantage of Tully's brief absence and stretched out his long limbs, taking up much of the space Tully had occupied on the small bed. The blankets had slipped down during the night exposing Adam's broad back; the young code breaker was far better built than he, but strangely it didn't make Tully feel less for it. His fingertips tingled with the remembered feel of that pale expanse, the strength hidden beneath the silky skin; he felt a familiar stirring in his groin at the sight and shifted a little to accommodate it.

Adam stirred, head turning on the pillow to regard Tully with hazel eyes too bright to have just woken up. A long arm shifted, half beckoning, making space for Tully again. "Are you coming back to bed or do you just want to stand there and watch?"

It should have been challenging, but somehow Adam's tone was only curious. For a moment Tully half considered saying he was just going to stand there and watch, to see what Adam would do then, but he couldn't bring himself to turn away from the most acceptance he had ever been granted. It didn't surprise him at all when he found himself crossing back to the bed and sinking down into the warmth Adam had kept for him.

Tully settled on his side, both hands tucked beneath his cheek, meeting Adam's steady gaze. A long finger crept out and traced a gentle line down his cheek, "Are you alright?"

Tully wasn't entirely sure how to answer that so he didn't, but he found himself capturing Adam's hand in his own, pressing it to his cheek, letting his eyes slip closed to better appreciate the feel of it. When he opened them again, Adam's eyes were sparkling with affection, the corners of his talented mouth twitching up in a smile. Tully felt his cock fill and rise in response and he rolled to his back, closing his eyes and groaning faintly, "God, I feel like such a tart."

Adam chuckled, the sound warm and comfortable, and his hand strayed from Tully's face, coasting easily over his skin until it came to rest at Tully's far hip. Adam's inner wrist pressed lightly against Tully's rapidly hardening flesh, a subtle offer.

"Your secret is safe with me," Adam smiled and Tully could hear the serious undercurrent to the humour. Tully frowned slightly, the man had been impossibly patient with him, Adam shouldn't have to keep putting Tully first - it was alright now, *he* was alright now.

Tully turned back onto his side to face his friend, the movement sliding Adam's hand from his hip to rest lightly on his backside. Adam's eyes were green in the early morning light and questioning. Tully offered him a small smile as he brought one hand up to stroke the smooth curve of Adam's shoulder, enjoying the feel of warm skin and the hard muscle beneath. It was easier to do it now, to touch because he wanted to, not because some other person had demanded it, not having to resist the urge because it hadn't been explicitly permitted. It wasn't that Adam asked nothing of him, but that he asked only what Tully could give, every time coaxing him a little bit further and a little bit deeper. Adam's smile deepened and Tully didn't even think before he leaned over and pressed his lips to his friend's. Adam's mouth opened easily under his own and Tully slipped his tongue inside just slightly, flicking it against hard teeth before sliding in deeper to touch his lover's tongue and invite it out to play. Of its own volition his hand explored the strong planes of Adam's back, fingertips trailing up and down his spine.

A small, helpless sound reached Tully's ears, but he had no idea whether it had come from Adam or himself. When they parted their breathing was harsh and Adam's eyes were dark with an arousal that no longer terrified the young commander. The next kiss was open-mouthed heat and wetness and Adam was rolling onto his side, his hands holding Tully's hips even as Tully's hands grew more demanding on his skin, pulling them closer until their cocks touched, threatening to send them both over the sudden edge.

They broke apart gasping, faintly rueful expressions mirrored on near-identical faces. Then Adam chuckled, that wonderful, easy, sexy-as-hell chuckle and Tully was pushing his lover onto his back, following him over, nipping at the still grinning mouth. Belatedly Tully pulled back a little to see Adam's eyes sparking with amusement and arousal - he couldn't believe that he had been so bold, that Adam didn't seem to mind his lover's weight. Tully was braced with his hands just above Adam's shoulders and it was suddenly the easiest thing in the world to lean down and renew that connection, letting it chase all those troublesome thoughts away.

Adam's hands were on his back now, smoothing and soothing, even as his tongue teased and encouraged. Adam tasted so good, but paradoxically it only seemed to make Tully hungrier until he broke away gasping. "Oh... Adam, I want..." he hesitated, not sure what he wanted, but lust-hazed recollections of the night before reminded him how much he had wanted it all. "I want..." he couldn't seem to finish the thought, but Adam didn't seem to mind.

Tully buried his face against his lover's neck, breathing him in and letting the scent calm him, not able to take seeing Adam's arousal - it was too much like his own. He nuzzled absently and his lips brushed the sex-scented skin and then he just had to taste, his tongue flickering out over the sensitive skin. Beneath him Adam shuddered, his fingers tightening reflexively on Tully's back. He remembered that sensitivity; he remembered a lot of things from the last few days and strangely the haze of lust only made the memories sharper. He lifted up a little to see Adam's expression, but long fingers tangled in his hair guiding him back down.

"Do that again," Adam's voice had a deep, breathless quality to it that Tully suddenly wanted very much to hear more of. Willingly obedient, he swiped his tongue up the long throat, breathing lightly over it and feeling Adam shiver. Then he followed the great vein with tiny butterfly kisses until Adam was fighting to stay still beneath him. God this felt good, to give this pleasure and know that it was welcomed, that Adam *wanted* what he had to offer. His own arousal was all but forgotten in the desire to return the pleasure he had been given so freely.

Daring, Tully grazed a small patch of skin, nipping lightly with sharp teeth and receiving a choked whimper in return; he could feel Adam's cock, hard and leaking against his own. Gathering himself, Tully made a decision and began to move down, skin sliding against skin, slippery with sweat already and so hot. Tully kissed his way over the broad chest, alternating it with tiny licks and nips, not quite certain of himself, but remembering clearly the pleasure his lover had brought him and very much wanting to return the favour.

His tongue found the indentation of Adam's navel almost by accident and he lingered, exploring curiously, toying with the hollow, his tongue darting in and out. This close he could almost taste Adam's arousal; he could feel it pressing against the hollow of his throat. Adam's hands were in his hair, kneading like a cat, but not pressing, and it gave him the courage to move on.

Drawing a deep breath in the suddenly airless room, Tully raised himself up a little, regarding his lover's stiff cock with some trepidation. Until Adam's arrival he had never seen an erection besides his own, never mind thought about what he was now considering. He breathed lightly over the straining flesh, seeing it twitch in response, a glistening drop of liquid forming at the tip. Carefully Tully curled his hand around the base of the shaft and glanced up his lover's long body to meet a pair of dark eyes staring at him with an almost desperate intensity that made his stomach flop over inside him.

Still holding Adam's gaze, alert for any hint that he had it wrong, Tully lowered his head and kissed the flushed tip of his lover's cock, his tongue flickering out instinctively to taste the liquid gathered there. It was... not unpleasant. A broken groan escaped Adam's lips and his head dropped back onto the pillow with a soft thump, "Please."

Tully felt himself flush at the request, but it never occurred to him to deny it - he wanted to, maybe as much as Adam wanted him to. Carefully he bent to place another kiss on the head, letting the hot flesh slip just a little further inside this time. A fresh spurt of precome touched his tongue and he groaned at the intimate taste, *knowing* that his actions were bringing his friend pleasure. He took more of the weeping flesh into his mouth, trying to be careful with his teeth. Not quite sure what to do with his tongue, Tully let it slide along the underside until he had taken as much as he dared. Adam's hips trembled beneath him and Tully drew up slowly, unable to resist giving the tip another little lick, just to capture the newly-formed bead of liquid, then probing the slit for more. A pleading sound, half groan, half whimper reached his ears, God, he felt like he could swallow Adam whole, though he would undoubtedly choke if he tried. He didn't need to look for Adam's encouragement anymore though, he could feel it as strongly as he felt his own arousal. Tully mouthed his lover's cock again, taking a different approach this time as he dragged his parted lips up the underside of the shaft before taking the head back into his mouth and sucking as he remembered Adam doing. Adam's groan shivered down his spine and he couldn't help taking more, taking as much as he could until he felt it nudge the back of his throat. The hands in his hair tightened suddenly and he came up quickly, worried that he had done something wrong, but Adam only shook his head at Tully's concerned expression.

"Close," was all Adam managed to say past the gasps for air, but, novice though he was, Tully understood. And sank back down over his lover's cock anyway, wanting to feel it when Adam lost it, wanting to know he had given something in return for his friend's kindness and patience.

It wasn't much longer before Adam tensed beneath his hands, fighting not to buck his hips into the hot, wet suction his lover provided. Hot liquid suddenly flooded Tully's mouth, filling his throat quicker than he could swallow and he pulled up abruptly, coughing a little and feeling rather embarrassed.

Adam's chest was heaving, but his expression was well pleased as his hands slid under Tully's arms and the young commander was hauled upward to rest on Adam's chest. Tully reached up with one hand to wipe his mouth and chin, but Adam was already there, tongue snaking out to clean the evidence of his own release from Tully's skin with long cat licks. Then Adam's clever tongue was sliding over Tully's lips, probing for entrance, and Tully opened helplessly to the invasion, feeling his neglected erection throb in response to the sheer eroticism of Adam's actions. Tully groaned and it was swallowed hungrily by his lover, Adam's callused hands cupping his face as they kissed. Without conscious thought Tully pressed his aching cock against his friend's body, seeking any sort of relief. Adam seemed to realise it before Tully did, halting the deep, involved kisses to look into his lover's lust-confused eyes.

"What?" Tully murmured, voice thick, his mouth didn't really want to form the word, it wanted more of Adam and he agreed with it, leaning back in. Adam darted a quick kiss on his lips, there and gone again before Tully could react, and then he was shifting beneath his lover. Tully didn't register what Adam was doing until he felt his legs slip between Adam's as his lover parted his thighs in blatant invitation. Tully swallowed hard, still tasting Adam in his mouth, but even that was not enough to suppress the sudden panic. Adam's smile was reassuring and his eyes affectionate as he stretched one long arm out to the bedside table to retrieve the small jar they had used the night before. Tully hesitated to accept it.

"Don't you want to?" Adam's voice was soft, questioning, and Tully knew that if he said no, the subject would be dropped immediately, but he didn't want to say no. Instead he shook his head dumbly, he wanted to, God he wanted to, but he couldn't, he just *couldn't*.

"You won't hurt me," Adam continued as one hand reached up to stroke soothingly over Tully's shoulder and curled around the back of his neck, fingers sliding up into his hair. Then Adam reached up and the kiss was lingering, sweet and hot and slow. Tully found himself falling into it, following Adam back down, letting his body fit itself to Adam's. And before he quite realised it, Tully was plunging his tongue deeply into Adam's mouth, his hands revelling in the feel of smooth skin beneath him as his cock pushed and pressed against Adam's hip. One of Adam's hands caught his and guided it to the discarded jar; Tully's fingers closed around it tightly, like a life preserver to a drowning man, his body overriding the misgivings of his mind.

"What do I...?" he breathed a little desperately and Adam smiled pure benediction.

"Move back a little," Adam requested and Tully complied, slowly sitting back on his heels, mourning the loss of wet, satin skin against his cock, but sort of relieved anyway. Freed of his lover's weight, Adam shifted until he was more comfortable then he reached for the jar Tully still clutched.

The cream was cool to the touch, but it warmed quickly as Adam's fingers entwined with his messily, slipping against each other easily. Then Adam's fist closed around each of Tully's fingers in turn, drawing his slick grip up the length in a manner all too reminiscent of another similar act. Tully bit his lip on a groan and Adam was shifting again, his long legs spreading wider as he drew them up to rest his feet flat on the bed. Tully felt mesmerised by the way Adam just... offered himself up to Tully's inexperience, trusting him that much. He physically *ached* with need and Tully found himself leaning forward, folding himself over his lover, dragging his lips over the taut satin of Adam's belly.

Methos groaned at the soft, wet touches of lips and tongue; what was this boy doing to him? He reached one hand out for Tully, sliding the damp, silken hair between his fingers and stroking the hot skin of the broad shoulders. He had never imagined the young officer would overcome his reticence so quickly or completely and it was undoing his composure badly. Tully gave himself so sweetly and he didn't even seem to realise the rarity of the gift. His earnest desire was uncovering parts of Methos that the Immortal had hidden for years, refreshing his faith in himself as much as in others.

Tully's hands were stroking his sides and Methos arched beneath him. When the young officer raised his head, his eyes were dark and his face flushed, his hair was falling into his eyes and he looked *nothing* like the upright and uptight Wing Commander he had first met.

It took effort to move, but Methos counted it well worth the cost. His already slick hand slipped down between their bodies, reaching for himself. It had been a long time since he had last done this, but right now he wanted it with a passion that surprised him. Already relaxed after his own climax, it was not difficult to slide the first finger past the tight ring of muscle and he felt a groan building with the old familiar sensations. A small twinge of pain made him wince silently as he pushed a second finger inside, twisting and stretching the passage. He was trying to take his time, but not succeeding as well as he would have liked, he didn't want to rush Tully into this.

A faint sound made Methos open his eyes, surprised to find he had actually closed them. Tully had moved back again to sit on his heels and he was watching the movement of Methos' hand with such a mixture of wonder and arousal in his dark eyes that it made the Immortal very glad he had already come once as his cock twitched and hardened. His fingers slipped out and Methos reached for the jar again only to find Tully's hand already there and the two sets of long fingers made a slippery tangle.

This time Tully's hand stayed with his as Methos guided them back to his body and he found himself stroking the officer's hand and wrist as Tully's fingers circled and pressed entrance, sliding in easily after Methos' initial preparation. The old Immortal couldn't take his eyes from his young lover's face and the play of expressions across the distinctive features. An incautious finger stroked against his prostate and a strangled half cry escaped his lips as sparks fired behind his eyes. Tully's head snapped up in concern, but Methos hadn't the breath to speak so his body replied for him, squirming a little, seeking that pleasure again as he spread himself wider, canting his hips up in a shameless plea for more - as much as his young friend could give him.

Tully felt his mouth go dry, was this what he had looked like the night before... He twisted his fingers again, feeling the tight muscle snug down around them as Adam writhed slowly beneath him. His cock was throbbing hard and it took all his concentration to keep his hand steady and not to rush or force it. His fingertips brushed that tiny spot deep inside his lover again and Adam arched up into it, pressing himself down onto Tully's fingers and Tully felt his cock jump. He was so close just from watching and Adam's cock was hard and leaking too - he really couldn't wait much longer, but he didn't know...

"Adam?" Slightly dazed, green eyes focused on him hungrily and Tully gasped, fortunately he was spared from having to verbalise his need - Adam already knew.

The feel of Adam's slick hand leaving his wrist to wrap around his cock made Tully shiver and moan as he withdrew his fingers almost regretfully, Adam was so warm and soft inside. Head bowed, he struggled to control his breathing, but it only allowed him to see Adam's hand as it stroked his needy flesh, making it as slick as his fingers had been. Then Adam was drawing him forward and Tully's own hand joined his lover's as they guided his cock to where they both needed it to be.

The tight furl of muscle gave way easily at the steady pressure and Tully bit his lip until it bled, fighting the urge to just drive into that incredible, slick heat. Beneath him, Adam groaned, eyes blazing with something that made Tully shake and push forward harder, unable to stop himself, feeling the tight muscle glove down around his cock. And then he couldn't get any further in, no matter how much he craved it. Oh God - was this what it had felt like for Adam? Tully was awed by the self-control his friend had displayed then. He was awed now by the fact that Adam had allowed him this - that he could shelter within his lover's body, safer with Adam than he had ever been with anyone else.

Braced above his lover, his arms locked, Tully bowed his head and sucked in a deep breath. He could smell sex and sweat, the faintly herbal scent of the cream and something else that could only be Adam himself. He slowly raised his head again to meet his lover's eyes, surprised by how calm he suddenly felt.

Adam's eyes were the most peculiar combination of desperate arousal and a kind of caution, even now hesitant to demand more than Tully was prepared to give. Tully found himself smiling at his lover's efforts on his behalf and he carefully leaned down and initiated a deep, slow kiss. He could feel Adam's shaft, damp against his stomach, and he met the green eyes once again as the kiss broke. This was for Adam now, for his patience and care.

"What do you want, Adam?" he asked and wondered at the sound of his own voice, Adam's voice, when had the roles reversed? The quick, incendiary flash of Adam's smile and then his lover's strong hands came up to drag his face close.

"Fuck me, love," Adam whispered, so close his lips brushed Tully's, a hot, almost-kiss in the shape of those words. Then it was a real kiss, hard and fast, all the urgency Tully had felt before returned in a rush and he surrendered to the urge to move.

It took more effort to withdraw than he had expected, but it felt *so* good, and when he pressed back inside he moved a little quicker, enjoying the strength it required. Adam's hands were stroking his sides and back, long, sweeping strokes, intended to reassure or perhaps just to enjoy. Tully could remember his own need to hold on tight as the world fell apart around him and he remembered what he had missed in that joining. He leaned in for another kiss, *knowing* that Adam would not refuse him and he felt hands on his ass, pulling him in closer and harder. Tully moaned into the kiss and willingly acceded to Adam's unspoken request, thrusting harder and faster, letting the kiss turn sloppy.

Adam's cock was smearing his belly with the evidence of his lover's renewed arousal and Tully shifted his hips slightly, finding a better angle, wanting to make it as good for Adam as Adam had made it for him. Adam gasped, his hands tightening hard for a moment and Tully thrust again, hitting that same spot. A wordless, pleading sound escaped and Tully couldn't help it, he lunged forward, capturing his lover's mouth, greedily devouring Adam's faint sounds of pleasure as any semblance of control evaporated and his body took over. Driving thrusts, harder than he would have dared if he had thought about it, but Adam didn't seem to mind at all, encouraging the young commander on with every sound, every touch, every shift of his hungry body beneath Tully's.

It hit so suddenly that Tully at first didn't realise what had happened when he felt warm wetness splash against his belly and he swallowed his lover's cry as Adam bucked beneath him. But even as he realised Adam was coming for the second time that morning, the rippling contractions of the body beneath him dragged him into ecstasy and he became nothing but pure sensation.

He was warm, he was comfortable and for once the sense of panic and self-doubt was far distant. He could smell Adam close by, hear his heartbeat, comforting in its regularity, and one of Adam's long-fingered hands was slowly stroking through his hair. His whole body felt heavy and, with a start, Tully looked up, realising he still lay on top of his lover and while he might be skinny, he was no light weight. Carefully Tully shifted his weight, sliding down until he was tucked against Adam's side, his arm draped around his lover's waist, their legs still tangled comfortably. Their bodies had separated at some point, but Tully really had no recollection of it and there was no sense of loss - he still felt very much a part of Adam. Etiquette seemed to dictate that he say something, but he had no idea what was appropriate given the circumstances.

"You okay?" his voice, Adam's words. It must have registered with Adam too because the strong body shook briefly with silent laughter.

"Oh I'm quite okay, thank you," Adam replied, the smile clearly evident in his voice. Tully felt himself smiling in response for no particular reason other than that he was happy and that was a rare enough occurrence all by itself. It was... nice, this feeling, no demands or expectations, just the shared knowledge of mutual pleasure. He had never known it could be like this; he had hoped, but reality had fallen far short of the mark until now. Not even the fact that it would have to remain a closely guarded secret could spoil his mood. If anything, it made it better - this was special, just for him, and he wanted to keep it that way. He sent out a silent thanks to whoever had sent Adam to him and to Adam himself for taking the chance no-one else had, for seeing past Tully's defences and drawing him out of his self-imposed prison.

"Thinking deep thoughts?" Adam's voice was a rumble beneath his ear. Tully slid thoughtful fingers through the mixture of semen and sweat coating his friend's stomach, drawing abstract patterns, surprised that for once he couldn't care less how they looked.

"Not really," he replied eventually, "Just... wondering how I missed this."

Adam's voice was amused, "You didn't miss it - they did."

Tully blinked, suddenly wide awake - was that really how Adam saw it? The thought made him smile and he placed a kiss on the nearest patch of skin in reward, unable to resist a tiny flick of his tongue to taste. Adam grinned and squirmed a little, caught off guard and slightly ticklish. Tully grinned in return, then he snuggled a little, knowing his friend wouldn't mind. He was starting to feel sleepy now; he had been tired for a long time it seemed, but this was a good tired and he had no duties today. He felt safe and he felt wanted and Tully finally let himself relax completely without reluctance.

Methos smiled to himself when he felt Tully's breathing slow and even out as the young officer finally drifted off to sleep, just enjoying the feel of sharing a bed with a lover after so long without. Fate had a twisted sense of humour sometimes, throwing him together with his mortal twin, but he hadn't lived so long without knowing how to make the best of the situations he found himself in. Methos had been sure that their nascent friendship would be strong enough to include this and he was glad his instincts had proven true. It wasn't romantic love between them, but there was friendship and sex and an instinctive understanding that Tully hadn't yet realised, a basic similarity that extended beyond the uncanny likeness of their bodies. He had no idea how long he would be stationed here, but however long or short it turned out to be, he would have no regrets and he would make sure his young lover didn't either. They would both be stronger for this. Closing his eyes, the ancient Immortal pressed a soft kiss to his lover's mussed hair and joined his mortal companion in sleep.

Finis.