"Remember when we held on in the rain
The night we almost lost it
Once again we can take the night into tomorrow
Living on feelings
Touching you I feel it all again"

Erik scanned the hotel grounds. It was raining, quite heavily. There didn’t seem to be anyone around. He spotted a figure at the fountain and knew it was Ashley. He went over slowly.

"Ash?" Ashley turned around; it was obvious he’d been crying. He was shivering from the cold. He looked so small… so lost.

"Ash, I’m sorry…" It was all that was needed. In a flash Ashley stood up and fell into Erik’s welcoming embrace, his tears starting again.

Erik stroke Ashley’s back to calm him. This felt right. Well, the embrace, not Ashley crying. Or the heavy rain that was soaking both of them.

"Ash, let’s go inside and dry off. Come on…" Ashley nodded weakly and Erik guided him into the hotel and up to their room.

"Didn't we almost have it all
When love was all we had worth giving?
The ride with you was worth the fall my friend
Loving you makes life worth living
Didn't we almost have it all
The night we held on till the morning
You know you'll never love that way again
Didn't we almost have it all"

A while later Ashley was tucked into bed, fast asleep. Fights always seemed to drain all his energy. Erik knew. He knew ‘cause nowadays all they ever seemed to do was fight. They fought about the silliest little things, most of which he couldn’t even remember.

Today it had been Erik hugging Ashley. Ashley was furious. What if someone suspected? Come on, both of them hugged the other lads now and again; it would just seem weird if they never hugged each other. Suspicious even.

Erik sat in the sofa watching Ashley sleep. He wondered what had happened. Their love used to be so special, so strong. Now the strain of keeping it secret was ruining it, tearing them apart. He wished they could go back to when they first fell in love.

He almost wished the band hadn’t made it; maybe then things would still be all right between him and Ashley. Maybe they’d still share nights of passion. When was the last time they’d done that? He didn’t remember, but a long time ago. Now they just fought every evening and then went to sleep.

"The way you used to touch me felt so fine
We kept our hearts together down the line
A moment in the soul can last forever
Comfort and keep us
Help me bring the feeling back again"

The next morning Erik woke up all stiff from sleeping in a rather bad position on the sofa. Ashley was sitting on his own bed, watching him.

"Ash… come here." Erik reached out his arms and Ashley came over to sit on his lap. "Are you all right?"

Ashley shrugged. "I suppose… I just wish… I wish we would stop all this fighting."

Erik nodded, "Me too…"

Ashley snuggled closer, "Why can’t we?"

Erik tightened his embrace, "I don’t know…"

They just sat like that for a while. Suddenly Ashley turned his head upwards and gave Erik a light and quick kiss. As he pulled away Erik stopped him and leaned in for a proper kiss. The first proper kiss they had shared in days. It felt good, reassuring even. The proof that there was still something between them, despite all the fights.

"Didn't we almost have it all
When love was all we had worth giving?
The ride with you was worth the fall my friend
Loving you makes life worth living
Didn't we almost have it all
The night we held on till the morning
You know you'll never love that way again
Didn't we almost have it all"

They didn’t pull away until they both had to in order to catch their breaths. Ashley snuggled into Erik’s chest. "I love you…" he mumbled, "I love you."

Erik smiled as he kissed his hair, "I love you too, you know I do." He could feel Ashley nod against his chest.

Ashley absentmindedly started to trace circles on Erik’s chest with his index finger. Erik could feel his own body responding to the light touch. After weeks of longing the kiss had left his body craving for more.

"Ash…" he mumbled hoarsely. Ashley looked up. "When does our day start?"

Ashley smiled, "Don’t worry, we don’t have to be downstairs for another two hours."

Erik smiled back. "Good…"

"Mmm…" Ashley said, busy showering his lovers neck in feather light kisses that only had one intention. To drive his partner crazy.

"Didn't we have the best of times
When love was young and new?
Couldn't we reach inside and find
The world of me and you?
We'll never lose it again
Cause once you know what love is
You never let it end"

Ashley slowly started to undo the buttons on Erik’s shirt. He was only in boxers himself, and as the shirt came off their naked torsos rubbed off eachother as Erik craved a kiss. Ashley’s hands were roaming his body. It felt good. He let his head fall back and gave in to the feeling, giving himself over to his lover.

Ashley was a fantastic lover. His touch was so tender, his mouth hot and caressing. There wasn’t one spot on Erik’s chest he hadn’t touched or kissed by the time he’d worked his way from his neck to his belly button.

He moved down to his thighs, licking his way to just millimetres away from his crotch, stopping, repeating the action. Erik thought he would pass out from the suspense. On the other hand, when Ashley’s hot mouth finally wrapped around him he still though he would pass out. Man, this boy was skilled!

It wasn’t long before he came, holding back the cry of ecstasy tickling in his throat. Ashley crawled back up and gave him a kiss. As Erik tasted himself on his lover’s lips, he knew he wanted this to last forever.

"Let’s try not to fight over silly things again. Just don’t fight at all, really."

Ashley smiled, "Less fighting, more loving. You got yourself a deal!"

Erik laughed but was cut off by another kiss. Both men hoped they’d be able to keep their end of the deal…

"Didn't we almost have it all
When love was all we had worth giving?
The ride with you was worth the fall my friend
Loving you makes life worth living
Didn't we almost have it all
The night we held on till the morning
You know you'll never love that way again
Didn't we almost have it all"