“Ace?” Cosmo peeked into the dim bedroom, only the softly glowing wall sconce lights casting any illumination about the place. He had been woken in the warmth of his own bed by a niggling dread. It hadn’t taken more then a moment to clear the sleep from his brain and decipher the true source: so Cosmo had gotten up, clad in his blue sleeping boxers and tank top and wandered the silent halls of the Express to his partner’s room.
 The older man twitched on the wide expanse of bed, Zina looking up at his entry.
 “Hey girl,” he greeted softly, coming to the bedside as Ace thrashed, mumbling incoherently, caught in his own dreams. Minute impressions tapped against Cosmo’s perception, just strong enough to register, but not strong enough to require a shield. Dread, slight desperation. No, not a pleasant dream. Ace called out indistinctly, hand raising, fingers claw like.
 “Ace,” Cosmo called gently, reaching out and catching the grasping fingers. They tightened desperately onto his arm, Cosmo just managed a small 'eep' as he found himself suddenly hauled into the bed, Ace’s arms coming protectively around him. Cosmo fought to orient himself amongst the satin sheets and Ace obliged, well, a little-- the magician only allowing him to turn in his grip, but not so much as to escape. He found himself cradled carefully against the powerfully built chest of his partner, feeling the distant heartbeat there. Unlike Cosmo, Ace slept in the nude. Not that he had known this before but now, kinda of being sprawled across Ace’s lap...
 Cosmo blushed.
 “Uh.. Ace,” he whispered uncertainly. Ace was still caught in his dreams, muttering softly, his hand coming up and gently caressing along one cheek. Cosmo shivered, somewhat embarrassed how nice that felt. Oh man. What was going on? His partner’s emotions were rising again, still desperate and afraid, seeking now slight hope in their midst. The nightmare had Ace tight in it’s grasp and Cosmo’s wasn’t certain what to do. How to rouse his older friend without them both dying of embarrassment.
 Then Ace kissed him, the hand caressing his face cupping his jaw and turning the teen toward him as Ace latched onto his lips with urgent need. Cosmo froze, eyes wide as he felt a tongue beseechingly trace over his lips, an echoing worry in his thoughts. Still frozen, the tongue wiggled it’s way in and Ace’s arms tightened around him as Cosmo felt himself explored with intimate ease. It was a moments shock when he found himself responding, opening to the kiss, and hesitantly returning it.
 What was he doing?! Was he insane? Ace had just kissed him. Another man. His older partner.
 And it felt good....
 Oh damn, that made him blush as Ace pulled away muttering softly. Mona, he had to be dreaming about Mona. Oh man! He should get out right now and let Ace wake on his own. Then the desperation hit again, twining with his own shock and worry, the two binding. Oh man. He had to keep the emotions sorted. Shield, get a shield up dude, he demanded himself as Ace’s hand slipped beneath his shirt hem and slid up across the developing planes of his own chest. Cosmo bit his lip as long fingers brushed over one nipple, the small bud rising to the touch as shivers danced over his skin.
 This wasn’t good. Well it was, but it wasn’t...oh damn. He couldn’t let this continue, but he couldn’t wake Ace up now; the older man would freak. Heck, he was freaking. His partner was making the moves on him in his sleep and Cosmo was at a loss of what to do. Oh man.
 Fear ruptured his thoughts and Cosmo flinched as Ace turned, voice wavering. A few discernible words passed his lips, but still made no sense as Ace clutched him closer, nestling the smaller man safely in his arms. Cosmo didn’t mind, shivering from the rising heat from Ace’s skin. He held there, uncertain. Ace was having a real bad dream and was desperately seeking some solace. The fact that Cosmo seemed to have been volunteered didn’t really bother him, but still... Oh man, Ace would freak. He couldn’t let Ace do it, but how could he stop him without waking him?
 Goosebumbs raised over his arms as Ace whispered senselessly in his ear, a tongue tip tracing over the whorls and valleys there. Cosmo sucked in an involuntary breath, body melting of it’s own accord. Damn, this was crazy, but it felt good. Shield, he should throw up a shield and run for it, but thinking was becoming hard. Desire was rising in him and Cosmo wasn’t real sure who’s it was-- Ace’s or his own.
 ‘Insane. Cosmo, you’ve gone insane.’ What was he thinking? He’d come to help Ace, yeah, but not like this! Another whimper and more desperation, stronger, actually swapping him for a brief second. Cosmo shuddered, drawn between wanting to hightail it out of there and comforting his disturbed partner. Oh man. Ace’s nightmare was deep and held him hard and if he woke him up... No, the older man would not deal well with the situation, but he couldn’t just leave him like this. Not like this.
 Cosmo gulped, licking his lips. Oh man. Well. It wasn’t like he hadn’t done some strange, crazy and weird things before. He’d done some really crazy, weird and strange things before, but this.... Ace cried out and clutched at him protectively, rolling them both slightly to the side. Cosmo clung back reflexively and soft mummers of comfort issued from the older man’s lips, whispering into his ear soothingly. The soft breath sent a little tremor through him and Cosmo sighed. Insane, he’d gone insane, but.... Oh man.
 The fearful dread hit again and wrapped around his own confusion, mingling the emotions again. Reflexively, Cosmo reached out and smoothed back the black hair, offering comfort without thought. Ace responded instantly with a light whisper, lips brushing over his brow as the hand traveled over his back, still caught beneath his shirt, warm and strong. Muscles relaxed against the touch as Cosmo let his fingers tangle in the black locks, white strands flitting over his fingers.
 ‘Man, please don’t wake up, Ace,’ he thought desperately. ‘Please don’t wake up cause I would die.’
 The thought ended as Ace’s lips caught his own and Cosmo groaned softly as his tongue was sucked into the hot embrace, thoroughly ravished by his partner’s warm lips. Oh god... Ace could kiss! No wonder woman were always hot after him. That and the magician was a good looking man --Cosmo had no problem admitting that-- good-looking and well built. His eyes closed as he clumsily tried to return the kiss, still wavering between his desperate shock and rising pleasure. Everything still being warped by Ace’s own emotional feed. A feed growing more aroused, passionate as it started to seep into his perception.
 Shield and run, a sane part of his mind screamed. But it wouldn’t help Ace. Might hurt the man, especially if he woke up. Cosmo couldn’t do that. Insane as it was, he wanted to help Ace. Needed to help the older man. Ace had always done everything for him, had even laid his life on the line an unheard number of times. Was this really the worst way to pay off that debt? A shudder rippled through him, his body responding as the large hands slipped over his chest again.
 No, he decided. Not the worst way, unless Ace woke up. Okay, insane he was. Amazing, how once he decided that, Cosmo could actually relax as fingers brushed his nipples teasingly, eliciting a small groan. Ace smiled in his sleep and murmured, rolling Cosmo onto the bed below, the larger man taking the top. Cosmo blushed again as the blanket fell away, revealing his naked and aroused partner. He gulped slightly at the sight, embarrassed by his own rising arousal. Ace did look good naked. Very good! Cosmo’s eyes traveled lower and briefly he thought Mona was a very lucky woman. He blinked. Very lucky.
 Tentatively, he reached out, not certain what to do or how to act. Tongue tracing dry lips, Cosmo let his hand rest against the muscular chest of his partner, then moving slowly over the broad expanse. Ace let out a soft sigh as his fingers brushed over the older man’s nipples and an answering quiver rose in him, along with a slight smile. This wasn’t that hard. He knew what he liked and how he liked to be touched. Ace was a man, it should be pretty much the same for him.
 Man.
 Cosmo blinked. His partner was a man, sitting on him, naked and aroused and here he was trying to think how to make him feel good. Insane, he’d gone insane. Cosmo brought his other hand up with the first, letting them rub slowly across his partner’s chest, wrapping around his back as Cosmo pulled himself up, pausing before one nipple. It was dark brown against the pale, scared skin and strangely tantalizing. Cosmo reached out with a tongue tip and gently explored the hard nub. A tremor literally ran through the body in his arms and daringly Cosmo wrapped his lips around the whole areola, sucking gently. The hands tightened on his back and Ace murmured into his hair, Cosmo feeling his partner’s cock jump against his stomach. His own growing erection responded with a small pulse and he felt another hot blush at the sensation. Man, he was insane. And getting seriously hot and bothered. Hands slipped sensuously along his sides, lifting the shirt way and Cosmo twisted to let them as he found himself pushed back with forceful ease. Oh ho, so Ace was a bit of a control freak in bed, eh? Warm lips roved over his chest, laying a trail of kisses warm on his skin and he sighed. Not a bad thing by the way, he thought distantly, as one nipple was sucked into the hot, wet confines of his partner’s mouth. He trembled, biting his lip against the moan that wanted to escape. Careful, he had to be careful. If he woke Ace now... Oh man.. The magician’s hands caressed the other erect bud, even while the tongue swirled lazily around the first, suckling him passionately. Oh man. Cosmo melted, breath coming in short pants as his head lolled back. Oh man....
 Ace was really going to do this. So lost in his dream that he really had no idea who he was fondling in his bed. He really was going to do this. To him. Cosmo whimpered slightly as the magician laid carefully over him, their erections bumping together. Even though he still had his boxers on, the flimsy cloth was little barrier to the exhilarating heat and hardness that rubbed along him. Cosmo’s hips raised instinctively, pressing himself against his partner. Eyes closed, Ace smiled seductively, whispering soft nothings as his lips caught Cosmo’s again. Cosmo gave in more then willingly this time, the two fighting for a moment for dominance, Ace finally winning as Cosmo relented in the erogenous seizure.
 Easier, it was getting amazingly easier to kiss those inviting lips. To taste Ace and feel his heat pressed against him. No, this wasn’t bad at all. Downright nice if he was forced to admit it. Another tremor rolled through him and his erection jumped as Ace’s hands slipped down his slender waist to the hem of his boxers, urging the blue shorts down.
 Cosmo panicked.
 Man. He was a man after all. If Ace touched him. Oh man. He froze as the magician freed him of the soft fabric, carelessly tossing them aside. Now there was nothing between them as Ace laid down again, kissing his throat, sucking gently at the nape of his shoulder. Cosmo groaned, eyes fluttering shut, as their cocks aligned again, fiery and frictioning against each other. Ace murmured against his neck and Cosmo turned slightly to kiss the shoulder before him, sucking with growing pressure as a shiver ran though his partner. Ace moaned his appreciation and desire surged up in Cosmo. Any and all earlier fear was gone as he kissed the older man above him. He suddenly was filled with the very really drive to make Ace feel good. To ease his dark nightmare with this physical reassurance. Hands caught in the dark hair, Cosmo turned Ace’s face to him and caught that inviting mouth, plunging his tongue into the moist depths-- exploring, delighting in his taste. Ace pressed against him, grinding his hips slowly in rhythm with the passionate kiss. Cosmo gasped around the warm lips as blood rushed to his groin, feeling himself throb with the rising passion. Oh man, that felt good. He pushed back, awkwardly, trying to find a rhythm as there cocks rubbed together, sliding slowly back and forth against one another. Oh man.... Cosmo didn’t fight the whimper of pleasure that escaped his lips. Ace whispered something and kissed him again, hips surging with a more fervent pace. Cosmo cupped the finely shaped ass of his partner, letting his fingers dig into the muscular flesh as Ace rocked against him whispering, Cosmo moaning softly as his partner’s warm breath raised the hairs along the back of his neck.
 “Ace,” he dared to breath as his partner kissed him again, grinding into him hard, panting with his own approaching release. Cosmo was not far behind, body taut with the surging hot need that was both his and his partner’s. Oh man! If this was Ace in his sleep, what must the man be like awake?! Another low whimper escaped him as Ace stroked long and hard against him, both men trembling. So close. Oh, he was so close, needing release, wanting it so badly... Then Ace orgasmed, an inarticulate wail of pleasure ripping from him and he pushed almost violently against his younger partner. That last long, hard stroke was all it took and Cosmo bit his lip to keep from screaming out as felt his own climax explode free like liquid fire. Hard, shuddering
 Oh man, oh man... Cosmo was panting breathlessly as Ace slipped to his side, hand gently weaving into his hair, the older man breathing heavily with the release. Small darts of pleasure still tore through Cosmo’s mind as he tried to capture a coherent thought. Ace murmured and kissed his neck, nuzzling there as one hand wrapped around his heaving chest. Calm descended on the magician, a faint smile of utter contentment on his lips. Heart still beating fast, Cosmo watched as his partner settled, fee rest of his life. An intimate moment with his partner that would never, ever be admitted to. The older man finally fell deep into sleep, the empathic echoes smoothing and becoming peaceful like the man. Carefully, Cosmo extracted himself from the limp embrace. Grabbing his t-shirt, he endeavored to clean them both up as much as he could. Once done, he paused at the bedside and allowed his fingers to brush the white streaked hairs at Ace’s temple back. Delivering a gentle kiss to one cheek, Cosmo felt a painful stab in his chest. So close. So intimate with man that meant the world to him. Never again, he knew, but at least...
 Cosmo smiled. At least he had been given this one gift and had given one in return. Ace murmured softly as his lips left the sharply angled cheek and the magician smiled slightly in his sleep. It brought a grin to Cosmo’s own face as he stepped away.
 “Night, Ace,” he whispered at the door, then retreated silently from the room.
 In the stillness that followed, Ace shifted in the bed, drawing the blanket unconsciously about him. The smile on his lips widened ever so slightly as he whispered gently into the peaceful shadows.
 “Cosmo.”