Staring out of an open window and listlessly watching the London traffic, Curt took a drag from his cigarette and sighed. A litter of empty beer bottles and cigarette butts covered the table he had his feet propped up on, evidence of Curt's idea of dinner. A few hours sleep, a couple beers and a pack of cigarettes as he sat bare chested in his flat, a perfect evening? Yeah, sure. He had arrived back in London a few hours ago from a 'take care of business on the other side of the Atlantic' trip. Well, that's how Jerry put it. Curt liked to think of it as a 'get rid of Curt for a while and find out what kind of crap's going down in New York while we're at it' sort of trip. Fuck, that Jerry pissed him off. Bossy asshole in a striped fancy suit who was more interested in Maxwell Demon's entourage of groupies and moneymakers than anything else.

The light of a street lamp poured through the open window as Curt flicked his last cigarette into the ashtray. The air was still and warm, too hot for May. This is England, for Christ's sake, Curt thought, it's not supposed to be hot. Ever. Yet, tonight it was hot and sticky. Hot and sticky. That's how Curt felt. Hot, sticky, jet lagged and lonely. Where was Brian? He told Curt the photo shoot would be over by six. And here it was nine o'clock and Curt was sitting and watching traffic in the stifling evening air. The closest that he came to being with Brian in the past week was hurried telephone conversation and a scribbled post card of the Statue of Liberty. He wondered if Brian got as big a kick out of getting it as he had sending it. It was stuck onto the wall by the telephone with cello-tape; Curt had noticed it when he had walked in earlier.

Out of cigarettes and disgusted with himself for wallowing, Curt got up and stretched lazily. He might as well go buy more cigarettes, he decided, putting his sweaty tee shirt back on and zipping his jeans up. Small as it was, the flat was just too big and empty without Brian. There was too much of him around the place - a scarf draped over one of the kitchen chairs, used tissues on the sink in the toilet, a pillow from their bed on the sofa. Beneath the reek of smoke and pollution, the place smelled of the same powder and scent that Brian wore. Delicate, elusively masculine and horribly depressing if you are caught between missing and wanting him. Add horny to the list, Curt grumbled, clicked the door shut, and headed for the nearest pub.

= = = = =

The walk to and from the pub gave Curt an odd energy. The feeling was out of place in the oppressive heat of the night, the heavy, quiet heat that any noise only made more difficult to endure. Energy coursed through his limbs, however, and no matter how fast he walked, he couldn't work it out. Prowling the streets was just as bad as sitting in his flat alone; his thoughts kept drifting back to Brian, the feel of Brian's skin, the sound of his voice. Weary and impatient at the same time, he directed his steps back toward his building. From a block away, he could see the bright white of a car's headlights. Lighting one of the cigarettes, he stopped and squinted at the car as it slowed and stopped in front where he lived.

"Brian! Hey, yeah!! Bri!" He shouted as a young man stepped out of the car. Stepping up his pace, he called out to his lover again. "Brian!! Wait!"

Dressed in silver and black, Brian must not have had time to change after the shoot. He waved the driver away with a gesture of annoyance and then turned to wait for Curt to approach him. Now taking slow steps, Curt pushed damp strands of hair from his face. Brian leaned against the street lamp, harsh light illuminating him oddly as he stood in the dingy street. But he was like that, Brian, he lit up places that had no glam or glitter of their own. Smiling, he reached for Curt as soon as he was close enough.

"Curt! I'm so sorry I'm late, baby," Brian spoke somewhat out of breath, burying his face in Curt's neck. Warm, soft lips touched his skin for a moment, and then Brain pulled away gasping sharply. "HuhIshoo! Ihshoo! ohh."

"Sorry." Rubbing his nose with one finger, Brian sniffed. He leaned forward, kissed Curt quickly on the lips and sniffled again. "It's all the make-up and hairspray, my nose has been itching since this afternoon."

Taking a small step backwards, Curt ran one finger over Brian's lips and ran his eyes down Brian's body. God, he looked beautiful standing in that pool of light. A subtle jolt of that old electricity shot through Curt's blood and he kissed Brian's full lips before taking a closer look at his lover. Silver platforms, snug, silver, leather trousers and a tight, black silk shirt - his clothes clung to his slim body in all the right places. His pale skin shimmered with a light dusting of glitter, pearly white in contrast to his eyes, deep blue outlined in kohl. Except his nose, this was pink, even under the layers of make-up.

Did he even know how fucking sexy he was? Of course he does, he's Maxwell Demon.

The sound of his soft sneezes and the slightly confused look on his face afterwards, however, showed a more vulnerable side of Brian that belonged completely to Curt.

"Come on, Bri, let's go inside," Curt whispered as he slid one hand over Brian's ass, pulling the other man's body close to his.

They stepped out of the street lamp's bright circle, hip to hip, the close air mingling with their own warm breath. Brian's slender body relaxed against Curt, his arm around Curt's waist and his head resting on Curt's shoulder. Smaller and slightly shorter than Curt, his body fit perfectly in curve of his lover's side.

Curt took the cigarette from his mouth and offered it to Brian. The end of the cigarette glowed orange in the dim corridor. "Missed you."

"I hate it when you leave me for so long, Curt." Brian pinched his nostrils and lowered his hand carefully from his face. He pouted and waved the cigarette away. "You know I, I can't, ahh, sleep, without, uhuh -"

One boot heel clacked loudly against the stairs that led up to their flat. Brian tightened his grip around Curt's waist, his eyelids flittering. An annoyed frown creased his forehead and he clamped one hand over his nose just as his eyes snapped shut.

"Ehhtishhh!! Huhishhoo! ehhh, hahh, hah!choo!" Brian stood still, inhaled tentatively, then continued to walk up the stairs. "Uhh, Huheshoo!! Ehishoo!"

Slim shoulders tensed and shook as Brian sneezed, his steps uncertain as he climbed the stairs. Something akin to lust, mixed with the desire to posses, stabbed through Curt's groin when the younger man pressed against him. He just sneezed, for fuck's sake, and Curt wanted nothing more than to have Brian right there. In the freakin' stairwell.

"Bless you." Curt mumbled around his cigarette, one hand digging his keys out of his pocket, the other still resting on Brian's ass. He kissed the top of Brian's head as the he buried his face in Curt's shoulder, groaning. "You okay, Bri?"

With a muffled sniff and nodding of his head, Brian wriggled closer to Curt. He nudged Curt up the last few stairs until they stood before the closed door to their flat. Unable to stand the closeness any longer, Curt started to stroke the smooth leather over Brian's ass, took one last drag on his cigarette and blew the smoke away from Brian's face. Leaning forward, he kissed Brian's eyelids, the tip of his nose, and the corners of his mouth. Curt nibbled his way over Brian's jaw and pulled him tightly to his own body, licking and sucking his neck.

Brian wrestled the keychain from his fingers, freeing both hands so Curt could hug him close. He tipped his head up, a smile crossing his lips and tempting Curt to kiss him again. And Curt needed him. Needed to make those pretty lips and deep eyes and sweet body his. He needed to get inside and fast.

The key grated in the lock and Brian opened the door. As it slammed shut behind them, Brian put both arms around Curt and started to nuzzle his neck. Already hard, Curt pushed his hips into Brian's. The heat of the evening weighed heavy on his skin, lust and restless want urging him toward Brian. Soft hair tickled his neck as Brian dipped his head down and kissed his collarbone. Brian suddenly looked up, blinked a few times, and quickly leaned his head against Curt's chest.

"EhhChfff!! Ahchissh!" Two stifled sneezes - adorable, barely evading delicate as only Brian's actions could. Brian slid away, shaking his head and inhaling harshly through his nose. "IhTishoo!"

Curt followed Brian into the bedroom, half his attention on a very hard, very demanding erection and concern for Brian, as he walked away, one finger under his nose. Fuck, fuck, fucking hell, his jeans were getting tighter by the second.

"You sure you're all right, Brian?"

"Ahh, Hitshoo!! Ishhoo!! ugh, oh, bloody ... I'm fine." He spoke from behind a tissue, one eyebrow raised as he surveyed the panoply of beer bottles and cigarette butts on the table. As he turned, Curt growled and watched his tight, leather clad ass.

"Fine?" Sidling over to Brian, Curt stood behind his lover and started to kiss his neck. "How fine?"

Smooth silk slid underneath his palms, cool and liquid. Curt dragged his fingers over Brian's smooth stomach and up to his nipples. Heat throbbed in the air and in Curt's blood, his hips pressing up against Brian. Oh, god, a week without Brian! If he had to wait any longer, he was going to explode with pent up lust and desire. He fumbled with the few buttons on Brian's shirt, wanting to touch the soft, white skin beneath.

"Ohh, Curt," Brian groaned and stiffened, "no, wait."

"Baby, what? Aw, man, wait?" He licked one earlobe and rocked his hips. Wait? Hell, he'd come in his jeans if he waited any more. But Brian tugged away from him, stood sideways before him, pale profile raised toward the ceiling.

"Ihhtishh!! Ihssiihshoo!! ahh, heh, heh!! EhTishhoo! Ahshoo!!!" A light mist sprayed from his mouth as he sneezed freely. Brian brushed his knuckles under his nose before he turned to Curt and apologized. "It must be allergies, sorry, Curt, I don't mean to keep sneezing."

A trickle of hot sweat traced a wet path down Curt's back. His cock hard and his heart racing, Curt rubbed his chest with one hand. Could Brian do anything that didn't make him feel this way? Eyeliner now smudged, nostrils pink and flaring, a soft, helpless look in his eyes, he made Curt pant. Heavy, slow breaths that increased as Curt took stealthy steps toward Brian. The restlessness he felt earlier tingled through his limbs, a predatory smile curving his lips.

"Don't make me wait." Curt grabbed Brain's hand and led it toward his groin, shuddering as slim fingers stroked his hardness. "Not tonight, oh no, no."

"I might sneeze on you," Brian warned, walking the two of them toward the bed, one hand down the front of Curt's jeans. He leaned forward and an insistent tongue forced itself through Curt's lips.

"You, uhmm, look cute, uhh, when you sneeze," mumbling through a mouth full of Brian-tongue, Curt ripped off Brian's shirt.

"Cute?" The hand left his jeans and deftly unbuttoned and unzipped them.

"Hell, I don't know, like when you come after I suck you off." Madly pulling, Curt stripped the leathers off Brian, cursing the man who invented shoes. Hands on Brian's hips, he brushed his palms over his thighs and licked his tongue over the tip of Brian's cock.

"So romantic."

"Fuck romantic, I'm horny and nothing short of leprosy's keeping me from you."

Finally naked, Curt toppled both of their bodies onto the bed. Brian still sniffled wetly, pressing one palm to his nose. His chest rose and fell steadily, breath coming fast as Curt knelt next to him, caressing his cheek and shoulder. Curt circled a thumb over Brian's nipples, dragged it down the center of his chest, and wiped the pre-come off Brian's prick. Insinuating himself between Brian's thighs, he hungrily nuzzled a path from jutting erection to collarbone. A frustrated grunt came from Brian's lips as he ran lips over the hollow in his lover's throat.

"Ahh, huh!ishhoo!" Brian's body jerked underneath his, their erections brushing against each other. Control fading, Brian twisted his head toward the pillow. "Ahh, CHOO! ehchoo!! ehehh, huhuhh, ehh, ohh!! Ahhishhoo! Tschoo!"

Curt grabbed his wrists and brought them above Brian's head, kissing him hot on the mouth. Brian moaned, slowly, vulnerability coloring his cries. He wanted to kiss Brian all over, taste the sweet tang of his skin, run his lips over sensitive nipples and ribcage, graze his teeth over the ticklish skin on Brian's stomach and thighs. All while that half-sneeze, half-submissive expression lingered on his face.

"Hehh, Ishhoo!! Kitshoo! Ahh, huhh, Itshoo!" Oh, his Brian was beautiful!! Body writhing under his, arms straining, abandon painted all over his face. "EhhTishhah!! Ihhyishho!! God, oh, Curt!!"

"All right, Bri?" Curt asked, between gulping breaths. Brian nodded, hips jerking as Curt kissed him over and over again.

He let go of Brian's wrists. Desire burned inside of him as Brian maneuvered onto his stomach, his hips rocking as he rubbed his erection into the mattress. Curt stared, nudging his cock over Brian's tight, pretty ass. Growling, he slid his hands down Brian's body.

Hot skin touched hot skin as Curt pressed the length of his body to Brian's. He touched his lips to Brian's shoulder, swept his mouth over the skin to Brian's ear.

"I love you, you know that?" He mumbled, and kissed Brian painful hard on the mouth when he twisted around to look at Curt. There was love and trust - because Curt was the only one he surrendered to - in those blue, blue eyes.

"Wolf." Brian whispered harshly, pushing his ass into Curt's pelvis. "I know.".

"Brian." Curt snarled. Brian, his Brian, Brian Slade. Not Maxwell Demon. His. Brian. "Mine."

Fast, hot and hard they made love. There was a pinnacle that Curt could feel himself reaching as he moved inside Brian, where the energy flowed from his fingertips each time he touched Brian, from his lips when he kissed his lover, from all his cells as he reached orgasm minutes after Brian hoarsely shouted and came. A pinnacle he didn't come down from, even when the air was damp with the scent of sex and quietly they lay limp in each other's arms. Curt needed Brian as much as - no, more than - he needed to have Brian.

After a soft yawn, Brian shifted in his arms. Opening one eye, Curt watched as Brian leaned over and reached his arm off the bed. He blew his nose and snorted when Curt crawled over, rested his head in Brian's lap, and mumbled a bless you.

"Curt love?" Brian pushed a tangle of hair off Curt's face, cool fingers moving across his skin.

"Uhmm?" Curt opened his eyes drowsily.

"I love you, dear, but next time," he rubbed his nose into his wrist and sniffed loudly, "let me take an antihistamine and tie me to the bedposts instead."

finis