http://clampfix.fanworks.net/re-fix/bf15.txt </head><body><pre> Between Friends Part 15 Eagle smiled quietly, listening to Geo's sarcastic remarks concerning one of his professors. He felt like he was behind a glass wall today. The nightmares were getting out of hand, getting too bad for him to go back to sleep. He would feel overtired if he bothered to think about it, but he didn't. He just let his emotions be quietly subdued, hoping no one would think much of his silence. They'd probably think he was just daydreaming or being "not there," as he often was. Only Lantis had looked at him with awareness of that ploy in his eyes. Geo and Zazu were willing to accept his manner without a second thought; Lantis was apparently not. Eagle knew he'd probably be interrogated in Lantis' strong, silent way when they were alone together. Lantis cared deeply when he cared at all, and one of the things Eagle loved about him. He sighed softly to himself and wondered if he should pretend, open his eyes a little wider and laugh a little more in order to throw Lantis off. Only that wouldn't work. Lantis would still know he was disturbed. Eagle mentally sighed again and patiently waited until they drew near Lantis' quarters. Zazu and Geo were going to Zazu's place to work on a combined project together, while he and Lantis were supposed to help one another with their papers on Autozam mythology, a subject in which Lantis had rapidly become more expert than himself. He stood waiting in the middle of Lantis' living room as the door closed behind them. "You haven't been getting enough sleep, Eagle," Lantis observed. Here it came. "Would you like to take a nap before we start?" That threw Eagle off. Geo would have continued to ask what was wrong. Lantis just offered comfort. Eagle closed his eyes and sighed with a soft smile. "I am a little tired," he admitted. "Then go in my room and go to sleep. We only need a few hours to finish our papers. I'll wake you in plenty of time." Lantis' blue-violet eyes gentled as he watched Eagle go into his bedroom. Eagle might not think it, but his being upset and worried over something was very obvious, at least to Lantis. And Eagle's lack of sleep was patently evident to trained eyes. He wondered if Geo had noticed it too. "I thought you were going to get some sleep," he said quietly before he even saw Eagle re-emerge from the bedroom. "I can't," Eagle said softly, apologetically. "You're going to get some sleep," Lantis informed him. "You need it." "I can't," Eagle reiterated. "Not alone. I've been having really bad dreams recently, and I can't go to sleep because of them." Lantis' mind took three steps ahead and arrived at a conclusion just as Eagle asked it. "Will you take a nap with me, Lantis?" Lantis took only half a second to consider the effect of answering in the negative before agreeing with a nod. If he said "no," Eagle would not get any sleep (which Lantis was becoming increasingly sure Eagle *needed*), and it would also cause damage to their friendship... relationship, Lantis corrected. So he followed Eagle into the bedroom and laid down on the bed next to him. Hesitantly, Eagle moved to rest his head in the hollow of Lantis' right shoulder. Lantis smiled at the cute pause in Eagle's actions and closed his eyes. As if relieved that he hadn't rejected him, Eagle slowly shifted closer until his warm form was cuddled next to Lantis'. Lantis smiled again and dagged the coverlet over the two of them and relaxed, hearing Eagle's breathing slow and even as he too drifted off into dreams. Lantis' last concious movement was to curl his right arm around Eagle, holding his friend and boyfriend close to protect him from nightmares. Eagle drifted just below the surface of waking for a quite a while after his dreams had ended, sleepily aware that he was warm and comfortable and that someone he loved was taking care of him. It was nice. But sooner or later he'd have to wake up. So eventually he set about actually opening his eyes, and was happy to find that it was Lantis holding him as he himself slept. For several moments he just lay there quietly, adoringly watching Lantis' even features shift slightly as he breathed pacifically in and out. Eagle could definitely stand to wake up like this more often, and happily considered if it might happen again, if Lantis would get over his hesitancy in the relationship. Perfectly content, Eagle shifted and sat up slightly, leaning over Lantis until their lips touched. A slight change in Lantis' breathing let Eagle know that he had succeeded in waking his boyfriend up, and he continued kissing Lantis awake, like the prince kissing the princess awake in a pretend story that his sister had read to him when he was little. He'd always wanted to wake up someone he loved with a kiss since he'd first heard the story. He watched as Lantis' wonderfully indigo eyes opened and waited a few seconds before breaking away. "Hello," he said simply. "Did you sleep well?" Lantis inquired gently. "Mmmm," Eagle said with a nod. "And you?" Lantis didn't answer, instead tracing his fingers over Eagle's cheek. "When did you get this content?" he asked. "I'm with you; why shouldn't I be?" Eagle asked in return. "I love you, Lantis." He kissed Lantis again so that he wouldn't have to hear the silence that would be Lantis' reply to that last. Lantis surprised him by breaking away and moving to touch his lips on Eagle's neck. Eagle took an instinctive breath at the kiss; that felt heavenly, Lantis' lips gently brushing his skin. He curled his arms delightedly around Lantis as his boyfriend shifted on the bed to be able to nuzzle his neck more easily. "You think far too much, Eagle," Lantis murmured quietly. "Should I give it up for a little while, then?" Eagle asked, his toes curling as Lantis continued his attentions to the soft, sensitive skin. "Maybe," Lantis replied with a touch of humor in his voice. "Except we still have our reports to get done, remember?" Eagle glanced over at the chronometer and sighed. Damn, Lantis was right. "But we could stay here for a little while longer...." he persuaded. "Not too long if we don't want to fail the assignment." "Twenty minutes," Eagle bargained. "Ten," Lantis amusedly countered, wicked humor snapping in his eyes. "Fifteen," Eagle retorted. "Done," Lantis agreed. "A quarter of an hour." Eagle sighed again as Lantis tasted his skin, tongue flicking across his neck to discover his flavor. Fifteen minutes cuddling alone and making out didn't seem like quite enough.... ********* Kurama: And the next part, yaoi! Author: Nope. Kurama: WHAT!? Author: They're making out, not making love. It stops there. Kurama: But... but.... Author: Stop whimpering. You'll like the next part even if it doesn't have sex. Kurama: But... Eagle's me! He's the RayEarth version of me, anyway, and I want to see him with Lantis! Author: Note to self, Kurama is a voyeur. What you really want, fox, is for me to write more on your harem story. Kurama: YYH Christmas is NOT a harem story! I only get Shizuru and Hiei in that one. It's a perfectly valid piece of literature! Author: Do you WANT a harem story? Kurama: Ye... wait a minute. You're trying to trick me into saying something incriminating and giving myself a bad name. Author: No, you've already done that. Mari's ruined your rep, fox. And it's all your own fault. Kurama: It is NOT!! </pre><p><a href="./">Back</a></p><p><a href=http://www.dreamhost.com/donate.cgi?id=216><img border=0 alt="Donate towards our web hosting bill!" src=https://secure.newdream.net/donate1.gif></a></p></body></html>