Ineluctable.

[sarren]

zebra363 wins at beta reading!!! Thank you, Z.


Ineluctable

Propped up against the headboard, Brett smoked a cigar meditatively. The girl he'd taken to bed was smiling in her sleep, her head pillowed on his chest. Brett stroked wisps of hair idly back from her face with his free hand as he listened to the sounds coming from the living room - Danny's voice, urgent and somewhat breathless, and the eager cries of his date reaching a crescendo. Then abruptly, silence.

At last. Now he could get some sleep. He ground out the cigar in the ashtray on the bedside table and, holding the girl carefully with one hand, spread the pillows out and lay down. The girl murmured and snuggled closer, dead to the world. Brett smiled smugly. He'd worn her out, poor thing. He reached up to turn out the light, and then shot upright at a noise in the doorway, dislodging the girl who flopped bonelessly next to him. Brett stared in shock as Danny and his girl staggered into the room, arms around each other, exchanging lazy kisses.

They were naked, and flushed with heat and sweat and other fluids. They looked totally debauched. Brett quickly averted his eyes from the spectacle.

'Can I help you?' he asked primly.

'Oh, don't mind us.' Danny disentangled one arm and waved it lazily in his direction. He was slowly but unmistakeably guiding the girl toward the bed.

'I do mind, actually. Some of us wish to sleep.'

'Great minds think alike.' Danny had the girl backed against the end of the bed and giggling, she toppled backwards, Danny following her down. Brett hurriedly pulled his legs up out of the way and watched in disbelief as Danny kissed her neck... her shoulder...her breast, and then closed his mouth over her nipple. The girl sighed and closed her eyes.

'Daniel, this is not an orgy. Kindly take this elsewhere.'

Danny looked up and grinned at him through wet and swollen-looking lips. Danny liked kissing, Brett had noticed. In fact, Brett knew, Danny liked everything about sex. He took his time, made sure his partner was more than satisfied. The women they'd shared sang his praises. Luckily, Brett liked a challenge.

'Orgy, huh? Now, there's an idea.'

'You're incorrigible.'

'You bet I am.'

'Daniel, it's time to go to sleep.'

'You go to sleep, your lordship. Kathy and I will be as quiet as mice.'

'Oh, I'm sure you will.' Brett let his smirk show.

'What?'

Brett nodded towards the girl. Danny glanced down and his smile disappeared. 'Oh, great.' He rolled to the side, managing to sprawl over the entire rest of the bed, his arm flung over Brett's tucked-up feet. Brett averted his eyes from the half-hard penis on display.

''You don't mind if I just go to sleep right here, do you buddy?' he mumbled, one hand flung over his eyes.

'I certainly do mind,' Brett said indignantly. He prodded at Danny with his feet.

'All right, all right!' Danny sat up and reached for his sleeping date. 'Pull the covers back, would you?"

'What?'

'Hurry up, she's heavier than she looks,' he complained, heaving the girl ungraciously up and against his chest.

'You want to put her in here?' Brett asked in disbelief even as he flipped the covers next to him down.

'Of course, where else?' Danny lowered the girl alongside the other one. Immediately she turned over and flung an arm over her friend. 'Would ya look at that,' Danny murmured in reverent tones.

'What's wrong with the couch? It's big enough for both of you,' he added pointedly, as Danny started to climb in on the other side of the girl. Danny ignored him.

'Daniel!'

'What?'

'You can't sleep here!'

'You just watch me.'

'Daniel!'

'What!'

'You can't stay here.'

'Give me one good reason why not.'

'There's no room, for a start.'

'Sure there is.' Danny snuggled closer to his girl. 'This bed's big enough for ten people.'

'Now that's just ridiculous.'

'You're ridiculous. One good reason, I said.'

'It's improper,' Brett said stiffly.

'It's improper?' Danny sniggered. 'That all you got?' He closed his eyes firmly. 'Good night, your lordship.'

Brett stared at him helplessly. There was no arguing with Danny when he was being obstinate. What did it matter really anyway? There were not one, but two girls between them. He was perfectly safe. Safe from what exactly, he didn't let himself think too deeply about.

Scowling at the ostentatiously snoring Danny - really, who did he think he was kidding? Brett switched off the light and lay down.

With the curtains discreetly drawn, the room was pitch dark. Brett lay stiffly awake, staring at nothing, listening to the sleeping breaths of all the other people in his bed. Even Danny's breathing had evened out into genuine sleep. Brett wished he knew why he felt so discombobulated. This wasn't the first time he'd shared a bed with more than one person; it wasn't even the first time he'd shared a bed with a man.

Danny muttered something and shifted restlessly. Brett listened tensely but Danny was quiet again.

Time for some home truths. Danny was his best friend. More than that, Danny was the other half of himself he hadn't known he was missing. Nothing could be allowed to mess that up. He couldn't go back to person he'd been before he'd met Danny, dead inside. A melodramatic thought, but true. Danny, bright and engaging and oblivious to personal boundaries, Danny with his irreverence and sense of humour and 'never say die' attitude to life that made Brett look forward eagerly to each new adventure.

Smiling to himself, Brett fell asleep.


***********************************************************************************************


With a sense of inevitability, Brett opened his eyes to find, instead of a nubile young blonde in his arms, a compact masculine body curled into his, radiating heat. Danny's arm was curled possessively around Brett's torso and his leg was thrown over Brett's thigh, resting dangerously close to a part of Brett's body that was unfortunately starting to take an interest in proceedings. This wouldn't do at all. Brett stirred, meaning to get up before anything...drastic could happen, but Danny's arm tightened and he mumbled something, rubbing his face against Brett's shoulder. Brett grimaced. No doubt Danny was drooling on his shoulder. It was hard to tell though, as they were damp from sweat wherever their bodies were touching.

Brett unpeeled his arm from around Danny's waist and threw back the covers, the air pleasantly cool on his sweating body. Danny made a protesting noise and his reaching hand groped for the covers, his eyes blinking reluctantly open when he couldn't find them.

'Uh oh,' he said, when his eyes finally focussed on Brett frowning at him.

'What happened to the girls?"

'Uh, what time is it?' Danny rubbed a hand over his face. 'They probably had to go to work.'

Danny wasn't moving away, Brett noticed. To his chagrin he realised that his arm had returned to its original resting place and his fingers had somehow ended up on Danny's hip. Danny didn't seem to mind, in fact he snuggled closer, and Brett's hand was suddenly on Danny's backside. He froze. Then the muscles under his hand flexed and Danny murmured lightly, 'Ooh your lordship, take me, I'm yours.'

Brett surprised himself by wishing that were true. Instead, he not so lightly slapped the convenient cheek. Danny's head jerked up. 'Hey!' he said indignantly.

'Get up,' Brett said, frowning at him.

'Not a chance,' Danny said firmly. Brett blinked, surprised. Danny was staring at him intensely. 'After all the effort I went to to get us here?'

'You what?'

'Well, I got tired of waiting for you to make the first move,' Danny explained, with devastating sincerity. 'All these grey hairs? Your fault.'

Brett stared at him in shock. Danny stared back, his face open and unguarded. Brett was awed by the intensity of the feelings laid bare for him to see. He groped for words. Everything was suddenly moving too fast; he felt off balance. 'How do you know I'm even interested?' he said stupidly.

Danny held his gaze. He smiled knowingly. Brett jerked as a hand closed unerringly around his penis, which instantly began to harden in Danny's grasp.

Danny raised an eyebrow. 'Your 'little lord' is interested, all right.'

Brett closed his eyes in real pain for a moment. 'Daniel, I beg you not to call it that.'

'What would you like me to call it? You know, for future reference.'

'There won't be a future reference,' Brett said automatically.

'Methinks the lady doth protest too much.'

'Actually,' Brett said, trying not to think of the hand holding him possessively, 'that's a common misquote.'

'Oh, really?'

'Indeed. It's 'the lady doth protest too much, methinks.' The original meaning was quite different. In Shakespeare's time to 'protest' meant to declare solemnly, so in fact it meant the woman was affirming so much as to lose credibility, rather than the current interpretation which - ' Brett broke off and gasped, arching into Danny's hand, which had tightened, and now began to jerk him slowly.

'Yes?' Danny enquired, in a suspiciously innocent tone. 'This is all fascinating. Tell me more about Shakespeare.'

'Danny,' Brett forced his eyes open. 'You mustn't.'

'Oh not that again.' Danny's hand stopped moving, mercifully for Brett's powers of concentration. We're not doing anything improper. Just two consenting adults in the privacy of our own home.'

'No, I mean, anyone could walk in.'

'Anyone? Just how many people have keys to your apartment anyway?'

'Not many. The porter, my housekeeper, my masseuse, a lady friend or two -

'Wait right here.' Danny got off the bed and spun around, holding his hands out in a quelling gesture. 'Don't you dare move.' Brett watched with reluctant appreciation as Danny, unselfconsciously naked, hurried from the bedroom. Brett stretched languidly. Despite his objections to Danny, he had no inclination to move. Still, no need to make it easy for Danny, the man already thought he was God's gift to - everyone - apparently.

Danny burst back into the room and hurried back to the bed. 'There, all fixed,' he announced, as he crawled on top of Brett. 'I stuck a 'do not disturb' sign on the door.'

'That won't stop someone who wants to get in.'

'No, but the sofa I shoved in front of the door will! That satisfy you, your lordship? It's just you and me now, no chance of being interrup - '

The phone rang. Danny's head dropped onto Brett's chest. Neither of them moved. It rang again. Danny slumped and made as if to get off Brett. Smiling to himself, Brett grabbed Danny and held him still. 'Let it ring.'

Danny looked up at him, his face serious. 'You sure?'

Some last vestige of resistance within Brett crumbled at that. Even now Danny was taking care of him.

'Yes,' he said firmly, watching the smile creep over Danny's face, as if even now he didn't quite believe it.

'You know, I'm a firm believer that one should always finish what one has started,' Brett said airily.

Danny looked puzzled. 'Not with you.'

'My little lord would like a word,' he said, deadpan.

Danny’s smile was pure evil. 'I better go see what he wants.' Danny began to edge backwards, holding Brett's gaze firmly until his face was level with Brett's penis, which had mostly lost interest in proceedings in the interim, and now stirred hopefully.

'Hiya pal,' Danny said, grasping it and shaking it gently.

'Daniel.'

'Shush, me and him are just getting acquainted,' Danny said reprovingly, just as though he wasn't staring as if entranced at Brett's erection as he slowly jacked him.

'You're looking at it like you've never seen one before, which, unless you've been holding out on me...'

Danny ignored him. 'Do you believe in kissing on the first date?' he asked Brett's penis, in a confidential tone.

Obviously Danny was toying with him. Brett let his head fall back on the pillow and stared at the ceiling, resigning himself to whatever Danny had in mind for him, only to jerk violently as a wet mouth closed over him and began to suck and all the blood in his body rushed downwards.

Feeling curiously lightheaded, Brett managed to raise his head to look at Danny crouched over him. He couldn't see Danny's face, only the top of his head and the line of his back, and the way his free hand disappeared under his body.

Brett frowned. 'Stop.'

Danny raised his head, his mouth glistening obscenely. 'What is it?' he asked, sitting back, so that he straddled Brett's thighs.

Brett sat up and slid his arms around Danny's waist. 'I think we forgot something, don't you?' he said, and kissed him.

He felt it as Danny smiled against his mouth and kissed him back gently, and then strong arms wrapped around him firmly and Danny leaned in and the kiss was suddenly wild and dirty and Brett hardly knew how or when Danny pushed and manouvred them except suddenly he was flat on his back and Danny's weight was on him. Danny had his hand wrapped firmly around both their erections as he jerked them and Danny was still kissing him and he couldn't tell where he started and Danny ended anymore. After a moment, or an eternity, his orgasm caught him and shook him and when he could focus again Danny was sprawled on top of him panting in his ear and his arms were cramping from the convulsive hold he somehow still had on Danny.

Brett relaxed his hold, letting his arms flop onto the bed. Danny was heavy on him, but Brett wasn't about to say anything, even though his pulse was still racing and he couldn't get enough air, but after a minute more Danny edged sideways until he slid off, his body still pressed along Brett's side, his face next to Brett's ear, panting, his breaths blowing wisps of Brett's hair onto his cheek. Brett reached up and smoothed the strands back into place.

Danny caught his hand and drew it to his mouth. Something in Brett's chest tightened at the unexpectedly tender gesture. 'You're really something else, sweetheart,' Danny murmured.

Brett kept hold of Danny's hand when he would have let go. 'So are you,' he said, turning his head so that they were face to face, willing Danny to see how serious he was.

He knew Danny got it when his eyes widened. 'You're a romantic,' he said, sounding surprised.

'You started it,' Brett pointed out.

'Did not.'

'Did so.'

'Brett.' Danny leaned over him, propped up on one elbow. Brett smiled up at him. 'Yes, darling?'

'Shut up.'

Since Danny kissed him then, Brett didn't see the point in continuing the argument.

He'd obviously won anyway.

Comments

[zeroambi.livejournal.com]

OMG! That's awesome-cake with awesome-cream on top!

'Hiya pal,' Danny said, grasping it and shaking it gently.

'Daniel.'

'Shush, me and him are just getting acquainted,'

XD So funny! And hot! And guh ...

[sarren.livejournal.com]

Hee! Your icon is awesome.

Thank you for your lovely feedback :)

I'm looking forward to reading your fic. Yay for writing Brett and Danny!!!!

[pionie.livejournal.com]

"Little Lord"! *dies of laughing at their foreplay* This was so sweet and adorable and hot.

In a fit of fannishness, I thought I would pay homage to your fic by taking these photos of Brett's and Danny's home... ;) - here (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v453/jackie_brown/?action=view&current=08-02-08_1644.jpg), here (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v453/jackie_brown/?action=view&current=08-02-08_1643.jpg) and here (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v453/jackie_brown/?action=view&current=08-02-08_1622.jpg)

What can I say, I was stuck on a bus so naturally my thoughts turn to slash :-D

Doesn't everyone's thoughts turn to slash while on a bus?

[sarren.livejournal.com]

Hey AWESOME. Is it the actual apartments used in filming - if so, how did you know? - or just ones that look like it? Still awesome!!! :)

Apparently Amazon UK has The Persuaders! for 40 pounds. I'm just sayin'.

Also, THANK YOU for reading my fic even though you haven't seen the show. I'm very glad you liked it! *clings to you*

Re: Doesn't everyone's thoughts turn to slash while on a bus?

[pionie.livejournal.com]

Those were just buildings I imagined a rich aristocratic playboy living in back then, sorry :)

Apparently Amazon UK has The Persuaders! for 40 pounds. I'm just sayin'.

Ha! Your pimping evil ways will get to me sooner or later. I vaguely remember seeing the show as a little girl, but I definitely need to see it again with my slash goggles on. May be it is reading the fic and watching the vids, maybe it is that Roger Moore always plays to type, maybe it is the evil pimping, but I feel like I know these characters ;)

Re: Doesn't everyone's thoughts turn to slash while on a bus?

[sarren.livejournal.com]

No, the apartments are GREAT!!! Thank you!!

I will ask around, see if I can find out if it's downloadable anywhere for you.

You know, I don't think Roger Moore does play to type in this. The show is sometimes quite slapstick and he's clearly not afraid to be silly. This is the funnest I've ever seen him. Of course, when my Saint megaset arrives, zebra363 is going to be amazed to see him so restrained and low key. *g*

Re: Doesn't everyone's thoughts turn to slash while on a bus?

[pionie.livejournal.com]

The show is sometimes quite slapstick and he's clearly not afraid to be silly.

Have you seen him in Canonball Run? He is so much fun in that, really plays up the Bond stereotype. omg you mentioning the Saint is giving me flashbacks to watching TV at tea-time when I was little :) Then there was the Invaders, Man from UNCLE....

Re: Doesn't everyone's thoughts turn to slash while on a bus?

[sarren.livejournal.com]

The Professionals, Starsky and Hutch,
Hogans Heroes, Blakes 7, Callan...

Man, my parents watched a lot of tv.


*frowns* I thought Cannonball Run was a Burt Reynolds/chimpanzee movie. What am I thinking of?

Re: Doesn't everyone's thoughts turn to slash while on a bus?

[pionie.livejournal.com]

I got to watch TV when my mum was at work, so if it wasn't on at tea-time on a Tuesday or Thursday then I didn't see it! Hence no Starsky and Hutch until really recently - totally deprived I tell ya ;)

LOL re Burt Reynolds/Chimpanzee. Was that Smokey and the Bandit? Not sure. Anyway, Canonball run does feature Burt, plus a host of other 70s stars including a very young Jackie Chan racing sports cars across the US in a contest. It is terrible, not even so bad it's good, but I love it all the same :)

Re: Doesn't everyone's thoughts turn to slash while on a bus?

[sarren.livejournal.com]

If it has Roger Moore doing slapstick I'm there :)


The most important thing about Life I learned at my mother's knee was that Doyle has a nice bum.

[sallycandance.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, that was lovely! It's so like Danny to play with Brett's 'little lord' and so like Brett to think it improper *g*

Still, no need to make it easy for Danny, the man already thought he was God's gift to - everyone - apparently.

Very well done and finely written--am looking forward to more?!

[sarren.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for such lovely comments! *beams*

Depends what you mean by more. This fic's finished, but I'm writing more Persuaders fic definitely. Thanks for being interested!

[sallycandance.livejournal.com]

More means anything. Especially a second part to the above *g* I'll keep an eye open for fics from you.

[joandarck.livejournal.com]

I really love this. I love how you write them so naturally, with the relaxation and intimacy and push-pull between them, the fun and the -- it's really just so the show. And yet you're able to get into actual sex, which I always have trouble with, but makes perfect sense for them.

I can completely picture the whole scene, the dialogue is perfect,

Danny lowered the girl alongside the other one. Immediately she turned over and flung an arm over her friend. 'Would ya look at that,' Danny murmured in reverent tones.

HEEEEEEEEEEEEE perfect

Danny ignored him. 'Do you believe in kissing on the first date?' he asked Brett's penis, in a confidential tone.

OMG! Seriously! Like I'm watching the X-RATED VERSION of the ACTUAL SHOW

I think I missed mentioning this bit before:

'All these grey hairs? Your fault.'

Heart heart heart so much heart

Brett kept hold of Danny's hand when he would have let go. 'So are you,' he said, turning his head so that they were face to face, willing Danny to see how serious he was.

He knew Danny got it when his eyes widened. 'You're a romantic,' he said, sounding surprised.

'You started it,' Brett pointed out.

'Did not.'

Love! Brett/Danny 4EVA

Brett didn't see the point in continuing the argument.

He'd obviously won anyway.

Riiiight, just keep telling yourself that!

HEART. This fic. The other one. You. Them. YAY!

[sarren.livejournal.com]

Best feedback-er EVER.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!


I'm really glad you got such pleasure from the fics.

[joandarck.livejournal.com]

Thank you for writing them! You show them so much more the way I see them than I've ever been able to -- you really capture that relaxed, playful feeling, the sense of a reliable longterm situation that isn't exactly a relationship but they like it that way, comfortable without being boring, and you manage to make the sensual, sex-obsessed side of them -- the people they still think they are -- work with the kind of jaded, 'sex is great in theory but it's too much trouble to actually get naked these days' way they often come across. Wait, is that what I meant? I'm not sure. I just mean, like, it's perfectly plausible to me when you present it that they could know sex with each other was a possibility and yet not be ripping each other's clothes off, and yet you've done it in a way that doesn't feel like they find each other second-best or boring, it's just their cheerful, functioning life. I mean, the other fic, too, there's this casual warmth to the overall voice you have, it's perfect tone.

[joandarck.livejournal.com]

Oh, I totally just repeated my other comment. Should have reread it first, oops. Well, anyway! \Fic/!

[joandarck.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I thought this was the other fic, so by "the other fic" I meant this one. Right! It is totally time for me to go to bed now!

[sarren.livejournal.com]

HEE.

Seriously, most ego-boosting feedbacker ever. (sssh, don't tell zebra363 I said that)

Thank you!