Love is Always Write Anthology Bonus Volume

heart attack."
    A small smile turned Daniel's lips upward. "Is that what you're calling it?"
    "Damn you."
    Daniel shrugged, a small weary motion. "Yeah, I could have called. But I figured why bother. It wouldn't get me here any sooner."
    "I could have been ready."  I could have washed the sheets and stocked up on oranges for you. I could have been prepared enough not to break down like a sissy girl when you appeared at my door. "I could have come to the coast to meet you."
    "Oh right. And then we could have spent four days on the bus coming back across the country, carefully not touching each other. Bad idea."
    "True." Jacob took a closer look at Daniel. He was wearing civilian clothes, a crumpled white shirt and grey trousers that had long since lost their crease. He looked pretty grey himself, with dark circles under his eyes. "If you didn't look so damned good I would say you looked like hell."
    "It was a long ride. I don't think I slept more than a couple of hours here and there. Three different buses, and for what it's worth, Kansas has some of the most boring scenery on the face of the planet."
    Jacob glanced around. "Did you bring your stuff?"
    "Out on the landing. I kind of dropped it when you tackled me."
    Jacob knew his face was red. "Sorry."
    "I'm not. I'm really, really not. But I want to get it now, and then I want to go to bed. And I want to just hold you and sleep." Daniel took a deep breath. "The first two days on the bus, all I could think about was getting naked with you. I was going to just strip off and drop face-down on the bed and beg you to do me. Round about St. Louis, I started fantasizing about just you and a bed and sleep."
    "Sounds good to me."
    "I'm exhausted and dirty and I smell. Tell me you don't mind."
    Jacob's mouth was dry. "I don't mind."
    "Tell me you have a bed."
    "I bought a double size."
    "Thank the Lord. A practical man. Let me get that bag and then you can lead me to it." Daniel went to the door, opened it, and dragged in his battered and stained seabag. He shut the door and Jacob brushed past him to set the deadbolt. He reached to take the bag and their hands touched. It should have been nothing, but his whole body tightened in response.
    Daniel looked down and then gave him a tired grin. "Down, boy. Give me about six hours of sleep and I'll take the compliment and do something with it."
    "Sleep as long as you need to," Jacob said fiercely. "It's only seven. I have twelve hours before I have to get ready for work. And just having you here..."
    Daniel nodded slowly. "So is the head somewhere around here? Or do you have to share?"
    "Nope. One of the reasons I picked this place." Despite the two flights of stairs he had to drag his bum leg up. "Private bath. Not big, mind you, and the hot water tank is pretty small for the building. But up here it's just us. This way."
    Jacob led the way through the kitchen and pointed at the bathroom door on the left.
    Daniel ducked in, closing the door. Jacob went on into the bedroom. The big bed waited for him. For them. Finally he would have Daniel there to share it. He pulled off the sheets, and quickly replaced them, stuffing the dirty ones in the hamper. He heard the toilet flush and paused wondering if Daniel would shower. But the door opened and Daniel came into the room. Jacob's tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. Daniel was naked, carrying his dirty clothes in one hand.
    Daniel dropped the clothes in a corner, walked the three steps to the bed a little stiffly, and half fell into it. "Oh, God, that's heaven. It's big, it's soft and it's not moving." He rolled over, rubbing his face on the pillow. Jacob watched him, hopelessly hard and aching. Daniel's eyes were closed. Jacob stood frozen.
    After a minute, Daniel cracked open one eye. "Come on Trip. Get in here. I want to hold you before I fall asleep. Want to hold you and not dream and wake up with you here."
    Jacob moved his hands slowly to his belt. He stripped down to his shorts and then hesitated. Daniel was naked, but Jacob felt odd getting fully undressed when he was so completely and obviously aroused, and Daniel wasn't. And yet, it might be even more odd for Daniel to be the only one naked. Jacob slowly pulled his shorts off and tossed them with the rest. He moved to the bed and pulled the covers out from under Daniel's limp body. Carefully, not jostling the mattress, Jacob slid in beside him and tented the covers over them.
    "Mmmm." It was a wordless mumble. Daniel