Polo and Dreameh's VERY short RP. For real this time. (Mature)

"Please." Sloan scoffed, "Why would I share you?" He tweaked the open collar of his boyfriend's shirt cheekily, and flashed a toothy grin. "And come on, Dane. You're showing your whole bloody chest, you skank." He stuck out his tongue in a playful fashion, then continued to grin deviously down at Dane.
He sure did look comfy.
That simply would not do.
"You've got too used to me being a useless cripple." Sloan pointed out scoldingly, "Now that I can stand up whenever the hell I want, you can't take liberties any more, mate. So from now on, you can think of my lap as a parking lot at a mall. If you wanna park there, you'd better take a ticket first."
He raised an eyebrow daringly, but then he realized that he was probably the only one who would understand that metaphor, so he shrugged, and shoved Dane off him. "Scooch." He ordered, "I'm tired as f*ck, and I'm not gonna have you fall asleep on me and get stuck here. I'm having a shower, and going to bed."
He ruffled Dane's hair, then stood up and glanced back at him. "You scored some brownie points with me today, so if you remind me before I pass out, I'll give you a hug later."
He nodded decisively, then grabbed a towel and walked off to the bathroom.
Strangely, he was feeling quite cheerful now. He could barely remember why he'd been so miserable earlier.

"Are you complaining?" Dane teased, grinning cheekily. "Because I can button it up, if it bothers you that much..." But when he realised Soan was mirroring his expression, his own faded. What was he planning?
When he mentioned standing up, Dane's eyes widened. He had nothing to hold onto, he didn't have the energy to sit up in time... If Sloan stood up, Dane would quite litterally face-plant the carpet, which wouldn't be pleasant.
He didn't quite understand Sloan's joke, but he took the hint anyway, and hauled himself up into a sitting positin, clinging to the chair arm for support. "That wasn't very nice." He grumbled. "I was comfy..."
Obviously, that was why he'd done it.
"Fine, but you can't have the biscuits." He sulked, hugging the packet of biscuits to his bare chest as Sloan walked away to the bathroom. He smiled softly for a moment, glad that he'd made a difference to Sloan's mood. Honestly, he was just glad his boyfriend was back to how he used to be, now that he could walk again. Maybe that had been the problem all along, the depression had come back because of the broken leg, and all he needed now was more confidence in hisself.
And how did Dane get him confident again?
Easy. Take his own shirt off.
Grinning to himself, he stuffed another biscuit in his mouth and took the packet, along with Sloan's hot chocolate mug, to the kitchen to put them away. He then went to Sloan's room, took off the hirt - it was annoying him - and flung himself on the man's bed, feet up, hands behind his head.
He wouldn't let Sloan sleep tonight until he got a decent hug off the guy, and if he came in half naked and stripped to get changed, so be it.
He crossed his feet over one another and grinned up at the cieling, looking forward to the moment when Sloan waddled in with nothing but a towel around his waist.

Sloan took his time in the shower, because it felt good to wash away all the sweat and grime from the day's labour. What with his work, Dane's work, and kicking the stuffing out of Theo - he'd gotten himself quite dirty.
Once he felt appropriately refreshed, he shut off the hot water and stepped out of the shower, drying himself off briefly, then tying the towel around his waist, and heading off to his room for a change of clothes.
The moment he stepped through the doorway, he froze.
There were lots of people he would have expected to find half-naked on his bed. Cheryl, during one of those odd times she decided she wanted him back, Frank, his strange mate from the bar who could get really drunk at times, Janice, the creepy chick with glasses who had stalked him for the better part of a year - or even Tony, if he wasn't in America.
Oddly enough, the one person he had not expected to find in such a position was his own boyfriend. It put him in rather an awkward position himself, to be completely honest...
Because as he stood there, frozen, staring at Dane as though he was a giant plate of chocolate brownies - he found that his train of thought was stuck on a single track, and nothing he did could make it derail.
He had been patient, because Dane was worth it, but damn it - he had waited too long. If Dane was not intending to start something here, then he was making a big mistake.
He could hear a deafening rush of blood in his ears, each throbbing pulse egging him on, but still he didn't move. Especially after what had happened the night before, this was a crucial moment. He had to get a grip.
He took a deep breath, and released it in a shaky sigh, resting one hand on the doorframe, and leaning against it. It was pretty obvious that he was aroused.
"Mate, I'm gonna be straight with you..." Sloan muttered quietly, his voice slightly hoarse from the effort of containing himself, "If you're still there in the next few seconds, I'm gonna jump you so fast it'll make your head spin."
Is this really happening...?
He felt slightly dizzy. Lightheaded, even.
If Dane didn't intend to go through with this, then it was a cruel, cruel joke.

When Sloan walked into the room, Dane's face immediately lit up. Just as he thought, Sloan was in nothing but a towel, his chest on show about as much as it could possibly be, and the towel hanging loosely around his hips. It had been a while since he'd last seen Sloan shirtless, and honestly, it still kind of made him nervous.
But then Sloan looked at him, not in annoyance, irritation, or even playful. Soon, Dane knew he wasn't going to be told to leave the room because Sloan had to get dressed, nor did he get pushed off the bed. Hell, he didn't even get approached, because th look on Sloan's face was one he'd only seen once before. And that was when Dane had accidentally got him uberly horny.
The two stared at each other for a while, until Dane's grin stretched almost so his ears.
Once again, he'd accidentally got his boyfriend horny, and he didn't even have to do anything!
"Mate, I'm gonna be straight with you... If you're still there in the next few seconds, I'm gonna jump you so fast it'll make your head spin."
Dane raised his eyebrows. There it was, the awkward warning that his boyfriend usually gave when he was on the edge of self-control. But for some reason, Dane wasn't taken aback. He was amused. Perhaps more than he should have been.
"Oh, well I'd better move then, shall I?" He murmured, getting out the bed and instead of leaving, heading right up to Sloan. He didn't stop until they were squared out in front of each other, and glanced briefly to the small bump in the towel. He chuckled and glanced back up into Sloan's eyes, showing him a smug smirk.
Revenge is mine!
After all the times Sloan teased him about what his thingy did, and all the times when he spent ages embarassed that 'it' wouldn't go away... And now he could get the man back.
His smirk darkened.
"You didn't think I was leaving, did you?" He purred, resting a palm threateningly on Sloan's stomach. "As if I'd miss an oppertunity like this..."
He narrowed his eyes. He wasn't talking about sex.
He lifted his palm, leaving only his fingertips pressing against the man's skin, and took a step closer so their chests almost touched. He slowly, painfully slowly, stroked each finger, one by one, downwards, dipping in the man's belly button as they went, until they reached the towel, then they pressed down and flicked away teasingly.
"Oh... God help you if this falls." He whispered, moving his face past Sloan's, so their cheeks brushed against each other. He sent a single finger to trail around the man's torso until he found his hip bone, and slowly pushed the towel downwards. It slackened just slightly, but it still hung firmly around his waist.
"You've gone a bit warm..." Dane added finally, his lips brushing Sloan's ear. The grin was obvious in his voice. "Are you alright?"

Sloan watched Dane like a hawk as he slowly approached, and he heard his own heartbeat raging faster in his ears.
He saw Dane's eyes slip briefly downwards, but he did not react. Dane could look all he wanted.
"You didn't think I was leaving, did you? As if I'd miss an opportunity like this..."
Sloan drew in a sharp hiss of breath as he felt Dane's hand on his chest, and he felt his back arch automatically in response, bringing him closer to Dane.
The next moment, Dane shifted closer still, until he vanished completely from sight. Sloan bowed his head, letting his chin rest on Dane's shoulder, and struggled to calm his shaky breathing.
"Dane..." He muttered under his breath - but his voice was lost in Dane's next sentence.
"Oh... God help you if this falls."
He muttered teasingly - although he was doing nothing to help the towel stay up. Sloan could feel Dane's fingers trailing down his chest, then toying with the edge of the towel. He felt it slip slightly, and he did nothing to stop it.
He felt a rush of heat, and again breathed a shaky gasp down the back of Dane's neck.
"You've gone a bit warm..." Dane's lips brushed his ear, and that was the final straw for Sloan. He didn't let his boyfriend finish that thought, because the next time he spoke, Sloan stifled his words with a kiss, throwing his arms savagely around Dane, and clawing at his back as he pushed him backwards.
He only broke the kiss when Dane's knees hit the bed, and he fell back - dragging his lips out of Sloan's reach, but not for long.
Within a minute, he was hovering over Dane - his prosthetic leg braced against the ground, and his other knee resting on the bed between his boyfriend's legs. He braced himself on his hands, and leaned down to kiss Dane again.
He was calming down, now - his heartrate slowing back to normal.
Dane had just surprised him... A lot.
Think you can get away with teasing me like that, you f*cking asshole?
He lifted one of his hands from the bed, running it slowly down Dane's chest. His fingers reached the top of Dane's pants, and slipped down further, until at last they found their mark.
Only then did Sloan break the kiss.
"You can't tease me, mate." He whispered, a dark smirk curving his lips.
"I never lose this game."

When Dane felt the lips pressed up against his, for a moment he thought he'd won. His lips pulled into a triumphant grin and he sighed in pleasure as Sloan's hands gripped his bare sides, clawing away at his skin. Funny... He never thought a rough touch would feel so good... ((Shut up, Polo. XD))
But when he felt himself being pushed backwards, his eyes shot open. This wasn't going to plan... He was supposed to be in charge, for once! But then again, if Sloan was as badly far gone as he seemed, Dane probably didn't have a choice whether he was in charge or not.
The next thing he knew, the bed corner had made contact with the back of his leg and he fell backwards, one minute looking at Sloan and the next at the ceiling. Then Sloan appeared in his view, and they started kissing again.
It wasn't that Dane wasn't kissing him, he was, just with a little reluctancy. It was now fairly obvious who had the higher ground this time, and it definitely wasn't Dane.
Well, that backfired. He thought with a shrug, and clutched Sloan's sides with his hands to keep him from falling onto him, although he had the bed to steady himself with.
The next thing he knew, he could feel a hand on his chest, creeping downwards to his stomach, to the elasticated rim of his pants and beyond. He grunted in surprise, keeping his eyes wide open. No one had ever dared go that far down, and it made Dane uncomfortable.
Damn Sloan... He knew that well. The asshole had him right in his grasp.
"You can't tease me, mate. I never lose this game."
"I... Um..." Dane looked nervous down at where Sloan's hand was hoverring, gulping. "I just did."
He was fully aware now that if Sloan's towel fell, it wouldn't stop him. This thought both thrilled and scared Dane at the same time. Honestly, he wasn't sue whether he was ready for all that yet...
He propped himself up on his elbows, dropping both his hands to his sides on the bed. He sat there for a while, panting, and staring up into his boyfriend's eyes questioningly, almost wondering what he'd do next.
He lifted a leg and dug his heel into the duvet. His entire body was tense from where the stray hand was placed, and the feeling it brought him made his cheeks go hot. Surely his boyfriend wouldn't go there...
Would he?
"Y-your... Um... Towel's falling." He mumbled nervously, his chest rising and falling with the heavy gasps that left his lips.
Sloan had won. It was tim to admit defeat.

"Y-your... Um... Towel's falling." Sloan raised an eyebrow at this, obviously not bothered by it in the slightest. He knew he had Dane in the palm of his hand, and his confidence was absolute.
"Well, happy birthday to you." He retorted with a swagger, a cocky grin forming on his face.
He leaned down and kissed Dane again, robbing him of his gasping breath, and he allowed his hand to stray just a little further, fingers tightening tactfully.
"Comfy?" He teased, raising an eyebrow, and letting his lips pull into an utterly superior smirk.
He had feared that this would end badly - but as it turned out, it was just the confidence boost he needed. He felt happier than he had in months... The fresh scars finally visible on his left forearm proved it.

Sloan decided to take pity on Dane, then, and shifted his hand slightly to the side, letting it creep tantalizingly over his boyfriend's innermost thigh, before stroking slowly up his chest again.
"Next time," He whispered flirtatiously, leaning slightly closer to Dane's ear, "You're losing the pants."

At last, Sloan straightened up, leaving Dane on the bed. His towel had slipped past his hips, low enough to show how his muscles faded away suggestively.
It had come loose where he'd tied it, but as it was about to fall open, Sloan caught it in a casual, nonchalant fashion, and fastened it again, more securely.
"I'm getting dressed, now." He told Dane simply, "So get out, or you're not getting that hug. Your choice, mate."

((Bloody Sloan. He's such a guy. WAY too easily pleased. o_0 ))

Dane's gasps became shaky with nerves, but before he was allowed to catch his breath he was robbed of oxygen as Sloan kissed him again. Damn him... Of course he was enjoying every minute of making Dane pay for teasing him a few moments earlier, and he wasn't holding back.
But still, he could have done much, much worse. Although that wasn't what Dane thought.
His body tensed when he felt Sloan's fingers tighten and his eyes widened, his breathing quickening. Jesus... It was happening again, and by having his hand so close to Dane's 'thingy' he was just making it worse. There was no chance of it going away now that it had started, and Dane's cheeks flushed red as a beetroot.
He'd never hear the last of this. Crap... Why did he ever thing he could play 'superior' when Sloan was horny? Because the man was right, Dane always lost this game.
He whimpered, pressing his lips tightly together. Ufortunately, he couldn't help it. His body seemed to be taking a whole new mind of it's own.
When he was finally allowed to breath again he stared up at his boyfriend, glaring at him, his legs pretty much clawing desperately away from the grip between them. Of course Sloan was enjoying himself, because Dane's discomfort was about as subtle as a sore thumb.

The space between his legs burned from Sloan's touch, and his legs started to tremble when Sloan slipped his hand tantalisingly to the side of Dane's thigh and up his torso. Goosebumps swarmed over his body, causing the hairs everywhere to stand on end, and he stared helplessly up at his boyfriend, showing no attempt to escape nor move away. Now that his thingy was free, he was slightly more relaxed, but not much.
"Both of them?" He mumbled shakily at the mention of losing his pants next time, and shifted away slightly to give himself some air to breathe. He believed Sloan, and now he was in no rush to try anything for a 'next time'.
When he was told to leave, however, he had other ideas.
Course, Sloan could be bossy when he had won a game, but now the game was over, Dane wasn;t quite going to take orders. Still panting he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, rubbed his chest where the goosebumps were at their worst. He just prayed the feeling of his 'thingy' wasn't too noticable.
Nodding mutely, he crawled off the bed and got to his feet, then, head down and hands linked innocently in front of him, he started to walk towards the door.
When he passed Sloan, he stopped.
A smile formed onto his lips.
He turned back round before Sloan could stop him, and pulled the man into a hug. He pressed his cheek on his boyfriend's shoulder, smiling stupidly, and ran his hands down Sloan's back. They cupped around the small of his back, and Dane lifted his face just enough to peck his boyfriend on the cheek, then he ran his hands a little further down until they found the towel.
In one swift movement, they tugged it and snatched it away from Sloan's body.
Dane grinned at him and fled to the door, towel in hand, grinning away. Honestly, he looked like a naughty child than an adult. He fled to his own room and tossed the towel behind him, having never made any attempt to let his eyes stray onto his boyfriend's family jewels, and dived onto his own bed.
"Because you love me..." He chuckled, rolling innocently around his bed and coccooning into his duvet. "Can I have another hug when you're dressed?" He asked, his face lighting into an angelic beam.

((I call that pretty sweet revenge. Don't you? ))

Sloan grumbled under his breath when Dane stole a hug from him - but even though he'd sworn he wouldn't hug him unless he left, Sloan couldn't help but return it. He sighed resignedly, and wrapped his arms around Dane's back. He had to admit that he was enjoying it, until Dane was suddenly struck by one of his little 'revenge' schemes, and Sloan felt the towel whisked away from his waist, leaving an uncomfortably cool breeze in its wake.
"Hey!" He exclaimed, honestly surprised that his boyfriend had made such a daring move - but before he could say any more, Dane had fled the room.
Glowering, he snatched a pair of clean boxers out of his cupboard, and pulled them on - not seeming too bothered by the fact that he'd just unintentionally nuded up for his boyfriend. He was actually okay with his body. Or what was left of it, anyway. The truth was, he wasn't at all ashamed to be naked, and he was only a little embarrassed that he'd fallen for Dane's trick.
Once he was decent again, Sloan stomped over to Dane's room to give him the scolding he deserved. But as he reached the door, he was met by such an angelic grin, that eventually he couldn't help but return it.
"Because you love me... Can I have another hug when you're dressed?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Is this not 'dressed' enough for you?" Sloan retorted sarcastically, gesturing toward his loose silk boxers, "Because here I thought you were trying to take the clothes off of me, not load them back on."
He narrowed his eyes, but since he couldn't conjure enough annoyance to even pretend to be angry with Dane, he just ended up grinning instead of glaring.
"You suck, you know that?" He grumbled, shaking his head and walking over to Dane's bed. He sat down on the edge of it, and pulled his boyfriend roughly into a one-armed hug, kissing the top of his head loudly.
"I think you're getting far too comfortable around me." Sloan scolded lightly, resting his chin on Dane's head, and pretending to mull over the situation. "I might have to start staying fully dressed all the time now..." He sighed dramatically, "Man, that'd be a bummer."

Dane stopped rolling once he was on his stomach, and stared innocently at Sloan as he began to complain that Dane hadn't complimented him on his lacking of clothes. His eyes flicked down to where the man's 'bare spot' had been, to see that it was now covered by a pair of boxer shorts. H pretended to look disappointed, but in all fairness, he knew there'd been a moment where Sloan had been embarassed at being completely nude all of a sudden - it was his fault for only wearing a towel, anyway, and he was glad he didn't have to resist the temptation to look in certain places now they were covered up.
"You suck, you know that?"
"Thanks!" Dane chuckled, sitting up as his boyfriend came and sat on the bed and hugged him, making a loud 'mwah' on his head. Dane grumbled like a child being fussed by his mother on the first day of school, but smirked secretly, glad to have the affection again. He was glad Sloan wasn't just scary and horny all the time. He could be soppy, too.
"I think you're getting far too comfortable around me. I might have to start staying fully dressed all the time now..."
Dane made a soft, childish moaning sound and pouted his lower lip. In all seriousness, he couldn't imagine a world where a shirtless Sloan didn't exist. In fact, it seemed like quite a sad and pointless prospect to him.
"You think I was comfortable back there?" He asked, grinning to himself. He'd have to try and get his way somehow, and it seemed lying and being cute were the only things that seemed to work on his boyfriend.
"Oh, believe me, I was nervous. In fact, I am now, just looking at you. Mate, I'm trembling inside. I'm just good at hiding it." He oved his head away from Sloan's chin and winked at him. "Did you not see me back there? I was feeling you up to hide my nerves. Of course it wasn't for my benefit or amusement. Obviously." He blinked innocently.
"I think you should walk around half naked more often if you want me to be uncomfortable." He said, nodding firmly. "It definitely works, and totally doesn't give me any pleasure... At all."

"Dane," Sloan warned, placing a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder, and looking down at him seriously, "If you keep pretending not to like my flirting, I'll pretend you've hurt my feelings." He patted Dane's cheek roughly, and added, "You don't wanna go there, mate."
He chuckled to himself, shaking his head at Dane's comments. He was a truly horrible liar, and Sloan loved him for that.
He gave him another brief squeeze, then shifted away slightly - setting Dane at an arm's length.
"Listen mate," He said quietly, "All this messing around aside; you really cheered me up today, and I appreciate that." He smiled warmly, and cupped Dane's chin in his fingers, tilting his head slightly to one side as he searched his boyfriend's gaze.
"I'm feeling really close to you right now." He murmured, leaning forward to peck Dane's forehead lightly, "Even if you are a towel-stealing asshole."
Well, that was unfortunate. He'd tried hard not to ruin the mood, but as usual, it seemed he just wasn't capable.
Strip him bare, fine, but ask him to actually say what was on his heart - and then he felt truly naked. It was difficult for him, and embarrassing to boot - but somehow, with Dane, he wanted to do it... No matter what the cost.
"I love you." He admitted, pulling away an inch, and looking down seriously at Dane, "And yes, that was incredibly embarrassing for me - so shut the hell up."

Dane glared at his boyfriend when his cheek was patted, resisting the temptation to push it away. But when he felt himself being squeezed affectionately, hsi irritation subsided and he stared at Sloan questioningly, wondering when the mood had gone so serious.
He was surprised at the sudden confession that was thrust upon him, but he didn't stir. Honestly, he was glad Sloan felt comfortable enough to accept these things, and Dane hadn't realised how much of a difference he'd made to the man's mood until that moment.
He smiled fondly, leaning over and nuzzling his boyfriend lovingly for a moment, like a cat would do to it's best friend as it showers it with a waterfall of soft purrs, and then leant back again.
He had to admit, he had noticed how close they'd become. Hell, when Sloan had found Dane vomiting and shaking he hadn't screamed at him for being late, he'd just made him feel more comfortable and helped him to feel better. He'd even done his work for him the next day, and beaten Theo up for touching him.
There wasn't a time where they'd ever been closer than they were at that moment.
"I love you too." He murmured, trying to hide the slightly amused smile that kept tugging at his lips from Sloan's embarassment. "And if this is where it gets us, I should make you horny more often." He winked suggestively, found his boyfriend's hand and squeezed it affectionately.
"But seriously..." He sighed finally. "Thanks for looking after to me, today and last night. It... It really shook me up, and I was so full of shock I couldn't concentrate. I don't know how I would have worked if you hadn't done it for me."
His mind roamed back to the previous night and everything that had happend - honestly, there wasn't much he remembered. Only that one minute he was on the sofa, and th next he was pinned on the floor being molested, and Theo mentioning something about 'checking his temperature'. He was glad, really. It was the sort of thing you wouldn't want to remember in detail.
"You've got my back, I know. Like I said before, I owe you." He smiled; a genuine, innocent smile, and crossed his legs on the bed. His head rocked backwards and his mouth stretched into a huge yawn, nearly throwing him back onto the mattress.
"Geez, I'm tired. We'd better sleep, otherwise I won't be awake for work tomorrow. I'm still a bit groggy from the alcohol, I think."
His smile vanished. Not only had Theo betrayed him, he had give him something he promised himself he'd never take because of all the grief it had caused him over the years. Yet here he was, sufferring the side effects of it.
He was glad he never had to see Theo again. He was afraid if he did he would either cry or punch or slap the man's face in.
Or even all three.

Sloan chuckled faintly at Dane's reply, and let his fingers curl around his boyfriend's hand. It was weird, being so 'open', but it felt good. He couldn't help but think that if he'd tried this hard with Cheryl, they might still be together... Then again, if he had loved her like he did Dane, he would have tried. Sadly, 'she' just wasn't his type. For that very reason.
Still, it was a crying shame. He missed his son so much, it actually left him with a constant physical pain... But he didn't like to think about all that.
Turning his attention back to the present, he watched Dane - listening quietly as he began to speak again.
"Thanks for looking after to me, today and last night. It... It really shook me up, and I was so full of shock I couldn't concentrate. I don't know how I would have worked if you hadn't done it for me."
"Don't mention it." He murmured, smiling slightly, "I've-"
"You've got my back, I know. Like I said before, I owe you."
He chuckled and shook his head, then looked up, and mirrored Dane's smile.
"You don't owe me anything." He said firmly, "I'm just relieved I got a chance to take care of you for once. It always seems to be the other way around."
With a slightly forced smile, Sloan quickly shrugged off the creeping doubts that had started gnawing at him again the moment he remembered how much his boyfriend did for him, and how little he did in return.
They'd had too good a time now for him to let his insecurities get in the way again.
Thankfully, Dane said something which allowed him to distract himself from these gloomy thoughts before they could drag him down.
"Geez, I'm tired. We'd better sleep, otherwise I won't be awake for work tomorrow. I'm still a bit groggy from the alcohol, I think."
"Come." He replied, standing up, then tightening his grip on Dane's hand, and pulling him up too.
"I don't know about you, but I wouldn't mind a little company." He smiled slightly, then added, "I'll behave, I promise."

Dane looked surprised at Sloan's offer to sleep alongside him again, but once he'd digested this again he smiled gratefully. He could have done with the company too, to be honest.
He stood up - not really having much choice anyway - and squeezed his boyfriend's hand lovingly, lacing their fingers together. "You'd better behave," he warned lightly "because I don't usually sleep with pants on." He grinned, winked, and let go of Sloan's hand to prance away to his bedroom. He kicked off his army pants, leaving him in just a pair of white underpants, and sat on the bed.
He paused for a moment, feeling slightly self-conscious for some reason, then leapt up suddenly. "Teeth!" He shouted, then scuttled off to teh bathroom to brush them. He'd thought there was somethiing missing.
A couple of minutes later he appeared again, and dived onto the bed, causing the matress to bounce a few times. He found a pillow and dug his head deeply into it, making a few muffled happy sounds as he did so.
"You're bed's comfier than mine." He said, reaching behind him and pulling his underpants up his backside, since they were falling. "I may have to steal it more often."

"Works for me." Sloan replied, letting go of Dane's hand to allow him to dart off. He paused a moment, then followed Dane, and leaned casually against the doorframe as he watched him strip to his underwear.
He could see that Dane was feeling rather self conscious, but Sloan made no effort to put him at ease.
After a moment, Dane squeaked something about teeth, then dashed out, presumably to brush them. Sloan chortled to himself, shaking his head, and sat down on the bed to wait for Dane. He really did seem like a big kid sometimes. Usually Sloan found that quality annoying in people - but with Dane, he absolutely adored it.
He was jerked out of his thoughts when Dane suddenly reappeared, diving onto the bed so suddenly that Sloan quickly stood up to get out of the way.
He watched his boyfriend squirming around and burrowing into the pillows with vague amusement, one eyebrow slightly raised.
"You can steal it whenever you like." he replied to Dane's muffled statement, lips twitching upwards.
He smiled at Dane for a moment, then shoved him aside, and sat down on the bed again. "You're a strange man, you know that?" Sloan teased, poking Dane in the chest to push him onto his side of the bed.
"Now come on, I worked my ass off today. I actually need to sleep."
He chuckled softly, and fell back into his soft pillow, staring up at the ceiling. He had actually planned to put on pajamas - but he couldn't be bothered getting up again, so he figured he'd just sleep in his boxers after all.
Yawning widely, Sloan slipped down in the bed, and pulled the covers over himself. He already felt half asleep... He really was tired.

((Feel free to skip to the next day if you like. I need a Claire. ))

((I've just noticed how gay Dane really is... XD Bless him. ))

"You'll regret saying that, you know." Dane teased, yelping as he was poked in his side and rolled away obediently. "If you're not careful, you'll never get rid of me."
He grinned at his boyfriend then, at the feeling of the cold hitting his bare back, he wriggled under the covers and pulled them over him.
"Oi!" He snapped suddenly, poking Sloan back in the side. "I'm not strange. I'm just, you know..." He couldn't think of a justifiable word to descrobe himself, and eventually just nodded in agreement. "Alright, I'm strange."
He moved away to give Sloan enough room to get in, and when he leant on his back and stared at the ceiling, Dane shuffled over and slumped an arm around his stomach, hugging him like a little teddy bear.
"G'night Sloan." Dane murmured, smiling slightly to himself. He closed his eyes, let outo a long, happy sigh and drifted off to sleep.

Dane didn't wake until his alarm went off at 6.45AM the next morning, and he literally leapt out of bed at the harsh, ringing sound. Since he'd not really worked the previous day he was much more awake, and since he'd spent all day the previous day fussing over Archie he didn't need to go an hour early to hang around him again. He promised himself he'd make up for it later by taking the gelding on a ride.
He hopped into some jodhpurs and a shirt he didn't care if h'd warn it the fay before, and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl. He decided not to wake Sloan up himself, because Sloan could be cranky in a morning and he didn't even need to be there until eight.
"I'll see you at work." Dane muttered with a loving smile, reaching down and pecking Sloan on the cheek. He then stroked a hand through the man's thick black hair, turned on his heel and walked out the house towards the stables.

Sloan slept right through Dane's alarm. He was really out like a light after his tiring day. He finally woke when Dane left, murmuring a quiet goodbye. Sloan opened his eyes a crack, and smiled slightly as Dane stroked his hair.
He saw his boyfriend off with an incoherent grunt which might have been 'bye' - then went back to sleep for a further five minutes before getting up to get ready.

He arrived at work about half an hour later - slightly late, but not caring in the slightest.
He said a quick hello to Dart, then walked out into the stableyard, and spotted Dane's friend, Claire, filling water buckets.
On a random impulse, he glanced suspiciously around, making sure the stableyard was mostly deserted, then hurried over to her.
"Hey, Claire." He greeted her slightly awkwardly, "Listen, I know we didn't exactly get off on the right foot, but there's something I want to talk to you about..." He sighed, raking his hand through his hair in a slightly stressed fashion. "D'you have any free time today?"

((Short post. ))

Claire stuck the hose into the second water bucket by her feet and straightened, shifting her weight to one side. The hose was running oddly slow today, she'd be there a while.
When Sloan appeared beside her she eyed him suspiciously. What was he doing there? Why was he talking to her? She was pretty sure the last time she saw him was at least six months ago when she promised to glue his ball-sack to a wall if he hurt Dane, and he'd pretty much done that five times over at least, considering the amount of times Dane had texted her or she'd spotted him hanging around Archie for considerably long amounts of time.
She didn't ask what had gone on between them, only that she would be there for Dane when he needed her. Sloan, she couldn't give a snuff about.
"Listen, I know we didn't exactly get off on the right foot, but there's something I want to talk to you about... D'you have any free time today?"
Huh, 'the wrong foot' was one way to look at it. She didn't like Sloan, he wasn't the sort of guy she approved of anyway, but usually she didn't have to put up with his company, either.
"I don't know..." She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Will I benefit from it?"
She turned off the hose and lifted one of the buckets, resting it carefully by her leg to keep it from tipping. "Alright, lover boy. If it includes stapling the contents of your pants to a stable door, then I'm sure I can make time." She smiled sweetly at him. "I'll be free once I've offered these to the schooling ponies, then you can sit and tell me whatever you intended to and I can protend I actually care."
Then again, if he'd bothered to come over and talk to her in the first place, it had to be important.
"In fact, if you give me a hand and take this other bucket, I'll be all ears."
She started walking them, cocking her head pointedly to the remaining bucket and headed to the barn to offer the water to the small handful of ponies before their lesson.

Sloan wasn't too concerned by Claire's 'threats'. He had more pressing matters on his mind, after all, so he just shrugged off her cold attitude, and grabbed the bucket as she had indicated.
"Listen," Sloan said, falling into step beside her, "I know you don't like me much, and that's okay, 'cause to be honest, I don't like myself much either." He laughed awkwardly, trying for a joke, then realized it was probably a lost cause, so he cleared his throat, and went on, "I know you and Dane have been friends for ages, and you obviously know him pretty well... Which is why I want to talk to you. I know it's not your problem and I understand if you don't want to get involved, but..."
He broke off, sighing, and brushing his fringe out of his face again. "I'm waffling." He muttered, slightly frustrated, "Point is, we do have one thing in common: We both care about Dane a sh*tload. And that is why I want to talk to you. But I-" He paused again, glancing around, "I'd rather talk somewhere a little more... 'Private', if that's okay. I know it's weird." He winced, and shrugged apologetically, "But it's for Dane."

Claire waddled down the barn, pausing to offer a couple of shetlands the water. Sloan's wafflings took a few moments to reach her head, because they were so bizarre she didn't believe it at first. Honestly, she didn't know that much about Sloan, just that she didn't trust him. He'd never given her any reason to, to be fair. He was Dane's business, and she didn't want to intefere.
He paused beside another small, bay pony and rested it down in front of her, scratching her withers affectionately. She was really he only one who were all that attached to them, since she was the one who looked after them most of the day. Like Dane, however, she hated the shetlands.
"Private?" She asked absentmindedly, and turned her back on the pony, slipping her hands into her jodhpur pockets. What the Hell could this guy possibly want to talk about?
"Well, I can't really leave the stable grounds..." She pulled a face and scratched the back of her head awkwardly. "How about we go down to the field by the river? I have to get a horse from there anyway, but there's no rush."
She rubbed her tired eyes and pulled out her headband.
"And also, if you piss me off enough, I can just push you in." She shrugged casually and pulled the headband back over her ponytail, then shot him a smile to assure him that she didnt actually intend to, unless he seriously annoyed her. "No one will be down there, promise. Is that private enough?"

"Works for me." Sloan replied with a subtly grateful smile, "I'll meet you down there."
He raised a hand in a brief wave, then hurried off to the field that Claire had indicated. He wasn't sure why he was doing this, to be honest... But the truth was, he was still having doubts about his relationship - and even though Dane had helped pull him out of his depression spiral, it had only cemented his belief that his boyfriend deserved better.
Dane said that he was happy, but much as Sloan loved him, he was an ignorant fool - and somewhat biased, when it came to Sloan.
Claire, he knew, would not be on his side. From Claire, he would get an honest answer...
An honest answer, or just the answer you're looking for...?
He shook off his thoughts quickly, because he didn't want to listen to his own warnings that he was just sabotaging himself again. This had to be done. He had to know...
He turned around when he heard Claire arrive, and walked over to meet her, seeming faintly nervous.
"Do you think I'm right for Dane?" He blurted suddenly, "He claims he's happy, but that's just Dane, damn it." He sighed, tugging at his hair in a stressed gesture. "Do you think I'm holding him back...? I know you won't lie to me, so..." He trailed off, shrugging vaguely, "Let me have it. What do you think?"
Shoot me down now, so I can f*ck up my life again, like I always do...
F*ck. Why do I always do this?

((It's so weird playing a woman after playing Dane XD))

Claire went down to the field in her own time, a single headcollar hanging over her as comfortably as the strap of a shoulder bag, with her hands in the pockets of her dark hoodie. She had to admit, she was curious to find out what Sloan wanted to to talk about, since they'd only talked once before and that was her choice, not his. Now, what did he want?
She arrived at the gate by the river, to find Sloan already coming towards her. She stopped, staring at him with a blank expression, then raised an eyebrow. This would be interesting.
""Do you think I'm right for Dane? He claims he's happy, but that's just Dane, damn it. Do you think I'm holding him back...? I know you won't lie to me, so... Let me have it. What do you think?"
She blinked at him for a moment, then sighed and headed towards the gate. But instead of entering the field she stopped and leant against the bars, listening to the soft trickling river beside them both.
She didn't ask what was going on, or where this was all coming from. That wasn't her business, it was Sloan's. So instead, she smiled and said what she honestly thought.
"Of course I don't think your right for him." She looked down at her hands, still smiling to herself. "I never did. Ever since I saw how scared he was when you first kissed him..." She sighed and shook her head. "I didn't think any bastard who'd do something like that was worth the dirt on his shoe. But... I have to be honest, mate. I don't know you. And my guess is, you must be worth something for him to still be with you."
She looked up at him, her smile vanishing, and raised her eyebrows. You'd better see now how lucky you are, mate.
"I admit, if Dane was seriously unhappy he wouldn't tell you. He's like that. But the thing is... You can hide words but you can't hide actions. He doesn't say if he's unhappy because he doesn't need to. He shows you." She looked back at the field, where the vague silhouette of a horse could be made out, grazing by the river.
"Did you know that when his father died, before he cut all his hair, he lived for two full days in Archie's stable? He slept on a rug in the hay, he wouldn't eat unless I gave him food myself. He didn't leave the stable once, even to look after Archie. Poor horse..." She smiled fondly once more. "After all that time with Dane he didn't panic, or accidentally stand on him, or bite or kick him. I even tried to take him out to the field once so I could talk to Dane, but that gelding wouldn't leave his owner. The bugger even tried to bite me once for wanting to open the door, and he always put himself between Dane and anyone who approached the stable, like he was protecting a child of his own, or a younger brother."
She stood for a long time, staring out at the grazing horse, then turned her back on it and looked right at Sloan. She respected him for wanting her point of view, because obviously he was finding the honesty and sweetness of Dane untrusting and slightly overwhelming to deal with.
"If you haven't noticed the signs already, after all this time, then there aren't any."

((Why, because she's more manly? XD Haha! ... I love Dane. ))

Sloan nodded mutely at Claire's response. He had been expecting that - that was why he'd asked her.
She went on, and he listened patiently to everything she had to say - glad to get this rare glimpse into Dane's past. Still, he listened with a somewhat closed mind - because the familiar sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach was back.
Claire knew, perhaps better than Dane did, what was right for him... And as Sloan had suspected, it wasn't him.
Dane could do better. He deserved better; and that left only one problem...
What now?
He looked up at Claire again, to find her talking about Archie, and he smiled despite the rapidly growing hollowness inside him.
"Horses are pretty special creatures." He mused quietly, thinking back to all the times Woody had helped him through his troubles and fears. Damn, he missed that horse...
"If you haven't noticed the signs already, after all this time, then there aren't any."
He dropped his gaze, considering this for a moment. Dane was definitely happy - he knew that - because he'd never seen his boyfriend so adamant as when he'd said that... But that wasn't the question Sloan had asked.
"Claire," He said softly, "Do you think I should even be with Dane? I mean, I love him. F*ck it, I really do, and the last thing I want to do is hurt him, but..." He paused, frowning slightly, "Dane deserves better than me. So what the f*ck should I do? Either I leave him now, and hurt him like hell, or I stay with him indefinitely, and hurt him a hell of a lot more in the long run when he realizes that he should have been with someone else all along..."
Sloan broke off, groaning in frustration, and slapped a palm to his face, "Good lord, I'm a f*ck up. Now what the hell should I do? How do I get out of this?"
And why the hell am I bitching to a relative stranger about my problems? What's happened to me?
"Just tell me what to do." He said, looking directly at Claire, and holding her gaze firmly, "You know what's best for Dane, so tell me now, before I screw up even more."

((Yes! XD So true... ))

Claire listened to Sloan's concerns with a somewhat lazy gaze. She was pretty used to this from her other girl friends, they were always coming to her with boyfriend problems and seeking her advice. She just didn't expect to be getting all this from Sloan.
But Hell... He annoyed her. The more she listened, the more she realised this wasn't really about Dane, but about Sloan's own problems. He had insecurities, and he was obviously the over-thinking type of guy who created problems from nothing. Guys like that usually ended up hurting more than guys who knew what was going on in their lives, because they hurt people unnecessarily.
"Just tell me what to do. You know what's best for Dane, so tell me now, before I screw up even more."
She turned to him, noticing the desperity in his firm gaze, and rolled her eyes.
"This isn't really about Dane, is it?" She said flatly, crossing her arms over her chest. She raised an eyebrow at him, then shook her head. "This is about you having insecurities and you're telling yourself things you're believing, and you think it's because of Dane."
She sighed.
"D'you know what I think? I think you need to get your sh*t together, before you do something you regret." There was a pause, then her lips lifted up into a devious smile. "In fact, here, I'll give you a hand."
With that she reached up and swiped him across the face with her palm, not hard enough to leave a mark, but hard enough the sting. She turned away from him, grinning to herself and mumbled, "I've always wanted to do that."
Her face then neutralised, and creased into a pondering frown. Really, she didn't see what the problem was. If Sloan didn't want to hurt Dane, why was he considering breaking up with him an option?
"I don't really understand why this is so difficult to decide. I mean, what's the point breaking his heart on the off-chance that he decides he's worth more? He's not a kid, Sloan. If he's happy, then by all means stay with him. Let him make up his own mind whether you're worthy or not. Besides which, if you think he ever thought he was above you in the slightest, then you don't know Dane. He sees everyone as an equal, he'd never turn his nose up on anyone, no matter who they are. If he's told you he's happy being with you, then he damn well means it."
She prodded him firmly in the chest.
"You made this problem on you're own. Get over it, before you lose him over your own idiocy."

((Sloan got slapped like a bitch. XD Haha! ))

"No, you don't get it." Sloan growled, "I'm trying to-" He broke off, because Claire cut him off as she continued, "D'you know what I think? I think you need to get your sh*t together, before you do something you regret."
"I know that, damn it, but I'm saying-"
"In fact, here, I'll give you a hand."
At this, Sloan shut up suddenly, because a hand caught him sharply across the face. His head jerked to one side, and he raised a hand to touch his stinging cheek, faintly surprised.
Well, that was an interesting piece of advice...
Claire went on speaking, and Sloan just stood quietly and listened, feeling faintly ashamed of himself.
Claire was only telling him things he already knew, and though he knew they were true, they still didn't answer his questions.
But maybe he should have expected that. These were his problems, after all. He always dealt with his problems alone. The only reason he had come to Claire now, was because Dane was involved. But it seemed she just didn't understand. The question was, did he try to make her understand, or just cut his losses, and keep on trying to decide on his own...?
He staggered back a step as she poked him in the chest, then clenched his jaw, and looked up at her directly.
"I know, okay? Look, I know I'm an insecure f*ckhead, but just try to hear what I'm saying here! I'm not here because of my own issues - I'm not that guy, you can ask anyone." He sighed, and realizing that he'd totally stomped his pride into the dirt already, just decided to let it go. "I don't want to be that guy who f*cks up Dane's life. But damn it, I know he loves me too much to let me go. And frankly, it would kill me if he did. He's never going to realize how much happier he could be without me, because he's just too f*cking sweet." He took a deep breath, and looked up at Claire again. "Am I making any sense here? Because honestly, this is more than just my stupid f*cking insecurities. This is about Dane's future, and I'm pretty sure that's as important to you as it is to me..." He raised an eyebrow, "Believe me when I say that I can see myself spending the rest of my life with that man. And forever is a long time to spend with the wrong person. If I'm in, I'm in it for good. If I'm out, then I've got to get out before I can cause any more damage... He's not going to end this himself, even if it does reach the point that it's making him f*cking miserable. It's all on me. So let me ask you one more time: Am I right for Dane, or am I not?"