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15/4/04 08:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
minervasolothis would be MoT's birthday fic. Sorry about the delay! Inspiration kept changing it's mind. I can't find yoou're email address, so I'll put it here in the hope you find it.
The Dark Room Experiment
They schemed in the coffee shop.
“Are you sure they’ve never spoken?” he, a tall and dark psychology student, asked.
“Mostly,” she, a short and also dark drama student, replied. “Is it important?”
“It helps,” he told her. “At least they won’t be able to see each other.”
“I want to feel guilty for pushing them,” she said with an impish grin, “but damn it’s hard.”
“I’ve seen them looking at each other. They spent Sammy’s entire party shooting each other looks,” he said smugly. “And John’s definitely done with his girlfriend now?”
“Irreconcilable differences,” she laughed. “Poor gay sweetheart.”
“Indeed,” he snorted. “I swear, this is going to be just too easy.”
“What if they’ve got too much in common though?” she worried, licking cream from the top of her coffee. “They might just talk and do nothing else.”
“At least it’s a start,” he shrugged, dipping his finger in the cream of his own coffee and holding it out for her to nibble.
“I guess so. Any idea as to where we’re going to spring this, and how?” she smiled.
“I have a strong urge to trap them in a lift during a blackout, but that requires far too much planning and the ability to switch the mains back on afterwards, which I quite frankly lack.”
She laughed, remembering the kettle incident. “Too true. Maybe we can wrangle something at a party?”
“I like that. If we, I don’t know, both send them to fetch things from wherever we dump the coats? My room’s good. Light switch on the outside.”
“Why?” she asked, surprised she hadn’t noticed that little detail previously.
“To irritate the hell out of me, naturally,” he said solemnly. She rolled her eyes and gave him a pointed look. “Fine,” he surrendered, “it’s because my block used to be part of a boarding school. Lights out at nine, and all that. Most of the rooms have interior light switches since the walls were added after the Uni bought it, but no, I get the Prefect’s room.”
“You do have a light switch in there,” she said slowly. “I swear you do.”
He held up his hands in defeat. “Alright, I do. It’s not so ‘woe is me’ as all that. But what with there being no window and this handy external light switch, they’ll never find it.”
“So we’re going to lock them in a dark room together for how long?” She poked his stomach while it was still exposed, and he wrapped his arms around himself hurriedly.
“The original experiment was just an hour, but they were literal strangers. On the other hand, they did know they were being observed, which had to make them a little more reserved. And eighty percent, eighty, admitted to being sexually aroused afterwards. Complete strangers. Just think what we could accomplish!”
She grimaced. “Remind me to not actually leave my coat in there, okay?” she teased.
* * *
This was... this was cool. He was talking to people. They talked back. Peter was being especially attentive, though Daniel figured that was just because his girlfriend was otherwise occupied. He hoped Peter wouldn’t start asking him if he thought there was anything going on between her and that other Dramatist. He might say something he’d regret. Damn alcohol.
Peter flashed him that smile again. For a moment Daniel wondered if Peter wasn’t hitting on him, but that was just absurd. People didn’t do that. Bespectacled Classics Majors with haircuts their mothers’ gave them and clothes handed down through four older brothers did not sex gods make. And really it was just as well. This dorm was looking over populated with them as it was.
“Hey, Danny...el,” Peter finished, earning a grateful smile from the smaller man. Dan, Danny, and all other variants just got on his nerves. “Would you mind going and getting my, uh, my Baileys? Only, I left it in my room with the coats, and Sarah’s making those eyes that mean she wants something.”
“Of course not,” Daniel smiled. It wasn’t his fault if it was a slightly brittle smile, was it now? Being got rid of always stung a bit.
“Brilliant,” Peter beamed at him, making the bitterness ease just slightly. “I’ll see you in a sec, okay? It’s in the bottom drawer of the chest of, well, drawers.”
Daniel wandered over, dodging between strangers and half known acquaintances. After this, perhaps, he’d make his excuses and go. There wasn’t much to stay for, unless you counted a bit of window shopping.
His heart stopped. Oh god, that was him. Standing in The Room. And of course now he was standing outside like an idiot, and any minute he’d turn round and... oh, let’s face it, and walk right past. Guys like him always did, and besides, hadn’t he had a girlfriend? Peter had made some comment about it, explaining why Sarah was spending so much time with him.
Daniel steeled himself and stepped in. The door closed behind him, making the only other occupant of the small room look up sharply. Daniel glanced around and frowned at the chipboard replacement for an oak door stolen by the staff.
“Someone dancing a bit violently?” John said suddenly. It took Daniel a moment to realise what he was talking about.
“Guess so,” he shrugged awkwardly, offering a half smile.
“Looking for something?” John asked. Oh god, that voice. Daniel wrapped his arms around himself in a vaguely defensive gestured, trying to ward off the sounds that made his stomach curl and his knees want to collapse.
“Uh,” Daniel faltered, mind blank. Before he could stammer a response, the light went out.
“That’s weird,” John said unconcernedly. “Power cut, do you think?”
“Probably someone just leant on the switch outside,” Daniel breathed. “There is one, you know.”
“Why?” John asked. Daniel could hear him moving across the room.
“Old dormitory,” Daniel said. “It sounds like it ought to be more interesting than it is. There’s another switch in here somewhere.”
“Or, you know, we could just open the door,” John said.
Daniel flinched. “Yeah,” he responded weakly. He reached for the handle, turned, and pushed. Pushed again. Cursed himself for being so weak and tried again. “I guess someone’s leaning on it, or something,” he said quietly.
“Can’t get it open?” John sounded worried. “You want to try calling for them to budge, or whatever’s going on out there?”
Daniel rapped on the door smartly. In response, the music was suddenly turned up. He stumbled away from the door quickly and tripped backwards into a pile of coats.
“Bugger,” he swore under his breath.
“You alright?” John asked.
“Yeah, just got a bit of a shock when my eardrums burst,” Daniel said dryly.
“I think we’re better off in here for a bit,” John said. His voice had changed somehow, Daniel noticed. “I... I don’t really like this album much anyway.”
“Me neither,” Daniel said awkwardly. And then there was a hand in his lap. “Wha-”
“Oh god, sorry!” the hand disappeared. “I guess that’s where you are.”
“Yes,” Daniel panted. “It’s really dark in here, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.” There was a thump and Daniel could just make out the shape sitting next to him. Even as a vague outline he was still out of Daniel’s league.
The silence was long and awkward. Daniel contemplated giving the door another go, but a horrible suspicion was dawning on him that they were probably locked in. And it probably had something to do with Peter, who had come raving to him after one lecture about the best experiment ever. Was this information to share with his fellow prisoner?
“Look,” his fellow prisoner said, “I’m really sorry, and I swear I shouldn’t have to ask this, but what’s your name?”
“Daniel,” Daniel said. “You?”
“John. I’m relieved you had to ask,” John said with a breathless laugh.
“You too,” Daniel said warmly. “I keep seeing you at these things, but I guess this is the first time we’ve spoken.”
“Not true,” John said immediately. “I asked you if we could borrow the cinnamon, once.” And then, “And considering that was about three months ago, I now sound like a scary stalker man, don’t I?”
Daniel blushed in the darkness. “No, I remember too. I was just figuring speaking meant both of us did, rather that you talking like a normal human being and me gargling tea like a drunken mermaid.”
John laughed. “I snuck up on you, I’m sorry.”
“Did you?” Daniel frowned. “Only, you always sit at the table in the middle of the room, and I always sit with my back to the window, so now I sound like scary stalker man.”
He felt something brush his neck and he flinched away automatically. There was a moment when his stomach clenched and he thought he’d ruined it all, but the sacred arm settled around him again. He leant into it slightly, but not so much that it would look like he was trying to sit closer. Well, he hoped not, anyway. He also hoped that John couldn’t feel how fast his heart was going from the pulse in his neck either.
“You don’t mind, do you?” John’s voice was tight. Nervous, even. “It’s just more comfortable.”
“I don’t mind at all,” Daniel gasped. He had to look like an idiot, but hey, that was why dark was good, right?
“That’s good,” John said. Daniel felt his hair move slightly. Even if this meant nothing at all, he’d go home happy tonight. He was already grinning.
“So...” John said after a slightly less awkward but equally long silence as the preceding one. “What did you come in here to fetch? You weren’t heading home, were you?”
“No,” Daniel said, wondering how on earth he could have entertained such ideas earlier. “Peter sent me to fetch something.”
“Do you think everything’s alright between him and Sarah?” John asked. “Sarah was being a bit... odd, earlier.”
“I think everything’s fine,” Daniel said reassuringly.
“That’s good,” John said. “Such a perfect couple.”
“Much to the chagrin of the rest of us,” Daniel sighed. He felt John sag against him. “Sorry,” he said awkwardly.
“Sorry?” John asked.
“I did hear about you and Lucy. So, sorry. For being tactless. Like I am now.” Daniel shut up before he could trail off uselessly.
“Word gets around, I guess,” John said. “Sometimes people just aren’t compatible, and no amount of trying can change that. I can’t believe,” his voice caught, “...can’t believe that she’s already found someone else.”
“Neither can I,” Daniel said honestly.
“I feel like an idiot,” John went on. “I love her.”
Daniel’s heart stopped, but he reached up and squeezed John’s fingers. “Tough,” he said sympathetically. “That’s tough.”
“It’s my fault we broke up. Did you hear? I mean, we seem to have so many friends in common,” John said, a trifle bitterly.
“No, I didn’t,” Daniel said. “And we don’t really have that many friends in common.”
“How do you know?” John demanded.
“Well, I’d actually have to have some friends for that,” Daniel said. “Peter’s only nice to me because we came from the same school, and we were the only ones.”
Ah, what a way to kill a conversation. Daniel promised himself yet again that one day he’d actually write that book and make a million from the Hollywood spinoff.
“I don’t see why,” John said quietly.
“What?” Daniel jumped slightly in surprise.
“You seem to be a really nice guy,” John said awkwardly. “I’ve never heard anyone say a thing against you.”
“If you didn’t know my name until earlier, how do you know?” Daniel asked.
“Bad news travels faster,” John said dryly. “Trust me, if you were a bastard, everyone in the city would know your name. I get random abuse from complete strangers who don’t even come here.”
“Oh come on,” Daniel said scornfully, deciding to take a risk and wrap an arm around John’s waist, squeezing him slightly. “I’ve never met anyone with a bad word to say about you either and I can say that because I’m terrible with names and I did know yours before tonight, I just went blank.”
“That’s comforting,” John snorted. “So now I do feel like an idiot for not knowing yours.”
“No, I feel like the aforementioned scary stalker man,” Daniel said firmly. “What bad things are being said about you?”
“Are you going to go and beat them up for me?” John teased.
“Those heavy Latin tomes make good blunt objects,” Daniel told him lightly.
“You do Classics? I always wanted to do that, but, well, I never did any of the languages,” John enthused.
“Stop changing the subject,” Daniel said firmly. They were close enough now that in the shadowy light seeping around the door John probably could see him blushing, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
John sighed and pulled away from Daniel slightly, withdrawing his arm. After a moment’s hesitation, Daniel withdrew his as well.
“You know how I said sometimes people just aren’t compatible?” John said softly. “Well, it turns out I’m not compatible with women.”
Daniel stared at him. For a brief, terrifying moment, he thought he was going to be sick. And then he thought he was going to throw himself into John’s lap. He began to feel dizzy and realised that he’d stopped breathing.
Slowly, Daniel made an attempt at standing up. After finding himself unable to moving through the layers of coats and bags, he settled for crawling. He felt too lightheaded anyway. He moved slowly around the bed, picking his way through clothing and discarded shoes. Somewhere behind him he heard a noise that he couldn’t immediately identify.
“John?” he called back. “Everything okay?”
No reply. Oh, right. Man of his dreams comes out and he crawls away. Smart move.
“Peter’s got some Baileys around here,” Daniel said. “It felt vitally important to get it a second ago.”
“And now?” a voice came back, slightly shaky.
“Possibly offering some kind of an explanation for why it’s so important is probably in order,” Daniel said. “The explanation being I wanted to drink a toast, which now sounds really stupid and I’m embarrassed I even mentioned it.”
“A toast?”
“It’s stupid,” Daniel said firmly. “But we’ll drink it anyway, since it’s what he sent me in here to fetch.”
“Funny, it’s what Sarah asked me to get as well,” John said. He sounded a bit better, Daniel was relieved.
“Aha!” He produced the bottle with a flourish, and then remembered that no one could see him. “You don’t mind drinking straight from the bottle, do you? Only, I can see glasses going terribly, hideously wrong, and I can’t afford to replace that many coats.”
“Bottle is fine. Think you can find your way back here?”
“Sure,” Daniel said more confidently than he felt. “I still wish we had some light.”
“You want to try the door again?” John asked softly.
“Not particularly,” Daniel said, surprising himself with his own candidness. “I wasn’t exactly having a great time out there. Not bad, but, well...” he trailed off.
“Yeah,” John said.
Daniel managed to find his seat again. John settled his arm around him again and everything was as right with the world as it could imaginably be. Daniel allowed himself to lean in a little further this time.
“You know, this is a set up,” he said conversationally.
“What?” John sounded confused in the darkness.
“I suspected it earlier, but after you said Sarah sent you here for the Baileys as well I’m almost certain,” Daniel went on, handing the bottle to John, who he figured would probably feel the need to take a very large swig from it quite soon. “I think Peter and Sarah are pushing for us to... well. Peter told me about a psychological experiment a while back, and mentioned he was dying for a chance to try it out himself. The Dark Room Experiment.”
“I did A level psychology,” John said quietly.
“You... know it?” Daniel swallowed.
“I never expected this was, though. You think the door’s locked, then?”
“Probably.”
“I wonder how long they’re going to leave us in here.”
“Someone’s going to want their coat sooner or later,” Daniel sighed.
“You sound so disappointed at the idea,” John teased. Daniel kept his mouth shut. John squeezed him closer for a too brief moment. “So, what did you want to drink a toast to? Go on, you have to tell me now.”
“Why?” Daniel asked incredulously.
“Because I’m a bit tipsy now, so this is your best chance of me not remembering it in the morning,” John said proudly.
“Fine,” Daniel laughed. “It was going to be a toast to not being the only gay person I know any more.”
He heard John take another drink, a long one, and began to feel ill again. Now John thought he was coming on to him. The fact he was had to be irrelevant here, since John was so far out of his league that it wasn’t even funny. And because such thoughts were running through his mind, he was completely unprepared for the kiss.
John tasted entirely of Baileys. Daniel’s tongue burnt slightly and he sat there, too shocked to move. John withdrew rapidly.
“I... god, sorry,” John mumbled, and tried to move away. Without asking his brain’s permission, Daniel’s arms shot out and pinned John to the floor, causing an avalanche of coats as Daniel’s torso got in on the rebellion and had him bending over the prone body of his new friend. Figuring if it couldn’t beat ‘em, it might as well join ‘em, Daniel’s brain sent a quick message down to his mouth.
“Mmmngh,” Daniel said, and kissed John passionately. He still tasted on Baileys, and that hot sweetness made Daniel want to do strange things to its creator. Once he was done with John, of course.
John whimpered under him and Daniel pulled away. “I think I spilt the Baileys,” John said, eyes glittering huge.
“Not sure I care,” Daniel said happily. He glanced at the fallen bottle. “Besides, that’s Sarah’s coat.”
John laughed throatily. Daniel shivered anticipatorily. He leant down for another kiss, aware that he was lying on the full length of John’s body. There were good things happening in places further down, and he writhed, to encourage them to happen a bit faster. John kissed him and hard wrapped and arm around his lower back. Without warning he rolled the two of them over, so that he was on top.
Daniel could hear that he was panting hard, and felt a suspiciously sticky wetness. John looked down, face slightly disappointed, apparently feeling it too.
Suddenly Daniel laughed. “It’s the Baileys,” he said.
“Thank God,” John said firmly. “It’s like that Friends episode,” he stopped and blushed.
“The one where Ross and Rachel finally get it on,” Daniel said enthusiastically. “I love that episode.”
“So do I!” John beamed at him.
“Why are we talking about this now?” Daniel asked.
“Good point,” John said, and started trailing kisses along Daniel’s collarbone.
Daniel wasn’t sure when the shirts came off, but the sensation of skin on skin was almost too much for him. He felt John unzip his trousers and groaned at the new feeling. Damn him for not wearing any underwear! He had to pull away, panting and blushing. He shivered in the darkness.
“Daniel?”
Daniel swallowed and smiled shyly. “I... this could all end very quickly,” he murmured. Foreign fingers toyed with the waistband of his jeans. “Please,” he said in a strangled voice.
“I want this.” John’s voice was hushed and thick with lust. “Want you. For so long now.”
“Me?” Daniel squeaked.
“You,” John said. “If you don’t want to, though...”
“Want it too much,” Daniel insisted. “I wasn’t prepared for this tonight,” he added self consciously.
“Not pre- oh,” John said. Daniel could feel him sitting up, and they leant in towards each other automatically, trying to see each other better. The fact they ended up wrapped together again was just a happy side effect, of course. “I’m clean,” John said softly. “I figured it was worth, you know, going for a check up after I ended it with Lucy. A bit premature, I guess.”
Daniel snorted. “Not at all,” he said. “But I don’t even have lube and it’s too dark to go hunting in people’s pockets.”
“I haven’t done this before,” John admitted. “With a guy.”
“Oh. Well, that’s cool,” he said awkwardly. “We don’t have to.”
“No, not this again!” John snapped suddenly. Daniel jerked backwards. “What kind of yoyo am I on?” John implored the gods of the ceiling. “No more teasing!”
Daniel smiled to himself. When John lowered his head he squinted into the darkness, even putting one hand out. Just as he was about to ask where Daniel had disappeared to this time, it became very apparent. He threw back his head and howled, uncaring. He plunged a hand into Daniel’s wild fine hair and had to forcibly restrain himself from forcing Daniel into choking himself.
Daniel had to hold back a smile as he worked. He knew perfectly well that he had a lot of self-confidence issues, but if he had one talent it was this. John made astonished noises as Daniel bobbed lower and lower, taking more into his mouth than the taller boy would have thought possible. Daniel ran his tongue along the under side of his new lover’s penis, eliciting yet more groans of passion, and scraped it very gently with his bottom teeth. And when that proved too much for the boy he swallowed everything that came. The look on his face when he raised his head to meet John’s was one of pure smugness.
John kissed him clumsily, trembling slightly from one of the most powerful orgasms he’d ever experienced. His hand was still in Daniel’s hair and he used that to keep the classics student as close as he physically could.
Daniel still throbbed and ached, but that felt like more of a secondary concern right now. He kissed and caressed and let John do the same until he felt a quantity of cold thick liquid run down his back. Just as it disappeared into his jeans John turned him around and started tracing the Baileys with his tongue. Daniel slowly fell forwards onto a pile of coats, whimpering. The Baileys was as far down as it could go, and John tugged hard on the loose jeans to demonstrate that he intended to follow the rogue liquid.
Daniel whimpered and sobbed as a hot wet tongue probed and explored. John’s large hands struggled with the button fly of Daniel’s jeans, eventually settling for a rather more careful pull to bring them down around Daniel’s knees. Daniel moaned and sank his teeth into a sleeve to prevent the sound growing any louder. That tongue!
Daniel came with a gasp like a dying man. That was an Elizabethan concept, he thought vaguely, as he lay fuzzily trying to regather his wits. Good ol’ Shakespeare. Sex.
“Dan’l?” John murmured.
“Ghhh,” Daniel responded. “J’n.”
“Whose coat is that?” John asked.
Daniel opened one eye. “Mine now,” he said. “Marked our territory.”
John laughed breathlessly and pulled Daniel into an upright position, letting him slump bonelessly into his embrace. They kissed at that awkward angle, and Daniel nuzzled John’s neck.
“I feel I ought to tell you,” Daniel murmured huskily, “I actually am a scary stalker man.”
“Oh, you too?” John said. “We have so much in common.”
The light snapped back on suddenly, and they both blinked at each other. Daniel had the forethought to pull up his jeans and boxers and fasten everything back into place, but John just made do with throwing a shirt over his lap. There was a knock, a wait, and then Peter’s head around the door.
“Wow,” he said. “It never said anything in the textbook about localised whirlwinds.”
Daniel blushed and stared around. The bed was almost clear of coats now, which instead were surrounding him and John in a kind of nest. Baileys was still leaking across the carpet, but now in a different place from the first spill, and the coats they had been lying on were, well, in need of a serious dry clean at the very least. Daniel hunched his shoulders slightly and schooled his features into a more apologetic look. It was hard, since he was fighting a losing battle with a post-coital smile that threatened to take over his entire face.
“Do people want their stuff?” Daniel asked quietly.
“Probably not any more,” Peter laughed. “Give you five minutes to clear what you can, and I’ll come up with a decent explanation for locking the door, okay?”
“Oh good, I was hoping to hear one,” John said dryly.
“Hey, it was all in the name of science.” Peter spread his hands. “And you owe me another bottle of Baileys.”
And a coat, Daniel thought wryly as he disappeared to hold back the hordes for a few more moments, and probably a new carpet. John leant over for a quick kiss as he did up his flies. And a huge thank you, Daniel reminded himself, huge.
off to york! bye!
The Dark Room Experiment
They schemed in the coffee shop.
“Are you sure they’ve never spoken?” he, a tall and dark psychology student, asked.
“Mostly,” she, a short and also dark drama student, replied. “Is it important?”
“It helps,” he told her. “At least they won’t be able to see each other.”
“I want to feel guilty for pushing them,” she said with an impish grin, “but damn it’s hard.”
“I’ve seen them looking at each other. They spent Sammy’s entire party shooting each other looks,” he said smugly. “And John’s definitely done with his girlfriend now?”
“Irreconcilable differences,” she laughed. “Poor gay sweetheart.”
“Indeed,” he snorted. “I swear, this is going to be just too easy.”
“What if they’ve got too much in common though?” she worried, licking cream from the top of her coffee. “They might just talk and do nothing else.”
“At least it’s a start,” he shrugged, dipping his finger in the cream of his own coffee and holding it out for her to nibble.
“I guess so. Any idea as to where we’re going to spring this, and how?” she smiled.
“I have a strong urge to trap them in a lift during a blackout, but that requires far too much planning and the ability to switch the mains back on afterwards, which I quite frankly lack.”
She laughed, remembering the kettle incident. “Too true. Maybe we can wrangle something at a party?”
“I like that. If we, I don’t know, both send them to fetch things from wherever we dump the coats? My room’s good. Light switch on the outside.”
“Why?” she asked, surprised she hadn’t noticed that little detail previously.
“To irritate the hell out of me, naturally,” he said solemnly. She rolled her eyes and gave him a pointed look. “Fine,” he surrendered, “it’s because my block used to be part of a boarding school. Lights out at nine, and all that. Most of the rooms have interior light switches since the walls were added after the Uni bought it, but no, I get the Prefect’s room.”
“You do have a light switch in there,” she said slowly. “I swear you do.”
He held up his hands in defeat. “Alright, I do. It’s not so ‘woe is me’ as all that. But what with there being no window and this handy external light switch, they’ll never find it.”
“So we’re going to lock them in a dark room together for how long?” She poked his stomach while it was still exposed, and he wrapped his arms around himself hurriedly.
“The original experiment was just an hour, but they were literal strangers. On the other hand, they did know they were being observed, which had to make them a little more reserved. And eighty percent, eighty, admitted to being sexually aroused afterwards. Complete strangers. Just think what we could accomplish!”
She grimaced. “Remind me to not actually leave my coat in there, okay?” she teased.
* * *
This was... this was cool. He was talking to people. They talked back. Peter was being especially attentive, though Daniel figured that was just because his girlfriend was otherwise occupied. He hoped Peter wouldn’t start asking him if he thought there was anything going on between her and that other Dramatist. He might say something he’d regret. Damn alcohol.
Peter flashed him that smile again. For a moment Daniel wondered if Peter wasn’t hitting on him, but that was just absurd. People didn’t do that. Bespectacled Classics Majors with haircuts their mothers’ gave them and clothes handed down through four older brothers did not sex gods make. And really it was just as well. This dorm was looking over populated with them as it was.
“Hey, Danny...el,” Peter finished, earning a grateful smile from the smaller man. Dan, Danny, and all other variants just got on his nerves. “Would you mind going and getting my, uh, my Baileys? Only, I left it in my room with the coats, and Sarah’s making those eyes that mean she wants something.”
“Of course not,” Daniel smiled. It wasn’t his fault if it was a slightly brittle smile, was it now? Being got rid of always stung a bit.
“Brilliant,” Peter beamed at him, making the bitterness ease just slightly. “I’ll see you in a sec, okay? It’s in the bottom drawer of the chest of, well, drawers.”
Daniel wandered over, dodging between strangers and half known acquaintances. After this, perhaps, he’d make his excuses and go. There wasn’t much to stay for, unless you counted a bit of window shopping.
His heart stopped. Oh god, that was him. Standing in The Room. And of course now he was standing outside like an idiot, and any minute he’d turn round and... oh, let’s face it, and walk right past. Guys like him always did, and besides, hadn’t he had a girlfriend? Peter had made some comment about it, explaining why Sarah was spending so much time with him.
Daniel steeled himself and stepped in. The door closed behind him, making the only other occupant of the small room look up sharply. Daniel glanced around and frowned at the chipboard replacement for an oak door stolen by the staff.
“Someone dancing a bit violently?” John said suddenly. It took Daniel a moment to realise what he was talking about.
“Guess so,” he shrugged awkwardly, offering a half smile.
“Looking for something?” John asked. Oh god, that voice. Daniel wrapped his arms around himself in a vaguely defensive gestured, trying to ward off the sounds that made his stomach curl and his knees want to collapse.
“Uh,” Daniel faltered, mind blank. Before he could stammer a response, the light went out.
“That’s weird,” John said unconcernedly. “Power cut, do you think?”
“Probably someone just leant on the switch outside,” Daniel breathed. “There is one, you know.”
“Why?” John asked. Daniel could hear him moving across the room.
“Old dormitory,” Daniel said. “It sounds like it ought to be more interesting than it is. There’s another switch in here somewhere.”
“Or, you know, we could just open the door,” John said.
Daniel flinched. “Yeah,” he responded weakly. He reached for the handle, turned, and pushed. Pushed again. Cursed himself for being so weak and tried again. “I guess someone’s leaning on it, or something,” he said quietly.
“Can’t get it open?” John sounded worried. “You want to try calling for them to budge, or whatever’s going on out there?”
Daniel rapped on the door smartly. In response, the music was suddenly turned up. He stumbled away from the door quickly and tripped backwards into a pile of coats.
“Bugger,” he swore under his breath.
“You alright?” John asked.
“Yeah, just got a bit of a shock when my eardrums burst,” Daniel said dryly.
“I think we’re better off in here for a bit,” John said. His voice had changed somehow, Daniel noticed. “I... I don’t really like this album much anyway.”
“Me neither,” Daniel said awkwardly. And then there was a hand in his lap. “Wha-”
“Oh god, sorry!” the hand disappeared. “I guess that’s where you are.”
“Yes,” Daniel panted. “It’s really dark in here, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.” There was a thump and Daniel could just make out the shape sitting next to him. Even as a vague outline he was still out of Daniel’s league.
The silence was long and awkward. Daniel contemplated giving the door another go, but a horrible suspicion was dawning on him that they were probably locked in. And it probably had something to do with Peter, who had come raving to him after one lecture about the best experiment ever. Was this information to share with his fellow prisoner?
“Look,” his fellow prisoner said, “I’m really sorry, and I swear I shouldn’t have to ask this, but what’s your name?”
“Daniel,” Daniel said. “You?”
“John. I’m relieved you had to ask,” John said with a breathless laugh.
“You too,” Daniel said warmly. “I keep seeing you at these things, but I guess this is the first time we’ve spoken.”
“Not true,” John said immediately. “I asked you if we could borrow the cinnamon, once.” And then, “And considering that was about three months ago, I now sound like a scary stalker man, don’t I?”
Daniel blushed in the darkness. “No, I remember too. I was just figuring speaking meant both of us did, rather that you talking like a normal human being and me gargling tea like a drunken mermaid.”
John laughed. “I snuck up on you, I’m sorry.”
“Did you?” Daniel frowned. “Only, you always sit at the table in the middle of the room, and I always sit with my back to the window, so now I sound like scary stalker man.”
He felt something brush his neck and he flinched away automatically. There was a moment when his stomach clenched and he thought he’d ruined it all, but the sacred arm settled around him again. He leant into it slightly, but not so much that it would look like he was trying to sit closer. Well, he hoped not, anyway. He also hoped that John couldn’t feel how fast his heart was going from the pulse in his neck either.
“You don’t mind, do you?” John’s voice was tight. Nervous, even. “It’s just more comfortable.”
“I don’t mind at all,” Daniel gasped. He had to look like an idiot, but hey, that was why dark was good, right?
“That’s good,” John said. Daniel felt his hair move slightly. Even if this meant nothing at all, he’d go home happy tonight. He was already grinning.
“So...” John said after a slightly less awkward but equally long silence as the preceding one. “What did you come in here to fetch? You weren’t heading home, were you?”
“No,” Daniel said, wondering how on earth he could have entertained such ideas earlier. “Peter sent me to fetch something.”
“Do you think everything’s alright between him and Sarah?” John asked. “Sarah was being a bit... odd, earlier.”
“I think everything’s fine,” Daniel said reassuringly.
“That’s good,” John said. “Such a perfect couple.”
“Much to the chagrin of the rest of us,” Daniel sighed. He felt John sag against him. “Sorry,” he said awkwardly.
“Sorry?” John asked.
“I did hear about you and Lucy. So, sorry. For being tactless. Like I am now.” Daniel shut up before he could trail off uselessly.
“Word gets around, I guess,” John said. “Sometimes people just aren’t compatible, and no amount of trying can change that. I can’t believe,” his voice caught, “...can’t believe that she’s already found someone else.”
“Neither can I,” Daniel said honestly.
“I feel like an idiot,” John went on. “I love her.”
Daniel’s heart stopped, but he reached up and squeezed John’s fingers. “Tough,” he said sympathetically. “That’s tough.”
“It’s my fault we broke up. Did you hear? I mean, we seem to have so many friends in common,” John said, a trifle bitterly.
“No, I didn’t,” Daniel said. “And we don’t really have that many friends in common.”
“How do you know?” John demanded.
“Well, I’d actually have to have some friends for that,” Daniel said. “Peter’s only nice to me because we came from the same school, and we were the only ones.”
Ah, what a way to kill a conversation. Daniel promised himself yet again that one day he’d actually write that book and make a million from the Hollywood spinoff.
“I don’t see why,” John said quietly.
“What?” Daniel jumped slightly in surprise.
“You seem to be a really nice guy,” John said awkwardly. “I’ve never heard anyone say a thing against you.”
“If you didn’t know my name until earlier, how do you know?” Daniel asked.
“Bad news travels faster,” John said dryly. “Trust me, if you were a bastard, everyone in the city would know your name. I get random abuse from complete strangers who don’t even come here.”
“Oh come on,” Daniel said scornfully, deciding to take a risk and wrap an arm around John’s waist, squeezing him slightly. “I’ve never met anyone with a bad word to say about you either and I can say that because I’m terrible with names and I did know yours before tonight, I just went blank.”
“That’s comforting,” John snorted. “So now I do feel like an idiot for not knowing yours.”
“No, I feel like the aforementioned scary stalker man,” Daniel said firmly. “What bad things are being said about you?”
“Are you going to go and beat them up for me?” John teased.
“Those heavy Latin tomes make good blunt objects,” Daniel told him lightly.
“You do Classics? I always wanted to do that, but, well, I never did any of the languages,” John enthused.
“Stop changing the subject,” Daniel said firmly. They were close enough now that in the shadowy light seeping around the door John probably could see him blushing, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
John sighed and pulled away from Daniel slightly, withdrawing his arm. After a moment’s hesitation, Daniel withdrew his as well.
“You know how I said sometimes people just aren’t compatible?” John said softly. “Well, it turns out I’m not compatible with women.”
Daniel stared at him. For a brief, terrifying moment, he thought he was going to be sick. And then he thought he was going to throw himself into John’s lap. He began to feel dizzy and realised that he’d stopped breathing.
Slowly, Daniel made an attempt at standing up. After finding himself unable to moving through the layers of coats and bags, he settled for crawling. He felt too lightheaded anyway. He moved slowly around the bed, picking his way through clothing and discarded shoes. Somewhere behind him he heard a noise that he couldn’t immediately identify.
“John?” he called back. “Everything okay?”
No reply. Oh, right. Man of his dreams comes out and he crawls away. Smart move.
“Peter’s got some Baileys around here,” Daniel said. “It felt vitally important to get it a second ago.”
“And now?” a voice came back, slightly shaky.
“Possibly offering some kind of an explanation for why it’s so important is probably in order,” Daniel said. “The explanation being I wanted to drink a toast, which now sounds really stupid and I’m embarrassed I even mentioned it.”
“A toast?”
“It’s stupid,” Daniel said firmly. “But we’ll drink it anyway, since it’s what he sent me in here to fetch.”
“Funny, it’s what Sarah asked me to get as well,” John said. He sounded a bit better, Daniel was relieved.
“Aha!” He produced the bottle with a flourish, and then remembered that no one could see him. “You don’t mind drinking straight from the bottle, do you? Only, I can see glasses going terribly, hideously wrong, and I can’t afford to replace that many coats.”
“Bottle is fine. Think you can find your way back here?”
“Sure,” Daniel said more confidently than he felt. “I still wish we had some light.”
“You want to try the door again?” John asked softly.
“Not particularly,” Daniel said, surprising himself with his own candidness. “I wasn’t exactly having a great time out there. Not bad, but, well...” he trailed off.
“Yeah,” John said.
Daniel managed to find his seat again. John settled his arm around him again and everything was as right with the world as it could imaginably be. Daniel allowed himself to lean in a little further this time.
“You know, this is a set up,” he said conversationally.
“What?” John sounded confused in the darkness.
“I suspected it earlier, but after you said Sarah sent you here for the Baileys as well I’m almost certain,” Daniel went on, handing the bottle to John, who he figured would probably feel the need to take a very large swig from it quite soon. “I think Peter and Sarah are pushing for us to... well. Peter told me about a psychological experiment a while back, and mentioned he was dying for a chance to try it out himself. The Dark Room Experiment.”
“I did A level psychology,” John said quietly.
“You... know it?” Daniel swallowed.
“I never expected this was, though. You think the door’s locked, then?”
“Probably.”
“I wonder how long they’re going to leave us in here.”
“Someone’s going to want their coat sooner or later,” Daniel sighed.
“You sound so disappointed at the idea,” John teased. Daniel kept his mouth shut. John squeezed him closer for a too brief moment. “So, what did you want to drink a toast to? Go on, you have to tell me now.”
“Why?” Daniel asked incredulously.
“Because I’m a bit tipsy now, so this is your best chance of me not remembering it in the morning,” John said proudly.
“Fine,” Daniel laughed. “It was going to be a toast to not being the only gay person I know any more.”
He heard John take another drink, a long one, and began to feel ill again. Now John thought he was coming on to him. The fact he was had to be irrelevant here, since John was so far out of his league that it wasn’t even funny. And because such thoughts were running through his mind, he was completely unprepared for the kiss.
John tasted entirely of Baileys. Daniel’s tongue burnt slightly and he sat there, too shocked to move. John withdrew rapidly.
“I... god, sorry,” John mumbled, and tried to move away. Without asking his brain’s permission, Daniel’s arms shot out and pinned John to the floor, causing an avalanche of coats as Daniel’s torso got in on the rebellion and had him bending over the prone body of his new friend. Figuring if it couldn’t beat ‘em, it might as well join ‘em, Daniel’s brain sent a quick message down to his mouth.
“Mmmngh,” Daniel said, and kissed John passionately. He still tasted on Baileys, and that hot sweetness made Daniel want to do strange things to its creator. Once he was done with John, of course.
John whimpered under him and Daniel pulled away. “I think I spilt the Baileys,” John said, eyes glittering huge.
“Not sure I care,” Daniel said happily. He glanced at the fallen bottle. “Besides, that’s Sarah’s coat.”
John laughed throatily. Daniel shivered anticipatorily. He leant down for another kiss, aware that he was lying on the full length of John’s body. There were good things happening in places further down, and he writhed, to encourage them to happen a bit faster. John kissed him and hard wrapped and arm around his lower back. Without warning he rolled the two of them over, so that he was on top.
Daniel could hear that he was panting hard, and felt a suspiciously sticky wetness. John looked down, face slightly disappointed, apparently feeling it too.
Suddenly Daniel laughed. “It’s the Baileys,” he said.
“Thank God,” John said firmly. “It’s like that Friends episode,” he stopped and blushed.
“The one where Ross and Rachel finally get it on,” Daniel said enthusiastically. “I love that episode.”
“So do I!” John beamed at him.
“Why are we talking about this now?” Daniel asked.
“Good point,” John said, and started trailing kisses along Daniel’s collarbone.
Daniel wasn’t sure when the shirts came off, but the sensation of skin on skin was almost too much for him. He felt John unzip his trousers and groaned at the new feeling. Damn him for not wearing any underwear! He had to pull away, panting and blushing. He shivered in the darkness.
“Daniel?”
Daniel swallowed and smiled shyly. “I... this could all end very quickly,” he murmured. Foreign fingers toyed with the waistband of his jeans. “Please,” he said in a strangled voice.
“I want this.” John’s voice was hushed and thick with lust. “Want you. For so long now.”
“Me?” Daniel squeaked.
“You,” John said. “If you don’t want to, though...”
“Want it too much,” Daniel insisted. “I wasn’t prepared for this tonight,” he added self consciously.
“Not pre- oh,” John said. Daniel could feel him sitting up, and they leant in towards each other automatically, trying to see each other better. The fact they ended up wrapped together again was just a happy side effect, of course. “I’m clean,” John said softly. “I figured it was worth, you know, going for a check up after I ended it with Lucy. A bit premature, I guess.”
Daniel snorted. “Not at all,” he said. “But I don’t even have lube and it’s too dark to go hunting in people’s pockets.”
“I haven’t done this before,” John admitted. “With a guy.”
“Oh. Well, that’s cool,” he said awkwardly. “We don’t have to.”
“No, not this again!” John snapped suddenly. Daniel jerked backwards. “What kind of yoyo am I on?” John implored the gods of the ceiling. “No more teasing!”
Daniel smiled to himself. When John lowered his head he squinted into the darkness, even putting one hand out. Just as he was about to ask where Daniel had disappeared to this time, it became very apparent. He threw back his head and howled, uncaring. He plunged a hand into Daniel’s wild fine hair and had to forcibly restrain himself from forcing Daniel into choking himself.
Daniel had to hold back a smile as he worked. He knew perfectly well that he had a lot of self-confidence issues, but if he had one talent it was this. John made astonished noises as Daniel bobbed lower and lower, taking more into his mouth than the taller boy would have thought possible. Daniel ran his tongue along the under side of his new lover’s penis, eliciting yet more groans of passion, and scraped it very gently with his bottom teeth. And when that proved too much for the boy he swallowed everything that came. The look on his face when he raised his head to meet John’s was one of pure smugness.
John kissed him clumsily, trembling slightly from one of the most powerful orgasms he’d ever experienced. His hand was still in Daniel’s hair and he used that to keep the classics student as close as he physically could.
Daniel still throbbed and ached, but that felt like more of a secondary concern right now. He kissed and caressed and let John do the same until he felt a quantity of cold thick liquid run down his back. Just as it disappeared into his jeans John turned him around and started tracing the Baileys with his tongue. Daniel slowly fell forwards onto a pile of coats, whimpering. The Baileys was as far down as it could go, and John tugged hard on the loose jeans to demonstrate that he intended to follow the rogue liquid.
Daniel whimpered and sobbed as a hot wet tongue probed and explored. John’s large hands struggled with the button fly of Daniel’s jeans, eventually settling for a rather more careful pull to bring them down around Daniel’s knees. Daniel moaned and sank his teeth into a sleeve to prevent the sound growing any louder. That tongue!
Daniel came with a gasp like a dying man. That was an Elizabethan concept, he thought vaguely, as he lay fuzzily trying to regather his wits. Good ol’ Shakespeare. Sex.
“Dan’l?” John murmured.
“Ghhh,” Daniel responded. “J’n.”
“Whose coat is that?” John asked.
Daniel opened one eye. “Mine now,” he said. “Marked our territory.”
John laughed breathlessly and pulled Daniel into an upright position, letting him slump bonelessly into his embrace. They kissed at that awkward angle, and Daniel nuzzled John’s neck.
“I feel I ought to tell you,” Daniel murmured huskily, “I actually am a scary stalker man.”
“Oh, you too?” John said. “We have so much in common.”
The light snapped back on suddenly, and they both blinked at each other. Daniel had the forethought to pull up his jeans and boxers and fasten everything back into place, but John just made do with throwing a shirt over his lap. There was a knock, a wait, and then Peter’s head around the door.
“Wow,” he said. “It never said anything in the textbook about localised whirlwinds.”
Daniel blushed and stared around. The bed was almost clear of coats now, which instead were surrounding him and John in a kind of nest. Baileys was still leaking across the carpet, but now in a different place from the first spill, and the coats they had been lying on were, well, in need of a serious dry clean at the very least. Daniel hunched his shoulders slightly and schooled his features into a more apologetic look. It was hard, since he was fighting a losing battle with a post-coital smile that threatened to take over his entire face.
“Do people want their stuff?” Daniel asked quietly.
“Probably not any more,” Peter laughed. “Give you five minutes to clear what you can, and I’ll come up with a decent explanation for locking the door, okay?”
“Oh good, I was hoping to hear one,” John said dryly.
“Hey, it was all in the name of science.” Peter spread his hands. “And you owe me another bottle of Baileys.”
And a coat, Daniel thought wryly as he disappeared to hold back the hordes for a few more moments, and probably a new carpet. John leant over for a quick kiss as he did up his flies. And a huge thank you, Daniel reminded himself, huge.
off to york! bye!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Mmm, dark rooms...
Date: 15/4/04 03:08 am (UTC)*purrs happily and paws at screen* Baileyssss... No, bad brain, its the middle of the day!
There is luff and smut and Baileys. What more can a girl wish for? Thankyouthankyouthankyou!
“Mine now,” he said. “Marked our territory.”
*gigglefit*
~Missy~
no subject
Date: 15/4/04 10:55 am (UTC)I luuuuuuuff you! *glomps* Such beautiful smut! *purrs happily* Now I know where to go to get my mucho needed dose of smut! ^-^
*sets up tent in LJ*
--Muse--
no subject
Date: 16/4/04 10:48 pm (UTC)