Shannon lost his nerve only a few seconds after knocking, but it was a few seconds too late. He'd made it as far as the porch steps, fully intending to run back to his truck and drive away, when the door opened behind him.

"Where do you think you're going?"

The tone of that voice made the answer clear. He wasn't going anywhere. Turning back around, he forced a guilty, half-hearted smile.

"Nowhere." He said, coming back up the steps.

Leaning against the door jam, Jeff folded his arms and attempted to glare at his friend. The effect was ruined by his grin.

"You were just going to run off, weren't ya?"

"No."

"It's no use, you know. Sooner or later, I'm gonna see it."

"I know."

"Well?"

Blushing furiously, Shannon put both hands on his hips. "What? You're not even gonna invite me in first? Maybe offer me something to drink?"

Jeff laughed and stepped back, out of the doorway. "Okay then, come on in. Want something to drink?"

"God yes."

Laughing again, Jeff led the way into his house. "Make sure you close the door." He said over his shoulder. "Witty's running around here somewhere."

Shannon paused to ensure that the door was firmly closed, glancing around to see if he could catch sight of Jeff's groundhog. This was his last chance to run. Jeff was right, however. Sooner or later, he was gonna see. Might as well be sooner.

He found Jeff in the kitchen, pulling a giant pitcher out of the refrigerator. "Lemonade okay?"

"Did you make it or Beth?" Shannon asked warily.

"Beth made it."

"Oh, sure, that'd be fine."

"Smartass."

Everyone knew better than to drink lemonade made by Jeff. As much of a sugar junkie as he was, his lemonade always turned out so tart that Shannon suspected it did serious and permanent damage to the taste buds.

Jeff poured two glasses and handed one to Shannon before putting the pitcher back in the refrigerator. While his back was turned, Shannon took a careful sip to reassure himself that it wasn't really one of his concoctions.

"Wanna sit out back? I've done some new stuff since you were here last."

"Sure."

They wandered out to the back porch, Jeff once again reminding Shannon to close the door tight. There they sprawled on the bench swing, Jeff propping his bare feet up on the railing.

"What do ya think?"

Honestly, Shannon never knew what to think. Instead of a backyard, Jeff had sculpted an entirely original landscape out of dirt. There were hills and valleys, a streambed filled with polished blue stones, a few of his own aluminum creations scattered within. In the back sat the wildly painted trailer that served as Jeff's music studio. He knew that Jeff saw sense in the disorder. Everything had a purpose and a place. But after all these years, Shannon could only look at it and say one thing.

"Cool."

"I'm going work on the moat later, if you want to help."

"Oh, yeah, digging a ditch. That's just what I want to do with my day off."

Laughing, Jeff shrugged. "Just thought I'd offer."

Shannon leaned back and sipped at his lemonade. For a long time, the two of them were quiet, just enjoying the sunshine and the warm breeze.

Then, finally, Jeff turned to him. "Okay, that's enough screwing around. Let's see it."

Once again, Shannon hesitated. He lifted one hand to toy with the brim of the hat he was wearing but made no move to remove it.

"Come on, Shan. It's now or later. I can always just watch the show on Saturday."

"Fine, fine, but you gotta promise not to laugh."

"Jesus, Shannon, I'm not gonna laugh."

Taking a deep breath, Shannon pulled the hat off his head. He immediately ran his hand through his hair, at least, what was left of it. The short strands still felt alien to him, like he was touching someone else's head.

"Holy shit." Jeff said in amazement. "You weren't kidding!"

Shannon shook his head.

Jeff leaned forward to study him intently, making Shannon squirm. "You left the black in."

"Yeah. I ain't figured out what I want to do with it yet."

"You look just like you did when you were fourteen."

"I do not!"

"Yes you do." Jeff said with a laugh.

Anger flared in Shannon, not because he thought Jeff was teasing, but because he knew he was right. Every time he looked in the mirror, he marveled at how the loss of his long, blonde, baby-fine hair had actually made him look younger instead of older. He wasn't sure why he'd thought that Jeff would see it differently, but knowing he didn't only reinforced the idea that he'd made a mistake.

Jamming the hat back on, Shannon stood up. "I'm going home."

"Hey, come on. I didn't say it looked bad. You just look younger, that's all."

"Maybe I don't wanna look younger." Shannon snarled, whirling around to face him. "Maybe I'm getting sick of everybody treating me like a kid. Maybe I'm getting sick of everyone telling me how cute I am. Maybe I'm sick of being adorable little Shannon Moore!"

Jeff stared up at him, his expression betraying neither surprise at the outburst nor guilt at having caused it. "I don't think of you as a kid, Shannon." He said seriously.

"Whatever." Waving a hand at him, Shannon turned to walk away.

He only got a few steps before Jeff was up, catching him by the arm and shoving him, not very gently, against the railing. He started to twist away from him, but Jeff was faster, quickly pinning Shannon in place with the weight of his own body.

"Get off me."

"No."

Shannon pushed at him, his frustration growing. "I'm not kidding Jeff."

"Neither am I, Shannon." Jeff reached behind him to grasp the railing in each hand, holding his friend firmly in place. "Listen to me."

For a moment, Shannon continued to struggle, but he quickly realized it was useless. Despite their difference in size, most of the time everyone would agree that Shannon was the stronger of the two. Jeff was tall, but he was skinny. It was only at moments like this that Shannon was reminded of his true strength.

"Are you gonna listen?" Jeff demanded.

"Fine! I'm listening."

"Good." Jeff loosened his grip a little and moved away enough to meet Shannon's eyes. "I don't think of you as a kid. I haven't in a very long time."

Shannon rolled his eyes. "Maybe you don't, but everybody else does."

"So what? Everybody else thinks I'm crazy, or a drug addict, or having an incestuous love affair with my own brother."

"You've been reading fan fiction again, haven't you?" Shannon asked.

"You're missing the point."

"Fine. What's the point?"

"The point is, screw 'em. So what if people think of you as a kid. You know you're not. Your friends know you're not. Do Matt or Shane or any of those guys treat you like a kid?"

"Sometimes."

"Okay, well, forget I mentioned them. They're idiots."

Shannon was finally able to smile a little at that.

"As far as you being cute, or adorable, you are, so learn to live it."

Shannon snorted in contempt. "That's easy for you to say."

"Yes it is."

Suddenly, Jeff's arms had slipped around him, pulling him closer. Shannon felt a shiver pass through him at the look in Jeff's eyes. Suddenly he didn't want Jeff to let him go.

"You are cute, Shannon. You are adorable." Jeff whispered. "No haircut or tattoo or piercing is ever gonna change that. Not to me."

"But..."

"Forget about everybody else. They don't matter. Make yourself happy. If you want short hair, then keep it short. I, for one, like it."

Before Shannon could argue, Jeff was kissing him. He closed his eyes as he felt Jeff's hand skim the back of his neck. A moment later, he felt his hat pulled off and Jeff's fingers combing through the short hair underneath. His anger and frustration were forgotten in the softness of Jeff's mouth, the hardness of his chest under Shannon's hands, the heat of him.

When they parted, Shannon was glad that Jeff was holding him, or he suspected that he'd slip to the ground in a puddle of goo. He took a moment to catch his breath before opening his eyes again.

Jeff was smiling softly at him. "Been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Want me to stop?"

Shannon hesitated. It had been a long time. Since before he and Crystal had gotten married.

Kissing him again quickly, Jeff started to draw away. "It's okay."

"No, wait." Shannon caught him by the front of his shirt and pulled him back. "Don't stop."

"You sure?"

Shannon answered by wrapping his arms around Jeff's waist and holding him tightly. Their mouths met again, opening to taste each other. Jeff's hands began to roam over his body, slipping under his shirt to caress the smooth skin of his back, then down to cup his ass. One came back up to his hair, tugging slightly.

Both of them were panting when they broke off, but Shannon wasn't ready to stop just yet, pushing up the front of Jeff's shirt, he found one of his nipples and pinched it. Jeff yelped, but it quickly turned into a moan as Shannon's mouth followed his fingers.

"Shan...oh God...we should...we should go in the studio..."

Meeting his hazy, lust-filled gaze, Shannon felt a fresh wave of excitement go through him. "What? Why?"

"'Cause I don't know when Beth's coming home, and we don't want to be interrupted."

Before Shannon could think too much about that statement, Jeff was moving away, pulling him along by the hand. They made their way down off the porch and wove through Jeff's hills and valleys toward the painted trailer. At the door Jeff stopped and held it open for Shannon, who practically leapt inside. Climbing up after him, Jeff slammed the door, plummeting them into the cool shadows within.

They were on each other in a heartbeat, exchanging kisses and touches in the dark. Shannon groaned as Jeff's hand groped at the growing hardness in his jeans.

"Like that?" Jeff whispered.

"Yeah."

"Want more?" Jeff squeezed him lightly.

"Oh, Jesus..."

"I'm gonna take that as a yes."

Shannon didn't even realize that Jeff was guiding him slowly backward until he felt something press against the back of his knees. Breaking off another deep, wet kiss, he glanced down and found the couch behind him.

"Sit down." Jeff gasped, pulling away from him. "I've got something special for you."

Shannon didn't want to release his grip on Jeff, but allowed himself to be pushed down onto the couch. Taking the opportunity to catch his breath, he watched as Jeff moved to the opposite side of the trailer. He went to the large rack of audio equipment there and began turning things on, adjusting several dials before taking a CD from his case and sliding it into the player.

A slow, primal drumbeat filled the trailer, followed shortly by the deep melody of a synthesizer. Jeff began to move with it immediately, his head bobbing.

"Is this one of yours?" Shannon asked.

Jeff grinned a little shyly. "Like it?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now be quiet."

Twisting an invisible key in front of his lips, Shannon tossed it back over his shoulder.

Jeff found a box of matches and began to make his way around the trailer, lighting candles as he went. The scents reached Shannon quickly in the confined space, vanilla and roses. Soon, the whole space was awash in the warm light.

Tossing the matches onto his worktable, Jeff turned back to Shannon.

"Ready?"

Not sure what he meant, Shannon just nodded.

Then Jeff began to dance. Slowly at first, moving with the bass line, his hands sliding over the curves of his body. He pulled off the bandana that had been holding his hair back and dropped it to the floor. Winding his hips, he turned in a slow circle and caught the bottom of his shirt. He teased it up over his stomach, revealing a little more flesh at a time, before finally slipping it up over his head.

On the couch, Shannon watched, completely enraptured. It wasn't as if he'd never seen Jeff dance before, and it wasn't as if he'd never seen him naked. It was the show he was putting on, for him and him alone. Leaning back, Shannon lowered one hand to touch his aching cock.

Jeff saw the movement and wagged a finger at him. "No touching." He whispered, still moving.

Shannon obediently took his hand away.

Smiling, Jeff closed his eyes and kept dancing. Despite his orders to Shannon, he ran both hands over his own chest and stomach, then down to the budge in his cargos. He bit his lip as his fingers danced over his fly, toying with the button before snapping it open. Tugging the zipper down, he slid one hand inside. His eyes opened long enough to throw a wink at Shannon, and then he allowed his pants to fall away. He was naked underneath.

Shannon groaned along with him as he stroked himself. He felt about ready to burst. It had been a very long time since he'd been so excited so quickly. He wasn't sure how much more of this he was going to be able to take. Watching Jeff sway and grind along with the music, his long hair falling back over his shoulders, face set in ecstasy, Shannon wanted desperately to join him.

Then Jeff dropped to his hands and knees. Hair hanging in his face, he began crawling toward Shannon. The dark, predatory look in his eyes scared Shannon almost as much as it excited him.

When he reached the couch, Jeff slid both hands up Shannon's legs and pushed them apart. Moving between them, he leaned forward to nuzzle at Shannon's crotch, making him gasp.

"Jeff...please...no more..."

"Hush."

Pushing up the front of Shannon's shirt, Jeff licked and kissed and nipped his way up his chest, pausing to tease both nipples. Only when he'd reached Shannon's neck did he draw back enough to tug the shirt up over Shannon's head. His mouth moved back down to his chest, both hands skimming over his soft, smooth flesh.

Letting his head drop back, Shannon moaned and arched into his touch. After what seemed like an eternity, Jeff slid down, his hands quickly undoing his jeans and tugging at the waistband. Shannon lifted his hips as he pulled them down, stopping only briefly to yank off both his shoes and toss them away. Left in nothing but his dark gray boxers, Shannon met Jeff's eyes.

Rising back up onto his knees, Jeff kissed him hard, their tongues meeting and wrestling for dominance. By the time he broke away, Shannon was panting, his whole body trembling with need.

Jeff caressed him through the thin fabric of his boxers, wringing a groan out of him, forcing his eyes closed. A moment later, he felt Jeff's hot breath on his lower stomach. Jeff's hands moved away from his aching cock to massage his thighs, then slid up beneath his boxers. Gripping them from within, Jeff jerked them down sharply, not giving Shannon a chance to assist.

A moment later, Shannon felt a tongue drag across the inside of his thigh. He automatically opened his legs further and was rewarded by that same tongue lapping at his balls.

On their own, Shannon's hands crept up to slide into Jeff's hair. "Oh God...that feels so damn good..."

Jeff was too busy to shush him again. Licking up and down the length of Shannon's shaft, he allowed his teeth to graze the sensitive flesh. Gripping him gently with one hand, he took just the head of Shannon's cock between his lips, sucking away the precum gathered there. Shannon cried out, his body arching up off the couch.

Jeff responded by grasping his hips to hold him still and taking him deeper into his mouth. Caressing the underside of his cock with his tongue, he began to bob in time with the throbbing music. Shannon squirmed beneath him, his hands clutching at Jeff's hair, nonsensical words of passion spilling from his lips.

Only a few moments later Shannon's climax hit hard. Jeff swallowed greedily as he came, the sensation only increasing his pleasure. When it finally began to abate, he collapsed back on the couch limply, panting for breath.

Jeff kissed his way back up and lay stretched out on Shannon's chest for several minutes, listening to his heartbeat. The song finally ended and a new one began, a slower, more melodic song filled with synthesized strings. Stirring, Shannon wrapped his arms around Jeff.

"That was...damn."

Smiling against him, Jeff said, "I'm glad you liked it."

"I really, REALLY did."

Jeff pushed himself upright slightly, meeting his gaze. "I hope you're not too tired for the rest."

"The rest?" Shannon squeaked, his eyes growing wide. "Is there more?"

Catching his hand, Jeff brought it down to his own erection. "What do you think?"

"I think you're going to have to carry me out of here later."

"Happy to." Jeff whispered, mouth finding his again.

Shannon stroked him slowly as they kissed, delighting in the groans he could wring from Jeff. Soon he felt his own cock stirring again. When Jeff suggested he lie down, he did so more than willingly and was not disappointed as Jeff stretched out on top of him.

They writhed together, smearing each other with their sweat, lips and tongue meeting again and again. Shannon let his hands roam over Jeff's body, remembering exactly how and where to touch him to achieve the greatest effect. When Jeff ground their erections together, Shannon slid one hand down between them and wrapped it around both at once. Jeff moaned against him, his hand joining Shannon's a second later. Together they stroked and squeezed, finding a common rhythm.

Lifting his free hand, Shannon sucked one finger into his mouth. When it was thoroughly wet with his saliva, he reached down and rubbed it against Jeff's tight entrance. Jeff moaned, spreading his legs wider and pressing back into his touch. With that encouragement, Shannon carefully penetrated him.

"Oh...God...Shan...don't stop...deeper..."

Shannon did as he asked, using steadily deeper strokes until he found what he was looking for. Jeff screamed out his pleasure as Shannon's fingertip brushed across this prostate.

"Do you like, that, baby?"

Jeff was beyond words, panting, tossing his head. His hand tightened around their erections, speeding up as Shannon pressed harder against his sweet spot. Almost carried away by the pleasure, trying not to hurt Jeff as he fingered him and yet keep up the pace of their combined stoking, Shannon bent his head to take one of Jeff's nipples into his mouth, flicking his tongue across the hard nub.

"Gonna..." Jeff growled, somehow finding speech despite his frenzied state. "So close..."

"Do it. Come for me, Jeff. Come all over me."

At those words, Jeff's hips jerked sharply against his and he screamed Shannon's name. The feeling of Jeff's cock jerking against his and the heat of come spilling over their hands pushed Shannon over into his own orgasm. Everything washed out briefly as he shuddered.

He came to with Jeff collapsed on top of him, his face buried in the crook of his shoulder. Smiling, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the warm, if not a little sticky, afterglow. Suddenly, everything seemed right with the world. He couldn't understand how he'd gone so long without this.

Jeff stirred finally, pushing himself up enough for them to free the hands that remained trapped between their bodies. Grinning at him, Jeff licked Shannon's hand clean, and then he did the same in return. The taste of their combined come was sharp and tangy, but not unpleasant.

Twisting around on the couch, Jeff turned them so they lay side by side, their legs still tangled together. He kissed Shannon's face sweetly and ruffled one hand through his damp, spiky hair. Sighing, Shannon let his eyes drift closed again, content to simply lay in his arms.

As they both drifted off to sleep, he stirred one more.

"I don't look fourteen." He muttered.

"Yes you do, but that's not so bad." Jeff answered, his own voice heavy with sleep.

"Why not?"

"Because you were fourteen when I fell in love with you."

The End