Steve gritted his teeth. He could do this. It would hurt, but it would be best in the long run. He could do it!

Oh hell...who was he trying to kid?

Chris must have seen the determination in his eyes though, because he suddenly pulled out his trump card...

"And if you're going to throw me out, you're going to have to throw me out..." The blond reached for his t-shirt and yanked it quickly over his head, not pausing as he reached for his shorts. "...Bare-ass naked."

Steve was enthralled momentarily by the golden skin on display when Chris stripped out of his shirt, but when he reached for his shorts, Steve's hands immediately flew up to cover his eyes. "Chris, put yer damned clothes back on."

"Nope. Not going to happen, Rattlesnake," he heard, his hands still blocking his view. As much trouble as he'd had resisting Chris in his boxer-briefs on occasion, he knew there was little to no chance in hell that he'd be able to resist Naked Chris. The squeak of the bedsprings signaled his impending doom. He knew the minute that he got anywhere near Chris...naked and now apparently in his bed...that he was going to cave. Chris obviously knew it as well.

Removing his hands from his face, he lowered his head and stared at the floor. He knew he was going to give in. Chris knew that he was going to give in. But he had a little bit of grumbling to do first...

"Yer such a pain in the ass, darlin', but ya know I ain't gonna throw ya out. Now put yer damned clothes back on."

"No."

Steve's head snapped up and he forced himself to focus on Chris' face...not that his eyes didn't do a bit of wandering to get there. He deserved a damned award for not lingering upon certain areas. "Chris, we need ta talk and there's no way in hell I'm gonna be able ta pay attention ta anythin' else with ya layin' there nekkid." That's when he noticed that Chris' hair was now unbound and he bit his lip on a curse. He was a sucker for running his fingers through all that fine spun gold...and damn him, Chris knew it.

Chris smirked at him and Steve knew that he wasn't about to budge. "We do need to talk actually. You lied to me Monday night, too." Steve frowned as he wondered what else he might have lied to Chris about...besides Kev, that is. But he was having a damn hard time not letting his eyes wander over all that golden skin on display. And since Chris refused to get dressed, there was only one way for him to rectify that...

Stalking over to the bed, Steve glared at the blond, though he was hard pressed to hold the expression. Chris just looked so good spread out on his bed like that. Still...

"Well, if ya ain't gonna cover up, then I guess I'm gonna have ta cover ya up myself," he growled as he fought like hell not to grin.

Chris immediately pouted and Steve's inner child squealed with glee as he pounced. "Partypoo...ooph!" Chris' happy peal of laughter had him giving up the fight and he grinned from his position...draped on top of Chris. Well...it had covered him up, right?

"Stubborn little shit...now that ya ain't flauntin' all that nekkidness in my face...what's all this 'bout me lyin' ta ya?"

Chris looked at him and suddenly Steve could read the truth in his eyes...love was right there staring back at him with a soft glow. "You said you were tired of playing the gentleman...I think we both know that you were enjoying it."

Steve smirked at being caught out on his little fib and nodded his concession.

"And it's one of the things I love about you...that you wanted to take things slow. But I have to tell you, sometimes I wished that you weren't quite so insistent on it." Steve shivered as warm arms twined around his neck. "I love you and I don't want to wait anymore. Love me, Steve."

"I already do, darlin. I already do," he said, swallowing the pleased gasp of surprise as he captured Chris' lips with his own. The kiss quickly turned ravenous as Steve tried to sate his desperate need for his lover's taste. It had been a full week since he'd last kissed Chris and he knew that he'd gladly gut himself before he allowed that to happen again. Too long...much too long...

One hand tangling in the hair that he'd been longing to touch, the other stroking down Chris' side from chest to waist, Steve growled and nipped gently at the nimble tongue searching his mouth. Chris whimpering and arching into his body did nothing to calm him down; neither did the evidence of Chris' desire pressing firmly against his denim-covered groin.

"Fuck, Chris," he moaned, breaking the kiss to search out other pleasurable spots with his mouth. As he tickled the spot just at the edge of Chris' jaw with his tongue, Chris squirmed against him.

"Yes, good idea," Chris purred as he tugged at the back of the cotton shirt still covering his torso. "Now please..."

Steve's brain tried to process what Chris was saying, but his thinking was becoming rather muddled. All he came up with was...'Good idea? What?' Helping Chris by shrugging out of his shirt, he scraped his teeth along the curve of Chris' neck. Still, his mind was insistent on getting an answer to the mystery...

"What?" he mumbled aloud as he licked the skin along Chris' collarbone.

"You...naked...now," Chris replied almost frantically as he arched into him once again.

Steve couldn't help but laugh though from the narrowing eyes that snapped to his face he knew he was in for it. "What happen' ta my shy, sweet Chris?"

"You've killed him dead with all your infernal teasing," Chris grumbled, his hands now trying to slip between them to work on the fastenings of Steve's jeans. "Steve, please..." he whined.

"Don't go gettin' yerself all worked up, darlin'. I ain't lettin' ya go anywhere after paradin' round the room nekkid like ya just did, so why the rush?"

Chris stopped struggling with the uncooperative button on Steve's fly and looked him dead in the eye. "How do I know you aren't going to change your mind and decide we should wait again? No sir. I want the first time done...we can do slow later."

Steve's brow shot up to his nonexistent hairline. "That's what ya want? A scoop o' vanilla, then the five-course meal?" he asked with a grin.

"I'd hardly call anything involving us 'vanilla', babe," Chris replied with a smile. "I think we're more along the lines of..."

Steve cut him off with a growl. "Ya say Tutti Frutti and I'll turn ya over my knee."

"Oh! Kinky. I'll keep that in mind for later. Now...if you don't mind?" Chris asked, pouting as he jerked at the waistband of Steve's jeans.

"Ya look so purty when ya pout like that darlin'," Steve teased yet again.

"Okay! I've had about enough of your mouth, Mr. Austin..."

"Mr. Austin? My, ain't we gettin' fancy now?" He asked, laughing out loud. He didn't flinch at the little spark flashing in Chris' eyes. "Enough? But I ain't even had ya in my mou..."

"Stop!" Chris snapped, glaring with irritation at his maybe-sometime-soon-to-be-lover. Steve thought that just made him look hot as all hell...and was about to tell him so until he found himself rolled onto his back with Chris straddling his waist. Surprise wasn't the word for what he was feeling. He hadn't expected the move, he told himself, and that was the only reason that Chris had gotten the drop on him. Well...at least he had an excuse for not saying anything at the moment...nekkid Chris!! And damned if he wasn't even prettier in this position than the last.

"You are driving me nuts. I can't gag you, because I have plans for that smart-ass mouth of yours," Chris said, smirking at Steve from his new position, "but..."

The sudden wicked twinkle in Chris' eye made his eyebrow shoot upwards once again. "Yer makin' me twitch, lookin' at me that-a-way, Chris." He felt even more misgivings when Chris slipped from atop him and headed towards a previously unnoticed suitcase sitting next to the nightstand. Watching as Chris dug through the case, he still couldn't curb his tongue. "Ya don't look the type ta be carryin' handcuffs in there, yer too sweet..."

Chris snorted without looking at him and that had him edging into worried territory. "Don't mistake my initial shyness for sweetness and innocence, love. You've pushed me past that point."

Steve almost bolted from the bed when Chris turned around with two neckties in his hand. Not that he was scared of being tied up per se, but with Chris' irritation with him at the moment, he could be the one to put the brakes on this time...that was something to truly be scared of. And still he couldn't shut his mouth...

"Where the hell ya get them ties, darlin'? Didn't think 'huge rock stars' wore them things..."

"They don't," Chris replied with another snort, "but not all of us get to bypass the WWE dress-code like the infamous Stone Cold Steve Austin. So now that I've got your attention, here are your choices - you either get naked in the next 30 seconds or I'm tying you to the bed and stripping you myself." Chris' hand in the air cut off the 'Oh, I'm so scared' comment that he'd been about to make. "And if I do that then I'm leaving you tied up the whole time...no touching at all," the blond finished, running his own hand down over his hip in a teasing gesture.

Well...shit.

Steve had never stripped so fast in his entire life.

Chris' boisterous laugh made his earlier worries about the man's irritation fly away...his Chris was still laughing. He hadn't lost that spark that Steve so loved. Maybe his worries about that exact subject were groundless...

Before he could get caught up in those thoughts again, Chris jumped on him, making him grunt. In response to Chris' forceful request for lube, Steve pointed at the drawer of the nightstand...he still hadn't caught his breath. Chris might not be six foot plus and three hundred pounds, but he still packed a wallop when he pounced.

Steve barely had time to worry about the lack of air though before Chris captured his mouth in a desperate kiss and had a lube-slicked hand wrapped around his cock. Steve growled his response, suddenly glad that Chris was in such an all-fired rush. He was sure he wasn't going to last long with the sudden surge of pure lust that was running through his veins and he'd rather shoot himself than disappoint Chris their very first time together...

So he didn't say a word when Chris used his discarded t-shirt, one of his favorites, to wipe the excess lube off his hands. Even if he'd felt like complaining about it, Chris didn't really give him a chance before Steve found himself with a lap full of blond beautiful. "Chris, wait...let me..."

But obviously Chris was done with waiting. Between one breath and the next, Chris had lowered himself on Steve's throbbing cock. Steve cursed silently as he saw the flash of pain cross his lover's face, but thankfully it seemed that Chris adjusted quickly. The soft moan from the man above him assured him that he hadn't screwed up irreparably by failing to slow things down. Slightly parted lips begged to be kissed and Steve was more than willing to oblige. Tangling his hands in Chris' hair, he pulled him down for another kiss...long, hot, and oh so sweet.

Satisfied with that result, he allowed his hands to move on, exploring broad shoulders and the nubs of Chris' spine on their journey south. By the time his fingers reached the slightly soft flesh at Chris' hips, they were forced to break the kiss or risk passing out from lack of air. Chris was panting softly against the side of his neck, his talented tongue dancing softly over a particularly sensitive spot. Steve moaned and clasped his hands tighter at Chris' waist. Blue met blue as Chris started a slow rhythm, raising and lowering himself on Steve's hard shaft. Chris hummed and Steve whimpered...though he'd deny it until his dying day. Turning his head slightly, Steve pressed a kiss to one of the arms bracketing his head. Smiling up at Chris, Steve thrust upwards, his hands pulling Chris' hips down into the thrust.

Chris moaned throatily. "Oh yeah. That's good. Right there," the blond breathed more than spoke, licking his lips lightly. "Tell me again..."

Steve had to think seriously hard for a moment before he realized what it was that his lover wanted to hear. Not that it wasn't obvious, but his mind was otherwise occupied with dissecting in minute detail exactly how it felt to be buried inside Chris. Luckily he figured it out rather quickly...

"That ya belong ta me now, Christopher?" he asked rhetorically, grinning at the soft smile from the man above him at the use of his full first name. "That I ain't ever lettin' ya go?" The soft smile was still there, but it was obvious from the look in Chris' eyes that he hadn't quite hit the words that Chris was looking to hear. "That I love ya even more than my truck?"

The burst of laughter sounded no less sweet for Steve having expected it. "Damn," came the breathless reply. "More than your truck? I must really rate then, eh?" The lop-sided grin that accompanied that question made his heart skip a beat. The things that this man could do to him with just a simple grin...

The fact that Chris was still riding him slow and sweet had nothing to do with his heart rate...nope, not a thing.

"Yer at the very top o' the list, darlin'. I even love ya more 'n ole Linda over there," he said with a huff as Chris settled on him once again.

Another round of laughter...this one unexpected.

"You named your gun after Linda?" Chris asked him incredulously.

"Hell yeah. Linda's a tough bird. She may be sweet as can be, but she can take ya down a peg with one shot...just like my girl over there. Now...can we git back ta the business at hand...?"

"At hand? And here I thought you preferred where you were at..." Chris replied with a wicked grin and a forceful downward thrust of his hips.

"Damn...yer gonna kill me," Steve whined.

"But what a way to go..." Chris answered with a moan. "And just in case you missed it...I love you, too, babe."

The suddenly serious turn after the teasing tossed Steve headlong back into need. Pulling Chris back down to him, he kissed him fiercely. Their teasing banter gone, their coupling became fast and furious...a race to completion. In no time at all, Steve was on the verge of exploding and desperately wrapped a hand around Chris' cock to propel him towards his climax as well.

Grunting and groaning accompanied the smell of sweat and sex permeating the air. Chris tore his mouth away and shouted as his seed spilled across Steve's stomach. And Steve finally allowed himself to come, hard and fast, as he gasped for breath.

****

That had been near half an hour ago...the two of them collapsing in a heap on the mattress. Chris had curled around him, nose buried in his neck, and Steve had been happy to let him. A couple of minutes later, when he'd finally caught his breath and it didn't feel like his heart was about to explode, Steve had become aware of the fact that Chris had fallen asleep half on top of him. After a few more minutes, Steve had had to shift Chris to the side so that he could move, his neck having developed a major kink from his positioning. And that had brought his thoughts back full circle...

Not the place that he really wanted to be caught up in while cuddled up with his new lover. But the pain was becoming rather insistent, dragging him back into the middle of those thoughts, kicking and screaming the whole way. Turning on his side, he winced at the sudden pinch, then ruthlessly gritted his teeth with stubborn insistence on the position. Lifting one hand, he gently pushed back a few stray strands of hair covering Chris' face. The creepy numbing sensation in his fingers made him scowl and he withdrew his hand bitterly.

The pinched nerves were only one of the symptoms that he had had to face during the last six months or so. As aggravating as numb fingers were, it was nothing compared to what he could be facing. He knew it. And despite his earlier words, he knew that if worse did come to worse, he would find a way to get Chris to leave him. He wouldn't let that free spirit get tied down by his limitations.

He smiled slightly as he remembered Chris calling him out on his lie about Kevin. Shit...he really needed to call the man. He owed him a huge apology. But he'd get to that later...for now...

"Hey."

The sleepy voice pulled him away from his deep thoughts. "Hey back at ya, darlin'."

"What are you thinking about that put that grumpy look on your face? Reconsidering throwing me out?"

The teasing note told him that Chris knew that he wasn't thinking any such thing, but Steve didn't respond with a tease of his own. Making the decision to deal with things as they came instead of continuing to dwell on the possibilities, Steve smiled as he remembered his thoughts on coming home. "Not a chance, but I am gonna drag ya outside...naked," he said with a smirk.

Bundling a now suspicious Chris in the sheet from the bed, he guided him out the door to the porch. Leading him over to one of the chairs, he sat and pulled the blond into his lap. Just in time too...the sun was just barely dipping down beneath the trees. With a contented sigh, he nuzzled his face against the silky strands hanging over Chris' shoulder.

"You do realize that you're sitting on your porch bare-ass naked, don't you?" Chris asked him, smirking.

Steve smiled into the curve of one shoulder before pressing a kiss against one ear. "Sure thing, darlin'. Best way there is ta watch the sun settin'...nekkid with a lap full o' beautiful."

Ignoring the sarcastic snort that he received in reply, Steve settled in to watch the melding of reds and oranges in the sky. They were both uncharacteristically quiet for the next half-hour. Steve pushed everything from his mind except for the peaceful surroundings and the silky smooth skin his fingers found an inch or two above Chris' right knee. He may even have spent a moment or two considering how much he liked the way Chris smelled post-sex and how he loved the way the fading light reflected off Chris' hair. And just maybe he found himself feeling grateful that Chris was turning out to be such a stubborn bastard. He'd never have had this perfect moment otherwise...

Sappy old bastard, he thought with a smile, as the sky grew darker. And he'd had enough of just sitting for now...

"I seem ta recall owin' ya a meal, darlin'," he said, tongue-in-cheek. "So...ya hungry yet?"

****

Monday
January 17, 2000

His eyes felt like they were weighted with lead and his mouth tasted as dry as a ball of cotton. He couldn't move his head so much as an inch, the tight collar digging slightly into the underside of his chin. Not even attempting to open his eyes just yet, he tried wiggling his toes. With supreme concentration, he managed to move his big toe. That seemed somewhat promising...and he hoped for much more once the anesthesia finished wearing off.

Steve hadn't missed the warm fingers tightly laced with his own or the tickle of hair against his wrist. He couldn't turn his head to look, but he was guessing that Chris was asleep, his head lain on the bed next to their clasped hands. Poor guy had to be exhausted from being up so early after the utter lack of sleep the night before. They hadn't wanted to waste that last night together when they were so unsure when or if there might be a repeat performance.

After another battle with his fogged mind, he managed to squeeze his fingers around Chris', his grasp not nearly so tight as before the surgery but to him a positive nonetheless. The sleepy mumble in reply made his lips twitch into a half smile. The following moan was all together too husky and sent little shivers racing through his body. Of course being under the last effects of anesthesia, his body failed to respond the way it normally would...and that was the reason for the scowl that immediately followed.

"Oh, hey! You're awake! You are awake, aren't you? Do you hurt somewhere? You look like you're in pain...I'm going to get the doctor."

The stream of excited chatter had him leaning toward smiling again until Chris mentioned running off to find the doctor. "No," he managed to spit out, though it sounded rather gruff coming from his dry throat. With a growl more comparable to a squeak, he expressed his frustration. "Dry..." he forced out with effort.

Immediately there was a wet, cold sensation against his lips and he opened his mouth automatically. "You can't have water yet. But they left some chipped ice. The doctor wants to see you before you get anything more than that."

He wanted to nod in response since he couldn't speak, but obviously that wasn't happening...so he simply mouthed his thanks. After a second chip of ice, he finally felt like his tongue wasn't dipped in sawdust.

"I should get Dr. Youngblood now. And Kevin and Scott are in the waiting room. I'm sure they can't wait to see you."

"No," he replied, a little more forcefully this time. "C'mere," he managed, in a whisper.

He sensed Chris leaning closer, then felt that silky blond hair tickling at his cheek. He blinked a few times before managing to keep his eyes open. Even with things still a bit blurry, he could make out the features on Chris' face. "Kiss me," he said, his voice still rough.

"What?" Chris asked, turning to look at him in surprise. "The doctor needs to examine you, Steve. Just let me go tell them that you're awake..."

"No," he growled. His eyes dropped shut to shield his aggravation at his helplessness. Forcing them open again, he focused on the blue of Chris' eyes hoping his own showed enough to get his point across. "Kiss me."

Chris stared at him for another long moment before shaking his head and giving a lop-sided smile. Steve watched as he leaned closer, already anticipating the kiss. Soft lips pressed gently against his and even gentler fingers stroked the smooth patch of skin just above his right ear. He just loved it when Chris did that...and Chris knew it. Smiling against Chris' lips, he then returned the simple kiss. Sighing when Chris finally pulled away, Steve squeezed the fingers still entwined with his.

"Are you going to be this demanding until you get your ring-clearance?"

Steve grinned wolfishly. Dry, scratchy throat or not, nothing could keep Stone Cold from cutting a promo...anytime, anywhere. "Oh hell yeah. I'll be demandin' kisses...and massages...and more kisses...and sex...and more kisses..."

Chris' attempt at a reprimanding stare failed miserably. Breaking into a smile, the blond shook his head lightly as he backed towards the door. "Missed something there, didn't you? I seem to recall that most of your promos center around beer...not kisses."

"Well, yeah. The beer's a given. Think ya can sneak me some in...?"

"Don't even think it, baldy. I'll be right back with the doctor. You up for company?"

"Yeah, send 'em in. Least if they make me sick, I'm in the right place."

Chris' laugh filtered through the door as it swung shut behind him.

****

Returning from a coffee run to the cafeteria, Scott Hall approached his tall blond lover who seemed to be standing guard outside the door of a hospital room. "What happened? They kick you out to run tests or something?" he asked as he handed one cup of what the hospital was trying to pass off as coffee over to Kevin.

The doctors had already forced Steve to get up and walk a bit up and down the corridor. Chris and Kevin had been right there beside him every step of the way, just in case. Scott had thought it was darned cute, especially when Steve had started growling at Kevin for hovering. When Scott had headed to the cafeteria, they'd just settled their friend back into his bed, cursing and growling the whole way.

"No. Chris is in there with him. I'm just standing here to make sure no one disturbs them," Kevin replied with a smirk.

Scott raised one brow and pushed the door open a crack. He snorted as he noticed the blond cuddled up on the bed with Steve. Chris' head was buried against the side of Steve's chest and he had one arm tossed carelessly over Steve's groin.

They were both fast asleep.

"Awww. Isn't that cute?" Scott snickered. "I wish I had a camera right about now."

"Oh leave them alone Scott. You know they were both up all of last night. Not that I blame them. If I knew ahead of time that I had to keep my hands off of you for a couple of months, I'd do the same thing," Kevin said, wiggling his brows at his dark-haired lover.

"Speaking of keeping your hands off me...it's been almost twenty-four hours now. What do you say when they wake up, we head back to the hotel?" Scott asked, grinning widely.

"As Steve would say...Oh hell yeah."

The End!

Read the sequel Carnal Desire from the Feeding the Fire series