Hearts on Fire

Shamus couldn't believe his luck. He had walked into the bar looking for a good time only to find the place in a full-blown brawl. If it wasn't for bad luck, he would have had no luck at all. He dodged a flying something--it looked like one of Justin's fancy crystal glasses--as it flew past him and shattered against the wall by the door. Raising his voice to a shout he bellowed. "Fucking cool it," He stepped between two rather large men trying to take chunks out of each other. "This isn't the place and I ain't the one. Now if you want to continue this, get out. Otherwise sit down, finish your drinks then get out." He pushed past the men and approached the bar. "Scotch, neat."

The bar tender--a man-child who couldn't have been twenty-five--stared at him for a moment before speaking. "Sure thing, Sir. Thanks for the assist," he finished as the crowd calmed. The biggest problems choosing to step outside while the regulars just settled back into their seats. Some fools picking a fight wasn't really anything new at the Tilted Kilt.

"Wasn't a thing. This place is usually quiet. I knew who needed to leave. If they hadn't gone on their own, they would have been before long anyway. I'm not standing for people treating others disrespectfully. If people can't understand that then we don't need them in here," he said, picking up the glass the bartender had put in front of him.

A voice boomed from behind him seeming to echo through the now quiet bar. "What the hell are you doing in my bar on a Saturday night, Shamus? Shouldn't you be curled up watching some romcom with that little British femboi of yours?"

Shamus turned to stare at the mountain of a man walking toward him from the hallway that led to the offices. "There won't be any of that from now on, William. He's found someone new to cuddle with." Shamus explained putting his glass on the bar before taking a step to close the distance between him and William. The customary hug was more than welcome--it was needed tonight.

As William's arms wrapped around him the last of his irritation over his now ex-boyfriend Kent faded away in the face of the massive man's unconditional love. "Did you at least get the chance to dump him or did that little slut leave you?" William asked quietly as he rubbed Shamus' back.

Shamus pulled out of his arms. The big man was straight. He had to remember that. "Oh, I kicked him to the curb when I came home Wednesday night to find him in our bed with James."

William growled low in his throat. "I'll kill him."

Shamus shook his head moving back to the bar, leaning against the barstool. "He's not worth it. I mean if he would take James of all people into our bed. What else has he done that I don't know about? I'm better off without him," he said glancing over his shoulder. He gave the bartender a wink knowing he would pour William the fruitiest of drinks that contained absolutely no alcohol. "Put that on my tab for the night."

"No, it's on the house for the big man," the bartender said, sliding a pale pink drink with a straw sticking out of it across to William.

"Thanks," William said, picking it up. Before he turned away, he spoke. "If you need to talk, you know where to find me," he said, with a nod to Shamus.

"I'll be fine and don't worry about the bar tonight. I can play bouncer until things settle a bit more. Not that I think anything else will happen, but there is always the chance people will be stupid," Shamus said.

William grinned at him. "And tonight, you're looking for a bit of fun, aren't you?"

"Not at all. I just came in for a drink and some company. But if people want to play, I'm not going to deny them the fun," Shamus said, glancing at the door as it opened.

A group of rough looking men stepped through into the bar. Shamus stiffened in preparation for a fight. They didn't look like they were there to drink. William straightened as two of the men stepped up to him. The taller one--a man who had to top out over six and a half feet tall--spoke in a voice that didn't fit his image. "We hear you kicked our friends out tonight," he said.

William shook his head. "Nope, no one was kicked out. They were invited to leave because they were causing issues. The same invitation will be extended to you if you aren't here to drink and enjoy the evening."

The second man--smaller than the first but looking like he had been in a lot more fights--stepped for swinging for the fences without saying a word. William tried to duck the swing but wasn't fast enough. The man's fist connected with the side of his head. Before Shamus could think he was moving. A second step took him past William and into the man's reach. Shamus' punch landed hard against the man's jaw, knocking him back. He stumbled into the table behind him, overturning it and spilling the drinks on it.

Shamus spun back to the rest of the group. "Next?" he asked, lifting his chin.

The remaining men in the group took a collective step back. One of them, Shamus, wasn't sure who spoke. "Not tonight." They turned as one and walked out leaving their fallen friend on the floor of the bar. It was William who moved over to him, extending a hand.

"Get up. You aren't welcome here, but I'm not going to beat you if you simply walk out without further issue," he said, his voice oddly calm.

The man ignored William's hand getting to his feet under his own power. He lifted his head as he came up curling his hand into a fist. The swing didn't come as a surprise this time. William's hand came up from behind Shamus grabbing the man's fist as it arced toward Shamus. He held it in his meaty fist as he kept moving, backing the stranger to the door. "I said. You can leave." William's voice held an authority that had the bar going quiet for a second time that night. He shoved the man through the door with a grunt.

As the door shut a hollow pop caught Shamus' attention through the door. "Move. All of you. Out the back," he ordered with a wave of his hand. He moved to the door reaching for the holster at his hip. He guessed his night off was over now. Stepping through the door into the street he scanned the area. Nothing moved.

His eyes caught a trail of blood on the ground. "Damn," he mumbled, adjusting his grip on the gun as he followed the trail. He moved along the edge of the street. Two doors down the trail turned into the alley. Some days he hated being a detective. This was the patrol's job, yet here he was following the trail looking for whatever dirtbag had been shot.

A hand on his shoulder stopped him. "No, not tonight. I called backup. Let it go and come back to the bar," William said in his ear before he could round the corner and step into whatever trap they had set for him.

Shamus tried to step back away from the corner, but instead of moving away he found himself wrapped in William's arms. "What?" he squeaked.

"Don't worry. Come back to the bar. There's no need for you to end up in a gunfight tonight. It's your night off." his breath tickled Shamus' ear as he spoke.

Shamus didn't think--couldn't think. He turned in the man's arms looking up at his face as he did. "Will?" the word came out on a squeak sounding nothing like his own voice. Shit. He hated it when nerves did that to him.

The big man's eyes were bright with a type of fear Shamus had never seen. When he spoke, his normal powerful voice was a shadow of itself. "Let's go." he lowered his arms, grabbing Shamus by the hand. He didn't seem to want to let the other man out of his reach.

Shamus looked into his eyes a moment longer silently praying he wasn't seeing things. "Okay. I'll come with you," he said, letting William pull him along. He expected him to take them back to the bar. But as they walked, at a clipped pace, William passed the front of the bar and kept going. He crossed the street at the light without even bothering to look for traffic. "Where are you taking me?" Shamus asked, struggling to keep up as the bigger man's stride was so much longer than his.

William growled a single word as he slowed his pace slightly to allow Shamus to match his pace. "Home."

"But I live in the other direction. And it's not walking distance," Shamus said between strained breaths.

William stopped in the shadow of a large tree spinning to face Shamus. "I didn't say your place. We need to talk," he said. He let Shamus stand there and catch his breath for a minute before tugging him along on down the road. It was a short walk longer before he paused again. This time they had stopped at the stoop of an older brownstone building. It looked like it was in the middle of being restored.

Shamus took in all the details, realizing instantly it was William's home. The bricks were clean even where they still needed to be replaced, but the work had been started. "Amazing."

William blushed. "Thank you. It's a labor of love." he said. He didn't release Shamus' hand as he climbed the stairs.

Shamus had no idea what was happening, he had heard about the place but never expected to see it. He soaked up all of the history, impressed by the amount of detail William was keeping in the old place. "I'm going to bet it's an expensive one too."

William shook his head as he unlocked the door. "It's only money, and this old place isn't going to break my bank account. Come on in," he said, stepping through the door. The inside was a bit more modern that the outside while still being homey and comfortable.

Shamus followed him while still held captive by the hand grasping him. "I'm impressed," he said.

William released his hand as he shut the door behind them. When he turned to face Shamus there were tears in his eyes. He dropped to the couch with a sigh.

Shamus stood still as a statue not more than three feet from the man. His heart pounding in his chest. He had never seen William cry. It wasn't something he ever wanted to see again. He stuffed his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching for the other man as he spoke. "What's wrong," he asked.

"You would have walked around that corner without backup, without so much as calling it in," William said, not bothering to wipe his eyes as the tears left tracks down his cheeks.

"It's my job." Shamus said.

Anger flashed across William's face. "No, walking into danger is not your job. You made detective more than a year ago. When you did that, it put you out of the line of fire for the most part. Now, your job is solving cases not running into danger," the words tumbled out on the back of wet sobs he didn't seem to be able to control. He lowered his head into his hands effectively hiding his face.

Shamus sucked in a breath. He didn't know the man in front of him. The William he knew was solid, strong, and never broke. This man was hurting and scared. He pulled his hands from his pockets and touched William's shoulder. "Will? What's going on in your head?" he asked.

"It breaks me to know you are in danger. When you walked out of the bar after that gunshot--yeah, I knew what you had heard--I couldn't breathe. All I could think was you might get hurt. I couldn't handle it," he paused, lowering his hands from his face but not lifting his head to look at Shamus. "I lived through the six years you were a beat cop. There were times I didn't think I would make it, but I did. Now, you're for the most part safe at work and you decided to walk into the face of some fool with a gun. How could you do that?" he asked.

Shamus stood there with his hand on William's shoulder trying to figure out what in the hell he was standing in the middle of. "You were afraid I would get hurt?" he asked.

William's head snapped up. "No, you idiot. I was afraid of the same thing that terrified me when you were a beat cop. Losing the man I loved," he said. The moment the words were out of his mouth he was on his feet shame coloring his features. He crossed the room to a door on the far side, opening it without a word to disappear through it before Shamus could find his voice.

It was a full minute later by the time Shamus had managed to wrap his mind around what the other man had said. He had called him the man he loved. That was something--something new and the one thing he never thought he would hear from the man. He moved to the door, rapping lightly with his knuckles. "Will?" he called hoping for an answer.

"Don't." was the only response from the other side of the door. The word was wet with tears and hollow with pain. It cut through Shamus like the knife he carried at his hip would have. He didn't try asking a second time. Reaching out he tried the knob. The door swung open at a simple push.

Stepping into the room he said nothing just crossed to where William sat with his head in his hands again on the edge of the bed. He dropped to his knees in front of him. "Will?" he said, covering William's hands with his own and tugging them away from the other man's face. "Please, dear God, don't cry."

William lowered his hands and raised his head to look Shamus in the eyes at the tug on his neck. Tears ran freely from his eyes. Shamus lifted his hand wiping away the wetness from the other man's face. "I've never been hurt on the job. Hell, I've gotten more messed up on Friday night at the bar. What's wrong?"

William shook his head. "I can't say it again. I know it doesn't matter to you, but it's the truth either way." The truth shone in his eyes. Love so strong it nearly took Shamus' breath away. He had never known the thought of him that way.

Shamus blinked. Words escaped his grasp as he tried to find the right ones to wipe the pain from William's face. He couldn't bear it. With a shake of his head the corner of his lips lifted in a smile. Words wouldn't do anyway. William wouldn't believe them even if he had found the right ones. The man wasn't known for words he was known--famous around the bar and club scene in fact--for his actions. Shamus let go of the man's hands watching a flash of pain replace the love he had seen at the loss of contact. He didn't hesitate more than a heartbeat before lowering his head and pressing his lips to William's in a kiss he had waited damn near a decade for.

The fantasies over the years didn't come close to the real thing. William's mouth, which opened on a gasp at the contact, gave him all the access he needed. He swept his tongue past William's teeth and sighed into the other man's mouth at the taste. It was like falling into heaven. Needing more contact, he wrapped his arms around William pulling him closer. It was a long moment--countless heartbeats--later Shamus pulled back breaking contact.

William sat there staring at him licking his lips. "What? How? Why?" he stammered.

Shamus stood holding out his hand. "Come here," he said, stepping back so William would have to move to get to him. He fought back a giggle as the big man got to his feet, his eyes still foggy with pleasure. Shamus didn't make him move far, closing the distance between them and running his hands up William's chest dragging the dark cloth of the shirt with them. William lifted his arms allowing Shamus to remove the shirt even as his eyes widened with wonder.

Shamus grinned as he let the material drop to the floor at their feet. He leaned forward grazing his teeth over the flesh of William's chest, giggling as he stiffened at the contact. Shamus pulled back letting the distance between them nearly vibrate with tension. "All you ever have to do is say stop," he said the words calmly and clearly as he stared into the blue eyes he knew better than his own.

"I..." William paused, cleared his throat and tried again. "I will never tell you to stop," he said, the words falling into a growl as Shamus reached out and scraped his nails through the hairs on William's chest. "Hell."

A chuckle escaped Shamus as he followed the patch of hair down over William's chest and stomach until it disappeared beneath the edge of his jeans. He looked up with his fingertips resting on the belt buckle. "Your choice?"

"I don't know what to say. Nothing like this has ever happened to me," he blushed, looking down at the hand he could feel through his jeans.

Shamus could feel the man hardening beneath his fingers--hell he wanted to see it, touch it, taste it, make it part of his existence--but he waited. It had to be William's choice. "Are you saying you've never?" he asked.

The question got a laugh out of William. "No, I've had sex before. Fuck I lost my virginity before my fifteenth birthday. I mean I've never been here. Not like this. I don't know what to do."

Shamus understood. He felt the same way. Everything about this seemed new to him. Even though a few years ago, before he met William, he had been a complete slut. Now, he hadn't been with anyone other than Kent in years and that relationship had only lasted a few months while he tried to move past his need for William. It seemed that was no longer something he would have to worry about. "You do whatever it is you want. This is all about you," he said, fighting for a tighter grip on his control.

William swallowed, his eyes going glassy. "Touch me. That's all I can think about."

It was Shamus' turn to let out a soft laugh. It came out as more of a groan that laughed as he moved his fingers to undo the button only to have the ridge of heat beneath the denim pulse against them. His hand trembled as he struggled to get the button undone. The moment it slipped from the fabric William's cock strained harder against the zipper forcing it to lower on its own. Shamus licked his lips. He dropped nearly boneless to his knees as he tugged the shaft free of the last layer separating him from his prize.

Before he could lose either the grip on his control or his nerve, he dipped his head forward and licked the tip of the pulsing shaft before him. Precum fixed with the essence of sweat covering his tongue with a flavor that would forever be burned into his memory. He didn't bother looking up for permission, he just did his level best to swallow the cock whole. Up and down, he bobbed, feeling each pulse against the flat of tongue or the roof of his mouth. He wasn't going to stop until William filled his mouth with the salty ropes of cum, he had wanted for so long. He wasn't sure how long he had been teasing the veins on the underside of his now favorite cock when William's hands fisted in his hair. A moan ripped from him as he tried to pull away. He needn't have bothered. William took control and fucked his mouth with three hard thrusts before filling his throat as he screamed his release.

The sound of his name being ripped from William's lips was nearly more than Shamus' control could handle. He swallowed every drop and licked the man in front of him clean before pulling away. Wiping his mouth, he smiled up at William. "Tasty."

William's smile was purely predatory as he grabbed Shamus' shoulder and yanked him to his feet. "I'll give you tasty. If you want to keep anything you have on, I would get it off now," the words were growled through clenched teeth.

Shamus shivered at the sound. He tried to reach for the closure of his pants, but his trembling fingers couldn't make anything of it. William's hands were steady as he reached down and brushed Shamus' out of the way, opening the button fly jeans in one strong yank. Between the two of them they got Shamus' jeans as far as his knees before William spun him around and with a less than gentle shove bent him over the couch. "I'm sorry," the tone was still a growl, but now even Shamus could hear the desperation in it.

He arched his ass into a better angle. "Don't be sorry, just take me," he said lowering his face, so it nearly laid against the cushions.

William didn't need to be told twice. He stepped closer, ran his hands over Shamus' tight ass once and felt like a monster as he pressed against his opening.

Shamus knew he was ready. Lube wasn't going to be a thing this time and he didn't care. He could feel the steady flow of precum. It would be enough. It had to be this time. He couldn't think past the need to feel that massive rod plow into him. The wait--though only a few seconds--felt like eternity until William pushed forward. He felt the man's cock slip past his ring and sink balls deep. Pressing back, Shamus silently begged William to move. He needed to feel it. There was nothing else in the world but being impaled on William's cock.