Title: Day 11
Author: tarotgal
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Original Characters David/Lucas/Troy
Summary: Lucas comes home one evening to find David has prepared dinner and a special dessert.
Notes: Written during my 12 Ficlets in 12 Days in 2019-20 project project for Smokeycat_430

One evening, Lucas arrived home from the gym to find the table set with their wedding china and a large vase of roses sitting in the center. “What's all this?” he called out loud enough to be heard over the rattling David was doing in the kitchen.

“Just a little thing called dinner!” David called.

Lucas went over to the pass through between the dining area and the kitchen and crossed his arms upon the counter. “Little?” He saw the numerous amounts of pots, pans, bowls, and baking trays spread across the kitchen. “It looks like you're cooking enough to last a week.”

David searched under plates and trays until he found a pot holder. He opened the oven and pulled out a tray of rolls. After poking at one and watching it bounce back, he set the tray on the stove and hit the button to turn off the oven.

“Just enough for two hungry men... maybe with a little extra pizzazz. I found a glazed turkey recipe on that health website you like and had to try it.”

“Mmmmm.” Lucas walked over and stood behind him, sliding his arms around David, fingers sliding beneath the apron. He played with David's nipples through the man's shirt, grinning the second he heard David's quick intake of breath.

David allowed it for a minute or so before pulling away. “Hey, now. That's dessert, not the main course. The food's going to get cold if you keep that up.”

Reluctantly, Lucas kissed the back of David's neck then pulled back. He sighed. “Fine, fine. Can I help you with anything?”

“Actually, it's all ready now. You have excellent timing. Help me carry it all to the table?”

Together, they filled the table with dishes and bowls, just like they might do on Thanksgiving. Though this was a much smaller scale, it still looked amazing. Mixed vegetables, multigrain dinner rolls, creamy gravy, and a platter of golden brown turkey breasts and legs that shone with a glaze.

Hungry, Lucas couldn't wait to dig in, but he also couldn't help being a little suspicious. “Are you sure there's no special reason for all of this?”

“I didn't say there wasn't a special reason.”

Cocking his head even as he filled the empty spaces on his plate with vegetables, he waited for his husband to explain.

“Dessert,” David promised. “Eat up, baby.”

The glazed turkey was, as promised, amazing. Lucas and David both had second helpings. Lucas told David about the class his coworker had stuck him with that afternoon. It hadn't gone nearly as well as Lucas would have liked, and he wasn't eager for another try. David told Lucas about a new coworker at the pharmacy who seemed competent but so young that it made him feel old in comparison.

They danced around the idea of dessert for so long Lucas wasn't even sure there was a dessert planned. His skepticism when David pulled him toward the bedroom was overwhelming. “Honestly, I'm pretty full. Couldn't eat another bite. I think maybe we should just clean up after dinner first.”

“Hell no!” David laughed. “Grab the flowers and get your ass over here.” He checked his watch. “Shit! Hurry up, baby!”

The moment Lucas had his hand on the vase of roses, David pulled his other arm to get him to head toward the bedroom. Confused, he followed his husband down the hallway and into the bedroom. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary in their bedroom, apart from the fact that David's laptop sat upon the center of the bed. As Lucas moved a water bottle and book aside in order to fit the vase on the nightstand on his side of the bed, a familiar ringtone began. Someone wanted to Skype.

With a sigh of relief, David dove for the laptop. He clicked the phone icon then pulled his laptop onto his thighs as he settled back against the pillows on his side of the bed. Lucas climbed on, feeling even more confused. “Who's call—” He broke off, staring with incredulity at the video on the screen. “Troy?”

Troy beamed, his smile so perfect he almost didn't look real. If Lucas hasn't met him in person about a year ago, he might not have believed such a perfect man could actually exist outside of movies and airbrushed advertisements. But what he was doing calling now was beyond him. He was sitting on a couch, one arm stretched out along the back. “Hey, guys.”

“How are you doing, baby?” David asked, and Lucas couldn't help but notice the easy way that last word had come to him.

“Oh, I'mb finde.”

Lucas also couldn't miss the hint of congestion in his voice that did the talking for him. He wasn't fine, apparently. And perhaps he was calling to share how specifically not fine he was feeling. Lucas felt his heart rate speed up a little. He tried to think of something to say and stumbled over his words. “I, ah, I wanted to thank you for sending that article to me, the one about the exercise and sleep study.” It had examined the quality of sleep of participants who didn't exercise, who exercised in the mornings, and who exercised just before bed. Lucas had found it fascinating and had immediately shared it with everybody at work.

“Glad you liked it. Hopbe you foundd it useful.” There was no doubt in his mind now. The man was most definitely stuffed-up. And as if it weren't obvious already, he sniffled. Lucas' breath raced now. Maybe Troy would sneeze. Oh, good God, maybe this was exactly what David had had in mind for dessert all along. Suddenly, his pants were far too tight.

He felt an arm slide around his shoulders. “Calm down,” David cooed in his ear. “There will be plenty of time for that. Troy's not going anywhere.”

On the screen, Troy smiled broadly. “You're turnded odn already? Luc, I'mb flattered.” His eyelids fluttered close for a brief second, and he sniffed again. “Oh, look out, I thindk I'mb goindg to sndeeze. I cand feel it tick.. ticklindg.” He went to rub his nose then thought better of it, lowering his hand. He relaxed and let it come at him, taking him over completely. “hehh... hehIHHHTshoo!”

And there it was. Lucas hadn't heard that exact sound in almost a year, but it still had exactly the same affect on him. The fetishy tickle of arousal struck him hard, and suddenly he could no longer breathe. Or think. Or speak.

Luckily, David knew just what to say. “God bless you, baby.”

“Sniff! Thandks, mbate.” Troy was smiling again, so he couldn't feel too miserable. Was it just a little sniffle? A light head cold? Certainly it couldn't be worse. David would never allow Troy to be out of bed right now if he felt worse. Troy wasn't even wearing pajamas. He had on a pale green turtleneck and a fleece pullover with a zipper unzipped an inch or so, the collar turned down on each side. Lucas wanted to reach out and play with that zipper. It was frustrating that he couldn't. “I... I wasnd't sure if... I'd still be snd-sndeezy.” This time he did rub at his nose. “But I f-feel sndeezier thand ever. Course, that could be 'cause I kepbt sombe.”

“Naughty boy,” David chided playfully.

This was entirely too much for Lucas. “Time out,” Lucas breathed. David nuzzled his cheek. “W-what's going on here?”

Troy rubbed at his nose again. “David, cand you expblaind? I hihhhhh I'mb ndot sure I ihhhh ihh-hehhhh... hih-IHHHkshhhh! HIHHshuhhh!”

“God bless you, baby. Of course I can. You just take care of your nose. That's an order.”

“David...” Lucas felt confused and impatient and maybe even a little annoyed. But he had to admit he was also mightily aroused. “Please...”

David couldn't stand to see him suffering, and Lucas knew it. “Troy contacted me earlier today, which was yesterday, his time. He'd just come back from a date. And I don't know the details of that, obviously, but his date apparently brought him roses. Which was sweet and romantic...” He reached past Lucas and pulled one of the roses from the vase. Lucas noticed that the thorns had been carefully stripped off. He twirled the rose between his fingers. “Except that he discovered...”

Lucas finished for him, his heart beating hard and fast as if he'd just had a tough round of cardio. “He's allergic to roses.”

David tapped him lightly on his nose with the rose. “You got it.”

Lucas turned back to the screen, where Troy was brandishing a similar, deep red rose. Holding his breath, Lucas watched as Troy brought the flower to his nose and sniffed. The sniff sounded strong and wet, and his nostrils flared. A few seconds later, his nose wrinkled. “Tickles,” he whispered. “Tickles so bad. I dih-didn't kndow I evend had andy allergies.”

How a man could go through life without smelling a rose until now was beyond Lucas, but he didn't want to ask, because that wasn't important right now. What was important was that Troy was here because he wanted to share his sneezes with them. Because he knew how much Lucas would enjoy them. Because Troy was one of the most generous, amazing individual Lucas had ever met.

“hehhhh-HIHHptshhhhh!”

He also had one of the most amazing sneezes. Oh, Lucas liked David's just fine, of course. Actually, he fucking loved David's sneezes. But Troy's were different. Troy's were the first ones he'd ever really noticed in a sexual way, the first ones that had ever turned him on. To hear them again was amazing, but to hear it again, happening just for him, partially orchestrated by the man he loved... “God bless you, baby,” said Lucas, grinning.

Rubbing his nose, Troy chuckled.

“Hey, I believe that's my line,” David said, nuzzling at Lucas' neck now. “Get your own.”

“Okay,” Lucas breathed out heavily. “How about this: that was hot, and I can't get my pants off fast enough.”

“Truthfully, that line might be a little wordy. You sure you want to do this?” David asked, hesitating.

Lucas kissed him. That kiss, strong and deep, was meant as a sign of consent. But he knew that David was still going to want to hear it out loud. “I want this. I'd rather Troy were right here in front of us, but I'll take anything he can give me. Or anything you can,” he smiled a little shyly at his husband. This felt a little different from their three-way. This was about him and his fetish. He had started this night feeling out of the loop and now he felt put on the spot.

But he also felt immensely turned on. So close to him, David couldn't possibly miss that fact.

He didn't. David's hand slid down and popped open Lucas' fly, button by button.

“Don't care, so long as my pants come off.”

“Working on it. Lift your ass.” Lucas did, feeling his core muscles engage as he did so, then feeling his jeans being pulled down to his thighs in one swift tug. Then they were down to his knees, then his calves, then this ankles. And by the time they came off, his hand had already slipped into his boxers.

Troy made a pleased, approving sound at the sight, and David snuggled close again. “My husband doesn't like to waste time.”

That was true enough but this time it didn't feel like Lucas was even in control any more. “Your husband's about to lose his mind over all of this,” he said, referring to himself in the third person.

“Mmmm,” David smiled, running his fingers down his perfectly sculpted chest and those washboard abs. “About to lose something, but I don't think it's your mind. I suspect it's something more like... these.” He ran his fingertips around the waistband of the boxers and gave them a little tug. Luckily, David was well practiced in the art of getting them off over Lucas' erection.

What he didn't count on, however, was Troy sneezing again at that very moment. “heh hey hih andoth... andother ihh hihh andother sndehhihhh-HIHH HIHTchhhhhhhh!”

Lucas moaned and bit David's sleeve at the shoulder, taking the fabric into his mouth and grinding his teeth hard on it as a strong surge coursed through his body. He wished he could feel the spray against his skin, hear the man's breathing a little better, feel the man jerk against him with each expulsion. But even from afar, the sneezes seemed to go straight to his dick. David had a bottle of lube ready, and Lucas wasn't even sure he'd last long enough to need it.

His dick was sprung from his boxers, hard and already slick with pre.

Troy gestured for David to angle the laptop screen forward so the camera angle changed. Then he nodded and made another approving sound. “That's what I like to see.”

Lucas' hand flew up and down his dick, pumping, pleasuring. “You know what I like to see?”

“Mbore sndeezes?”

Licking his lips, Lucas nodded.

“Well thend...” Troy leaned forward, his face so close to his screen his nose nearly bumped it. “Tickle mby ndose for mbe, Lucas Greend.”

Lucas' breath caught and his stroking paused, surprise catching him off guard. For a moment, he wasn't sure what Troy meant. He looked to David, who smiled kindly and nodded his head in the direction of the vase. Understanding rushing through him, Lucas leaned over and pulled a handful of roses out. Not caring that the stems dripped water on the bedspread, Lucas thrust them forward at the laptop. He caressed the petals against the screen, feeling silly at first.

But Troy's breath immediately caught with a sharp gasp and eyes fluttering shut. “Y-yeah. Just like ihhh! Hihh! Just like that. So... tickley..” Lucas rubbed the roses at the laptop screen, watching them obscure Troy's handsome, wrinkling nose. “ihhh! IHHH! Here it-ihhhhh combes! Ihhhhh! Luc... get ihhhhh get ehhhhhh get-ihh-read-read-ready-hhhihhhhhhhh hihh ihhh ehhhhh EHHHHBTshhuhhh! HEHHKchhhhhhhh!” He sniffed wetly. “Oh doe.”

Lifting his arm, he presented his sleeve to the screen and wiped. “S-sorry. I was too close. Sniff! I thindk I sndeezed ond you.”

Fuck. Troy wasn't the only one who was close. They'd only just started playing, and Lucas already felt like he was about to burst at any second. The intensity of the pangs of arousal he felt with each and every sneeze were just too strong to resist. He never felt this desperate intensity when regular sex was involved. For whatever reason, there was just something about sneezes that made his body react like this.

They made David react as well, though in a much different way. “It's okay, baby,” David reassured Troy. “You couldn't help it. You gotta blow your nose?”

Troy shook his head. “I dod't wadt to risk... hihhh!” The way his handsome face screwed up at an impending sneeze was so damn sexy. Logic told Lucas it shouldn't be. Logic told him this man was halfway across the world. But his body defied all logic. It wanted Troy just as if the man were right here in bed with him and David. And it wanted Troy to sneeze again. “Dod't wadt to risk st-stobbidg th-th-this tick... tick-le-hihhh-EHHHTchhhtttttt! HehhhSHIIIshhhhhh!” He sniffed lightly and smiled at the screen so warmly Lucas nearly died. “Did you like that? Do you like whed I sdeeze for you?”

“Love it so much,” Lucas told Troy, breathless and watching the screen almost unblinkingly as the handsome man wiped his nose without blowing. “But I wish you were here in person.”

Troy nodded in agreement. “David will just have to take care of you for be.”

Before Lucas or even David could reply, David bent forward. He dropped his mouth open and took the head of Lucas' dick in his mouth. Lucas moaned.

And Troy sneezed again. “heeeee-IHPTshhhhhhhh!” He twirled a rose in front of the camera teasingly. “You wadt bore, Luc?”

Lucas made a hungry, desperate, needy sound as David began to suck. His head heavily tilted up and down, but his eyes didn't leave the screen. In the lower right hand corner, he saw a close-up of his own cock and his husband's talented mouth from an angle he'd never seen before. He watched on the screen as his fingers slipped through David's short hair, petting appreciatively as David's head bobbed with its own rhythm. Lucas was unprepared for how hot that was as well. There wasn't anything about this that wasn't arousing to him. “More,” he agreed, not quite an order. More like a desperate, needy plea.

“All right... but I'b gonda... ndeed your helpb.”

In his haste, Lucas smashed a rose at the top of the screen, against the camera, wishing he somehow really could be tickling Troy's nose with it.

But Troy pulled back, shaking his head. “Onde bpetal at a timbe.”

“Tease.” Such a damn tease. It wasn't fair. He just needed a couple more sneezes. That's all it would take, considering the way David was licking and sucking. And here Troy was playing games with him from the other side of the Atlantic.

Yet, he found himself pulling a petal off the rose. One.

On screen, Troy held a petal up as well, rubbing it lightly across the tip of his nose.

Lucas waited, breath held, to see that nose wrinkle. But it didn't. Quickly, Lucas plucked a second petal off the rose.

Troy did the same, sniffing at both of them. But his nose was all stuffed-up from the previous sneezes. It wasn't enough. Not nearly enough.

Lucas pulled off a third and had to bite down on the inside of his cheek to keep from begging the man to just bury his nose in the rose and inhale deeply. He wanted to tear every petal off at once and thrust them at the laptop. But, instead, he held up the three petals with the sliver of self-control he had left.

Troy sniffed at the three in his hand. And his nostrils gave a twitch.

A startlingly strong twinge of pleasure filled Lucas, and he almost pushed David's head away, not wanting to come too soon, before the sneezes hit. But David already understood how to take care of him. David slowed then lifted his head. He ran a fingertip from dick to balls and down again, just playing, biding his time, driving Lucas crazy with desire. These men had most certainly conspired to kill him.

“L-last ndight there were ihhh there were a d-dozehhh dozend roses,” Troy explained, fighting off whatever tickle was currently playing in his nose. Lucas forced himself to be attentive and listen, even though what he wanted most was to wrap his hand around his dick and come harder than ever before. “Wh-whend I started sndeeze-ehhh-sndeezindg mby date was huhhhh-horrified.”

Lucas could just imagine it, the panic that something was going wrong, the realization of what was causing it, and the guilt of it being from such a kind gesture.

“He was a combpblete gendtlemband about it andd drove mbe hombe.” Troy sniffed. Lucas added another petal, and as soon as Troy did likewise, his nostrils flared wildly, uncontrollably. His eyes closed. And he struggled to get just one more sentence out. “Ahhhh-all I could thindk about was h-h-how mbuch you'd l-like th-this-hihh HIH!” He fought so hard to hold his sneeze back.

David reached for the screen as if to pat Troy reassuringly. “Just let it out, baby. You'll feel better when you do.” Then he dropped his mouth opened and swallowed Lucas' dick.

Troy's mouth dropped as well, and his head tipped back. Lucas grabbed hold of the covers, bunching the end of the blanket up in tight fists. He gave one thrust of his pelvis upward then he knew he was absolutely done for.

“HEHDDShhhhh! IhhhSchhhhh! HEPTChoo! EHHhhshooo!” Troy didn't cover his sneezes, but he turned slightly to the side so that he did manage to both keep them on screen while also not sneezing directly on the laptop itself. “hehh onde... ihhhh mbore... I-thidnk-ihhhHIPPTSchhhhhhh! Oh...”

Oh was right. Lucas' orgasm was fragile yet all-encompassing, fluttery while still being strong. He rode out the waves of pleasure with gentle thrusts into his husband's mouth. And when it was over, he collapsed back, spent and nearly dazed. He had just enough of his wits about him to reach forward and tap David on the upper arm.

David didn't need the prodding, though. He had already slipped fully into caregiver mode. “Get rid of those roses right now.” He sat up, scooting forward to get closer to the laptop. He put his hand on Lucas' leg, rubbing it absentmindedly as he gave his list of instructions and made sure each was followed immediately. “You've got that allergy medication? Take one pill right now. That's it. And you still remember how to use a nasal spray? Small, gentle sniffs, baby. Be kind to your nose. It's been through a lot.”

“Still tickles a little,” Troy told him in-between squirts of the nasal spray. “Feels better, though.”

Lucas rubbed his hand up and down David's back, and David leaned back into the touch. He must be humming from this. Lucas wanted to ask him if he was all right, but he knew he was too focused on Troy right now to care about his own arousal.

“ihh... ihhHIHHschhhh!”

“God bless you, baby.”

Lucas scooted closer, wrapping his arms around David from behind, loose at first and then tighter as David reached up to pat one of his hands and squeeze his forearm with appreciation. Lucas loved holding his husband in his arms, feeling the man's warmth against his skin, feeling the man's heart beat in his chest, feeling each breath in and out. This time, he could also feel that David was turned on, of course, but he didn't dare reach for the man's erection yet.

“Do you have that washcloth—I mean, flannel—I asked you about?” When Troy nodded, David relaxed slightly. “Good. Go run it under the tap. Use warm water, not too hot.”

Troy nodded and got up, the screen tilting one way then the next as he maneuvered around it. As he headed off screen, they heard another sneeze from him. “heyyyAHHTchahhh!”

Lucas was surprised to find this sneeze made him tingle despite the powerful orgasm he'd just had.

“God bless you, baby,” David whispered, almost under his breath, even though Troy wasn't around to hear it.

“I'll second that sentiment,” Lucas murmured into the back of David's head, nuzzling his face into the hair. “He'll be all right, won't he?”

“Yeah,” David agreed, reaching down to readjust himself in his pants. “He'll be fine now that he's moved the roses away.”

“And now that he has you to look after him,” Lucas added, kissing David's head and squeezing him tighter.

“Yeah,” David repeated, though this time his voice shook a little and body trembled.

Lucas slid one hand down, fingering the button of David's tight pants when he found it. “These need to come off.”

“In a sec—”

“No, now. If you get any harder, they're going to be a bitch to remove.”

Together they tugged and pushed and squirmed and shoved and finally David's pants were on the floor and Lucas' hand had slipped into the man's briefs. David's breath quickened immediately, but he turned his head and buried his face against Lucas' neck, whispering desperately. “Don't do anything until we know Troy's okay.”

“I know, baby,” Lucas whispered back. “I'm going to let you do everything you want to take care of that generous, playful man. Then I'm going to make sure you enjoy every moment of your well-deserved reward for all of this.” He felt David's teeth graze his neck with an appreciative little love nip, not even enough to leave a mark, just enough to show his love and make Lucas' skin tingle for a second.

Troy returned, settling back down in front of the screen with a warm cloth in his hands and some sniffles still in his nose.

“Do your eyes itch at all?” David asked, sounding completely calm, as if he were behind the counter at the pharmacy instead of in bed next to his naked lover who had a hand in his briefs.

Troy sniffled and shook his head. “Just bmy ndose.”

“That's good. Put the flannel over your nose then and breathe through it as best you can.” It wasn't quite as effective as the hot steam treatments David gave Lucas, but it would certainly help.

Troy looked calm and peaceful as he waited for the allergy attack to die down completely. Lucas was curious to know how many roses he'd kept to tickle his nose with. He wondered what kind of roses they were, if it was just this variety that made him sneeze or if Troy were allergic to all roses in general. There was so much he wanted to know about all this, but he didn't dare ask while David was in the zone.

“Is it starting to get cool?” David asked, and Troy nodded. “Okay. Dry your face off and give your nose a really gentle blow. It's going to be ticklish and sensitive today until the medicine kicks in, so don't expect too much out of it. Treat it kindly.” Troy blew his nose a little harder than David was expecting. David winced and didn't hesitate to chide him. “Troy!”

And Troy blew more gently. He wiped and tossed the tissue off screen. “Wish you were here to help me with that.” Already he was sounding less congested.

“So do I, baby. I'd stroke your head and make sure you got some fresh air.”

Lucas thought it sounded a little like Troy was a dog, but he didn't say anything. He wanted his hand to stay right where it was, and didn’t want David to chase it off.

“Oh, good call. I can open a window,” Troy said, getting up at once. There were the sounds of a latch being turned, a grunt, a scrape, and a screech as wood slid against wood. He sat back down with a happy sigh.

“That's much better. The pressure in my sinuses is starting to lift.” He breathed deep, in through his nose and out through his mouth, learned from years of workouts and fitness training.

David nodded. “That's so good to hear. You already sound much better, too. Just don't go near any roses for a while, and you should be fine.”

Troy grinned. “I think I can manage that. Hope it was worth it though. You loved it, yeah, Lucas?”

“Hell yeah. It sure wasn't what I was expecting when I got home from work today, but it was amazing. Your sneezes get me so hot.” He wanted to gush more, about how Troy's had been the first sneezes ever to hit him like this and hearing them and seeing them again, just for him, was what really had done it for him. But he couldn't figure out how to say it and have it make sense to someone who didn't have a sneeze fetish. It would sound crazy and strange. So Lucas finished with “Thank you, Troy,” instead.

“It was my pleasure,” Troy said, his face beaming with a smile. “It gets me pretty worked up to see how hot I can make you. And now that I can breathe again without my nose tickling madly... what about you and I jack off together, David?”

Automatically, David was already bobbing his head up and down to agree. And Lucas was already working his hand up and down David's dick.

“No fair,” Troy pouted as he took himself in hand at the sound of David's pleasure. “You've got help.”

“If I could reach through the screen with my other hand, I would,” said Lucas. “Here...” He tucked his left hand under his ass cheek. “This one's reserved for you, tonight.”

“Mmmmm,” Troy closed his eyes, stroking himself. “I can feel it.”

He took his left hand out just to add a few squirts of lube to his right hand, and then he picked up the pace. It felt so good to do this for David. Troy had made him happy by recovering so quickly from his sneezy allergy fit. And now Lucas was making him happy by giving his dick the attention it deserved.

“Feels so good,” Troy murmured, opening his beautiful blue eyes back up to look at the two of them. “My head's all clear and my body's warm with urges. It's you two who are amazing, you know. All I did was sneeze. You two bring so much to play with. I love your reactions. Love your caring. Love your fetishes. Mmmm. Faster, Luc. Stroke us faster.”

Lucas did. He knew Troy was the one who liked taking orders, but right now it seemed natural for him to call the shots.

“I want to come for you both.”

“Do it,” David squeaked out, his breathing short and quick, hitching every time Lucas' hand dipped down to his balls and every time Lucas' thumb swirled around the head of his dick. Years of doing this meant Lucas knew just how David liked it. The man began to rock, moaning softly with desperate need. On the screen, Troy was right there with him, one hand braced on his own muscular thigh while the other sped up and down his dick.

Lucas imagined the two of them coming at exactly the same time, beautifully coordinated, the perfect way to cap all of this. But he knew how impossible that was. There was a slight time delay with the video and, besides, David would always instinctively wait to make sure his partner was good and taken care of before he would let himself find any pleasure.

“I'm—” Troy's warning was short but all David needed. His cock jerked at the sound, and Lucas' did as well, even tired as it was. The note of desperate arousal in the one word had simply been so stunning. Troy came, groaning, and David and Lucas watched. Then David took his turn, magnificent as always as he thrust. Lucas kissed his cheek and didn't stop stroking until it was over. David's body came to rest, and his breathing slowed.

“You... feeling good, baby?” David asked almost lazily, gazing at the screen where Troy was already cleaning himself off.

“Never better, mates.” He smiled into the camera, all handsome and dimpled and irresistible. “We've got to do this again.”

David's head tilted, coming to rest against Lucas' chest. “Don't you dare go looking for other things that make you sneeze. I don't want you compromising yourself just for us.”

Troy balled up a tissue and threw it at the screen, laughing. “Good thing it's not just for you then.”

Shaking his head, David sat up straighter. “I mean it. Don't—”

“Oh look at the time,” Troy said, miming a look at a wristwatch that wasn't on his wrist. “I've got to head to the gym. I've got a client at quarter past. Talk to you soon.” He ended the conversation before David or Lucas could say another word.

For a moment or two, they just sat there in bed, staring at the 'end of call' screen. Then Lucas wrapped his arms around David and pulled him into a hug, leaning back with the man as they fell against their mattress, crashing softly into pillows. “That really just happened, right?” Lucas asked.

“Mmhm. Did you like your surprise?” He turned his head, finding Lucas' jaw to kiss it tenderly.

“Loved it. I can't even explain why it works long distance like this, but Troy's sneezes get me so damn hot.”

“You know, I noticed that.”

Lucas took a deep breath and used his core muscles to sit up. He turned to the side and climbed off the bed. Then he held his hand out to David to help him up.

With a smile, David accepted the hand, got up, and followed his husband into the bathroom. Their shower was warm and soothing, with lavender soap that made Lucas feel sleepier. They brushed their teeth at their side-by-side sinks. And though they exchanged brief looks at each other in the mirror, they didn't say much of anything.

Changed into pajamas and back in bed, Lucas snuggled up behind David, spooning and holding tight. “You know what my favorite part of tonight was?”

David tensed slightly. “Troy's sneezes?”

“Good guess, but nope.”

“Making him come for us?”

“Nope.”

“What then?”

Lucas nuzzled his face into the back of David's head and kissed the back of his ear. “Being able to share it all with my husband and end the day with him in my arms.”

“Oh... baby.” David slid his hand over Lucas' and held it. “What a thing to say.”

“It's the truth. No matter how amazing his sneezes are to me, I've got no interest in his or anyone else's without you there with me.” He felt David start to shake. At first, he thought maybe the man was cold, and he pulled the blanket up to their chins. Then he realized it wasn't a chill. “Are you crying?”

“No,” David squeaked.

“You are.” Lucas reached past the man to the tissue box on the nightstand and pulled one out. “What's wrong?” There was worry in his voice. He couldn't help but think of that time so many years ago when he'd found out David had been cheating on him, when there had been someone else. That confession had started out just like this.

“Noth... nothing's wrong.”

“Obviously, that's a lie.” Lucas' heart rate was skyrocketing; he worked out enough to know that feeling. He really didn't want to hear what David had to say, but it was better to know than not know. It was better to deal with it than live in denial. So Lucas took a deep breath. “Just tell me. You're killing me here.”

David shook his head, sniffed, and rolled over. He buried his face in Lucas' t-shirt and managed to stop his tears after a moment. “You... I...” His voice caught, and he tried again to compose himself. He took a deep breath and blurted out. “What you said is exactly what I feel, too.” He wiped his eyes on Lucas' shirt and looked up at him. “I loved all of that. Troy teasing you, my helping him breathe again, you giving me my release. I love my kink. But I wouldn't want to have done any of it without you. And being able to share it with you...” His eyes teared up again. “It means the world to me that we can truly be ourselves with each other, so honest and authentic, and love each other for it.”

Lucas pulled him close, squeezing maybe a little too tightly. Relief and annoyance mixed into one. “You're such an asshole! You nearly gave me a heart attack just now, and then you say something so powerful like that?” His own voice cracked.

“Roll over,” David said softly, sniffling.

Feeling his heart rate slowing, he obeyed his husband and rolled from his left side to his right in bed. Immediately, he felt David's arms wrap around him from behind. He felt David's chin against his shoulder and cheek against his cheek. He felt a knee slide between his legs. It wasn't often that David held him tight like this. Even when he was sick, he was cradled in David's arms face-to-face so David could wipe his nose for him. Given his size and strength, Lucas was almost never the little spoon. But David owed him some reassurance, and it was most definitely to be found here. He couldn’t imagine a more perfect end to his night. He stared at the roses on his nightstand until his eyelids felt too heavy and he fell right to sleep.