Under Lock and Key

by Silk

Part 8

"B-Birkoff? Is it really *you*?" Hillinger couldn't think beyond his immediate reaction--joy--at the thought of Birkoff having beaten the odds one more time.

The man Hillinger knew as Jason nodded.

"Thank God!" said Greg hoarsely, not caring one bit how Birkoff interpreted that.

"Don't you want to know how I did it?"

"No," Greg confessed. "I don't care how or why or anything but--God, you're *alive*."

Birkoff studied his former nemesis with a curiously compassionate look. "I thought you *wanted* me dead, Greg," Birkoff prompted.

Abruptly recalling how transparent his feelings were a few minutes ago, Hillinger flushed. "You know that's not true," he choked out between suddenly numb lips. Hillinger couldn't believe the powerful sense of relief pervading his being, just from knowing that Birkoff lived.

Birkoff shifted his body so that he faced Hillinger. "Greg..." he whispered as his hand reached out to stroke the side of Hillinger's face. Hillinger shut his eyes as tightly as he could. His body insisted on betraying him. There was little he could do to hide the massive erection that throbbed between his legs.

"You h-hate m-me, r-right?" Hillinger asked rhetorically.

Birkoff let out a long sigh, his breath traversing the distance between his mouth and Hillinger's cheek. "Oh, Greg...someone hasn't been listening too well...."

Hillinger hiccupped, his eyes blinking wide open at the same time. "You *want* me?"

Birkoff leaned close, his tongue darting out to capture Hillinger's earlobe. He licked Greg's face from temple to chin...slowly. "Shit, if this is a dream, don't wake me up," Hillinger muttered under his breath. Birkoff caught most of it, and his throaty chuckle sent shivers down Hillinger's spine.

"Do you remember what you said I would do?"

Hillinger barely nodded. "That you would h-hate this. That you would run away screaming."

Birkoff nuzzled the downy beginning of Hillinger's 5 o'clock shadow. "Does this feel like rejection to you, Greg?"

Hillinger gulped. "You're waiting to get some kind of payback. I just know it. None of this is for real. None of--"

Birkoff kissed him, effectively shutting him up, and once Birkoff's tongue was swirling restlessly through his mouth, Hillinger could no longer recall what he wanted to say.

"Fuck."

"I'd love to."

Part 9