Desperate Vigil, Part Eight
By Cathy Roberts
huntersglenn@yahoo.com

A John Carter/Luka Kovac Story, a sequel to "Ghost Of Christmas
Present". Rated NC-17. Contains spoilers for Season Six and a
lot of sex. Last episode seen was "Such Sweet Sorrow". 
Warning: This is most definitely a "Plot? What Plot?" chapter.

"ER" and all its characters belong to Warner Bros. No
infringement of their copyright is intended. This story
was written for the enjoyment of "ER" fans everywhere, and
may be downloaded for your own pleasure. However this
story may not be used, distributed or archived without the
permission of the author.

I wish to say a big "Thank you" to Melissa, who has, as usual,
provided me with invaluable help with this series with her
plot suggestions and editing skills. Melissa also found "InterTran"
a neat translation site, so if my Croatian is off, then blame the
site, not me. I was going to suggest that you go to the site to
see just what it is that they're saying to each other, but when I
had the program translate from Croatian to English -- well, the
results are pretty hilarious. The translations (according to what
I put in for the English) are at the end of the story. But, if
you want a good chuckle, check out the Croatian to English
translations. The site: http://www.tranexp.com:2000/InterTran



Luka awoke from his nap, wishing that he didn't have to go into work that
night. Working nights while John had been hospitalized had not been bad.
Working nights while John was first home hadn't been too bad either. But,
now that John was quickly approaching the end of his six week recovery
window, Luka was wishing he was back on days. John had already spoken
with Kerry about returning to work, and she had agreed that at first John
would be better off working days. Which meant that unless Luka could get
Mark or Kerry to switch shifts with him, he wouldn't be seeing much of
John once John returned to the E.R.

Luka had thought that Kerry would be the one to suggest him returning to
days, but so far she had been quiet on the subject. Luka was tempted to
bring up the topic, but he didn't think that his argument of wanting to be
able to spend time with John was going to go over well. Everyone had
someone they wanted to spend time with, or things they wanted to do. He
couldn't expect everyone to make exceptions for him and John. He only
wished they would.

Luka was still laying there, thinking about whether he should get a shower
or something to eat when he heard the front door open, followed by the
sound of Carter's crutches on the wood floor. Then he remembered that
John had a doctor appointment that day, and a glance at the clock told him
that John was now returning from that appointment.

"Finally awake, huh?" John said as he slowly entered the bedroom.

"I was really tired. So, how did the visit go?" Luka asked as he sat up in
bed.

"Really good. I still need to go back for an MRI, but everything is fine. I've
been given the green light."

Luka's brow furrowed as he tried to decipher what John meant by that. John
saw his confusion and laughed. "Sorry. I'm well enough to go back to work
whenever I'm ready." After putting his crutches aside, he kicked off his shoes
and gingerly climbed onto the bed, straddling Luka's hips. "And I'm well
enough to do a lot of other things as well," he said as he lowered his mouth to
Luka's, kissing him deeply.

"What about your back? You know that it still hurts when you bend over too
far," Luka managed to say as John had to stop kissing him in order to begin
taking off his shirt.

"As you pointed out, it only hurts if I bend too far." He shrugged, "So, don't
bend me."

Luka wrapped his arms around John, pulling him close and kissing his neck.
"I think I can remember that," he murmured as he licked his way up John's
neck to his jaw, then planted kisses along the jawline to the other side of his
neck. Then their lips met once more, both men consumed with desire for
eachother.

"I want you now, John," Luka growled.

"I'm right here, Luka," John said, his eyes bright with arousal.

"No, I mean that I want you now. In me." Luka's hands were busy with
John's pants, quickly freeing John's erection. When he tightly grasped John,
the sigh that ensued went straight to Luka's groin, inflaming his desire even
more. Having oral sex with John over the past few weeks had been good,
but he had missed the more intimate acts. They both had longed for the day
when they once more could become one.

"I need to get you ready then," John gasped as Luka's hand pumped him.
If Luka kept that up, then he wouldn't last long enough to take Luka the way
he wanted.

"I'm more than ready for you." Luka wiggled his hips under John. "See?" He
asked with a grin.

"Oh, yes, you are quite ready," John grinned back. "But, for the wrong thing.
Or did I hear you wrong? I thought you were begging me to take you?"

"Me, beg? You must have misheard me. Now, get undressed."

John smirked as he got off of the bed and finished taking off his clothes.
Luka liked to be bossy in bed, even when he was the one on the receiving
end of the loving. "Yes. You were begging."

"I never beg." Luka pulled off his underwear, then reached for a condom and
the tube of lubricant. "Come here." He sat at the edge of the bed and pulled
John close once more, breathing deeply as he buried his face in John's belly. He
could never get enough of John. Not enough of the way John smelled, or the
way his skin tasted. Luka's tongue snaked out and he used it to sensuously trace
the scar that ran from just under John's breastbone to just above his pubic bone.
He felt John flinch, but he held him in place, knowing that he wasn't hurting John.
John was merely reacting that way because he was embarrassed about his
scars. Not that he would ever have anything to feel embarrassed about where
his body was concerned. Luka loved every inch of him. He let his tongue glide
over John's penis, following the shaft to the tumescent tip, smiling as he heard
John loudly moan. Luka then rolled the condom onto John and lay back on the
bed, raising his legs for him.

"Take. Me. Now." Luka made sure he clearly enunciated each word, not wanting
to give John any reason to think he meant anything else. He should have known
that John wouldn't listen to him. He never did, Luka mused as he watched John
slowly sink to his knees. It was then Luka's turn to moan loudly as John kissed
him intimately. As John's tongue slowly impaled him, Luka bit his lower lip,
determined to not beg John for more. But, he wanted so much more. More of
John's tongue, more of John's touch. He wanted to feel John's fullness inside as
they joined together. He wanted to watch John as he came, see the changes that
would flitter over his face as his orgasm tore through his body. And then Luka
wanted to be the one in John, savoring his heat and the tightness of his body.
Oh, God, he would be as tight as he was the first time they were together, it had
been so long for them. The idea itself was intoxicating. Luka moaned as much
from his imagination as from what John was doing to him. He had to have more
now.

"Damn, John, quit playing with me. Take me."

John slowly got to his feet, using Luka's legs as his levers. A decidedly wicked
grin danced across his face. "Are you sure you're ready?"

"Yes," Luka impatiently replied. "Now, John. Take me now."

John's answer was to reach out and begin to lightly tickle the skin that was now
taut over Luka's testicles. That was it. Luka decided that John could win this
time. "Please? I need you in me, John."

"Sounds like you're begging, Luka. Are you begging me to take you?" John tried
to keep his voice neutral as he asked, but his own arousal was making it difficult
to resist the lure of Luka's body.

"Yes!" Luka shouted. "I'm begging you." Then Luka began to speak Croatian.
John wasn't sure what Luka was saying, but he had heard those same words
on many other occasions. As he slowly entered Luka, the words changed. They
were still Croatian, and still words that John had heard before, but John was a
little surer of their meaning.

"You are so tight, Luka. It feels like it's been years since we last did this."

"Don't talk. Just do it," Luka groaned as his prostate was massaged by John's
erection. The action sent shivers up his spine and he never wanted that feeling to
end. He could hear Malucci's voice as he said "You'd never let another man fuck
you." If Malucci had any inkling of what it felt like to be loved by John, then he
would easily understand how Luka could and would let John take him. When it
was like this, when Luka was so hot for John that he willingly begged, when John
and his needs were this raw, then Luka knew for a fact that this was what he
liked best. And yet, he also knew that when this was over and he was the one
taking John, that act would be what he liked best.

Then Luka quit thinking about which was best and he gave John his entire
concentration. They met each other thrust for thrust, Luka's hips rising to meet
John. When John tried to bring Luka to orgasm with his hand, Luka had to stop
him. "That's for you."

"God, Luka, you're going to kill me," John was almost panting from exertion and
desire. The mental image of himself on the bed and Luka thrusting into him was
enough to bring him to the brink, thrusting a final time into Luka and holding onto
Luka's legs as he came hard into him. As his energy slowly left him, John wished
he could lie atop Luka and let the other man wrap his arms and legs around him.
But, he knew he couldn't bend over to do that. His back was already beginning
to ache from this bout of love making. Not that he would admit that to Luka. Not
now at least. That admission could wait until after Luka had been properly sated.

John gently withdrew, and when he returned from the bathroom, Luka was
standing by the bed. They embraced, kissing each other softly.

"That was wonderful, Luka. Thank you," John whispered into his ear.

"You are most welcome. Your turn will be just as nice, no?"

"If not better," John grinned. "So, how do you want me?"

Luka chuckled as he ran his hands up and down John's back. "Every way I can
get you," he said. "Seriously, I was trying to figure out which position would be
easiest for you."

"I think on my back."

"Oh, really? And do you think in any other position?"

"And to think that some people don't believe you have a sense of humor." John
kissed Luka again, then sat down on the bed. He looked up at Luka, knowing
that his own eyes had to be as full of desire as Luka's were right then. "I think
best on my back," John said as he carefully eased his body to the mattress, then
slowly spread his legs.

"Yes, you most certainly do," Luka's voice was husky as his eyes took in all of
John with one long look. At times like this, it was difficult for Luka to believe that
it wasn't so long ago that John was an inexperienced virgin who had to be
handled gently before he could begin to enjoy himself. Luka still liked to handle
John gently at times, but John didn't need that in order to find pleasure in what
they did. He was totally open and receptive to Luka and there had been a few
times when Luka had seriously asked himself if he had created a monster when
he introduced John to the pleasures of gay sex. If he were truly honest with
himself, then Luka had to admit that he could never get enough of John, either.

"Are you just going to stand there?" John asked, feeling uneasy with Luka
staring at him as if he was a grand prize. It had been bad enough before when
Luka wanted to just look at his naked body, but now...well, he wasn't a pretty
sight. He moved his left arm so that it crossed his body, covering the scar from
the colostomy and hopefully hiding a good portion of the surgical scar.

"I like looking at you. You know that," Luka said as he reached out to softly
caress John's thigh.

"I know that I'm not a pretty sight anymore, Luka." John didn't mean to sound
bitter, but he knew he did.

"You will always be beautiful to me. Why do you want to hide yourself from me,
John? I have always enjoyed your body and that will never change."

"I'm scarred for life, Luka."

Luka rubbed his left hand over his own stomach, letting his fingers drift over his
own scar, a reminder of a surgery done years ago. "You never turned away from
me."

"You're beautiful, Luka," John sincerely said. "Nothing distracts from that."

"Then why do you think that your scars will bother me?" When John couldn't or
wouldn't answer him, Luka decided that maybe this was a time when John
needed to be handled gently. Like their first time. "Move to the middle of the bed
and roll over on your stomach."

John wanted to ask Luka why he wanted him to do that, but the thought that his
scars would be hidden had great appeal, so John quickly obeyed. John heard the
night stand drawer open and close, then he felt Luka lightly straddle him, shortly
followed by the feel of Luka's strong hands on his shoulders. The smell of the
massage oil reached his nose and John took a deep breath, finding the scent relaxing.
When Luka's hands left his skin, John knew that he was pouring the oil into one
hand, intending to warm it before beginning the massage. Just as Luka had done
their first time together. Although the oil wasn't introduced until much later in their
lovemaking.

A soft kiss was planted between his shoulder blades and John heard Luka ask him
if he liked that.

"Yes. It's nice. Very nice," he replied.

"Then you'll like this, too," Luka said. As his hands kneaded John's shoulders, Luka's
lips were making their way down John's spine. Luka carefully shifted his body lower,
moving his hands down John's back as he made his way down to John's thighs, ever
mindful that he couldn't put any weight on John's back or hips. He wanted to pay
extra attention to the reminders of the stabbing - the lesser of John's scars, but Luka
knew that to call attention to them would be too much of a reminder of the attack for
John. So, he ignored them much the same way that John did. Instead, he gently
pushed John's legs apart, a smile lighting up his face when John willingly parted them
even further. Luka had wanted to recreate their first time together and it was apparent
that John remembered that day as well. Luka gently kissed the silky skin of John's
inner thigh, his erection beginning to throb as John's moans reached his ears. Luka
decided to ignore his own discomfort for now so he could concentrate on showing
John just how much he missed all of his body.

Thinking about their first time made Luka realize just how much John had changed
over the past months. That day, he had been skittish, his touches halting. Definitely
uncertain. Now though, John was much more at ease, with Luka and with himself.
There was definitely no risk that John would bolt from the bed in fear, and his
touches were never faltering. Instead they were sure and gentle. John had discovered
what Luka liked and made sure that he did all he could to please him. Which only
made Luka want even more to please John.

John's hands clenched the sheet and blanket as he felt Luka plant butterfly kisses on
his thighs. If he remembered their first time correctly, then the next place that Luka
kissed would be far more intimate than his thighs. And far more exciting. John had
been rimmed before he ever met Luka. His girlfriends were nothing if not inventive.
Yet, having Luka touch him that way had been far more exciting than it had ever felt
with a woman. At first, John had thought it was just the novelty of having a man do
that to him. But, after Luka went even further than just licking, on more than one
occasion, John knew that the thrill came from the fact that it just felt good and was
being done by Luka. Luka's willingness to please him like that had made John bold
enough to return the favor. And from the sounds he had gotten from Luka as he
imitated what he had done, John knew he had learnt well. As much as it had
pleasantly surprised him to find that Luka liked being rimmed, and entered, John
had been even more surprised by how much he loved both acts. There were many
nights when they were snuggled in a post-coital bliss, playfully arguing about which
one of them liked being taken the most, and which liked performing oral sex best,
which liked receiving it best, which one liked being the taker, and so on. It was very
rare when a love-making session consisted of only one of them being on the bottom,
or sucked. Sometimes it happened, but not often.

John cried out loud as his pleasant thoughts were interrupted by the intrusion of
Luka's tongue into his body. He couldn't keep his body from responding as his hips
pushed backward, wanting even more contact with Luka's mouth. And Luka obliged
him eagerly. Just as he had their first time. John remembered feeling slightly ashamed
of himself for reacting that way to Luka, but when he realized that his reaction turned
Luka on even more, it served to inflame his arousal.

Just like now.

John's hips left the bed as a slick finger joined Luka's tongue. "Yes, Luka," he called
out, his voice breaking. Then strong hands gently rolled him over, grabbed his ankles
and pulled his body until the edge of his butt was even with the side of the bed. John
stared at the ceiling, not sure what to expect next. Their first time had happened with
him on his stomach, not on his back. His breath caught as he felt Luka's mouth on his
once more erect penis. It felt so good to be engulfed in that talented mouth. That
mouth that didn't care that it was kissing damaged goods as Luka kissed his way up
John's stomach to his chest, then unmercifully attacked his nipples, using his fingers on
one while his lips and teeth were busy with the other. At times like these, John wished
he had more than two nipples. Four or six would be nice. Of course, then Luka would
need more hands. And that would be even better, he thought with a contented sigh.
He ran his hands through Luka's hair, glad it was long enough for him to hold and play
with. He kept his hands there as Luka kissed his way back down his body, but he lost
contact with him when Luka lifted his legs and planted a kiss under his scrotum.

Luka got to his feet and grabbed a condom. "Are you ready?" he huskily asked. He
really didn't think he was going to hold out as long as he wanted, but it wouldn't
matter. He had to be inside of John now.

John nodded, then closed his eyes as he felt the tip of Luka's penis press against him.
He willed himself to relax and then the rest of Luka sank into him, joining them. Once
inside, Luka was still and John flexed his sphincter muscles, smiling when that made
Luka gasp.

"You'll make me come before I ever get started," Luka said.

"Then start already," John urged. He opened his eyes and smiled up at Luka, giving
him as much non-verbal encouragement as he could manage. And Luka took it. He
began to move slowly, but he couldn't handle that pace. John could sense Luka's need
for release and he moved quickly with him, urging him on verbally as his own hand
found his hard penis and he sought his own release for a second time that day. When
they climaxed, it was together, and Luka was giddy with laughter as he pulled out.

"Next time will be much slower, I promise you," he gasped as he placed kisses all
over John's face.

"I'll hold you to that promise, but I didn't see anything wrong with this time," John told
him. "It was great."

"I'll be right back." Luka disappeared into the bathroom to discard the condom and
get a washcloth to clean John. He felt slightly guilty that John had to use his own
hand, but he had been so caught up in how good it felt to once more be in John
that he hadn't given any thought to John's arousal. As he exited the bathroom,
he paused, letting his gaze linger on John. John was still in the same position on the
bed, his eyes closed and arms flung out from his body, his legs still spread wide.
Luka felt his chest constrict as he reminded himself that the body before him was
all his.

Luka was so caught up in watching John that he didn't notice that John was now
staring at him.

"You look beautiful standing there," John said. He knew he would never tire of
looking at Luka, although there were times when he questioned why it was that
Luka had chosen him. Not that he minded being chosen. Nope, not one bit.

"Thank you," Luka walked over to the bed and slowly began to clean John's
belly. Satisfied with his handiwork, Luka continued to use the washcloth on
John's body, lightly skimming it over his skin.

"If you keep doing that, then we'll never get out of bed," John warned.

Luka grinned. "I can live with that, can you?"

"It's not a problem," John grinned back.

As Luka toyed with John's skin, he found himself remembering how surprised
he had been when, shortly after coming home from the hospital, John had asked
him if he wanted a blowjob. It wasn't John's offer of oral sex that had surprised
him, it was the words John had used. In the entire time he had known John,
Luka had never heard him use common words to describe anything. It wasn't
a cock, it was a penis. They weren't balls, they were testicles. It wasn't a blowjob,
it was oral sex. Luka had found himself amused at John's vocabulary, knowing it
was a result of his upper-class upbringing. But, there were times when saying
penis just didn't sound right. Luka had often thought of trying to speak to John
about their "bedroom" talk, but the time had never been right. Maybe now would
be a good time, he thought. Yes, it certainly would be a good time to have that
conversation. Then again, maybe talking about it wouldn't get the results he wanted,
which, right now, were to hear John talking "dirty". Well, if John wouldn't say those
things in English, then maybe he would be willing to say them in another language.
Such as Croatian. Certainly John couldn't find any objections to saying certain
phrases in Croatian? "I think I should teach you Croatian," Luka said as he
lowered his head to taste John's skin.

"I've been told that I'm a fast learner," John said, then he gasped as he felt Luka's
tongue flitter over his anus.

"Repeat after me: vijak mene." Luka only removed his mouth long enough to speak,
then he returned his attentions to John's body.

John knew he had heard that phrase before. As a matter of fact, he had heard it not
that much earlier. It had been one of the things Luka had repeated when he was
taking Luka. John shook his head. "What does that mean?"

"Say it," Luka ordered, then he took John's scrotum into his mouth, gently sucking
on it.

"I don't think so. If you won't tell me what it means, then it must not be anything
nice," John was trying to keep level headed enough to reason with Luka, but the
things that Luka's tongue and lips were doing to him were making it hard - literally
- for him to think.

"Vijak mene. Say it." Luka ordered.

"No," John stubbornly replied.

Luka licked his way across John's perineum, then smiled as he felt John's entire
body shudder when his tongue claimed him. He could make John do as he wanted.

"If you don't say it, then I will never do this again," Luka vowed. To show John
just what he meant, Luka let his tongue slip into him.

"Never again, now? Or never again, ever?" John worriedly asked.

"Never again, ever. Say it, John."

John whimpered as Luka's tongue snaked in and out of his body. He loved this.
It drove him crazy when Luka touched him this way. Could he live with never
feeling this again? No. He couldn't. He wouldn't. He went over the phrase in his
mind, then said it.

"Not bad. Not quite right though. Vijak mene," Luka slowly said the words, then
he began to lap at John like a cat, liking the way that John's body was now
writhing.

"Vijak mene," John said. "Vijak mene."

Luka kept his tongue busy with John, but his hands were making quick work of
putting on another condom. He suddenly broke off his contact with John's skin,
grinning at John's sigh of displeasure and then his gasp of surprise as he slowly
entered him. "With pleasure."

"Vijak mene," John said again, very loudly this time, now knowing what it was t
hat Luka had him saying. It hadn't been all that long since Luka was last in him,
but it felt even better now than it had before. "Faster," he demanded as he raised
his hips to meet Luka. Much to his chagrin, Luka only slowed his movements.
"Didn't you hear me? Faster, Luka."

"I heard you just fine. But, I'm not going faster. I want to make this last long.
Very long." With that, Luka bent nearly double so he could capture one of John's
nipples into his mouth. He immediately felt John's hands on his head, holding him
in place.

"Don't stop," John nearly whimpered.

"I don't intend to stop," Luka said as he switched to the other side of John's chest.
It thrilled him to have John writhing under him, and knowing that he was making
John feel this good made Luka feel as if all the heartache in his life had been
worthwhile as long as it led to this place in time. Luka straightened, letting his hands
trail down John's body until he had them full of John's penis and testicles. He could
tell by the way that John was moving his hips now that John wanted him to make
him come, but he had no intention of doing that just yet. When John came, it would
happen because of what Luka was doing to him with his mouth and not because of
what he was doing with him with his hands.

John whimpered once more as Luka's hands left his throbbing erection and settled
on his hips. "Luka, please?" he begged.

"Not yet. Say this: sisanje mene od."

"Sisanje mene od," John shouted, not caring if he had the right pronunciation, or
even what he was saying.

Luka grinned. "Good. I will. Soon." His desire to keep the pace slow was being
sorely tested by his body's desire to reach completion.

And John's movements weren't helping his determination one bit. Finally, he threw
his plans aside and suddenly increased both the speed and the length of his strokes,
making John cry out in pleasure.

"God," John gasped. "Vijak mene. Faster. Harder. Damn." John moaned as
pleasure arced its way up his body. If he died right then, he knew he would die
completely happy. Nothing else in the world mattered to him more than what was
happening to him and the man who was making it happen.

"I love you," John managed to say.

Luka was too caught up in his own desires to be able to respond to that. He cried
out, his grip on John's hips tightening as his semen filled the condom in long bursts.
He was mildly surprised as how much there was since it had not been all that long
since his last orgasm. He quickly pulled out and removed the condom, then grabbed
a fresh one. As he rolled it onto John, his mouth followed his fingers and he had all
of John in his mouth, determined to honor his vow to do what John had asked
moments earlier. He started out by slowly massaging John's member with his lips
and tongue, until he knew that neither of them could take any more. Then he began
to work on John in earnest, bringing him to an almost violent orgasm that left John
breathless. As he had so many times, Luka regretted the fact that he couldn't taste
John. He wanted that so much. Wanted to literally consume him. But, they had
always practiced safe sex, with the exception of the time John brought him off in the
shower, and Luka had vowed to never let happen again. He felt slightly jealous of
that - John knew how he tasted. Luka hurried to discard the condoms, then returned
to the bed.

John was still sprawled in the same place, too spent to move. His eyelids were heavy
and Luka knew that John would soon be asleep. He helped John to his side of the
bed, then curled himself around John's body as he pulled the covers up over the both
of them.

"JA ljubav te," Luka said. "I love you."

"JA ljubav te," John sleepily repeated. "I can learn that easily enough."

"Just watch when and where you say those other things. I don't want to see you
getting slapped or taken advantage of," Luka warned.

"You shouldn't teach me phrases and not tell me what they mean, you know. How
am I supposed to know what I'm saying?" John asked with a smile.

"You know what you said," Luka kissed his cheek. "Don't try to pretend any
different."

"I think I know what I said, but I don't know for sure."

"Then what did you think you said to me?" Luka's fingers were lazily drawing
patterns over John's chest and stomach.

"You know," John didn't want to actually say those things out loud. He knew
that his grandmother would be mortified if she thought he was capable of saying
those things. He had been brought up better than that.

Luka chuckled. "You'll never change, will you? Sometimes, talking dirty can be
a real turn-on."

"Did it turn you on?"

"Most definitely. I would love to hear you saying those things to me more often."

John smiled. "I'll try to remember them then."

Luka's hand had now wandered up to John's neck and he was playing with the chain
and cross. "You look stunning wearing only this."

"You need to have your eyes checked," John flippantly replied.

"Would you stop that?" Luka didn't try to hide the hurt and exasperation in his
voice. "Why do you keep putting yourself down? And me, too, for that matter?
Every time you denigrate yourself, you make me look like a fool for loving you. I
am not a fool, John. Don't ever think that."

"I didn't mean that and you know it. I'm sorry."

Luka could tell by the look in John's eyes that he sincerely meant that apology.
"I'm sorry for being so thinned skin about it. I know that you can't help it if you
have a typical American hang-up about your body. It's the fault of your Puritanical
upbringing."

John's eyes flashed and Luka knew he had said something wrong. "I get tired of
having you put down America, you know. Our beer isn't as good, our higher
education system cheats everyone, we're uptight, we're too liberal, we're not liberal
enough. We complain too much, we accept too much without question. We're a
baby country and have no history. Well, if America is that bad, then why in the
Hell did you come here?"

"Whoa! I give up. I'm sorry this time. You're right, I'm too critical of your country.
Of my new country. I do make unfair comparisons between Croatia and the rest of
Europe and here. I shouldn't. I'm very glad that I came to America because I found
you. I would never change that, John."

"Tell me again that you love me. In Croatian."

"JA ljubav te. JA potreba te," Luka firmly said, his hazel eyes locked on John's brown
ones. "I love you. I need you."

"I need you, too. Don't ever leave me, Luka. Promise me that you'll never leave me."
John wrapped his arms around Luka, holding him tight.

"I promise. I'll never leave you." Luka assured him right before kissing him with all
his heart.

They lay there quietly, just holding each other. After a few minutes, Luka could feel
the even rhythm of John's breathing and he knew he was asleep. He was ready to go
back to sleep himself, but a rumbling from his stomach reminded him that he had
another hunger that needed to be sated. He carefully got out of bed, not wanting to
awaken John. Then he hurried into the kitchen to have a quick bite to eat. Five
minutes later he was back in bed with John, holding him close once more. If only he
didn't have to go to work later, he thought, then the day would be truly perfect.


End of Part Eight.

Translations (for those who weren't able to figure out what they were saying to each
other):

vijak mene
Screw me

JA ljubav te
I love you

JA potreba te
I need you

Sisanje mene od
Suck me off