As the World Turns was over. 

Just fifteen minutes ago, Van and he had finished filming their final scene as Luke and Noah. The day had been positive in some aspects, as Luke and Noah finally got their happy ending with a commitment ceremony at the Snyder farm, but it was bittersweet too, as Jake had known this would be the last time he'd ever get to act with Van. Acting with Van had been the highlight of his performing career; Jake had known that Van would have his back when he disagreed with a director about Noah's motivations in a scene. When he was having a bad day, Van would totally support him. Of course he would turn around and kick him in the ass when he wasn't pulling his weight in a scene, but he'd praise him too when he succeeded in pulling off a difficult emotional reaction. Jake knew it was rare for actors to find such a strong rapport on the job, but Van and he had also found a deep friendship outside of work. They'd had that connection since the first day they'd worked together, and now it was ending. 

Once again, Jake surveyed the room. It looked bare; no posters or stolen street signs adorned the walls anymore. All their personal belongings had long since been taken away and seeing everything stripped down made Jake feel a wave of loneliness he hadn't felt since he'd left his parents' house to move into his own place. Although they'd known this day was coming for over six months, it still didn't seem possible that a soap opera institution was going off the air. This studio had been his home for over three years. The cast had been his second family and Van his best friend.

The only two pieces of furniture left in the room were a daybed and a desk. Jake fondly remembered dragging the daybed up the elevator and down the hallway with Van when he was doing Die Mommie Die, so Van could nap during breaks while working on both shows. The look on the security guard's face in the lobby of the studio had been priceless as they had pushed the already assembled monstrosity past him. Jon Hensley had teased them relentlessly about how were they going to "break in the bed" and "if they needed any sex tips not to call...Billy." Billy, who really should've expected the teasing, being the new guy on the set, retaliated by gluing pictures from the Kama Sutra all over Jon's dressing room door.  

That was how The Great Prank War of 2007 had started. Of course it ended abruptly two weeks later when Jon's wife, Kelley caught Billy and Jake sending Jon penis enlargement e-mail ads from Billy's laptop. She dragged them down to Jon's dressing room and lectured them all on their childish behavior, then made them pull down all but one of the Kama Sutra pictures. (The Milk and Water Embrace illustration she kept for herself.)  

Van, who'd been filming a scene with Martha, caught the tail end of the drama -- and thereby missing being reamed out by Kelley -- laughed so hard he'd fallen down in the hallway. Jake, Billy, and Jon slunk back to their respective dressing rooms to hide their shame in private, while Van had gone to find Marnie and tell her all the gory details, which led to a week of teasing from the rest of the cast. Jake wanted to kill Van for a while after that, but when Van brought over Chinese take-out and a movie to his apartment as an apology, Jake forgave him. He never could stay mad at Van for long, especially when Mr. Chow's Sweet and Sour Shrimp was involved. 

Even after Die Mommie Die closed, the bed stayed. Jake remembered sitting extremely close together on the small daybed, because it hadn't been constructed for two six-foot-tall men, while reading comic books and eating popcorn, waiting to be called down to shoot a scene. It had also been the place where he'd cradled Van as he cried after Tyler and he broke up and the other man moved out of their apartment nearly a year ago.

Lately, it had been the place Jake had been trying to catch up on his sleep after flying in on the red eye from Los Angeles to New York every Wednesday to film a few days on ATWT, only to turn around late Sunday night and go back to L.A. and hit the audition circuit again. L.A. was a lot tougher acting market than New York. Jake had only landed two minor roles, one in a television show, the other in a Bruce Willis movie, in the six months he'd been out in L.A. So he'd been happy to come back to the soap, not only to wrap up the Luke and Noah storyline, but to pay his bills.  

The room had seen a lot of change over the years Jake had used it, let alone the four and a half Van had been here, and all the years and actors before them.

Suddenly Jake felt a presence behind him. Turning, he saw Van come into their room and close the door, sealing out the rest of the world.  

Walking over to him, Van put his hand on Jake's shoulder and asked, "You okay?" Concern laced his voice. 

All the loneliness and uncertainty Jake had been feeling earlier melded together in one upsurge of devouring yearning to hold Van one more time, here in this place where they had laughed, cried, and fought. 

Not answering, Jake pulled Van into a hug, his arms encircling the other man. The warmth was so male, so Van. His smell so earthy and welcoming. Jake instantly felt the pull of attraction so long denied. He moved closer, until not an inch was between them. Van responded by moving his hands so they came up to cup Jake's face. Van's dark brown eyes clung to his, analyzing his reaction. Obviously seeing what he wanted there, Van leaned in and took Jake's mouth in a gentle kiss. Jake drank in the sweetness of Van's kiss. It was a sweet, tender kiss. A kiss from one friend comforting another.

But Jake wanted more. He'd waited too long for this. He wanted fire, heat, and passion. He knew Van had it in him. He didn't want sweet, not today. Not when everything was ending.

He wanted Van to burn for him. He wanted Van to remember them. When all this was gone, he wanted this memory.

Pressing his lips against Van's, Jake traced his tongue across the seam, pushing inside to explore the recesses of Van's mouth. Van accepted the unspoken challenge and responded in kind, crushing Jake to him and moaning in pure pleasure. Jake explored every inch of that lush mouth, teasing the tongue, sucking gently against the lower lip. Their kisses sent the pit of his stomach into a wild swirl of want and need. Knowing this would be his only chance to ever touch Van like this in their special place, Jake took every advantage. He let his hands travel everywhere, trailing through Van's blond hair, caressing his shoulder, slipping downward and under Van's shirt to caress bare skin. Stroking softly, his thumb found and fondled a taut nipple, and Van shivered in delight.

Very slowly Jake moved his hand down from Van's chest to his jeans and felt Van's erection. He rubbed Van's dick through the rough cotton, squeezing gently but firmly, not to bring the other man off but to drive him into a frenzy of desire. It seemed to be working, as Van panted in his ear, "Jake. Fuck. So good."

He wanted more than to rub Van off through his clothes to serve as a reminder of their years together on the show, so quickly undoing the metal buttons on Van's jeans, Jake moved his hand into the slit of Van's briefs and gripped Van's cock. Sliding his hand up and down the thick shaft, he stopped only to trace his thumb around the crown, repeating the motion until Van was bucking against his hand. The feel of Van's cock in his hand was exhilarating. His own groin was throbbing now, but he wanted Van to come first.

Jake removed his hand from inside his co-star's pants and quickly pulled off Van's clothes, flinging the garments onto the floor. Now he had free access to his lover's beautiful, nude body. Gently he eased Van onto a sitting position on the daybed and knelt before him. Returning his hand to Van's swollen cock, Jake was rewarded with deep moan of appreciation. Soon though, Jake replaced his hand with his eager mouth.

Van slid forward on the bed and reached down to touch Jake's head, signaling him to stop. Jake pulled off and looked up at Van, curious. "Let me try this," Van said, draping his long legs over Jake's shoulders. Jake responded by exploring Van's thighs with his tongue, then moving over to capture his cock once again. Jake continued to grip the base, sucking on the head and using his tongue to tease the sensitive vein on the underside. Van's taste was rapidly becoming addictive.

Jake continued to torment Van, teasing him with gentle touches to his hole while continuing to suck him. The extra stimulation made Van shake and beg Jake, "Fuck me. Please, fuck me!"

They didn't have any lube, so Jake couldn't accommodate Van's request, but he could make him come. Never taking his mouth off Van's cock, Jake slid his hands under Van's ass, grabbing both cheeks hard. This new position pushed Van's penis further into his mouth, and Jake hummed his approval. Wetting his index finger, Jake returned to probe Van's asshole, this time with a purpose. Pushing his long finger into Van's tight opening, he searched out and found his lover's hot spot, stroking it as Van flailed across the bed uncontrollably, his body dying for release. Jake continued to deep throat and finger Van, until he was a screaming, squirming, writhing mess, yelling out Jake's name as he finally climaxed.

Jake didn't have time to react; he just swallowed Van's come until there was none left. Licking his lips, he removed his mouth from Van's softening cock and rested his head tenderly against Van's still quivering stomach, his own hard-on throbbing in his jeans, waiting for reciprocation.

He watched as Van collapsed back against the bed, announcing hoarsely, "Are you trying to kill me, Silbermann?"

"Maybe?" Jake replied into Van's bellybutton.