Mark Sloan yawned, then closed his locker. It had been a long
shift at the hospital and an even longer week, so he was looking
forward to heading home for a good night's sleep.

It had been the hottest week in years and they'd had the cases to
prove it. A near endless stream of heatstroke, sunstroke,
respiratory problems and more had come through the doors of
Community General's ER department. That, combined with three
doctors out on sick leave, had left everyone working extra
shifts.

He headed for the staff room, intending to grab a cup of coffee
to keep him awake long enough to make it home in one piece, and
was surprised to find his prot‚g‚, Jesse Travis, face down at a
table, sound asleep. Mark winced at the angle of the young man's
neck, then glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Jesse," he said softly, shaking the sleeping doctor's shoulder.
"Your shift ended nearly an hour ago. You should be at home. In
bed."

Jesse moaned and shifted slightly. "Tired," he mumbled, then was
asleep again.

Mark considered the problem while he drank his coffee. Jesse had
been working even longer than he had and it showed. Certainly,
the young doctor couldn't be trusted to get himself home, even if
a cab was called for him. And knowing Jesse, he wouldn't sleep
long enough before a sense of duty had him running to check on
BBQ Bob's, the restaurant he co-owned with Mark and his son.

In fact, Mark knew of only one way to make sure that Jesse would
get the rest he so desperately needed, and that was to take the
young man home and see to it personally.

Decision made, he rinsed out his mug and put it on the drying
rack, then went to shake Jesse's shoulder again. "Jesse, you need
to get up," he said gently.

"Nuh-uh," was the mumbled reply, making him smile fondly. Jesse
sounded like a little boy when he was tired, younger than his
years.

Not giving up, Mark grabbed Jesse under the arms and physically
hauled the man to his feet. His back didn't like it much, but it
was the only way. Then he guided him towards the door.

Jesse didn't fight him, but he never opened his eyes and Mark
wasn't sure that he even really woke up enough to be aware of his
surroundings before Mark eased him into the passenger's seat of
his car and buckled him in. After that, he was completely dead to
the world again.

Chuckling softly, Mark climbed behind the wheel and put the car
into motion.

* * * * *

Jesse was *still* out of it by the time Mark pulled into the
driveway. Mark got out, headed around to the other side of the
car and opened the door. "Jesse," he said. "We're home. Time to
go to bed."

This time, with the promise of bed, it took less effort to get
Jesse upright and moving towards the door. Mark leaned him
against the wall while he used his keys to unlock the door. Then
he steered the young man inside.

Mark headed for the stairs that led down to Steve's rooms, and
for the first time, Jesse opened his eyes, blinked and looked
around. "Not home?" he said, sounding a little confused.

"Yes home," Mark said. And it *was* home. His home, to be
precise.

Jesse frowned. He could see the young man returning to alertness.
"Um, is there something wrong with my place?" he asked.

"Nope."

"Then why am I here?"

"Because," Mark said, "if you sleep here, I'll *know* you've
gotten enough rest."

"You don't trust me?"

Mark considered the wounded expression for a moment, but wasn't
blind to the amusement twinkling in the back of those still
sleepy eyes. "In this? Not for a second."

Jesse smiled wryly. "Busted," he said, then raised a hand to
cover the huge yawn that he couldn't quite suppress.

"Enough," Mark said, yawning himself. "Let's get you into a bed
before you fall over."

Jesse was halfway down the stairs before he protested again. "I
can't sleep down here," he said, stopping suddenly.

"Why not?" Mark asked patiently.

"Because this is Steve's place."

"He won't mind. I'm sure."

Jesse rolled his eyes. "Then where is *he* going to sleep?"

Mark gave him a tiny push to get him moving again. "If you
weren't so tired, you'd remember that he was loaned to the feds
for a case in San Francisco. He won't be home until next week."
And as he recalled, Steve'd had some pretty caustic things to say
about that, the feds and his Captain as he'd packed his bags.

"Oh. Right."

They'd finally reached the bedroom and Mark was relieved to find
wasn't in too bad of shape. Steve had cleaned and it even looked
as if he'd changed the sheets on the bed before leaving.

Jesse sat down on the edge of the bed and started to fumble with
the laces of his shoes. When the first one hit the floor, Mark
decided that Jesse could handle the rest on his own and went in
search of his *own* bed. After all, Jesse wasn't the only one who
was exhausted.

* * * * *

Jesse's brief moment of wakefulness was fading fast as he
undressed. He couldn't remember *ever* being this tired before,
even back during his university days when all-night study
sessions had been the norm.

When the last of his clothes were dumped in an untidy pile on the
floor, Jesse pulled back the covers and crawled into bed. This
was nice, he thought to himself. He hadn't had the time or energy
lately to wash clothes, clean his apartment or even make his own
bed.

The bed, though, was large and comfortable, with sheets that were
crisp, cool and clean. And as he dropped his head onto one of the
huge, fluffy pillows, he imagined that he could smell a hint of
Steve's favorite aftershave on them.

He fell asleep with a small smile on his face.

* * * * *

It was nearly midnight when the cab carrying Detective Steve
Sloan pulled up in front of the beach house that he shared with
his father. Unsurprisingly, the building was dark.

Steve got out of the air-conditioned car and immediately broke
into a sweat. Despite the late hour, it was so hot and muggy that
he had trouble breathing the thick air. The driver pulled his
suitcase out of the trunk of the car and he pulled out the money
for the fare, then waited while the driver printed out the
receipt for his expenses. In the meantime, Steve stifled the urge
to yawn. He hadn't slept in nearly forty hours and he just didn't
have the energy for it.

It had been nearly two weeks since his Captain had ordered him to
pack his bags when a case he was working on turned out to be tied
into a federal case, and if they hadn't caught a lucky break he'd
still be in San Francisco.

It hadn't really been *that* bad, though. Along with everything
else, he'd been acting as liaison between the feds and the local
cops. The head of the SFPD's Special Investigations Unit in
particular had been quite the character. Steve had gotten along
well with the man. The feds were a different matter, but then
they usually were. But he'd missed his home, his partner, his
father and his friends. Phone calls hadn't been enough, and
between his work and theirs, they'd been pretty damn sporadic.

But now he was home. He'd get a good night's sleep -- and day's,
at this point -- then an evening with the people he cared about.
Maybe dinner at BBQ Bob's. After than, he would be feeling more
like himself again.

Steve unlocked the front door and went inside. He dropped his
suitcase next to the door, then his jacket and holster -- not
very secure he knew but he was too tired to care -- on the sofa
and headed for the kitchen.

The fridge was surprisingly bare for the Sloan household. Things
must have been really hectic if his father, the original health
nut, hadn't found the time to buy groceries. Steve grabbed the
jug of orange juice and shut the door. A moment later, the now-
empty jug was sitting on the kitchen counter and he was headed
for bed.

He didn't bother turning on the lights when he got to his own
space. There wasn't much point since they would just need to be
turned off again within minutes. Instead, he stripped down to
skin in the dark, and crawled into his oh-so-welcoming bed.

He closed his eyes with a happy smile, pulled the other body
close and went to sleep.

* * * * *

It was nearly noon by the time Mark woke. It left him with barely
enough time to shower and dress before heading back to Community
General for his next shift. He felt better for the night's sleep,
but was very, very glad that he was up for two days off after
this shift. He'd finally have the chance to do some of the
housework and shopping that he'd let slip.

Jesse, on the other hand, was off until the next day. He planned
to check that the young man was still asleep, then leave a note
telling him to make himself at home, assuming that he woke up at
all that day.

After showering and getting dressed in what were probably his
last clean clothes, all Mark needed was something to eat to make
him feel completely human. He headed for the kitchen, trying to
remember if there was *anything* edible left there.

Something tugged at his mind, though, setting him on edge as he
passed through the living room, but he put it down to lingering
fatigue. Then he stopped in the kitchen doorway, his forehead
furled in puzzlement. He could have sworn that he had a not quite
empty jug of orange juice in the fridge, but there was an empty
one sitting on the counter.

Oh well, he thought to himself. Maybe Jesse had woken up thirsty
in the night.

The bread in the keeper was only slightly stale, so Mark made
some toast and washed it down with the last of the milk.
Thankfully the milk was still a few days short of the best before
date.

Still, the cupboard was definitely bare. He grabbed the list he'd
been keeping from the fridge and checked it. He added a couple
more items, then tucked it into his pocket. There was an all-
night grocery he could stop at on his way home.

Note to Jesse written and posted on the refrigerator door, Mark
headed for the door. He was still hungry, but he decided to stop
on the way to the hospital.

Then he stopped in his tracks, finally noticing what had been
bothering him earlier. In the corner, near the door, was a
suitcase. A very *familiar* suitcase. One that should have still
been in San Francisco. Turning around slowly, he saw the jacket,
barely visible from his position on the sofa, and he grinned in
delight. Steve was home.

Then his grin faded again as he realized what that meant. Steve
was home, but he'd put Jesse to sleep in Steve's bed, so where
was Steve?

A check downstairs answered that question. Steve was in his bed.
With Jesse. And while that could be attributed to not wanting to
kick a friend out of bed in the middle of the night, the way they
were tightly entwined made Mark's eyebrows climb up towards his
hairline.

He shut the bedroom door softly, then tiptoed back upstairs
again. He could have woken them, suggested that Jesse take *his*
bed while he was at work, but there didn't seem to be much point.
They looked quite comfortable where they were.

But, he thought wickedly to himself as he locked the front door
behind him, he wished he could be there to see what happened when
they woke up. It would probably be... interesting, to say the
least.

* * * * *

Jesse drifted in that lovely place you went to when you were
waking up but still partly in the dream realm. He felt fully
rested for the first time in nearly two weeks and it was
wonderful. It also left him wondering just how they'd kept the
hospital emergency room running without any accidents due to
fatigue. On the other hand, they'd had no choice. Medical
emergencies didn't stop happening just because a few doctors got
sick. They had to keep going or shut down the hospital
altogether.

However, Richardson was supposed to be back that day and the
other two by the weekend, so life was finally going back to
normal.

Or at least what passed for normal at Community General.

Still not ready to open his eyes and admit to the world that he
was awake, Jessed turned over, then froze as he was pulled a
little closer to the large, warm body that was wrapped around
him. Eyes still shut, he frowned and tried to remember who might
be in bed with him.

He hadn't been seeing anyone regularly since breaking up with
Susan, one of the nurses at work and a prime example of why
dating co-workers wasn't a good idea. For that matter, though,
the last time he could remember being in bed with someone this
much larger than himself was university. Claire had been an
Amazon of a woman who could break him in two without working up a
sweat. He still missed her. As for Peter... Well, if Peter ever
turned up in his bed again, he'd kill the bastard with his bare
hands. Peter had been his last male lover and had dumped him in
the most unpleasant way possible, leaving nothing behind but a
lot of bad memories.

Jesse finally decided that there was only one way to find out
just who he'd ended up in bed with and cracked his eyes open.
Once they'd adjusted to the late afternoon light filling the
room, he opened them completely and found himself nose-to-nose --
or more nose-to-chin -- with Steve Sloan.

Now he was wide awake. He felt like he'd been drenched by a
bucket of ice-water. Now he remembered Mark bringing him home and
putting him to sleep in Steve's room. He *also* remembered Mark
telling him that Steve wasn't expected back for at least another
week. So why was Steve here and how did he get *out* of the bed
without embarrassing himself? Especially considering the fact
that he was naked, had a morning -- or afternoon -- erection and
a bladder that needed emptying, and fast.

Steve seemed pretty deeply asleep. There were dark circles under
his eyes and signs of strain on his face. He'd talked to Steve on
the phone a couple times while he was in San Francisco. While the
man hadn't been allowed to talk about any details, he'd sounded
frustrated by the case and even more so by the Feds he had to
work with.

Jesse reached up and used a finger to smooth the lines between
Steve's eyes, then froze when he realized what he'd just done.
Luckily, Steve didn't wake up. However, the lines did disappear.
The big guy sighed and smiled, then relaxed into an even deeper
sleep.

Taking that as his cue, Jesse started to wriggle away. It wasn't
that he minded his position: he'd forgotten how nice it could be
to be held by someone larger and stronger than himself, and it
was even better having Steve be that someone. Steve was his best
friend, and if he were honest about his attraction, hot as hell.

Unfortunately, he *really* needed to go to the bathroom. Steve,
however, didn't seem interested in letting go. He grumbled in his
sleep and clutched Jesse a little closer, letting the smaller man
know that he wasn't the only one with a morning erection. He
couldn't see it under the covers, but he could definitely feel it
pressed against his hip. It felt a little short, considering the
man's height, but thicker than average.

Jesse gasped as one of Steve's hands then the other moved down to
grab his ass. He was pulled even closer and Steve started to
knead his ass. Steve's hips were rolling in a lazy, sleepy motion
and he buried his nose in Jesse's hair.

"Jesse," he sighed happily.

Jesse jumped at the sound of his name coming from the sleeping
man. The sudden movement made Steve's hands stop their pleasant -
- and very arousing -- movements. "Jesse?" he said again, only
this time he sounded a little more awake.

"Yeah?"

Steve's eyes opened and he stared down at Jesse with an
expression of horrified shock that might have been hysterically
funny if the situation weren't so... critical. Jesse wanted to
reassure the man that everything was fine, but his bladder had
reached the point of imminent explosion. "Bathroom," he said in a
very strained voice. Steve immediately let go of him and he shot
out of the bed, heading for that blessed room at a run.

He made it just in time. He moaned in relief as he let loose with
a yellow stream that felt like it was never going to end. He
couldn't remember *ever* needing to go that bad. On the other
hand, a glance at the clock ticking on the window sill told him
that he'd been asleep for nearly twenty hours.

Finally, the stream slowed down and stopped. He gave himself a
shake to get rid of the last few drops, then realized that he'd
run into the bathroom still naked. He grabbed a towel off the rod
and wrapped it around his waist.

Not sure that he was ready to face Steve quite yet, he moved over
to the sink and washed his hands while he peered at his
reflection in the mirror. He still looked tired, he noted, but
not quite as bad as what he'd been waking up to for the last
week. He splashed some water on his face, then used a finger and
some of Steve's toothpaste to clean the worst of the fuzz from
his teeth.

That done though, he didn't have any excuse to stay where he was.
Sure, he could take a shower, but that wouldn't be fair to Steve.
The poor guy was swinging in the wind out there. So now what. Did
he go out there and pretend that nothing had happened?

Jesse stared at his reflection, considering that, then laughed.
Hell no! If there was any chance that Steve wanted him, he was
going to grab it. Suddenly it looked like the object of several
years of lustful fantasies wasn't quite as unattainable as he'd
thought. Assuming, of course, that what had just happened wasn't
just an aberration. Maybe Steve was just having a weird dream,
one that he would *never* consider acting on.

Nah, he wasn't going to think that. Sure, he might be about to
make a fool of himself, but hey, nothing ventured nothing gained.
The trick was to think positive. He straightened up, checked to
make sure that the towel wasn't going to fall off, at least not
before he *wanted* it to, and left the room. Time to talk to the
big guy.

He found Steve sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in
his hands. He'd pulled on a pair of sweatpants while Jesse was
gone and their clothes had been picked up and carefully hung over
the back of a chair.

"So," Jesse said, trying to sound casual. "I thought Mark said
you weren't going to be back for another week?"

"That's what I thought too, last time I talked to him, but we
caught a lucky break yesterday." He still hadn't looked up. The
guilty look was almost cute on him.

"Well, you certainly won't find me... us complaining. We missed
you," Jesse said brightly, trying to lighten the mood. He sat
down next to Steve, bouncing lightly as his butt impacted the
mattress, then leaned over to bump shoulders with the man. It was
something he'd done before, although not while mostly naked in
the man's bedroom, but this time Steve flinched.

"Jesse," Steve said, finally straightening up. "I am really,
*really* sorry. I had no right to... to..." He stopped and shook
his head. "I'm sorry."

Jesse rolled his eyes. Slightly guilty was cute, but a guilt trip
definitely was not. He'd only seen the other man on a guilt trip
a couple of times before. It wasn't a pretty sight. "Give me a
break," he said, putting a little acid in his voice. "You weren't
awake and I'm sure you had no reason to expect to wake up with me
in your bed. Heck, it wasn't exactly someplace I'd ever expected
to be, but your dad apparently doesn't trust me to look after
myself when I'm tired." He chuckled softly. "Actually, I like
having someone worry about me like that."

Of course, God only knew what Mark would think if he knew what
was going through Jesse's mind now. He scooted a little closer.
"But tell me, do you usually moan my name in your sleep?" He
waggled his eyebrows suggestively while inwardly praying for all
he was worth.

"Jesse..."

"Were you dreaming about me? Do you dream about me often?" Jesse
lowered his voice into a husky -- well, as husky as he could get
-- and seductive growl. Oh yes, he wanted to seduce Steve. Had
wanted to since the day they met. He'd just never been able to
work up the nerve to try before. Fatigue. It had to be the
fatigue that was making him do this, even if he *had* just slept
for most of a day.

"Jess..." This time the response was breathless. The sound was
making him so hard that he felt like he was going to explode, and
the look on Steve's face told him everything he needed to know.
He might be making a fool of himself, but neither one of them was
going to care.

"Do you dream about having me in your arms, naked and begging?
Begging to be touched? Begging to be sucked? Begging to be
fucked?" He moved to straddle Steve's lap, staring into his eyes.
Steve's hands came up and waved in the air for a moment before
coming to rest on his hips, holding him, not pushing him away.

"Jess..." This time it was more a moan than anything else, and
Steve's blue eyes had gone dark. Jesse grinned in satisfaction,
then grabbed the back on Steve's head to pull him into a hard
kiss.

Steve's mouth was open and he took full advantage of it,
exploring the man's mouth with gusto. He needed to brush his
teeth, but that was okay. It was still *Steve*, and he was
kissing Jesse back.

Finally, Steve got over his surprise. Jesse groaned as Steve
pulled him tight and took over. Finally, he pulled away, gasping
for breath, his fingers still tangled in the other man's hair.
"Well, I guess that answers that question."

"Yeah. Now the question is, do you?"

"Dream of you? Think of you? Ever since I came to Community
General and met you for the first time. Anyone ever tell you that
you are seriously hot?"

"Anyone tell you that you are seriously cute?" Steve shot back.

He laughed, a little rueful. "You know, one of these days I'd
like to be the one who's 'hot.'"

"Oh, don't worry. I think you're hot. *Seriously* hot. In fact,
you're so hot I could fry an egg on your hotness. You're so hot--
"

Jesse was laughing by this point. It was a nice feeling, laughing
with someone. Sure, he did it a lot with Steve and that was nice,
but it was even nicer when pressed chest to naked chest with the
man. "I'm so hot you should hose me down," he suggested, sitting
down hard on the man's lap, grinding himself against Steve's
erection.

Steve moaned, then grabbed his hips to stop his little lap-dance.
"You are asking for it, you know," he said, practically nose-to-
nose with Jesse.

"Yeah, I am," Jesse shot back. "So what do you plan on doing
about it?"

Steve grinned. "I'm going to give it to you."

A moment later, Jesse was flat on his back on the bed and his
towel was flying through the air. Steve was on top of him,
propped up on his elbows to keep from crushing him. The feel of
Steve's cock pressed against his, separated by only the thin
fabric of the man's sweatpants, was exhilarating, and Jesse
bucked up against him. The only thing that would feel better
would be if that well-worn barrier was gone.

"Get those off," he said harshly, reaching down to push the pants
down over Steve's hips. When he couldn't push any further, he
pinched the material between his toes and tried to pull them down
that way. It didn't work very well, but Steve finally started to
help, and the sweatpants quickly headed in the same direction
that the towel had gone before it.

Oh yes. *Definitely* better without the fabric interference.
Jesse's eyes almost rolled back in his head as Steve's cock slid
against his, a dribble of pre-cum keeping the friction to just
the right amount.

Then Steve was kissing him again, and if Jesse's hands hadn't
been busy he would have pinched himself. It was all starting to
seem too good to be true. Maybe he was still asleep, and this was
all a dream brought on by overwork and the heat.

Then Steve zigged while Jesse zagged, and their noses collided.
Hard.

"Ow!"

"Sorry."

Nope. Not a dream. His nose was throbbing too much for that.

That last little bit of worry taken care off, Jesse decided it
was time to stop thinking. Instead, he shifted to wrap one leg
around Steve's hip to pull the man even closer. Steve responded
with a sexy little sound that was half groan and half whimper,
then started humping even harder. Jesse responded with his own
growl and humped right back.

It was all so damned good that there wasn't any chance of it
lasting long. Every inch of skin felt like it was tingling, and
when climax came, it started at his toes and his hair, then
worked its way from each end towards the center of his body.
There, it all came together in what had to be the mother of all
orgasms.

Dazed and completely limp, Jesse just lay there as Steve worked
to his own orgasm. He wanted to help out, but he couldn't move to
save his life. Instead, he lay there, twitching with every thrust
from above, basking in the warm after-glow, until there was a
gush against his groin and Steve's weight dropped fully on him.

A moment later, Steve rolled off of him, allowing Jesse the
luxury of breathing. A corner of the sheets scrubbed against his
still-sensitive flesh, cleaning away the fluids of two orgasms
from his groin. Again, Jesse wanted to do something to help, but
when he tried to move even a little bit, it was like his body was
made of lead.

"You alright?" Steve asked, his voice sounding a little foggy
too. His task finished, he collapsed next to Jesse.

"Oh, yeah," Jesse breathed, halfway asleep. Twenty hours of sleep
obviously wasn't enough, since one orgasm was enough to knock him
out again. In fact, his eyes were already shut, and he felt like
he was floating on air.

"Good," Steve said, yawning. Then he tugged Jesse closer and
wrapped his arms around him.

"Yeah," Jesse whispered. He snuggled a little closer and gave up
the fight to stay awake.

* * * * *

When Mark got home, he was nearly as exhausted as he had been the
night before. The only thing that had kept him going was the
knowledge that the staff was back to full strength and that he
had a whole weekend off. That thought had buoyed him through the
drive home and the stop at the grocery on the way.

It took him nearly ten minutes to unload the groceries and put
them away. For the first time in weeks, the kitchen was fully
stocked. The house was silent. Steve and Jesse had probably woken
up and gone out to their restaurant for dinner. However, Steve's
suitcase was still sitting in the living room.

Mark considered the battered piece of luggage. Then he shrugged
and picked it up. He would take it downstairs and put it into
Steve's room before he headed to bed.

The door to the bedroom was slightly ajar. He pushed it open and
leaned in to set the suitcase on the floor against the wall. Then
he heard a soft snore and froze.

He turned his head and blinked in surprise. It seemed that Steve
and Jesse *hadn't* gone out after all. In fact, they were in bed,
curled around each other exactly the way they'd been when he'd
left that morning. He could almost believe that they'd slept the
entire day if it weren't for the heavy smell of sex in the air.
Now *that* was a surprise. He hadn't realized that Steve was
attracted to men.

Then an unexpected movement broke him out of his surprised daze.
Steve's eyes were opened and he was watching him with a sleepy
but worried expression. Mark didn't miss the way Steve's arms
tightened protectively around Jesse. Nor did he miss how Jesse
mumbled in his sleep and moved closer to Steve.

The smile was threatening to split Mark's face in two. He raised
a finger to his lips, then waved at Steve. His son's expression
relaxed, then his eyes closed again.

Mark backed out of the room and closed the door behind, careful
not to make a sound. He tiptoed up the stairs before allowing the
chuckles to bubble out of him. That morning he'd been thinking
that he wanted to see their faces when they woke up and realized
that they were in bed together. Now he was glad he hadn't.

But he was happy with the results, even if he was more than a
little surprised. Jesse had been like a son to him since his
arrival at Community General. And now... now he would be more
like a son-in-law!

Mark laughed. He headed for the kitchen to start making dinner.
His boys would be hungry when they woke up.

THE END