Ambushed - A Half-Life 2 story

Ambushed

A Half-Life 2 story

Disclaimer: This story is purely fictional. All credit goes to Valve for creating their wonderful game, including all characters used by me (Barney Calhoun, Gordon Freeman).

The sun rose and slowly touched the treetops with rosy-golden light. The wooded valley around the rebel base White Forest laid in deep silence. The ground fog increased noticeably within the last hours - covering a wide range meanwhile and still building up, absorbing every noise. A lonesome figure stood at the entrance to the base, hands buried deep inside the pockets of his thick jacket, head drawn between his shoulders. The waiting man went slowly back and forth, shivering in the cold, his breath flowing from his lips in visible clouds.

A thick, frosty white layer covered the old stone slabs and sparse clumps of grass to his feet, glittering in the early light. The rising sun still lacked the strength to thaw the hoarfrost, and his heavy boots scrunched the rough rime, leaving a small, brownish-wet path along the entry area.

It was early September and it was already severely cold; colder than all the years before. Ceasefire was prevalent between the Combine and the resistance for months now. It was a deceitful peace which could change to the opposite at any time...

Barney shuddered in the cold and looked over to the door in his back, slightly frowning. Gordon was late. Punctuality had never been the doctor's strong point. The officer had been waiting twenty minutes for his best friend now. An eternity if one stood freezing outside and he longed to return to the warm, cozy bed.

He yawned and rubbed over his eyes and along his tired face. It didn't help to make him any more lucid though. But it was his fault for being so awfully sleepy right now. He simply should have gone to bed earlier last night. If it hadn't been for Alyx, arriving shortly after midnight with a bottle of hooch... turning their diverting evening almost into carousal...

Barney knew the horrible stuff first-hand already and held back conspicuously - while his friend totally underestimated the powerful concoction. And when the doctor noticed how strong the alcohol actually was, it was quite too late for him to stop. Even the knowledge of their today's mission wasn't able to hold him back any longer...

The officer moved his palm over his forehead and eyes again and yawned loudly and sustainedly this time. The memories of the last nights events were still fresh and he could hardly suppress the giggling rising up his throat at the thought of a dead drunk Gordon Freeman. He never ever witnessed his buddy so talkative and relaxed before. They had some wild, boozy nights at Black Mesa, too - but he couldn't remember the scientist being so uninhibited just like some hours ago.

Fortunately, Alyx was gone again when Barney took his friend to the bedroom. The redhead was considerably smaller and lacked the security guard's muscular frame. Therefore, it wasn't too much of a problem for the noticeably older, black-haired man bringing the doctor to his bed.

Barney closed his eyes for a second and pressed his jaws together, taking a deep breath. He still remembered those words - slurred with a heavy tongue – the moment Gordon lay down. And he remembered just as clearly how his buddy looked up to him while sprawling out on the mattress, reaching for him... until the physicist's hot, soft hand stroked along his cheek in spontaneous, deep affection.

The officer cleared his throat and tried to forget this last memory again... He had been completely taken by surprise with Gordon's action. Commonly, he simply would be shrugging off the unexpected and quite intimate caress, labeling it as inebriated foolery - if this strange expression wouldn't have been in those green eyes at the same time...

And with the scientist's deep gaze, his gentle touch turned into a lot more than just an expression of effusive liking between two friends.

A strange shiver tingled along Barney's back and he felt how the fine, dark hair prickled along his forearms. He blamed the cold, already seeping into his bones, for his impulsive physical reaction, now. But it was just a weak attempt to suppress this strangely pleasant and also slightly uneasy feeling triggered by his friend's loving behavior.

His train of thought derailed when the door behind him opened with a faint squeak and clicked shut after a moment. He turned round and looked at the picture of misery that stood in front of his eyes, leaning against the doorframe.

Gordon was pale and had dark circles under his red rimmed eyes. His face was swollen due to lack of sleep and the alcohol at the same time. He raised a hand with a still slightly sluggish movement, trying to protect his tired eyes from the daylight.

The officer struggled with himself to hold his features under control. But it was almost impossible for him to keep the broad grin at bay pulling so noticeably at his lips, now.

The scientist shuffled past him, quietly mumbling an inarticulate morning welcome and moved over to the waiting buggy. Barney shouldered the heavy rucksack and followed him to the small vehicle, checking the stock of ammunition once more, and stowed away their backpack, squeezing it into the small space behind their seats.

"Are you sure that you want to drive, Gordon? You don't look too well."

"Do we have aspirin, or any other painkillers?" the doctor mumbled with barely moving lips, and a small, tortured groan escaped his throat while placing both elbows on the steering wheel, burying his burning face in his palms for a second.

Barney bit his lips and grimaced with the futile attempt of restraining his laughter furthermore. When his friend turned his head and looked at him with tear-filled, blinking eyes almost squeezed shut; he wasn't able to control himself anymore and started to giggle quietly.

Gordon's features showed a weak, boyish grin, before he touched his forehead with a painful hiss and fumbled with the key, inserting it into the buggy's ignition lock.

"You know, your malicious joy will take terrible revenge, buddy," he only mumbled.

Barney still grinned. "You won't be able to take any action with your hangover any time soon."

"Don't feel too safe about that. The day has just begun..." Another sidelong glance. "I have much time to think up something really bad for you." He lightly wiggled his eyebrows.

His pal smirked broadly with amusement.

Gordon took his fingers off the ignition key and gave him a friendly stroke, hitting Barney's shoulder playfully with his fist.

The officer giggled only louder.

.oOo.

It took quite some time to cover the few miles from their base up to the hard-surfaced road on the other side of the forest. Gordon could drive hardly more than walking speed. Sometimes, trees, bushes and other obstacles appeared in the impenetrable, abominably haze more or less at the very last moment. The fog densed more and more, condensing on the vehicle, soaking their clothes. Drops ran down the doctor's H.E.V.-Suit and Barney's heavy Combine jacket. The physicist's reddish beard and eyebrows were damp. The auburn hair stuck to his forehead meanwhile and he wiped tiny droplets from his skin ever so often. Barney hardly felt any different. The cold and damp weather dampened his spirits. He got noticeably grumpy with every further cold drop running down the high collar of his jacket, soaking the pullover underneath and moistening his skin.

Everything was gray in gray. Even the slight chugging of the buggy's engine seemed muffled, somehow. It was spectrally quiet in their immediate surroundings. Only the noise of branches snapping and cracking below the small wheels could be heard, resounding almost unnaturally loud due to the deep silence.

The fallen leaves turned their path into a slippery course, making the small car lurching about. Some of the bigger hollows and bumps in the forest soil became difficult obstacles, now and could be passed only with quite an effort. The two men were fully absorbed with the slick route winding around tree-trunks and bushes. None of them thought of the last evening any more. Because of his blood alcohol level, Gordon had no more memory of what he did and said last night anyway. And Barney was too distracted now to think any longer of the flirtatious remarks whispered into his ear while taking the doctor to his bed.

.oOo.

They were glad and relieved when they finally reached the broad, asphalt road. The haze lay over the sea like a thick white layer hulking up like a cloudy wall, slightly rolling with a gentle breeze. The sun was nothing more than a white circle vaguely recognizable behind the clouds by now. Veils of mist drifted over the road and obstructed their view. It was hardly surprising that Barney and Gordon noticed the edged, dangerously looking towers just very late. The fog tore up for a moment, revealing the blue-black, ugly steel of several slim watch-towers, merely more than 40 yards away.

The doctor stepped on the brakes in an instant.

The two men exchanged a look before the security guard turned round in his seat and opened the buggy's built-in weapon box. Freeman looked around attentively and felt with his fingertips along the forearm piece of his H.E.V.-Suit. With a hardly audible clicking noise and a soft hissing the computer-controlled armor-plating came to life. The scientist's face twitched briefly when the analysis software registered his momentarily constitution and immediately injected a mix of different slight painkillers and stimulants into his bloodstream.

They got out of the car, carefully scanning their surroundings. Gordon saw from the corner of his eye how Barney took hold of the heavy IGun while he shoved a large-caliber revolver under his belt and armed himself with an additional shotgun.

They approached the flat, dark buildings along both sides of the street in a wide arc and watched out for the dark outlines of patrolling soldiers hidden within the fog. Both of them moved forward; slightly ducked and with deliberate, slow steps. Something crunched below their feet's now and then, but the leathery creaking of Barney's jacket and the hardly perceptible sums of Gordon's suit were the only audible noises around them. They listened vainly for the heavy steps of massively armored Combine. Strangely though, not even the treacherous communication signals, commonly exchanged between the cyborgs on their patrols, could be heard.

The whole outpost laid in dead silence.

The friends stopped at a sheltered projection on a wall and surveyed the surrounding area. The deep quiet around them made the barely perceptible noises of the H.E.V.-Suit almost disturbing and all too obvious.

"Man, your suits' buzzing drives me crazy," Barney whispered. "Can't you turn that annoying thing off for a while?"

"Astonishing how irritating total silence can be, eh?" Gordon breathed.

"Shall we part?" the officer asked and lowered his voice to a low murmuring. "This way, we could surprise them and clear two fronts at the same time."

When the scientist didn't raise any objections, he bent slightly into Gordon's path and added: "I'll take care of the storage shed to the right. You can search for the control room in the flat building to the left. Even if we haven't found an energy barrier till now, it wouldn't guarantee that there isn't one. And if we turn it off now, it saves us a lot of time searching for it later."

The doctor felt a slight tingling running over his skin when the warm breath of his buddy brushed his neck and cheek. He just listened to the velvety tone of Barney's voice and hardly noticed what it was the officer suggested and talked about.

Gordon tried in vain to shake off the pleasant feeling threatening to overcome him. He didn't want to, but he was unable to resist and turned his head slightly aside, looking at the security guard's face... the thick eyelashes, the prominent nose... his thoughtfully pursed, soft mouth.

Irritating warmth spread through all his limbs while scrutinizing the familiar profile. He looked away with a jerk, swallowing with a lump in his throat.

All of a sudden, Barney's attention focused on him and an intense blush made his face burning with embarrassment. He turned round hastily and moved to the left, approaching his target. He felt awkward with his almost fleeing retreat and just hoped that his friend wasn't aware of his musings and intense emotions somehow.

When he meant to be out of sight, the physicist stopped in his tracks. He lowered his shotgun and shoved the glasses up his nose. His gaze wandered around and he tried to concentrate on his surroundings alone, keeping his thoughts at bay. But he wasn't able to. His mind was still busy with his private matters. He knew that he should be alert and he was daydreaming instead...

His shoulders dropped and he sighed. Sometimes, he was so tired of the situation he was confronted with on a daily basis... Sometimes, he just wanted to be far, far away; away from the Combine, the ongoing war and everything else. He wanted to be alone, with no one but his friend keeping him company. Somewhere... at a peaceful, idyllic place – and just the two of them. And then...

Gordon snapped out of his thoughts.

He didn't dare conceptualize his desires in any specific ways. It worried him that his body and mind reacted to Barney's presence in puzzling ways as of lately. But that was a process which had come quite slowly, unnoticed and just gradually. But his feelings for the security guard had changed meanwhile. He didn't just felt a deep friendship and liking for him. There were a lot more feelings involved, now. He was aware of that at least for some time. But he stubbornly tried to suppress these emotions and persuaded himself that his affection was nothing else than a brief but intense infatuation. Something that would cease on its own again...

Barney still remained on the spot to look after his friend. He noticed Gordon's intense, sidelong glance from the corner of his eye, studying his appearance thoroughly. That the scientist developed such an interest in his closeness and his person in general felt a little off. Sometimes, he didn't know how he should react... with those looks aiming at him in such a puzzling way. Gordon's gaze was beyond the simple affection of a typical male bonding.

But - at the same time - he felt a pleasant tingling running down his back every time the doctor turned his attention towards him, looking him over with those mysterious green eyes. He didn't even dare to think about it; why he was torn between slightly confused uneasiness and a pleasurable goodwill at the same time.

He dismissed those puzzling thoughts and pulled himself together. He moved cautiously to the right and over to the storage shed. Barney stopped from time to time, looking around for his buddy, but he saw nothing more than rolling and drifting hazes by now, torn up by air swirls now and then. His view penetrated the fog just a couple of yards and the mist got even denser! The pale circle of the sun was completely hidden meanwhile and what began as ground fog had turned into wall-high, thick clouds of grayish white moisture now.

Being an experienced fighter for almost two decades had sharpened his senses, and his neck tingled with a sudden sense of foreboding. More than fifteen years of war with the Combine had left him slightly paranoid - but many so-called dangerous situations hadn't been more than figments. He tried to get a little calmer and composed again without letting his guard down at the same time.

The area seemed deserted and the checkpoint had been given up apparently months ago. But he knew that their enemy was cunning and malice, capable of lulling everyone into a false believe of safety - ambushing their foes quick as lightning. The whole place smelled like a trap... He was highly alert, now and suspiciously examined his surroundings.

Barney moved around a corner and almost ran into an APC quietly rusting away. He jumped with fright and stopped dead in his tracks. In the very first moment of shock, he meant to see bulky figures behind the steering wheel. Massive, armor-clad phantoms with bluish glowing synthetic eyes. He blinked hastily, and the vision was gone again – being just his imagination playing tricks on him.

He heaved a heavy sigh and continued his way to the opposite direction...

He didn't notice the human shape emerging from the deep shadows behind the vehicle, stepping up to him from behind. He didn't see the pipe piece within the slowly raising fist and how it aimed at his unprotected neck...

Gordon switched on the flashlight integrated into his suit the moment he crossed the threshold, illuminating the dark rooms. The light beam moved over dropped tables and chairs... Along debris and waste scattered everywhere... over empty ammunition boxes thrown away carelessly... along bashed-in monitors and havocked Combine-Technology. The bullet holes along the walls and doors, as well as the excessive amount of cartridge cases lying around everywhere, told about an intense, brutal fight that had taken place here, but there were no traces of blood or decaying remains of dead bodies. Either the Combine had removed the corpses, or the carcasses had been eaten by either animals or aliens... or the armed conflict happened so long ago that all organic leftovers were completely decomposed.

The scientist felt a strange prickling at his neck and swung around ever so often. He felt like being watched and pursued for a whole while already. However, the corridor behind him remained empty. He wasn't able to hear any noises apart from his own slow steps moving through the deserted building. With his silvery boot he pushed open the next door and ran the beam of light along the furniture. The door handle bumped into something and the door leaf swung back to him slowly again. He raised his weapon and stepped around the moving door, lighting up the niche. Gordon's watchful look focused on a battered filing cabinet, standing at an angle and partly moved away from the wall. The door seemed to have bumped into it, but the alcove itself was empty. He turned round with a small sigh.

A massive shadow left the cover behind the metal cabinet and reached him with a single step. The doctor meant to see the glittering of oculars from the corner of his eye, before something heavy collided with the back of his head.

.oOo.

A quiet groan reached Freeman's ears and this weak, painful sound made him aware of his surroundings again. He rolled around with a bit of difficulty and needed a while until he was able to straighten up. Still sitting on the small, uncomfortable cot, he looked around the little room.

His gaze fell onto rough, whitewashed walls. There weren't any windows. The only source of light came from the left, creating a strange pattern of stripes on the naked ground in front of his feet and up along the brickwork beside him. Gordon stared at the striped silhouette until it dawned to him that those patterns were nothing else than the shadow of bars. He looked over with a jerk and stared at the formerly whitely lacquered cell door to his left.

He got up in an instant and moved over to the lattice gate. The area on the other side of his detention cell was big and spacious. Even while standing directly in front of the door, the place couldn't be overlooked in all details. Since the whole place seemed to be windowless, the doctor assumed that he was in some kind of underground prison.

He rattled the bars tentatively. The welded iron structure was still stable and solid despite its condition. Even with the help of his protective armor he wouldn't be able to overcome this obstacle. There weren't any electronic locking mechanisms he could short-circuit somehow. ...No force fields... Whoever locked him in preferred the familiar but out-of-date technique of mechanical locks and simple keys.

The doctor sunk with a sigh against the door and his metal strengthened suit bumped into the bars with a slight clanking sound. The noise was answered with a rustling movement next to him. An old cot creaked loudly. Heavy boots scuffled over the ground beside him.

A quiet groan. "Gordon? Is that you?" an all too familiar voice whispered hoarsely.

"Barney?! Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, except for a nasty headache making me feel as if my brains turned into something like a pounding drum. Someone knocked me flat out."

"Just like me," the scientist grumbled. "Where are you, Barney?"

Gordon leant against the bars and shoved his arm through the iron rods, stretching his body as far as possible to the right. From the cell next to him an arm dressed in dark clothes appeared and a hand clad in a black leather glove felt around for his silvery shining fingers. They succeeded just barely with touching each other. Even stretching towards the friend hardly helped them bridge the distance between one another. They weren't able to do more than hardly touch their fingertips. After a moment, they realized their futile attempts of grasping each other's hand.

Gordon folded his arms with a sigh, deeply lost in thought. He looked aside after a moment and stared at the wall separating him from his buddy. The officer seemed to be all right although he probably had a goose egg from the blow that knocked him out.

He studied the problem as objectively and levelheaded as possible. Their awkward disposition challenged his keen mind. While searching for ideas and useable expedients, he got aware of noises getting louder and coming somehow closer. That distracted him from his brooding and he listened attentively - until he identified the source of noise as footsteps. He looked around from his position close to the door. Just moments later, someone entered the room and moved over to their cells at once.

Two men.

They were dressed in civil clothes – jeans and pullover – and, just because of this fact; they simply couldn't be Combine soldiers. But they weren't resistance members either....

He gave them a wary glance and watched them carefully. The strangers were almost equally tall. One was a very fair blonde, the other one dark blond. The tow-colored one moved over to Barney while the other one stepped in front of Gordon's door.

"We're sorry for causing such an inconvenience," he began and unlocked the scientist's cell. "We assumed that you two were Combine spies and we were forced to act fast and as effective as possible."

When the redhead hesitated and just stood there in the open door, the unknown guy looked at him invitingly and stepped slightly aside. "Come out, you're free," he said quietly.

Meanwhile, his pal released the officer from his detention booth. Barney wasn't so hesitant and immediately stepped forward. He turned round to his friend, and they looked at each other questioningly and puzzled at the same time.

"Can someone explain what's going on here?" He wanted to know and scratched his head in confusion. "Who are you? And did any of you observed who ambushed..."

"Well... err," the fair-haired man interrupted him. "We're truly sorry for that, but you shouldn't be running around with this MetroCop uniform. You scared the hell out of us," he added and handed his companion the door key.

"So you guys knocked us down," the security guard remarked with bewilderment and felt cautiously at the swelling at the back of his head.

"Well, just like Steve already said," the stranger justified himself. "We regarded you two as Combine. We thought that we were tracked down finally. Therefore, we didn't have any other choice but to overwhelm you."

"We locked you in here and ran through the databases and wanted posters to find out your identity. And when we finally knew who you really were... we came back immediately, letting you out," the dark blonde, Steve, explained. "We don't want to hold you prisoner here. This was only meant for our own protection."

"Well, Dr. Freeman... Sgt. Calhoun... you two can go any time and continue your way."

Gordon and Barney relaxed visibly. They examined the strangers more closely.

They seemed to be approximately at the same age. Their clothes were clean and in perfect condition; they seemed to be healthy and were in a fit, athletic condition. Their appearance was too neat and proper for a couple of bums simply traveling around and hiding in a secret shelter.

That fact aroused their curiosity even more: Who were those two guys actually – seemingly occupying an abandoned outpost?

The officer stopped short when he noticed a weak, silvery glimmer between their fuzzy haircuts. A marking, just partly concealed by strands of hair, drew itself along their temples and down to their left ears. He frowned and looked at the strange mark with growing interest - until he recognized the weird symbols as alien letters and numbers.

"You are Combine."

At his surprised observation, Steve simply pulled the hair back from along his forehead and the side of his face, showing them the full size and ugliness of his tattoo.

"You're right. Yeah... We were selected for the transformation to elite soldiers. We had to pass through a number of tests and were finally provided with this marking."

"And why aren't you cyborgs by now?" the doctor demanded.

"This is a longer story. Tom and I, we tell you about it, if you want to know. But why aren't you coming along at first? You two must be hungry..."

.oOo.

"What's your opinion about all this?" Gordon mumbled.

Barney shrugged and put his emptied plate aside. "Their tattoos are real. I saw those strange, silvery-blue marks too many times in the Overwatch's databases; they aren't fakes. And... even more important... who would mark himself deliberately with a Combine soldiers identification code? And why? But the only thing that lacks any further meaning for me, is, why those guys fled."

The doctor dropped his fork halfway to his mouth in astonishment. He raised his eyebrows and looked at his opposite questioning and baffled at once. "Deserters?! Among the Combine?! Now that's quite an idea..."

"Well... Steve and Tom are marked for cybernetic surgery. But they aren't elite soldiers and they aren't belonging to the regime in any other way. They seem to be refugees. Haven't you noticed how glad they were coming across us of all people? Anticitizen number one and his sidekick... If those two were true Combine, they would have killed or tortured us. Those guys actually smiled at us and seemed to be damn happy about our presence. My insight into human nature isn't the best though, but I trust my instincts. And my senses tell me that their behavior was honest. I didn't notice any deceit. No Combine would be able to smile in your face just like that while secretly wanting to murder you at the same time! Now you tell me that those guys aren't renegades..."

The physicist mulled over Barney's words, before he addressed him again.

"So this means, that the brainwashing at Civil Protection and Overwatch isn't as effective as we assumed," he thought aloud. "Those two were able to revolt and fled – and they can't be the only ones. Who knows how many rebel soldiers are hiding elsewhere on earth..."

The security guard crossed his arms in front of his chest and leant back on his chair. "You thought of the resistance, right?"

"Their inside information could be valuable for us", Gordon insisted. "And if all of them revolted and bucked the system just like these two... some of them would probably be deserting to our ranks. It's certainly worth to be considered..."

Barney was silent and looked thoughtfully into space. When he felt for the big lump at the back of his head again, the scientist mumbled: "How bad is it? Do you still have headaches? Any visual problems, like a blurred or a double vision? Nausea?"

"Nope. It's not that bad," the officer merely said. "It's quite a bump from the blow but that isn't knocking me off my feet."

The door behind them opened. The two Combine came in. Both had dripping wet, tousled hair; their faces damp and reddened from a downpour and the cold wind.

"A powerful storm front approaches from the south," Tom announced and picked a wilted leaf from this sleeve before he wrung out the collar and bands of his pullover soaked with rain water. "We parked your buggy inside the bunker, just to be on the safe side."

"How bad is it going to be," Gordon asked. "We're on a mission and if we cannot get away from here..."

"You won't be able for the time being, I am afraid," Steve answered. "We are living here for more than a year, now and such hurricanes are haunting this area from time to time. In spring and fall, we're plagued with storm tides, too. And what's building up there outside is alarming, this time."

"You can use our radio equipment if you want. You can send a message, letting your friends know about what happened. I can give you a secret frequency and also the access code to our scrambler. This way, Overwatch wouldn't be able to intercept or record your transmission. Just in case that you don't trust us and want to keep the position of your base a secret," Tom suggested.

Barney nodded. "Fine. I'm giving word to Alyx, and..."

"I will do it," the redhead interrupted him and rose. "And you get some medication for your injury," he said with a serious look while pointing at his friend.

.oOo.

When Gordon and Tom had disappeared, Steve cleared up the table and took the empty plates away. He moved over to one of the wall cupboards, took a tablet stripe and filled a glass with fresh water.

"You've taken a great risk with your fake duty at Civil Protection. How long have you done this... pretending to be part of the system?"

"Eight years."

Steve whistled quietly and pushed two pills out of the silver packing. "That's one damn long time for an undercover agent. ... You can count yourself lucky that no one ever saw through your dangerous game..."

Barney washed down the tablets with a large drink of water. "I did what was necessary", he answered. "In addition, I was mainly employed for patrolling the station district - provided that I wasn't in for any office jobs, occupying the stations surveillance cameras. Fortunately enough, I never really saw bad things happening. Some events turned out a little nasty, sure, but I never witnessed any killings..."

His opposite slightly shook his head with disapproval. He sighed and sat down on the sofa edge. "You can't fool me, Barney. And you don't have to act tough around me. I was a MetroCop for too many years. I knew what was going on and not only from my own experiences. I knew what happened from time to time. Raids were carried out on regular terms - even in the station district... just like questionings... beatings... tortures... and other terrific things."

He took the emptied glass from the black-haired man and put it down on the table next to him. "I know only too well what humans can be capable of... I've seen too many atrocities... and I've... committed too many terrible things myself," he whispered.

An unpleasant silence arose.

"Do you regret..?" Barney suddenly wanted to know.

His interlocutor was lost in thought and raised his head with a jerk, startled from his broodings. "What?"

"Do you regret being a Combine?"

He looked the security guard directly in the eye. "Yes," he admitted. "I regretted it. Unfortunately, the remorse came far too late. Only when we were gone from..."

The noise of the opening door silenced him and he faced the two guys entering the room.

"Everything is fine," Gordon remarked already with his entry. "They knew what happened and are monitoring the weather development in this grid square for the next couple of days. As soon as the area is clear again, we'll get a message from White Forest."

"Excellent. How long do you think it will take... Well... approximately?" the officer asked.

The doctor pushed his glasses up his nose. "I'm not exactly sure. It can take a whole week, perhaps up to ten days - if the flood gets really bad."

"Sit down you two," one of the Combine suggested and put a couple of water-bottles on the table. "It's easier to talk that way..."

The physicist and his companion took their seats on one sofa while Steve and Tom sat down on the other, small couch directly opposite.

"Can we ask you some questions?" Gordon began.

The former cops nodded slightly. "Sure. Anything you like. What do you want to know?"

"Why are you all alone here?" Barney asked straightforwardly. "And what is this place anyway? It's too big for a simple prison, besides... there aren't enough detention booth's for it either."

The dark blonde ruffled his damp hair and pushed the strands back and out of his eyes. "I already mentioned that we fled... Well, I think I did..." He seemed to be lost in old memories for a moment and finally took a deep breath. "When we were chosen as elite candidates, we were meant to leave to Nova Prospekt."

His friend interrupted him with a quiet, bleak laughter. "We were so naïve," he whispered. "We really thought to be chosen for something bigger. That we could be ... proud... But... like any totalitarian system... the single individual isn't important... In addition, the so-called 'Benefactors' are having lots of problems with the human behavior ... And the Suppression Field is only a small nuisance to what those creatures are really capable of..." He harrumphed and went quiet.

"What Tom wants to say, is... the Advisors regard every kind of sexuality as absurd and totally redundant - because it's relating to mankind. But homosexuals are the epitome of perversion and decadence in their eyes. Every Combine showing such desires or tendencies is liquidated – in one way or the other. There simply aren't any gay-Combine..."

Barney and Gordon exchanged a brief glance.

"Tom and I, we're a couple. We're in love with each other. But something so ...abnormal... must be wiped out. Yeah, right..." Steve's voice was thick with cynicism. He needed a moment until he was able to continue.

"We were able to keep our relationship a secret for a long time. No one was supposed to know. But we never thought that those rumors everyone talked about were the truth. And when nothing bad happened in all this years - we took everything no longer too seriously as we're supposed to be... and got superficial."

"You two were caught in the act?" Gordon remarked quietly.

"We weren't just caught. We were taken in and transferred without much ado," Steve continued quietly. "Our destination was a place even worse than Nova Prospekt. The transport was attacked by the resistance on its way. I can only tell how glad we've been about that at that time! Tom and I, we ran off to safety, immediately making use of the very first chance during the fight. We hid in the woods for days and moved along only at nighttime. ...Until we found this deserted and looted outpost. With our search for still useable stuff we found a... secret door... a bunker door. It took us a couple of days 'till we finally bypassed the lock and opened the entrance."

Barney leant slightly forward and listened with even greater interest now. "So this place is actually a bunker of some kind? It must be from those times when our kin still ruled the earth. I haven't seen any Combine-Technology `till now..."

Steve and his boyfriend smiled. "It's a mixture of both. The detention cells and the small rooms in the front area are still from human times, but the rest of it is made by aliens – divided by a huge door of black Combine steel. And what lies beyond that door is the really interesting area. Because that gives informations about how life must be for the true elitists... and I'm not referring to simple soldiers, here. I'm talking about the highest ranks."

The officer raised his brows. "What do you mean?"

"This is a government bunker, meant to protect the most important representatives and generals, maybe even including the highest leaders themselves, in times of crisis", Tom explained. "I don't want to know how many of these luxury bunkers must have been built over time within the first decade of our conqueration. But with the majority of the world's population vegetating under poor conditions and with the ordinary soldiers living like cattle in small, prison-like accommodations... the Combine bigwigs would do themselves proud, here... Both of you can probably imagine our expressions when the door was finally open."

The astonished expressions of their opposites elicited a small laugh from Steve. "Well... we don't have a swimming pool here at our disposal. But we have a small gymnasium. The whole place lies deep underground and is bombproof. We have a black matter generator and an automatic air-condition, lots of fresh water and enough food reserves for another couple of years. There are sufficient clothes here, decent beds and spacious, comfortable accommodations. In the conference room is a large TV-screen integrated into the wall. The only thing were missing are a Super Bowl broadcast and some popcorn," he joked and grinned a little lopsided. "But this place feels like home meanwhile..."

Barney and Gordon returned the slight smirk before they looked at each other.

"That sounds good for me. What do you think, Gordon?" He asked with a broad smile and his mood brightened visibly.

The doctor still seemed a bit skeptical. His poker face didn't tell what he was truly thinking at the moment. The security guard knew that mien just too well, though. He cocked his head, his cheerful expression changed to a sober face again.

One of his eyebrows curved up, and he gave his friend a thoughtful glance. "What's up? What are you thinking about?"

"You are here for more than a year?" The physicist placed his hand gently on Barney's thigh to stop further questions from him, speaking quietly and pensively. "Just the two of you? Why haven't you defected to the resistance? Your aversion to the Combine is quite obvious and - quite actually - it must be a satisfaction for you, if you would be able to turn the tables, paying back to the Benefactors what had happened to you."

With Gordon's quiet words, the small, friendly smile faded from the former MetroCops faces. Tom frowned and slipped closer to his mate. He lowered his head and looked down to his hands lying in his lap. Steve put his arm around him in a slow, absent-minded gesture. He stared into space, deeply lost in thought. When he raised his head and searched his opposite's gazes again, the expression in his eyes had completely changed. The warm, little laughter had disappeared and made way for unpleasant and also painful memories.

"We had to learn to be humans again. And this process still isn't complete," he whispered hoarsely. "The alien's totalitarian system took almost everything away that made us individuals. A part of our personality was erased. Our free will... our ability to decide between right and injustice... between good and bad. Our thoughts, our opinions - just everything was manipulated. But this process came slow and unnoticed."

"We saw many newcomers. Each one of us thought at first, that we would be able to resist. That we would stay humans after all and despise the aliens influence. ...None of us succeeded... But the worst thing was that no one really noticed what happened with us and what kind of monsters became of us."

"The bio beds," Tom explained and slipped closer to his companion. "They flooded us with their messages in our sleep. Each one of us. With synthetic dreams. An artificial spontaneous deep sleep. Filled with the ideologies and the bizarre thoughts of the Advisors. We were freed from this yoke with our escape ... But our liberation was blessing and curse at the same time. It took quite some time for us until we fully understood what had been done to us over the years. How we had been formed against our will, flooded with wrong thoughts, and that we had been radically abused for the alien's cause."

"We needed months to cope with the spontaneous changing, at least partly. That we turned into humans again, even if just physically at first," Steve continued. "We had to get used to sleep without the Combine's technology. Our bodies were unable to reach the REM sleep on their own without the help of machines at first. And when we were finally capable of it..."

"That was the moment, the nightmares came. And with it, our artificially suppressed memories, too, forcing us to live through anything we've done again – but without being able to forget it anymore," whispered Tom.

Steve squeezed his hand. "We went through hell and back," he said while his boyfriend snuggled closer into his embrace. "It was really bad for us, but especially for Tom. He's very sensitive, you know... empathic." He cleared his throat and looked down to his mate.

Gordon was obviously shaken, now. He expected just anything from the former Combine, but their ruthless, honest report touched him. He needed a moment until he found his tongue and looked over to his buddy.

"That's just inconceivable," he breathed.

The security guard shirked from his gaze so insistently, that the scientist bent into his path, whispering into his ear: "Is it really that bad?"

"It's even worse," the officer answered hesitatingly. "Please, don't ask me what I saw or witnessed from time to time. Sometimes, you just want to forget..."

The redhead was consternated. He frowned intensely. "But why could Eli urge you to infiltrate Civil Protection at that time?" He wanted to know. "He never sent you off on good luck and in the confidence that you would get along smoothly on your own. And as an outsider of all things, unfamiliar with their command structure and ranks. Therefore, he must have known what was going on there! And I just don't like the idea of Eli exposing you to such danger - and the Combine's cruel methods, too - purposely."

"Because of my former job as a security guard, I'm familiar with protocols, high security clearances and service regulations. I was the best choice for the job," Barney justified himself.

"The... the best choice?!" Gordon called out.

His unexpected outburst made everyone looking up with a jolt. Steve and Tom glanced at the scientist questioningly and confused at the same time. Even the security guard looked up to him with wide open eyes and an expression of utter bafflement.

The doctor had gotten up and stood there, with his arms akimbo. He gazed down to the tips of his boots, slightly shaking his head repeatedly. Then, he looked up again.

"He took advantage of you."

Barney's features showed growing displeasure. "We're at war, damnit! We needed the information. Eli didn't throw me to the wolves, he never did! I carried a miniature emergency-transmitter all the time. If something would have been wrong the Vorts would have caused a distortion allowing my escape. And, apart from that... their telepathic healing powers were quite helpful, too. At least one of them was nearby almost all the time. They took care of mistreated refugees and other poor souls I secretly send their way when I was on duty. But if you must really know the truth... it was I who wanted to infiltrate them. Eli and Alyx just worked out a plan."

The redhead was speechless and stared at him.

"You volunteered?" he finally whispered tonelessly. "But... Barney, why? And why haven't you stopped when you was aware of what happened at Overwatch and Civil Protection?"

"Gordon..."

"Don't come up with any stupid or heroic excuses. This job will break you - sooner or later. I won't take that lying down, watching you harming yourself permanently! You are my best friend!! Our friendship means so much to me. You mean so much to me. I..." He broke off and bit his lower lip, casting his eyes down hastily.

None of them talked anymore. Gordon stared down to his boots another time, blinking with an absent look. Slowly, his upset and reproachful mien faded and his features relaxed again. He sighed and, after a while, he sought Barney's eyes, carefully exploring his buddy's pensive face.

They looked at each other mutely.

The officer observed Gordon's changing behavior... the silent plea in his eyes, mixed with worry and a great deal of affection, too. His anger towards the scientist vanished gradually and his tense expression loosened noticeably. He simply wasn't the resentful type, bearing his friend a grudge in perpetuity. Especially as the younger man was just anxious about him...

Their mutual gaze gradually deepened.

The doctor opened his mouth but no sound left his lips. He wanted to say something but seemed at a loss for words. He gazed at his opposite, with a look that spoke louder than words, now. Barney's face softened visibly at once. The hint of a warm smile dawned in his eyes and played around his lips. Gordon didn't just return the smile; he deepened his gaze even more, displaying liking and care.

The security guard's pupils dilated markedly, two treacherously glowing spots appeared on his cheeks. The doctor noticed the arising spark in his friend's look – a mute question and acquiescence at the same time. That was the last thing he expected to be happening. He took a deep breath and looked away, clearing his throat furtively. His reddened ears competitioned his hair color. A dark shimmer filled Barney's eyes now and he, too, turned his face aside, swallowing, and with the hint of a smile on his lips.

While the physicist sat down next to his buddy again, the former Combine looked at each other in surprise.

"Those two are also a couple," Tom breathed. He was baffled and pleased at the same time.

"Mmh... not yet, it seems," Steve whispered. "They are very close with each other, but... I don't think that they are conscious about how strong their feelings really are."

"Maybe we can push them in the right direction..."

"That won't be clever, Tom. They must recognize their emotions completely on their own. And they must be fully able to choose without our interference - whether they accept their feelings or not. That's a decision they are meant to make solely on their own."

The very fair blonde sighed a little and his mate smiled at him.

"You are an incorrigible romantic, Tommie," he whispered. "You can't make all people happy. And you can't force them, either."

"It would be nice, if they become an item," Tom merely mumbled. "They need each other. Everyone can see that..."

The friends were fully occupied with their thoughts and their reflections about the deep look they shared with each other. They completely missed the MetroCops whispered conversation – or how the couple furtively watched them now, a consent smile in their eyes...

Gordon's gentle, emotional look made Barney react quite spontaneous and without thinking this time. The scientist's expression went under his skin as never before, and the caring gaze instantly touched a chord in him. Barney never experienced something like that `till now - such a strong, visceral reaction, responding in an instant and by pure instinct only.

Gordon flashed him those glances - filled with honest and deep affection - once in a while lately. But the security guard never felt completely comfortable with those gazes, aimed at him in such an unmistakable manner. He was always torn between a hint of fright and uneasiness... but pleasurable affection, too. But the positive instincts predominated now. ... This time, it was quite pleasant for him to be regarded in such a way. And he got so warm with Gordon's look that he thought his face would glow.

He needed a moment until he regained his composure again. And even then he wasn't sure what to think of it. Should he be happy or worried because of his body's sudden, intuitive approval? This silent commotion wasn't going to end, at long last; therefore, he forced himself to think about it no more. And to distract himself from his musings, he looked up and over to the other sofa opposite the table.

He opened his mouth, addressing a question to Steve, when the dark blonde cop slightly bent down to his mate. His knuckles stroked gently along Tom's cheek. This loving action took Barney by surprise. And the caressing touch was so tender that he felt a hoarse feeling creeping up his throat. The two men on the other couch kissed suddenly. It was neither a spectacular or a passionate kiss... It was hardly more than the brief touching of soft lips... quite tender and very gentle.

... The kiss of lovers...

The security guard swallowed with a dry mouth. It was the first time for him watching two men caressing each other. He wasn't confused or displeased with the sight, when they continued to cuddle so lovingly in front of his eyes. It touched him somehow... but it wasn't disgust that he felt... it was quite the opposite...

Steve and Tom whispered with each other, completely absorbed by their actions and totally unaware of their "guests" presence any longer. Their glances and touches revealed their love for each other. Their lips met another time, and their soft kiss was very tender and loving this time.

Barney felt a sudden rush of heat racing through his limbs and his stomach contracted with something he could only describe as an indefinable yearning. His face got hot, and he hesitantly glanced over to Gordon. The doctor watched the couple with a quite strange expression, too. He seemed moved, swallowing with a lump in his throat.

And as if he felt the attention resting on him at once, he turned his head, meeting the officer's gaze.

Barney's pupils were dilated and gleamed oddly. Gordon could only assume how his own expression looked like right now, but it couldn't be any different than his friend's mien at the moment.

A slight cough broke the peculiar atmosphere building up between them and startled both men from their thoughts. Their eyes parted abruptly and they concentrated their attention on the MetroCops instead. The couple kept a straight face, pretending as if they didn't noticed the revealing manner with which their guests exchanged a glance meanwhile.

"Well, we would like to show you some of the rooms, showing you a bit around at the same time. You can choose any room you like, and we don't need to have an eye on the consumption of water. So you can take a bath whenever and how long you like... spending a couple of pleasant and relaxing days, here..."

"Some new clothes would be a good idea, too," Tom suggested. "Gordon's protective suit looks rather uncomfortable. And... err... Barney, we would be very grateful if you could take off this horrible uniform. This gear revives just too many unpleasant memories..."

.oOo.

This night, the friends lay awake for a long time. They needed a good while until they digested what had happened over the past day – and they needed even more time to get the evenings events out of their systems. But it seemed almost impossible for them to forget what had happened... and they didn't come to rest.

The security guard was still completely dressed, lying on the bed in his room, hands behind his head. He stared up to the ceiling, wide awake and unable to sleep. He was tired, but his mind was still busy. He was touched by the former Combine's honest love and gentleness for each other. Barney saw the couple in front of his eyes persistently... and without wanting to. But his senses were agitated, and his mind was stirred up in a strange way, now.

He rolled around onto his stomach, resting his chin on the back of his hand. With a bit of reluctance at first, he tried to explore his feelings and reactions - why the display of tenderness and affection between Steve and Tom occupied his mind so much. He wasn't able to get those pictures out of his head and that bothered him. But he could think as much as he wanted - the kissing couple awoked something... something hidden and denied for a long time, now... but he wasn't able to disavow his longings any longer. He was quite too conscious about it now – even if he still struggled with himself. But he simply had to admit his animal desires finally in the end. The sight of those guys cuddling and kissing wasn't just something he liked to watch – it was very erotic for him.

Gordon was busy with exactly the same musings - but with one important difference: his thoughts wandered persistently back to his buddy instead of focusing on Steve and Tom so tenaciously. Nevertheless, the snuggling couple was quite an initial spark for him, too... but with a different meaning for him...

Gordon was aware of his sexual preferences – that he liked men - for years, now. He never made a big fuss about it and kept his private matters ...well... private. It never happened that he fell in love with a colleague or a close friend, though. He always made sure that his feelings weren't intense enough to get him into trouble – even if it was mainly the pain of lovesickness he wanted to prevent. When he watched the former MetroCops snuggling – their closeness made him almost painfully aware of his loneliness. And when he faced his buddy sitting right beside him... the intense, dark gleam in the older man's eyes and his agitated, longing expression... he felt such yearning for him, then; craving for his closeness...

Gordon wasn't able to deny the truth any longer. His affection for Barney had deepened to a point, that he could describe this feeling only as love...

But how would his friend react?

He couldn't just open his heart and simply hope that the security guard returned his feelings. He wasn't able to foresee what would be happening, then - if he really confessed his love. He would be the happiest person on earth, if their affection was mutual. But if Barney retreated inwardly... if he even reacted in a disliking way... Gordon would have destroyed their long-lasting friendship at once.

.oOo.

The next morning, last night's events were almost forgotten. They had breakfast together as if nothing exceptional has happened. At least they tried conveying the expression that everything was fine... But both of them were conspicuously silent. Especially Barney picked at his food without eating much and darted a glance at his friend repeatedly. Gordon seemed to mull over something most intensive. And the officer really would have liked to know what it was that went around the scientist's head over and over.

Between them spread such a weird atmosphere that he finally lay down his spoon and placed both elbows on the tabletop. He leant his chin against his intertwined fingers and looked thoroughly at his opposite. The doctor raised his head when he got conscious of that intensive gaze resting on his person.

"What's up?" he mumbled, since he wasn't able to read the expression in Barney's eyes.

"Do you think about Steve and Tom, too?" the security guard asked quietly. "I'm unable to get them out of my mind again..."

Gordon looked down and concentrated on his breakfast to play for time. The weird undertone Barney had spoken with made his stomach contract with a strange foreboding. He wasn't able to get another mouthful down, now and just shoved the raisins in his muesli aside with the tip of his spoon.

"There's actually something to think about?" he finally whispered, his voice hoarse. He kept his gaze persistently down. "Gays aren't extraordinary..."

"Yeah, right. Well, at least they shouldn't be..." the officer noticed quietly.

This remark made Gordon raising his head again. With slightly narrowing eyes, he examined his older friend's expression as much as possible. But he wasn't able to. Barney's mien was neutral and revealed absolutely nothing. ...Apart from an unidentifiable glitter in his eyes...

"What do you mean?" he asked, unable to hide his inner strain anymore.

The security guard raised an eyebrow. The doctor's unexpected, strange tautness and his gruff comment only strengthened the notion he had for quite some time, now.

"So it wasn't just my imagination after all," he thought, "You're actually gay... and my unfortunate choice of words makes you feel uncomfortable and you're offended even if you're trying to hide it from me..."

The sudden knowledge about his friend's sexual orientation brought him a feeling of relief, and he was glad to finally know what had been going on during the past few weeks – not only with Gordon, but also with him, too...

"Well," Barney cleared his throat. He pulled his fingers apart and reached for his spoon. "Steve and Tom... I liked it... Their cuddling, I mean," he said quietly and was surprised how easy it was for him now to admit the truth.

The physicist's defensive expression vanished abruptly and made place for astonishment.

"Indeed?" he breathed so quietly that his reply was barely audible.

The officer knew that he played with the fire now. Nonetheless, he felt the inexplicable urge to say more.

"It was quite esthetic to watch them... I found it to be even... err... sexy...." Something flashed in those green eyes, now and the gaze behind the glass lenses gradually deepened.

Barney got a little nervous, though. His heart was in his mouth at once and his palms got damp. To prevent their conversation from taking a turn he still wasn't entirely ready for, he turned his attention towards Gordon's granola bowl. He looked at his friend's meal for a moment and wasn't able to keep back his amused grin any more.

"Tell me, Gordon... are the raisins any help in developing any specific formulae or solving equations?" He laughed quietly.

The doctor darted a look at him, slightly shaking his head. "You are and will always remain a big kid, Barney."

They looked at each other and had to laugh, before they continued their morning meal in a pleasantly relaxed atmosphere.

The door opened and made them turn in their seats. Steve stuck his head in.

"Hey, you two. We heated up the sauna. Do you feel like some cultivated sweating?"

The friends exchanged an unbelieving glance.

"Do you really just say... sauna?"

The MetroCop laughed a little. "It's not a group sauna, but more than sufficient for the four of us."

"Can someone pinch me right now?" Barney smiled. "We could be glad 'till now to have enough water for taking a shower every other day. And now you're destroying our ideas of the resistance's life of luxury just like that," he joked.

"Like I said - this was a leadership bunker. Or do you actually think that Breen and his goonies were living in one room suites? With filtered and recycled water... tasteless food concentrates? Those guys knew how to live, believe me." He made a pause. "So. What's up? You guys are coming?"

.oOo.

The former Combine realized that their guests undressed the first time ever in front of each other's eyes. And they never saw one another naked before... The cops tried to hide their amusement, when both Barney and Gordon endeavored a casual behavior, but without much success. It was quite obvious that they tried to be discreet. They refrained from sizing each other up, risking too brazen looks thereby. However, how they glimpsed at their undressed bodies ever so often revealed their curiosity – and that both of them secretly wanted to see more...

When Tom opened the sauna door, Steve handed them their towels. "Put them on your places. Otherwise you'll burn yourselves at the bench nails. In addition, the sweat wouldn't soak too deep into the wood."

The couple went in first, taking up their favorite places at the very top, while Barney and Gordon followed inside one after another. The security guard merely entered the heated room when the Combine got aware of the doctor's rapidly changing behavior. When Barney turned his back on him, Gordon's self-consciousness disappeared at once and he scrutinized the tall guard from head to toe. His glance moved so leisurely along the muscular, strong back, that Steve and Tom exchanged a brief, smiling gaze before they continued their observations a little more unobtrusively. Nevertheless, they could hardly keep back their knowing grin when they noticed the sudden glittering in Gordon's eyes and the interest with which he looked at Barney's behind.

Tom had to lower his head abruptly, until the fair hair fell into his face and hid his smile. But when the officer sat down on his towel on the lowermost bench level, he, too, risked a curious glance and craned his neck for a better view. Then, he faced his mate and mouthed a "sexy ass" while grinning so broadly that deep dimples formed in his cheeks.

Steve tried hard to keep back his laughter then. He lowered his chin, pushing his lips against the back of his hand lying on the bench in front of him. But he had to clear his throat several times until he composed himself again.

Their guests took their seats catty-corner and relaxed as much as possible in the blazing heat. At first, the glowing air - smelling like heated stone and wood - made breathing somewhat difficult, but they got used to it quickly. A damp shimmer covered their skin in no time, and when the first drops ran, more and more pearls of sweat rolled down their bodies. Gordon sat slightly leant forward and with his elbows on his knees. He looked down to the wooden floor between his feet and concentrated solely on the effect the searing heat had on his body.

Until a soft, drawn-out sigh made him look aside.

Barney leant slightly back on his place and rested his elbows on a higher bench. His features were fully relaxed, his face noticeably reddened by the hot air. He kept his eyes closed and breathed with slightly gaping lips.

The doctor used his friend's distraction and risked a more curious glance, this time. He looked him over just very slowly, his gaze roaming appreciatively and leisurely lower. The layer of sweat and also the pleasant, soft light in the cabin accentuated the officer's firm musculature and created appealing contrast on his shiny wet skin. Smaller and bigger drops rolled down his body repeatedly.

Gordon looked up into Barney's face again, to make sure that he still sat with closed eyes. The relaxed features entranced him and he was unable to focus his attention somewhere else at once. He looked at him, studying the attractive face thoroughly... the curve of brows and nose... the thick eyelashes... the soft lips gaping open so seductively...

He looked at the strong hands; the tendons and veins visible along the knuckle joints... and he frowned a little when he saw that Barney still had the bad habit of biting his nails. He wasn't excessive, though and never ruined them to ugly stumps, but it was obvious that he still chewed them off instead of using clippers.

Gordon's attention slipped slowly lower - along the muscular, hairy chest and the dark line of body hair along his tummy. The moisture cumulating in Barney's navel and groins glittered with every breath he took.

He swallowed... and glanced into the security guard's face again, before he focused his attention onto his friend's loins – and right between his spread thighs this time. He was slightly bigger than average and - just like Gordon - circumcised. He had big balls, hanging noticeably low and heavy because of the heat.

The scientist hastily averted his face when the officer stirred and sluggishly changed his posture. He stared down to his feet and feared that Barney was aware of his bold look... Although the physicist knew about his pal's attraction towards the same gender now – however, his brazen study would slide him into an awkward situation. Just because he didn't want to make him feel propositioned.

The slight scare which had gone right through him subsided gradually again. But Gordon wasn't able to risk a second look. For one thing, he didn't want to know his opposite's expression - whether he noticed being eyed up or not. And for another thing, his friend's body was a sight for sore eyes. Barney's nudity was quite appealing - and - just because of that – the doctor didn't dare to look at him again.

He lowered his head and kept his glance stubbornly through his legs, now, studying the floor with faked fascination. ...Until his gaze focused on his groin by chance. His eyes widened and he was highly embarrassed. When it would have been just the two of them, it would be uncomfortable for him – being caught like that... But because of Steve's and Tom's presence, too, his momentarily state was cringe-making.

He was half erect. And that wasn't due to the relaxing heat...

.oOo.

They left it at one session and refreshed themselves in the small basin next-door. They rubbed down with their towels and moved over to the resting places along the room's outer wall. Their hosts lay down on the biggest flat lounger in the backmost corner - after using their towels as an underlay - nude and huggling together. Barney followed their example without further ado and had chosen a single place, while his friend simply stood beside him, hesitating. The redhead looked around the room, searching for a bathrobe. Steve watched them, smiling at the officer's ease, and he grinned a little at the scientist's wavering.

"C'mon, Gordon, just lay down. The room is a pleasant 80 degrees Fahrenheit. You won't catch a cold, here. Relax and take a nap if possible."

The physicist shrugged inwardly and laid down on his towel just like the others. Barney shoved an arm behind his neck and faced him, showing a content smile.

"It's been quite a while since I felt so good," he said and lolled his body, sighing with complacency. "This is almost like vacation on the beach."

The remark evoked a thought at once, coming into Gordon's mind merely 24 hours ago. ...That he wished both of them away; to a peaceful place where they would be alone. Usually, his dreams never came true just like that – or so enormously fast. But that sudden intuition made him wonder if his other, recent wish would also be fulfilled...

Barney gave a small sigh and interrupted his musings. "Although I think that we earned it... I feel a sting of remorse. Our people should experience something like this, too, but we're simply lacking the resources for such a place."

Gordon just hemmed a little. "Well, I don't think that our life is austere. We're missing some minor things but that's all. You know... err..." He hesitated a second. "Alyx invited me to a bubble bath, once, including a bottle of wine."

Barney's eyes went wide. "Really?!" He rolled over on his side and propped his elbow up, resting his cheek in his palm.

"Yep."

The security guard grinned broadly and chuckled. "My oh my! That's blunt and a little wanton, if you ask me."

The doctor smiled awry. "I gently declined her offer. But she insisted how spacious her bathtub would be, and that there would be other possibilities to relax inside the base. She prattled on and on about other things she would like invite me to. I don't know if she merely enjoyed watching me sweat or if she was honest, though. But it took a while until she let me off the hook again."

His friend laughed a little. "You gave her a wide berth afterward, huh?"

Gordon raised an eyebrow. "I tried to be not so obvious. But yes, I avoided her for a while."

"She's not your type, then?"

"No," the redhead merely said and Barney looked him right in the eye... with a somewhat questioning and exploring glance.

"And... who is your type?" He asked quietly, his voice slightly quivering with a somewhat breathless anticipation.

The doctor returned the eye contact with a mute, affirming gaze – answering the question with a simple, honest look.

The hint of a smile played around Barneys lips. Something indefinable flashed in his eyes, before he lay down on his back again. "Well, buddy... let's take a nap first... We're pleasurably exhausted, and I just want forty winks right now. We can talk about that some later..."

Gordon was aroused from sleep by a noise. He waited, remaining motionless and with closed eyes if the sound recurred somehow. And just moments later, he heard it again... a soft sigh.

He slowly raised his eyelids.

The doctor had turned round on his side in sleep, and his eyes fell directly on the spacious cot to his right. The former MetroCops were already awake. Without his glasses and still a little drowsy, he blinked and squinted a bit - until he realized what was going on next to him.

Steve had straightened up on an elbow, bent down over his boyfriend lying stretched out besides. They kissed - just like the evening before. But this time, their kiss was passionate, deep and lustful.

The doctor held his breath in surprise. He hesitated, torn between is desire to watch and the knowledge that he should turn around, leaving them their privacy. But he wasn't able to stir and move. He was enthralled by the erotic sight and simply couldn't avert his eyes.

Their lips opened a bit, revealing the gentle tongue movements of a leisurely French kiss. Gordon's mouth went dry. His heart was beating faster and harder with every passing moment.

But the lascivious Frenching wasn't the only thing they did...

When they parted a little again, he looked hastily away, shifting his attention to the middle of their bodies instead. He wouldn't want to be caught in the act... watching them at their foreplay. But with his eyes unintentionally focusing lower, he got aware of what they did while kissing. Their bodies blocked his view for the greater part, but the slight movements of their hands revealed enough.

Steve and Tom satisfied each other, with slow, gentle strokes.

Gordon didn't need to see if they were aroused. How they caressed and stroked one another was obvious enough. A hoarse feeling crept up his throat now, and he felt the impulse to cough slightly. But that would possibly attract the Combine's attention. They would interrupt their loveplay or even turn round to him. He liked neither the first or the second option and remained as silent as possible. Although it got hard for him not to hem... the sight of the two men stimulating each other stirred his arousal.

There was no need for him to look down and along his body this time. He knew that he was sporting an erection. Gordon felt a steady pulse in his groins for quite a while now. And that pulsing got stronger when he caught a glimpse of Steve's or Tom's hand from time to time... a thumb slowly stroking along a glans, spreading the natural lube with a gentle stroke... the long, sensuous up and down of a skilful fist, all the way back and forth from base to tip... how they caressed one another with pleasurably movements, stretching the silken skin gently along the shaft.

The doctor bit his lip, swallowing repeatedly. Even the little he saw was an incredible turn on for him. He had to use his imagination to visualize the rest, and his fantasies were running wild. He had a fierce, rock hard boner meanwhile, oozing with need. His excitement turned into such lust that the urge to pleasure himself got incredibly strong. But he was still at odds with his desire and his fear to be caught watching.

He lay down on his stomach laboriously, hiding his arousal. The pressure of his bodyweight on the throbbing shaft – caught between his stomach and the quite firm padding - was unpleasant. He wiggled to and fro without finding a proper position. Gordon finally gave up and merely hoped that his erection would fade again and on its own. He stared at the leathery cushion of his cot and tried to calm down again. He wasn't watching the couple any longer, but he wasn't able to block out the noises he heard:

Soft sighing... suppressed, small groans... the parting of wet lips... whispered, incomprehensive words... sensual, damp kissing again... shuddering wheezing... more quiet moaning, mixed with faint, treacherously slipping noises of stroking hands along sensually oozing erections...

Gordon's face was rigid now and virtually glowed with lust. He wasn't able to control his desire anymore and almost rubbed his member along the padding meanwhile. He turned round on his back as quietly as possible and looked over to the couple... watching them openly this time.

The slight rustle and creaking next to him finally interrupted Barney's sleep, too. He still lay on his back, one arm behind his head sunken slightly aside. He opened his eyes, and the doctor's body filled his field of vision.

His face was turned to the other side and away from him. He lay motionless and seemed asleep; one leg bent and slightly propped up, the left hand resting in his lap. The officer watched the heaving of chest and belly... the pulsing of the carotid beneath the taut skin along Gordon's neck. It took a moment for him to notice that the pulsing was too fast for a relaxed slumber. Then, he caught the slight, even movements from the corner of his eye and looked instinctively lower.

His eyes widened.

The loose grip of Gordon's half-open fist covered the erection below just partly. The doctor took his hand away, lubing his fingers with saliva. Barney swallowed and stared onto the hard shaft pointing steeply along the flat belly. His member was a little bit thin but long, with a swollen, noticeably bigger tip. He grasped his manhood again, spreading the spittle along his cut length and along the head, moving his fist slowly up and down.

Barney wasn't able to tear his eyes away. His gaze was virtually glued to the scientist's lap, following the gentle movements of the slender hand. He looked at the rigid length and the stroking grip wandering leisurely up and down. He watched breathlessly how his buddy caressed himself so erotically.

Gordon got suddenly conscious that - although he could hide his actions from the MetroCops - the security guard on the other side had a full view on him and was able to see everything he did. That made him looking over to the left.

Barney's face was turned towards him, but he kept his eyes closed. The doctor took a deep breath without noticing that he held it at all and continued his slight stimulation. His hand moved the silken soft skin gently and slightly stretching along his member. He kept an eye on his friend, though. And... all of a sudden... he saw the twitching of Barney's eyelashes - and froze. His stroking stopped at once.

The officer wasn't asleep like he believed him to be. He wasn't opening his eyes just now - his eyes were already open and the small twitching he noticed was nothing else than the movement of half opened eyes watching him. There was no need for him to follow the direction of this partly concealed look to know that Barney's attention was focused on his abdomen.

He got cold and hot at the same time.

His erection dropped noticeably in the initial shock. He got embarrassed and wondered whether he should take his hand away or not. But then, he got aware of his friend's expression. This wasn't a bored mien marked by indifference or even slight amusement... his features showed fascination and even a hint of arousal... it was more some kind of voyeurism than a simple watching.

The physicist still looked at him and studied Barney's stiffening mien, when the officer raised his eyelids unexpectedly and looked him directly in the eye. Gordon returned the glance quite automatically, but without actually knowing how he should behave. His opposite averted his gaze after what seemed to be an almost endless second. Barney seemed a little embarrassed and insecure, too, now. He swallowed... and hesitantly faced him again, before he gave himself a jolt and got the better of his arising inhibitions. His frank look was with intent, this time. And he deepened the visual contact with his younger friend even more... before he lowered his gaze with a gesture bordering on request.

The doctor looked along Barney's nude body... the shaft resting at his friend's groin got noticeably bigger. The shortened skin pulled gradually back as his manhood stretched so visibly.

A hand came into Gordon's view, placing itself gently on the swelling length. But the touch wasn't meant to hide the quickly growing erection. Quite the opposite... Barney's palm moved slowly down his shaft, slightly pulling the retreating skin back... tightening it along his member with the stroke. His fully bared manhood swelled incredibly fast... gaining length quickly, becoming larger and thicker.

Gordon's breath caught. The pulse hammered between his ears meanwhile. His own arousal strengthened in an instant, and he was hard again within moments.

He watched anxiously how that strong hand left the hastily swelling member and moved along his balls, before he came back to his shaft. His stroking palm pulled the soft skin some down again, virtually presenting his almost fully erect, big cock to his friend. Gordon almost forgot to breathe. He moaned quietly at the sight of Barney's impressive size...

His own length got so hard that it was painful. The noticeable bigger head flared with the intense swelling, getting dark and shiny like an oversized cherry. A glassy drop formed at the opening. A soft sighing left Barney's mouth. And his sensual, little "Mmmmhhh" strengthened Gordon's arousal to an extent he never thought possible.

The scientist grasped his enormously swollen, aching shaft, moving his fist lustfully up and down; constantly watching his friend while pleasuring himself so leisurely. An impressive mast pointed up and along Barney's restlessly heaving belly. His length jerked a little and Gordon bit his lips to prevent himself from moaning with pleasure. He wasn't fully able to, and a quiet, little groan escaped his lips. It wasn't just the erection - shown to him in such a revealing manner - what aroused him so much. That the officer looked down to his member and got a boner at the sight - that was the major turn on for Gordon.

He wanted to let go... enjoying his ecstasy and pleasuring himself to orgasm right in front of Barney's eyes. But despite all desire - he didn't manage to masturbate so openly.

However, it wasn't just the presence of Steve and Tom holding him back, but his own inhibitions... feeling still a little odd in front of his buddy. Therefore, he took his hand hesitantly away, letting go of his highly aroused manhood. He gazed at his older friend. The attractive face was marked by lust and desire now.

When Gordon took his hand away, the security guard faced him after a moment, too. Barney's expression was questioning and sensual at the same time. But there was something... a shimmer he never noticed so obviously before in those dark eyes...

Approval.

.oOo.

At some point during their loveplay, the Combine became aware of what happened next to them. Or what almost happened... They interrupted their sensual actions - if also hesitatingly - and waited until their arousal faded away again. Then, they got up, asking Barney and Gordon to come along.

Half way to their comfortable sitting room, Steve and his mate suggested putting on some loose-fitting, casual clothes, meeting afterwards for a nice chat. Their guests agreed, and fifteen minutes later, all four sat together and talked.

The MetroCops had used the meantime for some preparations. They placed some cushions on the sofas and put a couple of beer bottles on the table - enough to relax the doctor and his buddy, taking away their inhibitions, but they didn't intent on turning their get-together in carousal. Wine would have been more of their liking, though, but they had to get by with what was at stock.

The Combine smiled when Barney and his friend gradually loosened up. They exchanged content glimpses when the physicist turned his attention towards his older friend already soon... studying the officer's interesting face profile with a steadily growing display of deep affection...

Tom cuddled into his mates embrace while both of them watched their opposites. They saw that the bottles were still half full, but Barney and Gordon had obviously lost their shyness meanwhile. The MetroCops looked at each other with a knowing smile. Maybe the alcohol was just an excuse for them to make first advances on their own, now... and that was a lot better than cuddling half-tipsy and maybe regretting everything the next morning...

They looked each other more often and deeper in the eye and when the officer smiled at his friend, the doctor's ears turned an interesting shade of red... Both of them had a treacherous, dark shimmer in their eyes now. They sat closer to one another than ever before. Not too close, but close enough to show their strong mutual affection and their wish for physical contact. And while talking, they touched each other once in a while, their hands resting on forearm or thigh of their companion noticeable longer.

Tom raised a hand and intertwined his fingers with Steve's. They had participated in the conversations at first, trying to nudge their guests attention towards each other. But they were silent for quite a while already, simply watching what was going to happen. And they just waited for a suitable moment to engage into the last part of their little plan, now.

When Gordon and Barney faced the MetroCops at once - as if suddenly remembering that they weren't alone in the room - Steve made use of their mutual attention right on spot. He bent into his mates path and kissed him gently on the mouth.

They weren't just kissing, they cuddled very tender, too. Their caresses were substantially more loving and gentle than usual, giving unmistakable hints about what their opposites were supposed to do. To encourage them even more, Steve and Tom shared soft, deliberate kisses which got gradually erotic in time... and when they had their first, slow French kiss in front of their guests, the doctor blushed a little and the security guard swallowed noisily – but both of them were unable to avert their gaze. The former Combine kissed repeatedly while caressing each other lovingly. Their lips met softly and gently; with tender, little touches... or they deepened their kisses with slightly opening lips, allowing Barney and Gordon to watch their sensual frenching.

The doctor removed his glasses at some point and put them on the table, while the officer cleared his throat.

The couple's mutual fondling was a little restrained, but that made their tender touches even more erotic for their guests. The cops hoped that their little loveplay would carry Barney and Gordon away. They wanted to set a sensual mood, so that the scientist and his buddy would engage into some kissing and stroking on their own. It was a bit hard for Steve and Tom to hold back, fondling one another but without arousing themselves too much at the same time. But their touches were meant to be stimulating mainly for the other two guys...

The officer watched in breathless expectation, his heart in his mouth meanwhile. He felt a hand groping around on the sofa next to him, until the fingers touched his leg, and how Gordon finally placed his palm on Barney's thigh. The fingers were hot and trembled slightly. He faced his younger friend, studying his expression.

The scientist was flushed, swallowing repeatedly. He wasn't able to avert his eyes from the kissing couple on the other couch and gently squeezed Barney's leg, before his hand moved slowly up and down, caressing him tenderly.

When the doctor finally looked over, his expression revealed desire and longing; a dark, sensual gleam filled his eyes. He looked down to the security guard's mouth and up into his eyes again, gently moving his palm along the firm thigh.

Barney's pupils were dilated; an unspoken yearning lay in his gaze. He slipped a little closer, placing his palm on the scientist's hand. Both of them looked down to their fingers lying on top of each other, before the officer stroked with this thumb slightly along the back of Gordon's hand. Their faces glowed with excitement and need at the same time...

Without interrupting the gentle caressing of Gordon's hand, Barney slipped even closer to his buddy.

...Steve and Tom were now forgotten...

The doctor couldn't hold back any longer when his opposite looked at him so breathlessly and expectantly, and he raised his hand. His fingertips stroked quite softly along Barney's cheek before he repeated the gentle touch with his knuckles. His friend's mien softened. He closed his eyes and nestled his face into the tender touch while intertwining his fingers with Gordon's - still resting on his thigh.

The scientist swallowed. This loving reaction took his breath away. His hand slightly trembled with excitement when he turned the older man's face a little further around. He brushed the hot cheek tenderly with his fingertips. Barney's eyelids twitched to the delicate touch. He searched Gordon's gaze again... with such an open longing and honest desire in his eyes now, that the physicist moaned quietly.

He slipped his hand slowly lower, gently exploring his face on his way. He looked at Barney's mouth. His thumb brushed tenderly and slowly along the soft lips.

The leisure, caressing touch of Gordon's thumb along his mouth was so erotic, that the black-haired man couldn't hold back anymore. He bridged the last distance still keeping their faces apart. He closed his eyes, softly touching the scientist's cheek with his lips and the tip of his nose - turning the gentle contact into a small caress – slightly pushing his cheek against Gordon's.

The doctor leant into the slight touch and brushed Barney's lips with a hardly noticeable kiss. His nervously trembling fingers ran through the dark hair, while they exchanged their first, little kisses... almost shyly pushing their mouths together; before their actions got tender and loving... caressing each other's lips with small, soft kisses... tasting and kissing one another with growing devotion.

Gordon stroked his palm along Barney's shoulder, gently pulling him closer, fondling the nape of his neck and raked his fingers through the soft, black strands. The officer caressed him just as tenderly, running his palm over the scientist's chest. The redhead gave a little sigh and explored Barney's mouth thoroughly with his lips, now. He returned the gentle sensuality of his older buddy, kissing him back with the same tenderness.

"Steve," Tom breathed with a hoarse voice and kneaded his mates grip since a whole while with sweaty and burning hot fingers.

The dark blonde leant slightly into his path. "Those two are very tender, aren't they?" he whispered.

His boyfriend's eyes glittered. "It turns me on."

"Yes. Me too." He put a finger to his lips and whispered: "But this is something they should enjoy without nosy spectators. Let's leave them alone now..."

They retreated quietly and discreetly.

The damp shimmer of the tip of his tongue - gliding slightly forwards and pulling back again - could be seen between Barney's opening, dedicatively kissing lips now. He wasn't ready to involve his tongue, yet. But he could hardly suppress that lustful reflex any longer.

"I never kissed a man before," he admitted quietly when their lips parted with a faint smack.

"Do you like it?" Gordon whispered breathlessly.

"Ooh, yeah," the officer replied hoarsely. He looked back and forth between his friend's eyes. "I never thought it to be so... sexy..." He enclosed the doctor's fingers. "So sensual..." His lips placed a soft kiss into Gordon's palm. "... or so tender..."

"Come closer," the scientist breathed and stroked with his fingertips delicately over his opposite's seductive mouth.

"Do you want more?" Barney whispered.

"Yes. Much more..." He pulled his friend some closer again. "Let me feel your tenderness... your gentleness... Kiss me," he whispered.

Gordon gave a quiet, aroused moan when he felt how the tip of Barney's tongue parted his lips this time... sliding slowly into his oral cavity.

He returned the erotic kiss at once. Their tongues met, almost pushing and nudging playfully against each other... until the security guard moaned softly, beginning a sensual french kiss.

He wasn't able to hold back any longer; Gordon showed his desire openly now. His palm ran along the firm muscles, exploring Barney's chest thoroughly, before his hand slipped lower along the heaving belly and back up again. Their hesitation and shyness was gone, now. They kissed with more and more passion, fondling one another with growing desire.

Gordon brushed the hard nipple with his palm, the small tip standing out against the fabric, slightly kneading the officer's pecs... before he stroked and gently rubbed the erect nipple with his thumb. The doctor moved his hand lower... searching a way under Barney's shirt and finally slipping his fingers below the hem, running his palm slowly over the hot, haired skin.

Their lips parted. The security guard leant against the backrest. He closed his eyes and sighed with the scientist's gentle hand fondling him so sensually. He visibly enjoyed the caresses... how Gordon's fingers moved over his skin, exploring his body so leisurely and erotic at the same time.

He looked at his friend from half-lidded, lustfully glittering eyes. The younger man's face was obviously marked by desire and the rapt attention of his fondling, stroking him so slow and pleasurably.

"I love to touch you," Gordon suddenly whispered and hesitatingly pulled his hand from below Barney's shirt again.

"Why do you stop?" the officer merely breathed.

He grasped the doctor's hand and placed it onto his belly again, moving the hot fingers invitingly along the upper half of his body.

"Caress me," he whispered.

Gordon moaned quietly and bent into Barney's path again.

Even if it was the physicist who had taken the seducer's role at first, it was the security guard now who obviously seized the initiative. He searched Gordon's mouth repeatedly, exploring the willing lips with sensuous, small licks and deep, lustful kisses...

They stroked and caressed each other at the same time, running their hands along each other's bodies... turning their fondling into longing touches. Their breathing got heavy and erratic, their kissing became almost frantic... wet and smacking... before they parted to look at each other again – wheezing with excitement and rapidly growing lust.

The light creaking of the sofa's leather upholstery mixed with their fitful breathing. Barney sucked gently at Gordon's tongue while pushing the slim body firmly against his own, now. The redhead clung to his frame at once, digging his fingers into the officer's broad back. The doctor gasped enraptured with those hot, soft lips moving along his cheek and down his neck at once, placing wet and sucking kisses onto his skin. ...Until they didn't bear their pent up lust anymore and finally had to part... breathing heavily.

"Touch me," Gordon panted. He slipped slightly forward on his seat.

Without taking his eyes from Barney's face, he grasped the strong hand and placed it on his restlessly heaving belly.

The security guard watched with growing arousal how the scientist moved his palm slowly lower. He swallowed with excitement when the younger man spread his legs and slipped even closer to the edge of his seat. He stared at Gordon's reddened face... his auburn hair was tousled... he had a dark, lustful gleam in his eyes.

The physicist leant his head against the sofa rest and returned the sensual, exploring gaze. His loose-fitting trousers showed a treacherously bulging tent along his groin. He watched Barney's lively, erotic mien... How the officer followed the movement of Gordon's hand still enclosing his wrist, moving his palm lower... and lower.

"Am I too straightforward?" the doctor suddenly whispered.

Barney simply shook his head without taking his eyes from his friends actions. When he finally answered, his voice was hoarse and trembling with lust. "Go on. I can hardly control myself any longer."

He looked up, exploring his opposite's expression, groaning at the strong desire in those heavy lidded, half closed green eyes. He focused his attention lower again when his hand was placed onto the rigid length.

He gently grasped the hard shaft through the fabric and sucked his breath through his teeth, giving a quiet moan.

Gordon sighed lustfully and moved the loose grip slowly up and down his member. Barney's face froze with rapidly growing arousal. A dark, lecherous glittering arose in his eyes. He caressed the pulsing mast through the trousers, searching for the glans and slightly squeezing the swollen head, before he moved his palm slowly along the whole length... all the way down, over Gordon's balls and up to the tip again. The scientist groaned a little, arching his loins invitingly forward. He pushed the hot hand against his manhood, shoving himself into the lustful stimulus of the gently stroking grip simultaneously.

Barney's expression was so lustful that he finally asked: "What do you think right now?"

Without interrupting his caressing strokes, the officer whispered hoarsely: "I want to see him... Let me feel your cock in my hand... how hard he is..."

Gordon removed the gentle grip and pulled his trousers and boxer shorts down before he leant back again. His length stood upright, the shaft partly exposed below the head... the shortened skin seemingly fully pulled back. A trembling sigh escaped his lips when Barney grasped his burning hot erection without hesitation.

The scientist grasped Barney's fist and moved it evenly back and forth his length. He gazed down to his lap and moaned with pleasure at the sight of the tender hand stroking his rock-hard member, caressing him with slow, long movements. He drew a sighing, deep breath and gave a long, aroused groan, letting go of Barney's fingers at the same time.

"Pull the skin more tightly back," he whispered, breathing heavily.

The security guard moved his grip with very long strokes, now... all the way down and up to the tip again.

"Oohh yes... just like that," the doctor moaned softly but ecstatically.

He arched his loins up, shoving his manhood far into Barney's stroking hand, answering the sensual rhythm with slight thrusts. His swollen length pulsed erotically within the caressing grip.

He groaned.

"Oh God... I ... can't bear it anymore," the officer sighed after a moment, his voice trembling and quivering with tension. "Get me out of my pants, or I'm going to burst them."

He raised his abdomen when the physicist helped him pulling the garment down. He gave a small, relieved moan when he felt the touch of his friend, gently grasping his swollen balls. The curious fingers stroked his testicles, softly kneading and caressing them, before he touched the twitching shaft.

Barney's desire-ridden face glowed with excitement when the redhead pleasured him skillfully. He looked Gordon in the eye. The doctor's features were rigid with lust, too, and he gazed down onto his own fist - moving gently along the officer's length, while Barney watched his own stroking along the scientist's erection...

A clear drop seeped slowly along the glans and wet his fingers. He spread the slippery liquid along the shaft, stimulating the doctor with erotic, caressing strokes.

Gordon was fully absorbed with the lustful sensations of their mutual masturbation. He closed his eyes, overwhelmed with the pleasure. His member got even harder in Barney's hand. The glans got dark, glowing hot and firm, and a really big drop oozed from the glittering wet slit.

The officer panted erratically with need meanwhile. He took his hand away, hastily spreading some saliva at his fingers and satisfied his friend with faster strokes, sliding his grip eagerly up and down. His fingers circled along the exposed glans from time to time... gently strengthening and reducing the pressure of his fist... making the scientist moaning aloud with the very lustful touch, before his hand sled along the shaft again.

The doctor's nostrils quivered. He wheezed and gasped fitfully, curving his loins up and into the quickening rhythm of Barney's hand.

The security guard watched how he caressed his buddy's member, enjoying the erotic sensation, how he stroked the rigid length tirelessly, moving his fist along the exposed, burning hot tip repeatedly...

Without taking his eyes from Gordon's lap, he grasped the soft hand at his own manhood. Barney squeezed the slender fist, until the scientist strengthened his grip. "Jack me off," he panted. "Make me cum..."

Gordon's grip moved eagerly up and down at once, before he stimulated the glans and its sensitive bulge... increasing Barney's lust until he gave a soft moan and arched his abdomen into the intense stimulus, gasping with need.

"Faster," the security guard panted aloud, "ahh... yeah... grasp me tighter..."

Gordon wheezed hectically, he began to pant with lust. His erection got treacherously big and hot, swelling to full size and gaining almost another inch of length. He gasped erratically, competitioning his friend's loud, fitful breathing.

"Oh God, yes..." the officer groaned when he felt that the doctor was getting close. His fist circled continuously along the swollen, firm tip now, making his younger friend moan ecstatically.

The redhead looked back and forth between his grip at Barney's shaft and his lecherously distorted face – while he got closer and closer to his orgasm. His abdomen curved up at once... He groaned... his sensual face turned into a grimace of sheer pleasure. His head fell back. He gasped wildly and intensely in an instant.

"Oohhgod... I'm... ...coming," Gordon groaned and a hot gush poured out of him, running over Barney's fingers in pulsing intervals.

"Ahhh, let it come..." The security guard panted loudly and still moved his fist along Gordon's orgasmically twitching shaft, strengthening the stimulus even more. The erection pumped strongly in his hand, contracting erratically.

The doctor clasped Barney's fist at his length, moving it with quick, small strokes along the glans. His pouring, pulsating flow changed to a weak squirt.

The officer moaned lustfully when the spurt slapped over his forearm. The sight of his buddy coming with slight squirts and hastily pulsing gushes of hot, slick sperm flowing and dripping over his fingers was enough to trigger his own climax.

He gasped aloud, breathing fitfully... he shoved Gordon's grip down his mast, stretching the skin along his shaft. His member jerked hastily at once, and he came so hard that his load was forced out in frantic spurts. He moaned ecstatically when he felt how the doctor's slim hand moved up his hectically twitching erection, covering the swollen glans. His slippery semen slapped into Gordon's palm... the frenzied pulsing of his manhood slowed down very fast, changing to even, still weakening contractions. The scientist caressed him right below the now oversensitive head, moving his sperm-slick fingers gently and with small, circling strokes, intensifying Barney's fading orgasm as much as possible.

.oOo.

Barney and Gordon spent the next days only in each other's company and adjourned to one of their quarters. Their relation to each other had rapidly changed within 48 hours. ...Bosom friends had become a couple practically overnight... No wonder that they wanted to be alone, exploring this new experience together.

They talked for hours; about their feelings for one another – the newly discovered emotions and older, equally deep emotions, too - and also about the abrupt change in their life. Everything would be quite different from now on, especially when they returned to the resistance's headquarters.

They talked about just anything that came into their minds, enjoying each other's company. Both of them saw the long-term friend in a new light. Just anything was different, now... even trivial touches, small glances... a smile... all this deepened their mutual affection still more.

They spent their nights together, too, sleeping in one bed... nestled against each other, naked and spooning... the doctor snuggled at his friend's body lying behind him, while the officer embraced the middle of Gordon's body with both arms... And it was this intimate closeness that made them aware of the deep harmony of their newfound relationship. They didn't just enjoy their physical contact very much, but they also needed it... Barney and Gordon alike had missed such bonding – emotionally and physically as well.

Never before they felt so ... complete - just like now; while lying in the best friend's arms...

They enjoyed every moment, and they got to know each other in a completely different way now. Their friendship gained a depth and intimacy which made their relation truly unique. And this special bond tied them only stronger together – in any possible way...

It didn't take long for them to notice how much they loved to cuddle... fondling and kissing. Mostly, it was Gordon who whispered sweet nothings, putting a soft smile on Barney's face while they caressed one another with caring touches and tender kisses. Their share of affection was very gentle; stroking one another just softly... brushing each other's cheek with their fingertips or knuckles while exchanging small kisses with soft lips - until their cuddling slowly deepened into arousal.

Their libido increased to unexpected intensity. Barney's sex drive – even though he was past forty – almost doubled... but he still wanted more now than he was physically able to. Often, their gentle fondling was enough to stir their lust and they started undressing while kissing and stroking each other. Mostly, they were still half dressed when they sank down onto the bed – but hardly able to wait any longer.

Despite their intense excitement, they always tried to take it slow, holding back their orgasms as long as it was only possible. They wanted to make the most of their lovemaking, enjoying their desire with all their senses.

They got to know their needs and likings gradually. Gordon was more experienced and showed Barney the pleasures of their relationship – slowly, though... and just bit by bit. They explored their bodies like being on a very erotic adventure...

Although the security guard had quite his share of female affairs, gay sex seemed to be a true disclosure for him. He was overwhelmed with pleasure and visibly enjoyed the experience. He was very eager to learn about his buddy's sensual reactions, what he liked the most and how he enjoyed being touched and pleasured – while giving himself to Gordon very willingly and desiringly. Both of them were curious and wanted to try out as much as possible. Nevertheless, some things simply needed their time until they were ready to give it a go...

But their mutual masturbation within the first days was a very erotic delight. ...When they cuddled up naked, kissing and pleasuring one another slowly and provocatively... until they carried their lustful game too far every time and threatened to lose control...

When Barney rubbed himself along his mate, gasping, lying half on top of him and with Gordon's thigh between his legs - while moaning with passion and pure carnal lust - that was almost enough for the doctor to reach his orgasm.

Gordon enjoyed it with all his senses holding his mates rock-hard erection while Barney shoved his throbbing length with sensual thrusts into the soft, hot fist enclosing his manhood.

The highly erotic facial expression of his beloved friend... his shaky wheezing and lecherous moaning... how Barney moved above him, thrusting, sliding along the scientist's intensely swollen length with every thrust - Gordon was so aroused then, just the rubbing touch of Barney's hot body against his painfully hard member was enough to make him come, climaxing without touching himself...

...And Barney - carried away by ecstasy and the lustful sight of the hasty spurts slapping along the lean body - followed him just seconds later, ejaculating too.

.oOo.

The former Combine were pleased with the sudden change in their guests' behavior. They expected – and hoped – that the other couple wanted some privacy, now, secluding themselves from their hosts. Steve and Tom would have been worried if they still bumped into the two guys displaying mixed emotions or even discomfort yet – or, even worse, if they met just one of them, wandering around the bunker. But their absence for several days in a row could only mean that everything went well between them... very well actually.

The MetroCops merely waited for a chance to catch sight of their guests. And when they finally intercepted then by chance, Barney and Gordon were quite surprised about the topic of their conversation. They never expected that the Combine would be offering tips and advice. But they were happy with the aid and gratefully accepted the suggestions from the more experienced live-in lovers.

"Never be shy or ashamed of something", Steve finally remarked. "Talk about just anything - tell one another what you like or not. Otherwise you don't get to know your needs, preferences and likings. Guessing is not a good option in a relationship. Don't trust on what could be pleasurable. If you two are trying something, talk about it. Let your mate know if you really like it or if you prefer something else."

"Believe me... even after the twentieth time it's still exciting to ask your love how it feels for him and to make him tell what he likes the most," Tom interfered in the conversation. "Don't be afraid to try new stuff - or unusual practices. Maybe you two will be giggling the first time while attempting something you aren't used to... but enjoy the experience and have an eye on your mate... he'll stop grinning at some point and you can see the arousal dawning in his eyes. And THAT's the hottest part of it... when something that began funny or even awkward turns into pleasure and very suddenly, too." He winked a little saucily.

Steve chuckled and nodded in agreement at the same time. He opened his mouth but no word left his lips. His face brightened with a sudden idea. Without saying what he actually wanted to, he got up from the sofa.

"I have an idea, I'll be right back," he merely said and left the room.

He came back several minutes later, bringing along a little bag and held it out to the scientist. Gordon got half-way up from his seat reaching for it. He took the cloth bag and, after a slight hesitation, pulled the string open.

The scientist peeked inside the pouch.

"What is it? What's inside?" Barney asked curiously.

Gordon's eyes widened and he looked up with a jerk, facing the dark blonde MetroCop. "You can't be serious..."

Steve laughed softly. "I'm pretty serious about that! You two should try it out some time..."

His remark was answered with a raising eyebrow and the doctor's famous poker face. But the twinkle dawning in his gaze gave away his growing amusement.

The Combine giggled and tried to be more serious. "Ahh... umm... well, although your mate is more experienced... you're still a first-timer and there are some things you should know," he addressed the security guard and promptly had his full attention.

"Go on," Barney asked with a small nod.

"Ok... so... no matter what you two are really going to do, never forget lubrication – and lots of it... if you're feeling ready for intercourse. No matter if you're the giving or the receiving partner - never be scant with lube. Don't worry if you're a bit nervous, then. And don't expect it to be something like a... sexual miracle right from the beginning. It can take a while until you're used to it and – if you're at the receiving end – maybe you won't be erect the first time... but that will change at some time, so relax and enjoy the experience. Ok?"

A curious spark flashed in Barney's eyes. "How does it feel like," he asked quietly. "Is it an equal pleasure for both of us or are there different sensations involved?"

Steve's face lit up with a small smile. "Both of you will love it, believe me. But if you ask for my very own opinion... the greatest pleasure experiences the bottom - the one who takes the female role in bed."

The officer cleared his throat. His expression revealed sudden sexual curiosity and a thrill of anticipation. To distract himself from his naughty thoughts, he bent into Gordon's path at once and tried to peek a glance into the bag, too. The physicist kept him off by sphering his arm out of reach.

"Aww... C'mon, Gordon. Let me have a look," Barney griped about.

"Ahhm... later," the doctor only mumbled and couldn't keep back his grin any longer. He cast another glance at Steve while shoving his glasses up his nose.

The Combine chuckled and pointed at the bag. "You're going to love it, believe me."

Gordon tightened the string again. A strange sparkling filled his eyes and he faced Barney right beside him with such musing, carnal glance that it made even Steven and Tom almost break into a sweat.

However, his "later" was delayed by some hours... the security guard asked Tom about the sauna heater's handling while the doctor was busy preparing their room for a pleasant afternoon.

He had just finished his task when someone rapped at the door.

"Yes, please?"

Steve put his head in. "There's a message coming in from your base. C'mon, the young lady is still at the device, waiting for you."

The physicist didn't need to be told twice.

Alyx had pleasant news: "You can leave in one or two days," she said, barely drowning out the whistling and hissing static noise before her transmission got clearer again.

"Good," the doctor sighed.

"Are you still driving to the abandoned freight depot as planned, Gordon?"

"Sure. We must be eagerly-awaited meanwhile. Or are we urg..." The opening and closing of the door behind his back interrupted him for a moment. "Are we urgently needed at the base right now?"

He closed his eyes when warm, strong arms gently embraced the middle of his body and someone cuddled up to him from behind. His head sank back against Barney's shoulder and he took the finger from the microphone's talking button.

"Back so soon?" he whispered. "My, that was fast."

"If it wasn't for Tom talking with me about Combine technology for so long, I would have been here much sooner." The officer brushed Gordon's cheek with his lips and focused his attention on the radio equipment with the glowing "stand-bye" lamp. "You're talking with Alyx?"

"Yes," the scientist said quietly. "We can continue our mission shortly."

"Oh, what a pity," his friend sighed and placed a soft kiss on Gordon's temple, gently strengthening his embrace at the same time, "but every vacation is going to end some day, I suppose..."

The doctor jumped with the sudden realization that Alyx just ended her torrent of words. He pressed the connection button at once. "Say that again, please. I was ... err... in my thoughts."

Barney smiled at the physicist's neck. "That one way of putting it," he breathed into his ear.

"I said... everything is fine here. The hurricane crooked the antenna to some degree and the trash cans were hurled over the whole place, but nothing essential has happened. My dad was just glad that the biggest part of White Forest is underground. That eliminated the threat of greater damages," her voice resounded over more static noises.

"Well, that's good to know," the physicist mumbled.

A pleasant goose-flesh tingled over his cheeks and forearms when he felt the touch of Barney's lips gently sucking his earlobe... followed by the soft, playful nibbling of teeth at his auricle. He gave a small, pleasurable hiss and squirmed from the caressing touch at the same time.

"Good God, will you stop that," he remarked and tried to sound stern. But his almost sighing comment belied his words.

"Huh? I haven't done anything," Alyx said promptly.

The security guard wasn't able to hold back his chuckle, while Gordon stared at the still activated microphone and tried to keep a straight face about his slip. He was obviously torn between a hint of embarrassment and delight because of his boyfriend's tender actions. But the warm shimmer in Barney's eyes softened his expression and he pulled his older mate some closer again.

The young woman snorted with amusement and laughed. "Hey, Barney. Fancy that you're there, too."

"Uh-huh. Hi, Alyx."

"What are you guys actually doing the whole day long? Gordon told me about what had happened. It must be pretty boring for you... to be stuck in a bunker without the tiniest bit of action," she remarked, still giggling.

"We're doing a lot of raunchy stuff... kissing and cuddling... having hot sex with one another," Barney breathed into Gordon's ear, before he addressed Alyx and said plain and simple: "We whipped the buggy into shape... but apart from that, well... we're relaxing, having enough sleep for once and lots to eat..."

"So you're bored to death," she giggled.

"As if I ever could call our stay here boring," he murmured under his breath and addressed to the scientist. "Never before, I spent such a wonderful, exciting and beautiful time - just like we did over the last two weeks."

Then, he raised his voice and continued his conversation with Alyx: "Yep, Alyx. You're right, I'm afraid."

A small chuckling reached their ears.

The physicist made sure that he interrupted the connection this time before he spoke. "Stop that, Barney. Please. Or you're spilling it without wanting to," he reminded the officer quietly.

"I don't think that we'll be able to hide our relationship all the time," he merely said and just as softly.

Gordon was silent for a second, before he spoke again. "I would like to tell her myself and explain everything to her."

Now it was Barney who went quiet for a moment. "Do you think that there's actually something to... explain..?" he asked.

"You know by yourself how stubborn she can be. And I just want to prevent that she feels rejected and maybe even pulls some stupid stunts in her jealousy... that she gets all worked up about our relationship."

"I never considered that." The officer heaved a sigh. "But you're right... And wouldn't it be better if both of us would be talking with her? I just don't want to leave the impression behind that we're outwardly uncomfortable with our close relation. And... since I'm at it... I don't care what other people think about us. We shouldn't hide our feelings."

He laid his fingertip gently on Gordon's lips to prevent him from interrupting. "I'm not talking about holding hands in public like lovesick teenagers, but there's nothing wrong with two guys welcoming each other with a loving embracing and a peck on the lips."

The scientist faced him with an uninterpretable glance. "You're risking your reputation, Barney," he remarked silently but with a little smile in his eyes, while his lips curved slightly up.

"They're going to gossip and call us faggots behind our backs anyway... I don't want to upset the lot, but if we're behaving as if our relationship is improper and just so wrong – how should others be able to accept?"

The doctor's smile broadened. "I can't argue with that." He turned his attention towards the microphone. "Alyx, listen. We still have a lot to prepare for your departure. We'll be back at the base at the end of the week and can continue our talk..."

She sighed with obvious disappointment. "Ok then. So long, you two. Bye."

.oOo.

They went to the sauna area immediately, talking on their way about some possibilities to spent the afternoon with. Gordon held visibly back and mostly listened straight faced to Barney's suggestions.

He kept his preparations secret and looked forward to the tall guard's expression when they entered their accommodation. The pillows on the bed, turning it into a intimate and cozy place... the small candles on the bedside cabinet...

He wanted to make love to Barney in the soft light of burning candles this time, watching his erotic expression – softened and accentuated at once by the warm, gently flickering glow and mellow shadows.

"Nothing is as good as relaxing afterwards," the officer suddenly said with a big grin on his face, unaware of Gordon's abstractedness, interrupting his daydreaming.

"Relaxing after what?" the doctor asked absentminded and without knowing what Barney was talking about.

"After having a nooky, of course," his opposite replied and reached for the door knob. "All the time, I..." He fell silent and frowned. "Damn it..." His shoulders dropped and he scratched his head. "Man, I'm such a... doh!"

The scientist looked at him questioningly. "What happened?"

"The sauna heater! I came here to switch it on, but my chat with Tom distracted me just too much. I totally forgot about the damn thing."

"Well. That's not the end of the world, is it? Let's wait just right here until the sauna is heated. The black matter generator will speed everything up."

"How true," Barney opened the door. "We can undress meanwhile and..." He turned his head and listened.

His posture was so attentive, that Gordon moved closer and whispered into his ear: "What's wrong?"

"Ssshh!" the officer merely breathed.

The doctor listened for noises, too and finally raised his shoulders. "Are you sure that you heard something?"

"You bet! I heard voices..."

They closed the door cautiously and moved slowly into the spacious resting area next to the sauna cabin. Their glances roamed the whole room and the cots along the outer wall.

The security guard draw a deep breath and slightly nudged his smaller companion with his elbow. "Look!" He whispered, pointing to one of the cots.

The scientist followed the direction of Barney's extended arm. His eyes got wide.

The Combine had made themselves comfortable on the last, big lounger. Both of them were naked and unaware about the other couple's presence. The moment Barney and Gordon looked in their direction, Steve's dark blond, fuzzy tuft lowered and he glanced through his legs. Tom knelt down behind him, sliding his erect shaft with an experienced move - and without the slightest effort - into his boyfriend.

The redhead faced his buddy, slightly raising his brows with a questioning expression. The officer merely cocked his head with a meaningful glance, looking back and forth between the Combine and his opposite.

The quiet moaning in the background was just too tempting to be ignored. The physicist lay a finger at his lips and indicated Barney with a small nod to turn round.

Both of them looked over to the occupied cot...

"Mmmhh... ohh, yeah!" Steve panted and spread his legs while sticking out his bottom, searching for a better footing on the cushions.

The friends stood quietly and watched how the former MetroCops had sex in front of their eyes. They were passionated and very sensual. Both of them gave lustful little groans and sighs. Their bodies moved in the perfect unison of well-practiced long-term lovers. Their rhythm was slow and erotic... gentle thrusts... their muscular nude bodies the image of pure lust and desire.

Barney's breath caught at the sight and he got a spontaneous erection. He swallowed with a dry mouth and leant back against the physicist's body, while Gordon embraced him from behind with both arms. His heart was beating faster with rapidly growing excitement. Snuggling into the embrace, he felt the doctor's pulse quickening, too.

Steve supported himself with hands and knees on the padding. His mate held him at his hips, thrusting lustfully into him from behind. Their faces revealed how good it felt for both of them. But primarily Steve's expression was so sensual that Barney gave a suppressed groan.

"It's such a turn on to watch them," he breathed.

"Then have a really close look," the physicist whispered into his ear, running a hand slowly along his mates body at the same time. "Watch them, Barney... how they are having it off with one another..." His spread fingers stroked the security guard's belly and moved lower until he touched the treacherous tent in the loose-fitting trousers. "Do you see Steve's face?" He murmured temptingly. "Look at him... He enjoys it so very much..."

Barney moaned softly with pleasure. The sight of the two men - panting and grunting while visibly taking up some speed now - turned his arousal into soaring lust. He got so painfully hard that he gasped with the sensation of his intensely swelling member.

"I have a raging boner," he breathed.

"I know," Gordon whispered. "Me too..."

Both of them strived to be as silent as only possible, keeping a low profile, leaving Steve and Tom still unaware about their presence.

Meanwhile, Gordon's hand stroked gently along Barney's shaft. He squeezed the throbbing mast through his pants, before he shoved his fingers under the waist-band, trying to get into his shorts.

The doctor pressed his erection against the soft behind now, slightly wiggling to and fro until he found the butt crack. He gently moved his loins, rubbing his length slowly up and down. The officer pushed noticeably back and welcomed the intimate touch without hesitation.

The redhead bit his lips and gave a sensual little grunt, strengthening the pressure of his shaft along the bottom crack held out to him so invitingly this time. His companion never returned this kind of erotic stimulation so spontaneous before. Gordon's breath caught with skyrocketing desire. He shoved his manhood even harder against Barney's butt and the security guard pushed back with just the same strength, actually moving himself inversely to the rubbing touch.

The scientist moaned quietly but ecstatically, still having his hand in his friend's shorts, stroking his fingertips through the hairline right above his pubes. He brushed his fingers along the silky, glowing hot skin of Barney's manhood... He noticed how vigorously the rigid length pressed into the soft fabric, tightening the garment.

Steve and Tom panted louder and unrestrainedly, now. They were totally enraptured by their actions. Their gasping and wheezing got wild and hectic. Steve moaned breathlessly, while his boyfriend pounded harder and faster.

The officer turned his head slightly around, groaning silently but with sheer lust at Gordon's neck. The doctor stimulated the shaft in his hand right below the glans, gently rubbing the bulge.

"Ohhh... you're glowing hot," he sighed into Barney's ear. "So hard..." He stroked the throbbing erection with his palm, moving his fingers caressingly over the velvety tip. "...and so big..."

His fingertips spread the big, slippery drop oozing from the slit, squeezing Barney's member softly with this hand, sliding his grip with soft strokes up and down the whole length, now.

Steve straightened up, panting breathlessly, while Tom stopped his movements behind him. The two guys nestled against each other and exchanged a sensual kiss.

"Oh God, look at them, Gordon," Barney whispered breathlessly.

"I see it," the physicist answered just as quietly.

They saw that Steve was fully shaved. But that wasn't the only thing the highly aroused friends noticed so suddenly. Steve's erection was exceptionally big and dark. The veins stood out at the shaft while his balls sat right below the heavy length standing out at a right angle.

Tom's spread fingers ran over his mate's heavily heaving belly while their tongues still played sensually by a breathless, open mouthed kiss. He grasped the uncut, thick pole and moved his half-opened fist leisurely to and fro. The gentle rhythm revealed a metallic shimmer from time to time... the glinting steel of a tightly fitting cockring. No surprise that Steve had such a massive erection...

Barney stared mesmerized at the sensuous scene and Gordon clearly felt how the rock-hard cock in his hand began to pulse with need. The redhead gazed over his boyfriend's shoulder and – still watching Steve and Tom on his own - he stimulated Barney with long, erotic strokes.

Steve sunk forwards again, stretching himself into the lustful thrusts coming faster and faster, now. Tom plunged into him with growing speed. Both of them moaned lustfully, their breathless groans mixing with the hasty slapping of their bodies. Steve hung his head and bent willingly into the hard thrusts.

"Ooohgawd... yeah!" He groaned aloud. "Fuck me! Ohhh... f...fu..ck!"

Barney reached out for the hand in his lap stroking his lecherously twitching manhood, masturbating him sensually. His knees began to tremble with excitement and he fought the urge to thrust into the skilful fist.

"Stop it," he panted and bit his lip to prevent himself from giving a drawn-out, load moan. "Oh God, stop it, Gordon. Or I'm coming." He grasped Gordon's fist and removed the grip gently, pulling the soft hand from his trousers again.

Steve and Tom groaned almost mutually. Tom thrusted harder and faster, almost rearing up behind his mate finally. His sweaty features distorted to a sensual grimace.

"Oohhgod! I...cum..."

Steve panted hectically. He grasped his member, stroking himself eagerly, rubbing hectically forth and back.

Gordon wrapped both arms around Barney's waist. He nestled against him from his position behind him, still rubbing and shoving his pulsing length along his buddy's behind. He wheezed into his ear, heaving a quiet groan from time to time. The officer watched with lustfully glittering eyes how Steve brought himself off... with still quickening strokes. "Let it come, Steve," he whispered. "Shoot your load."

His lustful remark was answered with a short, surprisingly firm bite at his shoulder before the doctor pressed his open lips at Barney's neck, sucking sensually and quite strong at the tender skin, leaving a hickey.

Steve panted like crazy now. He moved his fist hastily back and forth, arching his abdomen forward. His sperm slapped with thick spurts along the cot. The redhead tightened his embrace and almost robbed his taller mate of his breath, wheezing sensually into his ear at the same time.

.oOo.

The two wasted no more thought at their planned sauna. They retreated hastily and hurried back to their room. The door barely closed behind them when Barney's gaze fell onto the bed and he stopped dead in his tracks. The scientist wasn't able to stop fast enough and bumped into him from behind.

The security guard turned round to him after a moment, a strange shimmer in his eyes. His expression was a mixture of arousal and emotions. He looked to and fro between those green eyes, and, without saying a single word, he cupped Gordon's face and kissed him. There was no need for Gordon to tell... the preparations he made... that revealed quite enough about his true feelings. Barney's kiss was soft and tender, a silent response to the doctor's emotions.

Their mutual embrace strengthened... their kissing got more and more passionate. Both of them weren't able to hold back any longer. What began as a gentle caress and a loving, soft kiss turned soon into lustful frenzy.

Without interrupting their breathless, smacking kisses, they undressed impatiently. Barney and Gordon alike wheezed and gasped with arousal. Their lips met over and over... stroking each other and pulling their clothes down at the same time. They wanted to spend a romantic afternoon, but they were so aroused from what they witnessed in the sauna room, they just hurried to get naked.

Barney knelt down in front of the scientist. His mouth moved with wet, sucking kisses along Gordon's belly. He licked with the tip of his tongue at the soft skin... slightly nipping with his teeth from time to time... before he smothered the doctor's abdomen with wet kisses, wheezing his hot breath along the silky skin.

His strong fingers kneaded the small butt and Gordon gave a little moan when the soft, curious tongue dipped into his navel for a moment before sliding deeper again.

"Barney," he sighed. "Get on with it. Please."

The security guard looked up and along the slim figure in front of him, pulling his friend's trousers and slip down in one go.

The doctor was still hard and his rigid shaft sprung up, pointing right at Barney's face. His eyes began to glitter at once. He ran his palm over the thin belly and the slightly prominent hip bones, moving his hand gradually closer to Gordon's erection.

He glanced at the swollen shaft and his face showed such an apt mien, that the redhead grasped his length and made a small step forward. He brushed his manhood softly along Barney's mouth.

The officer tasted the small, clear drop - spread by the slight touch along his lips - with the tip of his tongue.

"Would you like to suck it?" Gordon asked, his voice trembling with sensuality, and he held out his mast invitingly.

"I would like to know how it feels..." Barney whispered and softly kissed the glans, "being fucked just like that..." His tongue stroked slow and sensory along the tip while squinting up into the scientist's face.

"Oh God," Gordon sighed and looked down along his body, facing his older mate... pushing the tip of his manhood quite gently against his lips.

"Open your mouth, Barney," he whispered.

The officer moaned quietly at the lustful, almost frivolous request and met his desire willingly. The doctor watched breathlessly how he disappeared between those soft, sensual lips... quite gently and almost seductively slow.

"Ooh... yeah..." The scientist gave a shuddering sigh. "Mmmmhhh..."

His friend sucked with growing enthusiasm, even if he lacked the skill and practice. Gordon moaned aroused and watched Barney's actions... how his hot, hard member disappeared partly and came out again... quite gently and deliberately...

He groaned quietly and enjoyed the damp sucking with all senses. He followed the slow rhythm with his eyes... how the swollen glans slipped gently back and forth in his friend's mouth... until right behind the sensitive bulge and partly came out again... He placed a hand behind the security guard's neck, moving his loins in a gentle and slow counter rhythm - giving his mate the possibility to adapt to his small, sensual thrusts. The wet, passionate sucking still wasn't as stimulating as the erotic sight of his boyfriend giving head so very lustfully...

His arousal got so strong that he stepped back at once and tried to control his lust.

"Was I too rough?" Barney asked, breathing heavily.

"No," Gordon panted. "I almost came..."

His opposite straightened up.

"I would like to feel you", he stared down to Gordon's erection, pointing steeply up, now.

The redhead moaned quietly with the lecherous gaze and looked at Barney's heated, desire-ridden face. The tall guard moved over to the bed. Facing his buddy again, he leant against the footboard with slightly spread legs. Focusing his attention on Gordon's expression, he grasped his shaft and pulled the shortened skin fully down.

"What about a fuck?" he whispered and moistened the fingers of his other hand. "I've never done that before... but I'd love to, now."

Without taking his eyes from his opposite, he stroked himself with even, slow movements, slightly kneading his balls with the other hand.

Gordon gazed down to Barney's loins, watching the lustful up and down of his fist while the officer stared at him with glittering eyes... his attention fixated to the doctor's proud erection.

The scientist moved over to the ottoman and pulled the drawer open.

"I almost forgot about it," he mumbled hoarsely and pulled out the bag given to him by the MetroCops.

"Well... how about this?" He enticed his older friend and took something slightly conic, pink-colored from the pouch. "Would you like to try this one out at first?"

The security guard's glance turned into a surprised stare. Then, his eyes began to glitter and darkened. He stepped up beside the mattress, moving onto the bed on all fours. Gordon grasped his waist and stopped his movement.

"You don't have to," the doctor whispered. "Just tell me if you change your mind, ok?"

"I don't think I will. Watching those guys getting it on with one another was such a tease," Barney said and moaned softly when he was pulled and pushed a little... right up in front of the big mirror dominating one of the walls right beside the bed.

"I want to see your face," the scientist knelt down behind him. "Your expression... the lust in your eyes." He leant forward, resting his weight onto Barney's back.

The officer gasped with the touch of Gordon's erection pressing up against his bottom... and groaned quietly when the felt the sensual twitching.

"You really want it?" the doctor teased him, slowly rubbing his hard member forth and back, eliciting an aroused little moan from his companion, before he straightened some up again and sat down on his heels, fiddling with the tube he had taken from the bag, too.

Barney's legs twitched surprised when he suddenly felt the touch of something cold and slippery at his rear. He hung his head and looked through his spread thighs but wasn't able to see more than a part of Gordon's slim body... his erect shaft and the sparse, reddish pubes above his manhood. He felt the slight touches and how a jelly-like substance was spread at his most private place.

He got a little nervous, though and asked himself if he was really and truly ready for it... how it would feel like and if it would probably hurt...

Something rigid and quite slippery pressed itself gently against him and that interrupted his thoughts.

He bit his lower lip and stared into space, fully concentrated onto what was going to happen. He felt the penetration... how the semi-hard thing sled slowly and very carefully forward...

"Does it hurt?" Gordon whispered hoarsely. He was breathless with arousal and anxiety at the same time.

"No," the security guard answered quietly and surprised.

He gasped for breath when the intruder slipped gradually deeper. He swallowed spontaneously at the strange sensation.

"How does it feel, Barney?"

"Oh..." He swallowed. "God..." He heaved a shaky sigh. "Oh God," he whispered again and dropped his head, gazing through his legs another time. "Mmmmhhh...." He looked up and aside, trying to glance over his shoulder. "My... I like it..."

"Really?" Gordon panted. "Do you want more?"

"Oh yeah, go on..."

He gazed straight ahead and concentrated on these unusual sensual impressions; the gentle, still a little hesitant movements. It felt strange and foreign... but it was pleasant, too... in a very sensual manner...

His expression froze quite gradually.

Then... he moaned with pleasure.

Gordon kept his attention instantly on the mirror. The officer's face got rigid. He had closed his eyes now and bit down on his lower lip repeatedly. His mien showed rapidly growing lust... his attention was introversive... directed towards the unfamiliar pleasure and his perceptions. His breath came faster, he gasped with excitement and desire at the same time.

"Oohhgod," he whispered hoarsely. "fuck me with that thing... Show me how a real screw feels like."

Gordon moaned aroused and stared at his friend while meeting his lustful wish. Barney's nostrils flared with every hectic breath he took. A dark, sensual glimmer filled his eyes now... his mouth was slightly opened. He moaned softly and deep in his throat at once. His facial expression showed more and more how much he enjoyed every moment.

He straightened up a little and stretched himself slightly back, towards the doctor behind him - with a shameless, inviting and explicit gesture. His face was marked by arousal. His sensory expression... his whole body language revealed how much he liked to be taken like this.

A small groan escaped his lips when the scientist changed the angle of his thrusts a bit. What Gordon did with the toy... it almost robbed him of his self-control. He simply wanted - he needed - more now. He arched into the skilful thrusts, moaning with desire.

That erotic reaction made Gordon's heart beat madly. He reached down Barney's restlessly heaving belly and grasped the rigid shaft with his lubed, slick fingers.

He gazed at the reflection of their bodies, watching how he stimulated his friend. The erection in his grip pointed more and more steeply up. His fist circled gently along the glans before he stroked long and wide up and down the shaft again.

Barney moaned so ecstatically that the scientist gasped aloud. The sensual panting of his boyfriend... how intensely hard and dark his member was now... swollen so much that it must be almost painful... Gordon panted fitfully, his loose grip resting at the base of Barney's manhood now. The big mast stood noticeably curved up... jerking and twitching lecherously... oozing with need. A big drop welled up from the glittering slit and slowly seeped down the glans, wetting Gordon's fingers.

He moved his fist from time to time, stimulating his friend, before he concentrated on is backside again, making him moan again - but with a completely different kind of pleasure.

He gazed at Barney's rigid mien... he saw the sensuality in the heated, distorted face... the lust in his half closed, dark, glittering eyes... he heard the small enraptured moans while the muscular body arched more and more into Gordon's thrusts. The officer straightened more up and bent some backwards. His head sunk back. He gasped loudly and intensely.

The redhead was hardly able to hold back any longer. His own distorted face showed his intense lust. His member pulsed and jerked repeatedly, and the urge in his loins was so intense now... he stopped his thrusts at once and slowly pulled the toy out again.

"What about a real cock up your behind?" Gordon gasped. "I can't bear it any longer to watch you... squirming with lust. ...I would love to feel you..."

Barney turned round and lay down, panting with expectation. His faced his friend... gazing at his expression while he lubed his shaft. A shudder of sensual anticipation raced through is body. He groaned a little when Gordon slipped closer, resting his weight on one arm while leading his erection slowly with the other hand. At the first moment, the security guard held his breath by instinct and expectation.

"Relax and breathe," the scientist whispered. "Don't tense up."

He did as he was told while Gordon shoved his loins slowly forwards. Barney gazed into space, concentrating on the lustful sensation of his friend sliding slowly inside. He moaned quietly and arched his body eagerly into the gentle forward motion.

"Ooohhh... yeah," he whispered breathlessly and groaned.

The scientist closed his eyes, resting his hips between his buddy's spread thighs. He waited a moment until Barney adapted to the feeling. "Can... I?"

His companion nodded slightly and gave a sensuous groan when he felt the gentle thrusts.

Gordon panted and closed his eyes to fully enjoy the lustful feeling, moving his loins gently and slowly back and forth. He gasped aroused and supported his weight on both palms, resting his hands to both sides of Barney's ruffled, black tuft on the mattress.

He thrusted evenly and leisurely, resisting the urge to move harder. He looked down to the desire-ridden face now, watching his lustful expression. Every little sigh aroused him more... He noticed every little twitch of Barney's features... he felt, how the hot body beneath him curved more and more into his thrusts... he heard every erotically trembling breath...

The officer just couldn't get enough of Gordon's mien... the sensuality he saw in those half closed, green eyes. Every lustful, long but gently thrust made him gasp or moan quietly. He could feel his mate so clearly. And that feeling was indescribably erotic.

"Do you like it?" Gordon panted breathlessly.

"Don't stop," he merely whispered.

The doctor bent down to him. His thrusting flagged a little when the security guard pulled him further down, searching his gasping mouth with panting lips, kissing him sensual and passionate at the same time. When Gordon straightened up a little, he felt the wetness of Barney's erection which had spread at his belly by now. He shifted his weight to one arm while he grasped the swollen shaft with his other hand. He moaned with the sensation of the rock-hard, glowing hot length in his grip.

He was so excited that he was coming too close to his own orgasm already. Therefore, he knelt down between his buddy's spread thighs and stimulated him with skilful, quickening strokes. His grip moved far down the impressive length and all the way up again, before his fist concentrated solely on the glans, caressing him with slower and faster movements and circling along the tip, which made Barney moan deep in his throat. His face glowed with sensual heat, he shoved his rock-hard manhood into Gordon's masturbating grip. His member swelled even more in the eager fist bringing him off so skillfully. The scientist watched Barney's highly erotic mien while giving him some very lustful strokes, squeezing and rubbing the sensitive bulge with his fingers and right below.

The officer began to pant... intensely and loudly. His sensual expression distorted to a lecherous grimace. His gasping got erratic and frenzied... until the pleasure overwhelmed him. He groaned, thrusting his loins at once... shoving his manhood with hard, short thrusts into Gordon's fist. The doctor moaned, too.

The mast in his grip was incredibly hard, now. Barney's erection seemed to swell even more... getting unbelievable hot. The shaft began to twitch; jerking and pulsing with frantic, powerful contractions. The doctor groaned with lust when he saw him come. ...with a spurting gush of hot sperm... with long and forceful squirts slapping along his belly and up onto his chest. He moved his fist at the pulsating shaft, stroking him in the rhythm of his contractions and the squirting intervals of his orgasm... 'till his erection noticeably softened in his hand.

Both of them panted hard. Barney's chest and belly heaved intensely. His skin shone with the slick traces of cloudy wetness along his body. His cheeks glowed. He moistened his dry lips with the tip of his tongue and looked at his friend.

Gordon bent forwards again. He thrusted faster this time, gasping with need. Barney's intense orgasm had aroused him just too much to hold back any longer. He panted and moaned. The back and forth of his hips got impetuous. His thrusts got erratic... jerking. He was so hard now that his mate groaned.

"Let it come," the officer gasped. "Don't hold back..."

Gordon started to pant wildly. "Soon..." his breathless, shaky remark was hardly understandable.

His hips jerked quicker back and forth now. He moaned highly aroused, blinded by his ecstasy, and he hoped that he wasn't too rough with this friend.

"Aaahhh! ...Ooohgawd... Bar...ney!!" He raised his head and met Barney's gaze.

He watched the doctor's distorting features. He saw the rapidly strengthening lust in his eyes... his expression got orgasmic... he saw the moment the ecstasy overwhelmed him.

Both of them moaned.

...Two days later...

The two resistance fighters packed their equipment and the rucksack into the buggy. Gordon checked the vehicle one last time while Barney moved over to Steve and Tom.

The Combine stood in the open door of the devastated control room and watched the friends final preparations with mixed emotions.

"Ahh... uhmm... well..." the security guard began quietly. "We're ready, then."

"Be careful, you two," the dark blond said. "The road ahead isn't the best and with the flood it's gotten worse. The path to the freight depot is partly collapsed."

"We'll be fine. There's nothing the Doc isn't able to manage... with my help, I mean." He winked playfully and looked over to the buggy. "Hey, Gordon!"

He started the engine at that moment, before he turned round in his seat and got out again.

"You two can come by here any time you like, if you're around the area," Tom suggested.

"And when you're having cabin fever... you know where we can be found..." The scientists said with a small smile.

The former cops nodded in agreement.

Barney stretched out his hand and was caught off guard with the Combine's comradely embrace, before he returned the friendly gesture.

"Take care," Steve mumbled into his ear. "Both of you."

He turned to Gordon and gave him the same, warm farewell.

The friends moved to the buggy and while the doctor engaged gear, this mate stroked his thumb furtively along the corner of his eye. "Let's get going, doc," he sighed. "Before I get more dust in my eyes..."

END