stoney321 | It's a NEED. A NEED for more RPS.

I don't know why I stared at this fic for so long. Once I sat down and got my fingers working, I fell back in. Why do I do that? *pets the stories, for they are my friends* A quick thank you to

crazydiamondsue for fixing my dropped commas and wacky misspells that Word doesn't catch. And because my STOOPID troll is back, silently teaching me a lesson about the wrongness of slash (she started attacking my Obi-Wan/Anakin fic now) I welcome ANY AND ALL con-crit/fb. I'll quit whining now.

Author: Stoney321
Title: Time is Running Short, or: Back to Life
Rating: Adult - NC-17?
Pairing: Ewan McGregor/Hayden Christensen - RPS
Disclaminer: RPS is a dream, baby. A lovely, lovely, porny dream. But not real. That I *know* of.
Summary: Influenced by the fantastic footage (it's real!! OMG - it's CANON!) of Ewan coming to Hayden in line at RotS's premiere and planting a wet one on his happy, happy face. Mmmm. Can't let it end there, can we?

Continued from here
First introduction here

Time Is Running Short, Or: Back to Life

*~*~*

He had told Ewan that he slept hard. Apparently he woke hard, too. Hayden had dreamed about being trapped in a hive, bees buzzing angrily about him, and woke to find Ewan sprawled across the bed on a diagonal with his arms and legs flung wide, while Hayden clung to the few inches afforded him on the bed's edge. It seemed that Ewan snored, as well.

Hayden lay blinking, letting his body wake up and his brain catch up. When the pressure below and need became almost unbearable (or rather, when his gentle nudging and moving about on the bed failed to wake Ewan up), he decided to take care of matters. He eased one leg over the bed, then slowly sat up and slid the other leg out from under the blankets. Stood. Laughed because Ewan only snored louder and obviously wouldn't be woken until he was damn good and ready, so he needn't worry about being quiet.

While Hayden waited for the shower to heat up, he checked out his face in the mirror. Blushed at his own eagerness and joy. Scrubbed his hands in his hair and over his face. Climbed in with an, "Ah! Ah!" as the too-hot water hit his side. He let the water course over his head, matting his hair down into crazy snakes across his forehead, and grabbed the soap. He gave himself a good lathering up, but didn't let himself sigh in relief until his hand began to stroke and address the pressure that had built up while he slept. He flashed back to images from last night. Walking into the hotel's bar to see Ewan sitting with a man. The nerves making his stomach roll and flop as he walked to him and got close enough to smell Ewan's aftershave. Being thrown against the wall in the elevator, hands and mouths needy after being apart for weeks.

His hand was slick with soap and the hot water that poured over his body. He closed his eyes and rested his side against the cool slate of the shower, knees bent, hips thrusting, fist working. His back was to the glass door, now fogged over. The uneven slate that lined the shower dug into his temple, but the only thing he could feel was the grip and tug down below. He let out a breathy whine as the image of Ewan - on his knees, head thrown back - brought him to his own release. A cool breeze on his backside made him shiver - his brain was not working on any of the higher thinking functions.

"Well, I guess I could have slept for a few more minutes then, if you were going to do that."

Hayden let out a nervous laugh, trying to hide but completely unable to in his present situation.

"I'm, uh, just finishing up in here."

Ewan smirked and handed Hayden a towel, turned to the sink, and began brushing his teeth as Hayden shut off the water to the shower. Hayden took his time rubbing his skin dry. He stood sideways to Ewan, who was now holding his toothbrush in his mouth with his teeth and futzing with his bangs. Hayden tucked the end of the towel into the cloth wrapped tightly against his hip bone and attempted to act like there was nothing unusual in his being in Ewan's hotel room. He stood in front of the second sink, perpendicular to the other sink and counter and made to brush his teeth when he remembered he didn't have a toothbrush.

Ewan was watching him from the reflection in the mirror.

"Spah unna mah bahgh."

Hayden turned slowly and looked at Ewan, head cocked to the side. Ewan pointed one finger up, brushed furiously, then spat out the froth in his mouth.

"Under my bag. Spare. Sometimes things go missing if I stay in a room longer than a night. Although I can't imagine who would want a used toothbrush off Ebay."

Hayden smiled at the floor, then looked up, eyes sparkling, "Thanks."

Ewan looked at him with a smirk, then went back to brushing his teeth.

"Christ, it's only a toothbrush."

Hayden looked back down at the sink, then felt a warm presence behind him to the left.

"Works better if you use this." Hayden took the tube of toothpaste and felt the vice around his chest loosen slightly after Ewan clapped his hand to Hayden's bare back and let his fingers drag down the valley of Hayden's spine before he moved away and started the shower.

Hayden left the bathroom and dressed more slowly than he thought was possible. He wasn't sure if he was expected to be there or not when Ewan was finished showering. He decided to flip on the TV and make like he was just catching the news on his way out, should Ewan appear to be disgruntled at his still being there. While he waited for the satellite guide to load on the screen, he was treated to his own concert. Ewan was singing, loudly, in the shower.

"Why must my heart cry?
Feelings I can't fight?
You're free to leave me but
Just don't deceive me,
And please...
Believe me when I say
I love you."

Hayden felt his breath catch in his throat and he became entirely too aware of every square inch of skin on his face heating up and tightening. Ewan changed songs and sang in a high falsetto.

"ROOOOOxanne! You don't have to put on the red light! Quit being a whore and get in my bed!"

Hayden felt all the air rush out of him. Okay, he's just goofing around. I've got to get a grip. Nothing will come of this. Just fucking. Be cool. He wondered if it was possible to be cool when you have to tell yourself to be cool. Probably not. He finished getting his jeans on, tee pulled on, Converse sneaks laced. He poked his head in the shower, head down.

"Ewan! You want some coffee?"

"Waaaaait! They don't love you like I love you."

Hayden looked up sharply.

"Maaaaaaaps!! They don't love me like I love you."

The water shut off.

"What the fuck is that song about, anyway? Brilliant, though. Her voice is great. Maaaaaaaaaaaps!" Ewan stepped out in a cloud of steam, grabbed a towel, tilted his head to the side, then began to scrub his head hard, one leg rising up in his fury at drying his head. He stopped and looked at Hayden who looked like he was about to burst out laughing.

"Maps? What I was singing? Right, it's been out for a bit, so I'm not as 'into' the scene as others, but... What?"

Hayden was stock-still. A slow smile spread across his face. "I was asking if you wanted coffee and you're in here singing about loving maps at the top of your lungs. It's just funny. So. Coffee?"

Ewan closed his eyes in relief and clasped Hayden's shoulder in a tight grip. "God, yes. And a liter of water, if you can find one that big. Are you going out? Or calling up?"

Hayden looked confused - would he not want a guest to be in the room if Room Service came?

"Because if you're ordering up," Ewan continued without missing a beat, "I'd take to a plate of eggs and hash browns - tell them to make them brown, I can't stand getting hash whites, or hash tans, you know? All greasy and under-cooked and floppy on your plate? Oh, and a slice of ham! If they have scones, I wouldn't say no, but they put an English muffin on my plate, and I'll refuse the whole damn tray."

Hayden hadn't moved from the spot he had occupied since hearing Ewan's clean tenor belting out his love of cartography. Ewan got dressed, slid on a pair of beat up trainers, and collected the day's paper from outside the suite's door. He flopped onto the bed, crossing his legs neatly in the air, landed on his rump, then shook the paper open. It took him a moment to notice the silence from the other occupant in the room. He looked up, chin tilted to the side.

"Hayden? Not hungry?"

Hayden gave his head a small shake and moved to the edge of the bed. "Uh, I usually just have a coffee or Red Bull and a pack of smokes."

"Jesus Chr- . You serious? That shite's crap." He laughed at his joke. "So, just food for me, eh? Look, are you trying to be polite or something? Is there somewhere you need to be?"

Hayden settled onto the edge of the bed and reached to the side table for the phone.

"No, and come to think of it, I'm pretty hungry. Honestly, I just wasn't sure if you wanted me to bail or not. Room service?" Hayden made a "just a moment" gesture to Ewan and spoke back into the phone. "Yeah, I'd like to order a few things. Uh huh, this is all for Mr. William Wallace's room." Hayden smirked at Ewan as Ewan faked a surprised look then mouthed "freeeeeeeeeesom!"

*~*~*~*

Ewan rolled the cart out the door and against the wall, then leaned against the door frame, a hand over his full belly, and gave a groan.

"I feel like I could pop. Can't sit in here any longer."

Hayden stood, stretched his hands over his head, his T-shirt riding up slightly in front as he did. "Feel like getting out?"

Ewan looked pointedly out the window. It had started drizzling outside.

Hayden laughed. "What kind of Scotsman are you? That's just a mizzle."

Ewan smiled hugely. "Look at you with the lingo! Now, that won't do anything to me, but what on earth will it do to your beautiful curls, laddie?"

Hayden walked to the door and felt the vice around his chest loosen more when Ewan didn't step back or put up his guard at the close proximity. Hayden hooked his fingertips into the front of Ewan's jeans and tugged downward slightly, then let his hand fall away.

"Come on. I want to show you something. The rain'll keep everyone away."

Ewan grabbed the plastic card-key off the console and jammed it into his back pocket and followed Hayden out to the hallway. Hayden walked past the elevators and headed to the stairs. Ewan gave a sharp whistle.

"Hey. We have a private elevator, you know. No worries, mate."

Hayden turned and walked backwards a few paces. "We're not going down."

He continued to the end of the hallway to the door marked Stairs. Two quick flights of steps to a door marked Roof Access.

"Ready?" Hayden was practically bursting out of his skin.

He opened the door and stepped through backwards. Ewan walked through, eyes on the boy, then stopped as he took in the scenery.

"Well, Dorothy Gale, where on earth have you taken me? This is fantastic!"

Hayden grinned, "Cool, huh? Apparently it's a city law or something that most buildings have to dedicate part of their rooftops to garden space. They're trying to combat global warming or something. Last time we came through here for Attack of the Clones, I found out about these. I was going nuts with being trapped in the city and wanting to get out, get somewhere green."

Ewan stuck his hands deep into his pockets and hop-skipped across the basket weave pattern in the stones that served as a walkway and crossed the rooftop to a stone bench set under a shaggy juniper. "Oh, this is brilliant! I like the city for a spell, then I just itch to get out."

Hayden reached up over his head and grabbed a cross-timber from the trellis overhead supporting a flowering vine of some type, studied the coral tube-shaped flower bursting all over the vine and structure. One thing that had struck him about Ewan when they first started working together was his need to escape, to be outside, to make his body move. Even though Hayden was ultimately not cut out for that level of athleticism, it was what had led him to form a team and enter the Eco-Challenge earlier. He, too, needed his body to move, to be used. He wasn't one to sit still for long periods, either.

"Do you know where the other places are?"

Hayden looked at Ewan, his thoughts interrupted. "Yeah. But this is the nicest. There are a few pathways hidden on the other side of that tree. They aren't large, but it's cool - how much they were able to do in such a small place. Can you smell the rosemary? The best ones are on the east side of town."

Ewan leaned back on his bench; looked behind a large, harshly pruned shrub at a new winding path of limestone leading away to a new, secret pocket garden on the other side of the roof. Hayden shook his head slightly; his bangs had filled with water and were hanging over his eyes. The front of his tee had pulled up again, exposing his pale belly right below his navel. His hands were still above, his weight dragging his arms into straight lines, but his triceps stood out in sharp curves. Ewan stood up and crossed back to the boy, not caring that his feet stepped on cracks this trip. He stood close enough that the heat from his body penetrated the damp shirt Hayden wore, but not close enough to touch.

"You should get a jacket on."

"I'm not cold."

Ewan slid the flat of his hand up the puckered gap in Hayden's T-shirt just above his jeans' fly, until it rested on the tender skin just below Hayden's sternum. Now their legs were close enough to touch.

"Huh. Seems like you're right."

Hayden closed his eyes briefly, let his hands drop, his intention to let them fall on Ewan's shoulders. But they fell to his side. He heard a door open behind him; he opened his eyes.

"Well? You gonna show me the others or not?"

~TBC RIGHT HERE,in fact

It's raining again today. That makes me happy. *pets tired, hot garden*

Current Mood: okay
Current Music: Spinning - Zero7