It was something he found himself constantly watching, even though he knew, objectively, it wasn’t right. It wasn’t that Zac was a messy eater, per se, but he wasn’t neat and well-mannered, either. Carrick practically drooled when watching Zac spear French fries on his fork, or when he lapped at an ice cream cone like—well, exactly like he sucked Carrick’s dick, as it turned out.

Being on tour together meant for lots of opportunities to share hotel rooms, and that often meant late night room service orders. Carrick laughed when Zac agonized over what to order before eventually choosing approximately half the menu. Carrick would never object, though, no matter what or how much Zac chose.

In Vancouver, Zac got a craving for ice cream. But not just ice cream. The biggest goddamn sundae the hotel could make, he said. He said it like it was a challenge, and Carrick supposed that it was.

Zac was also the sort of person who didn’t believe in wearing clothes within your own home, and while touring, seemed to consider every bus, green room and hotel equivalent to his home. That was why, when Carrick emerged from his shower, he wasn’t surprised to find Zac sitting cross-legged on their bed, wearing nothing but boxer briefs and a smear of strawberry ice cream on his chin.

Somewhat in spite of himself, Carrick moaned.

“Come on,” Zac said. “Help yourself. I got two spoons.”

That was all the encouragement Carrick needed. He didn’t even bother changing out of his towel before plopping down on the bed and opening his mouth expectantly. Zac didn’t disappoint, although he did aim just a bit to the left of Carrick’s mouth, leaving a sloppy trail of chocolate sauce behind. Carrick’s vision blurred as Zac leaned in and eagerly lapped up the errant sauce, letting out a soft sigh as he did.

Carrick could feel the stickiness of Zac’s saliva on his cheek, but he hardly cared. He placed his hand on the back of Zac’s neck and pulled him in for a wet kiss that tasted like fudge and whipped cream. As if Zac’s mouth wasn’t already practically on fire, the warm, chocolaty tang of the fudge made Carrick moan.

He pulled away all too soon, pulling the sundae into his lap. He offered Carrick a spoon, an almost evil grin on his face. Carrick didn’t know what Zac was thinking, but he had evil plans of his own. He dipped the spoon into the ice cream, filling it with all three flavors, and held it up to Zac’s mouth.

There was a twinkle in Zac’s eyes as he opened his mouth and practically sucked the spoon into it. He pulled back with an audible pop, the spoon licked clean, and Carrick wasted no time leaning in again and crushing his mouth against Zac’s. This time, it was icy cold, making a shiver run all the way down to Carrick’s toes.

Carrick pulled back reluctantly, this time dipping his spoon into the chocolate sauce. He smeared it across Zac’s lips, letting it just begin to drip down his chin. The contrast between the dark sauce and Zac’s caramel colored skin was almost too much for Carrick to take. Even Zac was trembling as Carrick leaned in and ran his tongue along his parted lips. The sauce had begun to trail down Zac’s jaw and neck, and Carrick followed along its path, not leaving a single drop behind.

“We’re going to need another shower after this,” Zac murmured, not sounding all to upset about that prospect.

“Lay back,” Carrick replied.

Zac did as he was told, eagerly shimmying out of his boxer briefs in the process. As usual, he was at least five steps ahead of Carrick, but Carrick didn’t mind at all. He placed the sundae on the bedside table for safe keeping, then kneeled between Zac’s legs.

“I don’t know which of us is going to enjoy this more,” Carrick remarked.

Zac just smirked, and Carrick decided that said it all.

He dipped the spoon into the ice cream again, but this time, he put the spoon to his own mouth. Zac’s mouth hung slack as Carrick licked the spoon clean, his moves as suggestive as he could make them. Before the icy coldness could dissipate, he leaned down and pressed his lips to Zac’s left nipple. It sprang to life immediately, and Zac let out a low moan to go along with it.

Carrick lifted his head for just long enough to fill it with ice cream again, letting the sticky sweetness spill out onto Zac’s skin as he sucked and bit at his other nipple. Zac writhed beneath him, and Carrick knew he finally had the upper hand.

He filled the spoon with chocolate sauce, feeling himself smirking as he drizzled the sauce down Zac’s chest, letting just a bit drip into his navel. Zac’s back arched up off the bed, but Carrick knew that was mostly for effect; the sauce was barely warm at all now. Still, he enjoyed the sight of it, just as he enjoyed the way Zac gasped when his lips made first contact with his stomach. His tongue left behind a shimmery trail where the sauce had been, and although it didn’t permanently mark his territory, Carrick still liked the way it looked.

Zac’s erection was at full strength now, and Carrick knew he was just dying for it to be touched. Maybe just a bit more teasing, Carrick decided. Zac could withstand it; hell, he probably deserved it.

He pulled back and put a heaping spoonful of ice cream his mouth, swallowing nearly all of it. With a devilish grin, he lowered his head and wrapped his lips around Zac’s dick. Zac’s hips bucked up so high that Carrick dug his fingernails into them and pushed them back down against the mattress. He was still in control; Zac had to know that.

Still, Carrick couldn’t resist showing off a bit. He swirled his tongue around Zac’s head until he was writhing beneath him, then reached two fingers up and pressed them against Zac’s lips. Zac took the hint, his mouth still burning hot against Carrick’s flesh. Carrick could only take so much before he was ready to replace his fingers with his dick, but he resisted that urge.

Instead, he pressed his fingers against Zac’s entrance, meeting just enough resistance to make Zac let out a soft whine. Carrick practically lived for the sounds Zac made, and he was sure Zac knew it. He wouldn’t call him on that, though; he would just do whatever he could to draw out more of the sounds he loved so much.

“Carrick, please.”

And that. That was his favorite sound of all.

But he wouldn’t give in. Not yet. He continued thrusting his fingers in and out, only a pale imitation of what he knew Zac really wanted. With shaky hands, Zac reached for the sundae and filled his mouth with chocolate ice cream. Carrick took the hint, slithering up his body and letting his tongue snake inside Zac’s mouth to taste the sweetness. Still, his fingers continued their movements, preparing Zac for what they both truly wanted.

“Please,” Zac repeated, and Carrick decided it was cruel to leave him waiting any longer. In any case, Carrick himself could barely stand the anticipation.

With shaky hands, he positioned himself over Zac, who eagerly bent his knees and lifted his hips. Carrick didn’t know what he had done to find someone like Zac, someone so eager and who could match his libido at every turn, but he resolved right then to never take it for granted. With that thought in mind, he eased slowly into Zac, not caring that it was practically torture not to just have his way with him. But something had changed, and this wasn’t that sort of sex. The important thing wasn’t the physical pleasure, although there was plenty of that. The important thing was the connection and chemistry they shared.

On the other hand, there was something to be said for giving in to his desires, and from the look on Zac’s face, Carrick was sure he wouldn’t complain at all.

He took only a second to catch his breath, then braced his hands on the mattress on either side of Zac’s head. Zac grinned up at him, and that grin never left his face even as Carrick began to thrust shamelessly into him. The only sound in the room was the sound of flesh on flesh, its own sort of carnal music. Carrick idly wondered if he’d ever write a song that quite captured that sound or feeling. He doubted it.

“Oh, god, Care.”

And there it was; the perfect harmony to the music they created between the two of them. Once again, Zac was right in time, or maybe even a few steps ahead of Carrick. It didn’t matter, though. All that mattered was that they were together.

Carrick rested his head against Zac’s shoulder as he continued to thrust into him, only vaguely aware of the stream of curse words leaving his own mouth. It hardly made sense, but that was irrelevant. Zac would understand him, no matter what.

“So close…” Carrick mumbled, vaguely pleased with himself for being able to form what passed for a complete sentence.

“Yes,” Zac breathed out, his hair spread out like a halo on the pillow. “Love you, Care.”

There would be time later to worry about how pathetic it was that that was what put Carrick over the edge. But right then, it really didn’t matter. All that mattered was the boy writhing beneath him, legs wrapped in a vice-like grip around his thighs.

Carrick snaked a hand in between their bodies and gave Zac’s dick a few quick tugs, knowing he was already close enough that it wouldn’t take more than that. Sure enough, only seconds after Carrick felt the tingles start at the tips of his toes, Zac came unraveled as well, letting out a loud moan as he filled Carrick’s hand with a stream of hot come.

Carrick collapsed on top of Zac, laughing contentedly, not even bothering to pull out.

“I should be offended that sex with me makes you laugh,” Zac murmured.

“You probably should be,” Carrick replied. “But you love me anyway.”

“I suppose do.”

Zac’s hand crept between their bodies, and Carrick wasn’t at all sure what he was doing until he lifted it and pressed a come-coated finger to Carrick’s lips. Carrick rolled his eyes, but licked it clean, then lifted his own hand and lapped up the rest of Zac’s mess. He laughed again at the look on Zac’s face, knowing that if they hadn’t had a concert that night, Zac might very well be ready for round two.

Carrick, however, was not. Trying to keep up with Zac, musically and sexually, was proving that he wasn’t anywhere near as young as he used to be. He tried to ignore the way his bones creaked as he finally pulled himself off his boyfriend and shuffled off to the bathroom.

He finished cleaning himself off quickly, then stood in front of the mirror. He hardly recognized the man in front of him, but not in a bad way. Sure, there were a few more wrinkles, but most of those were laugh lines, which he could easily attribute to Zac’s influence. The big difference, he decided, was his smile.

He just wasn’t so jaded anymore. He wasn’t sure when that had happened, either, but he was sure he could also thank Zac for that.

He wouldn’t, though. Zac didn’t need any more reasons to be conceited.

Finally, Carrick pulled on his discarded boxers and walked back into the room. He shouldn’t have been surprised by what he saw on the bed, and yet he was. Zac sat crossed legged, having at least put his boxer briefs on again, with the now entirely melted sundae in front of him. There was a smear of chocolate on his cheek, and he gave Carrick a wiggle of his eyebrows as he bit into the banana.

“Really, Zac?” Carrick asked.

Zac just grinned and grabbed the cherry, popping it into his mouth. Seconds later, he held out his tongue, a perfectly tied cherry resting on the end of it.

“Only you, Zac,” Carrick replied. “Only you.”

“But you love me anyway,” Zac said, echoing Carrick’s words to him, then pulling out the cherry and tossing it to Carrick.