Archive of Our Own ^beta

Cool.

Cool lake shimmering in the afternoon sunlight. Pine trees cool around them. Cool breeze ruffling copper and chestnut hair.

Ian and Quinn were on a weekend vacation in a little village in Upstate New York called Devaronne, where they were staying at the Pines Lodge. It was Friday, September 13th, and they'd just arrived half an hour ago because they had given lectures and attended committee meetings at Luke through much of the day. They'd stopped off at home to bring the puppies over to the Changs' house; then they changed into Skyhawks t-shirts and shorts and drove to the lodge.

They had checked into their room on the first floor, put their duffel bags on the bed, and opened the sliding doors onto their private patio facing the forest. After using the facilities, they headed out to Happy Hour.

Their gracious hostess was Mrs. Dee Eames, a small, elderly woman who was surprisingly fast, given her age.. She put Banana Daiquiris in their hands and set them up at a little table on the verandah overlooking Lake Bongo. So there they were, nestled between forest and lake, cool as cucumbers here on the threshold of autumn.

"Good idea of yours to get away this weekend," Ian said, clinking glasses with his husband.

"It's the hardest time of year at the English Department, so it's perfect for a bit of a holiday when we can get it," drawled Quinn.

"Yeah, and Case can still count on us if he needs anything," Ian said, glad he'd remembered to pack his work tablet in his duffel bag.

Quinn chuckled to himself; Ian was still the conscientious, hard-working lad he'd met so long ago. He sipped his daiquiri, eyes sparkling with delight as he determined to get his herven to relax this weekend. "The lake looks so inviting - let's go for a swim tomorrow morning."

The lodge was built a few yards away from the freshwater lake they were gazing at, where no outboard motors or Jet Skis were allowed to roam. Just perfect for swimming, fishing, and boating.

Ian gave out a happy sigh. "Mmmmm. Swimming in freshwater, not our town pool. Sounds good."

"Especially since Northland's closed for the season," Quinn said.

"I brought the new trunks I got for both of us," said Ian with a wink and a half. "Cost just a song."

Quinn winked back. "You always have a way of finding the best bargains."

"It's easy at the end of the season," said Ian modestly.

Dee popped her head out of the door to the porch to announce, "Dinner's starting in the dining room, if you're ready to eat now, fellas."

"We're always ready for a meal at a country lodge," Quinn answered at his charming best.

The men rose and followed Dee into the lobby, then to their table in the corner by an open window. A lit candle made the atmosphere even more cozy. The maple tree outside greeted them with a rustle of leaves, already starting to change into its autumn finery. Dee came back with handwritten menus and a tray with glasses of water and a warm focaccia loaf with butter. "Ruby will be your server tonight, fellas."

Their usual high-level negotiations ensued, with the final consensus being butternut squash soup for both of them; filet mignon in a Shiraz reduction for Quinn and baked scallops au gratin for Ian; and apple pie with cinnamon ice cream to share.

"Mmmmm. Haven't had focaccia in forever," Ian said, enthusiasm lighting his green eyes as the butter melted into his piece.

Quinn was already starting to eat his second slice and washed his first bite of it down with water. "We've got to have it more often, that's for sure."

"I can tell it's all but autumn because your appetite is picking up steam again." Ian finished his first piece more sedately.

Quinn chuckled. "Somehow, I thought it was always on full Force."

"Y'know, you're right," Ian said, raising his water glass with a grin.

Ruby brought over their soup, which was still steaming away in two crocks. Over the years, Ian had learned the art of blowing on it in such a way that it was an added delight for Quinn without ever becoming too arousing in public, and he did so now.

"Ah, lad, I'm looking forward to seeing you like this when I'm old and grey," Quinn said with his best lilt.

Ian's eyes sparkled in the light of the candle. "And so am I."

By the time they finished the last spoonful of soup, Ruby walked over with their main course. Steak and scallops were divvied up at warp speed, but they slowed down considerably to savor each bite. The Shiraz, a tasty red wine from Australia, gave everything a delicious, juicy flavor, including the garlic-roasted potatoes on the side. By the time they ate it all, the grandfather clock in the hall was chiming 10 o'clock.

But there was always room for dessert, especially warm apple pie, particularly when it was made by Dee herself. She had a light but precise hand with spices, the ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon in perfect balance. And her crust was a flaky delight. Even though the men usually didn't eat piecrust, they just had to eat Dee's. The cinnamon ice cream melted into it, just as the butter had melted into the focaccia earlier in the meal..

"Even Violet couldn't have done any better," raved Quinn.

Ian nodded in bliss. "What a way to end the meal!"

Dee and Ruby were gratified at their compliments as they left a generous tip for dinner since meals were included in the price of their stay. They headed to their room on the first floor, which was cooled by night breezes because they'd left their sliding doors to the patio open. The casual furniture sturdily made of oak was ideal for a country lodge. The only hint of the 21st century came from the flat-screen television on the chest of drawers. Two overstuffed easy chairs faced the patio, with a table in between them. Everything was congenial for their weekend stay.

Both of them wanted a bit of playtime tonight, but they were exhausted at the end of the second week of the semester so they dove into the king-sized bed in a happy heap, content to nuzzle into each other until they fell asleep minutes later.

The next morning, they awakened later than usual, befitting their mini-vacation. Both of them decided to have breakfast on their private patio, so they ordered mocha macchiatos, fruit cups, and stuffed French toast. Ruby brought their food about half an hour later, along with a big smile.

The patio was a wonderful place to eat - private, facing the woods, and now there was even a little nip in the air since it was still before 10 a.m. The French toast turned out to be stuffed with a blend of minced sausage and melted Edam cheese and was as delectable as it sounded. And washed down with macchiatos, it was even better. When they finished every bite and sip, they shared a contented kiss. Then Ian dug in his duffel bag and pulled out their Travel Scrabble set.

Quinn outdid himself this morning, laying down seven-letter words like 'jukebox' and 'quintet', to earn the 50-point bonus, plus using the high-scoring Q on a triple-word square. Ian countered with 'pathway' and 'zest', but it just wasn't enough to overcome Quinn's commanding lead.

By the time they finished playing, it was almost noon, and the two of them were ready for a walk around the lake. They wanted to swim in the afternoon, when the water would be thoroughly warmed by the sun. Dressed in Skyhawks polo shirts, shorts, and sneakers, they headed to the lobby, where they waved to Dee, and ambled out the door, heading for the lake.

The first thing they noticed was the water shimmering in the midday sunshine. A cool September breeze gave them natural air conditioning as they strolled around the lake. Quinn was glad to see so many birds, so much wildlife in general surrounding them. A chipmunk darted between the trees, while a squirrel climbed up to the highest branches of an oak tree that had a sparrow's nest in its sheltering branches. Field flowers were everywhere, riotous in color and shape.

Quinn revelled in the Living Force around them. It replenished his spirit, balm after a chaotic start to the school year.

The vivid blue of Quinn's eyes looked like chips of the sky itself, Ian mused, marveling at his very own Force of nature. Ian couldn't stop himself from kissing his husband if an army of droidekkas showed up in front of them on the path. He hugged Quinn to him and angled his head into ideal kissing range, which he had perfected through years of practice.

Quinn was delighted by this unexpected amorous interlude and gave Ian the kiss both of them had been waiting for. The kiss they'd shared in their room earlier that morning seemed a long time ago by now. They made the most of their privacy on the lake path and indulged in another kiss that was juicier than the fruit cup they had eaten for breakfast.

Since Lake Bongo was one of the larger lakes in the area, it took them almost an hour to walk around it. By the time they got back to the lodge, the men were ready for lunch. After using the facilities near the lobby, they headed straight into the dining room for their meal. Dee was their waitress this time and gave them water and garlic rolls along with the menu. When they saw chicken pot pie as one of the specials, both of them ordered it, remembering the delight of Dee's homemade crust on last night's apple pie.

The garlic rolls were zesty and came with a dish of olive oil and herbs for dipping.

"Love the little beach here," Ian said. "There's plenty of shade with all of the trees."

Quinn nodded. "We won't even need sunscreen, at least for swimming."

By the time Dee walked over with the chicken pot pie, the men were ravenous. Since they'd both ordered it, there was no horse-trading because there was nothing to exchange. Luckily, the circumference of the pies was Quinn-sized so they ate to their hearts' content. Dee had used dark-meat chicken, which was one of their favorites.

Even Quinn decided not to order dessert, in order to leave more room for dinner. He left his usual generous tip, and they waved to Dee and headed to their room. They used the facilities, put on sunscreen, then met out on the patio, with Quinn sitting in the Adirondack chair on the left and Ian to his right.

The two of them lazed in the sun for about an hour, eventually rousing themselves to go swimming. They changed into the new trunks Ian had bought - a lovely deep aquamarine for Quinn and a beautiful sky blue for Ian - both men wearing aqua shoes. Quinn snagged two towels from the bathroom, and they were good to go.

Smiling as they walked by the front desk, their smiles deepened when they saw the fanciful collection of postcards for sale there. Ewoks dressed in swim trunks, flamingos wearing seashell necklaces, banthas dressed in muumuus, and that was only the top row. They had messages like: No complaints lodged here! Come and sea us soon! You'll lake it here, guaranteed!

Ian made a note to himself to buy the one with the Mon Calamari wearing a Hawaiian lei - with the caption: For a good lei, call Cal! - to send to Bant later on.

Ruby handed them beach towels from a stack by the acanthus. There were a few other couples and families on the beach, but they managed to find a spot under a friendly oak tree anyway since many folks were sunbathing.

They put the beach towels down in the shade, stacking the bath towels on top of them so they wouldn't get sand all over them. Then they strolled hand in hand to the edge of the lake, revelling in the blue-green color of the water.

They splashed their way in slowly at first, then went in up to their waists, basking in the sun-warmed wavelets. Ian was right - it was much more enjoyable than any swimming pool. Quinn picked up a ball bobbing on the water, and they started a game of catch, which gradually segued into volleyball.

Then they got on their backs and floated the afternoon away, gazing at the cloud formations as they relaxed in the water.. Quinn was sure he saw one that looked just like Master Yoda and tried to convince Ian of it.

"I s'ppose," Ian said skeptically, "a little bit around the ears."

Quinn chuckled. "His most adorable feature."

When the men were out there for about an hour and a half, they headed for their towels. After drying themselves off, they lay down in the shade, dozing off for a while. When Quinn opened his eyes, he could tell by the angle of the sun that it was time for a snack. They went inside, already looking forward to Dee's baked treats.

After they got to their room, Ian realized another perk of swimming in a lake. "We don't even need to take a shower," he said happily, especially since both of them wouldn't fit in the small enclosure.

"Yep," Quinn agreed, "We couldn't be any cleaner."

So they just used the restroom and put on fresh t-shirts and shorts from their duffel bag. Dee knocked on the door and shouted, "Ready for a snack, fellas?"

Quinn called out, "Always!" and let her in.

She came inside with a warm crumb cake and plates on a tray, still sniffling from watching her soap operas on DVD.

"Thanks very much, ma'am," said the ever-polite Quinn and held the door for her as she left with a smile.

Then the men went out to the patio to savor the pine-scented air while they ate their treat. No need for sunscreen again because of the angle of the sun at this hour of the afternoon. They stayed out there for a good long time after they'd finished, enjoying both shooting the breeze and the breeze itself. After a couple of hours had passed, they were ready for dinner.

So the two of them headed off to the dining room. Saturday night at the lodge was especially festive, with a local folk band playing Fairport Convention songs in the corner by the fireplace. The specials that night were equally good - New England clam chowder, venison in a Beaujolais reduction, and mocha layer cake.

Swimming had left them even more ravenous than usual so the soup really stuck to their ribs, although Dee had used milk instead of cream in her recipe.

"Just the way I like it - more clams and fewer potatoes," Quinn said enthusiastically.

Ian nodded, "And not as heavy as I'm used to."

They enjoyed the soup while listening to 'A Sailor's Life', which had both of them thinking of Ralph Lanyon.

"The spice of autumn on its way has me in the mood for two books, as always - 'The Charioteer' and 'The Fellowship of the Ring'." Ian licked his spoon after finishing his soup, managing not to eroticize it in public, as usual these days. "Especially if you agree to read me 'A Long-expected Party' again." He never got tired of hearing his husband's lilting voice dance its way over Tolkien's beautiful words. And the first chapter of 'Fellowship' was one of his all-time favorites.

Quinn's eyes crinkled in delight. "Can't think of anything cozier than that, laddie. I'm looking forward to it - our own private treat."

Ruby brought over the venison next; she and Dee were both working that evening because Saturday night was their busiest night of the week. It tasted just as good as it looked - sliced into wafer-thin pieces, drenched in wine sauce, and accompanied by sweet potatoes and polenta.

They took their time eating, with Ian periodically forking more polenta and venison onto his husband's plate and getting a bigger smile each time.

"Nothing like polenta drenched in red wine," Quinn enthused, spooning up some more.

Ian grinned at him with mischief written all over his face. "Nothing like watching you eat. Nobody enjoys food the way you do, ma gradh," he said, which inspired Quinn to eat his last morsel with gusto.

Dee was happy to hear Ian's comment when she came by with their dessert. "Have a feeling you'll enjoy this even more, fellas."

And indeed they did. The cake reminded them of a very special occasion.

Ian took a bite. "Takes me back to our wedding day and the reception at Roma."

"Chocolate mocha hazelnut torte, m'lad. Tastes a lot like it, and we're still just the two grooms for it," Quinn said, 16 years of romance in his eyes.

"Oh, Quinn," Ian said, his own eyes dreamy.

They finished up quickly, both of them eager to celebrate tonight like newlyweds.

When they got back to their room, the first thing Ian did was close the sliders with a lopsided grin at his husband, ready for some private playtime. Quinn locked the door with a satisfying click and took Ian into his arms.

"These clothes come off now," Quinn pronounced authoritatively.

Ian always got a little thrill when Quinn had that tone in his voice. His herven was such a gentle man by nature that any aggressiveness excited Ian as soon as he heard it. He scrambled to throw off his t-shirt and shorts, nearly melting as he gazed into the intensity of Quinn's blue, blue eyes.

And the intense vibe in the air only increased when Ian took off his boxer-briefs with an insouciant flourish. He could actually hear Quinn swallow in the hushed room, which left him brimming with satisfaction.

Quinn reached out a fingertip to trace over the curve of Ian's hip, smiling like a rancor when he felt his husband shiver in response. So he did it again. "What's your pleasure tonight, darlin'?"

Ian brushed his hand against the bulge in Quinn's sweatshorts, not so coincidentally, to return the favor. And he grinned like a Krayt Dragon anticipating dinner. He nodded at the easy chair by the sliders. "How 'bout putting it to good use?"

"I like the way you think, laddie mine," Quinn said. Wasting no time, he went to get a towel and stripped off his own clothing while Ian foraged for the berry lube in his duffel bag.

Quinn spread the towel over the seat of the chair, then sat down and made himself comfortable, waving Ian over with an irresistible flick of his fingers.

Ian only paused to turn out the lights and open the slider blinds slightly, so that the light of the harvest moon could shine in on them while they made love. This way, no one could see in, but he knew Quinn could see out, which would enhance his pleasure, blending it with his love of nature. He sang, "Shine on, shine on, harvest moon up in the sky," as he sauntered over to Quinn, his hips at full tilt.

Ian's sensuality was the only thing that could increase the duranium hardness of Quinn's cock, though it seemed impossible from where he was standing. He made for one of his favorite seats - Quinn's lap - and gave his guid-man a deep kiss, then felt Quinn's lips brush his forehead in their traditional kiss at the start of lovemaking. Quinn spread the cool gel on Ian first and gave himself a quick coating of lube since he was already so excited.

Ian prepared himself as meticulously as he would have for the pommel horse, finding the ideal position as he grasped Quinn's erection and sat down on it.

Both of them gasped at the sensations coursing through them. Quinn grabbed his husband's hips with hands straining to be gentle, despite the urgency of his need. He started pounding into Ian, knowing just the way his herven liked it.

"That's it, Qui, give it to me!" Ian grunted out.

And Quinn was happy to oblige, thrusting faster and deeper as he relished Ian's shouts, knowing he was the reason for all of them. He kept up a steady rhythm for as long as he could; it wasn't easy with Ian clenching him in a perfect embrace, or with his husband's ecstatic reaction to his each and every move.

Finally, Ian's hips danced in just the right way, and Quinn poured into him, even as his herven came onto Quinn's stomach. Quinn caught him as he sagged against his chest, his strong arms holding him gentle and sure.

They sat there just like that for a long moment, smiling at each other as their breath evened out. Ian's smile deepened when he reached over to Quinn's scruffy chin to wipe off a streak of semen that decorated it.

"Mmmmm," Quinn said as he licked it off Ian's thumb with a lingering flourish.

Ian chuckled. "I can see this vacation has brought out the connoisseur in you, my love."

"Not a bit of it. It's you, all you." Quinn drew him into an even closer embrace as the harvest moon shone brightly on both of them on this beautiful September night.

A lovers' moon tonight.