Darcy stared into the shot glass, momentarily amused at its lack of alcohol. Bing lounged in the chair across from him, Jane sitting on his lap. The two were whispering to each other and occasionally giggling. Watching them like this, Darcy admitted to himself that they made a “sweet looking” couple. He still wasn’t convinced of Jane’s affection though.

Louisa sat staring into the fireplace. She hadn’t spoken in over a thirty minutes, which was fine since Carter had done nothing but chatter during that time.

Darcy’s gaze drifted past them to Eliot. The man had not been his usual self. There’d been no quips or attempts at engaging in conversation. Carter and Bing had tried to draw both of them out with no success.

Why was Eliot so quiet? In their time at Bing’s house, Darcy had discovered he was neither a garrulous man, nor a taciturn one. Darcy doubted his silence indicated some kind of remorse that he and his sister would be returning to their own apartment in the morning. Even though he had been living with Bing and Charlie off and on for a couple years now, the idea of waking up in the morning without the Bennett siblings seemed… empty.

Darcy didn’t realize he was staring until a quizzical pair of green eyes looked back into his, Darcy coughed off a gasp, looking sharply away.

“Carter, another?” He dared not let his eyes return to their former resting spot. Carter more than happily obliged, filling Darcy’s glass to the rim.

“Down it, Darcy. Make me happy.” Carter crowed with shocked jubilation when Darcy did just that. The alcohol burned down his throat pleasantly. It had been a while since he’d taken a straight shot.

Darcy reached across the table again, offering his glass for another refill. This time he drank more slowly, forcing himself to focus on the liquid and whatever inconsequential topic Carter picked to chat about. Darcy felt his eyes grow heavy with alcohol induced drowsiness but he refused to be the first to leave the room.

Even though he kept his eyes firmly planted on his glass, and not on Eliot, the man filled his thoughts. He was witty, which Darcy appreciated. And well-read. They’d had a long conversation on Monday evening, when Darcy had chanced upon Eliot reading On Walden Pond in the garden the other night. It had been a rare moment of uninterrupted and open discourse.

But really, what was Darcy thinking? Was he actually considering pursuing a relationship? With anyone, let alone Eliot? He felt as though he were just hitting his stride with Pemberly Visions. A relationship would only be distracting. And what if things were to proceed further? Darcy didn’t need to meet Mrs. Bennett in person to know she’d be a terrible in-law. He couldn’t avoid hearing her half of the conversation when Eliot or Jane called her, though he tried. She was a bustling busybody with too much interest in her children’s daily lives. Perhaps not completely unlike his own mother, he supposed, but he had the backbone to stand up to her. Even if Mrs. Bennett was able to keep herself from asking for inappropriate favors, she’d constantly be trying to horn her way into her children’s lives. That was something Darcy absolutely could not abide. No, his thoughts were only flights of fancy, and that is what they must remain.

Darcy missed Bing and Jane’s escape until Carter snickered.

“Do you think she’ll be in her bed or his?” Carter asked Louisa, his voice pitched at a stage whisper.

Louisa smirked. “His. She’d be stupid not to try and sink her claws into him. Bing’s far too—”

Her words were cut off by the screech of a chair dragging across the hardwood floor. Eliot rose, eyes flashing with fury—with passion, Darcy realized, forgetting to breathe.

“Oh, shit…” Carter couldn’t even finish his sentence.

Without waiting for an apology, Eliot stormed out of the door, hitting his shoulder into it once.

“That was poorly done.” Louisa looked at her brother.

Carter shrugged. “Should have made sure he was out of the room. But, honestly, what does he think? That we’d actually welcome such low class people into our lives?” Carter snorted. “Have you heard their mother’s constant harping on Jane about snagging Bing? I don’t eavesdrop, but really. You can’t help but hear. Her voice simply carries.” Carter took a long sip of champagne. “Bing’s just scratching an itch.”

Darcy, annoyed at how closely Carter’s words matched his thoughts, rose. “I hope that’s true.” He had nothing against Bing marrying someone of Jane’s stature… as long as there was true love involved. But something about Jane… she seemed like she was always holding something back. He couldn’t trust that she was really pursuing Bing for his own sake, or his money.

“See, Louisa, Darcy understands. Tell her how this is just a phase for Bing.” Carter scooted forward on his seat, eyes gleaming with a malicious look Darcy had never realized was there in their depths. “Eliot can’t possibly expect us to want our brother to align us with a family like that.”

Darcy’s patience for Carter’s continual nattering snapped. “Goodnight.” He left the room without another word. Carter ran his mouth too far in the best of times. Alcohol made him a less than pleasing companion.

He had intended to go to his own quarters, but half-way up the stairs he saw Eliot walk back out from the left hallway. Walk being a generous term. Eliot sagged against the wall, bracing himself.

Darcy changed his intention and strode toward Eliot.

“You,” Eliot croaked in a roar that ended with a badly timed hiccup. “None of you is worthy of her.”

The fist grazed his shoulder. Had Darcy drunk less, or not been moving, he would have stayed on his feet. Instead, such a pathetic punch toppled him. He bounced against the table and rebounded right into Eliot. Eliot’s eyes widened in shock at the consequences of his own action, and threw out his arms to brace the unsteady Darcy.

They fell to the floor, vying to protect each other.

Darcy found himself flat on his back, Eliot’s chest at his nose, and one of his hands cupping the crease on Eliot’s leg where thigh met ass. Darcy sucked in a breath as Eliot shifted off of him. Nothing could disguise the rub of Eliot’s erection against him though.

Eliot staggered upright. He reached a hand down to Darcy. Darcy grasped the offered hand, stood, and didn’t let go.

The silence was broken only by slow breathing and soft rustle of cloth. Feeling as though he watched himself from afar, Darcy leaned forward, his eyes meeting Eliot’s. Eliot leaned toward him as well.

Lips met. Hands went where neither man was willing to discuss. Feeding this sudden, mutual need was all that mattered.

Darcy backed Eliot up, trapping him between the wall and his body. Eliot’s erection was hot and hard against him. Darcy rubbed himself against it, eliciting a groan of want.

The distant sound of Carter’s laugh caught Darcy’s attention. This was a private moment. He needed to take them somewhere it would remain so.

Taking hold of Eliot’s hand, wrapping it around his waist, Darcy maneuvered them across the landing and down the hall to his room. Eliot worked Darcy’s belt buckle free. Darcy pushed Eliot into his room. He shut the door, locked it, then turned. Without a word, Eliot was on him. Hands at his waist, darting down to cup and fondle.

Growling, Darcy pushed Eliot back until they hit the bed. He climbed on, following Eliot, grabbing the front of his buttoned shirt and ripping it open.

Darcy grumbled at the sight of an undershirt. He grasped ahold of the edge and worked it upwards, out of Eliot’s pants. The heaving plane of Eliot’s chest proved too much distraction. Darcy licked a nipple, sucking it into his mouth.

Eliot groaned, and wiggled out of his undershirt somehow managing to divest Darcy of his shirt as well, though in a less dramatic fashion that didn’t involve ripping.

Darcy pressed his hips heavily on Eliot’s, their steel erections grinding against each other through the layers of fabric.

"You're a fucking cock tease, aren't you?" Eliot growled, grabbing ahold of Darcy's dark curls and pulling his head back.

"I'm the tease?" Darcy's eyes flashed with a lift of his eyebrows. "I'm not the one who insists on bending over, sticking my ass in the air every chance I get." He didn’t realize until the words escaped his mouth how many of his thoughts had been filled with images of that exact thing.

Darcy gripped Eliot’s wrists, yanking them away from his head to be pressed into the bed above them. The fact that tendrils of hair remained laced with Eliot’s fingers didn’t phase Darcy at all. Darcy rolled his shoulders and hips with a predatory grace.

Eliot’s gasp quickly turned to a moan.

Darcy pressed his lips to Eliot’s, swallowing the sound, loving how passionately Eliot responded to him and the feel of their lengths, so close, but not close enough.

"So I'm a little klutzy. If you don't like it, don't look,” Eliot ground out.

Darcy laughed softly, missing the effect it had on Eliot. ”I didn't say I didn't like it."

"Pig," Eliot whispered.

"Ass," Darcy replied, nibbling along Eliot’s jaw but bypassing his lips to run his tongue down his neck.

“Bastard.” Eliot struggled against Darcy’s hold.

A self satisfied smirk crept across Darcy’s face. “Are you going to keep calling me names, or are you going to put that mouth to better use?”

Eliot opened his mouth. Darcy figured he was about to get a verbal barrage of spite. Darcy bit down on Eliot’s lower lip, stemming the words.

Darcy slid off the bed and expertly stripped Eliot of his pants. “You always have a comment for everything, don’t you?”

Eliot leapt forward. His lips latched onto Darcy’s nipple while his hands worked Darcy’s pants loose and down.

Darcy’s thoughts fled as Eliot put his mouth to better use directly on him. He buried his fingers in Eliot’s hair, but just held on for the ride. Eliot was more than capable with his tongue, and seemed determined to make Darcy come from this alone.

That wouldn’t do.

Darcy hooked his hands under Eliot’s shoulders and hoisted him up, rolling him over so that their positions were reversed.

“I thought I was talking too much,” Eliot said.

“I’d like to try some other ways of shutting you up,” Darcy replied, reaching over to his nightstand and pulling a bottle of lube out of the drawer.

“Anyone ever tell you that you’re cocky?” Eliot asked

Darcy raised an eyebrow as he opened the bottle. “All the time.”

Eliot groaned and covered his face. “Oh, man. I walked into that one, didn’t I? You kno-o-o-w--”

His last word broke into a moan as Darcy pressed the tip of his slicked up finger against Eliot’s tight entrance. “This seems effective.”

“You know what I think? I think you can just--ah!”

Darcy pressed his finger in deeper, breaching the tight ring of muscles. He swirled his finger inside of Eliot, making the omega buck and squeal under him. He was so much more responsive than Darcy had expected. Watching Eliot enjoy Darcy’s touch revved the alpha up even more, but he didn’t want to rush this part. He didn’t know how long it had been for Eliot, but based on how tightly his entrance squeezed around Darcy’s finger, it was going to take some time to open him up.

Darcy had always been considerate with his partners, and though he might be a little rusty, some skills never went away completely.

Eliot wasn’t a moaner, he was a gasper, and Darcy came to relish and expect each quick, squeaking intake of breath as he added another finger, stretching and curling and teasing Eliot, occasionally licking up Eliot’s length to distract him and intensify the sensations.

Darcy’s cock was weeping by the time he felt that Eliot could handle him, but he leaned forward to capture Eliot’s lips in a kiss first.

This wasn’t the quick fuck Darcy had expected. This was playful and fun and sensual. He could imagine exploring Eliot’s body all night, but his body was screaming at him to satisfy himself. “Are you--” Darcy started, but Eliot lifted his hips and wrapped his legs around Darcy’s waist before he could ask his question.

“I swear to god, Darcy, if you don’t take me right now--”

That was all the consent Darcy needed. He sat back abruptly, breaking the hold Eliot’s legs had on him, and swiped a thumb over Eliot’s entrance before slicking up his cock and beginning the slow push into Eliot’s body.

It felt like coming home.

Darcy hadn’t expected to feel so many emotions from what was supposed to be just a quick roll in the hay. Tears leaked at his eyes from the intensity, and he was grateful for the shadows of night.

He took Eliot slowly, savoring every moment, for once, setting aside the worries and concerns of life and just submerging himself in the experience. Letting it swirl and build inside him, spurred on by Eliot’s gasps and whispers, speeding up, thrusting harder, until--

Release.

He collapsed on Eliot’s chest, wishing the moment would never end, dreading the moment when he would have to roll away and the world would come crashing back in on them.

And then Eliot’s arms circled around him, holding him tightly to his chest, and the worries faded for the moment as they both slipped into sleep.