This is the thirty-ninth story in the Rewriting History series, and it follows Naughty Sneaky.

Warnings: m/m, minor angst, AU, humor, occasional bad language. No spoilers for the movie.

~Silk

*****

Cheeky Cheeky

By Silk


They fell into the back of the taxi like men possessed, hunger driving them to hurry. It was a tight fit, but strangely enough, none of them minded. Brian was on the end, his body pressed up against the door, but since it was Curt who was doing the pressing, he settled comfortably against his side.

"Where did we decide to go?"

Before Curt could answer, Brian said, "And please don't say one of those awful places where they put one stalk of celery and one grape tomato on your plate and call it avant-garde."

Curt snickered, his laughter vibrating through Brian's already-sensitized body. They were in such close quarters that movement, any movement, could be hazardous, or downright dangerous. He snuggled closer, if that were even possible, and latched onto his favorite sweet spot on Brian's neck. "Maybe I'll just eat *you* instead."

"Oh, God, Curt, don't tease me. I'm starving to death, and then there's poor Arthur wasting away to bloody nothing over there."

"Well, you know me, babe. We could always go out for cheeseburgers."

Brian wrinkled his nose. "You Americans and your cheeseburgers. A salad wouldn't kill you."

"It might. You wouldn't want me to keel over from a complete lack of cholesterol now, would you?"

Arthur whimpered and leaned his forehead on the opposite window. "We're never going to eat, are we, Jack?"

Jack struggled to enfold the younger man in his arms, frustrated by the dearth of actual space in the backseat. "It'll be all right, sweetheart."

Arthur looked up at Jack and bit his lip. "How come you never call me by my bloody name, Jack? Do you wish I was someone else?"

"How can you say that? You know I..." Jack grew quiet, and the silence between them was deafening.

"No, I don't, Jack," Arthur whispered. "Maybe you should tell me. Then I wouldn't feel like this." Arthur brushed ineffectually at his overlong bangs which now partially covered his eyes.

Jack's hand on his wrist stayed the restless motion. "I thought you knew."

"That's not the same as hearing it, Jack, and you know that." Arthur didn't know where he found the courage to speak up, but he was glad he did. The pain that lived side by side with the love was becoming harder to control. He didn't have the confidence that came with experience. He was, quite literally, at Jack's mercy.

But he didn't really mind. It was where he wanted to be.

To Jack's credit, however, he never exploited the differences between them. Jack, in all his wisdom and worldliness, had never encountered someone like Arthur before. Of course, taking Arthur's virginity had changed the boy. But it had irrevocably changed Jack as well.

He was just realizing how much.

Painfully conscious of Curt and Brian's presence within the tight confines of the cab, Jack was reluctant to tell Arthur how he felt. But he could feel the younger man growing more and more tense in his arms, and he couldn't take a chance that he might lose him.

The moments slipped away as the vehicle sped through late-night traffic towards its final destination. Curt gently placed a hand on Jack's shoulder, an unnecessary reminder that he and Brian were still there. "We're almost there, Jack," he said softly. As always, Brian was surprised by the hidden depths of the man he loved. Even if they hadn't become lovers, Brian would have been happy to claim Curt as a friend. He wasn't afraid to take big emotional risks, and for that, Brian was very, very grateful.

"Arthur..." Jack whispered, his fingers absently stroking Arthur's face.

Arthur trembled beneath his touch, his dark eyes filling with unwanted tears. He didn't want to cry, for God's sake. He wasn't a fucking girl. He wasn't going to fall apart just because Jack couldn't say the words.

Suddenly Jack bent his head and pressed his lips to Arthur's ear. These words were meant for him alone. "I...love you...very much. Too much, perhaps. Certainly more than is good for either one of us. But I do."

Arthur buried his face against Jack's chest, uncaring that he was soaking his lover's hopelessly expensive, could never be replaced, silk blouse.

Curt gazed lovingly into Brian's kohl-lined blue eyes, the now-infamous sunglasses resting carelessly on his thigh. Brian returned the look, his eyes strangely tender for all their exotic appearance.

"We got so lucky, babe," Curt murmured.

Brian nodded mutely. "Curt?"

"Yeah?"

"If you want a bloody cheeseburger, you can have one."

*****

Angelo's was a posh eatery that catered to the rich and trendy. It wasn't the type of place that Curt would normally be caught dead in, but in deference to Jack, he agreed to give it a try.

It was a terrible mistake.

Jack's name was good enough to get them in the door, but that was about it. They were shown to a table next to the kitchen, and that clearly didn't sit well with Curt. "What the hell's the matter with these people? Our money's the right color, isn't it?"

Brian shook his head. "Let it go, Curt. We can change ourselves, but we can't change the world."

Jack nodded. "Besides, Arthur's hungry."

"Oh, absolutely, what was I thinking? Arthur's hungry. Righttt."

"Shut up, Curt," Brian snapped.

"Did you just tell me to shut up?" Curt asked incredulously.

"Yes. Now here's a thought. Just do it."

"Are we having a fight?"

Brian studied the menu. "No."

"Oh, Tommmmyyy...." Curt sing-songed.

"I'll let you know when we are. Now order something. You'll feel better when you get your cheeseburger."

*****

By the time the waiter brought their drinks, Arthur was in danger of passing out. "It's the curse of the Stewarts. We all suffer from low blood sugar."

Curt looked thoughtful. "You guys must be fun at parties."

"Curt!"

"What?"

"Never mind," Brian said with a sigh.

Jack would have taken exception to the way that Curt consistently made jokes at Arthur's expense, but for one thing. He knew Curt very well. It was apparent to him, if not Brian, that Curt felt guilty seeing Arthur again. After all, he had come dangerously close to sleeping with Arthur. Seeing him undoubtedly brought back the angst-filled night at DOG with all the vividness of a nightmare.

"Do you have a problem with Arthur, Curt?"

"Problem? No problem. I don't have a problem. Why? Did he say I did?" Curt said defensively.

"He doesn't have to," Brian said without looking directly at Curt.

Curt glanced uneasily at his lover before grasping his hand in his. "I'm sorry, babe."

Brian put down his menu. "If *I* don't have a problem with Arthur, I don't know why *you* do."

Bits and pieces of their rooftop conversation echoed through Curt's head. How long have you been fucking the kid? That ranked right up there with How long have you been beating your wife?

Brian had been in a jealous rage when he found Curt on top of the theatre. How could either one of them forget that?

Curt was afraid. Afraid of getting in touch with those feelings again. Afraid of being cast in a less than stellar light. But most of all, afraid of losing Brian.

"I didn't fuck him," he whispered.

"I know that."

"Curt," Arthur interjected, earning a stern look from Jack as well as Brian.

Nonetheless, he persevered. "We didn't have a thing. We weren't even a one-night stand."

"I know, but-" Curt started to say, only to be cut off by Arthur, who had suddenly found his voice.

"Jack and I have a thing. A really *good* thing. I don't want to fuck that up-"

Jack said, "You won't-"

"I know I won't. Cause Curt is going to get over what *didn't* happen. Cause I'm *not* fucking going away." Now that his initial anger had burned itself out, Arthur seemed on the verge of tears.

"I *love* Jack. Not you. It wasn't ever about *you* anyway." Arthur shifted his anxious gaze to Brian. "It was about *him*."

At Curt's questioning look, Arthur said, "That's how I guessed who he really was. I was fucking *obsessed* with him. So if you want something to be scared about, Curt, think about that. I could have followed *him* that night. Not you. What do you think of that?"

"I think I need a drink," Curt said hoarsely.

"No, baby, you just need a cheeseburger," Brian said, patting Curt's hand affectionately.

End