Luka hummed to himself as he carried a pile of laundry into the bedroom. Placing it on the bed, he methodically sorted the clothes into various piles before putting them away neatly. Technically it had been Dave's turn to do the laundry, but Dave was at work. And besides, whenever Dave folded the laundry it always seemed to end up jammed in the first available space in his closets. Luka often wondered just how Dave managed to find anything to wear. Of course it helped that most of his wardrobe consisted of jeans and t-shirts.

Carrying a pair of jeans to Dave's closet, Luka frowned as he looked at the pile of clothes that had either fallen off their hangers, or more likely, had never made it on to the hangers in the first place. Sighing, he grabbed a hanger and started hanging the clothes up properly.

Luka had nearly finished tidying the closet when he noticed the small box on the floor almost covered with sneakers and boots. He knew he shouldn't look inside. After all, whatever was in there, was obviously something that Dave didn't want Luka to see, otherwise why else would it have been pushed almost to the back. After struggling with his conscience for a few minutes, Luka finally gave in and opened the box.

Luka sorted through the bits and pieces in the box with not a little puzzlement. Why on earth had Dave kept all this junk, he wondered. There was a length of cord, the type that you might use on a camping trip...a long white feather...some candles, which when Luka sniffed them, gave off a faint coffee odor. Finally, rummaging in the bottom of the box, he came across a pair of handcuffs.

Luka sat there, staring at the handcuffs. Of course, he thought as he picked them out of the box with a faint rattle of the chain.

Luka was no stranger to the idea of B&D. One of his first cases when he started work in the U.S. had been a woman whose nipple had become infected after a piercing had gone wrong. Luka had been curious as to why anyone would want to pierce such sensitive parts of their anatomy and the woman had taken great delight in explaining to him all about it. "Sticks and stones may break my bones," she had said, "But whips and chains excite me."

Luka had patched her up and sent her on her way with instructions to wait six weeks after any piercings before putting pressure on them. Since then he had often wondered what sort of people were involved in that sort of scene. And now he knew that he was sleeping with one. He wondered why Dave had never mentioned it to him. After all, if he had his own handcuffs and rope, then he must have been pretty into it. Luka sighed. Maybe Dave thought him too old to be interested in such things. Although chronologically there was not a great disparity in their ages, Luka's thirty-seven to Dave's twenty-nine, Luka knew that emotionally the gap was a lot bigger. Maybe Dave was afraid that Luka would be shocked and appalled at the idea of using the handcuffs on him.

Luka was suddenly aware of a stirring in his groin as he visualized Dave tied to the bed, with one of the bandana's from the box covering his eyes. He moaned softly to himself at the thought of running his hands all over Dave's naked body. And Dave wouldn't be able to see where Luka's caresses were going...he wouldn't be able to stop Luka from teasing and tormenting him, before finally pleasuring him to the best of his ability.

A plan started to form in Luka's mind.



"You've had a smile on your face all through dinner," said Dave as he took a mouthful of food. "What's up?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full," said Luka, still smiling. He had been on the edge of his seat throughout the entire meal, after his busy afternoon. He could only hope that Dave would appreciate it.

"Yes Mom," said Dave, grinning.

Finally he pushed the empty plate away from him. "Man, that was good...so what's for dessert?"

"I had a little something 'different' in mind," said Luka slowly. Looking into Dave's eyes, he said. "Do you trust me, Dave?"

Dave frowned, "What's this about, Luka?"

"It is about me taking control for tonight...I want to do something 'different'...special...so I ask you again...do you trust me?"

Dave was puzzled by the intensity of Luka's gaze, "Of course I trust you," he said, softly.

"Then close your eyes."

Dave did so. He could hear Luka move away from him and then he felt Luka's strong hands encircle his wrists. Dave smiled as Luka massaged his wrists before removing his watch. The smile faded as he felt cold metal against his wrists and a brief clicking sound. "Luka," he said in alarm as his eyes flew open to see the handcuffs on his wrists. "What are you doing?"

"Shh," said Luka reassuringly. "I promise that I will not hurt you...all I want to do is give you pleasure...will you let me?"

Dave looked at the handcuffs and then at Luka. "Looks like I don't have a choice," he said, smiling as he moved his hands to the extent of the chain. A shiver of anticipation swept through his body at the thought.

Luka noticed the shiver and said "If you want to stop at any point, just say..," he struggled to think of some 'safe-word' to use. Not that he was planning on hurting Dave in any way. Tonight was going to be about pleasure, not pain. But he didn't want Dave to feel pressured into doing anything he didn't want to. "Just say 'Chem 7'," he said, with a flash of inspiration, "and I will stop immediately, okay?"

"Chem 7," snickered Dave, "Yeah sure."

Luka kissed him gently on the lips before producing a bandana from his pocket and tying if over Dave's eyes. Dave bit his lip but made no sound as his surroundings disappeared under the layer of cloth.

Standing up, Luka pulled Dave by the handcuffs, "Come with me," he ordered. With one arm around Dave, he guided him around the room past real and imaginary obstacles. Although Dave knew that they were heading for the bedroom, he was still slightly disorientated by the time they stopped outside the door.

Luka led Dave to the bed and sat him down on it. Instinctively, Dave stretched out his arms to the headboard. Using the cord that he had found in the box, Luka securely fastened the handcuffs to the headboard. Luka had spent most of the afternoon figuring out how to best secure someone as tall as Dave to the bed without having his feet hanging over the edge. Finally he had hit on the idea of tying Dave's handcuffs to the top of the headboard - where there was a convenient decorative hole - leaving his arms out stretched above him.

Standing back to admire his work, Luka cursed in Croatian as he realized that taking Dave's t-shirt off before putting on the handcuffs might have been a good idea.

"What's wrong?" asked Dave, hearing Luka's voice.

"Nothing," replied Luka, "I just hope you're not too fond of that t-shirt...I may have to rip it off you later."

"What?" yelped Dave, "No way dude, Chem 7 and all that...I like this shirt. You'll have to work around it...pull it off as far as you can...just don't rip it."

"Okay, okay," said Luka. "I have to get a few things ready. Don't go away," he said, with a smile as he left the room.

"Yeah right," muttered Dave, under his breath.



To be continued

Dave heard Luka walk out of the room, followed by the sound of the door closing. Pulling idly against the handcuffs he confirmed that he was securely fastened...helpless against whatever plans Luka had for him. The thought of it sent a tingle of anticipation through Dave's body. Luka would be able to do absolutely anything he wanted...and Dave would have no way of stopping him. Sure he had the 'safe word'...and he did trust Luka. Shit, he'd been sleeping with the guy for months. But this was different. It was one thing to have sex with someone...it was a whole different ball game allowing them to have total control. Oh well...he trusted Luka not to hurt him...much.

Luka seemed to be taking his time getting ready, thought Dave. It felt like he had been waiting for hours. He wondered if he should call out...see how much longer he was going to be. Jeez...what if something had happened to him. Dave suddenly remembered reading a book where the heroine had been handcuffed to a bed and her husband had had a fatal heart attack. He shuddered at the thought of Luka collapsed on the floor and him tied to the bed, unable to help him.

Hearing the door open, he relaxed slightly. "Luka," he said with relief. "Man, I thought you'd changed your mind or forgotten about me."

Dave heard footsteps coming towards the bed, but there was no reply. "Luka?" said Dave, with a tremor in his voice. It suddenly struck him that while the idea of Luka having a sudden heart attack was pretty unlikely; the possibility of him being attacked by a burglar - a burglar who even now could be making his way over to the bed...knife in hand - was not as far-fetched. Dave started pulling frantically at the cuffs trying to loosen the rope that was tied around them.

"What's wrong, Dave?" asked Luka.

Dave breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the mattress dipping as Luka sat down beside him. "Jeez Luka," he gasped, "You scared the crap out of me. You were taking so long...and then you didn't answer me...shit, I thought there was somebody else after coming in."

"I'm sorry," said Luka, "It took longer than I thought it would to get ready." He gently stroked the side of Dave's face. "I didn't think you would get so upset."

"I...I wasn't upset...just a little worried...shit, I thought I might be stuck here for ever."

"You don't have to worry about that," said Luka, reassuringly. "If you had needed to get free, you would have been easily able to untie the knots. I wouldn't put you in any danger...you know that."

"Yeah...I was just a little freaked out, I guess."

"Do you want to continue? I mean we can always do this another time..." Luka tried to hide the disappointment he felt. After all the effort he had put into planning this evening, he hated the thought of it going to waste. But if Dave was uncomfortable about it, then he had no intention of forcing him.

"Oh I want to continue," said Dave hastily. "I mean, you've got to do something about this." He bucked his hips to indicate his cock, which was starting to strain against his jeans.

Luka smiled, even though Dave couldn't see him. "Okay then. Now, just lie back, I'll just be a minute."

Dave strained his ears to try and figure out what Luka was doing. There was the sound of the lights being switched off...then he heard the sound of a match being stuck. Then a few muttered curses before another match was struck. The sound of clothing being removed brought a smile to Dave's face.

Luka stood at the end of the bed, savouring the moment before he began.

Sitting down, he started untying Dave's sneakers. "Dammit Dave," he said, "Why do you have to tie the knots so tightly."

"Hey, you were the one who complained when I kept having to stop to retie them every five minutes," retorted Dave.

Luka ignored him, and finally removed both sneakers, placing them carefully on a chair. Dave's socks followed, then Luka bent down and started sucking on Dave's toes.

"That tickles," giggled Dave.

"It is supposed to be erotic, not funny," grumbled Luka, as he gently held Dave's ankle and drew a line up his foot. Dave gasped and tried to jerk his foot away, but without success. Grinning, Luka turned his attention to Dave's other foot for a few minutes, before dropping it back on the bed.

Crawling up the bed, he knelt, straddling Dave's body, and pulled his t-shirt up revealing Dave's well-toned torso. Dave moaned with delight as he felt Luka's hands teasing gently at his nipples. "Oh man," he gasped, "Don't...don't stop."

Luka ignored him, and moving back down Dave's body, he slowly undid his belt and pulled it out of the loops. Dave tensed slightly, wondering if Luka was going to use it on him. It wasn't that he was afraid of the pain or anything...hell, he could take it...but still...there was something unnerving about waiting for it...waiting for the belt to come swishing down on his bare flesh... Holding his breath he strained to hear the swishing sound that would precede a lash from the belt, but it didn't come. Instead the gentle caress of the leather against his nipple sent a shudder through his body.

Luka straightened up, frowning as he looked at the belt in his hand. He knew that there were people who would enjoy the pain aspect of a situation like this, both giving and receiving, but he had no desire to inflict any sort of pain on his helpless lover, even if that was what Dave wanted. With deliberate precision, he rolled up the belt and placed it on the chair.

Dave breathed a sigh of relief as he heard the slight clink of the metal buckle as it was placed on the chair. Now Dave could feel Luka's hands undoing his fly buttons. He lifted his hips, to allow Luka to pull the jeans out from under him. Expecting his boxer shorts to be removed next, he was surprised to feel a cool liquid being applied to his legs. It had a faint scent...Dave sniffed the air...some sort of massage oil, he guessed. The sensation of Luka's hands gently smoothing the oil into his body confirmed it. Dave sighed, as Luka's hands moved up and down his legs. It wasn't the first time that Luka had given him a full-body massage...or at least tried to. Somehow he had never seemed to get very far without Dave 'interrupting' him. With a low moan, Dave realized that Luka would be able to work on him as long as he wanted to and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. "Ahh," groaned Dave as Luka worked his way up to the inside of his thighs. "Oh god," he gasped as Luka slipped his hand inside Dave's boxer's. To his frustration, Luka did no more than caress his ass quickly, before pulling down Dave's underwear and tossing it onto the chair.

"Hmm," said Luka. "I think I'm in the mood for a little dessert. Do you want some?" he asked.

"Wha...what?" said Dave. "Shit Luka, don't do this to me..."

"Oh, I'm going to do a lot more," said Luka, with an evil grin.

Dave threw his head back and groaned, as he felt the bed dip. Man, how had he let Luka talk him into this, he wondered. Suddenly he realized that if he tilted his head back and looked down his nose, he could just about see below the blindfold. Luka seemed to be reaching for something on the floor... Dave shut his eyes firmly. While it was good to know that he could see something if he needed to, he didn't want to spoil the game.

Luka cursed under his breath as he realized that the ice cream had melted faster than he had expected. Oh well, he thought...it will just make it easier to spread. Grabbing the tub and spoon, he moved up the bed. "So," he said. "Would you like some dessert?" The question was a rhetorical one as he already had a portion of ice cream on the spoon. He held it under Dave's nose, allowing him to smell the chocolate before spooning it into his waiting mouth.

"Hmm," said Dave, between mouthfuls. "More...please..." Partly by accident, partly by design, Luka managed to drop splodges of ice cream on Dave's cheek and chin. "You know, you are such a messy eater," he said, shaking his head in mock reproof. "I am going to have to do something about that."

"Oh yeah?" said Dave, smirking. "And what are you gonna do?" In response, Luka bent down and carefully started licking the ice cream off Dave's face...paying careful attention to his lips.

Straightening back up, he picked up the tub again. "Hmm, I think it is my turn to eat...but oh dear...I don't have a dish. What will I do?" He moved back down the bed.

The ice cream was partially melted by now, so with a sudden burst of inspiration, Luka tilted the tub and allowed it to dribble onto Dave's chest. Dave jerked and gasped as he felt the cool liquid land on him. "Shit Luka, that's cold," he said, as the liquid ran down his body.

"Hmm, perhaps I'd better warm it up," said Luka, bending down and licking up the trickle of liquid.

"Hmm, oh yes...oh yes..." said Dave, as Luka continued to dribble the melting ice cream on him. "Oh...oh...SHIT....” This was as Luka misjudged the viscosity and instead of a dribble, the rest of the carton landed on Dave's crotch. His erection, which had been nearing its peak, wilted like a deflated balloon.

"Damn," swore Luka as he jumped off the bed and grabbed a towel. "I am so sorry Dave...that was not part of the plan." He quickly but gently towelled Dave clean.

"Oh fuck," said Dave, when he had got his breath back. "Jeez Luka, I thought you weren't gonna go the pain route. Man, that was cold."

"It was an accident...you don't think I was going to eat that much ice cream?" Sighing, Luka finished cleaning up Dave, and sat down on the bed beside him. "Do...do you want to continue?" he asked. "I seem to have spoiled the mood somewhat."

Dave grinned. "Well then...you'll just have to work twice as hard to get it back."

Luka smiled. "Okay then...and I promise you, no more ice cream."

"Damn, I was quite enjoying being the bowl," said Dave.



A few minutes, and a full body massage later, Dave was pretty much back in the state he had been before the ice cream. Luka gently stroked Dave's cock and watched him quiver with desire. Slowly he unrolled a condom onto it, taking great care in smoothing it down. "Have to make sure it's on properly," he said, grinning. He could tell by Dave's gritted teeth and look of intense concentration, that he was doing his best not to come. Well, he wouldn't have to try for too much longer.

With a sigh of anticipation, Luka squatted above Dave, positioned him self correctly and then, closing his eyes, he sank down, taking Dave inside him. Dave did his best to raise his hips upwards to get further in, but Luka was able to rise higher. "Ah, ah, ah," he said, "I'm doing the driving tonight."

"Then drive dammit," said Dave, pulling as hard as he could at the handcuffs. "Please...” He was rewarded by the familiar sensation of Luka sliding a few inches further down him. "Oh God...oh yes..."

Luka rode Dave until he came and then slid off, leaving the younger man gasping for breath. "Shh," said Luka, as he lay down beside him and put his arms around him. "Rest for a few minutes...there's more to come."

Luka gently stroked Dave's chest until it finally stopped heaving and Dave's breathing returned to normal. He had never seen such an intense orgasm from Dave...and he hoped that it had not left him too drained. After all, the evening wasn't yet over. With a final caress of Dave's jaw, he pulled away.

Sitting back on his heels, Luka admired his helpless captive. The sudden withdrawal of contact with Luka's flesh left Dave aching. Not being able to see where his lover was, he was forced to rely on his other senses. But his heart was pounding so hard, he couldn't rely on his ears to tell him where Luka was...it had all come down to the touch of flesh on flesh...and now
that had been removed. "Luka," said Dave almost pleading. "Touch me...please...I need to feel you touching me."

"You want me to touch you?" asked Luka, as he moved up the bed towards the headboard.

"Yes, oh God, yes," breathed Dave, straining against his bonds. His pleas were rewarded by the sensation of something bouncing against his hands. Moving his hands to the limits of the chain, Dave gently stroked Luka's cock, and was rewarded with a low moan from Luka. "Look's like you need a little help," he said with a smile, as he gently caressed it.

"And you need to stop talking," said Luka, as he moved out of Dave's reach. "I think I know of a way to solve both problems."

Kneeling astride Dave's chest, Luka slowly positioned his cock, just above Dave's nose. Dave could feel the warmth of Luka's member only inches above him. Breathing in, he inhaled the familiar scent of Luka's cock. Raising his head, he took Luka into his mouth. It was more difficult than Dave had imagined, giving a good blowjob while tied flat on his back. Matters were made more difficult by not being able to use his hands to help stimulate Luka. But in spite of these obstacles, Dave still managed to bring Luka to a more erect state. To his surprise, Luka pulled away before Dave could make him orgasm.

In response to Dave's unspoken question, Luka said, "I have another place to put this."

Dave nodded, and raised his hips to allow Luka to slide a pillow under them. Bending his knees, he tensed slightly in anticipation of the cold lubricant; he was pleasantly surprised when Luka started spreading a warm gel between his butt cheeks. "How?" he asked puzzled.

"It's been sitting in warm water for the last half hour," admitted Luka.

"Hmmm, I must try that."

"Try this," said Luka flicking some of the warm water onto Dave's chest.

Dave laughed at the sensation. The laugh turned into a gasp of pleasure as Luka slid a finger into his ass.

Satisfied that Dave was ready for him and barely able to contain himself, Luka folded Dave's legs until his knees were almost touching his chest, and positioned his cock at Dave's well-lubricated opening. With a slow thrust, Luka penetrated a few inches and then pulled out. Thrusting harder he went a few inches deeper.

Dave pulled against the handcuffs and tried to force his body down further onto Luka's cock. But with his hands tied, and his legs pinned, he had no leverage and could hardly move. "Harder," he said hoarsely. "More....please...more."

Luka thrust harder and faster into Dave's ass. He could see that Dave was close to coming.

Dave let out a cry of ecstasy as he came. On a whim, Luka used one hand to direct the Dave's semen towards his face. It took Dave a few seconds to realize that if Luka was still pumping his ass...then that had to be his own semen that was spurting on to his face. With a gasp, he tried to catch as much of it as he could. Luka smiled at the expression on Dave's face, as he tasted him own come. Then his own orgasm overtook him and he cried out loudly before collapsing limply on top of Dave's folded legs.

Luka lay there breathing heavily for a few minutes before realizing that Dave was probably not exactly in the most comfortable of positions. Rolling off him, he crawled to the top of the bed and fumbled with the knots, cursing his efficiency in knot tying. Finally he released the handcuffs from the bed and lowered Dave's hands to his waist.

Dave let out a yelp of pain at the movement.

"Did I hurt you?" asked Luka anxiously, "I didn't mean to."

Dave winced slightly as the blood started rushed back into his hands. "Just...just a little cramp," he said as he circled his shoulders.

Luka lay down beside him and pulled him close. Dave could feel his breath hot on his cheek. He knew that he could take off the blindfold, but somehow it felt right to be lying in his lovers arms, close to him, but unable to see him. "Thank you for doing this," he whispered softly.

"I just hope that it wasn't a disappointment to you," said Luka, kissing Dave on the back of the neck.

"Huh? How could it be a disappointment?" asked Dave, puzzled.

"Well, I know you are probably used to much more...but I did my best."

"Uh, Luka...I've never done this before...with anyone...I mean, sure I've heard about it...I just never did it before...why would you think I had?"

"Well, I just figured that you had...I mean, why else would you have a pair of handcuffs. I know I shouldn't have looked in the box...but I was curious," explained Luka, hoping that Dave would not be angry with him.

"Whoa, back up a minute," said Dave. "These are my handcuffs?"

Luka nodded, then remembering that Dave couldn't see him, he said, "Yes, I found them in the box at the bottom of your closet."

"Oh crap," said Dave, pulling off the blindfold and looking at Luka. "We are in big trouble...I got these from Sheila, a cop I dated for a while...she stopped using them cause they kept jamming on her. Eventually she was only able to open them with a lock pick."

Luka looked at the shiny metal encasing Dave's wrists. "Oops," he said.



to be continued.

"Oh crap," said Dave, pulling off the blindfold and looking at Luka. "We are in big trouble...I got these from Sheila, cop I dated for a while...she stopped using them cause they kept jamming on her. Eventually she was only able to open them with a lock pick."

Luka looked at the shiny metal encasing Dave's wrists. "Oops," he said.



"Did you see a small piece of metal in the box?" asked Dave, sitting up in the bed. "About this big." He held his thumb and forefinger apart.

Luka shook his head. "If it was there, I did not notice it."

"Well, better look again...I don't fancy wearing this things permanently.

Luka climbed off the bed and padded over to the closet. In spite of his predicament, Dave couldn't help but admire Luka's body as he crouched down and rummaged around for the box.

Returning with the box, Luka opened it on the bed beside Dave. Digging awkwardly through it with his bound hands, Dave soon found the pick. "Whew, glad that's still here," he said. "Now, if I can just remember what Sheila showed me..."

Luka watched as Dave concentrated on his task. "So if you never used them, and they do not work properly...why did you keep them?" he asked.

"Oh, they were just a souvenir," said Dave without looking up. "I have something from all my ex's in the box."

Luka's sharp intake of breath made Dave look up. He was surprised to see the expression of disappointment on Luka's face. "Hey man, what's up?" he asked, puzzled.

"Nothing," said Luka, his voice heavy with emotion. "I...I just didn't realize...I mean, I knew that you had partner before me...I just did not realize how many..." He mentally counted up the number of 'souvenirs' that had been in the box.

Dave looked blankly at him for a moment, before the penny dropped. "That's not all I keep in the box, Luka...shit, half that stuff is junk that I'd nowhere else to put."

He could see relief wash over Luka's face together with a little disappointment. "There's something else bothering you?" he asked.

Luka shrugged uneasily. "It...it's just that there's nothing of mine in the box...do you not wish to include me?" he asked a little wistfully.

"Oh, Luka," said Dave. Dropping the pick, he tried to put his arms around Luka, cursing slightly when the handcuffs prevented him. Slipping his circled arms over Luka's head, he lay back on the bed, pulling Luka down beside him.

"Do you know why I don't have anything of yours in the box?" he asked softly. "It's because I don't need a reminder...when I have you here with me. I only ever took a souvenir when I split up with someone...and...and I don't ever want to split up with you." Pulling Luka closer, he kissed him softly and gently on the lips. "I don't ever want to lose you..."

"I will never let you go," promised Luka, gently running his fingers through Dave's hair, before pulling him close. They lay there entwined, silent for several minutes before Luka spoke. "I suppose we should try and get you out of the handcuffs."

"Yeah," said Dave, as Luka disentangled himself. "They are a bit hard."

Luka frowned as he took Dave's hands in his. "You should have said that they were hurting you," he said, seeing Dave wince. "I would not have kept you tied up for so long."

Dave shrugged. "To tell the truth, I didn't really notice it until now...besides, I was the one pulling and jerking at them," he grinned. "Maybe we should consider in investing in some padded ones? You know, for next time..."

Luka looked at him with a mixture of surprise and delight. "You wish there to be a next time?"

"Hell yes," said Dave enthusiastically. "That was amazing. Course I wouldn't like it that way the time...but now and again...it'd be fun. Didn't you like it?"

"I missed not feeling your arms around me," said Luka honestly. He grinned evilly, "But it was fun knowing that you couldn't resist me."

"You know I can never resist you...especially when you smile like that...or when you do that with your hands," Dave sighed as Luka gently stoked his cock. "Aaahhh," he sighed again. Pulling himself together, he reluctantly pushed Luka's hand away. "Much as I would love to do this all night, I really want to get these things off me."

Grabbing the pick, he tried again to open the cuffs, but without success. "Dammit," he said, in frustration, "I just can't get the right angle like this."

"Let me try," offered Luka, "You can talk me through it."



Five minutes later, Luka looked in dismay at the pick, which had broken in half and was now unusable.

"I told you not to force it," said Dave, "Shit, now what do we do? Dammit, I knew I should've bought a hacksaw."

"There's nothing in your tool kit that would help?" asked Luka.

Dave shook his head. "There's a hammer and chisel, but I am not letting you try those. Shit, shit, shit."

"Um," said Luka. "I know what we could do...but I don't thing you'll like it."

"At this stage, I don't really care," replied Dave. "I just want to get the dammed things off me."

"I think they look kind of nice," said Luka. Dave glared at him. "Okay, okay. Get dressed and I'll bring you to the ER."

"What?" yelped Dave. "No way man. I am not going into the ER wearing handcuffs."

"I don't think we have much choice," said Luka. "And I know there is a bolt cutters there...I had to use it last week on the man who decided to go to the fancy-dress party as Houdini, but forgot to bring the keys with him."

Dave groaned. "Oh man, I am never going to live this down."

"It could be worse," said Luka, smiling. "At least you still have your t-shirt on; you will not be topless."

Dave shot him a withering look.



Half an hour later, Luka pulled up into the hospital car park. "Okay, we go in, use the bolt cutters and get out, okay?"

"Okay," nodded Dave. "C'mon, let's get this over with. Man, I hope no one notices us."

"If they do, then we just tell them that I wanted something from my locker and that you came along for the ride."

"Yeah right, like they're gonna believe that," said Dave as he got out of the car, shivering slightly in the chill night air.

"Stop grumbling," said Luka. He folded Dave's jacket over the handcuffs. "There, now no body will see them."



Luck was on their side. The ER was busy enough that nobody had time to stop and talk to them, but not so busy that either of them were pressed into service. Making their way to the lounge, Luka instructed Dave to wait while he found the bolt cutters.

Dave was sitting there idly twiddling his thumbs when he heard the door open. "You'd better have found those bolt cutters," he said, twisting round in his seat.

"What bolt cutters?" asked Kerry.

Dave's jaw dropped in horror. "Uh, um, er," he stammered. Unable to think of a plausible sounding excuse, he settled for simply holding up his cuffed wrists. "I, uh, I was messing...and then we couldn't find the key," he said, starting to blush.

Kerry raised an eyebrow. "I see," she said, trying to hide a smile. So Dave and Luka had decided to try a little B&D in their spare time. Well, as she'd said before, what the staff got up to in their spare time was their own business. Somehow she wasn't surprised that Dave had been the one to end up in handcuffs. "Your wrists look a bit sore," she commented as she poured herself a glass of juice. "I'd recommend putting some antiseptic cream on them...and not pulling so hard the next time."

Dave started at her with his mouth open, as she continued. "Of course if you really want to avoid sore wrists, there's a reason we call them 'soft' restraints."

Kerry tried not to laugh at the shocked expression on Dave's face. Teasing him was just too easy, she thought. Behind her, the door opened and Luka hurried in. "I've got the bo..." His voice trailed off as he saw Kerry standing there with an amused expression on her face. Quickly, he tried to hide the bolt cutters behind his back.

"Don't worry, I didn't see anything," said Kerry. "Just don't damage those things, or it'll come out of your paychecks." With a smile, she finished her juice and crutched away.

Turning at the door, she called back, "Oh, and if you cut Malucci's hand's off, remember to clean up the mess afterwards."

She made it as far as the ladies toilets and managed to lock herself in a cubicle before bursting out laughing at the expressions on their faces.



Back in the lounge, Dave closed his eyes as Luka positioned the bolt cutters. A few snaps later, the handcuffs were in pieces on the floor, and Dave was rubbing his wrists ruefully.

"How do they feel?" asked Luka, a little guiltily.

"A bit sore," said Dave, frowning. Luka took Dave's hands in his and gently kissed the raw spots on his wrists. Dave sighed with pleasure.

"Better?" asked Luka.

"Mmm," said Dave, "Just a little." He put his arms around Luka and pulled him close, "I know what we did tonight was fun...you know, me not being able to touch you...but now I want to make up for lost time."

"Here?" asked Luka, shocked, but a little turned on by the prospect. "But what if someone walks in?"

"We could always invite them to join us," said Dave smirking.

Before Luka could answer, the door opened and Frank the desk clerk stuck his head in. "Dr Weaver? Oh, say have either of you guys seen Dr Weaver?"

"Um, she was here a few minutes ago," said Dave, "Dunno where she went."

"Oh, okay," said Frank, closing the door.

Luka turned to Dave, "No, no, no," he said grinning. "Come on, let's go home."

"Okay, but I want to stop by the supply closet first," said Dave. Luka looked at him puzzled as he continued. "I've got an idea for next time," he said grinning.

Luka shook his head and put his arm around Dave as they walked out into the ER.



THE END