Title: Ending the Pain

Authors: Zacari and Zephyr Revere

Fandom: The Dead Zone

Pairing: Johnny/Bruce

Rating: PG

Archive: Where posted. Others please ask and send us your website url! We love to read new slash!

Warnings: None that we can think of.

Authors' note: This is our very first slash story. We're really not writers, mostly just readers. Our
sister Zoe is our excellent beta. :)

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Ending the Pain
by Zacari and Zephyr Revere
the Slash Twins
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Bruce Lewis knew about the pain. He had seen Johnny rub his ribs, his neck, even his butt. He also rubbed his eyes a lot.

Those haunting, worried, beautiful, mesmerizing blue-green eyes even appeared in his dreams at night. He couldn't seem to put them out of his mind even for a minute. When he first took the job as Johnny Smith's physical therapist, he was disturbed by those eyes, but as time went on, that disturbance gradually morphed into fascination. By degrees, it carried him to acceptance of his friend's gift (or curse), to recognition in his changes of expression, to a warm fondness when those eyes turned to him in amusement, to affectionate touches when they were alone together,
to now. Now, when one glimpse from those lovely eyes made him so hard he dared not be in public when they looked upon him.

Standing behind Johnny in the kitchen, he was safe from the power of the eyes, but he was faced with an even more critical longing. From this angle, he had a perfect view of his friend's well-formed ass.

What could he do but turn away, pretend to be thirsty, or dizzy, or worn out from their walk around the neighborhood. Anything to divert his mind from the fact that the object of his desire was so close and yet unattainable.

Johnny glanced at him perceptively. 'What's wrong?' he asked, predictably. 'You've been so weird lately. Have I done something?'

'No, of course not.' Bruce answered, and drank water from a glass as if he were dying of thirst. He leaned against the sink to conceal the bulge. 'You know me. Do you think I would keep my mouth shut if I was pissed off about something?'

Also predictably, Johnny stepped close and touched his shoulder. 'Then what...'

'Johnny, it's nothing.' The therapist tried to draw away from him too late. The message was already received.

Defeated, the dark-skinned man sighed and dropped his head. 'I should go now.' he mumbled. 'You need to rest.'

Johnny Smith stared at him. Those eyes again. Damn it, those incredible, beautiful eyes. Why did he have to be so sexy when he wasn't even trying? 'You...' Words failed him.

'Okay, so you know now. I know you know, so I might as well say it out loud, right?' Bruce searched his face uncertainly. 'I don't expect you to reciprocate. I don't even expect you to consider me. I know I'm not the one you want, but I can't stop feeling this way. I wish I could, but I can't.'

The hand that had fallen away reached again for him, and this time, the fingers brushed over Bruce's full lips. 'You're wrong.' he said softly.

'I know. I'm sorry. I should just leave now.'

'No, I don't want you to leave.' Johnny rubbed absently at his eyes. 'I don't want you to go. That's not what you're wrong about.'

'Then what am I wrong about?'

A pause, then the psychic spoke with just as much uncertainty. 'That I don't want you...'

It took twenty seconds for the words to sink in, but when the lightbulb came on, Bruce stepped forward to take him in his arms and hugged him desperately. 'God, Johnny. That was way too hard. Just let me hold you, babe.'

'As long as you want.' Johnny's head rested on his shoulder.

'Let me rub those pretty eyes for you. Let me rub you all *over*. I just want to make you feel good and take away all your pain.'

'You're the only one who can.' Johnny whispered, closing his eyes as Bruce's mouth covered his. One kiss, one gentle, sweet kiss, gave him peace, the promise of love and reassurance that love would always be there.

And his pain disappeared.

==the end==

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Z & Z
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