...Daniel stepped again through the screen door and regarded his attire with a little trepidation. He wasn't sure if Darren had purposely given him a silly pair of trunks or not, but the guitarist suspected the former. After all, who would really likes lightning bolts scrambling over the shiny dark blue material like some sort of wizard's duel? Must have been an older present to Darren. The little twit.

"Are you ready to go??" Called an excited voice behind Daniel, the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs.

Speak of the devil...or monkey rather... Daniel thought with a chuckle as he turned around towards the doorway. Darren appeared out of the relative dim of the living room, clad just like Daniel in only his swimming trunks.

Daniel studied the attire that the singer had been so determined to not lend Daniel. Well, if he likes Darth Vader so much he can have them. Daniel quirked an eyebrow at him, taking in the fact that Darren had quite a muscular chest, sprinkled faintly with hair.

"You used to be so much skinnier than me," the guitarist complained, crossing his lean arms over his equally lean chest. Darren smirked and flexed a bicep for Daniel, slipping into Darren-sex-on-a-stick mode for a moment, sticking his tongue out again.

"Yeah, but now you can be the scrawny one, Dan." Darren replied coyly, reaching out to squeeze Daniel's upper arm.

"Hey! Don't damage the goods!" Daniel exclaimed, grabbing Darren's arm in turn. A little shoving match ensued, with a giggle or two escaping from the singer. Daniel had to admit to himself that Darren was almost stronger than him, as he felt Darren's muscles flexing under his grip.

"Darren, you may look like a real man, but you giggle like a girl!" Daniel teased, reaching out to tickle Darren's side quickly. Darren shrieked and pulled away, his eyes sparkling with laughter.

"That was a low trick Danny!"

"What are you going to do about it?" Daniel taunted. Darren took on an aggressive pose, his arms on his hips.

"I am going to," he bellowed, "...run away!" Darren finished meekly as he scampered around the backyard, putting the pool between himself and Daniel.

Daniel smirked and strolled over to the side of the pool, shaking his head at Darren.

"You can be such a little coward at times." he called out mockingly, trying to goad Darren into coming back over to his side. Darren merely made a face at Daniel and watched him warily.

Daniel pointedly ignored Darren, turning his gaze towards the desert still waiting in a shimmering smooth pile in the large pool. He bent his long legs to squat at the pool's edge, regarding the Jell-O with a more than bemused curious eye now.

The guitarist stuck out a finger and, leaning forward carefully, gently placed that index finger on the surface of the green, feeling the stubborn push back of the semi-solid. He pulled away his finger and smiled as the Jell-O quivered in the accustomed Jello-ish manner.

*push* *wobble wobble*
*push* *wobble wobble*

Quite entranced by the lime green wonder, Daniel leaned a little further and stuck his finger right through the surface of the dessert, reveling in the cool, slimy sensation covering his digit; very refreshing on this hot day.

Yes but Darren doesn't actually expect us to swim in this-

Daniel's thought was rudely interrupted by a sudden rough shove of hands on his back. Barely managing a startled yelp, Daniel caught one last glimpse of the pure, smooth, glistening Jell-O before he toppled right into it. Headfirst. With Darren's insane giggle following him as the desert closed over his body with a plop!

For one long moment, there was silence. A kind of emerald peace that greeted Daniel's eyes once he got them open again. All he could see was green reflecting the sun he could vaguely see above him in a shower of sparkling sunbeams. It surrounded him completely and, like he had earlier surmised, it was quite pleasant and refreshing to the skin.

Then Daniel realized he was running out of air. He squirmed and twisted sideways to get himself more straightened out, the Jell-O giving way only to slide back into place after he moved away. The guitarist scrambled upwards and broke the surface of the Jell-O in no time at all. And the first thing that greeted him was that of Darren still giggling; Daniel shook some green out of his eyes and glared at the singer bent over with laughter, clutching his sides.

"You," Daniel said with a quiet yet deadly tone, "are such a bastard." Darren merely looked at him, with Daniel's face shiny and his hair greenly slick, and howled. Daniel grimaced and rolled his eyes, slowly making his way to the pool's edge through limey Jell-O, half treading water to get through the resistant muck.

He reached the edge and quickly scrambled over it, hampered by the fact that he was now terribly slippery from his plunge. He pulled a glop of Jell-O from his hair and flicked it at Darren, catching him square in the cheek.

Darren squawked and spun around to glare hotly at Daniel. The tall blond man merely chuckled and flung another piece, this time hitting Darren's shoulder. Darren wiped it off quickly and backed away, trying to put some distance between himself and Daniel.

"Oh no! It's a horrible swamp beast trying to poison me with its slime!" Darren cried out in a falsetto tone, pretending fear at Daniel's appearance. Daniel cracked up and advanced menacingly, arms raised and a growl on his lips. Darren gasped and bolted, running to the side of the pool and scooping up some Jell-O into his palm. He stood back up in one fluid gesture, pulled his arm back and tossed the blob straight at Daniel, managing a lucky (for Darren) shot that hit him square in the chest.

Daniel roared like a wounded monster and lunged towards Darren, surprising the singer enough that he froze for a moment and Daniel actually got close enough to envelop him in a slimy bear hug. Darren uttered a tiny, undignified squeak as his eyes went as wide as saucers, regarding Daniel with startlement.

"The swamp beast has got you in its clutches Darren." Daniel said in a low, husky murmur, like that of a rumbling leopard, his eyes gleaming with wicked humor. Darren blinked at him, his eyes still wide and his face somewhat pale.

"And what is the beast going to do now that he's got me?" He managed to get out in a whisper. Daniel chuckled again, a throaty, evil chuckle, as he edged his way closer to the pool's edge.

"Well, the beast is quite hungry, " he said in a conversational tone, "and now that it's caught some prey, it's going to return to its lair to feast." Darren's eyes managed to widen even more as he belatedly realized what Daniel meant, and Daniel's grin widened in turn.

"No, Daniel! Not yet! I don't want to-ahhhhhhhhh!!!!" Darren screamed as Daniel let himself fall backward, arms tightly holding the struggling singer as both plummeted towards the Jell-O, which enveloped them whole with another loud plop!

Once under the strange emerald sea, Daniel found it difficult to keep as tight a grip on Darren as the singer squirmed something fierce. The Jell-O invaded everywhere, destroying friction and any grip Daniel might have had left.

Darren shot himself free, yet did not immediately go to the surface. He turned and looked around at the peculiarly lit world within the dessert, seeing Daniel's lean form somewhat distorted through the layers of green. He realized that the only areas of distortion were where they had fallen in and struggled; everywhere else in the pool was remarkable clear, if a bit wavey. Daniel was watching Darren in turn, not truly able to see his expression but willing to bet a pound of chocolate that it was an expression of wonder. He tried to call out, only to have Jell-O try to fill the empty space, leaving him with only a muffled exclamation. Darren's head turned slightly at the sound, which carried well enough through Jell-O, and seemed to smile. He pointed towards the surface in a manner that somehow conveyed his inquisitiveness towards Daniel's opinion. Daniel nodded broadly, then began to slide and crawl his way back to the surface. Darren followed suit and soon both men poked their heads out into the sunlight.

"Nice in here, eh mate?" Daniel said cheerfully, grinning at Darren's be-slimed appearance. Jell-O bits glistened like pale jade in his hair, making him look like some sort of water sprite. Darren rolled his eyes at Daniel's comment and made another face.

"Yeah, real nice. I would have liked a more controlled entry, though."

Daniel uttered that low chuckle of his, idly patting the jiggly surface of the Jell-O. Darren's eyes followed what he was doing, then his hands started to mimic what Daniel did. The singer started to gently push the surface, gradually going faster and faster until the whole pool started to vibrate.

"Whoa there, Darren!" Daniel exclaimed, watching with alarm as weird, rounded waves surrounded him like tiny, angry hills. When one just about smacked him in the face, Daniel snaked out his hands and grabbed Darren's, stilling them. The waves slowly died away as Darren looked at him and Daniel looked back, neither of them looking at their clasped hands. Darren's eyes crinkled with amusement as he smiled and pulled his hands away.

"Follow my suit and be my mirror. Let's play Simon Does." He said lightly.

"Don't you mean Simon Says?"

Darren merely smiled again, pushing his hands just under the surface of the Jell-O. Curious, Daniel echoed his gestures, placing his hands into the slick dessert and just in front of him. Darren started to move his hands forward and Daniel quickly imitated, until their fingertips were barely touching.

Daniel looked at Darren with faint puzzlement, wondering what the trickster was up to. Darren merely smiled a Cheshire smile and wiggled his fingers a little, the vibrations hitting Daniel's hands with a little tickle. Daniel blinked, then joined in, watching little rippled dance around their hands. It had to be funniest sensation he'd ever felt; light yet stubborn, rapid and very, very ticklish.

How is Darren standing this, he's ten times more ticklish than I am!

But Darren just increased the force of his wiggling; getting his hand and then his arms into it. Daniel dutifully followed him, and once again the whole pool was vibrating, but not with the worrying mini-hills. It was actually rather nice, like having a full body massage.

Full body. That means....uh oh.

Daniel realized that he was starting to feel a little flushed and tried to look away from Darren, to the side of the pool, anywhere else basically. But Darren's gaze, which had been drifting, snapped back into focus at the movement. Daniel's eyes flicked to meet his for a moment, then looked away and the guitarist could feel his cheeks burning. Darren just cracked up.

"Shall we stop playing Simon Does?" He teased, grinning big at Daniel. The blond musician swallowed and tried to get his body under control.

Yeah we better before I do something to you Darren, a voice in his head muttered.

"I think so." Daniel replied after a moment, his voice relatively calm.

Darren smirked and stilled his hands, letting the ripples gradually lessen and die away. Daniel let out an unconscious sigh of relief and slid his way across to the other side of the pool, trying to buy some time to regain his composure. Darren watched him go but just dove under the Jell-O's surface without a word, indulging in some under-dessert acrobatics.

Daniel reached the pool's edge and floated there, observing Darren slipping through the green like some sort of pale seal. He couldn't help but quirk his lips into a small smile; for all that Darren could be klutzy in the normal course of life, it was moments like this where he was reminded that Darren possessed an amount of innate grace. Daniel let his eyes linger on the pleasing movements of Darren's swimming, it looked so smooth and effortless, with Darren every so often popping his head up to catch his breath like a dolphin. Daniel leaned on the cement edge for a moment longer, then couldn't help but join Darren, it looked like he was having fun!

The Jell-O parted easily enough before his movements, and soon he was within touching distance of Darren, who paused long enough to give Daniel a curious glance. Daniel merely took a breath and ducked his head under, feeling the slippery substance slide over his face and body. After a moment, Darren resumed his cavorting and the two were soon immersed in a sort of synchronized horseplay, slipping around each other in quick bursts. One time they just about slid into each other, both of them making abortive movements and ending up slipping right over each other. Skin, made smooth like silk by Jell-O, slid over skin, and Daniel heard a muffled, hysterical giggle burst from Darren as the singer squirmed away.

Eventually both men wore themselves out and emerged to the surface of the middle of the pool, side by side. Daniel grinned at the slightly panting Darren, whose cheeks were a little ruddy from the workout. Darren gave him a slightly wild look before grinning back.

"Look at us Darren, swimming in an oversized tub of Jell-O. This is so bizarre." Daniel commented laughingly.

"Welcome to the life of a rock star --- limited only by your imagination."

"Yeah, and then some." Daniel chuckled and made a neat little circle on the Jell-O's surface with a finger. He gingerly picked up the wobbling bit and considered it.

"Man, we normally eat this stuff, Darren, not swim in it!"

Darren laughed and grabbed the Jell-O bit from Daniel. He placed it in both hands and took an enthusiastic bite out of it. Daniel started laughing in turn, finding the sight of Darren munching on the Jell-O chunk hilarious. Darren slurped noisily and caught a bit of escaping Jell-O from his soft lips with a nimble tongue.

"That's got to be unsanitary."

Darren shrugged unconcernedly and swallowed.

"Tastes fine to me. Wait, there is a strange undercurrent to the lime...kinda salty....hmmm."

Without any warning, Darren slid forward and grabbed Daniel's shoulder, bending his head and giving his shoulder a good, long lick. Daniel froze at the first feeling of Darren's warm tongue rasping up his shoulder, regarding the singer with complete and utter shock. Darren smacked his lips together, a thoughtful expression on his face as he licked his lips carefully.

"Yep, that's it. Sweat."

Daniel blinked eyes that must have been all whites, still held in shock by what Darren had just done. Darren caught his lingering expression and chuckled under his breath, an evil-sounding laugh.

"Did you just lick me??" Daniel asked incredulously, his voice cracking on the last word.

"All for scientific discovery, my dear Jonesy." Darren smirked again, his gaze lazily mischievous.

"But you licked me!"

Darren rolled his eyes heavenward and sighed.

"Theatrics are my forte Daniel, if you insist on having a tantrum, at least try to do it properly. You aren't stamping your feet or anything!" Darren's mocking words shook Daniel out of his stupor and the guitarist seemed to come back to earth.

"I was not throwing a tantrum!" Daniel protested, sloshing himself from side to side. Darren's smirk grew rather large and satisfied.

"You were just surprised by my hither-to-unknown skill at licking weren't you?"

"No! I --" Darren wouldn't let Daniel try to reply.

"Oh, I know that you are just pretending that you were shocked, cos I know that you secretly find my sense of curiosity amusing."

"What, I --"

"Oh, are you saying you find it more than amusing?" Darren voiced purred at him smugly, as the singer glided forward, hand under chin in another mocking pose. His blue eyes flashed innocently as Daniel growled under his breath. Darren had effectively trapped him in a snarl of sentences where multiple meanings all tangled together.

Why you little....

One moment, Daniel was floating there silently fuming at Darren. The next he was gone under the green, with Darren looking around in surprise. He managed to turn his head around once or twice before he uttered a startled yelp! and disappeared downward under the Jell-O with a gargled slurp!

Daniel emerged leisurely to the surface, a return smirk hovering on his lips as Darren followed him a moment later, spluttering and bursting through the top layer of dessert. Green slid down his pale skin as he vainly tried to toss the goop out of his eyes.

"Dammit, Dan, that was a really low trick! Why can't you ever play fair??" Darren demanded, that hot look of rage back in his eyes. Daniel just beamed a smile at him as he lazily lay on his back, his arms under his head. But that smile quickly disappeared as Darren grabbed his ankle in a iron grip and plunged himself downward again.

Jell-O began to fling itself all over the place and completely out of the pool as the two men alternately tried to drown each other in the sugary semi-solid. At one point Darren had Daniel in a headlock, at another Daniel was pushing Darren by his butt back into the deep-end. Darren eventually resorted to waiting like a hungry leopard near the bottom, waiting for Daniel to look away from his position before striking. Eventually Daniel got sick of that and turned the tables on Darren again.

"Danny? Danny! Where the heck are you, mate?" Darren called, peering into the murky emerald depths, the Jell-O rendered totally chaotic by their churning. Darren waited a few minutes more, than started to look more frantically.

"This isn't funny Daniel! Come out, you skinny, cowardly moron!" Darren yelled, his voice made sharp with worry. Suddenly Darren felt ghostly hands along his hips and that was all the warning he had before those hands suddenly tightened and pulled.

Daniel emerged a few moments later at the pool and hoisted himself out onto the pavement. He turned to see Darren regarding him with a face more white than normal. Daniel watched with fascination as Darren's skin went from white to red and back again.

"Ok, Daniel, very funny..." Darren said in a near whisper, drowning it in venom. "But now it's time to GIVE ME BACK MY SWIMMING TRUNKS!"

Daniel turned and looked at the bunched material in his hand like he'd never seen it there before. He did an exaggerated double-take and then glanced back at Darren with a surprised expression.

"What, these?" Daniel said ingeniously, waving the dark material until it fluttered. "But I thought you wanted a good cool down, these will just get in the way of that."

Darren gritted his teeth and counted to 10 forwards, backwards and random-order as he wrestled with his temper and tried to not react in a manner he would probably regret. Namely, do NOT, for any reason, leave the pool.

That's just what Daniel wants.

Darren was never more glad that they had muddled up the Jell-O so badly that it was impossible to see anything clearly in it. There were some things Darren didn't particularly want Daniel to see. Especially right now, where he was at the guitarist's mercy, in more ways than one.

"Daniel," Darren said clearly and concisely, speaking like one would to a slow five-year-old, "give me BACK my trunks. Now."

They locked gazes, emerald fighting against steel-gray, as a slow smile spread across Daniel's angular face.

"Or you'll do what exactly?" Daniel replied in a taunting voice, his eyes asking, daring Darren to do something. Against his earlier internal promise, the singer found himself pulled forward, anger flickering and filled with the desire to get his hands on Daniel. As he swam closer to Daniel, the slippery Jell-O coursing slickly around his now completely bare skin, Darren could feel the heat of that desire and his temper rising.

Daniel's smile turned fierce and he teased Darren by wiggling the prized Star Wars shorts just out of his react, not realizing how quickly Darren was moving until the singer seemingly poured upward out of the pool in his rush, almost knocking Daniel off his feet. Darren made a snarling noise and Daniel backpedaled so hard he just about staggered.

Caught up in his personal fires, Darren barely (ha, such a delicious pun) noticed the summer breeze on his uncovered flesh as he advanced like a demon on Daniel. He overtook the tall man in one deadly rush and next thing Daniel knew, he was pinned against the cement floor like a butterfly on display, his eyes tightly shut.

For a long moment, silence reigned except for the harsh sound of Darren panting over Daniel, his pupils dilated and expression burning. Daniel cracked open one eye cautiously and blanched at the look on Darren's face.

"Eep."

Darren's hands tightened against Daniel's flesh for a moment, then slowly relaxed as the anger receded from Darren's eyes, replaced by a certain smugness.

"Well, well. How the tables have turned." He chuckled quietly. It was Daniel's turn to smirk as he purposely let his eyes work down Darren.

"I dunno Daz, I'd say you are still naked. Not a thread. Hardly turning the tables."

Darren quirked an eyebrow upward, eloquently, and Daniel's smile faltered as he felt Darren's hands creeping their way along his hips and waist.

"We can easily change that, dear Danny." Darren whispered silkily, his tone a mocking promise. Daniel gulped audibly.

The guitarist felt Darren's hands tighten slowly, lazily, onto the top edge of his shorts, the knuckles digging ever so slightly into his hips. He suddenly felt way too much at Darren's mercy, at his whim. Daniel swallowed again and licked his lips nervously, as Darren gazed at him in a dangerous manner.

"Now Daniel," Darren said lightly, his face looming close to Daniel's, like a lion on its meal, "You have two options here."

"And what are they?" Daniel croaked, afraid to move and provoke his body even more. Darren smiled and held up his pointer finger near Daniel's face, causing the blond man to go a little cross-eyed looking at it.

"One. You can be stubborn and not give me back my shorts, resulting in punishment."

"What kind of punishment?" Daniel asked belligerently, eyes flashing.

"So easily you forget?" Darren's tone made Daniel go pale.

He yelped as Darren's hands tightened even more and tugged ever so slightly, exposing one of Daniel's hipbones to the warm summer sun.

"Ok, ok, I get your point!" Daniel cried, his voice cracking a little. Darren's lips twitched, then he held up two fingers.

"Two. You just give me back my shorts and we forget this little misunderstanding. As well as acknowledging my superiority over you."

Looking at Darren in consternation, Daniel nibbled on his lower lip and thought, with Darren watching him intently, not moving in the slightest, never relaxing.

Was his pride really worth his other pride? Would he be able to live it down if he gave in? Would he be able to if he didn't?

Daniel could feel the hard cement under his body, and Darren was a heavy weight pressing down on him, a crackling tension he could do without.

Damn him, he *has* been working out.

He realized that he was at a disadvantage. Conflicting emotions flickered in Daniel's eyes, as he thought about struggling to get away and then decided that was a bad idea. A really bad idea.

"Wellll...?" Darren drawled, regarding Daniel with a quizzical air.

Daniel hemmed and hawed, stalling for time as his brain much-too-slowly started clutching ideas together.

Stupid Darren and his distracting, controlling body. Daniel thought with resentment.

"Ummmm...I guess I have to..." The guitarist reluctantly spoke up, only to trail off as a faint spark of an idea flickered as he regarded the shorts still held in his thrown-back arm. Hiding a smile, he started to wiggle the dark material again, distracting Darren in turn; the singer turned his head to watch the trunks eagerly. Rapidly taking advantage of the distraction, Daniel snuck his hand towards Darren's side like a slender, tanned spider, going for the kill.

Darren stiffened, then cried out, squirming like a trapped thing on top of Daniel. Openly smirking now, Daniel continued his lightning-fast torture, traveling his hand over other parts of Darren with deadly efficiency. Quest for trunks temporarily forgotten, Darren could only whimper and giggle endlessly, trying to curl himself into a ball and away from Daniel. The guitarist in turn got himself free from Darren's weight and brought in his other hand, his fingers a blur on Darren's mostly pale skin.

Darren thrashed on the cement and half-moaned, trying to get away from Daniel's evil hands. He threw himself to one side and looked up at Daniel with wild, too-bright eyes, then threw his head back and screamed despairingly

"Daaaaaannnnnnnnyyyyyyyyyyyy! STOOPPPP TICKLING MEEEEE!!!!"

Daniel merely chuckled and kept going until he deemed Darren frazzled enough, then beat a strategic retreat to the other side of the pool. When he had gotten enough distance, Daniel turned around and looked back, realizing that beside Darren's shuddering form were the trunks, forgotten in his rush to escape.

Damn. Oh well, better to leave him his than to have him take mine!...I think.

Daniel wondered what Darren would do once he got his trunks back on. It wasn't a pleasant picture. Ohhhhh, he was going to be livid. Daniel wondered if his brilliant idea was quite such a good one.

Darren had his back to him, lying on his side as he panted but was otherwise motionless, seeming to be trying to regain his breath. Then the singer reached out his arm without looking, blindly groping for the shorts lying barely within reach. Once he grabbed them, Daniel quickly looked away, remembering belatedly that Darren was still el natural. Better to give Darren a little dignity, especially after what Daniel had just done. The guitarist began to feel a little guilty.

A small burst of rustling, then Daniel turned his head back in time to see Darren getting to his feet and walking determinedly, if a little shakily, towards the tall, blond man. Trying not to gulp, Daniel decided to stand his ground and wait for Darren's reaction.

Darren took his time, his gray eyes calm like the sea and betraying nothing. He got within easy conversing distance, then planted his feet wide, crossing arms over chest. Darren regarded Daniel for a very long moment indeed, while Daniel half-cringed and waited for the explosion he was sure was coming.

Darren then cleared his throat and uncrossed his arms.

"Look at this."

Startled by Darren's light tone, Daniel peered curiously at Darren as he twisted his shoulder. Then he winced as he realized that Darren's shoulders and part of his back were abraded by the cement. Without being aware of what he was doing, Daniel reached out to lightly trace one of the angry, red lines, then recoiling as Darren hissed a little. How had Daniel missed seeing these before?

"Oh my god Darren, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do that!" Daniel exclaimed, now certain that Darren was about to chew him out. But then he gaped as Darren smiled at him. Smiled.

"No worries. Just wanted to see the guilty look on your face. Actually I'm kinda proud of these, battle scars hmm?" Darren chuckled, looking far too cheerful for someone with scratches on his back. Daniel shook his head dumbly and ran a hand through his dark blond hair.

"Should I leave them to scar properly?"

Daniel shook his head more violently, appalled that Darren would so easily ruin that fine, clear skin of his. Skin that Daniel occasionally envied. Then he realized that Darren's eyes were twinkling at him again.

Oh you *tease*.

Unable to resist giving Darren a raspberry, Daniel relaxed and swung his arms idly, as Darren smiled again.

"Danny, you are nothing if not inventive. Kudos, I must say I lost to a worthy opponent. If a dirty one at that." Daniel pretended to buff his nails.

"Thank you, Darren, pleasure doing business." He replied, ignoring Darren's last remark. Both of them turned as one to regard the totally ruined mold of Jell-O, lying with huge slashes in it and chunks lying both on top and out of the pool.

"Who knew you could have so much fun with a unreal amount of green dessert?"

"Well, I certainly suspected." Daniel drawled. Darren laughed and punched his shoulder lightly.

"So what you want to do next Sunday?"

"How about chocolate pudding?" Daniel replied with an easy grin. More laughter from Darren as the singer tugged his trunks on a little better. Daniel turned and was about to go back into Darren's house when a hand on his recently punched shoulder made him pause. He turned back to see Darren looking back at him with that lazy grin still on his face.

"What?"

"It's time for one last dip."

"Why? We were just in there!"

"Well...*someone* has to help me sooth these rather nasty scratches."

"But--"

"No buts."

"Eeek!"

*SPLOOSH!*