"Hello?"

"Is it ready yet??"

"No Danny, it is not ready yet, I told you I would phone you when it was!"

"Oh. Ok." *click*

**A much too short time later**

*Ring ring ring! Ring ring ri-*

"Hello?"

"Is it ready NOW??"

"Oh my god Daniel, I SAID I would phone when it is ready!! Just a little while longer!"

"But you said it would be ready by noon!"

"Yes, but I also didn't know that you would be phoning me every 5 minutes to ask if it's ready! I cannot check the pool out AND answer the phone at the same time!"

"...Oh."

"Now I'm going to go finish looking, and it's not as easy as the last time; at least the jello was transparent! So no more phoning me, promise?"

"..."

"PROMISE??"

"...*sigh* Ok fine."

"Good." *click**

**2 minutes later**

*Ring ring ring! Ring ring ri-* *sound of telephone being thrown across the room* *CRASH*

"...oh crap. Now he's gonna come check in PERSON!"

*sound of Darren hurrying*

*****

Darren stepped back and regarded his handiwork with pride - the cement around the pool was perfectly spotless, all remains of powder and spilt water carefully cleaned away. He tossed a stray broom into its tiny shed at the back of the backyard, then turned and smiled at the pool glinting cheerfully in the afternoon sun. It wasn't quite as hot out as the last time he had used his pool, but it made it a lot easier for what was in the pool to...set.

Darren was about to bend over and take a last taste-test when he was interrupted by the sound of frantic pounding on his door. Rolling his eyes, Darren abandoned the backyard and waltzed back into his house, quickly jogging down hallways to the front door. He was afraid that if he didn't hurry, Daniel was going to knock down the door, the frame and probably the house with it.

The golden oak swung open with a faint creak as Darren turned the knob, revealing a panicky Daniel leaning against the doorframe and panting with exertion, his lean chest heaving and his tanned face shiny with sweat.

"Why hello Daniel, fancy seeing you here." Darren said serenely, grinning at Daniel's condition. The guitarist blinked a few times and tried to wipe some sweat off his golden brow, looking suddenly self-conscious.

"I (pant) tried to (pant) phone you and (pant) then your (pant) phone died and I thought (pant) maybe you were trying to (pant) hog the whole pool- I mean I thought (pant) you were in trouble!" Daniel looked stricken at his slip of the tongue, fearfully watching Darren for signs of anger.

"Really! I was concerned for YOU!" He hurriedly added. Darren laughed and rolled his eyes again.

"Right. Concerned for me in the same way little kids care for the ice cream man." Darren smirked and Daniel tried to look hurt.

"...Can I come in Darren? Please? I want to see it!"

Darren pretended to consider.

"Wellll, though you don't really seem interested, perhaps I could let you in...but I'm sure that I would be just boring you, after all I have been babbling in your ear about this all week..."

Daniel looked like he was about to have a heart attack, his eyes wide and his face pale. And he was actually beginning to shake, his lower lip trembling like a 5-year-old's.

"Please??"

Darren made a face.

"Of course, of course! Come in before you die on my front porch or something! I *don't* want to have to explain that one to the neighbours. Geez Daniel, and I thought *I* was obsessive!"

"I'm *not* obsessed!" Daniel shot back automatically. Darren shook his head sadly.

"Oh right, what was I thinking, a million apologies, oh sugar junkie."

Daniel brushed past Darren and into the house, making a face back at Darren as he went by.

"So what *did* happen to your phone?"

"...Long story."

*****

It was the most beautiful thing Daniel had ever seen. It lay before them in that cement mould ever so carefully cleaned, a glistening pool of lush velvety brown that beckoned to him. Called to him in a sweet siren song of temptation. And, oh was he ever tempted.

"Pudddddddiiiinnnggggggg..." Daniel purred in a tone of complete lust, eagerly licking his lips. Darren turned and regarded him with an eyebrow quirked upward, as he did often these days.

"Not obsessed eh?"

"Quiet. You are ruining my moment of triumph."

"Triumph over what? Dessert? Sara Lee?"

Daniel ignored him, edging closer towards the chocolaty goo. It rippled like sleek satin, and Daniel's mouth watered as he imagined how it would taste, how it would melt in his mouth and leave him saturated with chocolate goodness. Just a little further and he could be in...

"Oh no you don't!" Darren's stern tone interrupted Daniel's dreamy state, as he felt Darren's hand firmly gripping his shoulder, and the guitarist realized he was perilously close to toppling into the pool.

"First things first, mate. You simply cannot go in there fully clothed my friend."

Daniel pouted and glanced yearningly at the brown dessert waiting for him.

"Whyyyy? Such a delay! I want it nooowww!" He whined, trying to get around Darren. Darren laughed and rebuked his efforts with an easy hand.

"Well, one: it's not sanitary-"

"That didn't stop you with the jello!"

"Don't interrupt. Two: you will totally RUIN your clothes, seeing as chocolate is a stubborn stainer, and I rather love you in that shirt you are wearing, so it has to go."

Daniel settled at that, giving Darren a long look. Then he sighed and nodded reluctantly.

"You have a point. I like this shirt too. Alright, is it swimming trunks again?"

"Unless you care to skinny dip?" Darren replied coyly, giving Daniel a purposely suggestive look.

"...Um, we did that last time."

"No, Daniel Jones, I *believe* you just stole my trunks and wouldn't give them back."

"...Oh. Um, well, let's skip that idea anyway, what would the neighbours think?" Darren cracked up at Daniel's quip, remembering his earlier comment when Daniel was panting at his door.

"Right you are. So come on, let's go upstairs and get out of these clothes." Darren said airily. Daniel grinned wide and gestured for Darren to lead the way.

*****

Darren swore later that he had never seen two men get undressed so quickly.
Daniel shucked his garments at warp speed, with Darren rushing to keep up and not trip over his own growing sprawl of clothes on the floor. In a matter of moments Daniel started to bolt out of Darren's room, his eyes alight with unholy passion and hyperactivity.

"Daniel!!"

The guitarist paused, slowing just outside the room and looking back at Darren.

"Yeah?"

"Aren't you forgetting a little something?"

"No...what?"

Darren playfully fluttered a familiar bit of cloth festooned with large lightning bolts.

"And unless you are changing your mind and taking me up on my skinny dip offer..."

Daniel quickly looked down at himself and paled, then flushed a deep crimson that, from what Darren could see, went all the way down. Darren could not resist a long, sultry chuckle, his grey eyes sparkling with amusement.

Resolutely looking at the floor, Daniel shot out his arm and presented his palm to Darren.

"Please give me the swimming trucks." Daniel said quietly, his voice a study of neutrality, his expression unreadable.

"Don't you want to get a nice even tan, Danny?" Darren teased, enjoying this moment to the hilt. Daniel merely kept silent and shook his hand in an impatient manner, virtually demanding the trunks.

"And someone has been keeping in shape I see." Darren couldn't resist adding, and was rewarded with the sight of Daniel blushing, right down to his feet. The singer positively chortled, then took pity on the guitarist, tossing the trunks his way. Daniel snatched them up and yanked them on as fast as he could, still not looking at Darren.

"Oh don't be that way, Daniel. It's nothing I haven't seen before, after all we *did* live together in that tiny apartment remember?" Darren grinned wide, and Daniel finally lost his strange expression, giving Darren an exasperated look.

"Well. You've had your fun, Darren." Daniel replied smoothly. "Now it's my turn. RACE YA!"

He was already halfway down the stairs before Darren registered what he had said.

"Hey! That's no fair!" Darren exclaimed, given chase to the lean body sprinting towards the backdoor.

Darren barely got down the stairs before Daniel had flung himself out the backdoor and right back outside, where golden sunlight glinted off his equally golden hair. And he wasn't slowing his pace one iota as he hurtled towards the awaiting pool of chocolate pudding. Darren blanched and tried to speed up and somehow beat Daniel. But he sensed that he hadn't the slightest chance against a determined, chocolate-crazed guitarist.

"Danny, no! Wait for me, dammit!"

Oblivious to Darren's panicked shouting, Daniel reached the pool's edge and sprung his tawny form into the air without a moment's pause, his tanned body seeming to float for an indefinite amount of time. Blond hair rippling from the breeze, he pulled his slim limbs towards his equally slim body and tucked himself into a large, spherical shape.

"CANNNOONNNNNBAAAAALLLLLLL!!..."

*KER-SPLOOOT!*

Darren froze at the backdoor frame as he watched Daniel quickly slide and disappear under the smooth surface of the pudding, which slid over top until it looked like nothing had happened at all.

"Oh...my...God..." Darren suddenly burst into giggles and laughed so hard that he went limp. His knees buckled and he slumped down the doorframe's plastic edge, eyes tearing from the force of his laughter.

"And just *what* is so funny?"

Darren opened his eyes and looked in the direction of Daniel's voice. One look at Daniel's completely besmeared appearance and he totally lost it again. Daniel crossed his arms and sighed patiently as Darren collapsed on the floor, laughing like one possessed until all he could do was wheeze.

"Are you quite finished yet?" Daniel asked in a rather eye-rolling manner.
Trying to get some semblance of control back, Darren sat up and wiped some stray tears from his grey eyes, grinning in Daniel's direction.

"Ohhh, if I had only installed a mirror by the pool's edge Dan, then you'd be on the floor too."

Now Daniel really did roll his eyes.

"Really! You look like a mole!" Darren insisted, his grinning becoming mocking.

*Actually, he looks more like some sort of earthy sprite...what are they called?...A brownie! Yeah, that's it!*

Daniel frowned and narrowed his eyes at Darren, while the singer stood up and ambled towards the chocolate-covered guitarist.

"Are you comparing me to a *rodent?*" He asked quietly. Darren took a minute to look Daniel over again. The blond man wasn't even blond anymore, his hair was the same brown as the pudding, and it stuck out at odd angles. Daniel's skin was also covered, but in thin layers that tended to let his golden skin show through here and there. Only his eyes were unchanged, their emerald tones glittering in a dangerous manner.

*He looks more like a brown panther than anything else.* Of course, Darren didn't say this out loud.

"Hey, you said it, not me." The singer replied slyly "No, really, it looks very becoming on you!"

Daniel snorted and tapped his fingers idly on his crossed arm, making little dots of clean flesh appear underneath.

"Yeah, becoming I'm sure," He said flatly, moving closer to Darren.

*Uh-oh...*

"Let's see how it becomes YOU!" Daniel's hands snaked out like lightning and gripped Darren's ankle before he could do anything more but squeak. A wicked grin spread across Daniel's face and the next thing Darren knew, a sea of brown was rushing up to greet him.

*Why, hellloooo chocolate...*

*SPLASH!*

~finis~
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