This story takes place in the Illusions Moment's universe, but it is written so that it stands alone. You do not need to read all that has transpired before to read this story, but if you'd like to, Illusions starts here.

So At Last

It was insanity, plain and simple. Two infants, one pre-schooler, and two weeks in Hawaii. You had to be nuts to try it, even with both sets of grandparents and JC's brother tagging along.

Lance'd had some insane idea that with all of them there, he and JC would have more time to relax, and yet, every time he turned around, nine month old Luke was trying to shove a handful of sand in his mouth; and Evan, their three year old, was heading straight for the ocean, despite the fact that he couldn't swim. And then there was Luke's twin sister, Aidan, who hated the sand as passionately as Luke loved it, and who wasn't afraid to let anyone within earshot know that by screaming bloody murder if so much a grain of it came anywhere near her.

Three days into the trip and Lance was less relaxed than he'd been when they'd left Florida. JC was worse. As vacations went, this one wasn't going to go down in history as either of their favorites, not until their moms stepped in.

The women cornered the pair in their suite, accompanied by their husbands, and Tyler, who took Evan and the twins and disappeared before JC or Lance could blink.

"We," Diane announced, as Karen walked to the closet and began to pull suitcases and clothing out, "are taking the kids for the remainder of the vacation." She handed Lance a small folder. "The two of you are going to Lana'i, for a little daddy down time."

"But-"

"Don't argue, Joshua." Karen snapped one suitcase closed and began to fold clothes neatly into the second. "The two of you haven't taken more than a day to yourselves since the twins were born. We know you don't like pawning your kids off on other people, but this is far from that. You planned this trip to recharge your batteries, and you've done anything but since you got here."

Diane continued where Karen left off. "We all came along to help, but really all you've let us do is change a diaper or two. Well, enough's enough. Your plane tickets are in the packet, as is all the information and confirmation for your bungalow."

"The kids will be fine, and you'll be better parents for it," Karen assured them as she finished packing.

"You've got two hours before your flight leaves." Diane smiled at the valet as he came through the door. "I suggest you get moving so you don't miss it."

"So, uhm." JC moved from the living room to the bedroom doorway and back again. "What do you think?"

"Well." Lance ran his hand over the top of the couch. "The bungalow is nice. I like what they did with the colors and stuff. They're really-- restful."

"Yeah," JC agreed quickly. "Yeah, they are." He looked around the room again, somewhat desperately it seemed to Lance, and then declared, "So, I, ah, think I'm going to hit the shower. I feel a little grimy."

"Okay, yeah, sure." Lance watched him hurry into the bathroom and then sat heavily on the couch. "Shit." Somewhere along the line, it seemed they'd forgotten how to be alone together, and Lance had no idea how to get past that. Until he took his own turn pacing around the room when the shower stopped, and he caught sight of JC drying off in the mirror.

It occurred to him then, that they had no where they had to be, and no one they had to be there for. Lance walked into the bedroom and wrapped his arms around JC's naked waist.

"Do you realize the last time I was able to touch you without worrying about someone crying in the middle to make us stop was about…" Lance stopped. "I can't even remember."

"I want to make love to you for hours." JC shivered at Lance's words. "Take a long walk on the beach in the moonlight, and then come back here and do it all over again."

"Stay up talking until the sun comes up," JC added.

Lance kissed the crook of JC's neck and smiled. "Sleep until noon."

"Oh, God," JC groaned.

"I knew you'd like that part," Lance chuckled.

"I like all of it." JC turned, and began to unbutton Lance's shirt. "That I'll be able to take my time kissing you." He did just that as he brushed the shirt off Lance's shoulders. "Touching you." His hands played over Lance's chest. "Loving you."

"You're thinking hard enough that I can hear you in my sleep." JC's voice was groggy. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, I was just thinking about how nice it's been the last few days." Lance slid under JC's arm. "Just being able to be JC and Lance, and not dad and daddy."

"You like being dad."

"I like being your lover, too. I didn't realize how much that was slipping away until this week."

"I think that's probably pretty common for new parents, don't you?"

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean that we have to let it be that way with us." Lance tangled his fingers in JC's hair. "I don't want it to be that way with us."

"No, me either."

"So, I've come up with a plan."

JC smiled. "Why am I not surprised?"

Lance tugged a lock of JC's hair. "I'm serious."

"I know that you are." Scooting up in the bed, JC pulled Lance back against his chest. "Tell me what you came up with."

"Weekends away, just the two of us. Taking advantage of the fact that we have parents who are more than willing to help. Using the nanny we pay; for what we pay her for."

"We do that."

"Yeah, for work, but never for anything else. She's always saying she doesn't know why we have her. There's a reason for that, don't you think?"

"Maybe, yeah, but we wanted to raise them ourselves, and we've been doing that."

"And I don't regret a second of what we've done, but what happens to them if we don't take care of us?"

"Lance." JC peered down at his partner. "We're not in danger of falling apart here. I'll agree that we haven't been spending as much time alone as maybe we should, but we're solid."

"I know that."

"So if you know, what's all this?"

"I don't want us to ever get to that point. The best way I can think to make sure that doesn't happen, is to stop it before it starts."

"Okay."

"That's it, just okay?"

"It's important, right?"

"Absolutely."

"Then yes, just okay. I'm not going to argue with you about doing something that's going to keep us just like this for a really, really long time."

"So, dinner once a week, just the two of us?"

"Done."

"And catching a weekend more than once a year."

"We can do that." JC sealed his promise with a kiss. "I'm pretty sure we'll have plenty of volunteers to babysit, too."

"Our parents are never going to let us forget this, are they?" Lance asked.

"Oh, you can pretty much guarantee that," JC laughed. "But somehow," JC rolled Lance beneath him. "I don't think we'll mind all that much. Do you?"

Thanks as always to Missy for making me challenge myself, even if I do whine her ear off about it.