THE HUMAN TOUCH

Author:        Eggbert
E-mail:        mbejane2000@yahoo.com
Fandom:        The Bill
Rating:        PG -13 to R
Pairing:       Reg Hollis/Des Taviner

Disclaimer:    The Bill is the property of Thames
               Television etc, etc. No profit will be made from
               this and no infringement of copyright is intended.

Summary:       The sequel to Absolution.  Tony can't
               believe his eyes when he pays a visit to the
               convalescent Des. But will a few ill-chosen words
               make any difference, or is Reg made of sterner
               stuff?

Spoilers. :    None whatsoever. This is a trip to
               Planet Sun Hill only.

A/N:           I've been watching these two with interest
               ever since writing 'Absolution'. And Des seems
               physically unable to keep his hands off Reg, not
               to mention being jealous at the thought of Reg
               spending so much time with Gemma. It's brilliant.

Dedication. To Kel. You can release the hostages
now. .



Reg Hollis unlocked his front door and went
inside, closely followed by Des Taviner. Reg
carefully placed the bag he was carrying down on
the hall carpet and ushered Des into the living
room.

" Sit down, Des. You look worn out already. " he
said in a concerned tone.

Des sat on the sofa without a murmur of protest.
He looked around approvingly. What little
furniture there was was plain and well polished.
Photographs of Reg's sister and her family sat on
top of the TV and the bookcase and the room was
decorated in plain earthy colours.

" Nice place, Reggie. " he said with a smile.

" Thanks. I'll just go and check on the dinner.
Won't be long. "

Des got up and followed the sounds of rattling
cutlery and found Reg bending over the oven door.
The fragrant smell of beef casserole and baked
potatoes assailed Des's nostrils. His stomach,
which had grown accustomed to the appalling
hospital food, suddenly became a ravening tiger
and growled accordingly.

Reg chuckled as he doled out the casserole and
potatoes onto two plates and placed them on the
kitchen table where two places had been set.

Des sat down and ate ravenously. After two
helpings of Reg's ambrosial cooking and a couple
of glasses of full-bodied red wine all he could
bring himself to do was slump on the sofa, utterly
replete. He detested feeling so weak and being
forced to acknowledge that the doctor at the
hospital had been right. He would need looking
after.

Reg came back into the living room drying his
hands on a tea towel.

" That's the dishes done anyway. " he said calmly.

" You should have let me help. " protested Des.

" You're here to be looked after. " said Reg
sternly.

" You'll make someone a lovely wife, Reggie babe.
" smiled Des.

Reg laughed and went back into the kitchen.

Later the two men sat in companionable silence on
the sofa with another glass of wine apiece. Des's
eyes grew heavy and he was unable to stifle a huge
yawn. Reg looked at him, concern evident in his
grey eyes.

" You should get some sleep. I've made up the
spare room for you. "

" I'm not that tired. " Des lied. He felt like he
could have slept on a washing-line but he didn't
want to leave Reg just yet. But Reg grew stern.

" The doctor said you'd need lots of rest and care
if you're to heal properly. Now do as you're told.
"

" You nag worse than any bird I've ever met. "
grumbled Des as he got to his feet.

" Second door on the right. See you in the
morning. "

Des went upstairs slowly. The first room he looked
in had to belong to Reg. There were trains
everywhere as well as miles and miles of tracks.
The double bed was tucked into the corner under
the window almost as an afterthought. But it was a
comfortable room, as neat and understated as Reg
himself. Des couldn't help comparing it to the
stud palace he had constructed for himself in his
own flat, how Reg had tried not to laugh when they
had ended up there one drunken night and tried to
banish the memory of just how sweet Reg had felt
under him as they had made love.

Des found the bathroom then the spare room where
he stripped to his boxer shorts and climbed
between the sheets. Within seconds he was fast
asleep.

Des awoke with a scream clotted in the back of his
throat. His heart was thundering in his chest, he
was bathed in cold sweat and the healing skin on
his arms ached. It was the same nightmare that had
plagued him for months and he knew he would get no
more sleep that night. Unless...

Reg was sound asleep but the alien sound of his
bedroom door being opened jerked him into
wakefulness.

" Des, are you okay? " he asked muzzily.

The bed creaked as Des sat on it.

" Nightmares again. " he muttered, wiping his
streaming eyes with the back of his hand.

Reg pushed the duvet back and held out his arms.

" Come here. " he said.

Des lay down and Reg spooned up behind him, laying
a comforting arm around his waist.

" Try and get some more sleep. " Reg whispered.

Des lay there feeling the terror recede and his
body relax against Reg's. He became aware of the
fact that Reg Hollis actually slept in pyjama
bottoms and a T-shirt but it did nothing to quench
Des's ardour. Reg might be passion's least likely
plaything but Des wanted him. He could feel
himself becoming aroused by Reg's warm body being
so persistently pressed against him and turned to
face his tormentor.

" What's wrong, Des? " asked Reg sleepily.

" This. " replied Des, grasping one of Reg's hands
and placing it on his groin.

" Oh, my. " said Reg, all trace of sleep vanishing
from his voice.

" It's okay, " murmured Reg, though he thought if
Reg stopped stroking him he would probably die. "
Not if you don't want...."

His flow of words was cut of by Reg's mouth
descending on his and he discovered again how
sweet and soft Reg's mouth was, what an incredibly
agile tongue he had, not to mention the fact that
Reg was apparently descended from the octopus
family and could grow extra hands at will, judging
by the way he could touch almost every part of Des
at once. His healing skin creased into goosebumps
as he helped Reg out of his pyjamas and held him
close, skin against skin and covered Reg's body
with his own.

Nothing in his life had prepared Des for the
experience of loving Reg, the cries, the soft
sounds of pleasure they made and a climax so
intense as to be almost painful, yet it was
happening again and it was every bit as intense,
every bit as powerful and yet tender as the first
time.

" You need to get some sleep. " Des murmured as he
held Reg close in the afterglow. " You're on
earlies tomorrow, aren't you? "

Reg made a soft sound of agreement and snuggled
closer. Des smiled in the dark and closed his
eyes.

It was very late when he awoke. He got up and
stretched, feeling utterly rested and content.
Still naked he went downstairs into the kitchen
and switched the kettle on. That was where he
found the note.

'Dear Des

You won't have any trouble finding anything, all
the grub's in the cupboards and fridge. See you
later on tonight. Love, Reg.'

Des smiled again as he made his coffee and sat at
the kitchen table to drink it. He decided that Reg
could do with a bit of spoiling. He thought he
knew just the thing.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Reg found he could hardly concentrate on Sergeant
Gilmore's briefing that morning. He was so full of
happiness and excitement he could barely sit
still. He had found it hard to leave Des that
morning but he would be going home to him tonight.
The thought of it made him squirm in his seat
again. He knew he was behaving like a teenager
with a stupid crush but he didn't care. He hadn't
behaved like //this// even when he was a teenager.
He barely noticed when Gilmore paired him with
Tony and only shook himself free of a delightful
daydream when the rest of the relief got up to
leave. He also noticed his notebook was
depressingly empty. There could be a mad axeman
running loose in Sun Hill for all Reg knew. Then
he realised he couldn't care less.

He climbed into the panda car and fastened his
seatbelt.

Tony put the car into gear and drove out of the
station.

" So how's the wife? " asked Tony with a grin.

" He'll be fine. Another week or two and he'll be
back on top form. " said Reg with a beatific
smile.

" He's living with you, isn't he? " enquired Tony.

" Yeah. It seemed a shame for him to have to cope
with this on his own. So I offered him my spare
room until he's better. Just like you and Robbie.
"

A stomach-churning vision of Tony and Robbie Cryer
doing what he and Des had done the previous night
made Reg's permanent smile flicker off very
briefly. For one thing, Tony would flatten her.

It was surprisingly quiet on the streets of
Canley. It was only when Tony raised his voice
that Reg realised he'd been talking to him.

" Sorry, Tony. What was that? "

" You're in a world of your own today. " said Tony
with a grin. " If I didn't know better, I'd say
you got lucky last night. Not much chance of that
with Mr Hero Taviner cramping your style. "

" Don't say that about Des. " said Reg angrily. "
He's all right. "

" Reg, " said Tony patiently, " you're about the
only one in this nick that can stand him for
longer than two seconds. It's a match made in
heaven. " he concluded with a deep chuckle,
fortunately not noticing that Reg had gone scarlet
with embarrassment.

" Yeah, well, I want to pop home during refs to
make sure he's okay. " mumbled Reg. Tony rolled
his eyes. " Okay, if you can't bear to be parted
from him for one shift..."

The panda car pulled up outside Reg's house and
both men got out.

" I'm dying for a pee. " said Tony apologetically.
" Do you mind? "

" Of course not. " said Reg with a grin as he
opened the door.

" Des? " he said as he went into the hallway.

" In here, Reggie babe. " said a voice from the
living room.

" I'll not be a minute. " said Tony and hurried up
the stairs.

Business concluded, Tony washed his hands and went
back downstairs, into the living room. What he saw
made his jaw drop open in utter shock. Des Taviner
was kissing Reg. Not just some friendly peck on
the cheek but a warm, sensual kiss.

//Kissing him like he loves him// thought Tony
before he coughed loudly and they sprang apart.

" I'll see you tonight, love. " said Des staring
defiantly at Tony as if daring him to say
anything. " Good to see you Tony. "

" Reg tells me you'll be back at work soon. " said
Tony, wishing like hell he had gone straight back
to the panda car without opening Pandora's Box.

" I will that. So I'll just say au revoir then. "

" Yeah. You coming, Reg? "

" I'll catch you up. " said Reg, clearly wanting
Tony to go.

Two minutes later he joined Tony in the car.

Tony didn't say a word until they were far away
from Reg's house. Then he parked the car and
turned to face Reg.

" Are you mad? " he said.

" Pardon? "

" You're giving Des more than just your spare
room, aren't you? You're having sex with him! "

" I don't think it's any of your business, Tony. "
said Reg primly.

Tony sighed. He had to try and get through to the
thick git.

" He's using you, Reg. Des Taviner never cared for
anyone his whole life. Oh, he's all lovey-dovey
with you now but what'll happen when he gets back
to work, eh? The first pair of blue eyes or big
tits and he'll be off like a ferret up a drainpipe
without so much as a backward glance and your
mates will be left to pick up the bits he's left
you in. He's a user, Reg. Chuck him before he
chucks you. "

Reg was saved from replying by the crackling of
Tony's radio.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Des waited impatiently for Reg to get home. He had
booked a table at Reg's favourite Italian
restaurant so neither of them would have to cook,
but there was an ulterior motive to all this. Des
wanted to ask his Reg if he thought there was a
future for them together. He had done a lot of
thinking that day and had come to the conclusion
that waking up with Reg in his arms was something
he wanted all the time. He was in love with Sun
Hill's most laughed-at officer and, what is more,
he didn't care.

The front door banged shut and Des hurried into
the hall to greet him. Des leaned in to kiss him
but Reg averted his face and Des ended up kissing
his ear.

" What's wrong? " he asked roughly.

" Nothing. " said Reg in a dead voice.

" Come on, Reg. I know you better than that. "

" I wish I knew you as well as you think you know
me. " came the rejoinder.

" What's that supposed to mean? "

" Why are you here, Des? Is it because you want to
be, because you actually like being with me or are
you just using me till something better comes
along? "

" What's brought all this on, eh? A couple of
hours ago you couldn't keep your hands off me. "

Reg looked furious.

" A lot's happened since then. I should arrest
myself for being terminally stupid. Tony says..."

Des lost his temper.

" I don't give a fuck what Tony says. He's never
been lucky enough to have someone like you in his
life. Someone he can tell anything to and they'll
still want to be with him. Even when I told you
the very worst thing, when any sane bloke would
have turned me in, you were there for me. I love
you, you stupid bugger. There, I've said it now.
You can piss yourself laughing. "

" Do you really mean that? " asked Reg.

" Yeah I do. There's no one else has even come
close, Reg. I want to be with you like this
forever. "

He leaned against the passage wall with a defeated
look on his face.

" Des. Look at me. "

He raised his head to see that Reg was smiling.

" Does that mean yes? " he asked.

Reg nodded.

Des wrapped his arms around him and steered him
towards the stairs.

" You need to rest. " protested Reg. " You'll
never get better like this. "

" Then you can look after me for the rest of my
life. "

Later, much later they lay on the bed, sweaty and
contented.

" Did you say something about dinner? " ventured
Reg.

" If you can still walk after that, Reggie babe,
I'll take you anywhere. "

Reg gave Des a grin that was so loaded with desire
and love that Des could feel himself wanting Reg
all over again.

" Just one thing before we go. " said Des, sitting
up. He took Reg's hand and slid the signet ring he
had worn on his right hand since he was twenty-one
onto Reg's wedding finger.

" I can never marry you but this'll let everyone
know you're mine. I love you, Reg. I don't know if
I can ever tell you how happy you've made me. "

" You don't have to. " said Reg with a tender
smile. " I can see it in your eyes. "

" I can't wait to tell everyone. " said Des
enthusiastically. " Imagine Tony's face."

Reg grinned as he headed for the bathroom.

" He should be so lucky. " was his parting shot
over his shoulder.


 The End

=====

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