a lake, a river, a stream

rise up like mercury
Joe/Demi/Nick, NC-17

A/N: Um, this would be the "Nick gets sexpollened" threesome story. \o/

*





Demi knocks on his door a little after midnight, her usual secret knock slightly hurried and frantic. Joe puts down his book and goes to answer the door, confused. They weren't supposed to hang out tonight; tomorrow's an early call time. Demi's in her pajamas, standing there with Nick, who is clinging to her hand. He's wearing jeans and a t-shirt with a loose v-neck. He looks different in a way Joe can't pinpoint. "Something's wrong with Nick," she says without preamble.

Joe looks closer at his brother, sees right away that this isn't an insulin problem. Nick's cheeks and neck are flushed, he's standing awkwardly, and wow, that's definitely a hard-on. "He came to my room and kissed me," Demi continues, "but it wasn't like-" She breaks off and makes a bunch of vague hand gestures. Joe looks closer at Nick. His eyes are dark, glassy.

He pulls both of them into the room in a hurry, closing the door and locking it. "It wasn't what?" he asks Demi.

"It wasn't at all how Nick should kiss," she says, her cheeks turning pink.

Joe reaches out for Nick, disentangling him from Demi. Nick gasps when Joe's hands touch him, his blush getting pinker. "What's wrong with you, baby boy?" Joe asks, like he always asks when Nick is sick, and Nick squirms. Joe cups his jaw in both hands, staring at his face. Nick's lower lip is trembling. "You sick, Nicky?"

"No." Nick sways towards him, breath ragged. "'m sorry," he groans, and then he's pressed flush against Joe. Joe can feel his brother's dick pushed against his hip. Something is definitely not right here.

"What happened?" he asks, more to Demi than to Nick.

She shrugs helplessly. Nick reaches out a hand to her and she takes it. He pulls her close, into him and Joe, with a hard tug, and Joe is startled by the satisfied moan that escapes Nick. "We were getting something to eat earlier," she says. "Some fans came over for pictures. All I can think is that something got slipped into his Coke."

"If that's true, you should go to the hospital," Joe says to Nick, stroking a hand over Nick's warm back.

Nick's response is immediate. "No. No. No one but you guys. Can't - don't want anyone else to see me like this."

"Something could be really wrong," Joe insists, but Nick keeps shaking his head, and Joe knows there's no way they're getting him to go if he doesn't want to, short of Big Rob forcibly putting him in an ambulance. Instinctively, Joe's arms tighten around Nick, around Demi. "Okay," he whispers. "We won't tell anyone as long as this doesn't get any worse, and you tell me what you need, okay?"

"Just to touch," Nick sighs, as if they're not touching him already.

The erection that's hot against Joe is telling him there's more to it than just some skin-on-skin.

Nick makes a soft noise. "Touch me. Please." He pulls Demi's arms around his waist and Joe can feel her knuckles against his stomach through his t-shirt. Nick drops his head to press his face into Joe's neck, and Joe meets Demi's gaze over Nick's shoulder. The air in the room is so thick he feels like it would take a herculean effort to move even a few steps.

"I don't know," he says to the question in her eyes, still stroking Nick's back. "Are you okay with doing what he needs?"

She nods. "Are you?"

"Always have been... don't see why tonight should be any different. Even - even like this." As he says it, Nick's hips rock, rubbing his groin against Joe's, making his breath catch. "Nicky," Joe says, and Nick whines.

"Please, I need..."

It's Demi who steers them to the bed, laying Nick down and throwing a leg across his hips, straddling him. Her nightshirt rides all the way up. Joe can see her underwear. He looks away, uncomfortable and turned on, but Demi reaches for him. "Joe, come on."

"More," Nick gasps. "Kisses. Someone kiss me."

Joe kisses him without thinking about the fact that he's kissing his brother. Nick's mouth is hot and desperate and he clutches as the back of Joe's neck so hard it almost hurts. Joe could kill whoever did this to him.

Nick tastes like peaches and suddenly Joe wants more. He shouldn't, but he does. Anything at all if it means taking care of Nick.

Demi makes a gasping noise and Joe wrenches his mouth from Nick's to find out why. Nick's got his hand between her legs, his fingers inside her panties, exploring. Joe glances up at her face and sees her eyes are closed, her mouth open. The pang of jealousy isn't entirely unexpected; Joe's always felt like she was his first, even though they'd never gone beyond a few chaste kisses. "Dem, can I touch-"

"Yeah." It's barely out loud.

He shouldn't want this either. She's almost as much family as Nick is. He adds his fingers to Nick's, slipping through slickness and wet curls. Nick's got two fingers inside of her and Joe's cock throbs at the discovery.

He looks at Nick's crotch and sees how he's straining against his jeans. It's got to be painful. "Nick, you want-"

"Yeah, help me."

Joe's hand shakes as he undoes the button on Nick's jeans, sticky fingers slipping on the metal tab of the zipper. But he gets them off of Nick, then takes a deep breath and frees Nick's cock from his boxers.

"Condom," Demi says, and holy hell, when did they decide this was what was happening?

"Demi, what are you," he starts to say, but she cuts him off.

"I want it. Nick needs it."

Nick whines, high and unaware. The hand not rubbing Demi slides over Joe's thigh, squeezes his dick where it's trapped in his pajama pants. Joe bites his lip hard. "Both of you," Nick says, his voice hoarse. "I need both of you. It hurts when you're not both touching me. Why does it hurt?"

Joe could really kill the person who did this to him. "Tell us," he forces out.

Nick struggles to open his eyes. His mouth is so red. His pulse is jumping in his neck and Joe shoves away the impulse to press a kiss there. "Between you," he mumbles. "I need to be between you."

Joe nods once. He shifts so his back is to the headboard, and maneuvers a willing - oh, God, too willing - Nick between his spread thighs. He looks up at Demi, who has tugged off her shirt. Her breasts are nothing short of perfect, as far as Joe's concerned. "Are you sure?" he asks after a moment of staring.

"I own a couple vibrators, Joe, it's not like I've never had anything inside me," she says, looking firm in her decision. "I love you guys," she adds, softer. "This makes sense to me. That my first time would be with one of you, I mean. Not that Nick would get slipped a Viagra or whatever this is."

"Nick?" Joe asks. Nick just makes grabby hands at Demi and rubs his ass against Joe's dick, making Joe gasp and breathe, "Okay."

From his wallet on the nightstand, he gets a condom. He rips it open and, simultaneously freaked out and turned on, rolls it onto Nick's erection. Nick makes a noise somewhere between a sob and a whimper. Joe kisses his neck. "Ssh, baby, just wait. Okay, Dem."

Demi seems to also have figured out that Nick is beyond most everything at this point. She lifts up, slowly. Joe guides Nick into her. They all forget to breathe. Joe can feel how hard Nick is shaking.

"Just roll your hips," he tells Demi. Then, nearly choking on the words, says, "He's not gonna last more than a couple seconds."

"Unh, oh, Christ," is Demi's response, her hands settling on Joe's shoulders. Nick's hands grip painfully at Joe's thighs.

Joe buries his face in Nick's curls and rubs Demi's clit with his thumb as she moves her hips until Nick shakes apart between them with a breathy moan. It settles hot in Joe's stomach. He holds Nick tight around the waist until it's over and Nick melts boneless between them. Joe's starting to regret not taking off any of his clothes, Nick is so hot against him.

"Joe," Demi says, "he's still..." There's a slightly embarrassed expression on her face. Knowing his own face is probably sporting a matching look, Joe moves his fingers south. Nick's still hard, even though he seems completely out of it. Demi moans a little as Joe's fingers touch where she's stretched around Nick.

"More," Nick whispers, surprising them both.

Demi rocks her hips, and Joe feels all of it. The wetness where she and Nick are slipping together, the contrast in their flesh, how every downward movement presses Nick's ass back against his dick. He trails kisses over Nick's sweaty neck, skims his tongue over Nick's ear, suddenly craving every tremor that it provokes. He keeps teasing Demi, gauging how good it feels by the sounds she makes.

"Joe," Nick pants, "you're not naked enough. I need to touch more, need your skin-"

Joe cuts him off with an awkward kiss that doesn't quite cover all of Nick's mouth. Demi cries out suddenly and sharply, her whole body arching. Joe watches in amazement as Nick's hands come up to cup her breasts, rubbing his thumbs over her nipples as she comes. He can't look away. He couldn't if he tried.

Demi slumps a little and Nick moves quicker than Joe would expect, laying her back on the bed and kneeling over her for a kiss. Joe takes the chance to find his glasses in the sheets and toss them on the nightstand, pull his shirt over his head, kick off his pants. Then he gapes as Nick slides down Demi's body, pushes her knees apart, and presses his face to her center. She moans and tries to push his head away, gasping, "Too much, Nicky, too much."

Nick sits back on his heels and looks so disappointed that Joe almost laughs. Then Nick turns his dark gaze on Joe, and Joe's heart lurches. "Joe," Nick says, "Joe, Demi won't-"

"Stop," Joe says, covering Nick's mouth with his hand. "Give her a few minutes, baby boy; we're not all high on sex drugs. Besides, you've still got me."

Nick blinks and leans toward him. Joe pulls him close with one hand and strips the condom from Nick's still-hard cock with the other. "Why am I still like this?" Nick asks, glancing down at himself.

"I don't know," Joe replies honestly. As hot and heady as this is, he doesn't want to be in Nick's place.

"Help me?"

"Of course." And he wraps his hand around Nick, slick with lube from the condom. Strokes smooth and slow, the way he'd do himself. His wrist brushes his own cock on every stroke, stimulation but not enough, but this isn't about him. It's about Nick, getting Nick through this. Whatever this is.

Demi rouses enough to crawl over and lay next to them, her head on the pillow. Watching. "You okay?" Joe whispers to her, not looking away from Nick's blissed-out face.

"Never better," she drawls. "Joe, I want to kiss you."

Joe is game for that, and he turns his head to meet her lips. His hand falters a little on Nick, and he hears Nick's groan and Demi's answering chuckle. She opens her mouth underneath his. She tastes like Nick and it's like another layer of heat creeps over Joe's skin.

Nick's hand closes suddenly around his, squeezing tight for a few beats, and then Joe feels the pulse of Nick's orgasm, wet over their fingers and hands. He keeps touching Nick the whole time, hoping it's enough, hoping Nick will be able to get at least some sleep tonight. Then Nick shoves his hand away, falling against the pillows. "Better," he says, breathing hard. "I can still feel it, though. It's not gone."

Joe wipes his hand on the sheets, his eyes on Nick. Nick's flushed and sweaty and he's deliberately holding his hips away from the mattress. As Joe watches, he presses his face into the pillow and lets out a muffled sob. Joe exchanges a helpless look with Demi and reaches out to stroke his shoulder while Demi rubs his hip. "What can we do?" she asks Nick.

Nick shakes his head. "I don't know," he groans.

"I've got an idea," Demi says, and she gets up off the bed, pressing a kiss to Nick's shoulder blade as she goes, and walks naked into the bathroom. She's back a second later with the bottle of hotel lotion in her hand. "Do you trust me?" she asks Nick.

"Absolutely."

"Will you let me try something?"

"Anything."

Joe sits up, intrigued. Demi pours a generous amount of lotion into her palm, and with her other hand, moves Nick's legs apart some more. Joe figures it out with a start, and reaches to hold Nick open for her touch. Her eyes flick to his for a moment. "Nick, are you sure it's okay?" she asks, but she keeps looking at Joe.

"Please," Nick gasps, still muffled into the pillow. He rocks backwards like he's seeking her touch. Then Demi moves her fingers down, starts stroking in circles, and he whimpers. Joe swallows hard and squeezes Nick's ass because he's not sure what else to do. He's not used to seeing Nick like this. Vulnerability isn't Nick's thing.

Nick turns his head, his face towards Joe. His eyes are open but Joe doesn't think he's really focusing on anything. He lets go of Nick and slides down onto the bed to press his lips to Nick's. "Does it feel good?" he whispers against Nick's mouth.

"Yeah," Nick breathes shakily.

"You should tell Demi what you want, okay?" Joe is making this all up as he goes along, but he's sure Nick doesn't notice. "Feedback's a good thing."

Nick nods. "Dem?"

Demi leans over him, her hair trailing over his skin. Joe sees Nick bite his lip at the sensation. "Yeah, baby?" she says softly.

"More, please."

She does something Joe can't see and Nick cries out, rubbing himself on the sheets, one hand finding Joe's and squeezing hard enough that it hurts. "Like that?" she asks, amusement in her voice.

"Yes."

Joe's finding it really hard to breathe deeply enough right now, just watching this. He slides the hand that Nick's not clutching up his thigh, palming his dick. He shouldn't want to jerk off to this scene, but he does. The feeling races through him, making his toes curl. He glances at Demi and sees she's watching him.

"Joe," Nick pants, "you should touch me, too."

"Maybe if you fucked him," Demi says. Joe stares at her, his eyes so wide open it hurts. Nick makes a noise that's half-gasp, half-groan, muffled into the pillow. "That sounded like agreement to me," she adds, tracing the fingers of her free hand over Joe's chest and stomach, following the trail of hair down. But she stops before she gets to his cock, and grins at him.

"Tease," he groans, sure that she's taking this all too easily. Then hesitantly, he asks, "Nick?"

"Want it," Nick breathes, the words nearly lost along his heavy exhalation.

Everything happens fast then: Demi slipping her fingers out of Nick, Joe moving to sit against the headboard with a hand wrapped around the base of his cock, Nick scrambling up to straddle him. Joe doesn't even have time to think that he's not calm enough for this before Nick is sliding down slowly, lowering himself onto Joe, hot and tight and Nick.

Then he stops moving, his whole body still, his head thrown back. "Breathe, guys," Demi says, reaching up to tug gently on Nick's curls, making him whine. Joe hadn't realized he wasn't bringing in air. Both he and Nick take a breath, then another, and Nick starts to move.

Joe closes his eyes.

Nick's making tiny noises, something between a whimper and a growl that's catching in Joe's ears and buzzing through his brain. Everything drops away except the hot friction of Nick on his cock, the press of Nick's palms into his shoulders. The burn's starting at the base of his spine, sparking and flickering more-more-more to life.

He's barely aware that Demi's saying something, "...so fucking hot, I could watch you guys do this all night...", barely aware that Nick is dripping sweat down onto him, unable to focus on anything but the singular knowledge that his brother is fucking himself on Joe's cock and it's the best Joe's felt in forever.

It feels like they've just started yet like they've been doing this forever when Nick goes still and silent above him. His whole body seizes up, and some sort of insane twist of his hips is happening, because Joe's orgasm is flooding through him and it feels like buildings crashing down, like the earth opening up, like tidal waves pulling everything out to sea all at once.

Then suddenly Nick's weight is gone, tipped off of him, and through the sound of his own heavy breathing, Joe hears Demi making soft soothing noises. He turns in the direction of her voice, curls himself around Nick's shaking body. Only then does he open his eyes. His view is Nick's upper back, skin glistening with sweat.

"Hey," he says, and his voice is weird and sandpaper-rough, "Nick, you okay?"

There's a long moment where Nick doesn't answer, and Demi's reaching out to skim her hand gently over Joe's hip with Nick still shivering between them. Joe waits, tension making his head start to throb, until Nick says, "It worked."

Relief sweeps through Joe, but before he can pull the blankets up over them so they can get some sleep, Nick pushes out from between him and Demi, and stomps naked into the bathroom. Joe catches a glimpse of his face, twisted up in something Joe can't identify. Demi's up like a shot, across the room, her palms flat on the bathroom door. Her breath hitches. "Don't, Nick."

Joe tries to climb off the bed but his ankles get twisted in the sheet, and his palms sweat cold and his skin prickles with anxiety until he's freed himself and can join Demi by the door. Nick is freaking out alone in the bathroom and it is not something that Joe is used to. Something he'll do anything to stop. The wood is smooth under his pressing hands. "Nicholas," he says sharply, "me and Demi didn't do anything with you we didn't want to do."

The door's flung open and Nick glares out at him. "Liar."

"Not lying." Joe reaches out, touches Nick's damp shoulder. "Come back to bed with us?"

"Please?" Demi adds.

Nick shifts his weight from one foot to the other and back again, his gaze darting between Joe and Demi. Anxiety is settling heavy in Joe's chest again by the time Nick asks, "Really?"

Joe bites back the sarcastic joke he wants to make in response. Now's not the time. Instead, he hip-checks Demi and then wraps an arm around her waist, and holds his other hand out to Nick. "Yes, really. We need to get some sleep."

Nick nods. "Okay. But there's... on your stomach, Joe," he says. He turns back into the bathroom and Joe sees him wet a washcloth. "Is it okay if I..."

"Yeah."

He leans his head against Demi's shoulder as Nick cleans them all up, feeling her shiver as Nick washes her off, so gentle it's almost tentative. He bites at his bottom lip as Nick swipes the cloth over his spent cock, and Demi stands on her tiptoes to press kisses into his hair.

Then Nick tosses the washcloth into the sink, and winds his fingers through Joe's. Joe still waits, though, letting Nick be the one to steer them back to the bed. Letting Nick be the one to pull him and Demi down onto it with warm hands. Joe hides his smile against Demi's back as Nick arranges the blankets with the sticky parts away from them. She must feel it, because she reaches back and tugs his hair. "Hey, that hurt," he mumbles in her ear.

"You love it," she whispers back.

"You realize we're naked, right?"

"What's your point?"

Nick looms over them, all serious-faced. "Quit whispering secrets without me."

"Lay down and snuggle up, then," Demi tells him.

Joe smiles again. Maybe this won't be as weird as it had seemed like it would be, five minutes ago. There's a click as Nick turns off the light, then Joe feels him settle down on Demi's other side, and Nick's arm comes heavy across the both of them. "Whisper me a secret now," Nick says in the darkness.

"I love you," Joe says immediately, and Demi laughs drowsily that that's no secret. Joe presses a kiss to her neck, because he can. He takes a deep breath and says to Nick, "I love you like what we just did."

"Oh," Nick breathes, in a way that sounds both shocked and pleased, like he hadn't believed Joe before about not doing anything he didn't want to do. There's a long silence, stretching out enough that Joe thinks maybe he's the last one awake, and then Nick says, "Me too."

It's a sharp spark of joy against the sleepiness pulling at him. Joe rubs his thumb over Nick's wrist. Demi stretches between them, her heels bumping against his shins, then she settles back and says, "You guys okay?"

"Yeah," Joe says, and Nick echoes him.

"Good," she sighs, the word catching on a yawn. "Tomorrow, then, let's make something of this. But for now I wanna sleep. Right here with you guys."

"I like the sound of that," Nick whispers. Joe murmurs his assent. He tugs the blanket a little higher.

He falls asleep and dreams that he's alone in a cold room without doors or windows. And he wakes from it with a start, heart pounding wildly, gasping for air. But Demi and Nick are both still there in the bed with him. Still warm and sticky and tangled up with him, the sleep-weight of their limbs keeping him close, shot through with promise.