by Linda Gayle
A moment passed. “Does that mean you’re not leaving?”
“Saints, Kels. I don’t know.” He flicked ash onto the floor. “Things have been tense around here lately.” He licked his lips and tapped the butt of his cig against them. “I won’t say I haven’t thought about…doing other things.”
“Like what?” He couldn’t keep the note of panic out of his voice.
“Dunno. Rejoining the armada maybe.”
“Are you fried? You’re too old. You’ll be killed!”
“They always need good pilots, and thank you for reminding me of my age. You’re very rude.”
“What about the Nova? What about me?” He knew he sounded like a frightened child, but he couldn’t help it. Elion was right; he was a maudlin drunk.
“I don’t know. Your present state aside, you’re a competent, intelligent man. You’ll think of something.”
“It’s because I haven’t fucked you. That’s it, isn’t it?”
Elion barked a laugh around his cig. “Not hardly.” His beautiful pale blue eyes bored into Kels’s. “Might surprise you to know, Captain, that the entire SenVerse does not revolve around your big cock.”
“Are you sure?” Perhaps he could humor Elion back into a better mood. His heart hurt, he felt so depressed at the thought of losing his mate. “I thought I saw it on the SenVerse news the other day.” He reached for Elion to stroke his hand over his thigh, but Elion slapped him away.
He held up a warning finger. “Now, see, that’s just the sort of monkeyshines I was talking about.” When Kels didn’t try to touch him again, he settled back uneasily against the pillow. “I’ve been doing some thinking myself. What you said the other day about my not being able to make a decision. It was truth. I’ve been letting other people make my decisions for too long.”
Kels thought he might actually cry. “Me, you mean.”
“You, and before you, the military. I don’t think there’s been a time in my life when I aimed my own direction.”
“But you’re such a good first mate. You positively excel at it.”
“And where’s it gotten me?” He’d crossed his legs and was jigging his feet, making the whole bed shake.
“Is it that bad?”
Elion clenched his jaw. “Lately. Yeah.”
Saints below, all his fears were justified. He looked at his friend, at the blond hair he could pick out of any crowd, at the lightly haired chest with the two-tone scarred skin, and the flat belly and the restless, jigging feet and said, “But, Elion, I love you.”
“You always love me when you’re drunk,” he snarled and was just about to drag on his cig when Kels plucked it from his fingers and slanted his mouth over his. He shoved his tongue between Elion’s protesting lips and felt his mate’s hands pushing at his shoulders. He deftly slid his fingers beneath the elastic of Elion’s pants and grasped his cock.
“Kels,” Elion gritted out when he let him come up for air, “this isn’t going to work.”
“I say it is.” His cock was already hardening as Kels twisted his fist around it from base to head. And when he lowered his mouth again to kiss El, the pushing at his shoulders turned to stroking over his shoulders, and Elion’s protests softened to guttural groans.
Kels was too drunk to fuck, but he could jerk off even if he was half-dead, and he knew just how Elion would want to be touched. He didn’t give his mate time to think or react, slicking his palm in the precum, pulling him off with fast, firm strokes while his tongue plied his mouth.
Within minutes, Elion’s moans became gasps, and he cried out into Kels’s mouth. His body jerked, and his hot jism flowed over Kels’s fist. Had to be a month’s worth, Kels reflected. He gave El’s dick a few last parting squeezes and wrings while his friend gulped air, his eyes glazed over.
“Well, fuck me…” Elion blew out at last.
Kels gazed at him contemplatively. “You know, I thought I was too drunk, but now that you mention…” And he moved Elion’s hand to his rising erection.
Elion automatically closed his fingers over Kels’s dick. Hot waves of pleasure still rolled through his body. His muscles felt like melting butter. Almost afraid to hope, he gave his friend’s cock a rub and saw Kels’s eyes roll up and heard a moan rumble through his chest. By the saints, it was really, finally going to happen. Would they regret this in the morning? Did he care if they did? For fuck’s sake, he had Kels where he’d always wanted him; why was he even giving it a thought?
Keeping one hand on Kels’s cock, he leaned over and grabbed the hool and took a huge gulp. Fire burned in his belly and spread outward to his fingers and toes. Kels had his fingers back in the waist of his night pants and was working them down over his hips. “Do you have any lube?”
Elion thought his heart would pump out of his chest. “Yes. In the drawer.”
Kels lunked over him, his heavy body covering Elion’s torso, and waved his hand over the sensor that opened the door. “Dear, oh, dear. What’s this? Dirty boy.” He held up a vibrating dildo Elion had come to favor. He felt his cheeks heat.
“Never mind that. Just get the lube. You’re crushing me. My ribs, remember?”
“Oh fuck. I’m sorry.” He shoved off him again and landed heavily on the other side of the bed. He opened the lube and squeezed a bit out onto his finger.
“I think this would work better if you were undressed too,” Elion said shortly.
“I’m getting to it.” Kels pulled a face. “Bossy in bed as well.” He wiped the lube on the same corner of the sheet where he’d smeared Elion’s cum.
“You can wash the sheets tomorrow,” Elion grumbled.
“Whatever you like, luv.” Kels toed off his boots and lifted his hips to shimmy out of his pants. Elion helped him pull off his shirt and couldn’t resist running his hands over the firm chest he’d admired for so long. They kissed again, Kels’s lips demanding and hard, even better than he remembered.
Kels shoved him over onto his back and sucked his nipples. Saints, it was paradise. He couldn’t recall a man ever doing that before, at least not with such intensity and skill. What he’d been missing out on… He dug his fingers through Kels’s hair, marveling at the soft texture between his fingers and the way the light glowed on it. He ran his hand over the captain’s shoulders and felt the muscles flexing as Kels went lower and took his cock in his mouth.
So soon after coming, he wasn’t sure he could get it up again, but the fantasy made reality worked the trick. Kels’s relentless sucking didn’t hurt either. After a disappointingly short time, Kels flopped onto his back, his arms sprawling. “Suck me off a bit, sweetheart? I’m a little soft. It’s the hool, trust me. It’ll get there when we need it.”
Elion couldn’t wait to get his mouth around the hot length of uncut cock. It pulsed with life against his tongue as he lovingly slid his wet mouth over it. Kels slapped his ass and said, “Bring yours up here. I’ll do you too. Many hands make light work.”
Saints, Kels was really sloshed. Still, who was he to refuse? Elion lay head to foot with Kels, and feeling his friend’s mouth closing over his hardening dick once more made him groan with joy. Within minutes they were both like stone. Kels let his go with a last, loving lick and growled, “Now I think it’s time to get down to the business at hand. What do you say?”
Since Elion’s ass was already near his head, Kels just scooted up and took it between his palms. He groped for the lube, and Elion, on his elbows and knees, quivered while Kels rubbed the slick oil around his hole. “My second ass today, don’t you know,” he muttered drunkenly. “Sayal has a lovely tush. You must try her.”
Shaking with anticipation, Elion watched Kels’s legs disappear as his friend drew them beneath himself and rose on his knees. Kels’s hands on his ass felt huge and hot. Without preamble, Kels pushed a greased finger deep inside, and Elion groaned.
“Yeah, that’s nice, ain’t it?” Kels bit his left cheek, hard.
Elion jumped. “Easy back there.”
“A bit o’ the rough’s always fun,” Kels said, “but if you prefer something more romantic…” And he withdrew the one finger only to push in two, or maybe three. He twisted them inside Elion’s ass, and Elion thought he’d died and gone to paradise.
“You know I got Sayal hot today tellin’ her you were watching. She’s burning for you, man. We really have to do her together. Soon.” He punctuated that by plunging his fingers in again, slow, steady strokes that had Elion’s dick dripping precum once again.
“Do you always talk so much during sex?” he asked through clenched teeth.
“Why, does it chill your mojo? I’m afraid I’m a chatty drunk as well as maudlin.”
“Just shut up and fuck me.” He didn’t want to come on Kels’s fingers, and saints, was that his tongue as well? He wanted his cock, but it felt so awfully good. He couldn’t help pushing back against the firm thrusts.
“Ah, Elion, Elion…” Kels ran his free hand all over Elion’s back, his butt, his balls, which he squeezed lightly. “How could you think I don’t love you?”
His fingers slipped out, and he rolled Elion onto his back. When Elion saw how hard and thick Kels’s cock was, it nearly took his breath away. “Don’t be frightened, m’dear.” Kels leered down at him in a friendly, sotted sort of way. “Just a pinch; then it’s all over.”
He slathered his enormous length with lube, propped Elion’s legs over his shoulders, and found his way inside.
Elion grabbed the sheets as he was stretched to breaking. Even Kels, head down and hair hanging over closed eyes, seemed to need to focus a moment. He grunted once, flexed his hips, then seated himself fully inside Elion’s ass. “Saints, luv. For a fag, you’re awfully tight.”
“It’s been a while,” Elion ground out.
“Eh, not that I’m complaining, mind you. Ah.” He reared up a little and started stroking slowly. “Ah, now, that’s the ticket, ain’t it?”
And indeed it was. What started out slow gathered momentum, both of them grunting and groaning as they reached for their climax. Kels drove his cock over and over into Elion, slinging him higher as he surrendered utterly to the relentless fucking.
He watched Kels’s face transform with sensual pleasure, his mouth open with panting breaths, sweat dappling his brow, his long fingers tight around Elion’s thigh, his dark eyes unfathomable pools. If Elion died tomorrow, he’d die a happy man. And when Kels started wringing El’s cock in rhythm to his quickening strokes, he knew he was a goner.
His orgasm ripped through him like a firestorm. With a helpless shout, he shot a second load of cum into Kels’s fist. It sprayed over his belly, and with a snarl, Kels buried his cock as deep as it could go and held it there, shuddering against him while he came hard. He turned his head and bit Elion’s calf, growling. The hair stood up all over Elion’s body. Saints below, the man was an animal, a better lover than he’d even fantasized, which was saying quite a lot.
They stayed together like that for a few minutes, sweaty and gasping. He felt Kels’s cock twitching inside his ass, finally softening, then sliding out on a gush of semen. Blinking his eyes open, Kels dried off his dick on the bedsheet, then patted Elion dry as well. “I know, laundry tomorrow,” he murmured.
He collapsed beside Elion, who pulled him immediately into his arms. Kels’s shaggy, dark head lay on his shoulder, one heavy arm across his torso. Elion pressed a kiss into Kels’s hair. “I love you too, Kels.”
But he was already sound asleep.
Sayal woke abruptly to the sound of an insistent alarm. She sat up in Kels’s bed and threw off the sheets. The captain had never joined her last night, or if he had, he’d risen already, probably in response to the ringing that echoed through the ship.
She slipped out of bed and quickly pulled on the white robe, then went out into the corridor. She padded barefoot across the steel floor that led to the command deck. This ship was tiny compared to the liners on which she’d stowed away, and the walls seemed to press in on her as her mind scanned possible causes of the alarm. Fire, damage, malfunctioning engines… A quick glance into the command area showed neither man at the helm. Crack and ruin, as Kels would say. This wasn’t good at all.
She remembered where Elion’s quarters were and found her way to his door through the corridor washed with flashing yellow lights. Just as she raised her hand to knock upon it, the door shushed open, and there stood Elion, bare chested in his nightclothes. And there, in his bed, sprawled and snoring, lay Kels. Her hand still hovering midair, Sayal gazed from Kels to Elion and back again. One side of Elion’s mouth quirked tellingly. She was too shocked to respond; shocked yet happy for him. It appeared someone had had an interesting evening.
“Good morning,” he murmured, moving into the corridor, and the door whispered closed behind him.
He seemed awfully calm for someone in a ship about to burn up or blow up. “There’s an alarm going off,” she said, pointing out the obvious.
“It just means we’re approaching our destination. Nothing to fret about.”
She followed him to the com deck. “Are we in the Zone already?”
“No, sweetheart, we have to drop our cargo first. Quick stop, should be. We’ve been here before.” He dropped into his chair and pulled up a holographic star map that hovered before him, manipulated some of the readings, scratched his chest, and yawned. “Would you mind getting Kels? He’s better than I am at bringing us out of the fold.”
“All right.” By the time she reached the door, Elion had silenced the alarm, and the captain’s snores vibrated in the narrow corridor. The unlocked door opened at her command, and she stepped inside. Even the ship’s filter system couldn’t purify the air completely of the smell of hool, cigs, and sex. Now that she knew they weren’t going to be atomized into the vacuum of space, Sayal took a moment to appreciate the situation and pressed her fingers over her smiling lips. So they’d finally done the deed.
Kels looked adorable, scruffy and openmouthed, his hair tousled, and his jaw shadowed with stubble. His arms splayed over the rumpled white sheets that covered him to his waist. She really hated to wake him. If the level of hool remaining in the bottle were any indication, he’d probably be pretty well hungover. She scooted up on the bed and touched his wrist, opening their bond. Oh. Yes, it was bad news in there. He’d have a cracking headache if she woke him now.
She’d have to work quickly. Sliding her fingers over his scalp, she soothed away the pending fire in his skull. His snores turned to muttering. It was times like this she wished she could read minds. She bet he’d have some fascinating images running through his right now. Working her fingers over his jaw and his chest, she dampened his body’s response to the hool. Her own head hurt briefly, and her stomach roiled, but it passed like a sponge soaking up sour liquid and being wrung out again.
When she opened her eyes, Kels was looking at her. She startled a little. Strange; he shouldn’t have regained consciousness until she was finished. He closed his fingers on her waist and yawned broadly, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. “Morning, princess.”
Sleepy, sexual heat rose from him, flooding into her body, a seductive, sweet sensation. She ran her hand over his chest. “Good morning, Captain. Elion asked me to wake you. The ship’s ready to unfold.”
“Already?” He groaned. His gaze moved over her breasts and her face. “What time is it? I feel like I just closed…my…eyes…” He’d glanced past her as he spoke, and he lowered his brows. Slowly, he sat up, and she bit her lip to keep from smiling at his dawning bewilderment.
“Crack and ruin,” he muttered. With a start, he looked around him, at the room that was obviously not his, at the bed that had obviously been well used. At a nearly empty tube of lubricant with the cap off, oozing over the sheets. “Oh fuck.”
He scrubbed his knuckles over his head. “Well…seems I had a busy night.”
She couldn’t suppress a giggle, even though she tried, putting her hand over her mouth. He pulled a face a
nd tickled her ribs until she burst out laughing. “Yeah, very amusing indeed,” he growled. He pulled her hard against his side, and she slid her arms around his hot, solid body until her giggles passed.
He sucked a wet kiss on the side of her neck, then released her to push back the sheets and ease off the mattress. He scooped his clothes off the floor and stood naked with his pants and shirt dangling from his fists to survey the damages, the half-empty hool bottle, the cig butts littering the floor. “Oh, Elion, you’ve led me down the road to ruin, you saucy minx.”
“He seems very relaxed and happy this morning,” she couldn’t resist saying.
He cocked an eyebrow. “Thank the saints. It would be worse if he were sobbing and needing chocolates and flowers.”
“He’s waiting for you on the com deck. He said you’re better at unfolding than he is.”
“Eh, yeah.” Kels tugged on his pants and threw on his shirt. “A captain’s work is never done apparently.” He held out his hand. She took it, got to her feet, then followed him into the corridor. “I’m sorry you had to sleep alone. You did sleep alone, didn’t you, or were you part of this debauchery as well?”
“You don’t remember?” She widened her eyes, teasing him.
“The last thing I remember is feeling sorry for myself and sucking down half a bottle of hool.” He rubbed his forehead. “I’m surprised I’m not feeling it more.” He slid his gaze over her, and she sensed a wave of suspicion, quickly suppressed. The suspicion alarmed her, but more worrisome was the fact he’d covered it, as if he knew she could sense it. She’d have to be far more careful.
“Well,” she said, lacing her fingers with his to distract him, “I did sleep alone, but I forgive you. You apparently had more pressing matters to attend to.”
“Yeah…” He looked skeptical and a bit concerned as they entered the com deck.
Elion swiveled toward them. The mate’s pale eyes gave nothing away. “Entering the Hydra system, Captain,” he reported. “Ready for unfolding.”
“All right, then.” Kels kept his gaze on his mate while he dropped into his chair, but El applied his attention to the com. It was clear Elion was going to let his friend sweat a bit. Sayal took a seat behind them and watched Kels bring up the star map. He swiped his fingers over the holo, then closed it out and put his hands over the controls. Her education hadn’t included piloting starships, but she knew it took a skilled touch to bring one out of folded space/time. Nonhumans relied on their semisentient computers to do it with a high but far-from-perfect success rate. Several shipments to the Prime’s liner had not appeared because they’d been lost to folding miscalculations.
