by T. J. Land
In confusion, Rux asked the captain, “Is this one also your mate? Does he always shout so much?”
“It talks?” Antoine yelped, jumping back.
Thomas, meanwhile, had lowered his weapon and approached them, while Irene signaled those inside the ship to say that all was well.
“Hi, captain,” he said. “Glad to see you’re in one piece.”
“Thank you, Thomas,” said the captain and pulled him in for a kiss and a grope. When they parted, Thomas’s lips were glossy and his pale cheeks stained pink. Ruffling his hair, the captain asked, “Is everyone all right?”
“They’re rattled, but they’ll be okay. Where’d you find the big green slab of eye candy?”
“We haven’t had intercourse yet,” Rux was saying to Antoine. “Does that help?”
Antoine was still spitting French oaths as they returned to the ship. When no one was looking, he slipped two red pills into the captain’s palm and squeezed his hand.
✩✩✩
The captain’s room wasn’t big enough for Rux. To accommodate his new lover, the captain folded away his bunk and spread his blanket on the floor.
“My people mated in mid-air, or else hanging suspended from a stalactite,” Rux imparted, lying down on it.
Fascinating as that was to envisage, it wasn’t doing anything to aid the captain’s burgeoning erection. Trying to get matters back on track, he finished undoing the buttons on his shirt, neatly folded it over the back of a chair, and pushed Rux down onto the blanket. Once there, he took a moment to admire him. It had been ages since he’d made love to someone so much larger than he was. All those muscles…
“What do you want, Captain?” Rux asked.
“I don’t know. I’ve never had a shapeshifter at my disposal before. Tell me, can you grow…”
“Tentacles?”
“How did you know?”
“Our two species are more alike than I had reckoned,” Rux smirked. “They all wanted tentacles too. That, or extra genitals. Or tentacles shaped like extra genitals.”
Then he examined the captain’s face. “Your eyes have glazed over. Is your head injury troubling you again?”
Actually, after a few hours in the med pod, his injury had more or less vanished. That hadn’t deterred Antoine from subjecting him to an unnecessarily rigorous examination. (“For all we know, the creature might have impregnated you when you weren’t paying attention. Did you consider that, Khurshed?”) Rux’s trials had been yet more arduous; Antoine had all but dissected him in the quest to ensure he carried no devastating alien viruses, and then he had advocated implanting a bomb in his head, in case he turned on them.
Visions of prehensile phalli dancing through his head, the captain shook himself. “No, no. I’m fine. I think, however, we should stick to the basics for now. Tentacles can wait for next time.”
Removing the rest of his clothes, he slid into position, straddling Rux’s stomach while the alien lay on his back and watched him. Rubbing his hands to warm them, he retrieved the jar of lubricant from where it sat on the edge of his desk. He’d taken care to get everything ready beforehand; much as he loved the spontaneous encounters that characterized his relations with his men, he thought that Rux would value preparedness, and he wanted to make a good impression. He was, after all, representing the human race.
“These marks,” said Rux, touching the old keloid scar on his thigh. “How did you get them?”
“Now, now, you can’t just ask me that,” he chided. “That’s one of my many dark secrets. If I told people how I came by them, I wouldn’t be dashingly mysterious anymore, would I?”
When erect, Rux’s cock was intimidating, the largest he’d ever taken. The sight of it gave him a shiver of glee.
Dirty old size-queen. You should be ashamed of yourself, said Antoine’s voice in his head.
It was, in fact, Antoine who he had to thank for this evening’s entertainment. He was able to delight in Rux’s glorious body without concerns for his own health and safety largely because his first officer had sprayed the alien down with every disinfectant they had available before allowing him onto the ship. Regarding the risk posed by Rux’s semen, Antoine’s lab had established that every other fluid he produced was identical to that which might be produced by a human, save for being greener.
Rux shifted in place as the captain applied lubricant to his cock in firm, rhythmic strokes.
“Given that I’ve no idea how your body works, it would be helpful if you’d let me know when I’m making a mistake,” the captain said. “Does this feel good?”
“Yes. Should I make some sort of noise to let you know?”
“If you feel inclined.”
Rux threw back his head and produced an eerily accurate imitation of Rick’s breathless moan.
“That was the noise the youth made when the largest member of your crew took him behind a tree,” Rux imparted. “I watched.”
Did you, indeed? The captain was no stranger to the joys of spectatorship; for him, watching two or more of his partners enjoy one another was every bit as agreeable as taking part himself. What made him uncomfortable was the thought that his men had been observed without their knowledge. If Rux was to remain with them, he would need to ascertain how clearly the alien understood the concept of consent.
The captain gave Rux’s cock one more stroke before tending to himself. Although he’d never needed much preparation before, and he didn’t object to pain, he spent several minutes stretching himself and savoring the sensation of his own fingers. It had been too long since he’d last pleasured himself properly.
“I want to touch you now. Is that acceptable?” Rux asked.
“By all means.”
The texture of Rux’s skin was inhuman, a touch too smooth, as though he was made of butter. He wasn’t hesitant, but he was unhurried, moving his hands over the captain’s body with an investigative air. He took time to touch and pet his scrotum, which was pleasant, and in short order the captain felt they were ready to proceed.
Easing himself down onto Rux’s cock was a laborious process, and he was glad that he’d swallowed both pills as soon as he’d stepped onboard. His back would leave him untroubled for the next few months at least. Just as well. If Rux became one of his regular bedmates, he’d be having more than enough trouble walking as it was.
“You really are very handsome,” the alien told him, his hips beginning to thrust upwards incrementally. “Charismatic too. I suppose that’s why your crew is so fond of you.”
Smiling, and not just because Rux’s thumb was playing with the crown of his cock, the captain recalled the way the men had stood and looked at him when he’d come aboard. Echo, of all people, had launched himself across the room and seized hold of him as though he were the last lifejacket on board the Titanic. It had been some time before anyone thought to ask who the enormous green humanoid he’d brought back with him was.
“It’s a pity they lack for dignity,” Rux continued, thrusting up again, harder this time.
The captain felt his ire pricked. “What do you mean?”
“Well, they are fairly…coarse, aren’t they? Waving their weapons around, snapping at one another, letting their emotions get the better of them. I imagine they must embarrass you.”
“I owe you my life, and I’m growing fond of you,” said the captain, stroking his thigh. “If you insult my crew again, I’ll break your neck and put you back where I found you. Are we clear?”
To cut off any further conversation, he rode him roughly, relishing the burn of being stretched without mercy. Rux’s head fell back against the floor, and he made a variety of quiet humming noises that the captain guessed indicated gratification.
“Apologies, foreigner. I did not mean to cause offence to you or your pets.”
In a conversational tone, the captain panted, “Do you…ah…want me to hit you? Is…hng…is that what this is about?”
“Yes, it is.”
The captain sat f
orward and dealt the left side of Rux’s face a resounding slap. At that, the alien’s back arched, and he came with a shout. The captain growled in pleasure as Rux’s fingernails dug into his thighs.
The alien collapsed boneless onto the blanket as soon as he was done, and the captain was forced to finish himself off with his own hand. It wasn’t too great a disappointment. It wasn’t every day he got to masturbate to the sight of a post-orgasmic extraterrestrial.
“Should I have helped you with that?” Rux inquired, as the captain was moaning his way through a satisfying climax. “I assume I should have. Oh, dear. That’s twice I’ve offended you now.”
“Don’t worry. You’ll have ample opportunity to make it up to me,” said the captain, flopping down beside him. “That is, if you want to stay with us?”
Rux rubbed his own cheek, where the captain’s slap had left a mark. “I would. Coarse as they are, your crew loves you. I’ve missed being surrounded by love. Your ship is, I fear, decidedly undersized, compared to the ships my people used to build. Are you certain there will be room for me?”
“Always room for one more,” said the captain.
✩✩✩
“What are you up to?”
Echo glanced across the ship’s kitchen to see Antoine standing in the doorway, his arms folded. He’d stripped off his suit and changed into a pair of white shorts and a T-shirt that showed off the dark skin stretched tight over his collarbone.
Echo stood back and made a ta-da! motion.
“Baking? Now? I’d have thought you’d like to come watch the sunset. It’s spectacular,” Antoine told him. Then the first officer’s nose twitched, and his eyes were drawn to the tray at Echo’s side, newly removed from the oven. “Are those…”
Echo was proud of himself. Cutting into the alien fruit’s outer shell had been challenging, and he’d had to experiment with several recipes, but it was worth it to be able to bake with real food again. The steaming tarts were the first non-synthetic dessert he’d produced in years.
“I presume you performed a thorough chemical analysis to ascertain that they’re edible?” Antoine asked, picking one up. As Echo nodded, Antoine bit into it, and made a noise that made Echo blush. While Antoine identified as asexual, Echo had never worked out what to call himself; he would go for weeks without feeling a trace of lust for anyone, and then the oddest thing would set his heart pounding. The unpredictability was aggravating.
Antoine finished the tart, licking his lips and his fingers clean. As always, Echo found himself fascinated by the man’s white but uneven front teeth, made all the more apparent by the perfection of the face surrounding them. “Echo, that was the best thing I’ve had in my mouth since we left Earth. Of course, I suspect those members of the crew who have partaken of our mighty leader’s…generosity of spirit would say otherwise.”
His tone was light, but Echo detected in his expression a touch of gloom. Observant as he was, Echo couldn’t fully characterize the relationship between their captain and his first officer, save for a deep suspicion that not all was as it seemed. He wasn’t one to pry, though. He accepted the compliment and took a tart for himself.
“The captain’s guest may prove to be a useful source of information,” Antoine said, chewing thoughtfully. “He’s promised to show us to the remains of his people’s cities tomorrow. The reason we couldn’t spot them from orbit is that they’re concealed by the same holographic technology that hid his lair from view—or so he claims. Will you come?”
Echo made a gesture with his hands, which translated to: If you’d like, but I doubt I’d be much use.
“Don’t be stupid,” Antoine snapped. “If the last two days have proved anything, it’s that you are one of the few members of this crew who can keep their head in a crisis. I need you.”
Touched, Echo made another gesture: We need you. All of us. Even Zachery.
Antoine made a derisive snort but said nothing more. They devoured the rest of the tarts and then made a fresh batch for the others.
Chapter Eight
Thomas hadn’t gotten to appreciate his first sunset on their new planet, what with being half convinced that the man he was in love with had been gobbled up by alien beasties. He was determined to relish his second and, to that end, now lay back on the grass with his head resting in his arms, a cup of not-coffee at his side and no inclination to move for the next hour. The Prayer was parked nearby, silhouetted in the grass like a huge cow. No one had decided what their next move was yet. Which was fine. Thomas was down with just staying put for a while. It was nice here.
“You busy?” came a gruff voice.
“Yeah, I am. I’m so busy that if you say one word to me I might die of exertion,” said Thomas, keeping his gaze fixed on the sky, which was fading into lavender.
Zachery’s fat, stupid head got in the way of Thomas’s view.
“Wanted to apologize,” the engineer said. “For earlier, I mean. I was a jackass.”
Thomas shrugged. “It’s not me you were a jackass to. Go apologize to Rick.”
“I already did. We’re cool.”
“Really?” said Thomas, taken aback.
Scratching the back of his head, Zachery said, “Yeah. He wanted a hug, of all things.”
Without waiting for an invitation, he flopped down on the grass beside Thomas, mimicking his pose. The sky went from lavender to mauve before Thomas said, “I know it’s the way you are, but you’re too rough with him, man.”
“You coddle him too much,” Zachery retorted. “He’s tougher than you give him credit for. Hell of a lot tougher than I was at that age.”
“And me. I was a fucking wimp.”
“Not much’s changed then.”
Vengefully, Thomas pulled up a handful of grass and threw it at Zachery’s face. “What’re you here for, again?”
“I told you. To apologize.”
“Right, fine, apology accepted. Was that it?” asked Thomas, rolling onto his stomach.
“No.” Zachery was deliberately avoiding his gaze. “I wanted to ask if…”
“If?” Thomas prompted.
Zachery rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I’m fucking this up. See, I like you. You’re dorky and kind of dumb, but I like you. And I liked being with you, the last time. Even if the captain and Rick hadn’t been there, I’d have liked it. I want…I want all three of you, for me. But I also want you and me to do our own thing now and then. I’d like to…shit, Thomas, I’d like to get to know you better, all right? Do stuff together, eat together. And fuck, obviously. I think that would be cool. I think we’d be good together.”
“If you can put up with me,” he added, while Thomas mulled it over.
“You want to be boyfriends,” Thomas concluded.
Zachery grimaced. “Ugh, don’t say that word. I’m not a teenybopper asking you to the goddamn prom. Let’s say ‘lovers,’ okay?”
“You know, Rick asked me the same thing.”
“What’d you say to him?”
“That I’m not boyfriend material.”
Zachery barked a laugh. “Come the fuck on. You? You’d be the best boyfriend in the history of the universe. You do birdwatching. You cuddle and make polite conversation. I’ll bet my life you hold hands in public. What’s the real reason? Is it ’cause he’s younger? I told you; you need to give him more credit. He’s not a delicate flower. And I already fucked his ass, if that helps.”
“Talking about my ass behind my back? Man, you two suck.”
They both looked up guiltily as Rick’s shadow fell over them. He was tapping his foot like a put-out housewife who’d caught her husband dipping his dick in her homemade apple pie.
“Get lost, shrimp,” said Zachery, lazily twining an arm around Thomas. “I seduced you yesterday, now it’s this hot bitch’s turn.”
Smirking, Rick dropped down and straddled Thomas’s lap, while Zachery drew Thomas back into his. “Oh? Is that so? Because what I remember is you begging for a shot at my adorabl
e ass. Thomas, you know this sad loser couldn’t wait until we got back to the ship? Had to do it up against a tree, like a dog who needs his nuts chopped.”
Leaning over Thomas’s shoulder, Rick exchanged a messy tongue-fuck with the aforementioned sad loser. Thomas felt Zachery’s cock swelling against the curve of his ass.
“You realize we’re outside, right?” Thomas said, putting both hands on Rick’s hips and grinding their dicks together. “Anyone could see.”
“Did that sound like a complaint to you, Rick?” asked Zachery.
“Nope,” said Rick, unzipping Thomas’s suit and peeling it off his shoulders. “Sounds as though he kinda likes the idea.”
After tugging off his own suit, Zachery lay down in the grass, taking both of them down with him so that Thomas lay back on top of him and Rick straddled Thomas’s waist. Working out what they had in mind, Thomas grinned and stole a kiss from Rick. Low and husky, he said, “Zach tells me he already had your ass to himself earlier. That right, cutie?”
Bashfully, Rick nodded. Thomas kissed him again. “Then I guess I’m going to have to show him up, aren’t I? Get undressed.”
Zachery, meanwhile, was pawing Thomas’s ass, dragging his big fingers down his crack. No lube, only spit. Thomas could handle it. Zachery was brisk, but he wasn’t brutal, and he took his time stretching Thomas open before pushing in.
“Oh, hell,” Thomas moaned, seeing stars behind his closed eyelids.
Zachery laughed, the smug motherfucker. “You tell me you’ve had anyone bigger than me in you, and I’ll call you a goddamn liar, twerp.”
“Quit wriggling, Meléndez,” Rick said. “Zach, can you hold his cock still for me?”
The feeling of Rick sinking down onto him while Zachery thrust up was every bit as awesome as Thomas might have hoped. He got a thrill out of the contrast between their bodies, Rick’s narrow hips and Zachery’s broad, hairy chest, and the way both of them were as intent on pleasing each other as they were on pleasing him. Zachery reached around to jerk Rick off while he bounced up and down on Thomas’s cock, and Rick kept leaning over Thomas’s shoulder to swap messy kisses. They worked out a rhythm, and Thomas let them use him however they wanted.
