Spliced - Part 2, Chapter 2

[flighty_dreams]

TITLE: Spliced - Part 2, Chapter 2
AUTHOR: flighty_dreams
WARNINGS: NC-17, most definitely. slavefic. scifi setting.
WORD COUNT:  4,062
SUMMARY:  Part 2. Six years earlier. A crew. A ship.
NOTES:  This is a flashback of sorts, with all new characters. For those expecting answers to the cliffhanger from Part 1, well you'll see the bigger picture eventually. Feedback would be awesome. =)

Chapter Two

Considering they lived on such a small ship, it was amazing how few chances she had to spend time alone with him over the next few weeks. There was work to be done, clients to meet, and cargo to load and unload. During travel times Acto and Cera usually kept her pretty distracted and entertained. The heavy workload that in the past had plagued Acto—who wasn’t getting any younger—was eased with Alex’s presence. They shared the work, and it was done more easily.

Also, she observed that Alex didn’t seem to mind staying on the ship, and she often caught him near a window looking out at space. She wondered if he had that same love for space that she did, but didn’t ask him about it. All she knew for certain about him was that he had a past, one that he refused to talk about. Occasionally she’d stop to speak to him and conversation still flowed easily between them. At first she denied the attraction she felt, but as time passed it was harder and harder to keep in check.

Did he feel anything for her? She couldn’t tell, and it frustrated her. Often just as she felt she’d made some progress, he drew back from her again. He was friendly enough, and certainly polite, but he seemed to want to keep her and the rest of the crew at a distance, which pained her.

Acto noticed her conflict, and took her aside one day. “Captain, I still don’t trust him.”

“Why? I think he’s proven himself to us.” His lingering suspicion irritated her.

Unexpectedly Acto chuckled. “Oh, aye, I think he’s a good crewman. It’s you I don’t trust him with.”

“What? Oh, Acto,” she said in exasperation.

“With your dad gone, I feel responsible for ya, captain or not. And I don’t wanna see you hurt.”

“He hasn’t done anything to me, don’t worry.” She sought to reassure her father’s old friend, who was like family to her.

“That’s exactly the problem, isn’t it? You’re interested, and he’s not bitin’.”

Her face flamed, embarrassment surging through her. “This isn’t funny.”

He sobered. “I know it isn’t. Maybe I should talk to him, test the atmo.”

“No, no, don’t do that. I just need to confront him, and find out for sure. It’ll make things uncomfortable if it doesn’t work out though. Maybe I’ll wait ‘til we’re near a planet,” she planned aloud.

“Do it when it feels right, don’t try to plan it all out perfectly,” he advised her gently, no doubt thinking of his own relationship with Cera.

She sighed, knowing he was right. “I’ll try.”

When the moment finally came, it wasn’t planned at all.

They were on the bridge sharing a meal together and looking out at the view below them. The ship was hovering in orbit above the trade planet Calnith. Cera had dragged Acto to some family dinner on the surface, and Lefty was out buying spare engine parts. Kate and Alex chose to remain behind, having been planetside the day before.

The bridge was fairly dark, only the lights from the console and the planetary sheen providing visibility. It made the atmo more cozy and intimate, a bad setting for her peace of mind. But she struggled to appear nonchalant, focusing on the view outside the windshield. “It’s such a different view from up here. Everything looks so small,” she mused.

“I like it. It makes me feel like we’re gods looking down on our people and kingdom beneath us.” His grin was boyish, lighting up those intense caramel eyes that mesmerized her. She longed to touch the fascinating curve of his lips, or run her hands through his short, spiky hair.

Kate looked away from him, striving to hide how much he affected her. Giving herself a moment to regain her composure, she replied, “Imagine the people on the original Earth, back when there was only one settled planet. They really must have thought their gods were out here just like we are now, looking down on them.”

He leaned forward, grabbing the beer that was on the table in front of him as he responded to her comment. She ignored the liquidity of his movements and concentrated on his voice, which was like smooth whisky. Okay, not much of an improvement, she rebuked herself. Her focus on the actual sound of his voice rather than his words made her miss everything he said except the last part. “What a small universe that must have been.”

He’d turned to look at her expectantly, awaiting a response, and she realized she had none. “Sorry, what was so small?” She flushed, knowing she was making her lack of concentration obvious.

His brown eyes glinted with amusement, and she had the feeling he knew what had distracted her. But he showed his unflagging courtesy, because he didn’t comment on it or tease her about it. “I was saying that I can’t believe people lived for so long with just one planet, before they found the others. What a small universe that must’ve been.”

“I agree. It makes me glad I wasn’t born ‘til much later.” She turned away from him to look outside again, the beer in his hand reminding her of something else. Just last week when the whole crew was eating dinner together, she’d thought maybe some alcohol would loosen his inhibitions, shatter that annoyingly courteous but distant air of his. Rounds of drinks were passed around and people had gotten pretty buzzed, herself included. Unfortunately halfway through this Alex had admitted that he had a strong constitution, and drink didn’t have a big effect on him. It would take way too many drinks to get him drunk. In the end, Alex and Acto—who’d learned how to hold his liquor in the military—had been the only ones relatively sober while the rest of them were laughing like fools. At least she hadn’t made any embarrassing moves on Alex while she was drunk. Her memory of that night was hazy, but she had a vague feeling Acto had saved her from doing anything really shameful.

She hated resorting to foolish little plans like that. Normally a straightforward person, she didn’t like to be devious. But he made her so nervous and unsure of herself, and she couldn’t bring herself to just ask him bluntly. It was all the mixed signals that really twisted her up. Once in a while she caught him looking at her in a way that created that painful knot of hope and anxiety in her stomach. Or he’d notice little things, like a new shirt or if she did her hair in a way he’d never seen before, and compliment her. Surely if he wasn’t interested he wouldn’t be aware of these things? She never heard him say anything like that to Cera.

But on the other hand, he was always careful to maintain that distance. The why of it ate at her. Was it something about her? Was he not interested? Or was it something else altogether? Something that had to do with those shadows she often saw in his dark eyes? He never talked about his past at all, always deflecting any questions with ease, and it wasn’t in her or the crew to force the issue. Everyone had their bad memories, and as long as people did their jobs and were reliable, it was fine to leave the past in the past.

The present was calling now, his voice bringing her back. “What are you thinking about so seriously?” he asked her, one dark brow quirking up in puzzlement.

She thought about lying, but she was tired of hiding, and suddenly it was easy. “You.”

Surprise washed over his face, and then it reddened. She laughed then, nervousness tingeing it. “I’ve never seen you blush before.”

“It doesn’t happen often,” he admitted sheepishly. Alex turned his chair in her direction and leaned closer to her while she shifted towards him as well. “Kate, I-” he halted, looking uncertain. She could sense it more clearly than ever before at that moment, the internal burden he carried within himself always.

Troubled by the conflict in his eyes, she decided quickly that it was time to find out if there was something here or not. She smiled at him, and he returned it, and she realized they were both uneasy. She moved forward, rising out of her seat and closing the distance between them, her stomach clenching in fear of rejection. He didn’t move away as she feared, instead letting her lips connect with his.

Her body tingled at the thrill of finally being able to touch him, and she lifted one of her hands to steady herself on his shoulder. His arms wrapped around her waist, drawing her closer. Their mouths opened to each other and she closed her eyes, caught up in sensation as their tongues touched. Weeks of dreaming about this, and it was just as good as she’d imagined, the taste of him sending her pulse racing.

Abruptly the embrace was shattered as his arms released her, his mouth closed, and he pushed her away, back towards her chair. He stood up and backed away from her, shaking his head in denial, his eyes swirling with a tangle of emotions she couldn’t decipher.

Numbness settled across her body, which had been overheated just moments earlier. Probably the shock, she told herself. She watched in silent confusion as he composed himself and then looked to the doorway.

Guessing he was about to leave without a word, she stood up from her chair and blocked his exit. “Tell me why.” The words tumbled out of her, but somehow sounded calm.

His expression was anguished. “I can’t. It’s just better if we don’t.”

“Why?” She watched him flinch at her harsh, insistent tone, but then his mouth tightened stubbornly. Kate realized that just like the questions about his background, he wouldn’t answer this one, so she asked a different question. “Is it me?” Her eyes dropped away from him, not wanting to see his expression if the answer was affirmative. Out of the corner of her eye she saw his feet move, as if he’d approach her, but he stopped himself.

“No, not at all,” his voice was earnest, and frantic to clarify that point. “You’re wonderful, I’m just a screw up.”

“A screw up? Hardly.” He was reliable, responsible, all those things, not a failure. If anything he was too neat and polite—besides his secrecy, those were the only things she disliked about him. He teased her only rarely, polite distance or casualness being his usual ways of talking to her.

Looking back up at him, she watched him struggle for words. “There are so many things you don’t know about me. It’s better that we don’t get… involved.”

She didn’t believe him. What could be so horrible? But he looked so tormented that she tried to lighten the moment. “Did you murder babies in their sleep? Trip old women crossing the street? Sacrifice small animals? I don’t get it.”

He made a frustrated sound. “No, nothing like that.”

“Then I don’t see what the problem is, unless… you don’t want to be with me,” she hesitantly said. No other man had ever made her feel so unsure of herself. “Which is your choice, and that’s okay,” she added, trying to take the pressure of him, to reassure him.

“Kate,” he said softly, giving her a fond smile. He sighed heavily and approached her. His eyes as they gazed down at her were affectionate and caring, and some of that ever lingering distance was gone. He grabbed her hands and tugged on them, urging her closer. She went eagerly, hoping filling her as he embraced her. “I do want you,” he murmured into her hair. “Never doubt that.” And as pressed together as they were in that moment, she really couldn’t doubt him, as she felt him begin to harden against her stomach. She sighed, relaxing into his arms as her fears were put to rest, and her hormones kicked up at the thought of how much she’d be able to touch him now.

After a bit, he slowly released her. Looking down at her, he said seriously, “There’s something I have to show you.”

Incredibly curious, and the thought that he might be opening up to her at last exhilarating her, she replied, “All right.”

“It’s better done in private,” he told her, clasping her hand gently and leading her out of the bridge and down the main corridor. He stopped in front of her cabin door, surprising her. Letting her step inside first, he followed behind her. Once they were inside, he let go of her hand, closed and locked the door, and then stepped away. She watched him pace nervously across the small room, wondering what he wanted to tell her.

Part of her mind noted that her cabin was an unfortunate mess, clothes and discs strewn about, but it was too late to clean it up now. Her bed was unmade and she cleared it off, moving clothes and her book template elsewhere. It gave her something to do while she let him clear his head.

Just then he stopped pacing, and she looked up at him. Resolve clenched his jaw and he met her eyes for a moment before glancing away again. His hands reached up to grab the edge of his blue shirt and he lifted it up over his head. The undershirt was next, leaving his upper body bare. Her eyes widened, taking it all in hungrily, desire sparking through her. He was lean, but he definitely had some muscle, and there was a wiry strength to him without being overwhelming. She’d noticed that he didn’t have much trouble loading and unloading their cargo. He was also smooth, with very little hair on him, and she longed to run her hands across that skin. An old scar across his stomach drew her attention, and she stepped forward, her fingers rising to touch it.

His sudden chuckle broke her focus, halting her, and she looked back up at him, flushing as she realized how she’d been staring. “That look you just gave me,” he laughed again richly. “Like I’m chocolate.” Her sweet tooth was infamous.

“Maybe you are? I could taste you, just to be sure,” she grinned wickedly. He smiled back at her, and drew her in close to him. She rubbed her cheek against his chest, and then turned her head to lick at a nipple, which hardened under her tongue. The sudden hitch in his breath made her smile widen. “Yes,” she murmured against his skin, “as good as chocolate.”

So lost in the feel of him, she suddenly realized he still hadn’t told her anything. She’d gotten them both distracted, or he had, by baring himself. She pulled back a bit to look up at him. “I sure don’t mind this little demonstration, but I thought there was something else you wanted to show me?”

His good mood leaked away, anxiety taking its place across his face. “Yes, there is.” Taking a deep breath, he turned around in her arms.

And then she saw it, the harsh, ugly mark marring the curves of his back. She reached up to touch it, as if making sure it was real. “You’re Andorian?” she asked, shocked. She never would’ve guessed this was his secret, despite his looks. I thought he spoke so pretty cause he went to some fancy private school, she scolded herself. I was way off. He's so polite because he was trained to be.

Hands moving to his shoulders, she shifted him around, needing to see his face. That blank expression she hated was back, the one that closed off his emotions, and it hurt her to see it. Taking in the situation, she deduced that it was a form of defense. He was afraid that she’d reject him for this.

And then she realized, even more importantly, what an incredible act of trust it was for him to expose this secret to her. Eager to reassure him, she wrapped her hands around his waist. “Oh, nikar,” the Tyrran endearment slipped out of her unthinkingly. “It changes nothing. And your secret is safe in my hands.”

“Really?” Disbelief was clear in his tone if not his face.

“Really. It just explains a lot of the pain I see so often in your eyes.” She brought her hands up to cup his face. “The pain that I want to take away.” His eyes closed, and he leaned into her touch, emotion cracking through his mask. “All this hesitation, this wondering. I thought you didn’t want me,” she whispered hesitantly.

His brown eyes opened, blazing back at her. “No, never think that.” His own hands reached up, one to caress her face and the other her hair. “You’re beautiful. I love your smile, your laughter. I want to see you happy always.”

“I want you to be happy too, not haunted. I want to know you.”

“I want to know you too.” He leaned closer, murmuring into her ear, “Inside and out.”

She shivered at that husky voice, and her own tone turned wicked. “I won’t object to that.” She backed him toward the bed.

He paused when their legs were touching the edge of the bed, his hands trembling. She looked up at him, puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

“This is new to me.” She must’ve shown her complete bewilderment, because he added thickly, “It’s never been my choice before.”

Her throat tightened at the admission, as did her arms around him. “I’m happy to be your first choice.” She let all her joy shine clearly, and she felt his tension ease some. “And it doesn’t have to be perfect, we’ll have plenty chances to practice,” she grinned fiendishly, and he laughed, guiding her down to the bed.

As she felt the sheets beneath her, she paused for a moment, recalling that as a slave he must’ve been forced many times. “If you’re not ready, we don’t have to do this now. We can wait,” she told him gently. As long as it eventually happened, she could wrangle up the patience to wait until he was comfortable.

“Oh, I’m ready,” he assured her, smiling softly as he tenderly pushed her hair back from her face. “It’s been a long time.”

Despite his words, he was hesitant at first, as if unsure what to do. It really is completely different for him like this, she thought. Kate knew Andorians were trained to focus on other people’s needs, not their own. Using her hands to reassure him, she sought to pleasure him. Maybe desire would wash the uncertainty away and let instinct take over. She lifted her head up from where she’d been nibbling his neck, and told him fiercely, “This is about what you want, Alex. Do what you want to do.”

“What about what you want?” Indecision still flickered within him, and his bewildered expression was cute.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll like whatever you do.” She smiled widely, and sat up to pull off her shirt. His eyes followed the movement, and darkened when her breasts were bared to his sight. His hands reached for her, and the fingers that finished undressing her were nimble and experienced, and his attentions drew small cries from her.

When his mouth drifted down between her legs, she placed a hand in his hair. “No, this is for you, for what you want.”

He lifted his head up long enough to reply, “This is what I want, believe me.” Then she became incapable of speech as he brought her with his clever tongue. He gave her some time to recover, and then he was there, ready to enter her. She moaned, and spread her legs further, telling him yes without words. He entered roughly, with a single long thrust, bending her back. It felt good, so good.

He began moving inside her with that familiar rhythm. As their desires spiked, his thrusts became harder. “Yes, let it all go, Alex,” she told him roughly, feeling herself getting close. Her need sparked intensely and she hit that ragged edge. As she clenched around him, he shuddered above her, nearing his own pleasure. When she’d finished, she felt him tremble and heard his moan as he released.

Once they’d both recovered, he gently pulled himself out of her and lay down on the bed next to her. She shifted onto her side to curl up next to him and listened to his slowing heartbeat.

After a while she sat up from the sweaty sheets, and Alex lifted his head up to look at her. “It’s okay, keep laying down.” She laid a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. He quirked an eyebrow up at her, but remained still. She let her gaze slide down slowly, taking in the sight of his lovely body. He was lying on his back, so she couldn’t see the dark mark that she knew was on his right shoulder blade. She had so many questions for him, like how he’d gotten free, and why he didn’t act like any Andorian she’d ever seen, but it could all wait.

Instead she looked for other scars that years of abuse had left on him. Thankfully there weren’t as many as she’d thought there be, but her hands reached up to trace the ones she found:  that white streak across his stomach, the vague remains of an old cut on his upper thigh, as well as the faint traces of cuff marks on his wrists. She felt him grow tenser as she touched them, and she drew her eyes back up to his face, finding his expression unhappy and wary.

She realized then that she needed to explain to him what she was doing. “I’m trying to find all of them, so I can kiss them all better. If I could heal them, take them all away, I would. But they’re a part of-”

Halfway through her words, surprise transformed the expression on his face, and he sat up quickly and reached for her. He cut her off, capturing her lips in a rough kiss. The world tumbled away and all she could feel was the caress of his tongue inside her mouth. When they pulled apart, his face, overwhelmed with emotion, filled her vision, and she realized how much her words had touched him.

“I can’t believe you said something so nice,” he said with wonder, almost speaking to himself. His hands caressed her body, igniting desire.

“I can take it back if you want,” she teased him, and he actually pouted at her. It caught her by surprise, but it was cute. “Okay then.” Laughing, she pulled a little away from him and asked with a smile, “Now lay back down please? I didn’t get to finish.”

He smiled in return, planting a quick kiss on her nose before doing as she’d requested. Her lips soon followed him down, licking and kissing each scar. After she finished the front of him, she had him turn over and she gave the back of his body the same attention. Kate saved the brand for last, knowing it was the most important one. She rubbed her cheek against its roughness before giving it the same treatment, letting him know she accepted it, as well as all the rest. When she finished she looked back up to his face and saw that he wasn’t crying, but he was close to it, his eyes wide and bright as they gazed back at her. She moved up and licked those away too. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe here with me.”

“Thank you,” he whispered huskily, overcome with emotion. “No one ever cared before.” He drew her close to lie on top of him, and they lay there quietly resting. After a few minutes, he turned them over so she lay beneath him. He ran his mouth slowly along her body, discovering which places most enjoyed the touch of his tongue.

Desire shivered across her skin in ever increasing waves. She tried to hold in her cries as her need intensified, not making demands and being as gentle as possible. In some distant part of her mind the thought lingered that enough people had made demands on him, and this night was for him.

Chapter 3