Pirate (LGBT - Sci-Fi - Romantic)

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight 

"Oh thank god!" Conn exclaimed, turning back into a live person, relief filling his face. 

Mars felt a quick stab of pleasure that Conn believed him immediately, he hadn't needed to repeat himself, or swear to him that he was telling the truth.  

"You can show me your appreciation if you like," he murmured, moving back closer to him. He could see on Conn's face the exact moment when he realised he was alone with Mars in what was to all intents and purposes his bedroom. The sudden wide-eyed apprehension was too much to resist. In two more steps he had him backed against the wall, a hand on either side of his head, fencing him in. 

"I think I deserve a kiss at least," he teased, his mouth only a centimetre or two from Conn's. Conn could feel his breath on his lips. Mars leant towards him, his heart leaping in surprised wonder as Conn shut his eyes and stood there unmoving, waiting. The Captain could feel his heart actually thudding in his chest as he touched his lips to Conn's, as light as the brush of a feather. 

He drew back a millimetre. Conn was still standing there, eyes shut. Maybe he was thanking him, maybe he was simply frozen in shock, Mars found he didn't care. He kissed him again, his mouth pressing more firmly this time, his tongue probing between Conn's tight lips. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this aroused by a simple kiss. 

He touched Conn's tongue for a split second, before the other man pulled away. "I'm sorry," he said in a low hoarse voice, "I don't think I can do this." 

It took all Mars' will power to let him go and step back. That had felt so ... unbelievably hot. He struggled to find his customary banter while he tried to adjust his trousers discreetly, trying not to let Conn know how much the kiss had affected him. 

"Perhaps we had better go and have that game of Mahjong," he suggested, dragging up a smile from somewhere. "Otherwise everyone will think we've been playing another sort of game in here!" 

XXX 

What the fuck had he been thinking? Conn chastised himself all the way to the common room. For a really weird moment there, he had been so grateful that Mars had done the right thing with the boy that he had just wanted ... wanted to give him something in return. And if he was being really honest with himself, he'd wanted to see what it was like. Just for a moment. But although it hadn't been as bad as he'd expected, he hadn't exactly liked it either. 

And now he had led Nick on, made him think he was open to his advances. Which he wasn't. He totally wasn't. It was going to be really hard now to get him to believe that. 

XXX 

The next day, Mars told everyone exactly how many credits they had received from Ser Landon, 20,000 to be precise. As usual, half went towards the running of the ship and the remainder was split amongst the crew, only slightly higher portions going to himself and Nowak. Rather to his surprise, even Conn received a small share. "It will be more next time," Mars assured him. "Once you're fully operational." As he hadn't expected anything at all, his gratitude was convincing. 

Bogdan Nowak was becoming increasingly pissed off. He really didn't like the warm looks he caught Mars bestowing on Conn. What had happened between the two of them? Last night he could have sworn Mars was angry with Conn, ready to take him to task for his squeamish behaviour over the hostage and then the next thing they were back in the common room playing happily as if nothing had happened, and today it was just sickening. Instead of focussing on their next scam, he was besotted. 

Perhaps it was time for Conn to have a little accident. Perhaps next time he was on Mut, he might get mugged. 

Medic Lachlan Andrews was another who wasn't very happy to see Mars' growing interest in Conn. He knew he was being unreasonable, he had made a special effort to tell Conn he would be okay about their relationship, if they had one, but feelings and reason didn't always work together. He still loved Nick. He knew it was pointless, Nick had made it clear he no longer had those feelings for him when he ended their relationship a year ago. Yes, a whole year ago, god what a loser, he chided himself.  

He had watched Nick take numerous men to his quarters without feeling any jealousy, well not much, but Conn was different. Maybe because it wasn't just sex with Conn, he could tell Nick actually liked him. 

"It's time for your checkup," Medic Andrews told Conn, interrupting their private converstion over breakfast. "You're part of the crew now and I give everyone a health check every couple of months. Can you come to the infirmary in about an hour, and I'll get all your details." Andrews ignored Mars' slight look of amusement at the interruption. Damn him. 

"Of course," Conn replied, slightly startled. 

Andrews gave him the full treatment. He checked all his vital signs, body scanned him, measured his fitness level and took a blood and DNA sample. 

"I do this for everyone," he told him. "This way I can spot anything likely to cause trouble. You'll have better health care under me than you would on most Patrol ships!" he added with a touch of bitterness. Being thrown out of the Patrol, evidently still rankled. 

"Okay, you can go now, I've got two more crew to do this morning, but I'll see you again this afternoon to tell you the results. About 15:00?" 

Conn nodded. He knew he was pretty fit, he didn't expect Andrews' tests to reveal anything unexpected. 

He was as surprised as anyone when Andrews burst into the common room during lunch and came straight up to where he was sitting with Mars and Levi. His face was flushed and he was trembling with agitation. What on Earth was going on? What had he possibly found to produce that reaction? 

He stared in disbelief as Andrews actually pointed a shaking finger at him. "Spy!" he accused. "You're a fucking spy!" 

Conn sat frozen and it was Mars who glared at the Medic. "What on Earth are you talking about?" he demanded angrily. "If this is some kind of-" 

"Nanobots!" interrupted Andrews. "He's got fucking patrol nanobots in his blood!" 

Mars was still staring at Andrews so he missed the look of horrified shock on Conn's face. Nanobots? He'd never agreed to have any nanobots! What the fuck had Rice done? 

Nanobots were sophisticated, microscopic tracking devices that lived happily in the bloodstream for up to a week, or a couple of months if you bought the more expensive ones, and he bet Rice had access to the most expensive and durable available. All that investment, just so that he would know exactly where Conn was at all times? No, Rice would be after more than that. 

Nick. Rice was after Nick. He had planned that, somehow, Conn would transfer the nanobots to Nick. 

And he had. The blood drained out of his face as he remembered how he had allowed Nick to kiss him earlier. Conn thought he was going to faint.