Chapter 9
Okay. So that went well, the Captain thought, as he stared blankly at his console unit. He'd made a complete idiot of himself over this whole affair.
Petrov was still fuming by the time he reached the refectory.
How dare the Captain blame him for something that was totally his own fault? He had just been standing there minding his own business when the other man had jumped on him! True he hadn't exactly thrown up his hands in horror and pushed him away, not immediately, at any rate. It had felt too good, at least it had felt good when he thought he was kissing Shehu, he told himself. He wondered for the thousandth time who the Captain had expected to find there, waiting for him. Well, to be honest he thought he had a pretty good idea. And he didn't think it was anyone on the Diell.
He knew he should stop dwelling on it, the thought of Rhys and the Captain together just made him feel jealous and hurt and angry. And he didn't know thinking about which one of them made him feel worse! God what a mess!
He had to admit the Captain put up an amazing front. He had had absolutely no suspicion that he was not as straight as metal ruler, even straighter. It was obviously something he kept a closely guarded secret and he found himself wondering yet again, about his policy of zero relationships on board. Who was it designed to protect? Himself or the crew?
He realised the Captain must be absolutely furious that he had given himself away so completely to him, Petrov. Furious, and possibly frightened, that he was now in such a vulnerable position, his secret, amongst other things! in Petrov's hands. He wondered cynically how soon he would invoke Rule 158 to get rid of him.
XXX
Rhys lay on his bed in the Voyager, his hands folded beneath his head and stared blindly at the ceiling. What had gone wrong last night?
He had come on this trip originally to try and find Alexei as he had said, certain he would have been missing him badly by now. However, not only had Alexei been unexpectedly cool towards him but he had needed only one look at Jake Farrell, to fall for him hard. Jake was his ideal. Tall, dark and handsome, and strong, strong enough to pick him up and carry him over his shoulder if he wanted to. (Yes, please!)
He could tell immediately that Jake was attracted to him in return, but he couldn't tell how serious he was, whether he wanted him for a one night stand or for longer. After he had left Alexei, he had followed the Captain into the Three Suns and ordered a bottle of ale to take away with him. He made a point of telling the barman, in Farrell's hearing, that he was going for a walk to check out the new houses being built for the next intake of colonists.
He was excited but not surprised when Jake tracked him down a short while later.
He fended him off from the sex he openly asked for, fearing that once Jake had what he wanted, he wouldn't see him again. And he really wanted to see him again, a lot. Instead he flirted and allowed Jake to kiss and caress him, teasing him that he 'didn't go all the way on a first date'.
Jake pursued him whenever he had a spare moment over the next day and a half until he got a promise from him to meet behind the Three Suns after dinner, when it would be well and truly dark at 21:00.
Rhys had deliberately been a little bit late, only ten minutes to get Jake even more eager for him, but when he had gone out to the back of the bar, no-one was there. There were tables and chairs set in small groups for patrons to use on sunny days, but no Jake. He spent a couple of anxious minutes looking around the shadowed courtyard, until Jake came towards him around the side of the building. For a moment he looked surprised to see him, but then smiled and said confusingly, "That was fast! Did you go the other way?"
The next minute he had Rhys in his arms, backed up against the courtyard wall, kissing him as if he couldn't get enough, his hands going straight for his pants.
"What the hell?" Jake pulled back. "I thought you were wearing jeans. I could have sworn it!"
"No, they're cargo pants," replied Rhys rather uneasily. What was going on?
"Weren't you out the front of the building a minute ago?" asked Jake urgently, a horrible doubt creeping over him.
"No, I've been here, waiting for you." He reached for Jake again, pulling him against his body, revelling in the feel of firm muscles against his chest. He could feel that he was already rock hard for him, pressing into his belly. He started softly stroking him. "Why?" he murmured.
"Nothing. I must have been mistaken," Jake lied, pushing all thoughts of his recent encounter to the back of his mind to worry about later. For the moment he just wanted ... he just wanted sex.
The sex hadn't been as good as Rhys had hoped, he thought looking back, lying on his bed the next evening. For some reason he thought Jake was distracted, as if he didn't really care who he was with. He felt used, not exactly an uncommon feeling for him but one he hadn't been expecting with Jake. What had gone wrong?