by C. M. King
Somehow, Rieko saw a young Stuart checking to make sure nothing was off just a hair from the places his father wished them to be. Perhaps it was the same young Stuart who had leaped up to fix the cup's placement, as if his idea of his father in his head would be upset if something were out of place.
"So, he's the reason you're anal retentive and a neat freak?” She realized afterward that her voice held disgust for his father's actions.
"Don't talk about him like that?” Stuart raised his voice.
"Sorry.” Rieko tried to sound sincere. The man is his father and sons love their fathers even when they aren't nice people.
"I don't mean to be like this,” Stuart whispered. “I think sometimes that maybe I can teach myself to not be.” He twisted his features with doubt. He had taught himself a great deal in life.
"You know, leave stuff out of place and practice not righting them. You can do anything if you practice.” His voice held resolve. He shyly looked across the bed at her in such a child-like way. “That sounds silly, doesn't it?” Sometimes she forgot how much of him might really be just a little boy still.
"I don't know.” She wasn't sure how to continue or what he wanted her to say. “People can change,” she said. “Who says you can't find out who the real Stuart is?” Somewhere buried in there was who he really was.
Stuart tightened his face. “Perhaps. Can I get back to the model now?” He almost asked like a little boy asking to go play with friends.
Rieko nodded. They had talked about a lot and for a long time. She rose from the bed, and he moved to sit back before his model. Maybe he really needed that quiet time with his calibrations and the model.
"It was nice talking with you,” she told him.
He looked over at her, and gave a small smile. “It was."
"We should do this more often.” She hoped next time she would not have to demand he did so.
"We will.” He sounded like he meant it, and it made Rieko smile. “You still have questions you avoided.” He gave her a crooked smile.
Oh, the first time question. He wasn't going to make her answer that, was he? She buried the thought and hoped he was just joking.
"Good night, Stuart.” She moved to leave his quarters.
He rose from his chair and stood in front of her before she left. He leaned down and gently kissed her on the lips, slow and passionate, but very much just a kiss.
"Night, Rieko,” he said as their lips parted.
Rieko left with a good feeling of shared stories and a man who was more and more becoming as much a friend as a lover.
* * * *
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Nine
* * * *
"Stuart,” Rieko called out as she entered the armory. She knew Stuart would still be in here. This was where she had left him two and a half hours ago after giving up on him going with her to movie night because of the work he needed to finish.
"In here.” His reply came through the open door to his office.
She entered to find him at his small desk. Touch screen computer tablets of data sat neatly piled, likely in categories of some sort. Stacked data read-outs stood in a corner of the desk. She wondered when people used pens and papers anymore. It left enough room for a pad he handwrote neat notes on. The specs of his latest weapon covered the remaining surface of the desk.
The small office held only one chair, so Rieko sat herself on an empty corner of the desk. She made sure not to disturb any of his work.
"It was a good movie.” Rieko peered down at some of the data readouts. They made little sense to her. “You probably would have even liked it, lots of action."
"Hmm,” Stuart mumbled, not looking up from work. Then there was workaholic Stuart, but she knew she could get this engrossed in work too. However, she also believed that there were times for things other than work. With Stuart every hour of every day was a good enough time to work. She looked up to find him gazing at her.
"You know I told you why I couldn't go.” His guilt showed in his soft voice.
"I know,” she replied. Their last run in had been with yet another aggressive alien race, and had ended with a fire fight. It had inspired Stuart to increase the abilities of the ship's weapons. He thought that they needed them and they probably really did. Rieko knew he did this to keep them all safer.
She wasn't sure what he could get done tonight that he couldn't tomorrow. “I said it was alright,” she added.
He looked a little worried. “Was it, really?"
For all his experience with women, he lacked knowledge about the inner workings of relationships. One of the few things that made her seem more mature even though she was the younger of the two. Stuart slowly and carefully felt his way through the many pitfalls of intimate relations.
"It was,” she said.
Actually, movie night was quite nice without him. In fact it wouldn't have gone the way it did had Stuart been there. Mike had sat on one side of her whispering witty little remarks the whole time, which made the movie even more enjoyable. Taylor was on the other side. He clearly paid more attention to the woman on his other side, Leeza, and unsuccessfully make it seem like he wasn't. Leeza had kept stealing glances over Taylor at Rieko, impressed with his attention. Maybe it was good Taylor was very cute being inept with women.
"So, you had a really good time?” Stuart asked.
"Yeah.” Rieko realized she was smiling at the evening's events and the movie, which was just part of the fun she'd had.
"Without me.” Fake hurt showed in his voice.
"Sorry.” She had forgotten the joy of time spent with other people when you were involved with someone. Whatever this was, she and Stuart were definitely involved now. With two thirds of the crew male, it was nice for the other people she was with tonight to include male friends, like Taylor and Mike.
Stuart closed the pen he still held in his hand, and laid it in its proper place on the desk. He then straightened by a smidge the specs, and leaned back in his chair with a look of contentment. “You're really beautiful when you're happy,” he said.
"Thanks.” Then there was the feeling of familiarity and security one had when back with the person you were with. She had forgotten how much she missed being in a relationship.
"You're cute with your hair all rumpled.” She smiled down at him. He had obviously been running his hands through it as he worked.
Stuart raised a hand to put it back in place.
"Don't.” She stopped his arm mid-action. He returned it to his lap, then he shot her his usual look of desire. She smiled seductively in reply.
Stuart rose from the chair and stood in front of her. His hands undid her ponytail and brushed her hair long, silky black onto her shoulders. Rieko unzipped his uniform and took it off his shoulders and arms until the top half rested at his waist. He bent down and kissed her deeply and softly. Breaking the kiss, he stepped to the door and shut it.
Rieko slid off the desk and followed him. She pushed him against the wall when he turned back toward her. With one swift movement, she lifted both his shirts over his head. They paused to remove their boots and socks. They stood back up again barefoot before each other. The deck felt rough and cold on Rieko's feet.
Stuart undid the zipper to her uniform, and she slid the rest of his uniform off his hips to let them fall to the floor. He kicked the clothing away. She ran a hand against his erection through his boxers. His head fell back against the wall. Stuart let out a soft moan at her actions.
He finished removing her uniform. He grabbed her butt cheeks and brought her hips closer to his. Rieko stepped out of her discarded uniform and pushed it to the side. She kissed him passionately and let her tongue slip into his mouth. His hands ran under her over-shirt and pulled it up and off of her. He lingered on the sides of her breasts and the soft skin of her arms.
She began to run kisses, wet and soft down his neck, collarbone, and chest. She hooked fingers under both sides of his boxers. She lowe
red his boxers as she lowered herself. She felt his abdominal muscles tighten. Rieko knelt before him and dipped her mouth to the skin on the inside of his thigh just above his knee. She rubbed his hardened length with her hand as she kissed her way up toward it.
Then, she dipped and repeated the kisses along his other thigh. Until his hand grasped her head, and his fingers clinched in her hair and gently pulled her to where he wanted her. She ran her tongue along his length, swirled it around the tip before she took all of his length into her mouth. She heard his deep intake of breath at the motion.
She withdrew, and ran her entire mouth along one side of his erection from base to tip and then the other. Rieko returned and sucked deeply on the tip of his erection before once more she took all of him in. She began a pace of pulling out and pushing in. She felt his hips begin to rock into her movements.
Then his hands gripped at the fabric of her tank top and flesh. He pulled her up to stand before him. His mouth clasped onto hers, his tongue invading. Stuart finished undressing her. Both now stood before each other nude. He turned her around. His hands traveled everywhere.
Her back pressed against his chest and his hardness rested on the small of her back. His hands rubbed her breasts and pinched her nipples, while his lips played along her neck and shoulder. Rieko arched her back and pushed her breasts into his hungry hands. The action trapped his erection tighter between their bodies.
His long fingers traveled over her rib cage and belly, down the outside of her thighs and back up the insides. Stuart ground his hips against hers. One of his hands pulled her hips toward his. His other hand cupped her sex and ran fingers through her coarse hair. Then, he parted her and his fingers delved deeper in her intimate places. His thumb worked her clitoris into a hard nub.
Rieko moaned at his actions. One of her hands dug nails into the flesh of his thigh, and the other gripped the back of his neck and brought his face to hers. Stuart nibbled on her ear. His breath was hot and ragged. His fingers inside her increased their pace. She moved her hips with the pace and felt herself growing close to release. This wasn't what she wanted. She didn't want this to be like the other time in this room.
"I need you inside me,” she managed to say, her voice rough.
He removed his hand from her, and grasped her waist. He held their bodies tight together and walked them back to the desk. Stuart carelessly removed the specs he had oh so carefully placed before. He pushed her torso to lie on the desk. His hands pulled and pushed her hips where he wanted them while his knees spread her legs.
Then, he entered her with one swift move. He filled her as her body already brought so near excitement had yearned for, and with that simple action, she orgasmed around Stuart's length. She quivered and felt him shutter.
He began to thrust into her quick and strong. He strived only for his own release. Over the blissful feeling of her fulfillment, she felt the tension rise again in her gut. She met his thrusts with hers and moaned for another release. He used his full strength to ram himself deep inside her. His hands gripped the flesh of her hips and butt.
She felt herself spasm against him. Her nails scraped the smooth surface of the desk beneath her. His moans became grunts and somehow his thrusts reached even deeper. Then a scream ripped from her. She heard Stuart's deeper scream echoing and blending with hers as they climaxed together.
Rieko's knees grew weak and with a swiftness that impressed her, Stuart wrapped an arm around her torso and held her to him as he stumbled backwards. He collapsed into the chair and pulled her on top of him. There they sat, spent, moist with sweat, both sucking in air.
They lay like that until finally the world stopped spinning. Rieko let out a content sigh. She turned herself in Stuart's lap to sit straddling his waist. She draped her arms around him and leaned her head on his shoulder. She breathed in the sweet scent of love making on him.
"'At was grand.” His British accent sounded thicker than normal.
With a broad grin, Rieko leaned back and looked down at him. His wet hair spiked unruly. His stormy eyes closed halfway from exhaustion. A small smile plastered his features. His chest slick with sweat rose and fell with deep full breaths.
He sat askew on the chair, his legs sprawling. One arm lay limp at his side. His other arm rested on her butt. She thought about their last time together in Stuart's office and how he hadn't let their actions touch him. Right now not one bit of him looked untouched.
"What?” His hooded eyelids raised.
"Thanks for letting me in,” she said.
"You're welcome.” Ever the polite Stuart. He brought the hand on his thigh back up to her back and shifted himself beneath her. “Likely the whole bloody deck heard,” he said.
"Sorry, about that."
He gave her that crooked smile, and shrugged his eyebrows. “You weren't the only guilty party."
She smiled back at him and moved her hips to bring her wet folds closer to his penis. “You want to go again?"
He stirred a little beneath her. “Thought you'd never ask."
* * * *
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Ten
* * * *
Rieko still sat straddling Stuart's waist. She collapsed into his strong arms. The aftermath of their latest love making still coursed through her body. Tonight had been great, now if only they were in one of their quarters and could just cuddle up to sleep beside each other. Stuart's breathing calmed as Rieko rested her head on his shoulder. She wondered what the hour was. It must be very late by now. She closed her eyes and sleep began to take her.
"There isn't another Stuart inside.” Stuart brought Rieko's awareness back into focus.
"What?” She leaned back in his arms.
"You think there's another Stuart buried inside somewhere,” he said. He lifted her to sit her cross ways on his lap, both of them still naked. “There isn't.” His voice rang with nothing but the truth.
Rieko looked at him confused. That was what she had thought. That if his layers were peeled away, she'd get to who he really was. She thought she'd been slowly making progress.
"There are bits and pieces,” he continued, “that if they had grown up might have made a person.” His voice sounded almost untouched by emotion despite what he talked about. “But this is who I am."
"Who is that?"
He sighed and his face wrinkled in thought. “The pen on the desk is crooked,” he said. Rieko looked over at it. The pen didn't look out of place to her. “It's been bothering me,” he added, sheepishly.
"Anal retentive.” Rieko listed one of his lesser attributes.
Stuart shrugged his shoulders. “Punctual.” She thought about how he was always on time to the second.
"Orderly."
"That's not a bad thing,” he said.
None of Stuart's attributes were exactly bad. “You don't do some of it in a healthy way though."
His pen wasn't really out of place. It was not a deadly sin to be two seconds late and a little disorder did not kill a person. Stuart never requested or expected any of those things of others, although his father had certainly expected them of him. It was like he just had to do them, was incapable of not doing them. Like how he seemed incapable of crying.
"I know.” His blue eyes looked deep into hers. “You can't change me, Rieko.” There was a flatness to him, but not of coldness or lack of emotion, of solidness, but she could still try to fix him she kept to herself.
"Who tears down a personality before it's even there and replaces it with something...” She kept what she would have finished with only in her head. The person who had been re-made was Stuart.
"I've told you not to talk about him like that.” Cold anger encased his controlled words. “I mean it."
He might not have meant to but his words sounded threatening. Rieko made herself not tremble. She had never seen Stuart really angry. It wasn't something he seemed to come to easily, but likely his temper once released was cold and strong.
&
nbsp; "Did he hit you?” Rieko asked. Maybe it wasn't the brightest to continue asking questions to a man almost angry with her, but somehow she knew Stuart couldn't hurt her in that way.
Stuart swallowed at the personal question. He shook his head. “No,” he said a little too loudly.
"Any of you?” Rieko asked about his mother and sister.
Stuart just shook his head.
"Why not?"
His intense gaze remained on her. “It's not his way. He used other ways to get us to do what he wanted."
She wondered what other ways. “Did his father hit him?” Rieko remembered that Stuart's father boxed.
Stuart gently nodded his head. “Yeah. He hit them all, him, his brothers, my grandmother.” Likely his grandfather's father had hit him, and his great-grandfather's and his great-great-grandfather's.
Stuart looked like he wanted to escape. Rieko realized he was finished talking about such stuff for now. “Do you realize we have just had a serious conversation completely naked?” Rieko changed and lightened the subject.
"There's a problem with that?” Stuart gave an impish smile.
"Well, no; but it usually involves pillows,” she said. “Speaking of which, we should probably be headed to bed if either of us are going to be fit for duty tomorrow."
He softly chuckled at her being the one to mention tomorrow's duty. “Probably.” He shrugged. “I don't think I can move though.” Rieko looked at him with confusion. “I can't feel my legs,” he said.
How long had she been sitting on his lap. She jumped off. “Stuart, why didn't you say something?"
He rotated his feet and ankles, and rubbed his thighs with his hands. “It felt good to have you close.” He shot her a glance that made him look very innocent and young.
Rieko gathered her clothing and began putting her uniform back on. “Maybe we can just throw on some clothes, rush back to one of our rooms, and take them all off to snuggle under the covers."
Silence greeted her. She turned to look at Stuart already knowing his answer.