by Emrys Apollo
They needed him, and they trusted him. He couldn't disappoint them. The real Daryl would never disappoint them, and he found that he couldn't either.
Hands braced himself on the wall, head slowly peering around the corner. Black eyes took in the cargo hold, others slithering around to move devices and supplies into the appropriate spots.
He frowned and wondered how he was going to get them through this area without being spotted. His eyes stopped on a large case to his left. It looked big enough to fit at least two of them for a while.
Maybe he could pack them in and transport them to the ship docks. It wouldn't alert suspicions if he was carting cargo out of the laboratory area, he could be cleaning up failed experiments or something.
An uncharacteristic grin covered his face, digits reaching out to grab the cargo container when the crew's back were turned.
He had a plan.
***
Daryl looked up from Moses' arms and rose an eyebrow. “What is that?”
The Daryl clone stopped short. “A way to get you around the ship without being detected.”
Leroy blinked. “It's a box. You want us to hide in a box?”
The Daryl clone grinned and nodded. “Exactly. That way I can roll this around in areas without running into too many other people. Besides, I can use the cargo elevators for transport.”
Moses snorted. “Yes, but how are we going to breathe in that thing? It's not exactly made for human transport.”
The clone frowned. “Oh, yes. I didn't think about that part.”
Daryl wiggled out of Moses' arms and walked over to the box. “Well, maybe we can modify it somehow? Do these things go through scanners or anything? Something that could tell if we made some air holes?”
“I don't think so. They're usually scanned as soon as they're brought on board.”
“Perfect!”
Daryl felt along for latches to open it up. He frowned and looked up at the clone. “How does this thing open?”
The clone smiled at him. “Here, let me. It won't open for human hands.”
He shifted back into his black alien form and slid his digits along the sides of the box.
Daryl smiled and looked inside the box. “Well, it's actually quite big inside. The outside looks smaller for some reason.”
The clone shimmered back into his human form. “That's because we tend to transport large quantities of objects to and from other ships. We don't want to have to use more than we have to. So these boxes adapt, to a point at least.”
Moses peered over the side and grimaced. “We're not all going to fit in there.”
Daryl wiggled his eyebrows at Moses. “We will if we're all laying on each other. Callum can lie on Neal's lap, I can lay on yours, and Leroy can be somewhere in between.”
Leroy rolled his eyes. “Yes thank you, Daryl. So good of you to remember me.”
Daryl chuckled at Leroy and ruffled his hair. “There's no way I can forget you. Who else is going to keep time?”
Moses snorted and climbed into the box. “When you're done pestering our cellist, can you climb in here so we can figure out how to sit?”
Daryl winked at his lover and reached up to climb in. He frowned when he couldn't get his short legs high enough.
Neal laughed and set Callum down. He reached up behind Daryl and handed him to Moses. “Someone is too short for this ship.”
Daryl stuck his tongue out and sat down on Moses' lap with a thud.
Moses grimaced and bit down on his lip. “What have they been feeding you here?”
“And see, I was starting to warm up to you again. I guess I won't.”
Moses did a mock pout. “But you can't do that.”
“I can.”
Neal rolled his eyes and turned to the clone. “See what I have to put up on a daily basis? They've going to drive me insane at some point.”
The clone giggled at them. “But it's so much fun watching them like this. It's not what I experienced as Daryl.”
Neal snorted. “That's because they can't program someone to be exactly like Daryl. He's one of a kind and not easy to figure out. Hell, I've known him for years and he still manages to surprise me on occasion.”
Daryl called out from the box. “When you're done yammering about me, can you get in here already!”
“Keep your pants on. I really mean it. No one wants to see you making out with Moses.”
Daryl giggled. “That's not what you said a month ago!”
Neal rolled his eyes and handed Callum over to Daryl. “Here, take Callum so I can climb in.”
Daryl groaned. “Good lord, Callum. What the hell have you been drinking?”
The bassist frowned and climbed inside the box. “Leave my man alone. He got us this far so let him be.”
Daryl stopped smiling. “Neal, I was just joking. Why is he like this anyway?”
The clone cocked his head to the side. “Don't you remember? Oh wait, you were busy with Moses at the time.”
Daryl blushed despite himself. “Yes, probably.”
Moses chuckled and pulled the violinist into his arms.
The clone smiled at the affection and continued on. “Callum got a hold of the device that I use to transform myself. For us, it does nothing to our health. To humans...it weakens them. Neal only used to it for ten minutes, and it drained him almost immediately. Callum stayed in that changed form for at least a day, which completely drained him when I turned him back.”
Daryl frowned and stroked the flautist's head. “Will he...will he wake up again?”
“I don't know. I hope so, but I can't know for sure. It's the first time I've seen a human use this for long periods of time.”
“He better. You hear that, Callum? I'm warning you.”
***
Leroy climbed inside the box to sit next to Neal and Callum. “It's cramped in here.”
Daryl cocked his head to the side. “Hey Moses, try laying your legs flat.”
Moses stared at him. “How? That's a solid side. My legs would break.”
“Just humor me, alright?”
Moses sighed and stretched out his legs, the box formed around them and pressed outward.
Daryl laughed. “See, I told you. No broken legs for my man.”
Neal and Leroy stretched out their legs and sighed in unison.
Leroy smiled over at the violinist. “Thanks Daryl, that's much better.”
Daryl did a mock bow in Moses' lap. “It’s nothing.”
Neal snorted and looked up at the clone. “But we still don't know about air. How are we going to breathe in this thing?”
The clone switched back to his alien self and tapped some controls on the panel. A whoosh of air pushed out of the sides.
Neal grinned. “Well, never mind then. Thanks.”
The clone clicked out a response and closed the lid. He took a deep breath and pushed the cargo box into the bay.
***
In the darkened box, Daryl laid on Moses' chest with a sigh, the bassist's hands brushing his curly hair off and on. He nuzzled the side of Moses' face, seeking out his lips. They connected and kissed slowly at first, tongues sliding against each other, lips sucking and biting. Moses' arms wrapped around Daryl's body, eliciting a moan from the smaller man.
Daryl's fingers reached up to cup Moses' face, tongue plunging deeper inside his mouth, frantic and needy to taste him again.
Leroy snorted and tapped Neal on the arm. “You owe me a twenty.”
Neal sighed. “Damn it. Well, it will have to wait until we get back. It's not like they let me grab my wallet when I was taken.”
Daryl chuckled and kissed down Moses' neck, fingers teasing Moses' nipples through the fabric of his shirt.
“Mmm, Daryl. You're going to make me hard.”
Daryl giggled and sucked on Moses' Adam's apple, swiping it with his tongue. “Isn't...isn't that the point?”
“Yes...but I don't think we have enough room to do that.”
Neal snorted. “Yes, and we would rather you didn't.”
Daryl stuck his tongue out at Neal and leaned up to kiss Moses again on the lips. Moses arched under the grinding of Daryl's hips on his lap.
He broke the kiss and looked up. “Are you sure? I don't know if you're ready for this yet.”
Daryl glanced down, hands massaging Moses' chest. “I don't know...I just want to feel you. Can I do that?”
Moses groaned. “Yes, you can do that. Just don't push yourself.”
Daryl's hand snaked into Moses' jeans pulling out his hard cock. Fingers worked the shaft, pumping Moses harder and harder.
“Oh, Daryl...oh...”
The violinist's lips sucked on Moses' neck, hand still working Moses' cock fast and hard.
“I want to touch you...please let me touch you...”
Daryl grinned. “Promise to be gentle?”
“Of course...I would never hurt you...”
Daryl leaned back a little so Moses' hand could go between them and stroke his cock. He gasped, Moses' strong fingers worked him slowly, much slower than Daryl was working him.
Neal groaned and humped against Callum unconscious body. “Damn it, now you're making me hard!”
Daryl giggled. “Don't blame me...it's all Moses' fault for being so hot...”
Moses moaned and pushed his body up into Daryl's frantic hand. “Well...who started this? Wasn't me...”
“Yes it was...it was you being so amazing and turning me on so much...”
Moses grinned and worked Daryl's cock harder. “Like now?”
“Oh yes....like now...oh...”
Daryl leaned back from Moses to kiss along his neck, the bassist's hand keeping him a hair breath away from releasing.
“Moses...oh!”
Daryl's hand squeezed Moses' cock, prompting the bassist to release all over his hand. They panted for air, lips finding each others’ mouths for a slow kiss.
Neal groaned. “You bastards. I hate you both.”
Daryl chuckled on Moses' lips and broke the kiss. “You're welcome, Neal.”
Neal flipped him the bird and snuggled into Callum's body.
Daryl curled up in Moses' arms and drifted to sleep.