| Compromise |
Disclaimer: I do not own Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda nor do I profit from
my writing of fanfic. I am not connected to the T.V. series in any way.
- If I had been, Telemachus' wardrobe would have had more skimpy leather
vests.
Author's note: I had posted chapter 4 of "Decisions,
Decisions" when the very next day I watched an episode of Season 5
(#519) where Rhade's character takes off his shirt (thank you scriptwriters
and Steve Bacic) while I watched the scene (over and over on tape) I noticed
his chest was smooth and hairless and I distinctly wrote his wasn't. Horrified
that my readers would hate me for my inconsistently this PWP popped into
my mind and well a smutty mind is a horrible thing to waste.
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Chapter 1
Beka woke slowly and burrowed into the warm hair roughened
mass that was now her new mattress. As awareness washed over her she was
careful to remain still. Even the slightness movement would waken the sleeping
Nietzschean and she wanted a few moments before he pounced. Time to adjust
to the reality that Telemachus Rhade was with her this morning, had been
with her last night and planned to be with her tomorrow. In the short time
they have been together she realized how much she enjoyed waking up lying
on top of him while, even resting, his arms held her close. Almost as much
as starting her day with the sensation of Rhade going down on her trying
to turn her pussy into breakfast. Beka slitted her eyes open and remembered
they were on the Andromeda again in her old quarters, so they would get
a real meal for breakfast. Yesterday she had actually made him breakfast
and Telemachus had tried to eat it for her sake. It was scary how much he
cared for her...unless he had viewed it as Advanced Nietzschean Survival
Training. They had been able to make a few paying runs before Dylan recruited
them for another mission, this one to test Andromeda's engines. In just
a short time she felt they had learned a lot about each other and the important
things- both hated to compromise. And the adjustments any couple makes as
they find out the others idiosyncrasies. Like how she was grumpy if she
didn't have coffee in the morning and how Rhade was grumpy all the time,
but unbearable if he didn't get sex in the morning. Beka sighed, the sacrifices
she made for harmony's sake.
At her sigh Beka felt Rhade still and then stir, tightening his arms around
her. He nuzzled into her hair and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.
Rhade's Nietzschean survival instinct had kicked in and he didn't try for
more yet.
"Morning, Beautiful." He said in that gravely rumble of his. "Bedside table."
Squinting her gritty eyes Beka saw her coffee mug sitting on its cup warmer plate. As if the great sex wasn't enough reason to keep him. Wriggling up his muscled torso she reached for her coffee, pretending not to notice when he gave a greedy lick to one of her nipples. They were waking up quicker than her. Enjoying herself and the torment she inflicted, she wiggled back down to straddle his hips. Bracing with her free hand she slowly sat up and took a sip from her new non-spill mug he had gotten her. Rhade still gave her a wary look...geez it had been an accident. The care he took to make sure she had her favorite things warmed her, not enough to have sex yet this early, but closer. They had compromised. If she woke up to an orgasm then sex was on- if not he had to wait while she had her coffee first. Rhade didn't do 'waiting' well. Sipping her mint laced coffee she sat and looked down at the bounty spread before her. Beka knew if they didn't get to mess hall soon Harper would scarf all the muffins, but she had her own 'stud muffin' right here.
Studying that broad expanse she frowned slightly
"What Beka?" Rhade asked in an overly patient voice.
Her frown deepened. Rhade didn't do 'patient' well. Sneakily his fingers were tracing little circles on her thighs.
"Your chest.." she paused, taking another sip of liquid warmth.
"What about my chest?" Said Rhade in a neutral tone, his fingers stilling.
Belatedly Beka realized that a Nietzschean male, who spent hours on a regular basis improving on genetic perfection, might react funny when the woman he is in bed with implies a fault.
"Besides being beautiful..." Beka instantly felt the tense body under her relax as a smug grin spread across his face.
Beka inwardly relaxed too. An arrogant cocky Rhade she understood, a vulnerable Rhade tore something inside her. He raised an inquiring eyebrow.
"I remember in the past when I watched you without a shirt on.."
"You did?" Said an overly shocked Rhade.
Beka frowned, Rhade didn't do sarcasm well either. She made a tiny tilting movement with her coffee mug. Pretending he hadn't interrupted she continued.
"Your chest was smooth."
He shrugged, causing the before mentioned chest to ripple with muscles graced with a scattering of sable hair. "Sometimes, I shave," he said casually.
That immediately got Beka's attention. The excuse to touch him was tempting. So far Rhade always tried to dominate their lovemaking. Knowing she had lead him on a merry hunt she understood the alpha in him would take some time to be appeased. He claimed she purposely distracted him- gosh what an unjust accusation- she thought while smirking. He had the nasty habit of pinning her hands down, which she loved, but she was certainly going to wait before suggesting he could tie her up.
"If you let me shave your chest, I'll let you shave me," she offered.
"But Beka, you don't have a hairy chest," he said in a careful voice. The one you used for crazy people.
"Silly!" She said, slapping his shoulder. "And I don't plan on being bald either."
Beka saw his sharp gaze rake down the length of her body and settle on the red curls nestled on his lower stomach. His dark eyes began to smolder and she felt his erection rise and stir against her buttocks. 'Yup, Rhade liked that idea' thought Beka. But as she considered her offer over she liked it less and less. Her impulsive 'say before you think' Valentine gene was going to get her in trouble. She watched as his hands moved to her hips and his calloused thumbs ruffled the edges of her trimmed nest of curls. His tanned hands stood out starkly against her pale skin, and in her now nervous eyes, looked huge and massive.
"Beka, why do you smell like you're scared of me?" Asked Rhade in a quiet soft voice.
She moved her gaze from their focus on his hands and looked down at him. Rhade didn't do 'harmless' well- at all, but he was trying really hard. She sighed and leaned forward to return her mug to its plate. He left her breasts unmolested and tugged her down to his chest to cuddle. Rhade did 'cuddle' very well and Beka always let him practice this skill.
"Nothing really, I just realized it's time consuming..we might run late..miss the muffins.."
Rhade interrupted,"Beka, are you afraid I'm going to cut you?"
"Well yeah, you know ..sharp razor..poor little soft pussy..I've never let anyone do something like this..." she murmured in his throat.
"Beka, you can trust me"
"Give me a minute to think about this," replied the Queen of Avoidance.
She wiggled down more on his torso making sure she stopped with her ass wedged against his erection. He groaned. She smiled.
"Beka" he growled. She waited to hear his threat and was surprised instead by an offer.
"You can shave me too... there too."
Beka blinked. A Nietzschean alpha male suggesting a razor in a woman's hand anywhere near his privates...whoa, that was way past eating her pancakes in terms of compromise.
"No, I was kinda looking forward to the friction," she gently refused. His hands tightened, not so gently on her hips. Beka thought he was looking forward to it now too.
"Besides," Beka continued, "your balls being naturally hairless is enough, not that you have ever let me really explore them."
"I haven't yet?" Rhade gazed down at her tilted back head with a wide-eyed look.
Beka rolled her own eyes. There wasn't a Nietzschean alive that could pull off 'innocent', especially not her Nietzschean.
"Come on, into the shower" he said giving her a small sharp slap on her ass. Yeah like that's an incentive to move, she thought, shivering in delight. Rhade inhaled and frowned.
Beka bent her head and began teasing kisses on his chest. He growled. She protested.
"Rhade, if I shave you these will all be gone," she said as she nuzzled the thin line of hair leading down to his navel.
"Beka, I don't think it’s necessary to say 'good-bye' individually, you're stalling." He accused.
She recognized his annoyed exasperated tone. Telemachus excelled at 'Alpha male pushed too far by stubborn human mate.' Grumbling softly she agreed and followed him into the bathroom. Even the view didn't cheer her up. They had reached a compromised for in the shower. While Beka washed her hair Rhade quickly cleaned himself. Then Rhade cleaned her...very thoroughly, hell some parts were spit-shined. She wagered she had the cleanest breasts in the entire Seefra system. They briefly squabbled over the oil to use until Beka threatened to call the whole thing off. She knew the Nightsider oil was the best despite Rhade doubts. It was cool and clear so you could see what you were doing and caused the hair growing back to be soft and not itch. Also since they licked themselves -ick- it was harmless to ingest, some were even flavored. Though since they were for Nightsiders you had to be careful, their concept of tasty differed from humans. She had her own supply and also what Rev had left behind. They decided on who was going first. Rhade won but Beka traded for exploring privileges. They went ahead and got the normal stuff, excluding sex, out of the way. Rhade even hurried. Beka tried to relax as she grasped the safety bars. Rhade was kneeling in front of her on the padded floor of the shower stall. She thought the designer had been paranoid about accidents, but a genius. He also used carnic panels to line the spacious cubicle. She loved carnic, it was a substance that did not fog or collect condensation from steam. Its sheer surface also repelled the water and it didn't get all streaky. It vastly improved her viewing pleasure and she wished the Maru could be outfitted with it. She distracted herself by watching the glistening trails running down Rhade's tanned body. Not truly tanned by exposure to a sun, but a natural or genetically engineered all-over yumminess.
Telemachus took small blunt nosed scissors and trimmed her pubic hair even shorter and then had her rinse. He squeezed out the oil and spread it evenly over her soft folds, taking great care and time. Too much time thought Beka who just wanted this over with- or at least started. She shifted her thighs farther apart and made a loud impatient noise. One that with his 'enhanced' hearing he could not possibly miss over the sound of the running water. Kissing her inner thigh reassuringly he picked up the razor and proceeded with short steady strokes. The gentle rasp, pull, rinsing and the breeze of Rhade's warm breath was actually kinda nice she mused. It was over much quicker than she figured, or so she believed. Rhade, it seemed, was a perfectionist- or blind. Long after he halted with the razor he still 'checked' for any missed hairs. Not trusting his fingers he felt it was necessary to use his tongue too. He had abandoned the razor to a little recessed shelf and used both hands to hold her in place. One of her legs was hooked over his shoulder and she was hanging onto the bars for dear life. If Rhade going down on her had been fantastic before, now the sensations of his tongue swiping and probing over her freshly smooth flesh were unbelievable. She didn't even try to quiet the cries and whimpers he evoked, not because she knew how much they pleased him- what a tame word for his reaction- but because she was physically unable to. They just seemed to escape with every lick of his tongue and nip from his sharp teeth. But after every nip he would lave the spot and make her beg for more. She tightened her grip as she felt the tremors that had been building break in a huge rolling wave of sensation. She called out his name, 'Rhade' over and over. She had given up on 'Telemachus' days ago. Shuddering in the blissful aftermath, she tried to gather her thoughts. There was something she was going to do.... Yes! She remembered.
Most mornings Rhade would relentlessly push her to at least another orgasm before turning her dazed and befuddled body around. Then he would urge her in a harsh desperate voice to brace her hands against the cubicle's wall as he anchored her with an arm around her waist. Surging in from behind he would enter her and begin the climb to climax, together this time. She would enjoy every minute but, again with her hands on the wall, she would miss a chance to really explore every inch of him like she had been longing to. But this morning was going to be different, she was entitled to her half of the 'deal'. She tried reminding Rhade. Loudly. Obviously temporary deafness followed the earlier blindness problem. She tried tugging on his hair. He seemed to enjoy that judging by the growls and the increase of his tongue's pressure on her pussy. She reiterated the whole compromise concept. Failing and growing more desperate as her body and will power waned she reached up and past Rhade's kneeling form. Hanging from one of two shower heads was her pink long handled back scrubber. Unused now that she a Nietzschean who insisted on doing that task. It had bristles on one side and a flat pad on the reverse side. Making sure it was positioned flat side down she gave a good swing. At Rhade's ass. He noticed. He was not pleased. Hiding it behind her back she tried her own 'innocent' look. He was not fooled. She went on the offense.
"Rhade you promised, doesn't your Pride honor their deals?"
Rhade surged to his feet and towered over her. Beka noticed an interesting jaw twitch that was not disguised by his beard. Then she saw his eyes. He was enraged. Beka realized 'Miss Manners' never covered Nietzscheans and from Rhade's expression she said something pretty unforgivable. But Beka didn't want to step down, the reckless defiant Valentine streak surged to the front. She just wasn't sure how to follow up on her opening attack. Pausing a second, a rarity for sure, she considered him. And slowly, with a sinking sensation, understood she was going to lose. From the top of his sable haired head to his elegant genetically engineered feet he was all Alpha Nietzschean male. Every instinct, every childhood lesson pushed him to be dominant... to prove himself. He wasn't going to lighten up, relax and let her be in charge. Maybe with things concerning the Maru, but never in the bedroom. It would be a struggle of wills and she felt suddenly very tired. Tired of thinking she finally had something good and have it all go so bad. She saw a massive man strangely still and knew he was struggling with his self control. She considered what would happen if he lost this inner battle and felt oddly detached. Beka stood sopping wet, her hair plastered to her head and spoke. Spoke softly, not knowing if he would hear her over the noise of the water, and not caring.
"When I first saw you..you tempted me so much..I wanted to reach out and just touch you..see if your skin was really that smooth..find out if you felt..but that would be breaking the rules..the rules you decided on..because you wanted us apart..but now I thought..we're together...and I can touch you any time I want..but I can't, only when you let me... and I don't like it..."
She trailed off and stood blinking at her still motionless lover. The shower spray was in her eyes making them burn and the cubicle, that was four times bigger than hers on the Maru, was now way too small for her and Rhade. Dropping her stupid back scrubber she reached for the door. She blinked again, at the boneblades at eyelevel and at the hand on the door, holding it closed. The same hand that she had trusted so shortly ago. The hand she still trusted because Rhade would never hurt her. She hoped he would understand she was hurting right now. Beka decided to stop running and turned to face him. She could sense in an instant that he no longer radiated violence and his dark gaze contained a mixture of wariness and confusion. Beka believed he too was surprised at this sudden turn and was at loss as well.
"Beka, you belong to me." Rhade's growl underscored this. But, it was his unhappy growl the one that wobbled. A lot at this moment.
Beka took a deep breath, "And you. belong. to me. Mine to have, mine to touch, mine to make love to any way I want."
Beka stepped away from the door and wrapped her arms around him and sighed when his arms enfolded her. They stood together and let the water wash over them. Just stood holding each other.
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Chapter 2
Unhappiness has a scent. And when Rhade inhaled it along with Beka's spicy unique smell it twisted his gut into a tight knot. It overrode the smell of the water, soap, oil and her earlier orgasm. He hated it and he hated the fact that it was mainly his actions that had triggered it. He realized that something had to give or at least bend and that something was him. It was just so hard for him to loosen his tight grip on Beka and it was reflected in his lovemaking. He had lost or let slip away so much in his past. His marriage, children, career, status and his pride. Beka made him feel so much it scared him and alpha Nietzscheans don't cope well with being scared. They also didn't cope well with giving up control. Rhade felt Beka burrow into his wet mass and knew he had to start trying. Now.
"Beka, I can't change who I am." She made a protesting noise. "But, I am Nietzschean, we are survivors," he continued, "and as such we are engineered to adapt."
Beka gave a wet sounding snort into his chest. He tightened his arms around her. She tilted back her head and there was an uncertain look in her gaze. She rose on tip toes, rubbing her wet body along his and kissed him. It was a soft and hesitant kiss that he did not try to deepen. He felt her tongue run along the seam of his lips and immediately parted them for her. It slipped in and explored the dark dangerous cavern of his mouth. After a few moments he felt her reluctantly pull away.
Beka reminded him, "We're going to run out of water, miss breakfast and run so late Dylan's going to freak."
Rhade's reply was, "We have a deal to finish and I have a chest that needs shaving."
He saw her grin and the eager expression that suffused her face. Whatever torment she choose to inflict he would endure to chase away the hint of tears he spied before. He released her so she could retrieve the oil she had picked earlier for him. Compromise and trusting only went so far though, he insisted on sniffing it first. It was a light woodsy scent with a hint of musk and he was pleased. She rolled her eyes. He pretended to ignore it. She instructed him to turn so his back was to the spray and to keep his hands on his hips in a firm stern tone that he actually found kind of sexy. Beka smoothed the oil on in sweeping strokes and then felt the application needed to be massaged in as well. He thought to mention that he really didn't have hairy nipples but as she caressed them to hard aching points he remained silent. Well, except for the purring. Her long strong fingers kneaded his chest, tracing the curves of his muscles and occasionally returning to fondle his nipples. She slowly spread the oil down his sternum over his stomach to his navel. His cock was very unhappy that she halted there and tried to get her attention. Ignoring it she reached for the razor instead. With an intense concentration he found cute, Beka took great care in wielding the razor. After having him rinse she squinted in the spray, peering and checking to see if she missed any stray hairs. With her seriousness to this task she was almost Nietzschean.
Beka frowned,"I’m not sure we got all the oil off."
Before Rhade could reassure her, she leaned forward and gave one of his nipples a long lick. He forgot what he had planned on saying. Placing both hands on his chest she leaned into her gesture. Not knowing or caring where the razor had went he felt her nails gently rake his sensitized skin. He realized the oil somehow heightened the sensations and he moaned. Beka stepped closer, her belly pushing into his erection, the pressure somehow easing yet increasing his pulsing ache. His hands bruisingly dug into his hips as he forced them to remain where she had bade him to place them earlier. She nuzzled his chest as she traveled back and forth between his nipples. When she settled on one she would lick with long swipes, then suck it deep in her warm wet mouth where she would flick her tongue against the tip. Beka continued with this relentlessly until he thought he would be driven insane. Her behavior was pure Alpha Nietzschean and he found it more arousing than he believed possible. He wallowed in the physical sensations and gloried in the scent of her desire. She purposely rubbed her body against his and Rhade knew his pre-cum was coating her belly in a thin glistening layer. He felt her stomach panting as it rose and fell against his cock and knowing that just touching him excited her this much caused something inside him to swell. Besides his cock. Beka trailed her hands down again and he thickened even more in anticipation. He was very disappointed when her hands moved to grasp his wrists. With a grip he could have easily broken she pressed firmly in a silent reminder of her wishes. Pulling back slightly he felt her warm breath brushing over his skin. Rolling up her eyes to met his own heavy lidded gaze she slowly placed her parted lips on the curve of his pectoral muscle. His body tightened as he waited. With a sweet pain so exquisite he almost- well maybe- whimpered, she pulled his flesh into her heated mouth and bore down. He arched his back as she marked him so decisively and began to realize all the benefits of letting his mate dominate him. Beka ran a soothing stroke with her tongue over his burning skin and paused for him to reopen his eyes that had clenched shut at her action. In a husky dangerous voice she offered, "Lets make a deal?"
Rhade arched a curious eyebrow. He didn't want to reveal the he felt incapable of speech.
"You let me explore just a little further and when you can't take it any more, you can pin my back against this wall and fuck me so hard I feel your cock banging the bottom of my lungs."
Almost losing his control at her suggestion he nodded his agreement. She stepped back and his body silently cried out at the loss of her sensual warmth even though the heated water was still at his back. Beka poured more oil on her palms and gave him a wicked smile. His hardness twitched and grew even further in response. Returning she replaced her hands on his wrists, probably to remind him where she wanted them to remain. He was horribly wrong, what she planned was much more heinous than what he had assumed she wanted to explore. Namely his aching throbbing cock. No, much worse. Still holding his gaze with her own, her hands crept up each forearm to circle the lower most boneblade base. Beka used the curve of her palms to rub the bases, causing unbearable friction. He curled his lips in a soundless snarl. When she withdrew her hands he released his breath in a forceful hiss. Her finger tips returned to press and gently probe the skin that ringed each blade. Beka moved up and down the three that graced each arm in a sensual storm of sensation. His huge body shuddered and from his throat escaped tiny tormented noises. Beka made a discovery unknown to himself. It seemed his middle blade bases, protected on each side by the other two, were the most sensitive of all. His blades fluttered in the falling water as she confirmed with eager fingers this phenomenon. A dazed part of his mind dimly registered the sound of her talking. He was then reminded with brutal clarity that the most dangerous quality of Beka Valentine was her voice.
"I wonder," he heard her muse over the sound of the spray, "what it will feel like for you when I lick and suck and bite your blade bases?"
Unable to even comprehend that, his control broke. With a roar Rhade captured her slick wet body against his own and bore them both back to the cubicle wall. His hands grasping her thighs in an iron grip he slid her up the smooth wall until her pussy was level with his waiting cock. Probing with the blunt head of his hardness Rhade found her open core and surged inside. It felt like home. He heard Beka's keening cry as the air was forced from her lungs at his invasion. He didn't know if his cock was going to reach that high, but he was damn well going to try. He felt Beka's hands grip his shoulders as her long legs coiled and wrapped around his waist. Starting a pounding pace he pinned Beka's body and buried his face in her wet hair. He heard her urgings in his ear as she begged 'more' and 'harder' to him. Growling in response, he braced and increased the force of his strokes. With relief he felt her inner muscles clamp around his cock and the tremors of her orgasm. He wasn't sure how long he could last inside her wet warmth. His valued Nietzschean stamina and self-control was shot to shit around his mate. Feeling her pussy milk at his shaft was almost his undoing as his labored thrusts burrowed in and out of her. He loved the wet slapping sounds their flesh made and the swinging of his balls as they slammed into her softness in time to the rhythm of his hips. Telemachus felt Beka stir to awareness and her hands start to slide. He realized with grimness that the position she had picked and goaded him to had left him vulnerable. While his hands held her body in a vise for his hammering strokes her own were free to wander. Beka Valentine was so sneaky, she truly was the Matriarch. Maybe from her this trait had been passed down to all Nietzscheans. He felt her still oil slicked fingers weave between his blade bases and she started a sawing motion that caused him to cry out harshly. Shudders wracked his frame as he heaved his hips into the cradle of hers. With short hard digs his cock slammed deep as his seed exploded and washed over her waiting womb. He felt Beka tense and quake, hearing her cry out as another climax swept through her body.
Rhade realized as he came he was shouting, "Mine..mine." It was a revealing habit he was relieved that Beka never seemed to notice while caught up in her own orgasms. He worried for a moment that his weakened legs would collapse and they would both slide to the floor. Slowly he pulled out of Beka and lowered her legs, steadying her as she swayed. He loved the fact that no matter how many times they came together she always made that sad dismayed sound when he withdrew. Often at night Beka urged him to stay inside of her so they could sleep that way. Rhade realized the many instances that she sated the alpha urges in him and felt guilty he had overlooked her own needs. He observed her now as he quickly cleaned them. Though Beka could barely stand on her own she radiated an aura of supreme smugness. He recognized the 'I have the power to turn my mate into a blithering mass' look from his own mirror. It gave her a satisfied confidence that he realized he had denied her. Telemachus knew that one of an Alpha's most powerful instincts was insuring the well being of his mate. So, he reasoned, it was his duty to submit to Beka sometimes or share control of their lovemaking. Happy with this rationalization, he turned off the water and guided them from the cubicle.
Rhade started patting her dry with a fluffy bath sheet. Beka decided to return the favor, thought her version was to lick the drops from his skin. Seeing where this would lead to, and knowing hunger would soon rear its ugly head, he distracted her by voicing something that had crossed his mind earlier. "Beka, we 'so' ran over your water allotment," he said with a puzzled tone.
"Maybe, since Andromeda knew we were both showering, she added ours together?" Was Beka's guess.
Rhade frowned,"Beka, when you engaged 'privacy mode' in the bedroom doesn't that automatically extend to the bathroom too?"
She had stood to clean her teeth at the sink and looked at him in the mirror. He noticed how her breasts jiggled as she brushed them. "I don't know, do you want to ask Andromeda?"
"No!" Was his hasty response and she laughed at his uncomfortable expression.
"Its just the ship, would it bug you so much if Rommie was functional and standing here watching us?" She teased as she watched him flush.
Rhade scowled at her but was secretly relieved Beka was human and couldn't smell how much that idea aroused him. Taking his turn at the sink he watched her watching him. Seeing he caught her staring, she gave him a cocky 'Valentine' grin and with a sexy swing to her slim hips swaggered into the bedroom. He was so happy and relieved they had resolved this during their shower, one that for whatever reason had extended longer than usual. Following her into the bedroom, Rhade murmured "Thanks Andromeda."
Behind them, in the empty bathroom, the light switched itself off.
-There were no muffins left, neither cared-