ntt in space (or, o green world, part I)
Title: O Green World
Pairing/Group: Nakamaru Yuichi/Taguchi Junnosuke/Tanaka Koki, Nakamaru Yuichi/Taguchi Junnosuke, Taguchi Junnosuke/Tanaka Koki, Nakamaru Yuichi/Tanaka Koki
Rating/Warnings: NC-17-- Sci-fi AU, loads of sex which includes voyeurism and double penetration, also tentacles
Word Count: 16,643 according to gdocs
Summary: Nakamaru Yuichi's mission is to search out new worlds for humanity to colonize; so far, they've all been bust. Maybe not this time, though.
[i have some things to say which include ]
Or, that one time I wanted that on my wishlist, but then I wrote it myself. I opened up a " leave me some kinks" post months ago, and I got "tentacles" and "aphrodisiacs/sex pollen" as two of them. Not that I want to out who left them for me, but I do want to thank yue_akuma for providing me with the motivation to make NTT in space happen.
Also I have to say a thousand thanks to je_levy for playing idea baseball with me, and beta-ing despite her very full schedule and other obligations. She's just generally amazing, and seriously was a great help over the past while that I wrote this over. I need to mention sekky_chan as well, for all of her gdocs lurking.
Nakamaru is running, the weight of his plasma rifle getting steadily heavier. He's not sure where his team is; their comms have been eerily silent and even if he could hear anything, the noise of the battlefield would drown their voices out.
A shell screams through the air, too close, and Nakamaru knows he's done for. His armor has taken too much damage for far too long without a chance for the power cells to recharge. The blast knocks him to the dirt, and try as he might, he's unable to stay conscious.
His eyes snap open as he bolts upright. It always happens this way, every time he wakes up from suspended animation. Everything Koki has tried to make awakening easier has failed; every time they all wake from their slumber Koki diligently records what Nakamaru had dreamt, and pores over the computer's records of his vital signs. Nakamaru appreciates his efforts, though, and also the way he pouts over readouts in his makeshift lab.
Nakamaru hears a gasp to his right. He tenses, hand going for the sidearm that is stowed away in his quarters. The noise turns into a whimper and quiet rustling of clothing, and Nakamaru relaxes, rolling his eyes.
"I've told you time and time again, Taguchi. Regulations state that the captain of the mission is to be first awoken. There is actually a reason for this rule."
"Can't help it, I tell Navinosuke to do it like you say between every jump. He's the one at fault," Taguchi's words are vaguely sing-song as he replies.
"Don't blame the A.I. for your rule-breaking!" Nakamaru feels like he will never not wake up to this exchange. Finally he swings his legs off of the cot, settling his bare feet against the cool floor.
He can't deny the fact that he's definitely all right with Taguchi's infractions. Nakamaru's eyelids lower and he adjusts himself as he watches the way Taguchi, and Navinosuke, help Koki return to full awareness.
Navinosuke's part is mostly over; the ship's computer had woken Taguchi first so he could get a head-start on the proceedings. The nourishment drip is still in Koki's arm, and Taguchi is taking care not to jostle it until the ship has fully released Koki from the wires and tubes that sustain them as they travel through the stars; however, that doesn't stop Taguchi from leaning over Koki to ghost fingers down his bare chest.
The last of the wires have sunk back into the recesses of the cot. Taguchi carefully climbs onto it, straddling Koki's hips. Koki's fingers twitch and Taguchi twines their hands together before pinning Koki's wrists above his head. He leans forward and Nakamaru watches as Taguchi flicks his tongue against Koki's slightly parted lips.
It seems to be the catalyst for Koki's return to awareness. His lax fingers grasp Taguchi's hands as his eyes flutter open, hips rising to meet Taguchi's as they properly kiss. The only sounds in the medbay are the quiet hum of recycled air and the steadily increasing noises passing between Koki and Taguchi's lips. Nakamaru slips one hand into his loose pants, stroking himself in time with Taguchi's thrusts against Koki.
The two of them have been doing this for as long as they’ve been a team; Nakamaru doesn’t know their exact circumstances, but they had no problems with letting him watch. Nakamaru is content with that, and Taguchi and Koki are happy to oblige. He’s fully hard now, and Nakamaru continues his relaxed pace.
It’s definitely a contrast compared to the rough way Taguchi and Koki are grinding their cocks together. Taguchi has got both of Koki’s wrists trapped under one of his hands, and his other hand has slipped between them. Koki writhes as Taguchi’s hand pulls his pants out of the way and wraps around both of their cocks. It’s a quiet sort of struggle, and it’s one that Nakamaru doesn’t tire of watching.
They never last long when they first awaken, and Nakamaru is first to finish. Navinosuke helpfully pings the cot to open a drawer filled with warm cloths. Nakamaru silently thanks the computer as he wipes himself clean; for some reason it’s always such a pain to fiddle with the ultrasonic cleaning unit for single pieces of clothing.
Taguchi and Koki groan simultaneously and still, and they slump together. Koki pulls his hands free and snakes them into Taguchi’s hair, holding him in place as they lazily kiss. As nice is that is, they’ve got things to do since they’ve actually been awoken from their slumber.
“Oi! Come on, you two, let’s see what we’ve got happening today,” Nakamaru says. He stands, crossing the medbay in a few long strides. His first stop will be his quarters; Nakamaru feels much more reassured when he’s fully dressed and armed, even when he’s confined to the STAR RIDER.
The three of them have been together for a long time now, nearly several lifetimes had they not spent stretches of their voyage in suspension. The STAR RIDER’s mission is to search out habitable planets for colonization-- and it really is the ship’s mission, in a way, since it monitors the three of them as they slumber and uses its remote sensors to scan the vast expanse of space they travel through.
Navinosuke monitors their surroundings for stars that fit several criteria: its spectral class, whether or not it has a stable habitable zone, and high metallicity. Nakamaru takes that to mean in layman’s terms how bright the star is, if it’s got a planet at the perfect distance to keep water liquid and humanity comfortable, and if the star has heavy metals within its core as well as the hydrogen and helium powering its fusion. Past that, the candidate planets have to be terrestrial, since it’s still impossible to survive in the crushing atmospheres of gas giants like Jupiter back home; the planets also have to have enough mass to generate their own gravity.
Nakamaru doesn’t much want to think about what’s prompted Navinosuke to wake them; all he wants to think about is standing in his steam shower and fully waking up. Somehow he always feels grimy after a session of suspended animation, and this time is no exception. This potential colony is probably not going to pan out; it seems like every planet and asteroid and sun is a tantalizing new possibility, yet they’ve all been lacking upon closer inspection.
The door to Nakamaru’s quarters slides open as he nears. He shoves his pants down and off, tossing them onto his bunk. He knows he’d programmed his preferences into Navinosuke’s memory years ago, but it’s reassuring to wake up to fresh linens and a fully-charged laser pistol on top of his pillow. He tries not to think of the exact logistics; the computer somehow never answers, and Taguchi skirts explaining it every time. It’s just a fact of life, and he has other concerns at the moment.
He steps into the shower cubicle, shoulders slumping as the steam envelopes him. As much as he’d love to stay longer, perhaps have the shower simulate rainfall for him, Nakamaru only stays long enough to feel the faintest beginnings of clean. Reluctantly, he mutters off and the door slides open, steam remnants spilling around his calves. A towel is waiting for him, and he takes his time drying off. Nakamaru hangs it up carefully and exits the refresher.
Nakamaru chooses a pair of black trousers with plenty of pockets and a plain shirt. He finishes it off with a jacket zipped all the way up under his chin, and sits on the edge of his bunk to pull on his boots. Finally, he stands and buckles his belt, holstering his pistol.
He steps out into the hallway between the sleeping quarters and Koki’s lab, boots steadily clanking against the floor as he bypasses the lift. Nakamaru climbs up the auxiliary ladder next to it, surprised to see that Taguchi has already made it to the cockpit.
“Did you have the dreams again, Nakamaru? Koki told me you should go see him first, then we’ll all see what Navinosuke’s found,” Junno says. He’s engrossed with checking the instrument panels, fingers stroking inanimate plastic reverently, so Nakamaru leaves him to it.
He returns the way he came, hooking his feet around the outsides of the ladder rungs and sliding down. It’s always a spot of fun, and he knows the others do it too.
Nakamaru steps through the open door of Koki’s lab. It had been repurposed from its original beginnings as sleeping quarters. The bunk was in the corner, untouched; Koki actually had had a desk and chairs added before they’d even left on their mission, back when they were stationed on Europa.
Koki’s sitting at his desk, pressing buttons on the holoscreen in front of him. He’s got an intense look of concentration on his face, biting his lip as he reads the data scrolling before his eyes. “Yucchi,” Koki spares a glance up at Nakamaru, then continues. “What, you’re surprised that Junno and I are dressed and actually doing work? Your showers last a lot longer than you think.”
Koki laughs a little, then sobers up. “You had the dream again, didn’t you? It looks like it from the vitals, so spill.”
“It was the same as it’s always been.” Nakamaru shrugs as he takes a seat. “I guess I should just get used to it. It’s not like we got some sort of breakthrough missive about something that will help... Or did we?”
It’s too much to hope for, Nakamaru knows, but he’s always so exhausted after one of his dreams. Koki’s been trying so hard to help, and it’s clear he worries about it, try as he might to be flippant. The first few times, even Taguchi had tried helping in his own way; it hadn’t ended well, and now the other man made sure Nakamaru was fully aware of his surroundings before engaging in affections.
Koki looks away from the screen, making eye contact with Nakamaru before shaking his head. He slides his hand across the desk and rests his hand on Nakamaru’s. “You’d tell me if they got worse, yeah? Like if you started having the dreams during normal sleep?”
Nakamaru simply nods, turning his hand over to squeeze Koki’s. “You ready to see what Navinosuke’s found?”
This time Koki nods. He pulls his hand away, minimizing the holoscreen and standing, pulling up his loose sleeping pants. Koki always had had a different standard of being dressed. “Shall we, Yucchi?”
Nakamaru accepts his outstretched hand and rises, the two of them opting to take the lift. The doors open, revealing Taguchi sprawled across his chair. He’s completely still, eyes focused on nothing. If he hadn’t seen such a thing time and again, it would be unsettling; honestly, the first time Nakamaru had witnessed Taguchi’s link with the ship, he’d thought something was actually wrong.
Nakamaru and Koki take their seats and settle in. There’s no telling how long Junno will take, and their time will be better spent if they pull up the preliminary readings on the candidate planet. As he skims through the information, Nakamaru is glad for having suspended animation, even if he has terrible dreams; every time Navinosuke picks up a potential analogue for old Earth, the ship settles in to observe its orbit and rotation, and to determine if it’s in its star’s habitable zone.
“Remember that time you dressed up as Goldilocks for me, Koki?” Taguchi asks, eyes still unfocused. This story somehow always comes up every time they first review data; in some ways Nakamaru wishes that the tale of Goldilocks and her requirements of “just right” had never made its way into Taguchi’s memories.
Nakamaru’s lips twitch as he recalls his first encounter with Mari-chan. He’d had no idea what to make of the girl he’d encountered in Taguchi’s quarters on their last night-cycle before leaving Europa. He’d had no idea where she’d come from, only that she had pouty red lips and an indecently short skirt; she wasn’t blonde, but Taguchi had been whispering into her ear about how naughty she’d been to intrude upon his bed.
“How can I forget when you keep bringing it up, Junno!?” Koki snaps, trying his best to focus on his holoscreen.
Nakamaru catches Koki’s eye, smirking at the way he flushes all the way down his chest. He can’t resist as he agrees with Taguchi, earning a filthy look from Koki. “I kind of miss Mari-chan, don’t you, Taguchi? I thought she was delightful,” Nakamaru says. He sobers up, then continues. “Though first we should go over this information.”
Koki sullenly agrees, though the effect is ruined by the way his lips curve up ever so slightly. “So far this planet seems very similar to old Earth, even if it’s part of a binary system. Usually having two suns doesn’t work out so well for potential habitability,” Koki says. Nakamaru likes the simplicity; he’d never been one for scientific learning.
“What does the atmosphere seem like?” Nakamaru asks. The words on his holoscreen are a jumble of jargon: troposphere, thermosphere, and magnetosphere are just a sampling of them. Just a jumble of spheres, and they’re all intangible.
“Long distance observation seems to show that it has considerable weather activity. Between its thickness and clouds forming, the planet seems to be shielded from most of the ultraviolet radiation.” Koki flicks through several screens’ worth of words, eyes rapidly moving as he skims. “Ah, here are the results of the probe Navinosuke sent down while we were out.”
Judging from how pleased Koki sounds, Nakamaru assumes it must be good. Maybe this planet will be one that humanity can colonize, and they’ll have accomplished something for the good of all mankind. Nakamaru would very much like to be able to have such a discovery as one of his last-recorded deeds; he still has moments of terrible regret.
Nakamaru looks up, finding himself under the concerned gazes of both Koki and Taguchi. He clears his throat and pointedly prompts, “The atmosphere?”
“Looks to be a 75/25 split, nitrogen to oxygen. There are trace amounts of other gases, none of them harmful at these concentrations,” Koki says.
Taguchi is still staring. It’s still a bit unsettling after all their years together. “Taguchi, is there something on my face?” Nakamaru asks, unable to refrain from wiping at his nose.
Taguchi shakes his head in the negative, and Nakamaru refocuses on their current task. “Well then, do we think that we should take a closer look? It seems to have humanity’s basic necessities for living comfortably from the data.”
Koki nods enthusiastically; Nakamaru knows he does tire of seeing the same sterile walls. He looks to Taguchi, and gets a more restrained nod.
“All right, it’s agreed then. Taguchi and Navinosuke will take us into the atmosphere, where we will further observe planetary conditions. After we’ve collected enough data, we’ll discuss landing and exploring the surface.” Nakamaru finishes, and then minimizes his holoscreen.
He gets up, crossing the room to look at the planet and its suns through the screen that serves as an observation window. It really does look the way old Earth did, at least from this distance. Nakamaru lingers for a few moments, then heads for his quarters once more.
Koki and Taguchi whisper behind him as the lift doors slide shut. Nakamaru ignores it; he simply wishes they didn’t worry so much.
*
Once Nakamaru reaches his quarters, he sits heavily upon the edge of his bunk. It seems to be getting harder to recover from his dreams, or at least it does this time. It’s hard to remember much of their past awakenings, though they’ve all been mostly uneventful.
He kicks off his boots and unholsters his pistol, laying it atop the table next to him. Nakamaru mutters for Navinosuke to dim the lights and lock the door, and he lies back, closing his eyes.
Nakamaru wakes up, hand going for his pistol before he remembers where he is, and whose arm is draped over his waist.
“Dammit, Taguchi, I’ve told you not to sneak around and crawl into beds,” Nakamaru huffs out a breath, then tries to roll onto his back. “The door was also locked. For a reason.”
“Mmm, of course it was locked. I opened it, for a reason,” Taguchi retorts, smug as ever. “Aren’t you hungry? Navinosuke got the hydroponics growing a few days before he woke us up, and Koki’s fixing good things to eat. He’s wearing the cutest apron, so come and see.”
Though Taguchi’s words are urging Nakamaru to get up, his hand has been doing otherwise. Nakamaru’s pants are decidedly uncomfortable, and not just because he fell asleep in them. Taguchi’s snaked a hand in them, ignoring the buckle and zipper and common decency, and he’s gently stroking Nakamaru to full hardness.
“You should finish what you’ve started, Taguchi,” Nakamaru murmurs. He works his hands free from the way Taguchi has him pinned, and opens his buckle and pants. Taguchi presses his lips to the side of Nakamaru’s neck for the barest kiss and then slides down. Before he even does anything, Taguchi looks up at Nakamaru and makes a show of licking his lips.
“I want you to watch the entire time, Nakamaru.” Taguchi smirks, then slowly leans forward, hot breath ghosting over the head of Nakamaru’s cock. An equally warm tongue teases the sensitive tip before Nakamaru loses patience and thrusts his hips up.
Taguchi makes a strained noise at that, narrowing his eyes at Nakamaru. Before he goes any further, he locks an arm across his hips. Nakamaru laughs a bit, and it prompts Taguchi to properly start. He stops laughing abruptly when warm lips close over him, then slowly take him in.
Nakamaru sucks in a breath when he feels the back of Taguchi’s throat, and his reward is a superior chuckle around his cock. His fingers grab at the sheets and he groans when Taguchi starts bobbing his head back and forth, cheeks hollowing. It’s a struggle for him to keep his eyes open, but Taguchi helps by pinching his hip whenever they even hint at fluttering closed.
The warmth and wetness surrounding him is too much to bear, and Nakamaru doesn’t get a chance to give any warning. Taguchi seems to realize what’s happening and backs off, just enough to keep from choking. That image tips Nakamaru over the edge, and his orgasm washes over him.
Taguchi diligently stays where he is until Nakamaru’s hips still and he relaxes. He throws an arm over his eyes, chest heaving as Taguchi pulls away. Nakamaru jumps when Taguchi tucks him back into his pants and fastens them.
“What about you, Taguchi?” Nakamaru asks as he sits up.
His only response is a grin as Taguchi adjusts himself. “It will be fun to wait. I’m telling you, it’s a cute apron,” Taguchi insists.
Nakamaru follows Taguchi to the galley. It's actually quite spacious, most of the room dedicated to the banks of plants growing and their artificial sunlight. Nakamaru wishes that he'd had the ship outfitted with a proper greenhouse, or as close as one could get; Koki seemed to spend as much time as he possibly could in the galley, basking in the weak approximation of sunshine.
Taguchi was right about the apron; Nakamaru appreciates the view, a sloppy bow resting at the small of Koki's back. He still hadn’t bothered with changing out of his sleep pants, and the waistband rests low on his hips.
“I can feel you staring, Yucchi,” Koki says, not even bothering to look over his shoulder. “Save it for later.”
Nakamaru laughs as he takes a seat at the table. He watches as Taguchi crosses the room to shadow Koki, amused by the way they playfully shove at each other. They finally finish roughhousing, and Koki brings his own plate piled with greens to the table. He nudges Nakamaru in the shin muttering the whole while. “Just because I’m wearing this doesn’t mean I’m going to wait on you hand and foot.”
“Of course, that’s later, isn’t it?” Taguchi cuts in, barely able to repress his self-satisfied laughter. Koki hits him in the upper arm, appeased when Taguchi abruptly shuts his mouth; he looks slightly affronted.
“Don’t be a baby,” is all Koki says. Then he’s preoccupied with eating, though to be fair it has been some time since they last ate actual food. Nakamaru is looking forward to the delicate crunch of fresh vegetables, as well as the impending banter. It’s been far too long.
They eat in a companionable silence, only broken by quiet crunching. Nakamaru waits until the others are finished eating before broaching business. "When do we want to enter the atmosphere? As soon as possible? Or shall we have a rest cycle and check supply status?" Nakamaru looks first at Koki's face as he contemplates the options; Taguchi's eyes have gone blank as he calculates and confers with Navinosuke.
Taguchi blinks back to full awareness, then glances at Koki. "Sleep, inventory, then atmospheric entry. We'll go in near the equator, find somewhere suitable to land, then deploy our long-range sensors and scanners."
"I'll check out our pressure suits and breathing apparatus. We can explore planetside only when I get more detailed information on the air," Koki says. "Who's going to stay with the ship?"
Nakamaru drums his fingers on the tabletop as he considers. "Rock paper scissors for it when we have the all-clear from Koki," he says, unable to keep from grinning at the way Koki and Taguchi stare each other down. They’re very competitive, to put it mildly.
The three of them clear away the dishes, placing them in the compact ultrasonic unit. Once they’ve finished and Koki’s made sure some form of protein is being rehydrated in the cooler, Koki wraps one hand around Nakamaru’s wrist, pulling him along the corridors to his quarters. Taguchi follows along, laughing and trailing his fingers along the walls.
The doors to Koki’s quarters slide open, and Nakamaru is pushed to have a seat on the edge of Koki’s bunk. He reaches for the bow at Koki’s back, but Taguchi beats him to it, their arms caging Koki between them.
“Let’s keep the apron, Nakamaru,” Taguchi says, eyes locked on Nakamaru’s as Koki wriggles between them.
Nakamaru simply nods, hands pushing Koki’s pants down instead. They slide to the floor, and Koki manages to step out of them and perch on Nakamaru’s lap with Taguchi draped across his back. “I want to watch Taguchi fuck you, Koki,” Nakamaru whispers into Koki’s ear, smiling as Koki shivers.
Taguchi steps back, the better to shrug out of his vest and shirt. He drops them onto the floor, uncaring of the disarray. Nakamaru keeps watching as Taguchi kicks out of his boots and makes short work of his belt and trousers. He slides one hand down the length of Koki’s spine, dragging his nails lightly and squeezing his ass.
Koki whimpers a bit, erection tenting the front of the frilly apron. He bites his lip when Taguchi rummages in his bedside drawer for lubrication, and Nakamaru crushes Koki close, pressing their lips together. It’s enough distraction for Taguchi to slip a single finger into Koki, and he moans into Nakamaru’s mouth.
Nakamaru holds Koki open for Taguchi to slide another finger into him. He revels in the tiny noises Koki can’t quite hold in, and he kisses them from Koki’s lips. It seems like no time at all has passed before Taguchi is pulling the room’s single chair into position for him to face Nakamaru.
Taguchi leans over Koki’s shoulder to nip at Nakamaru’s lips, then takes his seat, knees spread wide apart as he slicks his cock. He pulls Koki from Nakamaru’s grasp, arranging him in his lap. The apron is short enough that Nakamaru can see everything as Taguchi lines himself up and presses slowly into Koki.
Koki’s cheeks are flushed, eyes fluttering shut as Taguchi puts him on display. They still for a few moments, Taguchi only beginning a slow rhythm when Koki squeezes his thigh. Nakamaru feels himself hardening as Koki bounces in Taguchi’s lap; he unbuckles his belt and opens his trousers. He lazily strokes himself, still sated from earlier.
Nakamaru isn’t expecting it when Taguchi presses Koki forward, still roughly fucking him. It leaves him with a lapful of Koki’s face, and he sucks in a breath when Koki flicks his tongue against the head of his cock.
Koki doesn’t stop with that. He glances up at Nakamaru, and with Taguchi’s next thrust he wraps his lips around the tip. Nakamaru snakes one hand into Koki’s hair, holding him in place. Taguchi slows his movements to allow Koki to close his lips around Nakamaru.
Nakamaru lets Koki take him in as far as he can in their current situation, pleasantly surprised when fingers trail along his balls. Koki doesn’t stop there, though; he presses a spot behind them that has Nakamaru thrusting into his mouth. His tip nudges the back of Koki’s throat, and Koki moans around him.
Between the way Koki is sucking him and pressing fingers against his prostate, Nakamaru doesn’t last very long. He pulls Koki back, muttering a quiet, “I’m close.”
Koki whimpers again, as Taguchi slowly starts fucking him again. It’s enough to tip Nakamaru over the edge, and he closes his eyes as Koki does his best to swallow it all. A stray droplet lingers at the corner of his mouth, and Taguchi pulls Koki back against his chest, turning his head to capture it with a flick of his tongue.
Nakamaru slumps back on his elbows, eyes hooded as he watches Taguchi resume fucking Koki twice as hard to make up for lost time. There’s a light sheen of sweat beading their brows, and Koki can’t seem to keep his eyes open as he bites his lip. Taguchi is staring at Nakamaru from over Koki’s shoulder, eyes dark as he sinks his teeth into the tender skin of Koki’s neck; he’s holding Koki upright with an arm around his chest. Taguchi’s other hand skirts under the apron, pausing to pinch Koki’s nipples, drawing broken gasps and moans from him.
“Koki,” Nakamaru begins, making sure his attention is focused on him. “Taguchi isn’t allowed to pull you off. Make what you’re getting count.”
Taguchi groans at the order, and Koki nearly sobs; Taguchi changes his angle and slows down to fuck Koki deeper. Every thrust jolts Koki, and his fingers dig into Taguchi’s thighs as he bites down on his other shoulder. It’s the catalyst that sets off Koki’s orgasm, staining his apron with come. Taguchi turns Koki’s head again, licking his broken moans from his mouth before finally stilling, arms locking around Koki.
Koki’s quarters are silent, save for their labored breathing. Nakamaru stands, looming over Koki and Taguchi still entwined. He runs fingers through Koki’s hair and strokes the side of Taguchi’s face, then unties the apron and drops it to the floor. He helps Koki stand and walks him to the refresher, Taguchi following with a contented stretch.
The shower cubicle is already steaming, and Nakamaru passes Koki to Taguchi so he can undress. He drops his clothes onto the small vanity; he hadn’t done much of anything to make them unwearable for another cycle.
By the time Nakamaru squeezes into the shower, Taguchi is well on his way to scrubbing Koki clean. Their skin is flushed from the heat as they lazily kiss, steam condensing into glistening droplets and rolling down their skin. The two of them gang up on Nakamaru, and the three of them somehow manage to get clean. Navinosuke has fresh towels waiting when they finally finish bathing, and Taguchi speaks up as they dry off.
“Let’s pile up in your bunk, Nakamaru. It’s the roomiest,” he crows. Nakamaru shrugs, unable to look stern in the face of Koki and Taguchi’s playful shoving as they make their way to his quarters.
He’s squashed between them as they struggle to all fit, a tangle of limbs holding him in place. Navinosuke dims the lights and sets the room’s temperature slightly cooler than usual, and Nakamaru drifts off to cozy warmth and quiet breaths. They’ll be busy after this, and they’ll need their strength.
Morning dawns, or as close an approximation as Navinosuke can give them. The holoscreen opposite Nakamaru’s bunk slowly lightens with a pale pink glow, brightening to orange before changing to a clear blue. The light wakes Nakamaru, and he quietly disentangles himself from the sleepy clutches of Koki. The movement wakes Taguchi up, and he blinks the sleep from his eyes. The two of them stand, exchanging a glance as Koki rolls into the center of the bed and burrows under the pillows, grumbling all the while.
They leave Koki to wake up on his own; past experience has proven he’s a holy terror when he’s dragged from his rest. Nakamaru digs a pair of pyjama pants out of his footlocker, then tosses them over his shoulder at Taguchi before finding a pair for himself. Quietly, they head to the galley for a light breakfast.
Once they've finished eating, Nakamaru and Taguchi take the lift to the lower level. The storage bay is across from the lift doors, and Navinosuke has the heavy doors already open. The air is a bit stale, but Nakamaru ignores it in favor of checking boxes. Taguchi makes a beeline for the sensors, and he and Navinosuke run diagnostics on each one.
They make short work of inventory; everything is in order. Koki finally joins them, still sleep-tousled but dressed, and he drags Taguchi to the airlock antechamber to inspect the pressure suits. Nakamaru knows that it will probably take them a while. He returns to his quarters, bypassing the lift in favor of the ladder.
Nakamaru takes a seat at his desk. Out here there's really no need for such a thing, at least in his eyes; Koki insists that they all keep physical copies of their reports. He says that computers might be convenient, but paper, though flimsy, doesn't scramble under duress from magnets. He has his moments of philosophizing.
Though he isn't about to write any reports, Nakamaru feels reassured by the desk's solidarity. He steeples his fingers, thoughts returning to his dream. It's always the same, but he can't recall ever being in such a firefight. There had been many skirmishes he'd been a part of, usually as the mastermind behind the tactics. Perhaps it's some sort of jumbled memories manifesting themselves as dreams.
Maybe they were a manifestation of his own guilt. Though he'd served proudly, rising rapidly through the ranks, there had been many tasks he'd assigned and been assigned to that he wasn't proud of. That was why he was here now, as part of an extended exploratory mission, trying to assuage his lingering guilt. As soon as he'd had the opportunity he'd gotten out of the military, honourably discharged and in high demand in the private sector.
Nakamaru is still lost in thought when Navinosuke flicks the holoscreen on. He's startled from his reverie by Koki's yelling, and when he looks at the screen he sees him draped over Taguchi's shoulder. Koki has a pressure suit on most of the way and looks to be in a state of high distress.
"Dammit, Junno, put me down!" Koki seems to realize they've got an audience and he looks in the general direction of the surveillance camera. "Yucchi! Come help me!"
Nakamaru isn't really sure what they're up to, but it's a welcome distraction from his memories. He rises, doing his best Commander face. "Taguchi! Put Koki down, you know he hates that. You two had better be in a fit state to report on the suits by the time I get down there!"
As soon as he turns his back to the screen, Nakamaru is fighting down the urge to laugh. He takes his time returning to storage, knowing that the two of them will only just snap to attention as the door slides open for him.
As predicted, Koki is straightening his clothes and Taguchi has just raised a hand in salute. Taguchi looks like he’s on the verge of laughter; Koki’s cheeks are flushed and he refuses to look at either of them. “At ease, Taguchi. You know you don’t have to do that,” Nakamaru says, still a bit stern. He focuses his attention on Koki as Taguchi lowers his hand and asks, “Your report, Koki?”
Koki looks up, all business. “The pressure suits are all in good order. Visual inspection shows no damage to them, and they all seal correctly. As for the breathing apparatus, those are also in good working order. The oxygen tanks are full and at a safe pressure.”
“That’s good. What about the sensors, Taguchi?”
“According to the diagnostics Navinosuke and I ran, everything is in perfect condition. Once we recall the sensors in orbit, we can download their data and prepare those for use as well,” is Taguchi’s crisp response.
Nakamaru nods, then adds, “Good work, you two. Once we’ve collected the sensors, we’ll prepare to enter the atmosphere.”
They relax, and Koki returns the pressure suit to its proper place. He leaves the antechamber, Taguchi following closely and leering at Nakamaru. Nakamaru can’t quite contain his grin, and he returns to his own quarters for a shower.
A few hours later, they reconvene in the cockpit. Nakamaru seems to be late-- Junno is already tapping away at controls, ostensibly to recall the orbiting sensors; Koki is curled up with his feet in his chair, poring over a stream of information spilling across his holoscreen.
"We've got a while before the sensors return," Taguchi calls over his shoulder. He returns his attention to the ship, murmuring under his breath, deep in conversation with Navinosuke.
"Yucchi," Koki says, beckoning for Nakamaru to take a seat next to him. "Come look at this."
Nakamaru sits, taking the holoscreen from Koki. It's paused on a still image, an outline of a landmass, huge, outlined with pale sand and covered with verdant growth. It looks like old Earth, and Nakamaru glances at Koki, question not even fully formed before Koki cuts in.
"It's from the planet below, Yucchi. Look at it," he says, eyes shining. "I really want to explore." His hands are curled around the armrest, and Nakamaru knows he'll cave and allow him to go planetside first.
Koki huddles close to Nakamaru, explaining the finer details of the preliminary data. As the time passes, Nakamaru can't help but feel optimistic; it's obvious that Koki and Taguchi feel the same.
Finally Navinosuke chirps; at the same instant Taguchi speaks, strangely monotone. "Sensors are back. Opening the outer airlock doors now." The main holoscreen flashes, showing the airlock opening slowly, the sensors hovering in the vacuum. "Airlock open. Now manually guiding sensors inside."
Nakamaru and Koki watch the screen. Manual guidance is less use of the physical controls and more of the combined efforts of Taguchi and Navinosuke; it's always been sort of eerie to witness.
"All sensors successfully recovered. Closing the outer airlock now." Taguchi stands, bounding to the lift as he adds, "Last one to the airlock has to do my bidding until the next cycle!"
Nakamaru isn't above deftly sidestepping past Koki in their mad scramble to take the ladder. He has the advantage, even though Koki is on his heels by the time he's stepped away from his slide down the ladder. Nakamaru just barely beats Koki to the airlock; he hears an affronted noise behind him, and for a split second he almost feels bad.
A pitiful whimper echoes through the airlock; Nakamaru looks over his shoulder in time to watch as Taguchi loops an arm around Koki’s shoulders and leans down to whisper in his ear. Koki’s expression goes from reluctance to intrigue, and Nakamaru feels the hair on the back of his neck rise. He wonders what he’s in for later.
“Let’s get back to work,” Nakamaru says, trying to hide his wariness.
“On it,” Koki and Taguchi reply in unison, glancing at each other and suppressing grins. They each grab a sensor and take them into storage. Soon the sensors are downloading all of their information into Navinosuke’s memory banks as well as flashing across Koki’s holoscreen. Koki seems to absorb all of the information, absently making notes using Taguchi’s holoscreen.
“This planet really does look like a winner,” Koki says softly, trying not to sound too hopeful. Soon enough all of the information has been transferred, and he flicks his holoscreen off.
"Let's clear this lot away and then begin preparations to get closer for the next round of observations." Nakamaru begins putting the sensor closest to him into its cradle as the others do the same. Everything is put back in its original place quickly, and the three of the head for the cockpit.
Taguchi immediately takes his seat, running a final check with Navinosuke. Koki takes a seat next to him, strapping himself in and preparing to activate the shielding system. Nakamaru observes from his chair, buckled in securely.
Navinosuke chirps again, signifying the all-clear, and Koki leans over to tug at Taguchi’s safety straps. Taguchi makes a strange noise in the back of his throat and he arches into Koki’s touch as best he can. Nakamaru simply watches; when it seems like the two of them will keep going, he has to bark out an order. “Focus, Taguchi! Until we’re safely in the atmosphere, hands to yourself, Koki!”
They both mumble dejectedly. “Yes, sir.”
Koki readies himself to flip switches and adjust dials as Taguchi makes last-minute calculations with Navinosuke. His eyes glaze over, hands resting loosely on the controls as he speaks. “Preparing for atmospheric reentry. Initialize shields.”
Koki’s hands fly over his section of the control panel, brow furrowed in concentration. He only speaks once he’s flipped the final toggle. “Energy shields in place, full power.”
It doesn’t feel like they’re moving, but Nakamaru knows that the ship is gaining speed. Taguchi will actively guide them through the atmosphere, fingers finding every control and switch as he remains linked with Navinosuke. “Angle of reentry determined, course set.”
The main screen shows the outside view; the stars around them seem to blur and begin to move past them as the ship accelerates. The planet seems to move towards them, a green orb growing ever larger.
"Reentry in 30 seconds," Taguchi murmurs. Navinosuke adds a timer to the screen, seconds counting down. Nakamaru feels anticipation bubbling up his spine; it's very reminiscent of the nearly nervous energy he always felt before combat. The timer blinks, 3-2-1, and then they're blistering through the atmosphere.
"Heat shielding is stable," Koki says, continuing to press buttons. "The energy shields are still at full power."
Nakamaru grunts in acknowledgement. The land and seas in the viewscreen are becoming clearer and closer, and he forces himself to keep watching. It's one thing to know he's at a great height, but something completely different to know and watch how quickly he's nearing solid earth.
Navinosuke trills and Taguchi speaks. "Engaging feather wing configuration."
The viewscreen shifts to show the wings silently realigning themselves, changing from smooth aerodynamic planes into sharply angled points. The new shape increases drag and slows the ship's speed considerably. Nakamaru feels slightly better with the knowledge, and relaxes his grip on his chair.
The ship has slowed its descent to well below supersonic speeds now, and the viewscreen shows the seas below them shimmering aqua. They're near the equator according to Navinosuke's calculations scrolling along the viewscreen, and in the distance he can see the green of one of the huge forests drawing nearer.
Taguchi presses more buttons, engaging the braking system. The pneumatic jets hiss silently on the viewscreen and the ship gradually loses speed and altitude. Taguchi flips another switch, bringing up the encroaching landmass on Nakamaru's personal holoscreen. "Tell me where you want us to land, Nakamaru. We can fly over the coastline until you decide," he says, Navinosuke beeping in agreement.
Nakamaru studies the map as it appears on his screen. The coast is undulating, a strip of pale sand edged by verdant green. A cove catches his eye, protected by rocky cliffs on one side. A streamlet cuts a path through the forest, and it will be good shelter. Nakamaru highlights the spot on his screen, and glances up to make sure it’s visible on the main screen. “The cove there, Taguchi. That’s where we’ll land.”
“Yes sir,” Taguchi murmurs. He overshoots the target, giving himself more time to decelerate as he brings the ship in a tight loop, settling down in the shade of the cliffs. The ship settles gently in the sand, and Taguchi refocuses on the cockpit around him. He turns to look at Koki, then Nakamaru. “We’ve landed,” he says, unbuckling himself and then reaching over to undo Koki’s safety harness.
Nakamaru unbuckles his harness and stands, clasping his hands behind his back. “Good work. However, we will not leave the ship until we’ve collected more information. Taguchi, get ready to mobilize the sensors. Koki and I will move them into the airlock for you.”
Taguchi pulls Koki down by the arm and seems to be whispering into his ear. When they both look up at him, Nakamaru can’t help but feel disquiet. He’s getting that hair-raising feeling on the back of his neck again.
Koki crosses the cockpit, smiling sweetly as he grabs Nakamaru's wrist. "Come on, Yucchi. There's science waiting to happen," he says. Nakamaru nods, catching a glimpse of Taguchi smirking. He steels his nerves for whatever they have planned as Koki pulls him to the lift.
It's eerily silent as they make their way to storage. Koki doesn't say anything when they begin carrying sensors into the airlock, finishing the task quickly. As soon as Nakamaru secures the door between storage and the airlock, Koki is on him.
Taguchi's voice sounds over the intercom. "Nakamaru, since Koki lost our race earlier, he has to follow my every command until the next time we have a night cycle. We've a few hours, especially since Navinosuke will be synchronizing our schedule with the suns. I hope it's no trouble that I've co-opted you into my scheme."
"Of course not." Koki's hands are sneaking under Nakamaru's shirt. "I assume you're watching on the main screen?"
"Correct. Would you like to continue where you are? I believe there are slippery things secreted away in the workbench." Taguchi sounds smug as Nakamaru considers his options. Koki's breath is warm against his neck.
"Here will be just fine," Nakamaru says. Taguchi makes a delighted noise, and it echoes through the room.
"Perfect," Taguchi begins. "First, Koki will undress. Make it good for us."
Koki lets out a quiet breath, looking up at Nakamaru as he takes a step back. He's been wearing his medic's jacket, a close-fitting affair in black and white with the universal red insignia. Koki locks eyes with Nakamaru, and bites his lip as he starts pulling the collar tab open. The zipper is next, and Koki pulls it down so slowly that Nakamaru can hear each click of the zipper’s teeth opening in the quiet of the room. Koki lets the jacket fall open, then shrugs it off of his shoulders and allows it to slide down his arms and drop onto the floor. Nakamaru isn’t surprised that Koki went without a shirt; Taguchi’s laughter rings through the comm system as he says, “Good, good, keep going, Koki.”
Apparently, “keep going” means for Koki to step back into Nakamaru’s personal space and slide his jacket off as well. Koki slips his hands under Nakamaru’s shirt, scratching lightly as he pulls it up for Nakamaru to finish pulling over his own head. Koki curls his hands around Nakamaru’s shoulders and urges him to lean down for a kiss.
Nakamaru does so, pressing his lips against Koki’s for a brief moment. Koki digs his fingernails into Nakamaru’s shoulder blades in a fit of impatience, and Nakamaru pulls back, glancing up toward the surveillance camera to ask a question. “Taguchi, just to clarify, what exactly did you want Koki to do here? He seems to be getting a bit impatient.”
Taguchi responds, words coming slowly, as if he’s too focused on other things. “How about... you just be my proxy? Either way I just want to watch, you know.” There’s a rustling sound, almost like Taguchi is fussing with his clothes. A bit of a sigh, and he continues talking. “I think Koki needs to be spread out over the workbench, made a mess of, that’s what I want to see.”
“Ah. Well then,” Nakamaru says, returning his attention to Koki. “I think that can be done.”
He gently pries Koki’s hands from his shoulders, holding them out to both sides as he walks Koki backwards to the workbench. He doesn’t stop once Koki’s pressed between the unyielding metal and his hips; he grinds their growing erections against each other, pulling a gasp from Koki. Nakamaru places Koki’s hands against the edge of the bench, then steps back enough to undo Koki’s belt buckle and pants. Before he pulls them very far down, Nakamaru presses one hand against the center of Koki’s chest, a clear hint to lay back.
Koki wriggles away from Nakamaru’s touch for a second, then settles onto the workbench and kicks off his boots before laying down. Nakamaru takes a moment to appreciate the view; Koki’s skin is flushed, pants pulled low enough for his erect cock to be put on display. Nakamaru finally resumes undressing Koki, urging him to lift his hips. In retaliation for earlier, Nakamaru drags his own nails down Koki’s legs. His pants fall to the floor, and Nakamaru simply looks.
A drawer pops open on the side of the workbench, and Nakamaru pulls it out, smirking when he sees the contents. Koki looks unsettled, especially when Nakamaru shows him what he’s found. “It seems you’ve left things in strange places, Koki. Shouldn’t these be in the medbay?” Nakamaru asks, holding a gleaming pair of rubber-tipped forceps for Koki to see. “I’ve found two sets. Perhaps Taguchi has some suggestions?”
Laughter sounds over the comm again, and Nakamaru is nearly certain he hears Navinosuke’s metallic laugh as well. “I think you’ll be able to improvise just fine, Nakamaru,” Taguchi says, smirk evident in his voice.
Nakamaru shrugs, then drags the tip of the forceps up the middle of Koki’s chest. He opens them, closing them on the middle of Koki’s lower lip for a moment, considering. That’s not quite where he thinks they should be, and Koki’s tongue flicks out to wet his lips the moment he pulls the forceps away.
Koki is doing his best to keep his hands at his sides; he’s visibly trembling under Nakamaru’s scrutiny. “Yucchi,” he whispers, gasping when Nakamaru pinches the flesh of first one bicep, then the other. The pinching happens at random, and Nakamaru varies how long and hard each stop pinches. Nakamaru finally tires of it, pinching one of Koki’s nipples and locking the forceps in place.
“You’re doing well, Koki,” Taguchi says. His voice sounds strained, and Nakamaru knows exactly what he’s doing all alone in the cockpit.
Nakamaru doesn’t waste any time with the second pair of forceps; he locks them closed on Koki’s other nipple. He steps away to give Taguchi a better view, then returns to Koki’s side, running fingers through his hair. “You’ll be fine, Koki; you can do this,” Nakamaru whispers against his ear.
Another drawer pops open, Navinosuke urging them along with his hints. Nakamaru takes the lube, holding it up for Koki to see before he walks to the other end of the workbench. Koki tries his best to get into position for Nakamaru without too much movement; he spreads his legs without being prompted, and Nakamaru smiles down at Koki as he pulls one of his ankles up to rest on his shoulder.
Nakamaru opens the tube, coating his fingers and leaving the lube within easy reach. He trails them along the insides of Koki’s thighs, then trails them along the delicate skin of his balls. Koki gasps in surprise when Nakamaru slowly presses a finger against his rim and inside, pulling it back and forth gently before adding a second finger. After that, Nakamaru goes considerably faster, fingering Koki until he’s three fingers deep and Koki can’t stay still.
“Nakamaru, go ahead and fuck him,” Taguchi groans through the comm. “Make it fast, I can’t take much more waiting.”
Nakamaru pulls his fingers free, then unbuckles his belt and trousers. He pulls them down only far enough to free his cock and slicks himself. Nakamaru presses in slowly, giving Koki time to adjust, then pulls out just as slowly. After that he’s relentless, thrusting as hard and as deeply as he can. Nakamaru wraps his fingers around Koki’s ankle, pulling him closer and eliciting a moan. His ears are full of Koki’s broken noises and the sounds he can hear Taguchi making over the comm system, and he can feel the sweat beading on his brow from exertion.
Nakamaru knows he’s getting close, and he pries one of Koki’s hands from its death grip on the edge of the workbench. Koki closes his fist on himself, hand flying up and down his cock. He clenches around Nakamaru as he gets closer to orgasm, and it’s harder for Nakamaru to thrust into his tight heat. It’s Taguchi’s ragged voice that sends them over the edge, a choked-off sound that makes Koki tighten even more as he spills over his own hand. Nakamaru’s hips stutter to a halt, his eyes barely seeing the vision Koki makes below him, eyes closed as his chest heaves, nipples red from the pressure of the forceps. He pulls out slowly, gasping, and collects himself enough to unlock the forceps. Koki sucks in a breath through his teeth, still spread out across the workbench.
Taguchi speaks up again, sounding a bit breathless. “Nakamaru, you’re free to clean up if you’d like, but I’d like for you to bring Koki to my quarters mess-and-all. I’ll take care of picking up after you two once I’ve deployed the sensors.”
Nakamaru wipes himself off with a rag from the workbench, then adjusts himself and closes his pants. He helps Koki sit up, laughing a bit at the pitiful whine he lets slip as he gingerly hops off the bench. Nakamaru slings an arm around Koki’s shoulders and leads him to the lift, and helps him crawl into Taguchi’s bunk. He presses one more kiss against Koki’s lips, then returns to his own room.
The comm jangles once again as Nakamaru enters his quarters. "The sensors have been deployed successfully, Commander," Taguchi informs him, all business for the moment. The mirth is suddenly evident in his voice as he adds, "Want to join us later?"
"I'd like to rest for a while, Taguchi," Nakamaru says as he settles in at his desk. He stares straight ahead, eyes unseeing. He thinks the feeling welling up in his gut is apprehension.
Taguchi's voice slices through his thoughts, serious once again. "You know you can talk to either of us, right? You know how worried Koki gets, and then it spreads to me and that's no fun at all."
"I know, Taguchi. I just need to think for a bit."
"Got it. You know where we'll be, and you're welcome to join us." The comm falls silent, leaving Nakamaru with only the quiet hum of the ship and his thoughts. He shifts in his seat, willing himself to relax and try to work out why he feels... however it is that he's feeling. Nervous, optimistic, worried, excited. It's hard to settle on one.
He sits at his desk lost in thought until well after the holoscreen feed of the double suns both set.
Part II
Pairing/Group: Nakamaru Yuichi/Taguchi Junnosuke/Tanaka Koki, Nakamaru Yuichi/Taguchi Junnosuke, Taguchi Junnosuke/Tanaka Koki, Nakamaru Yuichi/Tanaka Koki
Rating/Warnings: NC-17-- Sci-fi AU, loads of sex which includes voyeurism and double penetration, also tentacles
Word Count: 16,643 according to gdocs
Summary: Nakamaru Yuichi's mission is to search out new worlds for humanity to colonize; so far, they've all been bust. Maybe not this time, though.
[i have some things to say which include ]
Or, that one time I wanted that on my wishlist, but then I wrote it myself. I opened up a " leave me some kinks" post months ago, and I got "tentacles" and "aphrodisiacs/sex pollen" as two of them. Not that I want to out who left them for me, but I do want to thank yue_akuma for providing me with the motivation to make NTT in space happen.
Also I have to say a thousand thanks to je_levy for playing idea baseball with me, and beta-ing despite her very full schedule and other obligations. She's just generally amazing, and seriously was a great help over the past while that I wrote this over. I need to mention sekky_chan as well, for all of her gdocs lurking.
Nakamaru is running, the weight of his plasma rifle getting steadily heavier. He's not sure where his team is; their comms have been eerily silent and even if he could hear anything, the noise of the battlefield would drown their voices out.
A shell screams through the air, too close, and Nakamaru knows he's done for. His armor has taken too much damage for far too long without a chance for the power cells to recharge. The blast knocks him to the dirt, and try as he might, he's unable to stay conscious.
His eyes snap open as he bolts upright. It always happens this way, every time he wakes up from suspended animation. Everything Koki has tried to make awakening easier has failed; every time they all wake from their slumber Koki diligently records what Nakamaru had dreamt, and pores over the computer's records of his vital signs. Nakamaru appreciates his efforts, though, and also the way he pouts over readouts in his makeshift lab.
Nakamaru hears a gasp to his right. He tenses, hand going for the sidearm that is stowed away in his quarters. The noise turns into a whimper and quiet rustling of clothing, and Nakamaru relaxes, rolling his eyes.
"I've told you time and time again, Taguchi. Regulations state that the captain of the mission is to be first awoken. There is actually a reason for this rule."
"Can't help it, I tell Navinosuke to do it like you say between every jump. He's the one at fault," Taguchi's words are vaguely sing-song as he replies.
"Don't blame the A.I. for your rule-breaking!" Nakamaru feels like he will never not wake up to this exchange. Finally he swings his legs off of the cot, settling his bare feet against the cool floor.
He can't deny the fact that he's definitely all right with Taguchi's infractions. Nakamaru's eyelids lower and he adjusts himself as he watches the way Taguchi, and Navinosuke, help Koki return to full awareness.
Navinosuke's part is mostly over; the ship's computer had woken Taguchi first so he could get a head-start on the proceedings. The nourishment drip is still in Koki's arm, and Taguchi is taking care not to jostle it until the ship has fully released Koki from the wires and tubes that sustain them as they travel through the stars; however, that doesn't stop Taguchi from leaning over Koki to ghost fingers down his bare chest.
The last of the wires have sunk back into the recesses of the cot. Taguchi carefully climbs onto it, straddling Koki's hips. Koki's fingers twitch and Taguchi twines their hands together before pinning Koki's wrists above his head. He leans forward and Nakamaru watches as Taguchi flicks his tongue against Koki's slightly parted lips.
It seems to be the catalyst for Koki's return to awareness. His lax fingers grasp Taguchi's hands as his eyes flutter open, hips rising to meet Taguchi's as they properly kiss. The only sounds in the medbay are the quiet hum of recycled air and the steadily increasing noises passing between Koki and Taguchi's lips. Nakamaru slips one hand into his loose pants, stroking himself in time with Taguchi's thrusts against Koki.
The two of them have been doing this for as long as they’ve been a team; Nakamaru doesn’t know their exact circumstances, but they had no problems with letting him watch. Nakamaru is content with that, and Taguchi and Koki are happy to oblige. He’s fully hard now, and Nakamaru continues his relaxed pace.
It’s definitely a contrast compared to the rough way Taguchi and Koki are grinding their cocks together. Taguchi has got both of Koki’s wrists trapped under one of his hands, and his other hand has slipped between them. Koki writhes as Taguchi’s hand pulls his pants out of the way and wraps around both of their cocks. It’s a quiet sort of struggle, and it’s one that Nakamaru doesn’t tire of watching.
They never last long when they first awaken, and Nakamaru is first to finish. Navinosuke helpfully pings the cot to open a drawer filled with warm cloths. Nakamaru silently thanks the computer as he wipes himself clean; for some reason it’s always such a pain to fiddle with the ultrasonic cleaning unit for single pieces of clothing.
Taguchi and Koki groan simultaneously and still, and they slump together. Koki pulls his hands free and snakes them into Taguchi’s hair, holding him in place as they lazily kiss. As nice is that is, they’ve got things to do since they’ve actually been awoken from their slumber.
“Oi! Come on, you two, let’s see what we’ve got happening today,” Nakamaru says. He stands, crossing the medbay in a few long strides. His first stop will be his quarters; Nakamaru feels much more reassured when he’s fully dressed and armed, even when he’s confined to the STAR RIDER.
The three of them have been together for a long time now, nearly several lifetimes had they not spent stretches of their voyage in suspension. The STAR RIDER’s mission is to search out habitable planets for colonization-- and it really is the ship’s mission, in a way, since it monitors the three of them as they slumber and uses its remote sensors to scan the vast expanse of space they travel through.
Navinosuke monitors their surroundings for stars that fit several criteria: its spectral class, whether or not it has a stable habitable zone, and high metallicity. Nakamaru takes that to mean in layman’s terms how bright the star is, if it’s got a planet at the perfect distance to keep water liquid and humanity comfortable, and if the star has heavy metals within its core as well as the hydrogen and helium powering its fusion. Past that, the candidate planets have to be terrestrial, since it’s still impossible to survive in the crushing atmospheres of gas giants like Jupiter back home; the planets also have to have enough mass to generate their own gravity.
Nakamaru doesn’t much want to think about what’s prompted Navinosuke to wake them; all he wants to think about is standing in his steam shower and fully waking up. Somehow he always feels grimy after a session of suspended animation, and this time is no exception. This potential colony is probably not going to pan out; it seems like every planet and asteroid and sun is a tantalizing new possibility, yet they’ve all been lacking upon closer inspection.
The door to Nakamaru’s quarters slides open as he nears. He shoves his pants down and off, tossing them onto his bunk. He knows he’d programmed his preferences into Navinosuke’s memory years ago, but it’s reassuring to wake up to fresh linens and a fully-charged laser pistol on top of his pillow. He tries not to think of the exact logistics; the computer somehow never answers, and Taguchi skirts explaining it every time. It’s just a fact of life, and he has other concerns at the moment.
He steps into the shower cubicle, shoulders slumping as the steam envelopes him. As much as he’d love to stay longer, perhaps have the shower simulate rainfall for him, Nakamaru only stays long enough to feel the faintest beginnings of clean. Reluctantly, he mutters off and the door slides open, steam remnants spilling around his calves. A towel is waiting for him, and he takes his time drying off. Nakamaru hangs it up carefully and exits the refresher.
Nakamaru chooses a pair of black trousers with plenty of pockets and a plain shirt. He finishes it off with a jacket zipped all the way up under his chin, and sits on the edge of his bunk to pull on his boots. Finally, he stands and buckles his belt, holstering his pistol.
He steps out into the hallway between the sleeping quarters and Koki’s lab, boots steadily clanking against the floor as he bypasses the lift. Nakamaru climbs up the auxiliary ladder next to it, surprised to see that Taguchi has already made it to the cockpit.
“Did you have the dreams again, Nakamaru? Koki told me you should go see him first, then we’ll all see what Navinosuke’s found,” Junno says. He’s engrossed with checking the instrument panels, fingers stroking inanimate plastic reverently, so Nakamaru leaves him to it.
He returns the way he came, hooking his feet around the outsides of the ladder rungs and sliding down. It’s always a spot of fun, and he knows the others do it too.
Nakamaru steps through the open door of Koki’s lab. It had been repurposed from its original beginnings as sleeping quarters. The bunk was in the corner, untouched; Koki actually had had a desk and chairs added before they’d even left on their mission, back when they were stationed on Europa.
Koki’s sitting at his desk, pressing buttons on the holoscreen in front of him. He’s got an intense look of concentration on his face, biting his lip as he reads the data scrolling before his eyes. “Yucchi,” Koki spares a glance up at Nakamaru, then continues. “What, you’re surprised that Junno and I are dressed and actually doing work? Your showers last a lot longer than you think.”
Koki laughs a little, then sobers up. “You had the dream again, didn’t you? It looks like it from the vitals, so spill.”
“It was the same as it’s always been.” Nakamaru shrugs as he takes a seat. “I guess I should just get used to it. It’s not like we got some sort of breakthrough missive about something that will help... Or did we?”
It’s too much to hope for, Nakamaru knows, but he’s always so exhausted after one of his dreams. Koki’s been trying so hard to help, and it’s clear he worries about it, try as he might to be flippant. The first few times, even Taguchi had tried helping in his own way; it hadn’t ended well, and now the other man made sure Nakamaru was fully aware of his surroundings before engaging in affections.
Koki looks away from the screen, making eye contact with Nakamaru before shaking his head. He slides his hand across the desk and rests his hand on Nakamaru’s. “You’d tell me if they got worse, yeah? Like if you started having the dreams during normal sleep?”
Nakamaru simply nods, turning his hand over to squeeze Koki’s. “You ready to see what Navinosuke’s found?”
This time Koki nods. He pulls his hand away, minimizing the holoscreen and standing, pulling up his loose sleeping pants. Koki always had had a different standard of being dressed. “Shall we, Yucchi?”
Nakamaru accepts his outstretched hand and rises, the two of them opting to take the lift. The doors open, revealing Taguchi sprawled across his chair. He’s completely still, eyes focused on nothing. If he hadn’t seen such a thing time and again, it would be unsettling; honestly, the first time Nakamaru had witnessed Taguchi’s link with the ship, he’d thought something was actually wrong.
Nakamaru and Koki take their seats and settle in. There’s no telling how long Junno will take, and their time will be better spent if they pull up the preliminary readings on the candidate planet. As he skims through the information, Nakamaru is glad for having suspended animation, even if he has terrible dreams; every time Navinosuke picks up a potential analogue for old Earth, the ship settles in to observe its orbit and rotation, and to determine if it’s in its star’s habitable zone.
“Remember that time you dressed up as Goldilocks for me, Koki?” Taguchi asks, eyes still unfocused. This story somehow always comes up every time they first review data; in some ways Nakamaru wishes that the tale of Goldilocks and her requirements of “just right” had never made its way into Taguchi’s memories.
Nakamaru’s lips twitch as he recalls his first encounter with Mari-chan. He’d had no idea what to make of the girl he’d encountered in Taguchi’s quarters on their last night-cycle before leaving Europa. He’d had no idea where she’d come from, only that she had pouty red lips and an indecently short skirt; she wasn’t blonde, but Taguchi had been whispering into her ear about how naughty she’d been to intrude upon his bed.
“How can I forget when you keep bringing it up, Junno!?” Koki snaps, trying his best to focus on his holoscreen.
Nakamaru catches Koki’s eye, smirking at the way he flushes all the way down his chest. He can’t resist as he agrees with Taguchi, earning a filthy look from Koki. “I kind of miss Mari-chan, don’t you, Taguchi? I thought she was delightful,” Nakamaru says. He sobers up, then continues. “Though first we should go over this information.”
Koki sullenly agrees, though the effect is ruined by the way his lips curve up ever so slightly. “So far this planet seems very similar to old Earth, even if it’s part of a binary system. Usually having two suns doesn’t work out so well for potential habitability,” Koki says. Nakamaru likes the simplicity; he’d never been one for scientific learning.
“What does the atmosphere seem like?” Nakamaru asks. The words on his holoscreen are a jumble of jargon: troposphere, thermosphere, and magnetosphere are just a sampling of them. Just a jumble of spheres, and they’re all intangible.
“Long distance observation seems to show that it has considerable weather activity. Between its thickness and clouds forming, the planet seems to be shielded from most of the ultraviolet radiation.” Koki flicks through several screens’ worth of words, eyes rapidly moving as he skims. “Ah, here are the results of the probe Navinosuke sent down while we were out.”
Judging from how pleased Koki sounds, Nakamaru assumes it must be good. Maybe this planet will be one that humanity can colonize, and they’ll have accomplished something for the good of all mankind. Nakamaru would very much like to be able to have such a discovery as one of his last-recorded deeds; he still has moments of terrible regret.
Nakamaru looks up, finding himself under the concerned gazes of both Koki and Taguchi. He clears his throat and pointedly prompts, “The atmosphere?”
“Looks to be a 75/25 split, nitrogen to oxygen. There are trace amounts of other gases, none of them harmful at these concentrations,” Koki says.
Taguchi is still staring. It’s still a bit unsettling after all their years together. “Taguchi, is there something on my face?” Nakamaru asks, unable to refrain from wiping at his nose.
Taguchi shakes his head in the negative, and Nakamaru refocuses on their current task. “Well then, do we think that we should take a closer look? It seems to have humanity’s basic necessities for living comfortably from the data.”
Koki nods enthusiastically; Nakamaru knows he does tire of seeing the same sterile walls. He looks to Taguchi, and gets a more restrained nod.
“All right, it’s agreed then. Taguchi and Navinosuke will take us into the atmosphere, where we will further observe planetary conditions. After we’ve collected enough data, we’ll discuss landing and exploring the surface.” Nakamaru finishes, and then minimizes his holoscreen.
He gets up, crossing the room to look at the planet and its suns through the screen that serves as an observation window. It really does look the way old Earth did, at least from this distance. Nakamaru lingers for a few moments, then heads for his quarters once more.
Koki and Taguchi whisper behind him as the lift doors slide shut. Nakamaru ignores it; he simply wishes they didn’t worry so much.
*
Once Nakamaru reaches his quarters, he sits heavily upon the edge of his bunk. It seems to be getting harder to recover from his dreams, or at least it does this time. It’s hard to remember much of their past awakenings, though they’ve all been mostly uneventful.
He kicks off his boots and unholsters his pistol, laying it atop the table next to him. Nakamaru mutters for Navinosuke to dim the lights and lock the door, and he lies back, closing his eyes.
Nakamaru wakes up, hand going for his pistol before he remembers where he is, and whose arm is draped over his waist.
“Dammit, Taguchi, I’ve told you not to sneak around and crawl into beds,” Nakamaru huffs out a breath, then tries to roll onto his back. “The door was also locked. For a reason.”
“Mmm, of course it was locked. I opened it, for a reason,” Taguchi retorts, smug as ever. “Aren’t you hungry? Navinosuke got the hydroponics growing a few days before he woke us up, and Koki’s fixing good things to eat. He’s wearing the cutest apron, so come and see.”
Though Taguchi’s words are urging Nakamaru to get up, his hand has been doing otherwise. Nakamaru’s pants are decidedly uncomfortable, and not just because he fell asleep in them. Taguchi’s snaked a hand in them, ignoring the buckle and zipper and common decency, and he’s gently stroking Nakamaru to full hardness.
“You should finish what you’ve started, Taguchi,” Nakamaru murmurs. He works his hands free from the way Taguchi has him pinned, and opens his buckle and pants. Taguchi presses his lips to the side of Nakamaru’s neck for the barest kiss and then slides down. Before he even does anything, Taguchi looks up at Nakamaru and makes a show of licking his lips.
“I want you to watch the entire time, Nakamaru.” Taguchi smirks, then slowly leans forward, hot breath ghosting over the head of Nakamaru’s cock. An equally warm tongue teases the sensitive tip before Nakamaru loses patience and thrusts his hips up.
Taguchi makes a strained noise at that, narrowing his eyes at Nakamaru. Before he goes any further, he locks an arm across his hips. Nakamaru laughs a bit, and it prompts Taguchi to properly start. He stops laughing abruptly when warm lips close over him, then slowly take him in.
Nakamaru sucks in a breath when he feels the back of Taguchi’s throat, and his reward is a superior chuckle around his cock. His fingers grab at the sheets and he groans when Taguchi starts bobbing his head back and forth, cheeks hollowing. It’s a struggle for him to keep his eyes open, but Taguchi helps by pinching his hip whenever they even hint at fluttering closed.
The warmth and wetness surrounding him is too much to bear, and Nakamaru doesn’t get a chance to give any warning. Taguchi seems to realize what’s happening and backs off, just enough to keep from choking. That image tips Nakamaru over the edge, and his orgasm washes over him.
Taguchi diligently stays where he is until Nakamaru’s hips still and he relaxes. He throws an arm over his eyes, chest heaving as Taguchi pulls away. Nakamaru jumps when Taguchi tucks him back into his pants and fastens them.
“What about you, Taguchi?” Nakamaru asks as he sits up.
His only response is a grin as Taguchi adjusts himself. “It will be fun to wait. I’m telling you, it’s a cute apron,” Taguchi insists.
Nakamaru follows Taguchi to the galley. It's actually quite spacious, most of the room dedicated to the banks of plants growing and their artificial sunlight. Nakamaru wishes that he'd had the ship outfitted with a proper greenhouse, or as close as one could get; Koki seemed to spend as much time as he possibly could in the galley, basking in the weak approximation of sunshine.
Taguchi was right about the apron; Nakamaru appreciates the view, a sloppy bow resting at the small of Koki's back. He still hadn’t bothered with changing out of his sleep pants, and the waistband rests low on his hips.
“I can feel you staring, Yucchi,” Koki says, not even bothering to look over his shoulder. “Save it for later.”
Nakamaru laughs as he takes a seat at the table. He watches as Taguchi crosses the room to shadow Koki, amused by the way they playfully shove at each other. They finally finish roughhousing, and Koki brings his own plate piled with greens to the table. He nudges Nakamaru in the shin muttering the whole while. “Just because I’m wearing this doesn’t mean I’m going to wait on you hand and foot.”
“Of course, that’s later, isn’t it?” Taguchi cuts in, barely able to repress his self-satisfied laughter. Koki hits him in the upper arm, appeased when Taguchi abruptly shuts his mouth; he looks slightly affronted.
“Don’t be a baby,” is all Koki says. Then he’s preoccupied with eating, though to be fair it has been some time since they last ate actual food. Nakamaru is looking forward to the delicate crunch of fresh vegetables, as well as the impending banter. It’s been far too long.
They eat in a companionable silence, only broken by quiet crunching. Nakamaru waits until the others are finished eating before broaching business. "When do we want to enter the atmosphere? As soon as possible? Or shall we have a rest cycle and check supply status?" Nakamaru looks first at Koki's face as he contemplates the options; Taguchi's eyes have gone blank as he calculates and confers with Navinosuke.
Taguchi blinks back to full awareness, then glances at Koki. "Sleep, inventory, then atmospheric entry. We'll go in near the equator, find somewhere suitable to land, then deploy our long-range sensors and scanners."
"I'll check out our pressure suits and breathing apparatus. We can explore planetside only when I get more detailed information on the air," Koki says. "Who's going to stay with the ship?"
Nakamaru drums his fingers on the tabletop as he considers. "Rock paper scissors for it when we have the all-clear from Koki," he says, unable to keep from grinning at the way Koki and Taguchi stare each other down. They’re very competitive, to put it mildly.
The three of them clear away the dishes, placing them in the compact ultrasonic unit. Once they’ve finished and Koki’s made sure some form of protein is being rehydrated in the cooler, Koki wraps one hand around Nakamaru’s wrist, pulling him along the corridors to his quarters. Taguchi follows along, laughing and trailing his fingers along the walls.
The doors to Koki’s quarters slide open, and Nakamaru is pushed to have a seat on the edge of Koki’s bunk. He reaches for the bow at Koki’s back, but Taguchi beats him to it, their arms caging Koki between them.
“Let’s keep the apron, Nakamaru,” Taguchi says, eyes locked on Nakamaru’s as Koki wriggles between them.
Nakamaru simply nods, hands pushing Koki’s pants down instead. They slide to the floor, and Koki manages to step out of them and perch on Nakamaru’s lap with Taguchi draped across his back. “I want to watch Taguchi fuck you, Koki,” Nakamaru whispers into Koki’s ear, smiling as Koki shivers.
Taguchi steps back, the better to shrug out of his vest and shirt. He drops them onto the floor, uncaring of the disarray. Nakamaru keeps watching as Taguchi kicks out of his boots and makes short work of his belt and trousers. He slides one hand down the length of Koki’s spine, dragging his nails lightly and squeezing his ass.
Koki whimpers a bit, erection tenting the front of the frilly apron. He bites his lip when Taguchi rummages in his bedside drawer for lubrication, and Nakamaru crushes Koki close, pressing their lips together. It’s enough distraction for Taguchi to slip a single finger into Koki, and he moans into Nakamaru’s mouth.
Nakamaru holds Koki open for Taguchi to slide another finger into him. He revels in the tiny noises Koki can’t quite hold in, and he kisses them from Koki’s lips. It seems like no time at all has passed before Taguchi is pulling the room’s single chair into position for him to face Nakamaru.
Taguchi leans over Koki’s shoulder to nip at Nakamaru’s lips, then takes his seat, knees spread wide apart as he slicks his cock. He pulls Koki from Nakamaru’s grasp, arranging him in his lap. The apron is short enough that Nakamaru can see everything as Taguchi lines himself up and presses slowly into Koki.
Koki’s cheeks are flushed, eyes fluttering shut as Taguchi puts him on display. They still for a few moments, Taguchi only beginning a slow rhythm when Koki squeezes his thigh. Nakamaru feels himself hardening as Koki bounces in Taguchi’s lap; he unbuckles his belt and opens his trousers. He lazily strokes himself, still sated from earlier.
Nakamaru isn’t expecting it when Taguchi presses Koki forward, still roughly fucking him. It leaves him with a lapful of Koki’s face, and he sucks in a breath when Koki flicks his tongue against the head of his cock.
Koki doesn’t stop with that. He glances up at Nakamaru, and with Taguchi’s next thrust he wraps his lips around the tip. Nakamaru snakes one hand into Koki’s hair, holding him in place. Taguchi slows his movements to allow Koki to close his lips around Nakamaru.
Nakamaru lets Koki take him in as far as he can in their current situation, pleasantly surprised when fingers trail along his balls. Koki doesn’t stop there, though; he presses a spot behind them that has Nakamaru thrusting into his mouth. His tip nudges the back of Koki’s throat, and Koki moans around him.
Between the way Koki is sucking him and pressing fingers against his prostate, Nakamaru doesn’t last very long. He pulls Koki back, muttering a quiet, “I’m close.”
Koki whimpers again, as Taguchi slowly starts fucking him again. It’s enough to tip Nakamaru over the edge, and he closes his eyes as Koki does his best to swallow it all. A stray droplet lingers at the corner of his mouth, and Taguchi pulls Koki back against his chest, turning his head to capture it with a flick of his tongue.
Nakamaru slumps back on his elbows, eyes hooded as he watches Taguchi resume fucking Koki twice as hard to make up for lost time. There’s a light sheen of sweat beading their brows, and Koki can’t seem to keep his eyes open as he bites his lip. Taguchi is staring at Nakamaru from over Koki’s shoulder, eyes dark as he sinks his teeth into the tender skin of Koki’s neck; he’s holding Koki upright with an arm around his chest. Taguchi’s other hand skirts under the apron, pausing to pinch Koki’s nipples, drawing broken gasps and moans from him.
“Koki,” Nakamaru begins, making sure his attention is focused on him. “Taguchi isn’t allowed to pull you off. Make what you’re getting count.”
Taguchi groans at the order, and Koki nearly sobs; Taguchi changes his angle and slows down to fuck Koki deeper. Every thrust jolts Koki, and his fingers dig into Taguchi’s thighs as he bites down on his other shoulder. It’s the catalyst that sets off Koki’s orgasm, staining his apron with come. Taguchi turns Koki’s head again, licking his broken moans from his mouth before finally stilling, arms locking around Koki.
Koki’s quarters are silent, save for their labored breathing. Nakamaru stands, looming over Koki and Taguchi still entwined. He runs fingers through Koki’s hair and strokes the side of Taguchi’s face, then unties the apron and drops it to the floor. He helps Koki stand and walks him to the refresher, Taguchi following with a contented stretch.
The shower cubicle is already steaming, and Nakamaru passes Koki to Taguchi so he can undress. He drops his clothes onto the small vanity; he hadn’t done much of anything to make them unwearable for another cycle.
By the time Nakamaru squeezes into the shower, Taguchi is well on his way to scrubbing Koki clean. Their skin is flushed from the heat as they lazily kiss, steam condensing into glistening droplets and rolling down their skin. The two of them gang up on Nakamaru, and the three of them somehow manage to get clean. Navinosuke has fresh towels waiting when they finally finish bathing, and Taguchi speaks up as they dry off.
“Let’s pile up in your bunk, Nakamaru. It’s the roomiest,” he crows. Nakamaru shrugs, unable to look stern in the face of Koki and Taguchi’s playful shoving as they make their way to his quarters.
He’s squashed between them as they struggle to all fit, a tangle of limbs holding him in place. Navinosuke dims the lights and sets the room’s temperature slightly cooler than usual, and Nakamaru drifts off to cozy warmth and quiet breaths. They’ll be busy after this, and they’ll need their strength.
Morning dawns, or as close an approximation as Navinosuke can give them. The holoscreen opposite Nakamaru’s bunk slowly lightens with a pale pink glow, brightening to orange before changing to a clear blue. The light wakes Nakamaru, and he quietly disentangles himself from the sleepy clutches of Koki. The movement wakes Taguchi up, and he blinks the sleep from his eyes. The two of them stand, exchanging a glance as Koki rolls into the center of the bed and burrows under the pillows, grumbling all the while.
They leave Koki to wake up on his own; past experience has proven he’s a holy terror when he’s dragged from his rest. Nakamaru digs a pair of pyjama pants out of his footlocker, then tosses them over his shoulder at Taguchi before finding a pair for himself. Quietly, they head to the galley for a light breakfast.
Once they've finished eating, Nakamaru and Taguchi take the lift to the lower level. The storage bay is across from the lift doors, and Navinosuke has the heavy doors already open. The air is a bit stale, but Nakamaru ignores it in favor of checking boxes. Taguchi makes a beeline for the sensors, and he and Navinosuke run diagnostics on each one.
They make short work of inventory; everything is in order. Koki finally joins them, still sleep-tousled but dressed, and he drags Taguchi to the airlock antechamber to inspect the pressure suits. Nakamaru knows that it will probably take them a while. He returns to his quarters, bypassing the lift in favor of the ladder.
Nakamaru takes a seat at his desk. Out here there's really no need for such a thing, at least in his eyes; Koki insists that they all keep physical copies of their reports. He says that computers might be convenient, but paper, though flimsy, doesn't scramble under duress from magnets. He has his moments of philosophizing.
Though he isn't about to write any reports, Nakamaru feels reassured by the desk's solidarity. He steeples his fingers, thoughts returning to his dream. It's always the same, but he can't recall ever being in such a firefight. There had been many skirmishes he'd been a part of, usually as the mastermind behind the tactics. Perhaps it's some sort of jumbled memories manifesting themselves as dreams.
Maybe they were a manifestation of his own guilt. Though he'd served proudly, rising rapidly through the ranks, there had been many tasks he'd assigned and been assigned to that he wasn't proud of. That was why he was here now, as part of an extended exploratory mission, trying to assuage his lingering guilt. As soon as he'd had the opportunity he'd gotten out of the military, honourably discharged and in high demand in the private sector.
Nakamaru is still lost in thought when Navinosuke flicks the holoscreen on. He's startled from his reverie by Koki's yelling, and when he looks at the screen he sees him draped over Taguchi's shoulder. Koki has a pressure suit on most of the way and looks to be in a state of high distress.
"Dammit, Junno, put me down!" Koki seems to realize they've got an audience and he looks in the general direction of the surveillance camera. "Yucchi! Come help me!"
Nakamaru isn't really sure what they're up to, but it's a welcome distraction from his memories. He rises, doing his best Commander face. "Taguchi! Put Koki down, you know he hates that. You two had better be in a fit state to report on the suits by the time I get down there!"
As soon as he turns his back to the screen, Nakamaru is fighting down the urge to laugh. He takes his time returning to storage, knowing that the two of them will only just snap to attention as the door slides open for him.
As predicted, Koki is straightening his clothes and Taguchi has just raised a hand in salute. Taguchi looks like he’s on the verge of laughter; Koki’s cheeks are flushed and he refuses to look at either of them. “At ease, Taguchi. You know you don’t have to do that,” Nakamaru says, still a bit stern. He focuses his attention on Koki as Taguchi lowers his hand and asks, “Your report, Koki?”
Koki looks up, all business. “The pressure suits are all in good order. Visual inspection shows no damage to them, and they all seal correctly. As for the breathing apparatus, those are also in good working order. The oxygen tanks are full and at a safe pressure.”
“That’s good. What about the sensors, Taguchi?”
“According to the diagnostics Navinosuke and I ran, everything is in perfect condition. Once we recall the sensors in orbit, we can download their data and prepare those for use as well,” is Taguchi’s crisp response.
Nakamaru nods, then adds, “Good work, you two. Once we’ve collected the sensors, we’ll prepare to enter the atmosphere.”
They relax, and Koki returns the pressure suit to its proper place. He leaves the antechamber, Taguchi following closely and leering at Nakamaru. Nakamaru can’t quite contain his grin, and he returns to his own quarters for a shower.
A few hours later, they reconvene in the cockpit. Nakamaru seems to be late-- Junno is already tapping away at controls, ostensibly to recall the orbiting sensors; Koki is curled up with his feet in his chair, poring over a stream of information spilling across his holoscreen.
"We've got a while before the sensors return," Taguchi calls over his shoulder. He returns his attention to the ship, murmuring under his breath, deep in conversation with Navinosuke.
"Yucchi," Koki says, beckoning for Nakamaru to take a seat next to him. "Come look at this."
Nakamaru sits, taking the holoscreen from Koki. It's paused on a still image, an outline of a landmass, huge, outlined with pale sand and covered with verdant growth. It looks like old Earth, and Nakamaru glances at Koki, question not even fully formed before Koki cuts in.
"It's from the planet below, Yucchi. Look at it," he says, eyes shining. "I really want to explore." His hands are curled around the armrest, and Nakamaru knows he'll cave and allow him to go planetside first.
Koki huddles close to Nakamaru, explaining the finer details of the preliminary data. As the time passes, Nakamaru can't help but feel optimistic; it's obvious that Koki and Taguchi feel the same.
Finally Navinosuke chirps; at the same instant Taguchi speaks, strangely monotone. "Sensors are back. Opening the outer airlock doors now." The main holoscreen flashes, showing the airlock opening slowly, the sensors hovering in the vacuum. "Airlock open. Now manually guiding sensors inside."
Nakamaru and Koki watch the screen. Manual guidance is less use of the physical controls and more of the combined efforts of Taguchi and Navinosuke; it's always been sort of eerie to witness.
"All sensors successfully recovered. Closing the outer airlock now." Taguchi stands, bounding to the lift as he adds, "Last one to the airlock has to do my bidding until the next cycle!"
Nakamaru isn't above deftly sidestepping past Koki in their mad scramble to take the ladder. He has the advantage, even though Koki is on his heels by the time he's stepped away from his slide down the ladder. Nakamaru just barely beats Koki to the airlock; he hears an affronted noise behind him, and for a split second he almost feels bad.
A pitiful whimper echoes through the airlock; Nakamaru looks over his shoulder in time to watch as Taguchi loops an arm around Koki’s shoulders and leans down to whisper in his ear. Koki’s expression goes from reluctance to intrigue, and Nakamaru feels the hair on the back of his neck rise. He wonders what he’s in for later.
“Let’s get back to work,” Nakamaru says, trying to hide his wariness.
“On it,” Koki and Taguchi reply in unison, glancing at each other and suppressing grins. They each grab a sensor and take them into storage. Soon the sensors are downloading all of their information into Navinosuke’s memory banks as well as flashing across Koki’s holoscreen. Koki seems to absorb all of the information, absently making notes using Taguchi’s holoscreen.
“This planet really does look like a winner,” Koki says softly, trying not to sound too hopeful. Soon enough all of the information has been transferred, and he flicks his holoscreen off.
"Let's clear this lot away and then begin preparations to get closer for the next round of observations." Nakamaru begins putting the sensor closest to him into its cradle as the others do the same. Everything is put back in its original place quickly, and the three of the head for the cockpit.
Taguchi immediately takes his seat, running a final check with Navinosuke. Koki takes a seat next to him, strapping himself in and preparing to activate the shielding system. Nakamaru observes from his chair, buckled in securely.
Navinosuke chirps again, signifying the all-clear, and Koki leans over to tug at Taguchi’s safety straps. Taguchi makes a strange noise in the back of his throat and he arches into Koki’s touch as best he can. Nakamaru simply watches; when it seems like the two of them will keep going, he has to bark out an order. “Focus, Taguchi! Until we’re safely in the atmosphere, hands to yourself, Koki!”
They both mumble dejectedly. “Yes, sir.”
Koki readies himself to flip switches and adjust dials as Taguchi makes last-minute calculations with Navinosuke. His eyes glaze over, hands resting loosely on the controls as he speaks. “Preparing for atmospheric reentry. Initialize shields.”
Koki’s hands fly over his section of the control panel, brow furrowed in concentration. He only speaks once he’s flipped the final toggle. “Energy shields in place, full power.”
It doesn’t feel like they’re moving, but Nakamaru knows that the ship is gaining speed. Taguchi will actively guide them through the atmosphere, fingers finding every control and switch as he remains linked with Navinosuke. “Angle of reentry determined, course set.”
The main screen shows the outside view; the stars around them seem to blur and begin to move past them as the ship accelerates. The planet seems to move towards them, a green orb growing ever larger.
"Reentry in 30 seconds," Taguchi murmurs. Navinosuke adds a timer to the screen, seconds counting down. Nakamaru feels anticipation bubbling up his spine; it's very reminiscent of the nearly nervous energy he always felt before combat. The timer blinks, 3-2-1, and then they're blistering through the atmosphere.
"Heat shielding is stable," Koki says, continuing to press buttons. "The energy shields are still at full power."
Nakamaru grunts in acknowledgement. The land and seas in the viewscreen are becoming clearer and closer, and he forces himself to keep watching. It's one thing to know he's at a great height, but something completely different to know and watch how quickly he's nearing solid earth.
Navinosuke trills and Taguchi speaks. "Engaging feather wing configuration."
The viewscreen shifts to show the wings silently realigning themselves, changing from smooth aerodynamic planes into sharply angled points. The new shape increases drag and slows the ship's speed considerably. Nakamaru feels slightly better with the knowledge, and relaxes his grip on his chair.
The ship has slowed its descent to well below supersonic speeds now, and the viewscreen shows the seas below them shimmering aqua. They're near the equator according to Navinosuke's calculations scrolling along the viewscreen, and in the distance he can see the green of one of the huge forests drawing nearer.
Taguchi presses more buttons, engaging the braking system. The pneumatic jets hiss silently on the viewscreen and the ship gradually loses speed and altitude. Taguchi flips another switch, bringing up the encroaching landmass on Nakamaru's personal holoscreen. "Tell me where you want us to land, Nakamaru. We can fly over the coastline until you decide," he says, Navinosuke beeping in agreement.
Nakamaru studies the map as it appears on his screen. The coast is undulating, a strip of pale sand edged by verdant green. A cove catches his eye, protected by rocky cliffs on one side. A streamlet cuts a path through the forest, and it will be good shelter. Nakamaru highlights the spot on his screen, and glances up to make sure it’s visible on the main screen. “The cove there, Taguchi. That’s where we’ll land.”
“Yes sir,” Taguchi murmurs. He overshoots the target, giving himself more time to decelerate as he brings the ship in a tight loop, settling down in the shade of the cliffs. The ship settles gently in the sand, and Taguchi refocuses on the cockpit around him. He turns to look at Koki, then Nakamaru. “We’ve landed,” he says, unbuckling himself and then reaching over to undo Koki’s safety harness.
Nakamaru unbuckles his harness and stands, clasping his hands behind his back. “Good work. However, we will not leave the ship until we’ve collected more information. Taguchi, get ready to mobilize the sensors. Koki and I will move them into the airlock for you.”
Taguchi pulls Koki down by the arm and seems to be whispering into his ear. When they both look up at him, Nakamaru can’t help but feel disquiet. He’s getting that hair-raising feeling on the back of his neck again.
Koki crosses the cockpit, smiling sweetly as he grabs Nakamaru's wrist. "Come on, Yucchi. There's science waiting to happen," he says. Nakamaru nods, catching a glimpse of Taguchi smirking. He steels his nerves for whatever they have planned as Koki pulls him to the lift.
It's eerily silent as they make their way to storage. Koki doesn't say anything when they begin carrying sensors into the airlock, finishing the task quickly. As soon as Nakamaru secures the door between storage and the airlock, Koki is on him.
Taguchi's voice sounds over the intercom. "Nakamaru, since Koki lost our race earlier, he has to follow my every command until the next time we have a night cycle. We've a few hours, especially since Navinosuke will be synchronizing our schedule with the suns. I hope it's no trouble that I've co-opted you into my scheme."
"Of course not." Koki's hands are sneaking under Nakamaru's shirt. "I assume you're watching on the main screen?"
"Correct. Would you like to continue where you are? I believe there are slippery things secreted away in the workbench." Taguchi sounds smug as Nakamaru considers his options. Koki's breath is warm against his neck.
"Here will be just fine," Nakamaru says. Taguchi makes a delighted noise, and it echoes through the room.
"Perfect," Taguchi begins. "First, Koki will undress. Make it good for us."
Koki lets out a quiet breath, looking up at Nakamaru as he takes a step back. He's been wearing his medic's jacket, a close-fitting affair in black and white with the universal red insignia. Koki locks eyes with Nakamaru, and bites his lip as he starts pulling the collar tab open. The zipper is next, and Koki pulls it down so slowly that Nakamaru can hear each click of the zipper’s teeth opening in the quiet of the room. Koki lets the jacket fall open, then shrugs it off of his shoulders and allows it to slide down his arms and drop onto the floor. Nakamaru isn’t surprised that Koki went without a shirt; Taguchi’s laughter rings through the comm system as he says, “Good, good, keep going, Koki.”
Apparently, “keep going” means for Koki to step back into Nakamaru’s personal space and slide his jacket off as well. Koki slips his hands under Nakamaru’s shirt, scratching lightly as he pulls it up for Nakamaru to finish pulling over his own head. Koki curls his hands around Nakamaru’s shoulders and urges him to lean down for a kiss.
Nakamaru does so, pressing his lips against Koki’s for a brief moment. Koki digs his fingernails into Nakamaru’s shoulder blades in a fit of impatience, and Nakamaru pulls back, glancing up toward the surveillance camera to ask a question. “Taguchi, just to clarify, what exactly did you want Koki to do here? He seems to be getting a bit impatient.”
Taguchi responds, words coming slowly, as if he’s too focused on other things. “How about... you just be my proxy? Either way I just want to watch, you know.” There’s a rustling sound, almost like Taguchi is fussing with his clothes. A bit of a sigh, and he continues talking. “I think Koki needs to be spread out over the workbench, made a mess of, that’s what I want to see.”
“Ah. Well then,” Nakamaru says, returning his attention to Koki. “I think that can be done.”
He gently pries Koki’s hands from his shoulders, holding them out to both sides as he walks Koki backwards to the workbench. He doesn’t stop once Koki’s pressed between the unyielding metal and his hips; he grinds their growing erections against each other, pulling a gasp from Koki. Nakamaru places Koki’s hands against the edge of the bench, then steps back enough to undo Koki’s belt buckle and pants. Before he pulls them very far down, Nakamaru presses one hand against the center of Koki’s chest, a clear hint to lay back.
Koki wriggles away from Nakamaru’s touch for a second, then settles onto the workbench and kicks off his boots before laying down. Nakamaru takes a moment to appreciate the view; Koki’s skin is flushed, pants pulled low enough for his erect cock to be put on display. Nakamaru finally resumes undressing Koki, urging him to lift his hips. In retaliation for earlier, Nakamaru drags his own nails down Koki’s legs. His pants fall to the floor, and Nakamaru simply looks.
A drawer pops open on the side of the workbench, and Nakamaru pulls it out, smirking when he sees the contents. Koki looks unsettled, especially when Nakamaru shows him what he’s found. “It seems you’ve left things in strange places, Koki. Shouldn’t these be in the medbay?” Nakamaru asks, holding a gleaming pair of rubber-tipped forceps for Koki to see. “I’ve found two sets. Perhaps Taguchi has some suggestions?”
Laughter sounds over the comm again, and Nakamaru is nearly certain he hears Navinosuke’s metallic laugh as well. “I think you’ll be able to improvise just fine, Nakamaru,” Taguchi says, smirk evident in his voice.
Nakamaru shrugs, then drags the tip of the forceps up the middle of Koki’s chest. He opens them, closing them on the middle of Koki’s lower lip for a moment, considering. That’s not quite where he thinks they should be, and Koki’s tongue flicks out to wet his lips the moment he pulls the forceps away.
Koki is doing his best to keep his hands at his sides; he’s visibly trembling under Nakamaru’s scrutiny. “Yucchi,” he whispers, gasping when Nakamaru pinches the flesh of first one bicep, then the other. The pinching happens at random, and Nakamaru varies how long and hard each stop pinches. Nakamaru finally tires of it, pinching one of Koki’s nipples and locking the forceps in place.
“You’re doing well, Koki,” Taguchi says. His voice sounds strained, and Nakamaru knows exactly what he’s doing all alone in the cockpit.
Nakamaru doesn’t waste any time with the second pair of forceps; he locks them closed on Koki’s other nipple. He steps away to give Taguchi a better view, then returns to Koki’s side, running fingers through his hair. “You’ll be fine, Koki; you can do this,” Nakamaru whispers against his ear.
Another drawer pops open, Navinosuke urging them along with his hints. Nakamaru takes the lube, holding it up for Koki to see before he walks to the other end of the workbench. Koki tries his best to get into position for Nakamaru without too much movement; he spreads his legs without being prompted, and Nakamaru smiles down at Koki as he pulls one of his ankles up to rest on his shoulder.
Nakamaru opens the tube, coating his fingers and leaving the lube within easy reach. He trails them along the insides of Koki’s thighs, then trails them along the delicate skin of his balls. Koki gasps in surprise when Nakamaru slowly presses a finger against his rim and inside, pulling it back and forth gently before adding a second finger. After that, Nakamaru goes considerably faster, fingering Koki until he’s three fingers deep and Koki can’t stay still.
“Nakamaru, go ahead and fuck him,” Taguchi groans through the comm. “Make it fast, I can’t take much more waiting.”
Nakamaru pulls his fingers free, then unbuckles his belt and trousers. He pulls them down only far enough to free his cock and slicks himself. Nakamaru presses in slowly, giving Koki time to adjust, then pulls out just as slowly. After that he’s relentless, thrusting as hard and as deeply as he can. Nakamaru wraps his fingers around Koki’s ankle, pulling him closer and eliciting a moan. His ears are full of Koki’s broken noises and the sounds he can hear Taguchi making over the comm system, and he can feel the sweat beading on his brow from exertion.
Nakamaru knows he’s getting close, and he pries one of Koki’s hands from its death grip on the edge of the workbench. Koki closes his fist on himself, hand flying up and down his cock. He clenches around Nakamaru as he gets closer to orgasm, and it’s harder for Nakamaru to thrust into his tight heat. It’s Taguchi’s ragged voice that sends them over the edge, a choked-off sound that makes Koki tighten even more as he spills over his own hand. Nakamaru’s hips stutter to a halt, his eyes barely seeing the vision Koki makes below him, eyes closed as his chest heaves, nipples red from the pressure of the forceps. He pulls out slowly, gasping, and collects himself enough to unlock the forceps. Koki sucks in a breath through his teeth, still spread out across the workbench.
Taguchi speaks up again, sounding a bit breathless. “Nakamaru, you’re free to clean up if you’d like, but I’d like for you to bring Koki to my quarters mess-and-all. I’ll take care of picking up after you two once I’ve deployed the sensors.”
Nakamaru wipes himself off with a rag from the workbench, then adjusts himself and closes his pants. He helps Koki sit up, laughing a bit at the pitiful whine he lets slip as he gingerly hops off the bench. Nakamaru slings an arm around Koki’s shoulders and leads him to the lift, and helps him crawl into Taguchi’s bunk. He presses one more kiss against Koki’s lips, then returns to his own room.
The comm jangles once again as Nakamaru enters his quarters. "The sensors have been deployed successfully, Commander," Taguchi informs him, all business for the moment. The mirth is suddenly evident in his voice as he adds, "Want to join us later?"
"I'd like to rest for a while, Taguchi," Nakamaru says as he settles in at his desk. He stares straight ahead, eyes unseeing. He thinks the feeling welling up in his gut is apprehension.
Taguchi's voice slices through his thoughts, serious once again. "You know you can talk to either of us, right? You know how worried Koki gets, and then it spreads to me and that's no fun at all."
"I know, Taguchi. I just need to think for a bit."
"Got it. You know where we'll be, and you're welcome to join us." The comm falls silent, leaving Nakamaru with only the quiet hum of the ship and his thoughts. He shifts in his seat, willing himself to relax and try to work out why he feels... however it is that he's feeling. Nervous, optimistic, worried, excited. It's hard to settle on one.
He sits at his desk lost in thought until well after the holoscreen feed of the double suns both set.
Part II