Sense Of Humour Part 2
Secret Santa (Primeval Denial) For: SallyCanDance
Title: Sense Of Humour Part 2
Pairing/Characters: Matt/Becker, Lester, Jess, Abby/Connor.
Prompts: karaoke;mistletoe;scheming to get someone together;Christmas Eve at the ARC, and guess who's still working?!
Genre: Humour, slash, angst
Rating: 18 / NC17
Spoilers/Timeline: This takes place in season 4...after Connor and Abby came back.
Summary: Matt is drawn away from his work and forced to join the ARC's Christmas party.
Author's Note: Here is my fic for SallycanDance as part of the Secret Santa on primeval_denial
I am putting it into two parts because otherwise LJ wouldn't let me post. This has been beta'd by fredbassett
so any mistakes are all mine. Sal, I hope you like this..I really do. Happy Christmas to you and all
“You will find my style appealing. I will overpower you with wit and I will be a hit….”
Becker muttered something.
“What? Matt asked, snapping himself out of his trance. He finally realised that Becker had been talking to him and he wasn’t listening. “What did you say?”
“It’s the mistletoe attached to his head!” Becker pointed towards Lester who was attempting to tidy up, but another woman interrupted the man by planting a big smacker of a kiss on his lips. “You know what the mistletoe means, right?”
“Er…”
Matt knew about the plant and there was an important or romantic tradition to it, but he couldn’t quite…
“When two people meet beneath mistletoe…” Becker emphasised his words by using his fingers. “They have to kiss. So the women are just honouring that tradition by kissing Lester.”
“Does he know he’s wearing it?”
Becker laughed, shook his head and drained the rest of his drink. Then he held out his arms and bowed slightly.
“Who do you think put it there?”
Matt should have known, even though Becker wasn’t one for pranks.
“Lester will kill you, if he finds out.”
“He should be thankful it’s only the ladies kissing him. A couple of the lads from Delta team were thinking of giving him a few! His face would have been even more of a picture than it is now!”
“You are mean to him.”
“But he loves it!”
Becker was so proud of his accomplishments, but there was an even more fiendish and excited glint in his eyes.
Jess had finished her song and as everyone applauded she came bounding down the stairs. She waved to Becker-again Matt strangely hated the way Becker winked back at her-and watched her approach Lester. She kissed him on the cheek, as the green plant nestled in Lester’s hair demanded, and laughed afterwards which only made Lester snap.
Matt was amazed as to how Becker had secured the mistletoe there and that Lester hadn’t discovered it. Could he not feel it?
“Right! That’s it! This party is now officially over! Go home the lot of you!” Lester began to herd all the staff out of the room. “It’s Christmas ,for God’s sake! Out! Out!”
There were a lot of complaints and moans when the majority of the people slowly shuffled in the direction of the lift. They still wanted to stay, but Lester was having none of it.
“No!” cried Jess. She stamped her foot down and angrily confronted him. Everyone stopped and turned to watch at the inevitable confliction.
“No?”
“No! We’re not going anywhere, not until we hear Matt sing!”
“Why on earth do you want to hear Matt sing? Wouldn’t you much rather hear two foxes mating? The two sound similar!”
“Hey!” Mat protested, even though he knew it was true.
“Everyone else has sung! It’s his turn! He has to! Right, Matt?” Jess smiled a pleading smile at him. “We would love to hear you.”
Matt felt fear grip his entire body and cold perspiration beaded on his forehead and across his back. This was a fear unlike any he had felt in his own time. There were no predators surrounding him preparing to rip his limbs from his body and devour him. It wasn’t the fear he had when he saw the Swarms coming towards him like a tidal wave… this was different. He was being asked to sing.
His head was shaking from side to side, though he was smiling, trying to hide his fear over such a menial thing.
“Oh no. I’m not singing. I just want to go home, as I’m sure everyone else does.”
That didn’t get the response he was expecting, from the other ARC staff or from Becker. Matt saw how disappointed Jess was and so she and everyone else began to protest and demand a song from their new field leader.
“Go on! Just a little song!”
“Something Christmassy!”
“We won’t laugh, promise.”
“Please, Matt!” Jess took hold of his hands and she squeezed them affectionately. “For me? I would love to hear what your voice sounds like! Can you sing like Ron Keating?! I reckon you can! He’s Irish too!”
“Ron Keating?”
“You don’t know who Ron Keating is? Aw, Matt! You really are out of the times!”
“Think you’ll find that’s Ronan, Jess. Not Ron.” Lester ignored the curious looks from the others about how he could have known that.
When she hugged him, Matt almost gave in. He thought about singing the one song he knew from his childhood… the only happy song he had heard then, but it was Becker’s unexpected response that prevented him from going to the stairs and picking up the microphone.
“Right! You lot, listen up!” Becker cleared his throat and became quite stern. Everyone stopped talking and looked to him with rapt attention. “It’s Christmas! We should all be grateful to Lester for allowing this party to go further than it has, though it does seem some are more grateful to him than others.”
There were some whistles and laughs, which Lester appeared to not appreciate, but Matt saw the sly smile at the corner of his mouth.
“Go back to your families, get some rest and enjoy this holiday,” Becker continued. “You’ll all be back here soon enough, so make the most of it. FYI, that is an order not a request.”
There were grumbles and complaints in response.
“I said move it! This is a government facility not your local pub!”
When there were still no signs of people going, Becker shook his head and muttered into the mic, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
The music from the karaoke machine began and very shortly after, Becker began to sing. In Matt’s opinion, the flat tuneless words were sung badly on purpose.
“It’s not the way you look, it’s not the way that you smile… although there’s something to them!”
It did the trick. A lot of people rushed for the lift and stairs as Becker singing the 1982 song got worse and worse, but for Matt, it made him laugh like he had never before experienced. He couldn’t control it or the tears streaming down his face as Becker then began to dance, or sway.
This was not like him but Matt couldn’t stop laughing, even with the painful stitch in his side and the difficulty in breathing. He wasn’t the only one. Jess was creasing up so much that she slumped to the floor, landing on her bottom.
Matt almost joined her but the wall stopped him from tipping over. By the time Becker had finished the song, Matt could barely breathe.
“All right! All right… you’ve made your point!” Lester grumbled, snatching the mic from the chuckling captain. “Everyone has gone and I’m eternally grateful, but do you know how difficult it is to replace the essential staff you’ve just tortured? I might need several weeks to recover myself!”
Matt wiped the tears from his eyes, the euphoria of such a bout of laughter was wearing off but it still felt great coming down. He had never laughed like this in his whole life, it was a tremendous feeling. He reached out his hands and managed to find Jess so he could help her to her feet, but he failed.
“I think my ears are actually bleeding!” he joked, making Jess snigger loudly through her nose. The noise caused Matt to almost break into giggles again.
“I got everyone out, didn’t I?” Becker flopped his arm around Lester’s shoulder and held out his other arm to the sparse room. Only one tech sat at Jess’ station looking bored.
“But at what cost, Captain? Hmm?”
“Lester,” Becker sincerely smiled. “I am going to say this just the once, but I mean it. No jokes. On behalf of the ARC teams I want to thank you for this party. After everything we’ve been through, they needed it and so did you. You’re a good man. Thanks.”
Lester’s eyebrow rose in suspicion.
“Oh please… don’t get sentimental on me. I understand the alcohol is partially at fault but I….” Lester stopped in mid-sentence as Becker sheepishly grinned and reached out to pluck the mistletoe from his hair. The single eyebrow rise became a double eyebrow rise and the stern disapproving scowl became surprise and shock when Becker held the mistletoe close by and kissed Lester on the cheek. “Oh now that’s just wrong!”
Matt’s laughter was not helped when Lester’s face went bright red. Jess erupted into hysterics again at Lester’s embarrassment. Lester snatched the mistletoe and stormed off out of the Hub, muttering angrily under his breath. However, he paused on the top of the stairs and turned his head round to look over his shoulder.
“I want the lot of you back in four days… sober and fit for work. The anomalies don’t look after themselves you know!” A small and devious smile did eventually spread across his face. “Happy Christmas, Matt.”
James Lester didn’t wait around for any further responses. He strode out of the room as only he could after spending a whole night with mistletoe in his hair… with utter style.
“He appreciated it. I could tell,” said Becker proudly, bending down with Matt to help Jess to her feet.
Matt couldn’t verbally reply as he was still trying to figure out why Lester had only said Happy Christmas to him.
It didn’t matter, because Becker put a stop to the laughter almost as quickly as he had started it. “I’d better get Jess home.”
Something in Matt’s gut wrenched horribly as Becker scooped Jess up into his arms and held her close to his body. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her head leaned on his shoulders whilst his arms kept a strong hold. The little drunken woman snuggled into Becker’s grasp and smiled as her hands caressed playfully at his neck.
“I need to go to bed, Becker,” she whispered. “Come with me. I can give you your present!”
“Jess!”
Matt didn’t hear Becker’s reply, he only heard her giggle and his laughter in return. The wrenching inside him turned to sickness and a horrible bile rose in his throat.
“Matt… I’m going to take her back to her apartment and open my present. Will you be all right to get yourself home?”
He nodded, again unable to speak for fear that the wrong words would come out of his mouth and make him look like an idiot.
“Good night, Matt. Happy Christmas.”
“Happy ChristMatt!” Jess giggled and waved over Becker’s shoulder as she was carried away.
Matt remained rooted to the spot for a good ten minutes, looking round at the mess the party had produced. He hadn’t made any of this, Matt hadn’t even wanted to come down to this party, but he had, all because of Becker, all because of that charming wit of his.
This was anything but fun. It was another reason to not join in on this festive holiday and it was another reason to keep focused on the mission. Matt tried to put his new jealousy aside and began cleaning up the mess. Thankfully the tech at Jess’ station didn’t engage in conversation with him and allowed Matt to tidy up in peace.
If his father could see him now, he would be chastised. He would be called a fool for letting his feelings get the better of him and the fact that it was over another man… well that just wouldn’t do. Only the mission mattered. Nothing else should concern him.
But it was Becker he thought of as he cleared up.
Matt barely acknowledged the tech as he left, in fact the only thing that ran through his mind was, why Becker? What made him so special?
The microphone was in his hand. The karaoke machine had to be packed away but somehow he couldn’t manage it. As he was still on his own, Matt browsed through the song list and eventually found one to his liking.
Then he began to sing.
--------------------------------------------------
“If only you’d come to me. If only you’d run to me…if only you’d relax upon your rules and dare to be love’s fool….”
No decorations, no personal items. It was barren of most things except for necessary furniture and appliances in the kitchen. His apartment was like his life, which only consisted of what was essential, no niceties, no friends or relationships. It would mess him up, he would be too cluttered.
Matt walked out on to his balcony and saw the coloured lights of Christmas surrounding the other buildings. Even though it was 4am in the morning now, there were still the sounds of people enjoying themselves off in the distance. This holiday was supposed to be a time of family and friends, of being with those you love, but Matt didn’t have those things, except his father. He never had friends or any who lived long enough.
“Hello, father.”
“Matthew?” The voice on the other end of the phone was very surprised to hear him. “Is there something wrong? Have you discovered something new about the mission?”
“No, not really. I just thought I’d phone you up. Wish you Happy Christmas.”
“It’s 4am in the morning, son, it’s hardly appropriate to be phoning me up at this time.”
“No, I’m sorry for disturbing you, but I just wanted to see how you are and say how much I love…”
“Matthew, I am tired. Such trivial sentimental well wishes are not really productive at 4am in the morning. Are they? I know what this time of year means but we cannot allow it to distract us from what’s important. Get some sleep and come see me later, at a more suitable hour.”
“Of course, Da. I’m sorry. Good night.”
The phone clicked off and Matt was left listening to the dialling tone. It was cold outside, but after that call, the dismissal he received from his father made it feel colder. It was not just outside but inside as well. Inside his chest it felt numb.
At the party he had laughed, he had been happy. Matt had, for the first time in his entire 33 years, felt something other than fear, anger and the pressure of responsibility, and it was Becker’s fault.
Now he was anything but happy as he thought of how foolish he had been, thinking he could get anything more from Becker other than his friendship. He hadn’t known he wanted it, but now it was all too clear and he realised it far too late. Jess was the one Becker had gone home with and Matt had lost his chance to do or say anything about it.
The song he had sung felt bitterly true.
His father was right… having friends would only lead to disappointment and self-doubt.
A crash downstairs broke into his thoughts. Matt bolted from the balcony and grabbed a small EMD from behind his kitchen counter and slowly descended to where the intruder had entered his home, the weapon ready and primed on its lowest setting.
There was another crash and laughter.
“Okay! That was anything but stealthy! Bloody table was in the damned way!”
Matt was greatly amused as he saw Becker picking up the small table he’d knocked over. Matt powered down the EMD, tucked it in the back pocket of his jeans and watched as the slightly tipsy Becker got to his feet, trying to put back the small dish of keys and forgotten mail on the table.
“Your security sucks, Matt. I could have been anyone!” Becker pointed to the open door before closing it with a kick of his boot. “You might want to consider some better locks.”
“Or you could have just used the doorbell.”
Becker just grinned and shook his head in disbelief.
“I could have just used the doorbell! Idiot! Well, I’ll remember that next time.”
There was going to be a next time?
Becker knew what was going through his mind, for Matt saw that silly drunken expression vanish and Becker strode up to him as if he was stone cold sober.
“What…” Matt felt his voice choke as Becker barged his chest up against him, making him stagger back towards the stairs.
“What are you doing?”
“Something I know I’ll regret if I don’t try.” Becker gave Matt another shove with his chest and then grabbed him, his hand curled round the back of Matt’s neck pulling him closer. “What do you want to do?”
Was this some kind of dare? Or joke?
Becker’s other hand slid up his back, grazed over his shoulders and trailed slowly down his side, and over his hip to clasp tightly at his arse.
“You’re not planning on shooting me again, are you?” Becker took the EMD out of Matt’s pocket. “You know you’re not supposed to have these outside the ARC.”
“I….” Matt did have authority to have one but again he couldn’t explain that to Becker, not when their bodies jerked together and he felt the hard jab in his thigh. Becker smirked at his surprise and tucked the EMD into the waistband of Matt’s jeans.
This must be a joke. It had to be.
“Becker…”
Those eyes were practically yelling at Matt to do it. Then Matt’s hands did what they had to do. They shot up from his sides, and grabbed hold of Becker’s face. He pulled Becker to him and their mouths crashed together ferociously in a hungry, wild and ravaging kiss. They stumbled, unbalanced as they fought for dominance and, as their mouths tore and bit, Matt felt his back hit into the wall. The pain didn’t matter.
Becker was kissing him and he felt invigorated. Matt felt so elated that he couldn’t stop himself. Then Matt laughed, unintentionally, as Becker moaned delectably into his mouth.
“What?” Becker sounded a little pissed off, but it seemed he was trying not to do the same thing. “Are you laughing? This is a serious moment here and you’re laughing?”
Matt couldn’t look at him. With his head bowed he could only picture what the man looked like… his usually pristine black hair all ruffled; his lips wet and swollen from the kiss and his clothes crumpled. Matt clamped his hand over his mouth to try a stifle the chuckling.
“No… sorry, it was… forget it. Do you want to carry on?” he asked hoping that this wasn’t all some prank Becker was pulling.
Make fun of the new guy….
“You’re not going to laugh are you?”
Matt’s heart began racing, pounding even more when he felt Becker’s hand grasp his hair and pull, forcing him to look up at him.
“Promise?” Becker asked.
“Promise.”
Becker grinned and cupped his face again.
“You’d bloody better not.”
His lips only brushed against Matt’s, soft and fleeting but it was enough to make Matt snort right into his mouth.
“Damn it, Matt!”
-------------------------------------------------------------------
“You will like my sense of humour….”
He didn’t know what time it was, he didn’t even know where he was, at first. What Matt Anderson did know was that he was beneath something heavy and every part of him was aching pleasurably.
He turned his head and opened his eyes, only to close them again as the hot sweat still dripped into his eyes. His whole body was covered with it, drenching the sheets beneath him, along with the snoring warm body of Becker draped over his back.
Matt smiled. He hadn’t expected his Christmas to turn out like this.
He moved only a little and those twinges of pain in his anus made him wince, so Matt decided to keep very still. But it wasn’t easy, especially with Becker still fast asleep on his back.
In his current state, Becker’s weight wasn’t entirely unpleasant. His snoring breaths drifted over Matt’s skin, tickling all around his neck and shoulders; his arms sprawled out to the sides, jerking every so often just like his feet, which knocked against Matt’s own; but it was Becker’s spent and limp cock pressing and slightly rubbing against his arse that made him grin into his pillow. Just remembering how Becker had first broken him made Matt twitch again with pleasure.
He smiled as he remembered that first time. The pain of such girth spreading him and forcing its way deep soon turned to pleasure as Becker began to thrust. He grinned and moaned as he remembered Becker’s hand around his cock, beating a rhythm along with each slap of their bodies. Matt heard Becker’s grunts in his ears, he recalled the moans and gasping orders and how Becker made him come, only to shoot up inside him shortly after.
When it was his turn, when he managed to fit all of himself into Becker, Matt had nearly collapsed with the constriction around him. It had taken a few moments of just lying there, so engorged that he couldn’t move even if he’d wanted to but eventually Matt managed to give back as good as he’d got.
He had not expected any of this, certainly not after Becker went home with Jess. He imagined that Becker didn’t either, but it had happened. Becker had turned up and in a matter of seconds--no date or taking it slow, no discussions about feelings and how it might affect their work-they had climbed into bed together. Yes, or no, that was all it needed. No complications.
Becker stirred. His body wriggled again causing Matt’s aches and pains to flare up.
“We’re such whores. Oh god… did we really do all that?”
Matt was going to say good morning to such a mumbled greeting, but again he replied with an aroused snigger as Becker then began to kiss his way down Matt’s spine. He was right, after everything they did there was no other term for it. No complications meant no holding back and neither of them did that.
The majority of Becker’s weight eventually lifted up off him and then hands joined in with the kisses and bites on his back. Matt bit down on his own lip as Becker continued downward, eventually digging his teeth into his buttocks. Becker said something else, before hands pried apart his cheeks and he lashed his tongue over Matt’s anus.
The feel of Becker’s tongue, the wetness lapped across his already sensitive arse caused Matt to jerk. The sensation of Becker laughing between his cheeks only made him laugh as well.
Matt buried his face into the pillow, tensing as Becker continued to pleasure him with his mouth. Matt squirmed with each lick, he moaned as Becker sucked and bit hard, his hands squeezing lightly and tenderly over his buttocks. Matt’s hips suddenly jerked up as he felt Becker moan into him and that jerk got Matt up onto his knees, giving Becker’s hands access to his cock, which was already hard again.
Then, as Becker began to work at both, a steady rhythm enticing pleasure into Matt’s cock with his hand and his mouth devouring and savouring his arse, there was a very rude interruption. Matt’s phone on the bedside table was ringing.
With absolutely no sense in his head, thanks to Becker, Matt flailed his hand out to pick it up. It was still ringing as Matt tried to focus, but his broken pleasured moans, the shaking and trembling state his body was in wouldn’t allow him.
Then, Matt didn’t recall why, he pressed the answer button.
“Hell-ah!!” He couldn’t even say one simple word when Becker bit a little harder into his arse. But that bite wasn’t the surprise, it was the person on the other end of the phone.
Matt had expected Lester from the ARC or even his father… certainly not Jess Parker.
“Happy Christmas, Matt!” Jess’ excited voice cried back down the phone. “How are you on this wonderful day?”
Jess sounded way too chipper for someone who should have been suffering from a hangover.
“I’m… fi-ah-ne!” Matt had to bite his lip as again Becker found a sensitive part of him with his mouth. “Jess, is this an urgent matter or can this wait until an-ah jeez!-other time?”
“Oh it’s nothing much! Lester and I arranged a present for you. I just wanted to know if he arrived.”
“You arranged what?” Matt bolted so suddenly that Becker broke away from him and fell off the bed. Matt looked in astonishment as the smug-looking soldier climbed back on and lay on his back and tucked his hands behind his head.
Matt was feeling dizzy. Something was not right here.
“Your Christmas present!” cried Jess happily. “He did turn up, right? He was all worried that you wouldn’t like him showing up but Lester and I convinced him otherwise!”
“You and Lester set me up with Becker? As a Christmas present?!”
“Sure we did!”
“I suggested book tokens,” said Becker shaking his head. “But their idea turned out to be much better in my opinion.”
“Lester suggested this?” Matt couldn’t believe it. Then his mind did a double take and he sneered at Becker. “You suggested book tokens? Seriously?”
There was a startled squeal on the other end of the phone.
“Oh my God! Is Becker still there?! MATT! What did you do? What did Becker do? He was only supposed to ask you out for dinner or a drink! What happened? No, I don’t need details! Not until later anyway! I told him not to be so forward but I should have known better! Oh my god! You guys!! It’s so adorable!”
The squee-ing in his ear caused Matt’s face to involuntarily scrunch up in shock. As Jess’ excitement continued screaming down his ear, he couldn’t put the phone down. Eventually, Becker snatched it off of him.
“Thank you, Jess. Have a good Christmas!” he yelled quickly, knowing full well she didn’t hear him and cut the call. He threw the phone back on to the table and rose up to Matt’s height again. “Are…. are you okay?”
Matt wasn’t sure. He was stunned that Jess and Lester had done this. How did they know? Why was Becker doing this?
Was it really just a prank on the new guy?
“I’m sorry.” Becker reached out with his hand and placed his palm against the soft fuzz of stubble on Matt’s face. “If this isn’t want you wanted… I could always get the book tokens.”
“Er…”
Matt didn’t even get a chance to voice his doubts as they vanished the instant Becker kissed him again. Matt didn’t care where that mouth had been before, it didn’t matter as their arms wrapped around each other and the kiss carried on.
“Happy Christmas, Matt.”
It was the first he had ever had, and if Becker was willing to celebrate like this, then Matt was certain there would be plenty more.
Now his mission didn’t feel like a burden any longer.
THE END
Matt's Song: Sense Of Humour by Darren Hayes
Abby & Connor's Song: Waste A Day by Heather Nova
Lester's Song: Living On A Prayer by Bon Jovi
Jess' Song: All I Want For Christmas by Mariah Carey
Becker's Song: Wishing I Had A Photograph by A Flock Of Seagulls
Title: Sense Of Humour Part 2
Pairing/Characters: Matt/Becker, Lester, Jess, Abby/Connor.
Prompts: karaoke;mistletoe;scheming to get someone together;Christmas Eve at the ARC, and guess who's still working?!
Genre: Humour, slash, angst
Rating: 18 / NC17
Spoilers/Timeline: This takes place in season 4...after Connor and Abby came back.
Summary: Matt is drawn away from his work and forced to join the ARC's Christmas party.
Author's Note: Here is my fic for SallycanDance as part of the Secret Santa on primeval_denial
I am putting it into two parts because otherwise LJ wouldn't let me post. This has been beta'd by fredbassett
so any mistakes are all mine. Sal, I hope you like this..I really do. Happy Christmas to you and all
“You will find my style appealing. I will overpower you with wit and I will be a hit….”
Becker muttered something.
“What? Matt asked, snapping himself out of his trance. He finally realised that Becker had been talking to him and he wasn’t listening. “What did you say?”
“It’s the mistletoe attached to his head!” Becker pointed towards Lester who was attempting to tidy up, but another woman interrupted the man by planting a big smacker of a kiss on his lips. “You know what the mistletoe means, right?”
“Er…”
Matt knew about the plant and there was an important or romantic tradition to it, but he couldn’t quite…
“When two people meet beneath mistletoe…” Becker emphasised his words by using his fingers. “They have to kiss. So the women are just honouring that tradition by kissing Lester.”
“Does he know he’s wearing it?”
Becker laughed, shook his head and drained the rest of his drink. Then he held out his arms and bowed slightly.
“Who do you think put it there?”
Matt should have known, even though Becker wasn’t one for pranks.
“Lester will kill you, if he finds out.”
“He should be thankful it’s only the ladies kissing him. A couple of the lads from Delta team were thinking of giving him a few! His face would have been even more of a picture than it is now!”
“You are mean to him.”
“But he loves it!”
Becker was so proud of his accomplishments, but there was an even more fiendish and excited glint in his eyes.
Jess had finished her song and as everyone applauded she came bounding down the stairs. She waved to Becker-again Matt strangely hated the way Becker winked back at her-and watched her approach Lester. She kissed him on the cheek, as the green plant nestled in Lester’s hair demanded, and laughed afterwards which only made Lester snap.
Matt was amazed as to how Becker had secured the mistletoe there and that Lester hadn’t discovered it. Could he not feel it?
“Right! That’s it! This party is now officially over! Go home the lot of you!” Lester began to herd all the staff out of the room. “It’s Christmas ,for God’s sake! Out! Out!”
There were a lot of complaints and moans when the majority of the people slowly shuffled in the direction of the lift. They still wanted to stay, but Lester was having none of it.
“No!” cried Jess. She stamped her foot down and angrily confronted him. Everyone stopped and turned to watch at the inevitable confliction.
“No?”
“No! We’re not going anywhere, not until we hear Matt sing!”
“Why on earth do you want to hear Matt sing? Wouldn’t you much rather hear two foxes mating? The two sound similar!”
“Hey!” Mat protested, even though he knew it was true.
“Everyone else has sung! It’s his turn! He has to! Right, Matt?” Jess smiled a pleading smile at him. “We would love to hear you.”
Matt felt fear grip his entire body and cold perspiration beaded on his forehead and across his back. This was a fear unlike any he had felt in his own time. There were no predators surrounding him preparing to rip his limbs from his body and devour him. It wasn’t the fear he had when he saw the Swarms coming towards him like a tidal wave… this was different. He was being asked to sing.
His head was shaking from side to side, though he was smiling, trying to hide his fear over such a menial thing.
“Oh no. I’m not singing. I just want to go home, as I’m sure everyone else does.”
That didn’t get the response he was expecting, from the other ARC staff or from Becker. Matt saw how disappointed Jess was and so she and everyone else began to protest and demand a song from their new field leader.
“Go on! Just a little song!”
“Something Christmassy!”
“We won’t laugh, promise.”
“Please, Matt!” Jess took hold of his hands and she squeezed them affectionately. “For me? I would love to hear what your voice sounds like! Can you sing like Ron Keating?! I reckon you can! He’s Irish too!”
“Ron Keating?”
“You don’t know who Ron Keating is? Aw, Matt! You really are out of the times!”
“Think you’ll find that’s Ronan, Jess. Not Ron.” Lester ignored the curious looks from the others about how he could have known that.
When she hugged him, Matt almost gave in. He thought about singing the one song he knew from his childhood… the only happy song he had heard then, but it was Becker’s unexpected response that prevented him from going to the stairs and picking up the microphone.
“Right! You lot, listen up!” Becker cleared his throat and became quite stern. Everyone stopped talking and looked to him with rapt attention. “It’s Christmas! We should all be grateful to Lester for allowing this party to go further than it has, though it does seem some are more grateful to him than others.”
There were some whistles and laughs, which Lester appeared to not appreciate, but Matt saw the sly smile at the corner of his mouth.
“Go back to your families, get some rest and enjoy this holiday,” Becker continued. “You’ll all be back here soon enough, so make the most of it. FYI, that is an order not a request.”
There were grumbles and complaints in response.
“I said move it! This is a government facility not your local pub!”
When there were still no signs of people going, Becker shook his head and muttered into the mic, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
The music from the karaoke machine began and very shortly after, Becker began to sing. In Matt’s opinion, the flat tuneless words were sung badly on purpose.
“It’s not the way you look, it’s not the way that you smile… although there’s something to them!”
It did the trick. A lot of people rushed for the lift and stairs as Becker singing the 1982 song got worse and worse, but for Matt, it made him laugh like he had never before experienced. He couldn’t control it or the tears streaming down his face as Becker then began to dance, or sway.
This was not like him but Matt couldn’t stop laughing, even with the painful stitch in his side and the difficulty in breathing. He wasn’t the only one. Jess was creasing up so much that she slumped to the floor, landing on her bottom.
Matt almost joined her but the wall stopped him from tipping over. By the time Becker had finished the song, Matt could barely breathe.
“All right! All right… you’ve made your point!” Lester grumbled, snatching the mic from the chuckling captain. “Everyone has gone and I’m eternally grateful, but do you know how difficult it is to replace the essential staff you’ve just tortured? I might need several weeks to recover myself!”
Matt wiped the tears from his eyes, the euphoria of such a bout of laughter was wearing off but it still felt great coming down. He had never laughed like this in his whole life, it was a tremendous feeling. He reached out his hands and managed to find Jess so he could help her to her feet, but he failed.
“I think my ears are actually bleeding!” he joked, making Jess snigger loudly through her nose. The noise caused Matt to almost break into giggles again.
“I got everyone out, didn’t I?” Becker flopped his arm around Lester’s shoulder and held out his other arm to the sparse room. Only one tech sat at Jess’ station looking bored.
“But at what cost, Captain? Hmm?”
“Lester,” Becker sincerely smiled. “I am going to say this just the once, but I mean it. No jokes. On behalf of the ARC teams I want to thank you for this party. After everything we’ve been through, they needed it and so did you. You’re a good man. Thanks.”
Lester’s eyebrow rose in suspicion.
“Oh please… don’t get sentimental on me. I understand the alcohol is partially at fault but I….” Lester stopped in mid-sentence as Becker sheepishly grinned and reached out to pluck the mistletoe from his hair. The single eyebrow rise became a double eyebrow rise and the stern disapproving scowl became surprise and shock when Becker held the mistletoe close by and kissed Lester on the cheek. “Oh now that’s just wrong!”
Matt’s laughter was not helped when Lester’s face went bright red. Jess erupted into hysterics again at Lester’s embarrassment. Lester snatched the mistletoe and stormed off out of the Hub, muttering angrily under his breath. However, he paused on the top of the stairs and turned his head round to look over his shoulder.
“I want the lot of you back in four days… sober and fit for work. The anomalies don’t look after themselves you know!” A small and devious smile did eventually spread across his face. “Happy Christmas, Matt.”
James Lester didn’t wait around for any further responses. He strode out of the room as only he could after spending a whole night with mistletoe in his hair… with utter style.
“He appreciated it. I could tell,” said Becker proudly, bending down with Matt to help Jess to her feet.
Matt couldn’t verbally reply as he was still trying to figure out why Lester had only said Happy Christmas to him.
It didn’t matter, because Becker put a stop to the laughter almost as quickly as he had started it. “I’d better get Jess home.”
Something in Matt’s gut wrenched horribly as Becker scooped Jess up into his arms and held her close to his body. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her head leaned on his shoulders whilst his arms kept a strong hold. The little drunken woman snuggled into Becker’s grasp and smiled as her hands caressed playfully at his neck.
“I need to go to bed, Becker,” she whispered. “Come with me. I can give you your present!”
“Jess!”
Matt didn’t hear Becker’s reply, he only heard her giggle and his laughter in return. The wrenching inside him turned to sickness and a horrible bile rose in his throat.
“Matt… I’m going to take her back to her apartment and open my present. Will you be all right to get yourself home?”
He nodded, again unable to speak for fear that the wrong words would come out of his mouth and make him look like an idiot.
“Good night, Matt. Happy Christmas.”
“Happy ChristMatt!” Jess giggled and waved over Becker’s shoulder as she was carried away.
Matt remained rooted to the spot for a good ten minutes, looking round at the mess the party had produced. He hadn’t made any of this, Matt hadn’t even wanted to come down to this party, but he had, all because of Becker, all because of that charming wit of his.
This was anything but fun. It was another reason to not join in on this festive holiday and it was another reason to keep focused on the mission. Matt tried to put his new jealousy aside and began cleaning up the mess. Thankfully the tech at Jess’ station didn’t engage in conversation with him and allowed Matt to tidy up in peace.
If his father could see him now, he would be chastised. He would be called a fool for letting his feelings get the better of him and the fact that it was over another man… well that just wouldn’t do. Only the mission mattered. Nothing else should concern him.
But it was Becker he thought of as he cleared up.
Matt barely acknowledged the tech as he left, in fact the only thing that ran through his mind was, why Becker? What made him so special?
The microphone was in his hand. The karaoke machine had to be packed away but somehow he couldn’t manage it. As he was still on his own, Matt browsed through the song list and eventually found one to his liking.
Then he began to sing.
--------------------------------------------------
“If only you’d come to me. If only you’d run to me…if only you’d relax upon your rules and dare to be love’s fool….”
No decorations, no personal items. It was barren of most things except for necessary furniture and appliances in the kitchen. His apartment was like his life, which only consisted of what was essential, no niceties, no friends or relationships. It would mess him up, he would be too cluttered.
Matt walked out on to his balcony and saw the coloured lights of Christmas surrounding the other buildings. Even though it was 4am in the morning now, there were still the sounds of people enjoying themselves off in the distance. This holiday was supposed to be a time of family and friends, of being with those you love, but Matt didn’t have those things, except his father. He never had friends or any who lived long enough.
“Hello, father.”
“Matthew?” The voice on the other end of the phone was very surprised to hear him. “Is there something wrong? Have you discovered something new about the mission?”
“No, not really. I just thought I’d phone you up. Wish you Happy Christmas.”
“It’s 4am in the morning, son, it’s hardly appropriate to be phoning me up at this time.”
“No, I’m sorry for disturbing you, but I just wanted to see how you are and say how much I love…”
“Matthew, I am tired. Such trivial sentimental well wishes are not really productive at 4am in the morning. Are they? I know what this time of year means but we cannot allow it to distract us from what’s important. Get some sleep and come see me later, at a more suitable hour.”
“Of course, Da. I’m sorry. Good night.”
The phone clicked off and Matt was left listening to the dialling tone. It was cold outside, but after that call, the dismissal he received from his father made it feel colder. It was not just outside but inside as well. Inside his chest it felt numb.
At the party he had laughed, he had been happy. Matt had, for the first time in his entire 33 years, felt something other than fear, anger and the pressure of responsibility, and it was Becker’s fault.
Now he was anything but happy as he thought of how foolish he had been, thinking he could get anything more from Becker other than his friendship. He hadn’t known he wanted it, but now it was all too clear and he realised it far too late. Jess was the one Becker had gone home with and Matt had lost his chance to do or say anything about it.
The song he had sung felt bitterly true.
His father was right… having friends would only lead to disappointment and self-doubt.
A crash downstairs broke into his thoughts. Matt bolted from the balcony and grabbed a small EMD from behind his kitchen counter and slowly descended to where the intruder had entered his home, the weapon ready and primed on its lowest setting.
There was another crash and laughter.
“Okay! That was anything but stealthy! Bloody table was in the damned way!”
Matt was greatly amused as he saw Becker picking up the small table he’d knocked over. Matt powered down the EMD, tucked it in the back pocket of his jeans and watched as the slightly tipsy Becker got to his feet, trying to put back the small dish of keys and forgotten mail on the table.
“Your security sucks, Matt. I could have been anyone!” Becker pointed to the open door before closing it with a kick of his boot. “You might want to consider some better locks.”
“Or you could have just used the doorbell.”
Becker just grinned and shook his head in disbelief.
“I could have just used the doorbell! Idiot! Well, I’ll remember that next time.”
There was going to be a next time?
Becker knew what was going through his mind, for Matt saw that silly drunken expression vanish and Becker strode up to him as if he was stone cold sober.
“What…” Matt felt his voice choke as Becker barged his chest up against him, making him stagger back towards the stairs.
“What are you doing?”
“Something I know I’ll regret if I don’t try.” Becker gave Matt another shove with his chest and then grabbed him, his hand curled round the back of Matt’s neck pulling him closer. “What do you want to do?”
Was this some kind of dare? Or joke?
Becker’s other hand slid up his back, grazed over his shoulders and trailed slowly down his side, and over his hip to clasp tightly at his arse.
“You’re not planning on shooting me again, are you?” Becker took the EMD out of Matt’s pocket. “You know you’re not supposed to have these outside the ARC.”
“I….” Matt did have authority to have one but again he couldn’t explain that to Becker, not when their bodies jerked together and he felt the hard jab in his thigh. Becker smirked at his surprise and tucked the EMD into the waistband of Matt’s jeans.
This must be a joke. It had to be.
“Becker…”
Those eyes were practically yelling at Matt to do it. Then Matt’s hands did what they had to do. They shot up from his sides, and grabbed hold of Becker’s face. He pulled Becker to him and their mouths crashed together ferociously in a hungry, wild and ravaging kiss. They stumbled, unbalanced as they fought for dominance and, as their mouths tore and bit, Matt felt his back hit into the wall. The pain didn’t matter.
Becker was kissing him and he felt invigorated. Matt felt so elated that he couldn’t stop himself. Then Matt laughed, unintentionally, as Becker moaned delectably into his mouth.
“What?” Becker sounded a little pissed off, but it seemed he was trying not to do the same thing. “Are you laughing? This is a serious moment here and you’re laughing?”
Matt couldn’t look at him. With his head bowed he could only picture what the man looked like… his usually pristine black hair all ruffled; his lips wet and swollen from the kiss and his clothes crumpled. Matt clamped his hand over his mouth to try a stifle the chuckling.
“No… sorry, it was… forget it. Do you want to carry on?” he asked hoping that this wasn’t all some prank Becker was pulling.
Make fun of the new guy….
“You’re not going to laugh are you?”
Matt’s heart began racing, pounding even more when he felt Becker’s hand grasp his hair and pull, forcing him to look up at him.
“Promise?” Becker asked.
“Promise.”
Becker grinned and cupped his face again.
“You’d bloody better not.”
His lips only brushed against Matt’s, soft and fleeting but it was enough to make Matt snort right into his mouth.
“Damn it, Matt!”
-------------------------------------------------------------------
“You will like my sense of humour….”
He didn’t know what time it was, he didn’t even know where he was, at first. What Matt Anderson did know was that he was beneath something heavy and every part of him was aching pleasurably.
He turned his head and opened his eyes, only to close them again as the hot sweat still dripped into his eyes. His whole body was covered with it, drenching the sheets beneath him, along with the snoring warm body of Becker draped over his back.
Matt smiled. He hadn’t expected his Christmas to turn out like this.
He moved only a little and those twinges of pain in his anus made him wince, so Matt decided to keep very still. But it wasn’t easy, especially with Becker still fast asleep on his back.
In his current state, Becker’s weight wasn’t entirely unpleasant. His snoring breaths drifted over Matt’s skin, tickling all around his neck and shoulders; his arms sprawled out to the sides, jerking every so often just like his feet, which knocked against Matt’s own; but it was Becker’s spent and limp cock pressing and slightly rubbing against his arse that made him grin into his pillow. Just remembering how Becker had first broken him made Matt twitch again with pleasure.
He smiled as he remembered that first time. The pain of such girth spreading him and forcing its way deep soon turned to pleasure as Becker began to thrust. He grinned and moaned as he remembered Becker’s hand around his cock, beating a rhythm along with each slap of their bodies. Matt heard Becker’s grunts in his ears, he recalled the moans and gasping orders and how Becker made him come, only to shoot up inside him shortly after.
When it was his turn, when he managed to fit all of himself into Becker, Matt had nearly collapsed with the constriction around him. It had taken a few moments of just lying there, so engorged that he couldn’t move even if he’d wanted to but eventually Matt managed to give back as good as he’d got.
He had not expected any of this, certainly not after Becker went home with Jess. He imagined that Becker didn’t either, but it had happened. Becker had turned up and in a matter of seconds--no date or taking it slow, no discussions about feelings and how it might affect their work-they had climbed into bed together. Yes, or no, that was all it needed. No complications.
Becker stirred. His body wriggled again causing Matt’s aches and pains to flare up.
“We’re such whores. Oh god… did we really do all that?”
Matt was going to say good morning to such a mumbled greeting, but again he replied with an aroused snigger as Becker then began to kiss his way down Matt’s spine. He was right, after everything they did there was no other term for it. No complications meant no holding back and neither of them did that.
The majority of Becker’s weight eventually lifted up off him and then hands joined in with the kisses and bites on his back. Matt bit down on his own lip as Becker continued downward, eventually digging his teeth into his buttocks. Becker said something else, before hands pried apart his cheeks and he lashed his tongue over Matt’s anus.
The feel of Becker’s tongue, the wetness lapped across his already sensitive arse caused Matt to jerk. The sensation of Becker laughing between his cheeks only made him laugh as well.
Matt buried his face into the pillow, tensing as Becker continued to pleasure him with his mouth. Matt squirmed with each lick, he moaned as Becker sucked and bit hard, his hands squeezing lightly and tenderly over his buttocks. Matt’s hips suddenly jerked up as he felt Becker moan into him and that jerk got Matt up onto his knees, giving Becker’s hands access to his cock, which was already hard again.
Then, as Becker began to work at both, a steady rhythm enticing pleasure into Matt’s cock with his hand and his mouth devouring and savouring his arse, there was a very rude interruption. Matt’s phone on the bedside table was ringing.
With absolutely no sense in his head, thanks to Becker, Matt flailed his hand out to pick it up. It was still ringing as Matt tried to focus, but his broken pleasured moans, the shaking and trembling state his body was in wouldn’t allow him.
Then, Matt didn’t recall why, he pressed the answer button.
“Hell-ah!!” He couldn’t even say one simple word when Becker bit a little harder into his arse. But that bite wasn’t the surprise, it was the person on the other end of the phone.
Matt had expected Lester from the ARC or even his father… certainly not Jess Parker.
“Happy Christmas, Matt!” Jess’ excited voice cried back down the phone. “How are you on this wonderful day?”
Jess sounded way too chipper for someone who should have been suffering from a hangover.
“I’m… fi-ah-ne!” Matt had to bite his lip as again Becker found a sensitive part of him with his mouth. “Jess, is this an urgent matter or can this wait until an-ah jeez!-other time?”
“Oh it’s nothing much! Lester and I arranged a present for you. I just wanted to know if he arrived.”
“You arranged what?” Matt bolted so suddenly that Becker broke away from him and fell off the bed. Matt looked in astonishment as the smug-looking soldier climbed back on and lay on his back and tucked his hands behind his head.
Matt was feeling dizzy. Something was not right here.
“Your Christmas present!” cried Jess happily. “He did turn up, right? He was all worried that you wouldn’t like him showing up but Lester and I convinced him otherwise!”
“You and Lester set me up with Becker? As a Christmas present?!”
“Sure we did!”
“I suggested book tokens,” said Becker shaking his head. “But their idea turned out to be much better in my opinion.”
“Lester suggested this?” Matt couldn’t believe it. Then his mind did a double take and he sneered at Becker. “You suggested book tokens? Seriously?”
There was a startled squeal on the other end of the phone.
“Oh my God! Is Becker still there?! MATT! What did you do? What did Becker do? He was only supposed to ask you out for dinner or a drink! What happened? No, I don’t need details! Not until later anyway! I told him not to be so forward but I should have known better! Oh my god! You guys!! It’s so adorable!”
The squee-ing in his ear caused Matt’s face to involuntarily scrunch up in shock. As Jess’ excitement continued screaming down his ear, he couldn’t put the phone down. Eventually, Becker snatched it off of him.
“Thank you, Jess. Have a good Christmas!” he yelled quickly, knowing full well she didn’t hear him and cut the call. He threw the phone back on to the table and rose up to Matt’s height again. “Are…. are you okay?”
Matt wasn’t sure. He was stunned that Jess and Lester had done this. How did they know? Why was Becker doing this?
Was it really just a prank on the new guy?
“I’m sorry.” Becker reached out with his hand and placed his palm against the soft fuzz of stubble on Matt’s face. “If this isn’t want you wanted… I could always get the book tokens.”
“Er…”
Matt didn’t even get a chance to voice his doubts as they vanished the instant Becker kissed him again. Matt didn’t care where that mouth had been before, it didn’t matter as their arms wrapped around each other and the kiss carried on.
“Happy Christmas, Matt.”
It was the first he had ever had, and if Becker was willing to celebrate like this, then Matt was certain there would be plenty more.
Now his mission didn’t feel like a burden any longer.
THE END
Matt's Song: Sense Of Humour by Darren Hayes
Abby & Connor's Song: Waste A Day by Heather Nova
Lester's Song: Living On A Prayer by Bon Jovi
Jess' Song: All I Want For Christmas by Mariah Carey
Becker's Song: Wishing I Had A Photograph by A Flock Of Seagulls