Stargate Universe fic | Sails Away, to Far and Beyond | Prologue, Part Two
See Part One for metadata and link to AO3 Here
“Everything okay now?” Eli's voice greeted them when they stepped back into the pod, Everett first, facing the door and then Rush stepped inside facing Everett.
Everett picked up the radio and answered him “Yeah, Eli. We're going to give this another shot. Thanks for giving us some space.”
“Sure. I mean, I could tell you two needed some alone time.”
Everett put the radio down while Rush rolled his eyes. They looked at each other, and Rush almost smiled, the corner of his mouth turning up just a little. Everett opened his arms, pleased that Rush moved closer without hesitation. He wrapped his arms around Rush and Rush tightened his own arms around Everett's waist.
They stayed that way for several minutes. Everett noticed that Rush had closed his eyes.
“You okay?”
“I'm fine.”
“Hey, Colonel Young? Rush? That was better but still nowhere close.” Eli sounded apologetic.
Rush opened his eyes. “Well. I think we both know what we have to do now.”
Everett reached over and hit the pod's release button. “Let's try it with shirts and boots off.”
Rush turned and stepped out of the pod, Everett following him. Everett knelt down and began unlacing a boot, and Rush sat down on the steps. He made quick work of his own boots and slid off his socks, tucked them into his boots and set them down near the pod. Then he unfastened his vest and folded it, placing it on top of the boots.
Everett watched him, struck by how matter of fact he was acting. Rush noticed he was watching.
“What?”
“You seem to be okay with this now.”
“Yes well. Not like we have a choice, is it.” Rush unbuckled his belt and slid it free. His jeans were loose around his hips without the belt to cinch them tight. He pulled off his brown T-shirt and folded it.
“You're very pragmatic.” Everett unfastened his jacket and pulled it off, neatly folding it as well.
“So I hear. I believe you yourself have called me a pragmatic bastard on at least one occasion.”
“Were you eavesdropping?”
Rush smirked at him.
“Rush.” His voice came out a little lower, an edge of a growl to it that he hadn't intended.
“Don't worry about it, Colonel. It wasn't like you were holding a secret meeting. As I remember, you were in the mess eating dinner with some o' the others.” He pulled off the long-sleeved Henley that a year ago had still been white.
Everett removed his black long-sleeved T-shirt and tidied up his pile of clothes. He glanced over at Rush, to see if he was finished undressing. Rush was bent over, rolling up his jeans.
“You look like a beach bum like that.”
“Aye. I suppose my hair and beard just adds to the look.”
“Yep.” He frowned, looking at Rush's back. Several quick strides had him next to the man, and he pulled him up, startling Rush.
“Colonel?”
Everett took him by the biceps and looked hard at his chest, then spun him around and examined his back. Rush didn't fight him.
“Who beat you up?”
“Well, I wouldn't know.”
“I want names. And I want you to tell me what happened.” He tightened his grip on Rush, resisting the urge to shake an answer out of him.
“Want all you like. Why do you care anyway? It's not like you haven't done worse. You were even thinking about teaching me another lesson about an hour ago.”
“So are you saying you deserved this? What did you do to piss off whoever did this?”
Rush shrugged. “This is irrelevant and distracting. We need to get back in the pod and see if being bare skin to bare skin will make the difference.” He shook loose from Everett's hold and ran his hands up and down his arms. “It's bloody cold in here.”
“Rush,” he gritted out in frustration, “you're going to tell me about this.”
“Oh, am I?”
“You're a member of this crew. If you're being hurt I want it to stop.”
Rush gave him a thoughtful look. “I might believe you about that. Or at least that you didn't authorize it or condone it. This time.”
“This time. This has happened before, hasn't it?”
Rush shrugged and wrapped his arms around his bare chest.
“You can't stop it. So don't worry about it. They make it clear each time that this is just punishment. They know the ship needs me; they won't kill me.”
“And you thought I've been giving whoever this person is a green light to do this? Thanks a lot.”
“Well. Your disapproval of me has never been any sort of secret.” Rush shifted, cocking one hip forward in a familiar pose, arms crossing across his chest. “I thought you might have acted the part of Henry the II and wished that someone would give me what I deserve.”
“Henry the... Are you talking about Thomas Becket?” Rush was broadcasting defiance with that stance and Everett wanted to jerk him right out of it.
“Forget about it, Colonel. I'm ready to do this. Would you please step inside the pod?”
“Not until you tell me what the hell has been going on.” Everett said firmly, giving Rush his best no-nonsense look.
They waited in silence, a showdown between them, Everett prepared to stare him down until Rush gave in. A minute passed. Then three or four. Six minutes. Eight.
Rush threw up his hands. “Fine. If it will get you to move your arse into the pod, I'll tell you.”
“I'd appreciate it.”
“Yes, yes.” He looked past Everett, avoiding his eyes. “So sometimes, after something has happened that's been deemed my fault, I get jumped by three or four men - I am fairly sure they're men - who have their faces covered up.”
He paused, but didn't make eye contact. “Is that sufficient for you?”
“No. Go on.”
“Ah, well then. The wankers hold me down and bind my hands and feet, and stuff a rag in my mouth. They throw a blanket over me and sometimes they carry me somewhere else and sometimes they don't. They kick me and hit me and tell me I'm a piece of shit that they're not going to kill because I'm needed. They let me know what I've done wrong in their eyes. And that I might as well save my breath about complaining because it won't change anything.”
“And you just went along with this?”
Rush did look at him finally. “I never have any proof except a bunch of bruises. Besides, I'm not deaf, you know. Most of the crew would thank them for teaching me a lesson.”
“And you thought I was behind it.”
“I did. Or at least that you were turning a blind eye to it. I've revised my hypothesis though. I think you wouldn't subcontract the work out but do it yourself if you were angry wi' me again.”
“I'm not going to hit you, no matter how aggravating you get.”
“Ah.” He shaded his voice into something dark, almost seductive. “Don't make promises you can't keep, Colonel.”
“If I make a promise I do keep it. I won't hit you, but that doesn't mean I won't make your life miserable in other ways.”
Rush made a sound edged with derision. “That I already knew. You're one to reward and punish as you please, aren't you then. Awarding me double rations or keeping me chained to your side when as the Ancient tech expert I should have gone to that first seed ship to assess its potential usage.”
“You're still pissed that I tried to do something nice for you, to show my appreciation? Although I was wrong about that since you'd lied to us about flying through the star. And you're right about the seed ship. I was punishing you since I knew damn well you were keeping something from me. I was surprised that you didn't throw a fit about that, just pouted a bit.”
“Pouted! I did no such thing.”
“Yeah, you did. Stuck your lower lip out like you were five, although you hid it away again fast enough. And you practically scorched Eli with the looks you were giving him since he was excited about the data being sent over from the seed ship.”
“Yes, well. None of that is relevant now. Can we please proceed?”
Everett ignored the question. He moved closer to the other man and pressed down on one of the large dark purple bruises, one that was edged with green, right above Rush's beltline and near his belly button.
Rush flinched. “Shite. Stop that.” He stepped a little away from Everett.
“These are around a month old, I would guess. And if you're still sensitive now, then they hit you really hard. What were you being punished for?”
Rush kept silent.
“Rush,” Everett growled.
Rush made an annoyed sound. “If you must know, it was Park going blind.”
“That wasn't your fault.”
“They disagreed. They thought I could have come up with some way to override the door and let her out of hydroponics before the star blinded her. They thought I just didn't care enough to try.”
“What else have you been punished for?”
“I don't see the point of telling you. You say I'm pragmatic and I agree. So drop this inquisition and let’s focus on the problem at hand.”
“Rush, you're going to tell me everything about this.”
“You're a damn stubborn man. If I don't care about it, why the hell should you?”
“This could escalate, and you could be seriously hurt. I already knew you lacked common sense, and now I learn you've let yourself be a punching bag and think it's no big deal? There's going to be some changes when we get to the new galaxy. I'm putting myself in charge of keeping you in one piece. And that means that you are going to tell me every detail about these beatings. There's going to be an investigation.”
“You are not putting yourself in charge of me! I'm no for having that!” Rush gave him that affronted look again.
“Wrong. And since you're being so damned uncooperative, I'm going to be checking on you every other day for any new bruises. And if you won't raise up your shirt on your own, I'll have the two biggest airmen on the ship help you.”
Rush stared at him, speechless. Then he scrubbed his hands over his face, ending with looking at Everett between his splayed out fingers. Another way he had of hiding away, Everett supposed.
“Look, Rush. You're not seeing the big picture here. If you're being harassed like this, how many other people are being intimidated? I can't let a gang of thugs take condemning their shipmates into their own hands. What if it was Eli that they blamed for some perceived mistake? What about if they think Chloe is still a danger to the ship?”
Rush sat down sideways on the bottom step leading into the pod and pulled his knees up close to his chest. He wrapped his arms around his legs and Everett was reminded of how he'd tucked himself up like that on the seed ship, after crawling away from Everett after had he almost murdered Rush.
“Fuck,” he said, sounding exhausted. “You bloody well will have your way, won't you?”
“It's for the greater good, you ought to appreciate that. So tell me, what were you punished for?”
Rush sighed. “For dialing the ninth chevron. For lying about the Icarus planet in the database. For keeping the bridge secret. The first star we flew through. For not telling about the transmitter in my chest. For Franklin sitting in the chair. Park's blindness. Riley. I think that was all. Now for the love of god will you drop it and work this problem?” He indicated the stasis pod behind him with a nod of his head.
“I'll table it till later. You're not done. If you don't remember many details, Camile can hypnotize you.”
“Yes well, hypnosis never worked on me when I was trying to quit smoking. So I doubt very much she would have any success.” He looked at Everett and shivered. “Can we try this now? Or do you want to discuss every last thing you don't approve of about me first?”
He was trying for sarcasm, Everett knew, but his words just sounded tired. The man looked miserable. He wondered how much sleep Rush had gotten before going into stasis. He knew how worn out he felt still, so apparently being in stasis didn't substitute for actual sleep. It was freezing in Destiny's halls. Heat as well as light had been mostly turned off.
He had a high cold tolerance and he was starting to feel pretty chilled. Rush was shivering again, and his shudders didn't stop; he was being affected by the lack of heat more then Everett. Not surprising, though. There wasn't much to the man. Had he always been this thin?
“Okay, we're done here. Just expect to have a long talk when we wake up.”
“Yes, yes. You've made yourself quite clear.” Rush got up and waited by the side of the pod while Everett rolled his own trouser legs up.
“Everything about this ship, everything that pertains to the safety and the welfare of this crew is my concern, Rush. You are my concern,” Everett said firmly. “You are going to learn to work with me and the rest of the crew if it kills me. You don't have to like that. You do have to accept it.”
Rush's expression morphed into the one that Everett disliked so, so much. That closed off, secretive look, his eyes promising deception as he remained mute. Everett took a deep breath. He was not going to become angry.
He wasn't.
* * *
Rush kept his mouth shut inside the pod. He just nodded when Everett suggested that Rush place his bare feet partly over Everett's feet, close enough so that their lower legs were touching. That position unbalanced Rush somewhat, so Everett tightened his arms around him, holding him snugly against him. Rush closed his eyes again and let Everett take his weight. He was holding his body stiffly, though. His skin was cold and he was still shivering.
“Guys, that's a lot closer. Can you uh, do something... more?” Eli sounded embarrassed.
“Try to relax against me,” Everett suggested. “I'll hold you up. And maybe put one hand up higher on my back and the other lower. Maybe this works on how many points of contact there are between the partners.”
Rush shifted from locking his arms around Everett to the new positions, his hands freezing cold against Everett's back. He slipped out a small relieved sound as his hands began to warm. He still was holding himself stiffly against Everett's chest, though.
They waited for Eli's report in silence.
“A little better. Um... maybe you should take it to the next level.”
“Look, Rush, try not to be so stiff. Okay, I'm going to shift an arm down to hold your weight and I'm going to rub your back with my other hand. So don't freak. And lay your head against me.”
Rush put his head down, and Everett lifted his shoulder a little, nudging Rush so his face was buried in Everett's neck. His breath and beard tickled a little.
Rush sighed, but Everett could tell he was trying. Rubbing his back seemed to help him become more pliant.
“Still not there,” Eli interrupted the silence between them. “Look, do what you're doing for maybe ten minutes, and if these readings don't increase to the magic numbers, then Colonel, you at least know what you have to do. And I promise, my lips are sealed.”
Ten minutes. Okay, they could do ten minutes. Rush's skin was soft, smooth. He found that he was lingering over some of the bruises on Rush's back, skimming the edges of them, laying his palm over them as if he could form a protective barrier between them and who? His unknown assailants? Destiny? Destiny had left her own marks on Rush, breaking through his skin at his temples, leaving him in a coma after using the neural interface chair. He flashed on the other Rush's injuries from the ship's consoles blowing up, leaving him with cuts and burns on his face and hands.
After a while Everett asked, “Are you feeling warmer?”
Rush nodded against him.
“Is this the silent treatment? My ex-wife used to pull that on me.”
“No,” Rush said softly. “But what is there to say? I don't want to start up anything else between us, so being quiet seemed a better option.”
“Oh, I think we've got something to discuss. Ever play spin-the-bottle or seven minutes in heaven when you were a kid?”
“No.”
“How about drunken make-out sessions with random strangers in bars?”
“No.”
“So you only kiss people you like?”
“I gather that's about t' change.”
Everett laughed. “What about guys? Ever kiss a guy before.”
“Yes.”
“Well, I have too.”
“Colonel, I've given you a Glasgow Kiss already.”
“When was that?”
“When I head butted you during our fights.”
“You really are something else, you know that, right?” Everett said, amused for the moment.
Rush shrugged. “Actually, I hear that I'm a lot of work.”
* * *
“It's been ten minutes.” Eli said, carefully nonchalant. “I'll just, uh, keep on monitoring, okay?”
There was silence between the two of them after Eli had spoken. Everett kept moving his hand on Rush's back in comforting circles. Well. No point in stalling any longer.
“Okay, Ace,” Everett said briskly. “Let's just go for it.”
“Fine,” Rush replied, and kissed Everett's neck, startling him.
Somehow he wasn't expecting Rush to take the lead on this.
One of Rush's hands had crept up and his fingers were gliding through Everett's curls, touching his head, massaging it, while he continued to kiss Everett's neck.
This wasn't bad. As long as he just concentrated on the sensations of fingers and lips and the drag of stubble on his skin and not on who was giving it to him, it wasn't bad at all. Pleasant, even.
But then Rush ruined Everett's mindless enjoyment. He stretched up a little and moved both of his hands to Everett's face, the other man's clever and quick hands caressing him even as Everett was forced to take even more of Rush's weight to keep him balanced against Everett.
“Colonel Young,” he breathed out, and then he was kissing Everett on the mouth, and god damn it, Rush was focusing on him like he was some new fascinating Ancient tech that Rush had just discovered.
Rush slid one hand around to the back of Everett's neck, and he played with Everett's mouth, alternating small kisses at the edge of Everett's mouth to pressing their lips together, his mouth soft and welcoming and still tasting of the tea he must have drunk before going into stasis the first time.
Everett broke their kiss, pulling back a little so he could look into Rush's dark wizard eyes. This felt like passion. This felt like honesty. And trust. If he loosened his hold on Rush even by a little, the other man would fall back, unbalanced.
Rush's pupils were dilated. God. He wasn't faking this, he wasn't being deceptive. For this one moment, Everett knew exactly where Rush was and what he was doing.
Rush kissed him again, his mouth opening a little. Was this just an impulse on Rush's part, to treat Everett like a lover, or was this him doing his lightening fast calculations again and deciding that all their arguing and fighting had held something else that they'd both ignored?
Damned if he knew. What he did know was that he was going to make Nicholas Rush whimper with desire before he was done with him and they were frozen in time.
It was intoxicating to think of finally, finally seeing Rush do exactly what Everett intended him to do. No side agenda known only to the other man. No ambiguity about his actions.
And he was taking charge right now.
It was like powering up the FTL drive. Rush startled a little as their dynamics shifted to Everett's mouth dominating him, Everett's hand cupping Rush's ass, dragging him up and even closer.
He made this kiss aggressive, a mute order that Rush surrender to him; and Rush did, opening to him, laying down his defenses.
Letting Everett in.
Everett hardened, sexual desire rising in him and it had been so long since he'd let himself feel it.
He tightened his hold on Rush more, sliding his hand under the jeans that hung low on Rush's hips. He relished how Rush was pinned against him, fingers gripping the soft, warm curve of Rush's ass. Felt Rush's erection against his belly.
Kissed him again and again, fast strikes that left Rush panting and gasping for air before Everett plundered him once more.
Rush reacted so beautifully, off-balance, doing just what Everett was demanding of him and oh, Everett was going to treasure this memory because he knew capturing Rush like this would be a fleeting thing and once they were out of this pod Rush would revert to his secrets and shuttering away his thoughts. Not like now, where it was crystal clear what he was feeling and thinking.
He gripped Rush's long hair at his nape, pulling it back and exposing his throat.
“Nicholas,” he growled, taking the name without it being offered to him. He said it with the same intonation he had been using for the last damn year when he would be so frustrated with this man, this small man who took up twice as much space as he was entitled to, so much so that Everett had always colored the name “Rush” with all his anger and frustration and worry.
He kissed Nicholas' neck, and sucked hard on the tender skin, knowing he was going to leave a bruise that would tell everyone who saw it that Nicholas Rush had been claimed long enough to leave the proof.
Nicholas made a desperate, pleading whine, and Everett felt flooded with satisfaction at the sound.
He was kissing Nicholas' mouth again when he heard Eli's voice counting down. He knew he should break them apart.
He didn't.
Blue light flashed.
* * *
To be Continued.
“Everything okay now?” Eli's voice greeted them when they stepped back into the pod, Everett first, facing the door and then Rush stepped inside facing Everett.
Everett picked up the radio and answered him “Yeah, Eli. We're going to give this another shot. Thanks for giving us some space.”
“Sure. I mean, I could tell you two needed some alone time.”
Everett put the radio down while Rush rolled his eyes. They looked at each other, and Rush almost smiled, the corner of his mouth turning up just a little. Everett opened his arms, pleased that Rush moved closer without hesitation. He wrapped his arms around Rush and Rush tightened his own arms around Everett's waist.
They stayed that way for several minutes. Everett noticed that Rush had closed his eyes.
“You okay?”
“I'm fine.”
“Hey, Colonel Young? Rush? That was better but still nowhere close.” Eli sounded apologetic.
Rush opened his eyes. “Well. I think we both know what we have to do now.”
Everett reached over and hit the pod's release button. “Let's try it with shirts and boots off.”
Rush turned and stepped out of the pod, Everett following him. Everett knelt down and began unlacing a boot, and Rush sat down on the steps. He made quick work of his own boots and slid off his socks, tucked them into his boots and set them down near the pod. Then he unfastened his vest and folded it, placing it on top of the boots.
Everett watched him, struck by how matter of fact he was acting. Rush noticed he was watching.
“What?”
“You seem to be okay with this now.”
“Yes well. Not like we have a choice, is it.” Rush unbuckled his belt and slid it free. His jeans were loose around his hips without the belt to cinch them tight. He pulled off his brown T-shirt and folded it.
“You're very pragmatic.” Everett unfastened his jacket and pulled it off, neatly folding it as well.
“So I hear. I believe you yourself have called me a pragmatic bastard on at least one occasion.”
“Were you eavesdropping?”
Rush smirked at him.
“Rush.” His voice came out a little lower, an edge of a growl to it that he hadn't intended.
“Don't worry about it, Colonel. It wasn't like you were holding a secret meeting. As I remember, you were in the mess eating dinner with some o' the others.” He pulled off the long-sleeved Henley that a year ago had still been white.
Everett removed his black long-sleeved T-shirt and tidied up his pile of clothes. He glanced over at Rush, to see if he was finished undressing. Rush was bent over, rolling up his jeans.
“You look like a beach bum like that.”
“Aye. I suppose my hair and beard just adds to the look.”
“Yep.” He frowned, looking at Rush's back. Several quick strides had him next to the man, and he pulled him up, startling Rush.
“Colonel?”
Everett took him by the biceps and looked hard at his chest, then spun him around and examined his back. Rush didn't fight him.
“Who beat you up?”
“Well, I wouldn't know.”
“I want names. And I want you to tell me what happened.” He tightened his grip on Rush, resisting the urge to shake an answer out of him.
“Want all you like. Why do you care anyway? It's not like you haven't done worse. You were even thinking about teaching me another lesson about an hour ago.”
“So are you saying you deserved this? What did you do to piss off whoever did this?”
Rush shrugged. “This is irrelevant and distracting. We need to get back in the pod and see if being bare skin to bare skin will make the difference.” He shook loose from Everett's hold and ran his hands up and down his arms. “It's bloody cold in here.”
“Rush,” he gritted out in frustration, “you're going to tell me about this.”
“Oh, am I?”
“You're a member of this crew. If you're being hurt I want it to stop.”
Rush gave him a thoughtful look. “I might believe you about that. Or at least that you didn't authorize it or condone it. This time.”
“This time. This has happened before, hasn't it?”
Rush shrugged and wrapped his arms around his bare chest.
“You can't stop it. So don't worry about it. They make it clear each time that this is just punishment. They know the ship needs me; they won't kill me.”
“And you thought I've been giving whoever this person is a green light to do this? Thanks a lot.”
“Well. Your disapproval of me has never been any sort of secret.” Rush shifted, cocking one hip forward in a familiar pose, arms crossing across his chest. “I thought you might have acted the part of Henry the II and wished that someone would give me what I deserve.”
“Henry the... Are you talking about Thomas Becket?” Rush was broadcasting defiance with that stance and Everett wanted to jerk him right out of it.
“Forget about it, Colonel. I'm ready to do this. Would you please step inside the pod?”
“Not until you tell me what the hell has been going on.” Everett said firmly, giving Rush his best no-nonsense look.
They waited in silence, a showdown between them, Everett prepared to stare him down until Rush gave in. A minute passed. Then three or four. Six minutes. Eight.
Rush threw up his hands. “Fine. If it will get you to move your arse into the pod, I'll tell you.”
“I'd appreciate it.”
“Yes, yes.” He looked past Everett, avoiding his eyes. “So sometimes, after something has happened that's been deemed my fault, I get jumped by three or four men - I am fairly sure they're men - who have their faces covered up.”
He paused, but didn't make eye contact. “Is that sufficient for you?”
“No. Go on.”
“Ah, well then. The wankers hold me down and bind my hands and feet, and stuff a rag in my mouth. They throw a blanket over me and sometimes they carry me somewhere else and sometimes they don't. They kick me and hit me and tell me I'm a piece of shit that they're not going to kill because I'm needed. They let me know what I've done wrong in their eyes. And that I might as well save my breath about complaining because it won't change anything.”
“And you just went along with this?”
Rush did look at him finally. “I never have any proof except a bunch of bruises. Besides, I'm not deaf, you know. Most of the crew would thank them for teaching me a lesson.”
“And you thought I was behind it.”
“I did. Or at least that you were turning a blind eye to it. I've revised my hypothesis though. I think you wouldn't subcontract the work out but do it yourself if you were angry wi' me again.”
“I'm not going to hit you, no matter how aggravating you get.”
“Ah.” He shaded his voice into something dark, almost seductive. “Don't make promises you can't keep, Colonel.”
“If I make a promise I do keep it. I won't hit you, but that doesn't mean I won't make your life miserable in other ways.”
Rush made a sound edged with derision. “That I already knew. You're one to reward and punish as you please, aren't you then. Awarding me double rations or keeping me chained to your side when as the Ancient tech expert I should have gone to that first seed ship to assess its potential usage.”
“You're still pissed that I tried to do something nice for you, to show my appreciation? Although I was wrong about that since you'd lied to us about flying through the star. And you're right about the seed ship. I was punishing you since I knew damn well you were keeping something from me. I was surprised that you didn't throw a fit about that, just pouted a bit.”
“Pouted! I did no such thing.”
“Yeah, you did. Stuck your lower lip out like you were five, although you hid it away again fast enough. And you practically scorched Eli with the looks you were giving him since he was excited about the data being sent over from the seed ship.”
“Yes, well. None of that is relevant now. Can we please proceed?”
Everett ignored the question. He moved closer to the other man and pressed down on one of the large dark purple bruises, one that was edged with green, right above Rush's beltline and near his belly button.
Rush flinched. “Shite. Stop that.” He stepped a little away from Everett.
“These are around a month old, I would guess. And if you're still sensitive now, then they hit you really hard. What were you being punished for?”
Rush kept silent.
“Rush,” Everett growled.
Rush made an annoyed sound. “If you must know, it was Park going blind.”
“That wasn't your fault.”
“They disagreed. They thought I could have come up with some way to override the door and let her out of hydroponics before the star blinded her. They thought I just didn't care enough to try.”
“What else have you been punished for?”
“I don't see the point of telling you. You say I'm pragmatic and I agree. So drop this inquisition and let’s focus on the problem at hand.”
“Rush, you're going to tell me everything about this.”
“You're a damn stubborn man. If I don't care about it, why the hell should you?”
“This could escalate, and you could be seriously hurt. I already knew you lacked common sense, and now I learn you've let yourself be a punching bag and think it's no big deal? There's going to be some changes when we get to the new galaxy. I'm putting myself in charge of keeping you in one piece. And that means that you are going to tell me every detail about these beatings. There's going to be an investigation.”
“You are not putting yourself in charge of me! I'm no for having that!” Rush gave him that affronted look again.
“Wrong. And since you're being so damned uncooperative, I'm going to be checking on you every other day for any new bruises. And if you won't raise up your shirt on your own, I'll have the two biggest airmen on the ship help you.”
Rush stared at him, speechless. Then he scrubbed his hands over his face, ending with looking at Everett between his splayed out fingers. Another way he had of hiding away, Everett supposed.
“Look, Rush. You're not seeing the big picture here. If you're being harassed like this, how many other people are being intimidated? I can't let a gang of thugs take condemning their shipmates into their own hands. What if it was Eli that they blamed for some perceived mistake? What about if they think Chloe is still a danger to the ship?”
Rush sat down sideways on the bottom step leading into the pod and pulled his knees up close to his chest. He wrapped his arms around his legs and Everett was reminded of how he'd tucked himself up like that on the seed ship, after crawling away from Everett after had he almost murdered Rush.
“Fuck,” he said, sounding exhausted. “You bloody well will have your way, won't you?”
“It's for the greater good, you ought to appreciate that. So tell me, what were you punished for?”
Rush sighed. “For dialing the ninth chevron. For lying about the Icarus planet in the database. For keeping the bridge secret. The first star we flew through. For not telling about the transmitter in my chest. For Franklin sitting in the chair. Park's blindness. Riley. I think that was all. Now for the love of god will you drop it and work this problem?” He indicated the stasis pod behind him with a nod of his head.
“I'll table it till later. You're not done. If you don't remember many details, Camile can hypnotize you.”
“Yes well, hypnosis never worked on me when I was trying to quit smoking. So I doubt very much she would have any success.” He looked at Everett and shivered. “Can we try this now? Or do you want to discuss every last thing you don't approve of about me first?”
He was trying for sarcasm, Everett knew, but his words just sounded tired. The man looked miserable. He wondered how much sleep Rush had gotten before going into stasis. He knew how worn out he felt still, so apparently being in stasis didn't substitute for actual sleep. It was freezing in Destiny's halls. Heat as well as light had been mostly turned off.
He had a high cold tolerance and he was starting to feel pretty chilled. Rush was shivering again, and his shudders didn't stop; he was being affected by the lack of heat more then Everett. Not surprising, though. There wasn't much to the man. Had he always been this thin?
“Okay, we're done here. Just expect to have a long talk when we wake up.”
“Yes, yes. You've made yourself quite clear.” Rush got up and waited by the side of the pod while Everett rolled his own trouser legs up.
“Everything about this ship, everything that pertains to the safety and the welfare of this crew is my concern, Rush. You are my concern,” Everett said firmly. “You are going to learn to work with me and the rest of the crew if it kills me. You don't have to like that. You do have to accept it.”
Rush's expression morphed into the one that Everett disliked so, so much. That closed off, secretive look, his eyes promising deception as he remained mute. Everett took a deep breath. He was not going to become angry.
He wasn't.
* * *
Rush kept his mouth shut inside the pod. He just nodded when Everett suggested that Rush place his bare feet partly over Everett's feet, close enough so that their lower legs were touching. That position unbalanced Rush somewhat, so Everett tightened his arms around him, holding him snugly against him. Rush closed his eyes again and let Everett take his weight. He was holding his body stiffly, though. His skin was cold and he was still shivering.
“Guys, that's a lot closer. Can you uh, do something... more?” Eli sounded embarrassed.
“Try to relax against me,” Everett suggested. “I'll hold you up. And maybe put one hand up higher on my back and the other lower. Maybe this works on how many points of contact there are between the partners.”
Rush shifted from locking his arms around Everett to the new positions, his hands freezing cold against Everett's back. He slipped out a small relieved sound as his hands began to warm. He still was holding himself stiffly against Everett's chest, though.
They waited for Eli's report in silence.
“A little better. Um... maybe you should take it to the next level.”
“Look, Rush, try not to be so stiff. Okay, I'm going to shift an arm down to hold your weight and I'm going to rub your back with my other hand. So don't freak. And lay your head against me.”
Rush put his head down, and Everett lifted his shoulder a little, nudging Rush so his face was buried in Everett's neck. His breath and beard tickled a little.
Rush sighed, but Everett could tell he was trying. Rubbing his back seemed to help him become more pliant.
“Still not there,” Eli interrupted the silence between them. “Look, do what you're doing for maybe ten minutes, and if these readings don't increase to the magic numbers, then Colonel, you at least know what you have to do. And I promise, my lips are sealed.”
Ten minutes. Okay, they could do ten minutes. Rush's skin was soft, smooth. He found that he was lingering over some of the bruises on Rush's back, skimming the edges of them, laying his palm over them as if he could form a protective barrier between them and who? His unknown assailants? Destiny? Destiny had left her own marks on Rush, breaking through his skin at his temples, leaving him in a coma after using the neural interface chair. He flashed on the other Rush's injuries from the ship's consoles blowing up, leaving him with cuts and burns on his face and hands.
After a while Everett asked, “Are you feeling warmer?”
Rush nodded against him.
“Is this the silent treatment? My ex-wife used to pull that on me.”
“No,” Rush said softly. “But what is there to say? I don't want to start up anything else between us, so being quiet seemed a better option.”
“Oh, I think we've got something to discuss. Ever play spin-the-bottle or seven minutes in heaven when you were a kid?”
“No.”
“How about drunken make-out sessions with random strangers in bars?”
“No.”
“So you only kiss people you like?”
“I gather that's about t' change.”
Everett laughed. “What about guys? Ever kiss a guy before.”
“Yes.”
“Well, I have too.”
“Colonel, I've given you a Glasgow Kiss already.”
“When was that?”
“When I head butted you during our fights.”
“You really are something else, you know that, right?” Everett said, amused for the moment.
Rush shrugged. “Actually, I hear that I'm a lot of work.”
* * *
“It's been ten minutes.” Eli said, carefully nonchalant. “I'll just, uh, keep on monitoring, okay?”
There was silence between the two of them after Eli had spoken. Everett kept moving his hand on Rush's back in comforting circles. Well. No point in stalling any longer.
“Okay, Ace,” Everett said briskly. “Let's just go for it.”
“Fine,” Rush replied, and kissed Everett's neck, startling him.
Somehow he wasn't expecting Rush to take the lead on this.
One of Rush's hands had crept up and his fingers were gliding through Everett's curls, touching his head, massaging it, while he continued to kiss Everett's neck.
This wasn't bad. As long as he just concentrated on the sensations of fingers and lips and the drag of stubble on his skin and not on who was giving it to him, it wasn't bad at all. Pleasant, even.
But then Rush ruined Everett's mindless enjoyment. He stretched up a little and moved both of his hands to Everett's face, the other man's clever and quick hands caressing him even as Everett was forced to take even more of Rush's weight to keep him balanced against Everett.
“Colonel Young,” he breathed out, and then he was kissing Everett on the mouth, and god damn it, Rush was focusing on him like he was some new fascinating Ancient tech that Rush had just discovered.
Rush slid one hand around to the back of Everett's neck, and he played with Everett's mouth, alternating small kisses at the edge of Everett's mouth to pressing their lips together, his mouth soft and welcoming and still tasting of the tea he must have drunk before going into stasis the first time.
Everett broke their kiss, pulling back a little so he could look into Rush's dark wizard eyes. This felt like passion. This felt like honesty. And trust. If he loosened his hold on Rush even by a little, the other man would fall back, unbalanced.
Rush's pupils were dilated. God. He wasn't faking this, he wasn't being deceptive. For this one moment, Everett knew exactly where Rush was and what he was doing.
Rush kissed him again, his mouth opening a little. Was this just an impulse on Rush's part, to treat Everett like a lover, or was this him doing his lightening fast calculations again and deciding that all their arguing and fighting had held something else that they'd both ignored?
Damned if he knew. What he did know was that he was going to make Nicholas Rush whimper with desire before he was done with him and they were frozen in time.
It was intoxicating to think of finally, finally seeing Rush do exactly what Everett intended him to do. No side agenda known only to the other man. No ambiguity about his actions.
And he was taking charge right now.
It was like powering up the FTL drive. Rush startled a little as their dynamics shifted to Everett's mouth dominating him, Everett's hand cupping Rush's ass, dragging him up and even closer.
He made this kiss aggressive, a mute order that Rush surrender to him; and Rush did, opening to him, laying down his defenses.
Letting Everett in.
Everett hardened, sexual desire rising in him and it had been so long since he'd let himself feel it.
He tightened his hold on Rush more, sliding his hand under the jeans that hung low on Rush's hips. He relished how Rush was pinned against him, fingers gripping the soft, warm curve of Rush's ass. Felt Rush's erection against his belly.
Kissed him again and again, fast strikes that left Rush panting and gasping for air before Everett plundered him once more.
Rush reacted so beautifully, off-balance, doing just what Everett was demanding of him and oh, Everett was going to treasure this memory because he knew capturing Rush like this would be a fleeting thing and once they were out of this pod Rush would revert to his secrets and shuttering away his thoughts. Not like now, where it was crystal clear what he was feeling and thinking.
He gripped Rush's long hair at his nape, pulling it back and exposing his throat.
“Nicholas,” he growled, taking the name without it being offered to him. He said it with the same intonation he had been using for the last damn year when he would be so frustrated with this man, this small man who took up twice as much space as he was entitled to, so much so that Everett had always colored the name “Rush” with all his anger and frustration and worry.
He kissed Nicholas' neck, and sucked hard on the tender skin, knowing he was going to leave a bruise that would tell everyone who saw it that Nicholas Rush had been claimed long enough to leave the proof.
Nicholas made a desperate, pleading whine, and Everett felt flooded with satisfaction at the sound.
He was kissing Nicholas' mouth again when he heard Eli's voice counting down. He knew he should break them apart.
He didn't.
Blue light flashed.
* * *
To be Continued.