Keywords: sf mm series X-Moderator-Review: 8: shows good progress
Archive-name: ContinuingEd-2
The holosuite program was not what it was before. There was no jasmine, no rolling hills or soft breezes, only black sky studded with stars, and presenting a huge and awe-inspiring ringed planet to the observer. It was in crescent phase, its rings edge-on, like a tightly drawn iridescent bow with an arrow of silver. Julian looked down at his feet; the rock under them was also iridescent, and each thing, himself included, cast two complementary shadows, one from the distant cold sun and one from the shining jewel overhead, far brighter than the star that illuminated it.
Ten feet before him was another bubbling hot pool, a must, he realized when he again awoke stiff and sore, after any lesson. As he lowered himself past the mist into the water, he looked overhead. He missed the jasmine, he concluded, but here the view was better.
He had awoken in slightly better shape than the time before, as his hands had not been bound, but his muscles were still tired and stiff. There had been no sign of his Lady; only Rala was with him, curled up and sleeping beside him. For a long time, he had simply lain there, watching the other man sleep, watching his chest rise and fall, fleeting expressions dawning and passing over his face as he dreamed. His sandy hair was still stuck to his brow in some places, though the ringlets it made were not as distinctive as on his own head; Rala's hair was already quite curly. He was on his side, one hand under his cheek, one arm thrown forward, his legs drawn up.
His hand ran lightly over the other man's sandy hair so as not to awaken him from slumber, and again he felt the first amazement swell in him. He shook his head, and as if in sympathy Rala's moved in sleep, back and forth under Julian's hand.
Another man, he thought to himself. Like me. He closed his eyes and thought back to the tight heavy embrace the three of them had shared, how it had nearly overwhelmed him until he relaxed into it and allowed it to do so. Until he welcomed being overwhelmed. His Lady's velvety hard body beneath his, accepting as he vanished inside her. Rala's behind him, again like his, as he accepted. As he gave the embrace, opened himself and allowed someone inside instead of being the one accepted.
Again, he shook his head, and realized that he had lain there for nearly a half an hour, just watching the other man in sleep and thinking quietly to himself. His body had grown even more stiff and uncomfortable. Yawning, he rose and wandered into the holosuite, hoping that the spa was still in memory as he knew his muscles would seize up without it.
It was; in fact, it was up and running, as if his Lady had anticipated it before she had gone to wherever she was -- probably Quark's, he mused. A wry smile curved his lips; she had better not get or give another knife wound while he was here! He stood admiring the program for some time and unfastened the collar at his neck; the chain made light chittering noises as it fell against the stone.
And now, he was relaxed against the side of the warm pool, his head leaned back, his body gradually softening and relaxing as the bubbling melted into him. He inhaled and dropped his head below the water line, feeling the water over his face and hearing the rushing in his ears. Normally, his spare body did not float easily; swimming did not come naturally to him. Here, though . . . he mused idly that there was probably a sufficient concentration of mineral salts in the water to render him buoyant as he felt himself rise. Opening his mouth, he could taste it was so.
Allowing himself to go completely limp, he simply laid back on the water and let it cradle him, his arms and legs drifting slowly downward and his face and upper chest well clear of the water. It filled his ears, though, and he was surrounded by the subdued rumblings of the bubbling spa. He felt himself beginning to drop off again, and allowed his mind to drift into a state somewhere between wakefulness and sleep, lazily dozing. Several times, his eyes drifted open and the view of the immensity overhead intruded itself upon him. He simply let himself drift, occasionally bumping into the sides of the pool and pondering the magnificence he saw.
The entrance to the holosuite slid open, and he righted himself in the water; it was Rala, looking as sleepy as he probably had when he had first entered. Without knowing why, he reached to the edge and drew himself there, to where the rock surrounding the pool could cover him, whether out of modesty or uncertainty he could not have said. He wouldn't have imagined that modesty would be possible for him after what had happened, but admitted to himself that this was still quite new to him. "Hello," he said, quiet and low.
Rala rubbed his eyes. "Hello, Doctor." He yawned and stretched. Julian swallowed, still nervous without the calming presence of his Lady, and watched the other man's body, watched his muscles outlined under his fair skin as he stretched. He felt himself shiver, despite the warm water. "Do you mind if I join you?"
Julian shook his head, and swallowed again. "Go ahead. You probably need it as much as I do." He was nervous and could feel the watery feeling in his joints, cursing it and asking himself why. He had held this man inside his own body; why was he shivering? He could not tear his eyes from Rala as the other man stepped into the pool opposite him and lowered himself into the water. He smiled at Julian, who smiled back and lowered his eyes. Heat rose to his cheeks, and he hoped that it was lost in the flushing brought by the warmth of the water. "How are you feeling?" he asked still looking down through the water.
"A little sore but not too bad." Rala stretched again. "It makes a big difference when you are not bound."
"Yes, it does."
"And you?"
He shook his head. "Just a little tired." His eyes rose to Rala's face again, then dropped demurely. Rala chuckled and appeared to read his mind.
"Thanks to your Lady," he replied. When Julian didn't reply, though, he nodded. "And," he added softly, "thanks to me." He was rewarded with a blush that he could just make out through skin already flushed by warmth. "You are still . . . " he trailed off.
Julian's voice was soft, barely there. "I guess I am," he replied.
"Uncomfortable?" Rala asked. The other man's eyes rose to his.
"No . . . " His gaze was earnest. "Just . . . uncertain." His slim shoulders rose in the undulating water in another shrug. "It's not what I'm used to," he amended. Rala's smile became very gentle.
"But . . . " he prodded. He watched the doctor prepare his words, eyes yet cast down with such astonishing long lashes, his dark hair glistening over deep wet skin, and felt the same amazement he had felt during the lesson. Doctor, he told Julian in his mind, you are so very beautiful.
The other man's eyes rose then, and he saw the expression on Rala's face, the way he was looking at him. After a moment, he returned the gaze, held it firm. "But," he finished, "I have been . . . curious, I guess."
Rala's smile became quite boyish at this. "Curious? How?"
Julian smiled back. "There were two people next door to my room in the Academy; they went into epidemiology. Well, one did. The other ended up in high energy physics. And they were married."
"And they were . . . " Rala prodded again. Julian's gaze did not drop this time; he only looked back at Rala as if to say, I wish you'd stop doing that.
"They were both men. There were also three women and two men in a group marriage on the hospital staff there." Rala lowered himself even further into the water as he listened. "I wondered . . . but the opportunity never came up." Another languid shrug. "I've just been attracted to women."
"As you should be; they are beautiful people," Rala responded. "But, it is a pity you have restricted yourself thus far."
"I . . . hadn't thought of it as a restriction," Julian replied. "Until now."
Rala did not speak immediately, only digested this. Then, "Doctor, have I just been complimented?"
Julian mimed Rala's own impish grin. "I suppose you have." The grin widened, and he felt himself relaxing in the other man's presence. "It's just that I . . . " He trailed off, and laughed at himself. "This is just all very new for me, Rala." His arm rose out of the bubbles and he made a motion indicating himself.
Rala's eyes softened. "There is, Doctor, a first time for every- thing." It was his turn to shrug. "This was yours." Julian gazed silently at Rala for long moments.
"What of yours?"
"My what?"
"Your first time."
Rala chuckled again, and Julian felt himself shiver at the sound, low and rich and delicious, despite the warmth. "Doctor, Ishtarian culture is rather different from yours. There is never any question of preference between the sexes; we enjoy complete freedom. As such, I cannot clearly recall my `first time'."
"You are Ishtarian?" he asked in amazement.
"Yes," Rala replied easily, still smiling. "You did not think that only women were from Ishtar, did you?"
Julian felt a blaze of something he could not place. "Then, are you . . . her consort?" He held his arms in front of him, a guard against what Rala would say. He did not like the thought of jealousy.
"No, Doctor, I am not. I am a pupil, such as yourself."
"No, not such as me," said Julian. "I could never . . . teach another person."
Rala considered this, and shook his head very deliberately. "I think you could. And," he indicated the outer room with his head, "she does as well. This is not the only lesson for you this time, Doctor. There are many things to learn, many things she wishes to teach you."
An inquiring expression met his. "Did she tell you that?"
"Yes, she did." Rala leaned forward then, toward Julian, who watched as one fair arm lifted out of the water, one fair hand laid itself against his cheek. "She also told me that you were beautiful, and she was right." Warm, wet fingers caressed his jaw, his neck, and ran slowly over his chest, beneath the bubbling water. "You are a very beautiful young man, Doctor."
Julian did not know what to say to this. He lowered his eyes again, following Rala's hand, still caressing him. Then, it was gone, and Rala leaned back against the side of the spa, opposite him again. Julian looked up at him, felt the distance separating them acutely. Unable to think of a thing to say, he simply laid back and rested his head against the side of the spa, letting the bubbling permeate him. For several minutes, he remained that way, with thoughts unspoken running through his mind. He felt a shift against him, saw through closed lids the light from the ringed planet overheard change, and opened his eyes to see Rala bending over him, one hand cupping his jaw, silhouetted against the glorious view. Rala's face dipped closer, and they kissed as the warm water caressed them both, and as the sightless planet looked down on them, ignored and forgotten as they enjoyed each other, as Julian felt warmth and gentle scruff at his chin, as Rala felt the other man's soft lips, fresh and taut with sweetness as summer grapes, give gently under his tongue.
Rala pulled back, and felt a tugging inside him at the expression of the man beneath him, at the dark eyes, aroused and wondering. Julian sat up against Rala, his own hands reaching to the other man's neck.
And he dunked him.
Rala's head vanished, and the last thing Julian saw was a very surprised expression, and two wide cornflower blue eyes. He released him quickly, and Rala came up laughing as a grinning Julian watched. "I was waiting for that," he said, laughing and wiping the water out of his eyes. "I was waiting for the opportunity to do" -- and quickly, he reached for Julian, and returned the favor. Julian came up sputtering and laughing as well, and reached back for Rala. Within a matter of seconds, the little spa was furious with activity as they wrestled, laughing and dunking and grasping at each other in a tangle of fair and dark arms and legs and bodies, splashing plenty of water out of the pool until the spa was forced to compensate. Laughter and gasping punctuated the playful roughhousing as one or the other of them would break the surface and hook an arm or a leg around part of the other, throwing him off balance. Julian had just gotten his arm around Rala's thigh and pulled it out from under him, throwing the other man lightly onto his back and slapping the water in front of him for the splash. Rala threw his arms up to guard against the water and disappeared under the surface to wrap his arms around Julian's waist in a rugby grip and tug him under as well. Panting and still smiling, they floated to the surface, still in that position. They were yet laughing lightly, looking at one another and smiling like little boys, Julian on his back and Rala at his side, his arms around the other man's slender waist. They bumped up against the side of the spa, and Julian reached behind his head and tugged himself close to the edge, resting himself against it, still getting his breath back, still smiling.
Rala was doing the same, one hand yet on Julian's chest and the other propping himself up against the shallow bottom of the spa; the bottom sloped up toward the edges of the water, and was deepest at the center. For a long time, they just laid there, the smiles lingering on their faces, catching their breath, a few chuckles still surfacing in their throats.
Julian could still feel the smile curving his lips, and inhaled deeply once, and again, to get his wind back. He blinked a few times to clear the water from his eyes and just laid back, gazing up at Rala who was lying beside him, propped up on an elbow and looking back at him. His smile had changed from one of playfulness to one of wonder, and he was unaware of it as he reached his hand out to touch Rala's chest, strong and broad, far broader than his own slim chest. His hand wandered up to the other man's neck, caressed the skin there, wrapped around it. Slowly, he pulled Rala's face closer to his, aware that his breathing rate had increased again, and that he was warmer than could be explained by their rough and tumble play. With his dark eyes on Rala's light ones, their lips touched, lightly. Once, twice, three times they kissed gently, their mouths moving against each other's. Julian pulled back; so did Rala. Each saw the same expression in the other's eyes, the same desire shining there. Julian felt himself falling into the blue of Rala's eyes, and Rala felt himself becoming lost in the oak brown of Julian's own large eyes.
Their mouths met again, more hungrily, and the kiss deepened. They drew close, into a tight and wanting embrace, pressing their bodies together. As the sounds of the bubbling spa gave way to the delicious and erotic sounds of their mouths, their lips and tongues, against one another, as the mineral heavy scent of the water gave way to the scent of the other man, as the warmth of the spa faded behind the warmth of the skin against his, Julian again felt the same electrifying jolt that he had felt initially, realizing that he held a man in his arms, that it was a man he was pleasing, that was pleasing him. He lost himself in the sizzle as it ran through him, until there was nothing he knew but the feel of Rala's warm skin against his.
The embrace tightened, became deeper. Passion engulfed them. Julian's hands wandered down from Rala's neck to his back, his waist, running over the man's round buttocks. Pressing himself against Rala, he ran his hands over creamy hips, feeling himself against the man's sex, feeling himself becoming rigid against it, feeling Rala doing the same. He moaned lightly against Rala's mouth, still unable to believe what was happening. Long fingers twined tightly in Rala's sandy curls, and his training in control and patience fled completely as he devoured the other man's mouth. He wanted to give Rala what he had been given, touch him as deeply as he had been touched, though his gibbering mind was not aware of it. Only his body was active, and coherent thought was not part of his motivation as he wrapped himself around Rala's firm body, spooning against his back, as he reached around to take the other man gently in his hand . . .
"Wait, Doctor." It was Rala, eyes closed, lips parted in eagerness. "Beautiful Doctor . . . " He, too, was barely able to speak as he leaned over the edge of the spa, his upper body supported against the luminescent stone.
"Wait?" All his wanting came through his voice; Julian did not want to wait. "Rala, I want to be in you now . . . " His chest pressed against the other man's shining back, and his tongue ran over his skin; heat from the moist flesh wreathed his face, mingling with the steam of the spa. His hands, moving surely, clasped at the other man, tugging gently and caressing, feeling him grow firm between his palms.
"Yes, and I want you in me as well . . . " The other man reached out and produced seemingly from nowhere another of the ubiquitous little jars; Julian knew what would be inside. Nimbly, Rala turned until he was facing Julian, and the mad arousal in fair eyes matched that in dark ones. He opened the jar, losing the lid in the bubbling water. "This . . . " he began, but then lost his thoughts as he saw the beautiful face at his, the burning feline eyes. Julian pressed himself forward into Rala, enjoying the way his body bent gently back against the stone, feeling Rala's firmness pressing into his own as his hips jutted forward. Then, Rala disappeared, lowering himself until his face was level with Julian's own hips. He took out a little ball of the sweet white cream and, as Julian gasped in astonishment, began to apply it to the waiting sex before his mouth with his tongue. Fighting the mad urge to thrust himself more deeply between Rala's lips, Julian simply allowed the other man to finish, gripping the stone ledge in front of him until his knuckles paled, keeping his body rigid against the voices that sang at him to drive himself into the other man's throat.
The sensation ceased, and Rala was once again at his face, amazed at the beauty and lithe sensuality of the Starfleet officer before him. "Control," Julian said simply, as a mantra. Rala kissed him gently.
"That is for lessons, Doctor." Their hard masculine chests pressed together. "I am not a teacher, but a peer." For a moment, the wanting had him in its grasp as well, and he allowed his eyes to run over and around the dark slim body. He turned around and presented himself prone against the shimmering rocks, his back and fair buttocks shining from sweat and warm water. His choirboy face peered demurely over one shoulder. "You may be . . . wild . . . with me."
Julian's eyes drank in the sight of the strong body lying before him, the lovely round peach presented to him, and he could barely recall his own name. His universe had narrowed to naught but himself, and Rala. Slowly, his hands roved over the other man, caressing the perfect buttocks, wondering at what he was about to do. Gently, as if in a dream, he pressed himself against them, feeling the tight entrance, feeling it relax slightly against the pressure. With hypersensitive awareness, he felt himself sliding inside, felt as the head of his sex was swallowed up, felt as Rala tightened around him, tighter than anything he had even experienced before. Lights danced before his eyes, and he was unaware of his voice, his expression of astonishment. With tender delicacy, he continued, pushing firmly until he had disappeared completely inside the other man. He felt as Rala grasped at him, tightening further, and he fell forward against the wet skin shining in front of him.
Rala had begun to push himself against Julian, his soft buttocks rising to the other man's hips, and in response Julian began to undulate himself against Rala's body, feeling the waves of tension and release against his sex. Rala's moans nearly dissolved him into a pool of nothing but mad want, but taking control of himself, he lifted his upper body until it was nearly straight, and began to rock his hips with more force, pressing where he knew it would be most sensitive. Rala gasped.
"I . . . " His fair head flew backwards, lips parted, and his words were lost in delighted moans. "You said you had never . . . how did you . . . ?" He could say nothing further, but only clutch at the stone sill underneath him, and buck against Julian as the other man found his most sensitive places.
Julian continued rocking himself against the beautiful prone body, and found it within himself to speak. "Rala," he managed to say, "I'm not a doctor for nothing, you know." The other man laughed.
"Oh, yes . . . "
And the rest of his words were swallowed up in passion as Julian gave himself to the wildness that Rala had spoken of. He wanted it to last, wanted so badly for it to last for hours, for days, but knew his own limitations. He knew that this was so new, so thrillingly erotic, that the barest of releases on his part would send him well past the point of no return. Julian tried to tell Rala this, tried to apologize for his eagerness, but could not squeeze the words past his open lips. All he felt was the clutching, the smooth skin beneath his hands, the bubbling warm water all around his legs, all he heard the delighted low moans of his partner, all he knew the sensations flowing over and through him.
His eyes opened fractionally, tilted feline slits, and he smiled tenderly as he saw Rala's body writhe; he recalled how it felt to hold someone inside him, and wanted to give that to Rala, wanted to repay him a thousand times over. Rala's upper body rose until the other man was propped up on his hands, and Julian leaned forward, nuzzling his neck. He had just taken a few strands of damp curly hair between his lips, tugging gently, when the holosuite entrance slid open yet again, to reveal his Lady, her sinuous body uncovered, her expression tender. Both men paused, facing the entrance, Rala smiling slightly when he saw who it was, Julian peeking demurely over one fair wet shoulder.
She stood in the entrance for a few moments. "I wondered where you two had gotten to," she said with great affection. She entered the `suite, walking over to one pillar of shimmering stone. The two men said nothing, but she could hear Rala suppress a chuckle, see just out the corner of her eye as Julian jabbed him in the ribs, wearing another of the impish grins he seemed to have found since he arrived.
Draped over the pillar was a wrap that seemed to be made of liquid light and flickered in her hands as she picked it up. "I thought I left this here," she remarked, and she tossed it over her shoulders with grace. In the spa, Julian rocked himself just a fraction of an inch against Rala, making the other man writhe. Rala turned to look at him, and could only laugh at his delighted grin and dancing brows.
"So," she said to the two of them, grinning like a sprite as she paused at the entrance. "What have you two been up to since I've been gone?"
At first Rala only lowered his eyes, but then he lifted them to peer incredulously over his shoulder as Julian replied brightly, "Oh, nothing." Dark eyes twinkled mischievously until Rala squeezed at him hard, making his eyes close and his hands grip at well-muscled upper arms.
"Ah," she replied. "Well," she added, tying the sash at her waist, "I suppose I'll leave and let you two get back to . . . nothing." Her gaze lingered gently for a few moments on the elfin and smiling Julian, and then she was gone. Silence hung in the air of the little `suite for several moments, broken only by the everpresent bubbling of the water, and then it was dissipated by delighted laughter.
"Nothing?" Rala echoed and stuck out his tongue.
Julian nipped gently at it with his teeth. "Oh, shut up and enjoy yourself." Another firm rock of his hips, and both men once again began to dissolve in one another's arousal.
Their Lady stopped for a moment in the outer room, and shook her head in amused satisfaction as she heard her pupils' laughter through the thick door.
For the thousandth time, Julian bit down on his lips, stopping the irrepressible whistling that had begun to grate on even his nerves. That, the finger tapping, the bounce under his heels . . . he felt as if he were completely energized and had felt so ever since reporting in. And he knew exactly why.
His appointments had gone well all morning long, and a glance up at the wall chrono told him that lunchtime was nearing. Taking a small breather in the time between appointments, he let his eyes wander around the infirmary, the lights reflecting back at him in sparkles and slashes against metal, ceramic, and glass. Idly, he leaned his elbows against the chest-high counter behind him, crossed his feet at the ankles, knit his hands over his chest, and felt a grin surface. His fingers had begun to tap arrhythmically at his sternum when a tinny beep behind him signalled that the incubator had finished with the bacterial sample he had placed there fifteen minutes earlier. Spinning in place, he removed it with a flourish, and waltzed across the room to the analyzer, humming tunelessly to himself. The damned thing had always annoyed him before, as it was located at knee level and required him to crouch down to place or remove anything inside, but its position gave him an excuse for another flourish when, after placing the bacterial sample inside, he stood, turned around, and closed the access panel with a crisp bang via a light and airy dancer's kick.
"Well, you seem to be in a good mood today." He spun at the voice, and saw a brightly smiling Dax entering the infirmary. She stopped and regarded him with one brow raised.
"Really?" he replied, grinning back at her, eyes sparkling. "I hadn't noticed."
Dax walked further into the room. "You've been like this all day, Julian." She leaned herself against the examining table, and crossed her arms over her chest, giving him the Trill version of a significant look. "Anything special?"
He stood still for a moment, then returned her impudent expression to her, raising one brow. Tapping his hands against the sides of his thighs, he replied, "Jadzia, I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Ah." She nodded, then moved off the table. "Well then, are those samples I asked you to break down finished yet?"
"Not quite. I just placed the last one in the analyzer now; it should be done in . . . " He was interrupted by yet another tinny beep. "Oh, right about now, I should think." Together, they walked to the display panel for the device. "There you go," he told her. "Do you have a tricorder ready to take this?"
"Right here," Dax replied, taking the one she held in her hands up and plugging it into the wall socket at the front of the analyzer, and looked back at Julian. "You're still doing it."
"Doing what?" he said, infuriatingly vague.
"Grinning like that," she told him, one of her own little grins threatening to widen further.
"Like what?" he asked, and she got the distinct feeling that he knew exactly what she was talking about.
"Oh, nothing." Pulling the tricorder out of the wall, she exited the infirmary, but not before saying breezily, "Cheer up, too. You've been in such an awful mood today, you know." The door shushed open and closed over her parting smile, leaving a grinning Julian behind.
He looked at the wall chrono and saw that lunchtime had indeed arrived. Finally! Tossing his smock onto a lab table, he exited in the general direction of Quark's after leaving the computer instructions on where to reach him in case of an emergency.
Copyright 1993(c) by the author. -- Moderator, rec.arts.erotica. Submissions to erotica@unix.amherst.edu. Please, no reposts, first drafts, or requests for "subscriptions," stories, GIFs, or archive sites.