AwayTeam (4 page)

Ely sighed.

Even though he didn't have to start his rotation until two in the afternoon, he decided to get an early night. He glanced at the clock, it was just after four in the morning. Ely sighed again. This wasn't going to be one of those less than five hours sleep nights for Ely. His foot-in-his-mouth with Emerson seeing to that. All he could do now was jack-off some frustration and then hit the sack. What a night.

Even though Ely ended up getting over nine hours sleep, he felt terrible. More tired than when his head hit the pillow. His dreams had been filled with all the ways he could have said or done what he did differently. He even entertained the idea that Emerson had overreacted at one stage. Had he overreacted? Or had he been a complete jerk, after all? Ely suspected it was the later. That thought depressed him even more.

After he had showered, got dressed and ate, he headed for engineering. He was early for his shift, but he didn't care. Perhaps work would take his mind off Emerson.

"You're keen, cadet Ely," Commander Okinawa said when he stepped into the staff conference room that adjoined the engine bay area. "You don't start for another hour."

Ely saluted and said, "Just want to go over some of those simulations I toyed with yesterday, sir."

Commander Okinawa rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Yes, I have looked at what you've been working on. I'm impressed. I even think we may implement one or two of your suggestions to help flow efficiency and maintain optimum temperature."

Ely's eyes widened. "You are? I mean, you are, sir?"

The commander slapped Ely on his back. "Come, show me which one you think will help us the most. The captain would be most interested in any improvements, especially seeing as the mission we're on is of the highest importance."

Ely nodded and led the commander though the engineering bay, past control rooms and transformer junctions and into the holographic simulation suite. When settled in, and with the project Ely had been working on in front of them both in all its glory, he went through the reasons why he thought his simulations would work if implemented.

Many hours were spent working on the simulations, the commander offering suggestions as Ely went through them. Some were good, some not so good. Ely, in the end, made a couple of compromises. He could see the commander's angle. There were over two-thousand people on board the
Mandrake
. Safety was his prime concern before any change could be implemented.

At the end of the third rotation, the time nearing ten at night, Commander Okinawa said, "I think we have a working solution here, cadet Ely."

Ely smiled. "Thank you, sir."

"You can clock off a little early. I'll tell the commander of the next shift to begin making the modifications when we are in our handover briefing. Excellent work. Excellent work indeed."

Ely left engineering in a lot better frame of mind than when he arrived. That was until the lift doors opened and he stepped into the corridor that led to his cabin. Wanting to come into the lift, more than likely to start his shift as the next rotation was due to begin soon, was Emerson.

Any confidence Ely had gained over the course of the day ebbed away when they made eye contact.

Chapter Five

Emerson looked haggard. His face drawn, dark circles under his eyes in stark contrast against his pale skin. Ely wanted to reach out, grab his hands and draw him in to embrace him. Kiss everything all better. Say he was sorry with all his heart. Pour out his emotions and let him know that he'd been a complete and utter fool.

Instead, Ely stood frozen. He was numb. Only able to open his mouth and then close it for fear of giving the impression he was even more of a jerk than he already was.

After an awkward moment, one that seemed to last a lot longer than the reality of it, Emerson turned his gaze away from Ely, his cheeks blushing. "Hi there, Ely," he said with a voice as hoarse and broken as it was last night.

"Um, hi, Emerson."

Before Ely could add another word, Emerson brushed past and entered the lift. "Science deck, please."

The doors closed.

Ely couldn't help notice that Emerson touched him as he passed. Sure, it was a slight glance, a mere wisp of contact of hand on hand. But still. There
was
something there. As far as Ely was concerned, that gesture meant there was hope, no matter how small, that their relationship could be mended. And even if it was proven that it couldn't, Ely was confident he had a chance. He just had to make his next move with care and attention to detail. Perhaps Lily was right. Gifts and an apology on bended knee might be the ticket required.

A faint smile crawled over Ely's lips. He had an idea. One that might just win Emerson over and provide a bit of fun, a talking point to melt the ice that had formed between them. He'd visit the adult shop on the retail deck and buy some outlandish toy. Something they could both share with each other. A double ended dildo? A hard shelled sleeve? Handcuffs?

Before Ely could work his thoughts to fruition, Kale appeared before him. Where he had come from Ely had no idea. Then again, being lost in his own mind saw to it that his attention wasn't on the moment.

"Hey, how's it hanging, Ely?"

Ely looked deep into Kale's eyes. "Not so good."

"Really?" Kale reached out and offered a tender touch on Ely's shoulder. "I'm on my three day break at the moment. Hey, maybe you'd better come over to my cabin and sink some brew with me while we watch a holovid. How about it? Might cheer you up, because damn, man, you look like shit. What you do, get in trouble with the brass or something?"

"Worse than that. I blew it with Emerson last night."

"How'd you do that? No, wait. Don't tell me." Kale paused when the lift doors opened and two crewmen stepped out, their chatting ceasing when they looked upon Ely and Kale. When the men had disappeared far enough down the corridor, Kale continued, "But if you are going to spill your guts, we'd better talk away from the eyes and ears of the gossips. Don't want you suffering from half-heard rumour disease tomorrow, now do we?"

Ely offered a smile. A forced one, but a smile nonetheless. "You're right. The last thing I need is my love life as a news flash for all those louts who have nothing better to do. So yeah, I'll join you. Maybe the distraction might do me some good."

"That's the spirit."

Kale's cabin was room 1697, a long way down the corridor. He had shared quarters. His roommate was on rotation, so they had the place to themselves. It looked exactly like all the others, only Kale's sofa was a bit larger and more comfortable looking that the one in Ely's cabin.

"You buy a different sofa?" Ely said without realising he was verbalising his observations of the place.

"Yeah, the ship issue one was no good for my back. Especially when I had a date over and I was pounding them on that hard surface they call furniture. Now, make yourself at home, Ely. I'll order the holovid and get the beer. You prefer any special kind or you not fussy?"

Ely sat. Kale was right. The sofa was comfortable. "Whatever you give me is fine."

Kale handed over two Venutian Slims, the long necked gold-sealed bottle kind. Kale had good taste. Ely twisted the cap open and drank with gusto. He needed a drink and the fluid soothed as it flowed down his parched throat.

"Went down well, hey?"

Ely nodded. "Sure did. I'll have another, if you don't mind."

Kale went back over to his kitchenette and opened the bar fridge. The thing was filled with all sorts of alcohol and nothing much else. Common for a cadet's quarters. Ely knew his and Braden's fridge was filled with the same. Although, lately there had been some snack foods placed in there. Had Braden's mystery man been the result of that?

Before he could contemplate it any further, Kale returned, handed over the bottle and flicked on the holovid. A moment was spent flicking through a menu of movies before he finally settled on an old sci-fi flick. One where the aliens were grossly exaggerated and cliché, all tentacles and boggling eyes, and the starships could travel at incredible speeds. Such a notion was impossible. Ely should know. He worked the engines of a starship and no technology that he could think of could get a ship anywhere near the speed of light. Still, it was an escape from Ely's current concerns, and really, that was what he needed right now. Emerson's smile had burned into his memory and looking at anything was better than seeing his face in his mind's eye.

After the movie had finished, and they had downed a few more Venutian Slims, Kale selected another. One similar to the first, but more of a comedy than anything based on reality. Although, Ely had to admit the leading man in the new flick he'd selected was a lot more interesting, both in looks and character, than the previous hero.

Over the course of the film, every time Kale got up to get a beer, he'd sit closer to Ely. Without even realising it, Ely had placed his hand on the cushion between them, edging it closer to Kale's hand.

About half way in, and when the plot had taken an even more ridiculous turn, Kale brushed his hand across Ely's. Ely shot him a glance.

Kales offered a smouldering grin and words Ely thought he'd never hear in all the eons of humanity's rein on Earth. "You want to suck my dick, Ely?"

The next moments, the passing seconds that seemed like minutes, Ely was speechless, unable to pass coherent words from his lips. The reason was simple. He couldn't form any clear thought, his mind abuzz with so many questions, so many crazy notions of getting on his knees and taking Kale into his mouth and enjoying the contact of a man he found sexy. But swimming amongst those thoughts was that persistent image and the feelings he had for Emerson. Oh, God, how he thought of Emerson. That beautiful twinkle in his eyes that had seduced him in the first place, got him into this fine mess. He pictured his wonderful snow white skin, stark in contrast against his black hair, pubic, pit and stomach. That magnificent appendage between his legs and, more importantly, how he wanted to share Ely on a level no other guy had ever wanted to before. One of trust. How Emerson Sonfield had made him think of nothing else these past twenty-four hours than wanting to get him back.

Ely took away his hand.

He was unsure what to do next. He didn't want to do anything to jeopardise his chances with Emerson. Kale was a mutual friend. But at the same time, Ely had needs. He was only human, after all.

Then, in another astounding turn of events, Kale slipped his thumb into the elastic of his track pants and pulled them down. He wasn't wearing any underwear and his arousal was plain to see, especially as he grabbed his dick with his other hand, the hand Ely had lost contact with, and was now holding it upright.

Ely gasped.

The man's cock was beautiful. It was thick and big and a deeper olive colour than the rest of his complexion. His foreskin, long and loose, kept his bulging head covered even thought he was at full mast. Underneath his erection, his balls, an even deeper brown, looked tight in their sack, proof Kale was as horny as any red-blooded guy with a few drinks in him and the chance to blow his load without having to do the work.

But again Ely thought of Emerson. Even when he had discovered that Kale was into guys and offered himself so willingly, he couldn't help but picture the man he had lost, get him out of his thoughts.

"As tempting as the offer sounds, Kale, and as beautiful as you are…but I think I'm going to have to…um, I'm going to have to say no."

Kale pulled down on the root of his dick, his foreskin retracting enough so that Ely caught a glimpse of his piss slit, one that oozed pre-cum, lots of it. "You sure. Won't take me long to blow my load. Just get the skin seal in the kitchenette top drawer and go for your life. The movie's boring anyway."

Ely licked his lips, flicking his gaze over to the drawer in question. Returning his stare to Kale, the sight of his cock pulsating ever so slightly to his heartbeat, as the blood kept it hard and he held it as an open invitation, Ely said, "I didn't know you were into guys."

"I get what I can get. Whether it's a guy or a girl, I don't care. Now, you going to wrap those lips around me and suck like your life depended on it, or what?"

"What?"

Kale let out a laugh. "You're dead funny, you know that. You're not normally my type, but seeing as you're a bit down on your luck, I'll let it slide." He jiggled his cock, bringing it to Ely's full attention. Not that he needed to so such a thing, Ely couldn't rip his stare away from it. Pre-cum had now moistened his foreskin and was dribbling down to his fingers that gripped it. "So what you waiting for? Free dick, no strings attached."

But the previous sentence stuck in Ely's mind. "Um, who's normally your type, then?"

"Oh, I don't know, someone like Braden. Now he's one fucking hot dude. All rippling muscles and a bottom who begs for it. That's a man in my book. What do you reckon? You share a cabin with him, is he as wild as I've heard?"

Ely was taken aback. His throat tightened and he couldn't help but get the feeling that he now felt like a piece of meat. Did Kale invite him to his room only to get him off, and as quick as possible? Was Ely a compromise for Kale seeing as Braden was taken? Or did he do such a thing out of sympathy as he had suggested? Ely was confused. Again thoughts of Emerson pounded away at his consciousness. Sure, Kale was damn sexy and seeing his dick hadn't lessened Ely's opinion of the man, but Emerson was something different. Sure, he didn't have the looks of Kale or Braden or any other guy Ely had been with, but that didn't matter. Emerson gave himself completely, without thought of reward. He didn't force himself onto Ely and he most certainly didn't compare him to anyone else. Ely's emotions then turned to regret.

He shuffled away from Kale. "Thanks but no thanks. I want Emerson and I don't want to do anything to spoil my chances. You're a fine man, Kale, but for the here and now, I want to make amends, make up for the stuff up I did. I hope you understand."

Kale smiled, snapped his track pants back over himself, covering up his erection. "Good. If you had done it I would have slung you out of here on your arse and told you never to come sniffing around me again."