The BLTS Archive- Green: An Equinox Coda by Annie M (trekgirl@mushy.freesreve.co.uk) --- Archiving: ASC okay, all others please ask for permission first. Originally posted: September 14 1999 Revised: 22 January 2002 Disclaimer: Viacom/Paramount owns the ship and the characters. I'm just taking them out for a spin. Why bother to revise a story after more than two years, you ask? Some time after its original posting, I noticed that point of view I was using wasn't as seamless as I'd intended. I don't think the error ruined the story, but I'd always intended to go back and fix the problem. A recent email brought this issue to my attention once more, and as I now find myself in a bit of a writing rut; I figured this was as good an excuse as any to attempt a correction. :-) I'd like to extend my thanks to DangerMom for putting this revision through the spin cycle for me, and to Seema for giving me the poke in the ribs that I needed. January 24 2002 --- "You're a little tense, Tom," B'Elanna breathed seductively into my ear. She was sitting astride my naked back, having cajoled me out of my boxers; not that it took much persuading--how else was she supposed to give me a good massage? I could feel the warm solid strength of B'Elanna's small hands as they worked over, what I could only imagine, was my once pale skin, surely now pink and flushed as she kneaded across my tense shoulder muscles before moving on to stroke my spine. The fragrant massage oil coating my skin, like some poor erstwhile seal cub, had been winding its way into my nostrils; it was a stimulating concoction of a vanilla type of musky thing. I never could remember all the names of the oils, but I remembered this one was a favourite of B'Elanna's to use on me when I was especially wound-up. I grunted and twitched around a little, choosing to ignore her question--on the surface anyway. I concentrated hard, trying not to enjoy the sensations of B'Elanna's talented fingers as she worked above me. Instead, I held myself stiffly against the mattress and bit back several moans, as B'Elanna moved her hands in certain ways that would normally guarantee a chorus of loud groans or whimpers from me. To be honest there were all sorts of uncertain feelings running through my mind at that moment. I wish I could say they all concerned what B'Elanna was doing to me, but somewhere deep down there was a tiny part of me that didn't want the erotic massage I was getting. I knew I wasn't actually mad at B'Elanna for anything, but something was gnawing at me, boring its way inside of me. I felt like I ought to be in the gym or on the holodeck--pounding the living crap out of something. Or someone. ///"B'Elanna was really something else at the Academy..."// What did she ever see in him? //"Hey, BLT, remember the time when we..."// The guy was a snake! Couldn't she see that? All through dinner I had to sit there and listen... and the way he kept eyeing up Crewman Lansing every time B'Elanna turned to talk to Harry or me. Christ! I've seen Nausicaans with better manners. "Want to talk to me about what's bothering you?" Shit. B'Elanna's using the voice. The one that means she knows something's amiss and she'd rather not push it but she will... eventually. "No." I'm an asshole. "Okay." It comes out as acceptance but I know she's getting mad, losing patience with me. "Turn over. I'll work on your front." I don't want to turn over. I don't want to look up at her; I don't want her to know what I'm thinking. Besides, she'll only get the wrong idea when my penis starts to throb... maybe. "Just do my back, B'Elanna, okay?" Shit! That came out like I was giving her an order. I'm sorry, B'E. "Ughh." I guess I deserved that; B'Elanna just scored up my back with a couple of well-placed nails. "Please." Hopefully, she'll think I've been chastised. Umm, nice, she's kissing the spot she just tore up. ///"I'll see you later..."// I hated the way he touched her; he moved in real close and ran his fingers up over her hip. It was almost like a possessive caress. When she hugged him I knew she took a deep breath to smell his scent, remembering what it was about him that... that... I don't want to know. I don't. ///"Do you remember my blue shirt, the one with the class insignia on the back?"// It gave me some measure of satisfaction that at least I could tell B'Elanna didn't have a clue what he was talking about that time. God! When did such small victories take on so much importance for me? //"I dated him ten years ago. We went to the academy together."// Stop it! I said I don't want to think about that. Concentrate on something good, Tom. You can do it. Feel B'Elanna's fingers working you over, making you nice and tender. "Hmm," I involuntarily sigh out. Oh yeah, that's much better. I wonder if she ever did this for him? "Tom, you're like an ice box tonight. One minute your knots are loosening up and the next it's like trying rub on sandpaper. What's going on?" B'Elanna's palms are resting along my shoulders; her bottom is perched along my lower back. I can feel the material of her panties and my tee shirt, which she's wearing, tickling against me. What am I supposed to tell her? "Is it, Burke?" She leans down against me; her hair is tickling my ear as she whispers, "Is it?" //"How about dinner, tonight?"// I finally turn over. I do it slowly and B'Elanna eases off me a bit until I get comfortable. She's gazing down at me and I can feel her eyes searching my face. I stare down and look at her left knee, which is bent and resting beside my ribs. I reach out a hand to touch it, let my middle finger rest in the small gap between her bent leg and thigh. My other fingertips are just stroking at that soft place. My left hand is doing the same to her right leg. B'Elanna's hands are running up and down my belly, stroking lightly. I know she likes to play with my body hair and I get the feeling she's stroking me there because she's not actually thinking about it. I haven't answered her question yet. B'Elanna shifts her weight above me and her groin bumps against my penis. I feel myself twitch and blood start to move south. "Tom." She's using her seductive throaty growl at me. Sometimes I wish she'd use that tone with me in front of Chakotay, just to piss the big guy off. Burke. There, you said it and you can still breath. See? Deep breaths, you're fine, Tommy. You can handle it. I raise my lashes and B'Elanna's penetrating stare makes me feel naked and vulnerable. Yeah, I know I'm naked and vulnerable; I'm lying under a half-Klingon for crying out loud! That's it, asshole, make jokes! "Is it?" B'Elanna says out of nowhere and my eyes are finally staring into hers. She knows me and even though I try to hide it, she's already got this figured out. I'm jealous. B'Elanna leans over me, her hair caressing my chin. She hasn't actually admitted it to me, but I think it's more her natal style with a natural wave in it; it's a little darker and richer to me too. Her legs stretch out on either side of my own and she reaches down to remove her panties. After a moment she settles herself over me again. I can feel her wetness sliding against my balls. I take in a shaky breath at the feel of her arousal. In her wonderful and uniquely B'Elanna-like way, she's letting me know that's it's mine. All mine. Only mine. "I'm sorry," I whisper. I can't help it that she can melt me like this, with a touch or a look or a caress that scoops into the core of me; giving me something I never knew I was missing for so long--good loving. She leans into me, kisses me lightly on the mouth, her hands on either side of my head. "I could never trust him." It's a simple statement but I also know it's a declaration. "Tom," B'Elanna whispers sweetly against me, "don't ever go away." "I won't," I promise, meaning it. I pull her closer against me and kiss her with a passion that's been eating me up all night. The only thing left for me to do is to show her how I feel. And so I do, several times. --- The End