The BLTS Archive- Between Earth And Sky --- ARCHIVE: YES, PLEASE SERIES/SEQUEL: SECOND IN A SERIES OF STORIES ABOUT THIS RELATIONSHIP (The first story was "The First Date," recently posted here.) DISCLAIMERS: STAR TREK IS THE PROPERTY OF PARAMOUNT. I KNOW THAT. EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT. I WISH I DIDN'T HAVE TO WASTE BANDWIDTH POINTING IT OUT, BUT THERE YOU GO. THIS STORY WAS WRITTEN FOR FUN. I'M SURE PARAMOUNT DOESN'T WANT IT. NOTES: MY THANKS TO BETA READERS FANNY, DELTA V AND LENE T. All feedback is welcome, but remember - flames will go on your permanent record and keep you from ever achieving anything meaningful. (c) 2001 --- When Jim first saw me in my leather suit, I do believe it took his breath away. The suit isn't sleek or shiny (that looks so cheap); there are no metal studs (too obvious); no antique biker's cap shadowing my face (cheap *and* obvious) and no chains swinging from worn epaulets because...Well, anyone who needs all that to make her point should just turn in her riding crop and take up knitting. It *is* black, but it's soft and supple and the pants hug my legs just so. When I turn up the collar on the sleeveless vest, it adds a satisfying frame to the chiaroscuro of my makeup. Pale skin, dark eyes, darker lips, and my light coppery hair pulled back in a twist and nearly unnoticeable. I knew that as the evening wore on, the look of severity would be diminished by strands of hair slipping free. I've heard several interpretations of that image. An incongruous softness? Perhaps. An air of weariness from efforts expended? Yes, that could be. A combination of both? That's the one I prefer. I had considered wearing my hair loose, which would make me look as if I'd just been tumbled in exactly the way Jim wanted to tumble me, but as I stood in front of the mirror, looping the last of the leather strings that closed the vest, I saw Jim watching me and I knew he needed no reminder of what he wanted. The tumbling, yes of course, but he also wanted everything else the suit represented. He came up behind me, pulled back my collar and pressed his mouth to the nape of my neck. I'd made him stop wearing aftershave and the acrid scent of his arousal was blunt and true as it surrounded us in a pure funk of desire. I felt his rising erection pressing against my ass, seeking a home between my cheeks, and I resisted the urge to fall back against him. "You'll have to wait, darling," I said as I moved away. "We're going out, remember? Now let me look at you. No, in the mirror. I want to see your face as you watch yourself." I stood behind him and kissed him just as he'd kissed me, glad that my stiletto heels allowed me to do that effortlessly. I'd found that those five inches could level many a playing field, both vertical and horizontal. "Are you pleased with the way you look?" I asked. "You should be." We both stared at the outline of his hard-on resisting the confinement of his trousers. "You most definitely should be." I moved to the side so that I was out of the reflection. Now there was no one in the mirror but him and he couldn't tear his eyes away. To be honest, neither could I. "Look at yourself," I said, "and memorize what you see. Tonight while we're out, I want you to think about this. When people are looking at you, I want you to know what it is they see." Together, we studied the way the tank top stretched across his chest and how beautifully the bronze of his underarm hair contrasted with the black fabric. The neckhole plunged to mid-chest and his nipples strained forward as if trying to push aside the soft weave that barely held them in check. I pointed out that his shirt was just long enough to tuck into his pants. Eventually, it would slip free, a teasing invitation to whomever wished to remove it. And if one gave in to the temptation to do so, one would see that the deep tan on his arms and shoulders didn't stop there but continued downward over his stomach. And then perhaps one would want to see if it went even lower. I told him that was the sort of question that could drive one mad if it went unanswered. Especially if one happened to be staring at the front of his pants and noticing the two seams that ran diagonally from his belt loops into his crotch. The left one traced a prominent path along the length of his erection. "Remember this," I whispered. "No matter what happens tonight, remember how happy it makes me to see you like this and to know that you do this, as you do everything, to please me." --- Ever since San Francisco banned the use of non-emergency air transport within the city limits, the streets have been clogged with ground-crawlers. And never was that name more appropriate than on a Saturday night. As we stepped out onto the street, I was glad of the noise and the closeness of the stream of vehicles. It made the city seem more like itself, rough-edged and untamed despite the veneer of civilization. As we stood curbside looking for an available taxi, I thought about those little cars cruising past us. Self-driven and equipped with autolocators and bumper sensors, each was a world unto itself. The safety and privacy features ensured that there would be no reason to leave the vehicle before the end of journey and that whatever occurred within would occur uninterrupted. Freedom within confinement and without consequences. I laughed out loud at the thought and when Jim gave me a questioning look, I said, "The cars are like safe words, aren't they?" Before I could explain, a taxi zipped over to where we stood and the door opened. As we settled in, I saw that it was an older model. The seats were worn, the clearsteel windows were discolored and the locator hung loosely from its connectors. I told Jim the destination code and he gave me a puzzled frown. He'd been aboard the Enterprise two years ago when the North American geocodes were revamped, and although a "local" would probably have understood our itinerary, Jim hadn't been on earth long enough to assimilate the prefixes beyond San Francisco proper. "Where--?" he started. The stiff, uneven cushion crackled as I sat back. Realizing he'd get no information from me, he turned to the locator. After several failed attempts at communicating with it, he tightened the connectors and shoved the unit back into its slot. As I listened to him give the order in a tone of voice that even a machine had to take seriously, I reached into the small inner pocket of my vest and fingered the few essentials I'd stored there. "Understood," the locator finally chirped. "Estimated duration of journey: sixteen minutes to--" I moved quickly to hit the mute button. Jim smiled indulgently, as if to say, "All right, have your secret." Sometimes I think he forgets who I am. After a few minutes, we reached the city limits where the cab lifted into the air and swung out over the ocean. Now that we were away from the noise of traffic, I opened the windows. Closing my eyes, I rested my head against the back of the seat but I enjoyed the wind against my face for only a moment when I felt Jim moving toward me. His mouth was nearly touching mine when I stopped him by dropping my hand onto his thigh and saying, "Tell me about your first blow job." After a surprised moment, he chuckled softly and said, "My first blow job. All right." Still indulging me. How funny, I thought. And misguided. "It was at the Academy--" "Really? None of those sweet little girls back home came through?" "Grace Cleary kissed it once, but that was it." "I'd think all those stalks of corn would inspire them." He laughed. "I wouldn't want someone to eat my cock the way they do corn on the cob." "No?" "No," he said, dead serious. I filed that information away for future exploration. "So you were at the Academy and..." He was silent for a moment and as I watched his face, I was glad that the most of cab's interior lamps had long since given up the ghost. The silver-blue light, the hushed whir of the engine that sounded more like wings than mechanization, the stars our only companions along an air route that few would travel at this hour... Soaring between earth and sky, I watched and listened as Jim remembered a younger self who had almost certainly believed that he was about to shed the last of his innocence. "I'd only been there a short time, six weeks at the most. I was in my room studying. There was a soft knock at the door. I remember thinking how odd that was but I looked at the chron and saw that it was nearly midnight. I figured whoever was there was being considerate--the door calls could be heard all up and down the hall. I went to the door--it was old and needed a shove to fully open. It was Vivien Watley. She was two years ahead of me. She was the orientation adviser to my section but we hadn't had much contact and no one really needed that sort of guidance after the first couple of weeks. She was...well, she was gorgeous. She was tall and curvy with dark hair and unusual eyes--they were the palest blue I'd ever seen." I loved the way he was telling it, as though I had no knowledge of Starfleet Academy or Commander Watley. I knew that every detail took him further into the memory and I promised myself that I wouldn't interrupt him, no matter what. "She came in and said, 'How's it going, Kirk?' I said, 'Fine,' and then she just wandered around the room for a while. It felt a little bit like an inspection. She commented on the books and data chips I'd piled on the top bunk and we talked for a minute about my roommate who had dropped out after two weeks. She sat down on the lower bunk and said, 'Would you like a blowjob?' Just like that, straight out of the blue. I was so startled that it took me a moment to get my bearings. I finally said, 'From you?' She laughed and said, 'No, from Professor Gill. Of course from me.' 'Well, yes, I think I'd like that a lot,' I said. I couldn't believe we were talking about it in such a routine way but at that point, the conversation stopped. She pulled me to her and opened my pants. I was already hard and I remember my cock pushing the front of my shorts out through my fly." His hand was on top of mine, his fingers curling into the crooks of mine and squeezing slowly, over and over. "She pushed my shorts down--I can still remember her hands moving down my hips. No girl had ever done that before. I always had to make the moves. She moistened her lips and moved toward me very slowly. Her mouth was open and I could see a little of her tongue. I remember wondering if I should close my eyes. I thought it might be considered rude to watch. I decided I was damned if I was going to miss seeing this and hoped she would forgive any mistakes and chalk them up to my inexperience. When she was less than an inch away, she began licking my cock, lifting it with her tongue and then pulling back. She did that several times and my cock jumped each time, following her tongue." He laughed softly. "It reminded me of training a dog, the way you get him to follow food to do what you want." I moved my hand a little lower and began running my fingernails along his right inseam. His hand went with mine, trying to nudge me over to the left, but I was having none of that. "She began using more of her tongue, lapping my cock with the rough part and then finishing off with the smooth tip. I made some sound and that was like a release of some kind. I felt as if I was going to come very soon and I tried not to think about that. My knees were shaking and I held onto the upper bunk for support. I was glad it was there, because even though it was my first time, I knew better than to grab her by the hair." I turned my hand and began rubbing his palm with my thumb. He closed his hand over it and then I could only make small circles but that was all right. His hand was clenched so tightly around mine that it felt like a hot, damp thumb-fuck. "Finally she began sucking. I was desperate to hang on and I still don't know how I managed. She pushed my legs apart and began rolling my balls in her hand. I closed my eyes and prayed for control. She took more of my cock into her mouth and curled her tongue around it. As she moved forward, I realized she was going to throat it so I opened my eyes and watched my cock disappear between her lips. She moved her head back and forth and I remember thinking, 'I'm fucking her face!' But I wasn't; she was swallowing me over and over. I didn't want to come in her mouth--well, I *did* but I didn't think I should--so I tried to pull back. I guess she thought I was thrusting because she put her hands on my hips and held me still. I could hardly breathe and my voice sounded desperate when I said, 'Watley, stop! I'm going to come!' She pulled back, wiped her mouth and said, 'So what's stopping you?'" His words were tumbling out as he was clutched my hand and pressed it against his thigh. "Then everything happened at once. She took the head into her mouth and sucked hard while her hand squeezed the shaft. Then I felt her finger stroking my asshole. No one had ever done that before and I lost it. I remember her hand jerking me off while she sucked it up." Slowly his hand unclenched, releasing mine. I gave his forearm a long slow stroke and when my fingers were once again resting against his, he continued. "She didn't swallow. As soon as I was finished, she went into the head and I heard the water running. I stood there, hanging onto the top bunk, gasping for air and feeling like my heart was going to punch its way right out of my chest. Finally, I got undressed and sat on my bunk. I thought she would come out naked, expecting me to return the favor. That was fine with me and I figured that, with any luck, I'd be hard again before she was finished so I'd get a good fuck in the bargain." I smiled. Some things never change. "But when she came out, she was fully clothed and sort of patting her hair into place. I stood up but before I could speak, she patted me on the ass and said, 'Sweet dreams.' Then she left. I didn't know what to think. When I saw her in the mess hall the next morning, I asked if I could take her out. Even when I said it, I knew I sounded like a jerk. She said, 'I don't date plebes,' and that was the end of it. About a year later, I found out that she collected men that way. One hit and it was over." "Interesting," I said. "I collect, too, but I usually keep mine, at least for a while." He pounced on me. There's no other word for it. "You're going to keep me," he growled. "There's no way I'm going to let you throw me back." God, I wanted to fuck him. I wanted to tear off my clothes and let him pound me into pulp. I wanted his cock inside me, banging me with every ounce of strength he possesses. But that wasn't in the plan, so I pushed him away and said, "I forgot something." He looked stunned, as though he'd just been hit over the head. "What?" "I forgot to do something back at the apartment." "Can't it wait?" "No." His eyes had gone steely and I knew he was furious with me for shutting him down. He leaned forward, intending to redirect the cab. I put my hand on his shoulder. "I can take care of it here." He turned and frowned at me, his mouth set in a hard line. "Over here," I said, patting my knee. He didn't move. I waited, thinking how much I love him for that reaction. It's always a decision for him, a conscious effort. He isn't one of those weaklings who crawl after you, whining to be ordered around. Submission doesn't come naturally to him, no matter how much he wants what it will give him. Of course, I didn't wait too long. That would defeat the whole purpose. It's not really his decision to make. "That's ten," I said. Oh, if looks could kill... "Are you trying for twenty? Because you've just earned them." I saw the muscle pulsing in his jaw. I began counting slowly. "Twenty-five. Thirty. Thir--" He opened his pants, pushed them down to his thighs and lay down across my lap. "I owe you thirty. Don't let me forget," I said as I reached into the inner pocket of my vest and removed a small tube of lubricant and a butt plug. --- I set the butt plug on the seat and studied his ass as I held the lubricant, cap end up. He was very still and he didn't even move when I parted his cheeks. His asshole was puckered tightly and I clicked my tongue, more at myself than at him. I could see that I hadn't given him enough of a workout in that area. In the four weeks we'd been together, I'd made him wear a butt plug for an extended period of time on only three occasions, twice to work and once when his mother was in town. I suppose that was a bit mean but if I'm going to get up early to go to church, I'm going to have some fun with it. I'd gone easy with the strap-on, too, using a very modest dildo. I knew I'd change that in due time, but I was pleased with the choice I'd made for this night. The butt plug was slightly more than an inch in diameter at its widest point, more than he'd had but not as much as he would eventually become used to. It wasn't particularly sleek or elegant. In fact it was almost snub-nosed, but at least it was black, although I was careful not to let him see it. I guess the color was more for me. His cheeks pressed against my hands, trying to close, and his asshole winked at me. I winked back, released his cheeks, and took the cap off the lubricant. I'd held it up long enough for all the lube to run to the bottom, leaving plenty of air at the top, so when I squeezed it out onto my fingertips, it gave a good *splat*. He inhaled sharply and I said, "Keep breathing, darling. Don't anticipate me." He let the air out slowly and I felt his stomach muscles tighten against my leg. I looked at the taxi's chron as I spread the goop over the plug. Nearly five minutes to arrival. A nice little chunk of time for our activities. I parted his cheeks again and tickled his anus with the tip of the plug. His head came up a little and I pictured the expression on his face. I'd seen it before when we'd done this with mirrors set so I could watch his reactions. Eyes turned upward, blinking slowly, his mouth open and silent until I pushed the plug in a little. The choked grunt of acknowledgment spoke volumes. He's very sensitive there--well, who isn't? But he resists anything more than gentle play. It's part of why I've held back on really stretching him or penetrating him fully. Not out of some misplaced sympathy that would do neither of us any good, but because I know the value of keeping him off-balance. It was going to be quite a little shock to him when I pushed the stout probe all the way in and it would be an even bigger shock when he took more the next night. I'd moved slowly long enough and now it was time to enter the big leagues. I began moving the plug in small circles. He clenched his fists at the back of his neck as his hips moved in delicious resistance. Head to toe, he was wire-tight, except for the quivering hole I was plumbing. --- A few minutes later, he was squirming in unwilling pleasure. I tilted the plug and gave it a slow turn to work the sweet spot and... "Yes!" ...unwillingness was no longer a part of the equation. At that moment, the cab began its descent and he said my name, his voice now filled with a different urgency. Didn't he know I could see both the chronometer and the altimeter? I wasn't about to display him bare-assed and well-stuffed as soon as we set down. That would come soon enough. Keeping an eye on the instruments, I brought him to the point where he wouldn't have wanted me to let up even if the Federation Council had been watching. I stopped at precisely fifteen meters. He sat up and recomposed himself and I knew that each movement caused the plug to re-establish its presence. My presence. He had just finished zipping up when we touched down. As the cab settled on the uneven ground, I pulled his face close to mine and kissed him deeply, not stopping until the meter pinged impatiently. "Take care of that, will you, darling?" I said as I stepped out into the fog. I moved away from the cab and closed my eyes. Although there was little to be seen through the shifting mists, any vision would have interfered with what I wanted from the moment. I stood very still, listening to the ocean throw itself against the shore. Despite its proximity, the pounding was muted to a rhythmic sighing. I inhaled the cold air and held it, savoring its bouquet as one does a fine wine before taking the first sip. Finally, lurking beneath the heady mingling of earth and sea, I found the flavor I sought. Bittersweet to the point of stinging, it tasted like nothing else on earth and it disappeared before I could fully experience it. I heard the cab lift off and I reached behind me, knowing Jim would be there. I took his hand and led him down the rocky beach toward a blue-green light that was struggling to be seen. We said nothing until we reached the old lighthouse. It had been decades since it had warned ships away from the dangerous shore, yet it was still a beacon of sorts, now drawing a select company to gather under its long-darkened lamp. I saw him take in the details of the situation with a quick glance. I imagined him as both commander and subordinate, requesting and receiving a status report. *A remote location, sir, quite literally at the end of the earth, a solitary light above a worn oak door, a brass handle in the shape of a hawthorn tree.* As I wondered if he was aware of the meaning of those things, he turned his gaze on me. I recognized the look and was glad that it was his own, not something that he had learned by mimicking me. *And a woman, sir, who refuses to explain any of it.* "You'll call me 'Mistress' from here on," I said, "but the people inside know me as Celie." "And who am I?" he asked. "Be patient, my love. That's what we're here to find out." Dangers, possibilities, probabilities, contingencies, risk, consequences, gain, loss...The list went on and on, and he evaluated them all in the space of one breath. He gripped the handle and pulled the door open. As I stepped across the threshold, I realized it didn't matter if he was conscious of the old myths and their modern permutations. Regardless of the trappings, certain tales resonate in the soul of every human being. I began ascending the winding staircase. The door swung shut with a resounding thud and when I turned back, I saw Jim at the bottom of the stairs looking curious and wary but not startled. I was aware once more that although the unknown might cause his heartbeat to quicken, all that he'd seen and done in the past five years had built a wall around the most human part of himself. Now that the door was closed, I could feel the heat moving down the stairs toward us. He would feel it soon, even if he stayed where he was. I held out my hand and asked, "Will you?" I waited, feeling we were in a play or better yet, a painting. I saw the light filtering down from above and the shadows of the open staircase covering the floor and walls with a mad geometry. I saw myself, my hand lifted in an ambiguous invitation, and I saw Jim wondering why it wasn't an order. I saw light and dark playing around us as we waited for his decision, both knowing what it would be, yet lingering in that moment that was neither past nor future. There was a sudden burst of laughter and applause from above. I turned and continued up the stairs, knowing Jim was no more than two steps behind me. --- The End