Sam relaxed muscle by muscle on the hard cot in the stifling hot tent. The bug screening was up over both entrances but the sun had just set and the cooler desert air hadn't yet removed the heat. It had been a long day and he was almost too tired to get up and eat. Toby and Mei Ling had gone off to pickup their parents and he figured he had about an hour to relax before getting up and meeting them.

But the worry about his father kept him from dozing. Surely now that they'd come through the fire, his father would accept Seth and welcome him for real to the family. And what about Peter? They never had had their talk before his brother moved on with the Ikiiri to the Moon.

A rustle at the front opening brought his eyes open. But it was Seth and just seeing him made him feel better. "Hi. Did you get the computer techs settled?"

His lover chuckled and headed for the basin of tepid water on the rickety table between their two cots. "They are so entranced by the technology in the craft we've got that they may never come out. Sorat, the engineer Ikiiri is trying to answer their questions but not even the translator can handle some of the terms." He scooped up water and splashed his face. "It's the concepts not the words that are the problem."

Sam smiled tiredly. "Their computer is not anything like ours. We may be looking at a revolution in more ways than one."

Seth grabbed the towel and wiped his face. "So true, love. What has you worrying now?"

"Am I transparent or what?" Sam pouted up at his lover and Seth knelt by his side for a brief moment to kiss him tenderly. It was one of the moments that made the whole adventure worth it.

"Toby and Mei Ling went to get the parents."

"Everything will be all right, Sam. So long as I take care of you, your folks should be fine with us."

"I hope so, Seth. I really hope so." Sam closed his eyes and tried to shut off his brain.

Seth moved to his own cot and stretched out for his own nap. They didn't dare move closer together. There was no privacy in the camp, none at all. Sam had grown adept in the last 72 hours at taking each caress and giving his own when ever possible. Touching seemed to be the key to keeping himself satisfied. So long as he could see, hear and touch his lover then he could control his libido.

But he'd grown addicted to him and he would not willingly give up the tenderness and love that Seth wrapped around him every moment of every day. Not even if his parents disapproved.

*********************

Sam went running along the track they'd laid out around the outer fencing. The sun had just set and the evening breeze gave just enough cooling to keep him from stroking out. His temper was high and he was trying to calm down before heading in for dinner. The comment from his father, after they'd given the last physical to the Marines who'd come in a couple of days before, had gripped his temper so hard he'd been speechless.

The military mentality can be so rigid.

He'd managed to stay calm and made some mention of his own years within the officer ranks but it was just one of the small digs that Edward Hamilton had gotten in within the last few days. Sam had managed to keep most of them from Seth and so far his father hadn't said anything to him personally.

He made another lap and breathed in the dry desert air like the perfume he compared it to. It was so strong he could almost taste it when he opened his mouth. And the beauty of the great open spaces appealed to all his other senses. It was peaceful here and he needed to draw that peace into his soul so he could keep on doing his job.

Not to mention loving Seth to pieces. The lack of privacy was beginning to wear on them both. They were both beginning to find excuses to go over to Queen Terana's ship and slip into the little room off the computer room for a fast kiss. Seth had joked about heading for the 'closet' but Sam needed more than a quick grope. After being celibate for so long, he should have had better control.

But one look from an emerald gaze and he was ready to declare a medical emergency to get him alone. After the third lap, he decided to head in. Waving at the south perimeter guard, he jogged on to the tent he called home. The back flap was closed and when he moved to the front, the front was as well. That usually meant that one or the other of them was taking a nap and weren't to be disturbed for anything less than World War III.

He felt a small frisson of delight at the thought of finding Seth asleep. Watching him sleep was becoming one of his favorite things. Slipping through the front flap and making sure it was tight closed behind him, he found a naked Seth giving himself a sponge bath.

"No fair, Seth. That's my job." He kept his voice low while starting to strip off his sweaty t-shirt and he felt Seth's fingers at his waist pulling down his running shorts.

"I figured you'd show up in time to help." Seth's husky murmur did something severely shocking to his libido and his cock began to harden without any other stimulus.

The tent was so dark now that they had to bathe by feel but Sam preferred it that way. A light meant a shadow on the thin walls and they'd have to be circumspect but he needed to touch Seth too much. "Gods, I love you, Seth. I've wanted to do this for days."

"I know just what you mean, love. Damn but you taste good." A raspy tongue at the hollow of his throat cleaned the sweat from his skin. "One of these days, I'm going to taste you from your toes all the way up to your ears."

Sam shivered at the need in his lover's voice. "Yes. I'd like that. Could I taste you too?"

"I'm counting on it. Now, we'd better get cleaned up so we can go eat." The regretful murmur soothed the brief pain of being let go and Sam nodded.

They took turns using the damp washcloth to clean the other body. While Seth shaved with the new electric shaver, Sam pulled on his last pair of clean jeans. Then it was his turn to shave while Seth got dressed. Before they finished dressing, Seth gathered him into another kiss. But this one was long and lush, both of them trading tongues until they felt like they could bear to let go.

"Rain check, Sam?"

"All of them, Seth."

Then they finished dressing and left for dinner.

********************

On board the Ikiiri ship, Sam eyed the shower tentatively. There were vertical rows of what looked like nozzles up and down the two sides. Seth was almost undressed before he managed to get his shoes and pants off. The controls on the outer wall by the 'shower unit' didn't seem too complex. And by the time he was naked, Seth had already set the controls and stepped inside.

He joined him and felt the waves of invisible energy pulse up and down his body. Opening his mouth to comment on the feeling, he got an electric shock. Yelling in Seth's ear and jumping out of the shower occurred almost simultaneously. The look on his lover's face was priceless.

"What in the world? Are you all right, Sam?" He came out and held him gently.

"Couldn't you feel that? It was like a shot from a cattle prod." Sam held his jaw gingerly.

Seth frowned then his face began to clear. "Do you by any chance have any filled cavities?"

"Well sure, doesn't everybody?" He shrugged and eyed his grinning lover.

"Nope, not everybody." Seth smiled widely. "Come on back in but don't open your mouth."

Sam eyed him but followed him back in. The energy surge was still there but with his lips pressed shut, the pain didn't return. Seth smiled at him and picked up one of the long handled brushes that hung on the wall. Turning around, Sam felt the soft prickles all up and down his back. He wiggled all over, especially when Seth swept his brush over his buttocks and down his legs.

Then his shoulder was tapped and he turned back to return the favor. The sonics might not be so bad after all. They ran the brush over their fronts as well before stepping out and into the room reserved for them. Sam eyed the bed longingly while Seth wrapped a coverlet around himself to go and tell the others that the bathroom was free. Sam crawled into the wide bed that was built for the much larger Ikiiri and sighed happily.

This was heaven and the only thing that would make it better was walking back in the door. Seth unwound the sheet and let it drop to the floor. His heated gaze made Sam very glad that the soundproofing was so impressive. Then his lover was sliding in beside him and he was being cradled in strong arms while soft lips mapped his face with gentle kisses.

"Seth, I love you." He arched his head to expose more of his throat to his lover. "I don't tell you that enough. Oh there ... right there."

"Hm-m-m, salty Sam, my very favorite flavor." Seth moved lower yet and nibbled gently on his left nipple. "That's right, Sam, raise up for me." A gentle bite and Sam was shivering with need. Callused hands stroked down his sides while their cocks hardened in concert.

"Seth!" The tongue in the navel never failed to harden him completely. And Seth took advantage of that before he slid just far enough to mouth over Sam's groin and down over his cock. "Oh god, that's so good."

His hands carded through the dark hair on the head that slowly moved up then down, engulfing his steel hard cock in an ecstasy of wet warmth. He moaned and tried not to thrust up too hard but when Seth deep throated him completely, he lost the battle and filled his throat with his seed.

Little aftershocks flooded his nervous system and his hands dropped to the bed while all his muscles relaxed. Seth let him slip free and kissed his way back up his body while Sam wondered if he'd ever move again. But his lover's erection was poking a hole in his hip and he reached over a hand to encircle it with his fingers. It always felt so alive to him. He liked the way it lifted towards him as if it were a compass and he was true north.

"Seth, could I ... taste him?" He asked hesitantly, not sure if he could do as good a job of making love to the older man.

"Only if you want to, Sam. This isn't a competition and that's an acquired taste, no pun intended." Seth looked down at him affectionately.

Sam reached up and pulled him down into a kiss, sweeping his tongue between Seth's lips and tasting himself inside his mouth. Slightly bitter and a little salty, he decided. With a little flex of muscle, he got Seth flat on his back. Grinning down at him, he celebrated his triumph with a repeat of the kisses that his lover had lavished on him.

Dark hair grew all over the broad chest under him and he only moved on after making sure that the dark brown nipples were hard and aching with kisses. Seth's cock kept bumping his balls and after tasting the deep navel, he kept sliding down until he was eye to eye with the column of hard flesh. Tentatively he slid the foreskin down until the cock was revealed to him.

A drop of liquid oozed from the slit on the crown and he licked it off, tasting it and trying to decide what it reminded him of. "You taste like salty olives."

"Is that good or bad?" Seth had his arms behind his head so he was tilted enough to see what Sam was doing.

He grinned. "Good ... very good."

If his anatomy class memory was still good, there was a vein just under the head that would feel pretty good if stimulated. Sam drew his tongue around the head, collecting another tear from the weeping slit before moving just under the flared ridge of the crown. If the noise Seth was making was any indication, he was doing something right.

Sliding down to the base of his cock, he gently rolled the large balls one at a time before moving back up to the top and starting over. Seth's stomach muscles rippled under his other hand and the older man was panting hoarsely. It was a very heady feeling of power that Sam felt at that moment. It was his actions, his touch that made Seth move his hips and moan his name. He liked it ... a lot.

Being careful of his teeth, he took the flared crown into his mouth and fluttered his tongue against the vein that had made him go ballistic. Seth's reaction was all he could have hoped for so he did it again. A warm hand on his cheek startled him, the hoarse voice gave him warning.

"I'm going to explode any moment, love. You might want to use your hands instead of your mouth."

Sam thought about it then decided to try, using one hand to stroke the hard cock while the other rolled Seth's balls like a pair of soft dice. Two more strokes and the bitter liquid surprised him with its quantity and heat. Blood hot, it filled his mouth and overflowed onto his hands. Sucking released still more and Seth's jerks were a testament to Sam's new ability.

He felt absurdly proud to have wrung those groans from his lover. Strong hands pulled him up into Seth's arms and warm lips took his with fervor. They kissed for long moments, until Sam began to feel sleepy. Seth pulled up the blanket to cover them both while never letting him out of his arms.

"You were inspired, Sam. Was it all right?" Seth's green eyes looked over from the pillow they were sharing.

"Better than all right. I'm going to have to practice over and over." Sam said shyly.

"No problem, love. Now, sleep for a few hours. When you're in my arms, I can sleep soundly." Seth's eyes closed while he was talking.

"Me too, love. Sleep tight." Sam followed him into the first real sleep he'd had in a week.

*****************************
End of missing scene 4