“Oh come on! Knock it off!” The words were followed by a low, breathless chuckle as a calloused hand shoved at his abdomen.
He grinned, nuzzling at the nape of the neck under his nose as he tightened his hold on the man in his arms. “But it’s true! You’ve got the most beautiful laugh.” His answer was another shove and a scoff.
“I do not. I sound like a dying cat, and you know it.”
He leaned back to look down at Max. “Well, I happen to disagree.” His voice had dropped an octave, and his expression turned serious.
“John,” Max warned. “Don’t do it, John.” He pressed his hands flat against John’s chest to try and push him away. “I’m warning you.”
“You’re warning me, huh?” John murmured, a sly grin slowly spreading across his face.
Max tried to scramble away from him, but was just a hair too slow. “JOHN!” Max screeched, trying to squirm away from the fingers tickling his sides. He caught his bottom lip between his teeth as he fought to stay silent, his face turning red from the effort.
Grin widening, John slid his hands over Max’s hips and down his thighs to the backs of his knees. He dug his fingers into the soft flesh there, and laughed at the undignified squeal that left Max’s lips as his legs flailed all about. “D-Damn it, J-John!” he spluttered in between snorting laughter and loud guffaws.
John jolted awake to the blaring sound of the station’s alarm. His heart raced in his chest, and blood rushed behind his ears as he glanced around with bleary eyes. Seeing nothing, he flopped back down with a groan, and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. Ugh… He just wanted to sleep, damn it. And finally enjoy that dream to its fullest extent. Max’s laughter still echoed in his ears, and he sighed heavily, a stab of longing twisting uncomfortably in his gut.
The alarm continued to scream overhead as John drug himself out of bed. “God damn. I’m up, I’m up,” he grumbled, shivering at the cold metal under his bare feet. He needed to stop forgetting to wear socks to bed.
The blue overhead light cast irregular shadows across his tiny tin room making it hard for him to find anything among the mess. He tossed things over his shoulders and kicked things around until he managed to find the basket with his clean clothes in it. Cursing under his breath, John zipped himself into his jumpsuit and was shoving a foot into a sock as he hopped over to the door. The panel slid open and he stumbled over the lip of the doorway and out into bright white light.
“Ah. Finally, Captain. You are exceptionally difficult to wake.” A hollow, metallic voice intoned, echoing from the hallways intercom; surprisingly loud in the absence of the alarm.
John scoffed. “Didn’t ask for a wakeup call, Naggy.”
The hull rumbled as if it was heaving a great, suffering sigh. “Please refrain from calling me Naggy, Captain. My designation is Hermes.”
“Stupid ass name,” he grumbled with a roll of his eyes.
“I could say the same for you, Captain.”
The monotonous statement had him glaring at the wall from the corner of his eye. Whoever the hell thought it was a good idea to program sarcasm into an AI was an idiot. John elected not to say anything as he shoved his other foot into its sock and then started to shuffle his way down the hall. His first year on the station he’d stupidly argue with Naggy every morning (and practically every other hour). It had taken him much too long to realize that arguing with a damn computer was a losing game. The fucking thing could run circles around him on his best days, so he’d found keeping his mouth shut was the best way to retain his sanity.
As he trekked down the hall, John listened with one ear to Naggy as it went over the day’s to-do list. “As it is Sunday, the ship’s weekly log must be started and the previous one submitted to home base. The ship’s manifest will also need to be reviewed to determine the past week’s use of supplies. If my calculations are correct, we are approaching the mid-years supply delivery, so a list of all needed items should be submitted with this past week’s log as well.” John nodded along as he rounded the last corner to get to the chow hall. Looks like his entire day was going to be made up of scouring the tiny print of the manifest. He could already feel the budding migraine pulsing behind his eyes. “Also, Happy 46th Birthday, Captain.”
John slowed to a halt and tilted his head to the side. His 46th birthday? Was it really here already? “It’s already June 18th?” he asked quietly.
“Yes, Captain.”
Well, happy birthday to him then. He’d definitely be taking a bottle of whiskey from the chow hall to his room to celebrate tonight. With any luck, he’ll get drunk enough to sleep through Naggy’s alarm tomorrow morning.
“Thanks, Naggy.”
John could practically feel the invisible burning glare of the AI on the back of his head. “Of course, Captain.”
Smirking, John looked up at the gray double doors ahead of him that sported the words “CHOW HALL” in fading black letters. The hiss of hydraulics was loud in the silence of the hallway as the double doors slid open to let him pass. Once inside, he didn’t bother to look around at the bland and monotone colored walls, and instead made a beeline for the food counter. The air was thick with the hot smell of powdered, processed food, but his stomach grumbled despite the unappetizing scent. At one corner of the galvanized steel counter sat a stack of faded green trays. Why there were more than two John couldn’t say; there were only two of them stuck on this god forsaken station anyway.
As he reached for a tray, a panel on the wall opened up and the smell of food grew stronger. Just as he reached for a small plate of sickly yellow scrambled eggs, a gloved hand appeared and smacked his hand away.
“Shit,” he cursed, flapping his hand around to get rid of the sting. “What the hell?”
“You don’t want that.” John looked over to find Max standing next to him sporting a cock-eyed grin. His dirty blond hair was sticking up in odd places, and his eyes looked impossibly big behind his blue rimmed glasses.
John’s heart rate kicked up a notch. “So, what? I’m just supposed to starve?”
Max snorted. “Of course not. Come on!” He took hold of John’s wrist and began to drag him from the chow hall fast enough that he barely had enough time to set his tray back down.
“Alright, alright. Don’t gotta drag me.” Max just ignored him and continued to pull him down the hall and to the left.
The man didn’t say a word as they walked, so John took the opportunity to look him over. He wore the same ugly, scratchy blue jumpsuit as John, but had the arms tied around his waist to reveal a white wife beater. His feet were clad in fuzzy wool socks with little computer chips on them. John smiled. He’d gotten those for him for Christmas, and Max had worn them every night since. He should probably order another pair to come with the next delivery shipment; they were looking a little threadbare and worn in the heels.
“Okay!” Max said, startling John out of his thoughts as they came to an abrupt halt. “Close your eyes,” he instructed as he rounded on John.
John lifted an eyebrow in question. “Why?” He glanced at the bay door beside them where bold black letters read “GREENERY”. What the hell were they doing over here?
“Just fucking do it, you ass,” Max said with a roll of his eyes.
John shook his head, but did as he was told. He heard Max mumble something under his breath before the Greenery door hissed open. Warm, muggy air spilled out into the hallway and clung to any skin he had exposed. Max took hold of his wrist once more, this time a bit more gently, and slowly led him into the room. The door dropped shut behind them with a soft click.
“Okay… Open your eyes… Now!” Max released his hand as he opened his eyes.
The room was dimly lit, the UV lights having been turned off, so that they could more easily see the black expanse of space from the observation window. They stood amongst rows upon rows of crops, fruit trees, herbs, and spices. The air was thick with the scent of freshly watered earth, and it reminded him of standing on the porch of his childhood home after a fresh spring rain. A few feet ahead of him sat the elevated observation deck where a blanket was laid out and atop that sat several food trays.
Confused, John opened his mouth to say something, but Max beat him to it. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” he hollered, gesturing to the unusual display with an exaggerated wave of his arms. John could only blink in surprise as the blinding smile on Max’s face took his breath away. Max’s smile began to falter the longer John stared at him, and a light shade of pink dusted his cheeks. “I-I know it’s not much, but I thought you’d enjoy a nice home cooked meal,” he rushed out as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
“You-” John cleared his throat to get rid of the sudden lump there. “You cooked food? How?”
Max’s smile turned sly and he hopped up the few steps to the deck, motioning for John to follow. “Jury-rigged a hot plate from some glass and heating coils, and helped myself to some of the… provisions in here.”
John laughed softly as he moved to sit beside Max on the blanket. “You know you’re not supposed to take the fresh produce. It’s for the settlement.”
The computer engineer just shrugged as he started to remove the covers from the plates spread out around them. “No one’s going to miss a few potatoes or anything.”
“Suppose so,” John said with a soft chuckle. He watched as Max set a plate and glass in front of him. “A burrito?”
“Breakfast burrito,” Max corrected. “The eggs and sausage are still the crap they have in the chow hall,” he explained as he poured an orange liquid into John’s glass. “But! – The potatoes, salsa, and orange juice are all from in here!”
John was gobsmacked. “You made fresh salsa and orange juice?” he asked slowly.
The blush on Max’s cheeks burned hotter. “W-well yeah! It’s pretty easy. Used to do it all the time back home.”
With an eagerness John hadn’t felt in a long time, he bent over his plate, picked up his burrito, and tore a bite out of it. Flavor burst across his tongue and he moaned low in his throat. The salsa had the perfect amount of bite to it, and the potatoes were heavenly. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d tasted something this good. He couldn’t even taste the powdery, bland chow hall slop Max had, had to use. Swallowing, John reached for his glass and took a gulp of the juice. It was tart but sweet, and another obscene moan left his throat unbidden. He set his glass down and went to take another bite, but the food was smacked from his hand.
“What the hell, Max- Oof!” John’s complaint was cut off by a pair of soft, slightly chapped lips, and he vaguely registered the sound of a glass tipping over and liquid splashing down the steps. In his shock, he found himself going still even as the mouth on his worked feverishly to coax a response from him. “M-Max?” he tried in between kisses.
Max reluctantly pulled away, so that John could clearly see his face. His pupils were blown wide, cheeks flushed, and his glasses sat askew on the bridge of his nose. His chest was heaving in great big pants as he held the sides of John’s face between his hands. “Y-You,” he paused to take a deep breath and swallow. “You drive me fucking crazy! How can you sit here like that, and make such sinful sounds? Acting as if you have no idea what you’re doing to me?”
“W-what?” John stuttered, his heart hammering against his sternum painfully.
Max rolled his eyes. “I think it’s obvious John,” he said with a huff. John suddenly found himself flat on his back staring up at the ceiling. “I’ve been holding back for a long time. I’d planned to do this more smoothly. A lot more smoothly,” he said the last part under his breath. “I was gonna ask you to come by my bunk tonight for a nice dinner, some tantalizing conversation, and maybe a long make out session. But I just can’t wait anymore.”
John blinked. Max wanted him? Actually, wanted him? Before he could fully comprehend the implications of the newly admitted feelings, he found his thighs trapped between Max’s knees. He looked down at Max’s flushed face, his glasses still slightly lopsided, and slowly trailed his gaze lower.
“Fuck me…” he whispered, licking his lips hungrily at the sight before him. He’d dreamt of Max’s body enough to have a vague idea of just how beautiful he was, but his brain hadn’t conjured up anything quite like this. Max had divested himself of his clothes, even his gloves, and sat proudly on top of him with a crooked grin on his face.
“If that’s what you want,” he said with a shrug. “But I’d planned to let you top this time.” John practically choked on his tongue at the words.
Grin turning devilish, Max walked his fingertips up John’s torso to the collar of his jumpsuit. He took hold of the zipper and practically ripped it open to the crotch seam. A soft hum of approval vibrated Max’s chest as he shoved the fabric aside and tucked it under John’s shoulders, effectively trapping his arms at his sides.
“I knew it would be everything I wanted and more,” Max said hungrily, his eyes practically black from desire.
John followed the path of Max’s gaze to find his cock resting proudly against his stomach, bobbing in time to his erratic heartbeat. With rapt attention, John watched as Max lowered himself over his cock, teasingly blowing cold puffs of air across his burning flesh. His cock jumped at the sensation, and just barely missed tapping Max’s bottom lip. Max hummed in the back of his throat as he brushed his lips from the base of John’s shaft to the head.
“Max,” John moaned.
The man flashed him a predatory grin as he traced the tip of his tongue along the underside of the head. John shuddered and groaned, watching Max’s tongue finish a full circle around the tip before swiping through the precum that had beaded at the slit. They both moaned and John dropped his head back on the floor with a dull thunk. A part of him wondered if he was still in his bunk, asleep, but that thought quickly disappeared when his cock was swallowed to the root by warm, wet heat.
“FUCK!” His curse echoed off the walls, and Max chuckled, the vibration going straight to his balls.
Max drug his nails across his hips and down the top of his thighs before cupping his balls in a single hand while the other was pressed flat on his lower belly to keep him still. With each bob of his head and flick of his tongue, Max lightly circled his entrance with the tip of a finger. John quivered as the heat pooling underneath his cock became nearly unbearable.
“Max. Max, you gotta stop!” He whimpered, his shoulders wiggling as he tried to dislodge his arms so he could push Max off before he exploded. He could feel the tell-tale tingling on the insides of his thighs and underneath the skin of his abdomen. God, if he finished too quickly, he’d never let himself live it down.
The man attached to his cock grumbled in disappointment, but relented and slowly withdrew his head with a wet pop. Max crawled over the top of him and sat back, so John’s cock was snuggled deliciously between his ass cheeks. When John opened his eyes, his gaze immediately found Max’s cock. The flesh was angry and red, practically begging for attention. John licked his lips.
“Look at me,” Max demanded. John’s gaze flashed up to meet Max’s eyes. “That’s better.” With a small, cruel smile, Max reached behind him and took hold of his cock as he lifted himself onto his knees. The head of his cock was pressed against that tight ring of muscle as Max said, “I’ve waited too long for this.” He suddenly dropped down, and John was engulfed in blazing heat.
His lips fell open in a silent scream as the breath was stolen from his lungs. John could barely hear Max’s sounds of delight as the blood rushed behind his ears. With their eyes still locked, Max placed both of his hands on the top of John’s thighs and dug his fingers into the flesh. Now with the proper leverage, Max slowly lifted himself up until only the head of John’s cock was inside him. The air was cold against John’s shaft, and he struggled to thrust his hips up to plunge back into the warmth of Max’s ass.
“Max…” he warned, eyes narrowing. Max just grinned and let himself slide down an inch then stopped. “Max!” The man cocked a brow up at him. “Please, Max…” he whispered after a moment, his voice desperate and breathless.
Max nodded, seemingly satisfied with his plea, and lowered himself the rest of the way until John bottomed out. He gasped, the sound echoed by Max’s mewling cry. The tight heat was practically choking his cock, and he swore he’d never experienced anything more euphoric than this. This time when Max pulled himself off his cock, he drove back down just as quickly, and began to set a punishing pace that had them both panting.
The Captain watched Max’s eyes flutter closed and his head drop back as he rode his cock like it would be his first and last time. His normally pale skin was flush with blood, and a thin sheen of sweat shimmered in the low light of the room. Backdropped by the dark ceiling, Max looked for all the world like he belonged out amongst the stars, ethereal in his beauty. He didn’t belong in this dingy, lonely shuttle they called home.
His muscles ached with the need to touch him, the feeling burning through his veins. With a deep breath and a grunt, John thrust his hips up and to the side. Max tumbled off of him with a shout, and before he could get his bearings, John was on his knees, ripping off his jumpsuit and caging Max within his arms.
“J-John?”
John smiled down at the man, righting the glasses on his face as he settled himself between his thighs. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. The fierce blush that bloomed across Max’s cheeks was endearing.
Taking himself in hand, John pressed his cock into Max at a leisurely pace. He sat still for a moment, basking in the feeling of completeness that came with being inside the man underneath him. The hesitant caress of lips on his own was all he needed to be spurred into movement. John grasped the underside of one of Max’s knees to hook it firmly over his hip so he could thrust as deep as Max’s body would allow.
At the first thrust, Max’s back bowed and he cried out his name. Damn, if that wasn’t the most beautiful thing he’d ever heard.
With each bruising thrust, Max would moan or cry out his name as he did his best to match John’s brutal pace. John lost himself in the rhythm. The pleasure hummed underneath his skin like an electrical current that pulsed from his cock to radiate throughout his entire body. Each thrust brought him closer and closer to that numb euphoria he wanted them both so desperately to reach.
“Come on beautiful,” he muttered, shifting up to thrust at a better angle. John reached down to take hold of the weeping cock between them that seemed to be begging for his attention. He pumped it in time with his thrusts. “Fall with me.”
Heat exploded behind his cock and flooded his veins with overwhelming pleasure, his vision going black for a few seconds. He felt Max clamp down on his cock as he screamed out his pleasure to the heavens. When his vision returned to him, John gathered Max in his arms and carefully rolled the both of them to their sides. He gave a little thrust to make sure the two of them remained connected, reluctant to separate from any part of him. Max gave a keening little moan of protest and weakly smacked his hip.
“Stop moving,” he commanded, his words weak and breathless. John chuckled and the man in his arms hissed as it jostled their bodies. “John…”
The warning in his tone was clear, and John had half a mind to ignore it but he didn’t. Instead, he held him a little closer, pressing his nose into the crook of his neck and gazed out the observation window. His breath hitched and he stared on in barely concealed awe. The Black had been empty when they’d entered the Greenery, but it was now alive with twinkling stars and racing comets. He couldn’t remember the last time it had looked like this.
“I think… No,” he paused to take a deep breath, “I know I love you.”
John could feel the slow smile spreading across Max’s face. “I love you, John.”
His heart squeezed and his breath rushed from his lungs in a noisy sigh of relief. There was a sharp burst of light as a burning comet hurtled past the observation window before it winked out of existence.
Happy Birthday to me…
