Picnic |
Title: Picnic |
Author: Iocane |
E-mail: iocane@crosswinds.net |
Summary: John has some time off, and Galen takes him off the ship. |
Rating: PG-13 |
Series/sequel: Part seven of "Dreams of Silence" |
Disclaimer: Galen, John, the Excalibur, and all related names, places, and people belong to JMS and many |
other people. The story itself is mine. |
Archiving: CDC, WWOBM, Selena's Galen Page, Lady May's Slash Archive, DM's Place, and the Crusade |
Fic Archive all have ongoing permission. Anyone else, please ask. |
Warnings: M/M sex implied. |
Notes: First and foremost, thanks to Antoinette for her expert beta'ing, comments, suggestions, motivations, |
and generally beating me over the head until I finished it. :) |
Second, the following notations are used throughout the series ... |
Single brackets [] around text indicate personal thoughts. Double brackets [[]] around words indicate |
telepathy. |
The character of Jessica Saunders is entirely my creation. |
Any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated. This is my first planned out story of this scope, so any |
suggestions you have would be wonderful. |
Picnic |
John rolled over, reaching a hand out to rest on Galen's chest. The technomage covered his lover's hand with |
his own, his fingers curling around John's. |
Realizing his lover was awake, John opened his eyes. Before he could speak, Galen leaned forward and |
captured his mouth in a slow kiss. John opened his mouth to the tender invasion, giving as well as he got. The |
morning kiss was a habit John was very glad they had gotten into. He was also exceedingly glad that Galen |
had somehow managed to eliminate John's "morning mouth." |
Finally Galen pulled away, grinning down at the younger man. "Good morning ..." he said softly. |
"Morning ..." John returned the smile and stretched, arching his body upwards from the bed. He could feel |
Galen's appreciative gaze drifting over his lean frame. |
"You have tomorrow off, don't you?" |
John nodded, "And the day after. Gideon is trying to give Saunders a few more shifts in charge of the bridge, |
to get her used to it." |
Galen nodded, still smiling. "Good ... I have something planned and it might take a day or two ..." |
John looked disappointed. Usually when Galen had plans, he was away from the ship. The young man couldn't |
really complain though, in the two months since they had become lovers, Galen had spent about half of the |
time on the Excalibur. John found he had grown used to waking up with Galen beside him. John glanced at the |
red candle that burned in the darkness at the far end of his bedroom. Even though Galen was laying beside |
him, John found the gently flickering light to be a comfort. He didn't like seeing it go out, which it did whenever |
Galen left the Excalibur. |
He remembered when Galen had given it too him, only two short months ago. The technomage had told John |
that the candle was attuned to his biochemistry. It would burn when Galen was near, and go out when he wasn't |
on the Excalibur. When he was with John, would burned brightly. More than once John had left his quarters in |
the morning with the candle wick cold, and returned to find it flickering gently. Other times, he had returned to |
find it had gone out. Even though he'd known Galen would be leaving, it still saddened him to see the unlit |
candle as a reminder. |
"Don't look so glum. You'll be coming with me." Galen said, noticing the sad, faraway look in his lover's eyes. |
"Really?" John's eyes lit up. "Where?" |
"Meet me at my ship at the end of your shift today, and you'll find out." |
For a moment, John considered trying to coax an answer out of the technomage, but a quick glance at his clock |
told him he didn't have time. Sitting up, he sighed. "I have to get ready for work." |
"Yes ..." Galen stood, stretching his solid frame, feeling his muscles loosen. He watched as John went about |
preparing for the day. Something in John's routines comforted him. When he had to be away from the ship, he |
sometimes played a holo of John brushing his teeth, or combing his hair. Anything to remind him of these |
mornings. |
Galen dressed quickly while John was in the shower, retrieving his staff from his usual resting place by the |
bedroom doorway. Glancing at the bed, he noticed a rather large stain on the sheets. Bending slightly, he ran |
his hand over it, seeming to wipe it away. |
"That's why I keep you around, you know." John said from the bedroom doorway. The lieutenant was leaning |
sideways against the doorway, his arms crossed the front of his uniform. The black one. A fire in the laundry |
room a few weeks ago had destroyed many of the "new" uniforms, forcing the grateful crew back to the |
functional black ones. |
"Oh?" Galen stood, admiring John. The technomage much preferred the black uniforms and had been quite |
happy to hear they'd been returned to service. |
"Yeah, how else could I keep the sheets clean, *and* eliminate a laundry bill?" Both men laughed softly. |
Galen stepped forward, reaching a strong hand out to caress his lover's face. His thumb brushed the tiny black |
speck on John's left cheek that had been made two months ago. |
John smiled and leaned into the hand, closing his eyes. He felt Galen move closer and kiss him. Raising his |
hands, he meant to push Galen gently away. Instead, he found them snaking around his lover's neck, pulling |
him closer. |
Finally John broke the kiss, panting lightly. "I have to go ... This is my last clean uniform ..." his eyes twinkled |
and Galen chuckled, stepping backwards, albeit reluctantly. |
At the door, John heard Galen call after him. "Don't forget." |
Turning, he grinned. "How could I?" |
------------------ |
Indeed, John spent the rest of the day almost wishing he could forget. His mind continued to wander, trying to |
imagine what the technomage had in store for him. |
At one point, Gideon chuckled and asked him "Hot date?" |
The young lieutenant blushed, but was unable to hide his smile. "I think so ..." |
"Good. I'm glad you two are still going well." He nodded for his second to return to his duty and continued his |
rounds. |
Three hours later, John entered the almost empty docking bay where Galen's ship waited. He'd stopped at his |
quarters only long enough to pack an overnight bag. Somehow, he hadn't been surprised to find one already |
packed and waiting for him. He'd grabbed the bag and dashed out of his quarters, deciding not to change as |
he'd originally planned. [I probably won't be wearing anything very long anyway ...] He thought eagerly. |
As it had that first night, almost two months ago, a doorway formed on the side of Galen's ship, directly in line |
with his approach. It occurred to him as he walked through the otherwise empty docking bay that this would |
only be the third time he'd been inside Galen's ship. And by all indications, it would be his longest stay yet. He |
grinned, remembering the first time, two months ago. |
Just as he reached the black craft, Galen's arms reached out and pulled him inside. A moment later he felt his |
back pressed firmly against the wall of the ship. Galen's body was pressed fully against his, his knee sliding |
between John's legs. John groaned as Galen captured his mouth in a brutal kiss. Dropping the bag, he slid his |
arms around Galen's neck, feeling his pants grow tighter by the second. |
Galen could feel John's erection pressing against his thigh and grinned, breaking the kiss. Still holding John |
against the wall, he nuzzled his neck, whispering "Have you ever been on a picnic, John?" |
"Picnic?" John asked breathlessly. "N-no..." He stumbled over the word as Galen's skillful fingers caressed |
his crotch, tormenting him through layers of cloth. |
"Hmmmm ..." He stepped away, taking John's hands and leading him towards the bedroom. "First time for |
everything ..." |
-------------- |
[[John?]] Galen whispered into his lover's mind, shaking his shoulder. [[Wake up ...]] The young man groaned |
and rolled over, swatting at Galen. Galen shook him harder. [[Wake up, we're almost there ...]] John's eyes |
peeked open and Galen kissed him quickly. |
"Hmm?" The young man blinked sleepily, rubbing his eyes. "Almost where?" |
"To where we're going." He smiled. |
"Mmmmm ... Well, you didn't exactly let me get a lot of sleep, you know ..." John said, a twinkle in his eye |
making it clear that he wasn't complaining. |
"*I* didn't let *you* sleep?" Galen chuckled, watching as John sat up and swung his legs over the side of |
Galen's bed. |
John smirked in response, reaching for his clothes. "So, where are we, anyway?" he asked, pulling on a pair of |
loose pants. |
"The planet doesn't have a name, actually. No one outside the order comes here, and then only rarely. They |
haven't needed what it has for quite some time." |
John picked up his shirt and followed Galen into the main room of the technomage's ship. At the moment, was |
set up like a shuttle interior, with a view screen, pilot controls and two seats. Galen took the seat on the left, |
John sat to his right, pulling the shirt over his head. "Then why are we here?" |
"I told you on the Excalibur. We're going to have a picnic." He smiled, glancing at John as the planet |
appeared on the view screen. |
John returned his smile, always amazed at the way it made his heart beat just a little bit faster. "All right ... but |
why here?" |
"Because ... I like it here." Galen didn't tell John that this was the place where he had settled his mind about |
the young man. It was here that Galen decided he could let himself become involved with him. That he let |
himself- his thoughts were interrupted by John speaking. |
"What does it have that your order doesn't need anymore?" John asked. Technomancy fascinated him, but he |
was hesitant to ask Galen too much, fearing Mr. Jones finding out. |
After several moments, Galen finally answered, his voice was soft and held more than a trace of sadness. |
"Magic." |
The way Galen spoke, John decided not to question further. |
Ten minutes later Galen's ship landed. Before they stepped out, Galen turned to John. "Before we go outside, |
I have to do one more thing ..." As he spoke, he raised his hands, gently but firmly cupping John's face, tilting |
it upwards. |
For a moment, John thought he was going to be kissed and he closed his eyes. Instead, he felt Galen's lips |
barely graze his as the other man exhaled a long breath into John's mouth. Inhaling reflexively, he felt his |
lungs tingle slightly. "What was that?" He asked, taking several deep breaths. |
"The atmosphere of this planet is poisonous. You'll be safe now, for a while." He lightly caressed John's face, |
feeling the young man's warm skin under his fingers. |
"Thank you ..." John leaned forward and pressed his lips to Galen's. |
For a long moment they kissed, each taking comfort in the presence of the other. |
Galen broke the kiss, picking up an antique looking wicker basket covered in a blue check blanket and |
stepped out of the ship, walking straight ahead. |
John followed, loving the way Galen's leather clad legs moved as he walked. The technomage had neither his |
staff, nor his cloak, and his shirt was a midnight blue with black leather pants. He paused a moment, watching |
the easy walk of his lover, noticing how much more relaxed he seemed here than on the Excalibur. Normally it |
was only in the privacy of John's quarters, or on his own ship, that he saw the technomage so at ease. |
The area was sandy, reminding John of the beaches on Earth. A shadow crossed his face as he remembered |
the home world he was fighting to save. After a moment, he shook it away, not wanting to dwell on the issue at |
the moment. |
Climbing a dune, John gasped. Before him was an endless expanse of deep blue ocean. The wind on his face |
smelled of salt and he could almost hear gulls screeching, though he couldn't see any. Looking down near the |
water's edge, he saw Galen had already spread the blanket on the sand and was waiting for him. |
Sitting beside the other man, John looked over the food that was spread on the blanket. "How did you fit all of |
this into the basket?" There were plates of finger sandwiches, cookies, sliced fruit, and a few other things |
John couldn't quite identify. |
Galen smiled, a twinkle in his eye. "Magic, of course." |
John chuckled. "Of course ..." He leaned back and stretched his legs out, trying to decide what to try first. |
Galen handed him a plate covered with a small helping of everything. "I'm sure you'll like it all ... I know I do |
..." He took a bite of a small sandwich. |
Taking a bite of fruit, John began to eat. Looking out over the vast ocean, the two men ate quietly, enjoying |
the silent presence of the other. Occasionally they would feed each other a particularly delicious morsel of |
food, taking care to keep fingers and chins clean. |
After finishing the last piece of food, John lay back, hands on his stomach. "Ohhh ... That was delicious. Let |
me just lay here and play the beached whale for a day or so." He said, smiling faintly at Galen. |
The technomage chuckled and quickly packed the plates back into the basket, and stretching out beside his |
lover. Propping himself up on one elbow, he lay a hand on John's chest. "Now it's time for dessert ..." he said |
softly. |
"Dessert? I couldn't eat anoth-" his words were cut off by Galen's lips. Galen shifted, moving closer to John, |
his hand moving on the other man's chest. "Well, in that case ... I suppose I could make room ..." He said, |
wrapping his arms around Galen. |
Slowly they made love, touching, caressing, kissing with an almost aching tenderness. They stimulated each |
other, driving each other to the edge and over countless times. The skies darkened and neither noticed, lost in |
each other. Three moons rose, brightening a quarter of the the sky. One was the size and color of the Moon |
around Earth. Another was larger, and a deep crimson. The third, and closest of the three, was a light purple, |
almost a lilac. Despite the brightness of the moons, the rest of the sky was filled with stars. |
When he was finally able to notice, John was struck dumb at the sight. He stared up into the sky, for a moment |
feeling as though he could reach out and touch the nearer of the three moons. Almost without realizing, he |
reached out his hand to it. He felt a soft chuckle in his ear. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Galen whispered. |
"Breathtaking ..." He murmured reverently. Galen's warm body was pressed close to his, but the air had |
turned chill and John began to shiver lightly. |
"Come on ..." Galen sat up, handing him his clothes. "There's one more thing I want to show you, and then we |
have to start getting back to the Excalibur." |
John nodded slowly, sad to be leaving such a beautiful place. He dressed quickly and soon stopped shivering. |
They walked back to Galen's ship hand in hand. Settling into the one of the chairs in the main room, John had |
time to notice the incredible lack of sand on his body. He would expect to be covered in sand after making love |
on a beach, even with a blanket. He chalked it up to another aspect of technomancy and thought little more |
about it. |
He must have dozed, because the next thing he remembered was walking up in the chair, and glancing at the |
view screen showing a desert as endless as the ocean had been. It was also day time, he noted, though he |
didn't know whether it was the result of time, or if they had traveled so far across the planet that the day was |
different. He stretched and looked over at Galen. The technomage smiled at him, one hand resting lightly on |
the controls of the ship as it skimmed over the desert. |
Standing, John decided that now was not the time to break with tradition. Before he said anything, he stepped |
over to stand by Galen. When the older man looked up at him, John bent, pressing his lips to Galen's, taking |
advantage of his surprise to slip his tongue into the other man's mouth. He felt Galen's hands at his waist and |
thought Galen was going to break the kiss. He gasped when Galen pulled him across his lap, supporting him |
with his left arm firmly around John's waist. John chuckled and wrapped his right arm around Galen's neck, |
gripping his right shoulder. Raising a hand to John's cheek, Galen turned his head and met John's eyes. |
"Good morning," Galen's eyes glittered as he moved to kiss John again. John's other hand lay on Galen's |
chest, feeling the technomage's heartbeat. |
They broke apart when the computer beeped a moment later. Galen glanced at the controls, his arm still firmly |
supporting John. "Almost there ..." He pointed to a growing speck on the screen. They were rapidly |
approaching a large rock formation. |
A moment later the ship settled at the base of the outcropping and the two men disembarked. |
Following Galen's lead, John climbed the rocks, not bothering to wonder why. Galen was right. Sometimes you |
had to stop thinking and simply be. |
At the top, Galen sat silently, pulling John down in front of him. Sliding forward, he pulled John back slightly so |
the lieutenant's back was flush against Galen's chest. Resting his chin on John's neck, he wrapped his arms |
around his waist, his legs on either side of John's hips. John covered Galen's arms with his own, snuggling |
back against Galen. With Galen's arms around him, and his breath warm on John's neck, he thought he could |
never be happier. |
Looking out over the desert, John felt he could be staring at forever incarnate. The landscape was cracked, |
barren, and endless, but there was an eerie beauty about it. No wonder Galen had wanted him to see this. It |
was a sight and a feeling he wouldn't soon forget. Between this, and the night sky he'd seen earlier, he finally |
knew what Galen had meant by "magic." |
"John?" Galen whispered after a long silence. |
"Hmm?" John shivered at Galen's breath against this ear. |
"I love you." The technomage said softly, tightening his arms around John. |
John shuddered slightly. Drawing a ragged breath, he pulled Galen's arms tighter around him. He'd known |
Galen had loved him, every time they were together he felt it. This was simply the first time he'd actually |
heard Galen speak the words. "I love you too." He finally whispered back, his eyes still fixed on forever. |