TWO NIGHTS

BY MATT

TITLE: Two Nights

SUMMARY: Beka and Tyr go on a supply-finding mission, during which they discover that things are changing between them.

DISCLAIMER: These characters are not mine, but I’m giving them a brief vacation for a while.

RATING: overall NC17

"Erm," Beka Valentine bit her lip nervously. Finding a naked Nietzschean in her hotel room was not something she had expected when she’d opened the door. "Sorry," she muttered quickly and backed out, glancing at the room’s key card that she held in her hand.

The naked Nietzschean, for his part, didn’t even turn around, remaining silent throughout. After the woman left he picked up a pair of shorts and stepped into them.

Seconds later, Beka was blazing back into the room. "What the hell do you think you’re doing in my room, Anasazi?" she shouted. "My room," she emphasised, waving the key card in the air.

"Your room?" Tyr queried. "Captain Valentine, you are mistaken. What room number is on the door?" he asked, correctly surmising that she had checked that after leaving the room mere seconds before.

"Two twenty eight," she said, as though her answer proved she was right.

His eyebrows rose as he handed her his own key card. "And what number does it say on there?"

Beka stared at the plastic rectangle and shook her head. "The same as mine," she finally said, holding out her own card. "What the hell is going on here?"

Tyr looked down at the cards before turning away. "I suspect the hotel has made a rather large error," he replied, pulling on his leather pants. "I will go down and correct their mistake." He shrugged on a matching leather vest and headed out the door.

There was little the pilot could do but follow him. She only hoped he wouldn’t inflict too much trouble; the last thing she wanted to do was handle damage control. It was late and she was tired. After docking the Maru, Tyr had gone straight to their pre-booked hotel while she had caught up with an old business associate. The resulting exchange had left her tired and fractious.

The clerk at the front desk, however, did not seem able to present a suitable solution. His only explanation was that there had most likely been a data entry error and, unfortunately, the hotel was solidly booked. Beka noted with alarm that Tyr’s patience was rapidly wearing thin. When the clerk finally made a crack about Tyr ‘getting lucky’ with his ‘beautiful female companion’ she decided to step in.

"I’d be careful about what you say to him if I were you," she warned.

The clerk seemed unperturbed. "Oh yeah? Look, I’ve got a full hotel, and nothing he says or does will change that fact. What’s he going to do to me anyway, beat me up? He may look big but he sure as hell ain’t no Nietzschean."

Tyr started as though to lunge at the weasel, but appeared to think better of it. Instead, he growled and walked away.

The clerk shrugged. "Sorry, but there’s nothing I can do."

Beka smiled sweetly. "Didn’t your mother ever teach you that appearances can be deceiving? Or did she disown you as soon as she saw what she’d given birth to?"

The weasel was still muttering obscenities when the elevator arrived back down in the lobby to collect her.

Tyr was busy arranging a makeshift bed on the couch when she got back to the room. "You will take the bed," he told her without looking up.

A cursory glance at the couch told Beka that wouldn’t do at all. "Don’t be stupid, Tyr," she retorted, tiredness clouding her judgement in speech.

His eyes flashed at her. "I am not stupid, as you put it," he replied calmly, too calmly.

She blinked at his tone and abruptly sat down on the bed. "I didn’t mean that," she groaned. "It’s late, I’m tired, and I don’t know…" She closed her eyes and put her head in her hands. It had all seemed so simple earlier; get to her room, take a shower and then sleep.

She felt the bed sag and looked up to find Tyr staring at her. His temper appeared to have cooled and his expression seemed almost caring. "I do not know either," he said gently. "But I do know one thing, Rebeka Valentine. I do not need my battles fought for me."

Beka cringed. She’d hurt his superior mentality. There was little she could do except utter a murmured, "sorry." She really couldn’t face another knockdown, drag out fight of Human versus Nietzschean, inferior against superior.

He seemed to think the same. "You will take the bed," he repeated. "I will sleep on the couch."

Beka shook her head. "Thanks for the offer, but that couch is way too small for you. I’ll take it."

But Tyr was adamant. "I do not wish to. I… it… it is against Nietzschean… sensabilities for a male to take superior accommodations from his female."

Her eyebrow arched at his use of the possessive, but she chose not to comment on it. "And I thought each Nietzschean was out for himself," she scoffed.

"If a Nietzschean make were to treat a female with disrespect he would soon find that he would not be able to keep her," Tyr smiled.

"Well, that’s all very well," Beka responded. "But I am not a Nietzschean female and I am most certainly not your female." As if he could ever forget. "It’s not practical, Tyr. Please take the bed."

"Beka… I…"

"I’d feel better if you did."

"If you’re sure?"

"Yes."

Three hours later when Beka woke, she wasn’t so sure. Somewhere in the middle of the night it had grown terribly cold and the two blankets she had were not keeping her as warm as they might have done. She curled into a ball and hugged the linens closer to her. But she was still cold and she groaned and thumped her head on her pillow in frustration.

"You are awake."

Damn! Now she’d done it. She’d woken him up. "I’m sorry," she said quietly. "I’m just a bit cold. Go back to sleep." She turned onto her side, clutching her blankets tightly.

"Come over here."

"What?" Beka couldn’t believe what he’d said. Why the hell did he want her to get even colder than she already was? There was no way she was moving.

"I agree. It is cold. This hotel appears to be severely lacking. Meanwhile, it serves no purpose for you to be on that couch with half of our blanket supply. I strongly suggest you move to the bed."

Beka sat up and stared at him. There was a faint glow coming in from the lights of the port and in this light she could just make out the body of her companion. He was on his side, propped on one elbow, and apparently wearing nothing on the upper half of his body. The outside lights shone on his skin, and Beka gulped when she matched what she was seeing with what she had heard.

"I… er… I’m all right, Tyr, really." There was no way she could share a bed with him.

"I insist, Captain Valentine. If you insist on being stubborn we will both suffer. If you do not come over here then I will insist on taking those blankets you have and adding them to my own, so that at least I will not be cold."

"What happened to not treating a female with disrespect?"

"I would say that particular grace becomes obsolete when the female is obstinate and cannot see what is best for her."

With a sigh, Beka swung her feet off the couch and onto the floor, yelping with the cold. She quickly picked up her covers and ran to the bed. "Shove over, she grumbled, tossing the covers on top of the others and diving under them.

In seconds, Tyr had rearranged the blankets so they lay flat and turned onto his side, facing away from her. It didn’t take much longer for Beka to realise that he had fallen back to sleep, but for her, sleep was a long time in coming.

CHAPTER TWO

Gradually, Beka became aware of her surroundings and, more importantly, the incredible sense of warmth and security that she felt. A firm body lay snuggled up behind her and a strong pair or arms encircled her waist. Instinctively, nestled closer, relishing the unfamiliar feelings that were coursing through her body. It had been a long time since she’d been in such a situation.

Dreamily, she noticed the gentle caress of the hands as they began a slow exploration of her stomach. This was heaven. Angling her eyes, Beka was able to take in the golden skin of those hands.

Golden skin.

She stiffened, the events of the previous hours rushing back into her mind.

"Good morning."

"I… er… good morning, Tyr." She began to wriggle out of his embrace, desperate to create a proper distance between herself and her crewmate. But his arms only tightened around her. "Tyr," she protested.

He chuckled softly. "I think you liked it better when you thought I was asleep." His breath was warm against her neck.

Beka frantically tried to regain control of the situation. "I think I liked it better before I knew it was you," she snapped.

Tyr’s arms immediately released her as he moved away and Beka suddenly felt bereft at his absence, shivering with the cold that had been left with his retreat. Sighing, she rolled over to face him, aware that, yet again, she had said something wrong. "Tyr…" she began hesitantly and then stopped completely when she saw his face.

He was watching her intently, his mouth set in a sad smile. But it was the eyes that alarmed Beka the most. The dark orbs shone full with passion and… and… If Beka didn’t know better she’d have sworn she was looking at a man in love. But she couldn’t be. After all, she wasn’t exactly high on a Nietzschean’s list of desirable women. Maybe she was misreading him, she had to be.

"I’m human, remember?"

He grinned. "I look human, remember?" He held out his arms, devoid of the boneblades he had lost some months earlier.

Later, Beka wouldn’t remember moving, but she suddenly found herself back in the shelter of those strong, secure arms. She moaned when his lips descended onto hers, kissing her with a tenderness she would never have believed possible from the man. She responded greedily, running her hands over his back, tangling them in his long hair. Truth be told, Beka had been attracted to Tyr for some time, but being constantly made aware that she was human, and therefore inferior, had always put a dampener on any amorous thoughts she had of him. Now to find that he was willing to consider any sexual activity with her made her feel as though she had lived in a desert all her life; Tyr was her water and she couldn’t get enough.

The kiss grew in intensity, their tongues duelling for control, hands scrambling everywhere. Beka found her tshirt removed, and if she had been thirsty for him it was nothing compared to the thirst that Tyr possessed. His mouth latched onto her breast and she arched into him, moaning at his touch. Her lower body crashed against his and she felt the strength of his desire pushing against her. Her hands clawed at the tight shorts he wore, wanting him to be even closer to her. Her fingers splayed across the taut muscles of his backside and she cried when his teeth lightly nipped at one of her darkened nipples.

His own hands drifted tantalisingly lower, blazing a trail down her abdomen, before stopping at the top of her own shorts. She groaned in frustration at the cessation of his movements and his fingers immediately slid below the clothing’s waistline. She stilled briefly when his fingertips brushed against her curls, but purred in satisfaction when they continued downwards towards her centre.

The communication device on the bedside table buzzed loudly and they jerked apart, staring at each other. It was as though a bucket of icy cold water had been unceremoniously dumped over them.

Tyr looked sheepish. "I arranged for a wake up call when I checked in last night."

"I guess that’s it," Beka said brightly. She fumbled for her shirt and pulled it over her head once she had found it, suddenly embarrassed at being seen half naked.

"I’m sorry."

She stared at him. "Yeah, well, what can we say?" she snapped. "Just a little aberration on both our parts." Her old defences snapped back into places. "Don’t worry, I won’t tell if you won’t."

"I meant about the wake up call."

"Oh."

The sad smile returned. "I need to shower, so do you."

Beka gazed at Tyr’s retreating back in a sense of dismayed confusion. It was hard to believe what had just transpired, but her body’s frustration was proof that something had indeed happened. She flung herself back onto her pillow with a groan. If they hadn’t been so rudely interrupted they’d be lovers. Wait, lovers or husband and wife? Oh hell, why did sex with a Nietzschean have to be so complicated?

By the time she was finished in the shower, Tyr was dressed and sitting at the small table in the room. He had a small pile of flexis in front of him – the supply lists for Andromeda.

"I suggest we split up," he began. "That way we can accomplish more." He shook his head. "I do not know how Dylan expects up to get all these items, and I am certain Harper does not need all these… gadgets."

"Of course not," Beka responded cheerfully, relieved to be discussing something innocuous with him. In the bathroom she had steeled herself for a lecture on what their early morning activities had, or hadn’t, been. "But you know Harper and his toys." She shrugged." Sometimes those gadgets help us out in a crunch."

"I will do what I can," was the terse reply. Beka almost sighed in relief at his attitude. Tyr was being Tyr, unwilling to admit just how much Harper’s ingenuity was worth to his life; he would probably obtain most of the items on the young engineer’s list.

They divided the supply lists between them and, after Tyr saw that Beka was properly armed, they went their separate ways. There was an agreement to meet back in their room before dinner.

CHAPTER 3

Tyr was not in the hotel room when Beka returned so she took the opportunity to dive into the shower. It had been a long day, with parts of it causing her immense frustration. The suppliers she had used before becoming Andromeda’s first officer were barely considered legal, which meant she could only classify them as a last resort when shopping for a Commonwealth vessel. Some of the more reputable traders, however, appeared to think that the Commonwealth, especially Dylan, had credits to burn, and were charging more than market value. As she let the hot water pour down over her, Beka wondered if her crewmate had met with similar problems.

It was only when she came out of the bathroom, clad in just a towel, that she saw the box on the bed. Curious, she picked up the flexi that lay on top of it and began to read.

Beka

She grinned at the formal way he had signed his name as she threw down the note and reached for the box. She was more than a little suspicious at what she might find, but when she opened it and pulled out the contents she found she needn’t have worried. In her hands she held a black top, simple in design yet stunning in appearance. The vest part of it was leather, but the sleeves were of a transparent material and flared wide at the cuffs. The blond pilot grinned; Tyr certainly knew her taste in clothing.

But then another though crept in, and she bit her lip. Just what was Tyr expecting from her? The Nietzschean was the sort to randomly buy gifts for people, and on the rare occasion that he did the item usually served a particular purpose or function. Beka didn’t even believe Nietzscheans gave otherwise; the phrase ‘just because’ didn’t seem to feature in their vocabulary.

So what was Tyr up to? Was in this in reference to the events of earlier? Beka’s eyes flicked down momentarily to the bed as the memories washed over her. She’d done a good job of burying them during the day – she’d been so busy – but now they were rushing back to the surface. Her body ached as she recalled how it had felt to have Tyr pressed up against her; the wake up call could not have come at a worse time.

Or better time. Beka was only too well aware of the importance of sex in a Nietzschean’s life. Procreation was seen as the primary reason for mating. Tyr had made it no secret that his plans included finding a suitable female in order to recreate the Kodiak pride. Mating with a human would only hinder those plans. She could still remember his stinging comments about the aberrance of sexual relationships with humans. Yet this morning, he had apparently been willing to forget all that. And what was that crack about not looking human anyway?

Beka’s head was spinning. Taking a swift glance at the time she saw that she had to meet Tyr in less than a half-hour. She made a snap decision to wear the gift; she didn’t fancy causing a scene in front of the other hotel guests by dishonouring him.

She made it down to the lobby just in time. He was already looking bored when she spotted him and she had a feeling that given another thirty seconds he would have launched himself off the pillar against which he was leaning and begun pacing. That would make everyone in the vicinity nervous; whether he looked Nietzschean or not he was still an imposing figure.

"Hi Tyr," she said smiling brightly, even though inside she felt her stomach churning with nervousness.

His reaction to her was completely unexpected. He turned to face her and he saw what she was wearing, his expression resembled that of a small boy on Christmas Day. "Thank you," he said simply.

"Er, thank you," she replied awkwardly. "So where are we going?"

"The hotel dining room actually." He steered her towards the intimate dining area the building boasted. "I complained to the hotel manager this morning about the reservation and the cold."

"Oh dear," Beka commented. "I hope he’s still alive." The remark was only half made in jest.

"He only has his arm broken in two places."

"Tyr!"

He grinned. "That was a joke woman. I got a better deal by keeping him alive. Our stay is now complimentary, as is dinner."

"Ah."

"I was contemplating dinner at a different venue. But turning down free food would be foolish."

Beka nodded eagerly. "I saw the menu earlier. Not the sort of thing I can afford on my measly earnings."

Tyr agreed with her. "The Commonwealth is not exactly a rewarding employer."

This piqued Beka’s interest and she asked a question that had often crossed her mind. "So why stick around? Why not go back to doing your mercenary thing?"

As they sat down a table Tyr began to answer her. "As much as I believe that Dylan Hunt is a misguided fool, being on the Andromeda suits my purpose. As more of the Nietzschean prides sign onto Dylan’s cause so my options increase. I am also under the protection of the Commonwealth, which," he grinned, "can only help my cause against the Drago-Kazov."

"So it’s not the company then?" Beka chirped as she studied the menu.

"If I said it was, what would you think?" Seeing Beka’s confusion, he continued. "On the rare occasion I have thought about leaving, I have often contemplated taking the Maru with me."

"Now just wait a minute, Tyr." The Maru’s owner did not appreciate that sort of sentiment. No one was taking her ship from her.

The Nietzschean continued as though he’d not heard her. "With it’s captain of course, and it’s engineer. Even it’s science officer; I find Trance serves a vital purpose in life, although I’ve yet to decide exactly what it is." He paused and Beka saw a sudden dark intensity appear in his eyes. "But I would definitely insist on taking the Maru’s captain with me."

Beka’s mouth felt incredibly dry. Grabbing her glass of water she drained it one swift gulp. "Wouldn’t I hinder your plans, Anasazi?" she managed.

To her surprise, he reached across the table and gently took hold of her hand. "On the contrary, you would help my purpose very well."

"But I’m human."

"You are a strong, intelligent individual."

He wasn’t getting the message. "Tyr," she warned, hoping that what she said next would not put an immediate end to the evening. "I don’t do relationships very well. I’m especially not ready to mate with a Nietzschean and produce loads of half-Nietzschean offspring."

He shook his head in wonderment. "I’m not asking you to mate, woman."

"You’re not?" Boy, was she embarrassed.

Tyr shrugged and smiled. "Perhaps I know you better than you think. I have watched you for two years now. I have seen your attitude towards men, your family, and I have come to see that you need a reason to trust someone before you even think about a commitment to them. I have seen the friendships you have cultivated with Trance and Harper, they are built on solid trust. I think you still need a reason to trust me."

Beka looked shamefacedly down at her place mat. "It’s not that I don’t trust you, Tyr," she began.

"It is that you do not trust me with your heart."

Her head snapped back up. "What?"

"You know that I am not crazy about friendships. I could not become friends with you the way you are with the others. Yet you seek to become closer to me. Am I correct?" He didn’t wait for her nod. "I also find trust difficult to come by. But I find that I would trust you with my life. It is not something that a Nietzschean finds easily. Often a male cannot trust even his first wife."

The waiter stopping by to collect their order interrupted him and he pulled his hand away from her. Beka gave a cursory glance at the menu and requested something that vaguely sounded familiar while Tyr gave a curt yet precise order of what he wanted. When the waiter had left them an uneasy silence ensued.

Beka was reeling from Tyr’s revelation. She didn’t even understand half of it. Tyr apparently wanted to seek a closer relationship with her, but he didn’t want to mate with her. "I won’t stand by and watch you mate every eligible Nietzschean female," she said stonily, then bit her lip as she realised that what she’d said implied that she would follow him to wherever.

"I don’t expect you to," he replied. "We would rebuild the Kodiak pride our way, having learned from history. The Commonwealth fell, in part, because of distrust between Humans and Nietzscheans. Our pride would seek to bridge the gap, so that what happened before would not happen again."

Beka blinked. "Tyr," she began. "You’ve left me more than a little confused here. You say you don’t want to mate with me, but you want me to help you rebuild your pride. Just what do you want from me?"

He blushed and looked more than a little embarrassed. "I want you," he replied simply. "In my culture it is straightforward; male displays, females approaches, they mate. But you do not care for that, so I am trying it your way. I want you, and I want you in my life, to help me achieve my goals. In time, I would like for you to become the mother of my children. But for now, I need to prove my worth, to show that you can trust me."

Beka nodded thoughtfully. "So you want a more personal relationship with me."

"Yes."

"Well, that explains this morning then."

Tyr chuckled. "That was not intentional. However, I did find it enjoyable."

"Same here." She sat back and paused while her meal was placed in front of her. "That’s kind of the way my relationships are. Having sex doesn’t mean that you’re immediately mated." Beka laughed. "Never thought I’d say this, but a good relationship has to be built on more than excellent sex."

Tyr raised an eyebrow and said teasingly, "So you acknowledge that the sex between us would be excellent?"

Beka coughed, promptly choking on a piece of meat. "Stop putting words into my mouth," she retorted.

But he continued to leer at her. "We will try this relationship your way, after dinner. Please ensure you do not choke to death before then."

CHAPTER 4

There was a brief moment of tension as they stood outside their room. Beka fumbled for her key card, incredibly conscious of the powerful man behind her. It didn’t help when he leaned over and helped guide the card into the door’s reading device. His breath on her hair and the sure touch of his hand on hers combined to make Beka feel very warm. It’s just sex, she tried to tell herself. But the truth was that this was more than sex. This was sex with Tyr, a man to whom she was immensely attracted. This was no one-night stand; this would be the start of a new path in her life.

He followed her closely as they entered their room. When she placed the key card down on the desk he came up behind her, silently lifting her hair from behind her neck. Beka was too stunned to move and slowly, very slowly, Tyr began placing delicate kisses on her skin. His arms swept around her waist and his hands began running gently up and down the front of her leather top. She couldn’t help but groan his name when they brushed over her breasts.

Tyr came closer still, and one hand drifted south to pull her hips up against his groin. His arousal felt magnificent against her buttocks and she ran her own hands around his hips in an attempt to bring him even closer. His mouth continued its assault upon her skin and that, combined with the movements of his hands, set Beka’s entire body on fire.

She attempted to twist in his arms, wanting to face him, but he stilled her movements with a slight flex of the muscles in his arms. Yet, although Tyr had effectively captured her she did not feel afraid. Rather she revelled in the power he was displaying. One of his hands continued to play with her breast while the one beneath edged tantalisingly towards her leather-clad core. "Tyr," she moaned in frustration when his fingers passed by the area she so desperately wanted him to touch.

"Patience, Rebeka," he whispered in her ear. His breath felt like pinpricks on her skin, making her shudder.

"No," she responded, attempting to face him again. "I don’t want to be patient, Tyr. I just want you."

Again he restrained her, but her appeal appeared to have been noticed when Tyr began to undo the buttons of her top. His fingers slid into the opening, burning her skin with his caress. His hand drifted over the bra she wore, before reaching its destination. The tips of his fingers teased the one nipple to a sharp erection while the heel of his hand massaged the other to a similar state. Beka writhed against him, grinding her backside against his arousal.

Finally, his free hand moved the way she wanted it to, deftly undoing the button of her pants. The zipper was lowered next, and she trembled when she finally felt his fingers tangle in the curls that lay at the juncture of her thighs. "Tyr," she breathed.

"You like this?"

Beka nodded wordlessly, unable to construct a coherent thought in her head. All she knew was that this was Tyr and he definitely knew what he was doing to her. She lay her head back on his shoulder, and inhaled sharply when his fingers slid into her damp centre. His touch was sure, deep and probing. Each finger seemed to move independently, creating a myriad of emotion that swelled from within her. She increased her grasp of his waist as her legs began to buckle. The sensations Tyr was causing inside her were unrivalled to anything she had ever felt before and with a panting scream she came, flooding her core and drowning his fingers.

Before she had time to recover he had swung her around and picked her up. He carried her to the bed and laid her gently on it, taking a moment to look over her. She blushed under his scrutiny, weakly running a hand through her mussed hair. He smiled down at her and Beka found herself unable to look him in the eye, embarrassed. She stared out of the window and heard a low chuckle. Only when she felt the bed sag did she realise that he had moved onto it.

"Look at me," he commanded gently. When she didn’t respond he placed a finger on her chin and physically persuaded her to look at him. When she did turn her head she found that he was kneeling over her.

Beka saw something else too that surprised her greatly, something that she had never ever expected to see in the eyes of Tyr Anasazi; love. It shone unguarded, causing her heart to leap. He wasn’t hiding anything from her. Slowly, she raised her hand and brushed it down his cheek, surprised when he caught it and turned his head to bestow a light kiss on her palm.

"Tyr, I…"

But he silenced her with a kiss.

A kiss that rapidly turned into something more. In moments his hands were pulling open the top he had given her and assisting her in its removal. His head lowered and he began to blaze a trail down her body, his fingers’ caresses being followed by his mouth kissing and licking. In one swift move he had released the catch of her bra and she jerked when his mouth latched onto one of her nipples. Her hands wrestled with the shirt he wore, the movements frustratingly halting as her body reacted to his touch.

Somehow, despite her body’s unwillingness to behave, Beka managed to remove Tyr’s shirt, running her hands over his toned body. Between the two of them his leather pants were discarded and finally the remainder of her clothing disappeared. There was nothing between them now. Her breath caught; there would be absolutely no going back from this point.

Tyr slid down her body, leaving his hands around her waist. She gasped when she felt his tongue slip into her core. His breath was heavy on her skin, burning her with every exhalation. In moments he had her body rolling beneath her, until finally she sat up and screamed his name out loud before collapsing back onto the bed.

Before Beka quite knew where she was and what was happening, Tyr had crawled back up her body. Bracing himself so that his weight wasn’t centred on her he positioned himself at her entrance. His face loomed over hers and she smiled up at him, welcoming his reassuring, yet hesitant, smile in return. She swallowed and nodded at him; yes, she wanted this, she wanted him. "Now, Tyr," she whispered.

With a single thrust he entered her, diving deep within not only her body but reaching the very depths of her soul also. She felt complete, a feeling she had not associated with sex before. But this was not simple sex; this was the culmination of everything she had longed for in life. Their eyes met and she saw the connection between them, never ending, and unbreaking.

In one move Tyr flipped them over so that Beka was on top, riding him through the tumultuous wave that was flooding over both of them. Her head was flung back in wild abandon, hands on the bed behind her to steady her. The hands of her Nietzschean lover played over her skin, paying close attention to her breasts. His hips thrust up and she ground herself down, taking in as much as she could of him and still longing for more. They moved in silence until ,with a final thrust, he emptied himself into her roaring loudly.

CHAPTER 5

The trip back to the Andromeda Ascendant was quiet. After setting their flight course Beka retired back to the main cabin, where a couple of hammocks were slung up for relaxation. Tyr had already claimed one and appeared to be heavily engrossed in a book so she picked up a flexi of reading material and crashed out in the other. But her light romance was unable to keep her interest and she found herself constantly glancing across the cabin to her companion. Memories of the previous night flooded her mind, making her smile. As she continued to watch him, Tyr looked up and smiled across at her. She blushed and quickly returned her eyes to the flexi. Moments later she looked back up and found that he was now the one doing the staring.

"Tyr," she began, but found herself unable to say anything further. She didn’t know that there was anything she could say.

"How is your reading?" he asked politely.

"Um. Okay, I guess." The truth was that not a single word had actually sunk into her brain.

With a beautiful easiness Tyr slid off his hammock and crossed the room. Crouching down so he was at eye level with her, he quietly removed the padd from her hand and placed it on the floor beside his booted feet. "You still uncertain, aren’t you?"

Uncertain? Yes, she realised, she was. She was still uncertain about the future, and how much of it she would actually get to spend with the man who had captured her heart so completely. He had sounded sincere enough over dinner, but how much would prove to be out of his control? Ultimately, she knew she would just have to trust him.

"A little," she finally confessed, "but it’s me not you." Wanting to reassure him, and longing to feel his touch again, she reached out and looped her arms around his neck, grinning. "How about you and I spend our time doing something a little more exciting than reading?"

He was quick to agree.

Dylan was waiting for them when they finally reached the Andromeda. "Have a good trip?" he asked casually.

Beka shrugged, not particularly anxious to reveal the turn of events that had transpired between her and Tyr. Such events were, to her at least, private. More importantly, she could only imagine Dylan’s reaction to the news that his human acting first officer and Nietzschean weapons officer were now an item. It wouldn’t be pleasant.

Tyr had no such worries. "You could call it that," he replied. "However, next time, I suggest you allow us a budget that is sufficient for our needs. Captain Valentine and I found it difficult to complete our mission."

"Aww," came a whine from behind Dylan. Harper had entered the room and caught Tyr’s words. "So you couldn’t get my stuff, huh, Beka?"

Tyr walked past the younger man, handing him a flexi as he did so. "There is your list, boy. I think you will find it to your liking." He strode out of the room, presumably seeking his quarters, leaving the engineer with a wide grin on his face. For Harper, days such as these closely resembled Christmas.

"Financial problems, Beka?" Dylan asked.

"Just a few, Dylan," she sighed. "If the Commonwealth wants Andromeda in prime condition they're going to have to give us a bigger budget as Tyr said." She stretched and yawned. "I’m going to let you two unload. I’m exhausted." She followed Tyr out of the room, ignoring Dylan and Harper’s exchange of inquisitive glances.

After stopping to chat with Trance, Beka turned down a corridor and found Tyr waiting outside her room. He was leaning against the wall, arms folded, with a look of complete nonchalance about him. "Hello," he said calmly.

"Hi."

"Tired?"

"A little I guess." He followed her into her quarters. "I didn’t get much sleep last night," she laughed after the door slid closed.

Just as before, Tyr came up behind her. His arms wrapped around her waist and he ducked his head so that he could nuzzle at her neck. Automatically, Beka leaned her head back onto his shoulder, enjoying the sensations that were coursing through her body. His hands drifted upward, caressing her breasts briefly before pulling away.

Beka was snapped out of her trance. "What the hell are you doing?" she demanded, turning around to face him.

To give him credit, Tyr looked a little sheepish. "I’m sorry," he said, running a finger down her cheek. For a moment, Beka wondered if he were about to recant on his promises. She’d been so sure earlier, but then they’d not been on the Andromeda; it had been so easy to forget that everyone else and the Commonwealth even existed.

"It’s okay," she began, "it’s not like I wasn’t expecting it."

"It’s just that…"

She held up a hand to stop him; the last thing she needed to hear was him attempting to explain his actions by way of some pitiful excuse. "No, Tyr, really. It was just something that happened, I know that." She smiled ruefully. "It was a bit unexpected, but," she blushed fiercely, "it was very nice. No, scratch that." If she was going to go for broke, she might as well do it now. "It was one of the best times I’ve ever had." Beka reached out and placed a hand on his chest, instantly regretting it as she remembered how good it felt to touch him. Cautiously withdrawing the hand, yet still trying to look as though everything was okay, she continued, "And don’t worry, I won’t let word get around about what happened between us. I know you’d probably prefer that." There, she had salvaged some dignity, surely.

A strange look crossed Tyr’s face and he shook his head. "I was actually going to suggest that we just got some rest." He smiled and placed his hand under her chin, leaving her no choice but to look into his eyes. "You apparently thought I was about to say something else."

Beka stared at him, eyes wide. "You mean, you weren’t about to give the brush off speech?"

"I have no idea what the brush off speech is, but I’m presuming it’s something your previous… lovers have used?" He looked at her questioningly, and even with her chin held captive by him she was still able to nod wordlessly. "But hear this, Rebeka Valentine," he continued, "you will never get those words from me. I will not discard you in such a degrading manner."

"Does that mean I’m stuck with you?" she gulped, hoping he could recognise the humour in her words.

If you wish to call it that, I suppose." There was a smile on his face, a beautiful big smile; he had understood her.

"But what about the future?"

"It will come," Tyr replied calmly, "and I will make the Kodiak pride strong again, with you at my side." He leaned down and kissed her, a kiss to which Beka eagerly responded; wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling his body towards her. Together they tumbled backwards on to her bed.

"I thought we were going to rest, woman."

She laughed.

FINIS

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