Seductive Darkness

Characters: Young/Rush

Genre: Slash

Spoilers/Warnings: Season 1 Eps 1-4, with photo accompaniments at my livejournal from Darkness, Mature Content

Summary: Young decides to take care of Rush and help him relax by way of a seductive encounter in the darkness of Rush's room. This fiction takes place later in the day after Rush wakes up. For this fic, I stretched the time so that the fly by the gas giant takes place the next morning. And, I love the idea of Rush always touching his lips unconsciously in a sensuous display because he is having cigarette withdraws. Oh, and this is my first real slash.

Chapter One: Memories in the Dark

Aboard the Destiny:

Colonel Young checked his watch noting that it was almost two in the morning according to Earth time. Most of the scientists and military personnel were asleep in their rooms except for a few Marines who were assigned to night rounds patrolling the corridors. Wray had argued it was not necessary, but Young went ahead and rectified the situation not wanting anyone tampering with their water and food supplies now that the power was off in the ship.

Eli rounded a corner with a flashlight glowing, "Hey Colonel Young."

"Eli, have you seen Dr. Rush?" TJ told Young earlier that Dr. Rush woke up after about ten hours, and that she delivered his message to the scientist. But, Dr. Rush never showed.

Eli stopped walking and held the flashlight down, "He woke up around 3pm-ish, and I tried to get him to tape a Kino message. No luck, again. He likes to talk about himself, but not about his personal self. We spent the last ten hours or so at the operating terminal my Kino search found. We did everything we could, but it was just the terminal controls for keeping what little life support we have functioning. He did mention something switching on the control commands and that he might have to try to correct it."

Eli was about to continue, but Young interjected, "Riley and TJ filled me in on the events of the day."

Eli leaned forward with a smirk, "Yeah, Riley told me that before Dr. Rush passed out that he kept trying to talk to Rush, and the last time Rush slammed him against a wall. His back still hurts. Rush is stronger than he looks."

Young had several flashes of thoughts about Rush while Eli adjusted his flashlight that started sputtering light.

Young knew that under all those layers of clothing that Rush's short and slender body had very nice muscle definition and was not the weakling he made himself out to me.

Just another one of Dr. Rush's deceptions.

Rush's sealed files stated that when Rush was young back before Oxford that he snapped a man's neck in self defense. Young wondered what the man was doing and why he was so close that he could get his neck snapped because the report said the man had a gun. A large part of the report had been redacted. Young also remembered reviewing his military training that was required before going off world. Rush was calm and calculated in the face of deadly opposition. He also had a habit of throwing knives at people or anything else he could instead of using deadly force until the simulated situation required it, which General Jack O'Neill liked about him right away.

Rush tended to use his intelligence against people and when that did not work he used a threatening and insulting demeanor. If neither gained him his goal, his levels of violence could escalate from shoving all the way up to deadly force, but he never jumped ahead. With these facts in mind, Young determined that Rush must have had no other way out of the situation other than to kill the man.

Young was not one to judge another's choice to kill when that was the only option. He had killed on the battle field in order to survive or save fellow soldiers. He did not like it, but it was a necessity skill. Young did not know which was worse or which caused him the most nightmares… killing someone to survive or someone under his command dying in the line of duty.

Young wondered why when he thought of Rush that he always thought in life and death terms, "Have you seen Dr. Rush recently?"

"I re-hooked up five Kinos to the shower for him about thirty minutes ago, since he was pretty much one of the only people who didn't get a turn in the showers. He didn't like the idea of all those Kino's in the shower room with him, so I put a blanket over them. He may be back in his room by now." Eli was trying to avoid saying Vanessa James' name after the whole Riley used a Kino to watch James getting ready for the showers thing earlier that day. He just knew everyone would blame him.

Young glanced down the hall with his eyebrows pulled tightly together, "I already checked there."

Eli started walking away, "Maybe he's back in the lab with the working terminal. If I see him on my way to Chloe's room, I'll tell him you're looking for him."

"Eli?"

"Yes?"

"Chloe's room?"

"To check on her and uh to see if she needs anything?" Eli made it a question.

"Eli, it is two in the morning. I believe she has everything she needs for now. You can follow her around tomorrow. And, I better not hear of you watching her shower with Kinos ok?"

Even in the dark corridor, Young could see Eli turn red and shake his head up and down, "I'm just going to go to my room. All of the Kino's in the shower room have their vid option turned off. I promise."

In the Only Operating Lab:

Rush had only been in the lab for about five minutes when his head started hurting again.

Maybe I should try to get some sleep. Da**! I want a cigarette or some fu**ing coffee, he thought for a moment before the panel pulled his attention back into his work.

Young walked up to the lab and saw that Rush had his left hand pressed to his forehead in a grimace. Rush lowered the same hand to take a drink of water and was completely unaware that Young was now standing in the doorway observing him.

Young could barely make out some of the words Rush mumbled as his right hand rubbed back and forth on his jaw line. Rush then anchored his thumb under his chin and pressed an arched index finger to his lips. Slowly he lightly bit down on his finger as his lips closed around them. He squinted at the screen then started moving his head back and forth, but kept his hand still. Young was transfixed on Rush's mouth as Rush then proceeded to rub his moist finger back and forth on his slightly parted lips, "…magnetic fields…diverse plasma interactions…biosensors…fu**ing weapons…"

Rush jerked at the moment of epiphany and wrote down his wonderful revelation in his small notebook. Young's lips parted and eyes dilated when he watched Rush in profile writing in his notebook and running his fingers over the panel. Rush was murmuring to the controls while he worked over them as if he were coaxing a lover to completion.

What Young wouldn't give to be the Destiny at that moment? Maybe everything? Was this what was responsible for his constant thoughts of thinking of Rush in mortal terms? He would give his life to save the crew to keep them whole. But, something about Rush made him want to give more. Young knew in that instant if he fully gave into Rush that his heart would be captured and ruined for life. Rush was not asking for anything from him, so why was Young so willing to give of his very self? Young did not know.

And still, Rush was like a wounded animal that would lash out violently if needed to save itself. That part of Rush irritated him to no end at the work involved in maintaining the man, but it also captivated Young to the point he could not get away from the force building within him. It made him loath to see Rush, but when he did the feeling dimed in comparison to his physical reaction to protect the man.

He wanted to shake sense into Rush and comfort him at the same time. He doubted Rush would want or accept either.

Probably get my neck snapped, Young thought.

Young was brought out of his thoughts at the sight of Rush glairing intensely at the controls while his body tensed.

"Transfer all power to life support not weapons. Take the command override. You're precious to me, but stop trying to kill us you bloody bast***!" Rush's desperate and broken voice echoed in the chamber.

Amongst dead silence, the control panel beeped that it did not take the commands.

"Ok, I'm sorry. There I said it! I'm sorry." In quieter and more reverent tones Rush continued talking at the machine, "Stop hurting us. Stop hurting me. Now work for me. Take the commands. Take it. Just take it. Work, work, work." Rush held his breath and typed yet another variation of the commands to stabilize life support.

Destiny finally accepted his command override.

Rush let out the breath he had been holding with a triumphant groan. Rush closed his eyes and gripped the terminal leaning his hip into it while his head slightly hung back releasing the tension in his neck and shoulders. Whispering, "yes, yes."

Rush slumped into a stool and rested his entire upper body on the terminal as if he fell asleep while he murmured in another language now that his task was complete.

Young became instantly hard in a rush of heat that took over his entire body making it difficult not to breathe in rasps. Young was sure any moment that Rush would hear his breathing in the darkness, and he would be discovered in his voyeuristic act. Rush was not that easily distracted from his triumph, and Young was thankful he had more time to watch the scene before him and try to calm himself. After all, it was not the first time Young had watched Rush in a somewhat intimate act.

Young leaned against his gun-crutch lost in memories of his first encounters with the determined and manipulative Dr. Rush. Young could still see Dr. Rush walking into the Icarus Base gate room for the first time wearing that light colored suite and a calm expression of wonder on his face. Young took a break a few hours after that with the scientists, and watched as Rush stood on a balcony happily smoking a cigarette and talking about the mystery that was the ninth chevron location.

A blissful memory, but it was not his first memory of seeing Dr. Rush. Later in the day after seeing Rush in the gate room and on the balcony, Young's feeling of knowing that he knew the man somehow transformed into memories of seeing Rush on Earth about three years ago.

Young had no idea at the time that he would ever see the man again. Dr. Rush was the short haired man who he watched have an argument that intrigued him and irrevocably stuck in his memory.

Young remembered he was visiting a friend and that morning had went out for a run on the beach. There were two men standing out on the beach in an embrace kissing. Young watched as the short haired man pulled away yelling something about the other man being a priest and that their relationship was wrong. The other man spoke low to where Young could not hear, but Rush was not hard to hear. Rush kept taking steps back away from the man exclaiming in a tormented voice that the other man was always rushing and pressing him. The men walked away in opposite directions, and Young had watched the slender man with the short hair retreat until he was out of sight.

Young broke from his memories and reviewed Rush as he was now, thinking that the stress and responsibility weighing on Rush might have put more gray in his hair and made him tense up his face making him look older than he was. Rush no longer had anyone looking out for him like he did before. Scuttlebutt was that Dr. Rush was straight, and the wife was dead or out of the picture, no girlfriend… no one on his side.

Young quietly murmured below his breath, "Rushing Rush cost him the relationship. Rush likes to hide. Just another deception or is it preservation?" When he heard what the doctor's name was the first time, it had sparked that feeling of familiarity because during the argument he had used the word – rushing. To Young, the words 'Rushing Rush' kind of sounded like an alcoholic drink. Oh and he wanted a taste.

Young took a limping step forward breaking the silence now determined to lead up to the suggestion of Rush getting some sleep and not rushing him if possible, "We have a big day tomorrow. There is a meeting in the morning about the shuttle. Everyone has gone to bed. I hear you just had a nice shower, but what you need most is more sleep. You need to go to bed."

Dr. Rush jerked his hand away from his jaw and spun his head around looking at where the seductively deep, gravel voice was speaking in the darkness. His mind was playing tricks on him mixing several different thoughts about the calculations he was working on with what Young had said. All Rush could make out was something about them going to bed. Rush simply tipped his head to the side and roamed his eyes over Young's face to find the slight expression Young constantly had because of the tension between his eyebrows when he is over thinking. He did not appear to be suggesting anything sexual.

Young noticed that for once Dr. Rush was speechless with a confused expression on his face. Young spoke in slow soothing tones, "Rush, bed now."

Rush leaned back and gave Young a once over with his eyes then the expression of restrained desire gave way to one of pain and suspicion.

Young recognized those looks instantly because they were the combination he had remembered on Rush's face three years ago before he turned and walked away from the man he argued with on the beach.

Young slowly walked forward leaning on his crutch allowing the pain and difficulty of his wounds to show. He frowned down at the terminal Rush had been working on trying to see what was so orgasmic about it.

In a deep slow voice, Young continued, "You've had a long day. Nothing you can do here. You need more down time."

With absolutely no affect Rush answered, "Ok. We probably won't die in our sleep tonight. I fixed it for now."

Young was momentarily taken aback at Rush's instant acceptance.

Young walked side by side with Rush who seemed to not notice where he was going. Young could tell by Rush's eyes that the man's mind was racing in several directions about the ship, and it was causing Rush to lose focus on his physical body. More than once, Young had to reach out with his left hand to steer Rush down the correct corridor to get to his chamber.

Upon entering Rush's bedroom, Young closed and locked the door behind him.

Rush's eyes came into focus on Young's hand seeing that the Colonel had learned how to operate the locking mechanism. An uneasiness washed over Rush as he struggled to make sense of what was going on and what he had said ok about.

Young waited for Rush to quiet his mind of calculations and become oriented to what was happening at the moment.

Young stayed standing at the door as Rush faced away from him speaking, "What exactly is going on here?"

Rush glanced over his shoulder watching Young stand patiently in silence enshrouded in the seductive darkness.

"I locked the door so no one would see." Young took one slow step partially bring himself into the light then continued, "You're not going to want to be disturbed. You don't want anyone to know this secret. Once you start again, you'll want another and another. It will put you in a better mood. You could have gotten it earlier, but you didn't come to me when I asked."

"Excuse me?" Rush looked fully aware and vexed. Young saw the way Rush ate his body with desirous eyes earlier, but Young was not about to scare him off by rushing him.

One mustn't rush Rush. He may like me and my body, but that doesn't mean he is ready to fall into bed with me. Worth it, but yep, a lot of work. Young thought.

"Here." Young was amused the doctor thought Young was making overt advances on him. Oh he was and was planting it in Rush's mind, but what he said could have been taken another way. Young had a back up that fit it perfectly if what he said did not cause the desired response. Rush was not the only one skilled in manipulation, but the manipulation Young had in mind for Rush had to do with body positioning. And, from the expression on Rush's face, that was going to have to wait a little.

Young thought, Who knows, at the rate it was going earlier we might actually be on a first name basis by the time Destiny makes it back to Earth in ooohh twenty years. This might speed things up.

Young reached into his pocket, and Rush took a quick step away.

Young pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, "I had to trade a pack of chocolate chip cookies for these. Go ahead take them. Make sure you lock your door when you smoke them, so no one thinks you have a few cartons stashed away somewhere. The conspiracy theorists have enough ammunition against you as it is. I know. You are probably going to smoke the entire pack right now, but you might want to save a few for before the morning meeting. You know, so you will be in a better mood."

Rush practically dived for the cigarettes and the lighter. With shaking hands and fluttering eyes, he flicked the lighter on and took in a deep long draw. Rush smiled holding the cigarette carefully in place. Rush lifted his eyes to Young with a dark intensity that spoke of long nights consuming one another.

Young had never witnessed that look on Rush's face, and he felt his heart accelerate and pound causing even his eyelashes to flicker from the force.

Young controlled himself not to replace Rush's cigarette with a possessive kiss.

Rush asked slowly taking a step into the darkness where Young retreated after handing over his gift, "Do you want one?"

Young froze locked in Rush's eyes for a moment then flicked his gaze down to his mouth where the cigarette was now hanging. Young's mind clouded by the rush of adrenalin that left confusion if Rush was asking him if he wanted a cigarette or a kiss. Young told himself that Rush was talking about cigarettes, but his body kept interpreting Rush's body movements as asking if he wanted a kiss. "One what?"

A/N: I could not get the image out of my mind of Young with his cracked ribs and busted up leg trying to grab Rush's arm as Rush collapsed unconscious on the floor. I read about a movie called Priest from 1994, (that the man playing Rush was in) and I included that photo (at my livejournal) as the flash back to an embrace in the movie. My first chapter sets the stage.