Rec Room
By irreversibly contaminated (aka: darkchakram)
Disclaimer: Not mine, homage to Henson
Author's Note: Takes place shortly after I E.T.
Rating R
Summary: John and Aeryn have a little miscommunication
By John Crichton's reckoning nine solar days had passed since he had left Earth and found himself on the run from the Peacekeepers. Those nine days had been the most eventful of his very productive life. He had discovered that alien life did exist and that some life forms were very similar to humans. He had set foot on two different planets in two different solar systems. He had been starburst through hyperspace, he had been injected with microbes that now lived at the base of his brain and translated alien languages. Most importantly, he had proven that his slingshot theory actually worked. Of course, no one on Earth knew that, but he did and that was good enough for now.
Moya was currently cruising at hetch 3 through the Uncharted Territories. After their recent encounter with beings on an Earthlike planet that was unfamiliar with alien life, the crew decided they would avoid similar planets at all cost. They were currently headed to a commerce planet, one that they hoped was far enough into the Uncharted Territories to be free of Peacekeeper entanglements, to resupply. Pilot had told them the trip would take approximately two solar days. John decided to use his time to familiarize himself with more of the fascinating living ship that had become his temporary home.
John was currently exploring tier six. After walking the level for a quarter arn, he made his way to the cargo bay. He hoped to find some socks, he only had the one pair and washing them daily was growing onerous. Instead of socks or cargo, he found Aeryn and a gym. The cargo bay was dominated by a large mat made for hand to hand combat training. Sparring dummies were lined up along one wall next to a set of dumbbells. Aeryn lay on a workout bench and was doing presses. John admired the glimpse of Aeryn's flat stomach that was revealed every time she thrust the weights upwards.
"Crichton, would you care to spot me?" Aeryn situated the bar in the grooves and sat up.
"Sure," John was not going to turn down the chance to help the beautiful Sebacean, she might never ask for anything again. She always looked at him as if he were completely useless.
"Thanks, I wanted to add more weight but didn't have anyone to spot me," Aeryn added fifteen more pounds to each end of the bar.
"When did you find this place?" John asked.
"Couple of days ago," Aeryn answered then took a long drink of water.
John looked around the room, in the far corner he spotted something that resembled a dart board and in another corner what looked like a ping pong table.
"This was for the crew's use, or as a recreation room for the prisoners?" John asked.
Aeryn snickered, "You are strange Crichton, why would prisoners need a recreation room?" And do all humans have a special room for recreating or only prisoners?
"No. No special room needed really, I mean some people do have a special room. Some people convert their garages or basements into rec rooms. Most people though just go to the gym or to the park."
"You mean in public? Humans recreate in public?" Aeryn was truly perplexed. She envisioned billions of Erplings recreating wherever they pleased.
"Of course, don't Sebaceans?"
"No, Crichton, some things are better done in private. Besides this room is designed for combat training, not for recreating."
"Sure, I see the exercise equipment and the mat but what about the darts and ping pong?" John asked and pointed toward the black and red table, "That is for recreation is it not?"
Aeryn could no longer contain herself, she began laughing out loud.
It was the first time John had heard her laugh. He decided he liked the sound of it even if he didn't know what was so funny.
"No, Crichton that is not for recreation, that is a game designed to improve hand-eye coordination."
"Aeryn everything isn't always about combat preparedness, some things should be about fun," he flashed her a big grin. "What do you see we forget the bench presses and you and me have a little fun."
Aeryn let John take her hand and lead her to the fastball table. "You want to recreate with me, here, on the fastball table?" Aeryn asked. She couldn't deny her physical attraction to the human but she had never recreated with an alien before. Her inner Peacekeeper alarms were sounding off but the woman inside her was already responding to the thought of Crichton laying her across the table. Her nipples pebbled and she licked her lips. "Are you sure, Crichton?"
John noticed the change in Aeryn's voice and posture. She had asked the last question with a breathiness he had not heard before and she was beginning to relax and lean in to him. Her pink tongue darted out and swiped her full bottom lip.
"Yes, Aeryn, I want to . . ." as soon as John started the sentence he realized that what she meant by recreation was sex. His mouth could not catch up with his brain. Aeryn quickly removed her top and flung it across the room. He caught a flash of perfect, firm, rosy tipped breasts before she was on him.
Aeryn pushed Crichton hard against the fastball table and quickly went to work unzipping his pants. She longed to kiss his luscious mouth but decided that that was too intimate for a simple recreating session. "Frell me, you cock is huge!"
"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Aeryn hit the brakes," John said and grabbed her hand squeezing her wrist a little harder than he intended but the feeling of her hands brushing along the ridge of his leather encased hardening cock was too intense.
"Is there a problem, Crichton?"
"Yes, stop, I don't know, we shouldn't, uh, what are you, um, what I mean."
Aeryn realized suddenly that he hadn't meant that he wanted to recreate with her, the frelling translator microbes had glitched. She backed away from him. Her face went red then rigid.
John continued his stammering and was finally able to manage, "I think there has been a miscommunication. I meant to recreate as in to play a game, to have fun."
"I see," Aeryn responded. Liquid embarrassment filled her eyes and she looked down hoping that John didn't see. She did not want him to know that she was embarrassed but she was more afraid that he would see the disappointment in her eyes.
"Aeryn, we shouldn't, you know, um. . ."
"It's fine Crichton, you're right. It's not worth risking the unit for a quick frell. Sorry, it's just been a while." Aeryn walked across the room and picked up her shirt. She turned away from John and pulled it on.
"Yeah, Yeah, for me too. But we shouldn't," Crichton repeated in an effort to convince himself. He noticed that Aeryn still wouldn't look at him. Great! He had meant to make this lighthearted and all he had manage to do was embarrass her or piss her off, he wasn't sure which but at least she hadn't killed him yet.
"You know I need to um, um take a shower, sweaty from working out," Aeryn searched for any excuse to get her out of Crichton's presence.
"Okay, see you at dinner," Crichton cringed at the lameness of his response.
Aeryn didn't say anything she just grabbed her towel and water and headed for her room.
By the time Aeryn reached her cell, her heart had stopped pounding but the harder she tried to get the image of her and Crichton frelling each other senseless on the fastball table out of her head, the more vivid the images became. She had had sexual attractions before to men that she would never have dared to recreate with. She had been intensely attracted to a superior officer when she was in her late teens but the infatuation eventually withered away. Aeryn hoped her desires for the human would soon dissipate but she had a suspicion that he and her feelings were here to stay.