Lee had made very few changes to the little seaside bungalow that NIMR had offered him along with the captaincy of the Seaview. He'd replaced the windows along the back with large French doors facing the ocean and combined the guest bath and the master bath into one large room. Chip would need to wait for his shower. And there was no doubt he'd wait. The big shower Lee had built into the bath was going to feel so good after the two months of water conservation called a shower on the boat.

Chip stripped off his uniform and wrapped a towel around his middle and stood looking out toward the dimly seen ocean. When ten minutes became fifteen he headed into the bath, suddenly concerned. "Lee, you okay?" he asked at the door, tapping gently.

When he got no response he stepped inside and saw his friend sitting on the floor of the shower, his knees drawn up, his head back against the tiled wall, the water beating down on his legs.

"Lee?" Chip dropped his towel and hurried in the open end of the big shower. "Lee, you okay?"

Lee looked up at him blearily, "Got dizzy."

"Did you fall?"

"Nah, sat down," Lee closed his eyes again.

"You can't sleep in here come on, stand up."

He helped Lee back up to his feet, "we need to rinse off the soap." Chip lifted Lee's semi limp arm until his friend's hand was on his shoulder and then shuffled over until the two of them were standing under the falling water.

"Close your eyes."

"Already closed." Lee's head was resting on Chip's chest, one hand on his shoulder the other around his waist. The warmth of his friend's body made him suddenly conscious that he was standing naked in the shower with the man he loved. Chip gently ran his hands through Lee's hair as the water washed down on them both. He grabbed the soap from the basin and began to lather Lee's back, enjoying the feel of his skin under his hands.

"Feels good," Lee said softly into his chest.

"You are so stoned," Chip chuckled, letting his hands move further down Lee's back until he was just above his buttocks the soap allowing his hands to glide effortlessly over the wet skin.

"Yeah, I feel really good."

"I bet," Chip said to himself, moving his hands back up Lee's back and down again. After a few minutes he slid around Lee until his friend's back was against his chest and he could soap and rinse his front. Again he started up high and allowed his hands to gradually move lower and lower with each pass until he was brushing against the thick swatch of hair at the bottom of Lee's stomach.

Lee lifted his head and turned it so he was facing Chip, "You're turning me on here, Mr. Morton."

Chip saw that Lee was indeed hardening and rising to meet his hands. He already had an enormous hard on of his own and was delighted to see Lee was as affected by their intimacy as he was. He leaned his head forward and gently kissed Lee's shoulder.

"Does that feel good, Captain?" he asked as he ran one soapy hand up Lee's penis, making only enough contact for Lee to feel him.

"Jesus," Lee arched his back against him, his head coming up so quickly he almost banged into Chip's. Encouraged by his friend's reaction, Chip repeated the maneuver, applying slightly more pressure.

"Chip?"

"Relax, enjoy," Chip said and brought his other hand slowly down Lee's chest and back up again, stroking him in time to his movements with his other hand. Lee's head was back against his shoulder his head resting against Chip's. Chip could feel his rapid breathing against his neck.

After two months at sea it only took a few moments to bring Lee to a shuddering climax, followed immediately by his own. He'd come from nothing more than holding his friend. Chip bent his head forward and kissed Lee on the neck as he rinsed the evidence of their shared intimacy from both of them. He turned Lee's suddenly limp body so they were again facing each other, keeping Lee's head tucked into his chest. He didn't think he wanted to see his friend's face just yet.

Chip reached past Lee and turned off the water and stood in the sudden silence of the shower, holding his friends wet body loosely. Too quickly the night air began to come into the shower chilling them both. He ran his hands down Lee's back for what he knew was the final time.

"Can you stand on your own?"

"Yeah."

Chip ducked out of the shower and grabbed a big fleecy towel and began carefully drying Lee, starting with his head and working his way down. Lee balanced with one hand on Chip's shoulder. Neither man said anything further as Chip quickly dried himself and helped Lee out of the bathroom and into his bed.

"Guess I shouldn't have taken that pill on an empty stomach."

"When did you eat last?"

Lee shook his head; sighing softly he closed his eyes.

Chip stood looking down at the most important person in his life as he slept. Lee's long eyelashes lay on his cheeks lost in the wide dark smudge marks that had come back from the mission, a sure sign of his exhaustion. Chip sat down on the edge of the bed and rested his hand on the top of Lee's head, needing to feel him again.

He'd taken the worst kind of advantage of Lee's vulnerability caused by too much pain medication and not enough food. He'd lost control, a thing he never did. He leaned forward and kissed Lee gently on the forehead. He'd drugged his friend and seduced him. He felt tears pricking in his eyes. He loved Lee and he'd done this to him.

He went into the spare bedroom and quickly dressed in clean clothes from his duffle. He needed to get away before Lee woke and remembered what he'd done. Maybe if he weren't here, maybe if the first thing Lee saw when he woke wasn't Chip Morton, maybe he wouldn't remember. Maybe if he remembered he wouldn't say anything. Maybe they could still be friends if he kept his distance and let Lee forget.

He stopped in the front entry holding his key in his hand. He'd betrayed ten years of friendship. He put the key down on the small table near the front door and after setting the lock walked out. It took all of his self-control not to put his fist through the window of his car. How could he have? It was no different than rape what he'd done, a complete betrayal of their friendship. Any hope he'd had for anything more was lost now, lost perhaps with a friendship that meant more to him than his life.