Half an hour cleared up the worst of the mountain of gear she'd been left with. Deunan took the liberty of unfolding one of the shirts intended for her partner and had to concede that it _looked_ big enough. Tucking his gear away into his closet and drawers, she stocked the bathroom with towels and weighed her options. Checking on Briareos was a priority, but so was a shower. She had a hunch he'd appreciate her being clean as much as she would. Food would also be key at some point but as she was too late for lunch, and too early for dinner, there was little choice but to wait. No sense wasting what little petty cash she had left on a snack when the mess was general admission.

Deunan couldn't help but luxuriate in the shower for ten minutes longer than strictly necessary. The novelty of unrationed hot water was enough to sell her on her new home even without the other amenities. Pulling on a new uniform she considered her much improved reflection in the mirror and set out with a will, retracing her steps to the main corridors and then following the signs towards the medical zone. Several helpful orderlies steered her through the maze of lobbies and wards until she found the one she wanted. Showing badge and introducing herself, Deunan was waved in without any of the suspicion that she had been expecting.

Briareos was snug as a bug in a room overlooking the perimeter wall. She knocked on the door frame to get his attention, holding out her arms to show off her new jungle-colored fatigues as his extendibles swept forward with his interest in her arrival. Deunan opened her mouth to tell him all her news thus far, but the thought was derailed on realizing that he wasn't _quite_ all there for her.

"What happened to your arm!" She stared in alarm as he waved hello to her with his good hand. His other arm was flat out missing. The plates of his shoulder were peeled off to reveal the complex nest of metal load-bearing armatures and the tightly packed cables that made up the bulk of his nervous system. Instead of a right arm, he had a tidily coiled mass of unplugged connectors hanging down from an exposed socket.

Deunan was reminded of the dolls she used to play with as a child with the arms and legs that could be 'popped' by accident when she tugged too hard. The fact that Briareos was put together much the same was disturbing as hell. "They took your arm off!" She couldn't help but state the obvious.

His extendibles tilted sideways in his classic 'well duh' expression. "It was done for, they say. A bunch of the circuitry was totally fried. Those hacks up north caused more damage than they fixed, from the sound of it."

'But… your _arm_." She crossed the room, leaning over his good side to kiss his cheek absently. Perkier, and chattier, he was definitely feeling better, missing pieces aside. "You _need_ that arm… they're repairing it right?"

"They're prepping a new one for me. Initial test fit is scheduled for tomorrow morning." He shrugged, not at all upset. "These guys are the real deal, girlie. They say there used to be a half-dozen ZIIF suit-based 'borgs here on base up until a little while ago. They didn't even bat an eye when I asked if they could find me spare skin plates to replace the ones that have gotten banged up over the years. From the sound of it, they could rebuild me from the core out, if it came to it."

"Yeah well, I'd rather they just stuck with the essentials." Deunan settled herself on the mattress next to him, glad to see he was in good spirits. He shifted a little to give her more room. Up close it was immediately apparent that two of his 'eyes' were new as well. His scratched lenses were gone the way of his bad arm. The easily interchangeable parts had been swapped while she'd been showering. The local brain-cases won a burst of approval from her for their thoughtfulness. She left off remarking on it in favor of getting the serious news out of the way first. "I met with the base commander. He pretty much told me that we're to justify our existence in the next month, or be prepared to ship out to the junkyard with the rest of the trash."

Briareos shrugged, the gesture lopsided for lack of a limb. "Not like we were expecting anything else. You squared away?"

"_We_ have accommodation fit for a king." She laughed, happy to be able to surprise him with good news to balance the bad. "This place is practically a hotel compared to the Western Division standards. How does a private, cyborg sized bathroom sound to you?"

"No kidding." He wrapped his good arm around her waist, squeezing her companionably at the announcement. "You say _we_? Who did you blackmail for a double?"

"Nobody! They asked if we wanted one, and I said yes!" Deunan laughed again at how easy it was. "We're assigned to some bush master for advanced training, but he doesn't show up for a few days yet… so not only do we get you working again, but we actually have some down time as well! Isn't it crazy?"

Briareos tilted his head, philosophical about their windfall. "I guess we were due some good luck after our last few months."

"There's something about this place I don't quite like though." Deunan leaned back against his shoulder, able to relax at last now that she was with him again. "For all their abundance of gear, I'm getting the impression that they're short on _people_. They _need_ us here… like, they're having a hard time keeping scouts in the field or something. Everyone's just too damn happy to see _you_ especially. It's a little freaky."

"Jungle fighting _is_ dangerous." Her cyborg shrugged again, thoughtful. "Don't stay on your toes, and you'll get eaten, or lost, forget about being shot at…"

"Did they tell you about what happened to the other cyborgs?" She bit her lip, looking over at him. "Six ZIIF suit equipped guys… all gone."

"It's worse than that." Briareos murmured, squeezing her waist again. "Apparently one went rogue… ran into the bush."

"Yeah I heard."

"Did you hear that _he_ is the one who picked off the other five?" Her partner added an additional twist on the gossip. She turned and stared at him in surprise. He nodded slowly. "There's a nut job out there in the trees, girl, a one-man-army. Him, along with some other really nasty Pacific Alliance military hardware, and the usual compliment of separatists, natives, drones, enemy cyborgs, and god knows what kind of wildlife. We're going to have our work cut out for us."

"We can handle it." She reassured him. "I'd like to see the expression on the face of the jungle critter that tries to take a bite out of _you_. As for the rest, we'll figure it out as we go. I don't mind enemies I can shoot at. It's the ones I have to salute that scare me."

"Too true." He agreed, tucking her close against his side.

"So you're staying here tonight?" She pillowed her head against his chest. "What if I promise to get you back here bright and early?"

"I've got exposed wiring, Deunan." He gestured with his chin to his missing arm. "Besides they want to run a few diagnostics on the rest of me for safety's sake. Do some panel beating, heck they're even offering to give me a proper grind and polish. No sense turning them down if they're willing to give me the executive special at no extra charge. You go ahead and explore a bit, come back and tell me what you find, ok?"

"Alright." She rubbed her face against his shoulder, making the most of her too-short visit. "I've got some rules and regs to read through anyway. I ought to do that before I blunder into trouble without even knowing it."

"Good idea." He kissed the side of her head and pushed her off the bed.

Deunan straightened her new uniform and gave his room a quick glance over. "I'll be back later with a book for you to while away the hours with, handsome. Maybe some flowers…"

"Book. Yes. Flowers. No." He stated, leaning back against his pillows.

"Picky picky." She teased him, letting herself out.

Gym, store, cantina, three different 'bars' for off duty soldiers, a library, movie house, and even a pool. Deunan spent several hours just getting the layout of her new 'town' in her head, constantly amazed by how functional it all was. There was even a bank of sorts, allowing her to investigate the status of her funds. The zero-balance was a nasty bit of news, but hardly surprising. The jokers running things in Alaska had taken her savings, as well as her ability to sleep without random nightmares catching her off guard. She had no doubt they'd done the same for Briareos. Her partner might be pissed enough to want to follow up, but she was inclined to let it go. She was collecting base pay _now_ , and if the money and lost sleep was the worst she'd suffered from her sojourn in that frozen purgatory, she counted herself lucky. Filing a complaint would be more trouble than it was worth. Anyone smart enough to know how to bleed transferred soldier's accounts dry would be able to cover their tracks.

Even the food was better than expected. Deunan didn't mind the curious stares from the friendly groups at the tables around her. Efficiently packing away her tray-full of dinner and ducking out before the speculation translated into action on the part of the men especially, she wasted no time in catching up on the calories she'd been missing out on. Another check on her partly-disassembled-partner, to bring him his promised distractions, and she'd ordered herself to bed. Pure exhaustion ensured that if her sleep was at all troubled, she didn't remember it on waking.

Exploring the selection at the library and doing a thorough circuit of the gym provided ample ways of filling the time in her free morning until Briareos was done with his preliminary work up. Bring him a small stack of fresh brain-fodder, she blinked to see he had not one new arm, but two. The new limbs had a markedly darker tone than his original kit, making it easy to distinguish where the change out had been made. Several other panels, including his rather battered old cheek-guards were replaced as well.

"I like the two-tone effect." She drawled as she admired his new look from across the room. "Makes you look like a panda though."

Distracted from his late lunch by her tease, he jerked his head in a 'come hither' gesture as he methodically munched through his steak. _His_ catering was better than the general mess-hall's menu down stairs, she noted idly. He hadn't been kidding when he said he was getting executive treatment. Setting her offering to his daily happiness beside him on the table she stole a piece of carrot off his plate and moved to the window to check out his view.

His room was high enough up that it could see out over most of the canopy, giving her a different perspective on their new home than she could get from ground level. Brightly colored birds occasionally moved between the trees, and small swinging shapes that she could only assume were monkeys did their thing in the distance. Having never seen one up close, other than at the zoo, Deunan was looking forward to seeing them in action in the bush.

"What do you see?" Her partner pushed back from his plate to join her, reading the spines on the borrowed books as he did so.

"Monkeys." She laughed, pointing out the distant grouping.

He snorted, draping an arm over her shoulder to tuck her against his side. "Damned nuisances. I can't deal with animals with opposable thumbs. They get into _everything_."

"I don't know. They're kinda cute." She grinned at his pragmatic snort of annoyance.

"You won't say that after the first time they steal your shoelaces while you sleep… or walk off with your spare sidearm."

"No way." Deunan looked up at him in disbelief. It was true that Briareos had seen considerably more of the world than she had, but she had a hard time believing he'd ever experienced either of those scenarios first hand.

"Ok, maybe not the shoelaces…" He relented with a squeeze to her shoulders, "But they'll definitely pick up anything not bolted down. And they're noisy fuckers when startled, which is a pain in the ass when you're trying to move around without getting shot at."

Deunan found that complaint far more likely and nodded in agreement. "I imagine it works both ways though…"

"Murphy's law. They never kick up a fuss when you _want_ them to." He refused to humor her sentimentality. "If we're lucky, they'll shy away from us and let us work in peace. If they cause trouble? I'm shooting the little bastards. To hell with 'environmental diversity.'"

"Bri!" She scolded playfully. "Don't you dare. Unlawful hunting of wildlife is prohibited! Section five part three or something like that… Didn't you read that binder I brought you?"

"Yeah. It made a great insomnia cure." He drawled, bending over to kiss her hair. "And it was section four, part two, wise ass. Policies regarding standard bush usage for all base inhabitants, right after 'no littering' and right before 'no brush clearing using fire'…"

Deunan rolled her eyes well familiar with her man's photographic memory for anything he read. It was easy being a rules dick when one could quote chapter and verse from memory after a single sitting. Still, as she was the primary beneficiary of his talent, she had no complaints. Reaching up she stroked his now smooth cheek, "Alright. I give up. No pet monkey for me. How's your day-spa treatment coming? I see you've had the hot towel and shave already… They still want to hold you here to finish your pedicure, or are you outpatient from now on?"

"Pretty much just waiting around for _you_, hellcat." He waggled his extendibles at her with his cheerful complaint, revenge for her teasing. "That happy little gopher from yesterday caught up to me right after you left last night with a stack of papers like you wouldn't believe. But thanks to a certain little woman's chicken-scratchings all over them, all I had to do was draw 'x' on all the signature lines and I was done in no time."

Waggling his antenna again, he let his voice slip into a forlorn whimper as he hammed for her amusement. "I've been ready to go for _hours_. They won't be able to polish me until tomorrow. Since I'm not quite so keen on the panda-look as you are, they're going to tweak the compounds in the mix in order redo my top coat to a consistent color while they're at it."

"So you just stuck around for the blue-plate lunch because…?" She pushed away from him to set her hands on her waist, more than willing to join in his playful mood.

"Because I don't know _where_ my quarters are? And I didn't want to get lost?" He sighed in long suffering acceptance of his lot in life as he wrapped his arms around her again. His feigned sorrow was considerably less believable when he slid his hand down to squeeze her ass in a quick tease. "I suppose I could have had an orderly show me, but why follow some loser in scrubs when I can look forward to a far more appealing backside leading the way?"

Deunan swatted his arm gently in punishment, feeling hugely relieved to have him back to his old self again. He'd been too quiet lately. Pain, exhaustion and paranoia had worn him down just as surely as it had her. This change of scene was just what they'd needed. And he hadn't even seen their room yet. She was confident he'd like it just fine. All they needed to rejoin the war effectively were some proper guns, and probably a machete or two considering the density of the bush.

It'd be nice to be able to concentrate on fighting for once instead of worrying about finding their next meal, or dealing with psycho politics on base.

888888888888

*Adult themes warning for this section (skip ahead to ch3 if you want more drama / less romance)*

"So… which bed is mine?" Briareos wasn't above joking after doing a thorough inspection of the room.

Deunan had to stifle her laughter at the pleased little noises he'd made on discovering his carryall neatly stowed away and his small collection of books shelved and ready for him. Lounging on the bed nominally on 'her' side of the room, she watched him check over the bathroom, and consider the view from their utilitarian window, before standing in the center of the room, content with his tiny domain.

"Which ever you like," she shrugged feigning ignorance of the fact that whichever bed he chose would be _their_ bed. "I'm not picky. But mind you, I'm not re-arranging everything in the closets. So which ever bed you pick, your _stuff_ stays over there."

"We're facing north." Briareos leaned against the window ledge and considered the room tactically. "That means sunlight will start over here in the morning… and end over _there_ in late afternoon…" He made a thoughtful noise. "Sun rise this far south is pretty consistent at around six-thirty… and you _do_ like sleeping in. But on the other hand, I can't stand trying to get an early night in when the sunset is right across the pillow…"

"I shouldn't be sleeping in anyway." Deunan twisted against the sheets, stretching her spine. "We've got a reputation of infallibility to rebuild, after all."

"Good point." He sat himself on the mattress next to her, reaching out to play with her hair. "Looks like we _both_ prefer this bed. Toss you a coin for it?"

"Ha ha." She shifted sideways to give him some room and tugged his arm until he took her up on the offer. A few moments of shuffling and Deunan could relax against her usual shoulder as she hadn't in weeks. His new arm might look different, but it moved, and felt exactly the same as it curled around her back. His large fingers rested lightly against her hip. "Good to have you back, baby." She nuzzled his t-shirt with a sense of contentment. "I've been worried about you."

"You doing alright?" He shifted to cuddle her with both hands. "You haven't been sleeping well."

"I don't find planes to be the most relaxing way to travel." She avoided his real question, not wanting to have a conversation about the things prowling around her nightmares. They'd fade soon enough without daily encouragement from real life. Or at least her current crop of shadowy fears would be replaced with ones more applicable to their new environment. "I'll be fine now that I have you to keep me warm again."

Deunan sighed happily as her man stroked her arm and side, plans of giving him the fifty-cent tour of the base forgotten in favor of just spending the afternoon curled up next to him. Still, he would probably be bored if all they did was lay around. He'd spent their first day on base stuck in the clinic. He deserved a chance to get out and stretch his legs too. Briareos' fingers drifted over her arm, seeming in no particular hurry to stop any time soon.

"Nice to have a little downtime when I'm not at risk of falling to pieces." He commented at last, hand sliding up her neck to ruffle her hair. She agreed with a nod, stretching out further against him, turning so she could drape an arm across his chest for a one-armed hug. "Anything on our docket before dinner?" Her partner asked idly, resuming his stroke over her once she settled, fingers drifting down along her hip and thigh. His other hand settled familiarly on her ass, a comfortable weight pressing her close to his bulk.

Blinking at the subtle cues Deunan felt stupid for not connecting the dots sooner. Staying in didn't necessarily _have_ to be boring, after all. Privacy, plus shower, plus repairs meant her man was probably in a 'let's stay in' kind of mood. Not entirely sure what kind of mood _she_ was in, Deunan decided after a minute that while she wasn't motivated enough to take the initiative, she had no problem being talked into fooling around if _he_ was interested.

She petted the portion of his chest beneath her outstretched fingers, "We've got nowhere to be until our new boss pops out of the woodwork, handsome. Which could be as soon as tonight or as late as the day after tomorrow. I was thinking I could give you the lay of the land at some point. But other than going to the gun range, or doing some sets at the gym, we're too broke to do anything else until payday. Eventually they'll have to assign us some duty shifts to keep us occupied, but they're insisting our captain will materialize before long."

"Seeing some sights and working the kinks out sounds like a good idea to me." Her cyborg rolled her deftly onto her back, shadowing her with his larger frame as he propped himself on one arm and gazed down on her. "But I was thinking… maybe we could do a little goofing off _here_ first?"

Briareos ran a gentle finger along her neck, following the line of her partly buttoned uniform shirt to the edge of her collarbone and back again. She shrugged against the blanket, game for whatever, as his caress returned to go a little further down her chest. Deunan sighed at the simple pleasure of his hand as it cupped her breast through her shirt. He shifted back to allow himself room to lean down and nuzzle her hair.

"You alright?" Her partner asked again, hesitant at her lack of enthusiastic response. "You're not yourself lately."

Deunan frowned, recognizing he was right. Normally she would have been all over him as soon as the door closed. If she honestly asked herself _what_ she wanted, it was just to have him wrapped around her, familiar and safe. Sex, while interesting, wasn't her primary motive for the day.

She felt old upon making the realization. She was twenty-one to his thirty, she ought to have been _all_ about the sex. It had to be the stress of the past few months catching up to her.

"That place…" Deunan confessed softly. "I think that place was starting to grind me down, Bri."

"No shit." He paused his lazy seduction in order to pull her up the bed, settling her against the pillows instead of his chest. Sliding his hands under her back and neck, he pressed an undemanding kiss against her mouth, moving on to her jaw and neck before she could muster an appropriate follow through. "That place was sick right to the core, girlie. You think I couldn't see what it was doing to you? We made a mistake ever going there in the first place. Plain and simple. I was warned that Juno Base wasn't on the up-and-up… but I was stupid and thought we could handle it…"

"You needed those repairs…" She shook her head, refusing to blame him. "We thought it was our best chance to get them. We had no idea they couldn't deliver on their promises. If people knew how bad it was there, it'd have been shut down years ago."

"It's possible we're the first to ever transfer out…" He agreed grimly. "And to think, all it took was you threatening to castrate the CO. I've never seen someone so cooperative."

"That was after you'd snapped the top to his desk by 'leaning' on it." She reminded him with a grin. "Anything I did to threaten him beyond that was just gravy. He was already convinced he wanted us gone. Which I might point out, he did _not_ put in our files? My litany of sins, at least as far as our current commander knows, ended with the 'friendly fire' charge we racked up after the lighthouse incident, which – you will be glad to hear - has been dismissed… No reason given."

"Cutting his loses." Briareos growled softly. "If I could get a hold of your father, I'd put a bug in his ear about the whole thing and let him bust that place wide open. It's going to take at least a full Colonel to pull back the curtain and really see how deep the rot goes. And I'm not cozy with any Generals."

"Not our problem, baby." She shook her head resolutely. "The sooner I stop thinking about snow, the happier I'll be."

Briareos leaned in to kiss her again. This time she was ready for him. Deunan wrapped her arms over his neck and met him half way, welcoming his tongue with her own. He lowered her back against the pillows as he guided her desperation into something a little more relaxed. "Easy girl." He nuzzled her ear as she caught her breath. "If it's a distraction you want, I'll happily oblige you."

"Good." She squeezed his shoulders, "Because I could use a little distracting right about now."

His low chuckle was answer enough for her. Reaching down as he thoroughly kissed her, she pulled his t-shirt loose from his slacks, tugging it away from his waist in fistfuls until she could slide her hands along his warm metal skin. Briareos retaliated in kind, managing her belt and zippers easily enough but soon stumped by the smaller buttons of her uniform top. She laughed at his grumble of annoyance, rolling away from him to strip off her over-shirt and t-shirt in quick succession. She paused in reaching for her bra at the feel of him tasting the base of her neck, fingers working the eyehooks for her and pushing the straps forward over her shoulders.

"You smell good." He murmured against her hair as he dragged the loose fabric down her arms to drop forgotten on the bed. Letting a hand slide from her stomach up to her collarbone once done with his chore, he pulled her close, pillowing his wrist between her breasts as his fingers followed the contour of her neck.

Rolling slowly backwards Briareos nibbled her neck and shoulder playfully as she let herself drape over him. Even with air conditioners working throughout the base to keep humidity to a comfortable level indoors, their room was warm enough that she didn't particularly mind the loss of her shirt.

With the hand he'd been leaning on now free, he was more than willing to make good on his promised distraction. Arm draping over her stomach as he worked a hand into her open trousers and under the elastic of her panties to cup her hipbone, he gave her a gentle squeeze. Deunan arched her back as his fingers drifted lower, through her short thatch to tickle her mound instead.

Not even he was good enough to get her pants off one-handed however. She grinned to see he was stumped on how to proceed without relinquishing his hold on her. Taking pity on her lover, she reached down and hooked her thumb over the band at the waist of her underpants, shifting until she could slid them off her hip on the one side. He caught on about as quickly as she thought he would, matching her movement on the other side until her clothing was bunched around her thighs rather than actively in his way.

Briareos made a happy noise against her ear as he resumed his earlier petting, sliding his hand up the newly exposed skin of her leg cupping her mound a second time. Fingers deftly mapped the entrance to her box as he tested her interest in going further. Deunan snorted in amusement at how eager he was, a far cry from his recent pain-induced standoffishness. Her body warmed slowly to his touch, arousal inevitable as she arched and sighed against his chest. Lifting her arms over her head, she caressed his jaw and neck, returning the attention he was paying to her throat in kind. Her cyborg nuzzled her hair as his stroking fingers dipped deeper into her pussy, gathering the pooling excitement he found there on his fingertips and rubbing it slowly along her clit. A shiver of pleasure made Deunan bite her lip as her body woke to his efforts with a more serious heat.

"Bri." She murmured as she shifted against his chest, tilting her face to encourage more of his kisses. The hand pinning her shoulders shifted as well, his need to touch her out weighing his desire to hold her to him. Deunan wondered at what he thought about when he reverently drifted his palm over her breasts and down her stomach, petting the length of her torso seemingly without agenda. His absentminded touches warmed her just as surely as the deliberate efforts of his fingers nestled between her legs. She shivered again as her need increased, no longer indifferent to the idea of sex now that he'd inspired her. Bucking her hips up into his stroking touch, she twisted against him until she could catch his mouth again.

"Want to touch you too, sexy beast." She reminded him gently when she pulled away to catch her breath. He snorted in amusement at her prompt, but wasn't above helping her to sit up, shed her pants, and turn over to straddle his large frame. Never without his hands caressing some part of her, she smirked down at him as she rubbed his t-shirt clad chest.

"Too much clothing." She critiqued, grabbing fistfuls of the cotton and coaxing him to sit up a little so she could pull it off of him. Deunan dropped the unwanted fabric to the floor before turning her attention to his pants. Belts and buckles and zips gave way before her nimble fingers. Sliding down between his legs, she let her lips follow the retreating edge of his boxers as she pulled them over his hips, nuzzling and mouthing the smooth plate between his legs as he rumbled happily and stroked her hair. Finally she sat at the end of the bed and pulled her socks off, amused as always that there was never truly a good time to deal with the humble accessories in the heat of the moment.

Briareos sat up and settled himself behind her again as she worked on the last items of her clothing, kissing her neck and shoulders earnestly, fitting his hands around her waist. Barely had she finished stripping down before he pulled her back against his chest and into the center of the bed. He was definitely in a 'staying in' kind of mood, she laughed to herself as he wrapped her in his arms a second time, encouraging her to sprawl as if boneless against him and let him have his lazy lustful way with her. Deunan considered humoring his desire to 'test out' his new hands. But she really did want to do more than just lie there staring at the ceiling. Another time perhaps, she'd play cat to his caressing fingers. For now she wanted, wanted very much, to curl up with him beside her and do the 'glad you're back to your old self' sex thing in earnest. If afterwards he was willing to humor her and let her cling a bit before they went out? It'd be the best day she'd had in a long time.

Pulling away from him, she flipped herself over, batting his 'helping' hands away so that she could get a good look at him with his shirt off. The replacement panels covered his entire shoulder on the one side, but only segments of his chest on the other. Glancing behind her she found his haphazard color pattern continued down his legs as well, scratched and dented parts easily swapped for better ones by the skilled techs.

Deunan shook her head, seeing why he was hoping that a resurfacing of his old kit would give him some sort of standardized color. He did look a little silly with random bits and pieces not matching up.

He _felt_ fine, however.

She slid her hands along his chest, up to his shoulders and back to his stomach again, liking the smoothness of his new plates beneath her fingers. Her partner snorted in amusement as she repeated the touch along both his arms. His amusement derailed into heated silence as she drew his new fingers into her mouth one at a time, tasting them briefly before kissing the palms of his hands, bending over him to kiss his mouth as well. His arms caught her around the waist, holding her close for a second kiss hot on the heels of the first. Otherwise he seemed happy to let her lead. Ironic really, since what she really wanted was for him to take over.

"Bri?" She rested her forehead against his neck, feeling weird for having to ask. "Do something for me?"

"What do you need, hellcat?" His hands stroked her spine as she rested against him. Briareos picked up on her strange mood and slowed down, more tolerant of her craziness than she ever deserved. Ready and attentive for whatever she asked him to do.

"I just want something… uncomplicated." Deunan pressed a kiss into the cables of his neck, enjoying being able to touch him for the sake of it. "You know how you're always teasing me about slowing down and taking it easy for once?"

"Yeah?"

"I want slow and easy." She laughed softly at herself for the unusual demand. "Can you do that for me?"

Briareos rolled her again, pressing her back onto the bed as he shifted onto his side. She smiled at his concerned head-tilt, agreeing that it was hardly a characteristic request for her. "Slow and easy." He repeated thoughtfully. "Deunan..."

"Please." She pressed her fingers to his lips, cutting off yet another inquiry about her wellbeing. "Don't."

"Alright." He agreed softly, not entirely convinced, but willing to humor her. "Alright girl, you win."

Deunan closed her eyes and sighed in contentment as he moved against her with no further prompting. His hand stroked her side, cuddling her close as he stripped off the plating covering his groin and then coaxed her to drape her leg over his thigh. Another small shift, and his member was snuggled between her legs, seeking her heat blindly as he slowly teased himself with the feel of her waiting body. Deunan reached down to help him. Giving his shaft a few loving strokes for good measure as she played the part of guide, setting him on course for the depths he sought. Rocking her hips to meet his, she slid her hand up his chest as it became unnecessary. His length slid into her without need for further dalliance.

She pressed a kiss against his breastbone as his arms encircled her back, supporting her against his initial thrusts, all but blanketing her as he staked his tender claim. It was hardly their usual wild ride. She rested her hands against his arms, fingers curling reflexively in time with his rocking motion. It was still good though. And more importantly, for at least a little while, she could let go of her reflexive need to be in control of things. She trusted Bri. He was there when she needed him. Relaxing in his arms, she let her mind drift for the first time in weeks, not afraid of where her idle thoughts would take her. Nightmares and paranoid what-ifs had no foothold now. Bri was back on the job. She didn't have to do the solo-survival thing here. Instead she almost laughed at the weird fragments of memory stirred up by her partner's slow sweet strokes within her.

Miles and years away from the ocean, the scent came to her with odd clarity. She was sixteen again, and he was her handsome, sexy, terribly knowledgeable 'first'. Deunan remembered perfectly the feel of his hands as they curled around her shoulders, all callus and quiet strength, his blunt nails tickling her arms as he guided her into a comfortable sprawl against him. Cuddled close on that empty beach, autumn chill in the air beyond the confines of their little nest of blankets, he'd taken her into his arms and lay claim to her in the culmination of years of hopeful plotting to 'catch' him on her part.

She hadn't known what to ask for then, or even what she'd _gotten_ when it was over and done with. Too naive to do more, for all her so-called worldliness, she'd just hung on and enjoyed the pleasure he offered her. She shook her head at her former innocence. Looking back, the way he'd held her had been not unalike what he was doing to her now. Deunan turned her head against his chest, resting her cheek against his false-pectoral as she rolled her hips along with his gentle stroke. Past blurred with present as she worked one arm between his mass and the mattress, slipping the other over his side to wrap both around him and squeeze him tight.

"Deunan." He breathed, letting her know he was with her even now.

She found her lost confidence somewhere between one breath and the next. Something within her clicked back together, repaired after weeks of uncertainty, much as her man had been. Deunan sighed in relief, squeezing Briareos harder as she surged against him with the pulse of desire rising from the pit of her stomach. His hands tightened on her hips in reaction to her body's change in tempo, feeling for her new rhythm and easily matching it.

"Deunan?" His question held a hint of laughter.

She hid her smile against his skin as she rode his more energetic thrusts. "Sorry, Tin-man, I seem to have changed my mind."

"I noticed." He drawled and shifted, planting himself firmly between her legs, as he found a new angle with which to drill into her. "Minx." His complaint didn't hold much water given the eagerness with which he acceded to her new demands.

From curled on her side to pinned beneath him as he knelt between her thighs and pulled her up against him, Deunan laughed from the shear joy of feeling him thrust deep and strong. _This_ was what sex was supposed to be for them. She squeezed his arms as she arched to match his demanding hips, feeling him cresting within her even as her own nerves were beginning to sing. He came with a frustrated curse, unable to wait as he fell victim of the sweet friction between them. She rode his wild thrusts with minor disappointment, the liquid heat he left within her doing its part to pull her upwards to her own limit.

Briareos shook his head in tired humor as his shaft softened, unable to continue to do its duty by her. Not above begging, Deunan whined as he pulled out, feeling the loss of him right when she needed him most. "Please baby." She mouthed his shoulder urgently, the sudden lack of stimulation causing her to ache. "Bri…"

"I've got you, crazy hellcat." He nuzzled her hair as he shifted against her, hiking her body up higher against his chest as he slipped two fingers in from behind to pump her in place of his cock. "Have I ever let you down?" Briareos' fingers matched his earlier pace without hesitation, the abrupt resumption of the rough thrusting in her channel enough to make her toes curl. Deunan arched and twisted as her pussy throbbed with renewed pleasure, suddenly and utterly alight with her climax. He slowed as she did, easing her back to earth as she panted for air. Eventually coaxing her to stretch out next to him and cool off.

"Better?" He asked mildly after several minutes of watching her rest against the pillows.

"Definitely." She breathed, wrapping her arms around his neck. Hugging him tight, Deunan grinned to herself at how her body still tingled with aftershocks of excitement. "I owe you something really, really kinky later for putting up with me."

"Really, really kinky?" He mused aloud. "What, like we recruit two more girls and I get popcorn while you all make out with each other? What level of kinky are we talking about here?"

She punched him in the shoulder in mock annoyance. "As if I could find two other girls interested in getting naked for a sad-sack like you." Deunan grinned at his grumble of protest. "Honestly? I was thinking about sucking you off on the gun range later… It gets pretty empty down there after dinner. Your two favorite things… sex and guns…"

Briareos stared at her, his turn now to be dismayed. "That's not kinky, hellcat. That's down right dangerous. First of all? There is no chance in hell of me hitting my target - or any target - with you distracting me like _that_… so pity any other poor souls trying to get some useful training in. Second of all? If you flinch because a hot cartridge bounces out of the shell catcher and hits you, I'm not going to thank you for it."

Seeing his point, she laughed merrily. "Fine. How about the pool? Nice relaxing swim for me a soak for you… We can check your new skin for leaks. I'll pretend to be a mermaid, and you can be the shipwrecked sailor…"

"You'll drown yourself by accident." He vetoed her new scheme as firmly as the last. "You've never mastered holding your breath for more than a minute."

"Spoil sport." Deunan sighed cheerfully, not at all upset that he was. Teasing Bri with things he'd never do was half the fun. "Fine. As a last resort… I've still got a pair of handcuffs somewhere… want to cuff me, Officer Hecatonchires? I've been a really bad girl lately and could use some strict _discipline_ to keep me in line."

"You… You, woman, are _evil_." Her cyborg chuckled, kissing her shoulder to show he didn't particularly mind her teasing. "It'd serve you right if I did cuff you to the bed… and tickled the hell out of you!"

"You wouldn't dare." She stared at him in partly-faked horror. "I hate being tickled. You know I hate being tickled…"

He leaned over and distracted her with a kiss, "I dunno, it seems to depend _where_ I tickle you, I find." He murmured against her lips. "You seem to like _some_ tickling just fine, hellcat."

Feeling her blood warm at the intimate sound of his voice, she rolled her eyes at his innuendo. "Well _some_ tickling is alright, I guess… Within _limits_, if you know what I mean." She wasn't above baiting him back. He kissed her again for her punishment.

"You need anything else from me, Officer Knute? Or are we done for the afternoon? Because I think I'm going to nap for an hour before we case out the town and get some dinner." He nuzzled her cheek as she laughed at his suddenly professional tone.

Catching his face between her hands she stroked his new cheek guards. "Hold me a while?" She asked for the only thing she could think of. His huff of amusement, the unspoken 'as if you had to ask,' making her smile.

"Alright girl." He tucked her under his chin as he curled partly on his side next to her, leaving her pillowed against his shoulder and arm. Deunan wriggled closer, draping her legs over his thighs as she took up her favored napping position. His other arm draped carefully across her stomach, not putting too much weight on her as he tucked his fingers under her hip, securing her against his chest. "Comfy?"

"You're the best, Bri." She murmured as she relaxed against him, lazy and mellow as late-afternoon sunlight painted the far side of the room golden.

"Yeah I _am_ pretty great, aren't I." He mumbled teasingly as he pressed his face into her hair, finding his own customary napping arrangement. "You're lucky to have me, you know."

"Dummy." Deunan scolded as she tapped in an alarm on her watch, suddenly envisioning them forgetting dinner altogether in their comfortable curl. She was going to need all the fuel she could get if her man's frisky mood continued into the morning.