Atlas page 4
Author's note: Wow! I almost can't believe how much everyone likes this story. Kaz320 even drew me a picture of Jim and Brice - my very first fanart EVER! Thank you all so much! And since y'all are so great I squeezed in a little lemon in this chapter but you have to get through some character development first. Hope you like it :)
~Musashi
Over the next couple of weeks repairs took place and for the most part Jim was too distracted to notice a change in Brice's behavior. But he knew there was something up with the Captain. It seemed like their rolls had been reversed. Jim found himself smirking when Brice looked at him. The blond still blew him kisses but afterwards he would always hurry away to find something to do. "All this from seeing me naked? Who knew he was such a spaz." Jim chuckled. In the mean time he was in hog heaven. He spent most of his time down in the engines. It was true that Rocco had nearly destroyed them but they were still spectacular engineering. Even though they were a slightly older model Jim doted upon them like they were the newest thing on the market.
The ship was amazing. Brice had been very lucky to inherit such a well kept vessel. Jim thought for a moment he'd be able to put up with Brice if it meant he got to be the ship's mechanic. He had only recently learned it was named M45-Atlas. He had found it carved into the wood near the solar engine gage. He also found a list of engineers that had been in charge of taking care of ship at one point or another.
"Alfred Cycone, Maia Elector, Monroe Taygeta, Leland Hawkins, Cal Strope." Jim said them out loud to himself. "Wait, what?" He grabbed his flash light and shined it on the wall to make sure he had seen right. It was right there, clear as day. 'Leland Hawkins'. He had been there, right where Jim was standing, who knows how many years ago. Jim's head suddenly buzzed with questions. The most prominent one being: "My father...was a pirate?"
"I want to go on our date!" Brice and Wren looked up at Jim when he suddenly burst into Brice's cabin and announced it. He was out of breath from running all the way upstairs from where he had been working in the engine room.
"Um...okay. I'm kind of busy right now." Brice said as he gestured to the various maps and papers on his desk. "Can you wait until tonight?"
"Oh right. Of course," Jim said a little sheepishly as he backed out of the room. "I'll be back then.
"Ok." Brice said. Jim closed the door behind him and Brice looked at Wren. "What the hell was that?"
"He's weird, that's what that was. He's a little weirdo and it leads him to do weird shit." Wren said. Brice just shrugged before he went back to reading his maps.
Jim knocked on Brice's cabin door and waited a moment. He had been trying to think of a way to broach the subject of his father. If the name carved into the wall was put there by him. He wondered what else he'd ask. Did he really want to know where his father was? After years of waiting for him to come back Jim had started imagining the man dead in a ditch somewhere to quell his disappointment. What would he have to do for the information? He didn't want to think of that either. He could deal with lingering glances and light touches during skinny dipping. The kiss Brice had given him on top of the waterfall was suddenly on his mind. It barely lasted more than three seconds but it had sent a jolt through him that--
"Stop it! Stop it right now." Jim told himself. "That was anger you felt, not attraction. That jerk is going to tell you what you want to know and you're not going to have to put up with any of his crap to get what you want." The door to Brice's cabin finally opened but instead of Brice, Jim came face to face with the ever intimidating Wren.
"Talking to yourself?" He asked.
"Just.... thinking out loud." Jim answered. He stood up straight and puffed his chest out as he adjusted his belt buckle. "Where's Brice?"
"The captain is.... putting on his face." Wren said as he hiked his thumb over his shoulder. Jim moved to walk in but Wren didn't budge.
"Uh...you gonna let me in?"
"No." Wren said and leaned down to get in Jim's face.
"Personal space." Jim said putting his hand between them.
"If you hurt my cub I'm gonna invade your personal space with my foot up your ass." Wren growled, baring his sharp canines. "The last thing he needs is some closet case, twink stringing him along. If you break his heart, I'll break you. You get me?"
"Got it." Jim tried not to stutter his reply. He didn't think he'd ever stop being afraid of Wren. His threats didn't seem empty. Jim was certain the Felinoid had killed for Brice before and he wouldn't hesitate to do it again.
"Wren, is that Jim?" Wren finally stood aside and looked back into the cabin. Brice came out of his bathroom putting his earrings in. He took up an emerald ring that was sitting on his desk and slipped it on his index finger.
"Just telling him to have you back by curfew." Wren said with a smirk. Brice chuckled.
"You're so funny." He said as he looked himself over in a nearby mirror. "How do I look?" He asked as he glanced at Jim. He had to admit the mahogany leather Brice wore looked good against his light brown skin. As he got closer Jim also noticed the black liner Brice had meticulously drawn around the brim of his lids and the shiny gold earrings he had replaced his regular studs with.
"Very nice, actually." Jim answered. Brice gave him a look before he smiled at Wren.
"We'll be back later." Brice said giving Wren a pat on the shoulder. "Shall we?" He held out his hand to Jim. He looked at it before looking at Wren. He dragged one clawed finger across his throat before pointing at Jim. The entire action going unnoticed by Brice as he stood between them with his back to Wren.
"Let's get to it then." Jim said as he took Brice's hand. Jim tried not to roll his eyes when Brice let out a little chuckle before leading them down the gang plank. Jim didn't bother looking back, he knew that Wren was staring daggers at him. He sighed as he tried to think of what he would ask Brice. He was still trying to decide if he wanted to know about his father's life aboard the Atlas. In fact Jim didn't bring it up at all as they walked along the beach and made small talk.
After a while they reached a cantina nestled along the line of the trees. It was a rustic little place made of a few grass huts. The dining sections were made up of simple cast iron tables under leaf umbrellas. The area was illuminated by several torches stuck in the ground and a set of candles on each table. Despite it's rural locale there were quite a few patrons and servers hurrying about. They were seated at a small table for two and made small talk through dinner. After three pitchers of beer they headed back to the ship. Jim was still mulling over questions in his mind. What if Brice had to kill Leland for some reason? What if they had some sort of relationship? Jim refused to think about that.
"We've got a good mile to walk back to the ship, what do you want to know?" Brice asked.
"Huh?" Jim grunted. 'How could he possibly know that's what I was thinking about?' he thought.
"It was part of the conditions of the bet, remember? You can ask me anything you want." Brice said. "And since you raced up to my cabin and demanded that we go out tonight I can only assume you found something down in the engine room that suddenly stirred your curiosity."
"You could say that." Jim said. "I was looking at the gauges when I came across these names carved into the wall."
"Oh. Those are just the names of our mechanics." Brice explained. He suddenly hugged Jim's arm. "Are you trying to tell me you wanna join their ranks?"
"Maybe." Jim answered with a smirk. Brice's eye brows shot up in surprise. Had he heard Jim correctly? "No! What I mean is-- the names I need to ask you about one in particular."
"You realize the ship is over two hundred year old. Most of those people were dead before I was even born."
"I think you're old enough to know a few." Jim joked. Brice shot him a glare. He stopped walking and pulled on Jim's arm so he would stop too.
"How old do you think I am?" he asked. Jim looked him up and down.
"We're getting off topic." Jim answered and kept walking.
"You little son of a--
"How much do you know about the name Leland Hawkins?" Jim interrupted. He noticed Brice made a face.
"That drunken cock sucker? Why do you want to know about the biggest pussy in the universe?" He asked.
"Because I'm pretty sure he's my father." Jim answered.
"Oh." Brice said. Silence fell between them for a second. "I'm sorry your father was an asshole." Jim let out an exacerbated sigh.
"Brice, I just need to know if the guy that was aboard your ship was really him." He said. "Do you remember what he looked like? Did he ever talk about me or a woman named Sarah?"
"I only saw him a handful of times before he jumped ship without letting anyone know he was leaving."
"That sounds about right." Jim muttered. "What did he look like?" he asked again.
"Um...he had dirty, blond hair and light blue eyes. You kind of look like him...minus twenty years and a badly trimmed mustache." He reached over and pinched Jim's cheek playfully. "You're so much more handsome. And you've got better hair." Jim batted away Brice's hand and his compliments.
"When was the last time you saw him?" he asked.
"Hm....well dad was still alive and I didn't find Cal until a year after that, so if I remember correctly it was a few weeks after I came back from the academy that he jumped ship so....five years ago." Brice answered.
"Wait a minute, you attended the Interstellar Academy?" Jim asked in complete disbelief.
"Yeah." Brice answered quickly. "It was after we cast off from Tangere that we noticed he wasn't aboard. We didn't go back for him because we also noticed he took all his stuff with him. Plus dad told me he wasn't very good at his job. He let me pick out a new mechanic but I had to choose from a list of his old crew member's kids and Cal was the only one willing to come aboard and--
"You went to the Academy?" Jim interrupted. "You?"
"Is it really so hard to believe?"
"Yes!" Jim answered. "You're a pirate. The academy trains people to hunt, imprison and kill your kind."
"It was my dad's idea. Remember I told you he wanted me to be the best. Well, back when I was eighteen--
"So long ago...." Jim joked. Brice shot him another glare and he bit his bottom lip. It seemed Brice didn't like being reminded of his age. By his estimation Brice had to be at least five years older than him. Jim would have to remember to exploit that the next time Brice got fresh with him.
"Anyway." Brice continued. "My dad took this lifestyle very seriously. And he wanted to make sure I knew what I was getting into. He wanted to make sure this was what I really wanted."
"Is it?" Jim asked. Brice snorted.
"Is that a trick question? I spent four years jumping through hoops at that damn academy. Being told when to wake up and when to go to sleep. Half the time we weren't allowed to eat. Hell I couldn't even take a shit without someone standing beside me - telling me I wasn't doing it right. But my dad wanted me to tough it out. He wanted me to learn the inner workings of the system so they'd never be able to take me down."
"Did it work?" Jim asked.
"I'm as free as a sky ray. I'm captain of my own ship, I have a loyal crew, we go where we want, when we want and do what we want. And not only have I avoided being captured or killed by the Fleet but I've got their most decorated officer on my arm. You tell me if it worked." Brice answered. Jim rolled his eyes at his smug attitude but at the same time he found himself suppressing a smile as Brice took his hand again.
"You don't have me." Jim corrected him as he pulled his hand away. Brice suddenly grabbed him by his shirt and roughly yanked him around. Jim saw stars for a moment when the back of his head collided with the trunk of a palm tree. He grabbed Brice's wrist and glared at him. "What are you--"
"I plan on changing that right now." Brice said before he kissed Jim. For a moment Jim was too shocked to push him away. His thoughts were a jumbled mess all of a sudden. He couldn't even think to move his arms to push Brice away or turn his head to separate their lips. The kiss lasted longer than their first one on top of the waterfall. Jim finally managed to push Brice back when his tongue slid into his mouth.
"What was that?" Jim gasped. Brice gave him a quizzical look.
"My stud?" Brice stuck his tongue out so Jim could see the small, silver barbell that pierced his abnormally long appendage near the tip. Jim balked and Brice felt the shudder that ran through him when he saw it. "You'll love it. Trust me." Brice leaned forward again but Jim moved his head back. Brice stared at him for a moment. He could feel Jim shaking in his grasp. "Don't be afraid." Brice whispered. He could hear the desperation in his own voice. It was impossible to keep his cool in such close proximity. All the blood in his body rushed south. In a few seconds he wouldn't be able to speak. He could only think of one thing as Jim's warm breath puffed out right in his face. "Kiss me."
Jim barely moved an inch, he just pursed his lips a little. Brice took it as an open invitation and resumed their kiss. He really didn't know why he was allowing this. If it were any other guy Jim would've broken their arm by now. He didn't want to think about it right now. He suddenly couldn't get enough air through his nose. And he was sure his heart was trying to beat it's way out of his chest. His curiosity was getting the better of him. When Brice's tongue ghosted along his bottom lip again he parted them and let it inside. Feeling that little stud slide across the roof of his mouth sent a thrill through him. He let go of Brice's wrists and rested his hands on his hips instead. Jim pulled him closer and Brice keened when their bodies met. Even barred from skin to skin contact by their clothes, it was still arousing. Jim couldn't help but chuckle. It made Brice pull away.
"What's so funny?" He asked.
"You get excited really easily." Jim answered. Brice looked down at his erection where it was pressed between them - making a clear imprint in his leather pants.
"You call this easy?" Brice asked. He reached down and grabbed the large buckle on Jim's belt. "Watching you strut around my ship. Swinging your little ass back and forth. Saying no to me, constantly denying me contact. And then there was the little strip tease at the waterfall. I've been trying not to burst a damn blood vessel in my dick for six weeks now." He growled as he slowly slid Jim's belt out of the first loop. Jim grabbed his wrists again. "What's wrong? Don't want me to find out you're just as hard up as me?"
"Second base is strictly above the belt." Jim answered with a smirk.
"Is that what you really want?" Brice asked before he leaned over and nuzzled Jim's ear lobe. He skimmed down, dragging his lips along Jim's neck until he came to his shoulder. Jim sighed. How did Brice already know where to touch him? Jim tilted his head back, expecting another kiss but instead Brice bit him, hard enough to break the skin.
"Ah!" Jim yelped. He couldn't breathe for moment as Brice's teeth pressed harder into the erogenous zone that sat right at the juncture of his neck and shoulder. It caused little tingles to dance all over his body, making his other nerve endings wake up and demand contact. After a few seconds Brice relented, pulling his teeth away before he licked over the red indentations he had left in Jim's skin.
"I didn't think so." Brice said before he went back to work on Jim's belt. When he tried to resist again Brice distracted him with another kiss. He bit Jim's bottom lip playfully and Jim bared his teeth in a coy smile. "Finally." Brice said. Jim was starting to enjoy himself. And it seemed he liked it more when Brice played rough. Brice found proof of this as he slid his hand down the front of Jim's pants. His fingers sifted through downy pubic hair before they met with the base of Jim's half hard cock. Jim bucked eagerly into the light touch so suddenly that Brice nearly lost his balance. He realized the only reason he was still standing was because of the iron grip Jim had on him. Brice felt Jim twitch and in the blink of an eye his erection surged out the fly of his pants. Brice snorted - trying not to laugh.
"One word and I keep walking." Jim huffed as he moved his hands up to cup Brice's face.
"I didn't say anything." Brice smirked. Brice had to keep himself from giggling like a giddy school girl when Jim initiated the next kiss. Jim even started playing with his stud - flicking it with the tip of his tongue before running it all over his mouth. For a moment Brice wondered if it had been the alcohol that brought about Jim's sudden attitude change. And as Jim ardently pushed against his palm he no longer cared. Brice used his free hand to untie the lacings of his pants. He pulled his arousal free and cut their kiss short so he could look down at what he was doing. Jim also found himself captivated as he watched Brice rub their erections together. Jim wasn't expecting it to feel so good. But Brice's skin was warm and smooth - already slicked by the pre-cum that leaked from his tip. When Brice wrapped one hand around them both Jim tossed his head back.
"Unh...God..." Jim dug his blunt finger nails into Brice's shoulders and groaned. It had been far too long since he indulged himself. Even longer since he'd been with anyone. The friction of Brice sliding against him made his breathing hitch for a moment. Brice worked his hand up and down slowly at first but as their need for release increased so did his pace. Brice looked at Jim. His face was flushed, sweat beaded along his brow and upper lip and his blue eyes were dilated and dark with the overwhelming need to cum. Brice leaned down and went about nipping and licking Jim's exposed neck. Jim's hands sought purchase along Brice's lean form. He found that running his nails down the small of Brice's back made him practically purr into the side of his neck. His grip got tighter around their cocks and Jim held him close. Brice turned his head in an attempt get some much needed air and Jim bit down on his ear lobe - making Brice gasp from the sudden pain laced sensation that ran through him. "Fuck." If Jim's mouth hadn't been so close to Brice's ear he wouldn't have heard the swear. Jim suddenly want rigid for a moment, his body jerked and he let out a strangled moan as he came all over Brice's hand.
"Wow..." Brice whistled as he watched Jim. His muscles flexing as he was wracked with intense waves on pleasure. Brice just closed his eyes and sighed when he climaxed. He bit his bottom lip when he felt if start to quiver. His legs felt like they would collapse beneath him at any moment. How would they ever get back to the ship? The thought crossed Brice's mind for a second before it was lost in the cloudy haze of post apex bliss.