"I hear your voice, it's like an angel sighing.

I have no choice, I hear your voice,

Feels like flying.

I close my eyes, Oh God I think I'm falling

Out of the sky, I close my eyes.

Heaven help me."

- Madonna


Sulu woke up at the first light of dawn, surprised he'd managed to sleep at all. His muscles and joints felt stiff as the sleeping bag was very crowded, and he could not even turn without waking up Margot, who had snuggled against his chest, breathing peacefully in her sleep.

He opened his eyes, and looked at her.

Margot's hair was fluffy, and it curled and bent to every direction despite the nice, stylish hairdo she'd had the day before. He couldn't see her face, as it was pressed against his chest, but he felt all too clearly her breathing on his skin through his cloths.

A desire to wrap his arms around her, to pull her face up for a kiss, filled Sulu's heart. He wanted to spin her around, on top of him, to feel her abdomen against his own, her small, soft breasts on his chest. He groaned - the lust, which had been lurking nearby all night, suddenly rushed to his veins and flashed through his body in a heartbeat. He couldn't help it - he suddenly felt hard in his pajama pants.

Perhaps it was the moan that escaped from his lips, or the fact that he tried to move further away from her, but in any case he suddenly realized he wasn't the only one who was awake.

Margot yawned, stretched her tiny form, made a small, satisfied sigh and opened her pretty eyes to look up to his face. Her smile was the one of a fallen angel, at it cut his breath away.

"Good morning, Hikaru. Did you sleep well?"

"Just fine," Sulu lied. He dared not to move, the agonizing need still pulsing hot in his veins. "And you?"

"Better than in years." Margot grinned, snuggled closer to give him a tight hug - and then stiffened and stopped. After a few awkward seconds of silence, that felt like eternity, she began to laugh.

"I'm sorry ..." Sulu muttered. He felt his cheeks burning. "It is morning, and-"

"You always have one on the mornings, or is it just for me?" Margot joked, but her tone wasn't flirtatious at all.

"Can you get up? Please?" Sulu grimaced. Never in his life had he been this embarrassed.

"Why? There's nothing to be ashamed of, Hikaru! It's just biology. I don't remember right now, why that happens on the mornings, but-"

"Please. It's really cramped in here." Sulu felt the veins pulsing on his forehead - and other parts. His erection pressed hard against the fabric of his boxers, and all too clearly he felt her tiny body, oh so close to his own. If she didn't get up soon, he wouldn't be able to endure this torture any longer. He'd take her by force, if it came to that.

"Don't be a dullard, Hikaru." Margot laughed. "You do know you're going to have to do something about that. You can't walk around all day with that one."

"Please, Margot. This is not funny. "

"Of course it is! And you know I'm right. If you weren't my best friend, I could even help you with it."

And she placed her gentle fingers teasingly on his abdomen, pulled up the hem of his T-shirt on a way that made him groan. He forced himself to grab her hand, and stop it before she could touch him further.

"Margot, stop this right now." His voice was tense and tormented. He barely got the words out of his mouth.

But she had already pulled away her hand, and was getting out of the sleeping bag, a crooked smile on her impish face.

"Calm down, Hikaru, it was just a joke."

"Yeah, really funny." His voice was venomous.

Magot rolled her eyes. "Where did you leave your sense of humor? It's not like I'd really touch you, silly! You're my best friend, it would be too weird. We're practically family. I was just kidding, you know. Life should not be so serious, at least sex shouldn't."

Sulu didn't say anything. All his energy was spent in self-control. He didn't care if Margot thought he was the dullest person in the universe. He cradled deeper into his sleeping bag, desperately trying to forget how her fingers had felt on his skin - but it was impossible.

"Hikaru?"

Sulu winced and opened his eyes. Margot was leaving the tent, she had pulled a jacket on top of pajamas and had stepped into a pair of slippers.

"Yeah?"

"Do something about it, you know what." Margot winked, and threw a package of tissues at him. Reflexively he snatched it.

"Oh, no way!"

"Why not?" Margot looked genuinely surprised. "Wouldn't it make you feel better?"

"No! Yes, I mean, no!" Sulu threw the tissues towards Margot, who managed to dodge. "I can not believe that you'd even suggest something like that."

"There is nothing to be embarrassed about, Hikaru. We all do it. I'm sure you do it all the time. Hell, even I do it."

"Too much information!" Sulu stated. "I beg you to tell me no more. Will you please just leave me be."

The idea of Margot touching herself was almost too much to take. All too clearly he saw Margot's voluptuous naked body in his mind, lying on the bed her eyes closed, lips parted in pleasure, her fingers-

Sulu forced the image out of his mind. For God's sake, why was she torturing him like this?! He inhaled deeply a few times, before he regained at least some part of his self-control.

"Please, just go away."

"So you can...?"

"No." Sulu glanced at her. "Definitely not. I'm going to get up and get dressed, so could you please give me some privacy?"

Margot shrugged and opened the hatch to step out. "Blame yourself, then. Don't come nagging at me, when you're all tense all day."

Sulu didn't respond, but simply waited until she'd left the tent. As soon as he saw the hatch closing, he fell back down to the mattress and pressed his fingers to his hair.

He groaned in desperation.

He knew Margot was right, and that he'd regret this decision many a time, but there had to be a limit to his humiliation. He was not going to be so pathetic. There was no way he'd do as she'd suggested, knowing that Margot was only a few feet away, outside the tent.

Sulu closed his eyes and inhaled deeply to calm himself. He tried to relax. He tried to think of the dullest, unsexiest things he knew.

Breath in, breath out.

Think about sandwiches.

About socks.

About all the Joes you know.

And ugly paintings.

Think about dirty, stinky, sweaty klingon warriors.

That did it. Finally he felt the heat leaving his body. His heartbeat calmed down, and his mind cleared. Once more he inhaled deeply, and then got up to get dressed.

This was going to be a very long day.