Prologue
He had looked back. His father didn't care enough to look back, no one ever had. Jim could barely believe his eyes as he watched Silver turn the longboat around and head back to the bay for him. Someone finally gave a good goddamn about his feelings, and it was the most unlikely person of all, well, the most unlikely cyborg. Jim hopped into the boat and took the helm, showing off all his impressive solar surfer moves. Silver was so taken aback at first, he nearly fell over, but regained his composure and let Jim steer them onto the tail of a comet, and ride it far and fast through the etherium. They spent the rest of the day riding comets and coasting through the vast three-dimensional plain that was space.
The Legacy was docked at a tiny planet that was used mainly for refueling (for the older vessels that weren't powered by solar sails) and restocking, and Jim and Silver pulled the longboat up to an even tinier natural satellite of the planet, securing it expertly to the jagged, but sturdy, rock formations. They needed some time alone to talk, and under Captain Amelia, they never had so much as a spare moment to fart. Morph had tagged along on their mini-adventure, and was now off exploring the layout of the satellite, mimicking all the trees and rocks he encountered, making his usual, random, happy noises. The terrain was red, tightly packed clay and huge, jutting rocks and hills, dotted with gnarled, weeping trees with orange leaves and vines, and coal black trunks. It was a mystery how the trees survived, as there didn't seem to be any water source, but in the last few weeks, Jim had seen so many new worlds and life forms, he had stopped questioning and simply began observing. Sometimes, things didn't really need answers; they just needed to be expressed. He felt the same way about those trees right now as he did about his feelings for Silver.
"Did you believe in the future when you were younger?" Jim asked, stretching out in the longboat, and glancing over at Silver, his hands behind his head
"Well, whether I did or didn't, it came about, did it not?" Silver replied, his brow a bit furrowed by Jim's question. "What are ye getting at, lad?"
"I meant, did you have any idea of what was going to become of you, did you know you would end up a cyborg? A cook on a ship?" Jim expected an honest answer, and Silver wouldn't let him down. Aside from his mutiny plans, he had resolved to be completely honest with the boy.
"Of course not! Are ye daft? Who imagines that as a possible outcome of their toils? But that ain't the point of livin', Jimbo. The point is, well, I haven't gotten that far yet!" Silver laughed softly, staring down at his robotic hand, the complex erector set that made up his fingers, knuckles and wrist. It was a tool, and a weapon, but right now he just wanted it to be a hand, a hand to reach out to Jim with. In the end, it was Jim who did the reaching, sitting up and lightly touching the cold machinery, curiously and tentatively at first. He inched closer to the older man, remaining silent and manually exploring the workings of his artificial limb. Jim had expected it to be unpleasant, but he found the metal to be smooth and stable, something strong to hold onto. Silver was old enough to be his father, and had looked after him in his own gruff way from day one. He wanted more than anything to trust this man, but the nagging suspicions, assuming the voice of old Billy Bones, kept intruding in his mind. Even if Silver wasn't the cyborg that was after Bones, how could he be sure this wasn't another man who would up and leave him alone, betrayed once more? That thought hurt Jim more than the memory of his father abandoning him, because his feelings for Silver were much more intense.
He slipped beneath the robotic arm and leaned against Silver's massive torso and shoulder. The flesh and bone of this man was even more stable than the metallic parts, and Jim himself was barely aware of how his hand now traveled over Silver's human hand, up his arm and came to rest on his chest, over his heart. He turned his head inward and nuzzled against his shoulder. "I don't think I've gotten that far either. I don't think I ever will."
Silver froze. He knew his conscience would eat at him for the rest of his life if he allowed the situation to escalate any further. The young pup barely knew which way was up, and to follow through with his more sexual inclinations towards the boy would be nothing short of debauchery, an act of selfish cruelty. It didn't matter that the feel of his young, smooth body inflamed him, and it didn't matter that he had grown to love the boy, and believe in all his potential to become a great man, all that mattered was that doing anything with him now would be wrong, plain and simple. He rotated his cyborg eye to peer into Jim's face, and the desire and desperation for love was clearly evident, but it was the wrong time, the wrong place. With a deep, sad breath, Silver lightly slapped the boy's cheek and ruffled his hair.
"Ah, Jimbo, ye got plenty more time to get there, a heap more than I do, anyhow. What do ye say we catch a few more tails before we head back to the ship? I got me some time before I need to head into the galley to prepare supper, you can show me some more of them fancy solar surfer moves!" He tried to sound cheerful and boisterous as always, but it was extremely difficult.
At first, Jim had never felt more hurt or rejected in his life, and he was so stunned, he couldn't speak. As they headed back into space, catching the tail of a huge and fast- moving comet, he began to think more clearly. His hair whipped around his face as fast as his thoughts swirled in his head, and when he followed the comet as it made its loop and then propelled the boat into the dark silence of space once more, he realized that Silver had just given him what he had wanted, someone to trust. In hindsight, Jim was shocked at himself, not only for whom he had found himself attracted to, but how easily he was ready to give himself over to him, and it made him feel more valuable than any treasure to know that Silver wouldn't take advantage of his vulnerability.
It was dark by the time they returned to the Legacy, and Jim was in much better spirits. They laughed and joked as they hauled the longboat up into the hanger bay.
"Jimbo, if I had maneuvered a skiff like that when I was your age, they'd be bowing in the streets when I walked by today!"
"Bowing in the streets!" Morph chimed in, darting to and fro around their heads.
Jim smiled. It was nice to know that someone thought he was worthy of a bow. And he was especially glad that it was Silver who thought so.
Eight Years Later
Captain James Pleiades Hawkins had decided to grace the old Benbow Inn with his presence once again after completing his most recent assignment, escorting a prison ship full of convicts to a new penal colony planet in the same solar system as Montressor, a dusty, two-bit center of mining industries, and his home planet. Jim had bounced back and forth between the prison ship and his own vessel, the Comet, personally making sure the convicts were secured, and the especially violent and dangerous ones locked in solitary in the sectioned brig. One day, as he was making rounds, he heard a harping, familiar voice emanating from one of the cells in the women's block of the brig, a place even more frightening than the men's area, Jim soon learned. He looked down to see a tiny, shriveled, very old female Quaradian, with a face so ugly, he would recognize it a hundred yards away. It was Birdbrain Mary, one of the pirates in Silver's band who mutinied on the Legacy! Jim had believed her to be long dead; prison life is hardly the easiest way to spend one's golden years. He supposed Quaradians are more resilient than they appear. As a captain, he was above petty grudges, but he still couldn't resist "accidentally" stepping on one of her skinny legs that stretched out from behind the iron bars.
"Whoops, so sorry! Heh, didn't see you there. I should be sliced and diced for my clumsiness, don't you agree?" Jim smiled smugly down to her, as he threw back the old girl's words into her face. She had egged Scroop on to slice and dice him in their first encounter.
It was that moment that she recognized him, and began to shriek like a banshee. "You! You bloody, barnacle-sucking whelp! That no-good Silver and his little crush on you led our whole scheme into Hell! You'll pay, if it's the last thing me old bones allow me, I'll see you-" Jim walked out and slammed the door to the brig shut before she could finish.
That run-in with Birdbrain Mary had stayed in his head for the remainder of the voyage. All through his academy years, and even now as a spacer, he tried not to think about Silver too much, at least not about what almost happened between them. Mary's reference to Silver's "crush" on him brought back the memories of that day on the satellite, docked beneath those mysterious orange and black trees. Damn, he was so innocent back then, as funny as that may seem, given his constant troubles with the law. It's not a very comfortable scenario to think about, even Jim knew it. Since then, Jim's sexual experience had grown considerably, sneaking out of the academy dormitories late at night, meeting the occasional spaceport floozy, even some dorm room antics with some of the other male cadets. Fornicating with those heavily made up and perfumed whores and slender, masculine youths may not be considered the most respectable way of expressing his sexuality, but it wasn't so unusual. A teenage boy and a middle-aged, burly, cyborg with sexual tension between them, it's enough to cause anyone at least a moderate amount of stuttering. On some planets, something like that is even considered illegal. In some cases, he could understand why it would be, but he just couldn't think of their relationship in such black and white terms, right and wrong, mostly because it was so multi-faceted. Silver had been everything he ever needed, a friend, a father figure, and a potential love interest. If one person could fill all those roles in his life, it seemed to Jim the only problem would be in finding the right greeting cards. Happy Birthday, to a loving…friend/father/lover? What kind of HallMars store carried those?
He had almost two whole weeks before he had to be in Port Odgen on Liac for his next commission. Jim was looking forward to seeing his mother, and he was prepared to handle B.E.N. again. He had come to regard the robot as a sort of annoying cousin to be put up with at family functions in order to spend time with the favorite relatives, but he was still endearing in his own way. At least now with his memory chip intact, he wouldn't have too many screws loose, literally and figuratively. Perhaps it would turn out to be a full-scale reunion, if Amelia wasn't off on another voyage. She hadn't slowed down a bit since marrying Delbert and having their litter, and while Delbert Doppler was still a noted physicist, he had also taken a second role as househusband, something Jim never ceased to find humor in, especially since the kids are now almost five years old, and run him ragged.
It began to rain just as Jim arrived on Montressor, but thankfully, he still had the battery back up on his solar surfer fully charged. It was his favorite mode of transportation, even if he was now more or less forced to obey all applicable traffic laws. He had a lot more to lose now by getting arrested, and the fact that this was a sign of success was not lost on him. Damn, he thought to himself, when did I become such a man?
He pulled the collar of his claret velvet coat up around his face to shield him and rode in the rain for nearly an hour to reach the Benbow Inn. He came in just as the afternoon rush was setting in, miners on their lunch breaks and travelers from all over the galaxy all crowding into the warm dining room to escape the rain and trade stories. It was so busy, Sarah Hawkins didn't even see her son walking through the door, so Jim slipped through the crowd, as agile as a spider, and sneaked up behind her as she set down the plates of food in front of a family of Flatulans, who thanked her in a polite, if awfully smelly, manner. Jim waited until she had set everything down so nothing would spill or break, and then he snaked his arms around her and whisked her up in the air, spinning her around and returning her safely to the floor. Sarah shrieked in surprise, and then when she saw it was Jim, shrieked again and hugged him tightly.
"Jim! Oh, goodness! What a surprise! How did you end up here?" Sarah looked around at the busy inn, and hollered for B.E.N. and Myra, the new kitchen girl, to cover for her for a few minutes, then hustled Jim upstairs to her living area on the third floor.
"Come now, you're soaking wet, you've got to change your clothes and get warmed up!" Sarah fussed as she pulled him into her bedroom, pulled his pack off his shoulders and attacked him with a towel. Sarah was immeasurably proud of her son, but more than that, every visit home he made reassured her that he was alive and well. The dangers of spacing are more than apparent.
"I told you in my last letter, I would be near here when I made the voyage commissioned by the penal colony. I thought I would come home for a visit before my next assignment," Jim smiled, somewhat embarrassed. "I've missed you, mom."
"Oh, Jim!" Sarah's eyed welled up and she hugged him again, even tighter and longer this time.
Jim gasped for air and sputtered, "Ah, Mom! Let go! You've been hanging around B.E.N. for too long!"
Sarah released him and composed herself, smoothing her apron and tucking the loose strands of mahogany hair back under her frilled cap. "All right, all right, we'll catch up later. I should go back down to the dining room anyway, that new kitchen girl I hired is bright, but a complete novice, and B.E.N., well, you know him." she ran a hand through Jim's damp hair, now neatly trimmed and practical, befitting a captain, albeit a young one. "I'll prepare the room across the hall for you when I get a free moment."
"Nah, don't worry about it," he replied, holding the door open for her. "I'll do it myself."
"No longer in need of your mother, eh?" Sarah quipped, jokingly, but still with a bit of sadness that she couldn't baby him anymore.
"Well, if it will make you feel better, you can make a batch of those Ardranian fudge brownies tonight, if you want to make me completely regress back to childhood," Jim's eyes glittered with humor as he followed her out of the room and walked her to the staircase.
"I think I can learn to live with you as an adult, Jim." Sarah nudged her son lovingly and headed back downstairs.
Later on, after Jim had finished unpacking and preparing his own room, he found himself gazing out the window, up towards the stars and into the far-reaching universe. Some of those stars he had been to in his travels, others were still mysterious. He knew how vast the universe is, and yet, he still couldn't help but wonder if he had ever come close to Silver again, if they had crossed paths and just missed each other. He sometimes got the feeling that if he turned around, Silver would be there, but he never turned around, he knew how silly such a notion was. He chalked the feeling up to remembrance, and the fact that Silver had inspired him to chart his own course, so he was never far from his thoughts. "I hope you're doing ok, you old scallywag," Jim spoke softly into the night air.
"Old scallywag! Old scallywag!" A voice emanated from the corner of the bedroom inside the closet, mimicking Jim's voice, only higher pitched.
Jim spun around and the little protoplasmic blob known lovingly as Morph burst out of the armoire and floated over to him, hovering around his head and nuzzling his cheek.
"Hey, Morph, is that where you've been hanging around? I've missed you, little buddy," Jim exclaimed, scratching the top of the bubbly creatures head affectionately. Morph had stayed with Jim all through his time at the academy, but had to stay at the Benbow for the last couple of years, as he began to age. He wasn't as fast as he used to be, and couldn't morph into anything anymore. His strength was only so much to allow him to transform into things with a softer density, pillows and such. As much as he loved being around Jim, his traveling days were pretty much over. To Jim, it was just as well. Morph was given to him by Silver, and Jim would much rather avoid anything sentimental.
It was getting late, and Jim was exhausted. He would spend time with his mother and catch up with Doppler and the rest tomorrow morning. He settled into bed, Morph curled up under the blanket near his feet, and as he drifted off to sleep, he almost could hear the low clicking of mechanical gears, generating power to cyborg limbs.
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In the darkest time of night, several hours before sunrise, a massive figure lumbered down the path leading from the port to the middle of town, which passes right by the Benbow Inn. It had been raining all over Montressor for the last week, but it had finally cleared up several hours ago, and all was nearly silent. The only sounds the traveler could hear was his own breathing and grunting, and the whirring of the micro generators above his ear, on his shoulder and on his hip as he trudged down the muddy highway. He had grown accustomed to walking with his head down, watching the road ahead of him, to hide his face, avoid recognition. There was no one around to finger the fugitive now, but he still hung his head. His cyborg leg was acting up again; it was never quite the same since that young pup had stabbed it with an ice pick. It had a tendency to lock up on him at times. At his next stop, he'd have to do some maintenance again. That was the only thing he was looking forward to when it came to his next stop. He was beginning to think this whole trip was insane. What in the universe had compelled him to come to Montresor? More than likely, Jim wasn't even here.
Silver hadn't spoken to Jim Hawkins since the day he had to flee the Legacy and go on the run once more, but he had seen him once since then, the day Jim graduated from the Interstellar Naval Academy. He was the face on the edge of the crowd, silent, but nonetheless present, hidden under a large cap and turned up lapels. Silver had finally gotten to catch some of the light coming off Jim's sails, and it's fueled his heart everyday since then. He'd spent the last eight years under various identities, cooking on ships, occasionally turning to petty theft and taking jobs as a hit man on planets ruled by organized crime. He knew how to get around, and while authorities constantly pursued him from every galaxy, he was always three steps ahead.
The lights from the Benbow Inn appeared on the horizon quicker than Silver had anticipated, and he felt the first rush of hesitation in a long while. He ultimately pushed it aside, and kept following the inexplicable instinct to keep going. Usually, he never went by instinct alone, he was far too pragmatic for that, but after his latest hit on Fortunato, barely a boat ride west of Montressor, something made him go east, a feeling, or more likely, a wish that Jim would be there. As he approached the inn, he knew he had to proceed with caution. If Jim was here, he could be the only one to know Silver had arrived. He knew Doppler lived nearby, and if his inklings about the physicist and Captain Amelia were correct, she may be around too. From a few feet in front of the entrance, Silver peered into the open door, searching the inn for any familiar faces. The only person he saw was a delicate redheaded girl in the foyer, watering a potted plant. Judging it to be safe, he stepped through the doorway and loomed over her, clearing his throat loudly.
Myra, who in addition to being a kitchen girl, also helped out by occasionally checking in guests who came to the inn throughout the night. She was a dreadful insomniac, and slightly paranoid, so it wasn't a difficult task to stay up late and scrutinize the patrons. At seeing Silver, she gulped nervously and stared up at the huge, mechanically enhanced man in front of her. "C-Can I help you?"
Silver's rigid expression melted into a friendly smile after he succeeded in getting a jolt out of her. "Only if ye have a room to spare for a weary traveler, lass," he replied, in his thick, gruff brogue. He pulled a cloth bag of coins out of his coat pocket and smiled devilishly. He found her to be a cute little wench, in a pixyish sort of way, her red ringlets and bonny bow lips all quivering as she surveyed him.
She got over the shock quickly enough, and managed to lead him over to the counter to sign in. "You're in luck, Mister…" Myra glanced over to the name he had signed in under. "Stevenson. We've got one room left. It's on the second floor, second door on the right. But stay quiet, it's right under the owner's living quarters."
Silver tipped his hat to Myra and headed to the staircase. Oh, fine mess I'm in now, he thought to himself. If Jim is here, I could be somewhere right under him!
The idea made him more nervous that poor Myra, who had resumed watering the plant in the foyer to recover from her encounter with him. The stairs creaked under his weight, and the gears in his leg rattled and locked. So much for keeping quiet, but he still managed to make it to the room with no one else waking up. Collapsing onto the straw bed, he immediately reached into the heavy sack he carried and retrieved a wrench. Adjusting the bolts in his leg, he grunted softly, recalling the day in the galley when Jim had stabbed him. He didn't blame him for doing it; Silver had been almost ready to threaten him with a gun. He would be lying if he said he actually entertained ideas of shooting the boy, but just the same, Jim had to take action. But Silver didn't want to delve into old memories right now. He was too tired, and he needed to rest in order to figure out how he was going to stay here and not be seen by the wrong people.
He slept fitfully for the next couple of hours. It was hard to relax completely with everything on his mind. Silver was finally awakened by a loud thud coming from the ceiling above him. Several more thuds pounded the floor on the third story, and footsteps followed. Finally, a faint male voice floated down, sounding quite annoyed. Silver was able to make out a few words, and his jaw nearly dropped down to his chest.
"Morph, quit it! The boot game was funny the first thousand times, but not anymore!" It was Jim!
The sound of his voice clenched around Silver's old heart. It still had the defiant, youthful timbre, but now he didn't sound as anxious, he was more confident, his new position of authority brought that out. Sitting up in the bed, Silver listened more intently, chuckling as Morph continued to lead Jim on a merry chase around the room upstairs, playing keep away with his boot.
"Fine, just forget it! Keep the boot, Morph!" Jim's footsteps stormed out of the room and downstairs, down the hallway on the second floor, past Silver's room to the staircase leading to the dining room.
Deciding Jim must have went down to breakfast barefoot, and would come back afterwards for his shoes, Silver stood up and began searching the wooden planks above his head, looking for any hole or split that would allow him to call Morph. Finally finding one in the corner, he called softly towards the low ceiling. "Morphy, hey Morphy! Ye remember me?"
He could hear the light thudding of the boot making its way over to the hole, Morph still inside. "Remember me?" he finally echoed back.
"Yes! Morph, It's ye're old pal, Silver! How're ye holding up?"
"Holding up!" Morph mimicked, his tiny voice growing happily excited. He slipped out of the shoe and peeked down into the hole, meeting Silver's eye.
Silver was overjoyed to see his little Morph again, and suddenly knew how to let Jim know he was here. "Hey, Morphy, you want ta do a friend a dire favor, for ol' time's sake?"
Morph nodded in the affirmative, anxious to carry out some more mischief, even in his advanced age. "Old time's sake!"
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"Okay Morph, are you ready to give up the shoe?" Jim called coaxingly into his bedroom as he came back after breakfast. He peered around the room, but couldn't see his boot, or Morph anywhere. "Come on, Morph, we're both able to be rational here, and remember, I'm a captain now, this isn't very dignified."
Morph burst out from underneath the armoire and bolted right between Jim's legs, scooting out the door, and bouncing towards the staircase. Ah, screw dignity! "Gimme that shoe, you little-"
And the chase was on. Morph, still quick enough to outrun Jim in small distances, headed to the staircase and down to the second floor. Jim hurried down after him, his manly craving for victory over even the smallest, and most petty foe raging in his hormones. The little blob reached Silver's room and threw his weight against the toe of the boot and made it kick the door open. He hopped in just as Jim was coming around the corner and into the room after him. Exhausted, but satisfied that he had done a good job, Morph floated up to Silver's shoulder and collapsed onto it.
The moment Jim entered the room, it felt as if the floor disintegrated beneath him and he was floating with Morph. He stood frozen in the doorway for a moment. It couldn't be Silver! But then again, how could it not be? He was the same man Jim had dreamed about for the last eight years, a few more wrinkles around his eyes but otherwise he didn't look the worse for wear, despite the difficulty of the last few years. One thing Jim had admired in Silver was his resilience.
"Well, don't just stand there using up the air, Jimbo! Did you really think you were rid of me that easy?" That thick, coarse brogue electrified the young man, and reanimated him.
Jim leaped into the room and hugged the old pirate fiercely. While it was as comforting and arousing as ever, it wasn't such an overwhelming feeling to be this close to him anymore. He had grown several inches taller since they had last seen each other, and his build had grown harder and stronger. The endless hours in weight training at the academy had transformed his wiry, thin physique into a lean, classical form, and Silver was impressed to feel the difference when he hugged Jim, wrapping his good arm around the other man's broad shoulders.
"How did you end up here?" Jim finally spoke, never letting go.
"I told ye I wanted to catch some of that light from your sails, and I'm not disappointed in the least," Silver pulled back and admired his young friend. "You're glowin' more than ever now! Ye're a true solar fire!"
"But, how could you know I was here? Have you been…?" Jim trailed off, somewhat suspicious, but mostly hopeful. Those feelings may have been for a real reason!
"Ah, well, no, I haven't been following ye, except sometimes in me own mind when my sentimental side mutinies on me," Silver quipped, his grin washing away the slight disappointment on Jim's expression.
Jim smiled back, a sad smile. Seeing Silver now forced him to acknowledge so much, the sense of loss at their parting, but more than anything, his very real desire for him. He could no longer brush Silver aside in his mind, write him off as a fantasy, something Jim's need for someone to trust had created in his head. Seeing him again confirmed what he had long known, he loved Silver in every way. It was frightening, but it was the best feeling he had ever experienced.
Silver was also facing some thoughts as they shared a momentary awkward silence, not looking into each other's eyes, but still unable to stop touching each other. Silver's mechanical hand rested softly on Jim's shoulder, drawing him closer. He didn't feel as if he would be taking advantage of Jim now, yet he still hesitated. What if Jim had moved on, and didn't see him in that light anymore? Finally, they stopped worrying about what to say or not say, and Jim collapsed against him again.
"Everything feels okay now," Jim managed to mumble.
The statement startled Silver. "Have things not been okay, lad?"
"Well, they've been, I don't know. It's all been great, I guess. It's just been, incomplete." This all felt surreal, yet it was the rawest experience of Jim's life, glaring with tangibility.
"Well, Jimbo, ye're a captain now, respected and honored throughout the stars. I've been far away, but not completely cut off from ye. Word travels far when it's a good word. I've heard of your achievements from time to time." Silver's human eye glittered, and his cyborg one was focused in on Jim's face.
"There was one thing I didn't do, you know," Jim looked up and met his gaze.
"What could that have been, lad?" Silver silently prayed, but if it was for his gut feeling about what was to come next to be true, or for it to not be, he didn't know.
Jim draped his arm over Silver's shoulders and pressed up against him, kissing the side of his neck and entwining his hand into the surprisingly soft hair on the back of the old pirate's head. "I never got to know what it could be like…to be with someone I love." He nuzzled against the crook of Silver's neck, breathing in his salty, masculine scent, like cigars and hardship.
He kept one arm around Silver, and with the other, took Silver's large, calloused, human hand and guided it down the side of his own torso. He could feel the warm touch right through his linen shirt and tight fitting suede pants, and it was more satisfying than he had ever dreamed, but he wanted more.
Morph had scampered off to who knows where, so they were completely alone. Jim had no plans until much later, but even then, he may have to take a rain check on taking Amelia and Delbert's kids to the park to teach them how to solar surf. He pulled away from Silver and kicked the door closed behind him. Boldly tugging his shirt over his head, exposing his robust, youthful chest and ridged stomach. They stood before each other, much like they had in the galley the day Jim had overheard the mutiny plans, only now they weren't playing any games. They were finally being completely honest. "Do you see me as a man now, Silver?"
"More of a man than any I've ever encountered, Jimbo," Silver approached him, loomed over Jim for a moment, then pulled him back into his embrace, his bare hand finally contacting Jim's flesh, and his mechanical hand tearing at the waistband of his pants.
They slaked their need for each other's touch standing right in the middle of the room. It had been a long time since Silver had been intimate with anyone, and he had to remember to be extra careful with his cyborg arm, keeping it locked in the functional hand mode, avoiding too many sharp edges and such. Jim was more aggressive than he expected the young man to be, deftly working open Silver's belt buckle and kneeling down before him as he slid off the britches. Jim studied the mechanical leg bit by bit as it was exposed, the titanium and stainless steel work of art, so intricate in its design and function. The softer, flexible part near the knee still bore a mark where it had been welded to repair the stab wound, a sort of scar, the only imperfection on this amazing machine. The limb went all the way up to Silver's hip, even replacing his right buttock with a molded titanium cup, which Jim imagined must make it very painful to sit down for very long. It was there that the machinery met flesh, and joined with it, and it was a glaring reminder of exactly how horrendous the ordeal that stole his limbs must have been.
He pushed those sad thoughts out of his mind and went back to the wonderful experience of the present. Upon taking Silver's half-rigid member into his mouth, hearing the old pirate's groan of relief, he knew this was a long time coming. It wouldn't have been this way if they had followed through eight years ago, timing could make such a difference.
Their extended foreplay went on for hours. More than anything, they had both been craving the simplest touches, to be held by each other, to add the final dimension to their relationship that would bind them to each other for all time, even if they could never be a part of each other's daily lives. They knew that now, had known it from the moment Jim closed the door to their own private world. To stay together all the time would derail both of their lives, no amount of love could change that. Jim was Captain Hawkins now, living out his dream of touching every star. Silver didn't waste time on regret for his past choices, but rather embraced them, and grew into his life of crime, but couldn't in good conscience bring someone he loved into that lifestyle. From the moment the door to Silver's room at the inn had closed, they knew they may never have another chance after today, and they accepted it.
The consummation was eminent. Naked and aroused to near drunkenness, Jim slowly made his way to the bed and guided Silver by the hand to lay next to him. Jim lay on his side, facing the wall and let Silver spoon him, wrapping his human arm around his chest. The contentedness he felt only drove his carnal desire further to the edge. "Reach into the drawer in the night table," Jim mumbled softly.
Silver released Jim momentarily and reached in, pulling out a small white bottle. He contemplated this for a moment, but Jim explained its purpose before he could ask. "Complementary moisturizing lotion for every guest. The inn has become a bit swankier since it was rebuilt. This stuff has a few more purposes than just to treat chapped hands."
The reality fully sank into Silver's head. "Lad, are ye sure this is what ye want? It's not something you can go back from."
Jim almost laughed. It wasn't the first time Jim had done this, of course, but Silver still saw him as an innocent. He decided not to say anything, and just pressed his back against Silver's torso, gyrating his hips a little, grinding over his more sensitive parts.
Innocent or not, the motions drove Silver over the breaking point. With the slick fingers of his human hand, he began to probe Jim carefully, breaching him, overwhelmed by the tightness and burning heat of his body. The sensations made Jim tremble, soft "O's" escaping his lips with every thrust of the man's hand. He turned completely onto his stomach and faced Silver, looking up into the pirate's eyes, pleading for the completion.
Silver was so careful in mounting him, easing his cyborg limbs over to the other side and resting gently on the back of Jim's thighs, positioning him for entry. Sliding inside, He came to a halt halfway in and paused before forcefully completing the coupling. Jim's breath rolled out of his mouth in a long, rasping groan. They remained still for several moments, reveling in the moment they had both craved for so long. When Silver began to rock against him, slowly and deeply, he lifted his hips and loved him back, his own engorged shaft rubbing against the soft sheets on the bed with the movements. Jim came first, a burst of glowing stars passing over his eyes and his milky ejaculation soaking the spot beneath him. Silver achieved his release several moments later, filling Jim's passage with the warm, fluid pleasure.
It wasn't selfish cruelty, it wasn't an ego trip, it was finally the right time for love, unhindered by naiveté or dishonesty, and even though it may only be this one moment, neither of them could have lived the rest of their lives without it. The long awaited catharsis would fuel their exploits for years to come.
As time went on, Silver and Jim met at the Benbow every so often, the time gaps in between ranging from a few months to nearly five years. They never planned any of the meetings, Jim would go home to visit his mother and friends, and Silver would be there. For the first few years, Jim had a romanticized view of their secret relationship, believing they had a psychic connection that allowed Silver to know when he would be on Montressor. It was when Jim was on his way home after a particularly long and dangerous commission, and he had that familiar feeling that Silver was close to him again, that he finally knew the truth. Climbing to the crow's nest and looking out over the etherium to the west with his telescope, he saw a tiny vessel, a sturdy schooner, white as an eggshell against the darkness of space. "You old Spacedog," Jim mumbled affectionately.
As much as it may seem that way, Silver was never far away. Not only had he found someone to look back, he found someone who would stay, someone who was loyal. Finally, Jim felt complete.
He had looked back. His father didn't care enough to look back, no one ever had. Jim could barely believe his eyes as he watched Silver turn the longboat around and head back to the bay for him. Someone finally gave a good goddamn about his feelings, and it was the most unlikely person of all, well, the most unlikely cyborg. Jim hopped into the boat and took the helm, showing off all his impressive solar surfer moves. Silver was so taken aback at first, he nearly fell over, but regained his composure and let Jim steer them onto the tail of a comet, and ride it far and fast through the etherium. They spent the rest of the day riding comets and coasting through the vast three-dimensional plain that was space.
The Legacy was docked at a tiny planet that was used mainly for refueling (for the older vessels that weren't powered by solar sails) and restocking, and Jim and Silver pulled the longboat up to an even tinier natural satellite of the planet, securing it expertly to the jagged, but sturdy, rock formations. They needed some time alone to talk, and under Captain Amelia, they never had so much as a spare moment to fart. Morph had tagged along on their mini-adventure, and was now off exploring the layout of the satellite, mimicking all the trees and rocks he encountered, making his usual, random, happy noises. The terrain was red, tightly packed clay and huge, jutting rocks and hills, dotted with gnarled, weeping trees with orange leaves and vines, and coal black trunks. It was a mystery how the trees survived, as there didn't seem to be any water source, but in the last few weeks, Jim had seen so many new worlds and life forms, he had stopped questioning and simply began observing. Sometimes, things didn't really need answers; they just needed to be expressed. He felt the same way about those trees right now as he did about his feelings for Silver.
"Did you believe in the future when you were younger?" Jim asked, stretching out in the longboat, and glancing over at Silver, his hands behind his head
"Well, whether I did or didn't, it came about, did it not?" Silver replied, his brow a bit furrowed by Jim's question. "What are ye getting at, lad?"
"I meant, did you have any idea of what was going to become of you, did you know you would end up a cyborg? A cook on a ship?" Jim expected an honest answer, and Silver wouldn't let him down. Aside from his mutiny plans, he had resolved to be completely honest with the boy.
"Of course not! Are ye daft? Who imagines that as a possible outcome of their toils? But that ain't the point of livin', Jimbo. The point is, well, I haven't gotten that far yet!" Silver laughed softly, staring down at his robotic hand, the complex erector set that made up his fingers, knuckles and wrist. It was a tool, and a weapon, but right now he just wanted it to be a hand, a hand to reach out to Jim with. In the end, it was Jim who did the reaching, sitting up and lightly touching the cold machinery, curiously and tentatively at first. He inched closer to the older man, remaining silent and manually exploring the workings of his artificial limb. Jim had expected it to be unpleasant, but he found the metal to be smooth and stable, something strong to hold onto. Silver was old enough to be his father, and had looked after him in his own gruff way from day one. He wanted more than anything to trust this man, but the nagging suspicions, assuming the voice of old Billy Bones, kept intruding in his mind. Even if Silver wasn't the cyborg that was after Bones, how could he be sure this wasn't another man who would up and leave him alone, betrayed once more? That thought hurt Jim more than the memory of his father abandoning him, because his feelings for Silver were much more intense.
He slipped beneath the robotic arm and leaned against Silver's massive torso and shoulder. The flesh and bone of this man was even more stable than the metallic parts, and Jim himself was barely aware of how his hand now traveled over Silver's human hand, up his arm and came to rest on his chest, over his heart. He turned his head inward and nuzzled against his shoulder. "I don't think I've gotten that far either. I don't think I ever will."
Silver froze. He knew his conscience would eat at him for the rest of his life if he allowed the situation to escalate any further. The young pup barely knew which way was up, and to follow through with his more sexual inclinations towards the boy would be nothing short of debauchery, an act of selfish cruelty. It didn't matter that the feel of his young, smooth body inflamed him, and it didn't matter that he had grown to love the boy, and believe in all his potential to become a great man, all that mattered was that doing anything with him now would be wrong, plain and simple. He rotated his cyborg eye to peer into Jim's face, and the desire and desperation for love was clearly evident, but it was the wrong time, the wrong place. With a deep, sad breath, Silver lightly slapped the boy's cheek and ruffled his hair.
"Ah, Jimbo, ye got plenty more time to get there, a heap more than I do, anyhow. What do ye say we catch a few more tails before we head back to the ship? I got me some time before I need to head into the galley to prepare supper, you can show me some more of them fancy solar surfer moves!" He tried to sound cheerful and boisterous as always, but it was extremely difficult.
At first, Jim had never felt more hurt or rejected in his life, and he was so stunned, he couldn't speak. As they headed back into space, catching the tail of a huge and fast- moving comet, he began to think more clearly. His hair whipped around his face as fast as his thoughts swirled in his head, and when he followed the comet as it made its loop and then propelled the boat into the dark silence of space once more, he realized that Silver had just given him what he had wanted, someone to trust. In hindsight, Jim was shocked at himself, not only for whom he had found himself attracted to, but how easily he was ready to give himself over to him, and it made him feel more valuable than any treasure to know that Silver wouldn't take advantage of his vulnerability.
It was dark by the time they returned to the Legacy, and Jim was in much better spirits. They laughed and joked as they hauled the longboat up into the hanger bay.
"Jimbo, if I had maneuvered a skiff like that when I was your age, they'd be bowing in the streets when I walked by today!"
"Bowing in the streets!" Morph chimed in, darting to and fro around their heads.
Jim smiled. It was nice to know that someone thought he was worthy of a bow. And he was especially glad that it was Silver who thought so.
Eight Years Later
Captain James Pleiades Hawkins had decided to grace the old Benbow Inn with his presence once again after completing his most recent assignment, escorting a prison ship full of convicts to a new penal colony planet in the same solar system as Montressor, a dusty, two-bit center of mining industries, and his home planet. Jim had bounced back and forth between the prison ship and his own vessel, the Comet, personally making sure the convicts were secured, and the especially violent and dangerous ones locked in solitary in the sectioned brig. One day, as he was making rounds, he heard a harping, familiar voice emanating from one of the cells in the women's block of the brig, a place even more frightening than the men's area, Jim soon learned. He looked down to see a tiny, shriveled, very old female Quaradian, with a face so ugly, he would recognize it a hundred yards away. It was Birdbrain Mary, one of the pirates in Silver's band who mutinied on the Legacy! Jim had believed her to be long dead; prison life is hardly the easiest way to spend one's golden years. He supposed Quaradians are more resilient than they appear. As a captain, he was above petty grudges, but he still couldn't resist "accidentally" stepping on one of her skinny legs that stretched out from behind the iron bars.
"Whoops, so sorry! Heh, didn't see you there. I should be sliced and diced for my clumsiness, don't you agree?" Jim smiled smugly down to her, as he threw back the old girl's words into her face. She had egged Scroop on to slice and dice him in their first encounter.
It was that moment that she recognized him, and began to shriek like a banshee. "You! You bloody, barnacle-sucking whelp! That no-good Silver and his little crush on you led our whole scheme into Hell! You'll pay, if it's the last thing me old bones allow me, I'll see you-" Jim walked out and slammed the door to the brig shut before she could finish.
That run-in with Birdbrain Mary had stayed in his head for the remainder of the voyage. All through his academy years, and even now as a spacer, he tried not to think about Silver too much, at least not about what almost happened between them. Mary's reference to Silver's "crush" on him brought back the memories of that day on the satellite, docked beneath those mysterious orange and black trees. Damn, he was so innocent back then, as funny as that may seem, given his constant troubles with the law. It's not a very comfortable scenario to think about, even Jim knew it. Since then, Jim's sexual experience had grown considerably, sneaking out of the academy dormitories late at night, meeting the occasional spaceport floozy, even some dorm room antics with some of the other male cadets. Fornicating with those heavily made up and perfumed whores and slender, masculine youths may not be considered the most respectable way of expressing his sexuality, but it wasn't so unusual. A teenage boy and a middle-aged, burly, cyborg with sexual tension between them, it's enough to cause anyone at least a moderate amount of stuttering. On some planets, something like that is even considered illegal. In some cases, he could understand why it would be, but he just couldn't think of their relationship in such black and white terms, right and wrong, mostly because it was so multi-faceted. Silver had been everything he ever needed, a friend, a father figure, and a potential love interest. If one person could fill all those roles in his life, it seemed to Jim the only problem would be in finding the right greeting cards. Happy Birthday, to a loving…friend/father/lover? What kind of HallMars store carried those?
He had almost two whole weeks before he had to be in Port Odgen on Liac for his next commission. Jim was looking forward to seeing his mother, and he was prepared to handle B.E.N. again. He had come to regard the robot as a sort of annoying cousin to be put up with at family functions in order to spend time with the favorite relatives, but he was still endearing in his own way. At least now with his memory chip intact, he wouldn't have too many screws loose, literally and figuratively. Perhaps it would turn out to be a full-scale reunion, if Amelia wasn't off on another voyage. She hadn't slowed down a bit since marrying Delbert and having their litter, and while Delbert Doppler was still a noted physicist, he had also taken a second role as househusband, something Jim never ceased to find humor in, especially since the kids are now almost five years old, and run him ragged.
It began to rain just as Jim arrived on Montressor, but thankfully, he still had the battery back up on his solar surfer fully charged. It was his favorite mode of transportation, even if he was now more or less forced to obey all applicable traffic laws. He had a lot more to lose now by getting arrested, and the fact that this was a sign of success was not lost on him. Damn, he thought to himself, when did I become such a man?
He pulled the collar of his claret velvet coat up around his face to shield him and rode in the rain for nearly an hour to reach the Benbow Inn. He came in just as the afternoon rush was setting in, miners on their lunch breaks and travelers from all over the galaxy all crowding into the warm dining room to escape the rain and trade stories. It was so busy, Sarah Hawkins didn't even see her son walking through the door, so Jim slipped through the crowd, as agile as a spider, and sneaked up behind her as she set down the plates of food in front of a family of Flatulans, who thanked her in a polite, if awfully smelly, manner. Jim waited until she had set everything down so nothing would spill or break, and then he snaked his arms around her and whisked her up in the air, spinning her around and returning her safely to the floor. Sarah shrieked in surprise, and then when she saw it was Jim, shrieked again and hugged him tightly.
"Jim! Oh, goodness! What a surprise! How did you end up here?" Sarah looked around at the busy inn, and hollered for B.E.N. and Myra, the new kitchen girl, to cover for her for a few minutes, then hustled Jim upstairs to her living area on the third floor.
"Come now, you're soaking wet, you've got to change your clothes and get warmed up!" Sarah fussed as she pulled him into her bedroom, pulled his pack off his shoulders and attacked him with a towel. Sarah was immeasurably proud of her son, but more than that, every visit home he made reassured her that he was alive and well. The dangers of spacing are more than apparent.
"I told you in my last letter, I would be near here when I made the voyage commissioned by the penal colony. I thought I would come home for a visit before my next assignment," Jim smiled, somewhat embarrassed. "I've missed you, mom."
"Oh, Jim!" Sarah's eyed welled up and she hugged him again, even tighter and longer this time.
Jim gasped for air and sputtered, "Ah, Mom! Let go! You've been hanging around B.E.N. for too long!"
Sarah released him and composed herself, smoothing her apron and tucking the loose strands of mahogany hair back under her frilled cap. "All right, all right, we'll catch up later. I should go back down to the dining room anyway, that new kitchen girl I hired is bright, but a complete novice, and B.E.N., well, you know him." she ran a hand through Jim's damp hair, now neatly trimmed and practical, befitting a captain, albeit a young one. "I'll prepare the room across the hall for you when I get a free moment."
"Nah, don't worry about it," he replied, holding the door open for her. "I'll do it myself."
"No longer in need of your mother, eh?" Sarah quipped, jokingly, but still with a bit of sadness that she couldn't baby him anymore.
"Well, if it will make you feel better, you can make a batch of those Ardranian fudge brownies tonight, if you want to make me completely regress back to childhood," Jim's eyes glittered with humor as he followed her out of the room and walked her to the staircase.
"I think I can learn to live with you as an adult, Jim." Sarah nudged her son lovingly and headed back downstairs.
Later on, after Jim had finished unpacking and preparing his own room, he found himself gazing out the window, up towards the stars and into the far-reaching universe. Some of those stars he had been to in his travels, others were still mysterious. He knew how vast the universe is, and yet, he still couldn't help but wonder if he had ever come close to Silver again, if they had crossed paths and just missed each other. He sometimes got the feeling that if he turned around, Silver would be there, but he never turned around, he knew how silly such a notion was. He chalked the feeling up to remembrance, and the fact that Silver had inspired him to chart his own course, so he was never far from his thoughts. "I hope you're doing ok, you old scallywag," Jim spoke softly into the night air.
"Old scallywag! Old scallywag!" A voice emanated from the corner of the bedroom inside the closet, mimicking Jim's voice, only higher pitched.
Jim spun around and the little protoplasmic blob known lovingly as Morph burst out of the armoire and floated over to him, hovering around his head and nuzzling his cheek.
"Hey, Morph, is that where you've been hanging around? I've missed you, little buddy," Jim exclaimed, scratching the top of the bubbly creatures head affectionately. Morph had stayed with Jim all through his time at the academy, but had to stay at the Benbow for the last couple of years, as he began to age. He wasn't as fast as he used to be, and couldn't morph into anything anymore. His strength was only so much to allow him to transform into things with a softer density, pillows and such. As much as he loved being around Jim, his traveling days were pretty much over. To Jim, it was just as well. Morph was given to him by Silver, and Jim would much rather avoid anything sentimental.
It was getting late, and Jim was exhausted. He would spend time with his mother and catch up with Doppler and the rest tomorrow morning. He settled into bed, Morph curled up under the blanket near his feet, and as he drifted off to sleep, he almost could hear the low clicking of mechanical gears, generating power to cyborg limbs.
*********************************************************************
In the darkest time of night, several hours before sunrise, a massive figure lumbered down the path leading from the port to the middle of town, which passes right by the Benbow Inn. It had been raining all over Montressor for the last week, but it had finally cleared up several hours ago, and all was nearly silent. The only sounds the traveler could hear was his own breathing and grunting, and the whirring of the micro generators above his ear, on his shoulder and on his hip as he trudged down the muddy highway. He had grown accustomed to walking with his head down, watching the road ahead of him, to hide his face, avoid recognition. There was no one around to finger the fugitive now, but he still hung his head. His cyborg leg was acting up again; it was never quite the same since that young pup had stabbed it with an ice pick. It had a tendency to lock up on him at times. At his next stop, he'd have to do some maintenance again. That was the only thing he was looking forward to when it came to his next stop. He was beginning to think this whole trip was insane. What in the universe had compelled him to come to Montresor? More than likely, Jim wasn't even here.
Silver hadn't spoken to Jim Hawkins since the day he had to flee the Legacy and go on the run once more, but he had seen him once since then, the day Jim graduated from the Interstellar Naval Academy. He was the face on the edge of the crowd, silent, but nonetheless present, hidden under a large cap and turned up lapels. Silver had finally gotten to catch some of the light coming off Jim's sails, and it's fueled his heart everyday since then. He'd spent the last eight years under various identities, cooking on ships, occasionally turning to petty theft and taking jobs as a hit man on planets ruled by organized crime. He knew how to get around, and while authorities constantly pursued him from every galaxy, he was always three steps ahead.
The lights from the Benbow Inn appeared on the horizon quicker than Silver had anticipated, and he felt the first rush of hesitation in a long while. He ultimately pushed it aside, and kept following the inexplicable instinct to keep going. Usually, he never went by instinct alone, he was far too pragmatic for that, but after his latest hit on Fortunato, barely a boat ride west of Montressor, something made him go east, a feeling, or more likely, a wish that Jim would be there. As he approached the inn, he knew he had to proceed with caution. If Jim was here, he could be the only one to know Silver had arrived. He knew Doppler lived nearby, and if his inklings about the physicist and Captain Amelia were correct, she may be around too. From a few feet in front of the entrance, Silver peered into the open door, searching the inn for any familiar faces. The only person he saw was a delicate redheaded girl in the foyer, watering a potted plant. Judging it to be safe, he stepped through the doorway and loomed over her, clearing his throat loudly.
Myra, who in addition to being a kitchen girl, also helped out by occasionally checking in guests who came to the inn throughout the night. She was a dreadful insomniac, and slightly paranoid, so it wasn't a difficult task to stay up late and scrutinize the patrons. At seeing Silver, she gulped nervously and stared up at the huge, mechanically enhanced man in front of her. "C-Can I help you?"
Silver's rigid expression melted into a friendly smile after he succeeded in getting a jolt out of her. "Only if ye have a room to spare for a weary traveler, lass," he replied, in his thick, gruff brogue. He pulled a cloth bag of coins out of his coat pocket and smiled devilishly. He found her to be a cute little wench, in a pixyish sort of way, her red ringlets and bonny bow lips all quivering as she surveyed him.
She got over the shock quickly enough, and managed to lead him over to the counter to sign in. "You're in luck, Mister…" Myra glanced over to the name he had signed in under. "Stevenson. We've got one room left. It's on the second floor, second door on the right. But stay quiet, it's right under the owner's living quarters."
Silver tipped his hat to Myra and headed to the staircase. Oh, fine mess I'm in now, he thought to himself. If Jim is here, I could be somewhere right under him!
The idea made him more nervous that poor Myra, who had resumed watering the plant in the foyer to recover from her encounter with him. The stairs creaked under his weight, and the gears in his leg rattled and locked. So much for keeping quiet, but he still managed to make it to the room with no one else waking up. Collapsing onto the straw bed, he immediately reached into the heavy sack he carried and retrieved a wrench. Adjusting the bolts in his leg, he grunted softly, recalling the day in the galley when Jim had stabbed him. He didn't blame him for doing it; Silver had been almost ready to threaten him with a gun. He would be lying if he said he actually entertained ideas of shooting the boy, but just the same, Jim had to take action. But Silver didn't want to delve into old memories right now. He was too tired, and he needed to rest in order to figure out how he was going to stay here and not be seen by the wrong people.
He slept fitfully for the next couple of hours. It was hard to relax completely with everything on his mind. Silver was finally awakened by a loud thud coming from the ceiling above him. Several more thuds pounded the floor on the third story, and footsteps followed. Finally, a faint male voice floated down, sounding quite annoyed. Silver was able to make out a few words, and his jaw nearly dropped down to his chest.
"Morph, quit it! The boot game was funny the first thousand times, but not anymore!" It was Jim!
The sound of his voice clenched around Silver's old heart. It still had the defiant, youthful timbre, but now he didn't sound as anxious, he was more confident, his new position of authority brought that out. Sitting up in the bed, Silver listened more intently, chuckling as Morph continued to lead Jim on a merry chase around the room upstairs, playing keep away with his boot.
"Fine, just forget it! Keep the boot, Morph!" Jim's footsteps stormed out of the room and downstairs, down the hallway on the second floor, past Silver's room to the staircase leading to the dining room.
Deciding Jim must have went down to breakfast barefoot, and would come back afterwards for his shoes, Silver stood up and began searching the wooden planks above his head, looking for any hole or split that would allow him to call Morph. Finally finding one in the corner, he called softly towards the low ceiling. "Morphy, hey Morphy! Ye remember me?"
He could hear the light thudding of the boot making its way over to the hole, Morph still inside. "Remember me?" he finally echoed back.
"Yes! Morph, It's ye're old pal, Silver! How're ye holding up?"
"Holding up!" Morph mimicked, his tiny voice growing happily excited. He slipped out of the shoe and peeked down into the hole, meeting Silver's eye.
Silver was overjoyed to see his little Morph again, and suddenly knew how to let Jim know he was here. "Hey, Morphy, you want ta do a friend a dire favor, for ol' time's sake?"
Morph nodded in the affirmative, anxious to carry out some more mischief, even in his advanced age. "Old time's sake!"
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"Okay Morph, are you ready to give up the shoe?" Jim called coaxingly into his bedroom as he came back after breakfast. He peered around the room, but couldn't see his boot, or Morph anywhere. "Come on, Morph, we're both able to be rational here, and remember, I'm a captain now, this isn't very dignified."
Morph burst out from underneath the armoire and bolted right between Jim's legs, scooting out the door, and bouncing towards the staircase. Ah, screw dignity! "Gimme that shoe, you little-"
And the chase was on. Morph, still quick enough to outrun Jim in small distances, headed to the staircase and down to the second floor. Jim hurried down after him, his manly craving for victory over even the smallest, and most petty foe raging in his hormones. The little blob reached Silver's room and threw his weight against the toe of the boot and made it kick the door open. He hopped in just as Jim was coming around the corner and into the room after him. Exhausted, but satisfied that he had done a good job, Morph floated up to Silver's shoulder and collapsed onto it.
The moment Jim entered the room, it felt as if the floor disintegrated beneath him and he was floating with Morph. He stood frozen in the doorway for a moment. It couldn't be Silver! But then again, how could it not be? He was the same man Jim had dreamed about for the last eight years, a few more wrinkles around his eyes but otherwise he didn't look the worse for wear, despite the difficulty of the last few years. One thing Jim had admired in Silver was his resilience.
"Well, don't just stand there using up the air, Jimbo! Did you really think you were rid of me that easy?" That thick, coarse brogue electrified the young man, and reanimated him.
Jim leaped into the room and hugged the old pirate fiercely. While it was as comforting and arousing as ever, it wasn't such an overwhelming feeling to be this close to him anymore. He had grown several inches taller since they had last seen each other, and his build had grown harder and stronger. The endless hours in weight training at the academy had transformed his wiry, thin physique into a lean, classical form, and Silver was impressed to feel the difference when he hugged Jim, wrapping his good arm around the other man's broad shoulders.
"How did you end up here?" Jim finally spoke, never letting go.
"I told ye I wanted to catch some of that light from your sails, and I'm not disappointed in the least," Silver pulled back and admired his young friend. "You're glowin' more than ever now! Ye're a true solar fire!"
"But, how could you know I was here? Have you been…?" Jim trailed off, somewhat suspicious, but mostly hopeful. Those feelings may have been for a real reason!
"Ah, well, no, I haven't been following ye, except sometimes in me own mind when my sentimental side mutinies on me," Silver quipped, his grin washing away the slight disappointment on Jim's expression.
Jim smiled back, a sad smile. Seeing Silver now forced him to acknowledge so much, the sense of loss at their parting, but more than anything, his very real desire for him. He could no longer brush Silver aside in his mind, write him off as a fantasy, something Jim's need for someone to trust had created in his head. Seeing him again confirmed what he had long known, he loved Silver in every way. It was frightening, but it was the best feeling he had ever experienced.
Silver was also facing some thoughts as they shared a momentary awkward silence, not looking into each other's eyes, but still unable to stop touching each other. Silver's mechanical hand rested softly on Jim's shoulder, drawing him closer. He didn't feel as if he would be taking advantage of Jim now, yet he still hesitated. What if Jim had moved on, and didn't see him in that light anymore? Finally, they stopped worrying about what to say or not say, and Jim collapsed against him again.
"Everything feels okay now," Jim managed to mumble.
The statement startled Silver. "Have things not been okay, lad?"
"Well, they've been, I don't know. It's all been great, I guess. It's just been, incomplete." This all felt surreal, yet it was the rawest experience of Jim's life, glaring with tangibility.
"Well, Jimbo, ye're a captain now, respected and honored throughout the stars. I've been far away, but not completely cut off from ye. Word travels far when it's a good word. I've heard of your achievements from time to time." Silver's human eye glittered, and his cyborg one was focused in on Jim's face.
"There was one thing I didn't do, you know," Jim looked up and met his gaze.
"What could that have been, lad?" Silver silently prayed, but if it was for his gut feeling about what was to come next to be true, or for it to not be, he didn't know.
Jim draped his arm over Silver's shoulders and pressed up against him, kissing the side of his neck and entwining his hand into the surprisingly soft hair on the back of the old pirate's head. "I never got to know what it could be like…to be with someone I love." He nuzzled against the crook of Silver's neck, breathing in his salty, masculine scent, like cigars and hardship.
He kept one arm around Silver, and with the other, took Silver's large, calloused, human hand and guided it down the side of his own torso. He could feel the warm touch right through his linen shirt and tight fitting suede pants, and it was more satisfying than he had ever dreamed, but he wanted more.
Morph had scampered off to who knows where, so they were completely alone. Jim had no plans until much later, but even then, he may have to take a rain check on taking Amelia and Delbert's kids to the park to teach them how to solar surf. He pulled away from Silver and kicked the door closed behind him. Boldly tugging his shirt over his head, exposing his robust, youthful chest and ridged stomach. They stood before each other, much like they had in the galley the day Jim had overheard the mutiny plans, only now they weren't playing any games. They were finally being completely honest. "Do you see me as a man now, Silver?"
"More of a man than any I've ever encountered, Jimbo," Silver approached him, loomed over Jim for a moment, then pulled him back into his embrace, his bare hand finally contacting Jim's flesh, and his mechanical hand tearing at the waistband of his pants.
They slaked their need for each other's touch standing right in the middle of the room. It had been a long time since Silver had been intimate with anyone, and he had to remember to be extra careful with his cyborg arm, keeping it locked in the functional hand mode, avoiding too many sharp edges and such. Jim was more aggressive than he expected the young man to be, deftly working open Silver's belt buckle and kneeling down before him as he slid off the britches. Jim studied the mechanical leg bit by bit as it was exposed, the titanium and stainless steel work of art, so intricate in its design and function. The softer, flexible part near the knee still bore a mark where it had been welded to repair the stab wound, a sort of scar, the only imperfection on this amazing machine. The limb went all the way up to Silver's hip, even replacing his right buttock with a molded titanium cup, which Jim imagined must make it very painful to sit down for very long. It was there that the machinery met flesh, and joined with it, and it was a glaring reminder of exactly how horrendous the ordeal that stole his limbs must have been.
He pushed those sad thoughts out of his mind and went back to the wonderful experience of the present. Upon taking Silver's half-rigid member into his mouth, hearing the old pirate's groan of relief, he knew this was a long time coming. It wouldn't have been this way if they had followed through eight years ago, timing could make such a difference.
Their extended foreplay went on for hours. More than anything, they had both been craving the simplest touches, to be held by each other, to add the final dimension to their relationship that would bind them to each other for all time, even if they could never be a part of each other's daily lives. They knew that now, had known it from the moment Jim closed the door to their own private world. To stay together all the time would derail both of their lives, no amount of love could change that. Jim was Captain Hawkins now, living out his dream of touching every star. Silver didn't waste time on regret for his past choices, but rather embraced them, and grew into his life of crime, but couldn't in good conscience bring someone he loved into that lifestyle. From the moment the door to Silver's room at the inn had closed, they knew they may never have another chance after today, and they accepted it.
The consummation was eminent. Naked and aroused to near drunkenness, Jim slowly made his way to the bed and guided Silver by the hand to lay next to him. Jim lay on his side, facing the wall and let Silver spoon him, wrapping his human arm around his chest. The contentedness he felt only drove his carnal desire further to the edge. "Reach into the drawer in the night table," Jim mumbled softly.
Silver released Jim momentarily and reached in, pulling out a small white bottle. He contemplated this for a moment, but Jim explained its purpose before he could ask. "Complementary moisturizing lotion for every guest. The inn has become a bit swankier since it was rebuilt. This stuff has a few more purposes than just to treat chapped hands."
The reality fully sank into Silver's head. "Lad, are ye sure this is what ye want? It's not something you can go back from."
Jim almost laughed. It wasn't the first time Jim had done this, of course, but Silver still saw him as an innocent. He decided not to say anything, and just pressed his back against Silver's torso, gyrating his hips a little, grinding over his more sensitive parts.
Innocent or not, the motions drove Silver over the breaking point. With the slick fingers of his human hand, he began to probe Jim carefully, breaching him, overwhelmed by the tightness and burning heat of his body. The sensations made Jim tremble, soft "O's" escaping his lips with every thrust of the man's hand. He turned completely onto his stomach and faced Silver, looking up into the pirate's eyes, pleading for the completion.
Silver was so careful in mounting him, easing his cyborg limbs over to the other side and resting gently on the back of Jim's thighs, positioning him for entry. Sliding inside, He came to a halt halfway in and paused before forcefully completing the coupling. Jim's breath rolled out of his mouth in a long, rasping groan. They remained still for several moments, reveling in the moment they had both craved for so long. When Silver began to rock against him, slowly and deeply, he lifted his hips and loved him back, his own engorged shaft rubbing against the soft sheets on the bed with the movements. Jim came first, a burst of glowing stars passing over his eyes and his milky ejaculation soaking the spot beneath him. Silver achieved his release several moments later, filling Jim's passage with the warm, fluid pleasure.
It wasn't selfish cruelty, it wasn't an ego trip, it was finally the right time for love, unhindered by naiveté or dishonesty, and even though it may only be this one moment, neither of them could have lived the rest of their lives without it. The long awaited catharsis would fuel their exploits for years to come.
As time went on, Silver and Jim met at the Benbow every so often, the time gaps in between ranging from a few months to nearly five years. They never planned any of the meetings, Jim would go home to visit his mother and friends, and Silver would be there. For the first few years, Jim had a romanticized view of their secret relationship, believing they had a psychic connection that allowed Silver to know when he would be on Montressor. It was when Jim was on his way home after a particularly long and dangerous commission, and he had that familiar feeling that Silver was close to him again, that he finally knew the truth. Climbing to the crow's nest and looking out over the etherium to the west with his telescope, he saw a tiny vessel, a sturdy schooner, white as an eggshell against the darkness of space. "You old Spacedog," Jim mumbled affectionately.
As much as it may seem that way, Silver was never far away. Not only had he found someone to look back, he found someone who would stay, someone who was loyal. Finally, Jim felt complete.