Reyes got a notification the moment the Tempest entered Kadara's orbit. He waited until he knew Sara was gallivanting across the planet with Drack and Peebee before he headed for the docks. A handful of Collective guards watched over the Tempest, but he'd issued a standing order that his approach wasn't to be hindered. It was always a thrilling venture, referring to himself in the third person, "Don't impede the smuggler, Reyes Vidal." Ultimately, amusing but necessary.
He made his way up to the ship ramp and keyed the access code Vetra Nyx had slipped him into his omi-tool. It slid open, and it wasn't until it actually did that Reyes realized he'd been half-expecting the code to be bad. Moving as silently as he could, he entered the ship's cargo bay. His footsteps rang with a metallic tone through the vessel's interior, and he found himself wishing everything hadn't been powered down. The drive core would have gone a long way toward masking the noise he was making. The space felt homey and lived in, and he saw what looked to be a pyjak scampering around. The descriptions he'd been given told him that his destination was toward the front of the ship, he need only make his way through the door to his immediate left or right and down a series of narrow corridors. The Pathfinder's quarters were, apparently, impossible to miss.
Sure enough, the cabin at the end of the hall had disproportionately large doors, and when they slid open, he saw that the room was big enough to fit an entire crew quarters inside three or four times over.
"Mr. Vidal," a voice said aloud, startling him as the doors to the cabin slid closed at his back.
"Yes?" It was SAM, he realized, noticing the holographic interface on the desk over against the far wall.
"Might I inquire about your presence here?"
"I've come to surprise the Pathfinder."
"The Pathfinder is not here."
"Yes, I know. That's why I said 'surprise' and not just 'visit'. You don't mind if I wait?"
"No, I do not. I can relay your arrival to her and the squad to speed their return..."
"No, don't do that! Please. I'd like her to return in her own good time and just... find me here, if that's alright with you."
"Understood." And with that, the interface blinked off, and although it was merely an illusion, Reyes felt that SAM had left him to his own devices.
Moving to the desk, he saw display cases lining the wall with model ships, some native to Heleus and others from the Milky Way. Shuttles in miniature were the very sort of thing he used to hold onto himself, a long time ago. Seemed like another life, now. Moving back across the room, he noticed drawers built into the wall. Probably full of lacy underthings. He felt a grin spread across his face as he considered going through them, messing it up just enough for her to know he'd been there when she dressed the next day, before deciding against it. That was exactly the kind of behavior her crew probably expected of him. He had no interest in proving them right.
Toeing his boots off, he opted to make himself comfortable. He settled back onto the unbelievable softness that passed for a bed, resting with his hands behind his head to prop it up, legs sprawling out so he'd unmistakably be the first thing she saw upon entry.
He must have dozed off, because it seemed like only a matter of minutes before he heard the sound of raised voices.
"What do you mean, 'something's on board that doesn't belong'!? Again? 'Unaccounted-for mass'? I refuse to run all over the ship scanning every damn thing again!" She stomped into the room and stopped short as she saw him. "Um.., Suvi? Never mind. I've found it."
He let a slow smile spread over his face. "Hi, there."
The doors slid shut behind her. "How did you..? What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see how the other half lived."
She shook her head in bewilderment, taking in his lounging form, arms bent at the elbows, and his socks. Then, her eyes widened. "Vetra! That traitor! She's been acting funny all day."
He sat up, quickly leaving the bed and moving toward her. "Hey, I had to give up a ton of trade goods and promise a lot of favors to get her on board with this." He felt he owed both women more of an explanation than that. "She's also the only one of your friends who doesn't completely distrust me."
"Peebee doesn't have any issues with you."
"Alright, she's the only one that I know doesn't completely distrust me."
"I think it has less to do with trust and more with the fact that she knows how I feel about you."
He sighed, looking down at her furrowed brows. She just looked so damn disappointed. "You seem upset. I can leave if you don't want me here."
"No, no, I'm just... shocked, I guess. It's not just finding you on the ship. I wasn't expecting I'd get to see you when you weren't at Tartarus when I stopped by earlier. I was afraid I'd have to wait until our next trip here to spend time with you again."
Mierda. Now he felt bad. "You never have to worry about me making time for you, Sara."
She shrugged dismissively, but smiled. "Anyway," her tone lightened considerably as she continued, shaking her head at him, "you didn't hide very effectively. Scans picked you up before we even started pre-flight checks."
"To be fair, I wasn't actually trying to stowaway. More like, sneak into your bedroom."
Her eyes turned from his to take in the room around them. "Well, what do you think?"
He thought, briefly, about teasing her regarding how overly extravagant and unnecessary it all was, but then he remembered, quite suddenly, that this room was meant to be Alec's. He moved to the windows that spanned the length of the cabin, taking in the panoramic scene of Kadara at sunset. "Nice view."
"You know, I haven't had anybody in here before, aside from Suvi."
"Is that so?" Turning back to her he walked over and sat at the foot of the bed. On his butt, he bounced up and down on the edge. "This is where you sleep?"
She laughed, the husky sound curling up inside his chest to give his heart a squeeze. "Yeah."
"How long before the ship is ready to take off?"
"I don't know, an hour, two tops?"
That was just enough time. He went still, ceasing his exaggerated appreciation of her bunk, and opened his knees in welcome. "Come here," he invited, allowing a touch of his devious excitement to color his tone.
Her expression changed. She lost her smile, and her deep, soul-sucking eyes brightened. She approached him with slow steps, dropping her scarf and the leather jacket on the floor as she made her way to him, the beginning of a strip tease that only served to make his blood run hotter.
"Do you need to engage the door locks?" he asked her, his voice low.
"Nobody's going to come in here. I told you, no one ever does."
She moved right up between his legs and he pulled her astride him.
Their mouths met in a fiery kiss, both desperate to fill the aching void born from the other's absence. Every single moment of weeks without each other, separated by space and time under the weight of undeniable responsibility, pressing down upon them, the flame of their attraction burning all the brighter for their inability to exist at the same point for more than a few stolen hours. He licked at her mouth and she accepted his tongue, opening for him, joining his in a dance with her own.
His hands ran up her back, tracing her body through the soft fabric of her shirt, breathing in the scent of her as she slid her arms around his neck.
He pressed her into his chest, mouth tasting all she offered him. He caressed her with lips and tongue, feeling her ground down into his lap.
Moving back by inches, he brought one hand forward and pinched at her nipples.
Her back arched and she reached for the hem of her shirt, breaking their kiss to pull it up and over her head.
He went for her nipples again, pulling them roughly between his thumbs and forefingers through the cotton of her bra. She gasped, reaching behind herself to grapple with the closure. The cups fell free as she shrugged the straps from her shoulders, baring her strawberry-tipped flesh for him.
He wanted to roll her into the softness of the bed and lose himself in her, but having her straddle him was something he didn't want to let go of.
He sank his teeth into the space where her neck met her right shoulder, pushing up into her with his erection. He filled his hands with her breasts, tracing her sensitive skin and compressing her nipples with his fingertips until she was panting.
She'd grown impatient, if the hands scrambling at his zipper were any indication. She began ridding him of his complicated apparel, removing all his clothing, layer by layer. She trailed her mouth over his chest when she'd bared it, moving to the floor to pull off his pants and boxer briefs. His cock sprang toward her as she freed it and she quickly moved to cap him with her mouth.
He grunted, hands threading through her hair as he watched her with narrowed eyes.
Relaxing her throat, she took him deeper, her mouth a wet slide with variable suction. She scraped against him with her teeth and his hands tightened in her hair, the sensations building into an overwhelming storm inside him. She was greedy, trying to draw everything from him, but he didn't want to give in until his body was buried deep inside hers.
"Stop," he whispered roughly, pulling her up from his cock, and reaching for the zip on her pants. She helped him divest her of the last pieces of her clothing, leaving her naked and trembling as he took her hand and helped her resume her position on her knees over his lap.
She moved to kiss him but he turned his head, wanting to watch. His eyes met hers as he steadied her with hands on her ribcage, lifting her so he could brush her against his hardness. One small hand came down, capturing him at his base to guide him toward her. He slid her back and forth, moving her wet heat over him as she tried to impale herself on him.
He moved one hand to her ass, sliding down so his fingertips just brushed the pink flesh between her legs from behind. He gave her a tug, pulling her body open to help her take him inside.
She moaned, bearing down on him, constricting his cock as she pushed herself onto him, sucking him into her tight body. He watched her face as pleasure played over it, her eyes luminous pools, looking right back at him. She moved over him in controlled lunges, driving herself up and down on him in rhythm.
There was a modern light fixture hanging above her bed, the lights dangling down allowing him to see every detail of her. He wondered if she ever imagined him there, all those nights away, while she was off on the other side of the cluster and he was stuck on Kadara with nothing but the memory of her.
Cupping the side of her face with his hand, he kissed her at last, sucking her tongue as she shifted against him, nails digging into his shoulders. She tilted her hips so she'd hit all the right places deep inside, stroking herself on his cock, riding him at a feverish pace.
Time slowed, became static. Centuries went by or maybe milliseconds as they strove to stretch out the encounter, lost in each other, their bodies moving together, merging them into one oversensitive being.
He didn't want it to end, but as he felt her stiffen over him, tremors wracking her body, his senses overloaded and she pulled his orgasm from him, draining him of all he had to give.
When their breathing calmed, he continued to hold her, reluctant to face anything beyond staying inside her.
She kissed him, gently, her tenderness threatening to steal his breath.
He groaned into her lips, wanting to stay, but knowing he couldn't. "I... can't actually leave the planet with you, Sara," he said softly against her.
She sighed, and her sweet breath caressed his skin. "I know."
Smoothing the hair back from her face, he waited until her eyes met his. "I just wanted a peek into your world. Thank you for having me."