Archive-name: Fantasy/conted2.txt

Archive-author: The Phantom

Archive-title: Continuing Education, part 2 of 4



 

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The holosuite program was not what it was before.  There was no

jasmine, no rolling hills or soft breezes, only black sky studded

with stars, and presenting a huge and awe-inspiring ringed planet to

the observer.  It was in crescent phase, its rings edge-on, like a

tightly drawn iridescent bow with an arrow of silver.   Julian looked

down at his feet; the rock under them was also iridescent, and each

thing, himself included, cast two complementary shadows, one from the

distant cold sun and one from the shining jewel overhead, far

brighter than the star that illuminated it.



Ten feet before him was another bubbling hot pool, a must, he

realized when he again awoke stiff and sore, after any lesson.  As he

lowered himself past the mist into the water, he looked overhead.  He

missed the jasmine, he concluded, but here the view was better.



He had awoken in slightly better shape than the time before, as his

hands had not been bound, but his muscles were still tired and stiff.

There had been no sign of his Lady; only Rala was with him, curled up

and sleeping beside him.  For a long time, he had simply lain there,

watching the other man sleep, watching his chest rise and fall,

fleeting expressions dawning and passing over his face as he dreamed.

His sandy hair was still stuck to his brow in some places, though the

ringlets it made were not as distinctive as on his own head; Rala's

hair was already quite curly.  He was on his side, one hand under his

cheek, one arm thrown forward, his legs drawn up.



His hand ran lightly over the other man's sandy hair so as not to

awaken him from slumber, and again he felt the first amazement swell

in him.  He shook his head, and as if in sympathy Rala's moved in

sleep, back and forth under Julian's hand.



Another man, he thought to himself.  Like me.  He closed his eyes and

thought back to the tight heavy embrace the three of them had shared,

how it had nearly overwhelmed him until he relaxed into it and

allowed it to do so.  Until he welcomed being overwhelmed.  His

Lady's velvety hard body beneath his, accepting as he vanished inside

her.  Rala's behind him, again like his, as he accepted.  As he gave

the embrace, opened himself and allowed someone inside instead of

being the one accepted.



Again, he shook his head, and realized that he had lain there for

nearly a half an hour, just watching the other man in sleep and

thinking quietly to himself.  His body had grown even more stiff and

uncomfortable.  Yawning, he rose and wandered into the holosuite,

hoping that the spa was still in memory as he knew his muscles would

seize up without it.



It was; in fact, it was up and running, as if his Lady had

anticipated it before she had gone to wherever she was -- probably

Quark's, he mused.  A wry smile curved his lips; she had better not

get or give another knife wound while he was here!  He stood admiring

the program for some time and unfastened the collar at his neck; the

chain made light chittering noises as it fell against the stone.



And now, he was relaxed against the side of the warm pool, his head

leaned back, his body gradually softening and relaxing as the

bubbling melted into him.  He inhaled and dropped his head below the

water line, feeling the water over his face and hearing the rushing

in his ears.  Normally, his spare body did not float easily; swimming

did not come naturally to him.  Here, though . . . he mused idly that

there was probably a sufficient concentration of mineral salts in the

water to render him buoyant as he felt himself rise.  Opening his

mouth, he could taste it was so.



Allowing himself to go completely limp, he simply laid back on the

water and let it cradle him, his arms and legs drifting slowly

downward and his face and upper chest well clear of the water.  It

filled his ears, though, and he was surrounded by the subdued

rumblings of the bubbling spa.  He felt himself beginning to drop off

again, and allowed his mind to drift into a state somewhere between

wakefulness and sleep, lazily dozing.  Several times, his eyes

drifted open and the view of the immensity overhead intruded itself

upon him.  He simply let himself drift, occasionally bumping into the

sides of the pool and pondering the magnificence he saw.



The entrance to the holosuite slid open, and he righted himself in

the water; it was Rala, looking as sleepy as he probably had when he

had first entered.  Without knowing why, he reached to the edge and

drew himself there, to where the rock surrounding the pool could

cover him, whether out of modesty or uncertainty he could not have

said.  He wouldn't have imagined that modesty would be possible for

him after what had happened, but admitted to himself that this was

still quite new to him.  "Hello," he said, quiet and low.



Rala rubbed his eyes.  "Hello, Doctor."  He yawned and stretched.

Julian swallowed, still nervous without the calming presence of his

Lady, and watched the other man's body, watched his muscles outlined

under his fair skin as he stretched.  He felt himself shiver, despite

the warm water.  "Do you mind if I join you?"



Julian shook his head, and swallowed again.  "Go ahead.  You probably

need it as much as I do."  He was nervous and could feel the watery

feeling in his joints, cursing it and asking himself why.  He had

held this man inside his own body; why was he shivering?  He could

not tear his eyes from Rala as the other man stepped into the pool

opposite him and lowered himself into the water.  He smiled at

Julian, who smiled back and lowered his eyes.  Heat rose to his

cheeks, and he hoped that it was lost in the flushing brought by the

warmth of the water.  "How are you feeling?" he asked still looking

down through the water.



"A little sore but not too bad."  Rala stretched again.  "It makes a

big difference when you are not bound."



"Yes, it does."



"And you?"



He shook his head.  "Just a little tired."  His eyes rose to Rala's

face again, then dropped demurely.  Rala chuckled and appeared to

read his mind.



"Thanks to your Lady," he replied.  When Julian didn't reply, though,

he nodded.  "And," he added softly, "thanks to me."  He was rewarded

with a blush that he could just make out through skin already flushed

by warmth.  "You are still . . . " he trailed off.



Julian's voice was soft, barely there.  "I guess I am," he replied.



"Uncomfortable?" Rala asked.  The other man's eyes rose to his.



"No . . . "  His gaze was earnest.  "Just . . . uncertain."  His slim

shoulders rose in the undulating water in another shrug.  "It's not

what I'm used to," he amended.  Rala's smile became very gentle.



"But . . . " he prodded.  He watched the doctor prepare his words,

eyes yet cast down with such astonishing long lashes, his dark hair

glistening over deep wet skin, and felt the same amazement he had

felt during the lesson.  Doctor, he told Julian in his mind, you are

so very beautiful.



The other man's eyes rose then, and he saw the expression on Rala's

face, the way he was looking at him.  After a moment, he returned the

gaze, held it firm.  "But," he finished, "I have been . . . curious,

I guess."



Rala's smile became quite boyish at this.  "Curious?  How?"



Julian smiled back.  "There were two people next door to my room in

the Academy; they went into epidemiology.  Well, one did.  The other

ended up in high energy physics.  And they were married."



"And they were . . . " Rala prodded again.  Julian's gaze did not

drop this time; he only looked back at Rala as if to say, I wish

you'd stop doing that.



"They were both men.  There were also three women and two men in a

group marriage on the hospital staff there."  Rala lowered himself

even further into the water as he listened.  "I wondered . . . but

the opportunity never came up."  Another languid shrug.  "I've just

been attracted to women."



"As you should be; they are beautiful people," Rala responded.  "But,

it is a pity you have restricted yourself thus far."



"I . . . hadn't thought of it as a restriction," Julian replied.

"Until now."



Rala did not speak immediately, only digested this.  Then, "Doctor,

have I just been complimented?"



Julian mimed Rala's own impish grin.  "I suppose you have."  The grin

widened, and he felt himself relaxing in the other man's presence.

"It's just that I . . . "  He trailed off, and laughed at himself.

"This is just all very new for me, Rala."  His arm rose out of the

bubbles and he made a motion indicating himself.



Rala's eyes softened.  "There is, Doctor, a first time for every-

thing."  It was his turn to shrug.  "This was yours."  Julian gazed

silently at Rala for long moments.



"What of yours?"



"My what?"



"Your first time."



Rala chuckled again, and Julian felt himself shiver at the sound, low

and rich and delicious, despite the warmth.  "Doctor, Ishtarian

culture is rather different from yours.  There is never any question

of preference between the sexes; we enjoy complete freedom.  As such,

I cannot clearly recall my `first time'."



"You are Ishtarian?" he asked in amazement.



"Yes," Rala replied easily, still smiling.  "You did not think that

only women were from Ishtar, did you?"



Julian felt a blaze of something he could not place.  "Then, are

you . . . her consort?"  He held his arms in front of him, a guard

against what Rala would say.  He did not like the thought of

jealousy.



"No, Doctor, I am not.  I am a pupil, such as yourself."



"No, not such as me," said Julian.  "I could never . . . teach

another person."



Rala considered this, and shook his head very deliberately.  "I think

you could.  And," he indicated the outer room with his head, "she

does as well.  This is not the only lesson for you this time, Doctor.

There are many things to learn, many things she wishes to teach you."



An inquiring expression met his.  "Did she tell you that?"



"Yes, she did."  Rala leaned forward then, toward Julian, who watched

as one fair arm lifted out of the water, one fair hand laid itself

against his cheek.  "She also told me that you were beautiful, and

she was right."  Warm, wet fingers caressed his jaw, his neck, and

ran slowly over his chest, beneath the bubbling water.  "You are a

very beautiful young man, Doctor."



Julian did not know what to say to this.  He lowered his eyes again,

following Rala's hand, still caressing him.  Then, it was gone, and

Rala leaned back against the side of the spa, opposite him again.

Julian looked up at him, felt the distance separating them acutely.

Unable to think of a thing to say, he simply laid back and rested his

head against the side of the spa, letting the bubbling permeate him.

For several minutes, he remained that way, with thoughts unspoken

running through his mind.  He felt a shift against him, saw through

closed lids the light from the ringed planet overheard change, and

opened his eyes to see Rala bending over him, one hand cupping his

jaw, silhouetted against the glorious view.  Rala's face dipped

closer, and they kissed as the warm water caressed them both, and as

the sightless planet looked down on them, ignored and forgotten as

they enjoyed each other, as Julian felt warmth and gentle scruff at

his chin, as Rala felt the other man's soft lips, fresh and taut with

sweetness as summer grapes, give gently under his tongue.



Rala pulled back, and felt a tugging inside him at the expression of

the man beneath him, at the dark eyes, aroused and wondering.  Julian

sat up against Rala, his own hands reaching to the other man's neck.



And he dunked him.



Rala's head vanished, and the last thing Julian saw was a very

surprised expression, and two wide cornflower blue eyes.  He released

him quickly, and Rala came up laughing as a grinning Julian watched.

"I was waiting for that," he said, laughing and wiping the water out

of his eyes.  "I was waiting for the opportunity to do" -- and

quickly, he reached for Julian, and returned the favor.  Julian came

up sputtering and laughing as well, and reached back for Rala.

Within a matter of seconds, the little spa was furious with activity

as they wrestled, laughing and dunking and grasping at each other in

a tangle of fair and dark arms and legs and bodies, splashing plenty

of water out of the pool until the spa was forced to compensate.

Laughter and gasping punctuated the playful roughhousing as one or

the other of them would break the surface and hook an arm or a leg

around part of the other, throwing him off balance.  Julian had just

gotten his arm around Rala's thigh and pulled it out from under him,

throwing the other man lightly onto his back and slapping the water

in front of him for the splash.  Rala threw his arms up to guard

against the water and disappeared under the surface to wrap his arms

around Julian's waist in a rugby grip and tug him under as well.

Panting and still smiling, they floated to the surface, still in that

position.  They were yet laughing lightly, looking at one another and

smiling like little boys, Julian on his back and Rala at his side,

his arms around the other man's slender waist.  They bumped up

against the side of the spa, and Julian reached behind his head and

tugged himself close to the edge, resting himself against it, still

getting his breath back, still smiling.



Rala was doing the same, one hand yet on Julian's chest and the other

propping himself up against the shallow bottom of the spa; the bottom

sloped up toward the edges of the water, and was deepest at the

center.  For a long time, they just laid there, the smiles lingering

on their faces, catching their breath, a few chuckles still surfacing

in their throats.



Julian could still feel the smile curving his lips, and inhaled

deeply once, and again, to get his wind back.  He blinked a few times

to clear the water from his eyes and just laid back, gazing up at

Rala who was lying beside him, propped up on an elbow and looking

back at him.  His smile had changed from one of playfulness to one of

wonder, and he was unaware of it as he reached his hand out to touch

Rala's chest, strong and broad, far broader than his own slim chest.

His hand wandered up to the other man's neck, caressed the skin

there, wrapped around it.  Slowly, he pulled Rala's face closer to

his, aware that his breathing rate had increased again, and that he

was warmer than could be explained by their rough and tumble play.

With his dark eyes on Rala's light ones, their lips touched, lightly.

Once, twice, three times they kissed gently, their mouths moving

against each other's.  Julian pulled back; so did Rala.  Each saw the

same expression in the other's eyes, the same desire shining there.

Julian felt himself falling into the blue of Rala's eyes, and Rala

felt himself becoming lost in the oak brown of Julian's own large

eyes.



Their mouths met again, more hungrily, and the kiss deepened.  They

drew close, into a tight and wanting embrace, pressing their bodies

together.  As the sounds of the bubbling spa gave way to the

delicious and erotic sounds of their mouths, their lips and tongues,

against one another, as the mineral heavy scent of the water gave way

to the scent of the other man, as the warmth of the spa faded behind

the warmth of the skin against his, Julian again felt the same

electrifying jolt that he had felt initially, realizing that he held

a man in his arms, that it was a man he was pleasing, that was

pleasing him.  He lost himself in the sizzle as it ran through him,

until there was nothing he knew but the feel of Rala's warm skin

against his.



The embrace tightened, became deeper.  Passion engulfed them.

Julian's hands wandered down from Rala's neck to his back, his waist,

running over the man's round buttocks.  Pressing himself against

Rala, he ran his hands over creamy hips, feeling himself against the

man's sex, feeling himself becoming rigid against it, feeling Rala

doing the same.  He moaned lightly against Rala's mouth, still unable

to believe what was happening.  Long fingers twined tightly in Rala's

sandy curls, and his training in control and patience fled completely

as he devoured the other man's mouth.  He wanted to give Rala what he

had been given, touch him as deeply as he had been touched, though

his gibbering mind was not aware of it.  Only his body was active,

and coherent thought was not part of his motivation as he wrapped

himself around Rala's firm body, spooning against his back, as he

reached around to take the other man gently in his hand . . .



"Wait, Doctor."  It was Rala, eyes closed, lips parted in eagerness.

"Beautiful Doctor . . . "  He, too, was barely able to speak as he

leaned over the edge of the spa, his upper body supported against the

luminescent stone.



"Wait?"  All his wanting came through his voice; Julian did not want

to wait.  "Rala, I want to be in you now . . . "  His chest pressed

against the other man's shining back, and his tongue ran over his

skin; heat from the moist flesh wreathed his face, mingling with the

steam of the spa.  His hands, moving surely, clasped at the other

man, tugging gently and caressing, feeling him grow firm between his

palms.



"Yes, and I want you in me as well . . . "  The other man reached out

and produced seemingly from nowhere another of the ubiquitous little

jars; Julian knew what would be inside.  Nimbly, Rala turned until he

was facing Julian, and the mad arousal in fair eyes matched that in

dark ones.  He opened the jar, losing the lid in the bubbling water.

"This . . . " he began, but then lost his thoughts as he saw the

beautiful face at his, the burning feline eyes.  Julian pressed

himself forward into Rala, enjoying the way his body bent gently back

against the stone, feeling Rala's firmness pressing into his own as

his hips jutted forward.  Then, Rala disappeared, lowering himself

until his face was level with Julian's own hips.  He took out a

little ball of the sweet white cream and, as Julian gasped in

astonishment, began to apply it to the waiting sex before his mouth

with his tongue.  Fighting the mad urge to thrust himself more deeply

between Rala's lips, Julian simply allowed the other man to finish,

gripping the stone ledge in front of him until his knuckles paled,

keeping his body rigid against the voices that sang at him to drive

himself into the other man's throat.



The sensation ceased, and Rala was once again at his face, amazed at

the beauty and lithe sensuality of the Starfleet officer before him.

"Control," Julian said simply, as a mantra.  Rala kissed him gently.



"That is for lessons, Doctor."  Their hard masculine chests pressed

together.  "I am not a teacher, but a peer."  For a moment, the

wanting had him in its grasp as well, and he allowed his eyes to run

over and around the dark slim body.  He turned around and presented

himself prone against the shimmering rocks, his back and fair

buttocks shining from sweat and warm water.  His choirboy face peered

demurely over one shoulder.  "You may be . . . wild . . . with me."



Julian's eyes drank in the sight of the strong body lying before him,

the lovely round peach presented to him, and he could barely recall

his own name.  His universe had narrowed to naught but himself, and

Rala.  Slowly, his hands roved over the other man, caressing the

perfect buttocks, wondering at what he was about to do.  Gently, as

if in a dream, he pressed himself against them, feeling the tight

entrance, feeling it relax slightly against the pressure.  With

hypersensitive awareness, he felt himself sliding inside, felt as the

head of his sex was swallowed up, felt as Rala tightened around him,

tighter than anything he had even experienced before.  Lights danced

before his eyes, and he was unaware of his voice, his expression of

astonishment.  With tender delicacy, he continued, pushing firmly

until he had disappeared completely inside the other man.  He felt as

Rala grasped at him, tightening further, and he fell forward against

the wet skin shining in front of him.



Rala had begun to push himself against Julian, his soft buttocks

rising to the other man's hips, and in response Julian began to

undulate himself against Rala's body, feeling the waves of tension

and release against his sex.  Rala's moans nearly dissolved him into

a pool of nothing but mad want, but taking control of himself, he

lifted his upper body until it was nearly straight, and began to rock

his hips with more force, pressing where he knew it would be most

sensitive.  Rala gasped.



"I . . . "  His fair head flew backwards, lips parted, and his words

were lost in delighted moans.  "You said you had never . . . how did

you . . . ?"  He could say nothing further, but only clutch at the

stone sill underneath him, and buck against Julian as the other man

found his most sensitive places.



Julian continued rocking himself against the beautiful prone body,

and found it within himself to speak.  "Rala," he managed to say,

"I'm not a doctor for nothing, you know."  The other man laughed.



"Oh, yes . . . "



And the rest of his words were swallowed up in passion as Julian gave

himself to the wildness that Rala had spoken of.  He wanted it to

last, wanted so badly for it to last for hours, for days, but knew

his own limitations.  He knew that this was so new, so thrillingly

erotic, that the barest of releases on his part would send him well

past the point of no return.  Julian tried to tell Rala this, tried

to apologize for his eagerness, but could not squeeze the words past

his open lips.  All he felt was the clutching, the smooth skin

beneath his hands, the bubbling warm water all around his legs, all

he heard the delighted low moans of his partner, all he knew the

sensations flowing over and through him.



His eyes opened fractionally, tilted feline slits, and he smiled

tenderly as he saw Rala's body writhe; he recalled how it felt to

hold someone inside him, and wanted to give that to Rala, wanted to

repay him a thousand times over.  Rala's upper body rose until the

other man was propped up on his hands, and Julian leaned forward,

nuzzling his neck.  He had just taken a few strands of damp curly

hair between his lips, tugging gently, when the holosuite entrance

slid open yet again, to reveal his Lady, her sinuous body uncovered,

her expression tender.  Both men paused, facing the entrance, Rala

smiling slightly when he saw who it was, Julian peeking demurely over

one fair wet shoulder.



She stood in the entrance for a few moments.  "I wondered where you

two had gotten to," she said with great affection.  She entered the

`suite, walking over to one pillar of shimmering stone.  The two men

said nothing, but she could hear Rala suppress a chuckle, see just

out the corner of her eye as Julian jabbed him in the ribs, wearing

another of the impish grins he seemed to have found since he arrived.



Draped over the pillar was a wrap that seemed to be made of liquid

light and flickered in her hands as she picked it up.  "I thought I

left this here," she remarked, and she tossed it over her shoulders

with grace.  In the spa, Julian rocked himself just a fraction of an

inch against Rala, making the other man writhe.  Rala turned to look

at him, and could only laugh at his delighted grin and dancing brows.



"So," she said to the two of them, grinning like a sprite as she

paused at the entrance.  "What have you two been up to since I've

been gone?"



At first Rala only lowered his eyes, but then he lifted them to peer

incredulously over his shoulder as Julian replied brightly, "Oh,

nothing."  Dark eyes twinkled mischievously until Rala squeezed at

him hard, making his eyes close and his hands grip at well-muscled

upper arms.



"Ah," she replied.  "Well," she added, tying the sash at her waist,

"I suppose I'll leave and let you two get back to . . . nothing."

Her gaze lingered gently for a few moments on the elfin and smiling

Julian, and then she was gone.  Silence hung in the air of the little

`suite for several moments, broken only by the everpresent bubbling

of the water, and then it was dissipated by delighted laughter.



"Nothing?" Rala echoed and stuck out his tongue.



Julian nipped gently at it with his teeth.  "Oh, shut up and enjoy

yourself."  Another firm rock of his hips, and both men once again

began to dissolve in one another's arousal.



Their Lady stopped for a moment in the outer room, and shook her head

in amused satisfaction as she heard her pupils' laughter through the

thick door.



                    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



For the thousandth time, Julian bit down on his lips, stopping the

irrepressible whistling that had begun to grate on even his nerves.

That, the finger tapping, the bounce under his heels . . . he felt as

if he were completely energized and had felt so ever since reporting

in.  And he knew exactly why.



His appointments had gone well all morning long, and a glance up at

the wall chrono told him that lunchtime was nearing.  Taking a small

breather in the time between appointments, he let his eyes wander

around the infirmary, the lights reflecting back at him in sparkles

and slashes against metal, ceramic, and glass.  Idly, he leaned his

elbows against the chest-high counter behind him, crossed his feet at

the ankles, knit his hands over his chest, and felt a grin surface.

His fingers had begun to tap arrhythmically at his sternum when a

tinny beep behind him signalled that the incubator had finished with

the bacterial sample he had placed there fifteen minutes earlier.

Spinning in place, he removed it with a flourish, and waltzed across

the room to the analyzer, humming tunelessly to himself.  The damned

thing had always annoyed him before, as it was located at knee level

and required him to crouch down to place or remove anything inside,

but its position gave him an excuse for another flourish when, after

placing the bacterial sample inside, he stood, turned around, and

closed the access panel with a crisp bang via a light and airy

dancer's kick.



"Well, you seem to be in a good mood today."  He spun at the voice,

and saw a brightly smiling Dax entering the infirmary.  She stopped

and regarded him with one brow raised.



"Really?" he replied, grinning back at her, eyes sparkling.  "I

hadn't noticed."



Dax walked further into the room.  "You've been like this all day,

Julian."  She leaned herself against the examining table, and crossed

her arms over her chest, giving him the Trill version of a

significant look.  "Anything special?"



He stood still for a moment, then returned her impudent expression to

her, raising one brow.  Tapping his hands against the sides of his

thighs, he replied, "Jadzia, I have no idea what you're talking

about."



"Ah."  She nodded, then moved off the table.  "Well then, are those

samples I asked you to break down finished yet?"



"Not quite.  I just placed the last one in the analyzer now; it

should be done in . . . "  He was interrupted by yet another tinny

beep.  "Oh, right about now, I should think."  Together, they walked

to the display panel for the device.  "There you go," he told her.

"Do you have a tricorder ready to take this?"



"Right here," Dax replied, taking the one she held in her hands up

and plugging it into the wall socket at the front of the analyzer,

and looked back at Julian.  "You're still doing it."



"Doing what?" he said, infuriatingly vague.



"Grinning like that," she told him, one of her own little grins

threatening to widen further.



"Like what?" he asked, and she got the distinct feeling that he knew

exactly what she was talking about.



"Oh, nothing."  Pulling the tricorder out of the wall, she exited the

infirmary, but not before saying breezily, "Cheer up, too.  You've

been in such an awful mood today, you know."  The door shushed open

and closed over her parting smile, leaving a grinning Julian behind.



He looked at the wall chrono and saw that lunchtime had indeed

arrived.  Finally!  Tossing his smock onto a lab table, he exited

in the general direction of Quark's after leaving the computer

instructions on where to reach him in case of an emergency.



                    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Copyright 1993(c) by the author.