Home Is Where the Heart Is
 

Author: Jigs
Feedback: Any and all comments welcome. Email: jigsaw4@aol.com
Archiving: please email me first
Rating: NC-17 (sexual content) - You have been warned!
Category: Adult
Warnings: References to 'The Premiere,' 'The Flax,' and 'The Way We Weren't.' Story takes place after TWWW.
Summary: A frustrated John reaches meltdown while Aeryn's caught spying and learns a new skill.
Disclaimer: Regrettably I have no claim to Farscape, I'm just playing matchmaker.

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The beautiful blue priestess sat cross-legged on the floor of her chamber watching silently as John Crichton paced, muttering and flaying his arms one microt, then quietly stroking his chin the next. He came to her chamber seeking counsel half an arn ago, but still hadn't shared what was on his mind.

"Come. Sit down, John," Zhaan urged, finally wearying of his constant motion.

"Okay…okay," he agreed, plopping down and leaning against the edge of her bunk. He pulled his knees up and rested his arms across them.

Zhaan had witnessed some strange behavior in the human since he first came on board Moya, but she couldn’t recall a time when he demonstrated this level of agitation - or was it frustration? She had learned a lot about him over the past cycle, especially since their unity experience when their souls touched. John possessed a gentle, loving heart and it saddened her to see him in such distress. She felt his pain, but could not easily identify its source.

Venturing to start the conversation, she asked, "you need to talk about something?"

"Oh I need something, Zhaan, but…well…." His laugh bordered on hysteria, "but talking isn't gonna do it for me, not this time."

"Then why are you here, John?" Zhaan questioned softly, genuinely puzzled now.

"I guess that's the $64,000 question. Why am I here? Damned if I know." He rolled his eyes upward as if seeking divine intervention and whispered, "get a grip."

"What is a grip, John? I would surely give you one if I had it."

John hung his head in his hands and laughed quietly. When he looked up, there were tears in his eyes. Zhaan reached out and brushed his cheek tenderly. "I so want to help you, John. But you will have to tell me what is bothering you. Something to do with Aeryn, perhaps?"

"Yeah," John smiled sadly, "something to do with Aeryn." He swiped at the moisture escaping down his cheeks, feeling a little more than foolish. "I haven't been this confused since the first day I landed in this part of the galaxy."

"Relationships are difficult, John. For all of us. Making sense of such powerful feelings is not always possible. They just are."

"Difficult? I'd say impossible. I was never Romeo, not even back on Earth, but at least there I knew when to push or pull away. Here, I'm floundering around like a beached whale."

"You've lost me, John. Who is Romeo and why would you want to be him?"

John sighed in frustration. He was sure he would never be able to keep Earth's vernacular from this vocabulary, especially when he was frustrated and upset. Exasperatedly he explained, "Romeo was a fictional character in Earth literature that came to symbolize a romantic fellow."

"I see." She didn't ask about the 'beached whale' comment, sensing his growing irritation at being constantly misunderstood. "So you think Aeryn expects you to be this Romeo?"

He laughed hesitantly; "no I don't think she expects me to be anything but an annoyance. But I'll tell you this, Zhaan, the human male physiology cannot withstand this on-again-off-again-mating ritual. Our fragile egos don't handle rejection well, especially when…well especially when we are…." John was surprisingly at a loss for words.

Now we are getting somewhere, Zhaan thought, "ah, so you are frustrated sexually?"

"Gawd yes!" He exclaimed. Feeling some relief at not having to actually utter those words himself, John's confession spilled out of him like a geyser spewing forth. "I mean we are trapped together on this ship. And as huge as Moya is, there's no way we won't run into each other. On Earth I could get away, be somewhere else so I wouldn't have to be reminded of what I can't have. But here…here it's…" his voice trailed off.

"You love her." Zhaan stated simply.

"Yeah, guess it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out."

Zhaan looked at him quizzically, "but you are a rocket scientist, John."

Nodding his head as a faint smile pulled at the corners of his mouth, John looked at her, "I figured it out, but I'm losing hope Aeryn ever will."

"Have you told her?"

"Right…and get blasted into next week…weeken? I don't think she is ready to hear that from me." He paused, "I'm not sure she ever will be."

"I think you misjudge her, John."

"Whadya mean, Zhaan? You think she lov…has feelings for me…I mean besides thinking I'm just an inferior species?"

"I'm certain of it. You must remember that Aeryn is a conditioned soldier. She has been forced to suppress all feelings and emotions. It is what makes Peacekeepers so ruthless. She…."

John cut her off sharply, "I know all that Zhaan. But…."

It was Zhaan's turn to interrupt, "but you're impatient. What is it you really want?"

"I want G.I. Jane to take a holiday I want to make love to her until neither of us can walk. I want to share my life with her, the good, the bad…the whole combo platter, with the taco, guacamole and greasy enchiladas." John laughed sarcastically, "is that so much to ask?"

Zhaan got the gist of John's meaning, although the human references eluded her. "I don't think it is, but these feelings are new to her, John. They must be nurtured and encouraged."

"And just how am I supposed to do that when she won't let me near her half the time?" He stood to leave. "Thanks for listening, Zhaan, but I think I'm on my own here. That great wall of ice she hides behind is just too high and I don't have my climbing gear or wooly gloves."

Before Zhaan could speak, John was gone. She shook her head sadly, wondering if her two lonely shipmates would ever find their way to each other.

~~~~~~~

John looked around his small cell on Moya, rolling his head from side to side, willing the steely grasp of tension to release his neck and shoulders. After leaving Zhaan he had stopped by Moya's galley for a few food cubes, and as luck would have it, Aeryn was there. They quickly got into a heated argument over which food cubes were the tastiest. It was a typical encounter; they fought about everything lately. Since his experience in the Aurora chair, John knew his temper flared easily, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out why most of his anger was directed at Aeryn. Oh yes he could - she just knew how to push his buttons and most of the time she seemed to enjoy doing it.

"Women!" He muttered to himself. "Doesn't seem to matter if they are human or otherwise, I'll never understand them." It was a lament as old as time.

John was so hopeful after they had weathered the Velorek revelations, hopeful that Aeryn would begin to share more of her past in the private conversations that he cherished. He thought she had acknowledged the value of talking things through, ever wishful that some of those inviolable barriers would start to erode. How wrong he had been! In less than a weeken she was back to her old self, one microt holding out her hand to caress his cheek, the next ready to boot him out the nearest airlock. His hollow laugh resonated in the small room, but there was no joy in it.

But no matter what she did or said to him, he was still falling hopelessly in love with her. The strain of being so close to her every day without sharing his feelings was driving him mad. His desire for her knew no bounds and it was beginning to manifest itself physically at the most inopportune times. Of late he was reduced to avoiding interpersonal contact whenever possible in hopes that his almost permanent state of arousal would not be noticed by the rest of Moya's gang, or, God forbid, Aeryn herself. He was exhausted from the constant attempts to keep his distance from everyone without causing suspicion, and still function as a part of the crew. He could find no refuse to soothe his rampant libido. He longed to share this crazy life with someone - no, not someone - with the 'radiant' Aeryn Sun.

Sighing in resignation, he grabbed his toiletries and headed to the community bathing area. He and D'Argo had talked about rerouting Moya's "plumbing" to each cell so they could all have some privacy, but it was just another thing on a long "to do" list. Facing life in the Uncharted Territories didn't allow much time for the mundane.

Moya's cleansing chamber, as Pilot called it, was empty when John arrived. He could do with a cold jolt of reality right now, and Moya's idea of a shower was just that. This open room wasn't for the modest; there were no private stalls or anything resembling a shower curtain. It reminded John of the showers at his high school gym - a big space with spigots along the wall. Just don't drop your soap!

He laughed at the thought and stripped down. Moya's sensors registered when someone was standing under one of the liquid ports. John guessed they worked something like those automatic basins at the airports back home.

Memories of home still assaulted John when he least expected it, but he found he didn't miss it as much as he once did. Oh, he missed his Dad and DK terribly, and chocolate, but he was beginning to accept his fate and make a life here. It would all be so much easier if he could share this life with Aeryn.

It had been a year prior to the launch of Farscape I that he lost Alex to graduate studies at Stanford. His plans to share his dream of space flight with her had never gotten off the ground. The irony of it stuck in his mind. Her choice to go to Stanford had devastated him and he had sworn off women forever. Yeah right, he thought. He liked being with someone, needing someone and being needed - loving someone. He was never one for meaningless trysts.

Aeryn captivated him immediately. He remembered the moment she pulled off that PK helmet and glared at him across their cell. She was strikingly beautiful and looked so human. It hadn't taken him long to find out just how unlike most human females she was, unless you counted those amazons from that old TV show, American Gladiators. He smiled at the thought, imagining about Aeryn kicking ass in that arena.

But her commando mentality hadn't dampened John's ardor. He wasn't sure how much longer he could stand being apart from her physically when they lived in such close confinement. After what she told him about Peacekeeper mating he understood her conditioning, but that didn't mean he liked it.

He stepped under the first spigot and shivered as the chilling spray assaulted him. Closing his eyes, he urged his body to relinquish its desire for the raven-haired beauty, but soon realized it was not to be. His skin burned with wanting her, so much that he was surprised steam didn't rise from it as the cool liquid sluiced down his body. He couldn't shake Aeryn from his thoughts - her taste, smell, touch - her single-minded passion. Oh how he wanted that passion directed his way.

His mind flashed back to those desperate moments on the transport pod when he and Aeryn were caught in the flax. They attacked each other with such wild abandon, neither wanting to leave this life without physically expressing their desire for the other. He remembered the way her tongue flicked at his lips, how sweet her mouth tasted as they kissed deeply for the first time, and felt himself growing harder still at the memory.

Taking up the glycerin-like bar that passed for soap on Moya, John rolled it between his palms to a bountiful lather. His skin prickled at the touch of his hands as they rubbed over his chest and abdomen, coating his skin in glistening foam. The sensation did nothing to quell his rampaging desire. He cursed his mutinous body as his aching penis swelled further, demanding attention. He closed his eyes again and leaned his head against the slick shower wall.

To his great consternation, he had become reacquainted in recent weekens with an old friend. He laughed to himself, sadly realizing that, once again, it was the only recourse he had to relieve his suffering. Bracing against the wall with one hand, he lowered his head, shoulders drooping in defeat at his body's betrayal. All the sexual frustrations of his teenage years flooded back as he spread his legs and wrapped his hand around his pulsating erection. As he fell into a familiar rhythm of stroking and squeezing, his body and mind began to relax into the soothing succor of eminent release. Preoccupied with his task, John failed to realize he was no longer alone.

Aeryn had entered the bathing area quietly, hoping to find some solitude. John had been on her mind for several arns. His irritability and mood swings seemed so out of character for the gentle-hearted man she had come to know. Was this typical human male behavior? She didn't know since John was the only human she had ever met. However, instead of confronting him, she simply worried in silence.

The vision of John braced against the wall in the throes of sexual gratification paralyzed her. She observed him from a safe distance, hypnotized by the action of his slender hips as they thrust back and forth. His body was sculpted perfection; his muscles defined and taut, shimmering in the fine mist like stars in the black velvet sky.

Aeryn's erotic pleasure rose sharply as her appreciation deepened. Liquid heat pooled between her legs as John moved closer to release. No man had ever appeared so completely vulnerable and appealing as this, she thought. His muffled moans reverberated in the small chamber despite John's unsuccessful attempt to quiet them. Aeryn was certain she heard her name escape his lips.

What she didn't understand was his need for sexual fulfillment in this way. In her experience, Peacekeepers simply found a partner when their sexual urges overwhelmed them. It was only sex and willing partners were always available. This physical, biological need was treated like any other - if you were hungry you ate. Why should sex be any different?

And yet here he was, moaning her name and pleasuring himself when she would have gladly joined him if he had only asked. As she contemplated this fundamental difference in their species, John groaned loudly as his essence spilled forth beneath the shower spray. He slumped forward, spent from the power of his ejaculation. Only then did he register Aeryn's startled, but appreciative, gasp.

Breathless from the potent aftermath of his release, he stuttered, "how long…how long…have…you been…there?"

"Awhile…" came her one word reply.

"I see." His embarrassment suddenly replaced by anger, "enjoy the show?" he snapped sarcastically, "erotic showers starring John, the human idiot!" He stepped forward and grabbed a towel, quickly wrapping it around his waist. Droplets of moisture clung determinedly to the fine hairs on his chest as he stormed passed her.

She grabbed his arm to stop his escape, whirling him around to face her in the process. "John…" she said hesitantly, searching his magnificent azure eyes, only to see that intense anger had replaced the passion-filled glaze she knew was there only microts ago. She froze.

John jerked his arm from her grasp. His embarrassment frying all his logical synapses, his passion for Aeryn suddenly replaced by passionate rage. "What is it, Aeryn?" He barked. "I can't take any more of your ridicule-the-human barbs. I just want…."

"What do you want, John?" She asked softly, ingenuously, interrupting his tirade.

The sincerity in her voice, the genuine concern, made John pause. In a nano second he realized he could not live like this any longer. Better to know her heart than suffer like a prisoner with no where to run. Swallowing the lump in his throat he studied her, looking for any sign of rebuff, but there was found none.

H told her the truth, "I want to be with you, Aeryn."

Aeryn took a sharp breath, instinctively knowing that any hesitation on her part could drive him away forever. All the reasons not to answer him positively drained from her mind and she let her heart speak, "I want you too, John."

In microts the distance between them, both physical and figurative, melted away and John swept her into his arms, kissing her soundly with all the passion he possessed. His mouth branded her so thoroughly she could not breathe or think or do anything but respond.

Still holding her tightly to him, he rested his forehead against hers. Aeryn reached up to stroke his cheek and John closed his eyes, leaning into her palm. "I need you so much, Aeryn," he confessed.

"Come with me…show me…" she requested softly, her eyes blazing a fiery trail across his body as she admired his near-nakedness. She took his hand, squeezing gently to reassure him that this was what she truly wanted, and lead him to her chamber.

For once in his life John was actually grateful for the renewal his body required after release. His desire for Aeryn was so powerful, he feared the embarrassing and unsatisfying sexual experiences of his callow youth might be replayed in living techni-color. That was the last thing he wanted.

What he did want was to show her how much he loved her, how much he needed her in his life. He wanted to convince her that loving someone didn't have to be painful; that her Peacekeeper training had denied her the wonders of making love with someone you truly cared about.

John stood quietly in the center of the room, watching as Aeryn slowly shed her clothes. When the last garment was discarded, she stood before him while his eyes drank in her magnificent body. He was mesmerized by her physical perfection, the roundness of her full breasts, the alabaster luster of her toned body, the curly nest of ebony curls that guarded her feminine secrets, and those slender legs that seemed to go on forever. She was Aphrodite, Venus de Milo, Diana - all the goddesses he could remember from history - and she wanted him.

Aeryn approached him slowly, the sway of her hips lulling John into a lover's trance; he was simply unable to look away. She ran her fingertips lightly over his muscled chest until she reached the edge of the towel that covered his lower body. With unhurried hands she undraped him, letting the towel fall unnoticed to the floor. She traced the fine line of hairs from his navel to the dark patch between his legs, watching as his impressive sex began to pulse with excitement.

Unable to resist touching her any longer, he cupped her ample breasts, grazing her tightening nipples with his thumbs. For the next few microns they explored each other silently, hands roaming freely over fevered flesh, each content to allow their tactile senses to memorize every curve and angle, until they burned with a passion neither had ever experienced with anyone else.

To her great surprise, John swept her off her feet and carried her to the bed. After lying her down gently, he sat beside her and smoothed back the long strands of black hair that had fallen over her face. His piercing blue eyes bore into her, boiling her blood as it raced through her veins. With his hands on either side of her stunning face, he kissed her hungrily, devouring her mouth like a starving man at his first meal. Aeryn responded instantly, easing her tongue past his supple lips, tasting him deeply.

Desperate to be inside her, he lowered his body over her. Simultaneously she ran her hands along his back, caressing his muscular curves as she reached down as far as she could. John groaned against her mouth, his eager shaft twitching impatiently between them.

"I want you," Aeryn whispered, raising up to bite him gently on the chin.

"Aeryn," he purred her name before kissing her, his tongue exploring every part of her moist mouth.

"Want you, " she said breathlessly, as her eyes confirmed her desire. When the tip of his sex touched the center of her heat, she cried out brokenly, "…yes…need you…."

Grabbing her wrists, he pinned her arms on either side of her face, as his tongue traced the curve of her neck and along her jaw line. His brow kiss elicited a soft moan from Aeryn and he repeated the kiss on the other side.

"You are so beautiful," he said, his voice breathy and honey sweet.

Rising up, Aeryn tickled his full lips with the tip of her tongue, then nipped at them gently with her teeth, teasing him until John could take no more. He responded with tantalizing kisses of his own, communicating his desire for her with his tongue and lips.

He released her wrists, allowing her touch; her fingers outlined the beautiful musculature of his back with gentle caresses. Moving one of his hands down to her breasts, John grazed the nipple with his fingertips, feeling it stiffen at his touch. Aeryn grasped his head in her hands, directing him to the other soft peak, eager to feel his mouth on her. His hand continued massaging one breast while his mouth stimulated the other, alternating his attentions until Aeryn writhed in ecstasy beneath him.

"Please, John," she moaned, moving her hands between their sweat slick bodies, conveying her desire by caressing his throbbing shaft.

With aching slowness, John pushed his engorged sex into her silky sheath, inch by inch, her walls stretched around him, cradling his length, until he was sure she had accommodated him fully. She was so tight and moist; her inner muscles pulled him deeper inside her creating such delicious friction John was certain this must be heaven.

Aeryn closed her eyes as she luxuriated in the expanse of his body rubbing against her. He increased his rhythm, harder and faster as he entered and withdrew in a maddening tempo, his commanding strokes bringing her closer and closer to completion. She clasped his hard cheeks, hanging on as he rotated and thrust his hips for added emphasis; he was magnificent.

John increased his leverage by placing his palms on either side of her slender waist, watching as their bodies commingled and separated in perfect symmetry. She deified his name, scraping her nails against his flesh, marking him as hers. His strokes slowed to prolong the sensations as he tried to hold off the inevitable. His languid motion intensified the feel of her powerful muscles drawing him in deeper. He reached between them with one hand, massaging her sensitive nether bud to further inflame her.

Aeryn arched her back in reply and clamped down on him with renewed vigor. The greater friction on this bulging length brought John's eyes to her glowing face; he panted open-mouthed as she smiled seductively at him.

"Ahhhhhh…Aeryn," he groaned hoarsely as he bent down to ravish a breast.

As his mouth touched her this time, Aeryn convulsed beneath him, no longer able to dam the waves of liquid fire that surged through her. Her cries of fulfillment persuaded him to liberate his own release. He slammed into her body with quick, short thrusts, burying himself in her as far as he could. Aeryn wrapped her long, slim legs around his hips and dug her heels into his thighs.

The pair rocked to the music of love only they could hear as their bodies merged into one. With one final, colossal thrust, John cried out as his orgasm raged through him. Aeryn clinched her inner muscles around his length one last time, drawing all of his creamy essence into her depths. John shuddered and collapsed on top of her, sinking his mouth in the soft curve of her neck, savoring the lightly salty taste of her glistening skin.

Aeryn gently massaged his sculptured back as they drifted back to reality, both numbed and euphoric, their passions slaked. They shared a soft, romantic kiss as their bodies calmed.

Not wanting to break their union, the new lovers clung to each other in the aftermath of their passion, neither able to remember a time when they felt so complete. With their bodies entwined they rested quietly, surrounded by the rhythmic sounds of their own breathing, their hearts beating in unison.

John brushed his chin across her cheek. "You are amazing, " he whispered.

She felt the titillation of his beard stubble and she sighed happily, fondling his short hair, "as are you. Sex has never felt like that before, John."

To their mutual moan, John eased his body from hers and reached down to cover them with the golden blanket that had been pushed haphazardly to the foot of the bed. "That wasn't sex, Aeryn," he corrected with a steely strength to his whispered words, "that was making love."

"Hmmm…." Aeryn hummed in reply. But John wondered if she caught the message he intended.

Both too tired to pursue that thought, Aeryn snuggled against John's strong body and closed her eyes. Sweet oblivion surrounded them and they both succumbed to exhaustion.

~~~~~~~~~~

John floated lazily in the quiet netherworld between sleep and wakefulness. He felt a cool breeze on his bare chest, and found it strangely comforting - and very arousing - as his flat nipples puckered to hard nubs. His hand flexed, touching what felt like strands of silk in his dreamscape. He didn't want to waken, didn't want to disturb this peaceful idyll, but slowly each part of his consciousness was climbing from the depths of sleep despite his best efforts to hold off the inevitable. His eyelashes fluttered open finally and sleepy sea-blue eyes spied the love of his heart cuddled under his arm, his left hand still fingering the long, jet-black hair that fell about her ivory shoulders.

Remembering their passion of the night before, John caressed her sleeping countenance with loving eyes, awed by the elegance of her beauty in repose. Her lush, full lips that drove him insane only hours before seemed to smile at him from her dreams. As if sensing his thoughts, Aeryn rubbed her palm against his breast and sighed, her feathery breath tickling his side as she nuzzled closer. Quickly he brought her hand to his mouth to smother a pleasurable moan against her palm.

When she stretched lazily beside him, John freed his arm from her neck, positioning his body parallel to hers. Carefully he pulled down the sheet that covered them and smiled anew at the lovely vision before him. The delectable expanse of smooth skin, the inviting breasts, everything he saw made his mouth water. Slowly he exposed her rounded hips and slender thighs, only to halt his eyes' descent at the triangle of soft, ebony curls that summoned him. He would never get enough of her, never stop wanting her. It was simply not possible as long as he drew breath. He had to touch her, his sleeping beauty.

Delicately he kissed her forehead, then moved his body down until his mouth was in perfect position to capture one beautiful breast. He licked the pouty nipple tenderly, then blew gently across it, watching it harden perceptively. His eyes danced with anticipation as he closed his lips around the tightly drawn bud, flicking it with the very tip of his tongue.

"Mmmmm," Aeryn sighed contentedly, arching her yielding body into his moist mouth. If this was a dream, she did not want to waken.

Encouraged by her natural enthusiasm, John suckled her properly now, working his eager mouth on her soft flesh, grazing his teeth and tongue against her swollen nipple as his hand gently caressed the pliant mound He couldn't believe how easily she responded to him. Stopping now was impossible; he wanted her as much at this moment as he had the night before.

"John…" she mumbled drowsily, "uhmmm, John…."

"Beautiful Aeryn," he whispered, his lips quickly returning to her breast while his hand affectionately caressed her side. John massaged her thigh, then brought his palm to rest on her soft mound of midnight curls Gently he spread her nether lips, slipping his long, middle finger between them. He fondled the rose-petaled flesh tenderly, savoring the heady scent that signaled her arousal.

Instinctively, Aeryn parted her legs even more, inviting John's further exploration.

"Yes, my love," he spoke gently, urgently, feeling his own arousal pushing determinedly against Aeryn's thigh.

Reigning in his passion, John wanted only to continue plundering the treasures of the woman beside him; he slipped his finger inside her, probing her warm, humid depths. Too busy occupying himself at her breast and massaging her internal walls, John didn't notice that Aeryn was now awake and smiling down at him.

"Couldn't wait for me?" She teased, running her fingers around the sensitive shell of his ear as her hips moved in harmony with his strokes.

John opened his eyes and looked up at her, his slightly gaping mouth turning into a slow smile. "You are just too tempting, Aeryn Sun…and I was…hungry for you."

She moaned as he removed his finger from inside her, then wiped her delicious juices across his lips, licking them as she watched. "I love the way you taste."

With renewed vigor John kissed his way down her torso, leaving no part of her untouched. Aeryn rolled onto her back, holding his head against her as he moved closer and closer to her feminine core. "John…John…." She called to him, but he was simply too engrossed to respond and continued assaulting her with his talented tongue.

His hands roamed over her incredible thighs, pushing them apart as he moved down her legs. Gripping her ankles, he pushed toward her, spreading her legs at the knee, wide enough for him to see the shimmering pink folds of her sex open like an exotic flower.

Aeryn squirmed uncomfortably, feeling vulnerable and exposed, and raised up on her elbows to look at him. he said his name again and this time John realized that her tone held an edge of panic, not the dulcet sounds of pleasure.

He stopped abruptly, looking up at her as he knelt between her legs, "Aeryn? What's wrong?" There was no mistaking the concern in his voice.

She bit her lower lip and tried to hold back the trepidation she felt, "I…don't know…." She wasn't sure how to finish the sentence because she wasn't sure of John's intentions.

This feeling of vulnerability was new to her; she was accustomed to taking the lead sexually. Although she had many encounters with Peacekeeper males, those liaisons had more to do with sating sexual urges than prolonging pleasure. You mated, got dressed and returned to duty. She never stayed all night with them and never really experimented with sexual techniques. Quite frankly, the Peacekeepers she had known intimately were not particularly imaginative bedmates.

John sat back on his heels, looking at her in wonder and no small amount of genuine confusion. He saw the uncertainty in her smokey-blue eyes and crawled up her body until they were face to face.

"I would never do anything you don't want me to. You know that, right?" He said, stroking her cheek.

"I know," she answered softly, choking back her anxiety. "I just wasn't sure what you were doing. No one has ever…."

"…gone down on you?" He finished for her. He saw Aeryn's face twist up as her microbes were unable to sufficiently translate the human slang. "Oral sex, Aeryn," he explained softly.

She wanted to deny him nothing, but this sounded too strange, even for Crichton. "You want to put your mouth…there?" she asked doubtfully.

John couldn't help but smile at the bewildered expression on her face. "Not if you don't want me to, baby," he said soothingly.

"But why would YOU want to?" Aeryn was having difficulty grasping the idea.

"Well…" he grinned, moving to brush his fingertips along her eyebrow, "it's just a very intimate way of expressing how much I care for you." He kissed her softly, "another way to give you pleasure."

Aeryn paused to consider this. It was indeed a foreign concept for the ex-Peacekeeper - a man concerned about giving her pleasure rather than simply sating his own. She wanted to know more, "and does it give you pleasure, too?"

John smiled broadly, this was a conversation he truly never expected to have with a woman, "Yes, it's exciting for me to watch your body respond to what I'm doing."

Aeryn kissed him then and whispered against his mouth, "well, you best get busy…."

With one eyebrow slightly raised, John contemplated her expression, looking for any signs of hesitation. Seeing none, he began to move down her body, nipping and licking his way to her breasts. His mouth worked its magic once again, suckling one rosy tip while rolling the other between his fingers, squeezing and pinching with perfect pressure. Aeryn's melodious sighs spurred him on to his original destination.

He moved slowly, massaging her thighs with his fingertips, then retraced the same path with his mouth, planting gentle kisses along the toned skin of her inner thighs. He could feel her muscles tighten from the sensation, could hear her breathing quicken as he moved closer to his goal.

He paused deliberately to increase her anticipation and to be certain she wanted him to continue. He looked up at her and she smiled at him, nodding slightly as a sign for him to proceed. He bent to kiss her dark mound before delving inside her. As he dragged his tongue across the delicate, reddened flesh, Aeryn moaned loudly, calling his name, but this time there was no alarm in her sighs, just the sweet sounds of satisfaction.

Gently he pushed his hands underneath and raised her up slightly, massaging her soft cheeks. With the very tip of his tongue he flicked her tiny nether bud, lapping at it until he felt it swell against his lips. As her body tensed, he quickened his pace, teasing her entrance with his tongue, then returning to suckle her pleasure bud until she was wriggling beneath him.

"More…John…." She whimpered grabbing handfuls of the golden coverlet beneath her.

His heart pounded wildly in his chest at her urging. He wanted her first experience with this sexual technique to be memorable, and it pleased him greatly to know that he would be the first to bring her to orgasm in this way.

Lowering her to the bed, he placed his hands between her legs, gently pushing her outer lips apart with his thumbs; the scent of her arousal wafting around him, enticing him. He burrowed his mouth in her soft, burnished folds, his tongue swirled around her dilated entrance, before plunging inside her.

Aeryn arched her back and dug her heels into the mattress as her rapturous moans filled the small room. John never slowed his pace, submersing his tongue in and out of her for several strokes, then flicking her highly sensitized bud until Aeryn was vibrating with his rhythm.

His every touch pushed her higher and higher as his relentless tongue caressed her inner walls As her honeyed nectar began to flow, he licked her thoroughly, holding her hips as her body spasmed from the intensity of the sensations. He looked up to enjoy the sight of her body quaking and quivering before him. She was so beautiful his entire being ached with desire.

As she slowly began to relax, John covered her body with his own. The wonderful weight of him pressing against her created a feeling of joy unlike any she had ever experienced. He propped himself above her placing his lower arms on either side of her head, then leaned in to snuffle her neck, waiting for her to speak.

Aeryn lifted his head to look at his handsome face, their eyes speaking silently of their affection. He looked at her expectantly, hopefully, and she conveyed her pleasure with a beautiful, sated smile. She brushed his lips with her thumb; "you are very good at that…"

He couldn't help but laugh, "and how would you know?" he grinned.

She pinched him on the ass, her eyes twinkling mischievously, "I know what I like and I liked that very much."

"Good," John said, beaming his biggest smile at her.

As he lay atop her, she moved her hands along his arms, across his shoulders and began massaging the sinewy cords of his neck as he closed his eyes, basking in the sensation.

"So, this oral sex, does the woman reciprocate?" She asked, her curiosity overcoming her normal reserve. She so enjoyed the experience she wanted to taste him that way, too.

"Hmmmm?" He moaned, not really focusing on what she was saying, too intoxicated by her wonderful caresses.

Without warning, she flipped him over demanding that he pay attention to her and rephrased the question, "do the women in your culture…do the same to the men?"

"Yes…sometimes…but you don't…."

"What if I want to? Will you teach me?"

He couldn't deny the idea excited him, the thought of her warm, moist mouth encasing him was too, too delicious, and it had been a very long time since anyone had done this for him. "You sure about this?"

"Very," she answered simply, reaching between them to run her hand along his engorged length for emphasis.

"Ohhhh….okay!" he gasped, "do whatever you want to me, Aeryn." He raised up to suckle her earlobe, whispering softly, "you'll know when it's right."

Aeryn smiled at him uncertainly, but she wanted to do this for him, for her. She was never one to be shy in bed; there was no time for coy games when the call to duty could come at any time. She took a deep breath and started her descent.

John watched her, spellbound, as she flicked her tongue across his nipples in turn, then laced light kisses along his upper body, slowly working her way down. As she settled between his legs, she ran the tip of her tongue along the vein that protruded from the underside of his throbbing shaft.

"Oh Gawd!" John bellowed, reaching behind him to grab the beams jutting out from Moya's bulkhead, his biceps bulging under the strain.

Encouraged by that response, Aeryn continued her exploration, fingering and tonguing the skin of his inner thighs with equal measure. She eased his legs further apart and leaned in to kiss his swollen sacs as John's hips bucked beneath her. Yes, she thought, enjoying the feeling of control.

Closing his eyes, John fought for dominion over his body as he felt it careening out of control. In his aroused state, it would not take much for Aeryn to bring him to completion in this way, and he wanted to savor the experience for as long as he could.

Aeryn felt his body tense as she palmed his balls, squeezing gently until John was panting wildly through his open mouth, his chest heaving with each labored breath. She paused for a microt giving John time to regain some semblance of composure, instinctively aware that he was too close to release.

"Don't…stop…please…" he begged,

She wrapped his tumescent sex in one hand, stroking him slowly, as the first creamy drop oozed from him. Aeryn bent down to dab at it with her tongue, tasting the very essence of him for the first time. It was not unpleasant, she thought, and began to suckle the purplish head of his shaft properly.

"Yes, Aeryn…yes," he screamed to her, raising his hips to encourage her to take more of him inside her sweet mouth.

Gently pinching the base of his cock between her thumb and forefinger, she worked him with her mouth, moving up and down his fevered length. She could feel his rapid pulse against her tongue and increased the pace.

She relished the taste of him, the silky steel of his shaft as her tongue danced around him. His thrusts into her mouth matched her rhythm perfectly; she was amazed at how much of him she could take in and how much pleasure she felt from it.

But what she really wanted was to feel him inside her again, to have his warm essence filling her. John squirmed beneath her, his eyes closed tightly as he fought to hold on a little longer.

"Open your eyes, John. Look at me." She ordered, pulling her mouth from him.

That got his attention. "More…" he pleaded brokenly, "please…."

"Watch me," came her soft command as she guided him inside her.

"Aeryn, oh Gawd, Aeryn…."

His groans of pleasure were like music to her ears. She relaxed her inner muscles as she slowly eased herself down on this throbbing shaft. He grabbed her hips, biting back the groans of pleasure surging through him. Her slick wetness drove him higher still and was all the lubrication they needed as he slid into her to the base.

She rode him slowly at first, rocking back and forth, up and down, in a circular motion that stimulated them both. John was breathing through his mouth now as his hands sought her breasts, then passed over her sides, to her hips, until he finally clutched her soft curves, permitting him to thrust deeper and deeper inside of her.

"Come for me, John," Aeryn whispered, not willing to wait any longer. John shuddered violently, unable to stop the tremors inspired by her request. "You feel so good."

John could hold on no longer. Summoning all his remaining strength, he thrust upward, grinding his hips against her as he erupted inside her. Aeryn cried out in rapture, his liquid heat surging through her.

Collapsing on top of him, Aeryn suckled his lower lip, pulling and tugging as their bodies quieted. John's mouth claimed hers in a lingering kiss. They lay in each other's arms for several microns, enjoying the aftershocks of their union.

He reached up to smooth the errant strands of damp hair from her face, revealing the beauty of her smile. She rested her head against his chest, her fingers tracing lazy patterns along his skin.

"You're a natural, Aeryn Sun," he said, combing his fingers through her hair.

"You're easy, John Crichton," she grinned.

"Only for you, Aeryn," he answered, kissing her lightly, only for you." Sighing contentedly, John closed his eyes, thankful that the woman he loved was holding him close.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked tentatively, not wanting to upset the peace she felt with him, but she really wanted to know about the scene she witnessed in the cleansing chamber. The trouble was she wasn't sure how to broach the subject.

"Hmmm…anything," he replied, sampling her scrumptious neck.

His obvious distraction caused Aeryn to pull away slightly forcing him to look up at her. Their eyes locked, and she smiled shyly at him, running her thumb across his eyebrow. The look on her face told John the question she wanted to ask was important to her, and in their present connected state, he knew he would not be able to concentrate. Reluctantly he eased himself from her warmth.

Leaning back against Moya's bulkhead, John quickly pulled Aeryn into his arms and she nestled between his legs, covering his arms with hers as they embraced her. John rubbed his cheek against her hair. "I'm listening…."

"You remember when we talked about how Peacekeepers view physical intimacy?" She felt him nod his head beside her ear, tightening his arms around her. "Well, I…why did you…in the cleansing chamber…." Not able to complete her thought, she shifted slightly so she could see his face.

But there was no need for Aeryn to finish her question, John not only understood what she was asking, but also her need to so. This discussion was inevitable given the different way their species viewed sex. Best to do it now, John thought, before he became irretrievably lost to her, but in his heart he knew that had already happened. He hoped she would understand and accept what he was about to tell her, that she wouldn't reject it outright.

With the scent of their lovemaking still lingering in the air, they released their hold on each other. Aeryn turned to face him, draping her willowy legs across his as she settled on the cushion of his thighs.

Clasping her hands tightly in his, he began, "I couldn't ask you to join me Aeryn because I wasn't sure how you felt, if it was really me you wanted or just a physical release. And it is important to me to know…to know that…."

"I care for you," Aeryn completed his thought.

"Yes," John answered shyly. "I want more for us, Aeryn. Last night we made love - it wasn't simply sex. I feel connected to you emotionally in a way I haven't connected with anyone else." John paused, trying to gauge her reaction.

"You mean anyone else on this side of the galaxy?" It was an honest question, but it surprised John nonetheless.

"No Aeryn, I mean anyone I have ever known anywhere."

She smiled at him, a soft, sweet smile that warmed him to the core. "I feel it to, John." He had touched her deeply, in a place no one had ever reached before. She knew she would always want him with her.

"Humans have a saying that goes: home is where the heart is." He raised her hands to his lips, "you have my heart, Aeryn. My home is wherever you are."

"And what about Earth?"

"Earth is where I'm from, but my heart is here, with you. I love you. I'll never leave you - ever." He kissed her deeply, conveying the truth of his words so she could never doubt them.

Aeryn smiled through the tears that streamed down her cheeks. "I have a home now too, right here." She touched John's chest and felt his heartbeat pounding against her palm.

It was good to be home, finally.



Fin