The last few months had been exhausting ... but well worth the effort. A new charter had been formed. One that aligned dozens of planets into a working union -- the United Federation of Planets -- providing cooperation and assistance during times of crisis. Months of negotiations on boundaries, trade regulations, and planetary rights -- discussions that, at times, became quite heated, as many compromises where made in order to appease the majority.
Jonathan Archer had been honored to take part in these negotiations ... and like everyone else, he felt the bone numbing exhaustion that comes from months of debate and negotiation. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before ... far more enervating than any physical labor he had ever done. But it didn't matter; as the last name was signed to the newly formed charter, he rose to his feet, and applauded, along with everyone else in the room.
His eyes automatically scanned the crowd, and instantly locked onto Shran. Jonathan had been pleased to see his old friend would be part of the Andorian delegation ... and smiled, as he fondly recalled a few of the more heated debates that had taken place here. Shran, too, was smiling, as their eyes locked. And despite his exhaustion, he once again felt that familiar tingle in his loins that he always felt when he looked at Shran.
Since the first moment they had met, Jonathan Archer had fought the urge to reach out and caress that pale blue skin and silky white hair. He had fought the urge to explore the antennae ... and other parts of the alien anatomy. When he had been delegated to fight Shran, in a fight to the death, he nearly declined -- the idea of killing him for someone else was offensive to him -- yet duty demanded he take part, and thanks to Hoshi, they found a loophole that would spare Shran's life.
When he maimed Shran, Jonathan had wanted to hold him close, whispering his sorrow and affection, while begging for forgiveness ... but of course, that was out of the question. Instead, he had explained why he did what he did, and hoped that one day, Shran would forgive him for the temporary maiming. And of course, he did. The unusual friendship they had developed continued to grow ... and Jonathan did his best to hide his desire for anything more.
As the applause began to die, and the delegates left the table to mingle, Jonathan stayed where he was, watching Shran approach. "It's over," he said, as he took hold of Jonathan's shoulders, in a comradely embrace.
"So it is," Jonathan replied, smiling, as he returned the gesture.
"How long do you think it will last, pink skin?"
Jonathan smiled at the name that had offended him so in the beginning. "A long time, I hope," he replied, then added with a wink, "as long as everyone remains open to cooperation and a bit of compromise."
"Yes ..." Shran replied with a slight scowl. Compromise was not one of his favorite concepts.
"So," Jonathan asked to lighten the mood, "how soon do you return to Andor?"
"Our delegation will be remaining here for another week. I will most likely return with them, although my ship will not be ready for boarding for another three weeks. Then, I'm back out there, where I belong." He paused for a moment, then added quietly, "I miss it out there ... the peace ... the vast space ... the beauty ..."
"Yes, I know what you mean ... I miss it, too." Jonathan paused for a moment to consider his next words, then took the plunge, "If you're not busy, would you care to join me for a bit of R&R? I'm going up to my cabin for a little fishing and relaxation before I return to ENTERPRISE."
"Fishing?" the word unfamiliar to him, and untranslatable, as the concept was unheard of on his planet of ice.
"Yes, on the lake ... I have a small boat," Jonathan replied, adding, "there's nothing more relaxing than going out to the middle of the lake, and casting a line ... then sitting back, waiting. Doesn't matter if you don't catch anything ... just sitting back, listening to the silence ..."
"It sounds intriguing," Shran admitted, although the idea of sitting in a small boat on open water frightened him slightly. "When do we leave?"
"First thing in the morning, say 0500 hours?" Jonathan replied with a smile. "We'll plan on being there for five days, so you'll have time to return to Andor with your delegation."
"Excellent ... I will see you in the morning, then," Shran said, and clapped him on the shoulder once again, as he turned to rejoin the rest of the Andorian delegation, who was deep in discussion with a group of Vulcans.
Archer pulled up in front of the newly formed Andorian Embassy and smiled ... Shran was standing there, dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt with a multi-pocketed vest over it; a cooler and duffle bag by his feet. Archer stopped his jeep by the curb, and got out to help load the gear into the back, as Shran said, "How do I look?"
"Like a fisherman," Archer laughed, as he grabbed the duffle, and put it in the back with his own gear. He had a cooler full of supplies, including several items that he had been told were Andorian delicacies -- after all, he had to make sure the food was palatable to his quest. Within minutes, they were on the road, heading for the cabin by the lake in the hills that had been in Jonathan's family for generations, just as the old Land Rover had been. "I hope you don't mind traveling the 'old-fashioned' way," he said, as they headed out of the city.
"Not at all," Shran replied with a smile, although Jonathan couldn't help but notice the way he held onto the armrest as he made a turn a bit too quickly. But soon, they were out of the city, and heading toward the mountains up north ... it would take a couple of hours to reach the cabin, and Jonathan was eager to share the beauty of his home with Shran.
There was little conversation between the two on the long ride ... Shran seemed to be in awe of the tremendous variety of life forms, both plant and animal, while Jonathan was enjoying sharing these natural wonders with him. In no time, they were pulling up in front of the lake house. The early morning sun was shimmering on the water, and Jonathan was eager to get on the lake. They grabbed their bags from the back, and went inside.
It was a decent size cabin, with a large livingroom, serviceable kitchen, and two bedrooms down the hall, each with a private bath. Jonathan directed Shran to the room on the right, while he stowed his own bag in the one of the left, then returned to the jeep to get the coolers. When all the food was put away, he turned to Shran and asked, "Do you like coffee? I usually make a thermos of it to sip on while I'm fishing."
"I tried it once ... much too sweet for my taste," Shran replied with a grimace.
"Well, coffee, on its own, is anything but sweet. Sounds like what you tried probably had sugar in it," Jonathan said, "I drink it black. I'll make enough for both of us."
As the coffee brewed, Jonathan and Shran went outside to get the boat out of the storage shed, and tied up to the dock, then gathered the fishing gear, and placed it in the boat. Jonathan turned to Shran and asked, "Can you swim?"
"There is virtually no open water on my planet," he replied, looking out over the surface of the lake.
"Then I want you to wear this," Archer said, as he handed Shran a life vest. He made sure that the vest was properly secured, then went to check the battery charge of the small trolling motor. That done, he went back inside to get the coffee.
When he returned to the dock, he noticed Shran was shivering sightly, and asked a bit incredulously, "Are you cold?" for although it was a brisk fall morning, it was hardly cold enough to be felt by the ice-dwelling Andorian.
"Hardly ... it is uncomfortably warm for me on your world, pink skin," and he turned to walk toward the dock, head held high, no longer shaking.
Realizing that it was probably fear of the water that had Shran quivering, he decided to say nothing more about it ... not wanting to injure his pride. Jonathan followed Shran out onto the dock, and held the boat, while he told Shran how to get in, and where to sit. Then he got in himself, untied the lines, and started the motor.
The small craft moved easily over the smooth water, out toward the middle of the lake. About 100 yards out, he shut off the motor, and let the boat drift. Opening the tackle box, he pulled out a couple of lures, and then grabbed one of the poles. After affixing the lure, and a bobber, he demonstrated how to cast it, then handed it to Shran.
"Where should I cast it?" Shran asked, as he looked around the boat.
"See that branch just under the water, over there?" Jonathan said, as he pointed to a submerged tree off to their left, "aim for that ... there are always fish hiding in the branches of that old tree."
And Shran did just that ... a flawless cast that landed just shy of the visible tree branch.
"Are you sure you've never done this before?" Jonathan asked with a smile.
"Positive," Shran replied with a satisfied smile, then asked, "what do I do now?"
"Wait ... and watch the bobber," Jonathan replied, as he cast his own line toward the submerged tree. "If you see it go beneath the water, and feel a tug on the pole, give it a swift jerk upwards, and the hook will snag the fish ... hopefully."
Jonathan put his pole in the holder on his seat, then opened the thermos and poured two cups of coffee. Handing one to Shran, he said, "Sit back and relax ... it may be a while before anything bites."
But just as Shran was about to slip his pole into the holder, the bobber disappeared and he reflexively snapped the pole upward ... and the fight was on. "Careful ... don't real it in too quick ... the line might snap," Jonathan advised, as Shran began to crank the real in a little at a time. "That's right ... don't give him any slack ... nice and easy ..." and the fish was halfway to the boat when it made a leap for freedom ... jumping out of the water in a desperate attempt to rid itself of the hook that was in it's lip.
Shran whooped with delight at the sight ... and nearly fell off of his seat when the tension on his pole was suddenly gone. The line had broken, and the fish was gone. "Magnificent!" he cried, "such power, in something so relatively small ... I had no idea!"
"Yep ... that was a decent sized bass ... they'll give you a good fight every time," Jonathan said, smiling at Shran, who had obviously forgotten about his fear of the water in his excitement over the fish. Opening the tackle box once again, he pulled out another lure, and affixed it to Shran's line, then said, "better luck next time."
Shran cast, then put his pole in the holder, and reached for his nearly forgotten coffee. "Hmmm ... this isn't half bad," he said, as he took a sip.
"I thought you'd like it," Jonathan replied, as he sipped his own coffee.
Time passed, as the two sat back and watched their lines, sipping their coffee. But no more fish took the bait. They moved to a few different spots, with no more luck, and eventually, Jonathan suggested they head back to the cabin for some lunch. He directed the boat toward the dock, and when he pulled up along side it, asked Shran to jump out and tie them off ... and as he stood, he overbalanced, and fell in the lake.
Arms flailing, and the life vest barely keeping his head above water, Jonathan jumped in after his friend, quickly grabbed the back of the vest, and swam toward shore. Within a few feet, he was able to touch bottom, and told Shran to put his feet down. He did so, but continued to lean heavily on Jonathan, as they made their way to dry land. Shran collapsed, coughing up the water he had swallowed as Jonathan turned back to retrieve to boat, which was slowly drifting away from the dock. Once it was secured, he rushed back to Shran's side, and asked if he was all right.
"Yes, I'll be fine," he replied, as he continued to cough.
"Let's get you inside and out of those wet clothes," Jonathan insisted, as he slipped his arm around Shran's waist and helped him to his feet. Both men were shaking when they entered the cabin ... one from fear, the other from cold. Jonathan ignored his own discomfort for the moment, as he guided Shran into the bath and grabbed a large towel. "Come on, out of those wet things, and dry off ... that water is freezing."
"Not to me, pink skin ... although I do not enjoy being wet, I found the temperature quite comfortable," Shran replied, as he unbuttoned the flannel shirt and pulled it off, revealing a perfectly smooth chest. Jonathan watched as Shran bent over to remove his boots, the alien musculature under the blue skin had him transfixed ... and as Shran began to remove the jeans, Jonathan felt his flesh warm in anticipation.
Naked, Shran straightened up, and reached for the towel Jonathan was holding. As he took it, he asked, "What?" for the expression on Jonathan's face was quite uncomprehensible to him.
Jonathan shook himself, saying, "Nothing ... I ..." but he could say no more, for the sight of Shran, naked, had not been quite what he had been expecting. Turning his back on Shran, he started to remove his own wet clothes.
Shran was silent, yet Jonathan could feel his eyes upon his back ... just knowing he was there, watching as he stripped, made Jonathan's heart race, and his cock grow hard.
"I see that Humans are not so different from Andorians after all," Shran said in a soft voice, as his hand reached out to touch Jonathan's lower back. "There is even a slight blue tint to your skin, right now ... quite attractive, if you don't mind my saying so."
At Shran's touch, Jonathan felt himself shiver all over, but not from the cold he had been feeling. He cleared his throat before he said, "I'm blue because I'm freezing my ass off."
"And what a lovely ass it is, too," Shran whispered into his ear, as his hand slipped lower. With his other hand, he reached around Jonathan to grab another towel off of the rack, and then wrapped it around Jonathan's shoulders, rubbing vigorously to warm him as he dried off.
Jonathan sighed, as he leaned back against Shran's body, as his hands wrapped the towel around his chest. His nipples were hard from the cold, and he shivered and gasped as Shran pinched them through the towel. Suddenly, his body was on fire ... the cold from the water evaporated as his lust hit him full force.
Turning within Shran's arms, he grabbed the alien by the hips, and made to thrust his engorged cock against his groin.
"Careful there, pink skin," Shran said, as he pulled away slightly, "I wouldn't want you to get hurt." and as he said that, Jonathan looked down to Shran's lower body ... the smooth mound between his legs had transformed itself in the few minutes they had been standing there.
Jonathan stepped back himself, as he said, "I see what you mean." the needle-like protrusion, although not very long, would have been quite painful, had he succeeded in thrusting against it.
"That looks as if it could be quite painful, as well," Shran said, as he looked down at Jonathan's engorged cock.
"Well," Jonathan replied with a smile, "that all depends on what I do with it ... and how soon." Horny as he was, he didn't want to rush this encounter, yet the severity of his arousal would not let him last too long without discomfort. He grabbed the towel from Shran, and finished drying himself off quickly, then added, "come on, let's continue this mutual appreciation and exploration in a more comfortable setting."
Leading the way into his bedroom, he pulled down the covers of his bed, and lay down, gesturing Shran to join him. He lay on his side, head propped up on his arm, as he ran his hand over Shran's body ... his own cock throbbed against Shran's hip, as he explored the smooth abdomen, and as his hand crept ever closer to Shran's crotch, he heard a sharp intake of breath. "May I touch you?" he asked.
"Yes ... please," Shran said in a husky whisper, and as Jonathan's fingers slipped along the thin needle of his sex, a stream of sweet smelling nectar oozed out of the tip. "Ahhhh ..." Shran moaned, as he came all over Jonathan's hand. Within seconds, the needle-like protrusion had retracted, and the mound was smooth once more. "Thank you ... I needed that more than I realized."
"I understand completely," Jonathan said with a smile, as his own body ached for just such a release.
"I understand that Humans, unlike Andorians, reproduce by penetration ... are you able to get release in other ways, or do you need to penetrate to do so?" Shran asked, as he rolled onto his side, and faced Jonathan.
"Oh, there are multiple ways to get release ... and as much as I would love to explore every single one of them with you, I'd settle for a simple hand-job right now," Jonathan replied, as he took hold of Shran's hand, and guided it to his swollen shaft, adding, "I'm about to burst."
And as the cool fingers stroked along the length of his shaft, he rolled onto his back. Shran's touch was feather-light, and as his fingertip flicked across the head of Jonathan's cock, smearing the pre-cum around the tip, he moaned, thrusting his hips upward to try and increase the pressure.
"Hm ... the skin is so silky, " Shran whispered, as he bent over and ran his tongue across the tip, which made Jonathan moan more.
"Suck it," he cried, as he thrust upward once again, and as he did, he felt Shran's mouth close around his cock. "Yes ... oh YES!" he shouted, as he exploded into the cool mouth.
They woke several hours later, wrapped in each others arms, the comforter over Jonathan while Shran lay naked and completely exposed by the afternoon sun streaming in through the window. "I'm famished," Jonathan said, as he stretched ... sex always made him sleepy, and extremely hungry.
"Yes, a meal would be good right about now," Shran agreed, as he rolled out of bed, and left the room. He returned a moment later, dressed in another pair of jeans but shirtless ... the effect was not lost on Jonathan, who was instantly aroused by the sight.
Jonathan looked at the clock, and as he sat up on the edge of the bed, asked, "So, would you like to give the fishing another try this afternoon?"
And Shran stepped toward the bed, pushed Jonathan back, and straddled him, as he said, "I think I've had enough fishing to last me a lifetime ... however, there are still aspects of Human sexual activity that I'd love to explore ... if you don't mind."
"I don't mind at all," Jonathan replied, and with a move that caught Shran completely off balance, rolled them both over so that he was on top, as he added, "as long as I can also explore Andorian sexual activity."
"By all means, pink skin."
~the end