Title - “I Believe” Author - T’Thrill Series and paring - TOS Codes - [Doctor fuh-qfest]  Mc/Sulu Rating - *very* NC-17 Disclaimer - This is a work of fiction derived from the TREK universe owned by Paramount/Viacom.  It is a transformative work and I make fair use of this venue. I make no money from this story and intend no infringement on their copyright.  My copyright only extends to any original characters and in the story itself.  Written for 2001 Doctor-fuh-q-fest. My most sincere ‘Thanks!’ go out to Cait who served as my beta for this story.  She took time out of her busy schedule to offer advice and make corrections.  I am most appreciative for her help. Summary - Two days before Christmas on a shore leave planet, Leonard McCoy is feeling lonely. “I Believe” Chapter 1/6 Shore leave.  On a planet populated by mostly Earthers.  Two days before Christmas.  And this was supposed to help him relax, how?  This was the third Christmas he’d spend onboard the Enterprise and this one seemed to be the worst of the lot.  Everyone seemed to be paired off this year except him, of course.  Sitting in the corner of the “Rubic's Cube Bar,” he tossed another mouthful of the vile liquid that was supposed to pass for whisky down his throat.  When the ancient folk-song “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” came blasting across the speaker for the um-tenth time since he had arrived, he had the urge to find the nearest phase pistol and blast the dammed sound system into tomorrow.  No, tomorrow wouldn’t help; blast it into three days from now!  Now that would be an improvement!  ‘Oh, God!’ he thought as he rolled his eyes.  It wasn’t helping that everyone standing at the bar was singing along!  Leonard looked around at the booths and noticed his was the only one with a solitary patron.  The others were either couples who ought’ta get a room, or a bunch of giggling children, well compared to his age, who kept pulling out the most ridiculous purchases and announcing who each was intended for.  If anyone ever gave him a pair of socks with the toes sewn individually, and little bells dangling from the cuffs, he’d stick’em where the sun don’t shine! The thought crossed his mind to move to a different bar, but he’d passed four others before he stopped here and none seemed to be any different.  Why was it that even out here, nine parsecs from Earth, he couldn’t get away from all of this god-dammed Christmas revelry?  It’s not that he had anything against the holiday for those who wanted to celebrate their religious faith or had children who they were trying to keep the magic alive for.  In those cases, so be it.  But this was far removed from any religious celebration and there wasn’t a kid in sight!  Sure, when Joanna had been a little girl he’d liked decorating a tree and playing the same songs over and over again.  He had even been home to put together a few hover-trikes in his time.  And usually, sometime in the middle of the night, he would rather loudly announce that he was a doctor not a mechanical engineer, dammit!  To which his wife would shush him, telling him he was going to wake up Joanna, and they would end up rolling around under the tree making passionate love.  Then, with the stress relieved, he would figure out where the last clips fit and how to actually attach the seat.  Now that was what Christmas was supposed to be about!  What the hell was this song supposed to mean, anyway?  “You can say you don’t believe in Santa, but as for me ‘n Grandpa, we believe.” Stupid lyrics!  Whatever happened to songs like, “Santa’s Coming through the Antaries Triangle,” or “Roasting Chestnuts by the Fire Simulator”?  Now *those* were Christmas songs! The waiter came by and asked him if he was ready for another.  Leonard held up his near empty glass and nodded as he brought the glass to his lips and downed the last swallow.  The waiter took the glass and headed back to the bar with Leonard watching his every move.  Although he wasn’t a complete novice with someone of his own gender, usually it was a pretty female who caught his eye.  However, this young fellow was hard to ignore.  Hard.  Yeah, that pretty much described the state he’d been in for the last few months.  He knew what he needed.  He needed to find some anonymous body and spend the next few days closed off from all of this Christmas hooey and have mind-blowing, toe-tingling, sex.  The waiter returned and Leonard couldn’t help but notice that in the very, very short, red shorts, he could just catch a glimpse of the man’s scrotal sack peeking out from the edge of the loose hem as he placed the drink in front of him.  It was quite obvious from the way the young man spread his thighs that the view was no accident.  Talk about your Christmas chestnuts, these were beauties!  Leonard’s gaze traveled slowly up the slim, nearly naked body, across the thin, flat abdomen and the bronze, smooth chest, deliciously adorned with taunt round nubs, to the face.  And what a face!  It was exotic and beautiful, just like the rest of man standing only inches from him.  The full lips and the dark brown eyes, which were emphasized by a band of white fur that lay just above the nearly-black eyebrows, seemed very inviting.  Wisps of dark hair spilled out from around the edges of the white band and the picture was completed with one of those ridiculous Santa-style hats that seemed to be so popular at this time of the year.  But on this man, highlighting this face, even that silly holiday accoutrement was attractive.  Those eyes were watching him carefully and held just a hint of the smile that played on the lips.  There was definitely something about him that was extremely appealing.  “Will there be *anything* else, sir?” The man-boy cooed. The words were perched on his lips that he could help with this god dammed erection he had given him, and there was no doubt that was the answer the young man expected, but Leonard couldn’t bring himself to do it.  There had only been a few occasions that he had indulged himself with one-night stands and he knew he always felt even lonelier after such an encounter.  “No,” he replied, not able to keep a smile from escaping his lips.  “But, thanks,” he added as he took the glass that had been placed in front of him and saluted. “Are you sure?  I get off in a few minutes and I’ve got the afternoon free.  I’ve been waiting for someone interesting to come along.”  The kid reached down and, with his middle finger, seductively caressed the barely visible skin that had held Leonard’s attention just moments before. The doctor’s erection, painfully trapped inside his uniform trousers, jerked sharply causing him to shift his hips in the seat to relieve the sudden pressure.  Still, he couldn’t face the aloneness that he would feel later if he gave into the desires of the ‘head’ between his thighs.  “Really, I appreciate the offer, but I have some place I have’ta be in a little while.”  Yes, a lie, but, in reality, heading back to the comfort of his office and burying himself up to his neck in the latest fitness reports didn’t seem like such a bad idea.   “Sorry to hear it.  That doesn’t seem like quite as much fun as what I had in mind,” the man purred through a smile as he turned and walked away.  Leonard looked at the full glass in his hand.  Suddenly, he didn’t feel like getting any more drunk than he already was.  In his current frame of mind, he certainly didn’t need to lose his ability to reason.  He fed his credit chip into the slot in the center of the table, added on a hefty tip, sat the glass down and left the establishment.  ‘Just in time,’ he thought, as the infernal song started again. Jim had ordered him off the ship for shore leave.  He had complied.  For eight hours, give or take a few minutes, he had wandered around, had more than enough to drink, gotten a raging hard-on and watched the shoppers as they frantically darted in and out of the small emporiums.  He seriously considered going back to the ship, activating the security lock on his office, and spending a few minutes of quality time with Mr. Hand.  But unfortunately, here lately even Mr. Hand wasn’t the lover he once was.  None of the usual fantasies could bring him the release he needed.  It was if there was something, or someone, out there he craved, he just couldn’t put his finger, so to speak, on what it was.  Desperately trying to shake the image of the waiter out of his mind, he wandered aimlessly down the street and into the business district.  Observing the scurry of people, he wondered why they waited so long to make their purchases.  Hell, he had all of his gifts ordered and wrapped months ago; an antique compass for Jim, a bottle of Chris’ favorite perfume, decorative combs for Nyota, a vid on the Samurai Warriors for Hikaru, and a book on the most famous of the Russian inventors for a certain young shipmate who had the most unnerving tendency to credit his homeland for everything from the garden of Eden to the discovery of warp engines.  There were other presents, too.  Even for their Vulcan friend, who swore the whole tradition of gift giving was an illogical transformation of a celebration that was supposed to honor the birth of an alleged deity, he had purchased a selection of rare teas.  As a matter of fact, this was the one Christmas he felt he had just the right present for everyone.  So, he wondered, why did he feel so down-in-the-mouth this year?  He sighed and jabbed his hands in his pockets as he walked through the city, dodging hurried shoppers as he went.  He knew why.  Yeah, even though he wished them well, it had been hard to discover that Jim and Spock were sharing more than just chess games on their late evenings together.  It wasn’t that he had designs on either of them, or that he felt ignored by them.  On the contrary, since his late night response to a Med alarm, which one of them had rolled onto in the heat of passion, they had done all they could to let him know their feelings toward him hadn’t changed.  But, at least in his mind, there had been a change.  Before, he had thought of all of them in the same boat.  Alone.  He knew he’d never be able to get that image out of his mind.  He’d flown to Jim’s cabin and overridden the security lock, expecting the worst, but instead, he had seen...seen...THAT!  Till this day, he couldn’t see Spock bent over the science station without picturing Jim underneath him and the Vulcan pumping into him.  To say the least, the sight had shaken him to his very core.  To realize they both had someone to share that kinda passion with; to care for, to talk with late at night, to hold, to...well, he didn’t need to start his mind down that path again.  It had made a difference.  Especially when his own prospects of finding someone seemed so bleak.  There wasn’t anyone on the ship that he had feelings for, not those kinds of feelings.  They were friends, that’s all.  They’d gone to hell and back together more than once.  He was the one who patched them up and kept their secrets.  It was hard to get romantic over someone who you’ve had to put back together, time and time again.  He looked up at a large, decorated clock and realized he had spent another hour just walking around the city.  He was quite sober and began to think about finding another bar, but the memory of the previous establishment stopped him.  Just as he’d decided there was nothing else to keep him there and he began to look for a transport center to return him to the ship, his eye caught a figure walking on the other side of the street, just ahead of him.  It was the waiter!  The clothes had been changed from the red shorts, and little else, to a black shirt and trousers, but the Santa hat was still firmly in place, the wisps of dark hair were still evident around the edges, and that backside was hard to miss.  Evidently the young man had been shopping because he carried a bag in one hand, with wrapped packages peeking over the top.  Leonard started to turn and go back the way he’d come, but the way the young waiter moved had him mesmerized.  Following a safe distance behind, Leonard found himself all but stalking him as he strolled down the street.  Even in the more sedate outfit, the round, tight ass moved with absolute grace beneath the silky material.  Occasionally, the man would stop to glance at something he found intriguing in one of the storefronts and Leonard would have to seem interested in whatever shop was beside him, all the while watching the man in the reflection of the glass and taking very little notice of what was being displayed.  At one point, he got some interesting looks as he pretended to be interested in one window and, with a snicker behind him, realized he was looking at a display of rather outrageous ladies undergarments.   This was ridiculous, he mumbled to himself.  If he didn’t put a stop to this, he was going to end up getting arrested, one way or another.  Leonard couldn’t take his eyes off the young man.  As he moved down the street, unaware that he was being observed, his movements were even more fluid than they had been in the bar.  There was just something about him that made McCoy’s need almost urgent.  Okay, so he was interested, he told himself, what’s the harm in that?  Back at the bar, this man had made it very clear what he had in mind.  And the man was alone.  Leonard had followed him long enough to be sure of that, so he evidently hadn’t found anyone to spend the afternoon with.  To hell with the aftermath, he decided.  He crossed over the street and quickened his pace.  For a moment, what with several people wearing similar looking hats, he lost sight of him in the crowd, but then spotted him stopped in front of a store.  Taking a deep breath, Leonard darted through a group of shoppers and came up behind him.  ‘Now what?’ he thought to himself.  He had never been much of an aggressor, but it was now or never.  Taking one step closer, to where he was all but pressing his body to the man’s back, he laid his hands on the shoulders and felt a ripple beneath the fabric.  “If the offer still holds, it looks like we’re both still alone,” he said, quietly. Chapter 2/6  “I Believe” See part 1 for disclaimer The man whirled around.  “Len?” Sulu asked. “HIK...Sul...Hikaru?” Leonard stammered.  He took a step back and felt the blood drain from his face, not to mention every other part of his body.  “I’m...well, I’m sorry.  It’s just...for a moment...I thought you were someone else.”  He backed up another step, almost knocking someone down who was behind him.  He turned to make sure the person behind him was okay, offered an apology, then turned back quickly to Sulu.  He watched the face of the helmsman as the realization of what had just happened registered with him.  The welcoming smile turned to surprise followed by shock, then something that Leonard believed to be disgust, disappointment or disapproval, he wasn’t sure which, but he knew this little scene had cost him a great deal of respect in Hikaru’s eyes.  Sulu raised his head, and tried to smile, but McCoy could see it was anything but heartfelt.  “That’s okay, Len” he replied. There was only one person on the ship who called him ‘Len’, and it made him feel special when this man called him by that name.  For their first couple of years, the young officer had insisted on calling him ‘Dr. McCoy’, but in these last months they had been assigned together as a team, and the comfort they felt with each other had deepened to the point where they had long ago dispensed with the formality of titles.  As a matter of fact, as far as he knew, he was the only one who referred to Sulu by his given name.  Now he was afraid he’d destroyed that comfort they’d found together.  Deciding the best thing to do was to just brush the incident off, he said, “Look, it was just a case of mistaken identity.  Let’s just forget this happened, okay?” His voice never quite reflected the brightness he wanted to show.  “Sure,” Hikaru mumbled, shrugging his shoulders slightly. ‘DAMN!’ Leonard thought.  Why hadn’t he just gone back to the ship?  Hell, he didn’t need the transporter, now!  He could just kick himself back to the Enterprise!  “Well, I’ll let you get on with your shopping.  I’m sorry I interrupted you.”  He started to turn and leave, but a hand on his arm stopped his retreat.  He looked down at his arm, and back up to the face of the young lieutenant. “Who did you think I was?” Sulu asked. “A waiter,” Leonard answered before he could stop himself.  “Then, in that case, I’m sorry,” Sulu answered, releasing the arm. “Look, Hikaru, I’m the one who’s really sorry.  I swear I’d never do anything to offend you.  It’s not that I usually go around picking up locals, but in a bar a little while ago, a waiter came onto me. I didn’t think I was interested, well not enough to do what he had in mind, but it’s just that he reminded me so much of....of...” Like a thunderbolt, it hit Leonard just what it was about the young waiter he had found so desirable.  He could have been Sulu’s brother!  Dear God!  How long had he found him so appealing?  When hadn’t he?   Sure, he’d always thought of him as a good looking kid, and had admired the slim, muscular build when he had him on the biobed.  And, admittedly, on many occasions he’d had to mentally clamp his mind down against the inappropriate thoughts that had threatened to sneak in.  But only now did he realize just how much he was attracted to him and that it was merely the strong resemblance to this man which had drawn him so deeply toward the waiter.  Now he really wanted to leave.  Attracted or not, he was not going to approach this boy about his feelings, no matter how much of a shock it was to discover he had them.  But he really wasn’t a boy, was he?  Leonard knew the crew bio’s better than anyone on the ship.  He knew that to his forty-one years, Hikaru was only ten years his junior.  It’s just that he always seemed so much younger.  He had a youthful exuberance and spirit about him that made him seem fresh, innocent, even playful.  It was that, which Leonard had always looked forward to in their times spent together.  As if that spirit had the ability to flow over to him.  As if he could just take him in his arms and...‘My god, Leonard, get a hold of yourself!’ the doctor demanded, silently.    “Of who, Len?  Who did he remind you of?” The question was nothing more than a whisper, but it pounded in Leonard’s ears.  How could he answer this?  How could he explain that which he was only just begun to realize?  How could he explain that standing here on the sidewalk, he would like nothing more than to take him in his arms and learn the taste of those lips and the feel of that body pressed against his?  The deep brown eyes waited on an answer.  In that moment, all of the people, all of the noise, faded into the background.  Despite the rush and roar of the crowd around them, to Leonard, it suddenly felt as if they were the only two on the street. All he saw was the man he would give anything to get to know better.  “You.”  There was no sound that escaped him as he mouthed the word.  Clearing his throat against the knot that had formed there, he muttered, again, “It’s you, he reminded me of.  I’m sorry.” “Sorry?”  He watched as the face before him broke out in the biggest grin he’d ever seen.  “For what?  It’s about dammed time!” Sulu said.  “I’ve only been coming onto you for the last three years!” “Coming onto me?  You?  When?”  Leonard’s brain was somewhere between total confusion, shock, and the ever so slight beginnings of joy.  He knew he should be processing this, that it should all be forming together to make some sense, but the connections just weren’t there.  “Only every chance I got.  I thought I was pretty obvious.  The rest of the bridge crew caught on right away.  Scotty realized it sometime last year and I think even the Captain knows.  You mean you didn’t notice?” “Notice?  Hardly.  Oh, sure, when I’ve asked for help on special projects, it’s usually you who Jim sends to me and you usually seemed pleased to get away from bridge duty for a while.  And lately we’ve been paired up on a lot of missions, but, in all honesty, I thought it was punishment for something.” “So you thought my presence was punishment?”  The smile faded. “Not for me, for you!  Hell, I’ve enjoyed having you assigned to me.  I just couldn’t figure why Kirk decided you and I should be together so much.  Why, that little matchmaker!” “The Captain?  A matchmaker?” Sulu flashed him a look of disbelief. “Yeah, our own Captain Kirk.”  Now it was beginning to make sense.  Jim had been worried about his being alone in these past months.  He must’a noticed Sulu’s interest, which was why they had been teamed together recently.  But Hikaru?  Interested in him?  Why?  “Look, let’s back up a step because I must be missing someth’in, here.  Hikaru, do’ya mean what I think you mean?  Can you honestly say that you could be interested in an old country doctor?” “Old country doctor?  I don’t think so.”  Sulu shook his head, causing the round ball of fur at the point of the cap to bounce.  “However,” his voice deepened and the smile returned, this time softer, “I do care a great deal for a certain, very sexy, CMO.  And even though he hasn’t been able to take many well-placed hints, he’s driven me to distraction since he came onboard.  I guess the only question is, do you still want to find that waiter?”  Leonard looked at the man standing before him.  That look was one that could’ve seduced him outta his pants right where he stood.  It certainly made them feel much tighter.  He realized he’d seen that look before, many times.  How’d he been so blind not to understand what it meant?  “What waiter?” he asked, as he took one step forward, ready to scoop the man into his arms.  It was then he realized they were not alone after all.  Far from it.  Glancing around, the crowd once again apparent to him, he cleared his throat.  There was something he was going to suggest, and yeah, it may be rushing things, hell, it was definitely rushing things, but he didn’t want to wait another minute to get his arms around this man.  He looked down, and then back up as he asked, “Hikaru, you wanna find someplace that’s a little more private?  Maybe...uh...go back to the ship?  There’s things I’d like do...and...well...here’s not the place.”  God, he sounded like a shy schoolboy!  “I’ve taken a room over there.  It’s where I was headed.” Sulu nodded toward the small hotel down the street, his voice becoming rough. Leonard reached out a hand.  Sulu switched the bag he was holding to the other side and slid his hand inside the doctor’s.  It was a feeling he had wanted, dreamed about, for so long that he didn’t know how to act now that it was becoming real.  Finally, after all of the years of dropping subtle hints, obviously much too subtle, and yet trying not to do anything to scare the doctor away, he was being invited to touch him.  His had been an internal battle he had fought since the first time he was introduced to the man who’s eyes were the same color as the Pacific.  Those blue, blue eyes.  From that first moment, he had wanted to fall into them and find a home.  And now the feel of the strong hand closing around his was almost too much for him.  It was as if the air surrounding him was void of oxygen.  How does one cope when, suddenly, all of your dreams come true? Leonard felt the warmth of the hand as it slipped into his.  There was a shiver that ran through him with the touch.  It seemed to break loose all of the feelings he had been hiding from everyone, especially himself.  Never had anyone’s hand felt so good tucked inside his.  Never had he wanted to hold someone like he wanted to hold this man.  Never had two blocks seemed so long. Not a word was spoken, and only the occasional glance passed between them, as they made their way to their destination.  Arriving, Hikaru keyed the lock and pushed the door open.  He stepped inside and pulled Len in after him.  The waiting, the hoping, and the years of disappointment were over.  Dropping the bag to the floor, he wrapped his arms around Leonard’s neck while kicking the door shut with his foot.  For one long moment they just looked at each other.  Hikaru felt one strong arm encircle his waist, pulling him close, the other hand going to his brow. “Hikaru,” Leonard breathed as he traced the shape of the forehead just beneath the band of the hat, “I don’t know how much you’re ready for.  I know if we start something, I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop.”  He knew his hands were trembling as they grazed down the side of the exotic face and along the line of the strong jaw.  He also knew his erection was pressed against the outside of the helmsman’s thigh.  There was no disguising his need.  “So if you want me to stop, or leave, ya better tell me now.” A seemingly endless shudder ran through Sulu’s body.  If Len left, it felt like he’d fall apart.  He wouldn’t be able to stand being this close to the man who had driven him crazy for these years, just to lose him now.  His voice caught as he whispered, “No, don’t leave, I want you.” “I’m not going anywhere,” the doctor said through a smile, in a voice hoarse with passion.  He felt the hardness brush against his own erection as Hikaru turned his body toward him.  A hand moved from the back of his neck to his head and he felt the slight pressure as it drew them together.  In that microsecond before their mouths joined, Leonard felt the warm breath on his face and smelled the sweet-spicy aroma that was this man’s essence.  He knew that with this touch, he would be lost.  What was going to happen between them, all the forces of nature couldn’t stop.  The soft, moist lips touched his and a chasm of desire, lust and belonging opened up and engulfed him.  And gladly, he fell into it.  It was with a deep hunger that he claimed the sweet mouth.  An appetite that had no end.  A craving which had gone unknown, and unquenched, was fed as they each sought to devour one another.  Chapter 3/6  “I Believe” See part 1 for disclaimer A festive hat was knocked to the floor as fingers combed through the silky strands of hair and pressed their mouths even closer together.  Air was pulled into oxygen-starved lungs through deep, quick gasps.  Hands searched and roamed as bodies pressed together, hardness rubbed against hardness, seeking relief.  Lips were only parted for as long as it took for shirts to be pulled over heads and tossed to the side.  Fingers kneaded flesh, traced muscles, taunted, teased and pinched rock-hard nipples as the fine smoothness of one contrasted to the lightly furred roughness of the other. Leonard felt a hand slide between them and stroke the length of his erection through the tight material.  The touch nearly undid him and he knew he wasn’t far from the release that had failed him in these last months.  Now he knew whom he had been searching for and couldn’t find in his fantasies.  But, too soon, his body was going to betray him now that it had found the one it had longed for.  Moving his mouth to the delicately rounded ear, he gasped, apologetically, “Hikaru, I’m sorry, it’s been way too long.  I’m not gonna be able to hold out.”  Hikaru heard the urgency in the voice and knew the admission was a difficult one.  He had admired and lusted for this strong, funny, passionate man for years, but it was the deep vulnerability of this man, something he had never before seen, that sealed his fate.  He knew he would never want another.  His heart, his mind, his very soul was no longer his own to possess.  With those whispered words, this man claimed him.  The shivering he had felt since falling into this man’s arms stopped as the certainty rose within him.  He pulled his head back just far enough to look into the eyes that were dark with passion.  He reached for the release at McCoy’s waist and, in a voice now steady and sure, he soothed, “It’s all right, Len.  I’m here.  You’ve always taken care of me, just let me take care of you for now, okay?” An unfamiliar tightness gripped the doctor’s throat and chest. All he could manage was a quick nod and, with a sharp breath, he choked, “Yes.”  His young lover spread the opening of his trousers and, kneeling down, slid off his boots and socks.  He then felt warm fingers slipping underneath the edge of his briefs, trailing a path around his sensitive flesh as they slid the fabric down.  Leonard starring straight ahead, unable to watch his young lover undress him, caressed the silky head as the pants were freed from around his erection and slid down his thighs.  Lifting each foot, he allowed the remainder of his clothing to be stripped from him.  Soft, gentle hands caressed up his calves and the inside of his thighs.  It was too much, his mind screamed.  But the caresses continued.  Up to the area where the inside of his thighs converged with his genitalia, the fingers traveled.  A soft hand cupped his scrotum, gently.  Then, another touch.  A warm, damp stroke as a tongue traced his pouch.  With this, a hiss escaped his lips.  Leonard looked down, the first time he had been able to bring himself do so, and a glowing, inviting face turned up to him.  The deep brown eyes were warm and expressive.  He brought his hand to the face of his lover, and caressed the forehead, brushing back an errant strand of hair from the exotic features.  Looking down at this face, the words welled inside of him, wanting to be whispered, but he fought against the urge.  The eyes left his face and traveled down his body.  Never had he felt so exposed as the brown eyes grazed down him, drinking him in, until they were focused on his swollen organ.  He nearly came when Hikaru’s tongue stroked against the tip of his cock.  Lips surrounded the cap, and a moan that swelled from the depths of his chest exploded from Leonard’s throat.  He was close, so close that he could feel his body quake with impending release.  The mouth slid down his shaft, taking the length of him inside.  Back, the mouth slid, the tongue swirling around the head of his cock and massaging the sensitive area surrounding the ridge.  His body’s innate need took over and he thrust his hips toward the head of his lover, plunging his cock back into the hot, wet, moistness.  The man accepted him willingly into his mouth and throat.  Withdrawing and plunging again and again, strong hands gripped the mounds of his buttocks and, pulling them forward, made each lunge more intense.  He wanted to warn his lover that he was cumming, but there was nothing but another moan that escaped from him as he felt his balls grow tight and the first of the contractions began deep within him.  One more time he thrust into the heat and he held onto the silky head for support as the orgasm raced through him.  He rolled his head back and the ecstasy of the orgasm ripped through him. The mouth pulled back slightly and he spurted the last of his semen into his lover.  He pulled free from the mouth and went to his knees, gathering Hikaru into his arms, and tasted his seed, fresh on the swollen lips, as he claimed the sweet mouth.  On their knees, torso pressed against torso, Leonard reached for the edge of the helmsman’s trousers.  The closure was nothing more that two buttons, which he made quick work of, and he plunged his hands inside, feeling the steely silkiness of the hot, aroused cock.  His hand formed around it and stroked the length.  There were no briefs, just the trouser material that stood between him and the nakedness of his lover.  Pushing the offending material down as far as they would go, he pulled back and let his eyes travel the length of his lover.  The beautiful, long cock was surrounded by a thatch of dark fur and stood proudly erect.  It was a little longer than his own, but not quite as thick, and Leonard had never wanted to taste another man like he wanted to do so with Hikaru.  Rising to his feet, he pulled his lover up with him.  He turned him and sat him on the end of the low bed.  Going back to his knees, he removed the loafer-type shoes, there were no socks, and Leonard had to smile.  This man did not like any more clothes than was absolutely necessary for decorum confining him.  A sensuous man, indeed.  He slid the trousers off and tossed them into the completed pile of discarded clothes.  With his hands on Hikaru’s knees, he parted the thighs and moved between them, nibbling and tonguing a path up the inside of one leg as he went.   Reaching the warm pouch, he licked each globe and inhaled the spicy maleness that was this man.  Wrapping a hand around the base of the erect shaft, he traced the delicate rod with the tip of his tongue and felt the shutter that ran through his lover’s body.   Ah, it was a pleasure to know he could bring such feelings to his body, to this man.  “Lay back,” he whispered.  The young officer lay down, pulled his legs up and propped his heels on the edge of the bed.  The thighs parted and the sight of the man exposing himself caused Leonard to pull a deep breath between his lips.  The cock strained upwards toward him.   Leonard pulled the erect organ deep into his mouth, slathering it with his saliva and tasted the first of the delicious fluid that seeped onto his tongue.  Oh, the taste of this man was an aphrodisiac like he had never experienced, as evidenced by his own renewed erection.  Allowing some of the mixture of his saliva and Sulu’s own fluid to seep from the edges of his mouth, he collected the moisture with his fingers.  He reached underneath the heavy sac and brought his fingers to the puckered opening, slathering it with their combined wetness, and waited, waited to see if Sulu was going to be repelled by this touch.  Instead, he felt the hips move toward his fingers.  Slowly, he penetrated the tight aperture as he pushed a finger inside.  There has been times that he had done just this, to this man, with the gloved hand of a physician, now he was doing this with the bare finger of a lover, wanting to stimulate and please him.  Deeper into the chamber he pushed until he located the nodule.  Gently, he rubbed his finger across it and felt the cock in his mouth jump.  Hips pressed against his hand, and a guttural moan was heard.  Len touched that secret area inside of him, and Sulu, feeling the madness of hot desire, thrust his cock deep into his lover’s throat.   Gripping the bedcover with his fists, he felt himself being flung into the center of passions white-hot center.  He had experience with numerous lovers, but never had he felt this kind of desire.  The man who had been the center of his lust for so long, was taking him to heights he didn’t know could exist.  He wanted to scream his love for the man between his legs, but bit back the words.  “Please....Len...” was all he could choke out. Leonard let the organ slide from his mouth.  With his finger still buried deep inside his exotic partner, he leaned over him.  “What...what do you want me to do?” he purred, as he stroked the shoulders and neck with his free hand.  Sulu turned his eyes to meet Leonard’s.  In a whisper that was barely audible, he said, “Fuck me,” he pleaded.  “Hikaru, I don't have any lubricant, and I won’t do anything that’ll risk hurting you,” he soothed.  “There...in the sack.  The red package...” Sulu gasped between breaths. Easing his finger out of the tightness, Leonard reached for the sack and found the package.  Holding it up, he raised an eyebrow in question.  “Ya sure?” “Yes...yes, that’s it.  It’s all right.  Hurry.  It’s not really a gift.  I bought it for Pavel and me to use.  I will buy some more before I go back to the ship.” Almost hoping against hope that this was not what it seemed, he ripped off the shiny red paper.   Inside was a box in which Leonard found an assortment of small packets of intimate massage oils.  So, Pavel was his lover too, and the thought hit him hard, with about the same intensity of a photon torpedo, deep in his gut.  Of course, it made sense; they always seemed to be together.  And it was ludicrous of him to have such strong feelings boiling inside after just these few minutes, and even more so to expect that they’d be returned.  He held the partially opened container and looked toward Hikaru.  The sight was a beautiful one.  Hikaru’s eyes were hooded and dilated with passion.  His knees bent and spread, as he was waiting on him.  Leonard noticed that one hand was balled tight, clinging to a crumpled section of the cover on the bed; the other was brushing against his swollen organ.  And he knew this man’s body was screaming for relief.  “Len...I need you,” Hikaru turned his head and breathed. Leonard, still holding the box, began to fully understand what was happening.  This man belonged to another and, to Hikaru, Leonard was a crush, nothing more, a fantasy he had perhaps shared with his Russian lover in the dark evenings when they were alone.  But he was drawn so deeply to the man on the bed that even though this situation had the potential to be disastrous, he knew it had to be taken to completion.  Leonard tore open the box, reached for the first of the shiny packets and opened it, his eyes never leaving those dark brown ones.  He squeezed a generous amount into his palm before tossing the packet to the side.  Dipping his fingers into the slick substance, he moved between the spread thighs.  He caressed the puckered hole and made sure the outside was well prepared before he pushed his finger back inside.  This time, his oiled finger was preparing the way for his invasion.  Gently, he pushed in another finger and began to stretch and relax the tight ring of muscle.  Sulu began to writhe on the bed, pushing his hips harder and harder against his hand.  He let a third finger join the others, and felt the tight chamber begin to expand under Leonard’s touch.  Leonard leaned down and kissed the hand that was playing along the engorged head of the organ.  Sulu’s hand moved to the doctor’s head and, still fucking him with his fingers, he licked the length of the hard penis and sucked the drops of pre-cum from the tip.  He couldn’t get enough of the taste of this man.  Bringing his oiled hand to his own cock, he lathered the slick oil up and down the length of it, massaging it until it was at his hardest, and making sure the head and ridge was well coated.  “Now, Len, please...” came the plea from the bed.  He let the cock slide from his mouth, removed his fingers and moved closer.  Centering the head of his erection at the entrance, he pushed gently until just the cap had penetrated into the heated chamber.  “More...” Sulu gasped. Slowly he began pressing inside, stopping only briefly to allow the muscles to grow accustomed to his presence.  Each time he stopped, Sulu would try to thrust toward him, and beg for the full length of him.  His cock was thick, and he wanted to do all he could to keep any pain from this precious lover, but Sulu’s pleas kept him from taking it as slowly as he would have normally.   Soon, the full length of him was encased inside the hot vice of his lover’s body and he looked down and saw where their bodies joined.  Never had it felt so good to be inside of another.  With short strokes, he began to pump into the private entrance.  With his still-slick hand, he grasped Hikaru’s cock and began to massage it.  “Yessss...” Sulu purred.  Leonard lay down on him and captured the mouth.  With his free arm, he cradled his lover’s neck. He kissed down the damp, slightly salty, neck as he pumped into the body and stroked the hard rod.  His whole being still ached to say those things he had told few others.  But, he couldn’t.  It would overwhelm the man beneath him.  The words were not his to say.  And, as much as he felt it, wanted it to be otherwise, this was all he would ever have.  He felt the body beneath his become rigid, and knew his lover’s orgasm was just seconds away.  Leonard drove his cock deeply into the heat and, as the first of the contractions that surrounded him started, his own groin reacted.  Warm fluid spurted between them, coating them, as his own cum filled his lover’s chamber.  Panting moans echoed within the walls of the room as release rushed through both of them.  Pulling free of Sulu, he laid down on the bed.  Leonard reached out and drew the man close so that the soft, silky head was resting on his chest and his arm was around him.  He stroked through the hair, knowing that even with all he felt, they would soon have to return to the ship, and Sulu would return to Pavel.  He knew, no matter how wonderful or passionate this had been, he could never compete with the young Russian for Sulu’s attention.  He was too dammed old to start fooling himself.  Anyone who had a choice between a middle-aged physician, and the young, virile navigator would surly choose the latter as a partner.  There was one other thing he knew -- that once again, he had lead with his heart and had fallen in love with this man.  That, however, was going to have to be something for him to deal with, alone.  Alone.  Why did it always end up like this?  He pushed the thought aside.  He would not concentrate on that now.  It was something he would deal with tomorrow, or the day after.  For now, he would just enjoy the feel of this man in his arms.  Maybe, being born and bred in the heartland of the southern United States, he had inherited a little of that Scarlet O’Hara philosophy, but, somewhere deep inside, he knew that someday, all of the tomorrow's would catch up to him.  He wrapped his arm tighter around Hikaru and bent to kiss the top of the silky head.  Chapter 4/6  “I Believe” See part 1 for disclaimer “Len?” Sulu purred into his chest. “Umm?” he responded. “Are you hungry?” “Star’vin.  You?” “Yeah, all of a sudden I could even eat replicated food and like it!” “Well, now, I think we can do a lot better that that!  But,” touching the stickiness still clinging to his abdomen, “I need a shower, first.”   “Yeah, me too.  You want to shower together?”  Hikaru lightly ran a fingertip from the base of the doctor’s sternum, across the abdomen sticky from his own ejaculate, to the spot where the thatch of course pubic hair started, and watched the ever so slight stirrings of the softened cock.   “Hikaru, do you wanna eat anytime soon?” “Only if you promise we can come back here later, together.”  “I promise,” he whispered into the silky hair as he gave the head another kiss.  “Besides, if I’m gonna take you out tonight, I’ll need to transport to the ship and get a change of clothes.  I can just clean up there and meet you back here, if you want.” “That sounds fine.  But instead of meeting here, there’s a restaurant I’ve heard about, located just a few blocks away; the Grecian Urn, you ever heard of it?” “I passed it earlier.  Looks like a pretty interesting place.  Someth’in about erotic floor shows, right?” Leonard teased.  Actually, he had heard a lot more than that about the place, but he feigned innocence. Sulu raised his head and looked at him, not quite believing he was as unknowledgeable as he said.  “Yeah, that’s the place.  I’d like to see what all the talk is about, but it’s not the kind of place I wanted to go to alone.  Pavel and I were going to go, but he ended up on bridge assignment.  Can we?  Will you take me there?” There it was, the youthful playfulness that he associated with Sulu.  And, as usual when he was spending time with this man, he felt as if he was being pulled right into the mood.  “Yeah, we can go,” he answered through a smile.  Why couldn’t he have realized how he felt for Hikaru before Pavel Chekov had claimed him?   Pavel, the one who would be here with Sulu now, had he not had the unfortunate luck of pulling command for the next two days.  He pulled Sulu to him and captured the mouth once more with urgency, but before things could get too heated, he released him and stood up.  “I’ll go get cleaned up and meet you there in an hour, okay?” “Yeah, but it’s going to seem like a long time!” Leonard stopped the collecting of his discarded clothes and rose up.  “Yeah, for me, too,” he said, his voice trying not to reflect the melancholy that his heart was feeling.  Returning to the task at hand, he dressed quickly, combed his fingers through his hair, and left the room.  Walking quickly toward the transport center, he bemoaned the fact that he hadn’t brought his communicator.  Jim had told him to leave it onboard, that if any emergencies arose, M’Benga, who had pulled the duty for this time, would either deal or them or they would locate him.  But, Jim said, if he took his communicator, every crewmember with a headache would be paging him.  At the time he had agreed, but now he would have loved to be able to just call for a beam up.  As he sprinted toward the center, the black T-shirt he wore underneath the uniform tunic clung to the stickiness that was still present on his abdomen.  It was a very arousing feeling.  Yes, his heart was telling him this was only a fleeting encounter, but his brain hadn’t gotten the message, somehow.  Arriving at the center, he keyed his request and, for one of the few times in his life, was relieved when the tingle of the transporter consumed him.  A half an hour later, cleaned and dressed in a civilian outfit of dark navy silk tunic and pants, he was ready to leave his cabin.  More than once during his preparations, he had considered, albeit briefly, that he should message Sulu and tell him something had come up.  However, the one thing that did keep coming up, with each thought of the afternoon’s activities, convinced him otherwise.  The passions that had been awakened in him today had never been felt so strongly for any other.  Leonard McCoy had, at least since his younger days, always tried to be a man of good judgment and honor.  The man waiting for him on the planet was skewing his judgment, and he knew it.  However, like an avalanche plummeting down the face of a mountain, there was nothing he could do to stop himself.  Love.  How could he feel this so strongly, so quickly?  And what of Hikaru?  He certainly hadn’t kept it a secret that he and Pavel were lovers.  Of course, at the time he had revealed this, they were both well beyond the point of no return.  But Hikaru hadn’t seemed concerned that there may be an encounter between himself and the ensign if he returned to the ship.  McCoy decided that the two must have an open relationship.  After all, he knew of several members of the crew whom it was rumored that Pavel had been involved with.  Certainly not all of these rumors could be false.  With more questions than answers swirling within his mind, and with a desire that kept him forging onward, he checked his appearance in the mirror.  It would do.  Slung across his shoulder was a small pack containing a fresh uniform and a few other necessities, including his communicator, placed on inactive, should he be away overnight.  He knew he would need to be back on the ship in twenty-four hours; that was when Joe M’Benga was expecting to be relieved.  And, he thought, with that shift change, Chekov would once more be available to claim Sulu’s time.  But, for the next day, it would be a time to fulfill some fantasies, both those from the past, and those that he was sure would haunt him in the future.  Checking the display one last time, making sure nothing earth shattering had happened to any of the crew in the last thirty minutes, he assured himself he was free to leave.  For a brief moment, he thought about checking in with the bridge, but decided not to.  Right now, he didn’t wanna have to face those brown, puppy-dog eyes of a certain ensign.  It was bad enough that he was slipping off to spend the night, hopefully, with the man’s lover.  He had accused Jim Kirk of playing with fire more times than he cared to count.  Tonight, he was making up for that.  He was throwing himself into a god-dammed inferno, and was doing so headfirst and willingly.  Being one of the few officers who rarely donned civvies, between his cabin and the transporter room he noticed the looks he received as he made his way through the ship.  Arriving at the transporter, he noticed several transportation engineers waiting with hovercarts.  He advised Ensign Donahue where he would like to be dropped, and was advised it would be a few minutes since they were waiting on a shipment of supplies to be beamed up.  “So, Doc, you have any special requests for Santa, this year?” the personable crewman asked lightly.  Santa.  Just this once, he wished there was such a person who could fulfill your wildest fantasies.  He would have only one wish.  “Nothing special, Ensign,” he replied, but at that moment, the crates began to appear on the pad, and all other discussions ceased.  The engineers made quick work of the shipment and, in no more than a couple of minutes, he had been deposited at the transport center just a block from his destination.  Being back on the planet, and away from the questioning glances and the possibility of running into anyone he’d rather not, was a relief.  He smiled.  This was the second time in a day he had been grateful for a quick transport.  This had to be some kinda record!  He knew he was early, almost thirty minutes early.  He decided to stroll around the area, this time really doing some window-shopping instead of just pretending, till time for Sulu to show up.  But, even now, the events of the afternoon kept his mind on things other than the offerings by the shop owners.  That was, until one object caught his eye.  He walked in the store and found the item he was interested in.  Searching the shelves until he had found just the right one, he made his way toward the cashier.  There was a line, so he waited his turn.  “It’s nice to see someone who really has the Christmas spirit,” a female in front of him was saying.  It took a moment for him to realize it was he she was talking to.  “I’m sorry, ma’am?” he asked, not understanding what she was talking about. “I just said it was nice to see someone who really is in the spirit of the season.  You’ve just been standing here, humming along with the music, while everyone else is grumbling about it taking so long and how much they have to do.” Humming?  Had he been humming?  To this song?  He hadn’t even noticed that there had been music playing, if you want to stretch your definition of music to the extreme.  Surely not!   “Thanks,” he replied with a smile.  The gift paid for, he stuffed it in his pack and headed toward the Grecian Urn.  There, across the street, was Sulu, waiting on him.  Waiting on him....amazing!  Just the sight of him standing there about took his breath away.  Damn!  He had it bad!   Sulu spotted him, and threw up his hand, as if Leonard couldn’t pick him out in a crowd.  Well...okay, he had reason to believe Leonard had a problem in that area.  Crossing the street, he stopped in front of the man who had not left his thoughts for the last hour.  “Len, you look good enough to eat,” Sulu purred so only the doctor could hear him.  The doctor’s hand came up and stroked down his arm to right above his wrist. “Later,” McCoy replied, quietly. “Promise?” Sulu smiled devilishly and without waiting on an answer, he said, “They have a booth waiting on us, and the show is about to begin.  You ready?” “Ready as I’ll ever be,” McCoy laughed.  If this place was anything like it’s reputation, they were in for a very, ‘stimulating,’ evening.  Chapter 5/6  “I Believe” See part 1 for disclaimer They were led deep into the heart of the restaurant.  Each space was set up as a booth and each had a rounded, high back, so privacy was achieved for everyone in the establishment.  It took a moment for Leonard’s eyes to adjust to the dim surroundings.  The place was not misnamed.  It looked like it had been hosed down in every Grecian artifact, or reproduction thereof, ever discovered.  The stage was surrounded in a semicircle of broad, white, ornate columns.  Even though it was a bit overdone, but not unattractive, it did remind him a little too much of the encounter they once had with Apollo. They were directed to a booth near the center of the room, and the doctor was pleased to discover that once they slid into it, it was as if they were quite alone.  They were each handed menus and advised that the only time anyone would come to their table was when they indicated they wished service by pressing the button located on the edge of the enclosure.  Before anything was brought to the table, the host explained, there would be a light that would illuminate beside the keypad.  The softness and the depth of the long, single seat, the thick pillows that were strewn along the back as well as the assurances of privacy, was quite an indication of exactly what type of establishment this was.  They were asked if they wished to order drinks before their meal, but each decided that food was most imperative at the time.  They had been hungry over an hour ago.  Looking over the menu, each decided on one of the many choices offered and both decided that tea would be fine with dinner.   Left alone, quite alone, Leonard reached out and placed his hand on top of Sulu’s folded ones on the table.  “Hey, I missed you,” he whispered, although he was fairly certain anything short of a phaser blast could not be heard at the next table.   “Len, I’m so glad you showed up.  I got to thinking after you left that you might have second thoughts about this.”  “This,” Leonard said, glancing around, “or us?” he asked, looking back to the man seated beside him.  “Us, I guess,” Hikaru shrugged. McCoy nodded.  He understood.  It was true, that more than once he had tried to convince himself to message this man and tell him something had come up.  But Sulu seemed so open to him.  Maybe he was blowing this outta proportion.  Maybe what this man and the navigator had together was nothing more than a casual relationship.  “Hikaru, how upset is Pavel going to be about you coming here with me?” “Oh, you know his Russian temper.  He’ll blow off some steam, but he’ll be back to normal in a day or so.” “And it isn’t going to cause any real problem between you two?” “Nothing I can’t handle.  Besides, I’d rather think about you this evening.”  Sulu leaned over and brushed his lips against Leonard’s.   There was more he wanted to ask, but the feel of that soft mouth against his pushed any other questions to the back of his mind.  What little light there was faded, and the stage lights came up.  The first act was beautifully played out.  Four maidens gathered at a fountain that quickly turned into a lesbian orgy; a well-directed and very tasteful orgy, but an orgy, nonetheless.  Somewhere during the act, he found himself sitting back against the soft cushions and Hikaru was lying against him.  Their arms around each other, hands beginning to lightly explore as the action became more erotic.  Just about the time Leonard started urgently pressing his erection against Hikaru’s thigh, the scene ended and a light in the center of the table began to glow.  Knowing they were about to be brought their dinner, they sat up.  Sure enough, in a matter of minutes, two females appeared carrying trays.  One spread their dinner out before them as the other sat the cups out and poured the tea.  The teapot was left on the table, and a large bowl of grapes and berries was placed on the side, then the two females left.  The food smelled wonderful and, with the first forkful, Leonard nodded his approval of Sulu’s choice of dinning establishments.  If the replicator could make food like this he would have to put everyone on the ship on restricted rations!  For the next few minutes, they ate in silence, other than the occasional acknowledgment of the superiority of the meal.  The house lights lowered again and the next scene started.  His hunger, for food, sated, Leonard leaned back and stretched one leg out so Sulu could nestle between his parted thighs.  The soft head rested on his chest, the sweet clean smell of pine-scented shampoo invaded his nostrils as he pressed his lips to the silky hair as they watched the show. Bathed in a soft blue glow was a lone male.  The fountain had been removed and replaced by a long, marble bench.  The columns that surrounded the stage had been transformed into massive phallic symbols.  Around the stage the man danced, seducing each large cock as he circled, caressed and licked each one.  With each turn, the light, short toga would spin away from his body, revealing his nakedness, and the growing erection underneath.  Slowly, the lights on the stage became brighter, and the identity of the man was no longer a secret.  It was the waiter from the bar.  Pushing up on McCoy’s chest to see better, Hikaru exclaimed, “My God, Len, that man could be me!” “Yeah, I know.  That’s the man who I mistook you for this afternoon.” “It’s no wonder you confused me for him.  They say everyone has a twin, but you just never expect to see yours.” “Yeah,” Leonard said as he pulled the man back down to him.  “But I’m glad it was you, instead,” he breathed into the soft hair.  Together they watched the man, his arousal now very apparent.  Kneeling on the bench, he removed the toga and with his thighs spread wide, he began to caress the inside of his thighs.  His hands moved in time with the hauntingly beautiful music.  Up his thighs and across his abdomen, the dancer’s long fingers caressed as he made love to himself.  Fingertips taunted his nipples, drawing circles around the hardened nubs.  Spurred on by the erotic display, Hikaru moved up the body of his lover until their erections were pressed together.  Slowly, with the same beat as the music, he rubbed his hardness against Len’s.  Breaths were becoming deep and sucked between clenched teeth.  Mouths became dry by the air being sucked in.  Sulu reached for the bowl and plucked one of the ripe berries from it and popped it into his mouth.  Again he reached for one and with the tip of his tongue, traced it as he had traced his lover’s thick sac just hours ago, then brought it to Len’s lips.  Leonard took the berry between his teeth and gently squeezed it until the juice began to run out.  The sweet liquid ran down his throat and threatened to spill from his lips, but the mouth of his lover claimed him and caught the renegade juice.  Their tongues pressed the berry between them and wrenched the last of the sweet liquor from it.  Sulu released the mouth and sat up on his lover, straddling him, still pressing his erection against Len’s.  As the lights on the stage once again became low, they turned their attention toward the platform.  Another man appeared from between the large structures and began to repeat the dance the first had done, until he, too, was quite aroused.  Watching this display, Sulu had unbuttoned Len’s shirt and was rolling the hard nipples between his fingers.   Occasionally, he would be rewarded by Len’s hips thrusting up against him, causing the friction between their groins to be increased.  The second man removed his tunic and came up behind the first who was kneeling on the bench.  As the lights became brighter, he pressed his engorged cock against the buttocks of the first dancer and, sliding his hands around the narrow waist, began to fondle the hard cock.  When the lights returned to full intensity, Leonard froze.  The man who had joined the Sulu look-alike could have, with a bit of imagination, passed for Pavel Chekov.  This dancer was a little larger, perhaps, and the hair was shaped differently, but it was still the dark brown color of the ship’s Navigation Engineer.  Leonard’s eyes didn’t leave the stage, and when it became obvious what was going to transpire between them, he felt his stomach turn.  How could he sit here and watch this?  How could he watch that which he didn’t want to think about?   Without taking his eyes off the stage, Sulu rubbed his hard cock against Len.  His hand grazed across the chest and abdomen, and lower.  The hardness that was present before, seemed to be diminishing.   Trying to regain the momentum from just moments before, he caressed the lightly furred chest and leaned over and tongued one of the nipples, drawing small, wet, circles around it, but Len wasn’t responding.  As a matter of fact, he had become as still and rigid as one of the statues that were so numerous in this place.  The sight on the stage, alone, was nearly enough to undo him.  Why wasn’t this having the same impact on his lover?  Slowly, and erotically, he began to, very lightly, scrape his fingers across Leonard’s chest and abdomen.  But instead of feeling the doctor become aroused, he felt his arms being tightly gripped as he was forcefully pulled away.  Leonard sat up, but still held him tight.  “Len, what’s wrong?” he gasped. “How do you expect me to sit and watch this?   Don’t ya know what seeing them, looking so much like the two of you, does to me?  To just find you today, and then discover that, if I’m lucky, I’ll get to share you?” “Share me with who?  Len, what are you talking about?” “Who? Pavel, that’s who!  Don’t you know it’s killing me that he would be the one here with you instead of me if he were off duty?   That it doesn’t matter how much I want you, I’ll never be able to compete with him?  How do you expect me to compete with someone like that?” He nodded his head toward the stage. “Compete?  With Pavel?  You think that man looks like Pavel?  Len, that man is much closer to looking like you.  For one thing, Pavel is much shorter and stockier that that actor.  And, Leonard, Pavel Chekov is not my lover.  Never has been, never will be.  No way.  Where did you hear we were lovers?” “Where?  From you!  You said the oils were for the two of you, and that you and he were going to come here this evening, but he was on duty.” “Forgive me if I don’t remember my exact words, I was rather preoccupied at the time, but I think I said they weren’t really a gift. That they were for Pavel and I to use.  Oh, I’m sorry!  I didn’t mean it like that!  I meant, to *share* if we needed them.  I just thought that with as little of the stuff as I use, I could keep a few of the packets for myself.  Pavel’s like a kid brother to me.  I could never see him any differently.  And, Len, there’s nothing we don’t talk about.  He’s constantly coming to me to see if I have any lube to take on his dates with whoever his newest conquest is.  I swear, he’s left more tubes of that stuff in cabins or sent them down the recycler with his clothes than anyone else on the ship!  We were just coming here to see what all of the talk was about.” “You’re not...his lover?”  The words were just sinking in.  “No.  There’s no one, at least not on the ship, who I’ve ever...well...been with like we were today.  Look, someday I want a command of my own and I’m no fool.  I know what can happen if indiscriminate behavior becomes part of your record.  Sure, there are some one-night stands when we have shore leave, but even those haven’t appealed to me.  Not recently.  Not when I can’t get you out of my mind.  Len, I’m sorry if I didn’t make myself very clear.  I’ve wanted you since you reported to the ship.  That hasn’t changed.”  Leonard still held Hikaru by the arm, although his grip had relaxed significantly.  Relief flooded him and, he knew, the time had come for complete honesty.  “Hikaru, I’m gonna tell you someth’in that I wanted to say in the first ten minutes we were together today, but didn’t want to scare you off.  I love you, god dammit!  I don’t know if I’ve had these feelings for three hours, or three years, but...” His words were cut off when Sulu’s arms went around his neck, and the mouth claimed him with a ferociousness that knocked them backwards.  Landing sprawled out on the seat, Sulu spread full length on top of him, the hot mouth released him and, in his ear, were whispered the words, “I love you, too.”  And, Leonard knew that somewhere, there must be a Santa who had heard his silent wish.  Nothing else could explain the miracle of this day, all of it.  Chapter 6/6  “I Believe” See part 1 for disclaimer The music was still pounding seductively and the act on the stage had become very erotic, but neither had noticed anything beyond what was going on in their very own booth for the last few minutes.  “I bought a present for you,” Leonard whispered once they came up for air. Hikaru propped up on him.  “For me?  Really?  What?  Can I have it?” Sulu had such a way about him; just being with him, made Leonard feel like a kid again.  “Not yet, and certainly not here.  You wanna get outta here?”  The place may have been set up for privacy, but it still wasn’t private enough to do what he had had planned. “Yes, right now, but only if you have in mind what I think you do,” Sulu answered eagerly.  “I do.  Com’on, let’s go.”  He buttoned his shirt, slid from the seat and grabbed his pack.  Leonard reached for Sulu’s hand and led him from the restaurant.  He paid the tab and hailed a hovercar to take them to the hotel.  It wasn’t that far of a walk, but time was of the essence. In the room, they were instantly in each other’s arms.  This time there was no doubt but that they belonged to each other.  Panting, Leonard pulled back.  Taking the strap off of his shoulder, he opened it and pulled out a brightly colored box.  Looking around, he asked, “Where is that...oh, here it is,” he said as he walked to the chest and pulled an item from beneath the pile of clothing. “That?  What?” Sulu looked at him and asked, questioning his lover’s actions. Turning back to Hikaru, he handed him both the object he’d just retrieved, and the package.  Here, this is for you.  Let’s just say I’m curious.” Sulu didn’t know what was up, but if the devilish gleam in his lover’s eyes had anything to do with it, it didn’t matter.  He opened the box and peered inside.  His cock jumped at the sight.  This, he couldn’t wait to do.  With only a smile for a response, he took the items into the bathroom and shut the door. Leonard waited, and waited.  Maybe this wasn’t gonna work?  “Hikaru?” he called. “Just a minute,” was the response.  Leonard walked to the bed and kicked off his boots.  Taking his lover’s lead he had forgone socks and any other offending clothing.  He laid down and waited some more.  Finally, the door of the bathroom cracked open.  “Len?  Are you sure about this?” Propping up on one elbow, he answered, “Yeah, I’m sure, get out here.” Sulu emerged from the protection that the door afforded him.  Now, he didn’t object to Len seeing him naked; he liked the way the doctor’s eyes grazed his body.  But, in this, he felt much more vulnerable than he did with nothing on.  His timidness only lasted a moment though.  When Len’s eyes caught sight of him, he knew that his appearance was most appreciated.    Leonard had never seen such a vision.  That exotically beautiful face framed, again, in the white band, the pointed tip of the cap and the white fur ball falling across his shoulder and resting just above his left breast.  The smooth, golden body naked down to where the present started.  They, Leonard thought, were even better than what the waiter had worn.  The low-cut red shorts began just where the lower abdomen ended and the pelvic region began. They ended where the hips, groin and legs joined.  They covered very little in between.  Sulu’s erection was straining against the material in the front and the much-too-wide cuff around the leg was revealing the soft, round, taunt globes of his scrotum as the material moved with each step.  As Sulu walked toward him, hesitantly at first, then with the seductiveness of a leopard, Leonard’s body threatened it’s own explosion.  “My, god!” he exclaimed.   Sulu walked over to him and stepped onto the low bed, his bare feet straddling his lover, letting him see that which would not stay hidden.  Reaching up, Leonard stroked the taunt, lightly furred skin and watched the movements of the fabric as the erect cock responded.  Sulu went to his knees, straddling his lover’s head, and Leonard, moving the material to the side, tongued the thick sack.  His hand went to the opening, but Hikaru’s hands went up and stopped him, moving the hands to the side.  He reached for the soft, clingy closure and slowly opened it until his cock sprang free.  These were made for sex.  They opened almost to the seam that converged between his thighs.  Leaning over, he touched the tip of his cock to the eagerly waiting lips.  Leonard captured the full length of him in his mouth.  The wet heat felt wonderful and he began to pump into it. Warm hands captured his cloth-covered ass and fingers slid underneath the legs of the shorts and massaged his opening, darting inside as his hips pumped faster into the willing mouth.  He felt his body as it tipped over the edge, and holding tight to the dark head, he rolled his head back and spurted his orgasm into Len.  The tongue massaged him to a shuttering completion.     He pulled out, and sat on Leonard’s chest to catch his breath.  The hands that had been on his ass came to his chest and began to massage him.  His lover may have been ready for release, but it was not going to be that easy.  Tonight he was going to take Len to the heights of passion that neither of them had experienced before.  Len’s hands went to the waistband, and tugged gently.  He wanted them off, but Sulu captured his wrists and, bringing them to where they were lying above Len’s head, held them tight against the bed with one hand.  With the other, he reached down and resealed the opening.  Leonard had him put this outfit on, and he liked it.  He liked the way Leonard looked at him in it.  This was not going to be the time for quick satisfaction.  This was a time for driving his lover mad with desire.  Moving his knees down, Sulu bent and captured Len’s mouth, tasting the remnants of his orgasm on the soft lips.  He felt the urgency as Leonard’s tongue darted into him.  He allowed that only briefly before he pulled away.  His tongue trailed a path across to the sensitive ear, and felt Len’s hips buck beneath him as he sucked and licked the small lobe.  Again, with his tongue, he trailed a path down the pulsating jugular to the neck and collarbone.  Hikaru tasted and savored the flavors of this man.  He smelled of salt and wintergreen and honey.  Releasing the wrists, he gave his lover a look that meant, in no uncertain terms, that his hands were not to move.  He began, for the second time that night, to unbutton the deep navy silk shirt, a color that seemed to intensify the depth of the blue in those eyes.  Slowly and meticulously, he undid each button before moving to the next. Once all were unbuttoned, he spread the shirt apart to reveal his lover’s chest.  The rising and lowering of the tiny, tight pebbles extenuated each deep, panting breath.  He flicked each with the tip of his tongue and rolled them gently between his teeth, eliciting a moan from deep within Len.  Moving lower on the body, licking the line from the breastbone to the navel, his ass rubbed against the hard organ that was covered only by the same thin material as the shirt.  He rubbed his crease, covered only by the strip of red material, against the hard protrusion, and sitting up on Len, he raised his hips and let the hard cock fall between his thighs.  Raising and lowering his hips, he let the silk covered cock intrude into the leg-band of his shorts and press repeatedly against his balls.  Soon, his arousal was quite renewed.  He watched Len’s eyes close and a hiss escape from his lips.  His white-knuckled hands were gripping the top of the bed in an effort to comply with Hikaru’s silent demand that he not participate.   Sulu moved further down Len’s body till he was straddling his lover’s knees.  He could see the dark, damp spot that had appeared on the trousers, just at the place where his lover’s erection peaked under the loose, tented material.  Leaning over, he sucked the cap through the material and felt the hips rise toward him.  Sitting up, he released the catch and spread the material open.  It was arousing to see that Len had nothing on underneath.  He spread open the material exposing the thick erection.  McCoy lifted his hips and Sulu pulled the material out from under them.  Then, leaning over once more, he licked the length of the shaft and nibbled and sucked at each side of the thick pouch, pulling each testicle into his mouth and bathing it with his saliva.  Moving further down, he trailed a pattern from the thick sac down the inside of each thigh and the inside of each knee.  He discovered an erogenous spot just on the inside of each leg that he knew he would have to remember.  Len was writhing beneath him when he was finished giving each of these areas his personal attention. Moving down to where his knees were just barely on the edge of the bed, he maneuvered the trousers the rest of the way off and let them drop the short distance to the floor.  At the same time, he pulled the hat from his head, and tossed it aside.  He was getting much too heated to wear it any longer.  Pulling up one leg, he started at the sensitive area he had discovered and licked down the calf to the ankle.  Then, setting that leg down, he pulled up the other, and did the same.  When he came to the ankle of this foot, he didn’t stop.  Up the inside of the foot, he continued.  His eyes met Leonard’s and he continued down the slim, foot till he reached the tip of the big toe, and when his tongue swirled around the tip, Len threw his head back, bucked upwards with his hips, and moaned, “Oh, god!”  The magnificent cock jumped and a drop of fluid formed at the tip and, when joined by another, trickled across the smooth head and down the side of the swollen rod.    Sulu gave each toe the same treatment, eliciting a variety of passionate responses.  He then picked up the other foot and did the same.  His lover was flushed from head to toe, his cock was seeping, and he was writhing.  Hikaru, in nearly the same state, decided it was time to do that which he had only dreamed of.  Reaching onto the floor beside the bed, he retrieved another of the shiny containers from the half-spilled box.  Spreading Len’s thighs, and bending his knees so his lover’s feet were flat on the bed, he moved between them.  Leonard watched him.  There was no doubt about what was going to happen.  He was going to be fucked, and, if the passion in Hikaru’s eyes meant anything, fucked soundly.  It had been almost ten years since he had been entered in such a way, and even then it was not something he’d particularly enjoyed.  But the thought that it was Hikaru about to enter him, had him quite ready to allow this.  He watched as the packet was held up for him to see, and the strip across the top ripped open.  The thick, oily substance was squeezed into his lover’s palm and the empty pack tossed aside.  Long, delicate fingers dipped into the substance, and when the fingers disappeared under him, he prepared himself for the cold gel to contact him.  But it wasn’t cold; it was surprisingly warm and slick as it was rubbed against his private opening.  He felt the invasion as Hikaru slid a finger inside.  Oh, it felt good!  Deeper, he wanted to feel the invading digit.  As if hearing his thoughts, the finger dove further into him.  The warm slickness coated him.  And just when he thought it couldn’t get any better, Hikaru found that spot inside of him that made him thrust his hips toward the wonderful hand.   More, he wanted more, and another finger joined the first, stretching and relaxing him.  He throbbed.  From head to toe, he throbbed.  His brain, his chest, his stomach, his cock, that part of him he had rarely allowed to be explored, all throbbed with need.  “Now...” he managed to choke.  If he were not invaded by that wonderful cock soon, he would explode.  He looked down and saw the shorts being opened and watched as the organ sprang free.  He watched as Hikaru slathered the remainder of the oil on his newly exposed cock, and the thought that this would be in him in just a moment fired something inside of him he had never felt.  He felt the hands as they came to rest on the back of his thighs and push him forward, feeling the hardness as it nuzzled against him.  Then, that which he craved invaded him.  There was no pain, only want, need, desire that seemed to seep from every molecule of his body.  Oh, god, his lover was in him, claiming him, searing him with his heat, forever branding him as his own.  From somewhere, the name of his lover was being called, and only then did he realize it was coming from his own throat. The warmth of a hand closed around his cock and pumped it with the same intensity of that which was being driven inside of him.  Lips, searing lips, claimed his mouth.  And, with that, he felt the ball of fire within him go nova.  Wave after wave of ecstasy pounded through him.  Thick, warm streams of fluid filled and covered him.  Hikaru collapsed on him, drawing deep, panting breaths.  The warm dampness and weight of his lover felt wonderful on top of him.  He kissed the damp hair and stroked the soft skin on his back.  “I believe...” he whispered.  Sulu raised his head.  “Huh?” he asked. “As for me ‘n Grandpa, we believe,” McCoy answered through a smile.  Sulu just shook his head and lowered it back down on the chest of this lover.  He didn’t understand, but it didn’t matter.  Later, after each had rested and showered, Len was sitting on the bed while Sulu was drying himself off.  Watching his lover, and becoming aroused at just the sight of him, he said, “You know, we need to stop by and pick up a couple’a more boxes of that oil you bought for Pavel.” “A couple?” Sulu questioned. “Yeah.  You wanna make sure he has some, and I think we’re gonna need to have a good supply, ourselves.  It sure beats surgical gel,” he smiled. “Oh,” Hikaru said excitedly, “speaking of presents, I have a present for you, too!”  He dropped the towel and went to the sack he had carried earlier.  Bringing out a rectangle box wrapped in gold paper and tied with a large red bow, he handed it to Len and sat down beside him to watch him unwrap it.  The paper properly ripped off, and the bow flung to the floor, Leonard lifted the edge of the box and peered inside.  Reaching in and pulling out the gift, he collapsed on the bed in a fit of laughter.  Epilogue- Christmas Day, Rec room 2, the Enterprise Christmas party... Leonard poured a ladle of the holiday punch into his cup and took a sip.  Sure enough, someone had managed to spike it.  Bless them! He turned and surveyed the crowd.  When his eyes fell on Hikaru, and saw the Santa-hat perched on his head, he felt his knees go weak.  He knew what his lover was wearing underneath the regulation uniform, and the thought of steering his lover off to his cabin and peeling them off was utmost in his mind.  Before he could act, he realized his captain had walked up beside him.  “Merry Christmas, Jim!” he turned to his friend and exclaimed. “Merry Christmas to you!  So, did Santa bring you what you wanted?” “Absolutely everything I asked for.” “Well, Bones, you sure look a lot more relaxed.  It looks like I was right, shore leave was just what you needed.” “Jim, you have my word, I’ll never again contradict your wisdom!” “Yeah!  I wish I could count on that!” Jim laughed.  With Spock and Sulu standing in the same area, they both moved off toward them.  But Jim stopped short and reached for Bones’ arm.  “What the hell is that tinkling sound I keep hearing?” Jim asked him.  Holding out a foot, lifting up a pants leg and proudly shaking the tiny bells on the top of a bright red sock, Leonard replied, “Just my Christmas present from Hikaru, Jim.”  Try as he might, he couldn’t suppress the grin that he knew was spreading across his face. “Well!  It’s about dammed time!” Jim said as he clapped him on the shoulders. <Finis>