"Mortal Hearts" Part 1/9
From: Juli
Disclaimer: "Poltergeist: The Legacy" and its characters are the property
of MGM and the Sci-Fi Channel. This story was written purely for entertainment;
no money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.
Warning #1: This story depicts a loving relationship between two members
of the same sex. If you are a minor--or this kind of thing bothers you--don't
read any further.
Warning #2: This story is hopelessly; shamelessly; but, I fervently hope,
*not* sickeningly romantic. Sorry, folks, the really steamy stuff happens
"off-camera."
Sequels: This story takes place about two months after my previous
stories "Right Here Waiting...." and "Gentleman, Start Your Engines."
However, it pretty much stands alone so you should be able to follow
it without having read the first two.
Summary: When Nick accompanies Derek to Scotland, the ex-SEAL attracts a
formidable admirer. Can Derek save his lover from the same fate as Tam Lin?
I'd like to dedicate this story to Sarah and Lace. Ladies, your writing talents
are exceeded only by your warm and generous spirits. Thank you for
all of your encouraging words! Please consider every word of this story a
hug and a heart-felt wish for better health for each of you.
Mortal Hearts
By Juli
December 1998
Part1/9
If there was one thing worse than sleeping in the wet spot, Nick Boyle reflected
as he rolled over and left his nest of blankets, it was sleeping in a cold,
lonely bed that you hadn't even had a chance to make a wet spot in. Nick
paused as he pulled on his sweat pants. Nope, that didn't even make
sense to him. It had to be early in the morning (or was that late in the
night?) if his musings weren't even comprehensible to himself.
Nick turned his back on his Derek-less bed and padded down the stairs in
bare feet, yawning and scruffing his fingers through his hair. Damn
the man anyway. You'd think he'd never presented a paper at an anthropology
conference before........The mental grumblings continued as the young man
made his way to Derek's study. His "considerate" lover had decided to work
there instead of the bedroom so he wouldn't disturb Nick's sleep. Of course,
Nick hadn't planned on *sleeping* in the bed anyway, which accounted for
a good portion of his current grumpy mood, but despite his best intentions,
the young man had dozed off waiting for the Precept to join him. Patience
wasn't one of Nick's better attributes and he'd had just about enough of
Derek's recent one-track academic mind.
Upon entering the study, Nick's scowl softened. His lover was bent over the
wildly strewn papers on the desk, pencil between his teeth, muttering softly
to himself. The ex-SEAL wondered how many times the Dutch perfectionist had
re- written his paper tonight.
It was evidence of his focus on his work that Derek didn't notice Nick enter
the room and move behind him until the young man started massaging his neck.
Derek groaned as Nick's strong hands began working the knots out of his muscles.
What had he ever done to deserve such a talented lover?
"This thing's really spun you for a loop, huh?" The young man finally asked,
breaking the companionable silence.
Derek moaned sensuously again before answering, rotating his neck from side
to side to encourage Nick to continue. "It's not so much the meeting as who'll
be there."
"Is it Giroud? I've heard you talk about him before."
"Yes. He was my mentor at Oxford. I used to admire him a great deal, but
he seemed to enjoy knocking down every one of my theories. I always thought
that he was inspiring me to better work, to challenge me to prove my own
ideas..."
"So, what happened?" Nick prompted as Derek's voice trailed off.
"There was one theory of mine that he rather viciously attacked, about the
origins of the Atlantis myth. I was thoroughly chastened. I thought I'd made
a terrible mistake and hadn't done my research properly--until my theory
appeared in print."
"Let me guess, with Giroud's name on it?"
"Of course."
"That sucks."
Derek smiled bitterly. "I couldn't have said it better myself."
"You want me to beat the crap out of him?"
Derek gave a yelp of laughter at the mental image the ex-SEAL's comment evoked
and reached up to grasp Nick's hands. Tugging down, he pulled Nick close
until the young man was resting against his back, chin atop Derek's head,
arms dangling down and crossed over the Dutchman's chest. "I don't think
that'll be necessary, but thank you, love."
Nick kissed the top of Derek's head and moved around to the desk. Derek
knew what was coming and swiftly moved to get his papers out harm's way.
With a satisfied smirk, Nick hopped up on the now mostly-clear desk. Chairs
were for wimps.
"So you think this Giroud is going to attack your research again."
"I'm almost certain of it. We haven't met face to face since I was working
on my Masters, even though we've attended a lot of the same conferences.
But we've exchanged some rather heated editorials in the academic journals.
I'm not exactly sure what to expect."
Nick sighed explosively in disgust. Was this what had been bothering Derek
for days now?
"Derek, you ever read the transcripts to the International Anthropology
Association Conference in Milan?"
"Of course not. I was there, I didn't need to."
"How about the Archeological Society Symposium in Atlanta or the Cultural
Educators Meeting in Tokyo?"
"No and no. Where is this going?" Derek sidled forward until he was positioned
in between Nick's legs as the young man perched on the desk. The Dutchman
leaned in and delicately lapped the area behind Nick's ear. God, but his
young lover was irresistible when he was so serious...
Now that he was warmed up to his subject, Nick refused to be distracted and
hopped off the desk in order to pace in front of it. "Well, *I* did.
Giroud's tactics are always the same. He sits back and lets the younger
colleagues challenge the works and take all the hits. Then he waits until
he sees what the general consensus is and pounces. The bastard's so good
at it, he always ends up smelling sweet and appearing like he's making a
declaration from God..." Nick trailed off as he saw Derek staring at him
in disbelief. "What?"
"I thought this academic talk bored you? When did you do all this reading?"
Nick rolled his eyes. "Since you've been barricaded in your office, getting
ready for this conference."
It wasn't so much the words that touched Derek as it was Nick's tne of voice.
The tone of voice that said: "You dummy! What's important to you is important
to me--get used to it!" The older man snagged Nick as he paced by and pulled
him in for a fierce hug.
Content in Derek's arms, Nick looked up at the older man. "'Know your enemy.'
That's the first thing the SEALS teach. You know your enemy better than he
knows himself and you'll spot the weaknesses he didn't even know he had."
Derek reached down and kissed Nick's nose. "And here I thought all along
that the first thing they taught you was how to look cute in camouflage clothes."
"Nope. 'Know your enemy' is first and 'looking good in uniform' is second."
Nick's eyes crinkled at Derek as he smiled at the Dutchman.
The Precept responded by bringing his hands up underneath Nick's chin. Pressing
up at the jaw, he tilted the smaller man's face up before bending in for
a kiss and then going on to nuzzle Nick's ear. So close that his breath tickled
the ex-SEAL, he whispered, "Let's go upstairs and see how cute you are *out*
of uniform."
Anthropology conference battle tactics immediately forgotten, Nick flushed
and grabbed Derek's hand. Arm in arm, hips brushing together with every step,
the lovers headed up the stairs and back to bed........where they'd belonged
all along.
******************************************
Derek winced as he turned in the shower, rinsing off the soapy suds from
his back. Not that this particular ache was unwelcome, but it'd been awhile
since he'd been on the receiving end of a sexual liaison........
As he finished up in the shower, Derek mused about his relationship with
Nick Boyle. Friends for years, they'd been lovers a scant two months. Derek
thought he'd known the young man well, having wandered in and out of Nick's
life since the ex-SEAL was a child. Much to his surprise, however, Nick was
showing him hidden facets of his personality all the time.
The part of Nick that surprised Derek the most--the aspect of Nick's personality
that Rachel had warned the Dutchman about while he was still courting the
young man--was Nick's lack of confidence. Oh sure, give the ex-SEAL a gun
and point him at the enemy and Nick had all the confidence in the world.
Too much confidence for his own good, truth be known. But in the arena of
interpersonal relationships, Nick had about as much confidence as a cat in
a room full of rocking chairs. That is to say, none at all.
Luckily, Derek had taken Rachel's warning to heart and reassured his new
love at every opportunity. The Precept would never forget the shy smile of
pleasure when he'd asked his young lover to accompany him to Scotland, where
Derek was soon to make his academic presentation. Had Nick really thought
that Derek could bear to leave him behind? Even for just a week? Apparently
so, based on his reaction.
As their trip to Scotland neared, Derek had sensed a nervousness in his Security
Chief which perplexed him. After all, it was Derek that was going to have
to get up in front of a respected group of his peers and present his findings,
not Nick. Still, the Dutchman enjoyed the ex-SEAL's strategy planning--all
of which was designed to confound a certain Dr. Giroud, Derek's former mentor
and current pedagogical arch-nemesis. Nick had thrown himself into the project
with as much dedication as if he were planning the invasion of a small country.
Come to think of it, Derek decided, that's pretty much how Nick was
approaching the problem. It seemed academic politics and battle tactics weren't
all that much different, at least as far as the ex-SEAL was concerned.
The last week had passed in a whirl. Derek was torn between finishing his
paper, reassuring his lover, and preparing his House for his absence. It
was with a sense of relief that he and Nick finally boarded the Legacy jet
that would convey them to Europe.
All of which led up to their hotel room in Edinburgh, last night's passionate
coupling, and the resulting ache in his posterior.
As his thoughts again returned to night before, Derek paused in toweling
himself and smiled tenderly. He and Nick had arrived the afternoon before
the conference, Derek too keyed up to want to do any sightseeing. So, they'd
simply checked into their hotel and gone to dinner. After they ate, the two
lovers had gone directly back to the room, Derek wanting to get to bed early
in preparation for the morning.
Nick had distinctly different intentions.
The ex-SEAL was normally the more bashful of the two where sex was concerned,
but he'd jumped Derek the second the hotel door was shut. Growling
in what the Dutchman hoped was mock ferociousness, the young man claimed
that he would mark Derek, so that as the older man stood in front of his
audience, he would *know* who he belonged to.
Like there was any doubt.
It had been an unusual turn of events and one that Derek savored--even if
it meant he'd be sitting rather carefully for a few days. Trust Nick to find
a covert way to stake his territory, one that Derek could intimately feel
but was invisible to everyone else. The Precept was actually a little smug.
It wasn't every man of his age that could say that he had a younger lover
wanting to put his mark on him. Hell, he'd bet that Giroud couldn't make
that claim.
Feeling *much* better about his state of affairs, Derek donned a robe, left
a towel around his neck to soak up the moisture still streaming from his
wet hair, and finally left the bathroom. It was a good thing Nick had already
showered and used the facilities. Caught in his mental meandering, Derek
had taken longer than usual. Even so, being late was a distinct possibility.
As Derek entered the main part of their hotel room, he found Nick looking
into the full-length mirror. Curious, the Precept paused--the sight was an
unusual one as Nick was not the type to primp. Catching a glimpse of his
lover's reflection in the mirrored glass, Nick turned around somewhat hesitantly.
Derek was too busy at first trying to decipher the expression on Nick's face
to pay much attention to what the young man was wearing. But when Nick
blushed and ducked his head, the Precept's eyes were automatically drawn
from the bowed head down to the rest of his lover's body. Knowing even as
he did it that he was probably adding to Nick's obvious embarrassment,
Derek still couldn't stop himself from giving a long appreciative whistle.
It wasn't that he hadn't seen Nick dressed up before. He had, many times.
It was just that.......well, on those occasions the clothes always seemed
to wearing Nick, not the other way around. Generally speaking, Nick and a
suit just were not a good match.
Not this time.
The outfit was obviously custom tailored to fit Nick's athletic form and,
appropriate to Scotland's cool winter weather, the fabric was a light worsted
wool. Instead of a dress shirt/tie combination, the ex-SEAL was wearing a
wool mock turtleneck that was dyed to exactly match the odd grayish green
hue of the main garment. Derek wondered where he'd seen that unusual color
before--until Nick raised his head and looked him in the eye. Then it hit
the Dutchman. His love's hazel eyes changed colors depending on his mood
and this outfit was the exact shade that Nick's eyes were when he woke up
in the morning. Derek ought to know, he'd held a sleeping Nick in his
arms many a time, partially for the pleasure of seeing the young man's sleepy
smile when he woke up and realized who was holding him.......
Nick broke the silence. "I asked Alex to take me shopping," he sheepishly
admitted.
"I'll confess that I like the results," Derek told him as he circled to get
the full view, "but what prompted this?"
"I just wanted to fit in......I.....I didn't want you to be ashamed of me......I
thought that if I at least *looked* the part........." Nick turned away from
Derek.
The quiet admission pulled on Derek's heartstrings even as it clarified Nick's
recent behavior. The ex-SEAL was used to being Derek's second--even before
being his lover. It must have been disconcerting for him to have to watch
from the sidelines while Derek prepared for this conference. It wouldn't
have helped that the Dutchman himself was so nervous about it, thanks to
the anticipated presence of Giroud. No wonder Nick had thrown himself into
planning how Derek could academically trounce his former mentor. To a man
of action like Nick, it must have been torture to see his lover preparing
to meet Giroud on a battlefield and not be able to help, even if that battlefield
was an scholastic one.
Derek had also long suspected that the young man erroneously felt inferior
to his Legacy colleagues, at least on an educational level. Rachel
and Derek were both doctors, although Derek's PhD was purely academic, and
Alex also had an impressive collegiate background. Nick was young enough
that he might still be mistaking education for intelligence. Given Nick's
troubled background, his insecurity was understandable. The young man was
not giving himself enough credit for his own training and natural abilities.
The reason behind Nick's nervousness about this trip became crystal clear
to Derek--as well as his driving need to physically mark his older lover.
Nick must have worried that seeing him side-by-side all of those doctors
and professors would somehow reveal this imagined inadequacy to Derek. That
in comparison to those lofty scholars, the ex- SEAL would be found lacking.
Given his treatment by his father and ex-SEAL commander, could the young
man really feel any differently?
Abuse. The "gift" that just kept on giving. Thank you very much, Jonathan
Boyle and John Wesley Richter.
Derek shunted his bitterness aside and focused on the current situation.
Helping Nick move beyond the abuse would take a long time. The Precept
was dedicated to that task, but knew that the best he could do at the moment
was put a bandage on the pain. It was triage treatment at best, but at least
Derek could be Nick's self- confidence until the ex-SEAL had found his own.
True healing would have to go at its own pace.
"Love, I could *never* be ashamed of you!" Derek approached Nick from behind
and wrapped his arms around the young man. "You're the better half of me."
Nick partially turned in order to look at Derek's face. "Yeah, but all those
guys with letters behind their names--"
"Having a PhD or being a professor doesn't necessarily mean that you know
your ass from a hole in the ground, " Derek interrupted his lover. "A degree
is something to respect, Nick, but it doesn't mean that someone is a better
person than you. It just means that they have different experiences."
"But--"
For once, Derek wasn't inclined to listen to the young man, not if the ex-SEAL
was just going to beat up on himself. The Dutchman had vowed when he'd become
Nick Boyle's lover that no one would ever be allowed to abuse Nick again.
Not even Nick. "With all your work in the Legacy, Nick, you have as much
research time as any person here. *And* you've had the added pressure of
knowing that people's lives *depend* on your work, not that your findings
would merely be written up in an abstract journal that only a handful of
scholars will actually read."
Feeling Nick's body relax as his lover accepted his words, Derek continued
in a much more gentle tone. "Respect them, Nick. Pursuit of knowledge is
an admirable goal, especially if the information is used to educate others.
But don't revere them--not at your own expense. Pedestals can be dangerous
things."
After another moment of closeness, Nick moved away and Derek let the ex-SEAL
slip from his arms. By the time the younger man turned to face the Dutchman,
a lopsided grin had replaced the pensive look on his face.
"Your better half, huh?"
"Yes, no doubt about it."
Nick's eyes raked up and down Derek's body. "Well, it looks like *your* half
is still damp. Better get crackin' or we're gonna be late." The ex-SEAL snatched
the towel from around Derek's neck and snapped the Dutchman's bare legs with
it. As Nick laughed and moved to dart around Derek, the bigger man's longer
reach allowed him to grab his lover and loosely pin Nick's arms against his
side.
"You look so delectable this morning that I've decided that I had just better
mark *you* so that *you* don't forget who you belong to!" With that declaration,
the Precept pulled the collar of Nick's turtleneck aside and started sucking.
The mark would be there, but like Nick's own earlier claim on Derek, no one
else would be able to see it.
Unspoken was the knowledge that the brands on their hearts were every bit
as invisible, but binding just the same.
*****************************************************
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