Dylan was looking for Harper. Rommie had warned him that Harper seemed to be spiralling down into another of his suicidal moods. She had become quite adept at spotting the warning signs over the last couple of months. Dylan knew she had prevented one suicide attempt and deflected probably two or three more. God only knew how many Trance had prevented.

Dylan sighed as he searched engineering; Harper had seemed so much better the last few weeks. The manic good humour had returned along with the trademark Harper lechery. Dylan was coming to realise that the laughing, joking, hyperactive Harper was probably a front covering over a lot of bad experiences, not all of them related to his infestation.

The thought of Harper harming himself drove a sick, greasy spike of fear through Dylan and he quickened his pace through the warren of rooms that made up the Andromeda's engineering section.  Dylan wasn't sure when protecting Harper became as important to him as restoring the Commonwealth but it was a hard, undeniable fact now.  Harper couldn't die: Dylan would fight to his last breath to make sure of that.

<><><><><>

Harper sat in maintenance bay two toying with his nanowelder. Nanowelder to the head, he thought, quick and probably painless. Unless I miss and just lobotomise myself. He shuddered at the thought. The idea of being eaten from the inside out by Magog was bad enough, being a drooling idiot while it happened would be even worse. I could jump out of an airlock, except Rommie wouldn’t open the door. Trance has anything even vaguely toxic locked away. Dammit! I need something fast so they can’t get me back.

"Harper?"

Harper leapt up as he heard Dylan’s voice behind him. He turned slowly covering his face with his usual happy grin; he’d been doing it for so long it didn’t even feel unnatural any more.

"Hey Dylan, what’s up?"

"Just seeing if you wanted to take a break for lunch."

Harper’s brows rose. "You came all the way down here to see if I wanted to eat?"

Dylan half-smiled and said, "Well you do need to eat…but I really came down here to make sure you’re okay."

Harper scowled. "Look, I’m fine. You guys don’t have to check up on me every half hour. Really."

"Don’t hide it Harper; we’re here to help." Dylan reached over and squeezed Harper’s shoulder.

Harper tried not to flinch from the touch but he could tell by the way Dylan’s grip tightened that it had been noticed.

Dylan’s voice was gentle. "You don’t have to pretend with me. You can be freaked out as much as you want."

Harper shrugged off Dylan’s hand. "Been there, done that. I think the ‘tortured soul’ routine got old real fast. Did you see anyone having any fun?"

"Harper…"

Harper turned and snapped out, "Just leave it! I’m not going to kill myself. Even if I wanted to I couldn’t: you’ve got Rommie spying on me night and day, Tyr confiscating every sharp object in sight and Trance hiding all the drugs and even the damn toxic plants. As if I even knew which ones they were!" Suddenly the fight went out of Harper and he slumped against the wall. "I can’t get anything past you can I?"

"No," Dylan said with a smile. He put his hand back on Harper’s shoulder and this time there was no wince. "Just, please, don’t pretend everything’s okay when it isn’t. We’d all miss you if you were gone. You still have plenty to live for."

Harper felt the warmth of Dylan’s hand. Dylan’s thumb rested below his dataport and the fingers just brushed the nape of his neck. It felt better than it should have: the rest of the crew had been a little reluctant to touch him. Harper craved human contact but feared it too. On Earth those who’d been infested were killed and burnt on the spot. He felt like something contaminated, something that shouldn’t be touched without protective clothing.

"Plenty to live for?" He leaned into the contact a little. "Revenge, I could live a little for that. Building the Nova bombs helps."

"Good," Dylan said. "I’m glad something does." Dylan’s finger rubbed the back of Harper’s neck. It felt soothing and exciting at the same time. Harper leaned a little closer and was reminded how long it had been since he’d gotten laid. His body was reacting to the simple touch and he was glad he’d pulled on his old baggy cargo pants this morning.

Dylan suddenly pulled away and Harper recoiled, thinking that Dylan realised that he was getting turned on. Dylan was looking over Harper’s shoulder at Tyr, standing in the doorway.

"Tyr," Dylan said.

"Were you two ever going to tell me about the Nova bombs?"

Dylan turned to Harper and patted him on the shoulder. "Go and get something to eat. If you don’t you know Trance will be down here giving you the ‘staying healthy’ lecture again." He turned to Tyr. "Tyr, walk with me."

<><><><><>

Harper was working in Machine shop 5. He smiled as another component slid solidly into place.

"One more reason to live. I want to watch those Magog bastards fry. And you my friend," He patted the Nova bomb in front of him, "are going to have a starring role." Harper turned to put away a tool and almost dropped it as a figure detached itself from the shadows near the door.

"Only you would call a Nova bomb ‘friend’." Dylan smiled. Good, he looks better.

Harper grinned back. "It is my friend. I’m thinking of naming them like Trance does with her plants. I think this one looks like a Tony, don’t you?"

Dylan burst out laughing. "Tony? Better than Walter I suppose."

"So what brings you to my lair?" Harper asked. "You’re not checking up on me again are you?"

"No, I just wanted to see you. Um, see how much you’d done. I’m impressed, you must have been working like a madman to get all this done." Dylan gestured at the ranks of parts, all neatly laid out for assembly. "You haven’t been overdoing it have you? Remember…"

"Trance will kick my ass if I jeopardise my health. Yeah yeah, I know. I didn’t over do it; I'm just organised."

Dylan raised his eyebrows and decided not to comment.

"I saw that. I can be organised when I have to be."

Dylan patted him on the shoulder. "I don’t doubt it."

"Why do you do that?" Harper asked.

Dylan looked puzzled. "Do what?"

"Touch me?"

Dylan took a step back. "I…I’m sorry. I didn’t realise it bothered you."

"It doesn’t," Harper said quickly, "it’s just that since the Magog no one touches me. They aren’t obvious about it or anything, they just stay out of range. You, on the other hand, touch me more now than you did before."

"I hadn’t noticed," Dylan said. "I’ll stop if it bothers you."  Tell me it doesn't.

Harper shrugged, "I told you: I don't mind. It’s okay. The others avoiding me is worse."

"I could talk to them about it."

"No, don’t. I know how they feel. If it had been anyone else I wouldn’t have wanted to touch them either."

They stood silently for a moment before Harper spoke again. "You fought the Magog back in the Commonwealth, didn’t you?"

"Mm hm."  Don't ask about it Harper, please.

"What happened to the people who you found infested?" Harper turned away to tinker with some equipment on the bench.

Dylan rubbed his eyes and stepped closer behind Harper. "Euthanasia usually. Some people volunteered for medical research."

"You never even came close to finding a cure?"

"Harper, don't do this to yourself."

"Do what?  The whole Commonwealth didn’t find a cure, it's been 300 years since then and no one’s found a cure.  And you think we’ll find one before the meds stop working."

"We will find a cure."

"Fat chance."

"We will because we have to."  I will because I have to.

"I’m not kidding myself.  One less smart-assed engineer in the universe isn’t going to make a difference," Harper said, his back still turned to Dylan.

"It makes a difference to me. Why else would I come and get you from the Magog World Ship?"

"Misplaced loyalty?"

"Not misplaced and more than just loyalty." Dylan took a deep breath and put his arms around Harper. When he didn’t move away Dylan slid his hands around and stroked Harper’s stomach.

Harper flinched. "If you press down there you can feel Shithead: he’s wrapped around my pancreas."

Dylan rested his cheek on Harper’s hair. "I’m not trying to feel larvae, I’m trying to feel you."

"Why?"

"The same reason why I came and got you back from the Magog. I love you."  Oh God, I said it out loud.

Harper froze. "What?"

"Do I have to say it again? It was pretty hard to get out the first time."

"How long have you...uh...felt...?"

"I don’t know; it sort of sneaked up on me. I think I started to realise it when we were under attack from the Magog. I was still in denial until you got back and I saw how well you and Tyr were getting along. I may have gotten a little jealous."

Harper laughed. "I don’t think you have anything to worry about there."

"Good." Dylan’s arms tightened. "Have I totally freaked you out?"

"To be honest…yes, but in a good way. This is sort of a lot to take in at once."

"But you’re not running screaming from the room."

Harper turned around in Dylan’s arms and smiled up at him. "No I’m not, am I?"

Dylan leaned down and dropped a light kiss on Harper’s lips. "We’ll take this slow."

"Like Hell we will!" Harper grinned, "I’m not a ‘take things slow’ kind of guy. Or hadn’t you noticed?"

"I noticed, but there’s a lot of things going on just now. I don’t want to take advantage of you while you’re not yourself."

Harper reached up and kissed Dylan, a hot sensual kiss that lit a fire in Dylan’s groin. "Believe me Dylan, ‘taking advantage’ of me will be the best way to get me back to myself. At least mentally."

They kissed again, deep and passionate and full of longing.

Dylan finally pulled back, a little breathless and said, "Now what?"

"My quarters are closer, unless you want to get down on the floor right here."

Dylan’s eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

"Oh yeah."

"Your quarters then.  I’m a little old for playing on the floor."

<><><><><>

The door slid shut behind them and Dylan cupped Harper’s face in his hands before leaning down to kiss him softly. Harper moaned against Dylan’s mouth and slid his hands around Dylan’s waist. Harper parted his lips as Dylan flicked his tongue across them.  Harper felt dizzy and excited: this was more intense than he’d expected.  Did he really say he loves me?  No one's ever said that to me before.  At least not like this.

"I’ve wanted to do this for so long," Dylan whispered, running his hand down Harper’s chest. Harper twitched as Dylan’s hand passed over the area where the larvae were nestled. Dylan pulled back, "It’s okay Harper."

"No, it’s not," Harper said, "but I guess it’s close enough." Dylan smiled and kissed him again. The kisses grew deeper and Dylan pulled off Harper’s shirt, his hands stroking down the curve of his back, coming to rest on Harper’s hips. Dylan pulled Harper towards him and held him tightly.

Harper could feel Dylan’s erection pressed against his stomach and he wriggled a hand under the thick material of Dylan’s uniform jacket to stroke the skin he found there. Dylan groaned and pushed Harper towards the bed. Harper felt the edge of the bed hit the back of his knees and fell backwards onto the soft mattress. Dylan stood looking at him for a moment before quickly pulling off his jacket and shirt. Harper grinned; the giddy feeling that overwhelmed him earlier at Dylan’s declaration was mellowing into gleeful anticipation. He pulled off his boots and started on his pants when Dylan pushed him down on his back.

"I want to do this." Dylan slid Harper’s pants down slowly over his hips. Harper gasped as Dylan placed soft kisses across his stomach just below the navel. Harper was hard and desperate for Dylan’s touch but Dylan moved further down, kissing the inside of Harper’s thighs as he finished removing Harper’s pants.

Dylan moved back over Harper and licked a trail up his chest to bite softly on Harper’s neck. Harper whimpered and tilted his hip so he could rub his cock against Dylan’s.  It feels so good to be touched again, he thought.  Even if I'm going to die I might as well wring every bit of life out of what I have left.

"Impatient," Dylan muttered.

"Damn right."

Dylan kissed the curve of Harper’s neck and down to his left nipple. Harper arched his back as Dylan bit gently on the tender flesh. Harper could feel Dylan’s grin curving over his hot skin. Dylan’s hand slid down to play with Harper’s balls and Harper let loose a groan full of frustration.

"Dylan, please…"

Harper tried to push up, but Dylan laughed and pushed him back.

"Lie back and enjoy, Harper. I promise you won’t be disappointed." To emphasise the point Dylan slid off the bed and gripped Harper’s knees, pulling them apart and bringing Harper’s cock to his mouth. Dylan looked up and smiled before licking delicately at the weeping head.

Harper whimpered again and the gasped as Dylan sucked hard and slid his mouth down the shaft.  Oh God, oh God.  So good, how did he get so good at that?

"Oh fuck!" Harper cried as he felt his balls tighten with an imminent orgasm. "Dylan, I’m going to cum."

Dylan’s response was to suck harder and Harper thrust wildly up into his mouth, crying out Dylan's name as he came. Dylan swallowed greedily and licked the softening flesh gently before letting it fall from his lips.

"Feeling better?"

"Uh huh."  Better?  I feel like I've been carrying the Maru and someone just lifted it off.  Better?  Fucking amazing.

Dylan climbed back onto the bed and pulled Harper up so they lay together. Harper made a move towards Dylan’s cock but Dylan caught his hand, turned it over and kissed Harper’s wrist. Harper shivered at the sensuality of the kiss and the soft caressing movements of Dylan’s thumb moving over the tingling patch of skin.

"What about you?" Harper asked.

"Oh, we’ll get to me. Don’t worry about that." Dylan kissed Harper again.

"Fuck me," Harper said, inspired.

Dylan hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"Oh yeah." Harper crawled over Dylan and reached into a drawer beside the bed. He pulled out a tub of lube and started to open it. Dylan almost snatched it out of his hand and pushed him back onto the bed. "You really like to be in charge, don’t you?"

Dylan’s only answer was a feral grin that would have done Tyr proud.

"Makes you a good captain, but I bet you were a lousy subordinate."

"Hell of a lot better than you," Dylan said, dipping a finger in the lube.

Harper sniggered and then gasped as Dylan slid a finger into him.

Dylan paused. "Okay?"

"Uh huh. S’good." Harper reached up and pulled Dylan’s head down so he could kiss him. Dylan worked his finger deeper and soon added another. Harper groaned and wriggled as Dylan found his prostate.

Dylan removed his fingers, ignoring Harper’s murmur of complaint and rolled him over. Dylan coated his cock with lube and pulled Harper to his knees before thrusting slowly into him.

"Oh fuck!" Harper groaned as Dylan stretched him open. Dylan drew back and thrust again, deeper. Harper gasped and pushed back.

"Hold still." Dylan stroked Harper’s back.

"Can’t," Harper replied, trying to move against Dylan.

Dylan stopped Harper’s movements by gripping his hips. "Hold still or I’ll stop."

"Don’t stop. I’ll be good."  Shit!  That sounded lame.  Ohhh, I'm not going to be able to hold still.

Dylan pumped into Harper. He could feel the tension in Harper as he tried to control the urge to move. Angling his thrusts for maximum penetration he set a slow easy pace.

The rythymic movements drove Harper wild.  He was filled to the limit and loving it.  He desperately wanted to cum.  "Dylan…please…"

"Shhh."

Harper reached down to touch himself and Dylan grabbed his hand.

"None of that, Harper. I make you cum."

"Then make me cum, please Dylan: you’re driving me mad here."  I have to cum, I need to cum.  Damn, it feels so good.

"Shhhh, Harper.  I want to make it good for you.  Wait and you'll see: it'll be so much better this way."

Harper’s cock hung, painfully hard and weeping above the bedclothes. He was unable to get any desperately needed friction. Harper tried to push back again and Dylan stopped moving.

Harper whimpered. "Sorry, sorry. Don’t stop. Please Dylan. Please, make me cum." He felt a bit pitiful for begging but right now he’d do anything to feel Dylan hammering into him and stroking him off.

Dylan thrust once, deep into Harper and stilled. He ran his hands over Harper’s sweat-slicked back and down his arms. Dylan pulled Harper’s arms up to grip the headboard and covered the smaller hands with his own. The slow, relentless pace began again.

"Just a little longer Seamus, just a little longer."

Harper’s eyes rolled back in his head. Dylan was hitting his prostate but not fast enough or often enough to sent him over the edge. Each thrust sent a spike of pure pleasure through him and it felt so good it almost hurt. He sobbed and babbled an incoherent mix of swearing and pleading for release.

"PleasepleasefuckingpleaseohgodohgodpleaseDylan."

Dylan stopped moving again and Harper growled and tried to struggle. Bastard!  Don't stop.  Dylan kept a firm hold on him and whispered, "Cum for me." Harper howled as Dylan’s hand snaked down from the headboard and gripped his cock. He came hard, spurts of cum splashed over his chest, the bed, some even hitting his chin. Harper saw blue circles before his eyes and tried to collapse on the bed. Dylan held him up and began to thrust into him again.

Harper wasn’t capable of much more than trying not to pass out for the next few minutes. It wasn’t until Dylan’s pounding on his prostate started to get him hard again that he came back to his senses.

"I can’t, not again. Oh fuck Dylan, are you trying to kill me?"

Dylan just gave a breathy chuckle and stroked Harper’s cock.

Harper felt his cock filling and whimpered. Dylan was still going slowly, still hitting his sweet spot with almost every thrust. It felt like they’d been doing this for hours.

I’m not going to be able to get it up for weeks after this, Harper thought as Dylan finally started to speed up. Harper couldn’t believe he’d gotten hard again so fast, not after a blow job and an amazing fuck. He was though, hard and panting with the need to cum again. Dylan was twisting and squeezing his cock, driving him closer and closer to the edge. Harper was determined to make Dylan cum first so he clamped down around Dylan’s cock, smugly hearing the hiss of pleasure above him.

"Good?" Harper asked.

"Oh yes. You are so fucking good Harper. So fucking beautiful. I want to do this forever."

Harper was gasping now; he could feel his balls tightening again. "Shit Dylan! Please tell me you’re going to cum soon. I can’t take much more of this."

Dylan grunted and began to pound into Harper. He bit down on the back of Harper’s neck as he brought his other hand down to steady Harper’s hips. With one final brutal thrust he came with a shout, his hand stroking Harper to a simultaneous orgasm.

They fell sideways to lie on the bed, Dylan spooned around Harper. Neither of them were able to talk at first. The only sounds were rasping breaths and Harper’s quiet whimper as Dylan withdrew his softening cock.

Dylan somehow hooked a blanket from the bottom of the bed and pulled it up over their cooling bodies.

"Sleep now, Seamus," Dylan murmured, nuzzling the soft skin behind Harper’s ear.

"Mm hm," Harper responded, already half-asleep.

<><><><><>

Dylan woke slowly, aware that he was being watched. "Morning," he said sleepily.

Harper was looking at him intently. "Every morning since the Magog attack I’ve woken up and felt okay for the first few moments. Then I remember about the larvae and I want to die. Today I woke up and remembered about last night and I was glad I didn’t kill myself."

"Good. Now come here, I have something for you." Dylan pulled Harper back down beside him and rubbed his erection along Harper’s thigh.

"Shit Dylan!" Harper said, grinning, "you almost fucked me to death last night and now you want to do it again?"

"And again, and again, and again," Dylan murmured as he nibbled Harper’s ear.  Forever.

Harper purred and wriggled at the touch. "Okay. I guess being fucked to death isn't a bad way to go."

"Living for revenge isn't good enough for you any more?" Dylan asked as he ran a hand down Harper's thigh.

Harper smirked, "Nope.  I've got something bigger and better to live for now."

The End

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