Disclaimer time once again!  Third verse same as the first . . everybody *sing*: I don't own these characters, (chorus) Paramount does! I don't own this venue, (chorus) Paramount does! I am making no money off of this, (chorus) Paramount does not either! This story involves sex between two men, aka: slash.  If that is *not* your cup of tea, sweet as it is, then don't read it!  (simple, ain't it??) Also, there will be some *mild* b/d, nothing major. The *sex* will be major, but not the games that big boys play. ;) Feedback is *very* much appreciated, and always answered. Flames will be passed around to friends and chuckled over.  :) This is the sequel to "Yours", so if you haven't read that, this won't make a whole lot of sense.    *************************************************** Life on the planet had settled into a leisurely routine for Tom and Harry.  Harry had told Tom the secret of how to have lots of free time while still keeping the pantry full.   "It's easy, you just plant whatever you want, then go for a walk or two.  By the time you come back, it's ready for harvest." Harry *had* been being sarcastic, but it still worked well at making the time fly between planting and harvesting, so they followed it. Tom had already seen all the hybridizing work Harry had been keeping himself busy with, before he'd joined him on the planet. Harry had developed a love for botany and agriculture in those four months alone and the planet was the perfect lab for all the work he wanted to do. They had already worked out crop rotations, decided which plants had promise for domestication, and hybridized strains that would yield the most crop with the least effort.  Preserving and drying the fruits and vegetables had been pretty easy and they had ample storage space in the pantry after the suns in orbit around the planet had done their work.  No matter how long they were gone on their numerous excursions, according to the tricorder left behind to keep track, they never lost much by the time they returned. The cabin now had a *much* larger bed, on a log frame, slatted, with a thicker mattress built to withstand the frequent and enthusiastic use they put it to.  More furniture, as well, was a necessity.  They made a couple more chairs, some crates for their clothing, and another, longer table for all the rest of their belongings. With most of the work out of the way, taking the time to just be together was important to both of them.  It didn't much matter what they did; they both enjoyed the free time spent in each other's company, walking, reading aloud, swimming, or making love. Tom was enjoying himself immensely at the moment, just laying on their rock, lazily tracing patterns on Harry's bare foot with his fingertip.  Harry's toes flexed, getting his attention, and he raised his eyes to his lover's.  He smiled and Harry winked at him, leaned back against the rock behind him, and continued playing his clarinet.   Tom thought, , and rolled over on his back to watch the pink clouds sail by above the trees and listen to the beautiful music, accompanied by the soft roar of the river. He moved his hair out from under him and let it fall over his hands, clasped behind his head.  Harry wouldn't let him cut *any* of it off.  Of course, he wouldn't let Harry cut any of *his*, either, so it was only fair. Definitely not regulation length, at over a foot long, but who the hell cared?  Starfleet regulations certainly had no place with them, anymore.  Tom hadn't worn his uniform since he had beamed down to the planet almost ten months ago. Then, too, he hadn't spent a whole lot of time wearing clothing, period, unless they were out of the cabin.  And that had less to do with modesty than with the delight they took in undressing each other, like unwrapping a gift, still so new, so wonderful. Tom gazed up, through the trees, at a sky in perpetual daylight, thanks to the three suns orbiting the planet.  Fortunately, the radiation was slight enough that it didn't fry him.  He had a decent, hell, a great, tan, but it was nothing compared to Harry's.  That beautiful skin was now bronzed and, to him, Harry looked like a god, sitting there, barechested as Tom was, wearing shorts, that glorious black curtain of hair trailing down his back. Tom rolled back over onto his stomach, his head propped up on one bent arm, while the other resumed caressing Harry's foot. He shot a devilish look at Harry and brought his mouth down to follow with his tongue the path made by his finger.  Harry kept playing, but the tempo of the piece had sped up a little. Tom grinned.  "Bet you can't *keep* playing, Love." Tom looked momentarily startled to hear the *clarinet* sing-song back at him what sounded like "Oh, yes, I can."  His eyes shot up to see Harry's twinkling delightedly back at him. "Prove it," he challenged, smiling.  "Show me." He bent again to the top of Harry's foot and began kissing it from the toes back to the ankle, using his tongue on the instep. He heard the clarinet make what sounded like a sigh and continued around to the heel and up the back of the tendon.  He nibbled gently across the ankle again, then went back down to the toes, sucking each one, slowly.  He heard the clarinet groan, deep in the lower register, and looked up at Harry.  He had his eyes closed, his head back against the rock, resting the instrument against his stomach, his lips still around the mouthpiece, fingers poised, waiting for Tom's next move.   "Talk to me, Harry," Tom whispered.  "But don't say a word." Harry's eyes opened slowly to see Tom begin kissing his way up his legs, gently caressing his calves with those warm lips.    Tom heard the clarinet moan, soft and deep, as he traced Harry's knee with a finger, then followed with his tongue, going around each kneecap in ever larger circles.  He slowly slithered his way up the other man's legs, nibbling softly at the insides of his thighs, barely touching the outsides with gentle hands. He reached up to undo Harry's shorts and heard the clarinet gasp. He looked up and, delaying the undoing for a moment, began caressing Harry's *other* instrument, watching his lover's reaction through narrowed eyes. Tom took one finger and oh, so slowly, stroked up the side of the clarinet, lightly running his fingertip over the keys Harry wasn't using. Taking his other hand and, using the same movements, he echoed the caresses along Harry's cock.  He worked his way patiently to the other side of the clarinet and came back down, doing the same to Harry, softly touching *both* instruments with gentle hands. He paused to circle the outside of the clarinet's opening with his fingers, and smiled at the groan he heard in the music. Tom moved his fingers slowly inside the instrument and felt the vibration when Harry made it groan again. He looked up and watched Harry's eyes close as he moved his hand to unfasten the shorts, at last, and pull them down over his lover's hips.   Harry lifted up to help him, the clarinet sounding out one plaintive note, as Tom eased the shorts down the man's legs and tossed them to the side.  He lay between Harry's legs, letting his hands travel slowly up his thighs, and reached up to hold onto his waist.  Tom bent his head again and teasingly flicked his tongue over Harry's erection, growling at the harsh, needful sound coming from the clarinet. "Oh, you like that, don't you . . feeling my mouth on your cock . . tasting you . . licking you . . you're so hard for me . . love you, Harry . . I love you, so damn much . ." Tom heard the clarinet moan a low chord then sharply hit a keening wail as his mouth closed over Harry and sank down to the root, devouring him. He pulled up quickly and plunged down again, feeling the legs beneath him tense and quiver, as Harry arched upward in desperate arousal.   Harry was having trouble breathing, let alone playing, as he raised up into his lover's hot, wet mouth. He braced his back against the rock behind him, bent his knees and planted his feet firmly, to give himself more leverage.  As he looked down to see Tom's head moving up and down on him, hard and urgent, he let the clarinet give voice to his need, letting it gasp and moan and plead for him. Tom heard it and glanced up at him through slitted eyes.  He snarled low in the back of his throat and moved faster and rougher, feeling Harry tighten up like a spring before the clarinet howled, loud and long, as Harry came, filling his mouth again and again. "Oh, Harry, I love you," Tom said softly, as he licked his lover clean with long, slow strokes of his tongue, surprised when Harry's voice, not his clarinet, responded in kind. "I love you, too, Tom."  He sighed, contentedly, then raised his eyebrows and smiled gently at Tom's surprise.  "There are some things I *need* to say to you, as often as possible.  And that's one of them." He set the clarinet aside, resting it on the shorts he'd been wearing until just recently, and reached for his lover.  Tom came into his arms instantly, rested his head against that wonderful chest, and listened to the quieting heartbeat.  How he loved this, holding Harry and being held so tenderly by him. He could happily do this for the rest of his life. Harry felt Tom settle into his embrace and kissed the top of his head, stroking back the long, golden hair he loved so much. He looked at it falling through his fingers, slightly wavy, a little wild, and utterly gorgeous.  He felt Tom making that familiar rumbling purr, echoing as it was in his chest, and chuckled. "You're doing it, again." Tom looked up at him. "I am?" "Well, you *were*," Harry teased as he looked at man he loved more than anything. Tom leaned up to nuzzle Harry's neck, nipping softly at the tender flesh below his ear.   "I don't realize I'm doing it until you tell me so," he sighed, then smiled.  "Something about you just brings out the animal in me, I guess," he finished, glancing up at Harry again, resting his head on the other man's shoulder as Harry ran his fingers through his hair and gazed into his eyes. "You know, you have the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen . ." Tom smiled slightly and leaned up as Harry trailed off, looking somewhat confused.  "What is it?" he asked, curiously. "I don't know, this just felt . . odd, for a moment, like I've . .  It's reminding me of something . ." "What, Harry?" Tom queried with growing concern. Harry looked deeply into Tom's eyes.  Something about them was so familiar to him . . but not here and now . . another time and place.  Then it hit him.  Where he had seen eyes like that before, seen what Tom so reminded him of.   Tom saw realization flash across Harry's face and sat up. "Harry, what *is* it?  You're starting to worry me, here." Harry just stared at him wonderingly.  "My God, I don't believe it. Right in front of me the whole time and I never even . . " "*Harry*, tell me!" Tom was adamant, now.  Harry was looking at him like he'd never seen him before in his life and it was starting to scare the hell out of him. "When I was a kid, nine or ten, my parents took me to Golhedra, to visit some friends of theirs," Harry began, in a faraway voice, staring at Tom. "Kind of a primitive place, but so *beautiful*, green and wild . . They were all talking outside one of the shelters and I wandered off, bored with all the grownup stuff.  I saw a low fence heading off, so I followed it, figuring I couldn't get lost, or in trouble, if I just followed the fence. I heard a couple of men talking inside another shelter, about their *prize* out back.  I went around to see and . . there he was, in a cage, just lying there, so still.  I stepped over the fence and got closer, as quietly as I could, but he heard me and got up.  He was *huge*, maybe eight feet long, not counting the tail.  He started pacing, back and forth, growling softly and looking at me all the while . . It was like he was telling me his life's story.  I went closer and he stuck his head up against the bars.  When I reached out to touch him, his head snapped around.  I thought I was going to lose my arm, but he just licked me." Harry chuckled, "Damn near took the skin off, but didn't hurt much.  I started scratching behind his ears and his eyes closed." "Harry," Tom interrupted in a soft voice.  "What was he?" Harry grinned.  "A Golhedran cougar." Tom looked at him in horror. "*Harry*, those things are man-eaters, what the hell were you *thinking*?" Harry smiled.  "Only that he was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen in my life.  I scratched his head and ran my fingers through that golden fur and he started making a noise somewhere between a purr and thunder.  Gods, it was so *loud*.  He looked up at me . . he had the most amazing blue eyes," Harry smiled into Tom's.  "They just went right through me. I remember thinking that anything that damn beautiful and wild didn't belong in a cage.  It was just so *wrong*.  I started talking to him, telling him he had to get out of there, to do whatever was necessary, that he didn't *belong* there.  He just kept nuzzling my hands and licking me, but I really wanted to believe he heard me, understood me. One of the men heard me, unfortunately, and came behind the shelter.  That cat looked at him with such loathing that *I* hated him.  He started yelling at me and I ran, all the way back to my parents."  Harry's smile was somewhat sadder, now, wistful. "What happened to him?" Tom asked, quietly. "I heard later the next day that he had killed that man and escaped the night before.  He had attacked and killed a couple of the villagers a week earlier; that's why they set a trap for him in the first place.  They were going to kill him, the skin was worth a small fortune offworld; he didn't deserve that," Harry sighed. "I guess maybe he understood me, after all."   He pulled Tom back into his arms and held him, kissed him softly on the top of his head, and resumed stroking that golden hair.  "I couldn't believe he had ever hurt anyone; I didn't *want* to believe it.  Not after him being so gentle with me." Tom looked up at him, "Harry, he could have mauled you if he had gotten out and come after you . . " Harry shook his head.  "No, I don't believe that.  I don't think he would have hurt me, ever, not deliberately." Tom grinned fondly at him, shaking his head.  "And *I* remind you of *him*?" Harry smiled back at him. "Yeah, in a lot of ways, now that I think about it.  You would never hurt me, either, not on purpose. You're misunderstood, like he was.  Him, and the villagers; you, and Caldik Prime." Harry hugged Tom tighter when he felt him tense slightly.  "Him, in a cage; you, in New Zealand . . neither one of you deserved that.  Wild and beautiful, both of you . ." Tom looked at Harry incredulously.  Harry smiled.  "Yes, *you*. You are the most beautiful thing I have seen since the day I saw him. And about the wild part, do I really need to convince *you* of that?" Tom laughed.  "No, I guess I'll take your word for it." Harry leaned down to kiss him, softly.  "Hmmm . . *my* blue-eyed Cougar," he murmured.  "My love." Tom snuggled into his arms and gazed at him, fondly.  "I'm stuck with that, now, am I?  A nickname?" Harry smiled at him. "What, Cougar?  Do you mind?" Tom smiled, tolerantly, then laughed out loud.  "I've had worse," he admitted.  "Although, I think I can live up to the comparison," he said with his usual cocky grin. "Prove it," Harry said softly, with a wicked gleam in his eyes. "Maul me." Tom just stared at him for a moment. Suddenly, he was on his feet, hauling Harry up with one hand and grabbing his shorts and clarinet with the other.  He handed them to Harry, with an absolutely evil grin on his face.  "Race you to the cabin," he said. Harry looked at him, startled, but delighted, as he stepped into his shorts.  "What do I get if I win?" "Me?" Tom asked hopefully. Harry laughed.  "What do you get if *you* win?" "You . . " Tom growled. Harry shivered, his eyes shining.  "You want a head start?"                    ---------------------------------- Something had to be done about B'Elanna.  In her zeal to bring Tom and Harry home, she was quickly getting on the last nerve of damn near everyone around her. The entire engineering crew was pulling double shifts and she hadn't slept since Tom left, herself. He'd been gone less than twenty hours, but she didn't want to think about how long that translated into on the planet.  As soon as the Captain had discovered him missing after the transporters had gone berserk, B'Elanna had retraced his steps to find out how he had done it.  How he had gone from the shuttle bays, to get medkits and phasers, to engineering, so he could snatch the tricorders, to his and Harry's quarters, in order to get clothing and personal items, and *then* to the cargo bay, to create enough confusion so he could slip away . . .  and all without raising any suspicion.   B'Elanna thought. He had even been so bold as to swipe the tricorders practically from right underneath her nose. As much as it angered her, it also made her feel guilty as hell. Like if she *had* noticed what he was up to, she might have been able to talk him out of it.  Now, both of them were gone, just *gone*, and time was *not* on her side when it came to bringing them back. She had been spending so much time reviewing the information gathered by the tricorders, she could nearly recite it, verbatim. Something interesting had been found in the strata of the rock formation in the cave: a most unusual element, crystalline in structure.  She was trying to figure out if it had something to do with their being able to beam Watson and Likett off the planet, or if it was somehow creating interference that prevented them from being able to lock-on to Harry and Tom.  Even though Tom didn't have his comm badge anymore, having left it on Harry's bed, the sensors *should* have been able to find him, find *both* of them.  But it was almost as if they didn't even *exist* down there, for all the help the sensors were.  Sometimes they were able to locate something they classified as a human lifeform, only to have it disappear an instant later. The energy flow on the planet's surface was yet another problem.  It seemed to move without reason, randomly, varying in intensity and stability. thought B'Elanna.  Time seemed to be at a constant rate in those areas.   She rubbed her forehead, tiredly. "Time for a break, Torres?"  She looked up into the concerned eyes of the first officer. "No, Chakotay, I don't *have* time.  That's the problem." "You need to rest, B'Elanna." "I *can't* . . ." "I could always rephrase it as an order, Lieutenant . ." B'Elanna scowled.  "Fine, *Commander*," she growled, stalking out of engineering without a backward glance. Chakotay looked around at the rest of the crew. "You might want to take advantage of the Chief Engineer's absence to get some rest, as well." Most sighed in relief.  On their way out the door, a few stopped to thank him and tell him he didn't need to rephrase *that* as an order.                 ------------------------------ They ran back to the cabin in a dead heat, Tom going through the door just an instant ahead of Harry.  They *never* let themselves get too far away from one another; the 'race' was just a game.  At first, staying close was out of necessity, later, it was simply out of habit. They couldn't bear to be apart, anyway, not after finally finding each other. Harry laughed breathlessly as he placed the clarinet carefully on the table along the wall.  Tom rounded on him swiftly, and pounced, knocking him to the soft floor, smothering him with kisses.  They had been rather restrained with each other recently, no blood drawn, no marks that took days to go away. The quiet and gentle lovemaking certainly had its place and they both loved all of it.  There was just something about this, this frenzied, powerful, glorious mating they sometimes engaged in, that made them feel as if they were bonded forever, inseparable. Harry groaned under Tom's assault, wrapping the man up in his arms and legs, kissing him back just as feverishly.  Tom paused briefly to breathe and looked with wild eyes into Harry's flushed face. "Bed?" he asked halfheartedly, panting. "Here," Harry whispered, insistently, tangling his fingers in Tom's hair and bringing his mouth roughly down to his. "I can't wait that long." Tom growled and, pulling his mouth away from Harry's, latched on to his lover's neck and sucked hard, as though he was trying to draw blood through the skin. Harry inhaled sharply.  "Damn, you're hungry." "Starving," Tom snarled, as his teeth fastened onto the other side of Harry's throat. Harry groaned and thrust up into him. "We'd . . oh, *yes* . . we'd better get you fed . . then," he replied, knowing that it would be his last completely coherent sentence for a while. Tom worked down Harry's chest, biting his nipples, first one than the other, then surged up to kiss him, hot and open-mouthed, devouring him. Tom's hands worked quickly to get him out of his shorts, which went flying across the room as soon as his legs were out of them.  Harry brought his hands down from the deathgrip they had on Tom's shoulders, to find his lover had already undone, and was most of the way out of, his own.  They sailed through the air to join Harry's on the floor by the bed. Tom briefly eased off of Harry, just long enough to take him by the arm and roll him over onto his stomach.  He gripped Harry's hands and stretched his arms out in front of him, then bit his way back from the elbow to the shoulder, sinking his teeth into that wonderful place between shoulder and neck.  Harry's head came back and he groaned.  Tom grabbed him by the hair and, moving forward, kissed him urgently, forcing his lover's lips apart with his tongue to explore the hot interior.  He tore his mouth away from Harry's and bit into his neck once more.   Harry's eyes flew open with a sharp gasp, but Tom had already moved behind him again, gnawing his shoulderblades and lightly clawing his way down Harry's sides.  Harry couldn't see the man, but he could sure as hell hear him. Tom's growl seemed to shoot right through him, ending at his cock, which was hard enough to drill a hole through the floor.   Tom worked his way quickly down Harry's back, marking him with intent, leaving his lover no opportunity to anticipate where the assault was going to come from next.  He slid down Harry's ass, nipping it, then continued along the back of each leg, holding them down at the ankles, so the man wouldn't reflexively kick him. He moved Harry's legs apart and paused.  Gods, he looked beautiful, lying there naked, beneath him.   "Oh, Harry . ." he whispered roughly, as he stroked himself with one hand, lubricating his cock with his own precum and Harry with the other, readying him. "I'm going to fuck you . . so hard and fast . . you won't be able to move tomorrow . . I'm going to be inside you . . so far . . you'll think we're sharing one skin." "*Tom*," Harry moaned, but had to keep the game going. "Prove it," he grated through clenched teeth.  "*Take* me." "*Yes*," Tom hissed as he entered him, the swift thrust taking their breath away.  "Harry, *yes* . . Oh, I love being in you," he gasped.  "*Love* it."  He reached forward and grabbed Harry's hands, tight, threading his fingers through them and, squeezing hard, brought their joined hands back toward their joined bodies.   "I'll never . . have enough of you," he groaned, head thrown back, thrusting hard into Harry.  "However much . . I have . . it'll *never* be enough . . I want . . *all* of you . . Harry . . body, mind and *soul*." "More, Tom . . don't hold back . . please . . more . . oh, *yes*," Harry cried out as he felt Tom move faster within him, felt the hard shaking begin, and knew how close his lover was to coming.    Tom could feel the climax surging up within him and bent quickly to sink his teeth into Harry's shoulder, hard enough to break the skin and dimly heard Harry cry out.  He could taste blood, now, and moved even faster, taking Harry furiously.   he thought faintly, as he reared back, shuddering with the force of the explosion inside him, desperately needing it to release him before it destroyed him. He could barely hear Harry through the pounding in his ears. "*Now* . . Cougar, oh, *yes* . . come in me," as Harry thrashed beneath him. Tom felt himself blow apart as the orgasm ripped through him and roared with the release, loud enough to make the windows rattle, as he came and came and came. There wasn't enough of his strength left to keep him conscious, as he fell away into darkness and came crashing down on top of Harry.   thought Harry, his ears ringing It took a few seconds and a serious act of will to slide out from under Tom's body.  Harry had to check just to make sure he was still breathing.  He was, but he was also shaking all over, and freezing cold. Harry crawled over to the bed and grabbed the blankets, knowing he could move them to Tom a lot easier than he could move Tom onto the bed.  He came back and wrapped his lover up in them, with him inside as well, making him as warm as possible. he wondered, thunderstruck, as he rubbed Tom's back and spoke softly to him, no louder than a whisper.  He couldn't believe Tom had been holding back on him all this time; it just wasn't possible. But, whatever had happened, it had been so intense, that it had damn near thrown Tom into shock.  Harry just held on as his lover gradually came back to himself and the quaking of his spent body eased. Harry looked at Tom's face to see his eyelids flutter slowly open. He kept stroking him, gently, kissing his face and murmuring softly to him and watched as Tom's eyes eventually brought him into focus. "You, okay?" Tom said, on a ghost of a whisper, licking his lips. "I'm fine, really," Harry was quick to reassure him. "A little stunned, but fine," he finished and kissed Tom. "I didn't . . scare you?" "No," Harry said simply.  "Were you trying to?" "No, oh, Harry, no . . never." "I have *never* been afraid of you, ever, Tom," Harry said softly, not releasing Tom from eye contact.  "You couldn't make me afraid of you, if you *tried*.  Afraid *for* you, yes.  But, never *of* you."  He held Tom tighter within the warm, safe haven of his arms.  "I love you, more than anything." Tom kissed him on the neck, with deliberate gentleness, and pulled Harry even closer.  "I love you, too.  Oh, Harry, you'll never know how much." "You *could* tell me, you know," Harry smiled at him, partly meaning it. Tom had often said that there were so many things he wanted to tell Harry, that he *needed* him to know, but they still hadn't gotten around to it, yet.  Harry didn't want to push, and Tom, not understanding how badly Harry needed to hear it all, had never volunteered anything. Maybe, someday . . "I will, Har, but there's just so *much*.  Not right now, okay?"    Obviously, not today.  Harry just smiled and stroked Tom's hair, letting it go, for the moment.   "Okay." They lay quietly together, holding one another, and let their hearts gradually stop racing.  Harry bent his head to kiss Tom and sighed. "Love?" Tom asked, softly. "Yes, Cougar?" Harry murmured, half asleep. "Consider yourself mauled." "Literalist."                     --------------------------- B'Elanna came into engineering like a shot, just a few hours after Chakotay's ordered rest break, and came to an abrupt halt. She glowered at the almost empty room. She'd had an idea that had rocked her out of an admittedly restless sleep.  She needed a core sample from one of the rock formations, the cave, she thought.  They had nearly the exact coordinates.  Oh, well, she could do it herself. "Torres to bridge." "Chakotay here, B'Elanna, why aren't you sleeping?" B'Elanna groaned.  "I had an idea and it can't wait.  I need to get a core sample from the cave.  I think it may hold the answer as to why our transporters can't lock on to Tom and Harry." Chakotay looked at Janeway for approval.  She nodded, bemused and curious as to what the Chief Engineer had come up with this time. B'Elanna's dead-of-night brainstorms had always been *interesting* to say the least.    "Go ahead, B'Elanna.  Keep us informed." "Acknowledged," she said with enthusiasm.  "All right, then, let's get going," she barked to the two unfortunate Ensigns who happened to be stuck in engineering with her. "Here's what we need to do .  ."                      ------------------------------- What amounted to the second rainy season, for lack of anything better to call it, had passed without incident, marking their twentieth month together on the planet.  Harry couldn't believe he had been there for two years.  The first four months, the ones without Tom, had been endless.  The last twenty had flown by.  They had been there for so long, it was almost impossible to imagine their lives any other way. The farm was thriving, producing more food than they could possibly eat, even preserving a lot of it, as they were.  Most of the hybrids they were developing now were bred for lack of anything else to do.  The vineyard had been Tom's idea, although Harry had to admit the prospect was starting to excite him, too, now.  The hybrid grape-like fruits were sweet and almost like small balloons of juice, very little flesh, and only one, tiny seed.  They had picked several wooden bucketfuls, earlier, and were outside finishing the vat for extracting the juice when Tom encountered a slight problem. Harry heard the soft popping sounds but, distracted with putting the last touches on the new vat, didn't turn around until he heard Tom. "Uh, Sweetheart . . " Harry looked up from what he was doing to see Tom standing there, shirtless, dripping with dark red juice from neck to knees. "Oh, dear gods, what did you *do*?" Harry managed to say before the laughter hit him. "I didn't *do* anything!" Tom answered indignantly.  "I just put my hand into one of the buckets and the damn 'grapes' exploded!" Harry just stood there, laughing helplessly.  Tom looked down at himself and started smiling evilly. "I don't think I missed a spot," he said, grinning, as he walked slowly toward Harry.  "On *me*, that is." Harry started backing away from him. "Oh, no, you don't," he said, laughing breathlessly.  "You stay away from me." "Unh uh, you think this is so damn funny; let's see how funny it is when the juice is on *you*." "Make you a deal," Harry offered, reasonably, grinning from ear to ear.  "We'll go to the river and I'll help clean you off." "So, what's in it for me that'd be more fun than soaking *you* with this stuff?" Tom asked, *really* hoping he already knew the answer. "I could clean you off with my tongue," Harry suggested, grinning. Yep, he'd known the answer. "Deal.  Let's go," Tom responded quickly, moving to take Harry's hand. "Don't touch me, you're all sticky." "I could always clean you off, too," Tom said persuasively. "Take my hand.  Come on, Tom, let's *go*."                  ------------------------------- "Bridge, we're all set down here," B'Elanna said impatiently over her comm badge. "Whenever you're ready, Torres," Chakotay responded. "Energize," she barked.  As the transporter beam activated, and the sample began to form in front of her, Tuvok's voice came over the comm. "Captain, sensors indicate a major disturbance within the energy field, readings are off the scale." Janeway whirled around to face him.  "What's causing it, Tuvok?" "It's the transporter beam, Captain, I *knew* it!"  B'Elanna's voice sounded almost gleeful. "Explain that to me, B'Elanna," the Captain said, intrigued. "I'm on my way to the bridge, Captain, you are not going to *believe* this!" "Acknowledged," the Captain replied and looked askance at Chakotay, who shrugged. "Don't ask me, Captain," he sighed.                ------------------------------- Tom felt wonderful.  At least, as far as Harry was concerned. He was busy using the shorts that Tom *had* been wearing, to clean off his legs. Dunking them in the river's crystal clear water, he was thoroughly enjoying bathing his lover, hearing Tom gasp and groan at every stroke of the soaked clothing. Tom's eyes were closed, his lean body stretched out on the rock, faintly quivering under Harry's ministrations.  The legs were pretty much juice-free, by now, but Harry wasn't about to quit, yet.  Kneeling next to Tom, he slowly brought the wet cloth up Tom's thighs, gently moving it over his hardening cock. "Funny, I didn't think I'd managed to splatter myself there," Tom said with a breathless grin. "Just thought I'd make certain, while I was in the area." "Oh, I *do* like the way you think." Harry leaned forward slowly and began licking along Tom's collarbone, up his neck, around under his chin, and back down the other side.  Delicious. Fortunately, the juice wasn't very thick, just a hint, really, of that sweet, tangy taste on his tongue, as he moved closer to get on with the delightful task at hand.   Tom sighed.  This was *so* nice.  He reached out for Harry, and was somewhat surprised when his lover took his hands and brought them back down to rest at his sides again. "Oh, no.  Don't move. Not so much as a whisker, Cougar.  Just lay there and let me enjoy you," Harry whispered, right by his ear, giving it a lick. Tom grinned.  He could do that.  Maybe.  Okay, probably not. But it could be fun, trying to follow Harry's directions. "And keep your eyes closed, I just want you to *feel* what I'm doing to you." "I think I can do that," Tom murmured in a shadow of his usual put-on cockiness. "Prove it," Harry said, delightedly.  "Let me." Tom tried to be quiet as he felt Harry's tongue swipe gently at the inside of his ear.  He felt the soft pull of Harry's lips on the lobe, then the broad strokes on his neck, moving slowly down his chest.  Quiet was impossible. "You can moan all you want, Lover, just don't *move*," he heard Harry say softly and could hear the smile in his voice. he thought as his lover went back up his chest, swirling his tongue around his nipples, and nibbling along his ribs. Harry moved down to his navel, long slow strokes around it, then quick little darts right in.  Tom groaned and started to squirm, then remembered he wasn't supposed to. The tension from restraining himself was adding to the growing intensity of the sensations that were flooding through him. Harry had moved over him, lying between his legs, his weight on his hands, as he leaned forward over Tom and licked his way slowly back up his chest, sucking on the nipples until they were almost as hard as Tom's cock.  His neck was nearly clean, but Harry returned to suck gently first on one side then the other, smiling as the moaning increased in volume and urgency.  He placed hot, hungry kisses all over Tom's chest, moving down to his stomach, loving the quick gasps as he gently bit and licked around Tom's waist.  He could feel the tension in the other man, like a string about to snap, as he slowly moved downward and took that gorgeous cock into his mouth.  Tom's head went back as his spine arched, his hands pressed flat against the rock, his toes curling. "You are so . . *damn* good . . at that," he groaned, feeling Harry's mouth begin moving slowly up and down, that wonderful wet heat making him lose his mind.  He could feel Harry chuckle in response, the vibration echoing along his entire length. "You're moving," Harry said, reprovingly. "So, shoot me," Tom replied, gasping. "You first," Harry smirked, and bent over Tom again, stroking his cock, the gentle touch of his hand threatening to short-circuit his lover's wiring. "Harder, Love, please," Tom moaned, then cried out as Harry sped up, his head coming down to take the other man's erection into his mouth again.  Tom felt Harry's tongue swirling around the head of his cock so fast it was making him dizzy, licking up and down the sides, tasting him. He damn near screamed when Harry deep-throated him.   The tension had reached unbearable levels and there was only one release Harry wanted him to have. Tom felt the climax build up within him, felt himself spiraling, just as Harry put a wet finger between his legs and caressed the small opening.  Tom's legs opened further, giving Harry all the room he needed, instructions not to move, be *damned*. Harry gently pushed his finger inside his lover's body, saying nothing as he noticed Tom draw his legs up, bending the knees. He quickly added a second finger and saw Tom's upper body spasm, bringing him up from the rock before he forced himself to lay back down, moaning incoherently with need.  Harry kept sucking the hard cock in his mouth, circling his tongue over the head, while his fingers kept readying Tom.  The stimulation was too much for his lover, who bucked upward into Harry's mouth and began coming with a wailing roar.  Harry backed off and caught as much of Tom's ejaculate in his hand as he could, milking him dry, then lubricated his own cock with it and moved forward to raise his lover's body.  With one swift and gentle thrust, he entered Tom. Tom felt Harry come all the way inside him in a single thrust and cried out.  He hadn't been expecting that at all, but oh, God, the feeling was glorious.  He moved his hands up slightly, resting them on Harry's legs as those long, gentle thrusts continued. Harry loved the emotions playing across Tom's beautiful face. He would've been willing to bet those blue eyes were rolling back in their sockets, as Tom's mouth opened slightly and he heard him growl. "There you are," panted Harry.  "I was wondering . . where my Cougar'd gone." "Straight to heaven and back," groaned Tom.  "This time, I'm taking you with me." He deliberately tightened his muscles and growled again when he heard Harry moan and felt him move faster inside him. "That's it . . yes, love . . come for me," he whispered, opening his eyes to see Harry throw his head back, feeling his lover's hands gripping his hips, hard. He loved to watch Harry come, there was nothing more beautiful in the universe. Harry felt Tom's eyes on him and looked down.  He thrust even faster, and feeling Tom's nails dragging down his thighs, not too hard, cried out. "Harry, *yes* . . come . . please . . fill me . . *Yes*," Tom grated between clenched teeth, feeling his lover shaking, knowing how close he was. A couple more hard, fast thrusts and Harry was screaming, one more and he was coming so hard, he thought his heart would burst.  He froze above Tom for a moment, then collapsed onto his chest, feeling those strong arms come around him, holding him close.  He slowly pulled out of Tom and heard him groan. "That's the *only* part I don't love," he heard Tom whisper into his hair as he moved even deeper into his lover's warm embrace.  "That moment when you're no longer a part of me." "I'll always be a part of you, no matter where I am," Harry said softly, kissing Tom's chest over his heart.  "I love you." "I love you, Harry" Tom answered, bringing Harry's chin up and passionately claiming his lover's mouth with his own.  "Mine," he growled playfully, feeling Harry's smile beneath his lips. "For as long you want me," Harry smiled up at him. "Mine," he said, as he slowly brought his mouth to Tom's. "Forever, Harry," Tom replied to both statements, as he kissed Harry again.  "Forever."                      ------------------------ The senior staff gathered around the table in the Captain's ready room, with two notable exceptions, to hear B'Elanna's explanation. "The energy field originally existed in a uniform layer over the entire surface of the planet, its density and strength so slight that the sensors didn't even *detect* it," she explained as she paced.  "Until *we* came along, that is."  She looked at the faces around the table and saw only confusion. "Don't you see?  *We* caused the energy field to change, or rather, the transporters did.  The transporter beams reacted to the energy field like a piece of red-hot metal being thrown into a bucket of water.  *They* caused the energy field to become more dense, stronger and unstable, disrupting its natural state completely."  She paused and looked around the table, seeing comprehension, now. Tuvok spoke up.  "Then why did the energy field react so strongly to the transporter beam this time, as opposed to when the away team and Lieutenant Paris beamed down?" All eyes turned to B'Elanna.  "This time, we hit the rock!" she exclaimed, excitedly.  "There's a crystalline element in the rock formations that *magnifies* the effects of the transporter beam," she went on.  "That's how we were able to bring Watson and Likett back, and not Harry.  He was *outside* the cave at the time, too far away, and *in* the energy flow." She continued. "The element also seems to create a natural dampening field. Time is remaining relatively constant near the rock formations on the planet." "Captain, we may be able to use the element, and the sensors, to find Tom and Harry.  The crystal increases the sensor capabilities, as well. If I can find enough of it, in large enough quantities, we can filter the sensors through it.  It should block out the chaotic readings we're getting, due to the energy field's influence, and maybe screen out *enough* interference that we can get a lock-on."  She looked at the Captain, expectantly. "Do it," Janeway said, firmly. "I want those two back home *before* they're old enough to retire.  Dismissed."                    -------------------------- Harry woke from a perfectly sound sleep to feel a warm breath tickling his ear.  He smiled when he felt Tom start nuzzling him with his nose, placing soft kisses all over his face.  It was a wonderful way to wake up and he couldn't believe he had ever gotten along with it.  He'd love to stay in bed all day. Today, however, was one of those rare days that they actually had a schedule of things to do.  After several attempts, and some dismal failures, the most recent batch of wine was ready to be tested.  It had taken months to finally get it all right and they were both looking forward to the results. Tom had discovered, after the juice disaster eight months ago, that he was allergic to the stuff.  Drinking it wasn't a problem, *wearing* it, was.  Fortunately, the medkits had a stock of antihistamines to halt the reaction.  They also realized, upon returning from cleaning up at the river, that after the 'grapes' were picked, the chemical composition of the skin changed. Tom's warm hand had literally shattered the cool fruit when he'd reached into the bucket for a handful.  They could still eat them right off the vines, though, it took awhile for the change to occur. Harry knew they should get to work, but he just didn't feel like moving, not yet.  He opened his eyes and looked up, right into Tom's. "You look too wide awake for someone who just woke up," he said softly, wrapping his arms around his lover, caressing the smooth, strong back. "I've been awake for a little while," Tom admitted, stroking Harry's long hair out of the way, behind his head, and leaning down to kiss him. "Whatcha been doing?" Harry asked into the kiss, reaching up to hold Tom's face in his hands. "Watching you sleep," Tom mumbled against Harry's soft lips. "Again?" "Every chance I get." "I've noticed you do that a lot," Harry teased gently. "Only because I've wanted to for so long, I just can't believe, sometimes, that I've finally got the chance," Tom replied, kissing his way down his lover's neck, before finally returning to that incredible mouth. Harry's lips opened under his, meeting his tongue with his own.  Tom groaned into Harry's mouth. He couldn't believe how good it all still was; it never ceased to amaze the hell out of him. Harry had a knack for being able to turn him on, like a switch, often with just a look; the man didn't even have to lay a finger on him to make him hard as a rock. And he loved it. Harry felt Tom moving slowly on top of him, his lover's erection teasing his own.  He heard Tom's groan change timber and become that needful, aroused growl that still made him crazy, even after two and a half years. Harry groaned.  "We really need to get at it, you know," he said breathlessly, into Tom's ear. "I *am* getting at it, Love, honest." "No, I meant getting up, getting to work," he chuckled back. "I *am* up, and rather hurt that you couldn't tell," Tom mock-pouted. "Smart-ass," Harry laughed. "It's all yours, Harry . . so's the rest of me." "You're not going to give up on this until you've fucked me senseless, are you?" "Nope." "Fine," Harry yawned widely.  "Go ahead, if you must." Tom looked down at him, smirking at his lover's affected indifference. "Oh, you are going to get it," he growled softly into Harry's ear, trying not to be too pleased with himself when he felt the man shiver deliciously beneath him. "Promises, promises," Harry tried not to gasp in reply.    Tom wondered how far he could push Harry before he took control of the situation away from him.  It could be *absolutely* . . Tom sighed at the thought.  Harry needed to go nuts every once in a while but seemed to find it difficult, sometimes, letting go, even now.  The temptation to torment the man until he lost it was overwhelming and Tom could resist damn near anything but temptation. "I've never broken a promise to you yet, my Love, and I am not about to start now," he whispered gently into Harry's ear, before tracing the outline with his tongue.  He moved over Harry to continue kissing his face, along the eyebrows, down the nose, up over the cheekbones and around the jaw. Harry sighed in total contentment.  He felt Tom moving lower, kissing and nibbling his neck, gently caressing his chest with his fingertips, rubbing slowly over the nipples in small circles until they hardened.  When Tom flicked his tongue over one, then settled onto it to suck gently, Harry groaned and reached up to tangle his fingers in that glorious golden mane.   Tom's fingers were now busy following the plane of Harry's stomach, drawing lines around his navel with a gentle fingernail, then falling away to stroke his thighs.  It took Harry a minute to realize that Tom hadn't even touched him where he so wanted to be touched, but this gradual build-up felt wonderful.  He had nothing to complain about, not really. Tom moved slowly back up to kiss Harry and noticed his lover was breathing like he'd just run the four-minute mile. Tom smiled, careful not to let Harry see it, and continued kissing his way down the other man's neck, stopping on occasion to bite into it and suck on it, gently.  He moved around enough so that the bruises wouldn't be too large, just numerous.  He could feel Harry shuddering beneath him and began thrusting slowly against him. Oh, how he loved that moan. The gradual build-up still felt wonderful, although there was now an element of torture, there, as well.  Harry's desire was rapidly moving from wanting slow and gentle lovemaking to needing something considerably more earth-shattering.  He felt Tom's growl vibrate against his neck, sending shivers of delicious pleasure down his body.  When Tom licked behind his ear and bit into the lobe, he arched up into him, hard, his response completely out of his control.  He started to move his clenched fingers out of his lover's hair, to clutch at the blanket beneath him, when he heard Tom's voice. "Oh, no, you keep them right were they are," he whispered roughly into Harry's ear, nibbling the lobe. "I . . don't want to . . hurt you," Harry rasped, feeling like he was trying to breathe through water. "You never have and you never will," Tom growled before biting into Harry's shoulder. Harry moved one hand to grab onto Tom's shoulderblade, digging in with his nails, as his other hand tightened its grip on the other man's hair, bringing that beautiful face down to his for another soul-searing kiss.  Harry couldn't stop the sounds he was making; every breath in was a gasp, every one out was a groan.  It reached some far recess of his mind that he *really* didn't want to be on the bottom, so he grabbed Tom, none too gently, and quickly rolled them over.  He'd been waiting for an opportunity like this for a while, here it was, and, by God, he was taking it. thought Tom, as Harry looked at him with that intense passion he so craved, Further coherent thinking blew away as he hissed aloud, feeling Harry bite into his neck, making not the slightest attempt at gentleness.  He felt Harry move away from him and heard him inhale sharply.  Tom opened his eyes to see Harry looking at his neck with concern, faint traces of blood on his lower lip. passed with delight through Tom's mind, as he fastened his own teeth into Harry's neck, in several places. "Don't worry about it," he paused long enough to say.  "And don't even *think* of stopping." "Tom . ." Harry barely whispered, looking at him somewhat guiltily. "Harry, you have never done anything I didn't absolutely love or didn't want you to do, okay?  Trust yourself, I do.  Love, please believe me." "I do, it's just that . ." "Prove, it, then," Tom interrupted, grinning, starting the game again. "Ravish me." That seemed to be all Harry needed to hear, as he bent his head again, licking Tom's neck clean of blood.  The slight wounds had already stopped bleeding, but the bruise was going to be truly impressive, later.  Odd, metallic taste, there, he noted as he moved his mouth to his lover's and kissed him, letting his hands follow the contours of Tom's arms down to his wrists.  He gradually pushed his lover's arms over his head, so slowly that the man didn't even notice.  He kissed the undersides of those long, tanned limbs and moved Tom's wrists apart, going back to enjoy those wonderful lips, keeping the man distracted. He stretched his lover's arms out above him on the mattress, so that the wrists hung off the head of the bed.  He never stopped kissing Tom and nearly got distracted himself when he felt the other man's body arch up beneath him. He left his own arms stretched out along the lengths of Tom's, his hands deftly searching for what he'd carefully hidden, as he untucked the lower blanket just above their heads. There, found them.  He began moving slowly against his lover, caressing the incredible body beneath him with his own, until Tom's growls of pleasure and arousal were almost continuous. He really wanted to see the other man's face, the moment when Tom realized, so he backed off slightly, smiling when his lover's eyes opened to meet his own.  He took hold of Tom's wrists, one in each of his hands, and put them exactly where he wanted them.  Then, he quickly slid the loops of cloth over both wrists and pulled slightly, effectively cinching them, not too tightly, around the man's wrists.  The other ends were already fastened around the two posts at the top of the bed.  Tom was going nowhere. Harry looked down at him with a look Tom didn't think he'd *ever* seen before.  He looked up over his head and saw his wrists noosed, separately, above his head, the blue restraints tied to the posts above him. Wait a minute, *blue*? "Harry, where'd you get these?" he asked breathlessly. "I made 'em from that shirt you shredded a few months back, on the thorns of that vine near the river," Harry answered, with a dangerous calm, stroking the man's chest. "I always liked that shirt," Tom gasped, trying to figure out what the expression on his lover's face was. "I always liked you *in* that shirt, but I gotta admit, I *really* love the way you're wearing it now," Harry whispered harshly, moving in slowly to kiss him, loving how those blue eyes dilated with need and anticipation. "Mine," he ground out the instant before his lips came crushing down on Tom's.  He could feel the man try to move his arms and felt him tense when he realized he couldn't.  Harry leaned back slightly and studied the look on that beautiful face. Wonder, awe, and stunned delight were doing battle inside Tom.  "Oh, dear God, *Harry*," he breathed softly.  "*Yes*! Yours, always yours." Harry saw no apprehension, or worse, fear, in his lover's wide open eyes. "No problems?" he asked gently, just to make sure. "*Hell*, no, Love, none at all," Tom answered quickly, panting. "This has been one of my favorite fantasies for the last five years." Harry grinned darkly at him. "Then I guess I've got you right where you've always wanted me." He continued softly, "If it gets to be too much, tell me, and I'll stop." Tom looked at him in humorous disbelief.  "You think there's *anything* you can do to me that'll be too much for *me* to handle?" he asked with a glimmer of his cock-sure attitude. Harry looked deadly serious.  He reached under Tom's head and grabbed a fistful of hair, heard the other man gasp.  "I *need* to be *sure*, Cougar," he grated slowly, in a dangerous voice, looking into his lover's astonished eyes.  "You have *no* idea what the thought of you, lying here helplessly, strapped to our bed, is *doing* to me." "Show me . . please," Tom whispered softly, licking his suddenly dry lips.  "I trust you, Love.  Do whatever you want with me." Harry relaxed the tight hold he had on his lover's hair, running his fingers through it gently, now.  Something about all this was bothering him, immensely.  He just sat there, quietly stroking Tom, caressing his face, until he fully realized what it was. "Sometimes, you worry the hell out of me," he said with quiet intensity. "Why?" Tom whispered, wondering at the change in his lover's mood. "I think I could come after you with a whip and a hot branding iron and, I swear, you'd just *let* me," Harry said softly, with an pained look on his face. Now, Tom understood what the problem was; he trusted Harry more than Harry did. "What would you do to me, with them?" he asked gently, never taking his eyes off the man's face. Harry smiled, ever so slightly, and shook his head ruefully.    "Nothing that would *ever* hurt you," he sighed. "I know," Tom said simply.  "*That's* why I'd let you." Harry ran his hands over his face and back through his hair. "I can't seem to shake this inordinate amount of faith you have in me," he said huskily. "And you never will," Tom replied with certainty.  "So, stop trying." Harry looked at him lovingly, not quite believing how damned lucky he was. He reached down and touched the open, nakedly-trusting face of the man he adored. "What did I do to deserve you?" he asked, softly, shaking his head. Tom turned his head to trap Harry's hand between his face and shoulder, kissing the wrist.    "You loved me," he whispered. Harry sighed, smiling a little.    "Beautiful, loving, dangerous, wonderful man. How could I *not* love you?" he murmured before lowering his head to ravish Tom's mouth. The kisses were being returned with such passion, he felt himself harden again almost immediately.  He heard a moan and it took him a minute to realize it wasn't his. He backed off and could barely hear Tom's voice over the roaring in his ears. "I need to feel more of you, please, Harry.  If I can't touch you, I need you to be touching me, everywhere," he groaned, pleading. Harry stretched himself out over Tom like a human blanket, covering him, his arms sliding under Tom's, bringing them off the mattress to rest on his own.  He felt the man rise up into him, wrapping his long legs around him. He sighed his pleasure and buried his mouth in the other man's throat, one hand tangled in his hair. Tom moaned as the suction increased, then arched up, hard, when he felt Harry's teeth all but meet in his neck.   he thought, dimly, as he felt the other man's body move sensuously over his own. "If you're . . turning vampire . . on me . . you picked a . . hell of a . .planet . . to do it on," he growled as he felt Harry bite into him, again. "Three suns . . perpetual daylight . . lousy timing, Love." He felt Harry chuckling.  "You're just trying to distract me from the task at hand, Cougar.  It won't work.  I've waited too long for this," Harry whispered roughly into Tom's ear. "Waited too long . . for what?" Tom gasped. "Waited too long to have you in my complete control, when I lost it," he answered with relish, thinking  . He looked at Tom's eyes.  Nope, no fear. Some small amount of shock, yes, but . . What was that Tom whispered? "Finally," he said in a voice no louder than a sigh, a smile ghosting across his features.  "You think *you've* been waiting a long time for this?  Ha!  I've been waiting for this for five years, Sweetheart.  Do your worst," he finished, softly, smiling at Harry's startled look. "The wait is over . ." Harry whispered, his surprise melting into delight.  He began licking his way around Tom's neck, again, once more tasting the blood he'd drawn out of the gorgeous skin.  He kissed and bit down near the ear, drawing his tongue down to trace the tendon to the shoulder.  He drew a circle with it, there, then nibbled roughly along the collarbone, deliberately scraping his teeth against it.  He lowered his head and licked Tom around both nipples before biting into one and sucking hard. He felt the man arch up into him and brought one hand down his back to his ass, scratching him all the way, knowing he was leaving welts on that soft, beautiful skin.    Tom had felt Harry do these things to him, dozens of times, but there was a harshness to them, now, that had never been there before.  Harry wasn't being careful, making sure he didn't hurt him, anymore, he realized, with a thrill that gave his goosebumps, goosebumps.  The kid gloves had finally come off.  It was about goddamned time. Harry felt the wildness growing inside him and instead of backing off or clamping a tight control around it, he let it go, hoping it wouldn't be more than they could both handle. His eyes met Tom's, he saw the need there, the want, the hunger. Tom saw that dark hardness clouding Harry's features; he shivered, knowing it meant the safeties had been turned off.  He raised his head, quickly, and sank his teeth into Harry's throat, hard, just to show him that he knew they were playing by new rules, now. To his amazement, Harry didn't even *try* to pull away, he actually moved closer, allowing him to bring his head back onto the mattress, as he worried Harry's neck with his teeth, growling softly.  He heard an echo of his own growl.  That gave him pause; it was coming from *Harry*.  He didn't have more time to think about it before his lover moved his head slightly and sank his teeth into Tom, just below the ear.  The sensation rocked him and he groaned, loudly, releasing Harry. It had definitely flipped a switch or two in his lover; Harry was all over him, anything he *could* do with that wonderful mouth of his, he did. Tom closed his eyes, feeling hands touching him everywhere, it seemed, lips kissing, teeth biting, it was happening so fast. Then he felt Harry drop further, slithering roughly down his body, moving his hands under Tom's thighs. Tom let his legs fall off, open, on either side of his lover, just as Harry bit the inside of one.  He hissed, and his body tightened, causing him to raise up off the mattress.  The restraints didn't let him get far and he came crashing back down just as Harry's mouth devoured his cock. Tom felt something explode behind his eyes, with shock and delight, as Harry kept up an insistent, relentless, rhythm.  The man couldn't have been much harder or rougher without taking the bloody thing *off*.  Then, just as suddenly, it all stopped. Tom opened dazed eyes to see his lover straddling him, facing him. was all that made it through his mind before Harry brought himself downward, hard, and impaled himself on Tom. The cries torn from their throats meshed as perfectly as their bodies, as Harry started moving slowly above him. Tom began thrusting upward, into him, finding Harry's rhythm easily.  He was already so close, he knew, as Harry sped up considerably, moving faster, taking him even deeper.  He let his head fall back, grabbing the restraints with his hands, using them for support as well as something to hold onto.  His eyes fell shut only to hear his lover's immediate objection. "Look at me, Cougar," Harry grated in a voice harder than Tom's cock.  "I want to see your eyes when you come in me." Tom eyes snapped open with a start, the look in Harry's taking his breath away.  He nodded, knowing he couldn't speak through all the moans coming out of him. He lay there as Harry actually sped up a little more, watching him move forward slightly, to rake his nails down his own chest, playing roughly with his own nipples, scratching them.  Tom groaned, an almost agonized sound, even though he wasn't the one being clawed. Harry saw Tom's eyes go dark, watching him, felt him tense again, pulling on the restraints.  He felt that shudder begin to work its way through the man's body, knew he was close.  Harry growled, softly.  That definitely got Tom's attention.  He tightened his muscles and heard him gasp aloud, crying out his name.  He drew one hand down Tom's chest, raking it, and felt him tense sharply, then explode within him, saw his lover's eyes roll back as he screamed his release. Harry gave him no time to recover; he swiftly came off Tom, his hand coming down to the other man's cock to milk him dry, then to his own, drenching himself in his lover's fluid. He moved quickly to position himself between Tom's legs and lifted them at the knees, dead weight.  He brought each one over his shoulders, noting Tom had recovered enough to open his eyes, even though they didn't seem to be focusing, yet. He moved forward, stopping just outside the opening, wondering if he should take some time to prepare him. "No," Tom rasped as though he'd heard him. "Straight in . . just like you did." Harry held Tom's eyes as he slid into him, one smooth, long thrust, right to the core.  He saw his lover's back arch up sharply, wondering that it didn't snap, as he heard that needful, low growl and felt the man's legs tighten and tremble over his shoulders.  He turned his head and kissed one long, golden thigh, then began stroking in and out of Tom, who was shaking his head.  Harry slowed, thinking it a sign for stop. "*No*," Tom ground out harshly between clenched teeth. "Harder, Harry . . dammit, fuck me *harder*." Harry felt he should have known better, as he shook his head wryly, increasing the strength and speed of his thrusts into the incredibly responsive body beneath his.   Tom met every one, watching Harry through hooded eyes.  This was so unreal, like seeing him for the first time.  Tom knew that of the two of them, only he was under any kind of control at all, the control tied around both wrists.  He abruptly stopped thinking when he felt Harry slam into him ferociously. "Just wanted to get your attention; thought I felt you wandering," Harry said harshly, watching as his lover's body came back onto the mattress. "Harry?" Tom asked in barely a whisper, licking his lips, slightly shaken by the intensity of that last, powerful thrust. "Hmmm?" Harry replied through narrowed eyes, wondering if he'd gone too far. "Would you, please . . get my attention again?"     Harry just stared at him. Unbelievable. "I love you," he said softly before roughly slamming into Tom again, and again, the gentleness of his words a polar opposite to the roughness of his actions. Tom's back was damn near bent double, he felt, as Harry's continued thrusts each found their way home. God, he'd wanted Harry to take him like this for years, now.  He knew this wasn't exactly lovemaking, lovemating, maybe, but he still needed this, they both did.  Everything they did, they did in love, even the conquering and being conquered.  He didn't doubt how much Harry loved him, not for an instant; if anything, this proved it. Harry *knowing* how much he needed this, and giving it to him, proved it.  Tom knew that Harry was getting more out of this than the obvious.  Maybe by trusting in Tom's faith in him, he could finally learn to trust himself.  Tom was pulled roughly back to the present by his hair, clenched around Harry's fingers. Harry had never stopped thrusting, but had gone back to the steady rhythm, when he felt Tom zone out on him again.  He thought he knew a way to keep the man's mind here, where it belonged.  He brought his hand out of that golden tangle and down to the lower one, wrapping it around Tom's hardening cock. "Oh, Love, I *can't*," the other man gasped.  "There's nothing left." Uh huh, sure.  Harry said nothing, just kept up the steady strokes on Tom's cock along with those of his own.  He sped up, slightly, doing both, and heard his lover's gasp, and groan.  He could feel the tightening begin to coil inside him, felt his legs start trembling, slightly.  He felt Tom's thighs clench over his shoulders and turned his head to bite one, hard, heard the man moan, harshly. "Harry, I love you," Tom ground out just before he came with a roar in his lover's hand. Harry felt Tom's muscles clench around him, hard, in orgasm, and that was all he needed.  He heard himself howling, dimly, as he came, again and again, the coil finally snapping altogether inside him. He pitched forward, his momentum only halting when his head came into contact with Tom's chest, the other man's legs slipping off his shoulders to rest at his sides.    He lay there, for a moment, then slowly pulled out of Tom, hearing him groan.  He fell onto his side, next to his lover pulling his arms around him, holding him, both of them shaking. "Harry, release me, please," Tom whispered.  "I need to hold you, too." Harry reached up and slipped the restraints off Tom's wrists, noting, and frowning at, the marks they left, kissing each one gently.  Tom came into his arms, and lay his head on his lover's chest, as Harry reached down and threw the blanket over them. They burrowed into each other and drifted off to sleep.                      ------------------------ B'Elanna was working at top speed, using the sensors to find large deposits of the crystal, but it was still taking far too long to search the entire planet's surface.  Looking through the readings coming in, she paused. "Wait a minute, that can't be right, that's impossible . ."  as she read on, a huge smile broke out across her face.   "*Yes*!" she crowed, as heads turned to look at the Chief Engineer, who was laughing with near hysteria.  "Gotcha!" B'Elanna came running onto the bridge at top speed, causing everyone except Tuvok to look at her in amazement. "Captain, *look* at this," she exclaimed excitedly, waving a padd at Janeway. "Torres, what on earth . ." Chakotay started to say, stopping abruptly when B'Elanna cut him off with the glare she usually reserved for Paris. "I found something interesting in the sensor readings of the crystal deposits," she tried to say nonchalantly, but failed miserably to contain her enthusiasm. "Out with it, B'Elanna," cut in the Captain. "There," she pointed victoriously at the padd.  "Look at *that*." Janeway took it from her, gingerly, and studied the readings. She was faintly puzzled until she found it.  "Two small deposits, about twenty feet from each other.  The crystal is in four sections forming a perfect square, each section measuring one foot square, about a quarter of an inch thick, in both deposits." She looked up at B'Elanna with barely disguised wonder.    "*Windows*?" she asked, delightedly. The Chief Engineer grinned back at her. "Windows!  We've *found* them!"                     --------------------------- Tom and Harry woke to find themselves in pretty much the same shape as the first time they done this, restraints and all, all those months ago.  Tom looked ruefully at the marks on Harry's wrists.  Damn, even padding them hadn't helped much. They were going to have to find something else, another way. Harry interrupted his train of thought by taking hold of his neck, gently, and bringing him down for a kiss.  "I still don't care," he said, looking into his lover's beautiful blue eyes. "I know," Tom sighed.  "Just like I don't care when they're on *my* wrists, I *know*." "We'll come up with another solution, we always do," Harry said reasonably. "One of these days, we'll run out of solutions," Tom tried to grouse, but couldn't help laughing, as Harry's fingers found his ticklish spots. They rolled around on the bed for a while, teasing and play-fighting like children, neither getting the upper hand, then gave up, snuggling back down under the covers.  Harry had his head on Tom's shoulder, the other man's fingers combing through his long black hair. He looked up at Tom. "Think I should get it cut?" he asked, honestly *not* trying to start another argument. "Not on your life," Tom answered softly.  "I love it like this." Harry's hair reached the lower part of his back, now, after three years, eight months on the planet.  That was even *with* the occasional trimming which Tom sternly supervised, just to make sure he didn't get carried away. Tom's was shorter, coming down a couple inches below his shoulderblades. He couldn't stand it any longer and Harry was sympathetic, fortunately.  Tom's wild mane was beyond his control, he never *had* figured out just where all those *waves* had come from. Not major ones, but his hair had always been as straight as Harry's Before. Before, with a capital 'B'.  He sighed, wondering how much time had passed on Voyager, whether they had given up, whether everyone was all right, everything. Harry missed nothing.  He spoke up.  "Do you think Voyager is still out there looking for us?"   The surprise on Tom's face told him he had hit the nail on the head. "I don't know, Sweetheart, maybe." They couldn't even use the tricorders to see; the only ones still working were the medical tricorders in the medkits, and those wouldn't tell them if Voyager was still in orbit, if there were any traces of her. "I miss B'Elanna," Harry said softly.  "I miss the Captain . ." "I miss Kes," added Tom.  "Hell, I think I miss damn near everybody except Chakotay." Harry stared at him, puzzled.  "Why not him, too?" "The man *loathes* me, Har, absolutely loathes me." "He owes you his life, though . ." Harry began when Tom interrupted. "Doesn't matter a damn bit," Tom said with an expression Harry had seen before, yet still didn't understand.  Every once and again, he would get this look on his face, this wistful kind of 'I gotta secret' look that Harry just couldn't figure out.  Oh, well, maybe someday. "How do you *know* he loathes you?" Harry asked reasonably. "Harry, I hear it in his voice every time he opens his damn mouth to speak to me. The resentment, the total contempt, the disrespect, all of it." "I've never heard that," Harry said softly. "I hope you never do," Tom replied, dryly. "It's early yet," Harry started, wisely changing the subject. "Bath in the river, or back to sleep?" Tom didn't say anything for a moment then, "I think it's raining, Love." Harry snuggled in deeper, wrapping his arms and legs around Tom, who just looked at him lovingly, sighed, and began arranging himself around Harry.  It was still light in the cabin, but to their internal clocks, it was *way* too early in the morning. They nestled close, and watched each other fall asleep.                  ---------------------------- "It's working, Captain, I think the sensors have them," B'Elanna exclaimed with delight and relief that soon, maybe, this nightmare would be over for them. "Confirmed, Captain," Tuvok intoned.  "Sensors have picked up two human lifeforms, in close proximity, within the boundaries set by Lieutenant Torres." B'Elanna, after figuring out those two small crystal deposits were windows, proceeded to estimate how large the dwelling would be, then reset the sensors to scan only that small area. Even so, the crew knew that Harry and Tom would have to be in the same place for quite a while for the sensors to locate them, several hours in their time, at least.  Those several hours would be mere seconds to Voyager and the sensors, so timing would be critical. "Transporters, lock on to those two lifeforms and beam them directly to Sickbay," Janeway commanded, keeping her fingers crossed. "Captain, transport was successful," the Doctor whispered over the comm. "Doctor, why are you whispering?" Janeway asked, ignoring the triumphant and relieved whoops of delight all around her. "Captain, they appear to be sound asleep and have *obviously* been gone quite a while; I don't want to shock them into their new surroundings," the Doctor explained. "Understood, Doctor, I'm on my way." "Captain, I would advise keeping the number of crew members accompanying you to Sickbay at a *minimum*, you'll understand when you arrive." Janeway heard the protests and groans coming from all around her. She held up a hand and quiet descended. "We don't know how long they've been gone, or what they've been through," she said gently, but firmly. "They are going to need some time to readjust to all of us, again.  They last thing they need is a crowd, however well-intentioned, descending on them right now." She headed to the lift.  "I promise to let you know how they are as soon as I do," she assured her crew as she entered the lift.   "Sickbay," she ordered, leaning back against the wall, relieved she was alone.  Relief, she was definitely feeling relief to have them both home, but the anger she felt toward Tom was just below the surface.  She'd put it aside for the last couple of days, ever since he'd left, but it was still there, still raw.  She'd never thought he'd disobey her, yet he had. What she was going to do with him, now, she really didn't know. The lift doors opened and she stepped out, noticing a crowd around Sickbay.  She pasted an understanding smile on her lips and strode forward. "Back to duty stations, people, give them some time.  You'll be kept informed, I promise you," she patiently explained until she had shooed everyone away from the doors and the corridor was clear.  She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and entered Sickbay. ************************end