Star-Crossed Lovers

She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I don't feel beautiful."

"But you are," Eric didn't pretend to know a lot about women, but he knew that complimenting them never hurt. Especially if he meant it. He caressed her face, his fingertips brushing her skin.

"Even with my scars?"

"Wounds heal," he replied simply. Sitting up, Eric's mouth went to her neck. He kissed her, his teeth raking the soft underside of her throat. She gasped. "Beauty is forever . . . and you, my dear, are the most beautiful woman in this galaxy."

Maylene's arms closed around him as he continued to kiss her. Across her shoulder. Down the collarbone. His mouth went between her breasts.

She threw her head back and moaned with unmitigated bliss.

Carefully grasping his hair, she pulled his head back. It was her turn to kiss him and her tongue entered his mouth. Dueling back and forth.

His hands were all over her body and hers over him.

Pushing him back down on the bed, Maylene reached between them and took his cock in her hand. He was hard, there was no denying that. Her motor skills had improved to where she probably could have given him a world-class handjob, but she needed him inside her.

She lifted up and rubbed his head against her clit. They both let out low, throaty groans.

The head entered her and the labia spread to accommodate him. Ever so slowly, she sank down on his cock.

Eric lay back on the bed, his eyes rolled up into his head. His jaw had fallen open. His hands went to her breasts and she pressed forward into his steadying grasp.

"Oh, that feels so good," she moaned.

His eyes fluttered open. Eric looked up at his lover, her body on display for him. She started to ride him. Slowly.

Her body was scarred. Horribly. The fire that had taken her limbs left her skin splotchy in colour and rough in texture. Yet none of that mattered to Eric. If anything, it made him want her even more.

Their bodies were both broken. They each desperately needed the other. Their friendship, which had been borne of shared pain, was the constant that held them together. Kept them sane.

Eric pushed his hips up, trying to get as much of himself into her as he could. Maylene's hips gyrated in small circles.

She was rubbing her clit against him and pressing her ass against his balls.

Their eyes met. Eric swore he could feel his artificial toes start to tingle.

Maylene continued to grind on him. Their breaths came faster.

"Oh, god," she whispered. "I love having you inside me . . . cum for me . . . please cum in me, Eric."

He squeezed her breasts and rolled her one nipple between his fingers.

She moved her hips faster.

Eric met her thrusts.

Their moans became deeper. More urgent.

"Oh, Maylene," he cried out. His voice was little more than a whisper.

She lifted her hips up and then came down on him hard. He gasped again. She did it again, harder.

Eric's back was arched, his eyes shut. His balls started to jerk.

"Oh, fuck," he gasped.

"Yes," she hissed. "Cum for me . . . cum with me . . ."

Her hips were a blur as she brought them both to a crescendo. She put her hands over his. Her knees dug into the bed at his sides.

"Fuck!" she moaned. "Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck . . ."

Finally, Eric couldn't hold it any longer. He thrust up into her with one hard stroke and then his cock erupted inside her.

He felt faint. In his tunnel vision, all he could see was the rapturous expression on Maylene's face.

Her pussy contracted around him, overcome by her orgasm.

Eric lost track of time as the spasms continued for each of them. Maylene collapsed on top of him.

His arms cradled her to his chest.

All he could hear was his blood pounding in his ears. His cock was covered in warmth, some of it his own, some of it his lover's.

Maylene was gasping for breath. Or was she crying?

He felt her hands on his face. Turning him towards her.

Then her lips were pressed against his.

He still couldn't see straight. His cock was still pulsing.

Maylene's teeth were on his earlobe.

Before he blacked out, Eric heard her whisper, "I love you."

****************

Eric's eyes fluttered open. He was laying on his side, spooned up against his lover. The two of them took up most of the small twin-sized bed, but it didn't matter. He loved feeling so close to her.

He had a sleep erection that was buried in the crack of her ass. He bent forward and kissed the nape of her neck. She stirred slightly.

Wrapping his arms around her, Eric held her close, savouring the feel of their bodies together. He knew they only had a few days left together before the Navy inevitably separated them. They accepted that, but Eric silently vowed that he would do whatever it took to keep her once the war ended.

****************

They went to breakfast as they had every day since coming back from their trip to New Babylon. They talked about the latest offensive. They talked about home. They did not talk about their tenuous future.

Maylene started spending the night with Eric. They each wanted to be together as much as they could.

She finished her breakfast and stood. When Eric started to gather his things up, too, she bent over and kissed him on the cheek, a rare public display of affection.

"I've got to run up to the hanger deck and see about getting my flight status restored," she said. "Meet me for lunch?"

"Sure thing," Eric replied.

Her hand lingered on his shoulder for just a second. She smiled gently at him.

"I love you," she whispered.

He looked at her curiously, but she wouldn't meet his gaze. It took him a second to find the words. "I love you, too, Maylene."

She squeezed his hand and then walked out of the officer's mess.

Eric had some business of his own to take care of and his morning passed quickly. He went to the mess hall and waited outside for Maylene.

Twenty minutes later, he was still waiting. Folks in the military are almost always punctual people. After all, being even a few seconds late can be the difference between life and death.

Checking his chrono one more time, he went to the nearby comm panel and called Maylene's room. There was no answer.

Maybe something came up and she had tried to get a hold of him. He called his own room. There were no messages.

With a shrug, he went into the mess hall and ate a quick lunch, always keeping an eye on the door for his lover.

She never showed. Eric frowned and headed back to his cabin.

When he opened the door, he saw Maylene. She was floating four inches above the holoprojector on the floor. Eric froze in his tracks.

The holo flickered every couple of seconds. There was a green arrow floating in front of the image. He reached out to start the message, but then stopped for a second. Did he really want to know how she was going to break up with him?

Finally, he swiped his hand across the arrow. The recording started to play.

"Eric," Maylene said. Her voice was shaky. "I'm sorry for leaving you like this . . . I got my orders last week and I've been assigned to theArk Royal. I couldn't bring myself to tell you . . ."

Her voice trailed off and she stared out blankly for a second. Eric felt like he was going to fall over. He pulled the chair out from the desk and sat down.

The image of Maylene took a deep breath. "I wanted to thank you for everything over the past few months . . . your friendship . . . your love."

He wanted to interrupt her. He wanted to say so many things. But the holo was oblivious to him and continued on with its recorded message.

"We're shipping out today and I couldn't face you . . . If you were here, I couldn't say good-bye."

Her hand reached out. "I wish . . . I wish it didn't have to be this way, but we knew we can never be together. . . . At least not as long as this war's going on."

Eric stood and stepped in front of the image. The image flickered as his hand passed through hers. His eyes started to water.

"Keep your head down out there, sailor. I'll be waiting for you." Maylene paused, a bitter smile on her lips. Her voice was little more than a whisper. "Come back to me, Eric . . . Please forgive me . . . I love you . . ."

It took him a second to compose himself. He replied, even knowing she couldn't hear him. "I love you, too."

The message ended and the image of Maylene froze, her hand still extended.

Eric closed his eyes and willed his tears away. He went to the desk and called the dockmaster.

"Has theArk Royaldeparted yet?" he asked the young man whose face came up on the screen.

"No, sir," he replied. "She's just been cleared for departure."

"Can you get me a comm line?"

"Sorry, sir," he replied. "Not from here."

"Thank you," Eric said, switching the terminal off. He dialed the station's comm section. "I need a shore-to-ship channel to theArk Royal."

"Hold on one second, sir," the operator said.

After a second, the duty chief came on, her face looking all-business. "Sir, is this personal or official?"

Eric faltered for just a second. "I need to speak to Commander Torres."

"I'm sorry, sir," the chief said apologetically. "I can't put you through. TheArk Royalis under a comm blackout."

"Chief—," he started, his voice getting louder, impatient.

"Sir? If I may . . . Commander Torres said you might try to contact her. She left instructions . . . she said to tell you that she's sorry." The chief sounded sympathetic, but Eric knew right then that he wasn't going to get in touch with his lover.

"Thanks, Chief." Eric's voice was hollow as he shut the monitor off.

The slumped back in the chair for just a second, then stood. He charged out the door and down the corridor. He raced for the observation lounge. People parted for him, and those who would not move quickly enough got a polite shove.

There were thirty or so warships parked around the citadel. Eric scanned them, looking for Maylene's carrier.

TheArk Royalhad just pulled away from station, clearing the last of her moorings. Eric watched mutely as the big ship gracefully maneuvered clear of the station. Tugs scurried out of the way and other warships moved into positioned around her.

He reached out and pressed his hand against the transparent aluminum window. He imagined that his lover was doing the same.

Tears flowed unchecked down his cheeks. Unable to move, Eric watched the battlegroup assume its formation.

Then, without warning, the ships flickered and disappeared into hyperspace.

Eric stared into the empty space in the sky, wondering where she was going and when he was going to see her again.

*********************************

Glossary of Terms

AOIC – Assistant officer in charge

AU – Astronomical Unit, the average distance between the earth and the sun, approximately 94 million miles (150 million km)

COMSPECWAR – Commander, Special Warfare

JOTC – Junior Officer Training Course

OIC – Officer in Charge

SOLAR – Space, Ocean, Land, AtmospheRe; TSN special forces and the direct descendents of the US Navy SEALs

TSMC – Terran Space Marine Corps

TSN – Terran Space Navy