Trust by Kylie Lee (Reed/Hayes, NC-17), 1 of 2

[kylielee1000]

Title: Trust
Author: Kylie Lee (kylielee1000)
Word count: ~21,000
Category: Slash
Pairing: Reed/Hayes
Rating: NC-17
Prompt: Gigi Sinclair (gigitrek), who wanted "Reed/Hayes. The allure of the hate!sex." Ha ha! Check.
Archive: Warp 5 Complex; all others, ask first
Spoilers: General season 3 Xindi arc; 3.15 "Harbinger"
Beta: Kathy Rose, who went above and beyond, and who made this far, far better
Summary: Enterprise is forced to leave Reed and Hayes behind on a bucolic planet, stalked by black-clad soldiers.

EDIT: ...aaaaand I sort of wrote a sequel. It's not really a sequel, in that it stands alone. Surrender, NC-17, Reed/Hayes salty goodness.

Trust, 1 of 2

"Problem?" Major Jeremiah Hayes asked neutrally, his shoulder brushing against Lieutenant Malcolm Reed's as he came to a stop by the tree line.

Reed eyed Hayes without favor. As always, Hayes sounded professional, but the way he had said "problem" made it seem as if the MACO leader was going to be personally responsible for executing a fix, and that was, most emphatically, not necessary. That slight, unapologized-for touch, coupled with Hayes's looming height-once again, Reed knew that Hayes was just asking to take him on. The man's bland exterior was just a ploy. And what really galled Reed was that, if he reacted, Hayes would feign ignorance.

"Huh," Commander Trip Tucker said before Reed could respond to Hayes's question. The engineer lowered the binoculars and handed them to Reed. The light caught and brightened Tucker's dark blond hair, and Reed had to tear his eyes away from that corona of light.

"No, no problem, Major," Tucker said to Hayes, talking over Reed's head. "Ensign Mayweather is doing a fly-by, and he just reported seeing some small, irregular craters, here and over by the drop site, like someone used this area for target practice." He gestured at the small field as Reed brought the binoculars up to his eyes.

"I see two impact sites," Reed confirmed. "They're too small to be seen from orbit."

When he lowered the binoculars, Hayes held out a hand, and unwillingly, Reed handed them to the MACO. He crossed his arms and obdurately refused to move out of the way, even when Hayes bumped against him as he raised the binoculars.

"Excuse me," Reed said nastily.

Tucker gave Reed a sidewise look but said nothing.

"What?" Hayes took his eyes away from the lenses without moving his hands and, not a trace of humor in his voice or on his face, surveyed Reed. "Oh, sorry, sir, there's a bush here."

Hayes took a few deliberate steps forward, skirting the bush and incidentally not brushing against Reed again, and began sweeping the area, head turning almost mechanically. Was it just on this away mission that Hayes had been in Reed's personal space? Reed thought so. They'd been avoiding each other for a few days-well, more like a week. Reed was a man who liked his personal space, as everyone on board ship knew. Hayes apparently hadn't gotten the memo. It was ironic. Here he was, standing next to the one man whom he wouldn't mind bumping up against but who was blissfully unaware of Reed's interest, while a man he utterly despised somehow felt free to touch him. Of course, Hayes probably wanted to do more than just touch. Strangle him with his bare hands was more like it. Reed thought it entirely possible that Hayes might be deliberately invading his space to provoke a reaction.

Reed viciously prodded a toe into the offending foliage. He wished he could prod Hayes's backside right into the bush. But that would be petty. Very, very petty.

"Don't start," Reed growled at Tucker, who seemed amused by his reaction.

"Not a word," Tucker promised, holding his hands up placatingly. "But didn't the cap'n tell you two to stop fighting?"

"There is no problem," Reed ground out. When Tucker just shook his head and laughed, Reed added, "I don't even know why Major Hayes is down here. He hardly has an interest in platinum."

"Security perimeter," Tucker suggested.

Reed knew that full well, but he obdurately stated the obvious. "I'm head of security." He'd tried to talk Hayes out of coming, but somehow, Hayes had gotten Tucker on his side, and Reed had had to give in.

"And a good thing too, because technically, Hayes outranks you." Tucker pointed at Hayes. "He reports to the job, not the man."

Reed transferred his gaze from Tucker's blue eyes to Hayes's back. Tucker was right, of course, and that grated too. It had gotten so that the very sight of a MACO uniform annoyed him. The camouflage, if that was what it was, had always struck him as particularly ridiculous: black and white speckled jacket and pants, a black shirt underneath. Many of the planets they had come across had colors that made the camouflage starkly stand out.

From day one, Hayes had been subtly attempting to undermine him and his authority-come to think of it, rank probably played a large part of that, Reed mused. It had actually come to fisticuffs a week or so ago. He hadn't enjoyed the captain's dressing down afterward. He wasn't usually so childish, but Hayes brought out the worst in him-and vice versa, apparently.

Tucker's communicator chirped, and as he turned away to answer, Reed gave the bush one last poke with his toe and followed Hayes into the clearing. He heard the drone of a shuttlepod overhead, and he looked up, hand flung up to shield his eyes, just in time to see it waggle from side to side: Travis Mayweather saying hello. The 'pod circled, flying low. It looked like Mayweather was preparing to land.

"Sorry I don't have time to spar just now, Lieutenant," Hayes said as Reed crunched toward him through the dry, knee-high grass. Hayes hadn't even bothered to turn around. He was still using Tucker's binoculars, although he now seemed to be looking into a copse of trees.

Reed made a face and pulled out his scanner. "Perhaps some other time, Major." He resisted the urge to add, "Whenever you like." Hayes would show him up just by being coolly professional. Well, two could play at that game. Besides, he did not particularly want to get caught fighting with Hayes during an offworld mission. He knew that Tucker would turn him in, even if they were friends. Tucker disapproved of Reed's dislike for Hayes, and for reasons of his own, Reed did not want to annoy Tucker.

Reed had just unfolded his scanner when Tucker called to him. "Malcolm!" When Reed turned in acknowledgment, he said, "I have to head back to the drop site. Everything under control here?" He gave a half-nod at Hayes, who seemed rapt in whatever it was he had spotted.

"It's fine!" Reed called.

"I'll get my binoculars back later," Tucker said as he turned to go.

Reed, attention in the problem at hand, found had to adjust the device almost immediately. The nameless planet they were on had a plethora of animal life despite the strange silence of the warm air, and their life signs tended to crowd the scanner. He'd seen signs of scurrying animals in the trees during the walk over. Now, he had to filter the life signs out, which also filtered out Hayes's life signs, before he could focus on what was before him.

Whatever it was had disintegrated when it had hit. He estimated the direction of the strike from the shape of the thrown-up dirt, but that had been weeks ago; most of the scar had healed with new grass that already covered the site. He followed the trajectory and found several shards of what appeared to be dark gray metal. He picked up a piece, only to find that it felt like ceramic, heavy and brittle. The scanner didn't like the material and refused to render anything other than its dimensions.

As he gathered up all the pieces he could find of the strange substance, Mayweather brought the 'pod down near the center of the field. Reed shielded his eyes against the debris whipped up by the wind as he stood up and took a step back, only to collide with the heavy, solid bulk of Hayes. He hadn't heard Hayes's approach, thanks to the whine of the engine. Reed didn't apologize.

"Find something?" Hayes yelled, refusing to acknowledge the bump, and a second later, the shuttlepod's engine cut.

"These." Reed displayed the shards as the shuttlepod's hatch opened. "Good eyes, Ensign," Reed called as Mayweather jogged toward them, his blue Starfleet uniform vivid in the slanting light. He handed the pieces to Mayweather, and Hayes, whose hands had been outstretched to take the shards, dropped. Reed ignored Hayes, who didn't speak but looked as though he wanted to, as he told Mayweather, "I think something was put inside capsules made of this material and fired onto the planet. They broke open. I think they're ceramic."

Mayweather looked dubious but accepted the shards. "We did a bioscan for pathogens, right?" he asked.

"Of course we did," Reed reassured him. That was standard before an away mission, and Doctor Phlox wouldn't have it any other way. "I think we ought to find some other samples."

Hayes gestured toward a nearby copse of trees. "I saw another impact site that way, sir. It hit a tree, left a gash."

"I could only see ones out in the open. I counted eight." Mayweather lifted the shards in his hands. "I'll put these in the shuttlepod and get a bag or something for the other ones." He started off for the 'pod, only to turn back when Reed spoke.

"No, Travis. I want you to take those up to Enterprise right away and have Commander T'Pol analyze them," Reed ordered. "My field scanner won't give me their composition. Perhaps Enterprise's scanners will have better luck-and perhaps it will tell us what was inside. We'll bring more samples up in the other 'pod, on the chance they don't all contain the same material."

Mayweather nodded and said, "Sure, Malcolm, but I have to run some more supplies by the drop site first."

"Of course." Reed ignored Hayes's faint disapproval at Mayweather's familiarity. Reed couldn't imagine Hayes ever calling him "Malcolm."

As Mayweather trudged back the way he'd come, Reed hurried to keep up with the taller Hayes, who'd started off toward the copse of trees. He adjusted his scanner to emit a small supersonic burst once a minute. He'd discovered earlier in the day that this kept the animal life at bay. The tailless squirrel-like animals he'd spotted in the trees didn't seem dangerous, but some of the life signs he'd noted seemed alarmingly large, if quiet-likely nocturnal, he'd inferred. Best to scare them off. At the very least, it would stop him from being unbecomingly startled if one of the larger animals surprised them.

One thing he particularly hated about Hayes, he thought as he folded the scanner closed and tucked it away, was they way he refused to modify his step to take anybody into account. He'd noticed it with Hayes's fellow MACO, Amanda Cole, who wasn't particularly petite, because he'd seen her actually jog to keep up with her commanding officer. Hayes did it with everybody. He strode along, and everyone was left to hurry to keep up, like a puppy tagging at its master's heels-like Porthos after Captain Archer.

He was just about to request that Hayes slow down when his communicator chirped. Hayes turned back at the sound, and Reed gestured him on. At least he was now able to follow Hayes with some semblance of dignity, although well behind. "Reed," he snapped into the communicator, some of his irritation at Hayes leaking into his voice as he trudged along.

"Malcolm, the geologists have a problem." Tucker's voice didn't sound worried. "They say the platinum readings are diffuse."

Reed waited for more information, but that seemed to be it. "And that's a problem because-?" he coaxed.

Tucker must have been conferring with someone, for Reed heard a woman with a fast, harsh voice. He thought it was Lieutenant Folkes, the lead geologist. "We can't get a fix on where to start digging," the engineer's voice finally said. "We have alluvial plains, which is good, but one of the other elements associated with platinum isn't present."

"What do you suggest?" Reed inquired, throwing up an arm to shield his face from a low-lying branch still swaying from Hayes's passage. So much for stealth. The man had left a trail a meter across. And thanks to the "camouflage" of the MACO uniform, he could easily keep his eyes on Hayes, even at this distance.

"Bring down more people to do a better survey," Tucker said promptly.

That would mean bringing down more security personnel. Even on this scientific mission to an uninhabited planet, Reed had insisted on a security perimeter. After all, they were in the Expanse, which was definitely hostile territory. He'd also been troubled by the sheer number of life signs once they'd arrived on the surface. Hostiles could sneak up on their position, so he'd doubled the security complement.

"Could Travis do anything with a low fly-by first? The 'pod's sensors may be of some use," he suggested, even as his mind started clicking over scenarios. He could bring down an invisible fence to secure the survey area, but that would probably be more work than just assigning extra personnel, especially if the geologists broadened the perimeter, which he wouldn't put past them. And security was clearly a priority. Someone had been shooting ceramic containers onto the planet, after all. He was concerned about what was inside them, and even more so by the fact that anyone who happened to be in the line of fire of one of those projectiles probably wouldn't survive the impact.

Tucker's voice brought him back to the issue at hand. "Good idea. Let me get back to you after I've reported to Cap'n Archer. Tucker out."

Reed slipped his communicator back into a pocket as he quickened his pace. He could see Hayes ahead, crouched over something on the ground, his camouflage uniform still completely failing to hide him. Hayes looked up briefly as Reed joined him, no expression of welcome on his face-no expression at all, actually.

"The geologists have reported a problem finding mining sites," Reed reported briefly. "We may need to bring down extra personnel and better equipment to do a more detailed survey." He glanced down and saw more shards, so tiny as to be impossible to pick up without tweezers, embedded in the dirt. He'd noticed a large bare gash on a tree a meter or so away where the missile had nicked it-probably the gash Hayes had noticed through the binoculars.

"Just like what you found, but it's been almost completely pulverized." Hayes stood up and brushed his knees. He extended a plastic sample bag to Reed. "I took images of it in situ before I collected the larger pieces."

"Good." Reed took the bag and scanned it. "Just like the other one-nothing," he said in disgust.

"Would you like a sample of the tiny fragments and some dirt, sir?" Hayes rummaged through his pockets. "I have a sample jar."

"Good idea, yes," Reed responded, holding the bag up to the light and shaking it. Of course Hayes had a sample jar. It was just like Hayes to have a sample jar. He was surprised, in fact, that Hayes didn't wear sample jars in a bandolier over his shoulder. In times of crisis, he could whip out a sample jar and save the day. Reed kept his sarcastic thoughts to himself and made sure his comments were on a professional level. "Analysis of the soil may tell us what was inside. It's like a broken pottery cannonball," he mused as Hayes hunkered down again. "The ceramic might keep it intact if it were fired through the atmosphere-although I suspect they were fired from a low-flying ship or the impact craters would have been far bigger and deeper."

"I wonder what was inside." Hayes used the side of the small sample jar to dig into the ground and scrape up a sample. "I couldn't get a reading. I think the fragments are affecting the scan." He shook the jar, settling its contents, screwed on a lid, and gave it to Reed.

"Commander T'Pol can sort out the ceramic shards from the soil on Enterprise," Reed noted as he scanned it, just to check. Hayes had been right, of course: nothing. He glanced at Hayes, realizing that the two of them had just had an entire conversation without a snide remark or a sudden punch in the nose.

"We'll need more security personnel if we increase the crew complement on the planet, Lieutenant," Hayes said, flat eyes on Reed. Reed closed his fingers around the sample jar, attempting calm. Before he could respond, either verbally or with that sudden punch in the nose, Hayes added, "If I might suggest an electronic fence. We can calibrate it to-"

Reed interrupted, his voice dripping with cold rage. "I'm quite aware of the capabilities of the electronic fence, Major. I will consider the possibility once Commander Tucker actually decides to bring more personnel down."

"I just think, sir, that exploring the eventuality-"

Reed's voice brooked no argument. "That eventuality is under consideration. When I want your opinion, I will ask for it."

"Sir, I-"

"Major, unless you'd like another round," Reed cut in, "I suggest you drop the topic." He tapped his fingers in the center of Hayes's chest, rather harder than he should have, but it was like striking a heavy piece of wood. Hayes didn't even take a step back.

Still, it got a reaction. Hayes's eyes flashed in irritation, and he knocked Reed's arm away. "It's within the parameters of my job-" he began just as Reed's communicator chirped.

Reed deliberately stepped back, hand reaching for his communicator. "Reed," he said, his gaze pinning Hayes, letting him know this wasn't over. He could tell Hayes felt exactly the same from his stance. At least they were in sympathy on this-just as they both set aside their personal concerns when a job was at hand. Apparently the captain's dressing down had done some good after all.

"Malcolm, we've got a problem." Captain Jonathan Archer's voice over the communicator sounded strained and tight, a sure sign that something was up. "A ship has just dropped out of warp and it's headed our way. They aren't responding to hails. They'll be within firing range in about five minutes. I'm evacuating all personnel. Get everyone back to the shuttlepods and get back up here. Archer out."

Reed snapped the communicator shut, the noise sharp in the copse's quiet. "You heard the man," he said. He'd put Hayes's fast walking to use. He jerked his head in the direction of the drop site. "Lead the way."

Hayes immediately started off, Reed close behind, his problems with the man all but forgotten as he reopened the communicator to issue orders to the security officer he'd left in charge at the drop site. Even at a jog, it took ten minutes to get to the clearing they'd been using as a base of operations, and when they finally saw large patches of white through the foliage, indicating the two parked shuttlepods, Reed joined Hayes in a crouch several meters away. It wouldn't do to rush in. He also wanted to know whether Enterprise had engaged the alien ship, but he knew Archer wouldn't appreciate being interrupted. He also knew that the captain would not leave anyone behind, so the sooner they got off the planet, the better.

Reed glanced at Hayes and found, to his surprise, that he awaited his orders. Reed used hand motions to indicate direction, and at his "go!" gesture, he went one way and Hayes another. As he peered out, one of the shuttlepods lifted off, and as it cleared the area, he saw a security officer and a MACO helping personnel carrying large, heavy toolboxes into the remaining 'pod. It all looked clear, and to his relief, he couldn't see Tucker. He must have made it aboard already. Reed was about to signal to Hayes when there was a faint shimmer in the air, and two humanoid figures appeared, one on either side of the shuttlepod. They were wearing shiny black armor, faces concealed behind helmets. They had to be using some kind of transporter technology, Reed realized. Tactically, it was an excellent choice, for they immediately started firing at the Enterprise crew pinned between them.

Reed didn't have time to react as one of the black figures took a shot at a crew member heading up the 'pod's ramp, hitting her in the leg and toppling her. A moment later, lances of energy were flying thick and fast as the MACOs and his security people responded. The intruders had the element of surprise, and although there were only two of them, they were only slowed down for a long moment when they took a direct hit. Reed thought their uniforms must have some kind of shielding property. He also noticed that they did not carry weapons, but rather somehow used their gauntlets to aim and fire. Still, he had to save his professional interest for a better time. He faded back behind the tree line and made his way toward the figures.

At the shuttlepod, the downed crew member had been dragged inside. Reed heard the engine start up even as someone stationed just inside the open hatch started laying down fire, permitting the last few stragglers to scramble aboard.

Over the yelling and sounds of shots, Reed activated his communicator. "Reed to Enterprise," he said. He didn't wait for confirmation; if they were busy up there and Hoshi Sato couldn't respond, then the computer would route it to them. He rather thought that the presence of the black-clad figures meant that the ship Enterprise had been tracking had achieved orbit. "The first shuttlepod is on its way. Two hostile humanoids have transported down, however, and are engaging the other shuttlepod. We should be able to take care of it at this end. Reed out."

Communicator stowed and phase pistol in hand, Reed didn't hesitate. He exited cover and fired at one of the figures now advancing on the shuttlepod. Gear was strewn willy-nilly over the ground, and he had to leap over materiel as he ran. A flash of movement behind him distracted him briefly, but he saw familiar color out of the corner of his eye and knew it was Hayes.

"Get on board!" he yelled to the two remaining members of the security detail as he dodged a shot with a quick roll, even as he squeezed the trigger to hit the black-clad figure full in the chest. The figure didn't go down. Instead, it paused, freezing up for a long count of three before resuming firing, but it gave the two crew members time to leap into the 'pod.

"Behind you!" Hayes called, and Reed whipped around just in time to see one more black figure materialize.

Reed roared, "Take off, Gates, and that's an order!" He hoped the security man heard him. He must have, because someone kicked a toolbox off the hatch ramp, which began to close. One of Hayes's shots briefly stopped the advance of the figure closest to the hatch. Reed hit the dirt just as the new figure opened fire, aware that Hayes was doing the same. Only three hostiles had transported down, but with that armor, no more were needed.

The shuttlepod took off more slowly than usual, clearly overburdened, before the hatch had quite closed. It circled the clearing but increased altitude when it was nicked by a shot. Reed scrambled to his feet, holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender, his weapon pointed up. No felled crew members lay injured or dying on the ground, and Reed had noticed that the intruders had been aiming for the legs. Whoever they were, they weren't interested in killing anyone. That was a good sign, borne out by the black-clad figures' failure to shoot him or Hayes now that they had clearly lost. He set the pistol on the ground when he thought he had their attention, keeping an eye on Hayes while he did so to make sure Hayes would follow his head.

"Major," he called as he made a gesture. Hayes got it: he immediately collapsed, arms over his head.

The blast wave of the shock grenade Reed had lobbed into the center of the clearing rippled over him, and he lost both his hearing and his footing. He managed to drag himself onto his knees and peered up, eyes streaming, barely able to make out the three black figures. They'd frozen-and for longer than a count of three.

Hayes loomed over him, mouth moving, saying words Reed couldn't hear. He grabbed Reed's arm, and Reed let himself be dragged to his feet. His head was still spinning. He had to make two grabs at his phase pistol to pick it up. Hayes pointed, and once again, Reed found himself following Hayes's broad back as they plunged back into the wooded area.

He didn't stop to check his scanner to see if they were being followed. He focused on traveling as quickly as possible, given that his ears made him feel like he was tipping sideways. He had no idea how Hayes could handle it, although he'd been farther away than Reed and thus had taken less of the blast, not to mention he'd been able to protect his ears, if only with his arms. There'd been no help for it, of course, but Reed felt just the tiniest bit of pleasure that he'd basically just tossed a grenade at Hayes and gotten away with it. Hayes ought thank him for it-not that he would, but he should.

His hearing had just started to come back when Hayes slowed down. He couldn't hear the crunch his feet made in the dead leaves on the forest floor, but he could hear his own breath resonating through his head. When he swallowed, it sounded like tremendously loud gulping. He had no idea how much time had passed, but reckoned he'd just done more flat-out running in an hour than he'd done all last month, and in gravity slightly higher than Earth normal. Good thing he was religious about the treadmill.

A shot fired behind him, hitting a tree up ahead and downing a limb with a great crash that even Reed could hear. A moment later, another shot followed, this one passing harmlessly between trees. "They're gaining on us," Reed gasped as he and Hayes turned to look behind them.

He was drawing his phase pistol when Hayes stopped him. "They're shooting randomly," he said, a conclusion Reed had also just drawn since their pursuers were aiming far too high. They were hoping to flush them out. Still, if a lucky shot didn't take them out, the falling tree limbs might.

"Up?" Reed suggested, gesturing to the treetops.

"Down," Hayes said firmly, pointing.

"Down it is," Reed agreed, and the two of them leaped over a fallen tree trunk into a small hollow. "The proximity to organic matter may mask our biosigns, but that won't fool a visual inspection. Leaf litter?"

"Get up close to the tree," Hayes ordered, failing, Reed noticed, to soften it with a "sir." He grabbed handfuls of leaves. "Lie down."

Reed obediently lowered himself onto his back. He was gazing up, noticing that it looked like the sun was about to set, when another wild shot blazed across the sky. "They're getting closer," he observed, deliberately keeping his voice quiet. He didn't want to yell, but he couldn't tell how loud his voice was. "I can help, you know."

"Too late. I'm done." Hayes knelt by Reed and began scraping leaves together. "Oh, I should have said-" he began, but another shot sizzled through the air.

"Get down!" Reed said urgently, then inquired, "Should have said what?"

Hayes hunched over. "I should have said 'on your stomach,' but too late." As he spoke, his fingers played with the back of his collar, releasing a black hood. He pulled it over his hair. Reed looked on, puzzled as always by the camouflage that didn't camouflage.

"Here we go," Hayes whispered.

Reed wasn't prepared for what happened next. Hayes simply lay atop Reed, covering the smaller man with his bulk. Reed froze, suddenly incapable of speech. Hayes squirmed for a second, and Reed realized he was brushing the leaves on top of himself. They were right against the punky, soft downed tree trunk.

He found his voice. "What-?" Reed hissed, surprised and dismayed.

"My uniform. Its passive bioshield ought to protect us if they don't get too close. I suggest you be quiet, sir."

Reed shut up. He turned his face to one side, and Hayes took this as an invitation to settle his head into the crook of Reed's neck. A few more brushes, which caused Hayes's body to rock over Reed's, and then dead leaves lightly covered them. A second later, Hayes relaxed-something Reed couldn't do. He still hadn't gotten his mind around the fact that Hayes's uniform had a passive bioshield. Or that Hayes was lying on top of him, hideously intimate. It had been a very, very long time since he'd lain with someone so closely, body against body. Even with Hayes, whom he despised, it was almost pleasurable-Hayes, the only person, Reed realized now, who initiated touching him. Of course, usually they were sparring. It contrasted with his other sparring partners, who deferred to his superior rank and waited for Reed to make the first move. Hayes didn't wait.

The next fifteen minutes felt excruciatingly long to Reed. Hayes was ridiculously heavy, and although he'd left Reed's head free, his body was tucked in so tightly that Reed couldn't catch his breath. He had to breathe through his mouth, head twisted to the side, away from Hayes. Random shots fired overhead, then lower. When a shot nicked the top of the punky tree, Reed had to shut his eyes against the explosion of soft, dead wood and splinters. Neither he nor Hayes made a sound when it happened. He didn't even feel Hayes's body tense.

His ears had completely cleared by the time the black-clad soldiers walked by, their footfalls heavy in the stillness of the forest. The wild shots lessened in frequency, as though the men chasing them were giving up, as they moved farther away. The shots had scared any wildlife, which was probably all to the good on a strange planet, so it was eerily quiet. The sun slanted low. Reed had to keep his eyes half-shut to avoid getting debris into them, and dry, crispy leaves tickled his cheek. He discovered the trick of breathing with Hayes, which made it somehow easier to lie quietly. He could smell the scent of Hayes's sweat and hair, familiar and unfamiliar at once. He gazed at the tree trunk directly in his line of sight, glad he didn't have to look at Hayes's face. Hayes was just doing his duty-saving their lives-but the intimacy of it felt simultaneously horrible and welcome. He didn't want to think too hard about what that meant. Maybe he'd been alone too long. Maybe Tucker-but he pushed that thought away before it could do more than half form. He knew exactly what Tucker would say if he approached him.

"What do you reckon?" Reed whispered after the first stirrings of wildlife returned, a scurrying of something small in a tree. It felt oddly difficult to speak, perhaps because he couldn't draw a full breath, or perhaps because they'd been quiet for so long.

"I think it's all right," Hayes whispered back. "I suggest we make camp and post watch. It's almost twilight."

Hayes pushed himself onto an elbow, and Reed immediately gulped in a deep breath. He felt cold where Hayes's warmth had been moments before.

"Sorry, sir." As usual, Hayes didn't sound sorry.

"Much as I love being squashed by you," Reed said, ironic voice still low, "perhaps we can set a scanner to emit some kind of bioshielding wave, like your suit."

Hayes considered that idea, but only for a nanosecond. "I hardly think it's necessary," he said. "We'll get lost in the life signs here, now that we've eluded detection."

"True." It was an excellent point, but he wasn't about to tell Hayes that. All those pesky life signs gumming up his scanner were actually good for something. Reed pushed at Hayes's solid chest. The gesture felt small, ineffectual, even petty. If Hayes wanted to squash him, he could do it. "Get off me, Major. The extra gravity is making you heavier. It's hard to breathe."

"Sorry, sir." Hayes immediately rolled off, and Reed felt blessed relief, even as he suddenly noticed the coolness of the air. A moment later, Hayes said, "That was a good move with the grenade, Lieutenant."

Reed sat up, set his forearms on his bent legs, and practiced taking deep breaths. "I noticed the way their suits froze up when they took fire." He took another breath. He found himself completely capable of looking Hayes in the eye, even after they'd lain one atop the other for the better part of an hour. All in a day's work to both of them, professionals that they were. "I thought it was likely that their suits were processing the energy, dissipating it."

"Or using it as an energy source to power their suits," Hayes noted thoughtfully.

"Or, as you say, using it as an energy source to power their suits." Reed pulled his communicator out. "I thought the flash grenade would overwhelm them, render them immobile for a crucial few seconds-well, more than a few seconds-giving us time to get away." Without waiting for Hayes to say something like "Well done, sir!," "Brilliant plan, Lieutenant!," or anything equally unlikely, even if it had been brilliant, he flipped open his communicator and immediately modulated the frequency. "Reed to Enterprise," he said. Nothing.

"Try the emergency frequency, sir," Hayes suggested.

"I am, Major," Reed said, trying to sound matter-of-fact and not nasty. He'd liked Hayes better when he'd been absolutely silent-and on top of him. But mostly silent, he thought to himself. He tried a few more frequencies, then gave up and turned the device off so it wouldn't chirp at an inopportune moment. He didn't want to contemplate trying to reach his communicator while hiding under Hayes's body from black-suited supersoldiers. "Enterprise will be back to get us," he said confidently. He rose to his feet. "Now, Major, I suggest we get out of here, in case they were monitoring all frequencies."

At Reed's suddenly stricken expression, Hayes asked, "Something wrong, sir?"

Reed pulled out his scanner. "This is giving off a supersonic one-second pulse once a minute." He waved it. "I cannot believe I forgot about it. I discovered that it keeps the wildlife away."

Hayes looked distinctly displeased. "If the soldiers have noticed it-"

"Bread crumbs," Reed said grimly. "There, it's off now. And it was quite localized. It had a four-meter radius. But between this and my communications attempt, we ought to move." He remembered how close the black-clad figures had been as Hayes had lain atop him and shuddered. It was not like him to forget details like the scanner.

"Very good, sir," Hayes glanced up at the sky, which was noticeably darker. "Any ideas about where we should go?"

"Probably not far in this light." Reed considered. "The hostiles know where our drop site is. We should make our way towards the clearing where we found the ceramic cannonballs. I'm sure Enterprise will be able to track us, but in case they can't, Ensign Mayweather will know to look for us there." He turned in a circle, getting his bearings, and pointed. "That way, I think." He took a step back, politely deferring.

Hayes didn't respond. Instead, he accepted the tacit invitation and struck out, Reed at his heels. To Reed's surprise, Hayes set a comfortable pace. It became explicable a half-hour later when Hayes tripped over a branch and performed a little hopping dance to regain his footing.

"Problems with night vision, Hayes?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

"Not at all, sir," Hayes responded, but with a slight edge to his voice.

Reed glanced at the scanner tucked into his hand. "Well, if our mysterious soldiers are right behind us, we wouldn't know." He eyed the hot blue dots that indicated life signs. There were quite a few of them, and it looked like some of the larger animals were beginning to stir. "Our life signs show up beautifully-yours, too." He paused expectantly, awaiting an answer.

"The passive shielding only works if we're not moving. Here, like this."

Reed stopped and watched in amusement as Hayes leaned against a tree. He held his scanner up and ran it up and down Hayes's body from a meter away. "I see your heart rate and blood pressure are above normal," he commented, briefly turning the scanner to face Hayes. "Tense, are we?"

"Just give it a second." Hayes didn't sound like his heart rate and blood pressure were high, except perhaps with sheer annoyance. "There's a reason it's called a passive bioshield."

Reed turned his attention back to his scanner. "Oh," he said with appreciation as the biosigns stopped flaring. Even in such close proximity, the biosigns dampened. "That's very good," he conceded a minute later. "I can barely sense you-with the scanner, that is." He stepped closer, eyes on the scanner, until they were almost toe to toe. The scanner didn't flare, but he noticed that Hayes's heart rate increased slightly, no doubt in sheer irritation at Reed. "Of course, I can see you. Your camo is a rubbish design."

"We get that a lot," Hayes conceded. He glanced up at the tree canopy above them. "It's full dark," he pointed out. "Do you want to make camp here or press on, sir?"

Reed considered. "Camp here. If Enterprise sends Travis down for us, he'll use the 'pod's sensors to search for my communicator." He activated his scanner, then immediately deactivated it. "I was going to set a proximity alarm, but we'd be up all night with false alarms with the amount of animal life around here. We'll just walk circuit. You'll take first watch."

"Yes, sir." Hayes stepped away from the tree. On Reed's scanner, the motion caused a blue blur, and suddenly, Hayes's life sign was visible again.

"I'd suggest we both huddle under that jacket and get some sleep," Reed said, voice heavy with irony, "but I'm fairly sure neither of us would get back to Enterprise unscathed if we attempted it."

"No, sir," Hayes agreed faintly. On Reed's scanner, his biosigns flared. "Get some sleep, sir. Do you want the jacket, or should I keep it?"

Reed considered. "The sleeper ought to have it," he decided. "If it doesn't work when you're moving, then it isn't much help when you're on watch. At least this way, if our friends drop by, the sleeper may remain undetected. They're looking for two life signs together. This will dampen one of the life signs and increase our chances of remaining undetected."

"I concur." Hayes undid the jacket and handed it over. His long-sleeved black shirt concealed him very well in the dark. Reed slid it on, warm from Hayes's body. "I'll wake you up in three hours, Lieutenant."

The next six hours passed slowly. Reed, through long practice, managed a not particularly restful doze, but it was better than nothing. He kept jerking awake when he heard the rustling of leaves or the snuffling of some heavy-bodied creature. He noticed that Hayes, as instructed, had established a perimeter and walked it quietly, moving from tree to tree. His faint movements kept the wildlife at bay. Reed could make out a field of stars winking above the tree canopy-a rare sight for someone from Earth, which had so much light pollution that most people didn't know what the Milky Way looked like from the planet's surface. Far above, he could see one large glowing star moving. It had to be the enemy ship. If it had been Enterprise, he and Hayes wouldn't still be down here. Reed knew Captain Archer would be back for them as soon as possible, but he itched to be on board ship, directing any engagement Enterprise might have had with the hostiles. Surely the unknown ship had something to do with the strange exploded cannonball canisters; it would be too much of a coincidence otherwise.

His own watch was uneventful. He used Hayes's perimeter. He fancied he could feel Hayes's gaze following him. He felt it like an itching between his shoulder blades, as if someone was peering through a gun sight at his back, but he steadfastly ignored Hayes until the other man's breath deepened, and Reed knew he was asleep. Then he could look. Hayes's face was a pale oval in the moonlight, almost handsome in sleep. He'd pulled the hood up, so his face was edged with black, throwing his features into sharp relief. For some reason, Reed thought of the scent of his hair.

The sun had just cleared the horizon when they set out again. Hayes used a sample jar to collect water from a nearby trickle too small to be called a stream, and Reed irradiated it with the scanner to kill any lingering microorganisms. They each ate a nutrient bar, the crackling of the wrappers loud in the morning silence. They had enough bars to last them several days.

"No birdsong," Hayes commented. Reed noticed that he kept his voice low.

"I've seen squirrel-sized creatures in the trees," Reed noted. "Maybe they don't sing. They certainly don't fly."

That was it for their morning conversation. They didn't speak as they continued to the clearing. Their pell-mell rush had taken them a goodly way from the clearing where Reed had handed Mayweather the samples to take to T'Pol. Reed wondered what T'Pol had found-or if she'd been able to find the time to perform an analysis if all hell had broken loose on board ship after the approach of the alien vessel.

Hayes was in front when they made it to the clearing after an hour's slow walk. Reed kept a weather eye on the scanner, and even Hayes had tempered his superfast walking in favor of something slower and quieter. So when Hayes froze, Reed, a few steps behind, froze too, his eyes lifting from the scanner to the clearing to see a flash of black. It looked like their enemies had had the same destination in mind. And, he realized, it also looked like the black suits that absorbed energy also ensured that their wearers were invisible to the scanner. Even now, when the intruders thought themselves alone, they wore their helmets. They seemed the size and shape of humans, but Reed knew firsthand how deceptive that could be.

Reed and Hayes had automatically crouched down, and now they sought shelter behind a bush-probably the same bush, Reed realized, that he'd kicked yesterday, wishing it had been Hayes's backside, when he'd stood next to Tucker and his hair that had blazed in this planet's light. Reed gave his head a quick shake, trying to clear it of the image of Tucker, at the same time feeling relief that the engineer had made it safely back to the ship.

Brief, silent surveillance revealed that all three of the black-clad figures were in the clearing. They stood together in the flattened expanse of grass where the shuttlepod had set down. They seemed to be talking, although Reed couldn't hear anything. They probably had microphones in their helmets. One gesticulated, turned, pointed at something, and turned back to his companions, clearly expressing something that troubled him, if the hand gestures were anything to go by. Another didn't seem to be paying much attention; the blank helmet turned from side to side as if watching for something beyond the tree line. They all looked weaponless, but Reed, remembering how they took aim by pointing with their arms, knew that their weapons were somehow part of their gauntlets.

"No," Hayes mouthed when Reed pulled out another shock grenade and held it up meaningfully. "We cannot take them." He patted his chest. "Suit," he added in case Reed hadn't followed.

The suit was just what Reed had in mind. If they could get one of the suits-that would be intelligence worth having. If they were fast, it would give them access to the enemy's communications network before they were shut out. Then again, getting one of them out of the suit might be a trick in itself. He couldn't see from this distance how they fastened, and he hadn't noticed when he'd engaged them yesterday.

Reed nodded exaggeratedly. "Yes. Suit," he told Hayes. "We take suit."

Hayes shook his head. "Too risky." He hesitated, checked out the three figures who were still conferring, and added, "Maybe one. Alone."

Reed grudgingly nodded just as the black-clad figure that had been gesticulating took a few steps back and reached one arm across his body, slapping his opposite arm. A moment later, he shimmered out of existence, transported back to his ship.

Great. They were leaving. Reed swore internally as the two remaining figures left the area of flattened grass and wandered, slowly and seemingly aimlessly, toward the other side of the clearing. They were rapidly getting beyond the range of his throwing arm. He turned over the hand that held the shock grenade and braced himself to throw it.

"It's now or never," Reed said quietly by way of warning as he stood, right arm pulling back to hurl the shock grenade.

Apparently it was going to be never. Hayes took him by surprise and unbalanced him immediately, grabbing his arm and jerking him down. The tussle was as silent as two struggling men could be, but still vicious for all that. The grenade was the first casualty. Untriggered, it went rolling away without detonating as Reed found himself pinned face down underneath a knee, the full force of Hayes's weight behind it, with one of his arms twisted behind his back.

"Don't, sir," Hayes said in a soldier's quiet nonwhisper, mouth practically touching his ear. "You'll dislocate your shoulder."

"Let me up, Major," Reed said in the same nonwhisper. "Now."

Rather to his surprise, Hayes did, although he kept a heavy hand on Reed's shoulder. The grenade lay more than an arm's length away, and the two figures had made it to the other side of the clearing, oblivious to the struggle behind the tree line. The moment had passed, and both Reed and Hayes knew it. Reed tried not to flinch as Hayes squeezed his shoulder tightly as the remaining two figures seemingly came to some kind of decision. In almost perfect unison, their hands slapped their opposite upper arms, and they too were gone.

Reed closed his eyes and pushed down his rage at the opportunity lost to Hayes's insubordination. They had had a chance, admittedly small and risky, but they'd had the element of surprise. When he opened his eyes a long second later, Hayes's bland face confronted him. Reed had never wanted more to deliver a hard right to someone.

His voice low and menacing, Reed said, "Major, if you think for one moment-"

"I'm sorry, sir, but in my opinion-" Hayes broke off at Reed's white-lipped fury.

"It was our single chance to date of getting our hands on one of those suits," Reed hissed.

Hayes's demeanor grew cold and calm, ever his defense, Reed thought bitterly. It was the same every time they clashed. The angrier he got, the colder and calmer Hayes became. It made Reed's rage seem hotly irrational.

"We would unquestionably have been captured, sir," Hayes said, the "sir" pointed and barely on the right edge of respectful.

"They'd never shot to kill. They would have captured us, perhaps wounded us. But then they would have taken us to their ship, where we could learn far more than what we could learn down here on this primeval planet, Major." Reed leaned in, nose to nose with Hayes, close but not touching. "When I construct a plan, I expect you to follow my lead."

Hayes gazed into the distance over Reed's right shoulder. "Respectfully, sir, I cannot follow your lead when your plan is so bad."

"Bad." Reed's voice was flat.

"Bad, sir. One of those soldiers alone in the forest-then maybe we'd have a chance," Hayes said, his superior, know-it-all tone serving only to stoke Reed's mounting anger. "But they were clearly in communication with their ship. In my opinion, we had no chance. We would unquestionably have been captured. Sir."

"In your opinion."

"Yes, sir."

"Major, you do not have opinions. You follow orders." Reed found he faintly trembled with rage, but the dig had gotten to Hayes. He could see it in Hayes's eyes.

"Not when your safety is, in my opinion, at risk. Sir."

"Your opinion is not required. And I'll be the judge of my own safety, shall I?" Reed reiterated, "They did not shoot to kill, even when under fire."

"Are you saying, sir, that you hoped to be captured?"

"Certainly not. I'm saying-"

What Reed was going to say-or not say-was lost as Hayes interrupted. "Respectfully, sir-"

Reed had had enough. He grabbed the front of Hayes's uniform with both hands and jerked. "I think we've had enough of respect, don't you think?"

"Oh, yes, I think we have," Hayes said fervently, the determined light in his eyes showing that he'd accepted the challenge Reed had thrown at him.

It wasn't like sparring, Reed thought with relish. Sparring had rules, and Reed's mood was such that he was going to use any dirty tricks he felt like using. He brought one leg behind Hayes's and shoved him over backward. The bigger man fell like a ton of bricks, his bulk and the heavier gravity making a satisfying combination. A moment later, Reed had Hayes on his stomach, arm wrenched behind his back, his full body weight on Hayes-the very same position Hayes had gotten him into behind that bush. "Don't struggle, Lieutenant. You'll dislocate your shoulder." He threw Hayes's words back at him.

"Is that really the best you can do?" Hayes demanded, craning his head around to look at Reed over his shoulder. His eyes looked bright, almost manic.

"Not remotely," Reed assured him.

"Good."

How Hayes managed to heave him off, Reed had no idea, but one moment Hayes was under his knees, and the next, Reed was flying through the air. He made it to his feet in time to assume a defensive position, and then the fight was on in earnest.

"You have no idea how sick I am of your endless remarks," Reed gasped as he dodged a kick to the stomach. He grabbed at Hayes's uniform and managed to unbalance the MACO long enough to swing him around and smash him into a tree. "I did not get to be the security chief on board Enterprise by ineptness, whatever you might think."

"Not inept," Hayes grunted as he landed a back kick on Reed's knee, buying him enough time to spin around and strike at Reed's jaw, a move easily deflected with a block. "Just soft."

"Ah, the faint praise that damns, although naturally I'm flattered that you think me competent. Unlike your MACOs, Starfleet is not a military organization." Reed grinned as he danced back, hands at the ready.

"My point exactly," Hayes said, as if Reed had finally said something sensible. He dipped suddenly, and a moment later, he'd blinded Reed by flinging a handful of dirt and leaf litter into Reed's face.

Reed shook the debris away and managed to duck sideways when Hayes attempted an uppercut. He grabbed Hayes's uniform again. "Discipline, is it?" he managed to get out. "I have never been accused of being lax."

"Until now," Hayes reminded him, huffing out breath as Reed shoved him back hard into a nearby tree, then followed it up with a knee to the groin that doubled Hayes over. "You will regret that," he informed Reed, voice high and wheezing.

"I doubt it," Reed responded. He showed no mercy, clasping his hands together and striking Hayes hard between the shoulder blades. The force of his blow made him stagger backward to keep his feet as Hayes fell heavily on his stomach. Reed launched himself toward his opponent's back, but Hayes was able to flip over and face him by the time he landed.

They rolled on the ground, struggling for dominance with jabs and attempted kneeings. For a moment, Reed was on top, grinning with success, and mere seconds later, Hayes had somehow managed to switch their positions.

"It's not just your lack of respect for me and my position," Reed gasped out as he evaded a blow to the jaw. Hayes was no less heavy than he'd remembered. "It's your total lack of awareness of what is going on around you. You walk too fast. You enjoy making people run to keep up with you."

"What?" Hayes asked sharply, his arm pulled back, hand in a fist, ready to try again.

He'd hit a nerve. Reed pressed his advantage. "Power plays. You enjoy making Amanda Cole run to keep up with you, like a puppy. It's all about dominance with you. Don't tell me you aren't aware of it." From Hayes's expression, it was clear he wasn't, so Reed continued spitefully, "That's what this is about, isn't it? You can't stand it when someone's not under your control. Cole gets away from you and spends time with Commander Tucker. Could it be that you're jealous?"

Hayes's eyes flashed. "No. Are you?"

"What?" Reed exclaimed involuntarily.

"You heard me." Hayes didn't strike, but Reed flinched when his hand came down, not to strike, but to clench his collar. "Don't think I haven't noticed the way you watch Commander Tucker. Your eyes follow him. You smile when you're with him. You almost become human." Hayes pressed his face close to Reed's. "What, no response? Nothing to say? No rage from the little man? Because if there's one thing I've noticed about Commander Tucker, it's that he likes the ladies. How unfortunate for you."

"That's torn it," Reed hissed. He attempted to heave Hayes off him with the simple force of his anger, but it didn't work. "You do not speak to me like that. Ever."

Even as Reed voiced that threat, Hayes ignored it, taking Reed's head between his hands. Reed wondered if he was about to have his neck broken. Not even Hayes would go that far.

"And as for humanity..." Reed growled. "I keep waiting for you to show some sign of it."

"Is it humanity you want me to show?" Hayes demanded. "Or mercy?"

"Oh, don't show mercy," Reed said caustically as Hayes's fingers caressed his throat. He laid his head back, as if inviting a final, crushing grasp. "Why start now?"

"I don't plan to." Hayes's thumbs found Reed's Adam's apple. "Do you really think I'd kill you?"

"If you could get away with it, why not?" When Hayes's hands neither relaxed nor pressed harder, Reed voiced the major sore spot between them. "If I was out of the picture, then I'm sure you'd have no trouble convincing Captain Archer to appoint you to my position."

"I do not want your position." Hayes uttered the words slowly and clearly in a strange monotone. "And I have no plans to kill you."

"Good to know," Reed gasped as the hands began to tighten again, belying Hayes's words. Was Hayes trying to render him unconscious? He gathered himself, then brought both arms up quickly. He managed to box Hayes in the ears, and although the blow wasn't particularly stinging, it had the desired effect. Hayes's hands slackened.

"Give it up!" Hayes yelled as Reed attempted to escape. He bounced once, his body weight successfully pinning Reed down, making Reed grunt as the breath was nearly driven out of him. "For God's sake! Don't you know when you're beaten? Give it up!" He put his hands on Reed's outstretched arms and held him down.

"You do know I would rather die," Reed gasped, trying for nonchalance. He managed to bring up a leg, hook it around one of Hayes's, and wrench, temporarily unbalancing his opponent.

Hayes's eyes flashed in anger. He shifted a knee between Reed's legs and pinned him. "Stop it," he ordered as Reed wriggled, managing to free a wrist, which Hayes immediately slapped to the ground.

"No." Reed tried to release the other hand, but Hayes was ready. His hand clasped Reed's wrist and shoved it down hard. Reed's anger, now burning white hot, centered in his belly. He would be damned if he'd let Hayes beat him merely by sitting on him.

"Stop it!" Hayes repeated, this time with more force. Reed glared at him, and their eyes locked. "I said-" Hayes lowered his head so that they were nose to nose. "I said-" Hayes repeated, and then stopped. A long, electric moment held them both suspended. Hayes, face unreadable, gave another heavy push on Reed's outflung arms, as if to force Reed to keep still, and then Hayes's mouth pressed atop his.

Reed's mouth opened under the onslaught. His body was responding automatically, without conscious deliberation, just like it did when someone threw a punch at him while sparring. But instead of acting to protect itself, his body was transmuting Hayes's heavy weight from prison to pleasure, wanting something he'd been without for so long. He felt Hayes's tongue against his, and he pushed up into the sensation, striving for more, because he'd known he was starving when Hayes had lain on top of him behind that rotting tree, and he understood that. He didn't want Hayes; he wanted the intimacy. But try as he might, he couldn't keep his body from responding. It felt like bloodlust, and at this moment, it didn't matter who was with him, as long as they wanted him now at this moment. His leg wrapped around Hayes's again, but this time, instead of trying to throw Hayes off, he tried to press Hayes closer, even as Hayes kept him pinned down.

Hayes released one of Reed's hands so he could cup Reed's buttock and pull him into his body, his mouth still demanding. Reed felt Hayes's hardness as he exhaled sharply and rolled, sharp and forceful, so that Hayes was under him. He delivered a stinging slap against the side of Hayes's face, but open-handed, more warning than threat, and was rewarded with a grin. Hayes grabbed Reed's other buttock and squeezed, then began to pull and push, rocking Reed against him as Reed cupped Hayes's neck and leaned down to take his mouth. He let his thumb caress the tender center of Hayes's throat until his touch had to match the urgency he felt, when he had to press hard because his body wanted more, and the friction of Hayes dragging him wasn't enough.

Hayes threw him off easily when the touch crossed the threshold into pain. His eyes looked dark as he unfastened his jacket. Reed, panting slightly from excitement and from the force of his fall, reached for his own zipper. He'd managed to shrug his uniform off his shoulders when Hayes grabbed him again, hand sliding intimately under his blue undershirt, mouths touching in a kiss. Hard shoves alternated with equally hard pulls, body briefly held against body, as they managed to divest themselves of clothes. Reed had seen Hayes's body before, had even touched it while sparring, but it had never been this kind of sparring, with every block followed by an invitation to touch that lasted only a few moments before it was blocked again. But now, under his hands, accepting strokes and blows alike, he understood its strength and beauty.

When Hayes refused to take an opening Reed gave him, Reed knew they were done playing. He pulled Hayes on top of him and used his lips-on Hayes's mouth, chin, shoulder, chest, tasting and then moving on-to let Hayes know he was ready too. Hayes rocked atop Reed, grinding, gasping a little. Reed felt the fire build inside his own body even as Hayes, frantic, trembled on the edge. He bit Hayes's shoulder, tasting salt with his swirling tongue, and suddenly Hayes gasped atop him, his breath a roar of breath and sound as he succumbed. Reed found he couldn't bear it when Hayes lost the violent rhythm, and he arrowed himself up into Hayes's body, seeking the release that still shook Hayes. Hayes's mouth found his just as Hayes's hand closed around his cock, not at all gently, and tongue and hand worked in fierce tandem until Reed cried out. They came together for a long few seconds, bodies thrashing as they bit and fought in ecstasy, until only Reed's voice was left, sensation stretched out by Hayes's confident hands.

Reed stayed onto his back when he was done, struggling for air. Hayes sat back on his heels and briefly grabbed one of Reed's knees for support, before rising to his feet, staggering slightly. A slight sheen of sweat glistened on his body, and Reed stared in frank admiration as Hayes rubbed his chest and belly clean. Hayes's large penis and balls held his eyes, a fact Hayes seemed all too aware of as he handled himself, squeezing himself dry.

Reed knew better than to say anything. Let Hayes be the one who set the tone, who explained what he wanted, or why they'd done what they'd just done. He'd known strong emotion-in this case, dislike-to change into something else, if only temporarily. It had probably been the same for Hayes. Still, the speed and power of it left him shaken.

Hayes stepped backward, and his foot tapped against the shock grenade that Reed had dropped earlier when they'd started struggling. He picked it up with a smooth movement that showed off the muscles in his arms and side, this time unaware as Reed's gaze sharpened.

"It was a bad plan," Hayes said, tossing the grenade up and then easily catching it.

"It was the best I could do on short notice," Reed replied. He shrugged and crossed his arms behind his head, a studied picture of disinterest. "What can I say? I was desperate."

The silence hung for a long beat. "I understand that," Hayes said at last, carefully neutral. They weren't talking about the plan.

"I know you do," Reed responded, remembering Hayes's face when he came. The man had been desperate to do what they done. He'd been desperate that it be Reed he did it with. Suddenly the biosign flares Reed had noticed on the scanner made sense: Reed's presence had caused Hayes's heart rate and blood pressure to increase, not from dislike, but from desire.

"It's not like me to be so...careless," Hayes added a long moment later, face unreadable, as he pulled on his pants.

"Even when you're out of control, you're in control?" They'd fought when they'd come together, Hayes's hand on Reed's cock, handling him roughly, just like Reed liked it. He'd known that about Reed, just as Reed had known to bite to push Hayes into orgasm.

Hayes nodded. "Yes. I actually thought you were the same."

Reed had thought so too, but apparently not. Hayes, after all, had driven him to distraction while aboard Enterprise. Now, it seemed, part of that intense annoyance had been simple attraction, subsumed under dislike. And the thing he hated to admit about Hayes was that he was somehow always in the right. If he accused Reed of laxness, it was because Reed had been, in some way, lax.

"No," Reed said at last. "Apparently not." It was apparently not true for both of them. "Toss me my uniform, would you?"

Part 2