Cutting Loose

Disclaimer: WEP owns Voltron in all its incarnations. Dang it.

Cutting Loose

Leaning back on the door, Jeff closed it with a definite sense of relief. Then, thinking again, he found the lock by touch and flipped it with a soft ‘click’.

No way, no way were the natives going to get hold of him again. Resting his head against the door, he closed his eyes and thought, I might just spend the rest of our shore leave here. It’s quiet, I could catch up on my reading…

I could not be molested by the natives any more… With a shudder, he straightened and double-checked the lock.

Cassia had been one of the first planets to join the Galaxy Alliance, and had immediately gained a reputation from every ship that stopped there for supplies or R&R for being… well, extremely friendly was the polite way to put it.

Sex-starved maniacs was a term much less polite, but also very apt, as Jeff had discovered. In the course of the day, he’d also found that, being a race composed nearly entirely of blonds and redheads, the Cassians had a… fondness for brunettes that bordered on obsession.

That had made the foray through the open-air market with Ginger and Cliff into something much more akin to running the gauntlet. At every stall or shop they entered, at least one of the Cassians there present had made an excuse to not only sidle up close to Jeff, but to touch him, to put a hand on his back or shoulder, or, in the case of one daring strawberry blond, to actually grope him – discreetly, of course – in that confectioner’s shop.

Cliff had been jealously amused, and Ginger had just been amused – or at least if she had been jealous, there was no way he could have told, because she hid it beneath her usual bubbly charm.

With a sigh, Jeff flopped on the bed – soft and inviting, and really far, far too wide for just one person – and let one arm come to rest over his eyes, blocking out the sunlight that seemed to infuse the room even though the light fabric of the curtains. And Cliff just couldn’t let it go, the bastard, he thought, with no small venom. Next time I get the chance, I’m putting up a notice for when he’s all alone in the shower, so the girls can ogle him. He sighed; it was quite possible that, after ragging on him today, Cliff would be wary about his shower time in the foreseeable future.

But even the thought of Cliff getting caught covered in bubbles from his cherry blossom scented shower gel (and mortally embarrassed because of it) couldn’t make him smile.

He took his arm away from his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. I am not going to have a good time here, he thought, blowing out his breath explosively. I wonder… was Commander Hawkins really serious about not letting me back onto the Explorer for a week?

After a moment’s consideration, he decided that he probably was. Of course, when he told me I needed to relax a little… that was a big clue.

Just as Jeff was about to indulge in some serious sulking, someone started banging at his door.

The noise startled him, and for a second, he reacted as if it was the battle klaxon, jumping off the bed and taking a long stride toward the door. Then he remembered where he was and stopped, trying to tamp down the adrenaline rushing through him. Oh, no, he thought, I am not falling for this. You are not getting me that easily…

Then a voice carried through the door over the sound of the pounding. “Jeff? For the love of all that’s holy, Jeff, let me in!”

“Shannon?” Surprised back into motion, Jeff continued on to the door, to look out through the peephole. Outside, he could just barely see someone with dark hair with his back pressed against the door. There was no one else within view of the fisheye lens – especially no one with blond or red hair – so he unlocked the door.

Shannon had apparently been listening keenly for the sound, because Jeff had no sooner stepped back away from the door than it swung open and Shannon stumbled in. He slammed it shut behind him and leaned against it much as Jeff himself had done earlier, panting slightly.

Jeff sat down on the edge of the bed, and he had too much sympathy to even try to sound smug. “You too, huh?”

“Ya know,” Shannon said, once his breathing had slowed to normal, “I’d heard rumors about the Cassians, but damn me, I never thought they were true.” He abandoned the door, locking it again as he did, and dropped down on the bed next to Jeff.

“Yeah, I know.” Now this, he thought, is familiar. And… comforting. He and Shannon had been roommates while at the Academy, and to see Shan – Shan! – flustered by the same thing that had so rattled him made it seem a little less bizarre, ironically enough.

Not to mention that he just liked being around him.

“I mean, it was all well enough at first,” Shannon said, lying back. “But it does get kinda wearin’ after a while.”

Jeff tried not to sigh. And that’s where we’re different, he thought wryly. It is the kind of thing that Shan would like.

Shannon nudged him with his hip. “How are you holdin’ up?”

“I’m not,” he replied shortly. He hunched forward a little, elbows on his knees, studying the carpet, and from out of nowhere, it struck him that it looked… soft and smooth. And it probably wouldn’t give anyone rug-burn at all. Oh, I can’t believe I just thought that… These people must be getting to me…

“What d’ye mean you’re not?” The frown of confusion was clear in Shannon’s voice.

“I mean, I’m seriously going to stay right here until it’s time for us to ship out again.” This time, the sigh just wouldn’t be contained. “I mean… come on, Shan. You know I don’t like to be touched by people I don’t know.”

Shannon echoed his sigh. “Aye, I know.” He was silent for a moment, as if considering what he would say. “You’ll be bored outta yer head in a couple hours, though, if you do that.”

“You could go get me something to read from my quarters,” Jeff said hopefully, straightening and glancing at him over his shoulder. “Commander Hawkins didn’t tell you that you couldn’t go back until we were ready to leave…”

“Jeff.” Shannon arched one brow. “Are ye really expectin’ me to believe that ye’ve somethin’ other than reports in yer quarters?”

He blushed, because he didn’t, really, but pushed on regardless. “Shan…”

“No,” Shannon said, sitting up quickly. “If I’m to help ye, me lad, I’ll be helpin’ ye to have a good time.”

“But I –” He wasn’t able to get another word out, because Shannon wound his long fingers into his hair and pulled him so close that he could feel the warmth of his friend’s breath on his face. Then Shan’s mouth was over his, hot and wet and tasting just ever so faintly of the Cassian version of coffee, and he couldn’t get away, didn’t want to get away.

As soon as the shock faded away, he started to respond, running one hand through Shannon’s short waves of dark hair, while the other clutched his shoulder and pulled him even closer. It was his tongue that first dove into Shannon’s mouth, questing and stroking, and it was Shannon who groaned.

When they pulled apart at last, it was only because Jeff was afraid that he would die due to lack of air, and he wasn’t quite ready to die yet. Not if Shan is willing to kiss me like that… “So,” he managed, breathing heavily but wearing his biggest grin, “a good time?”

Shannon was just as breathless. His eyes sparkled with a combination of good humor and arousal as he replied. “Aye. We’re on shore leave, on a lovely planet…” His hands made deft work of the buttons on Jeff’s shirt. “Ye need to let go. Relax. Cut loose…” When Jeff’s shirt gaped open, he trailed off, let his hands rove over space-pale skin.

“I think…” Jeff gasped as Shannon’s nimble fingers tweaked one nipple. “I think I could like having you help me relax…” He tilted Shannon’s face up again for another long, searing kiss.

***

Jeff did spend the rest of the Explorer’s shore leave in his hotel room, but he never actually caught up on his reading.