Path: newsspool2.news.atl.earthlink.net!stamper.news.atl.earthlink.net!elnk-atl-nf1!newsfeed.earthlink.net!newsswing.news.prodigy.com!prodigy.net!prodigy.com!newsread.com!newsstand.newsread.com!POSTED.monger.newsread.com!not-for-mail Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated Approved: ascem@earthlink.net Organization: Better Living Thru TrekSmut Sender: ascem@earthlink.net Message-ID: From: "Ida Vega-Landow" MIME-Version: 1.0 Mailing-List: list ASCEML@yahoogroups.com; contact ASCEML-owner@yahoogroups.com Subject: Christmas Slash II Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Lines: 351 Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2004 23:55:03 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 209.198.142.218 X-Complaints-To: Abuse Role , We Care X-Trace: monger.newsread.com 1103327703 209.198.142.218 (Fri, 17 Dec 2004 18:55:03 EST) NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2004 18:55:03 EST Xref: news.earthlink.net alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated:86025 X-Received-Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2004 15:55:21 PST (newsspool2.news.atl.earthlink.net) Okay, everybody! After digging through the old e-mails of COCO=20 CHANNEL, I was finally able to locate my second TNG Christmas story,=20 starring Picard/Riker. The reason I didn't post it sooner is that=20 the disk I originally saved it on became corrupted and my friendly=20 neighborhood computer techie couldn't do a thing to repair it. So I=20 was forced to print it out and transcribe it into my hard drive,=20 from whence I shall now post it here. Keep your fingers crossed! REP,COR: STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION "SILENT NIGHT, LONELY NIGHT" P/R, NC-17 Part 1 of 3 Author: Ida Vega-Landow, a/k/a Slasherfem DISCLAIMER: "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and all the characters=20 therein are the intellectual property of Paramount Studios. The=20 following story is MY intellectual property. If they promise not to=20 profit from my labor, I'll promise not to try to profit from=20 theirs. That said, the only profit I seek is my entertainment and=20 yours, from a tender love story set at Christmas. So, Feliz Navidad=20 a todos! (Note: This story was originally posted on the COCO=20 CHANNEL, Christmas of 2003; I'm reposting it here with a few=20 corrections.) SUMMARY: Picard spends Christmas Eve alone, drinking and thinking of=20 PART ONE It was Christmas Eve and Captain Jean-Luc Picard was pouring himself=20 another glass of Ch=E2teau Picard, the latest batch of Beaujolais=20 Nouveau from the Picard family vineyard on Earth. It was his fifth=20 glass this evening; he was going to need a lot more if he wanted to=20 get through this night. He had originally intended to share this=20 wine with a very special friend; his first officer, William Thomas=20 Riker, who had become as dear to him in the last six years as a son=20 or a brother. But the erotic dreams he'd been having lately, along=20 with the mouth-drying, groin-tightening sensations he'd been having=20 whenever he caught sight of Riker's scantily clad or nude body in=20 the ship's gym, told him he'd been fooling himself all these years,=20 and that his feelings for Will Riker were definitely not fatherly or=20 brotherly. His own brother, Robert Picard, would probably be=20 shocked to find that his annoyingly perfect younger brother, who had=20 a sterling career in Starfleet, was willing to jeopardize that=20 career for the sake of one of his officers. And not even a female=20 officer, at that! //He'd probably be relieved to see how I got the brush-off=20 tonight,// Picard thought glumly as he sipped the strong, red=20 wine. //Rejected before I even got the chance to make an advance!=20=20 Serves me right, waiting so long to declare myself. I should have=20 known that someone as handsome and popular as Will would be sure to=20 have plans on Christmas Eve. Unlike yours truly. I couldn't even=20 get Beverly to come with me to the ship's Christmas party in Ten- Forward! It seems like all my friends and senior staff members have=20 made plans for Christmas that don't include me. Now I have to face=20 all the remaining ship's crew in Ten-Forward tonight=97all the other=20 losers who couldn't get a date or leave to visit their families=97and=20 try to convince them of my holiday spirit.// "Bah, humbug!" Picard=20 grumbled aloud as he took another drink. He was hoping to get so drunk he would pass out, so he could skip=20 the enforced festivities in Ten-Forward. Everybody there would be=20 as desperate as he was to show they were having a good time, so that=20 nobody would feel sorry for them for being alone on Christmas=20 Eve. //I don't need anyone's pity, I feel sorry enough for myself.=20=20 You poor fool, why did you have to wait until the last minute to=20 approach him?// His thoughts drifted back against his will to that=20 moment on the bridge earlier this evening, when Will Riker had=20 shattered his hopes into a million brittle pieces without even=20 knowing he had done so... **************** He had waited until the end of Gamma Shift, just before Lieutenant=20 Commander Data had arrived to take the com for Delta Shift. While=20 they were docking in the Starfleet shipyard orbiting above Earth,=20 Picard had casually wandered around the bridge, asking all the=20 department heads what their plans were for Christmas. Everyone had=20 been glad to tell the captain what they had planned. Doctor Crusher=20 was looking forward to visiting her son, Wesley, at Starfleet=20 Academy. Councilor Troi was visiting her father's family on Earth=20 and then heading to Betazed for a duty visit to her mother. La=20 Forge had proudly informed Picard of his invitation to visit the=20 Daystrum Institute from Doctor Leah Brahms. Even Worf was looking=20 forward to taking his son Alexander to visit his adoptive parents in=20 Russia, though he claimed that he was just coming along to make sure=20 that they wouldn't spoil the boy too much. By the time Picard got=20 to Riker, he was all keyed up and eager to extend an invitation to=20 his friend to help him sample the Beaujolais Nouvous his brother had=20 sent him. "Well, Number One, what about you?" Picard had asked him last of=20 all. "Do you have anything in particular planned this Christmas?" "Not really, sir," Riker had admitted, which had sent Picard's hopes=20 soaring at first. "So you're free to attend the ship's Christmas party in Ten-Forward=20 tonight?" "Not unless I have no other alternative, sir!" Riker had laughed.=20=20 Before Picard could offer him an alternative, Riker had=20 continued. "I'd sooner head for San Francisco once we dock. We're=20 going to be in Earth's orbit anyway, so I might as well visit my=20 home world and get reacquainted with the pleasures of home. I might=20 even visit Alaska for old time's sake." Picard's hopes had gone from soaring to sinking like a stone at the=20 mention of San Francisco. He knew all too well the pleasures that=20 were available in that city to an attractive young man. "Oh, I=20 see. Well, I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities for you=20 in San Francisco," he'd said, carefully keeping his voice=20 neutral. "As for me, I suppose I'd better put in an appearance at=20 the Ten-Forward party. Just to keep up morale, you know." "You don't have to stay there all night, Captain," Riker had told=20 him sympathetically. "Just drop in, have a drink, shake a few hands=20 and leave. Then you can have the rest of the night to yourself." //What good is having a whole night to myself if I don't have you to=20 spend it with?// Picard had thought, keeping a smile on his face so=20 he wouldn't reveal his pain. He wished Riker luck and said good=20 night, just as Data, the only other senior staff member without any=20 plans for the holiday, had shown up for the night shift. He was=20 careful to stay behind on the pretext of giving Data last minute=20 orders, so he wouldn't have to ride in the turbolift with Riker. Later, as he rode the lift alone to his quarters, he felt his bitter=20 disappointment force its' way up into his throat, forming a painful=20 lump in there. He swallowed his disappointment, reminding himself=20 that he was a grown man and should know by now how to deal with=20 rejection. But his throat still hurt, and his eyes were starting to=20 water by the time he got to Deck 8. He'd had to rub his arm across=20 his eyes hard before daring to step off the lift. It wouldn't do=20 for his crew to see their captain in tears. **************** Now, two hours later, he was alone in his quarters with only a crate=20 of red wine for company. He'd already finished one bottle. He'd=20 work his way through the whole lot if he had to, until he stopped=20 feeling this hurt, empty feeling inside. As he fumbled with the=20 corkscrew, he asked himself: //Why is it so important to you to=20 start a relationship with Riker now? He's been your first officer=20 for six years, and in all that time you've taken a fatherly pride in=20 him. Why don't you just go on being a father figure to him?// A memory came into his wine-fogged brain of Will Riker in the gym=20 showers after a workout, his hairy, hard-muscled body covered with=20 soap suds and dripping wet as he washed his hair. Even at rest, his=20 massive penis had looked impressive, thick and wide as a club. It=20 would probably be at least nine inches long when erect. Picard's=20 own member began to harden at the thought of seeing and touching=20 this beautiful phallus in the flesh, and he knew that a father was=20 not supposed to have such feelings for his son. //Stop that now!// he scolded himself, turning off the mental vision=20 of masculine beauty as if he were switching off a stereovid=20 monitor. //That will do, Jean-Luc! Don't waste your time=20 daydreaming of what you can't have. Why don't you go to the bloody=20 party and find yourself a substitute? Some beautiful stranger of=20 either gender, who'll be proud to go home with the captain? Yes,=20 that would be quite a feather in some lucky crewman's hat, wouldn't=20 it? I'm sure it'll be all over the ship by Christmas morning, that=20 Captain Picard singled out some lowly crewman to enjoy his favors.=20=20 Then that lowly crewman will expect you to dispense other favors as=20 well. Like a promotion, or special consideration for important=20 assignments, or a willingness to overlook tardiness and shoddy=20 work.// He shook his head, wondering when he had become so cynical. //Oh,=20 come now, Jean-Luc, that's hardly being fair to your fellow=20 officers. You didn't have those problems the last time you became=20 involved with a crewmember.// The memory gave him an ache in the=20 region of his chest where his heart used to be, before it was=20 replaced by a pump. His short-lived romance with Lieutenant Nella=20 Daren had been a bittersweet example of why Starfleet captains=20 should not become romantically involved with their crewmembers.=20=20 Nella had never tried to take advantage of their relationship, but=20 it had still made Riker and his other officers uneasy about working=20 with her. Just knowing that she was the captain's paramour made her=20 fellow officers hesitant about refusing her requests or questioning=20 her work in Stellar Sciences, worried that their refusal or=20 criticism would get back to the captain, who might decide to punish=20 them for their rudeness to his beloved.=20=20 Then had come that fateful day at Bersallis III, when he had been=20 forced to give the order that would save 73 colonists' lives, but=20 might cause the death of his lover and everyone else in her landing=20 party. Nella and most of her people had survived, by the grace of=20 God, but their relationship had never been the same afterwards.=20=20 Knowing that he was capable of putting her in peril for the sake of=20 the mission had made her realize just how risky it was being the=20 captain's lover. Risky for him, as well; he'd spent an hour in hell=20 picturing her dead, blaming himself for it, shutting down=20 emotionally to the point where he couldn't even see himself playing=20 his Ressikan flute anymore, because it reminded him of her and the=20 duets they used to play together, he on his flute and she on her=20 keyboard. So Nella had requested a transfer, for both their sakes. //That was a strange way to prove her love for me, asking for a=20 transfer.// He paused in his drinking to say aloud with solemn=20 sarcasm, "In order to save the relationship, we can never see each=20 other again." He then laughed bitterly and took another sip of=20 wine. //Oh, we said we'd write to each other, arrange to take our=20 leaves together, but in the end it died a natural death due to=20 neglect. Long distance relationships require a great deal of=20 nurturing, like orchids. And I've always had a bit of a black=20 thumb. Why else would I be here in space, instead of on my family=20 estate tending the vineyards?// He stared down into his glass at the latest product of the Picard=20 vineyards. //This wine wouldn't taste half as good if I had any=20 part in making it. Then again, I wouldn't need to be drinking so=20 much of it if I were just a simple country winemaker instead of a=20 starship captain.// He drained his glass, letting the strong, red=20 wine anesthetize him further. //Would I have an easier time finding=20 someone to love if I weren't a starship captain? Or would I still=20 be alone on Christmas Eve, even if I was just a simple winemaker?=20=20 Is it my profession, or my own nature that makes it so hard for me=20 to love someone?// He was so drunk by now that he completely=20 overlooked the fact that he had no trouble loving someone; it was=20 when someone loved him back that his troubles began. He started=20 going over all his failed relationships of the past, beginning with=20 Jenice Manheim and ending with Vash, and came to the conclusion that=20 he was not only unable to love, but unfit to love as well. Why else=20 would there be so many partings in his past? Why else would he be=20 here alone on Christmas Eve? "Face it, Jean-Luc," he said aloud, slurring his words as he slumped=20 deeper into his easy chair, "you're a pretty sad excuse for a man.=20=20 If it wasn't for your rank and title, no one would give you the time=20 of day. Even your loyal crew is more devoted to the captain of the=20 ENTERPRISE than they are to you." It hurt to think that the people=20 he considered his friends thought of him primarily as their=20 commanding officer, not as a man. Even Will Riker, whom he longed=20 for as more than a friend, would probably have given him the brush- off even sooner if he hadn't been talking to his captain. //How=20 would he treat me if I were just an ordinary man he met on leave in=20 San Francisco?// He pictured himself in a crowded bar in San=20 Francisco, in civilian clothing, catching sight of Riker across the=20 room, going up to him and attempting to strike up a conversation,=20 only to have Riker walk right by him as if he were invisible, making=20 a beeline for a tall, black-haired woman in a tight, red dress who=20 looked like Deanna Troi. He replayed the scenario, imagining=20 himself in Starfleet uniform instead of civilian clothes. This=20 time, when he spoke to Riker, the other man acknowledged him as a=20 fellow officer.=20=20 //But would he leave with me if I asked him to? Aye, there's the=20 rub...// Picard was a modest man, but he did have his pride. That=20 pride demanded that anyone he wished to be intimate with do so=20 because they were attracted to him, Jean-Luc Picard, not the captain=20 of the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE. How much of Riker's friendship for him=20 was based upon his rank, rather than his character? Would they=20 still be friends if Picard approached him romantically? More=20 importantly, would Riker feel free to refuse him, or feel obligated=20 to say yes because it was his captain who was asking?=20=20 //Rank hath its' privileges, but they do not include abusing your=20 authority to satisfy your desires, whatever they may be,// Picard=20 lectured himself internally. //And abusing your authority to take=20 advantage of a friend is the worse kind of abuse.// He had always=20 been disgusted by fellow officers who used their rank to prey upon=20 female subordinates, pursuing young ensigns as aggressively as a fox=20 in a henhouse. If he took advantage of his rank to get Riker into=20 bed, he'd be no better than those men. //I won't abuse my rank, or=20 our friendship. I'd rather spend the rest of my nights lying alone=20 then lying with a lover who can't say no. If he wants me as much as=20 I want him, then let him come to me.// He let out another bitter=20 laugh. //Fat chance! Why should Riker come to you when he's got=20 his pick of all the bars in San Franciso tonight? Not everyone is=20 as desperate as you!// He took another drink. His head began to=20 spin as he felt himself sinking deeper and deeper into=20 depression. //I have a better chance of being made an admiral than=20 of seeing Will Riker walk through my door right now!// As if on cue, his door chimed. Picard groaned softly, sinking=20 deeper into the comforting arms of his easy chair. //Who could it=20 be now, wanting to see the captain on Christmas Eve? What's so=20 bloody important that it can't wait until tomorrow? Maybe if I stay=20 quiet, they'll go away.// He stayed slumped in his chair listening=20 to the door chime again and again, until he couldn't take it=20 anymore. Gathering his few remaining wits, he hoisted himself out=20 of his chair, spilling most of his wine on the carpet. Cursing his=20 unknown caller for making him spill his drink, he set the glass=20 goblet down by the chair with exaggerated care to avoid breaking=20 it. Then he lurched toward the door, determined to send the caller=20 away with a flea in his ear for interrupting a perfectly good=20 evening of drunken self-pity. When he got there, he stopped to straighten his uniform tunic with=20 his customary tug. Then he stood up as straight as he could, took a=20 deep breath and yelled, "Who is it?" in the loudest, most=20 authoritative voice he could muster, hoping to intimidate his caller=20 into leaving.=20=20 Far from being intimidated, his caller replied in a familiar=20 voice, "Captain, I need to see you!" "What the hell for?" Picard demanded. "I'm off duty, damn it!=20=20 Don't you know it's Christmas Eve? Doesn't anybody on this bloody=20 ship know how to handle a crisis without running to the captain?"=20 "Please, sir! It'll only take a minute." Hearing the note of desperation in the caller's voice, Picard gave=20 in. "Oh, all right!" he grumbled. After muttering a few French=20 curses under his breath, he added, "Come in!"=20=20 The door swished open, revealing the tall, dark, and handsome figure=20 of Commander William Thomas Riker, wearing a bright blue silk shirt,=20 tight black denim jeans, and non-regulation Western boots of the=20 same hue. The shirt was unbuttoned low enough to reveal an alluring=20 patch of black chest hair. Picard found his eyes drawn to that=20 patch of chest hair as Riker's blue eyes regarded him with=20 concern. "Captain," he asked, "are you all right?" TO BE CONTINUED... =20 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ASCEM messages are copied to a mailing list. Most recent messages can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCEML. NewMessage: Path: newsspool2.news.atl.earthlink.net!stamper.news.atl.earthlink.net!stamper.news.pas.earthlink.net!elnk-nf2-pas!newsfeed.earthlink.net!newshub.sdsu.edu!border1.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!newsread.com!newsstand.newsread.com!POSTED.newshog.newsread.com!not-for-mail Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated Approved: ascem@earthlink.net Organization: Better Living Thru TrekSmut Sender: ascem@earthlink.net Message-ID: From: "Ida Vega-Landow" MIME-Version: 1.0 Mailing-List: list ASCEML@yahoogroups.com; contact ASCEML-owner@yahoogroups.com Subject: Christmas Slash II: "Silent Night, Lonely Night", Part 2 of 3 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Lines: 306 Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 17:55:03 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 209.198.142.218 X-Complaints-To: Abuse Role , We Care X-Trace: newshog.newsread.com 1103565303 209.198.142.218 (Mon, 20 Dec 2004 12:55:03 EST) NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 12:55:03 EST Xref: news.earthlink.net alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated:86073 X-Received-Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 09:56:12 PST (newsspool2.news.atl.earthlink.net) REP,COR: STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION "SILENT NIGHT, LONELY NIGHT" P/R, NC-17 Part 2 of 3 Author: Ida Vega-Landow, a/k/a Slasherfem =20=20=20=20 PART TWO Picard blinked, tore his eyes away from the enticing sight of=20 Riker's chest hair and shook his head, and said contritely, "Oh,=20 hello, Mr. Riker. I didn't know you were still on board." "Is everything all right, Captain?" Riker reiterated his=20 question. "I passed the Ten-Forward Lounge on my way to Transporter=20 Room Three, and I thought I'd drop in to see if you needed help=20 getting away. I knew you'd be too polite to just pop in and pop out=20 again, so I wanted to give you an excuse to leave early. When I=20 couldn't find you, I asked Guinan if you were there. She said you=20 never arrived. I=97" Riker looked embarrassed. "I got a little=20 concerned, sir, knowing how conscientious you are about making=20 public appearances. It just didn't seem like you to skip the annual=20 ship's Christmas party after saying you would be there. So I=20 thought I'd better check on you, just to be sure." As he spoke, the captain regarded him with bleary eyes. Riker=20 noticed how disheveled he was and how he smelled of wine. He didn't=20 smell of perfume, though, nor was there any trace of lipstick on=20 him. So at least he was alone. Riker didn't know why that bit of=20 information made him feel better. All he knew was that earlier this=20 evening on the bridge, he'd had the impression that the captain had=20 been about to tell him something. His bright, hazel eyes and open=20 smile had made Riker feel warm inside, warm and trusting enough to=20 let him know he had no particular plans for Christmas. But when he=20 mentioned beaming down to San Francisco, the light in Picard's eyes=20 had gone out and his smile had dimmed. After that, he had cut the=20 conversation short, before Riker had a chance to invite him to=20 accompany him down to Earth. //Why is it so hard to get close to you?// Riker wondered. //Nobody=20 should be alone on Christmas Eve.// The fact that Picard was alone,=20 as well as drunk and depressed on Christmas Eve, was of great=20 concern to him. Councilor Troi had once confided to him how the=20 number of patients she treated for depression always seemed to=20 increase during the holidays, as well as the number of suicides and=20 suicide attempts. He knew that his captain was a sensible man, not=20 the kind who was easily overwhelmed. //He probably got that stiff=20 upper lip from one of those British boarding schools he attended as=20 a boy,// Riker thought fondly. If captivity and torture at the=20 hands of the Borg and the Cardassians didn't break him, why should=20 mere loneliness? But then again, even the strongest people had a=20 breaking point, especially where their emotions were concerned.=20=20 Seeing Picard like this made him fear that the captain was near his=20 own breaking point.=20=20 //I've got to do something to cheer him up. Maybe if I got him out=20 of his quarters and made him mingle...// Riker smiled and spoke=20 encouragingly. "Come on, Captain, don't spend the whole night alone=20 in your quarters. There's a whole roomful of people eager for your=20 company in Ten-Forward."=20=20 "Oh, the Devil take Ten-Forward and everyone in it!" Picard=20 snapped. "I'm not going down there tonight!" He turned away and=20 headed back to his chair and his drink. Startled, Riker stared after him in astonishment. "But Captain, you=20 always go to the ship's Christmas party!" "Not tonight! I'll be damned if I go to that bloody party full of=20 losers one more time!" Throwing himself into his chair, Picard=20 leaned down to pick up his glass, almost falling out of his chair as=20 he did so. Catching himself in time, he raised his glass in a=20 mocking toast. "Here's to the losers, God bless `em all!" He=20 drained what was left and sat back, staring into the depths of his=20 empty glass. "Did you know your captain was a loser, Will?" he=20 asked conversationally. "I lose everybody that I care about sooner=20 or later. That's why I'm alone this blessed, bleeding Christmas=20 Eve. Even my own crew can't stand to be alone with me for too=20 long. Who could blame `em?" Alarmed by his captain's defeatist attitude, Riker entered the room,=20 letting the door shut behind him. "That's not true, sir! You know=20 your crew holds you in the greatest respect and=20 affection." //Especially me,// he thought. "Yes, the captain of the ENTERPRISE is held in great respect and=20 affection," Picard said ironically. "But no one gives a fig for=20 Jean-Luc Picard." "You're wrong, sir," Riker told him earnestly. "There are people=20 aboard this ship who care for you more than you know." "Well, if they do, it's news to me. Be a good lad and fetch me that=20 wine bottle over there, will you?" The captain gestured over his=20 shoulder with his empty glass, which slipped from his hand and went=20 flying across the room, landing on the carpeted floor in a tinkling=20 pile of broken glass. "With respect, sir, I think you've had enough." Riker feared that=20 more alcohol would only increase Picard's depression; he was=20 determined to protect his captain from himself. "Why don't you come=20 with me to Ten-Forward, for a bite to eat? You don't have to stay=20 for the party." "I told you, Mr. Riker," Picard said, over enunciating each word=20 with drunken emphasis, "that I am not going to that bloody,=20 miserable gathering in the Ten-Forward Lounge. Why should I=20 advertise the fact that I'm alone on Christmas Eve? Why should I=20 pretend to be jolly, amidst a crowd of fellow losers who are also=20 pretending to be jolly? Everyone knows they're there because they=20 couldn't get a bloody date. And everyone is hoping that they'll be=20 leaving with someone by the end of the evening. But I'm the bloody=20 captain of this ship. I don't have the luxury of bringing home a=20 beautiful stranger for the night, because it'll be all over the=20 bleeding ship by morning! Then it'll be like Nella Daren all over=20 again. You do remember Nella, don't you, Will? She was the last=20 person who loved me. She loved me so much, she transferred off this=20 miserable tub so our relationship wouldn't endanger my command."=20=20 Picard laughed bitterly. "That's rich, isn't it? Abandoning your=20 lover to show how much you love him! Or was she just being cruel to=20 be kind? You know, `In order to save the relationship, we can never=20 see each other again'." He leaned forward and covered his face with=20 his hands, his shoulders shaking with bitter laughter that sounded=20 closer to tears. Riker felt his heart go out to him, this brave, noble man who was=20 too proud to admit he was lonely. Throwing aside all formality, he=20 went up to Picard and knelt before him, put his arms around him and=20 held him close, until he stopped shaking and fell silent.=20=20 Embarrassed by his display of weakness, Picard waited until he had=20 gotten a hold of himself before daring to speak again. "I-I'm=20 sorry, Will." He kept his head down, so his voice was muffled=20 against the other man's broad shoulder, hard muscle covered by soft,=20 bright blue silk, which felt strangely comforting. "I guess I've=20 taken a drop more than was good for me." "No need to apologize," Riker assured him gently. "We all take a=20 drink out of the wrong bottle now and then." He kept holding him=20 close as he stroked his back with one hand. Picard allowed himself to be comforted until he started getting too=20 comfortable. The unconscious sensuality of the younger man's=20 caresses gave him a feeling of being more admired than pitied.=20=20 Reminding himself that he was the superior officer and thus the more=20 responsible one, he managed to pull himself away from Riker without=20 revealing how reluctant he was to do so. "Thank you for coming,=20 Will. I'll be all right now."=20=20 "Are you sure, Captain?" Riker asked, still holding him loosely=20 around the waist as he knelt before him. "Yes, perfectly. I guess I'd better go to bed, sleep all this wine=20 off. So you see," Picard said, forcing a note of joviality into his=20 voice, "there's nothing to keep you on this ship any longer."=20=20 "Yes, there is." Riker clasped his hands behind Picard's back,=20 pulling him closer. "I wouldn't feel right about leaving you alone=20 in this condition, sir. Why don't you come down to Ten-Forward with=20 me, so I'll know you aren't alone on Christmas Eve?" Picard sat and stared into his blue eyes, trying to think of a good=20 reason why he shouldn't be out in public with the man he cared about=20 on Christmas Eve. Feeling his arms wrapped around him, and the=20 strength hidden in them, made him long to return the embrace. But=20 where would it go from there? It might start out warm and snuggly,=20 but what if Riker suddenly pulled away in embarrassment and told=20 him, "I'm sorry, sir, you got the wrong idea about me"? Taking refuge behind his command persona, Picard said gruffly, "I=20 told you I'm not going to that pathetic gathering in Ten-Forward,=20 Will. There's nothing you can say to make me change my mind." "How about `please', sir?" Riker said with a smile, tightening his=20 embrace ever so gently around Picard's waist. Picard suddenly found it hard to breathe. Not because Riker was=20 holding him too tight, oh no. The fact that Riker was holding him=20 at all was exciting enough. That he didn't seem reluctant to do so,=20 even seemed to take pleasure in doing so, was making it very hard=20 for him to send him away.=20=20 //But I have to do it,// he argued with himself. //It's for his own=20 good.// So he put his hands on Riker's broad shoulders, preparing=20 to push him away. "No, I am not going anywhere with you tonight,=20 Will Riker," he said determinedly. "I'm sure that a handsome young=20 fellow like you has better things to do on Christmas Eve than keep a=20 lonely old man company." "You're not so old, sir," Riker assured him, his blue eyes=20 bright. "And I'm not that young." "Yes, but=97" Picard found himself stroking the broad shoulders under=20 his small, sensitive hands. "See here, Will, you needn't feel=20 obligated to keep me company tonight. Nursing your captain through=20 a fit of depression isn't part of your duties."=20=20 "I don't mind, sir. All I want is to be here with you. I like=20 being here with you." Was it his imagination, or was Riker leaning=20 closer to him as he spoke, so softly, so earnestly=97one might think=20 he actually cared about the lonely old man he held in his arms. //Don't flatter yourself, Jean-Luc. He just feels sorry for you,=20 that's all.// This thought was like cold water on Picard's libido;=20 he let go of Riker and leaned back in his chair in an attempt to=20 distance himself. "I think perhaps you had better go, Will." Was=20 it drunkenness or desire that made his voice sound so unsteady?=20 "Do you really want me to go, sir?" Riker loosened his embrace and=20 sat back on his heels, as if preparing to rise. "Just say the word=20 and I'm gone. I don't want to impose on you." He cocked his head=20 and looked at Picard with open affection. "But I want you to know=20 that I meant what I said about wanting to be with you. In fact, I'd=20 rather be here with you tonight than anywhere else."=20=20 Picard stared at him in astonishment. "You mean you'd really rather=20 be with me than in some San Francisco bar, where you'd have your=20 pick of all the young and beautiful?" "The young and vapid, you mean. They're nice to spend the night=20 with, but I'm looking for someone I can spend more than a night=20 with. Someone I won't be embarrassed to be seen with the morning=20 after. Someone charming, sophisticated and=97experienced." Riker's=20 grin let him know exactly whom he had in mind. "If you know someone=20 like that, would you please tell him there's a lonely young man=20 aboard your ship who'd love to spend some time with him?" Riker=20 rose to his feet. "I guess I'd better go. If you decide what you=20 want to do tonight, please hail me. I'll be in my quarters." He=20 turned and headed for the door. Picard leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes and told=20 himself: //You're mad, utterly insane. It'll never work out, he's=20 too young for you, hasn't your experience with Nella taught you=20 anything?// All this wise advice did not stop him from opening his=20 eyes, clearing his throat and saying, "Will?"=20=20=20 Riker paused just before he got within sensor range of the=20 door. "Yes, Captain?" he said, looking over his shoulder at the=20 lonely man sitting in his chair across the room.=20=20 Picard saw Riker looking back at him hopefully. If he'd seen=20 smugness, he would have dismissed him with no further word. But=20 just knowing that his young friend wanted to be with him as much as=20 he wanted to be with Riker gave him the courage to speak. "You=20 don't have to go, Will. I may not fancy a night in Ten-Forward, but=20 I-I do fancy you, and I know that-that I'd rather spend the night=20 with you than with anybody else."=20=20 Riker turned and headed back to the chair where he was sitting. He=20 stood over him for a moment to ask, "Are you sure?" When Picard=20 nodded, he knelt before him again and put his arms around him.=20=20 This time Picard returned the embrace, holding him close enough to=20 feel Riker's beard against his cheek. All the pent-up sexual=20 tension he'd been holding inside seemed to leak out of his body like=20 air from a balloon, leaving him limp and relaxed in Riker's arms. After spending a few minutes silently stroking him, Riker took the=20 older man's face between his hands and kissed him on the lips.=20=20 Picard suddenly found it hard to breathe again. Riker let him come=20 up long enough to gasp for breath before resuming the kiss. As they=20 kissed, Riker kept on stroking him, touching, petting, caressing him=20 on all his vulnerable spots. Even the back of Picard's neck came in=20 for a sensual rub, perhaps as an excuse to pull his face nearer so=20 he could kiss him harder. French kissing began just as Picard put his hands inside Riker's=20 open shirt to caress his hairy chest. Riker let out a brief gasp of=20 his own to indicate his pleasure, then slipped his tongue inside=20 Picard's mouth while allowing him to pull his silk shirt out of his=20 jeans and slip it off his shoulders. Moans and sighs of pleasure=20 accompanied the captain's exploration of Riker's thick thatch of=20 chest hair. Finding his nipples amidst the hair and pinching them=20 between his sensitive fingers almost made Riker come in his pants.=20=20 He sucked on Picard's tongue while his hands fell to his lap to=20 caress his thighs, then fondle his crotch. Picard felt his already throbbing cock become harder under Riker's=20 touch. He tried not to betray his eagerness, but couldn't stop=20 himself from thrusting his hips forward, pressing his bulging crotch=20 into Riker's hand. The next thing he knew, his uniform trousers were pushed down to his=20 ankles and he was looking down at the back of Riker's dark head as=20 he eagerly sucked on his captain's cock. It didn't take very long=20 for him to come inside the hot mouth, emitting a cry of astonished=20 pleasure as he sank back into the depths of his chair. While he was=20 still recovering from his orgasm, Riker rose up on his knees and=20 embraced him again, then asked huskily, "You want to go to bed?" "Yes," Picard whispered, uncertain whether it was embarrassment or=20 excitement that kept his voice low. He wasn't sure if he could even=20 stand up after a climax so intense. But Riker solved the problem by=20 picking him up and carrying him to his bed. TO BE CONTINUED... ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ASCEM messages are copied to a mailing list. Most recent messages can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCEML. NewMessage: Path: newsspool2.news.atl.earthlink.net!stamper.news.atl.earthlink.net!elnk-atl-nf1!newsfeed.earthlink.net!atl-c03.usenetserver.com!news.usenetserver.com!newsprint.newsread.com!news-xfer.newsread.com!yellow.newsread.com!news-toy.newsread.com!netaxs.com!newsread.com!POSTED.newshog.newsread.com!not-for-mail Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated Approved: ascem@earthlink.net Organization: Better Living Thru TrekSmut Sender: ascem@earthlink.net Message-ID: From: "Ida Vega-Landow" MIME-Version: 1.0 Mailing-List: list ASCEML@yahoogroups.com; contact ASCEML-owner@yahoogroups.com Subject: Christmas Slash II: "Silent Night, Lonely Night", Part 3 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Lines: 229 Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2004 17:55:04 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 209.198.142.218 X-Complaints-To: Abuse Role , We Care X-Trace: newshog.newsread.com 1103651704 209.198.142.218 (Tue, 21 Dec 2004 12:55:04 EST) NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2004 12:55:04 EST Xref: news.earthlink.net alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated:86122 X-Received-Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2004 09:55:08 PST (newsspool2.news.atl.earthlink.net) REP,COR: STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION "SILENT NIGHT, LONELY NIGHT" P/R, NC-17 Part 3 of 3 Author: Ida Vega-Landow, a/k/a Slasherfem =20=20=20=20 PART THREE Christmas morning, Picard woke up slowly, rising from sleep like a=20 swimmer from deep water. The first thing he noticed was that he had=20 a headache. That didn't surprise him, as he remembered drinking a=20 great deal of wine last night. But the rest of his memories were=20 jumbled; he remembered last night clearly, up to the point where he=20 left the bridge feeling bitterly disappointed that he hadn't been=20 able to invite Riker back to his quarters. Then had come the=20 drinking binge, accompanied by his own personal pity party. What=20 happened next was all a blur, in which Riker's blue eyes gazing=20 lovingly into his was the most prominent feature. //Will! Was Will here last night, or did I only dream he was?// He=20 sat up quickly, which did not go well with his aching head. He let=20 out a groan and clutched his head in his hands. His temples were=20 pounding and his throat was dry. He knew he needed a long drink of=20 water and a couple of pain-relieving pills, but first he took a good=20 look around his sleeping area. He saw his discarded uniform lying=20 close by, next to his boots, which had been flung into a corner.=20=20 But there was no sign of anyone else having been here, no bright=20 blue silk shirt, no black jeans or Western boots. "Will?" he said aloud, hoarsely on account of his dry throat. No=20 answer. So he said it again, louder. "Will?" Still no answer.=20=20 That could only mean one thing. "It was all a dream. Just a=20 dream." He fell back against his pillow, tears filling his eyes.=20=20 He shut them and felt the hot tears leak out, streaming down the=20 sides of his face. //Of course it was a dream, you fool! Did you really think that=20 Will Riker would come to you of his own accord on Christmas Eve,=20 just to spend the night with you?// The humiliation he felt over=20 this deluded fantasy added to his pain. //But it was all so real.=20=20 It felt so real...// Portions of his dream were starting to come=20 back to him; Riker's unexpected arrival, his sympathetic response to=20 Picard's self-pitying diatribe, his admission of affection, the=20 tender kiss they had shared and what followed, up to the point where=20 Riker had carried him to bed. What happened after that was a blur. Had they or hadn't they had=20 sex? He seemed to recall Riker stripping him forcefully, almost=20 tearing his clothes off. He had the distinct impression of Riker's=20 hot, naked body lying on top of his naked body, feeling his hot lips=20 on his mouth and throat, his big, strong hands parting his thighs,=20 his long, hard cock thrusting between his legs=97Picard let out=20 another groan of mingled pain and anguish. How could he have=20 dreamed so vividly? He touched himself and felt a dried stickiness=20 on his belly and thighs. //Where did that come from, if I was only=20 dreaming?// He answered himself promptly. //From you, of course!=20=20 That's your own semen. You had a wet dream and came all over=20 yourself, like a schoolboy.//=20=20 Disgust and self-loathing were added to the discomfort of his=20 hangover. He rolled over and slowly, carefully, laid his aching=20 head face down on the pillow and touched his buttocks. They weren't=20 sore; further proof that last night had been only a dream. Or was=20 it only that they hadn't gone that far?=20 //In your dreams, Jean-Luc,// he thought, castigating himself=20 sarcastically. //Only in your dreams would Will Riker ever get=20 around to screwing you!// He wondered why he was so hard on=20 himself; surely he wasn't the first older man to become infatuated=20 with a younger one? //You've come a long way from your school days,=20 when you were the cute one being courted by all the older boys who=20 wanted to educate you in the ways of the world. Back then, you were=20 more particular. It took more than a bag of sweets to get into this=20 schoolboy's pants! But now, you'd roll over for one of Riker's=20 smiles, wouldn't you?// The cynic in him continued to criticize the=20 romantic, while he lay in bed with an aching head and a pain in his=20 chest where his heart used to be. A part of him wondered whether it=20 was a "phantom pain", similar to the one felt by amputees who=20 haven't quite accepted that a part of them is gone. As he lay there enduring his pains, Riker came out of the bathroom,=20 wearing the same clothes he'd had on last night. When Picard saw=20 him, he thought he was dreaming again. "Will?" he said hoarsely,=20 hazel eyes wide with astonishment. "Good morning!" Riker said cheerfully. "Glad to see you're awake."=20=20 Seeing Picard's bewildered expression, he laughed. "Did you really=20 think I'd just get up and leave you without saying goodbye?" "I-I thought=97I thought that you were never here to begin with,"=20 Picard confessed. "When I woke up and found myself alone, I-I=20 thought it was all a dream." Riker's smile faded when he saw that he was serious. "You thought=20 last night was a dream? Just how much did you have to drink?" "Quite enough, thank you." Picard tried to raise his head from the=20 pillow, flinched from the pain and put it back down. Riker headed for the replicator and asked for a glass of cold water=20 and two extra strength ibuprofen tablets. A tall drinking glass=20 with the Starfleet emblem on it, filled with cold water, appeared in=20 the replicator, along with the two tablets inside a small paper=20 cup. He took them over to the bed and offered them to his captain,=20 who accepted them gratefully. He had to sit up to take the pills,=20 which was not easy, but Riker made it easier by sitting beside him=20 and putting an arm around him to prop him up. After taking the=20 pills and drinking the entire glass of water, Picard tried to lie=20 down again, but Riker kept him upright. "Just tell me one thing: are you sorry about what happened last=20 night?"=20=20 "No. Are you?" "Not a bit," Riker admitted. "In fact, I want you to know that I=20 meant every word I said about wanting to be with you, instead of at=20 the Ten-Forward party or in some bar in San Francisco. Just in case=20 you thought that was a dream, too." Picard gave him a look of mingled relief and astonishment. "Will, I- I don't know what to say." "Don't say anything. Just relax and let me hold you." He put his=20 arms around him, enfolding him in warmth and strength. Picard laid=20 his still aching head upon his first officer's breast and closed his=20 eyes, emitting a soft sigh of contentment. They remained that way for some time while Christmas morning dawned=20 over the rest of the ship. Children woke up and ran to the=20 Christmas trees in their living quarters to find their toys; their=20 parents got up to make breakfast and give presents to each other.=20=20 Survivors of last night's Ten-Forward party crawled out of bed and=20 sought hangover remedies, and polite excuses to leave the ones they=20 left with, if that person turned out not to be as attractive as they=20 thought they were while drunk. Guinan was making coffee for the=20 ones who never made it out of the lounge last night, while her staff=20 politely woke them up and asked if they wanted breakfast. In a few=20 cases, Security had to be summoned to carry some unconscious crewmen=20 back to their quarters. Maintenance dutifully cleaned up the mess=20 left by the revelers, not only in Ten-Forward but on several decks=20 inhabited by unmarried personnel, which included not only discarded=20 drink glasses and unfinished food, but quite a few pairs of high- heeled shoes and fancy underwear, not all of it female. Up on the=20 bridge, the Delta team was preparing to go off duty while Data wrote=20 his report on the relatively uneventful night, still wondering why=20 an inebriated crewman had felt compelled to go wandering through the=20 corridors wearing only a red Santa Claus hat and a sprig of=20 mistletoe in his belly button, asking people to kiss him under the=20 mistletoe.=20 Back in the captain's quarters, Picard's headache was finally=20 yielding to the ibuprofen. Relief from the pain was helping him=20 think more clearly, but his worried thoughts about the possible=20 consequences of last night were being constantly interrupted by=20 Riker's tender caresses on his back and sides, supplemented by his=20 gentle stroking of Picard's temples to ease his headache. Just as=20 he was on the verge of falling asleep in his lover's arms, Riker=20 whispered in his ear. "Jean-Luc? Jean-Luc, wake up." The captain roused himself and looked up into his blue eyes. "Yes,=20 Will?" Riker smiled tenderly into his hazel eyes. "How about breakfast?" "Uggh!" Picard groaned. "If you really love me, Will, please don't=20 mention food!"=20=20 "I do love you, and food is exactly what we both need right now.=20=20 Remember, neither one of us had any dinner last night." Picard sighed like a martyr. "Very well, fetch me a cup of Earl=20 Gray tea and some toast. I'll try to force it down." "That's the spirit. I'll get some coffee and toast from the=20 replicator too. When we're finished, you can freshen up in the=20 shower while I try to find you something nice to wear. Then we'll=20 beam down to San Francisco and see where the day takes us." "Yes, I'd like that," Picard admitted softly. "Spending Christmas=20 day with you does sound more appealing than spending it on the=20 bridge, like it was just another day." "I'm sure Data won't mind working another shift. Or even the whole=20 day. Come on, Jean-Luc, let's play hooky together!" Riker urged him. Picard laughed. "I haven't heard that phrase since I was a=20 schoolboy! You do make me feel young again, Will." Riker hugged him. "Like I told you last night, you're not so old.=20=20 And if you feel tempted to dip into the Ch=E2teau Picard again, at=20 least invite me to share it with you." "That was my intention, on the bridge last night," Picard admitted,=20 looking him in the face. "Until you told me that you intended to=20 beam down to San Francisco. I took that to mean that you'd rather=20 be anywhere else than with me." "If you hadn't cut me off to speak to Data, I would have invited you=20 to come with me. Which was MY intention." "Oh, dear. We were speaking at cross purposes, weren't we?" "Let's try not to get our wires crossed again, okay? Let me get our=20 breakfasts and we can talk about what we're going to do in San=20 Francisco." "All right." Picard released him from his embrace and watched him=20 fondly as he crossed the room to the replicator, thinking: //This=20 all still feels like a dream to me, `too flattering sweet to be=20 substantial'. Well, if it is a dream, I hope it lasts all day.=20=20 That'll be my Christmas wish. It would be sweet if it lasted beyond=20 today as well. But however long it lasts, I intend to enjoy every=20 minute.// He smiled like a happy little boy as he watched Riker=20 bending over the replicator, enjoying the sight of his well-shaped=20 posterior in the tight black jeans. "God bless us, everyone!" he=20 murmured mischievously.=20=20 THE END ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ASCEM messages are copied to a mailing list. Most recent messages can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCEML. NewMessage: