Waterlogged

Title: Waterlogged

Author: The Ragged Rose

Author's e-mail: raggedrose@yahoo.comcom

Author's URL: http://black-rose.net

Archive: Permission to archive granted, just let me know you're doing it.

Feedback: Please! The more the better! Did you like it? Hate it? Find a typo?

Fandom: Star Trek: Enterprise

Category: Slash

Rating: NC-17

Status: Complete

Pairing: Tucker/Reed

Summary: Who ever thought that it was a good idea to send 83 people to the showers at once… Malcolm and Trip get to play in the water and move on from there.

Warnings: BDSM

Beta: Moonjaguar, who also sent me the following pithy quote: "I don't gotta have no steeking beta and I don't wanna be one neitha".

Spoilers: The Catwalk

Disclaimer: I don't own the boys, I just liked dunking them in the water and scrubbing them down. I dried them off and tucked them back into their bunks when I was through. No copyright infringement intended, I bow to the Great Gods Paramount.


Waterlogged
By The Ragged Rose

"Goddammit!" The loud 'clunk' of metal on metal came from below deck level. An access hatch in main Engineering had been pulled aside to expose the systems below. A moment later, a greasy hand groped out of the hole toward the toolbox on the deck. It stretched out, but couldn't quite reach it.

"Hey! Anyone out there?" Trip Tucker waited a moment, his hand clenched around the junction where the water recycler unit joined the main line. "Malcolm!" He glared at the open deckplate. "Dammit, where in hell are you? I can't let go of this!"

Malcolm Reed heard the muffled swearing as he came back through the door. He felt like doing a bit of swearing himself. His head itched abominably, a legacy of the aborted shower he'd been taking just before the water systems blew. He'd had just enough time to soap himself up before the water had shut off. In retrospect, they should have seen it coming. 83 people trying to take a shower at the same time was a load Enterprise's systems had never been designed for. Nonetheless, he trotted over to the hatch, and dumped his armful of assorted tools and spare parts on the deck. "What do you need?"

"Pass me the sealing unit. I can't let go of this and I can't reach the toolbox." Trip tried not to let his irritation come out in his voice. "What took ya so long?"

Malcolm stiffened as he rummaged around in the box. "The supply cabinets weren't exactly in good order after our little adventure," he said in what he hoped was a pleasant tone. "You're lucky I found everything as quickly as I did." He located the requested item and leaned over the hole to pass it down.

Trip played the beam over the junction. "I know we've got a lot of cleaning up to do. This time I hope everything can wait till after I get my shower. You'd think people'd have a little more sense."

"At least you weren't interrupted in the middle of yours," said Reed. "The first shower I've had in eight days and as soon as I got started the water cut off!"

Trip glared at the coupling he was working on. "Give it a rest, Malcolm, wouldja?" He didn't trust himself to say any more. He had lost count of the number of times he had told himself that constant complaining was Malcolm's way of dealing with close quarters and inactivity. He concentrated on the job at hand. The sooner they got the water system back online, the sooner he could escape.

Trip moved his hand away, ready to grab it again if the seal didn't hold. When he was satisfied, he wiggled around in the tight space to get to the panel behind him.

At that moment, the seal failed. Water blasted Tucker against the panel, momentarily knocking the wind out of him. Alarms squealed.

Reed threw himself into the open plating and grabbed at the hose, which was by now writhing wildly in the small space, soaking everything. Briefly his head went under as the water got deeper. He thrashed wildly and pushed himself above the surface, the hose forgotten as he fought down panic. He grabbed the hose again as he got control of himself.

"Turn it off, dammit!" Trip shot out of the crawlspace and across to the main panel. His hands danced across the controls and abruptly the water ceased. He stalked back to the open plate. Malcolm was glaring up at him, the hose in his hand. Both men were completely soaked.

Trip couldn't help it. He began to chuckle. As Malcolm's glare turned to a look of pure outrage, he began to laugh out loud.

"This isn't funny!"

Trip was too far gone to care. "You've--been saying--you wanted a shower--for days," he managed at last. He slicked his dripping hair out of his eyes.

Maybe it was funny, in a way. As the surge of adrenaline receded Reed decided he wasn't up to another quarrel. He'd had more than enough of that when they were trapped in the catwalk. "It looks like we both got one," he allowed. At least there was some justice in the universe. Trip was as wet as he was. And the shampoo that had been itching like mad was at last out of his hair. He stood up and climbed out of the water, which had pooled in the small space. He shivered, glad it hadn't gotten any deeper. "The recyclers don't seem to be working."

"I shut 'em off with everything else," Tucker answered. "Let's see if I can isolate the main line so we can turn them back on." He returned to the console and set to work. "Well, at least something works," he said as the recyclers came back on with a soft hum. The water level in the hole began to drop. "Lordy, what a mess!" He peered down at the soaked conduits. "We're gonna need a new coupling--and people are going to have to take it easy this time. No way I can put a larger bore in here, the recyclers won't handle any more flow." He looked down at himself. "Since we've already had our showers, we can finish this job and button things up while the rest of the crew gets cycled through." He climbed back down and took the hose from Reed. He examined it carefully for damage.

Malcolm felt his irritation return. "I was looking forward to being clean at long last. It doesn't seem all that difficult a problem for the chief engineer."

Trip sighed. "Give it a rest, Malcolm." Did he have to keep going back to the fact that the Engineering crew hadn't had time to rig showers before they had had to take to the catwalk? "Look, we all take sea showers and I think the system can handle it. By the time we're done they will be too."

He stood up and rummaged around in the components Reed had brought. He selected a new coupling and handed it to Reed. "Could ya get this reinstalled while I work on the settings? Sooner we get this done the sooner we can get dry." He was tempted to add 'and the sooner I can get my temper under control before I wring your neck.' He turned to the panel instead. It had been a long eight days. It seemed that most of them had been spent in one argument or another. Trip had been suspended between the desire to beat Malcolm senseless or kiss him breathless. Either would have shut the man's mouth, but neither had been possible. Right now, anger had won out over desire. He crossed over to the controls and got to work.

*** ***

Reed shivered in his wet uniform as they walked down the corridor. Beside him Trip was prattling on about hot coffee and a good breakfast. After eight days of no privacy whatsoever, of being able to talk to Trip but not touch him, Reed's mind was definitely not on food.

"What I want right now is a shower and a dry uniform." Reed didn't dare say what he really wanted, not out here in the corridor. There were certain standards to be maintained after all.

Tucker had had enough. "What is it with you, Malcolm? Thought you were one of those strength in adversity types. A few days in a crawlspace ain't that bad." He entered his code and the door to his quarters obediently opened. "I'd love to continue this delightful conversation, but right now I want some breakfast. And I can't go to the mess hall dripping."

"Well, I'll leave you to it, then," Reed said tightly. He turned towards his quarters. If all Trip could think about was a decent meal, then that was fine with Reed.

Tucker turned to see Reed's retreating back. "Malcolm! What the hell--" He slammed his door shut and followed. Damn the pissy little bastard anyway! He'd be damned if he'd let him walk off like that after all Reed had put him through.

He caught up to Reed as he was keying in his passcode.

"Malcolm, what the hell is your problem?"

Reed rounded on Tucker, his eyes snapping sparks. "What's wrong with *me*? He closed his eyes briefly and managed to master himself. It wouldn't do to have the chief engineer and the armory officer brawling in the corridor like schoolboys. Because at the moment, he wanted nothing more than to wipe the deck with Trip Tucker. He ducked through the open door and pushed it closed.

It didn't budge. Trip's foot was blocking it. Before Reed could react, he slipped inside and moved his foot. The door shut with a loud clunk, Reed's weight still against it.

Now that they were alone, Tucker gave way to his anger. "You've been a pain in the ass since the storm started! "

Reed stopped. He had nothing to say. He didn't want to. All he had wanted to do was retreat to the privacy of his own quarters. It had been days since he'd been alone. It seemed like forever. Trip was right, he knew. He knew that he ought to apologize, but he just couldn't make himself say the words. " You haven't exactly been good company yourself," he mumbled.

Abruptly he found himself enveloped in Trip's arms. He stiffened, and tried to pull away, but Trip wouldn't let go.

"Give it up, Malcolm," a soft voice said in his ear. The words were followed by an even softer kiss. "The last few days've been hard on all of us." Trip's hands moved in soothing circles on his back. With a sigh he relaxed into them. They moved up to his shoulders, and slid up his neck into his hair. The anger and frustration he had been holding at bay for the last eight days gave way to desire.

Abruptly, he became aware of just how much his filthy uniform itched and how bad they both smelled, even after their soaking in the cargo bay. Why, oh why had he grabbed the soiled one when he'd been called to Engineering? He gently disentangled himself from Trip's roving hands.

"Do you think the load is off the water systems yet?" He wrinkled his nose as he took Trip's hands in his. "We could both use a shower first."

Trip's eyes were bright, his lips parted. He leaned in for a kiss. "What--not up for a little dirty fun?" He didn't care how they smelled. It had been a long eight days. It didn't help that he found Malcolm's shows of temper intensely erotic. He didn't want to wait to get clean. The look on Malcolm's face made it clear that his lover didn't feel the same way, though.

"Lemme look." Trip went to Reed's terminal and tied into the Engineering systems. After their recent repairs, it was just as well he kept an eye on things. The readings were reassuringly low. "Yeah, looks like we're clear. But we're still taking a sea shower just in case."

Reed sighed. "If everyone's finished, what does it matter?"

"I'm not going down there again tonight, Malcolm. And if I do, it isn't gonna be because I didn't follow the orders everyone else did." Tucker smiled. "C'mon, I'll make it up to you later."

Reed went, reluctantly. He'd been fantasizing about a long, hot shower for days. One taken with Trip would have been even better. He loathed sea showers. When they were both in the stall he turned the water on just long enough to soak them both thoroughly, then turned it off and reached for the soap. Trip got to it first, and was lathering his hands. He handed the soap to Malcolm, and then began to cover his lover with bubbles.

Tingles ran through Reed at his touch. Trip's slick hands were everywhere. He felt them slide down his back and over his ass, then around his thighs. It was the best thing he'd felt in days and he groaned as the questing fingers slid ever closer to his jutting cock.

He dropped the soap.

Tucker chuckled and knelt down to pick it up. "Dangerous move."

Reed used the respite to catch his breath. He held his hand out for the soap. "Not that I'm not enjoying this, but we'll never get out of here if I let you wash me. And if we can't have plenty of hot water, I'd rather have you someplace a bit more comfortable."

Tucker handed over the soap, shaking his head. "You just had to take the fun out of it, didn't you, Malcolm?" He grabbed the shampoo and quickly lathered his hair, then accepted the soap and did the same for his body. When they were both done, Reed turned the water on again.

"Ahhh… Now that's more like it," Reed said. He rinsed himself off quickly, then moved aside so Tucker could do the same.

Tucker closed his eyes as the water washed away the soap and the grime. That was his undoing. His eyes flew open as a warm mouth closed around his cock. "Oh god, Malcolm!" It was heaven, that wet slick tongue sliding around him as the hot water slid down his body. He forgot about the water systems, forgot everything as he tangled his fingers in Malcolm's short dark hair. Malcolm's hands were sliding over his thighs, grabbing his ass. As his legs began to weaken, Malcolm turned him and backed him against the wall and took as much of his cock in his mouth as he could.

Reed was lost in sensation. He wrapped his mouth around the hard cock sliding in and out of it, wanting more of it, wanting it in his ass. He hadn't realized just how much he'd needed to touch Trip until now. He wrapped his arm around the back of Trip's legs, pulling him as close as he could. Trip exploded in his mouth. Reed sucked him dry, reaching up to help support him. Trip's hands came down on his shoulders as he shuddered in the aftermath of his orgasm, his breath coming in noisy sighs.

At last, Trip was able to lean back against the wall. His hand slapped at the water controls, shutting it off much later than he'd planned. "That was a dirty trick, Malcolm."

Reed looked up at his lover, completely unrepentant. Trip's face was relaxed, his eyes dreamy. "You loved every minute of it."

"Who wouldn't?" Tucker grabbed two towels and tossed one to Reed.

"And see? No catastrophe. There was no need to deprive ourselves of something we richly deserved." Reed quickly toweled himself dry, and stepped out of the stall.

"Speaking of things that we richly deserve," Tucker said, his eyes drawn to Reed's erection.

"Oh?" The look in Trip's eyes was enough to put Malcolm on his guard.

"C'mere."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Oh, something involving handcuffs and whipped cream." At Malcolm's look of horror, Tucker chuckled. "But it's not worth getting dressed to go down to the mess hall." His gaze grew speculative. "There's always the handcuffs, though."

"Don't you even consider it, Mister Tucker!"

Tucker's grin grew even wider. "Why should you have all the fun?"

Reed grinned back. "Do you seriously think you'd win the fight? In any case, you don't know where I keep them."

'The hell I don't,' Tucker thought to himself. 'But I don't need a pair of handcuffs to keep you in one place'

"I don't want to fight, Malcolm." Tucker stepped closer. This time Reed allowed him to. "I thought I was gonna go nuts up there, seeing you all the time, but not being able to touch you." He snaked an arm around Reed's waist and pulled him close. Reed's mouth opened helplessly under his.

For long moments, they stood there, relearning the taste and feel of each other's mouths. When Tucker broke the kiss, he had Reed right where he wanted him. Panting and helpless. Reed's eyes were half closed and his breath came in gasps. His hard cock was pressing into Tucker, who was also hard again by now. If he hadn't been, just the sight of Malcolm like this, overcome with passion, would have done it for him.

He lay Reed down on the bunk, his head toward the foot of it. While he kissed him in ways calculated to distract, one hand buried in the short dark hair, his other fumbled at the foot of the bunk, around the rear of the bulkhead where Malcolm kept a small locker of his personal weapons.

Reed came back to himself as cold metal circled his wrists. He tried to pull free, too late as the handcuffs buzzed shut. Damn! How had he known? He always moved those to the drawer when he expected he'd be using them! And that locker was supposed to be locked! He cursed, then kicked up as Tucker tried to drag his body around to the clip set in the bulkhead at the head of the bunk. He caught Tucker in the midsection and knocked him to the deck. That would teach him. Just pinning his arms did not render Malcolm Reed helpless.

Tucker bounced up from the deck plating, and jumped on Reed again. He threw the smaller man into the back of the bunk and grabbed the chain that ran between the cuffs.

Tucker strained toward the clip and managed to slot the chain of the handcuffs into it. It closed with a satisfying click. Just as satisfying was the look of pure murder Reed turned on him.

"Let me go."

Tucker smiled. "Aww, but I just got you where I wanted you." He paused for a moment to drink in the sight of Malcolm Reed spread out before him, naked and helpless. "Damn, Malcolm, you look good enough to eat." He suited action to words and took Reed's hard cock in his mouth.

"Oh--" Reed thrust forward as he was enveloped in warm wetness. He felt his orgasm building, then Tucker pulled away. He couldn't stop the whimper of disappointment that escaped him at that.

Tucker licked his lips as he pulled back. "I have been wanting to do that for *days*. You know, you really drove me nuts up there, Malcolm. Man, nothing was good enough for ya." Tucker leaned forward again and kissed Reed again, who strained forward as far as the handcuffs would allow. He pulled back as Reed's tongue grew more desperate, and ran his tongue around the straining lips before breaking contact.

"If this is still about that shower--"Reed broke off his complaint as Tucker began kissing his stomach. He thrust forward as Tucker's tongue found an especially sensitive spot. "Oh-yes--you bastard--"

Tucker lifted his head. "Bastard? And here I was thinking ya liked that." He lay down on the bed beside Reed and ran his hand down the outside of one well muscled thigh.

"You--think you weren't annoying up there?" Reed tried to focus on the conversation instead of what that hand was doing to his insides. He sucked in a breath as Trip's hand came around his knee and back up the inside of his thigh.

"This ain't about me, Malcolm," Trip said lazily. He circled the hard cock with his hand, but did not touch it.

"Oh god, oh please Trip--"

Tucker smiled. "Please? I like the sound of that." He leaned over and ran his tongue up Reed's shaft. It jerked under the pressure, and Reed moaned, sending shivers up Tucker's spine. He took it in his mouth briefly, then pulled back again. "This is about the shower you wanted me to build, and the food, and the movies. Man, all I wanted to do was throw you across that table and fuck you till you shut up."

The handcuffs rattled as Reed tried to reach for Tucker again. "Trip--"

"There's nothing like eight days of listening to you bitch to really get me going." Tucker ran his hand up Reed's side. "Nowhere to go to be alone with you." He pressed himself against Reed's other side, holding the other man as tightly as he could as he rubbed his cheek against Reed's. Reed turned his head and their lips met again.

This time, Tucker didn't stop. He pressed the smaller man against the back wall of the bunk and kissed him for all he was worth. Their cocks rubbed together as he all but climbed on top of Reed. Reed wiggled until he could get his legs around Tucker, grind that hard cock against his.

"I want you--" Reed gasped as Tucker let his lips go.

Tucker slid his hands down Reed's legs, freeing himself enough to reach over the edge of the bed and slide open the first drawer. "I was just waiting for you to ask." He grabbed the lube and knelt at the foot of the bed, fumbling the cap off.

Reed groaned as Tucker's slick fingers penetrated him. He had never felt so open, so completely at the mercy of his lover before. He'd never realized just how erotic helplessness could be, from this perspective. There was nothing he could do to stop Tucker penetrating him, and when the fingers were replaced with his cock, he nearly came right then.

Slowly Tucker rocked forward, burying his cock in Malcolm slowly, making him wait for it. By now, Malcolm's cock was weeping precum, begging to be touched. Malcolm's head was thrashing from side to side, his body was stretched out from the bulkhead to Tucker's groin. Tucker's hands were on his hips, holding him steady enough to be penetrated. It took all Tucker had to keep it slow. Malcolm rarely lost control to this degree and it was an intensely erotic sight.

"Please--" Reed managed to stop the words at that one whimpered plea.

Tucker stopped. "Please what, Malcolm?" He wanted nothing more than to fuck his lover senseless, but the chance to see just how far he could make Malcolm lose it was worth the effort. He felt the tight ass contract around his cock and almost gave in right there.

Reed clamped his mouth shut and tried to think of anything other than how good Trip felt, how much he wanted to give him whatever he wanted. He mentally planned his revenge, gathering the last scraps of his pride. Trip might be able to get the better of him--temporarily--but he would not make him beg. He would pay for this later. Then those talented hands began stroking his belly, just a little higher than his cock. He arched forward into them, his hands fists as he strained against the cuffs. The pain and the pleasure became one, taking him even higher. A part of him wondered just how he was going to explain the bruises later before he lost what little control he had left.

"Oh--god! Fuck me! Please, Trip, fuck me hard! Couldn't touch you--drove me mad--need you! Anything you want--I'll do anything, just fuck me!"

That did it. Tucker thrust forward, unable to do anything else. He grabbed the slim hips and pounded into the willing body beneath him. Reed's deep moans vibrated in his balls, driving him ever higher. He could feel the tight slick passage flutter around him, pulling a groan from him as well. Then he was gripped tightly as Reed came. The howl he gave as he did so pushed Tucker over the edge too. He buried himself deep, shuddering as his orgasm took him. Then he collapsed on Malcolm's chest, his breathing loud in his ears.

Reed slowly came back to himself, finally conscious of the pain in his wrists as an unpleasant sensation. "Trip--"

Tucker stirred. "mmmm?"

"Let me go, I can barely feel my hands."

"Oh--sorry!" Tucker pulled out and rolled off of Reed. "Just one problem, Malcolm," he said with a grin.

"Problem?"

"Where do you keep the keys to those things?"