Friend or Fantasy

Title: Friend or Fantasy
Author: Stargazer
Email: entstargazer@gmail.com Feedback always appreciated and an endless source of inspiration.
Archive: permission granted to adult-fanfiction.org, all others please ask just want to know where my stories go.
Pairing: Archer/Tucker
Rating: NC-17, Mature, Adult take your pick.
Warning: Slash, mild BDSM

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything but I sure wish I did. Guess I’ll have to be content being allowed to play with the characters every now and then.

Thank you to my betas: GroovyGoddess/Malcolm's Pet, TripsMyGuy, Trip-Tease, StarPilgram98

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Friend or Fantasy

Part 1

Trip lay on the bed stripped down to his blue briefs and blindfolded. His fingers nervously played with the silk scarves tied around his wrists. For about the millionth time he wondered how he had let himself be talked in this. Once again he considered calling out for Leenar; telling her he had changed his mind. He took a deep breath and was about to call for her when he heard when a door open.

He nervously licked his lips. ‘This is it,’ he thought, ‘Now or never,’ but for some reason he just couldn’t bring himself to speak. His entire body started to hum with anticipation. The mattress shifted as someone sat down close to him. The engineer gasped as he felt fingers brush lightly, almost reverently over his chest.

Close to his ear a voice whispered, “You are so very beautiful.” It was so soft that he couldn’t even identify the gender of its owner. “Are you sure you want this?”

Despite his doubts just moments before Trip answered, “Yes, please yes,” his voice barely audible.

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4 days prior

The view screen showed two starships poised in what looked to be a stand off.

“Both ships have powered their weapons and are targeted on each other.” Lieutenant Reed announced.

“Hail them both.” Commander Archer instructed the communications specialist Hoshi Sato.

Hoshi did as instructed, “Channel open Captain.”

“On view screen.”

“This is Captain Jonathan Archer of the Starship Enterprise, can we be of assistance?”

Two angry alien faces appeared side by side on the viewscreen.

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“Captain Archer, Commander Tucker I want to thank you personally for assisting our people in a most successful negotiation with the Shanari.” Zeral the leader of the Masaetoi grinned at his guests.

The two worlds of Shanar and Masaet had been on the brink of war when the crew of enterprise happened upon them. In order to help these two worlds overt all out war, Captain Jonathan had agreed to act as an impartial mediator.

He had asked Commander Charles “Trip” Tucker, III, his best friend of almost 10 years to assist him. The request came in part because he trusted his friend’s judgment and sense of fairness; however the more pressing reason was that even though Jon was sure Trip would never reciprocate his feelings, Jon had been in love with Trip for years. He had vowed never to let Trip know in order to preserve their friendship. If Trip knew how he felt, Jon was sure he’d be horrified.

Jon couldn’t even say when he realized for certain that his feelings for the brilliant engineer had shifted from best pals to something more. It had been a gradual process, eventually leading up to Jon’s always wanting to have the handsome man near. Jon was certain that Trip was straight. He’d known the man for years and had never seen anything even hinting at an intimate relationship with a man. Even if Trip were interested in men, why would he want to be involved with a man Archer’s age. He was young, gorgeous, a brilliant engineer and could be considerably charming when he chose to be. He could have his pick of women or men for that matter. Archer was aware of several crewmembers that had crushes on his best friend. He couldn’t say he blamed them.

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Trip had been thrilled when the Captain asked him to accompany him. He always enjoyed away missions, especially when they involved spending time alone with his best friend. He had gone to great lengths over the years not to reveal his interest in both genders. Trip was fairly certain that Jon was a man with an open mind when it came to an individual’s sexual orientation but that seemed a far cry from finding out that your best friend had been dreaming about you for years. He was not willing to risk a friendship that meant more to him than any other.

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“Gentlemen, to show my appreciation for your hard work and dedication over the last few days, I would like to invite you to be my guests at one of our entertainment establishments,” Zeral continued intent on making sure the pair knew how much both worlds recognized their efforts.

After 3 days of settling disputes between two bickering worlds Zeral’s invitation sounded like a welcome respite. Both readily agreed.

“Excellent!” Zeral was pleased his invitation had been accepted. He respected these men and wanted them to have a chance to see the more pleasant side of his world. “They will be serving the evening meal shortly. Come, we shall leave directly.”

After walking a few short blocks from the embassy where the negotiations were held. The trio made their way to large building several stories high. At first glance it appeared to be a hotel. Once inside they found a sumptuous décor: velvet upholstered furniture, silk wall coverings and satin curtains. Every visible surface was soft and inviting to the touch.

After Zeral had checked the small party in at the front desk he led them through the establishment which appeared to be more of a spa than a hotel. There were signs indicating the direction of the pool, sauna, massage tables, etc. The entire place gave the impression of focused enjoyment and relaxation. “The food here is among the best on the planet” their host exclaimed as he led the way to the restaurant.

The restaurant was decorated similarly to the rest of the building with round open tables and comfortable seating. The tables were spaced farther apart than most restaurants Jon and Trip had visited. A man, presumably the maitre de, greeted them as they entered. “Ah Zeral! So good to see you again! I see you have brought some new guests. Your usual table is waiting.” Once they were seated the maitre de commented, “Leenar is occupied at the moment but will be over to see you as soon as she is free,” before discreetly excusing himself.

“Leenar?” Jon inquired.

“The proprietress of the establishment.” Zeral explained.

Jon and Trip agreed to let Zeral order for them since he knew the cuisine. After their order was taken and an excellent bottle of a local beverage, similar to wine, had been served they began to watch the other people in the room. Many of the diners looked to be paired off in couples. Various individuals moved about the room engaging in conversations with those seated. Sometimes these were short encounters but occasionally one would join the table. Sexual orientation did not seem to be an issue. While many of the couples consisted of a male and a female, there were also several men with men and women with women. There were even a few seated together in various groupings of three or four. Almost everyone one gave the impression of visibly flirting or engaged in an intimate conversation. Some were dressed conservatively similar to Zeral, while others were clad in not much more than their underwear.

Not actually offended by the situation but just for the sake of observation Trip took a drink of his wine and leaned towards Jon. “Cap’n, I think our friend here has brought us to a brothel.” He whispered.

Jon chuckled. “Yeah, I noticed that.”

A woman’s laughter was heard close by drawing the attention of the three men. She was tall, voluptuous; with coal black hair streaked with gray? No a second glance proved it to be a bright shimmering silver. Her flowing indigo garment perfectly matched her lustrous eyes.

“Ah, my friends, let me introduce you to Leenar. Owner of this fine establishment and your hostess for this evening.” Zeral’s wide smile welcomed Leenar to the table as he held out a hand for her.

Standing next to Zeral, she casually laid a hand on his shoulder. His arm slipped around her waist. “Gentlemen you misunderstand,” she protested. “With the exception of the staff needed to run this club, no one you see before you is employed here. While it is true some do choose to use the rooms above us, the vast majority of our members see this as nothing more than a meeting place where they have a certain freedom from the strict propriety of the outside world. Whatever happens here is of the participants own free will.”

As the woman’s words sunk in Archer’s eyes widened in surprise while Trip’s danced with humor as he attempted to hide his amused grin behind his hand.

Since there was no audible response from the Starfleet officers, Leenar continued, “Of course our establishment is best known for assisting in fulfillment of our guests’ fantasies.” She added a playful wink and grin to the end of her statement.

Trip was unable to resist and laughed out loud. Archer almost choked on his wine as this last bit of information was received and it brought a familiar image to mind involving the engineer sitting next to him. “Ah.. Leenar,” Archer began to protest, “we appreciate your hospitality but I’m afraid…”

The graceful woman’s gentle laughter cut the captain off. “Captain, please understand, you are under no obligation by being here. Most of our guests simply come to unwind, enjoy our fine cuisine and as you say ‘people watch’. Please relax and enjoy your meal, I can assure you, you will not be disappointed.”

Moments later their food was served and both Jon and Trip had to admit it was among the best they had have had.

With a practiced eye, Leenar observed the two officers during their meal. On the surface the two men seemed close, enjoying a special bond between them. As her discreet appraisal continued she noticed that occasionally one would look at the other when they thought they would not be observed with a look that was a mixture of love and longing. She smiled to herself as she came to the conclusion that neither was aware of the other’s feelings and an idea began to form. “Zeral, may I have a word with you?”

“Of course, my dear.” Zeral rose from the table and followed the dark haired woman to a small alcove where she relayed her observation to him; followed quickly by her plan. He listened quietly and heard her out.

“Leenar, I don’t think this is a good idea”, he implored.

“Don’t you trust me?”

“Of course I do but…”

Laying a hand on his check she cut him off. “Then have a little faith.” She gave him her most stunning smile, which she was fully aware he couldn’t resist. Zeral sighed with a look of resignation and she knew she had won him over.

Leenar retreated to make the necessary preparations. Returning to the table Zeral undertook his role in Leenar’s plan. “Captain I’d like to speak with you privately for a moment, if I may.”

“Of course Zeral.” Archer rose from the table and followed his host, giving his friend a confused look as he departed.

Trip sat alone for a few awkward moments and continued enjoying his meal. After a short time, Leenar gracefully slid into the space vacated by the captain. “Well, Commander Tucker, since it appears that I have you all to myself for a bit, would you like a tour of establishment.

Trip couldn’t think of a good reason to refuse and a tour definitely did sound more appealing than sitting at the table alone.

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Leenar guided Trip through the various rooms of the facility besides the dining room there were various pools, gardens and a spa. Throughout the tour Leenar described the various attributes of the rooms they passed. Ever the gracious hostess she flirted, laughed and gave her companion her undivided attention. Raised by his mother to be a gentleman Trip laughed and flirted along with his guide seeming to hang on every word she spoke. However part of him kept wishing he was with Jon. As they strolled among the inviting pools Trip saw, in his mind’s eye, himself alone with Jon with the warm water lapping at them as they slowly explored each other’s bodies with hands, lips and tongues.

Leenar could not fault her companion’s attentiveness but neither could her many years of experience ignore the occasional wistful and longing looks he thought he hid, as they crossed his features from time to time

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Zeral led Archer to a quiet secluded room. Once they were alone Jon turned to his host with a confused look. “Zeral, I thought the negotiations were successfully completed. What’s going on?”

Before Zeral could answer a knock was heard on the door. The robust man moved to answer it.

When the door opened, Archer recognized the young man from the front desk. “Excuse me sir, but Chancellor Moeir needs to speak with you urgently.”

Zeral nodded to the messenger. “Please forgive me Captain but there appears to be a matter of some importance that I must attend to. It should not take long. Would you mind waiting here?”

“Of course Zeral. Is there anything I can do to help?” Archer’s expression was clearly reflecting his concern.

Zeral smiled reassuringly. “No need Captain, it’s a local matter. I should just be a moment.”

Jon resigned himself to waiting. To pass the time he began wandering around the room. It appeared to be a sitting room of sorts. As with all the areas of the building he had already seen all the furnishings are geared towards comfort and luxury. Jon took a seat in a comfortable looking sofa. The long days of tiring negotiations and fatigue finally caught up with him; leaning back he closed his eyes. His mind began to wander as he thought about the building he was in and the things that transpired here behind closed doors. It wasn’t long before his mind called forth the pleasing image of Trip, his fingers idly caressing the soft fabric of the cushion as he imagined it was the southerner’s skin. A smile softened his ruggedly handsome features as he slowly drifted into the fantasy…