Title: Not Food, Just Hope

Author: Vesper

Fandom: Andromeda

Pairing: Harper/Rafe

Rating: NC17

Status: Complete

Archive: WWoMB and AU

Feedback: Yes
e-mail: venskaill@angelfire.com

Disclaimer: I only own the story not the people in it.

Summary: How Harper got his job on the Maru

Warning: Okay, so he consents, it's still pretty much rape however you look at it.

NOT FOOD, JUST HOPE

By

Vesper

Harper looked up from the pile of broken machinery he was sorting through and saw the man watching him. "I don't fuck for food." He said, scowling.

The man laughed, "I wasn't asking you to. The guy over there said you were an engineer."

Harper stood up and wiped his hands on his pants. "Yeah."

"I need an engineer."

Harper studied the man; he was tall, probably space-born: he didn't look too comfortable under Earth's open skies. Brown hair, green eyes, maybe four or five years older than himself. It was difficult to tell with space-born; they didn't age so fast. "What sort of work you need done?"

"Can you fix a slipstream drive?"

"Yes!" The words were out of his mouth before he'd thought about it. Working on a ship was one of the only ways off Earth; maybe if he did good the man would keep him around for a while. The cynical part of him said that if this guy wanted his slipstream drive fixed why hadn't he gone to one of the shipyards?

#Pirate#

Harper didn't care. "You got the parts and stuff?"

"Yeah, c'mon."

<+><+><+>

Harper shivered in the cool air of the ship. He looked around at the mess of wires and half-assembled components. "Shit, you really do need an engineer."

"It might look like shit, but it runs as smooth as butter over a reactor core."

"Except when the slipstream drive is fucked." Harper grinned.

"It can wait. Get cleaned up, I don't want you stinking up the air scrubbers or I'll be smelling you all the way to Infinity Atoll." The boss waved Harper towards a cabin at the back. "There's a washer there too. Do your clothes."

"Infinity Atoll is your next stop?" Harper's mouth hung open, he'd heard about it. Paradise compared to Earth, he wanted to get there so bad it hurt.

"Yeah. Hurry up and get clean kid."

"Sure boss." Harper smiled and almost ran for the shower. He was going to be the best engineer, the best employee, the best whatever the boss needed if it meant getting off Earth.

#A hot shower#

Harper was in heaven, hot water ran over his body and he scrubbed off the layers of grime that had accumulated since the last time he got wet enough to wash. He wasn't sure when that was but it had been a while. The harsh soap pruned up his fingers fast but he stayed in the shower until his skin was pink and a little raw. It felt so good to be totally clean. Finally it was the memory of the boss telling him to hurry up and get clean that got him out of the shower.

Harper stepped out of the shower and located a small towel; he dried off and noted that his clothes were still going around in the washer. He hoped they'd hold up to the unfamiliar contact with soap. The last thing he needed was for his only set of clothes to melt.

Wrapping the towel around his waist he walked out into the cabin. The boss was sitting opposite the door watching him. "You scrub up pretty good for a mud-foot kid."

#Shit, not good#

Harper didn't say anything and wished the towel was a little larger.

"How bad do you want to get off Earth?" He said, standing up.

#So bad I can taste it#

"What would you do to achieve it?"

Harper swallowed and shut his eyes, he know what was coming. He took a deep breath, opened his eyes and looked up at the other man.

"Anything."

"Good answer." A hand clamped down on Harper's shoulder and pushed him to his knees. Harper unfastened the boss's pants and slipped a hand inside. The guy was already hard and Harper leaned in to lick his cock.

Rough hands gripped his hair and Harper opened his mouth and let it be invaded. He turned off his mind and let his lips and tongue do their work. He was surprised when his head was yanked back before he'd finished.

He was pulled to his feet and the towel whipped away.

"Over there." The boss growled, indicating a high cabin bed. "Bend over."

#Oh shit, oh fuck. Just close your eyes and think of Infinity Atoll#

Harper pushed his face into the rough blankets on the bed and reached up to grip the far side of the mattress. He tried not to flinch as the boss's hand ran down his back.

"Very nice kid, very nice. What's your name?"

"Harper."

"Well Harper, I'm Rafe. I kinda liked it when you called me boss though, so why don't we stick with that?"

"S-Sure...Boss." The hand was now on his ass and he felt the heavy pressure of Rafe's cock against his anus. Harper stuffed his right hand in his mouth and bit down hard to stop himself from screaming as pain ripped through him. Harper tried to relax as Rafe forced his cock further in but his body rebelled and he struggled. The larger man held him down effortlessly with one hand on his hip and the other at the back of his neck.

"None of that now Harper. Don't you want to see Infinity Atoll?"

Harper's eyes burned with humiliation as he let Rafe use him. He tried to think of something else but the pain kept bringing him back. He wasn't sure if it got worse or better when Rafe reached around and started stroking his flaccid cock.

Harper would have said it was impossible for him to get hard through all the pain but somehow he did. Rafe's hand working his shaft and the occasional hit on his prostate from Rafe's cock got him erect. When a couple of hard hits set off his involuntary orgasm he bit down harder on his hand and tasted blood.

A few more brutal thrusts and Rafe was done too. When he pulled out Harper sank to the floor and hid his tear-stained face against the side of the bed. Rafe ignored him and headed for the shower. Harper wasn't sure how long he sat there, blood and semen running from his body but Rafe returned as the sound of the com buzzer sounded through the ship.

"Get yourself cleaned up kid." Rafe said. "The parts you'll need are in the cargo bay."

"Okay." Harper mumbled as Rafe left to answer the com.

There wasn't any hot water left in the shower but Harper stayed in there until he was blue with cold and felt marginally clean. The cold water had stopped the bleeding at least. When he got out his clothes were clean and almost dry and Rafe had gone.

<+><+><+>

Three days later and Rafe still hadn't returned. Harper had fixed the slipstream drive the first day and had spent the next two days sorting out the mess the rest of the ship was in. Unfortunately he'd now run out of spare parts and there was nothing left he could do. He was feeling twitchy. It was strange being totally alone, the food was good, he somewhere clean to sleep and hot water whenever he wanted, but he couldn't help wondering if Rafe was going to come back, fuck him again and then toss him out on his bleeding ass.

Harper was curled up asleep on one of the bunks when he heard the airlock open. He jumped out of the bed, already fully clothed and took a couple of deep breaths.

#I can do this. If it means I can get off Earth I can do this#

Harper walked out onto the main deck and took a step back as he saw a tough looking woman and a walking wall of muscle.

"YOU! WHERE IS HE?" The woman yelled. Two quick strides over and she had him pinned to the wall by his throat.

"D-don't know." Harper managed to gasp out as he ran out of air.

"Don't lie to me, you little bastard." She yelled again and slapped him. "Where is that lying, thieving piece of scum?"

Harper couldn't reply; little white sparkles were crowding out his vision and there was a dull roaring in his ears. The pressure released suddenly and he fell to the floor drawing in huge gulping breaths.

"G-gone three d-days." He stammered out.

"Shit, someone must have tipped him off. Bobby, put the trash out would you?"

Harper felt himself being lifted off his feet and propelled out of the airlock. There was a moment of freefall and the ground came up and hit him hard.

<+><+><+>

When Harper came to it was almost dark and the ship had gone. He let himself cry for a few minutes and then cursed for a few more before heading back to the hole in the ground he called home.

"Hey Seamus, haven't seen you around for a few days." One of the other residents of Hell shouted as he trudged past.

"Been sick." He lied.

"No you weren't," said a voice behind him. "You went off with that spacer. I saw you."

Harper turned and saw Suzy; his...friend...sort of, as much as anyone who was competition for food was a friend. Someone to share body heat with in the winter, and someone to talk to when stuff got too bad to keep in anymore.

"Yeah, he said he needed an engineer." Harper looked away.

"He pay you?"

"I got fed for three days."

"Pretty good. So how come you don't look happier about it?"

"He said he was going to get me off Earth. I should have known better than believe him, but his ship really did need a full time engineer."

"So... what? Your work not up to standard? Drive him insane with that mouth of yours?"

Harper laughed without humour. "Wasn't his ship. He'd stolen it from some chick and fucked off leaving me to get kicked out of the airlock by her boyfriend."

"Tough break."

"Yeah."

<+><+><+>

Harper was back; hunched over in the junk, sorting through all the electrical crap the Neits had thrown out for something salvageable when he saw the boots. Shiny, black leather boots. He looked up and saw the hard-case chick from the ship.

"What did you do to my ship?" She asked.

"Fixed it." Harper scowled and turned back to a promising bundle of wires and chips.

"Why?"

"He said hed get me off world. Do you mind? You're in my light."

"You were a fool to believe him."

Harper looked up and growled, "Lady that isn't exactly news. I kinda came to that conclusion myself while you were strangling me yesterday."

She looked a little uncomfortable. "Yeah, sorry about that. How did you get the auxiliary air pumps working?"

"You had the wrong type of power converter in there."

"Do you want a job?"

"Oh fuck, I'm not falling for that one twice. That bastard who stole your ship already worked me over good, I'm not too keen on seeing what kinky games leather chick and muscle boy want to play." He heard her indrawn gasp and waited to see if she was going to send a kick his way or just leave.

Instead she crouched down beside him. Reaching out she gripped his hand and traced the bite marks red and livid around the base of his thumb. He flinched back at the pity he saw in her eyes and pulled his hand away.

"Rafe is my brother. I'm not like him, I'm the good one."

"Yeah, sure, that's why I spent two hours unconscious yesterday."

"I'm really sorry about that, and about my brother. I really do need an engineer you know. You were on my ship, you know too."

"Yeah."

She held out her hand. "I'm Beka Valentine, captain of the Maru."

Harper wiped his hand on his pants and gingerly took her hand. "Seamus Zelazny Harper, genius and engineer."

"Wanna blow this joint?"

"Sure."

The End