Title:Time Out

Author:ZZOAOZZ

Fandom:Buck rogers in the 25th Century

Paring:Buck Rogers/Hawk

Rating:R (

Status: complete-first time

Archive: Please archive

Series/Sequel: no

Other websites:

Disclaimers: These characters are in no way my property but the story is mine and for amusement only. This story contains m/m sex, if that offends you or you are not of legal age, go elsewhere.

Time Out
by ZZOAOZZ

"Alright Buck, I'll let you both go. It's against my better judgement, but God knows you two have earned a vacation. … Haven't we all." Admiral Asimov sighed.

It had been a hard campaign rebuilding the colonies on Deniers 4 and 6. The Saurian marauders had left the settlements in ruins after Captain Rogers had stumbled onto their secret plan to replace the high council with lab grown duplicates. As happened so often, Buck, Hawk, and Wilma had taken the brunt of the attack and turned a budding fiasco into an opportunity to promote the Intergalactic Federation to a receptive and grateful people.

The Admiral's look of worry changed to a rueful smile at the captain's contagious grin.

"Off with you Buck before I change my mind. And remember, you get three days not an hour more."

Buck had already packed his travel bag and left it discreetly hidden behind the science console. He shouldered his gear and strode out into the corridors of the Searcher as quickly as he could without compromising dignity as Kryton began one of his never ending lectures on human flaws.
This one seemed to revolve around the human need for rest and relaxation.

The reservations were confirmed, and everything ready. All he had to do now was convince his ever-so-stubborn friend just what was good for him. He decided the `bulldozer' approach was the best way to go. He slapped Hawk's door panel and entered without waiting for the answering beep.

Hawk was pouring over the components of his ship's retractable claws. He had devised a method of overriding the gearing for emergency release. If it worked, they could be disengaged cleanly without the raking motion that was designed to rip an enemy ship and force it down.

Buck felt a familiar twinge of guilt in the pit of his stomach. He had taken so much from Hawk. He questioned whether there could be any atonement for his actions. It had amazed him that the birdman did not blame him for Koori's death, until he had learned what kind of man his friend was.

Hawk had blamed no one but himself for killing his wife. He had pushed his own guilt deep inside with all the grief and horror he and his kind had suffered at human hands. It might burn him up from the inside but it would never be allowed to lash out in anger at a human again. Hawk had promised Admiral Asimov and the council, and he would die before breaking a promise.

Refusing to let dark thoughts spoil his mood, Buck shook off his reverie and thumped down on the bed.

"Put that away and get packed, Hawk. And change out of that body armor of yours. You won't need it on shore leave."

"Shore leave?" Hawk's shadowed eyes were suspicious. "I did not request shore leave. I have to finish these modifications and test the propulsion unit on the Talon. I can rest here when I am done."

"I requested it for both of us and you are coming. "

"And if we both go, who will fly the patrols?"

"This ship flew patrols somehow, before you or I came aboard." Buck could see that Hawk was going to protest further, so he interrupted firmly. "No arguments, Bird. And you will enjoy yourself if I have to hold you down and tickle you."

"Who knows", Hawk shot back with a straight face, "I might like that, Human." Knowing that there was no use arguing with Captain Rogers when his mind was made up, he rose and headed to the bathroom leaving Buck choking with laughter.

He had just regained his composure when Hawk returned. Buck caught his breath in appreciation. Hawk had changed into a loose-fitting, green silk shirt and tight black pants. He was wearing a pair of calf high boots tooled in something soft and supple that looked like leather. His bright
plumage stood out in contrast to the dark clothes; and the longer, dark-tipped plumes rested against his tanned throat and brushed the silken collar in back.

`He's beautiful', Buck thought, then wondered at himself for not noticing before. A year ago, he would never have let anyone attractive, male or female escape his notice. It had been a long time, longer than he had thought, since he had allowed himself the luxury of even a casual relationship.

It had begun after transferring to the Searcher. He had begun to feel tired, harried. He cared more about the people on the exploration vessel than those he had met on the many worlds he had visited, perhaps because it was a small closed community. It would feel strange to actually date
someone from that group and to have to see her every day if it did not work out, and so far he did not have much of track record in the `relationships that worked' category. Perhaps more than that, he felt personally responsible for their safety and welfare. Occasionally he wondered if he was up to the challenge.

Hawk and Wilma were the only two people who ever really saw the bouts of self-doubt or the irritability that came with them, and he was well aware that they would never hold it against him when he lashed out at them. They were both the kind of friends that made the whole thing
worthwhile. Their loyalty and trust were the real reason he kept going.

"Better?" Hawk asked.

"Much." Buck grinned in his normal rakish manner.

He waited while his friend packed a few things with an efficiency the human envied. He found himself watching the way the muscles flowed under the clingy shirt and the well-defined calves flexing in the tight pants.

He brutally shut out that line of thinking before it created an embarrassing problem.

In easy silence, the two men made their way to the hangar deck. They took one of the small scouts and headed down to Verdante, a small moon that had been converted into an old fashioned tourist trap. There were blue skies and mountains covered in trees and not a whole lot of anything
else. With no major mineral resources, it relied on providing posh service and relaxing atmosphere to wealthy travelers for its livelihood. It was just what Buck was looking for.

The inn was a quaint old-fashioned affair with cobbled walks and ivy covered archways. The clerk, unfortunately, spoke very little standard. At first she could not find the reservations. Then, after a great deal of gesturing and shouting, she found only one reserved room. Hawk watched in
obviously amused silence, as Buck argued with her becoming gradually louder and more strident. He finally conceded defeat and took the single key.

"I guess you're stuck with my snoring, pal."

"It is not the first time." Hawk replied.

Buck snorted at that causing Hawk to smile. The birdman had a wonderful smile, quick and easygoing, that reached and warmed his eyes. It transformed his face.

Sometimes it was very easy for the human to forget that Hawk had a healthy sense of humor and a sly, rather dry, wit. He rarely laughed anymore and never around anyone except his tiny circle of friends. Only the smile creases at the corners of his eyes and lips hinted at the person he must have been before humans came into his life. Buck felt his resolve strengthen. He would make this three days that his friend would never forget.

The door the native bellboy led them to was a ponderous affair that seemed to be made of some sort of hardwood. The room itself was small but comfortably appointed with a lush carpet, a single large bed, and a lovely view of a shallow creek meandering through a bed of fantastic and rather gaudy flowers.

A wave of nostalgia caught Buck. The place looked like a thousand little bed and breakfasts he had stayed in during his travels for NASA. He rarely thought of the 20th century and his life back on Earth; but when it came, it was always with the same heart-wrenching clarity. His mind raced
through the images of his other life, his mom's face, children laughing, the smell of hamburgers on the grill.

Hawk's hand on his shoulder drew Buck back to the present.

"Are you alright? You looked as if you were a million miles away."

"Farther than that, my friend."

Hawk gave him a sympathetic look but did not pry. That unquestioning acceptance was one of the things that endeared the birdman to Buck.

After settling in, they spent the remainder of the day hiking and fishing; something Buck had not had leisure to do for pleasure since awakening in this time. When they returned to the inn, they were both pleasantly tired and relaxed. They ordered room service and retired to shower and rest.

"This place has real old-fashioned bars with cheap beer and loud music. You'll love it." Buck was enthusiastically planning their evening from the brochures he had picked up at the souvenir stand.

"Beer?" Hawk asked puzzled.

"You'll find out about beer, I promise." The human laughed when Hawk just shook his head.

The two men returned to their room well after dawn. Neither was too steady on his feet after sampling the many local brews available. Buck fumbled for some time with the key to the heavy door. Laughing, Hawk wrapped his steady fingers around Buck's hand guiding the key to the
lock. Buck gasped out loud as the warm hand curled around his own. He was very aware of the heat of his friend's body close behind him. He turned the key with fingers that felt numb. To his relief, Hawk did not seem to notice.

Hawk disappeared into the bathroom for a shower leaving Buck alone a few precious moments.

He was having a bit of difficulty controlling his body. He had never been one to deny his desires, but he had never felt them so intensely directed at a man before; and Hawk was not just any man, he was Buck's best friend, a brother almost. Not that Buck had any qualms about sex with men,
he had experimented when he was younger; but this was Hawk. He was not supposed to feel this desire for him, but there was no denying the tightness in his chest, the heat in his groin, the fire whenever they touched. In fact, he could not ever remember feeling it this strongly before for anyone. He was not in command of his own responses, and that was a new experience for him.

He had himself tightly under control when Hawk returned. His buzz was one, and the day's exertions were catching up to him. He almost lost the hard-earned control, though, when his friend stepped into the room with only a fluffy towel wrapped around his narrow hips. A few drops of water clung to the feathers of his head and trickled down the lean body.

Buck headed to the shower as quickly as possible. The cool water helped. He emerged from the bathroom a little later cleaned and shaven.

Hawk was sitting cross-legged on the bed, still in the towel, looking at a brochure on hang-gliding tours. He looked up and grinned as Buck approached.

"Want to learn to fly, Buck?"

"No thanks, I prefer to fly with a nice solid fighter jet around me."

Hawk laughed then his expression became serious.

"Answer a question on human nature for me," Hawk scooted over and gestured for the human to sit beside him.

"I'll give it my best shot," Buck replied settling back against the headboard tucking his well-worn robe modestly around himself, "but they're pretty much a mystery to me."

Hawk's eyes, the color of a winter storm sky, fixed on Buck's and held them captive as he leaned in close.

"Why is it that when a human wants something so badly it hurts, rather than asking for it or just taking it, he prefers to deny himself and feel guilty for wanting in the first place what might bring him pleasure?"

Buck thought the question over for a few moments and was about to ply when Hawk spoke again.

"You humans make everything unnecessarily complicated." Then he rose to a kneeling position, caught Buck's face between his strong hands, and kissed him firmly on the mouth.

Hawk's mouth was hard, demanding and inhumanly hot. Buck returned the kiss with a hunger that would have been frightening if every nerve in his body were not on fire making coherent thought impossible. He slipped his arms around the shorter man's waist and pulled him tight against his
own body. He felt a hardness against his stomach that answered his own. He let his hands wander across the alien muscles and silky skin of Hawk's back.

After an eternity and far too soon, Hawk relinquished his mouth, and let his lips wander lower tasting Buck's chin, his neck, his shoulders. The robe slipped away and they separated just long enough for Buck to shrug his arms free. Then he let his hands and mouth move where they
wanted touching and tasting. Hawk's skin was sweet and still slightly damp from his shower.

Buck realized that he had always wanted, even needed, this.

Hawk was a more aggressive lover than any Buck had known before. He commanded and possessed the human's body, exploring every inch with his hands and his lips. Buck responded to every movement and returned the caresses with the same desperate fervor.

He could not remember being so aroused before in his life. When Hawk's fiery mouth finally closed possessively around his erection, it was almost more than he could bear. Hawk brought him to the very edge, then pulled back rising to meet the human's lips once more.

After a long slow kiss, he leaned in against Buck's ear. Hawk's low voice, rough with passion, sent chills down the human's spine. "Tell me to stop now if you do not want this, Buck, while I can."

Buck could not breathe; distantly he heard a voice that sounded like his own reply. "Make love to me, Hawk."

Hawk claimed his lips once more, kissing him gently and deeply bringing the pace down a little. Then he moved slowly down Buck's chest dropping tiny kisses and licks, reveling in the hairy chest so unlike his own smooth torso. He captured one of the small, erect nipples and sucked
hard making Buck gasp and arch his back.

Hawk continued his slow torturous downward progression across Buck's flat stomach. His tongue flicked into the cup of Buck's navel then followed the trail of dark hair down farther. Catching Buck's eye, he deliberately went down on him, just once, taking his whole length in a smooth motion. Buck cried out, almost pleading, as he slowly released him maintaining suction the whole time. Then he moved on taking the human's testicles into his mouth, one at a time, sucking gently and eliciting a weak moan from Buck.

Hawk`s probing tongue moved down exploring his most secret of places, invading it, and sending wave after wave of pleasure washing over him. When the pleasure was almost too much the tongue slipped away, to be replaced by a finger then two stroking gently, opening him up.

Then Hawk's lips claimed his again, more demanding this time. Buck felt himself being pulled down onto Hawk's knees. He felt a stab of fear, but it was chased away as Hawk whispered his name. The desire and need in his friend's voice touched something deep inside of him that had
been silent for too many years. He wrapped his legs tightly around Hawk's waist and touched his face letting his long fingers trace the sculpted cheeks and stubborn chin before sinking into the softness of his plumage to caress his ear.

He met and held Hawk's eyes. "I want you now, my friend. And I want more than tonight."

Hawk's reply was equally serious and his eyes never left Buck's. "Good, human. I have no intention of being a one night stand."

"The urgency was too much for either of them. As gently as he could in his state, Hawk entered his friend. After the initial pain, Buck began to match Hawk's powerful rhythm. Time stopped for the human. There was only the pulsing of his heart and the heat and pressure that reached deep
into the core of him and joined him to someone who was friend and brother as well as lover. The combination was an incredible high. The long suppressed orgasm came with a force that left him shivering. Hawk came moments later filling Buck with an incredible warmth.

Buck gathered his friend into his arms and held him more tightly than he would have dared with a female. Hawk returned his embrace with a strength that was strangely reassuring. Exhausted, they fell asleep together.

Bright light streaming through the lacy curtains woke Buck. For a moment he was confused by the strange surroundings and the warm body curled against his own. Then the memories of the previous night came rushing back. He turned carefully and looked at Hawk. In sleep his face was
relaxed, peaceful. A small smile played at the corner of his lips. Buck felt tightness in his chest, and a sudden fierce protectiveness. He gently traced the line of his jaw and watched in quiet wonder and a measure of fear as the light feathers of Hawk's lashes fluttered open. The smile
that softened his sharp features set Buck's mind at ease.

"You are up early." Hawk's low, silky voice did wonderful things to Buck's flesh.

"I was just wondering if I dreamed last night, and worrying about what all this will mean to us."

Hawk smiled gently and reached up to stroke the human's cheek. "I do not know what will come of it, Buck, but I do know that at this moment it feels right."

"Maybe that's all that matters," Buck replied. He lay back in his friend's warm embrace and began to plan what he could do to make the next two days even more memorable than the first.

END