Title: Fair Play

Author/pseudonym: Silk

Fandom: La Femme Nikita

Pairing: Declan/Birkoff

Rating: NC-17

Status: New/Complete

Archive: Yes

Series/sequel: No

Disclaimers: Birkoff and the other LFN characters belong to WB, USA, and Fireworks Entertainment. Declan, on the other hand, is my creation and may not be used by anyone else. (He really likes that part, too.)

Summary: PWP, plain and simple. Well, maybe not so plain or simple....

Warnings: Possibly, if contemplation of Madeline as a sexual being scares you. It scared me.

Fair Play

by Silk

Birkoff lay his head on his arms, shuddering. He was close. So close. Declan wasn't far behind him.

Kneeling on the bed, Birkoff struggled to maintain some kind of control, but his breathing grew louder and harsher. Declan loomed over his back, the hard length of his arousal buried deep inside his lover. He reached around him, caressing his lover's groin until Birkoff groaned. Declan kissed the back of his neck, his lips warm and moist at his nape.

Birkoff turned his head so he could meet Declan's mouth, and they kissed awkwardly but heatedly. Declan pushed his hands back and forth across Birkoff's back, slamming into the cheeks of his butt again and again.

Ready to climax, Declan whispered into Birkoff's ear, "Can I come inside you?"

Birkoff's mouth worked, his own climax dangerously close. "Oh, God, yes, come inside me."

Declan grabbed his lover's cock in both hands and stroked him, helping him towards completion. The feel of him so silky wet with his body's natural lubricant, his hands nearly slipped. Birkoff felt Declan's hot breath on his neck, and suddenly, something even hotter pulsed within him.

The feel of Declan's climax drove Birkoff higher, and he fell onto his stomach, gasping as he came. "Oh, fuck, I messed up the sheets," he said with a grin that belied his words.

Rolling over onto his back, he giggled playfully like the young puppy he was, waiting eagerly for Declan to rub his tummy affectionately. "You certainly did," Declan said, pressing his still-wet cock against Birkoff's abdomen.

"I should make you lick up every drop," Declan said mischievously, groaning as he rubbed himself against Birkoff. "Bad puppy."

Declan winked, and Birkoff grinned, evading Declan's mouth when he tried to kiss him. They darted this way and that way for several seconds before finally connecting with a lingering kiss that made both of them breathless.

"You are the most delicious piece of ass I've ever had," Declan whispered.

"Oh, yeah?" Birkoff managed to look quite satisfied with that description despite the unoriginal retort. He smiled peacefully as he threw his head back, stretching. Declan took advantage of Birkoff's feline stretch to fondle the soft length of his former erection.

"Looks like it's gone to sleep."

"Mmm," Birkoff sighed. "Give me five minutes, k?"

Declan grimaced. "I wish I could, Sey," he said as he petted the younger man. "But I've got to go to work."

"Ugh. Work." Birkoff raised himself to a sitting position, very, very reluctantly. His hair was getting longer. It would never reach the lengths of someone like Declan, but it was definitely touching the tops of his shoulders. Declan liked it that way. More to grab onto when he threw himself upon Birkoff's back, to ride him like the unholy steed he became. The affair between him and Declan was still going strong, and no one seemed the wiser. So far.

Declan pried himself away from Birkoff's delicious young body long enough to glance at the clock on the bedside table. He was going to be late.

He rubbed his nose affectionately against Birkoff's chin before planting one last kiss. Birkoff smiled. "Get me a towel and I'll love you forever."

Declan brushed Birkoff's hair back from his face, grazing his cheek with his fingertips. "You already do," he said softly.

Birkoff's dark chocolate eyes gleamed avidly as he ran his hands down Declan's sides. "You're already late. You wanna be later?"

Part 2

Declan was indeed late to work that day. But he didn't care. He was young. He was in love. He was hopelessly in lust with his young soulmate.

He almost whistled on his way into the mission briefing, but he was cognizant of Section's rules. Rule #1: Never be caught in a cheerful mood. TPTB were automatically suspicious of anyone who smiled. It was like the old saying, if you could smile while you were working, you were either clueless or you were up to something. In Section One, it was usually the latter.

Things were going good for a change. Declan didn't dare hope that they would stay that way, but he was going to live each day as if it were his last on earth. As he turned the corner, he nearly collided with Hillinger. Same smirk, different day.

Hillinger wasn't dumb enough to play games with Declan anymore. He was waiting for Birkoff to arrive. He could still torment him. A little. If Declan wasn't anywhere in sight. Not that he knew about their relationship. Even if he suspected, he wouldn't dare voice it to either of them. He had no intention of dying young.

Declan continued on to the mission briefing, barely giving Hillinger a cursory glance. As for Hillinger, he waited impatiently for his prey.

Birkoff kept his head down as he entered Comm, hoping not to make eye contact with Hillinger for once. But no such luck. Hillinger was like a dog with a bone. A particularly tasty bone.

"Hey, Birkoff!" he called. His brows knitted a furrow in his forehead. "Hey, do you suppose it's a coincidence that Birkoff rhymes with jerkoff?"

Birkoff rolled his eyes. He was too happy to get aggravated by Hillinger. Sex before breakfast had that effect on him.

"Bite me, Greggie," Birkoff commented dryly.

"Oohh, I would if I could, Sey-mour," Hillinger taunted.

Birkoff calmly flipped him the bird and sat down at his monitor. Adjusting his headset, he smiled to himself. Declan would be back in a few hours. If the mission went as planned.

***

Declan stifled a yawn behind his hand, but Operations caught the end of his gesture. "Are we keeping you up, McLaren?"

Declan merely stared blankly at Operations. It was too easy. Operations always gave up too easily. He had never been able to outwait Michael, and now, he could not outwait his successor.

Operations raised an eyebrow at Declan. He couldn't say he disliked him. But he always suspected that Declan had something to hide. Like Michael. Eventually Michael did reveal what he was hiding. A desire to escape Section One and live a normal life on the outside. With Nikita.

He would find out what it was someday. It was inevitable. Section always won. It had to.

***

The mission went as planned. Declan returned to Section One none the worse for wear. He stopped by Comm to see how long Birkoff had until the end of his tour, resting a hand on the back of Birkoff's chair.

Birkoff didn't even have to look up to see who it was. He knew Declan's step. He sensed Declan's proximity to his body in much the same way as any animal knew its mate. But he didn't dare show any particular attention to Declan, or Hillinger would have a field day.

"Are the missions backed up?" Declan asked, fishing for intel on the length of time he might have to wait.

"No, this one is almost done, and then--" Birkoff caught himself before he said, "I'm outta here." Heaving a longsuffering sigh, Birkoff glanced at Hillinger, who was watching the two of them with far too much interest.

"I need to use the bathroom," Birkoff finished lamely, wishing he had Declan's gift for language. Declan was a born storyteller, always full of wonderful embellishments that added so much to the story. But only when he was around him. The rest of the time, Declan acted pretty much like Michael had. Terse. Enigmatic. Cryptic.

Declan stifled an urge to laugh. Now *there* was an interesting excuse to leave. "Perhaps you ought to take care of that, then," Declan said helpfully. Birkoff's dark eyes rebuked him even as Hillinger chortled openly.

Birkoff finished tapping in the last set of instructions to the current mission, and minutes later, it was over. The mission. The waiting. Everything.

Birkoff was so eager to leave, he anxiously pulled his headset from his ear and walked away, calling `bye' to Hillinger from at least ten feet away. Declan stood there, knowing it would not look good if he were to follow Birkoff immediately. This was the part of their relationship that drove Declan crazy.

He wanted to be able to talk to Birkoff out in the open. Oh, he didn't expect Section to sanction their relationship. In fact, if Section ever found out, it would probably go down hard for both of them. He knew the risks. They both did. It was worth it.

***

About five minutes later, Declan casually strolled out of Comm and headed for the elevators. Pressing the button, he descended to the sub-basement level. Down, down he went, deep into the bowels of Section One. Finally, he was there. A seldom-used hallway. Dim, even dark, some would say. He had Birkoff to thank for discovering this place. It was a long-forgotten hole in Section's surveillance net. Birkoff was hellbent on making sure it stayed that way.

Declan turned the corner and stepped directly into the shadows. Birkoff was waiting. Declan's leather creaked as he wrapped his arms around his lover and found his mouth. Claiming his lips possessively, Declan whispered hoarsely, "God, I've been waiting all day long to do that."

Birkoff opened his mouth under Declan's, his tongue moistly seeking its counterpart. "Mmm, you taste pretty good for being out six hours."

Declan slid his hand between Birkoff's legs and Birkoff stepped back, opening his legs for Declan's access. Now Declan was pressing him against the wall. Neither one of them could see a thing in the darkness that surrounded them. But that was what protected them from discovery.

Birkoff's breath caught in his throat as Declan ran his hands along the inside of Birkoff's thighs. Kneeling before Birkoff, Declan pulled on Birkoff's pants, hearing the rasp of the zipper as it slid open. His cock freed, Birkoff leaned back against the wall, looking down at Declan, though he could not see him.

Moments later, he felt Declan's mouth on the most tender part of his skin. "Oh!" Birkoff groaned, unconsciously thrusting his hips forward. "God, you make me so hot."

Declan stroked the hard length of his lover's cock, feeling the wetness at the tip, indicating just how excited Birkoff really was. Birkoff bit his lip, trying not to jiggle restlessly under Declan's moist caresses.

Declan reached one hand up Birkoff's body, pushing his shirt up to the nipple line, stroking his nearly hairless chest.

Birkoff whimpered meaningfully, and Declan smiled. "You're gonna come for me, aren't you, puppy?"

Declan teased Birkoff by running his tongue up and down the length of his erection. He licked the end of Birkoff's cock, but his hands held Birkoff's hands in place, so he could neither touch him nor himself. All he could do was move slightly by pushing his hips back and forth.

"Dec...lan..." Birkoff whispered, biting his lip to keep from moaning too loudly.

Declan moved his head in rhythm with his lover's hips, knowing that the end was imminent. "Go ahead, puppy, come for me," Declan whispered back. "You want to, don't you?"

"Oh, God..."

Birkoff's tortured breathing grew more and more erratic. He gasped, he shuddered, and finally he shook, his mouth opening involuntarily. "Fuck," he exclaimed, knowing it was going to be over sooner than he wanted.

"Fuck me," Declan said in a deep, dark voice that blended with the shadows surrounding them.

Birkoff almost stopped breathing for a moment, his forehead clenching in fierce concentration as he climaxed inside Declan's mouth. Declan drank him, drank his love, as it poured like molten honey down his throat.

Birkoff's shivery groans made Declan ache. He wanted to bury himself deep inside his lover, but this was not the place to remove one's clothes. What they were doing was dangerous enough.

His eyes suddenly awash in tears, Birkoff felt for Declan's long red hair. "That was...amazing."

Hearing the tears in his lover's voice, Declan frowned. "Sey? Are you crying, puppy?"

Birkoff's hands clenched around a stray lock of Declan's hair, his face smoothing itself out into a beatific expression. "Not really."

"I was just thinking..."

"About what, Sey?"

"How much I love you."

Declan tenderly ministered to his lover until he secured his clothing, then he stood up, sliding his hands along the sides of Birkoff's slender frame. Searching for him in the dark, Declan felt his way into the achingly sweet kiss that followed.

Their love was forbidden. Any love was hard put to survive within Section's confines. But their love...was forbidden.

They both knew it.

Neither one could stop it.

Part 3

Declan wrapped his arms around Birkoff, watching him sleep, listening to him breathe. He'd become so important to him in such a short time. "I love you, puppy," he whispered against his ear, and Birkoff smiled in his sleep, his features softening as his body relaxed against Declan.

They rarely had the chance to sleep together in bed the entire night. Either Declan was out on a mission or Birkoff was in Comm. Even on nights they were both on downtime, it was difficult for them to arrange. Birkoff was paranoid about someone becoming suspicious of them spending too much time together and rightly so.

In Section, no one was who they seemed. A best friend could report you and keep right on walking as they threw you into the White Room.

Hence, their stolen moments in the sub-basement, clandestine meetings, furtive glances, and surreptitious kisses. No one could know. The idea of being separated from Birkoff now made Declan's heart ache.

"I'm never going to let you go, Sey. They'd have to drag me away from you and even then, I'd better be dead, or I swear, I'd find a way to be with you," Declan vowed in a husky whisper.

Declan sighed. Being able to hold his lover this way was such a luxury. He didn't dare waste such a moment on sleep.

***

Morning came all too soon. Declan and Birkoff stood at his door, facing each other for the last time before they would go their separate ways for the day. Declan's hand trembled as he tried not to stroke his lover's face. Birkoff bit his lip, struggling not to kiss Declan again.

They might have stood there all day, but for the intervention of an operative passing by. It was no one they knew, but both of them held their breath as the operative strode by with heavy booted feet.

"You'd better go, then," said Declan.

"Yeah."

Birkoff turned first and started to walk away slowly, hearing Declan's whispered, "Be good, puppy," over his shoulder.

"I will," Birkoff said to himself, wiping a tear from his eye as he moved further down the hall.

***

On his way to Comm, Birkoff reflected on his life. How could things be so good and yet so bad all at the same time? The good? One word. Declan. He had never dreamed of being loved by anyone the way that Declan loved him. Oh, Declan never said so in so many words, but Birkoff knew that Declan loved him as deeply as he loved Declan.

The bad? Being forced to say goodbye to him every day, never knowing which day might be his last. Knowing that if Declan never came back from a mission one day, he would be unable to share his grief with anyone. Knowing that having loved someone like Declan, he would never again be satisfied with the crumbs thrown from Section's table.

He tried to compose himself before he entered the more public areas. It would not do for anyone to report that they saw the head of Comm crying in the hallway for no apparent reason.

***

"I know I am going to regret this deeply, but..." Operations scowled at Declan before continuing.

"I have business that can't wait at Center." Operations sighed. "As the most senior operative in One, I am giving you command while I'm away."

Declan didn't show a trace of emotion. "How long will you be away?"

"No longer than I have to, McLaren, that's for damn sure."

After forcing himself into a more relaxed posture, Declan regarded Operations with a blank look, his storm-grey eyes glinting with a light that belied the look. "If you don't trust me, sir, do you mind me asking why you're putting me in charge?"

"McLaren, I don't trust anyone, least of all you. But if you've got someone you don't trust, you don't hide them away where you can't see what they're doing. You put them in plain sight where they're most visible and you make them responsible for as much as possible. Think you're up to the challenge?"

"Yes, sir," Declan snapped tersely, a warning implicit in his suddenly hot silver gaze.

"Good," Operations drawled. "Let's see how you do."

***

Declan wasn't worried about Madeline. Madeline was his champion. She would make a good second-in-command for however long Operations would be away.

The more important question was: how was Birkoff going to take this news, and where did it leave their relationship?

***

Declan stood in the observation deck, unable to resist looking through the huge tinted windows to survey the world he now ruled. This would be heady stuff to anyone else. But to Declan, it merely complicated his life.

He wanted Birkoff to share this with him. Would it seem totally out of character for him to summon him to the aerie here?

"Sey..." he whispered under his breath, seeking his lover out amongst the Section personnel in Comm.

He pressed a button, activating the comlink. "Birkoff!" he barked convincingly. "Get your ass up here!"

Birkoff looked up at the observation deck, seeing his lover's black leather-clad body silhouetted against the tinted windows overlooking Section. While the others were commiserating about his misfortune in being singled out for the new Operations' obvious wrath, Birkoff simply smiled.

"On my way," he sent back via the intercom.

He whistled all the way there.

Part 4

Declan turned to face the incoming visitor, an austere look on his face.

The operatives in Comm watched the observation deck avidly, especially Hillinger. Hillinger chortled out loud, gleefully contemplating what kind of trouble Birkoff might be in, never dreaming that nothing could be further from the truth.

"Puppy!" Declan exclaimed softly.

Birkoff blinked. He wasn't about to move unless he was told. He'd been in Section way too long to be unwary of anything out of the ordinary.

Declan moved towards Birkoff, and Birkoff automatically backed up, glancing meaningfully at the tinted windows. Declan looked puzzled, then the light dawned.

"Ohh...do you know how--?"

Did he know how? Birkoff was better informed than anyone else in Section. Never mind that the observation deck was not his usual territory. He walked over to the remote and clicked the button. Fade to black.

The windows darkened, Birkoff turned back to face Declan. He raised an eyebrow, glancing significantly at the door. Declan slowly walked to the door and locked it.

Birkoff grinned, but before they could celebrate, there was one more thing. Surveillance. Birkoff couldn't order anyone to cut surveillance on the observation deck cams without raising a great deal of suspicion. Unless, of course, everyone was convinced that Declan meant to kill Birkoff. Himself.

But he could manually disable their sensors. With a few deft keystrokes here and there, Birkoff made certain that no one, but no one could eavesdrop on the deck.

"Wow," Birkoff commented, a crooked smile in place. "Some set-up, huh?"

"You could say that."

Declan moved closer to Birkoff, and this time, Birkoff did not back up. Their eyes met, seconds before their mouths did. Declan wound his hands through Birkoff's hair, pulling him against his body. Clamping a hand on either side of Birkoff's face, Declan kissed him, again and again, nearly breathless with excitement.

"Will you let me make love to you here?" Declan breathed against his lover's mouth.

Birkoff's eyes grew huge. "Wouldn't that be fucking dangerous?"

Declan's eyes flickered mysteriously, something hidden in their depths. "Wouldn't it be fucking exciting?"

Birkoff whistled low under his breath. "I'm in love with a crazy man."

"Yeah," Declan admitted, kissing him soundly on the lips. "What the hell's the sense in having all this power if I can't use it?"

Birkoff shook his head, his dark eyes dancing playfully. "I don't think this one's covered in the manual, Declan."

"Fuck the manual, Sey." Declan ran his hands under Birkoff's shirt, his fingers grasping at his nipples. Birkoff sighed with pleasure and not a little excitement.

Declan slid his tongue into Birkoff's ear, his sharp white teeth nipping gently at his skin. "I say we fuck Section," he whispered.

"Literally?" Birkoff chuckled.

Declan licked his mouth, his silver-grey eyes hot on Birkoff's face. "Hell, yeah."

Pulling at Birkoff's shirt to remove it as quickly as possible, Declan tried to slow himself down, but just the idea of what they were contemplating was so arousing, it was somewhat unreal.

As for Birkoff, he submitted willingly to whatever Declan wanted to do to him, but he didn't even need the added arousal of making love in the deck. Just seeing Declan standing before him in his mission blacks, knowing he was betraying his Section persona, even by being there with him, made him unbearably hard.

Before they proceeded any further, however, Birkoff wanted to know where TPTB were. "Operations is safely away at Center. For days." Declan kissed Birkoff's cheek, mouthing the soft skin near his hairline.

"And Madeline?"

"Maddy's on my side."

"For now. Madeline's on her own side, Declan. You should never forget that."

Declan looked startled. He had never considered the real possibility of Madeline betraying him. Not that she actually knew what he was doing. On Section time, no less.

"Let's take care of that," Declan said. Releasing Birkoff from his tight embrace, Declan contacted Madeline.

"Yes?" came Madeline's seemingly friendly voice.

"I don't want to be disturbed for about an hour. Can you handle things for me?" Declan asked coolly, never betraying a single frisson of the excitement that even now shivered up and down his spine. He trailed a hand over Birkoff's hair, and Birkoff turned his head so he could kiss Declan's palm.

"Of course." If Madeline was surprised by his request, she never said so.

Declan didn't care whether she thought he had suddenly lost his ambition or not. A man had to have his priorities. The job wasn't everything.

He cut the intercom with one finger as he leaned against Birkoff's willing young body.

"Let's fuck Section."

Part 5

Declan pulled off his black leather jacket and threw it to the floor. Birkoff bit his lip and looked askance at Declan's gesture. "We're really going to do this?" he asked.

In answer, Declan pulled his long red hair loose from its leather thong and shook his head, causing his hair to explode into a veritable riot of scarlet around his face.

"Oooh," Birkoff exhaled deeply. He loved Declan's hair. It was incredibly long,thick and curly, yet silky smooth to the touch. Birkoff loved to run his fingers through it, especially when they made love. Sometimes he thought he would expire when Declan draped his hair over his chest, the ends tantalizing his nipples into a hardness echoed only by his lower body.

Declan opened his shirt and pulled it out of his pants, leaving it loose to flap around his body. "God, you're beautiful."

Birkoff's tone surprised Declan. Not so much awe, but sadness. He was sure tears were not far away, though he couldn't imagine why.

"What is it, puppy?" Declan asked tenderly, reaching out to stroke Birkoff's face.

"It's just that..." Birkoff turned away, his body language suggesting that he was trying to make himself invisible.

"What?" Declan frowned. He didn't like to see Birkoff unhappy. He desperately hoped that he didn't cry. His tears broke Declan's heart.

"You're so beautiful, Dec," Birkoff whispered. "What the hell are you doing with somebody like me?"

Declan looked puzzled. "I dunno what you mean, puppy."

Birkoff sniffed, and Declan saw that he was indeed tearful. "Sey, we don't have to do anything you don't want to. I'm not trying to force you into anything, sweetheart."

"I know."

"Sey..." Declan felt like crying himself. They had precious little time together, and now, they were wasting it. Who knew when this moment would come again for them?

"In the first place...I'm not fucking beautiful." Declan sounded almost angry, but he wasn't. He was frustrated. He loved Birkoff, dammit, and he simply couldn't see why Birkoff placed a lower value on himself, especially in relation to Declan.

"You are," Birkoff countered.

"Shut up," Declan said with a sob, his pale grey eyes turning dark, like the skies before a terrible thunderstorm. "If I have to believe that I'm beautiful, just because you say I am, why won't you believe that I think *you're* beautiful, just because I say you are?"

"Cause I'm not." Birkoff's lower lip trembled dangerously.

"You are, if I fucking say so, puppy. Come here, dammit." Declan's eyes turned tragic for a moment as he waited for his lover to acknowledge what he said.

"I said, come here," he pleaded, never taking his eyes off Birkoff's face.

Birkoff took a step toward Declan, and Declan did the rest. He pulled Birkoff into a tight embrace, burying his face against his lover's neck. "Do you have any idea how much I love you, my sweet puppy?" He kissed his mouth, splaying his hands across Birkoff's cheeks as he stared desperately into those dark eyes that haunted his nights.

Declan's breath came in fits and starts against Birkoff's skin, and for a moment, Birkoff feared he was crying. He never meant to hurt Declan. Never.

Rocking him in his arms, Declan swayed from side to side, soothing Birkoff's anxiety and laying his own insecurity to rest. "I love you so much...I would fucking die for you," he said hoarsely.

He saw Birkoff's huge bittersweet chocolate eyes widen even further. "I'm never letting you go, Sey. So you might as well get used to it. You're stuck with me. Forever."

"You would give me forever, Declan?" Now Birkoff sounded in awe of him.

"Aye," Declan vowed solemnly. "What'll you give me?"

"My heart and soul, if you'll take them," Birkoff promised, his expression equally grave.

"Done." Declan brushed Birkoff's shaggy hair away from his face, pressing a kiss to forehead, temple, and cheek.

***

Declan took off his shirt and stood bare-chested, looking out over the common area. He had discovered something intriguing about the observation deck windows. There was another button on the remote. A very important button.

That button allowed someone to turn the windows into a two-way mirror. With one click, Declan could see everything that occurred down in Comm and Systems, but no one down there could see him. This was far better than merely fading the windows to black. This was ingenious. He couldn't wait to experiment with it, and soon, he would know how it felt to be the literal master of all he surveyed.

Declan kicked off his boots and pressed a hand to the snap of his pants. Birkoff's hand covered his. "Let me," he whispered.

Soon Declan was standing naked before the observation windows, his arousal lying soft against his inner thigh. Birkoff gasped at Declan's beauty, but now, he was too wise to mention it aloud. Declan could play word games all he liked, and he was good at them, but *he* was by far the more beautiful of the two of them. His hardened thighs looked as though they had been sculpted from marble, but it was the sight of his smooth, firm buttocks that made Birkoff sigh with anticipation.

Birkoff began unbuttoning his own shirt, and Declan merely watched, a bemused smile curving his lips. As he stepped out of his pants, Birkoff shivered. What they were going to do was both dangerous as well as exciting.

"Are you going to do me? Or am I going to do you?" Birkoff asked hesitantly,not certain which he would actually prefer.

"Let's do both, at the same time."

Birkoff looked skeptical, but he shouldn't have been. Declan was nothing if not creative.

Declan leaned forward on his arms, assuming a position that would make it easy for his lover to enter him from behind. He stared out at Section One as Birkoff prepared his sensual assault. Parting Declan's buttocks, Birkoff gently inserted a well-lubricated finger into his lover. Declan sighed, willing his muscles to relax, but he was impatient. "I need you, puppy. Hurry."

Birkoff bent to Declan's buttock and kissed it. Seconds later, he nibbled at the same area with his sharp little teeth, driving Declan into a near-frenzy. Removing his finger, Birkoff slid inside Declan's body with a groan. "You're so tight, Dec."

Declan rubbed himself, feeling how hard he'd grown in just the last few seconds. Leaning closer to the observation deck window, Declan gasped as Birkoff repeatedly stroked into his body. "Shit, did I teach you how to do that, puppy?"

Birkoff smiled, kissing Declan's spine, vertebrae by vertebrae, until he reached his nape. Swinging Declan's hair to the side, Birkoff caressed Declan's nape, finally leaning forward to kiss him there. His stretch forced him deeper inside Declan's body, and Declan groaned. "Fuck me."

Birkoff strained to bury his cock even more deeply inside Declan. When he started to climax, he wrapped his arms around Declan's waist, pulling himself so close, his groin touched the cleft of Declan's buttocks. "Oh, God, I'm going to come."

"You'd better," Declan commented, backing himself into his lover's increasingly hard lunges.

Birkoff emptied himself into his lover's body with a loud moan. Declan's buttocks quivered under his assault. "Unh, I felt that, puppy."

Birkoff slapped Declan's buttock playfully as he withdrew from his body. Declan turned around and grinned. "You cheeky little devil, I ought to spank you."

With a wicked smirk, Birkoff said, "Be careful, I might like it."

"If I was the one doing the spanking, I think you would," Declan said, realizing it was probably true.

Declan kissed him fervently, his tongue penetrating Birkoff's honeyed recesses. "Mmm, I love your mouth."

"My honey mouth?" Birkoff quipped.

"Yeah," Declan said, licking his lover's lips until he opened his mouth wide. Their tongues dueling with each other, they subconsciously alluded to the act just completed.

"You didn't come, Declan," Birkoff said with a frown.

"My turn. You bad puppy. I might just have to leap on those tender young bones of yours and teach you something new."

"Please," Birkoff whimpered.

Part 6

Declan pressed himself against Birkoff's slender young body. Willing, he was so willing, his sweet puppy. Eager to play. Eager to learn. Eager to come at his command.

He wound his hands through Birkoff's freshly washed hair. Inhaling, he noted how clean it smelled. Declan kissed his hair, thinking once again how lucky he was to have found him.

Birkoff's soft length touched his erection. Declan groaned. "I want to hurry up and come, so we can try something else."

Rubbing himself against Birkoff's abdomen, Declan purred contentedly. Locked in a tight embrace, they kissed. Warm, wet, open mouths yearning for each other. Tongues licking familiarly at each and every crevice. Declan reached down between their bodies and pushed his cock against Birkoff's abdomen.

"I want to come all over you."

His lover shivered. "Please."

Holding him even more tightly, Declan rocked back and forth, sliding his hardened length into Birkoff's groin. When their two cocks met, Declan gasped. "You're hard again."

"You make me that way."

Declan claimed his mouth possessively, his body working towards completion. Birkoff's body was more than up to the challenge. Together they strained to be one without actual penetration. Rubbing and sliding against each other without using their hands, they both came at the same time.

They were so close together, there was nowhere for the evidence of their lovemaking to go, but on them. "Mmm..." Declan traded a deep breath for a moment to regain control.

Birkoff giggled. "You *did* come all over me, Declan. I feel like I'm wearing you."

Declan went into the bathroom and grabbed a few towels. Throwing one at Birkoff, Declan raised an eyebrow at his lover. "You came all over me, too, puppy. I'd make you lick up every drop, but you'd prolly like it."

Birkoff smiled softly, managing to rub against Declan one more time. "Ooh, now you're hot *and* wet."

Declan growled in Birkoff's ear. "I'd like to bury something hot and wet up your ass, puppy."

Birkoff's eyes grew so dark, the pupils disappeared completely against the background color of his eyes. Shuddering against Declan's neck, Birkoff whispered, "Are you going to fuck me now? Please..."

Declan turned Birkoff around to face the observation deck windows "Take a good look, Sey. Just thinking about all those people down there, going on about their evil business, completely unaware of us, makes me hard." Declan's hand drifted lower, to cup Birkoff's burgeoning arousal.

"Think about them when you get ready to come," he whispered against his back.

"You mean you want me to think about Hillinger?" Birkoff laughed.

"Christ, no! You want to make me soft again?" Declan said, biting Birkoff's shoulder.

"You sure you wouldn't like to taste poor little Greggie just once, Dec?"

Declan stopped caressing Birkoff instantly, turning him around to face him again. "Are you serious?" he exclaimed, feeling what that thought did to him. Birkoff touched Declan's groin, and he was relieved to see that Declan did indeed lose his erection. Good, he didn't want to be with someone who actually lusted after the Gregster.

"Just checking," Birkoff quipped whimsically.

Just for that, Declan bit his neck, sucking on the area until it sported a bruise the size of a quarter, a lovely shade of purple. Birkoff gasped, the sensation so neatly between pleasure and pain, he couldn't stand it. "What was that for? For being a bad puppy?" he whispered.

Declan stared at him, his grey eyes suddenly serious. "No, I'm marking you. As mine."

"But no one will ever see it. No one will know."

"We'll know, Sey. We'll know." And Declan claimed his mouth in a kiss so passionate yet so fraught with emotion, it quite took Birkoff's breath away.

With a slap on Birkoff's pale, firm buttocks, Declan pushed him forward onto his arms, again facing the windows. Preparing Birkoff much the same way as he had done earlier, Declan slid into the cleft between his buttocks, sighing as he entered his lover's body.

Resting his head on Birkoff's back, Declan closed his eyes, feeling his lover's body throb around him. For a moment, he didn't even feel compelled to move, the sensation so pleasurable, he could have stayed there forever. "God, I love you, Sey," he said, so low Birkoff could barely hear him over the beating of his own heart.

Birkoff's dark eyes drifted shut of their own accord. He didn't need the power trip of looking out at Section. He wanted to forget Section. His world now consisted of just him and Declan, making love every way possible.

"Take me now," he whispered to Declan.

With that, Declan began to move within him. Declan rocked against his lover's body, wanting him with such ferocity, his movements grew increasingly frenzied. When he was ready to climax, Declan abruptly withdrew, pressing his fevered flesh into the sweet cleft between his partner's buttocks. His love poured forth, spilling across Birkoff's back, as he came. In fact, he came with such intensity, he did not immediately stop rocking, finally slowing almost a full minute later.

Declan collapsed on Birkoff's back with a low groan of unutterable pleasure. He lay that way for a moment before reluctantly leaving the feel of Birkoff's warm body behind to clean up.

Quickly they washed, laughing softly as they touched one another. A few minutes later, they were both dressed, their clothing untouched by recent events.

They were never discovered.

***

Birkoff re-entered Comm, feeling the eyes of everyone, but especially Hillinger, upon him.

Hillinger couldn't resist asking. Birkoff looked beaten. Worn down. Frazzled.

"Did Declan really give it to you?"

Birkoff's eyes lit up for a second, his expression remaining enigmatic. "Yeah, he did."

Hillinger considered that. "Did he hurt you, Seymour?" Hillinger almost, but not quite, sounded concerned.

Birkoff sighed convincingly. "He was pretty hard on me."

Hillinger nodded slowly. "Looks like it. Did he beat you or something?"

Birkoff pondered. "Well, he *did* torture me a little...he even smacked me a couple of times."

Hillinger's own dark eyes gleamed. Birkoff frowned. Maybe Hillinger liked being spanked. Maybe they should all chip in and buy him a good dominatrix. That might help improve his disposition.

Hillinger said, "You should have smacked him back. I would have."

"You'd be fucking cancelled, too, Greggie."

Hillinger thought a moment. "Yeah, there is that aspect. But did you let him have it, even once?"

Birkoff smiled. "Oh, I'd say I gave as good as I got at some point."

Part 7

Operations returned to Section One with a curious lack of fanfare. He called Declan to the observation deck at once.

"You have something of mine." Operations regarded Declan with a sardonic smile. Now he was even more sure that Declan was hiding something, but he would need help to discover exactly what it was.

Declan silently removed the chain from his neck, passing it to Operations. "You have command."

"I have command." Operations' eyes flickered over the length of Declan's body. Declan turned to go.

"Declan?"

Declan spun neatly on his bootheel, coming to attention. "Yes?"

"Was the experience everything you thought it would be?"

"All that and more." Declan's mordant wit was lost on Operations. What a concrete thinker.

"Good," Operations approved.

What Declan didn't say was that Operations need never fear that Declan would replace him one day. Declan didn't want his job. If Declan took his job, he would be even more visible than he was now. He would have even less time to spend with Birkoff. He would be even more vulnerable to Section's petty rules and sanctions. It wasn't worth it.

***

Declan stood impatiently outside Birkoff's door. Birkoff answered, physically pulling Declan inside his quarters before anyone could see him. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought you'd be glad to see me, Sey." For a moment, Declan looked hurt.

"I am, I just didn't expect you to come by, that's all."

"Sey, what's wrong?"

Birkoff sighed, inclining his head to a spot somewhere behind him. An elegant woman, impeccably dressed, stood there.

"Ah, Declan, I wondered when you would get here. I believe you are more accustomed to meeting in *your* quarters, but I knew if I kept Mr. Birkoff here, eventually you would come here."

"Maddy!" he cried.

"I have videotape of the two of you in the observation deck. I can make things quite difficult for you both."

"Then why don't you?" Declan asked, calling her bluff.

Madeline smiled, walking toward Declan with silken grace. "I've wanted you from the moment you came into Section. I've been hoping there was a way to make you more...interested...in me. Perhaps extortion will do very nicely."

"What the hell do you mean?"

"I protected you from being exposed to Operations. He has no idea you're gay, and even less idea that you've taken Birkoff, of all people, as your lover."

"And?" Declan's expression blackened.

"If you sleep with me, I promise to make the tape disappear."

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"You don't."

Declan snorted. "So all I have to do is fuck you once, and that's it?"

"Crudely put, but true," Madeline sniffed.

Declan glanced at Birkoff, who was trembling with fear of discovery, not to mention the imminent specter of cancellation.

"Okay," he agreed. Birkoff gasped.

Declan smiled. "Let's see how good your Valentine training is, Maddy. Can you pretend to be a man?"

She looked nonplussed. "Declan, don't even try to out-finesse a skilled manipulator like me."

"No harm in trying, though, is there?" Declan smiled crookedly. "Take off your clothes, then."

Birkoff was utterly transfixed by the sight of Madeline taking off her clothes. She folded every garment with such care and precision, Birkoff knew she had to be suffering from some form of Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder.

Madeline stared at Birkoff. "Does *he* have to be here?"

"You better hope he is, Maddy, or I won't have enough of a hard-on to penetrate."

"Very well," she said reluctantly.

When she was naked, she walked closer to Declan, her hands unsnapping his pants.

He stopped her right there. "I'm in charge here." Looking at Birkoff, he instructed him to remove his clothing as well.

"You want *me* to get undressed? Why, Declan?" Birkoff's chocolate brown eyes grew wide.

"You're my inspiration." He turned to face Madeline, who looked somewhat dismayed by this turn of events.

Birkoff swallowed a nervous giggle. The thought of being cancelled was making him positively giddy.

***

Hillinger smiled to himself, that awful smirk that transformed him from a wholesome-looking adolescent into Weasel Boy. If he only knew how the field ops talked behind his back...he might never come out of his quarters again.

"Oh, sir?" Hillinger caroled across Comm, pitching his voice just right to reach Operations' ear.

Operations turned and fixed Hillinger with a glare that could have literally frozen Hell over. "What?" he growled.

Uh-oh, Ops was not in a very good mood today. Hillinger sighed. He should have read his horoscope. It probably said, Avoid baiting superiors with the power of life or death over you.

Well, this would probably help. He was privy to a very important piece of intel. Ordinarily, he wouldn't think of sharing such information, but if he must, and he just knew he must, Ops would be the man to tell.

"While you were away at Center, Madeline picked up something very interesting on routine surveillance." He didn't mention that Birkoff had blanked out routine surveillance. Or that under Madeline's explicit direction, he circumvented some rather nifty Section-esque technology in order to capture...well, not to put too fine a point on it, but it basically boiled down to a porno flick.

Starring Section One's reluctant heroes. Declan and Birkoff.

Hillinger couldn't care less what happened to Birkoff. But it occurred to him that if something *did* happen to Birkoff, he would have the inside track on bedding Declan. Providing Declan didn't kill him first.

So he dangled this rather interesting tidbit in front of Operations. It was like taking candy from a baby. Hillinger sucked hard on his lollipop, somehow missing the look of utter disdain that Operations gave him.

"Madeline told you that she wanted to sleep with McLaren?" Operations sounded cool, but his eyes were anything but. His blue eyes were lit with a fire that gave even Weasel Boy pause.

He nodded slowly, hoping he was doing the right thing. Cause Operations had the damnedest expression on his face.

***

In the end, Madeline got a bit more than she bargained for. Both figuratively and literally.

Declan rubbed himself, trying to stimulate an arousal, but he couldn't bring himself to look at Madeline's body quite yet. Instead, he concentrated on Birkoff's honey mouth, which even now pouted nicely a few steps away from him.

"Come here, baby." Declan was talking to Birkoff, but Madeline twitched. Oh, she was an impatient little she-devil, wasn't she?"

Leaning over Madeline, Declan reached for his lover, wrapping his arms around him. Kissing him fervently, his tongue entwining with Birkoff's, he was already hot and aroused.

Just for good measure, he slapped Madeline's left butt cheek, hoping to produce a punishing effect. But instead, to his utter amazement, she groaned. She *liked* it.

Too much information, he thought. This is not an area I always wanted to explore. If only there were a way out of this....

From his mouth to God's ear...or someone like Him....

Thanks to a bit of technological wizardry on Hillinger's part, Operations was able to creep inside Birkoff's quarters without alerting Madeline. Oh, face it, Paul, he said to himself, she's so preoccupied with convincing McLaren to fuck her, she couldn't care less if you stood there and watched.

Well, Operations thought, his brow creasing in fevered anticipation, he wasn't about to be reduced to a non-participant in his own sexual fantasy. Though he and Madeline were once lovers, that part of their lives was over. A long time ago. For her.

Every time he attempted to rekindle their affair, Madeline haughtily put him in his place, throwing his own words back at him in a hateful distortion of the truth. The truth was, Operations had always desired Madeline. Even now, it was all he could do to hold himself in check.

He wanted her.

And he was used to getting what he wanted.

Part 8

Madeline supposed that some women would be understandably upset that the man they wanted needed to kiss another *man* in order to have sex with her, but that didn't bother her in the least. She didn't want romance. She wanted to be fucked within an inch of her life.

Smiling coquettishly, Madeline sidled up to Declan, running her hands up and down his chest. Declan closed his eyes and tried to think of Ireland. He didn't want to die. He sincerely wanted to live. Live...and love...and grow old. With Sey. But he had a sense of foreboding that was growing stronger and stronger with each passing minute. It said, You stupid git, she has no intention of letting either one of you live past the moment of maximum impact, so to speak. Stick to your principles. Make your death mean something. Tell her to go fuck--

Operations? Declan blinked. Operations was standing next to him. Christ. They were all fucking dead.

Over a piece of fucking videotape.

Madeline had her back to Declan and Operations. She hadn't seen him yet. That could either be a good thing...or a very bad thing. How would she react to having her not-so-subtle agenda discovered?

And how had Operations found out? Madeline hadn't told him. That much was clear. Then who?

As if he'd spoken out loud, Operations whispered, "Mr. Hillinger sends his regards."

Declan's expression never changed. He trained his silver-grey eyes upon Operations, not so much as the tiniest muscle in his face betraying him.

"Does he?" Declan asked dryly.

Operations turned and faced Declan, letting him see the knowledge of who he was in his clear blue eyes. "You're relieved."

You have no idea, Declan almost said aloud, unable to prevent a small hiss of breath from escaping his tightened lips.

"You may go now," Operations added. "Oh, and," Operations' eyes sparkled, almost as though he were amused. Which, of course, he couldn't possibly be. Declan put that thought right out of his head. What did he have to be amused about?

"Take your...friend...with you," Operations said, referring to Birkoff, a definite twinkle taking shape in his eyes.

He didn't have to ask twice. This was one show he had no intention of seeing. And he'd get Birkoff out of here, if it was the last thing he did.

Part 9

No guts, no glory. Operations smoothed his hands over Madeline's porcelain-like skin, savoring the feel of her under him.

He never let her turn around. He never spoke. He took the initiative right from the get-go, unzipping his pants, sheathing himself, and plunging deeply into what could only be described as her remembered warmth.

At first, she was as silent as he was. Enjoying the feel of flesh upon flesh. Relishing the wet noise that their bodies made together. It was enough simply to be in the moment.

He pushed her head down, pulling on her long dark hair, riding her like the well-developed thoroughbred she was. If she didn't recognize his touch, his scent, well, so be it. It was enough simply to be inside her.

As he approached his climax, he moaned low and deep in his throat, and something within her told her, warned her, this was not Declan. He slammed into her with a force that might have been frightening, if it were not what she truly craved.

How had she missed this? How had she decided that this could not go on? For now she knew who it was. Even as her breasts grew heavy, her nipples harder, sharper, her narrow channel slicker, hotter.

"Paul!" she shouted at the moment of completion.

"Fuck you, Madeline!" he shouted as he suddenly withdrew, a steady stream of come pumping and pulsating across her back. Seeping into the cleft of her creamy white buttocks.

She screamed. He had led her right up to the very brink. She was so close, she could see the edge of the precipice before her. But before she could fling herself off, he stopped. Took that welcome heat away.

She shivered, straining to climax by sheer will. But it was no use. Paul had his revenge. Thwarted her at her own game. She collapsed then, her hand instinctively cradling her femininity. She lay on her side, curling her knees up to her chest, still panting. Though no longer in sheer animal lust.

She was no stranger to vengeance. With Declan and Birkoff safely removed from her clutches, she sought bigger game.

We'll see who fucked who then, Paul.

***

Declan wrapped his arms around his lover, nuzzling the base of his throat, noting the mark he put there. Licking the bruise with his tongue, he asked softly, "Does it hurt, Sey?"

Birkoff shook his head, his long dark hair waving gently with the motion. "Nothing you do to me with love could hurt, Dec."

"Do you think we've heard the last from Madeline and Operations on this?"

Birkoff pondered the question seriously. "Operations slaked his hunger for revenge. But Madeline...." He sighed.

"Madeline doesn't understand the concept of giving in...or giving up. She won't forget this. Ever."

Declan buried his face in the space between Sey's neck and shoulder. "We're at her mercy."

"We always have been. In some ways, she's far more powerful than Operations."

"What can we do?" Declan whispered against Sey's ear. Absently rubbing his cheek against his lover's face, he tried to make each stolen moment count now.

"Wait and see...and love each other like each day's our last."

End