Written for the Lucas' First Time Challenge on seaquestslash, October 2000. The title for this story was taken from the lyrics of the most excellent Dave Matthews' Band song "Say Goodbye." The action takes place prior to the second season episode "And Everything Nice." Thanks go to Meli, Chance, and Emerald for excellent beta and editing suggestions. Any remaining mistakes are due only to the obstinate nature of the author.

It was the swearing that finally made Tony give up all pretense of sleep and lift the pillow from where he had pressed it against his face to glare at his roommate's back. He'd gotten pretty good at tuning out the clicking of keys, and the pillow took care of the light from the monitor, but he very much doubted he would ever be able to circumvent the effect Lucas' voice had on him. That was just not the sort of reaction you could sleep through. And he knew for a fact that he wasn't the only member of the crew who responded in that particular way to their youngest colleague.

Yeah, but I'm the only one who has to suffer the temptation of sleeping in the same room with him. Or not sleeping, as the case may be. Why couldn't the captain stick me with a roommate with normal sleep patterns?

"Hey, Luc."

"What?" The patter of the keyboard didn't even pause as Lucas responded. The kid was a demon typist, especially when he got into a project. Tony had once lost himself in watching the long fingers dance over the keys in a complex, insanely fast choreography. When something broke the spell a few minutes later, he realized Lucas hadn't even noticed him staring. The kid would go off into his own little world when working, and not even a shipboard crisis could distract him. Tony supposed he should be grateful Lucas had even heard him.

"Some of us are trying to sleep," he griped, sexual frustration coloring his voice with more irritation than he intended. Lucas reacted predictably, hitting the keys a little more forcefully and not turning around.

"And some of us are trying to finish up projects for tomorrow. Which would be finished a lot faster if certain people wouldn't keep interrupting us."

Tony cast his eyes heavenward and muttered, "What did I do to deserve this aggravation?"

"I heard that."

"Maybe I meant you to."

"Look, I didn't ask for a roommate. I also didn't ask for our little power outage yesterday when somebody, who shall remain nameless, thought it would be a good idea to see how well seawater mingled with some of the circuits in the lab."

"I was excited, okay?" Tony said defensively. "I didn't want the whatever it was to shrivel up or anything while I was desuiting."

"That's why there's a comm by the moonpool," Lucas pointed out. "A comm that works really well, in fact. As it is, I have to finish this for the captain and you are the last person who has a right to complain."

Tony was not one to deny his spotty service record, but there were times when he wondered if even the most severe infraction warranted being roomed with a hostile teenager. A hostile, sarcastic, too-smart- for-his-own-good teenager. Who was sexy as hell, to boot.

Don't go there Piccolo. He may be only two years younger than you, and he may be legal, but Bridger would have your hide. He decided if they were going to argue, he should not be flat on his back while Lucas faced away from him. Surrendering to a sleepless night, he rose from his bunk and crossed the room, flicking on the light and dimming it as he went. He briefly considered leaning over Lucas' shoulder just to annoy the kid, but he was worried that certain parts of his anatomy might call attention to themselves that way. He leaned against the desk beside Lucas instead, ignoring the brief look of irritation Lucas shot him as the movement jostled the keyboard. He peered at the monitor and tried to make sense of what he was seeing.

"What are you doing, anyway?"

"Working."

Uh-oh. Lucas really was pissed. Usually, someone asked him what he was working on and no one could shut him up. Tony glanced at his roommate. In the flickering light of the monitor, Lucas looked both tired and stressed. Tony knew he'd been working on this thing, whatever it was, for weeks. He knew it was some kind of project for Bridger, which would explain Lucas' dedication. Despite their frequent arguments, the Captain and Lucas were devoted to each other. It was kind of sweet, except it meant anyone who even looked at Lucas sideways risked the formidable wrath of Captain Nathan Hale Bridger in full paternal mode.

Guess I should be grateful I wasn't here when Dr. Westphalen was aboard. I've heard stories about her.

"Any idea when you'll be finished?" he asked tentatively. "You really look like you could use a break, Luc."

"I'd be finished a lot faster if someone stopped asking me questions." The tone was still short, but Tony saw the trace of a smile tug at the corner of Lucas' mouth. The kid reacted that way to any show of concern. No way could he admit he appreciated the care, that would ruin his smartass reputation. Of course, Tony could think of far more interesting ways to ruin his rep....

The UEO is right, Piccolo. You have no discipline. The problem was his natural lack of respect for authority made it harder to convince his libido that Lucas was off-limits just because Bridger wouldn't like it. There were a lot of things Bridger didn't like where Seaman Piccolo was concerned.

You are definitely operating on too little sleep, he told himself. You wouldn't have to worry about this one going into your file because Bridger would just plain kill you. Besides, Lucas is a friend.

Yeah, said the other part of himself. And you could always ask. If he says no, you'll get over it. If he says yes....

That was a heaven too dangerous to contemplate. Whatever his answer, though, Lucas wasn't likely to tell Bridger about it. That was one reason Tony liked him. Lucas was unswervingly loyal to his friends. Which was sad, really, given the questionable quality of some of those friends.

Like me, he admitted to himself. The kid was one of the first people to be nice to me on this boat, and I'm so grateful I want to jump his bones. On some level he was rather disgusted with himself. But that's not going to stop you from trying to seduce him, is it?

No, it most definitely was not.

"Tony."

"What?"

"It's hard to work with you staring at me."

"Sorry."

He tried not to stare, forcing his eyes back to the computer screen and trying to make sense of what he saw there. The attempt did not succeed, though, and his eyes wandered back to Lucas as he speculated on the best way to approach the situation. Should he take it really subtle and slow? Or would Lucas appreciate the direct approach more?

"Tony."

"What?"

At last Lucas stopped typing and looked right at him. The force of that irritated blue gaze got all his attention, yanking him out of his musing.

"Did I grow a second nose or is it just that you like bugging me more than you like your sleep?"

"Sorry, Luc, I was just...thinking." He trailed off as his eyes tracked down to the hollow of Lucas' throat, disappearing under the collar of his tee-shirt.

Lucas scowled. "And how was that new experience for you?"

It was meant to provoke him, he knew. Lucas would continue hurling insults until he fought back or went away. It was one of the kid's favorite tactics, and it usually worked amazingly well. This time, however, Tony was determined that things would go according to his agenda.

"Let me know when you're done," he said calmly and went back to his bunk to sit down.

Lucas watched him incredulously for a minute, then turned back to the computer as it beeped softly at him. This gave Tony the opportunity to go back to staring. Granted, there wasn't much to look at from this angle. No face, no hands, and Lucas' oversized clothes made appreciating his body difficult even when he wasn't hunched up in a computer chair. The tense line of shoulders, though, gave Tony an idea. He knew where he would start.

Lucas' soft exclamation of triumph told him the wait was almost over. A flurry of keystrokes accompanied by more pleased sounds drew Tony up from the bunk and back across their cabin.

"How's it going?" he asked while still a few steps away.

"Almost done," Lucas said with deep satisfaction, still typing. "Just have to finish up this last little.... Got it!"

Tony stepped behind Lucas and glanced at the screen. He still didn't know what he was looking at, but it didn't really matter. As long as Lucas was happy with it and finished for the night, that was all he needed. He waited until Lucas had saved and closed down the program. When Lucas reached up and back to rub at the back of his own neck, Tony brushed the hand aside and started a massage in that area. Lucas tensed almost immediately.

"What are you doing?" he asked, trying to pull away. Tony pulled him back against the seat and continued rubbing.

"What does it feel like I'm doing? Jeez, Luc, hasn't anyone given you a massage before?"

"They usually ask if I want one first."

"Yeah, well, I'm pushy that way. Now just relax and let the Patented Piccolo Massage work its magic."

Lucas grumbled a little longer, but at least he didn't try to pull away again, and he did finally start to relax. Tony worked at the knot in Lucas' neck, then moved outward to his shoulders. The definition there surprised him. He'd seen Lucas in a wet suit and knew the kid's baggy wardrobe hid quite a nice body, but he'd never before been able to explore for himself. Eager to explore more, he judged Lucas sufficiently mellow to take things a step further.

"You know, it would be a lot easier to reach the rest if you were lying down," he suggested casually, letting absolutely none of his lust bleed into his voice.

Lucas turned the chair around and looked at him with narrowed eyes. For a moment, Tony was afraid he'd been found out, but Lucas only shrugged. "Yeah, okay."

As Lucas stood, Tony debated implementing the next part of his plan and decided to go for broke. If Lucas wasn't interested in anything, it was best to find out now.

"This will also be more effective if you take your flannel shirt off."

He knew he hadn't kept his voice steady on that one. He tried, but the words conjured an image of a semi-naked Lucas and his control started to waver. Lucas turned and looked at him for several long moments, then crossed his arms and leaned back against the top bunk.

"Are you sure you only want me to take off one shirt, Tony?"

Busted. Lucas' pose and tone were ambiguous at best, so he decided not to abandon the game quite yet. "Well, skin is best, but we'll do this however you want."

"Oh, no. I think we're doing this just the way you want. Except, of course, we're not supposed to have this conversation. I'm supposed to lie down without my shirt on. You'll rub my back a little, then tell me you just can't quite get it without the tee-shirt going. So I take it off, and you start massaging me again, but your touch is different, not quite as brisk, more of a caress--stop me if you know the punch line." The voice was pleasant, but the eyes dared him to deny it again.

"Knew there was a reason they called you a genius." This approach only seemed to be pissing Lucas off, which wasn't the point at all, so Tony abruptly changed tactics. Crossing the small space between them, he placed his hands on the top bunk on either side of Lucas' head and leaned toward his roommate. He made sure the invitation in his stance and voice was unmistakable. "So now you know. What do you think?"

Lucas looked less than impressed. "What do I think about what, Tony? Your technique? It's not exactly subtle. The fact that you're coming onto me when all you've ever done is chase women? Maybe it's just that you're horny and I'm available. It's been known to happen. Or maybe you really are into guys, but you don't want to ruin your macho rep and you figure doing the kid is your safest bet until we put ashore again. Maybe--"

It was a defense tactic, Tony guessed, partially sparked by nerves. He closed the distance remaining between them and silenced the tirade with a very thorough kiss. He felt Lucas push against him in instinctive shock and held on through the brief struggle. And it was very brief, something he considered a testament to his prowess in this particular area. Neither flirting nor seduction had ever interested him quite enough to excel in, but he was a master of the art of loving. It was just a matter of getting people to that point.

He was doing well so far. Lucas' mouth had been open when the kiss began, and Tony took advantage of that fact to dive in, tasting and teasing his roommate with a skill that left Lucas shaking. Hands that had been raised to shove him away now clung to the front of his tank top with unthinking need. Tony let his own hunger answer that need, sliding one hand down between them to lightly caress Lucas through his jeans. Lucas gasped into his mouth, arching into the touch and dragging him closer. Tony decided to let them both breathe a bit, moving his mouth down Lucas' jaw to that long throat that had distracted him so often.

"Maybe I just think you're the hottest thing going on this boat and I'm tired of resisting temptation," he offered between kisses. "I do like women. A lot. But it's guys I obsess about, Luc. And I'm assuming if you don't like men, you're going to tell me any minute here."

"No, I...I like them."

"But you've never done anything with them," Tony stated, and received his answer in the flush of color through the pale skin against his mouth. He pulled away far enough to look into dazed eyes, one hand firmly on each of Lucas' shoulders. "Do you _want_ to do anything?"

"Maybe." Lucas took a deep breath, visibly steadying himself. "What exactly are you asking me to do here, Tony? How far are you planning on going with this?"

"As far as you'll let me. I don't want to hurt you."

Tony knew the brutal honesty of the statement threw his roommate off-balance. He was usually more evasive, but usual just didn't apply to this situation. He wanted Lucas more than he had ever wanted anyone, and he wanted Lucas to know it.

"Why me?" Lucas whispered at last. "We probably have the best-looking crew in the fleet. I know the guys have been kind of unfriendly to you, but they're getting better. You wouldn't be stuck with me if you waited--"

"You've got to be kidding me." He shook at Lucas a little. "Luc, if you don't want to do this, tell me. Yeah, I want you, and not because no one else is interested. In fact, if I did this with just about anybody else, I'd be creating far less problems for myself. You think Bridger is going to like that I'm even asking you?"

"So are you doing this just to piss him off?"

That did it. For a genius, Lucas could be downright obtuse. Time to enlighten him. Pressing full-length against his roommate, Tony forced his way between Lucas' legs and dropped both hands to cup his ass. Lucas sucked in a shocked breath, but didn't push him away. That was a good sign.

"I'm doing this," he said softly and distinctly into one ear, "because you are sexier than anything else I have ever seen in my life." He slid one hand under Lucas' untucked shirts, caressing the soft skin of his lower back. "I'm doing this because you're one of the best friends I've ever had." He moved the other hand down and in, tracing the seam of Lucas' jeans as he pulled their groins into closer contact, separated only by denim and his own boxers. Lucas moved restlessly against him and he smiled, breathing across his captive's ear. "I'm doing this because I happen to know it's one thing I'm good at, and I want to show you how good. I don't give a damn what Bridger or anyone else thinks, I just want you tonight. Are you okay with that?"

"What about tomorrow?" Lucas whispered, then regained a little of his biting humor. "Will you still respect me in the morning?"

"We're friends, Luc. That won't change. I'm not asking for anything but tonight," Tony reassured him softly. "Just one night to show you what you do to me. What I can do to you. I won't do anything you don't want. I'll stop right now if you want me to. Do you want me to?"

"I...," Lucas trailed off and Tony felt him relaxing, his head tilting back so that Tony's lips brushed across his cheek. "No."

"No, stop or no, don't stop?" Tony asked as he mouthed his way once more down the throat exposed to him.

"Don't stop."

That was what he'd been waiting for. Separating from Lucas as little as possible, he grabbed his roommate's flannel shirt and pushed it impatiently off his shoulders and down his arms. Once Lucas shook himself free of it, Tony slid both hands under the remaining tee-shirt and lifted it over Lucas' head. It went the way of the flannel shirt and he stared at the lean, pale chest revealed.

"God, Luc," he breathed. "Could you be more perfect?"

"I'm not--" Lucas lost the protest in a short, sharp cry as Tony bit down gently on one nipple. Rather than making a reply, Tony soothed the small pain with his tongue. Lucas tasted clean and sharp, salt-sweat and herbal soap and young male musk. He could feast on that taste all night. Maybe if things went well he'd have the chance. Tonight, though, he had other plans. After thoroughly wetting the nub, he breathed across it softly. The resultant shiver made him smile, and he looked up to see Lucas closing his eyes at the sensation. Tony moved on for a repeat performance with the other nipple.

Lucas was one of the most responsive partners he'd ever had. Every kiss, every caress with hands or mouth elicited an erotic reaction. At first Lucas tried to keep up with him, meeting touch for touch, but soon both his roommate's hands were occupied with clinging to the edge of the top bunk, trying to keep them both upright. Tony decided to take advantage of the position, and slid to his knees before his roommate.

Lucas' eyes fluttered open at the loss of contact and he began to ask, "Tony, what...?"

Tony decided part of the fun of this whole situation was interrupting Lucas in interesting ways. Unbuttoning the waistband of Lucas' jeans, he placed a hand on each slim hip to hold his roommate steady, then caught the zipper between his teeth and began to pull downward. He heard a stunned curse above him but refused to be distracted. He got the zipper down and nosed aside the denim, assisted in his efforts by the erection tenting Lucas' boxers. He paused a moment to blissfully inhale the scent of aroused male, then began nibbling through the fabric.

"Tony!"

The force of that cry had him wondering how soundproof the walls were. The same thing must have occurred to Lucas, because he looked up to see his roommate's mouth snap shut in a tight line, eyes darting to their cabin door. Tony waited a few minutes, listening for footsteps in the corridor outside as he felt tension thrumming through Lucas' body. When he heard nothing, he turned back to the task at hand. Hooking a finger through the waistband on either side, he drew the boxers down, easing them over what turned out to be one very impressive erection.

"Nice," he murmured appreciatively before taking the tip in his mouth.

There was a strangled sound above him, and he glanced up to see Lucas watching him, teeth digging into that full lower lip. Tony sucked gently at his prize, and had to suppress a smile when Lucas closed his eyes again, blonde head falling back to the bunk and a shudder racking the long body.

Bet this is your first blowjob, kid. He released the tip and licked a long line underneath, following that throbbing vein. He was rewarded with another muffled sound and the whitening of Lucas' knuckles on the bunk. Just wait. It gets a whole lot better.

Drawing this out as much as possible, he turned his attention from cock to balls, his tongue caressing each as he drew them briefly into his mouth. Lucas sounded like he was choking now, and Tony looked up to see he was still biting his lip, close to drawing blood.

"You're gonna hurt yourself, Luc," he said softly, breathing across sensitive skin. "Cover your mouth with your hand."

"Can't," Lucas gasped. "Need...both hands...to...keep...from falling."

Using his hands on Lucas' hips to pull himself upright, Tony considered the situation and nodded his head. "You're right. Why don't we lie down? Or...," he grinned as another idea occurred to him. "Or I could gag you, if you were comfortable with that."

Lucas' eyes went wide at that, and Tony almost lost himself in their mesmerizing blue.

"Ummm...." Lucas swallowed, then tried again. "I think lying down is good."

"Oh, yeah," Tony agreed, "Very good."

Lucas released his death grip on the top bunk, and Tony stepped back just enough to allow him to sit on the bottom bunk. Then he stepped forward again to take Lucas' face in his hands and kiss him breathless. Lucas' hands found their way into Tony's short hair, and Tony almost smiled at the unspoken hunger in that clutch. He moved his own grip to Lucas' head and back, maneuvering them both until Lucas lay sprawled on the bunk with Tony hovering over him.

Now there's a picture I will carry with me the rest of my life. Tony took a moment to enjoy the image of Lucas on his bunk, hard and half-naked. Damn, the kid is hot. Grinning in anticipation, he quickly stripped Lucas of his shoes and socks, then pulled the jeans and boxers completely off. Divesting himself of his own clothing as fast as possible, Tony eased onto the bunk until he hovered over Lucas, supported by an elbow on either side of Lucas' body.

"How we doin'?" he asked, and nearly lost it as Lucas answered him by dragging his head down for a kiss and thrusting up into his body.

"That answer your question?" Lucas said when he broke the kiss at last. There was amusement in his voice, and Tony had the sneaking suspicion it had something to do with his own current state of shock. Shaking himself free of it, he grinned down at Lucas with all confidence.

"Well, a 'fine' would have worked, but I'm not picky." Cutting the inevitable rejoinder off at the pass, Tony snaked his way down Lucas' body and returned to his original task.

This time he got right down to business, engulfing Lucas' full length in his mouth. He heard the sound of a hand slapping flesh, and looked up to see that Lucas had clapped his hand over his mouth. Was, in fact, biting down on it. Glad to know he had his roommate's undivided attention, he began to demonstrate the fine art of cocksucking with all the genius of a master.

All things considered, he had to admire Lucas' stamina. The kid lasted longer than he had expected, and when he did finally come...that had to be one of the most beautiful things Tony had ever witnessed. Despite the earlier cries, Lucas wasn't a screamer. He'd fisted both hands tight in the blanket beneath him, leaving his mouth uncovered once more, and so Tony heard his breathless, helpless gasps as the warm, salty fluid pulsed out of him. Tony swallowed, savoring the taste and the sounds and the feel of Lucas arching up beneath him. He milked Lucas dry, finally letting the limp cock drop from his mouth with a last light kiss to the crown. Moving up Lucas' body, he leaned down and kissed the open mouth, letting Lucas taste himself. He was rewarded with a low moan and the tentative flick of a tongue against his. He caught that tongue lightly between his teeth and suckled it, inspiring another moan. Letting Lucas breathe for a moment, he ducked down to kiss the spot below one ear. A shiver through the body below him told him he'd hit another erogenous zone.

"Good?" he murmured, letting his lips brush skin.

Lucas swallowed shakily. "Yeah," he answered at last, then hissed as Tony nipped at the ear itself.

"Good."

Tony continued his exploration, keeping it slow and gentle while he waited for Lucas to recover for the next round. This was what he wanted, this fine, sweet body responding to his touch. This brilliant mind and sharp tongue reduced to incoherent pleasure by his expertise. His own erection hadn't flagged in the slightest, and he knew he was going to have to do something about it soon. He just had to wait until Lucas was up to participating. Young as he was, it wouldn't be long.

When he felt Lucas begin to harden beneath him, Tony started rocking in a slow, steady rhythm that rubbed their groins together. He sought out Lucas' mouth once more and plundered it, his kiss thorough and deep. The response was immediate, Lucas' cock rising to press against his own. Not breaking the kiss, Tony reached down to take both erections in his hand. As he began stroking up and down, up and down, Lucas' hands came up to restlessly move over his hair and back. Lucas' mouth against his was urgent and sweet and he knew he could easily grow addicted to this. Lucas' hands, Lucas' mouth, Lucas' body. In all his vast and varied experience, no one had ever inspired this kind of hunger in him.

You are unbelievable, Luc, he told his roommate silently. And you have no idea, do you?

He was already close to the edge, and that first orgasm had cut into Lucas' endurance, so it didn't take long before he felt the familiar tightening of all his muscles and they were both coming, Lucas gasping under him and his own cry muffled by their joined mouths. He felt warmth splattering his chest and belly, warmth spilling over his hand, and it felt so good to be doing this again, to be doing this with Lucas.... The body beneath him went limp in a way that told him Lucas had passed out. He was pretty close, himself. Forcing himself to take deep, steadying breaths, he pulled back and waited for Lucas to come around. When eyes that were mostly pupil blinked open and focused unsteadily on him, he grinned tiredly.

"You okay?" he asked. Apparently still beyond speech, Lucas merely nodded, a slow smile moving across his lips and lighting up his eyes. That was too much to resist, and Tony had to lean down to kiss him again before continuing. "I'm going to clean us up a bit. That cool?"

"Yeah," Lucas breathed, then frowned. "How...?"

"I keep antiseptic wipes in my foot locker." Tony grinned again at Lucas' raised eyebrow. "I've found they're really good for cleaning up...certain substances."

That earned him a soft laugh, and he winked before moving to his footlocker to retrieve a few small packages of the wipes. He tore one open and cleaned himself off quickly, glancing up at Lucas every so often to see his roommate's eyes fluttering with exhaustion, long black lashes brushing down over vivid blue. Tony swallowed hard and reminded himself it wasn't that long until ship's morning, and he had the early shift. Besides, Lucas didn't look up to another round, and Tony seriously hated it when his partners fell asleep on him.

Finished with his own cleanup, he opened another package and stepped back over to sit on the bunk beside Lucas. He spent a lot more time on his roommate than he had on himself, smiling as Lucas allowed the attention, drowsy and pliant. Even this was better than usual, and prompted Tony to take another risk.

"You look pretty comfortable, Luc. Why don't you stay here and I'll take your bunk for tonight? Or," and he allowed none of his hope to come through in his voice. "Or we could share, if you don't mind being a little crowded."

He watched Lucas think about that, waking up a little as his brain mulled the choices. At last he seemed to reach a decision, and he looked up at Tony with a warmth and shyness that nearly stopped Tony's heart.

"I don't mind crowding if you don't."

Tony took the time to turn off the light before returning to the bunk. It took a little maneuvering, but they finally ended up comfortable, both on their sides with Tony's back against the wall and Lucas' back against Tony. Tony draped one arm over Lucas and felt a rush of affection when Lucas tangled the fingers of one hand with his. He began to stroke soft, thick blonde hair with his free hand. Within moments, the easing of Lucas' grip told him his roommate had fallen asleep.

Sleep well, buddy, he thought as his own consciousness faded. Sweet dreams, and here's hoping the morning after is as good as the night before.

His alarm woke them both far too soon. As the steady beeping increased in volume, threading its way through his consciousness, Tony sighed and forced his eyes open. He was greeted with a wild tangle of gold that resolved itself into the back of a head as its owner stirred and groaned.

"I'm awake already," Tony grumbled. "Shut off."

The alarm obediently fell silent as the lights came up in their cabin. The alarm would reactivate in ten minutes unless he got up and punched in the code letting it know he truly was up and about. That gave him ten more minutes to enjoy the sensation of Lucas in his arms and in his bed, assuming Lucas didn't bolt as soon as he was fully awake.

Time to face the music, I guess.

Propping himself on one elbow, he managed to lean over Lucas enough to see one sleep-blurred eye watching him sidelong.

"Good morning," he offered neutrally.

Lucas rolled onto his back as much as he could and blinked up at Tony. "That's an oxymoron," he grumbled at last. "I suppose you want out."

"I do have the morning shift," Tony pointed out, shrugging in apology. He took it as a compliment that Lucas seemed reluctant to move, and only smiled as Lucas looked up at him a moment longer before rolling out of the bed and onto his feet with a groan.

"I don't suppose it occurred to you to try this on a day when you could have slept in."

Tony smiled at Lucas' back, pulling himself out of the bunk. "You just have no appreciation for spontaneity."

"I appreciate things that don't cut into my sleep." Lucas turned and crossed his arms, glaring blearily. With his hair wild from sleep and his eyes mere slits, he was the quintessential picture of disturbed exhaustion. Tony decided it was a good look on him.

"No one's making you get up."

"You did, just now."

"Now I know why Ortiz and O'Neill warned me about not talking to you until after you've had your coffee," Tony said, but his tone was amused. "Go back to bed, Luc. I'll get out of your hair."

Lucas woke up at that, looking a little panicked. "Wait, Tony, I didn't mean--"

Tony laughed, then went to Lucas and clasped his upper arms, shaking him a little. "Take it easy, buddy. I'm just teasing you." He held Lucas' eyes as he spoke. "Nothing's changed unless you want it to, okay? No pressure, and I'm not going to go storming off if you decide it was a bad experience. I hope it wasn't, I hope you had as good a time as I did--"

"You had a good time?" Lucas interrupted, and there was an odd edge of wistfulness under the disbelief that made Tony want to hug him. Instead, he just nodded.

"Yeah, Luc, I had a _very_ good time. But that's not what's important. If you didn't get anything out of it, you don't have to pretend you did. Sometimes that happens." Tony paused, still holding Lucas' gaze. "Okay?"

Lucas nodded, swallowing. "Yeah, okay."

"Still friends?"

Now Lucas smiled, and Tony felt something inside ease. "Still friends."

"Good." Tony held his roommate for a moment longer, then released him and stepped back, turning to fish for a clean uniform in his minuscule closet. "Now, I need to get going, and you need to get some more sleep. Somehow I don't think there's anywhere you need to be at this time of morning."

"They'll need me on the bridge in a few hours, but I don’t think anyone will miss me until then," Lucas conceded. Tony watched him pull on boxers and a tee before hoisting himself up to the top bunk, feeling a pang of regret at the loss of a complete view of that graceful body. Once settled, Lucas sat silent for a moment, then raised his eyes once more to Tony's. "It wasn't, you know."

"What wasn't what?" Tony asked.

"A bad experience."

"That's the best thing I've heard all tour." Deciding to take another risk, Tony added carefully, "In fact, if you think you'd ever want to do it again...."

Lucas smiled, and again there was that wistfulness. "Thanks, but I wouldn't want to lead you on."

"There's no danger of that, Luc. I always know where I stand with you, and I'm fine with that." And maybe someday I can get you to tell me who you're thinking about when you look like that, so I can help you figure out what to do about it.

"Thanks, Tony. For everything."

"That's what I'm here for, despite what the UEO thinks." That earned him a happier smile, and Tony hurriedly donned his uniform before stepping to the door. "Pleasant dreams, bud. I'll catch you later."

"Later, Tony."

Punching in his code so his alarm wouldn't go off again and dimming the lights, Tony closed the door and stepped out into the corridor. It was early, and he was tired, but he felt better than he had in a very long time. For one night, he'd had Lucas Wolenczak. For one night, he'd given his best friend pleasure.

Not bad, if I do say so myself. And I do.

~END~