Fic: Happy Endings (Lorne/Zelenka, NC-17)

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Title: Happy Endings
Author: gblvr
Recipient: dingochow
Pairing: Lorne/Zelenka
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Not mine, much as I wish either of them could be....
Author's Note: My usual beta reader deserves ALL of the cookies and booze in the world - her suggestions and comments forced me to really take a look at what I was writing and why, and in the end, this is better because of her help. Having said that, there things I ignored, and there has been much tinkering since she last saw this, so all errors and inconsistencies should be blamed on me.
Summary: Evan and Radek are bad at dating, until they're not....



Radek had box tickets to the opera; no, it wasn't the Státní Opera Praha, but it was live music, and one of the few bright spots of being exiled back to Earth by the Ancients. He was thinking of Evan Lorne as he bought the tickets, but he had no idea if the man was even on the planet, let alone whether or not he liked classical music. For three weeks he debated with himself, going back and forth in his mind about whether or not he should ask, until he was so tangled up in his own self-doubt he couldn't think.

The day of the opera, he was passing the control room when an SG team returned through the 'Gate. He stopped to watch as the team crossed the event horizon; it was one of the newer teams -- SGC veterans paired with members of the returned Atlantis expedition. He recognized Evan as he came through into the embarkation room, and -- yes, the other member of his team was Chuck Campbell.

He hadn't seen either of them since they'd come back to Earth - in fact the only people he'd seen were Rodney and Carson, and much to his disappointment, Kavanagh - so he waited at the top of the stairs to speak with them. Evan smiled when he saw Radek waiting, and Radek's tummy gave the same little flutter it always did. Chuck was smiling too, happy as he always was, but his smile didn't even register with Radek as they made their way over.

They couldn't really talk until Evan and Chuck were cleared by medical, so they planned to meet afterward, in the commissary. Radek continued on to the lab after the others had turned off toward the infirmary; he figured he had at least an hour to kill - more than enough time to check on his latest round of simulations.


The commissary was crowded with SG teams and scientists, but the three of them managed to find a table, and catch up on what they'd each been doing since they'd been back. They'd all taken leave, and gone to their separate corners of the world, before reporting back to the Mountain; none of them mentioned Atlantis. Before they were done eating, Chuck was called back to medical, and Evan and Radek were left to finish the meal alone.

They finally lapsed into silence, and it wasn't until Evan pushed back his chair to leave that Radek gathered enough courage to ask.

"Major Lorne -- would you? That is...I have tickets to the opera this evening. Would you like to accompany me?"

Lorne looked at him for a long minute before he asked, "You asking me on a date, Doc?"

"I -- It is-" Radek stopped, and then tried again. "What if I am?"

Evan smiled a bit at that, and said, "Relax, Doc. Either way, I'd love to go with you."

They'd been flirting for months, practically from the moment they'd been introduced, but Radek had never been sure Evan was serious. He was friendly with almost everyone, yes, but there were other people he flirted with, too -- Doctor Parrish and Ronon and Teyla, and at times his joking with Colonel Sheppard and Elizabeth had a teasing, flirty edge to it, as well.

He'd wanted to ask Evan out for a while now, but when he'd thought about it, he'd figured Evan would probably say 'thanks, but no thanks, Doc,' and then just avoid any awkwardness by avoiding Radek for a very long time.

Actually knowing Evan was interested, and not just playing, gave him the confidence he needed.

"Very well, then." Radek squared his shoulders and raised his chin. "Yes, I am asking you on a date. The production begins at eight o'clock; if you will give me your address, I will pick you up early for dinner."

"You're on, Doc, but on one condition." He grinned then, and bumped his shoulder against Radek's. "You have to call me Evan -- none of this Major Lorne business."



When Evan came to the door, he looked fantastic -- and very different from the buttoned up man he'd been under the mountain. It did a lot to calm Radek's nerves. Evan's dark jacket was perfectly fitted to his wide shoulders and Radek wanted to lick the tanned vee of skin exposed by his unbuttoned shirt. His hair was mussed, and so soft looking that Radek found himself reaching out to touch it. He dropped his hand when Evan spoke.

"Wow, Doc, you look great."

Radek blushed; he did not wear clothes like this very often, and even he had been surprised when he saw himself in the mirror earlier. His usual attire of khaki pants and blue shirts was a holdover from the uniforms they'd worn in Atlantis; the dark pants and corduroy jacket he wore this evening were as soft as they looked, and it was nice to be wearing something that felt so good against his skin. He did not think he looked as handsome as Evan, but he was flattered all the same.

"Shall we go? We don't want to be late for the music; they are performing a Janácek opera this evening -- it is very beautiful, and very sad." As he spoke, Radek watched Evan lock his front door, and then he gestured for Evan to precede him to the car.

Evan listened to him ramble on about the times he had seen the opera before, occasionally interjecting questions about Prague and what it had been like growing up surrounded by so much art and history. The drive to dinner passed quickly, with no uncomfortable conversational lulls, and that momentum carried them through dinner and the short walk to the Pike's Peak Center.

When they had been shown to their seats, and the usher had withdrawn, Evan fell silent.

"Evan? Is something wrong?"

"No...there's nothing wrong, I'm just-" He stopped short, and rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. "I haven't been on a date for a while. I'm feeling a bit rusty, I guess."

"You don't seem rusty."

"I guess I'm just having a hard time figuring this out. I mean -- dinner and opera seems like a pretty serious date." Evan frowned. "Maybe I'm just reading too much into this."

"You are not. I have wanted to spend more time with you for a while now."

"You have?" Evan looked surprised.

Radek chuckled. "Now it is I who feel rusty. Perhaps my flirting was not as obvious as I had thought?"

"I wasn't sure -- you're always so polite with everyone -- I thought maybe it was wishful thinking on my part."

"Well then, let me clarify. I was flirting."

When he looked over, he saw Evan was smirking.

"What?"

Evan's smirk turned into a full-blown grin. "We're kind of bad at this, aren't we?"

"You have no idea." Radek stopped and cleared his throat before he continued. "I have a confession to make. I bought the tickets a number of weeks ago, and have been trying to work up the courage to ask you all this time."

"Work up the courage? Am I that scary?" Evan elbowed him gently, and when Radek looked over, he saw a teasing glint in Evan's eyes.

"No...it is not that. Well, not entirely. I mean...." Radek stopped, and took a deep breath before he said, "I admit to being a bit intimidated. You are very handsome, and could probably have anyone you want for the asking, and well...it has been some time since I have been interested in someone"

Lorne blushed then, a soft rosy flush that spread across his cheeks and ears. "You'd be surprised at how often I don't get the person I want, Doc, but I'm flattered all the same."

He sounded more sad about that than anything, and Radek filed that away for later -- there was something behind it, but he was willing to let it go for now. "There is also your military's silly 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy to think of."

"Yeah, I don't know if you've noticed or not, Doc, but the SGC's not exactly enforcing that one."

"I know the rule is in name only in Atlantis, but I was unsure of how it is handled here. And you must admit, you are very by the book, Evan. How was I to know? So, yes, it was a matter of working up the courage."

"By the book?" Evan laughed. "I'm not that uptight!"

"Oh, no -- I do not mean you are uptight! Only that you are...conscientious in your duties, and that you always seem to do the right thing."

"And what about this?" Evan gestured between himself and Radek, "Am I doing the right thing here?"

Radek looked down at the program twisted in his hands, and thought about how he wanted to answer that question.

"Radek?" Evan ran his index finger along the edge of Radek's jaw, then curled it under his chin and pushed it up until they were eye to eye. "What are you thinking? Tell me?"

When Radek saw the serious expression on Evan's face, he decided to be honest. "I am too old for games, Evan. I do not wish this to be a one-time thing." He reached up and grasped Evan's hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing the knuckles before folding it into his own. He squeezed Evan's hand slightly, smiling what he felt had to be the most besotted smile, and Evan smiled back.

The lights flickered then, and the concert hall began to fill with people. Radek people-watched for a few moments, overly aware of Evan at his side. He turned his attention to the program, as Evan did the same, and he was delighted to see the opera was to be performed in Czech.

After a few moments, Evan spoke, sounding unsure. "Uh...Doc? I know a bit of Czech from listening to you and McKay argue in the labs, but I'm pretty sure I don't know enough for this to make sense."

"No, Evan, I do not think insults and swearing will be enough for you to understand the story. But there will be supertitles, and I know the story well enough to fill in anything you might miss."

"I don't want to take your attention from the music, but I've never heard the story...."

Radek squeezed Evan's hand again. "I would not begrudge you the attention, Evan."

To Radek's surprise, Evan blushed again, but he didn't comment; he only stroked his thumb softly over the back of Radek's hand.

"Very well, then. What you need to know is that Grandmother Buryja's two sons have both married twice, fathered children, and died. Their wives have also died, except for Kostelnicka, who is the younger son's second wife and Jenufa's macecha -- ah, what is the word? Oh yes -- her stepmother. It is custom that Števa, the elder son's child by his first marriage, will inherit the family business, in this case a mill, which will leave his half-brother Laca and his cousin Jenufa on their own to earn a living.

"Jenufa is in love with Števa and is secretly pregnant with his child. Laca is in love with Jenufa, and he is hořké pivo...ah...bitter, because his half-brother is the favorite son, and because he has a love he doesn't deserve."

Just then the orchestra entered, and Radek released Evan's hand in order to applaud them as they took their seats. As soon as he stopped clapping and dropped his hands into his lap, Evan reached over and twined their fingers together again.

They were silent and attentive during the introductions, but when the prelude began, Radek leaned in close to whisper into Evan's ear.

"Števa returns from the city and boasts of his conquests with the ladies. Kostelnicka is angry, and shocked by Števa's behavior, and has forbidden him to marry Jenůfa until he can stay sober for one full year. Jenufa begs Števa to love her, but he does not know she is pregnant, so he brushes her off."

Just as he finished, Evan shivered. Radek pulled back slightly, thinking perhaps he was too close, but Evan leaned in, closing the space between them. Radek started again:

"There are many tangled relationships here -- brothers, wives and husbands, mothers and fathers, children and grandchildren, cousins and lovers...." As he said 'lovers', Radek pulled back a bit to look at Evan, just as Evan turned his head. Evan's pupils were blown wide, with only the thinnest sliver of blue-green showing at the edges. Unconsciously, Radek's gaze dropped to Evan's mouth -- he wanted to kiss Evan, but he knew better than to start something like that in public, so he grasped Evan's chin and turned his face toward the stage. "Watch. Listen."

Evan turned back to look at Radek again, and this time he leaned in and brushed a soft kiss against the corner of Radek's mouth. Radek closed his eyes, and swallowed back the moan threatening to break free. When he felt he was no longer in danger of dragging Evan to the men's room, he opened his eyes and saw that Evan was staring straight ahead, clenching his jaw as tightly as he was clutching at Radek's hand.

The actors had entered, and were now singing -- Radek was pleased to note their Czech was very good, and that the soprano's voice was particularly lovely -- but he couldn't look away from Evan. As the story began to unfold, he began to relax -- the muscle in his jaw stopped flexing, and he settled into his seat momentarily, only to untangle their fingers and lean forward to rest his elbows against the edge of the box when Laca and Jenufa began to sing together. He was utterly entranced, even though Radek knew he couldn't understand what they were singing. As the lights played over his profile, Radek was again struck by how different he was here, away from the Mountain and military regulations. He was relaxed and open, and it looked good on him.

They were several minutes into the opera when Evan turned to him, and mimicked his earlier move by cupping Radek's jaw and turning him toward the stage, before leaning in and whispering in his ear. "I'm pretty sure they're more interesting than me, Radek."

Radek waited until Evan had again focused on the stage before he leaned in and said, "Trust me when I say that nothing is more interesting at this moment than you, Evan." He pressed a kiss against the soft skin behind Evan's ear, and then pointedly turned to watch the singers onstage. He didn't look away until the act ended.

When the lights came up for the intermission, Radek stood and offered Evan his hand. "Would you like a glass of wine? I can answer any questions you might have, or we can discuss what is to come in the next act?"

Evan nodded, and stood. "Yeah, we should...go out to the lobby. I think maybe the last thing we need right now is privacy." The look he gave Radek was hot enough to light a fire, and Radek stared for a moment, unable to speak or even to think of anything beyond the sudden and intense surge of want. "Doc?"

Radek blinked and said, "Ano, we should...." He gestured toward the door, and swallowed hard before leading the way back to the lobby. As they joined the queue for drinks, he cleared his throat and asked, "What do you think so far? Is there anything you wish to have explained?"

"I like it -- the music is nice, and the singers voices go together well. The sets are a bit weird, though. Were they like this when you went in Prague?"

"Ah, no. They were more traditional than this -- that is to say, there was a water wheel and a mill, and the entirety of the stage was used as the village. But this is interesting as well, as the sparseness of the staging lends an importance to the music."

"I never thought about it that way. I suppose this way we have to pay attention to what the music is making us feel instead of the backdrop."

"Yes, that is it, exactly." They reached the front of the line at this point, so they ordered and Radek paid before he continued. "I have only been to one other production here in Colorado, and it was more traditional, but I like this as well."

As they talked, Evan guided him to an unoccupied corner of the lobby. He pressed his hand to the small of Radek's back, the heat of it a steady pressure and counterpoint to the fizzy arousal Radek was still feeling.

"So...what happens next?" Evan sipped his wine and looked at Radek expectantly.

"When we next see Jenufa, many months have passed, and she has had the baby. Števa has not yet come to visit the child, because he does not want to take public responsibility. He is now engaged to marry Karolka, the mayor's pretty daughter.

"Laca doesn't know the truth about the baby, and when Kostelnicka tells him, his is disgusted at the thought of supporting Števa's darebák -- that is, his bastard. Kostelnicka lies and says the baby has died, because she fears poor Jenufa will be left alone with no one to care for her. Laca believes her, and now Kostelnicka must make the lie true. She wraps the baby in a shawl and leaves the house."

Evan interrupted. "Wait -- she kills the baby?" He looked shocked.

"Ano, Evan, she feels it is necessary to ensure Jenufa's future happiness."

"That's pretty fucked up, right there."

Radek shrugged. 'It is what it is, Evan. There are other stories of infanticide -- look at the Greeks and Romans."

"True." Evan was still frowning, though, and Radek didn't know what to make of that. He took a few more sips of his wine, finishing the glass before he spoke again.

"Kostelnicka returns, and tells Jenufa the baby died while she slept. Laca comforts Jenufa, and asks her to marry him. Jenufa accepts, and Kostelnicka tries to convince herself she has acted for the best. I am sure you are seeing where this is going to go."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I can see the writing on the wall." Evan finished his wine, and asked, "Are all Czech stories this depressing?"

"There are some you would not find depressing, but for the most part, our stories are not the same ones that Disney tells. They are more real, the characters are more complex, and yes, there is a darkness in them, but there is darkness in life, as well."

"Doesn't it seem kind of harsh to you, though? That there are no happy endings?" Evan looked sad, and Radek suddenly had another piece of the puzzle -- someone had broken his heart. Radek wanted to know who it was, if only to know who was so stupid as to let Evan go.

Radek shook his head. "Ah, but there are happy endings. They may not be the fairy tale kind, with the prince riding in to save the girl, but people do get what they deserve, and in some cases that means love will win out. And we are talking about opera, so of course there has to be conflict and sadness before there can be a happy ending."

"Do you believe in happy endings?" Evan looked serious, so intent on what Radek was saying, and he couldn't help himself. Even as he nodded, he was leaning in to kiss Evan. When the bell rang to signal the start of the second act, he paused, and Evan leaned the rest of the way in, kissing him briefly before grasping his hand and leading him away from their private little corner.


The next forty-five minutes were a form of torture for Radek. The opera itself was fantastic, but he couldn't concentrate on what was happening onstage.

They returned their wine glasses to the bar area, and were back in their seats just as the curtain rose on the second act. During the prelude, Evan placed his hand on Radek's knee, and while at first his hand had been still, after a few minutes, his fingers had slipped to rest against the inside of Radek's leg, and he began to rub his thumb back and forth in what Radek was sure had to be a deliberate tease.

Except that any time Radek looked over at Evan, he seemed engrossed in the opera. So maybe it was unconscious on his part, which was fine, except for how Radek felt like every nerve in his body was suddenly concentrated in the area covered by Evan's hand. He gave up on watching the actors in favor of watching Evan. He was gorgeous, but that was only skin-deep. He was also smart and funny and genuinely good company, and if Radek had anything to say about it, they'd be spending a lot more time together.

When Evan looked over during a lull in the music, Radek didn't look away. He and Evan stared at each other for a few moments before Evan said, "If you keep looking at me like that, we're going to be leaving long before the fat lady sings."

"And this would be a problem because...?"

Evan watched Radek for a long moment, then said, "Give me your keys."

Radek rose from his seat and passed his keys over before turning to leave the box. He descended the stairs, knowing Evan was right behind him, feeling the weight of his gaze on his back, and knowing that if they were to touch right now, it might lead to charges of indecent exposure.

The ride to Evan's apartment was silent, the air tense with anticipation. Radek was sure Evan committed any number of traffic violations, but he couldn't bring himself to care as it meant they would be alone that much quicker. As soon as Evan pulled the keys from the ignition, Radek was out of the car and rounding the front to meet Evan, who grabbed his hand and pulled him across the parking lot and up the stairs. They'd barely closed the door behind themselves when Evan pushed Radek against the wall and kissed him -- softly, so softly at first, the gentleness of it at odds with how forcefully they'd come up against the wall -- and then with more force as he pushed his fingers into Radek's hair.

Radek tilted his head the slightest bit, parting his lips just enough to press his tongue against Evan's lower lip before he nipped at the lush curve of it, pulling it between his teeth as Evan moaned into his mouth. He released Evan's lip and kissed him in earnest, twining his tongue with Evan's, chasing the taste of the wine they'd drunk earlier. Radek shifted so his thigh was between Evan's, pressing up against the hard ridge of his cock, and when Evan arched into him, he pushed his hands under Evan's jacket and pulled his shirt from the waistband of his pants so he could spread his hands over the soft skin on Evan's lower back.

When they parted, Evan pressed his forehead to Radek's, and they remained that way for several minutes, just breathing.

Evan finally stepped away, and held out his hand. "Come with me?"

Radek took Evan's hand, and followed him down the short hallway to the bedroom. The first thing Evan did after he closed the door was to remove Radek's glasses and set them on the dresser. Evan turned back to Radek, and pressed a kiss to each of his eyes as he pushed Radek's jacket down and off his shoulders. He shrugged out of his own jacket and draped both over a chair, before he turned back and started to unbutton Radek's shirt. When Evan pulled the tails of his shirt from his waistband, Radek leaned in and licked that tantalizing vee of skin exposed at Evan's collar. Evan groaned low in his throat, and started in on his own shirt. When he couldn't get the buttons free of the placket, he gave up and pulled it over his head and dropped it to the floor.

Radek reached out to touch then, trailing his fingers over the firm muscles of Evan's abdomen and chest. "I knew you were fit, but this is...lovely." He scratched his nails lightly over Evan's pecs, then flattened his hand and smoothed it around to the back of Evan's neck. They moved at the same time, mouths meeting in a wet, open kiss, arms coming around each other.

Evan stepped forward, forcing Radek to walk backward until his knees hit the bed. Evan gave him a gentle nudge, and he sat down on the edge of the mattress. Evan pushed at his shoulders until he fell back on the bed, then he followed after Radek, licking and kissing and nipping his way up Radek's stomach and chest and neck to his mouth.

"You're not so bad yourself, Radek." Evan didn't give him time to deny it; instead he grasped Radek's hands and held them above his head while leaning in to kiss him again. Radek arched into Evan, wanting more skin, more heat. He was suddenly greedy for it, wanting more of everything, now.

He turned his mouth away from Evan's, needing air. "Please, Evan, I want--"

"Yeah. I...." Evan trailed off into a moan when Radek rolled his hips up into Evan's. He released Radek's hands and slid off the bed to take off his remaining clothing.

Radek propped himself up on his elbows to watch. The smooth tan expanse of his chest tapered into compact hips and muscular thighs; the bed blocked his lower legs, but Radek didn't even notice, as he was focused on Evan's stiff cock rising from the soft hair covering his groin. It was bigger than he'd expected -- hard and thick and perfectly proportioned -- and he couldn't wait to touch it, hold it in his hand, feel it rutting against his. He sat forward with the intention of touching, but Evan planted a hand in the middle of his chest and pushed him back onto the bed.

He went willingly, not caring what happened as long as Evan didn't stop touching him. When he felt Evan pulling off his shoes and socks, he unbuckled his belt and slid the button free on his trousers. As he slid down the zipper, Evan hooked his fingers in the waistband and pulled them down and off, along with his briefs. Evan settled against the pillows at the head of the bed, grinning and crooking his finger at Radek.

Radek crawled up the bed, dropping random kisses as he went -- calf, knee, inner thigh, hip, stomach. He backtracked slightly to press his lips to the base of Evan's cock, looking up to meet Evan's gaze, not breaking eye contact as he slid his mouth to the head and sucked it in. Radek grasped Evan's hips, pressing them down into the bed as he slid his mouth down over the length of Evan's cock. He pulled back slowly, wanting to draw out the tease, loving the sounds Evan was trying to stifle by biting the heel of his hand.

He pulled off for a brief moment, long enough to say, "I want to listen, Evan, let me hear how much you like it," before he dropped his head into a slow up and down slide over Evan's cock. He braced himself against the bed and slipped his free hand between Evan's legs, to cradle the weight of Evan's balls in his palm, before he traced circles against the soft skin beneath them.

Evan was babbling now, a steady stream of yes and please and so good, and Radek hummed his pleasure, smiling when the humming led to a deep moan. He sucked harder for a few strokes, then pulled off with a flick of his tongue over the head of Evan's cock.

Before he could close his lips around Evan again, Evan hooked his hands under Radek's arms and dragged him up the bed. Once he'd settled Radek on his thighs, he wrapped his hand around both their cocks, stroking them together. Radek closed his hand over Evan's and leaned in, licking his way into Evan's mouth, breathing into him as they thrust against each other with increasing desperation.

Radek's orgasm came over him without any warning -- he arched against Evan, pushing into their joined fists and moaning wordlessly before collapsing against Evan's chest. Evan rolled his hips a final time and then Radek felt him come as well. They laid there, breathing together for a long stretch of minutes before Radek rolled to the side, and Evan got up and went into the bathroom.

Radek saw the light go on and then off again from the corner of his eye, so he wasn't surprised when he felt the bed dip as Evan climbed back in. He did jump a bit when Evan rubbed a warm wash cloth over his stomach, though. He relaxed after a moment, and arched into the touch as he stretched. The air felt cold against his wet skin when Evan pulled the cloth away and dropped it over the side of the bed, but it was a momentary discomfort because when Evan rolled back, he pulled the sheet over them both as he tangled their legs together.

"Thank you, Evan. That was...." Radek trailed off into a yawn, and Evan chuckled.

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it."

"I should...that is, I am tired, and if I wish to arrive home in one piece, I should go soon." Radek didn't want to leave, but he was tired, and didn't want to assume Evan wanted him to stay.

Evan pushed up on one elbow, looking down at Radek. "Stay? Please?" He was close enough Radek could see him clearly, even without his glasses, and he looked so hopeful, so sincere, that Radek had no doubt he meant it. He nodded and rolled onto his side to face Evan, who kissed him before laying his head on the other pillow. Radek moved in closer and tucked his face against Evan's shoulder. The last thing he remembered was thinking how good Evan smelled, even after sex.


When he woke up later, his bladder was full. They'd rolled in their sleep, and Evan had him pinned to the bed with a leg thrown over his thighs. As he carefully wiggled out from under Evan, who was heavy, he groped around on the nightstand for his glasses. He only remembered they were on the dresser when he nearly knocked the lamp onto the floor, so he rolled out of the bed completely went to the bathroom without them.

He didn't bother with a light, as there was enough light coming through the window from the sodium lamps in the parking lot. After he relieved himself, he washed his hands and tried to tame his hair as it was crazy and flyaway and worse than he can ever remember it being but he gave it up as a lost cause -- he would need a shower to put it right. When he re-entered the bedroom, he saw Evan sitting on the side of the bed.

"I thought you decided to go home after all." He couldn't see Evan's face, but he sounded lost, almost sad, like he expected to wake up alone, and Radek wondered again who promised to stay but left.

"I am still here." And to prove it, he climbed onto the bed and into Evan's lap, straddling his legs and pressing close to kiss his upturned face. A peck on the nose, a soft kiss to the thin skin below his right eye, a brush of his mouth to Evan's left eyebrow, a gentle bite to his ear, slightly harder nips along his jaw, an open-mouthed kiss on the mouth that Evan met with equal fervor, and they were off again. When Evan bucked under him, Radek wrapped his arms around Evan's shoulders and held on, pushing back against the sweet pressure of Evan's body.

Evan trailed kisses down his jaw, interspersing bites with hot swipes of his tongue once he reached Radek's neck. Radek tipped his head back, silently asking for more, please, now, and Evan obliged him, biting down and sucking on the tendon standing out on the side of his neck.

"I want you, Radek, want to fuck you, be inside you, please."

A surge of want went through him, pushed along by the heat in Evan's voice. He dropped his head and kissed Evan hard. "Yes, I want that, want you."

Evan turned and pushed Radek to the bed before he opened the nightstand drawer and took out a strip of condoms and a bottle of lube. He dropped them on the pillow next to Radek's head as he settled himself on his side and pulled Radek close. They kissed again, slowly, hands exploring with the planes of each other's bodies.

When Evan backed away and pulled on his hip, Radek rolled into his stomach. Evan leaned up and pressed a kiss between Radek's shoulder blades, then lower along his spine, again and again, until he reached the swell of his ass.

He pulled up and back on Radek's hips, and when Radek figured out what Evan wanted, he rocked up onto his knees and elbows. Evan smoothed a hand over his back, and pushed against his shoulder until he folded his arms and dropped his head down.

"Mmm...that's nice." Evan rubbed his palm across the curve of Radek's ass, then leaned in and bit at the skin framed between his thumb and forefinger. When Radek groaned, Evan palmed the other cheek and licked a stripe over the soft skin behind his balls, up, up, up over the tender pucker of his asshole.

Radek gasped and pushed back when Evan traced a tightening spiral with the tip of his tongue. Evan grasped Radek's hips, holding him still and whispering, "Shh...I've got you. It's okay. Promise it'll be good. Just let me...." Evan pressed a kiss to the skin under his lips, then went back to using his tongue to drive Radek to the brink. He worked his tongue inside, pushing hard, fucking Radek with increasingly urgent strokes.

When Radek thought he couldn't take any more, Evan relented, backing off only to lean forward and nip the skin at the top of Radek's ass, before leaning over and kissing the back of his neck. He heard the snick of the lube opening, then felt the cool, slick press of Evan's fingers at his opening. He was so ready that it took no effort at all for Evan to push two fingers inside.

"Buh, ano, prosím. I need...." He felt around the pillow, wanting to get a condom onto Evan now. When he located the strip of crinkling plastic, he pushed it down the bed. "Prosím, I am ready, Evan."

When Evan said, "So impatient," Radek thought he was going to continue fucking in and out with his fingers, but no, he dragged them over his prostate once, then slipped them free.

Radek heard the rip of plastic, then after a short pause Evan was pushing inside, filling Radek with slow and careful thrusts. It was good, as good as he'd thought it would be between them, but he wanted more, faster, so he pushed up on his hands and rocked back into Evan's next thrust.

Evan draped himself over Radek, covering him with his body, slowing his thrusts, whispering, "Wanna take my time, make it last."

Radek pushed back again, and this time Evan wrapped his arms around Radek's chest and sat back, pulling Radek with him. He held Radek's hips still, and said, "Slow" before he kissed the skin behind Radek's ear.

Radek groaned and laid his head back on Evan's shoulder. With Evan holding him so tightly, he couldn't move, couldn't do anything but take it as Evan nudged his knees farther apart and pushed into him, again and again, so slowly that they were both shaking with it. He tipped his head to the side, pressing his lips to the edge of Evan's jaw, then to his cheek. When Evan turned his face, Radek kissed his mouth, moaning into it when Evan thrust harder, deeper.

It was perfect. Time seemed to stretch between them, elongated by the pleasure twisting through him. He could barely breathe through it, but it was so damned good, and Radek could feel his orgasm rising.

Evan ended the kiss with a nip to Radek's bottom lip. He trailed kisses over Radek's neck, interspersing little nips in time with his thrusts. "Evan, prosím!"

Evan didn't answer, he just grabbed Radek's hands and placed them on the headboard, covering them with his own. The first thrust was perfect, exactly what Radek wanted, and the next was even better. Evan dropped one of his hands to stroke Radek's cock, and that was it -- Radek was coming, practically shouting as Evan continued to fuck him. Radek had barely finished when Evan squeezed Radek's hand against the headboard as he thrust once, twice and then he, too, was coming.


They cuddled together afterward, wiped down and wiped out with Radek lying on his side, head pressed against Evan's shoulder. Radek was idly running a finger over the smooth skin of Evan's chest, tracing numbers and shapes and equations into his skin, and Evan's thumb was moving up and down Radek's bicep in time with his breathing, in-up, out-down. It was soothing, and Radek had nearly fallen asleep when Evan said, "We left before the end. What happens?"

It took a moment for Radek to figure out what he meant. "Oh, you mean the opera?"

"Yeah. Does Jenufa get her happy ending, or is the ending just what she deserves?"

Radek smiled a bit at that, because of course Evan remembered what he said about happy endings. "The ending is sladkohocký."

"English, Radek."

"Ah, it is happy and sad, bittersweet. Laca and Jenufa are set to marry when the baby is discovered in the mill stream. Jenufa is grief-stricken, and because she does not defend herself when accused of killing it, the townspeople think she is guilty. It is only when Kostelnicka tells the story of how and why the child died that Jenufa is set free."

"Do Laca and Jenufa get married after all that?" Evan's voice sounded hopeful.

"They do, but think about it -- the grief will always be between them, and in order for the marriage to happen, Jenufa had to lose the only family she had left."

Evan stopped caressing Radek's arm and tipped his head up so their eyes met. "Yes, but she is also starting a new life, with someone who loves her." He lifted his head and kissed Radek, before laying his head against the pillow again and pulling Radek closer. "That's gotta be worth something, right?"

"Yes, I suppose it is."

Evan yawned then, and Radek couldn't help himself as he yawned, too.

*

Radek woke to the muffled sound of a phone ringing somewhere on the other side of the bed and the feel of Evan spooned against his back. He felt Evan press a kiss to the back of his neck before he rolled to his back and the ringing stopped.

"This had better be important, I'm busy." There was a pause, and then Evan said, "Yeah, I understand. What time do I need to report?" Another pause, and then, "Yes, I'll be there. Sorry about the way I answered the phone, but you know how it is on your day off." Evan laughed a bit and said, "A gentleman never tells -- didn't your mama teach you anything? Yeah, yeah, I'll see you later."

Evan hung up the phone and rolled back to his side, wrapping his arm around Radek. "That was Mitchell. We have to go into work this morning."

"What? Is there something wrong?"

"He didn't say, just that all Atlantis personnel are being recalled. You probably have a message on your phone, too."

Radek briefly considered going to check, but it was early and he had a feeling things would take care of themselves -- right now, he just wanted to sleep some more, so he closed his eyes and sank back into the warmth of Evan at his back.

As he drifted off he thought that maybe, just maybe, they'd even get that happy ending Evan was talking about earlier.

- end -

Comments

thank you so much!

[(Anonymous)]

dingochow here-- thank you very much for the lovely present I found in my internet stocking this morning.

As an opera fan myself, I suppose I should chide your Radek and Evan for whispering during the performance. (Radek certainly knows better -- it's a sure sign that he's completely crazy about his date.) If I had been sitting behind them I would have been tempted to mutter "Oh, please, get a room!" under my breath, and possibly poke them, accidentally, with my program. But the intoxicating early stages of love must win out, and I'm sure I would have been happy for them when they disappeared during the second act.

Seriously, this is a very nice little piece of first time romance, all hot and sweet. I really like the bit of angst you mix in, that bittersweet flavor, and the way you lead the reader to wonder with Radek who has hurt Evan in the past. And of course we have to assume that the call back to Atlantis means that the happy ending is at hand, or at least the fresh start that Evan longs for.

Well done, and thank you for the tasty holiday treat!

ding

[omg-wtf-yeah.livejournal.com]

That was just fantastic. I loved the awkwardness and their rapport when it started going right. I loved the details about the opera and the discussion of happy endings and bittersweet ones. It was wonderful seeing their happy ending together.

[mithrel.livejournal.com]

This was awesome! I love how the opera tied into their romance and the slow start and then bam! hotness all over the place.

[wanted-a-pony.livejournal.com]

Oh, wonderful! Love the mix of bittersweet & new beginnings, in the opera, between Evan & Radek, & with the Lanteans being recalled. The mental image of Radek & Evan together is lovely too: compact competent men, mischievous smiles (with dimples, eeee!), beautiful eyes.... Mmmmmmm.

Thank you very much for this disarmingly-quiet yet smokin' look at the guys getting together. I enjoyed it a lot!

[sexycazzy.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed this! Brilliant!