Sandstorm

[Seo Linn]

Seo ran blindly until she slammed a door behind her. Not stopping there, she found herself huddled in the far corner hugging her knees to her chest. No lights were on and only darkness surrounded her. Not ever having had the option of locking a door, when James knocked it opened on its own.

Peering out at him, she might have looked something like a feral animal. If not feral then one was that scared and lost. Listening to his tone, she opened up a bit and lowered her legs. She still wore his clothes, but had the scarf around her neck and she played with the end of that for a moment before looking at him and nodding just slightly.

"I need to learn how not to be a slave."

Dropping the scarf, it hung wrapped loosely around her neck. Standing up, she could tell he was being real with her. Not moving from her spot on the far side of the room, he was just a shadow highlighted in the dim light of the hall behind him.

"Sorry for throwing you down."

Those eyes didn't quite meet his and she was still feeling rather meek and weak. Not yet having developed her true personality, Seo was still very much the subservant slave he had rescued the day before.

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

She was alright. James felt his shoulders release a lot of tension, relieved at seeing Seo was unharmed. He took a step into the dark room. He didn't need the light, but he flicked it on for her sake. The last thing she needed in her state was more surprises or damage that could be done to trigger her back to where she came from. The young spacer stepped over several piles of clothes to get to her in the corner. He gingerly took her hands, still soaking in the rain water they had come from moments before.

"It's alright, it will take time," he promised her. The fact that she wasn't furious at him was a step forward in the right direction. He wouldn't have blamed her if she was raging at him.

He brushed some of the golden wet strand from her face as Seo apologized. James shook his head vigorously. "No need. I shoulda known better." He gave a winsome smirk, "Ye're pretty strong for ye size, Spinner."

He pulled the younger teen in for a reassuring embrace, if she would let him. Their wet bodies connected for a moment, he wasn't wearing a shirt still, instead it was coiled around his right arm that wrapped around her. His left hand gave her neck a reassuring caress. The hug wasn't too long before he released her, "C'mon, we gotta get ye dried off."

He took her hand and lead the blonde into the refresher. He opened one of the cubbords. Out of it he pulled two threadbare, faded brown and white towels. They were rough and in tragic shape, but they would do the job. He offered her one before running the other through his hair and over his bare torso.

 

[Seo Linn]

The people of Lorrd had learned how to communicate through means other than speech. She quickly noticed his change of stance, even in the dim light. When the light came on, she blinked a couple times as her eyes adjusted to the difference. He took her chilled hands into his and pulled her gently to her feet.

"You are as cold as I am."

Allowing him to embrace her, Seo wasn't tense at the connection and her head rested against his chest. Listening to his heartbeat while the hug took place, it gave her a sense of comfort. She couldn't figure out why that happened and she closed her eyes, giving up on trying. He said she should get dried off and lead her into the refresher.

Watching him as he took out a couple towels, she started taking the borrowed clothing off. Due to her recent lifestyle, even if it wasn't by choice, she had no shame and was quickly in nothing but her birthday suit. She accepted the offered towel and started almost imitating him in her efforts to get dried.

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James tried to keep some modicum of dignity and let Seo keep some of hers as they dried off. The teen intentionally kept his eyes to himself as he went to work. The scratchy towel crossed his bare body, sopping up as much as it could. The towel was pretty bare, so it was as unkind to him as it was inefficient. James pulled his flight pants off with some struggle. They were form fitting at best, but with the water, things were all that much harder to do. Satisified, James tossed them in a wet pile on the floor. All he had on were a pair of equally wet boxer briefs that he hadn't an intention of taking off around the Spinner. The last thing he wanted to do was spook her again.

He rose, his eyes accidentally breaking the invisible wall James had set up. He saw her. He froze, half bent over, half aright. At his age he had already seen quite a few teen and a few women in his day naked. Some on stage, some on screen, many in person. Even at 17 James had the making of the Don Juan he would turn out to be in the future. He had taken after his womanizing father. But Seo was enough to make him halt for a second.

She was--well cute. Petite, but still flawless. He knew many slaves were covered with scars from their abusive lifestyle, but not her. As his eyes took her in, there was nothing out of place or imperfect about her. He swallowed, in a rare moment taken off guard with a sense of boyish surprise and charm.

"Uh, wow," he said, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. "Ye uh, ye--look great."

His boxers testified that she looked more than just great. James took a tentative step towards her, if he would let her, he took her hand gently. The spacer licked his lips. This wasn't new territory for him, but doubtless it was new territory for her. His pheromones and empathy were both out of control. He radiated his attraction to her form like a blazing star in the dark of night.

James managed a cocky, flirty grin, "Thank God for the rain, eh?"

[member="Seo Linn"]

 

[Seo Linn]

The threadbare towel hardly took care of the water in her hair, but she did her best to finish drying off. Since she had no shame, everything about her form was clear to James when he happened to look at her. The only mark she had on her body was the slave tattoo on her arm. Her master had taken great care to make sure he had never left permanent marks or scars on her body.

Moments before he spoke, Seo sensed his glance and met his eyes. She was not an exhibitionist but still felt no shame in showing what she had. Letting go of the soaked towel, he took one of her hands within his. Not pulling away from him as his pheromones of attraction filled her nose, she felt attracted too.

If he thought this was something new to her, he was greatly mistaken. The women she had lived with along with her master had taught her exactly what to do. There was no hesitation in her own movement and finished closing the distance between them. Since he moved slower, she didn't feel threatened like she had before.

"First a sandstorm and now rain. It seems the weather wants us together."

Her free hand reached up to run its fingers through his hair, around the back of his head and down to his neck. Unless he resisted, she would apply just a small amount of pressure there and stand up slightly taller to give him a soft, but still firm kiss on his lips.

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James gave a wry chuckled at her statement. Seo was taking it pretty well, better than he had thought she would. It made him feel--pretty great, if he were to be honest. She pulled him in for a kiss and James certainly did not fight it. He too knew what to do, from experience but of a different kind. He wrapped his arms around the small of her back. He felt her soft, supple skin in his arms and against his chest. It felt like a sweet release that James didn't even know he needed.

****​

Soft rays of sunlight filtered in from the viewport in the wall next to the bed. The golden light was beautiful, if you didn't realize it came from the smog and toxins suspended in the air outside. The light hit James' face. The spacer tightened his grip on Seo, his arms wrapped around her further and he burried his face in her body with a grumble. "Just--five more minutes."

He was blissfully satisfied after his evening and night of consummation with Seo. James had been with many women before, but she had deeply satisfied him with her skills and enthusiasm. Even though the bed wasn't of the greatest quality, he was floating on a heavenly bliss. He planted a trio of tired, blind kisses somewhere on her. He had showered her with kisses last night--he doubted there was anywhere on her he hadn't kissed, but he still kissed her again.

"Good morning," he mumbled groggily before burying his head in her body once more. He gave a content sigh. "I'll just stay right 'ere for the rest of the day."

 

[Seo Linn]

That night was far superior to any of her previous nights. It might be unfair to make comparisons but she did. Before she had always been forced into actions she didn't want to do, that night she did it willingly and by choice.

The light of the day woke them both up and James snuggled in closer to her. This felt unreal to her and she almost pinched herself to make sure it was. His further movement and comment gave her answer enough and she wrapped her arms around him to remain that way for the rest of the day like he wanted.

However, her body had other needs to be filled and after a few minutes, she wriggled out of bed and into the refresher. Taking care of her morning needs, she came back into the messy cabin and looked around a little. Shaking her head, she started picking up the piles of clothes. All of this was done not wearing anything.

"Where's the washer? I'm pretty sure some of these will fit me well enough until I can get some of my own."

That was the start of her first day aboard his ship. Over the next few days, the cabin got cleaned up and then she moved onto the rest of the ship. As time progressed, they took small trips and journeys together. Like the dating teens others assumed they were, he provided for her everything she needed.

A new set of clothes, a place to call home, companionship and support. This time they had together helped turn Seo into the woman she would grow up to be. Her mental fortitude grew the more time they spent together. He opened up an emotional state within her she didn't even know was there.

She knew this life would end eventually though and after a few months a message was picked up from her mother. Things on Lorrd had settled, a new government had taken over and she was safe to return. Part of her wanted to remain with James and just wander the Galaxy at a whim. Helping those that needed it and providing for others that paid for his services. The other part of her wanted to go home and live with her mother. This was the part that listened and she informed James of her decision.

What time they had left together flew by and now their parting day was tomorrow. One last night together and she would have to bid him goodbye. It was not a wasted night and it was so much more than their first or any other night they had together. She both anticipated and dreaded the next day. They had grown very close, but the call of family needed to be answered.

The morning arrived and Lorrd could be seen out of the viewport. She held his hand as the sight filled her eyes. Turning away, she looked up at him.

"Will I see you again?"

[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James let out a slight protesting groan as Seo left to go answer the call of the wild. As she moved to clean his cabin, naked as she had been all night, he started to feel more awake watching her bare form move. The morning light looked so good against her skin, but he was sure at this point there was nothing that would look bad against it. He propped himself up by one arm watching with a smirk on his face. Each time she bent over, his smirk--among other things--grew a little bigger.

"Er, down the hall, first door on the left just before the coolant repair access hatch," he said, giving very detailed instructions. He shrugged winsomely, "Or, ye know, ye could just stay naked. I ain't complaining."

Space was very lonely by nature and James spent most of his time in it, moving from point A to point B. He had taken a girl her or a girl there, but rarely were they ever willing to leave the planet or stick around with him. He was happy with Seo, happier than he had been in a very long time. Between her, he, and Reed, they made a great trio. She filled a hole in the Drunken Marie that James had never realized needed filled. The ship had needed a woman's touch. That wasn't just for her cleaning or cooking or the many "feminine" things that she brought, but the true warmth she brought. Instead of sitting alone re-watching the classics he had seen with his dad for the thousandth time, he had her to hold between them. She made him feel good just being around.

Like all things, this too had to come to an end. She had a mother, a family to go back to. It tore James up inside. He dreaded that inevitable transmission they got back. He didn't blame her. The spacer knew if he had that chance with his dad again, he would have made the same choice without hesitation.

The planet that would take her away from him loomed bellow. She looked at him away from its barren surface. He gave her one of his reassuring, winsome smiles that she had almost certainly seen many times by now. He took a step towards her, his fingertips caressed her face reassuringly, "You kidding me? Of course, Spinner." whether she had wanted it or not, that nickname was her's now, and only her's forever. His other arm wrapped around the small of her back, pulling her in for a gentle embrace.

Despite his pain and sadness to see her go, his pheromones emitted a sense of calm and reassurance, even if he didn't feel it himself. She didn't need to know or see him cry right now--the last thing she needed was guilt to make this harder on her.

James planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'll always be right with ye. I'm just a call away."