Starbuck and Apollo stood together on the bridge as Patrolstar One hovered outside the door in the mountain. Both reveled in the feel of power vibrating through the ship as the engines reached full strength.

"Ready, helm?" Apollo glanced at Jedran. The boy nodded confidently.

"Ready, Major."

"Take us up, then." He grinned at Starbuck. The engine noise rose to a fevered pitch, then the craft shot smoothly into the atmosphere at a steep angle.

Starbuck let loose a wild whoop of joy. The Patrolstar blasted free of Earth's gravity with contemptuous ease, leaving behind a rapidly dwindling blue dot.

"Report," Apollo said, just as exultant as Starbuck, only quieter.

All stations reported in green and go. Apollo settled into the command chair, watching the stars streak by. It was indescribably wonderful to return to space. Too bad it wasn't far to the colonies. The farthest outpost of mankind wasn't even out of the solar system- Callisto, orbiting Jupiter. The others were even closer- the domes of Mars, resurrected after untold milennia and flourishing once again, and the underground warren of Venus. None of the three were more than a six hour flight from Earth.

The flight progressed smoothly. Apollo and Starbuck made the rounds, checking to see that everyone was doing fine.

"I'm proud of them, I really am," Apollo said after their tour.

"I am too." Starbuck grinned. "I confess, though, there were times I thought they were never going to make it."

"Yeah, me too. There were times I thought I was never going to make it. Flying a starship is damn hard work, especially when all you've got to work with is civilians."

"Not just civilians- you've got me." Starbuck pinned him with the full force of those intense blue eyes and Apollo melted.

"Thank the Lords for that..."

He realized that their progress down the corridor had somehow halted. He gazed helplessly at Starbuck, who returned the look solemnly- for about thirty seconds. Then his face started to crumple as he struggled with mirth.

"All right, Bucko- what are you thinking?" Apollo couldn't hold back a grin of his own as Starbuck dissolved into laughter.

"Just thinking about what people would say if they knew the mighty Major was such a softie."

"Why you..." Apollo mock-growled, aiming for that certain spot just under Starbuck's ribs. "I'll give you softie!"

"Major! Is that any way to behave in public?" Starbuck ducked the attempted tickle and pulled Apollo into a little alcove, both of them giggling like naughty children. Then Starbuck snuck a quick kiss.

Apollo clamped down on his hormones firmly and smiled into the laughing eyes so close to his own. "What was that for?"

"I don't know, but here's another one." Starbuck kissed him again, quick and darting, like a butterfly.

Then the communit beeped.

"Frack!" Apollo hastily regained control of himself. "Yes?"

"We have visual contact with Mars, sir."

"On my way." Apollo shut off the comm and sighed with heartfelt regret. "Duty calls, old friend."

"Well, I'd say 'Screw duty,' but I'm as interested in the outcome of this mission as you are. Shall we?" He gestured grandly towards the main corridor.

"We shall." They returned to the bridge, side by side.

Mars was on the main viewscreen. "What exactly are we looking at?" Apollo inquired.

"The backside of Mars, sir," replied Lois, the amateur astrogator. Starbuck made a strangled snorting sound that was suspiciously close to a laugh. "The colony is around the other side. We shall reach it in point oh five minutes."

"Excellent. Prepare to launch Vipers for recon." Apollo settled back into the command chair, Starbuck at his side in the first officer's position. The order was relayed to Starbuck's dozen half-trained Viper pilots.

The surface of the planet before them changed rapidly towards night as Patrolstar One approached the colony site. All hands on the bridge leaned forward with anticipation, eager for the first sight of the domes. The terminator swept by beneath them, and Apollo switched from long range scanners to visual with infrared enhancement.

"Approaching colony coordinates... now, sir."

A collective sigh of disappointment rose from the bridge crew as the shattered domes were clearly outlined in infrared.

"Computer reports no survivors," the sysadmin announced in a heavy voice.

"Pretty much what we expected. Launch half the Vipers for low-level recon. Establish and hold synchronous orbit."

Starbuck tensed, watching anxiously for his pilots to come into view. The six craft held a tight formation, entering the thin atmosphere of the red planet with textbook precision.

"Nice, Captain," Apollo nodded. "You've taught them well."

"I do have a reputation to uphold, after all," Starbuck laughed. He was far from relaxed, however, as the trainees made their circuit of the colony domes and then returned.

"Patrolstar One, this is Blue Leader. Scanners report no signs of life. Visual confirmation of total destruction from all pilots."

"Understood, Blue Leader. Return to dock and report."

The Vipers returned without a hitch and Jedran adjusted the course for the next stop- Venus.

"Well, that was an exercise in futility," Apollo murmured as the patrolstar returned to the mountain base.

"But we had to find out," Starbuck replied quietly. "We had to know for certain."

"Yeah." Apollo raised his voice and clicked on the comm. "All right, folks- that was well done. Let's turn the ship over to the ground crew, and all head out for some R&R. You've earned it."

Apollo swore.

"What now?" Starbuck asked, from his position at the window.

"These fracking fools did it to me again!" He pounded the table in frustration.

"Did what?" Starbuck gave his students one last glance. They were doing well in their simulator flights today. Seemed the brief real flights were doing them worlds of good. Then he turned to Apollo, who was glaring at a mound of papers on the table.

"They've gotten the supply routing all scrambled again. If I sent these out as is, your pilots would be taking food to the farmers in Europe and a load of medicine to the medical supply house on the west coast. Bloody idiots!"

Starbuck crossed the ready room to stand behind Pol. He rubbed the tense shoulders with gemtle hands. "Relax, Pol. You've been working too hard again."

Apollo closed his eyes and leaned back against Starbuck with a sigh. "Nobody else to do the job," he said quietly.

"I know, but there's no need for you to kill yourself over it." He ran his thumbs up the back of Apollo's neck, noting the tension there. "Tell you what- as soon as you get that mess fixed up and my kids are done in the simulators, let's call it a day. I still owe you a backrub-"

"You do?"

"Hush. I told you I'd pay you back someday, remember? Now's as good a time as any, since you so obviously need one."

That's not all I need rubbed, thought Apollo. Although he was enjoying Starbuck's attentions of late, he was becoming severely frustrated. Having to go so slowly, to avoid scaring Starbuck away entirely, had him hornier than he'd ever been in his life. Shy touches and soft kisses were nowhere near satisfying. "Okay, you're on," he said, since Starbuck was obviously waiting for a response.

Starbuck grinned and gave Apollo's shoulders a final squeeze. Then he returned to the window overlooking the simulators. He spoke into the communicator. "All right, kids- last run. Wrap it up and clear out. You've all done well today, and I'll see you again tomorrow at the same time."

"Wish this was that easy," Apollo muttered, and tackled the corrections. Why had paperwork managed to survive the desruction of the world, anyway?

When he was finished, he found Starbuck watching him, an unreadable expression on his face. "Ready?"

Starbuck nodded. "The kids are all gone, we're doing this as overtime anyway- so we're free to go."

"And go we shall." Apollo gave the forms one last disgusted look as he dropped them in the appropriate basket. He stood and held out a hand to Starbuck, who took it with a smile. Together, they made their way to Apollo's quarters.

"Hungry?" Apollo asked, once inside.

"Not really." Starbuck smiled, a wicked gleam in his eye. "Couch or bed?"

Apollo considered with care. "Bed, I think- less awkward. You don't have to do this, you know..."

"Hush. I told you, I want to return the favor. Now out of your uniform- I can't work through all that cloth."

"Aye, sir," Apollo said, with a mocking salute and a real grin. He peeled out of his flight jacket, his shirt, and his boots as well, but elected to leave his pants on... for obvious reasons. He let Starbuck lead him over to his bed and lay down meekly. His eyebrows rose with astonishment when Starbuck straddled him and sat on his rump. "What-"

"Quiet, you. It's the easiest way for me to do this." Starbuck's fingers ran lightly all over his back, leaving tingles behind. Apollo sighed and settled down to enjoy.

The warm hands dropped down to the small of his back and began stroking in light, fan-shaped motions, working upwards. Apollo felt as if there were trails of fire tracing the skin of his back. He made a muffled sound of pleasure as Starbuck started running his hands up and down along his spine with a bit more pressure. Then he started kneading, again working up from the small of Apollo's back. The pressure of the strong fingers was just right to loosen up tense muscles, and Apollo felt the stress just draining right out of him.

Slowly, Starbuck worked his way up to Apollo's shoulders and neck. He didn't stop there, but firmly kneaded Apollo's scalp as well. Incoherent moans of pleasure rose from him.

"Star...where'd you learn to do this? It feels so good..."

"Shh. Don't talk, Pol." He dropped his hands back down and started over again, this time rubbing in firm circular motions. "I learned from Cassie. She was great at... therapeutic massage. Works better with oil, though."

"Bet she was..." Apollo was lost in the sensations Starbuck's hands were creating. He was becoming completely boneless, in the grip of a relaxation so deep it threatened him with unconsciousness. Those talented hands released the last knot of tension, then began to stroke lightly all over his back again. Apollo gasped, eyes flying open, as Starbuck dragged his nails lightly down the length of his spine. Fiery sensations that had nothing to do with relaxation coursed through him at that electric touch. There was a pause, then Apollo felt warm lips press firmly between his shoulderblades. He would have tensed, if his muscles hadn't been so relaxed that movement was impossible. "Star-"

The lips moved slowly, sensuosly, down his spine and were joined by a tongue. "I told you not to talk, didn't I?"

"But Star, you don't know what you're doing to me!"

The lips stopped torturing him, and Starbuck leaned forward to press his chest along the length of Apollo's back and whisper in his ear. "I hope I'm turning you on," and he licked a wet trail down Apollo's neck to return to kissing his back.

Apollo groaned helplessly. "Yes..."

Starbuck continued to tease him until Apollo was reduced to incoherent whimpers of pleasure, then moved away. He stripped out of his jacket and shirt quickly, then looked Pol dead in the eye and began to undo his pants. Apollo licked his lips.

"Are you sure, Star?"

"More sure than I've ever been in my entire life."

Slowly, teasingly, his zipper went down. Apollo tried to swallow, to ease his dry throat, and scrambled out of his own pants, allowing his ragingly hard erection freedom at last.

Starbuck smiled and removed his pants, allowing Apollo to see that yes, he really was serious about this.

Apollo hesitantly touched one bare shoulder, then gave in to desire and pulled Starbuck in close for a long, passionate kiss. They sank down to the bed together. Apollo moaned and pressed himself closer still to Starbuck, lost in the sensation of skin on skin. He thrust his dick against Starbuck's, feeling the throbbing heat of it in his very bones.

Starbuck kissed him thoroughly, then started nibbling on his neck. "Star-" he gasped.

"Shh..." Starbuck continued to lick, suck, and nibble until Pol was completely incoherent.

Apollo retained enough thought to realize he could finally indulge one of his fantasies. He rolled out from under Starbuck, who reluctantly relinquished his hold on a nipple. Then Apollo skipped all the preliminaries and wrapped his mouth around Starbuck's dick. It was wonderful- everything he had dreamed of and more. He caressed it lovingly with his tongue as he moved his mouth up and down the hot shaft. Starbuck groaned loud enough to worry Apollo, until he decided he didn't care if anyone could hear or not. He couldn't keep it up for long, though- he was almost beyond control.

He gave one last, long suck, then allowed it to slip from his mouth. He sat up and groped in one of the drawers under the bed until he found a tube of lubricant. "You, or me?"

Without a word, Starbuck took the tube. He smiled slowly as he spread it on himself, despite his initial flinch at the cold sliminess.

Apollo grinned and laid back down, trembling with anticipation. Somehow, that didn't really surprise him.

Starbuck was a little awkward, but he managed to find the right place. He pushed slowly against Apollo's opening, waiting until he could feel the tight ring of muscle relax before sliding the head of his dick in. A deep, heartfelt moan emerged from Apollo. He drew his knees up to allow easier access. Starbuck slid into him slowly and inexorably. He paused for a moment, buried to the balls inside Apollo, then bit down gently on the curve between neck and shoulder.

"Starbuck!" Apollo cried, as the waves of pleasure washed over him. He clenched his inner muscles along the hot shaft. Starbuck cried out as well, then he was thrusting- quick, hard thrusts which sent Apollo over the edge into mind-blowing pleasure. He came with a howl, and felt Starbuck thrust a few more times before he too was coming.

Slowly, the world returned to normal. Apollo felt Starbuck slide out of him and found the strength to tighten his arms around his lover. He could say that now, because it was true- Starbuck was his lover. "Don't go," he whispered.

"Not going anywhere," came the mumbled response. Starbuck nestled closer, resting his head on Apollo's shoulder. Apollo sighed with pure bliss.