would have to face up to the fact that he might be gay. Boy, did that scare the hell out of him.
His thoughts were all over the place, and he was no longer making sense, so he tried to boil it all down into something he could digest. Okay, I’m attracted to Dax. No labels yet. One day at a time.
Dax’s voice suddenly filled the bridge.
“Base to bridge, Jack, do you copy?”
“Bridge here,” he responded.
“Look, Jack, call me a coward, but I thought it would be easier if I did this over the radio.”
“I’m listening,” Jack said.
Dax hesitated for about ten seconds, and Jack thought the silence felt like one hundred pounds sitting on his chest.
“I’m sorry, man,” Dax finally spit out.
Silence again.
“Sorry for…?” Jack asked.
“Okay, I see you’re not going to make this easy for me,” Dax whined.
“You were saying….” Jack said.
“Fine, I’m sorry for disrespecting your position as captain. I’m sorry for continually taunting you and trying to ruffle your feathers. And mostly, I’m sorry for being a complete ass. This is no excuse, but I’m really attracted to you, man. I know you’re straight and the thought of working so closely with you and not being able to have you was driving me crazy. So I thought that if I pissed you off enough, you’d hate me, and I wouldn’t have to worry about controlling my libido around you.”
Before Jack could respond, Dax said, “But Jack… let me make one thing very clear.”
“I’m listening,” Jack said.
“I’m not the least bit sorry for kissing you. Again, I realize you’re probably straight, but that part of the fight was really hot.”
Jack smiled.
“And besides,” Dax said. “It was either kiss you or take a fist to the jaw. And with a face like mine, I always go for the kiss.”
Jack realized that, for the first time since they had met, they finally agreed on something.
“Apology accepted,” Jack said. “And for the record, I don’t regret the kiss, either.”
Jack could feel Dax smiling through the radio.
“What?” Dax asked. “Are you gay?”
“I have no idea what I am,” Jack said. “I never thought about it before. It was my first kiss from a guy, and I was totally caught off guard, but I kind of liked it.”
“Me too,” Dax whispered. “So what do we do now?”
“You’re asking me?” Jack said. “I have no idea. I’m new to all this.”
“Leave the driving to me, and sit back and enjoy the ride, so to speak,” Dax said.
“Hold on a minute, Dax,” Jack said. “I don’t know what to do about all this. Hell, I don’t even know if I want to see where this goes.”
As soon as Jack said the words, he realized that the thought of experimenting with Dax scared the hell out of him and excited him all at the same time.
“But if I do,” he continued, “I’m sure you’ve realized by now that I’m not the sit back and enjoy the ride type of guy. I usually do the driving.”
“No problem, we can take turns driving,” Dax said with a chuckle.
“Are we talking about what I think we’re talking about?” Jack asked.
“Maybe, maybe not,” Dax replied.
“Now, you’re just teasing me,” Jack said.
“How about I come to your cabin when our shift is over and try to persuade you to not cancel the expedition?”
Dax couldn’t see the changed expression on Jack’s face, but suddenly Jack’s already-fragile ego took a hit, and he fell silent. When he finally spoke, his voice was full of disappointment. “Is that what this is all about?” he asked. “Not canceling the expedition?”
“Oh God, no, Jack. I didn’t mean that. I mean, sure, I don’t want you to cancel the expedition, but it’s more than that. I’m really attracted to you.”
Jack smiled again, not knowing whether to believe him or not, but one thing was certain. If he did this, there would be no turning back. If he did decide to not cancel the expedition, they were going to be together on this boat, in very
His thoughts were all over the place, and he was no longer making sense, so he tried to boil it all down into something he could digest. Okay, I’m attracted to Dax. No labels yet. One day at a time.
Dax’s voice suddenly filled the bridge.
“Base to bridge, Jack, do you copy?”
“Bridge here,” he responded.
“Look, Jack, call me a coward, but I thought it would be easier if I did this over the radio.”
“I’m listening,” Jack said.
Dax hesitated for about ten seconds, and Jack thought the silence felt like one hundred pounds sitting on his chest.
“I’m sorry, man,” Dax finally spit out.
Silence again.
“Sorry for…?” Jack asked.
“Okay, I see you’re not going to make this easy for me,” Dax whined.
“You were saying….” Jack said.
“Fine, I’m sorry for disrespecting your position as captain. I’m sorry for continually taunting you and trying to ruffle your feathers. And mostly, I’m sorry for being a complete ass. This is no excuse, but I’m really attracted to you, man. I know you’re straight and the thought of working so closely with you and not being able to have you was driving me crazy. So I thought that if I pissed you off enough, you’d hate me, and I wouldn’t have to worry about controlling my libido around you.”
Before Jack could respond, Dax said, “But Jack… let me make one thing very clear.”
“I’m listening,” Jack said.
“I’m not the least bit sorry for kissing you. Again, I realize you’re probably straight, but that part of the fight was really hot.”
Jack smiled.
“And besides,” Dax said. “It was either kiss you or take a fist to the jaw. And with a face like mine, I always go for the kiss.”
Jack realized that, for the first time since they had met, they finally agreed on something.
“Apology accepted,” Jack said. “And for the record, I don’t regret the kiss, either.”
Jack could feel Dax smiling through the radio.
“What?” Dax asked. “Are you gay?”
“I have no idea what I am,” Jack said. “I never thought about it before. It was my first kiss from a guy, and I was totally caught off guard, but I kind of liked it.”
“Me too,” Dax whispered. “So what do we do now?”
“You’re asking me?” Jack said. “I have no idea. I’m new to all this.”
“Leave the driving to me, and sit back and enjoy the ride, so to speak,” Dax said.
“Hold on a minute, Dax,” Jack said. “I don’t know what to do about all this. Hell, I don’t even know if I want to see where this goes.”
As soon as Jack said the words, he realized that the thought of experimenting with Dax scared the hell out of him and excited him all at the same time.
“But if I do,” he continued, “I’m sure you’ve realized by now that I’m not the sit back and enjoy the ride type of guy. I usually do the driving.”
“No problem, we can take turns driving,” Dax said with a chuckle.
“Are we talking about what I think we’re talking about?” Jack asked.
“Maybe, maybe not,” Dax replied.
“Now, you’re just teasing me,” Jack said.
“How about I come to your cabin when our shift is over and try to persuade you to not cancel the expedition?”
Dax couldn’t see the changed expression on Jack’s face, but suddenly Jack’s already-fragile ego took a hit, and he fell silent. When he finally spoke, his voice was full of disappointment. “Is that what this is all about?” he asked. “Not canceling the expedition?”
“Oh God, no, Jack. I didn’t mean that. I mean, sure, I don’t want you to cancel the expedition, but it’s more than that. I’m really attracted to you.”
Jack smiled again, not knowing whether to believe him or not, but one thing was certain. If he did this, there would be no turning back. If he did decide to not cancel the expedition, they were going to be together on this boat, in very
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