Dangerous Love (ONC 2019 - LGBTQ)

14. Consequences

☆ Dedicated to  Reffster and his story "The F-Files" - an entertaining sci-fi fantasy for the ONC 2019 ☆

It was sheer luck that no-one saw Juan stumble out of Harlan's room that night and hurry down the few metres of corridor to his own room. But no-one could miss the sudden tension which flared between the two men the next evening.

Harlan had woken at daybreak, still feeling sick about the total debacle of the night before, wondering whether it would be better to clear out for the day to give Juan some space, or simply try and act as if nothing had happened.

In the end, he'd gone into town, taking the opportunity to stock up on some supplies he couldn't get at the Patrol base on the space station, Halo. But he couldn't avoid Juan forever, and they'd run into each other that evening in the hotel bar. The bar was the last place Harlan wanted to be after last night, but he knew it would cause comment if he wasn't there, at least for an hour or so. He'd just ordered a beaker of ale, when Juan entered the room. He faltered, glared at Harlan, and then stalked over to a group of comrades sitting at a table on the opposite side.

Harlan couldn't help clenching his teeth. Was Juan deliberately trying to arouse speculation? Didn't he realise they needed to act as normally as possible, whatever their true feelings might be? Deliberately, he took his ale over to the group and stood there chatting to Huyn for a moment, before announcing that they'd all be back on duty the next day.

"Shuttle departs at 09:00," he told them, before moving on to tell the rest of the crew about the new orders.

He waited til everyone had retired for the night before flashing his wristcom ID on the panel outside Juan's door. There was a long pause before the door was flung open.

"What?" hissed Juan, blocking the entrance. "Just stay away from me!" His shoulders were stiff with tension and his fingers were white where they gripped the door.

Harlan had been half ready to apologise but he changed his mind. Juan needed bracing, not more emotion.

"Unless you want everyone to know something went down between us, I suggest you try and act less dramatically," said Harlan in clipped tones.

Juan went scarlet with outrage but Harlan spun on his heel and returned to his room before he could respond.

Harlan could only hope his words would sink in when Juan had time to calm down. He couldn't help wondering if Juan would have coped better if he'd been the one on top when they had sex, as he'd first intended. But he hadn't.

Back at the Patrol base on Halo, it seemed that Juan had taken his words to heart. He was making an effort to act normally around Harlan, even if he was not quite as relaxed as he had been before. Maybe they were going to get through this—if only Juan would stop flinching whenever they touched, even accidently.

Aden Carter worried about his friend, Diaz, for over a week before he opened his mouth. True, he was only a Corporal while Diaz was a lofty Lieutenant, but they had been friends since childhood, long before they joined the Patrol and he could see that Diaz was simply not himself. He'd always liked a drink, but now he was throwing them down like water. Thinking back, Carter realised that something had happened on the last mission. At first, he'd thought it was to do with killing those men at the warehouse, but then he'd noticed Diaz's reaction to Quinn. Twitchy. That was the only word to describe it. And it didn't take him long to hit on the answer.

"He made a pass at you, didn't he? Quinn," said Carter, as they sat over their drinks one evening. Diaz froze for a second, the colour draining from his face and Carter knew he was right.

"Uh-"

"Bastard!" snarled Carter. "He's your superior officer, he should know better. You could charge him with sexual harassment!"

Diaz shook his head. "I don't want any trouble," he murmured.

"I hope you told him exactly where he could stick it!" said Carter with grim humour.

"Ha! I sure did," replied Diaz, his laugh sounding a trifle forced.

"Gives you the creeps though, doesn't he?" said Carter. "I still think you should report him."

Diaz shook his head again, and drained his glass. "I just want to forget the whole thing."

Carter let things ride a day or two, but Diaz didn't seem to be getting any better. So he gritted his teeth and took matters into his own hands.

"It's all right. I've told the Captain," he confessed to Diaz. "Quinn's going to be charged."

"What?" Diaz paled.

"It's all right," repeated Carter. "You won't have to appear before a tribunal or anything. The Captain will handle it himself. Just tell him what happened."

Diaz swallowed. Why on Earth had Carter interfered? He couldn't possibly tell the Captain, or anyone, what had happened that night. He'd rather die first.

He'd made the biggest mistake of his entire life, in deciding to live out a fantasy. Instead of the edgy thrill he'd imagined, when he'd come to his senses he'd felt disgusted and ashamed, and he honestly didn't know who he blamed more, Quinn or himself.

Carter grew even angrier at the sight of Diaz's anxiety. Quinn had really done a number on him. For the first time a terrible doubt crept into his mind. "He didn't actually force himself on you or anything, did he?"

"No, no! Of course not!" Diaz tried to pull himself together, his brain scrabbling for a story to satisfy Carter. "He just bailed me up in the corridor, in the hotel, after the mission, and asked me to have sex with him. But I said 'no way'. That's all. Nothing else happened. Nothing."

But Carter wasn'tsure he believed him. Quinn was a strong man.