Priorities
By Deanie
September 2002

Spoiler Warning: Up to "Belly of the Beast"
Rating: NC-17
Archiving: Beka Valentine Fanfic Archive
Feedback: It's better than chocolate! Deanie@lisacaps.com
Author's note: This takes place after "Belly of the Beast." It's also a sequel to my previous Andromeda stories, "Uncertainties," "Fantasies," and "Possibilities," about the growing relationship between Beka and Tyr.
Author's note, Part II: Thank you to Sulu, Valerie Lockett, and Misty for helping me when I needed it (and to Carol, Kate, and Chienne, for offering, too). To my wonderful beta readers Val and DeeDee, I couldn't do it without you. This story is dedicated to Shaz, who made me write my very first piece of NC-17 fic. This smut's for you :)

***

Alone, Beka paced the length of the Maru, her ship shockingly intact after the adventures Dylan and Trance had put it through earlier that day. During their battle with the Cetus, the entire crew had come so close to dying…again. "Seems to be a habit," she muttered, heading for the kitchen. Maybe a cup of coffee would help her feel more like herself. She just felt so… unsettled.

The crew been through a lot in the last few weeks. Repelling the Bokor, battling the Kalderans, and now barely escaping their deaths in the stomach of the "mythological" Cetus… Through that time she and Tyr had been at odds professionally on so many occasions, but despite that, they'd grown closer…until tonight.

Beka still couldn't believe she'd accused him of trying to take over the ship for his own purposes -- and that he hadn't tried to hurt her for making such a suggestion. Tyr had just calmly explained his reasoning, appeasing her fears. Then, miracles of miracles, he'd actually seen things her way and ejected the slipstream core, saving them and the planet Savion. She smiled. Even with all their differences, she and Tyr were an unstoppable team when they worked together.

He'd just been sitting there, staring into space, as if he couldn't comprehend that he'd participated in her folly and it had actually succeeded. She'd wanted to say something to him but hadn't known what to say, so she just told him she was glad they were on the same team. Then Dylan arrived and gave another stirring speech. He had been proud of what they had accomplished, and his approval was important to Beka. Other people's opinions never mattered to her, not since her father died. She'd spent her childhood trying to be what her father needed her to be, only to discover he was so flash-fried he wouldn't be able to really see her, no matter what she did. At that moment, she'd vowed not to let other people's judgments matter to her. She'd make her own rules. And she'd followed that, until now.

One of the rules she had made for herself was to take things slowly with Tyr. Beka groaned. Why had she done that? Every moment he was near was torture. She kept envisioning them on Obs deck, when he'd almost made her come with his words. Or the night in the bathroom of her quarters when she'd almost abandoned all restraint at his mere touch. Okay, maybe they hadn't really been taking things too slowly after all, she admitted ruefully. Still, she'd rushed into relationships her whole life, and none had ever lasted. She wanted to create something lasting with Tyr.

After their miraculous escape from death, anything was possible, even love between a wayward human and a wandering Nietzschean. She didn't know why she'd waited so long to take what she wanted. Time couldn't change what they had between them. Taking a deep breath for courage, she left the Maru, heading for Tyr's quarters.

****

In his darkened room, Tyr awakened from a restless sleep. He'd been tossing and turning, dreaming about planet-eating monsters, doomed missions, and Beka. Primarily about Beka. He was hopeless. Every time he closed his eyes he saw her, pale flesh gleaming in the light of her bathroom. He envisioned that night in his head over and over, but this time, it didn't end with Beka helping Harper fix up the Maru.

They'd been progressing in their relationship, but so very tentatively - one step forward, two steps backward. He'd enjoyed their romantic sparring, but their growing intimacy made Beka quite nervous. Not surprising, given the character of her past relationships.

His own had not been worthy of celebration. Few insignificant encounters for the sole purpose of physical pleasure, with the only other, his "marriage" debacle to Freya as the piece de resistance.

His relationship with Beka was different. He had always considered the human notion of "love" to be a romantic ideal they used to delude themselves into mating. However, with her, he could almost believe that love was possible and not merely the ravings of romantic madmen.

Tyr groaned. Now he was becoming foolishly sentimental.

Not so earlier. He'd been aggressive, driving Beka to action when she hesitated. That was his nature, and he had no desire to change that. This was Beka… Had he perhaps pushed her too far? She'd doubted him, more than she had in a long while. Her accusations charged him with lying to her and attempting to take over the ship. She should have had more faith in him, particularly now that they were nearly lovers. Hadn't he already proven his loyalty countless times over?

When they'd begun their relationship - their exclusive male-female relationship - he'd begun to think of her as his mate, her survival as important to him as his own. He would never betray her, no matter how much they disagreed. She, and the children they would one day produce from their union would be his life.

When the crisis was over, she seemed to realize how badly she'd misjudged him. Then she'd asked him to dance. A peace offering, as it were. Dancing with Beka on the command deck was unexpectedly awkward. They'd held each other before, but never in front of the others. In addition, this wasn't the elegant music he had learned to dance to -- formal dancing being a surprising asset to his career as a mercenary -- and Beka certainly wasn't the kind of partner he was used to. Never before had he needed to suppress the urge to ravish his partner on the dance floor. Despite their conflicts, he still wanted her.

"It's just a dance, Tyr," she whispered, placing his hand on her waist.

"Is it?" he asked softly, drawing her closer.

"Maybe. Or maybe it's more," Beka confessed. She needed to think, to explain, to let him know what had been going on in her head those few minutes before they ejected the slipstream core into the Cetus.

Tyr pulled her closer, until her head came to rest on his chest. His warmth soothed her jangled nerves, and the feel of his big body around hers made her feel so safe. She chuckled. The most dangerous man she'd ever met made her feel safe.

"What?" he asked. After all they had survived, and all that had been between them, she laughed?

"Just thinking," Beka replied. Reluctantly, she pushed herself back several inches. She needed to be able to look at him when she was talking. Besides, his nearness was entirely too disconcerting.

"About?"

"You. Me. Us." Beka looked up, meeting his watchful brown eyes. "I was laughing because you make me feel safe."

Tyr's eyes widened. Safe? He was the last person anyone should consider "safe."

"I know. That's why I was laughing. You're the most dangerous person I've ever met, but still, when you hold me, I feel safe." Beka paused, finding the words she needed to express herself. "I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but I believe in you. I trust you. I know you're not going to hurt me." She took a deep breath and glanced away. She didn't know if she could apologize while looking at him. Now came the hard part. "Which is why I should have known you wouldn't betray us." Beka turned until she was looking deep into his eyes. "I'm sorry, Tyr. Sorry I ever doubted you. Sorry I…"

"Accused me of lying to you so I could steal the Andromeda out from under your feet?"

"Yeah," she grinned sheepishly. "That."

"You are not entirely to blame. I am Nietzschean."

"Inherently untrustworthy?" She shook her head. "I don't buy it. You are more honorable than most of the men I've ever known."

"That statement says as much about the poor quality of men in your life as it does about my character."

"True," Beka admitted. "But you're different. And I don't know what I'm going to do about that." Ignoring his startled look, she stepped closer, pulling him tightly to her and resting her head back on his chest. She wasn't going to think about the future -- at least for the duration of this dance.

He held her close, adjusting to her words. She trusted him. No one had ever said such things before. Trust was not a Nietzschean concept. Neither was faith, but she'd shown her faith in him when she'd dared him to eject the slipstream drive. He'd shown his when he had actually done what she had asked.

****

The beeping of the door returned Tyr to the present. For the best, he supposed. Lying in his room brooding was decidedly counterproductive. He pulled on his pants and headed to the door.

****

Beka paced the corridor outside Tyr's door. What was taking him so long? She'd thought about this long and hard since their dance. Of all the regrets she would have had if they had died in the Cetus, her greatest would have been not pursuing her relationship with Tyr, letting her insecurities getting the better of her under the guise of being sensible. She wanted to take risks. Sensible was for wimps.

The door opened, and she stopped pacing. She just stood, staring into Tyr's eyes. The shock on his face mirrored her stunned expression. They stood silently, neither one moving or speaking for endless moments. Then Beka took action.

She strode into his room, pushing by his body in the narrow doorway.

"Beka?" He turned around, wondering why she was there. She was the one who had desired to take their relationship slowly, but there she was, a bundle of barely-controlled energy, just resisting the urge to pace in his room.

"I'm sorry to wake you up, but this just couldn't wait. I've been thinking a lot tonight, about our relationship -- where it's going and where we're going to end up. I wanted to take things slowly, let our closeness build gradually, make sure we weren't going to do anything stupid to ruin our relationship before we even got started."

He leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms across his chest. "I understand that. I may not agree, but I accept your caution."

"To hell with caution."

Tyr merely stared, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"When we were on the bridge, with the Cetus digesting us, with no real way out…all I could think was how horrible it would be to die before making love with you. We want each other, we care about each other, and right now all of the reasons I wanted to wait don't seem very important anymore." She walked over to him, running her hands over his arms before reaching up to cup his face. Rising up, she pressed her lips to his in a gentle kiss. "We're alive. Let's celebrate."

Beka grabbed his head, pulling him down to her. Her tongue probed at his closed lips, nudging them open to slip inside. Tyr wrapped his arms around her, urging her closer as he met her kiss. The faint taste of coffee lingered on his tongue as he explored her mouth.

His musky scent permeated her senses as she pushed herself closer to his body. Beka was restless, wild, and she needed him now. She pressed her hips into his, grinding her pelvis against his growing erection.

Tyr pulled himself away from her and held Beka at arm's length. "Are you certain this is what you want?" He gazed intently into her eyes, fervently wishing she would not change her mind.

"Shut up and kiss me."

Tyr jerked her closer, one arm reaching under her buttocks to lift her up into his arms. Beka wrapped her legs around his waist as their mouths fused again. She clutched his hair, roughly holding him to her as she ravished his mouth.

Overwhelmed by fiery sensation, Tyr staggered towards the bed. He supported her weight with one arm while the other reached up her back to undo the zipper on her shirt. His hand reached inside the stretchy material to feel the warmth of her silky skin.

Beka gasped as she began to fall. Being held in his strong arms made her feel like she was flying. She tumbled down onto the soft sheets with Tyr following. His big body pressed hers into the bed as he covered her face with gentle kisses.

Beka writhed under his tender onslaught, her arms trapped by her half-off shirt. "Tyr, please," she gasped, ripping her arms out of their confinement and pulling him down for another kiss. She gloried in the delicious wonder of the warm skin of his chest pressed against her bare flesh.

Tyr groaned at the sensation of her slender body beneath him. Despite his dominant position, her hands were everywhere, caressing his face, running down his chest, pulling at his pants. All the time her lips never left his, tongues dueling for supremacy, mouths fighting for control.

Using a move he'd made her practice hundreds of times in the gym, she hooked her leg around his and flipped him onto his back. Straddling his body, she caressed his bulging erection through the taut leather.

Tyr bucked off the bed against her hands. Her wild aggression was driving him crazy, his body burning up beneath her touch. If he wasn't inside her soon, he'd explode. "Beka." He growled a warning, but she merely smiled, reveling in his body's response to her attention.

Her eyes held his gaze, caught in the spell of their intense desire. Then, slowly, she pulled his pants down, freeing his straining manhood. "Why, Tyr, are you still trying to impress me? Because let me tell you, I'm impressed."

Suddenly Beka found herself flat on her back on the bed, the sheets cool against her heated skin. She arched her back, pressing herself even closer to Tyr as his mouth plundered hers. He trailed wet kisses along her jaw as he whispered in her ear. "You're impressed? Then you should hold on. I've barely even begun."

Beka groaned. She was already more turned on than she'd ever been before. Could she possibly take any more of his sweet torture?

His breath was hot against her skin as he kissed his way down her throat, pausing to probe the hollow at the base of her throat. His tongue lapped at the sweat that trickled down her heated body, savoring the salty taste of her skin.

Beka's hands roamed the corded muscle of his back as his head moved lower on her body. He captured one pebbled nipple in his mouth, gently taking the sensitive flesh between his teeth. She pulled him closer, urging him on as she writhed beneath his tender assault. His mouth moved from breast to breast, worshipping her with his teeth and tongue as his hands reached down to undo the fastening of her pants.

Tyr slid his hand under the lacy material of her panties and slipped one finger inside of her. Beka bucked against his hand, desperate to have him inside her. "Tyr, please," she pleaded. "I need you. Inside me. Now!" She moaned with desire, but he continued his relentless onslaught.

His thumb found the sensitive nub that drove her wild, rhythmically stroking her slick skin as she ground her pelvis into his hand.

Waves of heat rolled through her body as time stopped. "Tyr!" she screamed as she shattered, each piece of her body still throbbing with the strength of her desire.

Gasping, she rolled them both over, kicking off her pants as she impaled herself on his shaft. "Beka," he groaned as her inner muscles spasmed around his erection.

Still high on her first orgasm, she rode him hard, shuddering as he plunged himself up into her welcoming body. As she felt him explode within her, she surrendered to the passion, letting the fire consume her until she was spent.

Exhausted, Beka collapsed in his arms, his softening erection still inside her. Holding her close, Tyr reached over and pulled the covers over their cooling bodies.

****

Lying in bed, Tyr stared at the ceiling. Beka had long since gone to sleep, her limp body sprawled on top of his. He lay unmoving, simply enjoying her welcome warmth and the soft snore indicating her peaceful sleep.

Despite their recent near-death experience, Tyr had never felt better. Strange how life changed, he mused. He'd never thought he'd find peace in the arms of a human. The idea was so against his nature he'd never even conceived of such a notion being possible. Though she was an exceptional specimen for Homo sapiens sapiens, she was never meant to be a part of his plans. But somehow, when they were lying together, nothing else mattered.

He'd been on his own for so long, decades of solitude after the massacre of his family. During that time he'd waited and planned - his goal to rebuild Kodiak pride even stronger than before. To accomplish such a task, he required worthy Nietzschean wives to produce the future of his pride. His view of the universe had changed a bit since he had become a part of the Andromeda crew, more so since his relationship with Beka had begun. One thing would never change -- he still wanted to see Kodiak grow strong again, but now he wanted it all - a renewed pride and Beka as his wife.

She would bear fine children. Not that she would ever envision such a thing. With her past and her family, he doubted she had ever considered having her own offspring. Though she shared little with the Nietzschean women he had previously foreseen as his wives, she was the one he wanted to bear his progeny.

His pragmatic nature should have instantly rejected her from consideration for the position of wife and mother. She was human, inherently inferior, and Beka's specific genes were particularly suspect - filled with drug addiction and other weaknesses. However, as he'd said before, she was far more than merely a product of her genetic material. She was a remarkable woman: beautiful, loyal, smart, sexy. Most significantly, she was a survivor. He had faith that he could accomplish anything with Beka at his side, and that she'd give her life to keep him and their prospective family safe.

Beka stirred in his arms. With her head on his chest, she could hear his every breath. She didn't know how long he'd been awake, but she knew he was already thinking. He was always thinking, planning for every eventuality, with more than one back-up plan should anything go wrong. He'd probably already plotted out their future, their family.

Family. Lying in his arms she could almost believe it possible. She'd never planned on having children, terrified she'd be a bad mother if she ever tried. Heaven knew she didn't have any role models to base her parenting skills on. Now Tyr, he would be a wonderful father. He was born for it. Warm, loving, and willing to defend his family to the death.

Beka snuggled closer, pressing her ear to his chest to hear the steady beat of his heart. "How long have you been awake?" she asked, not even opening her eyes.

"A little while," he replied, running one hand over her bare back.

"I could hear you thinking," she murmured.

Tyr laughed softly. "The wheels in my mind are turning that loudly?"

Beka opened her eyes, one hand idly tracing patterns on his bare chest. "May not be obvious to everyone else, but it is to me."

He smiled, snuggling her closer. "How do you feel?"

"Wonderful. Happy. Peaceful." Beka looked up, meeting his eyes. "I can't remember when I felt better." She tilted her head up to meet his in a brief kiss. "You?"

"The same."

"If only we could spend the rest of our lives here, like this…"

"A nice dream," he admitted. "But not terribly practical."

"Who wants to be practical?" she mumbled.

Tyr laughed.

Beka pushed herself off his chest, moving up until her lips were over his. "I just want to be here, with you." She leaned down and kissed him, pouring all of the love she felt and all of the emotions she couldn't voice into that kiss.

"Beka," he groaned, feeling himself harden instantly at a mere touch of her lips on his. The intoxicating scent of her growing arousal fueled his desire. He needed to touch her, to brand her as his own.

Slowly, Beka moved over him, easing him inside her, inch by tortuous inch. Their bodies meshed together seamlessly, as if they were meant to be one.

Tyr growled. Her slow, steady pace was killing him. He wanted to drive himself up into her, impale himself into her depths; at the same time he wanted to prolong her sweet torture.

Beka gasped as the full length of his manhood was finally deep inside her. As unbearably arousing as her slow conquest had been, this was what she had been waiting for.

She met his gaze as he began moving, instantly captivated by the look in his deep brown eyes. He was more open than she'd ever seen him before. He hid so well behind his stoic mask that she couldn't look away once it was gone. The depths of his emotion were revealed in his eyes. He loved her, truly and completely.

They slowly rocked together, her bright blue eyes darkening as her arousal grew. Their intimacy allowed him to see into her soul. Without speaking, he knew exactly what she felt for him. Face to face, heart to heart, she couldn't deny their love.

Tyr felt the fire building again, threatening to consume them both. His movements became more insistent, and she matched him, thrust for thrust. Her breath caught in quick gasps every time he buried himself in her depths.

Close to losing control, he struggled to tell her how much he needed her. "Beka, I feel…"

She stopped for a moment, their bodies still, on the edge of the precipice in a moment suspended in time. "I know, Tyr. I know," she murmured as they both fell, minds and bodies becoming one, connected by the emotion in their eyes.