BY YOUR COMMAND - Static ARCHIVE

As he rolled over the note, that had been placed on his pillow, landed on his face. Opening it, he read the contents. "Happy St. Valentine's Day, love. If you're interested in a night of romance and passion, meet me in the tunnel under Geological Sciences at evening meal."

*If* he's interested?? Who was this girl trying to kid? Starbuck couldn't decipher the handwriting as the clever woman had printed it off a terminal. He sniffed the note, priding himself in his nose for scents, but there wasn't one. Looking at the chronometer on the desk, he had three centares to get there. Just enough time to get ready.

//////

Stepping out of the turbowash, Starbuck immediately saw the note taped to the foggy reflector; it hadn't been there when he came in. He grabbed a towel and ripped the paper from the wet surface. "Forgot to tell you something, love. Please wear the blue tunic you wore the day I met you."

Starbuck ran out into the room, in hopes of catching the mysterious woman. Hearing an "ahem" to his left, he spun around. Apollo eyed his roommate and smirked. "It's nice to see you, Bucko, but not so much of you."

The blonde looked down at himself, and realized he was still naked. With a shriek of modesty, he disappeared and reappeared with a towel around his waist. "Did you see a girl leave here?"

The darker young man laughed. "What's wrong? Can't keep 'em in the room?" He tugged gently on the towel. "Well, what I just saw is enough to make anyone scream and run."

"Ha ha ha. I'll take that as a 'no'," Starbuck replied, pulling his pants on.

Apollo watched his best friend of six yahrens pull his blue tunic from a drawer. "Oh, that's a good choice," he commented with a smile. "You look really good in that one."

The smaller man grinned, pulling the top over his head. "So, what are you doing tonight?"

A proud look bloomed across his face. "*I* have a date with a beautiful, blue eyed blonde."

Starbuck grinned, seeing his chance. "What's her name?"

"I'm not telling *you*."

The grin broadened. "So . . . um . . . once you get her out of the box, how many breaths does it take to inflate her?"

Apollo was off his bunk in a micron. Grabbing his friend's tunic, he pinned him against the wall. "Oh, you're *real* funny, Bucko," he growled, but the smile belied the menace.

The blonde shoved him off. "Hey, watch the clothes. What am I supposed to wear if you rip it?"

The taller man playfully slapped him in the face. "Not that I wouldn't enjoy kicking your astrum, but I don't want to be late."

Starbuck eyed the chronometer and groaned. "Frak! I only have a centare. I gotta hurry!"

//////

Apollo had left ten centons ago, and Starbuck was running around the quarters getting ready. He was in the middle of perfecting his hair when there was a knock at the door. "Frak!" he swore as the bristle of the brush scraped his scalp. Marching over to the door, he threw it open. "What?" he demanded, harshly.

Boomer shook his head. "Boy, you're cheery. Hope you're not like this with your date." He handed his friend a paper. "Oh, this was stuck to the door."

The blonde grabbed the note and read it. "Just a third note, love, to keep up the mystery. Have you figured me out yet?" He looked up and down the hall, but it was deserted. "Did you see who put it there?"

The Leonid stared blankly at him. "Yeah, buddy. Haven't you noticed I'm always staring at your door."

"Did you come over for a reason?" Starbuck asked, rolling his eyes.

Boomer grinned. "No, just came to see if you were going out tonight. I'll say yes, since you're wearing your blue tunic. I think you wore that the day I met you." Seeing that his friend was frustrated, he stated, "I gotta go anyway. Got a hot date with a gorgeous Cadet."

//////

Starbuck looked at the chronometer on the desk one last time. Frak, he only had fifteen centons to be in the tunnel. One last check in the reflector and he was out the door. He would've run down the hall, but he bumped into Athena. "Hey, you're in a hurry," he commented, noting how beautiful she looked.

The younger woman recovered from the collision. "Oh, sorry, Starbuck. I'm late for a date, and I don't want to keep him waiting." She smiled as she gave him a once over. "Blue tunic, excellent choice. It's one of your best."

"Well, I was asked specifically to wear it," he replied. Catching what she had said, he eyed her suspiciously. "I didn't happen to be wearing this the first time you met me, did I?"

Athena shook her head, not believing he'd forgotten. "You were wearing a white tunic, remember? You had to throw it out, because you'd been rough housing with Zac."

How could he forget? They'd been messing around and he'd thrown the boy off. Zac came at him again and jumped on his back. In their wrestling match the poor tunic had been ripped open. The kid had been so worried that Starbuck would hate him after that. The blonde smiled seductively at her. "Yeah, I remember I spent the rest of the evening shirtless, and you couldn't take your eyes off me."

The younger woman blushed in embarrassment. "Yeah, well . . . I . . ." she struggled. Looking at her chronometer, she found an excuse for escape. "Thanks a lot, Starbuck. Now I'm *really* late."

He laughed as he watched her flee. Well, that was one he could check off his list. But there were still so many possibilities. Hurrying down to the lift, Starbuck wondered if he'd figure out this mystery before he got to the tunnel.

//////

Starbuck took the stairs down to the basement of Geological Sciences. Checking to make sure that no one was watching, he hopped over the barrier across the stairs to the tunnel. It was dark down there. Supposedly no one used the tunnels anymore, because people were getting attacked. The Academy administration knew Cadets were going down there for these kind of rendezvous, but tended to look the other way.

The blonde walked a little way down the pitch black corridor before hearing the faint sounds of music. A soft light was glowing as he turned the corner. Starbuck couldn't believe his eyes. Two huge blankets were spread out on the floor, and there were a dozen candles lining the walls. A small player was the source of the romantic music.

The young Cadet frowned as he seemed to be alone. Was this some horrible joke an ex was playing? He stiffened as a second thought came to him: What if it was someone's irate boyfriend? Coming closer, he saw another of the now familiar notes. Tentatively, hesitantly he picked it up.

"My love,

I've agonized for two yahrens about whether to do this. I've loved you from afar for so long, but was afraid to tell you. Everytime I came close, I imagined you kicking the frak out of me, and would cower away again. I realize you love the women, but have always fantasized that, for me, you would change.

Starbuck, you've always been honest with me, please be that now. If you can't bring yourself to love another man, to love me, let me know. Yes, I'll be hurt, but I'll live. It would hurt me more if you led me on, and broke my heart later. I will always love you, no matter your choice.

With love, Your Devoted Admirer"

Starbuck folded the note and pressed it against his chest. Never had anyone said such things to him. His heart felt like it would overflow; so much love from one person. How could this man think he would reject him? *Because that's all you've ever done,* his tiny voice said.

Well, never again. He would grab hold of this man, and never let him go. But where was he? Had Starbuck's one chance at love run away again? Had he changed his mind? Had the great con artist finally conned himself out of love?

The blonde ran back to the corner, hoping to stop the retreating man, but there was no one there. He came back to the beautiful setting in the otherwise dark, dreary place. Spinning around, he became more and more anxious. "Where are you?" he called out, hearing the empty echo. "Please! I won't hurt you! I . . . I need to see you!"

"It's not like you haven't done that a million times."

Starbuck stared into the darkness, only seeing the outline of the taller young man. He didn't need to see anymore, he'd know that voice anywhere. "Zac?"

The hazel eyes seemed to come out of the shadows before the rest of him. He hesitantly stepped forward, but stopped a few metrons away from the object of all his dreams. "Are you angry with me?" he asked, shyly. "I'd rather stay away from the candles if you want to beat on me."

The blonde realized that this gorgeous young man actually expected to get in a fight. No, not a fight. The poor kid was prepared to stand there and take a beating. Starbuck stepped up to him and smiled. "I'm not gonna hurt you." He opened his arms, invitingly. "Now, get over here."

A big grin erupted on Zac's face as he wrapped his long arms around the slim body. Pulling him close, he felt a steel hard rod below his date's waist. His eyes widened while he looked into the dark blue ones. "Starbuck . . ."

The Cadet winked at him. "Yeah, well . . . You gotta feed me first," he teased. He shook his head and laughed when the beautiful young man in his arms waggled his eyebrows. "Food, you brat, then play."

tbc