The Presentation of Daniel Martinez to the House Culver
Posted on Mon Mar 11th, 2024 @ 8:36pm by Daniel Martinez & Fleet Captain Maxwell Culver
2,353 words; about a 12 minute read
Mission:
Home Sweet Home
Location: Lua Thelenas
Timeline: MD2: 1300 hours
Dani had left Max to sleep as long as he could. Knowing that Max had been up late fretting over one thing or another. Still, now they were running close to late. In the midday heat, Max was dressed in the ceremonial dress of the youngest son of the traditional household of Culver. Gray leather shoes started at his feet, followed my matching gray socks, above which was a fitted pair of gray slacks with a type of climbing flower along the outseam - of the same gray color. Over his torso was a white shirt of the brightest white Dani had ever seen, covered by a gray jacket the same as the pants but with the climbing flowers covering the buttons. On each wrist was a metal that looked like white gold. Lastly, his hair was perfectly coiffed instead of the typical perfect mess it seemed to evoke.
It was quite the change from how Dani typically saw him and lacked the charm with which Max usually carried himself. Perhaps, even as a Starfleet captain, Max evoked less authoritarianism than he did in El-Aurian garb.
For his part, Dani was dressed similarly, with the exception of the brilliant white shirt and jacket. Instead, his shirt was a slightly lighter color than his pants and his shoes were black. There was no embroidery on either the shirt or pants.Max had explained that this meant Dani had the pleasure of serving the House of Culver. It was rather demeaning.
Approaching the house, it stood only two storeys high. The building, like most, seemed to do its best to blend into the natural surroundings. Dani hoped it was more impressive inside, because from this view of the outside, it was little more than the entrance of a cave with some glass panels to seal the entrance. Until the eye fell on the cavalcade of persons gathered on the stone porch to welcome them.
“Just be yourself,” Max said, trying to surround Dani with a sense of calm as attendants opened either side of their zingo and welcomed them ‘home’.
“We could turn around and retreat now. Say you were summoned back by the Intrepid?” Dani suggested.
“Today is the only day I’m off coms, and so are you…” Max whispered. “Besides, we’ve been seen. Now where’s that Spanish charm?”
“I wasn’t aware this was going to be so formal!”
“It always is. The last son of an El-Aurian family carries a significant mantle. You were warned,” Max responded to the complaint as he stood from the anti-grav automobile.He turned back to see Dani exiting as well.
The zingo was told to move around to the servant’s entrance so that the baggage could be retrieved.
As they took the stairs, Max’s mother and father stood as regally as possible. This was to be the talk of Lua Thelenas, no doubt, so no expense nor servant was spared. With a twinkle in his eye, Max’s gaze fell to his grandfather. The old man held a sardonic smile but offered his typical wink. Max winked back.
“Maxa Culver, last son of the House, you are well welcomed,” his mother intoned. It was his father’s duty to welcome home any of his sons, let alone the last, but it was common place that his mother performed all duties as she clung to tradition hardest.
“I have been well received. I present to you, as guest of the House, Daniel Gael Martinez. First son of his family and heir to the Martinez fortune,” Max intoned in response to having brought Dani home.
Taking a few steps down to stand near Dani, Molli held her hands out and Dani took them as practiced. “Daniel Gael Martinez, you are well welcomed to the House of Culver. May you be treated as family.”
“I have been well received,” Dani responded, equally as practiced. “I have brought gifts for each of you, if you would accept them.”
Molli smiled barely. “We will accept them, but we shall do so inside the house. The heat of the day is upon us and while we appreciate the traditional arrivals and reception, it is quite hot. Don’t you think?”
“I am from Spain on Earth. We are well accustomed to traditional clothing and the heat. Of course, three months on a starship with conditioned air, I do think your suggestion is best.”
Molli picked up her massive gown and turned to walk into the house. She was followed by her husband, the quiet Sala. Max moved to help his grandfather, Bills, and the elder man rose with help of a cane. Max indicated Dani could go ahead of them, so he did.
Once past the glass, the house opened to a grand wooden staircase, light terrazzo tiles covered every square inch of flooring from the grand entrance to the formal dining hall on the left and the living area on the right. Small halls ran to the kitchen, Dani was sure and whatever lay beyond.
Molli and Sala were making their way upstairs but stopped for a moment. “Maxa, you know where your bedroom is. Little has changed since you left. And you can show Daniel the guest bedroom where you can both get more comfortable. It will take some time to get out of this dress. We’ve had a lot of our servers leave this past year. The non-traditionalist movement grows each year. I do hope you won’t be too stressed without a server?”
“We’ll be fine, mom. We both dress ourselves every day.”
“And each other,” Dani whispered again.
Bills elbowed Max at that moment. Max blushed slightly, but then his grandfather surprised him. “The young men used to eye me twelve hundred years ago. Back when I was in my prime!” he chuckled. “But I never brought one home.”
“Papa!” Max exclaimed under his breath.
“Of course, back then, we only had other El-Aurians. It would have been quite the talk of the town to bring another El-Aurian man home.”
Max couldn’t believe his ears. “Alright Papa, settle down. We’ll go get changed and come back down soon,” Max explained rather short of temper and full of surprise.
Turning to Dani, Max said, “We best go get changed to something more comfortable. The traditional greetings have been exchanged for all the neighbors to see. The prodigal son returns after twenty five years and brings a guest with him. As grandfather says, there will be gossip spreading like wildfire among the traditionalists. Probably among the others too,” Max decided. “But it doesn’t matter. Let them talk.” Max gave his grandfather a disapproving look.
Both men carried themselves like royalty up the stairs. To the right we’re Max’s room and the guest room. Fortunately, from this angle, no one below could tell which room was entered. Max opened his door and his bedroom was as his mother described, still the same.
A light blue color covered most walls while a darker blue covered the wall against which his bed rested. Light furniture decorated the room and filled it without looking too full. Max opened the dresser and found his clothes clean and folded - recently. He pulled out cotton pants for himself and a white t-shirt. For Dani, he chose a pair of his white pants and a light blue Jersey style shirt.
It wasn’t until Dani took off his pants that Max realized he was wearing a black jockstrap style underwear. He had chosen white briefs, so they didn’t show against his gray slacks. Dani had been more risqué.
Max crossed the room, his pants barely tied at the waist and ran his hands over Dani’s beautiful body, reaching ever down to his bare rear end. “Someone had something in mind. Hmmm?” Max asked, his cheek pressed against Dani’s so he could quietly make his comment.
“How long until your mother is out of that dress?” Dani asked. He could feel Max’s body respond to his own, near naked body. They were pressed bare chest to bare chest.
Max pulled Dani close so he could feel the tightness of his own briefs, barely holding back his own excitement. “Not long enough,” he answered with disappointment.
“Then we should change and I can present the last son with his gifts later. When we are alone and the house is quiet,” Dani suggested.
Max pulled himself away from Dani and went to the replicator where he replicated the same style of underwear in white. Once it appeared in a flare of light and the sound of buzzing, Max grabbed it and tossed it at Dani. Dani inspected it for a moment, smiling at Max through the lack of fabric.
Dani slowly relinquished the black pair of underwear and dangled the white pair on his finger. For more than a minute he just stood there, completely naked, like a marble statue carved to perfection. Unable to control himself, Max crossed the room and caught Dani by the back of his head, their bodies pressed together again and time seemed to stop as they kissed passionately.
Max wasn’t sure how, but in moments like these, time itself slowed to a crawl. For a moment, life was perfect and time bent to their will.
When they broke and time snapped ahead, the pair got dizzy for a moment. Dani sat on the bed and pulled on his underwear. He had to stand to make sure they weren’t tangled and twisted before he pulled on the white pants and bust shirt. He had just finished buttoning it when Max approached and opened the top three buttons.
“What do we do for shoes?” Dani asked, suddenly feeling odd for wearing Max’s old clothes.
“We don’t wear any in the house. I can replicate some socks?”
Dani shook his head.
As the boys descended the stairs, Bills mumbled, “That was fast.”
Max tried not to blush, but he could feel the heat on his cheeks. “Just a change of clothes, Papa. We aren’t seeing them ourselves.”
“Your grandmother would be so disappointed you didn’t see your own clothes. Tsk,” Bills chided.
“It’s dinner at home, not a royal wedding. Besides, if anyone thinks I’m sewing anything for that travesty they’re sadly mistaken.”
“I will be the judge of that,” Molli responded crisply as she landed on the ground floor. “Still, it’s nearly a half century away. No need to worry yet, but I would recommend you start sewing on your seventy fifth birthday,” she finished.
“Hush now,” Sala said. “We are here to meet Maxa’s guest, Daniel. What news do you bring son?
Mac coughed as he choked on nothing. He thought he had more time. “Um…Dani and I are engaged. He is to be a consort to the House Culver.”
Molly’s face puckered, like she’d just eaten something sour. Sala looked from one to the next. Bills chuckled from his arm chair. “I knew it. You and this boy…” Bills made a somewhat obscene gesture with his hands.
“Well,” Molli responded curtly, “Daniel will have much training before he can be considered near ready to hold such a position. With the decrease in servants for the House Culver, there will be none to train him. I forbid it.”
“It is not yours to forbid, woman,” Bills spoke defiantly, proudly. “The House of Culver has long allowed consorts to both sons and daughters. My last grandson will not be restricted by you on the basis of tradition when you so strongly hold to tradition. Besides, I highly doubt Maxa has returned home for good when he is captain of a Starfleet ship.”
“The boy only need make your son happy and any idiot with eyes can see he does. Can you not feel it or is that why he never developed the El-Aurian gifts.”
Molli looked at the old man with venom in her eyes. “You may take your gifts and go, Daniel Martinez. You, Maxa, if you follow, are no son of this house.”
Max stood and touched a few controls on his tricorder. “I’m not following, I’m walking out beside Dani. This…you are the reason I left Kaitos and you’ll forever be the reason I will never call it home again.”
Max took Dani’s hand and they walked out together. A zingo was waiting and they entered the car from one side, sliding into the transport. Max looked back at the house that had been his home growing up. Now it was just a place.
Only Bills waved sadly as the zingo drove off, back to the motel they had spent the night before in. It was a beautiful room, with a beautiful man at his side. They would make their own happiness.
“What just happened?” Dani asked quietly.
Max smiled. “Maxa just dies for good. Now, only Max Culver is left in his place.”
“And you are okay with that?
“As long as you’re by my side, I can take on the universe!” Max exclaimed, reaching across with his free hand, Max closed the distance and traced the bands of fabric across Dani’s rear end. “I always wondered what sex in my old bedroom would be like. I guess we’ll just have to settle for a posh hotel.”
“Is that what lays in our future? Posh hotel sex?”
Max kissed Dani then, their tongues exploring each others. Gliding like silk across each other, exploring and desperate. “I think in our immediate future anyway,” Max suggested as he broke to catch his breath.
Dani pulled Max half atop him and their hands began exploring as much as their mouths did. Both were extremely excited until the zingo reminded them that sex in the car was prohibited by law and all perpetrators would be penalized.
Max settled back and hoped his excitement settled down before they reached the hotel.
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