The Technician's Fight, Draft 1, CH16

Jeremy scanned the relays, compared the readings to what they should be, and replaced those that needed to be changed. He hadn’t complained

Jeremy scanned the relays, compared the readings to what they should be, and replaced those that needed to be changed.

He hadn’t complained when the Engineer had sent him on another job that, he knew, Repair would deal with when they got to them. He wouldn’t voice any complaints. It wasn’t a technician’s place to question what the Engineer told them to do, but on other days, he would have mentally complained until he’d gotten drawn in to the work.

But today, he’d needed the work, the having to juggle data in his head, instead of thinking about what Gral and Toomerim were up to. Gral had officially taken the day off, something he could do only when they were docked, with any hope of not being disturbed. Too much happened while on a patrol for him to be fully off duty then.

They’d have sex.

And he was okay with him. He’d gone over the reasons it was fine for him and his friend to have sex.

He would make himself be okay with it.

He took a breath, let it go, focused on the scanner, and got back to work. The Engineer expected the work done before the end of the shift, so he didn’t have time to waste on what two adults got up to when they hung out.

*

He entered the data in the system and leaned back in the seat. The Engineer’s claws continued clicking in the wells, his attention fully on the screen and the information.

Jeremy forced his attention back to the screen, then pulled it away. He was done with the data from the scans and repairs. They would be compiled and compared to matching information and the Engineer would decide if they meant actions were needed.

He looked at the guy again.

Forced himself to look beyond the rank, beyond them being friends, and look at his physicality.

Was he good looking? He wasn’t as muscular as Gralgiran, which Jeremy liked, but did he like it because he was into muscle? Or because his Heart was the only person he’d allowed himself to look at that way?

Alix was fit. The only time he moved with difficulty had been when he was still healing from the reactor malfunction. Jeremy had watched him carry machinery from one side of engineering to the other without help.

Would he enjoy having sex with him?

Kelsirians considered sex between friends normal. Something that didn’t even require that much shortening of names to engage in. How would he compare to Gralgiran? To Toom?

Toom was also not as muscular as his Heart and….

Yes, he wanted to have sex with him again. Eventually.

Alix, on the other hand, was there. There was no history between them, other than work and being friends. And….

The shift was nearly over. Didn’t that make now the best time for this?

“Engineer?”

He didn’t respond immediately.

Jeremy was no longer annoyed by it. He’d worked out he wasn’t being ignored out of maliciousness. The Engineer didn’t want to leave what he was working on undone. So that would take priority. Once he was done, then he would—

He looked up and at Jeremy. “Yes, Technician?”

He had to take the chance. “Can we talk as friends?”

The Engineer looked at his screen, then at him again. “I suppose it’s close enough to shift’s end, Jeremy.” That was the entirety of acknowledging they were no longer working. He had no idea what a relaxing Alix looked like. “What can I do for you?”

Was there a better opening than that?

“Can you…. Have you….”

The tilt of the ear wasn’t impatient, not on Alix, but it was an indication he didn’t care to waste time.

“Gral misses you,” he said, giving up on the original intent. “Have you thought about letting him back into your life?”

“I’d expect you to prefer having him work off that energy with you.”

Should he tell him Gral had permission to have sex with all his friends? Would that be the needed incentive? Would it be a bribe of sorts? An indication the only reason Alix was friend with Gral was for the sex?

Did Jeremy want their friendship to be that shallow?

“Gral’s an adult,” he said. “He can decide where he works it off.”

He hadn’t had the guts to carry through with his initial plan, so he took pleasure in the quizzicalness his answer had engraved on his friend’s face.

The clock on his screen flashed blue.

“The shift’s over.” Jeremy stood. “We should head home.” Or, in his case, find one of his friends to hang out with…minus the sex. He just needed to not think about what Gral and his friend were up to.

“You go,” his friend said. “I have some things to finish.”

“Alix, you can’t just spend multiple shifts working.”

The smile his friend gave him had sadness in it. “I still have things I have to finalize before my work is done. But don’t worry. It’ll soon be over.”

He couldn’t make sense of the expression, but it didn’t matter. “I’m dropping by before I go to bed. And if you’re here, I swear I’m getting the names of some of your friends and I am going to get them to pull you to their bed and not let you out of it for a week.”

“Yes, I believe you. Good.” He turned to his screen again. “That’s good.”

He left the office. Maybe he should see about finding those names now. He saw the guy in the archway and headed for him. And it might be easier than he’d expected.

“Jeremy,” Xenial greeted him, smiling.

“You know everything, right?”

“No, not even the gods know everything.”

“But you can find out anything.”

“With the right incentive.” The smile said what incentive would work here, and Jeremy dropped it. And then forced himself to consider it. He liked Xenial, in spite of the constant implication he was looking for ways to shorten their names. Or maybe because of it? How he didn’t give up even without making a big deal of Jeremy’s constant refusal? He suspected sex with him would be fun, if nothing else. His friend loved having fun.

“I’ll think about it.”

That surprised his friend.

“What brings you to engineering?”

“You.” He pulled Jeremy’s arm in his and walked away.

“What are you machinating?”

“I have it on good authority that your Heart is with a friend of his. I thought you could use a distraction.”

“Meaning you will distract me?”

Xenial gave him his patented ‘you want me’ look. “Only if you want me to.”

Did he?

“But I just thought you’d like a tour of my territory. Pants kept on.”

“You say that, but I know you, Xenial. I don’t think that even welded on, they’d remain.”

“They’ll stay on, unless you take them off me.”

Jeremy swallowed.

Why was he hard when he hadn’t reacted to any of his friend’s previous, just as blatant, offers? Why was saying yes so fucking hard?

Would Xenial even wait for them to be in a leisure alley?

He had heard stories about some of the reason his friend had ended up in a cell.

That doused his ardor. He had no interest in spending time in a cell.

“Why do you think I want a tour of your territory?”

“Your Heart, with the male he’s known longer than just about anyone else on this ship, and with permission to do what comes naturally to us. You want something to distract you, and I figure looking through my inventory for things you can take apart will work.”

“How do you even know about that?”

The smile was radiant. “I have my ways.”

“Then how about you tell me why every other person we’ve walked by is looking at us as if the eatery declared us the next delight being served.”

Unexpectedly, his friend lost his jovialness. “I guess that’ll have to be addressed before anything else.”

“What did you do?”

“Let’s wait until we’re somewhere private.”

*

“Okay,” Jeremy said as soon as Xenial locked the access to the hold. “Spill. You have something do with people looking at us like that.”

“At you.”

He rolled his eyes.

Xenial walked by him.

“Xenial, if that’s what you mean by distracting me, I’m not finding it amusing.”

He jumped and sat on the counter. “You’ve had sex with the Pilot, Toomerimortoral.”

“Yes, but I don’t see—how do you know that?”

“Anyone who is interested knows about it.”

Jeremy stalked to the counter and locked eyes with him. “How?”

“It came up during the adjudication.”

“I know that. It’s how Gral found out. But that doesn’t explain how you know. How anyone else knows.”

“There were people watching.”

“And?”

“People with tablets.”

“And…” his face burned. Tablets could record. Him and Toomerim having sex had been broadcasted for everyone in the chamber to see. For anyone to record.

“But there’s also—”

Jeremy glared, happy for something else to think about other than how embarrassing that was.

“Look, normally I wouldn’t say anything more, since that’s enough to explain it, but you’re my friend. And If I have any hope of us shortening our names, I can’t lie to you, even by omission.”

“What did you do?”

“You have to keep in mind that I’m a business male.”

“I thought the Halans were pirates.”

“Piracy is a business. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. A very lucrative one, too. And as a business male, I saw an opportunity to make money.”

“At my expense, Xenial er Ta’halan.”

His friend winced.

“It was already out there. It was just a question of time before someone brought it on the ship. So I made it happen before them and made money in the process.”

“I can’t believe a few seconds of me having sex is enough to…” he motioned toward the door.

“Oh, it’s more than a few seconds.”

Jeremy glared again.

“The Kelsirian adjudicator requested the security feed for that exercise room.”

“Why?”

Xenial looked him up and down and licked his lips. “Why do you think?”

Jeremy covered his burning face with his hands.

Xenial hugged him. “It’s a compliment, really.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“No one will do more than offer.”

“That isn’t helping.”

Xenial rested his head against his. “I’m sorry for my part in this.”

Jeremy pushed away. “Damn it. I have no idea if you’re saying that because you think it’s going to make me say yes sooner, or if you actually mean it.”

“I’m serious, Jeremy.”

“How am I supposed to know?” he yelled. “You’re always planning one thing or another. You’re a schemer, Xenial.”

The guy shrugged. “It’s who I am. Plans are fun. Setting up preys in a line to then pounce on them one after the other, or trick someone else into pouncing is fun. I can’t help it.”

“Do you take anything seriously?”

“I take you seriously. I take my position on the Bane seriously. I take the debt I owe your Heart seriously.”

“And you replay that by driving him insane?”

“That male can do with some fun in his life.”

“Hey, I’m fun enough for him.” He covered his face. “I can’t believe you got me to say that.”

“Unless you’re lying, take your hands away. Jeremy. There is nothing wrong with sex. You don’t want to know what I think of Earthers for how they got you to look at it. How narrow who you think you can enjoy it with is because of them.”

“I’m trying! Okay?”

“I figured out that much.”

Jeremy took a breath and let it go. “Fuck.” He defied Xenial to comment with a look, and his friend smiled innocently. “Now what?”

“Now, whatever you want. The door’s only locked for the other side, so you can—”

A muffled explosion, then something fell to the ground.

Jeremy turned in time to see a furless hand push the door aside.

Xenial was next to him as the first human stepped in.

“This isn’t the armory,” she snapped as two men followed her.

“There was no guarantee it would—you,” the first man snarled on setting eyes on Jeremy. Then he ran at him.

Jeremy stepped away from his friend. He’d let him call security while he kept the other busy. He had no hope of winning against three, but this was about delaying things. He dodged and punched the man in the side as hard as he could and was rewarded by him staggering and letting out a pained grunt.

The woman was on him, and he blocked. When she punched him in the stomach, he fought not to throw up and stay erect. He elbowed her in the face. Out the corner of his eye, the other guy was trying to grab a vestless Xenial.

He had to draw that one to him. Xenial couldn’t last against a human soldier.

She came at him at the same time the guy he’d staggered tried for a tackle and Jeremy stepped back in time for them to collide. He was up before Jeremy could go to his friend’s help, and he was busy blocking and parrying until he landed a punch in the face, which he followed by a kick in a knee.

He turned in time to avoid her punch.

Fabric ripped, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her to see if Xenial was okay.

He had to end this, somehow.

He tackled her, grabbed on while he kneed her in the stomach over and over. When he let go, she fell, curled in on herself.

Jeremy only had time for a glance.

Xenial was naked.

“You fur lover son of a bitch.”

He’d take in the view later.

He blocked the man’s punch and struck back. The man nearly fell when he put weight on his leg, but caught himself in time. Jeremy didn’t let him regain his balance. He punched.

Someone behind him grunted and he better not find Xenial down when he was done with this guy or someone was going to bleed.

“Do it, you murdering son of a bitch,” the man taunted. “Come on, what’s one more of your kind dead at your hand?”

“What?”

The man’s charge was impeded by his limp, but Jeremy didn’t get over his surprise in time. He was on his back. The man on top of him, punching him.

“He was my friend, you son of a bitch! You murdered my friend!”

A furred covered knee landed in the man’s face. “And you’re hurting my friend.”

He looked at the guy who’d rescued him, but didn’t see him. See that he was naked.

Jeremy remembered what he’d done.

Outline section 

No Outline

Addition 

End of work, Jermey knows Gral is with Toom, has to deal with those feelings. Might consider making an advance toward Alix as part of getting himself to be more Kelsirian. Can’t do it.

Xenial will be there when the shift is over.

As they walk, Jeremy gets looks, and he will find out about the recording having spread. It’s in part why Xenial’s there. Make amends/explain his reasons.

Humans interrupt the conversation

This entire chapter was added because I wanted to show Jeremy and Xenial fight, and I didn’t even get to show Xenial fight because Jeremy’s too busy.

What I wanted to do was show that Xenial’s fighting style is a mix of barely moving, and relying on luck.

Addressing the recording was part of this plan from the moment it was mentioned with Gralgiran.

Jeremy remembering that he killed someone was first me completely forgetting he’d done that. If I hadn’t, it would have been dealt with immediately, but then realizing that by having Jeremy’s head smashed in the table a few times during that fight, I’d given myself an explanation for why he forgot. All I had to do was had a comment here and there to imply he wasn’t remembering everything that had happened there.