He pressed his mouth against my neck again, teeth skimming my skin."You have me," he hissed, squeezing his hand around our cocks."You're mine – I'm yours –"
Stars exploded in my vision, and I cried out, my hips jerking hard as I came in ribbons across his chest, and then Araxis erupted in my hand as well, clear come flooding the places where our bodies were touching.I shuddered, tugged his head back, and kissed him desperately, feverishly, grabbing his face with my hands as I rode the little shockwaves of pleasure while writhing in his lap.
His hands reached up and wrapped around the back of my rib cage, pulling me close, his chest rumbling against mine in a soft, soothing purr.My thumbs stroked his face, the barely raised texture."You," I muttered against his mouth.
His lips curledin a smile against my own."Was that nice, then?"he asked, his hands stroking my back with infinite tenderness.
I leaned back so that I could get lost in the black of his eyes."Better than," I admitted.
And it had been.But even better was the soft way he was looking at me now, how gently he touched me, how it felt to have my body pressed up against his.If he was a client, I'd be up and across the room in a flash, off to whatever came next.
But he wasn't a client.He was Araxis and I wanted to live in this moment with him, while the universe slid by outside.So I just sat in his lap, the two of us sticky and damp, and I stroked his face for what felt like ages.When I did finally extricate myself, kicking our discarded clothes aside and heading to the bathroom to clean up, it was reluctantly.But you can only be sticky for so long before you need tonotbe.When I brought Araxis a warm cloth, I was surprised to see that he'd pulled the bed out so that it was large enough for us both, and he'd finally tugged his shirt off and was waiting, naked, on the bed.His cock had since retreated back inside his body, and he fastidiously cleaned himself while I sat on the edge of the bed.
"So," I said, patting the mattress."You'd like me to stay?"
"Do you know what is better than cuddling up with my jacket in your cold and empty bed?"he asked with a crooked smile.
"Yeah, yeah," I huffed, sliding over him to take the inside of the mattress.I slipped under the blankets and reached for his waist, hugging him close."You get the wet spot though."
His delighted trill and then the quiet contented purr that settled deep in his chest were enough to lull me to sleep before I could remind myself that I had him for just a few more days.
Chapter 10 –Reverie
The next few days were among the best of my life, until in a sudden, cataclysmic crash, they weren't.But the fantasy I got to live inside of, even for such a brief respite, was everything.
I woke the next morning to Araxis reluctantly sliding from bed, the early morning lights slowly brightening in his room.I managed to talk him around to taking a shower with me before he started reviewing the starcharts he needed to plot the day's course.He'd seemed perplexed by the idea, until I had him naked and wet and proceeded to eat him out while steam beaded droplets onto our skin.
He was a quick study, and had me up off my knees and pinned against the wall the moment he came.He rutted himself against my thigh, pretty pink cock glistening in the damp while his hand worked resolutely at my length until we came, panting, together, his mouth hot on the sensitive skin of my neck.
I laughed as he pushed himself off my shoulder, chest heaving, our stomachs tacky and sticking together."Well, I'm glad we did that in here."
He trilled, and then cleaned himself with careful precision as his spent dick retreated back into the depths of his body."And I am glad Egnax and I made repairs last month to the water recycler so that it is up to the task of dealing with our aftermath."
Araxis watched me as I scrubbed down again, and then made a thoughtful noise.At my questioning look, he raised one shoulder in his version of a shrug."I was merely thinking about how cute your cock is like that."
I nearly choked on my own spit."What?"
He gestured at my soft member."It is quite delicate and vulnerable.Your body provides no protection."Then, with a crooked smile, "I am very fond of it."And like that, he flounced off to get dressed for the rest of the day, and I tried not to think too hard about how it felt to have my dick described asvulnerable.
"So how likely is it that everyone's going to know we're fucking?"I asked as I pulled on my pants.I didn't bother with the shirt: I was just going to head next door and put on something warmer and more comfortable.
Araxis was seated at the wooden desk, one graceful hand flicking at the screen there.Starchartsswirled lazilyon the screen, a series of complex tablesflaringto life in the upper corner.Plotting trajectories required a lot of math."You can be quite certain.Does that bother you?"
"Come on," I said."I got paid to fuck people, and I'm virra.They'll expect it from me.Does it botheryou?"
"As you say, you are virra.They may only point out that I have wasted time by waiting so long."Araxis half-turned, looking at me in my state of partial undress.His eyes were bright, his expression thoughtful."You have said there is nothing left to teach me about sword-dancing, Sashen.I wonder – would you care to learn anything from me?"
"Like what?"I asked, bundling up the rest of my clothes to take next door.
"As sinnenthi, I have received a great deal of training in various forms of combat," he said."I am quite good in hand-to-hand combat, and I am an excellent shot with a blast rifle."
I studied him.If he could show me anything that might help me in the arena, that would be huge – although of course he didn't know that was why I was headed to the Thenat cluster, and I didn't exactly want to explain it now.I'd take any advantage I could get, even if that advantage waslearning the very most fundamental basics of how to punch someone."That depends," I said, and I fluttered my eyelashes a little to give him a taste of his own medicine."How much touching doyourlessons involve?"
He fluted out an amused breath, a smile sharpening his plush lips."I have learned from the best.So – a great deal."
I laughed and felt a blossom of affection warm my chest, like drinking a cup of tea after being cold.I closed the distance betweenus and took his head in both hands, pressing a firm kiss to his mouth; at once, his body meltedagainst mine, his hands reaching for my hips and drawing me closer."You have to chart the course," I murmured against his lips, eager and pliant against mine.
He leaned forward and caught my lower lip in his teeth, gently; his fingers dug divots into the bare skin at my waist."Yes, yes, I have many responsibilities.Am I not also responsible for assuring you enjoy your time on this ship, hm?"
