Chapter Nineteen

Forty-eight hours. Two full cycles in the dark, poring over every clue at Ari’s disposal until it felt like the walls of his laboratory were closing in around him.

Tantalum. Tattoos. Hangul.

Strung together, they wove a pathetically open net with which to catch his brother, the holes between each meager piece of information so large Orin could have steered Delilah right through them.

To make matters worse, Ari had awoken that morning to an empty bunk, Orin having crammed himself back into the maintenance hatch to repair some malfunction in the accelerator which, for now, kept them plodding through the dark at an excruciating pace.

Today was not the day Ari wished to spend on anxious contemplation of all the information he didn’t have and all the myriad ways things could go wrong.

Today of all days, he should be thinking only of his brother, but instead, he yearned for some distraction from his spiraling anxiety.

He popped up from where he had been resting dejectedly against his workbench at the sound of the maintenance hatch slamming shut, hinges squealing in protest.

Ari peeked out of his lab at Orin standing in the corridor clad in nothing but trousers, skin shining with perspiration and streaks of machine oil as he attempted to clean his hands with a threadbare rag. His shirt lay in a disorderly pile at his feet, the cream linen thankfully free of grease as far as Ari could tell.

He must have made some sound for Orin to lift his head so suddenly, zeroing in one Ari, something black smudged from his forehead to the crest of his left cheekbone.

“Think I found the problem,” he said. “Good news is I can fix it. Bad news is it’s gonna take me a minute.”

Ari stepped into the corridor, picked up Orin’s shirt, and shook it out for a cursory inspection before folding it neatly into thirds. He watched Orin scrub the rag over his arms, spreading the grease more than he was removing it.

“Approximately how long is a minute in this scenario?” Ari asked.

Orin twisted and crumpled the rag between his hands, face apologetic. “Maybe two more days. I’m sorry, I know you’re itching to get there.”

Guilt stabbed at Ari with the strength of a hundred flaming swords as he realized he was actually somewhat relieved by the delay, dreading the moment Orin would fly away into the dark almost as much as he was anxious to make progress in his search for Theo.

Orin stretched as far as he was able in the corridor, back flexing as he worked out the kinks from being crammed into the hatch. Ari’s stomach clenched at the sight, knees aching to drop in front of Orin so he could open those trousers with his teeth. Yearning for distraction, indeed.

Ari was a terrible brother.

He shifted on his feet, holding his bundle of linen low enough over his own trousers to have a hope of subtlety. “Will you be occupied with repairs for the remainder of the day cycle?” he asked, voice cracking in a mortifying fashion.

Orin paused his ineffectual scrubbing, attention dropping to his shirt in Ari’s hands and up to Ari’s face, dimples flashing like a wink.

“Naw, she’s gonna need a few hours just chugging along like this before I can get in there again and expect to get anything done. I gotta jump in the sonic for now; think there’s not an inch of me left clean.”

Ari nodded distractedly, following the rippling muscles in Orin’s back as he turned and walked into his bunk, door hissing shut behind him. Ari leaned against the metal paneling, eyes closed as he tried to burn the sight into his memory.

They flew open again at another hiss, at Orin standing square inside the doorway with his hands busily unbuttoning his trousers.

Orin tilted his head at Ari, one brow lifting inquisitively. “What you waiting out there for? C’mon in, beautiful.”

He turned, stepped out of his trousers, and sauntered into the en suite without a single care for his nudity, leaving both doors open behind him.

Ari sat on the rumpled sheets of Orin’s bunk to wait as the sonic thrummed along, efficiently cleaning all traces of grease from Orin’s skin. He folded and refolded Orin’s clothing, every corner perfectly neat by the time Ari laid them on the desk.

He was presumptive enough to remove his own boots and waistcoat, lining them up next to the stack of folded clothes.

Even though he was waiting for it, Ari still jumped at the sound of the sonic shutting off, head snapping to the open doorway.

Orin stepped through with an easy swagger, gaze skimming over Ari and sending warmth against his skin. “Why you still got all your clothes on?”

Orin knelt on the floor to work Ari’s trousers open as Ari pulled his shirt over his head, the shirt ending up folded atop his waistcoat and the trousers tossed in a heap to the side.

Ari scooted back until his head hit the pillow as Orin crawled up the bed like a stalking cat, the day-cycle lighting in his bunk bouncing off his coiled muscles as though he were still covered in oil. Ari swallowed thickly at the sight.

Orin knelt between Ari’s knees and dragged a hand over Ari’s chest.

“Oughta keep you like this, spread out in my bed naked as the day you were born. Well, except for these. You can leave these right where they are, sugar.”

He toyed with the small bow of Ari’s garter just above his right knee. Ari tangled their fingers as he tried to work the knot free, but Orin brought their clasped hands up to his lips with a gentle kiss, searching Ari’s face.

“Would you mind leaving them? Just the once?”

Ari shivered at the delicious flash of hunger in Orin’s eyes. He shrugged self-consciously, turning away to focus on the wall beside them.

“They’re only stockings, everyone wears them back home. Mine aren’t even particularly decorative. Just simple white silk knit and plain black ribbon. Hardly worth your notice, I’m afraid.”

Orin’s hands smoothed down Ari’s stockings, the callouses on his palms catching at the delicate material, his bottom lip clamped between his teeth.

“Honey, if you could see yourself. Legs for miles, all tied up with a pretty little bow. My best dreams aren’t half as good as this, gorgeous.”

Heat rushed to Ari’s face at a fraction of the rate that it rushed to his cock under the rough tone of Orin’s voice. Ari straightened the seams on his stockings, nervous fingers centering the bows. Orin’s gaze followed his hands, dark with desire.

Ari smoothed the top edge once more, then dropped his hands to rest on the tensed muscles of Orin’s forearms bracketing his hips on the bed. “I suppose that would be acceptable. Provided we do not ruin them, for I haven’t an inexhaustible supply aboard the ship.”

Orin traced the bows with whisper-soft fingers, barely disturbing the fabric at all. “I’ll be real careful. Promise.”

Ari fidgeted in place, feeling particularly ridiculous and exposed despite the fact that he was wearing the most clothing.

Orin didn’t seem to notice, every ounce of his focus dedicated to the length of Ari’s legs, the weight of his eyes heavier than the delicate touch of his fingertips on the bows.

Ari lifted onto an elbow and wrapped his other hand behind Orin’s neck, finally gaining his attention as he brought him down for a kiss. He licked and nipped at his lips until Orin pushed deeper with a groan, tongue swiping at the roof of his mouth.

Ari shivered, bowing his back to press their chests together. Orin’s arm came around to support his weight, pulling him up onto Orin’s thighs. Ari straddled his hips as Orin sat up against the wall.

Ari clutched at Orin’s shoulders, head thrown back with a cry as Orin’s head dipped to pull a nipple into his mouth, sucking hard enough to leave a red mark on Ari’s chest.

“So pretty. Just look at you. You like that?”

Ari didn’t answer so much as push his chest into Orin’s face as he gave the same attention to his other nipple with a low laugh that vibrated across his skin.

He fisted his hand in Orin’s hair as he bit and licked across Ari’s chest.

Orin dipped his hands to cup and squeeze Ari’s ass, then spread him open and ran light fingers over his hole. “You want me, baby? Like that?”

Ari tugged his head up to smear their lips together, wrapping his legs tightly around Orin’s waist.

“Yes. Just like that. Please.”

Orin made a low noise in his throat as he toppled Ari onto the bed, one hand suddenly gripping the bottle of lubricant, fingers already slick.

Ari lifted his hips off the bed as Orin’s hand slid between his legs, fingers swirling firmly on the patch of skin behind his testicles before easing slowly into him one at a time, working him open gently but thoroughly.

Ari rested a hand on Orin’s wrist, mouth dropping open as Orin honed in on that spot, rubbing maddening little circles that coursed like lightning up Ari’s spine. His voice grew thready and thin as if he couldn’t get enough air. A secret part of him felt like he didn’t need air when he had Orin like this.

“Good. That’s good. I’m ready now.”

Orin gave a thoughtful hum, fingers twisting and stretching, his wrist flexing under Ari’s fingertips. “Almost there, gorgeous. Stars, you’re still so tight around me.”

He grunted as Ari clenched around his fingers, then pulled them out almost too quickly as he dropped onto his elbows over Ari’s head and pushed the burning length of his cock into the damp crease of Ari’s thigh.

Ari whined, dipped his hand between them to wrap around his own cock with a squeeze in a thoughtless attempt to relieve some of the pressure. He let go with a hot rush of shame as soon as he noticed Orin observing him closely. So he drew his hands up beside his head, curling the guilty one into a tight fist as he closed his eyes, skin burning with a prickling flush all the way down to his chest.

“Sorry. I know I oughtn’t. I’m sorry.”

Orin leaned onto one elbow, startling him, and uncurled Ari’s fist to press a gentle kiss into his palm. “Nothing to be sorry for. I love watching you touch yourself, gorgeous.”

Ari slitted his lids open to catch a glimpse of Orin’s patient face. “You don’t think it’s— That I’m—you know, shameful? For that?”

Orin shook his head slowly, eyes clutched so tightly to Ari’s he couldn’t look away despite the tugging weight of his humiliation. “Sure don’t. Never seen something so beautiful in all my life as your pretty little hands on your perfect body, sweetheart. Could stand to see some more of that, if you’re willing to oblige.”

The heat in Ari’s face kept on burning, radiating over every inch of his body in a sweet ache at the throb of Orin’s low voice. Ari dropped his arm to his side in an awkward, unsteady motion, hovering his hand over the flat plane of his stomach, searching Orin’s face as he lowered the tips of his fingers to slide across his skin.

“You mean, like this?”

The sound that erupted from Orin’s throat sent Ari’s cock throbbing and twitching with a wet slap against his stomach just inches from his fingertips. Ari squeaked in mortification, but Orin’s eyes darkened as he was forced to clear the growl from his throat before he could speak.

“That’s perfect. Just like that, baby. Fuck, you’re pretty.”

Ari let the sweet words pour over him like a soothing balm, easing the prickling burn of his flush and the sting of his shame until he could wrap his hand around his cock once more, this time studying Orin as he followed Ari’s hand, tongue flashing out to moisten his lips.

A surge of power burned away the last traces of Ari’s shame, and he pumped his hand slowly as Orin tracked every movement, one of his own hands falling between them to squeeze tightly around the base of his cock.

Ari clenched around nothing at the sight, and he dropped his hands to flail madly around the bedding in search of the bottle. Half sitting up, he opened it with clumsy fingers, spilling a few drops onto his stomach before pooling some into his hand.

He quickly spread it over Orin’s cock, using so much in his exuberance that it dripped onto the bed between them.

Orin took the bottle from him and made it disappear into the sheets once more. As he sat up on his knees, Orin guided Ari’s hand to slick his own cock as Orin pressed against him with intent.

Ari panted through his entry, raising his feet to rest on Orin’s hips as he gave a strangled shout once Orin finally bottomed out.

Orin lifted Ari’s legs onto his shoulders, pressing a kiss to his ankle as he slid them past his neck, the soft silk of the stockings barely catching at the hair on his chest. He then started a careful rhythm, focused on Ari’s face as he moved his hips, hands restlessly running up and down Ari’s legs like he wasn’t quite aware he was doing it.

Ari cried out as Orin leaned forward, burying his fists into the bed beside Ari’s ribs as his cock dragged across every bright spot inside him at once. He clutched at Orin’s arms, fingertips digging in.

“Oh, there! There, just there. Please, Orin.”

Orin’s mouth hung open, sweat starting to curl the fringe of his hair against his face and neck. He eased into slow, hard, deep thrusts, rubbing Ari perfectly with the thick length of his cock until Ari was a writhing mess beneath him.

Orin dropped onto his elbows as he stared down between their bodies at Ari’s weeping cock, bobbing along with their movements.

“Can you touch yourself for me, baby? I want to see you come on my cock, and I’m so close already, honey. I’m sorry; you just feel so good like this.”

Ari hushed him gently, pressing a kiss against the underside of his jaw as he obediently wrapped his hand around his cock, sliding easily along his silken skin.

Pushing up onto his fists with a low moan, Orin divided his attention between Ari’s face and cock.

“There you are. Like that, gorgeous. Stars, look at you, you’re so good like this. I could watch you all damn day.”

Ari cried out sharply as he pulsed in his hand, spilling over his chest and stomach as he clenched around Orin’s pumping length.

Orin lowered Ari’s legs to the side and slid his hands under Ari’s back in a tight embrace as they kissed with open mouths, swapping panting breaths with every thrust.

Picking up speed, Orin pressed his face into Ari’s hair with a choked groan as he spilled inside him in a throbbing burst of heat.

He eased out gently, kissing Ari’s throat at the whine he couldn’t prevent in protest of the loss, and flopped onto his back with a gusty sigh.

Ari melted into the bed at his side, shocking the both of them by bursting into tears.

Orin shot up immediately, hands hovering over the curled-up sobbing mess beside him as Ari tried to turn away.

“Sweetheart! What’s wrong? Was I too rough with you?”

“N-no. No, of course not. N-nothing like that. You were—you were wonderful… I’m f-fine, it’s nothing.” Ari did his best to curtail the hitching of his chest, breathing deeply through his nose as he dashed at his cheeks with sticky fists.

Orin tugged on his shoulder until he fell to his back. As Ari stared up at the faintly glowing ceiling panels, Orin’s hand ghosted over his chest and stomach with the sheet, cleaning him off before petting him softly. “Don’t look fine to me. I gotta say, I’ve gotten some poor reviews before, but nobody’s ever cried on me. What is it?”

Ari shook his head, rubbing the heels of his hands hard against his face. “It’s truly nothing of consequence. It’s foolish. I’m being ridiculous. I’m so sorry. This really isn’t appropriate. I’m trying to stop.”

Orin hummed into his neck, leaving a trail of kisses across his shoulder. “You could never be foolish, honey. Please tell me what it is.”

“It’s my birthday,” Ari said beneath his breath, voice shaking despite his best efforts to calm himself.

Orin’s face cleared into a gentle smile as he laid a smacking kiss on the crest of Ari’s shoulder. “Happy birthday, gorgeous!”

Ari didn’t react, twisting his fingers in the sheets at his hips as he struggled to breathe calmly and quietly.

Orin pushed up on his elbow. “You want to do something? If I’d’a known, I’d have a gift for you, but I don’t. I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

Something eased in Ari’s chest at the sight of his handsome face scrunched up with concern. He ran his hands over Orin’s shoulders in reassurance.

“It isn’t that. I would never expect you to present me with a gift. It’s just. I’ve never had a birthday on my own before. It’s our birthday, mine and Theo’s. And I just— I miss him, today. Fiercely. That’s all it is. I’m terribly sorry for crying on you like that over something so trivial.”

Orin laid back down, working his arm under Ari’s head until he rested on the meat of his shoulder. Ari turned on his side to place one hand on Orin’s chest, and Orin lay his cheek on top of Ari’s head, stubble catching in his hair.

“Aw, baby. I’m sorry.”

Ari took a few deep breaths, concentrating on the rough glide of Orin’s fingertips up and down his arm. He hooked his leg over Orin’s knee, the garter loose and the stocking pooled around his ankle.

“When is yours?” he asked quietly.

Now it was Orin’s turn to stare at the ceiling.

“My what?”

Ari pushed up, baffled by his avoidance. “When is your birthday?”

Orin glanced at him and then back to the ceiling, moving the both of them with a deep shrug.

“Don’t have one.”

Ari gave a quiet laugh, searching for the joke. “Of course, you do. Everyone has a birthday!”

Orin pressed his lips into a tight line, hands moving restlessly over Ari’s back.

“Not me.”

“How do you know how old you are?”

Orin closed his eyes, hands falling away to land on the bed.

“Guess I don’t. Not exactly.”

Ari didn’t know what to say, mouth working as he searched for words. All that escaped was a surprised gasp as Orin flipped them over, hovering over Ari on his hands and knees.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’m plenty old enough to take good care of you.”

He smirked as he dropped to mouth at Ari’s chest, pulling a still-red nipple gently between his teeth. Ari gasped again, tempted to go another round but instead, pushed at Orin’s shoulders until he popped off.

Ari offered a small smile, stomach fluttering with nerves. “It’s today.”

Orin nodded, mouth rising into a smirk. “Yeah, I know, baby. It’s your birthday. Gonna—”

“And. And. And yours,” Ari pushed out quietly.

Orin shook his head, smirk fading in confusion as his hair flopped down over his forehead. “What?”

Ari lifted a hand to Orin’s cheek, just holding him as they gazed at each other, and reached with his other hand to close over Orin’s on the bed.

“It could be yours as well. If you—if you want it. You can share with me, with us. Me and Theo. You would be doing me a favor, truly. I would be ever so grateful if you would accept today as your birthday. That is, if you don’t mind sharing. I’m sorry. It’s stupid. Forget I ever—”

“Baby.”

Orin’s eyes were wide and stricken, growing red around the edges as they stayed glued to Ari’s. They’d been nude in bed for over an hour now, but for the first time, Orin seemed truly naked.

“You would do that for me?”

Ari nodded, running his fingers through Orin’s hair, curling gently around his ear as he rubbed his thumb over the soft curve of his earlobe.

“Of course.”

Orin nudged against his hand, nuzzling into his palm, long lashes fluttering damp against his skin.

“Thank you, Ari.”

Ari pressed their lips together over and over again, soft, tender, chaste kisses belying the fact that they were still lying in ruined sheets.

He dropped his head to Orin’s chest to catch his breath. Orin’s heart thumped strong and sure beneath his ear, cheek pillowed against his broad pectoral muscle, nose tickled by the curling hairs sprinkled across.

Ari sank into the embrace, mouth moving before he could think better of it. “You must know by now that I—that I hold you in the highest regard.”

One large hand smoothed along the length of his arm, tangling their fingers together as Orin huffed out a short breath, the barest indication of laughter.

He raised their joined hands to his face and brushed his lips across Ari’s knuckles as their eyes met.

“I regard you too, professor.”