doggone

[repeatedprayer]

[In the time following his departure from Tabito and Manabu's company, the alias "Grey" has wound up sticking.

Not that everyone calls him that, he's used a few other aliases since then, but it's what he's wound up thinking of himself as. If Grey had taken the time to think about it a bit more he might have picked something with a little less connection to Rezo's name, but it's still leagues better than thinking of himself as "Rez- wait, no, just a copy." And maybe that's why he's felt significantly calmer since he left Sairaag.

By his own standards, Grey has been laudably well-behaved; sure, he's been mostly doing under-the-table psychic work, often on behalf of criminals, but! He's been trying to keep a low profile so it's usually things like clairvoyant spying rather than anything violent, and he's been making a point of not doing anything that directly impacts the galaxy railways.

It would be extremely awkward if Manabu Yuuki had to try and arrest him, after all.

He's found himself frequently thinking about Manabu, much to his annoyance. He has no serious expectations of ever seeing Manabu again, so it's simply a waste of mental bandwidth to find himself wondering what Manabu is doing right now or where he is, or to reminisince over their incredibly brief acquaintanceship. Grey can only suppose that because Manabu was the first reasonably normal person he got to know after leaving Sairaag that Manabu is going to stick out in his mind for a while.

And it's probably because of the real estate that Manabu is hogging in Grey's mind that he's been very aware of every mention of the SDF that crosses his path. He hasn't exactly been tracking the SDF's activities deliberately, but he does pay attention to the news and the SDF frequently winds up in there, even if Manabu's name in particular isn't normally dropped.

Until the day it does.

SDF Officer Taken Hostage By Pirates]

* * *

[It's taken several weeks of investigating, but Grey has been able to track down The Huntress's client, a Dr. Parish and associates. It must be a small galaxy, because Dr. Parish is someone Grey knows. Sort of.

Rather, Dr. Parish was a colleague of Rezo's who collaborated with the man on chimera research (and other unsavory things) in the past. Not only that, the man was an ardent admirer of Rezo's superior psychic prowess, and desperate to improve his own meager abilities.

He'd had quite a shock when Grey approached him in town, but after the initial surprise it had been sickeningly easy to convince Dr. Parish that he was the real Rezo. Grey can only surmise that the man wants to believe too badly to let himself be properly suspicious. It had only taken a day for Grey to be invited to tour Parish's laboratory.

The lab's located on the grounds of a former Marquess's estate, a ways out of town and secluded by trees, a high wall, and a long drive. Grey's done a little recon before, but actually being here is different, especially since he has to navigate by cane at the moment. Grey is doing his best to politely nod and smile as Parish guides him from room to room, explaining their work and occasionally handing him things to examine himself.

But evidently Parish realizes that "Rezo" isn't entirely interested, because he stops partway through an explanation of some stem cell experiments he and a few others have been working on to say "Of course, the really interesting specimens are kept in the basement floor."

Grey already knows this. He hopes his expression seems the right sort of eager.]

Interesting?

["Something along the lines of what we did in the past. Would you like to see them?"]

Nothing would please me more.

[Grey can practically hear Parish's delighted grin. To soothe the surge of irritation, Grey reminds himself that he's going to kill this man before the end of the day and allows Parish to guide him out into the hall and to the basement entrance at the back of the building.]

Comments

[repeatedprayer]

[And that gets a proper laugh out of Grey- sorry Manabu. Grey does know enough about poker to get the joke.

So. Pride and Prejudice.]

Where did we leave off? I think I was telling you about Mr. Collins. So, after Mr. Collins begins courting Elizabeth, the Bennet family encounters an army officer named George Wickham. Wickham is an exceedingly attractive and well-mannered young man...

[Grey shifts himself as he speaks, settling back down on his side.]

[siriusly]

[Manabu listens, giving but faint sounds of acknowledgment here or there for a few minutes before they notably drift off and he's lost to sleep, eventually turning over to stop laying on his tail and settle in more comfortably. matters of Collinses and Wickhamses and what-haves are utterly lost, but they're noble sacrifices for the sake of sleeping a bit sounder - the whole night through, even!

it apparently helps to have the source of warmth and security right there at the onset.]

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey stops talking shortly after Manabu drifts off properly, vaguely recognizing the slow, even breathing as a sign that Manabu's no longer listening. Time for Grey himself to settle in.

Grey sleepily tells himself he is not going to wrap an arm around Manabu. Unless Manabu wakes up with a nightmare, of course. But he seems peaceful enough right now so it's not necessary.

But it's not bad for Grey to lie close, right? The bed's not that big. Manabu doesn't seem to mind sharing it, so it's not a big deal if Grey just lies with his side just touching Manabu. Or maybe just a bit closer... Like this, he can lightly feel and hear Manabu's breathing, breathe in his scent, and just generally be utterly aware of Manabu.

Which is very important if Manabu has a nightmare, of course.

Manabu...

This is maybe not the safest frame of mind for Grey to be letting himself fall asleep in. Not to say it's an unpleasant night. Grey sleeps deeply despite the rush from being so close to the man he's attracted to.

When morning comes and Grey feels the first stirrings of wakefulness, he's still lying close to Manabu. It's warm, and, at the moment, comfortable enough... Until he shifts and feels a strange tension in his hips.]

Gn...

[siriusly]

[without the satisfaction of a hard day's work to keep him asleep, Manabu's restless and fidgety, coming in and out of sleep with little startles, having to re-remind himself again and again of where he is and who's there with him.

on the one hand, no screaming. on the other...

Grey's just...right here...

shouldn't he be more unnerved by this? he hasn't bunked with someone since he was a kid, but this isn't a childhood sleepover. he never...thought about a bunkmate like this before. it'd be really bad to think too much, or he'll get himself into an awkward situation. just...think about the plan!

still... if it really bothered Grey, he wouldn't be next to me. he wouldn't have gone all this way, just for me. i have to believe in that, don't i? even if it's not spelled out in words...

he's dimly aware, now, that he's curled up against Grey as a little spoon - a headache-less echo of their first encounter. the less he thinks about that the better, though, or he'll...

...]

...

[Manabu decides thinking is detrimental, and instead starts to try and scoot himself out of Grey's grasp.]

[repeatedprayer]

[A greater sense of awareness slowly seeps through Grey, awareness of his own body, and of Manabu's body curled up against him. Manabu's tail brushes against his leg, the feeling subtle through the fabric of his pants. Manabu's back is to him, Grey's arm is slung over Manabu's side. When did he do that?

He can feel Manabu starting to wriggle and he instinctively tightens his arm around Manabu, pulling the other man closer towards him. Manabu's tail and backside come into contact with Grey's pelvis, sending a jolt of heat through him at the pressure.

There's quite a bit of pressure, actually.

...!

Grey's eyes snap open.

A moment later he practically throws himself off of Manabu, rolling in the opposite direction to lie on his stomach. He is suddenly burningly aware of an erection throbbing between his legs, and fuck, he should not be touching Manabu like this-!]

[siriusly]

D'ah-!! [getting grabbed was a surprise, and the pressure on his back end is--

well.

no sooner can he process that information than does Grey yeet himself away, leaving Manabu to flop forward with a confused puff.]

J-jeez! What the hell! [he should, perhaps, be more delicate, given he's been the one doing surprise jolts and rude awakenings this whole time, but still!

he pushes up on his elbows and looks over.] Grey? Are you--

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey lies there, rather like Manabu did the other day, in a state of rather sudden panic. His heart thumps, his skin prickles, and Manabu's sputtered protests ring in his ears. He's aroused, in multiple senses of the word.

Did he notice?]

Sorry. I- Shit.

[Grey winces, as a slight shift to look up at Manabu sets his body to throbbing again.]

Sorry. That must have been. An unpleasant way to wake up.

[His eyes narrow, tense, expecting Manabu to freak out, praying that he's remained oblivious instead.]

[siriusly]

I-it's fine, I'm fine. Are you-? Okay? [he looks...stressed. flushed.

uh oh. did he do something wrong without knowing?!] Did I hit you or something? [he's reflexively reaching over to touch his shoulder to try and check.]

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey flinches when he sees that hand approaching, tensing all over. If it weren't for his reluctance to move at all, he'd try to scramble out of the way. As it is, he just has to settle for nearly snapping Manabu's head off.]

I'm fine. I just-

[Fuck. Manabu clearly hasn't realized what's up but Grey can't think of a good lie to excuse it- his useless brain is instead too busy thinking about how easy it would be to grab Manabu and pin him against the mattress.]

[siriusly]

[Manabu's ears flatten with his wince, his hand staggered from outright touching him.]

Crap, did I--did I hit you in the groin?! I'm sorry! Should I get ice? [he should get ice. he's already getting up to his knees to climb out of bed.]

[repeatedprayer]

What?

[Grey's expression shifts from "tense, frustrated" to something more than a bit incredulous. He could perhaps give Manabu credit for being in the right ballpark, even if his final conclusion is a miss, but honestly he can't find it in himself to be proud right now.]

No, I- I don't need ice, Manabu-!

[At least, he doesn't need ice in that way and seeing that Manabu is about to get off the bed when he's doubtless still sick has Grey struggling into a crouch, his weight supported on his palms, caught between the desire to keep Manabu from falling over and the desire to not have his hard-on perceived.]

[siriusly]

You sure? You look-- [he double takes, wincing.] ...Really stressed out...

[...






wait.]

Oh--

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey sees Manabu's eyes widen, and fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck-

The situation is too dire. Moving on impulse, Grey grabs at the sheets around him and flips them up, throwing them over Manabu. He doesn't waste time seeing if he managed to get him or not- instead he rolls off the bed and onto his feet, and dashes into the bathroom.]

I'm going to take a shower!

[SLAM.

Brilliant. 10/10. Not suspicious at all, handled so gracefully.]

[siriusly]

Gya--! [Manabu flails to catch himself from flopping over the other end of the bed, jolting at the slam of the door.

after a beat, he pulls the sheet off himself, hair now frizzy and all out of sorts, and he blinks owlishly at the door as the shower is turned on.

...so it was...that...

his eyes wince. yikes, no wonder he was flustered - that was...embarrassing...]

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey's had his share of shameful moments over the course of his life, and this? This is definitely up near the top. He's shaking a little as he sits on the shower stool, trying to sort out his thoughts while simultaneously not being sure he wants to. He'd like to forget this entire morning happened, thanks!

The shower was really just the first excuse to get away that came to mind, but now that he's here Grey figures he's committed. He strips off his clothes, sets them aside, and crouches under the shower head. Ice water is probably what's called for here, but he's already feeling pretty fucking tormented this morning, so he turns it on to a lukewarm temperature instead. The water raining down on his bare skin still makes him shiver.

Logic desperately throws him a lifeline in the sea of shame- morning wood- nocturnal penile tumescence- *is* a very common occurrence, he reminds himself. Manabu's probably experienced it plenty of times himself, since he was able to recognize it!

He probably shouldn't be picturing Manabu with an erection. He definitely shouldn't be imagining Manabu, flushed and muzzy from just waking up, with his dick hard between his legs... Shifting about and shyly touching Grey's arm... Can you give me a hand, Grey?

There's a light thunk from the bathroom as Grey taps his forehead against the wall. Idiot!!! Don't think about things like that!!!

On the other hand... He does need to do something about his situation...

Grey closes his eyes, takes his aching cock in one hand, and covers his mouth with the other.

It's a rather frustrating session he has in the shower, honestly. The buzz of arousal feels good, and the thoughts of Manabu are pleasing- when he isn't getting distracted by feelings of shame and the part of his brain that tells him Manabu would never, ever say or do things like that. That makes it more difficult to reach climax, but he does eventually, sinking his teeth into the palm of his hand with a muffled moan and spilling his cum into his hand and against the tiled wall.

Then he has to clean up after himself and leave, but at least by then he's feeling significantly calmer and doesn't have a visible tent in his pants. He's still feeling rather mortified but he's hanging onto the hope that Manabu will 1) be understanding of his woes, and 2) keep his fucking mouth shut.]

[siriusly]

[really should've accounted for that, really.

Manabu rubs at his flushed face, now getting properly suffocated by that embarrassment. poor Grey, with him curled up like that, too, just like that night...

he slaps at his cheeks until it stings, grimacing. don't think about that! even half-memories of that aren't appropriate for right now!!

dammit, he can't even be the better man and offer to sleep on the floor - Grey would probably just give him shit for that. he apologize, either...

sigh.

Manabu finagles getting out of pajama bottoms into slacks - at least up to his tail, and flops back on the bed.

he does, in fact, keep his mouth shut.]

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey looks over at the bed warily once he reemerges, a little afraid that whatever he'll see might set him off again. But he's satiated enough that seeing Manabu flopped onto the bed does not send him into a mindless haze of lust, so. It's probably alright?

And Manabu isn't saying anything.

Which is good! Grey does not want Manabu to start. Asking questions, or whatever, or generally acknowledging the morning incident. But the quiet is also pretty awkward.

Grey glances at the kitchen.]

...Shall we have more cereal?

[The cornflakes haven't saved him yet, but by god is he giving them a chance.]

[siriusly]

[he's inclined to say no, but he is hungry. so, slowly, he sits up with an affirmative, scooting to sit with his back propped up on the headboard, accepting the bowl when offered.

the crunching of shame.]

You're going out today, right? [to get supplies.

..and cards.]

[repeatedprayer]

[The cereal does not seem to be helping the moment much, but they do need to eat. And fortunately, Manabu remembers they had plans.

Logistics! Bless logistics. Grey swallows his mouthful of cereal and nods.]

Right. We have several things we need, but my first priority is getting you a means to protect yourself whenever I'm gone.

[i.e. buying Manabu a gun. That way Grey can continue to go out and about without being anxious about Manabu being left alone and unprotected.

Well, not as anxious.]

[siriusly]

Eh-? [that was news to him. but it does make sense...

he looks toward the kitchen area.]

Are there any knives over there?

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey smirks, amused by the question.]

Butter knives. If you're looking for something sharp, the scissors are your best chance.

[His amusement fades somewhat, as he thinks on more of the logistics of what Manabu could do if he's endangered.]

If anyone finds you while I'm gone... I know running will be difficult, but you can get out onto the roof through that window if need be. [He gestures with a spoon.] I doubt it'll help much, if they've found us then they'll no doubt have accounted for the potential exits, but...

[Well. It's there.]

You can also send a text message to my phone via the tablet. I've already got a messenger application set up, so if you're in trouble just send me a message, anything at all, and I'll come here as quickly as I can.

[siriusly]

Mn. [he doesn't seem to worried about intruders, even in his limited state. they've been in this room for two days (two? right? or was it more...?) with no incident, the odds are in his favor.

that, and looking around, he's sure he can improvise a few things.]

I can handle things.

[repeatedprayer]

Don't take any risks. Contact me the moment you so much as think there might be trouble.

[Grey's mostly sure that they're safe right now, but he's not nearly as confident as Manabu. They could very well just be waiting for an opportunity, and Grey leaving would be an excellent one. But they really can't wait around forever.]

[siriusly]

[part of him wants to scoff, but...he's gotta cut Grey some slack - he knows the score of the immediate area better than he does. and the last thing he wants is to get dragged back to a lab...

he nods, solemn.]

I will, I promise.

[repeatedprayer]

[Grey visibly relaxes at that. Maybe he's wrong to, but he thinks he can trust Manabu to keep a promise.]

Alright, good.

[That mostly covers the safety issue... The rest of the morning passes by peaceably enough. After they've both eaten and gotten dressed and cleaned up, Grey has Manabu doing more physio (in a switch-up from yesterday, they focus on Manabu's right side instead of his left) and then there isn't really any reason to delay any further.

Though Grey does do the nagging mother thing as he's on his way out the door, still adjusting the ball cap and sunglasses he's opted to wear to try and disguise his distinctive hair and eye colors.]

Remember, don't let anyone except me in. If the landlord shows up, pretend that nobody's home. Make sure the blinds are drawn.

[That last one feels a little cruel considering Manabu's been trapped in a basement for months, but what if someone looks in and sees him?]