Lunch Can Wait...

Posted on Mon Feb 18th, 2013 @ 4:10pm by Cadet Senior Grade Chance Conradi & Seyla & Cadet Senior Grade Eli Ziyad

* * * The Promenade * * *

Eli had led Chance through the corridors and rooms of the Academy first and then along to the main departments of the station. He was now hungry and decided to hit the Promenade before they continued on. Leading Chance to what had become their ‘usual table’ in the cafe area, he insisted Chance sit while he went to get the food.

“How’s Chinese?”

“It’s good, good,” Chance nodded. He cherished the few minutes it took Eli to get the food - in those minutes, he had a chance to be quiet and think on all Eli had shown him. There was a lot and some of it triggered memories that he needed to sort through. Eli had, of course, shown him several spots where they’d met up, made out or otherwise created memorable moments. He knew one thing for certain now: he and Eli were quite the randy couple.

Eli returned a few minutes later, laden down with food, including plenty of dumplings. Once it was all spread out, he dropped into the chair beside Chance and picked up his chopsticks. He watched Chance, then nodded. “I know it’s a lot to take in.”

“It is,” he agreed and thought, ’specially when someone is eavesdropping on everything I think. “We were here,” he added, “...sitting over there, watching you. Then....” His expression glazed over a little and his mouth formed a small ‘o’. “Oh. Then we sat with Oralia, over there. I tried. I tried to tell her, but she didn’t hear me.”

“We...” Eli repeated softly. He’d known that day, when Chance, in the body of the Hazari had called to him. “That was the day I knew. I had to do some convincing when I told Oz and the Doc.”

Chance brushed off the fear that had come with that memory and managed to chuckle. “Yeah, she’s a skeptic. Show her and she’ll believe; tell her and she won’t. Guess she believes now, huh?” He took Eli’s unoccupied hand in his. “I’m glad you heard me and didn’t just quietly think you were going crazy.”

Eli smiled and squeezed his hand, then the smile faded. “There is one strange thing that happened. There was a bit there when I wondered if I wasn’t crazy. I went to see Counselor Swift. We talked about what all I’d been seeing and hearing. Later that night, Security showed up saying they’d been requested by Robin to stand watch. Aleksa said that he’d said he thought I was in danger, but didn’t really explain why.”

“Either way, whatever happened there, it worked out. You belong to me and we’re all good with that, right?” He smiled, unaware of how his words sounded.

“Are you?” The phrasing of Chance’s question hadn’t escaped Eli, but he quietly tucked that thought away.

Looking away from Eli, Chance blinked slowly. There was a scent on the air... just what it was, he couldn’t tell. Sweet and musky, the scent was nearly tangible to him; he wanted to lick it. In his search for the source of the smell, he didn’t leave his seat, but he turned his head till his chin touched his shoulder and his eyes scanned the cafe. A sharper scent hit him and he quickly turned back towards Eli, wrinkling his nose. “Me? Am I good? Yeah, I’m fine. You know, all things considered.” He found himself wanting a cigarette; instead, he ate a dumpling, forcing himself to ignore the smell of it.

“Then your answer is yes.” He raised their joined hands and kissed Chance’s.

Chance held onto Eli’s hand and scooted closer to the kid. Even as he thought of Eli as a ‘kid’ again, he reminded himself he needed to stop doing that - this ‘kid’ was older than he was, for one thing. For another, his thoughts about Eli were wholly inappropriate thoughts to be having about a ‘kid’. “Can we pretend I asked a different question, since the answer is yes?” His thoughts showed he was hungry - but not for food.

Eli’s smile returned. “You can always ask that you know. And you also know what the answer will always be.”

“I’ll hold you to that. Let’s get this to go...,” Chance stopped speaking as a woman drew near their table. Green skin, red hair, gorgeous smile and a rockin’ hot body would have caught his attention, had he seen her from a distance. Up close, her appearance was only slightly outshone by her scent. Chance smiled up at her, “Well, hello, Ms. Orion.”

Giving Chance an askance glance, Seyla half-smiled at him before looking at Eli and speaking to both of them, “Good to see you looking healthy and happy.”

Eli’s smile brightened immediately. “Hello Sey. And yes, he looks great doesn’t he? We’ve been out touring the station. I wanted to thank you again, too, for being such a great support while things were so crazy.”

“Oh, no problem, sugar,” she touched a lock of his hair over his forehead, gently brushing it out of his eyes.

The move elicited a low, almost inaudible growl from Chance. He tried to keep a smile, but found himself glaring at the Orion. “Nice to see you, Sey,” he mimicked Eli’s use of the shortened name, “We were just heading home.”

Eli shot a glance at Chance and tightened his hold on the hand he held. It’s okay... He sent the thought to Chance in an instant.

Missing the subtext and, indeed, even the growl, Seyla only caught Chance’s peculiar expression. “Well, don’t let me keep you two. I’m just here to check in on two of mine. Eli, maybe I’ll see you later, sometime?”

“Sure. I’ll be back at work tomorrow night.” He stood, deciding it was time to get Chance away and gathered up the boxes of food. “Ready to get home?”

He nodded in answer and stood, helping Eli with the food. “All right, Sey, bye,” he was quick to dismiss her, but stayed between her and Eli as he hustled the latter out of the restaurant.

She watched the two, a puzzled look on her face. “Bye.”

They took the turbolift down and several minutes later, entered their quarters.

“I’ll put this away, it will stay warm for a little while.” Eli took the food and turned towards the kitchen.

Following him into the kitchen, Chance barely gave Eli a moment to set the food on the counter before he was on the ...man (Man, not kid), pressing him against the counter and kissing him. “She was hot and older. Did she teach you a lot?”

“Who? Seyla?” Eli spoke once he could breathe again and his eyes narrowed. “What’s this about?”

“Seyla,” Chance nodded. He smiled wickedly and asked, “You and her, right? Before we got together? Or am I missing a memory? Us three?”

Slowly Eli shook his head. “No. Never. I slept at her place a couple of times....the night I told you I loved you and we had that fight, and then after you died I stayed one night. I couldn’t bear to be in these quarters without you. But that’s all it was.”

“Really? Hmm... That’s good, then,” he kissed Eli again, possessively, and pulled at his shirt. The idea of Eli alone with Seyla didn’t sit well with him, but the idea of the three of them, together at the same time, was quite all right with him.

“Can we drop Sey and get back to what we were doing?” Eli was a little concerned at the extra-possessive manner with which Chance had reacted to Seyla. In an effort to ease it, he sent what he hoped was a comforting thought. I’ve not touched a soul but you since we became...us. Granted there had been that one impulsive kiss to Cassidy when he was feeling the effects of Seyla’s pheromones but it was nothing more than a reaction. There won’t be another either.

“Yeah, of course. I haven’t either, you know. I love you, Eli.” I’m just piecing things together. He rubbed Eli’s biceps, “C’mon, to the bedroom with you.”

“Race you.” Eli winked at Chance, then darted around him and took off through their quarters.

Laughing, Chance chased after him and caught him on their bed.

**************
Cadet 2nd Class Eli Ziyad
Easing The Turbulence

Cadet Chance Conradi
Flying Some Rough Space

Seyla
A Breath of Disturbance