"R-regretting that rematch?" Kelam smirked at the down right glare Varen gave her and quietly let her reassess the pool table. He stood back and picked up the glass of the house special, not exactly remembering how many he had before this and not really caring. Tension had eased out of his frame he was feeling more relax now than he had in weeks. Kelam moved his head far enough to pop his neck and shrugged his shoulders, easing muscles before taking a more relaxed stance with his pool stick.
Varen shook her head, ignoring him and called her shot. Kelam leaned against his own cue stick as he watched the ball hit the corner of the pocket and refuse to go in. Varen cursed and Kelam’s smirk turned bolder. They switched places as Kelam started mentally going through the possibilities in his head. He called his shot, ready to connect his pool stick to the cue ball.
"Speak of the devil and he comes." Varen chuckled. Kelam jerked his head up, ruining his shot because instantly he knew from the sound of Varen’s voice just who it was going to be and had to see for himself. Sure enough, his throat tightened and his chest hurt at the familiar sight of Malek prowling into the room. Gold eyes met green for an instant before the moment was broken when Varen threw her head back and howled with laughter, just a little too drunk to have her own volume control. Kelam winced at the sound and the menace, he probably deserved it considering he did tell her that Malek had a better shot with him than she did but damn. Have to fuck everything up, he thought as he stepped away from the table giving her his own glare.
"C-cheating now, Varen? Careful o-or two can play that game."
"Cheating at what? You’ve only been…" She glared when Kelam made a gesture of keep it down and leaned towards him, hissing angrily. “You’ve only been talking about him all freaking night.”
"D-distracting me right before my s-shot." Kelam wanted to pat himself on the back, he sounded more annoyed with Varen than he was nervous of suddenly being in Malek’s proximity. He arched an eyebrow a thought crossing his head that instantly thanks to the alcohol sounded like a good idea he didn’t have to think through. "Y-you wanna play the distracting game two can play that.” Kelam’s smirk turned more smug as he changed his stance again, stretching slowly and showing the full potential of his frame in the action before running his hands down the pool stick in a way that seemed anything but innocent. “Y-your turn, Varen.”
Malek shot a glare at Sarae as she chattered at her date, someone he hadn’t meant before – and didn’t really care to know now. He wasn’t precisely sure why she decided to attach herself and her date to him, but he was beginning to think Corin has the right idea when he pealed off and vanished when he saw her coming.
But Malek had wanted a drink, and honestly… he really wanted one now, and he’d only been in her presence for 10 minutes. Walking up to the weapons check, he stripped his sidearms and smoothly detached his wetware-integrated blasters, snagging the claim ticket and stalking into the bar while Sarae and her date were still figuring out what they were doing. Malek rolled his eyes; granted, he was a regular, but still – did they not have weapon-free pubs whatever base those two were from?
It was chance or luck that his eyes met a golden gaze almost immediately upon stepping into the room, and he nearly missed a step at the sudden tightness in his chest. Their gaze was broken by braying laughter, and his eyes flicked to Varen. A frown flickered over his face and he shoved his hands into his pockets and glided toward the bar, finding a spot where he could ease into place, hoping that Sarae and her date wouldn’t follow. He ordered one of the house specials, and closed his eyes in long suffering silence as Sarae plopped her aft on the barstool next to him, leaving her date standing.
“What, not gonna let your date sit?” He snarked, picking up the glass and taking a long drink. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, and paused, glass still halfway to his mouth as he caught Kelam in midst of a full stretch. The other man relaxed and Malek put his glass down just a little too hard on the bar as his gaze caught on the movement of Kelam’s hands on the pool cue.
He frowned as his view was interrupted by Sarae’s date leaning forward to whisper something to her, and Malek turned back to the bar, rolling his shoulders. “Fine, fine,” he heard Sarae say, and raised an eyebrow as she stood from the bar. “We’re going to go sit over there, maybe play some darts, if you’re interested?”
Malek tried to avoid a sigh of relief and settled for shaking his head. “Nah, you two have fun. I’m just gonna hang out here.” He took a celebratory drink as they left, and let his eyes stray back to the pool table in the corner.
“Don’t look now, but he’s looking over here,” Varen said in a sing-song tone, although honestly Malek wasn’t the only one checking Kelam out. She pulled her eyes away from him to frown at the pool table, lining up the shot she’d missed before and managing to get it straight into the pocket this time before smirking victoriously back up at Kelam. “He’s here, he’s looking at you, why don’t you just talk to him?”
"D-don’t look now, sure." Kelam turned his head not in Malek’s direction but to the dart board and where Sarae and whoever she was with were apparently picking their dart colors. His upper lip curled into a sneer, hands gripping the pool stick so hard his knuckles turned white and he shook his head refusing Varen’s suggestion. "D-don’t think it’s me h-he wants to talk too.” Kelam’s gaze flicked back to the pool table, cooly assessing the game before he positioned himself to have his back towards Malek.
"Slagger c-can look all he wants." He growled under his breath, taking his actions more slowly than he had too the motion graceful as he pushed his ass towards Malek’s direction and swayed slightly both from being intoxicated and to the music playing in the background, despite his attention focused on the pool table he was hyper aware of Malek’s eyes on him and it made him smirk smugly to himself. The shot he wanted to make was difficult and one he felt he had to do to make up for the botched attempt on his last try.
Subconsciously he shifted again, eyes narrowing with concentration before taking the shot, banking the cue ball of two edges of the table before having it smack hard a cluster still close to the center of the table, one of his solids veering off and slamming into another and both landing in the pocket. Kelam’s smirk turned more lazy and pleased, gold eyes glowing as he straightened to stand hands running down the length of the pool stick again in a manner that smacked outright obscene. He tilted his head bolstered by the alcohol in his systems and the success of his turn to give Malek the full effect of his stare, intense and dark as too much of his desire burned in oddly colored golden eyes. He leaned towards the narrowed end of his pool stick and lightly blew a breath along the surface before his tongue flicked out, toying briefly with the tip.
"For not wanting to talk to him you sure know how to get his attention."
Varen licked lips that suddenly seemed too dry she had to shake her head and look away an uneasy laugh bubbling out of her throat. “Okay, okay I’m calling it a night.” She declared not sure if she could really stand looks Kelam was throwing Malek and the jealous pangs she felt about it. “I’ll want a rematch.”
Malek’s eyes locked onto the view offered as Kelam gracefully leaned over the pool table, swaying with the music. He took another drink, eyes never leaving Kelam’s body, and more than happy to watch. As Kelam straightened and his hands stroked down the cue stick with intent, Malek shifted on the barstool, a low noise slipping from him. Green eyes slipped up Kelam’s body to meet those dark, intense eyes, the force of the gaze hitting Malek almost physically. As Kelam leaned forward and teased the tip of the pool cue with his tongue, Malek swore heatedly, eyes flashing as he shifted on his barstool.
Malek barely registered Varen racking her pool cue and turning to leave, instead turning back to the bar and propping his elbows on the bar, running a slightly-shaky hand through his hair. He lifted his glass to his lips, and stopped to blink at it, not sure when he’d emptied it. Maybe he shouldn’t have had those couple of glasses before coming out…. Lowering the empty glass to the bar, he grinned as an idea occurred to him, then raised a hand at the bartender, gesturing for two more house specials.
Grabbing the glasses as she placed them in front of him on the bar, he turned and slid off the barstool, catching Kelam’s gaze and lifting the glasses. With a smirk, he started stalking in Kelam’s direction, putting an extra predatory sway in his walk, smirk firmly on his lips. He ignored the jealous looks from Varen as she glanced back before wandering out the door, and he refused to even glance in Sarae’s direction.
Stopping within arm’s reach of Kelam, Malek leaned a hip casually against the pool table, and held out one of the glasses, eyes half-lidded. “Kelam,” he greeted the other man, voice low and sultry, just touched with a hint of his purr. “I thought I would offer you a… taste.” His smirk turned positively wicked at the reference to their first meeting as he raised his own glass to his lips, eyes still locked with Kelam’s.
Kelam grinned the expression lazy and smug as he watched Malek’s react on his bar stool to his flirtations, the evidence that Malek still wanted him too. He turned reluctantly away to rack his own cue stick since Varen was done with the game. He closed his eyes breathing and already could feel that heady pull towards Malek he could never describe he nervously shoved his hands into his pockets and slouched his uncertainty getting the best of him in that action as he turned around, watching with delight as Malek had two glasses. He allowed his gaze to roam Malek’s frame, feeling his heart race at that predatory walk, that damn smirk that made Kelam not be able to decide if he wanted to kiss Malek or punch him in the mouth. He returned the smirk as he realized Malek’s attention was solely on him, the other man hadn’t even looked twice at Sarae.
"Malek." Kelam returned the greeting, his hand a touch shaky as he reached out for one of the glasses, gritting his teeth to hide the shiver that wanted to go down his spine from just that hint of purr in Malek’s voice. “B-back from your mission? M-missed ya.” Kelam dropped his gaze down to the glass and swirled the contents around, the smirk turning more into a real smile as he remembered their first meeting. He glanced up, meeting green eyes and watched as Malek took a drink from his glass.
"K-know what this tastes like f-from a glass. B-better than engine degreaser." Humor quirked his lips, his dark eyes lowered from Malek’s eyes to lips moist from the drink the other man just had. "B-but never tasted it here." He brought his right hand up to Malek’s left shoulder to support himself as he leaned in closer, the action slow giving Malek plenty of time to back away if he wanted too. His heart raced, alcohol and desire burned in Kelam’s systems making it hard to think. "Y-you offering a taste here?" He brushed his lower lip lightly against Malek’s lip before pressing forward, lips parted and inviting as his own tongue flicked out tasting along Malek’s own lips before pressing harder against his mouth.
“Yeah, got back last night,” Malek responded, green eyes never leaving Kelam’s face. His eyebrows rose in surprise and his smirk widened as Kelam said he missed him. He was about to say something else when Kelam leaned in slowly. Malek made a low, pleased noise and parted his lips slightly at the brush against his lower lip. His pulse beat faster and his hand tightened on his glass, eyes half-lidding with the desire that was always between them and that had ratcheted higher with the other man’s teases.
Malek growled at the flick of tongue tasting his lips before pressing forward into the kiss hungrily. His left hand came up to grip Kelam’s hip tightly, stepping into the other man’s form and deepening the kiss. Using his body as pressure, he guided them backward until Kelam’s hips were pressed against the pool table. Malek pressed them together for a long line of heat against their fronts. Still gripping Kelam’s hip tightly, Malek placed his glass blindly on the pool table and flattened his hand on the surface, leaning forward with the intent of causing Kelam to lean backward as he continued the kiss, hips pressing firmly against Kelam’s.
A low sound escaped Kelam as Malek opened for him, pressing harder against his mouth and drinking down the flavors of house special riding on top of the wintry coolness that was all Malek. His own body moved, returning to press against Malek’s even all this time on its own accord knew exactly how to mold itself to him, his right arm wrapped around Malek’s waist wanting nothing more than to be closer knowing finally nothing was standing in his way.
Kelam felt the back of his legs hit the pool table and paused, moving with Malek to put his glass on the side, lips never leaving Malek’s. With his left hand free he automatically went to Malek’s right shoulder looking for a blaster that wasn’t there hand still gliding over Malek’s arm. He rolled his hips into Malek’s the movement eager and inviting no reservations or hesitations on his part before he moved enough to be seated on the pool table. His right hand slide up to the back of Malek’s neck fingers tangling into short hair wanting to keep Malek with him even if it was Malek pushing him backwards.
Malek’s right hand left the pool table to stoke up Kelam’s spine, a low, pleased growl coming from his throat at the other man’s eagerness and the hand tangling into his hair to hold them together. His fingers danced along Kelam’s back while he drank down the honeyed taste of Kelam, tongues tangling together in a seemingly familiar dance. Possessiveness made Malek’s hand on his hip tighten, fingers digging into the material of his pants, as Kelam yielded to his pressure and seated himself on the pool table itself. Vaguely, in the back of his head, Malek was pleased that from both Kelam’s invitations and from what he’d heard on UnderComm there was nothing stopping him from claiming Kelam, and that was just what he wanted to do.
Malek shifted to fit himself between Kelam’s legs as the other man sat on the pool table, hands both going to his hips and jerking him closer so they were pressed intimately close, completely disregarding the rest of the bar.
“And just what do you two think you’re doing?” Sarae’s voice was dripping with scorn and disapproval.
Malek snarled slightly as he continued the kiss, hands tightening in tension but otherwise ignoring the interloper, until he and Kelam had to break it to breathe. He nipped Kelam’s lower lip before turning his head to view Sarae out of the corner of his eye. “If you can’t tell, me explaining it ain’t gonna clear anything up. Go away.”
Kelam willingly lost himself in the kiss, it was something he never thought he’d do again, his legs linked around Malek’s waist as he stepped between them. Their fronts pressed together, he moaned into the kiss, shifting his hips into the contact. His left hand moved over Malek’s right shoulder gripping him to hold on part of him in disbelief that Malek took him up on his invitation something tickled in the back of his mind he should be remembering something when Sarae’s voice broke in reminding him where they were and they weren’t the only ones present.
It was Malek tightening his grip on his hips and refusing to give up the kiss that kept Kelam from shrinking away, his own hands linked behind Malek’s neck he pressed more into the other man. His breathing was jagged, dark honey gold eyes glazed over as Malek’s teeth found his lower lip when Malek pulled away, Kelam buried his head on Malek’s chest, mouth at his collarbone teasing it with tongue and teeth through the material of his shirt his legs and arms still around Malek partially to piss of Sarae but mostly because he didn’t want to let Malek go.
"K-kinda crowded in here." Kelam breathed into Malek’s ear. "W-wanna go somewhere more… private?" He didn’t want to confront Sarae he was tired of feeling bad for wanting Malek, he was tired of fighting off the attraction he had for Malek and at the moment didn’t care, he’d deal with it just like he’d have to deal with his hangover the next morning. "W-wherever you wanna go, t-that works for m-me."
Malek made a low noise that was almost a moan at the sensation of Kelam’s mouth teasing his collarbone, turning his attention fully back on the man in his arms. He ran his hands from Kelam’s hips up his sides, right hand curving around to his back while the other settled on his waist, his whole demeanor one of claiming something that was his. He didn’t know why Kelam had decided to break it off with the man he’d left Malek to go back to, but right now Malek didn’t care – all that mattered is that Kelam was in his arms, pressed against him single, sexy and willing, and he was damned if he’d let Kelam slip through his fingers again.
He rolled his hips forward into Kelam’s, the press of their hips together showing he was definitely affected by the scout as he breathed his suggestion in Malek’s ear. Malek turned his head slightly to brush his lips against Kelam’s neck at the same time. “My quarters,” he purred, desire making his breath rough. “We’ll be… undisturbed there~” he nipped Kelam’s neck, right where his love bite from the first time had healed, and raised his head with a smirk.
Reluctantly, he stepped backward to give Kelam room to slip off the pool table, pulling the taller man with him so they stayed pressed together. He ignored Sarae completely, instead glancing past her at the uncomfortably-shifting man who Sarae had dragged along as a date. “Take your date back to darts,” he hissed, “Before one of us decides to shove her face into a wall.” Making a mental note to make sure neither he nor Kelam were assigned to a mission with her in the near future, Malek dismissed both of the bystanders from his thoughts, more than willing to focus on something much more pleasant. He deliberately reached over and tossed back the remainder of the house special in his glass, looped his arm around Kelam’s waist, and started guiding them to the door and the weapons check while Sarae sputtered.
Kelam sharply in took a breath of air as Malek rolled his hips forward into him giving him no misunderstanding that the pilot was effected and wanted him. He tightened his hands and leg around Malek’s body brushing his lips over the collarbone he was teasing before pulling his head away to glance up into Malek’s face wanting to gauge the expression while those arms were so possessively around him. A shiver ran through his form at hearing that rough purr, a low whine escaped from the back of his throat when Malek’s teeth again found the first place he marked him.
"T-thought." Kelam had to clear his throat to get his voice to came out sounding low and husky but at least audible if only just above a breath. "T-thought you forgotten." Instinctively his grip tightened despite Malek’s own reluctance before he released his hold on the pilot sliding quickly into Malek’s freshly vacant spot in front of the pool table. He raised an eyebrow at venomous tone Malek had in reference to Sarae. So maybe Malek and Sarae weren’t on the best terms after all.
He linked his arm around Malek’s shoulders, right hand tightening a moment and walking with Malek that along his side was a solid warm line of contact. With his left hand he produced his claim ticket and broke apart long enough to rearm themselves. Kelam was just getting the fastenings for his cannons to click in place when he glanced over to see Malek’s progress.
When Kelam glanced up, Malek’s face was a mixture of fierce possessiveness, lust, and need. His hands on Kelam’s back and waist tightened as green eyes met golden. Malek’s gaze flickered over Kelam’s face and a pleased smirk formed at whatever he saw there as he stepped backward to allow Kelam to slip off the pool table. “No,” he purred, voice low. “couldn’t forget you. Every moment with you….” Malek trailed off, knowing they had an audience; as low as their voices had been he doubted anyone heard but those words were for another time and place. Instead he took a shaky breath as he watched the scout’s graceful movements.
Malek made an effort to keep that line of heat along his side as they walked to the weapons check, knowing that there were several sets of eyes on them and a small smug smile forming because it was his arm around Kelam and Kelam’s arm around his shoulders. Retrieving his claim ticket with his right hand, he tossed it on the counter, arm tightening around Kelam’s waist in warning not to move too far away before letting it drop so he could retrieve his blasters. He wasn’t planning on letting Kelam get away again.
He clicked his right blaster into place and picked up the left one, watching from the corner of his eyes as the scout clicked his cannons into place on his shoulders, gaze lingering on the weapons and graceful fingers dancing across the metal. He met Kelam’s eyes as the taller man glanced over, knowing he wouldn’t have that gaze for long. His lips curved in a smirk as his hands stroked along the barrel in a downright obscene manner before raising it to his shoulder and clicking it into place, fingertips caressing down the length of the barrel and trailing slowly off the tip, returning the tease Kelam had given him with interest.
"T-talk later." Kelam agreed, talking was something far later than his immediate plans. He knew there was an audience and kicked himself for his insistence bringing up things needed to be said in private. He kept his pace with Malek keeping his head bowed to ignore the attention they were getting as he watched the pilot out of the corner of his eye. He stayed close when Malek requested it silently he do so, allowing himself the shiver that ran down his spine at the warning in the same movement.
Kelam dropped his gaze to Malek’s hand on his blaster, eyes widening and darkening as he watched. Heat burned on his face even if being done in a public place there was always something far intimate in the action as if Kelam had caught Malek in a private moment. A slightly shaky hand reached out, thumb circling the tip of the barrel, a smirk on his face knowing with the wetware in place Malek would be able to feel the touch. Very reluctantly he lowered his hand away from the plasma rifle.
"Y-you wanna jump there?" It was quicker but they’d have to take their own trips because neither of their teleporting mods were strong enough for two people but Kelam was reluctant at the idea, he didn’t want to be away from Malek any amount of time. "O-or do we walk?"
Malek shifted in place, green eyes flashing as Kelam reached out to teasingly brush his rifle liking the sensation, a flash of heat and need tearing through his body. He made a low noise in his throat and reached out to grip Kelam’s hips, pulling the other man tight against him, backing away from the weapon’s check stand so they weren’t blocking it. He rolled his hips against Kelam’s, leaving no doubt what he wanted, and that he wanted it now.
“Hmm… walking, pressed against you, hands roaming, demonstrating to everyone who passes who you belo— who you’re with is very tempting. Or jumping there, and being in private quicker.” His lips brushed against Kelam’s with the last word, his hands slowly roaming along Kelam’s hips and waist, enjoying the sensation of the other man under his hands.
“Jump,” he decided; there would be more time later for the rest. “Straight there. You need the coordinates, or do you… remember them~?” He arched an eyebrow with a knowing smirk, assuming that the coordinates were emblazoned on Kelam’s mind.
Kelam bit back a moan as his hand tightened around the head of Malek's blaster, his other hand coming up to wrap around Malek's shoulders rolling his hips back into Malek to show his own eagerness and readiness matched the other man. Their lips brushed together and Kelam couldn't think straight to question the pilot on why he cut off his words in there. He moved under Malek's hands, wriggling harder against his front to press themselves together, his hand pumped along the gunmetal of Malek's plasma rifle and it took him a moment to process the words Malek was saying.
"J-jump." He repeated his voice low and a touch breathy. "Sure. F-forget the way to your door? N-never, Slagger." And Kelam hadn't. It didn't matter how long had it been since his last visit, how long they haven't really talked all those memories and sensations had been branded into his mind, there was no forgetting them. He recklessly pushed forward, pressing lips agianst Malek's in a kiss that relayed his need and hunger he broke it off to soon on purpose, flashing Malek his more irritating smirk. Teasingly he let his fingers trail off the end of the blaster head and brought his arm down to his own side, moving his hips as he stepped back breaking Malek's hold. The pilot chose to jump and that meant they had to break apart to activate their own teleporting mods.
"S-see ya in a flash." Kelam rumbled, lips parting in smug satisfation at the ire and frustration flashing in Malek's eyes. Part of him warned him there might be Hell to pay for teasing Malek so. He was so hoping that part was right. He took another step and activated the teleporting mod. Malek's quarters were too far away for one jump so it took him several smaller jumps to get to the front of the door. Pale light washed away from him as stepped into the hall, and met those emerald green eyes of Malek who had way more practice than he had to know the quickest jumps from the bar to his own quarters. His smirk deepened, still smug despite the thrill of alarm it surprised him Malek had beaten him here. "D-don't tell me I'm late."