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.