Diamond Eyes [Lion!] [M]

[Cheesigator]

Loa felt a certain kind of nervousness and anxiety start climbing its way up his spine as he thought about what he'd just done. Vander was going to come in and see him naked. The hell had he been thinking? He was probably fine on his own, he was just being stupid? Why did the thought of Vander seeing him naked make him nervous? They were both guys it wasn't like he'd see anything new--

He heard Vander stop and say something in the doorway, and Loa cracked an eye to see him standing there and staring.

Loa's pale skin was covered in scars, the most interesting of note looking to be burns and claw marks running over his shoulders, back, hips and abdomen, which were muvh easier to see against his palid coloration with the brightness of the bathroom lights reflecting off of them. That being said, he certainly had a toned body for someone as anti-social as he was. He had to be, given his job.

He looked away as Vander came in, realizing he had the visor on still, and his heart pounded a little harder in his chest, he still couldn't figure out why. It was worse when Vander approached him and took his hand, placing it on his hip as he undressed. At least Loa didn't need to explain anything or he might have died even more on the inside than he already had.

He couldn't look the man in the face but he also couldn't help but stare as the uniform came off and he got to look at Vander up close and personal.

Shower water must've been hotter than he realized, because this room was really warm. Really. Warm. Why couldn't he look away? Thankfully for Vander, no Loa didn't freak out at the prospect of showering with him because he already knew he was pretty well fucked if he didn't get some help. Probably.

He obeyed as Vander moved his hands from his hip to his shoulders, and Loa did steady himself like a good boy. The pants were dropped and now he was blushing too, trying not to look but... Well. He'd seen. Now his heart was in his throat trying to climb out of his mouth and run away screaming. He couldn't handle this, nevermind this had been a terrible idea.

"Thanks." He mumbled. He couldn't think of anything else.

With the other Pilot's help the two of them got into the shower and Loa jumped a little when Vander yelped; at least now the visor was off and Loa felt better looking him in the eyes, knowing he couldn't see.

But this was also the closest he'd gotten to Vander, the closest he'd seen his eyes. He had really pretty eyes, and Loa's breath caught in his throat.

"D-don't scare me like that." He grumbled, hesitating a moment before he rested his forehead in the crook between his neck and shoulder, hands falling a little to Vander's biceps.

Fuck. Fuck.

He could see the man's chest move up and down as he breathed and he had the distinct want to wrap his arms around him and be closer and he didn't understand why. Was this normal? Was this normal for any guys? Was this weird? he didn't... Know. He hated not knowing, that was the worst part about all of this.

"Think I'm okay." He said and swallowed, trying to make his heart go back into his chest and failing. Damn. "Heart won't stop pounding." He muttered, gripping Vander a little bit tighter.

[Lion]

Scare him? Right. The yelp and the water temperature and the sheer fact that this guy could just drink so heavily and somehow not be dead or in the hospital was another thing to be scared of. But nope, it was just the water this time. Vander tried not to linger on that small little fact, that whatever it was that made Loa drink, obviously ran deeper than even he would let on. He didn't know what was wrong, and he wouldn't pry unless Loa himself wanted to speak of it.

For now, there was the matter of getting scrubbed down and not getting spooked into cracking skulls open. Yup, that was operative.

"Sorry," Vander whispered softly, smiling and looking as if he could see Loa's face. There was a shape of something resembling it, and the liquefying shadows that moved around it, and then he tucked his face into the crook of his neck and shoulder. It was there that his own pulse could felt, ignited at the contact and Vander's hands fell to his hips, carefully turned them around so that the now warm shower water was hitting at Loa's back.

But at the proximity, he couldn't not feel Loa's pulse. And he wasn't kidding at all. "Yeah it's racing real fast," he murmured gently and tilted his head, feeling his cheek beside Loa's ear. It was all warm and flush, such as his cheek. Vander held his breath and when his own face found the crook of his neck, he released that breath splaying it out against the water that was running down it.

"Steady now." The Pilot Cardinal adjusted Loa's hands to wrap loosely around his waist and he didn't at all remove his head from his neck. With the water cascading down the shorter man, he felt around for how he had everything placed in that shower. He pushed his hair back, letting those waves get soaked, drenched before he got a dab of shampoo and began to lather it into his scalp. Fingers were spread out, getting a good feel of his scalp, the hair and he carefully tugged it to make sure the soap was getting in there good and coaxing Loa's head back to rinse it.

"How'd that feel?" he asked, keeping the conversation light. "Water's not too hot?"  It was a mild distraction for himself as well, and he could feel that pounding pulse reverberating through him. He couldn't ignore it and it made his own stomach do a flip. A smile cut across his face, and it eased out and relaxed. It felt good having another body so close to him like this, and Vander couldn't say he'd shared a shower with...well, anyone.

He sighed and just let Loa lean on him, relax, finding he didn't at all mind the clinginess. In fact, he made his belly warm. Vander applied the conditioner and took the loofah from the wall, soaped it up, and scrubbed carefully at Loa's back, following every curve, minding the stitches.

He held his breath, pressing his face to Loa's neck, to the heavy pulse that continued and pressed a gentle kiss to it, slipping an arm underneath the other Pilot's to keep him steady.

[Cheesigator]

Still not completely aware of himself or his surroundings, Loa didn't realize Vander's hands were moving until they were already on his hips and he let out a soft gasp as his breath caught, heart skipping a beat. Fuck. He'd forgotten--both of them had?

The water hitting him was a welcome distraction but part of him wished it was cold; the warmth was just making things worse. It got even worse when Vander confirmed what Loa had already pointed out, now he knew the other man knew, he could feel it. It sent the slightest of shivers up his spine, and then that shiver was amplified when he felt Vander's breath hot against his neck; his lips parted and he was barely able to choke back a moan to a small whimper instead.

His arms were placed around the other Pilot's waist and therefor the two of them ended up even closer together, chests brushing. All Loa could do was keep cursing over and over again in his head.

What the hell was wrong with him? He wanted to reach up, let his fingertips caress the man's cheek, he wanted to pull him close and touch every inch of skin and muscle. He wanted to feel it all. Why?? Why?? Why did he have to feel this way, when he'd much rather not feel anything at all? Why was he tingling, his blood boiling in his veins? He didn't understand and at the same time, he also didn't want to understand because he was terrified of the answer.

"F-Feels fine." He murmured as Vander rinsed his wavy black hair. "Water's fine." Gods he could barely speak. For a moment he forgot how to.

Every touch felt so nice, he wanted to arch up into it like a cat. He didn't want Vander's hands to leave him, didn't want to stop touching him. He felt so warm, and it only got worse. He felt it, the softness of Vander's lips pressing against his neck and it sent a rush of tingles throughout his body in waves, making him physically shiver in the man's grasp, one of his hands instinctually moving up to the back of the man's head, weaving fingertips through wet gray hair.

He felt like he was on fire, why was he so hot? The water was even starting to feel cool at this point. He started racking his brain, trying to find answers, but all he could think of were indirect things.

Vander had turned out to be so much more than he'd initially pegged the man for. He'd thought he was just some idiot with a hard on for guns and no brains, but he was so much more than that. Sure he was still kind of an idiot, but the... Good kind? Loa hadn't even known there was a good kind. He was funny, charming even. And... Kind. Caring. He thought back to the night previous, how he'd helped him, fed him, let Loa sleep on him for fuck's sake and all Loa had ever done in return was be a jackass. He felt the urge to make it up to him, but he didn't know how, or even if he should.


"V-Vander--" He started to say Vander don't, but he stopped himself because he didn't want him to stop, and he'd caught himself before he even realized it.

That, and the way he said it, the way his voice lilted, that had also caught him by surprise. It had been a breathy moan, and he hadn't even realized he'd pressed himself further against the man, bodies flush as his lips parted, feeling the urge to pant and barely holding it back as he kept his head tucked against Vander's neck; he could feel the blush burning up on his face.

"Please don't stop."

[Lion]

Heated shower aside, the warmth between them made Vander perfectly aware. He didn't need to see the actual distinction in Loa's features to know what those touches were doing to him. It wasn't that he wanted to get a rise out of him, that the flustered responses were instigated with intent. He hadn't realized himself how much he loved that closeness, missed it, craved it. Vander's breath came out heavily and he wished he could see the look on his face instead of amorphous shadows that comprised it.

As it were, he could use his imagination enough to picture his face, and the noises he made sent shivers down his back. He made a soft noise close to a grunt, a growl if you would, and he stopped washing long enough to entwine both arms around Loa, letting his fingers press into the dips of his muscle, pushing down the lather there until the soap was running down his ass.

"Don't stop?"  It wasn't a question because he didn't understand the request. The words were muttered in desire for affirmation. Permission to continue, and he waited until he heard it again and directed himself to better place Loa's face before his.

He relied on feel, on that touch of wherever it came from and his mouth sought after the source of those spoken words.  He found it, pressing lips to Loa's, kissing softly and with increasing pressure, moaning softly into it.

Vander tilted his head and his hand reached up to push back his hair, fingers threading into that black hair that now smelled of lavender.  The coaxing was soft, easing him into a deeper kiss before slipping his tongue inside to better taste him. The flavor of alcohol was still heavily present, a facet that Vander did well to ignore. Instead he let himself meld in with the other Pilot's form, his other arm wrapping around his waist to keep them pressed together.  He wasn't about to let him get away this time.

[Cheesigator]

Despite the sound of the shower water in his ears Loa heard Vander's heavy breaths, and when he growled his own body responded, in a way Loa didn't bother to control. There wasn't a point when he had an idea that both of them were reacting in much the same way. For some reason his heart fluttered at that thought and his stomach flipped. To hear and feel confirmation that Vander was enjoying this too.

Every touch felt sensitive, he could tell his skin was burning and the feeling of Vander's hands on his body was intoxicating. The headache had been pushed to the back of his mind, 100% of his attention was entirely focused on the right here and now.

Vander's voice in his ear made Loa bite his lip, taking in a breath before he raised his head, gently resting their foreheads together as he closed his eyes, his other hand coming up to slide his fingertips along Vander's jawline, thumb stroking the man's cheek.

"Please." He pleaded, his voice full of something he didn't recognize; full of want, desire. Lust, probably, though he couldn't think of it. "I don't... Want you to stop."

When Vander raised his head as well there was a moment of terror, that maybe he'd gone too far, but then the softness of the other man's lips against his own laid every fear to rest in an instant. It was as soothing and comforting as it was exhilarating. He had no idea what he was doing and did his best to mimic, moving his lips against the othe man's and briefly recalling what he'd seen in movies, videos.

When Vander moaned into him his heart damn near stopped for a split second, the sound waking him up in a sense. He couldn't understand it and yet he did at the same time, or his body did more like. He looped his arms around the other Pilot's neck and parted his lips when he felt Vander's tongue, letting him in and tasting him for the first time.

He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, if he'd expected anything. But he tasted the way he smelled, even though that was a horrible way to describe it--he tasted like Vander.

He let out a heated pant into his companion's mouth, pressing himself against him and sliding their hips together, feeling Vander's body heat and reacting naturally as their tongues danced and he let the man do whatever he wanted, melting desperately into it.

It was the best feeling he'd experienced in his life, and he didn't even realize it, but that was his first kiss.

[Lion]

Visualization and imitation was half the art of perfecting practice. You never knew what you could do until you tried, and once you tried - even if you didn't do it right - there would always be opportunity for improvement. Vander didn't think at all that this was Loa's first kiss, he didn't even bother thinking it was sloppy or poorly performed.

Whatever the case was, it seemed to come easy to him. As if he'd been holding back all this time and once kissed the flood gates opened. Their bodies pressed together, the feel of movement on his hip, Vander made a noise when Loa's body moved against his cock. Already blood was raging everywhere, and he felt himself harden at the contact.

It twitched and the temptation to grasp it, to press Loa's hand against it was stronger with each tug of his lips. Vander moaned again, pressing that hardness against Loa's hip, the Pilot Echo's body responding in kind. The exhilaration was enough to make him dizzy, and as he tasted along his mouth, he did stop, despite not wanting to. Vander pulled his lips away, biting at Loa's lower lip, releasing it with a tug.

Was this how he really wanted this to go? It wouldn't have been so unusual. They hadn't known each other for long, and had been face to face for even less time. Did it matter? When another was half dazed and vulnerable like this, to Vander, it did. 

"That was really nice," he said, keeping his forehead pressed to Loa's. "But the water won't be hot for much longer. We should finish that shower." The suggestion was made reality when he picked up that loofah and resumed the ministrations he'd started with. But he was smiling, and wouldn't stop grinning all the while.

No more words were spoken while they finished up and Vander dried his hair and walked naked to his room, sauntering over and pulling on a pair of sweats and a loose tank. He didn't bother with the visor, and maneuvered around the familiar layout of his apartment to take Loa's hand and guide him back into the kitchen. "You're still hungry right? There's still lots of pizza left."

[Cheesigator]

The kiss left him feeling like he was on fire, and suddenly the phrase burning with desire made all the sense in the world. He felt like Vander was literally stealing his breath away and he couldn't have been happier about it. He knew there was no way in hell this would have ever happened if he was sober--probably--and he wondered briefly if he'd even remember it tomorrow--probably not.

He whined as Vander pulled away, lip caught in the other's mans teeth in a gentle tug before he was released. He didn't realize he was so out of breath because he was left panting as Vander rested his forehead against his and said they should stop.

Wait... What?

Loa's brows furrowed in confusion, those blue-gray eyes looking into Vander's and for one minute he wished Vander could see.

He still didn't want to stop, but the first thing his mind jumped to was if he did something wrong. Had they overstepped boundaries? Probably--definitely. But his muddled brain couldn't think much farther than that.

Loa didn't fight it and nodded; at the very least he used his powers real quick--wincing as it brought his headache back twice as strong--to help with their... Problems. He still had enough control to do it slowly enough Vander probably didn't even notice. And now he was glad Vander couldn't see because he couldn't see how Loa had a hard time keeping his eyes open because the light hit him three times as hard.

He let his hands drop back to Vander's shoulders, and remained obedient throughout the rest of the shower. He noticed Vander's smile, and wonder why his heart felt so warm, like it was melting. And yet at the same time he couldn't shake the voice in his head that told him to never speak of this moment again, for both their sakes.

"Yeah.. Don't get mad but I don't think I've eaten since last night. Pizza sounds great." He'd gotten dressed again while Vander had disappeared, noticing that he left his visor in the bathroom, and he was glad that he did.

He leaned against the counter and watched as Vander got said pizza out of the oven, still squinting against the harsh lights. He was tired, his head was pounding, and he was in a weird limbo between feeling happy (which was a really weird feeling in and of itself) and feeling absolutely miserable. He wasn't sure what was the alcohol and what wasn't. If that had even happened or if it had been a strange hallucination of sorts.

He stayed quiet and ate the pizza slowly so he didn't turn around and throw it up like the alcoholic moron he was. That'd just be rude. He also just... Didn't know what to say. Or what any of it meant. So might as well pretend nothing happened.

[Lion]

Vander didn't want to make any remark on the stupid stupid fact that he had drank however much alcohol he'd guzzled down and didn't eat anything in that mean time. It was bad enough he was practically half dead on that bed when he found him.  It was a thought he didn't want to entertain more than he had to. So he pushed it away and focused on the pizza.

No conversation was necessary, and he enjoyed the quiet, listening and reaching out to his little machines that maneuvered around the apartment to clean up and pick up the discarded clothes from the bathroom.

They buzzed about and folded them and took them to the laundry machine to be cleaned, and then carefully put themselves away after their tasks were finished. Good machines, even if they weren't anything more than small creations that would have no greater purpose. Vander let them know that they were valued regardless.

Once the food was finished and the clean up was done, Vander stretched and gestured over to Loa. "You're welcome to anything in the apartment. What's mine is yours," he muttered, smiled and stepped into the hallway to his bedroom. "Good night, Loa."

He waved at him and snagged the visor from the bathroom before turning in. He hadn't realized how exhausted he truly was before plopping down one side of the bed, kicking the sheets over him and flopping onto his belly. It didn't take long before he passed out, the ache of his body easing off into a deep rock-like sleep.

[Cheesigator]

The silence continued, interrupted only by the whirs and clicks of the little machines doing their chores, running around Vander's apartment. Loa was curious about them, but it was such a small sliver of him that cared right now that he didn't bother trying to investigate.

The food helped alleviate some of the pain, but not all. Eventually the pizza was finished and Vander apparently decided it was time for bed. The man said goodnight and Loa gave him a small wave and a mutterd "G'night." in response, watching him go down the hall to his bedroom and disappear, leaving Loa alone once again.

The longer he leaned against the counter, the longer the food settled in his stomach the more he sobered up, the hangover still kicking him in the ass in the meantime.

What did he do now? What had he done? It was all kind of a hazey blur, but he remembered enough to get the jist of it.

The longer he stood there the more miserable he felt, the more the loneliness seeped back in, and the more he regretted agreeing to come back to this apartment. He wished he hadn't woken up. He was getting so tired of this, and this... "Friendship" he'd had going on with Vander hadn't even lasted that long. It was taxing, confusing. And right now, painful.

He just smiled and left like nothing had happened. He'd been able to dismiss it so quickly, those few moments of euphoria and, Loa supposed, happiness. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been that happy. Content, sure, he was content or pleased with himself when he made music.

But happy?

He crossed his arms over his chest, hugging himself.

What do I do?

He meandered down the hallway, using so many years of training and stealth missions to sneak silently into Vander's bedroom, now about an hour after the man had gone to bed. He sat on the edge of the mattress, watching him like the creeper he was in the darkness.

He'd killed a lot of people this way. What an awkward, horrible thought that was.

He watched the rise and fall of Vander's sides eith every breath, and while it was oddly comforting, it was also painful at the same time.

He remembered, he used to do this with Ru. And the moment he remembered that his gut lurched. He would follow that man everywhere he went, like a lost puppy. Sneak in and stay with him while he slept, sometimes falling asleep on the floor next to his bed like a loyal guard dog, waking up early enough in the morning to sneak back out before he was caught.

He swallowed ths lump in his throat. He absolutely did not want to go through that again.

He got up and snuck back out to the kitchen, finding scrap paper and a pen. He left a note on the counter thanking Vander for his kindness. He found his remaining belongings, tied the bandanna around his face, shut off the lights and left.

He'd pretend none of this happened, act like he'd forgotten everything, and leave it at that.

He wasn't doing that again. Not to either of them.

[Lion]

It'd been a full two weeks since he'd found Loa passed out on his bed, and it felt even longer since he'd kissed him. Vander didn't know what was going on in his mind, and he still had that note he'd written before he left that night. It was a real shame. Just when he thought he was building bridges, the gaps just kept getting bigger and wider.  And he was starting to wonder if he'd done something wrong.

Maybe he'd clearly gone too far too fast. In any event it wasn't something worth lingering over in the possibility that doing so would only make Vander miserable. And he had no real penchant for misery at this current moment. In those few weeks, he'd texted Loa a few times, asking him to hang out, most of which had been responded to with him working and being unable to do so.

He pushed that under the bridge, and figured if the guy was busy, he was busy. If he wanted to hang out, he would do just that.  Vander finally got it in his head what he wanted to do, and he wasn't going to take no for an answer, not now.  And if he wanted to be fussy, he'd drag Loa out if he had to.

Bowling Day was a big day. The biggest, and Vander had been working on his game for some time now. And he needed a good partner to practice with. Everyone else on the squad had their own thing going. This was his. Ahh, well sometimes. Really, it was just an excuse to meander up to Loa's apartment and rap his knuckles against the door.

"Open up! It's Vander! I have an emergency! I need your help!"

[Cheesigator]

Loa... Needed some time.

Deep down inside he had an idea of what was going on even though he wasn't yet ready to admit it to himself. He knew that in some cases absence made the heart grow fonder, and in others it pulled two hearts apart.

He'd hoped it would be the latter.

The faster he got over this and moved on the better it would be for both of them; Vander could find someone else to befriend, and Loa could go back to his life of one, plus dragon.

But the dreams he had since that night were miserable; when he wasn't having vivid nightmares, either of reliving Ru's expelling to TRIM, sometimes with Vander in Ru's place, or of killing Ru or Vander on accident either by mistaking them for targets or enemies or by losing control of his powers. And if it wasn't a nightmare, it was something much steamier he hadn't had in years that left him a hot, sweaty mess when he woke up from his own moans that required long cold showers to remedy.

He refused to give in to those dreams in particular. He didn't relieve any of the pent up frustration, because if he did that would only encourage it to get worse, in his mind.

Sometimes he had both kinds of dreams in the same night, sometimes it was one or the other. He was functioning off of barely enough sleep, and having a heavy drink first thing when he woke up to ease his mind became ritual.

He knew he was getting worse and it'd hit a horrifyingly close-call-with-death-once-again kind of moment eventually and once he hit that moment he'd either die or slowly get better and get back to the way he'd been before Vander walked into his life.

It was sad that he had mapped it out.

Similarly, there were days when Vander texted him and he thought of responding back, saying yes, being with him, and when those thoughts started to wander he had to stop them somehow. The thing with being a hemokinetic was he could keep himself from bleeding out when it was necessary, and sit there for the few hours it took for things to heal enough while he thought about what he'd done.

It was a vicious cycle.

Today was a day where he actually happened to be off; he was sitting at his desk, working with his music in a vain attempt at letting out some of his frustrations. He'd started recording vocals, eyes closed as he focused on nothing else and just put what he felt into the words.

"You have a way with me and you know
You know, you know, you know, you know
And I just cant seem to let go
Let go--"

He jumped as there was a rapid knocking on the door that he heard even through his headphones. He quickly stopped the recording and pulled them off, looking at the door and recognizing Vander's voice. His heart immediately jumped into his throat and he panicked, quickly grabbing a long sleeved jacket and throwing it on to hide his wrists, pulling his flight helmet on and hesitating a moment.

He couldn't just avoid the guy forever though, either.

He reluctantly opened it, standing there staring at the man.

"What, what's the problem??" He asked, the concern in his voice too obvious, he immediately kicked himself for it. That and the way his heart fluttered when he saw Vander's stupid face.

[Lion]

Yup, here he was going stupid again. Without hitch in his plan or a skip in his step, Vander went about doing the stupidest thing he could think of and he just didn't care. He wanted to get out, and do something. Anything. And he'd drag Loa unconscious in a dufflebag if he had to. He wouldn't mind of course, no matter how grouchy the old skin job was.

Eh, older. The guy didn't look a day over mid-twenties, even if he tried to act like some kind of hard ass.

"Loa!" Vander pleaded desperately pushing his way into the apartment even if he was met with resistance. "Loa! You have to come with me quick down to the rec center on in Sector A-15c. It's critical that you come immediately and with as subtly as possible there's an emergency down at the bowling alley. Just get your things, I'll tell you more on our way down there."

He was as calm as he could be all things considered and he glanced over to the music equipment that seemed to be fiddled with recently. Oh? Had he interrupted something? As much as it bummed him out that he hadn't had a chance to actually listen to him play. He didn't want to ask.

It was imperative that he keep up the ruse for as long as possible and play along. Or Loa might actually catch on he was trying to coax him into getting out of this apartment and actually do something fun for a change.

[Cheesigator]

Loa was immediately met with Vander barging into his apartment, which only flustered and confused him as the other Pilot babbled about something going down in the Rec Center.

Why the hell would he need to go down there? Wasn't there emergency services for that?

But he supposed he didn't have much of a moment to really ask; despite something in his gut telling him there was obviously something fishy about this he just threw on a pair of boots, dressed and ready to go otherwise--he just couldn't take the jacket off, which would probably be fine.

"Vander, what the hell is going on?" He asked as he shut the apartment door behind him, letting the slightly taller man lead the way while he just followed, still confused and conflicted.

He really shouldn't be doing this, he should have said no. But the worry in Vander's voice sounded genuine enough and he couldn't just... Not investigate. He had to know everything was okay, at least as far as Huxley was concerned. Gods, he hated knowing that he felt that way. It made his stomach do a flip, and not a good one.

[Lion]

"Let's get going before shit really goes down," he said gently and carefully ushered Loa out of that apartment. He didn't need to worry him any more, but he had a distinct feeling the other guy would immediately decline any direct interaction with him if he told him, "Hey! I know we haven't hung out in over two weeks, but we need to and we will, and now you're coming with me." No no, a ruse was so much more casual.

"There's this thing that's going to go down at the rec room. It can get real messy and it needs someone like you and me to make sure these 10 guys go sprawling every where with one blow. I know you don't like to work in teams but if you can make an exception for tonight, I have a feeling we can keep the whole thing undercover. No one else has to know," he explained on the way.

He didn't say anything else and kept it on the down low, staying close to Loa until they finally arrived to their destination. The rec room he'd indicated in particular was a darkened bowling alley that seemed to have nobody in it. What Vander didn't tell Loa was that he's spent quite a chunk of credits to rent out the bowling alley and reserve it for a few hours of that evening.

The darkness was cut abruptly with bright neon lights. Greens, blues, and reds and violets ignited the lanes and suddenly the lights above them also resembled that of a darkened dance club and synth music played in the background.

"Okay now, Loa," he murmured, "Don't panic, but...see...those ten guys I was talking about, aren't so much as guys are they are bowling pins. And we're not so much going to knock them out, as we are going to knock them out with balls. Bowling balls." Vander grinned widely and stepped back enough to flourish his arms out and he gestured to the lanes. "We have the whole alley to ourselves for a few hours. And...yeah!"

[Cheesigator]

The more Vander spoke the more he just confused Loa. If there was such a situation going on surely other Pilots had it handled--what, a brawl of some kind? A fight? Sure Loa was good at those--he could literally cool people down in an instant--but he wouldn't think someone like him would be someone's go-to for fixing such a situation. Surely that was a job for Pilot Royals, people of a higher status who could enforce proper punishment.

"Why does it sound like we're about to do something horrendously wrong?" He grumbled, considering Vander spoke about it as if they were about to go fight against the Pilot Imperial or something with how secretive he was being.

Regardless, he knew it couldn't possibly be that bad. Vander was a member of the Harpies and a good Pilot, and a good man, Loa at the very least knew he could trust him because of that.

When they arrived at the bowling alley Loa kept looking around, expecting to see guards by a closed door and hear yelling or something, anything to indicate the sense of urgency Vander had gone on and on about. But his senses picked up nothing; no other pulses, no other people in the entirety of the rec room.

Just Vander and himself.

He started a little when the lights came on and he looked around, hearing the music playing softly in the background, and then turned his attention to Vander as the man explained and Loa just deadpan stared at him for several moments, caught off guard and taken aback. They were here all by themselves, and that glint of something he thought he caught in the man's eyes, well...

He started laughing.

Yeah. Louis Vitton, eternal stick-in-the-mud, has-probably-laughed-enough-times-in-his-life-to-count-on-one-hand Pilot Echo Vitton was laughing. He'd even raised a hand as if to cover his mouth like he forgot he had his helmet on for a moment, cuz he did forget. The situation was just that absurdly silly to him, and the warmth that seemed to wrap around him like a blanket just from seeing Vander's face and knowing everything was okay...

He coughed, quickly getting over it as he realized what he was doing, but he was still smiling behind the helmet and it was easily heard in his voice.

"Hell, Vander I thought something serious was going on, some real bad fight you got into, pissed off the wrong person--you had me worried."

And yet... The sweetness of the gesture wasn't lost on him, either. He looked around, noting the music choice, the lighting, and most importantly the fact that they were alone. Had Vander set all of this up, rented out the whole hall and everything?

"I don't want to think about how much this cost you." He said with a slight snort, pausing for a moment as he studied the man's face and his gaze fell back to Vander's lips.

He remembered for a moment what they tasted and felt like, and he had the distinct urge to pull the helmet off and kiss him again. But he didn't.

Couldn't.
Shouldn't.

"I don't think I've ever bowled before in my life." He admitted, looking at the bowling pins instead and half wondering if he should use that excuse to leave. But when the other man had gone to all this effort? He couldn't. Even though he knew he should.

[Lion]

A number of possible reactions he'd been expecting from Loa, but laughter - nope, not laughter - wasn't at all one of them. Vander kept his distance enough from him. Just in case, and just let the other guy take in the whole of the moment. Yeah he was just a Pilot Cardinal and didn't make half as much as what Loa did, but it didn't really matter.

Credits were just that and were going to be spent anyway.

"Oh don't worry abut it," he gestured and waved him off.  Vander took off his jacket and slung it on the back of a plastic chair as he moved over to the side where a counter had some already cleaned bowling shoes and he plucked a pair off for himself. "What's your shoe size?"  He grabbed the appropriate ones for his companion and scampered back down to him.

"It's okay, I'll show you! It's pretty easy. So, the object of the game is to hit all the pins down at the end of the lane by launching a ball down and letting it smack all the pins.  I'll show you, but first you gotta put these shoes on. They've already been cleaned, don't worry, I made double sure." 

He did so himself and once they were on he forced himself into a spin, posing in them and doing his best catwalk impression. "If this is your first time, it really isn't complete without wearing some ridiculous shoes," Vander grinned at him.  He turned the machine that dispensed the rented out ball and took out a gleaming glittery red ball and stuck his fingers in the holes.

"Okay, just watch me first, and I'll show you how to properly posture it. Gotta be extra graceful, like me. The epitome of grace," he nodded affirmatively.  Vander raised the ball, concentrated on the pins at the other end and walked forward, gently lowering and releasing the ball with his right leg splayed out behind him.

The ball rolled out not quite as gracefully as he intended, instead landing with a loud thud and rolling slightly off center to hit only 6 of 10 pins. "Okay, so I'm not the best bowler," he explained and shrugged as the ball disappeared and would return back into the dispenser back to where they were sitting.

"But for now, it's your turn to try. You've got more of a dancer's form than I do, so you'll probably hit them all on the first shot.  "Come on up." When that red ball came back, he picked it up and handed it off to Loa, positioning himself behind him and his hand at the other man's elbow to better guide his form down the lane.

[Cheesigator]

Loa still wasn't sure how he felt about this. He already knew he was starting to regret it because he was enjoying it so much more than he thought he would have. It was completely different from how he felt about the man a few weeks ago, and the thought made his heart clench.

"9." He said quietly, watching Vander's excitement with mild amusement and begrudgingly putting the strange footwear on as directed.

He had a rough idea of what bowling was, but as far as actual gameplay and rules he had no idea. Just that there was a heavy ball, some pins, and a lane.

Still, he paid attention closely, standing next to Vander and watching as he demonstrated, the sounds of the pins hitting each other and the wood echoing loudly in the vastly empty room and making Loa jump a little. Suddenly it came to be his turn to play and he worried at his lip, nervousness (yeah, as if that's all it was) making his heart beat double time.

"'A dancer's form'?" He repeated, scoffing a little bit at the notion, before he remembered that Vander had indeed seen what he looked like. Seen everything.

"You can tell that just by looking at me, huh?" He said, the question coming out feeling klunky as he continued to play dumb.

Vander standing so close to him made his stomach do a flip; he posed similarly to how Vander had earlier, pretending to look down the lane and pick his shot, when instead he was looking at the man's face next to him. He was thankful the visor hid it so well, because he just found himself continuously going back to his face, staring at him and wishing he could... Do more. Be more, with Vander.

He rolled the bowling ball, and it went askew, hitting only three pins, the sound jarring yet again.

"Build clearly has nothing to do with it." He said with a faked snort.

[Lion]

There were technicalities that Vander could have gone into more and more when he started. But really, he didn't even know if Loa was going to stick around long enough for him to teach it to him. The smallest thing could send the guy skittering back out of here and into that hell hole apartment of his that smelled distinctly of vodka and rum.

The guy really liked the strong stuff didn't he?

Refusing to dwell on that, Vander went about staying close to Loa and guided him into the throwing of that ball, as it loudly landed onto the polished lane, where it rolled sloppily and knocked down some of them. Ha! It was something and Vander pulled away long enough to applaud at his companion.

"Maybe not, but you did better than I did when I first rolled the ball down there," he nodded affirmatively. Vander went briefly over the rules. Starting with a half game and the first to a hundred and fifty points would win. Hitting all the pins was a strike and they each had two turns to knock down the rest of the pins if they got only part of the pins collapsed.

Vander reset the game and the ball came and it was his turn once again. "I just mean you're lithe is all," he said, going back to his earlier comment. "Graceful. Way more than I am. Makes sense though. I like things that go boom!"  Vander laughed and threw the ball down the lane.

A heavy breath and he grinned as the ball knocked down all the pins.  And he turned around to Loa, bowing deeply. "You're turn, sir. If you can do better."

[Cheesigator]

He did better than Vander had, did he? He found that hard to believe and wondered if the other man was just saying that so he wouldn't feel bad or something. He gestured towards the lane, raising his eyebrows enough it translated in his voice despite his helmet masking his expression.

"What, so you're telling me you went and threw the ball into... That... Gutter. Thing? Vander you're a gunner and a technician don't BS me that you can't aim."

And yet there was a kind of sharpness to his voice that heavily implied he wasn't being serious--he was joking with him.

He nodded and listened carefully however when the other Pilot explained the rules of the game. It was a bit strange, in Loa's opinion, but he'd do what he could to make it work if not purely for the fact that Vander seemed to be really enjoying himself. Granted, it didn't seem to take much to make the guy happy--hell, shooting the same gun at the same pumpkins for several hours straight seemed to make him as happy as a kid getting a puppy for Yule. At least he was relatively easy to please.

He watched Vander knock down all of the pins and traded spots with him, lightly bumping their shoulders against each other as he snorted and grabbed the ball. "Alright, sure. We'll go with that." He said as he tried to line up the ball and aim properly this time; it was easier to focus when Vander wasn't right next to him. Touching him.

His brain did a stupid thing and made him remember the feeling of the other man's body against his own in the shower right as he threw the ball, it hit one pin. Hell.

"... Fuck that ball." He grumbled, blaming it on something else rather than taking a moment to reflect and realize that the reason why he was so jumbled up was standing just a few feet away, and he had no idea what to say.

As Vander took his next turn and Loa sat back on a bench, he tilted his head a little bit, feeling the need to say something.

"Hey, by the way I've been meaning to talk to you, about the other day, a while ago." Yes, good job Loa, very specific. "I wanted to thank you, for your help. I don't really remember what happened though so I hope I didn't cause you too much trouble." With his pathetic, cowardly drunk ass.

He watched the other Pilot carefully, trying to gauge his reaction to his words but unsure of what he was looking for, or hoping for even, for that matter.

[Lion]

The thought was amusing enough. Yes he was a gunner, and yes he actually had good aim. He'd demonstrated it enough when when they were shooting pumpkins. But he wasn't going to bullshit Loa either. Nope, there was time for that later. Bowling was a special kind of beast where it was okay to be klutzy so long as you didn't drop the ball on your foot, Literally.  That would really fucking hurt.

"I can aim just fine," he snorted, snickering and trying not to fall over laughing.  Vander watched Loa and took the time to jot down their respective scores. Because even if it was Loa's first time, he wasn't going to play nice forever. This was a game and he had every intention of winning.

"HA!  Well, that's okay," he chuckled and took is turn as the pins were restored.  Raising the bowling ball to his chest he pressed it there and at...that...

Was he thanking him?  Wow, weird. Another thing that Vander clearly hadn't expected it from Loa.  Yet somehow the thought warmed him and Vander turned around to shoot him a small smile. "I wasn't gonna let you drown in your own spit," he nodded to him. "It was no problem. I'd do it again if I had to. But uh, it was kinda scary, can't lie. Seeing you like that."

He threw the ball and it rolled slightly left only knocking down 6 of the 10 again, and he found he didn't give a shit that it wasn't a strike. He meant every word. It was awful thinking that this guy thought it was perfectly okay to just drink that much and he'd be fine. Or maybe that was precisely why he did drink. Because he wasn't fine.

Vander returned and sat down beside him. "You said you had nightmares. You looked like you were practically dead. I'm not sorry I came in there, but I'd be real sorry if something bad happened to you. I mean, drinking alone is no fun at all. If you ever want a place to crash, just to have a few beers, and watch a movie, or even go to a bar, just knock on my door. Or call me. I like hanging out with you."