He arches between Fives' hand and Quentin's mouth, easily mollified.
"I scoped out all the wardens when I got here. Fives was on the shortlist of 'most likely to give me a gun.' We went in the enclosure and played murder tag so he could establish my competence," he says brightly, glancing sideways and slyly up at Fives. "It was a really nice first date, actually."
Fives manhandles Jedao properly upright on his lap, though he still keeps a hand tucked under his ass, and grins up at Quentin. "He was way better than a mongrel had any business being," he tells him, and pinches Jedao's ass gently before turning to look at Jedao.
"Was that a date? You didn't actually think of it as a date, did you?" He wants to ask about what happened with Quentin's alternate, because he does remember it was after that hellish flood that Jedao suddenly wanted Quentin, with all the anxiety and fear that had come with it.
"I wasn't really - I mean, he was very hot, but I was worried about other things and didn't think of myself as the dating type back then. We moved in together two months later and I was still in denial. I was much crazier back then," Jedao confesses.
"I don't... think I ever did?" he answers, brows furrowing a little as he thinks about it. "I didn't really know what dates were, or that they existed?" And he's still kind of unclear on them. He's not sure if some of the things they do or have done are actually dates or just things they do together.
He lays his free hand on Jedao's chest, over his heart. "That was after the flood where I lost my memories, my scars and tattoos, too, and... because part of the ship." That one had been bad, losing the identity and individuality he's always clung so hard to, and the physical manifestations of it. "He tried to help me remember, when it was happening," he tells Quentin solemnly. "It helped, for a little while."
Prompts Quentin, and comes back with their first plate- cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches with chili sauce staining the demure green and cream a scorching orange at the seams.
"I did a bit think of the dancing lessons as dates, when we started that," Jedao tells Fives, snuggling in and kissing his check before reaching for a sandwich.
"I made him tell me what all the tattoos should be. I made him draw them. He covered his palm in ink for the handprint, and I took my gloves off to clean it. Both of us almost broke in half at the intimacy."
They'd both been so brittle, in those days, and so raw.
"Yeah?" He smiles at that and finally pulls his hand out from under Jedao so he can reach for a sandwich too. "I loved those. Still love dancing with you." Completely impractical, absolutely for nothing but fun, even though he does subconsciously assure himself, every time, that it's good for his balance and coordination.
His breath hitches at the memory Jedao calls up, and he ducks down to press his face into Jedao's neck as a flush of heat rises up his neck. At least he remembers to put the sandwich he'd picked up down before he squashes it in his hand. "Force," he breathes into Jedao's skin. "I'd hardly touched anyone for so long, and-" He shakes his head a little, breathing still slightly uneven, remembering the delicacy of Jedao's touch on skin that even now he so rarely bares, that even now is gloved- "Yeah, I definitely almost broke in half."
Says Quentin, coming back over, dropping a second plate down. This one is chopped fresh vegetables, with a bowl of hummus. He's sensible of Fives' need for bulk and protein.
Fives smiles, hidden other than the press of it against Jedao's skin, then finally lifts his head again.
"It feels good to move to, and it's challenging. Almost like sparring, sometimes." When your blood is up and you've really locked into a really good opponent, so you both move almost as one.
He picks up his abandoned sandwich again and this time manages to get it to his mouth, humming happily at the spiciness of the cream cheese with the cool cruch of the cucumber.
"I remember dancing with you at that Winter Solstice, Fives."
A very different dance, but an equally significant milestone in their lives. Back when they were taking their first tottery steps towards having something together, shortly after the intervention of the mistletoe.
"And I remember Jedao looking at you in that jacket."
"Dancing with you was nice." Much better than trying not to watch Jedao and Missy dance. "And I love that jacket," he adds, and shivers at Jedao's voice in his ear. "I can always wear it for you again." It's just tucked away in one of the lockers in his mostly unused cabin.
His voice is more than a little rough when he continues, teasing, "And yes, better speed that hand-feeding up, ner'karta."
Quentin's arrives with more plates- halloumi with honey to dip in, just cooling enough now that it shouldn't burn either of them. Dried apricots, almonds, and small pieces of sausage. This time, he pulls up a chair to join them.
"You should. Though we'll have to manufacture an occasion."
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2020-04-28 10:01 pm (UTC)"I scoped out all the wardens when I got here. Fives was on the shortlist of 'most likely to give me a gun.' We went in the enclosure and played murder tag so he could establish my competence," he says brightly, glancing sideways and slyly up at Fives. "It was a really nice first date, actually."
no subject
Date: 2020-04-28 10:18 pm (UTC)"Was that a date? You didn't actually think of it as a date, did you?" He wants to ask about what happened with Quentin's alternate, because he does remember it was after that hellish flood that Jedao suddenly wanted Quentin, with all the anxiety and fear that had come with it.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-28 10:24 pm (UTC)He says, and pads back off- that pan needs his attention.
"Fives- when did you realize you were being dated?"
If it wasn't that first time it stands to reason there must have been a certain point.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-28 10:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-04-28 10:43 pm (UTC)He lays his free hand on Jedao's chest, over his heart. "That was after the flood where I lost my memories, my scars and tattoos, too, and... because part of the ship." That one had been bad, losing the identity and individuality he's always clung so hard to, and the physical manifestations of it. "He tried to help me remember, when it was happening," he tells Quentin solemnly. "It helped, for a little while."
no subject
Date: 2020-04-28 10:54 pm (UTC)Prompts Quentin, and comes back with their first plate- cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches with chili sauce staining the demure green and cream a scorching orange at the seams.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-28 11:10 pm (UTC)"I made him tell me what all the tattoos should be. I made him draw them. He covered his palm in ink for the handprint, and I took my gloves off to clean it. Both of us almost broke in half at the intimacy."
They'd both been so brittle, in those days, and so raw.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-28 11:51 pm (UTC)His breath hitches at the memory Jedao calls up, and he ducks down to press his face into Jedao's neck as a flush of heat rises up his neck. At least he remembers to put the sandwich he'd picked up down before he squashes it in his hand. "Force," he breathes into Jedao's skin. "I'd hardly touched anyone for so long, and-" He shakes his head a little, breathing still slightly uneven, remembering the delicacy of Jedao's touch on skin that even now he so rarely bares, that even now is gloved- "Yeah, I definitely almost broke in half."
no subject
Date: 2020-04-28 11:56 pm (UTC)Says Quentin, coming back over, dropping a second plate down. This one is chopped fresh vegetables, with a bowl of hummus. He's sensible of Fives' need for bulk and protein.
"What kind of music do you dance to?"
no subject
Date: 2020-04-29 12:04 am (UTC)"It's...energetic music? I don't know what to call it in English. I only know it by the dance forms."
It most resembles something like Paso Doble.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-29 12:14 am (UTC)"It feels good to move to, and it's challenging. Almost like sparring, sometimes." When your blood is up and you've really locked into a really good opponent, so you both move almost as one.
He picks up his abandoned sandwich again and this time manages to get it to his mouth, humming happily at the spiciness of the cream cheese with the cool cruch of the cucumber.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-29 12:38 am (UTC)A very different dance, but an equally significant milestone in their lives. Back when they were taking their first tottery steps towards having something together, shortly after the intervention of the mistletoe.
"And I remember Jedao looking at you in that jacket."
Not the jacket itself so much, just-
"I swear his mouth watered."
no subject
Date: 2020-04-29 12:54 am (UTC)"I have to be quick if I want to hand-feed you, don't I? Especially with Quentin's delicacies on offer."
He leans in, the better to purr in Fives' ear.
"Quentin's right. I was riveted."
no subject
Date: 2020-04-29 02:31 am (UTC)His voice is more than a little rough when he continues, teasing, "And yes, better speed that hand-feeding up, ner'karta."
no subject
Date: 2020-04-29 11:53 am (UTC)"You should. Though we'll have to manufacture an occasion."
Of course he can come up with a way to do that.