Work Text:
Avocato could barely breath. His entire world was crumbling around him, much like the sanctum walls and floors that were trying to crush and destroy him. His head was getting foggy, growing dim and dark, consciousness wanting to fade. His legs, his arms, his entire being was turning into jelly, and he knew he was bleeding from his own violent injuries.
Yet, he ran. He ran as fast as his feet could carry him. He pushed through the fog, the desire to give in to the dark or the blood loss that was certainly killing him if nothing else would. He had to. He had to run. He had to escape. They had to escape.
“Hang on for me, baby... don't let go yet. You gotta stay with me... you got that? You got that, Gary!?”
There was no response, but Avocato didn't need one. In all the chaos, he could still feel Gary's labored breath against his throat, a paw holding on tightly to a gaping wound in the human's side, the largest of the many that tore through his limber frame. Blood was still seeping through his digits, staining his fur with dark red, and inwardly a curse rang out for not having a supply of the medigel on hand. But they had been rushed, fractured, not thinking far enough ahead, and the curse does nothing more but be a distraction to what he needs to do.
He had to run. Had to get Gary out of here. Get them both out of here. He knew the ship was waiting for them. He wasn't sure where, but it was out there. He struggled with the comm in his wristband, trying to get out an SOS to HUE, hoping that the signal would reach it. Even if he couldn't get a reply, he had to hope, had to wish, had to pray that the call would be received.
“We're going to get out of here. We'll get you patched up. I promise. So please... you got to stay with me, Gary. You can't give up yet. You can't give up on me yet!”
Yelling made breathing harder, but he had to keep talking. Had to make sure Gary heard him. Although certainly by now he had already lost consciousness and was unable to hear anything, but he had to try. For his own sake. His own sanity. He couldn't lose him here. Couldn't lose him again.
He jumped over cracks forming in the floor, and hissed at the pain that shot through his entire system. The fog intensified and for a second upon feet connecting he faltered, and his grip lessened as the darkness fought to take over. But he wouldn't allow it, forcing his grip tighter as he steadied his footwork, running faster and harder to make his way out. The adrenaline dump once this was over with was going to be hell, but he'll handle that once he comes to it. At the moment, his focus was living, on running, on getting Gary back to the ship.
Static came through the comm, but no clear words made it through. But it was enough to put the faintest fraction of relief, no matter how false it may be, into Avocato's head. HUE got his distress call. It had to be that. He hoped it was that as he made his way through the corridors, knowing that he would soon see the exit. His head was hurting worse than he's ever known, his lungs were struggling to open and keep any sort of breathing in check. The darkness was becoming ever more tempting and he was struggling to keep his eyes open. He barely had the foresight to trigger the hidden button in Gary's coat to enable his helmet followed by struggling to activate his own.
He could no longer feel Gary's breath against him, that sign that he was still holding on, and the thought terrified him. He couldn't look down to see if the visor was fogging, couldn't keep any notice on his vitals like what HUE could do. He had to hope, had to wish, had to pray that he was still breathing, that he was still alive.
“Don't... don't give up on me. You can't... you can't give up on me. On Little Cato. On us.”
He could make out HUE's voice through the static the closer he reached the exit. Another jump over crumbling floor, but this time he couldn't keep himself upright. His knees scraped the floor, and he hissed, but he still didn't let go of Gary. He couldn't let Gary go. Not for a second. Not until he was in the Medbay. Staggering, he groaned loudly as he got back up onto his feet, the bitter taste of blood and dead breath tainting his tongue followed by a sharp pain in his chest, but despite it all, he ran. As fast as his battered body could. He swore he heard Gary moan, but with all of the noises surrounding him, he couldn't be sure. But he hoped, wished, prayed that it was.
“You have to stay with me, Gary. You can't leave me like this... not after all of this... you can't... So please... please stay with me, Gary!”
He jumped into the vastness of space, finally reaching that sweet exit. However, he couldn't see any signs of the ship coming to grab him. Through the fog came thoughts of mistakes. Did he actually hear HUE's voice or was he imagining it? Was everything he's heard and felt that wasn't his own body imaginary? Blood floated around in the void from their wounds, and Avocato struggled even harder to stay conscious. The adrenaline that helped them escape was failing to keep him from falling into the darkness. He growled, cursed, hissed, but never once did he let go of his grip on Gary's limp form. He couldn't. Not for a second.
“Don't... don't leave me...”
He swore he heard HUE and Quinn's voices come through the comm, followed by the sound of the ship coming out of lightfold, but he couldn't see anything. Vision blurred, breathing slowed, the darkness overwhelmed, and finally the fog took over. He fought as much as he could, but at last, he fell into his own void, with his own thoughts being on the human that he held so tenderly and desperately against his frame.
“I... lo... you... Gary...”
----------
The first noise Avocato could make out was mechanical beeps and hums. The next was familiar voices, although there was a distance to the voices that made it hard for him to make out the words. He seethed softly as feeling returned to his body. Every part of him ached and hurt, and the cold steel against his back was making him more uncomfortable. The voices grew closer, taking notice that he was stirring.
“Avocato!”
“Dad!”
Quinn... Little Cato... he heard them. Slowly, painfully, his eyes opened, blinded by the bright lights of the Medbay at first. Blurry forms of the pair above him started to come more clear over the seconds. Quinn was smiling, relieved, while Little Cato cried, wiping the offending liquid from his fur. He groaned through the tightness in his chest, but this time it was from all of the drugs and exhaustion that ran though him.
“You guys... found us...” he managed to croak out, a stray tear of his own falling down his cheek in relief that he was safe, groaning as Little Cato pounced on him, shorter arms wrapping tightly around his neck.
He didn't make a mistake. He heard them, and they heard him. They found him. They rescued him. They rescued...
His heartbeat raced, and with one arm around Little Cato's torso to both steady and push him, the older Ventrexian sat upright at a breakneck speed, panic filling him over and over again. “Gary! Where's Gary!? He's okay, right!?”
The moment he sat up, shots of pain ran up his sides, stemming from what remained of his wounds, and he flinched harshly, seething despite himself. Escaping his father's grasp, Little Cato worked with Quinn to assist, gently trying to motion him to settle down and not to take such huge strides.
“Whoa, hey, slow down there! You shouldn't be moving like that yet!” Quinn replied, hands on his shoulders and trying to keep him somewhat on the table, “We sealed up your wounds and they're healing, but you move the wrong way and it's going to open them all up again.”
“Where is--” he tried to ask again, and Quinn pushed again, but this time with a soft smile.
“He's right over there.”
Her head motioned to their right and his attention turned the same way, and just as she said, Gary was there, laid out on another table. He looked like absolute crap and still unconscious, with a series of tubes connected to various points on his body and an oxygen mask over his mouth, his torso covered in bruises and scars, both old and new. Sheryl was sitting beside him, with Mooncake hovering near her, also softly smiling at seeing Avocato now awake, although she didn't remove herself from her seat by her son.
The fear and panic that quickly ran through the warrior came out in a watery sting at his eyes upon seeing Gary laying there. He was alive. Even if he was being supported by machines right now, he was alive. He seethed again, but this time it was to hold back the cry he desperately wanted to release. Gary was alive. They were alive.
“He... he is okay, right?” he hated to ask but he had to know.
A sour look came across Quinn's face, and her arms fell from Avocato's shoulders as she realized that he wasn't going to go anywhere. “He's stable and out of danger, but...” she started to explain, hesitating to speak further but knew that she had to, “... We don't know when he's going to wake up. As it were, you were out for almost two days.”
“... There was a lot of internal damage. It was nearly as bad as when...” Little Cato continued, also hesitating, but the meeting gaze between the two Ventrexians said it all.
'As bad as when I shot him.'
Avocato groaned, a deep breath escaping his lips as he fought against the pain to sit up on the bed, against the better wishes of Little Cato and Quinn. However, with a reassuring pat on his son's shoulder and a glance at the former Infinity Guard, they backed off, letting him get a feel for his body again now that he was awake. He looked down at his half-naked form, seeing the bandages that covered his torso that covered the worst of his wounds, with a few smaller wraps around his arms and legs. He couldn't see any signs of dried blood sticking to his fur, guessing that he was washed of it in the process of cleaning his wounds, but as he looked at his paws, he swore he could still see and feel some against his pads. Gary's blood. For as hard and tightly as he held onto the human's form, the blood was almost a permanent stain in his mind even though it had disappeared.
But the state of his being took a backseat to that of Gary's, and again, he gazed upon the beatened human, fangs digging into his bottom lip and barely avoiding drawing blood. Quinn stepped away, saying that she was going to grab something for Avocato to eat and drink, and Mooncake followed behind her as if to help. Avocato tried to stand, seething and groaning through the aches, faltering briefly before he stood up completely. Little Cato was at his side, trying to support him as best as possible, warning him of moving too fast, but he was met with a ruffle to his aqua-colored mohawk.
“I'm okay, Son... I'll be okay. But help me walk over to Gary, please,” he reassured his child, and Little Cato nodded despite his reservations, letting his father sling an arm around his shoulders and paws at his torso while being wary of his wounds.
Slowly, one tender step at a time, they made their way over to Gary's bed. Sheryl stood, pushing the chair around to the opposing side so Avocato could sit, not wanting him to disturb his wounds any further. Sitting was far easier than walking, by no one's surprise, although the initial movement still had the Ventrexian hissing softly at the jolts of pain that ran up his spine. His eyes shut to the pain at first, but he opened them quickly, returning their gaze upon his bedridden friend. He leaned over slightly, arms folded onto the cold metal bed.
“... He's really going to be alright... right?”
“As alright as can be,” Sheryl replied, “I know the Crimson Light had a more advance Medbay than this, but we've done what we can.”
“Gary is in no danger of dying at this point,” HUE interjected, overhearing the conversation, “While I have no estimation on when he will awaken, he will survive.”
He smiled slightly at the reassurance, but as he watched how Gary laid connected to the tubes, he couldn't help but feel lied to. Like what his mind tried to do before. Lies... his life was built on them, he was a master of lies. But Gary's survival... he didn't want to hear a lie.
Sheryl could sense the weight on Avocato's shoulders, the weight of his gaze, of his panic, and she gave Little Cato a tap on his upper back. “Can you go help Quinn for a bit, love? I'll sit with your dads and watch over them both,” she requested, hoping that the child would pick up on her signal.
And intuitive he was, although with some reservations, he nodded in agreement. “I'll be back soon,” he glanced at Avocato as he said it, receiving a nod in return, leaving the room and the trio of them alone.
Sheryl returned to the other side of the bed, leaned up against a wall versus grabbing another chair. At first, she was silent, watching as Avocato kept his ever-watery gaze upon her son, before she sighed playfully, smirking, “You have feelin's for him, don'tcha?”
His ears flicked back briefly, almost embarrassed by her blunt observation, but he didn't speak up against it, confirming her suspicions without a needed word. She scoffed, shrugging her shoulders, “Thought as much. I mean... hard not to come to that idea, given how you two interact.”
He still didn't speak, but he didn't look up to acknowledge her stare. “... But you don't plan to tell him... do you?” she asked cautiously, trying to trend carefully on this newly-established honest ground.
“... No. I can't.”
“Can't, or won't?”
Another flick of the ear told Sheryl the answer, and she sighed. She understood the reason behind either answer. It was obvious: it was because of Quinn, and the relationship she and Gary have. They both know how deeply the two feel for one another, given what Gary had put himself and everyone else through to get her back. Avocato couldn't put himself between them like that. He wouldn't. No matter what. And Sheryl wouldn't force him to do so; she knew her place in this. But she still wanted to know, to listen, to help. Somehow.
“Gary... he gave me so much,” the older Ventrexian said lowly, “He showed me what it meant to have a friend. He helped me save and reunite me with my son. He brought me back, gave me a chance to have that life. He's... he's been a light in the dark for me. An irreplaceable, important light. I owe him so much, and yet I know I'll never, ever be able to return even a fraction of what he's given me.”
One paw moved from the bed, hovering over a bandaged area over Gary's left side, over the wound that he tried so hard to keep pressure on. “He got this wound because of me. He... he...” Avocato couldn't speak, choking on the sob that hurt the hell out of his dried throat, and Sheryl frowned at how much he struggled to recall the story.
“He... he saved me.”
The hovering paw rested atop Gary's chest, feeling the faint beating of his heart against the pads. “It was as everything fell apart. We were trying to escape, but we got ambushed by a hoard of those fakes... One of my guns was already broken, and my other gun failed just as we were down to the last few. It wouldn't fire. I tried to get it to work, smacked it a few times, shook it. Nothing made it work. I was so distracted, trying to make my last weapon work... I didn't see that zombie bastard coming. But Gary did.”
The elder Goodspeed leaned away from the wall, kneeling down on the other side of the bed and now more inline with Avocato's level. His paw was already shaking before, but it was more pronounced now, a sign of his increasing stress.
“He got in front of me, tried to shoot it, but it was speedy. Speedier than most. And before I could even blink, it... it got him. Pierced him, held him up like a skewed piece of meat.”
Digits curled into a fist, and Avocato fought back the roar of sobs that attacked the back of his throat. Sheryl's eyes widened, envisioning what he did, before gritting her teeth, turning her gaze to the floor as she felt the rise of anger and distress in her chest.
“Seeing Gary hanging there, above me... knowing that I was in his shadow, seeing his blood coming down from the blade going through his chest... I couldn't... I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything. All I did was watch. Watch as he choked, watched as blood came from his mouth, watch as that creature tossed him like a broken toy once he lost consciousness, watch as he hit that pillar with such a force and hearing something like the sound of broken bones...”
That sound wasn't entirely inaccurate; HUE's analysis and scans showed that Gary had a cracked rib. Although it was luckily set in a way where it would heal and his system was being pumped with antibiotics to stem off any sort of infection. Still, Sheryl could imagine the sound, having heard it one too many times herself. She never imagined she'd hear such a thing happening to her son, however.
“I... was so useless. I was nothing but useless... I watched. I watched him get impaled. I watched him get flung across the room. I watched as the color left his cheeks, and the blood poured out of his body, and I-- I didn't do a single damn thing to save him. I sat there and watched. I WATCHED.”
Avocato pulled himself away from Gary then, the rage filling him as he pushed the chair back, the Ventrexian standing completely fueled on the adrenaline, his entire form shaking and ignoring all of the shots of pain that hit every fraction of his battered being, the loud sound of the chair falling back echoing throughout the Medbay.
“I let my guard down and Gary got hurt! He could've died, and all because of me. Me! And what did I do? I watched! I watched!”
He coughed harshly, and his knees gave way, and Sheryl quickly sprung into action, reaching his side in seconds. Her strong arms wrapped around his torso and under his arms, trying to keep him from collapsing entirely onto the floor. “You shouldn't be moving like that, you idiot!” she screamed, despite knowing that a lecture was the last thing he needed right now, but he didn't seem to take mind to her tone.
The floodgates finally broke open, the cracks being too much before, and Sheryl was surprised by how he brought his arms up to grasp at the one that crossed over his chest, and she stopped moving to try and reposition the chair so she could get him to sit upon it again. His face buried itself into the woman's arm, muffling the sounds of the sobs that he didn't want anyone else to hear. “Avocato...?” she whispered his name softly, a bit taken aback by how he clung to her, but she didn't pull away from him either.
“I snapped. Hearing that sound... it snapped me out of it, and I snapped that fucker's neck. I still couldn't get my blaster to work, but even if I could, I couldn't use it. I knew I had to get out of there. I had to get Gary out of there. I knew... I knew he didn't have long if I wasted more time, so I scooped him up and ran. I was hurt, but he was worse... and I knew if I didn't run, we wouldn't have had a chance to escape before everything collapsed.”
Slowly, Sheryl sat the two of them down onto the floor, finding it a bit more comfortable than sitting upon their legs, making sure she was still supporting the older Ventrexian. The awkward feeling settled down as she allowed him to keep his hold; she knew that he needed this. He needed to hold onto something, someone. She wasn't used to this, but she sympathized all the same.
“He was... he was barely breathing... if I didn't feel him breathing against me, I wouldn't have known. The entire time I held him... I yelled at him, begged him not to die. He couldn't die. He couldn't leave us. He couldn't leave Little Cato. He couldn't... he couldn't leave me.”
His breath hitched, and Sheryl subtly tightened her hold. He did the same in return. The tears soaked her sleeve.
“... I prayed in my head for the strength to save him. To get us out of there, to get us back here. That I'd give anything to make that happen. Even... even my own life.”
He scoffed, a terrible smirk stretched across his lips. “... How hypocritical, right? That I'd be willing to die if it meant Gary lived, after begging for him to not leave me. But... But if that's what it took, I'd do it. I was at that door, screaming for whatever hell to take me if they needed to, as long as it meant that Gary would survive. He couldn't die... I couldn't let him die...!”
His body shook fiercely, and he growled, seething, grabbing tighter to the lifeline that Sheryl had around him. Finally, the words that had been on the tip of his tongue for so long, the words that she had inquired on, slipped through his lips in the harshest but softest whisper.
“I love your son... I love him...”
His head shifted from its burrow in Sheryl's arm and gaze returned to Gary's bedside. “I love you, Gary.”
Saying the words broke him completely, and he returned to cry into Sheryl's embrace, who only tightened her hold, bringing her other hand up to brush the top of his head, trying to both comfort and quiet him without making him feel like he was a heavy burden within her grasp. She whispered quiet “it's okay”s as he clung, and her heart broke hearing the uncharacteristic cries from the usually stoic warrior. She could hear and feel the love and care he had for her son, reminding her of the same feelings she had for her deceased husband before she royally screwed up for her own selfish and insecure reasons, and the sincere regret he had over being responsible for Gary's injuries. Her eyes blurred with her own bit of tears, and she nuzzled her cheek against the side of his head, keeping up her whispers and brushes.
The Medbay doors opened, signaling the return of the trio, and they gasped nearly in unison upon seeing the two of them on the floor. “Avocato, what happened!?” Quinn exclaimed, practically dropping the tray of food and drink onto a counter as she rushed to their sides, Little Cato dropping what he carried in the doorway in his own rush, Mooncake cooing worriedly from the other side of Gary's bed.
“Dad, are you okay!? Your wounds-- did they reopen?” Little Cato worried as he tried to check for any signs of fresh blood coming through the bandages.
“Nothing is wrong with his wounds,” Sheryl replied in a reassuring tone, lifting her head to meet the worried gazes, but she didn't say anything further, much to their chagrins.
Avocato was quiet as Sheryl and Quinn helped him back to his feet, keeping his head down in a pathetic attempt to hide his tear-streaked fur. It was clearly noticeable, but a look from the elder Goodspeed told them not to ask about it right now. With assistance from them both, he was placed back onto the table, where he curled up onto one side, where he was able to face Gary's bedside.
“Stay with your dad for a bit, okay, kiddo?” she requested of Little Cato, and he nodded softly, crawling into the bed next to Avocato, wrapping his arms around his father and being held in return as the elder Ventrexian buried his wet face into Little Cato's mohawk.
With Sheryl's insistence, the two ladies walked towards the door, exiting to leave the two of them alone, namely for Avocato's sake. She knew the last thing he'd want is a larger audience to his grief, especially when one of those members was the woman that the love of his life loved in return.
“... What happened?” Quinn asked once they were outside and the door was closed, a thin brow raised in concern over the secrecy of Sheryl's knowledge and actions.
“It's... complicated. I'll tell you about it over a cup of coffee... I really need the caffeine.”
----------
It was three days later when Gary finally opened his eyes, with Quinn, Mooncake, and Sheryl at his side. He was even more groggy than what Avocato was when he woke up, barely registering Mooncake's cries of “Gare!” and its cuddles against his face at first, although after a few moments, he weakly smiled and placed an achy hand atop its squishy body.
“Nice to see you finally awake,” Quinn replied sincerely, helping to remove the oxygen mask from around his face, knowing that he won't need it any longer, and he chuckled gruffly at her remark.
“You're a sight for sore eyes,” he replied in flirty earnest, “Same with you, Mom.”
“Aww, flattery will get you everywhere, my dear,” Sheryl commented with a wave of her hand, “Just glad to see that you're feelin' better.”
He hummed affirmatively, trying to sit up slowly as the tubes he was connected to were safely disconnected, using Quinn as a crutch in order to keep steady. His gaze shifted over to the bed that sat empty on the other side of the Medbay, and carefully he turned his attention to the rest of the team. “Avocato... where is he? He's... he's okay, right?” he asked, knowing full well that he had to be the resident of that bed, or at least was.
“Yeah, he's okay. He woke up about three days ago. But he wasn't as severely injured as you were,” the former Infinity Guard replied, and Gary released a breath of relief, the anxious feeling that built up in his chest instantly feeling better, although it still lingered.
“I have already informed Avocato that you are awake, Gary. He is currently on his way with Little Cato--” HUE cut in to inform them of the incoming visitors, although he was cut off as the door swung open, “-- Ah, they are here.”
Sure enough, they both were in the doorway, a bit out of breath from how fast they ran. Avocato looked increasingly better than he did a few days ago, but he still had bandages wrapped around his arms and torso, and clearly his wounds were still enough of a factor based on how much heavier his breathing was compared to Little Cato's.
“Gary!!” the younger Ventrexian cried out, running up to the bed and jumping onto it before he wrapped his arms gingerly around Gary's shoulders, squeezing him gently as to not affect his wounds, a few stray tears falling down his face, “You had me so scared! You can't do that to me, Thunder Bandit!”
“I'm sorry, my little Spider Cat,” the human replied, returning the affection, removing his arm from Quinn's shoulder as she realized that he would be alright sitting up the way he was, “Didn't mean to scare you. Any of you.”
Little Cato nuzzled into Gary's neck for a few seconds longer before he pulled away, letting go of his embrace but remaining on the table, and the human brought his fleshy hand up to ruffle his aqua mohawk affectionately, a sweet fatherly smile forming on his lips as the kid hummed something akin to that dreaded purr they hated being told that they did. Ventrexians aren't cats, as they say.
His eyes turned towards the doorway, where Avocato still stood, almost at though he was frozen in time. His eyes were wided and his mouth was still agape, but he was breathing more normally now, and while he was sure he had his form under control, he was quivering. He swore that his heart was beating loud in his ears, but unbeknownst to him, Gary's was too.
“Gary...”
“Hey, Avocato... You're looking good.”
That goofy wit and childish smile... Avocato felt the tears already starting to form in his eyes upon seeing those classic Gary signs. Signs that he really was awake and alive. With one unsteady step, followed by another, he made his way towards the bed, but after the third shaky step, the walls that were trying to keep him back busted into pieces. In a few seconds, he was standing in front of Gary, his paws embracing the human's cheeks. “Gary... I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry that I got so careless...!” his breath caught with every apology that tried to escape, fur becoming stained with the tears that he tried so desperately to hold back.
He hated breaking down like this, but he couldn't help it. Not now.
Gary blinked, confused by his words. “Avocato... you don't have to apologize for anything. Not a single, dang thing,” he replied, a low rumble of a laugh at the base of his throat, as if to find the idea of the apology to be asinine, placing his hands on the back of the quivering paws.
“No! Don't... You had to protect me... You got hurt, all because of me!”
“Hey, hey, hey...!” Gary interjected, hands now going to the Ventrexian's cheeks, holding his face in the same way, leaning forward enough to where their foreheads softly met, “I got hurt because I wanted to protect you. I would never let you get hurt like that. Ever. Not as long as I can help it.”
Avocato knew that. Gary's unwavering loyalty was just one of many reasons why he loved the human so much. Still, he sobbed as he lamented over his mistakes, pulling back just enough for him to wrap his arms around Gary tightly, hiding his muzzle into the man's neck, still saying muffled “I'm sorry”s against bruised skin. And Gary held him in return, comfortably intermingling “shh”s and “it's okay”s.
“I'm just happy that you're alive, Avocato.”
He seethed, and Gary could feel the traces of a relieved smile against his skin, and their arms tightened around one another as Gary also began to cry, although nowhere near as messy as Avocato's desperate sobs.
Little Cato began to cry, seeing his two dads reunited after such a harrowing experience – he, along with Mooncake, had learned of what happened from Avocato after Sheryl and Quinn left the room, although the version told to them had far less self-loathing as what Sheryl had heard – and he snuck his way into the hug, and the pair let him in, effectively squishing the kid between them. Not that he minded it in the slightest. Mooncake also joined in the embrace, nestling itself up against Gary's head on the opposing side from where Little Cato made his place, closing its eyes as it, too, became lost in the sweetness of the reunion.
All the while, Quinn and Sheryl watched with soft grins, but there was something more shimmery in Quinn's eyes as the scene unfolded before her, as Avocato and Gary pulled away and she could see the way they smiled at one another. There was the relief and happiness, but there was something else in Avocato's expression particularly that struck her. The gaze he held through the tears, as Gary's hands came back to his face and thumbs brushed away the remaining streaks from his fur, at how he almost seemed to curl in his hands as if to revel in the warmth and chill of the human's mixed fingers.
“I know it's not my place to say anythin', but... I think you should know. Avocato... he...”
“... He loves Gary.”
The words were said in a whisper, and only Sheryl seemed to have heard them as she glanced sideways towards the woman at her side. The hunter softly nudged Quinn with a brush of a shoulder, getting her attention. “Are you... going to be alright?” she whispered, trying to keep her voice so low that it wouldn't be heard so easily by anyone else, concerned about how the younger woman must be feeling now.
Quinn's lips curled into a mixed smile, eyes softened. “I'm not sure right now... but I think I will be,” she replied in the same sort of whisper, and Sheryl smiled slightly, letting the subject die as the mood changed to that of laughter upon hearing Gary's stomach rumble very loudly, much to his momentary chagrin in having to deal with the roars of laughter at his expense.
Quinn rolled her eyes as she joined the laughter. “Hey, HUE, can you make up something light for Gary to eat? And maybe some fresh cookies?” she asked of the AI, ignoring how childishly excited Gary got over the sound of the cookies.
----------
In the days following Gary waking up, things started to return to a sense of “normal”, or at least what was considered normal for the Team Squad. While Gary spent most of his time in the Medbay or in his room, he was getting back into his Captain role, albeit with some extra love and attention from the rest of the crew.
… With exception of Avocato. After their initial reunion, the Ventrexian became more aloof and elusive, trying his best to avoid spending more than a few minutes with his human companion, much to Gary's combined sadness and confusion. It didn't go unnoticed by the others either, with KVN being rude in pointing it out directly while Sheryl and Little Cato made attempts to coax an answer out without being overtly pushy. Quinn only watched from the sidelines, realizing rather quickly why he was acting in such an unusual way.
He was self-conscious, scared, and anxious. It was etched on his face anytime she saw him now. The feelings he held for Gary had come to the surface, feelings that he wanted to keep buried for the rest of time and kept only to himself, and now he was afraid. Afraid to act on them, afraid that they would be known by more people – likely he was certain that only Sheryl knew of the truth but she'd keep it a secret – afraid of Gary finding out and how it could jeopardize their relationship... He knew that Gary loved Quinn, and she loved him although she hadn't quite said it yet, and knew he couldn't have any part of the human's heart like that. The regret of his breakdown and admittance was evident as he said his excuses in order to escape.
She wanted to say something to him, she really did... but she had her own fears to face first. And so, she kept quiet and to herself her observations, even when Gary asked for her opinion on what was wrong with his best friend.
Avocato sighed as he stood out in one of the long hallways of the ship, staring out at the vastness of space that surrounded them, reeling from the regret of having to push Gary away again earlier in the day, already losing count of how often he's done this so far, his paws shaking as they rested against his upper arms. This time had a different sting to it, with Gary raising his voice and demanding an answer to why he was being so evasive. And all the warrior could do was look at the ground and mumble out an apology before leaving Gary – along with Mooncake and Little Cato – alone in the commissary.
He was hurting Gary, he knows that. But he was going insane every time they shared the same room. The moment things started to get too comfortable, too familiar, too normalized, the guilt and fear starts to settle in, followed by the self-loathing over a desire that he could never have. Eventually this would have to be settled, he also knew this; he couldn't let this get so bad that it affected the relationship they had with Little Cato specifically, but also with the rest of the crew. But it was still too soon, too fresh. A mental wound in addition to the physical wounds that were starting to heal and fade away.
He lowly growled, resisting the urge to claw at his fur out of frustration.
Letting his arms fall, he shook his head of the negative thoughts roaming through, making the turn and walk to go back towards his room. He had nothing to do in there, but it was a safe place for him to be, with the only one he had to deal with being his son. But he knew that Little Cato would be keeping busy with Sheryl after he ate, taking in some additional piloting lessons that would further increase his skills, meaning he'd have the room all to himself for awhile.
“Avocato.”
He bristled at the call of his name. But it wasn't just the call, but the voice as well. The one voice he didn't want to hear right now. His chest tightened harshly, shoulders stiffened, and very hesitantly he turned all the way back around again, forcing the best smile he could on his face, “H-hey, Gary.”
Gary was faintly panting, having sped-walked to reach Avocato's location, still lightly exhausted from his injuries. His face was etched with relief that he didn't miss seeing him, after getting HUE to assist him in locating where he was on the ship, but there was still signs of his anger and concern in his eyes.
Avocato rubbed at the back of his head, “Sorry, you caught me at a bad time. I'm starting to get a headache. Think I just need to lay down for a few hours. I'll see you later, okay?”
It was a lie. A clear lie. But this time, Gary wasn't going to tolerate it. “Don't. Don't turn your back on me. Not this time,” he demanded, not missing how Avocato flinched.
The human took four steps forward. The Ventrexian took a step back. “Don't walk away from me. Avocato, talk to me. Why are you avoiding me like this?”
Two steps forward. Another step back. “I-I keep telling you, I've been busy, man. Been trying to help with keeping things running while you've been out of--”
Gary rapidly closed the gap, leaving only a few inches between them. “Stop lying to me!”
Avocato flinched again, and now he could see clearly all of the emotions that were floating in Gary's eyes. The anger, the hurt, the confusion, the need for answers. Breathing was becoming harder again, and he seethed, fangs nipping at his bottom lip.
“Avocato... please... stop shutting me out and talk to me.”
He had to look away, the cerulean almost too painful to keep a steady gaze upon. Fists clenched at his sides. “I... I'm sorry.”
“If this is about what happened, I told you that you have nothing to apologize for. I get that you feel guilty about it, I do, but... dude, pushing me away isn't helping anything either. I got hurt because I wanted to protect you. I told you that. I told you that I'd never let you get hurt like that if I could help it. Ever.”
He knew that. That wasn't the problem. But he couldn't tell Gary the actual problem. Never, ever. He had to keep it a secret. Fangs dug deeper, almost drawing blood, his body shaking subtly as his stomach churned. “I know.”
“You say that, but... Avocato, I don't get it.”
Gary sighed heavily as he stepped back an inch, scratching at his head with his mechanical hand. “Do... do you not want to be my best friend anymore?”
“What!?” the exclamation came out in a shocked hiss, attention turning quickly from the floor and back onto the human.
“It's a thought that's been going through my head since you started doing this.”
Fleshy hand clenched into a fist. “After we got you back, after you were... taken... from us again... Little Cato felt so much guilt over shooting and potentially killing you that he left us. I know we told you, when you asked us about the whole “dads” thing. And all of this... it's reminding me of that.”
It was Gary's turn to stiffen. “Are you planning to leave us at some point? Take Little Cato with you? Leave us behind? Leave me behind? Is this just your way to start that process because you don't want for something like this to happen again?”
The anxiety and pain in Avocato's stomach became worse as the interview went on, as he saw how twisted Gary's face had become, hearing the hurt, fear, and grief in his voice. The self-loathing came back in full force, but now this time over not realizing what else his actions were doing. “Gary, that's not it!” he tried to reassure, but the words came out a squeaky mess.
“Are you angry at me, then? Because I protected you?”
“No, that's not it either!”
“Then what is it!?”
“I--”
Avocato couldn't speak, his throat closing up as it always did. Whenever he had the chance to tell a painful truth, he froze up, hesitating way more than what he should. It always made the situation worse, this bad habit of his. He has always been the best at lying, but the truth... the truth was a harder pill to swallow, and even harder to admit. Gary watched for a few moments as he internally wrestled with himself, before his shoulders sank and his head fell.
“... Forget it... if you don't want to tell me, that's on you... I just... I thought... I thought we were stronger than that, and with everything else we've been through... but I guess I screwed that all up, huh?”
Gary turned on his heel, back towards Avocato, “I don't regret saving you. I'll never regret that. But I'm sorry... that you can't stand to be around me anymore because of it.”
Suddenly, everything in Avocato's body stopped and his world was moving in slow motion as Gary began to walk away from him. It was like the day of the mission all over again, with things crumbling around them. But this time Gary wasn't in his arms... this time he was the exit, the one he was trying to so desperately reach. He reached out an arm, a paw, his lips saying his name but with no sound escaping... digits curled as vision blurred a bit from tears, still hesitant to say and do what he needed to do. But he couldn't... he couldn't let Gary get away... he couldn't let this come to an end. He couldn't lose him... he couldn't lose the one he loved most.
Finally, the barrier that was keeping him back shattered, and every bit of the self-loathing, fear, and guilt be damned. “Gary!”
His legs carried him quickly to Gary's side, arm still reached out and paw now grasping harshly at the metal arm, forcing the human to turn back around. There was a moment where he could see the surprise on Gary's face, but it didn't last long. Vision went black as he pushed Gary up against the metal wall, pinning the man against it with his own frame, the paw that held his arm now having it against the wall in equal level with his head while the other was pushed up against the opposing shoulder. Their lips met in a rough crash, teeth colliding with one another and there was definitely bruising to be had, and Gary's shocked hum was muffled by Avocato's desperation. He couldn't find a way to fight back, to push the warrior away, not with how fiercely he was being held.
Although he didn't have much of a chance to fight back, even if he could, as the kiss ended as quickly as it began. The few seconds felt like long minutes as their lips parted ways, and Gary fought back the urge to lick at his own. Avocato's eyes slowly reopened and he moved back a couple of inches without releasing his hold, allowing him to see Gary's surprise again, this time accompanied by a bright pink tinge to his pale skin.
“I love you, Gary.”
Avocato was surprised by the wave of euphoria that came from saying those words this time around, however short-lived that it was. Gary's eyes couldn't get any wider, mouth agape and Avocato could feel him starting to shake against his pads. “Wh... what?” he whispered, entirely unsure if what he had heard was correct, but deep down knowing that he didn't misheard a single thing.
“I love you,” Avocato repeated, but this time the wave was of regret.
His grip lessened, and Gary was allowed to drop his held arm back to his side, with a bit more distance placed between them that allowed the human to back away from the chilled wall. The Ventrexian growled, turning to one side, bringing his paws up fiercely to his head, scratching at his fur. “That's why... that's why I've been avoiding you,” he explained, although he knew that it was incredibly dumb to say.
“You love me, sooooo... you're avoiding me?” Gary asked, repeating the excuse, raising a brow as it became Avocato's turn to blush over hearing the words thrown back at him... although his blush was easier to hide due to his darker fur.
“I know, I know, it makes no sense! But...!” he hesitated, growling again, “But... I was scared, Gary. Terrified.”
Gary wanted to ask why, but didn't ask it aloud. He didn't have to.
“I never wanted to say it. I didn't want to tell you. How could I even tell you, anyway? You have Quinn! You love Quinn. She loves you. That's it. End of story!” Avocato began to rave, pacing a bit back and forth, “I know you love me, but it's the same way you love Little Cato or maybe Sheryl. It's familial. It's not the same love that you have for her.”
Gary's heart began to race, and he was shaking still but this time it wasn't just because of his nerves. Avocato didn't take notice of it, still pacing about as he kept fighting back the urge to rip out the fur from his head.
“I never wanted to say it, but after what happened... it's all I could think about. About how much you've changed me, about the life you've given not only me, but Little Cato as well. The entire time I held you, I begged you not to die on me, begged you not to leave us, begged you not to leave me, offered my own life if it meant saving yours, and all of it wasn't just because we're best friends, but because I love you and didn't want to go on in this life without you.”
Gary nipped at his bottom lip, fists clenched at his sides, a short seethe escaping through his teeth. “Avocato...” he said softly, but his call went unheard.
“It broke me, admitting it. Because I knew nothing good could come to it. I wanted to keep lying about it, pretending, but I couldn't. Every time I saw you now, all I keep thinking about is how much I love you, how much I want to be with you, but knowing that nothing will ever happen continued to eat at me. I know pushing you away wasn't going to help, but I did it because I was afraid. Afraid I'd act on them. And I'm doing just that!”
“Avocato,” the human repeated, louder this time, wanting to get him to acknowledge him, but again, it went unheard.
“I don't want you to feel like I'm trying to get in between you and Quinn, because that's not what I want to do. You two are meant to be together. You've gone through literal Hell to save and bring her back. You love her, she loves you, and that's all there is to it.”
“Avocato--!”
“I understand if things can't go back to normal with us now that I told you, but I want you to--”
He couldn't continue on his rant as now he was the only having his arm pulled, his body forced into a new direction, and lips being sealed with another powerful kiss. Avocato froze for a few seconds as the shock and surprise of the action, but quickly he reacted in kind, the emotion that fueled the first kiss coming back in full force, returning it with every bit of passion that he held. Gary's back met with the wall again, his arms wrapping around Avocato's shoulders and hands at his clothes as if he was clinging to him for dear life, paws doing the same thing to his face.
Lips parted and reunited quickly over and over, soft moans dying behind teeth. It was almost a battle between them, increasing the heat as fingers began to roam. Gary could feel himself rising up against the wall, shivering at the way Avocato brushed over him, daring to believe that he was actually naked and hot despite being entirely covered by his usual clothes and remaining bandages. Avocato shivered himself as the human's hands slipped under his crop top, growling almost too pleasurably as fingers dug deeply into his fur and leaving marks below the tufts, nearly grinning as his paws made their way down Gary's legs, hiking him up to where his lankier legs wrapped themselves around the Ventrexian's waist in order to keep himself from falling.
Avocato could feel himself losing to the heat of the moment and of Gary's body, and the nagging feeling telling him how wrong this was and that he needed to put an end to this began to knock at the back of his mind. But as Gary clung, as he pushed back with fervor, as he delightfully moaned and shook and shivered within Avocato's grasp, he couldn't get himself to listen to that voice of reason.
It went totally silent as Gary nipped at his bottom lip, and he growled hungrily as he allowed entrance, tongues wrestling in an even more sinful dance than what he could've ever dreamed, and he could've sworn he heard the human make a growl of his own, grinning as he one-upped his partner with the new move. The ego boost didn't last long as the warrior pressed into him harder, practically grinding up against him, and Avocato couldn't help but feel that euphoric wave again as Gary nearly yelped from the strong contact, the low desirable sound of his moan and the brief whisper of his name sending every fiber of his being into overdrive.
After several minutes of unadulterated heat, it began to simmer and cool, and very slowly they began to drift apart. Eyes that were shut tight opened up, blurry vision at first before clearing up. Gary's legs felt like jelly as Avocato carefully released his thighs and allowed his feet to touch ground again, his arms shaking as they unraveled themselves, keeping his hands against the Ventrexian's chest as paws lifted up to gently rest against Gary's upper arms. Breath came out in soft pants against swollen lips, irises still dilated, oceans of emotions swirling that each tried to decipher as they gazed upon one another.
“Gary...” Avocato tried to break the silence, but he couldn't get himself to say anything further than his lover's name.
“I love you too.”
Avocato's ears flicked back, breath caught in his throat. He didn't hear Gary correctly... he couldn't have. Because he swore that what he heard was a return of his feelings, but that couldn't be... but it was. There was no lies or deception in his smile, in his gaze. “You... you love me...?”
“Yeah. I do. Hardcore. With all my heart.”
“But... You and Quinn...”
“Heh... yeah... I love her too. But I can't deny my feelings for you either. Not anymore.”
Avocato didn't know what more to say, and for what seemed like the millionth time in a week, a thin trail of tears began fall and form down his fur, and Gary brought one hand up to brush them away. “I wouldn't want to live this life without you either, Avocato. I almost did twice. But never again. Not as long as I can... not as long as we can help it.”
And the warrior scoffed, smiling, returning a hand to the human's face, “Hell yeah, baby.”
Lips met once again, but in a more sweet and soft manner, a seal upon their confessed love. The nagging voice was coming back in a whisper. He wasn't sure what was going to come now. Knowing that Gary felt the same way was a relief within itself, but what now? Were they together now? How would that even work? They both needed to have a discussion with Quinn before they could even pursue such a thing... For now, however, he repressed that voice again, not wanting to taint a second of this chance he had with worrying about the consequences and regrets that were to come. Their arms wrapped around each other as the kiss grew a little more intense, not reaching the same heat again but maintaining the same raw passion.
They were completely ignorant to a set of eyes that watched them for a few moments before turning away, footsteps going off into the opposite direction, the figure's lips curled into a familiar grin.
----------
Avocato couldn't sleep that night. By no real surprise, when he thought about it, his mind still racing from his earlier tryst with Gary. It was hard to sleep when he couldn't get the images and feelings out of his mind. All of his hums and moans, how he held and clung, the taste of his lips and the way their tongues danced... it was probably the most amazing make-out session he ever had, and thinking about it caused a bunch of different fluttery and not-so-fluttery feelings to fill his being.
After he made sure that Little Cato was sound asleep, he left the room to head to the commissary, hoping that a mug or two of warm milk would help to ease his mind and body enough to allow him to sleep semi-comfortably. He knew that he was going to keep thinking and dreaming of Gary throughout the night – and the rest of his life – but he had to get some sleep somehow. Had to be well-rested to face whatever adventures were going to come their way next.
He didn't quite hear the commissary door open nor paid attention to the footsteps that came up behind his seat, spacing out a bit as he took a long drink.
“So... are you and Gary making out in the hallway going to be a reoccurring thing, or are you going to keep it to the bedroom next time?”
He choked down the liquid, coughing violently afterwards, dropping his mug and spilling the rest of the contents onto the table. He jumped up from his seat, knocking it back, his fur puffing up in reaction to the sudden intrusion, turning around fast while trying to cover his mouth respectfully, feeling grateful yet again that his dark blue-green fur kept his blush largely hidden.
“Wh-what the hell!? Q-quinn!” he couldn't help but stammer, although even if it wasn't for the reason that he was coughing, he'd still be stammering given the nature of her call-out.
The woman chuckled through a smirk, arms crossed over her chest, “Smooth move. Hopefully that wasn't the last of the milk.”
Avocato cleared his throat, regaining his composure, picking up the chair from the floor before going to find something to clean up the table. “HUE can always synthesize up more, even if it was,” he remarked, keeping his back towards Quinn as he rummaged through drawers to find a rag, “Surprised you're up this late.”
“Not really tired yet. So... care to answer my question?”
The Ventrexian didn't turn towards her nor answered the question right away. Paw stayed on a rag, but didn't move to remove it from the drawer. “... You saw us?”
Quinn sat down in the chair that was next to the one he was sitting at. “Only the tail end. Enough for me to also hear that Gary said he loved you too,” she explained, keeping her arms crossed but now crossing her legs as well, her right laying across her left, “Pretty sure that means you told him you loved him first.”
No answer. Quinn eyed his back. “You know you can't push this off. I'm not going to leave, and even if I did, we'd be right back here again tomorrow.”
Avocato sighed, grabbing the rag and slamming the drawer closed, turning around and making his way back towards the table. He picked up the mug and put it to the side, allowing him free access to clean the mess he made.
“Yeah... I did. I told him I loved him. And he loves me. But he loves you too.”
Quinn rolled her eyes, lips still keeping a light grin. “Yeah, I know. But that's not really answering my initial question.”
“How do you expect me to answer, Quinn? You want me to say that I'm taking your man away from you, and next time it won't just be making out? Or do you want me to grovel and beg for forgiveness for trying to come between you two after all of the hell you've been through to get together?” Avocato growled, dropping the rag down on the table after cleaning up the mess, “What do you want me to say? Yeah, we love each other, but what more can there be when he's also in love with you?”
“What I want you to say is that you'll make damn well and sure that Gary doesn't have to lose you for a third time.”
Avocato flinched, eyes widened and the anger and dread that filled his chest was replaced by the race of his heartbeat. Quinn sighed, relaxing her position. “Look, I can't say that I was pleased at first. When Sheryl told me – and you can't get mad at her for telling me this, by the way; she was only trying to look out for me, and said that if you have a problem with it, go to her and she'll apologize – I thought she was joking. But when I saw you two in the Medbay after Gary woke up, I could tell that it wasn't a joke. You were way too obvious, but honestly, so was he. Then again, I've had my suspicions for awhile when it came to him, so all it did was confirm them.”
She leaned forward onto her uncrossed legs, arms laying lazily in her lap as she motioned for Avocato to sit back down, and he did so with reservation.
“I know you and I don't... always get along. We're friends. I think. For the most part. And nothing will have to happen or change between us. In the end, what we both want is for Gary to be happy. Because we love him. I'm not going to back down, but I'm also not going to tell him that he can't be with you, either. The only one that can tell him that is you.”
Avocado scanned her over for any signs of falsehood, but nothing about her spoke any sort of lies. He leaned back in the chair, sighing as he looked up at the ceiling. “... This is going to be complicated.”
“From what I've heard, polyamory always is. But hey, it's Gary. It's us. We always end up finding a way somehow. Not sure how we ever got so lucky.”
Avocato scoffed, smirking as he brought his head back down, meeting Quinn's playful grin, “Yeah, been wondering that myself.”
They laughed a bit at that last fact, relaxing a bit from the tension that was built up. The door to the commissary opened up again, indicating another late-night visitor coming inside, and their attention turned to see that it was Gary, dressed in a pair of sleep pants and a half-tied robe. “Oh! Hey. What are you two doing up so late?” he asked a bit in surprise to see multiple people in the “I can't sleep club” in the same area.
“Couldn't sleep. If you want some warm milk, you might be out of luck.”
“He's not out of luck. I didn't use the last of it.”
“Cool to know... I guess?” Gary didn't know what to really make of their banter, so he glossed over it.
The tension rose a little bit, although it was more on Gary's end and heavily leaned into anxiety over actual tension. He shifted a bit on his slipper-covered feet. “So... what were you two talking about?” he asked, regarding the laughter he had heard a few seconds before entering, but he was sure there was something more than just the laughter.
The pair looked at one another before Quinn stood up from her seat, stepping over to Gary's right and leaving a quick peck on his cheek. “Not much. I was just telling your boyfriend to keep your little activities to the bedroom next time. Unless being seen is your thing, then more power to you, but I don't think Little Cato should be subjected to seeing his dads making out,” she replied, putting a special emphasis on some select words that didn't go unnoticed.
Avocato scoffed again, following suit but standing by Gary's left, leaving a kiss of his own on the cheek. “And I was apologizing to your girlfriend and promising we'll make sure to do that next time,” he added, using the same emphasis.
Gary turned a bit pink, although it wasn't from any sort of embarrassment, “A-ah, I see. Yeah, sorry about that, again. We'll be more mindful.”
“Good to hear. Well, I'm going to read a bit and hopefully I'll fall asleep in the middle of a chapter,” Quinn added, patting Gary's shoulder, “I'll see you both in the morning. Don't stay up too late. You know HUE will send KVN in after you if you don't wake up at a decent hour.”
“Don't remind me,” Avocato grimaced, recalling the last – and only time – that happened; KVN was lucky that he wasn't shot up into a dozen pieces, but it taught the Ventrexian a valuable lesson on getting up properly to an alarm.
Gary didn't say a word, but the way he gritted his teeth said it all. Quinn laughed, waving them both off as she made her way towards the door, giving Avocato a quick wink before she left for good, the door shutting behind her and leaving the two alone. The warrior shook his head with a knowing grin, turning back towards the table, picking up the rag and the mug, placing the mug on the counter and the rag into a container to go wherever the ship sent fabrics to be washed.
“Want any warm milk?”
“Sure. That sounds nice.”
Gary sat down at the table, watching as Avocato grabbed a second mug and poured some of the heated milk he already made into it, filling up his cup as well, bringing them both to the table and joining the human after a couple of minutes. They sat in silence, sipping the drink, for a bit, just looking at one another with all smiles in their expressions.
“Soooo... are things... good?” Gary finally broke the quiet, placing his cup down on the table with a slight move of hesitation.
Avocado moved in tandem, “Yeah. Things are good.”
Metallic hand shifted, reaching out for his partner's right paw. Digits intertwined with one another. “Really good?” he asked, wanting to gain an extra bit of clarity.
Avocato gently squeezed, knowing that it wouldn't hurt him even if he wasn't being so kind, “Really good.”
Gary smiled, but he was still a bit unsure. “You... okay with this? With... Quinn and... us and...”
A soft chuckle, followed by lips meeting briefly. “Yeah. I am.”
And Gary smiled wider, “Good.”
Their hands released one another, Gary turning his attention back to the milk, took a long drink and emptying the mug, and Avocato chuckled at the little milk mustache that stained his upper lip, although it didn't last long before Gary wiped it off with the sleeve of his robe. “That was pretty good. I'm sure I'll get a good night's sleep now,” he complimented, “You have the best ideas.”
A flicker of something not-so-innocent flashed in Avocato's irises, and his smirk bared more fang than what he normally would. He reached out and grabbed one of Gary's wrists, pulling him forward and out of his chair, the human letting out a surprised yelp as he was brought into his lap, hands at his chest to keep steady.
Arms wrapped around Gary's torso, pulling him a bit closer until a few inches separated their heads from one another. “I have another idea for that that may be even better than warm milk,” he said in a seductive growl, and he so enjoyed that shudder that his lover emitted.
“Oh? What's that?” Gary hummed, bringing his arms up to wrap around Avocato's neck, the surprise now turning into a curious desire.
The Ventrexian leaned forward enough to score a sweet spot with the captain's left ear, whispering his idea and Gary hummed further in delight, fingers curling into fur. With a small tug, he made Avocato pull back, allowing for a glimpse of the eagerness etched upon his face, although the warrior didn't have too long to stare before his lips was assaulted by a heated kiss, and he growled again as he returned it with equal fervor.
Pulling away after a few delicious seconds, Gary could only say a few select words. “My room. Now.”
And Avocato was not one to disobey, picking Gary up with ease, holding his thighs with the same care that he did before, enjoying as he felt Gary's legs wrap around his waist again. The milk was left forgotten as they made their way out of the commissary and down towards the bedrooms... with a few unplanned stops along the way. So much for keeping that promise to keep it to the bedroom...
- end -