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"Law, I don't think I'm gonna look at raw fish for awhile, we got anything else other than saltuna?" Ellie calls from the fridge, rifling through the shelves.
"Uh, I think the Captain brought some stuff, in the box on the counter?" Parvati says.
Nyoka rifles through the contents. "This is all Rizzo's crap." She pauses. "I call the Spectrum Blue!"
"Hey, save me some Purpleberry Crunch, c'mon-"
"Felix," Max says. Felix turns in his chair, the Vicar at the edge of the kitchen table. Nyoka pours herself a drink, sits down. "May I impose on you for a moment?"
"Well, look who came out of his room! Nice to see you Vicky!" Ellie calls from across the room.
Max smiles, shakes his head. "It's nice to see you as well Ellie, Nyoka, please be careful how much you imbibe."
"Hey, I cut back, promised the Captain and everything."
"Well I didn't, so pass the booze."
"Did you find something?"
Ellie produces some cans. "Cystipig and boarst."
"It's not Saltuna, thank the Law."
"Hey, save some for me?" Felix calls.
She does a mock salute, and tips her drink back. Ellie steals the bottle and joins her in drinking. Felix rises from his chair, following Max back to his cabin. It's been a few weeks since Scylla for both of them, their trip to Eridanos to solve a murder and their Captain's insistence on team building with the two of them. Their battle against the slug queen was messy, and Max had taken several hard hits, nearly meeting Administrator Ludovico's fate to save Felix. Felix half-expected to be chided or yelled at, but since Scylla, Max had been more…patient, Felix supposes. They get along much better, for sure, though Law knows what Max wants, maybe he's going to yell at Felix privately-
"You're a Rizzo's Rangers fan." Max says matter-of-factly.
Felix startles himself from his thoughts. "Yeah, Max. I am." He pauses, the Vicar knows this fact. Maybe he took a harder blow to the head than he thought? "Why?"
The Vicar has the gall to look bashful. There's a bruise mottling his jaw from where one of the hosts got him in the face, but the tips of his ears give him away, tinged pink on his pale skin, even in the dim light of the Vicar's lamps. "I-" he clears his throat, pulls a box from the bookshelf. It's in an old cigar box.
"You got me cigars?"
Max chuckles, shakes his head. "No, Felix. I didn't have an extra box but-" he trails off. "Just, open it, please?"
Felix cocks a brow. He complies nonetheless, and pops open the box, Felix looks inside, there's several cards, maybe about sixty in total?
“What the-” Felix pulls the cards out, they’re the thick, nice kind that cost several thousand credits for a full set. His eyes go wide at the nice, laminated cardstock, with a shiny signature over the images and stats. “Is this the limited edition Rizzo’s Ranger’s trading card set?” He rifles through them some more. “Are they all signed?”
Felix looks at Max, who has a smile plastered on his face. He coughs into his hand, looks away. “Yes, I know you’re a fan, and I’d like to apologize for how I’ve treated you, especially.”
Felix tilts his head. “Whadd’you mean?”
“I was an ass, before Scylla.” He starts. “I’d like to apologize, formally at least.”
Felix’s eyes narrow. “Are you sure you’re not possessed by those parasites? What happened to the Max I know?”
Max looks up at Felix, slight indignation passes over his face before he bursts into laughter. “By the Law, Felix, I’m not stricken with a parasite."
"Oh right, you don't like vodka?"
"It's…not my first choice of liquor. My family was never heavily into Rizzo's products."
"Huh, more for me then."
Max smiles. "Do you like them?"
"The vodka?"
Max makes a quiet noise, like a snort. "No, the cards."
"Shit, yeah, I do." Felix nods, a bit awestruck. He leafs through the cards, glancing over the shiny signatures in the box, tucked neatly in order by number. “How’d you get these? I can't pay you back."
“Oh, no-no, it's a gift. I had a guy that knew a guy, and Ms. Holcomb helped me get some of the signatures while we weren’t exploring.”
"Had a guy that knew a guy?"
Max has the audacity to look a little smug. "Snitches end up in ditches Felix, I don't reveal all my secrets."
Felix laughs. He holds the box in his hands, to his chest. “That’s–really sweet Max, thank you.”
Max dips his eyes, nods. “Anytime, Felix. And again, I do apologize for my behavior-"
Felix holds his free hand up. "Water under the bridge. As long as if you let me live if you are infected by brain eating parasites."
Max cocks his brow for just a moment before he laughs, deep and hearty. "Law, Felix-I promise."
“I uh, I’ll see you around-ah, y’know what I mean.” he chuckles, leaves Max’s bunk, backward walks the two feet from Max’s into his and shuts the door from the hallway. He sets the box on the desk, lays on the bed, pondering.
Thinking isn’t Felix’s strong suit. It isn’t the Boss’ either, but he ain’t paid to think. But thinking he is, recounting every single encounter with Max for the past couple weeks since Scylla.It doesn’t take a genius to notice Max gets along with Felix the best. He’s not as snippy, gives what he gets, and while Max is still as harsh with him as he is with the others, whenever Felix shows interest in anything that Max also loves, he tends to soften. Like Tossball, Felix thinks. Before Scylla, Max and Felix fought like oil and water, explosive, couldn't mix, and all of a sudden the Vicar gets Felix an insanely expensive gift. If Felix does the math right, and Law knows math isn't his strong suit, this set is worth more than anything Felix owns.
Those space drugs must've been pretty damn good.
Grabbing a bottle of Purpleberry wine from the grocery haul the boss stole from the hotel and orchards, he slinks down the main stairs and into the cargo hold, where Parvati's sitting on a large cargo box.
"Hey, Parvati, got a sec?"
She looks up, surprised. "Hey Felix, yeah, is that wine?"
"Mhmm, purpleberry. Want some?"
She vehemently shakes her head. "After Eridanos I don't think I'll look at Rizzo's ever again."
He takes a swig, swallows. Fair. Very fair.
"So. You got that face that means you're thinkin, what's on your mind?"
"What, I can't just drink with a fellow crewmate?"
"Felix, if you were thinking any harder, there'd be steam comin' outta your ears."
He clasps his hands over his ears. Parvati laughs. "I was kidding! Now," she leans on her usual crate. "What's on your mind?"
He tries for subtlety. "Did Max get you a gift after Eridanos?" Nailed it.
She tilts her head. "No, did he give you the gift already? He was really looking forward to givin' it to you."
He nods. "Yeah."
She looks worried. "Aw, did you not like it?"
He shakes his head, "No, I love it! I just wasn't expecting uh, something so-"
"Thoughtful?"
"Yeah," he takes a large gulp. "I thought Max hated me, now he's all nice 'n shit. Worried a parasite got'im, or he went senile or something."
She laughs, "no, Mr. Vicar isn't a bad man, but he doesn't hate you. He even came to apologize to me after the business on Scylla. Said he was being 'an ass' as he put it."
"Yeah, he said that to me too."
"He uh, you didn't hear this from me you hear? I don't want'ta be a gossip mill." Felix nods. "He said he felt that he treated you the worst, 'specially when you first joined. With the 'strays' comment 'n all."
Felix shrugs. Sips. "I dunno. I thought he was just grumpy. S'not much different from how I get treated on Groundbreaker. People don't like Back Bay orphans like me yanno? We're trouble. That's why I was so excited when the Boss took me on."
Parvati smiles real soft. "I know, we're all real proud."
Felix blushes. "Aw c'mon, don't gotta flatter me Parv."
She punches his shoulder gently.
"I dunno, am I overthinking this?"
"I don't see any steam."
"Parvati, c'mon-"
She shrugs. "I dunno, maybe he's sweet on you?"
He takes a large gulp of wine and promptly swallows it wrong, coughing and hacking, struggling to breathe as Parvati pats his back gently. It's several more moments until he answers with a surprised: "What?!"
"I dunno, you're asking me, if I went through that much trouble for a gift, I think it'd have to be a good friend, or maybe someone I got feelin's for." She blushes and puts up her hands, “but-but uh, don’t take my word as the Law ‘n all, the best way to know if just to talk to him, least that’s what I think.”
"Just, I dunno, you can always talk to the Captain?"
He chugs down the rest of the wine, puts it in the recyclables container. "I'm gonna need more booze for this." He walks off to the ladder, intending to imbibe in the kitchen. Maybe Ellie or Nyoka could help. "Maybe. I'll think about it." He pauses. "Or maybe not."
Parvati yells from her spot: "Drink responsibly Felix!"
—----
Several hours later, and several bottles shared between the three in the kitchen, ADA informs the crew it's time for bed, or at the very least, that it’s time to ‘please keep the noise to a minimum’, as she says. Normally Felix wouldn't immediately go to his room, maybe head down for a smoke, but with the alcohol in his system, he's feeling right sleepy. Ellie and Nyoka stay in the kitchen to share a smoke and clean up, sending Felix towards the crew cabins. He stumbles, opening his door to his room, stripping down to his underclothes, tucking his socks in his boots, and promptly lays down, revelling how warm and comfy his soft, fluffy pillow is.
Felix wakes up an indeterminate amount of time later, soft light caressing his eyelids like a Tossball blocker to the face with his hangover. He starts to push himself up, but a wave of nausea keeps him in place. His pillow starts to move, pushing him to the side and pressing a cool glass of water against his lips. He hears a deep voice say 'drink', and he does so heartily, wrapping his hand around the glass, brushing fingers with the other holding it..
Wait.
Pillows don't talk. Not when Felix is sober, at least.
Felix cracks open an eye, against his wishes, and sees underneath his head is a chest, a hearty dusting of dark hair and a handful of small scars. Felix tenses.
"Felix? Are you all right?"
Oh shit.
Felix jumps up. Leans back on his haunches, nearly pukes from the lurching headache. He realizes he's been laying on Vicar Max. In Max’s bed. Why is he in Max's bed? Felix sways, leans over the bed and promptly empties his stomach on the floor, shaking and convulsing. Out of the corner of his eyes, he sees Max get up, he kneels as close to Felix as he can without stepping in vomit, rubs a hand up and down Felix's back in a calming manner.
"I'll get SAM, just let it out." He puts the glass of water in Felix's hand. "Gurgle and spit, it'll help."
He gets up, pads to the door and summons the cleaning bot, who chirps in response. It suds up and cleans, Max pushes Felix back onto the bed, onto his side.
"Max." Felix whines.
"Yes, Felix?"
"I wanna die."
"Maybe next time pace yourself, hm?" He says, a bit of amusement, and a bit of disappointment in his voice.
“Fuck you.”
Max chuckles, sitting on the edge of the bed, brushes Felix’s hair off his forehead and rubs his hand through Felix’s hair gently. “Just get some rest Felix.”
Felix begins to drift off to the soft, repetitive motions before the nagging feeling for his drinking starts pounding on the back of his mind like a drum. “Hey.”
Max makes a noise of acknowledgement. “Do you feel better?”
"No."
Max makes a face.
"Can you uh, how did I get here?"
"You wandered in drunk after I went to bed, I woke up when you fell into the bunk. You seemed tired so I just didn't move you."
"Oh."
"Did you want to talk about it?"
"Did I say anything?"
Max doesn't immediately answer. "No." Max is a pretty shitty liar, Felix guesses. He repeats the question. "Did you come to talk to me? You can always visit, but please keep it to after five am."
Felix chooses not to answer, but instead asks: “Hey Max, did you get everyone else a gift when we got back?”
Max’s hands stop moving from where they're tangled in Felix's hair. “Are you upset?”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“You didn’t answer any of mine, either.”
“‘M not upset.” Felix rolls onto his back, looks at Max. “I’m just asking.”
Max doesn’t say anything for a couple moments. “No, just you.”
Felix squints. “Do you like me, Max?”
Max laughs, but nods.
“I knew it-”
“I don’t wish to make you uncomfortable.” He says.
Felix furrows his brows. “Uncomfortable? The fuck are you talkin’ about?”
Max turns toward him, covering his hands over his own. “I know I didn’t treat any of you well, but I was especially hard on you, and for that I can’t apologize enough.”
“What’s that gotta do with anything? I asked if you liked me. Y’know, like the way Parvati likes Junlei. Or is it like how Ellie and Nyoka keep shackin’ up, c’mon, you know thinkin’ ain’t my strong suit.”
Max freezes, tenses up. Bingo. “I don’t think that’s wise, Felix. And please, you're much brighter than you give yourself credit for."
Felix tries to sit up. He ends up on his forearms instead, thoughts bouncing in his head like his head is a Hammer's player on the wrong end of Bertie's hack attack. “Why?” Is all he manages to get out.
Max scoffs. “What, because I’m nearly twice your age? Because I don’t want you as some passing fancy? Because it’ll pass when we go our separate ways after our grand quest is done? You deserve the world Felix.”
"That's not what I meant." Felix shakes his head, scoffs. “Y’know, you’re still a defeat-uh, def…a pessimist. Ain’t the whole concept of your religion-your uh, new one at least to let yourself go the way the world takes you? You’re gonna get it all up in your head that you have control over anything and everything? I thought you were past that. You can't control everything and you can't control me. Answer my question." Nailed it.
"...yes. I do have feelings for you."
"Ok."
"Ok."
"C'mere-" Felix grabs Max behind his neck and pulls him down, but Max pulls back slightly. "Now what?"
"Please don't mistake my hesitance as lack of interest, but you're still hungover, and your breath reeks of vomit."
Felix laughs. "So if I go brush my teeth you'll play tonsil hockey like we're a couple'a teenagers?"
Max's smile softens, he brushes a stray hair off of Felix's cheek, kisses his brow softly. "If you're amenable to it, I'd like that. But seriously, please go brush your teeth and sober up."
"Good. And I am, painfully, painfully, sober." He yawns. "You owe me, no backing out in the morning." He points at Max, poking his chest.
"It is morning, Felix."
"Not for me it ain't, and-" he wraps his arms around Max's waist, rolls him onto the bed so they're laying side by side, facing each other. Their legs are haphazardly tangled with the blankets. Felix groans. "Oh Law, that made my head hurt." He says quietly into Max's neck.
Max chuckles, turns Felix back onto his other side, Felix's back to Max's chest, and wraps his arms around Felix, resting his head atop Felix's. "Get some sleep, I'll wake you up, and I'll get you some water once you fall back asleep. And we'll talk about this later."
"Nuh-uh. You're not leavin, I just got comfy."
"Go to sleep Felix, I'll be here when you wake."
And so he does.
—---------
Felix wakes sometime in the future, he's not quite sure if it's been hours or a single hour, but he rises from the bed nonetheless. Max is curled around him, and prying him off doesn't wake the Vicar, though he does grumble and snore in his sleep. It's endearing really, he's just as grumpy asleep as he is awake. Felix picks up his clothes from the neat pile sitting on the chair, opting for his pants, he's coming back anyways, he supposes.
On the way to the bathroom he notes the closed doors and mellow lighting, it still must be around the ship's version of early morning still, despite Max saying it was morning. Then again, what was Max doing up so early? Or rather, how late did Felix stumble in? Does he always get up so early? He brushes his teeth and gulps down a large amount of water, splashing his face and combing through his hair. He steels himself in the mirror, and walks straight back to Max's quarters, lights still dim. Felix disrobes again, sliding into the tiny crew sized bed, already barely fitting one fully grown adult, let alone them both.
"Well good morning." Max says, woken from his slumber.
"Hey."
"Hey yourself." He says back to Felix, kissing his forehead.
"So…"
"Yes?"
"We're still on the same page right?"
Max raises his brow. "I would hope so." He scoots closer into Felix's space, pressing chest to chest, wrapping his arm over the other man, trailing it down his spine. Felix feels a shiver down his spine.
"Hey, don't get me wrong," he looks at Max sheepishly. "I clean up good, but I didn't do the whole get ready special before I climbed back, just did a quick shower."
Max seems confused for a moment, before it clicks. "Oh. Oh."
Felix starts again before Max interrupts him.
"That's alright, you can fuck me instead."
Felix's heart almost stops. Eyes blown wide, blood rushing straight to his groin. "Law, Max, you really get straight to the point, huh?"
Max smiles. "If you're amenable, that is."
Felix kisses Max before he finishes his sentence, licking a stripe into his mouth, rolling into the Vicar's space, entwining their legs. He can feel Max's hands start groping his ass, his once-pinned arm tangling into Felix's hair. Felix pulls back. "Fuck yeah I'm amenable."
"Then get back here."
Felix dives back in, but stops for a moment, pausing. Things clicking into place. "Wait, how'd you know you were gonna have sex?"
Max groans.
"Is this always why you hog the bathroom?!"
Max slaps his hand over Felix's mouth. "Quiet, you'll wake the whole void-damned ship." He sighs, rolls his eyes. "I didn't know I was going to be engaging in intercourse with another person last night-"
"Another person?"
"Felix, for Law's sakes-"
"Oh, for easier cleanup, huh."
"Yes. And yes, that's why it takes me a little bit longer in the restroom, are you happy? May we continue?" Max sounds like his old, constantly snippy self again, but he's looking at Felix with a smile, as if he finds the situation just as funny as Felix does.
"Hey."
"Come here-" Max pulls Felix back down, grinding up and into Felix again, he can feel Max through the layer of his pants, he's warm like a furnace. His skin is soft, little scars littered all over, soft salt and pepper hair hiding swathes of his chest. Felix runs his hands down Max's sides and he shudders.
"Wait." Felix says.
Max actually looks annoyed this time. His face and ears are flushed pink. Felix looks sheepish, kissing his neck, biting gently. He does pull back to his side, slipping his hand into Max's pants, following down his hip bone. "Do Vicars have to take a vow of celibacy? Heard it in an aetherwave once."
"Law, Felix-" he gasps. Max opens his mouth as Felix gets a hand on his dick. "No, Felix. I didn't take a vow of celibacy."
"You didn't? Or is it all Vicars?"
He keeps stroking, Max kisses up Felix's neck. "All of us, ah-is this really important, right now?"
"Call me curious."
"I'll call you whatever Law forsaken name you want if you get your pants off."
Felix laughs, but complies, shimming his pants down and off, before he pulls Max's off too. He wasn't expecting the other man to go commando too, but Max just keeps surprising him more and more. He sits up on his haunches and scoots to the end of the bunk. Max starts to follow, but Felix pushes him back down. "Let me."
Max rolls his eyes, grabs Felix's ankle and yanks, sliding the younger man down the bunk.
"Fuck are you doing?"
"I'm not letting you have all the fun." And Max winks. He fucking winks. Felix's lower legs are hanging off the bunk, but he catches on when Max starts kissing Felix's thighs, meandering around his groin, hands full of Felix's ass. He beats Max to the punch and feels him tense his hands as he drops the foreplay momentarily and takes Max's cock into his mouth. He hears a muffled 'fuck' and feels the breath against his skin as Max mirrors the movement.
"You got lube?"
Max tosses him a tube without a word from underneath his pillow. Felix is almost impressed. He squeezes a decent amount on his hand to warm it up, slips his fingers into Max. The man tenses for a moment, but relaxes. Felix continues at a lazy pace, adding a second and third finger leisurely. The third finger distracts Max enough for him to let Felix's cock slip out of his mouth. He rests his head against Felix's legs, worrying his lower lip between his teeth. His eyes closed tight.
"Can I fuck you?"
"Please." Max nods.
Felix moves and rearranges himself on the bed. Max pulls him down and kisses him, Felix can almost taste himself on Max's tongue.
Max flips them, Felix almost forgets that Max is stronger than he looks. He angles himself above Felix's cock and sinks down slowly, thrusting back up and down until he seats himself fully on Felix's hips, rotating in circle motions slowly. "Shit-Max." Felix lets out.
Max leans down onto his hands, kisses Felix and starts bobbing up and down, slowly from bottom to tip before sinking down hard, Felix takes a moment to compose himself, thinking of the most unsexy thing he can think of until the urge to cum passes momentarily. Max laughs and Felix looks up to Max, his normally well-kept short hair strewn about his forehead, some sweat mottling his brow. "You okay down there?"
Felix grips Max's hips, angling his legs so he can start to thrust up in time with Max. "Yeah, yeah I'm great."
Max laughs.
Felix pulls him down for a kiss, using what leverage he has to start pounding into Max a little harder, trying to set the pace. Max meets him halfway before his face bursts into a grimace.
"Shit, your knee?"
"Yeah."
"C'mon, roll over." Felix rolls him onto his back. "You still-"
"If you ask one more question Felix I swear I will kick you out into the hall naked." He bites out.
"Okay, point very taken." Felix slides back in, bends over Max, grabs his cock and tries to stay in rhythm with his thrusts. Max has his arms thrown around Felix, his breath getting heavier as the moments go on.
"Fuck-Felix."
"Hah-shit, I don't think I'm gonna last much longer."
Max nods, slides pulls Felix's head down into the crook of his neck. "You're doing so good for me-" he groans. "You can cum Felix-"
And Law does he. He bites his lip to try and stay quiet as his hips stutter on a hard thrust, trying hard to keep quiet as stars burst behind his eyelids. He shakes, he can vaguely feel Max's breathing get harder, his hands sliding up and down his back. It takes a moment to reorient himself before his brain cells remember where he is. He kisses Max before he says something else and grabs the lube again, coating his hands and using both to finish Max, and only moments later he feels him tighten, shudder as he erupts. Max's head falls back, accidentally slamming into the sleeper pod walls, he's quieter than Felix, he shudders and shakes before he unclenches. Felix watches in awe 'til Max turns his head back towards him. He's got a smile on his face, the little wrinkles beside his eyes crinkling in delight.
"Ha-shit."
"Yeah, yeah what you said."
Max laughs. "Have I left you speechless?"
Felix snorts. "Yeah. Gimme a minute."
"So-"
"So?" Felix asks hesitantly, still a bit breathless.
"I guess we don't need to talk about this?"
Felix shrugs. "I think I got the point across."
"I-" he pauses. "If you're amenable, when this mission is finished-"
"You're coming with me, right?"
Max laughs softly. "Yes, I will."
"Good, Board ain't gonna topple itself."
"I'd like to do some good in the world. I spent so much of my life chasing after answers, I feel I've wasted a lot of time. But I suppose it led me here, so it couldn't have been all bad."
Felix smiles, a bit bashful. "Don't gotta sweet talk me Max, already got me in bed with you."
"I'd like to continue, if you'll let me.
Felix yawns, stretches. "I think I'd like that."
Max grabs a wipe from near his bed and wipes the ejaculate off of his stomach, grabs another for Felix. He does a perfunctory clean up and launches them in the trash, plopping down and curling up into the other man. Max wraps his arm around Felix, and within moments they both drift off to sleep.