FIC FOR AYAME_HADOUKEN
For: ayame_hadouken
From: kyjr
Title: Nothing
Pairings/Characters: Taguchi Junnosuke/Nakamaru Yuichi
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: A little biting and swearing but that's about it.
Notes: Sci Fi AU. Dear ayame_hadouken, I hope you enjoy this :)
Summary: Nakamaru and Koki have been sent on a mission to find alternative fuels through space, though they didn't expect to find him.
Day 49: Nothing.
Nakamaru stares at the blinking lights on his navigator, the bleak sound of nothing echoing in his ears. Every desolate bleep it emits goes right through him, every tiny green dot that shines just another lot of nothing. Nakamaru sighs and tugs at his uniform looking out to the vastness of Space through the windshield of the SS Ptolemy.
"Yo."
Nakamaru turns to see Koki slide around the corner in what he calls his uniform - a mangled form of it, anyhow. He has his pants rolled up to about his knees and his undershirt is sticking out; his coat is unbuttoned and almost hanging off one arm. Nakamaru can hear his dog tags clattering together from across the room.
"Koki, where are your shoes?" Nakamaru asks, running a hand across his forehead. Koki rocks on his heels and stares down at his socked feet.
"Ueda doesn't wear them, so why should I?" he responds, a cheeky grin on his face. He runs his hands through his unruly black hair - Nakamaru doesn't know why he does that, his hair just falls right back in the same position as soon as he pulls his hands away - and shoulders past Nakamaru to slouch over the controls. "Shit looks bad, huh?"
"Ueda is our boss," Nakamaru says, rolling his eyes a little. "It's different!"
"He wouldn't care if I don't wear shoes," Koki snorts. "He wouldn't care if I were walking around naked, to be honest."
"But Ueda isn't here, and I am in charge of this ship," Nakamaru says. Koki flaps a distracted hand at him and goes to pull a map from the wall. "And as long as you're part of my crew, you will--"
"Part of your crew?" Koki laughs, shaking his head. "I'm your only crew."
"Be that as it may--"
"Nakamaru, pull that stick out of your ass and come help me here," Koki says, residual laughter still tainting his voice. Nakamaru straightens his coat and makes sure his medals are pinned properly and orderly before going to help his slob of a co-captain.
He honestly doesn't know what Ueda was thinking when he paired him up with Tanaka Koki. The man was brilliant, sure; he knew the ins and outs of every sort of cargo ship and scout craft there was. But he didn't know how to take orders, and following orders was what Nakamaru had built his reputation on. Nakamaru was good; he was trustworthy. Koki was all over the place. In quite a few different galaxies.
But he makes the desolate loneliness just a little easier to manage.
Day 52: Nothing.
"Nakamaru Yuichi, of the SS Ptolemy, reporting," he says, clearly and succinctly into the microphone against the wall. There's a crackle and a snap, and a strange whirring noise that Nakamaru has come to associate with his boss.
"Ueda Tatsuya, receiving." The voice is deep and even though the statement is said, it sounds remarkably like it's being mumbled. Yet Nakamaru knows it's not. The soundwaves squeak in high-pitched tones and Nakamaru flinches, hears Ueda swear. "Stupid speakers--"
"Sir?" Nakamaru prods; he wants this over with by the time Koki comes back from doing whatever he said he was going to do. Something about hammering or welding or lazer...ing. Koki speaks incredibly fast when he's excited about fixing things; Nakamaru doesn't have enough patience to ask him to go through it again. Koki looks after the ship, and Nakamaru steers their course and makes sure they don't die. That's the deal. "There's nothing new to report," he states, over the top of Ueda's mutters, mentally going over the notes he'd written himself the night before. "Tanaka and I thought we were onto something on Section Fifteen but it turned out to be a false lead; Tanaka is looking into fixing the equipment now, sir."
"Yes-- Oh," Ueda says, and the crackling fades a little. "How long have you been out?"
"Fifty two days now, sir."
Ueda hisses. "Shit. Do you have enough supplies, or do you need extra?"
"We're running a little low but we can ration," Nakamaru informs, and Ueda hums. No doubt he has his chin in his hand; Nakamaru remembers him doing that as they were studying for exams together back in cadet college. Back when things revolved around essays and star charts and their biggest problem was getting back to the dorms before lock out. Simpler times indeed.
"I'll send out another unit of supplies," Ueda says, and there's a ruffling of papers as he tries to find the right forms. "I don't care if you don't need them; I'm not letting my best friend go without. And don't you dare complain, Nakamaru." His voice is softer now and Nakamaru knows he's leaning in close to the receiver now, so no-one else can hear him.
"I'm sure there are other ships who need the resources more--" Nakamaru tries, but Ueda interrupts.
"That sounds like complaining to me!"
"...Yes, sir."
"There's a good boy," Ueda says, chuckling a little. Nakamaru rolls his eyes. "Be careful out in that section; you know how dangerous that area can be. We lost two ships there three months ago when one of the stars went supanova and didn't register up on their machines, so keep an eye out."
"I know. Thank you, sir."
"Any sign of fuel and you will report immediately," Ueda says, this time louder and with a short clearing of his throat. Nakamaru feels a small smile tug at his lips. "Expect the next cargo shipment in about a week or so."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."
"Ueda Tatsuya, end."
And that's the end of that.
Day 59: Nothing. Are off-course at present with the intentions of righting it as soon as possible.
Nakamaru sighs as he punches in his captain's log, and Koki rolls his eyes. "Sighing makes you old," he drones, his voice muffled from behind his welding mask.
"No, it doesn't," Nakamaru says, and flaps a hand at him. "Why must you do that here? Don't you have a room for that?" he asks, nodding towards the pile of things that Koki is melding together with a blowtorch. Nakamaru doesn't know what they are, just that they're metal and probably have some kind of importance.
Koki looks down at the torch in his hands. "Yes," he answers simply, but continues to weld the metal pieces together in the middle of the cockpit. Nakamaru sighs again.
Sighing won't age him, but living with Koki might.
Day 65: Nothing. Can see remnants of Supernova 340.
The supernova is big and bright and absolutely terrifying, even if it's a few months old. It still burns with a ferocity that scare both Nakamaru and Koki into silence as their ship sneaks past it; it's far enough away to keep out of danger but the very idea of the supernova is enough to quieten even the bravest of men. And neither Nakamaru nor Koki are the bravest of men.
Day 67: Nothing. Back on course.
Days keep dragging on into each other. Planets are planets, stars are stars, and there is still an endless sky in front of them.
Day 70: Nothing.
Nakamaru punches his log in early. He never punches his log in early.
Koki does it all the time.
"What's there to know?" he asks, around a mouthful of chicken drumstick. "Yesterday was nothing, the day before was nothing, and the day before that was nothing. I'm guessing tomorrow is going to be nothing and the day after that, too. And guess what? The day after that'll be a whole lot of stinking nothing." He swallows his bite and goes for a swig of red wine that sloshes down his work overalls, mixing with the grease already present on the material. "It's not exactly rocket science, Yuichi."
So Nakamaru's hope is dwindling. Seventy days of floating through space on a ship that really shouldn't be out here that long sort of makes your hope run out. None of the planets in this section are fit for humans to land; their ancestors had learned that thousands of years ago. The Big Red was the only one, other than the already existing Earth - now called the Waste - but Nakamaru had never been there. His mother had said they were strange folk. Spoke with their arms flailing with crazed red eyes; wore nothing but loin cloths made from the sand.
They sort of sounded like a drunken Koki to Nakamaru.
Nakamaru thinks that if there was any fuel out here that their ancestors had probably exhausted it already - after all, they'd exhausted the Waste's fuels. But he does as he's told and this is what he had been told to do.
It's a rather fruitless journey, really.
Nakamaru continues to punch his log in early.
Day 78: Nothing.
"How do you find joy in this?" Nakamaru asks, perching on a spare stool in Koki's workshop. There are thousands of spare parts and extra screws, all piled upon each other in shelves that stretch up to the roof. They rattle and screech as the ship wobbles a bit - nothing to worry about, it happens a lot with the older models, Koki had assured him on the second day of their flight. That second day seems like it was forever ago, now.
Koki's on the floor, a pained expression on his face as he tries to fix one of the extra defensive forcefields of the ship. Nakamaru thinks he'd pulled it apart just for something to do, to be honest. Who would attack a tiny little ship like theirs? They shouldn't even need forcefields, let alone extra.
"I like it," Koki says simply. "I like pulling things apart and seeing how it fits back together again."
"Yes but... how?" Nakamaru prompts, picking up a rather large spring and rolling it around in his palms.
Koki shrugs, tongue peeking out between his teeth as he concentrates on the forcefield. "It's fun for me," he says eventually, wiping a hand over his forehead. "It calms me. Just like reading books calms you," he adds, and Nakamaru nods. He might not understand completely, but it's better than not understanding at all, he reckons.
Then there's a noise.
"What was that?" Nakamaru asks, straining his ears towards the sound. "Did you hear it?"
"Yeah," Koki says, eyebrows furrowed as he sets his tools down. "No idea what it is thou-- There it is again!"
They fall silent, staring at random points in the room as they listen out for the noise again. It's a steady noise, a high-pitched beep. And again, and again, and again. There are two beeps, one alongside the usual beep of the sensor mapping their location every few seconds. But it's higher, more pointed than the normal beep they can hear. And then it clicks.
Nakamaru's eyes widen the same time Koki flips around to stare at him in disbelief, and then they're up, running as fast as they can towards the cockpit. The beeping becomes louder, more insistent when they stumble through the doorway and Nakamaru quickly makes his way to the control panel, staring down at the green sensor. The usual green dot is accompanied by a new red dot that makes his heart race; when Koki finally joins him he gasps and swears.
"Well... what does that mean? We found fuel?" Koki asks in a low voice. Nakamaru shakes his head, still wide-eyed.
"Red means life," he says quietly. "It means that someone shot up an S.O.S flare. Yellow means we found fuel." He feels his hope slowly disintegrate, feels himself settle back into that empty sort of place he's been in for far too long. Koki groans slightly.
"When the fuck are we gonna--"
"Don't," Nakamaru says tiredly, leaning against the control panel.
Koki makes a sound and crosses his arms. "You gonna go after that, then?" he asks, nodding his head towards the still-beeping red light. Nakamaru sighs.
"I'll ask Ueda tomorrow."
Day 79: S.O.S signal spotted; unsure of exact location. No sign of fuels.
"Nakamaru Yuichi, of the SS Ptolemy, reporting."
"So, have you used my gift yet?" Ueda responds, and he has that cheeky tone to his voice that means trouble for Nakamaru.
"No," he says resolutely, and he can almost hear Ueda rolling his eyes. "And I'm not going to use it. Why would you-- Nevermind." He doesn't like it when he gets unprofessional like this. Ueda chuckles.
"Sure. What did you want, anyway? You barely call unless you need something; we always have to chase you up to make sure you haven't run into any trouble."
"There's an S.O.S signal, sir," Nakamaru says, snapping back into his role. He hears Ueda sit up in his chair.
"All the way out there?"
"Yes, sir. I'm unsure as to whether to engage contact or not."
Ueda hums. "Wait," he says, and then the microphone goes dead. Nakamaru knows he's talking to his superiors, and picks at a loose thread on his uniform as he waits. The speakers crackle to life soon after. "Okay, I'm back. They want you to scope the area, make sure it's safe, then engage contact. Only when it's safe; do you hear me, Nakamaru?"
"Yes, sir."
"Take all the necessary precautions," Ueda adds. "Check the oxygen levels of the planet; gravity, other chemicals, any kinds of--"
"Yes, sir," Nakamaru interrupts pointedly. "I will." Ueda knows he's not stupid, and he knows he'll do the checks. He's just worried.
"Right. Is that all, then?"
"Yes, sir. I was just curious as to what I should do."
"Okay. Report back in when you make contact. Do not, under any circumstances, bring whoever it is back onto your ship without consulting us first. Understood?" Ueda says in a commanding voice.
"Yes, sir." He doesn't want too much to do with these people anyway. He just wants to check it out, make sure it's all fine, and then get back to finding these elusive fuels. Or maybe the higher-ups would take pity on them and send them home.
Home.
"So what're we doing?" Koki asks, popping his head around the corner once Ueda's hung up. "What did he say?"
"Once I find the exact location, I need you to check the levels on the planet these people are on," Nakamaru orders, and Koki nods his understanding. "Then we go and... see for ourselves."
It takes a while to pinpoint the location of the flare; Nakamaru blames the slowing computers of the ship while Koki takes offence and huffs off to another room. "Koki," Nakamaru calls eventually, once a small noise signals it's done; his voice is tight. "Come here."
"What is it?" Koki asks, seeing the image of a grey planet in front of them that the computer had pulled up. "Looks dead."
"It is," Nakamaru says in awe. "It's the Motherland."
"The Waste?" Koki asks, peering closer at it as Nakamaru nods.
"Yeah."
"I didn't realise we were so close to it." Koki prods the image and the screen shimmers and disappears; he turns back around with a sheepish look on his face. "Got the co-ordinates?" he adds hastily, once he sees Nakamaru's darkened expression.
"Yes. They're in the system. Run those checks now."
"Yes, sir."
Day 80: Contact established.
The planet looms in front of them in a mass of grey. It's bigger than Nakamaru had expected, with huge black rivets cutting through its surface and with a sort of luminous quality eminating off it. It's all pollution, really - humans, in their infinite wisdom, had plundered their own planet until it had just about collapsed from exhaustion. But there is just the right amount of oxygen, just the right amount of light.
They carry extra supplies just in case - Nakamaru doesn't trust the radiation readings and so straps on his space suit; it's a little bulky but it's better than dying, he figures. "You embarrass me," Koki sighs as he straps his helmet on. He's chosen to go without the suit. "Dude you squeak when you walk," Koki adds, and Nakamaru shrugs.
"At least I won't die," Nakamaru shouts. He needs to shout in order to be heard at all. Koki just sighs again.
"Let's just hope the people who need rescuing aren't hot girls," he mutters. "Cause you ain't a very effective wingman." Nakamaru wiggles to try to get more comfortable, ignoring Koki's comment.
They land without much fuss - it feels like Nakamaru has forgotten how to land a ship, it's been that long - and Nakamaru's the first one out. It's a desert, or something that bores a remarkable resemblance to one; the sand is a pale grey and feels more like shattered glass underfoot than sand. Not that Nakamaru's ever felt sand. It's not a very nice planet, really.
"Looks like shit," Koki sums up. "Where's this beacon?"
"It should be about a hundred metres due north," Nakamaru says, checking his handheld device. The little red dot is blinking rapidly, screaming for their attention. Nakamaru's suit rattles as he pulls it out of his pocket.
"So embarrassing."
"I trust the older models more," Nakamaru mumbles as he pockets the device.
"Just over this sandhill, then?" Koki says, ignoring Nakamaru completely.
Koki pulls out his portable controls and checks the levels once more, tapping the screen lightly. "The levels out here are fine, you can take that bloody suit off."
"No."
The other side of the sandhill reveals the remains of a small city. The buildings have been smashed to the ground and there's more sand than city but it's still there, surrounded by piles of what seems to be rubbish, or maybe just things unneeded by society. There's half of a spaceship further on, rusted and irrepairable, crashed into the ground thousands of years ago. A small green tent sits innocently to the side, completely still in the windless atmosphere.
"Guess this is the place then," Koki says, and takes his helmet off before throwing Nakamaru a smile and wandering down the sandhill.
Nakamaru's suit clunks when he tries to run after him - clunk clunk clunk - and maybe that's what alerts the stranded human to their presence. It is rather loud.
"Hello!"
It's a man. Quite a tall one; he seems taller than Nakamaru. His hair is jet black and his eyes are crinkled as he shields them from the endless sun; he looks like he's smiling as he exits the tent but Nakamaru can't be sure because of the distance.
"Found him," Koki calls, and Nakamaru rolls his eyes even though he can't see. "Hey! We're here to rescue you. Sort of."
"You guys saw my flare?" the man calls, waving a hand. Koki nods.
"We're here to rescue you!"
"I hope you're here to rescue me!"
"...Yes, that's what I said," Koki grumbles.
"What?"
"Nothing!"
"Get closer," Nakamaru says, and barrels his way past Koki. "Nakamaru Yuichi," he introduces himself, and the man nods and shakes his hand.
"Taguchi Junnosuke," he says. He's wearing a simple shirt and what Nakamaru recognises as cargo shorts; he's also covered in a thin layer of sweat. "Sorry for all of this, but the guys who were meant to pick me up didn't arrive and--"
"Tanaka Koki," Koki interrupts, thrusting his hand into Taguchi's. Taguchi's face lights up with a smile.
"Thanks for answering my signal," he says, running a hand through his hair. "I didn't know if there was going to be anyone around here at all. I thought I'd be stuck here."
"It's fine, but--"
"Do you have a face?" Taguchi asks suddenly, peering into Nakamaru's helmet. "I can't see one."
"It's reflective," Koki says, giving Nakamaru a look. "What're you doing out here anyway?"
"Oh, just finding things," Taguchi says offhandedly. "Let me go get my stuff and I'll come with you."
"Oh-- Just-- We're not--" Nakamaru tries, but Taguchi keeps rattling on ahead.
"--I just have a few things, and I'll need help to take the tent down if you don't mind Tanaka-san," Taguchi calls, and Koki goes obediently. Nakamaru briefly wonders why he's not asked to help before he remembers that he's not actually allowed to bring the other man onto the ship without Ueda's permission.
"Koki, wait--"
"Okay."
"Koki--"
Koki rolls his eyes. "Come on. He's harmless. Look at him, does he look dangerous to you?" Nakamaru peers around him to Taguchi, who is dragging his sleeping bag out of the tent with great difficulty. He falls right onto his ass, laughs at himself, stands back up and dusts himself off before rolling the bag up, still chuckling. Koki has a point.
"But people can--"
"He'll die out here if we leave him now, even if we call Ueda," Koki says seriously. "You know as well as I do that their decisions take a few days. Do you see any food here? Who knows how long he's been without."
Taguchi does look a little thin.
Koki hits something inside Nakamaru, something that overrides his rational side; Koki hits his human heart.
"Fine."
Ueda's gonna be so pissed at him.
Day 80: Contact established. EDIT: Human by the name of Taguchi Junnosuke is now on-board. Does not appear threatening.
"Thought the ship might be a little bigger than this," Taguchi comments as he steps inside, after they push Nakamaru back through the door.
"We're a scouting team, not part of the army or anything," Koki grumbles. Taguchi just nods.
"Scouting what?"
"Yeah," Koki laughs with an added eye roll. "Exactly."
---
"I told you not to let them on board--"
"I know sir, and I listened, but I just--"
"Nakamaru, do you know how much trouble you'll be in?" Ueda hisses, anger evident in his voice.
"I'm not--"
"You'd better hope he doesn't cause any damage to the ship or the mission," Ueda interrupts, voice icy. "If you dock, do not let him off the ship. He's to make no contact with anyone outside of you and Koki--"
"Hello!" Taguchi's wandered into the cockpit, towelling his hair dry after a long-needed shower. "Who are you?" he asks, looking up at the ceiling. "...Where are you?"
Nakamaru can hear Ueda's teeth grinding. "Understand, Nakamaru? He is to be isolated. You will keep on with your mission and report back when you find something. You will continue going on until you do find something." The line goes dead without another word, and Nakamaru is rooted to the spot, staring at the emptiness in front of him.
Before, they had hope. The limit on a journey is a hundred days. But Nakamaru feels that hope harden into a horrid lump of steel and thunder down into his stomach, leaving him breathless. He carefully sits on the floor, drawing his knees up and circling his arms around them, biting his lip as he tries to figure out a way to tell Koki.
They'll be stuck out here until they find something. If they ever do.
"Hey," Taguchi says, and Nakamaru jumps; he's plain forgotten he's here too. "Are you alright?" His tone is sweet and low, and Nakamaru finds himself almost leaning into it. Taguchi crouches in front of him, towel around his neck, and peers at him. "I didn't quite understand what the man in the speakers was saying, but I think it's going to be okay. You'll be okay."
It's not going to be okay; Nakamaru can't see how it's going to be okay. It's stupid and ridiculous and childish to think it's going to be fine.
"Get out," Nakamaru snaps without even looking at him; he's staring at the cold floor of the cockpit.
"Lift your head first," Taguchi murmurs, and Nakamaru does so just to tell him to get out again. "I knew you had a face," he says, and he has this sort of not-smile on his face that calms Nakamaru just a tiny bit. "It's a nice one," he adds, and then he's gone and it's just Nakamaru there, with just the steady beep of the nothing-machine.
Day 83: Nothing.
"So, what were you doing on a planet that no-one has inhabited in thousands of years?" Koki asks, still working on that forcefield. Taguchi watches him as he works, passing him his screwdrivers and wrenches when he calls for them.
Taguchi hums. "I find things. Old things. Watches and saucepans and old battered coins. Those kinds of things," he says.
"You're a Scavenger," Nakamaru supplies as he walks past; they're in the cockpit again, cluttering up Nakamaru's workspace.
"Yes, one of those," Taguchi laughs, and takes the screwdriver Koki passes him. "I collect some, I sell others, and have a great time doing it."
Koki nods as he works. "Sounds cool."
"It is," he says, and Nakamaru tries to drown them out as he inputs new co-ordinates. "It's like searching for buried treasure." Koki laughs at that.
Koki and Taguchi - "Please just call me Junno" - get along like a house on fire. Nakamaru feels a little invisible when the two of them are together; neither of them really seem to notice him. Then again, he doesn't add to the conversation much at all. He's sort of been ignoring Taguchi. Nakamaru doesn't know what it is, but something about him really ticks him off, makes the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
But sometimes when Koki's on one of his rants about whatever he's fixing that day, Taguchi will turn and smile softly at Nakamaru before going back to the conversation, leaving Nakamaru very, very confused.
He ignores those feelings and goes to do something productive, like washing Koki's clothes.
Day 85: Nothing.
Sometimes Taguchi joins Nakamaru in his room, when Koki's working on something and doesn't want to be disturbed. He sits on the floor near Nakamaru's desk chair and reads to himself, old tomes that look like they should be falling apart just by the touch of Taguchi's fingers. In these times, Taguchi doesn't say much, just sits there. Nakamaru doesn't know whether to be glad or disappointed - after all, Taguchi can barely stop talking when he's around Koki. But he's quiet when he's with Nakamaru.
"How long have you guys been out here?" Taguchi asks one day, and Nakamaru jumps at the sound of his voice.
"Around eighty five days," he answers shortly, keeping his place in his own book.
"Shit," Taguchi swears. Then, "You haven't had sex in eighty five days?"
"Wh-What?" Nakamaru splutters, turning to stare at him incredulously. "What're you--"
"Or maybe you have," Taguchi continues, with an annoying smirk on his face. "Is Koki--"
"I will not be spoken to like this--"
"It's been a while, huh?" Taguchi asks, and there's a mocking tone to his voice that Nakamaru hates.
"Out!"
"You know where to find me if you want that fixed," he says with a wink; Nakamaru's eyes widen and Taguchi beams. "See you."
When Taguchi leaves, clicking the door behind him, Nakamaru buries his head in his hands.
Day 90: Nothing.
Koki finds the booze Nakamaru had desperately been trying to hide from him.
"Excuse me?" Koki asks, pushing his way into the cockpit with a few bottles of liquor in his hands. "What is this and why didn't I know about it?"
Nakamaru sighs; he knows what this means. "Ueda sent it in his shipment; I didn't think a party would be the most professional thing to do on a spacecraft." Koki just gives him a look and he already knows he's lost. "Fine, whatever, do what you want."
"Party!"
"Maybe it'll give you some time to unwind, captain," Taguchi says in a low voice as he passes by. "Maybe you'll even have some fun."
"Don't bet on it; Nakamaru's a wet blanket," Koki pipes up, and Nakamaru bristles.
"Hey!"
"Oh come on, when was the last time you had fun?" Koki laughs, pinning Nakamaru with his stare. He can feel Taguchi's eyes on him, can almost feel the smile on Taguchi's face as he remembers that other conversation.
Nakamaru never answers.
He honestly can't remember.
---
Nakamaru watches Taguchi and Koki take shot after shot, wondering why they keep doing it when they pull such disgusted faces afterwards. It doesn't look like they're enjoying it at all. They keep trying to pull Nakamaru in with them but he flatly refuses, choosing instead to nurse his old scotch.
"This isn't you being fun," Koki says, and plops a glass of something in front of him. "Come on."
Normally Nakamaru would not be goaded into drinking unknown liquors. But Taguchi's standing behind Koki, giving Nakamaru a sort of challenging look as if curious to see if Nakamaru could do it. And he doesn't know why, but that's the thing that makes him reach forward for it. Koki cheers as Nakamaru downs the drink in a few long sips, eventually slamming the glass back onto the table. "There," he pants, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Happy now?" The drink was awful, all bitter and hot, burning his throat as it went down.
"Not happy 'til you're drunk," Koki grins devilishly, mixing up another drink for him. This one is brown and sloshes a bit in the glass as Koki stirs, and Nakamaru eyes it cautiously. He's not the heaviest drinker, preferring to drink only when necessary - important functions, lonely Thursday nights back home - and doesn't hold his alcohol well.
"No, I must--"
Koki sighs. "What you 'must' do is relax for two seconds," he says. "Let your hair down, and all that."
"He's right, Nakamaru," Taguchi pipes up, with that voice like honey. "You seem to be stressed. Let it wash away."
"You don't get to tell me what to do," Nakamaru grumbles, and snatches the drink from Koki. "I am not going to be the only one drinking here though." The other two scramble for their own drinks at the commanding tone in Nakamaru's voice.
"Cheers," Taguchi offers, and the three clink glasses before throwing down their drinks. Nakamaru squints at the taste - the drink tastes how it looks. Sort of brown, and not very nice.
"Have you found any decent drinks yet?" Nakamaru grumbles, and Koki hits him over the head.
"This is all we have. Just be thankful!"
The night drags on and the alcohol starts affecting Nakamaru's body. He can almost feel it swirling inside him, clouding his brain and hindering his thought processes. He doesn't particularly like the feeling of being drunk, doesn't like not knowing what he'll do next. But he must admit... it is rather liberating.
But he's finding Taguchi very attractive right now, and that's not okay. Maybe a little okay. He doesn't know; his mind is all over the place. Maybe it's okay and maybe it isn't. Maybe he should have another drink, yes! Yes, that one is a good idea. Hurrah to good ideas. Nakamaru doesn't know why Taguchi's laughing at him.
"What?" he asks, and Taguchi just shakes his head.
"You're so far gone, man," he laughs. Nakamaru nods and the room spins with him, and he topples off his chair. "You okay--?"
"Woah-- Are you alright?" Nakamaru asks him from the floor. Taguchi just grins.
"Yeah, I'm fine. You're not hurt though are you?"
"Why would I be hurt? I'm fine here. It's quite a lovely place."
"The floor?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
"Where is that Tanaka fellow?" Nakamaru asks, a little too loudly. "Shhh," he tells himself, and ignores Taguchi's fond chuckles.
"He's getting you some water," he explains. "He forgot you couldn't handle your drinks."
"I can handle them just fine," Nakamaru argues, taking hold of a glass. "Look, see? Handling it."
"I think that's enough for you." Koki quickly swaps the glass in Nakamaru's hand for the water he had brought from the kitchen and sits down next to Taguchi. "Why are you on the floor?"
"You all told me to drink, so I drank!" Nakamaru yelps. "And now you're telling me to stop? But I'm having fun," he whines, quickly getting distracted by the sloshing of the water in the glass. Koki and Taguchi share a look.
Day 91: Nothing.
Oh, ouch.
Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch fucking ouch, ouch.
"Good morning sunshine," Taguchi chirps as Nakamaru collapses into the cockpit, holding his head in his hands.
"No."
Day 93: Nothing.
Taguchi needs to stop being everywhere. Whenever Nakamaru moves, Taguchi is there with his kind eyes and handsome face, and he needs to stop that.
Nakamaru sends him to clean the space algae off the side of the ship.
Day 94: Nothing.
"Anything new today?" Koki sighs, perching himself down next to Nakamaru and playing with an old gold chain that Taguchi had given him. "Anything at all?"
"No." Nakamaru echoes Koki's sigh. "The usual nothing."
"I'm so bored."
"Me too."
Day 97: Nothing.
The asteroid cluster is unexpected.
The first one hits suddenly, sending them all sprawling onto the deck. "What the heck?" Koki swears, leaping back up to check his monitors. "They're all clear! There shouldn't be anything here."
"Well, there is," Nakamaru snaps, already climbing into his seat and taking hold of the wheel. "Bring up the forcefield; make sure the cannons are loaded and ready," he orders. Koki actually salutes before rushing off to do just that, leaving Taguchi alone with him. "Strap yourself in; there's more where that came from," Nakamaru murmurs, because Taguchi's right next to him, peering out at the pitch black sky.
"Maybe next time," Taguchi says with a smirk, and slides into the seat next to him. "I've been caught here before, let me show you what I can do."
Nakamaru stares. "There is no way I'm letting you--" Another asteroid hits with a horrid thud; Nakamaru and Taguchi are both thrown forward, jerked back only by their belts that strap them to their chairs. It makes Nakamaru's neck ache; when he turns to the side, Taguchi is rubbing his own gingerly.
"That was some bump," Taguchi grimaces. Nakamaru's already pulling at the intercom, pressing the buttons frantically.
"Koki, are you alright?" he calls, but static is all that responds. "Koki? Tanaka!"
The static pops. "'m here," Koki says faintly; Nakamaru can feel relief wash over him like a cool wave. Next to him, Taguchi breathes a sigh.
"Is everything alright?"
"Th... Forcefields didn't go off... time. 'S okay... Reboot... soon. I'll stay... on. Talk lat...er," Koki says, static cutting through his sentences. He cuts the line when Nakamaru murmurs his assent.
So much for not needing forcefields.
"Seriously Nakamaru, let me help," Taguchi says, when they can finally see the asteroids heading towards them. "I know this area."
Nakamaru feels a little torn - he is the captain of this ship, he should steer it clear, he should keep them safe. Then again, he's not too sure of what could happen, and it really seems like Taguchi knows what he's doing.
"You're sure?" Nakamaru asks, taking his eyes off the asteroids speeding towards them; they can hear the smaller ones hit the ship and bounce off again. "Are you really sure?"
"Yes, sir," Taguchi says seriously, and there's no trace of his usual smile, no trace of any sort of joke, and it's then that Nakamaru truly gives him all his trust.
"Then lead us out of here."
The controls switch easily and soon Taguchi is holding onto the wheel, confidence oozing out of him as he stares ahead. "I heard you talking to Koki about cannons?" Nakamaru nods, holding onto his seat as Taguchi swerves around another asteroid.
"Quantum cannons - two of them either side of the ship," he informs, and Taguchi nods to show he's listening. "I had Koki enable them; if you need to use them you need to charge them first."
"You can do that for me," Taguchi orders, and although Nakamaru isn't used to taking orders from others on his own ship, he does as he's told. He reaches across the control panel to push two levers up until they can't go any further, then presses a few buttons until they hear a whirring. "Good. Just one more thing," Taguchi adds, and leans over to press a kiss against Nakamaru's cheek.
"What--"
"For good luck," Taguchi says nonchalantly as he turns back to steer.
"Who does that for good luck?" Nakamaru snaps, though he really doesn't mind all that much. It's just a tiny kiss, after all. A tiny, tiny, tiny kiss that is definitely not making Nakamaru's stomach flutter uncomfortably. This is not the time.
"I do," Taguchi states, and swerves again. "Hold on! Tell Koki to get somewhere safe."
Nakamaru tells Koki through the intercom. "Forcefields are working now, sir," Koki says; he's in his room now so the static has decreased considerably. "They should come into effect any moment now."
"Good. Buckle up."
Taguchi drives like a crazy man. He swerves and dodges without warning or finesse, and it gets harder and harder for Nakamaru to hold on properly. His neck aches with every action, every movement, and there's hardly any time to breathe in between turns. "How're you holding up?" Taguchi asks with a laugh, noticing Nakamaru's troubles.
"Shut up and don't kill us," Nakamaru manages to say; he's feeling rather queasy at the moment. Koki calls in over the intercom.
"Can-- We-- Stop-- Now?" he calls; it sounds like he's bouncing from the force of the ship moving so much.
"Not yet-- We're almost there though, I can see the end," Nakamaru answers, and quickly hangs up because he can't talk and hold on at the same time. Taguchi whoops as they pass by another asteroid, cackling when they graze right past it.
"Close one!" he laughs.
"You're mad!" Nakamaru screeches, and Taguchi grins.
"Quite possibly!" Taguchi answers. "But it's so much more fun than being normal."
Another asteroid hits the side of the ship and Taguchi swears. "Oops, forgot about the cannons," he laughs. "Could you possibly deploy them for me?"
"Yes, sir," Nakamaru finds himself saying, and it shocks Taguchi as much as it shocks himself.
"You just--"
"Yes, yes, there are more pressing matters at hand," Nakamaru snaps, waving his hand in the air. Taguchi nods and goes back to driving carelessly as Nakamaru flips a switch and presses a small green button; they hear the cannons go off together with a faint bang. "Deployed."
The cannons hit a few asteroids that are in their path, blasting them into balls of fire that disappear before their eyes, blazing up the sky in fireworks of red and orange and yellow. "Yes!" Taguchi shouts excitedly, pumping a fist into the air as they shoot past the flames. Nakamaru manages a small nervous chuckle as his fingers tighten on his seat. His knuckles are white.
"Almost there," Taguchi calls, and Nakamaru just nods weakly. There's a turn, a dip, a quick slip to the left and then some kind of semi-roll that makes Nakamaru's head spin and his stomach turn and then they're out, speeding through the last few asteroids. "And we're out!"
Nakamaru breathes a sigh of relief as the ship slows down and the rocking stops; Taguchi makes sure they're far enough away from the cluster so no stray asteroids can hit before punching in the autopilot and leaning back in the seat. He has a self-satisfied grin on his face.
"Was that good enough for you?" Taguchi asks in a low voice, turning to face Nakamaru, who is gingerly removing his fingers from the seat.
"Yes," he says, voice shaking a little. "Yes, that was most satisfactory. Thank you." He means it.
Taguchi laughs. "No problem," he says, sighing.
"I think... I'll go have a lie down," Nakamaru says unsteadily, and Taguchi nods at him when he passes. He makes a beeline for Koki's room, where the other is lying in bed with his headphones on, and continues on to his own room. It's dark in here when he doesn't turn the lights on, but he keeps a small night-light on in the corner that emits just the right amount of light to help him sleep.
He's not yet asleep when his door creaks open.
"Koki?" he mumbles, as the bed dips with the added weight of another person.
"Good try," says that voice of honey, "But guess again."
And then Taguchi is kissing him, his hands by either side of Nakamaru's head as he crawls onto the bed properly, his body hovering above his. Nakamaru pulls away, shocked and confused and gasping, to glare up at him. "What was that--"
"Those kinds of things make me horny," Taguchi shrugs in the dark. "And you were my good luck charm."
"So?"
"So I think I should repay you," he says, and fuck it all if Nakamaru's not turned on by that voice of his.
He hasn't had sex in a long time; has been craving the attention of another for a while now. Wants to love, needs to be loved. Maybe this isn't going to be love, exactly, but it's the damn closest thing he has right now.
"Fine," Nakamaru says, hesitantly looping his arms around Taguchi's broad shoulders. "Repay me."
"Is that what they're calling it these days?" Taguchi jokes, but Nakamaru presses a shaky kiss to the corner of his mouth and he shuts up in favour of deepening it, turning his head and pressing his tongue along Nakamaru's lips. It feels good, so good, to be in Taguchi's hold, to have his mouth on his.
Nakamaru makes a faint sound in the back of his throat and Taguchi smirks against his lips, pulling away just enough to say, "I knew I was good."
"Stop talking," Nakamaru mutters, tugging at Taguchi's shirt. He gets the hint and tears it off to reveal black tattoos covering his torso in thick lines, almost map-like. Nakamaru can't see much in the limited light but it sends shivers down his spine; the lines cut and curve around Taguchi's form in a way that Nakamaru had no idea he liked. "What're these?" he asks, running his hand over them before he realises what he's doing.
"Marks from my time with the people on The Big Red," Taguchi answers, pulling the sheets off Nakamaru's bed. "They're wonderful artists."
"You've been t-to-- The B-Big Red?" Nakamaru stutters, face flushing red as Taguchi licks down his neck leaving a trail of tiny bites as he goes.
Taguchi laughs against his skin and Nakamaru feels it echo through his body. "Only for a month or so," he answers, unbuttoning Nakamaru's pyjama shirt. "These are so sexy," he adds with a wide grin.
"I thought I told you to stop talking," Nakamaru groans, pulling Taguchi down for another kiss.
"You did, and then you started asking questions, and it's rude to not answer questions," Taguchi answers, working on getting his own pants undone as Nakamaru shrugs out of his shirt and throws it to the floor. "I like it better when you don't give directions," he adds, almost as an afterthought.
Nakamaru pauses, looking up at him - he can't see much, but the small amount of light shows a genuine expression on Taguchi's face. "Me too, to be honest," he says softly, and Taguchi kisses his collarbone. "I mean, I like being captain, but outside of that it's kind of a pain, and there isn't too much time on a ship where you can stop being a captain, y'know?"
"Okay, I think it's time for you to stop talking now," Taguchi says, and Nakamaru shuts up. "That's better."
Taguchi's pants are the next to go, followed by Nakamaru's; they fall in a heap on the floor. Taguchi kisses him again, one hand on the back of his neck and one hand teasing him, pulling down the waistband of his boxers and dipping his fingers inside just to get Nakamaru to react. He pushes his hips up unconsciously, seeking friction, and he hadn't even realised he was this excited. Nakamaru sighs when Taguchi finally wraps his fingers around him, stroking him steadily, making him feel like fire all over.
Their boxers disappear next. Nakamaru runs his hands over Taguchi's back, over his arms, over his chest and stomach that are deliciously muscular. Taguchi pulls away then, looking down at him, and smiles.
"You know... you look really good right now," he says, and his voice is lower than Nakamaru's ever heard it before. "Shit-- I just wanna eat you," he continues, and somehow even that sends Nakamaru into a quivering mess. "Do you have... stuff?" Taguchi asks, and Nakamaru flushes even more.
"Y-Yeah, hang on..."
He climbs out from under Taguchi, who proceeds to lie sideways and watch Nakamaru pad around the room naked. It's very disconcerting. "Stop that," he hisses, pulling at drawers and pushing things around to find that joke gift Ueda had given him on that shipment.
"Can't help it," Taguchi responds lazily. "You've got a cute butt."
"I-- I do not!"
"You do."
"Stop talking about my butt," Nakamaru whispers angrily, finally finding what he needs and heading back to the bed.
"Aw," Taguchi fakes, pulling Nakamaru in as he climbs onto the bed. "But I like it."
"Seriously, stop." Nakamaru drops the condom and lube onto the bed in front of Taguchi; they kiss again, tongue and teeth and more bite than kiss really, but it makes Nakamaru moan loudly and it seems that's what Taguchi had wanted.
"Pretty," Taguchi whispers, and Nakamaru's stomach flutters a little. He'd always been weak to those sorts of compliments.
"How do you want this?" Nakamaru asks, his hands on Taguchi's waist as he leans in and kisses his jaw.
"You on your back, just like before," Taguchi whispers. "I want to see you come apart."
Nakamaru's on his back so fast it's a little embarrassing but he doesn't care because Taguchi is fitting himself between Nakamaru's knees, his eyes dark and wanting. "Done this before?" Taguchi asks.
"Possibly."
Once.
He jumps when there are slick fingers at his entrance, his knees automatically rising as Taguchi pushes a finger in. But he feels exposed and sort of embarrassed and he wants Taguchi up here with him so he holds an arm out and pulls at what he can reach - the ends of Taguchi's fringe. Taguchi looks up with confused eyes that settle into amusement; he rises up carefully and presses a kiss to Nakamaru's lips lightly. "It'll be okay."
"I know that," Nakamaru snaps. "Hurry up."
"Oh."
Taguchi's tongue is hot in his mouth as he chases it with his own; his muscles constrict and shift under his tattoed skin and Nakamaru feels it all with his palms roaming his body. He manages to get a hand around Taguchi's erection and drinks down the moans he voices, one hand in his hair as he pulls him closer. Another finger is added and Nakamaru feels the stretch now but it's not so bad; he's soon canting his hips down for more more more and Taguchi takes pity on him, gently inserting a third finger. This one burns a little but Taguchi is there kissing his collarbone and stroking him again and it turns into a good kind of a burn, the burn that fuels him on.
"Now," Nakamaru says through clenched teeth, holding back a moan. Taguchi prepares himself quickly and settles back between Nakamaru's legs; he lifts one and presses a kiss to the inside of Nakamaru's knee before setting it around his waist.
He presses in slowly, eyes locked on Nakamaru's. "Alright?" he asks in a tight voice, once he's completely inside him, and Nakamaru can't voice his thoughts right now so he just gives a small nod. He feels full, so full, and this is actually happening now, him and Taguchi, and they're having sex, oh god--
Oh god.
Taguchi pulls out and thrusts back in, creating a steady rhythm that has Nakamaru clutching the sheets tight in his hands. Taguchi wraps his fingers back around Nakamaru's erection and they moan at the same time, blindly reaching out to kiss each other breathlessly. It's a series of short kisses, one two three four, punctuated by tiny little gasps and moans as Taguchi continues to move his hips.
He hits something inside Nakamaru that has him arching his back and finally voicing that loud moan he had been trying to hide; Taguchi hisses and thrusts just a little harder. They're a mess now, the both of them, moving in sync but yet not quite, panting and gasping and groaning together.
Nakamaru comes embarrassingly fast, a short groan signalling his orgasm and Taguchi pushes through it as he constricts around his member, thrusting a few more times before coming himself.
He pulls out gingerly and ties the condom off, throwing it into the basket he'd noticed before. Nakamaru grabs for Taguchi's shoulders again, pulling him down to the bed; he's all warm and sticky but it's a nice sort of feeling. They're still panting but it's mixed with laughter now, because all of this is ridiculous and messed up and there's nothing to do but laugh.
"I can't believe we just did that," Nakamaru murmurs, feeling sleep already trying to overcome him. Taguchi winds an arm around his waist and draws him closer.
"Yeah," he answers softly. Then, "Mind if we do that again some time?"
"...I think that'd be alright," Nakamaru says, feeling this stupid happiness course through him.
Taguchi is warm and comfortable and Nakamaru is warm and comfortable and they're almost about to drift off to sleep before Koki bangs on the door.
"You two finished doing the dirty in there?" he yells through the metal door.
Nakamaru feels his face flush again and he stammers, "W-We weren't--"
"Yes, we're all done," Taguchi answers, and Nakamaru elbows him. "Ouch--"
"I need your help!" Koki continues, ignoring them, and Nakamaru can detect a strange emotion in his voice. Almost like hope, mixed with fright.
"What's wrong?" Nakamaru asks, already up and trying to find his pants.
"There's another beep."
"What--"
"It's yellow."
Day 101: We're going home.
the end
From: kyjr
Title: Nothing
Pairings/Characters: Taguchi Junnosuke/Nakamaru Yuichi
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: A little biting and swearing but that's about it.
Notes: Sci Fi AU. Dear ayame_hadouken, I hope you enjoy this :)
Summary: Nakamaru and Koki have been sent on a mission to find alternative fuels through space, though they didn't expect to find him.
Day 49: Nothing.
Nakamaru stares at the blinking lights on his navigator, the bleak sound of nothing echoing in his ears. Every desolate bleep it emits goes right through him, every tiny green dot that shines just another lot of nothing. Nakamaru sighs and tugs at his uniform looking out to the vastness of Space through the windshield of the SS Ptolemy.
"Yo."
Nakamaru turns to see Koki slide around the corner in what he calls his uniform - a mangled form of it, anyhow. He has his pants rolled up to about his knees and his undershirt is sticking out; his coat is unbuttoned and almost hanging off one arm. Nakamaru can hear his dog tags clattering together from across the room.
"Koki, where are your shoes?" Nakamaru asks, running a hand across his forehead. Koki rocks on his heels and stares down at his socked feet.
"Ueda doesn't wear them, so why should I?" he responds, a cheeky grin on his face. He runs his hands through his unruly black hair - Nakamaru doesn't know why he does that, his hair just falls right back in the same position as soon as he pulls his hands away - and shoulders past Nakamaru to slouch over the controls. "Shit looks bad, huh?"
"Ueda is our boss," Nakamaru says, rolling his eyes a little. "It's different!"
"He wouldn't care if I don't wear shoes," Koki snorts. "He wouldn't care if I were walking around naked, to be honest."
"But Ueda isn't here, and I am in charge of this ship," Nakamaru says. Koki flaps a distracted hand at him and goes to pull a map from the wall. "And as long as you're part of my crew, you will--"
"Part of your crew?" Koki laughs, shaking his head. "I'm your only crew."
"Be that as it may--"
"Nakamaru, pull that stick out of your ass and come help me here," Koki says, residual laughter still tainting his voice. Nakamaru straightens his coat and makes sure his medals are pinned properly and orderly before going to help his slob of a co-captain.
He honestly doesn't know what Ueda was thinking when he paired him up with Tanaka Koki. The man was brilliant, sure; he knew the ins and outs of every sort of cargo ship and scout craft there was. But he didn't know how to take orders, and following orders was what Nakamaru had built his reputation on. Nakamaru was good; he was trustworthy. Koki was all over the place. In quite a few different galaxies.
But he makes the desolate loneliness just a little easier to manage.
Day 52: Nothing.
"Nakamaru Yuichi, of the SS Ptolemy, reporting," he says, clearly and succinctly into the microphone against the wall. There's a crackle and a snap, and a strange whirring noise that Nakamaru has come to associate with his boss.
"Ueda Tatsuya, receiving." The voice is deep and even though the statement is said, it sounds remarkably like it's being mumbled. Yet Nakamaru knows it's not. The soundwaves squeak in high-pitched tones and Nakamaru flinches, hears Ueda swear. "Stupid speakers--"
"Sir?" Nakamaru prods; he wants this over with by the time Koki comes back from doing whatever he said he was going to do. Something about hammering or welding or lazer...ing. Koki speaks incredibly fast when he's excited about fixing things; Nakamaru doesn't have enough patience to ask him to go through it again. Koki looks after the ship, and Nakamaru steers their course and makes sure they don't die. That's the deal. "There's nothing new to report," he states, over the top of Ueda's mutters, mentally going over the notes he'd written himself the night before. "Tanaka and I thought we were onto something on Section Fifteen but it turned out to be a false lead; Tanaka is looking into fixing the equipment now, sir."
"Yes-- Oh," Ueda says, and the crackling fades a little. "How long have you been out?"
"Fifty two days now, sir."
Ueda hisses. "Shit. Do you have enough supplies, or do you need extra?"
"We're running a little low but we can ration," Nakamaru informs, and Ueda hums. No doubt he has his chin in his hand; Nakamaru remembers him doing that as they were studying for exams together back in cadet college. Back when things revolved around essays and star charts and their biggest problem was getting back to the dorms before lock out. Simpler times indeed.
"I'll send out another unit of supplies," Ueda says, and there's a ruffling of papers as he tries to find the right forms. "I don't care if you don't need them; I'm not letting my best friend go without. And don't you dare complain, Nakamaru." His voice is softer now and Nakamaru knows he's leaning in close to the receiver now, so no-one else can hear him.
"I'm sure there are other ships who need the resources more--" Nakamaru tries, but Ueda interrupts.
"That sounds like complaining to me!"
"...Yes, sir."
"There's a good boy," Ueda says, chuckling a little. Nakamaru rolls his eyes. "Be careful out in that section; you know how dangerous that area can be. We lost two ships there three months ago when one of the stars went supanova and didn't register up on their machines, so keep an eye out."
"I know. Thank you, sir."
"Any sign of fuel and you will report immediately," Ueda says, this time louder and with a short clearing of his throat. Nakamaru feels a small smile tug at his lips. "Expect the next cargo shipment in about a week or so."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."
"Ueda Tatsuya, end."
And that's the end of that.
Day 59: Nothing. Are off-course at present with the intentions of righting it as soon as possible.
Nakamaru sighs as he punches in his captain's log, and Koki rolls his eyes. "Sighing makes you old," he drones, his voice muffled from behind his welding mask.
"No, it doesn't," Nakamaru says, and flaps a hand at him. "Why must you do that here? Don't you have a room for that?" he asks, nodding towards the pile of things that Koki is melding together with a blowtorch. Nakamaru doesn't know what they are, just that they're metal and probably have some kind of importance.
Koki looks down at the torch in his hands. "Yes," he answers simply, but continues to weld the metal pieces together in the middle of the cockpit. Nakamaru sighs again.
Sighing won't age him, but living with Koki might.
Day 65: Nothing. Can see remnants of Supernova 340.
The supernova is big and bright and absolutely terrifying, even if it's a few months old. It still burns with a ferocity that scare both Nakamaru and Koki into silence as their ship sneaks past it; it's far enough away to keep out of danger but the very idea of the supernova is enough to quieten even the bravest of men. And neither Nakamaru nor Koki are the bravest of men.
Day 67: Nothing. Back on course.
Days keep dragging on into each other. Planets are planets, stars are stars, and there is still an endless sky in front of them.
Day 70: Nothing.
Nakamaru punches his log in early. He never punches his log in early.
Koki does it all the time.
"What's there to know?" he asks, around a mouthful of chicken drumstick. "Yesterday was nothing, the day before was nothing, and the day before that was nothing. I'm guessing tomorrow is going to be nothing and the day after that, too. And guess what? The day after that'll be a whole lot of stinking nothing." He swallows his bite and goes for a swig of red wine that sloshes down his work overalls, mixing with the grease already present on the material. "It's not exactly rocket science, Yuichi."
So Nakamaru's hope is dwindling. Seventy days of floating through space on a ship that really shouldn't be out here that long sort of makes your hope run out. None of the planets in this section are fit for humans to land; their ancestors had learned that thousands of years ago. The Big Red was the only one, other than the already existing Earth - now called the Waste - but Nakamaru had never been there. His mother had said they were strange folk. Spoke with their arms flailing with crazed red eyes; wore nothing but loin cloths made from the sand.
They sort of sounded like a drunken Koki to Nakamaru.
Nakamaru thinks that if there was any fuel out here that their ancestors had probably exhausted it already - after all, they'd exhausted the Waste's fuels. But he does as he's told and this is what he had been told to do.
It's a rather fruitless journey, really.
Nakamaru continues to punch his log in early.
Day 78: Nothing.
"How do you find joy in this?" Nakamaru asks, perching on a spare stool in Koki's workshop. There are thousands of spare parts and extra screws, all piled upon each other in shelves that stretch up to the roof. They rattle and screech as the ship wobbles a bit - nothing to worry about, it happens a lot with the older models, Koki had assured him on the second day of their flight. That second day seems like it was forever ago, now.
Koki's on the floor, a pained expression on his face as he tries to fix one of the extra defensive forcefields of the ship. Nakamaru thinks he'd pulled it apart just for something to do, to be honest. Who would attack a tiny little ship like theirs? They shouldn't even need forcefields, let alone extra.
"I like it," Koki says simply. "I like pulling things apart and seeing how it fits back together again."
"Yes but... how?" Nakamaru prompts, picking up a rather large spring and rolling it around in his palms.
Koki shrugs, tongue peeking out between his teeth as he concentrates on the forcefield. "It's fun for me," he says eventually, wiping a hand over his forehead. "It calms me. Just like reading books calms you," he adds, and Nakamaru nods. He might not understand completely, but it's better than not understanding at all, he reckons.
Then there's a noise.
"What was that?" Nakamaru asks, straining his ears towards the sound. "Did you hear it?"
"Yeah," Koki says, eyebrows furrowed as he sets his tools down. "No idea what it is thou-- There it is again!"
They fall silent, staring at random points in the room as they listen out for the noise again. It's a steady noise, a high-pitched beep. And again, and again, and again. There are two beeps, one alongside the usual beep of the sensor mapping their location every few seconds. But it's higher, more pointed than the normal beep they can hear. And then it clicks.
Nakamaru's eyes widen the same time Koki flips around to stare at him in disbelief, and then they're up, running as fast as they can towards the cockpit. The beeping becomes louder, more insistent when they stumble through the doorway and Nakamaru quickly makes his way to the control panel, staring down at the green sensor. The usual green dot is accompanied by a new red dot that makes his heart race; when Koki finally joins him he gasps and swears.
"Well... what does that mean? We found fuel?" Koki asks in a low voice. Nakamaru shakes his head, still wide-eyed.
"Red means life," he says quietly. "It means that someone shot up an S.O.S flare. Yellow means we found fuel." He feels his hope slowly disintegrate, feels himself settle back into that empty sort of place he's been in for far too long. Koki groans slightly.
"When the fuck are we gonna--"
"Don't," Nakamaru says tiredly, leaning against the control panel.
Koki makes a sound and crosses his arms. "You gonna go after that, then?" he asks, nodding his head towards the still-beeping red light. Nakamaru sighs.
"I'll ask Ueda tomorrow."
Day 79: S.O.S signal spotted; unsure of exact location. No sign of fuels.
"Nakamaru Yuichi, of the SS Ptolemy, reporting."
"So, have you used my gift yet?" Ueda responds, and he has that cheeky tone to his voice that means trouble for Nakamaru.
"No," he says resolutely, and he can almost hear Ueda rolling his eyes. "And I'm not going to use it. Why would you-- Nevermind." He doesn't like it when he gets unprofessional like this. Ueda chuckles.
"Sure. What did you want, anyway? You barely call unless you need something; we always have to chase you up to make sure you haven't run into any trouble."
"There's an S.O.S signal, sir," Nakamaru says, snapping back into his role. He hears Ueda sit up in his chair.
"All the way out there?"
"Yes, sir. I'm unsure as to whether to engage contact or not."
Ueda hums. "Wait," he says, and then the microphone goes dead. Nakamaru knows he's talking to his superiors, and picks at a loose thread on his uniform as he waits. The speakers crackle to life soon after. "Okay, I'm back. They want you to scope the area, make sure it's safe, then engage contact. Only when it's safe; do you hear me, Nakamaru?"
"Yes, sir."
"Take all the necessary precautions," Ueda adds. "Check the oxygen levels of the planet; gravity, other chemicals, any kinds of--"
"Yes, sir," Nakamaru interrupts pointedly. "I will." Ueda knows he's not stupid, and he knows he'll do the checks. He's just worried.
"Right. Is that all, then?"
"Yes, sir. I was just curious as to what I should do."
"Okay. Report back in when you make contact. Do not, under any circumstances, bring whoever it is back onto your ship without consulting us first. Understood?" Ueda says in a commanding voice.
"Yes, sir." He doesn't want too much to do with these people anyway. He just wants to check it out, make sure it's all fine, and then get back to finding these elusive fuels. Or maybe the higher-ups would take pity on them and send them home.
Home.
"So what're we doing?" Koki asks, popping his head around the corner once Ueda's hung up. "What did he say?"
"Once I find the exact location, I need you to check the levels on the planet these people are on," Nakamaru orders, and Koki nods his understanding. "Then we go and... see for ourselves."
It takes a while to pinpoint the location of the flare; Nakamaru blames the slowing computers of the ship while Koki takes offence and huffs off to another room. "Koki," Nakamaru calls eventually, once a small noise signals it's done; his voice is tight. "Come here."
"What is it?" Koki asks, seeing the image of a grey planet in front of them that the computer had pulled up. "Looks dead."
"It is," Nakamaru says in awe. "It's the Motherland."
"The Waste?" Koki asks, peering closer at it as Nakamaru nods.
"Yeah."
"I didn't realise we were so close to it." Koki prods the image and the screen shimmers and disappears; he turns back around with a sheepish look on his face. "Got the co-ordinates?" he adds hastily, once he sees Nakamaru's darkened expression.
"Yes. They're in the system. Run those checks now."
"Yes, sir."
Day 80: Contact established.
The planet looms in front of them in a mass of grey. It's bigger than Nakamaru had expected, with huge black rivets cutting through its surface and with a sort of luminous quality eminating off it. It's all pollution, really - humans, in their infinite wisdom, had plundered their own planet until it had just about collapsed from exhaustion. But there is just the right amount of oxygen, just the right amount of light.
They carry extra supplies just in case - Nakamaru doesn't trust the radiation readings and so straps on his space suit; it's a little bulky but it's better than dying, he figures. "You embarrass me," Koki sighs as he straps his helmet on. He's chosen to go without the suit. "Dude you squeak when you walk," Koki adds, and Nakamaru shrugs.
"At least I won't die," Nakamaru shouts. He needs to shout in order to be heard at all. Koki just sighs again.
"Let's just hope the people who need rescuing aren't hot girls," he mutters. "Cause you ain't a very effective wingman." Nakamaru wiggles to try to get more comfortable, ignoring Koki's comment.
They land without much fuss - it feels like Nakamaru has forgotten how to land a ship, it's been that long - and Nakamaru's the first one out. It's a desert, or something that bores a remarkable resemblance to one; the sand is a pale grey and feels more like shattered glass underfoot than sand. Not that Nakamaru's ever felt sand. It's not a very nice planet, really.
"Looks like shit," Koki sums up. "Where's this beacon?"
"It should be about a hundred metres due north," Nakamaru says, checking his handheld device. The little red dot is blinking rapidly, screaming for their attention. Nakamaru's suit rattles as he pulls it out of his pocket.
"So embarrassing."
"I trust the older models more," Nakamaru mumbles as he pockets the device.
"Just over this sandhill, then?" Koki says, ignoring Nakamaru completely.
Koki pulls out his portable controls and checks the levels once more, tapping the screen lightly. "The levels out here are fine, you can take that bloody suit off."
"No."
The other side of the sandhill reveals the remains of a small city. The buildings have been smashed to the ground and there's more sand than city but it's still there, surrounded by piles of what seems to be rubbish, or maybe just things unneeded by society. There's half of a spaceship further on, rusted and irrepairable, crashed into the ground thousands of years ago. A small green tent sits innocently to the side, completely still in the windless atmosphere.
"Guess this is the place then," Koki says, and takes his helmet off before throwing Nakamaru a smile and wandering down the sandhill.
Nakamaru's suit clunks when he tries to run after him - clunk clunk clunk - and maybe that's what alerts the stranded human to their presence. It is rather loud.
"Hello!"
It's a man. Quite a tall one; he seems taller than Nakamaru. His hair is jet black and his eyes are crinkled as he shields them from the endless sun; he looks like he's smiling as he exits the tent but Nakamaru can't be sure because of the distance.
"Found him," Koki calls, and Nakamaru rolls his eyes even though he can't see. "Hey! We're here to rescue you. Sort of."
"You guys saw my flare?" the man calls, waving a hand. Koki nods.
"We're here to rescue you!"
"I hope you're here to rescue me!"
"...Yes, that's what I said," Koki grumbles.
"What?"
"Nothing!"
"Get closer," Nakamaru says, and barrels his way past Koki. "Nakamaru Yuichi," he introduces himself, and the man nods and shakes his hand.
"Taguchi Junnosuke," he says. He's wearing a simple shirt and what Nakamaru recognises as cargo shorts; he's also covered in a thin layer of sweat. "Sorry for all of this, but the guys who were meant to pick me up didn't arrive and--"
"Tanaka Koki," Koki interrupts, thrusting his hand into Taguchi's. Taguchi's face lights up with a smile.
"Thanks for answering my signal," he says, running a hand through his hair. "I didn't know if there was going to be anyone around here at all. I thought I'd be stuck here."
"It's fine, but--"
"Do you have a face?" Taguchi asks suddenly, peering into Nakamaru's helmet. "I can't see one."
"It's reflective," Koki says, giving Nakamaru a look. "What're you doing out here anyway?"
"Oh, just finding things," Taguchi says offhandedly. "Let me go get my stuff and I'll come with you."
"Oh-- Just-- We're not--" Nakamaru tries, but Taguchi keeps rattling on ahead.
"--I just have a few things, and I'll need help to take the tent down if you don't mind Tanaka-san," Taguchi calls, and Koki goes obediently. Nakamaru briefly wonders why he's not asked to help before he remembers that he's not actually allowed to bring the other man onto the ship without Ueda's permission.
"Koki, wait--"
"Okay."
"Koki--"
Koki rolls his eyes. "Come on. He's harmless. Look at him, does he look dangerous to you?" Nakamaru peers around him to Taguchi, who is dragging his sleeping bag out of the tent with great difficulty. He falls right onto his ass, laughs at himself, stands back up and dusts himself off before rolling the bag up, still chuckling. Koki has a point.
"But people can--"
"He'll die out here if we leave him now, even if we call Ueda," Koki says seriously. "You know as well as I do that their decisions take a few days. Do you see any food here? Who knows how long he's been without."
Taguchi does look a little thin.
Koki hits something inside Nakamaru, something that overrides his rational side; Koki hits his human heart.
"Fine."
Ueda's gonna be so pissed at him.
Day 80: Contact established. EDIT: Human by the name of Taguchi Junnosuke is now on-board. Does not appear threatening.
"Thought the ship might be a little bigger than this," Taguchi comments as he steps inside, after they push Nakamaru back through the door.
"We're a scouting team, not part of the army or anything," Koki grumbles. Taguchi just nods.
"Scouting what?"
"Yeah," Koki laughs with an added eye roll. "Exactly."
---
"I told you not to let them on board--"
"I know sir, and I listened, but I just--"
"Nakamaru, do you know how much trouble you'll be in?" Ueda hisses, anger evident in his voice.
"I'm not--"
"You'd better hope he doesn't cause any damage to the ship or the mission," Ueda interrupts, voice icy. "If you dock, do not let him off the ship. He's to make no contact with anyone outside of you and Koki--"
"Hello!" Taguchi's wandered into the cockpit, towelling his hair dry after a long-needed shower. "Who are you?" he asks, looking up at the ceiling. "...Where are you?"
Nakamaru can hear Ueda's teeth grinding. "Understand, Nakamaru? He is to be isolated. You will keep on with your mission and report back when you find something. You will continue going on until you do find something." The line goes dead without another word, and Nakamaru is rooted to the spot, staring at the emptiness in front of him.
Before, they had hope. The limit on a journey is a hundred days. But Nakamaru feels that hope harden into a horrid lump of steel and thunder down into his stomach, leaving him breathless. He carefully sits on the floor, drawing his knees up and circling his arms around them, biting his lip as he tries to figure out a way to tell Koki.
They'll be stuck out here until they find something. If they ever do.
"Hey," Taguchi says, and Nakamaru jumps; he's plain forgotten he's here too. "Are you alright?" His tone is sweet and low, and Nakamaru finds himself almost leaning into it. Taguchi crouches in front of him, towel around his neck, and peers at him. "I didn't quite understand what the man in the speakers was saying, but I think it's going to be okay. You'll be okay."
It's not going to be okay; Nakamaru can't see how it's going to be okay. It's stupid and ridiculous and childish to think it's going to be fine.
"Get out," Nakamaru snaps without even looking at him; he's staring at the cold floor of the cockpit.
"Lift your head first," Taguchi murmurs, and Nakamaru does so just to tell him to get out again. "I knew you had a face," he says, and he has this sort of not-smile on his face that calms Nakamaru just a tiny bit. "It's a nice one," he adds, and then he's gone and it's just Nakamaru there, with just the steady beep of the nothing-machine.
Day 83: Nothing.
"So, what were you doing on a planet that no-one has inhabited in thousands of years?" Koki asks, still working on that forcefield. Taguchi watches him as he works, passing him his screwdrivers and wrenches when he calls for them.
Taguchi hums. "I find things. Old things. Watches and saucepans and old battered coins. Those kinds of things," he says.
"You're a Scavenger," Nakamaru supplies as he walks past; they're in the cockpit again, cluttering up Nakamaru's workspace.
"Yes, one of those," Taguchi laughs, and takes the screwdriver Koki passes him. "I collect some, I sell others, and have a great time doing it."
Koki nods as he works. "Sounds cool."
"It is," he says, and Nakamaru tries to drown them out as he inputs new co-ordinates. "It's like searching for buried treasure." Koki laughs at that.
Koki and Taguchi - "Please just call me Junno" - get along like a house on fire. Nakamaru feels a little invisible when the two of them are together; neither of them really seem to notice him. Then again, he doesn't add to the conversation much at all. He's sort of been ignoring Taguchi. Nakamaru doesn't know what it is, but something about him really ticks him off, makes the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
But sometimes when Koki's on one of his rants about whatever he's fixing that day, Taguchi will turn and smile softly at Nakamaru before going back to the conversation, leaving Nakamaru very, very confused.
He ignores those feelings and goes to do something productive, like washing Koki's clothes.
Day 85: Nothing.
Sometimes Taguchi joins Nakamaru in his room, when Koki's working on something and doesn't want to be disturbed. He sits on the floor near Nakamaru's desk chair and reads to himself, old tomes that look like they should be falling apart just by the touch of Taguchi's fingers. In these times, Taguchi doesn't say much, just sits there. Nakamaru doesn't know whether to be glad or disappointed - after all, Taguchi can barely stop talking when he's around Koki. But he's quiet when he's with Nakamaru.
"How long have you guys been out here?" Taguchi asks one day, and Nakamaru jumps at the sound of his voice.
"Around eighty five days," he answers shortly, keeping his place in his own book.
"Shit," Taguchi swears. Then, "You haven't had sex in eighty five days?"
"Wh-What?" Nakamaru splutters, turning to stare at him incredulously. "What're you--"
"Or maybe you have," Taguchi continues, with an annoying smirk on his face. "Is Koki--"
"I will not be spoken to like this--"
"It's been a while, huh?" Taguchi asks, and there's a mocking tone to his voice that Nakamaru hates.
"Out!"
"You know where to find me if you want that fixed," he says with a wink; Nakamaru's eyes widen and Taguchi beams. "See you."
When Taguchi leaves, clicking the door behind him, Nakamaru buries his head in his hands.
Day 90: Nothing.
Koki finds the booze Nakamaru had desperately been trying to hide from him.
"Excuse me?" Koki asks, pushing his way into the cockpit with a few bottles of liquor in his hands. "What is this and why didn't I know about it?"
Nakamaru sighs; he knows what this means. "Ueda sent it in his shipment; I didn't think a party would be the most professional thing to do on a spacecraft." Koki just gives him a look and he already knows he's lost. "Fine, whatever, do what you want."
"Party!"
"Maybe it'll give you some time to unwind, captain," Taguchi says in a low voice as he passes by. "Maybe you'll even have some fun."
"Don't bet on it; Nakamaru's a wet blanket," Koki pipes up, and Nakamaru bristles.
"Hey!"
"Oh come on, when was the last time you had fun?" Koki laughs, pinning Nakamaru with his stare. He can feel Taguchi's eyes on him, can almost feel the smile on Taguchi's face as he remembers that other conversation.
Nakamaru never answers.
He honestly can't remember.
---
Nakamaru watches Taguchi and Koki take shot after shot, wondering why they keep doing it when they pull such disgusted faces afterwards. It doesn't look like they're enjoying it at all. They keep trying to pull Nakamaru in with them but he flatly refuses, choosing instead to nurse his old scotch.
"This isn't you being fun," Koki says, and plops a glass of something in front of him. "Come on."
Normally Nakamaru would not be goaded into drinking unknown liquors. But Taguchi's standing behind Koki, giving Nakamaru a sort of challenging look as if curious to see if Nakamaru could do it. And he doesn't know why, but that's the thing that makes him reach forward for it. Koki cheers as Nakamaru downs the drink in a few long sips, eventually slamming the glass back onto the table. "There," he pants, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Happy now?" The drink was awful, all bitter and hot, burning his throat as it went down.
"Not happy 'til you're drunk," Koki grins devilishly, mixing up another drink for him. This one is brown and sloshes a bit in the glass as Koki stirs, and Nakamaru eyes it cautiously. He's not the heaviest drinker, preferring to drink only when necessary - important functions, lonely Thursday nights back home - and doesn't hold his alcohol well.
"No, I must--"
Koki sighs. "What you 'must' do is relax for two seconds," he says. "Let your hair down, and all that."
"He's right, Nakamaru," Taguchi pipes up, with that voice like honey. "You seem to be stressed. Let it wash away."
"You don't get to tell me what to do," Nakamaru grumbles, and snatches the drink from Koki. "I am not going to be the only one drinking here though." The other two scramble for their own drinks at the commanding tone in Nakamaru's voice.
"Cheers," Taguchi offers, and the three clink glasses before throwing down their drinks. Nakamaru squints at the taste - the drink tastes how it looks. Sort of brown, and not very nice.
"Have you found any decent drinks yet?" Nakamaru grumbles, and Koki hits him over the head.
"This is all we have. Just be thankful!"
The night drags on and the alcohol starts affecting Nakamaru's body. He can almost feel it swirling inside him, clouding his brain and hindering his thought processes. He doesn't particularly like the feeling of being drunk, doesn't like not knowing what he'll do next. But he must admit... it is rather liberating.
But he's finding Taguchi very attractive right now, and that's not okay. Maybe a little okay. He doesn't know; his mind is all over the place. Maybe it's okay and maybe it isn't. Maybe he should have another drink, yes! Yes, that one is a good idea. Hurrah to good ideas. Nakamaru doesn't know why Taguchi's laughing at him.
"What?" he asks, and Taguchi just shakes his head.
"You're so far gone, man," he laughs. Nakamaru nods and the room spins with him, and he topples off his chair. "You okay--?"
"Woah-- Are you alright?" Nakamaru asks him from the floor. Taguchi just grins.
"Yeah, I'm fine. You're not hurt though are you?"
"Why would I be hurt? I'm fine here. It's quite a lovely place."
"The floor?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
"Where is that Tanaka fellow?" Nakamaru asks, a little too loudly. "Shhh," he tells himself, and ignores Taguchi's fond chuckles.
"He's getting you some water," he explains. "He forgot you couldn't handle your drinks."
"I can handle them just fine," Nakamaru argues, taking hold of a glass. "Look, see? Handling it."
"I think that's enough for you." Koki quickly swaps the glass in Nakamaru's hand for the water he had brought from the kitchen and sits down next to Taguchi. "Why are you on the floor?"
"You all told me to drink, so I drank!" Nakamaru yelps. "And now you're telling me to stop? But I'm having fun," he whines, quickly getting distracted by the sloshing of the water in the glass. Koki and Taguchi share a look.
Day 91: Nothing.
Oh, ouch.
Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch fucking ouch, ouch.
"Good morning sunshine," Taguchi chirps as Nakamaru collapses into the cockpit, holding his head in his hands.
"No."
Day 93: Nothing.
Taguchi needs to stop being everywhere. Whenever Nakamaru moves, Taguchi is there with his kind eyes and handsome face, and he needs to stop that.
Nakamaru sends him to clean the space algae off the side of the ship.
Day 94: Nothing.
"Anything new today?" Koki sighs, perching himself down next to Nakamaru and playing with an old gold chain that Taguchi had given him. "Anything at all?"
"No." Nakamaru echoes Koki's sigh. "The usual nothing."
"I'm so bored."
"Me too."
Day 97: Nothing.
The asteroid cluster is unexpected.
The first one hits suddenly, sending them all sprawling onto the deck. "What the heck?" Koki swears, leaping back up to check his monitors. "They're all clear! There shouldn't be anything here."
"Well, there is," Nakamaru snaps, already climbing into his seat and taking hold of the wheel. "Bring up the forcefield; make sure the cannons are loaded and ready," he orders. Koki actually salutes before rushing off to do just that, leaving Taguchi alone with him. "Strap yourself in; there's more where that came from," Nakamaru murmurs, because Taguchi's right next to him, peering out at the pitch black sky.
"Maybe next time," Taguchi says with a smirk, and slides into the seat next to him. "I've been caught here before, let me show you what I can do."
Nakamaru stares. "There is no way I'm letting you--" Another asteroid hits with a horrid thud; Nakamaru and Taguchi are both thrown forward, jerked back only by their belts that strap them to their chairs. It makes Nakamaru's neck ache; when he turns to the side, Taguchi is rubbing his own gingerly.
"That was some bump," Taguchi grimaces. Nakamaru's already pulling at the intercom, pressing the buttons frantically.
"Koki, are you alright?" he calls, but static is all that responds. "Koki? Tanaka!"
The static pops. "'m here," Koki says faintly; Nakamaru can feel relief wash over him like a cool wave. Next to him, Taguchi breathes a sigh.
"Is everything alright?"
"Th... Forcefields didn't go off... time. 'S okay... Reboot... soon. I'll stay... on. Talk lat...er," Koki says, static cutting through his sentences. He cuts the line when Nakamaru murmurs his assent.
So much for not needing forcefields.
"Seriously Nakamaru, let me help," Taguchi says, when they can finally see the asteroids heading towards them. "I know this area."
Nakamaru feels a little torn - he is the captain of this ship, he should steer it clear, he should keep them safe. Then again, he's not too sure of what could happen, and it really seems like Taguchi knows what he's doing.
"You're sure?" Nakamaru asks, taking his eyes off the asteroids speeding towards them; they can hear the smaller ones hit the ship and bounce off again. "Are you really sure?"
"Yes, sir," Taguchi says seriously, and there's no trace of his usual smile, no trace of any sort of joke, and it's then that Nakamaru truly gives him all his trust.
"Then lead us out of here."
The controls switch easily and soon Taguchi is holding onto the wheel, confidence oozing out of him as he stares ahead. "I heard you talking to Koki about cannons?" Nakamaru nods, holding onto his seat as Taguchi swerves around another asteroid.
"Quantum cannons - two of them either side of the ship," he informs, and Taguchi nods to show he's listening. "I had Koki enable them; if you need to use them you need to charge them first."
"You can do that for me," Taguchi orders, and although Nakamaru isn't used to taking orders from others on his own ship, he does as he's told. He reaches across the control panel to push two levers up until they can't go any further, then presses a few buttons until they hear a whirring. "Good. Just one more thing," Taguchi adds, and leans over to press a kiss against Nakamaru's cheek.
"What--"
"For good luck," Taguchi says nonchalantly as he turns back to steer.
"Who does that for good luck?" Nakamaru snaps, though he really doesn't mind all that much. It's just a tiny kiss, after all. A tiny, tiny, tiny kiss that is definitely not making Nakamaru's stomach flutter uncomfortably. This is not the time.
"I do," Taguchi states, and swerves again. "Hold on! Tell Koki to get somewhere safe."
Nakamaru tells Koki through the intercom. "Forcefields are working now, sir," Koki says; he's in his room now so the static has decreased considerably. "They should come into effect any moment now."
"Good. Buckle up."
Taguchi drives like a crazy man. He swerves and dodges without warning or finesse, and it gets harder and harder for Nakamaru to hold on properly. His neck aches with every action, every movement, and there's hardly any time to breathe in between turns. "How're you holding up?" Taguchi asks with a laugh, noticing Nakamaru's troubles.
"Shut up and don't kill us," Nakamaru manages to say; he's feeling rather queasy at the moment. Koki calls in over the intercom.
"Can-- We-- Stop-- Now?" he calls; it sounds like he's bouncing from the force of the ship moving so much.
"Not yet-- We're almost there though, I can see the end," Nakamaru answers, and quickly hangs up because he can't talk and hold on at the same time. Taguchi whoops as they pass by another asteroid, cackling when they graze right past it.
"Close one!" he laughs.
"You're mad!" Nakamaru screeches, and Taguchi grins.
"Quite possibly!" Taguchi answers. "But it's so much more fun than being normal."
Another asteroid hits the side of the ship and Taguchi swears. "Oops, forgot about the cannons," he laughs. "Could you possibly deploy them for me?"
"Yes, sir," Nakamaru finds himself saying, and it shocks Taguchi as much as it shocks himself.
"You just--"
"Yes, yes, there are more pressing matters at hand," Nakamaru snaps, waving his hand in the air. Taguchi nods and goes back to driving carelessly as Nakamaru flips a switch and presses a small green button; they hear the cannons go off together with a faint bang. "Deployed."
The cannons hit a few asteroids that are in their path, blasting them into balls of fire that disappear before their eyes, blazing up the sky in fireworks of red and orange and yellow. "Yes!" Taguchi shouts excitedly, pumping a fist into the air as they shoot past the flames. Nakamaru manages a small nervous chuckle as his fingers tighten on his seat. His knuckles are white.
"Almost there," Taguchi calls, and Nakamaru just nods weakly. There's a turn, a dip, a quick slip to the left and then some kind of semi-roll that makes Nakamaru's head spin and his stomach turn and then they're out, speeding through the last few asteroids. "And we're out!"
Nakamaru breathes a sigh of relief as the ship slows down and the rocking stops; Taguchi makes sure they're far enough away from the cluster so no stray asteroids can hit before punching in the autopilot and leaning back in the seat. He has a self-satisfied grin on his face.
"Was that good enough for you?" Taguchi asks in a low voice, turning to face Nakamaru, who is gingerly removing his fingers from the seat.
"Yes," he says, voice shaking a little. "Yes, that was most satisfactory. Thank you." He means it.
Taguchi laughs. "No problem," he says, sighing.
"I think... I'll go have a lie down," Nakamaru says unsteadily, and Taguchi nods at him when he passes. He makes a beeline for Koki's room, where the other is lying in bed with his headphones on, and continues on to his own room. It's dark in here when he doesn't turn the lights on, but he keeps a small night-light on in the corner that emits just the right amount of light to help him sleep.
He's not yet asleep when his door creaks open.
"Koki?" he mumbles, as the bed dips with the added weight of another person.
"Good try," says that voice of honey, "But guess again."
And then Taguchi is kissing him, his hands by either side of Nakamaru's head as he crawls onto the bed properly, his body hovering above his. Nakamaru pulls away, shocked and confused and gasping, to glare up at him. "What was that--"
"Those kinds of things make me horny," Taguchi shrugs in the dark. "And you were my good luck charm."
"So?"
"So I think I should repay you," he says, and fuck it all if Nakamaru's not turned on by that voice of his.
He hasn't had sex in a long time; has been craving the attention of another for a while now. Wants to love, needs to be loved. Maybe this isn't going to be love, exactly, but it's the damn closest thing he has right now.
"Fine," Nakamaru says, hesitantly looping his arms around Taguchi's broad shoulders. "Repay me."
"Is that what they're calling it these days?" Taguchi jokes, but Nakamaru presses a shaky kiss to the corner of his mouth and he shuts up in favour of deepening it, turning his head and pressing his tongue along Nakamaru's lips. It feels good, so good, to be in Taguchi's hold, to have his mouth on his.
Nakamaru makes a faint sound in the back of his throat and Taguchi smirks against his lips, pulling away just enough to say, "I knew I was good."
"Stop talking," Nakamaru mutters, tugging at Taguchi's shirt. He gets the hint and tears it off to reveal black tattoos covering his torso in thick lines, almost map-like. Nakamaru can't see much in the limited light but it sends shivers down his spine; the lines cut and curve around Taguchi's form in a way that Nakamaru had no idea he liked. "What're these?" he asks, running his hand over them before he realises what he's doing.
"Marks from my time with the people on The Big Red," Taguchi answers, pulling the sheets off Nakamaru's bed. "They're wonderful artists."
"You've been t-to-- The B-Big Red?" Nakamaru stutters, face flushing red as Taguchi licks down his neck leaving a trail of tiny bites as he goes.
Taguchi laughs against his skin and Nakamaru feels it echo through his body. "Only for a month or so," he answers, unbuttoning Nakamaru's pyjama shirt. "These are so sexy," he adds with a wide grin.
"I thought I told you to stop talking," Nakamaru groans, pulling Taguchi down for another kiss.
"You did, and then you started asking questions, and it's rude to not answer questions," Taguchi answers, working on getting his own pants undone as Nakamaru shrugs out of his shirt and throws it to the floor. "I like it better when you don't give directions," he adds, almost as an afterthought.
Nakamaru pauses, looking up at him - he can't see much, but the small amount of light shows a genuine expression on Taguchi's face. "Me too, to be honest," he says softly, and Taguchi kisses his collarbone. "I mean, I like being captain, but outside of that it's kind of a pain, and there isn't too much time on a ship where you can stop being a captain, y'know?"
"Okay, I think it's time for you to stop talking now," Taguchi says, and Nakamaru shuts up. "That's better."
Taguchi's pants are the next to go, followed by Nakamaru's; they fall in a heap on the floor. Taguchi kisses him again, one hand on the back of his neck and one hand teasing him, pulling down the waistband of his boxers and dipping his fingers inside just to get Nakamaru to react. He pushes his hips up unconsciously, seeking friction, and he hadn't even realised he was this excited. Nakamaru sighs when Taguchi finally wraps his fingers around him, stroking him steadily, making him feel like fire all over.
Their boxers disappear next. Nakamaru runs his hands over Taguchi's back, over his arms, over his chest and stomach that are deliciously muscular. Taguchi pulls away then, looking down at him, and smiles.
"You know... you look really good right now," he says, and his voice is lower than Nakamaru's ever heard it before. "Shit-- I just wanna eat you," he continues, and somehow even that sends Nakamaru into a quivering mess. "Do you have... stuff?" Taguchi asks, and Nakamaru flushes even more.
"Y-Yeah, hang on..."
He climbs out from under Taguchi, who proceeds to lie sideways and watch Nakamaru pad around the room naked. It's very disconcerting. "Stop that," he hisses, pulling at drawers and pushing things around to find that joke gift Ueda had given him on that shipment.
"Can't help it," Taguchi responds lazily. "You've got a cute butt."
"I-- I do not!"
"You do."
"Stop talking about my butt," Nakamaru whispers angrily, finally finding what he needs and heading back to the bed.
"Aw," Taguchi fakes, pulling Nakamaru in as he climbs onto the bed. "But I like it."
"Seriously, stop." Nakamaru drops the condom and lube onto the bed in front of Taguchi; they kiss again, tongue and teeth and more bite than kiss really, but it makes Nakamaru moan loudly and it seems that's what Taguchi had wanted.
"Pretty," Taguchi whispers, and Nakamaru's stomach flutters a little. He'd always been weak to those sorts of compliments.
"How do you want this?" Nakamaru asks, his hands on Taguchi's waist as he leans in and kisses his jaw.
"You on your back, just like before," Taguchi whispers. "I want to see you come apart."
Nakamaru's on his back so fast it's a little embarrassing but he doesn't care because Taguchi is fitting himself between Nakamaru's knees, his eyes dark and wanting. "Done this before?" Taguchi asks.
"Possibly."
Once.
He jumps when there are slick fingers at his entrance, his knees automatically rising as Taguchi pushes a finger in. But he feels exposed and sort of embarrassed and he wants Taguchi up here with him so he holds an arm out and pulls at what he can reach - the ends of Taguchi's fringe. Taguchi looks up with confused eyes that settle into amusement; he rises up carefully and presses a kiss to Nakamaru's lips lightly. "It'll be okay."
"I know that," Nakamaru snaps. "Hurry up."
"Oh."
Taguchi's tongue is hot in his mouth as he chases it with his own; his muscles constrict and shift under his tattoed skin and Nakamaru feels it all with his palms roaming his body. He manages to get a hand around Taguchi's erection and drinks down the moans he voices, one hand in his hair as he pulls him closer. Another finger is added and Nakamaru feels the stretch now but it's not so bad; he's soon canting his hips down for more more more and Taguchi takes pity on him, gently inserting a third finger. This one burns a little but Taguchi is there kissing his collarbone and stroking him again and it turns into a good kind of a burn, the burn that fuels him on.
"Now," Nakamaru says through clenched teeth, holding back a moan. Taguchi prepares himself quickly and settles back between Nakamaru's legs; he lifts one and presses a kiss to the inside of Nakamaru's knee before setting it around his waist.
He presses in slowly, eyes locked on Nakamaru's. "Alright?" he asks in a tight voice, once he's completely inside him, and Nakamaru can't voice his thoughts right now so he just gives a small nod. He feels full, so full, and this is actually happening now, him and Taguchi, and they're having sex, oh god--
Oh god.
Taguchi pulls out and thrusts back in, creating a steady rhythm that has Nakamaru clutching the sheets tight in his hands. Taguchi wraps his fingers back around Nakamaru's erection and they moan at the same time, blindly reaching out to kiss each other breathlessly. It's a series of short kisses, one two three four, punctuated by tiny little gasps and moans as Taguchi continues to move his hips.
He hits something inside Nakamaru that has him arching his back and finally voicing that loud moan he had been trying to hide; Taguchi hisses and thrusts just a little harder. They're a mess now, the both of them, moving in sync but yet not quite, panting and gasping and groaning together.
Nakamaru comes embarrassingly fast, a short groan signalling his orgasm and Taguchi pushes through it as he constricts around his member, thrusting a few more times before coming himself.
He pulls out gingerly and ties the condom off, throwing it into the basket he'd noticed before. Nakamaru grabs for Taguchi's shoulders again, pulling him down to the bed; he's all warm and sticky but it's a nice sort of feeling. They're still panting but it's mixed with laughter now, because all of this is ridiculous and messed up and there's nothing to do but laugh.
"I can't believe we just did that," Nakamaru murmurs, feeling sleep already trying to overcome him. Taguchi winds an arm around his waist and draws him closer.
"Yeah," he answers softly. Then, "Mind if we do that again some time?"
"...I think that'd be alright," Nakamaru says, feeling this stupid happiness course through him.
Taguchi is warm and comfortable and Nakamaru is warm and comfortable and they're almost about to drift off to sleep before Koki bangs on the door.
"You two finished doing the dirty in there?" he yells through the metal door.
Nakamaru feels his face flush again and he stammers, "W-We weren't--"
"Yes, we're all done," Taguchi answers, and Nakamaru elbows him. "Ouch--"
"I need your help!" Koki continues, ignoring them, and Nakamaru can detect a strange emotion in his voice. Almost like hope, mixed with fright.
"What's wrong?" Nakamaru asks, already up and trying to find his pants.
"There's another beep."
"What--"
"It's yellow."
Day 101: We're going home.
the end