random vignette.
Title: A revelation.
Word count: ~440
Warnings: idle gossip and some crass language?
Summary: A scene from older days in Orion. Sometimes, the truth hurts.
“He’s gay.”
Those words were the first Kyron had spoken to the rookie since she’d been recruited, and he was rewarded with a stunned look and sputtered response. “I… I beg your pardon?”
“I said he’s gay,” he repeated, this time with a smirk. “What, didn’t catch it the first time?”
His reward increased to a dark blush and indignant expression. “I-I’m not certain I understand just what relevancy that has to…”
“Nah, I think you do,” he finished for her. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed those little longing looks and that blush you get whenever he says two words to you.” Then he glanced after the man in question, making sure he wasn’t listening in. “Not that I’d blame you, though. The guy’s gorgeous, after all.”
The look of indignation deepened to irritation as she narrowed her eyes, and Kyron felt all the more sated for it. “Then how do I know you’re not just saying that to make fun of me?”
“Because I’ve known him a lot longer than you,” he answered, allowing his own expression to harden, “and I can safely say that he is not interested in women. Not in the least. Besides…” He leaned in close at that, as if about to share a vital secret with her. “You know what else?”
Her irritation, not abated in the slightest, became colored by suspicion-but she took the bait anyway. “What?”
“You know Konrad, right? Konrad Sharpless, his partner?”
“What about him?”
“They’re fucking.”
She started at that, eyes widening in apparent astonishment. “That’s-” She sputtered again for a moment, as though trying to find some proper objection to his claim. “But that’s-against Orion policy, isn’t it?”
“Doesn’t stop ‘em,” he replied casually, leaning back again and doing his damnedest not to look as triumphant as he felt. “Hell, that doesn’t stop any of us. There’s nothing in the rules that says we can’t just keep things casual, and let me tell you, Auster likes to keep things casual with men only.”
The girl didn’t sputter this time, and her angry blush faded to livid fury. After a few more moments of silence, she spoke quickly and quietly-“You’re a right bastard, you know that?”-before turning on her heel and walking away.
Kyron watched her leave, expression breaking into a grin at his victory. Sure, there was some small part of him that felt slightly guilty-she was a pretty young thing, after all, blonde and with some cute accent, something English-but really, what was Auster thinking, bringing her into the Guild?
She wouldn’t last long. That would teach Auster to pick new favorites.
Word count: ~440
Warnings: idle gossip and some crass language?
Summary: A scene from older days in Orion. Sometimes, the truth hurts.
“He’s gay.”
Those words were the first Kyron had spoken to the rookie since she’d been recruited, and he was rewarded with a stunned look and sputtered response. “I… I beg your pardon?”
“I said he’s gay,” he repeated, this time with a smirk. “What, didn’t catch it the first time?”
His reward increased to a dark blush and indignant expression. “I-I’m not certain I understand just what relevancy that has to…”
“Nah, I think you do,” he finished for her. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed those little longing looks and that blush you get whenever he says two words to you.” Then he glanced after the man in question, making sure he wasn’t listening in. “Not that I’d blame you, though. The guy’s gorgeous, after all.”
The look of indignation deepened to irritation as she narrowed her eyes, and Kyron felt all the more sated for it. “Then how do I know you’re not just saying that to make fun of me?”
“Because I’ve known him a lot longer than you,” he answered, allowing his own expression to harden, “and I can safely say that he is not interested in women. Not in the least. Besides…” He leaned in close at that, as if about to share a vital secret with her. “You know what else?”
Her irritation, not abated in the slightest, became colored by suspicion-but she took the bait anyway. “What?”
“You know Konrad, right? Konrad Sharpless, his partner?”
“What about him?”
“They’re fucking.”
She started at that, eyes widening in apparent astonishment. “That’s-” She sputtered again for a moment, as though trying to find some proper objection to his claim. “But that’s-against Orion policy, isn’t it?”
“Doesn’t stop ‘em,” he replied casually, leaning back again and doing his damnedest not to look as triumphant as he felt. “Hell, that doesn’t stop any of us. There’s nothing in the rules that says we can’t just keep things casual, and let me tell you, Auster likes to keep things casual with men only.”
The girl didn’t sputter this time, and her angry blush faded to livid fury. After a few more moments of silence, she spoke quickly and quietly-“You’re a right bastard, you know that?”-before turning on her heel and walking away.
Kyron watched her leave, expression breaking into a grin at his victory. Sure, there was some small part of him that felt slightly guilty-she was a pretty young thing, after all, blonde and with some cute accent, something English-but really, what was Auster thinking, bringing her into the Guild?
She wouldn’t last long. That would teach Auster to pick new favorites.