100 Ways
Based off of someone's comment that they'd thought Gaeta and Hoshi had christened every single room in Galactica.
Thanks to lls_mutant for the beta!
The boxing arena
The first time Felix and Louis had sex was after the shipwide boxing tournament. Adrenaline was running high that day, and after everyone had had their share of beating each other up, they all went and frakked each other. Felix and Louis were no exception.
Felix wasn’t really one for boxing. He wasn’t a violent guy, only when the situation demanded it, and he didn’t ever care to have his face smashed up and bruised for days. He watched the boxing matches with casual disinterest in the action itself, cheering occasionally as a front so he wouldn’t be one of the few recruited for work in the CIC.
The downside to not actually participating was that the Admiral recruited him to clean up afterwords. Felix didn’t mind too much, sweeping was a lot better than getting pulverized, but Dee, who’d also neglected to participate, tended to get chatty when there weren’t too many other people around. He loved the girl, really, but Felix had other things in mind. Dee kept Felix from leaving her side for most of the process, but he managed to slip away before she started bitching about her husband. Felix had heard her enough to know that Lee was no good for her, and escaping now was all he could do to prevent himself from dragging Apollo back for a bout in the ring.
“I’ve got a hot date tonight,” he said before skirting off.
“With who?” Dee asked incredulously.
“That guy over there,” Felix said, pointing to the man across the room. He took off before Dee could ask any more questions, like just when he had arranged this “date”.
Felix managed to catch up with the man just before he left the arena. “Hey,” Felix said, a little out of breath. “I saw you from over there,” he gestured towards where Dee was gathering her things to leave, “noticed you got clean-up duty too. Thought I’d come say hi.”
“Well then, hi.” The man smiled. “Felix, right?”
Felix felt a little bad just then, since apparently this man knew his name, but Felix hadn’t the slightest idea on his. Something Hoshi; they’d never gotten past formalities to his recollection. “Um, yeah. I’m sorry, I’m afraid I don’t know yours.”
“It’s Louis. It’s ok, I don’t think a whole lot of people around here know the names of us Pegasus imports.”
That would explain why Felix didn’t know him very well. The Pegasus guys seemed nice enough, but the crews of the two battlestars tended not to intermingle much. “So uh, boxing not your thing eh?” Felix asked.
“No, never understood the appeal. I’m only here to get off duty for a while.”
“I understand that. Me, I just enjoy watching the pilots lose money betting on each other.” Felix shrugged. The two of them stood looking at each other. Felix wasn’t much good at small talk, and apparently neither was Louis.
“Maybe we should get in the ring, make it look like we’re up there to scrub up the sweat or something, keep us from going back to work for a while longer,” Louis spoke up.
Felix was always in favor of a little extra time off. So he agreed.
The two made their way up to the boxing ring, climbed through the ropes, and jumped around a bit on the surface, playfully jabbing at each other in mock bout. “It’s very bouncy,” Louis noted.
“Has definite possibilities,” Felix said. He blushed when he realized what he’s just implied. He hadn’t had any in months, but Felix had just met this man, and sex probably wasn’t something he should be asking after just yet.
“Why Lieutenant,” Louis said, lightly hitting Felix on the shoulder. “If you wanted to frak, why didn’t you just say so?”
Was this man really…did he want…had he just asked… “Here?” asked Felix.
“Why not? I’ve been on Galactica long enough to know that nobody’s coming back. And I hate to sound desperate, but I haven’t frakked anyone since the attack, and I know this seems a bit sudden, but-“ Felix silenced him with a kiss.
“Let’s see how well these floors bounce then, shall we?”
The showers
“You know what I think?” asked Felix.
“What’s that?” replied Louis.
“I think you need a shower. I think I need a shower.”
Louis laughed. “Yeah, boxing makes you awfully sweaty.”
Felix joined in his laughter. “Boxing and other things.” Gods, that had been way better than he’d anticipated when he’d picked the man out of the crowd.
The two of them sprung off the boxing ring and making their way to the showers. It was a long walk, which felt even longer from the ‘I want to frak you again’ looks they exchanged on the way.
Apparently all the fighters had been through already, as the shower room was empty, yet the fog remained on the mirrors. Eager and impatient, Felix swore he had never undressed quicker. But any thought he might have about comparing stripping times was quickly interrupted by Louis’s hands and lips all over him. Somehow the water got turned on, and the warm cascade poured over them as they frakked with energy they didn’t know they’d had left not long ago.
Felix definitely wanted more of this guy.
The racks
“He’s totally your type, you know,” Dee said.
“Huh?” Felix asked, dazed at the moment, waiting for Louis to get there.
“Louis. I knew him when I was XO on Pegasus. Good guy. And totally your type.”
“We’re just frak buddies, that’s all. Do you know how hard it is for a gay man to get some on this ship?”
Dee got out from her rack and walked towards Felix’s bunk. “I know for a fact that you frakked Skulls a few years ago.”
“That- was a few years ago. He’s into Racetrack now, pretty heavily at that. And don’t try to deny it, because I caught the two of them together in their raptor. Not something I care to see again, either.”
Dee just laughed at him. “Whatever, Felix. You two just go on as frak buddies while the rest of us make bets on when you two are going to hook up for real. Let me know when you do. I’ll have a large sum in the pot.”
Felix glared at her. The door of the room opened with a loud creak.
“Speak of the man himself,” said Dee.
“Louis. Hi. Dee. Out.”
“You two have fun,” Dee said with a grin on her face. She pointed a finger at Felix. “I’m starting one tomorrow.”
“What’s she talking about?” Louis asked as soon as she closed the door.
“With Dee?” said Felix. “It’s best just to stay out of it. Now, c’mere.”
A launch tube
Felix had no idea Louis would be so kinky. Felix had always thought he liked things beyond the norm, but Louis had some ideas that he’d never even thought to try before.
“A launch tube?”
“How thrilling would that be? Just in there, feeling like you could be sucked out the side of the ship at any moment, completely naked at that?” Louis looked to be bubbling with pleasure on the inside.
“I think you’ve lost your mind.”
“C’mon,” Louis begged. “Please? Don’t tell me you’re not turned on in the slightest by the idea.”
Felix thought Louis was nuts, but he had to admit, he was turned on a little. More due to Louis’ excitement than his own thoughts on the idea. Besides, he was always interested in trying something new. It wasn’t like he was about to say no. Louis was a hard guy to say no to. Not that Felix ever wanted to.
“Okay. But I still maintain the weapons locker is a better spot.”
Louis looked like he was about to jump for joy. It somehow delighted Felix that he was able to fulfill some of his lover’s fantasies. “We’ll go there later. The launch tubes are plenty empty right now- let’s go!”
The CIC
The thrill of frakking dangerously was rubbing off on Felix. In fact, the CIC had been his idea, not Louis’.
Lt. Gaeta’s post in CIC was down on the floor, clearly visible to over half the room, including Adama and Tigh. Anything he did was likely to be seen.
Lt. Hoshi’s post, however, was on the upper deck, and his console station was large enough that someone could easily hide under it.
So that one day when everyone thought Felix was asleep in his rack, Felix was actually underneath Louis’ console, very discreetly giving him a blowjob. Louis was a master of silent orgasms, something Felix was determined to learn from him one day. It was erotic, especially with the thrill of knowing that there were close to thirty people in CIC that day, and not one of them suspected a thing.
The distillery closet
Felix couldn’t believe their quest for a thrill had led them here. It was absurd, but his senses were tingling just thinking about the possibilities. If only he could get over his nerves. This was way scarier than a launch tube or the CIC.
“So uh, we heard that pilots are into the real kinky stuff, and um, we wondering…” stuttered Louis.
“Would you be ok with, uh, having a threesome? With us?” Felix finished.
“Here? In the distillery closet? There’s a lot better places for it you know,” said Kat. Felix still couldn’t believe they’d talked her into coming here.
“So, um, is that a yes?” Louis asked tentatively.
Kat chuckled and rolled her eyes. “I told you guys I’d be down for whatever, didn’t I?”
“Well, it’s just that we’ve never-“ started Louis.
“-with a woman-“ continued Felix.
“-lately. Or ever,” Louis finished.
“Oh,” said Kat, looking rather intrigued. “Oh. Well. That’s something I’ve never encountered before. Usually the guys in this are into the woman involved, not..each other. This should be interesting.”
“So…”
“Do I really have to spell it out for you?”
The brig
“Figures that Tigh would walk in on all of us.” Felix shook his head.
“Gods, I thought I was gonna die when I heard his voice. Tigh knows what I look like naked now; I’m never going to be able to show my face in CIC again.” The red hadn’t left Louis’ face since they’d been discovered. Felix had no idea he’d be so embarrassed.
“Louis..”
Louis wasn’t done griping. “Just as it was starting to get good, too. Kat was about to stick her tongue in my-”
“Louis!” Felix smacked him upside the head. “There’s a marine standing guard here, I don’t think he needs to know details.”
Louis rubbed his head where Felix had hit him. The marine turned to them quizzically. “Are you guys really in the brig for…because you were gonna…with one of the pilots?”
Louis smiled at the marine, a little less flushed now that the Marine seemed perplexed. “Yes. Darn shame Tigh made her run CAP as a trade for brig time.”
“Um, yeah,” the marine said, stepping away. “I think I’m just going to leave you guys alone for a while…” He looked amused. Like he’d start laughing as soon as he walked out the door.
“Just the two of us in here now,” Louis said, eyeing Felix with a familiar look. Felix beamed.
Tigh’s quarters
“Are you sure this is such a good idea?” Louis asked.
“Tigh deserves a little revenge for breaking up our fun,” Felix said. Louis didn’t look so sure. “Tigh’s not as much of a iron fist as he seems. Besides, he gets the best liquor in the whole fleet, and I’m dying to try some of it.”
Felix dragged Louis behind him, careful not to give any clues to passers-by what they were doing. Felix waited until no one was in the hallway, then slowly as to not make it creak, opened the door to Colonel Tigh’s quarters.
“Felix, we are going to be in so much trouble if we get caught,” said Louis.
“Then here’s hoping they send us to the brig together again,” Felix replied, grinning.
The two stepped in, watching out the door for anyone looking, and shut it quickly. Then they both started laughing.
“Oh Gods, Felix, I can’t believe we’re doing this. Where’s that liquor you say he has, huh?”
It didn’t take them long to find a bottle of the good stuff- Tigh didn’t keep it hidden very well. What they couldn’t find, however, were glasses, so they simply passed the bottle between them and took swigs from it.
“What’s Tigh gonna think when he finds this bottle empty?” Louis asked, his speech started to slur slightly.
“Hopefully,” replied Felix, feeling a little tipsy as well, “he’ll think he drank it himself but forgot. He won’t think his ‘straight-laced’ tactical officers drank it all, that’s for sure.” Felix took a final swig, savoring the last drop as it fell to his lips.
Felix took one look at Louis, slightly drunk and a lot looser than earlier. He wasn’t sure what possessed him, but he lunged forward, grasped Louis’ face in his hands, and attacked Louis’ lips. He tasted like ambrosia.
Louis kissed back just as hungrily. Felix’s hands were all over him, tugging at clothes as if willing them to disappear. Louis’ hands were in Felix’s hair, pulling him closer, begging him to taste more. Shirts flew haphazardly across the room, as pants and undergarments followed. The nearest piece of furniture was the couch, and Felix and Louis came crashing down on it. The sex was frantic, an ambrosia induced hunger for the feel of each other. Felix couldn’t get enough.
Revenge had never felt so good.
The mess hall
Dee, Felix, and Louis were eating dinner in the mess hall. Second shift would start soon, so Felix and Dee had gone straight to mess instead of the showers like the rest of the CIC crew, so they could catch Louis before his shift. It wasn’t much, usually only about 20 minutes, but it was something.
“Did you two really have a threesome with Kat?” Dee asked.
Felix put down his fork. “Where did you hear that?”
“Colonel Tigh.”
“What!?!” Felix and Louis both exclaimed, Louis dropping his utensils.
Dee cracked up with laughter. “Oh you should see the look on your faces right now. Gods, Colonel Tigh, could you imagine? One of the marines told me. Those boys like to talk.”
Louis looked like he was going to shrink into a corner. He’d probably bolt soon enough. Felix wasn’t about to let Dee get the upper hand though, even if he felt almost as embarrassed as Louis looked. “As a matter of fact Dee, yes, we did. And in the brig after that. And maybe in Colonel Tigh’s quarters.”
Louis looked mortified. Dee looked fascinated. “Tigh’s? Gods, Felix, you’re insatiable! Both of you.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment. We’re so ravenous, in fact, that if you weren’t here, we’d probably be frakking instead of eating.”
“I think I just lost my appetite,” said Dee. Felix grinned; he knew he’d won this time. “You’re the worst one on this ship, I swear to Gods. I’m going to go find Lee, and please, if you end up frakking in here, don’t tell me about it.”
“She’s never going to want to eat with us again,” said Louis once she’d left. He looked a lot less embarassed than he had a few minutes ago.
“Sure she will. That’s what makes it fun. We’ve been trying to throw each other off for years.”
“So what are you going to tell her next time then?” Louis asked.
“Next time,” said Felix, leaning in suggestively. “I’ll tell her how we actually did frak in the dining hall.”
The lab
It stopped being just sex the night after Felix stabbed Baltar. Felix was in Baltar’s lab- he couldn’t stop calling it that despite being the only one who used it in almost a year now- wondering just how it was that Baltar was still alive and back in the fleet. He’d thought he’d gotten over New Caprica by now, but the old wounds just kept popping back up.
“Felix, are you ok?” Louis asked, coming in the door. Felix figured Louis would find him here eventually. He just wasn’t sure he wanted to talk to Louis right now. Louis hadn’t been on New Caprica.
“Yes. No,” he conceded.
“I know what happened. On New Caprica. I know you were Baltar’s Chief of Staff. But you can’t blame yourself for any of it.”
“I was subjected to vigilante justice and Baltar gets a trial? It isn’t fair Louis!” Felix shouted, and nearly knocked over the test tubes on the table.
“I also know you had a thing for him. I um. I’m sorry he betrayed your trust, Felix. If you want to just let it all out, I’m here for you. I’ll listen.”
Felix sighed. Why did Louis have to be so understanding? Nobody else was. “No, it’s ok. I mean, I’m still angry, but I think I’m over it. Over him. I want to be anyway,” Felix mused. “I just don’t want to think about Baltar or The Circle or New Caprica or anything like that right now, ok?”
“Then don’t.” Louis moved towards Felix. Then he began to reach under Felix’s tanks, tugging them up gently. He placed a kiss on Felix’s lips, then continued downward to his navel. For all their frakking, it had never been this tender. The trail of kisses made its way back upward as Louis undid the button on Felix’s pants. Any thoughts Felix had left of Baltar disappeared. Right now the only thing on his mind was the man in front of him. Felix brought Louis back for another kiss, and then proceeded to get lost in that very thought.
As they lay tangled on the floor in a state of post-coital bliss, Felix realized that he wanted this, with Louis, whatever it was. There was something else there, something new or maybe just undiscovered, and he wanted to discover what. “I..I think I want this to be something more Louis. More than what we are now.”
“So do I,” said Louis. He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on Felix’s lips. The two of them lay still for a moment. “Mm,” Louis spoke. “I think this means that Hot Dog wins the bet.”
“What?! How long do we have to wait until someone else wins?”
Hangar deck
Their first official date was at Joe’s Bar. It was really the only place one could go on a date aboard Galactica. But it suited the job fine and had the necessary element of liquor. Liquor always made first dates easier.
It was a little awkward, going on a date with someone you’d been having sex with for weeks already. That usually wasn’t the way things had worked out for Felix. He and Louis were already past the point of introductions and casual small talk. But dreams and aspirations for the future seemed too deep for a time like this. The first ten minutes of their date was mostly just awkward silence.
“So,” started Felix. He wasn’t sure where to go from there.
“So,” replied Louis.
“What exactly are we supposed to talk about on the first date?”
“Well um,” said Louis. “Usually I’d ask you what you do for a living. And what part of town you’re from. But, um..”
“Yeah.” Felix could see how that wasn’t possible. “Good point.”
There was more awkward silence. Felix drummed his fingers on the table. “So.”
“What do you like to do in your spare time?” Louis asked.
Felix cocked an eyebrow at him. “What, you mean when I’m not pulling 12 hour shifts in CIC and running the lab on the side?”
Louis sighed. “Indulge me here Felix. There’s got to be something we can talk about that isn’t work related.”
“Ok,” Felix agreed. It seemed silly, but he didn’t want to just give up at this point. He really did want to try something with Louis. “Well, um, I like to read. Not a whole lot of books here on Galactica I haven’t read at least twice, but-“
“I have one. I’ve read it six times already, so you’re welcome to borrow it,” Louis offered.
“Oh. Ok. Um. Thanks. I can’t remember the last time I read something new. Thank you.” After that, more awkward silence. Felix took Louis’ hand in his to show his interest, since words seemed to fail him. The contact did help to ease the tension a little.
Once the alcohol started pouring, it got easier. Felix always felt more confident when he’d had something to drink. Louis apparently got really chatty after a couple rounds. He told the worst jokes, but the expressions on his face as he told them made Felix laugh and smile anyway.
“So then there was this one time when Stinger was going to initiate all the nuggets and-”
Felix silenced him with a kiss. The liquor, or maybe just the giddy feeling from listening to Louis tell stories, was urging him to take this someplace private. “C’mon, let’s blow this joint.”
“And go where?” Louis asked. Louis clearly didn’t hold his liquor as well as Felix did. It was kind of cute, Felix thought, to watch him get a bit clueless.
Felix glanced around the hangar deck. “Plenty of room in one of the raptors.”
Louis smiled. “I like the way you think.”
Helo and Sharon’s quarters
Felix and Louis had just been on a double date with Helo and Sharon. At Joe’s Bar, of course, since there really wasn’t anyplace else to go. After the bar had started to fill up with rowdy deckhands, they had brought their date back to Helo and Sharon’s room.
The four of them sat at the table Helo and Sharon had, one built for Hera that required them to sit on the floor, and drank coffee to ease off a hangover. It was a nice break from the stresses of their lives on the watch, and not something they got to do often.
“It’s been great hanging out with you guys, but we’ve really got to pick up Hera,” said Sharon.
“It’s almost bed time for her, and she’ll be upset if mommy and daddy aren’t there to tuck her in,” added Helo. “Feel free to stick around though, I’m sure Hera would be happy to see you guys.”
“We’ll wait here,” said Louis. The daycare wasn’t close to Helo and Sharon’s at all, which was odd considering, but apparently the only room free for it was on the other end of the ship. Felix knew it’d be another fifteen minutes before they returned, and that was if Hera was being cooperative.
Felix’s eyes drifted across the room. He hadn’t bothered to look around when they’d come in, being a little buzzed from the alcohol. “They have a bed,” noted Felix.
“Huh?”
“A bed. A real bed. I can’t even remember the last time I slept on something that wasn’t a cot or a rack.” Being married had its privileges. A nap seemed rather tempting at this point in the evening.
Louis apparently read his mind. “Too little time for a nap. As inviting as it looks, unfortunately. I don’t think I’ve slept on a real bed in over six years.”
“Well,” Felix shrugged. “I suppose there are other things we haven’t done on a real bed in a long time.”
The daycare
There was something incredibly sexy about watching Louis with kids. He hadn’t even thought of Louis as a father type before, but seeing him playing on the floor made Louis looked like the best potential dad in the world. Felix hadn’t even thought about raising children until that very moment.
They’d both miraculously gotten the day off and had decided to spend it not thinking about FTL drives, cylon raiders, or anything they had to deal with on a daily basis on the rounds. They’d felt like they owed Helo and Sharon a favor for the incident in their quarters the other night and insisted on keeping an eye on Hera that day, which at the moment meant being in the daycare with all the other kids on Galactica. Neither of them minded so much. It was nice spending time with people who had not a worry in the world.
Felix was drawing with a few of the kids, while Louis played with blocks with some others on the floor. He was trying to build intricate structures out of the square blocks, but the kids found it more fun to knock them down. Louis kept trying to challenge them by building shorter and shorter towers. It was adorable to watch.
One of the kids, a girl no older than six, tugged on Felix’s pant leg. “Hey Mister Gaeta. Do you like that guy over there?” She pointed at Louis, her eyes remaining wide and curious on Felix.
Felix leaned down to her eye level. “Yes I do. But don’t tell anyone ok? It’ll be our little secret.”
Felix and Louis decided to stay until dinnertime, when all the children were rounded up by their parents after the day’s shift. “You’re adorable, you know that?” Felix said.
“Me? Not all those kids in here?”
“Yes, you.”
It was probably wrong on some level to make love in the daycare, but at least no one would be back for a while.
The Harem
“Look,” said Louis, leading Felix down the hallways to a part of the ship Felix wasn’t sure he’d ever been before. “I know this place belongs to some sort of cult, and I know that might be a little weird, but I wanted to do something romantic for you, and it was the most romantic looking spot on the ship.”
Felix cocked an eyebrow at him. “You’re taking me to a storage bay?”
“It’s not just a storage bay. They’ve got red curtains hanging from the ceiling, pillows all over the floor, and candles everywhere. It really is romantic, trust me.”
“But,” objected Felix. “You know those people are into free love and all that, right?”
“I may like some weird stuff, but have you ever known me to be an exhibitionist?” He had a point. For a man who was so kinky, he was awfully shy about anyone catching him in the act. Maybe that was why he had the silent orgasm down so well. “A few of the Pegasus crew have started coming down here, they managed to get us a private section.”
Felix wasn’t quite sure what qualified as a ‘private section’ in this area. He’d heard rumors about the people in this cult, the crazy things they were into. His trepidation was quelled when Louis led him to an area far off to the side that most of the people down there seemed to stay away from. It was only separated from the rest of the area by a curtain, but the curtain was thick, and you’d really have to strain to see through it.
Louis was definitely right though, it was rather romantic looking. The deep reds and purples, plush comfortable looking pillows with tassels, candles giving off a dim light, the smell of incense in the air. All that was missing was some rose petals. It wasn’t a luxury suite, but the thought behind it made it one of the most romantic things anyone had ever done for him.
“What’s the occasion?” Felix asked.
Louis drew the curtain closed so no one could see in. “I can’t do this just because?”
“Just because?” Felix asked. In his experience, romantic dealings usually had some sort of reason: anniversaries, apologies, special celebrations, attempts to cheer someone up. But he couldn’t really think of anything that would merit the occasion now.
Louis wrapped his arms around him, apparently sensing Felix’s perplexity. “Yes baby,” he said. “Just...because. Now, I’m not going to have to force you to make love to me, am I?”
No, he definitely wasn’t.
Flight Briefing Room
The briefing room was empty except for Felix. The rest of them had emptied out to go prepare for the mission; Felix remained in his seat letting it all sink in.
Louis appeared at the door. “Is it true, what I heard?” he asked stepping in.
“Two whole months aboard the Demetrius.” Felix still stared at the screen, almost expecting it to say it was all a joke.
“Why?”
“Because Adama thinks Starbuck hasn’t completely lost it, even though everyone else on this ship knows she has. Thinks all her shouting about Earth actually means something.”
“I meant why you?”
Felix shrugged. His eyes still remained fixed forward. “I don’t know.”
Louis sat down in the seat next to his. Felix didn’t budge. “Would it be cheesy if I made a calendar counting down the days til you come back?”
Felix turned his head. Louis was smiling. Felix shoved him playfully. “Yes, it would be. But I can’t tease you for it, because I’ll be doing the same thing.” The cheerfulness faded quickly. Everything had been going so well up until this point. He was going to miss Louis more than he wanted to admit.
“When do you leave?” Louis asked.
“Two hours, less if they can manage it. I’m stalling as long as possible.”
“I suppose,” said Louis. “This means I have to say goodbye now, doesn’t it?”
The words really made it feel real, not like a joke anymore. Two months was going to be a long time. “Make it a goodbye I won’t forget?”
Sick Bay
It was Felix’s fifth and final day in sick bay. Doc Cottle had cleared him for duty, though Felix didn’t feel any better than he had the day he’d been wheeled in on a gurney. He hadn’t had any visitors during his waking hours. He didn’t want any. He didn’t want anyone to see him like this.
Louis came anyway, often multiple times a day to see if Felix would speak to him this time. Ishay usually was there to fend him off, but wasn’t this time.
“Hey,” he said. “I know you’ve been keeping everyone away-“
“Then why are you here?” Felix spat out.
“But you can’t just hide from everyone Felix. It’s only going to hurt worse that way.”
Louis was probably right. But Felix didn’t care. He knew no one would ever look at him the same way again. It was just easier to avoid them than to deal with all the pity he was sure to get. Felix didn’t respond.
“Oh, quit acting like a petulant child Felix. Hiding from the world is not going to make your leg grow back.”
“What do you know? Have you ever lost a body part Louis? Have you?” Felix shouted at him. It was a stupid thing to ask, of course Louis had never lost a limb, but he didn’t frakking care. He didn’t get it. No one would ever get it.
Louis managed to keep the same calm exterior, despite all the rage Felix threw at him. “I know it doesn’t change how I feel about you,” he said. “Or the way I see you. You’re not anything less than the day you left for that mission.”
“Prove it,” Felix challenged.
“Prove it?”
“Yes, prove it. Frak me. Me and my stump of what used to be my leg. See if it doesn’t freak you out. Come on Louis.”
“Felix, I can’t-“
“Too scared, huh? It-“
“Not with the president right over there!”
“Oh.” That hadn’t been the excuse he had hoped for. He didn’t know why, but part of him wanted Louis to turn away. “She’s so pumped full of cancer meds, she won’t notice. The guy in bed three started telling really bad president jokes the other day and she didn’t object once. Really. And there’s a curtain so it’s not like anyone’s going to see us. Please, Louis?” His tone softened. He’d slipped from anger into a sort of begging.
“Okay.” And he did.
It was the first time Felix ever cried after sex.
The bathroom
“Sexy leg,” Louis remarked, smiling.
“You like it? I think it fits in rather well with the décor. Kind of clashes with my dress downs though.”
“Thing like that? I’d think it would go with anything.”
Here in the bathroom was the only place Felix really spoke to Louis anymore. Or to anyone else for that matter. He still didn’t feel like being social and feared the looks on people’s faces as he walked by. Louis was just the only one he felt guilty about, especially after what happened in sick bay.
Louis’ expression changed from joking to serious. “You’ve been avoiding me,” he stated.
“Don’t take it personally. I’ve been avoiding everyone,” Felix replied.
“I’m not expecting you to be okay. I know this is going to take a lot of…getting used to,” Louis chose his words carefully, Felix could tell. “But don’t think you can’t come talk to me. I’m not going to walk out on you, Felix.”
Felix looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. He knew it was true. But it was still hard to accept the idea. “Did you mean it?” he asked. “When you said that my leg doesn’t bother you. Did you mean it?”
Felix watched in the mirror as Louis put his arm around him. “You could look like Colonel Tigh and I’d still care about you.”
Felix laughed. “I hope that doesn’t mean you have a thing for Tigh.”
“Gods no! Trust me baby, I’ve only got eyes for you.”
Felix looked at their reflection in the mirror. The two of them, standing next to each other. Felix had to admit, they didn’t look much different than they had before. They were of course, at least he was. But he supposed not everything had to be different.
Felix turned away from the mirror and kissed Louis. Louis hoisted him onto the sink, just barely missing the faucet. The clothes started coming off and the next thing he knew, they were frakking right there over the basins. And it wasn’t any different than it had been all those times before.
Adama’s quarters
“So, I think you deserve a little ‘welcome back to work, congratulations on your new leg’ present,” said Dee.
“Yeah? What’d you get me? Box of algae flavored chocolates? The only porn magazine in the fleet I haven’t read yet? That pony I’ve always wanted?” Felix teased.
“It stands to be noted, and don’t ask me how I know this, that there are very few rooms left on Galactica that you and Louis haven’t christened.”
“How do you-“ Felix started
“I said don’t ask. Anyway, while some places are going to just be impossible, the CIC for one-“
“Oh that’s been done a long time ago,” Felix remarked.
“The CIC? But that’s always manned, how did you-? You know what, I really don’t want to know. Ew.” Dee looked a bit mortified. Felix felt pleased. “I’ve managed to secure one of your final rooms.”
“Adama’s?” It was the most obvious spot him and Louis had never had sex. He’d honestly thought they’d never make it up there. “How did you pull that one off?”
“All you need to know is that he’ll be gone for the next hour, and you better make it quick. Louis is already on his way up there.”
“Dee-“
“Thank me later. Just get going.”
Rec room
“How did we forget about this place, honestly?” Louis asked as the two of them lay on the floor of the rec room, breathless. “You’d think it’d be one of the most obvious places to start.”
“I don’t know,” Felix mused. “It’s not like we set out to frak in every room on the Galactica on purpose.”
“I blame you going for it in the boxing ring.”
“What? No! That was the first time, that doesn’t count at all. You started this when you wanted to frak in a launch tube for the gods’ sake.”
“Hey, that was exciting and you know it!” The two of them were laughing. It had all seemed so ridiculous how they’d managed every room without even trying. And how somewhere along the line, all their silly frakking had sprouted a relationship that they wouldn’t trade for the prettiest planet in the universe. Felix didn’t regret a second of it.
“So,” said Felix. “Where do we go now that we’ve covered them all?“
Louis grinned. Felix already knew the answer. “Plenty of ships left in the fleet.”
Thanks to lls_mutant for the beta!
The boxing arena
The first time Felix and Louis had sex was after the shipwide boxing tournament. Adrenaline was running high that day, and after everyone had had their share of beating each other up, they all went and frakked each other. Felix and Louis were no exception.
Felix wasn’t really one for boxing. He wasn’t a violent guy, only when the situation demanded it, and he didn’t ever care to have his face smashed up and bruised for days. He watched the boxing matches with casual disinterest in the action itself, cheering occasionally as a front so he wouldn’t be one of the few recruited for work in the CIC.
The downside to not actually participating was that the Admiral recruited him to clean up afterwords. Felix didn’t mind too much, sweeping was a lot better than getting pulverized, but Dee, who’d also neglected to participate, tended to get chatty when there weren’t too many other people around. He loved the girl, really, but Felix had other things in mind. Dee kept Felix from leaving her side for most of the process, but he managed to slip away before she started bitching about her husband. Felix had heard her enough to know that Lee was no good for her, and escaping now was all he could do to prevent himself from dragging Apollo back for a bout in the ring.
“I’ve got a hot date tonight,” he said before skirting off.
“With who?” Dee asked incredulously.
“That guy over there,” Felix said, pointing to the man across the room. He took off before Dee could ask any more questions, like just when he had arranged this “date”.
Felix managed to catch up with the man just before he left the arena. “Hey,” Felix said, a little out of breath. “I saw you from over there,” he gestured towards where Dee was gathering her things to leave, “noticed you got clean-up duty too. Thought I’d come say hi.”
“Well then, hi.” The man smiled. “Felix, right?”
Felix felt a little bad just then, since apparently this man knew his name, but Felix hadn’t the slightest idea on his. Something Hoshi; they’d never gotten past formalities to his recollection. “Um, yeah. I’m sorry, I’m afraid I don’t know yours.”
“It’s Louis. It’s ok, I don’t think a whole lot of people around here know the names of us Pegasus imports.”
That would explain why Felix didn’t know him very well. The Pegasus guys seemed nice enough, but the crews of the two battlestars tended not to intermingle much. “So uh, boxing not your thing eh?” Felix asked.
“No, never understood the appeal. I’m only here to get off duty for a while.”
“I understand that. Me, I just enjoy watching the pilots lose money betting on each other.” Felix shrugged. The two of them stood looking at each other. Felix wasn’t much good at small talk, and apparently neither was Louis.
“Maybe we should get in the ring, make it look like we’re up there to scrub up the sweat or something, keep us from going back to work for a while longer,” Louis spoke up.
Felix was always in favor of a little extra time off. So he agreed.
The two made their way up to the boxing ring, climbed through the ropes, and jumped around a bit on the surface, playfully jabbing at each other in mock bout. “It’s very bouncy,” Louis noted.
“Has definite possibilities,” Felix said. He blushed when he realized what he’s just implied. He hadn’t had any in months, but Felix had just met this man, and sex probably wasn’t something he should be asking after just yet.
“Why Lieutenant,” Louis said, lightly hitting Felix on the shoulder. “If you wanted to frak, why didn’t you just say so?”
Was this man really…did he want…had he just asked… “Here?” asked Felix.
“Why not? I’ve been on Galactica long enough to know that nobody’s coming back. And I hate to sound desperate, but I haven’t frakked anyone since the attack, and I know this seems a bit sudden, but-“ Felix silenced him with a kiss.
“Let’s see how well these floors bounce then, shall we?”
The showers
“You know what I think?” asked Felix.
“What’s that?” replied Louis.
“I think you need a shower. I think I need a shower.”
Louis laughed. “Yeah, boxing makes you awfully sweaty.”
Felix joined in his laughter. “Boxing and other things.” Gods, that had been way better than he’d anticipated when he’d picked the man out of the crowd.
The two of them sprung off the boxing ring and making their way to the showers. It was a long walk, which felt even longer from the ‘I want to frak you again’ looks they exchanged on the way.
Apparently all the fighters had been through already, as the shower room was empty, yet the fog remained on the mirrors. Eager and impatient, Felix swore he had never undressed quicker. But any thought he might have about comparing stripping times was quickly interrupted by Louis’s hands and lips all over him. Somehow the water got turned on, and the warm cascade poured over them as they frakked with energy they didn’t know they’d had left not long ago.
Felix definitely wanted more of this guy.
The racks
“He’s totally your type, you know,” Dee said.
“Huh?” Felix asked, dazed at the moment, waiting for Louis to get there.
“Louis. I knew him when I was XO on Pegasus. Good guy. And totally your type.”
“We’re just frak buddies, that’s all. Do you know how hard it is for a gay man to get some on this ship?”
Dee got out from her rack and walked towards Felix’s bunk. “I know for a fact that you frakked Skulls a few years ago.”
“That- was a few years ago. He’s into Racetrack now, pretty heavily at that. And don’t try to deny it, because I caught the two of them together in their raptor. Not something I care to see again, either.”
Dee just laughed at him. “Whatever, Felix. You two just go on as frak buddies while the rest of us make bets on when you two are going to hook up for real. Let me know when you do. I’ll have a large sum in the pot.”
Felix glared at her. The door of the room opened with a loud creak.
“Speak of the man himself,” said Dee.
“Louis. Hi. Dee. Out.”
“You two have fun,” Dee said with a grin on her face. She pointed a finger at Felix. “I’m starting one tomorrow.”
“What’s she talking about?” Louis asked as soon as she closed the door.
“With Dee?” said Felix. “It’s best just to stay out of it. Now, c’mere.”
A launch tube
Felix had no idea Louis would be so kinky. Felix had always thought he liked things beyond the norm, but Louis had some ideas that he’d never even thought to try before.
“A launch tube?”
“How thrilling would that be? Just in there, feeling like you could be sucked out the side of the ship at any moment, completely naked at that?” Louis looked to be bubbling with pleasure on the inside.
“I think you’ve lost your mind.”
“C’mon,” Louis begged. “Please? Don’t tell me you’re not turned on in the slightest by the idea.”
Felix thought Louis was nuts, but he had to admit, he was turned on a little. More due to Louis’ excitement than his own thoughts on the idea. Besides, he was always interested in trying something new. It wasn’t like he was about to say no. Louis was a hard guy to say no to. Not that Felix ever wanted to.
“Okay. But I still maintain the weapons locker is a better spot.”
Louis looked like he was about to jump for joy. It somehow delighted Felix that he was able to fulfill some of his lover’s fantasies. “We’ll go there later. The launch tubes are plenty empty right now- let’s go!”
The CIC
The thrill of frakking dangerously was rubbing off on Felix. In fact, the CIC had been his idea, not Louis’.
Lt. Gaeta’s post in CIC was down on the floor, clearly visible to over half the room, including Adama and Tigh. Anything he did was likely to be seen.
Lt. Hoshi’s post, however, was on the upper deck, and his console station was large enough that someone could easily hide under it.
So that one day when everyone thought Felix was asleep in his rack, Felix was actually underneath Louis’ console, very discreetly giving him a blowjob. Louis was a master of silent orgasms, something Felix was determined to learn from him one day. It was erotic, especially with the thrill of knowing that there were close to thirty people in CIC that day, and not one of them suspected a thing.
The distillery closet
Felix couldn’t believe their quest for a thrill had led them here. It was absurd, but his senses were tingling just thinking about the possibilities. If only he could get over his nerves. This was way scarier than a launch tube or the CIC.
“So uh, we heard that pilots are into the real kinky stuff, and um, we wondering…” stuttered Louis.
“Would you be ok with, uh, having a threesome? With us?” Felix finished.
“Here? In the distillery closet? There’s a lot better places for it you know,” said Kat. Felix still couldn’t believe they’d talked her into coming here.
“So, um, is that a yes?” Louis asked tentatively.
Kat chuckled and rolled her eyes. “I told you guys I’d be down for whatever, didn’t I?”
“Well, it’s just that we’ve never-“ started Louis.
“-with a woman-“ continued Felix.
“-lately. Or ever,” Louis finished.
“Oh,” said Kat, looking rather intrigued. “Oh. Well. That’s something I’ve never encountered before. Usually the guys in this are into the woman involved, not..each other. This should be interesting.”
“So…”
“Do I really have to spell it out for you?”
The brig
“Figures that Tigh would walk in on all of us.” Felix shook his head.
“Gods, I thought I was gonna die when I heard his voice. Tigh knows what I look like naked now; I’m never going to be able to show my face in CIC again.” The red hadn’t left Louis’ face since they’d been discovered. Felix had no idea he’d be so embarrassed.
“Louis..”
Louis wasn’t done griping. “Just as it was starting to get good, too. Kat was about to stick her tongue in my-”
“Louis!” Felix smacked him upside the head. “There’s a marine standing guard here, I don’t think he needs to know details.”
Louis rubbed his head where Felix had hit him. The marine turned to them quizzically. “Are you guys really in the brig for…because you were gonna…with one of the pilots?”
Louis smiled at the marine, a little less flushed now that the Marine seemed perplexed. “Yes. Darn shame Tigh made her run CAP as a trade for brig time.”
“Um, yeah,” the marine said, stepping away. “I think I’m just going to leave you guys alone for a while…” He looked amused. Like he’d start laughing as soon as he walked out the door.
“Just the two of us in here now,” Louis said, eyeing Felix with a familiar look. Felix beamed.
Tigh’s quarters
“Are you sure this is such a good idea?” Louis asked.
“Tigh deserves a little revenge for breaking up our fun,” Felix said. Louis didn’t look so sure. “Tigh’s not as much of a iron fist as he seems. Besides, he gets the best liquor in the whole fleet, and I’m dying to try some of it.”
Felix dragged Louis behind him, careful not to give any clues to passers-by what they were doing. Felix waited until no one was in the hallway, then slowly as to not make it creak, opened the door to Colonel Tigh’s quarters.
“Felix, we are going to be in so much trouble if we get caught,” said Louis.
“Then here’s hoping they send us to the brig together again,” Felix replied, grinning.
The two stepped in, watching out the door for anyone looking, and shut it quickly. Then they both started laughing.
“Oh Gods, Felix, I can’t believe we’re doing this. Where’s that liquor you say he has, huh?”
It didn’t take them long to find a bottle of the good stuff- Tigh didn’t keep it hidden very well. What they couldn’t find, however, were glasses, so they simply passed the bottle between them and took swigs from it.
“What’s Tigh gonna think when he finds this bottle empty?” Louis asked, his speech started to slur slightly.
“Hopefully,” replied Felix, feeling a little tipsy as well, “he’ll think he drank it himself but forgot. He won’t think his ‘straight-laced’ tactical officers drank it all, that’s for sure.” Felix took a final swig, savoring the last drop as it fell to his lips.
Felix took one look at Louis, slightly drunk and a lot looser than earlier. He wasn’t sure what possessed him, but he lunged forward, grasped Louis’ face in his hands, and attacked Louis’ lips. He tasted like ambrosia.
Louis kissed back just as hungrily. Felix’s hands were all over him, tugging at clothes as if willing them to disappear. Louis’ hands were in Felix’s hair, pulling him closer, begging him to taste more. Shirts flew haphazardly across the room, as pants and undergarments followed. The nearest piece of furniture was the couch, and Felix and Louis came crashing down on it. The sex was frantic, an ambrosia induced hunger for the feel of each other. Felix couldn’t get enough.
Revenge had never felt so good.
The mess hall
Dee, Felix, and Louis were eating dinner in the mess hall. Second shift would start soon, so Felix and Dee had gone straight to mess instead of the showers like the rest of the CIC crew, so they could catch Louis before his shift. It wasn’t much, usually only about 20 minutes, but it was something.
“Did you two really have a threesome with Kat?” Dee asked.
Felix put down his fork. “Where did you hear that?”
“Colonel Tigh.”
“What!?!” Felix and Louis both exclaimed, Louis dropping his utensils.
Dee cracked up with laughter. “Oh you should see the look on your faces right now. Gods, Colonel Tigh, could you imagine? One of the marines told me. Those boys like to talk.”
Louis looked like he was going to shrink into a corner. He’d probably bolt soon enough. Felix wasn’t about to let Dee get the upper hand though, even if he felt almost as embarrassed as Louis looked. “As a matter of fact Dee, yes, we did. And in the brig after that. And maybe in Colonel Tigh’s quarters.”
Louis looked mortified. Dee looked fascinated. “Tigh’s? Gods, Felix, you’re insatiable! Both of you.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment. We’re so ravenous, in fact, that if you weren’t here, we’d probably be frakking instead of eating.”
“I think I just lost my appetite,” said Dee. Felix grinned; he knew he’d won this time. “You’re the worst one on this ship, I swear to Gods. I’m going to go find Lee, and please, if you end up frakking in here, don’t tell me about it.”
“She’s never going to want to eat with us again,” said Louis once she’d left. He looked a lot less embarassed than he had a few minutes ago.
“Sure she will. That’s what makes it fun. We’ve been trying to throw each other off for years.”
“So what are you going to tell her next time then?” Louis asked.
“Next time,” said Felix, leaning in suggestively. “I’ll tell her how we actually did frak in the dining hall.”
The lab
It stopped being just sex the night after Felix stabbed Baltar. Felix was in Baltar’s lab- he couldn’t stop calling it that despite being the only one who used it in almost a year now- wondering just how it was that Baltar was still alive and back in the fleet. He’d thought he’d gotten over New Caprica by now, but the old wounds just kept popping back up.
“Felix, are you ok?” Louis asked, coming in the door. Felix figured Louis would find him here eventually. He just wasn’t sure he wanted to talk to Louis right now. Louis hadn’t been on New Caprica.
“Yes. No,” he conceded.
“I know what happened. On New Caprica. I know you were Baltar’s Chief of Staff. But you can’t blame yourself for any of it.”
“I was subjected to vigilante justice and Baltar gets a trial? It isn’t fair Louis!” Felix shouted, and nearly knocked over the test tubes on the table.
“I also know you had a thing for him. I um. I’m sorry he betrayed your trust, Felix. If you want to just let it all out, I’m here for you. I’ll listen.”
Felix sighed. Why did Louis have to be so understanding? Nobody else was. “No, it’s ok. I mean, I’m still angry, but I think I’m over it. Over him. I want to be anyway,” Felix mused. “I just don’t want to think about Baltar or The Circle or New Caprica or anything like that right now, ok?”
“Then don’t.” Louis moved towards Felix. Then he began to reach under Felix’s tanks, tugging them up gently. He placed a kiss on Felix’s lips, then continued downward to his navel. For all their frakking, it had never been this tender. The trail of kisses made its way back upward as Louis undid the button on Felix’s pants. Any thoughts Felix had left of Baltar disappeared. Right now the only thing on his mind was the man in front of him. Felix brought Louis back for another kiss, and then proceeded to get lost in that very thought.
As they lay tangled on the floor in a state of post-coital bliss, Felix realized that he wanted this, with Louis, whatever it was. There was something else there, something new or maybe just undiscovered, and he wanted to discover what. “I..I think I want this to be something more Louis. More than what we are now.”
“So do I,” said Louis. He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on Felix’s lips. The two of them lay still for a moment. “Mm,” Louis spoke. “I think this means that Hot Dog wins the bet.”
“What?! How long do we have to wait until someone else wins?”
Hangar deck
Their first official date was at Joe’s Bar. It was really the only place one could go on a date aboard Galactica. But it suited the job fine and had the necessary element of liquor. Liquor always made first dates easier.
It was a little awkward, going on a date with someone you’d been having sex with for weeks already. That usually wasn’t the way things had worked out for Felix. He and Louis were already past the point of introductions and casual small talk. But dreams and aspirations for the future seemed too deep for a time like this. The first ten minutes of their date was mostly just awkward silence.
“So,” started Felix. He wasn’t sure where to go from there.
“So,” replied Louis.
“What exactly are we supposed to talk about on the first date?”
“Well um,” said Louis. “Usually I’d ask you what you do for a living. And what part of town you’re from. But, um..”
“Yeah.” Felix could see how that wasn’t possible. “Good point.”
There was more awkward silence. Felix drummed his fingers on the table. “So.”
“What do you like to do in your spare time?” Louis asked.
Felix cocked an eyebrow at him. “What, you mean when I’m not pulling 12 hour shifts in CIC and running the lab on the side?”
Louis sighed. “Indulge me here Felix. There’s got to be something we can talk about that isn’t work related.”
“Ok,” Felix agreed. It seemed silly, but he didn’t want to just give up at this point. He really did want to try something with Louis. “Well, um, I like to read. Not a whole lot of books here on Galactica I haven’t read at least twice, but-“
“I have one. I’ve read it six times already, so you’re welcome to borrow it,” Louis offered.
“Oh. Ok. Um. Thanks. I can’t remember the last time I read something new. Thank you.” After that, more awkward silence. Felix took Louis’ hand in his to show his interest, since words seemed to fail him. The contact did help to ease the tension a little.
Once the alcohol started pouring, it got easier. Felix always felt more confident when he’d had something to drink. Louis apparently got really chatty after a couple rounds. He told the worst jokes, but the expressions on his face as he told them made Felix laugh and smile anyway.
“So then there was this one time when Stinger was going to initiate all the nuggets and-”
Felix silenced him with a kiss. The liquor, or maybe just the giddy feeling from listening to Louis tell stories, was urging him to take this someplace private. “C’mon, let’s blow this joint.”
“And go where?” Louis asked. Louis clearly didn’t hold his liquor as well as Felix did. It was kind of cute, Felix thought, to watch him get a bit clueless.
Felix glanced around the hangar deck. “Plenty of room in one of the raptors.”
Louis smiled. “I like the way you think.”
Helo and Sharon’s quarters
Felix and Louis had just been on a double date with Helo and Sharon. At Joe’s Bar, of course, since there really wasn’t anyplace else to go. After the bar had started to fill up with rowdy deckhands, they had brought their date back to Helo and Sharon’s room.
The four of them sat at the table Helo and Sharon had, one built for Hera that required them to sit on the floor, and drank coffee to ease off a hangover. It was a nice break from the stresses of their lives on the watch, and not something they got to do often.
“It’s been great hanging out with you guys, but we’ve really got to pick up Hera,” said Sharon.
“It’s almost bed time for her, and she’ll be upset if mommy and daddy aren’t there to tuck her in,” added Helo. “Feel free to stick around though, I’m sure Hera would be happy to see you guys.”
“We’ll wait here,” said Louis. The daycare wasn’t close to Helo and Sharon’s at all, which was odd considering, but apparently the only room free for it was on the other end of the ship. Felix knew it’d be another fifteen minutes before they returned, and that was if Hera was being cooperative.
Felix’s eyes drifted across the room. He hadn’t bothered to look around when they’d come in, being a little buzzed from the alcohol. “They have a bed,” noted Felix.
“Huh?”
“A bed. A real bed. I can’t even remember the last time I slept on something that wasn’t a cot or a rack.” Being married had its privileges. A nap seemed rather tempting at this point in the evening.
Louis apparently read his mind. “Too little time for a nap. As inviting as it looks, unfortunately. I don’t think I’ve slept on a real bed in over six years.”
“Well,” Felix shrugged. “I suppose there are other things we haven’t done on a real bed in a long time.”
The daycare
There was something incredibly sexy about watching Louis with kids. He hadn’t even thought of Louis as a father type before, but seeing him playing on the floor made Louis looked like the best potential dad in the world. Felix hadn’t even thought about raising children until that very moment.
They’d both miraculously gotten the day off and had decided to spend it not thinking about FTL drives, cylon raiders, or anything they had to deal with on a daily basis on the rounds. They’d felt like they owed Helo and Sharon a favor for the incident in their quarters the other night and insisted on keeping an eye on Hera that day, which at the moment meant being in the daycare with all the other kids on Galactica. Neither of them minded so much. It was nice spending time with people who had not a worry in the world.
Felix was drawing with a few of the kids, while Louis played with blocks with some others on the floor. He was trying to build intricate structures out of the square blocks, but the kids found it more fun to knock them down. Louis kept trying to challenge them by building shorter and shorter towers. It was adorable to watch.
One of the kids, a girl no older than six, tugged on Felix’s pant leg. “Hey Mister Gaeta. Do you like that guy over there?” She pointed at Louis, her eyes remaining wide and curious on Felix.
Felix leaned down to her eye level. “Yes I do. But don’t tell anyone ok? It’ll be our little secret.”
Felix and Louis decided to stay until dinnertime, when all the children were rounded up by their parents after the day’s shift. “You’re adorable, you know that?” Felix said.
“Me? Not all those kids in here?”
“Yes, you.”
It was probably wrong on some level to make love in the daycare, but at least no one would be back for a while.
The Harem
“Look,” said Louis, leading Felix down the hallways to a part of the ship Felix wasn’t sure he’d ever been before. “I know this place belongs to some sort of cult, and I know that might be a little weird, but I wanted to do something romantic for you, and it was the most romantic looking spot on the ship.”
Felix cocked an eyebrow at him. “You’re taking me to a storage bay?”
“It’s not just a storage bay. They’ve got red curtains hanging from the ceiling, pillows all over the floor, and candles everywhere. It really is romantic, trust me.”
“But,” objected Felix. “You know those people are into free love and all that, right?”
“I may like some weird stuff, but have you ever known me to be an exhibitionist?” He had a point. For a man who was so kinky, he was awfully shy about anyone catching him in the act. Maybe that was why he had the silent orgasm down so well. “A few of the Pegasus crew have started coming down here, they managed to get us a private section.”
Felix wasn’t quite sure what qualified as a ‘private section’ in this area. He’d heard rumors about the people in this cult, the crazy things they were into. His trepidation was quelled when Louis led him to an area far off to the side that most of the people down there seemed to stay away from. It was only separated from the rest of the area by a curtain, but the curtain was thick, and you’d really have to strain to see through it.
Louis was definitely right though, it was rather romantic looking. The deep reds and purples, plush comfortable looking pillows with tassels, candles giving off a dim light, the smell of incense in the air. All that was missing was some rose petals. It wasn’t a luxury suite, but the thought behind it made it one of the most romantic things anyone had ever done for him.
“What’s the occasion?” Felix asked.
Louis drew the curtain closed so no one could see in. “I can’t do this just because?”
“Just because?” Felix asked. In his experience, romantic dealings usually had some sort of reason: anniversaries, apologies, special celebrations, attempts to cheer someone up. But he couldn’t really think of anything that would merit the occasion now.
Louis wrapped his arms around him, apparently sensing Felix’s perplexity. “Yes baby,” he said. “Just...because. Now, I’m not going to have to force you to make love to me, am I?”
No, he definitely wasn’t.
Flight Briefing Room
The briefing room was empty except for Felix. The rest of them had emptied out to go prepare for the mission; Felix remained in his seat letting it all sink in.
Louis appeared at the door. “Is it true, what I heard?” he asked stepping in.
“Two whole months aboard the Demetrius.” Felix still stared at the screen, almost expecting it to say it was all a joke.
“Why?”
“Because Adama thinks Starbuck hasn’t completely lost it, even though everyone else on this ship knows she has. Thinks all her shouting about Earth actually means something.”
“I meant why you?”
Felix shrugged. His eyes still remained fixed forward. “I don’t know.”
Louis sat down in the seat next to his. Felix didn’t budge. “Would it be cheesy if I made a calendar counting down the days til you come back?”
Felix turned his head. Louis was smiling. Felix shoved him playfully. “Yes, it would be. But I can’t tease you for it, because I’ll be doing the same thing.” The cheerfulness faded quickly. Everything had been going so well up until this point. He was going to miss Louis more than he wanted to admit.
“When do you leave?” Louis asked.
“Two hours, less if they can manage it. I’m stalling as long as possible.”
“I suppose,” said Louis. “This means I have to say goodbye now, doesn’t it?”
The words really made it feel real, not like a joke anymore. Two months was going to be a long time. “Make it a goodbye I won’t forget?”
Sick Bay
It was Felix’s fifth and final day in sick bay. Doc Cottle had cleared him for duty, though Felix didn’t feel any better than he had the day he’d been wheeled in on a gurney. He hadn’t had any visitors during his waking hours. He didn’t want any. He didn’t want anyone to see him like this.
Louis came anyway, often multiple times a day to see if Felix would speak to him this time. Ishay usually was there to fend him off, but wasn’t this time.
“Hey,” he said. “I know you’ve been keeping everyone away-“
“Then why are you here?” Felix spat out.
“But you can’t just hide from everyone Felix. It’s only going to hurt worse that way.”
Louis was probably right. But Felix didn’t care. He knew no one would ever look at him the same way again. It was just easier to avoid them than to deal with all the pity he was sure to get. Felix didn’t respond.
“Oh, quit acting like a petulant child Felix. Hiding from the world is not going to make your leg grow back.”
“What do you know? Have you ever lost a body part Louis? Have you?” Felix shouted at him. It was a stupid thing to ask, of course Louis had never lost a limb, but he didn’t frakking care. He didn’t get it. No one would ever get it.
Louis managed to keep the same calm exterior, despite all the rage Felix threw at him. “I know it doesn’t change how I feel about you,” he said. “Or the way I see you. You’re not anything less than the day you left for that mission.”
“Prove it,” Felix challenged.
“Prove it?”
“Yes, prove it. Frak me. Me and my stump of what used to be my leg. See if it doesn’t freak you out. Come on Louis.”
“Felix, I can’t-“
“Too scared, huh? It-“
“Not with the president right over there!”
“Oh.” That hadn’t been the excuse he had hoped for. He didn’t know why, but part of him wanted Louis to turn away. “She’s so pumped full of cancer meds, she won’t notice. The guy in bed three started telling really bad president jokes the other day and she didn’t object once. Really. And there’s a curtain so it’s not like anyone’s going to see us. Please, Louis?” His tone softened. He’d slipped from anger into a sort of begging.
“Okay.” And he did.
It was the first time Felix ever cried after sex.
The bathroom
“Sexy leg,” Louis remarked, smiling.
“You like it? I think it fits in rather well with the décor. Kind of clashes with my dress downs though.”
“Thing like that? I’d think it would go with anything.”
Here in the bathroom was the only place Felix really spoke to Louis anymore. Or to anyone else for that matter. He still didn’t feel like being social and feared the looks on people’s faces as he walked by. Louis was just the only one he felt guilty about, especially after what happened in sick bay.
Louis’ expression changed from joking to serious. “You’ve been avoiding me,” he stated.
“Don’t take it personally. I’ve been avoiding everyone,” Felix replied.
“I’m not expecting you to be okay. I know this is going to take a lot of…getting used to,” Louis chose his words carefully, Felix could tell. “But don’t think you can’t come talk to me. I’m not going to walk out on you, Felix.”
Felix looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. He knew it was true. But it was still hard to accept the idea. “Did you mean it?” he asked. “When you said that my leg doesn’t bother you. Did you mean it?”
Felix watched in the mirror as Louis put his arm around him. “You could look like Colonel Tigh and I’d still care about you.”
Felix laughed. “I hope that doesn’t mean you have a thing for Tigh.”
“Gods no! Trust me baby, I’ve only got eyes for you.”
Felix looked at their reflection in the mirror. The two of them, standing next to each other. Felix had to admit, they didn’t look much different than they had before. They were of course, at least he was. But he supposed not everything had to be different.
Felix turned away from the mirror and kissed Louis. Louis hoisted him onto the sink, just barely missing the faucet. The clothes started coming off and the next thing he knew, they were frakking right there over the basins. And it wasn’t any different than it had been all those times before.
Adama’s quarters
“So, I think you deserve a little ‘welcome back to work, congratulations on your new leg’ present,” said Dee.
“Yeah? What’d you get me? Box of algae flavored chocolates? The only porn magazine in the fleet I haven’t read yet? That pony I’ve always wanted?” Felix teased.
“It stands to be noted, and don’t ask me how I know this, that there are very few rooms left on Galactica that you and Louis haven’t christened.”
“How do you-“ Felix started
“I said don’t ask. Anyway, while some places are going to just be impossible, the CIC for one-“
“Oh that’s been done a long time ago,” Felix remarked.
“The CIC? But that’s always manned, how did you-? You know what, I really don’t want to know. Ew.” Dee looked a bit mortified. Felix felt pleased. “I’ve managed to secure one of your final rooms.”
“Adama’s?” It was the most obvious spot him and Louis had never had sex. He’d honestly thought they’d never make it up there. “How did you pull that one off?”
“All you need to know is that he’ll be gone for the next hour, and you better make it quick. Louis is already on his way up there.”
“Dee-“
“Thank me later. Just get going.”
Rec room
“How did we forget about this place, honestly?” Louis asked as the two of them lay on the floor of the rec room, breathless. “You’d think it’d be one of the most obvious places to start.”
“I don’t know,” Felix mused. “It’s not like we set out to frak in every room on the Galactica on purpose.”
“I blame you going for it in the boxing ring.”
“What? No! That was the first time, that doesn’t count at all. You started this when you wanted to frak in a launch tube for the gods’ sake.”
“Hey, that was exciting and you know it!” The two of them were laughing. It had all seemed so ridiculous how they’d managed every room without even trying. And how somewhere along the line, all their silly frakking had sprouted a relationship that they wouldn’t trade for the prettiest planet in the universe. Felix didn’t regret a second of it.
“So,” said Felix. “Where do we go now that we’ve covered them all?“
Louis grinned. Felix already knew the answer. “Plenty of ships left in the fleet.”