"Losing Sight Of The Shore" excerpt 1
Aug. 13th, 2010 07:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
purple_penThis is from fairly early on in the story - Jay (the narrator, a communications officer on the intragalactic ship Hydra) and Felix (a mysterious crew member on a ship the Hydra just rendered aid to) meet for the first time (well, the first time when they're both conscious and undrugged, anyway)
Jay's seen plenty of people who don't look like him since he joined up with Space Fleet, human and not. People with fur, people with scales. One group whose skin changed color to reflect their emotions. He's never wanted to touch any of them the way he does this man, his flawless purple skin.
He remembers the feel of the man's muscles under his hand, how tightly he gripped Jay's wrist, and when the man chooses that moment to stir, a worried noise slipping from his lips, it's instinct to reach out and cover his hand with his own.
The man turns his hand in Jay's, holding it loosely. Jay looks down at their joined hands, his own pale in the man's, then back up to his face, surprised to find silver eyes looking at him. "You're awake," he says stupidly.
The man says something in another language, then blinks, frowning slightly. "Yes," he says, tentative, like he's not sure it's the right language. "Yes, I'm awake."
"That's good," Jay says. "Um, I don't know what you remember…"
The man's eyes warm. "You found me. Rescued me."
Jay feels his face heat again, even though it's pretty much the truth. "Yeah. You're on our ship now, the Hydra."
"It seems very pleasant," the man says, looking around the small bay.
Jay laughs. "Sorry we don't have a better view."
The man meets his eyes. "The view is quite fine," he says solemnly.
"Right," Jay says. He wants to duck his head, but he can't look away. "Um, my name's Jay. Jay Du Lane, I'm a lieutenant here."
"Felix," the man says. "Of the clan Th – Hardasa."
Jay blinks at the stumble, but maybe it sounds different in Felix's own language, and he changed to Galactic part way through. "Pleased to meet you," he says, bringing his hand up to shake, and only then realizing that they're still holding hands. He lets go quickly, Felix's hand dropping back to the bed. "Sorry," he says, blushing again, and, Christ, if this is going to become a habit, he'll never survive.
"Don't be," Felix says.
There's a short pause while Jay tries to figure out if Felix is flirting
Jay's seen plenty of people who don't look like him since he joined up with Space Fleet, human and not. People with fur, people with scales. One group whose skin changed color to reflect their emotions. He's never wanted to touch any of them the way he does this man, his flawless purple skin.
He remembers the feel of the man's muscles under his hand, how tightly he gripped Jay's wrist, and when the man chooses that moment to stir, a worried noise slipping from his lips, it's instinct to reach out and cover his hand with his own.
The man turns his hand in Jay's, holding it loosely. Jay looks down at their joined hands, his own pale in the man's, then back up to his face, surprised to find silver eyes looking at him. "You're awake," he says stupidly.
The man says something in another language, then blinks, frowning slightly. "Yes," he says, tentative, like he's not sure it's the right language. "Yes, I'm awake."
"That's good," Jay says. "Um, I don't know what you remember…"
The man's eyes warm. "You found me. Rescued me."
Jay feels his face heat again, even though it's pretty much the truth. "Yeah. You're on our ship now, the Hydra."
"It seems very pleasant," the man says, looking around the small bay.
Jay laughs. "Sorry we don't have a better view."
The man meets his eyes. "The view is quite fine," he says solemnly.
"Right," Jay says. He wants to duck his head, but he can't look away. "Um, my name's Jay. Jay Du Lane, I'm a lieutenant here."
"Felix," the man says. "Of the clan Th – Hardasa."
Jay blinks at the stumble, but maybe it sounds different in Felix's own language, and he changed to Galactic part way through. "Pleased to meet you," he says, bringing his hand up to shake, and only then realizing that they're still holding hands. He lets go quickly, Felix's hand dropping back to the bed. "Sorry," he says, blushing again, and, Christ, if this is going to become a habit, he'll never survive.
"Don't be," Felix says.
There's a short pause while Jay tries to figure out if Felix is flirting
