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"Grand Admiral, I have just been informed of a distress signal further into the unknown territories."
Thrawn's train of thought drifted slightly. "I shall like to listen to it."
The officer led Thrawn into the navigation deck of the Chimaera, where another officer played the distress signal out loud.
The intertwining sounds rang a sense of excitement and caution within Thrawn. If he chose to aid the ship, he risked tarnishing his already careful relationship with his people, but if he chose to hover near the ship and wait for the Chiss to take action first, the passengers may not make it in time.
"Prepare the ship and a group of troops for an immediate scan and recovery."
Thrawn could not take chances, even though his actions may be seen as attempts at recovering favor within the Chiss Ascendancy.
In a matter of minutes, the Chiss ship came into view, and was soon very close to the Imperial cruiser Thrawn commanded.
"The scan for life forms came back positive. There are around five life forms." An officer reported from his seat in front of a monitor.
"Prepare for boarding." Thrawn turned and headed out of the large navigation room, marching his way towards the preparing extraction team.
Dark violet lights shone throughout the halls in slow blinks. Eli could just barely make out the walls and corners around him as he walked. Growing accustomed to Chiss design and etiquette was one thing, but the emergency lighting was just too dark for him to navigate through the ship efficiently. The lighting was designed to have minimal influence on the infrared; perfect for Chiss, but unpleasant for anything else.
Eli paused as he heard footsteps behind him, distracting him from his thoughts.
"Eli'van'to?" A Chiss arose from the hall, his red eyes practically glowing in the darkness.
Eli gave a light nod in greeting and affirmation, opening his mouth to say something, only to be interrupted.
"My apologies Lieutenant, but we must make our way to the boarding ducts as soon as possible. A ship has answered our distress signal." The Chiss spoke efficiently and simply, leading Eli through the halls with ease.
"What happened? I felt no attack before the alarm rang." Eli had become quite fluent in Cheunh over the past months, seeing how it had been constantly drilled into his head every day without hearing or speaking any other languages.
"The ship has been compromised." The Chiss seemed very focused and insistent on getting to their destination, having been walking several feet in front of Eli. So focused that he barely noticed when Eli had fallen.
A sharp hot pain shot through Eli's leg, causing him to yell in pain and crash onto the floor.
Another Chiss, whose eyes glowed unusually bright, had scratched and pulled his leg in an animalistic manner, tearing through his boot. Their uniform was slightly tattered, and a strange bloody rash on their neck was barely visible to Eli.
"Coafel'up'oonuri?"
The Chiss that had been leading Eli through the halls called out someone's name in shock. The crazy Chiss responded to it, standing up weirdly and staring at the one who called his name.
Then one ran after the other, down the halls and away from a downed Eli. He was alone again, except now he had an unpleasant ache spreading up his leg. An attempt to stand up was made, but Eli quickly regretted it as a spike of pain climbed further up his injured limb. He groaned, putting one arm in front of the other and beginning to crawl towards another hall that would hopefully lead him to the exit.
He felt dizzy and cold, much too cold even in the lower temperatures within the Ascendancy ship. If he was correct about his current position, he couldn't be more than a few minutes away from getting into that rescue ship. He was nothing but focused as he tried to steady his breathing, crawling towards what he hoped was immediate medical attention.
The alarm swirled into his ears, his eyes burning as he searched the dark halls, wincing as a bright white light turned the corner ahead. The last thing he saw was a fair of shiny black boots.
It had been so long since Thrawn walked the halls of a Chiss ship, though he never expected to do so again. It was unfortunate that he walked the pristine halls whilst an emergency procedure was activated. He would have been thrilled if the day's occurrence had been under better conditions. At least they had three separate clinical halls available for Eli and the two Chiss they had recused from the evacuated Ascendancy Ship. Isolating potentially contaminated survivors in such a manner was standard Imperial protocol.
Turning and entering one of the private medical examination rooms, Thrawn's eyes landed on his former aide. His hair was messy in the way it would usually be after waking up, allowing Thrawn to conclude the Lieutenant had been resting before the ship went into distress. His red eyes scanned the sitting Eli whilst stepping into the room, taking into account the bandages on Eli's right leg.
"Lieutenant Vanto." Thrawn greeted, standing a small distance from the man. The Ascendancy uniform suited him quite well.
"Grand Admiral." Eli greeted in a neutral tone, his head tilted slightly up. Thrawn found it intriguing how much Eli had adapted to Chiss culture. A medic stood and gave Thrawn a datapad before exiting the room, leaving them alone.
"I understand you wish to speak to me and not the medic." Thrawn spoke in his usual tone, eyes gliding over the datapad and the short note the medic jotted down.
"I must be returned to Chiss space immediately."
Thrawn glanced up at Eli, who apparently adapted too much into Chiss culture. That or he was upset, which Thrawn could not come up with an explanation for.
"We have not left Chiss space, and are keeping your ship in view as we wait for another to respond to the distress signal currently being amplified by the Chimaera." Thrawn rested his eyes upon Eli for a moment, taking in the unusual temperature differences on his visible skin. His ears and nose were ever so slightly cold, but his eyes were warm.
"Are you experiencing any pain?" Thrawn decided to try his best in diagnosing Eli, despite not being as experienced in medicine as a medic would be. He understands Eli's need for confidentiality, but given how Thrawn is a Chiss himself, he may be able to work through that wall.
There was a long stretch of silence. "Yes."
Eli was most definitely reluctant to cooperate, but Thrawn could not imagine why.
"The note mentions scratches. What scratched you?"
Eli was tense, and far too uncomfortable considering the familiar environment of an Imperial ship should bring at least some form of comfort.
"I was attacked by another crew member." The sudden switch to Cheunh took Thrawn by surprise. Eli spoke gracefully, though he very much had traces of a foreign accent.
"By a Chiss?" Thrawn felt an unexpected excitement in speaking his language with Eli, presenting an opportunity for Thrawn to comfortably communicate, knowing that Eli would feel more secure knowing no one would understand them if they were being listened in on. Which they were not, but the Chiss took many precautions.
"He looked sickly." Eli added, studying Thrawn's face so slowly that Thrawn mistook it for staring.
"How so?" Thrawn questioned gently.
"His uniform was torn, and his eyes glowed unusually bright. He responded to his name, but acted like an animal."
Eli trusted Thrawn. No matter how angry he was at the man, he still trusted him. The way he spoke infuriated Eli in a way he felt difficult to explain. Something shifted behind those red eyes, giving way for Eli to realize the man had likely figured out what caused his attackers strange ailment.
"Would you allow me to examine you, lieutenant?" Thrawn's usual expression settled in once more, a shift others would fail to notice. But not Eli, no, he noticed everything. Thrawn was immensely difficult to read, but being around so many Chiss granted Eli a new superpower. A power he had so longed for back when he was part of the Empire. He could notice subtle differences in Thrawn's features now. Shifts and changes Thrawn either subconsciously adapted while working with expressive people, or changes Eli could now identify easily.
"If you must."
A light was shone into his eyes briefly, followed by Thrawn turning the lights on and off for various time durations, which seemed silly to Eli.
When the lights were flipped on for the last time, Thrawn pulled a chair in front of Eli and sat down in order to be as level with the shorter man as possible. Then he reached up to Eli's neck, blue middle and index fingers circling against tanned skin in search for any swollen lymph nodes.
Eli felt his face grow slightly warm in embarrassment. Something he wished he could control since he was now aware Chiss easily noticed temperature changes.
Thrawn's fingers moved to the back of Eli's neck briefly, before gently pinching Eli's ears between his index and thumb, staring at him for a moment.
"Have you concluded your examination?" Eli asked after a while, causing Thrawn to take his hands back.
"Yes." The Chiss stood, pushing the chair he had moved to its earlier placement before sitting down at the desk and beginning to tap something into the datapad.
Eli stared, watching Thrawn curiously. Usually, when Thrawn cut into silence like that and stopped being hyper focused on one thing to focus on something else, it meant something had shifted in his mind. Eli was beginning to remember how frustrating Thrawn was to work with.
"What is it?" Eli was expecting another stretch of silence.
"You are sick, with something similar to what your attacker had." Thrawn answered after almost a whole minute.
Eli looked down at his hands, not feeling wild or strange. The only pain he felt was mild and on his ankle, along with an unpleasant heat around his eyes.
"Will I go mad too?" Eli said that without much thought, though he meant to word it differently because it came out as a humorous comment in Cheunh.
Thrawn, of course, took the situation seriously and did not allow himself a smile. "It may affect humans differently. I suspect the ailment came from the sting of a wasp which had pollinated a toxic flower. Usually, the sting would not affect humans in the same way it affects Chiss, but since the ailment was transferred to you by a Chiss, it may result in some unexpected symptoms."
Eli blinked, taking in not only the fact that he might have some sort of rabies, but also how fluidly Thrawn spoke in Cheunh. He decided to let Thrawn work on the datapad in silence. He looked the same, which should not have been a surprise since Eli had only last seen Thrawn in person less than four years ago, but it surprised Eli anyway. Same hair, same features, same way that he likes to tuck and clean his uniform, same haircut.
Eli had missed his old life, not only the one he was on route to before Thrawn took him as an aide, but also the one they would spend together trying to make it in the Empire. Thrawn had made it much further than Eli had ever imagined. Much further than he himself would have ever gone.
He felt tired, his body likely worn out from all the strange things he had to endure.
Thrawn finished writing his order a little later than anticipated.
Turning in his seat would reveal Eli had dozed off, sitting with his back pressed against the wall the flat examination bed was tucked against. Thrawn stood, retrieving a thin blanket from one of the many cabinets. He unfolded the fabric and laid it over Eli, gently adjusting the man's posture so he lay supine on the bed. Hopefully his neck would not hurt when he woke up.
Thrawn had ordered the three med bay halls holding the Ascendancy survivors to be placed under lock down, along with the medic that had tended to Eli and anyone who came into contact with the medic. Thrawn would stay with Eli while he waited for a property protected team to come and bring him the materials required to make the antidote. He had to trust it would work on Eli's biology.
He woke up to an awful warmth under his skin, his eyes too irritated to let him fall back asleep.
The lights in the room were intolerably bright. It must have been the purple lights of the Ascendancy ship that irritated his vision. Blinking through it, Eli saw Thrawn working with various tools on a desk, tools which had not been in the room when he was awake.
If Eli was indeed infected with something a Chiss transferred to him through something as simple as a scratch, Thrawn should take precautions and move to another room before he himself got sick. Although watching Thrawn grind some sort of dried root up into powder did serve as some form of entertainment.
Eli wondered how long he had been asleep for, and if the Chiss have come to retrieve their ship and anyone alive in it yet.
Thrawn turned in his seat, holding a glass tube in his hand with an orange liquid within it.
"I need you to sit up." Thrawn spoke gently, pulling his seat close to the bed. Eli felt lightheaded, but he pushed himself up despite his discomfort. He was carefully handed the tube.
"Drink." Thrawn instructed, watching Eli attentively as he slowly swallowed the liquid.
Thrawn prepared enough of the remedy to cure a group of infected, though he doubted many people got infected since he was informed the medic had not come into contact with anyone else and was currently in lockdown. He would not let himself nor Eli exit the isolated hall out of the same precaution.
He took the empty tube back, and placed it aside. Maybe talking would help Eli pass the time with ease, and also allow a thorough analysis of Eli's form of speech in Cheunh.
"I am glad me and my team found you in time, this disease is very serious." Thrawn wanted to know all sorts of things. How Eli felt about Chiss formalities, how he felt with their mannerisms and traditions, if he had been to Cilla yet and if so how did he like it. He wanted to know about the life Eli had built in the Ascendancy and in extension within Chiss culture.
Eli caught the look of excitement on Thrawn's features, who still felt slightly unreal to Eli given how much he had searched for him in the features of other Chiss. Not a day passed without Eli thinking of Thrawn, whether in a fleeting memory or in a long train of thought, Eli thought of the man daily.
"How come you are not taking personal precautions?" Eli asked, slightly taken aback at how careless Thrawn could sometimes seemed. Although there is always a perfectly good explanation for his actions.
"One can only contract the disease fully if bitten by the diseased. If scratched, as you were, one contracts only a fraction of the disease, as the most potent bacteria remains in the saliva of the infected."
Eli stared at the Chiss, then looked down at his hands. His nails were clipped short, as usual. If he did accidentally make a move that would result in Thrawn being scratched, the damage would be minimal.
"You sure know a lot about this strange disease." Eli's accent slipped, which caused him to heat up slightly. He had a tendency to roll his R's and then tumble slightly through the following letters on certain complex words.
Thrawn stared at him for a moment before a small smile spread at the corners of his lips. "Indeed. It is not very common, but it was once used by an enemy of the Chiss against them in a war long past."
Now it made sense for Thrawn to know all about the disease and how to cure it. Eli should have expected an answer like that, though he was a little too distracted to roll his eyes. Thrawn's positive smiles were always so rare, Eli sort of stared.
They were interrupted by an officer in a hazmat suit, coming in to collect a tube rack of the orange liquid, likely to give it to the medic and the two other Chiss that had been rescued.
Once the door closed, Thrawn turned to face Eli once more.
"How has the Ascendancy treated you?"
For some reason, that question felt almost ridiculous.
"I have been treated fairly." Eli didn't know whether he wanted to tell Thrawn everything, or tell him as little as possible. Strictly speaking, she shouldn't be saying much, but he knows Thrawn's loyalty to his people would prevent him from saying anything to anyone in the Empire.
"You speak Cheunh well."
Thrawn giving compliments was always tricky for Eli, he found himself in the middle of being flattered and unsure every time.
"Thank you."
Eli had a tendency to very often grow warm, it was something he had yet to see anyone else do.
"You are most welcome."
A thousand other questions had surfaced into Thrawn's mind, and he was very intent on asking every last one of them.
"Have you taken shore leave yet?"
An amused smile spread over Eli's lips, which made Thrawn stare.
"Sorry, you always do that." Eli apologized, his head tilted slightly down.
Thrawn recognized the posture immediately as something Eli did whenever Thrawn was doing something intriguing. He had tilted his head without even realizing it. Now he could not help another smile.
"Indeed I do." Thrawn did not mean to sound so fond, but neither did he mind it.
He wanted to be mad, but he could not bring himself to frown. He had missed being able to be lighthearted like this, reminded of their subtle humor.
"I have taken shore leave, and I think of Cilla as a very pretty planet." Eli had practiced this little speech many times, having meant for it to be heard by some other high-ranking Chiss. He wanted an extra good reputation. "Much like the Chiss themselves, the planet puts up elegant appearances, but also has various icy grand caverns that hide away tasteful scenery."
Eli stared at Thrawn, keeping perfect eye contact as he waited for a reaction.
Chiss poetry had graced his ears for the first time in years, and Thrawn felt a strange warmth in his chest. Eli must have put a lot of thought into that sentence, because it sounded truly divine in Cheunh.
"You must be very proud of all you have achieved within less than five years." Thrawn praised, very much delighted with how well Eli spoke. The man's temperature rose again in response.
It had been so long since Thrawn could have a proper conversation, he was relishing in it. He was just about to ask another question when Eli reached up to press his palm against his own forehead.
"Are you alright?" Thrawn tensed slightly, watching Eli closely.
"Mhm.." Eli was trying to brush it off, but clearly something was wrong.
"Your temperature is rising." Thrawn got up to pour Eli a glass of water, which the man gratefully took and drank. He replaced Eli's hand with his own, taking the man's temperature.
"I no longer feel unwell, my eyes just hurt." Eli's eyebrows furrowed slightly, blinking a few times.
"Would you like me to dim the lights?"
Thrawn offered, wanting Eli to be comfortable. As soon as he received a nod, Thrawn stood to go do just that. Eli moved to lean back against the wall behind him, looking up to watch Thrawn walk back towards him.
"The antidote should be taking effect already." Thrawn was confused. Had he made a mistake? Was he wrong to assume the same mix of ingredients would work on humans as it did on Chiss? There was a possibility the adrenaline rush that was often observed as a side effect of the antidote could have shocked Eli's system. The same adrenaline rush that helped the Chiss win a battle against their foe in that war long past he had mentioned.
"Eli."
Eli met Thrawn's eyes, breath hitching at the sound of his name. He felt on edge. "Yes?" He was clearly uneasy.
"Perhaps you should lay down."
Eli shook his head lightly, feeling like he should instead jog back and forth inside the room. Anything but staying still. But when he tried to stand, Thrawn's hand met his chest, keeping him seated and upright. Eli felt slight frustration at being prevented from moving.
"Your leg is still injured." Thrawn murmured, keeping eye contact to make sure Eli was still alert and oriented. Eli seemed to be perfectly well. Perhaps he was lightheaded, but seeing how his temperature was still fluctuating, Thrawn could not tell.
"Don't-" Eli's hand shot up to cover his mouth, his eyes wide before he realized he did not necessarily need to have that response. He had made the mistake of slipping into English in his early days in the Ascendancy, and it always earned him disappointed looks. But Thrawn simply tilted his head in response to his alarm.
"My apologies." Eli switched back to Cheunh, taking Thrawn's wrist and pushing it away gently. "I promise I will not stand." He knew it was a dumb thought, but he just felt so strange.
"No need to apologize, I understand." Thrawn was always so calm and collected, it was hard not to admire him. His uniform was perfectly tailored to his sturdy form, and he always seemed so put together, no matter the situation. Eli felt warm again, something he was beginning to grow tired of.
"Can I ask you something?" Eli was not entirely sure this was an appropriate question to ask Thrawn, but he was going to ask anyway.
"You may." Thrawn gave a light nod.
"Do you think we will ever get to speak again after this?" Eli was well aware of how wild and far Chiss space was from where Thrawn usually operated, but he wanted to hope.
Thrawn blinked, before reaching into his pocket. "I intended on giving this to you earlier. My apologies, I was distracted."
The Chiss took Eli's hand and pressed a very peculiar looking circular commlink into his palm, it was bigger than common commlinks.
"Communication across great distances is possible with this, and it is well encrypted."
Eli stared at it. "Did you make this?"
"Yes."
Eli smiled, remembering when Thrawn took up that droid project all those years ago. This meant Thrawn was expecting to meet Eli. Except they met today by coincidence, and if chances had been different, they would not have met at all. Thrawn thought of him, enough to take on a seemingly pointless project.
"May I see yours?"
Thrawn took out an almost identical commlink, which Eli took.
"Bring me a knife."
Thrawn retrieved one of the three small knives from the desk he had made the antidote on. Eli immediately got to work.
Thrawn shifted slightly in his seat, trying to watch as Eli pressed the sharp end of the blade against the bottom of the commlink. Eventually, Thrawn gave up and decided to sit beside Eli on the bed. With the sharp end of the knife, Eli had been carving a landscape onto the metal. Thrawn recognized the rough sketch as one of the paintings of a Chiss artist, who was famous for his adaptive paintings balanced between the infrared and common vision Chiss viewed things through.
"I always wondered how you saw things, this painting helped me understand."
Thrawn wondered when Eli had gotten so good at art. Perhaps it was during his mentioned shore leave. But this revealed something else. Eli thought of him more often than Thrawn would have guessed.
"I appreciate the Cilla landscape." Thrawn spoke quietly, leaning in slightly to study how Eli's hand moved with such careful ease.
Eli smiled slightly, his temperature steading into warmth. Thrawn always wondered how Eli managed to maintain slightly higher temperatures for such long stretches of time. The most he ever remained overly warm in natural conditions was two minutes and forty-five seconds exactly.
Thrawn took Eli's commlink from his side and retrieved another knife, deciding to return the favor to his best abilities.
Almost an hour passed before Eli turned and held the commlink in his hands.
"One moment." Thrawn needed a few more minutes to finish.
Eli watched Thrawn, so focused on his work, so calm as always. He was one attractive Chiss. Eli felt embarrassed with himself for thinking that so freely, but he did always think of Thrawn as attractive. A little frustrating at times, but Eli knew no one could ever compare to the man. Admiring him from such proximity, a sudden rush of adrenaline flushed his mind.
He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to Thrawn's cheek. It was a surprise, to both himself and the Chiss. Eli had never seen Thrawn's eyes so wide before, they sort of glowed brighter.
Realization hit, and Eli glowed more brightly than ever in the infrared. Thrawn had no thoughts in his head, no words or ideas in his mind. He was frozen for a moment, the spot where Eli's lips had been on his cheek strangely warm. Eli looked like he wanted to explode.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. My formal apologies-" Eli began rambling in Cheunh, his manner of speaking a little too sharp to be considered appropriately formal. Thrawn did not mind. Actually, he did not feel or experience any sort of negative emotion or thought.
"Eli." Eli did not hear anything over himself. Thrawn was slightly amused by how quickly he could speak while also using formalities. Reaching out to take Eli's free hand, Thrawn gave it a gentle squeeze, pulling it up to place a kiss just above his knuckles.
Eli went silent and stared. His mind quieted for a moment, before he felt heat spread from his face to his neck.
"oh.." He suddenly felt a little foolish, a sheepish smile spreading on his lips.
Eli would not be surprised if he had fallen back asleep and suddenly woke up from a dream. He might as well enjoy it.
Against his skin, Thrawn's lips were strangely cool. Eli wondered if they were always like that.
Thrawn wore a gentle smile, something that easily distracted Eli from his earlier embarrassment.
"Shall I finish engraving your commlink?" Thrawn offered, still holding the tech and the knife in his other hand.
Eli nodded lightly, trying to relax as he settled down beside Thrawn once more. He wanted to ask Thrawn something, anything, but nothing good came to mind. He knew Thrawn missed Cilla and his culture, his language and customs. He also knew that Thrawn's pledge of loyalty to the empire meant just as much as his loyalty to the Chiss secrecy policies. In other words, it meant a lot.
"Thank you for answering the distress signal." Eli leaned against Thrawn lightly, still feeling unsure about how the other felt.
"You're welcome." Thrawn's hand paused for a moment before continuing to carefully carve delicate lines on metal. The silence shared between them felt new yet familiar. Familiar in the sense that they wanted to spend time together, but new as in they have come to realize the reason why.
"If we did end up going on shore leave together, where would you choose to go?"
Thrawn paused again to give the question some thought. He would chose somewhere similar to Cilla, although Eli might not appreciate a trip like that as much as he would.
"Anywhere you would prefer." Thrawn was willing to make such sacrifices, seeing as how Eli had opposing tastes in things such as temperature preferences. Back at the academy, he had first realized this while turning on the shower after Eli had set the temperature. Even as unpleasant as warmth usually was for Thrawn, he found himself liking it only when it came from Eli. He always had.
"It would have to be cold, for you." Eli said, listing off the things he wanted and the things he knew Thrawn would likely desire in a vacation. Then he began suggesting which planets would be fitting, although pronouncing them in basic and switching back to Cheunh proved to be a little challenging.
Thrawn placed the knife down and brushed off with his thumb the small chips of metal he had carved. He had finished the design. Looking down at Eli, who was still listing ideas off, he gently took the other's hand in his and placed the commlink on his palm. A bright smile spread on Eli's lips.
"It's beautiful." He said, tracing the intricate lines that made up the scene Thrawn had carved. It was the edge of an Imperial window, with a beautiful view of the stars.
"I am reminded of you by them. Sometimes, after a mission, I would wonder if you looked at them as often as I did." This was something Thrawn usually did in solitude, somewhere he could keep his thoughts away from his duties.
Thrawn met Eli's light brown eyes, and for that moment shared between them, he came to understand what serenity truly meant.
Eli's hands were warm, Thrawn's were cold.
The Chiss raised an eyebrow, "No gloves in the Ascendancy?"
"No, unfortunately not." Eli smiled as Thrawn guided his hands up, placing gentle kisses along tanned wrists before placing them on his broad shoulders. The closer they got, the more Thrawn realized just how much warmth Eli radiated.
Eli knew Thrawn too well, he knew traditional Chiss customs well enough to understand why Thrawn would not lean in the rest of the way. Because he needed Eli to do so.
Eli had tried to skip the chapter of intimacy when it came to researching Chiss history and customs, but he read the summary out of curiosity. His lips met Thrawn's in a gentle kiss, which Thrawn pressed lightly into. Tanned hands slowly slid down perfectly ironed white fabric to feel at the strong muscles beneath, which flexed slightly in response. Eli's hands moved to gently squeeze at muscular forearms and guide blue wrists to his own shoulders. A gesture of trust.
Their lips parted, Thrawn resting his forehead against Eli's as they matched their breaths. They might not see each other again.
Kisses were gently pressed against Eli's warm cheek, trailing down and pausing over a high collar. Thrawn's hand pulled down the strap which rested over Eli's right shoulder, causing it to loosely fall beside Eli, though it remained attached to the uniform's belt. Thrawn was slightly intrigued to find out just how much the Ascendancy had changed their uniform in the past few years.
Eli traced his fingers between the yellow and red squares of Thrawn's rank, his other hand doing the same at the edges of the gold plate on Thrawn's right shoulder. At the same time, they began undoing the miniature clasps that kept the fabrics of their tunics in place. The first layer peeled off to reveal a second, held in place by their belts. Thrawn's belt was much easier to undo than Eli's, which Thrawn slowly unclasped as his own belt was already being set aside.
Beginning to undo the additional clasps at the side of Thrawn's uniform, Eli turned a slightly brighter shade of red. Pushing the golden plates away, Thrawn's chest and abdomen were exposed first. A slight smirk appeared on Thrawn's lips as he observed Eli's expression. After a short moment, Thrawn helped Eli's darker tunic off his shoulders. Almost hesitant hands explored over a chiseled blue abdomen, in return, blue thumbs lightly caressed over exposed collarbones.
Eli felt a light shiver travel up his spine, something so subtle yet easily noticed by Thrawn.
"Cold?" The Chiss asked quietly in Basic, to which he received a light nod.
"Yeah." They had nothing to worry about anymore. Besides, Eli knew they were secure here.
The thin blanket from Eli's earlier nap was pulled up over exposed shoulders, something that just barely helped protect against the very cold temperature inside the Chimaera. Thrawn had always insisted on such low temperatures… The Chiss knew it was not enough to keep warm.
Standing up, Thrawn went to retrieve more blankets. Meanwhile, Eli cleared the bed. He folded and placed their tunics and belts before placing them down on the chair Thrawn had sat on before, the knives placed carefully on a corner. Eli also removed his one remaining boot, placing it down on the floor beside the other at the end of the bed. The bandage around his ankle was secure enough to not be a distraction.
Thrawn returned with what must have been twenty blankets, some of which he placed folded at the top of the bed to act as pillows. Eli chuckled. Thrawn really thought of everything.
Sitting at the edge of the bed, the Chiss took his boots off, Eli kept busy by the view of the other's muscular back. He had known Thrawn was fairly strong, seeing how they had sparred multiple times at the academy, but now Thrawn was somehow even more impressive.
Eli leaned forward to place a kiss atop Thrawn's delt, gently pushing him onto the bed. Thrawn lay on his back, looking up at Eli as the man carefully straddled his hips. Thrawn rest his hands atop Eli's thighs, his thumb caressing over the dark fabric of what was left of the Ascendancy uniform. The longing look in Eli's eyes was all too relatable.
A grind downward made Thrawn tense, encouraging him as he undid the other's pants. Eli returned the favor, relieving Thrawn from some pressure. He let out a huff as Thrawn's thumb pressed against him through the thin fabric of his underwear. He needed more friction.
Thrawn had kept his composure until now, watching as Eli fully freed him and began stroking them both, although he needed help in keeping his grip. Lending a hand, Thrawn found himself absorbed in the many ways Eli expressed his pleasure. Soft sighs, the way his muscles tensed, the subtly parted lips which were lightly bit from embarrassment. The blankets were forgotten, Eli's body heat enough to warm both of them up. A look of confusion and curiosity painted Eli's features as his hand became slick with natural lubricant. Thrawn assumed Eli had not learned of that particular physiological feature, which all male Chiss possessed.
Eli had been wondering if they needed to use the bacta in one of the drawers, but to his surprise, Thrawn was equipt with a simpler solution. Meeting those bright red eyes made Eli desire more. When he tried to adjust his position, a sharp pain spread through his ankle. Thrawn immediately sat up and used his free hand to steady Eli.
"Your wound-"
"I'm fine." Eli insisted, nuzzling into the man's neck.
They stayed like that for a moment, one arm wrapped securely around Eli as they steadied their breaths. Eli was the first to pull back, looking up into Thrawn's eyes.
The look said it all. Thrawn found himself immersed within the light shades of brown that made up Eli's eyes. It was something Thrawn wanted memorized.
"Thrawn."
"Are you certain?" He needed to make sure. Thrawn never cared about anyone like he did Eli, he would take no chances.
"Yes." Eli wanted Thrawn more than anything. He wanted to have Thrawn with him every minute of every day, like he used to. He knows it would be impossible given that they usually operate several days away worth of hyperspace travel, but he truly wished for proximity.
Thrawn rest his back against a generous pile of blankets, Eli resting atop him, his hips in the air. It was comfortable, and kept weight on Eli's knees instead of his ankles. Thrawn could easily reach over Eli, circling lube over his lover before slowly pressing inside. Eli gasped against Thrawn's ear, his warmth seeping into Thrawn's chest.
Gentle movements worked Eli open, drawing out exquisite sounds. The slightest push back against Thrawn's hand earned him a second finger, so carefully pushed inside alongside the first. A whine escaped Eli's lips as Thrawn's fingers circled over something sensitive within him.
Pressing his fingertips against Eli's prostate, Thrawn pressed reverent kisses against Eli's shoulder, which was met with a slight shift from Eli, their lips meeting once more. Thrawn had to tilt his head up slightly, his bottom lip lightly bit by Eli before another soft gasp released him. Thrawn leaned in, kissing those parted lips, drinking in Eli's every sound.
Rolling his hips back, Eli moaned as a third finger joined the first two. Thrawn's skilled fingers sent shivers through him, making his knees weak under him. He felt almost dizzy with need.
"Thrawn.."
Eli felt Thrawn's teeth graze over his neck before a kiss was placed against his skin, another deep press into him distracting from how much Thrawn was holding back. Then, Eli was empty. Thrawn sat up, cleaning his hand off with one of the very many blankets Eli had forgotten about. He watched as said blanket was discarded off the side of the bed, Thrawn pressing a kiss to his temple before lifting him up, maneuvering them so that Eli lay on his back, Thrawn settled between warm thighs.
Wrapping his arms around Thrawn's neck and bearing his own, Eli let himself relax onto the thin mattress, kisses placed upon his neck as Thrawn lined himself up. Yet he paused for a moment, letting Eli steady himself.
A squeeze at Thrawn's shoulders let him know to continue.
A quiet groan left Eli's kissed lips as he felt the head of Thrawn's cock slowly push inside him. Clinging onto the man above him, Eli was overcome by pleasure as Thrawn pushed steadily deeper. He never wanted to let go, never wanted to lose Thrawn again. A quiet groan broke him out of thought.
Thrawn held Eli's hips gently yet firmly, pulling out only slightly before pushing back in. Eli felt Thrawn hit something that sent sparks of pleasure through him, eliciting a pleasured whine.
Thrawn thrusted into that same spot again, setting a moderate pace as he gradually sunk the full of his length within his lover. Eli had been subconsciously mapping out Thrawn's shoulders, squeezing and lightly pulling at them. One hand glided up to Thrawn's hair, guiding the Chiss in for a messy kiss. Moans and deep groans broke apart their lips, their foreheads resting against each other as Thrawn began rocking fervently into Eli.
Delightful shivers ignited flames under his skin, every touch aroused the need for more, leaving his mind a blissful mess as Thrawn's pace increased. A whine left him as teeth nibbled at the base of his neck, quiet words spoken against his skin. Eli could faintly recognize them as muttered Cheunh. Subtle caresses at the back of Thrawn's neck caused the man to snap forward, taking Eli by surprise.
He felt a searing heat within him, building up with every forward slam from Thrawn. A hand left Eli's hips, moving between them to stroke Eli in time with Thrawn's thrusts.
Writhing in pleasure, neither of them would last much longer. Eli arched his back, eyes squeezed shut as he came undone in Thrawn's hand.
The Chiss furrowed his brows slightly, unable to keep from sinking his teeth into Eli's shoulder. A gasp followed Eli's sweet moans as the pain registered, Thrawn burying himself deep within the tight heat of the man underneath him as he reached his climax.
Melting onto Eli's heaving chest, Thrawn apologetically pressed kisses over the bite mark, wrapping his arms around Eli and holding him close.
Kisses were returned to Thrawn's temple, accepting his silent apology. A moment longer they stayed in each other's arms, before Thrawn carefully pulled out and began cleaning them up.
Eli had never felt so satisfied in his life. He settled happily against Thrawn's chest once the man laid down beside him, breathing in the lingering hints of his cologne. He wondered if he could take a bottle to go.
A bright light shone onto the ceiling, interrupting them. Thrawn raised his head to look at the tablet he had left face up on the desk, which had turned on to show something he had momentarily forgotten about. The Chiss Ascendancy had arrived and wanted any survivors immediately returned.
Eli had a sneaking suspicion the look on Thrawn's face meant they wouldn't have much time left together.
Sitting up with Thrawn, Eli placed his hand on the other's shoulder.
"I can arrange for more time." Thrawn promised quietly, his lips pressing against Eli's knuckles before the Chiss got up to go type a reply onto the datapad. Eli's eyes appreciatively raked up and down Thrawn's chiseled body, a soft smile on his lips as he pulled a mess of blankets around himself.
Once Thrawn was sure he had gotten enough time, he walked back to the bed, wrapping a blanket around himself.
"I thought it was impossible for you to feel cold." Eli teased.
"Almost." Thrawn replied with amusement, picking up their clothes and boots into one arm before offering Eli a hand, helping him get off the bed.
"Where are we going?" Eli pulled the blankets more securely around himself, having a little trouble standing straight.
"To the showers." Thrawn was confident in his ability to make it seem as if they had been chatting and patiently waiting this whole time.
Eli stumbled along as they hurried down the isolated clinic halls, snatching his boots from Thrawn's arms as a sudden rush of adrenaline filled him. He hadn't done something relatively fun in months.
Their clothes were placed onto the benches in the middle of the shower room, their boots standing under said benches. Eli paused as his hand hovered over the shower regulator, and decided a neutral temperature would be best. Turning around, Thrawn walked in with one of his small smiles, soap in hand.
He lathered up bubbles in his palms, placing the bar onto a small shelf before beginning to languidly scrub at tanned skin. He took time to explore every inch, tracing the subtle curve of Eli's back, admiring and worshiping Eli's body.
The slow movements of Thrawn's hands allowed Eli to relax once more. He pushed down the head of the shampoo dispenser, which was pinned to the wall, and reached up to begin massaging the liquid into Thrawn's hair and scalp. The water cascading down on them washed away their sweat, and continued to fall over them as their lips met in a slow open-mouthed kiss. Before either of them could think better of it, Thrawn was holding Eli against the shower wall, warm legs wrapped around his hips as their kiss intensified.
Eli's legs were shaky even as he sat on the bench, mostly dry as Thrawn gently pressed and rubbed a towel along strands of wet brown hair. Once his hair was dry enough, Eli pulled on his underwear and socks, followed by his pants, which he had to pull on while leaning against the wall in order to stay upright.
Thrawn was closing his white tunic, hair somehow already combed back, the humidity holding it in place. How was it that everything worked out perfectly for him? Eli had always asked himself that.
Holding up the dark gray tunic, Thrawn helped Eli into the rest of his uniform, buckling the belt as Eli fixed the extra strap over his shoulder. Lastly, they stepped into their boots, and walked out of the showers. Thrawn made quick work of tidying up the room they had been in, throwing all of the blankets into a bag to then stuff them down the trash compartment, lastly fixing the bed and pillow to look untouched. Eli adjusted the light settings back to normal, his eyes feeling fine ever since the antidote started working its wonders.
Admiral Ar'alani was sick of waiting, but at least she could be sure none of the personnel brought back from the ship would have any sort of sickness. And the report Grand Admiral Thrawn promised her regarding how the disease affected humans would be most appreciated. She responded to the second distress call late due to her ship being the only one in the area. Her crew had to collect the many dispersed escape pods scattered clicks apart before making way towards the alarmed ship. The disease must have really done a number on Lieutenant Vanto, seeing how he was practically trembling.
"Are you certain you do not wish to report to the clinic?" Ar'alani gave Eli an ever so slightly cautious glare.
"I am sure, Admiral."
Walking to his quarters after being ordered to take half a weeks worth of rest, Eli could not help a small smile. He locked his door and plopped down onto his bed, taking out the round metallic device from his right pocket. He missed Thrawn already, but he knew they would never have to go months without communication ever again. And he could also watch Thrawn's live hologram while they talked, so it wasn't like he wouldn't get to see Thrawn until shore leave. Which they still needed to finalize their plans for.