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Eli woke up slowly, subconsciously curling closer to the warm body next to him in his bed. Except… that couldn’t be. There wasn’t nearly enough room on his barrack bed for two bodies, let alone the size of the body he felt next to him.
Memories of the night before came back slowly, then all at once.
Prying his eyes open, he found himself lying next to Thrawn.
So it hadn’t been a dream.
Eli knew he shouldn’t be here. He should get up right away, and leave. Preferably before Thrawn had the chance to wake up. And then never discuss what had happened again. Thrawn already had a hard time in the Empire as it was. If rumors that he slept with one of his subordinates got around… well, neither of them would be taken seriously ever again.
Yet he stayed right where he was.
Thrawn was lying on his stomach, their legs intertwined beneath the sheets. One arm was slung over Eli’s waist, almost as if he were holding onto him protectively. Most other humans would have likely found the amount of body heat radiating off of Thrawn unbearable. However, Eli found it comforting, and snuggled closer to the alien. His head was turned toward Eli, his eyes closed, his breathing deep and even. It was right then that Eli realized he had never seen Thrawn asleep before.
When they were cadets together at the Royal Imperial, Thrawn always went to bed after Eli, and arose before Eli. He had claimed that Chiss needed less sleep than humans. Eli had made a mental note of that, then filed it away and never thought about it again. At least, until now.
He stayed quiet, studying Thrawn’s face as he slept. Eli didn’t think he had ever seen Thrawn look so relaxed, so content. Sure, Thrawn was always calm and confident in his waking hours. But even then, he always carried the slightest bit of tension around in his shoulders and face. Seeing the commodore look so relaxed was nice for a change.
Slowly, he lifted his hand to lightly brush his fingers against Thrawn’s cheek. He didn’t stir. Eli began to slowly and gently run his fingers through Thrawn’s hair. It was as soft and silky as it looked; he remembered thinking the same thing the night before, but being too distracted with their activities to linger upon the thought.
Eli’s eyes fluttered closed for a moment. His hips ached from where Thrawn had gripped him hard enough to bruise. Their hands had been all over each other, gripping and pulling as they tried to press as close to each other as possible as the tension that had been building between them for years was finally released. He could still hear Thrawn panting heavily into his ear as they intertwined, soft curses and grunts escaping their lips as they tried desperately to avoid drawing unwanted attention to themselves.
A small smile graced Eli’s lips. He didn’t regret anything. All he could do was hope that Thrawn didn’t either. Though, he was fairly certain he had fallen asleep first. If Thrawn had regrets, he might’ve left Eli in the night to hide himself away in his office, or to sleep elsewhere. Instead, they were both still in Thrawn’s bed, legs intertwined, holding each other.
No, neither of them had regrets. It was a matter of trying to figure out whether this was a one-time thing, or if it would become something ongoing.
Eli opened his eyes again, his hand coming to a rest on Thrawn’s cheek. It was likely that Thrawn would be awake soon, and he wanted to relish these final quiet moments for as long as he could, because as soon as Thrawn woke up, it was very possible he would never get to see him like this again. And he wanted to remember this.
The minutes ticked by. What time was it? Someone might come by soon, to see why Thrawn hadn’t come to the bridge, or at least sent a message to the bridge. Maybe Eli should wake him up.
Hesitantly, Eli leaned in some, contemplating waking Thrawn up by kissing him. It was cheesy, and ridiculous, and it very well could be the exact wrong move to make. But he wouldn’t know until he tried.
He leaned in a little more, their foreheads almost touching. Then he stopped, an anxious feeling settling in his stomach. This was definitely a bad idea. What had happened last night was a one-time thing. He could already hear Thrawn telling him so as they got up to get redressed.
“If you don’t do it, then I will,” Thrawn murmured, catching Eli by surprise. His glowing red eyes opened partially, looking at Eli.
Eli felt his cheeks heat up, somewhat embarrassed. How long had Thrawn been awake? “I… I wasn’t sure if—”
Apparently, that wasn’t what Thrawn wanted to hear. He effectively cut Eli off by pulling him into a kiss. Eli melted into his touch immediately, brushing his thumb over Thrawn’s skin. They separated after a moment, though they kept their foreheads pressed together.
“Do you still have doubts, Lieutenant Commander?” Thrawn questioned, his voice a soft purr. It sent a shiver up Eli’s spine.
“No, I don’t.” He murmured back. “And just call me Eli. We’re alone, and off-duty.”
Thrawn’s eyes seemed to brighten some as he examined Eli. Was that the wrong request to make? They had been using each other’s personal names very liberally just hours ago, so he had assumed it would be okay for moments like this.
Then Thrawn inclined his head. “As you wish,” he paused, and the brightening glow of his eyes unmistakable this time.
“Eli.”