Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Gyrus lay on the bed of a dingy hotel room, his limbs loosely entwined with Kodya’s as the ceiling fan overhead slowly rotated. It had been another casual rendezvous for them, a way to blow off pent-up steam.

But this time, Gyrus felt less sleepy than he usually did after they finished. He was relaxed, yes, but his thoughts hadn’t subsided into a sleepy fog as they normally did. So he tried to find something to keep himself busy with.

His gaze landed on Kodya, who lay on his back beside him, and curiosity arose.

“I’ve never asked you about these,” Gyrus hummed, trailing his fingertips over the swirl of the tattooed wave that crested across Kodya’s left pec. “You’ve got so many tattoos. Any meaning to any of them?”

“To each of them,” Kodya replied absently, his eyes half-lidded as he watched Gyrus’s fingers trace across the skin. “Pick one. Maybe I’ll tell you about it.”

“Hmmm,” Gyrus levered himself up on one elbow, gazing down at all of the beautiful, intricate patterns that wound their way across Kodya’s skin. “This one,” he said, reaching out to feather his fingers across the image of a delicate green and red hummingbird that fluttered across Kodya’s right shoulder, delicately sipping nectar from a flower.

“It’s for my older sister, Yelena,” Kodya murmured. His voice was calm, but beneath the surface Gyrus could hear the stirrings of old grief.

“Why a hummingbird?”

Kodya shrugged. “She loved birds, and flowers.”

Loved. Past-tense.

“She’s dead?”

Kodya nodded.

Gyrus hummed softly and resumed his perusal of Kodya’s tattoos. “Why all the old-timey nautical symbols?” he asked, following the curve of a rope as it wound around Kodya’s bicep, drifting down to an old wooden ship’s wheel on his forearm, which had a matching anchor on the opposite arm.

“I’ve always liked how simple life was back then,” Kodya murmured. “They lived and died like we do now, but all those sailors had to worry about was the wind and the waves. It seems nice.” He grinned softly at Gyrus. “Plus, they’re traditional for pirates, and I know they look good on me.”

Gyrus rolled his eyes and suppressed the urge to make a snarky comment. He was enjoying the sort of casual peace they’d fallen into and didn’t want to risk descending into their usual bickering just yet. Besides, he wanted to hear more about Kodya’s tattoos.

“What about this one?” he asked, reaching out to finger the image of a moon rising over a pair of mountains, which lay on Kodya’s left wrist.

“That one was my first,” Kodya said softly, not even bothering to look at where Gyrus was touching him. “Got it the day before I shipped out for the Fleet. It matched one my middle sister got on her opposite arm, only hers had a sun.”

Matched. Had. There was that past-tense again.

“She’s dead too?”

Kodya nodded. “Died in an industrial accident a week after I left. She was working extra hours at the mill trying to help support our family, and one of the cranes broke.”

There was that old grief again. But then, he’d known Kodya had come from less-than-ideal circumstances. It had all been there in his military files when Gyrus had hacked into them. Besides, the Martian wasn’t the only one who had lost a family member.

“There’s the phoenix on your back,” he murmured, remembering the glimpse of the tattoo he’d gotten earlier when they’d been stripping. “Although I suppose I don’t have to look too far for the meaning there.”

“Sometimes I’m a simple man,” Kodya said. “So sometimes an image is exactly what it seems to be.”

“Oh? Then what about this one?” Gyrus captured Kodya’s right hand, lifting the pirate’s index finger and pointing to where a delicate ring of flowers was tattooed around the base of the digit. “Don’t tell me you’re simply fond of daisies.”

“Liliya was,” Kodya murmured softly. At Gyrus’s raised eyebrow he added, “my youngest sister. Yelena was the oldest, then me, then Klara, and then little Liliya…”

“And all of them are gone now, except you?”

Kodya nodded. “Yelena got sick and passed away while I was in prison, and Liliya went missing and turned up dead not long after.”

Gyrus’s heart gave a painful lurch. That was a lot of tragedy for one man to bear.

“I’m sorry you couldn’t be there for them,” he said, looking away. “I imagine it’s worse when you don’t know exactly how they met their ends.”

Kodya nodded. “Nephthys was there to watch her parents die, and she’s told me that she’s glad she could at least be there for their final moments.”

“It’s…something,” Gyrus murmured. “Although whether it’s for better or for worse depends on the circumstances.”

Kodya let out a soft sigh and pulled Gyrus back down against his chest. “No more heavy talk,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to Gyrus’s lips. “Let’s forget about the past for a while, hmm?”

Gyrus closed his eyes and leaned in, eagerly reciprocating Kodya’s touch. Yes, forgetting about the past sounded like an excellent idea. And when he was in Kodya’s arms, he could actually manage it, even if it was only for a scant few hours.

Together, they could pretend they were whole. And maybe someday they would be.

Chapter Text

Ciboulette: Hey Gyrus!

Gyrus: Hey, Cib. What’s up?

Ciboulette: I don’t suppose you’re going to be in my neck of the woods anytime soon?

Gyrus: …What did Ragan break this time?

Ciboulette: The inventory scanner. Threw it clean through the window when it told her she was scanning the same object twice and wouldn’t let her enter it into the manifest…

Gyrus: Give me a few hours. I’ll be there.

Ciboulette: Merci beaucoup!! You are the best! ♥️

Three hours later, Gyrus walked down the Aphelion’s gangplank, setting foot on the dusty purple and red planet known as Lisba, which his old friend Ciboulette and her girlfriend Ragan called home. Cib was the only person from Gyrus’s childhood who he had maintained contact with after parting ways with polite society. She had always been a little different from everyone else, and as long as he wasn’t turning into a megalomaniac or killing indiscriminately, she didn’t care what circles he ran in. Which he appreciated a great deal. Her company was a tiny dose of normal that he sometimes found he needed badly in his life among the stars.

Ciboulette ran her own interstellar trading post on Lisba, and thanks to her charm, quick thinking, and negotiating skills, she had made quite a name for herself over the years. One of the benefits Gyrus reaped from having such a well-connected friend was that she got all the best info without even leaving the comfort of her shop, which she was happy to pass along to him—for a price.

That price was what he was here to pay, so he shouldered his tool bag and headed inside, the old-fashioned bell tinkling overhead as he pushed open the door.

“Ah! There you are!” Ciboulette called out, waving at him from behind the counter. “You’re looking well, Gyrus! The life of crime and debauchery seems to be treating you kindly.”

Gyrus blushed, heading over to her. “I don’t know exactly what kind of ‘debauchery’ you think I’ve been up to, but the crime has certainly kept me busy,” he said, laying his tool bag out on the countertop.

Ciboulette grinned, propping her chin on her hand as she leaned an arm on the countertop.

“You forget how easily I can read you, Gyrus,” she said, reaching out a finger to gently tap the tip of his nose. “You have the look of a man who has had at least one rousing sexual encounter lately.”

Gyrus went crimson and opened his mouth to object but Ciboulette cut him off with a wave of her hand.

“I know you won’t tell me any details, so suffice it to say that I’m happy for you. Now!” She swept a hand out at a mess of broken machines that sat on the floor behind her. “I have some work for you.”

Gyrus suppressed a groan. “You said it was one scanner,” he grumbled, heading around the counter and examining the first damaged object. “Did Ragan hurl all of these through the windows?”

“Not all,” Ciboulette said. “Just most. Ma cherie has quite the temper, and she doesn’t see eye-to-eye with technology.”

“No kidding,” Gyrus muttered. It was hardly a surprise considering the world the tall blonde had come from was so technologically primitive.

Truthfully, he didn’t actively dislike Ragan, but they had butted heads on more than one occasion after Ciboulette had saved her from being sold on the black market as a meat for the gladiator pits on Cellos 5. Cib had been working a job with Gyrus when they’d stumbled across the spectacle, and neither of them had been able to sit by and watch as people’s lives were bartered away. So in the end, they’d crashed the auction, and Ciboulette had brought the hulking blonde princess home with her, considering her homeland had been obliterated during her capture.

“Take as much time as you need,” Ciboulette called as Gyrus scooped up the first machine and took it back into her salvage shop.

Gyrus had to admit that he enjoyed the simple nature of this kind of work. Repairs were usually a matter of necessity, and the rest of his time was spent either planning heists or locked away in the research lab at his hidden asteroid base. But there was something satisfying about tuning out everything else as he broke down, repaired, and reassembled simple devices like scanners and consoles and even the odd appliance or two. He knew Ciboulette would keep an eye out and warn him if anyone who might be dangerous approached, so he allowed himself to relax as he worked, savoring the mental respite.

A few hours into his repairs, Ciboulette came by with a tray of fresh baked cookies, and he took a break to eat them and chat with her for a while. Then he resumed his repairs, and before he knew it, half the day had gone by and he was finally finished.

“You are a lifesaver, Gyrus!” Ciboulette said when he headed back into the front room of her shop with his toolkit packed.

Gyrus smiled at her, wiping some machine oil from his hands with a cloth. “You know I’m always happy to help, Cib.”

“Yes, and as a reward for your patience, I have some new dirt for you.” Ciboulette stepped out from behind her counter and pressed a small data drive into his hands. “I think you’ll be able to find at least something useful in what’s on here.”

Gyrus grinned and tucked the drive into the pocket of his shipsuit. “Always a pleasure doing business,” he said.

Ciboulette was about to respond when there was an angry roar from the back room, followed by the sound of metal and glass smashing.

“DAMN MACHINE!” Ragan bellowed. “WHY CAN’T YOU JUST DO WHAT I TELL YOU TO!?”

Ciboulette giggled and Gyrus sighed. It looked like he wasn’t finished just yet…

Chapter Text

“I’m sure it was Anan,” Kodya grumbled as he and Gyrus walked back towards their quarters aboard the Blue Straggler. “Maybe Mimi and Neph too.”

“No, this has Alastair and Maria written all over it,” Gyrus said, shaking his head. “I can’t believe they had the nerve to break into our room and turn it into some ridiculous love nest!”

“Regardless, whoever it was is going to regret it when we find them!” Kodya said, pushing the button on the wall that had the doors sliding open for them. “This is just ridiculous.”

Gyrus snorted as he stepped inside, once again seeing the rose petals that were scattered everywhere as the smell of incense filled the hall.

“They’ve got entirely the wrong impression of us,” he said, glaring at the red silk sheets on the bed. “This is just a joint business venture, that’s all. We’ll be more successful working together on one ship than we were operating separately.”

“Absolutely,” Kodya said, as the door slid closed behind them. “I agree completely. Although,” he stepped closer to Gyrus, tilting his chin up with a finger, “it would be a shame to let this all go to waste, wouldn’t it?”

Something heated flickered in Gyrus's eyes and he reached up to loop his arms around Kodya’s neck. “I suppose it would,” he murmured, stretching up until their lips were less than an inch apart. “Space travel does demand that we live thriftily. Waste not, want not and all...”

“The cardinal rule of scavengers,” Kodya agreed, closing the distance to capture his lips in a tender kiss.

Gyrus eagerly kissed him back and Kodya slid an arm beneath Gyrus’s backside, the other slipping around his torso as Kodya lifted him up. Gyrus moaned softly into the kiss, his legs locking around Kodya’s waist as the Phoenix carried him towards their bed. There they spent the rest of the night making love, surrounded by the scent of crushed rose petals and vanilla spice.

Surely a wedding night to remember…

Chapter Text

“Take that, you thieving scum!”

Gyrus rolled his eyes as he ducked a poorly-aimed laser blast from an overzealous InterSSA officer. He took the woman out with a single shot from his pistol, then dove behind a stack of heavy cargo crates as a new group opened fire on him.

“Whose bright idea was it to plan a raid on an InterSSA facility?” he grumbled, shooting a pointed look at Kodya, who was reloading his plasma rifle beside him.

“Oh sure,” Kodya said, surfacing above the crates to send a scattered blast of hot plasma into a cluster of InterSSA officers. “Blame me for this mess! You were the one who wanted to get your hands on their new data processor! Something about doubling our capacity for tech-based jobs like hacking and data theft?”

“Yes, but you were the one who suggested we try to grab one from a planetside base!” Gyrus replied, using his gravity gauntlets to hurl an empty oil drum at a pair of officers who had been getting a little too close.

“Because they’re ready for us in space!” Kodya shot back. “Every time we’ve tried to raid a convoy, they’ve had reinforcements waiting just around the corner! They shouldn’t have had any reason to suspect us this time!”

“Well, a fat lot of good that does us now!” Gyrus spat. “It took all of four minutes for one of the alarms to be triggered, and now we’re trapped up here and we haven’t heard from the rest of the infiltration team!”

As if that had been a cue, their radio suddenly crackled to life.

“Gyrus! Kodya! Do you copy!?” It was Maria, and she sounded worried.

“We’re here,” Kodya said, shooting another heavy volley of plasma before ducking back behind their makeshift barricade. “Where are you guys?”

“Down in the lower levels!” Maria replied, and Gyrus could hear laser fire in the background. “We’re pinned down and Xinju’s hurt bad! We need an evac, now! ”

There was the sound of an explosion, and then the channel went dead.

“Shit,” Gyrus cursed. “This is bad. We need to get to them.”

“You go,” Kodya said, peeking over the barricade before quickly ducking to avoid more laserfire. “You’re much better suited to close quarters than I am, not to mention faster with those boots of yours. I’ll hold them off here.”

“Alone!?” Gyrus demanded. “You’re insane!”

Kodya laughed, reaching for a grenade from his belt and pulling the pin before he hurled it into the midst of the oncoming InterSSA officers.

“Live crazy, die crazy,” he said as the explosion detonated behind him. “Now, stop dawdling. Our people need help.”

Gyrus hesitated, then grabbed the front plate of Kodya’s exosuit. With a swift yank, he pulled the pirate close and kissed him.

“I’ll go, but don’t you dare die on me,” he murmured as he drew back. “Or I swear to god I’ll kill you myself.”

Kodya caught him and pulled him back in, claiming a kiss of his own before he released him.

“Remember who you’re talking to,” his rival said, hefting his plasma rifle. He got to his feet, flashing Gyrus a cocky grin. “I’m the goddamn Phoenix. Now,” he jerked his head towards the doors, “get going.”

Gyrus didn’t hesitate any longer. The moment Kodya drew the attention of the officers, he took off, running as fast as he could towards where Maria’s signal had originated from.

He was able to rescue Maria and the others, who had already found the data processor schematics and downloaded them, and they quickly headed back up through the facility, blasting their way through any officers who tried to stop them—although, from the radio traffic Gyrus intercepted, it appeared most of InterSSA’s attention was directed at the courtyard where he’d left Kodya. Whatever the pirate was doing seemed to be working, and it allowed them to make their way back to the surface with little resistance. Knox was waiting there with the Aphelion ready for takeoff, hidden from view using some experimental cloaking technology Gyrus and Oli had been developing.

“That’s everyone from our group,” Maria said as they secured Xinju in the small medical cabin. “Where’s Kodya?”

“I’m not sure,” Gyrus replied. “He hasn’t been answering my calls. But it sounds like everything is still in chaos back there, so I doubt they’ve managed to capture him.”

Maria nodded. “I’ll tell Knox to be ready to move the second we see him.”

Gyrus left her to it, heading for the main hatch where he watched the facility with growing nerves.

Would Kodya make it out okay? Surely if he’d held out for this long, he could go a little longer. Gyrus had sent him the message that they were safe and ready to depart, so at the very least he would know he didn’t have to buy any more time. That was, assuming he had received the message, or was capable of receiving it—

A sudden explosion rocked the ground and the front gates of the facility exploded outwards in a flaming spray of rubble. Out of the smoke raced Kodya, a feral grin on his face as he darted left and right, dodging laserfire from the group of very angry InterSSA officers who were hot on his heels.

Kodya’s eyes locked with Gyrus’s, and the pirate reached for his belt, pulling the pin from his last grenade, which he tossed over his shoulder. The InterSSA officers scattered when they spotted the grenade, and Kodya kept running, picking up speed as he approached the Aphelion . He nodded to Gyrus and Gyrus understood.

“KNOX!” Gyrus bellowed into his radio. “TAKE OFF! NOW!”

The android didn’t hesitate to obey, and within seconds, the Aphelion was lifting off the ground. 

Kodya broke into a sprint, outpacing the few officers who were still on his tail.

“See you in hell, you bastards!” Kodya shouted, and took a running leap, landing on the edge of the Aphelion’s gangplank as it began to retract. He gave his pursuers a mocking wave. “Just not today!”

The plank finished retracting and the hatch sealed with a hiss, and Kodya winced, pressing a hand to a deep wound along his ribs. Gyrus was at his side in an instant, slipping under one of his arms to support him as the pirate sagged tiredly.

“How was that for an entrance?” he murmured, giving Gyrus a wry smile. “Think it did my legend justice?”

Gyrus rolled his eyes, chuckling. “Without a doubt,” he replied. “Now, come on, Mr. Legend, let’s get you patched up for the ride home.”

Chapter Text

“Damn InterSSA dogs!” Kodya snarled. “Mimi, return fire!”

“I’d love to!” Mimi replied, frantically trying to enter commands into her sparking console. “But our weapons are offline!”

“Shit!” Maria spat. “It looks like the shields are going down too. Knox, reroute power from the antigrav generators on decks three and four!”

Kodya gritted his teeth as he stared at the three heavily armed cruisers on the screen before them. The ships had appeared out of nowhere and ambushed them while they’d been doing recon for a new job. The first volley of fire had crippled their engines, and the second had apparently taken out their weapons. Now they were sitting ducks.

And where the hell was Gyrus!? His fellow captain had been down in the medical bay, going over some supply requests with Nephthys, who had wanted to add some new items to their inventory.

“Take it easy, Frosty,” came Gyrus’s voice, and suddenly the smuggler appeared on the main viewscreen. It looked like he was in the cockpit of the Aphelion . “I’ve got a plan to get us out of here.”

“What the hell do you think you’re doing!?” Kodya demanded.

“I’ve got twenty kilotons of nitrium explosives loaded into the Aphelion’s cargo hold,” Gyrus replied, entering the ignition sequence for the engines. “I’m going to detonate them in a spread in front of our InterSSA friends out there, and it should scramble their sensors long enough for you to hide behind one of the larger moons on a nearby planet. I’ll draw their attention then, and lose them in the asteroid belt near Zara-8 on the other side of the solar system.”

“No shot you’ll last that long on your own!” Kodya protested. “That’s a fucking suicide mission!”

“Too late to change course now!” Gyrus replied with a grin. “I’ve already got the hangar doors open!”

“This is serious!” Kodya growled. “You’re risking your life, you damn fool!”

“If you want me to make it back so badly, then offer me something,” Gyrus teased, easing the controls forward as the Aphelion cleared the Blue Straggler. “Make it worth my while.”

Kodya bared his teeth in a snarl. “Damn you, Axalei! This is no joke! Get back here before you get yourself killed!”

“No chance,” Gyrus replied. “If I don’t drop this payload, we’ll never get away from them. So, offer me something. Motivate me to make it home alive.”

“Fine!” Kodya snapped, fists clenching. “What do you want!? I know you’ve already got something in mind, so just tell me!”

Gyrus gave him a very smug smile. “I want to top tonight.”

Kodya’s cheeks heated and he could feel the attention of everyone on the bridge shifting to him.

“Gyrus,” he hissed, “this is an open channel! ”

“Oh, I know,” Gyrus said, grimacing for a moment as an explosion detonated near the Aphelion . “But I meant what I said. So, are you a man of your word or not, Karevic?”

“F-fine!” Kodya replied, ignoring the stares of the bridge crew. “I…agree to your terms.”

“Lovely!” Gyrus said, grinning. “Now, you get out of here while I distract our friends. I’ll meet you by the Amarus nebula. It’s not too far, and it should mask our signatures while we make repairs to the main drive.”

The connection abruptly terminated and Kodya knew without looking that the bridge crew was staring at him.

“Don’t just sit there, people!” he barked. “Anan, lay in a course for the nearest moon we can hide behind! The rest of you, start working on repairs, and someone get me a damage report!”

Everyone scrambled to follow his orders, leaving him to sit in his co-captain’s chair, fuming quietly. The nerve of that smug smuggler! When Gyrus got back, he was going to give him a piece of his mind!

Several hours later, they arrived at the Amarus nebula as planned. Kodya remained on the bridge, his tension ratcheting higher with every passing minute that they didn’t hear from Gyrus. It felt like a tangible knot of fear and worry had formed in his chest. What if something had gone wrong? What if Gyrus had been captured by IntersSSA? Or worse…?

He’s such a damned hero sometimes, he thought, fists clenching. I don’t understand it. And to ask for something so personal in front of the entire crew!? The nerve!

Although, he had to admit, Gyrus’s risque display made his heart race with something akin to excitement, no matter how much embarrassment he felt.

Suddenly there was a beeping from the operations console.

“The Aphelion is hailing us and requesting permission to dock,” Knox announced. There were murmurs of relief from the rest of the bridge crew and Kodya felt the knot in his chest unravel at last.

The smug bastard did make it after all.

Knox turned to face him. “Congratulations, Captain Karevic. It appears that Captain Axalei will be assuming the dominant position in your sexual relations this evening.”

“Knox,” Kodya growled. “Shut the hell up.”

Nephthys and Maria burst out laughing and he leveled a murderous glare in their direction, which unfortunately only made them laugh harder.

“I’m going down to the cargo hold,” Kodya grumbled. “And I swear, if I see anyone following me, you’ll be on cleaning duty for a month!”

“Yessir,” Maria said, giving him a jaunty salute as he stormed off the bridge.

It didn’t take him long to reach the cargo hold, and the Aphelion had just passed through the permeable forcefield to land in its usual spot. Kodya paced around to the back, waiting impatiently as the hatch hissed open and the gangplank extended.

“Well, well, well,” Gyrus said, appearing from within the ship and sauntering down the segmented metal surface towards Kodya. “If it isn’t my favorite pirate. It looks like you’ll have to uphold your part of the bargain after all, Karevic. A tragedy, I know.”

Kodya rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to be so melodramatic about this,” he muttered. “It’s not as if you’ve never topped before.”

“True,” Gyrus agreed, reaching him and stretching out to trail a finger down his chest. “But it is always such a rare treat, and just like your surrender, I’m going to savor it.”

“Ha!” Kodya snorted, catching hold of Gyrus’s wandering hand. “I haven’t surrendered anything, Axalei. Not that easily.” He pressed a kiss to the inside of Gyrus’s wrist and saw the heat sparking to life in those deep violet eyes.

“You do love to play hard to get,” Gyrus murmured, stepping closer.

“Yeah,” Kodya replied, looping an arm around his waist, and pressing their bodies flush against each other. “And after the hell you just put me through with your little ‘heroics’, I’m not going to make this easy on you.”

“Fair enough,” Gyrus whispered, his eyes fluttering closed as Kodya’s mouth descended on his. Hero or not, Kodya was going to make sure Gyrus had plenty of motivation to come home alive in the future…

Chapter Text

It always impressed Gyrus how quickly things went from good to bad in their line of work. One minute, they were looting a helpless supply ship, and the next they were engaged in a firefight in that very ship’s cargo hold as InterSSA appeared out of nowhere.

Kodya, of course, was being his usual brash heroic self, and taking out officers left and right, using his sensory manipulation and stun gloves to bring them down after his gun was knocked from his hands.

Gyrus gritted his teeth. He could see the strain on Kodya’s face from across the cargo hold. The reckless fool was using far too much of his powers, and at this rate he was going to overtax himself.

It wasn’t more than two minutes later that Gyrus was proven right.

One of Kodya’s stun gloves took a hard knock, shorting out, and in anger, Kodya lunged forwards, grabbing the burly officer who had broken it by the arm. The officer immediately crumpled and Kodya cried out, clutching at his neck where his implant was buried. The pirate collapsed and Gyrus immediately crushed the man he’d been fighting into paste with his gravity gloves, racing towards his rival and sending out a barrage of covering fire as he did so.

“Maria! We need an evac, NOW!” he hollered over the radio, ducking into a slide to avoid several blasts from their enemies as he reached Kodya’s position. Springing to his feet, he caught his unconscious rival by the collar of his exosuit and hauled him behind a stack of crates.

“Roger that, boss!” Maria’s voice crackled in his ear. “We’ll be waiting for you at the starboard hatch!”

Gyrus straightened up, cranking his gravity gauntlets up to their highest setting and sending a shockwave out that had the crates and other cargo hurtling towards the InterSSA officers.

“STRAGLERS, LET’S MOVE!” he bellowed, motioning for the rest of the crew to retreat. He kept hold of Kodya, using his gauntlets to deflect a few stray blasts from the officers until the rest of his crew was clear of the cargo bay. Then he hauled his unconscious rival over his shoulder and pelted down the corridor, crushing the cargo bay doors shut behind him with the last of his powers.

A few minutes later, they were all safely on board the Blue Straggler, gathered in their cargo bay as they caught their breaths. Nephthys was there in an instant, and quickly zeroed in on him and Kodya as he lowered his rival to the ground.

“What happened!?” she called, racing towards them with a medkit in hand. Feather and Oli followed close behind her with a stretcher.

“His implant overloaded,” Gyrus said, gazing down at Kodya’s pale face. “I don’t think he’s hurt otherwise though.”

Some of the worry on Nephthys’s face eased. “All right,” she said, motioning for the other two to lift Kodya onto the stretcher. “I’ll give him a once over just to be safe, but he’ll probably just need plenty of rest.”

 Gyrus nodded and watched them carry Kodya away. Much as he wanted to follow, he had to get them somewhere safe so Kodya—and the rest who had been injured—could recover in peace. So he headed for the bridge, face set in lines of grim determination.

Three hours later, Gyrus had successfully lost their pursuers and hidden the Blue Straggler in the outer layers of a gaseous planet, just far enough in that it would be hard for them to be located, but not so far that the atmospheric pressure or crosscurrents would wreck them.

“Maintain this position until further notice,” Gyrus said, rising to his feet from his captain’s chair.  

Anan nodded and busied himself with a diagnostic of his console as Gyrus made his way towards the door, announcing that Maria had the bridge.

He made his way down to the infirmary, pausing in the doorway to take in what he saw. Hinju was tending his brother Xinju while the two bickered quietly, and Feather was busy running a dermal regenerator over some laser burns on Mimi’s leg. Nephthys was in the back, making additions to the crew records as she sat next to Kodya, who was still unconscious from the look of things.

Nephthys looked up as Gyrus approached and gave him a tired smile.

“We’re all okay for the most part,” she said. “Kodya was the one who was hurt the worst, but he’s going to be just fine.” She glanced towards her comatose friend. “I’m a little concerned for him in the long-term, though. His implant can only take so many overloads before it’s permanently fried.” She shook her head. “I don’t like to think about what that would do to his nervous system if it happens. And knowing Kodya, he’s not going to stop using his powers, especially if it means protecting us.”

“They’re part of him,” Gyrus murmured. “He said something once about having felt incomplete before his augmentation. It sounds like he was subconsciously aware of his latent abilities long before he was drafted by the Fleet’s research division.”

Nephthys pursed her lips. “Too bad the experiments got shut down before they created a finished version,” she said. “I know he would have paid whatever price it cost to have those abilities fully under his command.”

“A finished version,” Gyrus murmured, an idea sparking in the back of his mind.

“Did you say something?” Nephthys asked, raising an eyebrow.

Gyrus shook his head. “No. Can I take him back to his quarters to rest or does he need to stay here for observation?”

“He’s fine to go back to your shared quarters,” Nephthys said, smirking. “He’s in no danger, but he’ll probably be out of commission for a few days. When he wakes, give him water and pain tablets. Feed him too, if he thinks he can keep it down.”

Gyrus nodded and in short order, he had transported Kodya back to their quarters and tucked him into bed. Settling down on the nearby couch, he grabbed a book from the shelf and flipped it open to where he’d left off.

He was in for a long wait.

The first thing Kodya was aware of was a searing, bone deep pain that seemed to radiate outwards from the back of his skull. It traveled from there to every nerve ending in his body, and seemed to throb in time with his slow pulse.

He was all too familiar with the symptoms: his implant had overloaded and reset. Damn the blasted thing! When it worked, he felt incredible, but when it crashed, he was totally helpless.

Something moved near him and he cracked his eyes open just a sliver to find Gyrus grabbing a glass of water from the food dispenser on the wall. His rival returned, lifting the glass to his lips.

“Drink,” Gyrus said firmly. Kodya wanted to argue with his tone, but the truth was he was far too thirsty to do anything but part his lips and take a greedy sip of the deliciously cool liquid.

Gyrus held the glass for him until he had completely drained it, then went to refill it and held up a packet of pain tablets.

“Think you can swallow these?” he asked.

Weakly, Kodya nodded and allowed Gyrus to feed him the tablets along with another half glass of water.

“You’re pathetic,” Gyrus said softly, shaking his head as he set the glass aside. “One measly little neuroelectric shock and you’re down for the count.”

Kodya bristled at the remark, a retort springing to the tip of his tongue about how easy it had been for him to take Gyrus down with a little electricity during their second encounter. But his fatigue rose up and began to drag him back down into unconsciousness.

Faintly, he was aware of Gyrus’s fingers interlacing with his, his rival squeezing his hand gently. He was barely conscious as he heard Gyrus whisper not to worry and to just rest while he took care of him.

Frankly, he was far too exhausted to argue, so he allowed sleep to claim him.

The next time Kodya opened his eyes, the room around him was dark. He could hear the soft sound of Gyrus’s sleeping breaths close by, and felt the warmth of his rival where Gyrus lay beside him, still holding his hand.

The pain was better than it had been before, the tablets having done their work. But his limbs were still unnaturally heavy and his head ached. He gritted his teeth, hating how limited his powers were. He hadn’t even used them that much, and yet still the implant had overloaded! Now he was stuck in reset hell for the next few days.

He frowned, a sudden thought occurring to him. Had the runtime before crashes shortened? The idea scared him a little. If the implant was losing effectiveness, then the length of time he could use his powers for would no doubt continue to shorten until one day he simply couldn’t use them at all anymore. He cursed quietly. What a fucking disaster this was!

Beside him, Gyrus stirred and lifted his head, blinking sleepy violet eyes at him.

“You up?” he mumbled. “Need anything?”

Kodya snorted. A way to keep my implant from breaking down would be nice. But instead he settled for, “To take piss.”

Gyrus nodded, rubbing his eyes before getting to his feet and helping Kodya to the bathroom.

After taking care of those needs, drinking some water and letting Gyrus help him to eat some simple crackers, he was back in bed and quickly asleep again, even as he silently railed at his own weakness.

The third time Kodya regained consciousness, he felt decidedly better. A glance at the bedside clock told him it was late afternoon, and that it had been roughly three days since their failed raid on the supply ship.

He groaned, forcing himself to sit up. It was slow going, but he managed it, and was able to get to his feet after a few tries. Gingerly, he limped to the bathroom and took care of his basic needs before he stepped into the shower cubicle and let the warm water ease some of the stiffness from his muscles.

After that, it was a little easier to move around, and he ran through some light stretches, which helped as well. By the time he was finished, he had regained most of his mobility, although he still felt like shit.

Food and some more pain tablets helped, and then it occurred to him to wonder where Gyrus was. A quick check of the ship’s internal tracking grid revealed that his rival was down in his lab.

What a surprise, he thought with a snort. Gyrus practically lived in that lab.

Still, sarcasm aside, he needed to check in with Gyrus and see what their status was. So he pulled on a clean shipsuit and made his way down to the lower decks.

He found Gyrus hunched over a work table, wearing his magnifying goggles and holding an incredibly thin pair of tweezers and a micro soldering iron.

“I swear to god,” Gyrus murmured softly, “if you interrupt me right now, I will not hesitate to throw you out the nearest airlock. Just sit down, shut up, and don’t make any noise.”

Kodya rolled his eyes but complied, taking a seat along one of the other worktables. He knew the perils of disrupting Gyrus when he was this deep into his work.

A few minutes later, Gyrus set down his tools and straightened up, pushing his goggles up onto his forehead. He had red marks around his eyes where they had pressed into his skin, and Kodya had to bite back a laugh as his rival turned to face him, unaware he looked like a baby panda.

“So, you’re alive after all,” Gyrus said, settling his hands across his lap in a gesture that vaguely reminded Kodya of Commissioner Amelia.

“And don’t you just sound absolutely thrilled about it,” Kodya replied with a snort.

“Hey, don’t get grumpy at me,” Gyrus snapped. “I didn’t complain when you woke me in the middle of the night to use as a human crutch so you could drag your sorry ass to the bathroom.”

“Fine, fine,” Kodya said with a sigh. “I appreciate your tender care, oh dearest partner. Should I write you a love sonnet?”

Gyrus grinned. “You don’t even know how many lines a sonnet has.”

“No,” Kodya retorted, “and god willing, I never will.”

Gyrus chuckled, then let out a sigh, his humor abruptly leaving him.

“How much do you trust me?” he asked, leaning forward in his chair.

Kodya frowned at him. “That’s a loaded question.”

“Answer it.”

Kodya rolled his eyes. “With my life, I suppose. Why do you ask?”

Gyrus sighed and glanced at the project on the table beside him.

“Because I may have just finished a new implant for you,” he said. “The only catch is that it needs to go in pretty close to the old one. Which means…”

 “Neurosurgery.” Kodya’s eyes widened and he got to his feet.  “Wait, you’re serious? You really made a replacement?”

Gyrus snorted and crossed his arms. “It’s not just a simple replacement!” he said. “It’s a completed and optimized version! I studied the schematics of yours that Nephthys had on file. The principles were sound, but the design was garbage.” He shook his head. “It’s amazing you’ve been able to do anything with it at all, considering that it barely augments your psychic abilities.”

Kodya blinked. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that you’ve barely scratched the surface of what you’re capable of,” Gyrus said, grinning. “And this,” he picked the tiny device up off the table and held it up for Kodya to see, “will unlock a whole new world for you. …Assuming the surgery goes as planned.”

Kodya stepped forward and caught his wrist, plucking the device from his fingers and holding it carefully up to the light. It was small and diamond-shaped, made of some dark grey material and covered with delicate circuitry.

“You made this?” he asked, his eyes meeting Gyrus’s. “For me?”

Gyrus’s cheeks took on the slightest tint of pink. “Don’t be absurd,” he muttered. “It was simply an interesting challenge. And you know I can’t resist a challenge.”

Kodya snorted. “If that’s the case then I suppose I don’t owe you anything, then.”

“That’s right,” Gyrus replied haughtily. “As far as I’m concerned, this is just another testament to my incredible engineering skills.”

Kodya smiled, pulling Gyrus in by his wrist and kissing him. He kept it light, far more tender than their usual kisses, and let his touch linger for a while, caressing Gyrus’s lips softly with his own. And when he finally drew back, Gyrus was blushing bright red.

“Then I suppose I’m very grateful to those skills of yours,” he murmured.

Gyrus just blushed harder, avoiding his gaze.

“I’ve talked it over with Nephthys,” he said. “We’ll need some specialized equipment for the surgery, but Oli and I can make most of it from the materials we have on hand, so it shouldn’t take too long. The only question is whether or not you want this.” He met Kodya’s gaze again, and this time Kodya could see the hint of doubt in his violet eyes.

“Oh, I want it all right,” Kodya said, handing the implant back to Gyrus. “I want it as soon as you and Oli can put together what we need.” He chuckled. “I told you that I ‘supposed’ I trusted you with my life. Well, Neph is involved and I for sure trust her with my life, so this is a no-brainer.” He tapped the implant gently where it rested in Gyrus’s palm. “I want all that you can give me, Axalei. Sign me up.”

The doubt vanished from Gyrus’s eyes and he nodded. “All right then,” he said. “We’ll begin preparations immediately.”

As confident as Kodya was in his and Nephthys’s abilities, Gyrus still had to admit that he’d woken with a rock in the pit of his stomach the morning of the surgery.

Sure, he knew he was one of the best engineers in the quadrant, if not the entire galaxy, and he’d read and studied as much biology as he could get his hands on during the weeks leading up to the procedure, but he’d never done anything like this before. The only times he had seen the inside of the human body had been when he’d purposefully injured someone.

But this was different. This was Kodya. And if he made a mistake, then…

“Gyrus, we’re ready to get started.”

Nephthys’s voice brought him out of his thoughts and he quickly swallowed his nerves before following her into the surgical bay where Kodya was waiting in a medical gown.

“Are you ready, Kody?” Nephthys asked cheerfully, giving him a smile. She, at least, had no reason to be nervous. Her time growing up on Mars in New Cairo had been spent learning medicine first hand from her doctor parents, and then practicing her skills in underground fighting arenas to pay off their debts. She’d seen the worst of the worst when it came to injuries, and had managed to bring more than her fair share of patients back from the brink.

“Yeah,” Kodya said, nodding. “I’m ready.”

Gyrus wasn’t though.

“Hey, Neph,” he said, “I think I left the box with the new implant out in the main room. Would you grab it for me please?”

“Oh, sure thing,” Nephthys said, shooting him a knowing look as she slipped out of the room. The doors slid shut behind her and Kodya raised an eyebrow.

“Something you wanted to say?”

“N-no,” Gyrus said, swallowing hard as he approached the table. “Not really. Just…this.” He leaned forward, cupping Kodya’s face with one hand as he kissed him.

Kodya kissed him back, his hand coming up to cover Gyrus’s, and they parted, foreheads pressed together.

“I’ve got faith in you,” Kodya murmured. “You’re a crazy bastard, but in all the years we’ve known each other, you’ve never once failed to do exactly what I knew you would. And right now, I know you’ll succeed.”

“Yeah, well, even if something goes wrong, I’ve got faith that you’ll survive,” Gyrus replied. “Because if I’m a crazy bastard, then you’re a stubborn one.”

Kodya chuckled softly, and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “All right then, you crazy bastard. Make me the most powerful empath the galaxy has ever seen.”

Gyrus rolled his eyes. “As if you need anything else going for you.” 

It was just then that Nephthys’s voice came loudly from beyond the doors. “Gyrus!” she called. “It’s sooo straaange, I can’t seem to find that box anywhere!”

Gyrus grinned, pulling the box out of his pocket and winking at Kodya.

“Gee, Neph!” he said, raising his voice. “I’m so sorry! I just found it here! Looks like we’re good to go!”

Kodya chuckled as Nephthys reentered the room, smirking. She knew exactly what the two of them had been up to, but Gyrus didn’t care. What had passed between him and Kodya was private, for no one’s eyes but their own.

“All right then,” Nephthys said, activating the sterilization field as she grabbed her gloves. “Let’s put Kody under and get to work.”

With one last look into Kodya’s eyes, Gyrus nodded, reaching up to pull his surgical mask into place.

He could do this. He would do this. For Kodya.

Everything felt different when Kodya opened his eyes. For starters, he was floating upright and naked in a tank of accelerated healing serum. But for another, he was keenly aware of the emotions of the people around him. They were lit up brightly in his mind’s eye, and it was easy for him to pinpoint the exact feelings that flickered through their consciousnesses.

Anan was two decks down, feeling smug, and across from him was Xinju, who was angry about losing to Anan at cards. Maria’s emotions were calm and focused where she sat on the bridge, and Mimi was giddy at the thought of some adorable animal she had just seen online.

But nearer to him, just outside the room he was in, Nephthys was worried, but trying to hide it. Something to do with him and how long he’d been unconscious for. Nine days, apparently. Definitely longer than their anticipated five.

Gyrus was there too, pacing back and forth, a raw mess of nerves, guilt, anxiety, fear, self-loathing and shame. He felt he had failed, that he was somehow responsible for Kodya’s extended unconsciousness, and he was afraid that it would be his fault if Kodya never woke again.

But I am awake…

He knew that. He could see, could hear, could feel the air rushing into his lungs through the oxygen mask over his face. Moving proved to be more difficult, his limbs sluggish and heavy, but he managed it after a few tries, pressing his palm against the glass of the tank.

The monitor hooked up to the tank began to beep loudly, and a flashing alarm went off on the console nearby.

Within seconds, Gyrus and Nephthys burst into the room, and Kodya could feel the palpable relief washing over them when they saw he was conscious and moving.

“Hold on, Kody!” Nephthys exclaimed, rushing to the console. “I’ll have you out of there in a jiffy!”

As she typed away, Gyrus stepped forward to press his hand over Kodya’s on the glass.

“Stubborn bastard,” he murmured, smiling. Kodya could feel the happy jumble of emotions coming from him, and he swore he saw a tear in Gyrus’s eye, which the smuggler quickly wiped away.

The serum drained smoothly from the tank and Kodya’s knees buckled under his own weight. The front panel of the tank opened with a hiss and then Gyrus was there at his side, supporting him to a nearby chair where Nephthys handed him a towel and a clean medical gown.

She ran a few basic tests, checking his blood pressure and pulse along with the response of his pupils to light, and Kodya could feel her relief increase when she found them all to be normal.

“You’ll need a week or two of rehab,” she said, straightening up. “But other than that, it seems you’ve recovered nicely from the procedure. How do you feel?”

Kodya chuckled. “Amazing,” he admitted, his voice cracking from disuse. “I can sense the emotions of everyone on the ship without even trying.”

Gyrus grinned, and Kodya could sense a spark of inventor’s pride.

“I told you the old implant barely tapped your potential,” his rival said. “I’m sure it’ll take some practice to modulate the range and focus of your increased output, but I have no doubt that you’ll be able to make good use of it.”

“I’m sure he will,” Nephthys said, interrupting them before Kodya could reply. “But for right now, let’s get him cleaned up and fed so I can run the rest of my tests and let you get some sleep in a real bed.”

Kodya chuckled. “I’ve been asleep for over a week and you want to send me to straight back bed?”

“Yes,” Nephthys said, propping her hands on her hips. “A medically-induced coma and actual sleep are very different things, dear. One is not a substitute for the other.”

“Fine.” Kodya held up his hands. “I’m in your hands, Neph.”

Nephthys gave him a wink. “Aren’t you always?”

Gyrus was beyond relieved that everything had turned out all right. Kodya had rested for two full days before Nephthys had given the all-clear for him to begin testing the limits of his new powers, with members of the crew volunteering as test subjects.

 It appeared he could now read virtually any emotion a person was feeling, and often some associated thoughts, and his sensory manipulation was far more advanced, allowing him greater control and range of effects rather than the temporary numbing and paralysis he’d been capable of before.

However, his efforts had tired him, and while the implant remained stable and showed no signs of overloading, Gyrus and Nephthys had both decided that he should rest and take it easy since his body was still adapting to the increased psychic feedback.

Which was why Gyrus was not at all expecting to be swept off his feet the moment he stepped into their quarters. He let out an undignified squeak of surprise and was halfway to reaching for his gravity powers when he realized it was Kodya holding him.

“What a rude greeting,” the Martian said, carrying him towards their bed. “One would almost think you weren’t happy to see me.”

“K-Kodya!” Gyrus protested, squirming. “You’re supposed to be resting!”

“Nah,” Kodya said, nuzzling him gently. “I’m fine. I couldn’t lie around any longer. Besides, Neph did say light exercise would be fine and probably good for me…”

Gyrus blushed as Kodya laid him out on the bed. “This isn’t exactly my idea of light exercise,” he said.

Kodya grinned. “Oh, trust me. It will be,” he murmured. “I’ve been dreaming up all kinds of ways to use my new abilities.” He ducked his head, trailing kisses across Gyrus’s jaw. “You won’t last more than a few minutes at most. Consider it my thank-you gift for all your hard work…”

Gyrus gasped, feeling a tingling sensation spread outwards from where Kodya was touching him. His heart redoubled its frantic pace and a pleasant heat sparked in his veins. Advanced sensory manipulation indeed!

“All right,” he whispered, looping his arms around Kodya’s neck to draw him in for a kiss. “But only if you even the playing field…”

Kodya was more than happy to comply.

Chapter Text

“Hey, Shrimp, what are you working on?”

Gyrus looked up, the crayon slipping from his fingers as he gasped with delight.

“Masi!” he cried, leaping to his feet and racing to embrace his brother—or at least to throw his arms around Masi’s leg, given how much taller than him the eighteen-year-old was.

Masi laughed and squatted down to hug him properly.

“Is that a drawing of a spaceship I see?” Masi asked when he straightened up, glancing at the kitchen table where Gyrus had been coloring.

Gyrus nodded enthusiastically. “Uh-huh!” he said. “And when I get big like you, I’m gonna build one and fly one across the galaxy!”

Masi smiled. “I’m sure you will. Me, on the other hand, I don’t have much time left.”

Gyrus frowned. “What are you talking about? Do you mean ‘cause you’re leaving for the academy?”

“No,” Masi replied calmly, grabbing a glass from the cupboard and filling it with water. “I’m going to die tomorrow, don’t you remember? I won’t ever make it to InterSSA Academy.”

Gyrus opened his mouth to protest, but at that moment, his mother walked in, taking his brother’s attention. She greeted Masi and gave him a hug, asking him how his shopping trip had been and if he had everything that he needed for his departure tomorrow. Masi answered her, but Gyrus couldn’t hear him over the loud pounding of his heart.

His brother was going to die.

He had to do something to stop this! He couldn’t let Masi get on that shuttle tomorrow!

Then he looked up and suddenly found himself standing next to his parents as they waved to his brother from beyond the passenger gates at the spaceport.

Gyrus’s panic spiked and he raced forwards, reaching out a hand.

“No, Masi, don’t go!” he cried. “It’s not safe!” But his brother simply smiled at him, and boarded the shuttle anyway.

The doors closed and the shuttle prepared for liftoff. And Gyrus watched, feeling himself drawing further and further away as the shuttle took off into the sky…and exploded.

Gyrus sat bolt upright with a gasp, heart pounding. His skin was drenched with sweat and as he blinked the world around him back into focus, he realized that he had fallen asleep at his workbench in the science lab aboard the Blue Straggler.

Rubbing his face, he sat back in his chair, trying to shake off the remnants of his nightmare. But the memories persisted, bubbling to the surface even as he tried to repress them. Angrily, he pushed to his feet, flicking the lights off as he stormed out into the hallway.

He needed to walk, to distance himself from his brother’s ghost and the pain of the past. Masi was dead. There was no need to dwell on it further.

As he walked, he pushed his sweat-dampened hair back from his face, trying to calm his still-racing heart. But the memories wouldn’t leave him, so he let them wash over him, hoping that if he allowed them to surface, they would be content to settle back into their den in the depths of his mind.

InterSSA academy. For years, his brother had talked of nothing else, determined to follow in their parents’ footsteps and uphold law and justice, and Gyrus couldn’t have adored him more for it if he’d tried. Thirteen years was a large age gap, and to Gyrus, Masi had seemed like a hero, a god even! There was nothing his big brother couldn’t do.

Except survive a point-blank shuttle explosion.

He had cried for weeks after that, shut away in his brother’s room. He’d slept in Masi’s bed, the same way he had when he’d had nightmares and his brother would hug him and hold him and tell him it would be okay. He’d wanted to wake up to find his big brother next to him again, to hear Masi tell him this had all been a bad dream and that everything was okay. But deep down, he’d known that things had changed forever that day.

His parents hadn’t been the same either, not for a long, long time. And by then, it had been too late for them to change his course in life. He’d learned a hard lesson the day his brother’s life had been extinguished before his eyes:

No matter how strong, or how smart, or how prepared you were, there were no guarantees in life.

The universe could wipe you out of existence at any moment, regardless of how much it would hurt the people who loved you, who looked up to you, who wanted to be like you. And over the years, Gyrus had thought about that fact constantly. All through the therapy his parents had put him in, all through the panic attacks that had haunted his waking hours as that existential truth sank in.

There were no guarantees in life.

So why did everyone insist on living as if there were?

Why should he abide by the rule of law when that law was based on the flawed principal of constants?

It was illogical.

So, he had taken what he deemed to be the logical route, and refused to live under the constraints of a flawed system. That mentality had led him to pry into areas of science that had been deemed illegal for one reason or another. It had been fascinating—and profitable once he began doing work for some underground mechanics who were interested in his designs.

Skipping a few years of early schooling had gotten him into a prestigious university by the age of sixteen, where he continued his illicit studies under the cover of those more presentable to the public.

But he’d quickly grown bored with the way his teachers had continued to stifle him, dismissing his ideas as dangerous or ill-conceived. They were simply pawns of the system anyway. So, at the age of eighteen, he’d ‘gone rogue’ as his parents and teachers had called it, taking his university research materials and a ship he’d built himself from his black-market profits, and gone flying off to seek a life that would satisfy his need for knowledge, since that was the only thing that gave him any sense of fulfillment.

Gyrus shook his head, pausing to brace himself against the cool metal of the Blue Straggler’s corridor wall. He could feel the past clinging to him, as if his brother’s ghost and his parents’ expectations were physical things, wrapping around his limbs and weighing him down.

He needed to get rid of them, to scrub them away!

Banking right, he headed for the nearest lift and pushed the button for the upper deck. That was where his and Kodya’s quarters were located, and the moment the door dinged open, he was off, heading there as fast as he could without breaking into a full-on run.

Kodya had gone to bed hours ago, leaving him to his late-night tinkering, so he was carefully to slow his pace as he entered their quarters and headed into the bathroom. He tore off his clothes, dumping them onto the floor as he stepped into the shower cubicle and turned on the water, setting it as hot as it could go.

The scalding spray burned, but he savored the sting as his tears finally overflowed, spilling down his cheeks. He slammed his fist against the cubicle wall, heedless of the pain that ricocheted up his arm. Masi was dead! He’d been dead for over twenty years now! Crying about him now was useless! It was pointless! And yet…the boy that he had once been couldn’t help but mourn for the loss of his brother, his mentor, his idol… All taken away by a random fluctuation, a whim of chaos!

His brother’s death had shaken his entire world, and yet had the universe noticed? Had a single planet halted its rotation to take note? Had a single star extinguished itself out of grief? Had a single comet changed course, a nebula unwound, or a black hole collapsed in on itself at the destruction of everything he had believed in!?

No!

So why should he be crying now? If Masi’s death had been less than a blip to the universe, why should it mean anything to him now!? Why should it still haunt him, twenty-five years later almost to the day!? Why!? WHY!?

He slammed his fist against the wall again, then stiffened as a warm pair of arms wrapped around his waist and drew him back against a familiar chest.

“Hey,” Kodya murmured. “What did that poor wall ever do to you?”

Gyrus sagged against him, a harsh, broken laugh tearing itself from his throat.

“It’s all pointless,” he whispered. “We can do as we please, or we can follow the law, but when we die, there’s nothing left of us…”

“You’re right,” Kodya said, pulling him closer and reaching forward to turn the temperature of the water down to a normal level. “So that just means we should enjoy the things we have while we have them.”

Gyrus snorted. “What an original sentiment,” he spat. “As if no one has ever thought of that before! It doesn’t matter, Kodya, don’t you understand!? Nothing that we do, that we think or feel, matters in the slightest!”

“That’s not true,” Kodya said. “Everything we do matters—it is matter. Or at least that’s what you scientists are always telling us. What’s that physics law again? The Law of Conservation of Matter? How does that one go? Remind me.”

“‘No matter can be created or destroyed’,” Gyrus recited dutifully, rolling his eyes. His fourth-grade teacher would be so proud of him.

“Mmmhmm,” Kodya said, stroking a lock of Gyrus’s wet hair. “Not created or destroyed. That means that we’re made of the same stuff that’s existed since the beginning of the universe, and that will exist until the end of time and space. Sounds pretty important to me. We’re just taking our turn with those protons and electrons.”

“And neutrons,” Gyrus muttered. “But that still doesn’t mean that any decisions we make will have a lasting impact on this reality.”

Kodya chuckled. “How can someone so smart be so dumb?” he murmured. “Of course our decisions will have a lasting impact. We decide how our matter will reenter the system when we’re done with it. Where we die, Gyrus. That’s something that has an impact. Will it be in a sterile environment like this one where we’re cremated and spread throughout the vacuum of space? Will we become part of the nuclear fusion cycle in a star? Will we decompose underground and feed a terrestrial system? Will we be eaten by sharks and shat out to litter the ocean floor? All of those infinite possibilities—that is where our decisions matter. And in the meantime, we can take our time and have fun with these protons and electrons—and neutrons—while they’re ours to fuck around with.”

“I hate that you’re making even an iota of sense right now,” Gyrus muttered, finally relaxing in Kodya’s arms. He let out a slow breath and soaked in the feeling of Kodya’s skin against his. God, the Martian felt so good… Strong and warm. And his arms around Gyrus’s waist almost made him believe he was safe from the whims of an unforgiving universe. Almost.

But then, wasn’t that Kodya’s point? They weren’t safe, ever, but in the end, whatever happened to them, their molecules would become part of something else. Which meant that it didn’t matter whether or not their lives in between birth and death had a purpose. It was simply time to fill between migration of their matter from one cycle to another. Which meant that they could do whatever they wanted.

“Come on,” Kodya said. “Let’s get you cleaned up and then we’re off to bed. It’s late. And someone interrupted my beauty sleep.”

Gyrus chuckled. “A shame, that. You need every ounce of it so as not to scare away the rest of the crew.”

Kodya laughed. “I’ll let you have that one,” he said, reaching for the soap. “But just this once, you hear? Next time, prepare for a scathing retort that’ll have you wishing I’d left you even an ounce of undamaged pride.”

Gyrus smiled, a laugh bubbling up inside of him. It escaped him as Kodya began to lather up the soap and continued as he squirmed beneath the pirate’s gentle, teasing touch. Thoroughly cleaned, rinsed, and dried, Kodya carried him back towards their bed, tossing him down like a sack of potatoes.

He couldn’t help but smile up at his rival as Kodya climbed in beside him and pulled the blankets over them both.

Masi would have hated him, he thought, the idea making him smile even wider. They would have been like oil and water. But then, what would that make me?

“You’re supposed to be sleeping,” Kodya reminded him, raising an eyebrow pointedly.

Gyrus sighed, some of his good humor fading. “I’m not sure that I can,” he admitted. “I had an awful nightmare earlier when I nodded off in the lab… I’m afraid that if I go to sleep, I’ll be right back in it again.”

“Hmm.” Kodya pursed his lips. “Here.” He held out one of his hands, palm up. “Give me your hand. I want to try something.”

Hesitantly, Gyrus laid his hand in Kodya’s and felt a familiar tingle race up from where they touched. Looking up, he saw the faint blue spark in Kodya’s eyes that said he was using his powers.

“Just relax,” Kodya said softly. “If I’m doing this right, it should help ease your tension and anxiety. Just breathe deep for a minute and let it sink in.”

Gyrus did as he asked, closing his eyes as he concentrated on breathing slowly and evenly. Little by little, the stress and fear began to leave him, until he finally felt calm overtaking him.

“Gyrus?”

“Mmm?” Gyrus grunted sleepily.

Kodya chuckled. “Is it working?”

Gyrus nodded, feeling his fatigue quickly overtaking him. The soothing touch combined with Kodya’s comforting presence had him drifting off in no time, all thoughts of his nightmare long gone. Truly, whether he knew it or not, Kodya was a miracle worker. And Gyrus was grateful to have him by his side.

Chapter Text

Gyrus sighed, stretching his arms contentedly as he walked down the hallways of the Blue Straggler. He’d just completed testing on a new project, and so far, everything was performing exactly as he’d anticipated.

Suddenly, he felt his wrist comm buzz with an incoming message. He glanced down at the holographic display, curious as to who it had come from.

One new message from: 10380199876.

Gyrus’s heart managed to both rise and sink at the same time and he glanced around before ducking into the nearest empty room—a supply closet—and thumbing open the communication. The encryption he’d coded in popped up on the display and he quickly entered the password to bypass it, causing the origin of the message to reformat itself:

One new message from: Mom ♥

His finger hovered over the icon for a long moment before he finally tapped it, pulling up the message. It was an audio recording. He held his breath as it began and his mother’s painfully familiar voice filled the small room.

“Hi sweetheart, it’s me again. It’s almost Christmas here, so I wanted to give you a call. But I knew you wouldn’t pick up, so I figured that this was the next best thing.” There was a small pause before she continued, as if she was thinking of what to say. “Your father and I got all the decorations out of the attic yesterday, although he insisted on trying to carry way too many things as usual and almost threw out his back.” She chuckled softly. “It’s not too hard to see where you boys got your reckless streak from.” She paused again, then cleared her throat before continuing. “We’ve, ah, we’ve still got that silly tinsel shooting star ornament you always insisted we put up on the tree. It’s seen better days, but it’s still covered in that awful glitter that used to get everywhere…” There was a long pause this time before she spoke again. “Listen, Gyrus, I won’t bother asking you to come home for the holidays. I know you can’t—or won’t. But I just wanted to say…that I love you. And I miss you. And so does your father, even if he pretends otherwise. I hope you’re well. Maybe someday we can meet up in person again. But until then, Merry Christmas, my little stargazer.”

The recording ended and Gyrus sagged back against the wall, sinking slowly to the floor where he buried his face in his knees, fighting the tears that rolled slowly down his cheeks.

I miss you, too, Mom…

Later that evening, Kodya keyed open the door to his and Gyrus’s quarters. He stepped inside, surprised to find the room completely dark. He knew Gyrus had come in here not that long ago, and it was far too early for the night owl to have gone to sleep.

Then he heard a voice coming from the direction of the couch, where he spotted Gyrus huddled under a blanket, staring at the display of his wrist comm. It sounded like it was playing a recording of some kind, and it was a woman’s voice. A familiar one.

“…someday we can meet up in person again. But until then, Merry Christmas, my little stargazer.”

 Kodya couldn’t see much of Gyrus’s face in the darkness, but enough was illuminated by the glow of the comm unit’s display that he could tell his rival had been crying. Gyrus sniffed and lifted a shaking hand to replay the message, but Kodya stalked over and caught his wrist before he could.

“Something tells me you’ve listened to that enough for one night,” he said softly.

Gyrus looked up at him, his violet eyes dull and full of old pain.

“Mind your own business, Karevic,” he grumbled, yanking his arm out of Kodya’s grasp. “I’m a grown man. I can do what I want.”

“Fine,” Kodya said, heading towards their dresser and pulling out a duffle bag. “Then you can be a ‘grown man’ and pack your own clothes.” He chucked the duffle to Gyrus, who caught it but looked at him in confusion.

“Are we going somewhere?” he asked. “I know a lot of the crew has plans for the holidays, but I thought we were just going to stay onboard and enjoy the quiet?”

Kodya snorted. “That was the plan, but plans change. Now, pack your bag. We’re leaving in an hour. I’ve already got the Aphelion prepped and Maria’s going to watch the ship while we’re gone.”

Gyrus got to his feet. “You still haven’t told me where we’re going,” he protested.

“The resort on Lerunia Prime,” Kodya said. “We’re meeting your parents there. It’s neutral territory, and far enough off the beaten path that no one will know or care who any of us are.”

Gyrus’s eyes widened and the duffle bag slipped from his fingers, forgotten.

“What?” he whispered. “But how did you…?”

Kodya rolled his eyes. “Idiot. You were the one who turned me into the galaxy’s most powerful empath, remember?” He tapped the scar on the back of his neck from the new implant. “I could feel your pain a mile away. Wasn’t hard to figure it out from there and make a few calls.”

“Kodya,” Gyrus said softly, and Kodya could hear the tears in his rival’s voice, so he dutifully kept his back turned. He knew Gyrus wouldn’t want him to turn this into a sappy moment.

“Just pack your bag already, will ya?” he muttered, rummaging for his own duffle. “I’m only agreeing to spend a week with those two to get a better idea of who we’re up against. It’ll make pulling off jobs easier in the future if we know how they think.”

“Right,” Gyrus murmured, coming over to join him in front of the dresser. “Nothing more than a reconnaissance mission.”

“Naturally.”

And that’s what they told themselves the next morning, too, when they met up with Amelia and Iro for breakfast on the beach under the warm tropical sunshine.

Chapter Text

There were a lot of things Gyrus said aloud. He was a talkative man, after all. Truly, once you got him going about something he was passionate about, there was no stopping him. But he knew when to keep quiet, when to hold things close to the vest, like when he was pressing the enemy for information, baiting them into making a mistake that would be their undoing.

It wasn’t the same, though, when it came to his feelings for Kodya. He never spoke those aloud either, preferring to let his actions show his rival how he felt. Whether it was in their arguing, their tender kisses behind closed doors, or simply in how they fell asleep together every night.

It was a competition between them, like most things were, to see who could show their feelings the clearest without speaking a word. And Gyrus was nothing if not competitive. So when he learned that Kodya had been inquiring about where to best find black diamonds and raw platinum, he knew he had to beat his rival to the punch.

Calling in a few favors got him all the materials he needed for a ridiculously low price, and he set about sketching designs. He gathered some input from Ciboulette—the only one he could trust to keep his secret—and then went to work, heating and molding the platinum into two pairs of identical bands. Into one pair he set the diamonds, two oval-shaped centerpieces, each with twelve smaller gems arrayed in a halo around them.

Once he was certain that both sets of rings were perfect, he presented them to Kodya.

“Of course you beat me to it,” his rival grumbled, taking in Gyrus’s handiwork with a reluctantly impressed look on his face. “Why two sets though?”

Gyrus shrugged. “Gemstones protrude. Makes it harder to fit fingers into gloves. Also, it’s a safety hazard. Can’t have them getting caught and tearing a hole in your shipsuit in an emergency. We can save them for special occasions.”

Kodya chuckled. “Fair enough,” he said, looping an arm around Gyrus’s waist and pulling him close. “So, where should we go?”

Gyrus laid his palms on Kodya’s chest. “I may have a few ideas…”

Kodya laughed and kissed him. “Of course you do.”

And so it was that they left the Blue Straggler together a day later, telling the rest of the crew that they were going on a supply run and that they’d be back in two days. They took the Aphelion to a quiet world near the outer edge of the Xana-34 cluster, a tropical world named Ayreon.

That night, they stood out on a secluded beach, hands clasped, with the whole of the galaxy painted above them in the night sky. And under the cover of waves crashing against the shore and the wind blowing through the trees, they whispered their vows to each other, with no one as their witness besides the sea, the sand, and the stars. Those words were for them and for them alone.

They slipped the polished platinum rings onto each other’s fingers—both sets, since tonight was a special occasion. The black diamonds glittered in the starlight as they shared their first wedded kiss, and in that one moment, Gyrus realized what he’d known all along: that meeting Kodya that day on the abandoned station, well over ten years ago, had been fate. Nothing less, nothing more. They had been destined to come together, colliding like two stars to form something greater, something new and irrevocable. Something incredible.

It was that simple.

And as Kodya lifted Gyrus into his arms and headed back towards the little beachside villa they had rented for the night, Gyrus couldn’t help but smile, linking his hands behind Kodya’s neck as his new husband carried him through the doors of their bedroom.

Yes, this was definitely fate.

And that night, in the darkness, as they made love, he whispered the words that had lived in his heart for so long now.

“I love you.”

Kodya smiled, stealing the words from his lips with a soft kiss.

“I love you, too.”

They had never spoken it aloud before, and probably never would again. But Gyrus felt the truth of the declaration settle into his bones. He’d known all along how Kodya felt, and the same was true of his partner, but there was something special about finally hearing it.

Even if it was just this once…

The day after next, they returned to their crew as planned. And it wasn’t until they’d both taken their seats in the joint captains’ chairs on the bridge that anyone noticed that something had changed.

“Oh my god,” Nephthys gasped, turning the bridge crew’s heads towards her as she pointed at their hands. “Are those…RINGS!?” Her dark eyes went impossibly wide. “DID YOU TWO ELOPE!?”

“No fucking way!” Maria exclaimed, slamming a fist down on her console as she pushed to her feet. “I can’t believe this! They totally did! You sly bastards! Just admit it!”

Gyrus glanced towards Kodya, the slightest smile tugging at his lips as he caught his rival’s gaze.

Kodya mirrored his smile, and then turned his attention towards the viewscreen. Gyrus joined him, ignoring the frustrated and stunned outcries of both Nephthys and Maria as the other bridge officers went wild.

And no matter how much the rest of the crew begged and badgered them, neither of them said a word about it.

The only words that had any importance on the subject had already been spoken.