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Alexsander Kallus had been in a lot of Catastrophic Circumstances. Unfortunate Scenarios. Hapless Predicaments. Etcetera...
But nothing could have prepared him for a recon mission to turn so far sideways that it bordered the plotline of a predictable low-rated romcom holo.
Kallus and Garazeb were stuck. Not only were they stuck together, they were stuck together in a locked closet. A locked closet on an imperial starship that should have been abandoned. Keyword: should.
Obviously It Was Not Abandoned.
The two had been running from not one, not two, not just three, not even four, but FIVE imperial probe droids. What Kallus found even more ridiculous, was that doing any mission together was already a rather rare occasion, since he mostly did undercover intelligence work while Zeb got his hands dirty. So of course the one time Kallus decided to step out into the field, something like this happened—because now they're stuck together. In a tightly enclosed space. For Ashla knows how long.
To be fair, this really shouldnt have been a problem for him. Despite being an ex-imp, he—shockingly—didn't care about maintaining personal space. In fact, years of training at the Imperial Academy (aka the Touch Starved Olympics) had him leaning into every free caress and willing embrace these days. Obviously Kallus had to befriend the person first, maybe trust them, and—occasionally—even love them. Even then, he wasn't claustrophobic, and he didn't really care if a stranger was too close for comfort. As long as they were batting for the same team, it never bothered him how close the rebels tended to be.
The point was, Kallus wouldn't have minded if it was anyone else. Literally anyone else...
Lasats are not small.
Not once in his life had Kallus ever seen a Lasat as big as Garazeb Orrelios, nor had he ever caught a glimpse of one smaller than himself (though, to be fair, he had only really seen varieties of the species a few times in his life.)
And sure, he didn't mind Lasats—the fur, the typical musk that came with any mammal, the large claws and the webbed toes...
But Zeb—well.
Kallus more than minded.
The thing was, he and Garazeb were good friends already. Best friends, honestly. Kal had recieved his fair share of shoulder pats and the occasional hug. But comparatively? All of that was nothing like the intimacy they were sharing in this moment. The closet was compact and sturdy and barely gave them room to adjust. If either shifted, the two would find themselves pressed against each other in a way that left little to the imagination.
They were still catching their breath after barely escaping view of the probe droids and their mini blasters. Zeb waited until the bots had hummed past the closet the two were tucked in to speak.
"You a'right, Kal?" he murmured after a long and tense silence.
Kallus swallowed down a breath. "Yeah, I'm—I'm okay, Zeb. You?"
"Mhm."
Then a small pause lingered as the two locked eyes. It seemed to dawn on them at the same time how close they were.
Zeb's knee and thigh were pressed in between Kallus's legs, the other into his hip, subsequently pinning him to the wall; his hand braced the wall to the right of Kal's head while the other pressed against the door of the enclosed space.
Zeb stared at him for another moment and then stepped back to lean against the wall behind him. The second he pulled away from his space, the two immediately averted each other's gaze, coughing awkwardly and avoiding eye-contact.
Kallus tried not to think about how warm Zeb's thigh felt pressed between his legs. He especially tried not to think about how strong and tight his quadriceps were without even flexing.
Once Garazeb was sure the probe droids were far away enough, he nodded. "Right," he said as he cleared his throat. "Let's go finish the bastards before they get anything back to the Empire."
Kallus nodded, and the two of them turned their attention to the door.
Then Garazeb pressed the button that should release the door lock.
It didn't.
And that was when they realized they could not get out.
The two froze at the same time.
Kallus let Zeb press the button three more times before he spoke, concern slowly creeping in. "Zeb."
The Lasat grunted absently in response, beginning to to feel around the edges of the door, inspecting for any weak crevices.
"Zeb..." Kallus said, this time with more worry in his tone.
"Just—Karabast, give me a damn second."
"Open the karking door," Kallus said, irritation and mild panic already rising in his chest. "Just slide it up!"
Garazeb jerked his head to scowl at him, and used what little space the two had to gesture at—well, what little space the two had.
"Well I can't bloody get on my knees, can I?"
"Just press and push up!"
Garazeb regarded him with dry-hot annoyance. "That's not how that works, I'd need to get my grip underneath the—Ashla, why am I even explaining this to you—"
Kallus glared and rolled his eyes before shoving the Lasat back about three inches in an attempt to inspect the button Zeb had already pressed five times.
"Karabast, let me do it—"
"No—stop it." Zeb batted his hand away. "Kal, I kriffing have it, just let me—"
"Clearly you don't—!"
Suddenly, just as Kallus raised his voice, Zeb's ears perked up. It happened so quickly; one moment Zeb was frozen, the next, he had his hand on top of Kal's mouth.
Kallus stilled, his eye widening while he shrunk under the weight of the Lasat, who pressed further in to protect him.
"Shh!" Zeb said gruffly. "They're comin' back..."
They sat in another tense silence as the two waited with bated breaths. Twenty seconds later, the five probe droids from earlier hummed by again, going back in the direction the two had been running from in the first place.
Even after Kal was sure they had disappeared, Zeb waited a moment longer before he finally let go, stepping back with a sigh.
Kallus scowled at him.
Then he ducked his head and wiped his mouth onto his sleeve as he spoke. "I hope your hands are clean."
The comment made the tension ease out of the Lasat's shoulders. Zeb smirked and held up both palms to wiggle his claws. "Nope."
Kallus flicked his gaze up, narrowing his eyes at him. "You infuriate me to an excruciatingly high level."
"High level of what and using which standard of measurement?"
"Damnit, Zeb, open the kriffing door!" Kallus barked. He flushed, and hoped the lack of light in the closet would hide his blush over Zeb's incessant teasing—but even in the darkness of the space, he could see the Lasat already grinning something toothy.
"A'right, just let me readjust us for a moment."
"Readj—aaAHHH! Put me—Zeb!" Kallus squeaked in shock as he was manhandled against the wall and shoved further back into the crammed space.
"I need you out of the way so I can kick the exit down or maybe generate enough momentum to ram it open."
"Karabast." Kal barely even had the space to slump back. "So we're really stuck?"
"Not for long." Zeb smirked over his shoulder. "Watch it."
This, however, ended up being a lie. Well, maybe not a lie—he really had believed they would be out without a hassle.
But thirty minutes came and went, and Garazeb was panting by the end of it. His failed attempts at ramming the door open likely left both his shoulders bruised beneath the fur. Kallus, who had only been able to shrink back and watch, started to get clammy from the Lasat's constant movement, and the lack of cool air in the enclosed space made sweat bead on his skin.
Despite Garazeb's protests, Kal eventually snatched his comm from him to finally call for help. He was not going to sit there and wait for Zeb's blasted ego to die—the man had pride for days, and Kallus knew that if he didn't comm Hera soon they'd be stuck there for longer than he'd like.
Hera got back to them quickly, but rescue was going to take a while; at the very least, help would arrive. The sooner the better, because Kallus wasn't sure how much longer he could take standing this close in Zeb's space.
They had, of course, readjusted themselves to be touching as little as possible, but to be fair it was quite difficult not to.
Garazeb was just so damn big.
"Yeah?" Zeb said gruffly. "Well, you're tiny so I don't get why you're complainin'. Could be worse."
"Excuse me?!" Kallus scoffed, his jaw dropping. He stomped his foot on Zeb's, which made him howl in pain.
"Mother kriffing—Karabast!"
Kal scowled petulantly and turned his nose up slightly. "I'm not ti—nee!" His voice caught as Zeb retaliated by shoving him further into the wall he was already leaning against.
The ex-imperial flustered just slightly, but quickly covered it up with a glare.
Zeb's hands were still on his shoulders when he growled, "Why are you being so difficult about this?"
Kal's eyes flicked away.
Zeb narrowed his gaze. "You're never this grouchy," he said. "What has gotten into you?"
Kallus's nose curled and he panicked. "Well maybe I don't like being manhandled and shoved into tight spaces with big Lasats!" he barked before turning his head, attempting to squirm from Zeb's grasp. "Now—Force—let me go! It's ridiculously hot in here," he said and swallowed breathily, avoiding Garazeb's gaze.
A silence passed between them, thick and heavy.
Then, to Kallus's immense horror, it looked like Zeb had started putting the pieces together. His eyes flicked over his posture, his body language, his expression. When the last bit of the puzzle seemed to finally click into place, the Lasat smirked and barely began to press his thigh in between Kallus's legs again, all the while grinning something snarky and annoying.
"Oh yeah?" Zeb's voice dipped lower as he leaned his head closer. "You sure that's not just you?"
Kallus's eyes widened at his sudden change of tone; he struggled to hide a shiver. "I'm certain it's—it's absolutely your fault, actually," he said, his voice only slightly quivering. "From all that ridiculous huffing and puffing. You're incredibly nonsensical, you know? You can't just punish the door into submission."
"What about you then?"
"Wh—" Kal's eyes bulged out of his eyes. "What about me?!"
Zeb grinned wickedly at that, leaning closer. The moment he moved even an inch, Kallus's breath hitched and his mouth parted a bit more.
Zeb paused, simply staring down at him for a second that felt far longer than it was.
Then he pulled away.
He leaned back and relaxed against the wall behind him, their legs still entangled despite being apart.
Kallus's body practically deflated the moment he was given the space to. He was sure he almost felt his knees buckle too.
"Nothin'," Zeb said. "Just curious." Then he crossed his arms, his forearms brushing against Kallus's chest every time the two breathed.
"Curious of what, exactly?" Kallus tried to maintain some level of dignity.
"Why you're bein' so bitchy."
"I already told you, I don't—" Kal cut himself off with a huff. "This isn't a very pleasant experience, I'm not quite sure why you're acting like it is."
"I never said it was pleasant." Zeb shrugged. "I just think you're overreactin'."
"I am not!" Kal leaned his head forward slightly. "Anyone with a cell for a brain would just about kiss a wookie than spend more than an hour in a tightly enclosed space with an incredibly large animal!"
Zeb paused at that. He shifted slightly, and that humorous glint in his eye was quickly replaced by something mildly hurt.
"Wow, you really know how to make a guy blush, Kal." Zeb said emotionlessly, then turned his head to face a different direction—presumably so he didn't have to stare at Kal's face anymore.
Kallus rolled his eyes and did the same in the opposite direction.
Barely a minute passed before he crumbled beneath the guilt.
He sighed and deflated again. "I'm sorry," Kallus grumbled and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I shouldn't have called you an animal."
"It's fine," Zeb said gruffly.
"It isn't, Garazeb." Kallus dropped his hand, and used what little space they had to gesticulate while he spoke. "I don't even see you that way, I never have. I didn't mean it. I think I'm just..." He frowned at his feet, angry at himself for letting his emotions get the better of him. "I'm just not comfortable in my own skin, and being this close to someone that—" Kal cut himself off quickly before he cleared his throat.
He swallowed, and strained to finish his apology. "Just know it has nothing to do with you."
Zeb only stared at him for a moment longer. Then he spoke, steady and a little terrifying. "You sure it has nothin' to do with me?" he asked, eyebrow arching as he pushed away from the wall.
He took a small step forward and Kallus's eyebrows shot up as he leaned his head back to look up at the Lasat. This did not stop Zeb from crowding into his space once again.
"Positive. I have my reasons..." Kal said, although his tone was profoundly unconvincing.
"Oh yeah?" Zeb asked and leaned in close once more.
The two stared at each other, caught in the tension of whether or not the other person was reading this right.
Once Kallus visibly swallowed, Zeb—very tentatively—slid his hand to his waist, and Kal's breath hitched at the brush of those big, large claws on his torso.
Zeb rumbled, "And what reasons are those?"
"Zeb..." Kallus breathed, then leaned forward a bit as well. He brought his hands to the Lasat's chest and gently placed them there. "I..."
Then Kallus raised himself onto the tips of his toes. The moment he took that leap of faith and brushed his lips against Zeb's, a low rumble rolled from the Lasat's throat, a mix between a purr and a growl. Instead of kissing him, Garazeb pressed Kallus entirely into the wall, every inch of his body touching his.
The movement expelled all of Kal's breath from his lungs, and he quickly gasped for air; a peculiar pitch escaped his lips. His chest rose and fell quickly as he stood in anticipation, staring wide-eyed at Zeb, whose eyes had shut for a brief moment.
"Garazeb..." Kallus murmured. He felt his soul beginning to vibrate out of his skin from their incredibly intimate contact.
Zeb just hummed in response.
And then nothing happened.
And then nothing kept happening.
Kal stared, dumbfounded and flustered. Eventually, though, once Zeb's eyes had opened, Kallus began to notice a slowly growing, toothy smile spreading across Garazeb's face—and it struck him that, perhaps, he was toying with him.
Humiliating him.
"Wh—Why are you—why are you teasing me?" Kallus said, his voice mildly strangled. "Zeb, it's not funny."
"Huh?" Zeb's smile fell. "I'm not tryin' to tease you, Kallus," he said in earnest.
Kal flushed, feeling even more of a fool now. "Then why are you just—just standing there?!"
"How do you mean?"
His jaw dropped because at this point he was sure that Zeb was just being dense for the sake of it. "Karabast—Garazeb Orrelios, just kiss me already!"
Zeb's eyebrows shot up in surprise at his forward request, but before Kallus could even think about taking it back, Zeb leaned forward and captured his mouth in his.
Kal felt his soul ascend.
He made a breathless sound as Garazeb pressed closer between his thighs. He grunted deep and low, and Kallus shivered before pulling away to catch his breath.
Upon seeing his throat tense up from his sharp breathing, Garazeb immediately dipped his head to lick at the sweat on his neck. Kallus gasped and bared his throat to allow more access.
"Ya' sound so pretty, Kal..." Zeb mumbled then licked at his earlobe. Kallus's head lulled and he completely melted in Zeb's hands. The Lasat gently nipped at the skin beneath his jaw, and—much to his humiliation—Kal whimpered instinctively. He rolled his hips into Zeb's quad and, in response, Garazeb's claws dug just a little more into his side.
"Oh, stars—" Kal breathed and bit hard on his lip.
"Oh, you'll be seein' stars, alright," Zeb growled against his throat. "Once I'm done with you—"
But before he could follow through on that particular promise, a distant series of blaster fire suddenly went off.
The two violently jumped apart, adrenaline spiking; the sound of weaponry was a sharp reminder of where exactly they were and the terrible predicament that the two had found themselves in.
Kallus swallowed.
Now that they were slightly separated, he could get a better look at the Lasat in front of him and how affected he was. Zeb had his head turned away, eyes fixed to a point on the door as he focused intently on listening. The difference in his demeanor was striking; despite what they had been doing just seconds earlier, Zeb's attention had completely shifted. His ears twitched and his hair was slightly on end. The only indicator of anything more below the surface was the way his fists kept clenching and unclenching, as if he could somehow release the remaining tension still leftover from their intimate contact.
Kallus could only slump sluggishly against the wall, his legs feeling absurdly weak, his head ridiculously light-heated.
The blaster fire eventually faded and Zeb scowled. He raised his comms to his mouth.
"Spectre two, this is Spectre four, requesting rescue ETA, over."
A beat.
"Spectre four, this is Spectre two on location. We'll be pinging your comm now, standby for evac. Over."
Kallus let out a shaky and relieved sigh. He rubbed both his hands over his face.
"Copy that," Zeb said, though he flicked his gaze back to Kal. Then he tucked his comm back into his pocket.
After a small silence, Kal chanced a peek through his fingers only to catch Garazeb looking at him.
Kal then dropped his hands so they could hang loosely at his sides. Then he cleared his throat, suddenly feeling extremely awkward.
"So..."
And then Zeb was back in his space again, much to his surprise; his claw was under his chin before he could fully process it.
Kallus's head tilted up and something hot thrummed beneath his skin.
"We'll talk more about this later," Garazeb said, voice low and promising.
Kal just stared, wide-eyed. Then he nodded once.
Zeb nodded as well, and the two held each other's gaze a little longer...
...before meeting one another once more in fervent passion. Zeb pressed Kallus back into the wall, and Kallus's arms quickly wrapped around his neck to tug him closer.
They were back on the Ghost thirty minutes later.
Hera's shrewd glances were enough to send Kallus into at least five psychological comas. It didn't help that Garazeb looked far too smug for a man being rescued.