Chapter 26
It was strange hearing Roys call me Lucky.
I had tried, to no avail, to get him to call me by that name since we met.
For him to do so without me putting up a fight was a tad disrupting, mildly concerning, even.
The name had a dangerous connotation, where I expected the walls to come caving in as the end of the world descended upon us.
“Do it,” Ryker whispered from where he lay on the ground, huffing and puffing. “Avenge us.”
“If you insist.” I got up from the couch to join Roys.
We stood side by side. He handed the headset to me.
Once on, the viz scanned your body and the virtual world came into view.
We stood on a platform in the middle of a colorful skyscraper landscape.
In the virtual world, Roys stood across from me decked out in full body armor.
He took the blue set, while I always wore purple.
“Let’s see if you can defend your title,” he goaded with a beckoning hand.
“I doubt my luck has run out yet.” I shook out my shoulders. “Besides, my combat scores are better than yours.”
“Individually.”
“That’s all this game is about.”
Which was why I was so proficient at it. I didn’t take well to the team games.
We circled each other, waiting for the first one to make their move.
Roys came in fast and hard. I ducked and brought my leg up.
He caught my ankle, leaving his face open.
I cracked my palm against his nose. If this were real, his nose would be broken.
He didn’t let go of my leg and swung me onto the ground.
We wrestled, using one move after the other.
In reality, all we had to do was think of the move and the viz did it, so long as we kept our bodies moving in some way.
The others hooted and hollered in the background.
Arana, that bitch, cheered for Roys’ to win.
Maybe I was wrong, but I thought Maddy chimed in, cheering for the captain too.
Rude, the lot of them!
We got out of the wrestling position for a good ol’ fashioned fist fight that had us both panting.
Not our usual way to make the other breathless, but I couldn’t deny that we were having a new kind of fun.
He was good. Most of my hand to hand combat over the last decade happened against privates I won against a hundred times before or in the virtual world.
Roys had genuine experience. He didn’t mess up simply because I got a hit or two in.
He didn’t get cocky or start acting out of hand.
It was a challenge that I wanted to take seriously, to prove I could beat him, and hear what he had to say afterward, if he were impressed or…
“You’re pretty good at this. Has our captain actually played games before?” I asked between throwing my punch and dodging his.
“I spent more hours on this than I care to admit.” He swung out his leg, and I felt the wind of his kick in reality. The asshole was actually doing some of the moves. If he hit me, I would make him regret it!
“And yet I’ve never seen you on the scoreboard,” I replied.
“You think you haven’t.”
“Oh yeah, what’s your screen name?”
“Like I would tell you that.”
“Because it’s low on the scoreboard, isn’t it?” I flinched when he landed a good punch that brought my toon down to half health.
“I suggest you focus on the match rather than tease me.”
“I can do both. I am the viz champion.” I swung my elbow up, hitting his character in the chin. The sirens blared, warning Roys that his character was weakening.
His toon managed two good hits that had my sirens going off. Gritting my teeth, I went in for the final blow; otherwise, he’d take my position, and I couldn’t allow that. I lost my troublemaker status to Zavier. He wouldn’t take my remaining title!
After another hit, I defended my honor. Roys’ character evaporated into dust from that last combo.
My loyal friends cheered for my victory.
Arana booed louder than everyone else. Laughing, Roys took off the headset, as did I.
He settled a hand on my back. I thought the idiot would kiss me.
The thought was so clear in his eyes. The desire bloomed fervently within me.
I nearly threw all caution to the wind and took what I wanted, urged by curiosity to see how he would react, if I could get him red and flustered in front of the troops.
Roys backed off. “You’d give a straier a run for their money.”
He sounded sincere, like all the times he said I could do more weren’t for show, that he might have seen something in me I didn’t.
“Ugh, don’t say that. It’ll all go to his head,” Arana whined.
I ignored her while Roys handed the headset to Lilea.
“But now I need a drink after that embarrassment,” he said.
“Your loss was inevitable.” I tossed the headset into Iylene’s awaiting arms. They joined up with Lilea for another round.
Maddy and a few of the survey team sat in the communal area.
She watched Lilea and Iylene’s game next.
When she caught me staring, her eyes narrowed in warning.
Sitting by her wasn’t an option. Attempting to chat was even less likely, so I followed Roys into the kitchens where he grabbed a cold beer and offered me one.
“You really do drink. I thought you were fucking with me the other night,” I said.
“I partake on occasion.” He popped off the top and chugged half of it. I was far too transfixed in watching his adam’s apple for it to be healthy. “I know all of you think I’m the most boring man alive.”
“Know. Not think.”
“I can have a good time every now and again; it’s you lot,” he gestured out of the kitchen, then singled in on me, “that prevent me from doing anything other than fret and rip out my hair. I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m bald by the end of this tour.”
“I think you could pull the look off.”
“That sounded like a compliment.”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
He hummed and took another drink, leaning against the counter. I mirrored him, leaving a space between us, regardless of his warmth beckoning me. I wasn’t sure when he started pulling me closer without having to do a damn thing.
“Don’t I at least get an upgrade from most boring man alive after my earlier display?” he asked.
“No, because wanting to play games is the bare minimum. You’ve only disproven my group’s theory.”
He scratched his arm. “Which is?”
“That you’re an android struggling with its human programming.”
Roys laughed. It was a pleasant sound. His smile too, and how he almost looked shy or embarrassed. “I’m not that bad, am I?”
“I used to think you were incapable of smiling.” Which he further disproved by offering one of those smiles that deepened his scars, making him even more alluring.
“You never stopped to consider that I could, but you ensured I never could?”
“I do not know what you could be talking about because I have been nothing but kind and humorous.”
He let out such a loud laugh that I couldn’t stop myself from mirroring him. It was infectious, and I wanted to hear more of it. He tapped a finger on the beer bottle. “It is hard sometimes to bridge the gap between being the captain. If I’m too soft, you especially, would destroy me.”
“True.” I knocked my foot against his under the counter. He returned the gesture. “I love making things difficult. For you, most of all.”
“I’m honored.”
I took another drink, not missing how Roys wouldn’t look away. His attention fell on my lips, which were yearning to taste him. Even after all the bouts we’ve had, I wanted another go, to map him so no change could ever be a surprise to me.
“So, what has led you to being laid-back tonight? I’ve never seen you like this,” I said.
He took another long drink that finished the bottle. He still had all this energy, physically forcing him to move about like his body didn’t know what to do with it. I suppose if I spent the whole day behind a desk, I would feel the same.
“The surprise bunk inspection was startling, but you’ve all been doing your best since then, especially Zavir.
He has accepted all my punishments and has seen them through, although I am going to put him through it for another few days.
It was a major fuck-up on his part.” Roys sat his empty bottle aside.
His eyes maintained a spirited spark. “And you have shown exceptionally good behavior.”
“Because I have been regularly and enthusiastically rewarded for that good behavior.”
“It’s a little sad that’s the only way I can get you to do anything.”
“That smile of yours says you don’t really mind that much, and the fact that you’re about to invite me back to your office.”
“Am I?” He leaned in closer, challenging. He should be careful because I found myself less inclined to listen to reason.
“Yeah, why not?” Every fiber of my being said to kiss him ragged, to rid him of his clothes and show everyone what kind of man he could be when I had my hands on him.
Roys shocked me further by taking my arm and tugging me into the corner for a kiss.
The kitchen had a window for the droids to lay out our meals.
Anyone could look into the kitchen from there, but Roys took us into the furthest corner where one would have to lean over the counter to see.
Still, I didn’t expect him to be brazen enough to shove his tongue down my throat when anyone could find us.
It wasn’t my job to be the levelheaded one, and yet I couldn’t stop thinking of getting caught as he broke away to claim my neck.
“This may not be the best place to get hot and heavy,” I said, cursing myself for giving a shit when Roys grabbed my ass.
“We’re not doing much.” Except he slid a thigh between my legs and sucked on my neck. My body knew exactly what he could do and wanted anything he would offer.
I clung to his shoulders while rolling my hips against his eager thigh. “Not yet, but you are keen on getting there quickly.”