![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Title: "Staying Over"
Pairing: John Kennex/Dorian
Fandom: Almost Human
Author: Barbara![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
savageseraph
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I don’t pretend to own the characters or the world. I just amuse themselves with them for fun, not profit.
Comments: Written for Melissima for Yuletide 2014.
Summary: Rudy needs a favor. Dorian needs a place to stay. John needs...a lot of things.
John Kennex leaned back in his chair, eyes closing as he sipped the finger of whiskey he allowed himself on truly fuck-awful days. The heat from the alcohol wasn’t enough to erase the silence and suspicion he faced from most of the officers at the precinct after Maldonato recalled him. It couldn’t ease the prickling itch from the leg that had been blown off in the ambush or cut through the cold that coiled in his gut after closing his last case.
Suicide by cop. Kennex hated those cases, not because the perps didn’t deserve to die but because it let them off too easily.
On the street, they called him The Pilot, a chemist cooking up Sterling, the newest designer drug that promised to keep you flying high and landing smoothly. At least until trace levels of one of the components that stayed in the bloodstream of users built up to levels that liquefied their organs. He’d seen too many kids, their eyes turned to bloody pools, staring sightlessly at him from their dead faces to feel even a twinge of remorse for ending the bastard’s life. In fact, he felt a sliver of satisfaction that The Pilot (aka Hank Winters) wouldn’t have the chance to use his money to buy a light sentence.
Kennex dragged his fingers through his hair. Maybe he’d take Maldonato up on the offer of a few days off. Paul and the others would talk shit if he did, stink up the department with speculation he was finally breaking down, finally on his way out permanently.
Fuck them. Kennex never had their good opinion, not when he was at the top of his game and certainly not now. He didn’t need them. Didn’t need anyone.
A series of quick knocks at the door had Kennex’s gun in his hand before he could even sit up in his chair. He blinked, took a deep breath when he realized he’d drawn the weapon without thinking. The day had rattled him more than he’d like to admit, even to himself. He crossed the room, not holstering the gun, but smiling slightly at what he imagined Dorian’s response would be.
Most people don’t pull a gun when someone knocks at the door, John.
Kennex chuckled softly at the perpetually exasperated tone he knew would color Dorian’s words. “I’m not most people,” he murmured, before saying more clearly. “Camera, show hallway.”
The comm panel lit up, and Kennex groaned as he saw Rudy and Dorian turned toward each other. Rudy had his hands thrown up, shaking his head. Dorian looked unruffled but gestured at the door. Kennex sighed, anger and frustration giving way to the first feelings of weariness. If it was anyone other than Dorian, he might be able to ignore them until they went away, but his partner’s inhuman tenacity (and knowledge that he was, in fact, at home) meant he was well and truly fucked.
Since they clearly weren’t going to be leaving, Kennex threw the door open, effectively ending the argument and, he suspected, any chance of a nice quiet evening. “Is there any particular reason the two of you are doing whatever it is that you are doing in my hallway?”
Dorian’s gaze moved over him, clearly assessing any number of things Kennex hoped he kept to himself. “He’s just dropping me off.”
“Dropping you off?” Kennex gave Rudy a smile that was sharp enough to cut. “You’re dropping him off? Here?”
Rudy flushed, started stammering. Oh, this wasn’t good. Kennex knew he wasn’t going to like whatever came next.
“I need my apartment to myself tonight, John.” The firm tone might have been more convincing if Rudy wasn’t wringing his hands and fidgeting like a teenager caught out after curfew.
“Why?”
“He has a date.” Dorian supplied cheerfully.
Kennex blinked. Rudy had a date, and he had…a quiet apartment and a two-day old pizza in the refrigerator. “A date?” He hoped he didn’t sound as surprised as he felt.
Rudy nodded, stood a bit taller. “Yes, John, a date. And I need to have some privacy.” He nodded in Dorian’s direction.
“You remember what dates are, don’t you, John?” Dorian, Destroyer of All Privacy and Boundaries, smirked at him. “Even if your balls barely do.”
The fucker. Kennex turned on Dorian. “Leave my balls out of this.”
“Of course.” Dorian held up a bag as he shouldered his way past Kennex into the apartment. “I brought noodles.”
Kennex didn’t realize his mouth was open until he closed it. “Rudy…” Kennex stepped into the hall, closed on the flustered technician, who was doing his best to try to disappear into the wall.
“John, one night. You… You have to do this for me.”
Kennex was about to point out he didn’t have to do a damned thing when Rudy continued.
“I’ll owe you, John.” Something Rudy saw in his expression brought a hesitant smile to Rudy’s face. “A big favor.”
Kennex was many things, but he wasn’t a fool. A favor from Rudy could be very handy. “How big are we talking?”
“She’s a red-head, John.” Rudy beamed. “A red-head.” His smile faltered slightly. “What do you say? It’s just for one night.”
Kennex folded his arms across his chest, pretended to consider the proposition very, very carefully.
“Please?”
For fuck’s sake, the man looked ready to cry. “Get out of here, Rudy.”
“What? Seriously? You mean it?” Rudy pushed off the wall, started to reach for Kennex but stopped himself. “Thank you, John. Seriously, thank—“
“Just get out before I change my mind.”
Rudy was a smart man. He didn’t need to be told twice.
One night. Kennex took a deep breath, let it out slowly. He could handle a houseguest for just one night.
###
It was just shy of midnight, and Kennex wasn’t sure how much more he could take. He’d eaten Dorian’s noodles (which were tastier than he’d like to admit) and then endured hours of bad television—cop shows that had nothing to do with real policing, comedies that weren’t remotely funny, and matchmaking competitions that were funny to him but deadly serious to Dorian--with an almost constant stream of commentary and questions from his partner.
No chance to slip off into sleep. No escape. The favor Rudy owed him grew bigger and bigger and bigger by the minute.
“John.”
Kennex blinked, focused on Dorian. He wondered just how many questions he managed to miss before his partner caught on he wasn’t paying attention.
“Are you listening to me?”
“I am now.”
Dorian frowned slightly. “Are you tired?”
“Yes.” Kennex hoped the word didn’t come out too enthusiastic. “I’m tired. I should really try to get some sleep.” He didn’t mention that sleep was going to be close to impossible with someone lurking in the living room.
“You know I can tell when you’re lying.”
Kennex blinked. “Bullshit.”
“It’s true.” Dorian shrugged. “You…” His voice trailed off.
“I what?” One thing Kennex envied about his partner was his ability to control his micro-expressions and tells that gave away more than he was willing to share.
“If I tell you, you’ll change to try and throw me off, and don’t bother denying it. I’d rather not have to learn to read you all over again.”
“You’re a real fucker, Dorian.”
Dorian’s brow furrowed. “I thought we already established I was fully functional in that area.”
“That’s not what I meant.” The words tumbled out in a rush as Kennex felt his cheeks warm.
“And I thought we already established that your self-deprivation was not healthy for you.” Dorian grinned. “Or your balls.”
“Enough about my balls already.”
“You know I could help you with that.”
“Excuse me?”
Dorian rested a hand lightly on Kennex’s thigh. “Give you a hand, perhaps.” His fingers tightened slightly before relaxing again.
Kennex wanted to knock Dorian’s hand off his leg. He wanted to throw the android out, make him stand in the hall until morning or drive him back to Rudy’s, red-head be damned. His body, however, clearly had other ideas because his throat tightened as his cock started to harden. He swallowed, keenly aware of the fact that Dorian could read his body’s responses more expertly than any human.
Sure enough, Dorian’s hand slid higher, palm covering his fly, pressing down lightly. “Let me help you, John.”
“I don’t need this.” Kennex shook his head. His hand gripped Dorian’s wrist, tightened around it. He tried to push Dorian’s arm away, but it didn’t budge. “I don’t need anyone’s help.” He flinched as Dorian’s fingers lightly traced his cheekbone.
“We all need help sometimes, John.”
Kennex shook his head. Needing other people got you hurt. It got you left behind when a fucking machine decided you were expendable. It laid you bare, gave other people the chance to use you, to betray you.
“John?” Dorian gently shook him. “Look at me. What’s wrong?”
At the moment, it was cold comfort that even though Dorian might be able to read even the smallest physiological change in his body, he couldn’t interpret them all. “I can’t…” Kennex pushed at Dorian. “I need to…”
“I know what you need.”
Before Kennex could object, stand and get some distance from Dorian and this conversation, Dorian shifted, leaned into him, and kissed him.
Of all the things he though Dorian might do, kissing him never crossed his mind.”Wha--?” He only got part of the word out before Dorian deepened the kiss, and if he closed his eyes--which seemed to have happened somehow--and forgot it was Dorian kissing him, he wouldn’t have been able to tell it wasn’t another human.
Soft, warm… His cock twitched as he wondered how good that wet heat would feel around it.
Dorian made quick work of undoing Kennex’s jeans. He slipped a hand inside, freed Kennex’s cock. “Stop thinking, John.” Dorian’s fingers curled around his cock. “This isn’t about figuring out a puzzle.”
“I’m not.” Kennex gasped as those fingers tightened around him.
“Liar.” Dorian started stroking him, nipping at his neck as he did. His lips brushed Kennex’s ear as he murmured, “I should cuff you.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” Kennex hoped the bravado in his words was enough to distract from the shiver that ran through him.
“You’d like that. Even if you can’t admit it.” Dorian licked at the pulse hammering in the side of Kennex’s neck. “I’d bend you over the arm of your sofa and show you how talented my fingers can be.”
Wrong. This was wrong on so many levels, but none of them stopped Kennex from rocking his hips, pressing into Dorian’s touch. His eyes slipped closed as he bit down on the inside of his cheek.
“You’re imagining how it would feel, aren’t you John?”
The ache Dorian’s words kindled in Kennex’s body seared away any lingering reservations. “Touch me.” The words were raw, ragged, heavy with months of pent-up need. As much as a part of him hoped Dorian would make good on his promise (or was it supposed to be a threat?), he knew he’d come before Dorian had much of a chance to get started.
“I am.” Dorian rubbed his thumb over the head of Kennex’s cock. “And I intend to do much more than that. I’m going to give you what you need.”
“What do you think I need?” Kennex wished Dorian would tell him, since he wasn’t sure himself.
“Release. You need release.”
Kennex moaned at the word, at Dorian’s strokes. He thrust up into Dorian’s hand, shook his head slightly. He didn’t need release. He needed more. More friction, more heat. More....
“Come for me, John.”
Kennex’s hips jerked as he cried out softly at Dorian’s words, and again when those filthy fucking fingers tightened around him, giving him no choice but to obey.
Quiet. Kennex expected questions or commentary or advice from his parter as his breathing evened out. If he didn’t open his eyes, maybe Dorian would think he was asleep, or at least behave as if he was. Because he wasn’t ready. Wasn’t ready to talk about what this was or wasn’t. Wasn’t ready to admit he wanted more. He sure as hell wasn’t ready to ask for more.
Kennex almost ruined his act by cracking his eyes open when he felt Dorian get up. A few minutes later, the cushions shifted slightly as he sat back down, and Kennex felt a blanket draped over his body. The lighting in the apartment dimmed, and the volume of the television was turned down to a soft hum no human could hear.
A soft smile curved Kennex’s lips. Maybe there was one advantage to having an inhuman partner.
He didn’t have to pretend at all.
Pairing: John Kennex/Dorian
Fandom: Almost Human
Author: Barbara
savageseraphRating: R
Disclaimer: I don’t pretend to own the characters or the world. I just amuse themselves with them for fun, not profit.
Comments: Written for Melissima for Yuletide 2014.
Summary: Rudy needs a favor. Dorian needs a place to stay. John needs...a lot of things.
John Kennex leaned back in his chair, eyes closing as he sipped the finger of whiskey he allowed himself on truly fuck-awful days. The heat from the alcohol wasn’t enough to erase the silence and suspicion he faced from most of the officers at the precinct after Maldonato recalled him. It couldn’t ease the prickling itch from the leg that had been blown off in the ambush or cut through the cold that coiled in his gut after closing his last case.
Suicide by cop. Kennex hated those cases, not because the perps didn’t deserve to die but because it let them off too easily.
On the street, they called him The Pilot, a chemist cooking up Sterling, the newest designer drug that promised to keep you flying high and landing smoothly. At least until trace levels of one of the components that stayed in the bloodstream of users built up to levels that liquefied their organs. He’d seen too many kids, their eyes turned to bloody pools, staring sightlessly at him from their dead faces to feel even a twinge of remorse for ending the bastard’s life. In fact, he felt a sliver of satisfaction that The Pilot (aka Hank Winters) wouldn’t have the chance to use his money to buy a light sentence.
Kennex dragged his fingers through his hair. Maybe he’d take Maldonato up on the offer of a few days off. Paul and the others would talk shit if he did, stink up the department with speculation he was finally breaking down, finally on his way out permanently.
Fuck them. Kennex never had their good opinion, not when he was at the top of his game and certainly not now. He didn’t need them. Didn’t need anyone.
A series of quick knocks at the door had Kennex’s gun in his hand before he could even sit up in his chair. He blinked, took a deep breath when he realized he’d drawn the weapon without thinking. The day had rattled him more than he’d like to admit, even to himself. He crossed the room, not holstering the gun, but smiling slightly at what he imagined Dorian’s response would be.
Most people don’t pull a gun when someone knocks at the door, John.
Kennex chuckled softly at the perpetually exasperated tone he knew would color Dorian’s words. “I’m not most people,” he murmured, before saying more clearly. “Camera, show hallway.”
The comm panel lit up, and Kennex groaned as he saw Rudy and Dorian turned toward each other. Rudy had his hands thrown up, shaking his head. Dorian looked unruffled but gestured at the door. Kennex sighed, anger and frustration giving way to the first feelings of weariness. If it was anyone other than Dorian, he might be able to ignore them until they went away, but his partner’s inhuman tenacity (and knowledge that he was, in fact, at home) meant he was well and truly fucked.
Since they clearly weren’t going to be leaving, Kennex threw the door open, effectively ending the argument and, he suspected, any chance of a nice quiet evening. “Is there any particular reason the two of you are doing whatever it is that you are doing in my hallway?”
Dorian’s gaze moved over him, clearly assessing any number of things Kennex hoped he kept to himself. “He’s just dropping me off.”
“Dropping you off?” Kennex gave Rudy a smile that was sharp enough to cut. “You’re dropping him off? Here?”
Rudy flushed, started stammering. Oh, this wasn’t good. Kennex knew he wasn’t going to like whatever came next.
“I need my apartment to myself tonight, John.” The firm tone might have been more convincing if Rudy wasn’t wringing his hands and fidgeting like a teenager caught out after curfew.
“Why?”
“He has a date.” Dorian supplied cheerfully.
Kennex blinked. Rudy had a date, and he had…a quiet apartment and a two-day old pizza in the refrigerator. “A date?” He hoped he didn’t sound as surprised as he felt.
Rudy nodded, stood a bit taller. “Yes, John, a date. And I need to have some privacy.” He nodded in Dorian’s direction.
“You remember what dates are, don’t you, John?” Dorian, Destroyer of All Privacy and Boundaries, smirked at him. “Even if your balls barely do.”
The fucker. Kennex turned on Dorian. “Leave my balls out of this.”
“Of course.” Dorian held up a bag as he shouldered his way past Kennex into the apartment. “I brought noodles.”
Kennex didn’t realize his mouth was open until he closed it. “Rudy…” Kennex stepped into the hall, closed on the flustered technician, who was doing his best to try to disappear into the wall.
“John, one night. You… You have to do this for me.”
Kennex was about to point out he didn’t have to do a damned thing when Rudy continued.
“I’ll owe you, John.” Something Rudy saw in his expression brought a hesitant smile to Rudy’s face. “A big favor.”
Kennex was many things, but he wasn’t a fool. A favor from Rudy could be very handy. “How big are we talking?”
“She’s a red-head, John.” Rudy beamed. “A red-head.” His smile faltered slightly. “What do you say? It’s just for one night.”
Kennex folded his arms across his chest, pretended to consider the proposition very, very carefully.
“Please?”
For fuck’s sake, the man looked ready to cry. “Get out of here, Rudy.”
“What? Seriously? You mean it?” Rudy pushed off the wall, started to reach for Kennex but stopped himself. “Thank you, John. Seriously, thank—“
“Just get out before I change my mind.”
Rudy was a smart man. He didn’t need to be told twice.
One night. Kennex took a deep breath, let it out slowly. He could handle a houseguest for just one night.
It was just shy of midnight, and Kennex wasn’t sure how much more he could take. He’d eaten Dorian’s noodles (which were tastier than he’d like to admit) and then endured hours of bad television—cop shows that had nothing to do with real policing, comedies that weren’t remotely funny, and matchmaking competitions that were funny to him but deadly serious to Dorian--with an almost constant stream of commentary and questions from his partner.
No chance to slip off into sleep. No escape. The favor Rudy owed him grew bigger and bigger and bigger by the minute.
“John.”
Kennex blinked, focused on Dorian. He wondered just how many questions he managed to miss before his partner caught on he wasn’t paying attention.
“Are you listening to me?”
“I am now.”
Dorian frowned slightly. “Are you tired?”
“Yes.” Kennex hoped the word didn’t come out too enthusiastic. “I’m tired. I should really try to get some sleep.” He didn’t mention that sleep was going to be close to impossible with someone lurking in the living room.
“You know I can tell when you’re lying.”
Kennex blinked. “Bullshit.”
“It’s true.” Dorian shrugged. “You…” His voice trailed off.
“I what?” One thing Kennex envied about his partner was his ability to control his micro-expressions and tells that gave away more than he was willing to share.
“If I tell you, you’ll change to try and throw me off, and don’t bother denying it. I’d rather not have to learn to read you all over again.”
“You’re a real fucker, Dorian.”
Dorian’s brow furrowed. “I thought we already established I was fully functional in that area.”
“That’s not what I meant.” The words tumbled out in a rush as Kennex felt his cheeks warm.
“And I thought we already established that your self-deprivation was not healthy for you.” Dorian grinned. “Or your balls.”
“Enough about my balls already.”
“You know I could help you with that.”
“Excuse me?”
Dorian rested a hand lightly on Kennex’s thigh. “Give you a hand, perhaps.” His fingers tightened slightly before relaxing again.
Kennex wanted to knock Dorian’s hand off his leg. He wanted to throw the android out, make him stand in the hall until morning or drive him back to Rudy’s, red-head be damned. His body, however, clearly had other ideas because his throat tightened as his cock started to harden. He swallowed, keenly aware of the fact that Dorian could read his body’s responses more expertly than any human.
Sure enough, Dorian’s hand slid higher, palm covering his fly, pressing down lightly. “Let me help you, John.”
“I don’t need this.” Kennex shook his head. His hand gripped Dorian’s wrist, tightened around it. He tried to push Dorian’s arm away, but it didn’t budge. “I don’t need anyone’s help.” He flinched as Dorian’s fingers lightly traced his cheekbone.
“We all need help sometimes, John.”
Kennex shook his head. Needing other people got you hurt. It got you left behind when a fucking machine decided you were expendable. It laid you bare, gave other people the chance to use you, to betray you.
“John?” Dorian gently shook him. “Look at me. What’s wrong?”
At the moment, it was cold comfort that even though Dorian might be able to read even the smallest physiological change in his body, he couldn’t interpret them all. “I can’t…” Kennex pushed at Dorian. “I need to…”
“I know what you need.”
Before Kennex could object, stand and get some distance from Dorian and this conversation, Dorian shifted, leaned into him, and kissed him.
Of all the things he though Dorian might do, kissing him never crossed his mind.”Wha--?” He only got part of the word out before Dorian deepened the kiss, and if he closed his eyes--which seemed to have happened somehow--and forgot it was Dorian kissing him, he wouldn’t have been able to tell it wasn’t another human.
Soft, warm… His cock twitched as he wondered how good that wet heat would feel around it.
Dorian made quick work of undoing Kennex’s jeans. He slipped a hand inside, freed Kennex’s cock. “Stop thinking, John.” Dorian’s fingers curled around his cock. “This isn’t about figuring out a puzzle.”
“I’m not.” Kennex gasped as those fingers tightened around him.
“Liar.” Dorian started stroking him, nipping at his neck as he did. His lips brushed Kennex’s ear as he murmured, “I should cuff you.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” Kennex hoped the bravado in his words was enough to distract from the shiver that ran through him.
“You’d like that. Even if you can’t admit it.” Dorian licked at the pulse hammering in the side of Kennex’s neck. “I’d bend you over the arm of your sofa and show you how talented my fingers can be.”
Wrong. This was wrong on so many levels, but none of them stopped Kennex from rocking his hips, pressing into Dorian’s touch. His eyes slipped closed as he bit down on the inside of his cheek.
“You’re imagining how it would feel, aren’t you John?”
The ache Dorian’s words kindled in Kennex’s body seared away any lingering reservations. “Touch me.” The words were raw, ragged, heavy with months of pent-up need. As much as a part of him hoped Dorian would make good on his promise (or was it supposed to be a threat?), he knew he’d come before Dorian had much of a chance to get started.
“I am.” Dorian rubbed his thumb over the head of Kennex’s cock. “And I intend to do much more than that. I’m going to give you what you need.”
“What do you think I need?” Kennex wished Dorian would tell him, since he wasn’t sure himself.
“Release. You need release.”
Kennex moaned at the word, at Dorian’s strokes. He thrust up into Dorian’s hand, shook his head slightly. He didn’t need release. He needed more. More friction, more heat. More....
“Come for me, John.”
Kennex’s hips jerked as he cried out softly at Dorian’s words, and again when those filthy fucking fingers tightened around him, giving him no choice but to obey.
Quiet. Kennex expected questions or commentary or advice from his parter as his breathing evened out. If he didn’t open his eyes, maybe Dorian would think he was asleep, or at least behave as if he was. Because he wasn’t ready. Wasn’t ready to talk about what this was or wasn’t. Wasn’t ready to admit he wanted more. He sure as hell wasn’t ready to ask for more.
Kennex almost ruined his act by cracking his eyes open when he felt Dorian get up. A few minutes later, the cushions shifted slightly as he sat back down, and Kennex felt a blanket draped over his body. The lighting in the apartment dimmed, and the volume of the television was turned down to a soft hum no human could hear.
A soft smile curved Kennex’s lips. Maybe there was one advantage to having an inhuman partner.
He didn’t have to pretend at all.