Duvall runs his hands across Chine’s lightly-furred back, checking for injuries and any sign that Chine’s bones and musculature have shifted. Again. He hopes not; it takes time to re-learn Chine’s body when that happens. Beneath the covering of fat and muscle, he can tell that Chine’s tense, but he’s mostly in the same shape as the last time Duvall had gotten to touch him—before the gates of Sapodilla, back in Blackwick—and that’s a relief.
“Glad to see you made it out alright,” Duvall says as he presses into the knots, hoping to massage some of the tension out before they get started. Chine doesn’t mind the extra pain that comes with hitting a point of tension like that, but Duvall thinks he should; Chine’s too cavalier about their body in a way that’s frustrating, even if it’s founded in his survival abilities.
Chine, laying on the bed, shifts a little. Their head turns further than a human’s could, but it’s not weird for Chine. Duvall could do the same, if he really wanted, anyway. Chine’s eyes meet Duvall’s and, almost too lightly, he says, “Alright might be a stretch.”
“You’re great at stretching.” It’s not the point, but it’s true. Duvall scrapes his fingers down Chine’s spine, watching fat undulate with the pressure. There’s no evidence of his fingernails, which says something about how weird the Jade Moon is. Experimentally, Duvall calls a bug to bite at Chine’s skin to test how thick it is today and how hard he’ll need to strike. “Anything I should avoid doing?”
The clear membrane over Chine’s eyes flickers. It’s not a blink, exactly, but Duvall thinks of it as one. It’s a sign of thoughtfulness, especially when Chine lowers his head to their hands again, content as a cat. “Really can’t say.”
Duvall rolls his eyes. “Chine.”
“Duvall.” Chine laughs softly. “Are we saying names for any particular reason?”
“If there’s nothing else…” Duvall trails off. His hands are resting on Chine’s waist. His bug has told him how tough Chine’s skin is today, and the pinprick bite on their skin is already healing. “You ready?”
“Of course, Duvall.” Chine’s voice is steady and warm, just like always. He doesn’t get nervous the same way other people do, and Duvall likes that about them. It means that Duvall doesn't need to worry about what they’re doing. He just needs to act, and it’ll all work out.
Duvall picks up the heavy flogger first. The leather’s thick, and it’ll soften Chine up for the stingier crop that Duvall likes to decorate Chine with. It takes effort to leave marks that’ll last even an hour, but Duvall likes a challenge.
“Tell me if you want a break.” Duvall follows his words with an immediate blow. The flogger cracks against Chine’s bare ass, loud and satisfying. Duvall runs his fingers across the warm flesh, then raises his arm to strike again.
Something slams into his back before he can.
Duvall lands on Chine with a grunt, his bugs surrounding him in a protective flurry. “What the fuck,” Duvall manages, because the weight on his back is making loud hiss-chirp noises.
“Aw, shit.” Chine doesn’t seem bothered by having them on top of him. “I forgot to explain to the baby.”
“What,” Duvall says again, but louder this time.
Chine rolls underneath him, easily sending him and the weight—the weird creature Chine had picked up somewhere in the depths, Duvall realises—sprawling onto the big bed Chine had asked for. The creature pounces back onto Duvall, standing on his chest and letting out a loud screech that stank and was way louder than such a small creature should be.
It doesn’t bite him, though, but Duvall thinks that’s only because Chine scoops the creature up first. “Hey, it’s okay,” they say, cuddling it against their chest. “He’s not hurting me. Or, okay, maybe he’s hurting me a little, but it’s friendly hurting, alright? Nothing to worry about.”
The creature’s mouth splits open and a long tongue comes out, licking at Chine’s face like a dog. Chine laughs and rubs its head. “I know, you’re just worried about me. Thank you! It’s great that you wanted to protect me!”
Duvall works on coaxing his insects back into him, settling them in his chest where they’re a reassuring buzz instead of an anxious one. He’s just about managed that when Chine says, “Duvall’s a friend, okay? We like him.”
The creature’s head tilts, and that’s as much warning as Duvall gets before it slithers out of Chine’s arms and headbutts him with a rasping squeak.
“Uh, hi?” Duvall pats it gingerly on the head. The creature flops down on him, legs sprawled over his shoulder and head insistently against his hand. “Um, I’m glad we can be friends now? We both like Chine a lot, so that counts for something, right?”
Chine scoots closer so they can muss Duvall’s hair. “It should,” he says, teasing. “Even if we need to teach the little one all the different ways we like each other.”
Duvall grins up at Chine and tries to ignore that Chine’s new pet is drooling on him. “You think we’ll manage that tonight?”
“Nah.” Chine tucks himself in next to Duvall, warm and soft and an excellent pillow. They stroke the creature contemplatively. “I don’t think it’s going to move anytime soon.”
“Ugh.” Duvall isn’t sure he likes the slickness of the creature’s skin, but it’s so small and young and it’s lying on him so trustingly, after attacking him mere minutes ago. He sighs and relaxes against Chine. “Not what I’d expected tonight.”
Chine’s laugher rumbles through Duvall. “Yeah, but this is nice too, right?”
“Yeah,” Duvall says, closing his eyes. He’s never alone, not with the hive inside him, but there’s something to be said for having community surrounding him too.
“And hey,” Chine murmurs, “we’ve got plenty of time for more.”
Duvall nods, still idly stroking the creature. It’s making a staticy sound that’s probably something like a purr, and which Duvall’s pretty sure shouldn’t be making him feel quite so fond, but, well— The creature is no stranger than he or Chine or Es are. He’ll get used to it. They’ll get used to each other.
And then, once the creature knows that Duvall would never hurt Chine, they can go back to the other kind of nice relaxing evenings.
Duvall isn’t sure when he drifts into sleep, but he knows he does it with a smile on his face.