For Garrrr

[hybrid_prince]

They call it a gift when they bring it before the throne. Dorrek VIII, young emperor of the Skrull people, barely even bothered to pay any attention to the cloth covered box that was rolled up before the throne. These particular military leaders weren't much of ones that he cared for, and frankly while he was invested in the eventual journey to Earth and conquering it as was his lofty and prophesied fate from long since before he was born, that didn't mean he cared too much about the recon team he had sent. They annoyed him, and sending them to a planet protected by 'heroes' had been meant as a punishment.

The 'gift' to get back into his good graces didn't seem likely to amuse him in any way. There was nothing intriguing about Earth. So the Emperor had ignored their simpering and scrapping before him. It was unbecoming of a Skrull to be anything other than strong and dominating warriors. Still, he cut off their rambling dialog and waved to one of his royal guard. K'lrt, ever the devoted servant, stepped forward and whipped the cloth off.

And Dorrek considered what was presented to him with a raised eyebrow. This, of course, was not what he'd been expected. He hadn't expected a living being.

"Where did you find it?" he asked in Skrull, continuing the conversation in his native tongue.

"It attempted to attack us," one of the generals, who was kneeling out of reach of the cage spoke. "It is more than it seems. Like Skrull, but not."

Intriguing. Dorrek gestured for the clear tank on wheels (with air holes of course), to be rolled closer. Let him better see this prize.

Comments

[hybrid_prince]

"First, no. I was asking to know. Second, I'm an emperor, and my life has been busy. I have barely had time to sleep in the last three weeks," Dorrek says. And while he starts soft, he snaps by the end.

[garrrr]

Gar very obviously rolls his eyes at Dorrek then.

“If you don’t give humans a chance then you’re no better than the ones you criticize and there will be bloodshed anyway because take away choice and people won’t just accept it not from you.”

Gar knows he should feel a bit guilty but he doesn’t. Not really. Why should he feel guilty?

“You still insulted me and then just didn’t talk to me until you dropped a huge choice on me last minute.”

And he’d made the choice quickly but that’s only because an hour wouldn’t have been able to make much a difference.

[hybrid_prince]

"You said that I would be taking things away from them. What things? Make a list. Tell me what you think we would take!"

Dammit he's getting annoyed. This human is so frustrating.

"This whole trip is last minute," he continues, standing.

[garrrr]

Gar looks up at him and he knows the other is annoyed. Gar is too in a way and he wonders if they’ll even make it to food at this point. Couldn’t he go back to just ogling him? No? Fine.

“Free will! Autonomy! Your plan takes it away completely. The human race isn’t perfect but that doesn’t mean they need to be subservient to you because you have a superiority complex,” Gar snaps because it’s what he’s been trying to tell him all along.

“You owe them the chance to work with you instead of forcing them to work under you and if they don’t simply crushing them with your boot.”

Gar gets up and he just heads back for the door he came from.

“Of course it’s last minute and half cocked like everything else.”

[hybrid_prince]

"They will still have free will. And their autonomy will be existent on an individual level," Dorrek growls, literally growls while talking. Either that's a Skrull thing, or he's shifted his vocal cords just for that. But he strides after Gar, because he did not dismiss Gar from his presence yet. Which isn't fair to Gar, but he doesn't care.

His hand slams against the door, to hold it closed. With super strength, that's not going to open easily.

"There is a CRISIS in my empire and you call me half-cocked? An illness spreads among one of our garden worlds, and you mock me!? I worry for the lives of my people and you know nothing!"

[garrrr]

Gar would be foolish not to be a bit scared by all of that. Nevermind the growl sparked something else that he refused to acknowledge. And he can’t help but be surprised that Dorrek would stop him. It’s a reminder that he’s not really free still, he probably never would be because he was always going to be subject to Dorrek somehow.

The door won’t budge, though.

“I’m not mocking you. How could I ever dare your majesty? You still own me. But I worry about the lives of my people still too and you know nothing either.”

Dorrek is too close and Gar feels small, frustrated and allured at the same time.

[hybrid_prince]

Dammit don't talk to him like that. The growl is lower, angrier. But controlled, because he isn't trying to hurt Gar. Which is impressive, in his opinion at least.

"I don't own you. If you were one of my men I could throw you in the brig for the whole journey for insubordination. Or for ticking me off. And you're the one that refuses to explain. All I have of Earth is spy reports and your own history books. And they paint a picture of a greedy, vile little race. People that will be plowed over sooner or later by someone. The Shi'ar probably. They don't care about how sweet and unique you are. They will enslave you and breed you to make better slaves. They will use obedience collars, which can fry the synapses if you disobey too often. And even then you aren't free. They mangle bodies into machines to make you, after your brain has mostly failed, into mechanical abominations to guard them, to torment your fellow man. So don't tell me about the ill I will visit upon your people when your people will still be free."

More or less.

[garrrr]

“But you do own me whether you admit it or not. You want to pretend to be the good guy and even right here comforting yourself that you’re not like someone else so you don’t have to challenge yourself. Taking over Earth with subversion and lies and deceit doesn’t make you better. Maybe we have a different version of the word free but you can’t be free if someone has their boot on your neck if you don’t do exactly as they wish,” Gar pushes at Dorrek as fruitless as that is in a clear attempt to move him from the door.

“Everytime i have tried to tell you about my people you tell me I’m wrong and naive. How can you expect more from me? I have no faith in your supposed good will.”

Please stop growling, Dorrek. His brain really can’t handle the split of fear and dammit that’s sexy.

[hybrid_prince]

Sorry, Gar. The guy can lift an actual ton. There is no moving. Even the hands pushing at him find nothing but tons of firm, unyielding muscle.

"If all humans are like you, so unwilling to teach and debate and seek knowledge, then perhaps a boot is all you deserve."

Nope, still talking through a growl, one that makes his chest rumble.

[garrrr]

“Maybe you should try being less insulting and condescending,” Gar retorts and his hands hadn’t left Dorrek’s chest after pushing him and... dammit that growl.

Gar doesn’t know why he does it. The growl? The anger, the memory of their conversation in the next room, the sight of Dorrek’s unclothed body... or maybe it was the months and months that Dorrek had been the only thing resembling kind.

But for whatever reason Gar reaches to the back of Dorrek’s head as he leans up and pressed their mouths together. He could say it was because he was tired of arguing but that would only be half true.

[hybrid_prince]

Well... now that was a way to end an argument, and quickly. The growling stops, hell, Dorrek stops breathing because it's... this... fuck. He's never been kissed before. And there isn't any denying what this was. Why should arguing trigger such a reaction? What should he do? Should he put his own arms around Gar? Should he hold the human there? Should he push him away?

He doesn't know.

Worse, he doesn't know what action would make Gar thing that Dorrek really is trying to possess and control him. Because that isn't what his goal is. At all.

So he stands there, flushing with embarrassment and shock, letting Gar kiss him, too afraid to even meet the kiss.

[garrrr]

Gar pulls away from the kiss and he really didn’t know why he had let himself do that and the lack of reaction... he felt a bit mortified with himself. But Dorrek hadn’t even stopped him, he hadn’t reacted at all.

“I’m sorry,” Gar breathes and he reaches to try and open the door just shy of begging the other to let him go.

[hybrid_prince]

"I... don't understand," Dorrek says after a long moment. But yeah, still not moving from the door. "You hate me. You loathe me. But you did that. I thought... I thought a kiss was a human sign of affection, or desire, as it is among the Skrull."

No, don't go. He's... lost. And he looks it. There's definitely something softer in Dorrek's expression then. Truly he looks young in that moment. Young and confused and perhaps a bit regretful. He should have done something.

[garrrr]

Gar again contemplated begging the other to just let him go.

“It’s not always simple?” There’s hate sex after all but Gar doesn’t hate Dorrek. He did at one point maybe he still does a little if he thinks too much about everything.

“And it was desire okay because your stupid growling and ... seeing you naked and I just wanted you to shut up and stop arguing too..”

Too honest, Gar.

[hybrid_prince]

Why can't it be that simple? Though Really Dorrek supposes he understands a lack of simplicity. Instead he reaches out with a hesitant hand to touch Gar's cheek.

"May... I try again?"

Yeah, he's asking for permission.

[garrrr]

Because people are complex, Dorrek, just like both of them...this situation is all complex. Gar didn't expect Dorrek to touch him, not like that. Just a moment ago the other had been angry and using brute strength to keep Gar from leaving the room.

And Gar knew that really, really Dorrek didn't have to ask for Gar's permission it's strange that he does in a way. Gar nods.

"Yeah." Now that it's not in the heat of the moment he's nervous.

[hybrid_prince]

And yet, he STILL wants to be certain. Because he definitely looks nervous. Unsure. Scared even.

"You're absolutely sure this is okay? I don't want to do this if you don't want it. But... I've... never kissed someone before. And you're so beautiful."

[garrrr]

And honestly, Gar is all those things but he still is sure of his answer. It does a strange thing inside of him again and okay he might feel a bit guilty that he’d just stolen the others first kiss out of a moment of frustration and anger.

He swallows.

“I’m sure.”

[hybrid_prince]

Well he should feel guilty. Making this poor Emperor feel things for a change. Dorrek licks his lips briefly and then leans down to press his lips against Gar’s. It’s light. It’s chaste. It’s the sort of kiss that someone gives their first time. But it does linger for a good moment before Dorrek starts to pull back.

[garrrr]

The kiss was soft and almost sweet and so in contrast to what Gar had just seen from him. He lingers in the moment. When Dorrek starts to pull back he tries to lean forward to keep the contact a little longer before realizing what he’s doing.

“Are you still mad at me?”

[hybrid_prince]

The brief moment of following shocks Dorrek, but he does still pull back. And he is blushing.

“Yes. But more in a ‘we both need to learn how to talk’ way. Less in a ‘I have resisted the urge to have you thrown out by my guards’ way.”

[garrrr]

“Resisted the urge to throw me out? You literally stopped me from leaving,” Gar retorts and he looks at the door and then at Dorrek again.

“I think you need to learn how to listen more than anything.”

[hybrid_prince]

Really? He frowns at that comment. Don't even do this, Gar. Don't START this.

"You need to learn to explain when it is asked for."

[garrrr]

Gars actually not trying to start anything but sometimes it’s really hard to keep his mouth shut.

Gar just shrugs a little. Maybe if he felt like he was being listened to he’d be more inclined but he didn’t want to argue.

[hybrid_prince]

"Will you... still join me for dinner?" Dorrek asks. "Please, I... don't get much company."

The Emperor? He's a lonely man, and Gar at least he can try and keep in his presence.