M/M slash in later chapters. Please don't read if this isn't your thing! This was supposed to be PWP for clicketykeys but it instead became a full and proper story in its own right. This is from Corso's POV.
Avilatan's Rest is quiet at this time of day. Most of the soldiers are on duty, so it's just me and a couple of locals. It's cool and dim inside, and I slide into a seat at the bar. One of the bartenders pauses in front of me, a pretty green-skinned Twi'lek woman in a low-cut top. I guess the soldiers like it, but it just seems to me like she might get chilled in here. She flashes me a smile and leans towards me over the bar. "What can I get you?"
"Something to eat. What's the special?" She leans back a bit and rattles a few things off, but nothing sounds particularly appealing so I pick something at random. She brings me a mug of beer and I take it to a table in the corner to wait for my meal. I can't stop looking at the door every time it opens - which isn't all that often - to see if it's Arkanesh.
I'm almost done my food when he finally walks in. He's moving a lot better, and he smiles when he spots me. He's got his jacket done up almost to his throat but there's skin showing there, and through the blaster hole on his ribs. They must have had to sacrifice his shirt when they were treating him. I take a quick swig of my beer to moisten my suddenly dry mouth. Down, boy, I think. The captain has just gotten out of the hospital. He doesn't need me panting after him.
Arkanesh settles into the chair opposite mine but the Twi'lek is there before either of us can say anything. She's a shameless flirt, actually stroking his cheek with one of her lekku as she asks him what he'd like. I can feel my fingers clenching around the handle of my mug. Arkanesh smiles up at her and I quickly look down at my plate. There, see? I tell myself. He's not interested. Get over yourself.
I don't know what it is about Arkanesh that's affecting me so strongly. I've known for a few years that I was interested in guys, ever since one particularly memorable night in the cantina in Drelliad village - before it was bombed out when the Seps took over, of course.
One of my buddies had just turned nineteen, so we'd taken him out to get totally plastered for the first time - well, the first time legally, at least. It wasn't like any of us had actually waited. But it was nice to be able to go to the cantina instead of raiding our parents' stashes or sending older brothers to buy it for us.
Kett had an older sister, all dark skin and lush curves and long, long legs. Yalla didn't usually spend any time with us boys, but she had come out to celebrate her little brother's birthday. For some reason, she had taken a liking to me and had sat with me most of the night. We were both more than a little buzzed when they finally kicked us out at closing time but I offered to walk Yalla home. Kett had already been carted off by a couple of the other guys when he had finally passed out, and it wasn't safe for a lady to walk home alone.
She had smiled at me and taken my arm. She was very warm where she was pressed up against me. I'm not sure why it took me so long to figure out her intentions, but I blame all the drinks. It wasn't until she had pulled me into an alley and pushed me up against the wall that I finally had an inkling, but I was still surprised when she kissed me.
Her tongue was in my mouth and her hands all over me, but I was mostly just confused. I'd never thought much about girls, but not all the guys I hung out with were completely girl-crazed so no one really gave me too much grief about it. It was a couple of minutes before she pulled back in confusion. She had one of her hands down my pants and I blushed hard.
"Guess you're not interested," she murmured against my ear, voice low and throaty. "Too bad. I'd have given you a night to remember. I bet you'll make some boy really happy someday, Corso." She kissed me again, softly, and disentangled herself from me. I'm ashamed to admit I let her walk home alone while I stayed in that alley, confused and blushing, but definitely not turned on at all. Her words bounced around in my head but I mostly managed to forget them by the time I had sobered up again.
It wasn't until I met Theran - Corporal Theran Rekerr, that is - that I remembered them again. He had been stationed at Fort Garnik a couple of months after that disastrous encounter with Yalla. I had met him in the Avilatan's Rest cantina one night. I'd made friends with a few of the soldiers and had been invited to join them for drinks. Theran had been sitting alone, the curse of the new guy. I had eventually migrated to his quiet corner after having to bow out of the sabacc game before I lost all my credits.
He was exactly my height, with skin a shade darker than mine and black hair cropped short in a military style. He was fascinated by my dreadlocks and when he shyly asked to touch them I had gotten a bolt of arousal so startling that I had nearly jumped out of my chair. Instead I had swallowed and nodded. His fingers were gentle, and then soft on my skin when he had tentatively stroked over my cheekbone.
Between his duties and my work with the burgeoning militia, we didn't get to spend much time together but at least I had my first real kiss. I hadn't really kissed Yalla back at all, so I guess it didn't count. We didn't get enough warning when his unit was redeployed to have a proper goodbye, but I still remembered him fondly and got the occasional letter from him. He was married now, to a sergeant in another unit, and he had sent me one of their wedding pictures. His new husband had dreadlocks too, and I had grinned to see it.
Arkanesh kicks my foot lightly under the table, startling me out of my thoughts. "Everything okay? You were a hundred light-years away."
I give him a small smile. It's not his fault. Maybe when this war is over I can try somewhere new. There are a lot of other planets in the galaxy. There should be someone out there for me. "Sorry. Been a long day." I realize my mug is empty and lift a finger to request another. "You all fixed up?"
"Yeah, thanks." His foot is still resting against mine but I tried to ignore it. It's a small table, and he has long legs. And nice legs. I try to stop thinking about them, but I'm not really successful. "The doc said I should rest, though. Is there anyplace to stay here?"
"There's a few rooms upstairs that they rent, I think," I tell him, wondering at the odd look of disappointment that crosses his face for a fraction of a second. But then the Twi'lek woman is back with my drink and Arkanesh's meal and I forget about it.