Trinity

How Long?

AN: Explicit

"Fuck it."

He pushes himself off the couch and closes the distance between them.

Quaritch's heart exploded deep within his chest. Every thought of doubt, loneliness, and guilt began to flee as Mansk's movement sent him careening off the edge of his restraint.

Jake Sully could have burst into the room with his hands cuffed as he surrendered, and Quaritch wouldn't give him a first or second thought.

How could he? When every piece of him was now smoldering and waiting for the breath that would fully set him ablaze. His entire being ached with desperation to get his hands on Mansk and finally show him how he'd felt for years. The opportunity stood stiffly in front of him, but he waited.

Quaritch cocked his head as Mansk looked down at him, both of their gazes remained fixed on the other's face. He longed to remove the barrier concealing his eyes from the world, from him. Mansk's heart was rapidly beating; he could see it pulsing within the prominent veins of his arms. The chest beneath that thin top quaked with shuddering breaths as his brow creased.

It's your reaction I'm afraid of.

Quaritch diligently made an effort to appear calm and relaxed. Given that he felt like he was about to lose it completely, he hoped the endeavor would be at least somewhat successful.

"I'm not worried about last night." Mansk's rigid posture and anxious body language betrayed his firm voice. "I'm tired of not chasing what I want."

"And what's stopping you?" One of Quaritch's eyebrows perked up in interest.

He could have asked what he wanted, but he was absolutely certain he knew what or who it was. Mansk was poised to either dive in headfirst or bolt, and Quaritch was prepared to stop the latter. His hands twitched at the effort of remaining still; they itched to yank him down by his waist and bring him even closer. He was going to wait patiently for as long as he could.

"Not knowing if they want the same thing." The: "I've been unwilling to chase it because I don't want to fuck this up," went unsaid, but he might as well have screamed it.

"What makes you think I don't?"

Shit... Good job brain! Doing a great job at maintaining a sliver of composure and restraint. At least it wasn't a secret anymore. He didn't have the ability to monitor and adjust his now husky voice.

The unintentional slip appeared to have a desirable effect. Mansk towered over him, leaning above Quaritch with one hand bracing the wall. It took all of his willpower to avoid staring at the arm that was so near his face. So much that he almost lost grip on the remaining fragments of his restraint.

He fought the need to grab him; he didn't know where Mansk's boundaries lay, and Quaritch was unwilling to possibly ruin this by moving too fast. Mansk was already struggling to do any of this; waves of anxiousness and fear emanated from him. His burning need to touch him grew into an even stronger yearning to hold him, to purge those emotions from Mansk's mind and body.

"Still waiting for an answer, Deus." Mansk's tail had been twitching behind him anxiously, and his ears had remained flattened against his head since before he stood. But they released and perked up at the sound of his name, while his tail made a pleased sweeping movement. "Deus, tell me."

"Fear." He looked so vulnerable at this moment. It was different from before at the river; that was an unwilling vulnerability. One he knew all too well was accompanied by shame. Right now, Mansk is offering him this unguarded emotion out of trust. He had to do something, he had to allay the man's fears. He had to show him he was worthy of that trust. Seconds before he could decide what to do or how to respond, Mansk moved.