Right Back After This

Season 2, Episode 3

"You're not going to get in trouble," Riz whispers. "They probably won't even realise it's off. They'll just think we're not talking."

Amello bites his lip. "What did you want to say?"

"I feel like we should talk about it, is all." It's so hard to tell if Amello is disappointed in him, or if the weight in his chest makes everything feel strange and wrong. "I'm sorry for stressing you out with it beforehand."

"What actually happened?" Amello asks in a low breath. "Just so I can be sure."

"I told you the truth. He wanted to take me with him, and everything that everyone heard- he was talking about that. But it obviously sounded like he was forcing me to, you know."

"But he wasn't?"

"No. He was still going to kidnap me and couldn't be convinced otherwise. But that doesn't stop me feeling bad."

Riz doesn't know what he's looking for, but Amello puts a hand on his waist, pulling him just that little bit closer. "From the way it sounded," Amello says with a sharp inhale, "you didn't have much of a choice either way. It's obviously terrible, though."

Riz doesn't think he told Amello a damn thing about Sonja, about Majadha, so he doesn't want to start with it gets worse. "If I had a way to convince him not to do that, without doing what I did, I would have. The fans aren't going to make this easy on him, and it's going to be harder on us, too. Especially me, but all of us."

Amello sighs lowly. "I know. I'm a little upset it had to go this badly for everyone, but I trust you, Riz. I know you didn't have a better option."

Riz leans in to kiss him, to make those words real, but Amello stutters in hesitation. "...are you sure we should? Paloma wanted to set us up, and..."

Riz refrains from rolling his eyes. "We've already had our first kiss, so why does it matter?"

"I dunno. I just feel weird sneaking around when we're not supposed to."

Riz does roll his eyes, then, and he kisses Amello before he can say anything else; in fact, he presses into that kiss, presses his tongue into Amello's mouth, grabs him by the shirt and doesn't let him get away. Amello makes a small noise of surprise at first, but quickly grasps the need for quiet, and doesn't have any more objections for Riz's lips against his, Amello's hand gently touching Riz's face, slinging his leg to sit in Riz's lap.

Riz runs the numbers in his head. As long as they stay pressed against the camera, and pray to any listening gods that there are no hidden mics that can hear their soft whispers...

Riz nibbles at Amello's ear, lips grazing over the spot that would be listening- anywhere but on a spaceship, without connection. "Why Ares?" Amello blurts out out of nowhere. "If he didn't m-make you?"

Riz loves that little stutter. Amello's tripping over sounds because Riz's kiss is in the way. "I needed someone," Riz admits freely. "We talked about how it's not love for me."

"Right, but, um-" Amello's throat is dry. "Was he g-good? Or?"

"Oh." Riz mutters lowly, and Amello's shuddering breathing tells Riz that he's as easily undone as Riz himself- except Riz is in control, in moments like this. "What, are you worried you won't measure up?"

Amello's long pause precludes denial. "I dunno."

Riz is fondly smiling, whether he wants to be or not. "Amello, darling, it's not about skill. Skill helps, but chemistry and communication and sometimes luck mean a lot more. Besides, darling, I like you. Good or bad as you turn out to be."