*Robbie*

Wyl fell asleep right after they finished eating. The combination of exhaustion, food, and sudden relief were too compelling to resist. Robbie watched him sleep for a moment, then closed the bedroom door and walked over to the couch. He sat down and activated the messaging system connected to his holoscreen. He entered Garrett's number and waited. More than likely he'd get the canned message...yep, here it was.

A tall, slender blonde man with golden brown skin, wearing a tailored-to-fit silk suit in shades of blue, appeared on the holoscreen. He smiled, lips parting over perfect teeth. "What a terrible shame we're missing each other right now. Tell me everything and I'll respond in kind." Then his picture disappeared, to be replaced by the image of a blinking red light bulb. Robbie rolled his eyes. Garrett was such a clown.

"Garrett, it’s Robbie. I have a favor to ask." He went on to give Wyl's name and planet of origin, then detailed his situation without getting too far into his own developing relationship with Wyl. He was about to sign off when the red bulb abruptly disappeared and a disheveled, wild-looking Garrett appeared in the screen. He was wearing a white robe and his body was glistening as though he'd been working out.

"Robbie?"

"Gare." Robbie arched one eyebrow. "I'm interrupting you?"

"We'd just finished, darling." There was his smile again, coy and predatory at the same time. "He's resting now, sweet thing." He narrowed his eyes. "Are you naked too? I can only see you from the shoulders up. C'mon, let's see some more of your beautiful self."

"I'd rather keep you in the dark."

"You're absolutely no fun these days, Robbie." Garrett pouted slightly.

"That's why I'm over here and you're over there. Did you hear the message?"

"Yes. I wasn't expecting to hear from you at all, and certainly not about getting some bonder's debt transferred."

"I'm full of surprises," Robbie said flatly. "Can you help?"

"So impatient, darling, why don't you relax a bit?" Garrett stretched back languorously on his couch, making no effort to cover himself when the robe slipped open. "First some pleasantries. Tell me how you've been."

"Busy."

"Raising hell is what I hear."

"Where did you hear that?" Robbie asked.

"Robbie. Honey. We spent three years together, don't blame me for being curious." He sighed. "And I heard it from my father, if you must know. I half suspect he loves you better than he does me, from how often he brings you up."

"He and I always got along well." It was a relief to hear that the general had been keeping tabs on him, in a way. It made what he was trying to do now easier.

"Be honest with me, Robbie." Garrett cocked his head slightly. "Who is this bonder to you? I don't think you're doing this out of the goodness of your heart. Some days it was difficult to tell whether you even had a heart."

"Oh, it was there. You just never bothered to look for it."

"And Wyl Leyton has?" There was more than a hint of jealousy in his voice, but some genuine pain in his expression as well. Robbie sighed.

"Gare, it's none of your business."

"He has, hasn't he? You've found a new lover."

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"You can hardly cast stones at me for that."

Garrett was silent for a moment. "You know, you never did tell me what I did wrong. You think I just decided to look at other guys one day because I was bored? You've never been very affectionate, Robbie, and you got less so as time went on. You just expected me to be there when you got back from the front. So tell me now, if you please, where I went wrong, and what this guy has done that's so right."

Robbie didn't like to think about it, but he knew Garrett was right. He deserved an explanation. "I wasn't as good to you as I should have been. I know that. I didn't always put you first. I did love you, Gare. I was never good at saying it, but I tried to show you I loved you. Eventually, though, that wasn't enough. You were annoyed at me for seeming to ignore you, so you sought affection elsewhere. Whereas I didn't want to share. We never really talked about it." He shrugged. "You seem well, though. You look happy. I hope you've found something that works for you. If you have any affection left for me at all, please, help me with this. Help me with Wyl."

Garrett shifted on the couch, drawing his knees up. "I made mistakes, too. I'm sorry about that." He brushed some long blonde hairs away from his face and sighed. "The least I can do is help you out now. I'll send a message to my father about it, and about his employer as well. Maybe he can dredge up a good reason to look into her business." He grinned. "I'll mark it as 'urgent.'"

"Thank you," Robbie said earnestly. "You don't know how much I appreciate it."

"No, but maybe someday I will." He smiled slightly. "I hope Wyl appreciates your fine-looking ass." He covered a yawn with his hand. "I'm sending your message, then I'm going back to bed."

"Thanks again, Gare. Sleep soundly."

"As soundly as I ever do." The screen suddenly went black, then faded to the same color as the walls.

Robbie sat back on the couch and shut his eyes. He hadn't seen Garrett for...over a month. Almost a month and a half. It didn't hurt to see him now, not really. It did hurt to have his failings illustrated so pointedly by his former lover.

Garrett was right, he'd been too caught up with his work to give Garrett the kind of attention he needed. He was like a show animal: beautiful and high strung and preferring constant companionship. Robbie hadn't taken the time to make him feel special, and he'd strayed.

The question was, would he do any better this time around? Robbie tended to obsess over his work, and he knew it. What if Wyl got tired of it? Tired of being alone? Tired of fighting for attention? Robbie was going to try harder, he was going to do better, but he also knew he would make mistakes. He just had to hope that Wyl would be patient with him.

The air shifted slightly as the bedroom door opened, and after a moment Wyl's warm body curled up next to him. Robbie opened his eyes. "Hi."

"Hi."

"Did I wake you up with that?"

"Not you," Wyl shook his head. "I heard some strange guy's voice and wondered what he was doing in here with you. I listened in a little before figuring out it was the message system. Sorry for eavesdropping."

"It's not a problem."

"So that was the last boyfriend?"

"Yeah," Robbie shrugged. "It went better than it could have. At least he's going to help you."

Wyl snorted. "He couldn't care less about me. It's you he's interested in helping. I bet if you went over there and asked for him to take you back, he'd do it."

Robbie grinned. "Feeling a little jealous?"

"Hell yes, I am." Wyl slid over Robbie's body until he was on his lap, legs straddling his lover's thighs, facing him. "I don't intend to share you. At all. With anyone. And if I ever think you're neglecting me, I'll jump you and make you mine all over, just to jog your memory."

"You promise? I can be a fool sometimes."

"Then you'll be my fool." Wyl kissed him, strong hands sliding underneath his arms and up his back. He pressed his chest against Robbie's and Robbie could feel both of them getting hard—

His com buzzed from the bedroom. Robbie pulled away and cursed. "Motherfuckers." He squeezed his eyes shut, tightening his jaw for a moment, then let his breath out explosively. "Fuck, I have to answer this."

"If you must, you must."

Robbie stood up and lifted Wyl with him, holding him close as he walked back into his bedroom. He maneuvered Wyl down into the bed and immediately pressed kisses to his chest, then this abdomen, then the tip of his growing cock. Wyl tried to grab him but he evaded and groped about his abandoned uniform until he found the com. "What?"

"Grumpy, grumpy." Jane's voice sounded loud even through the tiny little unit. "Sorry to interrupt your revelries, boss-man, but Mr. Ebner is getting impatient. The ship has been cleared and he's finished his transactions. He's threatening to complain to the station master than we're deliberately stalling him."

"We are."

"Yes, but he doesn't need to know that," Jane tutted through the mic. "Sorry, sir. Get some clothes on your sweet young thing and yourself and get to the docks before this becomes an incident."

"On our way." He shut off the com. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." He looked over at his reclining lover. "Sorry baby, this is going to have to keep until next time."

Wyl groaned. "You're going to leave me frustrated?"

"I'll make it up to you. I promise."

"I'll hold you to that."