Don't Ask, Don't Tell

From 'Xilo to 'Zade

"You guys are never as bad as we make you out to be," Leo said one day, after having enough drinks that he was sure he wasn't going get drunk that night. He had been drinking a lot lately, and despite his small size, he had worked up a tolerance fairly quickly. "And we're never as good."

Prin Vadum cocked his head to the side, trying to understand the meaning of those words. Fascinating creatures, humans were, and this one, the most fascinating of all. "Thank you," he finally said.

"I want another war," Leo muttered. "I don't want to fight in it, I don't have the stomach, I just want to die. I mean, why did I live and everyone else died? Not like your brothers, everyone you've got is a brother. I mean flesh and blood. All gone." He put his head down. "Well there's Goose. Goose," he cried. "A training accident. Those fucking napalm grenades. A training accident!" he shouted. "He gets through everything, and fucking training accident gets him. You know what the doctors are saying now?" he demanded.

Prin shook his head passively.

"They're saying he might not walk. God, Goose, I'm sorry. It should have been me. You're the good one, you're the smart one. Why not me!"

"Are you feeling alright?" Prin asked. It was off hours. The recreational room was mostly empty. And Leo was in no condition to be left alone.

"I want another war," the human suddenly shouted. "I mean, I'm a fucking soldier. Soldiers are supposed to die. Why the fuck didn't I die? I want to die."

"I could kill you," Prin Vadum said, trying to joke, but he immediately regretted it, afraid that his new brother wouldn't understand the humor.

But Leo did, and forced a smile. "Thanks, I would l kill you too," he said, with a certain hint of laughter. "Hey, who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and one of the monkeys will kill me. Fucking Brutes. Fuck me, I don't even know if I could lift arms to them anymore."

"The Brutes will do nothing against us, brother. They are stupid mongrels, leaderless, who will be dead soon enough, and this galaxy will finally be relieved of their taint."

"That's going to piss off a lot of people. You guys, and us guys. The adrenaline junkies, the sadists, the nuts." He rested on his cheek, and looked at Prin with hazy eyes. "It gots a theory. See, the Brutes do us a service, as long as we're burning their hides, we won't be killing each other. I mean, think about this, its been what? Four years. And now you and I are sharing a beer. Mostly because we still got an enemy of my enemy thing going on. You think your Arbiter will consider leaving a few of their colonies intact? Something for us to raid when we're bored?"

"No," Prin said with a bit of sharpness in his voice, that scared Leo greatly. He had seen what Sangheili could do when challenged. "They are to be put down, without hesitance or mercy."

Leo sighed. "You got some hostility for them?"

"I lost many brothers to them. Many, many brothers, by their cowardly attacks. We took them in, we offered them a spot in our glorious Covenant, and they betray us. All they deserve is a swift death."

"I lost brothers to you," Leo said, eyes narrow.

"That was a mistake. And for that, I am sorry." Prin bowed his head in genuine remorse. "No words may ever express my sorrow that I allowed myself to be blinded."

"Yeah, and I shouldn't be able to forgive you. But its like I've lost my will to hate. I just, I see you guys, and I don't see Sangheili, I just see you guys, you know?"

Leo threw his head back, downing the latest of his beer, and belched loudly before wiping his mouth on his sleeve. He was in the black jumpsuit, lacking any armor. Vulnerable, yet he didn't seem frightened to be in the presence of a Sangheili. This was a human base, but still. Prin watched him closely. This human, all humans but this human especially, fascinated him, he wasn't ashamed to say, and for all the time the Shadow of Intent was docked at Cairo Station, Prin had been with this human. Humans had always fascinated him actually, since he first fought them, but this one, was special somehow.

Leo stood, and stretched, and in his usual rude manner, he left the table without a word, prompting Prin to stand and follow him as he went back to his quarters. Following a human, this was positively undignified, but…there was something special, unique about this one. And he was worried. His rants and raving, he didn't trust this human to be alone. He had seen so many brothers, crushed with their failures on the battlefield, slowly draw their sword and press it to their own outstretched neck…

"What do you plan to do after we're done with the Brutes?"

Actually, Prin hadn't thought of that. What was a soldier to do without a war? Now he fought the Brutes. Before that, he fought the humans. Before that, he quelled internal rebellions within the Covenant. He had never known a time without an enemy. But that life was coming to an end. The skirmishes with the Brutes were growing scarce. Only his exalted position under Shipmaster Rtas granted him a chance to still fight. "I don't know," he admitted. A colony, breeding Brutes for the sole reason of killing them off, was suddenly not an idea he would dismiss so readily.

The room was small for a human's, and Prin, large for a Sangheili, found great difficulty entering, and was uncomfortable, standing inside. He managed to get in at all by lowering to all fours and crawling like some wretched Unggoy, and then to stay inside, he practically had to squat. What was he doing here? He should be on the Intent, awaiting pull out. He wasn't uncomfortable, just surprised, as Leo took off his jumpsuit, stepping out of it.

"3000 years and men are still uncomfortable in the showers with me," he muttered.

"You humans tend to be squeamish?" Prin asked.

"Something like that." Leo, in his undershirt and pants now, asked, "See anything you like?"

Prin stared, and shrugged. "You're small," he noted. "Even for a human."

"And you're big, even for an Elite." Leo walked over, and unbuckled the thoratic chest plate Prin wore. Prin grabbed him by the wrist, growling. "Squeamish?"

"What game is this?" Prin asked. How he tired of games.

"No game, I promise." Leo took his hand back, and finished with the chest plate, before setting it aside. "You've just been staring at me."

"You interest me." He realized Leo had taken off the armor on his legs, setting them with the chest plate.

"Thank you," Leo said. "That is something nice to say." He pulled his shirt over his head, showing the lean, almost thin and fragile, body. His skin was pale, a stark contrast to Prin's dark chocolate. So alien and strange and unfathomable. Revolting in fact. As if he were sickly. Prin didn't remember taking his helmet off, but his head wasn't covered anymore.

It wasn't that he was ashamed of his body, or had any problems with removing his armor in front of his brothers, but the human, despite his kindness, wasn't quite a brother just yet. He would feel vulnerable without it, that gave him pause.

But he felt a desire, looking at this human. Something strange and odd. Heresy, perhaps. But what was heresy now? What was wrong now? They had been deceived for so long, he had learned to trust his thoughts and desires, more than taboo or even orders. Everything he did was his and his alone. A desire for the warmth that a female usually offered. Those wonderful times he was permitted back to his home planet and sire children. Wonderful times. Those brief moments. That burning desire sated in a moment of bliss that seemed to last for lifetimes. He felt that desire, and slipped out of skin suit.

Leo worked the taught, toned skin of his chest gently, massaging the ribs and feeling the pounding hearts beat just behind the thick bone. Like a drum. Pounding. Like a shotgun. Prin had to chuckle, backing away, but couldn't stop laughing, then purring at the touch. "So that's your sweet spot?" Leo asked.

Leo let him retreat, and catch his breath. He took Prin's hand, his tiny one wrapping around one long finger, and brought him back to the bed, the tiny bed meant for a human. He coaxed Prin to sit down, and stepped onto the mattress. "What are you doing?" Prin asked. Gently, Leo began massaging Prin's shoulders and the spine that ran down his long neck.

Prin's purrs grew louder. "That does feel good, I will admit, human."

"We're not that different, similar pressure points and ticklish spots." Leo leaned over, resting his chin on Prin's broad shoulders, taking in the overwhelming scent of male. He continued working Prin's back. "Similar ways to express excitement."

Prin froze, and looked down, but found it difficult to stay tense under Leo's loving hands. "I am sorry. I should be able to control myself." He tried to stand, but his legs felt weak. Instead he focused on other things, like keeping his excitement under control.

Leo gave him a kiss on the back of the neck, making Prin shiver. Prin had learned that was an act of affection among humans. It was such a loving act, between the two. Such feeling between the two as they touched. A moment of perfect love and kindness. The shape of his jaws made such a gesture for Sangheili difficult, if not impossible. Leo lowered to his knees, and wrapped his arms under Prin's, hugging him from behind.

So often he missed the warmth of a female, when on the field of battle, and things were so cold and dark. And how kind Leo's hand were. Gentle and careful as they worked. And warm. Prin put a hand on his two and bent his head forward. Breathing lightly. Taking pleasure as the hands began working his pectoral muscles. "Human, that feels wonderful."

Leo hugged him tightly, and carefully slipped under one of his arms, working his way to Prin's front, and settled heavily in his lap. Still, he just hugged him, until he lifted a little, putting his head under Prin's chin. There was that purr again. Like a jungle cat. Barely audible to the naked ear, but pressed this close it was deafening. His hands worked up, massaging his long neck, kneading the muscles like dough. "That feels…" He lowered onto his back, resting fully on the mattress. Leo was pulled with him, and gave a little yelp as he tumbled onto Prin's chest. He was stunned, it was like falling onto a brick wall, and the wind was knocked out of him. He took a moment to catch his breath.

The mattress was much too short for Prin, but by leaving his legs to hang over, he could manage. Moving backwards into his lap, Leo worked carefully. He massaged Prin's abdominal muscles, hearing a hungry gurgle that made him a bit nervous and made him laugh. He decided he would work on the stomach for a bit, massaging the rocky abdominal muscles. At least until he felt something eagerly poke him in the stomach.

"My god," Leo said.

Prin was large, even for a Sangheili. Long and thick as Leo's forearm actually, and black as iron. Slowly parting the scales our whatever Sangheili skin was composed of. It pushed further, spearing out of the Sangheili's sheath, only growing larger with each pulse. "God," he muttered again, it was only getting bigger, and he began to think this wasn't a good idea. When finished growing, erection strained and throbbed desperately for relief, and Prin gave a painful whimper, arching his neck and head to look at Leo hopefully, he was nearly crying, desperate.

It was Leo's turn to be hesitant. He never thought he would get his far. He crawled backwards, out of Prin's lap, and onto the ground, his vision eclipsed by the massive, throbbing organ. Prin's legs hung over the edge, and surrounding him, as he kneeled before the gigantic erection, bobbing eagerly.

Where to start?

Resting an open palm on Prin's leg, he gave the inside thigh a lick, getting a taste for Sangheili skin. Like licking a lizard he guessed. But Prin was so warm. And the purr vibrated through the body, but there was also a pleading, desperate whimper. Leo moved his hands to Prin's hips, massaging the surrounding muscle. Gradually, his fingers moved up, and the erection jerked fearfully, as if it shared his nervousness. He gentle coaxed the bobbing erection, Prin's purrs rising in pitch. Leaning forward, he gave the penis a hesitant, careful lick.

Prin shook suddenly, when he felt the human's bumpy tongue pass over his sensitive tip. He bucked, kneading the mattress under him with long, strong fingers, his breath catching in his throat. Then he relaxed and whimpered when he didn't receive any additional attention.

"Hu-human?"

Leo dipped his head and inhaled in the overwhelm scent of male. Strong and heady. Stronger than anything ever before. He put his tongue at the shaft's base. Slowly, slowly, OH! so slowly, he worked his way up to the tip, retracing his tongue and puckering his lips, sloppily kissing the slit at the end. Then his tongue flicked out, exploring the insides, nuzzling, breathing deeply. His hands struggled to wrap around the thick shaft and began rubbing it with his fingers and thumb.

"By the rings," Prin breathed. He crawled backwards, permitting Leo to come up onto the bed as well, kneeling at his groin. One hand held the erection, fingers tips vibrating with each monstrous pump of blood, and Leo continued kissing it lovingly, his tongue moving in loving strokes or burrowing deep inside, his hands massaging carefully, eyes half lidded, keeping close attention to Prin. His other hand worked at his own belt, then the button, then the zipper, which was hard with only one hand and only a fraction of his attention unoccupied. At last, his own throbbing erection was given the room to breathe. Absolutely tiny compared to Prin's massive member, but pleading and begging for its own relief.

Prin kneaded the mattress under him, tilting his head back and starting to drool. Leo tasted a salty, slick fluid. He pulled his head back, allowing the dribble to come out fully before he licked it clean. But that only made more come out. An endless loop, he supposed. Only eventually, this would come to an end. Just to be cruel, he wanted to see how long it would take.

Prin giggled. He giggled! What was he doing! How did he get here? This was wrong. This was heresy. Leo hugged the erection closely, and rubbed his whole body against it, up-down, up-down. Prin couldn't bear the thought of stopping it.

Now that his own pants were undone, Leo could work the shaft with both hands, starting at the top and massaging all the way to the base, then back up again, working while he scooted forward. Prin sat up to stop this, all this, but Leo opened his mouth wide and nibbled tenderly with his teeth, and Prin fell, arching his back and humping forward like he would into a mate. Leo pulled his head back to avoid being decapitated in a most unusual way and instead wrapped his arms around the warmth, putting his cheek to it, rubbing against it. He hadn't shaved today. By the purrs, he guessed his stubble made for something interesting in the sensitive flesh. That close, the heat was stifling, like hugging a furnace, but he couldn't let go, even as Prin humped like an angry bull, throwing him around.

Prin finally calmed down a bit, though he was so tense and still jerked every now and then. On his knees, Leo worked forward, his erection screaming so loudly he had tears in his eyes. His penis worked between Prin's thick, strong thighs and to his back side. "Oh god," he moaned, as he slipped inside.

He began thrusting himself, working into Prin's rump, while he squeezed Prin's erection, rubbing his upper body against it, nibbling at the tip harder and harder, yet he couldn't possibly hurt him. He was disappointed in that. Could Prin even feel anything he was doing? Prin arched his legs as he bucked again, squeezing his thighs around Leo's chest, nearly choking him, then releasing. Leo pressed his hips to Prin's, trying as hard as he could to make it inside, and he finally felt the tight vent. The puckered hole that he wanted so badly to get inside. He pushed as hard as he could, and felt the moist flesh yielded.

"What are you…?" Prin asked, feeling the pressure. It was a little poking someplace deep that made him almost dizzy, but it wasn't all together unpleasant. And it would move out, then back in, wiggle in tandem with how Leo wiggled his hips.

"Oh!" Leo shouted, thrusting forward and arching his back. He held that position, heaving and breathing heavy, before returning his attention to Prin, nibbling and licking and massaging, anything he could think of to return the pleasure.

"Human!"

Prin's words came a breath before an explosion of hot sticky fluids blew out his cheeks and down his throat. He reared back, coughing out the white muck of Prin's climax, as Prin roared before him, then feel back, breathing so heavily and panting. Gallon after gallon of slick cream pounded out as the erection shook and vibrated, pulsing. Prin's body was tense, air struggling out of his throat, a wheezing pant.

Leo, still coughing, reached forward and hugged the erection, massaging it, helping him finish, then squeezed until the last glob came out, covering his face. Exhausted, he fell forward, laying on Prin's stomach, rising and falling with his every breath. After a few moments to catch his own breath and left the pain in his mouth settle, he tried to see if he could push himself up. He couldn't.

Instead, Prin wrapped his massive hand around Leo's torso and plucked him up, then lay him, covered in juices, on his chest. He slid him higher. Leo found his chin resting on Prin's shoulder, his chest on his chest, and Prin holding him like a teddy bear. Beneath him, he could feel the deep, strong chest move from its tense state, and Prin sank into the mattress. Leo sank a little heavier into him.

Prin draped his head over Leo's shoulder and back, then moved to his ear, as if he were to say something. Instead, he pressed his mandibles to Leo's cheek and kissed him as best he could. He rolled onto his side, still hugging Leo. Leo wrapped his arms around the long neck and hugged him back.

He was so exhausted. Pleasing a Sangheili was not an easy task. His breathing grew heavy. His eyes closed. He fell asleep, face buried in Prin's neck.

Prin would sleep soon too, but for now, he held him. Humans. So many atrocities done to them, so much evil. He was so sorry for them, so sorry for all he had done. And this poor human, he had lost so much. Sangheili had taken so much from him. Prin had lost his will to go on, but seeing this human, smiling as he rested heavily on the chest. This feeling deep down…

Maybe this was what the humans meant by don't ask, don't tell.