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“You’re really pushing your luck.”
“2000 data and, ” They pressed, “You can check mine out, too.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Liar.”
“... 3000.”
“2500.”
“ Fine. But –”
“You call the shots. Wouldn’t have it any other way!”
So that, long and short, was how Audie ended up seated against the wall behind Sebastian’s tail, practically being crushed by the weight but not seeming to mind too much. Anyone else, and he might’ve actually finished the job – but the Assets were different from the Expendables, and he’d been patient enough until now to know they’d respect a firm no when he’d truly had enough.
Too sweet for their own good – but in this case, he couldn’t truly complain. He’d take their hand gently running across the length of his scales over scalpels and vinyl gloves any day.
Not that it stopped him, of course. But still.
There was a mutual curiosity he was interested in exploring, at least passively. They’d both been subject to very similar experiments and changes, though the result was certainly wildly different between them. At least they had their legs, he mused somewhat bitterly, though he knew it still came at a cost.
“Your tail must be crazy strong,” They commented, applying a little pressure with the heel of their palm and just missing a knot in the muscle he hadn’t realized was there. He fought to swallow a groan at that, his fins twitching; “You’re built like a brick house under there.”
“It has its uses. Carries all the stock, after all.”
Sebastian turned his gaze upon the scattered straps and belts and supplies on the ground, silently bemoaning the process of re-attaching them all he’d have to go through once Audie’d had their fill. The asset themself giggled softly, giving his tail a gentle pat as they moved downwards.
“It’s cool! Yours is smoother than I thought it would be, too.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah! The way the light hits your scales, I thought it’d be more bumpy.”
He decided to withhold the fact that his scales would stiffen up underwater for now – had to keep some things a mystery, after all – and simply rolled his eyes, leaning a shoulder against the wall nearest to him and watching them with his arms crossed. Admittedly, it was a little endearing how fascinated they seemed to be.
It was almost enough to distract him from how much he despised his new form.
Almost.
“Are you done yet, or…?”
“Do you want me to be done?”
They met his gaze evenly, and he could only huff in reply, the tip of his tail twitching in their hands. Yes, but no , was the honest answer – and fuck that. Regardless, Audie took his silence as ongoing permission, and continued onwards with their investigation.
More than once, their claws dragged in just such a way to prompt his tail to jerk – more than once, he’d choked on a snort and cast them a withering look that they either ignored or missed. The sensation was more annoying than anything, yet still sent nervous butterflies through his system.
And then their hands were on his fins, and his breath hitched – barely-perceptible, thank God , but still embarrassing. Their thumbs gently pressed down where the flesh of his fins met the scales of his tail, tapering into either texture, and that almost felt nice.
Their claws trailing over the delicate skin, however, was not something he could tolerate for long – and with a stifled snort, his tail jerked. Audie squeaked with annoyance as he smacked them in the face. An unintended attack, granted, but still…
Deserved.
“T-Time’s up, knock it off,” He chimed quickly, pulling his tail off of them entirely and willing his gills to relax where they’d flared up from the nerves. God, that would’ve sucked immensely. Audie pouted, but allowed him the opportunity to call it, standing up and stretching with a groan of their own.
“Alright. My turn, then – how d’you wanna do this?”
It took a little thought and finagling, but the two of them settled for letting them sit on his tail and lean against his body, their back to his front. Their tail curled up between their legs like a pool toy, and they playfully drooped the fins over their own head before allowing him to take the limb in his hands.
Just like his, Sebastian could feel the muscle underneath – powerful and developed, though the joints themselves felt stiff as he manipulated the limb. Audie seemed to wince when he pressed down, and he grunted – concerned, against his better judgement.
“Doesn’t hurt,” They assured without further prompting; “I mean – it does, when the meds wear off, but it’s good for now. It’s just – the bone problem… My tail was grafted on.”
“Mm. That’s right… You mentioned.”
They hadn’t. But they overshared so much that they didn’t remember that. He, meanwhile, remembered reading their file.
“Is it numb right now?”
“No… Soft touches don’t feel like much, with the painkillers n’ all.”
A bitter twinge of mild jealousy sprouted in Sebastian’s chest – at least they wouldn’t be having an embarrassing, dumb reaction – though he was quickly proven wrong when a bit of pressure applied on either side of their tail made it twitch and prompted a strangled noise from them.
“Uh?”
“Uh.”
A beat, and he snorted, tilting his head down at them as he let up on the squeeze.
“... You good?”
“Kinda? It felt like – you know when someone pinches that point at the back between your shoulders and neck?”
Well. It’d been literal decades, but – “Sure.”
“That - hhHAAH, hey!”
Sebastian chuckled to himself as he pressed down again, and Audie whined, pressing back against him as their tail jerked in his hand – woefully helpless, what with their size difference. With a second hand, he experimentally ran a claw of his own over their fin, pressing down just enough to prompt a soft squeal.
Audie’s back arched, and they kicked lightly at the new addition to their torment, shaking their head.
“ Nonononono that’s so bad that’ssobadstop! ”
“Geeze, you’re gonna break the sound barrier at this rate…”
He longed to push his own luck a little – but courtesy given was courtesy returned, at least, and Audie hadn’t done him wrong. So, begrudgingly, he relented, and Audie slid off him to plop on the ground, curling their tail around their body and holding it close. Sebastian craned his neck to grin down at them, amused.
“So much for not being sensitive, huh?”
“Shut it. As if I didn’t catch your reaction earlier.”
“... Touche. I won’t take advantage if you won’t.”
“Deal.”
That deal would, inevitably, break – but not before they helped him get all the belts and supplies back on. Hopefully.