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Nestor stomped away, hearing Phocus calling after him while Vatatze was telling him to drop it and let him go to cool off.
Seemed like he just could not do anything right! All this doubting, questioning and complaining! He was doing his best, he was working hard and they were finally winning, sending the Tyranids on the run, and still everyone acted like children! Complaining about procedures and other bureaucratic nonsense. If he had followed the procedures everyone would’ve been dead already, they would not been alive to complain!
Orks may be primitive but they knew when it was time for action, and they had the right idea with considering paper pushing an idiotic, boring thing to do. They needed to act, needed to take destiny by the reins, not just let it control them!
A lot of the time it felt like the only ones that agreed with him were the orks, especially Taktikus. He at least encouraged his boldness, praised his tactical skill or gave some actually helpful responses instead of throwing tantrums and constantly questioned their allegiance. Which already made him easier to work with than Phocus.
Nestor made his way towards the edges of camp, staying close to the treeline. He knew it was not safe walking so close to the forest but he just needed a moment of peace, a moment away from people. A moment to breathe.
He had been so stressed as of late, it felt like his jaw was always clenched and his shoulders always squared. It felt like he was on his final straw, he had to find a way to relax somehow. At this point he would lose it on the next person who complained.
He stopped walking and rubbed his temples, trying to fight off a headache. He had to do something to unwind-
“General”
“Saints blood!” Nestor screamed as it felt like he jumped a foot in the air.
He snapped around towards the source of the voice, laying eyes on Taktikus who was leaning his back against a tree. The hood of his sniper cloak pulled up, leaving his face in the shade.
He was not exactly hiding but he was also not out in the open. Nestor was not sure how they did it, but it was like Blood Axe’s despite their size could just become unnoticeable. Blending in with their surroundings way better than common camouflage should allow.
“Don’t scare me like that!” He yelled taking his hand off the gun, it having gone there instinctively. He saw the ork grin, clearly finding this funny.
“Apologies general” he replied, not sounding very sorry as he looked back down at a human magazine he was holding. Nestor did not recognize it, and he was also curious what the warboss was doing alone out here.
“What are you doing?”
“Reading” Nestor doubted that. Sure Taktikus could speak the language well enough but orkish and low gothic was very different and so were their letters. The orks having these runes, or hieroglyphics or whatever you wanted to call them. Nestor had seen them drawn or their medals and vehicles. He had mistaken them for doodles the first few times before he realized there had been some kind of pattern to them.
“Reading what?”
Taktikus closed the magazine for a second and turned it around so he could see the front. It seemed to be some old gossip magazine. Nestor recognized the brand, being one the trashier ones, being only good for speculating and dialing everything up to an 11.
“Where did you get that?”
“Found it” Taktikus replied before casually starting to flip through it again, way too fast to be actually reading anything. He was most likely just looking at the pictures.
“Where?”
“Around”
‘He’s just a well of information isn’t he’ he thought bitterly. Nestor swore at times this felt less like an alliance with some of the most brutal xenos out there and more like running after a dog screaming ‘What are you chewing on!?’.
He kept flipping through it and Nestor couldn’t help himself. He took a step closer and looked at it as well, standing by Taktikus side. He was a big ork, not the biggest of his army, but still way bigger than any human.
Nestor scowled at some of the images in the magazine, as they clearly were there just to attract a certain type of reader. People in bathing suits, a bit too revealing outfits, bare chested men showing off their muscles which Nestor eyes lingered on a bit too long.
Taktikus didn’t seem to care about any of them, as he kept flipping through the magazine before suddenly stopping on a page. It was images of what looked like a man and a woman making out. The text said the pictures were taken of some kind of noble having been caught red handed having an affair, more than that Nestor didn't care to read.
That was where Taktikus stopped and just looked at the picture for a long moment, while his expression slowly turned more and more confused.
“Why are they trying to eat the other's face?” was the first thing he asked and if Nestor had been drinking at the moment he would have done a spit take.
“No, they’re…” he felt his cheeks turn red. Why was he getting flustered? He cleared his throat, trying to give off an air of professionalism and authority. The ork was just trying to understand human ways, this was…Academic, tactical, to make teamwork between their species and cultures easier and better. “They’re making out. It’s kissing, pressing your lips to someone elses while-while pushing your tongue into their mouth”
Taktikus was silent for a long moment, he looked at Nestor before looking down at the picture again, turning the page slightly as if getting it in another position would do something or give him a better understanding.
“Why?” he asked in the end, as tilting the picture 90 degrees didn’t give him any further knowledge. “Why would you want to taste someone else's gob?” he frowned “To shut them up? So you can bite their tongue off?”
Nestor swallowed down a sigh. Of course the orks mind would jump to this being a violent act. And really, what else had he expected from the ork previously named Eats-Face-Of-Face-Eater.
“It’s not about the taste or to hurt them. A lot of humans like the experience, and the feeling of it. It’s like…” he moved his hands in the air aimlessly trying to think of a word “It makes us happy. It feels good, like how you feel good when you’re fighting.”
Taktikus nodded along, showing he was following? If he actually was or not was up for debate as he might very well be nodding because that's how he had seen other humans do it.
“Have you done it?” Taktikus then asked, pointing at the picture while looking right at him. "Do you like it?
If anyone else had asked him this he would have snapped at them that this was a highly inappropriate question and very invasive. But, he did no such thing with Taktikus. Maybe it was because he was an ork and he knew they did not have the same ideas of what is and is not socially acceptable like humans…But Nestor knew in his heart he did not only reply from a place of understanding cultural differences, but also because he just, for some reason, wanted to tell him.
“For the first question, yes. For the second, well…For the most part. Some people are not very good at it”
“You think I would be good at it?” Nestor froze and just looked at him. Partly out of surprise, but also because he was actually pondering over the question.
Well…The teeth might make it a bit hard, both with the big tusks and sharp smaller teeth. That along with the thick tongue…But that might also be a plus depending on your preference.
“I’m unsure” he said in the end, not really giving an answer to the question. That seemed to frustrate Taktikus who had wanted a clear answer.
“Wanna try? And then you can tell me how good I am?”
Nestor felt his mind go blank for a moment, his brain taking a lot of time trying to comprehend what the ork had just suggested the two of them should do. The words ‘How good’ he would be, not even if he would be good also kept spinning inside his head.
“What-you're being absurd!” he snapped as soon as his mind had processed it all. This was the limit of Nestor’s acceptance of their cultural differences “Kissing a xeno is right out of the question!”
Taktikus didn’t seem to be dissuaded by the harsh tone, instead he leaned his head to the side.
“Why?”
“Well, kissing is something special! It has meaning!” It means you’re interested in the person, attracted to them, or very desperate. The Imperium would not like it if he got caught, it would end up with him in that magazine but not next to the noble but on the front cover, well, unless it got him shoot first.
'General Militant Nestor Pyrrhus caught making out with an ork’ that would sell better than a ticket off a death world.
“Not to me.” Taktikus replied “I just want to test it” he then turned his head back towards the base with a thoughtful look, “Maybe some other humie-”
Nestor felt his heart stop beating for a second and spoke before he could think.
“I’ll kiss you” he wanted to take it back the second it escaped his mouth.
He didn’t know why, but the mental image of Taktikus kissing or worse, making out with some other human made him feel sick to his stomach and made anger burn inside his heart. He didn't really want to think about it but just the idea filled him with something he had not felt in quite some time. Jealousy. Possessiveness. He just knew that if he saw someone else place their lips against Taktikus', touch him, hold him, Nestor would make sure they were at the front line during the next battle.
He knew it was not right to feel something like this for an ork, but that was something to think of later. He had said what he said and he was not taking it back. This was just academic. Just a test…And Nestor did need a way to calm down, maybe this would help? Yeah! Yeah, this was just self-care, to make sure he was relaxed and could think better. Just a way to think clearer and Taktikus was here and willing, it was just convenient to do it with him and skip all those issues with kissing while being someones superior.
The warboss seemed to be confused at his sudden change of mind, but seemed to just accept it without much question.
“Let's go then” he leaned down at once, going in for the kiss.
“Wait!” Nestor yelped, his face turning bright red at the orks forwardness. “We can’t be seen. It will cause complications”. he said while cringing slightly.
“You didn’t see me” Taktikus pointed out and glanced at the base that was pretty far away. “I doubt anyone else will see us”
“Yes but-“ Taktikus grabbed the edges of his sniper coat and moved his arms around Nestor, making it cover him.
“There. Hidden” he said with a huff. “Can we do it now?” He was so eager, not wanting to wait around and waste time.
Nestor was honestly getting a bit anxious. He had not done this in a while, he hoped he still got it.
“Just-just a moment” he searched through his pockets. He swore he still had-Aha! He pulled up a box of mints. “Here…” he shook some out, into his hand before his mind wandered back to a memory where he had seen one of the orks grab a half eaten corpse of a grot which had been out in the sun for Emperor knows how long and just eaten it raw. With that image playing inside his head he poured out every single mint and held them out towards the warboss. “Take these”
“For what?” he asked but still let go of the coat with one hand and held it out towards him.
“Makes your mouth taste and smell nicer” he explained, before moving the mints onto his hand.
Sure the Imperium at times failed to send enough food, but breath mints they provided. Probably so you would smell good when kissing the ring of some damned noble git, or kiss some arrogant higher ups arse if they ever actually showed up and gave them the time of day.
Taktikus took the mints, sniffed them and shoved them all into his mouth in one go. You could hear them crack and be turned into dust inside his mouth, being grounded up under strong teeth.
“Feels cold,” he said after a moment, letting out a strong scent of mint as he spoke. He then sucked in air, playing with the now cold sensation in his mouth. Nestor wondered if he someday would be able to convince him to try toothpaste. Would make a lot of their discussion a bit more pleasant.
“The feeling will vanish with time.” Taktikus stopped blowing out air and he seemed to refocus on the original topic.
“Okay. Can we do it now? All done?” he asked, a bit of annoyance slipping in.
“Yeah.” Nestor said, his heart was beating hard enough it felt like it was going to break through his chest. “Yeah, we can start” at the go ahead Taktikus leaned forward once again, his eyes open and staring so intently Nestor immediately stopped him. “Don’t stare!” he snapped as Taktikus lips almost met his, the ork let out a snarl in frustration “You're supposed to close your eyes.”
“Why?” he asked, voice a low growl making the hair on Nestors neck stand up, from fear or something else was unclear, maybe both “That makes you vulnerable to attacks.”
“You’re not supposed to be attacked when doing it” he let out a sigh “Just-Just stay there, and close your eyes.”
Taktikus just looked at him without saying a word but Nestor saw it, saw the distrust glimmering inside those red eyes.
“I won’t do anything. I can take off my gun and sword if it will make you feel better” Make you feel safer. It was funny in a way, this big ork fearing a single little human.
Taktikus eyes went wide for a second, he seemed shocked at the offer. He kept staring at him, as if waiting for him to take it back, but he never did.
That was something Nestor had picked up early on. Sure, he was not exactly part of Ordo Xenos, but he had realized Blood Axes were paranoid. It was almost impossible to sneak up on them as they were on alert most of the time, and when you got them by surprise they usually lashed out before they could realize what they were attacking. They were paranoid, distrusting but they themselves were also very sneaky. Takes one to know one Nestor guessed.
Taktikus broke eye contact and looked around, taking a quick survey of the area before turning back to Nestor and lowered his head down to his level and with a pretty hefty amount of hesitation he closed his eyes.
Nestor looked at him and waited for a second, just observing him as he started to feel butterflies in his stomach. Taktikus trusted him, trusted him to not hurt him (or he thought Nestor was too weak to do any real harm, but Nestor liked to think it was the former). He looked at those lips and he felt this strong sense of want.
He didn’t want to wait any longer. No more stops. He went for it.
He moved his head forward and closed his eyes right before his lips met Taktikus' and started to kiss him gently and slowly. The ork didn’t respond, instead just let Nestor kiss him without any reciprocation. Nestor started to fear he was not into it, or that he hadn’t explained this well enough. He started to slow down further, wondering if he should pull away completely, but it was at that point Taktikus started to kiss him back. Seemed like he just wanted to take a second to feel it, to study it.
His kisses were a bit more forceful, probably not used to doing anything softly or gently. Nestor felt the orks exposed tusks press against his skin, rub against his cheeks but he was taking great care to not let it scratch him and thankfully they did not hinder their lips from meeting.
Nestor's tongue ran over the orks lower lip, up his teeth and then slowly started to push into his mouth, carefully, slowly. Taktikus did not follow this way of doing it. As soon as Nestor's mouth was open he pushed his own tongue in right away, so far down it could go, activating his gag reflex.
Nestor pulled away at once.
“Don’t shove it down my damn throat!” he said coughing, trying to get rid of the sensation.
“Sorry” Taktikus replied as he just watched Nestor clear his throat. Of course even in a make out session the ork would go all in immediately. “Can I try again?”
Nestor looked at him for a moment while rubbing at his throat. It was the first try, he couldn’t blame him for messing up. He sighed.
“Sure, just be a bit more careful” After saying that they went right back into it, their kiss starting up again.
This time the ork was going slower, seemingly having taken his words to heart. They went back to just kissing for a moment, before having seen how he had done it Taktikus let his tongue pass over his lower lip, and Nestor opened his mouth to let him in once again, but with some hesitation.
He braced for pain once again, but this time the ork just slid his tongue in slowly, dragging it over Nestor’s smaller one.
Nestor relaxed and lifted his hand up to hold onto Taktikus shoulders, the ork responding to this by letting go of the cloak and putting his own hands on the general's hips, holding onto him with almost bruising strength, claws on the edge of pressing through his clothes. Nestor didn’t mind it. In fact, there was something invigorating about it, feeling the overwhelming strength Taktikus was possessing, the risk of the claws piercing through the fabric and into his flesh. Feeling him hold onto him like he would never let go.
Taktikus tongue started to explore his mouth, running over his flat teeth, while Nestor’s own tongue was trying its best to not get cut on the sharper tusks inside the ork's mouth.
It felt good. He could still taste the mint. He took a deep breath through his nose smelling that earthy scent that orks gave off, honestly…It was not that bad.
His heart was beating fast and he was so caught up in the kiss that at times it felt like he forgot to breathe. His whole body was buzzing, with excitement, and the slight fear of being caught. It was a delicious combination. Knowing what he was doing was so wrong, but felt so right!
He felt like a teenager again. Sneaking away to kiss someone in some hidden corner where they hoped no one would find them. He felt young, he felt alive.
Nestor moved his hands to cup his face and guided him to deepen their kiss even further. He needed more. More of him. More of this sensation.
Sure he had kissed humans before and this felt a bit similar, but it was also so different. The big strong hands on his body, the smell, the feeling of his thick tounge inside his mouth, the taste of mint mixed with something that tasted mushroom like. It was different but, he loved it.
Taktikus response to Nestor trying to deepen the kiss was to move his hands slowly up, trailing along his sides until they were around the general's chest, under his arms. He the lifted him up, so he himself could stand straight. Big powerful hands grabbing at his chest, holding him up like he weighed nothing. The show of casual strength just made Nestor want him more.
Taktikus turned them around, pressing Nestor's back against the tree while Nestor tried desperately to pull him closer, his fingertips on the edge of digging down into his skin, while his legs went around the orks body, his inner thighs pressing against his warm body.
Nestor couldn't help it, it felt like a rush inside him and he acted before he could think. Want and instincts controlling him making him forget everything else, forget the war, that they were different species, forget the possible consequences. He pulled away slightly and bit at the bottom of the orks lip a bit harder than he intended. It had been meant as a nip, nothing more but suddenly he could taste blood on his tongue.
Taktikus froze, the kissing coming to a sudden stop as he pulled away and Nestor was forced to let go of his lip unless he wanted it rip his skin.
Nestor just looked right into those wide ruby red eyes and then down at those green lips where now a tiny dark red wound was. He looked back up meeting Taktikus eyes and saw something light up in them.
Oh no.
The slight pain had set something off inside the warboss. Nestor remembered the comment about biting the others tongue off and the orks hesitation about closing his eyes and now Nestor was worrying he had gotten the wrong idea. Or that he had done some big offence by hurting the warboss even slightly.
Nestor was about to explain himself, say that he had just gotten caught up in the moment, that he hadn’t meant to draw blood, that it was not an attack. But before he got a chance Taktikus moved forward and pressed his face against his neck before Nestor could get a single word or scream out.
‘Whelp this is how it ends. Not a Tyranid attack, or being betrayed by my own men, or even old age, but while making out with a damned ork’.
He was ready for Taktikus to place his maw around his throat and bite down, sink his teeth and big tusks through his skin and flesh before ripping his windpipe out, repaying Nestor’s damage hundredfold. But instead of feeling searing pain, all he felt was a nibble. Sharp tusks with a surprising amount of care being dragged across his skin, just to bite down gently here and there, giving him goosebumps and making him shudder in pleasure. Nestor's eyes went wide as he realized what he was doing.
He was leaving love bites.
Nestor bent his head backwards, giving Taktikus even more space while also pushing forward, pressing his throat against his mouth. The ork seemed to notice the invite to continue and started to do it with new gusto, biting and sucking harder and longer making Nestor gasp.
His arms went around the orks body, trying to press him closer, trying to hold onto something while he got lost in this wonderful feeling. He grabbed at his clothes, turning his hands into fists, grasping the fabric so tightly his hands ached.
He never wanted this to stop. He wanted Taktikus to kiss him deeper, take this further, to leave more love bites, make them all over his body. Paint his skin with them.
He trusted him, it was foolish but he knew he would not kill him. That the biting would not turn brutal. Sure, he bit too hard at places, breaking skin making Nestor let out a soft hiss of pain, which made the ork breath faster. The agony was exciting to him, but still he glanced up at the generals face, checking his reaction. When Nestor didn’t take any actions to stop him, he looked back down at the blood. Seeing it trail down from the wound and seeing the red liquid against his skin Taktikus let his tongue travel over it, lapping at it. Tasting the metallic flavoured liquid on his tongue with a sound of enjoyment.
The pain felt amazing and Nestor was lost in this fog of pleasure, getting lost in the feeling while letting out heavy breaths, his face burning red.
That was when Taktikus ear flicked and he immediately pulled away and dropped Nestor to the ground without warning.
The general almost lost his balance as he suddenly was had to support himself, and was forced to reach out and grab onto Taktikus clothes to not fall to the ground.
He was about to ask what was wrong? Ask why they had stopped? But before he could, he heard it.
“General? Where are you?”
Nestor felt his heart drop into his stomach. He froze like a grox in headlights but Taktikus reacted at once. He threw the long sniper cloak around him once more. Pressing him tightly against this chest to make the fabric fall more naturally around him and look less suspicious. He hunched his body a bit trying to make it harder to see and notice he was hiding the general like a mother bird hiding their chick under her wings.
Nestor was being pushed hard right into his chest. His head was on the side, making him able to hear the ork's heartbeat. It was quick, and beating powerfully, the sound by itself telling how big it was.
“General, I-“ There was a long silence and Nestor held his breath, hoping, begging he would not be seen. “Xeno”
“Colonel Phocus ” Taktikus replied, voice matching the human's tone in being full of venom and distrust.
“Have you seen the General? He walked this way”
“No. Have not seen him” it was said with such confidence, not a single hint of his words not being the truth. Damn, he was a good lier. Nestor was so lucky that he was by his side and was not lying to him.
“What are you even doing out here, ork?”
“I don’t have to tell you about anything, humie." he said, dropping the honorifics as well as Phocus was clearly not about to refer to him by either name or title "I only report to the general” he replied, voice a low dangerous growl, Nestor could feel how it shook his whole chest.
He heard Phocus curse and mutter something before footsteps could be heard stomping their way away from the area. There was a long moment of silence and Nestor stayed pressed up against Taktikus warm chest. He closed his eyes for a second, in relief and just kept his face smushed up against the orks chest, feeling it move up and down with every breath and how Taktikus heart slowed down to a calm pace.
“He’s gone” Nestor raised his eyelids slightly, realizing Taktikus had pulled the cloak away, and was currently just looking down at him, watching him pushing his cheek against him out of his own will by now.
Nestor immediately pulled away, face beet red and cleared his throat.
“Thank you,” he said, patting Taktikus on the arm. If it was for hiding him or the kisses was unclear “Well, that-that was a good one. Great work um…”
“So I’m good at it?” he asked, letting his tongue run over his lips just to stop at the area where Nestor had bit him.
It took every inch of willpower inside Nestor to not ask for them to have a second go.
“Yes, very good. A+ on that um-”
“Do I get a medal for it?” he suddenly asked, smiling brightly, clearly excited at the idea.
Nestor immediately got hit with a feeling of great frustration and embarrassment over the idea of the warboss walking around with a medal for being a good kisser and that helped him with deciding this had to end here. The kiss ended here and now, before Nestor would risk it going further, unsure if he would be able to stop himself if it was put on the table.
“Absolutely not.”
Taktikus scowled, the joy vanishing from his face.
“Then I’ll get one for myself" he then gave him a smug grin "I’ll see you around general” he purred, and with that he walked off, head held high and chest puffed out, clearly proud of himself.
Nestor just stayed there, watching him go while his heart was still beating hard inside his chest, and his body was still buzzing from the joy, but also it felt like it was freezing, already missing the orks warmth.
He started to walk back to base, his mind was still reeling a bit from this whole thing and he could not help but smile brightly.
He felt better than he had done in weeks. He returned to the war room, ready to fight this war with new gusto! It felt like he could take on the world! Like he could personally kill a thousand Tyranids! He entered to see Vatatze still sitting around the table reading some report.
She looked up and saw him, and confusion appeared on her face. Her eyes went from his face then a bit lower and her lips pulled up into a grin. That was what in the end made Nestor lose his own and he lifted a brow.
“Staff Sergeant, mind telling me what you're smiling about?” She shook her head wryly and dug through her pocket, taking out a pocket mirror. She flicked it open, it was slightly cracked but still functional. She held it out for him to take.
“Check your neck general”
Nestor felt his heart drop into his stomach and he snatched it from her at once to look over himself.
Hickeys. A lot of them, and big ones at that. They could be seen all over his throat clear as day, honestly you could not miss them. Nestor went red in the face and pulled up his collar to hide them, realizing that at least a couple of soldiers had seen them while he was making his way over here.
“Who’s the lucky man?” Vatatze asked before lifting a brow “If it even is a man”
It could be taken as she was guessing it was someone of another gender who had made them, but Nestor knew she was not referring to that. Not ‘man’ as a gender, but 'man' as being a human.
“That’s a highly inappropriate thing to ask your superior officer!” Nestor snapped, knowing however that he could not fully call her out on suggesting he had been making out with an ork.
“Isn’t it highly inappropriate to leave a war discussion to make-out?” she retorted.
There was a moment of silence as they just stared at each other.
“Don’t tell Phocus”
She laughed.
“Your secret is safe with me.” she said with a grin making the gesture of zipping her mouth shut. “Will take it to the grave”.
A few days later Taktikus had given himself a new big shining metal. When asked about it he said it was from an outstanding performance of skill, he refused to elaborate about what this ‘performance of skill’ was but most humans just thought ‘orks being orks’ and the orks knew better than to question their warboss.
However, every now and then the medal would earn another little star under it, as Taktikus had proven his great skill to Nestor again and again.