by Elin Wyn
That means you’ve heard my thoughts the entire time I’ve been down here? I asked him in my head.
Not the entire time, but yes. I understand your distrust of me. I had the same distrust for you.
What changed your mind? I asked.
An image of Daphne touching the vines popped into my head. I trust her, as do you.
I had no counter to that. I did trust her. I liked her. If what we had done before the others arrived weren’t proof of that, the fantasies I was currently having about her certainly were.
Why trust me? I asked him.
Because you trust her, he answered. She is special, the first of your kind that was willing to try to speak to me and treat me as a living being, not simply an enemy. You followed her, tried to protect her, and listened to her. Despite your conscious thoughts of her, your subconscious trust of her was identical to that for your brother. Even though you questioned her, you allowed yourself to be swayed by her. That meant that you trusted her, even if you didn’t realize it.
I nodded. It made sense. I must have trusted her somehow if I was willing to let her drag me farther and farther down underground. Perhaps, and now that I thought about it, I found it sounding true in my mind, I had always wanted to find exactly this…the Puppet Master himself and the knowledge that he wasn’t the enemy we had originally believed him to be. I hadn’t really wanted him to be like the Xathi, just something that we needed to destroy.
“Dr. March,” Rouhr started. “While I may not approve of your methods, I appreciate your,” he posted, looking for the right word. “initiative in starting discussions with our new ally.”
I grinned until his stern gaze fell on me.
“Takar.” I straightened quickly. “You did well,” he said. “Thank you for making the right decision here.”
I nodded and gave him a salute. “It was my pleasure, general.” Daphne and Rokul both looked at me with pride. Karzin nodded, Iq’her gave me an upwards turned thumb—something he had picked up from Stasia and the human children of Nyheim—while the women all nodded, or smiled, or—in Tella’s case—softened their scowl.
Then Tella laughed, smacked me in the arm, and said, “Good job, Stuffy,” her nickname for me since I was always distant from them.
“Thank you,” I smiled as I put my arm around her. Her eyes went wide in surprise, as did Rokul’s. I gave her a slightly more than gentle squeeze. “Glad to hear you approve.” I could have resorted to banter with her, like I did with my brother when we were alone, but this was more fun.
I should try the unexpected more often.
She was obviously surprised, and a bit at a loss for words.
I winked at my brother, flashed a smile at Daphne, and gave Tella one last squeeze as Rouhr finished speaking with Karzin, Vidia, and the Puppet Master. He turned to look at everyone. “Time to go home and begin working on the changes needed to fix the planet,” he said. He got into contact with Fen and requested a rift back to Nyheim.
The portal opened and Daphne stared at it as the rest of the party walked through, one or two at a time.
“It’s okay,” I told her as I reached for her hand. She took it, her eyes never leaving the rift. “It’s a little cold, and very disorienting the first time through,” I explained. “But if you just never let go of me and walk through quickly, everything will be fine.”
She nodded, her grip tight on my hand. As we walked forward, she hesitated slightly, but she pushed through. We entered the rift and everything in the universe twisted and became distorted. I took two steps through the inside of the rift before stepping out of it and back onto the streets of Nyheim.
Daphne was shivering next to me. Everyone gave her a quick empathetic smile…the first one or two times through the rift always messed with someone, but it eventually became simple. I had asked my brother and Tella what they felt, or saw, when they went through the rift. Each gave me a different answer, except for the cold part. It was absolutely freezing for that moment you passed through, but it was only for that moment.
“You okay?” I asked Daphne as I drew her in close.
She nodded vigorously. “You guys do that all the time?” she asked, her voice still shaking a bit.
“That we do, young lady,” Rouhr answered. He turned his attention to me. “Report, on my desk, soon. Then get checked out by Evie, then take the rest of the day off. That’s an order,” he said.
“Understood, sir,” I said. I wasn’t going to argue. As everyone turned to go about the rest of their business and discuss what had just happened, I stayed behind with Daphne, my brother, and Tella.
“So,” Rokul started. “Mind introducing us?”
“Oh,” I had completely forgotten to do so, at least properly. “This is my brother Rokul. He might be older, but I’m definitely the better one.”
“Hmmpf,” he said as he reached out and shook Daphne’s extended hand. “He likes to pretend.”
“And this,” I continued on, ignoring his jibe, “is our resident botanist, roommate, absolute pain-in-my-posterior, and my brother’s lover, Tella.”
All three looked at me in wonder as Daphne and Tella said hello and exchanged pleasantries.
“Are you alright?” Rokul asked me.
I shrugged. “We’re all family now,” I said. “No point in acting like I’m pretending to be Sylor all the time.”
He laughed. “Okay.”
“So, what happens now?” Daphne asked.
I turned to face her, leaned down, and kissed her on the lips. “I, unfortunately, have to go file reports. But, if you’re willing, I’d love to have dinner with you tonight. My brother can tell you where we like to eat and how to get there if you don’t already know.”
“Okay,” she smiled. “Just don’t forget me, okay?”
“Never,” I answered. I could see out of the corner of my eye the other two staring at me as if I had been replaced by someone foreign. I looked at Rokul. “Take care of her?”
“Like you had to ask.”
Tella took Daphne by the arm and started walking her away, the two of them talking in quiet voices. Rokul stayed behind with me. As the ladies continued walking, they started laughing.
“Why am I suddenly scared?” Rokul asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Is it because the women in our lives are suddenly best friends?”
“Yep,” he said with an overexaggerated nod. “Yeah, that’s what scares me. Have fun with the paperwork,” he said as he clapped me on the shoulder and started jogging after them.
That night, while sitting at dinner, Daphne and I got to talking about subjects that didn’t involve our little adventure underground. I learned a little more about her family, quickly realized that her parents’ hovercraft was still out in the desert, ordered one of the security crew to rift out there and retrieve it for her, and laughed at the stories she told me about her time in school. Apparently, while an incredibly intelligent woman, she had a bit of a wild streak in her.
As we walked through the park near the restaurant after dinner ended, I volunteered to walk her home.
She seemed to hesitate, then finally gave in to my persistent question of “Is everything okay?”
“I don’t exactly have a permanent place to live,” she told me. “When the Xathi ship landed, I ran and hid. I came back to find my little place destroyed. I stayed with my parents, and just when I was getting a new place, the dome happened. My house was one of the ones on the north side of town that was toppled.”
That was…distressing to hear. “Where have you been staying?” I asked her.
“Usually I stay at the hospital,” she answered, then quickly added, “It’s okay. I’m not homeless. I just work all the time,” she said when my eyes went wide in concern.
That wasn’t going to be good enough. “Then you must stay with me until we can figure out a more permanent living situation for you.”
She just smiled. I took that as a good sign. We returned to the apartment that I share
d with Rokul and Tella. They weren’t home, or they were already in bed. Either way, we still walked silently through the apartment to my room. I offered to sleep on the couch, but she asked for me to stay.
As we lay in bed, we began to kiss and touch one another, our hands roaming each other’s bodies, giving each other pleasure. It just felt…natural. It wasn’t long before she was asleep against me, her body heat making me both comfortable and drowsy.
I closed my eyes.
Daphne
By the time I woke, the sun was already filtering through the blinds.
I turned to the side, momentarily disoriented, and realized that I was in Takar’s apartment. And not just in his apartment: I was in his bed. Smiling to myself, I snuggled up against him, my heart beating happily as I felt the warmth of his half-naked body. I remembered how it felt to kiss him last night, the way his hands roamed up and down my body…
“G’morning,” he said as he opened his eyes lazily. “Did you sleep well?”
I didn’t even reply. I just looked straight into his eyes, focused on the wild beating of my own heart, and then closed the distance between us and crushed my mouth against his.
He returned my kiss at once, parting my lips with the tip of his tongue, and we embraced each other eagerly. I felt him lay one hand on my face, his fingers gently resting against my cheek, and I realized just how much I wanted.
Or to be honest, how much I needed him.
His fingers fell from my cheek to the nape of my neck, and he then weaved them into my hair. “I’m so glad I met you,” he whispered softly. “I’m so glad you’re here...with me.”
“That makes two of us,” I breathed out, my lips returning to his. He savored my lips eagerly, his free hand wandering down the side of my body, and I felt desire overtake me. My whole body was on fire, and its heat seemed to concentrate itself right between my hips.
“I want you, Takar,” I told him, kicking the sheets back and jumping on top of him. With my knees on either side of his thighs, straddling him, I dragged my teeth across my bottom lip as I felt his hardness straining against his underwear. Swaying my hips, I pressed down on his hard cock with my own wetness, and an electric shiver shot up my spine as I did.
“And I want you, Daphne,” he said, both his hands now resting on my ass. He stroked one of them up my back then, sliding my borrowed nightshirt off me. He cupped both my breasts at once, his gaze focused on the way my nipples hardened under his touch.
“I never felt like this before,” I admitted with a soft whisper, resting both my hands on his naked chest. I feel his heartbeat against the palm of my right hand, and I smile as I realized that our hearts were in complete sync, their rhythms the same. “And I need you to take me, Takar...I need you to fuck me.”
“I thought you’d never say it,” he growled, hooking his fingers in the elastic band of my thong and pulled it against my outer thigh. The fabric tore in half a second, but neither of us cared about it. Pushing myself off him, I then yanked his boxers down his legs and released his erection, my heart skipping a beat as his cock sprung free.
It was bigger than any I had seen before, a perfect match to his muscular body. Large and thick, I wasn’t even sure if my body could handle it...but I was more than willing to experiment with it and see what would happen.
I was a scientist, after all...a very curious, very wet, scientist.
I took a moment to appreciate his naked body, growing even wetter with each second my gaze lingered on the contour of his muscles, and only then did I reach for his hard shaft. Gently, I wrapped my fingers as far around it as I could, relishing the way it throbbed against the palm of my hand, and started flicking my wrist, stroking him at an increasingly faster rhythm.
“That’s so good,” he whispered. “Not yet, though.” He had a wicked twinkle in his eyes. “First, I want to taste you again.”
Takar spread my thighs and nuzzled his nose against my sensitive folds, making my clit and my pussy ache with need. His mouth suctioned around my clit, then his tongue flicked it lightly. My body was falling into the heat of his desires when his tongue lashed out, winning against all reason and all thoughts.
His fingers and his tongue took over my body, making me whimper with raw need.
I moaned, the feeling of his mouth servicing my every desire rousing a heady mix of lust and love. I wanted to feel the way he made me feel all the time.
My orgasm welled up inside me, a tide crashing against reality, blanking the world in a veil of white. I opened my eyes and looked at him, gazing up at me as his wide tongue lapped up every last drop of my desire.
“Wow.”
My body felt boneless for a moment and Takar pressed kisses up and down my thighs, shivering around him.
As soon as I regained my strength, I was ready to take him on. My mouth watered with need for him, ready to pay him back in kind for the incredible orgasm he’d given me.
“Now I’m getting started on you.” Shifting my position, I reached for the tip of his cock with my tongue and lapped at it softly, the way he tasted making my head spin. It wasn’t long before I was rolling my lips down the length of his cock, and I only stopped when I felt him pressed against the back of my throat. Resting both hands on the top of my head, he started guiding my movements and my rhythm grew exponentially. I bobbed my head back and forth, devouring his cock as if my life depended on it, and Takar’s small groans of pleasure started filling the bedroom.
“Daphne,” he groaned, his heavy shaft weighing down against my tongue. I could tell he was trying to stop me, but I was having none of it.
Not this time.
I just started running my lips up and down his cock even faster, enjoying every little spasm of his member, and then… “Skrell!” he hissed past gritted teeth, his milky seed exploding into my mouth. I held my position, allowing him to fill my mouth, and then looked up into his eyes.
He looked back at me, probably enjoying the way I looked with his hard member between my lips, and offered me a wild grin. Slowly, I slid his shaft out of my mouth and, without a moment’s hesitation, swallowed it all. I wasn’t sure what it was, but there was something about Takar that just made me want to be wild. I felt safe in his presence, free to experiment and to break all boundaries.
“You’re incredible,” he told me, two fingers under my chin as he pulled me toward him. I straddled him once more, ready to have him inside me and to ride him into oblivion, but he had other plans. Grabbing me by the waist, he rolled to the side and forced me to lie on my back, pinning me between his body and the mattress.
“I don’t want you to say it,” I teased him. “I want you to show me just how incredible you think I am.”
“I can do that.” He grinned, grabbing his cock with one hand and angling it down so that its tip pressed against my slick folds. Arching my back, I prepared myself for what was about to come and laced my legs around his waist, eager to have him inside me.
He used the full strength of his hips to thrust, the whole length of his cock sliding inside me in one single movement.
Oh.
He froze as I did, waiting, while all of my attention was on where we joined.
This was… this was…
Perfect.
“More,” I whispered, as he slowly drew back and pumped into me again. “Harder,” I moaned, “harder!” The sensations spiraled through me, intensifying every time he drove deeper into me, until he was fully seated.
Tightening my legs around him like a vise, I begged him to thrust even harder, and I felt my body burn from the inside out as he ravaged me. There was something primal about the way he took over my body, almost as if he was no longer a rational being but a wild creature, one whose single purpose in life was to make me explode with pleasure.
And that’s exactly what I did.
He kept on bucking, until my inner walls started tightening around him, each nerve ending inside my body coming alive at once. Fireworks exploded behind my shut eyelids and I
felt as if my brain was turning to mush inside my skull. I had never experienced anything like this, and I couldn’t help but want more of it.
“Now’s my turn again,” I grinned, both hands on his chest as I forced him to roll to the side. He let himself go willingly, and I found myself on top of him once more, his length never sliding out of my body as we rolled on the mattress. My eyes stayed fixed on his as I dug my fingernails into his chest, already swaying my hips at a frantic rhythm, hell bent on riding him until he exploded for the second time.
“You are so perfect, Daphne,” he told me, his parted lips summoning mine. I leaned down to kiss him, and he bucked upward the moment our lips connected, forcing my hips down on him, controlling our pleasure. It didn’t take long before my body was being dragged under another tidal wave of rapture, the way Takar’s cock throbbed against my inner walls enough to create a chain reaction.
We came at the same time, the sound of his aching groans blending with my ecstatic moans, our voices bouncing off the walls and returning to us like the purest music I had ever heard. We remained like that for almost a minute, neither of us daring to move as we tried to catch our breath.
“This was incredible,” I finally said as I rolled to the side, sprawling myself on top of the mattress.
“It was more than that,” he whispered. “It was perfect.”
“That’s what being with you feels like...it feels perfect.”
“I don’t know how to say it, Daphne,” he continued, propping himself up on one elbow, his eyes locked on mine, “but I feel I must say it all the same. You’re special to me, and I’ve come to care for you. I can no longer imagine a life without you.”
“Takar…”
“Remember when you asked me if I had a life outside of work? Well, now I do...and that’s you.” He made a short pause, almost as if to muster the necessary courage to continue, and only then did he say it. “I love you.”
I held my breath for a second.
My heart did a somersault inside my chest.