by Nikki Clarke
“Lick me—slowly.”
The command is issued softly, and I lean forward, extending my tongue, curling it over the head and making him hiss in pleasure.
“You are my best thing. Never forget that.”
“I won't.” I lower my head and lap up his length, starting at the base and slowly drawing up until my tongue flicks at the tip. Ah’dan’s hands sink into my curls, gripping tightly. I close my eyes as he pulls my head back, applying just the right amount of pressure.
“Open.”
I do. I drop my jaw and guide him between my lips, stretching my mouth wide and breathing deeply through my nose until he hits the back of my throat. He groans and his hands tighten.
“Ah, you are absolutely my best thing.”
I open my eyes to find him watching me with restrained lust. I pull off, slurping along his length before plunging back down. His legs shake as I set up a steady rhythm, taking him deep and lapping off. His moans echo in my ears, and I love that I’m making him feel so good. I only want to make him feel good. His breath hitches when I angle my head and let him slip past my tonsils into the confines of my throat. Immediately, he shivers and starts to come, groaning loudly, and bucking his hips as he hits the back of my throat. I swallow what I can, and when he pulls from my mouth and covers my hand on his shaft and starts to jerk, I let my eyes drift close just as the first warm rope hits my face.
“You guys ready? You know we’re on our way home, right, where you have a bed.”
Tee leans against our pod with a knowing look as we approach with our bags. Ah’dan loads them into the back of the pod then heads back to help Bati with his and Tee’s things. I stand to the side attempting to look like I wasn't cleaning cum off my face a few minutes ago.
“You, you got a little something on the right there.” Tee points to the side of my head, and I gasp, slapping a hand to the spot, only to feel sticky wetness. When my eyes widen in mortification, she cackles.
“Just rub it in, girl. It’s like a deep conditioner. My husband’s Lyqa, I know the struggle of finding that shit in unexpected places. There’s a lot of it, can’t keep up with it all.” She smirks as I rub furiously at my curls.
“I had so much fun!” Shay runs up with her daughter in her arms and stops in front of us. “You and Ah’dan have to come visit us on Somii. You’ll love it. Everyone talks in their heads. It’s like the quietest place in the Universe.”
I laugh and return her hug when she leans in. I tweak one of her daughter’s ponytails.
“Bye, sweetie. It was good to meet you.”
Tami turns into her mother’s shoulder, and Shay snorts. “You know you aren't shy. You spent this whole week bossing around your cousins, and now you want to act shy? Ain’t that about a—say bye to Auntie Ni Ni, little girl.”
Bye, Auntie Ni Ni. I love you.
I gasp, pressing a hand to my chest. “Aw, I love you, too, baby.”
Shay looks at me and shakes her head. “You just gonna let this little girl play you like this?”
“It’s so cute!” I gush, and Shay sighs like it’s a lost cause and turns to give her sister a hug.
“Comm me when you get home. Sol says we’re going to need to talk soon. He won't say why, but it sounds fishy.”
Tee laughs and kisses her niece who launches herself at Tee and hugs her around the neck.
“Aw, I love you, too, Tami,” Tee says in response to whatever the girl says in her head. “I’ll comm you as soon as I know. Bati gave me the whole ‘we need to speak, my heart,’ warning, too. I think Mina’s pregnant, but I’m not gonna say anything until she tells us herself.”
Shay snorts. “Probably. It’s so like the Lyqa to turn this into a whole thing just cause Kwarq knows we’re going to roast her. Anyway, it was fun, but I am so ready to be home. Gotta, like, take care of my subjects and shit. Did I tell you I was a queen?” she adds looking at me.
“Girl, don't nobody care that you’re a queen, bye!” Tee playfully pushes Shay away who laughs before waving and jogging to her pod where Sol is waiting. Tee turns to me as she leaves and frowns.
“Did Ah’dan say anything to you about needing to tell you something?”
I shake my head, but then again there hasn't been much time for us to talk about anything since last night.
“Hm,” Tee returns thoughtfully, but her eyes brighten a moment later when two Lyqa women approach, each carrying a baby. Ah’dan’s family employed several nannies to care for everyone’s children, so Tee and her sisters could enjoy themselves. I haven't seen them much in the past few days, but I can't help but grin as the fat babies get closer. They are so cute. Both have golden brown skin and curly, ashen brown hair like their uncle Kwarq. The only difference in the two is that one has bright blue eyes like Bati and the other’s are the same shimmering yellow of his uncles. They babble and bounce with excitement when they see their mother, and Tee plants a big sloppy kiss on both of their cheeks before putting them one by one into their pod seats. She hugs the carers before they leave and turns back to me.
“Keep an eye on Ah’dan. He’s acting weird. They all are. Something’s up.”
***
“I am happy to be home.”
Ah’dan drops his bag to the ground and walks over to the couch where he falls back onto the wide cushion like a ton of bricks. He seems down, not sad, but just weighty like his energy is low.
“We should probably take a day to catch up on some sleep. We didn’t get too much while we were gone. At least, you didn't.”
He leans his head toward me from where it rests against the couch and pats his thigh. “I do not want to sleep. I do not want to miss a moment with you.”
I force a little laugh as I start toward him. When I get close, he takes hold of my wrist and pulls me down onto his lap. I curl up against his broad chest, wrapping my arms around his waist.
“We have all the time in the world to spend together, babe.”
“What if we did not?”
I pull away and scowl. “Don't say that. You’ll jinx it.”
He chuckles, but remains solemn. “I do not jest. If we only had three Earth days to spend together, how would you wish to spend it?”
I try to figure out if he’s joking as he waits for my response. When it seems like he’s serious, I take a moment to think then shrug.
“Well, if for some strange ass reason that will never happen because I’m never letting you go we only had three days left together, I would want to spend two days with our families, all day, every day, as much as we could, and I would want to spend the last day with you.”
He smiles like I’ve pleased him with my answer. “And what would you do with me for this last day?”
“I’d stay as close to you as I can. I’d spend the whole day touching you and kissing you and making love to you. I’d try and get as much of you as I could.”
He nods and pulls me back down to his chest and rests his chin on top of my head. “I agree that this is a perfect way to spend our time.”
“My bootie hurts, babe.”
I pull up straight and press my hands to the base of my spine to work out the tightness. I’ve been sitting in Ah’dan’s studio for at least three hours. I promised him I would model for him before lunch, but he’s in a zone, and I need a break. Ah’dan looks up from the canvas in concern before dropping his brush unceremoniously onto the workbench. Where a moment ago, he was completely absorbed, he steps around the canvas like it’s nothing and comes over to where I sit on the bench. He doesn’t say a word, just swoops down and picks me up, positioning my legs at his sides and cradling my bottom in his hands.
“Is this better?” He squeezes, and I moan at the relief and the pleasure of having him touch me. His gaze heats, and he leans in to press a soft kiss to my lips. “Thank you for indulging my desire to paint you. I know that modeling is not the most entertaining activity.”
I clasp my hands behind his neck and shift up on his waist, making his face tense.
I can feel him hard against me, and I can tell by the look in his eyes that he’s two seconds away from ripping my clothes off. I look down at myself to assess whether or not I’m wearing something I want to keep.
“Brother?”
Ah’dan spins toward the door, still holding me, and faces his brother Kwarq who has just entered the room. I twist in his arms to face him as well. Kwarq smiles.
“I apologize for interrupting your time together, but Amha wonders if you two would join us for lunch.” He looks a little regretful as he asks.
“Of course, sa’an. I was just going to suggest that Niya and I take sustenance. Are you hungry?” He focuses back on me.
“Pretty starving, actually.”
His mouth quirks, and he leans in and brushes his nose across mine.
“Then let me feed you.”
“Pardon me.”
Ah’dan’s wristband lights, and he looks down at the screen, his face showing surprise before shifting quickly to unreadable as he stands and leaves the room.
He goes into the small chamber that his family uses to communicate with others and closes the door. I stand in the living room waiting with his brothers. They look nervously toward the door until Tee speaks up.
“So, we just gonna stand here?”
Bati jumps and mumbles something before everyone starts making their way to the dining room. Tee looks at me and one of her eyebrows arches up.
“Weird.” She mouths, referring to their behavior of late. I was ready to brush it off, but I’m starting to see what she means.
We take our seats around the table, and shortly after, Ah’dan joins us. I look up as he walks in, but he avoids my gaze and focuses on his parents. His mouth tightens, and he gives just the barest dip of his head. I swing to his mother to find her mouth pulled into a forced smile as she and her husband nod back. Bati and Kwarq both stare ahead.
“Wow.”
I take in the spread Ah’dan’s parents have laid out with wide eyes. All this for lunch?
“I have prepared the grilled bom, just as you loved when you were a child,” his mother declares as she sits down. There are at least a dozen dishes on the table, and all the Lyqa seem pretty pleased about it. The earlier solemnness is gone, and Bati and Kwarq wear identical expressions of satisfaction. Quth is also smiling broadly. It’s like a switch has been flipped, and everyone is back to normal. I take my seat between Ah’dan and Bati and look across him to where Tee and Amina sit.
“Is this normal for lunch?” I joke, and they both stare incredulously at me.
“Not unless one of us is pregnant,” Tee says and gives Amina a pointed look. The latter rolls her head back and sighs.
“I am not pregnant! If I was pregnant, this food would be gone.”
Tee makes a face like she’s considering the validity of this claim then nods. “True.”
“Now that we are all reassured that I have not knocked up my lehti again, let us eat.” Kwarq reaches for the spoon on the dish closest to him and scoops one serving onto Amina’s plate and then his before reaching for another one. Bati follows suit, and soon, everyone is reaching for a dish. I lean forward to get to a bowl of Lyqa broccoli, which has quickly become my favorite, when Ah’dan stops me.
“I would serve you first.” I wait as he lifts a spoonful to my plate before serving himself. It’s so sweet that I can’t help but smile, and when he’s done, I continue to serve my plate until I have a bit of everything.
We make small talk as we eat. Mahdi tells us stories of when the boys were young. She seems very sentimental, and nearly tears up a few times as she relays the memories. It’s clear she adores her sons, and I can’t blame her. All three are pretty amazing.
“Do you know what we should do? We should watch our family films. It would give my dahnai a chance to know how you were as younglings.” Mahdi looks expectantly at Ah’dan as if seeking his permission. He looks on her with patient love.
“Of course, Amha. I would enjoy that.”
His mother looks wistful again before clearing her throat and ushering their father to help her clean up. As always, she rejects our insistence on helping when me, Tiani, and Amina offer. Instead, the rest of us file into the main living room. We set up pillows around the blank wall where we’re going to watch the movies, and, shortly after, their parents join us.
Mahdi sits beside Ah’dan, and when she pulls his head down into her lap, he lets her while keeping his hand in mine. I watch with quiet regard as she smooths his hair back from his face the way a mother does and leans down to press a kiss over his forehead.
“I chose our favorite moments,” she says softly to him, and he nods before cuddling closer to her. It’s an intimate moment, and it speaks to how much love this family has for one another. It makes me feel fortunate to be witness to and apart of it, and I do feel apart of it. It hasn’t been long, but I feel like I’m Ah’dan’s, and this family is my own. My throat tightens, and I blink away when the projection lights in front of the wall.
The image is crisp and three dimensional; it shows a young boy with a head of the thickest, curliest black hair I’ve ever seen. His little red body flies through the air and lands in a large pond. He disappears for a moment and emerges again on the surface, his face covered with his dripping locks. In the video, he smiles brightly before sticking out his long tongue in a face that makes everyone laugh.
The screen blinks and another scene emerges. Two babies lay in a cot, side by side. One is blue-black with a shock of red hair; the other is golden brown with nearly white curls. A young Ah’dan’s grinning face pops into the image and he touches the babies’ tiny feet before planting kisses on both of their cheeks. On the other side of me, Amina “aws.”
“Look at your hair!” she exclaims, reaching up to ruffle a hand over Kwarq’s now ashen brown mane.
The video changes again, and this time all three boys are older, maybe pre-teens. They’re sitting in the same living room playing with instruments. They look up to the camera, all hair and wide, bright teeth, and wave.
There are more scenes. Ah’dan sitting in his studio molding a lump of clay with his large, strong hands. His hair is shorter than it is now, but still long. The thick ringlets hang over his forehead as he concentrates on the bust. Ah’dan and his father setting up a tent on top of what looks like a large platform of coral. The boys racing across a sandy beach. Ah’dan laying on the floor with his hands behind his head. He’s in shorts, and his chest is bare. He smiles up at the person filming, and the beautiful lips I’ve become so familiar with move silently causing a shiver to go through me. Beside me, Ah’dan squeezes my hand, and I turn to find him watching me. His gaze lingers on mine for a heated second before he focuses back on the screen, and I do the same.
I’m met by a more recent image. It was taken just a few days ago. Me and Ah’dan stand at the head of a table packed with his family members. He’s tall and beautiful as he looks adoringly down at me. I remember in the moment feeling like it was just him and me in the whole Universe, but seeing the stark love in his eyes from the outside makes my heart clench. I can't believe I’ve gotten so lucky. I can't believe I’ve found a love like this.
A tear leaves a warm trail down my cheek, and I rush to brush it away, feeling a little silly that I’m being so emotional, until I realize that I’m not the only one.
Kwarq sniffles and discretely wipes at his eyes. Bati’s head is lowered, and Tiani rubs a hand over his back. She looks concerned and slightly confused. Quth’s face is rigid but gentle as he looks over his family. Ah’dan’s mother has the most alarming response.
Mahdi weeps quietly as she huddles over her son. She kisses him, and as he receives the love with solemn acceptance, I notice that his eyes are also a bit wet. At this moment, I realize the tone of the afternoon has changed. Whereas I thought this was a fun, family time watching home movies, it feels more somber. I watch the display in awkward silence, unsure of what’s going on.
Amina breaks the quie
t, and when I look at her, my feeling of unease flourishes.
“Kwarq, can we talk?” she says with a shaky voice. When her husband looks at her, she gives him a pointed look, and he sighs and nods before standing up.
“Let us go to our apartments for a while.” Kwarq gives his brothers a nod and leads Amina out. A few seconds later, Bati stands, too, and holds a hand out for Tiani.
“My heart, we should speak as well.” He helps Tee up, and she scowls at his strange behavior before leaving with him. I wait. Only me, Quth, and Leslie are left. Leslie watches me. She’s been quiet most of this time, so much so that I almost forgot she was here, but when our eyes lock, she smiles reassuringly before leaving, too. I’m left to sit as Mahdi continues to cry and kiss Ah’dan. It’s strange, but other things have been strange, so I just wait, even as my stomach rolls with nervous energy.
Finally, Ah’dan’s mother kisses him one last time and eases his head from her lap. He sits up and smiles at his parents as they rise and leave the room without explanation for their behavior. When it’s just us, Ah’dan clears his throat and looks at me. As if sensing my confusion, which I imagine is apparent, he turns a weary gaze on me.
“If I ask that you not question me concerning this, will you trust me?”
I hesitate only because I have so many questions. “I’ll always trust you.”
He looks relieved and stands before holding his hand out for me. “Thank you, Niya.”
We walk hand in hand to his apartments, and once we get there, he surprises me by leading me in and going back to the door.
“There is something I must do. I will be back shortly. Remove your garments and wait for me in bed. When I come back, I don’t want to be anywhere but inside of you.”