by Ashley West
As he read the dials and adjusted things, the comm screen flared, indicating an incoming call.
When he pushed the button to answer it, Thyrra's face was in the screen.
"Malachi?" she asked. "What are you doing? I was expecting Hapt or Sarkara."
He shrugged a shoulder. "I didn't have anything better to do, so I figured I'd make sure things were in order. What did you want?"
"I was told to make sure your departure from Earth was happening as scheduled. I just checked in with the other ship, and they're nearly ready."
"Same here. The morning meal is happening, and then there will be goodbyes to say before take off."
Thyrra smiled. "You're going to miss your human girl, aren't you?"
Malachi let out a breath. He hadn't considered how difficult it was going to be to tell Thyrra that he wasn't coming back. Her reaction was bound to be...explosive.
"No," he said. "I won't."
"Really? I thought you two had patched things up."
"We did."
"And?"
"And I won't have to miss her."
Thyrra frowned for a moment, and then her eyes widened. "You're bringing her back with you, aren't you? Stars, Malachi, you can't just come back here with a human and not tell anyone! What is the General going to say? How do you even know she can live up here? This has got to be the stupidest plan you have ever had!"
"Are you finished?" Malachi asked, eyebrows raised.
"Malachi!"
"Thyrra. You're not letting me talk."
She huffed and made a show of folding her arms. "Fine. Talk."
"I'm not bringing her back to Dorn. That would be...too much of an adjustment for too many people. And I don't think she'd be happy there, anyway."
"Then what are you..." Her confusion dropped into an expression of soft sadness when she figured it out. "You're staying there. You're not coming back."
"No, I'm not. Coming back, that is."
"But why? Why would you throw away everything? You could have been General some day."
He laughed softly. "And that's exactly why, Thyrra. I don't want to be General someday. Before I left, Mordecai asked me about my future, and if I had any plans. And I remembered that warriors rarely plan for the future because they don't know that they'll have one. I liked that life for a while, but now I think I want something different. No one can say I didn't give the ranks my best."
"Of course they can't, idiot," Thyrra muttered. She looked suspiciously like she might cry. "You've given everything to the ranks. But what about... What about your family? Couldn't you do something else here?"
"They'll be fine without me. They'll understand. I'm going to keep a comm device and tell them personally that I won't be coming back."
"And what about...?" she trailed off, but Malachi knew what she wanted to say.
"You don't need me, Thyrra. You know you don't. Look at how well you did while I was here. I wouldn't have survived this long without you as my second, and maybe it's time for you to have a second of your own."
"Flatterer. I'm still mad at you."
That was not a surprise. "Alright."
They were both quiet for a moment, and then Thyrra narrowed her eyes. "You're doing this for her, aren't you? The human."
"I'm doing this for me, Thyrra. But it does help that she'll be here. We're not...I don't know what we are just yet, but I'd like to find out. Plus the humans need help. There might be Alva lingering around, and someone will have to teach the humans how to defend against them. They'll have to rebuild, and I'd like to lend a hand with that."
"That's not your responsibility, you know. They owe you, not the other way around."
"I know. But I think it'll be nice to help build something for a change. Plus, Emma's told me stories about how things are here when they aren't being held captive by Alva, and I'd like to see it."
For several seconds, Thyrra just looked at him, seemingly lost for words. Sadness was mixed with resignation now, and Malachi appreciated that she wasn't going to try to change his mind. "Okay," she said softly. "If that's what you want."
"I don't know what I want," Malachi replied. "But this is a good step forward."
When he walked back to the room that had been his and Emma's, Emma was awake. She was sitting on the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest, eyes closed.
As he walked in, she opened them to look at him.
"So I guess this is it," she said. "You're leaving. I mean, don't get me wrong, I understand why. Dorn is your home, and you've got a responsibility to all those people, and you're their Champion. You have to go back. I just...wish you didn't."
She turned her face away and wiped at her eyes.
Malachi smiled and stepped closer, moving so he could kneel down next to the bed. "You'd miss me, if I left?" he asked.
"Of course I would, you idiot!" she snapped. "I...care about you, you know? You're important to me."
He smiled wider and turned her face back to his with gentle fingers. She was so much bolder than she’d been when they’d first met, and he loved it. "And what if I said I wasn't leaving?"
"I'd say you're full of crap since I just had to hug Priya goodbye and she said you're leaving in the next hour."
Apparently Priya had seen fit not to tell Emma on his behalf. "The ship is taking off in the next hour, that's true. But I don't plan to be on it."
Emma's eyes widened. "What?"
"I've given it some thought, and I'd like to stay here. Ideally with you, wherever we end up, but I will understand if you'd like some time to yourself. I'm sure you have plenty to figure out."
She was still just staring and not saying anything, and Malachi couldn't tell if it was because she was in shock or if she was upset. He had just opened his mouth to ask when Emma seemed to recover herself. She launched herself at him, knocking them both back to the floor.
"Are you serious?" she asked from her position on top of him, and she searched his face, clearly looking for answers.
"Yes," Malachi laughed. "I'm very serious."
Emma made a wordless sound and then leaned down to kiss him hard on the mouth. As acceptances went, it was a pretty good one, and he wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her back, taking pleasure in the heat of her mouth against his.
When she pulled back, he was smiling, and she was, too. "But what are we going to do?" she asked. "I don't really have a home anymore or a job or anything."
"We'll figure something out," he said. "This city owes us quite a bit, after all. And there's a whole world to explore. You won't be alone. Unless you want to be."
The look on her face very clearly said she didn't want to be, and Malachi kissed her once more.
Chapter Fifteen: End
Emma leaned against the fire escape of the apartment she shared with Malachi and smiled, feeling the cool breeze whip through her hair. It was November, but it was unseasonably warm outside, and she wasn't complaining. Winter was pretty, but she had seen enough barrenness to last her for some time.
Malachi was somewhere in the apartment, still in bed, she thought, and they had the day to themselves though that night they were going out for dinner. Nowhere fancy, just to get hamburgers and milkshakes, which were probably his favorite things to eat on Earth.
"You're lucky you don't have to worry about getting fat," she'd told him once before, poking him in his stomach, which was still just as toned and muscular as it had been the day they met, despite the fact that he spent much less time working out now that he lived on Earth.
It hadn't been an easy transition for him, Emma knew that. He'd struggled with learning how things worked here and finding his place in it all. It had been less than a year so far, and he was still learning, but she thought that it was getting easier.
She knew he missed his friends and family, but he talked to them often on his little communication device thing, keeping up with everything that was happening back on his planet.
Once the Randoran had left Eart
h, the humans had taken a while to recover. There were a few Alva still sprinkled around here and there, and Malachi had single handedly taken care of most of them. He'd taught the humans who were willing to listen how to defend themselves against Alva and most other races from that corner of the galaxy.
Emma had been surprised to learn that he wasn't the only alien on Earth once the Alva had been disposed of.
"Why is that such a shock?" he'd asked. "I'm not the only one who's found happiness here. I'm sure there are plenty of others blending in somewhere."
It was interesting to think about, there being other aliens out there, and sometimes Emma entertained herself with thinking of what they might be like. Were they really happy here on Earth? Did they have humans they’d fallen in love with?
It seemed like something out of a story, but it was the life she was living, even though neither she nor Malachi had dropped the 'L' word yet.
Neither of them seemed to be in a rush to do it, and that was fine. She didn't feel pressured, and she didn't think Malachi did either. Their relationship worked the way it was, and they were both happy, which was pretty much all Emma had ever wanted in life.
She was singing again, too. Life was rebuilding around them as humans picked up the pieces and tried to get back to living, and there was a need for song and happiness even more now than there had been before the Alva. Emma was there for that. She sang songs in clubs and lounges. She was invited to reopenings of libraries and schools, and when the governor had reclaimed the city, she'd been asked to sing there, too.
As one of the people who had helped bring about the end of the Alva's grip on the city, she was treated with respect, and when it had come to light that Malachi, Champion of the Randoran, defender of Humanity, as he was called on Earth, would be staying with her, they were given a place to live and helped when it came to getting their lives together.
She'd never expected anything like that, but it had been a tremendous help, and now, almost a year later, she finally felt like she was actually living her life.
With the help of the city, she'd found her parents and had contacted them, and both parties had been overjoyed to learn that the other was alright. Emma's parents wanted to visit, but Emma wasn't quite ready for that yet. She wasn't sure why, but she knew it wouldn't last long. She wanted to see them, and it would happen with time. Malachi had promised to be with her when she went.
"What are you doing?"
Speaking of Malachi, his voice made her turn, and she smiled to see him come walking out of the bedroom mostly naked. Shirtless, in just boxers was a good look for him, and Emma couldn't help but eye him up and down. He was one of those people who was just so attractive it didn't seem fair.
"Just standing here," she said. "Come join me?"
"And here I was going to ask you to join me in the bed," Malachi teased, but he came to stand next to her all the same, leaning against the rail of the fire escape with a content sigh. "Chill in the air," he said.
Emma nodded. "Winter will be here soon. You're going to freeze, Mr. My Planet Has Two Suns."
"I think I'll be able to handle it," he replied with a smirk. "Anyway, I'll just use you to keep me warm."
"What do I look like, a blanket?"
He smiled at her and lifted a hand to turn her face towards his. "No," he said and then leaned in and kissed her. That was another wonderful thing about the way life was now. She had Malachi with her, and he never held back when it came to showing affection. When he wanted to kiss her, he made that clear, and it was up to Emma to say yes or no. She hardly ever said no, though, and she didn't now.
Instead she pushed onto her toes and leaned up into the kiss, putting her arms around his neck. Malachi put his hands at her waist and practically lifted her off of her feet and into his embrace.
"Someone's in an affectionate mood today," she teased him, rubbing her nose against his. Emma trusted him unconditionally not to drop her.
"I'm in a good mood," he said. "And I woke up, and you were not there. I missed you."
"It's been two hours at best," Emma replied, arching an eyebrow. "Someone's clingy is more like it."
They had been together long enough that he knew she was just teasing, and he shook his head and kissed her again. It was so easy between them now. Their push and pull, give and take. Malachi didn't doubt her, Emma didn't get offended when he said the wrong thing, and they made it work. She hadn't worked out how to explain it to her parents yet, but there was time for that, and she hoped they would understand.
In the meantime, she had an affectionate alien boyfriend to contend with, and when they eventually made it into the kitchen for breakfast, the teasing and laughter didn't stop.
It didn't stop when they went to the shower, either, especially when Emma backed Malachi up so his back was to the warm, water slick tiles of the shower wall and then dropped to her knees in front of him.
Several months into this, and his cock was still like a revelation every time she saw it. Malachi teased her that she somehow managed to forget how big it was and what it looked like when he was wearing clothes because she always had a reaction to it when it was fully hard and in her hands.
Her knees were going to ache from being pressed against the hard bottom of the shower, but she'd worry about that later. For now, her mouth was watering, and she worked one hand up and down the shaft of Malachi's length, taking it from half hard to fully erect in a matter of seconds.
She'd learned what he liked by now, and so she stroked him slowly before leaning in with a smirk and licking the tip of his cock with the tip of her tongue. He was the most sensitive there, and the sharp inhale of breath was the first sign that what she was doing was having the desired effect on him.
His fingers came down to tangle in her wet hair, and she hummed softly, letting him know that she liked it. They had come up with a good system of noises and gestures to read the other's responses by, and Malachi never pushed harder than Emma could take, and she always let him know when she wanted more.
She had to work harder to accommodate his large size, but that was a part of the thrill for her, and she took it slowly, sucking on the head of his cock first, and swirling her tongue around it.
"Mmm," she hummed, smirking when he growled at the sensation. That was another surefire sign that he was enjoying himself.
Gradually she worked her way down, taking more and more of him into her mouth with every passing moment. She was careful not to take too much and end up choking, and she let him keep his hands where they were since he wasn't trying to force her down onto his cock or anything. She'd learned that he just wanted to have something to hold onto to keep himself grounded, and she was fine with that. Honestly, it was endearing.
By the time the head of his cock was heading towards the back of her throat, she was only about halfway down, and her lips were stretched wide around his length. Her hand worked the rest of it, stroking and using her own saliva as lubrication, making it messy and slow, the way she knew he liked it.
"Emma," he groaned, and she heard it when his head thunked back against the wall. "You're so good."
The praise made her wet, and she worked a hand between her own legs, stroking around her clit in slow circles. She didn't want to come like that, not yet, but the stimulation helped keep her focused on what she was doing.
Malachi never came in her mouth, he had a thing about that, and apparently it was a sign of disrespect or something where he was from, she was fuzzy on the details, so she knew he wasn't going to finish like this either.
That didn't mean she wasn't going to make it good, though, and she hummed and sucked and licked at him, until swears were echoing around them and his breathing was ragged.
Finally he pulled her off of his cock and up onto her feet, crushing her against him with a groan. "You are too good at that," he said, dark eyes even darker.
"Yeah?" Emma rasped, jaw sore from just being down there that long.
Malachi nodded. He kissed her hard o
n the mouth and then lowered his lips to her neck and throat, pressing kisses there as well. In no time at all he had lifted her up and was working himself into her slowly while she wrapped her legs around his waist, moaning and ready for it.
"Please," she panted, so wet for him by then. "Please, I want it."
"What do you want?" he teased her, pushing in inch by inch while he teased her. "Tell me."
"You," Emma said. "You, you, you. Please. I want you so bad, Malachi."
He growled again, clearly enjoying having her beg him like that, and when he was fully seated inside of her, she was nearly on the edge of falling apart already.
They moved together, Malachi using his grip on her bottom to pull her in and pull himself out, setting a quick rhythm that was going to leave her sore once it was all said and done. She never minded that, though. Feeling it when he was done was one of the best parts about it.
Her toes curled, and she could feel herself reaching her peak, ready to spill over and come for him. The heat was incredible, the pleasure drawing her tight and then with a snap she was done for, crying out loud enough that it echoed and shaking in Malachi's hold.
He held her through it and kept moving his hips, pushing in and in and in until he found his own release.
They breathed together, working on slowing their heartbeats and catching their breaths for a moment before Malachi put her back on her feet.
Emma's knees were shaky, and Malachi had to hold her up for a few minutes while they actually used the shower for what it was intended for. Once they were clean, they dried off and collapsed into their bed, taking it easy because they could.
"It's odd," Malachi said. "Having nothing to do usually makes me so...restless. But this is nice."
"Maybe you just had to find the right thing to do when you have nothing to do," Emma replied.
"That doesn't make any sense, Emma."
She laughed. "That's because you still have a lot to learn."