by Stella Dawn
With shaking fingers, I call Taryne. She doesn’t sound surprised to hear from me.
“Taryne?” I try to keep my voice steady, but it shudders badly.
“Oh, Eliana. What’s wrong honey?”
“I can’t. I can’t do this. I need to get back to Tsunis!”
“Oh, sweetie.” Taryne’s voice is soft with understanding. “You’re ready to give up your position on Earth?”
I sob a little, thinking about how this is everything I worked for, and here I am about to give it all away.
“I have to, Taryne. I need to be with him. Maybe I can work something out, so I don’t have to abandon my duties. None of that matters now, though.”
“Okay sweetie. There are shuttles leaving every few hours to the space port outside of Jupiter. Get on one of those and there is a transport direct to our ship. You’ll be here by this evening and then straight on to Tsunis.”
I’m so relieved I can barely think. I thank her and ring off, running around to collect a few things, even though I don’t really need them. All I need is Tsunis.
I don’t even see the beautiful furnishings and all the modern appliances as I leave the apartment. I don’t even care anymore.
I call the president from the airfield and explain the situation. I intended for it to be a very professional call where I state what I’m doing in a very no-nonsense tone. Instead I cry and whimper like a lovesick schoolgirl and I’m sure I’ve destroyed my credibility for life.
I don’t even care. When the next shuttle bound for Jupiter arrives, I bolt on to it, taking a seat and bouncing my toes as we take off. It’s like a public bus in here, strange collections of misfits travelling through the galaxy. I pay them no mind.
After I meet with Taryne’s shuttle we reach Captain Yos’ ship within minutes. I’m astounded by the faster than light travel and a little intimidated by Taryne’s scientific expertise.
She only greets me briefly, moving me straight to another shuttle and giving me two guards to help me reach the village. She kisses my cheek and shoves me through the door.
I smile and wave through the window as the shuttle pulls away. There is no one in the universe that understands me the way she does.
Travel to Tsunis’ planet only takes a couple of hours. I bore the guards half to death with my small talk about ocean creatures.
When we land, I set off into the jungle with confidence. The heat doesn’t bother me. The humidity I don’t even notice. The singing insects can’t scare me. I know; besides the bay, everything becomes beautiful.
The insects don’t live near the water. The sea breeze lifts the heat and the humidity disappears. I can’t believe I’m so close to the bay. It’s the only place I want to be.
I push through the jungle without even waiting for the guards. They are supposed to travel one ahead and one behind, but I take point and I don’t slow down.
I remember the last trek. It took three days and I spent every second tired and thirsty. It was like agony.
Now I bounce across each mile, leaving my pain and exhaustion in the dust behind me as my heart leads me. Back to where I belong. Back to Tsunis.
I can’t stop walking, even into the night. After the urging of the guards I do stop to rest for a few hours here and there, but we still make the trip in two days.
We stop in the jungle near the colony, a wide field of the oat and wheat crop between us and the first huts. The guards offer to escort me inside, but I shake my head. I don’t need them now.
I bid them goodbye and start walking through the field, the crop as high as my shoulder. I reach the outskirts and it’s like being in a dream.
I see several faces turn to look at me in shock. The women are sitting in their usual place weaving and they wave and smile.
I wave back as I start walking towards the ridge. I don’t stop even though I do drop my pack. I fix my eyes on the top of the hill and push on to the top, the sparse vegetation blowing in the wind from where it clings to the sand.
When I reach the top, I see dozens of Ih’il swimming in the bay. They move in lines as they sweep through, looking for anything really dangerous so they can clear it out before others come to swim.
I see Tsunis at the far end and start running down the beach. All around people stop and look. I’m not sure what they are so amazed about. That I came back?
Maybe they just didn’t know me well enough. Maybe I didn’t know myself.
I keep pushing through the sand. I can see him kicking away from shore and diving down. Others are dragging the bay and he is swimming hard at the furthest point of the lagoon.
I come to the crook at the end of the bay that leads to the river. I stand up on my toes to watch the net powering along as it is pulled by the Ih’il under the water. Tsunis is off to the side, dipping through the waves further away from the others.
I know he might be busy for a few hours and I try to calm the storm of my stomach. I take a few deep breaths and sit down on the sandy ground.
I’ll just wait for him to return. I’ve waited weeks in perfect agony. I can wait just a little longer, especially now that he’s so close.
Tears start to fall as it sinks in that I’m really here. I’m about to see him and put my arms around him.
The loss in my heart starts to fade as my happiness and expectations fill me.
I’m a short time away from seeing my love. I can feel my grin stretching my face as I let the good feeling sweep through me.
Everything else I’ve ever wanted gets pushed untidily into a dark corner of my mind. None of it means shit to me anymore.
The only thing I care about is out there in that water.
34
Tsunis
It’s been a week since I left Eliana back on Earth and I thought each day without her would be easier than the last.
I was a fool. I am a fool.
I can’t believe I was so stupid to think I wouldn’t fall in love with her the day I met her. What kind of idiot am I? Any male with eyes can see how beautiful she is, and even though the first time she opened her mouth I wanted to throttle her, all that emotion eventually just gave way to love. She’s so smart and resilient and strong – there wasn’t any way either of us were going to get out of our mission without getting our hearts completely obliterated in the process.
I’m so mad at myself – I should have known.
I never, ever thought I’d be in love with anyone, not just Eliana. I see my parents and their relationship and I know they love each other – they’re a great example of enduring love – but part of me must have always known how love can completely destroy someone as easily as it can uplift them. I never wanted any part of that.
Until Eliana, of course.
Every day I wonder what my life would be like if I’d agreed to stay with her on Earth, in her new home at the EAO headquarters. It was certainly an upgrade from the shitty apartment she was living in when Taryne, Yos, and I picked her up, and she deserves to have a good, safe home. Would I have been happy there with her? Would I have found a place for myself on Earth?
I guess I’ll never know now.
And I know I couldn’t have done it anyway. I’m the son of the clan chief. I have duties here, in the colony; duties that cannot be shirked or wished away. Eventually my father will pass the leadership of this clan to me and I’ll be responsible for the wellbeing and livelihood of my people. To take care of them and ensure our continued survival, I have to be here, not on Earth, no matter how badly I want to be.
But even still, thoughts of Eliana are never far from me. I wonder if she’s enjoying her new role with the EAO. It’s a far cry from being a fish farmer. I wonder if she’s happy.
Most of all, I wonder if she wonders about me.
But it’s been a week since we’ve been apart and eventually it’ll be longer and I need to get over her. It won’t do anyone any good to have a sad, mopey clan chief. I need to man up and move on.
I throw myself into my duties and
tasks as the heir to my father. Any time I’m not on guard duty or hunting I spend with him, learning how to lead. I listen to him as he explains how to diplomatically settle disputes between our people, as well as other races. I learn how to receive other dignitaries. I learn how to be benevolent and kind, to not give in so often to my hot-headed nature.
It’s time for me to grow up and take my responsibilities seriously. The mission with Eliana was a true test of my mettle and now the real work begins.
For another week, I work diligently, guarding, hunting, and serving at my father’s side. I rise with the sun and go to sleep long after the moons are hanging in the sky, falling into my bed exhausted, too brain tired to think about Eliana.
My body does that for me. Sometimes when I wake I think she’s beside me. I’m always disappointed when I discover the truth.
After two weeks of solid work with little rest, I make some time for myself to clear my head, deciding to take a swim in the bay Eliana and I worked so hard to restore. The water is calm and fragrant, the scent of salt rising and seducing my nostrils, beckoning me in. I strip down and jump in, the cool water caressing my skin like a lover.
I can’t stop myself from diving deep, down to nearly the very bottom. I take in all the different creatures swimming beside and above me, now returned to the bay. It teems with life, from small shellfish to spiny, crab-like creatures nearly as big as I am. I even spot some of the tiny whale-like fish that Eliana enjoyed so much.
The plant life has also been restored. Long tendrils of seaweed drift up from the bottom of the bay straight up to the surface, trying to reach the sun. Coral blooms, healthy and vibrant, the reef a home to so many creatures great and small.
I swim for an hour; two. It’s been so long since I’ve had an opportunity to do so. I advised my father it’d likely be a while before I’d returned to the colony, so no one is expecting me back anytime soon. It feels like I have all the time in the world to do whatever I please.
I finally force myself out of the bay once the sun starts its descent to the horizon. I should return to the colony before dark and I am getting hungry. I shoot for the surface, my powerful legs propelling me quickly through the water, scattering creatures and plant life in my wake.
Water runs down my face and into my eyes once I breach the surface of the bay. I rub it out of my eyes and start for the shore, but am stopped in my tracks by what I see.
Standing on the beach is Eliana.
At first, I think she’s a mirage, manifesting because I’ve been swimming for hours and my body is tired, but also because I haven’t eaten since breakfast. I move quickly for the shore, using the rest of my energy to make my way over to her, to ensure she’s real and alive and here.
I all but launch myself out of the bay when I reach the beach, not even bothering to grab the clothes I’d discarded. I run up the sand as fast as I can, desperate to reach her.
And it is her – it really, and truly is.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, incredulously.
“I couldn’t stay on Earth without you,” she tells me. “You are more important to me than anything in this world. I will stand beside you, no matter what. I love you.”
I’ve been wanting her to say those words for so long, but I worry for her, too. Although she was sad I was leaving, I knew she was also the happiest she’d ever been. She’d never dreamed she’d have a meaningful, fulfilling career or a beautiful place to live, and now she had both.
More than anything, I want her to be happy.
“I love you, too, Eliana, but – I don’t want you sacrifice your entire life to be with me. You shouldn’t have to do that,” I tell her.
“No, I shouldn’t,” she says, “but I want to. I want to be with you. I can do anything the EAO wants me to do from my home base in this colony. If they don’t like it I’ll quit entirely, but they can’t afford to lose me so I think I’ll be alright.”
I can’t believe she’s here – that she’s come all this way again, just for me. I take her into my arms and squeeze her to me so tight she shrieks aloud. If she were made of glass I would have broken her for sure.
“So that’s it? You’re staying for good?” I ask her, pulling back for only an instant to look down onto her face.
“Yes, Tsunis. I’m staying for good,” she says, her eyes alight with love.
It’s all the confirmation I need. I hug her to me again, enveloping her in my arms. I whisper in her ear how much I love her, how much I can’t wait for the two of us to have adventures together, how I can’t wait to get her home to the colony and move her into my hut so we’ll never have to be away from each other ever again.
I kiss her before turning her out of my arms and taking her hand in mine, preparing for the walk back to the colony. My heart is near bursting with happiness and shock and surprise and it feels like ages since I’ve felt this way.
With her by my side, all is right in the world.
35
Eliana
The walk back to Tsunis’ hut is magical. We hold hands and look into each other’s eyes as we go, laughing and joking about nothing. His face has a look of quiet joy that stirs me. I’ve never seen him look so contented before.
We try to get into his place without too much noise but it’s like the entire village is waiting for us. Everyone is pretending to do their own thing but the second we emerge from the trees all eyes are on us.
They make an attempt to restrain themselves and they don’t swamp us, but they do call out and wave. I grin bashfully and I’m surprised to see Tsunis do the same. The older women call out about marriage and babies and we can’t stop smiling.
We step into his hut and he closes the door behind us. When he turns to me, I run my fingertips over his face. I want to learn every single feature with my fingers, letting the sensations guide my eyes. I touch his neck, caressing his chest and shoulders.
He bends down to kiss me and I bend in his arms, pulling myself closer to him. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him back with all the passion of the days I lost while I was back on earth.
Fighting my feelings. Fighting myself, fighting fate. Useless, utterly useless to struggle against this. It’s bigger than me and Tsunis, because it’s both of us.
He wraps his arms around my waist and lifts me, moving me to the bed. It’s a short, narrow thing made out of sturdy shrub branches and the mattress is made from the soft fronds of a local fern. I think about my big bed back at the EAO and I don’t even miss it.
I pull him down on top of me, frantically burrowing through my clothes to get them off. He removes his leather kilt, his traditional swimming gear. I don’t even look at his face once I get our clothes out of the way. I just watch his huge cock and open my thighs, sliding forward with my hips and feeling myself wetter than I’ve ever been.
He pushes into me slowly, making me moan. I look up into his face and his eyes are wide, dark and serious. I feel my nipples and my clit throbbing just at the intensity of that look.
He penetrates me slowly as if he wants to savor every inch. I start yelling in joy and writhing, trying to fight him in deeper but he holds my shoulder and keeps up his pace, breathing just a little faster as he gets his cock all the way inside.
When our bodies finally come together, he leans over and rests his head on my shoulder. His hands trail along my waist and I can feel his whole-body trembling.
I stay still, waiting for him to come back to himself. I can tell emotions are running through him, feelings so intense he is having trouble processing them.
He props himself up on his arms and drinks in my face. He keeps looking at me as he starts to thrust, and I find I can’t take my eyes off his.
The pace becomes fierce and my gasps rip into cries but still we look into each other’s eyes. He leans down to kiss me just as I start to come and his lips and tongue on mine while my clit and pussy throb and pulse at the same time is pure ecstasy.
When he pulls back from the kiss his eye
s are still wide open. He stares at me with amazement.
“Are you really here?” He whispers. “I wanted it so badly, I don’t know if I’m dreaming right now.”
“If you’re dreaming lover, then so am I.” I can feel my pussy wrapped tightly around his cock and my body is still throbbing, still on fire. His cock is so hard and thick I can feel the movements beating in time with his heart.
He pulls back and gives me a naughty grin as he tugs on my ankles. I flip on to my front and feel him take hold of my hips and drag me back towards him. When his huge cock penetrates me, I scream, and I can’t help it. The change of angle, the deep penetration arouse my lust all over again.
Tsunis starts to move hard and fast, our bodies slapping together. The harder and faster he goes the higher my pleasure builds. He seems to be able to feel every trembling muscle and doesn’t stop, keeping up a rhythmic, even pace. When I start to come, he doesn’t slow down or change pace, just keeps slamming me.
My hands grip the sheets and I bury my face in the mattress. I’m yelling loud and long as my pussy and clit throb and sensation bounces around between them both, making me feel like nothing else can, the intensity is so much.
My inner lips grip on to Tsunis’ cock even tighter and then I start to come again in a shuddering climax that takes me out of my body. I can feel Tsunis pounding at me and his own cries of pleasure as his cock jumps and spurts, coming as deeply inside me as he possibly can.
We pull apart and come together again immediately as we reach for each other. Our arms tangle a little and it takes a few moments to bring our sweaty bodies against each other. When I get to that comfy spot on his chest I know, I don’t ever want to move.
“Eliana. I love you.”
I sit up a little, grinning at him. “I love you too. You know, that right? I didn’t come all the way here just for you to fuck me.”
He laughs softly. “It seems like a good reason.”
“Yes, it does.” I can’t stop the cheeky tone in my voice.