Page 22 of Doom Averted

Unstrapping myself from the pilot chair, I took the two steps needed to get in front of her. Kneeling at her feet, I gently started undoing her straps, my eyes on her lap as I started talking. This wasn’t a pleasant memory for me, but if I wanted her to stay with me, and share my life with me, she needed to understand.

“Every Kertinal is drafted into the military when they come of age, I had an aptitude for engineering so I was first put in the training program for that. I didn’t see combat for the first two years, but I progressed very rapidly so by the beginning of the third year, I was sent to serve on the Balista, a huge battleship with a magnificent engine and a bit of a conniving captain.”

It was easy to talk about the side details, the lead-up, to describe Captain Allignon to her. I even made her laugh with that and she pointed out that political climbers like that existed on Earth too. Then I needed to explain to her about the space battle that forced us to flee, the engine upgrade I put into action in our dire need.

“It worked, we escaped,” I said solemnly, my heart heavy when I thought of the price we’d paid. Killing an amazing pilot, disabling the navigator… As always, my Sunshine was far too sensitive to my moods. She slid from her chair to settle in my lap, she couldn’t see in the dark, and still she found my horns and held them, making sure I was looking at her when I spoke next. No hiding from my Sunshine.

“What happened Da’vi? You can tell me, it’s okay,” she murmured, and it was the soft expression on her face, the kindness in the tone of her voice that made me force the words out. My voice was raspy when I spoke, the words feeling like gravel in my mouth, but once I started talking again they tumbled out in rapid succession.

“We escaped, but feedback from the experimental engine upgrade killed the pilot and injured the navigator… I dismantled the upgrade on the spot and destroyed all my notes on it. I swore I’d never built anything like that ever again.” I froze after I finished speaking, waiting to hear what she thought, would she blame me as I blamed myself for what had happened? Would she make the connection to what was happening to the Vagabond’s engines right now? What I’d done to reach her in time?

She was quiet for so long that I thought I was going mad from it, she’d tilted her head down; she was the one hiding now. I wanted so badly to know what she was thinking, waiting felt agonizing, but I waited all the same. Then a quiet little sniffle filled that silence and when I inhaled there was salt in the air.

The discovery startled me, was she crying? Shaken from my paralysis, I cupped her chin with one hand, my tail and other arm hugging her middle. As her face raised to mine, I saw how she was biting her bottom lip to muffle her sounds, big wet tears rolling down her cheeks, and her dark brown eyes with the intriguing gold flecks all watery and huge.

“No, Arianna, Sunshine, don’t cry! It’s alright, I’m okay now, everyone else survived. It was the best outcome, I just keep wishing I’d done better,” I hurried to say. I didn’t like seeing her sad. I knew she cried last night too, but that was different, that was… an emotional release. She’d been as struck by the bond between us as I had been. This was real sadness and I didn’t like it. My Sunshine should never be sad.

She tilted her head further into my palm, a wet little laugh escaping, “I’m not crying about that. I’m crying because of what you did for me. You swore you never would and then you did anyway, to rescue me.” She hiccuped when she tried to swallow a sob, clasping a hand over her mouth, eyes wide as if she felt mortified.

I leaned in, pressing my forehead to hers, wrapping myself around her so she knew she wasn’t alone. “Of course I did, I wasn’t going to let you starve.” The moment I’d heard her voice, heard her cheerful spirit despite the odds, I’d been hooked. No one deserved to die a slow death of starvation on a space wreck, rescue had been the only right choice, regardless of whether I fancied her or not. Which I did, very much.

“Thank you,” she said. “My family has always said I wouldn’t amount to much, that I wasn’t worth anyone’s time. So it means a lot to me to know what you did for me.” I wanted to growl at what she said, what kind of rotten family said such things? Especially to Arianna who hardly seemed worthy of such mean words. She was so cheerful, so kind, why would they think she was a failure?

She laughed, the sound tinkling through the air, “Don’t growl Da’vi, it’s okay. They’re dead anyway now, aren’t they?” She didn’t sound too sad about that little fact so I grunted in confirmation. Definitely dead, she’d been in stasis for several centuries on that wreck, she was lucky her stasis pod had woken her when it started to fail.

“I’m just pissed that they won’t ever know that I did make something of myself… Or I will at some point.” She tried to turn her head away from my palm again, trying to hide once more, and I rumbled another low growl. Lifting the tip of my tail from her middle I placed that sharp tip just beneath her chin.

“Don’t hide Arianna, now listen closely,” I said. Once her eyes were on mine I leaned in to press a kiss to her mouth. “You do not have to prove yourself to anyone, you are perfect just like this. Fuck them for not seeing that, they are the ones not worthy.”

Chapter 16

Arianna

I felt far too exposed after that talk with Da’vi, I felt a little crazy inside actually. Why was everything he said, everything he did so addictive? So nice. He was supposed to be the stoic, grumpy guy who just did the right thing, not this complete sweetheart who understood me. Soon he’d figure out what kind of negative thought spirals went on in my head, what a fraud I was. Then what?

At least he wasn’t the talkative kind and we fell into a silence, the type I normally filled, unable to be with my own thoughts too long. It was rapidly cooling inside the small shuttle since he’d turned off the heating along with the lights. It was the perfect excuse for cuddles, I was only too happy to remain in his lap, curled up against his chest.

“Why don’t you try to sleep, Arianna? It’s been a busy time, I’m sure you’re tired,” he said, but I heard the amusement in his voice. He was remembering our little bit of fun in the tent last night, he thought he’d exhausted me. That made me laugh, pulling me out of my head; a single round of sex wasn’t enough to put me out of commission. I’d show him.

Moving only my hands, I slid them along his neck, down his spine. Making sure to curl my fingers so I could press the tips into his firm muscles. “Oh, I’m not that tired, big guy,” I purred near his ear. It was mostly hidden beneath his mane of black and purple hair, the tops of his ears tucked beneath the dark gray bandana he used to tie it all out of his face. Sliding a finger beneath the fabric, I followed the curve of his ear shell and was delighted to discover a slightly pointed tip.

“Not tired? What about cold?” he asked, chuckling when I spread my legs to snugly straddle his. He was letting me lead, for now, but I knew that wouldn’t last, Da’vi didn’t like to surrender control. “Should I help you warm up?”

I didn’t answer in words, but I pulled the tab on his coveralls open, sliding my hands beneath the thick fabric. “Oh yeah, you definitely need to warm me up,” I agreed. “I heard sharing body heat is the best way.” I had tasted his cock, and now I needed to feel it.

Sex was easy and uncomplicated for me usually, I wanted to reduce things between us to the physical for a while. Maybe I’d feel more like myself afterward, not that it had worked that way last night. Sure would be glorious to try. I vehemently shushed any of the negative thoughts that wanted to spiral through my brain and focused on touching.

Running my hands over the warm skin beneath his clothing, tasting the hollow at the base of his neck. The pleasant taste of him on my tongue, the heat of his cock beneath my ass as he hardened. I loved this moment, this part where we were just on the brink of real passion, the calm before the storm.

Then I nibbled on his earlobe and he shivered, groaning loudly. I knew I’d broken his resolve, he spun us until I was spread out on the floor beneath him. His hands worked to free me from my clothing. I helped, or hindered, as much as I could, dragging at his clothes, trying to kick off my new boots.

His mouth claimed mine, devouring me, his tongue mastering my own. It was a precursor of what was to come and each stroke of his agile tongue against mine made my abdominal muscles clench and twitch. Tail circling my wrists, he had them tightly pinned against my chest between us, pushing up my breasts for him to explore.

Pressing my legs open with his knees, he made a place for himself between my legs. Yes, was he just going to take me? I was already so wet, I was pretty sure I could, even if he was big. Curling my hips, I eagerly pressed my mons against his cock, grinding him against my clit.

He laughed, “So eager, my Sunshine. Such a naughty girl. Want me to fuck you? Fill you with my cock? That what you want?” His sexy demands made goosebumps break out over my skin, my empty passage clasping on nothing. I knew he was going to make me say it, that’s how this went; the little power play was making my body ache.

Moaning, seeking more friction against my clit, I pressed my hips up. This time he pinned my thigh with his knee, refusing me any kind of touch. That wasn’t fair. Leaning in he lapped at each of my nipples in turn, then he blew cold air over them. It was too dark for me to properly see, but I was certain he was grinning. The only real light in the shuttle came from the purple lines glowing on his skin.