Chapter 13
To: Prince Alizand and Lord Cryssxian of House Qlr-Kreegl
From: Qylar of House Null
Heading: Imminent Arrival - Nefyria Prime
Message:
Traveling with passenger for removal procedure previously requested—past usual window, still within limits. Request help finding doctor who will perform. Arrival in 15 hours. Planned docking in Hangar 6. Alert if new docking required.
As he and Kenji hurtled towards Nefyria Prime, Qylar opened a relay and sent a subspace message to Cryss and Alex ahead of their arrival.
Once complete, he lifted his gaze to Kenji, who stared through the crystalline window, watching the dark, empty void of space.
He ambled closer and wrapped his arms around Kenji from behind, hands clasped over his small swell.
“I’d really hoped I’d be wowed on this trip. Space is mostly empty, and that makes me really sad.”
“I warned you there wouldn’t be much to see at this velocity,” Qylar murmured.
“Why don’t we slow down?”
“Slowing down enough for you to see things would make this trip four weeks long.”
“Ugh,” Kenji said.
“Exactly. If it helps, I plan to stop a couple of times on the way back and show you a few special spots.”
“That helps.”
“Is the turkey nearly done?”
“It is,” Kenji said. “It’s resting on the counter.”
“Hopefully you’re a better cook than I am. Damned Cryss for not telling me the turkey was still raw. He said he’d cooked everything.”
Kenji turned in Qylar’s arms. “He brined and seasoned the turkey before he froze it and made eight different side dishes as well as a pie! What more did you want the man to do? All we had to do was slide everything into that cooker thing in your kitchen.”
“Just call it an oven. We’ll both know what you’re talking about.”
Kenji chuckled.
“He knows I can’t cook. The last words out of his mouth were that he’d prepared an entire Thanksgiving feast for me.
To me, that means it’s all done, just reheat.
I wouldn’t have bothered reading the instructions until just before I stuck everything into the thermorade—and had you not read them early, we’d have raw turkey for our holiday meal. ”
“You’re welcome,” Kenji said, smiling.
Qylar grinned, collecting Kenji’s face in his hands. “Thank you.”
He lowered his head and pressed a soft kiss to Kenji’s lips.
After he pulled away, Kenji wrapped both arms around Qylar and held tight. “I can’t believe we’re about to have Thanksgiving dinner—in space.”
“I hope it’s okay that it’s just me you’re eating with and not a massive table full of friends and family.”
Kenji’s smile faded. “I usually spend it alone—or working a shift at the bar. This will be infinitely better.”
Qylar led Kenji out of the pilot’s deck and towards the galley. “Well, no more shifts at the bar for you.”
“I still can’t believe Howie fired me. Via text, of all things.” Kenji sighed. He’d gotten the text as they’d been loading the ship the previous evening. “Actually, I can believe it. He’s a dick.”
“You had every right to ask for time off to take care of a medical issue.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not like I could tell him what was wrong, and I couldn’t provide a doctor’s note, either. Unless he’d take one from a Nefyrian doctor and something tells me that’s going to be a no.”
“Buffet style or shall we set the table?” Qylar asked as they entered the galley.
“Buffet,” Kenji said while following him to the sink to wash their hands. “That table isn’t very big, and Cryss really went to town on these sides. There’s enough food for a dozen people.”
“No, there’s enough food for a Qylar and a Kenji and maybe leftovers for the return trip if we can get back soon.”
“We need to get back soon. I’ll need to find another job as soon as possible.”
“No you won’t,” Qylar said. He handed the carving knife to Kenji. “Wanna carve while I get the sides out?”
Kenji took the knife. “I will need a new job. I have bills to pay.”
“You can’t work on Earth,” Qylar said as he pressed the control panel on the thermorade to check the temperatures of the side dishes to ensure they were done.
“Excuse me?”
“You’re Nefyrian. You’re not allowed to work on Earth, per the no interference guidelines. Unless it’s for an approved scientific study.”
“I’m only part Nefyrian and grew up on Earth. I’ve worked since I was fourteen,” Kenji said, roughly slicing into the turkey with an edge of anger.
“You can try to find another job, but it’s only a matter of time before you’re forced to quit,” Qylar said, pulling two of the side dishes out.
“Just ask Alex. We assumed he could get away with continuing his career because he was part human and raised on Earth, too—and he did for a while—but then the Embassy caught up with him and demanded he quit.”
“How am I supposed to pay my bills?”
“They’ll be handled,” Qylar said as he got the last dish out of the oven.
“By whom?”
“They’ll be handled,” Qylar repeated, handing Kenji an empty plate.
Kenji lowered the carving knife and took the plate. “You didn’t think to tell me this before now?”
Qylar scooped up a massive serving of green beans onto his plate. “It just occurred to me.”
Kenji gave him a pointed look.
“Welcome to a life of leisure, my love,” Qylar said, lowering his head to kiss the top of Kenji’s head.
“Wait? How would they know I’m part Nefyrian unless someone told them?”
Qylar sighed. “You can’t enter Nefyrian airspace without the entire ship being scanned—which will tell them you have our DNA. Then, when I register at the dock and list the occupants of this ship, they will have your name.”
Kenji sighed. “You should’ve told me sooner.”
“Would it really have changed your mind about coming?”
“No,” Kenji grumbled.
After they’d filled their plates, they sat at the small dining table facing one another. Kenji looked around the galley and scowled. “There are no windows in here. I feel like I’m in a tin can.”
Qylar eyed Kenji and his pout for a moment before standing. “I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
“Just give me a minute,” Qylar said as he raced to the pilot’s deck.
As soon as he arrived, he checked their coordinates and then checked their distance from the Diantiani Nebulea.
A smile came to his lips. They could be there in a matter of ten minutes, and it would only cost them less than an hour of travel time.
He changed course before grabbing a few things from his quarters, dropping them off, and returning to the galley. “Grab your plate and follow me.”
“What are we doing?”
“My mate’s not eating his Thanksgiving dinner in a tin can,” Qylar said.
“This whole place is a tin can,” Kenji groused.
“Come on,” Qylar said, picking up both their utensils, his plate, and his drink. “You won’t be sorry.”
Once they had most of everything, he led them to the pilot’s deck. He walked past the consoles and showed off the blanket and two pillows on the floor in front of the crystalline window. “How about a Thanksgiving picnic?”
Kenji sighed. “Oh, fun. We get to look out at empty space.”
“Well, it is a window.”
“I guess,” Kenji said before sitting down.
Qylar laid his stuff down and then made one more trip to the galley for the rolls and pie. As soon as he returned, he sensed a shift in speed. They were getting closer, and the cruiser was slowing down. It was a matter of minutes before the proverbial fireworks went off.
“Should we say what we’re thankful for before we eat?” Qylar asked.
Kenji rolled his eyes.
“This year, I’m thankful… I met you,” Qylar murmured. “And that we can be here together.”
Kenji’s pout faded, a hint of a smile forming. “I’m thankful for meeting you as well.”
Qylar lifted his cup and pinged it against the side of Kenji’s. “Happy Thanksgiving.”
“Happy Thanksgiv—oh my god.”
Qylar sat back smiling, watching as the colors of the nebulae cluster reflected off Kenji’s handsome face.
His eyes were wide, and his jaw dropped as he stared out the window.
He lowered his plate and rose, slowly crossing to press his palms to the crystalline.
Qylar followed him, eager to see all of Kenji’s reaction.
“It’s… beautiful,” Kenji said, his voice barely over a whisper.
“The Diantiani Nebulea Cluster. One of the most stunning spots I’ve come across in all of my travels.”
“It just goes on forever.”
“Each one has a different core color because the gas composition of each star is different. It almost looks like a massive, swirling rainbow from certain angles. I knew it might be close enough for a detour, and we lucked out there. We’ll lose about an hour off our arrival time, but I figured this would make you smile,” Qylar said.
Kenji turned to him. “Thank you.”
“Want to finish our dinner before it gets too cold?”
“Are we staying here while we eat?”
Qylar nodded. “My mate wanted a view with his Thanksgiving meal so I gave him something to look at.”
Kenji launched himself at Qylar, wrapping his arms tight. “I’m sorry I got pissy. It’s not your fault.”
“Well, it kinda is. Had I not accidentally released those eggs, you could’ve snuck under the Embassy’s radar a little longer.”
“You couldn’t just take the win, hmm?” Kenji asked, grinning up at Qylar. “You just had to remind me I should stay mad at you.”
“I’m taking responsibility. Would you rather I didn’t?”
Kenji chuckled. “I suppose not.
Qylar took Kenji’s hand and led him back to their picnic.
Kenji watched the beautiful sight outside the ship.
Qylar watched the beautiful sight inside the ship.
After they were done eating and they’d taken their plates back to the galley, they returned to their blanket.
Qylar sat with his back against the solid face of one console and drew Kenji onto his lap.
Kenji rested his head on Qylar’s shoulder. They cuddled and watched the swirling gases of the nebulous clouds for a little while longer. Qylar had to get them back on course, but they could hold off for a little while.
“I appreciate you taking a detour and showing me this,” Kenji said. He pressed a kiss to Qylar’s cheek. “Happy Thanksgiving.”
“Happy Thanksgiving,” Qylar murmured before pressing his lips to Kenji’s.