Chapter Twelve #2
"What are you making?" Kar'on asks, genuinely curious.
"An omelet. Earth style but with local ingredients." I start cracking eggs. "So, Kar'on, you work with the Council?"
"Sometimes. Translator for off-world communications."
"That's how you heard about us?"
"Everyone heard about you. A human tracking down the Nereidan who saved him?
And that Nereidan being reclusive Vel'aan who hasn't shown interest in anyone in years?
The Council talked of nothing else yesterday.
Things were kept quiet back then but now.
..now there's no more reason to hide. A mistake was made and my brother stepped back from research.
You coming here brought a lot of things to light.
Don't worry, no one is in trouble, it's all good things. "
Kar'on moves closer to watch me work, placing a casual hand on my shoulder. "It's fascinating, really, how you found each other after—"
Suddenly Vel'aan is there, pulling me back against him, his arm wrapping possessively around my waist. "Don't touch him."
"He's your brother," I say quietly, though I'm not actually bothered.
"He's touching you," Vel'aan practically growls. It's kinda hot, and as his colors change to more gold, I know he feels my reaction too.
Kar'on raises his hands, stepping back with barely concealed amusement. "Just being friendly, brother."
"Be friendly from a distance." Vel'aan's hold on me tightens, and then he's turning me in his arms, kissing me thoroughly in front of his entire family. It's possessive, claiming, and completely out of character for my normally reserved partner.
When he finally pulls back, I'm breathless and his parents are staring in shock.
"Well," Kar'on says, grinning openly now. "That's clear enough."
"Vel'aan," Sar'na says carefully. "That was... unexpected."
He doesn't let go of me. "The bond is new. It makes me... protective."
"Possessive," Tav'ik corrects dryly.
"That too," Vel'aan admits.
I turn back to the stove, still enclosed in his arms. "I need to flip the omelet."
He releases me reluctantly, but stays close, practically pressed against my back as I work. Through the bond, I feel his embarrassment warring with instincts he can't quite control.
"Kar'on," Vel'aan warns when his brother starts to move closer again.
"You've been alone for so long, we thought you'd given up on connecting with anyone," his brother says.
"I hadn't met the right person," Vel'aan replies quietly, still hovering protectively near me.
"And the right person is a human who appeared three days ago?" his father challenges.
"Would you prefer I'd chosen someone you approved of but didn't love?" Vel'aan asks.
"I'd prefer you'd taken time to make an informed decision."
"How much time would have been acceptable?" I ask, whisking the eggs. "A month? A year? A decade?"
"More than three days," his mother says.
"But the bond formed naturally," I point out. "We didn't force it or seek it out. It just happened."
"Bonds don't 'just happen,'" his father says. "They require deep compatibility, emotional resonance, and mutual understanding."
"Which we apparently have." I pour the eggs into a heated pan. "Look, I know you don't trust me. I'm human, I'm new, I'm not what you pictured for your son. But I'm not going anywhere."
"Other worlders always leave," his mother says quietly. "It's your nature. You explore, you experience, you move on."
"Some maybe. Not me." I flip the omelet expertly. "I sold everything I owned to come here. I have no home to return to, no job waiting, no life outside of this. I came here for Vel'aan, and I'm staying for Vel'aan."
"And when you grow bored? When the novelty wears off?"
I plate the omelet and turn to face them fully.
"Do you want to know what I feel through the bond?
Not just his emotions, but the depth of them?
The layers of loneliness he's been carrying, the fear of connection, the absolute joy he felt when we bonded?
" I look at his parents. "Your son has been emotionally isolated for years, going through the motions of life but not really living.
I can feel it all through our connection. And I can feel how that's changing."
"You presume to know our son better than we do?" his father asks, but there's less hostility now.
"I presume nothing. I'm telling you what I feel through an empathic bond that goes deeper than anything I've experienced." I serve the omelet, cutting it into portions. "Try the food. Let's talk like civilized beings instead of adversaries."
They eat cautiously at first, then with more interest.
"This is actually pleasant," Sar'na admits.
"I can make it regularly. If I'm around." I take a bite of my own portion. "Which I intend to be."
"You haven't asked our permission," Tav'ik observes.
"With respect, I don't need it. Vel'aan is an adult. Our bond is formed." I meet his gaze. "But I would like your acceptance. It would mean a lot to Vel'aan, and what matters to him matters to me."
"Prove the bond," Sar'na says suddenly. "If it's real, show us."
"How?"
"Tell us what Vel'aan is feeling right now. Without looking at him. Without visual cues from his bioluminescence."
I close my eyes and focus on the bond. "He's anxious but also.
.. proud? Proud that I'm standing up to you.
Frustrated that this meeting is happening this way.
Embarrassed about you seeing the marks on his skin.
But underneath all of that..." I pause, feeling deeper.
"He's happy. Genuinely, deeply happy in a way he hasn't been in years.
And he loves me. It's new and scary and overwhelming for him, but it's real. "
When I open my eyes, everyone is staring at Vel'aan, whose bioluminescence is cycling through rapid confirmatory patterns.
"That's... accurate," he admits softly.
A long silence follows. Then Tav'ik speaks.
"The bond appears genuine."
"It is genuine," Vel'aan says firmly.
"You'll follow proper Nereidan bonding customs for any ceremony," Sar'na says.
"Of course," I agree.
"And you'll prove this isn't just human promiscuity. That you can be... selective."
"Vel'aan is my only partner here. Will be my only partner, period."
"We shall see," Tav'ik says, standing. "We'll be staying for several days. To... observe. To ensure this bond is stable."
"You're staying here?" Vel'aan asks, alarmed.
"We'll stay with Kar'on's friend in a nearby sector," Sar'na says. "But we'll be visiting. Daily."
"Wonderful," Vel'aan mutters through the bond.
"That's fair," I say aloud. "I look forward to getting to know you better."
"We shall see," Tav'ik repeats. "The human cooks acceptably."
"High praise," Kar'on says with amusement. Then, as they're preparing to leave, he catches sight of the mark on Vel'aan's throat that the formal garment doesn't quite hide. "Though perhaps next time we visit, brother, you might want to wear something with a higher collar."
Vel'aan's bioluminescence flares mortified purple, and Kar'on grins.
"Just a suggestion," he adds innocently before following their parents out.
They leave with formal farewells, and the moment the door closes, Vel'aan slumps against the wall.
"That went better than expected," I say.
"They're staying for days," he moans. "They'll be watching everything."
"Then we'll give them something good to watch." I move toward him, backing him against the wall. "Like how you just claimed me in front of your entire family."
"I'm mortified."
"You shouldn't be." I press against him, feeling his body respond immediately. "Do you have any idea how hot that was? You going all possessive and primal?"
"It was inappropriate—"
"It was perfect." I kiss him hard, then drop to my knees. "And now I'm going to show you just how much I liked it."
"Alex, we can't—they might come back—"
"Then you'll have to be quiet." I untie his pants, pulling them down to free him. He's already half-hard from the kiss, and the sight makes my mouth water. "Can you do that? Stay quiet while I suck you?"
His bioluminescence flares bright purple-gold. "I... I don't know."
"Let's find out." I take him in my mouth without further warning, and he has to slap a hand over his mouth to muffle his cry.
I love to taste him, to feel the interesting ridges against my tongue, to watch his colors go wild from this angle. He's slightly cooler than a human would be, with a faintly sweet taste that's uniquely him.
"Alex," he gasps, his free hand tangling in my hair. "Oh fuck, your mouth is so warm."
I hum around him, which makes his hips jerk forward. Through the bond, I can feel his pleasure—the wet heat of my mouth, the suction, the way my tongue explores every ridge and sensitive spot. It creates a feedback loop that has me achingly hard in my pants.
I pull off just long enough to say, "I can feel how good this is for you. Through the bond. It's incredible."
"Please," he whimpers, trying to guide me back down. "Please don't stop."
I take him deep, relaxing my throat, using every bit of skill I've accumulated over the years.
His bioluminescence is pulsing erratically, casting moving shadows on the walls.
Through the bond, I feel him getting close embarrassingly fast—not just his physical pleasure but his shocked arousal at this act, the overwhelming newness of it mixing with desperate want.
"Alex, I'm—" He tries to pull back, but I hold his hips in place, looking up at him with clear intent. "Fuck, you want me to—"
I hum agreement, speeding up, and his whole body goes rigid. He comes with a muffled shout, his bioluminescence going supernova bright, and through the bond I feel it—the overwhelming pleasure, the relief, the complete satisfaction mixed with wonder.
I swallow everything and stand, pulling him into a kiss so he can taste himself on my tongue.
"You're insane," he pants against my mouth. "What if they'd walked back in?"
"Then they would have seen how well I take care of you." I grind against him, letting him feel how hard I am. "How thoroughly owned I am by you."
His hand drops to palm me through my pants. "Your turn?"
"Later. When we can take our time." I kiss him again, softer this time. "Besides, this was about showing appreciation for that possessive display."
"I still can't believe I did that."
"I can. The bond makes everything more intense." I brush his hair back from his face. "And I loved it. Seeing you claim me like that? I'm going to be thinking about it for days."
Through the bond, I feel his pleasure at my words, mixed with residual embarrassment and deep satisfaction.
"They'll be back tomorrow," he says.
"Probably early," I agree.
"We should go to the zhik'ra fields. Work. Be normal." He leans against me, his body still humming with afterglow. "I never expected this. Any of this."
"Regrets?"
"No." He pulls back to look at me, his colors shifting to warm gold. "Never. Even with my family being difficult, even with everything happening so fast. You're worth it."
"So are you." I kiss him once more. "Come on, let's clean up before they decide to make another surprise visit."
As we straighten our clothes and tidy the kitchen, I can feel our bond humming contentedly between us. It's stronger after the morning's intensity—his possessive display, the family confrontation, the blowjob that took him by surprise.
We're going to be just fine. Family drama, cultural differences, and all.
We're going to be perfect.