Chapter 23
I look forward to it
Hannah
“You’re amazing, thank you.”
“Billie may not be there, and if she is, she’ll be with her Royal Sponsor.
We may be positioned no where near her.” He tries to curb my excitement, but I don’t care.
He’s right, since the last time I tried to get close to Billie Prince Izule refused to let me past him and Ambassador Rerasha dragged me back. But still? Billie might be there!
“Even if I just get to see her, she might be reassured enough to finally call me.”
“Fine.” Tumva sighed and looked less than thrilled. “Just don’t get disappointed if we don’t see her.”
“Understood.” I nodded eagerly.
“And…this isn’t exactly going to be the easy first patrol I had in mind for you.
” Tumva sighed and averted his gaze. “You better prepare yourself for the less than warm welcome we’re going to receive…
because of me.” Guilt gripped me and I frowned.
I was so eager to get us into the palace, I didn’t think about how unpleasant it was going to be for Tumva.
Everyone gave him a wide birth and cowered from him.
His colleagues didn’t respect him. He probably wanted a quiet patrol away from the general public so they didn’t point and stare and the big bad Death Striker.
Then I ruin that plan because I got tunnel vision about seeing my sister.
It didn’t even occur to me how he might feel about being on display in the palace.
“Tumva?” I follow him towards the armoury.
He’s already filling in the requisitions form when I come to stand beside him.
I pout at how high the counter is. This place was build for Ucfeni long before humans landed on Thelia, after all.
I perch my hands on the shelf and my chin on my hands. “Tumva?”
“Hmm?” He doesn’t look away from the form. I huff and bump my hip into his tail. “What?” He looks down at me and I put a brave smile on my face.
“Yes, I want to see Billie. But…you are my partner. I put you on the spot just now and that wasn’t fair.” He turns to look at me more intently and I shrug up at him. “I pushed for the palace patrol without asking you first. It was a jerk move.”
“No it-”
“Yeah, it was.” I cut him off with a chuckle. “Like you said, I probably won’t even see Billie, never mind get anywhere near her, so…” I shrug again. “We’ll do whatever patrol you want.”
“Do you wish to report to the palace?” He pushes the clipboard with the requisition form towards the Ucfeni working the racks, and he lowers to look me right in the eye. I see my reflection in his glossy void-like eyes.
“I don’t want to put my partner in an uncomfortable position.” I counter and he hums with thought, before nodding at me.
“I will not pretend that I will enjoy being at the palace, but I would regret not allowing you the chance, no matter how slim, to see your sister.”
“But-”
“I know how it hurts you that you’ve been without her for so long.
” He hit his target like an arrow to the bullseye on my heart.
“To give you that chance, I will tolerate being…uncomfortable.” He nodded and lifted back up on his tail to retrieve our weapons.
I can’t lie, I’m touched. He’s going to put up with pointing, gossip, Ucfeni cowering from him, and being made to feel like a monster, just so I might get to see Billie.
“Thank you. You’re the greatest partner a girl could wish for.” My eyes sparkle and I think he might have blushed, but it’s hard to tell because he’s midnight black from head to tail tip. “I’ll make this up to you Tumva.” I point up at him with a grin as he hands me my baton and taser.
“That isn’t necessary.” He mumbles under his breath, but I’m not having that.
“No, but I want to, so that’s a promise mister.” I chuckle and wink up at him. Tumva finishes fastening the safety strap over his weapons and stares at me…bashfully?
“…what do you have in mind?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to think about it, and it’s going to be epic.” I chuckle and pull at the collar of my kevlar jumpsuit to protect my neck.
“Come here.” Tumva fussed and yanked my collar higher up to protect all the way around and snapped a button at the front to cover my throat. “If someone comes at you fang first you need to have your pierce proof collar up high.”
“Yes sir.” I chuckle and reach my hands up. “Come here then.” Tumva raises a scaly brow and then lowers his head so I can feel my hands around his collar and give him the same treatment. “Not that anyone’s going to get anywhere near my neck with you around.”
He locks his gaze with mine and captures me.
I’m suddenly very aware how close Tumva’s face is to mine.
Our hands are on each other’s collars and the mood is suddenly very…
I don’t know. Intense? Curious? “A-and did I mention I’m a really good shot?
So your neck is safe too.” I try to play down the mood but damn, Tumva’s stare is just… steamy.
My masochistic mind brought up the Xeno-porn I’ve been unable to forget. Of scales sliding over skin and the erotic look on the human woman’s face as she climbed her Ucfeni partner to utter ecstasy. I look at Tumva’s black scaly lips and his tongue flicks out towards me.
“Ahem?” We both turn to look at Ezid who for some reason is grinning so wide his jaw membranes are showing.
I blush and we simultaneously release each other’s collars.
Much to my embarrassment, various officers are whispering and laughing together at what must have appeared to be an intimate moment between me and Tumva.
“Well I have to say I had my doubts when Tumva asked to become your sponsor and make you his partner, but it’s clear that you two are getting along really well. ”
“Yes sir.” I answer and Tumva snaps his head to look down at me with his mouth open in shock. “Tumva is an excellent teacher and I trust him with my life. He’s my friend, and he’s badass.” I raise my hand and wait for him to give me the most awkward fist bump ever. It’s adorable really.
“…a huh…” Ezid looks between us and slowly smiles.
“Believe me when I say I’m happy to hear that.
” Tumva looks to our Pitboss with confusion.
“Just remember our professional conduct policy when in the workplace. What you do in your own time and in your own nest is your own business, but at work you need to be on point at all times.”
“Of course we-”
“Yes sir.” I cut Tumva off and salute Ezid, who chuckles and nods to us both before slithering away.
“Hannah?” Tumva seems startled and takes my hand to guide me to one side for a private word.
“Do you understand what Ezid just implied?” I opened my mouth to reply, but he didn’t give me the chance.
“He just accused us of being more than partners, and warned us not to be intimate at work. And you didn’t make him think otherwise?
Before the day is out the entire pit is going to think you and I are… courting.”
“…is that…a problem?” I glanced warily around us, not wanting to be overheard. “I don’t mind if people think we’re dating.” I think all the colour would have drained from his scales, if it was possible. “Do you mind?”
“No.” He didn’t even hesitate and I smiled coyly up at him. Gotcha.
“Well, in that case, I think I know how I’m going to make today’s patrol up to you.” I sing, dropping that bombshell on my partner and swagger away from him. He seems to have mentally stalled for a solid 30 seconds before he hurries after me.
“What do you mean by-”
“You heard the Pitboss? No fraternising at work.” He sways with shock at my flirting and I can tell he’s going to have a hard time keeping his mind on work. I have a bounce in my step and a giggle in my throat as we head to the travel basket.
“Hannah I need to know what you mea-” He starts to beg me, but we have company at the basket station. Much to my displeasure, Zefer and Morty arrive at the travel basket station at the same time as us.
“I hear you two are headed for the palace?” Morty shakes his head with disbelief. “You realise that if you screw up in front of the Royals, you can kiss your career goodbye, right?”
“Maybe that’s why Ezid gave the patrol to them?” Zefer added and my good mood soured. “Come on Morty.” Zefer opened the basket and coiled up inside as he waited for Morty to sit securely in the middle of his tail. “Later losers.”
“Are you 12?” I snort and look at Tumva whilst throwing a thumb at the pair of them. “Seriously? How are these jerks Peacekeepers?”
“Because we’re decent officers people trust.” Morty closed the basket door and smirked at us. “People run to us to report a crime. They take one look at Tumva and run in the opposite direction.”
“How Ezid got clearance to let a Death Striker on the force is beyond me.” Zefer hissed and I stormed forward to whip the basket door open and give him a piece of my mind, but Tumva held my shoulders to hold me back.
I really don’t like those two. They were laughing, so damn amused with themselves, as the basket lifted up towards the ground level.
“No offence, but if those guys were on fire, I wouldn’t pee on them to put it out.
” Tumva snorted to one side, his hands still on my shoulders and I turned my head to the side to look into his black eyes.
In a very snake-like way his neck curved around my side to look at me. Again, his face was very close to mine.
“Don’t take their bait. They are trying to get a rise out of you. Trust me? Their bite lacks venom.”
“…yeah, well, they’re still jerks.” I pout and he pushed my shoulders to walk forward into the next travel basket.
“And we need to focus on our own patrol.” He chuckled, the cold stoic veil he wore around others having dropped now we are alone in the travel basket.
I raised a brow as he sat me on his tail, as usual…
but a bit higher than normal. Not high enough to straddle him…
but close enough to make me blush. His tail coiled around my legs to secure me and the basket swayed as we started to ascend.
“When we get back to our nest…I’d like to talk about…
well…” Tumva looms down towards the pit and then back to me, but doesn’t look me in the eye.
“…you know…” I smile, knowing what he’s trying to say but he’s too shy to get it out. “About…”
“Is anyone looking?”
“…?” He cants his head to one side and then looks around with more flexibility than a human neck would allow. “No?” I’m not 100% sure he’s going to respond the way I hope he will, so I’m gentle as I reach up to cup the left side of his face. He tenses and watches me with alarm.
“We’ll talk after our shift.” I smile, coy with a shy but hopeful edge. “But? There’s a reason I don’t mind if the others think we’re a couple.”
“…is there?”
“Yeah.” My heart is racing and I decide to take the plunge. “Because I think we should be. A couple. Dating.” There, I said it. Adrenaline thunders through my veins and I’m nervously giddy that I’ve plucked up the nerve to confess to him like a damn teenager at high school.
I’ve dated guys in the past plenty. Some casual, some serious, but they never worked out.
I’d given up trying for the last 3 years and no guy I ever had chemistry with was capable of being part of my life.
Not working around the multiple jobs I had to work to support Billie, her education, and our apartment.
Even when she moved into her own place, I was still working off her student debt.
One thing Allico Inc did was pay it off before we left.
But here, on Thelia, this isn’t a temporary thing.
I’m never going back to Earth and settling down is something I can honestly think about doing now.
I’m a long way off whatever the Thelian version of marital bliss is, but dating is a nice concept I haven’t considered for a while.
Tumva appeared when I needed him the most, and he’s honestly a nice guy.
I don’t give a damn if everyone behaves like he’s the boogie man.
With me he is kind, attentive, and it helps that I think he’s sexy as hell.
I was never one to wait around like a damsel for a guy to approach me.
I’ve been teasing him, looking for an opening like this one ever since the seed of possibility landed in my head.
I will never admit that Xeno-porn made me consider having an Ucfeni partner, and then changed how I looked at Tumva as a potential boyfriend. Never in a million years.
But right now, sat practically on his lap, and off to the palace because he once again put me first. Yes, I find him physically attractive with his broad shoulders, muscular body, and the carer in me is drawn to his timid soul.
I even like how big and powerful he looks.
But his desire to put me first is really sexy.
I clear my throat and ever so gently stroke my hand along his jaw. “Is that something you’d like us to be? A couple?” He swallowed thickly and I blushed as his hands took hold of my waist.
“Yes. I would.” I giggled and nodded, pleased with both his answer and the adoring look in his fathomless eyes.
He smiled too and I gasped pleasantly as he took his right hand off my waist to stroke my cheek and comb through my long raven hair.
He started to reel me closer and I licked my lips with anticipation of what I hoped would be a kiss that lived up to my wanton expectations.
The basket swung to a stop and we both scrambled apart before anyone saw us.
Once outside I put my hands on my kevlar-clad hips and chuckled up at him.
“Once we are off duty I would like to discuss that matter further.” He tried to sound like we were discussing work.
I thought that was so cute, so I decided to play along.
“Yes absolutely. We’ll debrief and go over the details on how to proceed later.”
“Agreed.” He nods and lowers to let me climb up onto his back and into the harness. I smirk as I smooth my hands as seductively as I can onto his shoulders and lean forward to whisper by his left side.
“I look forward to it.” I quickly plant a kiss on his neck and wrap my arms around him.
For support as he carries me, of course.
“By the way? That isn’t dependent on whether I get to talk to Billie or not.
” I didn’t want him thinking I was trying to seduce him just to get me into the palace and to see my sister.
No matter what happened with Billie, I like Tumva. A lot.
“…g-er-good.” He cleared his throat and picked up the pace towards the next travel basket.