Chapter 5 #2
Solar's glow intensified slightly. "Your energy signature resonates with mine in ways I did not anticipate. It is why the flames responded to you so strongly." He extinguished the fire in his palm with a subtle closing of his fist. "They recognized something familiar."
Before Dani could respond, a waitress appeared with two drinks. "Mike said to give you these. Great show tonight, Dani! That finale was wild."
"Thanks, Jessie," Dani replied automatically, taking the drinks.
When they were alone again, she handed one to Solar. "So, what happens now? Do you abduct me to your spaceship for experiments?"
Solar looked genuinely offended. "I am a warrior of the Solarus Elite Guard, not a primitive specimen collector. If any association forms between us, it would be voluntary and mutual."
"Association," Dani repeated, taking a sip of her drink. The alcohol burned pleasantly down her throat. "Is that what they call it on your planet?"
Solar's confusion was evident. "Call what?"
Dani laughed, the tension breaking. "Never mind. Look, I need to change and collect my tips. Why don't you wait for me? We can go somewhere quieter to talk about this energy signature compatibility thing."
Solar nodded, his formal demeanor softening. "I would find that acceptable."
"Acceptable," she mimicked with a smile. "You really know how to make a girl feel special."
He nodded in agreement. “Yes.”
“And you’re modest, too,” she laughed.
She slipped into the back room, her heart racing as she quickly changed and removed her performance makeup. An alien. She was flirting with an actual alien who could manipulate fire. Even by Duskrock standards, this was bizarre.
Well, she was always attracted to the flame.
She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so alive. The way he'd watched her perform awakened something in her.
When she emerged, Solar was waiting precisely where she'd left him, standing with perfect stillness. His eyes tracked her movement, and that subtle glow beneath his skin seemed to brighten at her approach.
"Ready?" she asked, suddenly nervous.
"Yes," he answered simply. "Where shall we go?"
Dani considered for a moment. "My place is close. We can walk."
The desert night was cool, stars brilliant in the clear sky. They walked in silence for several blocks, Dani acutely aware of the heat radiating from Solar's body beside her. He moved with a grace that reminded her of flames dancing in still air.
"I do not like this darkness, but you make it tolerable. Your world has many stars," Solar observed as they walked. "On Zorveya, my zone sees only eternal day. The stars are known to most only through education, not experience. Very few of us venture into the twilight zone."
Dani tried to suppress a laugh.
“Is something amusing about that?”
“Twilight zone?” She nodded and laughed harder. “I mean, yeah. I think I might be in the twilight zone right now.”
He looked up. “No. I do not think so. I believe you call this unwelcoming time the night.”
“Twilight Zone is an old television show where strange things happen to,” she paused, “you know what, never mind. It’s not important.’
“Ah, yes, your television. We were shown your depictions of aliens on our journey here.” He frowned. “They were not completely accurate.”
"So, always sunlight, you said? That sounds beautiful and terrible at the same time," Dani changed the subject. "Never seeing stars, but also never knowing darkness."
Solar glanced at her. "You, a person of the fire, enjoy this dark sky?”
"Yes, I prefer the balance of light and dark. I think you need both to appreciate either," she said, surprising herself with the philosophical turn. "Fire means nothing without shadow to define it."
Solar seemed to consider this. "Perhaps that is why the council sent representatives from both zones, with Eclipse to mediate between us."
"Eclipse? That's your friend from the twilight zone?"
"The correct Earth translation for his land is called the Twilight Belt," Solar corrected. "Yes. He maintains balance between those of light and shadow."
They reached her small apartment, a second-floor unit in an adobe complex with a view of the red rocks. Dani fumbled with her keys, suddenly self-conscious about the modest space.
"It's not much," she said, opening the door. "But it's home for now."
Solar entered, his eyes taking in every detail with careful assessment. "You have many fire implements," he noted, gesturing to the practice tools hanging on her wall and propped up in a corner.
"It's more than a job," Dani admitted, setting down her bag. "It's the only thing that ever made sense to me. The only time I feel fully in control."
Solar moved to the window, looking out at the night sky. "Control is an illusion. Fire knows this. It can be directed but never truly contained."
Dani stepped closer to him, drawn by the warmth of his presence. "Is that what you are? Fire that can't be contained?"
Solar turned to face her, his golden eyes reflecting the dim light of her apartment. "My people believe in harnessing energy, focusing it to achieve our goals. But yes, there is always a risk of burning too bright."
"And what's your goal here, on Earth?" Dani asked, her voice dropping to a near whisper. She studied his skin. It looked like some kind of shell meant to hide who he really was beneath.
"Officially? To demonstrate that cooperation between different beings is possible." His gaze intensified. "But I find myself developing unauthorized objectives."
Dani smiled, closing the distance between them. Her adrenaline from being set on fire was still surging in her veins. She couldn’t help but think she was a moth to his flame. She needed to get closer to him. "Such as?"
"Understanding why your fire manipulation techniques affect my energy patterns," he said, but his voice had roughened. "And why I cannot stop thinking about the way your body moves when you dance."
The directness of his statement sent heat coursing through her. "Maybe we should investigate that. For science."
"For science," Solar agreed, his lips curving in what might have been his first genuine smile.
Thank goodness this alien man got flirting.
Dani reached up, hesitantly touching his face. His skin was hot beneath her fingers, not uncomfortably so, but warmer than any human's should be. The subtle glow intensified where she made contact.
She wondered if their bodies would be compatible.
Every nerve in her begged her to find out.
Her eyes dipped down his body. He looked human, or in the very least, humanoid .
There seemed to be a bulge between his thighs that gave her growing desire hope.
She couldn't help but think of how good his heat would feel inside her.
Her heartbeat quickened, and she naturally leaned closer, wondering at the shape of him beneath the fake skin.
"I want to see the real you," she whispered, surprising herself with the admission.
Solar's hand covered hers, pressing her palm more firmly against his cheek. "You control fire as if you were born to it. On my world, such skill would mark you as elite."
The compliment, so specific to her unique talent, touched something deep within her. Dani had never felt particularly special or valued. Fire had been her only constant companion, the only thing that didn't leave or disappoint her.
Until now, perhaps.
"I have seen this on your television." When Solar leaned down to kiss her, it felt inevitable.
His lips were surprisingly soft, but that same heat radiated from them, sending sparks of pleasure racing across her skin.
Dani pressed closer, her hands moving to his shoulders, feeling the strange, smooth texture of the skin beneath his shirt.
The kiss deepened, and Solar's initial hesitancy gave way to a hunger that matched her own. His hands found her waist, pulling her against him with careful strength that suggested he was holding back.
Her heart beat fast and hard. She wanted to explore the danger churning inside him.
"It's okay," she murmured against his mouth. "I'm not fragile."
Something seemed to break loose in him at her words. His arms tightened around her, and the temperature between them rose noticeably. The kiss became more demanding, his tongue meeting hers with a skill that suggested some aspects of attraction were definitely universal.
Dani's fingers found the buttons of his shirt, working them free with growing urgency. She needed to see more of him, to understand what lay beneath the human disguise.
As the shirt fell open, she gasped. The skin armor of his chest was perfectly sculpted, muscular, and smooth, but it was the shimmering gold luminescence that pulsed through the barrier like a heartbeat that held her gaze. Intricate patterns, like muted solar flares, moved beneath the surface.
"You're magnificent," she breathed, trailing her fingers over the living light of his torso.
Solar shuddered at her touch. "The skin-suit is failing," he said, his voice strained. "Your proximity accelerates the deterioration."
"Then take it off," Dani suggested, boldness overcoming caution. "I want to see the real you."
Uncertainty flickered across his face. "My true form is intense. The light may be too much for your human perception."
"I work with fire," Dani reminded him, stepping back to pull her own shirt over her head. "I'm not afraid of a little brightness."
Solar's eyes widened at the sight of her bare body, the movement of the light beneath his skin quickening. With deliberate care, he removed his shirt completely, then reached for something at the back of his neck. There was a soft hissing sound, and the skin-suit began to peel off like a membrane.
As it fell away, pure golden light filled the room. Solar stood before her, his true form revealed, a being made of contained sunlight. The patterns she had glimpsed beneath his skin now danced freely across his surface, solar flares and cosmic fire swirling in mesmerizing patterns.