Lois
Shit! I must have inadvertently answered Zann’s video call from Az’s wrist-comm.
Zann’s face fills the projection, that knowing smirk only growing and growing. “Does K know about this?” he asks, wagging a finger between Az and I.
“There’s nothing to know,” I answer at the same time that Az shrugs, saying, ‘I’ll tell him if he asks.’
We glance at one another, and I widen my eyes back at him. He shrugs again like he doesn’t see the problem.
The problem being, friends-with-benefits situations are normally hush-hush.
Not to mention the fact that my mission here is to get into Senator Glex’s ear, not Prince Az’s pants.
I don’t want word getting back to Niska, who trusted me with this, and for her to think I’m treating this excursion like some kind of bone-a-thon on tour.
Zann leans forward, his chin resting on his palm, his elbow on some kind of control console.
He is absolutely eating this shit up like all his Christmases have come at once, and tomorrow’s his birthday.
“Uh-huh,” he nods, eyes flicking between us with glee before they land squarely on Az.
“You know Big K is gonna kick your ass for this, brother.”
Totally unaffected, Az tips his head back, looking at Zann through half-lidded eyes as he shoves his hands into his pants pockets. “And I’m sure you’d be delighted at that fact.”
Zann shifts closer to the comm’s camera.
“Takes the heat off me for once. But I’ll only get to enjoy it if I’m off this fucking nightmare of a planet,” he comments.
“There’s no leisure facilities; they’ve got me handling jars of the native species’ sparkly seed, and I swear the bugs here are out to get me-”
“Sparkly?” Az interrupts.
Zann nods. “Yeah. For the repopulating efforts or something. I don’t know. I just do as I’m told so I can get the fuck out of here as soon as possible. There’s literally nothing here-”
“Except jars of seed that sparkles, apparently,” Az adds, teasing.
Zann blinks back at us, unamused. “And bugs, and the winged natives, and bugs, and a bunch of humans, and bugs, and these weird nightmare-creatures that mimic the sounds they hear. Oh, and did I mention the bugs?!”
Az folds his arms, the picture of nonchalance. “Bugs, huh?”
“Wait – did you say humans?”
Zann nods. “Yeah. I’m not sure how they got here, but they’re living with the natives. And one of them in particular is rapidly becoming a royal pain in my own royal ass.”
I look to Az, my mouth hanging open, before I turn back to the video call. “But… can’t you help them? Shouldn’t we be trying to rescue them? They could come to Niska’s new refugee planet when it’s ready.”
Shrugging, Zann squints at a screen on the control panel in front of him and presses a few buttons.
“They seem perfectly happy so far. And I’ve been left with very clear instructions.
Don’t ask too many questions, don’t fuck around with the conservation setup they have here, don’t interact with the natives beyond guidelines, and don’t drop any jars of sparkly cum. ”
“But-”
“Ah, shit,” Zann mutters, looking at a different monitor and turning various dials.
“She’s coming back. I swear, this female asks more questions than the Intergalactic Interrogation Service.
I gotta go.” He then pauses his button pressing to lean in toward the camera and points a finger at Az.
“If you need bite suppressants,” he says, wagging that finger between the both of us again, “I know a guy.”
“Zann, I don’t want to deal with any of your shady-ass-”
The line goes dead, and it’s just Az and I again.
A moment of silence passes before Az clears his throat. “So, err…” he hooks his thumb over at the dining area. “Getting you back on the table is… uh… off the table?”
I can’t help it. I snort-giggle.
Wetting my lips, I can’t help but smile at the big dork standing in front of me, absentmindedly rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s getting late, we should-”
“Yeah. Of course.”
I can’t help but notice he looks a little deflated as he nods, his shoulders lowering. “Or we could-”
“Hm?”
The way his whole face lights up is almost comical. Walking up to him, I take his hand. “Why don’t we share a bed and cuddle tonight?”
* * *
Half an hour later, we’ve washed up, changed into nightwear – well, I have; Az normally sleeps naked, but compromised with underwear – and I’ve gone through the rules of cuddling.
One, do not roll onto my hair. Two, no funny business.
Three, when we wake up, he’s not allowed to comment on my morning breath.
“This is the best night of my fucking life,” Az comments to the ceiling as I snuggle up to his side, my face pressed into the juncture between his shoulder and jaw.
“You’re lying,” I murmur into his skin just before I hook my leg over his in a bid to get more comfortable.
“I’m really not.”
Blindly, I pat around his face, trying for his cheek but probably poking him in the nose in the process. “You’re so weird. Go to sleep.”
He says something else as he squeezes me closer, his big, strong arm looped around my body, keeping me securely at his side. I’m too sleepy for a conversation right now, and cuddling up with the big guy is so very comfy.
I don’t know how long we sleep for, or what time it is when I finally open my eyes again. All I know is, six huge strangers are staring down at me when I do.