Chapter 6
Chee
The Vainglory really did earn its name. Chee knew that they had pieced this ship together from existing ships, so it’s not like they had to manufacture all the tiny pieces that made it. But it was still incredible and impressive that they’d managed to create a fully functioning spaceship.
Now that it was flying in space, they could stop putting all power into the engines and let the gravity generators instead pull them back down.
As Sway and Vytln and Alred were running diagnostics and confirmed that, at the very least, the main hull was holding steady, Tanin sent the twin avanava males to fetch the other women – that she knew had all been put somewhere else for safety. A place she was not welcome to join.
Vytln left shortly after, saying something about checking the engine. Rok, no longer needing to remain here for his own safety, also went off to check on things, under Tanin’s command.
That left Chee and Trove to exit the bridge together. Tanin had not given him an assignment, and she was pretty sure that was because he had given him unspoken permission to have the private conversation she wanted.
They had to get this out of the way sooner or later. She had to stop just dancing around it and rip the bandage off.
The private room Trove led her to ended up being an empty hall off of the bridge.
It was ringed with windows, making Chee think it was put here purely for decoration.
The windows offered a view. And, sure, right now, that view was the empty blackness of space, but the dimness here, the open view, would allow those inside to see glorious sights when available.
Trove led her here, but she was the one who stepped forward, coming about halfway down before stopping and leaning into the window.
She touched it gently, with the back of one knuckle, not wanting to smear oils over this brand new work.
She fully expected it to be cold. Space was freezing right?
But it wasn’t. Instead, it was the same temperature as the ambient air, and she was pretty sure it was because this wasn’t regular glass.
Space glass. The same glass from her tiny ship.
It was definitely nothing like the glass one would find in a car, even if, on first glance, it certainly appeared to be.
“There’s a viewing deck in the back.” Trove said, standing a few steps back, watching her as she stared out at literal nothingness. “It’s meant to be comfortable and… intimate.”
Chee made a sound that just acknowledged what he was saying. She didn’t feel the urge to seek out that space, even if that was probably where he initially planned to take her. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for a closed, intimate space with him.
If she ever would be.
Once again, the two of them were left in silence as he accepted her silent rejection. He didn’t try to push her further than halfway down this hall. He also didn’t pressure her to talk, though she was the one who had asked him to do so.
Rip the bandage off, she said to herself.
Setting her shoulders, she turned and faced him square on. He didn’t flinch back under her directness either. He just continued to watch her. Patient and calm.
“I’m your mate,” she said.
He started, as though surprised. “You know?”
She gave him a look. “Come on. You’re not exactly subtle. I may be from Earth and not know a lot about aliens, but domini are kind of the exception. I know you can tell your mate by sight, and you haven’t looked away since you first saw me.”
He opened his mouth like he was about to say something – protest or argue maybe – but after a moment, he just closed it again and shook his head.
“No. You’re right. I wasn’t expecting you to be so outright with it.”
“Yeah. I’ve been told that I can be a bit forward. But I’d rather just be out with it than try to dance around the topic. I’m your mate.”
“Yes.”
“And you’re mine.”
“Yes,” he breathed, his voice weakening. Like he didn’t want to admit it.
“Okay.” She nodded, taking a steadying breath. “Yeah. Okay. So. What do we do?”
Trove frowned. “What do we do?”
“Yeah. I mean… I’ve never had a real relationship.
I dated a couple times, but it never went anywhere.
Nothing serious anyway. I was waiting for my…
well, I guess I was waiting for you. If you’re my mate.
” She couldn’t help but wince. That hadn’t come across as romantic at all.
If anything, it sounded like she was talking about a coworker with a specific skillset that she was waiting for.
Chee definitely wanted true love. She wanted what her parents had.
Two people ready and willing to fight against the world, to ride or die for each other.
But that’s not really what it sounded like, and she couldn’t bring herself to clarify further to this stranger that, apparently, was supposed to be those things to her.
She knew that, apparently, humans were really bad at knowing their mates, even though they were meant to do it by sight. But surely she should be feeling something right? Sure, Trove wasn’t an ugly guy. She was even attracted to his alien-ness.
However, there wasn’t this overwhelming, sudden rush of emotion and need. She wasn’t feeling the intense yearning of love at first sight. Honestly, she kind of didn’t want to deal with any of this at all. It wasn’t a burden, per se, but it wasn’t really welcome either.
As she was sitting there, wrestling with those thoughts, she realized that they had once again fallen into an uneasy silence. He hadn’t answered the question, and his expression was like he had a toothache that was throbbing in a way that also didn’t speak of true love and soul mates.
Chee frowned. And while she wasn’t sure of her own feelings on the matter, she didn’t think she liked him being that pained about it either.
“We are mates,” Trove said with the kind of reluctance of one agreeing that medicine tasted foul but was good for you.
“You’re not happy about it.”
He hesitated before offering her a disarming smile.
Disarming because she wasn’t prepared for just how much life it brought to his face.
He wasn’t unattractive, but it was the first time she had seen him smile, and it truly brought his face to life.
Vibrant, lively, and, yes, charming. It was the kind of smile designed to melt hearts.
The kind that promised a good memory and no commitment.
A playboy’s smile. A heartthrob’s smile.
The kind a girl dreamed about but never settled down with.
And it set her on edge as she took a reflexive step back from him.
“I will leave that decision to you,” he declared in a way that almost seemed gallant. “You may use me if you wish. I assure you, you will enjoy your time with me,” he promised in a way that made her stomach flip – but not really in a good way.
But she persevered. “That’s all well and good, but what are we supposed to do? Like, isn’t there supposed to be this mating ceremony thing or something? I’m pretty sure I saw that when you guys first came to Earth.”
He waved away her words like they were nothing. “Meaningless ceremony, really. What needs to be between mates but pleasure? And I can guarantee you more than enough of that.”
Crossing her arms over her chest, more to protect herself than to show her annoyance, as she glowered at him. “There’s more to a relationship than pleasure and sex.”
“Yes, but nothing really that worth it.”
“Are you serious?” Chee made a face. “I can’t believe you. This is so… This is not going to work. I don’t even know why I tried.”
Trove said nothing, and she took his silence as all the answer that she needed.
“Let’s just get this job over with, okay?” She asked, looking at him.
To her surprise, he didn’t seem the slightest bit phased by her rejection. He inclined his head, that megawatt smile not fading a bit. Like he didn’t care. And that, the complete lack of interest, was what really turned her off.
This whole thing was a scam. She knew it. There was no way something like this could be real, because there was no way someone like this could be her soulmate. Someone who took relationships and love so unseriously was not meant for her.
“If that’s what you wish,” Trove said, and dare she say he actually looked satisfied that she wasn’t willing to pursue it further.
“I’m glad we understand each other then,” she nodded. He just kept continuing to smile. And for a long moment, there was just awkwardness between them before she finally took a step towards, then past him.
And he just let her go.
Fine. Let this end there. No one can say she didn’t try.