Eventually, it gets cold enough to drive us inside. If I was uncomfortable before, it’s worse when Yvonne stretches and leans off me. Having to make eye contact makes jumping into a star sound like fun.
Yvonne gives me an odd look. “Don’t look at me like that. I kissed you and you stared at me. If anyone should be giving funny looks, it’s me.”
She probably has a point, but I don’t know how she expects me to react. “In my defense, you seemed to hate me until recently.”
She bumps into my shoulder as we walk, not enough to hurt. “I didn’t hate you…you just greatly annoyed me.”
I snort, and that unwinds something in my chest. “The feeling was mutual.”
She giggles again, more than I’ve heard from her ever, and takes my hand. I let her, though my heart rate picks back up.
“I still think you’re up to something,” I grumble because the silence is too much.
“Well, that’s nice and everything, but I hardly seduce people to get things I want.”
“Why not? You definitely could. Tone down the obnoxious, dial up the sexy walk. Easy.”
Grinning, she gives an exaggerated strut, still holding my hand, until a spare branch trips her. “I’ll work on that.”
“I saw you on Amethyst, I don’t think you need to work on it.”
“Oh, so you thought I was pretty then?”
Good grief, maybe silence was better. “My eyes are glitchy but they work.”
In the dark, I still manage to see her grin. I think about asking a few dozen questions, but I’m not sure how I’ll feel about the answers, even worse if she doesn’t know how to answer. I don’t know what she likes about me. Certainly not my face, nothing about me physically. My personality leaves quite a bit to be desired, despite how her little sister seems to think I’m the greatest thing ever.
If I asked her what she likes about me, I’m not sure I’ll know how to react if she doesn’t have an answer. Would that be more insulting or less?
“You seem quite troubled over there,” she says, trying to sound flippant but not quite managing it, giving my hand a squeeze.
“Well, you did just give me a heart attack.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” she mutters, pulling me to a stop. Though considerably smaller than me, she manages to stand on her toes, wrap her arm around my neck, and pull my head down. It’s strange just to lean over and kiss her when I wouldn’t’ve let her hug me without a struggle an hour ago.
She mumbles, “Aaron, you can relax a little, you know. I’m not going to shoot you or something.”
“I’m working on that part.” And working on a cliff to fling myself off.
I can feel her smile, then she wraps her other arm around my neck, just hugging. That’s easier in comparison, simply holding her around the waist. She’s so much softer than me and even warmer. I can’t be very comfortable to hug, but I suppose she doesn’t mind now just as she didn’t mind the other night.
Something occurs to me, “If you mention this to Zane or Lalia I’m going to turn you in for your bounty.”
She snorts. “My dear clueless cyborg, I think they know.”
Somehow, my face turns hotter. “I’ll admit I asked Lalia what your deal was and she laughed at me.”
Yvonne shakes, laughing silently into my shoulder. “I guarantee Zane noticed too. I think you’re the only one.”
Now that she mentions it, I do remember back when I was helping Anya look for the bird, just the two of us, and her telling me Yvonne likes me. She gave me an awful funny look about it…
Little gremlin.
“You can’t exactly blame me,” I mutter, unsure why I’m trying to defend myself. “It’s not like women are lining up to flirt with me. And you’ve always got something up your sleeve.”
“Yeah, I’ve got kissing you up my sleeve, stupid.”
I think about mimicking her but don’t have the energy. I’m not going to admit how nice it feels to lean against her while the cold air sits among the trees. I barely want to admit it to myself, but if she wants to stand here for a while, I’m happy to.
Softly, she says, “I am assuming you’re human enough for this.”
It’s a fair question, particularly when she doesn’t know I’ve never had my chip to begin with. “Yeah, I’m human enough.”
She gives the back of my neck a comforting squeeze. It’s still sore from where that ForceZero number grabbed in a death grip, but her touch is gentle. She whispers, “Good, then get used to it.”
“I don’t have to do as you say,” I grumble, but that only makes her laugh more.
Letting go, she keeps hold of my hand as we walk back to the house. “Just…work on trying to be like…ten percent less suspicious.”
“Suspicious is the only reason I’m alive.”
“Oh, I don’t mean in general, just with us.”
I snort, ignoring how my torso hurts. “If you say so.”
She shrugs. “I wish I could help you with your brother and sister.”
“No one can. Don’t worry about it. Maybe checking the orphanage where I was supposed to be would help.”
“Would they still have a record of you?”
“I don’t know.”
The house is lit warmly. Abraham has cleared off the porch and the front door is shut, but the back is unlocked. When I crane my neck to look at the sky through the trees, a few flashes of light streak overhead, but they’re far away ships not meant for us. It’s quiet save for the singing bugs. Heading to Hytha won’t be this peaceful, I’m sure. Even if they live out in the middle of nowhere, I’m not sure I’ll be able to relax around their parents. Not entirely certain if that’s a good enough reason to add to the list of reasons to stay away.
Once inside, everyone else seems to be asleep. Anya has decided to take up residence on my mattress in the spare bedroom with Zane and Lalia. Bat is tucked under her arm. I laugh silently, hand over my mouth. Eight years he’s been with me, and I guess he finally made a friend.
Yvonne nudges me. “Come on, you can crash in the other bed with me.”
Sleeping next to her? I don’t think so. I side-eye her, which she apparently still sees in the dark.
“Relax,” she grumbles. “I’m not gonna ravish you in your sleep. Geez.”
Embarrassed by her tone, I lean over Zane to get a better look. He seems to be sleeping a little easier than before, still no fever. Lalia snores softly.
I suppose I could just pick up Anya and deposit her in with her sister. But she looks cozy, and Bat seems happy. I don’t really want to disturb either of them, even if I’m being careful.
I wander down the hallway to where the princesses have been sleeping, fully intending on just peeking in and leaving. I’m not going to go in there and sleep in the same bed with her. Sure, we’ve slept in close proximity plenty of times, but this just seems like an invitation for her to cuddle up to me. Humans are like that, and she’s proven herself to be exceptionally like that. I try to imagine Lalia finding Yvonne all cuddled up to me and shudder.
Not going to sleep in the same bed as her. Nope.
Yvonne is washing her face in the little bathroom on the other side of the bed, yawning. The fire isn’t lit in here, but it’s warm enough from the heat from the living room, even if it’s getting icy outside. Condensation is gathering on the glass of the window. I feel oddly snug in the little dark room.
“What?” she asks me when I’m caught standing awkwardly in the doorway. As if she doesn’t know.
“Nothing.”
Her eyebrow quirks but she doesn’t mention it. “Zane getting better? He seemed a little better today.”
“He’s fine. He’d heal faster if we were at a hospital, but Lex has some nice medicine here. He’s better than if we hadn’t landed.”
“She definitely feels like the first lucky break we’ve had in an entire year. Yes, I realize it’s been weeks, but still.”
She hasn’t been the first, but after the insanity on Lee’s ship, I’m not inclined to argue. Yvonne sits on the foot of the bed and looks at me. Pats the covers next to her. I am inclined to simply turn around and walk away, but I think after the madness of the past few months, this isn’t the thing that’s going to kill me. Even via embarrassment.
I sit on the edge of the bed.
“I think I’ll shower if you’re not going to,” I say to fill the silence.
She shakes her head. “Did earlier. Felt crusty.”
Good, I don’t have to actually sit here any longer than possible. Maybe she’ll have fallen asleep by the time I’m done.
“Aaron,” she says as I’m about to escape to the bathroom. “If you want to go to Hytha to check out the orphanage, I can go with you.”
I blink at her.
“I mean, I know I’m going to be there already if you decide to go,” she clarifies, “I just mean that I’ll go in with you. In the building to check for the records. If you’d like.”
Oh. That’s kind of her to offer. I didn’t expect anyone to go with me if I decided to find the place my Amerov records say I came from. Even Bat would just have to stay in his backpack so he doesn’t startle anyone. Would it make me braver if she went in with me? I don’t need her. But something about it makes the idea sound less awful.
I nod. “Thank you.”
Eventually, it gets cold enough to drive us inside. If I was uncomfortable before, it’s worse when Yvonne stretches and leans off me. Having to make eye contact makes jumping into a star sound like fun.
Yvonne gives me an odd look. “Don’t look at me like that. I kissed you and you stared at me. If anyone should be giving funny looks, it’s me.”
She probably has a point, but I don’t know how she expects me to react. “In my defense, you seemed to hate me until recently.”
She bumps into my shoulder as we walk, not enough to hurt. “I didn’t hate you…you just greatly annoyed me.”
I snort, and that unwinds something in my chest. “The feeling was mutual.”
She giggles again, more than I’ve heard from her ever, and takes my hand. I let her, though my heart rate picks back up.
“I still think you’re up to something,” I grumble because the silence is too much.
“Well, that’s nice and everything, but I hardly seduce people to get things I want.”
“Why not? You definitely could. Tone down the obnoxious, dial up the sexy walk. Easy.”
Grinning, she gives an exaggerated strut, still holding my hand, until a spare branch trips her. “I’ll work on that.”
“I saw you on Amethyst, I don’t think you need to work on it.”
“Oh, so you thought I was pretty then?”
Good grief, maybe silence was better. “My eyes are glitchy but they work.”
In the dark, I still manage to see her grin. I think about asking a few dozen questions, but I’m not sure how I’ll feel about the answers, even worse if she doesn’t know how to answer. I don’t know what she likes about me. Certainly not my face, nothing about me physically. My personality leaves quite a bit to be desired, despite how her little sister seems to think I’m the greatest thing ever.
If I asked her what she likes about me, I’m not sure I’ll know how to react if she doesn’t have an answer. Would that be more insulting or less?
“You seem quite troubled over there,” she says, trying to sound flippant but not quite managing it, giving my hand a squeeze.
“Well, you did just give me a heart attack.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” she mutters, pulling me to a stop. Though considerably smaller than me, she manages to stand on her toes, wrap her arm around my neck, and pull my head down. It’s strange just to lean over and kiss her when I wouldn’t’ve let her hug me without a struggle an hour ago.
She mumbles, “Aaron, you can relax a little, you know. I’m not going to shoot you or something.”
“I’m working on that part.” And working on a cliff to fling myself off.
I can feel her smile, then she wraps her other arm around my neck, just hugging. That’s easier in comparison, simply holding her around the waist. She’s so much softer than me and even warmer. I can’t be very comfortable to hug, but I suppose she doesn’t mind now just as she didn’t mind the other night.
Something occurs to me, “If you mention this to Zane or Lalia I’m going to turn you in for your bounty.”
She snorts. “My dear clueless cyborg, I think they know.”
Somehow, my face turns hotter. “I’ll admit I asked Lalia what your deal was and she laughed at me.”
Yvonne shakes, laughing silently into my shoulder. “I guarantee Zane noticed too. I think you’re the only one.”
Now that she mentions it, I do remember back when I was helping Anya look for the bird, just the two of us, and her telling me Yvonne likes me. She gave me an awful funny look about it…
Little gremlin.
“You can’t exactly blame me,” I mutter, unsure why I’m trying to defend myself. “It’s not like women are lining up to flirt with me. And you’ve always got something up your sleeve.”
“Yeah, I’ve got kissing you up my sleeve, stupid.”
I think about mimicking her but don’t have the energy. I’m not going to admit how nice it feels to lean against her while the cold air sits among the trees. I barely want to admit it to myself, but if she wants to stand here for a while, I’m happy to.
Softly, she says, “I am assuming you’re human enough for this.”
It’s a fair question, particularly when she doesn’t know I’ve never had my chip to begin with. “Yeah, I’m human enough.”
She gives the back of my neck a comforting squeeze. It’s still sore from where that ForceZero number grabbed in a death grip, but her touch is gentle. She whispers, “Good, then get used to it.”
“I don’t have to do as you say,” I grumble, but that only makes her laugh more.
Letting go, she keeps hold of my hand as we walk back to the house. “Just…work on trying to be like…ten percent less suspicious.”
“Suspicious is the only reason I’m alive.”
“Oh, I don’t mean in general, just with us.”
I snort, ignoring how my torso hurts. “If you say so.”
She shrugs. “I wish I could help you with your brother and sister.”
“No one can. Don’t worry about it. Maybe checking the orphanage where I was supposed to be would help.”
“Would they still have a record of you?”
“I don’t know.”
The house is lit warmly. Abraham has cleared off the porch and the front door is shut, but the back is unlocked. When I crane my neck to look at the sky through the trees, a few flashes of light streak overhead, but they’re far away ships not meant for us. It’s quiet save for the singing bugs. Heading to Hytha won’t be this peaceful, I’m sure. Even if they live out in the middle of nowhere, I’m not sure I’ll be able to relax around their parents. Not entirely certain if that’s a good enough reason to add to the list of reasons to stay away.
Once inside, everyone else seems to be asleep. Anya has decided to take up residence on my mattress in the spare bedroom with Zane and Lalia. Bat is tucked under her arm. I laugh silently, hand over my mouth. Eight years he’s been with me, and I guess he finally made a friend.
Yvonne nudges me. “Come on, you can crash in the other bed with me.”
Sleeping next to her? I don’t think so. I side-eye her, which she apparently still sees in the dark.
“Relax,” she grumbles. “I’m not gonna ravish you in your sleep. Geez.”
Embarrassed by her tone, I lean over Zane to get a better look. He seems to be sleeping a little easier than before, still no fever. Lalia snores softly.
I suppose I could just pick up Anya and deposit her in with her sister. But she looks cozy, and Bat seems happy. I don’t really want to disturb either of them, even if I’m being careful.
I wander down the hallway to where the princesses have been sleeping, fully intending on just peeking in and leaving. I’m not going to go in there and sleep in the same bed with her. Sure, we’ve slept in close proximity plenty of times, but this just seems like an invitation for her to cuddle up to me. Humans are like that, and she’s proven herself to be exceptionally like that. I try to imagine Lalia finding Yvonne all cuddled up to me and shudder.
Not going to sleep in the same bed as her. Nope.
Yvonne is washing her face in the little bathroom on the other side of the bed, yawning. The fire isn’t lit in here, but it’s warm enough from the heat from the living room, even if it’s getting icy outside. Condensation is gathering on the glass of the window. I feel oddly snug in the little dark room.
“What?” she asks me when I’m caught standing awkwardly in the doorway. As if she doesn’t know.
“Nothing.”
Her eyebrow quirks but she doesn’t mention it. “Zane getting better? He seemed a little better today.”
“He’s fine. He’d heal faster if we were at a hospital, but Lex has some nice medicine here. He’s better than if we hadn’t landed.”
“She definitely feels like the first lucky break we’ve had in an entire year. Yes, I realize it’s been weeks, but still.”
She hasn’t been the first, but after the insanity on Lee’s ship, I’m not inclined to argue. Yvonne sits on the foot of the bed and looks at me. Pats the covers next to her. I am inclined to simply turn around and walk away, but I think after the madness of the past few months, this isn’t the thing that’s going to kill me. Even via embarrassment.
I sit on the edge of the bed.
“I think I’ll shower if you’re not going to,” I say to fill the silence.
She shakes her head. “Did earlier. Felt crusty.”
Good, I don’t have to actually sit here any longer than possible. Maybe she’ll have fallen asleep by the time I’m done.
“Aaron,” she says as I’m about to escape to the bathroom. “If you want to go to Hytha to check out the orphanage, I can go with you.”
I blink at her.
“I mean, I know I’m going to be there already if you decide to go,” she clarifies, “I just mean that I’ll go in with you. In the building to check for the records. If you’d like.”
Oh. That’s kind of her to offer. I didn’t expect anyone to go with me if I decided to find the place my Amerov records say I came from. Even Bat would just have to stay in his backpack so he doesn’t startle anyone. Would it make me braver if she went in with me? I don’t need her. But something about it makes the idea sound less awful.
I nod. “Thank you.”
