“I didn’t want to ruin our date. You were enjoying yourself so much.”
“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. You know what would have ruined our date? You fucking dying on it!” Her eyebrows are furrowed, her mouth scrunched into an adorable frown and now that I’m starting to feel like myself again I can’t resist reaching out and tracing her pout with my thumb.
“Don’t,” she snaps, jerking her head away, “I’m furious with you.”
“Your happiness is the most important thing in the world to me.”
“You don’t even need a shovel, do you?” she asks incredulously.
“What?”
“To keep digging your hole deeper and deeper. You need to get something through that thick, horned skull of yours. You make me happy. And you can’t do that if you’re not around. Your wellbeing isimportant to me, so it better be important to you, too. What if I put myself at risk to make you happy? Wouldn’t that piss you off?”
"It seems like you put yourself at risk all the time," I point out. "I did rescue you from a frozen lake, where you didn't even have a coat!"
"Yeah, and remember how scared you were? Well imagine how it might feel now… Now that we've gotten to know each other," she says. "I was really worried about you, Khur."
I hang my head, ashamed. I had not thought of it that way.
“I’m sorry. I never meant to upset you. I just really want these dates to go well, so that you will choose to stay with me.”
“What? Is that what you think these dates are? Tests or trials or something? That’s not how courting works, Khur. We’re dating because we enjoy each other’s company.”
“Then how do I win you over? How do I make your soul the mate of my own?”
“Oh, Khur,” her expression softens and she steps towards me again. The elevator feels like our own private world as she reaches up and cups my jaw, “you don’t have to do anything. I’ve already fallen in love with you. I love you, Khur, and I want you to promise me you’ll never do anything that will put yourself at risk again.”
“I love you, too, Destiny. I promise.” Then I lean down and capture a kiss from her welcome lips.
“Now let’s get back home and we can practice that penetration thing you mentioned.” She gives me a saucy wink and all I can do is groan.
20
Destiny
We decide to go back to his place so Khur can take a quick shower. Apparently, Dhugaren fur is very sensitive and requires oiling when it gets wet or he will be, in his words “fluffy as awursplat.” I am getting quite the visual of these creatures by now, who apparently got moonstruck and rolled around like bowling balls and were super fluffy. I’m going to have to ask him to show me a picture of one on his tablet at some point. They sound like they would have made adorable pets.
For now, though, I am distracted by thoughts of Khur and I showering again, and thepracticeI know is coming. I think it might take a while before we could have real penetrative sex, but admittedly, I have no clue how that works. I mean, I know how sex works. I’m no virgin, but the few human men I’ve been with have been lackluster in both size and performance. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the smutty romances I read back home I’d probably think it wasn’t worth the hype, but all the books mentioned how… large… the main love interests were, and how attentive, too. Basically, Khur is my version of a sexy alien Fabio, right down to the luscious locks. I'm sure Fabio's hair was high maintenance, too, even if the books never mentioned it. I don't mind the though of helping Khur maintain his fur, though. The thought of taking care of him is kind of…weirdly hot? I love the thought of making him feel loved and nurtured.
My mind wanders in this libidinous loop while we walk back to his apartment. The market is bustling tonight, as it usually is, and I am surprised to see how many people greet us, either with a hello or with little waves, all of them looking happy to see us.
“Do you know all these people, Khur?”
“No, I think they’re just happy to see us.”
“Oh… why?”
“Urzu says we are special. That we signal a new age on Sanctuary, and a welcome one, it seems. Did Furga tell you she finally went out with Shemo?”
I dig my heels in immediately, grinding to a stop in the middle of the packed corridor. Khur growls as someone behind me narrowly avoids knocking me over, but I hardly notice because… “What? No, she didn’t tell me. Oh my god, that total traitor! I can’t believe I’m hearing this from you!”
“If it makes you feel any better, she was inspired by you, or by us, I suppose.”
I start walking again, albeit a bit slower as I process this.
“Ok… you’re going to have to elaborate there, big guy.”
“Urzu says Furga saw how happy you were after our trip to the Meadows and wanted to grasp her own happiness. About time, if you ask me. I was going crazy watching those two pine over each other. And Shemo has been nearly unbearable. You know, he’s not as grumpyas you probably think. He used to be a pleasant male,” he laughs, “but enough rejection will make anyone grumpy after a while.”
