“What I mean is,” he began, turning his attention back to the others, “I’ve decided to stay bonded to Al.”
“Oh thank god, I was starting to think you were gonna be in denial until it was too late,” Ezra said, putting a hand to his heart theatrically.
Corbin nodded. “Not gonna lie, this whole situation is still freaking me the fuck out, but I agree with Ezra. I’ve never seen you so gone for somebody in all the time I’ve known you.” An impish look quirked a single corner of his lips. “You’re clearly a lovesick puppy over this alien and your weird alien eggs.”
“Hey, here’s an idea,” Jude said, “why don’t both of you fuck off to somewhere else?”
Corbin tsked. “So touchy. You’d think he’d be in a better mood now that he’s in love.”
“You’d think so,” Ezra agreed solemnly. “And yet.” He put a hand on Corbin’s shoulder and nodded toward the door. “C’mon, let’s give the happy couple time alone to have what’s sure to be an awkward conversation with the ’rents.”
Jude rolled his eyes at Corbin’s laughter and Ezra’s conspiratorial wink, and flipped them off on their way out the door.
“This is a human goodbye gesture?” Al’s dad asked, raising his middle finger and directing it at Corbin and Ezra.
“For them? Yes.”
Al didn’t call out Jude’s lie, but he did shoot him a look. He’d learned about the middle finger when he’d almost gotten them into a road rage incident after flipping off the car next to them because “it is a gesture humans in vehicles make often at one another, how would I have known that it was a symbol of aggression?”
Al’s mom raised her middle finger in salute as well, and Ezra laughed good-naturedly as he guided a scoffing Corbin from the room.
“Ξ.A.kr’ξ??’p?” Al’s mom asked once the four of them were alone. “You and Human Jude are remaining as mates—is this true?”
Jude watched Al fight to suppress a smile, only to lose terribly after taking one look at Jude. Their eyes met, and Jude’s smile grew until the muscles of his cheeks began to ache.
Smiling.
What a novel concept.
But now that Al was going to be a permanent fixture in his life, he was going to be doing a lot more of it—he’d have to remember to work cheek day into his nonexistent workout routine.
The adoration on Al’s face grew as if he knew what Jude was thinking—didhe know what Jude was thinking?—and without breaking eye contact, he told his mom, “Yes, Mother, this is the truth.”
The silence that followed was loud enough that Al and Jude stopped making eyes at each other to get a read on Al’s parents’ reactions. Jude had expected them to be disappointed and angry, but was surprised to see they looked more contemplative than anything.
“I will make proper paperwork for your union and offspring,” Al’s dad said stiffly, and Jude suspected there was more he wanted to say, but perhaps didn’t know how, and not just because of the language barrier.
“Paperwork?” he asked.
“It is not of importance,” Al said, waving a dismissive hand. “My father has a job in the government. He will handle all of the things.”
“Whatthings?”
“Human Jude is not the most politest of Earth creatures,” Al’s mother said, ignoring Jude’s question entirely, “but he is your True Mate, Ξ.A.kr’ξ??’p. Rude or not, we will ensure all paperwork is done to honor his bond with you. It is my hope that should we do this, over time he will become less rude. Although perhaps his rudeness is justifiable. We are meeting him for the first time in too close a proximity to his nest, where his feelings of protectiveness are at their strongest, both for the eggs and for you.”
“We welcome you to our family, Human Jude,” Al’s dad added gruffly. “You have importance to our son and are father to our son’s offspring. This makes us feel acceptance toward you.”
“Thank you,” Jude said confidently in Al’s mother tongue. All three aliens looked at him funny.
“Why did you say this?” Al asked in English, not angry but confused.
“Didn’t I say thank you?” Jude asked, looking from Al, to his parents, and back again. Al slowly shook his head.
“The words you said roughly translate to ‘foot odor’ in English,” he explained.
“Oh, uh, sorry.” Jude blushed in embarrassment.
“Perhaps the ability to speak my language fluently occurs in moments of intense emotions only. Perhaps speak English for now, until you are less bad at it,” Al suggested.
