Regi let out a huge breath. “Yes, obsessive.”
Dante leaned closer and smiled. “The good ones are.” Dante’s heart raced and he rested his forehead against Regi’s, feeling the heat between them and the dance of Regi’s breath on his neck.
Regi curled his arm around Dante’s waist, pulling him closer until their thighs were pressed together. “You make me feel this obsessive,” Dante whispered.
“Which frightens me,” Regi said. His voice cracked, but he didn’t let go.
Dante didn’t have an answer. He was scared too. This felt so much bigger than any other relationship he’d had and sometimes little fears crept in on mouse feet. Maybe he was confusing gratitude and love. Maybe Regi was lonely after living with a ship full of assholes most of his adult life. Maybe Dante wasn’t good enough.
But then he looked into Regi’s eyes and felt the velvet of his fur under his hands, and Dante told those insecurities to fuck right off.
He pressed his lips to Regi’s, feeling the tickle of fur and smelling the fresh musk. This felt right. Regi’s arms tightened until Dante wasn’t sure where his body ended and Regi’s started.He parted his lips, and Regi mimicked the gesture so Dante could slip his tongue inside with a moan.
Dante slid his hands up Regi’s arms, across the soft fur to the back of his head where he had a thicker strip where he could thread his fingers through the longer hair.
Regi gasped, breaking their kiss. “Ter,” he whispered.
“He has a new engine to explore,” Dante said, but he paused. Maybe Kowri had a taboo against public displays in communal spaces. But then Regi ran his hands over Dante’s cheeks and down the line of his neck. Dante shivered, and Regi kissed the spot where his neck and shoulder met. This is what Dante wanted. Forever. He’d never been more sure of anything.
He dragged his teeth over the rim of Regi’s ear, but then Regi shifted so he was straddling Dante, pressing him into their couch. His hand cupped Dante’s cheek, but he pinned Dante with a strength Dante would never be able to move.
Dante arched his back and scraped his fingernails through Regi’s fur, across his shoulders and down his arms. Regi shifted so his weight pressed down against his cock, and Dante’s whole world whited out. His brain went offline and he came in his pants, leaving him breathless and trembling and mighty embarrassed.
Regi shifted to one side and continued to stroke Dante’s arm while he gasped for air. “That’s mighty embarrassing,” Dante finally managed.
“What is?”
Dante cracked open an eye. “Coming in my pants.”
Regi’s expression hinted at smugness. “I took it as a great compliment. I am also grateful that you were not forced to react to me by your biology. I want you to choose me because I am choosing you.” He turned his head and rested his cheek against the tall back of the sofa so he could stare at Dante.
“That is the sweetest thing anyone has said to me in a very long time. Possibly forever,” Dante said. He held his hand palm up, and Regi put his hand in it, threading their fingers together.
For long minutes, they sat in a companionable silence, but Dante couldn’t ignore reality. The Kowri had found Earth, or its general direction, anyway. That was more important than damp underwear or the warmth of Regi’s body against his.
“So, how are people taking the unexpected reveal that Earth is inside the empire?” The Retav ship had picked up more electronic chatter from the planet.
“Not well. Some would deny the truth, but the gods do not love ignorance, so the debate has moved to seeking an explanation for the impossible. Some believe your species has illegally colonized Kowri planets. And they advocate handling the situation as all piracy is handled within the empire.”
Dante winced. “Well, that's not good.”
“No, it is not, but I assume there will be evidence of human evolution when we reach Earth, and that will prevent a possible genocide.”
“We’re going to Earth? Now?” Dante should want to get back to his home and his father and his sister and his animals, but all he could feel was a dull horror.
Regi looked as unhappy as Dante. It was spoiling the afterglow. “The Kowri believe the integrity of the Empire is compromised. Do you believe they would go anywhere other than Earth?”
“And my people are going to give birth to kittens when they see the size of this ship.” On the bright side, that might make humans behave. Fear was a good motivation.
“Do you provide surrogacy for other species?” Regi asked
For a moment, Dante was confused. Ah. kittens. “No, but we do like our exaggeration and scatological language.”
Regi rested his forehead against Dante’s shoulder. “I wish we had time to attempt another picnic. There is a waterfall here and I am told there is a pebafri stable in addition to the wild herd. I feel guilty that we dishonored your traditional ritual because of Bekdi’s duplicity.”
“A picnic sounds great. I wish Divashi’s Brown was here.”
“What?” Regi pulled away and studied Dante’s face.
