The singer instructed that if you were to drink, do not drive, but to do the Watermelon Crawl instead. Since Zef had been drinking, they found it prudent to obey, and when the song entered the instrumental portion, they yelped in surprise as Bryce grabbed their hand and tugged them out of the line-up.
He led them in an adlibbed dance where he spun them around, then pulled them back in, never touching them except for the grip of their hand to ensure they were not lost. Others followed their example, breaking into their own dance moves, and Zef’s hair whirled around them as Bryce spun them around again.
For all his talk of left feet, he was a very good dancer, and Zef followed his lead, laughing when he incorporated some of the steps from the Mantodean waltz. When the song ended, Zef was out of breath, and their hand was still tingling from where Bryce had held it. The other dancers clapped and cheered, and Bryce blushed as they swarmed around him, all talking at once.
“He is very charming,” Toa Sian said as they caught their breath. “What a lively genre of music. I must ask him for recommendations.”
Apparently, the band agreed because they struck up a tune with a similar beat and feel, and the dancing started up again. Several hatchlings surrounded Bryce, jumping around him as he danced and wiggled in a silly fashion to make them giggle.
“He is quite lovely,” Zef said, pressing the back of their hand to their overheated cheek.
“And he is here temporarily?” they asked, and the erratic joy bouncing around in Zef’s chest lost momentum immediately.
“Yes.”
Toa Sian chirped in regret. “Pity.”
Bryce waved at them to join the dancing, but they did not feel like dancing anymore. They gestured vaguely behind them, and the human frowned as they turned away and meandered toward one of the few tables still standing. Hopping onto it, they swung their legs and leaned back on their lower hands, face to the dark sky.
The twin moons shone bright, and their breath fogged in front of their mouth. As their sweat cooled, the night air chilled them, and they shivered.
They heard his approach before they saw him, so they did not startle when Bryce said, “Zef, you okay?”
“Yes,” they said, still speaking to the sky. “I just needed to catch my breath.”
“Yeah, those kids are wearing me out.”
The table squeaked under Bryce’s weight as he propped his backside on the edge and crossed one foot over the other. His fingers curled around the edge of the table, and Zef wanted to reach out and lay their hand over top. They knew what his skin felt like now, and they… liked it.
“Sorry for grabbing your hand,” Bryce said, like he could read their thoughts. “When we were dancing. I wasn’t thinking. Sorry.”
“I liked the dancing,” Zef said, and Bryce turned, studying them closely.
His gray eyes glittered strangely in the moonlight, making their stomach tremble. “Good. I liked dancing with you too.”
Don and their pregnant partner headed away from the party, and they raised a tentative hand in farewell. Zef tilted their head in acknowledgment. Bryce waved half-heartedly back.
“Dick,” he mumbled, and Zef huffed in exasperation.
“You are biased.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, Bryce rested his chin on his shoulder, scrutinizing Zef again. “Did you love them?
They made a rude noise. “Don? No. We courted very briefly. But when I made it clear I had no desire to procreate, they broke the courtship.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I harbor no ill will. They wanted hatchlings. I did not. Irrevocable circumstances,” Zef said flatly.
Bryce grunted. “But you still liked them. I mean, you wouldn’t have courted them if you hadn’t.”
Embarrassed, Zef looked back at the sky. It was easier admitting such things to the moons. “I courted them because they asked.”
Silence stretched as Bryce struggled to decode their word choice.
“What do you mean?”
“I am strange, Bryce, even amongst my people. I did not have suitors or childhood sweethearts. No puppy love. At first, I did not notice. Then I did not care. But then later, I did, so when Don asked, I said yes.” With a sigh, they sat up, folding their four hands in their lap as their legs swung. “I was young, and I… I was curious. I wanted to know what it was like.”
