“I do. I wanted to make sure I had a decent-sized space so it would be easier to cook. The one in my apartment in Aerumi was quite small as well.”
Zenith hopped onto the bed, sitting next to Gemini and rubbing against her arm.
“Hey there,” she said, scratching him under the chin, somehow knowing exactly where a caerulian liked to be petted.
“Good morning, Gemini. Did you sleep well?”
“I did! It’s been a while since I slept in a real bed.”
Zenith nodded knowingly.
“It is quite a nice bed, though I prefer the couch. Did you enjoy sleeping with Apodis?”
Gemini sputtered a cough, looking to Apodis as if asking for assistance. Her face flushed the same color as his, and he shrugged, curious about what she would say.
“I did,” she finally said, biting her lip into a smile. “Maybe too much, I kind of invaded his personal space.”
Zenith cocked his head.
“Oh, no, he enjoyed it very much. He has not had someone to share his bed with for a long while.”
“Z! That’s enough!” Apodis said, swatting at the naughty caerulian who was just out of reach.
“What species are you?” Gemini asked, thankfully moving the conversation on to something else.
She massaged Zenith’s triangular ears and made him purr, something Apodis had never seen someone else do. None of his temporary bed partners back in Aerumi had ever paid Z much mind, but Gemini seemed to enjoy the little creature’s presence.
“I am a caerulian. We are native to this area ofthe planet, though much of my specieschoosesdomestication. The perks of living with an Oslieth are vast.”
Apodis resisted a laugh. The thought of Zenith actually having to hunt and fend for himself was quite funny, as prim and proper as he was. A wild caerulian and a domesticated one were practically two separate species.
“There’s a species on Earth that you remind me of. They’re called cats. They can’t speak though,” Gemini said, giving Z a final pat on the head before turning back to Apodis.
There was a long silence, and he wasn’t sure what to say, the next words blurting out before he could stop himself
“I can take you back now,” Apodis said, though it pained him to do so.
His pulse quickened as he awaited her answer, his anxiety skyrocketing like he was being hunted by a large predator, even though there were none in Lumeris capable of taking down an Oslieth alpha.
Gemini wiped a droplet of so’ala from the corner of her lips, something he wished he could have done with his tongue.
“I’m in no hurry. The team will get on without me, though I should try to get word to them so they don’t think I’m dead or something.”
Her green eyes glimmered with hope, and he realized she was eager to stay as much as he was keento have her. Though deep down he knew it was a bad idea, he couldn’t stop himself from agreeing.
“Well, you’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like. And you can use my comm if you want to contact your team.”
Her smile beamed straight into his chest, reducing him to a puddle, though he tried to maintain his composure.
“Great! And maybe after you can show me some of the plants on your property? You said you liked foraging… Oh! And your garden!”
Apodis could think of nothing more pleasing than a day wandering his territory with this beautiful human in his arms.
“Of course! Here,” he said, taking off his comm and handing it to her. “If you input the number, you should be able to call your team. I’ll get things cleaned up, and then I can show you around. Your washed clothes are in the bathroom.”
She gave him another ravishing smile, then turned her attention to his comm, pressing buttons and waiting for her team to answer.
Apodis grabbed the tray and hurried from the room, trying to tell himself he was doing nothing wrong.
