Chapter 26
Armando was on the moon. On the literal moon.
It was mind blowing. His mind was blown. He had the stupid idea that he wished he could send a picture to his mother. She’d never let any of her sisters live it down. Her son, Federal Agent and astronaut.
“How do you like it?” Alex asked through their headsets. He didn’t know how the technology worked but there was no tinny echo, just his voice which rolled through
Armando in a warm wave.
“I love it. Thank you for bringing me here,” he said honestly.
“Of course. I have so much to show you,” Alex gave a wide smile and gestured to the depths of space. Armando had to admit it was an intriguing prospect but, “I have work.” He hoped he didn’t sound as glum about it as he felt.
Alex shrugged that off, “Of course you do and I would never take you from it. We have time. I mean, I’d love to take you for a tour right now. It’s hardly fair that the admiral could take his mate away and you’re left to handle Earth’s business. But I get it. Someday I’ll be an admiral and we’ll call all the shots,” he said confidently, slinging an arm around his shoulders companionably as they looked out over the curve of the Earth.
Armando didn’t know what to say to that. The thought of being in Charles’ shoes made him feel a bit queasy. “He has more duties than Earth as an Admirals consort.”
Alex smiled comfortingly, “You’ll be a great ambassador. I mean that’s what you will be when we rejoin the main fleet.”
“Ambassador? The main fleet?”
“Yeah, this is just under a fifth of our ships. We only converge in clusters like this for war or induction. That said, once we’re out on duty you’ll be the first human most
Genoshians will ever meet. Don’t worry, that’s not for a while yet and you’re a natural.”
Armando didn’t know what to say to that. They’d been surviving day to day and he hadn’t really considered what the future held for him personally as a captain’s mate. “Oh.”
“Come on, let’s play. I haven’t had a proper day off in ages!” Alex fiddled with the dials on their suits and suddenly there was less gravity and the moon was their bounce house.
Armando leapt just for the thrill of it and felt like never coming down. What had he gotten himself into?
~~
Erik reviewed his notes while Charles was sleeping. He heard scratching at the bedroom portal and hurried to let Albert out before he began yowling and woke Charles.
The cat stalked past him and grumbled at his empty water bowl. Erik filled it for him and set out some wet food. Thus pacified Albert allowed him to return to his studies.
Erik could only hope his research into human mating rituals hadn’t led him astray. Most humans were heterosexual and pair bonded with members of the opposite sex for partnership, procreation, and the rearing of children. He understood that, but he also understood that though Charles was likely carrying his child- and he needed to find a time to bring that up- his mate was not female.
Fortunately there seemed to be a lot of crossover between the genders and what constituted love and romance to humans in general.
He only wished he had an expert to ask but Charles’ team were the only humans he knew personally and they would surely run and tell his mate of his plans before he could even begin. And he somehow doubted Charles would be alright with him abducting a ‘matchmaker’ or ‘dating coach’ for him to interrogate.
No, he had to do this on his own.
Fortunately, finding a mate and falling in love seemed to be the highest priority in life for most humans so there was ample information available on the phenomenon.
Unfortunately, it seemed to be difficult for humans to manage even in their later years and much of the advice he found was contradictory.
Apparently he needed
To be attentive but know when to make himself scarce.
To be sensitive and emotional but not appear weak.
To be on good terms with his prospective mates family and friends (unfortunately it seemed that ship had sailed). He needed to be confident.
To be a good listener but not secretive.
To talk about himself but not be self centered and
Be passionate but not overly enthusiastic.
Erik sighed and closed his eyes, mind whirring with all he’d learned. Perhaps there was something to be gleaned from art rather than articles on the subject.
He thought back to the films they’d watched on their journeys around Earth. They had gotten through many of Charles’ favorites and love seemed to be a theme in each of them on some level.
The Notebook, Roman Holiday, Moulin Rouge, Pacific Rim, Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, Titanic, Pretty Woman, Shakespeare in Love, About Time, The Princess Bride, West Side Story, 500 Days of Summer, Armageddon.
That concerning. In several of the films, the protagonists didn’t end up together. What did that say about human love? What did that say about Charles’ expectations of their arrangement? There was no end to this, no way out except death which was a far off prospect.
Did Charles feel trapped? He’d said that Erik had lied to him, he’d been furious about it only days prior.
Erik frowned, there had to be some way to use this time to win Charles over, he wanted his mate to see their bond as a net positive for his life, not as the shackles of slavery.
He had more research to do, but not on humans in general. After all, Charles was special, one of a kind. The process of winning him over would have to be just as unique as his mate.
~~
Charles was nervous. His conversation with Erik where he promised to give them a chance kept running through his mind. Now, with Sean’s advice on top of it, he had to honestly consider whether or not he could open his heart to Erik.
He had been more than halfway in love with the other man by the end of their month long journey around Earth, but that was before all the revelations about their future and the very nature of reality came to light.
Now he felt uneasy, like he was living with a stranger with a familiar face. It was unsettling. “What do you think I should do?” he asked Albert who was curled up next to him on the massive bed.
Erik had been unwilling to leave the little cat behind this time and had lovingly cradled him in his arms as they made their way through the flagship to his private vessel in the launching dock.
The ship was a sleek, black disk that looked so much like a stereotypical UFO that Charles had to laugh. Erik had explained that its shape and color served as natural cloaking in a hostile universe. It was a sobering thought.
There were few rooms inside and the walls could be shaped and remade to make as many or as few as they liked. Charles had spent a good while setting up a comfortable room for himself and Albert while Erik steered them out of the flagship and into space. He had then given Charles a brief rundown of the ships operations and left him to his own devices.
Which had led him here, talking things out with a disinterested feline.
He would worry that the cat was becoming spoiled, but he didn’t think that was possible. Albert blinked at him and began grooming his paws idly.
“Oh, you’re no help,” Charles groused. He was in here resting on Erik’s suggestion. It was nice to have a few moments to himself without the press of any minds other than Erik’s. He didn’t even need his bracelets out here in the void of space.
On Hank’s suggestion, he had taken a light sedative and slept for nearly ten hours. It was wonderful, he felt rejuvenated already. When he woke, he wasn’t even groggy and had enjoyed a hot, refreshing shower before getting changed and settling in to play with Albert.
So far it was a great start to his vacation, if only he could bring himself to truly let down his guard around his suddenly taciturn mate.
He hadn’t seen Erik since he woke up. He could feel his mind, never more than a room away, clicking along calmly like a pleasant white noise.
“I should talk to him,” he said softly. Albert mewled and tucked his head down for a nap.
“Really no help at all.”
~~
Erik was anxious, Charles had taken his advice to heart and had been resting for the better part of the day, but at some point they were going to have to talk. This was the rest of their lives and he didn’t want to botch it.
“Erik?” he looked up from his three dimensional star chart to see his beautiful mate looking at him from the panel entrance.
“Charles, I hope you’re feeling refreshed.” He said solicitously, hoping he seemed sincere but not overbearing.
He gave a crooked smile, “Thank you, I am.”
Erik was relieved. “I’m glad to hear it.” They fell into an awkward silence as Charles stepped into the room and began to look around.
“What are you doing?” he asked after a long while that he spent fiddling with various unknown instruments strewn around the counters.
“Checking our star chart for errors,” he said softly.
“Can the computer make errors?” Charles asked curiously, moving to stand across the table from him and take in the miniature galaxy projected.
“It rarely happens anymore, but any officer worth the title takes the time to check.”
“Ah. Well. Any errors?” he asked awkwardly.
“None yet, would you like me to show you how to check?” he offered, fingers aching to touch Charles even if just for a moment. He kept himself in check, not wanting to
seem clingy.
“Sure, it looks fascinating,” he eagerly stepped to Erik’s side when he gestured for him.
Erik stepped aside and showed him how to run the program and check the calculations line by line factoring the size and gravitational pull of the heavenly bodies they passed. Charles was a quick study and asked probing questions about the programs and calculations used.
Erik had found an in.
His little ambassador had been a science professor at an esteemed university, the pull of knowledge was something they shared in spades.
“You’re very clever,” he said after long minutes of Charles checking lines of code in his own.
The smaller man blushed and glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. “Thank you. This is the most fun I’ve had in ages,” he gave a self deprecating laugh.
Erik tilted his head to one side, “That’s good. Your curiosity will stand you in good stead in the Federation. When you’re more accustomed to your implants, you should take some classes in Virilleen.”
“What’s Virilleen? A language?”
“Yes, but it’s also the greatest science university in the Federation. You could gain your credentials in any field you choose.”
Charles’ eyes widened and he smiled widely. “Really? I’d love that! But wait, are you sure? I mean, I’m sure what little science we’ve discovered on Earth pales in comparison to the work Federation scientists are doing,” he said self consciously, though he couldn’t hide the eagerness in his voice
“It’s not too complicated for you to learn with a bit of study. You should start at a lower level, junior classes perhaps, and work your way up. I’m sure you’ll be calculating the pull of wormholes in no time.”
“Wormholes?” Charles asked brightly, leaning into Erik’s space without hesitation. “You’ve found wormholes?”
“Of course, how else would we travel between galaxies?” Erik asked, going for a teasing tone but not sure how well that came across.
Charles was taken aback by the question, “I-I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about it.”
Erik quirked his lips in a smile, “Open your mind Charles. Anything you imagine is possible. We’ll find you a tutor-maybe even Hank. And he can get you up to speed in no time.”
He hated to offer more time with his lead science officer, what with the way they hit it off and how lost they became in conversation with one another, but he wanted his mate to make friends and feel at home in the fleet. Besides, he didn’t want to seem overly possessive.
“I would hate to take him away from his work,” Charles hedged. “He’s probably busy curing cancer or something. I’d feel silly asking him to teach me the next level of physics.”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. He’s talked of becoming a professor when he retires from military service. We can ask him for tutor suggestions then, and he can oversee your overall progress.”
Charles’ cheeks were apple red by this point and he was practically bouncing in place. “Wonderful. Thank you, Erik.” He gazed up into his eyes and squeezed his hand tightly. Erik would have been happy to stay like that for hours, but he simply smiled and looked away. “Let’s finish checking these charts and I’ll show you how to operate the FTL drive.”
Charles gasped“…you don’t mean..? You fold space-time?!”
Erik was deeply amused, by his reaction “The drive does, yes. That’s why our charts are so vital. We don’t want to jump into the middle of an asteroid belt or radiation storm.” To name some of the more positive possible outcomes.
Charles was awed, “No, no of course we don’t. Oh my god.” He laughed bright and incredulous. “Erik! This is unreal. Don’t wake me, I’m dreaming!”
He looked happier than Erik had ever seen him, and he hadn’t even seen their itinerary yet. So far things were going even better than he’d hoped.
~~
Charles was lounging in the holoroom, reading a beginners treatise on advanced calculus. He set his tablet aside to watch the sun set over the coast of Fiji. He felt like he was back home on Earth just relaxing in the sand. It was bliss.
Erik stepped into the room and sank down next to him silently. They watched the stars wink into view one by one as the moon rose in the artificial sky.
After a long while he turned to Erik and quirked an eyebrow, “Yes?”
“Dinner is ready. I can bring it to you here if you like.” He said smoothly, no preference one way or the other.
“No, no. I’ve been here long enough. I’ll get cleaned up and join you in a few.”
Erik nodded and stood in a graceful motion before turning and leaving the room without another word and without looking back.
Charles was somewhat irked by this.
He and Erik had spent hours together the day before. Erik had taught him about star charts and the FTL drive, but the other man had been distant in a way he never had been before.
Charles had expected to be the full center of Erik’s attention for the duration of this tour; instead the other man had kept to himself since they’d left the flagship. He hadn’t sought Charles out or initiated any physical contact. He hadn’t even joined him to sleep the past couple of nights.
It was disconcerting. Nice on one hand to have some much needed space and upsetting on the other because at some point he had apparently come to enjoy Erik’s devoted attention.
He sighed, irritated with himself for his indecision. “Get it together, Charles.” He went to go wash up while trying to decide what he really wanted out of this situation.
~~
Erik thought his plan was working. They were preparing for their first jump and Charles was his eager assistant.
He had made a point of being an attentive ear when his mate was present and had made it his mission to answer each of Charles’ questions as fully as possible, but hadn’t pressed his presence or attentions on the other man or volunteered any information.
He felt his eyes on him and sensed his impatience but carried on as he was. “Ready?”
“Yes, the drive is fully charged,” Charles said, voice shaking with excitement and nerves.
Erik stepped to his side and quickly checked his work. Everything was in order. “Excellent. Prepare for jump.” Charles grasped his arm and sucked in a deep breath. Erik hit the switch and they were off.