Page 7

Gendry

A hearty laugh leaves me without my permission, my chest feeling warm and bright. I run down the field, parallel to Sal, my teammate. He’s excellent at this game. They’re all excellent at this game.

Sal passes me the ball and I just barely keep myself from tripping over it. It connects with the toe of my shoe, sailing down the field. I frown with frustration for a moment before Benny is chasing after it, intercepting it, and turning back towards the goal.

Benny does a move where he flips the ball over his back, perfectly passing it to Aldo who was down by the goal, waiting. Aldo takes the shot and the ball sails past Page into the goal.

“Let’s fucking go,” Aldo cries out, turning towards Benny and grabbing him in a headlock. He pulls Benny down so he can mess up his hair.

In response, Benny grabs Aldo around the waist, lifting him up in the air to celebrate his goal. Running over to them, I wrap my arms around them both, lifting them both up in the air. They make a noise of surprise before they’re slapping my shoulders in celebration.

“Jesus, your boyfriend is strong! Why is he lifting us like this?”

I look at Aldo, startling at how close our faces are. I carefully set them both down.

“I was joining in on your celebration rituals,” I say with a frown. “Have I done it wrong?”

Aldo shakes his head, still breathless with laughter. “You were perfect.” Then he turns towards Benny. “He was copying your celebration.”

“Oh,” Benny says then nods. “That makes sense. Next time warn me before you’re lifting me like I weigh nothing, big guy,” Benny says to me, slapping my shoulder.

We return the ball to the center of the field in order to continue playing. My chest is bright with joy as I run down the field, trying to steal the ball from Michelle. She cackles as she darts past me, my giant figure making me less agile than her.

I’ll have to bring a ball back with me to my planet and introduce my warrior brothers to this game. We have enough fields to make it work and it would be a wonderful bonding exercise for us all to play together.

I get the ball and head down the field but someone is in my way. Aldo is beside me and I gently pass it to him, using the side of my foot the way he showed me. He smiles so wide, breathtaking in his beauty. Instead of running down the field, he passes it right back to me.

Giddiness warms my stomach. I pass it back and after that, he passes it back. We’re both giggling as we pass it back and forth in quick succession, keeping it away from the other team. Finally, I pass it to him one last time right in front of the goal.

Aldo shoots and he scores.

Wanting to continue with the human ritual of celebration, I grab him around the waist. Then I freeze, remembering Benny’s warning.

“May I lift you?”

Aldo grins from ear to ear. “Hell yeah!”

I lift him up, surprised by how light he is. His skin is hot and sweaty against my palms. I lift him over my head, spinning him until we’re all giggling with excitement. Then I set him on my right shoulder, allowing him to sit there and look down at everyone present.

“Holy shit! Is this what it’s like to be tall? You all look like ants down there!”

“That’s how we feel when we have to look down at you, Aldo!”

I pull Aldo off my shoulder and set him on the ground. My brain feels light, overwhelmed by how it felt to have Aldo’s body against mine like that with only a pair of shorts separating us. I shake my head, trying to expel the thoughts, not wanting to have an erection while running down the field.

Aldo gives me a look, like maybe he knows exactly what I’m thinking. My purple cheeks darken and I take off running down the field, chasing after the ball before I say something I shouldn’t, like asking him to come back to my apartment with me and shower with me so we can get dirty all over again a different way.

I’ve never had urges quite like this before. Aldo makes me feel things I’ve never felt before. I want to explore these feelings with him, but would he actually want that?

We play for about two hours and by the time we’re done, the sun is peaking in the sky, making all of us pink and sweaty. Even my purple skin has a red tint to it that it didn’t have when I woke up this morning.

Hector and Sal both slap my back. “You did great out there!”

“Yeah,” Benny says with a grin. “Especially for your first time playing.”

Carlos nods his head. “Aldo can bring you anytime. Open invitation to keep playing with us.”

My chest feels near bursting with happiness at the invitation. Eventually, Aldo and I pack up our things, get our shirts back on, and head back towards our apartment building. Aldo digs through his bag and hands me an orange.

“These always hit different after playing. Somehow they taste even more delicious than usual. Trust me,” he says, taking out his own and starting to peel it. We’re careful to hold on to the peels, placing them in a little baggie that Aldo has.

I take my first bite and immediately have to agree with Aldo. The juices are refreshing after so much running, the sweetness making my mouth water. It’s the perfect snack for our travel back home.

“We have a fruit that is very similar on my home planet,” I tell Aldo, popping another slice into my mouth. “Though it’s green in color and more sour.”

“That’s so interesting.” Aldo takes a bite before looking up with a tentative smile. “I’d love to try it someday.”

He says it so easily. I stop in my tracks, my body locking up. Aldo makes a surprised noise and stops with me.

“Truly?”

Aldo looks down at the orange in his hands and I so desperately wish I could dart into his mind and hear what thoughts are moving around inside his head. But I don’t. Aldo deserves privacy from me. I’ve not been welcomed inside his head.

Finally, he looks up. “Truly,” he says, just barely loud enough for me to hear. “I really enjoy your company, Gendry. I shouldn’t be talking about feelings yet, it’s way too soon. But I would be lying if I said I didn’t have feelings for you already. I don’t know where this is going, especially with your departure just around the corner, but I don’t care.”

My heart is pounding inside my chest, making it hard to breathe. Aldo has said everything I’ve been feeling since I’ve met him.

“You are the most beautiful man I have ever laid eyes on and I can’t stop thinking about you. You make me feel things I have never felt before.”

Aldo smiles, his cheeks brightening. “I’m glad we’re on the same page,” he finally says, starting to walk once more. I quickly follow his lead, not wanting to be left behind.

I have no idea what this means, only that we both have feelings for each other. Back home, I would talk to Ghenie about this, even ask him to arrange my matron ritual so that I could properly win Aldo’s hand in front of my people and the ancestors. I would dive into the maze below our town square and find Aldo waiting for me at the end of it.

I would show myself worthy of his affections.

But we’re on Earth and he is human. I have to win his affections in other ways.

Quickly finishing my orange, I reach out and take his free hand in my own. He startles for a moment before he squeezes my hand, carefully lacing our fingers together. My stomach feels like I might throw up and my head feels light enough to lift me right off the ground.

“Thank you,” I tell him. “Today was everything I hoped soccer would be and it was made even better by you sharing it with me. I enjoyed getting to know your family.”

“I’m glad they behaved themselves,” Aldo says, shaking his head. “It’s a high compliment that they invited you to come back. I once invited a boyfriend who was banned from ever stepping foot on a field with my cousins in the future. I broke up with him afterwards because he reacted like an entitled brat.”

I hum as I listen. “He sounds like, umm what’s the word? Right. He sounds like a douche nugget.”

Aldo sputters, almost spitting out the last slice of his orange. “Oh my god! Who taught you that?”

“Christian. Did I say it wrong?”

“Absolutely not. You’re perfect,” he says quickly. Does he have any idea what that phrase does to me? Does he know how I would fall to my knees and worship him just to hear him breathe that once more? Does he have any idea the power he holds over me?

“Thank you, Aldo.”

We walk in silence for a bit before Aldo nudges me with his hip. “What else is on your Earth experience list?”

“I’d like to eat a macaron.”

“Okay. I know a place where we can get some. What else?”

There goes my heart again, racing with affection because Aldo is showing me kindness. He’s going above and beyond for me. He makes me feel special in so many ways just by being himself.

“I have recently added a few things,” I say slowly, ignoring the flutter in my chest. “Things meant for a special person only.”

Aldo looks up at me. He narrows his eyes for a moment before grinning. “Things like what, Gendry? I think maybe I’d like to hear this new list.”

I bite my bottom lip. “I’d like to experience a few earthly pleasures.”

“Oh,” Aldo says slowly. “Oh, Gendry. I would love to help you with this list. If you’d let me.”

“I would let you,” I say straight away. We walk into our apartment building and head down the hall towards our doors. Disappointment sits like cement in the pit of my stomach, sad that our time together is already coming to a close. “I would very much like that special person to be you.”

We get to our doors and pause. Aldo takes out his keys, fidgeting with them between his fingers. He looks up at me. “I had a wonderful time together, Gendry.”

“As did I. Thank you again for everything.” I turn towards my door but Aldo reaches out and snags my wrist.

“Wait,” he breathes out, looking up at me. His eyes dart between my own. “It’s customary for you to kiss your date if the date has gone exceptionally well.”

I open my mouth to respond but can’t find the words to say. Excitement and trepidation equally sit in my stomach.

“Today went really well, wouldn’t you say?”

“Yes.”

“Then I think you should kiss me, Gendry.”

I move without thinking, cupping Aldo’s face between my giant palms. He sucks in a shaky breath and closes his eyes. I move down until our lips are merely breaths apart.

“It would be my greatest honor to kiss you. Thank you,” I whisper before closing my eyes and touching my lips to his.

Kissing Aldo in my dreams was lovely. Kissing Aldo in real life is indescribable.

Aldo’s hands come up to my chest, resting over my racing heart. He tilts his head slightly, getting a better angle. When his lips move, mine dance to follow his lead.

My head is in the clouds like never before. I’ve kissed people back home, but none of them made me feel like this. None of them made me crave more . I want everything Aldo is willing to give me. I want all of him if he’ll let me.

When Aldo’s lips open, I dart my tongue out, meeting his halfway. The taste of him against my tongue is transcendent. One taste and already I’m addicted. I will never get enough of him, even if I had a hundred thousand years to explore and learn his body, his taste, his sounds.

My body heats all over and my cock fills with blood, want surges through me. Nothing in this world could make me stop kissing Aldo.

Except for our neighbor stepping outside and clearing his throat.

Aldo jumps back in surprise and I make a wounded noise at the back of my throat. Looking down, I see the front of his shorts tented just as much as mine are. I turn and look at Christian, glaring in his direction.

“Hey, don’t growl at me,” he says, holding up his hands in surrender. “If you wanna make out, it’s usually customary to do that inside your apartment, not out in the hall.”

I turn towards Aldo, grabbing his wrist and pulling him towards my door.

“Hey, wait,” he says, pulling away. I make another wounded noise that he chuckles at, tapping the center of my chest. “It’s okay. I think we could both use a cold shower after that. There’s no rush, okay? We’ll get to all of that and more in due time.”

“But,” I say, sticking out my bottom lip. “I want you, Aldo.”

He smiles up at me. “I want you too. But we have time. Let’s not rush it. It’ll make it so much better if we take our time.”

“You guys are still talking about boning in a public space,” Christian helpfully says, leaning against the wall and watching us. I growl at him, showing him my fangs. He just laughs at me.

“Okay,” I say slowly. “I will go take a cold shower, as you’ve said. Thank you for today.”

Aldo gets up on his tip toes and pulls me down so he can give my cheek one last kiss before he’s ducking into his own apartment.

“So,” Christian says slowly. “Do I need to talk to you about the birds and the bees?”

“I don’t know what birds and bees have to do with sex, but I’m well aware of the mechanics, thank you very much.”

“Just making sure,” Christian says, slapping my shoulder. “I’m going to pick up some takeout. Need anything?”

I sigh, shaking my head. “Just a cold shower,” I say before walking into my apartment and closing the door, ignoring Christian’s chuckles as he walks down the hall. We’ll see who’s giggling when we’re back on Deltourah and he’s kissing Ghenie.

Despite the abrupt ending to our kiss, Aldo is right. We shouldn’t rush into anything. We can take our time and really enjoy this time we have together before we need to make big decisions.

With that in mind, I head to the bathroom for a cold shower.