Page 28

Derek

The lighting in Kav'eth's quarters dims to something warm and intimate as we enter, and I feel the environmental controls adjust to that perfect temperature the ship seems to know we both prefer. This feels different from the other times I've been in here; less desperate, more intentional.

"Still love how this place just knows what we need," I say, turning to look at him. The part of my brain that usually wants to analyze moments like this, to think about angles and aesthetics, stays blissfully quiet. This isn't performance. This is just us.

Kav'eth closes the door behind us, his golden eyes meeting mine with clear intent. "I want you," he says simply, no hesitation in his voice.

I turn to look at him, this incredible alien who somehow sees past all my bullshit to something worth loving.

The soft lighting catches the blue undertones in his skin, and his bioluminescence is already starting to pulse with that warm golden glow that means he's affected by my proximity.

The empathic bond hums between us; warm and insistent but patient too.

"Good," I say, stepping closer until we're nearly touching. "Because I want you too. But this time, I want to take my time with you. Show you what it's like when we're not desperate and rushed." I pause, meeting his eyes. "Show you what it's like when I'm completely here with you."

Kav'eth's golden eyes search my face, and his bioluminescence brightens in response to my words. There's something different in his expression; curiosity mixed with that familiar desire.

"Completely here?" he asks softly.

"Not distracted," I clarify simply. "Just... present with you."

His bioluminescence pulses brighter, and through our bond I feel his confusion more than surprise. The concept seems to puzzle him in a way that's almost endearing.

I lean up to kiss him, slow and soft, nothing like the desperate urgency of our previous encounters.

This time, I have the luxury of exploring, of learning the texture of his lips and the way he responds when I tease his lower lip with my teeth.

His mouth is warmer than a human's, and there's that subtle taste that's uniquely his; something like cinnamon and starlight, if starlight had a flavor.

Kav'eth makes a soft sound against my mouth, his hands coming up to settle on my waist, thumbs stroking small circles against my skin. The touch sends pleasant shivers up my spine. His surprise at the gentle pace shifts to something else, though he seems unsure what to call it.

"I've never been kissed like this," he murmurs against my lips. "So thorough."

"So present," I correct gently, and feel his slight intake of breath at the word. "There's no rush. We've got all night."

My hands move up to tangle in his hair, and he responds by pulling me closer, our bodies pressing together as the kiss deepens.

The friction of his chest against mine draws a low sound from my throat.

We stay like this for long minutes, just kissing and touching, my hands exploring the strong line of his shoulders while his trace the intricate patterns of my tattoo, following the designs across my chest and around my back with obvious fascination.

His fingertips brush over a sensitive spot near my shoulder blade, and I arch slightly into him, our hips pressing together.

Even through our clothes, I can feel his heat, his desire, but neither of us moves to rush things.

The slow build of arousal between us feels like a conversation we're having with our bodies, each touch a question, each response an answer.

The empathic bond between us grows stronger with each passing moment, allowing me to feel echoes of his pleasure alongside my own.

It's always there, this connection we share, but during moments of intimacy it becomes almost overwhelming; a bridge between our minds that lets sensation and emotion flow freely back and forth.

But tonight feels different. Instead of the desperate urgency that's driven our previous encounters, there's space here.

Space to feel, space to explore, space to just exist together without any agenda beyond connection.

I'm not trying to prove anything or optimize anything or be anything other than exactly who I am in this moment.

And through our bond, I can sense Kav'eth's confusion at the difference.

When I finally pull back, we're both breathing harder.

"Better?" I ask against his lips.

"Different," he breathes, and through our connection I feel him trying to understand this new experience. "Good different."

"Different how?" I ask, genuinely curious about his perspective.

"Before, it was..." he pauses, searching for words. "Necessary. Goal-oriented. This is..." Another pause, his bioluminescence flickering. "This is... I do not have the correct term."

The comparison makes me smile. "How does it feel?"

"Like floating in the pools. No destination, no purpose except..." His hands settle on my chest, palms flat against my heartbeat. "Except being in the water."

"We humans have a term for it," I offer gently. "Making love. Instead of just sex or mating."

"Making love," he repeats the words carefully, as if testing them. "I think... I think I am beginning to understand the distinction."

I smile and kiss him again, deeper this time but still unhurried. My hands move to the waistband of his comfortable pants, tugging at them gently while I continue to kiss him. When I start to push them down, Kav'eth helps me remove them, but his movements are careful, matching my pace.

"I want to see you," I tell him, my hands moving to the shirt beneath his jacket. "All of you."

Kav'eth's skin glows brighter as he removes his remaining clothes with that same deliberate care.

When he's finally naked, I take a moment to just look at him; the way his bioluminescence creates patterns across his chest and shoulders, how the light seems to flow beneath his skin like liquid gold, illuminating the elegant lines of his body, the obvious evidence of his arousal.

"You're incredible."

His glow pulses in response to the praise, those patterns shifting and brightening.

"As are you." His hands move to help me out of my own clothes.

His fingers are careful but confident as he undresses me, taking the same unhurried approach, pausing to stroke each new expanse of skin as it's revealed.

When his palm slides over my stomach, I inhale sharply at the warmth of his touch.

He looks up at me, checking that I'm okay, and I nod, encouraging him to continue.

When we're both naked, I push him gently backward toward the bed, but instead of urgency, everything feels soft, intimate.

We keep kissing as we move, hands roaming, taking time to touch and explore.

The slide of skin against skin is electric, and goosebumps rise where his bioluminescence touches me.

"Your light," I murmur against his neck. "I can feel it."

"It responds to you. To your touch, your proximity... your desire."

I run my hand down his chest, watching the patterns of light follow my fingers like ripples in water. "Beautiful," I breathe, letting my hand drift lower, tracing the line of his hip.

"Lie down," I say gently, and Kav'eth settles onto his back, looking up at me with an expression that's equal parts desire and curiosity.

I climb onto the bed beside him, then over him, settling my weight carefully as I lean down to kiss him again. This position lets me control the pace, lets me focus entirely on making him feel cherished rather than just desired.

"I love you." The words come between kisses, my hands tracing the patterns of light across his chest. "I love how you light up for me. I love how you take care of me. I love how you see me."

Each declaration makes his bioluminescence pulse brighter, and waves of emotion so strong they make my breath catch flow between us.

The empathic connection has never been this intense before, as if the physical intimacy has torn down whatever barriers remained between our minds.

His joy, his desire, his love pulse as clearly as my own emotions, creating a feedback loop that intensifies everything.

But what affects him most deeply isn't the words themselves; it's the focus with which I say them. Through our bond, I sense his confusion at being the center of someone's complete attention.

His understanding comes slowly: this is what it means to be prioritized. Not as a task or a goal, but as a choice. The difference seems to matter to him in ways I'm only beginning to grasp.

Nereidans might not be accustomed to extended intimacy, but Kav'eth is clearly capable of learning to appreciate it.

I trail kisses down his throat, taking time to explore the sensitive spots that make him gasp and arch beneath me.

The column of his neck is particularly responsive, and when I suck gently at the junction of his shoulder, he makes a sound that's almost a purr.

His hands tangle in my hair, not to guide or rush me, but simply to maintain contact, to ground himself in the sensation of my touch.

"Derek," he breathes, my name rough with emotion rather than desperate need.

"I'm right here. Not going anywhere."

I continue my exploration, mapping every inch of skin with my mouth and hands, learning which touches make him shiver and which make him moan.

When I drag my tongue across his nipple, his back arches off the bed, and sharp pleasure spikes between us.

I linger there, alternating between gentle kisses and more focused attention until his breathing grows ragged and his cock throbs against my thigh, leaking more of that sweet lubricant.