Page 37

Tanin

T ruly, Tanin had no opinion on having young or not. It was up to Garnet if they did or didn’t, and he would adjust himself accordingly. Of course, he’d take care of his young. He’d make sure that they never had to live the life he did. Their hands would not be stained with blood either. Like their mother, he’d keep them safe and protected in a world that couldn’t even acknowledge the kind of place he came from.

But if Garnet wanted no young, that was alright with him too. In fact, it was just as good. That meant he wouldn’t have to share her attention or her love. He could selfishly keep it all for himself.

Either way, he had what he really wanted. Something he now realized was more precious than just surviving or escaping his past.

He was happy.

Honestly, Tanin had been feeling this way for a while. It had been coming on slowly since Garnet punched her way into his life. He enjoyed spending time with her. More than that, he craved more of it. He just didn't recognize the emotion because he’d never really felt it before.

Tanin was, for what felt like the first time in his life, happy.

He wasn’t merely satisfied, he wasn’t gleeful in the wake of revenge, he wasn’t feeling successful or fulfilled. He was just happy.

Was this what the others were feeling? When Rok finally stopped having nightmares, when Sway could start eating again, when Trove stopped cutting himself, when the twins began talking to others, when Vytln settled enough to start building his trap – was this contentment what they felt? Like things were finally good. Like they could finally relax.

Alred claimed they were following him, yet it seemed he was lagging behind. Giving them something that he himself didn't have.

Until now. Until he held this little female in his arms. So sassy and brave and brash most times, but who became so soft and needy after she’d been properly fucked and pleasured. A female that could beat a male’s face in for daring to threaten her but got pale and queasy just from looking at a few drops of her own blood. A precious contradiction. A delight in every aspect.

The source of this newfound feeling of happiness.

And suddenly, all he wanted to do was celebrate it. To announce to the world that he found his female. That she was incredible. That she worked hard, she took care of others, that she was brave and sweet and tender.

And his. All his. And he was never going to give that up.

The final stop in their journey – before they reached the starship repair station – was a pleasure station that was highly trafficked and fairly wealthy. In other words, it was safe. There was no delivery there, but it was a great place to stop by and relax. A chance to get some good leave time off the ship.

The station, Tin-Fallow, was specifically designed as a destination location. You didn't stop by Tin-Fallow passing through to somewhere else. Tin-Fallow was the place you wanted to be. It was famous for catering to every kind of hedonistic desire or pleasure. It was a U-shaped station, with six different levels to it. All of which could be reached by docking tunnels all along the outside.

The levels were all stratified based on cost. The lowest level was the cheapest to visit and explore, while the highest level was reserved for the elite and the wealthy. The delights offered on each level changed accordingly. In the center of the ‘U’, out in the vacuum of space, there was always some kind of event ongoing. Sometimes, they held trikball games there – the vacuum of space was where the game originated, so it was like returning it to its roots. Sometimes, there were concerts there. Sometimes, they had holovids that showed 3D masterpieces.

Today, it seemed, the Twilight Troupe was there, performing a large, impressive zero-g play that was advertised all along the walls of the docking tunnel. Alongside those posters, there were more. Smoke bars, brothels, eateries, gaming halls – all of them were advertised in bright lights, cheerful music playing as the crew all came down the tunnel. Everyone except Sway who, as usual, opted to stay behind with Alred and watch the ship, and Goldie, who insisted she was fine staying inside for now.

Goldie very obviously was trying to make sure that Tanin and Garnet had some alone time, unlike when he escorted them both through the last station. Truly, Tanin didn't mind Goldie being with them. He appreciated that his female would always have her twin with her, and he was more than happy to make room for her in his ship and his life. At the same time, he was grateful for her foresight. She saw them off with a promise to explore the station later and made them promise to have fun together.

And maybe Garnet was thinking the same way, because she had packed a bag to take with her. Like she expected to stay out more than one day. She wore it slung over her shoulder, wearing a lovely, sexy, simple red dress that really made the hidden red of her hair shine. She approached him in it, smiling as she played with the end of the skirt. Teasing him before they ever left the ship.

The others were more than happy to enjoy station leave on the third level – which was where they docked. It was right around their price range, though they could go up or down one level if they wanted to save or splurge. Trove went off to find a brothel – his favorite shore leave activity included seeing how many females he could fuck at once. Rok and Vytln were going to find the fighting rings – Rok to watch, Vytln to participate. The twins vanished immediately, going off to do whatever they liked – Tanin didn't know, nor did he care, as long as they followed his rules and weren’t caught. What the males did on leave was their business alone.

As the others all walked away, Garnet slid her hand into Tanin’s, eagerly pointed forward at something that already caught her attention. He didn't resist as she pulled him deeper into the station. He let her curiosity guide them through. Far more interested in the way her skirt danced around her thighs than anything on the station.

This level was right around where the average person was able to enjoy everything freely without straining their finances. There was one section of the station where younglings and families could have a good time. On the far opposite side, there was a section reserved only for adults – that was where the brothels and drug dens were located.

Garnet kept them in the middle where everyone could linger and find something fun to do. The ceiling was decently high, and it was programed to alternatively display a fake, pale purple sky and advertisements for the various attractions, shops, and restaurants around the level. The streets were laid out in a grid pattern, making it easy to traverse, and also making sure that there was always at least one store front facing the road.

And you could buy anything here. Food, clothes, fun, liquors, drugs, smoke, love – if it could be sold, there was a store for it somewhere on Tin-Fallow for any budget.

Garnet found a bubble shop first. Similar to a smoke shop, there were booths around a bubble machine where you could purchase various flavors and effects. The ones she got for them tasted overly sweet, like candy, and sent Garnet into laughing fits. He understood, because he felt a bit giddy after blowing a few of the bubbles himself.

Or maybe that was his heart skipping a beat at the way she laughed and smiled, her cheeks flushed with joy, highlighting the darkness of her speckles.

Riding high on that fun, she took him to a gaming hall where he was able to blatantly show off his skills in a fight simulator. He won her a prize – a little toy stuffed doll that she clutched like it was a precious gem, before throwing her arms around his waist, kissing him happily.

After that, they found a restaurant that served the most disgusting soup he’d ever eaten. Garnet gagged at her first taste. Yet, somehow, even that was fun with her at his side. The restaurant they went to after was a lot better. She followed it up with a clothing store where she bought something but refused to show him what it was. Though she did give him a very sensual sort of smile as she waved the bag around while walking out, aiming for their next destination.

The rest of the day was like that. Wondering around, Tanin following whatever fancy crossed her vision. He’d been to Tin-Fallow before. But it was the lowest level, back when they first started their business and they could barely afford that. But after a long, hard life, he knew that they needed the break more than they needed the credz.

But that trip was nothing like this. It might as well have been a completely different station. A totally different world. Or maybe he was just a different person.

It was as Garnet was in one of the public privies, and he was waiting outside for her to be done, that he spotted them.

Honestly, he wouldn’t have paid attention before, if he hadn’t brought it up to Garnet in the past. He might have forgotten them completely one day. But the promise he made returned like a heavy blow as he looked at the familiar petals of that small, white bloom his mother once kept in a box in their tiny slum apartment in a dark, dank back alley on the ugliest station in the galaxy.

There was a flower shop across the street. Out front, flanking the doors, there were two crates that were full of flowers. An abundance of them in a variety of colors. The little white buds were almost lost in comparison to the other, brighter, bigger flowers. But there was a little bouquet of them right there on the lowest rack, tucked in the corner.

Tanin didn't even realize he had moved to cross the street until he was bending over, picking the small bouquet. It looked like it was intended to give to a child. A red ribbon was wrapped around the buddle, keeping them together. They freshly cut, dusky blue stems were sitting in a glass sphere that was filled with clear preservation gel. Inside that, the flowers would flourish even better than if they were still buried in nutritious soil.

“Are you having a youngling?”

Tanin looked up. The female who must run this store had stepped out and she was smiling at him happily. She was from a reptilian species, though he didn’t know which one off the top of his head. She was smiling at him with a mouth full of fangs, wearing a pretty dress covered in dirt stains that she was wiping her hands on as she approached.

“Those flowers are called sling prints,” she said, pointing to the petals. “Because of the way the petals are laid out, see?”

“Why did you ask if I was having a youngling?” He asked.

“Well, you’re s’skree, right?” She cocked her head curiously. “Sling prints are native to your homeworld.”

“I’ve never been to my homeworld.”

“Oh!” She chuckled. “I’m sorry. You’re born of the black, huh?”

Born of the black. It was a way to refer to younglings born on starships, away from any planet. But he wasn’t one. He was station born. But he didn’t see the need to tell her that.

“Something like that. Slings… that’s what younglings are called on my home planet, right?”

“Yes,” she beamed. “Sling prints are very common there. But it’s tradition to give them to your mate when she conceives. They say sling prints smell like happy slings, and it helps calm down a pregnant s’skree female. They’re very easily agitated while carrying.”

“And afterwards,” he agreed calmly. “S’skree females are notoriously violent when protecting their young. Even against their own mates.”

“True,” she laughed. “So, are you not expecting a youngling then?”

“I might be. How much?”

When Tanin turned back from buying the flowers, he saw that Garnet had already left the privy and was walking his way with a curious smile. She beamed at him as she looked first at his face then down to the flowers.

“What are those?” She asked, leaning over to sniff them. “Ooh, that’s nice. They smell like… like… ugh , what is that smell? It’s like what you wish a spa would smell like.”

Tanin cocked a brow. The sling prints didn’t really have a scent. To him at least. He offered them to her without a word. She smiled, taking them happily.

“For me?”

“These are the flower.”

“The flower?” She was breathing deeply of their scent again.

“My mother’s flower.”

She paused. Her eyes slowly came up to meet his. “Your mother’s… These are?”

He nodded once.

“Oh?” Her gaze softened as she looked back at the blooms with newfound adoration. Gently, like they were impossibly fragile, she stroked one of the petals. “Oh, my gosh. It’s so pretty.”

“It was probably a gift from my father. It’s traditional to give them to your female when she’s expecting your youngling. That’s why they’re called sling prints.”

“That makes it even better,” she sighed softly, cradling the flowers like they were unspeakably precious. “They must have meant so much to your mom for her to hold onto one of them for so long.”

That’s probably exactly what it was. He’d always wondered why she clung so hard to such a fragile little life in that dark place. But that flower was the only reminder she had of days when she had love and hope. Life before Rik-Vane. A mate and a sling on the way. She’d clung to memories that he’d never known and would never know.

But he had his own memories of his mother bound in that little white flower. To see his mate carrying a small bouquet of them struck deep in a way he hadn’t expected.

He took her hand and pulled, tugging her down the street.

“Where are we going?” She asked, curious but not unwilling to keep up with him.

Tanin didn’t answer. He was focused.

He wasn’t picky. He just needed somewhere private and decent enough for her.

Right around the corner, there was an inn. Everyone who docked here came from a starship, but not everyone had their own. A lot of people came on chartered starships and needed a place to stay while here. Or they did have their own starship but just didn’t want to stay on it for whatever reason.

There were a lot of inns dotted throughout Tin-Fallow. He wasn’t surprised there was one so close by. It was a stroke of luck that there was a room available. He purchased it for the next few days then tugged the silently grinning Garnet up to their given room. It was a simple thing. Cheap, but clean and comfortable with a large bed and a wide window looking out over the level. However, the soundproofing was great. The moment the door shut behind them, the room was completely silent. He dropped her hand and crossed the room. The windows dimmed with a slider, casting them in shadows. There was a light strip on the wall over the bed, but it wasn’t powerful. Until his eyes adjusted, it wasn’t even really noticeable. It illuminated the room just enough that he could see where he was going.

Tanin turned back to find Garnet looking around curiously. She had set the flowers, her stuffed animal, her bag, and her shopping bags on the side table beside the bed and was now checking out her surroundings. She did it every time she went somewhere new. Unbound by fear or shyness. He adored that about her.

As she was exploring this new space, he crossed to the entertainment center. It wasn’t very hard to find what he was looking for on the subnet.

The hard drums weren’t ones he was familiar with hearing. But his heartbeat immediately fell into the rhythm as something primal and instinctive inside him roused. Like the drumbeat was speaking to his body. Instructing it in how to move. He never heard the traditional sounds of his people, played on ancient style wooden drums, but he still knew this song deep in his soul.

Turning, he looked back at Garnet to find that she was standing silently in the middle of the room, hands held behind her back, smiling at him. He hadn’t said a word, but she knew what was happening. It was there in the gleam in her eye.

Tanin knew that he wanted to dance for her. He hadn’t made a decision on where or when he was going to do it. Realistically, it didn’t matter. The dance was an intimate thing. Aside from that, he didn’t know anything else about what to do. Maybe there was a culture around it on Tella’za. There probably was, in fact, but he didn’t know it.

So, he could only follow his instincts. His desires. And after seeing her hold those flowers, the adoration that gleamed in her eyes as she appreciated them, he was suddenly impatient to claim her permanently. Properly. That flower held no meaning for her aside from the meaning it had for him, but that was enough to make it precious to her.

He was that important to her. And she meant this much to him.

Tanin pressed the seal on his jumpsuit, making it split down the front. He stepped out of it, kicking his shoes away. His shirt was lost just as easily. Tossed aside in the corner. Leaving him clad only in the dark gray shorts that he wore under the jumpsuit.

“Tanin,” Garnet called to him gently.

The sound of her voice made his quills start to rise. And he had no desire to lower them again. He wanted her to see him at his most natural. Everything he had to offer. The shorts should come off as well, he realized. His cock was starting to rise, anticipating what was coming, and his female needed to see what was hers.

But she sounded uncertain, making him hesitate.

“Yes?”

“I don’t… really know what to do,” she admitted, shifting her weight as she crossed her arm across her belly, holding herself. “I don’t want to mess it up.”

“You won’t mess it up,” he promised. “React how you like. Show me how you desire me. As I show you how I desire you.”

With that, he struck himself on the chest with the flat of his hand. The hard smack echoed along with the drum beats as his skin burst into light. In the dim room, the sparks seemed so much brighter. The burst of white fizzled out and down as he struck the other side of his chest. Another light did the same, bursting out and fading away.

Garnet’s eyes sparkled in the low light. A small smile widening as she watched him continue moving, swept away in the beats of the drums.

He stomped his foot. Without shoes, it could be seen that, even there, the lights in his skin burst as a result of the sudden pressure. Brighter there, because the skin was thicker. Stomp. Light. Stomp Light. Tanin struck his thigh. Light. He struck his arm. Light.

The drums moved him. The song was harsh, driving equally sharp and hard movements. A dance that emphasized his strength, his power, each strike pounding with the beats and creating the lights that sparkled in his female’s eyes.

Grabbing his shorts, he ripped them off. Tearing the fabric. Shredding it with his strength and his knuckle claws. They fell away, trash, revealing his fully hardened cock.

He roared, pounding his chest with both fists. More lights.

Garnet, panting through parted lips, took a step his way.