Extraterrestrial Moors

16

Several days go by. Rafe takes me all over the ship. They even have their own garden's here. That would explain why they have fresh food. He brings me there and we have a picnic. More of a late dinner actually. The lights are low, many couples stroll along the pathways. This is a popular place for romantic dates. I can see why.

With the lights down low we can look out the glass or whatever substance the roof is made of and watch the stars streak by. There are plenty of nooks and cranny's for a couple to grab some privacy as well.

Rafe hasn't kissed me since he moved into my room by  his mother's command. It still blows me away that the commander is his mother.

But one good thing has happened, after going to the gym I've regained my strength a bit, enough at least to start walking again. I now walk at Rafe's side. I think I annoy him though since I can't go very fast yet. Or very far.

"Rafe, are you upset that your CO had you move in with me?" I don't like the distance he's put between us.

He doesn't answer. But that in itself is an answer isn't it? I get up off the cloth he had set on the ground for us to have the picnic on. "I'll talk to her in the morning about getting you assigned back to your former quarters." I walk away trying to hide the tears that are falling no matter how hard I try to hold them back. I knew that something was wrong.

She asked me a question that I have no answer for. When I don't give her one she gets up and walks away. She's leaving me. Her words at first don't register but when they do panic sets in. Pure and simple panic. Instinct takes over. I jump up and go after her.

Once I am within reach I grab her and pull her to me. I kiss her like I've been dying too for days now. I'm like a drowning man and she's my safety line. Somehow I come to myself enough to take us out of the direct public eye and into one of the shadowy nooks.

She responds almost immediately and it takes all I have to not take her there and then. I no longer care if she is ready for this or not. 

As part of the picnic I have arranged for the garden staff to clean up after us. So I'm free to take Maha back to our room. Fortunately our room isn't far from the gardens. It isn't to unusual for me to carry her now that she's no longer in the wheelchair, so I pick her up, which has the added benefits of hiding certain things from people.

We get to the room and I lock it behind me. I give Maha a look, "Tell me now and I won't take it further. But if you don't stop me now, I won't likely be able to stop if you change your mind."

My mind goes blank. Do I want this? Yes. Do I want this now? That's what I don't know. I hear him sigh. He unlocks the door. "I'll be back in awhile. You should get changed and into bed before I get back. Keep the door locked, I have a key."

He backed off because he could tell I wasn't ready.

I change and climb into bed and cry myself into sleep. 

We walk into the cafeteria and the noise is different than in the past. There's an undercurrent of excitement. Our new destination has been posted. In curiosity I go and look. At first I am disbelieving but then a smile starts to make its way onto my face.

"What is it Rafe?" Maha asks. She can read for herself but the name of the destination will mean nothing to her.

"We're going home." I tell her.

But all my excitement ebbs as her face turns into a mask. She tries to smile but it's so fake that it's actually painful for me to see it. "I'm happy for you."

I am such an idiot. My joy in our destination is gone. We're going home because of Maha. They need the information from her that she still hasn't given them. It seems that some of it can only be retrieved by special instruments. I know Maha is worried about just what that means. I think she has a reason to be worried. No one will give either of us a straight answer.

Maha has given up I think. She turns from the cafeteria and makes her way to our room. I hurry and eat and then fix her a tray.

I get to the door and find it locked. It's a good thing I have the key with me. Maha is curled up in the fetal position and I don't think she's going to unwind to eat. When I hear her sobs and see her shake from them I know she won't.

I set the tray down on my cot and go over to her. I pick her up and just hold her. She doesn't want me to do anything else just now. I'm not even sure she wants this, but I need this.

Once we get to my home world, we'll be separated. I have my job here and she'll be taken to have her information retrieved. What will happen after that I don't know, but I do know that my tour isn't done for more than a year yet.

In all likelihood we'll never see each other again.

Now I was glad we haven't had sex yet. It would just make things so much more difficult when we have to say goodbye.

I knew this would happen, but I just never realized when or how soon. My own tears join hers.

I feel him with hold his sobs and it makes me look at him for the first time since he entered the room. We'd been sharing a room for near a month now, but he's always stopped short of sex. I guess it's better this way since I'll be leaving the ship once we get to his world.

But I need something more. I look up at him to find him looking at me. There are no words said he just kisses me.

Immediately I lose myself in the fire and flames the kisses invoke, that they had always invoked in me. But this time is different I can tell. That is my last coherent thought as he starts touching me.

She stops crying and looks at me. I look at her and I lose all ability to think. I just react to my need and hers. Her moans excite me like they never have before, and they excited me plenty before.

I stop thinking. 

Time stops all there is, is her. I don't even remember if I put protection on or not.

Time starts back up. I look at the clock and am shocked at how much time has passed. I check and sure enough there are several used protections in the garbage. I add one more before I fall asleep next to Maha, who is already asleep.