Sang the Stray (Completed)

33. Starry Night

I woke to the scent of musk. North was here. I blinked open my eyes to meet North's dark piercing gaze. We were still in MedBay.

"What shift it is?" I asked.

"Third," he answered. My days and nights were really messed up. I was wide awake now.

I stretched and sat up. "Can I leave? Go to new room yet?"

He didn't answer, just held out his hand to pull me up, then started walking. I followed, wondering where we were going as we took an elevator up. Finally, I recognized a familiar door. 

"You like to be outside they said," he explained simply as the door opened and we were met by a clear night sky. We climbed back up to my previous perch and just sat taking in the plethora of stars surrounding us. His arm stretched behind me, I would be pressed against him if I leaned back. It was a rare cloudless night for Tare. I imagine moonlight would have been lovely sparkling on the water below, but Tare had no moon. Instead, some sort of tiny bioluminescent creatures shimmered just below the surface, creating an equally pretty sight. 

I pointed, "Do you know what called?"

North replied, "Si or Axel would."

"Axel?"

"Second Squad Captain, Tsee Toma." He cleared his throat and added, "Raven and Corey are with Second Squad. Tsee Blackbourne was asked to schedule other squads for you to test the enhancement ability on. Second Squad will be testing with you in three kai." 

Raven had kept that Fifth Squad member from touching me. I think I would be okay working with him. And Corey had seemed very nice. The thought of testing with other strangers, having them touch me made me very nervous. I had started anticipating Fourth Squad's touches, enjoying them holding my hand or putting an arm around my shoulder. Though, the idea of any of the Fifth Squad members coming close really filled me with trepidation. 

North looked at me sharply. "Why did your heart rate spike? What's wrong?"

"You watching the monitor," I guessed.

He grunted, "Ista Green has to sleep sometime. He said you don't like to have it on public display."

"So, whoever my watcher has to listen." I cringed. 

"Only a couple of us on Fourth Squad," he said, looking at me now. "What did you think of?"

I turned to him, answering honestly, "Do not like Fifth Squad. Do not want them to touch me." I shivered.

His eyes softened with concern. "One of us will be with you for each testing session. Or at least someone you trust, like Ista Phillips." He sighed, "But Sang, Baby, if you don't want to test with Fifth Squad then I will make sure you don't."

I realized now how close our faces were and my eyes dropped to his lips. My stomach fluttered, as it always does lately around the guys. It felt as if something was growing between us, some expectation, I wasn't sure. "North...Star,"  I fumbled for what to say. His eyes grew darker, gaze dropping to my lips as I licked them. It felt like I just needed to lean closer and...

"Hi!" Luke exclaimed, teleporting only inches away from us with a huge grin. North and I jumped apart.

"Damn it, Lucian!" North growled.

"Now, now, Little Brother. I know you miss me. Just look at this call log:

N: Luke, where are you?

N: Luke, you haven't answered.

N: Lucian! Answer me.

N: Lucian, I swear to Muina if you don't get back from Unara soon...

"You see Sang, North shows his brotherly love with constant badgering and endearing threats of violence," Luke teased. North just grunted, leveling him an exasperated look. "Come on, Sang. Gabriel and I get a Sang Sleepover for the rest of this shift and probably the next one."

We made our way back inside, parting ways with North at his and Silas' door. I looked back over my shoulder and he stayed watching as we continued down the hall. Something had passed between us. My heart still felt like it was pounding and I had the greatest urge to reach out to him.

Entering Luke and Gabriel's apartment I was engulfed in scents of vanilla and a light floral mixture. Patterns of swirling blues and cheerful oranges rotated for the virtual room decor on three main walls, but one accent wall was actually painted a realistic view of the lake on Muina near Camp Sang. I recognized it immediately.

"Muina," I pointed, amazed.

"Yeah," Gabriel said carelessly from the kitchen. "I painted it from Sean's mission-log, minus the Transport, of course." He sounded distracted, so I walked in to see what he was doing. I collection of vials and liquids was spread out on the counter. He measured and poured two together, then asked me to take a quick sniff. It was pleasant.

"Let's see if this works for you," he said dabbing some on his fingers, and rubbed it on my pulse points. Then he leaned into my neck and breathed deeply. I flushed. He pulled back and said, "Oh fuck, yeah. That's it. Luke, come here and try this." 

Luke complied and I felt a blush again as he repeated Gabriel's action. "Good one, I like that," he said to Gabriel, pulling back and giving me a dreamy smile.

"You make scents?" I asked.

"Hmm, yeah, for all of Fourth Squad," Gabriel replied.

"Are you tired at all?" Luke asked.

I shook my head. It felt like I should be tired, but instead I felt keyed up, especially after me and North's encounter. 

"I was wondering about something," Luke said. "Your monitoring level meant that your trip to Earth near-space was recorded. You looked at a box with symbols on the front. Was that your language?"

I wasn't surprised to hear that they had seen the footage. Ista Phillips had let me know Fourth Squad, as my sponsors, would be fully debriefed. I replied, "Yes, some. Also, numbers show day and time."

"You seemed to react when you saw that. Did it mean anything?" Luke commented.

"I see it my birthday in a couple kai. I surprised I am only here four kaone," I said, using the English word for birthday.

"Huh, what was that word? What does it mean?" Luke asked.

"Oh, on Earth year is three Taren years. Celebrate kai of birth each year, and other holidays," I explained.

"Wait," Gabriel said. "You celebrate the date every year? How do you celebrate?"

"Yes," I affirmed. "Well, most people get presents and eat big cake..."

"I want a birthday!" Luke interrupted, using the English term.

"You can't have a birthday," Gabriel argued. "It's Sang's birthday."  I guess Taren just earned a new word.

"Fine, we can share a birthday and have two cakes," Luke was very excited now. "What else do we do for a birthday?"

"Uhm....Well, sleepover with all friends?" I added, unsure and trying to remember about birthdays I read about. Mother, no...Step-Mother, never would have allowed me to have a sleepover.

"Oooooo, we can do that. What do you do at a birthday sleepover?" Luked asked.

"Play games?" I suggested. 

"Fuck, yeah, we can definitely do that," Gabriel said seeming to catch Luke's enthusiasm.

And just like that, I suddenly had a Sweet 16/48th Birthday party planned.