The Space Between

Chapter Eighteen: "Lizard Love"

Sean nodded to himself, stashing his phone away in his pocket again. Inching closer to Logan, he told him comfortingly. "Ya, I'm not a big fan of hot sauce myself... Mark loves the stuff though. He used to do these challenges to see if he could handle the hottest stuff in the world." Sean chuckled lightly, then let his smile fade away as his thoughts drifted. Mark still had some in the kitchen cabinet. Reaching out absently, he rubbed Logan's back and tried to remember where it was. If Logan was this turned away by it... would it scare away the bigger ones too?" Logan coughed loudly, sitting back on his ass as he told Sean meekly. "Sean... I don't think I can stomach going back in there." Sean patted his shoulder, telling him almost thankfully. "That's alright. Wait here. Get some air. I'll take it from here." Getting up, Sean jogged his way back into the house. Mark's mom was cleaning up the broken glass and scattered food that had been knocked to the floor. She looked so distraught.

As he entered, she wrung a washcloth in her hand, asking him hopefully. "Well? Is he alright? Do I have to call an ambulance?" Sean shook his head, walking up to give her a hug. She hugged him back, uttering out. "Oh my god... Sean, did he die on the lawn?!" Sean stepped back, chuckling out. "No! He's fine. He's just getting some air. It scared him pretty good. The guy is deathly allergic as it turns out." She dropped her face in her hands, muffling through her hands with disappointment. "Ugh! I'm so stupid... I should have asked if he was allergic to anything. It just... It slipped my mind because I was worried about you..." Sean stopped short on his way to the cabinets, asking curiously. "What? Why?" She gestured to the fridge, mumbling out. "When I was preparing the food, I noticed that all the leftovers were gone. I thought maybe I hurt your feelings by saying how skinny you are... Or that I was starving you because you didn't want to pig out in front of me..." A snort left Sean before he could stop himself.

Clearing his throat after, he rushed back to her to give her a bigger hug. She was so small that he could almost wrap his around completely around her. Over her shoulder, he told her warmly. "No. I'm alright. Really. I just... Last night I had a wicked craving and I just... couldn't let it go unsatisfied." Releasing her, he moved back toward the cabinets, adding on curiously. "By the way... You seen any of Mark's hot sauces? The little ones that no human should ingest if they love their insides?" Behind him, she mumbled out mostly to herself. "Are you sure you are ok? Cause you sound... I mean, if I didn't know any better. I'd say you were pregnant." A metal mixing bowl slipped from Sean's hand and loudly banged against the floor. The very idea was terrifying. The first thing he thought of was alien babies. However, Logan hadn't touched him... had he? Mark's mom moved closer, picking up the bowl to put in the sink as she pointed and said with worry. "It's not this one. It's that cabinet. Sean? Are you really ok?" Sean turned away from her, digging through the cabinet she pointed out. He didn't know what to say.

Mentally, he couldn't get the whole aliens bursting from his chest out of his head. While physically, he was shaking for unknown reasons. Grabbing the bottles of hot sauce, Mark's mom grabbed his wrists to stop him. Looking into his eyes, she told him sweetly. "Sean? Are you worried about Mark?" Sean nodded subconsciously, his body going in to hug her for a much different reason. He needed comfort. Was he scared about what was going to happen? He felt like so much was going on that his body didn't know what to feel. She hugged him tightly, cooing to him in a motherly voice. "He's going to be ok. Go fix their silly robots. By the time you get back... he might be back." Sean smirked, prying himself slowly from her hug. Going to his bag, he slipped in the bottles of hot sauce. Behind him, she asked him curiously. "Why are you taking those with you?" Sean thought quickly, turning around as he told her with a blush. "Don't tell, Mark... but I'm planning to give them away. I just... I'm trying to look out for his health and-" She waved her hands with a grin, telling him. "Say no more. I approve. I won't say a word."